The clinical fate of 73 schizophrenic patients collected from a rural general practice in England was followed for 38 years. The incidence of schizophrenia appears to have fallen since the introduction of phenothiazine drugs, and a more liberal attitude has developed toward these patients. Of these patients, 35% were permanently scarred and disabled by the disease; 28% of those who were traced had made a complete recovery. The outlook for victims of schizophrenia is better than it was in 1946. Some of the reasons for this improvement are explained.


The use of the Biocompatible Solid-Phase Microextraction (BioSPME) fiber in Grant et al. original work was to create an analysis method that is faster and simpler in identifying fentanyl in postmortem blood than current analysis methods.  While the study was able to demonstrate that fentanyl was able to be absorbed onto the fiber and analyzed through the use of GC-MS and LC-MS-MS, the data reported was beyond the sensitivity for both instruments.  The purpose of this communication is to provide more information regarding the methodology and sensitivity for both instruments and to reinterpret the data when comparing to the results from Health Network Laboratories.  Based on the reinterpreted data, this current method was consistent with the results from Health Network Laboratories in identifying fentanyl in postmortem blood concentration equal to or greater than 21.4 ng/mL.


Work quality measures are fundamental to study population welfare. Labour activity occupies most of the workers' day, so quantifying people's welfare by means of work quality is central. Decent work indicators have the aim of establishing the characteristics of an employment relationship to verify that a job is carried out under conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity. The purpose of these indicators is to measure the degree to which a certain goal has been achieved in order to develop precise policies to improve people's standard of living. In this paper, a proposal is developed to measure decent work deficit in a linguistic way. A complete decent work index model is formulated using linguistic labels and the linguistic weighted average operator. Finally, some comments are made about the benefits of using linguistic variables when measuring work quality.


The decades-long effort to develop diseaseslowing therapy for Alzheimer's disease has been littered with failure and frustration. Academic investigators have debated the reasons, reaching starkly different conclusions. Some companies have abandoned their efforts. Most of the clinical trials have focused on targeting amyloid. The rationale has been compelling, but the number of negative trials has led many to urge abandoning the strategy. Contentious debate peaked over the aducanumab development program. Aducanumab was the first antiamyloid monoclonal antibody to demonstrate substantial reduction in brain fibrillar amyloid associated with apparent slowing of clinical progression (1). But the Phase 3 program was interrupted based on a flawed interim futility analysis, yielding two incomplete datasets with conflicting results (2). U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewers drew different conclusions about the overall submission, while the external advisory committee voted against approval. The final FDA decision was accelerated approval based on the view that amyloid reduction, clearly demonstrated in both pivotal trials, was reasonably likely to predict clinically meaningful benefit; this conclusion was supported by Phase 2 trial data for two other amyloidlowering antibodies, lecanemab and donanemab (3). The accelerated approval required an additional study postmarketing that supported a clinical benefit. Debate raged on in the field and in the media, with many urging that AD drug development efforts be re-directed to other therapeutic strategies. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decided that apart from approved trials aducanumab therapy would not be reimbursed. The sponsor discontinued marketing aducanumab while pursuing the follow-up study mandated by the FDA. Now the topline results of the Phase 3 lecanemab trial in early symptomatic AD have been released. This completed large international study met its primary endpoint: lecanemab treatment of individuals with early AD slowed by 27% clinical progression as measured by change in the Clinical Rating Scale Sum-of-Boxes (CDRSB) score at 18 months. All key secondary outcomes were also positive, confirming a slowing of progression on cognitive and functional scales. Lecanemab is now on the path to a full approval in the U.S. and elsewhere, the first for a disease-slowing therapy for AD. We have achieved a major milestone. In contrast, topline results just released indicate that the Phase 3 gantenerumab studies missed their primary endpoint, showing only minimal, non-significant slowing of clinical decline and lower than expected reduction in brain amyloid. These disappointing results may be related to subcutaneous rather than intravenous administration and/or the long dose titration period in these studies. Controversy will continue. How important is the 27% slowing of progression seen with lecanemab? What is the clinical importance of a treatment effect of less than one half of a point on an 18 point scale? Arguments supporting the importance of the beneficial effect point to the face-validity of the CDR-SB as a measure of clinically meaningful benefit (even at a magnitude of one half point), the likelihood of increasing benefit with continued therapy and the substantial delay to feared events such as loss of independence that may be anticipated. Ongoing consideration of this issue should contribute to the development of improved measures of clinically meaningful benefit for future trials. The more important question concerns our best path to building on this success and enlarging the clinical benefit. We will soon learn the results of other amyloid-reducing antibodies in similar early AD populations, potentially presenting new options. Perhaps earlier intervention, at the pre-symptomatic stage of disease before the accumulation of irreversible neurodegeneration, will yield more dramatic benefits. This reasonable hypothesis is now being tested in trials of lecanemab, donanemab and gantenerumab that are still years from completion. For greater benefit in symptomatic AD, a combination therapy approach may be required. Other strategies abound, from anti-tau therapies to neuroprotective, vascular, anti-inflammatory, and neuroendocrine approaches, though none yet has yielded convincing evidence of clinical benefit. Adding on to amyloid reduction may improve the likelihood of success of alternative strategies. We must continue to rigorously pursue the most plausible approaches. Rapid progress will require collaboration and sharing of data and methodologies, and the generous participation of


The main inflow of deep water to the Pacific is via a deep western boundary current. As the current passes along the continental margin off eastern New Zealand, it receives much terrigenous sediment, which, together with the biogenic pelagic supply, has been reworked into a suite of large drifts. Ocean Drilling Program Site 1123 on the North Chatham Drift and Site 1124 on the Rekohu Drift have yielded high-resolution and well- dated records of carbonate and terrigenous fluxes for the past 3 m.y. Deposition at both drifts was affected by a deep western boundary current background sediment flux and by glacial-interglacial cycles. In addition, drifts received site-specific flux pulses caused by (1) sediment remobilization under a vigorous Antarctic Circumpolar Current, (2) increased oceanic productivity, (3) overspill of sediment from the newly formed Hikurangi Channel, and (4) generally increased discharge from the Hikurangi Channel under intensified Quaternary uplift and paleoclimatic oscillations.


: HLA antigens A, B, C, DR and BF were determined in 14 sibling pairs with type I diabetes and in 61 patients without familial risks. Significantly positive associations of the disease with HLA DR3 and DR4 and a negative association with DR2 were found. Positive and negative associations with the various HLA A, B and C antigens (A1, A2, B8, B15, B18, Cw3) are of a secondary nature due to strong genetic coupling with primarily associated DR alleles. Localisation of diabetes-associated genes in the HLA DR region could be demonstrated in two families with HLA recombinations. In both cases the hypothetic disease gene segregated with the HLA DR segment. Joint evaluation of these data in an international series involving 1200 type I diabetics showed furthermore that around 90% of all patients are DR3 and/or DR4 positive, that the highest morbidity risk exists in DR3/4 heterozygosity and that DR4 positive persons usually fall ill before their 20th year of life and frequently in the last 3 months of the year. Allotment of clinical, epidemiological, virological and immunological criteria of type I diabetes to only one of the both risk factors indicates heterogeneous immunopathogenesis of the disease. HLA DR3 predisposes particularly to endocrine autoimmune disease and DR4 to increased virus susceptibility.


In writing the history of the Islamic world, there are two expedients which, sooner or later, become impossible to avoid: periodisation and geographical subdivision. These are bound to be, to a greater or lesser extent, arbitrary, but that does not imply that they are necessarily meaningless. It is possible to tell the story of early Islam, the mission of the Prophet Muḥammad, the first Arab Muslim expansion and the Umayyad and ʿAbbāsid caliphates as a single, integrated narrative. There is an essential unity to the historical evolution of the Muslim community, in its first four centuries, which lends itself to such an integrated treatment. From the eleventh century, and increasingly thereafter, this is no longer the case. The political unity represented by the early caliphates is no more. Though caliphs remained important for a time as local rulers, whether in Baghdad, Cairo or al-Andalus, and even more as instruments of legitimisation for Islamic regimes far and wide, real power passed to a multiplicity of sultans, amīr s, maliks and so on. There is nothing very surprising about this. At the point at which this volume commences, the Islamic world stretched uninterruptedly from Spain to Central Asia and northern India. Over the next few centuries it was to spread much further, deeper into India and to western China, and by oceanic routes to East Africa, coastal South Asia, South-East Asia and southern China.


Purpose. To evaluate whether the diagnostic performance of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI in evaluating liver function and pathology is improved by considering liver volume (LV). Methods. This retrospective study included 104 patients who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI before liver surgery. For each patient, using the precontrast and hepatobiliary phase images, we calculated the increase rate of the liver-to-spleen signal intensity ratio (LSR), that is, the "ΔLSR," and the increase rate of the liver-to-muscle signal intensity ratio (LMR), that is, the "ΔLMR." ΔLSR × LV and ΔLMR × LV were also calculated. The correlation of each MR parameter with liver function data or liver pathology was assessed. The correlation coefficients were compared between ΔLSR (ΔLMR) and ΔLSR (ΔLMR) × LV. Results. The correlation coefficient between ΔLSR (ΔLMR) × LV and cholinesterase was significantly higher than that between ΔLSR (ΔLMR) and cholinesterase. The correlation coefficient between ΔLSR (ΔLMR) × LV and the degree of fibrosis or necroinflammatory activity was significantly lower than that between ΔLSR (ΔLMR) and the degree of fibrosis or necroinflammatory activity. Conclusion. The inclusion of liver volume may improve Gd-EOB-DTPA-based predictions of liver function, but not in predictions of liver pathology.


