A crystallographic cell is a representation of a lattice, but each lattice can be represented just as well by any of an infinite number of such unit cells. Searching for matches to an experimentally determined crystallographic unit cell in a large collection of previously determined unit cells is a useful verification step in synchrotron data collection and can be a screen for "similar" structures, but it is more useful to search for a match to the lattice represented by the experimentally determined cell. For identification of substances with small cells, a unit cell match may be sufficient for unique identification. Due to experimental error and multiple choices of cells and differing choices of lattice centering representing the same lattice, simple searches based on raw cell edges and angles can miss similarities among lattices. A database of lattices using the G6 representation of the Niggli-reduced cell as the search key provides a more robust and complete search. Searching is implemented by finding the distance from the probe cell to related cells using a topological embedding of the Niggli reduction in G6, so that all cells representing similar lattices will be found. Comparison of results with those from older cell-based search algorithms suggests significant value in the new approach.


This paper addresses problems on the structural design of large-scale control systems. An efficient and unified framework is proposed to select the minimum number of manipulated/measured variables to achieve structural controllability/observability of the system, and to select the minimum number of feedback interconnections between measured and manipulated variables such that the closed-loop system has no structural fixed modes. Global solutions are computed using polynomial complexity algorithms in the number of the state variables of the system. Finally, graph-theoretic characterizations are proposed, which allow a characterization of all possible solutions.


Object-oriented frameworks are established tools for domain-specific reuse. Many framework design patterns have been documented, e.g. reverse engineering framework architectures from conventionally built applications for a given domain. The framework development cycle generally evolves from an open framework to a closed application. We describe a more flexible component-based approach to framework design that stresses a common interface for 'plugging-in' new components at different lifecycle stages. An analysis of framework-related user roles shows that the classical developer/end-user boundary is too rigid. We see the framework's development as a continuum within which its 'actors' can customise its behavior. This both increases the system's flexibility and reduces its maintenance requirement. A case study of three frameworks for different application domains illustrates the presented principles.


The purpose of this study is twofold. First, this study investigates the trends of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting and financial performance (FP) in commercial banks in Poland. Second, this study examines the impact of the CSR disclosure of the banks on their financial performance (ROA, ROE, NIM). Sample consists of 18 banks. The data from annual reports for the period of 8 years (2008 – 2015) were both hand collected and obtained from Notoria Servis Database. A content analysis is used to measure the level of CSR disclosures and a panel data analysis is employed to examine the CSR-FP relationship. Software: GRETL. Two key findings: (1) Positive relationship between banks' CSR disclosures and their profitability measured by ROA and ROE. However, the relationship between banks' CSR disclosures and NIM is negative. Statistical analysis did not report any significant effect of CSR activities on ROA, ROE and NIM ratios. (2) Banks' CSR activities are not dominant predictor of their profitability as compared with control variables. To our best knowledge this research is the first quantitative analysis regarding banking sector in Poland. Further, this study was conducted in emerging market with different socio-economic context and regulations compared to developed market. The findings contribute to and increase the understanding of the relationship between CSR disclosures and FP. Finally, this study has important implications for policy makers, managers, investors, and others.


A study was initiated in 1995 to measure landscape changes in forest structures between 1900 and 1995. A systematic sampling system was used to collect data on three forested faces on the Bitterroot Front. Over 1,200 tree cores were taken on 216 plots between the elevation range of 4,500 to 7,500 feet. Historic forests were reconstructed through quantitative techniques. Changes are presented in three elevation zones: lower (4,500 to 5,800 feet), middle (5,800 to 6,900 feet), and upper (6,900 to 7,500 feet). Dramatic decreases in fire dependent species and increases in fire intolerant species are shown throughout all elevation zones. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) has been reduced from 52 percent to 26 percent of total basal area in lower elevations. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) increased its relative percentage of total basal area in the lower zone from 19 percent to 55 percent over the past century. Western larch (Larix occidentalis) abundance has declined from 26 percent to 11 percent in lower elevations (4,500 to 5,800 feet) and from 24 percent to only 6 percent in middle elevations (5,800 to 6,900 feet). Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) has increased its relative percentage of landscape basal area 6 percent in middle elevations and 13 percent in upper elevations (6,900 to 7,500 feet). Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) decreased from 39 percent to only 11 percent of total stand basal area in the upper elevation zone.


Background Wilson disease (WD) is characterized by hepatic copper accumulation with progressive liver damage to cirrhosis. This study aimed to characterize the toxic milk mouse from The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME, USA) (tx-j) mouse model of WD according to changes over time in hepatic copper concentrations, methionine metabolism, global DNA methylation, and gene expression from gestational day 17 (fetal) to adulthood (28 weeks). Methods Included liver histology and relevant biochemical analyses including hepatic copper quantification, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) liver levels, qPCR for transcript levels of genes relevant to methionine metabolism and liver damage, and DNA dot blot for global DNA methylation. Results Hepatic copper was lower in tx-j fetuses but higher in weanling (three weeks) and adult tx-j mice compared to controls. S-adenosylhomocysteinase transcript levels were significantly lower at all time points, except at three weeks, correlating negatively with copper levels and with consequent changes in the SAM:SAH methylation ratio and global DNA methylation. Conclusion Compared to controls, methionine metabolism including S-adenosylhomocysteinase gene expression is persistently different in the tx-j mice with consequent alterations in global DNA methylation in more advanced stages of liver disease. The inhibitory effect of copper accumulation on S-adenosylhomocysteinase expression is associated with progressively abnormal methionine metabolism and decreased methylation capacity and DNA global methylation.


The weak gravity conjecture suggests that, in a self-consistent theory of quantum gravity, the strength of gravity is bounded from above by the strengths of the various gauge forces in the theory. In particular, this intriguing conjecture asserts that in a theory describing a U(1) gauge field coupled consistently to gravity, there must exist a particle whose proper mass is bounded (in Planck units) by its charge: $m/m_{\text{P}}<q$. This beautiful and remarkably compact conjecture has attracted the attention of physicists and mathematicians over the last decade. It should be emphasized, however, that despite the fact that there are numerous examples from field theory and string theory that support the conjecture, we still lack a general proof of its validity. In the present Letter we prove that the weak gravity conjecture (and, in particular, the mass-charge upper bound $m/m_{\text{P}}<q$) can be inferred directly from Bekenstein's generalized second law of thermodynamics, a law which is widely believed to reflect a fundamental aspect of the elusive theory of quantum gravity.


Vitellogenin (Vg) is best known as a yolk protein precursor. Vg also functions to regulate behavioral maturation in adult honey bee workers, but the underlying molecular mechanisms by which it exerts this novel effect are largely unknown. We used abdominal vitellogenin (vg) knockdown with RNAi and brain transcriptomic profiling to gain insights into how Vg influences honey bee behavioral maturation. We found that vg knockdown caused extensive gene expression changes in the bee brain, with much of this transcriptional response involving changes in central biological functions such as energy metabolism. vg knockdown targeted many of the same genes that show natural, maturation-related differences, but the direction of change for the genes in these two contrasts was not correlated. By contrast, vg knockdown targeted many of the same genes that are regulated by juvenile hormone (JH) and there was a significant correlation for the direction of change for the genes in these two contrasts. These results indicate that the tight co-regulatory relationship that exists between JH and Vg in the regulation of honey bee behavioral maturation is manifest at the genomic level and suggest that these two physiological factors act through common pathways to regulate brain gene expression and behavior. 1
  Wheeler, M.M., Ament, S.A., Rodriguez-Zas, S.L., Robinson, G.E. (2013) Brain gene expression changes elicited by peripheral vitellogenin knockdown in the honey bee. Insect Mol Biol 22(5): 562-73.


Objectives: To prevent accident and rear end collision in VANET, we propose to develop a method that will first create a cluster for preventing accident and rear collision in VANET Method/Statistical Analysis: Hence, to prevent accident and rear end collision in VANET, we propose to develop a scheme. First, with vehicles of same group moving in same road and direction, a cluster is formed. Among transmitted power and Contention Window (CW) size occasionally, every automobiles bounds an algorithm individually that's adjusted. Findings: In urban areas, Traffic accidents occur because of sudden brakes, which demand a quick response from drivers. Therefore, a driver should be informed of the emergency events earlier. The proposed scheme applied each vehicle nodes in the network. Within the contention window metrics, the probability of collision between nearby vehicles is calculated and included which ensures the occurrence of appropriate modernize of transmission power and CW (Access Category) standards derived from the limited automobile density and the network circumstance correspondingly. The cluster with the header nodes maintain every unwanted or accident event and inform to every node to prevent accidents and rear end collision. This is significant to every sub cluster members of an SCH entity. An automobile can securely reject communication initiated from automobiles next to it. The recipient automobile can take; action derived from the primary and rejects the remaining replacement copies in case of redundancy.Applications/Improvements: The proposed scheme focused to enhance the delay, delivery ratio, energy and throughput compare to existing schemes.


