This thesis describes a study into the reactions of organics and inorganic halides of germanium and lead with organo-lithium and Grignard reagents, and also an investigation into the formation of compounds containing germanium and bonded to transition metals. Such compounds had not previously been described. Triphenylgermyl-triphenylphosphinegold(I), Ph(_3)Ge-AuPPh(_3), and similar copper end silver compounds were prepared by reacting triphenylgormyl-lithium with the corresponding tertiary phosphine - metal halide complex. 1,2-Idbromoethane cleaved the metal - metal bond to give ethylene, bromotriphenylgermane and the corresponding metal halide –phosphine complex; and phenyl-lithium gave the unstable salt, lithium bis(triphenylgarmyl)aurate(1) etherate, Li(^+)[(Ph(_3)Ge)(_2)Au](^-). 4Et(_2)0, which was converted into the more stable tetraethylammonium salt. Germanium(II)iodide reacted with phenyl-lithium to give, not diphenylgermanium(II), but yellow to red polymeric materials, intermediate in composition between PhGe and Ph(_2)Ge, containing Ph(_3)Ge, PH(_2)Ge, PhGe and Gs groupings. A reaction path involving "metal-halogen" exchange reactions is put forward. Tetraphenylgermyl and triphenylgermane were also isolated from these reactions. Triphenylgermyl-lithium reacted with germanium(II)iodide to give the lithium salt, lithium tris(triphenylgermyl)germane. In contrasr, lead (II) bromide reacted with mesitylmagnesium bromide to give solutions involving the equilibrium: Ms(_2)Pb + MeMgEr ↔ Me(_3)PbMgBr, Ms – 1,3,5 – (CH(_3))(_3)C(_6)H(_2). This equilibrium could be displaced by carbonation, as shown by bromination studies. The formation of digermanes, (R(_6)Ge(_2)), from the interaction of germanium(IV)chloride with Grignard reagents has been suggested to involve germanium(II) chloride as intermediate. In this work, however, the formation of digermanes has been shown to involve the germyl-Grignard reagent, H(_3)GeMgX. This may be formed predominantly by the reaction between the halide R(_3)GeMgX and the magnesium metal remaining from the Grignard preparation, through in cases of sterically hindered Grignard preparation, through in cases of sterically hindered Grognard reagents the exchange reaction R(_3)Gex + RMgX → R(_3)GeMgX + RX can occur. The reactions of lithium diphenylphosphide with germanium (IV)chloride and organogermanium halidies, (R(_n)GeX(_4-n),n = 1, 2, 3), and properties of the germanium – phosphoris bond in the resulting compounds are also described.


This paper describes a general purpose method for solving convex optimization problems in a distributed computing environment. In particular, if the problem data includes a large linear operator or matrix A, the method allows for handling each subblock of A on a separate machine. The approach works as follows. First, we define a canonical problem form called graph form, in which we have two sets of variables x and y related by a linear operator A, such that the objective function is separable across these two sets of variables. Many problems are easily expressed in graph form, including cone programs and a wide variety of regularized loss minimization problems from statistics, like logistic regression, the support vector machine, and the lasso. Next, we describe graph projection splitting, a form of Douglas-Rachford splitting or the alternating direction method of multipliers, to solve graph form problems serially. Finally, we derive a distributed block splitting algorithm based on graph projection splitting. In a statistical or machine learning context, this allows for training models exactly with a huge number of both training examples and features, such that each processor handles only a subset of both. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only general purpose method with this property. We present several numerical experiments in both the serial and distributed settings.


Quantum many-body theory has witnessed tremendous progress in various fields, ranging from atomic and solid-state physics to quantum chemistry and nuclear structure. Due to the inherent computational burden linked to the ab initio treatment of microscopic fermionic systems, it is desirable to obtain accurate results through low-order perturbation theory. In atomic nuclei however, effects such as strong short-range repulsion between nucleons can spoil the convergence of the expansion and make the reliability of perturbation theory unclear. Mathematicians have devised an extensive machinery to overcome the problem of divergent expansions by making use of so-called resummation methods. In large-scale many-body applications such schemes are often of limited use since no a priori analytical knowledge of the expansion is available. We present here eigenvector continuation as an alternative resummation tool that is both efficient and reliable because it is based on robust and simple mathematical principles.


Intense trade flows favour the accidental diffusion of alien plant and animal species harmful to agricultural crops and forest ecosystems in many parts of the world. Particularly prone to such introductions are lignicolous species of woodboring beetles that attack living plants and can develop in lumber or crating wood, such as many species belonging to the subfamilies Scolytinae and Platypodinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Investigations of marked witherings of laurel twigs (Laurus nobilis L.) carried out from autumn 2010 in an area of the Versilia coast (Lucca) revealed that the Black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff), was involved in this pathological expression. This species was recently recorded for the first time in Italy on ornamental plants in some localities in the Naples's province. Here we report its essential external morphological features, with useful characters for its distinction from X. germanus (Blandford), a morphologically similar species, as well as its essential bioecological features, with special reference to what has been observed in the abovementioned area of Tuscany. This should facilitate the rapid identification and verification of new outbreaks and, where possible, the timely implementation of control strategies.


Several recent studies have shown the benefits of combining language and perception to infer word embeddings. These multimodal approaches either simply combine pre-trained textual and visual representations (e.g. features extracted from convolutional neural networks), or use the latter to bias the learning of textual word embeddings. In this work, we propose a novel probabilistic model to formalize how linguistic and perceptual inputs can work in concert to explain the observed word-context pairs in a text corpus. Our approach learns textual and visual representations jointly: latent visual factors couple together a skip-gram model for co-occurrence in linguistic data and a generative latent variable model for visual data. Extensive experimental studies validate the proposed model. Concretely, on the tasks of assessing pairwise word similarity and image/caption retrieval, our approach attains equally competitive or stronger results when compared to other state-of-the-art multimodal models.


Cleavage of V(D)J recombination signals by purified RAG1 and RAG2 proteins permits the dissection of DNA structure and sequence requirements. The two recognition elements of a signal (nonamer and heptamer) are used differently, and their cooperation depends on correct helical phasing. The nonamer is most important for initial binding, while efficient nicking and hairpin formation require the heptamer sequence. Both nicking and hairpin formation are remarkably tolerant of variations in DNA structure. Certain flanking sequences inhibit hairpin formation, but this can be bypassed by base unpairing, and even a completely single‐stranded signal sequence is well utilized. We suggest that DNA unpairing around the signal‐coding border is essential for the initiation of V(D)J combination.


This paper investigates the population dynamics of a system of identically prepared B cells whose proliferation trajectories have been individually tracked using livecell imaging techniques. The main goal is to investigate whether the system behavior can be determined using an optimality criterion. In order to achieve this goal we assume the existence of an intracellular mechanism that controls all cell divisions after initial stimulation with the aim of optimizing some objectives within predefined constraints that include the initial number of cells in the system, as well as the total number of cell divisions observed in the response. Numerical experiments are carried out using recent data that combines cells in 14 different wells. For each well the curve representing the number of live cells over time, is accurately approximated by the optimal solution to the control problem proposed.


Scattering polarization tends to dominate the linear polarization signals of the Ca ii 8542 Å line in weakly magnetized areas (B ≲ 100 G), especially when the observing geometry is close to the limb. In this paper, we evaluate the degree of applicability of existing non-LTE spectral line inversion codes (which assume that the spectral line polarization is due to the Zeeman effect only) at inferring the magnetic field vector and, particularly, its transverse component. To this end, we use the inversion code STiC to extract the strength and orientation of the magnetic field from synthetic spectropolarimetric data generated with the Hanle-RT code. The latter accounts for the generation of polarization through scattering processes as well as the joint actions of the Hanle and the Zeeman effects. We find that, when the transverse component of the field is stronger than ∼80 G, the inversion code is able to retrieve accurate estimates of the transverse field strength as well as its azimuth in the plane of the sky. Below this threshold, the scattering polarization signatures become the major contributors to the linear polarization signals and often mislead the inversion code into severely over- or underestimating the field strength. Since the line-of-sight component of the field is derived from the circular polarization signal, which is not affected by atomic alignment, the corresponding inferences are always good.


