Spatial heterogeneity is believed to be an evolutionary driver of biodiversity. Variability in the distribution of resource patches can allow an environment to support a wider variety of phenotypes for selection to act upon at the ecosystem level, which may lead to more species. However, the generality of this principle has not been thoroughly tested, as the relevant adaptive dynamics occur on evolutionary timescales. We overcame this challenge by performing experiments on populations of digital organisms in the Avida Digital Evolution Platform, in which we investigated the impact of spatial resource heterogeneity on phenotypic diversity. Since an important benefit of diversity may be increased evolutionary potential, we also tracked the probability of a complex trait evolving in the context of various levels of spatial heterogeneity. We found that spatial entropy and phenotypic diversity have a strong positive correlation and this relationship is consistent across various spatial configurations. Diversity also increases evolutionary potential, but has a much smaller impact than other components of environmental composition. The most important of these components was the mean number of resources present in locations across the environment, likely owing to the importance of building blocks for the evolution of complex features. These results suggest that a general relationship exists between spatial heterogeneity and diversity, beyond the specific ecosystems and timescales in which it has previously been studied. By examining this relationship in the context of phenotypic evolution, we advance a mechanistic understanding of the resulting dynamics. Moreover, our results suggest that the likelihood of evolving various traits can be impacted by the spatial configuration of patches in which these traits are advantageous. These findings have implications for both evolutionary biology and evolutionary computation, as generating and maintaining diversity is critical to all forms of evolution.


SUMMARY
The respiratory activities and cytochrome a
2 contents of nitrogen-fixing continuous cultures of Azotobacter chroococcum (NCIB 8003) increased with the partial pressure of oxygen encountered during growth. Above 0.6 atm., wash-out of the culture occurred. Acetylene reduction by culture samples of low respiratory activity was far more easily inhibited by oxygenation than was that of samples of high respiratory activity, though their maximum acetylene-reducing activities at their optimal pO2 values were similar. Inhibition by oxygen was reversible after mild oxygenation: 70 to 100% of the original activity returned immediately when the degree of oxygenation was decreased. Irreversible inhibition occurred after vigorous oxygenation and was associated with a loss of activity in cell-free extracts, which was restored by adding the oxygen-sensitive protein component of Azotobacter nitrogenase. These observations support earlier proposals that augmented respiration can scavenge oxygen from the nitrogen-fixing site and that a conformational change in the state of nitrogenase can prevent damage to the enzyme by oxygen. Vigorous aeration, however, may overcome these protective mechanisms.


We present a case of 2-year-old boy with long term dysuria and intermittent incontinence, and new onset of fever and headache. Significant past medical history includes congenital hydrocephalus with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement two years prior to consult. On physical examination, a tubular structure was noted underneath the prepuce suspected to be the distal tip of ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which was confirmed by kidney, ureter and bladder (KUB) X-ray and CT scan. Patient was treated with a novel approach of extraperitoneal removal of ventriculoperitoneal shunt distal tip with cystorrhaphy via a low transverse pfannenstiel incision, separate left ventriculostomy tube insertion and complete removal of ventriculoperitoneal shunt from the right ventricle. This report accounts a rare pediatric case with ventriculoperitoneal shunt perforation into a normal bladder successfully treated with mini-open surgery.


Author(s): Ersoff, Zarah | Advisor(s): Morris, Mitchell B | Abstract: This dissertation explores some of the ways in which fin-de-sii?½cle French composers negotiated the boundaries between masculinity, aestheticism and Orientalism in their music. Dandysme - in English, dandyism - refers to the philosophy and practices of the dandy, an individual (usually male) who places particular importance upon physical appearance and mannered elegance, who lives his life with an air of cold indifference, and above all, according to Charles Baudelaire, strives to elevate aesthetics to a living religion. I examine musical dandysme as a form of sonic self-fashioning through a close examination of three composers and patrons: Robert de Montesquiou, Reynaldo Hahn, and Maurice Ravel. These men were dandies in multiple senses of the word: they were deeply concerned with fashion, manners and physical appearance, but they also strove to treat their lives as Works of Art, inflected by their aestheticized approach to composition.While most studies of dandyism have examined it primarily as a literary and social phenomenon, my research illuminates the many ways in which Montesquiou, Hahn and Ravel incorporated the aesthetics of dandysme into their musical performance and pedagogy. More specifically, this project uses the historical figure of the French dandy-composer to theorize "posing" as a form of musical imitation. I suggest that the dandy's aestheticism can be experienced in his music through particular forms of stylization, or poses, present in the artwork itself. Whether a type of ornament or a nostalgic recollection, these poses of musical dandysme are present throughout the works of Montesquiou, Hahn and Ravel. These composers used their music to pose both as French and as exotic subjects, thus situating themselves in relation to the temporal and geographical present of fin-de-sii?½cle France. For example, at Montesquiou's 1894 party "Une fi?½te litti?½raire i?½ Versailles," theatrical and musical performance fashioned a pose of nostalgia, restaging the ancien regime for contemporary tastes at Montesquiou's Versailles villa. In compositions like Ravel's Shi?½hi?½razade (1903) and Hahn's L'i?½le du ri?½ve (1898), the exotic poses of musical Orientalism allowed rich alignments and nuanced combinations of notions: of sexuality, gender, ethnos, or nation, to name only the most salient. Using these three men as case studies, this project develops a model of musical dandysme in order to examine the transition between late Romanticism and early Modernism in fin-de-sii?½cle French music, from approximately 1890 to 1912.


Objectives: Territorial disputes over the West Philippine Sea are an emerging issue in the Philippines and other ASEAN Members with China. The only source of information is coming from the media like the television, online news portals, and social media. In line with this, this study aimed to unveil Netizens emotions and common issues found from the different news articles. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This study scraped the different conversations from Twitter and online news articles published from January 2018 to April 2018 using a Pluchik algorithm for emotions, Valence Awareness Dictionary sEntiment Reasoner (VADER) algorithm for sentiment analysis, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) using Gibbs Sampling – Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) for topic modeling. 2500 times of simulation were performed and validated before developing the hidden themes that are prevalent in the different news articles and supported by Netizens emotions. Findings: Results revealed five (5) underlying themes found in the different news articles such as The assertion of Philippine Sovereignty over Wes Philippine Sea Claim, Philippine-China Co-Ownership and Joint Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Disputed Islands, Intensive Military Presence, Freedom of Navigation, and Military Facilities Buildup in the Disputed Island, China-Philippine Relations through Bilateral Agreement, Trade, Military Support, and Security, and One China Policy through Territorial and Defense Power. Also, Netizens Sentiments showed a majority of them who tweeted were neutral (95%) and only few who were negative (2.67%) and positive (2.33%) where the majority of their emotions through tweets were classified as Joy, Surprise, and Sadness. Only a few tweets were classified as anger, disgust, anticipation, and fear. The findings were unique since it focuses on the soft evidence and the actual opinions, views, and emotions relative to the issues on the disputed islands. Moreover, this result could give insights to the appropriate authorities in dealing with the situations in the West Philippine Sea. Application/Improvements: Further studies maybe conducted by using other social media like Facebook in understanding the emotions and views of the Netizens.
Keywords: Asia, Content Analysis, Data Mining, Deciphering, Gibbs Sampling, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, Plutchik Wheel of Emotion, Simulation, Topic Modeling, VADER Sentiment Analysis


Microstructure plays a significant role in the evolution of short fatigue cracks. The modelling procedure of microstructure for polycrystalline materials is presented in this paper. The factors that effect on the modelling of microstructure are discussed in detail. Firstly, the 2D microstructure of LZ 50 steel with straight grain boundary is simulated with the help of Voronoi tessellation. To validate the modelling results of the microstructure, two load cases are intentionally designed to verify the microstructure for the view of comparing the results with homogeneous material under the same load cases. The whole process is carried out with the application of FEM. From the comparison of mechanical properties generated by the simulated microstructure with anisotropic material property to the ones showed by macrostructure with homogeneous material property, the validity and convenience of the modelling process is shown. The simulated microstructure for polycrystalline materials can be used for the further research on the initiation and growth of short fatigue cracks.


The study concentrates on understanding the social, cultural, emotional intelligence link to employee performance. Social and cultural has more effect on employee performance compare to emotional intelligence. Practising the emotional intelligence was found less in the organization. To motivate employees, manager requires more practice on emotional intelligence along with social and cultural intelligence in today's globally competitive environment to the success of any organization. The objectives of the current study inspect the relationship of cross-cultural competence (cultural, emotional, and social intelligence) with employee performance in the context of the pharmaceutical industry of Thailand. The research aligned with positivism approach as the study concentrates on testing the constructs collecting the quantitative data. In order to analyse the data in the study, a total of 301 usable questionnaires collected from the employees of the Thai pharmaceutical industry. Results found that emotionally intelligent employees make their true emotion by displaying the congruent true emotion required by rules. People with high emotional intelligence can understand and distinguish and manage their own emotions. Consequently, employee repertoire of strategies to regulate emotion to serve as emotional resources. In turn, the employee feels comfortable and confident and perform better for the organization.


This address asserts that in seeking to resolve the political dilemma of Northern Ireland, the lesson of the U.S. Constitution is particularly relevant. The root of the political conflict in Northern Ireland is that, unlike in America, no consensus exists as to fundamental constitutional principles or the idea that the source of political authority is legitimately derived from the "consent of the governed." The author argues that there is little hope of accommodation between the unionist and nationalist communities as long as the symbols of sovereignty and the structures of government administration serve or express the partisan agenda of one side only, whether unionist or nationalist. The principle of the consent of the governed, which is central to the U.S. Constitution, is the golden thread which may guide Northern Ireland out of the labyrinth.


