We present the first far-IR observations of the solar-type stars delta Pav, HR 8501, 51 Peg and zeta(2) Ret, taken within the context of the DUNES Herschel open time key programme (OTKP). This project uses the PACS and SPIRE instruments with the objective of studying infrared excesses due to exo-Kuiper belts around nearby solar-type stars. The observed 100 mu m fluxes from delta Pav, HR 8501, and 51 Peg agree with the predicted photospheric fluxes, excluding debris disks brighter than L-dust/L-star similar to 5 x 10(-7) (1 sigma level) around those stars. A flattened, disk-like structure with a semi-major axis of similar to 100 AU in size is detected around zeta(2) Ret. The resolved structure suggests the presence of an eccentric dust ring, which we interpret as an exo-Kuiper belt with L-dust/L-star approximate to 10(-5).


The management of commons is now at the centre of researchers' attention in many branches of science, particularly those related to the human or social sciences. This paper seeks to demonstrate how civil society participation in common goods or resources is not only possible but is also desirable for society because of the medium and long-term benefits it offers involved and/or affected parties. To this end, we examine the falsity of the discourse underlying the supposed incompetence of civil society to cooperate interpersonally in the pursuit of common objectives, and also analyse a specific example of the necessary and possible participation of civil society in managing common goods through biobanks.


When one cut himself, it's amazing to watch how quickly the body acts to mend the wound. Immediately, the body works to pull the skin around the cut back together. The concept of repair by bleeding of enclosed functional agents serves as the biomimetric inspiration of synthetic self repair systems. Such synthetic self repair systems are based on advancement in polymeric materials; the process of human thrombosis is the inspiration for the application of self healing fibres within the composite materials. Preliminary results based on flexural 3 point bend test on prepared samples have shown the healed hollow fibre laminate has a healed strength increase of 47.6% compared to the damaged baseline laminate. These results gave us confidence that there is a great potential to adopt such self healing mechanism on actual composite parts like in aircraft's composite structures.


Prostate cancer (PCa) is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men globally. Androgen receptor (AR) signalling plays a vital role in initiation and progression and antiandrogens are standard of care first-line therapeutics. However, resistance frequently develops resulting in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Management of CRPC is currently chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy but is mostly palliative due to rapid development of resistance. The need for novel approaches to eliminate mCRPC is compelling; a promising option is replication-selective (oncolytic) adenoviruses with demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models of multidrug-resistant PCa. The safety of various viral mutants has been confirmed in numerous clinical trials with minimal toxicity in patients. Importantly, oncolytic adenoviruses synergise with the current standard of care for mCRPC even in treatment-resistant cells. In early phase I–II clinical trials, promising efficacy in patients with localised PCa was reported after intratumoural administration, and phase III trials are underway. To enable systemic delivery, for targeting of mCRPC, further developments are necessary because of the short half-life of the adenoviral mutants in human blood. Current progress in preventing the high- affinity binding of adenovirus to erythrocytes, hepatocyte uptake, and elimination by hepatic Kupffer cells will be described.


Several autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sj€ ogrens's syndrome (pSS), have repeatedly been linked to an increased risk of malignant lymphoma [1,2]. Certain inflammatory conditions are also associated with the development of specific lymphoma subtypes such as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in pSS and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in RA. The underlying mechanisms behind this association remain unclear. The highly increased risk of developing MALT lymphoma of the parotid gland in pSS indicates that local inflammatory processes can promote lymphoma development at the site of chronic inflammation [3]. In RA, an association between disease severity and risk of lymphoma has been shown. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formerly Wegener's granulomatosis, is a systemic small vessel vasculitis associated with the presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and characterized by granulomatous inflammation and necrotizing vasculitis of the airways and kidneys but possibly affecting any organ system. An increased risk of lymphoma in patients with GPA has been reported in several epidemiological studies [4,5]. However, very little is known about risk factors for lymphoma development in this group, possible relation to disease severity, treatment and lymphoma subtypes or the prognosis for the lymphomas. This is the first published study on GPA and lymphoma, giving detailed information on the GPA characteristics and possible risk factors for lymphoma and also lymphoma subtypes treatment and survival.


Spiral CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) is a rapidly developing field with both 2D and 3D display techniques currently used for visualization of colorectal polyps. Our purpose was to perform a multiobserver reader study in a test set of 30 colonic segments to determine the diagnostic performance of 2D MPR, 3D thick slab MPR, and 3D PVR, using colonoscopy as the standard of reference. In this study, CT colonography was performed in a cohort of patients with known polyps immediately prior to colonoscopy, following using a standard bowel prep and air-insufflation. A test set of 30 colonic segments was created, with a total of 22 lesions present, with all findings verified by colonoscopy. Three image displays were tested in this study: 2D multiplanar reformation (MPR), 3D thick slab MPR following 2D MPR review, and 3D perspective volume rendered (PVR) displays following 2D MPR review. Readers independently analyzed each test case in a controlled setting and scored their confidence on a 5 point scale of each focal finding observed. Our results demonstrated high sensitivity for detection of colorectal polyps using 2D MPR in this library of 30 colonic segments. Reader analysis with 3D PVR demonstrated improved characterization of focal findings in selected cases.


Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) has been applied extensively to in vitro studies of different living cells. In this paper, we present a novel application of an off-axis DHM system to in vivo study of the development of zebrafish embryos. Even with low magnification microscope objectives, the morphological structures and individual cell types inside developing zebrafish embryos can be clearly observed from reconstructed amplitude images. We further study the dynamic process of blood flow in zebrafish embryos. A calibration routine and post-processing procedures are developed to quantify physiological parameters at different developmental stages. We measure quantitatively the blood flow as well as the heart rate to study the effects of elevated D-glucose (abnormal condition) on circulatory and cardiovascular systems of zebrafish embryos. To enhance our ability to use DHM as a quantitative tool for potential high throughput screening application, the calibration and post-processing algorithms are incorporated into an automated processing software. Our results show that DHM is an excellent non-invasive imaging technique for visualizing the cellular dynamics of organogenesis of zebrafish embryos in vivo.


This paper presents analytical and simulation results of the application of distance relays for the protection of transmission systems employing flexible alternating current transmission controllers such as the unified power flow controller (UPFC). Firstly a detailed model of the UPFC and its control is proposed and then it is integrated into the transmission system for the purposes of accurately simulating the fault transients. An apparent impedance calculation procedure for a transmission line with UPFC based on the power frequency sequence component is then investigated. The simulation results show the impact of UPFC on the performance of a distance protection relay for different fault conditions; the studies also include the influence of the setting of UPFC control parameters and the operational mode of UPFC.


Abstract. The upwelling system off the southern Caribbean coast is probably the main nutrients source that support the biological productivity in this oligotrophic sea. The Subtropical Water Mass (SUW) that forms the subsurface salinity maximum in the Caribbean is the main source of upwelled waters in this system. Salinity and temperature vs. depth profiles from 4 oceanographic cruises in the western sector of the Caribbean upwelling system, showed that the salinity of upwelled SUW waters is ~ 0.2 g kg−1 lower than the SUW salinity in the central Caribbean and have a slight seasonal variation that agree with with the rainy/dry seasons in the region. Besides, the depth of these SUW waters in the continental slope (~ 100 m) is ~ 50 m shallower than the SUW depth in the rest of the Caribbean sea. The origin of these modified SUW waters was analyzed using the Mercator numerical model, which reproduces the main vertical characteristics of the subsurface salinity maximum. Modeled data showed that SUW waters upwelled off La Guajira peninsula come from the western Caribbean and arrive to the system transported by an intense Caribbean Coastal Undercurrent (CaCU, mean speed ~ 0.4 m s−1). The lower salinity observed in the upwelled SUW waters may be the result of intense vertical mixing processes with diluted surface waters in the Panama-Colombia gyro that could occur when the CaCU flows below this region before reaching the upwelling zones. The mixing processes in the SUW by double diffusion and mechanical turbulence driven by vertical shear of horizontal currents, were analyzed using the Turner angle and the Thorpe scale, respectively. Double diffusion by salt fingers was found between the SUW and the Central North Atlantic Waters (NACW) with diffusivity values ~ 10−5 m2 s−1. But the mechanical diffusivity was two orders of magnitude higher (10−3 m2 s−1.) than the double diffusivities in the entire water column, generating salt fluxes from the SUW towards surface and towards depth over 2 g kg−1 m d−1. Beyond modifying the salt content in coastal SUW waters, these mixing processes may also alter the nutrient content of upwelling waters, with effects still unknown to the upwelling ecosystem.


In today's multicultural countries, cultural diversity, hybridity, assimilation, and cultural identity are key issues. By focusing on the problem of immigration and its inevitable traumatic results on the migrants, Tahar Ben Jelloun's Leaving Tangier fully presents Azel (the protagonist) and his acquaintances' search for identity in terms of history, religion, nationality and cultural identity. Tahar Ben Jelloun's Leaving Tangier is the story of a Moroccan brother and sister who are burning with the desire to migrate to Spain in order to attain better life. The accomplishment of their dreams actualizes at the cost of some compromises and sacrifices that end with the protagonists' physical, emotional failure, and annihilation. The winner of Prix Goncourt for La Nuit Sacree (The Sacred Night) in 1987, a Moroccan novelist Tahar Ben Jelloun is one of the most prolific and important writers of the recent years. As a novelist and critic, Ben Jelloun artfully combines the fact and fiction, past and present, East and West in his works. in this respect, he creates multidimensional writings that can be read and interpreted from several perspectives. Tahar Ben Jelloun's Leaving Tangier (2006) presents the issues of "wounded childhood," "solitude," "displacement," and "alienation" both individually and collectively in the colonial history of Tangier. This study focuses on the issues of discrimination, assimilation, and cultural identity, experienced by the characters in the novel, resulting from the immigration of individuals from their homelands to Europe in order to find better life conditions.