This study focused on assessment of factors affecting community participation towards water project sustainability in Kinondoni Municipal. Different data collection methods were used including a sample of 60 questionnaires, focus group discussions and interviews. The data collected was more qualitative which were analyzed using the SPSS and content analysis. The findings of the study showed that there are various factors that affect community participation towards water projects sustainability. This study pinpoints three important groups of factors that affect community participation: community related factors, personal related factors and project related factors. The factors relating to community like Community leaders and magnitude of the problem in a community affects community participation in a way that; if community leaders strongly and fully participates will influence the community to participate. If the magnitude of the problem is high may attract a large number of community member to participate. One's attitude, the longer the distance from one water project to another and level of education have positively influenced community participation in water projects. Basing on the findings the study recommends that, there is need for government and non-government organizations to increase awareness to the public on projects that are to take off and invite them to participate so that they can feel ownership of the started water projects. High degree of community participation in turns brings about water project sustainability.


Spherical C/LiFePO4 cathode materials were successfully prepared by spray pyrolysis. The saccharides such as monosaccharide and disaccharide or organic acid were used as carbon source. SEM observation showed that they had spherical morphology with particle size of about 1m. XRD analysis revealed that the olivine phase was obtained by heating at 700 °C under the atmosphere of argon/hydrogen (5 %). Electrochemical measurement revealed that the rechargeable capacity of LiFePO4 was significantly improved by the addition of carbon. The use of sucrose was most effective for the high rechargeable capacity and cycle stability.


Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) metastasizes transcoelomically to the peritoneum and omentum, and despite surgery and chemotherapy, recurrent disease is likely. Metastasis requires the induction of proangiogenic changes in the omental microenvironment and EOC-induced omental angiogenesis is currently a key therapeutic target. In particular, antiangiogenic therapies targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) pathway are commonly used, although, with limited effects. Here, using human omental microvascular endothelial cells (HOMECs) and ovarian cancer cell lines as an in vitro model, we show that factors secreted from EOC cells increased proliferation, migration, and tube-like structure formation in HOMECs. However, EOC-induced angiogenic tube-like formation and migration were unaffected by inhibition of tyrosine kinase activity of VEGF receptors 1 and 2 (Semaxanib; SU5416) or neutralization of VEGFA (neutralizing anti-VEGFA antibody), although VEGFA165-induced HOMEC migration and tube-like structure formation were abolished. Proteomic investigation of the EOC secretome identified several alternative angiogenesis-related proteins. We screened these for their ability to induce an angiogenic phenotype in HOMECs, i.e., proliferation, migration, and tube-like structure formation. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7) increased all three parameters, and cathepsin L (CL) increased migration and tubule formation. Further investigation confirmed expression of the HGF receptor c-Met in HOMECs. HGF- and EOC-induced proliferation and angiogenic tube structure formation were blocked by the c-Met inhibitor PF04217903. Our results highlight key alternative angiogenic mediators for metastatic EOC, namely, HGF, CL, and IGFBP-7, suggesting that effective antiangiogenic therapeutic strategies for this disease require inhibition of multiple angiogenic pathways.


Through this paper we examine children's literacy groupware, cloud-based reading management systems that combine digital reading collections with behaviour tracking and analysis, communication tools, and reader incentives. Children's literacy groupware extends the notion of a digital library for children by providing value-added tools for teaching, monitoring, evaluating and encouraging young readers. We offer an analysis of two for-profit app-based systems that provide reading content and instruction for elementary age children in the United States and Canada. We question the influence of these systems on the practice of reading. How do systems for managing engagement with digital texts frame reading practice: the what, where, when and how of reading, including behaviours, attitudes and dispositions toward the practice itself?


G abriel Danovitch, MD, medical director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), receives inquiries from all over the country asking about his institution's policy regarding transplantation for marijuana users. He tells people that he regards cannabis as a risk factor with both medical and behavioral components, and that its use is something to take into account in the overall assessment of a transplant candidate. But, he says, it should not be used alone as a contraindication to transplant. Dr. Danovitch's stance is in line with a new California law that goes into effect in January 2016. Assembly Bill 258, the Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act, prohibits transplant centers from denying transplantation to medical marijuana users solely based on their use of the drug. California joins six other states with organ transplant protection for medical cannabis users: Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Washington.


Strain magnitudes and orientations and incremental strain histories are characterized throughout the Kodiak Formation, a portion of a Late Cretaceous-early Tertiary accretionary prism. The results of these analyses are used to evaluate the history of underplating, penetrative strain, and unroofing in the forearc of the southwest Alaskan convergent margin. Five major deformation events are recognized in the Kodiak Formation: (1) layer-parallel extension and layer-parallel shear (D1) related to underthrusting, (2) seaward verging fold and thrust deformation (D2) with development of both a slaty cleavage (S2) and a downdip stretching lineation (L2) related to underplating and early penetrative strain within the wedge, (3) development of a regional scale antiform (D3), (4) development of a shear zone along the northwest limb of the D3 antiform (D4), and (5) right-lateral strike-slip faulting and penetrative right-lateral simple shear in the seaward half of the Kodiak Formation (D5). Based on sharp differences in structural style and the magnitude and orientation of strain associated with D2, the Kodiak Formation has been subdivided into three structural units informally called the landward, central, and seaward belts. The structural variations observed in these three belts correspond to differences in structural relief of 1–5 km associated with the D3 antiform; the lowest D2 structural level is in the core of the antiform (central belt) and progressively higher structural levels are exposed on both limbs (landward and seaward belts). The regional distribution of incremental strain histories associated with D2, D3, D4, and D5 has been quantified by using syntectonic fibers in pressure shadows around spherical pyrite framboids. From the highest to the lowest structural level, D2 strain is characterized by (1) an increase in the magnitude of finite strain, (2) a change in the orientation of finite extension from nearly vertical to gently northwest plunging, (3) a change in the incremental extension direction from nearly vertical to moderately northwest plunging, and, finally, (4) a change in the strain history from coaxial to noncoaxial with a sense of rotation consistent with southeast directed thrusting. We interpret these D2 strain patterns to reflect a strain field that was fixed relative to the basal decollement, with coaxial subhorizontal shortening in the interior of the prism and noncoaxial strain (probably simple shear) near the base. Subsequent variations in the orientation of incremental extension associated with D3 are consistent with relatively rapid, vertical translation of the accreted sequences relative to the D2 strain field. We specifically propose two periods of wedge thickening in response to a combination of underplating and penetrative strain. These two wedge thickening events correspond with episodes of subaerial exposure and erosional unroofing in the Late Cretaceous and middle Tertiary.


Plant responses to abiotic stresses are complex and dynamic, and involve changes in different traits, either as the direct consequence of the stress, or as an active acclimatory response. Abiotic stresses frequently occur simultaneously or in succession, rather than in isolation. Despite this, most studies have focused on a single stress and single or few plant traits. To address this gap, our study comprehensively and categorically quantified the individual and combined effects of three major abiotic stresses associated with climate change (flooding, progressive drought and high temperature) on 12 phenotypic traits related to morphology, development, growth and fitness, at different developmental stages in four Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Combined sub-lethal stresses were applied either simultaneously (high temperature and drought) or sequentially (flooding followed by drought). In total, we analyzed the phenotypic responses of 1782 individuals across these stresses and different developmental stages. Overall, abiotic stresses and their combinations resulted in distinct patterns of effects across the traits analyzed, with both quantitative and qualitative differences across accessions. Stress combinations had additive effects on some traits, whereas clear positive and negative interactions were observed for other traits: 9 out of 12 traits for high temperature and drought, 6 out of 12 traits for post-submergence and drought showed significant interactions. In many cases where the stresses interacted, the strength of interactions varied across accessions. Hence, our results indicated a general pattern of response in most phenotypic traits to the different stresses and stress combinations, but it also indicated a natural genetic variation in the strength of these responses. Overall, our study provides a rich characterization of trait responses of Arabidopsis plants to sub-lethal abiotic stresses at the phenotypic level and can serve as starting point for further in-depth physiological research and plant modelling efforts.


Abstact Amid the growing coalescence between the religion and ecology movement, religion and science, spirituality and ecology, the voice of Muslim thinking that care for the earth and its people is rising. While the Islamic position on the environment is not well-represented in the eco-theology discourse, it advances an environmental imaginary which shows how faith can be harnessed as a movement for social change. This article will draw upon field research which synthesized the Islamic ecological spirituality (eco-spirituality) from sacred texts, traditions, and contemporary thought, and illustrated how this spirituality is enlivened in the educational landscape of Islam. Knowledge of the relationship between human beings and the natural world, of the function upon which the nature was created, and of the function right living, is essential in this educational project, and the global eco-Islamic movement toward the eco-friendly community to environment. Despite the manifestation of environmental education activities in educational establishment, which are generally patterned Islamic education today is not representative of the holistic, integrated, and comprehensive educational philosophy of Islam. As contemporary world today, such as the environmental question, act as an impetus to encourages, to develop even to build a pedagogy which endeavours to be true to the religious traditions, values, and ethics of Islam, while also displaying the transformation of Islamic faith. Of course, many of them based their life, and lifestyle decisions on the teachings of Islam, and are showing the relevance of traditional resources and greatest life challenges facing humanity today; namely "save our nature".