Individual transferable quotas (ITQs) are to be introduced into Australia's Northern Prawn fishery in the near future. Total allowable catches (TACs) are to be set with the objective of maximising economic efficiency in the fishery. Under ITQs, vessel owners have the ability to adjust their fishing activities to maximise profits and changes in fleet structure resulting from management changes need to be considered when determining TACs. A restricted profit function for the fishery was estimated to determine the optimal vessel characteristics and output levels as a guide to how the fleet may adjust under an ITQ system. Vessels were found to be currently close to their optimal size given average historic prices and current stock conditions. However, higher tiger prawn stocks are expected to result in the average size of vessels increasing, with rising fuel prices also likely to result in capital being substituted for fishing days. Optimal average vessel-level catches of the main species are lower than current average vessel catches for a wide range of input and output prices. These changes in vessel characteristics and behaviour need to be incorporated in the derivation of the optimal TACs if economic efficiency objectives are to be achieved.


A 64-year-old female presented with pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock after coronary arteriography that showed severe suboclusive lesion in the left main coronary artery (LMCA) in a dominant left coronary system. The patient succesfully underwent urgent angioplasty with stent deployment in the LMCA. After an uneventful period, the patient was discharged at day six.


A numerical study of 14-GHz backscattering from ocean-like surfaces, described by a Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum, is presented. Surfaces rough in one and two dimensions are investigated, with Monte Carlo simulations performed efficiently through the use of the canonical-grid expansion in an iterative method of moments. Backscattering cross sections are illustrated for perfectly conducting surfaces at angles from 0 to 60/spl deg/ from normal incidence, and the efficiency of the numerical model enables the composite surface theory to be studied in the microwave frequency range for realistic one-dimensional (1D) surface profiles at low wind speeds (3 m/s). Variations with surface spectrum low-frequency cutoff (ranging over spatial lengths from 21.9 to 4.29 cm) are investigated to obtain an assessment of composite surface model accuracy. The 1D surface results show an increase in hh backscatter returns as surface low-frequency content is increased for incidence angles larger than 30/spl deg/, while /spl nu//spl nu/ returns remain relatively constant, all as predicted by the composite surface model. Similar results are obtained for surfaces rough in two dimensions, although the increased computational complexity allows maximum surface sizes of only 1.37 m to be considered. In addition, cross-polarized cross sections are studied in the two-dimensional (2D) surface case and again found to increase as surface low-frequency content is increased. For both 1D and 2D surfaces, backscattering cross sections within 20/spl deg/ of normal incidence are found to be well matched by both Monte Carlo and analytical physical optics (PO) methods for all low-frequency cutoffs considered, and a comparison of analytical PO and geometrical optics (GO) results indicates an appropriate choice of the cutoff wavenumber in the composite surface model to insure an accurate slope variance for use in GO predictions. This choice of cutoff wavenumber is then applied in the composite surface theory for more realistic ocean spectra and compared with available experimental data.


The purpose of this study was to clarify certain electrovectorcardiographic aspects suggestive of heart disease associated with W-P-W syndrome. Seventy-six vectorcardiograms with W-P-W features were analyzed. The curves were obtained by Grishman's cube system and in 8 cases by Frank's method, as well. In addition, the conventional electrocardiograms corresponding to 55 vectorcardiograms, were studied. Not all the electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic tracings were recorded simultaneously. The W-P-W syndrome was classified as type A when the electrical records suggested a pre-excitation phenomenon in the left postero-superior septal mass, probably with a partial "wave jumping" toward the right anterior septal mass. The W-P-W syndrome was judged to be of type B when the electrical tracings showed a pre-excitation in the right anterior septal mass, probably with a partial "wave jumping" toward the left posterior septal mass. The results of this study permit the following conclusions: 1. It seems justified to assert that the calssification of the W-P-W syndrome must be realized deductively on the basis of the sequence of the ventricular activation and of the heart position. 2. An interval of 30 msec. or more between the end of initial slurring and the vertex or middle point of the R loop permits inferring the coexistence of left ventricle hypertrophy. 3. The presence of an inactivable zone due to myocardial infarction should be suspected on the basis of segmentary irregularities or distortions of the electrical curves, while extensive deformations are more suggestive of myocardiopathy. 4. The duration of terminal slurrings does not depend on that of the initial ones. However, when the initial slurrings are very prolonged, the terminal ones are relatively short. 5. In the presence of W-P-W syndrome, the primary ventricular repolarization changes cannot be considered as pathognomonic of any associated cardiopathy because they are often provoked by drugs.


The Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV) causes severe diarrhea and other symptoms which end up in death in young piglets. We have studied the protective effects of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strain N4(Lp) which metabolic products were added to the swine testis (ST) cells with three different orders using MTT cell proliferation assay and CPE analysis. Metabolic products led to dose-dependent rescue of viability of infected cells in a certain order: pre-treatment, post-infection, co-incubation. Pre-treatment of cells with probiotic metabolic products reduced viral proliferation up to 78% at non-cytotoxic concentration 1/4 dilution. The viral yields in pretreatment groups were reduced by over three log10 units. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed the optimal inhibition of TGEV RNA replication was 24 h apply pretreatment way that up to 71% of N gene. Analysised the composition of metabolic products by GC-MS revealed the major component is sugars. Then Exopolysaccharides (EPS) was extracted and showed inhibition effect that co-incubation with TGEV.


Wave-structure interaction and wave propagation on complex topography are very important in Coastal Engineering. They involve phenomena that combine reflection, shoaling, refraction and diffraction that generate harmonics with complex energy transfers. Over the past decades, many numerical models have been developed to deal with these problems. Due to the large horizontal dimensions of the region under study, the numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations have high computational costs to determine the three-dimensional velocity and pressure fields, besides the free surface position. However, when flow separation, vortex or turbulence phenomena are involved, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes models provide more accurate results. The objective of this paper is to apply the FLUINCO model (P. Teixeira and C. Fortes, Rev. Int. Met. Num. Calc. Dis. Ing., 25(2):313-336 (2009)) to test cases of wave propagation in channels. FLUINCO employs the two step semi-implicit Taylor-Galerkin fractional method to discretize the Navier-Stokes equations in time and space. The code adopts linear tetrahedral elements and the arbitrary LagrangianEulerian formulation to enable the solution of problems concerning the free surface motion. A smoothing procedure is applied to the mesh velocity distribution to minimize element distortion, considering the velocities of each node belonging to the boundary surface. The first application is the wave propagation in a channel of constant depth. The energy spectrum, pressure and velocity fields produced by the numerical model are compared with linear and nonlinear wave theories. The second case deals with the wave propagation over the trapezoidal submerged breakwaters. Two types of breakwater slopes are studied: the first with upstream and downstream slopes of 1:20 and 1:10, respectively; and the second with both 1:2 slopes. The results of the surface elevation and the energy spectrum at various points in the field as well as the pressure and velocity fields for each breakwater geometry are presented. In the last case, vortices near the upstream slope, that increase nonlinear effects, are found. Finally, the wave propagation over a submerged horizontal cylinder is analyzed and these results are compared with experimental ones. The flow near the cylinder, the free surface and the velocity profiles on several gauges are analyzed.


Municipal home care staff and their experience of having delegation for administration of drugsPia Ekman, RN, MSc , Annika Sjors, RN, MSc, Ingrid From, RN, Ph.D., Marika Marusarz, Ph.D.Background: Municipal home care staff should be able to work from a community heath perspective and have knowledge of delegation for administration of drugs.Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the experiences of staff in home care after receiving delegation for the administration of drugs and how they managed with problems that might arise associated with drug administration.Method: Ten informants were interviewed with a qualitative approach describing their experiences of delegation for administration of drugs.Findings: The management and administration of drugs were perceived as unsafe. Home care staff lacked information on drug efficacy and side effects. Furthermore, they expressed the need of annual monitoring of the delegation moment. The working system TES was experienced as stressful and a possible risk factor for failure in managing delegations.Conclusion: There was a need for the development and improvement of information clarifying the delegation of drug administration in order to enhance engagement and a safe drug administration. Furthermore there is a need of allocating additional time for drug administration and further education. It is important to review the responsibilities and continuity of cooperation between nurses and health professionals.Key words: delegation, home care staff, administration of drugs, experience, medical tasks


Analysis of consumer-related and consumer-generated data is a very important way to measure the success of on-line retailing. The software packages for data analysis have two major shortcomings: (1) solutions are not offered as a service reachable by standard procedures over the Internet, but as isolated standalone applications or ERP system modules; (2) privacy restrictions need to be integrated into a framework of business analytics for Web retailers. The first aspect can be addressed with standardized developer software for Web services, but the second must consider privacy legislation, privacy specifications on Web sites (P3P), and data reidentification problems. These shortcomings are addressed by a proposed formal model of these problems and an implementation of the model as a declarative specification of privacy constraints, expressed as an extension of P3P. The constraints are complemented by a logic identifying the elements in a given set of Web analytics that might lead to data reidentification and therefore violate implicit privacy constraints. A Web-based service is presented that uses these components to automatically adapt the set of available Web analytics to an on-line retailer's P3P policy. The system was tested on a large data set from a major European multichannel retailer.


