The distribution and physiological condition of 116 Caiman crocodilus yacare was assessed over one year in the Southern Pantanal. Body mass and intermediary plasma metabolites were measured at three different time periods, representing large differences in the abundance of surface water. During the wet season the study site was completely submerged under water and C. c. yacare were distributed evenly throughout. High levels of [glucose] and [triglyceride] in the plasma indicated regular feeding. As the dry season progressed C. c. yacare became increasingly crowded around the remaining ponds. They showed a reduction in plasma [glucose] and [triglyceride], and an increase in plasma [β-hydroxy-butyrate], signifying that they were feeding less and utilising fat reserves. At this sampling period, ~40% of the male C. c. yacare that were >10 years old inhabited dry grassland and did not have access to water. These animals were significantly lighter than males of a similar length that had immediate water access, and plasma [uric acid] indicated that they had not fed for a long time and were metabolising tissue proteins. Essentially, the adult male C. c. yacare that inhabited dry grassland were in a state of energy deficiency. This was so severe in some animals that recovery seemed unlikely. The study suggests that fluctuations in the abundance of surface ground water may influence the size and structure of the C. c. yacare population in the Pantanal.


Maxim is a principle that must be obeyed by all participants textually and interpersonally in order to have a smooth communication process. Conversation maxim is divided into four namely maxim of quality, maxim of quantity, maxim of relevance, and maxim of manner of speaking. Violation of the maxim may occur in a conversation in which the information the speaker has is not delivered well to his speaking partner. Violation of the maxim in a conversation will result in an awkward impression. The example of violation is the given information that is redundant, untrue, irrelevant, or convoluted. Advertisers often deliberately violate the maxim to create unique and controversial advertisements. This study aims to examine the violation of maxims in conversations of TV ads. The source of data in this research is food advertisements aired on TV media. Documentation and observation methods are applied to obtain qualitative data. The theory used in this study is a maxim theory proposed by Grice (1975). The results of the data analysis are presented with informal method. The results of this study show an interesting fact that the violation of maxim in a conversation found in the advertisement exactly makes the advertisements very attractive and have a high value.


The stable structure and diffusion mechanism of water in lanthanum sulfate La2(SO4)3 have been theoretically analyzed in a first-principles manner based on the density functional theory (DFT). The first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulation indicates that water in the sulfate crystal is dissolved and migrates with maintaining the shape of the water molecule. In this simulation, three elementary processes for water diffusion were observed (paths 1–3), whose potential barriers were calculated to be 0.27, 0.81, and 1.50 eV, respectively, by potential energy surface (PES) mapping. Path 1 with the lowest potential barrier is only oscillatory transfer between adjacent sites, while path 2 with the second-lowest potential barrier forms one-dimensional (1D) water channels in the [010] direction. The water diffusivity along the channels is estimated to be ∼10−10 cm2 s−1 at 523 K, leading to a diffusion length in the micrometer range within a few minutes. This suggests that the reported fast hydration/dehydration reaction of La2(SO4)3 should be attributed not only to the 1D water channels in the bulk but also to the small crystal grain size and the high grain boundary diffusivity.


Binge-eating disorder (BED), characterized by binge meals without purging afterward, is found in about 30% of obese individuals seeking treatment. The study objective was to ascertain abnormalities in hormones influencing appetite in BED, especially ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating peptide, which was expected to be elevated. Measurements were made of plasma insulin, leptin, glucagon, cholecystokinin, and ghrelin, as well as glucose following an overnight 12-h fast, prior to and after ingestion (from 0 to 5 min) of a nutritionally complete liquid meal (1254 kJ) at 0830 h, at 15, 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min. Appetite ratings including hunger and fullness were also obtained. An acetaminophen tracer was used to assess gastric emptying rate. Three groups of comparably obese women (BMI 35.9 5.5; % body fat 44.9 4.7) participated: 12 nonbinge eating normals (NB), 14 subthreshold BED, and 11 BED. The BED subjects, compared to NB subjects, had lower baseline ghrelin concentrations prior to the meal, a lower area under the curve (AUC), with lower levels at 5, 15, 30, 90, and 120 min, and a smaller decline in ghrelin postmeal (all P 0.03). The other blood values did not differ among groups, and neither did gastric emptying rate nor ratings of fullness. The BED subjects were then randomly assigned to treatment with cognitive-behavior therapy and diet (n 5) or to a wait-list control (n 4). Baseline ghrelin (P 0.01) and AUC increased (P 0.02), across both conditions, in which most subjects (7 of 9) stopped binge eating. The lower fasting and postmeal plasma ghrelin levels in BED are consistent with lower ghrelin levels in obese compared to lean individuals and suggests downregulation by binge eating. J. Nutr. 135: 1326 –1330, 2005.


v A methodology to forecast wind power production 24 hours ahead is developed using a hybrid approach of an artificial neural network (ANN) and numerical weather prediction (NWP). The methodology is simple and designed to be applicable to any wind farm on the globe, using publicly available NWP data and basic historical power production data from wind farm. Notably, no historical wind data from on-farm sensors is required as the 0 hour forecast data is used to train the ANN. The results are encouraging, with a root-mean-square-error of 0.2267 for a 24 hour ahead forecast, corresponding to a forecast error standard deviation of 0.23 per unit.


According to UNESCO, cultural heritage does not only include monuments and collections of objects, but also contains traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed to our descendants. Folk dances represent part of cultural heritage and their preservation for the next generations appears of major importance. Digitization and visualization of folk dances form an increasingly active research area in computer science. In parallel to the rapidly advancing technologies, new ways for learning folk dances are explored, making the digitization and visualization of assorted folk dances for learning purposes using different equipment possible. Along with challenges and limitations, solutions that can assist the learning process and provide the user with meaningful feedback are proposed. In this paper, an overview of the techniques used for the recording of dance moves is presented. The different ways of visualization and giving the feedback to the user are reviewed as well as ways of performance evaluation. This paper reviews advances in digitization and visualization of folk dances from 2000 to 2018.


We report on the workflow for the creation of
realistic virtual anthropomorphic characters. 3D-models of
human heads have been reconstructed from real people by
following a structured light approach to 3D-reconstruction. We
describe how these high-resolution models have been simplified
and articulated with blend shape and mesh skinning techniques to
ensure real-time animation. The full-body models have been
created manually based on photographs. We present a system for
capturing whole body motions, including the fingers, based on an
optical motion capture system with 6 DOF rigid bodies and
cybergloves. The motion capture data was processed in one
system, mapped to a virtual character and visualized in real-time.
We developed tools and methods for quick post processing. To
demonstrate the viability of our system, we captured a library
consisting of more than 90 gestures.


Summary. Rootstocks have been effective against many soil-borne pathogens in protected tomato production. Rootstocks with heat-stable root-knot nematode resistance may prolong the production season since the rootknot nematode resistance gene Mi-1.2 irreversibly breaks down at soil temperatures above 28°C. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of soil temperature on root-knot nematode resistance conferred by two genes of tomato, using some commercial tomato cultivars, rootstocks, and PI lines. The response of these genes against Meloidogyne incognita race 2 was studied in two commonly used rootstock cv. Beaufort and Vigomax, in tomato cultivars astona RN F1 and Simita F1, and in Solanum lycopersicum L. accessions PI126443 and PI270435, known to possess heat-stable nematode resistance, at 24°C and 32°C under controlled conditions. Each plant was inoculated with 1000 M. incognita race 2 second-stage juveniles (J2s) and its response was evaluated 8 weeks post inoculation. The presence of the Mi-1.2 gene was determined with molecular markers. astona RN F1, Vigomax, Beaufort, PI126443 and PI 270435 which carried the Mi-1.2 gene were resistant to Meloidogyne incognita race 2 at 24°C. The egg masses and J2s were significantly fewer in these lines than in the susceptible Simita F1 at 24°C, and there were no significant differences among resistant plants. In con trast, there were significant differences in the galling index among heat-stable sources and plants containing the Mi-1.2 gene. Simita F1, astona RN F1 and the rootstocks had a susceptible reaction to M. incognita race 2 at 32°C, but PI 126443 and PI 270435 were resistant. However, at this temperature there were significant differences in the number of juveniles in the soil, the egg mass and the galling index between the heat-stable and the heat-unstable plants.


In order to better analyze human health status and guide people to carry out reasonable physical training, this paper puts forward the construction method of human health status evaluation model after sports training based on big data. Firstly, the characteristic information of human health status after sports training is collected based on big data technology, and the evaluation index and evaluation algorithm of human health status after sports training are constructed. The evaluation system of human health status after sports training is constructed. Finally, the experiment proves that the proposed evaluation model of human health status after sports training based on big data has high practicability in the process of practical application and fully meets the research requirements.


Animal law is gaining momentum in Australia and internationally. Initiatives such as the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) attempt to secure international legal recognition for the principles of animal welfare. The extent to which they do so, however, is a matter of debate, and the subject of this article. Part II of this article outlines the development of the UDAW and current support for it. Part III compares the UDAW to other animal rights/welfare declarations. Part IV describes the animal welfare legislative and policy framework in Australia, and critically examines the impact that the UDAW would have in Australia.


The level of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hydroxylase cofactor activity was measured in 34 neurologically normal patients and analyzed according to age. Levels declined by approximately one-third over a 40-year span, probably reflecting loss of aminergic neurons. Fourteen patients with Parkinson disease all tended to have lower values than age-matched controls. Among Parkinson patients with the same order of disability, younger cases had higher CSF concentrations of hydroxylase cofactor than older patients.


