Capillary proliferation occurs during compensatory hypertrophy. We investigated whether the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is elevated at the onset of hypertrophy when capillary proliferation is minimal, and whether muscle damage as assessed by muscle force deficits, may occur at the onset of hypertrophy. To investigate this, we induced in 9-month-old rats, under isoflurane anesthesia, hypertrophy of the left plantaris muscle by denervation of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Capillarization was investigated in both the deep (oxidative) and the superficial (glycolytic) regions of the plantaris muscle. After 2 weeks, muscle mass had increased by 16% (p< 0.01), which was not accompanied by increases in fiber size. The maximal tetanic force (P(0)) and specific tension (P(0).g(-1) or P(0).cm(2)) and twitch characteristics were unaltered, and fatigue resistance of the overloaded muscle was improved (p< 0.05). However, the myosin heavy chain composition was unaltered. Capillary proliferation was not yet evident, but VEGF mRNA and protein levels were elevated 1.5- and 8-fold, respectively (p< 0.05). We concluded that the normal specific tension and the elevated VEGF expression after 2 weeks of overload indicate (1) an absence of or minimal muscle damage at this early time point, and (2) that elevated VEGF expression precedes and is involved in capillary proliferation that occurs during the later stages of compensatory hypertrophy.


In Korean traditional aesthetics, discussions on newness are rare. The tendency to value old things and recognize them as standards is deeply rooted in Korean culture, and such customs seem to be no exception in aesthetics. It cannot be denied that Korean arts also has a social tendency towards tradition, which has been dominated by morality, and thus reflects pastcentered or past-recalling ways of thinking rather than dynamic or forward-looking ways of thinking. Then, what does artistic creation mean in Korean culture? Is creation possible? In my view, the logic of change and development does not seem to gain much support in Korean thought. I will examine the ideas of newness by two Korean literati, Lee Gyubo and Park Jiwon, and reconsider the meaning of artistic creation. In Korean culture, artistic creation is focused on the preservation and transmission of valuable standards, rather than new changes or developments, and looked-for encounters with prominent personalities.


In ocean ecosystems, many of the changes in predation risk – both increases and decreases – are human‐induced. These changes are occurring at scales ranging from global to local and across variable temporal scales. Indirect, risk‐based effects of human activity are known to be important in structuring some terrestrial ecosystems, but these impacts have largely been neglected in oceans. Here, we synthesize existing literature and data to explore multiple lines of evidence that collectively suggest diverse human activities are changing marine ecosystems, including carbon storage capacity, in myriad ways by altering predation risk. We provide novel, compelling evidence that at least one key human activity, overfishing, can lead to distinct, cascading risk effects in natural ecosystems whose magnitude exceeds that of presumed lethal effects and may account for previously unexplained findings. We further discuss the conservation implications of human‐caused indirect risk effects. Finally, we provide a predictive framework for when human alterations of risk in oceans should lead to cascading effects and outline a prospectus for future research. Given the speed and extent with which human activities are altering marine risk landscapes, it is crucial that conservation and management policy considers the indirect effects of these activities in order to increase the likelihood of success and avoid unfortunate surprises.


A laboratory-grown strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, selected in vivo, BS4 (agar), is susceptible to complement-mediated killing by fresh human serum but is relatively resistant to killing by human phagocytes. It can be induced to serum resistance by incubation with a small molecular weight fraction of guinea pig serum. The serum-susceptible and induced-resistant forms show differences in pyocin sensitivity tests. This indicates either differences in the structure of their lipopolysaccharides or masking of some determinant(s). The pyocin sensitivity pattern of BS4 (agar) is only slightly different from that of a closely related strain, BSSH, which is more susceptible to killing by human phagocytes.


Background Little is known about the decision-making experiences of seniors and informal caregivers facing decisions about seniors' housing decisions when objective decision making measures are used. Objectives To report on seniors' and caregivers' experiences of housing decisions. Design A cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach supplemented by qualitative data. Setting Sixteen health jurisdictions providing home care services, Quebec province, Canada. Participants Two separate samples of seniors aged ≥ 65 years and informal caregivers of cognitively impaired seniors who had made a decision about housing. Measurements Information on preferred choice and actual choice about housing, role assumed in the decision, decisional conflict and decision regret was obtained through closed-ended questionnaires. Research assistants paraphrased participants' narratives about their decision-making experiences and made other observations in standardized logbooks. Results Thirty-one seniors (median age: 85.5 years) and 48 caregivers (median age: 65.1 years) were recruited. Both seniors and caregivers preferred that the senior stay at home (64.5% and 71.7% respectively). Staying home was the actual choice for only 32.2% of participating seniors and 36.2% of the seniors cared for by the participating caregivers. Overall, 93% seniors and 71% caregivers reported taking an active or collaborative role in the decision-making process. The median decisional conflict score was 23/100 for seniors and 30/100 for caregivers. The median decision regret score was the same for both (10/100). Qualitative analysis revealed that the housing decision was influenced by factors such as seniors' health and safety concerns and caregivers' burden of care. Some caregivers felt sad and guilty when the decision did not match the senior's preference. Conclusion The actual housing decision made for seniors frequently did not match their preferred housing option. Advanced care planning regarding housing and better decision support are needed for these difficult decisions.


OBJECTIVE: To assess the training that accident and emergency (A&E) senior house officers (SHOs) receive in dealing with eye emergencies, their own perceived level of confidence and competence in managing such cases, and the availability of appropriate equipment in their departments. METHODS: Prospective telephone survey using a standardised structured questionnaire. One SHO from each United Kingdom A&E department listed in the BAEM directory of 1993 was chosen at random and interviewed. RESULTS: 226 A&E departments were contacted and 192 SHOs were successfully interviewed (response rate 84.9%); 26.0% received no training in the management of eye emergencies, 68.8% had only a little or no confidence in dealing with these cases, and 42.2% worked in A&E departments which had no slit lamp. CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of adequate basic ophthalmic training for A&E SHOs, leading to a lack of confidence on their part in the management of eye emergencies. In just over 40% of A&E departments in the United Kingdom, the management of these cases may be less than optimal because of the absence of a slit lamp.


We live in a world in which economic and personal growth is a prerequisite to being human. The alternative lies in what has yet to be explored. Confined by what we are told and know as the "good life", we must make a choice; will we degrow on our own initiative or will we continue until the biosphere forces us to stop? This paper is written in support of the performance documentary, TERRA INCOGNITA and the formation/creative process of the Terra Incognita Collective (TIC). It will explore the environmental, social and psychological impacts of a growth-oriented culture through a degrowth lens. Furthermore, this paper will explore art as an access point to high consumption cultures and artists as important social actors within environmental and social justice movements. Terra Incognita, its audiences and artists, explore growth histories through embodiment and collective authorship.


In this paper different algorithms for visual odometry are evaluated for navigating an agricultural weeding robot in outdoor field environment. Today there is an encoder wheel that keeps track of the weeding tools position relative the camera, but the system suffers from wheel slippage and errors caused by the uneven terrain. To overcome these difficulties the aim is to replace the encoders with visual odometry using the plant recognition camera. Four different optical flow algorithms are tested on four different surfaces, indoor carpet, outdoor asphalt, grass and soil. The tests are performed on an experimental platform. The result shows that the errors consist mainly of dropouts caused by overriding maximum speed, and of calibration error due to uneven ground. The number of dropouts can be reduced by limiting the maximum speed and detection of missing frames. The calibration problem can be solved using stereo cameras. This gives a height measurement and the calibration will be given by camera mounting. The algorithm using normalized cross-correlation shows the best result concerning number of dropouts, accuracy and calculation time.


AIM
Mechanisms underlying the chemopreventive effects of cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors remain elusive. We have previously shown that celecoxib but not indomethacin could prevent carcinogen-induced gastric cancer development in Wistar rats. This chemopreventive effect appeared to be independent of COX-2 and prostaglandin (PG) E2 suppression since the lowest PGE2 was obtained in indomethacin group. This study compared the cell kinetic changes in stomachs of rats after treatment with celecoxib (5, 10, 20 mg/(kg.d)) or indomethacin (3 mg/(kg.d)) to gain more insights into the chemopreventive mechanism.

METHODS
The apoptosis and proliferation indexes in gastric tumor, adjacent non-cancer tissues and normal gastric tissues were determined. Apoptosis was quantified by apoptotic nuclei counting and TUNEL, whereas proliferation was determined by Ki67 immunostaining.

RESULTS
Treatment with either celecoxib or indomethacin inhibited gastric tumor proliferation by more than 65% (P<0.02). However, celecoxib caused a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis (P<0.05) which was not seen in indomethacin-treated tumors (P = 0.54). The highest apoptosis to proliferation ratio was seen in tumors treated with celecoxib at 10 mg/(kg.d). Treatment with this dose of celecoxib was associated with the lowest incidence of gastric cancer development.

CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that the difference in chemopreventive effects of indomethacin and celecoxib in this animal model of gastric carcinogenesis is largely due to the differential cell kinetic changes, which does not correlate with the degree of COX-2 and PG suppression.