As in many other countries of the world there is migration in Mongolia. The quality of life in cities is developing rapidly, while progress in the countryside is only slight. A research pro- ject by GMIT and TUC is investigating the causes of rural exodus and ways to prevent it or slow it down. In a first phase, an inventory of the income situation and living standards of nomadic households was carried out. It is based on an intensive qualitative and quantitative survey of nomadic households in different spatial and socio-economic life situations. The results show that the nomadic households' income is too low to make the purchases of typical consumer durables that are common in urban regions. Almost all nomads have tele- phones, television, solar collectors and light. Motorcycles, a car and/or a truck are much less common. Other durable consumer goods, owned by 74 % of urban households, are possessed by only 10 % of the nomads. Nomads wish for better sanitary facilities like toilets, showers or running water supply. They also desire improved living conditions with separate living and sleeping areas, windows, wardrobes and a simpler heating. Nomads also long for equipment to make work easier, such as washing machines, gas or electric cookers or refrigerators and freezers, which only account for 31 % of nomads, compared to 84 % in urban households. All appliances should be robust and suitable for relocation. Overall, the study shows that the migration of nomads from the steppes to the cities can be explained by a change in lifestyle in order to achieve a higher standard of living.


The capacity of soil organic matter (SOM) to reduce K fixation was investigated in calcareous vermiculitic soils. Humic acid fractions were extracted with the use of a modification of the standard NaOH extraction procedure. The mobile humic acid pool (MHA) was extracted without initial decalcification. Addition of MHA to the vermiculitic soils reduced K fixation and resulted in greater total extractable K and highly labile K, as well as greater plant K uptake. The Ca humate pool (CaHA) was extracted after decalcification, and it had little effect on K availability. An increase in extractable and highly labile K occurred within 4 h of MHA addition and thus appears to result from a rapid exchange reaction and not from mineral dissolution; the latter was confirmed in separate experiments with organic acids. This rapid effect could be reproduced by addition of dodecylammonium chloride. We speculate that the enriched amino acid content and increased solubility of MHA, compared with the more humified CaHA, contribute to the greater influence of MHA on K equilibria. The less soluble, more condensed CaHA is more likely to precipitate with Ca 2+ . The capacity of solubilized MHA to hold K + against soil adsorption was also apparent when soil was separated from MHA by a dialysis membrane. These results provide further evidence that young N-rich SOM fractions such as MHA play an important role in governing K availability in soils with high K fixation potential.


The university period can be analyzed as the intersection point between adolescence and the adult: the young adult is called out to confront with their goals, motivations, values and interests that will orient future choices. The presence of a disability or Specific Learning Disorder can have an important influence on self construction, with consequences on its growth and adaptive results. A student in these situations can struggle with failure experiences that may occur within the social and educational context and develop an image in terms of inability and inadequacy, which can result in a lack of security, low self-esteem can drag along the whole life. According to the narrative approach which this research project is based on, self-narrative can be a key for developing and maintaining the sense of identity, allowing the person to give meaning to his own experiences of transition. The narrative rebuilding of the Self allows the subject to seek balance and better focus on his/her story, in equilibrium between agency aspects related to individual motivational factors and aspects of communion that relate to interpersonal motivational traits. Consistent with the preconditions the following research project aims to investigate the evolutionary needs of the population examined through a semi-structured interview that detects narrative identity, investigating the process of building self into the young adult by evaluating the students' profiles in terms of self-esteem, autonomy, self-awareness and resilience.


This paper argues that identity is only relatively stable and is created and re-created in interactions between the individual and the social world that they inhabit and that learning is developed through social relationships. Through a study of adult literacy learners, it shows that people are not passive but they are constrained by the socio-cultural structures within which they act. It demonstrates that negative experiences of schooling impact on learning identities but participating in programs where students' abilities and achievements are recognised by both their peers and tutors is crucial in changing negative views of their competence as learners.


Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer. Despite effective chemotherapy, 20% of patients will relapse. Therefore, it is critical that we identify novel therapies to treat ALL. We are studying a new small molecule compound known as tubacin (tubulin acetylation inducer) that selectively inhibits histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6). HDAC6 binds to polyubiquitinated misfolded proteins and to dynein motor proteins, including alpha-tubulin, thereby recruiting misfolded or unwanted proteins to aggresomes and subsequent degradation by the lysosome. Tubacin was discovered through a chemical genetic screen of a 7,392 small molecule library and was found to induce acetylation of alpha-tubulin by inhibiting one of the two catalytic domains of HDAC6. This inhibition disrupts the interaction of HDAC6 with dynein resulting in marked accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Previous work demonstrated that treatment of multiple myeloma cells with tubacin inhibited growth at low micromolar concentrations. Tubacin does not appear to affect global histone acetylation, gene expression, or cell cycle regulation. To determine the effects of tubacin in human ALL cells, we treated both B- and T-cell ALL cell lines with varying concentrations of the drug and performed MTT assays. In T-ALL cells (Jurkat, Loucy), the IC50 of tubacin was found to be 1 to 3 uM, while in B-cell ALL cells (REH, Nalm-6), the IC50 was 2 to 5uM. Tubacin induced apoptosis of Jurkat and Loucy cells stained with Annexin V and propidium iodide. Within 12 hours, we observed increased protein polyubiquitination and PARP cleavage, but no difference in Rb phosphorylation in cells treated with tubacin. Furthermore, tubacin treatment increased acetylation of alpha-tubulin in Loucy and Jurkat cells within 3 hours. To study whether tubacin was toxic to normal hematopoietic cells, we treated human bone marrow cells cultured in methylcellulose containing IL-3, IL-6, and Stem Cell Factor with varying concentrations of tubacin. The IC50 of 20uM was determined from numbers of colonies plated in triplicate. Similarly, treatment of normal human lymphocytes cultured in IL-2, demonstrated an IC50 of 16uM. Finally, we examined the effects of tubacin on growth of primary ALL cells. Bone marrow cells from three patients with B-cell ALL at diagnosis were cultured in tubacin at varying concentrations and MTT assays were performed. In two of the three ALL samples, the IC50 was less than 5uM. Experiments to study the effects of tubacin in mouse models of leukemia are in progress. Our results suggest that inhibition of HDAC6 and the aggresome pathway provides a novel approach to treat ALL.


In schools and universities we have witnessed the development of policies designed to develop and encourage active citizenship. This report outlines the findings from a project on citizenship education that involved undergraduate students and school pupils. The projects aim was to identify ways of developing a citizenship curriculum at undergraduate level. This culminated in the validation and delivery of a module that saw 10 undergraduate students contributing to the citizenship curriculum at two secondary schools in High Wycombe. The students were able to explore sociological dimensions of citizenship education within a practical context. This proved to be an innovative project that offered a very valuable academic and practical experience for the students.


The lack of coordination of clinical information communicated between chiropractic and allopathic physicians is detrimental to patients' overall health care. This lack of coordination and communication contributes significantly to the fragmentation of shared patient care among these medical providers. The goal of this research was to identify effective ways to improve coordination of patient information between chiropractic and allopathic physicians through secure methods of electronic communication. This research investigated applying digital pen-and-paper technology, Semantic Web technology standards, and biomedical ontologies to improve coordination of patient information. Specifically, the dissertation investigated whether (1) digital pen-and-paper technology was a viable approach to capture health data electronically; (2) the proposed agile software development methodology was appropriate for prototyping a secure Web-based Health Record (WHR); and (3) a Semantic Web ontology of an electronic health record for chiropractic medicine was feasible. This investigation also initiated awareness for a new informatics specialty coined Chiro-informatics©---the application of computing to solve problems in chiropractic medicine.
Volunteer patients from a chiropractic group who were also being treated by an orthopedist, neurologist, or internist were recruited for this investigation. Authentic health data was collected from these patients using digital pen-and-paper technology, and verified for accuracy using Mi-Forms software. The verified data was then transferred automatically into a relational database where ID Protect was executed to secure anonymity for the patients' identities. This authentic health data along with the anonymous identities provided the information base for prototyping the WHR.
Next, the Extreme Programming (XP) agile software development methodology was followed to prototype the secure WHR successfully. XP use case stories recorded on CRC cards specified nine software requirements of this proof-of-concept: populating, logging in securely, logging out securely, authenticating, authorizing, viewing, updating, downloading, and printing.
Ontologies constitute the backbone of the Semantic Web, which provides data with structure and meaning for computational processing. This research germinated chiro-ontology©, a Semantic Web ontology of an electronic health record for chiropractic medicine. Constructing chiro-ontology is feasible by (1) deploying Semantic Web technology standards for interoperability; (2) leveraging reference ontologies for semantic consistency; and (3) integrating chiropractic expertise for spinal manipulation knowledge.


