This study focused on Grades 9-12 at Pan-Asia International School in the academic year 2016. The main purposes of this study were: 1) to determine the level of students' motivation for learning English as a foreign language (EFL); 2) to determine the students' preferences among five instructional strategies for teaching EFL; 3) to compare the students' motivation for learning social studies according to their preferences for instructional strategies. The study was designed as a quantitative and comparative study using two questionnaires: a motivation questionnaire and an instructional strategies preferences questionnaire. The respondents were 123 EFL students during the academic year 2015-2016 in PAIS. The data collected by the 2 questionnaires was analyzed first by descriptive statistics, frequency & percentage, mean, standard deviation and then by inferential statistics, i.e., a One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results of this study indicated that student motivation for learning EFL in Grades 9-12 was high. Among the five motivation subscales, task value, control of learning beliefs, extrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy for learning & performance were all high, but intrinsic goal orientation was moderate. For the five instructional strategies preferences, 26.8% of the students preferred experiential learning, 20.3% preferred indirect instruction, 18.7% preferred interactive instruction, 17.9% preferred independent study and 16.3% preferred direct instruction. The research indicated that there was no significant difference between the students' motivation for learning EFL according to their preferences for instructional strategies in Grades 9-12 at PAIS.


BACKGROUND
We hypothesized that transfection of the gene for human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF) combined with cellular cardiomyoplasty might regenerate the impaired myocardium.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We used a ligation model of proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of Lewis rats. Two weeks after LAD ligation, 3 different treatments were conducted: (1) neonatal rat cardiomyocytes group (10(6) cells, T group, n=11), (2) HVJ-liposomes bearing the hHGF gene group (H group, n=10), and (3) combined (T-H group, n=10). The injection site was the scar area of myocardial infarction. For control, culture medium was injected (C group, n=13). Echocardiography demonstrated that cardiac performance was significantly ameliorated in the T-H group 4 and 8 weeks after injection. Contrast echocardiography also showed a marked increase in myocardial perfusion in the T-H group but not in the other groups. In the T-H group, neovascularization and a marked reduction of fibrosis were observed histologically. In an immunohistochemical study, strong staining for beta(1)-integrin, alpha-, and beta-dystroglycan were found principally in the basement membrane of myocytes in the T-H group 8 weeks after transplantation, although there was weak immunoreactivity in the T group.

CONCLUSIONS
hHGF gene transfection enhanced the cellular cardiomyoplasty possibly by stimulating angiogenesis, restoring the impaired ECM, and promoting the integration of the dissociated grafted myocytes. The combined effects might have lead to the improved cardiac performance. Thus, combined therapy may be a promising strategy for the treatment of heart failure caused by myocardial infarction.


This article presents the findings of a research aimed at characterizing open source migration initiatives. Thirty experiences have been considered in total, ninety of them are Public Administrations and the rest are private firms, operating different industries in eight different countries. Open source migration projects have become a recent research topic, especially from the managerial perspective. To overcome the lack of theoretical models, an empirical approach relying on grounded theory has been adopted. This inductive approach allows theory building and hypothesis formulation. According to the results, migrating from proprietary into open source is dependent on contextual and organizational factors, as for example, the need of the change itself, the political support for the change, the access to IT resources, the organizational climate, the motivation of the human resources, and the leadership style for the project or the firm complexity. Besides, migration efforts imply strategic and organizational consequences that the organization must properly evaluate beforehand.


Hydro-ecological systems comprise complex interaction among physical, chemical, and biological processes. Compositional modeling, i. e. creating a sys tem's behavior model by aggregating models of its constituents, is crucial for making the modeling task feasible. However, the composed model is often too fine-grained for a particular task, for instance, in containing too many irrelevant intermediate variables or obscuring the basic interdependencies. For this reason, the model may have to be transformed and simplified. The paper presents a graph-oriented representation for dynamic systems closely related to existing process languages, and a set of syntactic operators that transform such a model while preserving certain properties of the model. The formalism is motivated and illustrated by an example taken from our work on modeling hydro-ecological systems, but we also demonstrate its utility for technical applications.


In this paper, we present an integrated, model-based system for state estimation and control in dynamic manipulation tasks with partial observability. We track a belief over the system state using a particle filter from which we extract a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). This compressed representation of the belief is used to automatically create a discrete set of goal-directed motion controllers. A reinforcement learning agent then switches between these motion controllers in real-time to accomplish the manipulation task. The proposed system closes the loop from joint sensor feedback to high-frequency, accelerationlimited position commands, thus eliminating the need for preand post-processing. We evaluate our approach with respect to five distinct manipulation tasks from the domains of active localization, grasping under uncertainty, assembly, and nonprehensile object manipulation. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the hierarchical policy actively exploits the uncertainty information encoded in the compressed belief. Finally, we validate the proposed method on a real-world robot.


As more and more governments seek new design approaches to policy-making and policy- implementation that promise to innovate and transform governments, we urgently need to understand the relationships between policy-making, policy implementation and designing. In this paper, I discuss policy-making and policy implementation as problems of design and as activities of design. I begin by pointing out traditional and emerging relationships between design and policy and by offering a design definition of policy. I roam in the field of policy-making to show that policies themselves are not yet fully acknowledged as design outcomes in contemporary policy studies. Instead, this literature treats design almost exclusively as an isolated, in-itself-closed activity, part of problem-solving that begins after a policy problem has been recognized as such and defined. I critically engage with this view of design and identify it as an obstacle for the kinds of innovation and transformation governments now seek to initiate and materialize. The general aim of this paper is to initiate a critical and necessary discourse for matters of design in policy-making and policy implementation.


Logicon RDA has developed the Corps Battle Simulation After Action Review System (CBS AARS) to support the Battle Command Training Program (BCTP) requirement for training based on CBS-supported command post exercises (CPX). The CBS AARS is fielded and in use worldwide, and consists of the following subsystems: data collection, archive data storage, system and network management, analyst workstation, and presentation system. The analyst workstation is used to generate After Action Review (AAR) products. The presentation system includes advanced audio and video capabilities. It hosts the actual AAR presentation and provides advanced multimedia conferencing and display capabilities. The system also supports preparation of the Final Exercise Report (FER) and Professional Sustainment Packages (PSP). This paper describes the capabilities of the current system and the methodological issues related to its design and development. Emphasis is placed on identifying significant factors in the success of this development effort, and on clarifying problems overcome and lessons learned in the development process.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-associated progressive neurodegenerative disorder with dementia, the exact pathogenic mechanisms of which remain unknown. We previously reported that homocysteic acid (HA) may be one of the pathological biomarkers in the brain with AD and that the increased levels of HA may induce the accumulation of intraneuronal amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides. In this study, we further investigated the pathological role of HA in a mouse model of AD. Four-month-old prepathological 3xTg-AD mice exhibited higher levels of HA in the hippocampus than did age-matched nontransgenic mice, suggesting that HA accumulation may precede both Aβ and tau pathologies. We then fed 3-month-old 3xTg-AD mice with vitamin B6-deficient food for 3 weeks to increase the HA levels in the brain. Concomitantly, mice received either saline or anti-HA antibody intraventricularly via a guide cannula every 3 days during the course of the B6-deficient diet. We found that mice that received anti-HA antibody significantly resisted cognitive impairment induced by vitamin B6 deficiency and that AD-related pathological changes in their brains was attenuated compared with the saline-injected control group. A similar neuroprotective effect was observed in 12-month-old 3xTg-AD mice that received anti-HA antibody injections while receiving the regular diet. We conclude that increased brain HA triggers memory impairment and that this condition deteriorates with amyloid and leads to subsequent neurodegeneration in mouse models of AD.


Uncompromising wars, revolution, rights movements, and today's global terrorism are in part driven by "devoted actors" who adhere to sacred, transcendent values that generate actions dissociated from rationally expected risks and rewards. Studies in real-world conflicts show ways that devoted actors, who are unconditionally committed to sacred causes and whose personal identities are fused within a unique collective identity, willingly make costly sacrifices. This enables low-power groups to endure and often prevail against materially stronger foes. Explaining how devoted actors come to sacrifice for cause and comrades not only is a scientific goal but a practical imperative to address intergroup disputes that can spiral out of control in a rapidly interconnecting world of collapsing and conflicting cultural traditions. From the recent massive media-driven global political awakening, horizontal peer-to-peer transcultural niches, geographically disconnected, are emerging to replace vertical generation-to-generation territorial traditions. Devoted actors of the global jihadi archipelago militate within such a novel transcultural niche, which is socially tight, ideationally narrow, and globe spanning. Nevertheless, its evolutionary maintenance depends on costly commitments to transcendental values, rituals and sacrifices, and parochial altruism, which may have deep roots even in the earliest and most traditional human societies. Fieldwork results from the Kurdish battlefront with the Islamic State are highlighted.


In our efforts to model spontaneous speech for use in, for example, spoken dialogue systems, a series of experiments have been conducted in order to investigate correlates to perceived hesitation. Previous work has shown that it is the total duration increase that is the valid cue rather than the contribution by either of the two factors pause duration and final lengthening. In the present experiment we explored the effects of FO slope variation and the preserve vs. absence of creaky voice in addition to durational cues, using synthetic stimuli. The results showed that variation of both FO slope and creaky voice did have perceptual effects, but to a much lesser degree than the durational increase.