During the past 25 years, 68 infants and children underwent operation for the relief of tracheobronchoesophageal obstruction secondary to anomalies of major vessels in the mediastinum. There were 33 patients with double aortic arch, 26 with right aortic arch with a left ductus or ligamentum, six with aberrant right subclavian artery, one with a displaced innominate artery, and two with an anomalous left pulmonary artery. Esophagography was the most valuable preoperative diagnostic tool. The result of surgical treatment was gratifying in the majority of cases. There were nine operative and two late deaths. Most of the deaths occurred in patients younger than 6 months of age and early in our experience.


Swahili has two existential constructions, one formed with a possessive copula and a locative subject marker (locative-possessive constructions), the other formed with a locative copula and a non-locative subject marker agree- ing with the theme argument (locative-copula constructions). Both constructions can be used to express existence in a place or more abstract existence. However, the constructions differ with respect to structure and interpretation: the locative-possessive construction has a more rigid word-order and a narrower range of interpretations than the locative-copula construction. On the other hand, the two constructions share the possibility to take 'clausal' complements, where a post-copular NP functions at the same time as the subject of a following clause. The paper illustrates the similarities and differences between the constructions and shows how these are related to information structure and to lexical and morphosyntactic constraints imposed by the two copula forms.


INTRODUCTION
Nutritional status depicts not only the nourishing balance but also the conditions of life. Proper food availability, in form and amount, are aspects of food security.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationships between hunger perception and stunting.

METHOD
Stratified and multiple step sample from nine provinces from the north of Argentina (n= 3630, children between 6 months to 6 years old living under poor conditions). Hunger perception was explored according to the methodology of the Service of Economic Investigation of the Department of Agriculture of the United States. Row data were converted to z scores and compared against Argentinean growth standard. The comparison took into account the -2 standard deviation cut of point and the standardized prevalence of low height.

RESULTS
69.5% of the population experienced hunger, varying severe hunger between 38.0 to 48.0% according to provinces. The prevalence of stunting (< - 2SD) was between 10-15%. There was association between perception of hunger, height distribution and the standardized prevalence of low height. There was no association between jurisdiction and perception of hunger.

CONCLUSION
For children, food insecurity conditions and structural poverty conditions were associated with stunting.


In order to evaluate the adherence of healthcare providers and parents to the current recommendations concerning fever and pain management, randomized samples of 500 healthcare providers caring for children and 500 families were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. The 378 health care providers (HCPs) responding to the survey (75.6%) included 144 primary care pediatricians (38.1%), 98 hospital pediatricians (25.9%), 62 pediatric residents (16.4%), and 71 pediatric nurses (19.6%); the 464 responding parents (92.8%) included 175 whose youngest (or only) child was ≤5 years old (37.7%), 175 whose youngest (or only) child was aged 6–10 years (37.7%), and 114 whose youngest (or only) child was aged 11–14 years (24.6%). There were gaps in the knowledge of both healthcare providers and parents. Global adherence to the guidelines was lower among the pediatric nurses than the other healthcare providers (odds ratio 0.875; 95% confidence interval 0.795–0.964). Among the parents, those of children aged 6–10 and 11–14 years old, those who were older, and those without a degree answered the questions correctly significantly less frequently than the others. These findings suggest that there is an urgent need to improve the dissemination of the current recommendations concerning fever and pain management among healthcare providers and parents in order to avoid mistaken and sometimes risky attitudes, common therapeutic errors, and the unnecessary overloading of emergency department resources. Pediatric nurses and parents with older children, those who are older, and those with a lower educational level should be the priority targets of educational programmes.


Major element fractionation among chondrites has been discussed for decades as ratios relative to Si or Mg. Expressing ratios relative to Fe leads to a new relationship admitting the possibility that ordinary chondrite meteorites are derived from two components: one is a relatively undifferentiated, primitive component, oxidized like the CI or C1 chondrites; the other is a somewhat differentiated, planetary component, with oxidation state like the reduced enstatite chondrites. Such a picture would seem to explain for the ordinary chondrites, their major element compositions, their intermediate states of oxidation, and their ubiquitous deficiencies of refractory siderophile elements. I suggest that the planetary component of ordinary chondrite formation consists of planet Mercury's missing complement of elements.


OBJECTIVE
To describe an unusual type of vesical carcinoma (sarcomatoid carcinoma) associated with the spread of inflammation. The article discusses the diagnostic difficulties and prognosis.

METHOD/RESULTS
We describe a patient with vesical sarcomatoid carcinoma associated with the spread of inflammation that practically obscured the undifferentiated area, mimicking a lymphoma. This is interpreted as a favourable immunological reaction, despite the highly aggressive behaviour of the sarcomatoid component.

CONCLUSIONS
Only on rare occasions do vesical carcinomas present such a prominent degree of spindle-shaped cells. This finding could create some diagnostic confusion, hence an immunohistochemical study is essential. The identification of sarcomatoid carcinoma has important implications both for treatment and for prognosis. The literature refers to the marked aggressiveness of this type of tumour. The peculiarity of the case resides in the associated spread of inflammation which improved the prognosis.


✓ In six patients with pineal tumors, a posterior fossa approach was used to explore the pineal region. This approach avoided the deep venous system and led to no mortality and minimal morbidity. Because a certain percentage of pineal lesions are benign and amenable to resection, it is recommended that all pineal tumors be explored prior to a decision regarding radiotherapy.


In the Republic, Socrates says that social justice is 'doing one's own', i.e. 'everyone must practice one of the occupations in the city for which he is naturally best suited'. One would ordinarily suppose social justice to concern not only the allocation of duties but also the distribution of benefits. I argue that this expectation is fulfilled not by Plato's conception of social justice, but by the normative basis for it, Plato's requirement of aiming at the happiness of all the citizens. I argue that Plato treats social justice as a necessary but not sufficient means to happiness that guarantees only the production of the greatest goods; ensuring that these goods are distributed so as to maximize the happiness of the whole city requires a direct application of Plato's happiness principle, which I interpret individualistically and then use to explain women's equality in work and education.


Polymyxin resistance mediated by the mcr-1 gene threatens the last-resort antibiotics. Linear lipopeptide paenipeptin analogues 1 and 15 disrupted the outer membrane of Gram-negative pathogens and potentiated clarithromycin and rifampin against mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli from the FDA-CDC Antimicrobial Resistance Isolate Bank. In the presence of paenipeptin, clarithromycin and rifampin resulted in over 3-log reduction of E. coli in vitro. ABSTRACT Polymyxin resistance mediated by the mcr-1 gene threatens the last-resort antibiotics. Linear lipopeptide paenipeptin analogues 1 and 15 disrupted the outer membrane of Gram-negative pathogens and potentiated clarithromycin and rifampin against mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli from the FDA-CDC Antimicrobial Resistance Isolate Bank. In the presence of paenipeptin, clarithromycin and rifampin resulted in over 3-log reduction of E. coli in vitro. Moreover, paenipeptin-antibiotic combinations significantly reduced E. coli in a murine thigh infection model.


It was aimed with this research to evaluate the performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing increasing levels of acerola meal in replacement of corn and analyze the economic viability of that production system. A total of 980 day-old male Cobb chicks were used, allotted in a completely randomized design, with four treatments - inclusion levels (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) of acerola meal in replacement of corn – and seven replications with 35 birds per experimental unit. The birds were weighed at 21 and 42 days of age to measure the performance data. In the period between 1 and 21 days of age, differences were observed in the feed intake and feed:gain only, in which the inclusion of acerola meal linearly decreased feed intake and improved feed:gain up to a level of 10.25%. For the total rearing period, the control treatment showed higher body weight. The feed:gain showed linear effect, worsening the results with increasing amounts of acerola meal in the diets. In the same period, there was no significant difference in feed intake and productive efficiency index. With regard to the economic analysis, it was found that the lowest final cost per broiler was observed in diets with 10% of acerola meal inclusion in replacement of corn.


This study explored the influence of an ecological perspective on the parental involvement on secondary school pupil's academic performance. It was influenced by Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. A qualitative research was adopted through an interpretivist paradigm. The research participants comprised of two teachers and five parents. The research instrument used was the one to one interviews with the both the teachers and the parents. A thematic data analysis was used to analyse data solicited from the research participants. Findings from the teachers revealed that some parents were partially involved in the learning of their pupils and some pupils were found not to be doing their homework. Ultimately, this derailed the whole learning process. In addition diverse sentiments were outlined by the parents including the   claim that it was the teachers' obligation to ensure that children were consistently assisted by the teachers. Their argument was based on the understanding that parents are paying full fees, therefore they expect the best out of their money.    Some parents indicated that, as much as they would want to assist their children,  they are to some extent incapacitated The researcher recommended that if the parents are unable to assist their children, they should find  other means to do so . The same applies with teachers who are encouraged to reconsider ways of assisting children who cannot get parental assistance.


