A convenient technique for the determination of the orientation of a solid-state molecule with respect to its crystalline morphology is presented. The process is especially suitable for spectroscopists wishing to orient crystals in preparation for polarized spectroscopy. Correlation of reciprocal axes with the crystal faces is accomplished by pinholes through a 0-level Weissenberg x-ray diffraction photograph, which allows assignment of spindle angles to lateral positions on the film. The correlation is extended to ORTEP drawings where a scaled-down crystal morphology is included in a standard crystal structure plot, enabling a clear picture of molecular orientations within a crystal. Viewing normal to actual crystal faces allows determination of molecular projections onto desired faces for alignment prior to polarized spectroscopy.


Furosemide is a loop diuretic agent that has been used to treat hypercalcemia because it increases renal calcium excretion. The effect of furosemide on calcium transport molecules in distal tubules has yet to be investigated. We conducted studies to examine the effects of furosemide on renal calcium excretion and expression of calcium transport molecules in mice. Mice were administered with a single dose of furosemide (15 mg/kg) and examined 4 h later or were given twice-daily furosemide injections for 3 days. To evaluate the effects of volume depletion, drinking water was supplemented with salt. Our results showed that, in acute experiments, furosemide enhanced urinary calcium excretion, which was associated with a significant increase in mRNA levels of TRPV5, TRPV6, and calbindin-D28k but not calbindin-D9k as measured by real-time PCR (TRPV5 and TRPV6 are transient receptor potential vanilloid 5 and 6). Chronic furosemide administration induced three- to fourfold increases in urinary calcium excretion and elevated mRNA levels of TRPV5, TRPV6, calbindin-D28k, and calbindin-D9k without or with salt supplement. Similar upregulation of calcium transport molecules was observed in mice with gentamicin-induced hypercalciuria. Coadministration of chlorothiazide decreased furosemide-induced calciuria, either acutely or chronically, although still accompanied by upregulation of these transport molecules. Immunofluorescent staining studies revealed comparably increased protein abundance in TRPV5 and calbindin-D28k. We conclude that furosemide treatment enhances urinary calcium excretion. Increased abundance of calcium transport molecules in the distal convoluted tubule represents a solute load-dependent effect in response to increased calcium delivery and serves as a compensatory adaptation in the downstream segment.


In the 1990's the average length of hospital stay for patients undergoing colonic surgery across Europe and North America was routinely greater than 10 days. Surgery was almost exclusively via an open approach and in addition the established wisdom with regards to perioperative care included recommending prolonged starvation times, bed rest, copious IV fluids, opiate-based analgesia and the routine use of surgical drains, nasogastric tubes and bowel preparation. Postoperative morbidity was high with ileus, sepsis, venous thromboembolism and anastomotic leak all relatively commonplace.


Horseradish peroxidase represents one of the most exploited enzymes in the process of enzymatic phenol removal from aqueous solutions. It has a catalytic ability over a broad pH range, temperature and contaminant concentration. In this study we have investigated the influence of pH and temperature on process of phenol removal by crude horseradish peroxidase from aqueous solution. Reaction was performed in the presence of low molecular polyethylene glycol (PEG 300) at different temperatures (4, 12, 17, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 °C) and pH values (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9). Reaction was monitored by measuring of absorbance changes of the samples taken at certain time intervals from reaction mixture. Obtained results shown that phenol removal from aqueous solution increases by temperature increase up to 35 °C, after which this effect no longer exists. Also, phenol removal increases in the pH range of 3 7, while a further increase of pH value leads to the opposite effect. Based on this it can be concluded that phenol removal from aqueous solutions greatly depends of peroxidase activity, because this temperature and pH values represents the optimum values of peroxidase enzymatic activity.


In this paper, we present a general way of giving denotational semantics to a class of languages equipped with an operational semantics that fits the GSOS format of Bloom, Istrail and Meyer. The canonical model used for this purpose will be Abramsky's domain of synchronization trees, and the denotational semantics automatically generated by our methods will be guaranteed to be fully abstract with respect to the finitely observable part of the bisimulation preorder. In the process of establishing the full abstraction result, we also obtain several general results on the bisimulation preorder (including a complete axiomatization for it), and give a novel operational interpretation of GSOS languages.


Sampling from belief networks which have a substantial number of zero probabilities is problematic. MCMC algorithms like Gibbs sampling do not converge and importance sampling schemes generate many zero weight samples that are rejected, yielding an inefficient sampling process (the rejection problem). In this paper, we propose to augment importance sampling with systematic constraint-satisfaction search in order to overcome the rejection problem. The resulting SampleSearch scheme can be made unbiased by using a computationally expensive weighting scheme. To overcome this an approximation is proposed such that the resulting estimator is asymptotically unbiased. Our empirical results demonstrate the potential of our new scheme.


In this introductory article to the special issue of Religion and Gender on gender, normativity and visuality, we establish the theoretical framework to discuss the influence of visual culture on gender norms. This introduction also provides a reflection on how these norms are communicated, reaffirmed and contested in religious contexts. We introduce the notion of visuality as individual and collective signifying practices, with a particular focus on how this regards gender norms. Two main ways in which religion, gender and normativity are negotiated in visual meaning making processes are outlined: on the one hand, the religious legitimation of gender norms and their communication and confirmation through visual material, and on the other hand, the challenge of these norms through the participation in visual culture by means of seeing and creating. These introductory reflections highlight the common concerns of the articles collected in this issue: the connection between the visualisation of gender roles within religious traditions and the influence of religious gender norms in other fields of (visual) culture.


Key-Value (K-V) stores are an integral building block of modern datacenter applications. With byte-addressable persistent memory (PM) technologies, such as Intel/Micron's 3D XPoint, on the horizon, there has been an influx of new high performance K-V stores that leverage PM for performance. However, there remains a significant performance gap between PM optimized K-V stores and DRAM resident ones, largely reflecting the gap between projected PM latency relative to that of DRAM. We address that performance gap with Bullet, a K-V store that leverages both the byte-addressability of PM and the lower latency of DRAM, using a technique called cross-referencing logs (CRLs) to keep most PM updates off the critical path. Bullet delivers performance approaching that of DRAM resident K-V stores by maintaining two hash tables, one in the slower (backend) PM and the other in the faster (frontend) DRAM. CRLs are a scalable persistent logging mechanism that keeps the two copies mutually consistent. Bullet also incorporates several critical optimizations, such as dynamic load balancing between frontend and backend threads, support for nonblocking Gets, and opportunistic omission of stale updates in the backend. This combination of implementation techniques delivers performance within 5% of that of DRAM-only key-value stores for realistic (read-heavy) workloads. Our general approach, based on CRLs, is "universal" in that it can be used to turn any volatile K-V store into a persistent one (or vice-versa, provide a fast cache for a persistent K-V store).


ABSTRACT This paper introduces the topic and unique format of the section that follows, on psychoanalytic work with transgender children. We first review the apparent impasse that characterizes our field regarding clinical work with gender diverse kids, as well as the reasons we pursued a live dialog to push thinking forward. Then, we outline the structure of the entire section, in which four contributors offer short essays, followed by a transcribed and edited version of the dialog we facilitated, which uses these essays as a starting point. We conclude with reflections on some of the themes that arise in the dialog, and implications for all of us who work in the arena of gender and young people.


The antibacterial activity of the n-hexane, acetone/dichloromethane, ethanol and aqueous extracts of twelve common medicinal plants from the Philippines obtained through pounding and solvent extraction was evaluated using disc Agar diffusion. The microorganisms tested were: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Susceptibility test results showed that different extracts (1000 mcg/disc) from ten plants inhibited growth with a mean zone of inhibition range of 15 to 30 mm against S. aureus, E. coii, and P. aeruginosa.  The common medicinal plants which showed highly positive activity were Psidium guajava (guava), Eucalyptus globulus, Mangifera indica(Indian mango), Nasturtium officinale (Watercress), Pterygospermum oleiferum (Moringa),Carmona retusa (Wild tea), Citrus aurantifolia (Lemon), Citrus sinensis (Orange), Allium sativum (garlic), and Allium cepa (onion).  Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, glucosides, saponins and steroids/terpenes. The results suggest that the different plant extracts contain bioactive constituent(s) particularly tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and other glycosides with very strong antibacterial activity and validates the ethno-medical use in the treatment of bacterial skin diseases and other forms of bacterial infections. However, many reputed plant antibacterials have very variable activities depending on certain conditions.

 Key words: Antibacterial, medicinal plants from the Philippines, n-hexane, acetone/dichloromethane, ethanol, aqueous extracts, Psidium guajava, preliminary phytochemical screening.


In the rodent somatosensory cortex, whisker-related barrels in layer IV are morphological counterparts of functional cortical columns that extend throughout the cortical depth. We used microelectrode recordings and spike-triggered averaging of field potentials evoked by single thalamic barreloid neurons to investigate functional thalamocortical microcircuits. The function of such circuits was probed by deflecting the principal whisker of a barrel in different angular directions. We found that individual barrels contain minicolumns of neurons preferring the same deflection angle. Angular tuning domains are established by convergent inputs from thalamocortical cells with corresponding angular preferences. Processing within such domains may depend on local connectivity among vertically aligned barrel neurons.


