We investigated the changes in parvalbumin (PV)-immunoreactive (IR) neurons in the parietofrontal cortex after transient forebrain ischemia. In the sham-operated group, PV-IR neurons were present in all layers of the parietofrontal cortex except layer I. Shortly after ischemia the number of PV-IR neurons in layer II/III first increased, and then declined dramatically 12 h after ischemic insult, followed by a second increase after 2 days. At this time the PV immunoreactivity was very weak and only present in the peripheral neuronal cytoplasm. The reversible increase in the number of PV-IR neurons and in the level of their immunoreactivity could result from a transient ischemia-induced increase in intracellular calcium. This pattern of expression was particularly pronounced in layer II/III of the parietofrontal cortex, suggesting that these neurons are especially\susceptible to ischemic insult.


Type 1 diabetics must inject exogenous insulin or insulin analogues one or more times daily. The timing and dosage of insulin administration have been a critical research area since the invention of insulin analogues. Several pharmacokinetical models have been proposed, and some are applied clinically in modeling various insulin therapies. However, their plasma insulin concentration must be computed separately from the models' output. Furthermore, minimal analytical study was performed in these existing models. We propose two systemic and simplified ordinary differential equation models to model the subcutaneous injection of rapid-acting insulin analogues and long-acting insulin analogues, respectively. Our models explicitly model the plasma insulin and hence have the advantage of computing the plasma insulin directly. The profiles of plasma insulin concentrations obtained from these two models are in good agreement with the experimental data. We also study the dynamics of insulin analogues, plasma insulin concentrations, and, in particular, the shape of the dynamics of plasma insulin concentrations.


Among 136 women sexually assaulted by a current or former male intimate partner presenting to hospital-based violence treatment centers, 58 (42.6%) received HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (HIV PEP) counseling by a specially trained sexual assault nurse. We identified factors that were associated with receipt of HIV PEP counseling. Those who received counseling were more likely to have been younger than 25 years of age, single, a student, vaginally penetrated, and have received various other services (e.g., STI prophylaxis). They were less likely to have been unemployed. Hospital-based violence treatment centers need to be aware that not all women sexually assaulted by an intimate partner will have the same risk of acquisition of HIV and care needs.


Replication is the prevalent solution to tolerate faults in large data structures hosted on distributed servers. To tolerate f crash faults (dead/unresponsive data structures) among n distinct data structures, replication requires f + 1 replicas of each data structure, resulting in nf additional backups. We present a solution, referred to as fusion that uses a combination of erasure codes and selective replication to tolerate f crash faults using just f additional fused backups. We show that our solution achieves O(n) savings in space over replication. Further, we present a solution to tolerate f Byzantine faults (malicious data structures), that requires only nf + f backups as compared to the 2nf backups required by replication. We explore the theory of fused backups and provide a library of such backups for all the data structures in the Java Collection Framework. The theoretical and experimental evaluation confirms that the fused backups are space-efficient as compared to replication, while they cause very little overhead for normal operation. To illustrate the practical usefulness of fusion, we use fused backups for reliability in Amazon's highly available key-value store, Dynamo. While the current replication-based solution uses 300 backup structures, we present a solution that only requires 120 backup structures. This results in savings in space as well as other resources such as power.


The extent to which fertility has declined in Zimbabwe has been hotly debated. This paper attempts to resolve this controversy by conducting a comprehensive analysis of all the fertility data available from national censuses and surveys. This includes the first in-depth analysis of the 1994 Demographic and Health Survey data and the first combined analysis of all enquiries since 1969. As well as examining summary measures of total fertility the study presents estimates of parity progression for each cohort interviewed in the two DHS surveys using the method proposed by Brass and Juarez to adjust for truncation bias. In addition we check our fertility estimates against the Census enumerations by carrying out an intercensal population projection based on them. The results suggest that fertility fell slightly during the civil war of the 1970s but may have risen briefly immediately after independence. At about the time that family planning services were made available to the whole population a more sustained fertility decline began. This has continued into the 1990s. We agree with those that claim that the two DHS surveys underestimate current fertility. However so do earlier enquiries. Thus adjustment of the data leaves unaltered the conclusion that total period fertility has fallen by about a third. The total fertility rate in 1994 in Zimbabwe was about 4.7 children per woman. Ages at the onset of childbearing have been rising in Zimbabwe. This accounts for part of the decline in period fertility. Most of the decline however is due to decreases in parity progression. These began at high parities early in the 1980s and spread very rapidly down to lower-order births. Progression to fourth and higher-order births had fallen by more than 25 per cent by 1994. Fertility in Zimbabwe is incontrovertibly in transition. (authors)


Abstract This study aimed at identification and characterisation of the wilting, leaf spot, stem canker and fruit-blight diseases of okra. Pathogen infected plant samples were sterilised with 2% sodium hychlorite solution for 20 mins and then cultured at 28 °C for 15 days followed by microscopic examination. Combined microscopic, morphological and cultural characteristics analyses identified the four okra fungal isolates (OFI) such as OFI-1, OFI-2, OFI-3 and OFI-4 as Fusarium oxysporum, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium chlamydosporum and Choanephora cucurbitarum, respectively. The isolates OFI-1, OFI-2, OFI-4 showed highest radial growth rates at 25 °C, pH 5 and 20% lactose containing media while it was sucrose for OFI-3. BLASTN search using the sequence of ITS regions revealed that OFI-1, OFI-2, OFI-3 and OFI-4 isolates had 98, 100, 97 and 100% homology with F. oxysporum, C. lunata, F. chlamydosporum and C. cucurbitarum, respectively. Pathogenicity tests were also confirmed by reproducing the disease symptoms in okra plants.


This paper reports the responses of both chefs and tasters to trials of giant clam meat for food in two Japanese restaurants in the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The trials were conducted in mid-December 1992 (summer in Australia) in order to determine the potential for using giant clam meat for food in Japanese restaurants in Brisbane. The Japanese chefs are able to use giant clam meat effectively in Japanese cuisine, although they had no previous experience in preparing and using it. The tasters (three Australians and four Japanese) were supportive of all tested recipes (e.g. sunomono, sushi and grilled giant clam with salt) prepared by the two participating Japanese restaurants. The results indicate that, with suitable preparation and presentation in Japanese cuisine, giant clam meat can gain acceptability as an 'exotic' specialty item. This report also outlines the procedures followed and the cost of these trials, and draws inferences about the economics of using giant clam meat in Japanese dishes. Some of the selected recipes for using giant clam meat from the Ryukyus are given. The market for giant clam meat in the Ryukyus (Okinawa prefecture) is also considered and there is some discussion of whether Australian suppliers could economically supply that market.


Since its very first appearance the concept of crowdsourcing has undergone major variations, coming to include highly heterogeneous phenomena such as Google's data mining, exchanges on sharing economy platforms (e.g. Airbnb or eBay), contents production within creative communities online (e.g. Wikipedia) and much more. If one assumes a very broad perspective, it is eventually possible to extend the category of crowdsourcing to cover whatsoever phenomena involving the participation of the crowd online, as in fact has been done. On the contrary, I will argue that crowdsourcing – and in particular its microwork branch – represents the specific practice of extending outsourcing processes to a large, low-cost, scalable and flexible workforce, in order to generate greater added value for a supply chain. To develop this analysis, I will especially focus on the case of Amazon Mechanical Turk, and on how the operations carried out on this platform are primarily intended to manage the huge flow of information which spans across a supply chain. The practice of subcontracting to the crowd tasks previously carried out by employees or third-party suppliers highlights how crowdsourcing involves a reshaping of the supply chain, further extending it to a large network of individuals. Through crowdsourcing processes, companies are either able to replace or train AI, integrating human computation skills in algorithmic structures through simple, and oftentimes tedious, microtasks. In this context, processes of gamification are capable to put further downward pressure on already small piece-wages, as long as crowdworkers are rather willing to earn an even lower economic compensation, if it's associated to challenging tasks; thus, to make a task more enjoyable through gamification could be an effective way to further reduce a supply chain's expenditures in crowdsourcing, pushing forward labor exploitation practices structurally embedded in this phenomenon.


The article is dedicated to a review of the contemporary-literature data concerning the role of cytokines in the mechanisms of atherosclerosis progression, citing the findings of worldwide studies on predicting the outcomes of arterial reconstructions and the probability of atherosclerosis progression depending on the blood plasma cytokines level.


Objectives: This research investigates tendencies for individuals to preference adopting weaponry to protect their home over unarmed defensive measures such as installing a lock or alarm. We extend the subculture of violence perspective to account for specific choices and test this approach against hypotheses related to situational reactions to threat. Methods: To explore differential preferences in crime prevention choices for protecting the home, we use data from 1,961 Seattle adults, collected during 2002 to 2003. We employ Osgood and Schreck's multilevel item response theory–based method as our statistical approach. Results: The results indicate that those who endorse the values of the subculture of violence are more likely to have defensive weaponry among their countermeasures against crime, although the results also show that those who believe the police act justly are more likely to procure weapons. Situational reactions to threat also influenced choices, though not always in the predicted direction. Conclusions: Beliefs may be an important determinant for how people protect themselves against crime. Further, criminological theory can successfully explain crime prevention choices in the general population, indicating considerable untapped future directions for research.


