The European and American Protestant missions to China (1807-1953) were one of history's greatest cross-cultural encounters. By 1850, only a few dozen (mostly male) missionaries had been sent to China. Five decades later, the number had grown to approximately two-thousand-five-hundred men, women, and children. During this period, Protestant missions spread the gospel message to the Chinese populace, translating and otherwise communicating God's Word through Chinese languages and regional dialects. This essay compiles secondary accounts of how missionaries used language and translation to accomplish their evangelistic goals. Bringing together these associated accounts will inform readers who may be unfamiliar with Protestant missionaries' translation projects in the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries in China.


A new integrated method for direct preparation of cermet materials is proposed consisting of a powder processing method allied to a special sintering step. The powder is obtained by mechanical alloying route where a specific morphologic design is searched to yield thin metal plated ceramic particles. These have the proper characteristics to engage the sintering by activated surface (SAS) consolidation method. The last is triggered by partial evaporation and reactive sintering of thin metal layers, therefore exposing high active surfaces with superior sinterability. Refractory sacrifice metal components are found to play an important role. The application of the integrated method to Ni-ZrO2 cermet with selected metal additives is investigated. Sintering temperatures can be reduced by more than 300°C for the same final density range. The resulted powders and pellets microstructures are analysed accordingly to the projected expected ones. The thermophysical and electrical properties measurements are performed for evaluate phases percolation.


Fluorescence spectroscopy is an important method to study protein conformational dynamics and solvation structures. Tryptophan (Trp) residues are the most important and practical intrinsic probes for protein fluorescence due to the variability of their fluorescence wavelengths: Trp residues emit in wavelengths ranging from 308 to 360 nm depending on the local molecular environment. Fluorescence involves electronic transitions, thus its computational modeling is a challenging task. We show that it is possible to predict the wavelength of emission of a Trp residue from classical molecular dynamics simulations by computing the solvent‐accessible surface area or the electrostatic interaction between the indole group and the rest of the system. Linear parametric models are obtained to predict the maximum emission wavelengths with standard errors of the order 5 nm. In a set of 19 proteins with emission wavelengths ranging from 308 to 352 nm, the best model predicts the maximum wavelength of emission with a standard error of 4.89 nm and a quadratic Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.81. These models can be used for the interpretation of fluorescence spectra of proteins with multiple Trp residues, or for which local Trp environmental variability exists and can be probed by classical molecular dynamics simulations. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Renaissance Venice is generally portrayed as a city of harmony and consensus. This book offers a sharply different view by highlighting the history of religious dissent in this early modern city. Drawing on sixteenth-century records from archives of the Roman Inquisition, John Jeffries Martin reconstructs the social and cultural worlds of the Venetian heretics-those men and women who articulated their hopes for religious and political reform. Among them were Evangelists, Protestants, Anabaptists, Antitrinitarians, and Millenarians, whose ideologies ranged from moderate to radical. The protagonists included men and women from all social classes; but artisans, above all those in the elite crafts, proved especially likely to give their support to the new reform ideas. Martin's analysis, which explores the interconnections of religious beliefs and social experience, offers new perspectives on the Italian Reformation and demonstrates widespread persistent popular support for this reform of church and society well after the establishment of the Roman Inquisition in the 1540s.


INTRODUCTION Anthropological theories of religion are diverse. They are based variously on ideas human social structures, emotions, or cognition. Most concentrate on one of these, but some combine them. A few look beyond human nature to that of other animals, for analogues or precursors to religion. A few theories are indigenous to anthropology, but many have been borrowed. Thus any review must be similarly wideranging and include material that is not solely anthropological. I offer a brief historical overview and a look at a promising contemporary approach. No sharp break or any single feature separates anthropological explanations of religion from their forebears or from those of other disciplines. However, a few common features do tend to set them apart. Of these, humanism, evolutionism, and cross-cultural comparison are primary. Humanism in anthropology means simply that explanations of religion (as of other human thought and action) are secular and naturalistic. They account for religions as products of human culture and human nature, not as manifestations of anything transcendental, supernatural, or otherwise sui generis .


Primordial black holes are studied in the Bose-Einstein condensate description of space-time. The question of baryon-number conservation is investigated with emphasis on the possible formation of bound states of the system's remaining captured baryons. This leads to distinct predictions both for the formation time, which for the naively natural assumptions is shown to lie between 10(-12) s and 10(12) s after the big bang, and for the remnant's mass, yielding approximately 3 x 10(23) kg in the same scheme. The consequences for astrophysically formed black holes are also considered.


With the development of technology, water resources management has entered a phase of the digital management. Therefore, accelerating the digital construction of water resources management has become a new topic. This study analyzes the importance and necessity of regional water resources digital management in terms of the ideas and means in digital management. Combined with the reality of regional water resources management, the study discusses the information collection, processing and transmission network of regional water resources, the database system of water resource management, integrated business management system and the digital water management support system. It also gives the primary system framework for regional water resources digital management. The study is helpful for a reasonable use of digital means to optimize the allocation of water resources to deal with serious water shortage in the northern region.


This study was an attempt to find out the impact of Montessori teaching method on EFL learners' writing achievement. To fulfill the purpose of the study, out of 150 students, 95 male and female students were selected randomly to participate in this study. All of them were given a pretest to find out their level of proficiency. They had no background knowledge of English and they had not studied English before. They were also divided randomly into two groups namely experimental and control. The experimental group consisted of 23 male and 27 female learners while the control group consisted of 21 male and 24 female learners. Experimental group members were instructed based on Montessori teaching method and their instruction was based on different Montessori materials. The control group members had a routine teaching process. Each group was a mixture of both male and female learners with the age range of 5-6. After 12 sessions, writing posttest was given to both groups to evaluate whether there is any significant difference between these two groups or not. The obtained data were analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. The data were analyzed by statistical tests such as one-way ANCOVA and one-sample t-test. The statistical analyses revealed that there was significant statistical differences between two groups mean scores on the writing posttest. Therefore, it can be argued that Montessori teaching method had significant impact on learners' writing skill.


The degree to which the level of genetic variation for gene expression is shared across multiple tissues has important implications for research investigating the role of expression on the etiology of complex human traits and diseases. In the last few years, several studies have been published reporting the extent of overlap in expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) identified in multiple tissues or cell types. Although these studies provide important information on the regulatory control of genes across tissues, their limited power means that they can typically only explain a small proportion of genetic variation for gene expression. Here, using expression data from monozygotic twins (MZ), we investigate the genetic control of gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) and whole blood (WB). We estimate the genetic correlation that represents the combined effects of all causal loci across the whole genome and is a measure of the level of common genetic control of gene expression between the two RNA sources. Our results show that, when averaged across the genome, mean levels of genetic correlation for gene expression in LCL and WB samples are close to zero. We support our results with evidence from gene expression in an independent sample of LCL, T-cells, and fibroblasts. In addition, we provide evidence that housekeeping genes, which maintain basic cellular functions, are more likely to have high genetic correlations between the RNA sources than non-housekeeping genes, implying a relationship between the transcript function and the degree to which a gene has tissue-specific genetic regulatory control.


The images in this photo essay explore a rural Japan that is fast disappearing. Photographer Greg Davis's poetic monochromes depict ordinary people in their everyday lives, following the seasonal rhythms and lifecycle rites that hold the community of Gunma Prefecture (central Honshu) ever more tenuously together. He wields his camera like a social anthropologist, capturing fragments of a way of life that anticipate the changing context, the impending transformation. In some respects this is an elegy to a time already lost, one that has become more ritual than reality. Jeff Kingston's text unravels the complexities of some of these images and shows how they constitute a rich and deftly haunting social commentary.


Abstract. This work presents a catalog of daily precipitation fields in the Balearic Islands created with data from AEMET (State Meteorological Agency) assistant observations, including records from 1912. The original digital daily data file has been interpolated onto a regular 100 m-resolution grid (namely PREGRIDBAL), defined with the aim of becoming a valid standard for future methodological improvements and catalog upgrades. Daily precipitation amounts on each grid point are calculated using an analysis method based on ordinary kriging, using the daily anomaly with respect to the annual mean for all available observations each day. Due to quality concerns, the time span for products derived from the catalog is limited to the 1950–2009 period, when the number of operating stations reached 200. Therefore, from the time series of daily maps, monthly-, annual-, quinquennial-, and decadal-accumulations are produced. Similarly, the catalog allowed for quantification of climate trends in rainfall amounts in the Balearic Islands, with the significant advantage of minimizing the biases originated from heterogeneities in the spatial distribution of stations across the archipelago. Results show a general decrease in precipitation during the 1950–2009 period. From 1950 to 1979, the average annual precipitation across the islands was 624.3 mm, while from 1980 to 2009 it diminished to 555.36 mm. Changes in precipitation patterns, which vary among the different areas, are also detected. The most significant reductions are found in the northern half of the archipelago and especially in Mallorca, where the Tramuntana mountain range stands out. All seasonal trends show a decrease, with values ranging between 1 and 3 mm decade−1, with the exception of autumn, which reaches a positive trend up to 7 mm decade−1. October shows the most dramatic decrease (−10. 34 mm decade−1) and, conversely, September and November show an increase in precipitation (3.28 and 1.82 mm decade−1, respectively) with a statistical significance above 85 % across almost the entire archipelago, and even exceeding 95 % in Eivissa and Formentera.


