An "evolutionary" trend in algal mound morphology within the Morgan Creek Limestone, upper Cambrian of central Texas, is associated with a change in depositional environment. Morphological modification of the mounds is a response of the algal communities to changes in water depth and turbulence. This change occurs through a stratigraphic interval approximately 20 m thick. The lower part of the Morgan Creek Limestone exhibits substantial evidence of having been deposited in a more turbulent environment than the upper part. This is indicated by an upward decrease in abundance of oolite bodies; an increase in micrite and corresponding decrease in spar; a decrease in cross-stratified deposits upward; and, in the middle of the section, the first appearance of a green alga. The lowest mounds, stratigraphically, are discrete club-shaped, simple, highly arched, nonbranching, concentric structures. These mounds, which grew in a high energy environment during deposition of the lower part of the Morgan Creek, have maximum dimensions of 0.5 m in thickness and 0.75 m in diameter. In the middle Morgan Creek mounds are larger, 0.25 to 1 m thick and 0.3 to 1.7 m in diameter, and have a complex digitate internal structure. Near the top of the Morgan Creek Limestone is a horizon of the largest-sized algal mounds, biconvex lenses up to 1.7 m thick and 8 m in diameter. The over-lying strata contain some flat, algal-laminated structures. This evolution in mound form, a decrease in height to width ratio and from simple to complex internal structure, is associated with a decrease in water turbulence and a shift from shallow marine to intertidal to supratidal site of deposition. This environmental response demonstrates that changes of mound morphology can be useful in interpreting depositional environments.


n 2014, Ireland launched its first National Plan on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), published with the key objective of setting out a framework to foster best practice in CSR among enterprises and organisations in Ireland. In addition, the plan sought to raise the profile of CSR in Ireland. Against this backdrop, there has been an increased interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among both scholars and practitioners. Much of the academic debate has focused on the role of business in society, what constitutes the social responsibilities of firms, the link between CSR and financial performance and, more recently, the link between CSR and corporate strategy. Furthermore, it is not clear how such aspects of CSR are integrated in the minds of those carrying out the work. In other words, how CSR integrates with strategy for those CSR decision makers or managers within the firm. The thesis seeks to establish the key components of CSR and their relationship to strategy in the minds of these managers, through the Whittington Generic Perspectives on Strategy Model (1993). This framework forms the basis of the cognitive mapping of thirty one managers operating in Ireland, across diverse sectors. In addition, this thesis argues for a typology or framework for four distinct theme profiles, in relation to the relative importance of CSR components in the minds of these managers. The four theme profiles are as follows: Outcomes and Stakeholders Focus, Outcomes Only Focus, Values Focus and Business Objectives Focus.


Centella asiatica L. or locally known as Pegaga nyonya is a weekly aromatic smelling herb that belongs to a genus of the plant family Apiaceae (Umbelliferare). It has been used widely in folk medicine for hundreds of years to treat a wide range of illness. In this study, the mutagenic potential of C. asiatica aerial parts (leaves and stems) and roots in aqueous extracts were determined using the Ames test. The method involved was pre-incubation on Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 bacterial strains in the presence and absence of metabolic activator S9 system. The extracts were evaluated using two-fold value of the number of revertant's colony in negative control plate as cut-off point, to determine the mutagenicity effects. The results showed that all aqueous extracts of the aerial parts and roots of C.asiatica were non mutagenic because it shown no significance difference (p<0.05) when compared to negative control towards TA98 and TA100 strain with and without S9 metabolic activation for all concentration studied. In conclusion, C. asiatica aerial parts and roots aqueous extract were non mutagenic on both S.typhimurium strains and can be used as part of traditional medicine.


Background: In the context of synonymous concepts, errors and term duplications in SNOMED CT are likely. This aects in particular clinical ideas with multiple types of display, like the example of the Von Willebrand disease. Objectives: It is required to ensure a common and correct interpretation of medical terms. Thus, it is necessary to distinguish between the clinical ideas of disease, disorder and syndrome in the Von Willebrand context. To perform a critical examination of the associated hierarchical order in SNOMED CT and above that, to follow the given rules of correct terminology binding.
Methods: The synonymous concepts problem is ana- lyzed in reference to the Von Willebrand context in the SNOMED CT International Version 31012015. Improve- ments of handling are formulated based on the valid SNOMED CT compositional grammar and the SNOMED CT Editorial Guidelines. Terminology binding is examined regarding the prerequisites given in the "Using SNOMED CT in HL7 Version 3 Implementation Guide, Release 1.5
Results: Many Von Willebrand concepts in SNOMED CT are not fully de ned but primitive, which means that their de ning characteristics are not sucient to distigu- ish synonymous meanings. Improved handling of synony- mous concepts is proposed by the installation of a broader grouper concept and an adaption of the SNOMED CT hi- erarchical structure to avoid misinterpretations and dupli- cations.
Conclusions: The terminology binding between the SNOMED CT semantics in the Von Willebrand context and HL7 V3 seems technically well described. It has been shown, that the problematic handling of synonymous terms is assigned to hierarchical structure problems out of SNOMED CT.


The Aging process: Therapeutic Implications is composed of a series of papers presented to the Medical Advisory Council of Merck Sharpe & Dohme International in June 1984. The purpose of the council is to serve as a forum discussion and evaluation of advances in medicine throughout the world. Both the council and the authors represent an internationally distinguished panel of medical authorities and researchers. This edition of the symposia proceedings is the fifth of a series originating in 1980. The book is divided into eight sections including "General Considerations" (three chapters), "Drug Prescribing in the Elderly" (three' chapters), "Therapeutics" (five chapters), "Hypertension" (two chapters), "Rheumatic Diseases," "Infectious Diseases," "Neurological and Psychiatric Disease" (two chapters), and a concluding round table discussion (two chapters). Each section or chapter within a section is followed by a summary and then a brief discussion of material presented by those in attendance. Each chapter is referenced, most of them extensively. It is not the intent of the book to provide an exhaustive review and discussion of the topics addressed. And it doesn't. However, the information presented is interesting, timely, and reasonably up to date. Of particular interest is the presentation of new demographic information. Until the appearance of this book, much of the demographic data generally cited in publications were ten or more years old. Lamy's presentation of patterns of prescribing and drug use is a rather thorough review of the literature and well worth reading. The presentation of pharmacokinetics and its impact on gerotherapeutics is at best weak. The discussion of adverse drug reactions presents several different interpretations of the existing data. The chapters addressing specific therapeutic categories don't provide great depth but do establish the current practice in therapy and describe current issues surrounding therapy. This book is very readable and occasionally thought-provoking. It serves as an excellent reference for all gerotherapeutic libraries. A health professional involved in geriatric drug therapy will benefit from reading the book. The book could also serve as either a supplementary reading assignment for geriatric drug therapy courses or as a primary text if supplemented with other assigned readings. For a book that will be out of date fairly soon, the price of $45 is somewhat high.


The macro-economic impact of facility management and facility services in special was not scientifically analysed by now. Some studies analysed single countries but were mainly lacking solid data. Especially a Pan European comparison is lacking. This paper presents the results of an in depth analysis of the Eurostat figures. It compares the facility service industry with other industries in particular the construction industry. It also compares the largest European economies (Germany, France and Italy). The study concentrates on the outsourced services only, as these are listed in the European Statistics. The results show big differences between the European countries. It also highlights that the facility service industry is the third largest regarding number of employees and the fourth largest regarding value added.


Paper aims at investigation of contemporary approaches to sustainable rural development in Russia with focus on predominantly non-rural areas, gravitationally attracted by such urban agglomerations, as Moscow. It includes the overview of current experiences in rural development, analysis of major economic and social indicators of rural areas in comparison with urban ones, characteristic of specific features of rural areas in Moscow Oblast, and elaboration of perspective ways to ensure sustainable development of those areas. Methods of benchmarking analysis, SWOT-analysis and program prognosis are implemented. The major results of the current research are discoveries of growth points for rural development and recommendations on perspective measures of state and local policies in rural areas, directed on increase of living standards of rural population and retention of labour resources in their traditional rural areas of inhabitation.


The recently developed transparent soil consists of particles of Nafion, a polymer with a low refractive index (RI), which is prepared by milling and chemical treatment for use as a soil analog. After the addition of a RI-matched solution, confocal imaging can be carried out in vivo and without destructive sampling. In a previous study, we showed that the new substrate provides a good approximation of plant growth conditions found in natural soils. In this paper, we present further development of the techniques for detailed quantitative analysis of images of root-microbe interactions in situ. Using this system it was possible for the first time to analyze bacterial distribution along the roots and in the bulk substrate in vivo. These findings indicate that the coupling of transparent soil with light microscopy is an important advance toward the discovery of the mechanisms of microbial colonisation of the rhizosphere.


This paper provides an analysis of two damage rules (Lost Pro fit versus Unjust Enrichment) introduced in the French Code de la Propriete Intellectuelle in 2007 (Loi du 27 Octobre 2007, Art. L. 615-7). We use a simple sequential game where both the decisions to infringe and to enforce the patent, as well as the decisions to accomodate, settle or litigate the case, and the outputs decisions (Cournot competition) are endogenous. We characterize the equilibria associated with each rule, and compare their properties. We show that: 1/ the Unjust Enrichment rule provides Patentees with higher damages compensation than the Lost Pro fit one; however, 2/ Lost Profi t induces more deterrence of infringement, and is associated with less trials than Unjust Enrichment; 3/ Unjust Enrichment may deter the Patentee to enforce his right; 4/ when there is a positive probability that the case settles, Patentee's expected utility is higher under Lost Profi t than under Unjust Enrichment.