Since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon walked into a Chicago television studio for the first general election presidential debate in 1960, candidate debates have been a fundamental aspect of presidential campaigns and have had broader effects on society at large. The Commission on Presidential Debates ("CPD") has been in charge of organizing the general election debates since it was created in 1987 by the Democratic and Republican parties. In its tenure, the CPD has restricted its massive platform almost every election to the Republican and Democratic candidates through the use of criteria that seemingly follow the law's requirement of being pre-established and objective. But the CPD's criteria is neither truly objective nor nonpartisan; it is effectively bipartisan. By ignoring and dismissing complaints about the CPD's exclusion of third-party and independent presidential candidates, the Federal Election Commission ("FEC"), which is itself based on a bipartisan structure, reinforces the power of the partisan duopoly in American presidential elections.

There is a strong argument that the FEC should hold the CPD to the legal requirement of non-partisan access to is debates. The spirit of the law points in this direction. But in this, the law is wrong. Rather than commit to the pretense of entirely open access in the elections, the FEC should revise its regulations to reflect the reality: American politics is run through a two-party system.


This chapter examines how state spaces throughout Europe are facing structural tensions as traditional ethnic nationalism increasingly comes into conflict with urban transformations. It argues that European citizenship is experiencing a unique set of city-regional and techno-political dynamics consisting of: (1) geotechnologics (driven by blockchain), (2) geopolitics (driven by dataism; the ideology of the Big Data's determinism), (3) geoeconomics (driven by populism) and (4) geodemocratics (driven by devolution). Given these tensions and their associated claimed rights, how will nation-states evolve? Will the urban age reconfigure the politics of nation-states through new and emerging citizenship regimes? Specifically, will the EU evolve towards a post-national polity from a platform of established nation-states? Or will the EU head for a city-regionalised federal network of nations determined voluntarily and democratically? The chapter develops the concept of emerging citizenship regimes as a new theoretical framework for thinking about state rescaling by proposing four ideal types of citizenship: algorithmic, liquid, metropolitan and stateless. It challenges the existing interpretation of how current citizenship regimes are transforming the city-regional and techno-political configuration of European nation-states.


In this thesis, we established a cellular CDMA reverse channel model, which incorporates a time-invariant discrete multipath Nakagami-fading channel in a multiplecell system. The effects of intra and inter-cell interference, perfect power control, lognormal shadowing and RAKE receiver with varying number of taps are investigated. For performance improvement forward error correction and smart antenna techniques are incorporated into the model. Expressions for probability of bit error are developed under a range of operating conditions and the model is tested using Monte Carlo Simulation.


In recent years, the requirements for easy-to-use, low-cost and accurate diagnostic solutions have led to a rapid progress in the research of POC diagnostic devices, especially lab-on-chip (LOC) type POC devices with origins in the 1990s [1]. Paper-based microfluidic devices, which are regarded as a low-cost alternative to conventional POC diagnostics tools, have also been popularly studied in the last decade because of the advantages they present - affordable, mass producible, disposable via incineration etc. [2] A numbers of research groups have focused onto developing fabrication methodologies, and during the past five years, several methods such as photolithography, inkjet printing, printing of wax, laser cutting etc. have already been reported [3].Although, paper is an excellent substrate wherein fluids naturally wick via capillary forces, and hence there are no requirements for external pumps to transport liquids within a paper-based device, unfortunately, the physical properties inherent with porous substrates offer limited control over fluid transport, especially with regards the flow-rate and direction of flow. This presents a critical drawback which restricts the creation of paper-based devices with complex functionalities, limiting their impact in the analytical community [3]. Therefore, research into the development of methodologies that control the flow of fluids in paper-based devices is urgently needed, and this will lead to better liquid handling and autonomous operation within the paper-based device for integrating of additional functionalities. In this report, we present our two new methodologies that allow for the control of the fluid flow in paper-based microfluidic devices: programmable flow-delay and 3 dimensional (3D) flows. Both controls are achieved using the same simple laser-based direct-write (LDW) procedure, which we have previously reported for fabrication of paper-based devices based via light-induced photo-polymerisation route [4]. Firstly, programmable flow-delay was enabled via two different fluid delay mechanisms, namely, by the formation of delay-barriers within flow paths and which are either permeable 'delay-barriers' with variable porosity or impermeable barriers with variable depth. Both mechanisms allow the introduction of pre-programmed or timed fluid delivery in paper-based fluidic devices. The depth or the porosity of these delay-barriers can be easily adjusted via changing the laser patterning parameters, such as the incident laser power and the writing speed. Both types of barriers yield similar results for control over the fluid flow. The resulting flow-delay was observed to depend not only on the characteristics (porosity or depth) of the delay-barriers but also on the number of barriers and the position of the barriers within the flow path. Using these delay patterning protocols we have generated flow delays which span from a few minutes to over half an hour. Secondly, the same LDW method was also extended for fabrication of 3D flow path in paper-based devices, which again allows controllable distribution of fluids, however, in both the lateral (in the paper plane) and vertical directions. In brief, by controlling the laser patterning conditions, we could produce solid hydrophobic structures either partially inside a single layer of paper or all the way through a few layers of paper. Thus by selectively patterning from both sides of the paper we could fabricate 3D flow paths within both a single layer of paper and a stack containing multiple layers of paper. In conclusion, a number of advantages can be enabled through the implementation of these flow control methodologies, however, it further also provides an important advantage over other routes because it the same laser-patterning procedure that allows the fabrication of both the device and the flow control pathways. Additionally, in contrast to other methods reported for producing flow control in paper-based devices, our approach eliminates the requirements for cleanroom-based infrastructure, or custom-designed equipment, or even the need for proprietary materials. Above all, we believe that this integrated laser-based patterning process presents a simple route for commercial-scale manufacturing and hence could be an ideal choice for rapid fabrication of affordable, custom-designed paper-based microfluidic devices for realisation of both single-step or multi-step analytical tests.


Cauliflower is currently cultivated on 350-400 thousand hectares in the world and around 1500 ha in Hungary. Its cultivation requires considerable expertise as it is sensitive to environmental factors and adequate nutrient supply. The aim of our experiment was to compare three genotypes (Abeni, SV5777 AC and Telergy F1) by different growing method – under plastic tunnel and on open field. On open field the planting was on 19th of March, 2018, the row and plant distances were 45 and 35 cm. Under plastic tunnel the transplants were set out on the same day with the same genotypes as on open field, with 55x45 cm arrangement. The results have proved that cauliflower curds from plastic tunnel was two times bigger than on open field. The more protected environment had a positive effect not only on the mass of the curd, but also on the biomass production. Among the examined genotypes Abeni showed the highest yield (about 1 kg/plant) under plastic tunnel. The shape of the head is important for the market. According to our data, we measured the width and height of the curd. Open field conditions induced wider curd with longer stem and caused lower product quality and weaker correlation between the parameters than plastic tunnel.


It is commonly accepted that cancer is linked to inflammation. The possible mechanisms by which inflammation can contribute to carcinogenesis include induction of genomic instability, alterations in epigenetic events and subsequent inappropriate gene expression, enhanced proliferation of initiated cells, resistance to apoptosis, aggressive tumor neovascularization, invasion through tumor-associated basement membrane and metastasis. Inflammation also affects immune surveillance and responses to therapy. In this review, we overview the current understanding of different aspects of thyroid cancer and inflammation. Several studies have strongly suggested an increased risk of PTC in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), the most common autoimmune disease in thyroid cancer. Furthermore, an intense immune infiltrate is often associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and might play a critical role in the regulation of carcinogenesis and in carcinoma progression. The characterization of the most relevant inflammatory pathways of cancer-related inflammation (CRI) is instrumental for the identification of new target molecules that could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment.


Fatigue cracking in steel girder web penetration details is so dangerous that it can break steel girders. Since a number of highway bridges have such web penetration details in Japan, it is of urgent importance to grasp these fatigue strength properties and develop effective retrofitting methods. In a previous report, we investigated the stress distributions around web penetration details, and fatigue cracking behavior, using steel girder specimens with web penetration details. In this study, we investigate effects of retrofitting methods against fatigue cracking in web penetration details through fatigue tests using large girder specimens with web penetration details in which cross beam lower flanges are connected to lower surface of a slot by welding. Principal results obtained through this study are as follows: (1) Weld toe grinding can extend fatigue life more than 5 times, (2) Two-face attachment can extend fatigue life more than 10 times, and (3) Two-face attachment with weld toe grinding can extend fatigue life more than 25 times.


During the first third of the twentieth century, and especially after the 1920s, a discourse on occupational hygiene and safety began to develop in Spain. This discourse, without rejecting the value of the work carried out in the factory environment, particularly stressed the need to take into account what was called the «human factor». Promoted mainly by the budding occupational doctors and psychologists, this discourse became part of both the lines of biological thinking of constitutional pathology as well as the economic ideas of the so-called OCT, and it expounded the need to take the somatic and psychic characteristics of people into account in order to carry out a «rational» distribution of the same in the workplace. The article aims to highlight the way in which this discourse contained elements that would help to attribute specific roles within the workplace based on the biological and psychological characteristics of men and women, so facilitating the legitimisation of a sexual distribution of work which helped to reinforce the social organisation of gender at that time.