This work presents the performance of a louver film-cooling scheme under different operating conditions. The louver cooling scheme consists of a bend by which the coolant going through the flow passage is redirected from vertical to horizontal direction before being injected into the mainstream through an expanded exit. Not only is the momentum of the coolant converted to the mainstream direction, but it is also reduced by the expanded exit before injection. The impingement of the coolant on the blade surface inside the bend also enables further cooling on the targeted surface. The louver cooling scheme was tested under a variety of conditions, from a flat plate to airfoils, from low speed incompressible flows to transonic flows, from a stationary airfoil to a rotating airfoil, and from the leading edge to the middle of an airfoil. Unsteady analysis using a DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) model was also carried out to evaluate its ability to accurately simulate film cooling by comparing with steady state analysis. In general, the louver cooling scheme has been proved to provide enhanced cooling protection to the targeted surface in comparison with other cooling schemes in all conditions tested. At low speed incompressible flow conditions, a higher blowing ratio led to a higher cooling effectiveness. At transonic flow conditions, a moderately higher blowing ratio also proved helpful with a higher cooling effectiveness. Very high blowing ratios, however, proved to be detrimental to the cooling performance since strong detached shock wave structures due to high blowing ratios caused boundary layer separation, rendering the coolant virtually ineffective. The rotation of blade was found to have a significant impact on the level of cooling effectiveness at the leading edge of an airfoil. With regard to the cooling performance, blowing ratio was the dominant factor at low rotational speeds and the rotational speed was the dominant factor at high blowing ratios for circular holes. For the louver scheme as jet liftoff was avoided, effectiveness increased with rotating speed. Results also showed that, unsteady analysis was not significantly more accurate than steady analysis. The unsteady analysis did capture the coolant lateral spreading better, with a high cost of computing, however. Results in this work show that shock waves encountered on transonic airfoils had a significant impact on film cooling effectiveness on any shaped holes. Therefore, experimental data obtained under low speed test should be used with great caution in real design of turbine blade cooling. There are fundamental differences in film cooling between at the leading edge and elsewhere on an airfoil in that a slight incidence shifting due to turbine rotating speed may cause a sudden decrease in cooling effectiveness level at high blowing ratios for circular hole. This could lead to a catastrophic failure if the blade is already in a weak and stressed state. Using of shaped holes with expanded exits may prevent this from happening.


Communication in open packet-based networks like the Internet must be considered including security aspects. Different approaches exist to realize e.g. confidentiality in IP networks: IPSec at the network layer, TLS/SSL residing on the transport layer and security extensions for applications. Real-time-oriented Internet applications cause different demands on security protocols compared to their counterparts like e.g. HTTP does. It is questionable if the existing mechanisms are suitable for securing multimedia communication. This paper gives an overview of multimedia communication over the Internet. It describes available approaches for enabling confidentiality and analyzes the usability in real-time-oriented environments. Since currently all multimedia applications use RTP to packetize the media stream the newly proposed Internet Draft Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) is analyzed as well. SRTP is presented in more detail and an extension to the H.323 protocol family to support SRTP is introduced. This approach enables on the one hand H.323 terminals to use the security services provided by SRTP and on the other hand the application of SRTP even in heterogenous signaling environments. Furthermore our SRTP implementation and its integration into the OpenH323 project is described.


INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the prevalence of anterior open bite among five-year-old Brazilian children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken using data from the National Survey of Oral Health (SB Brazil 2010). The outcome variable was anterior open bite classified as present or absent. The independent variables were classified by individual, sociodemographic and clinical factors. Data were analyzed through bivariate and multivariate analysis using SPSS statistical software (version 18.0) with a 95% level of significance. RESULTS: The prevalence of anterior open bite was 12.1%. Multivariate analysis showed that preschool children living in Southern Brazil had an increased chance of 1.8 more times of having anterior open bite (CI 95%: 1.16 - 3.02). Children identified with alterations in overjet had 14.6 times greater chances of having anterior open bite (CI 95%: 8.98 - 24.03). CONCLUSION: There was a significant association between anterior open bite and the region of Brazil where the children lived, the presence of altered overjet and the prevalence of posterior crossbite.


ABSTRACT De-radicalisation programmes in Indonesia often feature ideological conversion and general inadequacies in human and material resources to carry out the technical aspects of the de-radicalisation programme. Worldwide, civil society organisations (CSOs) are increasingly considered as a key partner in de-radicalisation of violent extremist offenders (VEOs). In Indonesia, however, de-radicalisation programmes are often criticised for their centralised nature in which spaces for non-state actors are limited. This paper critically examines the role of CSOs in mitigating the shortcomings of government-sponsored de-radicalisation programmes in Indonesia. Although CSOs have strong ties with the people they work with, can reach to unreachable groups and function as a 'resilience group' in violence prevention, the paper contends that there continues to be a perpetual lack of coordination between the government and CSOs in countering violent extremism. Drawing on a desk-based review of literature on de-radicalisation combined with interviews, this paper presents a thematic analysis of Indonesia's CVE programmes and CSOs' engagement in de-radicalisation. The paper concludes by offering a possible roadmap that might help enhancing partnerships between government and CSOs in de-radicalisation of violent extremist offenders.


Seventeen strains corresponding to Flavobacterium spiritivorum, seven strains corresponding to or received as Sphingobacterium mizutae, and the type strains of Flavobacterium multivorum and Flavobacterium thalpophilum were examined for deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness. Duplicate cultures of the type strains and of some of the S. mizutae field strains, from various sources, were included to make a total of 43 cultures examined. Of the 17 F. spiritivorum strains, 15 could be included in that species, but 2 constituted a closely related, but separate, species. For this new species we propose the name Flavobacterium yabuuchiae, with strain F8081 (= NCTC 12113) as the type strain. Only three strains could be included in S. mizutae; of the four remaining strains, one represented a separate species 32% related to S. mizutae, one corresponded to Flavobacterium meningosepticum, and the classification of the other two was unresolved. The type strains of F. multivorum and F. thalpophilum were distinct from the other cultures studied. The new combination Flavobacterium mizutaii is also proposed.


This paper presents a study on rock texture image classification using support vector machines (and also K-nearest neighbours and decision trees) with the aid of feature selection techniques. It offers both unsupervised and supervised methods for feature selection, based on data reliability and information gain ranking respectively. Following this approach, the conventional classifiers which are sensitive to the dimensionality of feature patterns, become effective on classification of images whose pattern representation may otherwise involve a large number of features. The work is successfully applied to complex images. Classifiers built using features selected by either of these methods generally outperform their counterparts that employ the full set of original features which has a dimensionality several folds higher than that of the selected feature subset. This is confirmed by systematic experimental investigations. This study therefore, helps to accomplish challenging image classification tasks effectively and efficiently. In particular, the approach retains the underlying semantics of a selected feature subset. This is very important to ensure that the classification results are understandable by the user.


AbstractTo improve surgical capacity in developing countries, we must take a multifaceted approach that addresses all aspects of surgery in a hospital. Foreign non-governmental organizations with expertise and resources can play a role in helping to build surgical capacity in developing countries. Episodic surgical missions can contribute to reducing the burden of the disease, but must be coupled with training of local staff to assure capacity for the future. Lack of human resources and proper infrastructure should be addressed as part of the capacity-building process. Longitudinal educational programs improve the training of local staff over time. Scaling up from episodic surgical trips to building and maintaining fully functioning surgical capacity requires sustained and repeated interventions from a large group of stakeholders. Through partnerships with local government and nongovernmental organizations, each partner can amplify the effectiveness of the other to meet the challenges of complex surgical care in low-resource settings.


Sandberg and Wielinga argue in their paper, "Situated Cognition: A paradigm shift?" that "there are no strong reasons to leave the traditional paradigm of cognitive science and AI." They are certainly correct that we should not "disregard evidence and achievements of Cognitive and Instructional Sciences." But they fail to appreciate the implications of the storehouse view of knowledge, which suggests that learning is like putting tools in a shed. Situated cognition arguments against traditional views of learning transfer suggest that human memory does not consist of stored facts and procedures. Perhaps because of the difficulty of this connection—and imagining what the alternative could be—Sandberg and Wielinga also misconstrue cognitive apprenticeship ("formal education should not just be replaced by 'cognitive apprenticeship'"). They misunderstand the idea of effectively relating formalized subject material to everyday practice, believing Collins et al. to be against the teaching of theories and generalities altogether, when in fact they favor AI applications to education. The practical implication of cognitive apprenticeship is to refocus instructional research on the design process itself: We should design computer systems in partnership with students, teachers, and practitioners in the context of use, so we can produce programs that people can afford and want to use, that promote creativity, and that relate in an honest, pragmatic way to everyday life.


This paper discusses the set up of a mathematical model of the powerformer, a new type of salient-pole synchronous machine, for analyzing internal phase and ground faults in stator windings. The method employs a direct-phase representation considering the cable capacitance. To effectively implement the internal fault simulation, the magnetic axis locations of fault parts are arranged appropriately. Moreover, all machine windings supposed to be sinusoidally distributed in space and the system are magnetically linear. With the above-mentioned assumptions, the current-equivalent equations, voltage-equivalent equations, and the rotor-motion equations are formed and combined to implement the fault simulations. Simulation results showing the fault currents, during a single-phase-to-ground fault, a two-phase-to-ground fault, and a phase-to-phase fault, are presented here. With the data generated by this internal fault simulation model, the protection scheme used for the powerformer can be validated and improved accordingly.