The direct composite veneer restoration is a minimal invasive tooth-saving and relatively cheap technique suitable to improve the esthetics of the dentition in many cases. In this article factors in influencing the selection of materials are discussed. Furthermore, advantages and disadvantages of the direct composite veneer are listed and some cases are presented.


Abstract:While the cosmopolitan gestures and racial markers in Tender Is the Night have generated thought-provoking readings in Fitzgerald scholarship, the novel's profound exploration of Eurocentrism has been overlooked. This article considers the novel within the frameworks of spatial theory and geo-criticism to uncover its interrogation of Eurocentrism. It argues that Fitzgerald's Europe is part of a relational geography activated by the novel's global network of geographical locales and that it is a made space. Set mainly in Europe, the novel insistently presents a global geography that rests upon the economic transactions that enable the characters' experience and crafting of Europe. It is not some essence of Europe, its historical heritage or cultural hegemony that warrants its position as central, but its function as an amorphous space that has become malleable through economic consumption. The places described are almost exclusively European, but minor characters, slips, and transformations trouble Europe's explicit centrality in the novel. Europe's places lose their singularity with Hollywood replicas superimposed onto existing monuments, but foreign currency is steadily directed at Europe, which means that it retains its status as a central locus. While the novel thus challenges the notion of Europe as center, it nonetheless reiterates much of the Eurocentric argument.


Man has contributed to land cover alteration since time-immemorial through clearing of land for residential, agriculture, recreational and industrial purposes. The emergence of adapting wild plants and animals for human use as well as industrialisation have also contributed to the alteration of land cover. Over the years, anthropogenic activities have had great impact on the Weija catchment. This study seeks to map the catchment and determine the impact of anthropogenic activities using Remote Sensing techniques. Observations and measurements were made on the field as well as classification of land cover using Landsat images of years 1991, 2003 and 2017. Results showed an increase in built-up areas by 18% from 1991 to 2017. Other classes such as shrubs increased due to decrease in dense vegetation. This study confirms the use of Remote Sensing as a valuable tool for detecting change in land cover and determining the impact of anthropogenic activities in the Weija Catchment. Keywords : Land Cover, GIS, Remote Sensing, Weija Catchment, Anthropogenic Activities


In this research, gut lengths and numerical occurrence of gut contents (NO%) of Syngnathus acus, Syngnathus typhle and Nerophis ophidion were examined. The specimens were captured with beach seine net in different habitats (vegetated and sandy-vegetated etc.) at the coasts of Aegean Sea between 2006-and 2008. The zooplanktonic preys were mostly consumed by Syngnathus acus and Nerophis ophidion, whereas, Syngnathus typhle showed the most prey diversity. Thus, zooplanktonic organisms and other vegetative materials were consumed by three pipefish, however, vegetative tissues were mostly preferred by Syngnathus typhle. Feeding habits of three pipefish species are associated with gut lengths that show differences in increases or decreases depending on fish size and shape. In this study, S. typhle that has longer gut length than the other pipefish species explains the situation of being rich in organic gut content such as benthic zooplankton. Accordingly, probable presence or absent of the relationships between gut length and prey groups for three pipefish were discussed. The obtained results have supported low index values explaining the exact feeding habits of the pipefish.


Background:  Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age in the UK and obesity is a common feature. Food craving has been anecdotally reported by women with PCOS (Herriot et al., 2008) and some studies suggest that increased eating frequency (EF) and snacking may contribute to increased energy intake (Hampl et al., 2003). This study aimed to describe the EF of women with PCOS and investigate the impact of EF on energy intake and body mass index (BMI).

Methods:  Seven-day food diaries were posted to and completed by 131 women diagnosed with PCOS, who were also asked to report their age, weight and height. Eating episodes were categorised as drinks, mixed meals, and savoury or sweet snacks (foods consumed between meals). BMI was estimated using self-reported weight and height and categorised into 30 kg m−2.

Results:  All participants completed a food diary, with 122 providing self-reported height and weight. Mean (SD) age was 32.0 (6.1) years, and mean (SD) BMI was 27.9 (7.9) kg m−2. Of those who provided details of height and weight, 57% (47%) women had a BMI 30 kg m−2. Mean (SD) energy intake was 8259 (1644) kJ day−1 [1974 (393) kcal day−1] and mean carbohydrate intake was 226 (58) g/day. A paired t-test was used to compare consumption of sweet and savoury snacks. A one-way analysis of variance was used to analyse differences in energy intake, and to compare stratified BMI groups and EF including drinks. Assumption of homogeneity of variance was violated when analysing differences in stratified BMI and mean total EF excluding drinks; therefore, a robust test of equality of means was used instead. A Pearson product–moment correlation was used to explore correlations between energy or macronutrient intake and EF.

Table 1.   Energy intake and eating frequency in women with PCOS Category Mean (SD)
Energy intake (kJ day−1) 8259 (1644)
Eating frequency including drinks (episodes day−1) 9 (1.9)
Eating frequency excluding drinks (episodes day−1) 5 (1.2)
Sweet snacks (episodes day−1) 1.6 (0.9)
Savoury snacks (episodes day−1) 0.7 (0.6)

Significantly more sweet snacks, compared to savoury snacks, were consumed per day (P   0.05). There was a weak positive correlation between energy intake and EF (r = 0.238, P < 0.05), and a weak positive correlation between percentage energy (%E) from carbohydrate intake and EF (r = 0.268, P < 0.005). There was no relationship between EF and %E from protein, nor between EF and %E from fat.

Discussion:  This is the first study to report the EF and snacking habits of women with PCOS. The positive association between EF and energy and carbohydrate intake may indicate a link between carbohydrate craving and increased energy intake, although other factors will also be involved. Both energy and carbohydrate intake were higher than the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) values (Ruston et al., 2004); however, it has been acknowledged that under-reporting was common in the NDNS. The EF of BMI categories did not differ. This is in agreement with a study in healthy adults conducted by Hampl et al. (2003).

Conclusions:  Identification of sub-optimal dietary patterns in women with PCOS may contribute to improving the success of dietary and lifestyle interventions for this population group.

References  Hampl, J.S., Heaton, C.L.B. & Taylor, C.A. (2003) Snacking patterns influence energy and nutrient intakes but not body mass index. J. Hum. Nutr. Diet. 16, 3–11.

Herriot, A., Whitcroft, S. & Jeanes, Y. (2008) A retrospective audit of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: the effects of a reduced glycaemic load diet. J. Hum. Nutr. Diet.21, 337–345.

Ruston, D., Hoare, J., Henderson, L., Gregory, J., Bates, C.J., Prentice, A., Birch, M., Swan, G. & Farron, M. (2004) The National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Adults Aged 19 to 64 years, 4. London: The Stationery Office.


In this letter, we report a novel n-channel GaAs MOSFET featuring TaN/HfAlO/GaAs gate stack with in situ surface passivation (vacuum anneal and silane treatment), alternative gold-free palladium-germanium (PdGe) source and drain (S/D) ohmic contacts, and silicon plus phosphorus coimplanted S/D regions. With the novel in situ surface passivation, excellent capacitance-voltage characteristics with low-frequency dispersion and small stretch-out can be achieved, indicating low interface state density. This surface-channel GaAs device exhibits excellent transistor output characteristics with a high drain current on/off ratio of 105 and a high peak electron mobility of 1230 cm2/V ldr s. In addition, gold contamination concerning CMOS technology can be alleviated with the successful integration of low-resistance PdGe ohmic contacts.


Abstract Corucia zebrata (Scincidae) is endemic to the Solomon Archipelago and widely distributed across the island group. Corucia is evolutionarily distinct and diverged from its nearest relatives about 30 MYA. Little is known about its life history, basic ecology, or behavior in the wild. We conducted a six-week study of movement patterns of C. zebrata on the island of Ugi to determine home-range sizes and overlap among conspecifics. Twenty-five lizards were fitted with radio transmitters and were followed for periods of 5–38 days. Telemetry results indicated that the average home range over the period studied was equivalent to the canopy of one tree. Radio-tagged individuals were located more often in the canopy than on the trunk of the tree, where humans typically search for the lizards. The home range is smaller than expected for a similar-sized herbivorous lizard occupying a terrestrial habitat, but the small home range is consistent with results from other arboreal animals. The study increased our knowledge of the behavior and habitat preferences of an ecologically unusual lizard species. We noted that conventional survey methods, searching tree trunk habitats, have low detection probability, an important consideration for further ecological studies of the species, in particular for the purpose of assessing its conservation status.


Dynamic communities in proteins comprise the cohesive structural units that individually exhibit rigid body motions. These can correspond to structural domains, but are usually smaller parts that move with respect to one another in a protein's internal motions, key to its functional dynamics. Previous studies emphasized their importance to understand the nature of ligand-induced allosteric regulation. These studies reported that mutations to key community residues can hinder transmission of allosteric signals among the communities. Usually molecular dynamic (MD) simulations (~ 100 ns or longer) have been used to identify the communities—a demanding task for larger proteins. In the present study, we propose that dynamic communities obtained from MD simulations can also be obtained alternatively with simpler models–the elastic network models (ENMs). To verify this premise, we compare the specific communities obtained from MD and ENMs for 44 proteins. We evaluate the correspondence in communities from the two methods and compute the extent of agreement in the dynamic cross-correlation data used for community detection. Our study reveals a strong correspondence between the communities from MD and ENM and also good agreement for the residue cross-correlations. Importantly, we observe that the dynamic communities from MD can be closely reproduced with ENMs. With ENMs, we also compare the community structures of stable and unstable mutant forms of T4 Lysozyme with its wild-type. We find that communities for unstable mutants show substantially poorer agreement with the wild-type communities than do stable mutants, suggesting such ENM-based community structures can serve as a means to rapidly identify deleterious mutants.