Depth‐to‐water‐level (DTWL) measurements in shallow groundwater piezometers are commonly used to develop predictive relationships between wetland plant composition and the water regime. These analyses, however, implicitly use DTWL as a surrogate for the soil water regime within the root zone. We collected bi‐weekly field measurements of DTWL and surface effective saturation (SES) at a riparian wetland (3–4 years after restoration) in southwestern Wisconsin during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Plant species composition was also sampled at the same locations (N = 62). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) and nonparametric multiplicative regression (NPMR) were used to compare how effectively the two hydrological metrics explain the overall plant community ordination space (NMS) and predict the probability of presence of certain dominant species (NPMR). In addition, we performed each statistical method on each year's data separately in order to estimate the robustness of the metrics to predict species composition. Both SES and DTWL metrics were significantly correlated with one NMS axis for both years, although correlations were higher and more significant (p < 0·001) with the SES metrics. NPMR‐generated models were created for six representative species using the SES and DTWL metrics as predictor variables. Models created using the SES metrics had consistently higher evaluation metrics for both years as compared with the DTWL metrics. While the metrics that consistently led to models with the highest evaluation metric (logβ > 2·2) for each of the species were mean and minimum SES, models that used mean SES were more temporally consistent and, therefore, more generally applicable. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


PURPOSE
To describe the use of Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem (PROSE) device in the management of complex oculoplastic pathology.

METHODS
The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of individuals over 18 years of age who were referred and successfully fit with the PROSE scleral device between January 1995 and June 2015.

RESULTS
Nine cases were identified that had complex oculoplastic disease and severe corneal surface disease. All patients with ptosis had improvement in marginal reflex distance-1 following PROSE and 5 of 7 patients with ptosis were spared further surgical intervention. Two underwent surgical repair with successful corneal stabilization with PROSE. Those with eyelid malposition including ectropion, entropion, or trichiasis experienced improvement in their corneal surface and deferred further surgical intervention.

CONCLUSIONS
These cases highlight the use of the PROSE device to elevate the upper eyelid in patients with lagophthalmos and ptosis, stabilize the corneal surface to allow for additional eyelid surgery to be performed safely, and protect the corneal surface in patients with intractable trichiasis and entropion. Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem should be considered in patients with complex oculoplastic pathology to improve visual function, corneal surface disease, and eyelid position.


Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the most trace element (TE) rich metabolic processes in biology. Indeed, TEs are important structural components of various enzymes in the AD process. The role and fate of TEs (Fe, Ni and Co) in AD is poorly understood due to their complex biogeochemistry. The low detection limit of analytical instruments and the time consuming and challenging nature of the experimental procedures are major obstacles to the quantification of TEs in AD. In this thesis, three separate mathematical models based ADM1 have been developed to simulate the TEs dynamics and speciation pattern in an AD reactor. In particular, a TE precipitation/dissolution model, a TE complexation model and a TE adsorption model have been progressively developed to predict the effect, role and fate of TEs in an AD batch system. In all the models the extent of microbial activity in the AD process is a function of the free TE concentration in the liquid phase, which is in equilibrium with the physicochemistry of the AD reactor. The precipitation/dissolution model considers the interactions of TEs with inorganic carbon (e.g. HCO3- and CO32-), phosphorous (e.g. PO43-, HPO42-, H2PO4-) and sulfur (e.g. HS- and S2-) components. New chemical equilibrium acid-base and precipitation reactions have been implemented to study the interactions of Fe, Ni, Co with carbonate, phosphate and sulfide components. The effects of deficiency, stimulation, inhibition and toxicity of TEs on microbial activity have been modelled based on a hormesis type TE dose-response inhibition function. The microbial uptake of TE and the TE inhibition on special microbial activities have been defined as well. Release of TEs as a disintegration product has been also considered to account for the TE content of the organic substrate. Model scenarios have been simulated to analyze the dynamics of TEs, starvation of TEs and the effect of initial sulfur-phosphorus ratio. In the complexation model, the interactions of TEs with organic chelators have been predicted. TE complexation reactions with VFAs and EDTA have been incorporated in the extended ADM1 model in addition to TE precipitation/dissolution processes. New acid-base chemical equilibrium reactions have been incorporated to model the dynamics of EDTA species. Complexation process rates have been defined as well. The model is able to quantify the effect of EDTA/VFA -TE complexation on methane production. Further, effect of initial Ca and Mg concentration on TE complexation has been predicted in a separate modeling scenario. Finally, a general framework able to take into account the precipitation/dissolution and complexation reactions, as well as the interaction of TEs with various surfaces available in the AD system has been developed. The model tracks the TEs dynamics in a batch anaerobic digester and as an extension of the previous contributions, incorporates the adsorption reactions of TEs with biomass, inert and precipitate (FeS). The concepts of free and occupied binding sites, and binding site density for the various surfaces have been incorporated into the model. Simulation scenarios were able to predict the effect of various organic matter concentrations, initial TE concentrations, initial Ca-Mg concentrations, initial EDTA concentrations and change in TE binding site density for biomass, inert and precipitate on cumulative methane production and TE speciation.


The breakup of a liquid capillary filament is analyzed as a viscous potential flow near a stagnation point on the centerline of the filament towards which the surface collapses under the action of surface tension forces. We find that the neck is of parabolic shape and its radius collapses to zero in a finite time; the curvature at the throat tends to zero much faster than the radius, leading ultimately to a microthread of nearly uniform radius. During the collapse the tensile stress due to viscosity increases in value until at a certain finite radius, which is about 1.5 microns for water in air, the stress in the throat passes into tension, presumably inducing cavitation there. Typeset using REVTEX 1


The Lau Basin, which lies between the Tonga and Lau Ridges, is characterized by an absence of sediment, high but variable heat flow, and a confused magnetic anomaly pattern. A ridge 300 km long and 40 km wide runs northwest-southeast through the western part of the basin. This ridge is composed of fresh tholeiitic basalt and is associated with a linear band of shallow-focus earthquakes ( The geophysical and geological data are interpreted within the framework of the theory of plate tectonics. It is suggested that the ridge and related earthquake epicenters mark the boundary between the India plate and a much smaller plate, the Tonga plate, which lies between the India plate and the Tonga Trench. The boundary is a transform fault marking the direction of motion of the two plates. A revised crustal consumption rate of 11 cm/yr for the Tonga Trench is required if the Tonga-India plate separation is added to the India-Pacific plate convergence. Continued NW-SE dilation and basalt intrusion during the past 10 m.y. has separated the Tonga and Lau Ridges and can explain the fresh basalt, the absence of sediment, and the high heat flow in the Lau Basin. This basin, although lying below the ridges on either side, has an average elevation more than 3,000 m above that of the deep Pacific. Intrusion of hot material at the center of the basin can account for this increase in elevation. The classic concept of the "andesite line," separating oceanic and continental crust, clearly has no meaning as an indication of crustal type, as oceanic crust can be generated behind island arcs.


There are few ideals of character as distinctive as the ancient virtue of "greatness of soul." A larger-than-life virtue embodying a vision of human greatness, it has often been seen as a relic of the Homeric world and its honour-loving heroes. In philosophy, it found its most celebrated expression in Aristotle's ethics, and it has lived on in the minds of philosophers and theologians ever since. Yet among the many lives this virtue has led in intellectual history, one remains conspicuously unwritten. This is the life it led in the Arabic tradition. A virtue of Greek warriors and their democratic epigones—what happened when this splendid virtue made landfall in the Islamic world? One of the aims of this book is to answer this question. Yet in the process, it opens out to become a story about a larger family of virtues united by their preoccupation with greatness and things great. We may call them "virtues of greatness." An important constituent of the character ideals expounded across a range of genres within the Islamic world, this type of virtue tells us as much about the content of these ideals as about their kaleidoscopic genealogies. The Islamic world, too, had its native heroes, who bequeathed their conception of extraordinary virtue to posterity. Heroic virtue is above all expressed in a boundless aspiration to what is greatest. Could we admire such virtue enough to want it as our own? What can we learn from the Arabic tradition of the virtues?


Adenosine is known to be an endogenous cardioprotective substance. Since we have reported that adenosine levels increase in patients with chronic heart failure, we tested whether further elevation of the adenosine levels due to dipyridamole or dilazep for 6 months modulates the pathophysiology of chronic heart failure. In patients with chronic heart failure, either dipyridamole (300 mg/d n = 17) or dilazep (300 mg/d n = 5) were administered for 6 months. Twenty-two patients (mean +/- SE age 58 +/- 4 years old) attending a specialized chronic heart failure (CHF) clinic over 6 months and judged as in New York Heart Association (NYHA) function class II or III were examined. The other drugs used for the treatment of CHF were not altered during the study. There were 5 patients with CHF caused by ischemic heart diseases, and 17 patients with either valvular heart diseases or dilated cardiomyopathy. We found that increases in the plasma adenosine levels (202 +/- 34 and 372 +/- 74) nmol/L before and after dipyridamole administration, P < 0.005 ameliorate the severity of CHF (NYHA: 2.1 +/- 0.5 to 1.7 +/- 0.2). Both ejection fraction and maximal oxygen consumption increased. These improvements in the severity of chronic heart failure returned to baseline levels 6 months after discontinuation of dipyridamole. Comparable results were obtained in the dilazep protocol. We suggest that the elevation of plasma adenosine levels improves the pathophysiology of CHF.


BACKGROUND
It is not uncommon for alcoholics to have iron accumulation in the liver, a condition that may contribute to the development of alcoholic liver disease. Recently, we reported that the expression of transferrin receptor, which mediates cellular iron uptake, was increased in hepatocytes in patients with alcoholic liver disease. To elucidate the mechanism of the iron accumulation in hepatocytes in such disease, we examined whether ethanol exposure induced the transferrin receptor expression and increased the cellular iron uptake.

