The geometries and energetics of tritungstaboranes Cp3W3(H)Bn−3Hn−3 (Cp = η5-C5H5; n = 5 to 12), related to the experimentally known Cp*3W3(H)B8H8 (Cp* = η5-Me5C5), have been investigated using density functional theory and coupled cluster calculations. Such low-energy structures have central W3Bn−3 deltahedra with superimposed bonded W3 triangles. The "extra" hydrogen atom either bridges a deltahedral edge or caps a deltahedral face containing at least one tungsten atom. The tungsten atoms are located at degree 5 to 7 vertices in regions of a relatively low surface curvature whereas the boron atoms are located at degree 3 to 5 vertices in regions of a relatively high surface curvature. The five lowest-energy structures of the 11-vertex tritungstaborane Cp3W3(H)B8H8 all have the same central W3B8 deltahedron and differ only by the location of the "extra" hydrogen atom. The isosceles W3 triangles in these structures have two long ∼3.0 A W–W edges through the inside of the deltahedron with the third shorter W–W edge of ∼2.7 to ∼2.8 A corresponding to a surface deltahedral edge. The five Cp3W3(H)B8H8 structures differ only by the location of the "extra" hydrogen atom. The lowest energy such structure has the "extra" hydrogen atom bridging the surface W–W bond and corresponds to the experimental Cp*3W3(H)B8H8 structure, as determined using X-ray crystallography.


A renewed Cold War with a new Central Front in Europe threatens international security. NATO's arc of crisis stretches from Ukraine in the northeast to Turkey and Syria in the south. The Warsaw Pact dissolved in 1991 but NATO's nuclear posture continues to threaten Russians who fear NATO expansion. Evidence of heavy-handed U.S. diplomacy in Europe has raised concerns about American intentions in Ukraine. The failed 2015 negotiations surrounding the United Nations Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty indicate it is time the Nuclear Weapon States in the 29-member NATO alliance move NATO's posture away from the Strategic Concept toward nuclear disarmament rather than deterrence.


Despite the fact that a large quantity of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been identified, their functions remain unclear. To enable researchers to have a better understanding of ncRNAs' functions, we updated the NPInter database to version 3.0, which contains experimentally verified interactions between ncRNAs (excluding tRNAs and rRNAs), especially long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and other biomolecules (proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs and genomic DNAs). In NPInter v3.0, interactions pertaining to ncRNAs are not only manually curated from scientific literature but also curated from high-throughput technologies. In addition, we also curated lncRNA–miRNA interactions from in silico predictions supported by AGO CLIP-seq data. When compared with NPInter v2.0, the interactions are more informative (with additional information on tissues or cell lines, binding sites, conservation, co-expression values and other features) and more organized (with divisions on data sets by data sources, tissues or cell lines, experiments and other criteria). NPInter v3.0 expands the data set to 491,416 interactions in 188 tissues (or cell lines) from 68 kinds of experimental technologies. NPInter v3.0 also improves the user interface and adds new web services, including a local UCSC Genome Browser to visualize binding sites. Additionally, NPInter v3.0 defined a high-confidence set of interactions and predicted the functions of lncRNAs in human and mouse based on the interactions curated in the database. NPInter v3.0 is available at http://www.bioinfo.org/NPInter/. Database URL: http://www.bioinfo.org/NPInter/


A growth chamber study was conducted on two Saskatchewan soils to assess the effect of application of different types of animal manure with different C:N ratios on canola yield and nitrogen uptake. Treatments consisted of 13 different manure amendments with large variance of C:N ratio added at a rate of 100 mg N kg-1. Addition of the solid manure amendments in two soils generally did not result in large increases in canola yield and N uptake, except for two amendments with a C:N of about 7. Generally, cattle manures had little impact on short-term release of available N if the organic C:N ratio was in the range of 13-15 and tended to decrease N availability in the short-term if the organic C:N ratio was over 15. The N supply rate measured by anion exchange membrane was quite well correlated with plant N uptake differences obtained among the treatments.


The 1990 exercise objectives for older adults devel- oped by the Public Health Service (PHs) are twofold: (1) 50% of adults are 65 years and older should be engaged in appropriate phys- ical activity, and (2) the proportion of adults who can accurately identify the variety and duration of exercise thought to promote most effectively cardiovascular fitness should be greater than 70%. Pre- liminary findings from the 1985 National Health Promotion inter- view Survey paint a very pessimistic picture for the attainment of these objectives. However, there is growing criticism of the PHs Objectives as bein8 too lofty and ina propriately conceived. This article discusses t h ~ s debate and inch f es implications that may fol- low for exercise leaders who dcsign physical activity programs for older adults.


Maintaining network loops, and hence attaining acceptable system reliability, has been a challenge in the optimal design of water distribution networks. Aimed at a possible solution to the problem, this paper has two objectives: to introduce a new reliability-based optimal design formulation and a model, and to examine the effect of specifying minimum allowable pipe sizes during least-cost designs on system reliability. System reliability is estimated using the minimum cut-set method, but instead of using the mechanical failure probabilities of pipes, weighted failure probabilities are calculated by considering the ratio of the actual supply to demand. One of the salient features of this study and the new reliability-based design model in particular, is that a pressure-driven network simulation model is used to determine the actual supply at each demand point when a component fails. A simplified two-loop network is used to illustrate the performance of the new model and to study the effect of specifying minimum allowable pipe sizes. The results obtained show that the new model preserves loops and results in a system with better reliability; and, if appropriate, minimum allowable pipe sizes are specified in the least-cost design, a required reliability can be attained with a reasonably low cost.


Three phase double mode inverter system was researched in this paper, whose input was battery bank system with PV generation. This system can be operated in stand-alone mode by connecting to local load and also in grid-connected mode by paralleling with grid. When in stand-alone mode, system worked as voltage source, while when in grid-connected mode, the output current of inverter was controlled following with grid. A transition algorithm to restrain current inrush and fast detection of switch and grid status make sure the seamless transition between grid-connected and stand-alone. This inverter system has advantage of simple structure and easy to implement, so that it was appropriate for micro-grid. .


This paper is concerned with a manufacturing process and technology to facilitate the economical manufacture of high-quality magnesium alloy sheets. Magnesium alloys AZ31, AZ61, AM60 and AZ91 were used to investigate the appropriate anufacturing conditions for use in twin-roll strip casting. Temperatures of the molten materials and roll speeds were varied to find the appropriate manufacturing conditions. The effects of manufacturing conditions on possible forming were clarified in terms of roll speeds and roll gaps between upper and lower rolls. In addition, microscopic observation of the microstructure of the finished casting was performed. It was clarified that a magnesium sheet of 2.5 to 4.5mm thickness could be produced at a speed of 20 m/min by a horizontal copper roll caster. It was also found that the cast magnesium sheet of AZ31, AZ61, AM60 and AZ91 manufactured by roll strip casting could be used for plastic forming if the appropriate magnesium sheets were produced after the roll casting process. By a warm deep drawing test, it also demonstrated that a limiting drawing ratio of 2.4 was possible in the case of AZ91 sheet that was difficult to be manufactured by conventional extrusion process or DC casting and hot-rolling process for magesium alloy sheets with high aluminium contents.


Context: Deterioration in mental health and poor quality of life (QOL) among women suffering from breast and ovarian cancer is not a direct result of the illness but mediated by many other psychosocial variables. Aims: The study intended to examine if there was any effect of educational level, residential status, family type, duration of treatment, and income level of family on anxiety, depression, and QOL among the breast and ovarian cancer patients, undergoing second- or subsequent-line chemotherapy. Subjects and Methods: Forty married female cancer patients with breast and ovarian cancer, aging between 40 and 60 years, education level ranges from no formal education to postgraduate degree, income level ranges from Rs. 1000 per month to Rs. 20000 per month, and undergoing second- or subsequent-line chemotherapy for the past 1–10 years were studied. Levels of anxiety and depression were determined by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The QOL was measured by using WHO QOLBREF scale. Statistical Analysis Used: Mean and standard deviation and Levene's F values were calculated. If Levene's F value was significant, then Mann–Whitney U-test was done or else independent samples t-test was used. Results: Among all the variables, education, residential status, and income affect significantly on anxiety, depression, and QOL. Conclusions: Early detection of psychosocial variables is essential for better screening of the cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and therefore, further psychological intervention can be planned accordingly.


