The Ottoman Province of Damascus in the 16th century comprised a number of liwa's (liwa' = sonjaq). This thesis deals mainly with the liwa' of Damascus as a case study. Other liwa's are mentioned in this connection in as much as they concern and clarify the general picture. Prescribed limitations prevent full discussion of others. The thesis is composed of seven chapters, each of which deals with certain aspects of the history of the province. The first chapter is concerned with local events prevailing between the Ottoman conquest 922/1516 and the suppression of al-Ghazali's rebellion in 927/1521. In the second chapter administrative divisions and demography of the liwa' during the first three quarters of the sixteenth century are defined. The study shows that the nahiya was the basic administrative unit and records periods of increase in the numbers of the population followed by sharp decline. The structure of Ottoman administration is the subject of chapters three to five. The first of them outlines the function of the governor as responsible for the maintenance of law and order and for the leadership of the military force whenever called upon. It emphasises his responsibility for the despatch and safe return of the pilgrimage caravan of Damascus. This was assisted by military units distributed throughout the province and housed in fortresses, augmented by the subsidiary forces of timar-holders. All these contingents assisted the Sultan in his wars with Porsia, in the Yaman and against Cyprus in addition to their use in the suppression of rebellions. The forces grouped themselves into factions. As they also engaged in trade and industry, the factions vied with each other to win the support of local chieftains. The administration of justice was the province of the Chief Judge and his deputies from the four madhhabs. They comprised some of the local population in addition to Ottoman personnel. There were several courts in Damascus and also one court functioned in each of the cities of Ba'alabakk, Bayrat and Sidon. Deputy judges were usually appointed to dispense justice in the countryside. The office of Mufti is also defined in this chapter. Chapter five chiefly deals with the office of Defterdar and taxation on various types of trade, land, trees, animals, etc. In chapters six and seven there is an attempt to describe the relationship between the Ottomans and the indigenous population. Four appendices and three relevant maps have been prepared and are appended.


The crystal structure of magnetite nanoparticles may be transformed to maghemite by complete oxidation, but under many relevant conditions the oxidation is partial, creating a mixed-valence material with structural and electronic properties that are poorly characterized. We used X-ray diffraction, Fe K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, and soft X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy to characterize the products of oxidizing uncoated and oleic acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles in air. The oxidization of uncoated magnetite nanoparticles creates a material that is structurally and electronically indistinguishable from maghemite. By contrast, while oxidized oleic acid-coated nanoparticles are also structurally indistinguishable from maghemite, Fe L-edge spectroscopy revealed the presence of interior reduced iron sites even after a 2-year period. We used X-ray emission spectroscopy at the O K-edge to study the valence bands (VB) of the iron oxide nanoparticles, using resonant excitation to remove the contributions from oxygen atoms in the ligands and from low-energy excitations that obscured the VB edge. The bonding in all nanoparticles was typical of maghemite, with no detectable VB states introduced by the long-lived, reduced-iron sites in the oleic acid-coated sample. However, O K-edge absorption spectroscopy observed a 0.2 eV shift in the position of the lowest unoccupied states in the coated sample, indicating an increase in the semiconductor band gap relative to bulk stoichiometric maghemite that was also observed by optical absorption spectroscopy. The results show that the ferrous iron sites within ferric iron oxide nanoparticles coated by an organic ligand can persist under ambient conditions with no evidence of a distinct interior phase and can exert an effect on the global electronic and optical properties of the material. This phenomenon resembles the band gap enlargement caused by electron accumulation in the conduction band of TiO2.


Soil health is the foundation of sustainability on any farm, and farmers need a clear understanding of the status of their soil resources to manage for the future. The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is working to document and improve soil health outcomes through farmer-generated data. In 2016, we worked with twelve diversified organic vegetable farmers across Pennsylvania to quantify soil health using field samples and farm records for practices including cover cropping and reduced tillage. We found that these farmers increased organic matter an average of 2.3 times over NRCS ratings for their soil types, maintained living cover on their fields an average of 225 days, and obtained average soil health scores of 71, an "excellent" score in the Cornell Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health. We also found that many farmers were able to maintain high soil health scores and organic matter levels while continuing to use intensive tillage practices, although aggregate stability levels were typically lower on these farms. Within this sample, we found several examples of very high performing farms, where soil health scores were above 80 and organic matter was as much as 3.4 times higher than ratings for their soil types. We have been featuring these leading farmers in field days and workshops that use these data to guide discussions and collaboratively generate new ideas for improving soil health. In order to continue advancing soil health, farmers need to capture economic rewards for improved stewardship. Beginning this summer, we are helping PASA farmers communicate positive soil health outcomes to customers and stakeholders through infographic fact sheets and other marketing tools. We are expanding this benchmark study to a larger sample of farms for 2017, and we plan to continuously move the dial forward for organic soil stewardship through data-driven education and marketing. Topics: Soil health assessment / metrics, SOM, vegetable production, 12 working farms Presentation summary: The Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) provides education and other services to some 6,400 members, including producers (52% of the membership), aspiring farmers (13%), entrepreneurs, agricultural professionals, and other stakeholders in a sustainable farm future. PASA farmer members consider financial viability, soil health, and nutrient-dense farm products as their top priorities.


Students diagnosed with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD) often have a difficult time complying with classroom expectations as they frequently demonstrate significant deficits in social interaction, academic performance, and behavior. Deficits in these areas negatively impact a student's ability to cope and learn in the classroom environment. Students with these needs benefit from well structured evidence based interventions that will help reduce negative behaviors that disrupt student learning. The current study combined the flexibility of a Point Reward System (PRS) with the immediate and constant student feedback of Check in Check Out (CICO) system to measure the impact on disruptive behaviors of five students with EBD in the general education setting. This study used a single case study AB design where baseline phase was the standard level of care and the intervention incorporated the CICO and PRS into the classroom structure. Results demonstrated a decrease in the average percentage of classroom disruption per observation period for every student. This study revealed a positive relationship between the use of CICO and PRS as behavior interventions and the reduction of disruptive behaviors in students with EBD in the general education environment.


When a quantum system interacts with its environment, the so-called decoherence effect will normally destroy the coherence in the quantum state and the entanglement between its subsystems. We propose a feedback control strategy based on quantum weak measurements to protect coherence and entanglement of the quantum state against environmental disturbance. For a one-qubit quantum system under amplitude damping and dephasing decoherence channels, our strategy can preserve the coherence based on the measured information about the population difference between its two levels. For a two-qubit quantum system disentangled by independent amplitude damping and dephasing decoherence channels, the designed feedback control can preserve coherence between the ground state and the highest excited states by tuning the coupling strength between the two qubits, and at the same time minimize the loss of entanglement between the two qubits. As a consequence of dynamic symmetry, the generalization of these results derives the concept of control-induced decoherence-free observable subspace, for which several criteria are provided.


The area in north-east Siberia, adjacent to the Laptev Sea of the Arctic Ocean, inherits a complex geological setting, which is to date not fully understood. Located north to the Laptev Sea, the ultraslow spreading Gakkel Ridge is propagating into a continental rift system – the Laptev Sea Rift. This rift separates the North American plate from the Eurasian plate and presents a rare opportunity to investigate mechanisms of recent continental breakups.
In general, divergent plate boundaries are accompanied by magmatic and earthquake activities. The earthquake activity at the Gakkel Ridge shows a sharp image of seismicity, confined to the rift valley extends to the continental shelf of the Laptev Sea. Though, the Laptev Sea region indicates less and more diffuse seismicity and an absence of magmatic activity. So far, the local (micro-)seismicity of the Laptev Sea region is poorly described, due to a lack of local seismological stations and data sets.
In summer 2016, as part of the project SIOLA, 25 seismological stations were temporarily installed in the Lena Delta. A network of 12 seismometers were located in the Lena Delta along the active seismic Olenek Fault Zone and another 13 stations as a seismological array close to Tiksi. Over a period of nine months, these instruments continuously recorded seismic data, to investigate the geodynamic processes of the Laptev Sea Rift by analysing the local seismicity. Furthermore, new data recently collected by members of the project and expand the existing data base.
We will report the progress of the project and show some data and preliminary results.


An eight stage distributed amplifier with 12.5 dB plusmn 0.45 dB gain and 50 GHz bandwidth has been demonstrated in a commercially available 0.1 mum metamorphic GaAs HEMT (MHEMT) technology. The amplifier has a minimum noise figure lower than 2.5 dB in the bandwidth. The group delay variation, from 9 to 40 GHz is plusmn 7.5 ps and circuit consumption is 0.4 W. Such amplifier has been packaged with a high responsivity photodiode into a fiber pig-tailed module. Eye diagrams measurements demonstrate the successful high-speed operation of the photoreceiver


According to the ecosystemic model of Bronfenbrenner (1979), the development of an individual is part of an environmental system that is complex and in interaction, built around a microsystem and being dinamic in relation to a macrosystem. This article presents and questions the ecological theory of human development and wants to illustrate the applications of the Bronfenbrenner model in the field of today's education and in the field of mental health of the child and adult.The social ecology theory takes as a postulate that the development and behavior of the individual are the result of continuous influences between the individual and his environment. If we are not careful, a child who has potential, can develop behavioral problems or problems of adaptation in an environment with high-level risk factors. After having quickly presented the ecological approaches in sociology and psychology from 1920 to 1950, two cases of schools and pedagogical projects based on self-esteem and creativity will be illustrated: one in Luxembourg, Europe, and the other in the USA, in Washington.They show how the mental health of young children may affect the learning process. In the field of public mental health, the declination of the Bronfenbrenner theory is relevant: the Ottawa Charter, WHO, 1986, has been supporting, for 30 years, the creation of favorable environments that determine good physical and mental health of the population.