METHODS
Rat primary hepatocytes were isolated and cultured in the presence of 20 micromol/liter of iron and 25 mmol/liter of ethanol.

RESULTS
Ethanol exposure to the hepatocytes demonstrated an ~2-fold increase in transferrin receptor expression for 24 hr, shown by Western blot analysis and S-methionine metabolic labeling, 19% increase in Fe-transferrin uptake by hepatocytes, and 20% increase in activity of iron regulatory protein examined by band shift assay.

CONCLUSION
Ethanol exposure induced the transferrin receptor expression, partially through the activation of iron regulatory protein, and increased the transferrin-bound iron uptake in rat hepatocyte cultures. The induction of transferrin receptor by ethanol might be one of the mechanisms of iron accumulation in the hepatocytes in alcoholic liver disease.


7 grain sorghum cv. of various plant types were grown at 120 000, 200 000 or 280 000 plants/ha and rates of apparent photosynthesis and dark respiration measured. Photosynthesis rates varied significantly with plant density among cv., decreasing with increase in plant density in cv. Cosor 2, Cosor 3 and EG-3 and increasing in cv. Darso, IS 8544, IS 295 and to a lesser extent in CS 36. The medium-short cv. EG-3 with narrow erect leaves had the highest photosynthesis rate, while the tall cv. IS 295 with long wide and drooping leaves had the lowest rate. Data are given on photosynthesis rates of the cv. grown under different light intensities for each density, the rates of photosynthesis and dark respiration and of grain yield of the cv. and correlations between respiration and photosynthesis or between grain yield and photosynthesis or respiration. These correlations were significant. It is suggested that either one or a contribution of both of the 2 physiological processes would serve as a good measure of the yield potential of grain sorghum cv. CO2 assimilation rate could be increased considerably by increasing the plant density


International and Australian research has established links between legal and health need, particularly for people with chronic illness and disability; links between social exclusion and clusters of legal need; and the prevalence of non-legal services as the first port of call for assistance with legal need. These findings provide strong support for integrating the provision of legal services with health and welfare services and for establishing good referral practices between legal services and non-legal community and health services. The studies that establish the link between legal, health and social need suggest that a holistic approach to service delivery between legal, health and other community services could help to meet the needs of people and communities facing significant levels of social exclusion. Within the legal aid and community legal centre sector, those who have worked in integrated services are convinced of the benefits and can easily cite individual examples in support. There is little empirical or qualitative material in Australia to support these observations or detail the key features of this approach to legal service delivery. This article details briefly the findings of a research project that gathered data on the work and practices of the West Heidelberg Community Legal Service (WHCLS) which has been collocated with Banyule Community Health (BCH) for thirty years. It identifies the five key features of integrated legal services and then focuses on the analysis of what facilitates and impedes integrated legal services at WHCLS.


The paper is focused on the performance measurement of the Support and Guarantee Fund for Farmers and Forestry (SGFFF) as the main instrument of capital reinforcement of Czech agricultural enterprise development. Its principles as well as the function from the point of view of agricultural enterprises, restructuring and allocation of resources and the reason why the subsidies of the supported loans' interest rates have been employed are cleared up there. The results are discussed upon an analysis of the Fund's activity. According to them, it can be claimed that the Fund has became an important part of supports for the agricultural sector development in the last ten years. From the point of view of the criteria of supported loans allocation, it was ascertained that the level of support has not been derived from the different natural and soil qualities primarily. The economic results and a high level of the prosperity have been evaluated as the main criteria for the decision-making system regarding an effective restructuring of agriculture and improving its competitiveness.


Experiments on mice were made to study the release to blood of exogenously injected glucose. It was established that this process was of rhythmical nature. Two periods of intense glucose release to blood were recognized: the maxima were attained at 4 and 12 o'clock. At other times glucose release to blood was negligible. It is assumed that oscillations in question are determined by the biological rhythms of glucose absorption by cross-striated muscle cells. Electromagnetic field altered the biological rhythms of glucose absorption by the muscles and raised glucose absorption. Mice with unmarked insulin deficiency preserved the tendency toward rhythmical changes in glucose release to blood, although muscle absorption of glucose was lowered.


Zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) have become an important model system for studying vertebrate embryonic development and gene function through manipulation of genotype and characterization of resultant phenotypes. An established research zebrafish colony without substantial disease problems for more than 7 years of operation began experiencing appreciable mortalities in November of 1997. Young fish (fry), from five to 24 days after hatching, spontaneously developed elongate strands of organic material protruding from the mouth, operculum, and anal pore, leading workers in the laboratory to describe the infected fish as "bearded." Unlike typical freshwater fish fungal infections, the skin surface did not have evidence of fungal colonization. The disease was associated with progressive lethargy, reduced feeding, and subsequent mortality. From 10 to 100% of the fry in a given tank were affected. Initial examination indicated that the biofilm around the head of affected fry consisted of bundles of septate fungal hyphae, large numbers of mixed bacterial populations, and protozoans. Environmental samples of air and water in the laboratory were obtained to ascertain the source of the infective agent and to isolate and identify the fungus. A fungus identified as Lecythophora mutabilis was isolated repeatedly from infected fish and water samples from infected fish tanks, and from the main laboratory water supply tanks, but not from laboratory air. Some biofilm beards on fish were found to consist of relatively pure bacterial populations, and beards on occasional fish examined in the later part of the study consisted of hyphae and spores of the oomycete genus Aphanomyces. Lecythophora mutabilis did not invade tissues; however, elimination of the epizootic correlated with reduction in the number of L. mutabilis conidia in the water following modification of the laboratory water system by use of new filtration and sterilization systems. We conclude that the dense hyphal strands of L. mutabilis composing the predominant biofilm type, along with mixed bacteria and protozoa, contributed to the die-off in young fry by occluding the oral cavity and/or gills, leading to starvation and/or asphyxiation.


A train draft gear goes between the coupler and the frame of the car. The train draft gear cushions switching impacts so that the impacts don't damage the train cars. Currently, the inspection of train draft gears is mainly performed offline through visual inspection. Because the major part of the draft gear is hidden inside the train coupler, it requires the disassembly of train coupler to perform the inspection, which is time consuming. Moreover, when there is a leakage inside the draft gear, visual inspection could miss the internal leakage until the leakage is very severe. This paper introduces a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system to monitor the status of the train draft gear when the train is in service. The system consists of a set of strain sensors to measure the pulling and pushing force, a data acquisition unit and the upper level analysis software. When the draft gear is mal-functioning, strain signals show different patterns from the signals in normal condition, which can be used by machine learning methods to estimate the health status of the draft gear.


Growing evidence indicates that species respond idiosyncratically when exposed to the same changes in climate. As a result, understanding the potential influence of biological traits on species' distributional responses is a research priority. Yet, empirical support for hypothesised influences of traits on climate change responses remains equivocal. In this paper, we developed a novel approach to determine whether biological traits predict the degree of climatic niche tracking of British breeding birds in response to recent climate change. First, we quantified how well predicted positive and negative changes in probability of presence from climate-based species distribution models agreed with observed local gains and losses in species' occupancy – our measure of climatic niche tracking. Second, we examined whether the degree of climatic niche tracking could be predicted by species' ecological and life-history traits, as well as phylogenetic relationships. Overall, British breeding birds displayed a low degree of climatic niche tracking over the period of our study, though this varied substantially among species. Models incorporating traits and phylogeny explained a low proportion of the variation in climatic niche tracking. Nevertheless, we did find statistical evidence that species with lower lifespans tracked their climatic niches more closely, whilst species with a mixed diet displayed a lower degree of climatic niche tracking. We present here a tractable approach for quantifying the degree to which observed local range gains and losses can be related to climate redistribution and apply it to British breeding birds. Although we do not find strong evidence that traits predict the degree of climatic niche tracking, we discuss why this is likely to be a consequence of the features of our study system rather than the approach itself. We believe this approach may prove to be useful as datasets of temporal changes in species distributions become increasingly available.


Subarachnoid infusion of most contrast mediums and the steps involved in performing a cervical myelography have adverse affects that can discourage its use in the radiographic diagnosis of spinal cord diseases. Thus, the cardiovascular and respiratory alterations associated with neck flexion, subarachnoid puncture, and cerebrospinal fluid drainage during subarachnoid infusion of ioversol (320mgI/mL) in dogs under general anesthesia using isoflurane were evaluated. The dogs received subarachnoid infusion of autologous cerebrospinal fluid kept at 38°C - control group (GC); ioversol 0.3mL/kg at 25°C (GI25) and ioversol 0.3mL/kg heated to 38°C (GI38). Each dog had its heart rate (HR), systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), respiratory rate (RR), oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2) and electrocardiography readings (PR and QT intervals) recorded. Group comparisons showed no statistical difference regarding neck positioning, subarachnoid puncture, and subarachnoid infusion of contrast medium on HR, RR and SaO2, cardiac rhythm or conduction. However, isoflurane significantly increased PR and QT intervals. Based on these findings, it is concluded that the steps involved in cervical myelography and the use of ioversol 320mgI/mL at 0.3mL/kg (25oC and 38oC) during cervical myelography did not result in relevant cardiovascular and respiratory alterations, except for an elevation in arterial pressure after injection of ioversol.