Since ten years different laser systems have been used in arthroscopic procedures and percutaneous laser disc decompression. A potential mutagenic risk has not been excluded yet. From photobiology it is known that light in the UV-range is the main source of mutations. Therefore the aim of our study was to determine the mutagenic risk of laser systems at UV-wavelengths. The BALB/3T3 cell line was irradiated at the Excimer wavelengths 248 nm and 308 nm. Transformation rates were compared with non-irradiated cells and the effect of 1 Gy-Roentgen irradiation. Pulse energy, frequency and irradiation time were varied over a broad range. The effect of double irradiation was also examined. For 308 nm no significant transformation rate was found (p < 0.18). In contrast 248 nm showed a highly significant transformation rate (p < 10(-9). Transformation rate after Roentgen irradiation exceeded that of the negative control about two orders. While a certain mutagenic risk exists for 248 nm application of the wavelength 308 nm seems harmless. Our data therefore represent an essential contribution to long term laser safety both for the physician and his patient.


It is traditional to discuss the relation between Durkheim and Weber as 'founders of sociology'. At first sight, it might seem odd to couple Durkheim and Hegel. But it can be instructive to compare their approach to issues involving modern individualism, society and the state. In general, they subscribe to a combination of rationalism and developmental ethics, in which the rational is immanent in the real, despite the possibility of 'contingent' or 'pathological' departures from 'normality'. More specifically, in the case of the state, they see one of its main historical roles as the emancipation of the individual in a development of the individual personality. At the same time they picture the state as 'the brain' of society and insist on its relative autonomy and independence from individuals. Instead, in a critique of direct democracy, they look to a web of intermediate groups and corporations. A basic problematic in their work, and a continuing source of reflection, is how to achieve a balance between individual rights and a necessary authority and legitimacy of public power. In both cases this balance rests, as a matter of principle, on confidence in the skills and civic virtue of political leaders.


Variance estimators for probability sample-based predictions of species richness (S) are typically conditional on the sample (expected variance). In practical applications, sample sizes are typically small, and the variance of input parameters to a richness estimator should not be ignored. We propose a modified bootstrap variance estimator that attempts to capture the sampling variance by generating B replications of the richness prediction from stochastically resampled data of species incidence. The variance estimator is demonstrated for the observed richness (SO), five richness estimators, and with simulated cluster sampling (without replacement) in 11 finite populations of forest tree species. A key feature of the bootstrap procedure is a probabilistic augmentation of a species incidence matrix by the number of species expected to be 'lost' in a conventional bootstrap resampling scheme. In Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations, the modified bootstrap procedure performed well in terms of tracking the average MC estimates of richness and standard errors. Bootstrap-based estimates of standard errors were as a rule conservative. Extensions to other sampling designs, estimators of species richness and diversity, and estimates of change are possible.


There is scanty information on the response of biochemical system to the co-administration of anti-malarial drugs and antibiotics. This was what informed the need to undertake the present study. The effects of co-administration of chloroquine (CQ) and cefuroxime (CE) on serum lipids and lipid peroxidation in albino Wistar rats was investigated. Standard reagent kits were used for the assay. The study included assay for the effect of the co-administration of CQ and CE on high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and lipid peroxidation. The result revealed that the level of HDL-C was not affected by the co-administration. Those of TC, TG and LDL-C increased significantly (p<0.05) above the value obtained for the control group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level increased significantly (p<0.05) in group treated with CQ in combination with CE. The present study has revealed that co-administration of chloroquine and cefuroxime tends to raise TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA levels. The result reveals that co-administration of chloroquine and cefuroxime may adversely affect the metabolism of lipids.


Many tasks in probabilistic reasoning can be cast as max-sum-product problems, a hard class of combinatorial problems. We describe our results in obtaining a new approximation scheme for the problem, that can be turned into an anytime procedure. For many tasks, this scheme can be shown to be asymptotically the best possible heuristic.


Accurate, instantaneous and high resolution spatial air-quality information can better inform the public and regulatory agencies of the air pollution levels that could cause adverse health effects. The most direct way to obtain accurate air quality information is from measurements made at surface monitoring stations across a study region of interest. Typically, however, air monitoring sites are sparsely and irregularly spaced over large areas. That is why, it is now very important to develop space-time models for air pollution which can produce accurate spatial predictions and temporal forecasts. This thesis focuses on developing spatio-temporal models for interpolating and forecasting ground level ozone concentration levels over a vast study region in the eastern United States. These models incorporate output from a computer simulation model known as the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (Eta-CMAQ) forecast model that can forecast up to 24 hours in advance. However, these forecasts are known to be biased. The models proposed here are shown to improve upon these forecasts for a two-week study period during August 2005. The forecasting problems in both hourly and daily time units are investigated in detail. A fast method, based on Gaussian models is constructed for instantaneous interpolation and forecasts of hourly data. A more complex dynamic model, requiring the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques, is developed for forecasting daily ozone concentration levels. A set of model validation analyses shows that the prediction maps that are generated by the aforementioned models are more accurate than the maps based solely on the Eta-CMAQ forecast data. A non-Gaussian measurement error model is also considered when forecasting the extreme levels of ozone concentration. All of the methods presented are based on Bayesian methods and MCMC sampling techniques are used in exploring posterior and predictive distributions.


Starting from 2012, the dental research community began to assess the benefits of oxygen-ozone on human metabolism, for its immune-stimulant and anti-hypoxic action, the increase in protein biosynthesis and activation of angiogenesis. We report the case of a 69-year-old patient, for whom oxygenozone therapy was used as a treatment that could reduce the bone resorption of the alveolar ridges, considering the reduced state of hypoxia resulting therefrom, the improved neoangiogenesis and the positive effect on bone metabolism. The results exceeded our greatest expectations, given that the measurements even showed an increase in bone peaks.


Visibly pushdown automata are input-driven pushdown automata that rec- ognize some non-regular context-free languages while preserving the nice closure and de- cidability properties of finite automata. Visibly pushdown automata with multiple stacks have been considered recently by La Torre, Madhusudan, and Parlato, who exploit the concept of visibility further to obtain a rich automata class that can even express prop- erties beyond the class of context-free languages. At the same time, their automata are closed under boolean operations, have a decidable emptiness and inclusion problem, and enjoy a logical characterization in terms of a monadic second-order logic over words with an additional nesting structure. These results require a restricted version of visibly push- down automata with multiple stacks whose behavior can be split up into a fixed number of phases. In this paper, we consider 2-stack visibly pushdown automata (i.e., visibly pushdown automata with two stacks) in their unrestricted form. We show that they are expressively equivalent to the existential fragment of monadic second-order logic. Furthermore, it turns out that monadic second-order quantifier alternation forms an infinite hierarchy wrt. words with multiple nestings. Combining these results, we conclude that 2-stack visibly pushdown automata are not closed under complementation. Finally, we discuss the expressive power of Buchi 2-stack visibly pushdown automata running on infinite (nested) words. Extending the logic by an infinity quantifier, we can likewise establish equivalence to existential monadic second-order logic.


Previous ultrastructural studies of human neutrophils showed two distinctive granule types, the azurophil (peroxidase-positive) and the specific (peroxidase-negative). By identification of granules with peroxidase activity and those immunopositive for elastase antigen, the authors defined two subpopulations of azurophil granules, one that contained peroxidase activity and no measurable elastase antigen and another that contained elastase antigen associated with a small amount of peroxidase activity. They quantitated the peroxidase-positive as well as the elastase-positive granules in human peripheral blood neutrophils and found an average of 1536 +/- 69 peroxidase-positive granules per neutrophil. Of these, 399 +/- 20 were also elastase-positive. The average elastase concentration per neutrophil was 1.59 pg, and the average concentration per granule was 4 X 10(-3) pg. It is concluded that in normal individuals approximately one-third of the azurophil granules contain elastase antigen. Because neutrophil elastase has been implicated in the pathogenesis of emphysema, quantitation of its distribution within the cell presents an approach that may help define selective azurophil granule release and its relationship to the development of emphysema.


Ten years after its introduction, the Euro is in an existential crisis. The crisis is the outcome of economic policies that have aimed at labour market flexibility and financial integration. This paper argues, firstly, that the aggregate demand regime in the Euro area is wage led. While an increase in wages (other things equal) does have a negative effect on investment and on net exports, it does have a positive effect on consumption. As the Euro area is a relatively closed economy, the consumption effect overpowers the investment effect and the export effect. Secondly, we argue that in the Euro area two growth models have emerged: a credit-led and an export-led model. These have given rise to the imbalances that are at the heart of the Euro crisis. Wage flexibility has proven insufficient to prevent these imbalances. Thirdly, we advocate a system of coordinated wage bargaining that aims at wages rising in line with productivity growth and a substantially upward-revised inflation target. If the project of European economic integration is to survive, it needs a drastic change in direction. An important building block of this redirection is a rethinking of the role of wage policy.