The control of a nonlinear power system with delayed inputs and measurements is illustrated using the example of transient excitation control of a generator. Through simulated studies, the direct feedback linearization approach is found to yield unsatisfactory results in the presence of large measurement processing delays. An effective way to compensate for the delay using prediction is demonstrated. >


The rapidly expanding Atlantic bluefin tuna fattening industry is characterized by high stock densities and a high input food biomass in the form of whole bait seafood.  The environmental impact of this activity must be effectively monitored within a proper sustainable development framework, to address concerns about the potential adverse effects. However, evaluation of monitoring tools for tuna farming has received less attention than other activities. Based on the principles of key taxa (Pocklington & Wells, 1992), we tested the potential use of changes in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, polychaetes and amphipods for this purpose. Applying a non-parametric multivariate approach for monitoring the impact of this aquaculture activity on the benthic habitat, we checked for correlations with the physicochemical environmental variables of the sediment. A hierarchical spatial design was followed, using multiple controls. Amphipods and polychaetes showed dissimilarities between impacted and control locations, with significant differences for total assemblage structure at a taxonomic level of families. Total nitrogen (TN) and total sulfur (TS) concentrations were the variables best associated with these changes for amphipods, and d 13 C and total phosphorus (TP) were the best for polychaetes. However, total free sulfides (TFS) and TP were the chemical variables that best indicated the effects on sediment. Using this approach, surrogating the whole benthic assemblage to a single taxocene, our data suggest that monitoring tuna farming impact by comparing the changes in amphipod and polychaete assemblages at family level could be an optimal procedure with an excellent cost/benefit ratio.


Machine learning techniques are now essential for a diverse set of applications in computer vision, natural language processing, software analysis, and many other domains. As more applications emerge and the amount of data continues to grow, there is a need for increasingly powerful and scalable techniques. Kernel methods, which generalize linear learning methods to non-linear ones, have become a cornerstone for much of the recent work in machine learning and have been used successfully for many core machine learning tasks such as clustering, classification, and regression.
Despite the recent popularity in kernel methods, a number of issues must be tackled in order for them to succeed on large-scale data. First, kernel methods typically require memory that grows quadratically in the number of data objects, making it difficult to scale to large data sets. Second, kernel methods depend on an appropriate kernel function—an implicit mapping to a high-dimensional space—which is not clear how to choose as it is dependent on the data. Third, in the context of data clustering, kernel methods have not been demonstrated to be practical for real-world clustering problems.
This thesis explores these questions, offers some novel solutions to them, and applies the results to a number of challenging applications in computer vision and other domains. We explore two broad fundamental problems in kernel methods. First, we introduce a scalable framework for learning kernel functions based on incorporating prior knowledge from the data. This framework scales to very large data sets of millions of objects, can be used for a variety of complex data, and outperforms several existing techniques. In the transductive setting, the method can be used to learn low-rank kernels, whose memory requirements are linear in the number of data points. We also explore extensions of this framework and applications to image search problems, such as object recognition, human body pose estimation, and 3-d reconstructions. As a second problem, we explore the use of kernel methods for clustering. We show a mathematical equivalence between several graph cut objective functions and the weighted kernel k-means objective. This equivalence leads to the first eigenvector-free algorithm for weighted graph cuts, which is thousands of times faster than existing state-of-the-art techniques while using significantly less memory. We benchmark this algorithm against existing methods, apply it to image segmentation, and explore extensions to semi-supervised clustering


The anti-ulcer action of colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS) was tested in rats with a ligated pylorus (the Shay preparation). The liquid form used in the clinic displayed a dose-related inhibition of gastric ulceration. the recently developed solid form appeared to be just as effective. On the other hand, non-processed, non-colloidal bismuth salts and the CBS vehicle blank were completely inactive. The anti-ulcer activity of CBS was found to be unrelated to its buffering capacity.


This thesis incorporates three studies that revolve around competitive intelligence of a firm, available data sources and improvement of operations through data-informed decision making. The studies cover a range of topics in the field of operations research: revenue management, capital budgeting decisions and social learning. Chapter 1 presents a new econometric method for estimating customer choice model parameters based on competitor intelligence data. Chapter 2 combines public data on social review platforms with demographic and geographic data to inform facility location and product design decisions in service based industries such as restaurants and hotels. Chapter 3 investigates the effect of social reputation platforms on customer behavior and assesses whether these platforms transmit the general customer opinion. Overall, the studies provide novel theoretical reflections and practical ways through which businesses can implement competitive intelligence to add value to their operations.


This thesis is composed of two independent research projects. The first major project discussed is electrophilic halogenation using inorganic halides in the presence of oxidant. This includes the conversion of tertiary propargyl alcohols in to α,α-dihaloketones.
In addition, the oxidative bromination of a range of alkylbenzene derivatives using the inexpensive
oxidant Oxone and sodium bromide is described with up to 4 C-H bonds being functionalised in
this process.
The second part of this thesis focuses on using silacyclobutanes in our aim to access new siliconcontaining chemical space. Silacyclobutanes are useful in organic synthesis because of their exciting reactivity based on their high Lewis acidity and ring strain. We describe our efforts at developing catalytic conditions for the Pd-mediated dimerisation of silacyclobutanes, as well as our preliminary results on the nickel-catalysed enantioselective ring expansion of benzosilacyclobutane with aldehydes. After Tamao-Fleming oxidation, this reaction produces extremely useful chiral benzylic alcohols.


ABSTRACT It is believed that nitrogen fertilization will attenuate the salt stress on pearl millet plants. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the agronomic performance of the millet crop under different saline water irrigation strategies and nitrogen fertilization. The experimental design adopted was completely randomized (CRD), in a 4 x 2 factorial scheme, with 4 replicates, with the first factor being four irrigation strategies: S1 = low-salinity water (W1) = 0.3 dS m-1 throughout the cycle; S2 = saline water (W2) = 4.0 dS m-1 from 30 days after sowing - DAS; S3 = W2 from 45 DAS; and S4 = W2 from 65 DAS; and the second factor being two nitrogen doses (60 and 120 kg ha-1 of N). At the end of the experiment, the following variables were evaluated: photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, instantaneous water use efficiency, internal CO2 concentration, leaf temperature, plant height, stem diameter, root length, panicle length, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass and root dry mass. Fertilization with 60 and 120 kg ha-1 promotes greater photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance and internal CO2 concentration in millet plants under the strategies S1, S2 and S3. The strategies S1 and S4 were more efficient to increase the efficient use of water and reduce leaf temperature.


Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) has been used for many years to consolidate porosity in cast metal shapes to improve mechanical properties. When applied to fine metal powders, it is possible to produce Near Net Shape (NNS) items and more complex geometry components that are fully dense and offer an attractive set of properties at reduced cost. NNS items produced from HIPed powder deliver cost savings by reducing initial material usage and subsequent machining costs. Powder production and HIP processing are automated methods, which provide protection against forging route obsolescence. Setup costs are lower and batch sizes are smaller, which makes HIPping particularly well suited to small numbers of high integrity components. HIPed powder microstructures are isotropic and equiaxed, with uniformly fine grain sizes not normally achieved in heavy section components, which facilitates ultrasonic NDE examination. Improved features to facilitate NDE are readily incorporated into the HIP assembly. Inclusion contents are lower and of more benign geometry, easing fracture assessment. In a broad program of testing, Rolls-Royce has established (1) that HIPed powder 316L/304L components, in items up to several tons in weight, have equivalent or slightly better strength, toughness and corrosion resistance than the wrought equivalents. Rolls-Royce are extending their activities to HIPing of Inconel alloys. The first phase has been to HIP test samples of Inconel 600 and Inconel 690 alloys. Initial testing has produced promising results in line with expectations of wrought material. There has also been the opportunity to vary the HIPing cycle to assess the effect of processing parameters on the final product. An ability to HIP Inconel components is thought to be of benefit in new plant construction, where material is often not readily available in required thick section. The adaptability and good control of the HIP technique also shows promise as a manufacturing route for future high temperature materials which will be required in Generation 4 civil builds.Copyright © 2011 by Rolls-Royce plc


Biological membranes represent a critical hindrance for administering active molecules which are often unable to reach their designated intracellular target.
In order to overcome this barrier-like behavior, not easily circumvented by many pharmacologically-active molecules, and to promote cellular uptake, synthetic peptide-based transporters have been exploited. In fact, linking or complexing therapeutic molecules to peptides that can translocate through the cellular membranes could enhance their internal delivery, and consequently, a higher amount of active compound would reach the site of action. Use of Cell Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) is one of the most promising non invasive strategies to efficiently translocate macromolecules through the plasma membrane, and have, recently, attracted a great attention. A new viral traslocator peptide (gH625) is described in this thesis, which is derived from the Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein H (gH). gH625 has proved to be a useful delivery vehicle due to its intrinsic properties of inducing membrane perturbation. Quantum dots (QDs), Liposomes, Dendrimers and Polystyrene Nanoparticles (NPs) have been used as powerful platforms for studying the behavior of gH625 as a nano-vehicles.
QDs are a new class of fluorescent probes under intense research and development for broad application in molecular, cellular and in vivo imaging. QDs do not significantly traverse the membrane bilayer on their own. On the contrary, when functionalized with gH625, are able to translocate through cellular plasma membranes by a mechanism which seems to be only relatively dependent on the endocytic route of entry.
Liposomal aggregates have been successfully used as in vivo carriers of active principles; they display some unique pharmacokinetic properties and can be adapted to a wide range of therapeutic agents. An easy and versatile synthetic strategy, based on click chemistry, has been used to bind, in a controlled way, several copies of gH625 peptide on the external surface of DOPG based liposomes. Liposomes have been also loaded with the cytotoxic doxorubicin drug and their ability to penetrate inside cells has been evaluated by confocal microscopy experiments. Results suggest that liposomes functionalized with gH625 may act as promising intracellular targeting carriers for efficient delivery of drugs, such as chemotherapeutic agents, into tumor cells.
Dendrimers are perfectly hyperbranched macromolecules with a well-defined structure, which exhibit properties very different from linear polymers with the same composition and molecular weight. A poly(amide)-based dendrimer was synthesized and conjugated with gH625. The attachment of the peptide sequences to the termini of a dendrimer allows the conjugate to penetrate into the cellular matrix, whereas the unfunctionalized dendrimer is excluded from translocation. The peptide functionalized dendrimer is rapidly taken into the cells mainly through a non-active translocation mechanism.
The surface of fluorescent aminated polystyrene nanoparticles (NPs) was functionalized with gH625 via a covalent binding procedure, and the NP uptake mechanism and permeation across in vitro Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) models were studied. At early incubation times, the uptake of NPs with gH625 by brain endothelial cells is greater than that of the NPs without the peptide, and their intracellular motion is mainly characterized by a random walk behavior. Most importantly, gH625 peptide decreases NP intracellular accumulation as large aggregates and enhances their BBB crossing. In summary, these results establish that gH625 may represent a good choice for the design of promising carriers to deliver drugs for the treatment of human diseases.