Organizations competing in hypercompetitive marketplaces have two possible paths to potential success. They can attempt to transform traditional bureaucracies into more nimble, adaptable, and resilient entities, which clearly is the path most traveled. Or they can try pathbreaking, which involves adopting a completely different organizational paradigm: the complexity-based agile enterprise (C-bAE). C-bAEs have no a priori hierarchies, no a priori organizational structures, and no a priori business strategies. They rely instead on ongoing interactions among self-organizing participants operating at the edge of chaos to form and reform, strategize and re-strategize on the fly. Does this work? We don't know for sure, although there is some solid theory and a little bit of evidence to suggest that it might that under the proper conditions, these progressive dynamics may well engender a stream of novel and yet coherent products, services, and solutions capable of delivering a series of temporary competitive advantages and, thus, the possibility of long-term survival. This paper explores the promise, with particular emphasis on the process of mobilizing or creating the conditions that foster the constant co-creation of emergent organizational forms and innovative outputs.


Evidence-based design (EBD) has been discussed in the literature, including its potential benefits and its limitations for its isolated and fragmented knowledge application. This study is an attempt to integrate the currently fragmented EBD findings to guide decisions for better designing, building and adapting hospitals through Lean thinking with an emphasis on value generation. An EBD review and assessment was carried out to update the current developments in the field. The paper discusses the importance of applying EBD in an integrated way. This is achieved through the development of a conceptual holistic framework based on three data strands inspired through Lean thinking, namely: Building performance, life-cycle cost and user value related evidence. This is an initial attempt and the paper concludes by identifying the limitations and potential future studies.


Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRIs) can be colocalizedwithionotropicglutamatereceptorsinpostsynapticmembranes. We have investigated whether mGluRIs alter the gene transcription induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and (S)-a-amino-3hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolpropionic acid (AMPA) receptors in rat neocortical g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons. In cultures of dissociated interneurons, the mGluRI antagonists LY367385 and MPEP reduced the increase in phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB induced by NMDA as well as the expression of the proenkephalin (PEnk) gene. In contrast, they enhanced the AMPAinduced CREB phosphorylation and PEnk gene expression. Stimulation of the mGluRIs was due to network activity that caused the release of endogenous glutamate and could be blocked by tetrodotoxin. In organotypic cultures of neocortex, endogenous glutamate enhanced the PEnk gene expression by acting on NMDA and AMPA receptors. These effects were modulated via mGluRIs. In patchclamp experiments and in biochemical studies on receptor density, stimulation of mGluRIs acutely affected NMDA receptor currents but had no long-term effect on NMDA receptor density at the cell surface. In contrast, stimulation of mGluRIs decreased the density of AMPA receptors located at the cell surface. Our results suggest that mGluRIs regulate the glutamate-induced gene expression in neocortical interneurons in a physiologically relevant manner.


NMDA-only synapses, called silent synapses, are thought to be the initial step in synapse formation in several systems. However, the underlying mechanism and the role in circuit construction are still a matter of dispute. Using combined morphological and electrophysiological approaches, we searched for silent synapses at the level of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), a brainstem structure that is a gateway for many visceral sensory afferent fibers. Silent synapses were detected at birth by using electrophysiological recordings and minimal stimulation protocols. However, anatomical experiments indicated that nearly all, if not all, NTS synapses had AMPA receptors. Based on EPSC fluctuation measurements and differential blockade by low-affinity competitive and noncompetitive glutamate antagonists, we then demonstrated that NTS silent synapses were better explained by glutamate spillover from neighboring fibers and/or slow dynamic of fusion pore opening. Glutamate spillover at immature NTS synapses may favor crosstalk between active synapses during development when glutamate transporters are weakly expressed and contribute to synaptic processing as well as autonomic circuit formation.


Insufficient angular sampling in computed tomography can lead to aliasing artifacts that impair the quality of the reconstructed images. However, the angular sampling rate is often constrained due to practical limitations, such as the bandwidth of the data read-out or read-out noise. In this work, we present a new sampling scheme that allows aliasing-free image reconstruction with fewer angular samples. This is achieved by introducing a temporal offset between the samples acquired by adjacent detector pixels in the detector array. The temporal shift implies that the positions where the detector pixels sample the 2D Radon transform are interleaved in the angular direction, and if the shift is carefully selected, an optimal (hexagonal) sampling grid can be obtained. Optimal sampling grids are particularly effective in tomographic imaging since the bowtie-shaped spectral support of the sinogram allows a close tiling of the replicated spectra. We derive the sampling requirements when the proposed method is used and demonstrate that the obtained sampling grid reduces the aliasing artifacts compared to standard rectangular sampling at equal number of angular samples in simulated and experimental images. It is shown that the required number of angular samples can be reduced by 25-40%. The method is robust and easy to implement, and can therefore be of practical use for CT imaging where the number of views is limited.


In health promotion, the partnership between researchers and practitioners (field actors) is necessary for multiple reasons: to build intervention research together, to share our knowledge and experience, to produce new knowledge and experience, and to improve the quality of interventions, decisions... and research.
 In order to build this partnership and to achieve these goals, two dimensions were explored during several mixed workshops (researchers and field actors) organized in Brittany (France): their reciprocal perceptions, and what they can mutually bring to each other.
 During the first workshop, a facilitation technique called "the figure," (which health educators use when they need to underscore the perceptions of a group of professionals about a specific population) shed light on mutual misconceptions and helped rectify them. During the following workshops, both groups identified their common assets, resources, difficulties and stakes. They also highlighted what they could bring to each other.
 Indeed, the relationship between researchers and field actors is usually considered in terms of the contributions of research to actions. However, field actors are more than simple "users" of a knowledge produced by others, they are also "producers' of knowledge. They can contribute to define research questions, issues, hypotheses (with a social twist...); challenge the relevance and feasibility of research; promote the link and the understanding between the two separate worlds of practice and research; encourage the making of certain research protocols; facilitate experimentation; check the validity of the research projects in terms of social usefulness; make research more visible to field professionals and policy makers; and support knowledge transfer and exchange.
 The ways in which the partnership between researchers and health promotion actors actually enrich both categories of professionals, are detailed in this presentation.

 Reciprocal representations of researchers and practitioners in the field of health promotion must be highlighted to lay the foundations of their partnership. In health promotion, knowledge transfer must be understood as an exchange between researchers and field actors, the latter being experts in their domain of intervention and producers of knowledge.


Bacteria have branched aerobic respiratory chains that terminate at different terminal oxidases. These terminal oxidases have varying properties such as their affinity for oxygen, transcriptional regulation and proton pumping ability. The focus of this study was a quinol oxidase encoded by cyoABCD. Although this oxidase (Cyo) is widespread among bacteria, not much is known about its role in the cell, particularly in bacteria that contain both cytochrome c oxidases and quinol oxidases. Using Rhizobium etli CFN42 as a model organism, a cyo mutant was analysed for its ability to grow in batch cultures at high (21 % O2) and low (1 and 0.1 % O2) ambient oxygen concentrations. In comparison with other oxidase mutants, the cyo mutant had a significantly longer lag phase under low-oxygen conditions. Using a cyo :: lacZ transcriptional fusion, it was shown that cyo expression in the wild type peaks between 1 and 2.5 % O2. In addition, it was shown with quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR that cyoB is upregulated approximately fivefold in 1 % O2 compared with fully aerobic (21 % O2) conditions. Analysis of the cyo mutant during symbiosis with Phaseolous vulgaris indicated that Cyo is utilized during early development of the symbiosis. Although it is commonly thought that Cyo is utilized only at higher oxygen concentrations, the results from this study indicate that Cyo is important for adaptation to and sustained growth under low oxygen.


The forest sector plays an important role in the economy and, in these times of sustainability, industries need to save natural resources and leverage them as best as possible in order to achieve excellence in product quality and win the consumer market. The use of advanced technologies and improvement in pre-existing techniques is the most efficient way to understand the raw material, and improve the quality of products manufactured and their rational use. The use of nondestructive technologies has proven effective in characterizing and assessing wood quality. This work aims to predict certain physical and mechanical properties of Pinus caribaea and Eucalyptus grandis, using ultrasound. The research was conducted at the University of Brasilia (UNB), in conjunction with the Forest Products Laboratory (LPF/SFB) and the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP/SP). The results permit us to state that certain physical-mechanical properties of these species can be predicted with ultrasound. The property best estimated is density, followed by modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture.


Background: Nosocomial sepsis (NS) in newborns (NBs) is associated with high mortality rates and low microbial recovery rates. To overcome the latter problem, new techniques in molecular biology are being used. Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of SeptiFast test for the diagnosis of nosocomial sepsis in the newborn. Materials and Methods: 86 blood specimens of NBs with suspected NS (NOSEP-1 Test > 8 points) were analyzed using Light Cycler SeptiFast (LC-SF) a real-time multiplex PCR instrument. The results were analyzed with the Roche SeptiFast Identification Software. Another blood sample was collected to carry out a blood culture (BC). Results: Sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp) of 0.69 and 0.65 respectively, compared with blood culture (BC) were obtained for LC-SF. Kappa index concordance between LC-SF and BC was 0.21. Thirteen (15.11%) samples were BC positive and 34 (31.39%) were positive with LC-SF tests. Conclusions: Compared with BC, LC-SF allows the detection of a greater number of pathogenic species in a small blood sample (1 mL) with a shorter response time.


A patient presented with a pigmented mobile vitreous cyst in the right eye. The cyst was 6-7 mm in diameter, and was free-floating in the inferior half of the vitreous with no apparent attachments. No other ocular pathology was present in either eye. The patient became symptomatic only when the cyst obscured the visual axis. The literature was reviewed and will be discussed in this report.


