Jet pumps in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) have risk of damages by Flow-Induced Vibration (FIV) for when increasing the core flow rate for power uprating. Especially, the vibration by leakage flow at the slip joint between an inlet mixer and a diffuser can cause serious damage on jet pumps. It is one of the obstructive factors for power uprating. Another problem is crud deposition on the inside surface of the inlet mixer and nozzle. Thus fouling causes performance degradation of jet pumps.To reduce the risk of an FIV problem, the gap flow passage of the slip joint was modified based on the leakage-flow-induced vibration theory. The effect and characteristic of vibration suppression for the improved design was confirmed by fundamental tests that simulated the slip joint configuration. To mitigate crud deposition, a sol-gel ceramic coating process using ZrTiO4, which generates electrostatic repulsion force to crud, was developed. The effect of the coating was confirmed by experiments using test pieces. These techniques for mitigating damage due to FIV and fouling were applied to inlet mixers of jet pumps for replacement in the actual BWR plant.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


BackgroundStrategy forms an inevitable part of a company's existence, whether explicitly formulated or implicitly acted on. Today, there are many ways to find information about companies and their strategic directions, for example in the non-financial sections of annual reports. However, the future actions and strategic choices tend not to be spoken of explicitly or in terms of strategy concepts or typologies. Thus, the presentation of strategies in annual reports may differ in terminology from the conceptions and notions as presented in strategy concepts. This implies a challenging base for analysis and will inevitably create an interesting situation if one wants to map out a company's strategic direction with these reports as basis. Annual reports could also possibly constitute a cross-over between the theoretical realm and the business world, which might allow the drawing of parallels between theoretical concepts and espoused strategic actions.PurposeThe purpose of this thesis is to provide an overall image of strategy in the heavy electrical engineering industry in the time period of 1987 to 2002, using the non-financial information in annual reports as the single source for identifying and classifying companies in terms of strategy.Mode of procedureAnnual reports from four large companies in the heavy electrical engineering industry have been studied with a grounded approach of textual analysis. The case study was conducted with an inductive starting point, and covered a vast amount of empirical material. Key features of strategic directions, on the corporate and business level, were derived from the empirical material as well as from strategy literature, and these features then served as base for further analysis and conclusions.ResultsAll four studied companies displayed different strategic phases on the two levels. However, inconsistency and a multitude of comments sometimes obstructed the identification of distinct phases. On an inter-company level, the European companies tended to have more features in common than the American ones. Furthermore, specific characteristics have been identified for each company. Finally, each of the four case companies was classified in terms of generic strategies. The classification of the companies showed that a multitude of strategic typologies was applicable during the studied time period, some recurrently and others in unique periods.


In this paper, a high-throughput method for fabricating submicrometer electrodes on polymer substrates is introduced and results are presented. This new process, known as nanoinjection lithography, combines nanoinjection molding with trench-filling techniques to create submicrometer electrodes on thermoplastic polymers. The fabrication method and resulting electrodes are characterized in this work using scanning electron microscopy, surface profilometry, and atomic force microscopy. The ability to fabricate submicrometer electrodes on polymer chips in a high-throughput process may allow the mass-production of ultrasensitive biosensors for point-of-care medical devices.


There is now considerable evidence that the synthetic retinoid agent, isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid), is effective in the management of many disorders of keratinization previously thought to be resistant to treatment by other agents.1Lamellar ichthyosis, Darier's disease, and pityriasis rubra pilaris appear to be particularly responsive, with other disorders of keratinization showing a variable response.2Only recently, it has been shown that the retinoid agent is effective in severe cystic acne vulgaris, giving prolonged remissions in some cases.3The patient with extensive acanthosis nigricans described in this article was successfully treated with oral isotretinoin using the protocol of a multicenter clinical trial of the drug to test its effectiveness in disorders of keratinization. Selection of this disease for treatment with the oral retinoid agent was based on success using topical tretinoin in some patients with acanthosis nigricans.4 Report of a Case A 33-year-old woman


Machine learning on data streams is increasingly more present in multiple domains. However, there is often data distribution shift that can lead machine learning models to make incorrect decisions. While there are automatic methods to detect when drift is happening, human analysis, often by data scientists, is essential to diagnose the causes of the problem and adjust the system. We propose Data+Shift, a visual analytics tool to support data scientists in the task of investigating the underlying factors of shift in data features in the context of fraud detection. Design requirements were derived from interviews with data scientists. Data+Shift is integrated with JupyterLab and can be used alongside other data science tools. We validated our approach with a think-aloud experiment where a data scientist used the tool for a fraud detection use case.


In this paper, the damage detection of single tapered poles is studied . Structural damage is identified using an optimization-based method. In this method, the APSO is used to detect the location and severity of the damage. The objective function for detecting the damage, is a correlation coefficient based on natural frequencies. In order to accelerate the calculation of the natural frequencies of the structure, iterative method is used. In this paper, the damage induced in to the structure, is simulated as reduction of the stiffness matrix of the element in a finite element modeling of the structure and also in order to match the real situation, damages. To evaluate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method in detecting damage of tapered poles, two numerical examples, including a police surveillance camera pole and a water storage pole under different damaged scenarios with considering measurement noise, are examined. In first and second example, structures are divided by 15 and 25 elements, respectively, with uniform moment of inertia. The results show that the proposed method is capable of detecting both the location and severity of the damage properly, despite the complexity of some damage scenarios. Therefore, the algorithm can be used to detect the damage of other structures.


The authors report a case of Letterer-Siwe syndrome presenting primarily as a mediastinal mass erroneously diagnosed as cystic thymoma. Although thymic involvement in Letterer-Siwe syndrome is common, only 2 previous cases have involved a mediastinal mass.


The recent expansion of global demand for natural resources has created a production boom in countries endowed with natural resources. Increasing global trade and investment - globalization - offer an important opportunity for developing countries as the global flow of commodities often accompany knowledge and information to increase productivity to facilitate economic development. This positive feature of globalization has some serious drawbacks when the country is not equipped with an institution to ensure environmental sustainability. This paper sought to demonstrate this through the examination of the Chilean salmon farming case. The Chilean salmon farming industry has grown dramatically since the mid 1980s to become the number two exporter of farmed salmon in the world after Norway. The sector, however, suffered a decline in production volume due to the sanitary crisis in 2007. The case also tries to capture the on-going efforts made by the government to strengthen the institution to prevent further occurrences of environmental and sanitary crises.


In February 2015 the Central Bank of Ireland introduced macroprudential measures for the Irish mortgage market in the form of limits on new lending at high loan-to-value and loan-toincome ratios. The objectives of the measures are to enhance resilience of banks and households to financial shocks and to curb cyclical tendencies in the mortgage market. The timing of the introduction of the measures was carefully considered and reflected emerging imbalances in the market as well as existing vulnerabilities in the household and banking sectors. While similar measures have been introduced in other jurisdictions, the design and application of the measures differ across countries. Some specific aspects of the design of the Irish measures include differentiated treatment for first-time buyers, buy-to-let borrowers and homeowners in negative equity. This paper discusses the rationale for the introduction of the measures as well as issues relating to their design and implementation.


This short communication continues and summarizes previously published articles. Asbestos-related risks have been estimated on the basis of extrapolations from the past, when high-dose exposures were more frequent. The linear no-threshold dose-response pattern has been assumed for low exposure levels although its applicability has never been proven. Inhalation and discharge of fibers are normally in a dynamic equilibrium. Accordingly, there may be a safe exposure level (threshold). The screening bias probably contributed to the enhanced registered incidence of asbestosrelated diseases in exposed populations. In particular, mesothelioma was sought in exposed populations and correspondingly more often found. Malignant mesothelioma is indistinctly demarcated as an entity; in asbestos-exposed populations, questionable or borderline cases can be diagnosed as mesothelioma. Furthermore, carcinogenicity of chrysotile vs. amphibole asbestos is discussed. Research on this topic has been influenced by economic interests. Chrysotile clearance from the lung may partly result from the fiber splitting and movement to the pleura. A possible way to objective information may be large-scale chronic bioassays. In conclusion, the asbestosrelated policies should be revaluated on the basis of independent research.


A suite of microclimate variables affected germination of five Great Plains native plants seeded on an extensive green roof. Germination was significantly ( = 0.05) greater in a greenhouse control versus the green roof for shortbeak sedge and prairie spiderwort (Carex brevior (35% versus 23% Tradescantia occidentalis 19% versus 0%). No significant germination difference between the greenhouse and green roof existed for two, warm-season species, Liatris squarrosa and Eragrostis spectabilis. Significant differences in microclimatic conditions between green roof plot locations suggest a heterogeneous environment can decrease seed germination. This impact was attributed to differences in the receipt of solar radiant energy, surface temperature, and vapor pressure deficit. Light reflection and thermal emission from the adjacent buildings supplied additional energy in some locations (depending on time of year or time of day) that varied greatly over only a few meters. Designers must carefully analyze microclimate impacts and consider those implications for plant selection and seeding. Establishment of some native seeds in high temperature zones may take more irrigation or benefit from mulching than those in moderate temperature zones. Increased seeding rates and targeted seeding dates may also be useful strategies. Future green roof research should examine germination across steep microclimate gradients, seed a wider suite of native plants to broaden plant biodiversity, and follow seedling development and mortality.