Titanium dioxide (TiO2) mesocrystals consist of a large number of subunits possessing distinct characteristics of large surface area, high crystallinity and large density and are considered as promising potential materials for energy storage and conversion, sensing, and photocatalysis. Therefore, it is significant to develop a robust and universal method to synthesize and precisely tune the TiO2 mesocrystals at low temperatures. However, this is still a big challenge and has not been largely achieved. In this context, we develop a robust method of synthesizing TiO2 mesocrystals by a facile hydrolysis and evolution process induced by acetic acid (HAc) solution at 80 °C using TiN as a starting material. The size and crystallinity of the TiO2 mesocrystals can be easily tuned by adjusting the HAc content and reaction time. The HAc governs the transformation of TiO2 from the amorphous state to the anatase phase at a low temperature (80 °C). The average size of the TiO2 mesocrystals can be tuned from ∼100 nm to 20 nm by changing the HAc content. TiO2 mesocrystals with a spindle-like morphology were formed and the tiny anatase TiO2 grains were grown along the same orientation [001] plane, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance for lithium-ion storage. The specific capacity at 1C is 180 mA h g−1 and the retention is 92.9% after 100 cycles. Thereby, this study presents a universal method of crafting anatase TiO2 mesocrystals at low temperatures.


A model of elastic magnetic filaments is developed, which allows investigating the dependence of filament dynamics on such physical parameters as magnetoelastic number (Cm), frequency of magnetic field, coefficient of friction, etc. By numerical simulation of the dynamics of filament shaping under the action of magnetic field it is shown that a characteristic U-like stable shape (hairpins) can form. Such a shape of filament can exist in the case of low-frequency rotating magnetic field. At the frequency increasing the U-like shape transforms to the S-like one. In the present work it is shown that in unsteady magnetic field a flexible magnetic filament "swims" in the direction of magnetic field.


Paul Robinson has written a series of articles advocating the view that empirical desert should govern development of criminal law doctrine. The central contention of empirical desert is that adherence to societal views of "justice" – defined in terms of moral blameworthiness – will not only satisfy retributive urges, but will also often be as efficacious at controlling crime as a system that revolves around other utilitarian purposes of punishment. Constructing criminal laws that implement empirical desert has the latter effect, Robinson argues, because it enhances the moral credibility of the law, thus minimizing citizens' desire to engage in vigilantism and other forms of non-compliance and increasing their willingness to accept controversial government decisions to criminalize or de-criminalize. In keeping with the utilitarian spirit of Robinson's agenda, the main goal of this paper is to propose hypotheses (ten in all) that test possible vulnerabilities of his argument. Robinson's work on empirical desert is provocative, but requires further empirical support.


The paper presents DECAI DEcay Classification using Artificial Intelligence, a novel study using machine learning algorithms to identify materials, degradations or surface gaps of an architectural artefact in a semi-automatic way. A customised software has been developed to allow the operator to choose which categories of materials to classify, and selecting sample data from an orthophoto of the artefact to train the machine learning algorithms. Thanks to Visual Programming Language algorithms, the classification results are directly imported into the H-BIM environment and used to enrich the H-BIM model of the artefact. To date, the developed tool is dedicated to research use only; future developments will improve the graphical interface to make this tool accessible to a wider public.


This report contains a collection of readings that examine various staffing issues in policing. These readings address three broad issues: determinants of police staffing levels; the processes of hiring, training, and deploying officers; and retention patterns associated with individual officers and staff positions. The papers are the result of an Urban Institute research project funded by the National Institute of Justice to, in large part, answer questions of interest to policymakers in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (i.e., the COPS Office), the agency that administers the federal Community Oriented Policing Services program. Passed by Congress as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the COPS program is the federal government?s initiative to add 100,000 officers to the nation?s police agencies through grants for hiring new officers and other means.


Abstract:  Animal‐scavenging alterations on human remains can be mistaken as human criminal activity. A 32‐day study, documenting animal scavenging on a human cadaver, was conducted at the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science facility, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. A Stealth Cam Rogue IR was positioned near the cadaver to capture scavenging activity. An atypical scavenger, the bobcat, Lynx rufus, was recorded feeding on the cadaver. Scavenging by bobcats on human remains is not a predominant behavior and has minimal documentation. Scavenging behaviors and destruction of body tissues were analyzed. Results show that the bobcat did not feed on areas of the body that it does for other large animal carcasses. Results also show the bobcat feeds similarly during peak and nonpeak hours. Understanding the destruction of human tissue and covering of the body with leaf debris may aid forensic anthropologists and pathologists in differentiating between nefarious human activity and animal scavenging.


After the Rain is Takashi Koizumi's feature film debut, made in 1999. Akira Kurosawa wrote the screenplay, and Takashi Koizumi attempted to make a film from Kurosawa's script, as he would have wished. The tribute quality of the film manifests itself most eminently when one puts After the Rain alongside Rashomon, Kurosawa's 1950 masterpiece. On the face of it, there is not much in common between the somber Rashomon and the delightful, lighthearted After the Rain. However, there is a complex web of links and connections between the two films, that together create an interesting contribution to the law and film discourse, particularly in their multilayered treatment of several kinds of judging. Both films suggest that there are complex, intricate ties between several forms of judging that constitute our life. Alongside formal, legal adjudication operates social and cultural adjudication as well as internal-personal processes of self-judgment. Each system of adjudication has its own paths of decision-making and sentencing, but often enough those paths reach juxtaposition and sometimes they inevitably interlace.


We introduce maximal and average coherence on lattices by analogy with these
notions on frames in Euclidean spaces. Lattices with low coherence can be of
interest in signal processing, whereas lattices with high orthogonality defect
are of interest in sphere packing problems. As such, coherence and
orthogonality defect are different measures of the extent to which a lattice
fails to be orthogonal, and maximizing their quotient (normalized for the
number of minimal vectors with respect to dimension) gives lattices with
particularly good optimization properties. While orthogonality defect is a
fairly classical and well-studied notion on various families of lattices,
coherence is not. We investigate coherence properties of a nice family of
algebraic lattices coming from rings of integers in cyclotomic number fields,
proving a simple formula for their average coherence. We look at some examples
of such lattices and compare their coherence properties to those of the
standard root lattices.


A vertical transect investigation on Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica forests was conducted at five different longitudinal sites (Zhaosu, Gongliu, Wusu, Urumqi, and Hami) in Tianshan Mountains, and the distribution pattern of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica population at each site was analyzed based on theoretical distribution model and aggregation intensity index. On the whole, the P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica population in Tianshan Mountains presented a clumped distribution, and the distribution pattern and clustering intensity were affected by the developmental stages of stem and the ranges of altitude to some degree. The clustering intensity increased with the increasing size (DBH) or developmental stage of stem, and had the highest values at high altitudes.


Deadlock is a situation when a set of entities, holding some resource(s), all request access to resource(s) held by other entities in the same set. Due to the stochastic nature of simulation and a lack of information of the chronology of events a priori, predicting deadlocks in simulation is a difficult task. In this paper, we present a graph theoretic model to capture the deadlock characteristics, and some deadlock properties of a general discrete simulation system. Finally, we suggest deadlock detection and resolution as an appropriate strategy in simulation systems.<<ETX>>


Two U.S. reports on the state of particle physics released last week say that another collider will be needed if physicists are to assemble a complete picture of the particles and forces that constitute the world. Physicists are asking for one of three very different (and very expensive) devices: a scaled-up Large Hadron Collider, a Next Linear Collider that would smash electrons together, or a device that would collide muons--the electron9s short-lived, heavy brothers. Any one of the three would of necessity be an international effort.


Spatial visualization ability refers to the human cognitive ability to form, retrieve, and manipulate mental models of spatial nature. Visual reasoning ability has been linked to spatial ability. There is currently limited information about how entry-level spatial and visual reasoning abilities may predict veterinary anatomy performance or may be enhanced with progression through the veterinary anatomy content in an integrated curriculum. The present study made use of two tests that measure spatial ability and one test that measures visual reasoning ability in veterinary students: Guay's Visualization of Views Test, adapted version (GVVT), the Mental Rotations Test (MRT), and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, short form (RavenT). The tests were given to the entering class of veterinary students during their orientation week and at week 32 in the veterinary medical curriculum. Mean score on the MRT significantly increased from 15.2 to 20.1, and on the RavenT significantly increased from 7.5 to 8.8. When females only were evaluated, results were similar to the total class outcome; however, all three tests showed significant increases in mean scores. A positive correlation between the pre- and post-test scores was found for all three tests. The present results should be considered preliminary at best for associating anatomic learning in an integrated curriculum with spatial and visual reasoning abilities. Other components of the curriculum, for instance histology or physiology, could also influence the improved spatial visualization and visual reasoning test scores at week 32.