Chloride channels in the kidney are involved in important physiological functions such as cell volume regulation, acidification of intracellular vesicles, and transepithelial chloride transport. Among eight mammalian CLC chloride channels expressed in the kidney, three (CLC-K1, CLC-K2, and CLC-5) were identified to be related to kidney diseases in humans or mice. CLC-K1 mediates a transepithelial chloride transport in the thin ascending limb of Henle's loop and is essential for urinary concentrating mechanisms. CLC-K2 is a basolateral chloride channel in distal nephron segments and is necessary for chloride reabsorption. CLC-5 is a chloride channel in intracellular vesicles of proximal tubules and is involved in endocytosis. This review will cover the recent advances in research on the CLC chloride channels of the kidney with a special focus on the issues most necessary to understand their physiological roles in vivo, i.e., their intrarenal and cellular localization and their phenotypes of humans and mice that have their loss-of-function mutations.


This thesis addresses a particular aspect of the retrieval of information from a wide variety of global information sources. This aspect is based on the model of a user working on a topic of interest over an extended period of time. During the time period, information is accessed, assembled, and correlated to satisfy the user's view of the topic.
The objective of the research described in this thesis is to ensure that the information accessed by the user over the extended period of time is both complete and consistent from the user's viewpoint.
A fundamental problem is achieving such consistency is that the information sources, typically databases, or data files, are independently controlled with their own individual viewpoints. Changes in content, structure, and access can therefore be made without the direct knowledge of the user.
In investigating this problem a number of current implementations of Heterogeneous Distributed Database Systems (HDDS) have been evaluated, including WAIS, ANSAware, and DATAPLEX. The mechanisms available in such systems do not address the requirements of the problem outlined in this thesis. A new set of mechanisms have been researched and implemented on a testbed as the central part of this thesis in order to match the requirements.
The core of this testbed is a workstation-based interface for the user termed the Computer Software Interface (CSI). The CSI has been implemented to demonstrate that the set of mechanisms proposed are viable. One major aspect of the CSI has been the design and development of a local working environment for the user, and the associated theoretical proof needed to demonstrate that successful and complete access of this environment may be performed.
The thesis demonstrates, both theoretically and practically, how the user may be presented with consistent data from independent data sources over an extended time period


In this paper, topology optimization (TO) is applied to determine the form, size and location of holes for the special form of perforated steel plate shear wall (PSPSW). The proposed model is based on the recently presented particular form of PSPSW that is called the ringshaped steel plate shear wall. The strain energy is selected as the objective function in the optimization. Simple Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method and the solution algorithms, including sensitivity and condition-based methods are utilized in the TO. Four initial plate forms are presented in the TO with regards to the length of the connection between the plate and column. Based on the solution methods and initial forms of the plate, eight scenarios are proposed and seven different perforated plates obtained using TO. The nonlinear responses of the optimized perforated plates are compared together, and with the ring-shaped model as a benchmark. The nonlinear analysis is conducted under cyclic and monotonic loadings. Key issues include cyclic and monotonic behavior, pinching behavior, stiffness, load-carrying capacity, energy dissipation, fracture tendency and out-of-plane deformation are investigated and discussed. The results demonstrate the optimized models have better behavior than the ring-shaped model without changing the volume of the plate.


The Autonomic Internet project approach relies on abstractions and distributed systems of a five plane solution for the provision of Future Internet Services (OSKMV): Orchestration, Service Enablers, Knowledge, Management and Virtualisation Planes. This paper presents a practical viewpoint of the manageability of virtual networks, exercising the components and systems that integrate this approach and that are being validated. This paper positions the distributed systems and networking services that integrate this solution, focusing on the provision of Future Internet services for self-configuration and self- performance management scenes.


Theoretical models are derived to analyze the accuracy of N-Ocular vision systems for scene reconstruction, motion estimation and self positioning. Covariance matrices are given to estimate the uncertainty bounds for the reconstructed points in 3D space, motion parameters, and 3D position of the vision system. Simulation results of various experiments, based on synthetic and real data acquired with a 12-camera stereo panoramic imaging system, are given to demonstrate the application of these models, as well as to evaluate the performance of the panoramic system for high-precision 3D mapping and positioning.


1. Spatial heterogeneity affects plant performance and is influenced by plants, but the scale at which fine roots react to or generate spatial heterogeneity has received little attention. Fine roots might be expected to respond to heterogeneity at a scale comparable to their diameter (mm), but studies to date have been conducted at much coarser resolutions (cm - m). Here we quantify root heterogeneity in contrasting habitats with special attention to the influence of resolution. 2. We measured fine root length heterogeneity at resolutions ranging from 1 to 300 mm 2, at four elevations along an arctic alpine gradient from 500 m a.s.l. (forest) to 1100 m (tundra). We calculated the magnitude of heterogeneity as the coefficient of variation of root length, and the scale of heterogeneity using semivariance analysis. 3. The magnitude of heterogeneity was about twofold greater at fine than coarse resolution. Further, the magnitude of heterogeneity was generally greatest at the highest elevation, suggesting that soil at 1100 m was less evenly occupied by plant roots than soils at lower elevations. The exception to this was at the 1 mm 2 resolution, for which the magnitude of heterogeneity did not vary with elevation, possibly because heterogeneity at this scale is related to ecophysiological processes common to all vegetation types. 4. The scale of root length heterogeneity increased significantly with resolution coarseness, suggesting that roots respond to or generate patchiness at small scales that have not previously been examined. In contrast, the scale of heterogeneity did not vary significantly with elevation and the accompanying turnover in growth form. 5. Our results suggest that roots in four vegetation types respond to or generate very fine scales of spatial heterogeneity, including scales much smaller than those that have previously been examined. Both the magnitude and scale of heterogeneity varied with sampling resolution, suggesting resolutions as small as a few millimetres are relevant to studies of spatial root interactions and below-ground processes.


Pervasiveness of networks has made possible to interconnect systems that were independently developed, operated, managed, and evolved, yielding a new kind of complex system, i.e. a system that is itself composed of systems, the so-called System-of-Systems (SoS). Software-intensive SoS (SiSoS) has become a hotspot in the last years, from both the research and industry viewpoints. Indeed, various aspects of our lives and livelihoods have progressively become dependent on some sort of Software-intensive SoS. This is the case of SiSoS found in different areas as diverse as energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation; and applications that address societal needs, e.g. environmental monitoring, distributed energy grids, emergency coordination, global traffic control, and smart cities. Moreover, ubiquitous platforms such as the Internet of Things and nascent kinds of SoS such as Cyber-Physical SoSs are accelerating the deployment of Software-intensive SoS in the near future. Definitely, the unique characteristics of Software-intensive SoS raise a grand research challenge for the future of software-reliant systems in our industry and society due to its intrinsic features, among which evolutionary development and emergent behavior. Statistics The SiSoS Track received 22 regular paper submissions and 3 SRC submissions. Each submission was reviewed by three members of the Track Program Committee. The Track Program Committee selected 5 full papers out of the 22, giving an acceptance rate of 23%. These papers were selected based on originality, quality, soundness, and relevance to this conference track. Moreover, 2 poster papers have been accepted for publications in the proceedings of the conference. Key Topics This track fosters (but is not limited to) submissions in the following topics:


We quantitatively compared the extrasystolic and postextrasystolic responses of the right ventricle and left ventricle of the same heart, which have vastly different geometries, architectures, and muscle masses. We studied nine isolated, supported canine hearts whose right and left ventricles were made to contract isovolumically with balloons placed in both chambers. The ventricles were paced with the following pattern: 20 regularly timed priming stimulations, followed by a test stimulation at a variable test pulse interval, and, finally, by a second test stimulation which was always delivered 1200 msec after the first test pulse. In each heart, approximately 15 different test pulse intervals between 300 and 1200 msec were investigated. Both the maximum developed pressure and maximum rate of pressure development, expressed as a percentage of their steady state values during the priming period were used to quantify the extra- and postextrasystolic responses. For each exrrasystolic and postextrasystolic test beat, the normalized response of the right ventricle was plotted vs. that of the left ventricle. The regression line and correlation coefficient between the two were determined. The average result from nine hearts gave a slope of 0.96 ± 0.05, an intercept of 4.52 ± 4.05% and a correlation coefficient of 0.995 ± 0.004. This analysis indicated that, despite the differences in right and left ventricular geometry, architecture, and mass, their force-interval behaviors were nearly identical.


Studies with populations of macrophages have produced conflicting results concerning the possibility that the concentration of intracellular ionized calcium [( Ca2+]i) may act as an important mediator for phagocytosis. Since asynchronous changes in [Ca2+]i in individual cells undergoing phagocytosis may be averaged to undetectability in population studies, we studied single adhering murine macrophages using fura-2 and our previously described digital imaging system. The proportion of macrophages phagocytosing IgG-coated latex beads was greater than for uncoated beads (percent phagocytosing cells: 71 +/- 7 vs. 27 +/- 7, P less than 0.01). Phagocytosis of IgG- coated and uncoated beads was always associated with a calcium transient that preceded the initiation of phagocytosis. No calcium transients were detected in cells that bound but did not phagocytose beads. Four major differences between Fc receptor-mediated and nonspecific phagocytosis were detected: (a) the duration of calcium transients was longer for nonspecific phagocytosis compared with Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis (69.9 +/- 10.2 vs. 48.7 +/- 4.7 s, P less than 0.05) and the magnitude of calcium transients was less for nonspecific phagocytosis (178 +/- 43 vs. 349 +/- 53 nM, P less than 0.05); (b) removal of extracellular calcium abolished the calcium transients associated with nonspecific phagocytosis but had no effect on those associated with receptor-mediated phagocytosis; (c) in the absence of extracellular calcium, buffering intracellular calcium with a chelator reduced Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis but had no additive inhibitory effect on nonspecific phagocytosis; and (d) inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) with staurosporine inhibited nonspecific phagocytosis but had no effect on receptor-mediated phagocytosis. Our observations suggest that despite both types of phagocytosis being associated with intracellular calcium transients, the role played by intracellular calcium in the signaling pathways may differ for Fc receptor-mediated and nonspecific phagocytosis by elicited murine macrophages.