In today's increasingly competitive world of professional rugby, clubs, provinces and national teams have recognised the importance and need for rugby academies in order to obtain ultimate success whether it is at a domestic level or on the world stage (Spamer, 2009). The purpose of this study was to analyse and investigate the Elite Player pathway systems of the Irish Rugby Football Union. Williams and Reilly (2000) explain that in order to remain competitive, sporting organisations and clubs must invest considerable amounts of money in their quest to identify and nurture potentially elite players. Abbott and Collins (2002) are of the opinion that early identification of individuals has become important across all sporting domains. Since the dawn of the professional rugby era in 1995, rugby in Ireland has become a real career path for many schoolboy players and competition for provincial and national selection at school level has become increasingly tough (Spamer, 2009). Currently Ireland has four representative professional rugby teams; each province has their own academy where the focus is to provide the best environment for young Irish players to develop their skills, disciplines, knowledge and attitude to achieve their full playing potential of the game. Full time academy players typically join the academies around 18 years of age; these players are contracted for three years subject to annual review.
The primary objective of this study was to identify and examine the recruitment and talent identification methods used by the IRFU. Quantitative research was undertaken and data was obtained through the use of questionnaires which were distributed to current (n=61) and past players (n=139) with a return rate of current (n= 44) and past (n= 15) The study employed a largely qualitative methodology, interviewing nineteen elite young rugby players (18-22 years of age) and four Head coaches. The study revealed that on average 32% of the total academy players have graduated to their respective current provincial senior squad in the period 2004 -2010. Within the particular Irish context, this country is known for its incredibly competitive attitude worldwide. Current findings show that 60% of past players have come through the elite player pathway and graduated to a development contract; while 20% of former academy players went on to win senior international caps for Ireland. However, this "never say die" is unfortunately not enough to consistently guarantee success in the sports arena. To further increase the IRFU's pool of knowledge in a constructive and meaningful way, accurate methods of talent identification and development need to be developed.


Cadastral information system is an organized system that records land information, holdings and describe the spatial and non-spatial entities of parcels and land information. It has the ability to record, store, update and retrieve at will when necessary, all land related information. This study makes use of the spatial information of the perimeter, the designed layout and parcel spatial and non-spatial data to implement the system. The perimeter survey was carried out using KOLIDA 445R Total Station and plotted using AutoCAD land Development 2009, the designed layout was scanned and digitized in ARCGIS 10.1 for automation process. The parcel information, data analysis, query optimization and implementation were designed and store in ARCGIS. The system was tested and suitable in solving the challenges of demolition of built structures due to non-conformity of built structure with the standard set by the building regulating agency and the issues of fake lack documents by land racketeers. The information of all parcels including the prototype of buildings categories are specified and store in the database. Keywords— Cadastral Information System, KOLIDA


Introduction: COVID-19 is basically a medium size RNA virus and the nucleic acid is about 30 kb long, positive in sense, single stranded and polyadenylated. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to analyse the knowledge of guidelines for prevention of COVID-19 infection among dental practitioners and its plausible impact on future dentistry. Material and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore during 2020. This study aimed to analyse the knowledge of guidelines for prevention of COVID-19 infection among dental practitioners. This study was done through systematically designed questionnaire. This survey analysis was conducted among dental students and professionals. The data was collected from 100 participants, who are willing to participate in this study. Results: The data was collected from 120 participants. This data consist of both dental students and professionals. There are 68 (56.7%) female and 52 (43.3%) male participants. Out of 120, 88 (73.3%) are dental professionals and 32 (26.7%) are dental students. According to respondents, there are different sources of information for COVID-19. Social media is the main source of information (46.7%), television (26.7%), others (15.8%) and print media (10.8%). There are different sources of transmission, aerosols and droplets, contact with human fluids and contact with contaminated surface. Conclusion: It is concluded that COVID-19 directly effect on future of dentistry. Dental health care personnel need to understand the implications of potential transmission of the (SARS)-CoV-2 virus in a clinical setup.


This study presented balanced scorecard as a measurement for effective library services in academic libraries for sustainable education development. A study of Imo State University library, Owerri. In every organization, the importance of internal measurement appraisal and/or evaluation is very imperative. This helps the library/organization to beef up their performance in other to serve their clients effectively. The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard in measuring adequate library services to ensure adequate library service delivery. Survey method was used and the population for the study consist the thirteen librarians in the library understudy. Questionnaire was used to collect data and the data collected was analyzed using simple percentage. It was found that the balanced scorecard is effective for libraries to apprises their services to clients/users. Hence it becomes necessary that this measurement be used by libraries to determine their performance in their library service delivery. Key Words : Balanced scorecard measurement performance academic library


The story of police reform and of "policing the police" has become the story of video and video evidence, and "record everything to know the truth" has become the singular mantra. Video, both police-created and citizen-created, has become the singular tool for ensuring police accountability, reforming law enforcement, and enforcing the rights of victims of police misconduct. This Article explores procedural problems surrounding the use of video recording and video evidence to counter police misconduct, hold individual officers and governments accountable, and reform departmental policies, regulations, and practices. It considers four issues: 1) the mistaken belief that video can "speak for itself" and the procedural and evidentiary problems flowing from that mistaken belief; 2) the evidentiary advantages video provides police and prosecutors; 3) procedural limits on efforts to enforce a First Amendment right to record, such as qualified immunity and standing; and 4) the effects of video on government decisions to pursue criminal charges against police officers and to settle civil-rights suits alleging police misconduct.


Background: Yogic breathing also called as "Pranayama" is practiced with inhalation (Pooraka), holding the breath for some time (Kumbhaka) and then exhalation (Rechaka). The effective methods of yogic breathing keep oneself healthy and also improves immunity power. The yogic breathing can be practiced irrespective of one's age and gender and even in the office which helps to reduce the stress. To get the best results through yoga, a person has to follow certain timings and sit in a correct posture. Although many devices are existing in the market to monitor heart rate, posture and breathing during physical activity, there is a need of a device which is simple, cheap, and easy to use without an additional requirement of a smartphone. Moreover, the proposed device is able to evaluate the breathing data by transmitting it to a webpage through a Wi-Fi hotspot of the Microcontroller. Methods: The developed device has two subsystems: (i) A wrist subsystem to measure the heart rate, visual aid of breathing and vibration feedback for kapalabhati. (ii) A waist subsystem to monitor the posture with help of flex sensor and the results are displayed on the display of the wrist device. It also provides vibration feedback. The inertial measurement unit is used for breath detection. The subsystems are communicated through SPI communication. The breathing data are transmitted to a webpage through a Wi-Fi hotspot of the microcontroller. Results: The various yogic breathing and normal breathing exercises are tested on different normal subjects using the developed device and analyzed. The heart rate and beats per minute are evaluated. The heart rate sensor is validated using a standard medical device and it is observed that there was a 97.4% accuracy. Conclusion: The results show that the device is able to accurately monitor different kinds of breathing and additionally provide heart rate and posture information while performing the breathing exercises


Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is the transfer and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide in soils, which plays an important role in climate change mitigation. SOC concentration can be improved by proper land use, thus it is beneficial if SOC can be estimated at a regional or global scale. As multispectral satellite data can provide SOC-related information such as vegetation and soil properties at a global scale, estimation of SOC through satellite data has been explored as an alternative to manual soil sampling. Although existing studies show promising results, they are mainly based on pixel-based approaches with traditional machine learning methods, and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are uncommon. To study the use of CNNs on SOC remote sensing, here we propose the FNO-DenseNet based on the Fourier neural operator (FNO). By combining the advantages of the FNO and DenseNet, the FNO-DenseNet outperformed the FNO in our experiments with hundreds of times fewer parameters. The FNO-DenseNet also outperformed a pixel-based random forest by 18% in the mean absolute percentage error.


Child-rearing is culturally determined, varying between countries. For thousands of years in most cultures, it has been kinship groups and parents, especially mothers, who have been central. Parenting changed in the mid-20th century, partly through better educational opportunities for women, partly through reliable birth control and partly through cultural agreement on female emancipation. Hence, many more women have entered work and universities. Mothers of children aged under three years now increasingly go out to work. In England, 75% of women with dependent children work (Office of National Statistics, 2019), while their very young children are often placed in daycare with carers unknown to the child. Governments encourage this, first, because work is an important counter to poverty. Second, a working mother contributes to the gross domestic product, as does her childminder, with UK estimates suggesting an average gain of £20,000 over four years. In the UK, a substantial bonus to reduce childcare costs is paid per child to working parents. Humans, as mammals with relatively big brains, but comparatively narrow birth canals, ensured evolutionary survival by being born more immature than other mammals. Newborn lambs can walk at birth: human babies need about a year. Newborn human brains are exceptionally adaptable or 'plastic'. Mothers are primed by biological stimuli. Pregnancy for nine months, oxytocin release and breastfeeding combine to generate caring feelings. The remarkable power of human bonding is revealed when small babies shown a succession of female faces, demonstrate increased brain activity only with their mother's face. In reverse, mothers can detect their own baby's cry in a crowd of crying babies. Small children become anxious when separated from their mothers. Attachment theory, based on maternal bonding, means a child acquires emotional security and learns self-regulation through loving relationships at home. A child's hormonal bonding system is compromised by disrupted attachments, since reduced synthesis of oxytocin receptors follows frequent maternal separations. The possibility of forming strong bonds with a partner in adult life, as well as with future offspring, may be reduced. Also, the mother–infant bonding pathway in the brain is closely associated with the reward and addiction circuits. The stress of maternal separation can produce changes in the neural-circuit functions, which can appear as dependence or substance abuse in later life.