The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two methods of providing sedation for young children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on efficiency of scanner utilization. Thirty‐nine patients were randomized to receive either propofol or chloral hydrate. Age and gender distributions were not significantly different between the groups. Induction time was significantly less for propofol than for chloral hydrate (6 ± 3 min vs 41 ± 9 min; P < 0.0001); and recovery time for propofol was significantly shorter than for chloral hydrate (18 ± 7 min vs 47 ± 28 min; P < 0.0001). Procedure times were not significantly different. Three of 19 patients who received chloral hydrate moved and their scans were interrupted; two of these received propofol. None of the patients in the propofol group moved. Utilization efficiency of the MRI scanner, defined as 100 ± (Procedure Time)/(Induction Time + Procedure Time), was 87 ± 6% for propofol and 45 ± 13% for chloral hydrate. These data demonstrate that propofol sedation allows the MRI scanner to be utilized more efficiently than chloral hydrate sedation.


A successful effort to incorporate computing in a school of architecture and planning must satisfy varying student objectives and must encompass a range of computing roles. This article reviews these roles and presents a case study of computing at the College of Architecture and Planning (formerly Environmental Design) at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Three categories of instruction make up the curriculum: Tool-using courses teach specific applications, tool-building courses focus on developing new design software, and design theory and methods courses provide a rationale for specific computational approaches. Finally, the strategies employed in developing this curriculum are discussed.


An ultra low power non-volatile memory is designed in a standard CMOS process for passive RFID tags. The memory can operate in a new low power operating scheme under a wide supply voltage and clock frequency range. In the charge pump circuit the threshold voltage effect of the switch transistor is almost eliminated and the pumping efficiency of the circuit is improved. An ultra low power 192-bit memory with a register array is implemented in a 0.18µM standard CMOS process. The measured results indicate that, for the supply voltage of 1.2 volts and the clock frequency of 780KHz, the current consumption of the memory is 1.8µA (3.6µA) at the read (write) rate of 1.3Mb/s (0.8Kb/s).


We consider the novel task of learning disentangled representations of object shape and appearance across multiple domains (e.g., dogs and cars). The goal is to learn a generative model that learns an intermediate distribution, which borrows a subset of properties from each domain, enabling the generation of images that did not exist in any domain exclusively. This challenging problem requires an accurate disentanglement of object shape, appearance, and background from each domain, so that the appearance and shape factors from the two domains can be interchanged. We augment an existing approach that can disentangle factors within a single domain but struggles to do so across domains. Our key technical contribution is to represent object appearance with a differentiable histogram of visual features, and to optimize the generator so that two images with the same latent appearance factor but different latent shape factors produce similar histograms. On multiple multi-domain datasets, we demonstrate our method leads to accurate and consistent appearance and shape transfer across domains.


Alzheimer?s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older persons in the U.S. Addressing the recent Manhattan Alzheimer?s Disease Conference, Raymond Pratt, MD, senior director, CNS Therapeutic Area, Eisai Medical Research, Teaneck, NJ, said that in the U.S., AD affects approximately 4 million people over 65 years of age. Pratt pointed out that most patients are cared for at home by relatives until the very latest stages of their disease, so therapies to prevent or delay the progression of AD are very important. The 2003 Manhattan Alzheimer?s Disease Conference was sponsored by Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation.


Congenital vitelline duct anomalies other than Meckel's diverticulum are rare in animals. A cyst of approximately 8 mm in diameter was observed on the antimesenteric surface of the ileal serosa in a 10-week-old female Crl:CD(SD) rat. Microscopically, the cyst closely resembled the ileum, but it did not communicate with the ileal lumen. We diagnosed this case as a vitelline cyst derived from the vitelline duct based on the location where it developed and its histological behavior. In rats, only Meckel's diverticulum has been reported with a congenital anomaly of the vitelline duct, and no other spontaneous anomalies including a vitelline cyst have been reported. This case may be the first report concerning a vitelline cyst in the rat ileum.


mRNA display is a powerful, high-throughput technology for discovering novel, peptide ligands for protein targets. A number of methods have been used to expand the chemical diversity of mRNA display libraries beyond the 20 canonical amino acids, including genetic code reprogramming and biorthogonal chemistries. To date, however, there have been few reports using enzymes as biocompatible reagents for diversifying mRNA display libraries. Here, we report the evaluation and implementation of the common industrial enzyme, microbial transglutaminase (mTG), as a versatile biocatalyst for cyclization of mRNA display peptide libraries via lysine-to-glutamine isopeptide bonds. We establish two separate display-based assays to validate the compatibility of mTG with mRNA-linked peptide substrates. These assays indicate that mTG has a high degree of substrate tolerance and low single round bias. To demonstrate the potential benefits of mTG-mediated cyclization in ligand discovery, high diversity mTG-modified libraries were employed in two separate affinity selections: (1) one against the calcium and integrin binding protein, CIB1, and (2) the second against the immune checkpoint protein and emerging therapeutic target, B7-H3. Both selections resulted in the identification of potent, cyclic, low nanomolar binders, and subsequent structure-activity studies demonstrate the importance of the cyclization to the observed activity. Notably, cyclization in the CIB1 binder stabilizes an α-helical conformation, while the B7-H3 inhibitor employs two bridges, one mTG-derived lactam and a second disulfide to achieve its potency. Together, these results demonstrate potential benefits of enzyme-based biocatalysts in mRNA display ligand selections and establish a framework for employing mTG in mRNA display.


In this article we describe our approach to pervasive game design and provide examples of how this ethos is embedded in practice vis-a-vis the Urban Codemakers game universe. The theoretical foundations for this approach are outlined and unpacked: moving from Heideggerian phenomenology to a Situationist aesthetic for intervention in urban spaces. We illustrate the necessity of emphasising an understanding of the player's thereness for design; best surmised in Heidegger's term Dasein (there-being). In so doing, we collapse any Cartesian distinction between virtual/real, material/ideal, and subject/object for game design, to instead, a comprehension of different phenomenological worlds within which the player is necessarily embedded and embodied.


Proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Induction of HSC apoptosis by natural products is considered an effective strategy for treating liver fibrosis. Herein, the apoptotic effects of 7,20-epoxy-ent-kaurane (oridonin), a diterpenoid isolated from Rabdosia rubescens, and its underlying mechanisms were investigated in rat HSC cell line, HSC-T6. We found that oridonin inhibited cell viability of HSC-T6 in a concentration-dependent manner. Oridonin induced a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and increases in caspase 3 activation, subG1 phase, and DNA fragmentation. These apoptotic effects of oridonin were completely reversed by thiol antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and glutathione monoethyl ester. Moreover, oridonin increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which was also inhibited by NAC. Significantly, oridonin reduced intracellular glutathione (GSH) level in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. Additionally, oridonin induced phosphorylations of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). NAC prevented the activation of MAPKs in oridonin-induced cells. However, selective inhibitors of MAPKs failed to alter oridonin-induced cell death. In summary, these results demonstrate that induction of apoptosis in HSC-T6 by oridonin is associated with a decrease in cellular GSH level and increase in ROS production.


Platelets are classically used in the clinic to maintain hemostasis, while recent evidence has shown the important role for platelets in the host inflammatory and immune responses. In fact, platelets in vivo produce different mediators such as cytokines or chemokines, which may be involved in the course of disease treatment, thus platelets transfusion is often an effective therapy in many cases. It is well known that platelets can regulate neu - trophils, lymphocytes and other immune cells behavior in immune response, thus direct-ing these immune cells onto the damaged tissues, organs or infected sites. On the other hand, platelets can induce neutrophil extracellular traps release in response to bacterial or viral infection. All the characterized novel profile of platelet, if not all, at least in some situations, should be take into consideration when platelets have to be transfused into patients.


Cultured human peripheral blood monocytes stimulate the release of bone mineral and matrix from killed long bones of fetal rats. These effects were inhibited by cortisol but were not altered by hormones that normally stimulate osteoclastic bone resorption. There was no evidence of morphologic differentiation of the monocytes into osteoclasts during bone resorption.


Abstract:This paper deals with the relationship between myth and right-wing culture in the works and intellectual biography of Furio Jesi (1941–1980). It summarizes Jesi's epistemological approach to the scientific study of myth and mythology, emphasizing the concept of the "mythological machine," before proceeding to describe Jesi's perspective on far-right thought, postwar neo-Fascism, the presence of metaphysical and political backgrounds in history of religion, and several elements of postwar Italian pop culture.


Environmental specimens lining seawater blowholes of Whale Point, Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean were collected (August 2012) and investigated by morphological and molecular techniques. Reported here, Acremonium stroudii (Ascomycota) sp. nov., a filamentous conidia-forming fungus, was the only fungus isolated from the samples collected. Molecular analysis of the material also indicates the presence of a novel species of green algae being present, however, isolation of this alga has not been possible. Instead it appears that this specimen, which belongs to a novel lineage within the Ulvales, sister to the Dilabifilum species, encourages fungal growth in culture and has been shown to form a symbiotic relationship on low nutrition agar plates, supported by investigation through electron microscopy. As no holotype of this species could be isolated in an axenic culture it was not suitable at this point to try to define this alga, especially as no established genus could be attributed. We recommend trying to further sample areas of Ascension Island looking for other members of this green algal lineage, both investigating free-living green algae and those which are found as lichenized photobionts.