The possible role of the central β‐domain (residues 151–287) of streptokinase (SK) was probed by site‐specifically altering two charged residues at a time to alanines in a region (residues 230–290) previously identified by Peptide Walking to play a key role in plasminogen (PG) activation. These mutants were then screened for altered ability to activate equimolar "partner" human PG, or altered interaction with substrate PG resulting in an overall compromised capability for substrate PG processing. Of the eight initial alanine‐linker mutants of SK, one mutant, viz. SKKK256, 257aa (SK‐D1), showed a roughly 20‐fold reduction in PG activator activity in comparison to wild‐type SK expressed in Escherichia coli (nSK). Five other mutants were as active as nSK, with two [SKRE248.249aa and SKEK281.282aa, referred to as SK(C) and SK(H), respectively] showing specific activities approximately one‐half and two‐thirds, respectively, that of nSK. Unlike SK(C) and SK(H), however, SK(D1) showed an extended initial delay in the kinetics of PG activation. These features were drastically accentuated when the charges on the two Lys residues at positions 256 and 257 of nSK were reversed, to obtain SKKK256.257ee [SK(D2)]. This mutant showed a PG activator activity approximately 10‐fold less than that of SK(D1). Remarkably, inclusion of small amounts of human plasmin (PN) in the PG activation reactions of SK(D2) resulted in a dramatic, PN dose‐dependent rejuvenation of its PG activation capability, indicating that it required pre‐existing PN to form a functional activator since it could not effect active site exposure in partner PG on its own, a conclusion further confirmed by its inability to show a "burst" of p‐nitrophenol release in the presence of equimolar human PG and p‐nitrophenyl guanidino benzoate. The steady‐state kinetic parameters for HPG activation of its 1:1 complex with human PN revealed that although it could form a highly functional activator once "supplied" with a mature active site, the Km for PG was increased nearly eightfold in comparison to that of nSK‐PN. SK mutants carrying simultaneous two‐ and three‐site charge‐cluster alterations, viz., SKRE248.249aa;ek281.282aa [SK(CH)], SKEK272.273AA;EK281.282AA [SK(FH)], and SKRE248.249AA;EK272.273AA;EK281.282AA [SK(CFH)], showed additive/synergistic influence of multiple charge‐cluster mutations on HPG activation when compared to the respective "single‐site" mutants, with the "triple‐site" mutant [SK(CFH)] showing absolutely no detectable HPG activation ability. Nevertheless, like the other constructs, the double‐ and triple‐charge cluster mutants retained a native like affinity for complexation with partner PG. Their overall structure also, as judged by far‐ultraviolet circular dichroism, was closely similar to that of nSK. These results provide the first experimental evidence for a direct assistance by the SK β‐domain in the docking and processing of substrate PG by the activator complex, a facet not readily evident probably because of the flexibility of this domain in the recent X‐ray crystal structure of the SK‐plasmin light chain complex.


We present a model of synchronization in networks of autonomous agents where the topology changes due to agents motion. We introduce two timescales, one for the topological change and another one for local synchronization. If the former scale is much shorter, an approximation that averages out the effect of motion is available. Here we show, however, that the time required for synchronization achievement is larger than the prediction of the approximation in the opposite case, especially close to the continuum percolation transition point. The simulation results are confirmed by means of spectral analysis of the time-dependent Laplacian matrix. Our results show that the tradeoff between these two timescales, which have opposite effects on synchronization, should be taken into account for the design of mobile device networks.


This article presents the case for a rethinking of the academy's approach to sacred space through a demonstration of the way that a focus on unskilled actors reconfigures established approaches and interpretations. The article opens with an auto-ethnographic account of the powerful effect of Shimla's Tara Devi temple on personal wellbeing and from this starting point spirals out to explore how Tara (and her sacred places) are connected to wellbeing both in the Himalayan region of Shimla and beyond. Through this process, arguments that I have previously made, concerning both the relation of sacred places to happiness (2010) and the way that sacred places operate in Himalayan North India (2012), are significantly complicated, leading to a reappraisal of the role that unskilled actors play in the constitution of sacred space. The article concludes by drawing these ethnographic reflections and theoretical considerations together to develop a key set of recommendations that call for policy-makers to engage sensitively with sacred places in the contemporary, post-secular city.


Under the different possibilities of composting biogenous wastes of gardens, public greens and kitchens in the industrial Middle Europe actually prevails the biomass composting without addition of soil material- in like manner with respect to technical or to individual garden scale. There are some biochemical, ecological and hygienic problems connected with, which focus new interest on the technique of mixed composting of plant and animal wastes together with soil material, the so called ``earth composting``, which is the topic of this thesis. New aspects for research were not ``how to produce a good compost``, what ever this means, but to use the added soil material like a biological catalyst for rapid mineralization of repeatedly added organic wastes, and like a physical or a chemical sorbent of the mineralization products: Cold bio Catalytic Combustion Composting. The question was, which process does govern qualitatively and quantitatively the mineralization process of biogenic substances in contact with soil material, a problem about which only very few serious scientific literature exists. The methodical arrangement was: Dried lawn grass as a bio-standard, calcareous loess (loam), cube formed cage like reaction vessels with a compost load capacity up to 100 kg, which could be composed to a roof covered plastic mantled stack for use in field or green house without any leaching. Fractionation of the compost for chemical analysis at different stages of progress was done by sieving and suspending in water, opted for separating ``grass`` remnants (fraction F1), ``moder``, histologically not long structured but organic (F2a) and ``mull humus`` fixed chemically to the loess clay. The fractions F1 and F2a are only transition fractions for the final mineralization or mull humus formation. Percentage and relations of and between these fractions are widely independent of the amount of grass that has been added before. This and together with the fact that there occur limitations in the progress of decay after certain times strength the theory that in the case of earth composting the fix number of contact points between the microorganisms colonies and setting and fixed on the soil aggregates and the plant residue are the governing aspect. To overcome restrictions in progress of these initial stages of composting, caused by the steric fixation of bio-decay, a repeated turbo-mixing is helpful. On contrary the F2b-mull humus fraction increases, strongly dependent on the mixture ratios. This accumulation is an advantage by the use of clay containing soil admixtur e to composting, offering sites for binding humates. This humus accumulation increases the cation exchange capacity and works as a sink for N and S being liberated by mineralization. But the number of sites decreases with progressing mull formation. Since mineralization and humus formation are competitive processes, after reaching that point of exhaustion mineralization will dominate and the function of a humus sink comes to an end. For progressing accumulation of mull humus the known formula based on the repeated rate of biomass addition, specific conservation quotient and number of repetitions seems to be valid, but the observation time was not long enough to detect a saturation development in the accumulation curves. The use of the same soil material for the composting of repeated admixtures of biomaterial becomes finished much earlier than by the end of humus accumulation and that means latest at the decay of about 350 g organic residues per kg of loam. Contrary to organic carbon which leaves the system as CO2, all the other nutritive elements are kept in the system where leaching is prohibited. This involves N too, which only in some cases where compacted grass flakes promote denitrification, get lost in gaseous form. The anions of phosphate, sulphate and nitrate form salts. The total of Ca set free by mineralization is used for precipitation of phosphate and gypsum which mainly become enriched in form of precipitates. Nitrate accumulates as Na, Mg and Ca (from soil reserves) salt in the pore water solution creating there concentrations which could be toxic for plants and possibly also for soil organisms. The fate of the liberated potassium seems to be the fixation inside the expended clay minerals. The question whether a calcareous or a non-calcareous loam material is of a higher advantage for composting is with respect to the results of lower significance. The storage capacity for water and salt solution plays a more important role for the number of composting repetitions. The use of a loam material without lime and a higher degree of H+- saturation of the adsorption complex could be helpful in promoting the adsorption of K and Mg and the use of the base surplus of liberated elements for upgrading the base saturation degree of the soil material, but otherwise the expansion of three layered clay mineral, important for K fixation, will be reduced by Ca deficiency.


Abstract:  Arboreal reptiles are often difficult to capture because of their cryptic nature and propensity to flee out of reach when approached. In addition, arboreal lizards often seek refuge under loose or peeling tree bark; therefore researchers often remove it to catch them, thereby potentially damaging habitat. Using arboreal cover boards, or "artificial bark," might reduce damage to natural shelter sites, allowing repeated surveys. We compared capture success and population structure of samples obtained by two capture methods—active searches (visual encounter surveys [VES]) and arboreal cover boards used as artificial bark—on two species of arboreal lizards, Inland Snake-eyed Skinks (Cryptoblepharus australis) and Dubious Dtellas (Gehyra dubia). Two types of arboreal cover boards (cardboard and closed-cell foam) were strapped around the main trunks of trees with elastic straps. Systematic VES during the day (for Cryptoblepharus) and at night (for Gehyra) were conducted in conjunction with monitoring of arboreal cover boards. Diurnal VES for Cryptoblepharus had low capture success (17.1% of observed animals) compared to arboreal cover boards (49.6%). Nocturnal spotlight surveys for Gehyra resulted in a high number of observations, but low capture success (44.9% of observed animals) compared to arboreal cover boards (83.5%). There was no difference in the capture success between cover board materials. Using arboreal cover boards as artificial bark increased hand captures of arboreal lizards, and preserved natural bark shelters that would have otherwise been destroyed by peeling bark during visual encounter surveys.


Background: At the onset of a pandemic, such as COVID-19, data with proper labeling/attributes corresponding to the new disease might be unavailable or sparse. Machine Learning (ML) models trained with the available data, which is limited in quantity and poor in diversity, will often be biased and inaccurate. At the same time, ML algorithms designed to fight pandemics must have good performance and be developed in a time-sensitive manner. To tackle the challenges of limited data, and label scarcity in the available data, we propose generating conditional synthetic data, to be used alongside real data for developing robust ML models. Methods: We present a hybrid model consisting of a conditional generative flow and a classifier for conditional synthetic data generation. The classifier decouples the feature representation for the condition, which is fed to the flow to extract the local noise. We generate synthetic data by manipulating the local noise with fixed conditional feature representation. We also propose a semi-supervised approach to generate synthetic samples in the absence of labels for a majority of the available data. Results: We performed conditional synthetic generation for chest computed tomography (CT) scans corresponding to normal, COVID-19, and pneumonia afflicted patients. We show that our method significantly outperforms existing models both on qualitative and quantitative performance, and our semi-supervised approach can efficiently synthesize conditional samples under label scarcity. As an example of downstream use of synthetic data, we show improvement in COVID-19 detection from CT scans with conditional synthetic data augmentation.


Numerical transformer differential relays require careful consideration regarding how to test them properly. These relays provide different types of protection such as restrained phase differential, high set phase differential, restrained ground differential and overcurrent protection. All protection elements that are enabled should be adequately tested. A common commissioning practice is to test all the numerical relay settings to verify they were properly entered. Automated testing using computer software to run the test set has made this possible since the overall commissioning for a numerical relay could consist of several hundred tests. While this is a good check, it is still important to ensure that the transformer is thoroughly protected for the particular application.