Junction field-effect transistor (JFET) circuit simulation using an existing physics-based JFET model is presented. This improved model has more predictive capability than the conventional JFET model employed in SPICE. Furthermore, it treats the linear and saturation regions in a unified manner and includes the subthreshold behavior, an effect not accounted for in the conventional model. The improved model is implemented into PSPICE run on a Sun workstation, and steady-state and transient responses are simulated for a JFET switching circuit and a JFET voltage follower circuit. Results obtained from the improved model compare favorably with that obtained from a two-dimensional device simulator PISCES and from measurements. For JFETs operating outside the subthreshold region, the conventional model with optimized parameters (extracted from measurements) also shows good accuracy. However, large discrepancies arise from the conventional model if JFETs are biased in the subthreshold region or if default model parameters are used. >


BACKGROUND: Conventional frequency quantitative ultrasound in conjunction with textural analysis techniques was investigated to monitor noninvasively the effects of cancer therapies in an in vivo preclinical model. METHODS: Conventional low-frequency (∼7 MHz) and high-frequency (∼20 MHz) ultrasound was used with spectral analysis, coupled with textural analysis on spectral parametric maps, obtained from xenograft tumor– bearing animals (n = 20) treated with chemotherapy to extract noninvasive biomarkers of treatment response. RESULTS: Results indicated statistically significant differences in quantitative ultrasound-based biomarkers in both low- and high-frequency ranges between untreated and treated tumors 12 to 24 hours after treatment. Results of regression analysis indicated a high level of correlation between quantitative ultrasound-based biomarkers and tumor cell death estimates from histologic analysis. Applying textural characterization to the spectral parametric maps resulted in an even stronger correlation (r 2 =0 .97).CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this research demonstrate that quantitative ultrasound at a clinically relevant frequency can monitor tissue changes in vivo in response to cancer treatment administration. Using higher order textural information extracted from quantitative ultrasound spectral parametric maps provides more information at a high sensitivity related to tumor cell death.


Empirical Software Engineering provides a forum for applied software engineering research with a strong empirical component, and a venue for publishing empirical results relevant to both researchers and practitioners. Empirical studies presented here usually involve the collection and analysis of data and experience that can be used to characterize, evaluate and reveal relationships between software development deliverables, practices, and technologies. Over time, it is expected that such empirical results will form a body of knowledge leading to widely accepted and well-formed theories.  The journal also offers industrial experience reports detailing the application of software technologies processes, methods, or tools and their effectiveness in industrial settings.  Empirical Software Engineering promotes the publication of industry-relevant research, to address the significant gap between research and practice.


The transition for young adults with disabilities from high school to gainful employment is often difficult. This transition is even harder for students from minority or marginalized backgrounds, including young adults who identify as Latino. As the Latino population increases in the United States, it is imperative that the transition from high school to employment becomes more effective for Latino young adults with disabilities. Using a portion of Bronfenbrenner's Model of Human Development as a framework, we explore the experiences of Spanish-speaking Latina caregivers of young adults with disabilities to better understand the contextual and environmental factors that influence family systems as young adults with disabilities prepare to transition from high school to adulthood. Our findings highlight important factors in the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrosystems, including the importance of family and community, distrust of authority, and the impact of discrimination. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.


Summary Without a doubt, the 2010 World Cup of soccer in South Africa was a great experience for both soccer fans, who enjoyed a safe and efficiently-run tournament, and their South African hosts. The sporting and social spectacle was broadcast around the world and focused unprecedented media attention on South Africa. Despite the manifest success of the tournament, its short-term effects on international tourism, which are the nucleus of all other short-term positive effects on economic variables such as employment, income and taxes, have turned out to be of a much smaller magnitude than expected or even as reported during the tournament. This may be attributable to self-defeating prophecy effects. This study is a warning against the abuse of economic impact studies, especially those pertaining to major sporting events. It is also a call to use the "correct" arguments of measurable awareness effects and potential long-term development effects in discussing major sporting events. Methodologically, this study is innovative in its economic analysis of major sporting events because it (i) uses data from social networks and (ii) uses high-frequency daily data on tourism.


Background: Patients with neurological diseases often have residual neurological deficits that can make self-care and ambulation functions difficult, and these obstacles to independence can have an adverse effect on QoL. Many studies have investigated patient QoL in one type of condition. However, data relating to patient QoL in rehabilitation units that treat a spectrum of disorders are scarce. Accordingly, our aim was to investigate the impact of inpatient rehabilitation on the QoL of neurological patients in Thailand, and to identify factors significantly associated with patient QoL. Methods: A prospective multicenter cohort study was performed among neurological patients receiving rehabilitation program at 14 tertiary centers during January-December 2012. The Thai Euro QoL five dimensions with three levels (Thai EQ-5D-3L) was used to evaluate the patient's QoL twice, at admission and discharge. It consists of five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression with 3 response options for each dimension: no problems, some problems, and extreme problems. Factors related to QoL were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis.Results: Of the 1,197 recruited patients, 567 had spinal cord injury (SCI), 561 had stroke, and 69 had traumatic brain injury (TBI). The mean age was 52.3±17.5 years, and 67.4% were male. Over half (58.0%) of patients were admitted for intensive rehabilitation program, and 17.5% were admitted for investigation. The median QoL score was significantly higher at discharge than at admission, and most subjects (59.6%) had improved QoL during the rehabilitation period. Multivariate analysis revealed onset to admission interval (OAI) less than 3 months (p<0.001) and intensive rehabilitation program (p=0.005) to be significantly associated with improved QoL. The change in QoL score was greater in the stroke group than in the SCI and TBI groups. At admission, QoL in the intensive group was below zero compared to the non-intensive group; however, the change in QoL score at discharge was greater in the intensive group.Conclusions: Inpatient rehabilitation does improve QoL of neurological patients especially participants whose onset of less than 3 months and who are ready for intensive program. Patients with potential for rehabilitation should be admitted during 3 months after onset.


Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Ganesh G. Raman Dr. Ganesh G. Raman's interests are in the areas of flow control and experimental aeroacoustics. His research in the fields of supersonic jet noise, screech, and high speed jet flows is widely recognized. Dr. Raman has over 20 years of experience working with industry, academia, and the U.S. government. He is currently Associate Dean for Research at the Illinois Institute of Technology, USA, where he has also served as the Associate Chair for Aerospace Engineering. Before joining IIT, he spent 14 years at NASA Glenn Research Centre performing contract research, including work for NASA High Speed Civil Transport Program. Dr. Raman has over 100 technical publications that appeared in leading journals and conference proceedings. He is a Fellow of ASME, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and an Associate Fellow of AIAA. He also served as the Chairman of the Fluid Mechanics Technical Committee of ASME and the Aeroacoustics Technical Committee of AIAA. Dr. Raman was awarded the ASME Lewis F. Moody best paper award in 2002. In addition, he was cited in 2001 Boeing Special Invention Awards and received a NASA Certificate of Recognition for a creative innovation. Dr. Raman has a Bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University, USA.


Monitoring of debris flows using ground vibration sensors has increased in the last two decades. However, the correct interpretation of the signals still presents ambiguity. In the Rebaixader monitoring site (Central Pyrenees, Spain) two different ground vibration stations are installed. At the first station the ground velocity signal is transformed into an impulses-per-second signal (low frequency, 1 Hz). The analysis of the data recorded at this station show that the shape of the impulses signal is one of the key parameters to describe the evolution of the event. At the second station the ground velocity signal is directly recorded at high frequency (250 Hz). The results achieved at this station show that the differences in time series and spectral analysis are helpful to describe the temporal evolution of the events. In addition, some general outcomes were obtained: the attenuation of the signal with the distance has been identified as linear to exponential; and the assembly of the geophones to the terrain has an important effect on the amplification of the signal. All these results highlight that the definition of ground vibration thresholds for debris-flow detection or warning purposes is a difficult task; and that influence of site-specific conditions is notable.


Long-latency auditory evoked potentials were studied in demented and nondemented patients with Parkinson's disease who were matched for age, stage of disease, duration of illness, and amount and nature of antiparkinsonian medication. We found clear electrophysiological differences between the two groups of patients in that the N1, N2, and P3 peak latencies were prolonged in the demented group compared both to the nondemented group and to normal controls. Moreover, the N1 latency but not the N2 and P3 latency prolongation distinguished the demented parkinsonian patients from demented patients with Alzheimer's disease. These results provide strong evidence for the existence of different subtypes of dementia and suggest that electrophysiological recordings may be helpful in establishing the underlying pathogenesis of a dementia syndrome when there is clinical uncertainty.


Mallorca acne takes its name from the observation of Hjorth et Al. (1) who noticed its manifestations in Scandinavian subjects who had worked in Mallorca.The skin disorder begins in late spring, reaches the peak in the summer and then regresses spontaneously; the low-necked and deltoid region are mainly affected.The characteristic lesions are 2-3 mm diameter monomorphic erythematous follicular papules that rarely have a central pustule and are not associated with blackheads.There was much discussion on its pathogenesis: the hot and humid climate, the application of sunscreen and actinic radiation, also artificial (2) were assumed to play a role. In our two cases, the sharp saving of the areas covered by bra straps or by a jewel argue for the pathogenetic importance of actinic radiation.


Background Standardised tobacco packaging has been, and remains, a contentious policy globally, attracting corporate, public health, political, media and popular attention. In January 2015, the UK Government announced it would vote on draft regulations for the policy before the May 2015 General Election. We explored reactions to the announcement on Twitter, in comparison with an earlier period of little UK Government activity on standardised packaging. Methods We obtained a random sample of 1038 tweets in two 4-week periods, before and after the UK Government's announcement. Content analysis was used to examine the following Tweet characteristics: support for the policy, purpose, Twitter-user's geographical location and affiliation, and evidence citation and quality. Chi-squared analyses were used to compare Tweet characteristics between the two periods. Results Overall, significantly more sampled Tweets were in favour of the policy (49%) in comparison to those opposed (19%). Yet, at Time 2, following the announcement, a greater proportion of sampled tweets opposed standardised packaging compared to the period sampled at Time 1, prior to the announcement (p<0.001). The quality of evidence and research cited in URLs linked at Time 2 was significantly lower than at Time 1 (p<0.001), with peer-reviewed research more likely to be shared in positive Tweets (p<0.001) and in Tweets linking to URLs originating from the health sector (p<0.001). The decline in the proportion of positive Tweets was mirrored by a reduction in Tweets by health sector Twitter-users at Time 2 (p<0.001). Conclusions Microblogging sites can reflect offline policy debates and are used differently by policy proponents and opponents dependent on the policy context. Twitter-users opposed to standardised packaging increased their activity following the Government's announcement, while those in support broadly maintained their rate of Twitter engagement. The findings offer insight into the public health community's options for using Twitter to influence policy and disseminate research. In particular, proliferation of Twitter activity following pro-public health policy announcements could be considered to ensure pro-health messages are not overshadowed by anti-regulation voices.