The amikacin resistance genes aac(6')-Ih of Acinetobacter baumannii BM2686 and aac(6')-Ij of Acinetobacter sp. 13 BM2689 encoding aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferases were characterized. The 441-bp coding sequences predict proteins with calculated masses of 16,698 and 16,677 Da, respectively. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences indicated that the proteins belonged to a subfamily of 6'-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase type I enzymes from gram-negative bacteria. The aac(6')-Ih gene of BM2686 was located on a 13.7-kb nonconjugative plasmid. The aac(6')-Ij gene from BM2689 was not transferable either by conjugation to Escherichia coli or A. baumannii or by transformation to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. Plasmid DNA from BM2689 did not hybridize with an intragenic aac(6')-Ij probe. These results suggest a chromosomal location for this gene. The aac(6')-Ij gene was detected by DNA hybridization in all 28 strains of Acinetobacter sp. 13 tested but not in other Acinetobacter strains, including A. baumannii, proteolytic genospecies 4, 6, 14, 15, 16, and 17, and ungrouped strains. The aac(6')-Ih and -Ij probes did not hybridize in dot blot assays with DNA from members of the families Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae that produced 6'-N-acetyltransferases. These data suggest that the genes are confined to the Acinetobacter genus and that the aac(6')-Ij gene is species specific and may be used to identify Acinetobacter sp. 13.


This thesis seeks to take the motifs on Irish Passage tombs beyond their traditional role as passive epiphenomenon and furthers understands them as performing active roles in the Neolithic. Rather than view the images through a textual representational analogy, I utilise visual cultural and neurological studies, set within a worldview perspective to paint a picture of the possible ambiguities of life and belief at some passage tomb locations. I explore the richness of evidence from the archaeological data and literature, to move beyond previous positions, and suggest new ways to deal with a past that develops multiple narratives. Such an account is thick with paradoxes, similarities, differences, tensions, emotions, life, death, pleasures and pain. Visions, context and belief layered together often generate ruptures in daily life that can facilitate new imaginings within the rhythms and sequences of images. Within such a perspective the Irish passage tomb motifs present fresh conditions for possibility and diverse understanding. In combining broader and more fine-grained analysis of particular passage tomb sites located in the north, east and south of Ireland, I demonstrate that social complexities operate at all scales. Magnified via cosmological perspectives, images on passage tombs interact with spectators through two-way intimate engagements. The assemblages that accompany the motifs are not static, instead they display notions of material animacy. Humans do not control all these interactions, for the motifs and objects are dynamic montages. These actions can be enhanced via process, such as the sequential nature of some images or by the application of liquid solutions, especially when conducted at particular times and places. With passage tombs acting as 'stages' and 'islandscapes', I construct interpretations that include both carnivalesque and axis mundi environments, which subvert, disrupt and perpetuate social beliefs. Such performances may have created dialogues and myths about the specialness of these places. These conversations would in turn factor and texture new illusions and simulations of the world, whilst creating fresh opportunities for experience.


The large-scale, low-angle Gediz detachment fault that constitutes the southern margin of the Gediz graben (also known as the Alasehir graben) has macroscopic structures of extensional origin, such as folds and back-tilted strata. The folds were formed as antiformal and synformal structures with axes both parallel and perpendicular to the extensional direction in their footwalls and hanging-walls, respectively. An extension-parallel antiform-synform pair in the footwall of the Gediz detachment, namely the Oyukkiran antiform and the Keserler synform, are recognized south of Derekoy village (Salihli) on the southern margin of the Gediz graben. These are NE-trending domal and basinal structures with a wavelength of 6 km and amplitudes of 1 km. The Oyukkiran antiform is a NE-plunging antiform that exposes granitic rocks (now with cataclastic textures) in its core, with a surrounding cover of Menderes Massif metamorphic rocks, while the Keserler synform has a core of Upper Miocene synextensional sediments that structurally overlie the metamorphic rocks. These corrugations are interpreted as original irregularities of the detachment fault; this interpretation does not require folding after the deposition of the hanging-wall sedimentary sequences. Three hanging-wall sedimentary sequences, separated from each other by angular unconformities, are redefined in the area. A sequence of Upper Miocene-Lower Pliocene continental sedimentary rocks (SS-II) was deposited in the hanging-wall of the Gediz detachment fault. The sequence is defined as a basal deposit of a supradetachment basin which formed during regional extension in western Anatolia. The SS-II is cut by three basinward-dipping, high-angle normal faults in front of which the SS-III was deposited. The SS-IV comprises the undeformed present-day basin fill of the Gediz graben. The syn-extensional hanging-wall strata include discontinuous extensional folds which are nearly perpendicular to the extension direction and also to the extension-parallel footwall folds. The extension-perpendicular folds formed as longitudinal drag folds, rollover anticlines and monoclines. Except for longitudinal extensional folds, rocks in the hanging-wall of the Gediz detachment have been deformed to form back-tilted strata about a horizontal axis which is perpendicular to the extension direction; it is interpreted as an angular unconformity defined by a major change in degree of back-tilted strata, reflecting a change in deformation type - from the supradetachment stage to that of the rift stage in the Gediz graben. The older supradetachment basin formed on the Gediz detachment fault, and its sediments are cut by high-angle normal faults that controlled the formation of the rift basin fill.


The cinema plays its pranks on us. We start in the chairs of a dark room projecting ourselves on the images that move us or alert us to the joys and dramas of life. Then we move away looking in a more critical and detached way. We even dare to take a camera, go to a cinema course, experiment with editing even when technological resources still did not allow us to go far beyond sketches of a project. We often take cinema to meetings with friends, girlfriends, colleagues and thus the tribe that is solidified and polemic around a film is born. When we find out she has impregnated us and employed us and she goes with us to our profession and to the situation of retirement. As a teacher I took it to school and at school I used it when and how much I could. Then, at the University, I crossed the path to retirement around the cinema. Not always peacefully. I often encountered Bergala. In the writing. In the reassembly of the Lumière films. In the États généraux du film documentaire de Lussas. When reading L'Hypothèse cinéma (2002) I considered it the best pedagogy book that I had ever read. Bergala says that the great hypothesis of cinema or art, at school, is the encounter with otherness, that is, the encounter with the radically other, in the school context, without, however, a break with teaching being necessary. and with classical pedagogy instituted.


The purpose of this Delphi study was to determine perceptions of 16 stakeholders regarding what topics should be included in new elementary agricultural education curriculum for the state of Georgia. Participants consisted of elementary principals/teachers/counselors, middle school teachers, Ag in the classroom representatives, Agricultural Education State Staff, curriculum specialists, early childhood teachers, and commodity group representatives. This Delphi study resulted in 52 topics that were agreed upon by the participants; 10 topics received a 4.50 – 5.00, 16 items received a 4.25 – 4.49, 13 items received a 4.00 – 4.24, 11 items received a 3.75 – 3.99, 2 items received a 3.50 – 3.7. Participants identified the following five knowledge/skills/competencies as the most important: 1. Define agriculture and local community agriculture, 2. Agriculture industry other than farming, 3. Farm products/ag products/locally grown, 4. Careers in agriculture, 5. Resource management. These 52 knowledge/skills/competencies serve as a practical starting point for elementary agricultural education standards development. Additional research is needed to refine each knowledge/skills/competencies. The results of this study have been used to create the first set of elementary agricultural education standards for Georgia that were implemented in the Fall of 2019 by 26 pilot elementary agricultural education programs.


Early onset preeclampsia is characterized by hypertension, reduced placental perfusion, intrauterine growth restriction and increased activation of complement, part of innate immunity. We previously reported that inhibiting complement activation attenuates reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP)-induced hypertension in pregnant rat and the concomitant increase in complement activation product C3a. Studies by other groups indicate endothelin A receptor (ET
 A
 ) activation plays a significant role in RUPP-induced hypertension. We hypothesized that ET
 A
 was important in placental ischemia-induced complement activation leading to hypertension. Thus, the effect of ET
 A
 antagonist atrasentan on hypertension and complement activation following placental ischemia in rat was determined. Dams received drinking water with or without 5 mg/kg/day atrasentan on gestation day (GD)13-19. On GD14, rats underwent Sham or RUPP surgery with clip placement on abdominal aorta and uterine arteries to decrease placental perfusion. On GD19, mean arterial pressure (MAP) via arterial catheter and serum C3a as indicator of complement activation were measured. RUPP surgery significantly increased MAP (109±5 mm Hg; n=7) compared to Sham (94±4 mm Hg; n=10) as well as C3a (0.36±0.08 to 0.69±0.12 units/ul). MAP was significantly reduced by atrasentan in RUPP (96±3 mm Hg; n=12) and unchanged by atrasentan in Sham (88±2 mm Hg; n=12). RUPP did not change preproendothelin mRNA in kidney cortex versus Sham, but did decrease fetal weight. In Sham, atrasentan significantly increased fetal weight (2.52±0.04 g; n=12) compared to no atrasentan (2.38±0.05 g; n=12). Importantly, atrasentan treatment did not significantly change RUPP-induced increase in C3a with 0.57±0.11 units/ul in RUPP atrasentan and 0.27±0.05 units/ul in Sham atrasentan. In contrast to other ET
 A
 antagonists (A-127722, FR-139317), the present data indicate atrasentan may promote fetal growth. However, the ET
 A
 receptor does not mediate increased complement activation and its subsequent involvement in placental ischemia-induced hypertension. Thus, our data suggest complement activation may precede involvement of endothelin in development and maintenance of high blood pressure due to placental ischemia.