Young, Jeffrey A. Ph.D.. Purdue University, May 1995. Systematic Performance Comparison of Narrow-Band Interference Rejection Algorithms for Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Reception. Major Professor: James S. Lehnert. The capacity of Direct Sequence Spread-Spectrum (DSSS) modulation to reject narrow-band interference can be significantly improved by eliminating narrow-band energy at the receiver (frequency excision) using algorithms that operate on the Real Time Discrete Fourier Transform of the received signal (RT-DFT-Based). These algorithms have the potential to adapt very quickly to a changing interference spectrum and eliminate multiple tones, but to do this the decision of which frequency bins to excise must be made based on a very short observation time. Under these circumstances, the number of bins excised can be much larger than the number of bins containing narrowband interference. The receive signal strength loss due to "over-excision" can be very significant and limits receive sensitivity. This work shows theoretical over-excision losses of several heuristic algorithms using a new analysis technique that accurately describes the performance of alternative non-linear time varying algorithms over a broad class of possible conditions. The sensitivity loss due to time weighting (or windowing) is presented for variable overlap and several different windows. These theoretical results are confirmed with simulation results and can be used to project sensitivity of PN spread spectrum systems that are located in a band that is also used by narrow-band systems. These results are instrumental in predicting the performance of systems which operate in the presence of multiple narrow-band interference, comparing the relative merits of alternative algorithms for arbitrary interference spectrum, and determining hardware requirements necessary to support a given level of system performance.


‡ The George Washington University, MS 335, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, 23681. ABSTRACT The dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) method is used to measure temperature and the relative species densities of N2, O2 and H2 in two experiments. Average values and rootmean-square (RMS) deviations are determined. Mean temperature measurements in a furnace containing air between 300 and 1800 K agreed with thermocouple measurements within 26 K on average, while mean mole fractions agree to within 1.6 % of the expected value. The temperature measurement standard deviation averaged 64 K while the standard deviation of the species mole fractions averaged 7.8% for O2 and 3.8% for N2, based on 200 single-shot measurements. Preliminary measurements have also been performed in a flat-flame burner for fuel-lean and fuel-rich flames. Temperature standard deviations of 77 K were measured, and the ratios of H2 to N2 and O2 to N2 respectively had standard deviations from the mean value of 12.3% and 10% of the measured ratio.


This study investigates the pricing behaviour of firms in the euro area on the basis of surveys conducted by nine Eurosystem national central banks. Overall, more than 11,000 firms participated in the survey. The results are very robust across countries. Firms operate in monopolistically competitive markets, where prices are mostly set following mark-up rules and where price discrimination is a common practice. Our evidence suggests that both time- and state-dependent pricing strategies are applied by firms in the euro area: around one-third of the companies follow mainly time-dependent pricing rules while two-thirds use pricing rules with some element of statedependence. Although the majority of firms take into account a wide range of information, including past and expected economic developments, about one-third adopts a purely backward-looking behaviour. The pattern of results lends support to the recent wave of estimations of hybrid versions of the New Keynesian Phillips Curve. Price stickiness arises both at the stage when firms review their prices and again when they actually change prices. The most relevant factors underlying price rigidity are customer relationships – as expressed in the theories about explicit and implicit contracts – and thus, are mainly found at the price changing (second) stage of the price adjustment process. Finally, we provide evidence that firms adjust prices asymmetrically in response to shocks, depending on the direction of the adjustment and the source of the shock: while cost shocks have a greater impact when prices have to be raised than when they have to be reduced, reductions in demand are more likely to induce a price change than increases in demand.


Fashion is a non-sustainable industry. One of the largest industries globally, fashion is considered one of the greatest polluters in the world – it contributes 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it generates nearly 20% of global water waste, and it produces yearly massive quantities of textile waste. Despite the efforts of researchers or pioneers at various levels of the industry, changes seem to take place slowly and isolated. Assuming that a real change in the industry must happen from the very initial stage of creation – the way we think and conceive fashion, this paper takes a closer look at the fashion design process. As studio-oriented research, the paper focuses on the designer's work and highlights the designer's responsibility during the multiple phases of creation. From concept development to materials sourcing, from recycling/re-using/repairing strategies to the new technologies of production, from slow fashion movement to multifunctional garments design – sustainable oriented actions must occur simultaneously at each stage of the design process. The conventional phases of fashion thinking are re-evaluated, embedding sustainable concerns into the studio standard processes. Relevant solutions and examples of best practices are further illustrated and analyzed. Emphasizing the importance of seeing sustainability as an integrated part of the design process, the paper aims to adjust the fashion designer's mindset to function as a catalyst for the industry's transformation. Keywords: sustainability, fashion design process, sustainable solutions, studio practice DOI: 10.7176/ADS/81-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2020


The chromosomal translocation t(11;22) yields the EWS-Fli1 fusion gene and is associated with oncogenesis of Ewing family tumors (EFT). In this study, using the RNA interference method, we show that EWS-Fli1-targeting small interfering RNAs (siRNA) depleted EWS-Fli1 protein and caused growth inhibition in EFT cells with the accumulation of p27 protein and the down-regulation of Skp2 protein in dose-dependent, time-dependent, and sequence-specific manners. Depletion of EWS-Fli1 subacutely elicited a senescence-like phenotype, but not apoptosis, in EFT cells. Furthermore, not only the knockdown of p27, but also the forced expression of Skp2, reduced the expression levels of p27 protein and partially rescued senescence-like phenotype caused by EWS-Fli1-targeting siRNAs. The accumulation of p27 protein in EWS-Fli1-depleted cells inhibited cdk2 kinase activity and was related to the stability of p27 protein, which resulted from a decrease in Skp2 protein. Immunohistochemical analysis of p27 and Skp2 proteins in EFT samples revealed that there was an inverse relationship between the expression profiles of p27 and Skp2 proteins. These findings indicate an important role of EWS-Fli1 in the prevention of senescence, leading to the unlimited growth and oncogenesis of EFT cells through a decrease in the stability of p27 protein due to increased action of Skp2-mediated 26S proteasome degradation.


Neoliberalism co-opts and reconfigures elements of life formerly regarded as non-economic, such
as religious faith, in order to facilitate the reduction of human beings to nothing more than homo
oeconomicus – the human as economic agent. On the face of it, neoliberalism is incompatible with
Christianity, which grounds its theological anthropology in humanity's creation in the image of God: a
substantive conception of the human person fundamentally different from the empty "human capital"
of the neoliberal imaginary. However, some forms of Christianity have adapted to and appropriated
the project of neoliberalism. In this paper, I will sketch the neoliberal understanding of liberty and the
human being. I will address the challenge that neoliberalism presents to faith, arguing that Christian
faith in particular is in peril of being reduced to nothing more than "spiritual capital:" a technologyof-
the-self, employed to optimise the utility, flexibility, and ultimately fungibility of little capitals in
the world of no alternative.


Caldesmon is a major calmodulin- and actin-binding protein of smooth muscle which interacts with calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent manner or with actin in a Ca2+-independent manner. Isolated caldesmon is capable of inhibiting the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase of smooth-muscle myosin, suggesting a possible physiological role for caldesmon in regulating the contractile state of smooth-muscle. Caldesmon can be phosphorylated in vitro by a co-purifying Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and dephosphorylated by a protein phosphatase, both of which are present in smooth muscle. We investigated further the phosphorylation of caldesmon and the effects which phosphorylation has on the functional properties of the protein. The kinetics of caldesmon phosphorylation were similar whether the caldesmon substrate was free or bound to actin, actin/tropomyosin or thin filaments. Caldesmon containing endogenous kinase activity was rapidly phosphorylated (to approx. 1 mol of Pi/mol of caldesmon in 5 min) when reconstituted with actin, myosin, tropomyosin, calmodulin and myosin light-chain kinase in the presence of Ca2+ and MgATP2-. Under conditions in which unphosphorylated caldesmon showed substantial inhibition of the actin-activated myosin Mg2+-ATPase, no inhibition was observed with phosphorylated caldesmon. This was the case whether caldesmon was phosphorylated before addition to the actomyosin Mg2+-ATPase system, or phosphorylation was allowed to take place during the ATPase reaction. Binding studies revealed maximal binding of 1 mol of unphosphorylated caldesmon/9.5 mol of actin and 1 mol of phosphorylated caldesmon/11.7 mol of actin. All the bound phosphorylated caldesmon could be released by Ca2+/calmodulin, with half-maximal release at 0.11 microM-Ca2+, whereas only 62% of the bound unphosphorylated caldesmon could be removed, with half-maximal release at 0.16 microM-Ca2+. However, under conditions in which inhibition of actomyosin Mg2+-ATPase activity by non-phosphorylated but not by phosphorylated caldesmon was observed, both forms of caldesmon would remain bound to the thin filament. These observations suggest a possible mechanism whereby caldesmon phosphorylation may prevent its inhibitory action on the actomyosin Mg2+-ATPase.