Buffalo, New York is one of many U.S. cities that experienced an extreme decline in population since the midtwentieth century. Migration out of the city has been crippling, the population declining by nearly 50 percent from 1950 to 2000. Many people left the city for the surrounding suburbs, an area that experienced a 50 percent increase in population over this same period. Now, Buffalo faces the challenge of an outdated infrastructure that is much too large for its 21st Century needs. Mass exodus has left the city ravaged with vacant and abandoned properties that deter investment, foster crime, and significantly lower property values, continuing the cyclical decay on the city. Ending this crisis is a necessary part of reviving The Queen City.


The variations in the composition, specifically the Cr20 S content and the Cr:Fe ratio, and the morphology of the Lower Group (LG) and Middle Group (MG) chromitite seams of the Critical Zone (CZ) across the western Bushveld Complex, including the Ruighoek and Brits sections, is investigated by means of whole-rock chemical data, both major and trace elements analysis, XRD and electron microprobe data. As a result ofthe paucity of exposed or developed LG1 LG5 chromitite seams in the western Bushveld Complex, this study is confined to the investigation of the compositional variations of the LG6 to MG4 chromitite seams. In only one section, the Ruighoek section, was the entire succession of chromitite seams, from the LG1 MG4, exposed. The silicate host rocks from the LG6 pyroxenite footwall to the collar of the CC2 drillcore (lower uCZ) in the Rustenburg section were sampled. This study reviews the compositional trends of the silicate host rocks, as the compositional variations of the chromitite seams reflect the chemical evolution of the host cumulate environment and, to a lesser degree, the composition onhe interstitial mineral phases in the chromitite seams. The compositional variations of the LG and MG chromitite seams are attributed to the compositional contrast between the replenishing magma and the resident magma. The chemical trends of the LG and MG chromitite layers and the host cumUlate rOCKS do not support the existence of two compositionalfy dissimilar magmas in the CZ, rather the cyclic layering of the CZ and the chemical variations of the chromitite seams are attributed to the mixing of primitive magma with the resident magma, both of which have essentially similar compositions. The compositional variations of the LG and MG chromitite seams along strike away from the supposed feeder site (Union section) to the distal facies (Brits section) are attributed to the advanced compositional contrast between the resident magma and the replenishing primitive magma pulses. The CZ is characterized by reversals in fractionation trends and this is attributed to the compositional evolution of the parental magma and not to the replenishment of the resident magma by influxes of grossly dissimilar magma compositions. The Cr20 S content and the Cr:Fe ratio of the MG chromitite layers increase from the Ruighoek (near proximal) section to the Brits section (distal facies). This is attributed to the advanced compositional contrasts between the resident magma and the replenishing primitive magma. In contrast, the Cr20 3 content and Cr:Fe ratios ofthe LG6 and LG8a chromitite seams decreases eastwards from the Ruighoek section. The average Cr:Fe ratio for the western Bushveld Complex is between 1.5 and\2.0, nonetheless, a progressively lower Cr:Fe ratio is noted from the LG1 chromitite up through to the MG4 chromitite seam in the Ruighoek section. tn the LG2 LG4 chromitite interval a deviation to higher.lratios is encountered. A progressive substitution of Cr by AT and Fe in the Cr-spinel crystal lattice characterizes the chromitite succession from the LG1 seam up through the chromitite succession to MG4. The petrogeneSiS of the chromitite seams of the CZ is attributed to magma mixing and fractional crystallization of a single magma type.


The manufacture of integrated and flexible electrodes with high energy and power density is crucial for the real application of flexible energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors. Despite tremendous efforts, realizing a high density of active materials on electrodes without affecting the capacity, remains a great challenge. Here, we provide a first report of the fabrication of hierarchical uniform CNTs assembled nanoarrays via an atom-economically self-sustaining CVD (SSCVD) method, which form an ideal matrix for uniformly supporting pseudocapacitance materials with ultrahigh mass-loading (>15 mg cm−2). The resulting electrode shows excellent performance that delivers ultrahigh areal and volumetric capacity up to 3.18 mA h cm−2 and 63.6 mA h cm−3 respectively, surpassing the reported best carbon and transition metal oxides/hydroxides materials. Furthermore, the hierarchical CNTs assembled nanoarchitecture derived based on the SSCVD approach is scalable and can be extended to construct other active materials for efficient energy storage and conversions.


Limicolaria aurora belongs to the group of land snails commonly called garden snails. This study seeks to use shell morphology and random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) to examine gross morphological differences in populations of L. aurora from New Bussa (guinea savannah) and Benin City (tropical rain forest) in Nigeria and possibly delimit the populations into sub species. A total of one hundred and ten specimens of L. aurora made up of fifty five individuals from each of the two ecological zones were collected randomly for the study. Data on shell parameters including: height of shell (SH), width of shell (SW), aperture height (AH), aperture width (AW), spire length (SL), and first whorl length (1WL) measured on each snail were subjected to one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical variates analysis (CVA) were performed on the data using PAST statistical software. DNA which was extracted from the muscular tissues of the foot of eight individuals from each location using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method was subjected to RAPD-PCR. Amplification of the DNA was done using five primers (OPB-12, OPB-18, OPH-08, OPD-11 and OPS-13). Analyses showed significant differences (P<0.05) in L. aurora populations within and between the vegetation zones revealing great heterogeneity in the populations. Both PCA and CVA clusters did not separate the populations into distinct sub-populations. SH was the most variable morphological characteristic and consequently the most suitable for the separation of L. aurora specimens into distinct populations. All the primers used in the amplification of the DNA produced polymorphic bands. The Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) cluster diagram revealed two major clades within the snail populations with about 74% similarity. The study showed that RAPD-PCR analysis is more suitable for delimiting populations of L. aurora than morphometrics and that the basis for gross morphological differences in these populations might not only be environmental but also genetic factors.

 Key words: Achatinidae, biodiversity, environmental factors, morphometrics, phylogenetics, shell, sub-populations, variation.


Research funding agencies are a major Research Data Management (RDM) stakeholder along with libraries, researchers, managing bodies of institutions, publishers & government bodies. Globally, research funding agencies are increasingly mandating the sharing of research data generated from funded research projects. Indian research funding agencies are still at the nascent level in identifying the value of research data created by their researchers and making policies in terms of data management, sharing and accessibility. This study has been undertaken to identify the policies, requirements and guidelines related to data management and sharing of the Indian research funding agencies regarding research data generated in funded research. Data was collected from the websites of 73 major research funding agencies in India irrespective of discipline. Information from their stated policies guidelines was extracted to identify references related to data sharing, data management, data policies, Data Management Plan (DMP), data deposit and public access. The study findings indicate that 05 research funding agencies/central ministries, Govt. of India have formal policies and guidelines for RDM and sharing. Further analysis of the policies was conducted to identify the coverage, guidelines and data repository elements included. The study findings help in giving better insights for identifying the gap among the available data policies in India with a special reference to the need for developing more policies and guidelines.


The manifestations of climate variability are a major problem for all communities around the world and particularly for the populations of the Department of Alibori in northern Benin. This study aims to characterize the manifestations of climate variability in the Alibori department in the north of the Republic of Benin. Thus, climatic data such as rainfall, air temperature and relative air humidity were collected from the national meteorological service. These data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean values) and graphical representations. The results obtained reveal that over the period 1961 to 2020, the average temperature varies between 25 ° C in January to 33 ° C in April. Year-to-year variations in air temperature show that air temperature is rising steadily over the period 1961-2020. Higher than average values were recorded from 1985. Relative humidity remained in excess (above 55% which is the interannual average) from 1960 to 1982 and in deficit after 1982 (humidity below 55%). The bioclimatic comfort is most felt during the months of May, November, April and March over the period 1971-2015. This sensation is mainly felt in the morning (from 6 to 9 hours).