This paper provides an overview of the various ways in which mixing qualitative and quantitative methods could add value to monitoring and evaluating development projects. In particular it examines how qualitative methods could address some of the limitations of randomized trials and other quantitative impact evaluation methods; it also explores the importance of examining"process"in addition to"impact", distinguishing design from implementation failures, and the value of mixed methods in the real-time monitoring of projects. It concludes by suggesting topics for future research -- including the use of mixed methods in constructing counterfactuals, and in conducting reasonable evaluations within severe time and budget constraints.


Lower hybrid (LH) wave current drive efficiency on our HT-7 tokamak has been investigated based on the hot electrical conductivity theory. The interaction of the residual toroidal electric field with fast electrons has been included in the determination of current drive efficiency. The LH wave power scan was performed in the plasma parameter ranges of Ip = 50–156 kA, e = 0.5×1019–1.6×1019 m−3, PLH = 50–350 kW. The current drive efficiency is derived to be about 0.1×1019–0.4×1019 Am−2W−1 on the HT-7 tokamak, which depends on the electron density and the LH wave phase velocity. At the electron density of about 1.5×1019 m−3, with the LH wave parallel refraction index peaked at 1.8, the highest current drive efficiency was obtained. A more generally normalized method is introduced to analyse the experimental data, which combines all the data in one curve. The normalized parameters are independent of the plasma parameters.


Impaired olfactory function is commonly observed in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). However, it is unknown whether it is also found in familial parkinsonism. To address this issue we administered a smell test to 12 affected, three monosymptomatic, and 12 at-risk individuals from six large parkinsonian kindreds. Three kindreds exhibited an IPD phenotype and three exhibited a parkinsonism-plus syndrome (PPS) phenotype. All but one of the affected individuals had impaired olfactory function. In contrast, only five of the 12 at-risk individuals had impaired olfactory function. The degree of olfactory impairment in the at-risk individuals was less severe than in the affected individuals. The difference in the degree of olfactory impairment in individuals exhibiting the IPD and the PPS phenotypes was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that olfactory dysfunction is a phenotypic characteristic of familial parkinsonism and that it is independent of the kindred phenotype. The appearance of olfactory dysfunction soon after disease onset raises the possibility that it is part of the neurodegenerative disease process.


A novel mesoporous conjugated polymer-poly(4,4′,4′′-tris(N,N-diphenyl-amino)triphenylamine) (PTDATA), which was one of the polytriphenylamine derivatives with high free radical density, has firstly been prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization. Compared to polytriphenylamine (PTPA) with aggregated morphology and relatively low surface area (5.6 m2 g−1), PTDATA exhibited a nanofiber-packed mesoporous structure with an obviously improved surface area of 560.58 m2 g−1. When explored as the cathode material for organic free radical batteries, PTDATA showed a well-defined multistage discharge voltage plateau and an improved capacity of 133.1 mA h g−1, which was equal to 92.8% of its theoretical capacity (143.5 mA h g−1). Also, PTDATA exhibited an enhanced rate performance of 125.4, 114.1, 97.5 and 90.9 mA h g−1 with a 10 times increase of the current density from 50 to 500 mA h g−1, respectively. The excellent electrochemical performances of the PTDATA electrode were due to its special chemical structure of high free radical density and its high specific surface caused by the nanofiber-packed mesoporous morphology, which made PTDATA a good potential candidate as the organic cathode material for high-performance organic lithium secondary batteries.


Background Heart conditions impose physical, social, financial and health-related quality of life limitations on individuals in Brazil. Objectives This study assessed the economic burden of four main heart conditions in Brazil: hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of telemedicine and structured telephone support for the management of heart failure was assessed. Methods A standard cost of illness framework was used to assess the costs associated with the four conditions in 2015. The analysis assessed the prevalence of the four conditions and, in the case of myocardial infarction, also its incidence. It further assessed the conditions' associated expenditures on healthcare treatment, productivity losses from reduced employment, costs of providing formal and informal care, and lost wellbeing. The analysis was informed by a targeted literature review, data scan and modelling. All inputs and methods were validated by consulting 15 clinicians and other stakeholders in Brazil. The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on a meta-analysis and economic evaluation of post-discharge programs in patients with heart failure, assessed from the perspective of the Brazilian Unified Healthcare System (Sistema Unico de Saude). Results Myocardial infarction imposes the greatest financial cost (22.4 billion reais/6.9 billion USD), followed by heart failure (22.1 billion reais/6.8 billion USD), hypertension (8 billion reais/2.5 billion USD) and, finally, atrial fibrillation (3.9 billion reais/1.2 billion USD). Telemedicine and structured telephone support are cost-effective interventions for achieving improvements in the management of heart failure. Conclusions Heart conditions impose substantial loss of wellbeing and financial costs in Brazil and should be a public health priority.


The study aims to present how technology integration can be fulfilled into Language Teacher Education (LTE) contexts by tracking the development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of the pre-service English Language teachers through Learning Technology By Design approach. A total of 100 senior student teachers (STs) of English at a large state university in Turkey participated in the study. The STs were required to train their peers about one digital tool and prepare digital materials to be used in language classrooms. The data were collected through three instruments quantitatively and qualitatively: the TPACK-EFL survey, peer reflective discussion forms and focus-group interviews. The findings revealed that the TPACK-EFL knowledge of the STs has improved significantly in all domains after the research intervention, and the STs reported considerably positive perceptions about the digital tools such as increasing motivation and positive atmosphere, more attractive and content-rich materials and more practical and found the experience of peer teaching very effective. The study suggests implications for a variety of digital tools to be used in language classrooms and an effective technology training in LTE contexts.


Mutations in the gene optineurin (OPTN) have been associated with primary-open angle glaucoma. Here we present a study on the level of OPTN gene expression in the human trabecular meshwork in response to increased perfusion pressure in the anterior chamber perfusion model of the human eye. Perfusion pressure was raised from 10 to 30 mm Hg for periods ranging between 1 and 24 h. OPTN transcript levels in the trabecular meshwork were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results show no statistically significant alteration of the OPTN transcript level after raising the pressure. Moreover, no changes were detected in the transcript levels of the 3 known OPTN isoforms. This result shows that enhanced pressure levels do not lead to rapid changes in gene expression levels of OPTN in human trabecular meshwork. This suggests that alterations in OPTN gene expression are not involved in the mechanisms regulating aqueous humor outflow after an increase in intraocular eye pressure.


Clinical and x-ray examinations and study of operation material from 555 patients with local forms of tuberculosis permitted the authors to distinguish three form of the condition: tuberculoma (77% of cases), cavitary (cavernous) tuberculosis (16%), and tuberculosis of the bronchi (5%). Morphologic investigations showed the local tuberculosis develops at small sites of pulmonary tissue hypoplasia. Sites of hypoplasia are usually concentrated in the pulmonary segments which are formed in the postnatal period, thus explaining the typical localization of a postprimary tuberculous focus. Tissue decomposition with development of destruction cavities is not characteristic of local tuberculosis. Cavitary (cavernous) form is a morphologic reflection of a tuberculous inflammation in the zone of cestous hypoplasia. Morphonesis of local forms of tuberculosis reflects its social dependence.


We report on a set of two analogous, F-substituted oligothiophene derivatives (D5T6F-M and D7T8F-M), in which systematic fluorination at the thienyl moieties is shown to induce a sufficient increase in electron affinity (EA; i.e. suppressed LUMO level) and in ionization potential (IP; i.e. deeper HOMO) to (i) impart the molecules with electron-accepting and -transporting characteristics, and (ii) yield high open-circuit voltages >1 V in BHJ solar cells when combined with a low-bandgap polymer donor (PCE10) commonly used with fullerenes. The nonfullerene BHJ devices with the SM acceptor D5T6F-M achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of up to ca. 4.5% (vs. ca. 2% for D7T8F-M-based devices). Our study shows that –F substitutions in SM systems – otherwise used as donors – is an effective approach in the design of nonfullerene acceptors for efficient BHJ solar cells with polymer donors.


Abstract:This article uses the genre of speculative historical fiction as a point of entry into Virginia Woolf 's politics. Two spy novels, Ellen Hawkes and Peter Manso's The Shadow of the Moth (1983) and Stephanie Barron's The White Garden (2009), present scenarios in which Woolf becomes inadvertently drawn into wartime intrigues, forcing her to turn vigilante in an effort to expose abuses of power at the highest levels of government. Although farfetched, these pulp fictions may, in fact, contain a kernel of truth. Following (the real) Woolf 's theory that "bad books are not the mirrors but the vast distorted shadows of life," this essay argues that such counterfactual narratives do not impose the world of the thriller onto Woolf; rather, they allegorize a spy-function already present in the writer's life and work. From her participation in the 1910 Dreadnought Hoax, during which she and several companions disguised themselves as "Abyssinians" and successfully gained access to the flagship of the British navy, to her publication of Three Guineas (1938), in which she advocates for the creation of an anonymous "Society of Outsiders," Woolf 's antiauthoritarian politics consistently draw upon the tropes of espionage, figuring feminism as a secret agency whose plot against the patriarchal "procession" emerges through forms of public discourse—sometimes openly and sometimes clandestinely "between the lines." From this perspective, Woolf anticipates current debates over whistle-blowing and the ethics of disclosure, making her engaged outsider a precursor of the twenty-first-century hacktivist.


Constitutions are commonly regarded as uniquely national products, shaped by domestic ideals and politics. This paper develops and empirically tests a novel hypothesis, which is that constitutions are also shaped by transnational influence, or "diffusion." Constitutional rights can diffuse through four mechanisms: coercion, competition, learning and acculturation. To test diffusion in the constitutional realm, we traced the historical documents of all post-WWII constitutions and documented the presence of 108 constitutional rights. Using a sample of these rights in 180 countries between 1948 and 2001, we estimate a spatial lag model to explain their adoption. Our results show that countries follow the choices of their former colonizer, countries with the same legal origin, the same religion, the same former colonizer, and the same aid donor. These transnational influences are strongest when a nation adopts its first constitution. At this time, no less than 46 percent of the variation in a bill of rights results from transnational influences.