Schizophrenia is marked by aberrant processing of complex speech and gesture, which may contribute functionally to its impaired social communication. To date, extant neuroscientific studies of schizophrenia have largely investigated dysfunctional speech and gesture in isolation, and no prior research has examined how the two communicative channels may interact in more natural contexts. Here, we tested if patients with schizophrenia show aberrant neural processing of semantically complex story segments, and if speech-associated gestures (co-speech gestures) might modulate this effect. In a functional MRI study, we presented to 34 participants (16 patients and 18 matched-controls) an ecologically-valid retelling of a continuous story, performed via speech and spontaneous gestures. We split the entire story into ten-word segments, and measured the semantic complexity for each segment with idea density, a linguistic measure that is commonly used clinically to evaluate aberrant language dysfunction at semantic level. Per segment, the presence of numbers of gestures varied (n = 0, 1, +2). Our results suggest that, in comparison to controls, patients showed reduced activation for more complex segments in the bilateral middle frontal and inferior parietal regions. Importantly, this neural aberrance was reduced in segments presented with gestures. Thus, for the first time with a naturalistic multimodal stimulation paradigm, we show that gestures reduced group differences when processing a natural story, probably by facilitating the processing of semantically complex segments of the story in schizophrenia.


For the characteristics that the signing speed must be quick and the system must be simply deployed in the digital signature system of office automation, a method of digital signature with encryption based on combined symmetric key, symmetric technology and hardware technology is proposed. This method stores key seed matrix, symmetric key algorithm and combined symmetric key algorithm in hardware equipment, in additional to, hardware equipment has the functions of creating symmetric key by combined key seed matrix with combined symmetric key algorithm and digital signature. The advantages of the proposed method is that the key is one-time and time-variant and the key update and maintenance is automation so the key is maintenance-free; Compared with traditional Asymmetric digital signature algorithms, this method has the superiority of fast deciphering and simple key management.


Ayşe Irmak , Sevgi Özmen , Zeynep Şan , Esra Demirci Evaluation of suPAR Levels in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Etiopathogenesis Objective: Although a strong inflammatory basis has been demonstrated, the pathophysiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been defined clearly. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), one of the inflammatory disruptors, plays a role in the etiology of ADHD. Materials and Methods: The study population comprised 50 patients aged 7–13 years, diagnosed with ADHD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, without any chronic or other psychiatric disease, and 25 healthy controls. Parents of the children in the study group completed the Conners' Parent Rating Scale—Revised Short, and teachers completed the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale—Revised Short. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to measure suPAR levels in plasma samples. Results: The mean plasma suPAR level of patients with ADHD was 2.92±1.74 ng/ml, the suPAR level of the controls was 2.54±1.05 ng/ml, and there was no significant difference in suPAR levels between ADHD and controls (Z=0.084, p=0.933). No correlation was found between plasma suPAR levels and ADHD severity as assessed by Conners' parent and teacher scales. Conclusion: The role of inflammatory systems and mediators in ADHD was emphasized in many studies, and many important data on ADHD etiopathology were obtained. However, we found no significant relationship between ADHD and suPAR levels. Further research is needed with large samples.


We have studied the local motion of hydrogen around a platinum impurity in Si, which was directly probed by measuring the recovery process of stress-induced reorientation of the Pt–H2 complex by isothermal deep-level transient spectroscopy (IT-DLTS). We found that hydrogen more easily moved in the singly negative charge state of the Pt–H2 complex than in the doubly negative charge state, and determined the activation energies for the recovery process to be 0.28 and 0.4 eV in the singly and doubly negative charge states, respectively, from a series of isothermal annealing experiments. We also found that the recovery rate of the Pt–D2 complex in the singly negative charge state is 80% that of the Pt–H2 complex with the same activation energy of 0.28 eV. This isotope effect clearly proves that both complexes have the same atomic configuration and that their recovery process is governed by the atomic jump of hydrogen (deuterium).


Introduction Since 2005 it has been unit policy to offer patients staged with T1N0 oesophageal cancer (either unsuitable for endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) or with features on the EMR specimen that warranted resection) or T2N0 lesions a thoracoscopic-assisted oesophagectomy (TAO). We report on the surgical outcomes and survival for patients treated with this management approach. Method Results of the first 50 patients with this approach were obtained from a prospectively gathered database. All had staging with endoscopy, computerised tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Depending on EUS assessment, patients were listed for EMR or directly to TAO. TAO was performed using a prone position for thoracoscopic mobilisation. Median follow up was 60 months and was complete for all patients. Survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results The median age was 67 years (range 46–81). There were 34 males and 16 females. 48/50 (96%) patients had a TAO. Two patients were converted at an early operative stage to an Ivor Lewis oesophagogastrectomy due to dense pleural adhesions. Stomach was used as a conduit in 49 cases with a colonic interposition in one patient. There were no chyle leaks. There were no significant haemorrhages during thoracic dissection. The median blood loss was 300 mls (range 65–1530). The median number of lymph nodes was 12 (range 4–37). There was one post-operative death. Significant complications included tracheo-oesophageal fistula in 2 patients, 1 tube-tip necrosis, 4 patients with left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and 4 anastomotic leaks. Final histology showed HGD in 3 cases, T1a in 18, T1b in 23, T2 in 4 and T3 in 2 patients. There were 9 squamous cell tumours, 38 adenocarcinomas and the 3 patients with HGD. When compared to final histology 48/50 patients (96%) were correctly staged preoperatively as node negative with a combination of CT and EUS. The cancer specific 5-year survival was 95% and overall 5-year survival was 84%. Conclusion Patients with T1/T2 node negative oesophageal cancer have an excellent prognosis following TAO. This can be achieved with a protocol that must include EUS and access to EMR. It is essential that preoperative staging is accurate to ensure that patients with T1 or T2 lesions who are node positive are offered neoadjuvant therapy. TAO is a safe and effective alternative to open oesophagectomy. Disclosure of interest None Declared.


This study aims to investigate the long-run relationship between oil price and value-added share of GDP of agriculture in 25 oil-exporting countries. We use the panel heterogeneous cointegration test and fully modified OLS (FMOLS), dynamic (OLS) and pooled mean group (PMG) methods to examine the long-run effect of real oil price and real exchange rate on agriculture. The result of the Pedroni cointegration exposes the long-run relationship between the variables under study. Panel cointegration estimators show the negative and significant effect of oil price and exchange rate on agriculture value added. These results indicate the existence of the Dutch disease and de-agriculturalization in oil-exporting economies. The present study contributes to existing literature that concentrates on the Dutch disease and di-agriculturalization by analyzing the effect of real oil price and real exchange rate on the agricultural sector in the long- and short-run in developing oil-exporting countries.


Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). While currently used GVHD treatment regimens target the donor immune system, we explored here an approach that aims at protecting and regenerating Paneth cells (PC) and intestinal stem cells (ISC). Glucagon-like-peptide-2 (GLP-2) is an enteroendocrine tissue hormone, produced by intestinal L-cells. We observed that acute GVHD reduced intestinal GLP-2 levels in mice and patients developing GVHD. Treatment with the GLP-2 agonist, teduglutide, reduced de novo acute GVHD and steroid-refractory GVHD, without compromising graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects in multiple mouse models. Mechanistically GLP-2 substitution promoted regeneration of PCs and ISCs which enhanced production of antimicrobial peptides and caused microbiome changes. GLP-2 expanded intestinal organoids and reduced expression of apoptosis-related genes. Low numbers of L-cells in intestinal biopsies and high serum levels of GLP-2 were associated with higher incidence of non-relapse mortality in patients undergoing allo-HCT. Our findings indicate that L-cells are a target of GVHD and that GLP-2-based treatment of acute GVHD restores intestinal homeostasis via an increase of ISCs and PCs without impairing GVL effects. Teduglutide could become a novel combination partner for immunosuppressive GVHD therapy to be tested in clinical trials.


An insertion element, ISAE1, was discovered during the molecular analysis of mutants defective in the autotrophic growth (Aut-) of Alcaligenes eutrophus H1-4, a mitomycin C-generated derivative of strain H1. ISAE1 is 1,313 bp long, has 12-bp nearly perfect inverted terminal repeats, and contains an open reading frame that has a coding capacity of 408 amino acids. Direct repeats of 8 bp were generated by insertion of ISAE1 into chromosomes or plasmids. Most insertion were found in the AT-rich target sites. The distribution of ISAE1 is limited to A. eutrophus H1 (ATCC 17698) and H16 (ATCC 17699). Variants with newly transposed copies of ISAE1 could be isolated at an elevated frequency by changing the growth conditions.