This paper illustrates the application of a novel theory, namely, the distributional robustness theory (DRT), to compute the worst-case timing yield of a circuit. The assumption is that the probability distributions of the process variables are unknown, and only their intervals and their ldquoclassrdquo of distributions are available. This paper considers practical classes to describe potential distributions which match with partial statistical information that might be available. Some classes are suitable for independent distributions that have symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes, while others can account for correlations. These classes have high flexibility to include various shapes of the distributions of the process variations. At a higher level, they can also capture the case when uncertainty in their correlation coefficients exists. The contributions of this paper are on formulating the DRT for different cases of variations and in deriving conditions (e.g., acceptable bounds on timing constraint, acceptable intervals of variations) that allow applying the results of the DRT. Compared with other recent works, the presented approach can include correlations among process variations and does not require knowledge of the exact function form of their joint distribution function. The presented approach is also applicable to other types of parametric yield.


Problem. The Seventh-day Adventist church/North American Division initiated a Tutoring and Mentoring project in response to President Clinton's America Reads literacy campaign. This study documents the efforts of the church and the first cohort of trainees as they sought to establish tutoring projects in their home locales. Method. The author of this study was involved as a co-trainer and a participant-observer during the initial 1-week training session held at the North American Division Headquarters. This training was intended to equip the participants to become tutors of children and trainers of tutors in a primary-level tutoring project. During the school year immediately following the training, two of the original participants were successful in establishing tutoring projects. Their successes were examined in-depth by observations and interviews and reported through case studies. The other initial trainees did not establish projects during the first year. The author maintained contact with a majority o f the trainees by telephone, and reported their frustrations by telling fictional composite stories based on their accounts. Results. A framework of critical components was developed as a result of a literature review which examined characteristics of successful programs. The two successful projects which were established were analyzed using this framework. Most characteristics of successful programs were evident and documented in these fledgling projects. Other themes related to their successes were elucidated and added to the framework. The lack of successful implementation by the other trainees was primarily due to critical components that were neglected or not accessible. Conclusions. The two trainees who were able to immediately implement tutoring projects had many of the necessary skills and resources already available to them. The training they received acted as a catalyst which enabled them to establish projects. The other trainees expressed concerns related to the lack of personal confidence immediately following the initial training session, and these concerns were never sufficiently addressed. Their primary concerns regarding the need for more training and the lack of resources need be considered if the initiative is to realize its ambitious goals.


The reaction mechanism of the gold(III)-catalysed hydroalkoxylation of alkynes is studied to provide a deeper understanding of homogeneous gold catalysis. The study is conducted computationally using Density Functional Theory (DFT), with the PBE0 and BP86 functionals and basis sets of triple-ζ quality (aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVTZ-PP for the gold atom). It emphasises the mechanisms undergone by various alkynes when they are activated by gold(III) catalysts towards nucleophilic attack to first form an enol ether and followed by a second nucleophilic attack to form a ketal as the final product. Hydrogen bonding networks formed by the solvent methanols are found to play a crucial role in the mechanism especially in the hydrogen migration steps that follow after the nucleophilic attacks. The first nucleophilic attacks are predicted to have rather low activation energies and hence they are expected to proceed fast while the second additions vary in activation barriers, depending on the steric effects in the substrates. The activation barrier for the last hydrogen migration is highest for all of the three reactions investigated and is expected to be the rate determining step. Investigations of internal alkyne reactions reveal that each elementary step requires a higher activation energy compared to terminal alkynes, which explains the low experimental rate of such reactions. Due to the regioselectivity problem in internal alkyne reactions, this results in a mixture of products which is difficult to isolate due to the similarities in their reaction energies. The study also highlights the calculated thermodynamics and kinetics of the reactions, which can be useful in predicting experimental outcomes. Arrhenius plots of concentration of each intermediate species against time were produced to further help the understanding of these mechanisms, whether or not the reactions go to full completion or stop at the formation of enol ether.


Background/aim Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) causes adaptations that program future propensity to obesity-related metabolic diseases, partly due to mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle, which is the major site of postprandial glucose disposal. Furthermore, IUGR fetuses present with compromised thermoregulation and susceptibility to hypothermia at birth, due to diminished insulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue. Irisin has recently been introduced as a novel myokine, which induces browning of the subcutaneous adipose tissue and consequent thermogenesis, while improving glucose metabolic parameters, such as insulin sensitivity and signalling. We aimed to prospectively investigate fetal circulating irisin concentrations in IUGR versus normal pregnancies and correlate them with various perinatal factors. Subjects and methods Plasma irisin concentrations were determined by ELISA in 50 mixed arteriovenous cord blood samples from IUGR (n = 30) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA, n = 20) singleton full-term pregnancies. Results Fetal irisin concentrations were lower in IUGR cases, compared to AGA controls (p = 0.031). No association was recorded between cord blood irisin concentrations and maternal age, parity, gestational age, delivery mode or fetal gender in both groups. Conclusions The well-documented impaired skeletal muscle metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction in IUGR fetuses may account for their irisin deficiency, which may be part of the fetal programming process, leading to increased susceptibility to later development of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Furthermore, irisin down-regulation may represent an additional mechanism underlying the susceptibility of IUGR infants to hypothermia at birth, by inducing less "browning" of their already diminished subcutaneous adipose tissue and consequently less non-shivering thermogenesis at birth.


This exploratory study aims to extend our understanding of reading in isiZulu, the most widely spoken indigenous language in Southern Africa, by exploring measurable aspects of eye movement patterns of a group of competent adult readers of isiZulu. In doing so, the study offers an exploration of the particular demands that Zulu orthography makes on readers, and offers a tentative profile of the reading processes currently exhibited by proficient adult readers of isiZulu. The study indicates that with an average reading speed of 815 lines per minute (lpm), isiZulu text takes more time to read than text in other alphabetic languages for which data is available. Relative to other languages, readers showed short saccades (4.05 letters) long durations of fixation (0.3 seconds) and more frequent regressions over spans of text (an average of 1 regression every 24 letters).


Laboratory testing of mortars by chemical analysis and petrography is generally appropriate to determine mortar composition, and to provide a basis for the formulation of compatible repair or replacement mortars. In cases of masonry distress and failures, analysis by C 1324 alone is often less useful unless the laboratory work is guided by knowledge obtained in the field. In addition to requiring the technical skills of experienced chemists and petrographers, the application of C 1324 requires knowledge of the specifications for mortar for unit masonry and benefits from the knowledge of how mortars are prepared and installed., The quality of the sampling for laboratory tests, the physical condition of the samples obtained, and the mortar constituents can all influence the reliability of the results obtained by the chemical analysis and the petrographic examination. We review the development of the standard, discuss related standards, and present our experience with modern mortars prepared in the field and tested in the laboratory in accordance with ASTM C 1324 to provide insight into the results and limitations of such analysis.


This paper uses micro panel data for firms in the Taiwanese electronics industry in 1986, 1991 and 1996 to investigate a firm's decision to invest in two sources of knowledge - participation in the export market and investments in R&D and/or worker training - and assess their effect on the firm's future productivity. The firm's decisions to export and invest in R&D and/or worker training are modelled with a bivariate probit model that recognises the interdependence of the decisions. The effect of these investments on the firm's future productivity trajectory is then modelled while controlling for the selection bias introduced by endo-genous firm exit. The findings indicate a significant interaction effect between exporting and R&D investments and future productivity, after controlling for size, age and current productivity. Firms that undertake both investment activities have significantly higher future productivity than firms that do one or neither. In addition, these firms are more likely to continue investing in these activities leading to further productivity gains. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that export experience is an important source of productivity growth for Taiwanese firms and that firm investments in R&D and worker training facilitate their ability to benefit from their exposure to the export market. Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2007 .


The aim of this study was to evaluate sonographic changes in parotid and submandibular salivary glands in patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck malignancies. In addition, salivary changes subsequent to radiotherapy were evaluated objectively and subjectively. Twenty patients(13males and 7females) with head and neck malignancies, who had been referred to the Radiotherapy/Oncology Department of the Shahid Madani Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, were included in the study. Length, width, echotexture, echogenicity and margins of parotid and submandibular glands were evaluated before and after radiotherapy using sonography. Peak-systolic velocity(PSV),end-diastolic velocity(EDV) and resistive index(RI) were also assessed by Doppler sonography. Xerostomia subsequent to radiotherapy was evaluated with the use of two techniques: patients' self-reported scoring and objective measurement of resting saliva. There was a significant decrease in the width of the parotid gland after radiotherapy compared to baseline(P=0.005).Although the length of the parotid gland and the dimensions of submandibular gland decrease, the differences were not significant. In addition, the echogenicity, echotexture and the margin of the glands change to hypoechoic, heterogenic and irregular, respectively, subsequent to radiotherapy. The Doppler technique showed decrease in PSV and RI and an increase in EDV; however, only the decrease in RI in the submandibular gland was statistically significant(P=0.002).The results showed a significant decrease in salivary flow after radiotherapy(P<0.001).In addition, based on the patients reports, the severity of xerostomia increased significantly after radiotherapy(P<0.001). Songraphic changes of parotid and submandibular glands after radiotherapy should be considered in ultrasound examinations. The damages to the parotid and submandibular glands had significant influence in patient post 3D-CRT.


Intrigues abound in the world of professional exorcism, and Natsume wants nothing to do with it. But he has no choice when Matoba, head of a prominent exorcist clan, blackmails him into coming to an exorcist meeting. Is Natsume's fate sealed when one of his special talents is exposed in front of Matoba?