Understanding the factors associated with vaccine scepticism is challenging because of the 'small-pockets' problem: The number of highly vaccine-sceptical people is low, and small subsamples such as these can be missed using traditional regression approaches. To overcome this problem, the current study (N = 5,200) used latent profile analysis to uncover six profiles, including two micro-communities of vaccine-sceptical people who have the potential to jeopardize vaccine-led herd immunity. The most vaccine-sceptical group (1.14%) was highly educated and expressed strong liberal tendencies. This group was also the most sceptical about genetically modified crops and nuclear energy, and most likely to receive news about science from the Internet. The second-most vaccine-sceptical group (3.4%) was young, poorly educated, and politically extreme (both left and right). In resolving the small-pockets problem, the current analyses also help reconcile competing theoretical perspectives about the role of education and political ideology in shaping anti-vaccination views.


To the Editor .—We recently treated a case of necrotizing fasciitis of the neck following removal of a tooth that emphasizes the role of aggressive surgical treatment in this entity. Report of a Case .—A 51-year-old nondiabetic man underwent extraction of a noninfected right upper second molar. Two days later he had marked facial swelling with a temperature of 40.6 C (105 F). Abscesses of the right temporal, buccal, submandibular, submental, and parapharyngeal spaces were drained. Beta-hemolytic streptococci grew from the cultures. Intravenous administration of penicillin was started, and he improved for 48 hours. He then spiked to 39.4 C (103 F) and rapidly developed severe swelling inferiorly to the clavicles. Brawny, noncrepitant induration extending to the nipples appeared within three hours. Roentgenograms showed a widened superior mediastinum and gas in the retropharyngeal space. A low transverse cervical incision was made, superior and inferior flaps created, and the deep cervical


Effectively managing a classroom is crucial in promoting positive student outcomes. Behavior-specific praise is an empirically supported strategy to reinforce desirable student behaviors. Following a review of the literature, we identified tactile prompting and self-monitoring as effective methods to increase teachers' use of behavior-specific praise while sustaining intervention long enough until teachers contacted natural maintaining contingencies. We created electronic tactile awareness prompting with self-monitoring (eTAPS) by combining two applications on an Apple Watch. Using a multiple-baseline-across-participants design, this study primarily investigated the effects of eTAPS on special education teachers' use of behavior-specific praise. Secondarily, this study investigated the impact that behavior-specific praise would have on the on-task behaviors of targeted students with disabilities demonstrating frequent off-task behaviors. Results indicated that eTAPS was effective in increasing and maintaining behavior-specific praise rates. Furthermore, significant increases in student on-task behavior occurred. Implications of results and future research are discussed.


A 12-year-old girl was brought by her parents for evaluation of a spot in her eye, which they feared might be an embedded foreign body. She had nominal eye discomfort, which was probably secondary to attempted removal of the object. The child could not recall having dust particles in the eye, and she had no previous eye lesion.


The study of music (as) labour has often been hindered in musicology by divisions between professional and amateur musicians as well as conflicting conceptualizations of work or pleasure. In contrast, with this article I propose that we regard all music making activity as labour. Through theorizations of affective, emotional, aesthetic and phatic labour, I highlight the different elements of work manifesting within music conduct. Then, through the case study of musicians in Greece, the article examines how music work is impacted by cumulative crises: Firstly the economic crisis of the previous decade and consequently the global pandemic. In this process, I trace an awakening of collectivism that puts forward the demand for the recognition of music (and other performing arts) as work, and particularly as a labour of love.


Abstract Recent polls reveal that between 20% and 25% of Americans erroneously indicate that President Obama is a Muslim. In this article, we compare individuals' explicit responses on a survey about religion and politics with reaction time data from an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to investigate whether individuals truly associate Obama with Islam or are motivated reasoners who simply express negativity about the president when given the opportunity. Our results suggest that predispositions such as ideology, partisanship, and race affect how citizens feel about Obama, which in turn motivates them to accept misinformation about the president. We also find that these implicit associations increase the probability of stating that Obama is likely a Muslim. Interestingly, political sophistication does not appear to inoculate citizens from exposure to misinformation, as they exhibit the same IAT effect as less knowledgeable individuals.


INTRODUCTION
Despite consistent evidence of poor mental health among what is a relatively large population group, research examining bisexual mental health remains sparse.

AIM
To identify the psychosocial needs of people who are bisexual and establish factors that may support or inhibit access to appropriate psychosocial interventions and supports.

METHOD
A qualitative evidence syntheses of the empirical evidence.

RESULTS
A total of 15 papers were included in the review. The PRISMA process was used. Following data analysis, four main themes emerged that were (i) experiences of being bisexual, (ii) mental health experiences and concerns, (iii) service access and responses, and (iv) communities and supports.

DISCUSSION
Bisexual people have unique and specific psychosocial support needs that relate to, but are also different from, the needs of the broader LGBTIQ+ community. This study provides valuable insights into how future policy, practice, education and training and research can better address the needs of this highly vulnerable group.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
This study highlights the psychosocial complexities associated with bisexuality and provides evidence for the need for improvement in current support services to ensure inclusivity and culturally competent care.


The different functions of RNA have led to great and increasing interest in the field of synthetic biology. One such example of versatile RNA molecules used in synthetic biology is aptamers. Aptamers are able to bind to a wide range of target molecules with a high affinity and specificity, which is why they are often compared to antibodies. Using the SELEX method, they can be generated in vitro against target molecules for a broad range of possible applications. In nature, they work as the sensing domain of riboswitches and regulate gene expression by binding their cognate target molecule. Riboswitches can also be generated synthetically from in vitro generated aptamers.
In the course of this work, a novel RNA aptamer which selectively binds to one of two light-induced isoforms of a specific small molecule ligand (azoCm) was developed. The potential function of such an aptamer as a riboswitch was evaluated.
A previously carried out SELEX experiment against azoCm yielded a specifically binding aptamer (aptamer 42). At the beginning of this work, its secondary structure was analyzed using in-line probing. As it was previously shown aptamer 42 could not work as a riboswitch regulating GFP expression in the model organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae, other aptamers from the same SELEX were tested under the same conditions using in vivo screening. As no functional riboswitch could be identified, a new SELEX experiment using a new aptamer library was started.
The new affinity SELEX yielded aptamers specifically binding to azoCm. However, in vivo screening of aptamers from this SELEX did not result in an azoCm dependent riboswitch. Therefore, a novel light SELEX method was developed and established. This light SELEX protocol enriched isoform selective aptamers by a light-induced conformational change of azoCm during the SELEX process. As in vivo screening of light SELEX aptamers did not yield a riboswitch again, in vitro binding studies of aptamers from the light SELEX were performed. Comparing three aptamers which showed the highest discrimination between the two isoforms of azoCm to each other led to the discovery of a 13 nt sequence motif that only these aptamers shared. A next-generation sequencing experiment performed with the SELEX and light SELEX rounds revealed that this sequence motif ("light motif") was specifically enriched during light SELEX rounds, but was gradually depleted during the later, more stringent affinity SELEX. Based on this discovery, a new library for SELEX was designed, containing the partially randomized light motif, as well as entirely randomized flanking regions. SELEX performed with this light motif doped library led to a fast enrichment within five rounds, and aptamers from this SELEX were tested regarding their in vivo functionality. From the aptamers tested in vivo, four showed gene regulatory function, however with a low regulatory factor of 1.25- to 1.35-fold. Based on the best functional aptamer B2, partially randomized aptamer libraries were generated for further in vivo screenings. While the regulatory factor of B2 could not be improved using this approach, a modified version of it called B2-1 could be shown to regulate gene expression in yeast cells in an azoCm dose-dependent manner. To learn more about the aptamer B2-1, its binding affinity was analyzed using isothermal calorimetry. The kD of B2-1 was determined to be 23 nM, depending on the calculation model used. A truncated version of B2-1 showed a low micromolar binding to azoCm, indicating that structurally relevant parts of B2-1 had been deleted during the truncation. However, both B2-1 and its truncated version did selectively bind to only one isoform of azoCm, while binding to the other isoform could not be detected.
The aptamer developed in this work shows a much stronger discrimination between the two isoforms of its light-switchable ligand than previously reported isoform-selective aptamers. It also shows the highest binding affinity to its ligand compared to the isoform-selective aptamers in literature to date. While a riboswitch based on this aptamer shows only slight regulatory function, dose dependent regulation of gene expression could be shown. This work therefore constitutes the first steps towards the generation of a light dependent riboswitch.


Effects of Mobile Health Interventions on Patients with Diabetes:
A Systematic Review
ABSTRACT
Rebecca Kartje, MD, MBA, MSHI

A systematic review was carried out to critically appraise and consolidate evidence from multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of mHealth interventions on glycemic control (HbA1c) in diabetes self-management. Comprehensive searches conducted on four databases to identify relevant studies published between January 1996 and February 2016 yielded 2855 articles. 19 RCTs (2790 patients) that fulfilled inclusion criteria were included in the review. A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed on 18 studies using a random-effects model. Quality of the evidence was determined by the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing ROB. Subgroup analyses were conducted and funnel plots used to examine publication bias.
The mean reduction in HbA1c in participants using an mHealth intervention involving clinical feedback compared with a control was 0.45% (95% CI -0.66, -0.24) with a moderate quality of evidence. Data were heterogeneous (I2 = 66%). Subgroup analysis indicated that mHealth interventions are more effective for type 2 diabetes than for type 1 diabetes, and studies of type 2 diabetes with shorter follow-up yielded larger effect sizes compared to studies with six months or more of follow-up. Reductions in HbA1c were found to be more pronounced in interventions that used automatic versus manual data entry. Studies with weekly provider feedback were found to have the largest effect on HbA1c but feedback on as needed basis also saw a significant effect. There was insufficient evidence to determine whether mHealth
interventions based on behavioral change theories are more effective. Visual inspection of funnel plots suggested a publication bias. These findings are consistent with clinically relevant improvements and demonstrate that mHealth interventions may be an effective strategy to help control HbA1c, particularly with respect to type 2 diabetics. While the functionality and use of this technology needs to be standardized, mHealth represents a promising approach to the self-management of diabetes.