In recent years, there has been an explosion in the amount of data we have at our disposal. Data is big, open-source and transparent. As such, there is a renewed faith in data-driven decision-making. However, this also comes with its own caveats; the power of data is based on an assumed objectivity, of presenting a view from nowhere. These assumptions of objectivity, and the vast increase in the amount of data, have left problems in interpreting it. Organisations trying to make sense of data include local authorities, who are facing challenging times through enforced austerity spending measures, which have seen budget cuts, service restrictions and reduced staff numbers. They are told to become more efficient and targeted in their working practices, and this has seen a move in some organisations towards a data-driven approach. One proposed solution to this has come through data visualisation, which seeks to make sense of data, either through an ability to analyse previously unmanageable data sets, or through the communication of findings to a wider audience. It is this context from which this thesis draws its empirical focus.

This thesis contributes to methodological discourse in investigating data visualisation from a qualitative perspective. It investigates the wide range of networks, actors and intermediaries within the context of four specific local authority case study organisations in England. It makes a telling contribution to address the lacuna in the theory of data visualisation by applying a post-representational approach adopted from cartography, which seeks to build upon, rather than replace, the growing literature on data visualisation. A post-representational approach recasts data visualisation as a broad set of practices, to think critically about the practices of visualisation and not simply focus on the product. As such, it creates a theoretical space for future investigation, which incorporates both those seeking applied knowledge (asking technical questions) and those asking theoretical questions. Understanding data visualisations as processes reveals that they are not practiced in isolation; they are mobilised in relation to other tasks and are subject to the complexities, interactions, constraints and emotions of that moment. Unpicking these conditions, as well as the aesthetic and technical elements of production, provides a holistic interpretation of how data visualisations are brought into being and made to do work in the world, whilst contributing to the larger field of post-representational cartography by moving beyond maps and exploring the implications and differences in engagement between maps and data visualisations.


ABSTRACT Tõnisson, H., Suursaar, Ü., Kont, A., Orviku, K., Rivis, R., Szava-Kovats, R. Vilumaa, K., Aarna, T., Eelsalu, M., Pindsoo, K., Palginõmm, V., Ratas, U. 2014. Field experiments with different fractions of painted sediments for studying material transport in three coastal study sites in Estonia. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 229–234, ISSN 0749-0208. Our current understanding of the morphodynamics in swash and surf zones is limited due to their turbulent and irregular nature. The importance of this zone to sediment transport led us to perform a sophisticated field experiment using painted sediments. Sediments collected locally from beach ridges were sorted into the following diameters: 1–2 5 cm, 2.5–5 cm and 5–10 cm. The sediments were painted, amassed in piles and placed at 0.5–10 m depths in three sites near the Estonian coast. The locations were recorded with GPS devices and photographed. The sediment piles placed in the sea were monitored at least once after an intense storm or once before and after the storm season. Some sediments were placed on the shoreline and monitored daily for a shorter period. Hydrodynamic parameters were also measured or hindcasted during the experiment. We found that wave breaking during storms can take place even at 6 m depth, but mostly between 2–4 m depth. Sediment fractions between 1–10 cm diameters can be transported over 20 m towards the shore. Even sediment piles at 10 m depth were moved 2–4 m, but towards the open sea. Sediments accumulated on the shoreline moved up to 3 m/hour along the shore and approximately 350 m during three months. We also found that calm periods can be more influential in places where regular vessel-generated waves wash the shores. As vessel-generated waves often approach from a different angle than natural waves, they can cause notable erosion during the periods when natural waves are weak or absent.


Purpose. The paper seeks to identify the "universal" HRM practices employed in Russian subdivisions of multinational corporations, before or in the beginning of the "cooling economic climate" in 2014-2015 years. Also the paper aims to identify the type and factors of HRM variability within local divisions. Methodology. The paper uses a sample of 52 leaders (85% men and 15% of women aged 32 to 67 years, with managerial experience more than three years), from the various type of multinational business (food industry, chemical industry, engineering, building & construction materials). ANOVA were conducted to test hypotheses. Results. The variability of HRM practices is quite low within observed local divisions. There are some general (universal) characteristics of HRM: the predominance of open-ended employment contracts; annually payable "thirteenth salary"; paid (fully or partially) voluntary health insurance; freeor subsidized food during workday. However, there are significant differences in the amount of annual reward and the prevalence of the certain type of social benefits. Moreover, there are significant differences found in the respondent perception of organizational climate. Conclusions. The data suggest that a possible worsening of business conditions for foreign corporations will lead to a drastic change in the existing systemof HRM in their Russian departments than gradual. Originality. The study represents the first descriptionof the features of HRM practices in the Russian divisions of foreign corporations according to the survey of executives.


[1] Theoretical model simulations for an intense magnetic storm show the creation of a low-latitude electron density arch aligned along the geomagnetic field created by strong uplift of the F2 layer that is driven by the penetration electric field. When the arch forms during the day, a new F2 layer is created at the original altitude by photoionization, and a density hole can be created between this new F2 layer and the arch. When the arch forms during the night, the F2 layer is not recreated and no hole forms. In a vertical profile of electron density, the daytime elevated ionospheric layer can appear distinctly from the recreated F2 layer, in which case the elevated layer is called the F3 layer. A latitude cut through the night-side arch shows the characteristics of an equatorial electron density trough, bounded to the north and south by enhanced densities associated with plasma that has diffused down along the geomagnetic field from the elevated layer. It is pointed out that the signature of the night-side arch has been seen in low Earth orbit spacecraft data, but has not been previously associated with an arch structure.


The decade of the 1990s saw a period of rapid change in society, especially in the area of social policy. In the short time between the publication of the first edition of this book and the present edition, there have been radical changes in the relationships between the public and private sectors, and within the public sector--among federal, state, and local governments. Privatization in areas that historically have been the responsibility of government, e.g., corrections, child welfare, and income maintenance, are now being transferred in part to the private sector. This transfer has been to a growing for-profit sector, operating on the assumption that the private sector is more capable than the public sector and the for-profit sector superior to the voluntary sector. Notions of profit-taking, efficiency, and effectiveness are being seen as interchangeable. Furthermore, much of this is based on belief and not on fact. We do not know the benefits and costs of this new partnership. Reforms in welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid and retrenchments in areas such as housing have been implemented that will have far-reaching affects on the fabric of our society and will reshape the welfare state begun in the 1930s. Historical ideas that have shaped our welfare system are being questioned. Ideas that have included entitlement and universal provision of services are being replaced with time-limited benefits to the vulnerable, means testing, and dual-service delivery systems for the poor and the nonpoor. The first edition examined the perceived dichotomy between two major approaches to social welfare--the institutional and residual models--arguing that the former assumes a sense of community while the latter is concerned with the extension of rights to the individual. In expanding this argument Moroney and Krysik incorporate notions of citizenship, suggesting that elements of both approaches can be integrated in such a way that the modified framework attempts to deal with critics from both sides. Current data are presented in each of the original chapters and two new chapters cover the areas of health and employment. "Robert M. Moroney" is professor of social policy and planning at the School of Social Work, Arizona State University. "Judy Krysik" is an adjunct professor at the School of Social Work, Arizona State University where she teaches social policy and research.


A total of 60 species of aquatic oligochaetes were identified in different sites within Tigris-Euphrates basin / Iraq, including River Tigris, River Euphrates, Southern marshes ( Al-Haweiza , Al-Hammar and Al-Chebaiesh ) , Shutt Al-Germa, and Shatt Al-Arab. In River Euphrates 39 species were identified, 40 species from River Tigris and 32 species from Shatt-Al-Arab and southern marshes. The identified species were classified as four species of Family Aeolosomatidae, 54 species of Naididae ( 31 Naidinae , 8 Pristininae and 15 Tubificid worms), one species of each of Lumbriculidae ( Lumbriculus variegates ) and Lumbricidae ( Eiseiella tetraedra). Among Aeolosomatidae , Aelosoma aquaternarium, A. Liedyi, A. variegatum and A. hemprichi, in which, A. variegatum was the most frequent species, found in Euphrates river. Naidinae community were represented by five species of genus Chaetogaster, two species of each of Paranais, Slavina, & Stylaria, four species of Allonais , and seven species of each of Dero and Nais, in addition to Stephensoniana trivandrana, Specaria josinae and Ophidonais serpentina. Nais variabilis was the most abundant and frequent species in River Tigris while Stylaria lacustris & Ophidonais serpentina are abundant in River Euphrates . Species of Pristininae were representative by four species of genus Pristina and three species of genus pristinella, among them Priatina longiseta is the most abundant species. Tubificid worms, Branchuira sowerbyi and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri were the most frequent and abundant species in the surface sediments of Iraqi waters. Beside L. hoffmeisteri , other five species of Limnodrilus, two species of Potomothrix, and a single species of Tubifex tubifex , Embolocephalus velutinus, Aulodrilus piguetia, Psammoryctides moravicus and Rhyacodrilus coccineus were recorded.