Background: SF processing has been firstly applied on the processing and storage of the rhizome of Dioscarea persimilis Prain et Burkill. in Wenxian country since 1900. Due to the simple, quick and low-cost characteristics ofSF, it soon became a common postharvesting method for CMMs. However, recent studies showed that SF can either cause chemical changes to CMMs or affect human health. The awareness of identification of sulfur-fumigated CMMs is arisen. Comparing with chemical methods, FM is more simple and user-friendly to be established in authentication. Also, recent studies showed that different chemical profiles of CMMs can emit fluorescence differently. This research aimed to validate ifFM was suitable for identification of sulfur-fumigated CMMs through using Codonopsis Radix and Ginseng Radix as examples. Method: 16 herbal samples were collected in different commercial market in different time, in which 6 of them was Codonopsis Radix and 8 of them was Ginseng Radix. Firstly, their chemical profiles of the samples were analyzed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS to make a chemical authentication. Then, their fluorescence characteristic were localized and captured on their * transverse sections. Result: All the samples of Codonopsis Radix and 2 samples of Ginseng Radix were confirmed to be sulfur-fumigated as compounds sulfates or sulfltes were detected. Investigated by fluorescence, herbal samples emitted blue and yellow fluorescence in different intensity under blue and green light filter. The fluorescence of groups of laticiferous tubes and resin canals were remarkable in Codonopsis Radix and Ginseng Radix respectively. Sulfur-fumigated samples showed similar characteristic to those raw samples. It was significant that samples ofCodonopsis Radix emitted fluorescence differently even all of them were sulfur-fumigated. Conclusion: In the present study, samples with different growing condition, storage time and SF processing had some variation in their fluorescence characteristics. The result showed that fluorescence microscopy was not probable for identification of the sulfurfumigated CMMs. The application of FM on the identification of sulfur-fumigated CMMs should be further investigated comprehensively. Key works: sulfur-fumigation; Codonopsis Radix; Ginseng Radix; authentication; fluorescence microscopy; UHPLC-QTOF-MS


Based on 57 fibrous metaphyseal defects the conventional radiologic signs are described as diagnostically reliable including asymptomatic patients as well as patients with a history of pain and lesions with positive scintigraphy. The radiologic morphology of the fibrous endosteal and medullary defects differs with the age of the patient. Beyond the age of 18 years there is a sclerosis of the lesion and a less marked arrosion of the corticalis. The differential diagnosis depends on the cortical, endosteal of medullary site of the fibrous defect as well as on the age of patient and includes the cortical metastasis, the juxta-articular osteoid-osteoma, the periosteal chondroma, the cortical irregularity, the solitary bone cyst, the fibrous dysplasia, the chronic osteomyelitis and the osteosclerotic osteosarcoma.


Results are shown from recent experiments at the Omega laser facility, using 40 Omega beams driving the hohlraum with 3 cones from each side and up to 19.5 kJ of laser energy. Beam phasing is achieved by decreasing the energy separately in each of the three cones, by 3 kJ, for a total drive energy of 16.5 kJ. This results in a more asymmetric drive, which will vary the shape of the imploded symmetry capsule core from round to oblate or prolate in a systematic and controlled manner. These results show the sensitivity of capsule implosion symmetry for implosions in high temperature (275 eV) hohlraums at Omega. Dante measurements confirmed the predicted peak drive temperatures of 275 eV. Implosion core time dependent x-ray images were obtained from framing camera data which show the expected change in symmetry due to beam imbalance and which also agree well with post processed hydro code calculations.


Sediment transport and morphodynamics of two Mediterranean mixed beaches have been investigated. Portonovo was the study site chosen for the Adriatic coast while Marina di Pisa was the one chosen for the west side of Italy; both sites are characterised by a microtidal regime. Little is known about mixed beaches in microtidal regime since the majority of these environments is located on the ocean shores at high latitudes where the tidal regime is meso- or macrotidal. The work have mainly focused on pebble transport under low and moderate wave conditions in order to establish how size and shape of particles can affect their transport. The investigation was possible by means of radio tracer technique (RFID Radio Frequency IDentification). The remarkable asset of the method is to univocally gather displacement information for each single tracer. The technique works both on the submerged and the emerged beach and it also allowed to monitor pebble transport in the long term. Three tracer experiments were carried out with RFID technique: one at Marina di Pisa and two experiments at Portonovo. Tracer experiments had to be supported by a strong substrate of morphodynamics data which were suited on the basis of constant field data gathering: at Portonovo, beach sampling was undertaken for one year and topographic surveys were repeated for two years consecutively. The work deals also with nourishment practices since the two sites are replenished beaches. Under low energy conditions gravel and pebbles need just a small quantity of energy to be destabilized: in both experiments (Marina di Pisa and the first Portonovo experiment) swash action provided that energy, considering that the run-up levels exceeded the maximum tracer elevation for almost the entire duration of the experiments. Once that threshold is reached, marked pebbles can be displaced away from the injection point even though wave motion and swash processes are at minimum. Discs can cover greater distances than spheres but are less dynamic. Once lifted and shifted by swash flows, the discs can travel long paths, reaching a stable location characterized by feeble forces under low wave energy. On the other hand the threshold to initiate movement for spheres is lower so it is more difficult for them to find more stable position on beach profile. "Big"-sized pebbles (-5.5 to -6.5 phi) are less dynamic compared to the finer classes ("Medium", -5 to -5.5 phi; "Small", -4.5 to -5 phi). Nevertheless the "Big"-sized spheres resulted slight more dynamic than discs of the same size. Very low and steady energy conditions facilitate pebble cross-shore and offshore movement rather than longshore. A slight increase in wave height produces a predominant longshore transport characterized by non-negligible displacements. Portonovo beach seemed to be a close system regarding at least pebble transport: the central sector of the beach is a transfer zone for pebble motion while the most part of tracers was always found at beach edges. Weak storms combined to swash grazing are able to move pebbles
and cobbles alongshore with great displacements (displacements 2 months after the injection: mean 190 m; max 445 m; min 15 m). Beach rotation is a common phenomenon in Portonovo; the system seems to act like a pocket beach: erosion and accretion areas change in accordance to the most frequent direction of each storm. The central area of the beach represents the pivotal point for beach rotation. Despite the high grain size heterogeneity, at Portonovo the sediment pattern is the result of the last storm direction: evident downdrift coarsening of sediments in response to storms normally occurs. Periods of fair weather (with at least very weak storms) develop a striped pattern of surface sediments. Stripes of different grain size run parallel to the shoreline: the swash zone and the lower part of the backshore increase their sediment size becoming gravelly (granules or fine pebbles) and better sorted, while scattered and non continuous stripes of sand cover the landward and the upper part of the backshore. The fill material for nourishment purposes should fit as best as possible the native sediment. At Marina di Pisa the material used for beach refill was sufficiently good: covering the natural sandy backshore with pebbles and cobbles did not prevent users from going to the beach. Deeper studies on coarse sediment abrasion rate are needed for better assessment on replenishment material and to better estimate contingent loss of volume in the refill material. At Portonovo beach, the material provided by local authorities for nourishment projects is quite compatible with the native one. In order to have an even more compatible material the use of spherical pebbles is suggested, to take advantage of their higher dynamicity relative to the discs. A size comprised between -4.5 and -5.5 phi (24 to 48 mm) should be preferred. Further investigations focusing on particle shape are needed to identify the possible primary factors that control pebble movement. Actual measurements of swash velocities for different shapes should be obtained in order to improve threshold velocity formulae, which currently do not involve any shape parameter for particles. It is believed that shape can be a discriminating factor for coarse and very coarse pebble transport (from 16 to 64 mm according to Udden-Wentworth grain size scale) at least under low energy conditions.


We have carried out the specific-heat and neutron-diffraction measurements to study the magnetic ordering of the Ce ions in heavy fermion compound Ce3A1. Detailed crystal structures obtained using high resolution neutron diffraction measurements show that the Ce ions may be grouped into two types: one in the Ce-AI chain, the other in the Ce-Ce chain. The specific-heat data reveals an anomaly at T-2.5 K, and the calculated entropy shows a value which is only 33% of the expected value of Rln2 if all Ce spins are ordered. Low temperature neutron diffraction measurements confirm that the transition at 2.5 K is magnetic. The magnetic unit cell doubles the nuclear one along the a and c axes, and it contains 64 Ce atoms. We find that only the Ce ions in the Ce-AI chains are ordered at 2.5 K, but not those in the Ce-Ce chains. The coupling is antiferromagnetic, with Ce spins in the Ce-AI chains aligned antiparallel.


When facilitating workshops about the social dynamics of racism and privilege, it is important to remember that those dynamics are always in the room and can trigger responses in both the participants and the facilitators. Skilled facilitators not only recognize expressions of white privilege and counteract them, they also use these instances as an opportunity to grow the understanding of workshop participants. In this article, we will share several ways we've seen white privilege manifest itself in workshops and strategies we've used to successfully deepen, rather than shut down, the conversation. Topics covered include dominating the conversation; reframing or invalidating the experience of people of color; valuing the product over the process; believing that logic, reasoning, and linear thinking do not involve emotion; being agenda bound; and distancing oneself from other white people.


We tested the usefulness of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) immunostaining in primary colorectal adenocarcinoma as a predictor for EGFR status of tumor recurrences in 33 primary tumors and distant recurrences (July 1994 to June 2005). Representative primary and recurrent tumor sections were stained using mouse anti-EGFR antibodies, and only membranous staining of malignant cells was recorded. Results were reported as negative (no staining), 1+ (positivity in <50% of cells), or 2+ (positivity in >50% of cells). Of 33 cases, 19 (58%) showed the same extent of immunopositivity in primary and recurrent tumors. Bivariate logistic regression analysis of primary tumors with 2+ vs those with negative or 1+ staining showed that the primary tumor status had a major predictive relationship with that of recurrence (odds ratio, of 45.99; confidence limit, 4.0-524.9; P = .0021). The difference between the median time to recurrence of primary tumors with the various degrees of staining was not statistically significant. Our reporting method provides a useful correlation between the staining profiles of primary colorectal adenocarcinoma and recurrent disease. It is exceptionally reliable in predicting immunopositivity of a recurrence when more than 50% of cells of the primary tumor are immunoreactive.