Programs to reduce employers' social security contributions are being widely discussed in both the political arena and academic forums as tools for promoting economic growth and boosting employment. This paper employs a computable general equilibrium model to assess the economic impact on the national economy of the proposals from the Spanish Confederation of Enterprise Organizations about reducing the social security contributions paid by employers. The results show that the proposals fail to reduce unemployment when they are combined with compensation by revenues from indirect taxes; whereas compensation through increased personal income taxes shows positive results on unemployment in exchange for decreases in private consumption.


Virtually all situations require a judgment or decision on the basis of several separate pieces of information. Grading a term paper, evaluating a job applicant, selecting a leader, or simply listening to a speaker, all involve integration of several pieces of information. What rule governs the integration process in human judgment? The present paper presents an overview of the author's experimental work in the area of interpersonal attraction, group perception, leadership, job attraction and satisfaction, attribution theory, and developmental psychology. Findings from these studies clearly suggest that the weighted average principle may be considered as a general pr9ncple of human judgment and decision.


Student engagement is known to have several positive effects on learning outcomes and can impact a student's university experience. High levels of engagement in content‐heavy subjects can be difficult to attain. Due to a major institutional restructure, the anatomy prosection laboratory time per subject was dramatically reduced. In response, the authors set out to redesign their anatomy units with a focus on engaging the learning activities that would increase time‐on‐task both within and outside of the classroom. One of these curriculum changes was the implementation of a suite of anatomy learning activities centered on sets of three‐dimensional printed upper limb skeleton models. A two‐part mixed‐method sequential exploratory design was used to evaluate these activities. Part one was a questionnaire that evaluated the students' engagement with and perceptions of the models. Part two involved focus groups interviews, which were an extension of the survey questions in part one. The results of the study indicated that the majority of students found the models to be an engaging resource that helped improve their study habits. As a result, students strongly felt that the use of the models inspired greater academic confidence and overall better performance in their assessments. Overall, the models were an effective way of increasing the engagement and deep learning, and reinforced previous findings from the medical education research. Future research should investigate the effects of these models on student's grades within osteopathy and other allied health courses.


This thesis consists of two integrated parts. The main attempt is to design and test a new hull which will reduce the total water resistance and need for engine power, but maintains the stability of a conventional hull. To see if the hull is sufficient enough for a general luxury yacht, there will also be a need for an arrangement design process for the calculation of the needed volume and equipment. Based on external conditions the main parameters for the yacht was set. This resulted in a 30 meter long yacht, with a draught of 1.75 meters and a beam length of 7 meters. The yacht has a fuel capacity of 18 tons and a fresh water capacity of 4000 liters. Regarding accommodation and facilities it has 5 bed rooms, 5 bath rooms, kitchen, restaurant and a room for a small boat. The yacht is equipped with watertight bulkheads to prevent flooding of the complete ship, and floating devices to prevent sinking if the ship should be completely flooded. The yacht will in total have a lightweight of 191 tons and a deadweight at departure of 26 tons. The idea for the new hull is to have a more slender hull than a conventional hull, but maintain the volume in the midship under and over the water surface. This will, in theory, give reduced water resistance because of the reduced waterline beam length. However, when inclining the increase in waterline area will maintain some of the stability. To be able to compare the results it was also modeled a conventional hull for this thesis. This comparison hull has the same main parameters as the new hull, but designed with a conventional midship with long flat sides. The two different hulls were given four loading conditions. The first loading condition had 100 % fuel, fresh water and food supply. The second one had 10 %, and the third one had 50 %. The last loading condition had 100 % fuel, fresh water and food supply and no use of the water ballast tanks. The intact stability was tested for each loading condition and checked up against the IMO criteria for passenger and cargo vessels of all sizes. The calculations showed that the general stability was weakened with 30 percent for the new type of hull, but the increased stability was noticed at 5-10° heeling angle because of the larger waterline area. The new hull with an initial loading condition consisting of 100 % fuel, fresh water and food supply was then tested for three given damage scenarios. In scenario 1 the water entry started on the port side in the fore part of the ship, simulating a crash while coming along the quay. Scenario 2 simulated a front crash, resulting in flooding of the two front water ballast tanks and the chain room. The last scenario simulated a run aground of the ocean floor, resulting in flooding of three water ballast tanks and the fresh water tank. Damage scenario 1 resulted in a heel angle of 21° and the water level reaching 7 centimeters above the hull height. As a consequence of this there must be installed one or two more water tight walls, bulkheads, in the two corridors at this deck. The resistance of the two hulls was predicted with the Holtrop-84 resistance prediction method. Holtrop has implemented statistical results from several model tests in a formula which calculates the ship resistance based on some of the main parameters of the hull form. Based on the results from this test the new hull required 24 % less engine power than the conventional hull. This can save fuel for over 72 000 US$ per year. The new hull design has both its advantages and disadvantages, but much research remains before it can be either refused or accepted as a new way to design ship hulls. The stability and resistance can in general not be compared, but the calculations show a larger reduction of the stability than for the resistance, which implies that both changes and more testing must be executed before the new hull can be introduced to the yacht market.


Thirty-nine healthy US students without diarrheal disease and who had not received prophylactic or therapeutic antibiotics were monitored for emergence of trimethoprim-resistant gram-negative fecal flora for a 3-week period after arrival in Guadalajara, Mexico. During this time period, most students showed no change in total fecal gram-negative bacteria (p > 0.05) but showed an increasing level of trimethoprim (TMP) resistance (p < 0.01) among fecal coliforms. Escherichia coli was the TMP-resistant organism isolated in 18 of 39 (46%) healthy students. These 18 TMP-resistant E. coli were also resistant to ampicillin (44%), azithromycin (11%), chloramphenicol (39%), ciprofloxacin (11%), doxycycline (89%), erythromycin (100%), furazolidone (72%), levofloxacin (17%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (89%) and trovafloxacin (17%). In the absence of prophylactic and therapeutic antibiotics, increased acquisition of TMP-resistant gram-negative fecal flora in this developing country is probably due to poor sanitary conditions and the recurrent and heavy exposure to antimicrobial-resistant indigenous flora as a result of contaminated food and drink.


This paper deals with design and simulation of Proportional plus Derivative (PD) controller for two links robotic arm. The PD controller was used to compute the required joint's torque for tracking the desired trajectory. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm has been used in order to tune the gains of the proportional and derivative parts of PD controller. Simulation results show an efficient and robust behavior of the proposed controller. Two cases of simulation tests were carried out. The first was tracking a sine wave trajectory while the second was tracking the same trajectory with the presence of disturbance torque on the dynamic model of the robotic arm. The simulation results were compared with the presence of disturbance torque on the dynamic model of the robotic arm. The simulation results were compared with the results obtained by other researchers, for similar robotic arm properties and same trajectory. The proposed controller offers a simple method for trajectory tracking problem with a satisfactory efficiency. A Mean Square Error (MSE) criterion was used to study the efficiency of the proposed controller in tracking the desired trajectory.


The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of dutasteride compared with finasteride, used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Pertinent studies were identified by searching of PubMed and Web of Science. The random effect model was used to combine the results. Both direct comparison using traditional meta-analysis method and indirect comparison using network meta-analysis method were performed. Twenty-one articles involving a total of 29,094 patients were included in this network meta-analysis. Pooled data demonstrated a significantly reduction in International Prostate Symptom Score in the dutasteride group compared with finasteride group [weighted mean difference (WMD) = −1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI), −2.90 to −0.11]. The treatment effects of dutasteride compared with finasteride were not significant in peak urinary flow (Qmax) (WMD = 0.76, 95% CI, −0.67 to 2.00) and total prostate volume (WMD = −7.6, 95% CI, −21 to 6.6). Also, there is no significant association between dutasteride and finasteride of the safety for the treatment of BPH. Our results suggested that there were no statistically significant differences in the treatment of symptomatic BPH among dutasteride compared with finasteride except that dutasteride can improve BPH symptoms measured by International Prostate Symptom Score.


This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review which sets out to explore the use of social network analysis (SNA) for investigating learning communities specifically, communities of practice (CoP) and community of inquiry (CoI) in higher education online learning (HEOL). The impetus for such a review originated from the reliance on extensive and time-consuming qualitative analysis typically required in research involving the CoP and CoI frameworks. The review consolidates and synthesizes existing research in HEOL in search of a methodological framework for structurally evaluating a CoP and/or CoI using SNA. We identified a handful of studies that integrate SNA measures and key structural components of the CoP and CoI frameworks and examined: SNA measures and corresponding theoretical components used; other analytical techniques used; limitations and; suggestions for further research. The selected studies reported disparate findings in terms of the relationship between SNA measures and the CoP and/or CoI components. The review also highlighted the need to complement SNA with a qualitative analytical technique. Therefore, whether SNA has the potential to be used as a stand-alone technique for structurally identifying communities remains to be seen. We also find a lack of consideration to attributional and performance variables in existing studies. In conclusion, we propose further research and the development of a fully integrated methodological framework which uses SNA to structurally evaluate a CoP and CoI.