Based on morphologic interpretation of Viking Orbiter images, it is postulated that on the summit area of Arsia Mons, Mars, there is a several kilometer thick ice cover. In addition, numerous linear striae on the flanks of Arsia Mons resemble terrestrial "washboard moraines," behind which there may be substantial dead-ice deposits. This implies that glacier phenomena are active in the Tharsis region. These features may have bearing on the formation of the aureole deposits of Olympus Mons. Olympus Mons has been the cause of dispute among geologists for years, and several contrasting models have been proposed to explain the up to 10-km-high distal escarpment and broad lobate aureole deposits below. One model by Hodges and Moore (1979) assumed 2–3-km-thick ice under which volcanism proceeded at an early stage to build Olympus Mons, thereby leading to the growth of the high cliff section. It has been argued that the origin of the aureole has not been satisfactorily explained. Modifications of the Hodges and Moore hypothesis are proposed to explain some aspects of both the aureole formation and the escarpment at the lava-aureole boundary. The assumption is made that volcanism that persisted was mostly localized on the Olympus Mons massif throughout the aureole development, and that a blanket of ice and wind-blown dust covered the lower flanks of the volcano. Deposition of volcanic products on the flank blanket led to faulting and sliding of material away from the summit area, thereby creating the aureole deposits and scarp. Further eruptions of lavas in the summit area substantially elevated the cliff segment, and additions of lavas off the cliffs into the wing area led to further creeping of the lower flank region, thus generating the vast aureoles. Therefore, the aureole formation succeeded and resulted from Olympus Mons volcanic activity, and is one of the youngest features of Olympus Mons and not older, as has been postulated.


Peroxy acids might contribute significantly to particle toxicity and were recently found to be involved in new particle formation in the atmosphere. However, a lack of suitable analytical methods for the detection and characterization of peroxy acids in the particle phase is currently hindering the quantitative investigation of their contribution to these important 10 atmospheric processes. Further development of appropriate techniques and relevant standards is therefore urgently needed. In this study, we synthesized three peroxypinic acids, developed a liquid chromatography separation method and characterised them with tandem mass spectrometry. The observed fragmentation patterns clearly distinguish the different peroxypinic acids from both the acid and each other, showing several neutral losses previously already observed for other peroxy acids. Both monoperoxypinic acids were found to be present in secondary organic aerosol generated from ozonolysis 15 of α-pinene in laboratory experiments. The yield of monoperoxypinic acid formation was not influenced by humidity. Monoperoxypinic acid quickly degrades on the filter, with about 60% lost within the first 5 hours. This fast degradation shows that time delays in traditional off-line analysis will likely lead to severe underestimates of peroxy compound concentrations in ambient particles.


ABSTRACT The Nuclear Notebook is researched and written by Hans M. Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project with the Federation of American Scientists, and Matt Korda, a senior research associate with the project. The Nuclear Notebook column has been published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since 1987. This issue examines the status of the US nuclear arsenal. The US nuclear arsenal remained roughly unchanged in the last year, with the Defense Department maintaining an estimated stockpile of approximately 3,708 warheads. Of these, only about 1,744 warheads are deployed, while approximately 1,964 are held in reserve. Additionally, approximately 1,720 retired warheads are awaiting dismantlement, giving a total inventory of approximately 5,428 nuclear warheads. Of the approximately 1,744 warheads that are deployed, 400 are on land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, roughly 944 are on submarine-launched ballistic missiles, 300 are at bomber bases in the United States, and 100 tactical bombs are at European bases.


Summary form only given. With each technology generation, we are experiencing an increased rate of cosmically-induced soft errors in our microprocessor chips. The advent of such high levels of soft error protection on microprocessors chips will necessitate revisiting the design of highly dependable systems, such as those used in space, built with COTS (commodity off-the-shelf) hardware. However, given that processors would internally deal with soft errors, it is not clear if highly dependable systems would need to additionally implement off-chip lockstepping to cope with permanent faults. Worse, implementing off-chip lockstepping at extremely high speeds, such as tens of gigahertz, is extremely difficult. Hence, designers may need to consider alternate techniques, such as processor sparing, to deal with permanent faults in processor chips used in mission-critical systems.


In this research, a total of 97 Lactobacillus were isolated from 10 different sausage and sosis samples obtained from different markets. Identification results showed that 39 (41.1%) isolates belong to the species L. plantarum. Amount of lactic acid and H 2 O 2 produced for the strains were 0.61-0.88% and 1.80-3.45 µg/ml respectively. For qualitative determination, Triple Sugar iron (TSi) Agar medium was used for H 2 S production by the strains. Inhibition activity of bacteriocins and/or bacteriocin-like substances of the L. plantarumstrains against some food contaminants and pathogen bacteria ( E. coli, B. subtilis, coag. (+) and coag. (-) S. aureus, P. aeruginosa) were determined by the agar diffusion method. It was observed that some of the strains produced bacteriocins and/or bacteriocin-like substances and inhibited some of the test bacteria. Results showed that the strains produced different amount of metabolic compounds and they varied in their inhibition effect on the test bacteria.


All optical XOR functionality has been demonstrated experimentally using an integrated SOA-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI) at 20 and 40 Gb/s. The performance of the XOR results has been analyzed by solving the rate equation of the SOA numerically. The high-speed operation is limited by the carrier lifetime in the SOA. In order to solve the limitations imposed by carrier lifetime, a differential scheme for XOR operation has been experimentally investigated. This scheme is potentially capable of XOR operation to > 100 Gb/s.


The particulate behaviors of nickel ferrite were investigated under the simulated PWR shutdown chemistry conditions. Temperature of the simulated water with concentration of 0.1 ppm Li and 2,000 ppm B was dropped from 300 °C to 150 °C with a rate of 0.625 °C/min and then constantly maintained at 150 °C under the pressure of 2,500 psi. The on-line particle counting and the concentration measurement of nickel dissolved were performed under 5, 15 and 25 cc/kg H2O dissolved hydrogen. Experimental results showed that total particle count in the simulated water was not greatly changed for three hydrogen concentrations as temperature was decreased. However, particles were smaller as temperature was decreased and then maintained constantly when temperature was constant. The degree of variation in particle size distribution was greater at 15 cc/kg H2O dissolved hydrogen than any other dissolved hydrogen concentrations. Concentration of nickel ion was increased as temperature was decreased and was higher at 15 cc/kg H2O dissolved hydrogen than any other dissolved hydrogen concentrations. Theses results show that nickel ferrite is unstable with temperature variation and at dissolved hydrogen concentration of 15 cc/kg H2O.


This study attempts to elucidate the meaning of the word mleccha in its comprehensive sense and examine how it was applied as a designation for outsiders in the period before c, A.D. 600 in northern India. The first chapter discusses early Indian society and some of the concepts on which it was founded. The notion of the mleccha was part of the moral and social framework of this society which believed in its inherent cultural superiority. We further discuss the various source materials that have been utilized as far as they bear on our study. The first outstanding problem, studied in the second chapter, is the origin of the Sanskrit term mleccha and its relation with the Pali variant milakkha. This chapter is largely concerned with the varied implications of the theories on the etymology of these terms. The theories advocating either an Indo-European or a non-Indo-European origin of mleccha/milakkha produce inconclusive results which prevents us from placing our ideas on the concept of the mleccha on a firm linguistic basis. The reasons why mleccha first occured in the context of speech are presented in Chapter III. Both in this chapter and in the next we are concerned with the distinction on the basis of speech and the area of habitation which set the mlecchas apart. The Buddhist, Brahmanic and Jaina texts all emphasize these differences. At the same time we are able to show that there were changes in the attitudes towards mlecchas. We are, however, unable to define speech or area of habitation as the ultimate reasons for the separate existence of mlecchas in ancient Indian society. In the first half of Chapter V, we discuss the reasons why the mlecchas and outside groups were tolerated on a political level despite the fact that Indian monarchs worked within the brahmanical system. In the second half of the same chapter we consider the pejorative implications of the cultural discrimination of the mlecchas. However, the basic prejudice against the mlecchas had. to be modified in the face of historical changes. Finally, in Chapters VI and VII, we examine the flexibility in the treatment and categorization of the various outside groups. In Chapter VI the focus is on tribes and indigenous peoples designated as mlecchas. The comparison of the term mleccha with dasyu and with the names of individual tribes such as Kirata, Nisada, and Pulinda, which are often used to denote less developed tribes, is undertaken here. The subsequent chapter surveys the foreigners associated with ancient India as conquerors and rulers and the manner in which the brahmana literary writers viewed such invasions. The ambiguity in the use of the term mleccha in brahmanical writing has to be explained in the light of the political and economic status acquired by certain outside groups.


ABSTRACT Background Malaria in pregnancy is associated with many negative outcomes for the woman, foetus and neonate. Intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) using three doses of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP), insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spray (IRS), constitute the main strategies used to prevent malaria. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies for the reduction of malaria prevalence in pregnant women. Methods A questionnaire on socio-demographic information, history of malaria during current pregnancy and prevention strategies used was administered to 450 consecutive patients admitted into labour wards at three local clinics. From the antenatal cards, information was collected on the last menstrual period, date of each dose of SP taken, gravidity, and HIV status. A blood slide to detect Plasmodium was then collected from each woman after consent. Results Of the participants in the study, 2.4% had a positive blood slide at term and 15.8% reported malaria during pregnancy. All the participants took at least one dose of SP with 87.6% completing the stipulated three doses. The mean gestational ages for each dose were 22.1 (SD 4.6), 29.1 (SD 4.4) and 34.4 (SD 3.9) weeks for the first, second and third dose respectively. With regard to ITNs, 79.5% had one, but only 74.1% used it regularly. IRS was completed in all three of the clinics' catchment areas. Only 23.4% used commercial insecticide. Conclusion The measured prevalence of malaria at term in Ndola was remarkably low, although the self-reported rate during pregnancy was still high. The national targets for accessing IPTp were exceeded, although the timing of each dose needs to be improved. Access to ITNs was high, but usage needs to increase.