We are now in the midst of another concerted attempt by Government to make sense of and tidy up the sub-national governance of economic development and regeneration. This is a challenging task made all the more difficult by being undertaken in a UK context following a period of uneven devolutionary change and cross-cut by new and existing scales of institutions and spatial policies at the sub-regional, city-regional, regional and pan-regional levels as well as the economic slowdown. The current endeavour has taken the form of the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration led by HM Treasury, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Communities and Local Government department and the consultation Prosperous Places: Taking Forward the Review of Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration (hereafter SNR). We recognise that SNR is emergent 'policy-in-the-making', containing some potentially radical steps for government across a range of geographical levels, and represents a laudable attempt to establish a clearer framework replete with challenging opportunities for RDAs, local authorities and other existing and emergent spatial institutions. Our purpose here is to raise some key issues for debate and reflection as part of the process of addressing sub-national economic development and regeneration policy and governance.


Abstract Introduction and aims The Department of Health's End of Life (EOL) strategy promotes integrated care pathways for the dying as a means of improving end-of-life care. We designed a pilot study to determine whether a simple EOL care tool could improve the dying experience in an acute hospital setting as perceived by carers. Methods 40 patients received 'usual' end-of-life care and 30 patients had their end-of-life care directed by a simplified EOL care tool. Bereaved carers were contacted a month after the patient's death and asked to complete the validated VOICES questionnaire. Results 20/40 questionnaires were returned by carers whose relatives received 'usual' care and 18/30 by carers whose relative received care directed by the tool. Although numbers are small and therefore changes are not statistically significant, improvements were seen in the responses regarding medical and nursing care (43.8% of relatives rated nursing care as excellent in the usual care group compared to 83% in the EOL tool group). Benefits were also seen for pain management (56.3% of carers perceived their relative had pain receiving usual care vs 28% in those receiving the care tool). More carers were present when their relative died following introduction of the tool (43.8% for usual care vs 67% for those receiving the care tool). Conclusion Non-professional carers reported improvements in some aspects of end-of-life care following the introduction of a simple EOL care tool. This needs further testing in an adequately powered trial.


Fifteen cases of malignant melanoma occurring in two or more family members were found among the family histories of 250 hospital records selected for review. This familial incidence far exceeds that expected by chance alone. Each instance of melanoma was histologically verified, and current pedigrees on each family were obtained. The clinical onset of melanoma in these and other reported familial cases tended to occur at an earlier age in successive generations and at a similar age in siblings. The occurrence of melanoma in families suggests a genetic predisposition to the development of this cancer, although the mode of inheritance cannot presently be defined. Observation of relatives of patients with melanoma may lead to earlier detection of this malignancy.


Large language models (LLMs) have achieved remarkable progress in solving various natural language processing tasks due to emergent reasoning abilities. However, LLMs have inherent limitations as they are incapable of accessing up-to-date information (stored on the Web or in task-specific knowledge bases), using external tools, and performing precise mathematical and logical reasoning. In this paper, we present Chameleon, an AI system that mitigates these limitations by augmenting LLMs with plug-and-play modules for compositional reasoning. Chameleon synthesizes programs by composing various tools (e.g., LLMs, off-the-shelf vision models, web search engines, Python functions, and heuristic-based modules) for accomplishing complex reasoning tasks. At the heart of Chameleon is an LLM-based planner that assembles a sequence of tools to execute to generate the final response. We showcase the effectiveness of Chameleon on two multi-modal knowledge-intensive reasoning tasks: ScienceQA and TabMWP. Chameleon, powered by GPT-4, achieves an 86.54% overall accuracy on ScienceQA, improving the best published few-shot result by 11.37%. On TabMWP, GPT-4-powered Chameleon improves the accuracy by 17.0%, lifting the state of the art to 98.78%. Our analysis also shows that the GPT-4-powered planner exhibits more consistent and rational tool selection via inferring potential constraints from instructions, compared to a ChatGPT-powered planner.


Project-based service-learning has been proven to be an effective experiential learning opportunity that complements standard curricula in business schools. Seattle University (SU) has collaborated with its sister university, Universidad de Centro Americana (UCA) in Managua, Nicaragua, since 2015 on several project-based service-learning experiences focused on sustainable coffee farming practices and the implications that climate change may have on coffee farms and communities. This partnership with UCA and coffee cooperatives has its roots in the global coffee crisis of the early 2000s and has produced multiple projects that support farmers entering the specialty coffee markets. This paper as such presents the outcomes of our annual field research that took place in Penãs Blancas, Nicaragua in March 2018. Using the framework of sustainable coffee in light of environmental, social, and economic sustainability objectives, we provide evidence that many farmers in Nicaragua have been experiencing issues with their farms' sustainability. Our findings, moreover, reveal that the direct trade model used by the SU student-run social enterprise Café Ambiental is the most effective means of ensuring the farmers' economic sustainability, thereby allowing them to develop the environmental sustainability of their farms as well as improve their family and community health, education, and overall livelihoods for enhanced social sustainability. This social enterprise model created by SU students takes significant steps toward fulfilling the needs and improving the lives of coffee farmers in Nicaragua while preserving the land at the same time so future generations can grow quality coffee. Finally, we believe that our project has potential that is transferable to other Jesuit higher education institutions that utilize and pursue similar structures and objectives. Quan Le & Grace Jovanovic 106


The practical aspect of this research and this supporting commentary are intended to
contribute to the understanding of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake by applying a method
of reading that incorporates drawing as a means of recording subjective visualimaginative
responses to the text. The commentary provides a contextualised account of
practical inquiry written from the perspective of a visual practitioner. The practical
methodology involved annotated reading and mapping, and systematic observation and
recording, through written notes and drawing, of visual impressions provoked in the
reader. The primary source for the research was the subjective experience of reading
documented in, and through, drawing practice. The project applies a conception of
'illustrative drawing' through a method of 'reading-through-drawing'. Material outcomes
and the experience of reading Finnegans Wake are discussed in terms of internal and
external proximity to the text, privacy, silence, bodies, space, occupation, exchange,
enactment and mimesis. The project is intended to contribute to the critical study of
drawing as a means of illustration, to the visualisation of literature and its functions, and
the relationship of these to the experience of reading. The illustrative intention of the
research is in exposing the immediate effect of Finnegans Wake on the visual imagination
in the moment of reading, tracing the manner of its occurrence and making this evident
to others. The project demonstrates the integration of drawing into the work of reading
a complex literary text. It also demonstrates how the reader's endurance can be made
visible in the accumulated trace of a reading practice that addresses and transforms the
text by which it is fascinated and to which it returns.
The project is situated within the broad historical and critical context of Wake studies and
aligned with readings and illustrative visual responses to the text from outside literary
scholarship. Its methodology is informed by phenomenological studies in reading and in
drawing, and is applied through a qualitative methodology of reflexive, reflective
illustrative drawing practice. It proposes that the body of practice can be viewed
conclusively as inconclusive, drawn not in finality but as outcome, to date, of an
illustrative drawing practice and pertinent method of inquiry into Finnegans Wake. It
makes visible the co-production of contingent meanings by text and reader as an
extrusion or extension of the literary work into distributed images.


This in-depth case study explored the ways in which adolescent boys, aged 16 to 18
years, explored their identities in relation to the formation of masculinities within the
formal and informal spaces of a second-level school. Specifically, it attempted to
uncover what is problematic about teenage boys' understandings of gender identities
within the context of a coeducational second-level school environment in rural
Ireland. The study draws on young-person-centred interviews with small groups of
adolescent boys and girls and individual interviews with male and female teachers.
Particular focus is given to the narratives which show how adolescent male identities
are constructed, negotiated and policed.
This thesis examined the link between peer relationships and emotion practices of
adolescent boys and showed that a high percentage of boys associated tough, stoic
self-presentations to manliness and assiduously avoided displays of emotional pain
and effectively discouraged such displays in other boys.
The normative presence of heterosexuality in this school is revealed by highlighting
how certain male students use homophobia in order to reinforce their dominance
over other males who are perceived as subverting normative notions of hegemonic
heterosexual masculinity, and for marshalling the boundaries of heterosexuality
amongst boys' peer groups. Homophobia and sexism is also revealed through the
narratives of some teachers. Displays of power over the feminine were evident
through sexism, control of public space by boys and a multiple of micro-practices
revealing the construction of a hegemonic and resistant patriarchy in this school.
The thesis concludes by suggesting that the absence of programmes addressing
masculinities within second-level education system in Ireland is a matter of concern
and is resulting in some boys adhering to the toxic elements of hegemonic
masculinity. This can lead to reckless lifestyles, antisocial and destructive
behaviours, well-being and mental health issues for boys.