Summary Wound healing is a complicated biological process that consist of partially overlapping inflammatory, proliferation and tissue remodelling phases. A successful wound healing depends on a proper activation and subsequent termination of the inflammatory phase. The failure to terminate the inflammation halts the completion of wound healing and is a known reason for formation of chronic wounds. Previous studies have shown that wound closure is delayed in plasminogendeficient mice, and a role for plasminogen in dissection of extracellular matrix was suggested. However, our finding that plasminogen is transported to the wound by inflammatory cells early during the healing process, where it potentiates inflammation, indicates that plasminogen may also have other roles in the wound healing process. Here we report that plasminogen-deficient mice have extensive fibrin and neutrophil depositions in the wounded area long after re-epithelialisation, indicating inefficient debridement and chronic inflammation. Delayed formation of granulation tissue suggests that fibroblast function is impaired in the absence of plasminogen. Therefore, in addition to its role in the activation of inflammation, plasminogen is also crucial for subsequent steps, including resolution of inflammation and activation of the proliferation phase. Importantly, supplementation of plasminogen-deficient mice with human plasminogen leads to a restored healing process that is comparable to that in wild-type mice. Besides of being an activator of the inflammatory phase during wound healing, plasminogen is also required for the subsequent termination of inflammation. Based on these results, we propose that plasminogen may be an important future therapeutic agent for wound treatment. Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.


A wealth of research has reported possible risk and predictive factors for dementia, the variance
across populations and the possible reasons for this variance. This thesis attempts to describe
demographic and modifiable risk factors for dementia, with the emphasis on the association
between (phyto) estrogens and cognitive function ... (continues).


OBJECTIVES
To identify and weigh the various criteria for priority setting, and to assess whether a recently evaluated lung health programme in Nepal should be considered a priority in that country.

METHODS
Through a discrete choice experiment with 66 respondents in Nepal, the relative importance of several criteria for priority setting was determined. Subsequently, a set of interventions, including the lung health programme, was rank ordered on the basis of their overall performance on those criteria.

RESULTS
Priority interventions are those that target severe diseases, many beneficiaries and people of middle-age, have large individual health benefits, lead to poverty reduction and are very cost-effective. Certain interventions in tuberculosis control rank highest. The lung health programme ranks 13th out of 34 interventions.

CONCLUSION
This explorative analysis suggests that the lung health programme is among the priorities in Nepal when taking into account a range of relevant criteria for priority setting. The multi-criteria approach can be an important step forward to rational priority setting in developing countries.


When a neural network is trained on multiple analogous tasks, previous research has shown that it will often generate representations that reflect the analogy. This may explain the value of multi-task training, and also may underlie the power of human analogical reasoning – awareness of analogies may emerge naturally from gradient-based learning in neural networks. We explore this issue by generalizing linear analysis techniques to explore two sets of analogous tasks, show that analogical structure is commonly extracted, and address some potential implications.


Speech disfluencies occur frequently in spontaneous speech but their source is unclear. Disfluencies can take several forms, most commonly as verbalized disfluencies such as "um", "uh", and "so", as well as silent pauses. In the present exploratory study we examined the relationship between disfluencies as distinct entities, individual differences in working memory capacity, and linguistic markers of complexity. We found that disfluencies diverge in their relationship with these variables. The "um" disfluency was most closely related to working memory capacity and linguistic complexity. The "uh" disfluency was associated with infrequent word production. The "so" disfluency predicted of the number of words produced. Silent disfluencies were not related to working memory capacity. However, micro-pauses were related to word production, and macro-pauses were negatively correlated with the "so" disfluency. Results are discussed in terms of potential relationships between disfluencies and speech production processes.


This dissertation examines the
impact of the expansion of renewable technology at both national and local
level, through distinct essays. At the national level, the first paper analyzes
the effects of economic and distributional impacts of climate mitigation
policy, in the context of a developing country, to understand the interactions
between the energy system and the macroeconomic environment. In the case of the
local level, the second paper uses synthetic control method, to estimate the
effect at the county level of utility scale wind in the development indicators
for two counties in the U.S.

The first paper assesses the economic and distributional
impacts of Nicaragua's commitments to limit future greenhouse gas emissions in
the context of the Paris Agreement, known as the Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs). The analysis relies on two distinct models. The first is
a top-down approach based on a single-country computable general equilibrium
(CGE) model, known as the Mitigation, Adaptation and New Technologies Applied
General Equilibrium (MANAGE) Model. The second is a bottom-up approach based on
the Open-Source energy Modeling System (OSeMOSYS), which is technology rich
energy model. The combined model is calibrated to an updated social accounting
matrix for Nicaragua, which disaggregates households into 20 representative
types: 10 rural and 10 urban households. For the household disaggregation we
have used information from the 2014 Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS)
for Nicaragua. Our analysis focuses on the distributional impacts of meeting
the NDCs as well as additional scenarios—in a dynamic framework as the MANAGE
model is a (recursive) dynamic model. The results show that a carbon tax has
greatest potential for reduction in emissions, with modest impact in macro variables.
An expansion of the renewable sources in the electricity matrix also leads to significant
reduction in emissions. Only a carbon tax achieves a reduction in emissions
consistent with keeping global warming below 2°C. Nicaragua's NDC alone would
not achieve the target and mitigation instruments are needed. An expansion of
generation from renewable sources, does not lead to a scenario consistent with a
2°C pathway.

The second paper measures the
impact of wind generation on county level outcomes through the use of the Synthetic
Control Method (SCM). SCM avoids the pitfalls of other methods such as
input-output models and project level case studies that do not provide county
level estimates. We find that the local per capita income effect of utility
wind scale is 6 percent (translate into an increase of $1,511 in per capita
income for 2019) for Benton County and 8 percent for White county in Indiana (an
increase of $2,100 in per capita income for 2019). The per capita income effect
measures the average impact, which includes the gains in rents from capital, land,
and labor from wind power in these counties. Moreover, we find that most of the
rents from wind power accrue to the owners of capital and labor. Even assuming
the lowest projections of electricity prices and the highest reasonable cost we
still find a 10 percent minimum rate of return to capital for both Benton and
White counties' wind power generators. Furthermore, we find that there are
excess rents that could be taxed and redistributed at the county, state, or
federal level without disincentivizing investment in wind power.


To the Editor.— Following are comments on Pokorny's report on prediction of suicide. 1 Although Pokorny is a distinguished researcher in this field, we believe there are some limitations to his method that give an overly pessimistic outlook on the possibilities of suicide prediction and prevention. Pokorny assumed suicide is undesirable and should be prevented. We do not, however, understand the relationship between these laudable assumptions and his study, nor the impact of these assumptions on his study. Pokorny reviewed previous attempts to predict suicidal behavior. Yet the average age of his references was over 11 years and his most recent reference was three years old. Those three-year-old references contain nothing pertaining to the prediction of suicide, but merely identify groups that have committed suicide in Alberta and the United States. We suggest that Pokorny review some of the more recent attempts at assessment of suicidal risk. 2 While Pokorny


In this paper, by using elementary tools of commutative algebra, we prove the persistence property for two especial classes of rings. In fact, this paper has two main sections. In the first main section, we let $R$ be a Dedekind ring and $I$ be a proper ideal of $R$. We prove that if $I_1,ldots,I_n$ are non-zero proper ideals of $R$, then ${Ass}^{infty}(I_1^{k_1}ldots I_n^{k_n})={Ass}^{infty}(I_1^{k_1})cupcdotscup {Ass}^{infty}(I_n^{k_n})$ for all $k_1,ldots,k_n geq 1$, where for an ideal $J$ of $R$, ${Ass}^{infty}(J)$ is the stable set of associated primes of $J$. Moreover, we prove that every non-zero ideal in a Dedekind ring is Ratliff-Rush closed, normally torsion-free and also has a strongly superficial element. Especially, we show that if $mathcal{R}=mathcal{R}(R, I)$ is the Rees ring of $R$ with respect to $I$, as a subring of $R[t,u]$ with $u=t^{-1}$, then $umathcal{R}$ has no irrelevant prime divisor. par In the second main section, we prove that every non-zero finitely generated ideal in a Pr"{u}fer domain has the persistence property with respect to weakly associated prime ideals.


The authors report the application of curved parametric triangular and quadrilateral edge elements as basis functions in the moment method (MM) solution of the electric field integral equation (EFIE). In this way, an arbitrarily shaped surface can be modeled more accurately than with conventional planar patches. Consequently, higher accuracy in the numerical solution can be obtained, as demonstrated by numerical examples.<<ETX>>


Considering the effects of fibers content, water-binder ratio, sand-binder ratio and fly-ash content, 16 groups of ductile high performance concrete specimens were designed by the method of orthogonal test, whose flexural performance were tested by the four-point bending test. By analysis of ultimate flexural strength, equivalent flexural strength and toughness indexes of 16 groups specimens, the results indicated that the load-deflection curves of other 12 groups specimens showing the typical strain hardening features except for the four groups, in which the fiber content equals to 0.5%. The flexural behaviors were affected by the fiber content most. The more the fiber, the higher the flexural toughness. The effect of fly ash on the flexural performance was very little, the more the fly ash, the higher the flexural toughness.


Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive disorder defined by progressive motor incoordination. FRDA results from reduced expression of the protein, frataxin, which is involved in cellular iron homeostasis and metabolism, antioxidant protection, and iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. Disruption of one or more of these processes putatively underpins the pathophysiology of FRDA, which manifests in cell death preferentially targeted to tissues with high rates of frataxin transcription.1

In the brain, accumulation or redistribution of iron within, and atrophy of, the cerebellar dentate nuclei have been reported.1–3 The dentate nuclei are iron-laden structures pivotal to movement coordination. However, basal ganglia and midbrain structures also have high iron content, express high levels of frataxin, and play key roles in motor regulation. Furthermore, the dentate nuclei directly innervate the thalamus and red nuclei, and indirectly project to the striatum. This biology motivates the hypothesis that iron-related pathology and/or degeneration within these extrapyramidal stations may also feature in FRDA. To test this hypothesis, we analysed tissue volume and iron concentration within the dentate nuclei, midbrain (red nuclei, substantia nigra), basal ganglia (caudate, putamen and pallidum), and thalami in individuals with FRDA and healthy controls using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

### Data collection

Whole-brain 3 T MRI were acquired from 30 individuals with genetically-confirmed FRDA (35.7±12.2 years; 17 males) and 33 healthy controls (36.9±13.1 years; 18 males; see online supplementary table S1): (1) dual-echo gradient-echo (GRE) images: TA=11.5 min; TR=30 ms, TE1=7.38 ms, …


: This article presents a surgical technique for creation of a chin cleft in conjuction with advancement genioplasty. The technique is simple. However, the cleft should be made deeper than seems aesthetically desirable at the time of surgery because healing and muscle function will decrease the final depth of the depression. The depth that can be anticipated can be determined by the degree of tension of the subcutaneous sutures. Minor recontouring of bone may be necessary when there is a prominent bony apex to the symphysis. The actual chin cleft is a soft tissue phenomenon, rather than a bone cleavage point. It is not suggested that this procedure be offered to every patient, but familiarity with the technique is needed should there be a request to perform such surgery.


This study focuses on the effect of different process parameters including pH of GO dispersion, hydrazine reduction, number of coagulation bath on the properties of graphene oxide (GO) fibers produced through wet spinning method. Produced GO fibers have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman, X-ray diffraction methods, and an electrical conductivity meter. Results show that pH3 hydrazine reduction causes an expansion of the fiber volume and formation of porous fiber structure with higher defects. The crystal structure of GO fibers was also observed to be affected by hydrazine reduction, leading to decreased interlayer spacing and increased crystalline size and number of layer as compared to the reference (unreduced) one. Single coagulation bath was found to result in crystal on the fiber surface because of the calcium chloride (CaCI2) salt, which provides higher electrical conductivity than triple coagulation bath. The pH value of GO dispersion was found to influence the crystal structures of the GO fiber, resulting in lower interlayer spacing, lower crystallinity degree, and higher crystallite size in the pH5 sample as compared to that of pH3 for triple coagulation baths. The results obtained in this study are expected to contribute to and shed light for further studies on carbon-based fiber materials such as GO fiber and reduced GO fiber that can have different application fields including electronic smart textiles, graphene-based membranes, gas adsorption, energy application such as lithium ion battery, and ultrafiltration applications.


Earlier studies have shown that buses are overrepresented at accidents during winter road conditions compared to other vehicle types. Hence, the traffic safety of buses during the wintertime has been studied in more detail. The study comprised the following parts: - Gripping power studies on ice in VTI's tyre test facility. - Accident study and a survey of the use of tyre. - Focus group to gain knowledge about dangerous situations. - Driving simulator study to test the importance of the tyres during problematic situations. Tests in VTI's tyre test facility on smooth ice did not show any significant difference between summer tyres and non-studded winter tyres, while studded tyres exhibit a better ice grip than non-studded tyres. Nor did driving simulator tests when driving on ice covered road under the influence of heavy wind from the side show a difference between summer tyres and non-studded winter tyres. Also in these tests the studded tyres were superior to the non-studded. If studded tyres are used only on one axle, the driving simulator study showed that during side wind the ability to steer is important. The accident study showed that the buses that have summer tyres on the steering axle and winter tyres on the drive axle has the lowest estimated accident risk, although it is not statistically significant. The buses equipped with studded tyres on both axles could not be statistically analysed since only 2 accidents occurred on bare roadways, and none on icy/snowy roadways, while at the same time the buses in this category drive a lot on icy/snowy roadways. This probably makes these buses the safest on winter roadways. From the focus groups it was clear that the time table has a great influence on the creating of stress and the demands on the drivers to keep the speed even during slippery roadways. Many bus drivers experience large problems with bad snow clearance, or other winter maintenance. At the same time there is a large consciousness among the drivers that it is always their own way of handling the vehicle that is the determining factor for traffic safety. The drivers were expressing a lack of further education and practical exercises with buses on slippery roads. Alternativ URL: http://www.vv. se/fud-resultat/Publikationer_000401_000500/Publikation_000448/R618%5b1%5d%20Bus sars%20trafiks%c3%a4kerhet%20vintertid.pdf


Late Cenozoic andesitic rocks of the Colombian Andes are characterized by small but systematic and well-correlated variations in 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, and δ18O that reflect significant crustal contamination. The range in isotopic ratios measured in northern Andean andesites is most pronounced for oxygen, relatively much more subtle for Sr and Nd. Pb isotopic data, so diagnostic of crustal contamination in central Andean lavas, exhibit minimal variation in the northern Andean volcanics. Trace element trends and phenocryst populations suggest dominantly mafic mineral fractionation, although plagioclase fractionation may be significant in later-stage differentiation. An assimilation-fractional crystallization model is constructed to match measured isotopic data. The results of that modelling indicate that the andesitic magmas of Galeras and Ruiz volcanoes may have assimilated up to 10–20% of crustal material. Correlated variations in measured isotopic ratios can be modelled satisfactorily by assuming a crustal contaminant of composition δ18O = 10 per mil, 87Sr/86Sr = 0.710–0.712 (Sr ≈ 90ppm), and 143Nd/144Nd=0.5120–0.5122 (Nd ≈ 20–30 ppm). We estimate that the composition of the primary magma (prior to crustal contamination) was in the range δ18O = 6.5 per mil, 87Sr/86Sr = 0.704, and 143Nd/144Nd = 0.51285, values that may suggest an additional crustal component was present in the primary magma. If we assume the added crustal component was derived from partial melting of subducted continental sedimentary material and/or oceanic crust (source contamination), then model calculations suggest that crustal material comprises less than 10 to 15 wt% of the primary magma. This model-dependent effect of source contamination is to shift isotopic ratios to the right on the Sr–Nd plot (see also Hawkesworth et al. 1977), whereas crustal contamination of the magma during ascent through the Andean crust appears to have produced isotopic trajectories that cut downward and through the mantle array.


This article aims at outlining the approaches of the international community, the BRICS countries, and other countries that have achieved noticeable results in the development and use of artificial intelligence in the military sphere to answer the questions about the applicability of the existing international humanitarian law in a military conflict using Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, and the extent of this applicability. Based on analytical reflections on information drawn from referenced sources, the authors analyze the provisions of national and international approaches, legislative instruments, and documents that create patterns for developing lethal autonomous weapon systems and the potential for the use thereof from the standpoint of legal attitudes. The authors' results are presented in a set of approaches of national legal systems and doctrine provisions found in the current law in the field of research, including from the standpoint of a contribution to the further improvement of the concept of lethal autonomous weapon systems.


Washington State legalized recreational cannabis consumption in December 2012. We used data on all drivers involved in fatal crashes in Washington in years 2008-2019 (n=8,282) to estimate prevalence in fatal crashes of drivers with ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis) in their blood before and after legalization. However, nearly half of the drivers were not tested for drugs; we used multiple imputation to estimate THC presence and concentration among them. We used logistic regression followed by marginal standardization to estimate the adjusted prevalence of THC-positive drivers after legalization relative to what would have been predicted without legalization. In the combined observed and imputed data, the proportion of drivers positive for THC was 9.3% before and 19.1% after legalization (adjusted Prevalence Ratio: 2.3, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.3, 4.1). The proportion of drivers with high THC concentrations increased substantially (adjusted Prevalence Ratio: 4.7, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.5, 15.1). Some of the increased prevalence of THC-positive drivers might have reflected cannabis use unassociated with driving; however, the increased prevalence of drivers with high THC concentrations suggests increased prevalence of driving shortly after using cannabis. Other jurisdictions should compile quantitative data on drug test results of drivers to enable surveillance and evaluation.


Despite the success of the Standard Model in the last few decades, we know it is not complete. There is strong motivation for assuming the existence of aditional heavy neutral leptons, which can account for active neutrino masses and possibly also have cosmological implications. In this work I consider the Standard Model with two neutral lepton singlets (sterile neutrinos) with degenerated masses in the range 20MeV − 2GeV. The constraints on the active-sterile neutrino mixing angles are evaluated based on recent neutrino oscillations data. Using these constraints the bounds from accelerator experiments are reanalyzed for the case of the considered model. Finally, the results are compared with cosmological constraints coming from Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the νMSM resonant leptogenesis.


The spirituality of people with learning disabilities is under‐researched and frequently misunderstood. Despite evidence to suggest that a focus on the spiritual aspect of the lives of people with learning disabilities can be health‐bringing and life‐enhancing, this dimension of people's lives is often overlooked or considered irrelevant. This paper seeks to explore some significant aspects of the 'forgotten dimension' of spirituality and to show that both the available research evidence and the experiences of people with learning disabilities suggest that it is an aspect of life which should be taken seriously. Neglect of this dimension has significant moral, legal and interpersonal consequences, which service providers are often unaware of but which are central to genuinely person‐centred and holistic support. The paper offers some insights and pointers that will enable service providers to begin to understand and incorporate spirituality into the lives of people with learning disabilities.