When sprayed on the leaves of tobacco plants inoculated with tobacco mosaic virus 8-azaguanine caused a delay in the production of virus, and a delay in the development of systemic infection. From alkaline hydrolysates of the nucleic acid prepared from virus isolated from 8-azaguanine-treated plants, a compound was isolated which had the expected properties of 8-azaguanylic acid. This evidence together with analytical data showed that in tobacco mosaic virus from 14-day-old infections in 8-azaguanine-treated plants, about 3 4 % of the guanine in the virus nucleic acid was replaced by 8-azaguanine. This incorporation of 8-azaguanine appeared to reduce the infectivity of the virus. Several other purine analogues were ineffective against tobacco mosaic virus. A serological-chromatographic method is described for the estimation of small amounts of tobacco mosaic virus in crude plant, extracts.


In today's world, image first and then sound have managed to dominate communication, consolidating a broad and complex language, this phenomenon being the genesis of individual and collective narratives; Therefore, all reflection, in this sense, will help to better understand how to advance in the creation and understand the design of audiovisual stories. Although the cinematographic narrative has been studied, there are still several questions to be resolved in relation to the content of the expanded narratives and the subtle connections between the script and the montage, therefore every effort to reveal these connections is important in order to glimpse grammatical structures, models and particularities in two stages of audiovisual production that are presented as different but that are basically complementary and equivalent. The text presents the grammatical bridges between script and montage, definitive to understand the transformations of the audiovisual story, taking as a starting point two works, Intolerance (Griffith 1916) and Napoleón (Gance 1927), different films that marked transformations in the audiovisual story and they are presented as a turning point to what we know today as complex narratives (Simons) that go beyond the regular forms of the story itself, this phenomenon being more and more vast and exciting. In summary, the text tries to answer the question, What relationship exists between script and cinematographic montage, and what impact has it had on the evolution of audiovisual narratives?


"Cumberland county, Virginia, in the Late Antebellum Period, 1840-1860," by William M. Whitworth, Jr., University of Richmond, M.A. in History, 19 91, directed by Dr. W. Harrison Daniel. The purpose of this thesis is to examine and describe the lives of the citizens of a rural, agricultural Virginia County which had a social and economic order based on the institution of slavery. This system was dominated by a wealthy white minority which had the ability to use the existing components of government to perpetuate itself. All aspects of the county were explored, including its origins, geography, population, county court system, representation in state and federal government, economy, transportation, communication, religion, education, and health care. There was an abundance of available primary sources which gave insights into the county's internal functioning including county court order books, overseer of the poor reports, registers of free Negroes, land tax and property tax books, and license returns. Also, reports of internal improvement companies to the Board of Public Works and other sources gave insights into the available means of transportation. In addition, the reports of the school commissioners provided information on the county's educational situation. Also available were the journals of the Virginia General Assembly, legislative petitions from the county, poll returns, and the Congressional Globe, all of which mirrored the county's attempts to externally influence matters of importance. Insights into religion were drawn from the more numerous records of the Baptist and Presbyterian churches. Newspapers from Richmond and Petersburg were also used. This study illustrates a county which was economically and politically secure. All indications suggested that it would have continued for many years with little change in the absence of the catalyst of the civil War. I certify that I have read this thesis and find that, in scope and quality, it satisfies the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Dr. w. Harrison Daniel Professor of History Dr. William H. Thorn, III Professor of History d7{ B~ ~~ Dr. R. Barry Westin Professor of History CUMBERLAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA, IN THE LATE ANTEBELLUM PERIOD, 1840-1860 By WILLIAM MAPHIS WHITWORTH, JR. B.A., University of Richmond, 1968 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Richmond in Candidacy for the Degree of Master Of Arts in History December, 1991 Richmond, Virginia LIS RARY lJNIVKRSITY OF RICHMOND VIPtQINIA. 23173


Salt stress in plant cells is mainly caused by a combination of hyperosmotic stress resulting from a high concentration of Na+ in the environment and ionic stress resulting from the toxicity of cytosolic Na+. Thus, salt tolerance in plants can be improved by expressing genes involved in compatible-solute biosynthesis to increase hyperosmotic tolerance, and/or by expressing vacuolar and plasma membrane ion transporters to re-establish intracellular Na+ homeostasis under salt stress. To increase the salt tolerance of plants, we have identified and characterized genes that can confer increased hyperosmotic- and ionic-stress tolerance to plant cells.We identified three paralogues of the HAL3 gene in tobacco (NtHAL3a, NtHAL3b, and NtHAL3c) that encode putative 4′-phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylases. We found that overexpression of NtHAL3a in tobacco BY2 cells increased the level of proline, a major compatible solute in plants, and improved the salt tolerance of these cells. We also found that tolerance to ionic stress can be improved in plants by the expression of the yeast ENA1 gene, which encodes a sodium efflux pump that is present in fungi but not in plants. Furthermore, to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying Na+ and K+ homeostasis in rice (Oryza sativa L.), we identified two rice HKT transporters, OsHKT1 and OsHKT2, with different properties of Na+ and K+ transport. Finally, we investigated the role of the conserved glycine filter residue in the K+ selectivity of the two OsHKTs.


Objectives The cost of prevention is often taken as an excuse for not acting or not fully implementing all required measures for effective OSH. Prevention is often presented as a matter of regulation and obligations, and the economic return of prevention actions is rarely studied. Based on field studies and experience, OPPBTP demonstrates with more than 200 practical cases that prevention pays, with an average ROI of 2.33. Online tools are being developed to facilitate the practice with construction management. Methods OPPBTP developed a business case study, with accounting techniques. The methodology enables to identify all the operational impacts of the studied cases, short and long term, whether beneficial for productivity, quality, business activity, and to quantify them in term of financial impact. High interest from major French construction companies led OPPBTP to develop both training tools to transfer the know-how to a large population of OSH experts, and develop an online tool for case calculation. CPWR developed similar cases and tools. CPWR developed as well ROI calculation tools, based on standard US accounting standards. Results More than 200 specific prevention cases, ranging from new equipment to training schemes or process improvement projects have been studied, showing an average return on investment equal to 2.33! Moreover, the work and its methodology enable OSH experts to include prevention action within the business logic that is first and foremost in private companies, and develop new arguments to convince managers and workers alike that prevention and production go hand in hand. Conclusion Prevention pays! This popular motto among OSH experts needs to be demonstrated in a simple and convincing manner for frontline managers, and adequate tools be made available to them. This approach is complementary to existing academic studies that tend to demonstrate the same results, however addressing a different public. This study enabled not only to bring proof about the positive economic return of prevention, but it enabled to change the way companies look at prevention, and the way preventors look at economics. This is a very interesting finding of our studies.


L. M. Fält & R. J. Steel write: Richards et al. 1988 have offered a new palaeogeographic reconstruction for the Middle Jurassic of the northern North Sea. We consider their suggestions as an interesting contribution to a continuing debate about Jurassic sand-body development and evolution in the northern North Sea basin. Nevertheless, we suggest from the perspective of the Norwegian sector that they are mistaken in some of their main points and, at best, they have not documented any convincing case. Richards et al. 1988 reject the 'traditional' model for the Middle Jurassic deltaic system of the Brent Group, one of general northwards progradation with a broadly convex deltaic-front morphology. They suggest instead a more complex model with an axial estuary (without any trunk river system!) and deltaic flanks with sediment supplied primarily from the East Shetland Platform and from the Horda Platform (Richards et al. 1988, fig. 1). Our main problems with the suggestions of Richards et al. 1988 are as follows. (1) They have attributed, to the 'traditional' model, a greater degree of precision than it has ever had. The nation of a general northwards progradation of Brent delta system, as developed through the works of Eynon (1981), Johnson and Stewart (1985), Graue et al. 1987, Brown et al. 1987, Helland-Hansen et al. 1989 and Fält et al. 1990 has never been dependent on the presence of a southerly dome as principal source area. There has been an increasing awareness of the likelihood of sediment contribution from the


Abstract—Cloud computing infrastructure is increasingly
used for distributed applications. Mobile learning
applications deployed in the cloud are a new research
direction. The applications require specific development
approaches for effective and reliable communication. This
paper proposes an interdisciplinary approach for design and
development of mobile applications in the cloud. The
approach includes front service toolkit and backend service
toolkit. The front service toolkit packages data and sends it
to a backend deployed in a cloud computing platform. The
backend service toolkit manages rules and workflow, and
then transmits required results to the front service toolkit.
To further show feasibility of the approach, the paper
introduces a case study and shows its performance.


Children living in poverty face considerable developmental risks. This report presents interim results from an evaluation of parental employment and educational services delivered within a two-generational, early childhood program targeting low-income families who are expecting a child or who have a child under age 3. This study is part of the Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ Demonstration and Evaluation project, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Labor.The program model tested here aims to dually address both the employment and educational needs of parents who are at risk of unemployment and the developmental needs of their young children. The program's effects are being studied by examining 610 families who were randomly assigned to a program group, which received the enhanced two-generational program, or to a control group, which could only access alternative services in the community.


This paper deals with the problem of audio source separation. To handle the complex and ill-posed nature of the problems of audio source separation, the current state-of-the-art approaches employ deep neural networks to obtain instrumental spectra from a mixture. In this study, we propose a novel network architecture that extends the recently developed densely connected convolutional network (DenseNet), which has shown excellent results on image classification tasks. To deal with the specific problem of audio source separation, an up-sampling layer, block skip connection and band-dedicated dense blocks are incorporated on top of DenseNet. The proposed approach takes advantage of long contextual information and outperforms state-of-the-art results on SiSEC 2016 competition by a large margin in terms of signal-to-distortion ratio. Moreover, the proposed architecture requires significantly fewer parameters and considerably less training time compared with other methods.