We measured Ni partitioning between olivine and melt, D^(ol/liq)_(Ni), in experiments on mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) encapsulated in olivine at pressures from 1 atm to 3·0 GPa and temperatures from 1400 to 1550°C. We present a series of experiments where the temperature (T) at each pressure (P) was selected so that the liquid composition remained approximately constant over the entire P–T range. This approach allowed us to investigate the effects of T and P on D^(ol/liq)_(Ni), independent of substantial changes in liquid composition. Our experiments show that for a liquid with ∼18 wt% MgO, D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) decreases from 5·0 to 3·8 as the temperature increases from 1400 to 1550°C. Fitting our experimental results and literature data to thermodynamic expressions for D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) as a function of both temperature and liquid composition shows that the small variations in liquid composition in our experiments account for little of the observed variation of D^(ol/liq)_(Ni). Because the changes in volume and heat capacity of the exchange reaction MgSi_(0-5)O^(ol)_2 + D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) ↔ NiSi_(0-5)O^(ol)_2 + MgO^(liq) are small, D^(molar)_(Ni), the Ni partition coefficient on a molar basis, is well described by In(D^(molar)_(Ni))=-^(Δ_rHo_(T_(ref)),P_(ref)/_(RT) + ^Δ_rSo_(T_(ref),P_(ref))/_R - In (X^(liq)_(MgO)/X^(ol)_(MgSi)_(0-5)O_2) with Δ_rH^o_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = 4375 K and Δ_rSo_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = –2·023 for our data (Δ_rH^o_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = 4338 K and Δ_rSo_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = –1·956 for our experiments combined with a compilation of literature data). This expression is easy to use and applicable to a wide range of pressures, temperatures, and phase compositions. Based on our results and data from the literature, the temperature dependence of D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) leads to the prediction that when a deep partial melt from a peridotitic mantle source is brought to low pressure and cooled, the first Mg-rich olivines to crystallize can have significantly higher NiO contents than those in the residual source from which the melt was extracted. This enrichment in Ni is driven by the difference between the temperature of low-pressure crystallization and the temperature of melt extraction from the residue. The average observed enrichment of Ni in forsteritic olivine phenocrysts from Hawaii—relative to the typical olivines from mantle peridotites—is consistent with a simple scenario of high-temperature partial melting of an olivine-bearing source at the base of the lithosphere followed by low-temperature crystallization of olivine. The most extreme enrichments of Ni in Hawaiian olivine phenocrysts and the lower Ni contents of some olivines can also be explained by the known variability of Ni contents of olivines from mantle peridotites via the same simple scenario. Although we cannot rule out alternative hypotheses for producing the high-Ni olivines observed in Hawaii and elsewhere, these processes or materials are unnecessary to account for NiO enrichments in olivine. The absolute temperature, in addition to the difference between the temperature of melt segregation from the residue and the temperature of low-pressure crystallization, is a significant factor in determining the degree of Ni enrichment in olivine phenocrysts relative to the olivines in the mantle source. The moderate Ni enrichment observed in most komatiitic olivines compared with those of Hawaii may result from the higher absolute temperatures required to generate MgO-rich komatiitic melts. Observed NiO enrichments in early crystallizing komatiitic olivine are consistent with their high temperatures of crystallization and with a deep origin for the komatiite parental melts.


Transcription factors are a family of DNA-binding proteins involved in the regulation of all cellular processes. One particular area of transcription factor function is the process of apoptosis, the deregulation of which is involved in cancer. The study of transcription factors may therefore provide a novel perspective on cancer aetiology, as well as insight into potential treatment opportunities. However, research into transcription factor activity has traditionally been hindered by technical limitations. Firstly, transcription factors being such potent molecules need only be present at a low concentration within a cell, thus requiring sensitive methods of detection, or a large cell sample for analysis. Secondly, their tertiary protein structures present problems for interactions with inhibitory pharmaceutical agents, limiting their clinical application.

The aim of this project was to develop a method to overcome these obstacles; a method for the quantification of active transcription factors, with the sensitivity for analysing endogenous transcription factors, and the high throughput adaptability as a screen for testing molecules altering a transcription factor's DNA-binding activity. This method is based on the isolation of a synthetic oligonucleotide probe complexed with the transcription factor of interest, using Protein-A conjugated magnetic bead immunopurification. The synthetic oligonucleotide is subsequently quantified using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction. The complex of synthetic oligonucleotide, transcription factor and antibody was shown by the Electromobility supershift assay to form under a defined set of experimental conditions, and the synthetic oligonucleotide reliably detected by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction. Following optimisation, this method was able to quantify purified p53, with a sensitivity of 5 ng, However, in the scope of this project, performance was not sufficient for detection of endogenous p53 from LS174T cells. Further optimisations are required to reach this goal in order to compete with commercially available Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay based methods.


As businesses are continuously developing new services, procedures, and standards, electronic business has emerged into an important aspect of the science field by providing various applications through efficiently and rapidly processing information among business partners.Research and Development in E-Business through Service-Oriented Solutions highlights the main concepts of e-business as well as the advanced methods, technologies, and aspects that focus on technical support. This book is an essential reference source of professors, students, researchers, developers, and other industry experts in order to provide a vast amount of specialized knowledge sources for promoting e-business.


INTRODUCTION
The course of both the bacterial species and load and the incidence of infection during negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) are unclear, with published studies presenting contradicting results.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is to assess the changes in both bacterial species and load, as well as the incidence of infection, before and after NPWT in a patient population with a variety of wounds.

METHODS
Surgical patients 18 years of age or older who needed NPWT were included in this multicenter, prospective cohort study. A wound swab culture was taken before NPWT and either immediately following NPWT or 6 weeks of follow-up. The change of bacterial species, bacterial load, and rate of infection were determined before and after the start of NPWT.

RESULTS
In total, 104 patients were analyzed. The number of positive cultures increased from pre- to post-NPWT. The most cultured pathogenic bacterium was Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterial load was moderately higher at the end of NPWT than at the start (P ⟨ .0001). It was noted that 2 swabs contained multidrug-resistant bacteria, 1 pre-NPWT and 1 post-NPWT. Prior to NPWT, 26 patients had a wound infection, 5 of which had a persisting infection at the end of the study. Post-NPWT, 14 patients developed a wound infection.

CONCLUSIONS
The number of S aureus strains and overall bacterial load increased during NPWT, and the incidence of infection remained the same. Further studies should be conducted to determine whether the increase in bacterial load influences other wound outcome parameters.


Previous research has not been able to identify a distinct personality style that refers specifically to obese individuals. The purpose of this investigation was to explore whether different personality-based groups can be identified in obese individuals, as has been shown with eating disorder patients. Data were collected from 149 obese patients (BMI = 37.3, ± 6.4; 83% female) seeking dietary treatment and psychological support for their weight problems. Participants completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III; Millon, 1997) and a battery of eight measures assessing psychological distress, mood states, eating behaviors, obesity-related quality of life, and interpersonal problems. The MCMI-III personality scales were cluster analysed to classify participants into personality subtypes. Three personality clusters were retained (externalizing, internalizing, high-functioning), and several differences in the validating variables emerged across the three personality subtypes. The internalizing group reported the greatest level of personality distress and an increased likelihood of poor psychosocial functioning and high eating behavior symptoms. Findings support the clinical utility of personality subtypes in obesity. Future work is needed to identify causal pathways between personality typologies and eating disorders in obese individuals.


Abstract Objective: To determine the changes in severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serologic status and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in healthcare workers (HCWs) over 6-months of follow-up. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting and participants: HCWs in the Chicago area. Methods: Cohort participants were recruited in May and June 2020 for baseline serology testing (Abbott anti-nucleocapsid IgG) and were then invited for follow-up serology testing 6 months later. Participants completed monthly online surveys that assessed demographics, medical history, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and exposures to SARS-CoV-2. The electronic medical record was used to identify SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity during follow-up. Serologic conversion and SARS-CoV-2 infection or possible reinfection rates (cases per 10,000 person days) by antibody status at baseline and follow-up were assessed. Results: In total, 6,510 HCWs were followed for a total of 1,285,395 person days (median follow-up, 216 days). For participants who had baseline and follow-up serology checked, 285 (6.1%) of the 4,681 seronegative participants at baseline seroconverted to positive at follow-up; 138 (48%) of the 263 who were seropositive at baseline were seronegative at follow-up. When analyzed by baseline serostatus alone, 519 (8.4%) of 6,194 baseline seronegative participants had a positive PCR after baseline serology testing (4.25 per 10,000 person days). Of 316 participants who were seropositive at baseline, 8 (2.5%) met criteria for possible SARS-CoV-2 reinfection (ie, PCR positive >90 days after baseline serology) during follow-up, a rate of 1.27 per 10,000 days at risk. The adjusted rate ratio for possible reinfection in baseline seropositive compared to infection in baseline seronegative participants was 0.26 (95% confidence interval, 0.13–0.53). Conclusions: Seropositivity in HCWs is associated with moderate protection from future SARS-CoV-2 infection.


Amniotic band syndrome (ABS) is a rare collection of malformations associated with thread-like strands connecting the amnion and any part of the fetus. A case is reported where the constriction rings and amputation of fingers and the cleft lip/cleft palate constituted the main features of this syndrome.


The contour-guided color palette (CCP) is proposed for robust image segmentation. It efficiently integrates contour and color cues of an image. To find representative colors of an image, color samples along long contours between regions, similar in spirit to machine learning methodology that focus on samples near decision boundaries, are collected followed by the mean-shift (MS) algorithm in the sampled color space to achieve an image-dependent color palette. This color palette provides a preliminary segmentation in the spatial domain, which is further fine-tuned by post-processing techniques such as leakage avoidance, fake boundary removal, and small region mergence. Segmentation performances of CCP and MS are compared and analyzed. While CCP offers an acceptable standalone segmentation result, it can be further integrated into the framework of layered spectral segmentation to produce a more robust segmentation. The superior performance of CCP-based segmentation algorithm is demonstrated by experiments on the Berkeley Segmentation Dataset.