Despite the spread of automation and new supply chain management paradigms, logistics remains dependent on a rather specific set of skills and competencies, whether for managerial, administrative, or blue-collar jobs, such as trucking or warehousing. This dependence implies that the logistical performance of businesses, industries, and nation states is strongly influenced by the quantity and quality of the workforce. Insufficient resources of a competent and properly trained workforce in logistics adversely affect the quality of service, reduce productivity in sectors dependent on logistics, and ultimately reduce trade competitiveness. While other interventions that affect logistics performance—such as international infrastructures, trade corridors, regulations, and services—have already been reviewed extensively, this report is the first to cover the contributions of human resources and explore how to develop skills and improve competencies, especially in developing countries. The study proposes a framework for the skills needed according to the logistics activity (such as transportation or warehousing) or the type and level of responsibility. Based on several sources, including recent surveys carried out by the World Bank and the Kuhne Logistics University, the report uncovers where the skills constraints are according to the type of job or countries. Findings include that logistics is an industry struggling to hire skilled workers, although with differences between developed countries (where trucker shortages are more acute) and developing economies (where managerial shortages are more widespread). Typically, blue-collar logistics jobs have lower status and lower pay than blue-collar jobs in other industries; they are thus less attractive for skilled workers. In developing countries with a potentially available workforce, lack of vocational preparation for careers in logistics means that less-skilled workers are not easily re-skilled. Logistics tasks at the upper end of the occupational hierarchy and those with high information technology content often require an upskilling of employees to keep pace with new technology. Yet the problem is not confined to recruitment. The surveys point to limited resources, money, and staff time allocated to training, especially in developing countries. Realizing the promise of quality jobs from the growth of logistics worldwide requires a coordinated effort by logistics companies, professional associations, training providers, and policy makers. Through a combination of facilitation, regulation, advice, financial instruments, and land use planning, governments can exert significant influence.


This chapter examines confidentiality as a fundamental aspect of doctor–patient relationships: its ethical basis and equitable, contractual, and tortious obligations. It then considers the law governing access to medical records and statute that necessitates fair and lawful processing of sensitive personal data and the EU General Data Protection Regulation aimed at harmonising data protection legislation. It discusses exceptions to the duty of confidentiality, including explicit and implied consent, prevention of harm to others, police investigation, public interests, and press freedom. The chapter considers confidentiality with respect to children; adults who lack capacity and deceased patients; remedies available for breach of confidence; access to electronic patient records; and issues raised by genetics-related information.


Key points The costs for care assistance in chronic disease patients are dramatically increasing. Telemedicine may be a very useful application of information and communication technologies in high-quality healthcare services. The efficacy of respiratory disease telemedicine projects is promising (i.e. to tailor therapeutic intervention; to avoid useless hospital and emergency department admissions, reduce GP visits and specialised visits; and to involve the patients and their families). The nurse practitioner is common to all the trials and appears to have a key role in the management of chronic disease. Different programmes based on specific and local situations, on specific diseases and levels of severity with a high level of flexibility should be utilised. Respiratory team members and the ERS need to identify the ideal candidates and the most appropriate systems to deliver telemedicine with an acceptable cost/efficacy and costs/benefits balance. Educational aims To motivate the interest of chest physicians in a new approach to delivering medical care. To define the different types of telemedicine: telecare and telesurveillance. To provide information on the main clinical results in this field and give examples of case studies. To provide details on the recommendations and limitations of telemedicine programmes. Summary This review focuses on the prospects, and possible drawbacks, of a new innovative instrument of care known as "home telehealth", "telecare" or "telemedicine". The main results from utilising telemedicine in respiratory diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the illustrative conditions) are presented. A principal goal of telemedicine is to improve access to healthcare services. During this process, savings in time and travel costs should be achieved, thereby rationalising access to medical care. The field of telemedicine is relatively new and expanding. In order to establish evidencebased guidelines for the design and implementation of disease management plans that employ telemedicine, further research is required. Telemedicine is not simply "technology" but an innovative medical approach (based more on a dedicated healthcare team than on high-tech instruments) that will help the medical team to care for patients and their families. In the future, it is hoped that telemedicine will form a valuable part of the disease management process, because, when used intelligently, home telehealth should supplement conventional delivery techniques and not replace them.


The function and the organization of eukaryotic cells require directional transport of vesicles between compartments. This sort of membrane flow relies on the presence of docking and fusion machinery. The core of this machinery is a protein complex composed of syntaxin, SNAP-25 and VAMP, collectively termed SNAREs. A correct interaction among SNARE prototypes is essential for fruitful docking and fusion. Analysis of large-scale sequencing projects reveals that each of the SNARE proteins (syntaxin, SNAP-25 and VAMP) is a member of a large protein family that is represented in every eukaryotic genome. The diversity among the three SNARE prototypes allows an enriched combinatorial make-up to meet a wide range of cellular demands for secretion. Herein, we discuss the diversity in SNARE proteins from a genomic perspective. We combine information from large-scale sequence data with structural and functional classifications of SNAREs. Using a sequence-based automated protein classification tool, we expose weak but significant connections among all three SNARE protein clusters. These connections define a local evolutionary network within the protein universe. Genomic data allows us to identify classical SNAREs as well as their remote evolutionary relatives. We focus on the SNARE representatives from human and plant genomes to discuss the source of complexity and specificity for docking and fusion in a eukaryotic cell. How many of the potential SNARE combinations are indeed valid in vivo, and to what extent does each combination specify a biochemical and biophysical unique entity, is yet to be experimentally determined.


New cryptanalytical techniques, in particular, power and timing analysis, pose a serious threat to cryptographic devices such as smart cards. By analyzing the power dissipation or timing of encryptions in a device, encrypted information inside can be deduced. The weakness is not in the encryption algorithms themselves, but in their implementations. We show that not even the new advanced encryption standard (AES), when implemented in conventional hardware, is secure from power attacks; a few power samples were enough to deduce the secret key. A new specially designed implementation of the AES on a clock-less dual-rail chip is presented and shown to possess a very considerable improvement against power attacks compared to the conventional design. This implementation is also resistant to timing, fault induction and clock glitch attacks.


We evaluate the effect of a supersonic relative velocity between the baryons and dark matter on the thermal and density evolution of the first gas clouds at z ≲ 50. Through a series of cosmological simulations, initialized at zi = 100 with a range of relative streaming velocities and minihalo formation redshifts, we find that the typical streaming velocities will have little effect on the gas evolution. Once the collapse begins, the subsequent evolution of the gas will be nearly indistinguishable from the case of no streaming, and star formation will still proceed in the same way, with no change in the characteristic Pop III stellar masses. Reionization is expected to be dominated by halo masses of ≳108 M☉, for which the effect of streaming should be negligible.


5,20-Diethynyl substituted [26]hexaphyrins(184.108.40.206.1.1) undergo a thermal or spontaneous cross-bridging reaction to provide trans-vinylene-bridged [26]hexaphyrins, probably through strongly folded conformations. Facile aromatic−antiaromatic switching of vinylene-bridged hexaphyrins has been demonstrated upon two-electron redox processes. Curiously, a resonance contributor of the vinylene-bridged hexaphyrins is regarded as [16]diazaannuleno[16]diazaannulene but its contribution should be minor because of the perpendicular geometry of the bridge. Vinylene-bridged hexaphyrin serves as an effective ligand that coordinates two zinc(II) ions using the central vinylene double bond in a η2-fashion along with the three pyrrolic nitrogen atoms.


Automatically locating a bar code on an object (e.g., a consumer product, postal mial, etc.) is an important step in an optical bar code recognition system. The authors present an approach for automatic bar code localization, which is based on the multichannel Gabor filtering technique. Both supervised and unsupervised methods are discussed. These methods are rotation-invariant and are able to locate bar codes on planar and curved surfaces.<<ETX>>


ASTM D6200 is a standard test method to evaluate cooling characteristics of quench oils. The test produces six discrete numbers representing the cooling characteristics: three temporal scales (time to cool to 600°C, 400°C, and 200°C), two cooling rates (max cooling rate and cooling rate at 300°C), and one temperature scale (at max cooling rate). One of the main purposes of ASTM D6200 is to monitor the oil quality to ensure gears are properly quenched. The current standard only includes specifications for gear quenching oil and its applications are limited to physical testing. The intent of this research is to explore the possibility of broadening the support for more quenchants and extending applications to virtual engineering. This research includes two parts. The first part is the development of a systematic method to identify the characteristic points of a cooling curve. The second part is the construction of an analytical cooling curve based on the characteristic points. The analytical cooling curve is a mathematical function of temperature versus time that can provide temperature at any given time in the quenching process. In addition, the curve is differentiable to provide the cooling rate information at any given time as well.


A scheme for high resolution image coding is proposed in this paper. In this scheme, 8×8 block-based DCT and multiresolution reordering is performed on the input image to obtain three-level wavelet-like tree structure. The same procedures are performed repeatedly on LL subband to obtain multi-level wavelet-like tree structure. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed scheme provides better PSNR performance at high bitrate than other DCT-based rearrangement ones.