Computational sociology leverages new tools and data sources to expand the scope and scale of sociological inquiry. It's opening up an exciting frontier for sociologists of every stripe—from theorists and ethnographers to experimentalists and survey researchers. It expands the sociological imagination.


Antibodies to rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigen(RANA) were detected with a double immunodiffusion technique in 0.4% agarose using saline soluble extract from cultured Raji cells as a cellular antigen. Anti RANA antibody was found in 59 of 60(98%) sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA), 43 of 45(96%) with systemic lupus erythematosus, all 10(100%) with polymyositis or dermatomyositis, all 6(100%) with sclerodermatomyositis, 16 of 17(94%) with scleroderma, 20 of 21(95%) with mixed connective tissue disease, all 32(100%) with undifferentiated connective tissue disease having anti RNP antibody, 44 of 45(98%) with sicca complex and 40 of 44(91%) from normal subjects. There was no significant difference among the prevalence of this antibody. Anti RANA titers were compared between RA patients and normal persons. The geometric mean titer in RA patients was 24.8 and that in normal subjects was 14.6. The former was significantly higher than the latter(P<0.05). The median of the titers, however, was 16 in both groups and the difference of the titers between two groups was not considered to be useful in clinical diagnosis. The correlation coefficient between anti RANA titers and the titers of antibodies to Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen(EBNA) was 0.54(P<0.01) in 44 normal subjects. RANA was detected in extracts from B lymphoblastoid cell lines, Raji and B95-8, and was not present in extracts from B lymphoblastoid cell line, BL, or T lymphoblastoid cell line, MT-1. Raji and B95-8 contained EBNA but BL and MT-1 did not. The present study suggests that anti RANA antibody is closely related to anti EBNA antibody. The presence of anti RANA antibody might suggest prior infection with Epstein-Barr virus.


The International Companion Encyclopedia answers these questions and provides comprehensive coverage of children's literature from a wide range of perspectives. Over 80 substantial essays by world experts include Iona Opie on the oral tradition, Gillian Avery on family stories and Michael Rosen on audio, TV and other media. The Companion covers a broad range of topics, from the fairy tale to critical theory, from the classics to comics. Structure The Companion is divided into five sections: 1) Theory and Critical Approaches 2) Types and Genres 3) The Context of Children's Literature 4) Applications of Children's Literature 5) The World of Children's Literature Each essay is followed by references and suggestions for further reading. The volume is fully indexed.


Abstract. Precise predictions of storm surges during typhoon events have the necessity for disaster prevention in coastal seas. This paper explores an artificial neural network (ANN) model, including the back propagation neural network (BPNN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) algorithms used to correct poor calculations with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model in predicting storm surge height during typhoon events. The two-dimensional model has a fine horizontal resolution and considers the interaction between storm surges and astronomical tides, which can be applied for describing the complicated physical properties of storm surges along the east coast of Taiwan. The model is driven by the tidal elevation at the open boundaries using a global ocean tidal model and is forced by the meteorological conditions using a cyclone model. The simulated results of the hydrodynamic model indicate that this model fails to predict storm surge height during the model calibration and verification phases as typhoons approached the east coast of Taiwan. The BPNN model can reproduce the astronomical tide level but fails to modify the prediction of the storm surge tide level. The ANFIS model satisfactorily predicts both the astronomical tide level and the storm surge height during the training and verification phases and exhibits the lowest values of mean absolute error and root-mean-square error compared to the simulated results at the different stations using the hydrodynamic model and the BPNN model. Comparison results showed that the ANFIS techniques could be successfully applied in predicting water levels along the east coastal of Taiwan during typhoon events.


Financial incentives are a promising HIV prevention strategy. This paper assesses the effect on HIV incidence of a lottery program in Lesotho with low expected payments but a chance to win a high prize conditional on negative test results for sexually transmitted infections. The intervention resulted in a 21.4 percent reduction in HIV incidence over two years. Lottery incentives appear to be particularly effective for individuals willing to take risks. This paper estimates a model linking sexual behavior to HIV incidence and finds that risk-loving individuals reduce the number of unprotected sexual acts by 0.3/month for every $1 increase in the expected prize.


Several trading rules are analyzed using all daily returns on every Ibex future contracts, since market data from MEFF was available on April 20th, 1992 till March 31st, 2000. The analyses are: calendar anomalies and technical indicators based on moving averages. In an informal test, results are contrasted with the return of a simple of buy-and-hold strategy. Results show that if the investor follows the analyzed trading strategies, he or she will get a better return than the index in a up-market but a significant worst return in a down-market. So, finally, indexing is the best option compared with these trading strategies. In a formal test, signals from these rules are included in an OLS model trying to explain daily returns. Results show that signals can no explain the variance of returns. Finally, it is concluded that the market it is efficient because there is no proof that the contrary could be happening.


The pattern of natural restoration in soil and plant components was studied in five landslide-damaged (1-58-year-old) sites in the tropical moist sal ( Shorea robusta) forest ecosystem of Nepal Himalaya .Rate of restoration in soil properties was faster in the early successional stages (1-15 year) than late stages while plant biomass recovered rapidly after 15-year age. Based on the recovery in ecosystem properties; the 58- year-old landslide damaged site demonstrated the re-establishment of an ecosystem showing closer affinity with the mature sal forest. On the basis of best fit power function models it was concluded that the estimated times for the 58-year old site to reach the level of undisturbed matured sal forest would be about 30-35 years for microbial biomass (C and N) and plant biomass and about 100-150 year for soil organic Carbon and total N. Higher accumulation of soil microbial biomass, plant biomass and high N-mineralization rate at late successional stages indicated the re-establishment of an ecosystem with enriched soil and restitution of nutrient cycling during the course of ecosystem restoration DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njbs.v2i0.7488 Nepalese Journal of Biosciences 2 : 40-45 (2012)


One of the great unanswered questions in governance research is, Why do directors serve on boards? Drawing on self-determination theory, a theory of total motivation that combines both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, we find that the prestige associated with being a director, the ability to have influence, and identification with the director role make directors less likely to exit; however, demotivating factors related to the time commitment required, such as holding other board appointments or serving as a CEO at another company, increase the likelihood of director exits. Finally, we find that the value of being on the board of a prestigious firm diminishes when the firm experiences events that tarnish its prestige, although these same events decrease the likelihood of director exit when firm prestige is lacking.


The paper deals with a stylometric study of I. Asimov's idiostyle considering a corpus-based approach. For the analysis of stylometric features the I. Asimov "Foundation" cycle text corpus was created. The quantitative and statistical processing of the text corpus is done via Sketch Engine tool that enables comparison of phrases and words in the following variants: lemma, token, subcorpus. The last parameter is important for distinguishing individual authorial features, comparing their combinability and identifying the dynamics of idiostyle. The following stylometric features of a text corpus by I. Asimov are described: quantitative morphological and lexical characteristics of the vocabulary, quantitative characteristics of occasionalisms' word formation and statistical estimation of occasionalisms' collocations. It is sated that the frequency of occasionalisms in the cycle of novels undergoes chronological change, as well as their combinability. In this paper, a method of occasionalisms' automated extraction due to keyness score was proposed, however, it requires the subsequent manual verification.


Since Clark first described the ovarian vein syndrome in 1964, there has been much controversy over its existence. We report two cases of ovarian vein syndrome whose presenting feature was lumbar pain. Following treatment by percutaneous coil embolization of the corresponding ovarian vein, the symptoms rapidly improved and the patients are asymptomatic at 8 and 21 months follow up. We underscore the importance of symptomatic relief over the radiologic findings. The most important aspects and controversies of this syndrome are briefly reviewed.


The aim of this master thesis in Ethnology and Folkloristics is to study how non-binary transgender people relate to words and identity positions which concerns primarily gender and sexuality. What are their opinions on words such as intergender, queer, trans, man, woman, lesbian and gay? What role do such words play in their everyday life and in the construction of their identities?The study is based on interviews with eight people. Six of the informants have non-binary gender identities and two of them are transgender women with some non-binary experiences. At the time of the interviews, the informants were between 21 and 37 years old.The thesis consists of five chapters, whereof the first chapter introduces the topic, the material and the theoretical foundation of the thesis. The main theoretical framework for this study is queer theories. In the second chapter, some aspects of the everyday life of the informants are presented. How is it to live with a non-binary gender identity? Many informants give an account of the complications which occur because they are neither women nor men. People of the majority population often consider their identities unreal and unintelligible.In chapter three it is discussed how the informants explain their relationship to different words for non-binary gender identities. Their reasons for choosing to use certain words to define themselves with are also presented. Some informants claim that they would prefer to live in a world where they did not have to name themselves. Yet every informant still uses different words to describe themselves with.In chapter four it is demonstrated how choosing a word for one's identity is a process affected by other aspects in a person's life. The informants decide on a word for themselves depending on the people around them. Furthermore, sexuality and sexual identity also play a big part in how they conceive and name their gender identity.Finally, chapter five consists of a summary of the thesis and a short passage to widen the discussion


Agricultural history and the history of seeds in sub‐Saharan Africa are an aggregate effect of individual day‐to‐day decisions by farmers. The role of seeds within an agricultural system can be a valuable indicator of both social and natural time since farmers' seed selections indicate both natural conditions – moisture, pests, soils – and short‐term, season by season farm decisions about labour, potential yield vs risk and market potential. In the immediate future, international donors and African governments are planning that African farmers will receive their seeds from a global political structure that anticipates, perhaps wishfully, economic and political stability. Those expectations of development specialists are ones that failed at the end of the twentieth century. Will seed selection by African farmers in the twenty‐first century take place in an ideal free market of infinite choice or in real‐world conditions fraught with uncertainty of supply, climate fluctuations and unintended consequences within complex local ecologies?