We measuredjoint position sense in the knee by a new method which tests the proprioceptive contribution of the joint capsule and ligaments. The leg was supported on a splint, and held in several positions of fiexion. The subjects' perception of the position was recorded on a visual analogue model and compared with the actual angle of fiexion. Eighty-one normal and 45 osteoarthritic knees were examined, as were 10 knees with semi-constrained and 11 with hingedjoint replacements. All were assessed with and without an elastic bandage around the knee. There was a steady decline in joint position sense with age in subjects with normal knees. Those with osteoarthritic knees had impaired joint position sense at all ages (p < 0.001). Knee replacement improved the joint position sense slightly (p < 0.02); semi-constrained replacement had a greater effect than hinged replacement. The effect of an elastic bandage in subjects with poor position sense was dramatic, improving accuracy by 40% (p < 0.001). It is proposed that reduced proprioception in elderly and osteoarthritic subjects may be responsible for initiation or advancement of degeneration of the knee.


To better apprehend γ/δ T cell biological functions in the periphery, it appears crucial to identify markers highlighting the existence of distinct phenotypic and functional γ/δ T cell subsets. Interestingly, the expression of CD44 and Ly-6C subdivides murine peripheral γ/δ T cells into several subsets, with Ly-6C− CD44hi γ/δ T cells corresponding to the IL-17–producing CD27− γ/δ T cell subset exhibiting innate-like features. By comparing the other subsets to naive and memory CD8+ α/β T cells, in this study, we show that Ly-6C− or + CD44lo and Ly-6C+CD44hi γ/δ T cells greatly resemble, and behave like, their CD8+ α/β T cell counterparts. First, like memory CD8+ α/β T cells, Ly-6C+CD44hi γ/δ T cells are sparse in the thymus but largely increased in proportion in tissues. Second, similarly to naive CD8 α/β T cells, CD44lo γ/δ T cells are poorly cycling in vivo in the steady state, and their proportion declines with age in secondary lymphoid organs. Third, CD44lo γ/δ T cells undergo spontaneous proliferation and convert to a memory-like Ly-6C+CD44hi phenotype in response to lymphopenia. Finally, CD44lo γ/δ T cells have an intrinsic high plasticity as, upon appropriate stimulation, they are capable of differentiating nonetheless into Th17-like and Th1-like cells but also into fully functional Foxp3+ induced regulatory T cell–like γ/δ T cells. Thus, peripheral CD27+ γ/δ T cells, commonly considered as a functionally related T cell compartment, actually share many common features with adaptive α/β T cells, as both lineages include naive-like and memory-like lymphocytes with distinct phenotypic, functional, and homeostatic characteristics.


The optimum dose of fertilizers for crops varies with soil, agro-ecology, and crop management practices. Optimizing application dose is critical to reduce nutrient loss to the environment and increase nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), crop yields, and economic return to farmers. An experiment was conducted to determine the optimum N dose for increasing maize (Zea mays L. cv, Manakamana-3) yield, NUE, and farm profits under rainfed conditions. Five levels of N (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg ha−1), and a non-fertilized treatment were tested in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Effects of each treatment on yield and yield attributing traits, plant lodging and Sterility (plants with no cob or grain formation), NUE, and stay green trait of maize were recorded. Application of N above 120 kg ha−1 (N120) did not have any significant effects on yield and yield components. Nitrogen, at N120 and above, produced highly fertile plants (though sterility slightly increased at N180 and N240), higher N uptake, and lower dead leaf area (18–27%). N120 produced the highest agronomic; yield increase per unit of N application (AEN—26.89 kg grain kg−1 N) and physiological efficiency of N (PEN—42.67 kg grain kg−1 N uptake), and net benefit (USD 500.43). Considering agronomic, economic, and NUE factors, an N dose of 120 kg ha−1 was found optimum for the cultivation of rainfed maize (Manakamana-3) under sandy loam soil.


Author(s): Wang, Ziran | Advisor(s): Barth, Matthew J | Abstract: The rapid development of our transportation systems has brought much convenience to our daily lives, while also introducing various issues related to safety, mobility, and environmental sustainability. To address these transportation system issues, connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology has had significant development during the last decade. With CAV technology, the capabilities of vehicles is greatly improved, allowing for equipped vehicles to not only drive partially or fully automatically using information from on board sensors, but also behaving cooperatively through vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications.In this dissertation research, agent-based distributed cooperative vehicle-infrastructure systems have been developed to evaluate CAV applications from the perspective of safety, mobility and environmental sustainability, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Specifically, the proposed CAV systems described in this dissertation are divided into two major categories: The first category is based only on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication among CAVs, while the second category is based on both V2V and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) communication.In this dissertation, three different cooperative automation applications are addressed, including cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC), cooperative eco-driving at signalized intersections, and cooperative merging at highway on-ramps. Different agent-based motion control algorithms of CAVs are proposed and evaluated, including a distributed consensus control algorithm, an online feedforward/feedback control algorithm, and an optimal control algorithm. All proposed applications are qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated using numerical simulations and/or microscopic traffic simulations, showing their benefits of avoiding collisions, increasing traffic flow, decreasing travel time, and/or decreasing energy consumption and pollutant emissions. Field implementations with real vehicles traveling in the real-world traffic environment have also been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.Additionally, studies of the aforementioned cooperative automation applications were also carried out using a game engine, which provided a simulation environment with more realistic vehicle models and road networks. Human-in-the-loop simulations were conducted on the driving simulator platform, and a learning-based approach was developed to model the human factors.


Coral-like α-Fe2O3 nanostructures modified by surfactant CTAB have been successfully obtained via a solvothermal process by using FeCl3 6H2O and oxalic acid as the starting materials. The coral-like α-Fe2O3 nanostructures with good-crystalline consist of well-aligned α-Fe2O3 nanoflakes with an average thickness of about 40 nm growing radially from the center of the nanostructures. The obtained products are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer (SQUID). Magnetic hysteresis measurements indicate that coral-like α-Fe2O3 superstructures show a normal ferromagnetic behavior with the remanence and coercivity of 0.2346emu/g and 1862Oe at room temperature. CTAB, the reaction temperature and solvent played an important role in controlling the final morphology of the products.


This article documents and discusses the impacts of and responses to the 2008 global financial and economic crisis (GFEC). General impacts and responses are outlined with some example from some specific countries. The discussion on the general impacts and responses are followed by discussions on the impacts of and response to the crisis in the banking subsector of the broader financial sector. The major findings of the study indicate that there have been substantial impacts of the crisis in the banking sector in the more economically and financially developed and integrated part of the world such as Europe and North America than in the less developed and intergated part of it such as Africa. Within Africa, the more economically developed and financially integrated countries such as South Africa and Nigeria were more affected by the crisis in general and in their financial sector in particular. There have also been various responses to the 2008 economic crisis in general and within the banking sub-sector in particular both globally and within Africa. The model that has been developed by the author indicates among other things that some of responses to economic crisis by the banking sector can lead to yet another chain of impacts, both positive and negative. The paper is mainly informed by a desk research in form of intensive literature review and discussion of the same.


The synthesis and characterization of two novel pillared coordination cages is reported. By utilizing 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (dabco) as a pillar with increased basicity as compared to pyrazine or 4,4'-bipyridine, a stable copper-based material was prepared. Extending this strategy to iron(ii) afforded an isostructural material that similarly retains high porosity and crystallinity upon solvent evacuation. Importantly, the iron solid represents a rare example of porous iron paddlewheel-based metal-organic material that is stable to solvent evacuation. Neutron powder diffraction studies on these materials indicate the triangular and square windows of the cage are prime ethane and ethylene adsorption sites.


A new species complex, the eparmata complex, is established within the subgenus Phortica s. str., based on eight known and five new species, all of which are endemic to the Oriental Region: P. bipartita (Toda & Peng, 1992), P. eparmata (Okada, 1977), P. lanuginosa Chen & Toda, 2007, P. latipenis Chen & Gao, 2005, P. pangi Chen & Wen, 2005, P. setitabula Chen & Gao, 2005, P. unipetala Chen & Wen, 2005 and P. zeta Chen & Toda, 2007; P. jadete sp. nov., P. kava sp. nov., P. mengda sp. nov., P. wongding sp. nov. and P. yena sp. nov. A key to all species of this complex is provided. Barcoding sequences (mitochondrial COI gene) were obtained for 22 specimens of five known and the five above-mentioned new species. The intra- and inter-specific pairwise K-2P (Kimura's two-parameter) distances of COI were determined. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using Bayesian inference based on COI sequences, confirming the monophyletic status of the eparmata complex, which is distinct from the species complexes of magna , omega , variegata and another two ungrouped species


A major drawback of using SOAP for application integration is its enormous demand for network bandwidth. Compared to classical approaches like Java-RMI and CORBA, SOAP messages typically cause more than three times more network traffic. In this paper we will give a detailed survey of state of the art binary encoding strategies for SOAP and introduce a new experimental concept for SOAP compression, which makes use of the commonly available WSDL description of a SOAP Web service.


Experiments involving the recording of impulses in sensory nerves in the appendages of a scorpion and an amblypygid show that the slit sensilla (lyriform organs) of these arachnids are mechanoreceptors, sensitive to strains in the cuticle and analogous to the campaniform sensilla of insects.

The experimental work reported here was carried out during 1953 in the Department of Physiology, University of Ceylon, Colombo, and in the laboratory of the Division of Entomology, Department of Agriculture, Peradiniya, Ceylon.