In this work, the design of current mode Fractional order filter using VDTAs (Voltage differencing trans-conductance amplifier) as an active element with grounded capacitors has been proposed. The approximate transfer functions of low and high pass filters of fractional order on the basis of the integer order transfer has been shown and the form of those functions of filters is also implemented using VDTA as an active building block. In this work, filters of the different sequence have been realized. The frequency domain simulation results of the proposed filters are obtained on Matlab and PSPICE with TSMC CMOS 180 nm technology parameters. Stability and sensitivity is also verified


The paper outlines the exploratory project Telecoms demand: Measures for improving affordability of telecommunications in developing countries, directed by Professor Robin Mansell (Media and Communications Department at the London School of Economics), managed by Claire Milne, Visiting Researcher at the LSE, and funded by IDRC as part of the LIRNE World Dialogue on Regulation third cycle research programme. It will discuss the implications of the project's findings, with reference to both developing and developed countries, and look at possible new research building on these foundations. This project focused on better understanding affordability as key to understanding telecom demand which, in turn, is central to sound business cases for investment and network development in developing countries. The project investigated patterns of expenditure on communications, with emphasis on variability by income group, and developed an initial 'toolkit' of measures that operators and regulators can use to improve affordability. Research methods have included literature review (with a focus on reports on consumer use of telecoms), statistical analysis of household survey data in four developing countries, and cross-sectional econometric analysis. The starting point was the idea of universal service and universal access, widely seen as having three components: availability, accessibility and affordability. Recently availability (often termed access) has had most attention. Our focus was affordability. Within any set of income and price levels, market-oriented techniques can significantly improve affordability. They are relatively easy to deploy, and may lead to a 'win-win-win' situation for industry, consumers and regulators. Of course, exploiting market-oriented techniques should not detract from efforts to intensify competition, introduce lower cost technology and bring control of undertakings closer to communities. Recent rapid growth of cellular service has brought phone service for the first time within physical reach of huge populations. And advances in technology, especially GSM, have both brought down costs and provided practical means to target affordable telephony packages accurately at almost everyone within coverage. Two key features of GSM underlie these conclusions – its cost structure, and its software-based service provision. Micro-prepay is especially significant. For most operators, it is technically and financially easy to deploy – arguments against it are mainly commercial. The spread of mobiles has given rise to a perception that affordability is no longer an issue. The study shows that for large populations this is too simple a conclusion. There is growing evidence of high price elasticity of demand for telephone service in developing countries, which suggests that more adventurous pricing may reward operators. Our work showed common patterns across countries, which may warrant more research. There is uncertainty over the spending potential of lower income groups. If existing operators do not offer low-priced service in rural areas, there is a clear case for offering these opportunities to other companies, including local start ups with community support aiming at service, rather than profit. Furthermore, the study has highlighted the creativity displayed in developing markets. The paper will discuss how developed countries can learn from achievements in the developing world, as well as vice-versa.


Conventional Higher Education Institutions in Kenya are in the process of implementing eLearning projects. These initiatives are, however, fraught with challenges. At the Maseno University eCampus, an evaluation of statistics on the institutional LMS after two years of implementation revealed that many lecturers had minimal or no log-in statistics, an indication that there was a gap in the adoption of eLearning. This study investigated factors explaining lecturer adoption of eLearning. A sample of 55 lecturers was selected and a questionnaire administered on their personal and institutional support factors for eLearning adoption. The findings revealed that the lecturers had a positive perception of the usefulness of eLearning and high self-efficacy in the adoption of eLearning. The gap in eLearning adoption was perceived by respondents to be a result of inadequate institutional support. The results suggest that lecturers are likely to be better adopters of eLearning not only when knowledge management processes and policies related to eLearning are developed but also where the institution works towards building and supporting a community of eLearning adopters.


Background and aim: health literacy defined as cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health. In present study, we examined the effect of an educational program on level of health literacy among health care workers in Iran.
Methods: this is a quasi-experimental study with using one-group pre-test/post-test design. Study conducted from January 2014 to July 2015. Samples were 90 licensed people who work in medical clinics in Qazvin, Iran. The educations consisted of a 4 and 5 theoretical and practical session and including infection, medication therapy, wound care, fluid and electrolyte therapy. Participants also received a six week clinical period in different hospital wards. Data were collected using a demographics questionnaire and Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA). The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 16).
Results: Most participants were female. The mean ages of participant were 38.49±8.41. Mean score of HELIA before and after education were 71.9 and 76.1 respectively. Results showed that the mean score of HELIA after receiving education increased compared to before receiving education and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Before educational intervention, 4, 22, 38 and 14 people showed inadequate, not long enough, adequate and excellent level of health literacy respectively. After educational intervention, 3, 9, 47 and 19 people showed inadequate, not long enough, adequate and excellent level of health literacy respectively.
Conclusion: according to finding of present study, participant health literacy improves after educational program. Further study in this regards, recommended.
Keywords: Health literacy, educational program, health care workers, developing country.


Since the mid 1990s 'boys' as an equity concern have come to dominate the gender and education agenda in many countries. This has been particularly the case in Australia where substantial funding has been invested in research to investigate boys' issues, into a federal parliamentary inquiry into boys' education and into schools that have a particular focus on improving boys' education. The discourses that work to construct boys as an equity concern have had differing impacts upon teachers' philosophies and practices in relation to boys' education. In this paper we locate two teacher stories within the context of broader gender equity discourses in Australia. Against a backdrop that attempts to articulate the primary concerns of two secondary teachers in relation to effectively teaching boys, the stories explore implications for gender justice that can be associated with, on the one hand, an affirmative approach, and on the other, a transformative approach to issues of boys and schooling.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal distribution of the foraminifera microfauna of the Caravelas River estuary (Bahia) to determine the different stages of marine influence on this ecosystem. For this purpose, two core samples 60 cm in length were collected at different sites in the estuary. In the laboratory, subsamples were taken from the sediment columns every 2 cm. The samples were subjected to standard analysis for foraminifera. We collected, stored, and identified the first 100 samples to determine the fauna diversity. The data analysis involved calculation of relative abundances, occurrence frequencies, diversity indices, richness, dominance, and confinement. The integrated analysis of the richness and diversity indices for the TCV1A core indicated that the oscillations between the highest and lowest marine influences were not representative to the point of promoting marked events of enrichment and depletion of the fauna at this sampling site. In contrast, analysis of the TCV2A core showed a restricted marine influence during the deposition period of this sediment column, especially since the 1980s. This hypothesis can be confirmed by the richness and diversity values, which show signs of faunal impoverishment in different sections of this core.


In this paper, a scheme of hybrid desiccant dehumidification system was proposed. This system can recovery the condensing heat from the vapor compression refrigeration unit to remove moisture from the air. But the trick of energy saving is the sensible heat exchanger after the desiccant rotary wheel. After analysis of its energy consumption characteristic, the system model was established.


The aim of the study was the synthesis and characterization of bioactive osteoinductive glasses, in the SiO2 – CaO – P2O5 system. In order to maintain the bioactive character of bioglasses, for SiO2 contents higher than 60%, the sol – gel method was used for preparation. On the obtained powders, thermal, grain size and X - ray diffraction analysis were performed. The X - ray diffraction emphasized the formation of phosphate phases, whose proportion decreases as the silica content is increased. Later, the powders were thermally treated at temperatures between 1000 and 14000C, the phase composition evolution being monitored through XRD analysis. On the powder suspensions in physiological serum, the evolution of pH was investigated, in order to establish the chemical stability. The behavior of the obtained powders in physiological medium was studied, by immersing samples in simulated body fluid and excerpted after different periods of time.


The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a favorite among the diagnostic DNA probes. Besides the traditional PCR scheme, the author considers the new strictly quantitative modifications representing a combination of PCR with semiautomated immunoassay, this simplifying the practical use of the method. Errors most frequently occurring in PCR are discussed. The ligase chain reaction, more rapid than PCR, and permitting one to obtain a billion of DNA molecule copies in 30 min, is described, and prospects of its use for rapid diagnosis shown.


Virtual reality (VR) therapy is a new, neurorehabilitation intervention aimed at enhancing motor performance in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy (CP). This case report investigated the effects of VR therapy on cortical reorganization and associated motor function in an 8‐year‐old male with hemiparetic CP. Cortical activation and associated motor development were measured before and after VR therapy using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and standardized motor tests. Before VR therapy, the bilateral primary sensorimotor cortices (SMCs) and ipsilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) were predominantly activated during affected elbow movement. After VR therapy, the altered activations disappeared and the contralateral SMC was activated. This neuroplastic change was associated with enhanced functional motor skills including reaching, self‐feeding, and dressing. These functions were not possible before the intervention. To our knowledge, this is the first fMRI study in the literature that provides evidence for neuroplasticity after VR therapy in a child with hemiparetic CP.


