Background: Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening reduces lung cancer–specific and overall mortality. We sought to assess lung cancer screening practices and attitudes among primary care providers (PCPs) in the era of new LDCT screening guidelines. Methods: In 2013, we surveyed PCPs at an academic medical center (60% response) and assessed: lung cancer screening use, perceived screening effectiveness, knowledge of screening guidelines, perceived barriers to LDCT use, and interest in LDCT screening education. Results: Few PCPs (n = 212) reported ordering lung cancer screening: chest X-ray (21%), LDCT (12%), and sputum cytology (3%). Only 47% of providers knew three or more of six guideline components for LDCT screening; 24% did not know any guideline components. In multiple logistic regression analysis, providers who knew three or more guideline components were more likely to order LDCT (OR, 7.1; 95% confidence intervals, 2.0–25.6). Many providers (30%) were unsure of the effectiveness of LDCT. Mammography, colonoscopy, and Pap smear were rated more frequently as effective in reducing cancer mortality compared with LDCT (all P values < 0.0001). Common perceived barriers included patient cost (86.9% major or minor barrier), harm from false positives (82.7%), patients' lack of awareness (81.3%), risk of incidental findings (81.3%), and insurance coverage (80.1%). Conclusions: LDCT lung cancer screening is currently an uncommon practice at an academic medical center. PCPs report ordering chest X-ray, a nonrecommended screening test, more often than LDCT. PCPs had a limited understanding of lung cancer screening guidelines and LDCT effectiveness. Provider educational interventions are needed to facilitate shared decision-making with patients. Impact: This study describes some of the first data available about PCPs' use of lung cancer screening tests since the publication of multiple professional guidelines endorsing LDCT. Knowledge gaps were identified that may hinder the uptake of evidence-based lung cancer screening guidelines. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(4); 664–70. ©2015 AACR.


Abstract #6038 Background: The two-gene expression ratio HOXB13:IL17BR , originally from a microarray analysis, has been shown to be indicative of clinical outcome in the setting of adjuvant tamoxifen monotherapy of breast cancer, with a high ratio associated with decreased disease-free survival. Analysis of a cohort of breast cancer patients randomized to 2 or 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy showed that the two-gene ratio and expression of the HOXB13 gene alone were predictive of the benefit of prolonged tamoxifen treatment. Patients with tumors expressing HOXB13 at high levels were unresponsive to prolonged adjuvant treatment, suggesting that this gene is involved in tamoxifen resistance. It is suggested that a high two-gene ratio may indicate impaired ER signaling, which is known to predict resistance to tamoxifen. To our knowledge, there are no studies investigating the HOXB13 protein levels in breast cancer.
 Methods: We have analyzed the protein expression of HOXB13 with immunohistochemistry in tumor samples from 912 postmenopausal node negative breast cancer patients randomized to 2 years of tamoxifen or no endocrine treatment. After 2 years, recurrence-free patients were randomized to 3 more years of tamoxifen, or no further therapy. This selection enabled us to investigate the treatment predictive value of HOXB13.
 Results: Data on HOXB13 protein expression were obtained from 866 patients (see table). Tamoxifen treated patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive tumors expressing none or low levels of HOXB13 had a clear benefit from tamoxifen in terms of longer distant recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio (HR) 0.37, 95% CI 0.23-0.60, p=0.000048). However, for patients with a high or intermediate HOXB13 tumor expression, tamoxifen did not prolong the distant recurrence-free survival compared to the untreated patients (HR=0.83, 95% CI 0.45-1.54, p=0.55). The interaction between HOXB13 expression and benefit from tamoxifen was statistically significant (p=0.046). HOXB13 did not have any prognostic value among systemically untreated patients.
 Conclusions: HOXB13 protein level may be used as a predictive marker for tamoxifen treatment, but does not have any prognostic value. Patients with a high expression of HOXB13 do not seem to benefit from tamoxifen. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 6038.


This study used simulation modelling to investigate fire and carbon dynamics for projected warmer and drier climates in the south-eastern Australian high country. A carbon accounting model FullCAM and the landscape fire regime simulator FIRESCAPE were combined and used to simulate several fire management options under three climate scenarios – the recent climate (1975–2005); a moderate climate projected for 2070 (B1); and a more extreme climate projected for 2070 (A1FI). For warmer and drier climates, model simulations predicted (i) an increase in fire incidence; (ii) larger areas burned; (iii) higher mean fire intensities; (iv) shorter fire cycle lengths; (v) a greater proportion of fires burning earlier in the fire season; (vi) a reduction in carbon stores; (vii) a reduction in carbon sequestration rates; and (viii) an increase in the proportion of stored carbon emitted to the atmosphere. Prescribed burning at historical or twice historical levels had no effect on fire or carbon dynamics. In contrast, increasing the initial attack success (a surrogate for suppression) partially offset the adverse effects of warmer and drier climates on fire activity, but not on carbon dynamics. For the south-eastern Australian high country, simulations indicated that fire and carbon dynamics are sensitive to climate change, with simulated fire management only being able to partially offset the adverse effects of warmer and drier climate.