Human CMV still remains problematic in immunocompromised patients, particularly after solid organ transplantation. CMV primary disease and reactivation greatly increase the risks associated with incidences of chronic allograft rejection and decreased survival in transplant recipients. But whether this is due to direct viral effects, indirect viral effects including cross-reactive antiviral T cell immunopathology, or a combination of both remains undetermined. In this article, we report the novel TCR signature of cross-reactive HLA-A*02:01 (A2) CMV (NLVPMVATV [NLV])–specific CD8+ T cells recognizing a specific array of HLA-B27 alleles using technical advancements that combine both IFN-γ secretion and multiplex nested RT-PCR for determining paired CDR3α/β sequences from a single cell. This study represents the first evidence, to our knowledge, of the same A2-restricted cross-reactive NLV-specific TCR-α/β signature (TRAV3TRAJ31_TRBV12-4TRBJ1-1) in two genetically distinct individuals. Longitudinal posttransplant monitoring of a lung transplant recipient (A2, CMV seropositive) who received a HLA-B27 bilateral lung allograft showed a dynamic expansion of the cross-reactive NLV-specific TCR repertoire before CMV reactivation. After resolution of the active viral infection, the frequency of cross-reactive NLV-specific CD8+ T cells reduced to previremia levels, thereby demonstrating immune modulation of the T cell repertoire due to antigenic pressure. The dynamic changes in TCR repertoire, at a time when CMV reactivation was subclinical, illustrates that prospective monitoring in susceptible patients can reveal nuances in immune profiles that may be clinically relevant.


Cellular Automata are a reputable formal support for traffic modelling and simulation. STRATUNA is a Cellular Automata model for simulating the evolution of two/three lane highways. It encodes the wide specification of driver's response to the events in his sight range. Encouraging comparison between simulated events and their corresponding in the reality bring to the specification of a theoretical general model characterized by an increased expression power and a significantly deeper forecasting potential, whose application fields are numerous and varied. Fair results in flow forecasting lead to the implementation of an established cost system in which simulation directly provides cost forecasting in terms of congestion toll.


High precision positioning control of flexible micro-manipulators can be achieved by imitating aspects of human and animal behavior which involves the ability to learn and adapt to changes in environment. Artificial neural network modeling, which is a computational model for representing input/output relations, is an approach which can be applied in designing trained and self-learning motion control systems for micro-manipulators. A reference signal self-organizing control system using neural networks for flexible micro-manipulators is presented. The micro-manipulator is made of a bimorph piezo-electric high-polymer material (Poly Vinylidene Fluoride). This control system consists of both a plant with a feedback loop and a neural network with a feedforward loop. In this system, the neural network functions as the reference input filter and it organizes a new reference signal to the closed loop system. Numerical and experimental results show that the proposed control system is effective in tracking a reference signal.


The International Conference on Superconductivity and Magnetism (ICSM2008) was held at the congress centre of Ankara University in Side, Antalya, between 25–29 August 2008. The conference was the first conference on the combined fields of superconductivity and magnetism organized in Turkey at international level, and it had broad international participation from 42 countries, with registered delegates numbering over 400. A quarter of the attendees were research students. The conference attracted many of the best known leading scientists and experts in the field of superconductivity and magnetism from all over the world. The scientific program involved the presentation and discussion of 336 papers, classified as 65 invited, 81 oral and 190 posters. Submission of papers for the proceedings was on a volunteer basis and we therefore had nearly half of the presented papers, i.e. 30 submitted invited papers, peer-reviewed by Superconductor Science and Technology, and 85 submitted contributing papers, peer-reviewed by the organizers through processes administered by the Editorial Board and Scientific Committee. Reviews were conducted by expert referees at professional level and with the scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal issue published by IOP Publishing. The invited papers on superconductivity and magnetism with superconductivity were considered and processed for Superconductor Science and Technology by IOP itself. Although there are missing papers from some of the plenary speakers, we believe that this special issue of Superconductor Science and Technology (SUST) and the corresponding issue of Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS) reflect most of the booming research in the fields of superconductivity and magnetism. We are very pleased to have worked with IOP on the conference proceedings, with special thanks to Dr Tom Miller and Dr Graham Douglas. Based on a refereed evaluation of all the papers and posters submitted, about 93 papers were selected for publication in the Journal of Physics: Conference Series and Superconductor Science and Technology. The immensely rich and diverse scientific program started with Professor D Hampshire's opening plenary on 26 August 2008 and sessions were mostly chaired by the invited speakers. The topics included: New superconductors Theory and applications of MgB2 and boride superconductors Hybrid magnetic-superconducting systems High temperature superconductors: theory and applications Superconducting devices and applications Oxypnictide superconductors Superconducting sources of THz-radiation Vortex dynamics Spintronics Superconductivity and magnetism at nanoscale Multiferroic materials Manganities Materials and fabrication techniques Conventional superconductors Microscopic theories of high temperature superconductors Device physics and thin films. We believe that this conference, with the above topics, has provided a forum where the many matters of interest to the superconductivity and magnetism community have been debated. We are of the opinion that the conference has been a very successful one and we hope that the subsequent conferences in this field will constitute a series of fruitful meetings, by growing to become larger global events with greater success in bridging the gap between the best scientists, engineers, exhibitors and participants from countries underrepresented in science and technology. The delegates and companions also enjoyed the social program in the touristic and historical places of the surrounding area, during the excursion time after 4.30pm on conference days. The welcome reception was held at the historical site of the Apollo Temple in Side and sponsored by the Municipality of Side; a second welcome party was also organized at the congress centre in the evening of 25 August 2008, for late-arriving participants. The social program also continued in the evenings with a variety of different entertainment. The meeting was financially supported by generous contributions from Turkish research institutions, and an Italian firm, Columbus Superconductors SpA. The list of contributors is as follows: TUBITAK Boren Columbus Superconductors Ankara University Research Fund. The following small research companies also contributed: Boronsan IMTEK Zeiss Nanomagnetics Optomek Side Municipality Belek Municipality. It is a pleasure to thank them all for their pivotal role in the organization of the conference. We would also like to thank the speakers, the participants, the exhibitors and the Ankara University staff and students for their efforts which made ICSM2008 a very successful meeting. The list of people involved in the organization is given below. More information about the conference can be found at http://www.icsm2008side.org. It is due to the immense demand from most of the attendees that we are planning to organize the second International Conference on Superconductivity and Magnetism (ICSM2010) for April 2010, in Antalya. Further details will be made clear and circulated soon. We will be very happy to host the next conference and look forward to welcoming you again. Conference Director A Gencer Ankara University Conference Co-directors B Aktas GYTE, Gebze M E Yakinci Inonu University Scientific Committee D Abukay IYTE, Izmir M Altunbas KTU, Trabzon I Askerzade Ankara University I Belenli AIBU, Bolu G Grasso Columbus Superconductors SpA, Genova N Guclu G O Pasa University K Kiymac Cukurova University S Nezir Kirikkale University A Oral Sabanci University B Ozcelik Cukurova University Y Oner IYTE, Izmir L Ozyuzer IYTE, Izmir O Uzun G O Pasa University E Yanmaz KTU, Trabzon—Coordinator C Terzioglu AIBU, Bolu International Advisory Board M Tachiki Tokyo University E Aksu TAEK H Akalin Renko O Atiker Boronsan R Cubitt Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble G Crabtree Argonne National Laboratory A Elmali Ankara University C Ferdeghini CNR INFM, Genova R Flukiger Genova University W Goldacker FZ Karlsruhe C E Gough Birmingham University R Huebener Tubingen University K Kadowaki NIMS, Tsukuba University M A R LaBlanch UO, CA E Inger Boren E Ozdas Hacettepe University H Ozkan METU, Ankara R Penko ASG V Vlasov Argonne National Laboratory Scientific Programme Committee E H Brandt Max-Planck-Institute, Stuttgart W Goldacker FZ Karlsruhe C Ferdeghini CNR INFM, Genova D M Hampshire Durham University Y Oner ITU, Instanbul B Aktas GYTE, Gebze B Ramaev GYTE, Gebze E Ozdas Hacettepe University—Coordinator M A Aksan Inonu University—Abstract Handling Local Organizing Committee S Safran Ankara University—General Secretary E Ertekin Ankara University—Registrar A Kilic Nigde University U Kolemen G O Pasa University K Guven Kirikkale University—Transport and Accommodation B Ozkurt Mersin University O Cicek Renko D Bumin Boren S Altin Inonu University O Nane Cukurova University Editorial Board for Proceedings A Gencer Ankara University—Guest Editor G Grasso Columbus Superconductors SpA, Genova—Guest Editor B Aktas GYTE, Gebze I Belenli Hakkari University M A Aksan Inonu University—Scientific Secretary M I J Probert York University M E Yakinci Inonu University A Bozbey TOBB, University of Economics and Technology Finance Director S Kervan Nevsehir University Bursary Coordinator H Agil Ankara University


The authors share their experiences with diagnosing and surgical treatment of 1792 patients with mechanical combined traumas. The average age of the patients was (31.6 +/- 1.4) years. All the patients were divided into two groups according to the medico-diagnostic methods. The traditional methods of diagnosis and treatment were used in 811 patients of the first group. Complications took place in 39.2%, lethality was 28.4%. The diagnosis in 981 patients of the second group included an ultrasound investigation, computed tomography, videothoraco- and laparoscopy. The surgical treatment was based on the objective multifactorial assessment of the trauma severity and determination of the prognosis criteria. Complications developed in 24.8% of the patients. Lethality was 19.5%.