Abstract. China has experienced a substantial increase in severe haze
events over the past several decades, which is primarily attributed to the
increased pollutant emissions caused by its rapid economic development. The
climate changes observed under the warming scenarios, especially those
induced by increases in greenhouse gases (GHGs), are also conducive to the
increase in air pollution. However, how the air pollution changes in response
to the GHG warming has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. We investigate
this change using the century-long large ensemble simulations with the
Community Earth System Model 1 (CESM1) with the fixed anthropogenic emissions
at the year 2005. Our results show that although the aerosol emission is
assumed to be a constant throughout the experiment, anthropogenic air
pollution presents positive responses to the GHG-induced warming. The
anthropogenic PM2.5 concentration is estimated to increase averaged over
eastern China at the end of this century, but varying from regions, with an
increase over northwestern part of eastern China and a decrease over
southeastern part. Similar changes can be observed for the light air
pollution days. However, the severe air pollution days are reported to
increase across eastern China at the end of this century, particularly around
the Jing–Jin–Ji region. Further research indicates that the increased
stagnation days and the decreased light precipitation days are the possible
causes of the increase in PM2.5 concentration, as well as the
anthropogenic air pollution days. Estimation shows that the effect of climate
change induced by the GHG warming can account for 11 %–28 % of the
changes in anthropogenic air pollution days over eastern China. Therefore, in
the future, more stringent regulations on regional air pollution emissions
are needed to balance the effect from climate change.


In common practice, sports-perceptual interventions are mainly based on vision. However, research demon- strates that sporting performance can also be improved through the use of sounds, showing the relevance of the auditory channel to convey sports-related information, which can positively affect athletes' motor outcomes. This review examines the potential of audio-based interventions in sport. The relevant concepts are defined, a brief overview of the techniques based on vision is given and laboratory studies demonstrating the effectiveness of sounds in improving the execution of simple rhythmic motor tasks are reviewed. Subsequently, neurophysiological evidence of the influence of sounds on the motor regions of the brain is provided and different kinds of audio-based interventions, emphasising their methodological details and the effects of their application to specific sporting performances are described. Finally, recommendations for further research in this field, aimed both at maximizing the potential of audio-based interventions and their implementa- tion at applied sporting contexts, are suggested.


Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) is one of the most important microeconomic surveys in Europe. It collects information suitable for use in performing structural and socioeconomic analysis of the agricultural sector in all the Member States. Contents and purposes have evolved over the time depending on the informative needs of the EU Commission and CAP's priorities. As a part of the Green Deal, CAP is expected to contribute to the environment, climate change and biodiversity objectives beyond 2020. In this new framework, one initiative launched inside the Farm to Fork Strategy has been the change of name from fadn to Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) including variables related to the environmental and social aspects of farming. Like in other EU countries, the information collected by the Italian FADN exceeds that required by the EU regulations, allowing to some extent consideration of special characteristics of national agriculture. However, further variables could be added or changed, gathering them directly from the farmer, by including the existing database or through targeted questionnaires on fadn sub-samples. The new survey will maintain and improve the current role of FADN, reinforcing the analytical and political relevance of the network by adding further dimensions of sustainability. The discussion is on-going at EU and National level and this paper is a contribution to this debate. It gives a description of the environmental and social data gathered by the Italian FADN together with a consideration regarding about the opportunity and the possibility to enhance the system in view of the future period under evaluation. The switch to FSDN will require an effort from the Member States in terms of IT infrastructure, economic resources, new ways of collecting data and staff involved in data collection and the verification process.


In its entirety, automation is part of an integrated, multi-disciplinary product development process including the design, process, production, logistics, and systems approach—it depends on all these areas, but it also influences them as well. Automation in aerospace manufacturing is present throughout the entire supply chain, from elementary part manufacturing at suppliers up to final assembly, and a clear understanding of all the benefits (and drawbacks) of automation would help designers and engineers select the right designs for and levels of automation. The Right Level of Automation Within Industry 4.0 examines all impacts of automation that should be known by designers, manufacturers, and companies before investments in automation-related decisions are made—regardless of the which industry they work in. The process and the set of criteria discussed in this report will help decision makers select the right level of automation.


Mice infected in the genital tract with the Chlamydia trachomatis agent of mouse pneumonitis were treated with monoclonal rat anti-gamma interferon (anti-IFN-gamma) antibody to determine whether IFN-gamma participated in the resolution of the infection. In two experiments, anti-IFN-gamma antibody treatment resulted in significantly prolonged infections. In support of these data, passive administration of recombinant IFN-gamma to chronically infected nu/nu mice was able to bring about resolution of the infection in some animals.


ABSTRACT Climbing ripples in Quaternary lake silts in the glaciated part of Nebraska are defined by continuous laminae over some of the ripple systems, but more commonly, by laminae that are discontinuous and, in part, cross-laminated. Laminae on stoss sides of the climbing ripples are formed of trough sets of micro-ripple-drift, which except for their smaller size, are similar to erosional Type A and gradational Type B and S sets of ripple-drift described by Jopling and Walker (1968). Most of the sets are erosional Type A micro-ripple-drift cross-lamination with heights between two and 10 millimeters. Gradational sets of micro-ripple-drift usually occur on the upper three-quarters to two-thirds of the stoss side where parallel laminations pass laterally downcurrent into Type S, then Type B, a d finally, into Type A micro-ripple-drift. Patterns of micro-ripple-drift on the backside of the ripples are indicative of ripple fans, which migrated up the stoss side of the larger straight-crested ripples and cascaded clown the slipface that is made up of alternating coarse-fine laminae. The size of the larger ripples ranges up into the dimensions of dunes and down into the dimensions of ripples with no apparent hiatus in scale. These dimensions for ripples have not been reproduced in flume experiments using silt size sediment (Southard and Harms, 1972). The scale of the larger bedforms, therefore, is believed to be the result of a difference in scale for "ripples" and "dunes" because of the smaller grain size and/or the result of rapid disequilibrium deposition. Patterns of micro-rip le-drift indicate a movement of fluid over the larger ripples like that predicted by Allen (1968) for flow patterns over straight-crested ripples with grains transported and deposited froth bedload and suspension. The angle of climbing displayed by the larger ripples is defined by the thickness of sets of micro-ripple-drift preserved on the stoss side and the thickness of sediment added to the slipface from avalanching of grains, cascading of micro-ripples over the brinkpoint, and deposition from suspension. Thickness of sediment added to the slipface contemporaneous with migration of a single set of micro-ripple-drift cross-lamination over the stoss side to the brinkpoint, is the major factor that determines the angle of climbing of the larger ripples. This relationship implies that the downcurrent climbing of these ripples is significantly influenced by the rate of migration of micro-ripples over the stoss side onto the slipface and the amount of sediment supplied to the stoss side and slipfa e by bedload sediment transport and from suspension. The ripple-drift cross-laminated silts were deposited by density currents (under flow) in a small shallow lake, perhaps no more than 7 m deep, that existed for only a few years. Topography on the lake floor was irregular and mounds of gravel may have reached the lake surface in a few areas. Silt layers of varves deposited over these mounds show changes in thickness, type of ripple-drift cross-lamination, and changes in ripple shape which probably were caused by increased flow or the shallow water depths associated with the larger mounds. Cyclical repetitions in the steepness of climbing of ripples in the silt "summer" layer of the basal varve couplet indicate a simple-harmonic variation of local flow velocity with time. Such simple fluctuations characterize the diurnal runoff from gla iers today. In the early Pleistocene, similar diurnal variations in meltwater added to the lake from nearby glaciers could have significantly influenced underflow on the lake floor.


The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate triggers a Ca2+ rise and the extension of processes in astrocytes. Our results suggest that kainic acid receptors (KAR) can independently initiate glutamate signaling in astrocytoma U118-MG cells. The natural product kainic acid triggered glioexcitablity in cells and was inhibited by the KAR antagonist CNQX, but its activity was lower than glutamate on KARs. We created a new heteroaryl kainoid based on rational design: aminooxadiazolyl kainic acid 1 (AODKA). AODKA induced a larger calcium influx and a faster processes extension than kainic acid in U118-MG cells. AODKA is a new tool to study KAR activity in the nervous system.


Modern language learning in secondary schools has been described as being in a state of crisis, with ever-decreasing numbers of learners continuing to learn languages longer than is compulsory. This crisis is particularly acute in specific contexts, such as urban areas, resulting in generally differential levels of motivation and achievement according to social background.
The thesis begins with a search for appropriate ways of exploring the problem of demotivation within the above context, building on a number of autobiographical experiences. Firstly, drawing on my early teaching experiences as well as a study of urban education theory, I examine critically the location of the problem, committing myself to understanding ways in which language learning context itself may serve to empower or disempower the learners in different ways, rather than resorting to deficit approaches. I then draw on positive experiences of flexible learning in the classroom, examining the relationships between motivation and learner autonomy. After an initial ethnographic exploration of language learning in one urban school, this leads to the central focus of the research.
This focus is on children's own constructions of language learning, conceptualised as their metacognitive knowledge and beliefs. Privileging their voices, the research makes use of focused group conversations which have been specifically designed to enable the learners to articulate that which is rarely heard. Through their voices, we are able to build up a picture of the ways in which these children experience language learning, and, in particular, their perceived opportunities to take control of their learning and the ways in which the curriculum relates to their own life experiences. This offers insights into the complex and dynamic relationships between motivation and different aspects of metacognitive knowledge and beliefs, and enables us to move towards a vision of an inclusive, powerful language learning curriculum for the twenty-first century.