The future energy production must be renewable to reduce the carbon emissions and ocean energy technologies provide solutions. Ocean waves have great potential, 0.1% of the energy in ocean waves could to cover the global energy demand five times over. Most of the ocean energy technologies are considered to be in a precommercial phase and need technical development. In 2016 a Swedish company, Waves4Power installed WaveEL, a full-scale prototype of one floating point absorbing WEC (wave energy converter). The next step towards full commercialization is to increase the capacity by designing array systems of several WECs. The main objective of this thesis is to study array systems of floating point absorbing WECs focusing on design solutions of the mooring system. This is an important step towards fully commercial energy production using floating WECs. A literature study and interviews are used to create a basis for the design process that uses WaveEL as a reference. The installed WaveEL is used as a reference in the study and it is moored with three polyester mooring lines, each having one floater and one gravity anchor. By developing a number of conceptual mooring systems for different array configurations, solutions for different environmental conditions are obtained. The top concepts are evaluated towards the reference regarding cost, environmental impact and risk by using the tools LCOE (Levelized cost of energy), LCA (life cycle analysis) and risk assessment. The fatigue life and energy absorption from the waves are calculated from force responses in the mooring lines and heave motions of the WECs obtained from coupled hydrodynamic and structure response analyses in the DeepC software. 22 concepts were generated and by using systematic elimination matrices, Pugh and Kesselring, 4 top concepts were chosen. The top 4 concepts were further investigated in the LCOE, LCA, risk assessment and evaluated regarding fatigue life and energy absorption. The concepts are designed for the same geographical conditions as the reference, hence the water depth is limited to a range of 75-200m. In two of these concepts, LessIsMoor and MoorToIt, the WECs are moored with two mooring lines each and are designed for a water depth of 200m. In the other two concepts, MoorPower and StarBuoy, the WECs are moored with three mooring lines each and are designed for a water depth of 75m. It was seen that the top four concepts have lower LCOE and lower LCA than the reference. In the risk assessment it was found that LessIsMoor has risks that need to be reduced due to the high loads in the mooring lines. The fatigue analyses are based on the most common sea state at the operating location. In comparison with the reference, the results implied a longer fatigue life of MoorToIt and shorter fatigue lives for the other three concepts. LessIsMoor, MoorToIt and StarBuoy obtained higher power captures than the reference. Based on the results and findings in this study, LessIsMoor was concluded as the concept showing the greatest potential considering LCOE, LCA and power capture. However, it was also the concept with the highest risks and other materials must be investigated before this concept is ready for the commercial market. Because of this, an alternative concept was recommended. Among the concepts using floaters, StarBuoy had the lowest LCOE and lowest LCA. StarBuoy also had the second highest energy absorption and was considered technically ready for commercialization.


Oxytocin is a nine-amino acid peptide hormone and/or neuropeptide that has proposed mechanisms related to diminishing the effects of physical, psychological, and psychosocial stress. Exercise is often used in clinical trials to quantify stress because it is easily reproducible between subjects using relative VO2 intensities. However, trials examining plasma oxytocin in response to physical stress within exercise have shown mixed results possibly related to the varied measurement techniques. The purpose of this study is to measure plasma oxytocin changes in response to steady state exercise and graded maximal exercise and to determine if a relationship exists. Procedures were utilized to release oxytocin from the protein binding within blood and measure the oxytocin concentration through a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. Difficulties in the chromatography detection sensitivity forced the present study to also use an ELISA to determine plasma oxytocin concentrations. Plasma oxytocin concentrations were consistently too low to detect even after sizable spiking for both measurement techniques. Mean resting concentration derived from the ELISA was 371.75 ± 215.10 pg/ml. There was no significant difference in concentration following either exercise stimulus. These results suggest that the extraction technique utilized with the ELISA kit failed to separate protein binding from oxytocin prior to analysis.


ABSTRACT Why do Westerners become foreign fighters in civil conflicts? We explore this question through original data collection on German foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, and test three sets of hypotheses that revolve around socioeconomic integration, online radicalization, and social network mobilization. We conduct link analysis to map the network of German foreign fighters prior to their mobilization, and marshal evidence to assess the validity of competing explanations. We find only modest support for the integration deficit hypothesis, and meager support for the social media radicalization theory. Instead, the preponderance of evidence suggests that interpersonal ties largely drive the German foreign fighter phenomenon. Recruitment featured clustered mobilization and bloc recruitment within interconnected radical milieus, leading us to conclude that peer-to-peer networks are the most important mobilization factor for German foreign fighters.


The giant tsunami generated by the great 26 December 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake and the resultant destruction have necessitated appropriate assessment of tsunami potential in the northern Bay of Bengal, where high population density in the coastal area (∼100 million) makes this region very vulnerable if a large tsunami were to occur. Here we examine whether the India–Burma plate boundary in the Arakan and Irrawady region can produce a tsunamigenic earthquake. We find: (a) the region is characterized by oblique plate motion leading to strike-slip dominated earthquakes with low tsunami generating potential; (b) the deformation front associated with the plate boundary between India and Sunda plates in the northern Bay of Bengal is either landward or in shallow water in the Arakan region and, hence, a great earthquake is unlikely to displace large amounts of water to create a significant tsunami; (c) convincing evidence that the 1762 Arakan earthquake generated a large tsunami is lacking; and (d) no large tsunami has affected the region in the past 2000 years. We conclude that while a great earthquake could occur in the Arakan region, the physiographic situation may not lead to generation of a large tsunami.


This study seeks to identify the critical aspects of professional development of higher education teachers from personal and professional expectations regarding their role at the different stages of their working career. The main objectives were to understand the professional development of higher education teachers, and to know what do they think and how do they live their practice, assuming that their activity has an impact on their professional identity as teachers, and that a continuous process of reflection and interpretation of their role could be helpful when dealing with educational changes. The research used a qualitative methodology of semi-structured interviews with a group of 18 teachers of a Mexican private university with a multi-campuses system. The general conclusion this study reaches is that the programs of professional development for higher education teachers must take into account their spatial and temporal context, and base their effectiveness on how it serves the needs and expectations of each teacher, which could vary in aspects like level of experience, area of professional expertise, learning style, and educational vision.


Brucella are highly infectious bacterial pathogens responsible for a severely debilitating zoonosis called brucellosis. Half of the human population worldwide is considered to live at risk of exposure, mostly in the poorest rural areas of the world. Prompt diagnosis of brucellosis is essential to prevent complications and to control epidemiology outbreaks, but identification of Brucella isolates may be hampered by the lack of rapid and cost-effective methods. Nowadays, many clinical microbiology laboratories use Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time Of Flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for routine identification. However, lack of reference spectra in the currently commercialized databases does not allow the identification of Brucella isolates. In this work, we constructed a Brucella MALDI-TOF MS reference database using VITEK MS. We generated 590 spectra from 84 different strains (including rare or atypical isolates) to cover this bacterial genus. We then applied a novel biomathematical approach to discriminate different species. This allowed accurate identification of Brucella isolates at the genus level with no misidentifications, in particular as the closely related and less pathogenic Ochrobactrum genus. The main zoonotic species (B. melitensis, B. abortus and B. suis) could also be identified at the species level with an accuracy of 100%, 92.9% and 100%, respectively. This MALDI-TOF reference database will be the first Brucella database validated for diagnostic and accessible to all VITEK MS users in routine. This will improve the diagnosis and control of brucellosis by allowing a rapid identification of these pathogens.


This electronic book was created to facilitate veterinarians and students of veterinary medicine in their pursuit of knowledge regarding the diagnosis and medical and surgical therapy of ocular diseases in companion animals. The electronic format allows several features that bound books lack which is exciting for us as authors and teachers in the Universities and continuing education class rooms across the world. The challenges are numerous for the ophthalmology professor in establishing a curriculum and providing a reference that is current, illustrated with color photos, videos, and illustrations, and within a student's budget. In addition the text needs to be easily updated and should allow for self directed learning. We have focused our thoughts on these challenges as we developed and wrote this electronic book.


Background: In England and Wales over 5000 people die each year with a sudden death of ill-defined or unknown cause. Aims: To explore the hypothesis that the use of drugs that can cause prolongation of the QT interval on the electrocardiograph are associated with an increased risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmia. Methods: A community based, matched case control study used post mortem and primary care datasets. Cause of death was most likely due to cardiac arrhythmia. 789 cases were matched to 2357 controls for age, sex and cardiovascular disease at the GP practices. The International Registry for Drug-Induced Arrhythmias "Arizona" classification was used to separate drugs according to strength of QT prolongation. Results: Conditions significantly associated with sudden death were used in the adjusted analysis. Overall risks were doubled for the registry drugs that were considered to pose the greatest risk but with considerable variation. The association with sudden death increased with concomitant use of registry drugs. Drugs used for psychiatric purposes were consistently strongly associated with sudden death. Conclusion: Arizona registry classification is a poor predictor of sudden death. The linkage of the general practice research database to mortality data has the potential for a much larger sample for further study.


This article discusses the use of performative techniques in prose accounts of the past written in early modern England. Building on scholarship that has located the source of early modern emotional engagement with the past in the history play, it shows that prose texts should be seen alongside history plays as forms that provided access to performance of historical characters. Chronicles, political texts, and other prose accounts of the past deployed invented speech, performative description, and interiorised characterisation at moments of heightened emotional and political intensity. Focusing as a case study on accounts of the reign of Edward II—which attracted substantial cross-genre attention, particularly from the second half of the sixteenth century onwards, owing to its paradigmatic status as an exemplum of overmighty favourites and deposition, and which was shaped by writers of all genres into an emotionally compelling de casibus narrative structure—this article shows that the use of performative techniques in these texts facilitated both emotional and political engagement with the past. Attention to these performative elements of historical prose thus prompts us to reassess the complexity, interiority and vividness of chronicles; to reimagine the place of history plays in early modern culture, as one among many forms which provided access to performance of historical characters; and to augment our understanding of the process by which history was made usable; to reconfigure our understanding of the nature of early modern people's relationship to the past, underlining the significance of the emotional dimension of that relationship alongside the utilitarian.