Independent component analysis (ICA) is widely used for signal separation in various fields. However, low signal to noise ratio (SNR) of data sometimes causes failures in component estimation. We have proposed a spatial ICA-based method for extracting a blood-related component from medical images measured with positron emission tomography (PET) to omit arterial blood sampling, in which a cost function was designed in consideration of statistical properties of components. In this study, spatial ICA with the proposed cost function or kurtosis, a conventional cost function, was applied to real PET images measured with three kinds of radiopharmaceuticals, and the estimation results were compared. The proposed cost function fails to estimate components from the PET data with low SNR because it is sensitive to outliers. Experimental results suggest that a cost function should be selected depending on SNR of data


Two models of reaction-diffusion are presented: a non-Fickian diffusion model described by a system of a parabolic PDE and a first order ODE, further, porositymineralogy changes in porous medium which is modelled by a system consisting of an ODE, a parabolic and an elliptic equation. Existence of weak solutions is shown by the Schauder fixed point theorem combined with the theory of monotone type operators.


The application of additive manufacturing (AM) technology in architecture and structural engineering has been extended due to recent development of metal 3d printing. In space frame structures, a set of bars is configured in three dimensions, with bars connected by nodes. This article presents two methods to design metal 3d-printed multi-branch nodes to accommodate any number of incident bars at arbitrary angles. Resulting node designs are intended to be smooth and lightweight. A multi-branch node is sketched using the dimensional information of the blank space between the converging bars in a pre-designed space frame and then parameterized by two different approaches to perform structural optimization. The first design method, namely the curve parameter method, which is semi-automated approach, the distances between the control points of the spline curves between node branches and the node branch intersection point are the optimization parameters. For the other method, called fatness parameter method, which is a fast and automated approach, the fatness parameters of the center part of the node and the root radiuses of each branch are chosen as the main parameters of optimization. The optimization procedure is accomplished using a genetic algorithm to minimize the maximum von Mises stress as the objective function subjected to the mass of the node as a constraint function. Finally, functional tests are conducted on 3D printed metal nodes in order to compare the strength and stiffness of the nodes designed by the two form-finding approaches.


Using metal-ferroelectric junctions as switchable diodes was proposed several decades ago. This was shown to actually work in PbZr(1-x)TixO3 (PZT) by Blom et al. [P.W. M. Blom et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 2107 (1994)], who reported switching in the rectification direction and changes of the current of about 2 orders of magnitude upon switching the polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer. This form of resistive switching enables the read out of a ferroelectric memory state at higher speed compared to the capacitive design, without destroying the information in each reading cycle. Recently, Jiang and coworkers have shown that these Schottky barrier effects are enormous in BiFeO3, giving thousand times more switched charge than found by in PZT [A.Q. Jiang. et al., Adv. Mat. 23, 1277 (2011)]. Here, by performing local conductivity measurements, we attribute this to a large change of the Schottky barrier height between the as-grown, down-polarized domains and the up-polarized domains. These measurements allow to estimate the relative effect of polarization charges and screening charges on the conduction through the ferroelectric.


This thesis investigates some important aspects of the atmospheric branch of the hydrological cycle in the modern day climate from an observational perspective. Data quality is evaluated, focusing on two state-of-the-art reanalysis products, ERA-I and JRA-55. Regional-scale discrepancies among reanalyses and observations, especially in their annual cycles, are found in the warm pool, Amazon, Gulf stream and Indian subcontinent regions. In the tropics, oceanic evaporation and its temporal variability are notably greater in JRA-55 than in ERA-I and satellite-based estimates, while both reanalyses overestimate precipitation. Higher tropical precipitation and evaporation,
accompanied by a slightly lower level of total column water (TCW), might suggest a more intense hydrological cycle, but this can be an ill-defined concept especially when analysis increments mask "spin-down" errors in reanalysis models. Analysis increments arise to remove unphysical residuals in the atmospheric water budget, and these are explored via a cluster analysis to identify regimes with common behavior. Consistent for ERA-I and JRA-55, the regime with the largest negative residuals (greater moisture outputs than inputs)
exceeding 50% of mean precipitation occurs during the dry season of some low latitude regions that feature strong seasonality, high evapotranspiration and high moisture divergence. Errors in the moisture divergence are likely responsible because they correlate strongly with the budget residual.
Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) and Self Organizing Map (SOM) analyses are applied to identify the dominant inter-annual patterns of vertically-integrated moisture divergence variability. They reveal that the transition from strong La Nina through to extreme El Nino events is not a linear one and that the EOF orthogonality constraint results in the patterns being split between leading EOFs that are non-linearly related. The SOM analysis captures the range of responses to the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), indicating that the distinction between the moderate and extreme El Ninos can be as great as the difference between La Nina and moderate El Ninos, from a moisture divergence point of view.
On diurnal time scales, horizontal moisture fluxes vary in response to thermodynamic and dynamic effects. TCW shows a global scale diurnal cycle that peaks around 1800 - 2100 local time with a peak-to-trough magnitude of 0.4mm. Semi-diurnal variations in surface winds and pressure, consistent with atmospheric tidal theory, create a westward propagating moisture convergence/divergence wave along the equator.
Finally, the importance of Tropical Cyclones (TCs) as a source of freshwater for the North American continent is estimated using an ensemble of schemes designed to attribute onshore moisture fluxes to TCs. Averaged over the 2004–2012 hurricane seasons and integrated over the western, southern and eastern coasts of North America, the seven schemes attribute 7 to 18% (mean 14 %) of total net onshore flux to Atlantic TCs. A reduced contribution of 10% (range 9 to 11 %) was found for the 1980–2003 period, though only two schemes
could be applied to this earlier period. Over the whole 1980–2012 period, a further 8% (range 6 to 9% from two schemes) was attributed to East Pacific TCs, resulting in a total TC contribution of 19% (range 17 to 22 %) to the ocean-to-land moisture transport onto the North American continent between May and November. The inter-annual variability does not appear to be strongly related to ENSO.


Nowadays with the dispersion of wireless networks, smartphones and diverse related services, different localization techniques have been developed. Global Positioning System (GPS) has a high rate of accuracy for outdoor localization but the signal is not available inside of buildings. Also other existing methods for indoor localization have low accuracy. In addition, they use fixed infrastructure support. In this paper, we present a novel system for indoor localization. The solution proposed in this paper makes use of commonly available Wi-Fi networks and runs on ordinary tablet ,smartphones without any additional hardware installation. It comprises two steps i) Steps Calibration. ii) Navigation stage. The calibration step creates a "Wi-Fi fingerprints" for each room of floor. It minimizes the calibration time via waypoints. The navigation stage matches with waypoints and displays the path for user for source to destination and also enables the low consumption of smartphone battery for localization


This paper studied a novel 3-DOF hybrid robot, and invented a new hybrid structure which was composed of 2-DOF parallel structure and 1-DOF serial structure. The structure of this mechanism was simple, stiffness and positioning accuracy was high. The control system based on ARM micro-controller was a step motor open-loop control system, which features compact and low cost while the control accuracy can be guaranteed. In this paper, the body composition of the robot was described, and its inverse kinematics were derived and further simplified. Hardware and software of the motion control system was designed in detail and experimented through prototype.


Background The inclusion of 'new infiltrates' on the admission chest radiograph (CXR) is part of the BTS audit tool (1), but it has been reported that up to 37% of inpatients coded (using the ICD-10 coding system) as pneumonia did not have CXR consolidation (2). We assessed our local audit population for potential reasons for this pneumonia miscoding. Methods Patients selected by coding for the 2012/13 BTS Pneumonia Audit at hospitals within Imperial Healthcare Trust (Charing Cross (CX), Hammersmith (HH) and St Mary's (SMH) Hospitals) underwent a notes review. Results Of all patients clinically coded as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), 88/176 (50%) had a diagnosis of CAP compatible with the audit criteria, with infiltrates on the admission CXR–in 15 (39%), 25 (61%) and 48 (50%) of cases at CX, HH and SMH respectively. Of the patients found not to have CAP by the current BTS audit criteria (n = 88), 47/88 (53%) had an abnormal admission CXR not showing CAP. The main abnormalities in these admission CXRs were pulmonary oedema (in 30%), COPD/bronchiectasis (27%), malignancy (13%), interstitial lung disease (ILD) (7%) and pleural effusions (7%). In the 88 'non-audit criteria CAP' patients, in combination with symptoms, inflammatory markers (WCC 10.4 (1.7–33) x109 and CRP 84.8 (3.6–381) mg/L), and the CXR series, the likely diagnosis was felt to be LRTI (35%), CAP (17%), HAP (13%), COPD (10%), pulmonary oedema (9%), malignancy (4.5%), UTI (3%), and ILD, asthma and effusions (all 2%), in the 'non-audited CAP' patients. Of those remaining 41 patients with a normal admission CXR excluded from the audit, 24 patients (59%) had a repeat CXR within 72h, of which 5 (21%) then showed CAP. An additional 12 patients with normal admission CXRs had CT scans performed within 72h, 6 of which (50%) detected consolidation. Thus, of all the patients with a normal admission CXR, 11 (27%) had CAP that was missed by solely looking at the admission CXR. Conclusion We confirm earlier findings that coding diagnoses are insufficiently accurate to judge quality of care, but also show that current audit criteria exclude a significant proportion of cases. References WS Lim, et al. Thorax 2011;66:548–549 Ruickbie SV, et al. Thorax 2012;67(Suppl 2):A69


We have uncovered a novel role for the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p57KIP2, during the immortalization of cultured human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). HMECs immortalized after chemical carcinogen exposure initially expressed little or no telomerase activity, and their telomeres continued to shorten with passage. Cell populations whose mean terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length declined to < or = 3 kb exhibited slow heterogeneous growth and contained many nonproliferative cells. These conditionally immortal HMEC cultures accumulated large quantities of p57 protein. With continued passage, the conditionally immortal cell populations very gradually converted to a fully immortal phenotype of good uniform growth, expression of high levels of telomerase activity, and stabilization of telomere length. The fully immortal HMECs that grew well did not accumulate p57 in G0 or during the cell cycle. DNA and RNA analysis of mass populations and individual subclones of conditionally immortal HMEC line 184A1 showed that continued growth of conditionally immortal cells with critically short telomeres was repeatedly accompanied by loss of the expressed p57 allele and transient expression of the allele imprinted previously. Conditionally immortal 184A1 with mean TRF > 3 kb, infected with retroviruses containing the p57 gene, exhibited premature slow heterogeneous growth. Conversely, exogenous expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase, in 184A1 with mean TRF > 3 kb prevented both the slow heterogeneous growth phase and accumulation of p57 in cycling populations. These data indicate that in HMECs that have overcome replicative senescence, p57 may provide an additional barrier against indefinite proliferation. Overcoming p57-mediated growth inhibition in these cells may be crucial for acquisition of the unlimited growth potential thought to be critical for malignant progression.