The old and simple investment strategy "Sell in May and Go Away" (also referred to as the "Halloween effect") enjoys an unbroken popularity. Recent studies suggest that the Halloween effect even strengthened rather than weakened since its first publication by Bouman and Jacobsen (2002). We implement regression models as well as Hansen's (2005) "Superior Predictive Ability" test to analyze whether stock markets are really so inefficient. In line with the predictions of market efficiency, our results reject the hypothesis that a trading strategy based on the Halloween effect significantly outperforms.


This Article examines the Supreme Court's decision in Hurley v. Irish-American and compares it to the decision in Stropnicky v. Nathanson. It then considers whether there are sufficient distinctions between the two cases so as to defeat the First Amendment argument that was successful in Hurley. It concludes that the differences between the two cases are not sufficiently significant from the point of view of the First Amendment and that the application of the state public accommodation statute to a lawyer's ideologically motivated decision not to represent a client violates the First Amendment.


Educational tests, created with instruction in mind, represent an enormously potent tool in the hands of teachers, Mr. Popham reminds us. The more we know about devising such tests, the more our students will benefit. I've spent most of the past three decades messing about with educational tests. I have developed tests, evaluated tests, served as a witness in test-focused courtroom cases, and spent so much time analyzing testing's technical issues that you might think I would positively detest tests. But I don't. I think educational tests are wonderful. It was not always so. When I began my career in education, I was completely committed to curriculum, not measurement. I rarely gave any thought to educational tests. But my career priorities have been dramatically altered. So what I want to do in this brief article is describe how a naive and well-meaning curriculum person first became attracted to, then eventually seduced by, the powerful lure of educational measurement. I hope that such a public confession may embolden current curriculum specialists to consider the virtues of enhancing their own measurement skills. Pedagogy Beckons First, let me do a bit of stage setting. When I went to college, I majored in philosophy. But, as graduation time drew near, I realized that the odds of my earning a decent living with a bachelor's degree in Aristotelian philosophy were slim. I had, however, taken a fair number of courses in English and the social sciences. So I began to consider the possibility of becoming a high school teacher. High school students were, to my mind, approaching adulthood and thus relatively acceptable creatures. In contrast, I regarded elementary school students as squirming and altogether repugnant entities. So it was that, as a second-semester college senior, I apprehensively approached the offices of my liberal arts university's education department. Having apologized for exploring a teaching career so late in my college program, I fully expected to be chastised by the education department's professors. But, to my surprise, they immediately apologized to me by saying that it was their fault that my "incipient interest in pedagogy" had not been detected earlier. After reviewing my transcript, they laid out a plan whereby, in about a year, I could earn a secondary teaching credential and a master's degree. In retrospect, I realize it must have been a buyer's market at the time. Had I bargained more skillfully, they might have tossed in a doctorate. So I put in my year and earned a teaching credential and a master's degree. Unfortunately, my university's teacher preparation program was one of higher education's most ineffectual endeavors. The courses were impractical, insipid, and in need of instant euthanasia. I left that program altogether ill-equipped for my future responsibilities as a high school teacher. But I loved high school teaching. I ended up getting a job in a small rural high school. The students were great. My colleagues were friendly. It was a good life. In the classroom, however, I engaged in fairly primitive decision making. My overriding mission was to "cover the appropriate content" or, employing a catchy phrase I picked up from other teachers, to "teach the curriculum." I knew precious little about how to teach. Perhaps that is why I was . completely preoccupied with content coverage. I thought that the curriculum was what made education tick. I did, of course, have an occasional brush with testing. There were my end-of-unit exams (patterned after the numerous exams that, as a student, I'd had to take). There was even a yearly standardized achievement test that the school's students were obliged to complete. But no one, teachers included, really paid any attention to the results. In contrast to today's high-stakes tests, my school's standardized test was almost stakeless. Testing, whether standardized or teacher-made, was a topic that few of the teachers in my school knew - or cared - much about. …


Extracted from text ... 12 Management Today July 2006
Leadership in South Africa:
it starts with the constitution
I
Former president F W de Klerk was a
speaker at the recent Institute of Directors
business update conference. The
speech was delivered on his behalf by Mr
David Steward, spokesman for Mr De
Klerk.
In addressing the role of business and civil
society leadership in the new South Africa,
one has to use the country's constitution
as a departure point because it spells
out the vision towards which all South African
leaders should be striving.
Although the constitution does not ascribe
to business or to ..