Since the 1990s, local autonomies have experienced huge changes in their functions, spending autonomy, territorial governance; this course has had some inconsistencies and has been highly influenced by changes in the international and Italian context. The two decades of the so-called «Italian transition» were characterized by structural changes to the model through which Italy had succeeded, in the late XXth century, to connect with the centre of the world economic system. However, the same evidence in recent years leads to doubt the effectiveness of the use of the term «transition» to indicate the changes of the last twenty years; such period is increasingly less like a «bridge» between an old and a new system that is not better defined, and more and more, at least from a historical and economic point of view, like a very articulate and internally diversified phase in the history of the Country, to be studied in-depth as such. In this context, in the last twenty years, local governments have reformulated the forms of support to the process of economic development, achieving mixed results in the ability to increase the competitiveness of the territories and of the Country, partly because of cycle changes, the uncertainties of the process of institutional reform and, especially in the last decade, the increasing financial constraints that have influenced in particular investment policies. This paper examines the main characteristics of this process of municipalities and provinces focusing on how the national financial budgets and the internal Stability Pact have been used to reduce the expenditure of local autonomies, including that for investments, regardless of their ability to support regional development. From different points of view, the modifications of the Stability Pact, when compared with the evolution of the Italian economy over the last twenty years, seem to have a basically pro-cyclical trend, and not anti-cyclical as it would be useful, at least for the capital expenditure, during crises. This process, in some respects, has first anticipated and then accompanied the austerity policies started at the end of the last decade. At the same time we will try to check, always in a medium to long term, the possible effects of these mechanisms with respect to the problem of the gap between the Centre-North and the South of the Country.


ABSTRACT Five Babesia bovis recombinant proteins, including merozoite surface antigen 2c (BbMSA-2c), C-terminal rhoptry-associated protein 1 (BbRAP-1/CT), truncated thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (BbTRAP-T), spherical body protein 1 (BbSBP-1), and spherical body protein 4 (BbSBP-4), were evaluated as diagnostic antigens to detect the infection in cattle. The recombinant proteins were highly antigenic when tested with experimentally B. bovis-infected bovine serum in Western blot analysis. Furthermore, five antisera that had been raised against each of the recombinant proteins reacted specifically with the corresponding authentic protein, as determined in Western blot analysis. Next, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) using these recombinant proteins were evaluated for diagnostic use, and the sensitivity and specificity of each protein were demonstrated with a series of serum samples from experimentally B. bovis-infected cattle. Furthermore, a total of 669 field serum samples collected from cattle in regions of B. bovis endemicity in seven countries were tested with the ELISAs, and the results were compared to those of an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), as a reference. Among five recombinant antigens, recombinant BbSBP-4 (rBbSBP-4) had the highest concordance rate (85.3%) and kappa value (0.705), indicating its reliability in the detection of specific antibodies to B. bovis in cattle, even in different geographical regions. Overall, we have successfully developed an ELISA based on rBbSBP-4 as a new serological antigen for a practical and sensitive test which will be applicable for epidemiologic survey and control programs in the future.


In patients with colorectal cancer, low levels of colonic somatostatin, galanin and serotonin have been found. Based on these findings, the effects of triple treatment with octreotide (a somatostatin analogue), galanin and serotonin on colorectal cancer has been studied. Triple therapy was found to reduce the volume and weight of both rat and human colon carcinoma in xenografts, apparently by necrosis, but also by reducing proliferation and expression of epidermal growth factor of cancer cells, and also by inducing apoptosis. It has been suggested that tumour necrosis results from ischemia in the tumour caused by a reduction in the tumour blood flow, a consequence of reduced number of tumour-feeding blood vessels and by constricting of tumour feeding arterioles. The effects of treating rat colorectal cancer using single, double and triple therapy with octreotide, galanin and serotonin were studied. Of these substances, galanin alone achieved a significant reduction in tumour-feeding blood vessels. Single and double regimes had some effect, but were not nearly so successful as triple treatment. The optimum treatment dose of triple therapy lies between 40 and 80 microg/kg/day, smaller doses had no effect on the tumours at all, while larger doses had no additional effect. The optimal administration route is continuous i.p. infusion, for 14 days. Triple therapy gave no obvious side effects, and had equivalent anti-tumour and therapeutic efficacy as standard treatment with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin. Although this treatment appears to be a promising option, clinical trials need be conducted to establish whether it can be beneficial in clinical use.


Background: Stunting is a well established child health indicator of chronic malnutrition related to environmental and socio economic circumstances. In Ethiopia, childhood stunting is the most widely prevalent among children under age five years. Thus, this study aimed to assess and model the determinants of stunting prevalence among children under age five in Ethiopia.

Methods: Samples of 8487 children under age five and 640 community clusters were selected from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey in this study. The survey sample was designed to provide national, urban/rural, and regional representative estimates for key health and demographic indicators. The sample was selected using a two-stage stratified sampling process. The statistical model applied to determine the individual and community level factors associated with childhood stunting in Ethiopia was multilevel logistic regression model.

Results: This study revealed that the prevalence of stunting among children under age five years in Ethiopia was around 39.39%. The multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the variation of predictor variables of the prevalence of stunting among children under age five. Accordingly, it has been identified that ages of the child above 12 months, male gender, children from poor households and no mother education have a significant effect on prevalence of stunting in Ethiopia. It is found that variances related to the random term were statistically significant implying that there is variation in prevalence of stunting across the regional states of Ethiopia.

Conclusion: The current study confirmed that prevalence of stunting among children under aged five years in Ethiopia was severe public health problem, where 39.39% of them are stunting. Therefore, governmental and nongovernmental organizations or stakeholders should pay attention to all significant factors mentioned in the analysis of this study.


Biobreeding (BB) rats model type 1 autoimmune diabetes (T1D). BB diabetes-prone (BBDP) rats develop T1D spontaneously. BB diabetes-resistant (BBDR) rats develop T1D after immunological perturbations that include regulatory T cell (Treg) depletion plus administration of low doses of a TLR ligand, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. Using both models, we analyzed CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD45RC− candidate rat Treg populations. In BBDR and control Wistar Furth rats, CD25+ T cells comprised 5–8% of CD4+ T cells. In vitro, rat CD4+CD25+ T cells were hyporesponsive and suppressed T cell proliferation in the absence of TGF-β and IL-10, suggesting that they are natural Tregs. In contrast, CD4+CD45RC− T cells proliferated in vitro in response to mitogen and were not suppressive. Adoptive transfer of purified CD4+CD25+ BBDR T cells to prediabetic BBDP rats prevented diabetes in 80% of recipients. Surprisingly, CD4+CD45RC−CD25− T cells were equally protective. Quantitative studies in an adoptive cotransfer model confirmed the protective capability of both cell populations, but the latter was less potent on a per cell basis. The disease-suppressing CD4+CD45RC−CD25− population expressed PD-1 but not Foxp3, which was confined to CD4+CD25+ cells. We conclude that CD4+CD25+ cells in the BBDR rat act in vitro and in vivo as natural Tregs. In addition, another population that is CD4+CD45RC−CD25− also participates in the regulation of autoimmune diabetes.


The term 'green' is the measure of environmental friendliness and environmental friendliness or eco-friendly or nature-friendly are marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that inflict reduced, minimal, or no harm upon ecosystems or the environment. In order to be sustainable, the environmental pressures of increased demand for resources coupled with a rapidly changing climate are being addressed by policy makers at various levels. The application Green building concept provides energy savings (40-50% less energy compared to conventional building), water saving (20-30% less compared to conventional building), healthier homes & offices, waste minimization, cost saving & economic benefits, enhanced image marketability, enhance the occupancy rates as well as lower capitalization rates potentially reflecting lower investment risk. For the existing buildings and green building, Indoor Air quality is one of the major tools to improve occupant health & productivity. The rapid increase in Indian population has given rise to an enormous demand for buildings with a subsequent pressure on availability of resources leading to have sustainable development.


The implementation of the
EU-water framework directive (EU-WFD) demands a financeable and adaptable
sewage treatment, creating a need for action especially in rural areas, where
the "good ecological status" is often not reached even though the sewage works
fulfill the legal minimum requirements. Therefore the construction of new, more
efficient wastewater treatment plants is advisable. Due to the precarious
financial situation in most rural areas, many municipalities can however not
master the necessary funds for an improved waste water infrastructure. A large
part of the costs would have to be shouldered by the local population in the
form of additional sewage levies, leading to massive socio-economic strain.
Hence, different solutions, which are tailored to the socio-economic,
demographic and environmental characteristics of rural areas and fulfill the
legal requirements, need to be developed. One possible approach is presented in
the form of the Dirlammen case study (municipality Lautertal, Hesse, Germany).
It consists of 1) biological and physicochemical analyses of the waste waters,
2) a modified eco-balance for the construction of a new sewage works and 3)
socio-economic and demographic analyses of the population. It serves as a tool
for the assessment of the influencing ecological, socio-economic and
demographic factors on the sewage problems in rural areas. These findings can
easily be transferred to other rural areas with a similar configuration and
thus deliver the basis for a generally applicable approach to these problems.
The results of the comprehensive analysis have shown for the municipality Dirlammen/Lautertal
that the continued operation of the existing pond sewage plant is, with regards
to the ecological, socio-economic and demographic points of view, preferable to
the construction of a new waste water treatment plant. With regard to the
sustainability principles of the sewage treatment and the objectives of the
EU-WFD, existing sewage works should be operated for as long as the sewage
treatment is feasible within technical and legal boundaries. With the
construction of new facilities on the other hand, the expected improvement of
the water quality has to be weighed against the ecological impairments caused
by the construction itself. Rural waste water plans have to be developed for
the long-term, taking not only the ecology into account but also the demographic
change. Possible approaches in this regard could be a shift towards a
decentralized waste water treatment concept and–even more important–improvements
of the river morphology. But also the reduction of the diffuse pollution from
agricultural sources should be considered for the development of strategies for
the improvement of the ecological state. Short-term optimization measures in
the existing sewage works might also improve the water quality until the
long-term development plans can be implemented. In particular the challenges of
the demographic change and linked with that the changing requirements for the
rural waste water treatment must be addressed by any future plans. Only with
the help of such a comprehensive approach the dangers of bad planning and
unacceptable socio-economic burdens can be minimized.