This investigation sought to compare the transcription techniques of two pianist-composers, Godowsky and Liszt, using three Schubert lieder as examples. The lieder were "Das Wandern" from Die Schone Mullerin, "Gute Nacht" from Winterreise, and "Liebesbotschaft" from Schwanengesang. They were compared using four criteria: tonality, counterpoint, timbral effects, and harmony. Liszt, following a practice common in the nineteenth century, was primarily concerned with bringing new music into the home of the domestic pianist. The piano transcription was the most widely used and successful medium for accomplishing this. Liszt also frequently transcribed pieces of a particular composer in order to promulgate them by featuring them in his recitals. The Schubert lieder fall into this category. Liszt did not drastically alter the original in these compositions. Indeed, in the cases of "Liebesbotschaft" and "Das Wandern," very little alteration beyond the incorporation of the melody into the piano accompaniment, occurs.Godowsky, in contrast, viewed the transcription as a vehicle for composing a new piece. He intended to improve upon the original by adding his own inspiration to it. Godowsky was particularly ingenious in adding counterpoint, often chromatic, to the original. Examples of Godowsky's use of counterpoint can be found in "Das Wandern" and "Gute Nacht." While Liszt strove to remain faithful to Schubert's intentions, Godowsky exercised his ingenuity at will, being only loosely concerned with the texture and atmosphere of the lieder. "Gute Nacht" and "Liebesbotschaft" are two examples that show how far afield Godowsky could stray from the original by the addition of chromatic voicing and counterpoint. Godowsky*s compositions can be viewed as perhaps the final statement on the possibilities of piano writing in the traditional sense. As such these works deserve to be investigated and performed.


A patient with biopsy-proven papular mucinosis, plus the characteristic IgG lambda light chain para-proteinemia, also developed a severe proximal myopathy, seronegative inflammatory polyarthritis, and marked eosinophilia. Muscle enzymes were elevated, EMG was compatible with polymyositis, and muscle biopsy revealed an atypical necrotizing vacuolar myopathy. Synovial biopsy revealed an inflammatory synovitis with Class II synovial fluid. No mucin deposition was detectable in muscle or synovium. During 7 years of observation, corticosteroids and various immunosuppressive agents were successively administered with little benefit. Recently, weekly intravenous methotrexate and low-dose oral corticosteroids have resulted in clinical and laboratory improvement. It is suggested that the pathology in papular mucinosis may include serious rheumatic manifestations in addition to the cutaneous involvement.


This paper describes the problem of model orderreduction for a class of hybrid discrete-time switched linear systems composed of linear discrete-time invariant subsystems with a switching rule. The paper investigates a novel method to model reduction. The approach presents the reachability and observability Gramians of the switched systems, which allows a balanced truncation model reduction procedure. The error limit depends on the truncated singular values and balanced truncation procedure helps to keep the biggest singular values of the system. A numerical example shows the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


A Comparative Nordic Perspective. Across all Nordic countries there is now an intensive debate on changing responsibilities and the division of labour between the state and the regions. The underlying problems in each country are very much the same, but the solutions suggested, implemented and experienced are sometimes different, perhaps not so much in concept as in details. The report contains the results of a project that has been pursued within the context of illuminating comparisons between the five Nordic countries in terms of: • What approaches characterize the current restructuring of state activities and what is their impact on various types of regions? • What conclusions can be drawn concerning a set of alternative future trajectories for the institutional framework of state intervention at the regional level?


Molecular imaging has often provided tantalizing potential for tracking theranostic agents during in vivo studies. Each in vivo imaging modality has its limitations, which has impeded the application of molecular imaging towards theranostics research. For example, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) has been used to detect drug delivery with great molecular specificity due to the unique MR frequencies for each agent.1 However, MRS suffers from poor detection sensitivity, often requiring toxic concentrations of the agent. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) overcomes poor detection sensitivity by directly detecting water that is abundant in soft tissues. Theranostic agents can be labeled or packaged with metals that can influence the water signal detected with MRI.2 Unfortunately, many conditions affect MRI signals, so the specificity of detecting a metal-labeled agent is often lost when detecting the influence of the agent on the MRI signal of the water.

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI is a hybrid of MRS and MRI that has evolved from the chemistry benchtop, to small animal imaging studies, to clinical radiology studies during the past century.3 Saturation at the specific MR frequency of a proton (a hydrogen atom) on a theranostic agent causes the proton's coherent magnetization to disappear. This disappearance in MRI signal is then transferred to water after the agent's proton undergoes chemical exchange with a water molecule. The resulting decrease in water signal can be detected with good sensitivity using standard MRI methods. Despite substantial interest in CEST MRI, concerns have been raised that the intermediate detection sensitivity and specificity may only result in inadequate sensitivity and specificity, resulting in very limited utility of this MRI method for non-invasively tracking theranostic agents during in vivo studies.

A recent study by Prof. Guanshu Liu and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has shown promise that CEST MRI can successfully track a theranostic agent with adequate sensitivity and excellent specificity.4 Citicoline (cytidine-5'-diphosphocholine) is a neurodegenerative therapeutic agent that has shown significant neuroprotective effects afer ischemic stroke. Varying results have been attributed to variable delivery of citicoline, and various routes of administration have been proposed to improve delivery. Thus, there is a justifiable need to track the delivery of citicoline as a theranostic agent. Ideally, this agent should be tracked without labeling the molecule with an imaging probe, which inevitably raises concerns about altered efficacy and/or pharmacokinetics of the theranostic agent.

Fortunately, citicoline contains cytosine that has previously been shown to act as a CEST agent. The amine group and two hydroxyl groups of citicoline have labile protons that readily exchange with water protons. Liu and colleagues showed that selective saturation at the MR frequencies of these specific protons, followed by the detection of decreased water signal, resulted in the sensitive detection of CEST signals from citicoline. Importantly, this CEST detection arises from the labile protons of the agent, obviating the need for labeling the molecule with an imaging probe. Therefore, this drug acts as a CEST agent, and thereby qualifies as a theranostic agent.

As a major breakthrough in CEST MRI reseach, the investigators were able to show sufficiently sensitive detection of citicoline during CEST MRI studies with a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. Initial studies in chemical solution showed that less than 1 mM of citicoline could be reliably detected. To offset concerns that in vivo imaging would require stronger CEST signals than ideal conditions in chemical solutions, Liu and colleagues packaged citicoline in a liposome, concentrating the agent 500,000-fold within the liposome's volume. Interarterial injection of this nanoscale, theranostic agent resulted in good CEST MRI detection of an estimated 2 mM of citicoline within ischemic brain tissues. To further enhance delivery, the investigators also tested a citicholine-containing liposome that was conjugated to antibodies that target vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), which is overexpressed on the endothelial layer of inflamed vessels during cerebral ischemia. Intravenous delivery of the targeting formulation also demonstrated detection of citicoline with CEST MRI just 24 hours after initiating the stroke in the rat model.

Several challenges remain before CEST MRI can be routinely applied for clinical studies of theranostic agents. In particular, the quantification of CEST signals is a complicated exercise, because CEST is affected by the concentration of water and MR properties of the tissue, as well as experimental conditions such as the amplitude and homogeneity of the saturation power applied to generate the CEST effect. Liu and colleagues have mitigated some complications in their experimental design, such as measuring pre- and post-injection CEST signals to differentiate endogenous CEST effects from CEST signals of the exogenous theranostic agent. Furthermore, the investigators of this study propose to use innovative CEST detection methods that can be 'tuned' for preferential detection of agents with specific chemical exchange rates, which may improve the quantification and specificity of detecting theranostic agents in vivo.

Despite this outstanding in vivo imaging demonstration with citicoline, this CEST MRI technique may be challenging to apply to the study of other theranostic agents. As a minor concern, Liu and colleagues used a liposomal formulation during in vivo studies, which provided a large delivery of drug payload to the ischemic tissue. A large payload of agent appears to be a requirement to achieve sufficient CEST detection, which may limit this technique to nanoscale theranostic agents. This is only a minor consideration, because drug nanocarriers are commonly employed in theranostics research so that CEST MRI may still have great utility for tracking these drug formulations. As another concern, citicoline is a well-studied neuroprotective agent with an established safety profile at a very high clinical dose of 500-200 mg daily intravenous administration. This condition suggests that CEST MRI may be limited to tracking theranostic agents that have tolerability at very high doses. As Liu and colleagues indicate in their study, these challenges justify the need for additional studies, including eventual clinical studies.

Molecular imaging research often requires a creative approach that is highly multi-disciplinary. This CEST MRI study by Liu and colleagues certainly exemplifies these characteristics, because this this creative team of researchers combined chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical imaging, and neurobiology to achieve their successful studies. Moreover, proposing to detect a drug with CEST MRI would seem audacious due to the great difference in drug concentrations vs. CEST agent concentrations. Yet this high-risk approach has certainly resulted in a high-reward result of providing a new molecular imaging modality for developing theranostics. For these reasons, Prof. Guanshu Liu and his research collaborators should be commended for their pursuit of theranostics with CEST MRI.


The authors present a planar shape recognition approach based on the hidden Markov model and autoregressive parameters. This approach segments closed shapes to make classifications at a finer level. The algorithm can tolerate a lot of shape contour perturbation and a moderate amount of occlusion. An orientation scheme is described to make the overall classification insensitive to shape orientation. Excellent recognition results have been reported. A distinct advantage of the approach is that the classifier does not have to be trained again when a new class of shapes is added. >


The encourangement of mobility has recently become a key aspect of the EU educational policy caused by the necessity to provide two main dimensions of the internal market such as freedom of the people's and knowledge movement. The article examines the problem of the geographical mobility in the EU over the past decades. Two aspects of the geographical mobility are discussed: the academic mobility and migration from developing countries. The article also describes characteristics of both types of mobility and their underlying causes. Socio-economic problems and global changes have caused the necessity to rethink the approaches to the organisation and realisation of the EU mobility and formation of a new mobility culture. The author analyses the adopted by the EU legal acts and documents in this sphere, and the EU level initiatives and outcomes.