Female-female competition has been relatively overlooked in favour of male-male competition for mates, but it can also have important reproductive consequences. There are an increasing number of studies describing conditions where females compete to obtain breeding rank, gain access to or control resources or actively defend young. Communally breeding females are thought to be relatively egalitarian, sharing the cost of parental care with other females. Hence little attention has been paid to the potential for competition in such breeding systems, despite evidence of aggression and reproductive suppression between females. This thesis therefore explores the extent of competitive behaviours between female wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus), a species with communal care of young, and investigates the physiological effects of competition and its consequences for breeding success and reproductive output. I examined the effects of age and other characteristics that may predict the degree of female competition. I identified that body mass, relative age of social partners, urinary testosterone concentration and reproductive experience were all useful predictors for the amount of competitive behaviour observed between female pairs. Following competitive female interaction I found that urinary testosterone and protein output increased, but there was no significant change in body mass and no significant effect on oestrus cycle length. Older females (> 12 months) with competitive experience had larger adrenal glands compared to females previously housed with their sisters, suggesting a possible stress response to competitive interaction. There was also evidence that competitively housed females had enlarged clitoral glands, which may play a role in signalling social status. As female house mice were found to compete and assume social ranks, I investigated the impact of female social status on male mate choice and mating behaviour. There was no evidence of significant male preference for more or less competitive females prior to or after competitive interaction in a choice test with restricted access to females or when presented with female odours. To investigate breeding behaviour I introduced female pairs to a male in semi-naturalistic enclosures, filming continuously over a four day period to examine mating attempts and female behaviour. Interestingly males mounted less competitive females either exclusively or preferentially during the test, with a small number of competitive females interrupting mating behaviour between their social partners and the male. Therefore males may prefer female partners that are less likely to act aggressively towards their advances. The effect of female competition on reproductive success was examined by comparing breeding success of subjects under solitary and communal breeding conditions. Despite the prediction that reproductive success increases for secondary litters in house mice, reproductive output was significantly reduced for more and less competitive females in the communal nest compared to previous output in a solitary nest. This finding illustrates the negative impact of competition on reproductive success. Females that gave birth first in communal nests also had significantly fewer pups present on post natal day one compared to females that gave birth second. Interestingly female offspring of more competitive females in this experiment went on to produce larger litters on average than females born to less competitive females. Litters were also likely to be male biased if females had been reared in a competitive environment rather than a solitary nest, suggesting that competitive ability and rearing environments can both influence reproductive success for offspring. These results, together with evidence in the literature, suggest that competition does occur between communally breeding females, and that reproductive success can be affected as a result. However competition between communal females may be less intense than between females in cooperative systems, where reproductive skew is biased towards one or two individual females in a group. Using a comparative analysis I found that cooperatively breeding species had increased reproductive output compared to other polytocous species, which is likely to be influenced by the presence of non-breeding helpers in the nest site. Cooperative species also had decreased inter-litter intervals compared to non-cooperative species, as well as a reduction in lactation length and protein content of milk. Communal species were found to have increased offspring growth and reduced sexual size dimorphism, suggesting that competition between females may have resulted in selection for increased female body mass. Together these results illustrate the significance of female competition in wild house mice, with consequences for mating behaviour and reproductive success, as well as the evolutionary implications of female-female competition in mammalian species residing in communal breeding systems.


Resilience has a long history of academic and applied interest, initiated by early realist studies into 'vulnerable' populations which explored the finding that not all children in difficult circumstances succumbed to poor outcomes (e.g. Rutter et al, 1975a & 1975b, summarised in Rutter, 1979). Criticisms of this approach generated qualitative studies exploring cultural differences in resilience (e.g. Ungar, 2006), and qualitative studies eliciting the voices of young people in adverse circumstances (e.g. Washington 2008). However these types of studies were still often motivated by application to practice so took a critical realist approach instead of challenging the concept of resilience itself.

My interest in resilience emerged through an awareness that in practice young people are often labelled as resilient or vulnerable, with little critical thinking around how such labels might owe more to adult perceptions than to young people's experiences, particularly, I found, when working with young women. The aim of this research, therefore, was to elicit young women's views on resilience as a construct. Q methodology was deemed most appropriate for the topic's complexity and for a participant cohort that may not have personally experienced 'adverse circumstances'. Thirty eight female participants from one girls' grammar school sorted fifty-two statements from most unimportant (1) to most important (9). A factor analysis was completed and a four factor solution identified: 'Resilience is... supportive relationships and surroundings', 'Resilience is... having the individual skills and effort to develop myself and achieve my goals', 'Resilience is... having the internal skills and traits to achieve my educational goals' and 'Resilience is... having friends and positive surroundings'.

Findings are discussed with relation to existing literature, and the relevance of findings is explored in relation to school and educational psychology practice. Strengths and limitations of the study are considered, and suggestions for future research given.


Coxiella burnetii, a Gram‐negative obligate intracellular pathogen, replicates within an parasitophorous vacuole with lysosomal characteristics. To understand how C. burnetii maintains genomic integrity in this environment, a database search for genes involved in DNA repair was performed. Major components of repair, SOS response and recombination were identified, including recA and ruvABC, but lexA and recBCD were absent. Instead, C. burnetii possesses addAB orthologous genes, functional equivalents to recBCD. Survival after treatment with UV, mitomycin C (MC) or methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), as well as homologous recombination in Hfr mating was restored in Escherichia coli deletion strains by C. burnetii recA or addAB. Despite the absence of LexA, co‐protease activity for C. burnetii RecA was demonstrated. Dominant‐negative inhibition of C. burnetii RecA by recA mutant alleles, modelled after E. coli recA1 and recA56, was observed and more apparent with expression of C. burnetii RecAG159D mutant protein. Expression of a subset of repair genes in C. burnetii was monitored and, in contrast to the non‐inducible E. coli recBCD, addAB expression was strongly upregulated under oxidative stress. Constitutive SOS gene expression due to the lack of LexA and induction of AddAB likely reflect a unique repair adaptation of C. burnetii to its hostile niche.


Abstraction refinement techniques in probabilistic model checking are prominent approaches to the verification of very large or infinite-state probabilistic concurrent systems. At the core of the refinement step lies the implicit or explicit analysis of a counterexample. This paper proposes an abstraction refinement approach for the probabilistic computation tree logic (PCTL), which is based on incrementally computing a sequence of may- and must-quotient automata. These are induced by depth-bounded bisimulation equivalences of increasing depth. The approach is both sound and complete, since the equivalences converge to the genuine PCTL equivalence. Experimental results with a prototype implementation show the effectiveness of the approach.


Machine learning (ML) is quickly emerging as a powerful tool with diverse applications across an extremely broad spectrum of disciplines and commercial endeavors. Typically, ML is used as a black box that provides little illuminating rationalization of its output. In the current work, we aim to better understand the generic intuition underlying unsupervised ML with a focus on physical systems. The systems that are studied here as test cases comprise of six different 2-dimensional (2-D) particulate systems of different complexities. It is noted that the findings of this study are generic to any unsupervised ML problem and are not restricted to materials systems alone. Three rudimentary unsupervised ML techniques are employed on the adjacency (connectivity) matrix of the six studied systems: (i) using principal eigenvalue and eigenvectors of the adjacency matrix, (ii) spectral decomposition, and (iii) a Potts model based community detection technique in which a modularity function is maximized. We demonstrate that, while solving a completely classical problem, ML technique produces features that are distinctly connected to quantum mechanical solutions. Dissecting these features help us to understand the deep connection between the classical non-linear world and the quantum mechanical linear world through the kaleidoscope of ML technique, which might have far reaching consequences both in the arena of physical sciences and ML.


Numerical analysis of delamination at polymer-metal interfaces depends on phenomenological descriptions of interface adhesion. Therefore, extensive experimental characterization is needed. A physics-based multi-scale framework enables the derivation of interface properties by numerical analysis. Such a framework depends on both molecular and continuum analysis giving information on interfacial behavior at different scales. This work relates to the micro-scale analysis of leadframe/epoxy moulding compound (EMC) interfaces. At the micro-scale, intrinsic adhesion properties resulting from chemical and physical interactions at the molecular scale are used to analyse the geometric effect of leadframe roughness on the resulting macro-scale adhesion properties. It is well-known that a roughened surface enhances interfacial adhesion. Two main reasons for this effect are the increase of effective interfacial area and mechanical interlocking of the EMC within the roughness valleys of the leadframe. This enhancement is investigated by developing a micro-scale FE model consisting of two materials bonded solely by chemical and physical interactions. The topology of the interface follows from the conversion of statistical data of a measured roughness profile into a representative geometrical description. The intended FE model contains cohesive zone elements for both interface and bulk fracture to simulate the competition between adhesive and cohesive failure. The macroscopic traction-separation law is then determined from the micro-scale simulations by means of a homogenisation scheme. Preliminary results for mode I and mode II loadings are presented. These results indicate an enhancement of interface properties from 20% for mode I loading to over 2200% for mode II loading due to interfacial area increase and mechanical interlocking.


While recent face anti-spoofing methods perform well under the intra-domain setups, an effective approach needs to account for much larger appearance variations of images acquired in complex scenes with different sensors for robust performance. In this paper, we present adaptive vision transformers (ViT) for robust cross-domain face antispoofing. Specifically, we adopt ViT as a backbone to exploit its strength to account for long-range dependencies among pixels. We further introduce the ensemble adapters module and feature-wise transformation layers in the ViT to adapt to different domains for robust performance with a few samples. Experiments on several benchmark datasets show that the proposed models achieve both robust and competitive performance against the state-of-the-art methods for cross-domain face anti-spoofing using a few samples.