This paper is an attempt to document the evolution of India's aggregate productivity, decomposed into the contributions of detailed industrial sectors and structural change during 1980-2011. Using the India KLEMS (K = capital, L = labor, E = energy, M = materials, and S = services) database version 2015, which provides comprehensive and consistent industry-level data on Indian economy, we decompose both labor productivity and total factor productivity growth (TFPG) into industry productivity contributions and resource reallocation effects. In general, the impact of static structural change on labor productivity has been positive, as workers moved to sectors of relatively higher labor productivity level. However, no positive dynamic reallocation effects—worker movement to fast growing sectors— have been observed. The industrial pattern of TFPG is not broad based, as several industries have contributed negatively to aggregate productivity growth. While the manufacturing sector did not see significant productivity gains in most part of the 1990s, it did see some revival in the recent years during which the relative importance of services as a major contributor to aggregate TFPG has declined. The structural transformation in India features the absorption of workers moving out of agriculture in the construction sector—a sector that has witnessed substantial deceleration in productivity growth—while employment creation in fast growing services has been slow and in the manufacturing sector rather stagnant. This makes India a unique place in the pattern of structural change, as compared to several of today's advanced economies. The obvious question is whether India can sustain faster growth in the longer run if it does not focus on developing a solid manufacturing sector.


ABSTRACT The origin of the carbonate mud constituting Paleozoic mid-shelf and deeper-water mud mounds has long been debated. Mississippian mud mounds and their laterally adjacent coeval inter-mound strata in the Lake Valley Formation are well exposed along cliff faces in south-central New Mexico. The mounds originated on erosional surfaces on a gently sloping ramp in 110 to 250 m water depth. Carbonate muds that constitute the inter-mound strata, mud mounds, and syndepositional neptunian dikes within the mounds are low-Mg calcite microspars with similar petrographic, cathodoluminescent, and fluorescent characteristics. Carbon and oxygen stable isotope analyses demonstrate that the microspars constituting the inter-mound, mound, and neptunian dikes have average 13C values of 2.6 ( = ±0.2), 3.4 ( = ±0.6), and 4.8 ( = ±0.3) PDB, respectively. Additionally, well preserved brachiopods from the inter-mound strata and from Muleshoe mud mound have 13C values markedly different from each other but similar to their surrounding microspars, i.e., brachiopod 's = 2.7 and 3.9 PDB, respectively. The stable-isotope distributions within each environment, similarity of values between microspar and brachiopod data from the same depositional environments, as well as agreement of 13C values with other investigations of coeval strata support the conclusion that the measured 13C values are essentially primary values. It is envisioned that 13C-enriched fluids sourced by bacterial fermentation in the subjacent strata rose into the mounds, some through neptunian dikes, and influenced the precipitation of the microspars in the mounds and dikes. Near the sediment-water interface, these fluids mixed with normal marine waters, thus precipitating the microspars, or their precursors, which have high 13C values that characterize the mud mounds. The inter-mound microspars and inter-mound brachiopods have the lowest 13C values and are in agreement with worldwide coeval marine calcites, that is, the inter-mound microspars formed under normal marine conditions. The high 13C values measured in all of the mound-related samples indicate that all mounds received a contribution of 13C-enriched waters. This relationship indicates that microspar precipitation in the mounds was associated with seepage of methanogenic fluids from the underlying strata.


Starting in 2015, the European Commission has been working hard with the thematic partnerships helping them to figure out how to go best about initiating and managing interregional thematic S3 partnerships. By preparing this manual, the European Commission is able to document not just the overall methodological journey taken by the thematic partnerships, but also the many good practices observed over the past few years. This manual refers to this combined body of as the thematic S3 approach to interregional partnerships. Qualified partnerships are encouraged to follow this methodology in line with a specific structure (workflow) that takes these new partnerships through a number of steps. This workflow follows an iterative and non-linear process, which can be understood as a dynamic flow of activities that result in living documents and activities that require continuous monitoring and review. This workflow approach is an evolved adaptation of the 4-step approach defined by the Vanguard Initiative. In addition to the 4 steps defined by the Vanguard Initiative, the current approach adds 'Scale-Up' as an additional step. In addition, the approach described in this manual includes a further layer of outcomes expected throughout the overall process. Even if some formalised outcomes are likely to be associated with specific phases, many of these go well beyond the boundaries of any one phase. Chapters of this manual will follow the logic of this 5-phase workflow approach. Chapter 1 is built around the Learn phase with Chapter 2 focusing on the Connect phase. Phases 3, 4 and 5 are not covered in the current version of this methodological manual. Putting in place a solid monitoring and evaluation mechanism (MEM) can prove to be an important tool in the development of every thematic partnership. In addition to being able to assess its own progress or challenges, such a solid MEM helps each partnership validate its earlier decisions and actions while keeping an eye on the overall effectiveness of its governance structure. To help interested partnerships monitor their progress, the S3 Platform proposes a simple yet comprehensive evaluation framework that covers the entire workflow in line with the thematic approach to S3 described in this Manual. Preparation and management of interregional S3 projects may appear challenging at first. However, breaking the task into a series of defined steps and processes (many of which also apply to traditional collaborative projects) can greatly simplify it (see Figure 1). Equally, public authorities in any one region cannot be expected to have all the necessary resources in-house; legal, technical, financial, environmental, and other advisers are frequently used throughout the process. The challenge is to select the right advisers across partner regions and to manage them effectively.


Objectives: The main goal of this study was to document the situation of medicine prices in public and private health sectors for policy recommendation. Methods: A field study to measure prices of selected medicines was undertaken in Thailand using a standardized methodology developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International (HAI). Prices of 43 medicines were measured in health facilities and pharmacies in the capital city and three districts in different parts of Thailand. Medicine prices were expressed as the ratios relative to a standard set of international reference prices (median price ratio or MPR). Results: The public sector procured generics and innovator brands at 1.46 and 3.3 MPR while patients paid 2.55 and 4.36 MPR, respectively. Private pharmacies procured lowest price generics at 1.48 MPR and innovator brands at 9.67 MPR. Because of no medicine pricing policy in Thailand, it was found that between public and private sectors, among different public hospitals, and among different private pharmacies, the same generic products were procured and sold to patients at different prices. The median mark-up for innovator brands were 31% in the public sector and 22% in the private sector. For lowest priced generics, the median mark-up were 80% in the public sector and 96% in the private sector. Different prices for the identical product were problems to the health insurance organizations in terms of reimbursement, and to patients in terms of fairness. Conclusion: The results highlight priority areas for action by the Ministry of Public Health and others in improving the drug pricing systems. The price regulation system should be implemented at every level of drug supply chain and appropriate pricing strategies should be employed.


We extract polarized parton distribution functions (PPDFs), referred to as "KTA17," together with the highly correlated strong coupling $\alpha_s$ from recent and up-to-date $g_1$ and $g_2$ polarized structure functions world data at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative QCD. The stability and reliability of the results are ensured by including nonperturbative target mass corrections as well as higher-twist terms which are particularly important at the large-$x$ region at low Q$^2$. Their role in extracting the PPDFs in the nucleon is studied. Sum rules are discussed and compared with other results from the literature. This analysis is made by means of the Jacobi polynomials expansion technique to the DGLAP evolution. The uncertainties on the observables and on the PPDFs throughout this paper are computed using standard Hessian error propagation which served to provide a more realistic estimate of the PPDFs uncertainties.


This paper presents an entropy-based transit tour synthesis (TTS) using fuzzy logic (FL) based on entropy maximization (EM). The objective is to obtain the most probable transit (bus) tour flow distribution in the network based on traffic counts. These models consider fixed parameters and constraints. The costs, traffic counts, and demand for buses vary depending on different aspects (e.g., congestion), which are not captured in detail in the models. Then, as the FL can be included in modeling that variability, it allows obtaining solutions where some or all the constraints do not entirely satisfy their expected value, but are close to it, due to the flexibility this method provides to the model. This optimization problem was transformed into a bi-objective problem when the optimization variables were the membership and entropy. The performance of the proposed formulation was assessed in the Sioux Falls Network. We created an indicator (Δ) that measures the distance between the model's obtained solution and the requested value or target value. It was calculated for both production and volume constraints. The indicator allowed us to observe that the flexible problem (FL Mode) had smaller Δ values than the ones obtained in the No FL models. These results prove that the inclusion of the FL and EM approaches to estimate bus tour flow, applying the synthesis method (traffic counts), improves the quality of the tour estimation.


Children's relationship with media and consumer culture has been the focus of increasing attention and debate over the past decade. Children have become more and more important both as a market in their own right and as a means to reach adult markets; while growing numbers of commentators have criticised the apparent "commercialisation" of childhood, calling for tighter regulation of marketing to children. This article seeks to challenge the terms in which the social issue of children's consumption is typically framed and understood, and the sentimental views of childhood that tend to inform the debate. It argues that we need a broader view of commercial activity, which goes beyond advertising or marketing; and that we need to understand children's consumption in relation to the consumption of parents, and indeed of the wider society. It pays particular attention to the changing role of media in this respect, challenging some of the more optimistic accounts of young people's uses of digital media, and considering the commercial dimensions of forms such as social networking and mobile technologies. Finally, it argues that we need to look beyond familiar dichotomies between structure and agency that continue to characterise both public and academic debate in this area.


The identification of local modules in dynamic networks with known topology has recently been addressed by formulating conditions for arriving at consistent estimates of the module dynamics, typically under the assumption of having disturbances that are uncorrelated over the different nodes. The conditions typically reflect the selection of a set of node signals that are taken as predictor inputs in a MISO identification setup. In this paper an extension is made to arrive at an identification setup for the situation that process noises on the different node signals can be correlated with each other. In this situation the local module may need to be embedded in a MIMO identification setup for arriving at a consistent estimate with maximum likelihood properties. This requires the proper treatment of confounding variables. The result is an algorithm that, based on the given network topology and disturbance correlation structure, selects an appropriate set of node signals as predictor inputs and outputs in a MISO or MIMO identification setup. As a first step in the analysis, we consider the situation where the selected output node signals are predicted based on all of their in-neighbor node signals in the network.