Molecular estimates of evolutionary timescales have an important role in a range of biological studies. Such estimates can be made using methods based on molecular clocks, including models that are able to account for rate variation across lineages. All clock models share a dependence on calibrations, which enable estimates to be given in absolute time units. There are many available methods for incorporating fossil calibrations, but geological and climatic data can also provide useful calibrations for molecular clocks. However, a number of strong assumptions need to be made when using these biogeographic calibrations, leading to wide variation in their reliability and precision. In this review, we describe the nature of biogeographic calibrations and the assumptions that they involve. We present an overview of the different geological and climatic events that can provide informative calibrations, and explain how such temporal information can be incorporated into dating analyses.


For the analysis of small concentrations of organics in aqueous solutions, a novel add-on accessory for dualbeam / optical subtraction spectroscopy has been built for a commercial Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. A standard FT-JR instrument requires a sample measurement and a separate reference measurement, whereas the optical subtraction instrument directly measures the difference between sample and reference. This has a number of advantages. The time delay between the two measurements is eliminated, and the effective measurement time is improved by a factor of two. Moreover, the optical subtraction provides a large reduction in dynamic range of the measured signal, which prevents detector saturation, and enables effective use of dynamic range of the analog to digital converter in the FT-JR spectrometer. This results in an increased signal to noise ratio, compared to the standard FT-JR instrument. By changing detector and light source the instrument may be used for both nearand mid-infrared spectroscopy. The increased sensitivity and stability of the optical subtraction instrument compared to the standard instrument is demonstrated by transmission measurements of aqueous urea solutions in the combination band region 4000 to 5000 cm1 (2000 to 2500 nm).


A 59-year-old man exhibited an enlarged right inguinal lymph node in February 2009. A pathological diagnosis of follicular lymphoma (FL), grade 3A, was made based on a biopsy specimen from the right inguinal lymph node. The immunophenotypes of the lymphoma cells were CD3-, CD5+, CD7-, CD10+, CD19+, CD20+, CD23+, IgM+, Igκ-, and Igλ+. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) dual staining indicated that the cells were double-positive for both CD5 and CD20. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and CD5-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were ruled out by the presence of cyclin D1-, CD10+, and the pathological findings. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed as having CD5-positive FL. Eight cycles of rituximab plus six cycles of CHOP were performed, and complete remission was achieved. To our knowledge, this is a rare case of CD5-positive FL. A literature review suggested a relatively higher incidence in younger and male patients. Remarkably, patients with grade 3 tend to undergo a transformation from CD5-positive FL to DLBCL.


The characteristics of a species' evolution can be powerfully influenced by its mode of sex determination and, indeed, sex determination mechanisms vary widely among eukaryotes. In non-avian reptiles, sex was long thought to be determined bimodally, either by temperature or genetics. Here we add to the growing evidence that sex determining mechanisms in reptiles fall along a continuum rather than existing as a mutually exclusive dichotomy. Using qPCR, we demonstrate that the lizard Crotaphytus collaris possesses sex-based gene dosage consistent with the presence of sex michrochromosomes, despite that extreme incubation temperatures can influence hatchling sex ratio. Our results suggest a temperature override that switches genotypic females to phenotypic males at high and low temperatures.


Leflunomide has been reported to be associated with the development of peripheral neuropathy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is possible that this side effect has been underreported and underrecognized. We reported a case of leflunomide-induced peripheral neuropathy with the aim of raising awareness of this side effect. It was reported that cessation of leflunomide within 30 days of the arising symptoms enhances the likelihood of improvement or complete recovery. We should be aware of the possibility of peripheral neuropathy in patients using leflunomide. Early detection of symptoms and drug discontinuation may permit recovery.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
The objective of this study was to report on the quality of life of locally advanced rectal cancer patients that were treated with uracil-tegafur (UFT)/leucovorin (LV)-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

METHODOLOGY
Twenty-five patients were enrolled into this prospective study. Radiotherapy (50.4Gy) was given with concurrent UFT (300mg/m2/day) and LV (30mg/day). Turkish versions of EORTC-QLQC30 and EORTC QLQCR38 were applied at the beginning (HRQoL-1) and at the end (HRQoL-2) of chemoradiotherapy. Paired samples t-test was used to compare the difference of means for each scale between HRQoL1 and HRQoL2 and p values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS
Study compliance was 80.6%. From baseline to the end of chemoradiotherapy, the mean scores of dyspnea (p=0.006) diarrhea (p=0.005) and micturition (p=0.005) increased significantly. Chemotherapy side effects also increased at the end of therapy (p=0.07). Seventy-six percent (76%) of male patients replied to questions related to sexual problems and functions, whereas no female patients replied.

CONCLUSIONS
Although, diarrhea and micturition are the major problems, quality of life scores indicate that concurrent oral fluoropyrimidine-based chemoradiotherapy is a feasible treatment.


Hydrazine is a well-known genotoxic impurity which may be present in some important drugs, such as isoniazid and hydralazine. It may be ingested along with the drug or generated as a metabolite in the human body. Hence, monitoring the level of hydrazine in the human body is of great importance. A hemicyanine-based NIR fluorescent probe, Hcy-DB, was designed and synthesized for hydrazine detection. This probe exhibited a dramatic off-on NIR fluorescence response toward hydrazine in PBS-DMSO buffer and the detection limit was calculated to be 4.38 ppb. The bioimaging of hydrazine in living H1975 cells was successfully demonstrated. Moreover, the real time imaging of hydrazine, either injected as a foreign agent or generated as a metabolite of isoniazid, was demonstrated in mice and the results clearly disclosed the hydrazine level variation in the liver and kidneys. The injected exogenous hydrazine was mainly distributed in the kidneys and then excreted slowly. After the intragastric administration of isoniazid, hydrazine was quickly generated as a metabolite in the liver and reached a maximum in about 20 min, and then it was excreted slowly through the kidneys. Generally, the investigation provided a promising tool to monitor the level of hydrazine in vivo and thus help to evaluate and control its toxicity more rationally.


People tagging allows a person to tag one's self or others; it is reciprocal and therefore has social implications. The main uses of corporate people tagging systems are for building internal social networks, solving problems, and seeking expertise. We explored the statistical and terminological relation between self-presentation and perception by others as reflected by the use of tags in a people tagging system within a large enterprise. Due to the features of the power law distribution of the data, two different samples were analyzed. Using content analysis, we found that when there are few self or social tags, users prefer to use tags from the Environment and Technology categories, providing tags that tend to be objective or factual. When tagging approaches saturation, it becomes more subjective and social, using tags from the Individual category. Self-tags tend to be more factual describing technology expertise while social tags augment the individual tags by adding a personal dimension. The more people tag and get tagged, the more terminological overlap develops. We conclude by providing practical advice on how to create a sustainable system by balancing originality and duplication using interactivity and feedback.


The order-to-disorder transition (ODT) has been studied in a poly(styrene-b-isoprene) diblock copolymer with a polystyrene (PS) volume fraction fPS of 0.22 at hypersonic frequencies using a tandem Fabry-Perot interferometer. Because of the asymmetric composition we are effectively studying the sound dispersion in a composite material made of hard PS spheres embedded in a soft polyisoprene matrix. All measurements are made in the long-wavelength limit, qD < 1, where q is the scattering wave vector and D is the sphere diameter. The transition temperature (TODT) was identified earlier with rheology and SAXS at 112°C. We have investigated the sound velocity and attenuation at temperatures below and above the transition. We find the signature of TODT from the broad hypersonic attenuation reflecting the enhanced segmental mobility due to mixing at temperatures near the TODT.


Haemoglobin genotype variance has been reported to be responsible for the high susceptibility of individuals to malaria in the tropics. This study assessed the influence of haemoglobin genotype on the malaria parasite density and anti-MSP-119 IgG (antibody) during pregnancy and the effect of malaria infection on birth weight of neonates. One hundred and thirty (130) pregnant women and one hundred and fourteen (114) non-pregnant women (Control) were enrolled and grouped according to their haemoglobin genotype. The study assessed only the pregnant women with haemoglobin genotype AA (HbAA) and haemoglobin genotype AS (HbAS). Blood sample from each subject was collected by venipuncture into EDTA, and plain bottles to determine haematological parameters and anti-MSP119 IgG (antibody) level, respectively. The parasite density was significantly higher (P lessthan 0.05) in malaria positive HbAA women than in malaria positive HbAS women in dry and wet seasons. There was a significant increase (P lessthan 0.05) in the mean anti-MSP-119 IgG (antibody) levels in women with HbAA as compared with women with HbAS in the dry season. The anti-MSP-119 IgG level was not significantly higher in women with HbAA when compared with women with HbAS. The mean birth weight of neonates born to malaria positive HbAA women was lower than those born to malaria positive HbAS women in the wet season, but there was no significant difference between the mean birth weight of neonates born to malaria positive and malaria negative HbAA and HbAS women in dry season. This study showed that haemoglobin genotype influenced parasite density but did not influence the level of anti-MSP-119 IgG and the birth weight of neonates. Keywords: Haemoglobin genotype, malaria parasite, anti-MSP-119 IgG, pregnant women


The purpose of this research is to know how much the quality service effects the customers decision in choosing service company and credit funding at PT Finansia Multi Finance Samarinda. The Population of this Research is all of the customers men and women who attain the age of more than 18 years old and ever bought motorcycle by credit at PT Finansia Multi Finance Samarinda as many as 150 samples.  The analysis method of this research is the multiple linear regression analysis method and the result of the research, three is the influence of quality service tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurances and empathy partially and simultaneously to customers decision in choosing service Company and credit.   Keywords:  The quality of service, Costumers decision in choosing.