BACKGROUND: Biomass is the only renewable feedstock containing carbon, and therefore the only alternative to fossil-derived crude oil derivatives. However, the main problems concerning the application of biomass for biofuels and bio-based chemicals are related to transport and handling, the limited scale of the conversion process and the competition with the food industry. To overcome such problems, an integral processing route for the conversion of (non-feed) biomass (residues) to transportation fuels is proposed. It includes a pretreatment process by fast pyrolysis, followed by upgrading to produce a crude-oil-like product, and finally co-refining in traditional refineries. RESULTS: This paper contributes to the understanding of pyrolysis oil upgrading. The processes include a thermal treatment step and/or direct hydroprocessing. At temperatures up to 250 degrees C (in the presence of H(2) and catalyst) parallel reactions take place including re-polymerization (water production), decarboxylation (limited CO(2) production) and hydrotreating. Water is produced in small quantities (approx. 10% extra), likely caused by repolymerization. This repolymerization takes place faster (order of minutes) than the hydrotreating reactions (order of tens of minutes, hours). CONCLUSIONS: In hydroprocessing of bio-oils, a pathway is followed by which pyrolysis oils are further polymerized if H(2) and/or catalyst is absent, eventually to char components, or, with H(2)/catalyst, to stabilized components that can be further upgraded. Results of the experiments suggest that specifically the cellulose-derived fraction of the oil needs to be transformed first, preferably into alcohols in a 'mild hydrogenation' step. This subsequently allows further dehydration and hydrogenation. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry


The Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) has been involved in the study and modelling of industrial autogenous (AG) and semi-autogenous (SAG) mills for over 25 years. Recent research at the JKMRC has developed a new AG/SAG mill model which is based on charge dynamics. The model relates charge motion and composition to power draw and size reduction. Size reduction is described by considering impact and attrition/abrasion as separate processes. These are linked to energy available in the mill, the charge size distribution and the relative motion of the grinding media. Ore specific energy-breakage are described using laboratory data which are obtained from breakage tests over a wide range of energies and particle sizes. Slurry transport is described using the JKMRC's latest model which incorporates the effect of grate design. This paper describes the overall structure of the model together with its main sub-processes.


To meet the needs for human livelihood, then anything will be done in order to get it. For something to be desired additionally received a separate inner satisfaction. The issue is often one's inner deny and ignore the things that are principally of the order syar'i. There are many needs in life, on the one hand would lead to the procurement of goods be increased sharply, while on the other hand consumerism culture into a lifestyle that has permeated the mindset for all levels of society, both from lower to higher berekonomi society. As the title of the subject of this article, so in this study the authors more focus on how the theories underlying the consumers both in the paradigm of consumer behavior theory psychologically and conception which was built by the teachings of Islam as a smart solution that is summed up in the system Islamic economics. What and how theories of consumer behavior and how to shape the concept of Islam as a concrete bid. Consumer Behavior in the view of Economics & Islamic behavior associated with this consumption problem, is controlled by five principles, namely; Justice, cleanliness, simplicity, generosity, morality. While the motives of consumer behavior including; Motif physiological therein includes motive to keep yourself and sustainability motif descent. Then the second psycho-spiritual motives in which there is a psychological motive. The consumer ethics include; needs and desires, and satisfaction of beneficiaries, beneficiaries and economic values of Islam.


The regional elements in the west-central margin of the Malay Basin largely comprise a platform area and a hingeline zone which runs parallel CNW-SE) to the basin margin. The Tertiary basement of this margin is divided into three structural units based on fault trends and basement structural contours. The northern unit is characterised by fault trends controlled by basement highs. Central unit represents a zone of fault bifurcation. Within the southern unit, there is a fault zone which is aligned to the Dungun graben. The causative maximum horizontal compression acted on the pre Tertiary basement is in the 20°-40° direction. Right lateral wrenching could have occurred at the west-central margin of the Malay basin as early as Jura-Cretaceous and continued till pre-Oligocene. It has initiated the formation ofTok Bidan Graben and is shown by the occurrence of basement faults transecting the Jura-Cretaceous as well as pre Oligocene sediments in the Tok Bidan Graben. Tok Bidan Graben resembled a rhomboid pull apart basin by right lateral wrenching. The continual right lateral wrenching during pre-Oligocene could have initiated the formation of NW -SE trending Dungun faults and its associated half grabens. The Dungun graben is located at the south-east end of the Dungun faults. This graben is also a right lateral wrenched rhomboid pull apart basin. The location of this graben at the south-east end of the Dungun faults suggested the movement of the Dungun faults in a dextral sense. Right stepping en echelon faults within ?Miocene sediments in the Dungun Graben suggested a reversal of wrench movement during ?Miocene time. The stress regime within this graben changed from transtensional to transpressional. However, such reversal was not recorded in Tok Bidan Miocene sediments: the Dungun faults could have buffered the changes in stress during Miocene. The absence of wrench reversal in the Tok Bidan Graben indicated that Tok Bidan area could be stabilising during Miocene time. This Miocene reversal of wrench movement could be the manifestation of the changes in the stress regime within this portion of the basin. Changing stress direction is observed since Jura Cretaceous. These changes could have resulted from the change of motion of the Pacific Plate and the progressive northward advancement of the Indo-Australian Plate during Miocene.


A variant of the use of plasmatrons for the disposal of industrial waste and the organization of non-waste production is proposed in this article, which presents the design for the functioning equipment. A computer experiment was carried out to determine the parameters of the flow of the plasma jet. The results of a computer experiment are confirmed by a full-scale experiment. Conclusions and results are of practical benefit to developers and consumers of technological equipment.
Keywords: plasmatron, flow, plasma, jet, temperature, velocity


Building resilience in Ocean Cities of the Pacific region is key to converting challenges and risks communities face into opportunities for systemic transformation toward sustainable development. Island settlements at the nexus of ocean health, climate change and urban development will need to build anticipatory, adaptive, absorptive and transformative capacity in the face of complex stressors.

The interlinked challenges and resource constraints in rapidly growing Ocean Cities in the Pacific means that the ability to absorb shocks and bounce back
relevant partners and stakeholders to promote equitable opportunities for all people in urban communities to access resources and use them sustainably, and to apply standardized methods contextualized for the Pacific to assess the relative vulnerability of communities in Ocean Cities. It also recognizes the importance of promoting stronger governance regimes within urban communities, aligning these with the policies of local government, and encouraging partnerships between urban and rural communities. This second policy brief in the Ocean Cities series offers guidance in this direction.


This essay reviews some of the key issues in transitional justice process and institutional design, based on research and experience working and living in several post-conflict societies, and suggests that cultural variations in transitional justice goals, practices, and processes are necessary to accomplish plural goals. One "template" for transitional justice will not work in different settings, with different causes for human harms and conflict. In short, process pluralism is an essential part of transitional justice. How different political, social and cultural situations transition from conflict to less conflictual states will vary from society to society, and "transitional justice" is now as varied in purpose and implementation as "alternative" dispute resolution is in traditional adjudication processes in many societies. This essay draws on examples from Argentina and Chile's emergence from post-military dictatorships, and offers some descriptions of how "transitions" themselves are transitional – learning iteratively from others, while often preserving some of what is culturally particularistic in valuing memory, punishment, forgiveness, restitution or reintegration at different levels of society. The essay describes both national and sub-national or transnational efforts at using, not only governmental processes, but those formed by civil society groups and at trans- and sub-national levels. Provocatively, and without any clear conclusion, the essay suggests that "democracy" and "the rule of law" may not necessarily be the only desiderata in transitional justice. The field of transitional justice has grown and developed both theoretically and in practice and this essay looks at how some of the particulars from case studies can further our understanding of how transitional justice is more than legal – it must include the social, the cultural and take account of individual variations in desires for different kinds of "justice."


Following are lists of books publicly available online on the topics of Early American (pre-1850) architecture, furniture, metalwork, pottery, more.


Abstract Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effect of light, temperature, solution pH, solution osmotic potential, and oxygen concentration on pitted morningglory germination and radicle plus hypocotyl elongation, and seeding depth on its subsequent emergence. Daily exposure of seed to natural light resulted in lower germination than in darkness, whereas germination was not influenced by brief exposure to red or far-red light. Germination occurred over a wide range of constant temperatures, from 7.5 to 52.5 C, with optimum germination between 20 and 25 C. Germination occurred at solution pH range of 3 to 10 and was optimal from pH 6 to 8. Radicle plus hypocotyl elongation was influenced by the interaction of temperature and solution pH. A combination of acidic medium (pH 6) and high temperature (30 C) resulted in the greatest radicle plus hypocotyl length of 7.6 cm after a 7-d incubation. Germination and radicle plus hypocotyl elongation, averaged over the 15 and 30 C temperature, decreased with increasing moisture stress, with less than 3% normalized germination at −1.0 MPa. Germination was 29, 40, and 51% at 2, 10, and 20% oxygen, respectively, averaged over 15 and 30 C. Germination of seed lying on the soil surface covered with filter paper or without any cover was similar, averaging 64%. Normalized emergence, relative to germination on the soil surface, decreased with increasing burial depth to 4% emergence at 10 cm, with a mean emergence depth of 4.1 cm, averaged across two soil types. Nomenclature: Pitted morningglory, Ipomoea lacunosa L. IPOLA.


A new trend in the field of cut-off grinding tools such as circular saws is the application of deterministic grain pattern, e.g. the ARIX-System. Although the improved performance of these tools has been proven in a quarry exemplarily, it is not clear how to configure an optimized grain pattern. It is assumed that the work material, the cutting parameters and the tool dimensions have an influence on these pattern. In this paper a new method is presented for the design of cut-off grinding segments for circular saws with defined grain pattern, which is based on the in-house material removal simulation software CutS. With this simulation, the influence of variable grain pattern on tool performance and tool life can be tested without the need for cutting experiments. It is possible to test different material specifications through the consideration of brittle and ductile material removal mechanisms and adjustable material removal factors. The influence of macroscopic and microscopic tool wear on the optimized positioning of grains by means of material removal rate and wear rate is investigated. With special algorithms, it is also possible to simulate standard tools with stochastically distributed diamond grains. Computed results will be compared to real cutting experiments of granite with cut-off grinding segments designed with CutS.