Stratiform (bedded) Paleozoic barite occurs as large conformable beds within organic- and chert-rich sediments; the beds lack major sulfide minerals and are the largest and most economically significant barite deposits in the geologic record. Existing models for the origin of bedded barite fail to explain all their characteristics: the deposits display properties consistent with an exhalative origin involving fluid ascent to the seafloor, but they lack appreciable polymetallic sulfide minerals and the corresponding strontium isotopic composition to support a hydrothermal vent source. A new mechanism of barite formation, along structurally controlled sites of cold fluid seepage in continental margins, involves barite remobilization in organic-rich, highly reducing sediments, transport of barium-rich fluids, and barite precipitation at cold methane seeps. The lithologic and depositional framework of Paleozoic and cold seep barite, as well as morphological, textural, and chemical characteristics of the deposits, and associations with chemosymbiotic fauna, all support a cold seep origin for stratiform Paleozoic barite. This understanding is highly relevant to paleoceanographic and paleotectonic studies, as well as to economic geology.


The impacts of climate change on extreme precipitation events in the Western Black Sea Basin of Turkey were investigated by using the annual maxima (AM) and peaks over threshold (POT) methods. Daily precipitation data measured between 1971 and 2000 at nine meteorological stations and projected and dynamically downscaled precipitation data from the outputs of GFDL‐ESM2M, HadGEM2‐ES and MPI‐ESM‐MR global circulation models (GCMs) under Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) and RCP8.5 scenarios were used to generate maximum daily rainfall intensity for 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 year return periods. The outputs of the GCMs were corrected by a modified linear scaling bias correction method to offset the uncertainties of the GCMs before frequency analyses. The datasets were fitted to a generalized extreme value distribution and a generalized Pareto distribution for the AM and POT methods, respectively. Based on a statistical test a reliable goodness‐of‐fit was obtained. The results of frequency analyses of daily storms by using the GCM data, after bias correction, showed that by the end of the current century the magnitude of the storms will increase by 31.29% and 27.00% based on the AM and POT methods respectively under the RCP4.5 scenario and by 43.51% and 31.29% based on the AM and POT methods respectively under the RCP8.5 scenario. The magnitude of the 24 hr rainfall intensity calculated by the AM method was more than that of the POT method by 22% on average. For the whole basin (on average) the mean maximum daily rainfall intensity was found to be 33.45, 46.18, 57.24, 69.16, 87.68, 104.51 and 154.60 mm/day for the respective return periods.


OBJECTIVES
To characterize the opioid prescribing and monitoring practices of providers for chronic nonmalignant pain (CNP) and subacute postoperative pain (SAPOP) in adolescents.

DESIGN
Web-based cross-sectional self-report survey.

SETTING
Free-standing pediatric tertiary academic center.

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 183 physicians and nurse practitioners were eligible. Of 115 (62.8 percent) participants who responded, 108 (93.9 percent) completed the survey.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Self-reported frequency of opioid prescription for SAPOP and CNP conditions and frequency of associated monitoring practices.

RESULTS
For 10 of the 13 pain conditions included, some participants endorsed "monthly or more opioid prescriptions" while others endorsed "opioids do not represent appropriate management." Opioid prescribing is present for almost all pain conditions but is substantially more common for nonacute vaso-occlusive-related sickle cell disease, scoliosis correction, and video-assisted pectus excavatum-related pains. When compared with the reference group, CNP with no identifiable pathology, the odds ratio (OR) of an opioid being prescribed for CNP states with identifiable pathology was not significantly higher. The OR for SAPOP was significantly higher (p < 0.0001). None of the opioid prescribers reported collecting urine toxicology before or during opioid therapy.

CONCLUSIONS
This survey identifies a diversity of self-reported clinician opioid prescribing practices for adolescents with CNP and SAPOP. Urine collection for drug toxicology screening is not utilized by opioid prescribers. Surveys of similar clinician practice behaviors at other institutions are warranted to replicate this finding and to establish common clinicalpractice for usage and monitoring of opioids in conditions where guidelines do not yet exist.


Acrylic resins are widely used in dentistry, especially in orthodontics and prosthetics. Patients: this article reports the case of a leukodermic 33-year-old male who reported discomfort and pain due to an erythematous lesion in the first left premolar after the placement of an acrylic resin temporary restoration. Discussion: The signs and symptoms presented by the patient and his report of visiting the rural countryside generated concern regarding the possible diagnosis, which led to a more invasive biopsy to differentiate allergic inflammation from a paracococcidioid mycosisIncisional. Biopsy revealed a chronic inflammatory process. Conclusion: the pathology was caused by contact with methyl methacrylate-based provisional acrylic resin.


The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective.


Heart failure, a common syndrome in developed countries worldwide, is associated with poor quality of life, frequent rehospitalizations, and early death. Self-care is essential to improving outcomes in this patient population. The purpose of this article is to describe a situation-specific theory of heart failure self-care in which self-care is defined as a naturalistic decision-making process involving the choice of behaviors that maintain physiologic stability (maintenance) and the response to symptoms when they occur (management). Self-care maintenance is further defined to encompass routine symptom monitoring and treatment adherence. Self-care management is characterized as a process initiated by symptom recognition and evaluation, which stimulates the use of self-care treatments and treatment evaluation. Confidence in self-care is thought to moderate and/or mediate the effect of self-care on various outcomes. Four propositions were derived from the self-care of heart failure conceptual model: (1) symptom recognition is the key to successful self-care management; (2) self-care is better in patients with more knowledge, skill, experience, and compatible values; (3) confidence moderates the relationship between self-care and outcomes; and (4) confidence mediates the relationship between self-care and outcomes. These propositions were tested and supported using data obtained in previous research. Support of these propositions provides early evidence for this situation-specific theory of heart failure self-care.


The appearance of corotating Keplerian discs orbiting Kerr superspinars has been shown to be strongly dependent on the value of the superspinar spin in both their shape and frequency shift profile, demonstrating clear distinctions from the corotating discs around black holes. However, it has to be modified in the innermost parts of the disc by the self-illumination effect caused by the photons trapped in the strong gravitational field near the superspinars with spin a < 9. Here we demonstrate that self-illumination is irrelevant for counter-rotating Keplerian discs orbiting in the field of all Kerr superspinars since such discs are located at the regions where none of the radiated photons can be trapped. Therefore, the results obtained by considering the escaping photons only are quite relevant for the appearance of the counter-rotating Keplerian discs orbiting Kerr superspinars. The appearance and spectral continuum of such discs differ from those of counter-rotating discs in the field of Kerr black holes. The differences are of quantitative character except the existence of the disc images located inside the image of the inner edge of the disc that are created by photons reaching regions close to the surface of Kerr superspinars. Their observational relevance is realistic in the near future for accretion phenomena in the vicinity of Sgr A*.


Local-to global point cloud registration is a challenging task due to the substantial differences between these two types of data, and the different techniques used to acquire them. Global clouds cover large-scale environments and are usually acquired aerially, e.g., 3D modeling of a city using Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS). In contrast, local clouds are often acquired from ground level and at a much smaller range, for example, using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS). The differences are often manifested in point density distribution, occlusions nature, and measurement noise. As a result of these differences, existing point cloud registration approaches, such as keypoint-based registration, tend to fail. We improve upon a different approach, recently proposed, based on converting the global cloud into a viewpoint-based cloud dictionary. We propose a local-toglobal registration method where we replace the dictionary clouds with viewpoint descriptors, consisting of panoramic range-images. We then use an efficient dictionary search in the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) domain, using phase correlation, to rapidly find plausible transformations from the local to the global reference frame. We demonstrate our method's significant advantages over the previous cloud dictionary approach, in terms of computational efficiency and memory requirements. In addition, We show its superior registration performance in comparison to a state-ofthe- art, keypoint-based method (FPFH). For the evaluation, we use a challenging dataset of TLS local clouds and an ALS large-scale global cloud, in an urban environment.


Introduction Newly diagnosed CD patients should have a nutritional assessment and gluten-free diet (GFD) education by registered dietitians, in accordance with guidelines. Achieving these standards is problematic due to increased CD diagnosis and limited trained dietitians available to deliver these services. Locally, we have shown that patients often wait four to six weeks for a dietetic consultation following CD diagnosis, with patient feedback suggesting this is unacceptably long. This study aimed to address this concern by comparing whether dietetic consultations provided in group clinics was non-inferior to an individual appointment for newly diagnosed CD patients. Methods Between January 2015 and December 2015 newly diagnosed CD patients were seen either by a dietitian in a group clinic or in an individual appointment as part of a local service evaluation project. Group clinics were defined as having a minimum of 6 individuals, and covered the same topics as individual appointments (education on gluten-free diets, prescriptions, travelling and information on Coeliac UK). All patients had nutritional assessments at baseline and bloods performed in accordance with BSG guidelines. These were reassessed at 3 month follow-up appointments, alongside evaluation forms for clinics and assessment of GFD adherence using the Biagi score (A validated 5 point adherence score (0–4), with the highest score indicating strict GFD adherence). Comparisons between groups were made using a student t-test, with a p-value <0.05 considered significant. Results 56 new CD patients were initially referred for a dietetic consultation. Eight patients (14%) did not attend first appointments and 8 failed to attend follow-up. Of the remaining 40 patients (25 F:15 M, mean age 48 years), 30 were seen in group clinics and 10 had individual appointments. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline BMI (p = 0.57), age (p = 0.10) or tissue transglutaminase antibody levels (p = 0.54) between group patients and individual clinic patients. At follow-up mean GFD adherence scores were similar in both groups (3.3 vs 3.1, p = 0.51), with paired t-tests showing significant reduction in both groups in serological markers and haematinics (p < 0.001). Evaluation forms supported the merits of group clinics, with 97% (29/30) of patients stating that group clinics met expectations, enhanced understanding and that they would recommend to other patients. Conclusion This study demonstrates how group dietetic clinics for newly diagnosed patients may be a resource saving intervention, which derives no detriment to patient education and GFD adherence. Findings from this work provide proof of concept for undertaking a future randomised controlled trial in this area, including health economic analysis. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