The effects of processing on autohesive bond strength development in polysulfone resin and graphite-polysulfone composites were investigated. Autohesive bond strength development in polysulfone resin was observed by measuring the refracture toughness of precracked compact tension specimens that were healed at a given temperature and contact time. The fractured specimens, when completely healed, achieved the original toughness of the virgin resin. Results of the compact tension (CT) tests, when corrected for nonisothermal effects, compared favorably with diffusion models explaining crack healing and welding of amorphous polymers. Interply strength development in graphite-polysulfone unidirectional composites was measured as a function of healing temperature and contact time using a double cantilever beam (DCB) interlaminar fracture toughness test. The critical strain energy release rate of the refractured composites did not show a strong time or temperature dependence as observed in the neat resin tests. Furthermore, only 80 to 90% of the undamaged fracture energy can be recovered. The fracture mechanisms were determined to be different in the healed DCB specimen from those in the virgin specimen due to resin flow at the crack plane upon healing.


The Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER) genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase III, but their transcription unit appears to contain both class II and class III promoter elements. One of these promoter elements, a TATA-like box which we call the EBER TATA box, or ETAB, is located in a position typical for a class II TATA box but contains G/C residues in the normal T/A motif and a conserved thymidine doublet. Experiments using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs and mutations in the TATA box of the adenovirus major late promoter showed that the ETAB promoter element does not substitute for a class 11 TATA box. However, when the ETAB promoter element sequence was changed to a class 1I TATA box consensus sequence, the EBER 2 gene was transcribed in vitro by both RNA polymerases 11 and III. From these results, we conclude that the ETAB promoter element is important for the exclusive transcription of the EBER 2 gene by RNA polymerase III.


The main objective for this research is to develop an antenna that can shift its frequency over a broadband. A coplanar waveguide (CPW) antenna was designed with the center conductor of the CPW transmission line connected to a bowtie patch. The size of the antenna is 6mm × 6 mm. The antenna is tuned with a barium strontium titanate (BST) thin film varactor which can tune the device from 5.75 GHz to 6.1937 GHz by adjusting the DC bias from 0 to 10V.


It is estimated that only 2% of the businesses worldwide that could benefit from standards, actually adopt
and use them. The adoption of a standard is influenced by its quality, which is inherent to the tactics used
for developing the standard. Other aspects that influence adoption are the cost of the standard, and the
understandability of the standard. In this research we are taking a non-traditional approach (i.e. tactic) to
semantic IS standard development — a business rule approach. With a business rule approach we aim to
increase the understandability and the quality of semantic IS standards, while reducing the (development/
maintenance) costs.
Business rules are known to function as bridges between business people and IT people. They can be
defined in rule modeling languages which can be expressed in both natural language and formal language
at the same time, which might increase the understandability of the standard. One such rule modeling
language is 'RuleSpeak'. RuleSpeak is based on OMG's Semantics of Business Vocabulary and Business
Rules (SBVR), which is an platform-independent model. Business rules defined in RuleSpeak can be
translated to other Meta-Object Facility models such as Unified Modeling Language. This is especially
important for semantic IS standards as their contents often involve models and diagrams. Managing one set
of business rules from which models can be generated, will result in a more consistent standard, which is a
key characteristic of the quality of the standard. Being able to generate models from a single source might
also reduce development/maintenance duration, which directly translates to cost reduction.
The result of this research is a conceptual framework for and an approach to rule-based semantic IS
standards development. The approach is based on defining business rules based on the functionality they
have. Business rules can define structure, power, and control. Structure emerges by creating structural rules
that define the relationship that concepts have with each other. Power (i.e. processes) is generated by
creating declarative processes with pre-, boundary-, and post-conditions. Control is exerted by constraining
the power (i.e. processes). To validate the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted in which the SETU Standard for
Reporting Time & Expenses was translated to RuleSpeak. The case study served as input for the
evaluation of the hypothesis which states that 'a business rule approach to semantic IS standards
development can lead to reduction of costs and increase of quality and understandability'. The evaluation
was done in the form of an interview and a survey with a focus group consisting of standards developers
from SETU. The focus group disagreed that the proposed approach to semantic IS standards development
could lead to cost reduction or remove direct adoption barriers, but they agreed that it could lead to
quality increase in the form of completeness, consistency, compliance and precision increase.
The increase in the quality characteristics can be explained from the point of view that proper application
of SBVR forces the developer to think about how a concept is defined in the SBVR vocabulary. Since
concepts build on terms, and terms can be used to define other terms, quality characteristics like
completeness, consistency, compliancy and precision are enforced. The main conclusion is that applying the
proposed approach can lead to quality increase of semantic IS standards, which can influence their
adoption.