Humeral diaphyseal fracture with non-union and failed implant in situ is a complex case. It is more challenging when the case is accompanied by infection, multiple ORIF, and osteopenic bone. Smoking and alcohol consumption synergically enhances delay in fracture healing and non-union. The various surgical procedures are prevalent and conducted by orthopedic surgeons for its management. We hereby present a complex case of non-union humeral shaft fracture with an implant in situ by the use of autologous fibula strut as a biological nail to fit the non-union gap stabilized by K-wire and hybrid Ilizarov's external fixator for mechanical support in a single setting. During this process, radical bone debridement was done. At 9 months of follow-up, bone union was achieved and the implants were removed. The final functional outcome was graded as good according to QuickDASH shoulder score with improved shoulder and absence of pain at the non-union site.


These days, power systems are operated close to their stability limit, and disturbances such as transmission line contingencies can cause the system to lose stability. If the system loses stability, countermeasures has to be taken. Otherwise, disruption in parts of, or in the whole system occurs. In this thesis an Emergency Load Shedding scheme, (ELS) using voltage stability indicators is proposed. Due to the scarcity of available mitigation actions in the considered area in Northern Norway, load shedding is used as the only corrective action. As there are large social and economic costs associated with load shedding the goal of the ELS is to keep the amount of load shed as low as possible. First, four methods for estimating the Thévenin impedance (system impedance) of a power system is studied and tested. Two are based on local measurement at a single substation, while the other two uses information about system topology as well. Using the stability criterion imposed by the theorem of maximum power transfer a rule for stability can be found. The load impedance divided by system impedance needs to be greater than one (Impedance Stability Index, ISI ¥ 1). The performance of the indicators is tested by a gradual load increase of a load, and evaluating if the Impedance Stability Index correctly crosses its stability limit when the system becomes unstable. From the results the topology based Duong-Uhlen and the measurement based Corsi-Taranto method showed the best performance. Using the two best performing indicators an Emergency Load shedding Scheme is proposed. Indicators are implemented at critical nodes found through simulation. Two options for load shedding is proposed when the system becomes unstable to prevent system instability.


Since hyperglycaemia is known to affect normal pulmonary physiology and biochemistry and few structure-function correlations have been reported, we designed experiments on hamsters subjected to streptozotocin-induced diabetes or diabetes associated with hyperlipidaemia, and investigated the impact of these conditions on the lung structure. At time intervals ranging 2-24 weeks from the inception of disease (without correcting blood glucose with insulin), the animals were sacrificed, and plasma glucose and cholesterol assayed. The lung was processed for electron microscopy, and the structural changes of the capillary and venular endothelium, of epithelial cells, and interstitium were examined. In diabetic animals, especially after 6 weeks of disease, a gradual narrowing of approximately 35% of the capillaries and approximately 30% of the alveoli, and hyperplasia of the extracellular matrix, rich in collagen bundles, were observed. Frequently, capillaries contained adherent intravascular macrophages suggestive of an inflammatory process. The capillary endothelium was characterized by numerous plasmalemmal vesicles, often fused, well-developed synthesizing apparatus (endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex) and cytoskeleton, and an uneven distribution of the anionic sites on the luminal plasmalemma. The venular endothelium was particularly rich in Weibel-Palade bodies. The alveolar epithelium was often collapsed, compressing surfactant within the airspace. The lung interstitium was apparently enlarged, and the fibroblasts and contractile interstitial cells frequently contained lipid droplets. These alterations were more pronounced and occurred at a faster rate (4 weeks) in diabetes associated with hyperlipidaemia. The structural modifications reported in this study support the functional disturbances observed in association with hyperglycaemia, sustaining the conclusion that the lung is an organ affected by diabetes.


Generative adversarial nets (GANs) and variational auto-encoders have significantly improved our distribution modeling capabilities, showing promise for dataset augmentation, image-to-image translation and feature learning. However, to model high-dimensional distributions, sequential training and stacked architectures are common, increasing the number of tunable hyper-parameters as well as the training time. Nonetheless, the sample complexity of the distance metrics remains one of the factors affecting GAN training. We first show that the recently proposed sliced Wasserstein distance has compelling sample complexity properties when compared to the Wasserstein distance. To further improve the sliced Wasserstein distance we then analyze its `projection complexity' and develop the max-sliced Wasserstein distance which enjoys compelling sample complexity while reducing projection complexity, albeit necessitating a max estimation. We finally illustrate that the proposed distance trains GANs on high-dimensional images up to a resolution of 256x256 easily.


Cardiac mortality and morbidity is a significant problem in the renal failure population. For some, their renal dysfunction is a consequence of their cardiac failure or general vascular disease; for others it develops and progresses over the course of their renal disease.
Uraemic Cardiomyopathy is a group of particular cardiac abnormalities that are found in renal failure; left ventricular hypertrophy, ventricular dilatation and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Left ventricular hypertrophy is the commonest of these and occurs in 75% of those starting dialysis. Pathological examination of these hearts reveals prominent cardiac fibrosis and expansion of the ventricular muscular wall.
Uraemic cardiomyopathy is more common as renal function deteriorates but doesn't occur in all patients requiring renal replacement therapy. Therefore it has been proposed that factors other than uraemia and uraemic toxins probably contribute to this pathological process.
The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is one of the possible contributing factors. Animal studies and more recently clinical studies have added weight to this theory. Brilla and Weber published a set of landmark papers in 1992, demonstrating an increase in cardiac fibrosis in rats treated with an aldosterone infusion. However, these finding were only present in rats fed a high sodium diet. They also appear to be independent of hypertension; another known cause of left ventricular hypertrophy.
Evidence in humans is more difficult to prove and remains varied in outcome. A recent study in a hypertensive population found a positive correlation between aldosterone serum levels and left ventricular mass. Evidence in renal failure is even more limited and it is this situation that we have focused on in our study.
Transforming growth factor beta is a proposed down-stream signalling molecule of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in cardiac fibrosis/left ventricular hypertrophy. However this is not the only signalling pathway that is under investigation and at present the evidence is equivocal.
This Thesis incorporates three separate but related studies. The West of Scotland Kidney Disease Study was a 10 year follow-up analysis of patients initially enrolled in 2005, with a range of renal failure from mild to end-stage, those on dialysis and transplanted patients. As expected survival decreased as renal function declined and survival rates were better in the transplanted group than those on dialysis. However, survival rates in this group of patients were not determined by aldosterone, total renin, aldosterone:renin ratio, left ventricular mass or ejection fraction. Our study did confirm previous evidence that urinary protein excretion greater than 1 g/day was associated with a significant increase in mortality over the 10 year follow-up.
The Aldosterone Study, aimed to identify factors affecting left ventricular mass and aldosterone levels in a renal failure population. Unfortunately no link was identified between aldosterone and left ventricular mass, or surrogate markers of cardiac disease. Also no significant factors affecting the aldosterone levels of these patients were identified.
The Rat Slice Study was an experimental model developed in an attempt to replicate ventricular cell interactions and structure that occurs within the body. Rat ventricle tissue slices were used and incubated in media for 48hours. The media was supplemented with different concentrations of aldosterone, water or both to determine the effects of aldosterone and sodium concentration on TGF-β1 production and cardiac fibrosis.
Viability of the slices was evident at 48hours although at a much lower level than at the start of the experiment. No increase in cardiac fibrosis or TGF-β1 production was found in any of the groups of tissue slices.
In Conclusion, the three studies undertaken found no definitive evidence for the role of aldosterone or TGF-β1 in cardiac fibrosis/left ventricular hypertrophy. This was true of both the uraemic and non-uraemic states.


Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)-Fe3Al was prepared by spark plasma sintering. Microstructural investigations show that MWNT remains in the composites. The magnetic properties were investigated with alternating gradient force magnetometer, which shows that the composites still display good soft magnetic property. The MWNTs-Fe3Al composites have a similar magnetic hysteresis loops to that of Fe3Al, indicating the good soft magnetic properties of the composite. Excellent magnetic property implies that MWNT-Fe3Al composites may also have significant potential for applications in electronic-magnetic nanodevice fields.


Non-linear electrical impedance tomography reconstruction algorithms usually employ the Newton–Raphson iteration scheme to image the conductivity distribution inside the body. For complex 3D problems, the application of this method is not feasible any more due to the large matrices involved and their high storage requirements. In this paper we demonstrate the suitability of an alternative conjugate gradient reconstruction algorithm for 3D tomographic imaging incorporating adaptive mesh refinement and requiring less storage space than the Newton–Raphson scheme. We compare the reconstruction efficiency of both algorithms for a simple 3D head model. The results show that an increase in speed of about 30% is achievable with the conjugate gradient-based method without loss of accuracy.