We present a survey of design issues for developing effective free-space three-dimensional (3D) user interfaces. Our survey is based upon previous work in 3D interaction, our experience in developing free-space interfaces, and our informal observations of test users. We illustrate our design issues using examples drawn from instances of 3D interfaces.
For example, our first issue suggests that users have difficulty understanding three-dimensional space. We offer a set of strategies which may help users to better perceive a 3D virtual environment, including the use of spatial references, relative gesture, two-handed interaction, multisensory feedback, physical constraints, and head tracking. We describe interfaces which employ these strategies.
Our major contribution is the synthesis of many scattered results, observations, and examples into a common framework. This framework should serve as a guide to researchers or systems builders who may not be familiar with design issues in spatial input. Where appropriate, we also try to identify areas in free-space 3D interaction which we see as likely candidates for additional research.
An extended and annotated version of the references list for this paper is available on-line through mosaic at address http://uvacs.cs.virginia.edu/~kph2q/.


A Thorough Introduction to the Agile Framework and Methodologies That Are Used Worldwide Organizations of all shapes and sizes are embracing Agile methodologies as a way to transform their products, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement. Many people with varying levels of work experience are interested in understanding the architecture and nuances of Agile, but it is difficult to know where to start. Numerous practitioner books are available, but there has never been a single source for unbiased information about Agile methodologiesuntil now. Introduction to Agile Methods is the place to start for students and professionals who want to understand Agile and become conversant with Agile values, principles, framework, and processes. Authors Sondra Ashmore and Kristin Runyan use academic research and their own experiences with numerous Agile implementations to present a clear description of the essential concepts. They address all key roles and the entire development life cycle, including common roadblocks that must be overcome to be successful. Through the authors realistic use cases, practical examples, and thought-provoking interviews with pioneering practitioners, complex concepts are made relatable. No matter what your role or level of experience, this book provides a foundational understanding that can be used to start or enhance any Agile effort. Coverage includes How Agile compares with the Waterfall method and when to use each Why Agile demands a cultural transformationand how that looks to each participant Comparing various Agile methodologies, including Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), Crystal, Feature Driven Development (FDD), Lean, and DSDM Understanding the roles within Agile and how they work together to create superior results Agile approaches to requirements gathering, planning, estimating, tracking, reporting, testing, quality, and integration Extending Agile beyond IT


Household size has decreased considerably over time. We use a theoretical model for investigating the relationship between household size and the size and internal structure of a city. In a stylized model, single-person households occupy in equilibrium the central parts of the city, while two-person households live in the less central parts. Differences in incomes and costs of transportation drive the results. Using a numerical example we find that a city with an exogenous population shrinks in geographical extension if the share of single-person households increases. The theoretical results are confirmed by data from two selected cities.


Disentangling biotic and abiotic drivers of wild mushroom fruiting is fraught with difficulties because mycelial growth is hidden belowground, symbiotic and saprotrophic supply strategies may interact, and myco‐ecological observations are often either discontinuous or too short. Here, we compiled and analyzed 115 417 weekly fungal fruit body counts from permanent Swiss inventories between 1975 and 2006. Mushroom fruiting exhibited an average autumnal delay of 12 days after 1991 compared with before, the annual number of fruit bodies increased from 1801 to 5414 and the mean species richness doubled from 10 to 20. Intra‐ and interannual coherency of symbiotic and saprotrophic mushroom fruiting, together with little agreement between mycorrhizal yield and tree growth suggests direct climate controls on fruit body formation of both nutritional modes. Our results contradict a previously reported declining of mushroom harvests and propose rethinking the conceptual role of symbiotic pathways in fungi‐host interaction. Moreover, this conceptual advancement may foster new cross‐disciplinary research avenues, and stimulate questions about possible amplifications of the global carbon cycle, as enhanced fungal production in moist mid‐latitude forests rises carbon cycling and thus increases greenhouse gas exchanges between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere.


The research paper focuses on the development of a generic framework and architecture for building an integrated end-to-end security infrastructure and closed-loop solution to secure e-commerce and m-commerce. As an integral component, an intelligent decision support mechanism is developed in helping systems designers and managers make architectural, design, implementation, and deployment decisions on employing particular security solutions to issues and requirements arising in various e-commerce and m-commerce scenarios. In addition, this research identifies the key features, options and benefits of several security technologies as well as provide guidelines in managing the costs and complexities involved in the deployment of those security solutions. As an important groundwork for building a prototype based on the proposed research work, a study has been conducted to investigate the current B2B ecommerce operations between Pratt & Whitney (P&W) [15] (a division of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) [17]) and its partnering e-business and supply chain players in the aviation industry.


The textured images are classified with a supervised segmentation algorithm (the classifier is trained first on texture samples). Texture features are extracted in the frequency domain and classified by a vector quantizer. Since feature vectors are computed and classified independently, for each pixel, a Kuwahara-like filter is used on the final classification to improve consistency. Feature vectors are computed by taking a 2D Fourier transform of a window centered on a pixel; the phase is discarded, while the magnitude of the transform is retained and mapped to polar coordinates. The polar mapping improves the precision of the classifier on the test problems. Principal component analysis is used to compact the feature vector and contain the complexity of the vector quantizer used to select a small number of representative signatures for each class. The training yields a small codebook associated with each texture image of the training set


A well-known parable is that of the blind men studying an elephant each of which assert the elephant is the part they first hold in their hands, e.g., "rope!" says the tail holder while the leg holder asserts "tree!" The various subdisciplines of ecology appear similar in that we each engage in our enthusiastic but at least somewhat myopic study with remarkably limited agreement or even discussion about the overall system which we all study. Allometric trophic network (ATN) theory offers a path out of this dilemma by integrating across scales, taxa, habitats and organizational levels from physiology to ecosystems based on consumer-resource interactions among co-existing organisms. The network architecture and the metabolic and behavioral processes that determine the structure and dynamics of these interactions form the first principles of ATN theory, which in turn provides a synthetic overview and powerfully predictive framework for ecology from organisms to ecosystems. Beyond ecology, ATN theory also synthesizes eco-evolutionary and socio-ecological research still largely based on consumer-resource mechanisms but respectively integrated with different processes including natural selection and market mechanisms. This paper briefly describes foundations, advances, and future directions of ATN theory including predicting an ecosystem's phenotype from its community's genotype in order to accelerate more predictive and unified understanding of the complex systems studied by ecologists and other environmental scientists.


Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by increased non-social anxiety, sensitivity to sounds and hypersociability. Previous studies have reported contradictory findings with regard to regional brain variation in WS, relying on only one type of morphological measure (usually volume) in each study. The present study aims to contribute to this body of literature and perhaps elucidate some of these discrepancies by examining concurrent measures of cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volume between WS subjects and typically-developing (TD) controls. High resolution MRI scans were obtained on 31 WS subjects and 50 typically developing control subjects. We derived quantitative regional estimates of cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical volume using FreeSurfer software. We evaluated between-group ROI differences while controlling for total intracranial volume. In post-hoc exploratory analyses within the WS group, we tested for correlations between regional brain variation and Beck Anxiety Inventory scores. Consistent with our hypothesis, we detected complex patterns of between-group cortical variation, which included lower surface area in combination with greater thickness in the following cortical regions: post central gyrus, cuneus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex and lingual gyrus. Additional cortical regions showed between-group differences in one (but not both) morphological measures. Subcortical volume was lower in the basal ganglia and the hippocampus in WS versus TD controls. Exploratory correlations revealed that anxiety scores were negatively correlated with gray matter surface area in insula, OFC, rostral middle frontal, superior temporal and lingual gyrus. Our results were consistent with previous reports showing structural alterations in regions supporting the socio-affective and visuospatial impairments in WS. However, we also were able to effectively capture novel and complex patterns of cortical differences using both surface area and thickness. In addition, correlation results implicate specific brain regions in levels of anxiety in WS, consistent with previous reports investigating general anxiety disorders in the general population.


The purpose of this paper was to evaluate attributes derived from fully polarimetric PALSAR data to discriminate and map macrophyte species in the Amazon floodplain wetlands. Field work was carried out almost simultaneously to the radar acquisition, and macrophyte biomass and morphological variables were measured in the field. Attributes were calculated from the covariance matrix [C] derived from the single-look complex data. Image attributes and macrophyte variables were compared and analyzed to investigate the sensitivity of the attributes for discriminating among species. Based on these analyses, a rule-based classification was applied to map macrophyte species. Other classification approaches were tested and compared to the rule-based method: a classification based on the Freeman-Durden and Cloude-Pottier decomposition models, a hybrid classification (Wishart classifier with the input classes based on the H/a plane), and a statistical based classification (supervised classification using Wishart distance measures). The findings show that attributes derived from fully polarimetric L-band data have good potential for discriminating herbaceous plant species based on morphology and that estimation of plant biomass and productivity could be improved by using these polarimetric attributes.


For a great number of fictional writers in the postcolonial paradigm pluralism is organic, translation is an inevitable way of life, and translation consciousness and strategies can be a way of reinforcing rather than weakening different linguistic and cultural identities, because above all translation is used as a way to get access to the central arena of the postcolonial polysystem: it is a powerful tactic within a larger movement of cultural resistance. This paper intends to reflect upon how the study of these transcultural fictions understood as translated literature within the global polysystem, may be of great help when it comes to delineating a theoretical reflection on post- colonial translation practice. Such study should provide us with a better understanding of: a) the form and function of these literatures, and b) possible strategies for the translation of culturally heterogeneous texts, in the light of what authors who translate themselves have done. The specific literary examples we will mention to illustrate our points are the transcultural narratives of the Peruvian José María Arguedas and the Indian Vikram Chandra.