Effects of age on reproduction in seabirds have been widely documented and need to be taken into account when devising management strategies. The purpose of this research was to: 1) establish a general context by determining which age-related processes affect reproduction in seabirds; and 2) in a specific case of a population which has undergone exponential growth associated with changes in oceanic conditions and increased food supply, determine whether age has an effect on the reproduction of bridled terns Onychoprion anaethetus at the Penguin Island colony in Western Australia. To investigate the latter, I attempted to use a molecular method for aging bridled terns. To determine whether age affected breeding in bridled terns, I used two different approaches: one was based on relating the age of breeding pairs to several breeding variables using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, and one was based on determining whether there were differences in the diet fed to chicks by parents of different ages using faecal DNA meta-barcoding techniques. I found that effects of age on the reproduction of seabirds were wide-spread and that breeding experience and breeding senescence were the main processes driving these effects. I found that it was not possible to age bridled terns using skin collagen-bound pentosidine as a bio-marker, so I had to use banding information instead. There did not appear to be an effect of age on the post-laying breeding performance in bridled terns and there was no clear difference in the diet of chicks from younger and older parents. Such findings suggest that the only effect of age on reproduction in this species occurs pre-laying because younger birds did not lay eggs, and that the favourable environmental conditions in Western Australia and/or unidentified physiological attributes negate effects of aging post-laying. However, small sample sizes and possible bias in aging birds were major limitations. My research suggests that bridled terns may be differently impacted by aging compared to other seabird species.


The importance of cosmic rays and magnetic fields for the physics of the
interstellar medium and the evolution of galaxies is demonstrated by a number
of recent numerical simulations. We present new observations of the cosmic ray electron transport as well as the magnetic field strength and structure in galactic halos from radio-continuum polarization studies of edge-on disk galaxies obtained by the CHANG-ES (Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies - an EVLA Survey) project.
The observations are discussed in the context of transport models for Cosmic Ray Eelctrons (CREs) from the star-forming disks into the halo. The observations also allow to derive the magentic field structure in galactic halos. In addition, it is demonstrated how recent low frequency observations of edge-on galaxies with LOFAR help to further constrain the problem.


Summary Several actinomycin D (AD)-resistant sublines maintained at 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 µg/ml AD and exhibiting an increase in resistance up to 2500-fold were developed in vitro from Chinese hamster cells. Dose-response data for sensitive and resistant sublines demonstrated that AD-resistant cells were cross-resistant, in decreasing order, to mithramycin, vinblastine, vincristine, puromycin, daunomycin, demecolcine, and mitomycin C. In general, the greater the cross-resistance to an agent, the greater its molecular weight. Increase in resistance to AD of a graded series of sublines was accompanied by proportional decrease in sensitivity to vincristine and daunomycin, and several experimentally derived daunomycin-resistant cell lines also exhibited increased resistance to AD. In radioautographic experiments, it was found that degree of resistance was inversely related both to degree of nuclear labeling by AD- 3 H and to inhibition of uridine-5- 3 H incorporation by the antibiotic. Karyotype analysis revealed that chromosomal alterations, once established, were stable and apparently were not specifically related to the resistant state. These investigations support the hypothesis that the development of resistance to AD in Chinese hamster cells is due to qualitative difference in cell membrane, resulting in decreased permeability to AD and other compounds.


By the measurement of creep curves and microstructure observation, an investigation has been made into the creep behaviors and microstructure evolution of a single crystal nickel-based superalloy containing 4.2%Re. Results show that the superalloy displays an obvious sensibility on the applied temperatures and stresses in the range of the applied temperatures and stresses. During the initial creep, the cubical g¢ phase in the alloy is transformed into an N-type rafted structure along the direction vertical to the applied stress axis. After crept up to fracture, the rafted g¢ phase in the region near fracture is transformed into a twisted configuration. The dislocation climbing over the rafted g¢ phase is considered to be the main deformation mechanism of the alloy during the steady creep state, and dislocations shear into the rafted g¢ phase is the main deformation mechanism of the alloy in the later stage of creep.


This thesis investigates models of market risk assessment based on genetic algorithms, with specific reference to asset portfolio choice under volatile market conditions. It does so by developing computational simulations of asset portfolios, which are then subjected to stressful price events. A genetic algorithm functions as an optimising process, allowing portfolios to evolve towards a structure that is – on average – less fragile against asset shocks. The importance of this research is dictated by the grave outcomes of, for instance, the 2008 financial crisis: 371 commercial banks failed between 1/1/2008 and 1/7/2011 in the United States alone. Such events highlighted the need for the renovation of the financial risk framework supposed to at least partially shield banks from unexpected adverse events.A synthetic, computational model is constructed, where asset portfolios are structured so as to invest in four main asset categories: sovereign bonds, financial institutions bonds, corporate bonds and real estate. Each of the categories has an underlying non-normal probability distribution of prices, empirically derived by the literature. These are used to simulate volatile and adverse scenarios affecting the value of the portfolios. A genetic algorithm is designed to select, crossover and mutate, at each generation, the portfolios that best perform under the simulated conditions. After a number of generations, it is expected that one or more portfolios structures will be highlighted as the ones that best perform under adverse scenarios.The model is run three times with different sets of optimization constraints, each specifying the minimum relative proportion of portfolios to be dedicated to each asset category. All versions of the model indicate that the best performing portfolios structures under volatile conditions are the ones that are mainly composed by the asset category featuring less fat tails. The results of the model are checked for their robustness, by running versions with different sets of simulated scenarios and additional numbers of synthetic asset categories. Limitations of the design of the study are identified. The model lacks a simulation of the liability side of financial institutions, and its results are not tested on a systemic level, thus not shedding light on what consequences the indicated portfolio strategy for a single bank would have on the network of banks. Such issues will be addressed in future research.


A negative reflective/refractive "meta-interface" using a bi-directional phase-conjugating antenna array is proposed. Negative reflection is due to the retro-directivity of the array while negative refraction is a consequence of the bi-directionality of the slot elements used in the array. A simple design of the interface is presented. The prototype demonstrates negative reflection and refraction in far-field and near-field measurements.


In recent years, natural fibres have started to be used as an ecologically friendly alternative for soil reinforcement within a variety of material applications. Test results have demonstrated the positive effects of adding natural fibres to soils, such as their ability to decrease shrinkage and enhance compressive, flexural and shear strength, if an optimum reinforcement ratio can be utilised. This paper deals with the analysis of the shrinkage phenomena occurring in soils stabilized with natural polymers and wool fibres using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and an Energy Diffraction Analysis of X-rays (EDX). Three soils, with different compositions and plasticity indexes, combined with three percentages of fibres (0%, 0.25% and 0.5%), were examined in this study. Despite the same fibre dosages being utilised in selected samples, quite different strength improvements were obtained for the three different types of soil. An SEM and EDX analysis was carried out to explore qualitatively the effects of shrinkage on the adhesion between the fibres and the soil. In addition, microscopic analysis was used to establish the relationship between the mechanical test results and the effectiveness of the reinforcement in each soil type. This research project has therefore sought to understand the variation in the mechanical properties of the different soils types due to the different inter-phase soil-reinforcement void distribution caused by shrinkage. The analytical tests revealed the degree of bonding between the particles of soil and the natural fibres and this has enabled a better understanding of the micro-morphology of the natural fibres and their effect on the overall composite material structure.


Comparison of solar wind observations from the ACE spacecraft, in the ecliptic plane at ∼1 AU, and the Ulysses spacecraft as it orbits over the Sun's poles, may provide valuable information about the latitudinal extent and variation of solar wind structures in the heliosphere. While qualitative comparisons can be made using average properties observed at these two locations, comparison of specific, individual structures requires a procedure to determine if a given structure has been observed by both spacecraft. Before addressing the challenge of comparing such structures at different latitudes, we seek to benckmark our procedure by comparing solar wind structures observed when both spacecraft were near the ecliptic plane. In this paper we assess the use of a 1‐D hydrodynamic code to propagate ACE plasma measurements out to the distance of Ulysses and develop a procedure for compensating for the differing longitudes of the ACE and Ulysses spacecraft. In addition to comparing the plasma parameters and their...