The ischemic penumbra is defined as the severely hypoperfused, functionally impaired, at-risk but not yet infarcted tissue that will be progressively recruited into the infarct core. Early reperfusion aims to save the ischemic penumbra by preventing infarct core expansion and is the mainstay of acute ischemic stroke therapy. Intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy for selected patients with large vessel occlusion has been shown to improve functional outcome. Given the varying speed of infarct core progression among individuals, a therapeutic window tailored to each patient has recently been proposed. Recent studies have demonstrated that reperfusion therapies are beneficial in patients with a persistent ischemic penumbra, beyond conventional time windows. As a result, mapping the penumbra has become crucial in emergency settings for guiding personalized therapy. The penumbra was first characterized as an area with a reduced cerebral blood flow, increased oxygen extraction fraction and preserved cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen using positron emission tomography (PET) with radiolabeled O2. Because this imaging method is not feasible in an acute clinical setting, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mismatch between perfusion-weighted imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging, as well as computed tomography perfusion have been proposed as surrogate markers to identify the penumbra in acute ischemic stroke patients. Transversal studies comparing PET and MRI or using longitudinal assessment of a limited sample of patients have been used to define perfusion thresholds. However, in the era of mechanical thrombectomy, these thresholds are debatable. Using various MRI methods, the original penumbra definition has recently gained a significant interest. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the evolution of the ischemic penumbra imaging methods, including their respective strengths and limitations, as well as to map the current intellectual structure of the field using bibliometric analysis and explore future directions.


Walk through five centuries of homes both great and small--from the smoke-filled manor halls of the Middle Ages to today's Ralph Lauren-designed environments--on a house tour like no other, one that delightfully explicates the very idea of "home."You'll see how social and cultural changes influenced styles of decoration and furnishing, learn the connection between wall-hung religious tapestries and wall-to-wall carpeting, discover how some of our most welcome luxuries were born of architectural necessity, and much more. Most of all, Home opens a rare window into our private lives--and how we really want to live.


OBJECTIVES
Pneumococcal bacteraemia carries a mortality of about 20%. Approximately 50% of deaths from pneumococcal bacteraemia occur within the first 48 h of admission. In order to influence outcome, critically ill patients should be identified at the time of presentation. This study enables the clinician to rapidly make an evidence-based assessment of a patient's prognosis, allowing the identification of patients who should be placed in a high-risk category at an early stage, when appropriate management is most likely to be effective.

METHODS
Data were collected from the medical record of history, physical examination, radiological examination and laboratory investigations done on initial presentation using a standardized proforma. The data were first examined by Pearson's Chi-squared test, with Yates' correction if needed. Variables found to be significantly associated with case fatality ( P < 0.05) by these methods were examined by stepwise logistic regression analysis in order to identify those factors which were independent predictors of case fatality.

RESULTS
The overall case fatality was 21%. Older age, apyrexia, tachypnoea, bilateral consolidation, hypoalbuminaemia, elevated aminotransferases, renal impairment, acidosis and leucopaenia were significantly associated with higher case fatality. Older age, acidosis and elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were independent predictors of case fatality. Fifty-five percent of isolates belonged to serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 19F and 23F, to which good antibody levels have been documented in both young and elderly patients post-vaccination. Serotype 14 was most common, and was significantly associated with higher case fatality. Colder weather was associated with a higher incidence of both infection and case fatality. The case fatality amongst patients receiving ITU management was 44%. Less than 50% of patients who died received ITU management.

CONCLUSIONS
Despite the increased availability of new antibiotics and vaccines, the mortality of patients with pneumococcal bacteraemia remains unchanged. The parameters above allow early identification of patients with a higher case fatality; these patients may benefit from being placed in a "high-risk" category early on in their management. Vaccination of the elderly may reduce the incidence and/or mortality from pneumococcal bacteraemia. Further studies are required to understand the reasons for referral for intensive therapy in acute pneumococcal bacteraemia and whether ITU management affects outcome.


The effectiveness of a program of studies is reflected in how beneficiaries appreciate its effects. In the research beneficiaries are considered to be the heads / the commanders of the staff that attended military education programs. Beneficiaries will express their opinions on the increase in their staff's professional performance and efficiency after graduating training programs.
The research uses two questionnaires as instruments: the first one is addressed to the beneficiary, the second one is addressed to the graduates. In this way, the tools allow a comparative analysis of how effective are perceived the training programs organized in "Carol I" National Defense University.
Questionnaires' organization captures variables that characterize the educational process and it respond to the training that the Ministry of Defense needs. The tools applied aim also the promptness of the educational institution in updating its contents in response to the challenges of a society being in a full integration process into supranational structures. Another variable that is the subject of this research in the change in labor efficiency in completion of a study program. This variable is mediated, being registered as the perception basses have on the subordinates that have graduated study programs. Although it may seen a subjective treatment of the problem, this approach is integrated in the staff's evaluation process in accordance with the regulations governing the human resources domain in the Romanian Army.
The investigated population is the staff of the General Staff, as the main structure beneficiary of training programs.
The way the sample was designed does not allow generalization of the results to all the graduates. Following the research one can formulate qualitative conclusions with mid-level generalization, which gives stability and justify the research approach.


This paper discusses the ways that community connections serve to sustain and support scholarly growth, retention, and success, particularly in longer-term online contexts. These strategies are seen through the reflective experience of a faculty mentor and two recent graduates who co-developed community support strategies that help doctoral students stay motivated, connected, and succeed over many years of what might otherwise be a long, individual, and lonely journey—particularly when undertaken online. A matrix of strategies, apps, and online tools emerged from this process and is offered for consideration.


Fu Feng highway prestressed concrete bridge is located in Changchun City which is the capital and largest city of Jilin province and it located in the northeast of China. The strengthening of the bridge structural members can be attempted by replacing poor quality or defective materials by better quality materials, attaching additional load-bearing materials, and re-distribution of the loading actions through imposed deformation on the structure system. The objectives of this study are to explain the strengthening process of damaged structural members of Fu Feng bridge, and to evaluate the performance of the bridge structure by adopting static load test. The strengthening process of damaged structural members includes three stages. These stages include the strengthening of box girders floor by casting of 10cm of reinforced concrete in the floor of box girder within the location of positive bending moment in the mid-span and edge span, the strengthening of box girders web by pasting steel plates in the inside of the right and left of box girders, and the strengthening of the transverse beam of piers No. 18 and No. 19 by using carbon fiber sheet. The results of static load test show that the values of testing coefficient ( ) of stress range from 0.83 to 0.92 are less than allowable value 1.05. Therefore, these values satisfy the allowable value of standard, indicating that the structural member has a certain strength reserve and the working state of the bridge structure in good state. the ratio between the measured and theoretical deflection is 1.41 and 1.68 for condition 3 more than allowable value 0.8, indicating that the state of stiffness is not good and there are still a serious shortage in stiffness of structure. Therefore, this study recommended that the bridge structural members need to re-strengthen by using other effective technical and materials to increase the stiffness of structural members of the bridge.


Roseburia and Eubacterium species of the human gut microbiota play an important role in the maintaince of human health, partly by producing butyrate, the main energy source of our colonic epithelial cells. However, our knowledge of the biochemistry and physiology of these bacteria has been limited by a lack of genetic manipulation techniques. Conjugative transposons previously introduced into Roseburia species could not be easily modified, greatly limiting their applicability as genetic modification platforms. Modular plasmid shuttle vectors have previously been developed for Clostridium species, which share a taxonomic order with Roseburia and Eubacterium, raising the possibility that these vectors could be used in these organisms. Here, we describe an optimized conjugation protocol enabling the transfer of autonomously replicating plasmids from an E. coli donor strain into Roseburia inulinivorans and Eubacterium rectale. The modular nature of the plasmids and their ability to be maintained in the recipient bacterium by autonomous replication makes them ideal for investigating heterologous gene expression, and as a platform for other genetic tools including antisense RNA silencing or mobile group II interon gene disruption strategies.


Theoretical and experimental investigations of the working processes in a low emission gas turbine combustor with plasma assistance have been conducted. Selected concept of a gas turbine combustor can provide higher performance, wider turn down ratios, lower emission of carbon and nitrogen oxides, demonstrate satisfactory major gravimetric and volumetric parameters. Obtained results and recommendations can be used for the gas turbine combustor operation modes modeling, geometry optimization, prospective propulsion and power generation units design and engineering.


The development of an easily-administered, valid and reliable meta-motivational state measure, capable of assessing the full spectrum of states, is needed to progress the understanding and application of reversal theory (Apter, 2013). The present paper outlines an adaptation of the Stroop protocol to implicitly measure meta-motivational states, and two subsequent validation studies. Consistent with Stroop principles, it was hypothesised that state congruent stimuli would capture individuals' attention causing an increased response latency (e.g., Ayres & Sonandre, 2002). Study one (n = 68) assessed the concurrent validity of the Meta-Motivational Stroop task (MMS) against two widely-used explicit measures of state, the Telic/Paratelic State Inventory (T/PSI; O'Connell & Calhoun, 2001) and the State of Mind Indicator for Athletes (SOMIFA; Kerr & Apter, 1999). Contrary to expectations emotionally incongruent stimuli caused a delayed response, interpreted as an interference effect (Rothermund, 2003). Study two (n = 30) manipulated state, through expressive writing and imagery, to assess the ability of the Stroop task to detect changes in state. Results offered some support for the interference effect, with incongruent stimuli resulting in an increased response latency when writing from a telic perspective. Taken together, results suggest an implicit measure of meta-motivational state has some promise, particularly given the observed limitations of explicit measures.