Vaccines are considered one of the most significant medical advancements in human history, as they have prevented hundreds of millions of deaths since their discovery; however, modern travel permits disease spread at unprecedented rates, and vaccine shortcomings like thermal sensitivity and required booster shots have been made evident by the COVID-19 pandemic. Approaches to overcoming these issues appear promising via the integration of vaccine technology with biomaterials, which offer sustained-release properties and preserve proteins, prevent conformational changes, and enable storage at room temperature. Sustained release and thermal stabilization of therapeutic biomacromolecules is an emerging area that integrates material science, chemistry, immunology, nanotechnology, and pathology to investigate different biocompatible materials. Biomaterials, including natural sugar polymers, synthetic polyesters produced from biologically derived monomers, hydrogel blends, protein-polymer blends, and metal-organic frameworks, have emerged as early players in the field. This overview will focus on significant advances of sustained release biomaterial in the context of vaccines against infectious disease and the progress made towards thermally stable "single-shot" formulations. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease.


European Conference Public Administration (EGPA), Milan, 30th August-1st September, panel on Law and Administration (organised by D Drago, B Marseille and P Kovac). Paper from this presentation to be published with E Slautsky, 'Freedom of Information in France', in D Drago, B Marseille and P Kovac (eds), The Laws of Transparency in Action: A European Perspective (Palgrave) (ca. 17,000 words, submitted), a significantly longer version of this paper is available on ResearchGate and SSRN (ca. 22,000 words). The SSRN paper was included in the Top Ten List for "PSN: Public Administration (Institutions)" on 04.10.2017 and in the Top Ten List for "International Administrative Law eJournal" on 19.10.2017.


We consider the solution of nonlinear programs in the case where derivatives of the objective function and nonlinear constraints are unavailable. To solve such problems, we propose an adaptation of a method due to Conn, Gould, Sartenaer, and Toint that proceeds by approximately minimizing a succession of linearly constrained augmented Lagrangians. Our modification is to use a 3 derivative-free generating set direct search algorithm to solve the linearly constrained subproblems. The stopping criterion proposed by Conn, Gould, Sartenaer and Toint for the approximate solution of the subproblems requires explicit knowledge of derivatives. Such information is presumed absent in the generating set search method we employ. Instead, we show that stationarity results for linearly constrained generating set search methods provide a derivative-free stopping criterion, based on a step-length control parameter, that is sufficient to preserve the convergence properties of the original augmented Lagrangian algorithm.


Retarders or waveplates are tools for polarization modification in bulk optical systems. These devices usually have a strong wavelength dependence in their performance, making them suitable for use over a wavelength band on the order of a few percent of the center wavelength for which they are made. Display and tunable laser applications are examples that can require consistent polarization modification over a much broader wavelength range. We discuss new methods and designs for dramatically increasing range of performance and review older methods as well. We show examples of achievable performance using modern polymer and liquid crystal materials.


Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), P- and E-selectin play a pivotal role for initiation of atherosclerosis. Ginsenoside, a class of steroid glycosides, is abundant in Panax ginseng root, which has been used for prevention of illness in Korea. In this study, we investigated the mechanism(s) by which ginsenoside Rg2 may inhibit VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expressions stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC). LPS increased VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression. Ginsenoside Rg2 prevented LPS-mediated increase of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression. On the other hand, JSH, a nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor, reduced both VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression stimulated with LPS. SB202190, inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and wortmannin, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) inhibitor, reduced LPS-mediated VCAM-1 but not ICAM-1 expression. PD98059, inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) did not affect VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression stimulated with LPS. SP600125, inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), reduced LPS-mediated ICAM-1 but not VCAM-1 expression. LPS reduced IkappaBα (IκBα) expression, in a time-dependent manner within 1 hr. Ginsenoside Rg2 prevented the decrease of IκBα expression stimulated with LPS. Moreover, ginsenoside Rg2 reduced LPS-mediated THP-1 monocyte adhesion to HUVEC, in a concentration-dependent manner. These data provide a novel mechanism where the ginsenoside Rg2 may provide direct vascular benefits with inhibition of leukocyte adhesion into vascular wall thereby providing protection against vascular inflammatory disease.


In general, a brake system of axle for heavy duty machine as a wheel excavator makes use of wettype multiple disk brakes. These disk bakes are very important parts of heavy duty machine because they are dvanced in durability and braking power, and can be designed compactly. Thus, we adesigned and made wettype multiple disk brakes of axle for the wheel excavator to be localization of these imported all. In this study, wet multiple disk brakes were made a comparative test with the 3 types materials of friction disk by the SAE No.2 dynamometer. The friction characteristics were measured and analyzed to decide a suitable material as wear depth of friction disk and dynamic and static friction coefficient on temperature of oil and applied pressure.


ABSTRACT Lysosomes are acidic, dynamic organelles that supervise catabolism, integrate signaling cascades, and tune cellular trafficking. Moreover, the loss of their integrity may jeopardize cell viability. In cancer cells, lysosomes are qualitatively and quantitatively modified for the tumor's own benefit. For all these reasons, these organelles emerge as appealing intracellular targets to manipulate non-oncogene addiction. This is of particular interest for brain diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, in which stem cells are exhausted and transformed, respectively. Recent publications had demonstrated that stem cells displayed disarmed lysosomes in terms of number and functions during aging and oncogenic progression. Likewise, our laboratory identified that the arginine protease MALT1, normally dedicated to the assembly of proper NF-kB activation and processing a number of substrates, arbitrates lysosome biogenesis and mTOR signaling in glioblastoma stem-like cells. Indeed, blocking either the expression or the activity of this enzyme leads to an aberrant increase of lysosomes, alongside of the down-regulation of the mTOR signaling. This surge of lysosomes eradicates glioblastoma stem-like cells. Targeting lysosomes might thus inspire the design of new strategies to face this devastating human cancer. Here, we provide an overview of the functions of the lysosome as well as its role as a cell death initiator, to highlight the potential of lysosomal drugs for glioblastoma therapy.


A goal of runtime software-fault monitoring is to observe software behavior to determine whether it complies with its intended behavior. Monitoring allows one to analyze and recover from detected faults, providing additional defense against catastrophic failure. Although runtime monitoring has been in use for over 30 years, there is renewed interest in its application to fault detection and recovery, largely because of the increasing complexity and ubiquitous nature of software systems. We present taxonomy that developers and researchers can use to analyze and differentiate recent developments in runtime software fault-monitoring approaches. The taxonomy categorizes the various runtime monitoring research by classifying the elements that are considered essential for building a monitoring system, i.e., the specification language used to define properties; the monitoring mechanism that oversees the program's execution; and the event handler that captures and communicates monitoring results. After describing the taxonomy, the paper presents the classification of the software-fault monitoring systems described in the literature.


In this paper, we examine the new Italian Guidelines on the method of setting fines for antitrust law infringements in the broader context of Italian antitrust public enforcement. The analysis of the new Guidelines is interesting for at least three reasons. Firstly, in drafting the new guidelines the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) adopted a comprehensive approach, taking into account that the method of setting fines may affect all the other elements of the sanctioning system. Thus, even if the Guidelines deal specifically only with the quantifications of fines, many elements of the new methodology have been designed to affect other important areas of the antitrust enforcement, particularly the leniency programs. Secondly, the new Guidelines clearly witness a shift towards an antitrust enforcement system based on deterrence. Unfortunately, the ICA's very formal interpretation of the notion of undertaking undermines, if not completely annuls, the efforts towards heavier fines on naked cartels and exclusionary abuses of dominant position. Finally, in choosing the quantification method, the ICA largely followed the 2006 EU Guidelines on the method of setting fines. This should not come as a shock considering that Italian antitrust law closely mirrors Articles 101 and 102 TFEU. It should be pointed out, however, that the ICA resisted to the pleas of many commentators, urging it to follow other more lenient or in any case different national models. We think that, also in light of the allocation principles laid down in the Notice on the cooperation within the network of European Competition Authorities, a high degree of harmonization between the EU and the Italian antitrust sanctioning systems is beneficial to assure a level playing field for companies operating in the Italian markets.


Disseminated neuroblastoma is a malignancy of children often treated by intensive chemotherapy/radiotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). A high proportion of those treated subsequently relapse. It is unknown if relapse is a consequence of residual disease in the patient or of contaminating malignant cells remaining in the infused marrow, which, of necessity, is harvested and stored prior to ablative chemotherapy/radiotherapy. The assumption that residual cells in the infused marrow contribute to relapse has lead to the adoption of marrow purging prior to reinfusion. However, neither the necessity nor the efficacy of the procedure have been established. We now show how retroviral-mediated gene transfer using the LNL6 vector may resolve this issue. Clonogenic neuroblastoma cells in patient marrow can be transduced and the NEOR gene detected by observing individual neuroblastoma cell colony growth in G418, and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of individual colonies. Efficiency of transduction is between 0 and 13.5%. If marrow is exposed to LNL6 prior to infusion and marked cells are detected at the time of relapse, this would demonstrate that infused marrow contributed to disease recurrence. The technique could then be used to analyze the efficacy of marrow purging techniques. Since normal progenitor cells from these patients are also marked, the technique can be used to study factors that modify reconstitution and transducibility of infused marrow. Clinical studies using this approach have now begun.