Background: Understanding the university students' perception of Water Pipe smoking addictions and factors behind the rise in the prevalence of Water Pipe smoking will contribute effectively in the prevention strategies and policies development. Aims: Thus, this study aims to assess the prevalence of Water Pipe smoking among university students and their perceptions on its addiction in Palestine, Jordan, and Turkey, as an initial step to reduce the spread of Water Pipe smoking. Methods: An online self-structured questionnaire was administered to 2030 selected university students from Palestine, Jordan, and Turkey. Prevalence, knowledge and other related factors concerning Water Pipe smoking and its addiction were compared between university students from three Middle East countries (Palestine, Jordan, and Turkey) using SPSS software for statistical analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of Water Pipe smoking was 31.8%, less than a quarter of university students (21.7%) had ever smoked Water Pipe. The highest percentage of current Water Pipe smokers were Palestinians (36.11%), and the lowest percentage was from Turkey (20.23%). Approximately 43% of Water Pipe smokers believe that they will be addicted to Water Pipe smoking and almost half of them smoke Water Pipe daily. The highest percentage of smokers were university students 25 years old and above. However, the highest percentage of smokers was low monthly income students. The university students living with their families were smoking Water Pipe less frequently than students living in private residencies. Conclusions: The prevalence of Water Pipe smoking among university students in Palestine and Jordan was high compared to Turkey. It was believed that the Turkish rules and regulations of Water Pipe smoking limit the Water Pipe smoking in Turkey.


Background: The advent of democracy in South Africa brought about many changes in the education system. Policies and frameworks that guide the embracement of refugee children were formulated and later implemented. However, there are ongoing challenges experienced by this group and the incidents of poor access and quality of provision experienced by a larger population of refugee children, calls for urgent redress.Aim: This is a theoretical article that examines and analyses the education access, school integration and participation of refugee children.Setting: Focusing on refugee children in a primary school in South Africa.Method: Empirical study articles and reviews carried out on the education and resettlement of refugee children in their host countries between 2005 till date were randomly selected for inclusion in our analysis. Our intention was to understand how the education for refugees is generally conceptualised and the extent to which their lived experiences are captured.Result: Using Gibson's theory of affordances as a lens, this article analyses the relationship between the new school environment and refugee children and evaluates the possibilities of sustainable learning for all.Conclusion: We argue for an expansive access, including social and academic support interventions that are balanced in terms of promoting the individual child's abilities and needs for optimal development.


Terrorists can strike twice—first, by directly killing people, and second, through dangerous behaviors induced by fear in people's minds. Previous research identified a substantial increase in U.S. traffic fatalities subsequent to the September 11 terrorist attacks, which were accounted for as due to a substitution of driving for flying, induced by fear of dread risks. Here, we show that this increase in fatalities varied widely by region, a fact that was best explained by regional variations in increased driving. Two factors, in turn, explained these variations in increased driving. The weaker factor was proximity to New York City, where stress reactions to the attacks were previously shown to be greatest. The stronger factor was driving opportunity, which was operationalized both as number of highway miles and as number of car registrations per inhabitant. Thus, terrorists' second strike exploited both fear of dread risks and, paradoxically, an environmental structure conducive to generating increased driving, which ultimately increased fatalities.


The EU is set to transit from linear to circular economy: turning waste into a resource in order to increase resource efficiency and close the loop in a circular economy. This article centres on the Waste Framework Directive and most importantly its newest proposal, the main EU legislation to regulate waste. It argues that there is not sufficient guidance given to the regulatory limits of the definition of waste, especially in the context of the so-called subcategory of ``waste v. non-waste'' where ``waste'' was utilised as a fuel. While prevention is a breaking point in the waste hierarchy (as reuse, recycle, recovery and finally disposal are assumed to be waste unless cease to be waste), it seems unfortunate that it is not translated into a well-defined classification of waste and non-waste (i.e. product). It is not clear how prevention operates in the context of the WFD, as before a substance or object becomes waste, it was a product. Therefore, the paper calls to the rethink of categorisation of waste and product in the context of prevention placing further emphasis on the environment and human health as its main condition simultaneously embracing circular economy thinking. The European Commission should provide a European standard for waste derived fuels, which is essential for a proper functioning of European market. Furthermore, the paper also discusses that the WFD (and its newest proposal) fails to properly address technological advancements designed to transfer ``waste'' to a valued resource without posing any threat to the environment, which could be upgraded to the prevention systems. Against this background, the patented micro-scale Home Energy Recovery Unit, designed to process all unwanted domestic materials to generate energy for the household is used as a case study in this article.


Most cross – disciplinary theories have shown their interest in investigating the idea that motivation is essential to achieve good quality education and ensure effective language learning. Spada and Lightbrown (2006) argue that "… little research has directly investigated how pedagogy interacts with motivation in second language classrooms…" (p. 65). Seen from this perspective, scholars have emphasized the need for the incorporation of motivational strategies in the EFL classroom (William & Burden, 1997; Dörnyei, 2001; Brophy, 2004). To this end, 250 Tunisian EFL teachers enrolled at various teaching institutions participated in the current study by filling in a questionnaire survey. The latter contains ten motivational macro strategies that are known as the 'ten commandments for motivating language learners' (adapted from Dörnyei and Csizér, 1998, p, 222). Participants' responses reveal interesting insights about the teachers' frequent use of the motivational strategies which are meant to increase learners' willingness to learn English as a foreign language. The results reveal that the participants tend to frequently use some macro - strategies at the expense of some others. Besides, the research findings indicate that the university teachers and the school teachers exhibit different perceptions and attitudes towards the implementation of motivational strategies. By the end, the present study seeks to unveil the real reasons that lay behind this discrepancy in order of frequency of use allocated to a set of motivational strategies.


The popularity of the Internet and the variety of services it provides has been immense. Unfortunately, many of these services require the user to register and subsequently login to the system in order to access them. This has resulted in the user having to remember a multitude of username and password combinations in order to use the service securely. However, literature has clearly demonstrated this is not an effective approach, as users will frequently choose simple passwords, write them down, share them or use the same password for multiple systems. This paper proposes a novel concept where Internet users authenticate to web services (service providers) by the use of a smartcard – taking away any requirement for the user to provide credentials. The smartcard is useful in this context as it is a trusted device that is capable of applying cryptography in a tamper resistant environment. The development of the concept is based upon an extension to Authentication Authorisation Infrastructure (AAI) models, where a trusted authority (Identity Provider) will provide and manage the smart card to end-users. In devices such as mobile phones, a smartcard is already present (e.g. the SIM) to facilitate this and it is envisaged such a card could also be produced for desktop environments – similarly to what many banks are currently implementing.


Subcutaneous emphysema, occurring spontaneously during the first days of life, appears to be extraordinarily rare. Only two cases have been found recorded in the literature, both reported by Guillot, 1 and even in these there is some doubt as to whether the cause was intrinsic. The Catalogue of the Surgeon-General's Library gives the title of a paper by Lvov 2 as "On congenital subcutaneous emphysema of the skin," but direct reference to this paper shows that the title should be translated as "The development of cutaneous emphysema during the period of labor," and that the not very unusual emphysema which occurs in mothers during protracted and difficult labor is the subject dealt with. There are a number of reports of subcutaneous emphysema in older children complicating whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis, and a few of emphysema in infants after insufflation for asphyxia or atelectasis. From intrinsic causes, however, emphysema in


Summary: This technical report will cover the participation in the IEEE International Conference on Advanced Video and Signal based Surveillance in September 2007. The report will give a concise description of the most relevant topics presented at the conference, focusing on the work related to the HERMES project and human motion and action recognition. Our contribution to the conference will also be described.


Nowadays programming and computational skills are of great importance in working and social life. Knowing how to code is empowering. It allows to understand the digital world we live in and to shape it. Basic coding skills are essential for accessing the jobs of today and tomorrow and for achieving a better skills-match between education and the labor market. This paper presents a European Project entitled "Coding and Youth: An innovative program in the digital era" (Code@Youth), which attempted to utilize constructively the long period of summer vacations in European countries in order to introduce students to the world of programming and robotics by offering hybrid learning activities in parallel with on-line learning facilities. The main purpose of this program was to plan, implement and evaluate these activities for young people, through the on-line platform, in order to lead to the acquisition, recognition and validation of computational skills obtained through non-formal learning.


This article presents a detailed comparative history of 20th century contract law theory development primarily across four countries, drawing implications for recent law reform initiatives. It extends the framework initially proposed by Atiyah and Summers, which emphasised how the English legal system prefers greater formal reasoning in legal doctrine as well as various supporting institutions, compared to the more open-textured substantive reasoning patterns and institutions characteristic of the United States. New Zealand arguably retains strong affinities with England, whereas Japan shares many similarities with the US – in contract law theory development generally, as well as in discrete areas of contract law (analysed in other specific studies). This persistent disjuncture helps explain why England still refuses to accede to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sales of Goods (adopted by all other major trading nations, including the US and Japan), and why practitioners in other countries that have adopted the Convention – yet which follow the English law tradition, such as New Zealand but also Australia – still experience greater difficulty in applying the Convention. In addition, large-scale contract law reform including a closer alignment with such international instruments, as tentatively proposed by the Australian federal government in April 2012, faces greater obstacles in the Anglo-Commonwealth legal tradition compared to comprehensive reform initiatives that are already well advanced in Japan. More generally, the different trajectories in contract law theory development highlighted in this article call for caution about the prospects for world-wide or even regional unification or harmonisation of contract law.