It is well-known that for the realization of narrow-band optical filters, multilayer and modulated media are used. Including amplification in such media gives the possibilities to obtain narrow-band optical amplification. In the present paper non-uniform fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are the subject of investigation. The devices, which rely on a combination of narrow-band filtering and amplifying properties, will find application in contemporary DWDM systems.


Current and future satellite sensors provide remotely sensed quantities from a variety of wavelengths ranging from the visible to the passive microwave, from both geostationary and low ]Earth orbits. The NASA Short ]term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center has a long history of providing multispectral imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA fs Terra and Aqua satellites in support of NWS forecast office activities. Products from MODIS have recently been extended to include a broader suite of multispectral imagery similar to those developed by EUMETSAT, based upon the spectral channels available from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) aboard METEOSAT ]9. This broader suite includes products that discriminate between air mass types associated with synoptic ]scale features, assists in the identification of dust, and improves upon paired channel difference detection of fog and low cloud events. Future instruments will continue the availability of these products and also expand upon current capabilities. The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on GOES ]R will improve the spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution of our current geostationary capabilities, and the recent launch of the Suomi National Polar ]Orbiting Partnership (S ]NPP) carries instruments such as the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Cross ]track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), which have unrivaled spectral and spatial resolution, as precursors to the JPSS era (i.e., the next generation of polar orbiting satellites. New applications from VIIRS extend multispectral composites available from MODIS and SEVIRI while adding new capabilities through incorporation of additional CrIS channels or information from the Near Constant Contrast or gDay ]Night Band h, which provides moonlit reflectance from clouds and detection of fires or city lights. This presentation will present a review of SPoRT, CIRA, and NRL collaborations regarding multispectral satellite imagery and recent applications within the operational forecasting environment


Experiments are performed in a two-dimensional wave tank with a sloping beach. Irregular waves are generated and the water particle velocity is measured in the surf zone with a laser Doppler velocimeter. Using ensemble averaging, the turbulent kinetic energy, k, times series is then calculated. Results are compared with previously published experiments using regular waves. There is a significant temporal variation of k throughout the surf zone. However, k, is more uniform at points closer to the shoreline. Further from shore k is more intermittent and discrete `bursts' of k caused by individual breaking waves seem to decay in an exponential manner. The use of ensemble averaging to study turbulence under irregular waves is found to be feasible although consuming.


This thesis discusses the synthesis of transition metal chalcogenide nanostructures
(where the chalcogen is either sulfur, selenium or tellurium) through the use of
standard chemical vapour transport (CVT) and chemical vapour deposition (CVD)
techniques. The resultant structures are characterised with a variety of methods and
comparisons of their properties are made with their bulk counterparts. A discussion into
how some of these structures form during the reaction is also given.
Highly symmetrical, isotropic, nickel disulfide (NiS2) nanocubes have been synthesised
via a Physical Vapour Transport (PVT) method in which sulfur vapour generated in situ is
reacted with nickel-coated silica substrates. Systematic studies demonstrate the effect
of the reactant ratio, substrate, metal layer thickness and reaction temperature on the
synthesis and growth process. The evolution of structure and composition has been
followed by diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The size of the NiS2
cubes can be varied from below 200 nm to 1 -2 1m across. Magnetic properties of the
disulfide nanomaterials have been determined using superconducting quantum
interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. Initial experiments also demonstrate that
related CVT techniques can be exploited to produce alternative compositions in the Ni-S
system with varying morphologies that can be controlled via chemical and physical
reaction parameters.
Surface Assisted Chemical Vapour Transport (SACVT) methods have been employed to
grow flower-like nanostructures of titanium disulfide (TiS2) and titanium trisulfide (TiS3)
on titanium coated silica substrates. Systematic studies demonstrate the role of the
reactant ratio and reaction temperature on the synthesis and growth process. The
evolution of structure and composition has been followed by powder X-ray diffraction
(PXD) and electron microscopy techniques such as and transmission electron microscopy
(TEM). Magnetic properties of the disulfide nanomaterials have been determined using
SQUID and Raman spectroscopy has been used to confirm the identity of the sulfides.
Investigations into nanostructured materials of the group IV transition metals zirconium
and hafnium resulted in the successful synthesis of nanostructures of zirconium
trisulfide/selenide (ZrS3/Se3) and hafnium trisulfide/selenide (HfS3/Se3). The unusual
effects on structure that can occur when reactant time and synthesis temperature are
varied and when a balance between these two factors is successfully found,
nanostructures other than tubes and wires can be formed. Each of these systems were
characterised with a variety of techniques including, TEM, PXD and SQUID.


Specimens of SCS-6/Timetal{reg_sign}21S in [0]{sub 4} and [0/90]s orientations were subjected to thee types of tests covering temperatures of 650, 760, and 815 C. In the first, low frequency cycles with no superimposed hold times were applied. In the second, low frequency fatigue cycles were applied with superimposed hold times of various durations at maximum loads. In the third, hold times were superimposed at minimum load. In all tests, the number of cycles to failure was recorded. The behavior of the composite in these tests was modeled by considering damage to consist of a linear sum of a cycle-dependent component and a time-dependent component. It was found that the behavior in all tests was basically time dependent. Using time at temperature and stress as a failure criterion, it is shown that data from creep, low frequency fatigue with and without hold times, and in-phase thermomechanical fatigue tests can be consolidated for all [0]{sub 4} tests into a single curve and for all [0/90]s tests into a different curve. Both curves can be explained in terms of a single fiber bundle strength value by considering the time-dependent behavior of the matrix material. Additionally, hold times at minimum load are found tomore » be more detrimental to fatigue life than identical tests where the hold time is applied at the maximum load.« less


In this work the relaxation of a two-dimensional Bose-gas from a non-equilibrium
initial condition consisting of vortices is studied. To focus on the role of the vortex
excitations on the time evolution of the system, a point vortex model is used. The
relaxation of the vortex gas is seen to lead to clustering of like-signed vortices that
can be explained in terms of negative temperature states. The nature of the Coulomb
interactions between vortices, precludes a well-defined thermodynamic limit. The large
scale
flow structures, therefore strongly depend on the shape of the geometry. These
structures can be explained in terms of a maximum entropy principle for the vortex
gas that leads to the Boltzmann-Poisson equation. For a square region the maximum
entropy configuration corresponds to a monopole. This configuration results in the
spontaneous acquisition of angular momentum by the
ow. However, by stretching
the square domain into a rectangle, the configuration which maximises the entropy
switched to a dipole where like-signed vortices tend to equally occupy the two halves
of the domain. In this case, the mean
flow has zero angular momentum. A direct qualitative
and quantitative comparison between the predictions of the mean-field theory
and dynamical simulations of a point vortex model are presented. In particular, we
show that vortex-antivortex annihilation results in evaporative heating of the vortex
gas and the subsequent migration of the system into the negative temperature regime.
Moreover, the study is extended to the dynamics of quantised vortices in the same
confined geometries in a two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate described by the
Gross-Pitaevskii equation. Despite the coexistence of phonons with vortex excitations
that interact together, the above predictions continue to apply in this more realistic
model of a two-dimensional superfl
uid.


A high-density genetic map was constructed with a RILs population (NJRIKY) from a cross of two cultivated soybean Kefeng 1 and Nannong 1138-2, using RFLP, SSR, RAPD and AFLP markers. The map consists of 24 linkage groups, which include 792 genetic markers, and covers 2,320.7 cM with an average genetic distance of 2.9 cM. The higher polymorphsims between two parents were identified with SSR markers. Due to its simplicity and stability, they could be used as anchored marker to integrate different maps constructed with different genetic markers. AFLP marker system is efficient for map construction while it easily form clusters to cause big gaps in the map. A total of 21.7% of markers was found with distorted segregation in the RILs population. The high-density molecular linkage map is fundamental for gene localization, comparative genomics, and QTL mapping of important agronomic traits.


This paper presents the results of a three-year research and teaching effort that focused on measuring the perceived effectiveness of Skype as a delivery platform for presentations made to students enrolled in a Professional MBA program by nationally acclaimed authors working in the area of social media. The research also investigated the authors' acceptance of Skype as a platform for delivering remote presentations to college audiences. The results indicated that both students and authors strongly supported the use of Skype as a presentation platform. The author presentations greatly enhanced the learning environment and contributed to achieving several specific course objectives.


In October 2018, the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt invited Parsons professors John Bruce and Mark Randall to give an intensive, five-day workshop on critical areas for those interested in taking a design-strategy approach for entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial ventures addressing complex social challenges. This type of cultural exchange, one potentially charged with political issues, was a milestone for the Embassy. From over 200 applications, 25 professionals from diverse backgrounds – NGOs, education, film, design, architecture and performance – were selected to attend. A pre-workshop exercise focused intentions; themes included empowerment, cities, health and culture. All were action-oriented and addressed particular challenges within Egyptian society. The curriculum included innovative design-led research theories and practicable methods. Immediate outcomes revealed positive shifts in perspectives on systems, stakeholder activation, and narrative development for advocacy and implementation. The energy and emotion was palpable over the course of the week, culminating in an event for the public, press and top government officials.