Different levels of pyruvate, citrate and alpha-ketoglutarate were investigated in the brain tissue of white rats exposed to insulin-induced coma or in various periods following its glucose-cutting. The emergence of pronounced hypoglycemic nervous disorders was followed by a significant decrease in the content of all mentioned acids. Glucose arrest of insulin-caused coma took place in the presence of inactive initial stages of Krebs cycle (citrate synthesis). Restoration of hypoglycemia-affected brain functions had no correlation with the activated citrate synthesis. The levels of citrate and alpha-ketoglutarate normalized 15 minutes after glucose injection and the pyruvate level augmented 30 minutes after the drug administration. It was suggested that the glucose arresting effect demonstrated in insulin coma was conditioned by transformations in glucose carbon lattice regarding pyruvate carboxylising into oxalacetate with further inclusion into brain amino acids and peptides.


Inter-firm collaborations have recently been recognized as a valuable mode for the organization of economic activity, next to markets and hierarchies. This recognition is supported by empirical evidence that strategic alliances between firms facilitate the generation and dissemination of information. However, many existing studies on the topic have failed to address the fact that inter-firm partnerships are embedded in a larger network of partnerships and that the structure of this network has important consequences on the desired outcome. What do inter-firm networks look like? Can we explain their structural properties? Moreover, do the structures of these networks support the potential benefits from inter-firm collaboration? This dissertation puts forward answers relating to these questions and complements existing theoretical and empirical studies in the social and economic network literature. In Chapters 2-4 of the dissertation, we extend on the economic network literature and examine networks of R&D partnerships between firms from the manufacturing industries. From the viewpoint of economic theory, these networks are a means for the generation and dissemination of technical know-how. A so far unexplored question is, however, to what extent economic theory can predict the structures and dynamics of these networks? Moreover, in how far do the structures of the real-world networks deviate from the welfare-optimal structure? These two questions guide the topics in the three chapters. Our descriptive analysis in Chapter 2 shows that the existing networks of R&D partnerships are extremely sparse, but that there are some companies that form a considerable number of partnerships every year. Chapter 3 presents an econometric test of existing economic theories to explain this phenomenon. The results of our test suggest that the heterogeneity is due to scale effects in the formation of R&D partnerships. Chapter 4 addresses the question concerning the social desirability of the observed networks. The central result of our theoretical analysis is that highly concentrated alliance networks are effcient for a wide range of industries. Moreover, the real-world networks might even exhibit too little concentration in their structure. In Chapter 5, we investigate inter-firm networks from a sociological perspective. Here, we consider that, apart from their collaborative partnerships, the firms in a market are also connected through other types of social relations, such as personal ties between their personnel. In the chapter, we examine the role of these ties for the formation and the effects of formal inter-firm partnerships. Two questions are at the heart of our analysis: does the network of personal ties determine which firms collaborate with each other? And if so, does the personal network facilitate the formation of welfare-improving inter-firm partnerships? The chapter presents an empirical enquiry into these questions, where we focus on the specific context of the personal ties of law firms operating in the market for legal services in international mergers and acquisitions. Our ambition is to investigate whether there is a tension between the effects of embeddedness on the profitability of a law firm and the quality of its counseling services. Our findings support such an ambiguous effect.


Background: Some of medicinal plants are a potential source of new drugs to improve the treatment of Chagase disease whose treatment is still a challenge. Here in this screening, the in vitro trypanocidal activity of some fractions for 16 medicinal plants, collected from the northern part of Iran, has been reported. Methods: Aerial parts of the plants were dried carefully and followed by extraction with hexane and methanol, successively, by maceration at room temperature. Different concentrations of the plant extracts in ethanol were investigated against the epimastigotes of T. cruzi. The movement of epimastigotes was observed under a microscope. We assumed that immobilized organisms were died. The negative control contained ethanol in the same proportion utilized to dissolve the drugs. Each assay was performed in duplicate together with gentian violet as a positive control. Results: Results show that hexane extracts of Rubus hyrcanus and Salvia sclerae have been observed the most activity against the epimastigotes of T. cruzi (MLC = 12.5 µg/ml). None of methanol fractions shows trypanocidal activity except Salvia sclerae (MLC = 50 µg/ml). Echium amoenum, Satureja macrantha, S. atropatana and Stachys laxa did not display activity lower than 100 µg/ml in both hexane and methanol extracts. Conclusions: Some of Iranian medicinal plants (Salvia sclerae, Marrubium vulgare and Rubus hyrcanus) could be the promising source of active components against the epimastigotes of T. cruzi and need to further phytochemical and pharmacological studies.


Background: Genua valga are not merely a cosmetic problem but also predispose to gonarthrosis in adult life. In our retrospective study of 25 patients, we reviewed our present technique of medial hemiepiphysiodesis using percutaneous screws and compared it with our own results of stapling. Methods: Clinical evaluation was performed by estimation of the intermalleolar distance, radiological assessment by measuring the hip-knee-ankle angle until skeletal maturity. Average chronological age at the time of surgery was 14.5 years for boys and 12.7 years for girls. Average bone age (main indicator for timing of surgery) was 14.3 years for boys and 12.8 years for girls. Results: There is an average rebound phenomenon after removal of the screws of 2 degrees in one third of our patients. In another third of our patients' population, however, we observed a progression of correction of an average of 2 degrees. More than 90% of the patients were satisfied. None received revision surgery. There was only one person with an uncosmetic scar. Conclusions: Percutaneous screws as treatment of idiopathic genua valga in children seem to be as safe and reliable as stapling but are a less invasive and a more cosmetic treatment. Level of evidence: Our study is a level 3 study in which we compared, in a retrospective way, our results of percutaneous screws with stapling, both performed at our department.


Dog conch (Strombus turturella) is one of important sources of fishery commodities with  high economic values in Bangka Belitung. The needs of Dog conch as consumption still depends on fishermen harvest since its aquaculture has not been cultured until now. This study aims at determining behavior and feeding habit of dog conch. The study was conducted in July 2014 to January 2015. The experiments passed some stages 1) samples was taken in the field by hand collecting, 2) the experiment of seagrass consumed preference, 3) feeding behavior, and 4) Analysis of the stomach contents. The results indicate dog conch does not consume seagrass immediately, but detritus and microalgae species of Thalassiosira sp., Synedra sp., Nitzschia sp., Navicula sp. Dog conch eats by put the probiosis of the shell, then it grinds sediment layer, seagrass leaves and shells of other individuals as source if food. Dog conch behavior from beginning to  ending of the observation includes several stages: 1) Initial treatment actively foraging, 2) Individuals dog conch assembled or in pairs, 3) on the second day, the dog conch hoards himself on the base of the substrate and only elastic probiosis which occasionally appear occasionally at the substrate bottom.


This is a recording of the 2010 Distinguished Instructor Short Course (DISC) by Colin Sayers. The state of stress within the earth has a profound effect on the propagation of seismic and borehole acoustic waves, this leads to many important applications of elastic waves for solving problems in petroleum geomechanics. This course provides an overview of the sensitivity of elastic waves in the earth to the insitu stress, pore pressure, and anisotropy of the rock fabric resulting from the depositional and stress history of the rock, and introduces some of the applications of this sensitivity. The course will provide the basis for applying geophysics and rock physics solutions to geomechanical challenges in exploration, drilling, and production. See catalog #233A for the accompanying DISC book.


AIMS
This paper examines the costs of medical care prior to and following initiation of alcoholism treatment as part of a study of patient matching to treatment modality.

DESIGN
Longitudinal study with pre- and post-treatment initiation.

MEASUREMENTS
The total medical care costs for inpatient and outpatient treatment for patients participating over a span of 3 years post-treatment.

SETTING
Three treatment sites at two of the nine Project MATCH locations (Milwaukee, WI and Providence, RI).

PARTICIPANTS
Two hundred and seventy-nine patients.

INTERVENTION
Patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment modalities: a 12-session cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a four-session motivational enhancement therapy (MET) or a 12-session Twelve-Step facilitation (TSF) treatment over 12 weeks.

FINDINGS
Total medical care costs declined from pre- to post-treatment overall and for each modality. Matching effects independent of clinical prognosis showed that MET has potential for medical-care cost-savings. However, patients with poor prognostic characteristics (alcohol dependence, psychiatric severity and/or social network support for drinking) have better cost-savings potential with CBT and/or TSF.

CONCLUSIONS
Matching variables have significant importance in increasing the potential for medical-care cost-reductions following alcoholism treatment.


We generated from a single blood sample five independent human mAbs that recognized the Sa antigenic site on the head of influenza hemagglutinin and exhibited inhibitory activity against a broad panel of H1N1 strains. All five Abs used the VH3-7 and JH6 gene segments, but at least four independent clones were identified by junctional analysis. High-throughput sequence analysis of circulating B cells revealed that each of the independent clones were members of complex phylogenetic lineages that had diversified widely using a pattern of progressive diversification through somatic mutation. Unexpectedly, B cells encoding multiple diverging lineages of these clones, including many containing very few mutations in the Ab genes, persisted in the circulation. Conversely, we noted frequent instances of amino acid sequence convergence in the Ag combining sites exhibited by members of independent clones, suggesting a strong selection for optimal binding sites. We suggest that maintenance in circulation of a wide diversity of somatic variants of dominant clones may facilitate recognition of drift variant virus epitopes that occur in rapidly mutating virus Ags, such as influenza hemagglutinin. In fact, these Ab clones recognize an epitope that acquired three glycosylation sites mediating escape from previously isolated human Abs.