What if the future of feminist art lay not in images of self-mastery, dignity, and maturity but rather in performances of teen regression? Adolescent drag designates a performance of irony, awkwardness, and equivocality that expands the identificatory repertoire available to a generation of women are said to have inherited from Western feminism.


Wisdom has been at the heart of practical, philosophical, and theological interest since antiquity but is now attracting interdisciplinary scientific interest from academic researchers in diverse disciplines. Practical wisdom is important from the IS perspective because we have built information tools and technologies that can harm or benefit us in various ways and it is important that we understand the implications of these technologies. The purpose of this panel is to start and stimulate conversations with the IS community on a broad array of individual, organizational and societal issues at the intersection of wisdom and technology. The hope is to take the first steps to bring together disparate notions on wisdom in an IS context and to explore new frameworks to advance research in this emerging area representing wisdom-based IS. Broadly, this panel will explore topics relating to extending knowledge management concepts for wisdom; making meaningful distinctions between knowledge, wisdom, ethics, and other related concepts in the context of information systems teaching, research, and practice; the design, management, use, and implications of technologies for consciously discovering, creating, sharing, and supporting wisdom in individuals, organizations, and societies; interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary understanding of the nature of wisdom in a technology-driven world; and mindful living with and connected by technologies for personal, professional, and societal well-being.


Scientific software is defined as software that aids in research, testing or design of scientific models that are used to explain and predict the behavior of real objects or systems in a variety of scientific disciplines. Bugs in scientific software can cause large-scale consequences, for example, error-prone scientific results can lead to ineffectual projects and embarrassing retractions, incorrect financial transactions can cause tremendous monetary loss, etc. However, scientific software is typically developed by novices who are not well-equipped with bug finding tools. In this research, we investigate methods to systematically find undiscovered bugs in scientific software packages written in Julia. Julia is a programming language designed specifically for scientific and numeric computing. The goal of our research is to help scientific software developers find undiscovered bugs using fuzzing. Fuzzing is defined as a software testing technique which incorporates automated random input generation and injection to a software in the hopes of triggering an error condition or fault. We investigate 20 open-source Julia repositories collected from GitHub and apply fuzzing on these repositories. We have developed fuzzers in Python for four programs and have done some preliminary analysis on the documented crash reports. We find that there are several unhandled exception conditions in them, for example, we found 5 bugs in the Julia FFTW package, and 4 bugs in the Julia HTTP package.


The use of sand-lightweight concrete made with expanded shale aggregate is prevalent throughout the United States and other developed countries. Sand-lightweight concrete is approximately twenty percent lighter than its normalweight counterpart. Lateral earthquake forces applied to a building structure are directly proportional to its mass, so the potential for better seismic performance is clear. Unfortunately, concrete made with lightweight aggregate behaves differently in key aspects when compared to normalweight concrete that can negate its design force reducing advantage. Specifically, lightweight concrete is more brittle in nature than normalweight concrete and as such is less ductile. Ductility is key in seismic design because the structure must be able to absorb the energy produced by the earthquake.

This study focused on determining the particular behavior of reinforced sand-lightweight concrete beam-column joints of moment frame buildings under a quasi-static cyclical loading that simulated a seismic event. Six half-scale experimental test specimens and sixty-five non-linear finite element models were used to evaluate the performance of the joints. The experimental portion of this study found that if designed and detailed in accordance with ACI 318-11 standards and if joint shear stress is kept within a reasonable limit, sand-lightweight beam column joints can perform as well as similarly built normalweight concrete specimens. This finding was true even for concrete compressive strengths up to 8000 pounds per square inch. The parametric finite element modeling portion of this study showed the effect on joint performance by varying the following four key parameters: the compressive strength of concrete, the amount of joint shear reinforcement, the longitudinal beam steel reinforcement ratio, and the axial load applied to the column.


The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought the role of private military companies (PMCs) to the fore. If one subscribes to commonly held perceptions, it might appear as if PMCs only emerged with these conflicts. The use of private military actors is, of course, far from new, as witnessed by the use of various mercenaries throughout history. The desire to dispel this myth and others forms the starting point for David Isenberg's thoughtful and thorough analysis of the rise of PMCs as actors in modern conflicts. Although Isenberg's primary focus is Iraq, the discussion here is more far-reaching. Isenberg argues that one reason PMCs have garnered so much attention recently is that they are far from the bands of mercenaries of the past; instead, over the past 20 years, they have become entities that operate in the same way as other corporate actors. According to Isenberg, PMCs operating in Iraq are quite diverse, with the vast majority being either Iraqi nationals or third-party nationals rather than from the West, as is often presumed. Their roles also vary greatly, ranging from active combat and security protection to the provision of logistical support and advice. Their prominence in Iraq can, in part, be traced to the Bush administration's miscalculation of the number of troops needed and the strength of the Iraqi insurgency, creating a need for PMCs to provide logistical support and security protection. The book concludes by offering practical guidelines for how to better regulate PMCs. Although much has been written about this topic, the balanced discussion provided by Isenberg is an essential read for those seeking to learn more about the role and implications of PMCs. Kjell Erling Kjellman


Abstract Since last year's report in the European Heart Journal, we have witnessed substantial progress in all aspects of interventional cardiology. Of note, the practice of interventional cardiology took place amidst successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to be a major burden for all healthcare professionals around the globe. In our yearly review, we shall revisit the developments in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), structural heart interventions, and adjunctive pharmacotherapy.


This study quantitatively assesses two alternative explanations for inter-industry wage differentials: worker heterogeneity in the form of unobserved quality and firm heterogeneity in the form of the firm's willingness to pay (WTP) for workers' productive attributes. We develop an empirical model of labor demand and apply a two-stage nonparametric procedure to recover worker and firm heterogeneities. In the first stage we recover unmeasured worker quality by estimating a nonparametric hedonic wage function. In the second stage we infer each firm's WTP parameters for worker attributes by using first-order conditions from the demand model. We apply our approach to quantify inter-industry wage differentials on the basis of individual data from NLSY79 and find that worker quality accounts for approximately two thirds of the inter-industry wage differentials.


The announcement by Facebook that Libra will "deliver on the promise of 'the internet of money'" has drawn the attention of the financial world. Regulators, institutions, and users of financial products have all been prompted to react and, so far, no one managed to convince the association behind Libra to apply the brakes or to convince regulators to stop the project altogether. In this article, we propose that Libra might be best seen not as a financial newcomer, but as a critical enabler for Facebook to acquire a new source of personal data. By working with financial regulators seeking to address concerns with money laundering and terrorism, Facebook can position itself for privileged access to high-assurance digital identity information. For this reason, Libra merits the attention of not only financial regulators, but also the state actors that are concerned with reputational risks, the rule of law, public safety, and national defence.


In TGD Universe gauge fields are replaced with topological field quanta. Examples are topological light rays, magnetic/electric flux tubes and sheets, and flux quanta carrying both magnetic and electric fields. Flux quanta form a fractal hierarchy in the sense that there are flux quanta inside flux quanta. It is natural to assume quantization of Kahler magnetic flux. Braiding and reconnection are the basic topological operations for flux quanta. The basic question is how the basic notions assigned with the classical gauge and gravitational fields understood in standard sense generalize in TGD framework.
Superposition and interference of the classical fields is very natural in Maxwell electrodynamics and certainly experimentally verified phenomena. Also the notion of hologram relies crucially on the notion of interference. How can one describe the effects explained in terms of superposition of fields in a situation in which the theory is extremely non-linear and all classical gauge fields are expressible in terms of CP_2 coordinates and their gradients? It is also rather clear that the preferred extremals for Kahler action decompose to space-time regions representing space-time correlates for quanta. The superposition of classical fields in Maxwellian sense is impossible. How can one cope with this situation? The answer is based on simple observation: only the {\it effects} of the classical fields superpose. There is no need for the fields to superpose. Together with the notion of many-sheeted space-time this leads to elegant description of interference effects without any need to assume that linearization is a good approximation. Topological quantization brings in also braiding and reconnection of magnetic flux tubes as basic operations for classical fields. These operations for flux tubes have also Maxwellian counterparts at the level of field lines. Braiding and reconnection are in a central role in TGD Universe and especially so in in TGD inspired theory of consciousness and quantum biology. The challenge is to build a coherent overall phenomenological view about the role of topologically quantized classical fields in biology and neuroscience. For instance, one can ask what is the precise formulation for the notion of conscious hologram and whether magnetic flux tubes could serve as correlates of entanglement (or at least negentropic entanglement suggested by the number theoretic vision and identified as a basic signature of living matter). Topological quantization and the notion of magnetic body are especially important in TGD inspired model of EEG. The attempt to understand the findings of Persinger from the study of what is known as God helmet leads to a considerable progress in the understanding the possible role of topologically quantized classical fields in biology and neuro-science.