In recent years, customer relationship management (CRM) has been a topic of the utmost importance for scholars and managers. Literature suggests, however, that it is difficult to demonstrate both tangible returns and also intangible attributes of these benefits, such as innovation derived from the use of CRM. The aim of the chapter is to analyze the implementation of CRM and its influence on a firm's ability for innovation. Literature on CRM and innovation is reviewed and a theoretical model is proposed. Research findings from a sample of European companies prove that CRM is beneficial for innovation in many countries. However, there were no conclusive results from other countries. These findings have important implications in assisting organizations in their CRM initiatives for managing customer knowledge and enhancing innovation. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2625-6.ch047


The stylized fact for economies experiencing financial crises, that slow economic reform is followed by persistent stagnation, is usually explained as follows: Forbearance policy (i.e., an implicit subsidy to inefficient sectors) distorts resource allocation and causes a supply shortage of resources to the productive sectors. Since the Japanese economy has stagnated for over a decade even though Japan has had sufficient resources to allocate to productive sectors, I propose another explanation: Forbearance impedes the recovery of confidence that is lost during a financial crisis. If confidence is restored through Bayesian learning by economic agents based on observations of government actions, then the inaction of the government (forbearance) impedes Bayesian learning. Since it seems plausible to assume that economic agents face Knightian uncertainty (i.e., a non-unique prior) after a financial crisis, I use the framework of uncertainty aversion developed by Gilboa and Schmeidler (1989). The Bayesian update rule for a non-unique prior is proposed and used for the analysis of confidence building. The model shows that the forbearance policy hinders the convergence of a non-unique prior and delays the economic recovery.


In the present new classification, the section Callianassida comprises two superfamilies, Axioidea and Callianassoidea, 19 families including one new family and two families with a new status, 8 subfamilies including one subfam. nov., 116 genera including 41 gen. nov. and 8 genera sensu nov., and 419 species including 12 spp. nov. and 2 nom. nov.


Preconditioning has a powerful protective potential against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R). Our prior work demonstrated that baicalein, a flavonoid derived from the root of Scatellaria baicalensis Georgi (also known as Huangqin), confers this preconditioning protection. This study further explored the mechanisms of baicalein preconditioning (BC-PC) in mouse cardiomyocytes. Cells were treated with baicalein (10 [Formula: see text] M) for a brief period of time (10 min) prior to simulated ischemia 90 min/reperfusion for 180 min. Baicalein triggered an induction of a small amount of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) prior to the initiation of ischemia, assessed by 6-carboxy-2', 7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (6-carboxy-H2DCFDA). It also significantly increased cell viability measured by propidium iodide (PI) and lactate dehydrogenase and preserved mitochondrial membrane potential assessed by TMRM fluorescence intensity. Myxothiazol, a mitochondrial electron transport chain complex III inhibitor, partially blocked ROS generation induced by BC-PC and reduced cell viability. BC-PC increased phosphorylation of Akt (Thr308 and Ser473) and eNOS Ser1177, and nitric oxide (NO) production measured using 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF-2 DA, 1 [Formula: see text] M). Akt inhibitor API-2 abolished Akt phosphorylation and reduced DAF-2 production and cell viability. In addition, BC-PC decreased phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) reflecting upregulated PDH activity, and increased ATP production at 30 min during reperfusion. Taken together, baicalein preconditioning-induced cardioprotection involves pro-oxidant generation, activates survival signaling Akt/eNOS/NO, and improves metabolic recovery after I/R injury. Our work provides new perspectives on the effect of baicalein on cardiac preconditioning against I/R injury.


Speciation depends on the (local) reduction of recombination between the genomes of partially isolated, diverging populations. Chromosomal rearrangements and generic molecular mechanisms in the genome affect the recombination rate thereby constraining the efficacy of (linked) selection. This can have profound impacts on trait divergence, in particular on complex phenotypes associated with speciation by sexual selection. Because of the obligate co-evolution of traits and preferences in sexual communication signals, it may be expected that these co-adapted gene complexes reside in regions of low recombination, because of the increased potential for linked selection. Here we test this hypothesis in Laupala, a genus of crickets distributed across the Hawaiian archipelago that underwent recent and rapid speciation. We generate three dense linkage maps from interspecies crosses and use the linkage information to anchor a substantial portion of a de novo genome assembly to chromosomes. Local recombination rates were then estimated as a function of the genetic and physical distance of anchored markers. These data provide important genomic resources for Orthopteran model systems in molecular biology. In line with expectations based on the species' recent divergence and successful interbreeding in the lab, the linkage maps are highly collinear and show no evidence for large scale chromosomal rearrangements. Contrary to our expectations, a genomic region where a male song QTL peak co-localizes with a female preference QTL peak was not associated with particularly low recombination rates. This study shows that trait-preference co-evolution in sexual selection is not necessarily constrained by local recombination rates.


We previously identified HSPB2, a new member of the small heat shock protein family, expressed in heart and skeletal muscles. In this study, we used a polyclonal anti-HSPB2 antibody and examined the subcellular localization of HSPB2 in differentiated C2C12 cells, KNS-81 cells, and NIH3T3 transfectants expressing human HSPB2. Double staining with anti-HSPB2 and various markers for cytoplasmic structures showed that HSPB2 was present in the cytosol as granules, some of which colocalized with mitochondria. This colocalization was not altered by a colchicine treatment, indicating that it is independent of microtubules. The subcellular fractionation of differentiated C2C12 cells revealed that HSPB2 was mainly detected in the postmitochondrial supernatant, but mild heat treatment enriched the amount of HSPB2 in the mitochondrial fraction. The expression of HSPB2 protected the cells from heat-induced cell death. In addition, Northern blot analysis revealed that expression of HSPB2 mRNA is higher in slow-twitch muscle than in fast-twitch muscle, which correlates with the amounts of mitochondria present in these two types of tissue. Taken together, these results suggest that HSPB2 may not localize in the matrix, but rather associates with the outer membrane components of the mitochondria and thus plays a role in the stress response.


The use of the new index of years of life lost allows us to relate mortality by age and causes of death to the change of the life expectancy at birth or between any given ages. This index replaces the use of the multiple decrement life tables for analyzing the impact of the change in mortality by age and cause of death on the life expectancies....The article presents the theoretical derivation of the index some examples of its use and a detailed calculation. Examples provided include Mexico Chile and Argentina. (SUMMARY IN ENG) (EXCERPT)


The plant hormone auxin triggers a wide range of developmental and growth responses throughout a plant's life. Most well-known auxin responses involve changes in gene expression that are mediated by a short pathway involving an auxin-receptor/ubiquitin-ligase, DNA-binding auxin response factor (ARF) transcription factors and their interacting auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) transcriptional inhibitors. Auxin promotes the degradation of Aux/IAA proteins through the auxin receptor and hence releases the inhibition of ARF transcription factors. Although this generic mechanism is now well understood, it is still unclear how developmental specificity is generated and how individual gene family members of response components contribute to local auxin responses. We have established a collection of transcriptional reporters for the ARF gene family and used these to generate a map of expression during embryogenesis and in the primary root meristem. Our results demonstrate that transcriptional regulation of ARF genes generates a complex pattern of overlapping activities. Genetic analysis shows that functions of co-expressed ARFs converge on the same biological processes, but can act either antagonistically or synergistically. Importantly, the existence of an 'ARF pre-pattern' could explain how cell-type-specific auxin responses are generated. Furthermore, this resource can now be used to probe the functions of ARF in other auxin-dependent processes.


Curcumin has been ascribed with countless therapeutic effects, but its impact on testicular function has been scarcely researched. Leydig cells comprise the androgen-secreting population of the testis and may give rise to Leydig cell tumours (LCTs). Due to their steroid-secreting nature, LCTs entail endocrine, reproductive, and psychological disorders. Approximately 10% are malignant and do not respond to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to assess curcumin's impact on Leydig cells' functions and its potential effect on LCT growth. In vitro assays on MA-10 Leydig cells showed that curcumin (20–80 µmol/L) stimulates acute steroidogenesis, both in the presence and absence of db-cAMP. This effect is accompanied by an increase in StAR expression. Regarding curcumin's in vitro cytostatic capacity, we show that 40–80 µmol/L curcumin reduces MA-10 Leydig cells' proliferative capacity, which could be explained by the arrest in G2/M and the reduced viability due to the activation of the apoptotic pathway. Finally, CB6F1 mice were inoculated with MA-10 cells to generate ectopic LCT in both flanks. They received i.p. injections of 20 mg/kg curcumin or vehicle every other day for 15 days. We unveiled curcumin's capacity to inhibit LCT growth as evidenced by reduced tumour volume, weight, and area under the growth curves. No detrimental effects on general health parameters or testicular integrity were observed. These results provide novel evidence of curcumin's effects on the endocrine cell population of the testis and propose this natural compound as a therapeutic agent for LCT.


HIV‑1 infection currently cannot be cured because the virus persists as integrated proviral DNA in long-lived cells despite years of suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). To characterize establishment, turnover, and evolution of viral DNA reservoirs we deep-sequenced the p17gag region of the HIV‑1 genome from samples obtained after 3-18 years of suppressive ART from 10 patients. For each of these patients, whole genome deep-sequencing data of HIV‑1 RNA populations before onset of ART were available from 6-12 longitudinal plasma samples spanning 5-8 years of untreated infection. This enabled a detailed analysis of the dynamics and origin of proviral DNA during ART. A median of 14% (range 0-42%) of the p17gag DNA sequences were overtly defective due to G-to-A hypermutation. The remaining sequences were remarkably similar to previously observed RNA sequences and showed no evidence of evolution over many years of suppressive ART. Most sequences from the DNA reservoirs were very similar to viruses actively replicating in plasma (RNA sequences) shortly before start of ART. The results do not support persistent HIV‑1 replication as a mechanism to maintain the HIV‑1 reservoir during suppressive therapy. Rather, the data indicate that viral DNA variants are turning over as long as patients are untreated and that suppressive ART halts this turnover.