Soft tissue models are of many types, but each type has its own problems in terms of realistic appearance and computational efficiency. In this study, we propose a hybrid model based on dynamic volume splines which combine the advantages of these models. To simulate a realistic appearance, biomechanical properties of the real tissue are obtained by force–displacement experiments and used to tune the parameters of the model. Unlike the usual types described in the literature, a new experiment is proposed where displacement is measured not only for the point of force application but also for the region around the applied force. In our study, multiple camera views were used to enable 3D reconstruction of the surface. The differences arising between the surfaces obtained before and after the application of force were then used in optimization-based inverse solution methods, and the estimated parameters were found to be consistent with the biomechanical tissue properties described in the literature.


cases. Of the 30 matched cases 29 were accurately diagnosed with the use of EUS-FNA and ROSE: 24 were neoplastic and 5 were negative for neoplasm. Th e 1 false negative case was determined to be atypical cells by EUS-FNA, but was found to be adenocarcinoma. Of the 25 neoplastic/malignant cases: 19 adenocarcinoma, 3 pancreatic endocrine neoplasm, 1 solid pseudopapillary tumor, 1 intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, 1 mucinous cystic neoplasm. Th e accuracy of EUS-FNA for pancreatic malignancy/ neoplasm was 96% [24/25]. Overall accuracy when examining matched specimens was 97% [29/30]. Conclusion: Th e use of ROSE with CG improves cytological adequacy and the diagnostic yield of endoscopic EUS-FNA. Th e communication and feedback allow for improved sensitivity and providing more accurate results while only utilizing the appropriate number of passes required.


Purpose

In the context of crowdsourced new product development (NPD), the purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimal level of community involvement (CI) (e.g. zero, limited, and high) when creating products from the perspectives of both ordinary and advanced users. The authors also investigate the influence of design interest and need for social affiliation on users' attitudes toward and willingness to use community co-design.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted two survey studies using ordinary (Study 1, n=199) and advanced users (Study 2, n=131) to evaluate the co-designed T-shirts reflecting varying levels of CI (i.e. zero, limited, and high). The stimuli for both studies were the same and included ten sets of T-shirt co-designs generated from a CI crowdsourced website, Threadless. Fishbein's (1963) multi-attribute attitude model was used to compute subjects' overall attitude score toward the T-shirt co-designs.

Findings

Results showed both ordinary and advanced user groups rated the design quality of products reflecting limited CI lower than those of zero CI. Advanced users also rated the design quality and sales potential of products from limited CI lower than those of high CI. Further, advanced users indicated that products resulting from high CI reflected significantly better designs with regard to color, shape/line, size, general theme, and overall design as compared to products from limited CI. Design interest as well as need for social affiliation influenced users' willingness to use community co-design and their attitudes toward a community co-design experience.

Originality/value

The research made an important differentiation between zero, limited, and high CI during the co-design process as well as between ordinary users and advanced users contributed to the extant literature addressing crowdsourcing in NPD.


Prechirp technique, as a linear dispersion compensation for intensity modulation direct detection (IM-DD) optical transmission systems, has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. This technique is based on a predistortion technique in an optical transmitter. Implementation to the ordinary IM-DD optical transmitter, which uses an external intensity modulator, is easily realized merely by adding a small injection current modulation to a semiconductor laser diode, allowable optical transmission fiber dispersion will be more than doubled with this technique, modified prechirp technique, which utilizes a time division superimposing prechirped bit streams, has also been investigated to achieve greater dispersion compensation capability. >


The ulcer healing activity of whole-plant extract of Ficus delroidea was studied in gastric ulcer induced by ethanol in rats. Four groups of adult male Sprague dawley rats were pre-treated respectively with distilled water (negative control), 250 and 500 mg kg -1 F. deltoidea extract (experimental) and omeprazole positive control) 30 min before oral. administration with absolute ethanol to generate gastric mucosal injury. After 1 h later, the rats were sacrificed and the ulcer areas and histological sections of gastric-walls were determined. Grossly, the negative control rats exhibited 7 mucosal injury whereas pre-treatment with F. deltoidea or omeprazole resulted in significantly less gastric mucosal lesions produced by ulcerogen's. The gastric protection was more prominent in 500 mg kg -1 F. deltoidea extra than 250 mg kg -1. Histological studies confirmed the results wherein compared to the pre-treated and thus cytoprotected groups of rats, the negative control rats showed very severe and deep gastric mucosal necrotic damage, along with edema and leucocytes infiltration of the submucosal layer. In conclusion, the present finding suggests that F. deltoidea extract promotes ulcer protection as ascertained by the comparative significant decreases in ulcer areas and inhibition of submucosal edema and leucocytes infiltration of submucosal layer. © Medwell Journals, 2009.


Glioblastoma multiforme is the most deadly primary brain tumor. Current therapies have not demonstrated improved outcomes for patients; generally the median life expectancy is 8–15 months. Due to brain tumor cells dependence on glucose as a sole energy source, there is potential to target treatments towards glucose metabolism. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet that has proven successful in the animal model. However, human studies are limited and there currently is not enough research to conclude the KD is an effective therapy. A few aspects need to be addressed for inclusion in protocols of future studies: (1) when to initiate the KD during treatment; (2) how much carbohydrate per day to provide to patients; (3) how to ensure patient compliance to diet; (4) the optimum duration of the diet; (5) how to mitigating patient weight loss. In addition, the registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN) is a vital, and underutilized, member of the health care team. The inclusion of a RD to future KD protocol, as well as oncology practices, can enhance patient outcomes and help future patients overcome barriers when adhering to the KD.


Currently, an estimated 50 million people in the European Union live with multiple chronic diseases (multimorbidity) and this number is expected to increase further in the near future. As multimorbidity deeply impacts on people's quality of life – not only physically, but also mentally and socially – there is a growing demand for multidisciplinary care that is tailored to the specific health and social needs of these people. Integrated care programmes have the potential adequately to respond to the comprehensive needs of people with multimorbidity by taking a holistic approach while making efficient use of resources. Such programmes are characterised by providing patientcentred, proactive and coordinated multidisciplinary care, using new technologies to support patients' self-management and improve collaboration between care providers.


Researchers have long been interested in stability and changes in offending patterns between and within individuals during the life-course. Using data from the Oregon Department of Corrections and the Oregon State Police, the current study explores misconduct trajectories and also attempts to determine whether certain preprison inmate characteristics specified in the importation model are associated with various misconduct trajectories. Results indicate that there are subgroups of inmates engaged in different patterns of institutional misconduct during the course of years of imprisonment. In addition, certain inmate characteristics can be used to explain the identified heterogeneity in inmate misconduct. Findings from trajectory analyses can be useful to prison officials and policy makers when planning prison services, assistance, and programming for subgroups of inmates.


Reflective coatings have been promoted for improved energy performance of buildings and are considered in some building regulations such as the California Title 24 standard. This paper provides an analysis of the energy impact of different internal and external surface coatings on heating and cooling energy performance across a variety of climates, constructions and building types. The analysis is undertaken with the ESP-r integrated whole building simulation program. The results are compared with other studies and conclusions are drawn. The effect of these properties is shown to affect the energy performance of buildings and to vary with the context.


Establishing secure links between pairs of directly connected sensor nodes is an important primitive for building secure wireless sensor networks. This paper systematically identifies two important security requirements of pairwise key setup in wireless sensor networks, namely opaqueness and inoculation. Transitory master key schemes, such as the LEAP protocol, can satisfy both requirements if the master key has not been compromised. However, if the master key is compromised, every key in the network is exposed to an adversary. To prevent the master key from becoming a single point failure of the whole system, we propose a new opaque transitory master key (OTMK) scheme for pairwise key setup in sensor networks. In OTMK, even if the master key is compromised, an adversary can only exploit a small number of keys nearby the compromised node, while other keys in the network remain safe. To further investigate key establishment schemes, we experimented with a way to compromise a sensor node, and tested our key establishment time in a real sensor network environment.


Abstract : It has been known for many years that red phosphorus reacts with moist air to produce phosphorus oxyacids and phosphine. The detailed mechanism remains unknown. This problem is of great concern to MoD and to pyrotechnics manufacturers because of the present and likely future importance of red phosphorus as the major constituent of compositions for visual and infrared screening, and because of the concern about the toxicity of phosphine and the possible consequent degradation of the performance of stores containing red phosphorus. Because red phosphorus is used extensively in the plastics industry much work has been published in the patents literature on ways of reducing the rate of evolution of phosphine. The scientific basis for the various claims is not well understood. This report comments on the pyrotechnic problems of using red phosphorus, and surveys the literature (largely patents) to accumulate the wide range of materials which have been claimed to be affective as phosphine and acidity suppressers. Recommendations are made for future research work to clarify the reaction mechanisms. for collaboration between red phosphorus and pyrotechnics manufacturers work to improve the ingredients supply and processing of red phosphorus pyrotechnic compositions for the development of non-destructive test methods for the stability of powdered and compacted composition, and for the quantification of toxic and environmental hazards arising from the use of red phosphorus.