By virtue of its simplicity, clipping appears to be one of the most attractive methods to mitigate Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) in OFDM systems. After positioning clipping in a new classification of PAPR reduction methods, this article focuses on the performance of clipped OFDM at low signal to noise ratio, typical of capacity approaching forward error correcting coded systems. A lower bound on the BER performance of clipped coded OFDM is given and shown to be consistent with the genie aided performance of the iterative clipping noise cancellation receiver. Finally, numerical results on the BER performance of a clipped LDPC coded OFDM system are provided.1


Perimyocarditis is an acute inflammation of the pericardium and myocardium resulting in myocellular damage that may present as acute chest pain, electrocardiographic changes and raised cardiac enzymes. It is most commonly of viral aetiology and is usually asymptomatic with complete resolution expected in most cases. It can however lead to fulminant cardiac failure resulting in death or requiring cardiac transplantation.1

Perimyocarditis is difficult to distinguish from an acute coronary syndrome without the benefit of a good clinical history and evaluation. Equally difficult and no less important is establishing the underlying aetiological pathogen responsible as it may alter the treatment and outcome for the patients involved.

This case report presents a case of fatal perimyocarditis in a young migrant worker with positive serology for mumps virus, and a review of the literature. It also highlights the importance of an exhaustive diagnostic work up in order to establish the aetiology of the illness.

The patient is a 29-year-old Indonesian migrant worker who had been in Malaysia for the last two years with no past history of any medical illnesses. He presented acutely …


Summary
In Beirut, Lebanon, one–third of 300 mature swine were found infected with hydatid cysts by routine meat inspection. During the same period of time, about one–third of the cattle and one–fourth of the sheep and goats also harbored infection at slaughter. Identification of cysts from these animals was confirmed by microscopic examination in the laboratory.
Two–thirds of a second group of 54 older swine harbored cysts in either the heart, liver, or lungs as shown by superficial examination and by serially slicing these organs and microscopic examination of samples of the contents of all gross lesions found.
The average number of hydatid cysts per animal was 1.4 and 8.1 for the two groups respectively. Twenty-one percent of the cysts in the second group were deep in the lung and/or liver tissue and not visible superficially.
Almost 20% of the infected swine had fertile cysts but there were relatively few viable scolices therein.
Microscopic examination of some cysts of different sizes indicated that a majority were in stages of degeneration and were being invaded by host cells.
The condition of the cysts combined with the limited numbers of swine slaughtered show that this animal is not an important host of hydatid infection in Lebanon but that it remains the only indicator of the high level of cystic hydatid infection acquired locally. Thus, it may be of value in determining the efficacy of control measures.


Fault diagnosis for numerical control machine is more difficult than that for other mechanical equipments due to its structural complexity and the coupling feature among different faults. In order to improve the accuracy and reliability of fault diagnosis for numerical control machine, an intelligent fault diagnosis model is studied. Besides the traditional method that multiple sensors are mounted on different locations, internal operation parameters from machine tool itself or NC program are introduced into the condition monitoring system because numerical machine tool is equipped with different kinds of sensors. These two information sources establish the multi-dimensional information system which provides the original information for diagnosis. On this base, the method based on multi-sensor data fusion is developed in this paper. Multiple characteristic parameters in time domain, frequency domain and time-frequency domain are extracted from the processed signal to mine the fault information. The sensitive parameter set which is regarded as the input characteristic vectors of classifiers is obtained on the base of correlation analysis. Multiple classifiers are enabled respectively and simultaneously to fuse all the sensitive parameters quantitatively and diagnose the fault type. Finally the results of multiple classifiers are fused in the form of global decision fusion by the method of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to obtain the final diagnosis result. The determination method of weight based on classifier output's entropy is discussed in this paper and the formula is given. This model and method has been tested in rolling bearing fault diagnosis for numerical control machine and the results of the proposed model show which is effective and versatile.


This paper presents the perspective that the purpose of foundations is not simply to engage in grant making, but rather to invest in the creation of social value. The idea is also presented that available foundation assets for supporting this process of social value creation should be viewed as not simply its grant making ability, but its overall investment strategy for both core assets and philanthropic investments. A strategy for achieving maximum social impact--The Unified Investment Strategy--is presented, and the implications of that strategy are discussed. The paper's appendix includes an extended discussion by two foundation trustees regarding the question of fiduciary responsibility.


The electrification of the transportation sector will increase the demand for electric power, potentially impacting the peak load and power system operations. A change such as this will be multifaceted. A power system production cost model (PCM) is a useful tool with which to analyze one of these facets, the operation of the power system. A PCM is a computer simulation that mimics power system operation, i.e., unit commitment, economic dispatch, reserves, etc. To understand how electric vehicles (EVs) will affect power system operation, it is necessary to create models that describe how EVs interact with power system operations that are suitable for use in a PCM. In this work, EV charging data from the EV Project, reported by the Idaho National Laboratory, were used to create scalable, statistical models of EV charging load profiles suitable for incorporation into a PCM. Models of EV loads were created for uncoordinated and coordinated charging. Uncoordinated charging load represents the load resulting from EV owners that charge at times of their choosing. To create an uncoordinated charging load profile, the parameters of importance are the number of vehicles, charger type, battery capacity, availability for charging, and battery beginning and ending states of charge. Coordinated charging is where EVs are charged via an "aggregator" that interacts with a power system operator to schedule EV charging at times that either minimize system operating costs, decrease EV charging costs, or both, while meeting the daily EV charging requirements subject to the EV owners' charging constraints. Beta distributions were found to be the most appropriate distribution for statistically modeling the initial and final state of charge (SoC) of vehicles in an EV fleet. A Monte Carlo technique was implemented by sampling the charging parameters of importance to create an uncoordinated charging load time series. Coordinated charging was modeled as a controllable load within the PCM to represent the influence of the EV fleet on the system's electricity price. The charging models were integrated as EV loads in a simple 5-bus system to demonstrate their usefulness. Polaris Systems Optimization's PCM power system optimizer (PSO) was employed to show the effect of the EVs on one day of operation in the 5-bus power system, yielding interesting and valid results and showing the effectiveness of the charging models.


We present a catalog of 167 newly discovered, irregular variables spanning a ∼7 deg2 area that encompasses the G 305 star-forming complex, one of the most luminous giant H ii regions in the Galaxy. We aim to unveil and characterize the young stellar object (YSO) population of the region by analyzing the K s-band variability and JHK s infrared colors from the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey. Additionally, SDSS-IV APOGEE-2 infrared spectra of selected objects are analyzed. The sample shows relatively high amplitudes (0.661 mag < ΔK S < 3.521 mag). Most of them resemble sources with outbursts with amplitude >1 mag and duration longer than a few days, typically at least a year, known as eruptive variables. About 60% are likely to be Class II/flat/I objects. This is also confirmed by the spectral index α when available. From the analysis of APOGEE-2 near-infrared spectra of sources in the region, another 122 stars are classified as YSOs and display some infrared variability. The measured effective temperature T eff peak is around 4000 K, and they are slightly supersolar in metal abundance. The modal radial velocity is approximately −41 km s−1. Combining available catalogs of YSOs in the region with our data, we investigate the spatial distributions of 700 YSOs. They are clearly concentrated within the central cavity formed by the massive clusters Danks 1 and 2. The calculated surface density for the entire catalog is 0.025 YSOs pc−2, while the central cavity contains 10 times more objects per area (0.238 YSOs pc−2).


Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites have shown the potential for reinforcement of wood structures (e.g., bonding of FRP strips or fabrics to wood members). Although significant increases in stiffness and strength are achieved by this reinforcing technique, there is a concern about the reliable performance of the FRP-wood adhesive bond, which is susceptible to delamination, The overall objective of this two-part paper is to develop a qualification program to evaluate the service performance and fracture of composite/wood bonded interfaces. Two types of FRP-wood interfaces are studied: phenolic FRP-wood and epoxy FRP-wood bonds. In the present paper, Part 1, the durability and shear strength of FRP-wood bonds are evaluated by modified ASTM tests. First, the service performance and durability of FRP-wood interface bond is evaluated using a modified ASTM delamination test. Then, the apparent shear strengths of bonded interfaces under both dry and wet conditions are obtained from modified ASTM block-shear tests. It is shown that the modified ASTM D 2559 standard test can be successfully used to study the effect of several parameters (e.g., bonding pressure, assembling time, and coupling agents) on bondline performance under wet-dry exposure cycles. Then for the best combination of parameters, the average interface shear strengths can be obtained from block-shear tests of ASTM D 905, modified for hybrid laminates. Mode I fracture of FRP-wood bonded interfaces and guidelines for FRP-wood bond performance evaluation are presented in the companion Part 2 paper.


This paper describes a new framework and its algorithms of using frequent positioning data to entitle rapid learning among construction site managers and workers for safety. If collected accurately and in real-time, the location, speed, and trajectory of construction resources (e.g., workers, equipment, materials) can lead to important information regarding travel patterns. This information can then be shared among project stakeholders to improve work practices, e.g. the preconditions for safe construction operations. Additionally, the overall analyses of travel patterns on construction sites can help in the process of allocating resources more effectively to overall increase productivity and safety. Tracking and analyzing the paths of construction resources has multiple applications in construction and is not limited to important tasks such as monitoring the idle time of machines to reduce inefficiencies, tracking the path and location of materials to reduce search times, or signalling hazardous zones to workers to improve work zone safety.