During recent years, games with a purpose (GWAPs) have become increasingly popular for studying human behaviour [1–4]. However, no standardised method for web-based game experiments has been proposed so far. We present here our approach comprising an extended version of the CaSimIR social game framework [5] for data collection, mini-games for tempo and rhythm tapping, and an initial analysis of the data collected so far. The game presented here is part of the Spot The Odd Song Out game, which is freely available for use on Facebook and on the Web 1 .We present the GWAP method in some detail and a preliminary analysis of data collected. We relate the tapping data to perceptual ratings obtained in previous work. The results suggest that the tapped tempo data collected in a GWAP can be used to predict perceived speed. I toned down the above statement as I understand from the results section that our data are not as good as When averagingthe rhythmic performances of a group of 10 players in the second experiment, the tapping frequency shows a pattern that corresponds to the time signature of the music played. Our experience shows that more effort in design and during runtime is required than in a traditional experiment. Our experiment is still running and available on line.


Kidney size was measured ultrasonographically in a cross-sectional study of 612 foetuses. Values of the length (Nlgs), width (Nqu), thickness (Nap) as well as cross-sectional area (Nqu-Fl) of the kidney were calculated by statistical means and correlated to gestational age. Because of the great biological variance, the ratio of kidney length and width to the thorax width and the ratio of kidney area to the thorax area, was calculated and the standard deviation was found to be very small. The ratios for growth-retarded and macrosomic foetuses from diabetic mothers were examined. The results are discussed and the syndromes, which is often associated with renal abnormality are tabulated.


AbstractBACKGROUND: Internal medicine residents must be competent in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) for board certification.
 OBJECTIVE: To use a medical simulator to assess postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2) residents' baseline proficiency in ACLS scenarios and evaluate the impact of an educational intervention grounded in deliberate practice on skill development to mastery standards.
 DESIGN: Pretest-posttest design without control group. After baseline evaluation, residents received 4, 2-hour ACLS education sessions using a medical simulator. Residents were then retested. Residents who did not achieve a research-derived minimum passing score (MPS) on each ACLS problem had more deliberate practice and were retested until the MPS was reached.
 PARTICIPANTS: Forty-one PGY-2 internal medicine residents in a university-affiliated program.
 MEASUREMENTS: Observational checklists based on American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines with interrater and internal consistency reliability estimates; deliberate practice time needed for residents to achieve minimum competency standards; demographics; United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and Step 2 scores; and resident ratings of program quality and utility.
 RESULTS: Performance improved significantly after simulator training. All residents met or exceeded the mastery competency standard. The amount of practice time needed to reach the MPS was a powerful (negative) predictor of posttest performance. The education program was rated highly.
 CONCLUSIONS: A curriculum featuring deliberate practice dramatically increased the skills of residents in ACLS scenarios. Residents needed different amounts of training time to achieve minimum competency standards. Residents enjoy training, evaluation, and feedback in a simulated clinical environment. This mastery learning program and other competency-based efforts illustrate outcome-based medical education that is now prominent in accreditation reform of residency education.


Linear kinematic features (LKFs) in sea ice, potentially important for short-term forecast users as for climate simulations, emerge as viscous-plastic sea ice models are used at high (<10km) resolution. Here we analyze the short-range (up to 10 days) potential predictability of LKFs in Arctic sea ice using an ocean/sea-ice model with a grid point separation of ~4.5 km. We analyze the sensitivity of predictability to idealized initial perturbations, resembling uncertainties in sea ice analyses, and to growing uncertainty of the atmospheric forcing caused by the chaotic nature of the atmosphere. For the latter we use different members of ECMWF ensemble forecasts to drive ocean/sea-ice forecasts. For our analysis, we diagnose LKFs occurrence and investigate different sea ice characteristics. On the 10-day-time scale, the model has lower predictive skill for LKFs and deformation than for sea-ice thickness and concentration.


References http://www.jimmunol.org#otherarticles 17 online articles that cite this article can be accessed at: €Subscriptions online at http://www.jimmunol.org/subscriptions/ Information about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology isPermissions http://www.aai.org/ji/copyright.html Submit copyright permission requests at Email Alerts up at http://www.jimmunol.org/subscriptions/etoc.shtml Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign


In this paper we proposed a modified running spectrum filtering(RSF) method for noise reduction. RSF is an efficient noise reduction method. Because conventional RSF used FIR filter with 240 orders for reducing noise twice, the calculation cost is very high. Thus, removing low-frequency components with a bandpass filter can reduce the additive noise in power spectra. On the other hand, the Cepstrum Mean subtraction Algorithm (CMS) method is used to reduce the remanent noise in whole frequency domain in logarithm spectra. CMS is simpler than RSF. The calculation cost is far lower than that of RSF. The experiment shows proposed method not only improves the recognition accuracy of automatic speech recognition, but also reduces the calculation cost of conventional RSF


Much has been documented in the literature on sentiment analysis and document summarisation. Much of this applies to long structured text in the form of documents and blog posts. With a shift in social media towards short commentary (see Facebook status updates and twitter tweets), the difference in comment structure may affect the accuracy of sentiment analysis techniques. From our VoiceYourView trial, we collected over 2000 individual short comments on the topic of library refurbishment, many of which are transcribed spoken comments. We have shown success in determining the theme of comments by looking for the first noun and using a semantic tag set to categorise this noun and hence the comment for short comments. Sentiment is a measure of how positive or negative a comment is, and the actionability metric is a measure of how actionable the comment is, i.e. how useful it is. This paper looks towards applying methods from the literature to our dataset with the aim of evaluating methods of automatic sentiment and actionability analysis for our VoiceyourView application data and has relevance to data from other applications, e.g. those from the social media. With many social media commentary applications moving to add speech platforms, VoiceYourView data may be representative of the type of free-form spoken text input to be expected in such platforms.


Micropulse Trans-Scleral Cyclophotocoagulation (MP-TSCPC) Laser omits a fractioned continuous wave diode laser that targets the ciliary body, which produces aqueous humor, in order to reduce the Intraocular Pressure (IOP). It is commonly used for refractory glaucoma that is difficult to treat using medication or surgery. This case series assessed  the effect of MP-TSCPC in five glaucomatous eye from  patients in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in March-May 2017. An inclusion criteria in this case includes glaucomatous eyes with IOP more than 21 mmHg that is non-responsive to glaucoma medication or surgery. MP-TSCPC was considered successful if the IOP  reduced more than 30% from the initial IOP. There were two absolute Primary Closed Angle Glaucoma (PCAG), two moderate and severe Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) and one secondary glaucoma case. Initial mean IOP was 36 ± 107 mmHg, in which one month after MPTSCPC the mean IOP  reduced to 19,6 ± 5,1 mmHg. All of the patients in this case series had reduced IOP more than 30% with no loss of visual acuity nor phthisis bulbi. This method was successful in reducing IOP in glaucomatous eye without any side effect, only post-operative pain was complained by the patients after the procedure, in which it was relieved using analgesic medication.


OBJECTIVE
For patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are at risk of disease-related mortality, we have initiated a protocol of intensive immunosuppression and haematopoietic stem cell support. The first patient enrolled in this study was in the midst of a lupus flare manifest by nephritis and rapidly declining renal function, uncontrolled hypertension, immune-mediated cytopenias, and serositis characterized by a large pericardial effusion and abdominal pain. Antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-double-stranded (ds) DNA and complement were abnormal. This patient is now more than 1 yr post-stem cell transplant and is taking no immunosuppressive medication. Her serologies are normal, effusions have resolved, blood pressure is normal and renal function is markedly improved. The clinical and serological course of this patient is summarized here.

METHODS
Autologous haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) were mobilized with cyclophosphamide (2.0 g/m2) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (10 microg/kg/day). Stem cells were enriched ex vivo using CD34-positive immunoselection and reinfused after immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) (90 mg/kg).

RESULTS
White blood cell engraftment with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of >500/microl (0.5 x 10(9)/l) and platelet engraftment with a non-transfused platelet count of >20000/microl (20 x 10(9)/l) occurred on day 10 and 14, respectively. Therapy was complicated by a cell lysis-like effect with hyperphosphataemia, hyperuricaemia, normal anion gap metabolic acidosis and transient exacerbation of renal insufficiency.

CONCLUSION
This is the first autologous T-cell-depleted haematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed to treat lupus in an active flare. This patient has, for the first time since discase onset (13 yr ago), entered a complete clinical and serological remission which persists at >1 yr of follow-up. The durability of this remission is unknown.


Multiple methods of manufacturing Ti-6Al-4V powders for Additive Manufacturing (AM) are available. The effects of the powder quality, properties and post-processing conditions on microstructure and mechanical properties in Electron Beam Melting (EBM) process are investigated in this work.

Two powders manufactured using Plasma (PA) and Gas (GA) Atomisation were fully characterised. Test specimens were built using default manufacturer's (Arcam) parameters and mechanically tensile tested in different post-processing conditions: as built (near net-shape), heat treated using Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), and on surface machined. Each build specimen was cut and polished to analyse for porosity, defects, and microstructure. The microstructure of as-built samples was found to be of very fine and acicular morphology due to high solidification rate. HIP heat treatment has been observed to homogenise as-built anisotropic grain microstructure, with reduction and elimination of gas pores and defects for as-built EBM samples.

However, this (HIP) also resulted in coarser grain microstructure. Both GA and PA specimens yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) measured, with PA found to have higher values in comparison to GA. The study found that lack of fusion/un-melted particles caused lower elongation for as-built PA samples due to un-optimised parameters and process instability. Spherical gas pores (argon trapped) in GA powders and parts were predominately found due to atomisation process thus inherited in as-built parts.