Diesel-Electric Propulsion (DEP) has been widely used for propulsion of LNG carriers, icebreakers, drilling units, warships and cruise ships. It is important that every blackout is prevented, especially on cruise ships, considering the possible consequences of such an event. In this work, hazard analysis of a simplified DEP system of a cruise ship is implemented to identify the hazardous scenarios leading to a blackout. This is achieved by combining System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) and Event Tree Analysis (ETA). The STPA is used to identify the hazards and the possible control actions leading to hazards along with their causal factors, whilst the ETA is used to determine the propagation of hazards into the other hazards or accident. Next, the results of STPA and ETA are mapped into a Fault Tree for better representation of results. In this way, the relationship between accident, hazards and unsafe control actions is explicitly described and a more comprehensive picture of the potential accidental scenarios in the system is provided, rendering possible allocation of quantitative performance requirements as per IEC 61508.


BACKGROUND
To reduce the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) transmission via blood transfusion in Canada, potential donors who spent a cumulative time in the United Kingdom, Western Europe or Saudi Arabia are deferred. "Stop dates" for accumulated time were later implemented for 3 months spent in the United Kingdom or France (1980-1996) and for 5 years elsewhere in Western Europe (1980-2007); Saudi Arabia deferral was implemented with the "stop date" (1980-1996). We evaluated the long-term impact of these deferrals and "stop dates", as well as the consistency of donors' answers to post-implementation screening questions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The monthly deferral rate was monitored from 2003-2015. Time series methods (ARIMA) were used with interruption when "stop dates" were implemented. A telephone survey of 1,000 donors (250 first-time, 500 repeat deferred donors, 250 non-deferred control donors) assessed travel history (response rate 62%). An anonymous mail survey of 40,000 donors assessed compliance with deferral (response rate 45.3%).

RESULTS
When the "stop date" for UK/France travel was implemented, the deferral rate decreased for first-time (2.1% to 1.1%, p<0.0001) and repeat (0.2% to 0.03%, p<0.0001) donors. The deferral rate increased after Saudi Arabia was included (mean increase of 0.4% first-time, 0.02% repeat, p<0.0001). After the Western Europe "stop date" the deferral rate was unchanged in first-time donors (1.0% to 1.1%, p=0.5) but decreased in repeat donors (0.03% to 0.02%, p<0.002). In the telephone survey, 94% of deferred donors confirmed deferrable travel history. In the anonymous survey 0.3% of donors were non-compliant with the UK/France deferral.

DISCUSSION
Donors, particularly first-time ones, continue to be lost due to vCJD travel deferral, but most deferrals are correctly applied and non-compliance is rare. The application of a "stop date" reduced deferrals for UK/France travel, but it may be too early to see the full impact of the "stop date" for Western Europe.


The small beta barrel is a protein structural domain, highly conserved throughout evolution and hence exhibits a broad diversity of functions. Here we undertake a comprehensive review of the structural features of this domain. We begin with what characterizes the structure and the variable nomenclature that has been used to describe it. We then go on to explore the anatomy of the structure and how functional diversity is achieved, including through establishing a variety of multimeric states, which, if misformed, contribute to disease states. We conclude with work following from such a comprehensive structural study.


Evidence exists for the role of acute mental stress as a trigger for myocardial infarction. Despite the fact that the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, inflammation and the vascular responses to stress are two mechanisms which have been implicated. After a critical analysis of the methods used to measure the vascular responses to acute mental stress (Chapter 2), this thesis examined the effects of acute inflammation on resting cardiac and mood measures (Chapter 3), and on the vascular responses to stress in a healthy population (Chapters 4 - 6). Two different protocols (vaccination and eccentric exercise) induced inflammation. Inflammation did not alter resting cardiac function or mood (Chapter 3). Despite no alteration in resting vascular function, acute inflammation did attenuate stress-induced vasodilation (Chapter 4 and 6). The effects of inflammation on stress-induced vasodilation were more prominent at the site of inflammation, indicating a localised impact of inflammation on stress-induced vasodilation. These findings suggest a possible interaction between inflammation and the vascular responses to mental stress, which could be a mechanism for the triggering of a myocardial infarction through mental stress. Further work is needed to identify the exact mechanisms through which this attenuation occurs, with a view to enhancing the vascular responses to stress in chronically inflamed populations.


Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with disease. To facilitate moving from associations to disease mechanisms, we leveraged the role of pathogens in shaping human evolution with the Hi-HOST Phenome Project (H2P2): a catalog of cellular GWAS comprised of 79 phenotypes in response to 8 pathogens in 528 lymphoblastoid cell lines. Seventeen loci surpass genome-wide significance (p<5×10−8) for phenotypes ranging from pathogen replication to cytokine production. Combining H2P2 with clinical association data from the eMERGE Network and experimental validation revealed evidence for mechanisms of action and connections with diseases. We identified a SNP near CXCL10 as a cis-cytokine-QTL and a new risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease. A SNP in ZBTB20 demonstrated pleiotropy, partially mediated through NFκB signaling, and was associated with viral hepatitis. Data are available in an H2P2 web portal to facilitate further interpreting human genome variation through the lens of cell biology.


Patients with schizophrenia often do not take their prescribed phenothiazines. This survey focused on the drug-taking behavior of 85 mostly chronic schizophrenic patients during a two-year period. Thirty-nine (46%) of these patients took less antipsychotic drug than the amount prescribed. The reluctance to take antipsychotic medication was significantly associated with extrapyramidal symptoms—most notably a subtle akathisia. It is proposed that drug reluctance and dysphoric response to antipsychotic drugs are often extrapyramidally based.


Objective:To determine the incidence, clinical manifestations, risk factors and outcome of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in South Africa. Design:Prospective surveillance cohort and nested case–control study in a large, University hospital-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic. Methods:A total of 423 ART-naive HIV-infected South African patients were followed for signs and symptoms IRIS during the first 6 months of ART. We also performed a nested case–control study with controls matched to IRIS cases on ART duration. Results:During the first 6 months of ART, 44 (10.4%) patients experienced IRIS for an overall incidence rate of 25.1 cases per 100 patient-years. Diagnoses included tuberculosis (18/44, 41%), abscess formation and suppurative folliculitis (8/44, 18.2%), varicella zoster (6/44, 13.6%), herpes simplex (4/44, 9.1%), cryptococcal meningitis (3/44, 6.8%), molluscum contagiosum (3/44, 6.8%), and Kaposi's sarcoma (2/44, 4.5%). Median IRIS onset was 48 days (interquartile range, 29–99) from ART initiation. In comparison with controls, IRIS cases had significantly lower CD4 cell counts at baseline (79 versus 142 cells/μl; P = 0.02) and at IRIS diagnosis (183 versus 263 cells/μl; P = 0.05), but similar virological and immunological response to ART. In multivariable analyses, higher baseline CD4 cell count was protective of developing IRIS (HR 0.72 per 50 cells/μl increase). Most IRIS cases were mild, with ART discontinued in three (6.8%) patients, corticosteroids administered to four (9.1%) patients, and hospitalization required in 12 (27.3%) patients. Two deaths were attributable to IRIS. Conclusions:IRIS may affect 10% of patients initiating ART in Africa, particularly those with advanced immunosuppression, but severe, life-threatening IRIS is uncommon.


Recent developments such as the Internet-of-Things generate data and foster the exchange of it among nodes in various fields such as the supply chain management. This allows firms to improve their supply chain performance by analyzing the data. However, many firms struggle to store the data, analyze the data, and interpret the data. Therefore, we propose a concept that integrates existing IS solutions helping firms to identify and realize a higher (supply chain) performance. The concept covers supply chain analytics, big data (storage), and IT architecture. More importantly, the concept can be realized with a low-budget solution allowing even small-medium sized enterprises to apply it and realize performance gains. We contribute to theory by proposing an integrated big data and analytics concept, and a supply chain analytics solution. Future research can use our concept, e.g. to develop low budget supply chain analytic scenarios or compare performance gains between our solution and cost-intensive solutions.


Color quantization (CQ) is an image processing task popularly used to convert true color images to palletized images for limited color display devices. To minimize the contouring artifacts introduced by the reduction of colors, a new competitive learning (CL) based scheme called the frequency sensitive self-organizing maps (FS-SOMs) is proposed to optimize the color palette design for CQ. FS-SOM harmonically blends the neighborhood adap- tation of the well-known self-organizing maps (SOMs) with the neuron dependent frequency sensitive learning model, the global butterfly permutation sequence for input randomization, and the reinitialization of dead neurons to harness effective utilization of neurons. The net effect is an improvement in adaptation, a well-ordered color palette, and the alleviation of underutilization problem, which is the main cause of visually perceivable artifacts of CQ. Extensive simulations have been performed to analyze and compare the learning behavior and performance of FS-SOM against other vector quantization (VQ) algorithms. The results show that the proposed FS-SOM outperforms classical CL, Linde, Buzo, and Gray (LBG), and SOM algorithms. More importantly, FS-SOM achieves its superiority in reconstruction quality and topological ordering with a much greater robustness against vari- ations in network parameters than the current art SOM algorithm for CQ. A most significant bit (MSB) biased encoding scheme is also introduced to reduce the number of parallel processing units. By mapping the pixel values as sign-magnitude numbers and biasing the magnitudes according to their sign bits, eight lattice points in the color space are condensed into one common point density function. Consequently, the same processing element can be used to map several color clusters and the entire FS-SOM net- work can be substantially scaled down without severely scarifying the quality of the displayed image. The drawback of this encoding scheme is the additional storage overhead, which can be cut down by leveraging on existing encoder in an overall lossy compression scheme. Index Terms—Color image processing, color quantization (CQ), neural network, self-organizing maps (SOMs).