Synopsis We demonstrate the alignment of H-like and He-like heavy ions by three-dimensional resonant coherent excitation in a thin crystalline target. The projectile ions experienced a linearly polarized oscillating field in a crystal and were excited to a specific magnetic substate, forming the aligned 2P state. We prepared the different directions of the aligned states and observed the anisotropy of deexcitation x-ray emission, which was in good agreement with theoretical estimates.


Background: Small families adopting family planning are usually considered happy families. They are expected to lead a better qualitative life. Quality-of-life (QOL) is routinely assessed for knowing patients' health status. Recently, the QOL concept has become increasingly popular for evaluating the impact of public health interventions. Hitherto, QOL is usually assessed by means of program achievements or indicators, which may sometimes be misleading. Hence, the new culture of QOL assessment by means of user perspectives is now becoming popular. Research Questions: 1) Is the quality-of-life of family planning (FP) adopters better than that of non-FP adopters? 2) Are the user perspectives helpful in QOL assessment? Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 50 FP adopting families and 50 non-FP adopting families from the village of Vutoor and the city of Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh. Sampling Methods: Random sampling, Proportions and Chi square test. Results: Program perspectives revealed a better standard of living for FP adopters because they have amenities like housing, television, and vehicles and less mortality and morbidity (P < 0.001). However, they lack positive feelings towards life, general adaptation, personal relationships, and leisure opportunities. Finally, self-assessment by FP adopters themselves revealed no significant increase in their qualitative life after family planning (P = 0.05). Conclusions: While assessing the impact of a health program on quality-of-life, multiple methods of assessments including user perspectives are better than program indicators alone.


This is an account of Lord Byron from his first "grand" tour in July 1809 until his death at the age of 36, placing him in the political and cultural setting of his time. No English poet enjoyed a higher contemporary reputation on the continent and none had more influence. In Greece he became a national hero; in Italy it was declared that "the day will come when Democracy will remember what it owes to Byron"; yet in England his morals were considered so dangerous that young women were urged to avert their gaze from him. There are extracts from his prolific writings of his travels. The book follows Byron's first travels in Portugal, southern Spain, Sardinia, Malta, Athens, Symrna and Constantinople. His second departure from England was precipitated by the break up of his marriage to Anne Isabelle Milbanke. Pursued by scandal and rumours circling around this break up, he left for Italy, via Switzerland and Milan, where he met Shelley and the French writer Stendhal. He lived in Italy for the next seven years, then in Greece until his death, where he brought what aid he could to the Greek struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire. This publication coincides with the bicentenar


SUMMARY Two layers in Periplaneta pronotum, endocuticle and combined epicuticle and exocuticle were functionally distinguished by their permeabilities and water affinities. A passive model combining the permeabilities of these layers and the water content of the endocuticle was designed to predict pronotal water contents in a variety of ambient activities at20°C. The model predicted cuticle water contents with acceptable accuracy above ambient activities of 0 - 56 but overestimated them in drier conditions. Despite universally high water activities in the endocuticle, differences in water content related to ambient activity were predicted. Cuticle water contents below haemolymph equilibrated values, represented in the literature as evidence of active water regulation, were largely attributed to passive activity gradients combined with evaporation errors.


Background: Increasing evidence shows that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in many biological processes, functioning as microRNA (miRNA) sponges. The aim of this study is to identify differentially expressed circRNAs in bladder cancer (BCa). Methods: The transcriptome of circRNAs in BCa was assayed by microarray. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to verify the results. Then, potential miRNA response ele-ments (MREs) between circRNAs and miRNAs were predicted. Pathway and ontology enrichment analyses were performed to identify mechanisms related to the gene regulation of differentially expressed circRNAs. Results: Three hundred and eighty-six up-regulated and 394 down-regulated circRNAs were identified, and their potential MREs were predicted in BCa. Conclusion: The differentially expressed circRNAs indicate that circRNAs could play important roles in the molecular pathogenesis of BCa.


The As(V) adsorption onto natural bentonite (B), Fe enriched bentonite (FB) and synthetic magnetic particles (MP) from the aqueous solutions was investigated by batch as well as column tests. The natural materials did not show such good adsorption properties towards As(V) in the batch experiments as MP, whose Qmax was calculated to 23 mg/g. However, in column experiments the adsorption effect of natural materials was comparable with MP. The model solution with the concentration 30 mg As(V)/L was percolated through the columns filled with the B and FB sample. After two cycles the As(V) concentration was lower than 2 mg/L. The second series of columns were filled with FB/MP/QS and B/MP/QS. Two cycles with the solution concentration of 50 and 100 mg As(V)/L were performed. After the second cycle 74 and 100% of As(V) were removed by FB/MP/QS and B/ MP/QS, respectively. In the third series two most effective columns were selected for the second percolation of 100 mg As(V)/L solution. While the adsorption effect of the QS/MP column decreased at 36%, for the QS/B/MP column it was about 24%. The first experimental study showed that natural materials should be used effectively as column fillers to fix finer magnetic particles. On the other hand, their selectivity towards Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions could be beneficial for regeneration of media used in the process of soil bioremediation.


This paper concerns a structural optimization problem for a flextensional piezoelectric actuator which consists of the high power piezoelectric stack and polymeric composite shell intended for amplification of the stroke. The principal drawback of the piezoelectric transducers is a very small stroke at relatively high operating force. In order to supply the required stroke some amplification means are used. The considered flextensional transducer allows obtaining needed stroke amplification, but because of counteracting forces the initial actuator's stroke significantly reduced. The main aim of this article is the optimization of the actuator design to simultaneously provide sufficient stroke and stiffness, allowing counteract external loads. To do this, we parameterize the shape of the amplificator's shell by the rational Bezier curves, which parameters (coordinates and weights of the control points) are changed iteratively by genetic algorithm according to the fitness function value calculated by the finite element model of the transducer with varied geometry of shell.


In modern gas turbines, endwall contouring (EWC) is employed to modify the static pressure field downstream of the vanes and minimize the growth of secondary flow structures developed in the blade passage. Purge flow (or egress) from the upstream rim-seal interferes with the mainstream flow, adding to the loss generated in the rotor. Despite this, EWC is typically designed without consideration of mainstream–egress interactions. The performance gains offered by EWC can be reduced, or in the limit eliminated, when purge air is considered. In addition, EWC can result in a reduction in sealing effectiveness across the rim seal. Consequently, industry is pursuing a combined design approach that encompasses the rim-seal, seal-clearance profile, and EWC on the rotor endwall. This paper presents the design of and preliminary results from a new single-stage axial turbine facility developed to investigate the fundamental fluid dynamics of egress–mainstream flow interactions. To the authors' knowledge, this is the only test facility in the world capable of investigating the interaction effects between cavity flows, rim seals, and EWC. The design of optical measurement capabilities for future studies, employing volumetric velocimetry (VV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), is also presented. The fluid-dynamically scaled rig operates at benign pressures and temperatures suited to these techniques and is modular. The facility enables expedient interchange of EWC (integrated into the rotor bling), blade-fillet and rim-seal geometries. The measurements presented in this paper include: gas concentration effectiveness and swirl measurements on the stator wall and in the wheel-space core; pressure distributions around the nozzle guide vanes (NGV) at three different spanwise locations; pitchwise static pressure distributions downstream of the NGV at four axial locations on the stator platform.


Aim: Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) result from change of brain activity following application of intermittent visual stimulus to the visual system. They provide a quantitative measure of the functional integrity of the visual pathways. The function measured includes that of the optic nerve, through the optic chiasma and tract, to the lateral geniculate bodies and the geniculocalcarine projection to the visual cortex. A number of factors influence VEP waveform and include age, gender, and height and head circumference of the subject. Head size is an important factor which influences VEP values. The present study was undertaken to study the influence and correlation of head circumference with VEP in adult healthy males and females of our region.
Method: The study comprised of 103 healthy subjects between the age group of 20-50 years consisting of both males and females. Visual Evoked Potential was recorded using pattern reversal stimulation using standardized methodology in accordance with International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN).
Results: Correlation of Head size with various parameters of VEP was done using Pearson's correlation co-efficient (r). With increase in head size the P-100 Latency showed progressive increase. The correlation between P-100 Latency and Head Size was found to be positive and was very significant (p<0.001). The N-145 and N-75 latencies also showed positive correlation with increasing head size. The P-100 Amplitude showed a non-significant decrease with increasing Head Size.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that head size has definite and significant Influence on various Visual Evoked Potential Parameters. Using the same reference data in patients with different head size may result in erroneous reporting; thus head size should be considered for VEP normative studies and reference data derived accordingly for clinical purpose so as to differentiate between normal and abnormal cases.


In Italy, Platanus orientalis L. is judged as an endangered species by some authors and non-native by others: these contrasting assessments can mislead the prioritization of management actions to preserve the species and the riparian vegetation that is its host. Based on a multidisciplinary approach, including palaeobotanical and ecological information, we assessed its status in Italy including the ecological and conservation value of the riparian plant communities hosting it in the Cilento National Park (S-Italy). Palaeobotanical data showed that P. orientalis in Italy should be considered an archaeophyte. According to the ecological assessment of the riparian plant communities hosting P. orientalis, the presence of the species can be interpreted as an indicator of an unfavourable state for the conservation of riparian vegetation. Knowing the status of a species remains one of the first steps to take to correctly propose scientifically based solutions for the conservation of plant diversity. However, there are no absolute criteria for conservation because all conservation objectives can be considered as cultural values. In this context, P. orientalis should be protected as a symbolic tree, an archaeophyte testifying an ancient common Mediterranean cultural heritage, worthy of preservation but outside of natural habitats.