Abstract The paper discusses the role of hope in the construction of an accounting technology to realize a program, by looking at a process of choosing non-financial indicators in an effort to achieve healthier workplaces. By exploring the literature dealing with the concept of hope and by drawing on the debate on the relationship between accounting and action, we highlight the features of three hope-related concepts (hopelessness, naïve hope, and reflective hope). We also highlight how these concepts relate to different areas of uncertainty (validity, accuracy, and relevance) in the development of accounting technologies. Evidence collected through particiapant observation of a team involved in the construction of indicators offers empirical material to investigate the interplay between hopelessness, naïve hope, and reflective hope in relation to uncertainties concerning the link between accounting and action. Beyond analyzing how team members move from a naïve to a reflective hope in making the accounting–action link, the paper shows that among practitioners it is accepted that unintended consequences constitute the rule rather than the exception in the accounting–action link.


Introduction Optical imaging is increasingly advocated for characterisation of polyps during colonoscopy. Accuracy of these techniques during surveillance colonoscopy in colonic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD-C) is unclear, with variable results reported. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of optical imaging techniques including dye-based chromoendoscopy (DCE), virtual chromoendoscopy (VCE), magnification endoscopy and confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE). Method We searched Medline and Embase for relevant papers. Full articles or abstracts were eligible when characterisation performance of DCE, VCE (narrow-band imaging [NBI], i-scan, Fujinon intelligent chromoendoscopy [FICE]), magnification endoscopy and CLE had been compared with histopathology, as the reference standard. Enough information had to be required to obtain 2 × 2 contingency table. Pooled analysis was done using random-effects model. Sub-group analysis was performed at real-time (RT) Kudo pit pattern based and real-time (RT) CLE for characterisation of visible lesions. Heterogeneity was assessed using X2 and I2 statistics. Results Our search stratergy identified 172 studies of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. Pooled results are outlined in the table. Conclusion Real-time CLE and magnification endoscopy had best performance characteristics. However there is a lot of herterogeneity in the results. Most CLE and magnification studies were single centre, single expert user which could explain the results. CLE studies were also affected by attrition bias with some studies reporting non-interpretable images in a significant proportion. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Despite the large body of literature on the importance of asset allocation as a primary determinant of portfolio performance, the definition of asset allocation "alpha" remains a poorly defined concept. In this article, we show that a portfolio's total alpha can be decomposed into alpha from asset allocation and manager selection. The asset allocation alpha can then be further attributed to value-add from 1) taking additional risk exposure relative to the policy portfolio, 2) exploiting the relative value differential between assets with similar risk exposures, and 3) timing the cyclicality in risk premia.


Determined to forget the past, which deprived her of both husband and daughter, and start a life of freedom without connections and responsibility, Julie, the no-longer-m/Other, tries to lose herself in the anonymous life of Paris. Total freedom is however impossible, and soon the past begins to haunt her in the form of a melody, the concerto music her husband was in the process of composing. Drawing on the work of Bracha Ettinger, I invite a matrixial viewing of Kieslowski's film, an artwork which marks precisely a movement from a phallic Symbolic (where the subject is free, separated, and disconnected) to a matrixial sphere (in which the subject is fragile and compassionate to the unknown other who is, nonetheless, a partner-in-difference). More precisely, my aim is to follow Julie's journey from a split-I and a no-longer-m/Other to a fragile partial m/Other via her art-working and the primary compassion of her partial m/Others, a severality co-participating in her trans-nascence, the strangers who, out of the blue, become her intimate-anonymous partners in co-poiesis, as also symbolically reflected in Kieslowski's Chorale.


This study implemented a prospective design to explore the relationship between college men's perceived likelihood to perpetrate sexual aggression and their perpetration of sexual aggression over a three-month interim (N = 414). Compared to men's report of their likelihood to use physical force to obtain sex play or sexual intercourse, college men reported higher levels of perceived likelihood to use arguments or pressure to obtain sex play or sexual intercourse as well as drugs and alcohol to obtain sexual intercourse. Prospective analyses revealed that the majority of men who perpetrated sexual aggression over the follow-up period indicated that they were at some risk to do so at the pretest assessment. Implications for sexual assault prevention programming are discussed.


We propose that following a victimization episode, victims experience an enhanced need for power, whereas perpetrators experience an enhanced need for social acceptance. We present the needs-based model of reconciliation, according to which the reciprocal satisfaction of these needs may lead to improved relations between victims and perpetrators. We then use the model as an organizing framework for reviewing theories and empirical findings within the field of victim/perpetrator dynamics in general and reconciliation in particular. We also examine its applicability to various contexts including interpersonal and intergroup conflicts and conflicts between majority and minority groups within the same society. Finally, we conclude by discussing policy implications drawn from the model.


Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide that inhibits 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) activity. Most plants and microbes are sensitive to glyphosate. However, transgenic-resistant crops that contain a modified epsps obtained from the resistant microbes have been commercially successful and therefore, new resistance genes and their adaptive regulatory mechanisms are of great interest. In this study, a soil-borne, glyphosate-resistant bacterium was selected and identified as Enterobacter. The EPSPS in this strain was found to have been altered to a resistant one. A total of 42 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the glyphosate were screened using microarray techniques. Under treatment, argF, sdhA, ivbL, rrfA-H were downregulated, whereas the transcripts of speA, osmY, pflB, ahpC, fusA, deoA, uxaC, rpoD and a few ribosomal protein genes were upregulated. Data were verified by quantitative real-time PCR on selected genes. All transcriptional changes appeared to protect the bacteria from glyphosate and associated osmotic, acidic and oxidative stresses. Many DEGs may have the potential to confer resistance to glyphosate alone, and some may be closely related to the shikimate pathway, reflecting the complex gene interaction network for glyphosate resistance.


This research sets out to help computational modellers, to select the most cost effective Cloud service provider. This is when they opt to use Cloud computing in preference to using the in-house High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities.

A novel Quality-aware computational Cloud Selection (QAComPS) service is proposed and evaluated. This selects the best (cheapest) Cloud provider"s service. After selection it automatically sets-up and runs the selected service. QaComPS includes an integrated ontology that makes use of OWL 2 features. The ontology provides a standard specification and a common vocabulary for describing different Cloud provider"s services. The semantic descriptions are processed by the QaComPS Information Management service. These provider descriptions are then used by a filter and the MatchMaker to automatically select the highest ranked service that meets the user"s requirements. A SAWSDL interface is used to transfer semantic information to/from the QAComPS Information Management service and the non semantic selection and run services.

QAComPS selection service has been quantitatively evaluated for accuracy and efficiency against Quality Matchmaking Process (QMP) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The service was also evaluated qualitatively by a group of computational modellers. The results for the evaluation were very promising and demonstrated QaComPS"s potential to make Cloud computing more accessible and cost effective for computational modellers.


My contention is that literary journalism welds large, complex world phenomena that are not always readily understandable to people — war, largescale migration, climate change and others — with the reader through the narrator's subjective experience. To evaluate this argument, I utilize In Khwezi: The Remarkable Story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo. Redi Tlhabi narrates the life of Fezekile both before and after she brought charges against the former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. I argue that this work of literary journalism has the ability to reconstruct the problematic narratives that surrounded Fezekile during the time of the trial. Kwezi is written with the intention of giving the reader information within one body of work of South African politics and endeavors, not only to explain what is happening, but helps the reader understand why something is happening.


The Africa Region's Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program promotes client/staff action learning through cross regional exchanges to learn about the impact of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) systems in development. The first such exchange and learning tour was organized in September-October 2002 between three East African countries (Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda) and two South Asian countries (Sri Lanka and India). The exchange involved several innovative features which are highlighted here. The learning exchange included 16 development practitioners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda (i.e., project staff from Bank-supported projects in early childhood development and medicinal plant projects, civil society representatives, a traditional healer, a parliamentarian and a minister) accompanied by 5 Bank staff working on these projects. The group visited counterparts in Sri Lanka and India, including projects using informatics for social sector development.


Abstract. Rapidly evolving floods are rare but powerful drivers of landscape reorganisation that have severe and long lasting impacts on both the functions of a landscape's subsystems and the affected society. The July 2021 flood that particularly hit several river catchments of the Eifel region in West Germany and Belgium was a drastic example. While media and scientists highlighted the meteorological and hydrological aspects of this flood, it was not just the rising water levels in the main valleys that posed a hazard, caused damage, and drove environmental reorganisation. Instead, the concurrent coupling of landscape elements and the wood, sediment and debris carried by the fast-flowing water made this flood so devastating and difficult to predict. Because more intense floods are able to interact with more landscape components, they at times reveal rare non-linear feedbacks, which may be hidden during smaller events due to their high thresholds of initiation. Here, we briefly review the boundary conditions of the 14–15 July 2021 flood and discuss the emerging features that made this event different from previous floods. We identify hillslope processes, aspects of debris mobilisation, the legacy of sustained human land use, and emerging process connections and feedbacks as critical non-hydrological dimensions of the flood. With this landscape scale perspective, we develop requirements for improved future event anticipation, mitigation and fundamental system understanding.


Risk assessment of metal contaminated sites including old mining sites requires geochemical methods of analysis, modelling and long-term prediction. This workshop focuses on current research developments and best available methods/practices within this field of increasing importance. The specific topics include combining field measurements and reactive transport modelling at contaminated sites, methods of long-term prediction of environmental impacts from mining wastes, use of soil solution partition coefficients (Kd) for assessment of risk of groundwater contamination, and techniques for assessment of metal contaminant availability to plants.
The present talk focusses on mining waste characterisation, in relation with EU directive 2006/21/EC on mining waste, and the subsequent management of waste rock and ore processing waste, and its consequences on mining sites management.