It has long been recognized that the pathogenicity of a broad range of intracellular parasites depends on the availability of transition metal ions, especially iron. Nramp1 (natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1), a proton-coupled divalent metal ion transporter, has been identified as a controlling factor in the resistance or susceptibility to infection with a diverse range of intracellular pathogens such as Toxoplasma, Salmonella, Mycobacterium, and Leishmania. The role of divalent metal ion transport is even more compelling given the existence of Nramp homologs in several intracellular parasites, such as mycobacteria. We have confirmed the functional homology of the Nramp homologue from Mycobacterium leprae by using a yeast complementation assay for divalent cation uptake. To facilitate a concerted biochemical and structural analysis of this important class of transporters, the M. leprae Nramp was expressed in Escherichia coli. Dual affinity tags were engineered at the N and C termini to allow for isolation of full-length protein at >95% purity. Site-directed spin labeling of Cys-299 reveals a flexible hinge-like domain. A weak dipolar interaction is detected between the nitroxide and paramagnetic transition ions, indicating this position is approximately 19 Å from the nearest high affinity binding site.


Plant pathogens have evolved various strategies to enter hosts and cause diseases. Particularly Neofusicoccum parvum, a member of Botryosphaeria dieback consortium, can secrete the phytotoxins (-)-terremutin and (R)-mellein during grapevine colonization. The contribution of phytotoxins to Botryosphaeria dieback symptoms still remains unknown. Moreover, there are currently no efficient control strategies of this disease, and agro-environmental concerns have raised increasing interest in biocontrol strategies to limit disease spread in vineyards, especially by using some promising beneficial bacteria. Here, we first examined in planta the biocontrol capacity of Bacillus subtilis PTA-271 against N. parvum Np-Bt67 strain producing both (-)-terremutin and (R)-mellein. We then focused on the direct effects of PTA-271 on pathogen growth and the fate of pure phytotoxins, and explored the capacity of PTA-271 to induce or prime grapevine immunity upon pathogen infection or phytotoxin exposure. Results provided evidence that PTA-271 significantly protects grapevine cuttings against N. parvum and significantly primes the expression of PR2 (encoding a β-1,3-glucanase) and NCED2 (9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase involved in abscisic acid biosynthesis) genes upon pathogen challenge. Using in vitro plantlets, we also showed that PTA-271 triggers the expression of salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-responsive genes, including GST1 (encoding a glutathione-S-transferase) involved in detoxification process. However, in PTA-271-pretreated plantlets, exogenous (-)-terremutin strongly lowered the expression of most of upregulated genes, except GST1. Data also indicated that PTA-271 can detoxify both (-)-terremutin and (R)-mellein and antagonize N. parvum under in vitro conditions. Our findings highlight (-)-terremutin and (R)-mellein as key aggressive molecules produced by N. parvum that may weaken grapevine immunity to promote Botryosphaeria dieback symptoms. However, PTA-271 can efficiently attenuate Botryosphaeria dieback by enhancing some host immune responses and detoxifying both phytotoxins produced by N. parvum.


ABSTRACT Mapping of urban landscape change in detail scale is a difficult task when analysis is focused on a longer period with little data available. This is also the case of Romanian resort towns, where the latest development replaces former urban structures characterized by lower densities and larger green areas with a new pattern, consisting of more compact districts. The paper focuses on mapping urban change in one of the most popular mountain resorts in Romanian Carpathians, the town of Bușteni (820–980 m), located along the Upper Prahova Valley, at the bottom of Bucegi Massif. This research integrates data from historical aerial photos, photogrammetrically processed (1969) as well as digital orthophotos (2012). For an adequate representation, we created a database containing two vector datasets (buildings), corresponding to both historical moments, in order to calculate the Built-up Index (BI). The change map features, in detail scale, the difference in urban patterns, concerning their spatial distribution and intensity. This type of analysis is a very useful instrument in urban planning, protected area designing and touristic resort development.


This paper investigates the effects of administrative reform in the Commission on policy implementation and outcomes through a study of EU Cohesion policy auditing. It argues that the growth in audit has taken a distinctively compliance-oriented form, in contrast with the performance audit model adopted in other countries that have embraced administrative modernization agendas. Further, the link between organizational efficiency and governance effectiveness postulated by other studies of Commission administrative reform is challenged, as the underlying audit and control problem in Cohesion policy – the high error rate – remain unresolved. Lastly, the proliferation in Cohesion policy auditing is presented as a classic example of unintended consequences: originally intended to improve policy performance and accountability, it has in fact undermined the strategic performance of the policy and is even threatening its sustainability.


After limb amputation, most amputees suffer from phantom limb pain (PLP). The mechanisms underlying this condition are complex and insufficiently understood. Altered somatosensory sensitivity (either heightened or lowered) might contribute to PLP. Recent studies have tested this assumption but mainly focused on the residual limb. However, altered somatosensation in PLP might be generalized. In this study, we applied quantitative sensory testing to 37 unilateral upper-limb amputees (23 with PLP, 14 without PLP) and 19 healthy controls. We assessed thresholds to heat pain (HPT), pressure pain (PPT), warmth detection (WDT), and two-point discrimination (2PDT) at the residual limb, a homologous point and the thenar of the intact limb, and both corners of the mouth. We did not find significant differences in any of the thresholds between the groups. However, higher PLP intensity was significantly related to lower HPT at all measured body sites except for the residual limb. At the residual limb, lower HPT were observed in more distal amputations and in amputees showing a higher degree of prosthesis use. Although WDT did by itself not significantly correlate with PLP intensity at any of the body sites, multiple regression analysis showed the highest multiple correlations with PLP intensity for a combination of high WDT and low HPT at the corners of the mouth. In this model, the combination of HPT and WDT shared 58% of the variance with PLP intensity. Other factors of potential importance, especially residual limb pain, were not significantly associated to any sensory threshold. We conclude that the intensity, but not the presence of PLP is positively associated with higher heat pain sensitivity. Since this association was observed at various, distributed body sites, we suggest that central mechanisms might be underlying such generalized hyperalgesia.


RESUMEN The aim of this study was to identify and select genotypes with high fruit dry matter, represented by high starches and carotenes, to obtain a cultivar apt for agroindustrial processes. The model of Eberhart and Russell was used to measure the stability parameter and evaluate the phenotypic stability of traits associated with fruit quality in four populations of butternut squash at three localities in the department of Valle del Cauca (Colombia): Candelaria, Palmira and El Cerrito. Highly significant differences were detected for the genotype x loca tion (P≤0.001) interaction for the traits of dry matter, carotene and starch. Except for population 1 in El Cerrito, there was a negative effect on the accumulation of photosynthates at 1,536 m a.s.l., probably due to the low quality of the heliophany. The populations 1, 2 and 3 were stable and predictable, complying with the parameters β = 1 and d = 0 of the Eberhart and Russell methodology. Population 1 was notable in terms of high fruit production, high dry matter content and good phenotypic stability.


Attribute-based encryption (ABE) is a new vision for public key encryption that allows users to encrypt and decrypt messages based on user attributes. An ABE scheme along with outsourced decryption is a better choice since it allows a third party to transform an ABE ciphertext into a short ciphertext using a public transformation key. Even this improved version of ABE does not guarantee the correctness of the transformation. In the proposed system, a security model is described which includes ABE with verifiable outsourced decryption with a highly improved server storage security through Mobiflage method. Mobiflage is a method of developing hidden volumes in the space within server storage. That is, an additional file system is created at an offset within the server storage and encrypted. With this method, the adversary can examine the storage but will not find any record of the hidden files, apps, or activities. Thus the storage security which is highly required in the case of a distributed environment can be maintained effectively to create a secure infrastructure.


This paper systematically examines a method of reducing metastable (MS) operation in an edge-trigger type CMOS D flip-flop (EDFF) and a master-slave type D flip-flop (MDFF). To obtain a general idea, the mechanism of the MS operation of each flip-flop (FF) contained in the EDFF and MDFF has been classified into three types by using the results of a computer simulation. The first type MS operation is completely suppressed by the "differential threshold method" (in which the threshold voltage of the FF is different from that of the following circuit element so that the propagation of the MS operation is suppressed). An additional feedback method (by which the duration of the MS operation is reduced) is applied to the rest of the types of operations. A new circuit for these methods is also suggested. The computer simulation shows that the increase rate of MS-operation duration against the input-phase difference (difference between the occurrence time of a clock pulse and the occurrence time of an input) is reduced to about 1/4, and that the range of the input-phase difference of MS operations is reduced to about 1/3, in both EDFF and MDFF. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 31(3): 20–28, 2000


Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) belong to the group of remedies with the largest global sales volume. They are broadly used for the treatment of a wide range of non-specific symptoms accompanying a number of diseases. Many of them also belong to OTC (over-the-counter) distributed drugs, thus, they are easily available for broad masses of the world's population. The aforementioned properties, together with low production costs, high content per dose, and relatively high proportions of non-metabolized drugs in human excretions have made several NSAIDs water pollutants of the highest importance. The most important drug of the NSAID group on a global scale is the oldest industrially produced remedy, aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), which has been substituted by ibuprofen in recent times due to its lower side effects. In the Czech Republic, ibuprofen has the largest sales volume of all NSAIDs and is the second best-selling drug on the Czech market. Naproxen and ketoprofen are other widely used NSAIDs in human medicine together with halogenated compounds such as diclofenac and indomethacin.


Intestinal obstruction due to food residue, especially oranges, is a recognized phenomenon. The incidence is likely to rise because of the increasing numbers of partial gastrectomies being done and also because of the rising popularity of oranges. The following five case histories are of patients who were operated on for ileus due to orange pith. These patients had previously undergone partial gastrectomy and anterior gastroenterostomy for duodenal ulcer. Report of Cases Case1.—A 65-year-old man was admitted in 1958 for an acute condition within the abdomen. Two days before admission he had epigastric pain accompanied by vomiting. On admission the patient had obvious severe pain and tenderness in the epigastric region with signs of peritoneal irritation, board-like rigidity of the abdominal wall, and weak peristaltic sounds. Results of laboratory tests showed: hemoglobin, 15.5 gm/100 cc; leukocytes, 13,500/cu mm; blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and electrolytes, normal; urinalysis, negative; urinary diastase, 64


PURPOSE
This article describes the use of rapid prototyping (RP) for diagnosis, planning, and execution of the reconstruction of hard and soft tissue in socket defects using immediate dentoalveolar restoration (IDR).