Figure 1: Stab wound in supraclavicular region already sewn at local hospital.
Figure 2: CT angiography showing subclavin artery pseudoaneurysm with two openings in subclavin artery anterior and posterior.
Figure 3: A) Supraclavicular inscision to expose proximal subclavin artery B) Exposed subclavin artery.
Figure 4: A) Excised pseudoaneurysm B) Opening in subclavin artery closed with vein patch.
Figure 5: Closed tranaxillary and supraclavicular surgical incision with negative suction drain in situ.
Abstract A pseudoaneurysm, also known as a false aneurysm, is a hematoma that forms as a result of a leaking hole in artery. Hematoma was contained by the surrounding tissues. Also it must continue to communicate with the artery to be considered a pseudoaneurysm. Post stab injury subclavin artery pseudoaneurysm is rare entity with great significance because of risk of complications like thrombosis, rupture, gangrene, limb loss and should be operated early whenever diagnosed. Our case report has 24 year male patient with history of stab injury to left supraclavicular region followed by pulsatile swelling after two days due to subclavin artery pseudoaneurysm. We excised pseudoaneurysm with vein patch closure of opening in subclavin artery.
Introduction According to the literature data, post traumatic pseudoaneurysm is rare entity [1]. Most common site is common femoral artery, followed by radial and brachial artery but subclavin artery is very rare because trauma to it is rare. Incidence of complications associated with such pseudoaneurysm is estimated around 2-6% [2]. We present a case of the patient in whom pseudoaneurysm of left subclavin artery developed after two days of stab injury by pointed object and was successfully treated by surgical excision and vein patch closure of opening in subclavin artery.
Case Report A 24 -years-old male patient was admitted at our Institute with history of stab injury to left supraclavicular region lateral side that was closed at local hospital (Figure 1). After two days the patient noticed gradually increasing pulsatile swelling at closed stab injury site. Clinical examination revealed presence of pulsating mass at stab injury site of 10 by 10 cm in diameter. Left brachial, radial and ulnar artery pulsations are palpable. Ultrasonography and CT angiography verified presence of pseudoaneurysm connected by two opening in third part of left subclavin artery (10 cm in diameter) (Figure 2). After short preoperative preparation, the patient underwent surgical intervention under general anaesthesia. Left supraclavicular incision taken to access and loop the proximal subclavin artery (Figure 3A and 3B). Left side transaxillary incision taken to access and loop the axillary artery. Intravenous heparin (5000 IU) was administered. Proximal subclavin artery and axillary artery both clamped. Dissection and separation of pseudoaneurysm followed by excision was done with cautery along with its content the clotted blood (Figure 4A and 4B). The opening of pseudoaneurysm in left subclavin artery was closed with vein patch with prolene 6-0. The vein patch was prepared from small axillary vein tributary. After putting 14 number negative suction romovac drain n supraclavicular and axillary region, wound closed in layer (Figure 5). Skin closed with stappler. Radial and ulnar artery pulsation checked. Drain removed after 48 hours. On the tenth postoperative day the patient was discharged.
Discussion Post traumatic pseudoaneurysm is rare. The most common cause for such pseudoaneurysm is itragenic like post av fistula dialysis needle puncture or invasive procedures like percutaneous coronary interventions. Most common site for such pseudoaneurysm is radial, brachial and common femoral artery. Post stab injury pseudoaneurysm is rare in that subclavin artery pseudoaneurysm was rarest. If such pseudoaneurysm became infected, the surgical treatment can be extremely difficult. Although recently published, meta-analyses showed no superiority of subclavin artery stenting in such pseudoaneurysm because even after closing the opening which connect subclavin artery with pseudoaneurysm, the already formed pseudoaneurysm is high risk of infection [3,4]. So excision of that pseudoaneurysm is must. If the subclavin artery is normal with clearly visible opening that connect with pseudoaneurysm then pseudoaneurysm can be excised without sacrificing the part of subclavin artery by just vein patch closure of that opening with prolene suture. Sometimes rarely excision of part of subclavin artery with interposition grafting may be required.
Conclusion The pseudo aneurysm excision was simple and safe even in inexperienced hands by proper anatomical knowledge. Proximal and distal control of artery is must for safe excision of pseudoaneurysm. By proper anatomical dissection pseudo aneurysm can be excised without damaging the surrounding vital structure like brachial plexus and axillary vein. Timely management was important to prevent complications like infection, rupture and gangrene. If the subclavin artery is normal with clearly visible opening feeding pseudoaneurysm then pseudoaneurysm can be excised without sacrificing the part of subclavin artery by just vein patch closure of opening in subclavin artery with prolene. Sometimes rarely excision of part of subclavin artery with interposition grafting may be required.


This paper presents a simple technique for improving the pull-in capability of phase-lock loops. This technique, called derived rate rejection or DRR, differs from those which use an external AFC loop in simplicity of implementation and design rationale, although the end result is the same. If, as is usually the case, a coherent detector accompanies the phase-lock loop, the implementation of the DRR technique requires only the addition of a switch. The switching logic results from a superficial consideration of the nonlinear equation for the phase-lock loop and its solution in the phase plane. The switch does not affect the normal behavior of the loop after lock has been attained. Results of computer studies show the improvement realizable for the following configurations: 1) Proportional-plus-integral control. 2) Proportional-plus-imperfect integral control. For an initial frequency error of five times the linearized phase lock-loop natural frequency, the improvement in pull-in time is a factor of two. For an initial frequency error of ten times the phase-lock loop natural frequency, the improvement in pull-in time is a factor of ten.


Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated a Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger and have provided evidence for a Cl- conductance in rat liver canalicular plasma membrane vesicles. To further investigate the apical Cl- conductance, we performed single-channel analysis after incorporation of canalicular liver plasma membrane vesicles into planar lipid bilayers. This was necessary, because the canalicular membrane is not accessible for the patch-clamp technique. Two types of anion channels could be identified (30- and 90-pS conductance) corresponding to the class of small and intermediate channels, respectively. The kinetics of the small channel were found to be voltage dependent with a maximum for the open probability at -20 mV. In contrast, intermediate channel kinetics were voltage independent. The anion channels described above could allow electrogenic Cl- efflux, to compensate Cl- influx via the electroneutral Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger. Further studies will be required to prove their functional importance in bile formation.


Organisational Project Management (OPM) is an emergent paradigm that examines the nature of project, program and portfolio (PPP) activities within the context of an enterprise. This view incorporates the three roles for which PPP's are formulated and deployed: execution, adaptation and transformation. This special issue has been designed to showcase researchers and project managers whose work highlights each of these roles.


An increasing number of research programs rely on photographic capture-recapture (vs. direct marking) of individuals to study distribution and demography within animal populations. Photo-identification of individuals living in the wild is sometimes feasible using idiosyncratic coat or skin patterns, like for giraffes. When performed manually, the task is tedious and becomes almost impossible as populations grow in size. Computer vision techniques are an appealing and unavoidable help to tackle this apparently simple task in the big-data era. In this context, we propose to revisit giraffe re-identification using convolutional neural networks (CNNs).We first developed an end-to-end pipeline to retrieve a comprehensive set of re-identified giraffes from about 4, 000 raw photographs. To do so, we combined CNN-based object detection, SIFT pattern matching, and image similarity networks. We then quantified the performance of deep metric learning to retrieve the identity of known and unknown individuals. The re-identification performance of CNNs reached a top 5 accuracy of about 90%. Fully based on open-source software packages, our work paves the way for further attempts to build CNN-based pipelines for re-identification of individual animals, in giraffes but also in other species.


LTE‐based Multicellular 4G is nowadays gaining an enormous success thanks to its flexible core network features and its large data rate. As the number of users increases, along with the different services provided by the telcos, it is becoming a challenging issue to cope with the contextual increase in the backhaul traffic size: a congestion problem. In this perspective, when combining multicellular LTE with Cloud Computing (CC), this would increase the core network load and the subsequent load on the servers located in the CC that delivers services to the LTE users. To address this issue, we introduce an architecture combining both multicellular LTE and CC, and we investigate the performance of different load balancer mechanisms, namely static and semi‐dynamic. Extensive simulation scenarios using different algorithms were set up. The obtained results were analyzed considering the Quality of Service (QoS) and computational resources for a deployed Web application.


Economic pressure and corporate policies, both transnational and domestic, have placed labor law under severe stress. National responses are so deeply embedded in institutions reflecting local traditions that meaningful comparison is daunting. This book assembles a team of experts from many countries, drawing on a rich variety of comparative methods to capture changes in different countries and regions, emerging trends and national divergences.


Despite government and scholarly interest in how Canada's immigrants settle after arrival, there is limited scholarship on how queer female immigrants find spaces for belonging in a Toronto context in both immigration scholarship, and in theories of queer migration. Drawing on critical queer, critical post-colonial feminist, and critical whiteness approaches, the paper aims to demonstrate why a universal subject, and increasingly, a universal queer subject renders a racialized lesbian/queer woman immigrant living in Toronto marginalized, impossible and unintelligible in mainstream and queer spaces. For the study, three racialized lesbian/queer women immigrants living in Toronto were interviewed. A reflexive analysis of the experiences of the three participants suggests that spaces of belonging for a racialized lesbian/queer woman immigrant in Toronto and beyond are limited, contradictory, and conditional.


Purpose: Knowledge on the utility of prophylactic 360° laser retinopexy before pars plana vitrectomy in the absence of peripheral retinal pathology is limited. This study compares the occurrence of rhegmatogenous events in the setting of small-gauge pars plana vitrectomy with and without prophylactic preoperative laser. Methods: Our multicenter, retrospective case–control analysis reviewed patients who underwent epiretinal membrane removal or macular hole repair through 23- or 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy: 205 controls who did not receive prophylactic laser and 176 cases who received preoperative prophylactic laser retinopexy anterior to the equator. Main outcome measures were the rate and characteristics of postoperative retinal tears and detachments. Patients with previous pars plana vitrectomy or significant retinal disease were excluded. Results: Of those patients with prophylactic laser and those without, there was no significant difference in the number of retinal breaks (1.7% vs. 0.49%, respectively; P = 0.339) or retinal detachments (0% vs. 0.49%, respectively; P = 1.00). Of the lasered group, there was one sclerotomy-related retinal break and two non–sclerotomy-related retinal breaks. Of the nonlasered group, there was one non–sclerotomy-related retinal break and one sclerotomy-related retinal detachment. Conclusion: Preoperative prophylactic peripheral laser retinopexy does not seem to offer an added benefit in the prevention of intraoperative and postoperative rhegmatogenous events.