The theory of Ecological Modernisation (EMT) has become one of the dominant sociological theories which attempts to understand and interpret how modern societies are dealing with environmental crises. This paper aims to examine the sustainability of Malaysia's Solid Waste Management (SWM) programmes from this EMT perspective. It was found that while the EMT requires a national approach in order to effect a more sustainable Solid Waste Management system the current institutional arrangement, managerial process and policy formulation of the SWM in Malaysia has not delivered a cohesive and sustainable national SWM policy. This was caused by factors ranging from the lack of institutional arrangements, policy gaps, and inadequate financial support, to failures in the privatisation process, insufficient manpower and poor understanding of environmental concerns dealing with the whole social complexity of solid waste management . Given such yet-to-be-rectified flaws the application of the EMT to Malaysia's SWM may be difficult to achieve for now. Keywords: environmental crises, institutional arrangements, national SWM policy, privatization of SWM, Solid Waste Management (SWM), Theory of Ecological Modernisation (EMT)


In response to the increasing variations in integrated-circuit manufacturing, the current trend is to create designs that take these variations into account statistically. In this paper we try to quantify the difference between the statistical and deterministic optima of leakage power while making no assumptions about the delay model. We develop a framework for deriving a theoretical upper-bound on the suboptimality that is incurred by using the deterministic optimum as an approximation for the statistical optimum. On average, the bound is 2.4% for a suite of benchmark circuits in a 45nm technology. We further give an intuitive explanation and show, by using solution rank orders, that the practical suboptimality gap is much lower. Therefore, the need for statistical power modeling for the purpose of optimization is questionable.


The governments of Alberta, Alaska, and Norway have all created funds in which to deposit some of the revenues they receive from non-renewable natural resource activities. Despite Alberta's rich natural resource endowments, its Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund is smaller than the others because of its relative underfunding and because of chronic withdrawals of most income from the fund. This paper explores the history and structure of the three funds, and offers recommendations for reform in Alberta, including a formal rule for the contribution percentage and institutional mechanisms to encourage proper fund management.The paper finds that if the Alberta government had consistently deposited 25 percent of its non-renewable resource revenues from 1982-2011 — as the Alaskan constitution requires — total contributions would have been $42.4 billion, rather than the actual contributions of $9.1 billion during this period. And if the Alberta government had followed Norway's example, and contributed 100 percent of its non-renewable resource revenues into its Heritage Fund, then from 1982-2011 total contributions would have been $169.5 billion, rather than $9.1 billion.In order to fulfill its mission of preserving Alberta's rich resource wealth for future generations, the government should seriously study the lessons from Alaska and Norway laid out in this study.


The author asks why we need the History of Books and Libraries (HBL) in education for Librarianship. To answer this question develops 6 answers. 1) Because the HBL provides a general education essential to develop the librarian curriculum, when it identifies the dynamic and dialectic linking between past, present and future of modern Librarianship. 2) Because the HBL is a practical and operational knowledge to analyze and identify ways to solve problems of the librarians of the past. 3) Because the HBL allows a systematic and rational set of textual productions generated in many different historical periods. 4) Because the HBL shows that the past account of libraries is not only a locus of power but a space where ideas are expressed economic conditions in society. 5) Because the HBL points to the need to think about their enriching encounter with the History of Reading, and 6) because the HBL is the indispensable basis to support a Philosophy of Library & Information Science.


The management of of unruptured intracranial aneurysms is one of the most important issues confronting neurosurgeons today. The high mortality and morbidity associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has prompted interest in repair of aneurysms that are discovered before they have ruptured. A strong risk factor for intracranial aneurysm which causes SAH is a positive family history, polycystic kidney disease and patients who have survived a SAH. There is no cutoff size of aneurysm below which rupture is not possible. Presently there are no definitive guidelines in the management of incidental aneurysms and many centers consider each case individually with treatment offered for lesions more than 7 mm in diameter especially if patient is relatively young without major co-morbidities. Even though microsurgery offers the advantage of proven durability and higher rates of total aneurysm obliteration, the choice of treatment modality between open microsurgery and endovascular occlusion is flexibly adjusted to each case.


This bulletin series presents the results of the Northwestern Juvenile Project, the first large-scale, prospective longitudinal study of drug, alcohol, and psychiatric disorders in a diverse sample of juvenile detainees. Individual bulletins examine topics such as suicidal behaviors in youth in detention, posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma among this population, functional impairment in youth after detention, and barriers for youth who need to receive mental health services.


This study used Electrical Spark Discharge Method (ESDM) to fabricate the
nano-Au, nano-Ag and nano-Cu colloid. The spark wears down the surface of the electrodes and gets
nano-metal particles at standard temperature and pressure and without adding any other chemical
materials in the deionized water.

The nano-metal particles are examined by UV-Visible Spectroscopy, Zetasizer, Transmission
Electron Microscope, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis and are proven to be nano-metal
colloid. Under the comparison of different parameters (discharge pulse width, HV, Ip), the size of
nano-metal particles increases with the level of Ip.

Under the experiment of light or dark, most of the Absorbance of the nano-Au and nano-Ag
colloid is higher than that of the environment under strong light irradiation as long as it is prepared in
a pure black environment. The nano-Au and nano-Ag colloid prepared by ESDM have a zeta potential
exceeding the absolute value of 30 mV, no matter which parameter is applied or whether there is
illumination or not.

 It represents a good suspension stability of the nano-Au and nano-Ag colloid, but the
nano-Cu colloid does not have this feature. The suspension stability is not good.


There is a growing body of literature about the drivers, size, and trends of the shadow economy. This paper quantifies the size and assesses the trends of the shadow economy in Eswatini over a period of 16 years. Using gross domestic product as a development indicator and other macroeconomic variables from government and international institutions the paper employs a structural equation model in the form of the Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause approach to determine the drivers of the shadow economy in Eswatini as well as to quantify its size. The results show that taxation (direct and indirect),  elfemployment, agricultural value added, and regulations were the causes for the development of the shadow economy in Eswatini. The results also indicate that the shadow economy in Eswatini was at 37.4 percent of the formal economy or gross domestic product in 2016. This means that the current gross domestic product of the country has been underestimated by E20.5 billion due to the exclusion of economic activities taking place outside of the formal economy when computing gross domestic product. Keywords : Shadow economy; Multiple Indicator; Multiple Cause; Eswatini.


A recurring feature of modern practice is occupational stress of project professionals, with debilitating effects on the people concerned and indirectly affecting project success. Previous research outside the construction industry has involved the use of a psychology perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ) to measure occupational stress, resulting in the identification of one stressor, demand, and three sub-dimensional emotional reactions in terms of worry, tension and joy. The PSQ is translated into Chinese with a back translation technique and used in a survey of young construction cost professionals in China. Principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis are used to test the divisibility of occupational stress, little mentioned in previous research on stress in the construction context. In addition, structural equation modelling is used to assess nomological validity by testing the effects of the three dimensions on organizational commitment, the main finding of which is that lack of joy has the sole significant effect. The three-dimensional measurement framework facilitates the standardizing measurement of occupational stress. Further research will establish whether the findings are also applicable in other settings and explore the relations between stress dimensions and other managerial concepts.


Fasciclin-like arabinogalactan protein (FLA) families have been identified and characterised in key plant species, with some members exhibiting functional specialization. Here we identify the FLA family of Eucalyptus grandis, and investigate the roles of three single-FAS domain FLAs, with particular focus on secondary cell-wall formation and wood properties. We use various in-silico approaches to identify and characterise E. grandis genome FLAs, and perform phylogenetic comparisons with other species. For three key FLAs, we perform functional testing including promoter-reporter and overexpression transgenic approaches using eucalypts, poplar and tobacco. Of the 18 eucalypt FLAs identified, several were specifically and highly expressed in stems. The specificity to stem xylem vessel and fibre development was demonstrated with EniFLA1promoter:GUS studies in several species. Testing of select eucalypt FLAs resulted in altered wood development and properties, for example 35S:EgrFLA2 led to a 3 degree reduction in cellulose microfibril angle in eucalypt xylem fibres, and 35S:EgrFLA3 to a reduction in tobacco stem flexural strength. These results indicate that the eucalypt FLA family contains diverse members, and particular members with single FAS domains that are functionally specialized for secondary cell wall growth and properties.


Bulk PZT sheets are patterned using micro powder blasting and a dry film photoresist to fabricate functional piezoelectric actuators. Etch characterization of bulk PZT is reported for improved powder blasting parameters. Using this information, PZT actuators are successfully fabricated and tested. The developed method described offers great potential for future bulk PZT transducers, as it provides relatively high resolutions, a reduced etch time, and simple implementation.


Optical profiler is a typical modern device for precision form error measurement. In our use of the equipment, we found that the surface form profile after stitching is ambiguous if the lens magnification is changed. The error in terms of PV value can be up to 3200% when the lens magnification changes from 2.5 times to 30 times. This has been confirmed by the equipment supplier. It is worthwhile to offer a comprehensive study as many users may use the instrument of the kind straightforward without detailed investigation of the performance. We found that, among the 6 key parameters studied, 3 independent parameters are more important. For the 3 independent parameters, we recommend to set the magnification A=2.5 times, the resolution r=0.5, and the overlap p=20%. With the recommended settings, the measurement error can be less than 0.5%. Backscan and length for scanning in the vertical direction, and cut off frequency for delivering form profile are less critical compared with the three independent parameters.