Nonetheless, all samples had better and some above the minimum ASTM F294-14 titanium tensile requirement. The PA yield strength and tensile strength of the EBM as-built specimens were 850 and 925 MPa irrespectively, while GA yield strength and tensile strengths were 810 and 887 MPa irrespectively.


Teacher questions are claimed to be constitutive of classroom interaction because of their crucial role both in the construction of knowledge and the organization of classroom proceedings (Dalton Puffer, 2007). Most of previous research on teachers' questions mainly focused on identifying and discovering different question types believed to be helpful in creating the opportunities for learners' interactions. Drawing on conversation analysis through adopting socio-cultural perspective, this study, however, aims to examine how EFL teachers manage understanding-check questions in their talk-in-interaction. For this purpose, six EFL teachers' discursive classroom practices were observed, video-recorded, and transcribed line-by-line in its entirety. Through the microanalysis of the transcribed data, our findings suggest that EFL teachers vary in their management of understanding-check questions and the teachers' understanding-check questions tend to serve different functions in the different micro-contexts identified. Three major sequential environments emerged to feature understanding-check questions in this study: Activity-boundary environment, post-instruction environment and within-activity environment. The findings of the study indicate that understanding-check questions at activity boundary environment are designed to accomplish dual functions, however those launched in post-instruction and within-activity environments maintain a singular focus on ensuring absolute understanding of the just-given explanation or instruction.


This study applied the social–ecological systems framework (SESF) to six fishing communities in northern Mozambique where marine resource management is being implemented through the Our Sea Our Life project. Data on 11 variables and 27 indicators were organised using the SESF to represent the key system dimensions (Governance system, Actors, Resource units and Resource system). Variables within each dimension were weighed to a cumulative score of one. High scores (> 0.50) for Governance system occurred where communities had fisheries management rules and good knowledge of fishing gear regulations. High scores for Actors were evident in communities with few migrant fishers and high participation in village savings and loans associations. Elevated scores of the Resource units occurred where fishers targeted a variety of fish taxa. A healthy Resource system was found in communities neighbouring highly productive and resilient reefs, characterised by high fish biomass and diversity. The status of social and ecological conditions coupled with initial levels of project support and quality of technical support were linked with project achievements. Application of the SESF is therefore valuable in understanding interdependent linkages between social and environmental conditions to inform the design of localised management interventions for social–ecological sustainability.


HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS) is rapidly becoming a key video delivery technology for fixed and mobile networks. However, today there is no solution that allows network operators or CDN providers to perform network-based QoE monitoring for HAS sessions. We present a HAS QoE monitoring system, based on data collected in the network, without monitoring information from the client. To retrieve the major QoE parameters such as average quality, quality variation, rebuffering events and interactivity delay, we propose a technique called session reconstruction. We define a number of iterative steps and developed algorithms that can be used to perform HAS session reconstruction. Finally, we present the results of a working prototype for the reconstruction and monitoring of Microsoft Smooth Streaming HAS sessions that is capable of dealing with intermediate caching and user interactivity. We describe the main observations when using the platform to analyze more than a hundred HAS sessions.


It is well established that violent media can increase levels of aggression. The aim of the present study was to examine whether cognitive distortions mediate the relationship between enjoyment of violent media and the frequency in which people are exposed to violent media, and whether this exposure to violent media mediates the relationship between cognitive distortions and levels of aggression. Eighty-six participants completed questionnaires assessing enjoyment of and frequent exposure to film and television violence, lyrical violence in music, and computer game violence. Participants were also assessed with respect to frequency of aggression and moral disengagement. Mediation analysis indicated partial mediation effects of moral disengagement regarding the relationship between enjoyment of violent media and the frequency of exposure to violent media; and full mediation effects of moral disengagement in the frequency of exposure to violent media–aggression relationship. The study emphasizes the role that cognitive distortions such as moral disengagement play in digesting violent media, making it more acceptable and therefore increasing the likelihood of higher levels of aggression.


An important trend, in personal area networks, is that time critical application becomes more common, e.g., voice over IP, video phone calls, network games. This segment of applications demands for quality of service (QoS) guarantees, to provide the correct functionality. The Bluetooth standard provides an optional interface to support QoS guarantees, but the standard does not suggest any actual implementation. A wireless communication channel is stochastic by nature, providing QoS guarantees with this precondition make traditional deterministic real-time theory obsolete. In this paper a probabilistic fault tolerance test enabling quality of service guarantees in a Bluetooth piconet is given. The basic Bluetooth network architecture is based on a master-slave configuration, i.e., a point to point connection. More advanced network architectures are possible where up to eight Bluetooth equipped units can be active members of one network (piconet). Furthermore, several piconets can interconnect and form a so called scatternet.


Abstract In the Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem, delineation of reef fish distributions in relationship to habitat patterns is important for improving the design characteristics of fishery-independent surveys. Efficient survey design depends on analysis of fish distribution patterns to inform and improve the precision of future surveys. We used a diver visual survey to quantify occupancy patterns of preexploitation-size Black Grouper Mycteroperca bonaci and Red Grouper Epinephelus morio. The survey was based on a stratified random sampling design with strata reflecting cross-shelf coral reef habitat types. A multiple spatial scale modeling approach confirmed a cross-shelf occurrence gradient for Red Grouper, with higher nearer-to-shore occupancy probability and lower offshore occupancy probability. Black Grouper occurrence followed a latitudinal gradient, with higher occurrence probabilities in the lower Florida Keys than in the upper Keys. Local habitat characteristics measured within reef strata suggested that occupancy relationships for both species varied according to vertical relief. Our analysis also included multilevel slope coefficients (random effects), which revealed unforeseen variance structure in Black Grouper occurrence probability among cross-shelf reef strata. Our study improves on previous qualitative observations of juvenile grouper distributions in the Florida Keys and highlights the use of multilevel models in revealing variance structures of fish distributions not revealed by fixed-effects models. Our analysis contributes to a discussion about foraging characteristics in producing the observed distributional patterns, and we suggest that examining the links between the distributions of forage fishes and larger predators (i.e., groupers) would be a useful step in improving survey stratification schemes.


To investigate the clinical presentation of Baker's cyst in patients with calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) calcifications of the knee, the most commonly affected site in CPPD deposition disease, with the use of high-resolution musculoskeletal ultrasound (MUS). This was a prospective clinical and MUS study conducted in 60 patients with CPPD deposition disease of the knee. The patients' synovial fluid was aspirated and examined for the identification of crystals. The relationships between the Baker's cyst and occurrence of joint effusion, synovitis, chondrocalcinosis, and osteophytes were analyzed. Baker's cysts were demonstrated by MUS in 17 (28.3%) of the 60 patients. Joint effusion was present in all 60 (100%) patients. In addition, 55 (91.7%) patients had synovitis, 11 (18.3%) had chondrocarcinosis, and 45 (75.0%) had osteophytes. There was no significant correlation between the occurrence of Baker's cyst and the occurrence of effusion, synovitis, chondrocarcinosis, and osteophytes (p > 0.05). These results indicate that Baker's cysts are a common occurrence in patients with CPPD deposition disease, affecting 28% of this population and that they can be accompanied by joint effusion, synovitis, chondrocalcinosis, and osteophytes. Baker's cysts are easily missed on clinical examination without image guidance, but can be accurately identified with the use of MUS. Therefore, MUS should be more widely employed by clinicians in the diagnosis of Baker's cysts. (J Intern Med Taiwan 2014; 25: 281-287)


Abstract Platelet transfusion has been reported to modulate the recipients' immune system. To date, the precise mechanism(s) driving poor patient outcomes (e.g., increased rate of mortality, morbidity, infectious complications and prolonged hospital stays) following platelet transfusion are largely undefined. To determine the potential for platelet concentrates (PC) to modulate responses of crucial immune regulatory cells, a human in vitro whole blood model of transfusion was established. Maturation and activation of human myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) and the specialized subset blood DC antigen (BDCA)3+ DC were assessed following exposure to buffy-coat derived PC at day (D)2 (fresh) and D5 (date-of-expiry). In parallel, to model recipients with underlying viral or bacterial infection, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid or lipopolysaccharide was added. Exposure to PC had less of an impact on mDC responses than BDCA3+ DC responses. PC alone downregulated BDCA3+ DC expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD40 and CD80. In the model of viral infection, PC downregulated expression of CD83, and in the bacterial model of infection, PC downregulated CD80, CD83, and CD86. PC alone suppressed mDC production of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and BDCA3+ DC production of IL-8, IL-12, and IL-6. In the model of viral infection, production of IL-12 and interferon-gamma inducible protein (IP)-10 was reduced in both DC subsets, and IL-8 was reduced in BDCA3+ DC following PC exposure. When modeling bacterial infection, PC suppressed mDC and BDCA3+ DC production of IL-6 and IL-10 with a reduction in TNF-α evident in mDC. This study assessed the impact of PC "transfusion" on DC surface antigen expression and inflammatory mediator production and provided the first evidence that PC transfusion modulates blood mDC and BDCA3+ DC maturation and activation, particularly in the models of infection. Results of this study suggest that patients who receive PC, particularly those with underlying infectious complications, may fail to establish an appropriate immune response precipitating poor patient outcomes.