Identification of individuals at risk for heart failure is needed to deliver targeted preventive strategies and maximize net benefit of interventions. To examine the clinical utility of the recently published heart failure-specific risk prediction model, the Pooled Cohort Equations to Prevent Heart Failure, we sought to demonstrate the range of risk values associated with diverse risk factor combinations in White and Black men and women. We varied individual risk factors while holding the other risk factors constant at age-adjusted national mean values for risk factors in each race-sex and age group. We also examined multiple combinations of risk factor levels and examined the range of predicted 10-year heart failure risk using the Pooled Cohort Equations to Prevent Heart Failure risk tool. Ten-year predicted heart failure risk varied widely for each race-sex group across a range of ages and risk factor scenarios. For example, predicted 10-year heart failure risk in a hypothetical 40 year old varied from 0.1% to 9.7% in a White man, 0.5% to 12.3% in a Black man, <0.1% to 9.3% in a White woman, and 0.2% to 28.0% in a Black woman. Higher risk factor burden (e.g. diabetes and hypertension requiring treatment) consistently drove higher risk estimates in all race-sex groups and across all ages. Our analysis highlights the importance of a race and sex-specific multivariable risk prediction model for heart failure to personalize the clinician-patient discussion, inform future practice guidelines, and provide a framework for future risk-based prevention trials for heart failure.


The archipelagos of Wallacea extend between the Sunda and Sahul Shelves, serving as a semipermeable two‐way filter influencing faunal exchange between Asia and Australo‐Papua. Forest skinks (Genus Sphenomorphus) are widespread throughout southern Wallacea and exhibit complex clinal, ontogenetic, sexual, and seasonal morphological variation, rendering species delimitation difficult. We screened a mitochondrial marker for 245 Sphenomorphus specimens from this area to inform the selection of 104 samples from which we used targeted sequence capture to generate a dataset of 1154 nuclear genes (∼1.8 Mb) plus complete mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenomic analyses recovered many deeply divergent lineages, three pairs of which are now sympatric, that began to diversify in the late Miocene shortly after the oldest islands are thought to have become emergent. We infer a complex and nonstepping‐stone pattern of island colonization, with the group having originated in the Sunda Arc islands before using Sumba as a springboard for colonization of the Banda Arcs. Estimates of population structure and gene flow across the region suggest total isolation except between two Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complexes that become episodically land‐bridged during glacial maxima. These historical processes have resulted in at least 11 Sphenomorphus species in the region, nine of which require formal description. This fine‐scale geographic partitioning of undescribed species highlights the importance of utilizing comprehensive genomic studies for defining biodiversity hotspots to be considered for conservation protection.


One of the most important use of thermal spray coatings is for wear resistance. In this work, the tribological properties of plasma prayed Al83.7Fe7Cr6.3Ti3 quasicrystalline coatings have been studied. The quasicrystal powders of Al-base alloys were produced by gas atomization unit in vacuum. The plasma spray process was used to produce quasicrystalline coatings. Then, friction experiments were carried out on a pin-on-disc-type tribometer. The results indicated that the friction coefficient of Al83.7Fe7Cr6.3Ti3 quasicrystalline coating is about 50% lower than that of Al70Fe13Cu10Cr7 quasicrystalline coating.


Soybean is a very important crop, cultivated mainly as stock feed for animal production, but also for other uses such as biodiesel. Brazil is the second largest producer of soybeans, and the main exporter. About 10% of total Brazilian production is aimed for biodiesel production. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of climate change scenarios on soybean yield and evaluate two simple adaptation strategies: cultivar and planting date. Tests were done for soil profiles from two important producing regions: Chapeco-Red Oxisol, and Passo Fundo-Rodic Hapludox. Two commercial soybean cultivars (CD202 and CD204) and seven regional circulation models (RCM) were used. All simulations were done with DSSAT. After model calibration, eleven planting dates were run for two periods (2011–2040 and 2071–2100) using the RCM's. There were no differences between cultivars. For Chapeco, the majority of RCM's projected yield reductions, with few RCM's projecting increments, and for only few planting dates (November). The response pattern for both time periods were identical, although the end-of-century period presented a further yield reduction. The main reason was reduced water holding capacity in soil, high temperatures, and changes in rainfall distribution along the cropping season. For Passo Fundo, 2011–2040 yields were distinct, depending on the RCM. Simulated yields tended to follow the actual yield pattern along the different planting dates, besides discrepancies. For 2071–2100, all but one RCM indicated yields equal or lower to actual levels. Regarding planting dates, no significant changes were identified, although reductions were observed for the early planting dates (August–September). The scenarios suggest that soybean yields will be reduced, jeopardizing the viability of this crop and biodiesel production in the studied regions.


The Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors (PPARs) are initially described as molecular targets for compounds inducing peroxisome proliferation. Among the three PPAR subtypes (alpha, beta, gamma), PPAR-gamma acting as a ligand-activated transcription factor, proved to be an important regulator of adipogenic differentiation and glucose homeostasis. Recent data support evidence for participation of PPAR-gamma, upon ligands activation, in the biological mechanisms underlying the carcinogenic evolution. Specific PPAR-gamma ligands affect cancer cells proliferation and differentiation acting as cell cycle modulators, suggesting their use as an important tool for future therapeutic approach in cancer. In this review, the latest knowledge on PPAR-gamma activation and molecular mechanisms of PPAR-gamma ligands mediated anti-tumoral activity are presented. In vitro and in vivo studies concerning the use of PPAR-gamma ligands in different cancer types are also included.


BACKGROUND
Homeopathy was founded 200 years ago by Dr Samuel Hahnemann. Although it has been seen by some as quackery, it has found a level of acceptance in the community in general.

OBJECTIVE
This article reviews the principles underlying the practice of homeopathy and reviews some of the studies which attempt to understand its validity.

DISCUSSION
The theoretical principles of homeopathy derive from clinical observation. There is some research demonstrating efficacy; however, the underlying basis of the discipline has yet to be explained. Much research still needs to be done in order to elucidate its mechanisms of action and to determine its specific place in clinical practice.


SUMMARY
Neutropenia, due either to hypersplenism or to myelotoxicity
of interferon (IFN), is a contraindication to start or
continue IFN treatment. In a prospective, open study the
use of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a
growth factor capable of directly and selectively stimulating
proliferation, differentiation and function of neutrophils,
has been evaluated in combination with IFN A-2a
in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Inclusion criteria,
in addition to those for IFN treatment, were compensated
disease (Child-� class A), leukocyte count< 3,0 k/�l and/or
neutrophil count < 1,5 k/�l. The dose of G-CSF was titrated
in order to raise and maintain the white cell counts above
these levels throughout the treatment period and limited to
<5�g/Kg subcutaneously daily. Twelve patients (F: 7, M:
5, mean age 45,7, range 23-59), 7 with B and 5 with C infection
entered the study. Ten of these, 5 with active cirrhosis
and 5 with chronic active hepatitis completed a combined
interferon + G-CSF therapy period of 6 months, with a mean
total G-CSF dose of 10,5 mg (range 4,8-21.6 mg) per patient.
In the other two patients, treatment was stopped at 3
and 4 months because they developed ascites and peripheral
oedema due either to loss of compensation or to fluid
retention caused by G-CSF. No other important side-effects
were observed and, in particular, no excess leucocytosis. At
the end of the treatment period, 4 patients showed complete
biochemical and virological response to IFN, 4 partial
and another 2 no response. These preliminary results
suggest that prolonged administration of G-CSF is relatively
safe in chronic viral liver disease and allows completion
of a course of IFN therapy in neutropenic patients.
Key words: G-CSF, Granulocyte colony- stimulating factor,
Hepatitis, Therapy, Interferon, Neutropenia


Several factors may affect poultry breast meat quality, both intrinsic characteristics (age, sex, size and strain) and external influences (carcass aging time postmortem before deboning, fillet marination and cooking method). Commercial duck processors are now expanding into the deboned breast meat markets but very little research is available on duck meat quality as compared to other poultry species. Therefore, the following study was conducted to determine the effect of duck sex, size and fillet marination on breast meat quality. Duck rearing, processing and carcass deboning were conducted at a commercial facility. Carcasses were kept separate by sex and were then sized to 1.6 kg (S), 2.0 kg (M) and 2.5 kg (L) after chilling. After 6 h aging on the carcass, breast fillets were removed and half of the fillets from each sex-size category were marinated while the other half of the fillets (unmarinated) were held as controls. A total of 360 fillets were produced, 30 in each of 12 categories (2 sexes X 3 sizes X 2 treatments). At the laboratory, fillets were weighed, evaluated for raw color, cooked, reweighed, evaluated for cooked color and sheared via WarnerBratzler (WB). Uncooked and cooked fillet weights were significantly affected by bird size (p<0.05). Marination increased fillet cook yield compared to control fillets (73.5% versus 69.1%, respectively) and decreased WB shear values (2.2 kg versus 3.2 kg, respectively). Less force was required to shear the first slice using WB as compared to the second WB slice (2.4 and 3.0 kg, respectively). Lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values were lower in uncooked fillets from females than males ducks and marination decreased raw fillet L* values and cooked b* values for both sexes. Results showed that sex, carcass size and marination affect duck breast meat quality.