The strong quantum confinement effect in lead selenide (PbSe) colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) allows to tune the bandgap of the material, covering a large spectral range from mid- to near infrared (NIR). Together with the advantages of low-cost solution processability, flexibility and easy scale-up production in comparison to conventional semiconductors especially in the mid- to near infrared range, PbSe CQDs have been a promising material for infrared optoelectronic applications. In this study, we synthesized monodisperse and high purity PbSe CQDs and then demonstrated the photodetectors working at different wavelengths up to 2.8 µm. Our high quality PbSe CQDs show clear multiple excitonic absorption peaks. PbSe CQD films of different thicknesses were deposited on interdigitated platinum electrodes by a simple drop casting technique to make the infrared photodetectors. At room temperature, the high performances of our PbSe CQD photodetectors were achieved with maximum responsivity, detectivity and external quantum efficiency of 0.96 A/W, 8.13 × 109 Jones and 78% at 5V bias. Furthermore, a series of infrared LEDs with a broad wavelength range from 1.5 μm to 3.4 μm was utilized to demonstrate the performance of our fabricated photodetectors with various PbSe CQD film thicknesses.


Determining the absolute duration of magmatic-hydrothermal events leading to the formation of porphyry systems (i.e., including porphyry copper, skarn, and epithermal deposits) is one of the key questions in ore geology. This is so because the duration of magmatic-hydrothermal events in porphyry systems is instrumental to the development of genetic models necessary to explore a category of mineral deposits that provide most of the copper and significant amounts of base and precious metals to our economy. The problem of determining the absolute duration of magmatic-hydrothermal events in porphyry systems has been addressed through ther- mal modeling of cooling intrusions and time needed to precipitate specified metal amounts from active hydro- thermal systems with known metal concentrations and fluid fluxes. Both these methods have shown that the likely duration of hydrothermal systems is on the order of a few tens of kilo-annum (ka). Isotopic dating in con- trast is the only possible way to determine the life span of magmatic-hydrothermal events in fossil porphyry sys- tems. Analytical and methodological developments during the last decade in the fields of the most robust iso- topic systems commonly used for absolute dating (U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, Re-Os) allow us to date minerals with internal precisions <0.2% (2σ). For a 10-Ma-old mineral this corresponds to a <20-ka uncertainty, which is mar- ginally sufficient to discriminate the duration of hydrothermal systems at the tens of kilo-annum scale. How- ever, many geochronological studies on fossil porphyry systems have shown that these are most often formed through repeated cycles of several intrusion events, which extend the overall life of the porphyry systems to a few 0.X and up to ~2 Ma in some cases. Internal precisions of the above mentioned dating methods allow us, in theory, to comfortably discriminate events at the 0.X scale and the combination of U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, and Re- Os geochronology is a tool widely used by ore geologists to bracket the duration of cyclic magmatic-hydro- thermal events in porphyry systems. In this review we discuss some fundamental problems that are systematically overlooked in most geochrono- logical studies trying to bracket the life span of porphyry systems. We show that if these problems are not adequately taken into account and tackled the result will be that fundamentally wrong life spans of porphyry sys- tems will be estimated. We also provide basic guidelines to follow when trying to resolve the duration of mag- matic-hydrothermal events in porphyry systems with the highest accuracy and precision currently achievable.


Linear back-drive differentials have been proposed as alternatives to conventional gear differentials for applications in which there is only limited rotational motion (e.g., oscillation). The finite nature of the rotation makes it possible to optimize a linear back-drive differential in ways that would not be possible for gear differentials or other differentials that are required to be capable of unlimited rotation. As a result, relative to gear differentials, linear back-drive differentials could be more compact and less massive, could contain fewer complex parts, and could be less sensitive to variations in the viscosities of lubricants. Linear back-drive differentials would operate according to established principles of power ball screws and linear-motion drives, but would utilize these principles in an innovative way. One major characteristic of such mechanisms that would be exploited in linear back-drive differentials is the possibility of designing them to drive or back-drive with similar efficiency and energy input: in other words, such a mechanism can be designed so that a rotating screw can drive a nut linearly or the linear motion of the nut can cause the screw to rotate. A linear back-drive differential (see figure) would include two collinear shafts connected to two parts that are intended to engage in limited opposing rotations. The linear back-drive differential would also include a nut that would be free to translate along its axis but not to rotate. The inner surface of the nut would be right-hand threaded at one end and left-hand threaded at the opposite end to engage corresponding right- and left-handed threads on the shafts. A rotation and torque introduced into the system via one shaft would drive the nut in linear motion. The nut, in turn, would back-drive the other shaft, creating a reaction torque. Balls would reduce friction, making it possible for the shaft/nut coupling on each side to operate with 90 percent efficiency.


© 2015, The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-NC-SA) 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/, which permits re-use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided any modifications of this material in anyway is distributed under this same license, is not used for commercial purposes, and the original author and source are credited • DOI: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.ijsp.2015.v4.1.005


Alcaligenes eutrophus NH9 was isolated from soil. This strain can utilize 3-chlorobenzoate (3-CB) as a sole source of carbon and energy. Most of the 3-CB-negative segregants had lost one of the plasmids present in the parent strain. The genes for catabolism of 3-CB were located within a 9.2-kb SacI fragment of this plasmid (pENH91). The genes were found to hybridize with genes for components of the modified ortho cleavage pathway from Pseudomonas putida. In one of the 3-CB-negative segregants, the plasmid had undergone the deletion of a segment with a size of about 12.5 kb that covered the catabolic genes. The deletion event seemed to be the result of reciprocal recombination between two highly homologous sequences with sizes of 2.5 kb that were present as a direct repeat at the two ends of the region that included the catabolic genes. Nucleotide sequence analysis of homologous fragments revealed a structure that resembled an insertion sequence and relatedness to IS21. During repeated subculturing of NH9 on liquid media with 3-CB, the culture was taken over by a derivative strain (designated NH9A) in which the degradative plasmid carried a duplicate copy of the 12.5-kb region that contained the catabolic genes. The duplication of these genes seemed again to have been mediated by recombination between the direct repeat sequences.


The genus Rhododendron of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) has been enumerated in the present paper. A total of 87 species, 12 subspecies and 8 varieties of Rhododendrons recorded in IHR, among these 6 species and one subspecies are reported from Western Himalaya. The maximum concentration of 86% observed in Arunachal Pradesh (75 species). The species of Rhododendrons exhibit significant diversity in habit and broad range of distribution from the altitude of 800-6000 m. and the best range is observed in 3001-3500 m altitudes. In analysis revealed 20 taxa are endemic, 30 are rare, 24 are threatened / endangered, 3 are vulnerable and 47 taxa have to be assessed. The major threats to rhododendrons are deforestation and unsustainable extraction for firewood and incense by local people has been discussed.


The antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential of methanol extract from Arnica montana cultivated in Bulgaria was evaluated. For the determination of antioxidant activity 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) di-ammonium salt (ABTS) free radicals, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay were used. Modified Ellman's colorimetric method was used for quantitative assessment of acetylcholinesterase inhibition potential. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and galantamine hydrobromide were used as positive controls, respectively. In addition, total polyphenols and tannins, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic derivatives, and sesquiterpene lactones were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, AlCl3, Na2MoO4, and m-dinitrobenzene, respectively. The results demonstrated that Arnica extract has strong antioxidant activity and moderate ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase. Total polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic derivatives, and sesquiterpene lactones were: 468.46 ± 4.03 mg g-1, 362.09 ± 2.81 mg g-1, 25.48 ± 1.44 mg g-1, 76.76 ± 6.58 mg g-1, and 14.69 ± 0.76 mg g-1 respectively. Therefore, A. montana is a powerful natural source of antioxidants and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and could be useful in therapy for free radical pathologies and neurodegenerative disorders.


The tendency towards a better life and improvement of life status has always had a priority among human communities. The approach utilized by economics and specifically the growth and economic development activities refers to the improvement of the material dimension. Meanwhile, some countries are rich and some suffer from poverty. Therefore, to recognize basic growth factors and the roots of income inequality among different nations, the role of factors such as institutions, culture, and geography has been emphasized. Natural resources, from among geographical elements, are considered highly important. On the other hand, many communities that exploit a vast amount of natural resources have encountered failure in reflecting appropriate economic performances and this has often had unpleasant outcomes and resource curse has been commonly used to describe this phenomenon. Thus, the goal of the present research is to find out about the nature of resource curse phenomenon and studying different structures that affect natural resources' abundance on economic growth and development. Accordingly, some of the most important effectiveness structures of natural resources have been investigated as: long-term approaches in global prices, price fluctuations, permanent reductions in industry parts, colonialism institutions and eligibility, lack of institutions that strengthen inconsistency and chaos, cyclical nature of Netherlander disease. This study has investigated about 22 advanced countries and 61 underdeveloped and developing countries within the time period between 1996 and 2010. For both countries, we have first used group effects' meaningfulness test to recognize the nature of data (pooled or panel) and Brush-Pagan and Haussmann tests to recognize the difference between fixed and random effects, and then the research model was estimated using fixed effects method. The research findings showed that natural resources abundance, institutions, and interactions between institutions, and natural resources did not have a meaningful effect on average yearly growth rate of GDP. The final conclusion of the different strategies of effectiveness of natural resources does not mean that the need to mineral materials as the wealth necessarily would lead to the lack of the economic and political developments through many of such strategies. In return, it would be better to view the resource abundance as a two sided coin which is endowed with both advantages and risks. As much as it can be exploited for unnecessary expenses, its proper use can lead to lots of benefits. Keywords: abundance of natural resources, resource curse, economic growth, institutions, policies


Heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technique requires an optical head that can efficiently generate a subwavelength optical spot. The results of finite difference time domain simulation shows that two subwavelength rectangular holes adjacent to a metallic slit aperture make an optical spot from the slit smaller and its peak intensity higher. A subwavelength spot of 82×46 nm2 (full width at half maximum) in the recording medium is obtainable when a pair of rectangular holes is flanked adjacent to the slit aperture with a much smaller distance than the optical wavelength. This configuration provides a high transmittance of the slit aperture and a high expectation for a high controllability of both a thickness of the slit and a distance between the slit and the rectangular hole by the use of the planar process. By using a plasmon waveguide to guide light into the metallic slit aperture, a thin and efficient optical head for HAMR is achieved.