Objectives: Social relationships are widely regarded as salubrious, but do they mediate the influence of childhood experiences on frailty in later life? Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we assess the influence of childhood experiences and adult relationships on frailty trajectories. Methods: We analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the influence of six domains of childhood experiences and social relationships on frailty trajectories over 8 years. Mediation analyses were completed with structural equation models. Results: Risky adolescent behavior, chronic disease, and impairments during childhood are associated directly with higher risk of initial frailty, but not over time. More social roles and higher social support mediate the relationship between childhood experiences and frailty, and the effect of more social roles continues over time. Discussion: This study provides compelling evidence that supportive social relationships mediate the risk and severity of frailty in later life associated with noxious childhood experiences.


The purpose of this paper is to study how the choice of environmental standards by governments is affected by the existence of wage incomes when firms' location is endogenous. In developed countries labor is unionized, which allows positive wage incomes to arise. Thus, each government has incentives to persuade firms to locate in its country since its social welfare depends on such incomes. But, as pollution damages the environment, each government will try to persuade polluting firms to locate in its country to obtain the wage incomes only when its valuation of environmental damage shows that it is low.


For many years, CMOS process scaling has allowed a steady increase in the operating frequency and integration density of integrated circuits. Only recently, however, have we reached a point where it takes several clock cycles for global signals to traverse a complex digital system such as a modern microprocessor. Thus, interconnect latency must be taken into account in current and future design tools at the architectural as well as synthesis level. For this purpose, the author proposes a new latency-aware technique for the performance-driven concurrent insertion of flip-flops and repeaters in VLSI circuits. Overwhelming evidence showing an exponential increase in the number of pipelined interconnects with process scaling, for high-performance microprocessors as well as high-end ASICs, is also presented. This increase indicates a radical change in current design methodologies to cope with this new emerging problem.


. During the 1989 growing season we surveyed part of the Beaver Creek Wetlands in Greene County, OH, to describe and catalog the vegetation and to determine if a transect oriented through the study site satisfied the mandatory technical criteria for vegetation used by Federal agencies to delineate wetlands. We established 14 plots along the transect and compiled a list of the species occurring within the plots and throughout the rest of the study site. We identified 198 species, including five species on the Ohio list of threatened and endangered species. A majority of species occurring within the study site were classified as hydrophytes. A wetland index was calculated for each plot using weighted percentages of vegetation indicator-categories. Wetland-index values, which expressed changes in wetland character (degree and duration of soil saturation as reflected by proportions of hydrophytes and nonhydrophytes occurring in the plots), were significantly correlated with first-axis scores from a detrended correspondence analysis (DECORANA). This correlation indicated that DECORANA first-axis scores also reflected changes in wetland character along the transect. The wetland index also identified areas that showed a tendency towards seasonal or spatial transition between wetland and nonwetland. According to federal criteria, wetland areas included the 12 interior plots along the transect and part of plot 14, while nonwetland areas included plot 1 and most of plot 14.


The issue of the global concentration of agribusiness is crucial to the future of the food systems of developing (and poor, non-developing) countries. These countries have been a target of corporate investments from the outset of the industrial food system. This process has been uneven — at different times corporate investment has focused on one or another part of the food system. Today, this uneven and often uncoordinated foray of metropolitan corporate capital is still subjugating the agriculture and domestic food markets of many developing countries, particularly smaller, peripheral ones undergoing rapid urbanization, to the needs of global agribusiness. For some of the larger developing countries, however, national capitalists are the principal force behind the emerging urban food system. In addition, the state has been playing a key role in the consolidation of the urban food system in certain emerging economies. This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website , where most recent articles are published in full. Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


In the last several years, deep learning has been introduced to recover a hyperspectral image (HSI) from a single RGB image and demonstrated good performance. In particular, attention mechanisms have further strengthened discriminative features, but most of them are learned by convolutions with limited receptive fields or require much computational cost, which hinders the function of attention modules. Furthermore, the performance of these deep learning methods is hampered by tackling multi-level features equally. To this end, in this paper, based on multiple lightweight densely residual modules, we propose a densely residual network with dual attention (DRN-DA), which utilizes advanced attention and adaptive fusion strategy for more efficient feature correlation learning and more powerful feature extraction. Specifically, an SE layer is applied to learn channel-wise dependencies, and dual downsampling spatial attention (DDSA) is developed to capture long-range spatial contextual information. All the intermediate-layer feature maps are adaptively fused. Experimental results on four data sets from the NTIRE 2018 and NTIRE 2020 Spectral Reconstruction Challenges demonstrate the superiority of the proposed DRN-DA over state-of-the-art methods (at least −6.19% and −1.43% on NTIRE 2018 "Clean" and "Real World" track, −6.85% and −5.30% on NTIRE 2020 "Clean" and "Real World" track) in terms of mean relative absolute error.


Pharmacokinetics and the biological activity of a new semisynthetic human insulin (VEB Berlin-Chemie) were investigated in 5 healthy men. Following an ocernight fast, 0.2 lU per kg body weight of human and pork insulins (SNC insulin; VEB Berlin-Chemie) were injected subcutaneously into thigh of each individual at a time interval of 8 days. To assess biological potency of both insulins all subjects were twice connected to the BIOSTATOR. A very similar pattern of serum insulin levels (TRI) was observed following subcutaneous bijection of human and pork insulin, marked by a sharp initial increase and maximum values reached after 2.5 hours. 8 hours after the insulin administration the original fasting concentrations were nearly attained. According to C-peptide levels, both insulins inhibited endogenous insulin secretion. Evaluation of insulin action was determined by euglycemic clamp technique, provided by the BIOSTATOR, whose function was transformed into a glucose-controlled dextrose infusion system. The amount of glucose delivered by the system in order to keep the blood glucose steady state concentrations at the fasting level was utilized as the measure of biological activity of the injected insulin on glucose metabolism. Maximum values of glucose infusion were achieved between 3 and 4 hr after injection of human and pork insulins. At the end of the study (8 hr) the glucose administration did not return to its initial rate. After administration of both the human and porcine insulins, a marked but similar decrease of FFA concentrations was observed. This indicated a clear-cut inhibition of lipolysis. In summary, the new semisynthetie human insulin and SNC insulin exhibited similar absorption kinetics and biological potency on glucose arid lipid metabolism. Both insulins can be substituted for one another freely in clinical practice.


Croton spp. has been used medicinally in the treatment of a variety of ailments, which include cancer, constipation, and diabetes. Various parts of the plant are used in Nigeria as antimicrobial, arbortifacient, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic agents. Dried leaves of Croton penduliflorus (Hutch) was powdered, extracted and concentrated, and the aqueous fraction partitioned into dichloromethane, ethylacetate and n-butanol. The following parametes were determined, ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity, Free Radical Antioxidant Power, total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. The aqueous and dichloromethane fractions gave the highest yields, and the crude extracts exhibited a high amount of total phenol and total flavonoids. The crude extract and dichloromethane fractions showed a high scavenging activity for ABTS and DPPH, while the crude extract and its fractions demonstrate significant radical scavenging ability and antioxidant capacity which were due to the presence of phenols and flavonoids.


The Productivity Commission recommended that Internet gambling be further liberalised, starting with online poker, and that regulation ensures strict probity and customer protection standards. Many international jurisdictions have struggled to implement effective Internet gambling policies and the effectiveness of Australia"s current mixed prohibition and licensing stance has been questioned. There is a shortage of reliable and valid evidence regarding the nature of and participation in Internet gambling in Australia. Further research is required to assess the potential impact of liberalisation of Internet gambling. In particular, a comprehensive, evidence-based model is needed to regulate Internet gambling, including harm-minimisation and consumer protection features. Collaborative efforts would be highly useful to enable comprehensive research to be completed that would inform key stakeholders and assist in the formation of appropriate guidelines for effective Internet gambling policy. Internet gambling represents an important development in the gambling field. The dynamic nature and rapid growth of Internet gambling poses a challenge to policy makers, but must be addressed in an effective manner.


As hardware designs grow in size and complexity, current design methods are proving less adequate. Current methods for specification, design, and test are typically empirical or informal, that is, they are based on experience and argument. Formal methods are solidly based on mathematical logic systems and precise rules of inference. Formal methods offer a discipline which complements current methods so designers can successfully meet the demand for high performance systems. Formal methods covers a broad and diverse set of techniques aimed at improving computer correctness. This paper explains the role of specifications and implementation models in formal methods, and different approaches to proving their correspondence. We refer to excellent overview papers and cite some recent successful examples of using formal methods in hardware design.


Abstract Procedures used to define an international chronostratigraphic stage boundary and to locate and ratify a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) are outlined. A majority of current GSSPs use biostratigraphic data as primary markers with no reference to any physico-chemical markers, despite the International Subcommission on Stratigraphic Classification (ISSC) suggestion that such markers should be included if possible. It is argued that such definitions will not produce the high-precision Phanerozoic time scale necessary to understand such phenomena as pre-Pleistocene ice ages and global climate change. It is strongly recommended that all GSSPs should have physico-chemical markers as an integral part of their guiding criteria, and where such markers cannot be found, the GSSP should be relocated. The methods and approach embodied in oceanic stratigraphy – coring, logging, analysing and archiving of drill sites by numerous experts using a wide range of methods – could usefully serve as a scientific model for the analysis and archiving of GSSPs, all of which are on the present-day continents. The incorporation of many more stratigraphic sections into GSSP studies, the application of physico-chemical methods, and the replacement of old U–Pb dates by newer CA-TIMS U–Pb dates, together with the use of constrained optimization (CONOP) programs that produce a calendar of events from many sections, should lead to much more precise timescales for pre-Cenozoic time than are currently available.