Forty years of mass incarceration have resulted in a bloated criminal justice system that levels damaging effects on some of the most vulnerable and oppressed individuals, families, and communities in the United States. The unprecedented American phenomenon of mass incarceration has been fueled by an array of incoherent policies that, despite stated goals, have not fostered public safety or public well-being.1 What lies before us is a historic opportunity to promote smart decarceration by building social capacity to reduce incarceration rates in ways that are effective, sustainable, and socially just. To succeed, smart decarceration requires policy innovations that substantially reduce the use of incarceration, redress existing disparities in the criminal justice system, and maximize public safety and well-being.


BACKGROUND
The authors compare the incidence of recurrent caries around two glass ionomer restorative materials and one amalgam material.

METHODS
The authors placed 111 restorations in nine xerostomic patients. Patients were given oral hygiene instructions and fluoride gel to use daily. The authors evaluated the restorations clinically and with photographs and impressions at six months, one year and two years according to criteria for marginal adaptation, anatomical form, caries in adjacent tooth structure and caries at the cavosurface margin. The authors divided patients into users and nonusers of fluoride.

RESULTS
At the two-year recall appointments, the authors evaluated 95 (86 percent) of the 111 restorations. They analyzed two-year data using an analysis of variance for repeated measures and Fisher's post hoc test. The study results showed no significant differences among materials in regard to caries at the cavosurface margin among fluoride users. However, among fluoride nonusers, patients with amalgam restorations had a significantly higher incidence of caries at the cavosurface margins than did patients with either of the two glass ionomer restorations. The authors found no statistically significant difference between restorations with regard to marginal integrity or anatomical form. However, one patient exhibited failure of glass ionomer restorations owing to material loss.

CONCLUSIONS
Less caries developed at the margins of glass ionomer restorations compared with amalgam restorations in xerostomic patients who did not routinely use a neutral topical sodium fluoride gel.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Fluoride-releasing materials may reduce caries surrounding restorations in high-risk patients who do not routinely use topical fluoride. Patients who routinely used topical fluoride gel did not develop recurrent caries, and clinicians should encourage the use of fluoride gel on a daily basis.


Styrene and indole monooxygenases (SMO and IMO) are two-component flavoprotein monooxygenases composed of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-dependent flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-reductase (StyB or IndB) and a monooxygenase (StyA or IndA). The latter uses reduced FAD to activate oxygen and to oxygenate the substrate while releasing water. We circumvented the need for the reductase by direct FAD reduction in solution using the NAD(P)H-mimic 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH) to fuel monooxygenases without NADH requirement. Herein, we report on the hitherto unknown solvent tolerance for the indole monooxygenase from Gemmobacter nectariphilus DSM15620 (GnIndA) and the styrene monooxygenase from Gordonia rubripertincta CWB2 (GrStyA). These enzymes were shown to convert bulky and rather hydrophobic styrene derivatives in the presence of organic cosolvents. Subsequently, BNAH-driven biotransformation was furthermore optimized with regard to the applied cosolvent and its concentration as well as FAD and BNAH concentration. We herein demonstrate that GnIndA and GrStyA enable selective epoxidations of allylic double bonds (up to 217 mU mg−1) in the presence of organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, or several alcohols. Notably, GnIndA was found to resist methanol concentrations up to 25 vol.%. Furthermore, a diverse substrate preference was determined for both enzymes, making their distinct use very interesting. In general, our results seem representative for many IMOs as was corroborated by in silico mutagenetic studies.


With the constant development of numerical control technology, the development cycle and efficiency of CNC (computer numerical control) system is restricted with NC code compiler insufficient in Rapid Development and efficiency. In order to solve this problem, a compiler developed with Lex&Yacc for CNC system based on PC is put forward. This compiler is consisted of a lexical analysis module, a syntax analysis module and an object-storage module. With designed in modules, parameter-driven programming and assisted by Lex&Yacc which is an efficient language for compiler development, this compiler has great advantages such as high efficiency and short development cycle, which mean realistic significance to engineering application. The main principal and design process of every module was expatiated and at last a test of compiling a NC file was executed successfully, which verified the validity of this proposed method.


Consociational democracy as the goal and a tool in mitigating conflict in the Third World has been frequently used during the last decades, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results are ambiguous. The aim of this comparative case study is to examine the Arusha Accords of Rwanda signed August 3, 1993, and the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi of August 28, 2000, in relation to the elements and favorable conditions of Arend Lijphart's theory on Consociational Democracy as presented in "Democracy in Plural Societies" 1977. The study concludes that the slightly different conditions in the cases, Rwanda and Burundi, both historical and contemporary had potential effects on the diverging outcome of the cases. The major difference between the cases was, however, the different ways the agreements handled the overshadowing main cleavage of ethnicity, which according to Lijphart is crucial.


Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is altering the carbonate chemistry of seawater, with potentially negative consequences for many calcifying marine organisms. At the same time, increasing fisheries exploitation is impacting on marine ecosystems. Here, using increased benthic‐invertebrate mortality as a proxy for effects of ocean acidification, the potential impact of the two stressors of fishing and acidification on the southeast Australian marine ecosystem to year 2050 was explored. The individual and interaction effects of the two stressors on biomass and diversity were examined for the entire ecosystem and for regional assemblages. For 61 functional groups or species, the cumulative effects of moderate ocean acidification and fishing were additive (30%), synergistic (33%), and antagonistic (37%). Strong ocean acidification resulted in additive (22%), synergistic (40%), and antagonistic (38%) effects. The greatest impact was on the demersal food web, with fishing impacting predation and acidification affecting benthic production. Areas that have been subject to intensive fishing were the most susceptible to acidification effect, although fishing also mitigated some of the decline in biodiversity observed with moderate acidification. The model suggested that ocean acidification and long‐term fisheries exploitation could act synergistically with the increasing sensitivity to change from long‐term (decades) fisheries exploitation potentially causing unexpected restructuring of the pelagic and demersal food webs. Major regime shifts occur around year 2040. Greater focus is needed on how differential fisheries exploitation of marine resources may exacerbate or accelerate effects of environmental changes such as ocean acidification.


The abrogation of the self-adaptive redox evolution of tumors is promising for improving therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we designed a trimetallic alloy nanozyme AuCuPt-PpIX (ACPP), which mimics up to five naturally occurring enzymes: glucose oxidase (GOD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Facilitated by these enzyme-mimicking traits, the constructed ACPP nanozymes can not only disrupt the established redox homeostasis in tumors through a series of enzymatic cascade reactions but also achieve cyclic regeneration of the relevant enzyme substrates. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have theoretically explained the synergistic effect of multimetallic doping and the possible mechanism of enzymatic catalysis. The doped Cu and Pt sites are conducive to the adsorption, activation, and dissociation of reactant molecules, whereas the Au sites are conducive to desorption, which significantly improves catalytic efficiency via a synergistic effect. Additionally, ACPP nanozymes can improve the effect of protoporphyrin (PpIX)-enabled sonodynamic therapy (SDT) by alleviating hypoxia and initiating ferroptosis by inducing lipid peroxidation (LPO) and inhibiting GPX4 activity, thus achieving multimodal synergistic therapy. This study presents a typical paradigm to enable the use of multimetallic alloy nanozymes for the treatment of tumor cells with self-adaptive properties.


Based on bilinear maps and associated groups hard problems a scheme of ID-based signcryption key encapsulation is proposed. Security properties of proposed scheme are proven in random oracle model. The proposed scheme is ID-IND-CCA secure in confidentiality and ID-UF-CMA secure in unforgeability. Owing to Sakai-Kasahara identity based keys contracture no paring computing and no MapTo- Point hash function are required in the encapsulation phase of proposed scheme. According to the recent advances in pairings optimized computing and point reduction, our scheme is not only security but also have advantage on performance.


The neonicotinoid pesticides acetamiprid (ACE), clothianidin (CTD), dinotefuran (DIN), imidacloprid (IMI), nitenpyram (NTP), thiacloprid (THI), and thiamethoxam (TMX) are widely used in over 120 countries. These pesticides have been regulated in many jurisdictions, including the European Union (EU), the United States, and the United Kingdom, due to adverse effects on non-target organisms, whereas some of these pesticides are permitted in Japan. In the present study, we have 1) measured levels of these pesticides at 103 locations ( n = 672) across Gifu Prefecture, 2) analyzed the monthly trends and regionality using R and ArcGIS, and 3) created a predicted contamination map by an ordinary kriging analysis. The concentration levels of the seven neonicotinoid pesticides in surface waters were determined using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ MS/MS) and ranged from < 2.0 to 530 ng/L during the ten-month period. In a total of 672 samples, the top three pesticides detected at high frequency were DIN (76.9%), CTD (48.4%), and IMI (19.6%). The concentration of the neonicotinoid pesticides in environmental waters varied with the time periods of application, physiochemical properties of the pesticides, land use, geological properties of the contamination sources, and other factors. Potential contamination sources were depicted in the predicted contamination maps by using ordinary kriging models, which showed that DIN and CTD are widely present in Gifu Prefecture. Monthly variance of the concentration of IMI differed in the two geological regions, due to differenc-es in the time of application and agricultural products yield. The results of our study contribute to a better understanding of the contamination status of neonicotinoid pesticides by providing reference data (actual pesticide concentrations) as well as predicted contamination maps.