A photonic crystal slab structure with one-dimensional periodicity, obtained by preferential etching of a silicon-on-insulator wafer, is numerically investigated in 3-D. The etched grooves are considered to be filled either with an isotropic or with a Nematic Liquid Crystal (NLC) material. The molecular director is calculated using a consistent model of NLC reorientation under an external voltage. Different structures together with a broad range of voltage values are numerically simulated by means of a three-dimensional finite-difference timedomain method. The shifting of the photonic bandgap induced by the applied voltage, as well as its sensitivity in terms of refractometric applications, are discussed for a range of different structure geometries. [DOI: 10.2971/jeos.2009.09017]


Conceptual modeling is nowadays mostly done using languages such as Entity-Relationship (ER) Models, Unified Modeling Language (UML), and Object-Role Modeling (ORM). These models are used to depict the ontological organization of relevant concepts or entities. Such formalisms share a common modeling approach, based on the notions of class or entity and the relations or associations between classes or entities. Recent developments in knowledge representation using logic-based ontologies have created new possibilities for conceptual data modeling. It also raises the question of how existing conceptual models using ER, UML or ORM could be translated into Description Logics (DLs), a family of logics that have proved to be particularly appropriate for formalizing ontologies and reasoning about them. Given a conceptual data model, two assumptions are usually made that are not explicitly stated but need to be clarified for its DL translation: (1) disjointness assumption: all the classes are to be assumed pairwise disjoint if not specified otherwise; and (2) covering assumption: the content of every class must correspond to the union of its immediate subclasses (this includes the assumption that we do not consider anything apart from what is expressed in the model). In this paper we propose two simple procedures to assist modelers with integrating these assumptions into their models, thereby allowing for a more complete translation into DLs.


: Presentation of one case of Wunderlich's syndrome secondary to spontaneous mesorenal fracture due to renal angiomyolipoma. In our case, the therapeutical approach is based in the need to preserve the functional renal unit. Wunderlich's syndrome or spontaneous perirenal haematoma can occur for a variety of causes, the most frequent ones being renal adenocarcinoma and renal angiomyolipoma. The latter is a hamartoma made up of three different tissue lines: smooth muscle cells, blood vessels and adipose tissue. Based on our case, we discuss the clinical, prognostic and therapeutical aspects related to renal angiomyolipomes.


We describe the integration of pattern-based reasoning learned through experience into two decision-making systems. The first is a hierarchical, multimodal game-playing program called Hoyle which integrates various approaches for deciding which move to make. The second is a dynamic programming assignment system which assigns trucking resources to delivery tasks. In this case, we utilize historic patterns of activity in the network generator to limit the candidate tour generation process for the assignment algorithm. In each case, the new knowledge results in increased performance.


Abstract. In the Vosges and the Black Forest there are many glacial cirques. Using statistical methods regarding the altitude of their floors and the exposition of the whole forms, four groups can be destinguished. Because of the parallelism between these groups and the well-known four "Wurm"-stadials of the glaciers in the southern part of the Black Forest, they can be related to each other. On the second hand there is the opportunity to relate indirectly (of course only, if proved in the terrain) all other moraines connected with the fully developed glacial cirques. In this conduct the "Wurm"-glacial history of the glacial cirques and the valleys in the northern part of the Black Forest could be clarified. Otherwise it is possible to guess relatively correct, where up to now unknown moraines beneath fully developed glacial cirques in the southern part of the Black Forest and especially the Vosges should be located.


Soil resistivity plays a key role in designing grounding systems of high voltage transmission lines and substations. This paper deals with an already in service HV utility, it is a 69 kV transmission line with a power generation plant at one end and a transformation substation at the other. What makes this case very interesting is that this installation is located in a high soil resistivity area, at the same time as being in the vicinity of sea water with very low resistivity. It belongs to Hydro-Quebec and does not have a shield wire nor counterpoise. This research highlights the impact of the salt water in reducing the potential rise during an electrical fault and the effectiveness of the counterpoise when the resistivity of the soil is very high. The method of images from electromagnetics is applied to calculate the potential rise. All results are validated by experimental measurements performed by a specialized field test group from Hydro-Quebec.


This is used for creating DC for Ashrya.com which is a leading team of architects for residential commercial and town planning


OBJECTIVES
This study examined HIV prevalence and risk behaviors among male injection drug users (IDUs) who have sex with men and among other male IDUs.

METHODS
Male IDUs were interviewed and tested for HIV at a detoxification clinic during 1990 to 1994 and 1995 to 1999. Analyses compared male IDUs who do and do not have sex with men within and between periods.

RESULTS
Initially, HIV seroprevalence and risk behaviors were higher among IDUs who have sex with men. Seroprevalence (initially 60.5% vs 48.3%) declined approximately 15% in both groups, remaining higher among those who have sex with men. Generally, injection prevalence, but not sexual risk behaviors, declined.

CONCLUSIONS
Male IDUs who have sex with men are more likely to engage in higher-risk behaviors and to be HIV infected. Improved intervention approaches for male IDUs who have sex with men are needed.


In the period 1957--1976 481 patients under 40 years of age were operated on. Dyspnoea and increased fatigue were dominating symptoms in more than half of the series. In 202 cases the anomaly was discovered at routine examination in the absence of relevant symptoms. Almost half of the patients were operated under hypothermia, in the others extracorporeal perfusion was used. Four hospital deaths occurred, two of which were related to cardiopulmonary bypass.


Serological response to a live commercial vaccine of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus administered to sheep and goats in Buchanan, the capital city of Grand Bassa County, Liberia was assessed in view of its importance for effective restocking of small ruminants in the city. Forty-four paired serum samples (pre- and post-vaccination) were collected from vaccinated sheep and goats during a nation-wide campaign for food security promotion from March to October, 2011. Sheep and goats were vaccinated against PPR in late April, 2011. Pre-vaccination samples were collected in mid-April, 2011. Post-vaccination samples were collected in mid-October 2011 from the same groups of sheep and goats (6 months after vaccination). Paired serum samples gathered were stored at -4 0 C until tested. Competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA) was used to determine antibody levels against PPR virus. Only 34(77.3%) out of 44 paired serum samples were adequate in quantity and quality for the test. Test results indicated 27(79.4%) out of 44 paired serum samples increased significantly in antibody levels from prevaccination to post-vaccination levels that were equal or above threshold of Percentage Inhibition (PI > 50%) against PPR vaccine. The importance of these findings to effective veterinary services delivery for the control of this neglected animal disease in Liberia is discussed. The present seroconversion status against PPR virus is considered to be a milestone in rebuilding veterinary services systems in Liberia towards national efforts for food security after prolonged civil war (1989-2003) in the country.


This paper is concerned with the latest technologies on high-power switching dc-dc converters controlled by time-sharing high-frequency thyristor chopper with energy -storage and -transfer reactor coupling links, which can operate over an ultrasonic chopping frequency region in -the extent of 20KHz or more than 20KHz. The possible circuit configurations of new thyristor type switching step-up and down dc-dc converters relating to mgneticpower semiconductor devices and their unique features are described and discussed from a practical point of view. The general procedures of circuit analysis and performance evaluations to offer the desirable design data are presented, and the steady-state open-loop control characteristics and a closed-loop control policy are elucidated on the basis of the theoretical and experimental results. Thyristor type high-frequency switching step-up dc-dc converter using time-sharing control technique is also originally examined and discussed herein.


This article explores responses to photography's twenty-first century massification, as a key aspect of the 'condition' that curator Joan Fontcuberta (2015) has coined as 'post-photographic'. Through an assessment of a variety of current forms - popular press opinion, leading-edge arts practice and large-scale community projects - it offers a brief snapshot of the hopes and fears attached to photography en masse. By contextualising these responses within recent scholarly literature and also within historic instances of massification, this piece assesses and challenges the technologically determinist claims made for mass photography's novelty. Finally, it offers some methodological reflections and suggestions for ways to understand mass photographic practice, old and new.
The article appears as part of the inaugural issue of a new bilingual interdisciplinary journal, Captures, on the subject of Post-Photography, edited by Canadian art historians Vincent Lavoie and Martha Langford.


The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers' approach to popular culture in preschool. The questions we want answered are: What approach do educators have to popular culture in preschool and what underlies that approach? Is there a high - and low culture in preschool? If educators bring popular culture into the preschool, how then is it used? Do children's culture influence everyday life in preschool? We have employed qualitative methods to seek answers to our questions. We conducted seven interviews with educators from four different preschools. The starting point for our study was the socio-cultural perspective because we examined people's cultures and how the meeting between them unfolds. We concluded that educators have a very ambivalent attitude towards popular culture in preschool. Respondents could see popular culture as positive for children's learning, because it makes learning meaningful and enjoyable for the children. But at the same time, they had difficulty relating to popular culture because of its commercialism, the strongly gender-coded roles that frequently occur and the status created around owning the products. We also observed a strong high culture that contrast with popular culture in preschool. High culture was linked to educators' own experiences and values, and to how instructive and useful cultural phenomenon were for the children. Popular culture needs to be connected with a clear learning objective for teachers to consider taking it into the preschool. During the investigation we discovered that teachers enjoy great power over what is brought into the preschool and over what is held out of children's reach. Children's influence over their own culture is limited in preschool. The most prominent aspect of the study was educators' own ambivalence towards popular culture.