Objectives: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) is a rare tumor that accounts for 2-3% of primary liver cancers. cHCC-CC mostly have a poor prognosis. There are publications reporting highly contradictory results regarding long-term survival after resection. The aim of this study is to examine the post-resection results of patients with cHCC-CC. Methods: The data of 7 patients with histopathologically proven cHCC-CC collected prospectively at Inonu University Liver Trans-plantation Institute, between 2013-2023, were retrospectively analyzed. The preoperative variables examined were age, gender, underlying liver disease, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carbonhydrate antigen (CA 19-9) levels. No patient was diagnosed with cHCC-CC in the preoperative tru-cut biopsies. Results: Patients were predominantly male (M/F: 6/1) and median age 57 years. All patients had chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. AFP levels were above 10 ng/dL in 5 cases (7-813 ng/dL) and CA 19-9 levels were normal in all cases. Perihilar lymph nodes resected during hepatectomy were involved with tumor in three patients. The maximum tumor diameter was 11 cm and the mean tumor diameter was 4.5 cm. Bisegmental resection was performed in four patients with cHCC-CC. Major hepatectomy was performed in two cases. Histopathologically, surgical margins were not tumor-free in two patients. The seventh case first underwent segment II-III resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but left hemihepatectomy was performed 1.5 months later due to the presence of histopathological tumor in the surgical margins. Histopathological diagnosis confirmed HCC. After 27 months, the patient underwent salvage transplantation due to tumor recurrence within Milan criteria. Histopathological diagnosis was cHCC-CC. The patient who underwent right hemihepatectomy died on the 3rd postoperative day due to reasons other than hepatic failure (cardiac instability). One-year survival of the remaining 6 cases was 71.4%, 3-year survival was 14.3%, and 5-year survival was 14.3%. Conclusion: cHCC-CC is an aggressive primary liver tumor associated with poor long-term oncological outcomes. Surgical resection is the only curative or palliative treatment option to improve the poor prognosis. In this study, we discussed the diagnosis, treatment and survival of 7 patients with advanced stage cHCC-CC. Studies that require a multidisciplinary approach for the treat-ment of these tumors are necessary to improve the survival of the patients.


A simple and selective method has been developed for rapid extraction and determination of ultra trace amounts of Hg(II) ions using 2- mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) modified alumina coated magnetite nanoparticles (ACMNPs) for its highly sensitive measurement by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). The effects of various parameters such as pH, reagents concentrations, the standing time, the sample volume, the elution condition and the interfering ions were investigated. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the preconcentration factor, detection limit, linear range and relative standard deviation ofHg(II) were 250 (for 500mLof sample solution), 0.4 ngmL-1, 2.0 – 80.0 ng mL-1 and 3.4%(for 10.0 ng mL-1, n=10), respectively. Thismethod avoided the timeconsuming column-passing process of loading large volume samples in traditional solid phase extraction (SPE) through the rapid isolation ofMBT/ SDS-ACMNPs with an adscititious magnet. The proposed method also was successfully applied for determination of Hg(II) in different water samples


A Fire Simulation Model for Heterogeneous Environments Using the Level Set Method by Shin-en Lo Claremont Graduate University: August 2012 Wildfire hazard and its destructive consequences have become a growing issue around the world especially in the context of global warming. An effective and efficient fire simulation model will make it possible to predict the fire spread and assist firefighters in the process of controlling the damage and containing the fire area. Simulating wildfire spread remains challenging due to the complexity of fire behaviors. The raster-based method and the vector-based method are two major approaches that allow one to perform computerized fire spread simulation. In this thesis, we present a scheme we have developed that utilizes a level set method to build a fire spread simulation model. The scheme applies the strengths and overcomes some of the shortcomings of the two major types of simulation method. We store fire data and local rules at cells. Instead of calculating which are the next ignition points cell by cell, we apply Huygens' principle and elliptical spread assumption to calculate the direction and distance of the expanding fire by the level set method. The advantage to storing data at cells is that it makes our simulation model more suitable for heterogeneous fuel and complex topographic environment. Using a level set method for our simulation model makes it possible to overcome the crossover problem. Another strength of the level set method is its continuous data processing. Applying the level set method in the simulation models, we need fewer vector points than raster cells to produce a more realistic fire shape. We demonstrate this fire simulation model through two implementations using narrow band level set method and fast marching method. The simulated results are compared to the real fire image data generated from Troy and Colina fires. The simulation data are then studied and compared. The ultimate goal is to apply this simulation model to the broader picture to better predict different types of fires such as crown fire, spotting fires, etc.


The employment of an inverted sheet-metal cone permitted measurement of in situ evolution of methane and carbon dioxide from various Lake Erie sediments. The methane evolution rates varied from 0 to 71.5 mg/m 2 /h, while the carbon dioxide evolution rate reached a maximum of 6.1 mg/m 2 /h. The corresponding in vitro methane evolution or production rates demonstrated similar trends in some cases, but in other cases, obvious variations were observed. The in vitro variations in methanogenesis were attributed to the physical disruption of the sediment, which may have resulted in oxidation of the sample. The corresponding dissolved methane concentrations in the water column correlated well with the in situ methane evolution rates. In sediment regions where distinct lateral gradients of methanogenesis were observed, a corresponding gradient was observed in the overlying water column. Sediment regions consisting of clay, sand, or clay-sand mixtures showed no gaseous evolution. Minimal methane concentrations were observed in the water column above these sediments. The more active gaseous evolution occurred at near-shore regions, where external loadings contributed to the organic loading of the sediments. The use of this inverted cone proved to be critical in assaying in situ methanogenesis. The in vitro methanogenic rates were susceptible to oxidation and resulted in variable estimations of net sediment methanogenesis. The association of this sediment methane and carbon dioxide evolution with sediment denitrification rates (nitrogen evolution) could provide valuable data for carbon and nitrogen budgets in freshwater systems.


About this book:
This book offers the first serious exploration of the many different aspects of alternative spirituality. While there is much talk of 'spirituality' now, no other collection has specifically addressed its many 'alternative' -non-ecclesiastical in the broadest sense - manifestations. The authors aim to open up a relatively unexplored and often quite hidden dimension of religion in the modern world through non-confessional, critical study. They establish both the vibrancy of contemporary experiments in alternative spirituality, as well as its historical pedigree. The broad range of subject matter includes magical ritual, independent seekers and gurus, the Theosophical movement, C. G. Jung, turn-of-the-century artistic and spiritual colonies, Iona and Glastonbury, alternative healing, and the influence of secular and humanistic thought. Readers of this fascinating book will gain an overall sense of the sociological, anthropological, historical and ethnographical perspectives on the study of religion and the many alternative forms of spirituality.


Abstract The Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan formalized the process for allocating halibut between the Alaska commercial and recreational charter sectors. It included a new program intended to allow for "flexibility" through inter-sectoral trading, permitting charter operators to lease commercial halibut pounds to relax client harvest restrictions. Here we evaluate the first two years of lease market activity and participation. Participation from some commercial quota holders in the lease market suggests that the program provided beneficial flexibility; in fact, the number of transfers to the charter sector was greater than transfers within the commercial sector for some quota types. We also identified a high proportion of self-leasers. However, transfers to the charter sector were on average smaller than within-sector commercial transfers, and total poundage leased by the charter sector was low compared with commercial transfers. Usage of leased quota by the recreational charter sector enables the harvest of larger fish or additional fish, and provides flexibility in catch composition on halibut closure days. Finally, the value-per-pound may be higher in the charter sector, as commercial-to-charter transfer prices approached the commercial ex-vessel price.


A class of nonlinear systems that are output–input stable in healthy situation is considered. An observer-based fault-tolerant control (FTC) method is proposed to make the origin asymptotically stable in spite of faults. The proposed FTC method can help to construct a family of Lyapunov functions for a class of switched nonlinear systems with unfixed or fixed dwell periods and to design a switching law that guarantees the fault-tolerant asymptotic stability of the origin. Several examples are included to illustrate the design procedures.


Although the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is one of the most studied nuclear receptors (NR), it is still unknown whether its activation helix (helix 12, H12) could exhibit an antagonist conformation as previously demonstrated for most of the NRs. The high H12 flexibility in the apo PPARγ form and the lack of appropriate antagonist ligands complicate the structural and dynamics description by most of the experimental techniques. Based on intensive (≈12 μs) accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) simulations together with metadynamics and conventional MD runs, we reveal that H12 could exist in an antagonist conformation. This H12 state and the well-known agonist configuration have virtually identical free energy. Notably, significant deviations in the H12 conformations are detected in a homodimer. In chain A the activation helix is stabilized only in a full agonist conformation whereas in chain B, due to agonist to antagonist state exchanges, H12 is oriented toward helix 4. In summary, the results provide an explanation of the observed asymmetry in most of the PPARγ homodimer crystal structures. They also suggest selection guidance for protein moieties and structure candidates that would best serve as potential ligand binding sites to achieve a stable antagonist form of the receptor.


We propose a novel linear method to match cuboids in indoor scenes using RGBD images from Kinect. Beyond depth maps, these cuboids reveal important structures of a scene. Instead of directly fitting cuboids to 3D data, we first construct cuboid candidates using super pixel pairs on a RGBD image, and then we optimize the configuration of the cuboids to satisfy the global structure constraints. The optimal configuration has low local matching costs, small object intersection and occlusion, and the cuboids tend to project to a large region in the image, the number of cuboids is optimized simultaneously. We formulate the multiple cuboid matching problem as a mixed integer linear program and solve the optimization efficiently with a branch and bound method. The optimization guarantees the global optimal solution. Our experiments on the Kinect RGBD images of a variety of indoor scenes show that our proposed method is efficient, accurate and robust against object appearance variations, occlusions and strong clutter.


The work shows the state of the renal blood flow by the data of indirect rheonephrography in 50 healthy people and 80 patients with ++bili-urolithiasis (a combination of bilio- and urolithiasis). The method of examination is simple. Operative interventions both on the bile and urinary ducts should be performed with special reference to organic renal blood flow.