Participation in qualitative research frequently relies upon recall and verbal expression, which may be difficult for some people with dementia. While the use of arts-based and visual methods are transforming dementia care, exploratory research and evaluation methods have lagged behind with regard to the use of innovative qualitative approaches. This scoping review identified innovative qualitative methods that have been used to effectively engage and involve people with dementia in social and health research. Systematic searches of academic databases, Google Scholar, and hand searches identified 24 peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 for inclusion. Analysis focused on a description of both the motivation and methods ascribed by the researchers and how the capacities of people with dementia were engaged as part of the research process. The most frequently used innovative method was Photovoice. Action research, case study, narrative production, ethnography, participatory filmmaking and theater, co-research, and mixed methods were also used. Regardless of methodology, most studies used a participatory approach that incorporated visual methods alongside adapted semistructured or unstructured interviews. Researchers were focused on inclusion, empowerment, self-expression, flexibility, and communication when selecting methods. Providing an appropriate research environment and committing time for repeat contact, observation, and engagement were important considerations.


This case report describes the application of Taoist cognitive therapy (TCT) to a 32-year old Chinese (Fujianese) American immigrant woman with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). TCT is a manualized adaptation of an indigenous psychotherapy developed in China (Zhang & Young, 1998; Zhang et al., 2002). Mrs. Liu received 16 sessions of TCT administered in Mandarin by a Chinese American social worker in conjunction with psychopharmacologic treatment. Sources of data included case notes, transcripts of session recordings, client thought records, and a battery of standardized measures. Mrs. Liu presented with significant guilt regarding her perceived failures to fulfill her filial obligations postmigration, which resulted in constant worry about family members' health, reassurance-seeking, and controlling behavior. Her anxiety and worry were conceptualized as the result of rigid attachments to beliefs, goals, and desires that are not reflective of the natural order of the universe (Tao). Mrs. Liu was guided in reevaluating stressful situations from the perspective of 8 Taoist principles that promote collective benefit, noncompetition, moderation, acceptance, humility, flexibility, wuwei (nonaction), and harmony with the laws of nature. Clinically significant reductions in anxiety, worry, and experiential avoidance were observed after 16 sessions. However, results were attenuated by the 4-month follow-up due to acute stress surrounding her husband's deportation proceedings. This case highlights how immigration-related stressors, including transnational family separation and cultural values, can shape the experience and expression of GAD. Further, the positive treatment response provides some evidence of the acceptability and applicability of TCT to Chinese immigrants with GAD.


Two established chemical delignification method employing sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide are often used for lignocellulosic material. In this study, the enzymatic hydrolysis of coconut coir with 1.5% dilute sulfuric acid delignification at 105°C  were evaluated. This reaction is one of the stages in the process of converting lignocellulosic biomass into alternative fuels. The reducing sugar as a product of enzymatic hydrolysis can be further fermented to yield bioethanol or biohydrogen. Experiments were conducted for various concentrations of coconut  fiber (i.e. 0.1; 0.2; 0.4; 1 and 2 g/100mL).  Data from the experiment were then modeled by the power model so that the parameters can be determined. It was found that model parameters were different for each coconut fibre concentrations. The power model fits well with the experimental data as indicated by their R 2 values.


The effects of component concentrations and addition order of the components, on the final properties of ternary nanocomposites composed of amorphous poly (ethylene terephthalate) matrix, organically modified clay, and an ethylene / methyl acrylate / glycidyl methacrylate (E-MAGMA) terpolymer were studied. All formulations were prepared by melt compounding of the components with a two-step mixing procedure in a corotating twin-screw extruder. Considering the X-Ray Diffraction, SEM, impact and strain at break results, the best sequence of component addition was the one in which PET was first compounded with E-MA-GMA, later this mixture was compounded with the organoclay in a subsequent run. In this mixing order, the polymer-impact modifier matrix mixture prepared in the first extrusion run has higher melt viscosity than pure PET, thus this matrix can apply high shear stresses on the clay particles and delaminate the clay layers resulting in the best mechanical properties.


Isolated internal iliac aneurysms are rare. Unless rupture occurs, they usually remain asymptomatic. In this paper, a patient with a ruptured internal iliac aneurysm that resulted in chronic stage hematoma causing lumbosacral plexopathy and erosion of the pelvic bony structures is presented, along with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) findings. To expedite the diagnosis of extraspinal radicular pain, one should pay attention to the extraspinal structures involved in lumbar CT or MRI examinations. If necessary, further investigation can be made with pelvic CT or MRI.


To the Editor: As early as 1954, independent investigators reported on the use of dimethylpolysiloxane fluids, often referred to simply as silicone fluid, for soft tissue augmentation by injection techniques. Various reports in the literature and the lay press have described the use of pure silicone fluid or mixtures of silicone fluid and some other (usually secret) materials for mammary augmentation, treatment of facial hemiatrophy, wrinkle eradication, etc. The Dow Corning Center for Aid to Medical Research has been concerned about the problems involved by the rather indiscriminate injection of silicone fluids to people throughout the world. The articles in the lay press which have appeared since early 1965 have not diminished these problems. Silicones, alone or in combination with other materials, intended for injection into humans are considered as "new drugs" by the Federal Food and Drug Administration. 1 At the present time any work involving silicone fluid


Since toxicity is based on the effect that a toxicant produces at a target site within an organism, establishing the relationship between the concentration of substance at the target site and the subsequent toxic effect can provide a tool for predicting toxicity. The behavior of a single toxicant could not be fully understood without the knowledge of the fact the physical and biochemical properties of substances that can change. To understand this, the acute toxicity of mercury (as HgSO4) and silver (as AgSO4) to Capoeta fusca (6 treatments in triplicate) was determined. During September 2009, C. fusca belonging to the family Cyprinidae, weighing 2.95 (±0.55) g, were obtained from qanats in Birjand, East of Iran. The fish were maintained in an aquarium system at a holding temperature of 21 (±0.2) and were allowed to adjust to lab conditions for 1 week before experimentation. The lethal concentration 50 (LC50) values for HgSO4 at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of exposure were 0.32, 0.28, 0.26, and 0.24 mg L–1, respectively. Also, the LC50 values for AgSO4 at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of exposure were 0.014, 0.013, 0.013, and 0.013 mg L–1, respectively. Results of this study showed that C. fusca was very sensitive to AgSO4.


The structure model index (SMI) is a means of subsuming the topology of a homogeneous random closed set under just one number, similar to the isoperimetric shape factors used for compact sets. Originally, the SMI is defined as a function of volume fraction, specific surface area and first derivative of the specific surface area, where the derivative is defined and computed using a surface meshing. The generalised Steiner formula yields however a derivative of the specific surface area that is – up to a constant – the density of the integral of mean curvature. Consequently, an SMI can be defined without referring to a discretisation and it can be estimated from 3D image data without need to mesh the surface but using the number of occurrences of 2×2×2 pixel configurations, only. Obviously, it is impossible to completely describe a random closed set by one number. In this paper, Boolean models of balls and infinite straight cylinders serve as cautionary examples pointing out the limitations of the SMI. Nevertheless, shape factors like the SMI can be valuable tools for comparing similar structures. This is illustrated on real microstructures of ice, foams, and paper.


Why is it difficult for targets to act out against individual experiences of discrimination? Whereas prior research focuses on normative concerns or failure to perceive discrimination as determinants of (lack of) action, we hypothesize that perceiving frequent discrimination at work undermines the potential to act out against discrimination because it depletes one's resources. We study a sample that is underrepresented in research on discrimination, yet forms a large percentage of the working population: parents experiencing disadvantage in a working context. We measured self-reported disadvantage because of parenthood, action against disadvantage, levels of burnout and work-home self-efficacy. Results reveal that perceptions of discrimination are related to lower levels of action. Importantly, lack of resources could explain this effect: we found simultaneous (and separate) mediation of the exhaustion (but not distancing) burnout subscale as well as separate mediation of work-home self-efficacy. The implications of these results and the importance of studying potential resources in relation to action against discrimination are discussed. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


PURPOSE
To compare relative and absolute speed and metabolic thresholds for quantifying match output in elite rugby league.

METHODS
Twenty-six professional players competing in the National Rugby League were monitored with global positioning systems (GPS) across a rugby-league season. Absolute speed (moderate-intensity running [MIRTh > 3.6 m/s] and high-intensity running [HIRTh > 5.2 m/s]) and metabolic (>20 W/kg) thresholds were compared with individualized ventilatory (first [VT1IFT] and second [VT2IFT]) thresholds estimated from the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT), as well as the metabolic threshold associated with VT2IFT (HPmetVT2), to examine difference in match-play demands.