Background: Viral infections induce expression of type I interferons (IFNα/β) which result in an antiviral state within cells or animals. However, some viruses, notably influenza viruses (IV), have evolved mechanisms of evasion and blocking of IFN to survive in nature. Swine influenza virus (SIV) can inhibit IFN and as with other IV does it through its NS1 protein, identified as a virulence factor in pigs. Methods: To determine whether different SIV strains varied in their ability to induce IFNβ in cell culture and the relative sensitivity of these strains to exogenous IFNβ, three strains were tested in SJPL cells originally deposited as epithelial-like cell line of swine lung origin (ATCC, Richmond, MD) but later characterized as cells of monkey origin. Results: The SIV strains tested here induced significant synthesis of IFNβ in SJPL cells, with levels that were higher to those induced by poly I:C. The induction of IFNβ by SIV peaked at three days post-infection and was not dependent on the infectious virus dose. Interestingly, priming the cells with exogenous recombinant swine IFNβ had no significant inhibitory effect on the replication of these SIV strains. NS1antagonistic compounds did not change IFNβ induction and had variable and unexpected effects on virus replication of the three SIV strains tested. Conclusions: Our study showed that while the SIV strains tested here were capable to induce IFNβ in SJPL cells these were relatively resistant to the antiviral effects of exogenous IFNβ. NS1-antagonistic compounds did not affect IFNβ induction and had variable effects on the replication of the SIV strains tested. These seemingly contradicting results suggest virus evasion by mechanisms other than NS1.


This paper reports on an effort designed to search for the glass ceiling, through a study of the career trajectories of native white and Asian immigrant engineers. Using data drawn from a survey of the M.S. graduates of the engineering school at Southern California U, we find that some form of labor market segmentation, so common at lower levels of the economy, is also restricting the mobility of highly skilled foreign-born engineers. Our key finding shows that immigrants receive a significantly lower return to experience than do their native-born counterparts. Consequently, the immigrant's career takes a distinctively different shape after 17 years of experience, native-born engineers surpass their immigrant counterparts, enjoying continuous earnings growth.


Even though our Physical Education professionals undergo a rather comprehensive training, it may be possible for them not to be aware of several conditions or situations which may threaten the safety, and even the life of those participating in sporting or recreational events under their care. There is, therefore, a real danger that the very professionals responsible to protect the sports person may end up being the ones causing accidents and complications, e.g., exertional rhabdomyolysis, sickling, exertional heat stroke complications when a victim is not quickly and effectively cooled, and accidents from lightning. The purpose of this study was to measure specific knowledge in these four areas of interest. A 14-item, multiple-choice survey was handed out to 300 participants in the University of Costa Rica's XIV Symposium on Exercise and Health Sciences (October, 2007), selected as a convenience sample from approximately 447 registered participants. 46% of them were professionals with university degrees, 43% were physical education students, and 11% did not report their current status. The sample was comprised of 67% males and 33% females. Knowledge level was identified to be very limited; this paper includes key information on the four topics to help the good physical education professionals to be aware of these potential complications, improving safety and the general experience of those under their care.


AIM:Capsule endoscopy has demonstrated its clinical utility in the evaluation of small bowel pathology in several Western studies. In this prospective study, we aimed to determine the clinical utility, safety and tolerability of capsule endoscopy in the evaluation of suspected small bowel disease in an urban Southeast Asian population.METHODS: We used the given (M2A) capsule endoscopy system in 16 consecutive patients with suspected small bowel pathology. In 9 patients the indication was obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, while in 6 patients it was to determine the extent of small bowel involvement in Crohn's disease. One patient underwent capsule endoscopy for evaluation of chronic abdominal pain. Patient's tolerability to the procedure was evaluated by standardized questionnaires and all patients were reviewed at one week to ensure that the capsule had been excreted without any adverse events.RESULTS: Abnormal findings were present in 8 patients (50%). The cause of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding was determined in 5 out of 9 patients. Findings included 2 cases of angiodysplasia, 2 cases of jejunal ulcers and 1 case of both angiodysplasia and jejunal ulcer. One patient had small bowel erosions and foci of erythema of doubtful significance.Ileal lesions were diagnosed in 2 out of 6 patients with Crohn's disease. Capsule endoscopy was well tolerated by all patients. One patient with Crohn's disease had a complication of capsule retention due to terminal ileum stricture. The capsule eventually passed out spontaneously after 1 month.CONCLUSION: Our study, which represented the first Asian series, further confirms the diagnostic utility, safety and tolerability of wireless capsule endoscopy.


Granuloma inguinale (GI) is an acquired chronic, slowly progressive, mildly contagious disease of venereal origin, characterized by granulomatous ulceration of the genitalia and neighboring sites, with little or no tendency to spontaneous healing caused by Klebsiella (Calymmatobacterium) granulomatis. A 55-year-old male presented with fissured, foul smelling, fungating growth over prepuce with phimosis mimicking squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) without lymphadenopathy. It started with painless papulonodular showed pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, infiltration in dermis, acanthosis and vacuolated macrophages suggestive of GI and not showing any histopathological features of SCC. Patient was successfully treated by giving cotrimoxazole twice a day for 21 days. Here, we presented a case of GI mimicking SCC of penis, which was diagnosed on basis of histopathology and treated with excision followed by medical therapy with cotrimoxazole.


The size of the transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) agent is estimated to be less than 50 nm on the basis of its passage through membrane filters. The agent is sensitive to ether, relatively resistant to 10% Formalin, resistant to ultraviolet irradiation, and susceptible to proteolytic digestion with Pronase. Attempts to extract an infectious nucleic acid fraction with hot phenol were unsuccessful. The results of these studies indicate that the TME agent has biochemical properties which are similar to those described for the transmissible agent of scrapie.


In this paper, we study the weight enumerator and the numerical performance of a class of binary linear block codes formed from a family of rate-compatible punctured convolutional (RCPC) codes. Also, we present useful numerical results for a well-known family of RCPC codes. Abstract —In this paper, we study the weight enumerator and the numerical performance of a class of binary linear block codes formed from a family of rate-compatible punctured convolutional (RCPC) codes. Also, we present useful numerical results for a well-known family of RCPC codes.


The main features of a new online database of scientific illustrators are portrayed. We list illustrators of scientific publications of all genres (especially atlases, articles, textbooks) who were active between 1450 and 1950, thus excluding illuminators of medieval manuscripts as well as illustrators still active. Currently (Sept. 26, 2012), we already have more than 3,461 entries, with particular emphasis on anatomy, dermatology, botany, zoology, mineralogy, astronomy, and general natural history. Access to the database with its 20 search fields is free and open to all interested users at www.uni-stu ttgart.de/hi/gnt/dsi/.


Water is one of many economic drivers for southern Alberta. Industries such as intensive livestock operations and food processing depend on irrigation infrastructure for water. Lethbridge is the location most often associated with irrigation, though much of the irrigation is actually located east (Taber to Medicine Hat) and northeast (Strathmore to Brooks) of Lethbridge. Multidisciplinary research projects are needed to analyze and document the stream flow requirements of aquatic and riparian ecosystems; such research would allow the development of river regulation strategies that preserve these ecosystems. Research on water quality and water quantity is of high priority. How do dams affect downstream ecosystems in the South Saskatchewan River basin, including the Oldman, Bow and Red Deer sub-basins? How does water use affect the ecosystem? How do irrigation and intensive livestock operations affect the environment?


A study was conducted to investigate the accessibility and use of perception on open access resources used in the library and Information Science students in Idhaya College for Women. In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the awareness of open access resources. The methodology adopted for the study surveyed in which questionnaires, interviews, and observations were used in a collection of the data. A total of 131 respondents participated in the study. 80(61.07%) of the frequency are UG Students while 51(38.93%) are PG Students in the use of open access resources in Idhaya College for Women. show that the Using of open access resources 32(24.43%) respondents information access for Research purpose only. Show that the frequency-wise respondents used in open access resources in daily used in 25(19.08%). Show the Time Spend for the open access resources respondents used in Less than 2 hours used in 29(22.14%).Show that the used in open access resources in a maximum of respondents daily used in home 32(24.43%).: Show that the Problems of used in open access resources in a maximum of respondents Privacy problem faced in 27(20.61%),UG students access the problems of 20(20.62%) PG students access the problems of 7(20.59%).Show that the Storage of open access resources in the maximum of respondents PPT in 42(32.06%), followed by Word Document 28(21.37%).Show that the Impact of using open access resources of respondents Provides free online access to the necessary literature for my research strongly Agree for the 32 (24.43%) Agree for 46(35.11%).


ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv DECLARATION v APPROVAL SHEET vi PERMISSION SHEET vii TABLE OF CONTENTS viii LIST OF TABLES xii LIST OF FIGURES xiv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xv


Corticosteroid-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and tumor growth was studied in first-generation transplants (FGMT) of spontaneous C3H/HeJ mammary tumors (SMT). Competitive binding studies using the dextran-coated charcoal method demonstrated that both SMT and FGMT exhibit high-affinity, low-capacity cytoplasmic binding sites for corticosteroids. Free cytoplasmic binding sites, determined by Scatchard analysis of dexamethasone (DEX) binding data, were more abundant in SMT (323 +/- 45 fmol/mg) than in FGMT (199 +/- 35 fmol/mg). Apparent dissociation constants, 3.83 +/- 1.14 and 5.06 +/- 1.53 nM for SMT and FGMT, respectively, were consistent with those found in other corticosteroid-sensitive tissues. In vivo treatment of FGMT with DEX or methylprednisolone resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation and tumor growth. The recovery kinetics after three doses of either methylprednisolone or DEX (10 mg/kg every 12 hr) suggested reversible G1 progression delay. Changes in the [3H]thymidine labeling index after steroid treatment indicated maximal S-phase cellularity 18 to 24 hr after methylprednisolone and 42 to 48 hr after DEX. On the basis of regrowth delay measurements, the effectiveness of sequential therapy with corticosteroids and either 5-fluorouracil or especially vincristine was seen to be time sequence dependent. The most effective intervals were those in which vincristine and/or 5-fluorouracil was given to coincide with maximal S-phase cellularity after steroid treatments.


In the present paper, numerical analyses of pressure control characteristics have been performed in a variable pressure solenoid valve. A number of solenoid valves have been used in the electronic control system, especially automatic transmission of an automobile. Variable pressure solenoid valve is intended to produce spatial movement by the electrical signal. Numerical analyses of pressure control characteristics have been practiced by the Finite Difference Method, which show the pressure distribution in the solenoid valve. The results of numerical analyses show the dependence of pressure distribution on the displacement of the spool in the solenoid valve, and then, are compared with the experimental results.


The British Open, or the Open Championship as it's known outside the United States, is believed to be the most challenging tournament in professional golf. There was no greater Open than in 1977 at Turnberry on Scotland's southwest coast, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled over the last thirty-six holes with Watson winning with a closing birdie. Drawing on interviews with participants, caddies, journalists, and spectators, Michael Corcoran brings the drama of this historic Open Championship to vivid life. Along with a revealing retelling of the '77 Open, Corcoran delivers an evocative historical overview of the Open and the tradition it represents.


The effect of the lockdown imposed to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in France between March 14 and May 11, 2020 on the wastewater characteristics of two large urban areas (with between 250,000 and 300,000 inhabitants) was studied. The number of outward and inward daily commuters was extracted from national census databases related to the population and their commuting habits. For urban area A, with the larger number of daily inward commuters (110,000, compared to 53,000 for B), lockdown was observed to have an effect on the monthly load averages of chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total suspended solids and total phosphorus, all of which decreased (confidence level of 95%). This decrease, which varied between 20% and 40% and reached 45% for COD, can be related to the cessation of catering and activities such as hairdressing, which generate large amounts of graywater. The ammonium loads, due to the use of toilets before leaving for work and after returning from work, remained constant. In the case of urban area B, lockdown had no noticeable effect. More data would be necessary in the long term to analyze the effect of changes in the balance between ammonia and carbon sources on the operation of wastewater treatment plants.


DoD has defined three levels of data fusion for Network Centric Warfare (NCW). Level 1 data fusion combines data from single or multiple sensors and sources to provide the best estimate of objects and events in the battlespace. Level 2 data fusion focuses on situation assessment. Level 3 data fusion is threat assessment. To facilitate situation assessment, we investigate the problem of jointly classifying and identifying multiple targets in radar sensor networks where the maximum number of categories and the maximum number of targets in each category are obtained a priori based on statistical data. However, the actual number of targets in each category and the actual number of target categories being present at any given time are assumed unknown. It is assumed that a given target belongs to one category and one identification number. The target signals are modeled as zero-mean complex Gaussian processes. We propose a joint multi-target identification and classification (JMIC) algorithm for radar surveillance using cognitive radars. The existing target categories are first classified and then the targets in each category are accordingly identified. Simulation results are presented to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed JMIC algorithm in a query surveillance region.


A theoretical study of the propagation of a plane wave in a material with nonlinear response is presented. We start with the wave equation for an isotropic, homogeneous, elastic solid with cubic anharmonicity in the moduli, accounting for attenuation by introducing complex linear and nonlinear moduli. A hierarchy of equations, ordered in powers of the displacement field, is developed. Using a Green function technique, we solve this set of equations systematically for the displacement field at distance x from the source. We examine the influence of propagation distance, source frequency spectrum, source displacement amplitude, attenuation, and nonlinear coefficient on the spectrum of a propagating wave. The displacement field for various source functions is calculated using parameters typical of rocks.


Children with 46XY disorders of sex development with genital ambiguity face a lot of behavioral changes and are associated with many risk factors. The 20 participants (aged 5-16) were taken, consisting of 12 boys and 8 girls. Control data were obtained from a representative sibling of each patient who was matched for age and gender. A questionnaire was held which was parent administered to check the behavior of child. The analysis came out to be that the children with genital ambiguity have poorer scores in respect to social or other realms when compared with control group. These findings are helpful as they give a chance to understand the individuals with any genital ambiguity and it should become an integral part to counsel them psychologically.


Nitrogen contributes to plant defense responses by the regulation of plant primary metabolism during plant-pathogen interactions. Based on biochemical, physiological, bioinformatic and transcriptome approaches, we investigated how different nitrogen forms (ammonium vs. nitrate) regulate the physiological response of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC) infection. The metabolic profile revealed that nitrate-grown plants accumulated more organic acids, while ammonium-grown plants accumulated more amino acids; FOC infection significantly increased levels of both amino acids and organic acids in the roots of ammonium-grown plants. Transcriptome analysis showed that genes related to carbon metabolism were mostly up-regulated in plants grown with nitrate, whereas in ammonium-grown plants the up-regulated genes were mostly those that were related to primary nitrogen metabolism. Root FOC colonization and disease incidence were positively correlated with levels of root amino acids and negatively correlated with levels of root organic acids. In conclusion, organic acid metabolism and expression of related genes increased under nitrate, whereas ammonium increased the level of amino acids and expression of related genes; these altered levels of organic acids and amino acids resulted in different tolerances to FOC infection depending on the nitrogen forms supplied.


The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an alluring model system currently used to study early embryonic development, organogenesis and gene functional analysis. However, few studies have been devoted to post-embryonic development. We have explored the possibility of using this organism to analyze how cranial suture patterning occurs. This study reports on the establishment of the zebrafish skull vault anatomy, calvarial osteogenesis, and cranial suture morphology. Our results demonstrate that the anatomy of the zebrafish cranial vault and cranial sutures is very similar to that of mammalian organisms. Indeed, the zebrafish represents a versatile and valuable model system for the study of the biogenesis of cranial sutures.


This paper introduces a mixed continuous-time/discrete-time, single-loop, fourth-order, 4-bit audio-band sigma delta ADC that combines the benefits of continuous-time and discrete-time circuits, while mitigating the challenges associated with continuous-time design. Measurement results show that the peak SNR of this ADC reaches 100 dB and the total power consumption is less than 30 mW.


Abstract We describe and analyze a pedagogical experiment that introduced a broad and holistic perspective on complete farming systems, systemic learning tools, and a participatory learning strategy at an early stage in agronomy education. The paper describes the adventure of three students, who came from a conventional agronomy program at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), who were frustrated with the lack of integrated approaches to the study of agricultural systems and a strong focus on molecular-level processes in their first year of education. They encountered a narrow focus in most courses and the overall curricula of agricultural education that is a function of specialization and university organization in unique departments that concentrate on small pieces of the large puzzle, that is the production milieu. In the current educational environment, it is difficult for students to make connections, integrate information and theories, and to create relevance to the challenges they observe in the practical world of farming and food systems. The three students agreed to put on pilots' costumes and climb into an experimental vehicle called experiential learning, one that provides just-in-time education and a very high degree of self-responsibility for the learning process. The paper describes, analyzes, and evaluates the comprehensive and exhausting pedagogical process they followed in one semester in Sweden and Viet Nam, with positive and negative aspects of the program. We provide reflective recommendations from students and advisors for future agronomic education programs with the focus on developing renewable agriculture, selecting students and evaluating performance, and designing practical programs that will motivate highly committed and action-oriented students.


I suggest that this thesis is a compost pile from Wairarapa that slowly turns over harmful but potentially fertile tales of arcadia. I narrate this thesis drawing on the fleshly stories of ten Pākehā (colonial settler) women "of the land' and the ethico-onto-epistemology of Donna Haraway's compost making. Composting is Haraway's (2016) latest feminist call to trouble and queer the self-contained secular humanism of Western modernity. Uprooting the Western separation of 'nature' from culture, Haraway's philosophy provides an earthly foundation in which to compost arcadia. Arcadia is an antique 'nature' myth that has been enmeshed in the process of Western world making from Classical Greece to the European 'Age of Discovery'. Arcadia was used by the British to colonise Aotearoa New Zealand in the nineteenth century. As a Pākehā, I have been compelled to explore this myth because of the way it has seeped into transcendent understandings of land for descendants of colonial settlers like myself.  Commonly known as a rural paradise, arcadia was a strategy for 'normalising' and 'naturalising' European occupancy in New Zealand (Evans, 2007; Fairburn, 1989). British arcadianism arrived on the shores of New Zealand, Victorian and romantic. Therefore, in this thesis I posit that through both settler and romantic ideals, Pākehā continue to use arcadianism to relate to land. For example, presently in Aotearoa there is a populist national debate that has, broadly speaking, pitted farmers and environmentalists against each other. Sparked by recent situations such as the 'dairy boom' and the decline in New Zealand's water quality, tensions have mounted between those wanting to increase agricultural production and those who believe more environmental preservation is needed. After pondering such issues I realised these positions both express contrasting sides to the New Zealand arcadian narrative: A settler arcadia that promulgates the establishment of a small family farm and a romantic arcadia that envisions a pristine 'natural' paradise.  I worked through these issues on, in, and with, the ground of Wairarapa with Pākehā women who were engaged in various kinds of rural land practice. Using a critical autoethnographic voice and the idea of geography as 'earth writing' I draw on creative qualitative modes, visual approaches and ethnographic adventures to form fulsome stories that compost arcadia. The figure of Pan, the deity of the actual place of Arcadia, helps me with this composting project. Pan is a human-goat hybrid, queer trouble maker, and, as a trickster, has invoked in me my critical autoethnographic, fictional voice.  My encounters with women and Pan showed me fertile ways in which Pākehā have inherited the histories of arcadia and how these histories are corporeally significant and fruitfully challenge the separation of 'nature' and culture. Such meaningful matter or matters have, in turn, provided verdant ways to discuss Pākehā becoming and response-ability. Through the material stories of trees, pasture, hills, mountains, waterways, animals and family, compostable arcadias emerged, yielding, what I call in this thesis, landhome making. Landhome making queers the essentialising qualities of 'homeland' and 'homemaker' but most importantly relates the significance of land in the making of home for the women of this thesis. Landhome making is about exploring, through everyday practice, what it means to be Pākehā for participants and myself that — resultantly — contributes to wider national discussions on how Pākehā might 'become with' land (Haraway, 2008; 2016; Newton, 2009).