A 71-year-old woman on warfarin (2.5 mg daily) developed severe low back pain with reduced touch sensation and weakness of the lower limbs that progressed to complete paralysis within 28 to 30 hours. Imaging revealed bleeding at the D4 through D11 level, however the patient refused emergency laminectomy. No recovery was observed and the patient was discharged to a rehabilitation facility. Only few other cases of hematomyelia linked to anticoagulant therapy have been reported. Early diagnosis, appropriate management and immediate intervention are needed to prevent irreversible neurological sequelae. The elusive clinical features at presentation may cause an important diagnostic delay.


With sixteen hospitals and almost 10,500 beds, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation(HHC) is the largest municipal hospital system in the United States. With forty-seven hospitals and almost thirty-three thousand beds, the Paris Hospital Corporation, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris(AP), is three times as large, the biggest municipal hospital system in France. This book compares these two vast systems. It analyzes staffing, outpatient and inpatient care, the desirability of private faculty practice plans, budgeting, quality assurance, and the role of medical education in these two very different systems. In addition, it reviews how both HHC and AP plan to adapt their systems over the next decade and beyond. Aging populations, the development and diffusion of new medical technologies, and the growth of hospitals and physicians throughout the 1960s and 1970s have led to massive increases in health care costs in both the United States and in France. Both New York City and Paris have suffered the shock of the AIDS epidemic. Detailed, informed, and authoritative, this book will stand for years as the standard comparative study of two large municipal hospital systems.


Low-temperature cracking is a significant and costly problem for pavement on the orthotropic steel deck. As a popular material used on the steel deck pavement, the low-temperature performance of epoxy asphalt mixture was investigated. In this research, the three-point bending test, the thermal stress restrained specimen test (TSRST) and the coefficient of thermal contraction test were conducted to achieve the flexural strain energy, the fracture temperature, and the coefficient of thermal contraction respectively. Test results show that epoxy asphalt mixture performs excellently on low-temperature properties and has a prominent deformation compliance with the steel deck. Findings from the research indicate that epoxy asphalt mixture is an alternative material paved on the orthotropic steel deck due to its profound low-temperature performance.


Purpose: CD90 (Thy-1) is a glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoprotein considered as a surrogate marker for a variety of stem cells, including glioblastoma (GBM) stem cells (GSC). However, the molecular and cellular functions of CD90 remain unclear. Experimental Design: The function of CD90 in GBM was addressed using cellular models from immortalized and primary GBM lines, in vivo orthotopic mouse models, and GBM specimens' transcriptome associated with MRI features from GBM patients. CD90 expression was silenced in U251 and GBM primary cells and complemented in CD90-negative U87 cells. Results: We showed that CD90 is not only expressed on GSCs but also on more differentiated GBM cancer cells. In GBM patients, CD90 expression was associated with an adhesion/migration gene signature and with invasive tumor features. Modulation of CD90 expression in GBM cells dramatically affected their adhesion and migration properties. Moreover, orthotopic xenografts revealed that CD90 expression induced invasive phenotypes in vivo. Indeed, CD90 expression led to enhanced SRC and FAK signaling in our GBM cellular models and GBM patients' specimens. Pharmacologic inhibition of these signaling nodes blunted adhesion and migration in CD90-positive cells. Remarkably, dasatinib blunted CD90-dependent GBM cell invasion in vivo and killed CD90high primary GSC lines. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that CD90 is an actor of GBM invasiveness through SRC-dependent mechanisms and could be used as a predictive factor for dasatinib response in CD90high GBM patients. Clin Cancer Res; 23(23); 7360–74. ©2017 AACR.


In a double-blind cross-over study, we compared the effects of placebo, propranolol and metoprolol on tolbutamide-stimulated insulin-secretion in 10 non-insulin-dependent hypertensive diabetics and in 10 hypertensive non-diabetic patients. The patients were randomly allocated to two weeks each of treatment with placebo, propranolol 80 mg or metoprolol 100 mg b.i.d. At the end of each period, an intravenous tolbutamide tolerance test (IVTT, 200mg of tolbutamide i.v.) was performed, which caused a significant rise in peripheral insulin levels, leaving blood glucose concentrations unchanged. Tolbutamide-induced insulin-secretion was unaffected by pretreatment with beta-blockers when blood glucose concentrations were unchanged during the test. Since the serum-concentrations achieved with 200 mg of tolbutamide i.v. are similar to those reported during oral tolbutamide therapy, there seems to be no clinically significant interaction between beta-blockers and tolbutamide with respect to insulin-secretion.


Research on very fine fossil corals from Shiqiantan Fm, Xinjiang (310Ma) which have very clear growth lines caused by diurnal increments of calcium carbonate deposition provides important information about ancient climate. This result breaks the record of the oldest remaining material for detailed climate analysis. Data showed distinct seasonal variations, separating ancient climate into four seasons. Storms are frequent in summer during at that time. And the sea temperature exceeded ~30°C for a month in mid-summer. Equipped with this new method, a specific day's climate, cloudy or shining, can be studied from the diurnal patterns.


Peroxynitrite (ONOO-), resulting from the reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide anion, is a powerful oxidant produced in activated macrophages, during ischemia-reperfusion processes as well as in neurodegenerative disorders. This study investigated the reaction of the anesthetic agent propofol (PPF) with ONOO-, using electron spin resonance (ESR) and UV-visible spectrometry. Peroxynitrite was synthetized either from acidified hydrogen peroxide and nitrite, or from sodium azide and ozone. The addition of ONOO- to PPF in alkaline solution (pH 12) allowed to detect a, short lifetime, ESR signal corresponding to a phenoxyl radical. This finding was confirmed by a UV-visible study, resulting in the appearance of 427 nm peak and the disappearance of the peak located at 239 nm. The 291 nm peak remained unchanged. The identification of the end-product of the reaction of PPF with ONOO- needs further investigations.


The Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010 is a legislation which primarily aims to provide for punishment for acts of torture committed or abetted or consented to, by public servants. As stated both in the Preamble, as well as in the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the ostensible rationale for its formulation is the fulfilment of the requirement of an enabling legislation, necessary if India is to ratify the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 1975 [hereinafter "the CAT"]. Accordingly, the Bill defines torture, prescribes necessary punishment and provides certain procedural safeguards relating to the process of investigation. The precise enumerations of these aspects in the Bill however have attracted considerable popular criticism. In this report, we undertake a detailed legal analysis of the provisions of the Bill, an approach we believe will further inform the already vibrant public debate, and thereby be of significant use to the Hon'ble Committee in suggesting reforms. To this end, we take up each clause in the Bill individually and undertake two specific assessments: First, whether the clause is compliant with CAT, which is the stated purpose of the Bill; secondly, an independent legal analysis of the words and phrases in the Bill, in light of concurrent provisions in criminal law and Supreme Court precedent in this regard. Our analysis indicates that the Bill falls short of meeting India's international law obligations, while at the same time it contains several clauses which are theoretically unsound and may create several undesirable ramifications in practice. On the basis of this analysis, we suggest appropriate amendments to the clauses, which will secure necessary compliance with international law obligations under CAT as well as ensure that interpretive difficulties under domestic law are smoothened to make the provisions in the Bill defensible in theory and efficacious in practice.


Ras genes are potent drivers of human cancers, with mutated K-Ras4B being the most abundant isoform. Targeted inhibition of oncogenic gene products is considered the holy grail of present-day cancer therapy, and recent discoveries of small molecule inhibitors for K-Ras4B greatly benefited from a deeper understanding of the protein structure and dynamics of the GTPase. Since interactions with biological membranes are key for Ras function, the details of Ras - lipid interactions have become a major focus of study, especially since it is becoming clear that such interactions not only involve the Ras C-terminus for lipid anchoring, but also the G-protein domain. Here we investigated the interaction between K-Ras4B with the signaling lipid phosphatidyl inositol (4,5) phosphate (PIP2) using NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, complemented by biophysical and cell biology assays. We discovered that the β2 and β3 strands as well as helices 4 and 5 of the GTPase G-domain bind to PIP2, and that these secondary structural elements employ specific residues for these interactions. These likely occur in two orientation states of the protein relative to the membrane. Importantly, we found that some of these residues, which are known to be oncogenic when mutated (D47K, D92N, K104M and D126N), are critical for K-Ras-mediated transformation of fibroblast cells, while not substantially affecting basal and assisted nucleotide hydrolysis and exchange. We further showed that mutation K104M can indeed abolish localization of mutant K-Ras to the plasma membrane. These findings suggest that specific G-domain residues play an important, previously-unknown role in regulating Ras function by mediating interactions with membrane PIP2 lipids. Thus, a detailed description of the novel K-Ras-PIP2 binding surfaces is likely to inform the future design of therapeutic reagents.


Authoritarian regimes face pervasive information problems, not only between state and society but also inside of their own hierarchies. How do authoritarian leaders address internal information issues? We argue that authoritarian information systems contain both formal and informal channels and show substitution between them using evidence from China's economic reporting system. We construct a new measure for economic falsification by subtracting a "plausible growth rate" generated by the Random Forests technique from the official GDP growth rate for each of China's cities. We find that growth over-reporting is less severe in cities where higher-level political leaders enjoy strong informal networks that can serve as alternative information channels. This result is robust across different falsification measures and various alternative specifications. We also explore heterogeneity and spillovers associated with this distortion-reduction effect. Our findings underscore the importance of informal institutions and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of authoritarian information systems.