Two different Co(III) complexes of the antitumor antibiotic bleomycin have been prepared, and their in vivo distribution in mice has been investigated. The more thermodynamically stable of the Co(III)-bleomycin complexes has been modified by reaction with the bifunctional chelating agent 1-(p-bromoacetamidophenyl)ethylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid, to give a bleomycin derivative (BLEDTA) containing a powerful metal-chelating group. BLEDTA was radiolabeled with 111In(III) and its in vivo distribution in mice was examined. The potential of 111In-labeled BLEDTA as a tumor-visualizing agent was also investigated in humans with biopsy-proven cancers, predominantly (70%) squamous carcinoma of the head and neck. All of the 29 patients studied had at least one clinically proven site of the disease visualized with 111In-BLEDTA. These clinical results are significantly better than results we obtained in a comparable group of patients using directly labeled 111In-bleomycin and are similar to those reported by Nouel for 57Co-bleomycin [GANN Monogr. Cancer Res., 19, 301 (1976)].


The oxidative lactonization of 1,4-, 1,5-, and 1,6-diols using horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) is reported. Molecular oxygen was used as terminal electron acceptor by utilization of the laccase-mediator concept to regenerate the oxidized nicotinamide cofactor and producing water as sole byproduct. Spontaneous hydrolysis of the lactone products was identified as a major limiting factor toward preparative application of the system, which can be alleviated by using a two liquid phase approach to extracting the product into an organic solvent.


CONTEXT
Currently, there is no effective treatment for iodine-resistant thyroid cancers.

OBJECTIVE
As a new approach to treatment, the efficacy of replication-selective, human thyroglobulin (TG) enhancer and promoter-driven, adenovirus (AdhTGEP)-mediated oncolysis was investigated using two well-differentiated thyroid cancer cell lines, XTC (TG positive) and FTC-133 (TG negative), and other control tumor and nontumor cell lines (all TG negative).

DESIGN
A cohort study design was used.

SETTING
The study setting was laboratory bench-top experiments.

SUBJECTS/PARTICIPANTS
In vitro TG-expressing and nonexpressing thyroid cell culture lines, nonthyroid tumor cell lines, as well as preclinical thyroid tumor-bearing mice were studied.

INTERVENTION
Adenoviral infection of cell lines was determined by immunohistochemistry, selective replication by one-step growth assays, and cytotoxicity by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulphophenyl)-2H-tetrozolium (MTS) assay. In vivo tumor growth inhibition was determined by a single intratumoral injection of 1 x 10(9) plaque-forming units AdhTGEP, AdLacZ (control virus), or PBS to 50- to 75-mm(3) tumors. XTC cells showed intense immunohistochemical staining, whereas FTC-133 and all other control cell lines showed minimal staining for viral infection with AdhTGEP.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Cell survival and tumor growth inhibition after adenoviral infection were the main outcome measures.

RESULTS
One-step growth assays showed at least a more than 60-fold titer of AdhTGEP in XTC than in FTC-133 cells. Cytotoxicity assays showed approximately 68% cell kill in XTC and minimal cell kill in FTC-133 and all other control cell lines at a multiplicity of infection of 250. There was significant in vivo growth inhibition of AdhTGEP-treated XTC tumors (67 +/- 49 mm(3)) compared with AdLacZ-treated XTC (228 +/- 45 mm(3); P < 0.01), PBS-treated XTC (372 +/- 70 mm(3); P < 0.001), or AdhTGEP-treated FTC-133 tumors (598 +/- 168 mm(3)).

CONCLUSION
Replication-selective virus-mediated oncolysis is a potential therapy for recurrent, well-differentiated, TG-secreting thyroid cancer that is unresponsive to standard treatment.


Klippel-Feil syndrome, the triad of limitation of movement of the head, short neck, and low posterior hairline, is often associated with other congenital anomalies. Deafness is the second most common associated abnormality and has been estimated to occur in up to 30% of patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome. Histological and roentgenographic studies suggest this deafness to be secondary to abnormal development of the inner ear. We report a case of Klippel-Feil syndrome and deafness and illustrate the associated anatomical defects with polytomography, a relatively new radiological technique which is becoming of increased value in the evaluation of congenital and acquired deafness. The importance of early evaluation for deafness is stressed when conditions known to be associated with deafness are diagnosed.


ChloroKB, a Web-based application that enables the user to explore the chloroplast metabolic network in Arabidopsis. Higher plants, as autotrophic organisms, are effective sources of molecules. They hold great promise for metabolic engineering, but the behavior of plant metabolism at the network level is still incompletely described. Although structural models (stoichiometry matrices) and pathway databases are extremely useful, they cannot describe the complexity of the metabolic context, and new tools are required to visually represent integrated biocurated knowledge for use by both humans and computers. Here, we describe ChloroKB, a Web application (http://chlorokb.fr/) for visual exploration and analysis of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) metabolic network in the chloroplast and related cellular pathways. The network was manually reconstructed through extensive biocuration to provide transparent traceability of experimental data. Proteins and metabolites were placed in their biological context (spatial distribution within cells, connectivity in the network, participation in supramolecular complexes, and regulatory interactions) using CellDesigner software. The network contains 1,147 reviewed proteins (559 localized exclusively in plastids, 68 in at least one additional compartment, and 520 outside the plastid), 122 proteins awaiting biochemical/genetic characterization, and 228 proteins for which genes have not yet been identified. The visual presentation is intuitive and browsing is fluid, providing instant access to the graphical representation of integrated processes and to a wealth of refined qualitative and quantitative data. ChloroKB will be a significant support for structural and quantitative kinetic modeling, for biological reasoning, when comparing novel data with established knowledge, for computer analyses, and for educational purposes. ChloroKB will be enhanced by continuous updates following contributions from plant researchers.


: Isolates of bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) recovered from tissue explants of trigeminal ganglia of clinically healthy cattle were studied in vitro and in an animal model, and their characteristics were compared with those of vaccine and field strains of BHV-1. The isolates could be distinguished by their plaque size on cell monolayers, but were not significantly different in their thermal inactivation profiles at 48 C. Temperature-sensitive mutants were not found among the isolates when they were grown at 41 C. Selected isolates had different pathogenicity when inoculated in young rabbits.


In this review, we present a comprehensive set of experimental results on microcavity-polariton Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC), obtained within a close collaboration between Institut Neel, Grenoble, France and EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland. First, we recall the main observations, i.e., massive occupation of the ground state and build-up of long range order, which led us to conclude that polariton BEC indeed occurs. Then, the highly disordered environment in which the condensation takes place is considered: we show how interactions are a necessary ingredient for polariton BEC. Finally we discuss quantised vortices observed for the first time in polariton condensates. Their unusual features are shown to be inherited from the disordered environment and the driven-dissipative character of the polariton BEC.


One of the key goals of science education is to provide students with the ability to construct arguments -  reasoning and thinking critically in a scientific context. Over the years, many studies have been conducted on constructing arguments in science teaching, but only a few of them have dealt with studying argumentation in the science laboratory in general and in the chemistry laboratory in particular. Our research focuses on the process in which students construct arguments in the chemistry laboratory while conducting different types of inquiry experiments. The experiments that were assessed for their argumentation level differed in their level of complexity. It was found that the more complex experiments served as a better platform for developing arguments as well as regarding their relative numbers. Moreover, we identified a number of characteristics during the discourse that serve as a catalyst for raising arguments: asking questions and unexpected results obtained in the experiments.


Pseudarthrosis in the hand are defined as a non-union of a fracture after 6 month. Reasons might be biological disorders, mechanical instability or infection after fracture treatment. Pseudoarthrotic bone demands stable osteosynthesis and often bone grafting. The presented case is about a dislocated osseous fragment attached to the Aponeurosis dorsalis mimicking clinical and radiological a Pseudarthrosis of the proximal phalanx of the thumb. We would like to draw attention that osseous fragments may present very similarly to a pseudoarthrosis of a phalanx.


The essential connection between energy and water, also defined as the energy-water nexus, has been recognized by scientists and policy makers worldwide. Integrated solutions and policies that consider both energy and water aspects into future planning have been developing at a fast pace. In this paper, we review the state of the art of the energy-water nexus, with particular focus on the integration between renewable energy and desalination technologies. We also model the integration of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination and solar photovoltaics in an edge-of-grid coastal town in Western Australia.

The current literature agrees on the sustainable use of renewable energy sources to improve the water-energy nexus in the context of water desalination. Although the integration of solar and wind energy with desalination technologies is a mature and well-proven solution at both small and large scales, the intermittency and fluctuating nature of wind and solar power still constitute the main technical challenge that has limited the diffusion of renewable energy powered desalination on a large scale. Several successful applications of renewable energy powered desalination in remote, off the grid, locations have tackled the issue of power intermittency by the use of batteries and diesel generators. Such systems often couple reverse osmosis desalination with solar photovoltaic energy. Large desalination plants have been successfully connected to wind farms and grid electricity to secure uninterrupted plant operations, thus meeting water targets in large-scale systems. Our review identifies a knowledge gap in the integration of decentralized energy systems, e.g. rooftop solar photovoltaic, with small scale RO desalination. Such configuration would benefit those regional towns that have historically suffered from weak and unreliable connections to the electricity grid, thus helping them secure both their energy and water requirements.