RESULTS
VT2IFT mean values represent 146%, 138%, 167%, and 144% increases in the HIR dose across adjustables, edge forwards, middle forwards, and outside backs, respectively. Distance covered above VT2IFT was almost certainly greater (ES range = 0.79-1.03) than absolute thresholds across all positions. Trivial to small differences were observed between VT1IFT and MIRTh, while small to moderate differences were reported between HPmetVT2 and HPmetTh.

CONCLUSIONS
These results reveal that the speed at which players begin to run at higher intensities depends on individual capacities and attributes. As such, using absolute HIR speed thresholds underestimates the physical HIR load. Moreover, absolute MIR and high metabolic thresholds may over- or underestimate the work undertaken above these thresholds depending on the respective fitness of the individual. Therefore, using relative thresholds enables better prescription and monitoring of external training loads based on measured individual physical capacities.


Factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the neurons regulate the regeneration of axons following axotomy. Elucidation of these mechanisms will provide fundamental information on the regulation of growth in mammalian neurons. To understand the role of environmental factors in nerve regeneration, this study focuses on the axotomy-induced regeneration of supraependymal nerve fibers that inhabit an environment different from other central nervous system neurons and the neurons of the peripheral nervous system. These fibers are ideally located to receive various neuroactive substances that are streaming in the cerebrospinal fluid. Transmission electron microscopic studies reveal the presence of three types of fibers on the ventricular surface. They are fibers with clear synaptic vesicles, those containing small dense core vesicles together with clear synaptic vesicles and fibers containing large dense core granules. To study the regenerative potential of supraependymal nerve fibers, they were axotomized by inflicting mechanical injury to the floor of the third ventricle. Following axotomy, the regenerative ability of the supraependymal nerve fibers was monitored between five and thirty days, by scanning electron microscopy. By the fifth day, there was a noticeable increase in the neuronal network that gradually increased throughout the experimental period. The regenerative ability of supraependymal neurons, as compared with other neurons in the central nervous system, could be due to the differences in their environment. These studies suggest that mammalian cerebral ventricles may be an adequate site for neural transplantation.


The purpose of emergency shut-down valves (ESDVs) is to provide the capability of dividing sour gas pipelines into segments, which can be individually isolated during upsets or ruptures by closure of the ESDVs. CIMARRON Engineering Ltd. (CIMARRON) performed a study in 2003 to evaluate installing ESDVs below ground for sour gas pipelines. The direct burial advantages of easier pigging, reduction in pipeline stresses, smaller surface footprint, less visibility, lower installation and maintenance costs, less chance of vandalism, and less chance of unauthorized operation are all desirable. This direct burial option, using weld neck valves, is contrary to the conventional above ground installation with flanged valves, which dominates the practice in Western Canada. CIMARRON has used the criteria of feasibility, benefits, and limitations in evaluating the option of direct burial. To these three (3) criteria have been added measures to mitigate any identify limitations or constraints. In addition, piggability for cleaning and in-line inspection is considered to be a required feature for all sour gas pipelines. CIMARRON has reviewed and gathered extensive field data and background case studies for the preparation of this paper. In addition to the industry standard of above ground ESDVs, they are also occasionally installed in vaults. However, entry into any vault constitutes a "confined space entry" with its associated implications on safety. CIMARRON contends that if certain capabilities are provided for functional access from the surface to a buried ESDV, then compliance with all requirements of the governing legislation is possible without being able to physically see or access the buried valve. Enhancements to the responsiveness of ESDVs to pipeline upsets and failures are important. Using SCADA at both wellsites and ESDV sites can provide a significant advantage in limiting any potential sour gas releases. The simplifications associated with buried ESDVs can constitute a significant advantage. Taking all these aspects into consideration, there are substantial benefits to burying ESDVs when compared to both the above ground and vaulted options.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


This piece offers an extended critique of one aspect of the so-called "independent state legislature" theory. That theory, in brief, holds that the federal Constitution gives state legislatures, and withholds from any other state entity, the power to regulate federal elections. Proponents ground their theory in two provisions of the federal Constitution: Article I's Elections Clause, which provides that "[t]he Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof," and Article II's Presidential Electors Clause, which provides that "[e]ach State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress." Proponents defend the theory as consistent with the text and structure of the Constitution, as well as some nineteenth-century practice. While the independent state legislature theory (ISLT) purports to elevate state legislatures in the name of popular sovereignty and democracy, in fact it dramatically expands the power of the federal judiciary at the expense of both. At base, the ISLT is primarily a claim of authority on the part of federal courts: it inverts a core principle of judicial federalism by maintaining that the federal Constitution empowers federal courts to override the judgments of state courts, state executive-branch officials, and state voters about the meaning of state law. In the hands of the current Supreme Court, this assertion of interpretive supremacy imposes on the states a narrow mode of statutory interpretation—textualism—whose key justifications are largely inapplicable to the states, with their myriad and varied institutional arrangements. The ISLT is fatally inconsistent with basic precepts of both federalism and the separation of powers. But more than that, the ISLT is a lawless power grab by the federal courts masquerading as deference to a romanticized vision of the state legislature that fails to take state institutional design choices seriously on their own terms.


We demonstrate significantly improved performance of a microwave true time delay line based on an integrated optical frequency comb source. The broadband micro-comb (over 100 nm wide) features a record low free spectral range (FSR) of 49 GHz, resulting in an unprecedented record high channel number (81 over the C band)—the highest number of channels for an integrated comb source used for microwave signal processing. We theoretically analyze the performance of a phased array antenna and show that this large channel count results in a high angular resolution and wide beam-steering tunable range. This demonstrates the feasibility of our approach as a competitive solution toward implementing integrated photonic true time delays in radar and communications systems.


Pyridinone derivatives are potent and specific inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) and HIV-1 replication in cell culture. However, the potential clinical usefulness of these compounds as monotherapeutic agents may be limited by the selection of inhibitor-resistant viral variants. Resistance in cell culture is due primarily to mutational alterations at RT amino acid residues 103 and 181. A recombinant HIV-1 RT containing both of these mutations was used to screen a panel of pyridinone analogs for inhibitory activity. L-696,229 and L-697,661, pyridinones currently undergoing clinical evaluation, were more than 4,000-fold weaker against the mutant enzyme than against the wild-type enzyme. In contrast, one derivative of L-696,229, L-702,019 (3-[2-(4,7-dichlorobenzoxazol-2-yl)ethyl]-5-ethyl-6-methylpyrid in-2(1H)-thione), showed only three-fold different potencies against the two enzymes. L-702,019 was also a potent inhibitor of the replication of mutant HIV-1 containing the individual mutations at amino acid 103 or 181 as well as of clinical isolates resistant to L-697,661 and L-696,229. Isolation and analysis of resistant viral variants in cell culture showed that significant resistance to L-702,019 could be engendered only by multiple amino acid substitutions in RT. Accordingly, these studies demonstrated the potential of identifying second-generation specific HIV-1 RT inhibitors that can overcome the viral resistance selected by the first generation of inhibitors.


A serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level three times higher than normal, found on routine laboratory examination, prompted further evaluation of a 57-year-old man. At admission, his temperature was 36.8°C (98.2°F), blood pressure was 120/85 mm Hg, pulse rate was 90 beats per minute, and respiration rate was 19 breaths per minute. The physical examination was unrevealing, and the patient's personal and family medical histories were unremarkable.


A one dimensional quantum-hydrodynamic/particle-in-cell (QHD/PIC) model is used to study the interaction process of an intense proton beam (injection density of 1017 cm−3) with a dense plasma (initial density of ~ 1021 cm−3), with the PIC method for simulating the beam particle dynamics and the QHD model for considering the quantum effects including the quantum statistical and quantum diffraction effects. By means of the QHD theory, the wake electron density and wakefields are calculated, while the proton beam density is calculated by the PIC method and compared to hydrodynamic results to justify that the PIC method is a more suitable way to simulate the beam particle dynamics. The calculation results show that the incident continuous proton beam when propagating in the plasma generates electron perturbations as well as wakefields oscillations with negative valleys and positive peaks where the proton beams are repelled by the positive wakefields and accelerated by the negative wakefields. Moreover, the quantum correction obviously hinders the electron perturbations as well as the wakefields. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the quantum effects in the interaction of a proton beam with cold dense plasmas, such as in the metal films.


Garnet with a complex compositional zoning was found from the northern edge of the Western Iratsu body in the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt of the Besshi district, southwest Japan. The studied garnet shows incipient Mn–reverse (increase) zoning from the center part and subsequent Mn–bell shape type (decrease) zoning towards the outer part, which is almost identical to the 'Mn–caldera shaped zoning' described by Xu et al. (1994) and Banno and Nakamura (2004). In order to display the chemical characteristics sterically, three–dimensional X–ray chemical mapping was performed for one very–coarse grain of garnet. The result clearly displays that there is a high–Mn layer with faceted euhedral shape of the garnet at the intermediate part, and that its composition continuously changes from the inside to the outside. Inclusion arrays in garnet getting across the high– Mn layer also suggest the continuous growth of the garnet. In the same sample, garnets without Mn–caldera shaped zoning are ubiquitously observed, which are relatively small in size up to 5 mm in diameter. Inclusion mineral assemblage in garnet and Raman barometry suggest the peak P–T conditions of the studied sample not having reached the eclogite facies, but being the epidote–amphibolite facies. The formation process of the 'Mn– caldera shaped zoning' can be best explained by the disequilibrium crystal growth under oversaturation of garnet in MnO–(MgO + FeO) binary system. Such oversaturation can be triggered by rapid heating. The finding of the remnant of rapid heating event would provide an important clue to discuss the exhumation history of the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt.