Exploration is a fundamental problem in robot autonomy. A major limitation, however, is that during exploration robots oftentimes have to rely on on-board systems alone for state estimation, accumulating significant drift over time in large environments. Drift can be detrimental to robot safety and exploration performance. In this work, a submap-based, multi-layer approach for both mapping and planning is proposed to enable safe and efficient volumetric exploration of large scale environments despite odometry drift. The central idea of our approach combines local (temporally and spatially) and global mapping to guarantee safety and efficiency. Similarly, our planning approach leverages the presented map to compute global volumetric frontiers in a changing global map and utilizes the nature of exploration dealing with partial information for efficient local and global planning. The presented system is thoroughly evaluated and shown to outperform state of the art methods even under drift-free conditions. Our system, termed GLocal, is made available open source.


This paper contrasts assignments to punitive tasks and terminations as alternative incentive devices. The basic question we ask here is: does the threat of assigning employees to a punitive task allow one to attain higher effort levels than termination threats? The answer critically depends on whether employers are able or not to commit themselves not to fire. We show that in the no-commitment case the only relevant incentive device is termination threats. In contrast, when employers commit themselves not to fire, by threatening punitive task reassignments there obtain effort levels that are not implementable by termination. The implementation results are then applied to the study of incentive problems arising when investment infirm-specific human capital is unverifiable. Copyright (c) 1998 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


Background: Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer screening. Adenoma detection rate and a withdrawal time of 6 min are quality metrics to measure the efficacy of colonoscopy in colon cancer screening. The aim of our study was to exploit the Hawthorne effect in an effort to ensure adherence to a minimum 6-min withdrawal time and subsequently increase adenoma detection rate. Methods: This was a retrospective single-center study where we reviewed the records of patients who underwent screening colonoscopy in 2015 and 2017. We divided our patient population into 2 groups. The first group of patients from 2015 underwent screening colonoscopy with no visual cues on the colonoscopy monitor. The second group of patients from 2017 had visual cues indicating withdrawal time on the colonoscopy monitor. Results: Screening colonoscopy had a statistically significantly higher adenoma detection rate when performed with visual cues compared to without visual cues (25.3% vs. 19.45, P=0.04). Polyp detection rate was also higher in the group where visual cueing was used (52.9% vs. 22.9%, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in actual withdrawal time or cecal intubation rates. Conclusions: Visual cues indicating withdrawal time are a useful intervention that results in an increased adenoma detection rate. Given its practicality and cost effectiveness, we recommend universally implementing visual cues to ensure adherence to a minimum 6-min withdrawal time.


Objective: To summarize evidence on the rates and drivers of progression from normoglycemia to prediabetes and/or diabetes mellitus (hereafter "diabetes") in antiretroviral treatment (ART)–exposed HIV-infected people. Methods: We searched EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Global Index Medicus to identify articles published from 1 January 2000 to 30 April 2017. A random-effects model produced a summary estimate of the incidence across studies and heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane's Q statistic. Results: We included 44 studies, whose methodologic quality was high with only 10 (30%) medium-quality studies and none of low quality. There was substantial heterogeneity between studies in estimates of the incidence of diabetes and prediabetes. The pooled incidence rate of overt diabetes and prediabetes were 13.7 per 1,000 person-years of follow-up (95% CI = 13, 20; I2 = 98.1%) among 396,496 person-years and 125 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI = 0, 123; I2 = 99.4) among 1,532 person-years, respectively. The major risk factors for diabetes and prediabetes were aging, family history of diabetes, Black or Hispanic origin, overweight/obesity, central obesity, lipodystrophy/lipoatrophy, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, increased baseline fasting glycemia, and certain ART regimens. Conclusions: These data highlight the important and fast-increasing burden of diabetes and prediabetes among the ART-exposed HIV-infected population. More research is needed to better capture the interplay between prediabetes/diabetes and ART in HIV-infected patients, considering the increasing number of ART-exposed patients subsequent to the World Health Organization's recommendation of initiating ART at HIV infection diagnosis regardless of CD4 count and age.


OBJECTIVE
Although depression and anxiety predict risk of cardiac mortality, the contributions of depression and anxiety to vagal cardiac control have not been systematically evaluated. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between state anxiety and vagal control of heart rate in older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). Older adults (50-70 years old) were selected for this study because of the greater cardiac risk associated with low vagal cardiac control across this age range.

METHODS
Fifty-six men and women with MDD were evaluated. MDD was diagnosed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, and severity of depression was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression. State anxiety was measured using the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory. Power spectral analysis was used to measure two indices of vagal control: baroreflex control of heart rate (BRC(SPEC)) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).

RESULTS
State anxiety was negatively correlated with levels of BRC(SPEC) (r = -0.32, p < .05), whereas depression severity was not related to either RSA or BRC(SPEC). Furthermore, BRC(SPEC) was reduced by approximately 33% in MDD patients with state anxiety scores (ST-ANX) in the highest quartile (ST-ANX > 41, N = 13), compared with patients with ST-ANX scores in the lowest quartile (ST-ANX < 25, N = 14; p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS
Anxiety, but not depression severity, is associated with reduced BRC(SPEC) in older men and women. Future studies are needed to determine whether comorbid anxiety contributes to the increased cardiovascular risk associated with MDD.


Of all the organic food sectors in the UK, top fruit is one of the least developed. Despite strong consumer demand and high prices for organic fruit there are, at present, only a handful of commercial organic dessert apple and pear growers. One of the barriers to conventional growers converting to organic production has been the lack of robust data on the economics of organic fruit growing. Therefore the overall aim of this study and benefit to the sector was the collection and assessment of economic data from commercial organic top fruit (dessert apples and pears) farms for three seasons (2001-2003) in order to determine its economic feasibility. Data was collected from fruit growers and processed according to Farm Business Survey techniques and was also analysed on a pence per kg basis, a full cost accounting technique developed for analysing top fruit crops.

Over the past few years there has been a rapid growth of both the market for organic top fruit, and an increase in the area of land converted to organic top fruit production, although much of the latter has been of older cider orchards. The market for organic top fruit, with a retail value of £67 million and 7% share, is one of the largest organic product groups in the organic market. In 2003, 1187 hectares of organic top fruit were grown, with an estimated retail value of £6.7 million. UK-produced organic top fruit supplies 10% of the market, with the remainder being imported, compared with 21% in the conventional sector. Although growers had previously been reluctant to convert to organic production due to the high costs of conversion, a small number responded in the late 1990's to the higher prices achievable, supermarket pressure, and to the increasing level of government subsidies available.

The on-farm economics of organic apples and pears was largely determined by the level of yields of fruit for the fresh market, prices and costs of production. The greatest variation in income from individual orchards, varieties, farms, and years was caused by differences in the total yield and the proportion of the yield, known as 'gradeout' in the fruit industry, which reached Class I & II (this was typically 50-65% for apples and 50-85% for pears). Prices were relatively stable.

Yield variations were caused by the UK climate, with its variable spring and summer weather pattern, the weather also indirectly affected yields through its influence on pest and disease levels, especially in 2002. Organic apple yields were found to be 50-80%, and pears 25-55% of those in conventionally managed orchards. Many of the surveyed orchards contained a large proportion of varieties such as Cox, which are less suitable for organic production systems. Only 20% of the varieties in the survey farms had been specifically planted for organic purposes.

Where fruit was processed into juice and bottled on the farm, this proved a very valuable way of maintaining total farm income. Across the various farms costs were fairly similar. The largest proportion of costs, were for marketing (30%) and overhead costs (44% -other labour, machinery, rent, orchard depreciation and general fixed costs). Top fruit growing is very labour intensive and labour accounted for 30% of on-farm costs. Total organic costs per hectare were similar to conventional ones.
Average net margins for apples (£455/ha, 5p/kg) gave a 7% margin over costs, and pears (£315/ha, 5p/kg) 5% for the years 2001-2003. A 15% rate would have been regarded as very profitable. At a gross margin level the organic crops were higher than conventional equivalents. With average current prices and costs a breakeven point can be achieved at 7t/ha for apples and 5t/ha for pears. However, the averages fail to show the large range of results that occurred, and that during the survey period nine apple and pear crops (a crop includes all varieties on an individual farm), which represented 43% of the crops grown, made a loss.
As costs were fairly similar, the variation in net margin was directly related to the variability in yields. Some farms did notably better than others and this is in part due to their more favourable sites for fruit growing e.g. better soils. It is of some concern that profitability is currently highly dependent on high prices for organic fruit (typically double that of conventional fruit), which may fall as UK supplies increase. A 20% reduction in prices for apples would lead to a halving of net margin and a 45% reduction would lead to all farms making a loss.

Although demand for organic dessert fruit continues to grow, the rate of conversion of UK organic dessert top fruit growers to production is still relatively slow. The main constraints continue to be: the high costs of conversion to organic production, estimated to be £6,800/ha for the conversion of an existing orchard over a three-year period, with the cost of establishing a new orchard being greater than £10,000/ha; and the low level and inconsistency of yields and thus profitable returns. To ensure continued investment in new plantings and to allow for management income and profits, average yields need to be increased. It is thought that even with the increased rate of Organic Farming Scheme Payment, of £1860/ha over five years introduced in 2002, will not provide sufficient economic incentive for farmers to convert more land.

The crux is that growers are still hampered by low and variable yields due to lack of suitable varieties and the inability to control pests and diseases, which have a major impact on the economics of production. A DEFRA Horticultural LINK project 'Varieties and Pest and Disease Management for Organic Apple Production, has been addressing some of these issues, although much still remains to be done. The number of growers converting and investment by existing growers in new orchards with more appropriate varieties remains limited.