The modelling exercise on a renewable energy powered RO plant in an edge-of-grid town in Western Australia has identified an operating strategy that maximizes the renewable energy fraction and secures the annual supply of water. The system involves operating the RO unit for six months of the year at a daily variable load and integrating solar energy with grid electricity. Careful evaluation of the RO performance under such operating conditions is necessary to ensure a safe and reliable water treatment process.

A niche in the literature of the energy-water nexus has been identified in the integration of rooftop solar photovoltaic, grid electricity and desalination technologies applied in a regional context. A future study will consider the rollout of rooftop solar photovoltaic installations across the whole town, thus enabling the active engagement of the community by integrating the households' energy demand response patterns to the operations of both rooftop photovoltaics and the desalination unit.


One challenging aspect of the connected and automated vehicle (CAV) operation in mixed traffic is the development of a situation-awareness module for CAVs. While operating on public roads, CAVs need to assess their surroundings, especially the intentions of non-CAVs. Generally, CAVs demonstrate a defensive driving behavior, and CAVs expect other nonautonomous entities on the road will follow the traffic rules or common driving behavior. However, the presence of aggressive human drivers in the surrounding environment, who may not follow traffic rules and behave abruptly, can lead to serious safety consequences. In this article, we have addressed the CAV and non-CAV interaction by evaluating a situation-awareness module for left-turning CAV operations in an urban area. Existing literature does not consider the intent of the following vehicle for a CAV's left-turning movement, and existing CAV controllers do not assess the following non-CAV's intents. Based on our simulation study, the situation-aware CAV controller module reduces up to 47% of the abrupt braking of the following non-CAVs for scenarios with different opposing through movement compared to the base scenario with the autonomous vehicle, without considering the following vehicle's intent. The analysis shows that the average travel time reductions for the opposite through traffic volumes of 600, 800, and 1000 vehicle/hour/lane are about 58%, 52%, and 62%, respectively, considering both scenarios for the aggressive human driver following the CAV if the following vehicle's intent is considered by a CAV in making a left-turn at an intersection.


Charles Dickens in Cyberspace opens a window on a startling set of literary and scientific links between contemporary American culture and the nineteenth-century heritage it often repudiates. Surveying a wide range of novelists, scientists, filmmakers, and theorists from the past two centuries, Jay Clayton traces the concealed circuits that connect the telegraph with the Internet, Charles Babbage's Difference Engine with the digital computer, Frankenstein's monster with cyborgs and clones, and Dickens' life and fiction with all manner of contemporary popular culture-from comic books and advertising to recent novels and films. In the process, Clayton argues for two important principles: that postmodernism has a hidden or repressed connection with the nineteenth-century and that revealing those connections can aid in the development of a historical cultural studies. In Charles Dickens in Cyberspace nineteenth-century figures-Jane Austen, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Henry James, Ada Lovelace, Joseph Paxton, Mary Shelley, and Mary Somerville-meet a lively group of counterparts from today: Andrea Barrett, Greg Bear, Peter Carey, Helene Cixous, Alfonso Cuaron, William Gibson, Donna Haraway, David Lean, Richard Powers, Salman Rushdie, Ridley Scott, Susan Sontag, Neal Stephenson, Bruce Sterling, and Tom Stoppard. The juxtaposition of such a diverse cast of characters leads to a new way of understanding the "undisciplined culture" the two eras share, an understanding that can suggest ways to heal the gap that has long separated literature from science. Combining storytelling and scholarship, this engaging study demonstrates in its own practice the value of a self-reflective stance toward cultural history. Its personal voice, narrative strategies, multiple points of view, recursive loops, and irony emphasize the improvisational nature of the methods it employs. Yet its argument is serious and urgent: that the afterlife of the nineteenth century continues to shape the present in diverse and sometimes conflicting ways.


An ovarian teratoma was diagnosed in a one-year-old, virgin female, Strain 13 guinea pig that died unexpectedly. The left ovary was replaced by a 5.5 x 5 x 3 cm mass. Microscopically, dense fibrous connective tissue, immature neuroepithelium, central and peripheral nervous tissue, respiratory epithelium and cartilage were observed. A similar mass, 1.2 x 1 x 1 cm, composed largely of embryonal neural tissue, was adhered to the abdominal side of the diaphragm. The latter mass probably resulted from transcoelomic seeding by the ovarian tumor.


Long-term monitoring of 2 benthic stations off the Northumberland coast, NE England, at 80 and 55 m depth, has been carried out since 1971. The 80 m station is located within a Nephrops norvegicus fishing ground, while the 55 m station is located outside of the main fished area. In this study we compare the fauna of the heavily fished site with that of the shallower site over a period during which fishing effort changed. Changes in macrofaunal abundance at the station outside the fishing ground reflected changes in organic input. This was also the case at the fished station except during the period of highest fishing activity when this relationship broke down. This suggests that the dynamics of the macrobenthos at this station were influenced by fishing activity. Individual taxa were categorised a priori, based on literature accounts of their response to fishing. At the site outside the fishing ground the proportion of individuals predicted a priori to increase and that predicted to decrease in response to the direct effects of fishing did not vary. At the heavily fished station the increase in fishing effort in the early 1980s did not alter the abundance of the taxa predicted to decline, but the abundance of individuals in taxonomic groups predicted to increase did change in the predicted direction. The differences in the dynamics of the 2 stations, which differed in their fishing intensity, provide some evidence for a role of direct effects of fishing in determining the abundance and composition of coastal macrofauna.


BACKGROUND
The ignorance of how sensitive serum samples for defined assays may be, can lead to overprotecting measures. This attitude not only increases cost and labor in everyday routine but may be responsible for not evaluating series of measurements if performed in serum samples not well stored.

METHODS
Thyrotropin (TSH) concentration in serum was tested in three pooled samples drawn from various patients, before and after four days storage at freezing (-15 degrees C), low (4 degrees C), and room temperature (18-22 degrees C). TSH concentration was measured in each part, in 22 replicates using a commercial assay.

RESULTS
The variation of the measured values due to the storage conditions was less than 10%, not exceeding the accepted between assay variation.

CONCLUSIONS
For the estimation of TSH concentration, patient serum samples may be stored up to four days at 4 degrees C or even at room temperature without significant loss of measurement accuracy.


We present a simple scheme for taking into account the resonant continuum coupling in the relativistic mean field-BCS calculations. In this scheme, applied before in nonrelativistic calculations, the effect of the resonant continuum on pairing correlations is introduced through the scattering wave functions located in the region of the resonant states. These states are found by solving the relativistic mean field equations with scattering-type boundary conditions for the continuum spectrum. The calculations are done for the neutron-rich Zr isotopes. It is shown that the sudden increase of the neutron radii close to the neutron drip line, the so-called giant halo, is determined by a few resonant states close to the continuum threshold.


Medical Expert Systems is an active research area where data analysts and medical experts are continuously collaborating to make these systems more accurate and therefore, more useful in real life. Recent surveys by World Health Organization indicated a great increase in number of diabetic patients and the deaths that are attributed to diabetes each year. Therefore, early diagnosis of diabetes is a major concern among researchers and practitioners. The paper presents an application of automatic multilayer perceptron (AutoMLP) which is combined with an outlier detection method Enhanced Class Outlier Detection using distance based algorithm to create a novel prediction framework. AutoMLP is an auto-tunable and performs parameter optimization automatically on the run during training process, which otherwise requires human intervention. Our framework performs outlier detection during pre-processing of data. A series of experiments are performed publicly available dataset: UCI (Prima Indian) and system achieved an accuracy of 88.7% which bests the highest reported results.


AIDS in Thailand To the Editor: The Letter from Thailand by M P Ryan' is remarkably similar in title, theme and conclusions to a report which appeared in the British Medical Journal last year.' The latter publication provoked concern amongst a number of Thai doctors with whom I was working at the time, not necessarily because of the publicity it rightly gave to the potential gravity of the problem with the acquired immunodeficiencysyndrome (AIDS) in the Kingdom, but because it failed to address issues other than prostitution and drug addiction in two cities of Thailand which are amongst the most popular and well-knownof tourist destinations. Mr Ryan's letter could be criticised for the same reasons. Thailand has a largely agricultural economy and it is in the rural areas that the majority of Thais live and work. For many, life on the land is a struggle, especially when the rains do not come and crops fail. Because of harsh economic conditions and the relative prosperity offered by jobs in large centres such as Bangkok, a significant part of the workforce is itinerant. This includes the many young women (and men) lured into prostitution. In addition, the gem mines of SouthEasternThailandand WesternCambodiaattract people from all over Thailand, and significant numbers of Thai workers spend time abroad in otherAsian countriesand the Middle East. Two of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in Thailand are road accident trauma and malaria. Intensive care units in peripheral Thai hospitals are often full of such patients, especially in the rainy season. There is, as a result, a constant need for blood and blood products. During most of the 1980s, there was no routine screening of donors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies. Even now, fresh blood which needs to be given in emergency situations cannot be screened in most peripheral centres. This is the unknown in the equation describing the development of AIDS in Thailand. Past and present donors and recipients may be workers whose mobility could contribute to the spread of AIDS in rural Thai communities. Indeed, some of the first cases of AIDS reported in the English language Thai press were patients who claimed to have acquired HIV infection through transfusions. The health system in peripheral Thai hospitals is of a high standard for a developing country. As discussed by both Ryan' and Anderson,' excellent epidemiological studies are being carried out to supplement the sound policies on HIV screening, education and counselling which are currently being planned and implemented.However, the extent of the "heterosexual epidemic" will not be known until reliable estimates of the number of HIV antibody positive cases in the general population have been obtained. Data from Thai prostitutes working in Bangkok (many of whom are recruited from, and regularly travel back to, Chiang Mai) and Chiang Mai itself are, at best, only rough indicators of the source and size of the problem. The spread of transfusion-related AIDS cannot be quantified but may, either directly or indirectly, be of much greater significance to the majority of Thais. Articles in the medical literature which highlight prostitution and intravenous drug use in Thailand may catch the reader's attention and make valid observations, but they also run the risk of creating a false impression of Thai society. If such articles purport to present an objective overview of the AIDS problem in Thailand, they should cover both urban and rural populations and all known risk factors. Thailand, like many other countries, faces a continuing battle against HIV, a battle which will be fought on fronts outside brothels and circles of intravenous drug users. Timothy M E Davis, FRACP (formerly Lecturer, Welicome/Mahldol University/ Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Programme Faculty of Tropical Medic.ne, Mahldol University, Bangkok. Thailand) Professor of Medicine. The University of Western Australia Fremantle Hospital. PO Box 480. Fremantle. WA 6160 1. Ryan. MP AIDS In Thailand Med J Aust 1991. 154: 282-284 2 Anderson J. AIDS In Thailand Br Med J 1990: 300: 415-416