Means of achieving personalization in the Web are adaptive hypermedia techniques and the flexible composition of learning content from individual learning objects. If the objects are represented in a format different from the presentation format (e.g. as XML as opposed to HTML), a potentially expensive transformation process is required. Furthermore, caching becomes impractical depending on the degree of personalization, as the dynamic information is available at presentation time only and varies for each user. In this paper we present a flexible and efficient presentation pipeline based on a model-view-controller architecture, which overcomes performance problems and couples caching and personalization. It transforms single learning objects and uses a view-layer for adaptive presentation and navigation support that provides additional advantages such as incremental rendering and the easy adaption to different layout styles. Both theoretical and simulation results prove the efficiency of this architecture.


Background: The advanced age of patients usually increases the incidence of atherosclerotic cerebral aneurysm. The risk of treating this type of aneurysm by surgical clipping is development of a thromboembolic event. We would like to know the exact rate of ischemic event and the risk factors associated with embolic stroke by treatment of this aneurysm in elderly patients. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study in patients older than 70 years who were diagnosed as unruptured atherosclerotic cerebral aneurysm and underwent microsurgical clipping between January 2012 and August 2014. We compared the ischemic events and factors associated with embolic stroke with a younger group of patients (70 years old). The endpoint was the incidence of cerebral infarction evaluated by brain imaging and discharge modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. A statistical analysis of the factors associated with embolic stroke was done by Fisher's exact tests in each group. Results: Among 30 atherosclerotic cerebral aneurysms of older group of patient, only 2 patients (6.7%) were associated with postoperative cerebral infarction. There were no factors associated with ischemic outcome. In the younger age group, only 1 patient (1.4%) developed cerebral infarction and the number of clips was associated with ischemic outcome (P = 0.01). Conclusions: The older patients had an increasing trend of cerebral infarction after surgery compared with the younger patients. No independent risk factors were associated with cerebral infarction after atherosclerotic cerebral aneurysm surgery in the greater than 70-year-old group.


Moderately well-preserved late Late Silurian (Ludlowian to Pridolian) to early Middle Devonian (Eifelian) radiolarians were recovered from clastic rock sequences in the Kuzuryu Lake district of the Hida Gaien Belt, Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. These radiolarians are identical to the faunas of the following four assemblages: Zadrappolus yoshikiensis (Late Silurian; Ludlowian to Pridolian), Pseudospongoprunum sagittatum (latest Silurian; Pridolian), Zadrappolus sp. aff. Z. spinosus (latest Silurian to earliest Devonian; Pridolian to Lochkovian) and Pactarentinia holdsworthi (Early to Middle Devonian; Emsian to Eifelian) Assemblages. These radiolarian faunas from the Hida Gaien Belt are correlative with those of the Kurosegawa Belt (Outer Belt of southwest Japan). Silurian radiolarian faunas from the Hida Gaien and Kurosegawa Belts are similar to those from West Junggar in westernmost China. The Early and Middle Devonian radiolarian faunas in Japan are different from those in eastern Australia in that the Japanese faunas characteristically contain "shelled Palaeoscenidiidae". Thus, based on radiolarian faunal similarity, Silurian and Devonian radiolarian-bearing rock sequences in Japan are inferred to have accumulated in the sea nearer to the Sino-Korean Continent than to eastern Australia in the low latitude of Gondwana. Radiolarians of 26 species belonging to 13 genera were systematically investigated. Ten new species are described: Palaeoscenidium simplum, Palaeoscenidium hakogasensis, Palaeoscenidium fragilis, Deflantrica furutanii, Pactarentinia intermedia, Pactarentinia igoi, Tlecerina isensis, Ceratoikiscum izumiensis, Palaeopyramidium ramosum and Palaeoumbraculum hidense.


Railway safety systems are highly complex systems
with respect to functionality as well as dependability. The new European Train Control System (ETCS) as one part of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is the example presented here. A formal model using Coloured Petri Nets (CPN) was prepared by using the existing ERTMS/ETCS specification as a basis. The applied method is an integrated event-and data-oriented approach, which shows the different aspects of the system on their own Petri Net levels. The model comprises three sub-models with a model of the environment developed next
to the onboard and trackside systems. This environment model covers all the additional systems connected through the system interfaces, examples of which are interlocking or regulation.
Starting from a net representing the system context, the processes of the onboard and trackside sub-systems were modelled. Here, the different operations and processes are visualized in the form of scenarios, which in turn have access to additional refinements representing specific functions.


Increasing cost of rotorcraft maintenance forces transport companies to utilize their rotorcraft fleet to the fullest. This means that the most successful rotorcraft production company is the one that can provide rotorcraft that can operate in wider range of weather conditions than competition. Air transport authorities define requirements for both rotorcraft performance during flight in icing conditions and reliability of ice accretion protection systems. At the same time production company management requires that production, and development costs are as low as possible. This paper will focus on problems of meeting requirements of rotorcraft ice protection systems reliability using various types of reliability analyses that will help keep the system as simple and inexpensive as possible and are required in certification process of ice protection system.


This article discusses language sensitive teacher education across the curriculum. First, we briefly discuss the importance of language sensitive teaching and take a look at studies on linguistically responsive teaching and teacher education. The results of the empirical part are based on data from a questionnaire and an applied task in which student subject teachers (n=221) assessed second language learners' writing skills and challenges of studying specific school subjects from learner's proficiency perspective. We also report tentative results on the negotiation of language in a teaching intervention which integrates language and content. Our findings indicate that the student teachers are fairly well aware of their role as a language teacher as well but they mainly focus on the word-level phenomena in their language analysis. Finally, we discuss the challenges of developing teacher education to promote language sensitive teaching and language awareness across the curriculum.


: Administration of physostigmine into the left vertebral artery of the anaesthetized cat elicited a simultaneous decrease of various haemodynamic parameters. This action seems to be mediated by the sympathetic nervous system since interruption of spinal sympathetic pathways by means of thoracicolumbalectomy prevented both the depressor effect and the negative chronotropic action of physostigmine. Moreover, the simultaneous decrease in blood pressure and splanchnic nerve activity produced additional evidence in support of the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system with respect to the observed changes in haemodynamics. The influence of midcollicular transection and pithing upon the cardiovascular effects of physostigmine confirms the earlier established central mechanism which is located within the lower brain stem. It is concluded that stimulation of structures within the pontomedullary region gives rise to the observed changes in haemodynamic parameters. The sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system plays a dominant role in the depressor effect of physostigmine.


The mutual relationship between stacking and hydrogen-bonding and the possible influence of stacking in the different behavior of uracil and thymine in RNA and DNA, and of cytosine and 5-methylcytosine in DNA have been studied through complete DFT optimization of different structures of dimers, using five different functionals. The results clearly show that stacking and hydrogen bonding are deeply connected. In particular, in guanine-cytosine and in guanine-5methylcytosine, our results permit to show that stacking leads to an increase of the O6...H-N4 hydrogen bond length and to a simultaneous decrease of the N2- H...O2 one, in such a way that both lengths approach each other and, in some cases, an inversion occurs. These results permit to suggest that stacking can be a factor to explain the disparity between theory and experiment on the relative strength of the two lateral hydrogen bonds. The different behavior of RNA and DNA when replacing uracil by thymine can be interpreted through the formation of a stabilizing CH/π interaction between the methyl group of thymine and the five-member ring of adenine. Regarding the difference between cytosine and 5-methylcytosine, we have shown that methylation enhances the stacking interactions, mainly due to the increase of polarizability. Methylation also favors the existence of slid structures which can produce local distortions of DNA


Digital technology has offered new approaches in gathering, presentation and transferring the information of historic complexes. The approach is expanding through the passing time and the development of hardware and software capabilities. Today, using the information technology for presentation and introduction of historic buildings has exceeded the development of text and image website and benefits more capabilities. One of the methods is 3-dimentional modeling and rendering and digital animating. This project aims to: 1-look for the possible methods in gathering, presentation and documentation of the information of historic buildings by advanced modeling, rendering and animating techniques, and 2-compare the methods in presenting and simulating of these buildings in terms of volume, material, geometry, etc. To do this, 8 complexes of Azerbaijan historic buildings has been chosen as case study. Each has characterized by unique features for computer modeling and presentation which this project tries to deal with each in the same realistic manner. This paper investigates current simulation systems implemented with purpose of documentation of historic or new sites and complexes and it identifies how we can use these systems for better understanding of sites either for conservation or introduction purposes. This paper researches on the one hand the conditions for data collection, the state of data, its documentation and the production of the 3D model and on the other a theoretical framework of simulation and reproduction of the model of the ''historical complex '' based on reality. In this project what we seek is the creation of a model with the qualities of reality. Through the excellent possibilities that digital technology has made available for the production of a photo-real model, we have managed to make the model of the mentioned above historical complexes come alive. The conclusion results from studying different approaches of digital simulation and leveraging them into 8 historic complexes. The color, material, texture, etc are the key elements studied for this purpose.