If UK produced organic top fruit, currently meeting 10% of the market, is to rise to comparable levels of self-sufficiency in the conventional sector (21%), then an additional 1,000 hectares ( at current yields) would need to be converted. Since it is the Organic Action Plan objective to see more UK grown organic top fruit, then government and business support for this fledgling sector should continue, and be co-ordinated. It is recommended that support can be provided through further funding for research (e.g. varieties, nutrition, pests and diseases, weeds, market, economics), development and dissemination of existing research.


Places of Interest (POI) are a principal component of how human behavior is captured in today's geographic information. Increasingly, access to POI datasets are being restricted – even silo-ed – for commercial use, with vendors often impeding access to the very users that contribute the data. Open mapping platforms such as OpenStreetMap (OSM) offer access to a plethora of geospatial data though they can be limited in the attribute resolution or range of information associated with the data. Nuanced descriptive information associated with POI, e.g., ambience, are not captured by such platforms. Furthermore, interactions with a POI, such as checking in, or recommending a menu item, are inherently place-based concepts. Many of these interactions occur with high temporal volatility that involves frequent interaction with a platform, arguably inappropriate for the "changeset" model adopted by OSM and related datasets. In this short paper we propose OpenPOI, an open platform for storing, serving, and interacting with places of interests and the activities they afford. 2012 ACM Subject Classification Information systems → Geographic information systems


This work explores the task of synthesizing speech in non-existent human-sounding voices. We call this task "speaker generation", and present TacoSpawn, a system that performs competitively at this task. TacoSpawn is a recurrent attention-based text-to-speech model that learns a distribution over a speaker embedding space, which enables sampling of novel and diverse speakers. Our method is easy to implement, and does not require transfer learning from speaker ID systems. We present objective and subjective metrics for evaluating performance on this task, and demonstrate that our proposed objective metrics correlate with human perception of speaker similarity. Audio samples are available on our demo page1.


Civil rights laws are not self-enforcing. Enforcement mechanisms, therefore, need to be studied as part of the larger debate on the form and direction of civil rights law. The current decline of the ability of the private attorney general to fairly and consistently enforce our civil rights laws argues for a renewed emphasis on the importance and form of government enforcement. Focusing on the Americans with Disabilities Act, this Article presents a new vision of public enforcement. After explaining the historical, theoretical, and practical strengths of public enforcement - all things that cannot be completely outsourced - this Article suggests that public enforcement officials need to renew their commitment to structural litigation. Because public enforcement is inherently political, this Article attempts to build the case that such enforcement is needed and can be effective. In recognition that litigation, even of the structural variety, will always be an incomplete enforcement strategy, this Article also considers the role of public officials in non-litigation activity. In particular, it offers a novel application of new governance theory to public enforcement activity, concluding that government programs that focus on collaboration, information sharing, and cooperative interactions should supplement - not supplant - an aggressive litigation policy.


We explore the 6T and 8T SRAM design spaces through read static noise margin (RSNM), word-line write margin, and leakage for future 10-nm FinFETs. Process variations are based on the ITRS and modeled at device (TCAD) level. We propose a method to incorporate them into a BSIM-CMG model card for time-efficient simulation. We analyze cells with different fin numbers, supply voltages, and temperatures. Results show a 1.8× improvement of RSNM for 8T SRAM cells, the need for stronger pull-downs to secure read stability in 6Ts, and high leakage sensitivity to temperature (10× between 40°C and 100°C). As a specific example, we show how the RSNM of a 6T SRAM cell can be improved by using back-gate biasing techniques for independent-gate FinFETs. We show how WLMN is increased by reducing the strength of pull-up transistors when reverse back-gate biasing is applied on it and how the RSNM can be increased by reducing the strength of access transistor by reverse back-gate biasing of pass-gate transistors. When combining these two techniques, RSNM can be improved up to 25% without compromising cell write ability for any sample. In general, when compared to previous technologies, read stability is untouched, writeability is reduced, and leakage keeps stable.


Accurate on-device keyword spotting (KWS) with low false accept and false reject rate is crucial to customer experience for far-field voice control of conversational agents. It is particularly challenging to maintain low false reject rate in real world conditions where there is (a) ambient noise from external sources such as TV, household appliances, or other speech that is not directed at the device (b) imperfect cancellation of the audio playback from the device, resulting in residual echo, after being processed by the Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) system. In this paper, we propose a data augmentation strategy to improve keyword spotting performance under these challenging conditions. The training set audio is artificially corrupted by mixing in music and TV/movie audio, at different signal to interference ratios. Our results show that we get around 30-45% relative reduction in false reject rates, at a range of false alarm rates, under audio playback from such devices.


In this paper a new approach to fuzzy iterative learning control is presented. In the proposed approach, coefficients of fuzzy system and learning rate of ILC are calculated using optimization algorithms such as steepest descent and genetic algorithm. The optimization algorithm must be applied to a predetermined number of iterations to determine unknown coefficients, offline. Calculating fuzzy coefficients and learning rates, the controller performs with optimum coefficients for any required number of iterations. Therefore one of the main advantages is that learning rates can be determined in an optimal manner and the controller operates completely non-model based. These features make the method appropriate for highly nonlinear systems with model uncertainties. The overall developed fuzzy iterative learning controller is called FILC that not only keeps the advantage of ILC, but also creates appropriate updating law by using fuzzy TSK system. The controller is applied to electro hydraulic servo actuator as a highly nonlinear and uncertain case study and simulation results show superior advantages of the method.


Abstract The effects of capture method (creel and trawl) and trawling time (15, 60 and 150 min) were assessed in Norway lobsters by measuring stress-related metabolites together with nucleotide breakdown products. Furthermore, mechanical damage was scored in the animals captured by trawl. Capture method had a clear impact on the nucleotide profile in the Norway lobster muscle. In rested and creel-caught animals the main nucleotide was ATP, while in trawled animals the main nucleotide was AMP. According to these results the Adenylate Energy Charge (AEC) was lower in trawled animals compared with creel-caught animals, while trawling time did not affect AEC levels significantly. Stress-related and anaerobic metabolites together with muscle pH indicated that trawled animals, even at the shortest time tested, were using anaerobic metabolism. In the haemolymph, l-lactate increased with a delay compared with muscle, suggesting that the concentration of l-lactate in the muscle provides a more immediate measure of capture-stress in this species. Although physiological measures were similar for short and long tows, physical damage increased in long trawls. Further studies should elucidate whether the different physiological stresses and the physical damage that occur during capture could compromise the live transport of trawled animals, and if quality measures could thus be affected.


A new method for on-line fabrication of micro tool-electrodes is presented in this paper. The method is base on the machining mechanism of electrochemical micromachining. By exchanging the polarities of the tool-electrodes and workpiece repeatedly, micro tool-electrode appropriate for electrochemical micromachining can be obtained through mutual machining. Because the processes are carried out on-line, the position error and clamp error caused by twice-clamp of tool-electrodes can be avoided, and the machining precision can be improved greatly. This method will be very important to electrochemical generating micromachining. Experiments are carried out, and a tool-electrode with the pinpoint of 20μm can be machined stably.


This study examines the potential offered by a calendering pre-treatment of chemical pulp fibres before refining. This mechanical treatment involves the application of linear loads, shear forces and heat, applied in a single pass and in multiple passes. The effects of the treatment were examined with both unrefined and refined fibres and with untreated fibres and once dried fibres. For unrefined fibres, the mechanical treatment tended to cause collapse, flattening, straightening and deswelling of the fibres. These effects were reflected as an improvement in tensile index compared to never dried and once dried pulps. The tear index was also improved compared to that of never dried pulp. Laboratory refining of mechanically treated fibres produced a higher freeness than refining of conventional never dried and once dried pulps at the same level of refining energy. This is because refining of mechanically treated fibres causes less external fibrillation and produces less fines and less short fibres. In dewatering, the mechanically treated fibres showed a similar behaviour to dried fibres, with lower dewatering resistance and a more open network than never dried fibres. The strength properties of handsheets showed that mechanically treated refined fibres have a higher tensile index, tensile stiffness and Scott bond than once dried pulps and a higher tear index than never dried pulps. Accordingly, the treatment results in a good compromise between good strength properties and drainability compared to the properties obtained with never dried pulp and dried pulp. The treatment was carried out using an industrial calender device which makes it suitable for industrial application on existing pulp drying machines and wet-lap machines.


In order to determine the significance of abnormalities of diastolic function in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, exercise echocardiography to heart rates of 140 to 150 beats/min was performed in 18 normal subjects and 14 patients after aortic valve replacement. Simultaneous echo-, phono-, and electrocardiograms were recorded. Left ventricular cavity size was determined at end-diastole and end-systole. The timing of mitral valve opening and closure was measured, and hence left ventricular filling time derived, expressed either as ms/beat, or s/min when multiplied by heart rate. Isovolumic relaxation was taken as the interval between A2 and mitral valve opening. Systolic function, assessed from cavity dimensions, peak VCF, and QA2 interval was normal in all but two patients at rest and on exercise. Isovolumic relaxation was prolonged at rest in the patients to 85 +/- 8 ms (normal 69 +/- 9 ms), but left ventricular filling times were normal. With exercise, in normal subjects, isovolumic relaxation remained constant, but filling times dropped strikingly from 380 +/- 66 ms/beat, or 27 +/- 2 s/min at rest to 115 +/- 10 ms/beat or 16 +/- 2 s/min. In patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, isovolumic relaxation dropped on exercise to 41 +/- 15 ms. Filling periods were normal at rest, 367 +/- 67 ms/beat or 27 +/- 3 s/min, but failed to show the normal drop with exercise, being 240 +/- 44 ms/beat or 28 +/- 4 s/min. At heart rates above 120/min, separation between the two groups was complete. Thus, striking abnormalities of left ventricular filling can be demonstrated on exercise in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. They appear to represent loss of mechanisms whereby rapid diastolic filling is achieved in the normal subject.