Context
Citrin-deficient infants present neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD), which resolves at 12 months. Thereafter, they have normal liver function associated with hypercholesterolemia, and a preference for lipid-rich carbohydrate-restricted diets. However, some develop adult-onset type II citrullinemia, which is associated with metabolic abnormalities.

Objectives
To identify the causes of hypercholesterolemia in citrin-deficient children post-NICCD.

Design and Setting
We determined the concentrations of sterol markers of cholesterol synthesis, absorption, and catabolism by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry and evaluated serum lipoprotein profiles.

Subjects
Twenty citrin-deficient children aged 5 to 13 years and 37 age-matched healthy children.

Intervention
None.

Main Outcome Measures
Relationship between serum lipoproteins and sterol markers of cholesterol metabolism.

Results
The citrin-deficient group had a significantly higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration than did the control group (78 ± 11 mg/dL vs 62 ± 14 mg/dL, P < 0.001), whereas the two groups had similar low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. The concentrations of markers of cholesterol synthesis (lathosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol) and bile acids synthesis (7α-hydroxycholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol) were 1.5- to 2.8-fold and 1.5- to 3.9-fold, respectively, higher in the citrin-deficient group than in the control group. The concentration of 24S-hydroxycholesterol, a marker of cholesterol catabolism in the brain, was 2.5-fold higher in the citrin-deficient group. In both groups, the HDL-C concentration was significantly positively correlated with that of 27-hydroxycholesterol, the first product of the alternative bile acid synthesis pathway.

Conclusions
HDL-C and sterol marker concentrations are elevated in citrin-deficient children post-NICCD. Moreover, cholesterol synthesis and elimination are markedly enhanced in the liver and brain of citrin-deficient children.


Objective: The objective of this paper was to describe the oral conditions of two children accompanied by their mothers who reported to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry of Fluminense Federal University with Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS). Case report: The 9-year-old female patient had a family and medical history significant for placental abruption, caesarean section, delayed psychomotor development, learning disabilities, tendency to selfdistract and congenital heart disease. In contrast, the 7-year-old male patient had a normal birth and no gestational intercurrences. Discussion: Clinically, the female presented with mixed dentition, crowding in the maxillary and mandibular arches, prolonged retention of deciduous teeth, anterior and posterior cross-bite and Angle Class I malocclusion, while the male had mixed dentition and retarded psychomotor development. Due to the patients having congenital heart disease, a prophylactic antibiotic regimen was prescribed prior to the dental procedures in both of them. Conclusion: These patients had been followed up for 2 years and this case report underscores the importance of early dental evaluation and counselling for parents of WBS patients.KeywordsWilliams Beuren syndrome; Oral manifestations; Child.


Summary form only given. Collisional excitation of dense gases with beams of energetic, ionizing particles leads to light emission and gas kinetic processes in mainly recombination dominated plasmas. The experiments in this field are of fundamental as well as practical interest and range from the demonstration of short wavelength lasers pumped by pulsed high energy uranium beams to the practical use of ultraviolet light sources applying continuous low energy electron-beam excitation. The energy loss of the projectiles in the entrance foil of the gas targets plays a key role for the experimental techniques. The introduction of extremely thin (300 nm) ceramic membranes as entrance foils for electron beams about 10 years ago was an innovation which led to the development of very compact instruments for electron beams excitation of dense gases or liquids, which can now be built even as portable devices. Heavy ion beam pumped laser experiments and gas kinetic studies using the low energy electron beam excitation will be presented. Vacuum ultraviolet light sources based on the novel electron beam technology and their application for photoionization in analytical instruments will also be described.


ABSTRACT Purpose: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is widely regarded worldwide as a major cause of childhood blindness, however until recently the disease has not been recognized in most of the African continent. As a result of changing economic conditions, there is growing evidence that the population at risk for ROP in Africa is increasing. This report aims to summarize the published literature on ROP from Africa. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review of the English and French online literature databases by applying a general search strategy initially on May 1, 2017 with repeat inquiry on May 20, 2018. Search phrases included multiple variants of terms including "ROP", "retinopathy of prematurity", in conjunction with each of the individual 54 recognized sovereign African states. Findings: A total of 25 individual studies from six African nations were identified: South Africa (10), Egypt (7), Nigeria (4), with the nations of Sudan, Rwanda, and Kenya each having one respective study. Two countries (South Africa and Kenya) have developed national ROP policies for primary and secondary prevention. Summary: Review of the published literature suggests that ROP is emerging in Africa, however, there are published data from 6/54 (11%) African nations. Blindness from ROP is often preventable with appropriate primary and secondary prevention. This report provides compelling evidence that these efforts should be undertaken to implement and evaluate regionally appropriate ROP prevention programs in a growing number of African countries.


While controlling manufacturing systems, real time data is collected through sensory devices or some other means and fed back to the controller for the purpose of monitoring that system. Monitoring refers to the analysis of data collected from the system. It involves fault detection and diagnostics. Here, we shall emphasize the fault detection aspects of monitoring. Modeling the control system by a time Petri net permits us to develop an analytical procedure for fault detection. By backfiring transitions in the time Petri net, we are able to determine if a given state is invalid. The back-firing approach also provides us with state space representation of time Petri nets and the maximum token holding times in different places of time Petri nets. >


This study examined the conceptualisation of Singaporean and Chinese parents' emotion socialisation in childhood and the relation to adolescents' emotion regulation with 601 adolescents aged 12-15. For both Singaporean and Chinese parents, we examined the factorial structure underlying six parental reactions to children's negative emotions, and the relations between the established factors with adolescents' cognitive reappraisal and response suppression. The findings revealed differences in the conceptualisation of parental reactions for Singaporean and Chinese parents, with the three- and four-factor models indicating good fit, respectively. For Singaporean parents, the factor comprising Expressive Encouragement, Emotion-Focused and Problem-Focused reactions was positively correlated with male adolescents' cognitive reappraisal, and the factor comprising Punitive and Distress Reactions was positively related to female adolescents' response suppression. For Chinese parents, the Expressive Encouragement factor was positively correlated with male adolescents' cognitive reappraisal. These findings on cultural differences in the factors underlying parental reactions and their relations with adolescents' emotion regulation support the emotion competency framework for understanding parents' emotion socialisation across cultures.


Meteorite dating reveals that planetary core formation is a relatively fast process. [Also see Report by Kruijer et al.] As in many building booms, planets were put together pretty rapidly. Transforming nebular dust to fully formed planets took less than ~100 million years of the ~4.5 billion years of solar system history. Accurate determination of the rates of planetary growth is key for understanding these tumultuous beginnings of the solar system, but obtaining high-precision ages on short-lived events that happened so long ago is a formidable challenge. On page 1150 of this issue, Kruijer et al. (1) determine with remarkable accuracy that planetary core formation began less than 1 million years after the first solids condensed—extraordinarily fast on geological time scales.


Wool fabrics having temperature sensitive shape memory effect were fabricated by using a shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) treatment. The contribution of SMPU treatment on bagging recovery and felting shrinkage, crucial properties for end use performance, was investigated by a test procedure including hot water conditions simulating laundry of garments according to the Woolmark TM31 standard. Chemical and morphological analyses, bending rigidity, and tear strength tests were also carried out to determine the effects of SMPU treatment on performance properties. SMPU treatment significantly increased weight and rigidity of fabrics. Most notably, SMPU treated wool fabric exhibited excellent temperature sensitive bagging recovery stimulated by a washing procedure. Also, anti-felting and weight loss performances were quite high compared to raw and commercial polyurethane-treated fabrics.


The project Crossbow provides a framework to investigate services and mechanisms including resource management and packet scheduling for multimedidmulticast applications. In particular the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6, IP next generation, IPng) [7] protocol suite on top of ATM is considered to demonstrate possible synergy between ATM and IPv6. The presented architecture includes IPv6 and RSVP [17], running on BSD Unix using the 1.2 Gbps APIC (ATM Port Interconnect Controller) chip [6], as well as support for Ethernet networks.