Energy for heating, cooling, lighting, mechanical power, and various chemical processes is a fundamental requirement for both daily life and economic development. The negative impact on the environment of current energy systems is increasingly alarming, especially the global warming consequences of burning fossil fuels. The future requires change through the development and adoption of new supply technologies, through a successful search for new, less resource-intensive paths of economic development, and through adoption of energy. Greater energy efficiency is key for shifting country development paths toward lower-carbon economic growth. Especially in developing countries and transition economies, vast potential for energy savings opportunities remain unrealized even though current financial returns are strong. Activities included specialized technical assistance, training, and applied research covering the four primary areas of country interest: (a) development of commercial banking windows for energy efficiency; (b) support for developing energy service companies (ESCOs); (c) guarantee funds for energy efficiency investment financing; and (d) equity funding for ESCOs or energy efficiency projects. One clear message from the experience of the three country Energy Efficiency Project is the importance of establishing and maintaining practical, operationally focused dialogue between the banking community and the energy efficiency practitioner community.


According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a sensor is a device which provides a usable output in response to a specified measurement of a physical quantity converted into a signal suitable for processing (e.g., optical, electrical, or mechanical signals). On the other hand, porous ceramic materials play an important role as sensor materials, because by selecting a suitable base ceramic material for the intended use and then adjusting their overall porosity, pore size distribution, and pore shape, they can cover different applications such as liquid-gas filters, insulators, catalytic supports, mixed of gases separators and sensors, among others. In addition, they have controlled permeability, high melting point, high superficial area, high corrosion and wear resistance, low expansion coefficient, tailored electronic properties, etc. Currently, a few niche areas demand sensors for compact electronic device design, e.g., leak inspections for oil and gas dispositive, flammable and/or toxic gas detection in waste storage areas and confined spaces, hydrocarbons and their associated gas detection at low temperatures and high humidity conditions, among others. In this chapter, the advances in porous ceramic production for hydrocarbons and associated gas detection will be presented and discussed.


We report a study of plasma etching of GaN, AlN, and AlN/AlGaN superlattices for the processing of deep ultraviolet light emitting diodes. Etching was carried out using inductively coupled plasma of chlorine diluted with argon under reactive ion etching conditions. Using parameters selected for etch rate, anisotropy, and surface smoothness, we study etching of n- and p-type superlattices. The former etches at a rate of 250 nm/min, which is intermediate to that of AlN and GaN, while the latter exhibits a slower etch rate of 60 nm/min. Based on these studies, we prepare low-leakage p–n junctions and mesa light emitting diodes with peak emission at 280 nm.


We estimate a model of illicit drugs markets using data on purchases of crack cocaine. Buyers are searching for high-quality drugs, but they determine drugs' quality (i.e., their purity) only after consuming them. Hence, sellers can rip off first-time buyers or can offer higher-quality drugs to induce buyers to purchase from them again. In equilibrium, a distribution of qualities persists. The estimated model implies that if drugs were legalized, in which case purity could be regulated and hence observable, the average purity of drugs would increase by approximately 20 percent and the dispersion would decrease by approximately 80 percent. Moreover, increasing penalties may raise the purity and affordability of the drugs traded
by increasing sellers' relative profitability of targeting loyal buyers versus first-time buyers.


Introduction Although an association between depression and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been established, no US studies have quantified this association using standard primary care assessments or among younger adults who are not routinely screened for CVD risk. We estimated the association of mild and major depression with 1) 10-year atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk for people aged 40 to 79 years and 2) high lifetime CVD risk prevalence for people aged 20 to 39 years. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2005–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for adults aged 20 to 39 years (n = 10,588) and adults aged 40 to 79 years (n = 16,848). We used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] to classify no depression (PHQ-9 score, 0–4), mild depression (PHQ-9 score, 5–9) and major depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10). Results Among women aged 40 to 79, ASCVD absolute risk was 6.0% for no depression, 6.9% for mild depression, and 7.6% for major depression (P < .001 vs no depression). Among men aged 40 to 79, the corresponding absolute ASCVD risks were 9.9%, 11.1%, and 11.3%, respectively (P < .001 vs no depression). High lifetime CVD risk prevalence for women aged 20 to 39 was 41.9% for no depression, 53.2% for mild depression, and 66.5% for major depression (P < .001 vs no depression). For men aged 20–39 the corresponding high lifetime risk percentages were 53.3%, 64.8%, and 74.4% respectively (P < .001 vs no depression). Conclusion Mild and major depression are associated with elevated 10-year ASCVD risk and substantially elevated lifetime CVD risk among younger people ineligible for ASCVD risk assessment. Jointly addressing depression and CVD risk and extending prevention efforts to younger adults are warranted.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study is to establish a guidance for device retrieval based on comprehensive bench tests.

BACKGROUND
Device embolisation remains a major complication in transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. Although percutaneous retrieval is feasible in the majority of cases, surgical retrieval may be required in complicated circumstances. However, the methods of transcatheter device retrieval have not been completely established.

METHODS
Bench tests of device retrieval were performed to verify the appropriate retrieval method according to device type/size. The devices used for testing were Amplatzer Septal Occluder (Abbott, Chicago, IL, United States of America), Figulla Flex II (Occlutech GmbH, Jena, Germany), Amplatzer Duct Occluder-I (Abbott), Amplatzer Duct Occluder-II (Abbott), and Amplatzer Vascular Plug-II (Abbott). The retrieval equipment constituted diagnostic catheters (multipurpose catheter and right Judkins catheter, 4-Fr or 5-Fr, Gadelius Medical, Tokyo, Japan), delivery sheath and cables for each device, Amplatz goose neck snares (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America), OSYPKA CATCHER (Osypka ag, Rheinfelden-Herten, Germany), and OSYPKA LASSOS (Osypka). We investigated the retrieval equipment and sheath sizes required for a successful retrieval procedure for variously sized devices.

RESULTS
For patent ductus arteriosus devices, the type of snare and the snaring position are considered important. For atrial septal defect devices, simple snare capture or a double-snare technique with a sufficiently large sheath is effective. Special care should be taken when using the OSYPKA CATCHER for device retrieval.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study may assist in the selection of both capture devices and a retrieval sheath or a catheter for complete retrieval.


We report the fabrication and the high-frequency characterization of four-terminals GeTe-phase change material RF switches. The device integrates an indirect heating system for reversible changing the GeTe material's state from crystalline to amorphous. We show that the dimensions of the GeTe patterns have to be optimized for obtaining high on-state resistances of a single device and proper RF performances. For an electrical activation of an initially crystalline GeTe pattern to its amorphous state we used an electrical pulse with a 500 ns duration and 60 mA intensity resulting in switches having 7fF off-state capacitance. The reverse process (switch turned to the ON state) requires an electrical pulse of 3 ps and 40 mA intensity, resulting in an on-state resistance of 36Ω. We demonstrate that arrays of similar 8-switches present very good performances, with 0.8 dB of insertion loss and 25 dB of isolation at 5 GHz.


Throughout the international climate change regime's development up until 2012, the emergence of new and helpful mechanisms and negotiation processes were often accompanied by setbacks such as withdrawals and unmet State obligation. The object of this study focused on international community and indonesia's policy towards climate change. The Method of this study is normative legal research. The result of this thesis is to situate the internal/domestic climate of several States (the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Norway, and Indonesia) and one regional organization (the EU); and connect it to the outward international policies each have chosen to put forward on the negotiation table and/or submit themselves to. Given the global nature of and concern about climate change, it feels as if there is no shortage of lessons to pick – from outright refusal to be legally bound to the regime at all (the U.S.), an unprecedented and recent move of formal and official withdrawal from the regime's key instrument (Canada), the struggles with implementation that a regional organization might face (the European Union), to the recent moves and measures in environmental protection pioneered and led by States characterized by their increasingly strong economies (Brazil, Norway, and Indonesia).