ABSTRACT In recent years the concept of the circular economy gained prominence in EU policy-making. The circular economy promotes a future in which linear 'make-use-dispose' cultures are replaced by more circular models. In this paper, we use the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries to ask how an imaginary of circularity has been assembled and stabilized, which imaginative resources were drawn on, and how goals, priorities, benefits and risks haven been merged with discourses of innovation, sustainability and growth. Drawing on policy documents and interviews with policy officers of the European Commission, we argue that the monitoring framework and indicator development function as a site collective imagination in which desirable 'circular' futures are co-produced. These futures are imagined to provide novel opportunities for the private sector and to generate jobs and economic growth while at the same time improving the natural environment as measured by selected environmental indicators.


A 22-year-old nulliparous woman presented with primary amenorrhea, primary hypothyroidism, hyperprolactinemia, and radiologic evidence of pituitary enlargement. Investigation demonstrated limited reserves of ACTH and growth hormone. Circulating concentrations of TSH and prolactin were elevated; they increased in response to thyrotropin releasing hormone and decreased following L-dopa administration. After treatment with L-tri-iodothyronine, serum TSH and prolactin levels fell markedly, reserves of growth hormone and ACTH returned to normal, menstrual periods began, and the patient conceived. She experienced an uncomplicated prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum course. It is thought that this patient represents a distinct clinical entity: a syndrome of amenorrhea, hyperprolactinemia, and pituitary enlargement, all secondary to primary thyroid failure. This syndrome should be distinguished from the Forbes- Albright syndrome, as it is reversible with thyroid replacement therapy. Recognition of this syndrome may thus spare the patient unnecessary, and potentially dangerous, pituitary surgery or irradiation.


An investigation is reported in which four three-dimensional angle-interlock architectural fabrics were designed and woven. Composite panels were manufactured by impregnating the fabrics with resin.The related experiments included tension, compression and bending. All those tests were performed to measure the Young's moduli and strengths in the 0°(warp direction), 30°, 45°, 60°, 90° (weft direction). The experimental methods, preforms parameters were also described in this paper. The results show that, mechanical properties of four three-dimensional angle-interlock architectural composites behaved in-plane anisotropic , two peak values along the warp and weft direction respectively appeared in any one graph , and the yarn-stuffer played a key role in determining mechanical properties of three-dimensional angle-interlock architectural composites, especially contributed intensifier in corresponding direction obviously.


While we do not yet know how Nature is nonlocal, interdisciplinary research in the areas of physics, biophysics and neuroscience going back over 4 decades, reveals that Nature is nonlocal. Nonlocality appears to have been observed between human subjects' brains, human neural stem cells and in quantum coherence in muscle contraction in single actin filaments. And, since the neurons are entangled, this introduces the concept of biological quantum nonlocality being 'generated' or 'accessed' each time that they fire, and an action potential is achieved. This could then provide not only for a resolution of the binding problem and the reverse direction problem, since this biological quantum nonlocality containing information, is not only being 'generated' and shared by the neurons continuously and instantaneously but, could lead to biology pointing the way to new physics!


The question of land has always been crucial to Latinos/as living in the U.S., due to the series of historical events that resulted in "[t]erritorial dispossession and dislocation" (Pérez 147) that have particularly influenced this ethnic group and relegated them both literally and metaphorically towards the margin-the border. Consequently, the border has played a significant role in the Latinx discourse for a long time. The complexity of spatial-social relations increased with subsequent waves of immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American states. However, as Monika Kaup notes, being both "natives of the Southwest before the American conquest" and immigrants, Latinos/as in the U.S. constitute "a charter as well as an immigrant group" (Kaup 26). This double status of the group is reflected in Chicano/a literary and cultural productions through nation-based and immigrant paradigms (Kaup 26) that have been constructed in direct reference to the border, since "[b]eneath the surface of these models lie two different concepts of the border" (Kaup 10). Combined with the transformations in the discourse on space the concept of the border has undergone several re-definitions and the changing role of the border-from the demarcation line to more porous and permeable space has been reflected in numerous artistic productions by Latinx authors and artists. Those artistic productions illustrate the transformations of the space and address the aforementioned interplay between indigenous and immigrant paradigms often present in the discourse on the Mexican-American border. The purpose of this article is to analyze how the space of the border is (re-)visioned by Latina artist Ana Teresa Fernández, turning the border into a cultural palimpsest. It focuses mainly on Fernández's Erasing the Border/Borrando La Frontera (2013), together with the community project of the same title, and selected paintings from her series Foreign Bodies (2013) and Pressing Matters (2013) in order to examine the aforementioned redefinitions of the border and its multiple roles. Fernández's revisionist performances of the border both contribute to the ongoing debate on the still urgent and pressing problem of the U.S.-Mexico border and are also an apt reflection on the status quo of borders in general.


This application which is named as 'KisanSeva' will certainly bring a major transformation in the ways which are both known and unknown to the farmers. Most of the farmers in Maharashtra are still using traditional methods for farming due to which they are facing problems like loss of soil quality, fewer yields from the farm, unpredictable weather, lack of knowledge about pests, unnecessary expenditure on pesticides etc. This project focuses on improving the quality and quantity of the goods produced by the farmers by providing them with new & precise information about the important aspects of farming. There are few apps related to farming available in the market but this app will provide extra features like organic farming, methods of water management & expert suggestions. This app will also provide a small platform for the farmers to sell their produce.


In the setting of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) global pandemic and increased disease burden, vaccination has become one of the major solutions. With the increase in vaccination numbers worldwide, it is important to stay vigilant to the potential side effects and life‐threatening complications of such vaccines. We report the case of a 30‐year‐old male with a biphasic allergic reaction post messenger (mRNA) Pfizer‐BioNTech COVID‐19 vaccination. Several reports of allergic reactions have been cited in the literature after the administration of the mRNA Pfizer‐BioNTech COVID‐19 vaccine. It is important to keep a high index of suspicion in severe anaphylactic cases as some patients may have a recurrence of symptoms after discharge. It is crucial to acknowledge the potential risk of anaphylaxis in select individuals and have the appropriate measures in place to deal with adverse events. In case of severe symptoms, the administration of epinephrine is advised to prevent the development of a delayed biphasic anaphylactic reaction.


Black medic (Medicago lupulina L.) has become naturalized in south-central USA where, in semiarid climates, it acts as a cool-season annual. Cultivation for wildlife and livestock forage and seed has not been fully realized as cultivars adapted to warm and dry climates have not been developed. This study evaluated forage yields and nutritive value of black medic accessions collected in Texas. March, April, and May forage yield, acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), N, and P concentrations of 11 black medic accessions collected in Texas were compared with cultivar George at Stephenville, TX, during establishment and first self-reseeding years. Entries exhibited no frost damage and insignificant insect damage, but some Texas accessions were more vigorous in February and flowered earlier than other Texas accessions and George. Some Texas accessions were also more productive (P < 0.01) than others as well as George. Forage yields among entries ranged from 0.6 to 1.5 Mg ha - 1 yr - 1 when averaged over years and harvest months. Harvest month affected all entry yields equally and peaked at 2.3 Mg forage ha - 1 yr - 1 during May of the first season but declined in the second, self-reseeding year despite greater rainfall. March ADF, ADL, N, and P concentrations tended to be lower than those of later harvests while the higher-yielding accessions also tended to have greater ADF and ADL concentrations. The results indicate that forage yield and nutritive value of naturalized black medic germplasm from Texas is variable and that a blend from the southern Great Plains should be developed.


The jet fragmentation function of inclusive jets with transverse momentum p_T above 100GeV/c in PbPb collisions has been measured using reconstructed charged particles with p_T above 1GeV/c in a cone of radius 0.3 around the jet axis. A data sample of PbPb collisions collected in 2011 at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of √sNN = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 150μb^(−1) is used. The results for PbPb collisions as a function of collision centrality and jet transverse momentum are compared to reference distributions based on pp data collected at the same center-of-mass energy in 2013, with an integrated luminosity of 5.3pb^(−1). A centrality-dependent modification of the fragmentation function is found. For the most central collisions, a significant enhancement is observed in the PbPb/pp fragmentation function ratio for charged particles with p_T less than 3GeV/c. This enhancement is observed for all jet p_T bins studied.