SUMMARY
In cases of tissue loss in anterior dental areas, esthetic rehabilitation poses a major challenge with respect to treatment planning with the goal of long-term tissue maintenance. The IDR technique consists of immediate reconstruction in a single procedure of bone and soft tissue around implants placed immediately after extraction, and prosthetic rehabilitation. As this procedure is immediate and flapless, the correct diagnosis of tissue loss and correct graft adaptation are mandatory. RP can increase the precision of the procedure, as demonstrated using a clinical case characterized by total loss of the buccal bone wall and gingival recession. The results were evaluated by clinical assessment, photography, radiography, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), and prototyping.

CONCLUSION
The application of RP facilitated the execution of IDR as it enabled more accurate diagnosis of the socket defect and more precise adaptation of the tissue graft. A clinical study should be conducted to evaluate the effects of RP on the clinical results of the IDR technique.


A series of novel, high-activity supported nickel phosphide hydroprocessing catalysts (Ni2P/SiO2) was synthesized by means of temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and the effect of phosphorus content on hydroprocessing performance and catalyst structure was studied. The catalysts were characterized by BET surface area determinations, CO uptake titrations, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, elemental analysis, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements. The activity of the catalysts was studied in a three-phase trickle-bed reactor operated at 3.1 MPa and 643 K in the hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of a model liquid feed containing 2000 ppm nitrogen (quinoline), 3681 ppm sulfur (dibenzothiophene), 500 ppm oxygen (benzofuran), 20 wt% aromatics (tetralin), and balance aliphatics (tetradecane). The samples were prepared with initial Ni/P ratios of 2/1, 1/1, 1/1.8, 1/2, 1/2.2, and 1/3, but the samples with excess P lost some of their P content during reduction and the main phase obtained was Ni2P. Activity and stability of the catalysts were affected profoundly by the phosphorus content, both reaching a maximum with an initial Ni/P ratio of about 1/2 (actual Ni/P=1/0.57 after reaction). At this optimal P content, the activity was excellent, with steady state HDS conversion of 100% and HDN conversion of 81%, which were much higher than that of a commercial Ni–Mo–S/Al2O3 catalyst with corresponding HDN conversion of 76% and HDN conversion of 38%. The stability of the optimal composition was also high, with no deactivation observed over 90 h in HDS and only a slight deactivation in HDN. EXAFS analysis of the catalysts indicated the formation of a Ni2P phase for the sample with an initial Ni/P ratio of 1/2, which was retained after reaction. At lower P content some Ni metal and Ni12P5 was obtained, and at higher P content, the Ni2P active phase was blocked by excess P. The activity results indicate that on these novel catalysts, the HDN reactions are structure sensitive while the HDS reactions are structure insensitive.


Abstract Aggregation of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c from chlorosomes, the main light-harvesting complex of green bacteria, has been studied in aqueous buffer. Unlike other chlorophyll-like molecules, BChl c is rather soluble in aqueous buffer, forming dimers. When BChl c is mixed with carotenoids (Car), the BChl c Qy transition is further redshifted, in respect to that of monomers and dimers. The results suggest that Car are incorporated in the aggregates and induce further aggregation of BChl c. The redshift of the BChl c Qy band is proportional to the Car concentration. In contrast, the mixture of bacteriochlorophyllide (BChlide) c, which lacks the nonpolar esterifying alcohol, does not form aggregates with Car in aqueous buffer or nonpolar solvents. Instead, the position of the BChlide c Qy transition remains unshifted in respect to that of the monomeric molecule, and Car precipitates with the course of time in aqueous buffer. Similar effects on both BChl c and BChlide c are also observed when monogalactosyl diglyceride (MGDG), which forms the monolayer envelope of chlorosomes, is used instead of (or together with) Car. The results show that the hydrophobic interactions of the BChl c esterifying alcohols with themselves and the nonpolar carbon skeleton of Car, or the fatty acid tails of MGDG, are essential driving forces for BChl aggregation in chlorosomes.


We report a search for charmless hadronic decays of neutral B mesons to eta ' K* (892)(0). The results are based on a 711 fb(-1) data sample that contains 772 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs, collected at the gamma(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e(+)e(-) collider. We observe the decay for the first time with a significance of 5.0 standard deviations and obtain its branching fraction B[B-0 -> eta ' K* (892)(0)] = [2.6 +/- 0.7(stat) +/- 0.2(syst)] x 10(-6). We also measure the CP-violating asymmetry as A(CP) [B-0 -> eta ' K* (892)(0)] = -0.22 +/- 0.29(stat) +/- 0.07(syst).


We study how increases in wealth from the appreciation of U.S. farmland influenced farm proprietor decisions to borrow, buy land, and expand. Exploiting periods of high and low appreciation that caused different increases in wealth for proprietors owning a larger or smaller share of their farmland, we find that each dollar increase in paper wealth led younger proprietors to increase real-estate-secured borrowing by 48 cents. Land purchases accompanied the increase in borrowing, supporting the view that collateral-based lending may be contributing to the recent run-up in farmland prices. We find no effect of land wealth on production or acres harvested.


Factor IXChapel Hill (Factor IXCH), an abnormal Factor IX molecule isolated from the plasma of a patient with mild hemophilia B, has previously been shown to exhibit delayed activation by Factor XIa and calcium. In this study, we have found that Factor IXCH is cleaved upon incubation with human Factor XIa and calcium; however, cleavage of this protein is not observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions. Under reducing conditions, the rate of disappearance of the zymogen parallels both the appearance of the heavy chain and the generation of clotting activity. In addition, a protein band that migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 45,000 also increases in parallel with clotting activity. Factor IXCH and normal Factor IX (Factor IXN), after incubation with Factor XIa and calcium, were subjected to amino terminal sequence analysis. Activated Factor IXN is cleaved at an arginine-alanine (Arg-Ala) bond and an arginine-valine (Arg-Val) bond as demonstrated by formation of the three amino terminal sequences corresponding to the amino terminal of the light chain, heavy chain, and activation peptide. However, activated Factor IXCH has only two amino terminal sequences, corresponding to the original amino terminal sequence and the heavy chain (formed by cleavage at the Arg-Val bond). It is concluded that the major defect in Factor IXCH is the inability of Factor XIa to cleave the Arg-Ala bond at a significant rate. The rate of formation of clotting activity of Factor IXCH is approximately 60% of the rate of formation of clotting activity of Factor IXN. The specific clotting activity of activated Factor IXCH is between 20 and 33% of activated Factor IXN.


Background: Obesity as a major cause of low-grade chronic inflammation is a global public health issue. Inflammation arising from obesity affects organs, such as kidney and liver, and is associated with chronic diseases. The present study aims to investigate the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and obesity indices in university students. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 361 college students selected using a two-stage cluster random sampling. The inclusion criteria were healthy girls and boys in the 18-35 years age group, and the exclusion criteria included the presence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, taking supplements to weight loss or weight gain, and using alcohol and tobacco. DII scores were calculated from dietary data collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Anthropometric measurements were taken, and body composition was analyzed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Results: The mean age of the students was 21.94 ± 4.04 years, 53.2% were female, and the mean DII was 1.26 ± 1.08. Among the participants, 36.8% were overweight and obese and 9.1% suffered from abdominal obesity. The DII score was not associated with body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat, waist circumference or visceral fat (both unadjusted and after adjustment for covariates). Conclusion: The present study showed no association between the DII and obesity indices. Given the proven effects of both the DII and obesity on health indicators, it would be a good strategy to conduct studies with prospective designs to determine the exact effects of DII on obesity indicators.


The article is devoted to the consequences of the subsequent amendment of the Penal Code of 13 June 2019 for regulations in the Executive Penal Code. The author analyzes the adequacy of the purpose of executing the penalty of deprivation of liberty, as set out in Art. 67(1) of the Penal Code to the life sentence imprisonment introduced by the amendment without conditional early release from prison, as well as to raise the upper limit of the so-called ordinary imprisonment up to 30 years. In his view, the text of this provision should be changed. Its maintenance will deepen the already great legal chaos. However, the problem discussed in the article is how to change it, and whether it is possible to replace it with any other meaningful content after this amendment. In the end, the author concludes that social rehabilitation as the goal of penitentiary interactions after amendment will eventually become a dead concept.


Abstract. The spatial and temporal distribution of black shales is related to the development of environments in which they accumulate and to a propitious combination of environmental variables. In recent years, much has been done to improve our understanding of the mechanisms behind the temporal distribution of black shales in the Phanerozoic and of the environmental variables that result in their deposition. However, the interpretation of ancient black shale depositional environments is dominated by an oversimplistic set of three depositional models that do not capture their complexity and dynamics. These three models, the restricted circulation, the (open) ocean oxygen minimum and the continental shelf models, are an oversimplification of the variety of black shale depositional environments that arise and coexist throughout the course of a basin's Wilson Cycle, i.e. the dynamic sequence of events and stages that characterise the evolution of an ocean basin, from the opening continental rift to the closing orogeny. We examine the spatial distribution of black shales in the context of the Wilson Cycle using examples from the Phanerozoic. It is shown that the geographical distribution of environments of black shale deposition and the position of black shales in the basin infill sequence strongly depend on basin evolution, which controls the development of sedimentary environments where black shales may be deposited. The nature of the black shales that are deposited, i.e. lithology and type of organic matter, also depends on basin evolution and palaeogeography. We propose that in studies of black shales more attention should be given to the sedimentary processes that have led to their formation and to the interpretation of their sedimentary environments.