The Hopkin's host-selection principle (HHSP) suggests that organisms at higher trophic levels demonstrate a preference for the host species on which they developed during larval stage. Although investigated in many herbivorous and predatory insects, the HHSP has, to our knowledge, never been tested in the context of insects hosting selfish endosymbiotic passengers such as the maternally inherited bacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Here, we investigate the effect of Wolbachia infection on host pre-imaginal learning in the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). We compare host-choice in Wolbachia-infected and uninfected adult female parasitoids after rearing them on two different Lepidopteran hosts, namely the flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) or the grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Lep.: Gelechiidae). We show that in T. brassicae, Wolbachia affect the pre-imaginal learning ability of female wasps. Wolbachia infected wasps do not show any host preference and easily switch hosts in the laboratory, while uninfected wasps significantly prefer to lay eggs on the host species they developed on. We discuss how the facilitation of a generalist strategy by Wolbachia may allow T. brassicae to escape intraspecific competition with their uninfected counterparts, and may have important evolutionary consequences for the host and its symbionts.


Nowadays, in transformation of the realm of political communication, a more important part is given to the so-called «new social media». Previously, political communication was seen as a process of production, dissemination and perception of political information for the purpose of achieving a consent regarding one or another political action. Additionally, communication appeared as a mechanism of one-way information exchange. Under new conditions, political communication becomes a tool of ensuring the process of preparation, making and implementing political decisions. In a modern understanding, an informational message is built by means of specific cooperation between communicants. In this regard, information sources appear as a specific base for state actions. This paper deals with old (traditional) and new social media and lists several characteristics that help distinguish these media. It also shows how authorities and representatives of political opposition can use social media to achieve their political purposes. This article analyses not only benefits but also drawbacks in the application of new information technologies in politics, considering a problem of manipulation as a main disadvantage. It also compares the use of social networks by authorities in Russia and abroad. Because of differences in political culture, social networks are not popular with Russian authorities. However, the number of social networking users among Russian politicians is increasing year by year. Moreover, the most popular network with them is Twitter. A conclusion can be drawn that new media play an important role in creating a system of rules of conduct on the Internet and in establishing a specific culture of electronic communication between representatives of authority and society.


Theodore Boveri, eminent German pathologist, observed aneuploidy in cancer cells more than a century ago and suggested that cancer cells derived from a single progenitor cell that acquires the potential for uncontrolled continuous proliferation. Currently, it is well known that aneuploidy is observed in virtually all cancers. Gain and loss of chromosomal material in neoplastic cells is considered to be a process of diversification that leads to survival of the fittest clones. According to Darwin's theory of evolution, the environment determines the grounds upon which selection takes place and the genetic characteristics necessary for better adaptation. This concept can be applied to the carcinogenesis process, connecting the ability of cancer cells to adapt to different environments and to resist chemotherapy, genomic instability being the driving force of tumor development and progression. What causes this genome instability? Mutations have been recognized for a long time as the major source of genome instability in cancer cells. Nevertheless, an alternative hypothesis suggests that aneuploidy is a primary cause of genome instability rather than solely a simple consequence of the malignant transformation process. Whether genome instability results from mutations or from aneuploidy is not a matter of discussion in this review. It is most likely both phenomena are intimately related; however, we will focus on the mechanisms involved in aneuploidy formation and more specifically on the epigenetic origin of aneuploid cells. Epigenetic inheritance is defined as cellular information—other than the DNA sequence itself—that is heritable during cell division. DNA methylation and histone modifications comprise two of the main epigenetic modifications that are important for many physiological and pathological conditions, including cancer. Aberrant DNA methylation is the most common molecular cancer-cell lesion, even more frequent than gene mutations; tumor suppressor gene silencing by CpG island promoter hypermethylation is perhaps the most frequent epigenetic modification in cancer cells. Epigenetic characteristics of cells may be modified by several factors including environmental exposure, certain nutrient deficiencies, radiation, etc. Some of these alterations have been correlated with the formation of aneuploid cells in vivo. A growing body of evidence suggests that aneuploidy is produced and caused by chromosomal instability. We propose and support in this manuscript that not only genetics but also epigenetics, contribute in a major fashion to aneuploid cell formation.


Proteins play an important role in human body. Composed of amino acids these molecules catalyze reactions in our bodies, transport oxygen, strengthen our immune system and transmit signals from cell to cell. Each protein has its own characteristics and few parameters that the user needs to calculate for understanding the structure, functionality, nature, location of the protein and many other details. Proteome which is the entire set of proteins in a cell differs from cell to cell. Also Proteome of diseased cells is different from proteome of a normal cell. To understand the changes that occur as a result of disease, it is important to understand the normal proteome of a cell. This understanding can result in knowing the molecular basis for the disease, which in turn can help to develop treatment strategies. In this paper we present a tool used for computation of few properties of the proteins which can help the users in the field of proteomics or similar fields so that they can process many huge chunks of uncharacterized proteins and get familiar with them. In this way there are possibilities to identify drugs to cure diseases with respect to proteins.


The usage of small unmanned aerial vehicles has seen a steady increase in recent years, branching out from pure military applications to everyday use. Currently, research is performed at the Chair of Computer Science VIII at the University of Würzburg into an autonomous quadrocopter capable of navigating indoors through potentially hazardous environments. Until now, the system has had only limited redundancy in the form of multiple sensors and sensor fault detection. The goal of this project is to provide a failsafe solution that will enable the quadrocopter to continue operation in case of a failure of its central microcontroller. The solution presented in this thesis uses a modified version of the quadrocopter's original software in combination with the RODOS real-time operating system to provide a software capable of redundant operation across several nodes. This is combined with duplex hardware redundancy and built-in testing to provide the full redundancy solution. Results show an excellent failure detection rate; however, the secondary node often fails due to problems with the sensor and motor communication bus following a primary node failure. The implemented solution provides protection aginst failures of the central microcontroller and demonstrates the potential of using the RODOS operating system in the context of quadrocopter redundancy, but further work on the communication bus is required in order to provide a fully stable redundancy solution.


BACKGROUND
Job satisfaction has been associated with intentions to quit and aspects of quality of care. In 2001, GP job satisfaction in England had fallen to its lowest point for over a decade.

AIM
To assess GP job satisfaction and stressors immediately prior to implementation of the 2004 contract.

DESIGN OF STUDY
National survey of a random sample of GPs.

SETTING
England.

METHOD
One thousand, nine hundred and fifty principal and salaried GPs surveyed in February 2004 were compared with 1828 principals surveyed in 1998 and 1841 principal and salaried GPs surveyed in 2001. Job satisfaction and stressor scores were adjusted for 2004 age-sex distributions. Determinants of overall satisfaction were examined through ordinary least squares regression.

RESULTS
The 2004 response rate was 53%. GPs were most dissatisfied with hours of work, recognition for good work and remuneration, and experienced most pressure from paperwork, increasing workloads and having insufficient time. The majority of doctors were satisfied with their job overall. Satisfaction was higher than in 2001 and approximately the same as in 1998. Overall stress in 2004 was lower than in 2001 but still higher than in 1998. After allowing for personal, practice and job characteristics, higher satisfaction was associated with lower job stress, involvement in decision making, increasing job interest and ability to meet conflicting demands.

CONCLUSIONS
Despite recent initiatives to enhance workforce capacity and working lives for GPs, workload, time pressures and job control remain potential areas of concern. Addressing such issues may be key to maintaining morale as the new contract is implemented.


Wad is the acronym of Weija Agricultural Development limited, the company is an associative enterprise; it works exclusively with small scale farmers from the rural areas in Ghana. The company doesn't owe farms. It depends on farmers for its products. The farmers it works with also depend on the company for marketing of their products. There is therefore a synergy between the company and the farmers groups it works with.
It works with various farmers groups, for example Ekumfi Atwia Wad organic farmers association for pineapples from the Ekumfi district of the central region of Ghana EAWOFA.
The company is export based; all its products are exported to Switzerland and Germany.

Background and main chapter
The company started processing in the year 2003 and in 2004 it got an order from a big importer in the organic products in Switzerland. The condition for purchase is that products are certified organic. The company faced initial challenges to get certified.
Historically the pineapple fields, were the Ekumif Atwia Wad Organic Farmers Association members grows their crop has not been treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. However documentations were very important in the EU regulations which were missing with the farmers.
Third party certification was also very expensive among other hurdles that the farmers have to pass through to get their products exported.
Solutions were found for the hurdles with time. Today the export of products from the small scale farmers has greatly increased and continues to increase due to the organic exports.

Core message and conclusions
The author will like to discuss how, those solutions were found and how that can help other small farmer groups that are interested in organising themselves and export their products, from developing countries to Europe and Switzerland.
The experience of Wad African foods limited with the Ekumfi Atwia Wad Organic farmers could help some small scale farmer organisation to adopt appropriate approach to their business.