Tourism sector is one of the driving sectors of economic growth for some regions in East Java, especially in Batu City and Malang Regency. The objective of the research is to identify social economy institution in an attempt to enhance local society's economy in tourism areas in East Java. The research area covers Jatim Park tourism area in Batu City and Balekambang Coastal Resort in Malang Regency. Using an action research as the research methodology, the respondents are classified into the micro small business agents, the tourist, and the manager of tourism area. The research finding shows that 1) the Small Middle Enterprises (SMEs) on Jatim Park Tourism Area and Balekambang Beach are still dominated by local citizens; this means that tourism object can provide employment and income for the locals, 2) the tourists are still dominated by local tourist and those from other cities in East Java, and 3) the manager of tourism area keep on improving the management of the tourism objects in order to attract the tourist visits. In other side, the accessibility of capitalization as the measurement of economic capacity shows that there are a lot of SME agents who have not been able to get the access to capitalization from the banks, especially those in Balekambang tourism resort unlike most of SMEs agents in Jatim Park who have succeeded in getting capitalization access from the banks. Meanwhile, the trades associations in the tourism area have developed and given a lot of advantages to its members, so that it supports the local economy institution.


This article summarizes the architectural aspects of a next-generation network in terms of general principles, functional representation, and typical implementation. According to the general reference model, which assumes decoupling of services and transport, NGN can be represented by multiple functional groups. One of the key implementations for session-based services, utilizing an IP multimedia subsystem, is introduced with enhanced features to meet both fixed and mobile network requirements.


Light is universally understood as essential to the human condition. Yet light quality varies substantially in nature and in controlled environments leading to questions of which artificial light characteristics facilitate maximum learning. Recent research has examined lighting variables of color temperature, and illumination for affecting sleep, mood, focus, motivation, concentration, and work and school performance. This has resulted in artificial light systems intended to support human beings in their actualization through dynamic lighting technology allowing for different lighting conditions per task. A total of 84 third graders were exposed to either focus (6000K-100fc average maintained) or normal lighting. Focus lighting led to a higher percentage increase in oral reading fluency performance (36%) than did control lighting (17%). No lighting effects were found for motivation or concentration, possibly attributable to the younger age level of respondents as compared with European studies. These findings illuminate the need for further research on artificial light and learning.


Abstract Sexual violence is a pervasive problem that continues to affect many women's lives around the world. The cultural environment enables the continued perpetration of these crimes and the (re)production of these cultural environments as well as their subjects through visual arts, particularly cinema. In this article, the mutually constitutive relationship between the rape culture in Turkey and Turkish cinema, with its particular themes and characters, is explored and described in order to shed light upon the social setting that both produces and consumes the rape-themed movies while normalizing and allowing rape.


Illegal Entry Accountability Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of State to suspend all U.S. foreign assistance to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, except for assistance under the international narcotic control law enforcement program. Allows reinstatement of assistance only if Congress determines that Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have taken sufficient action to mitigate unlawful U.S.-Mexico border crossings by their respective citizens.


A key research area in wireless transmission is underwater communications. It has a vital role in applications such as underwater sensor networks (UWSNs) and disaster detection. The underwater channel is very unique as compared to other alternatives of transmission channels. It is characterized by path loss, multipath fading, Doppler spread and ambient noise. Thus, the bit error rate (BER) is increased to a large extent when compared to its counterpart of cellular communications. Acoustic signals are the current best solution for underwater communications. The use of electromagnetic or optical waves obviously entails a much higher data rate. However, they suffer from high attenuation, absorption or scattering. This paper proposes a novel fractional fast Fourier transform (FrFT)—orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (FrFT-OFDM) system for underwater acoustic (UWA) communication—which employs the amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation technique (FrFT-ASK-OFDM). Specifically, ASK achieves a better bandwidth efficiency as compared to other commonly used modulation techniques, such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and phase shift keying (PSK). In particular, the system proposed in this article can achieve a very promising BER performance, and can reach higher data rates when compared to other systems proposed in the literature. The BER performance of the proposed system is evaluated numerically, and is compared to the corresponding M-ary QAM system in the UWA channel for the same channel conditions. Moreover, the performance of the proposed system is compared to the conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT)-OFDM (FFT-OFDM) system in the absence and presence of the effect of carrier frequency offset (CFO). Numerical results show that the proposed system outperforms the conventional FFT-based systems for UWA channels, even in channels dominated by CFO. Moreover, the spectral efficiency and data rate of the proposed system are approximately double the values of the corresponding conventional OFDM systems for the same parameters.


LD 6 is our "Generalized Colleague", a Leading Designer specialized in computer and communication system hardware, and pioneering/emerging/novel ICT application projects, in particular those intended for computer control systems, especially for the electric power industry. He assumed that the pioneers of the computing industry, of the best results in computer hardware, software and application projects should have the best results in defining and investigating the technological as well as off-technology (not technological aspects) of the computer development around the world. The Ld 6 is the nickname of the Leading Designer who devised an ICT book (Book 1) to disclose the impacts of the technological and off-technology aspects upon the ICT development in the countries similar to Hungary and Poland that were the most successful East Europe (Comecon) Countries developing ICT by their own and meeting the requirements of the general human culture, i.e. the ICT honest design and development. The history of writing the Book and publishing it is the subject matter of our paper (This paper). The publishing process of our Book was, generally and unfortunately, similar to rather popular of the ICT rather technology transfer process when the citizens of the technology beneficiary countries are treated similarly to the Ld 6, the basic complex hero of this paper.


Abstract: Presently, it is clear that the brain, immune system, and endocrine system build a complex network of interactions at various levels. Inflammation, which may be regarded as a stressful challenge, initiates apart from immunological, autonomic, and neuroendocrine responses also profound behavioral (e.g., immobility, social disinterest) changes. Key mediators herein are corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and cytokines, such as interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β). Currently, the behavioral changes, collectively termed sickness behavior, are thought to be adaptive responses to support the body's efforts to fight the infection. Using in vivo microdialysis and biotelemetry in freely moving animals, we have studied the monoaminergic circuits in the brain implicated in the regulation of physiological and behavioral responses to a peripheral inflammatory challenge (see also chapter of Linthorst and Reul in this volume). To expand our insight into the relationship between hypersecretion of CRH and physiological and behavioral abnormalities associated with stress‐related disorders, a series of experiments was conducted with long‐term centrally CRH‐infused rats. These rats showed reduced body weight gain, decreased food intake, elevated plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels, thymus involution and immunosuppression, but, paradoxically, enhanced IL‐1β mRNA expression in spleen macrophages. After a peripheral endotoxic challenge on the seventh day of treatment, the CRH‐infused rats produced aberrant (i.e., blunted and/or delayed) HPA axis, fever, behavioral, and hippocampal serotonergic responses. However, endotoxin‐induced plasma IL‐1 and IL‐6 bioactivities were significantly enhanced in these animals. The data show that chronically elevated central CRH levels as occurring during chronic stress result in defective central nervous system and immune system responses to an acute (inflammatory) challenge. These observations provide evidence that chronic CRH hypersecretion is an important factor in the etiology of stress‐related disorders.


Plantar fasciitis, a self-limiting pathologic entity, is a common cause of heel pain in adult patients. Surgical treatment is indicated when the patient does not improve after receiving conservative treatment for 4-6 months with proper surveillance. The complications of percutaneous techniques include: infection, persistent pain, and neurologic injuries, among others. We report the case of a patient with calcaneus fracture following percutaneous plantar fasciotomy and resection of a calcaneal spur. We conducted a review and discussion of the literature.


The glycation of human serum albumin (HSA) plays a critical role in the development of many disorders. Herein, the anti-glycation effects of several natural dietary anthraquinone derivatives including aloin, aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, and rhein were evaluated. The anthraquinones at 100 μM reduced fructose-, methylglyoxal-, and glyoxal-induced HSA glycation by 21% (aloe-emodin) to 92% (aloin), 17% (physcion) to 94% (emodin), and 16% (anthraquinone) to 67% (emodin), respectively. These anthraquinone derivatives also protected HSA by maintaining its free amino acid residues and secondary protein structure as characterized by circular dichroism. The mechanisms of their anti-glycation effects were investigated using rhein as a representative anthraquinone. The interactions between rhein and HSA were evaluated by biophysical characterizations, namely, isothermal titration calorimetry and UV-vis spectroscopy as well as computational modeling. Our findings suggest that the anti-glycation effects of these anthraquinones may be attributed to their binding capacity and stabilization of the HSA protein structure.


In this study, an ethanol extract of Turnera ulmifolia L. (EETU) and chlorpromazine (CPZ) were tested for their antimicrobial activity alone or in combination with conventional antibiotics against two strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The growth of neither E. coli strain was inhibited by the extract. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration values were ≥1 mg/ml for both the strains of E. coli. However, the extract did increase the antimicrobial effects of amikacin, neomycin, and tobramycin. A similar effect of CPZ on amikacin, kanamycin, and tobramycin indicated the involvement of an efflux system in the resistance to these aminoglycosides. Results suggest that extracts from T. ulmifolia could be used as a plant-derived natural product with resistance-modifying activity, constituting a new weapon against bacterial resistance to antibiotics.