A holonic manufacturing system, designed to realize agile manufacturing, must (be able to) integrate the entire range of manufacturing activities from ordering, through design, modeling, production, to delivery. These activities are performed at many distributed sites. In order to effectively integrate these distributed sites, this work adopts distributed object and mobile object technologies, RosettaNet implementation framework, as well as holon and holarchy concepts derived from studying social organizations and living organisms to develop a holonic information coordination system (HICS). The generic holon is first developed by adopting the technologies of the distributed object-oriented approach with common object request broker architecture infrastructure, n-tier client/server architecture, a knowledge base, and data warehousing to achieve the properties of holon, error recovery, and security certification. The communication holon (CH) is then generated by inheriting the generic holon. Finally, CHs are employed to establish HICS. The CH exhibits basic holonic attributes, such as intelligence, autonomy, and cooperation. Furthermore, the CH can handle partner interface processes, and data exchange by various data formats following the standards of RosettaNet business messages. The failure recovery mechanism of the CH causes HICS to be more reliable than legacy systems. As such, HICS can meet the future requirements of supply-chain information integration of virtual enterprises.Note to Practitioners-An HICS that handles the information flow of the supply chain is proposed in this work. HICS is composed of many communication holons (CHs). Any company that would like to use HICS to exchange information for enterprise integration may possess a CH. The CH is implemented with the Java web-start technology. Therefore, any company can download a CH from the web server via a web browser. The company is, then, able to communicate with other members throughout the supply chain. Accordingly, CHs are scattered throughout the Internet/intranet and each CH can act as both an information supplier and an information consumer. Further, because the CH adopts the RoesettaNet implementation framework (RNIF), any company that has the capability of RNIF can also communicate with the members in the HICS framework via RosettaNet business messages.


The real-space structure of hard-sphere glasses quenched from colloidal liquids in thermodynamic equilibrium has been determined. Particle coordinates were obtained by combining the optical sectioning capability of confocal fluorescence microscopy with the structure of specially prepared fluorescent silica colloids. Both the average structure and the local structure of glasses, with volume fractions ranging from 0.60 to 0.64, were in good agreement with glasses and random close packings generated by computer simulations. No evidence of a divergent correlation length was found. The method used to obtain the three-dimensional particle coordinates is directly applicable to other colloidal structures, such as crystals, gels, and flocs.


In recent years, III-V semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are attracting increasing interest in the scientific world because of the promise to provide value-added functionalities on integrated circuits by means of spintronic components, photonic circuit elements and topological quantum devices. This is mainly thanks to their high carrier mobility and saturation velocity combined with large effective g-factor. The interest of the quantum computing community in these devices stems from the possibility to eventually interface the III-V semiconductor to a superconductor. This combination unlocks the observation and control of new phenomena in mesoscopic physics. Carriers in the semiconductor may inherit certain properties of the superconductor while maintaining semiconducting characteristics such as tunable carrier density, long mean free paths, spin–orbit interaction and large g–factor. Outstandingly, the combination of gate- and magnetic field-tunability with superconductivity allows to realize a topological state of matter where Majorana Zero Modes (MZMs) are predicted to exist . In particle physics, Majorana Fermions (MFs) are (fermionic) particles which are their own antiparticles. It is still unclear if MFs exist as elementary particles, but they are likely to exist as quasiparticle excitation in certain condensed matter systems, where a MF is a quasiparticle which is its "own hole". Being its own antiparticle means that a MF must be an equal superposition of an electron and a hole state. That is why it seems natural to search for such excitations in superconducting systems, where the wavefunction of Bogoliubov quasiparticles has electron and 'hole' components intermixed.\\ Because of the peculiar nature of the creation operator describing Majoranas, the exchange of two of these quasiparticles, a process referred to as braiding, changes the state of the system, and can be used to implement logical operations on quantum bits. Even though this is already remarkable, another outstanding characteristic of these systems is that braiding of Majoranas is insensitive to local perturbations: this could be a milestone for quantum computing since many current qubit implementations are limited by decoherence effects. This work will be focused on the fabrication of high quality InAs NWs integrated on a Silicon On Insulator (SOI) wafers by means of Template-Assisted Selective Epitaxy (TASE) . We will first describe the growth process trying to highlight what makes TASE an attractive technique for both the continued downscaling of CMOS circuits and quantum computing devices. We will then discuss the issues concerning patterning of contacts and gates at nanometer scale and will characterize electrical transport in the nanowires. These devices may constitute a basis for device architectures able to perform operation. The final goal of our research is to perform fault-tolerant topologically protected quantum operations through braiding of MZMs in NWs networks.


Based on the capability of modulating fluorescence intensity by specific molecular events, we report a new multimodal optical-nuclear molecular probe with complementary reporting strategies. The molecular probe (LS498) consists of tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetic acid (DOTA) for chelating a radionuclide, a near-infrared fluorescent dye, and an efficient quencher dye. The two dyes are separated by a cleavable peptide substrate for caspase-3, a diagnostic enzyme that is upregulated in dying cells. LS498 is radiolabeled with (64)Cu, a radionuclide used in positron emission tomography. In the native form, LS498 fluorescence is quenched until caspase-3 cleavage of the peptide substrate. Enzyme kinetics assay shows that LS498 is readily cleaved by caspase-3, with excellent enzyme kinetic parameters k(cat) and K(M) of 0.55+/-0.01 s(-1) and 1.12+/-0.06 microM, respectively. In mice, the initial fluorescence of LS498 is ten-fold less than control. Using radiolabeled (64)Cu-LS498 in a controlled and localized in-vivo model of caspase-3 activation, a time-dependent five-fold NIR fluorescence enhancement is observed, but radioactivity remains identical in caspase-3 positive and negative controls. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using radionuclide imaging for localizing and quantifying the distribution of molecular probes and optical imaging for reporting the functional status of diagnostic enzymes.


This study investigates the effect of the language learner's 'psychotypology', i.e. per-ception of language distance, on the extent to which he or she transfers from a second language (L2) to a third language (L3). Three native speakers of Dutch with additional knowledge of English were interviewed in their L3 French. Subsequently, retrospective comments were elicited. The French oral data was analysed for lexical transfer errors, and by means of the retrospective data lexical transfer 'successes' were also identified. It was found that L2 English outweighed LI Dutch as a transfer source. Considering the formal similarities between the English and French lexicons, this result supports the importance of a psychotypology factor to L2 transfer which was further confirmed by the retro-spective data. The incidence of transfer successes from L2 English could further point to a facilitative role of the psychotypology factor.


The prevalence of hookworm and of S. haematobium in a representative sample of the rural population of seven provinces of Zambia was assessed during a National Nutrition Status Survey. A total of 7212 people of all age and sex groups were examined for hookworm, of whom 4920 (68%) provided a stool sample and of these 48.6% were positive. Regional figures ranged between 11.4% and 77.1%. No differentiation between species of hookworm was attempted nor was it possible to assess the worm load of the individuals surveyed. Hookworm is highly endemic within the rural areas and this is discussed in relation to its known effects on the general health of the population studied during the survey, and the impact of hookworm infestation on morbidity.


Predicting the future trajectory of a moving agent can be easy when the past trajectory continues smoothly but is challenging when complex interactions with other agents are involved. Recent deep learning approaches for trajectory prediction show promising performance and partially attribute this to successful reasoning about agent-agent interactions. However, it remains unclear which features such black-box models actually learn to use for making predictions. This paper proposes a procedure that quantifies the contributions of different cues to model performance based on a variant of Shapley values. Applying this procedure to state-of-the-art trajectory prediction methods on standard benchmark datasets shows that they are, in fact, unable to reason about interactions. Instead, the past trajectory of the target is the only feature used for predicting its future. For a task with richer social interaction patterns, on the other hand, the tested models do pick up such interactions to a certain extent, as quantified by our feature attribution method. We discuss the limits of the proposed method and its links to causality


Background: Assessment of the right ventricular (RV) function by echocardiography in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is complex and problematic. Tricuspid annular systolic plane excursion has been used for the assessment of this chamber, although with some limitations. We evaluate the Tissue Doppler S velocity (Pulsed Doppler peak velocity at the annulus)of right Ventricle for this reason. Objective: To evaluate RV function in PTE using tissue-Doppler echocardiography, in addition to brain natriuretic peptide (NT PRO BNP(. Methods: Patients with PTE were studied using tissue-Doppler myocardial velocities (S) and NT PRO BNP up to 12 hours after diagnosis. RV dysfunction was diagnosed by S velocity less than 10 cm/s. According to their pro NT PRO BNP levels, the patients were divided into Group I, NT PRO BNP<1000 pg/mL and Group II, NT PRO BNP> 1000 pg/mL. Results: Of 68 patients (40 men, age = 45 ± 12 years); RV dysfunction was observed in 43%, more frequently in group II (22 vs. 7 patients, p < 0.001). Patients in group II were older (45 ± 11 vs. 38 ± 15 years), and had lower S velocity (8.5 ± 2.4 vs. 11.4 ± 2.6 cm/s), and higher pulmonary pressure (44 ± 5 vs. 36± 6mmHg), p < 0.001. S velocity has moderate correlation with NT PRO BNP (r = -0.39( Conclusion: RV dysfunction by S velocity is twin with NT PRO BNP elevation. Tissue-Doppler imaging confirms the presence of RV dysfunction.