Crop production in Kenya has declined over the years due to nutrient mining leading to food insecurity. This research aimed at using faecal matter fertiliser as a source of Nitrogen (N) and its effect on other desirable characteristics like bulk density, soil organic carbon(SOC)  in the soil. Also the ability of different types of soils to make N available for absorption by potato roots in response to application of the fertilisers was studied using Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) as test crop. A greenhouse pot experiment was set up at Nakuru Water And Sanitation Services Company domestic treatment site in Nakuru County. It was in completely randomized block design, factorial arrangement with two factors: five fertiliser types (vermi compost, sludge, normal compost, cow manure and urea) and three soil types (Acrisol, Planosol and Andosol). Potato tissues were analysed for total nitrogen while soil samples were analysed for available Nitrogen, CO2 emission (microbial respiration), organic carbon and bulk density. Results obtained showed considerable performance of feacal matter fertilizer where the levels of N were significantly different at α=0.05. The three soil types had levels of N, CO2, organic carbon significantly different. The significant levels of N in potato tissue and soil after application of fecal matter fertilisers makes these products important sources of plant nutrients and contributors to desired soil chemical, physical and biological characteristics.


This article examines the role of the CEPAL Review in disseminatingthe thinking of ECLAC and other currents of analysis concerned with theproblems of development. To this end, it examines some of the largecollection of articles published in the Review between 1976 and 2008,concentrating on those that most clearly address the permanent concernsof ECLAC (growth and technical progress, poverty and social inequity,sustainable development, and democracy and citizenship); and groupingthem by the editorial team in charge when they were published: Prebisch-Gurrieri, Pinto-Lahera and Altimir-Bajraj. It concludes by presenting andbriefly analysing essays published at various times in the CEPAL Reviewby Prebisch (1980);, Pinto (1976); and Altimir (1994);.


This is a retrospective and registry-based descriptive study including animal- related injuries represented by the most crowded Emergency Department (ED) in Eastern Turkey over a period of two years. Animal-related injuries were 0.2% of all ED admittances; dominant in males and were high in summer. 68% of the subjects were exposed to mammalians. Most prominent injuries were dog bites (30%), horse (22%) and livestock-related injuries (12%). Hospitalization was significantly higher in mammalian animal injuries compared to non-mammalian injuries. The highest hospitalization rate was measured for equine-related injuries (15%). In our bite series, dogs were the primary source (69%) while horse-bites (17%) took the second place and they were more than two fold more when compared with cats (7.5%). Dog bites were prominent in children, thus both parents and children should be educated. Insect and snake-related injuries were both low in number and relatively silent in prognosis. Highest temperatures on site were determined for tick-bites, unspecified insect stings and bee stings, respectively. The highest humidity was determined for dog-bites, cat-bites and scorpion stings, respectively. Nonmammalian and sting injuries had higher temperature and lower humidity measurements compared to mammalian and bite injuries. Geographical and meteorological factors may directly affect descriptive epidemiology of animal-related injuries.


Abstract Insertions and deletions of lengths not divisible by 3 in protein-coding sequences cause frameshifts that usually induce premature stop codons and may carry a high fitness cost. However, this cost can be partially offset by a second compensatory indel restoring the reading frame. The role of such pairs of compensatory frameshifting mutations (pCFMs) in evolution has not been studied systematically. Here, we use whole-genome alignments of protein-coding genes of 100 vertebrate species, and of 122 insect species, studying the prevalence of pCFMs in their divergence. We detect a total of 624 candidate pCFM genes; six of them pass stringent quality filtering, including three human genes: RAB36, ARHGAP6, and NCR3LG1. In some instances, amino acid substitutions closely predating or following pCFMs restored the biochemical similarity of the frameshifted segment to the ancestral amino acid sequence, possibly reducing or negating the fitness cost of the pCFM. Typically, however, the biochemical similarity of the frameshifted sequence to the ancestral one was not higher than the similarity of a random sequence of a protein-coding gene to its frameshifted version, indicating that pCFMs can uncover radically novel regions of protein space. In total, pCFMs represent an appreciable and previously overlooked source of novel variation in amino acid sequences.


The notion of comparison between system runs is fundamental in formal
verification. This concept is implicitly present in the verification of
qualitative systems, and is more pronounced in the verification of quantitative
systems. In this work, we identify a novel mode of comparison in quantitative
systems: the online comparison of the aggregate values of two sequences of
quantitative weights. This notion is embodied by comparator automata
(comparators, in short), a new class of automata that read two infinite
sequences of weights synchronously and relate their aggregate values.
 We show that aggregate functions that can be represented with B\"uchi
automaton result in comparators that are finite-state and accept by the B\"uchi
condition as well. Such $\omega$-regular comparators further lead to generic
algorithms for a number of well-studied problems, including the quantitative
inclusion and winning strategies in quantitative graph games with incomplete
information, as well as related non-decision problems, such as obtaining a
finite representation of all counterexamples in the quantitative inclusion
problem.
 We study comparators for two aggregate functions: discounted-sum and
limit-average. We prove that the discounted-sum comparator is $\omega$-regular
iff the discount-factor is an integer. Not every aggregate function, however,
has an $\omega$-regular comparator. Specifically, we show that the language of
sequence-pairs for which limit-average aggregates exist is neither
$\omega$-regular nor $\omega$-context-free. Given this result, we introduce the
notion of prefix-average as a relaxation of limit-average aggregation, and show
that it admits $\omega$-context-free comparators i.e. comparator automata
expressed by B\"uchi pushdown automata.


To meet the increasing application requirements of stainless steel fibers with rough surface morphology, a self-made multi-tooth tool which can bifurcate chip during the cutting process was utilized to manufacture stainless steel fibers. The novel cutting method can achieve efficient processing of continuous stainless steel fibers with complex surface morphology. The influence of cutting parameters (back engagement ap and feed rate f ) on forming process of fibers' surface morphology was studied. The cutting experiments were carried out under the condition of selected tool and fixed workpiece rotating speed. The results show that: the surface morphology of stainless steel fiber is simultaneously effected by ap,and feed rate f .Between them, ap has more significant effect on it. In order to obtain stainless steel continuous fibers with coarse surface morphology, the optimum cutting parameters were recommended as follows: ap∈(0.1-0.2) mm, f ∈(0.1 -0.17) mm/r.


This collection of interviews with Amiri Baraka, the former LeRoi Jones and a key figure in the worldwide black liberation movement, provides an extraordinary insight not only into African American literature but also into the turmoil and passions of the "black experience" during the second half of the twentieth century. As they offer an understanding of the political turbulence of his times, these interviews provide special insights into Baraka's works, his anger, and his career. Not only does Baraka criticize and explain his most celebrated works, but also his comments supply a rich context for understanding the African American experience. Throughout these candid conversations Baraka maintains his belief in the firm alliance of art and social criticism. "To me, social commentary and art cannot be divorced. Art and life are the same: art comes out of life, art is a reflection of life, art is life."Here is a collection that contains nearly all of the major interviews this poet, playwright, fiction writer, essayist, and social activist has given in his long and controversial career. Four of them have not been previously published. Included here are interviews conducted by Maya Angelou, Austen Clarke, and David Frost, as well as a new interview Baraka granted the editor of this volume.


This research was conducted to describe and analyze the Implementation of collaborative governance in poverty alleviation and supporting and inhibiting factors in it. Research locus in Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. This type of research is descriptive qualitative. Data collection techniques used were interviews, observation, FGD, observation and document review. Data validity is tested through data triangulation and data analysis using data condensation, data presentation and conclusion drawing. The results showed that collaborative governance in poverty alleviation in Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province has not fully met the substantial elements of collaborative governance according to deSeve which includes network structure, commitment to a common Purpose, trust among the participants, governance, access to authority, distributive accountability/responsibility, information sharing and resource access. The dynamics of collaboration have not yet taken place in the real sense. The resource, leadership, institutional and cultural factors are the four factors that influence and inhibit collaboration. Drivers of collaboration include the need for resource sharing, leadership vision on poverty issues, recognition of potential among stakeholders. Obstacles include resource gaps, less facilitative leadership, no representative institutions and a strong culture of government dominance.


Porous Ti-Nb alloys are promising candidates for biomedical applications. In the present study, alloy powders containing 60 wt-% Nb were prepared by high-energy milling of Nb, Ti, and/or TiH2 powders. The high-energy milling process was carried out in a planetary ball mill. The starting and as-milled materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Elemental (Nb, and Ti) and TiH2 powder mixtures with composition Nb-40wt%Ti were mechanically alloyed for 2 to 30 h. The formation of a BCC Nb(Ti) solid solution by high-energy milling using elemental Ti powder to produce Nb-40Ti was observed after milling for 30 h. A HCP-Ti solid solution was formed after milling for 30 h due to the partial decomposition of titanium hydride powder mixture during high-energy milling.


Reverberation is a common problem for many speech technologies, such as automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. This paper investigates the novel combination of precedence, binaural and statistical independence cues for enhancing reverberant speech, prior to ASR, under these adverse acoustical conditions when two microphone signals are available. Results of the enhancement are evaluated in terms of relevant signal measures and accuracy for both English and Polish ASR tasks. These show inconsistencies between the signal and recognition measures, although in recognition the proposed method consistently outperforms all other combinations and the spectral-subtraction baseline.