Aftereffect - that is, decay of magnetization with time at a fixed holding field - is often linear in log-time for a limited time window. The slope of the decay at the holding field that maximizes the decay rate (normally near the field that maximizes the irreversible susceptibility) is often used as a measurement of the long-term stability of permanent magnet media. This paper demonstrates that this measurement alone does not indicate the stability at other fields. It shows theoretically, using the Preisach-Arrhenius model, and experimentally that for materials in which there is negligible particle interaction and negligible reversible magnetization, the shape of the thermal aftereffect curve is the same as that of the ascending major hysteresis curve. For these criteria, the ratio of the decay coefficient at one field to that at another is the same as the ratio of the susceptibilities at those two fields. The paper also discusses the effect of interaction on the decay process. In general, the full identification of the Preisach parameters is necessary and sufficient to estimate the decay rate.


Present study focuses on studying the oscillatory behavior of jet diffusion flames. At a particular jet exit velocity, the flames are seen to exhibit natural flickering. Initially the flickering process is not continuous. In this transition region as well as in the continuous flickering regime, the flickering displays multiple frequency oscillations. The response of the flame to the exit velocity profile of the burner is also studied using three types of burners. The entire range of natural flickering is investigated by capturing high speed digital images and processing them using a MATLAB code. Keywords—Diffusion flames, Natural flickering, flickering frequency, intermittent flickering


This article employs single closed loop of voltage negative feedback circle to explore the welding wire sending system of arc welder, as the system of this style has the feature of rough sending and poor dynamic behavior. A double closed loop PWM digit speed adjustment system is proposed based on fussy adaptive-adjusting PID control algorithm. The experiment result indicates that this control system not only has a sound dynamic behavior and static behavior but also has a strong self-adapting behavior, and mostly eliminates the arc flutter made by the rough welding wire sending system.


Sub-nanometre sized metal clusters, with dimensions between metal atoms and nanoparticles, have attracted more and more attention due to their unique electronic structures and the subsequent unusual physical and chemical properties. However, the tiny size of the metal clusters brings the difficulty of their synthesis compared to the easier preparation of large nanoparticles. Up to now various synthetic techniques and routes have been successfully applied to the preparation of sub-nanometre clusters. Among the metals, gold clusters, especially the alkanethiolate monolayer protected clusters (MPCs), have been extensively investigated during the past decades. In recent years, silver and copper nanoclusters have also attracted enormous interest mainly due to their excellent photoluminescent properties. Meanwhile, more structural characteristics, particular optical, catalytic, electronic and magnetic properties and the related technical applications of the metal nanoclusters have been discovered in recent years. In this critical review, recent advances in sub-nanometre sized metal clusters (Au, Ag, Cu, etc.) including the synthetic techniques, structural characterizations, novel physical, chemical and optical properties and their potential applications are discussed in detail. We finally give a brief outlook on the future development of metal nanoclusters from the viewpoint of controlled synthesis and their potential applications.


The use of biodiesel is one of the alternatives to reduce oil dependence in the transport sector and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most common engines in Europe was subjected to some tests, aiming to discover the efficiency effects and the emission characteristics when consuming a fuel containing 20% of biodiesel and 80% of diesel (B20), and comparing the results with the use of 100% diesel (B0). Using an engine test bench, several working points of the engine were chosen considering different engine rotation from idle speed to 3500 rpm and from residual torque to 120 Nm, covering the great majority of the normal running operation of this kind of engines when installed in light vehicles. The results revealed a non-proportional effect for fuel consumption for different engine regimes where the energetic differences were, in some operation regimes, totally compensated with efficiency increase. The NOx emission analysis allows to admit that the use of biodiesel in the fuel leads to a consequence on emissions increase that is not always obvious, since in some regimes that increase is noticeable, but for other regimes a slight decrease or no significant change was detected.


In this study accelerated ageing testing (AAT), J-V characterization and TEM imaging in combination with phase diagram data from literature are used to assess the potential of Ti, Ni, Pd and Pt as diffusion barriers for Au/Cu-based metallization of III-V solar cells. Ni barriers show the largest potential as at an AAT temperature of 250 °C both cells with 10 and 100 nm thick Ni barriers show significantly better performance compared to Au/Cu cells, with the cells with 10 nm Ni barriers even showing virtually no degradation after 7.5 days at 250 °C (equivalent to 10 years at 100 °C at an Ea of 0.70 eV). Detailed investigation shows that Ni does not act as a barrier in the classical sense, i.e. preventing diffusion of Cu and Au across the barrier. Instead Ni modifies or slows down the interactions taking place during device degradation and thus effectively acts as an 'interaction' barrier. Different interactions occur at temperatures below and above 250 °C and for thin (10 nm) and thick (100 nm) barriers. The results of this study indicate that 10-100 nm thick Ni intermediate layers in the Cu/Au based metallization of III-V solar cells may be beneficial to improve the device stability upon exposure to elevated temperatures.


Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic and relapsing idiopathic inflammatory disease of the colon, although not associated with an increased mortality compared to the general population, has a substantial morbidity leading to sizable health care costs, as it carries an increased risk for development of colorectal cancer (CRC). The pathophysiology behind this carcinogenic pathway is multifactorial. This review summarizes the major pathogenetic steps from which the inflamed colonic epithelium is transformed to a dysplastic and/or cancerous one. The role of the inflammatory and immune system, the oxidative stress generated as well as the genomic stability observed in UC-associated CRC is presented so as to provide a more spherical view of the tumorigenic process and, if possible, offer new diagnostic approaches for the early detection of CRC.


The novel coronavirus – officially named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing a disease (Covid-19) which has flu-like symptoms – seems to be responsible for the current global lockdown or maybe one can even refer to it as a global event. Neither the virus nor the disease that it causes is truly novel, as the virus is part of the SARS virus family and therefore known, and likewise the symptoms of the disease (Covid-19) are also well known, even flu-like, and therefore also not novel. Yet, what is truly novel about the virus or the disease it causes is its effect, not specifically referring to the health effect, but its global socio-economic and political effect. It is for the first time in the history of humanity that such drastic global lockdown measures have been taken and that governments have taken the conscious decisions to 'lay lame' (cripple) their economies. Such a radical decision is truly novel. Besides the economic 'lockdown', there are numerous socio-economic repercussions; for example, in a single day, millions (3.3. million) of citizens in the United States file for unemployment, and similarly in many other countries. Covid-19 is a challenge to the economies of the world, to society at large, to the poor and vulnerable in particular, and to individuals who are 'locked safely' in their homes. Religious institutions, which traditionally provide collective meaning, can no longer gather in public places, and offer communal solace. Covid-19 maybe challenges what being human means, or at least, what one has come to believe concerning the meaning of being human. In this article, this question of being human in the time of Covid-19 will be explored.


Politicians, interest groups, and the mass media often answer questions about how AIDS is sexually transmitted as if heterosexual vaginal intercourse is a high-risk activity. When it comes to understanding how AIDS is transmitted, and formulating effective policy to deal with the spread of AIDS, America remains confused. What. Brody calls ideological knowledge about AIDS is "fat "more likely to filter through society than scientific knowledge. "Sex at Risk Is "a comprehensive review of the scientific literature dealing with. the transmission of AIDS. Like Michael Fumento's "The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS, "it exposes the mythology surrounding vaginal intercourse and AIDS transmission, Brody also looks deeply at reasons that fear of AIDS transmission from vaginal intercourse has spread so widely and profoundly, He addresses serious methodological problems in AIDS/HIV behavioral research, as well as tendentious political correctness that has done a disservice to science. "Sex at Risk "also comprehensively reviews the international research literature on correlates of lifetime number of sexual partners and frequency of sexual intercourse. Among topics covered are: relationships between lifetime number of sexual partners and mental health, explanations for important differences between intercourse and masturbation, the possible association of frequency with healthy functioning, and correlations between frequency and national development. Brody concludes by discussing what AIDS reveals about how politically correct thought impedes scientific progress, when taboo themes, regardless of their validity, cannot be pursued, "Sex at Risk is "factually grounded, yet controversial; . Brody raises critical questions about much of what we have learned about AIDS from popular and professional publications, "soft scientists," and public health campaigns. It will be of interest to medical doctors, clinicians, and those interested in the sociology and psychology of knowledge,


We investigate population-averaged (PA) and cluster-specific (CS) associations for clustered binary logistic regression in the context of a longitudinal clinical trial that investigated the association between tooth-specific visual elastase kit results and periodontal disease progression within 26 weeks of follow-up. We address estimation of population-averaged logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations (GEE), and conditional likelihood (CL) and mixed effects (ME) estimation of CS logistic regression models. Of particular interest is the impact of clusters that do not provide information for conditional likelihood methods (non-informative clusters) on inferences based upon the various methodologies. The empirical and analytical results indicate that CL methods yield smaller test statistics than ME methods when non-informative clusters exist, and that CL estimates are less efficient than ME estimates under certain conditions. Moreover, previously reported relationships between population-averaged and cluster-specific parameters appear to hold for the corresponding estimates in the presence of these clusters.