Objective: To assess the degree to which smokers living with a full household ban on smoking change their cessation related behaviour. Design, setting, and participants: Prospective cohort study; follow up of a population based cohort of 1133 smokers, identified from a 1997 telephone survey of adult Oregonians. After a median of 21 months, 565 were located and reinterviewed. Main outcome measures: Quit attempts, time until relapse, and smoking cessation, defined as seven day and 90 day sustained abstinence at follow up. Results: A full ban at baseline was associated with a doubling of the odds of a subsequent quit attempt (odds ratio (OR)  =  2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0 to 3.9). Among respondents in the preparation stage at baseline (intention to quit in the next month with a quit attempt in the previous year), a full ban was associated with a lower relapse rate (hazard ratio  =  0.5 (95% CI, 0.2 to 0.9)), while for those in precontemplation/contemplation (no intention to quit or intention to quit within the next six months, respectively), there was no significant association between full ban and relapse rate. For respondents in preparation, those with a full ban had over four times the odds of being in cessation for seven or more days before the follow up call (OR  =  4.4 (1.1 to 18.7)), but for those in precontemplation/contemplation, full bans were unrelated to cessation. Conclusions: Full household bans may facilitate cessation among smokers who are preparing to quit by increasing quit attempts. They may also prolong time to relapse among those smokers.


The Nigerian construction sector presently accounts for about 1.4% of the nation's GDP, even though its contribution to total GDP seems to have remained, extremely low; the sector is yet to realise its full potential. The sector is expanding strongly with a growth of 10% per year and is supported by multiple real estate projects and by the modernisation and development of infrastructures which offer new opportunities for the construction sector. The nation's approach to the training and development of construction related craftspeople, however, has been general rather than specific; and the various reforms on technical, vocational education and training (TVET) have not succeeded in tackling the perennial craft skills shortage crisis in the sector. This research project focused on formulating and validating a framework for achieving effectiveness and sustainability in the training and development of construction craft in the Nigerian construction sector, with emphasis on addressing the factors militating against securing and sustaining the interest of the youth population in acquiring construction related crafts skills.In order to collect a robust data to adequately address the goal of the study, secondary data were collected through an in-depth review of related literature. Quantitative data were elicited through a questionnaire survey while the gathering of qualitative data adopted the semistructured interview and document analysis approaches. This mixed-method approach generated data that formed the basis for the development of a unique and novel best practice framework for the training and development of construction related crafts people in the Nigerian construction industry. The framework, which was validated by experienced industry-based professionals and academics; was adjudged capable of ensuring effectiveness and enhancing sustainability in craft skills training and development in the nation's construction sector. The study concluded that in order to achieve sustainability and effectiveness, crafts skills training and development in the nation's construction sector must be accorded a specific attention. The establishment of a regulatory organ vested with the responsibilities for implementing and regulating skills training and development in the construction sector is imperative. Apart from facilitating career progression of crafts people and adequately addressing the factors inhibiting the interest of prospective trainees; effective guidance and counselling systems must be provided for the purpose of sensitizing the youths and other potential trainees on the importance and economic prospects inherent in pursuing construction related craft careers. The Construction Craft Skills Training and Development (CCSTD) Framework is a major contribution to knowledge in this area. It is recommended for adoption by the government, construction sector, professional bodies, training providers and other related stakeholders; as a guide on skills training and development matters in the Nigerian construction sector.


Myrmecodia tuberosa or locally known as "Sarang Semut", belongs to Rubiaceae family. The aim of the study is to investigate the total phenolic compounds and bioactivity of the crude extract of M. tuberosa. The tuber, bark and leaves of the plant were cut, wash and air-dried. The plant was extracted with ethyl acetate and ethanol to yield EtOAc and EtOH crude. The crude were then tested for anti-oxidant 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, !-glucosidase assay for anti-diabetic activity, and MTT assay for cytotoxicity test. The results showed that bark ethanolic extract demonstrated the highest DPPH scavenging of 97.49% while other crudes were ranging from 95.04% to 96.86% scavenging of DPPH compared to ascorbic acid. An in-vitro !glucosidase assay was performed according to the slightly modified method of Matsui et al. (1996) showed that the tuber ethyl acetate extract demonstrated the highest inhibition of !-glucosidase enzyme with 72.58% while other crudes were ranging from 63.27% to 72.46% inhibition. In addition, the ethanolic tuber extract exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity against HT-29 and Hela cell lines with the IC50 value of 16 μg/mL and 14 μg/mL respectively. Meanwhile, the ethanolic bark extract exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity against MCF-7 with IC50 value of 6.0 μg/mL. The total phenolic content results also showed that the tuber extracts contained the highest phenolic content with 1087mg GAE/ g extract compared to leaf and bark of the plants. The findings suggest that the whole part of M. tuberosa is a potential natural source for anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer agent.


H1 linker histones are involved in chromatin structure and gene regulation. The carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of histone H1 is very basic with approximately 40% Lys residues, approximately 75% of which are present as doublets. The CTD has little structure in diluted solution but becomes cooperatively folded upon interaction with DNA. The DNA-bound CTD contains alpha-helix, beta-structure, turns, and flexible regions. We studied the effects of charge neutralization on the secondary structure of the CTD independently of DNA interaction through deprotonation of the epsilon-amino groups of the Lys side chains at alkaline pH. Alkaline pH induces extensive folding of the CTD with proportions of secondary structure similar to those observed in the complexes with DNA. The CTD is phosphorylated by cyclin-dependent kinases. In the fully phosphorylated CTD, alkaline pH induces a higher amount of beta-sheet and a lower amount of alpha-helix, as observed in the complexes with DNA. These results, together with structure predictions, suggest that the increased hydrophobicity of Lys side chains accompanying charge neutralization is responsible for the folding of the CTD upon interaction with DNA.


Educational quality varies in the degree to which they attempt to deal with different completing aspects of quality such as relative importance of various quality attributes of key process areas. With the emerging of information and communication technology, educational quality has drastically changed. This revolution has brought radical change in the way educational data are generated for ease of decision making. It is well established fact that use of information at the right time provides an advantage to educational quality. But the real challenge lies in converting high dimensional data into knowledge. Though present technology helps in creating databases, but most of the data may not be relevant for formulating a quality educational model. In this paper, we propose a new capability maturity decision making model based on rough computing for extracting key process areas and its relevance for the development of quality education. In particular, 769 educational institutions data are considered for validation and the results shows the practical viability of the proposed model.


This study is devoted to extracting significant texture features from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) of the breast using curvelet features and to classify breast masses into malignant and benign using the calculated features. The authors utilised the first generation of curvelet transform in the interpretation of breast tumours on DCE-MRI. The analysis is performed after injecting 23 patients with a contrast agent and 23 mass lesions were extracted from these patients. Then, 288 statistical parameters were extracted by calculating the mean and variance of the curvelet coefficients of tumour texture in sub-band images. Due to a large number of extracted features and the presence of redundant and inter-correlated descriptors, they used a combination of genetic algorithm (GA) and Pearson's correlation for feature selection and a three-layer artificial neural network (ANN) for classification of malignant and benign breast lesions. The GA-ANN model has yielded a good diagnostic accuracy (96%), sensitivity (92%) and specificity (100%). Also, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.955. The curvelet transform was able to effectively quantify the distribution of contrast agent in tumour texture, which is different in malignant and benign tumours.


Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) composite reinforced with Hibiscus cannabinus, L fiber (kenaf fiber, KF) was prepared via melt blending method using internal mixer at temperature 180°C, screw rotational speed at 40rpm for 10 min. TPE matrix is a blend of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) at a ratio of 70:30. The optimum fiber loading were investigated from 0% to 20% by volume. The effect of coupling agent maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) on the TPE composite has been investigated. The result shown that, with increasing the kenaf fiber content gradually increased the tensile strength and flexural strength for both treated and untreated PP/EPDM-KF composite. However, at 20% of kenaf fiber loading, it showed decreasing in impact strength due to brittleness of the samples. From the scanning electron micrograph (SEM) it has shown that the composite, with compatibilizer promotes better interaction between TPE and kenaf fiber.


Casuarina glauca displays high levels of salt tolerance, but very little is known about how this tree adapts to saline conditions. To understand the molecular basis of C. glauca response to salt stress, we have analyzed the proteome from branchlets of plants nodulated by nitrogen-fixing Frankia Thr bacteria (NOD+) and non-nodulated plants supplied with KNO3 (KNO3+), exposed to 0, 200, 400, and 600 mM NaCl. Proteins were identified by Short Gel, Long Gradient Liquid Chromatography coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry and quantified by Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra -Mass Spectrometry. 600 proteins were identified and 357 quantified. Differentially Expressed Proteins (DEPs) were multifunctional and mainly involved in Carbohydrate Metabolism, Cellular Processes, and Environmental Information Processing. The number of DEPs increased gradually with stress severity: (i) from 7 (200 mM NaCl) to 40 (600 mM NaCl) in KNO3+; and (ii) from 6 (200 mM NaCl) to 23 (600 mM NaCl) in NOD+. Protein–protein interaction analysis identified different interacting proteins involved in general metabolic pathways as well as in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites with different response networks related to salt stress. Salt tolerance in C. glauca is related to a moderate impact on the photosynthetic machinery (one of the first and most important stress targets) as well as to an enhancement of the antioxidant status that maintains cellular homeostasis.