Sustainable development is an integral part of economic development in all countries, even when attention is driven away from it. The balance between the need of humanity to produce and the desire to not destroy the planet in the process is constantly questioned and shaken. With the disruptive new models that Industry 4.0 has shown to the world, and with the constantly expanding opportunities for technologies, production, and improvement of the way businesses function, the question of sustainability stands. How will the new business models affect sustainable development, and will they manage to put humanity's future in the spotlight? This paper explores the opportunities to sustainable development, introduced by Industry 4.0.


We present typing rules for the Web query language Xcerpt. The rules provide a descriptive type system: the typing of a program is an approximation of its semantics. The rules can also be seen as an abstract form of a type inference algorithm (presented in previous work), and as a stage in a formal soundness proof of the algorithm. The paper considers a substantial fragment of Xcerpt; the main restriction is that we deal with data terms corresponding to trees (instead of general graphs), and we do not deal with Xcerpt rule chaining. We provide a formal semantics for the fragment of Xcerpt and a soundness theorem for the presented type system. The semantics is a basis for a soundness proof of the typing system, the proof is given in a full version of this paper.


Geometric model fitting is a challenging but fundamental computer vision problem. Recently, quantum optimization has been shown to enhance robust fitting for the case of a single model, while leaving the question of multi-model fitting open. In response to this challenge, this paper shows that the latter case can significantly benefit from quantum hardware and proposes the first quantum approach to multimodel fitting (MMF). We formulate MMF as a problem that can be efficiently sampled by modern adiabatic quantum computers without the relaxation of the objective function. We also propose an iterative and decomposed version of our method, which supports real-world-sized problems. The experimental evaluation demonstrates promising results on a variety of datasets. The source code is available at: https://github.com/FarinaMatteo/qmmf.


Thermal resistance and temperature distribution for high-power AlGaInN LED chip-on-board arrays in blue and white versions were measured by different methods and tools. The p-n junction temperature was determined through measuring a temperature-dependent forward voltage drop on the p-n junction, at a low measuring current after applying a high heating current. Furthermore, the infrared thermal imaging technique was employed to obtain the temperature map for the test object. A steady-state 3D computational model of the experimental setup was created including temperature-dependent power dissipation in the LED chips and partitioned interfacial thermal resistance between the heatsink and the LED array. Simulations of the heat transfer in the LED array were performed to further investigate temperature gradients observed in the measurements.


Different histopathologic classifications have been used in the study of malignant lymphomas. The clinical relevance (reproducibility, prognostic value) has not been precisely studied. The "non-Hodgkin's lymphoma classification project" has been organized to study a cohort of 1,403 cases in 9 sites around the world consisting of consecutive patients seen between 1988 and 1990 in order to have a good follow-up. The reproducibility of the up-dated Kiel and the ILSG (REAL) classifications between the 5 visiting expert hematopathologists was pretty good, at least 85% for the majority of the entities. According to survival curves, the lymphomas can be stratified in 4 different groups. Comparison with the international prognostic index demonstrate that for therapeutic strategy both histopathology and index should be used. The results bring a good support to the project of the WHO to propose the first international classification of lymphomas based on both forme classifications.


For centuries, chewing sticks have been used as a tooth-cleaning device. One of the most commonly used types is known as the Miswak. Despite its common use, few studies have examined possible effects on the gingiva and the surrounding structures. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Miswak and periodontal health. The incisors, canines, and premolars were examined in 236 patients. All patients were interviewed regarding their demographic data, oral hygiene habits, and use of Miswak. Clinical examination included scoring of plaque, gingival inflammation, pocket depths, attachment loss, and gingival recession. Patients were divided into three groups: a Miswak group, a toothbrush group, and a Miswak/toothbrush group. The results of this study indicated that use of the Miswak may influence plaque accumulation and periodontal health.


Multiple stressors threaten stream physical and biological quality, including elevated nutrients and other contaminants, riparian and in-stream habitat degradation and altered natural flow regime. Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development is one emerging stressor that spans the U.S. UOG development could alter stream sedimentation, riparian extent and composition, in-stream flow, and water quality. We developed indices to describe the watershed sensitivity and exposure to natural and anthropogenic disturbances and computed a vulnerability index from these two scores across stream catchments in six productive shale plays. We predicted that catchment vulnerability scores would vary across plays due to climatic, geologic and anthropogenic differences. Across-shale averages supported this prediction revealing differences in catchment sensitivity, exposure, and vulnerability scores that resulted from different natural and anthropogenic environmental conditions. For example, semi-arid Western shale play catchments (Mowry, Hilliard, and Bakken) tended to be more sensitive to stressors due to low annual average precipitation and extensive grassland. Catchments in the Barnett and Marcellus-Utica were naturally sensitive from more erosive soils and steeper catchment slopes, but these catchments also experienced areas with greater UOG densities and urbanization. Our analysis suggested Fayetteville and Barnett catchments were vulnerable due to existing anthropogenic exposure. However, all shale plays had catchments that spanned a wide vulnerability gradient. Our results identify vulnerable catchments that can help prioritize stream protection and monitoring efforts. Resource managers can also use these findings to guide local development activities to help reduce possible environmental effects.


ABSTRACT: Resistance evolution in weeds against all major herbicide groups demand investigations to identify various factors responsible for resistance development. Herbicide hormesis has not yet been included in the list of factors promoting the evolution of resistance. Studies were conducted to evaluate the degree of hormesis in fenoxaprop-p-ethyl susceptible and resistant Phalaris minor to provide a first indication of whether hormesis is a potential factor in the development of resistance. In the first experiment, a wide range of doses up to 160% of the recommended field rate was used to identify potential hormetic doses for resistant and susceptible P. minor populations. Doses below 40% have been designated as potential hormetic doses. In the second experiment, ten different doses of fenoxaprop below 40% (0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32% of the recommended rate) were sprayed at the 4-5 leaf stage of both resistant and susceptible P. minor populations. At fifteen days after spraying, dose range of 2-12% and 2-20% caused a significant increase (up to 22% and 24%) in growth traits of susceptible and resistant populations, respectively. At maturity, dose range of 2-12% for susceptible and 2-24% for resistant populations caused a significant increase (up to 20% and 57%) in growth and seed production potential (13% and 17%), respectively. The upper limit of the hormetic dose range (16 to 24%) for the resistant population was inhibitory for the susceptible populations. These results indicate that fenoxaprop hormesis could play a vital role in the evolution of fenoxaprop resistance in P. minor.


This study aims firstly to compare the complaints of local native-Malay speakers and expatriate native-English speakers in Brunei in terms of move structure and levels of directness combined with the frequency of modality markers; and secondly, it attempts to address the relationship between polite behaviour and its effectiveness in eliciting the appropriate response from the hearer. Data from an oral discourse completion task show interesting similarities and differences in the complaint move structure between the two groups of speakers. Superficially, there appears to be no significant difference between the two sets of complaints in terms of levels of directness, but a detailed analysis shows each group employing different mitigating strategies to minimise the force of a complaint. Furthermore, responses from an acceptability judgement questionnaire indicate that being indirect, and therefore polite, may not be effective in eliciting the appropriate response to a request for action in a complaint speech act.


The number of antigenic components detectable in system s such as H-2 in mice depends in part upon technical developments. It is also limited by the number of genetically different individuals available for study and a formula for deducing the number of antigenic components detectable for N unrelated systems is given in the text. If parental types and descendants derived from them by crossing over are included the possibilities are decreased. A new antigenic factor(s) has been brought to light by technical improvements and two more have been revealed by crossing over. Three cross-over combinations H-2g, H-2h and H-2i are now available as homozygotes. A preliminary map gives the order DCVK for genes within the H-2 system. The relative positions of E and K are not yet known but their genes are closely linked. The frequency of recombination between D and K was 1⋅03% for both sexes and 1⋅4% for females. Values obtained by other workers are given in the text. It is concluded that crossing over must make a material contribution to the polymorphism of the H-2 system. No convincing example of mutation within the system has been published as yet. One new cross-over system H-2i appears to have certain selective disadvantages whilst statistical evidence strongly indicates that H-2b, H-2d and H-2k are favoured by selection under laboratory conditions.


Surface water used for produce production is a potential source of pre-harvest contamination with foodborne pathogens. Decisions on how to mitigate food safety risks associated with pre-harvest water use currently rely on generic Escherichia coli-based water quality tests, although multiple studies have suggested that E. coli levels are not a suitable indicator of the food safety risks under all relevant environmental conditions. Hence, improved understanding of spatiotemporal variability in surface water microbiota composition is needed to facilitate identification of alternative or supplementary indicators that co-occur with pathogens. To this end, we aimed to characterize the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the sediment and water fractions of 68 agricultural water samples collected from six New York streams. We investigated potential associations between the composition of microbial communities, environmental factors and Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes isolation. We found significantly different composition of fungal and bacterial communities among sampled streams and among water fractions of collected samples. This indicates that geography and the amount of sediment in a collected water sample may affect its microbial composition, which was further supported by identified associations between the flow rate, turbidity, pH and conductivity, and microbial community composition. Lastly, we identified specific microbial families that were weakly associated with the presence of Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes, however, further studies on samples from additional streams are needed to assess whether identified families may be used as indicators of pathogen presence.