Transcription factors bind to DNA and recruit other proteins to modify the rate at which specific genes are transcribed. This regulation of gene expression by transcription factors comprises a crucial layer of control in various biological processes, including development and cellular response to environmental stimuli. For decades, individual transcription factors (TFs) have been studied in vitro and at individual genomic loci in vivo using various technologies such as electrophoretic mobility shift assays, luciferase reporter gene assays, targeted mutation of binding sites, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by quantitative real-time PCR. The recent development of ChIP followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) allows the binding locations of individual TFs to be mapped to the entire mammalian genome with high resolution, for a particular tissue or condition of interest. This technology offers an unprecedented opportunity to understand TFs in vivo, on a global scale. Individual ChIP-seq experiments produce large volumes of data, as individual mammalian TFs typically exhibit thousands of binding locations throughout the genome. As a result, computational approaches are essential to ChIP-seq analysis. In this thesis, I have analysed novel and published ChIP-seq data using various approaches. My approaches have been motivated by several distinct biological questions. In particular, I have focused on improving our understanding of the parameters controlling where TFs bind in the genome. I have also developed general methods and pipelines for analysing individual ChIP-seq experiments in order to extract maximum biological knowledge from the data. The structure of chromatin, including nucleosome positioning, mobility, and post-translational modifications, affects binding of TFs to genomic DNA in vivo. Prior research has studied this relationship for specific TFs at individual loci, and recent work established that binding of transcription factor c-Myc is regulated by chromatin structure throughout the human genome. Using ChIP-seq data from prior publications, I have investigated the generality of this relationship across various TFs. I showed that genome-wide estimates of chromatin structure can be harnessed to dramatically improve prediction of in vivo transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in a tissue-specific manner. This result was consistent across diverse TFs, establishing a general correlation between TF binding and open chromatin. In addition, my analysis demonstrated the value of incorporating chromatin modification data when attempting to predict TFBSs using in silico approaches. Many TFs form complexes via protein-protein interactions with other TFs when binding at the DNA interface. This complex formation is critical to TF biology, facilitating dramatic changes in target gene expression in response to small changes in TF concentration, as well as providing a mechanism for increased binding selectivity for a TF. I developed a novel computational methodology for inferring the occurrence of TF complexes from ChIP-seq data on the basis of enrichment in TF motif spacing. By applying my algorithm to 39 TF ChIP-seq datasets from prior publications, I was able to detect known and novel TF complexes with high-specificity. These results provide general insights into common features of TF complex formation, in addition to extending our knowledge of which complexes the individual TFs take part in. The transcription factor KLF1 is a critical regulator of erythropoiesis, the production of red blood cells. To better understand the role of this specific TF, we performed a novel ChIP-seq analysis for KLF1 in mouse fetal liver, which is a rich and homogeneous source of red blood cell precursors. To extract biological knowledge from this data, I performed bioinformatic analyses on the ChIP-seq experiment following sequencing and mapping of tags using the SOLiD sequencing platform. The existing bioinformatic tools and custom analyses that I applied to these ChIP-seq data uncovered novel biological information. These findings included a clear cooperation and putative complex formation between KLF1 and GATA1; the observation that KLF1 is likely to act solely as a transcriptional activator in vivo, without exhibiting repressor activity; and the identification of motifs for additional TFs that are likely to co-regulate erythropoiesis in concert with KLF1. My analysis of published ChIP-seq data has improved our understanding of how chromatin accessibility and complex formation modulate binding of genomic DNA by TFs. Subsequent work could integrate information about chromatin accessibility and complex formation into a quantitative model, with the goal of accurate prediction of TF binding in silico. In addition, my analysis of novel ChIP-seq data for KLF1 comprises a bioinformatic pipeline that could be applied to future ChIP-seq experiments in order to maximise their utility.


Abstract: Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) can mimic bullous pemphigoid (BP) and/or dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) both clinically and histologically. LABD. however, can be distinguished from BP and DH by direct immunofluorescent (IF) demonstration of linear IgA. deposits along the basement membrane zone. A retrospective study of 234 cases of BP, 27 cases of LABD, 60 cases of DH, and 20 cases of cicatricial pemphigoid (CP) revealed that BP patients are significantly older than LABD or DH patients and LABD patients are significantly older than DH patients. BP and CP occur more frequently in women (65–70%) than LABD or DH (44–48%). The frequencies of C3 deposits in the basement membrane zone (BMZ) are significantly higher in BP (85%) compared with LABD (18.5%) and DH (28.3%). LABD patients varied in their response to various therapeutic agents. Some responded to corticosteroids and some to sulfones alone. whereas others required a combination of corticosteroids and sulfones.


This paper studies persistence properties of total factor productivity (TFP) from Bayesian perspective. Emphasizing that classical unit root test for TFP cannot determine the probability whether a stochastic shock to the series is permanent, we design a Bayesian unit root test for TFP. Examination for a set of African economies' TFP data show that the probability of having a unit root is very high for majority of countries. The evidence of high-persistence has implications for perpetual growth and business cycles.


about two billion people living in rural areas are adversely affected by open defecation. in many countries the Millennium development goal for sanitation is off track. Community-led Total Sanitation (ClTS) is a radically different approach to rural sanitation and has shown promising successes where traditional rural sanitation programmes have failed. unlike traditional programmes, ClTS does not involve providing subsidies for individual household hardware. in ClTS, communities conduct their own analysis, come to their own conclusions, and take their own action. all gain, especially women, adolescent girls and children. ClTS is now in over 20 countries, but its spread faces obstacles. This in Focus Policy Briefing asks how can we maximise the huge potential for transforming rural sanitation that this approach offers? What has worked? What hinders progress? What should be done? Beyond Subsidies – Triggering a Revolution in Rural Sanitation


Political interest is one of the most important individual-level predictors of news media use, public opinion formation, and engagement. When, how, and why some citizens develop a strong interest in politics is, however, less clear. This study analyzes the development of political interest during the formative years of adolescence, using a five-wave panel study among Swedish adolescents, covering a period of 4 years. Based on the citizen communication mediation model, we analyze how interest in political and current affairs news among family and friends influence adolescents' political interest. Taken together, while the findings lend support for several of the hypotheses, mechanisms, and processes derived from the communication mediation model, parents appear more important than peers when it comes to shaping adolescents' political interest.


We present a structural comparison of monolayers on a SiO2 substrate of two asymmetrically substituted sexithiophenes (6T). Molecule 1 consists of 6T with a branched alkyl chain at one end only and shows a crystalline structure. In molecule 2, the bifunctional 6T has in addition at the other end a linear alkyl chain. It displays thermotropic liquid crystalline (LC) behavior. Both compounds form readily single molecular layers from solution. Remarkably, full monolayer coverage can be achieved before multilayer growth starts. LC properties promote preordering near the interface as well as exchange of molecules between the growing domains, thus regulating the domain sizes. As a result, the LC compound 2 forms single-molecule islands with larger domain sizes compared to compound 1. Surface X-ray investigations indicate that the 6T cores are tilted relative to the layer normal. The tilt angle is as large as 54° for compound 2 compared to 28° for compound 1. For molecule 2, interfacial constraints and packing requirements because of the asymmetric substitution cause a rather loosely organized core structure.


The mechanisms of bipolar degradation in silicon carbide BJTs are investigated and identified. Bipolar degradation occurs as result of stacking fault (SF) growth within the low-doped collector region. A stacking fault blocks vertical current transport through the collector, driving the defective region into saturation. This results in considerable drop of emitter current gain if the BJT is run at a reasonably low collector-emitter bias. The base region does not play any significant role in bipolar degradation. Long-term stress tests have shown full stability of large-area high-power BJTs under minority carrier injection conditions provided the devices are fabricated using low Basal Plane Dislocation (BPD) material. However, an approximately 20% current gain compression is observed for the first 30-60 hours of burn-in under common emitter operation, which is related to instability of surface recombination in the passive base region.


Polygonal tundra and ice-rich permafrost landscapes are widespread across the Arctic and prone to rapid transitions due to ground subsidence, thermokarst or thermoerosion. Such small-scale processes are typically not resolved in large-scale Earth System models. Our goal with this study was to develop a scalable modeling approach that is capable of simulating the degradation of ice-wedges and the corresponding geomorphological transition from low- to high-centered polygons. For this, we employed the land surface model CryoGrid3 and advanced it by a hydrological infiltration scheme. We simulated the lateral exchange of heat, water, and snow between polygon centers, rims and troughs by coupling multiple realizations. We proved our modeling approach to be capable of describing the evolution of ice-wedge polygons and analyzed the hydrological and climatic conditions, which are favorable for their degradation. With this, we contributed to the understanding of landscape transitions in ice-rich permafrost regions and their representation in large-scale models.


DOI: 10.30919/es8d910 The degradation of volatile organic compounds using short wavelengths of ultraviolet is attractive to reduce chemical pollutants. This research focuses on the the photo-degradation of toluene, one of common volatile organic compounds that widely distributed in the environment, by experimental process using the irradiation of vacuum ultraviolet light. The performance and mechanism of the degradation process were systematically evaluated by changing core factors in experimental conditions: residence time, initial concentration, relative humidity, and degradation intermediates. Major finding was that the photo-degradation rate of toluene is inversely proportional to the concentration of toluene, on the other hand, proportional to the light intensity and relative humidity. This study also investigated the bond-dissociation energy of toluene under 185 nm wavelength of irradiation and its molar absorption coefficients. Finally, the pathway for photodegradation of toluene was developed with a diagram of the chemical flow. The results are useful toward the air pollution research and its management applications.


Shorter CAG repeats in androgen receptor (AR) gene have been found to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (CaP). Ethnic variations in CAG repeat length may contribute to varying risks in different populations. To evaluate the prognostic significance of androgen receptor (AR) CAG repeats in Indian population for CaP, genomic DNA from 113 CaP, 57 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) patients and 133 normal healthy controls were examined by using a PCR‐based GeneScan analysis. The mean number of CAG repeat in CaP was significantly lower as compared to the healthy controls (20.26 vs 22.98; p = 0.016). The odds ratio for CaP was 2.96 (p < 0.01), when individuals with short CAG repeat (≤22) were compared with those having longer repeats (>22). A significant association was also observed between short CAG repeat and young age at diagnosis (OR 2.18; p = 0.04). The mean CAG repeat was not significantly different in BPH and healthy controls; however, BPH patients showed a tendency towards short CAG repeats. Thus, our results show that CAG repeat polymorphism in AR gene is significantly associated with CaP risk, suggesting that AR CAG polymorphism may act as a risk modifier to CaP in Indian population.