Abstract:The U.S. federal mandate of community participation, which defined the social-welfare programming of the Great Society's War on Poverty, was recapitulated in U.S. foreign aid through Title IX of the 1966 Foreign Assistance Act. Many agencies adhered to this mandate, including, surprisingly, those concerned with counterinsurgency in South Vietnam. This article, therefore, inquires into the mechanics of pacification, demonstrating that the population whose security was at stake was responsible for its own participation in achieving security. By placing the linkage between community development and security in a transnational frame, this article shows that pacification must be considered a productive, not simply destructive, form of governance.


The development of enzyme modules by coupling several enzymes in confinement is of paramount importance to artificial biological reaction systems for efficient enzymatic reactions. Silica nanocapsules are ideal candidates for loading enzymes. Aqueous core silica nanocapsules have relatively been rarely reported due to the crux of difficulty in forming dense silica shells by interfacial sol-gel reactions. Herein we suggest a one-step synthesis of hollow silica nanocapsules with an aqueous core containing enzymes via a template-free and interfacial condensation method for developing enzyme modules with coupled enzymatic reactions. As a proof-of-concept, we developed enzyme modules for three useful purposes by encapsulating a couple of enzymes: (i) development of a miniature glucose sensor, (ii) protection of living cells, and (iii) regeneration of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NADs). By the modulation of enzymes using silica nanocapsules, more efficient coupled reactions, separation of enzymatic reactions from surroundings, and easy handling of several enzymes by using a single module could be achieved. Therefore, our silica nanocapsules for enzyme modules can be promoted as general platforms for developing artificial nanoreactors.


Objective: To analyze the correlation between palatal depth and duration of the upper airway obstruction since diagnosis among children with habitual mouth breathing.  Material and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using the consecutive sampling method on boys and girls who were habitual mouth breathers and presented with allergic rhinitis, adenoid hypertrophy, obstructive sleep apnea, rhinosinusitis, and nasal polyp. Information about the duration of upper airway obstruction was obtained from the medical records of the patients. The patients divided into two groups: those diagnosed with upper airway obstruction for 4 years. Hard palate measurements were obtained from upper arch study models using a caliper with a precision of ± 0,1 mm.  Results: A strong positive correlation was noted between the duration of the upper airway obstruction since diagnosis and palatal depth in children (r=0.623; p<0.05). Furthermore, the depth of the palates was found to be greater than 40 mm when the duration of upper airway obstruction since diagnosis was more than four years.  Conclusion: The finding of this study indicates that upper airway obstruction can result in high palates in children with habitual mouth breathing.


This study intends to apply scaffolding theory to the teaching of English subjunctive mood in senior high schools. After reviewing the researches about scaffolding theory and some studies related to English grammar teaching, the author puts forward a real lesson plan for subjunctive mood teaching, which includes the analysis of teaching material, teaching aims, teaching key point and difficult points, teaching method and the most important, teaching procedures. During the teaching procedures, the author tries to analyze every step, namely, lead-in, presentation and observation, discovery, practice, production, summary and homework, and after-class reflection, from the perspective of scaffoldings the teacher has given to students. The final finding shows that scaffolding can stimulate students' interest in learning, and improve their ability of independent and cooperative learning. On the whole, the practice of applying scaffolding theory can be encouraged in English grammar teaching.


Work in Counterfactual Explanations tends to focus on the principle of "the closest possible world" that identifies small changes leading to the desired outcome. In this paper we argue that while this approach might initially seem intuitively appealing it exhibits shortcomings not addressed in the current literature. First, a counterfactual example generated by the state-of-the-art systems is not necessarily representative of the underlying data distribution, and may therefore prescribe unachievable goals (e.g., an unsuccessful life insurance applicant with severe disability may be advised to do more sports). Secondly, the counterfactuals may not be based on a "feasible path" between the current state of the subject and the suggested one, making actionable recourse infeasible (e.g., low-skilled unsuccessful mortgage applicants may be told to double their salary, which may be hard without first increasing their skill level). These two shortcomings may render counterfactual explanations impractical and sometimes outright offensive. To address these two major flaws, first of all, we propose a new line of Counterfactual Explanations research aimed at providing actionable and feasible paths to transform a selected instance into one that meets a certain goal. Secondly, we propose FACE: an algorithmically sound way of uncovering these "feasible paths" based on the shortest path distances defined via density-weighted metrics. Our approach generates counterfactuals that are coherent with the underlying data distribution and supported by the "feasible paths" of change, which are achievable and can be tailored to the problem at hand.


In the 1970s, secular Day of the Dead celebrations were initiated in the United States as a way to communicate messages of Chicano identity. As the US Latino community became more ethnically diverse in the 1980s and 1990s, new Latino populations participated in these public festivities, creating pan-Latino celebrations. At the same time, non-Latinos began to embrace Day of the Dead as an alternative way to remember the departed. The observance of the holiday in new ways and by new groups of people has sparked negotiations around ownership and meaning, illustrating that hybridity and authenticity are complexly related rather than oppositional concepts.


This study explores ordering effects and response strategies in repeated binary discrete choice experiments (DCE). Mechanism design theory and empirical evidence suggest that repeated choice tasks per respondent introduce strategic behavior. Our results indicate that the order in which choice sets are presented to respondents provides strategic opportunities that affect choice decisions ('strategic response'). The findings propose that this 'strategic response' does not follow strong cost-minimization but other strategies such as weak cost-minimization or good deal/ bad deal heuristics. Evidence further suggests that participants, as they answer more choice questions, not only make more accurate choices ('institutional learning') but also become increasingly aware of and learn to take advantage of the order in which choice sets are presented to them ('strategic learning').


In this paper, optimized communication interfaces in which users select phonemes (sounds) instead of letters or whole words are presented and evaluated. Optimization is based on phoneme transition likelihoods (i.e., the probability of transitioning from one phoneme to another in a particular communication corpus), similar to letter-to-letter transition likelihoods used to optimize orthographic interfaces. However, it is unknown to what extent phoneme transition likelihoods vary by corpus, nor how optimizing based on different corpora affects the final interface efficiency. Here we used computational evaluations to compare phoneme transition likelihoods between various phonemic corpora and optimize phonemic interfaces with each corpus. Each interface's efficiency was evaluated against all the corpora. Phoneme-to-phoneme transitions were highly correlated across corpora (r = 0.7-0.86). Optimization based on phoneme-to-phoneme transition likelihoods improved efficiency by around 20-30% compared to random phonemic layouts, regardless of the corpus used to optimize the interface. Optimizations using different corpora were similar, varying only by 3-5%. We conclude that, if possible, future phonemic interfaces should be optimized via a corpus from the intended user's communication. If this is not possible, however, optimization still improved efficiency using all testing corpora, suggesting that optimizing via any relevant corpus is indicated over other layouts.


The loci for steroid sulfatase (STS), the deficiency of which causes X-linked ichthyosis, the cell surface antigen 12E7 (MIC2X), and the blood group antigen Xg (Xg) have been mapped to Xp22.3. These loci are of particular interest since they do not appear to undergo X-chromosome inactivation. In an attempt to establish the relative order of STS and MIC2X, fibroblasts from carriers of four different X/Y translocations and an X/10 translocation were obtained and fused with mouse cell lines deficient in hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase. The breakpoints on the X chromosome in these five translocations are in Xp22. Several independent clones from each fusion were isolated in HAT medium. The clones were examined cytogenetically, and in each case at least two independent clones were identified that have an active X/Y or X/10 translocation chromosome in the absence of other X or Y material. These clones were then tested for STS and 12E7 expression. In two of the X/Y translocations, the markers, STS and 12E7, were both absent. In the X/10 and a third X/Y translocation, both markers were retained. In each of three clones containing the fourth X/Y translocation, STS activity was retained but 12E7 antigenicity was lost. Assuming that this is a simple translocation and does not represent a more complex rearrangement, these results suggest that MIC2X is distal to STS.


Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC) is caused by BRCA1/2 gene mutations. BRCA1/2 mutations are observed in 1 in 800 in the non-Ashkenazi Jewish population, while an individual of Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) ancestry has an a priori risk of 1 in 40. This pilot study was designed to document common beliefs about cancer genetics services (CGS) and to identify the preferred methods of communication regarding cancer risks and inherited cancer predispositions to the AJ population. Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis from the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, PA to participate in an informal information session about cancer genetics at a local synagogue. Sixteen participants completed surveys with questions pertaining to basic genetics knowledge and beliefs regarding inherited cancer risks, genetic counseling and genetic testing for HBOC before and after the information session, thus allowing researchers to identify changes in genetic knowledge, as well as differences in perceptions about cancer genetics and CGS. Findings revealed that the main motivation to pursue CGS is if an individual perceives they are at a high-risk status to develop cancer based on personal or family history of cancer. The data shows that AJ individuals are aware of cancer genetics and risks associated with their ancestry, but do not pursue or participate in CGS due to a perception of lacking knowledge about general cancer genetics. Although 56.25% of respondents reported that their health care providers are not aware of their AJ ancestry, 75% reported that they preferred to learn of cancer genetics information and CGS through a healthcare provider or physician. Between the pre- and post-information session surveys, analysis of the knowledge-based questions showed that the average correct response rate for every question increased (77% to 94%). The results of this study have important public health implications because they encourage the idea that a future preferred service delivery model for AJ population-specific genetic counseling may include informal community-based cancer genetics information sessions prior to traditional genetic counseling, thus allowing traditional counseling to focus on personalized risk assessment, benefits and limitations of testing, and potential psychosocial issues that are unique to each individual or family.