A previous retrospective mortality study of 292 U.S. cadmium production workers employed for a minimum of 2 years showed increased mortality from respiratory and prostate cancer and from nonmalignant lung disease. To examine further the mortality experience of these workers, investigators from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health extended the study to include 602 white males with at least 6 months of production work in the same plant between 1940 and 1969. Vital status was determined through 1978, which included the addition of 5 years to the original follow-up. Cause-specific mortality rates for seven causes of death potentially related to cadmium exposure were compared between the overall cohort and U.S. white males and between subgroups. Mortality from respiratory cancer and from nonmalignant gastrointestinal disease was significantly greater among the cadmium workers than would have been expected from U.S. rates. All deaths from lung cancer occurred among workers employed for 2 or more years. A statistically significant dose-response relationship was observed between lung cancer mortality and cumulative exposure to cadmium. A 50% increase in lung cancer mortality, which was not statistically significant, was observed even among workers whose cumulative exposure to cadmium was between 41 and 200 micrograms/m3 over 40 years. Since the previous investigation, no new deaths from prostate cancer and no excess of deaths from nonmalignant respiratory disease have been observed.


The ingestion of foreign bodies is a comprehensive problem affecting the pediatric population, especially under 5 years of age.  The ingestion of 2 or more magnets may lead to their attraction over planes of intervening soft tissue with enough force to cause significant complications including obstruction, fistula formation or even perforation.This case series report have documented the cases of 4 children age 2-9 years, who have experienced a variety of complications from magnet ingestion. Included are the cases of a 2 years old boy and 9 years old girl with bowel perforation, a 7 years old boy with mucosal erosion, and a 4 years old boy who underwent magnet retrieval before complications arose.


The purpose of this research is to compare existing route choice models with the further goal to understand whether they or the combination of them can be applied inside a transit assignment model for the London Underground (LU). A Bayesian Modelling Framework (BMF) (Fu et al., 2014) and a Random Utility Model (RUM) (Raveau et al., 2014) was applied for the same case study network. As a novel approach route choice was estimated not only for single station-to-station origin destination (OD) pairs, but stations having the same route choice properties were grouped into zones. For the BMF it was shown that for many single station–to-station OD pairs the model cannot be applied, due to the small quantity of data; but when these stations are grouped into zones that data can be sufficient and proper input for the model. It resulted that fitting a Gaussian mixture distribution of two components on the observed journey times, it gives unrealistic parameters for the components; but fitting a single Gaussian distribution, it gives appropriate values. This would suggest that all passengers take the same route, however through analysing survey data it was understood that this is not the case. This shows that when two routes have similar journey times the BMF model considers as it were one route, due to the fact that this model considers only journey time. The RUM using only the scheduled values of travel time does not consider the case when services are not running on time. It was understood that each model using only a part of the whole dataset available (only observed or only scheduled data) is like watching only a part of the whole picture. Therefore another approach was proposed which uses both dataset: Inferring the route choice from the service taken, using entry and exit times of passengers (individual Oyster data) and the actual departure and arrival times of services. It needs further research how to capture the actual times of services for the same period as Oyster data. The interdependence of crowd and route choice was discussed as the RUM uses crowd as an attribute and was not possible to determine it at this stage. Therefore it was proposed to analyse it as a transit assignment problem for a network rather than just route choice problems for single OD pairs.


In this study, freeze dried methanogenic biomass (FDMB) was used as inoculum in place of conventional, non-dried biomass for biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays and as a bioaugment to improve upset digester recovery. Methanogenic biomass was freeze dried and stored in an air atmosphere. Significant methanogenic activity was preserved in FDMB even with drying and storage in air; specific methanogenic activity (SMA) values were 65 ± 4.5% and 42 ± 10.4% for hydrogen:carbon dioxide (H2:CO2) and acetate, respectively, compared to non-dried biomass. There was no significant difference in BMP results for the four substrates tested (glucose, non-fat dry milk, thin stillage and dog food) when using FDMB and non-dried biomass as inocula. However, BMP assays using FDMB inocula took longer to complete. Methane (CH4) production from digesters exposed to a model toxicant (oxygen [O2]) recovered faster when bioaugmented with FDMB compared to digesters that received autoclaved biomass or no bioaugmentation. Methanogen communities in all digesters before toxicant exposure and bioaugmentation were similar. However, bioaugmented and non-augmented digester communities were significantly different during the recovery phase after toxicant exposure. Sequences similar to Methanospirillum were related to improved performance of the FDMB bioaugmented digesters. FDMB could be developed as a standard inoculum for BMP analyses and to bioaugment anaerobic digesters for improved performance. These results may encourage developing customized, dried methanogenic biomass for specific anaerobic biotechnology applications.


Abstract
Much has been learnt of the epidemiology of yaws during eradication campaigns in populations in which the prevalence of active yaws was high, but not all has been published. The recognition of the importance of latent cases in the maintenance of yaws has contributed to the effectiveness of these campaigns. Yaws eradication activities are extending into populations where at present active yaws is often not high. Planning of effective and economical eradication measures, especially in such populations, needs as complete a picture of the disease as possible, from its transmission and the factors that favour this until the death of the infected person, before or after cure of the infection either after chemotherapy or spontaneously.

By revealing the many gaps that still remain in our knowledge of yaws, this summary may encourage those who have gathered valuable material during field work to study and prepare it for publication.


2-Deoxyglucoside-2-sulphamate sulphohydrolase was purified about 10 000-fold from the soluble extract of human placenta by using as substrate [N-sulpho-35S]heparin. Differently charged enzyme forms were observed on chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, all of which had an apparent mol.wt. of 110 000 as determined by gel filtration. By using immobilized heparan sulphate as affinity matrix the sulphamate sulphohydrolase could be separated into two forms, a minor one with low and a major one with high affinity for the adsorbent. When tested with [N-sulpho-35S]heparan sulphate the low-affinity form had a Km of 0.2 mM, and the high-affinity form a Km of 0.03 mM. Both forms exhibited the same Km of 10 microM towards [N-sulpho-35S]heparin and were equally well adsorbed to immobilized heparin. The two forms could be distinguished by their pH-optima and by the influence of KCl on heparan sulphate sulphohydrolase activity.


Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a motor speech disorder characterized by disturbed spatial and temporal parameters of movement. Research on motor learning suggests that augmented feedback may provide a beneficial effect for training movement. This study examined the effects of the presence and frequency of online augmented visual kinematic feedback (AVKF) and clinician-provided perceptual feedback on speech accuracy in 2 adults with acquired AOS. Within a single-subject multiple-baseline design, AVKF was provided using electromagnetic midsagittal articulography (EMA) in 2 feedback conditions (50 or 100%). Articulator placement was specified for speech motor targets (SMTs). Treated and baselined SMTs were in the initial or final position of single-syllable words, in varying consonant-vowel or vowel-consonant contexts. SMTs were selected based on each participant's pre-assessed erred productions. Productions were digitally recorded and online perceptual judgments of accuracy (including segment and intersegment distortions) were made. Inter- and intra-judge reliability for perceptual accuracy was high. Results measured by visual inspection and effect size revealed positive acquisition and generalization effects for both participants. Generalization occurred across vowel contexts and to untreated probes. Results of the frequency manipulation were confounded by presentation order. Maintenance of learned and generalized effects were demonstrated for 1 participant. These data provide support for the role of augmented feedback in treating speech movements that result in perceptually accurate speech production. Future investigations will explore the independent contributions of each feedback type (i.e. kinematic and perceptual) in producing efficient and effective training of SMTs in persons with AOS.


VE-cadherin is an essential adhesion molecule in endothelial adherens junctions, and the integrity of these complexes is thought to be regulated by VE-cadherin tyrosine phosphorylation. We have previously shown that adrenomedullin (AM) blockade correlates with elevated levels of phosphorylated VE-cadherin (pVE-cadherinY731) in endothelial cells, associated with impaired barrier function and a persistent increase in vascular endothelial cell permeability. However, the mechanism underlying this effect is unknown. In this article, we demonstrate that the AM-mediated dephosphorylation of pVE-cadherinY731 takes place through activation of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2, as judged by the rise of its active fraction phosphorylated at tyrosine 542 (pSHP-2Y542) in HUVECs and glioblastoma-derived-endothelial cells. Both pre-incubation of HUVECs with SHP-2 inhibitors NSC-87877 and SHP099 and SHP-2 silencing hindered AM-induced dephosphorylation of pVE-cadherinY731 in a dose dependent-manner, showing the role of SHP-2 in the regulation of endothelial cell contacts. Furthermore, SHP-2 inhibition impaired AM-induced HUVECs differentiation into cord-like structures in vitro and impeded AM-induced neovascularization in in vivo Matrigel plugs bioassays. Subcutaneously transplanted U87-glioma tumor xenograft mice treated with AM-receptors-blocking antibodies showed a decrease in pSHP-2Y542 associated with VE-cadherin in nascent tumor vasculature when compared to control IgG-treated xenografts. Our findings show that AM acts on VE-cadherin dynamics through pSHP-2Y542 to finally modulate cell-cell junctions in the angiogenesis process, thereby promoting a stable and functional tumor vasculature.