In this paper, I examine at the DMCA rulemaking as a venue for the development and exhibition of vernacular legal expertise. a process by which everyday people—those outside of legal and lawmaking roles—gain legal knowledge in specific areas. The DMCA rulemaking process is a venue for individuals to collaboratively share and shape their vision for a fairer intellectual property regime. However, the rulemaking process also reveals a complicated vision of digital citizenship, where individuals argue for rights that are linked to a U.S. framework while simultaneously envisioning themselves as sovereign digital citizens.


The important urban growth of Jaipur has an important impact on the rural territories located around the town. To evaluate the geographical
situation and the consequences of urbanisation in rural space, the urban sprawl of Jaipur is monitored by remote sensing from 1990's until 2008. The
urban pressure on the rural territories is characterised by different types of land cover changes and transformations of land use: urban dispersion,
suburbanisation, industrial change of agricultural use, land use confl icts, etc. The geographic and the spatial analysis, as the evolution of rural territories,
are done using Landsat 5, Landsat 7, Spot 3, and Kompsat-2 satellite images. The land use and land cover change analysis permits to identify the
territorial transformation of rural space; and it is evolution towards a part of the metropolised area of Jaipur region. The rural areas located around Jaipur
are in the process of turning into geographical areas of urban agriculture.


The analysis presented in this paper suggests that the larger heating over the boreal forest in the spring and summer, as contrasted with weaker heating over the adjacent tundra, results in a preferred position of the polar front along the northern edge of the boreal forest. This positioning is well documented in the literature (see, for example, Bryson, 1966; Barry and Hare, 1974; Kreps and Barry, 1970). This heating results from the lower albedo of the boreal forest which is not compensated by an increase in transpiration, even with the larger leaf area index of the forest. The warmer temperatures are mixed upward by the deep boundary layer over the forest and mesoscale circulations which result from the patchiness of heating associated with the heterogeneous landscapes of the forest. Thus in contrast to previous assumptions in which the arctic front position in the summer determines the northern limit of the boreal tree line, our study suggests the boreal forest itself significantly influences the preferred position of the front. This conclusion reinforces the findings of Bonan et al. (1992) and Foley et al. (1994) on the important role of boreal forest-tundra interactions with climate.


Event services based on publish–subscribe architectures are well-established components of distributed computing applications. Recently, an event service has been proposed as part of the common component architecture (CCA) for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. In this paper we describe our implementation, experimental evaluation, and initial experience with a high-performance CCA event service that exploits efficient communications mechanisms commonly used on HPC platforms. We describe the CCA event service model and briefly discuss the possible implementation strategies of the model. We then present the design and implementation of the event service using the aggregate remote memory copy interface as an underlying communication layer for this mechanism. Two alternative implementations are presented and evaluated on a Cray XD-1 platform. The performance results demonstrate that event delivery latencies are low and that the event service is able to achieve high-throughput levels. Finally, we describe the use of the event service in an application for high-speed processing of data from a mass spectrometer and conclude by discussing some possible extensions to the event service for other HPC applications. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.


This paper examines the need for language in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It particularly looks at Nigeria situation in this respect; that is the inputs of Nigerian indigenous languages to achieving MDGs. The study adopts a quantitative method of data analysis. Eradication of poverty and hunger; universal primary education; gender equality; reduction of child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases; sustainable development; global partnerships cannot be properly achieved without the inputs of language. And the language(s) people speak (their mother tongue) is in the best position in this wise. Although Nigeria is a multilingual nation, her ethnolinguistic diversities should be seen as a resource for sustainable human and national development. This is because different people from different ethnolinguistic groups can be educated and/or trained in their own languages about the benefits of MDGs, and their diverse contributions toward achieving these goals will be vitally important. The place of language in any form of developmental struggle or initiative cannot be compromised. Language is, therefore, a good tool for achieving MDGs.


The study presents the test results of stabilizing gypseous soil embankment obtained from Al- Faluja University Campus at Al-Ramady province. The laboratory investigation was divided into three phases, the physical and chemical properties; the optimum liquid asphalt (emulsion) requirements (which are manufactured in Iraq) were determined by using one dimensional unconfined compression strength test. In the first phase , the optimum fluid content was 11% (6% of emulsion with 5% water content). At phase two, the effect of aeration technique was investigated using both direct shear and permeability test. At phase three, a laboratory soil model of dimensions 50x50x30 cm was used as a representative of gypseous soil; pure soil, and asphalt stabilized soil have been compacted in five layers after practicing an aeration technique at maximum dry density (modified compaction) cyclic loading test was carried out on four gypseous soil models, two of them were pure soil under (dry and absorbed condition), and the other two were stabilized with emulsion also under (dry and absorbed condition). The impact of charging the hydraulic conductivity due to asphalt stabilization was investigated and the vertical deformations were determined using LVDT. For the pure soil in dry condition the vertical settlement at the top surface was (7.45 mm) at (157 load cycles), while for pure soil model under absorbed condition, the water was raised to the surface in three days , so the vertical settlement at the top surface was (12.5 mm) at (29 load cycles), this means that the pure gypseous soil under absorbed condition show reduction in strength by(85%). When the stabilized soil is in dry condition, the vertical settlement at the top surface was (9.75 mm) at (911 load cycles), while the soil was stabilized and subjected to water absorbed for seven days. The water stopped rising at second layer which is the same inlets level from the bottom, and the vertical settlement was (10.47 mm) at (897 load cycles), so there is no change in strength at failure.


Malaria in pregnancy, being often asymptomatic, is a major problem in endemic African countries. It is characterized by anemia and placental malaria leading to poor pregnancy outcomes. In 2001 Tanzania adopted an intermittent-preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) policy, which recommends receiving doses of antimalarial drugs every planned visit to the antenatal care centre (ANC), starting from the second trimester. Currently the policy is valid across the whole country, regardless that there are regions with very low malaria endemicity in Tanzania, such as Dodoma region. The current study aimed to show the real prevalence of malaria among young pregnant women in Dodoma region, by measuring the prevalence of malaria among University of Dodoma (UDOM) students, and to describe the social health care features of student female community. Two methods of malaria diagnostic, microscopy, and rapid test, as well as retrospective inspection of ANC registry book, showed the very low prevalence of malaria disease among pregnant students, approximately 0.3%. Additionally, the sociodemographic data from the questionnaires showed that all students use different malaria preventive measures, and most of them have the regular sexual partner. This fact approves the correlation between illiteracy of woman and the risk of malaria infection transmission.


The Michelson-Morley, the Miller, and other experiments have detected an ``ether wind'' and have stirred a long--standing controversy. The Scalar Theory Of Everything (STOE) is applied to the measurements of the Miller experiment. The STOE's plenum is comparable to the ether. The result is the divergence of the plenum caused by the Sun and Moon and the measured direction of the ``ether wind'' are at an angle of $ 91^\circ \pm 8^\circ$ with a confidence of $1 \sigma$. This suggests that these experiments are measuring the degree of tilt relative to the plenum divergence. That is, the measurements are not detecting the changing light path that results in the real Lorentz matter contraction hypothesis, but rather the measurements are detecting the changing light speed and direction caused by the divergence of the plenum. The support for the Lorentz matter contraction hypothesis as a real contraction is removed.


Close to sinusoidal substrates, simple fluids may undergo a filling transition, in which the fluid passes from a dry to a filled state, where the interface remains unbent but bound to the substrate. Increasing the surface field, the interface unbinds and a wetting transition occurs. We show that this double-transition sequence may be strongly modified in the case of ordered fluids, such as nematic liquid crystals. Depending on the preferred orientation of the nematic molecules at the structured substrate and at the isotropic-nematic interface, the filling transition may not exist, and the fluid passes directly from a dry to a complete-wet state, with the interface far from the substrate. More interestingly, in other situations, the complete wetting transition may be prevented, and the fluid passes from a dry to a filled state, and remains in this configuration, with the interface always attached to the substrate, even for very large surface fields. Both transitions are observed only for a same substrate in a narrow range of amplitudes.


The occurrence and public health significance of cutaneous myiasis were investigated in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria between June and September, 1981. The findings indicated that human myiasis caused by the maggot of African tumbu-fly, Cordylobia anthropophaga was relatively common and constituted potential public health problems in the affected parts of the state capital. The importance of animal myiasis due to larvae of sheep bot-fly, Oesteris ovis and the cattle grubs, Hypoderma bovis, was assessed and discussed.


The α-fetoprotein gene (AFP) is tightly regulated at the tissue-specific level, with expression confined to endoderm-derived cells. We have reconstituted AFP transcription on chromatin-assembled DNA templates in vitro. Our studies show that chromatin assembly is essential for hepatic-specific expression of the AFP gene. While nucleosome-free AFP DNA is robustly transcribed in vitro by both cervical (HeLa) and hepatocellular (HepG2) carcinoma extracts, the general transcription factors and transactivators present in HeLa extract cannot relieve chromatin-mediated repression of AFP. In contrast, preincubation with either HepG2 extract or HeLa extract supplemented with recombinant hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 α (HNF3α), a hepatic-enriched factor expressed very early during liver development, is sufficient to confer transcriptional activation on a chromatin-repressed AFP template. Transient transfection studies illustrate that HNF3α can activate AFP expression in a non-liver cellular environment, confirming a pivotal role for HNF3α in establishing hepatic-specific gene expression. Restriction enzyme accessibility assays reveal that HNF3α promotes the assembly of an open chromatin structure at the AFP promoter. Combined, these functional and structural data suggest that chromatin assembly establishes a barrier to block inappropriate expression of AFP in non-hepatic tissues and that tissue-specific factors, such as HNF3α, are required to alleviate the chromatin-mediated repression.