Mathematical Extracurricular Activities in Russia Albina Marushina The dissertation is devoted to the history and practice of extracurricular activities in mathematics in Russia. It investigates both the views expressed by mathematics educators concerning the aims and objectives of extracurricular activities, and the daily organization of such activities, including the pedagogical formats and the mathematical assignments and questions to which extracurricular activities have given rise. Thus the dissertation provides an overview of the history of extracurricular activities over the course of a century, as part of the general development of education (including mathematics education) in Russia. The study called for a multifaceted investigation of surviving sources, which include practically all available textbooks and teaching manuals, scholarly articles on conducting extracurricular activities, magazine and newspaper articles on conducting extracurricular activities, surviving memoirs of participants and organizers of extracurricular activities, and much else, including methodological materials preserved in archives, which have been located by the author. Summing up the results of the study, it may be said that two major goals have always been important in extracurricular activities in Russia: the first goal is motivating students; the second goal is preparing the mathematically strongest students and providing them with an opportunity to deepen and enrich their mathematical education. Of course, extracurricular activities have not been aimed exclusively at these two goals, and at different stages of development additional goals (such as ideological preparation) were also formulated. Broadly speaking, it may be said that the history of the Russian system of mathematical extracurricular activities in general has been strongly aligned with the history of the development of the system of Russian school education. The study analyzes the specific character of extracurricular activities at each of the historical stages of Russia's development, in particular, it lists and described the basic forms of extracurricular activities, paying special attention to the indissoluble connection between the so-called mass-scale forms, in which millions of schoolchildren participate, and forms and activities that are engaged in only by a very few. Also provided is a survey of the changes that have occurred in the mathematical problems that are offered to students. The author believes that familiarity with the longstanding tradition of extracurricular activities in mathematics in Russia may be useful also to the international sphere of mathematics educators, since the issue of motivating students is becoming increasingly important. The study concludes with a discussion of the possibilities and the expediency of putting such experience to use.


The genus Alexandrium (Halim) is perhaps the most intensively studied among toxic marine dinoflagellates.
This is largely attributable to the devastating consequences of toxigenic blooms of this genus, with
human poisonings from contaminated seafood, primarily from shellfish and more rarely from finfish; socio–economic losses to the aquaculture and fisheries industries; marine faunal mortalities; and food web disruptions common in coastal waters throughout the world. Members of this genus are globally distributed from the Arctic to the tropics, and in both hemispheres from sub–polar through temperate to sub–tropical to tropicalwaters. At least four distinct groups of marine phycotoxins are associated with various Alexandrium species, along with poorly characterized bioactive compounds (allelochemicals) that may affect species interactions among the plankton. According to the most recent iteration of the IOC–UNESCO reference list of toxic microalgae, there are now more than 30 recognized morphological species of Alexandrium, posing a daunting challenge for risk assessment and accurate identification in toxic phytoplankton monitoring programs.


Recent observations from satellites crossing regions of magnetic-field-aligned electron streams reveal solitary potential structures that move at speeds much greater than the ion acoustic/thermal velocity. The structures appear as positive potential pulses rapidly drifting along the magnetic field, and are electrostatic in their rest frame. We interpret them as BGK electron holes supported by a drifting population of trapped electrons. Using Laplace transforms, we analyse the behavior of one phase-space electron hole. The resulting potential shapes and electron distribution functions are self-consistent and compatible with the field and particle data associated with the observed pulses. In particular, the spatial width increases with increasing amplitude. The stability of the analytic solution is tested by means of a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation code with open boundaries. We consider a strongly magnetized parameter regime in which the bounce frequency of the trapped electrons is much less than their gyrofrequency. Our investigation includes the influence of the ions, which in the frame of the hole appear as an incident beam, and impinge on the BGK potential with considerable energy. The nonlinear structure is remarkably resilient


Abstract A naval chaplain in the 1790s, a radical arrested after Peterloo, and a smash hit of blackface minstrelsy: these three disparate historical actors all provide exemplary cases of music in action, playing upon the political passions of the British people. Thinking across the three examples, this article reflects upon the aims of the forum Music and Politics in Britain, c.1780–1850, as well as advancing its own autonomous argument. Alexander Duncan was drummed out of the navy for publishing a pamphlet advocating the use of martial music in action; inspired by the French, Duncan was effectively arguing for a democratization of Britain's servicemen by playing upon their passions. The potential for subversion inherent in this approach was borne out by the career of Samuel Bamford, a Lancashire weaver; music was central to Bamford's activism, and I chart the functional ends to which he deployed music around 1819. In a third instance, with the 1840s hit "Buffalo Gals," music led to public disorder. The song, due in large part to its musical qualities, enabled forms of licentious behavior among white males that mobilized latent forms of gendered as well as racial prejudice, so that its performance came to excuse forms of sexual harassment.


The history of music theory, as it has usually been taught in the United States, has focused on a small canon of texts written mostly in Latin, Italian, French, and German. This article advocates a more expansive view of the subdiscipline's remit by way of three case studies. The first considers the distinction that Abū Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Farakh al-Fārābī draws between the speculative and active parts of music theory and its influence on the formation of the discipline in the Latin-speaking world. The second considers entanglement between French and Chinese music theorizing in the later eighteenth century. The third treats the international contexts of Hugo Riemann's thought. I present these three case studies, together with more general reflections on the possible scope of research on historical music theory, with the aim of inviting reflection on the subdiscipline's past, present, and future.


Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in carcinogenesis, resistance to treatment and may lead to cancer recurrence and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanism of CSC involved in these events needs to be further elucidated. In this study, CD133(+) colon cancer cells were cultured, which showed CSC properties both in vitro and in vivo from metastatic tissue. Upstream molecules in Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were preferentially expressed in these CD133(+) cells, as revealed by a global gene chip. The kinase activities of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2 were also significantly upregulated in CD133(+) cells. In addition, the clonogenic growth of CD133(+) cell was reduced greatly by inhibiting the activity of Akt and Erk1/2. The results revealed the Akt and MAPK pathways were involved in the tumorigenesis of CD133(+) colon cancer cells, suggesting that molecules in these two pathways might be potential targets in the future therapy.


Relationships play a central role across the spectrum of real estate transactions. Whether negotiating prices, securing funding, or acquiring permits, knowing the right people provides multiple channels to facilitate deal making. To better understand the role of relationships in real estate markets, we examine how the connectedness of REIT directors is associated with deal making, growth, and profitability. We find strong evidence that REIT connections are positively associated with both deal making and accounting based measures of profitability, however, those relations do not translate into better market returns or higher valuations. One explanation of these somewhat contradictory results is that connections also increase firm risk. Preliminary support for this conjecture is found through our examination of each firm's implied cost of equity capital. Specifically, we find increasing connectedness is associated with a higher cost of equity capital. Thus, connections appear to offer both advantages and disadvantages to REIT managers and shareholders.


This guide is designed for DAR101 - Public Health Issues: Abuse & Addiction, for students preparing for or advancing a career in addictions counseling


Wright's magnum opus has many admirable strengths in method and content, including its attempt to overcome "either-ors" in describing Paul's theology, its analysis of how Paul reworked Jewish theology around the Messiah and the Spirit, its focus on both justice and the church, its consistent interpretation of Christos as "Messiah," its (cautious) embrace of "theosis," its nuanced defense of counter-imperial themes, and its response to certain persistent criticisms of Wright. However, questions arise about certain aspects of the book, including the meaning of the undefined phrase "Paul's mature thought," the descriptions of other approaches to Paul, the assessment of the role of the cross, the analysis of the ethical implications of Paul's conversion, and the claims about participation in Messiah's rule. The most significant concerns for this appreciative reviewer involve the book's treatment of justification. Although Wright argues for the inseparability of justification and participation in Paul's soteriology, his juridical, declarative account of justification, with an emphasis on forgiveness, is less robust, comprehensive, participatory, and transformative than Paul's actually is. Ironically, Wright does not seem to recognize fully how Paul has reworked justification around the Messaih and the Spirit. He seems to miss some of the logical consequences of his own arguments about adoption, baptism, and dying/rising with Christ, while also offering an untenable interpretation of baptism as an act of divine reckoning. Wright fails to see that if the mode of justification has radically changed (faith as sharing in the Messiah's faithfulness—so, rightly, Wright), then its substance has also changed.


Dicobalt complexes have been extensively used in synthetic chemistry to protect triple
bonds, to form new carbon/carbon bonds using the Nicholas reaction and to form polycyclic
molecules using the Pauson-Khand reaction. Using these dicobalt complexes, the formation
of new carbon-heteroatom bonds was developed through [3+2] and [4+2] cycloaddition
reactions via a stabilised dipole intermediate. Initial work carried out makes use of
cyclopropanes substituted with a metal-alkyne complex towards the synthesis of
tetrahydrofurans and pyrrolidines in good yields and with acceptable diastereoselectivity.
The initial aim of the work described hereafter was to improve and expand the previous
work carried out within the group. An alternative route using dihydrofurans as a
cyclopropane surrogate was explored as well as other methods to form the cyclopropane in
a-position to the alkyne. To extend the scope of the methodology, [4+2] cycloaddition
reactions have been explored, using Nicholas carbocation. Various precursors have been
prepared using a Knoevenagel condensation or an ene reaction. For the first time in synthetic
chemistry, a novel [4+2] dipolar cycloaddition reaction from a cyclobutane has been
developed. This reaction has opened a new way for the synthesis of six-membered
heterocycles in a totally diastereoselective fashion using cyclobutane cores as precursors. A
wide range of aldehydes was used as trapping reagents to form tetrahydropyrans in good
yields up to 95% and with a good to total diastereoselectivity proven by nOe and X-Ray
analyses. The use of other reagents such as ketones, imines and alkenes has been
investigated· towards the formation of new six-membered rings as an extension of the
methodology.