In this paper we present X-Shooter time-resolved spectroscopy and RXTE PCA light curves of the ultra-compact X-ray binary candidate 4U 0614+091. The X-Shooter data are compared to the GMOS data analysed previously by Nelemans et al. We confirm the presence of C III and O II emission features at ≈4650 Å and ≈5000 Å. The emission lines do not show evident Doppler shifts that could be attributed to the motion of the donor star/hotspot around the centre of mass of the binary. We note a weak periodic signal in the red-wing/blue-wing flux ratio of the emission feature at ≈4650 Å. The signal occurs at P = 30.23 ± 0.03 min in the X-Shooter and at P = 30.468 ± 0.006 min in the GMOS spectra when the source was in the low/hard state. Due to aliasing effects the period in the GMOS and X-Shooter data could well be the same. We deem it likely that the orbital period is thus close to 30 min; however, as several photometric periods have been reported for this source in the literature already, further confirmation of the 30 min period is warranted. We compare the surface area of the donor star and the disc of 4U 0614+091 with the surface area of the donor star and the disc in typical hydrogen-rich low-mass X-ray binaries and the class of AM Canum Venaticorum stars and argue that the optical emission in 4U 0614+091 is likely dominated by the disc emission. Assuming that the accretion disc in 4U 0614+091 is optically thick and the opening angle of the disc is similar to the one derived for the hydrogen-rich low-mass X-ray binaries we conclude that the donor star may in fact stay in the disc shadow. Additionally, we search for periodic signals in all the publicly available RXTE PCA light curves of 4U 0614+091 which could be associated with the orbital period of this source. A modulation at the orbital period with an amplitude of ≈10 per cent such as those that have been found in other ultra-compact X-ray binaries (4U 0513−40, 4U 1820−30) is not present in 4U 0614+091. We propose that the X-ray modulation found in 4U 0513−40 and 4U 1820−30 could be a signature of an outflow launched during the high/soft state near the stream impact region.


The formation of friendships is an important developmental step for adolescents. Peer attachment is an attachment relationship that adolescents develop with their closest friends. Research studying peer attachment has divided it into three major categories: trust, communication, and alienation, the later of which is an inverse measure of peer attachment. Youth organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) offers places outside of school where adolescents can socialize with their peers. This study measured whether the BGCA had a significant impact on increasing peer attachment, trust, and communication while reducing alienation. Adolescents were tested at a local BGCA using the peer portion of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment. Adolescents were tested again after attending the BGCA for a summer period. One-way t tests were used to calculate the change in IPP A scores. There was no significant change in scores on total peer attachment; t (7) = .129, ns or on any of the three subscales, communication; t (7) = .842, ns, alienation; t (7) = 1.383, ns, and trust; t (7) = .437, ns. A Pearson correlation revealed a two-month test-retest reliability of .844. This is very consistent with the original test-retest reliability provided in the norming sample. Several factors may have influenced the lack of significant results: the small sample size, untrustworthy responses, the young age of the sample, and the possibility that peer attachment is a relatively stable trait.


The enhanced uplink feature is currently being standardized in release-6 of the 3GPP Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). The goal of enhanced uplink is to increase the sector and user throughput on the uplink relative to release-5 UMTS through the use of advanced techniques such as adaptive modulation and coding, node-B controlled scheduling, and hybrid-ARQ. In order to effectively analyze system capacity of enhanced uplink, a suitable link error prediction methodology is needed. In this paper, two methods for predicting uplink performance, namely, short-term method and equivalent SNR method based on convex metric (ECM) are presented. The ECM method is simpler to implement since it requires only AWGN curves, whereas the short-term method requires curves for all radio configurations. Performance of these two methods is compared under various channel conditions and with hybrid ARQ enabled. In addition, the effect of chip and frame timing offset on E-DCH link prediction using ECM and the short-term approach is presented in this paper. Our results show that the ECM prediction method provides results that are very close to those obtained from actual simulations. Hence, the ECM method can be used to accurately model link level performance for the 3GPP enhanced uplink.


The aJile family of low-power, single-chip, embedded Java microcontrollers provides an efficient platform for embedded and real-time Java execution. The aJile CPU hardware provides direct support for the entire JVM instruction set and thread model, obviating the need for a Java interpreter or just-in-time compiler, as well as the traditional RTOS. aJile's hardware technology also supports multiple JVM contexts executing on the same CPU, enhancing safety and security by guaranteeing space and time allotments for multiple Java applications. Combined with a Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) runtime and a back-end target build tool, these technologies allow the development of real-time embedded applications entirely in Java.


The experimental arrangement with 1250-nm illumination was then used to image an black metal bar and a scattering teflon rod embedded inside a bovine breast-tissue sample whose thickness was varied from 20-30 mm by adding thinner slices together. Figure 3 shows a typical polarized image of the metal bar embedded inside a 20-mm-thick tissue sample. A significant observation was that the image quality depended on the polarization of the incident light, which in turn implied that optical scattering characteristics of tissues depend on polarization of the imaging light. Origins of this dependence will be discussed.


There is still no consensus on the toxicity of nanomaterials Engineered nanomaterials are widely used in consumer products such as cosmetics, paints, fabrics, and electronics. Because of their small size (diameter <100 nm), they often have unusual properties. Once released into the human body or the environment, they are also fiendishly difficult to find again. In 2006, Nel et al. described possible mechanisms by which engineered nanomaterials interact with biological entities and the toxicological responses that may be triggered (1). Despite much research since then, mechanistic understanding remains limited. Evidence for acute toxicity from nanomaterials at realistic doses is limited; there also is no simple correlation between toxic responses and nanoparticle size or other predictable pattern of toxicity. For answers to emerge, the nanosafety community must embrace recent technical advances and build consensus on testing methodologies.


A review of the literature revealed that adult-child sexual relationships are often described in terms of personal bonds and emotions in pro-paedophile propaganda and the accounts of convicted paedophiles. On the other hand, in the investigative interview police officers must encourage offenders to be precise in their accounts and describe sexual contact. Research has not determined whether these two conflicting approaches to the description of paedophilia are observable in police interviews and, if so, considered the implications for the criminal investigation. Eleven audiotaped police interviews with paedophiles conducted at a Child Protection Unit in 2000 were transcribed. A corpus of 20 physical' references to sexual activity and bodily contact and 42 'emotional' words involving feelings and relationships were identified and the incidence of the terms was quantified. Content analysis confirmed that police officers and paedophiles do describe adult-child sexual relationships differently in the investigative interview. The police used the 'physical' repertoire more frequently, while the suspects exhibited a preference for the 'emotional' repertoire (χ2 = 125.518; df = 1; p<0.01). The suspects also used euphemistic and colloquial language more frequently than the police (χ2= 65.964; df = 1; p<0.01).The practical implications of the study and recommendations for future research are outlined.


ABSTRACT One of the most popular orchids and cultivated by Indonesia and other countries is Phalaenopsis. The main disease of Phalaenopsis orchids in Indonesia is soft rot caused by bacteria Dickeya dadantii. The purpose of this study was to know the resistanctcy of Phalaenopsis hybrid to soft rot disease. The experiment was conducted at the Bacterial Plant Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, the Greenhouse of Leuwikopo, Bogor Agricultural University, and the plastic house of Alam Sinar Sari Dramaga, Bogor from June 2014 to February 2015. The experimental design was randomized block design with three replications. Five genotypes of hybrid Phalaenopsis were tested, namely Phal. KHM 205, Phal. KHM 1126, Phal. KHM 1318, Phal. AMP 17, and Phal. KHM 2249. Phal. amabilis, Phal. esmeralda, Phal. amboinensis, and Phal. cornu-cervi were used as controls. The resistance testing was performed by inoculating bacteria D. dadantii on leaves of the orchids. The results showed all Phalaenopsis hybrid showed disease symptoms after inoculation. Phal. KHM 2249 had the lowest number of fallen leaves and the highest number of survive plants compared to the other hybrid Phalaenopsis. Survival rate was likely related to peroxidase activity and leaf thickness. Keywords: fallen leaves, leaf thickness, peroxidase, Phalaenopsis


Organizing and archiving statistical results and processing a subset of those results for publication are important and often underestimated issues in conducting statistical analyses. Because automation of these tasks is often poor, processing results produced by statistical packages is quite laborious and vulnerable to error. I will therefore present a new package called estout that facilitates and automates some of these tasks. This new command can be used to produce regression tables for use with spreadsheets, LATEX, HTML, or word processors. For example, the results for multiple models can be organized in spreadsheets and can thus be archived in an orderly manner. Alternatively, the results can be directly saved as a publication-ready table for inclusion in, for example, a LATEX document. estout is implemented as a wrapper for estimates table but has many additional features, such as support for mfx. However, despite its flexibility, estout is-I believe-still very straightforward and easy to use. Furthermore, estout can be customized via so-called defaults files. A tool to make available supplementary statistics called estadd is also provided.


Production and characterization of fatty acids methyl esters (FAME) from palm oil (PO), palm kernel oil (PKO) and groundnut oil (GNO) were carried out in this study. Optimal amount of NaOH catalyst required for the transesterification of the degummed and refined oils were determined. Some rheological and fuel quality parameters of the FAME obtained from batch transesterification of each oil, petrodiesel and their blends, were determined. The optimal catalyst weights obtained, based on oil, were 0.40, 0.48 and 0.56 (%wt/v) for GNO, PKO and PO, respectively. The FAME produced had viscosities of 4.45, 3.44, and 4.11mm2/s as compared to the 38.84, 37.51 and 36.92mm2/s obtained for the parent oils PO, PKO, and GNO, respectively. The measured viscosity of petrodiesel was 2.85mm2/s. Thermodynamic free energies of activation for flow (∆Gvis) for the FAME samples were 18.1, 13.4 and 14.7KJ/mol for PO, PKO, GNO, respectively, and 10.1KJ/mol for petrodiesel.