We have characterized the inward rectifying background potassium current, iK1, of canine cardiac Purkinje myocytes in terms of its reversal potential, voltage activation curve, and "steady-state" current-voltage relation. The latter parameter was defined from the difference current between holding currents in the presence and absence of 20 mM cesium. Our data suggest that iK1 rectification does not arise exclusively from voltage-dependent gating or exclusively from voltage- dependent blockade by internal magnesium ions. The voltage activation curve constructed from tail currents fit to a Boltzmann two-state model predicts less outward current than is actually observed. The magnesium- dependent rectification due to channel blockade is too fast to account for the time-dependent gating of iK1 that gives rise to the tail currents. We propose a new model of rectification that assumes that magnesium blockade of the channel occurs simultaneously with voltage- dependent gating. The new model incorporates the kinetic schema elaborated by Matsuda, H. (1988. J. Physiol. 397:237-258) to explain the appearance of subconducting states of the iK1 channel in the presence of blocking ions. That schema suggested that iK1 channels were composed of three parallel pores, each of which could be blocked independently. In our model we considered the consequences of partial blockade of the channel. If the channels are partially blocked at potentials where normally they are mostly gated closed, and if the partially blocked channels cannot close, then blockade will have the paradoxical result of enhancing the current carried by iK1.


This article approaches the topic of sustainability in a broad, interdisciplinary fashion − in the manner of our total footprint on the planet, not just our carbon footprint. It proposes to bring together the two allied areas of sustainability and spirituality in a dialectical manner, with ethics as a balancing force and spirituality playing the role of the proverbial invisible hand guiding our quest for sustainability. It takes the view that, in essence, spirituality and sustainability are vitally interlinked. When the spiritual dimension of our being is underdeveloped, we turn into pleasure-seeking automatons, plundering the planet in a mindless race called progress. This makes us self-centered and greedy for material wealth which leads to social disharmony and over-exploitation of natural resources. When we live a life of greater self-awareness, we tend to consume less and, more so, less mindlessly. With this understanding comes the liberating realization that there is no sustainability without spirituality. For material development to be sustainable, spiritual advancement must be seen as an integral part of the human development algorithm. Our societies are human nature writ at large; therefore, we believe that the solution to society's current chaos lies in the spiritual transformation of each one of us. The choice we face is between conscious change and chaotic annihilation. We believe that the most important eco-spirituality struggles will be won or lost during this decade. While policymakers and governments can play their respective roles, each one of us has to do our part by consciously adopting spirituality and sustainability as a way of life. Only an individual life rooted in the continuous harmony with nature − a life based on moral and spiritual awareness − can preserve the sanctity of the planet.


We compared fatigue-induced changes in plantar loading during the repeated anaerobic sprint test over two distinct distance intervals. Twelve international male football outfield players (Qatar Football Association) completed 6 × 35-m sprints (10 s of active recovery) on artificial turf with their football boots. Insole plantar pressure distribution was continuously recorded and values (whole foot and under 9 foot zones) subsequently averaged and compared over two distinct distance intervals (0-17.5 m vs. 17.5-35 m). Sprint times increased (p <0.001) from the first (4.87 ± 0.13 s) to the last (5.63 ± 0.31 s) repetition, independently of the distance interval. Contact area (150 ± 23 vs. 158 ± 19 cm2; -5.8 ± 9.1%; p = 0.032), maximum force (1910 ± 559 vs. 2211 ± 613 N; -16.9 ± 18.2%; p = 0.005) and mean pressure (154 ± 41 vs. 172 ± 37 kPa; -13.9 ± 19.0%; p = 0.033) for the whole foot were lower at 0-17.5 m vs. 17.5-35 m, irrespectively of sprint number. There were no main effects of sprint number or any significant interactions for any plantar variables of the whole foot. The distance interval × sprint number × foot region interaction on relative loads was not significant. Neither distance interval nor fatigue modified plantar pressure distribution patterns. Fatigue led to a decrement in sprint time but no significant change in plantar pressure distribution patterns across sprint repetitions.


community corrections center, and transitional services administrators from the Bureau of Prisons provided administrative support for the data collection. Abstract Objective: The effectiveness of Federal prison-based residential drug and alcohol treatment programs was evaluated using event history procedures which addressed the problem of selection bias and included a wide range of control variables. Methods: The sample comprised 760 treatment subjects and 809 comparison subjects. Treatment subjects were from 20 different prisons of medium, low and minimum security levels. Comparison subjects were drawn from over 30 prisons. Results: The results indicated that individuals who entered and completed in-prison residential treatment were less likely to experience the critical post-release outcomes of new arrests and substance use during the first 6 months following release. Conclusions: Without controlling for selection bias, the effects of treatment would most likely have been attenuated. The results have greater generalizability than other studies of prison-based treatment. This study occurred within a multi-site context of 20 programs serving both male and female inmates, and operating within different security levels and different geographic regions.


Conclusion and SummaryThe value of light broadcast applications of ground limestone for cotton fertilized with non-acid forming fertilizer has been pointed out. Soil pH is not a reliable criterion to determine when liming is necessary when the reaction falls in the range studied, pH 5.5 to pH 6.3. However, under more extreme conditions of acidity or alkalinity it is to be expected that pH values could be successfully used for this purpose. Exchangeable calcium appears to be a somewhat more reliable method for determining the lime needs of soils. With soils of low base-exchange capacity such as those studied, a high degree of saturation with calcium representing a pH of 6.5 or above, is needed to supply adequately the needs of cotton for calcium.


INTRODUCTION
We aimed to examine the response of current smokers to a hypothetical ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

METHODS
Current smokers were recruited online and reported the alternative products that they may switch to under a hypothetical ban, if they would try to obtain the banned products from illicit channels, and their support to the ban.

RESULTS
51% of current smokers would use non-flavored cigarettes and cigars as alternatives, 45% would switch to flavored heated tobacco products or e-cigarettes or quit smoking. 17% would try to obtain the banned flavored products from illicit markets. A majority of menthol only smokers opposed the ban. Daily smokers would be more likely to switch to non-flavored smoking, to try illicit market products, and were less supportive of the ban. Black smokers would be less likely to switch to non-flavored smoking and were more supportive of the ban. Smokers who used menthol cigarettes only would be more likely to switch to non-flavored smoking, less likely to try illicit market sellers, and were the least supportive of the ban.

CONCLUSIONS
In response to a ban of all added flavors for cigarettes or cigars, nearly half of current smokers would quit smoking, largely by switching to non-smoking products. However, smokers with more chronic use and those who used only menthol cigarettes would be more likely to switch to non-flavored smoking, diminishing the harm reduction potential. The ban may decrease the relatively higher prevalence of menthol cigarette smoking among Blacks compared with other groups.

IMPLICATIONS
A ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars may decrease the prevalence of smoking because some current smokers may quit smoking and switch to non-smoking products. However, smokers with more chronic use and those who used menthol cigarettes only were more likely to switch to non-flavored cigarettes or cigars, diminishing the harm reduction potential of the ban. Black smokers would be more likely to switch to products other than cigarettes and cigars thus decreasing their relatively higher prevalence of smoking compared with other groups.


ABSTRACT Although there is an emerging consensus about global climate patterns during the Cretaceous, details about the climate in Australia at this time are poorly resolved, and estimates for terrestrial climate are scarce. Using Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) and Bioclimatic Analysis (BA) on plant fossils from the mid- to Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, and working within the context of global paleoclimatic reconstructions and the vertebrate fauna from this unit, we have improved the temporal and geographic resolution of Australia's Cretaceous climate. During the time that the Cenomanian–Turonian portion of the Winton Formation was deposited, the climate in central-western Queensland was warm, wet, and relatively equable. Frost would have been extremely uncommon, if it occurred at all, and much of the year would have been favorable for plant growth. These results are consistent with both previous isotope records for northern Australia, and the fauna of the Winton Formation, and are in keeping with current reconstructions of global Cretaceous climates.


The absence of a landfill has increased the illegal waste disposal sites in Malaka Regency, which was established between 2013 and 2021. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze suitable and available land for the development of a landfill. The methodology used consisted of 2 analysis steps, namely land suitability and land availability. Land suitability was analyzed using a multi-criteria decision-making method, which included the slope, stone type/geology, lithology, soil type, soil texture, soil depth, soil drainage, distance from settlements, and water sources. The criteria were then weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and geographic information system for overlaying. Furthermore, the results of the land suitability analysis were used to determine its availability with the aid of spatial and regional planning (RTRW), land use, and forest area maps. The results showed that the highly suitable (S1) and available terrain for the landfill in Malaka Regency covered an area of 203.37 ha or 1.73% of the regency. Also, the analysis results indicated that there was still adequate land available for the landfill.