We propose a concept of quantum computing which incorporates an additional kind of uncertainty, i.e. vagueness (fuzziness), in a natural way by introducing new entities, obscure qudits (e.g. obscure qubits), which are characterized simultaneously by a quantum probability and by a membership function. To achieve this, a membership amplitude for quantum states is introduced alongside the quantum amplitude. The Born rule is used for the quantum probability only, while the membership function can be computed from the membership amplitudes according to a chosen model. Two different versions of this approach are given here: the "product" obscure qubit, where the resulting amplitude is a product of the quantum amplitude and the membership amplitude, and the "Kronecker" obscure qubit, where quantum and vagueness computations are to be performed independently (i.e. quantum computation alongside truth evaluation). The latter is called a double obscure-quantum computation. In this case, the measurement becomes mixed in the quantum and obscure amplitudes, while the density matrix is not idempotent. The obscure-quantum gates act not in the tensor product of spaces, but in the direct product of quantum Hilbert space and so called membership space which are of different natures and properties. The concept of double (obscure-quantum) entanglement is introduced, and vector and scalar concurrences are proposed, with some examples being given.


Abstract Stochastic modeling of investment returns is an important topic for actuaries who deal with variable annuity and segregated fund investment guarantees. The traditional lognormal stock return model is simple, but it is generally less appealing for longer-term problems. In recent years, the use of regime-switching lognormal (RSLN) processes for modeling maturity guarantees has been gaining popularity. In this paper we introduce the class of mixture Gaussian time series processes for modeling long-term stock market returns. It offers an alternative class of models to actuaries who may be experimenting with the RSLN process. We use monthly data from the Toronto Stock Exchange 300 and the Standard and Poor-s 500 indices to illustrate the mixture time series modeling procedures, and we compare the fits of the mixture models to the lognormal and RSLN models. Finally, we give a numerical example comparing risk measures for a simple segregated fund contract under different stochastic return models.


Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is uncommon in Asia. Limited awareness can lead to stigmatization of those with T1D. Aims: We aimed to evaluate diabetes stigma in adults with T1D in Singapore. Methods: This was a cross-sectional sampling of adults with T1D in a tertiary public hospital, using the Type 1 Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale (DSAS-1). Higher scores indicate greater levels of stigma. Results: 125 Singaporeans (mean age 31.2 ± 11.2 y), T1D duration 13.8 ± 7.3 y, M/F: 51/74, 107 on insulin injections, 18 on insulin pumps were sampled. Item response patterns (Figure) suggest a greater burden of stigma in the blame and judgment and identity concerns subscales. DSAS-1 scores did not differ by gender, treatment regimen, age, education level or employment. Identity concerns subscale scores were lower in those with T1D for >10y (n=73) than those with shorter T1D duration (18.9 ± 5.6 v 21.7 ± 7.3, p=0.045). Total DSAS-1 and subscale scores were similar to those of an Australian (Oz) cohort (n=900) (Sg-v-Oz: Total score 53.1 ± 12.9 vs. 53.0 ± 15.6, Treated differently 13.6 ± 4.0 v 13.6 ± 5.4, Blame and Judgment 19.9 ± 5.2 v 19.9 ± 6.0, and Identity Concerns: 19.6 ± 6.4 v 19.5 ± 7.2, all p>0.05). Conclusion: This is novel data documenting significant levels of diabetes stigma among adults in Singapore, particularly relating to blame and judgment and identity concerns. Despite the low prevalence of T1D in Asia, levels of stigma appeared similar to that of an Australian T1D cohort. Disclosure A.Y.R. Lam: None. D. Gardner: None. S. Rama Chandran: None. E.P. Teo: None. L. Zhu: None. G. Koh: None. S. Goh: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Amgen Inc., Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier.


Control of a class of uncertain nonlinear systems, which estimates unavailable state variables, is considered. A new approach for robust tracking control problem of satellite for large rotational maneuvers is presented in this paper. The features of this approach include a strong algorithm to estimate attitude, based on discrete extended Kalman filter combined with a continuous extended Kalman filter and attitude nonlinear model, and a robust controller based on sliding-mode with perturbation estimation. Estimation accuracy in this method is five times higher than other recent approaches based on Kalman filter. We have used sliding-mode controller in this paper. Not only the controller and the corresponding observer but also their composition must be robust. To make this controller robust against the uncertainty of parameters, the robust Kalman filter is used. Based on interval algebra, an upper bound and a lower bound are estimated for state variables of the system and considering these bounds in indicating the sliding conditions, stability of the controller in combination with the observer will be satisfied simultaneously. The simulation results show the capability of this method in spite of different uncertainty levels (up to %50).


Both symmetry and organized breaking of symmetry have a pivotal role in our understanding of structure and pattern formation in physical systems, including the origin of mass in the Universe and the chiral structure of biological macromolecules. Here we report on a new symmetry breaking phenomenon that takes place in all biologically active proteins, thus this symmetry breaking relates to the inception of life. The unbroken symmetry determines the covalent bond geometry of a sp3 hybridized carbon atom. It dictates the tetrahedral architecture of atoms around the central carbon of an amino acid. Here we show that in a biologically active protein this symmetry becomes broken. Moreover, we show that the pattern of symmetry breaking is in a direct correspondence with the local secondary structure of the folded protein.


Abstract. Airborne particles or aerosols have long been recognised for their major contribution to uncertainty in climate change. In addition, aerosol amounts must be known for accurate atmospheric correction of remotely sensed images, and are required to accurately gauge the available solar resource. However, despite great advances in surface networks and satellite retrievals over recent years, long-term continental-scale aerosol data sets are lacking. Here we present an aerosol assessment over Australia based on combined sun photometer measurements from the Bureau of Meteorology Radiation Network and CSIRO/AeroSpan. The measurements are continental in coverage, comprising 22 stations, and generally decadal in timescale, totalling 207 station-years. Monthly climatologies are given at all stations. Spectral decomposition shows that the time series can be represented as a weighted sum of sinusoids with periods of 12, 6 and 4 months, corresponding to the annual cycle and its second and third harmonics. Their relative amplitudes and phase relationships lead to sawtooth-like waveforms sharply rising to an austral spring peak, with a slower decline often including a secondary peak during the summer. The amplitude and phase of these periodic components show significant regional change across the continent. Fits based on this harmonic analysis are used to separate the periodic and episodic components of the aerosol time series. An exploratory classification of the aerosol types is undertaken based on (a) the relative periodic amplitudes of the Angstrom exponent and aerosol optical depth, (b) the relative amplitudes of the 6- and 4-month harmonic components of the aerosol optical depth, and (c) the ratio of episodic to periodic variation in aerosol optical depth. It is shown that Australian aerosol can be broadly grouped into three classes: tropical, arid and temperate. Statistically significant decadal trends are found at 4 of the 22 stations. Despite the apparently small associated declining trends in mid-visible aerosol optical depth of between 0.001 and 0.002 per year, these trends are much larger than those projected to occur due to declining emissions of anthropogenic aerosols from the Northern Hemisphere. There is remarkable long-range coherence in the aerosol cycle across the continent, suggesting broadly similar source characteristics, including a possible role for intercontinental transport of biomass burning aerosol.


In this paper, we consider the convergence of an abstract inexact nonconvex and nonsmooth algorithm. We promise a pseudo sufficient descent condition and a pseudo relative error condition, which both are related to an auxiliary sequence, for the algorithm; and a continuity condition is assumed to hold. In fact, a wide of classical inexact nonconvex and nonsmooth algorithms allow these three conditions. Under the finite energy assumption on the auxiliary sequence, we prove the sequence generated by the general algorithm converges to a critical point of the objective function if being assumed Kurdyka- Lojasiewicz property. The core of the proofs lies on building a new Lyapunov function, whose successive difference provides a bound for the successive difference of the points generated by the algorithm. And then, we apply our findings to several classical nonconvex iterative algorithms and derive corresponding convergence results.


Overview: On 12 September last year, the national terrorism advisory was raised by Prime Minister Abbott from medium to high on the advice of outgoing ASIO Director-General, David Irvine. Since September 12, 2001, we'd been on a medium level alert. This paper suggests five immediate changes which could help make our terrorism warning system better meet the public's expectation that the government will provide useful information on terrorist threats and advice about required changes to behaviour. In the campaign against homegrown violent extremism, the government's responsibility isn't just to produce advisories; it's to ensure that our terrorism alert system is understood by the community.


The yield response to broiler litter application within an irrigated, intensive doublecropped rotation using conservation tillage practices is estimated for five row crops. Demand functions for broiler litter are derived for each row crop, and the total demand for broiler litter within a four-county area of Southwest Georgia is estimated. Results indicate, at prevailing prices, profit maximizing behavior would likely lead to litter application rates that exceed agronomic and environmental recommendations, especially for cotton.


Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, plays a crucial role in numerous diseases, including cancer. Anti-angiogenesis therapies have been developed to starve cancer cells from nutrients. Clinically approved anti-angiogenic drugs prolong the survival of cancer patients, but their success is limited by intrinsic refractoriness and acquired resistance. New strategies are thus needed to block tumor angiogenesis via alternative mechanisms. We recently reported that PFKFB3-driven glycolysis regulates the endothelial tip cell function during vessel sprouting, even capable of overruling the potent pro-stalk activity of Notch, and that its loss in endothelial cells causes vascular hypobranching defects. Moreover, partial and transient reduction of glycolysis by blocking PFKFB3 reduced pathological angiogenesis in several disease models. Ongoing studies explore the role of lipid and amino acid metabolism in vessel sprouting, and assess the therapeutic potential of targeting these metabolic pathways for anti-angiogenic therapy. Citation Format: Peter Carmeliet. Angiogenesis revisited: Principles and strategies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Angiogenesis and Vascular Normalization: Bench to Bedside to Biomarkers; Mar 5-8, 2015; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl):Abstract nr IA23.