This thesis explores representations of marriage in the works of Anglophone and Francophone African women writers. It presents a trajectory of such representations from the mid-1960s to the 1990s, and examines the various social, ideological and literary influences that have shaped these narratives of marriage. The introduction contextualises the study within existing critical scholarship on African women's writing and representations of marriage. From the evaluation of this literature, it identifies and states the thesis's problem and assumptions. It explores various theoretical perspectives on gender, feminism and nationalism as frameworks for analysis in the thesis. The body of the thesis makes connections between different contexts and periods of women's writing and between the different works of individual women writers. The first chapter focuses on the early works of Ama Ata Aidoo and Mariama Bâ, two pioneer writers from Anglophone and Francophone Africa. It examines the subject of marriage in Aidoo's play, Anowa in the context of transition and change in nineteenth century Ghana. It explores Mariama Bâ's So Long A Letter as a narrative of decolonisation in which marriage plays a crucial part in delineating the betrayals of decolonisation. In the second chapter, the thesis's focus on the later works of these pioneer writers aims at exploring the impact of social change and new ideas on the way each writer handles the subject of marriage. The chapter draws out connections between the two texts and considers the significance of their respective Anglophone and Francophone contexts. The third chapter expands the theme of marriage to cover specific political contexts. It focuses on women's representations of marriage in colonial worlds as in Tsitsi Dangaremgba's Nervous Conditions and in the oppressive context of apartheid as in Khadi Fall's Senteurs d'Hivemages. In its fourth chapter, the thesis examines motherhood as an important dimension of the wider theme of marriage. It focuses on Buchi Emecheta's Head Above Water and The Joys of Motherhood, and explores the relationship between her autobiographical writing and her novel. And the thesis's last chapter tackles issues of displacement and gender as it examines marriage and migration in Emecheta's Kehinde and Calixthe Beyala's Loukoum: The Little Prince of Belleville. The thesis concludes by drawing out the different ways in which social and linguistic contexts, changing world situations and varying perspectives have produced similar and contrasting insights and literary forms in the writing of African women between the 1960s and 1990s.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is an important cause of mortality and morbidity. Modern hospital demographics are scarce. We evaluated the diagnosis and treatment of patients with SAH in a neurosurgical referral center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2013 and April 2015, two hundred eighty-four patients with SAH diagnosed on CT or lumbar puncture were admitted. All patients underwent 64– to 128–detector row CT angiography. Additional imaging was with 3D rotational angiography of all vessels. In patients with aneurysms, characteristics and mode of treatment were recorded. RESULTS: In 197 of 220 patients with an aneurysmal bleeding pattern, we found a cause of the bleeding: One hundred ninety-five patients had a ruptured aneurysm (98%); 1 patient, a micro-AVM; and 1 patient, reversible vasoconstriction syndrome. Of 195 ruptured aneurysms, 6 were dissecting aneurysms and 3 were AVM-associated flow aneurysms. In 23 of 204 patients (11%) with an aneurysmal bleeding pattern and 3D rotational angiography performed, no cause was found. In 8 of 9 patients (89%) with lumbar puncture positive for SAH but CT negative for it, no cause was found. Of 180 patients with a ruptured aneurysm eligible for treatment, 147 (82%) were treated endovascularly and 30 aneurysms (17%) were clipped. Of 204 patients with an aneurysmal bleeding pattern and 3D rotational angiography, 72 (35%) had multiple aneurysms. These 72 patients had, altogether, 117 additional aneurysms, of which 24 (21%) were treated by either coiling or clipping. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides robust data on hospital demographics of SAH in a neurosurgical referral center, based on CTA and 3D rotational angiography of all vessels.


The cosmological constraining power of modern galaxy cluster catalogs can be improved by obtaining low-scatter mass proxy measurements for even a small fraction of sources. In the context of large upcoming surveys that will reveal the cluster population down to the group scale and out to high redshifts, efficient strategies for obtaining such mass proxies will be valuable. In this work, we use high-quality weak lensing and X-ray mass estimates for massive clusters in current X-ray selected catalogs to revisit the scaling relations of the projected, center-excised X-ray luminosity ($L_{ce}$), which previous work suggests correlates tightly with total mass. Our data confirm that this is the case, with $L_{ce}$ having an intrinsic scatter at fixed mass comparable to that of gas mass, temperature or $Y_X$. Compared to these other proxies, however, $L_{ce}$ is less susceptible to systematic uncertainties due to background modeling, and can be measured precisely with shorter exposures. This opens up the possibility of using $L_{ce}$ to estimate masses for large numbers of clusters discovered by new X-ray surveys (e.g. eROSITA) directly from the survey data, as well as for clusters discovered at other wavelengths, with relatively short follow-up observations. We describe a simple procedure for making such estimates from X-ray surface brightness data, and comment on the spatial resolution required to apply this method as a function of cluster mass and redshift. We also explore the potential impact of Chandra and XMM-Newton follow-up observations over the next decade on dark energy constraints from new cluster surveys.


Two distinct adenosine deaminases, ADA1 and ADA2, are found in humans. ADA1 has an important role in lymphocyte function and inherited mutations in ADA1 result in severe combined immunodeficiency. The recently isolated ADA2 belongs to the novel family of adenosine deaminase growth factors (ADGFs), which play an important role in tissue development. The crystal structures of ADA2 and ADA2 bound to a transition state analogue presented here reveal the structural basis of the catalytic/signaling activity of ADGF/ADA2 proteins. In addition to the catalytic domain, the structures discovered two ADGF/ADA2-specific domains of novel folds that mediate the protein dimerization and binding to the cell surface receptors. This complex architecture is in sharp contrast with that of monomeric single domain ADA1. An extensive glycosylation and the presence of a conserved disulfide bond and a signal peptide in ADA2 strongly suggest that ADA2, in contrast to ADA1, is specifically designed to act in the extracellular environment. The comparison of catalytic sites of ADA2 and ADA1 demonstrates large differences in the arrangement of the substrate-binding pockets. These structural differences explain the substrate and inhibitor specificity of adenosine deaminases and provide the basis for a rational design of ADA2-targeting drugs to modulate the immune system responses in pathophysiological conditions.


From their beginnings in the early 1900s, community colleges have undergone a significant shift in their purpose and mission. Starting primarily as junior colleges with an emphasis on academics, the colleges are now complex institutions taking on a broad array of educational, social, and economic functions. Many community college advocates hail the comprehensiveness of these institutions, arguing that the ever-expanding mission meets a commitment to serve the changing needs of the community. But critics suggest that the colleges have abandoned missions that should form the foundation of a democratic society and have squandered effort and resources in an attempt to "be all things to all people." Advocates of both sides of this controversy have compelling arguments. On the one hand, it seems logical that excellence can best be achieved with a precise focus and a clear sense of mission. Yet community colleges have strengths and resources that give them advantages in providing many of the functions that they have taken on. And in many cases, the colleges can use strengths and skills built up in one function to build a solid foundation for new activities. We do not try to resolve this controversy. Rather, we have two objectives. Our first is to clarify some of the underlying assumptions and move us closer to a concrete analysis of the optimal set of missions for the colleges. Despite the passionate and long-standing controversy, little of the discussion is based on concrete evidence of the benefits or costs of combining missions and activities; most conclusions are based on logical arguments and inferences, rather than empirical data and information. Our second objective is to report preliminary findings from a national study of the missions of community colleges. This project involves intensive fieldwork in ten community colleges and five public, regional universities, in five states. The project is designed to explore the extent to which the different functions and missions in the colleges are actually integrated or come into conflict.


Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a hormone that is produced by osteocytes and regulates phosphate and vitamin D metabolism through binding to the Klotho-FGF receptor complex. Excessive actions of FGF23 cause several kinds of hypophosphatemic rickets/osteomalacia. Tumor-induced rickets/osteomalacia (TIO) is a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by overproduction of FGF23 from the responsible tumors. Because TIO is cured by complete resection of the causative tumors, it is of great clinical importance to locate these tumors. Several imaging methods including skeletal survey by magnetic resonance imaging and octreotide scintigraphy have been used to identify the tumors that cause TIO. However, none of these imaging studies indicate that the detected tumors are actually producing FGF23. Recently, systemic venous sampling was conducted for locating FGF23-producing tumor in suspected patients with TIO and demonstrated that this test might be beneficial to a subset of patient. Further studies with more patients are necessary to establish the clinical utility of venous sampling in patients with TIO.


In this paper, we investigate the crosstalk-induced delay, noise, and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)-induced thickness-variation implications of dummy fill generated using rule-based wire track fill techniques and CMP-aware model-based methods for designs implemented in 65 nm process technology. The results indicate that fill generated using rule-based and CMP-aware model-based methods can have a significant impact on parasitic capacitance, interconnect planarization, and individual path delay variation. Crosstalk-induced delay and noise are significantly reduced in the grounded-fill cases, and designs with floating fill also experience a reduction in average crosstalk-induced delay and noise, which is in contrast to the predictions of previous studies on small-scale interconnect structures. When crosstalk effects are included in the analysis, the observed delay behavior is significantly different from the delay modeled without considering crosstalk effects. Consequently, crosstalk-induced delay and noise must be simultaneously considered in addition to parasitic capacitance and interconnect planarization when developing future fill generation methods.


Following the introduction of the euro, the markets for large debt financing experienced a historical expansion. We investigate the financial factors behind the issuance of syndicated loans for an extensive sample of euro area non-financial corporations. For the first time, we compare these factors to those of its major competitor: the corporate bond market. We find that large firms, with greater financial leverage, more (verifiable) profits and higher liquidation values tend to choose syndicated loans. In contrast, firms with more short-term debt and those perceived by markets as having more growth opportunities favour financing through corporate bonds. Syndicated loans are the preferred instrument at the extreme where firms are very large, profitable but have less growth opportunities.