Kelps are highly productive seaweeds predominantly found in wave-exposed envi- ronments. Physical and biological processes such as sand abrasion, whiplash and grazing can wound kelp tissue, potentially weakening its ability to withstand wave forces. Despite the ecolog- ical importance of kelp tissue loss, few studies have quantified wounding patterns in kelps or how wounding might affect the biomechanical properties of kelps. We quantified the prevalence of wounds on 360 Ecklonia radiata kelps collected across 3 different reef lines (levels of wave expo- sure) in April (autumn), June (early winter), August (winter) and October (early spring) (i.e. before, during and after peak wave activity). Small holes in the centre of laterals dominated the wounds. Wounding pattern did not differ between reef lines but changed over time, with most in early winter and least in early spring (from 285 to 71 wounds kelp �1 ). This pattern suggests that wounds accumulate over summer and that highly wounded parts of the frond (but not the entire kelp) break off when encountering the first storms. Biomechanical break-force tests assessed the effect of experimental wounds on the forces required to break kelp tissue. These tests showed that holes or horizontal cuts to the edge of the kelp frond dramatically reduced the strength, extensi- bility, toughness and stiffness of the tissue. We conclude that wounds are common in E. radiata and that the resulting loss of tissue integrity, caused by even small damages, can dramatically increase the susceptibility to breakage. Our findings may have important ecological implications; the peak in wounds in early winter is likely to increase fragmentation of the kelp, thereby re - ducing its size and hydrodynamic drag, and, paradoxically, reducing the risk of fatal dislodgment during severe winter storms.


Hybanthus, Ipomoea, Cordia, Russelia, Tetramerium, Isertia, Liabum (2). IV. "Diagnoses of new spermatophytes from Mexico," by M. L. FERNALD, new species being described under Carex, Alnus (2), Heliotropium, Salvia (9), Castilleja, Ruellia.-J. M. C. Bicentennary of Linne'.-In connection with the Linnean celebration at the University of Upsala, a series of eight publications has been issued. In general the volumes contain reprints of some of the most interesting minor papers of Linne, which thus become accessible to a far greater number of readers. For example, the "Invitation du recteur pour assister aux fetes" is a paper of I07 pages, consisting chiefly of a reprint of Linne's "Cultur der Pflanzen." The announcements in reference to the conferring of doctor's degrees in philosophy, medicine, law, and theology are four volumes of reprints. There is also a special publication, "Linne och Vaxtodlingen," edited by Swederus. The first (pp. 34I) of four volumes containing the correspondence of Linne is also included. The most elaborate member of the series is the "Linneportratt," prefaced by a colored portrait of Linne, and containing reproductions of numerous other portraits, busts, medals, etc., as well as a description of the 5P5 portraits (paintings, medals, etc.) in the collection of the University. The University of Upsala has certainly spared no labor and expense in doing honor to her illustrious professor.-J. M. C


Most adults in the U.S. and worldwide claim a religious affiliation. As an element of identity and worldview, faith informs many individuals' views of science, technology, and society at large. Engagement with faith communities and religious leaders about science can improve public perceptions and trust of scientists, advance evidence-based policy, and improve diversity, equity and inclusion in science fields. This commentary outlines examples and suggests guiding principles for science engagement with faith communities. Abstract


Proteosynthesis on ribosomes is regulated at many levels. Conformational changes of the ribosome, possibly induced by external factors, may transfer over large distances and contribute to the regulation. The principles of this long-distance allostery within the ribosome remain poorly understood. Here, we use structural analysis and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to investigate peptide deformylase (PDF), an enzyme that binds to the ribosome surface near the ribosomal protein uL22 during translation and chemically modifies the emerging nascent peptide. Our simulations of the entire ribosome–PDF complex reveal that the PDF undergoes a swaying motion on the ribosome surface at the sub-microsecond time scale. We show that the PDF affects the conformational dynamics of parts of the ribosome over distances of more than 5 nm. Using a supervised-learning algorithm we demonstrate that the exit tunnel is influenced by the presence or absence of PDF. Our findings suggest a possible effect of the PDF on the nascent peptide translocation through the ribosome exit tunnel.


Abstract C1 fractures with an intact transverse ligament are usually treated conservatively. Patients who present with a progressive diastasis of bone fragments and a progressive articular subluxation mainly attributed to progressive lengthening of the transverse ligament (TAL) fibers can be treated with a C1 "C-clamp" fusion. A 75-year-old male who sustained a motor vehicle accident was neurologically intact. A computed tomography (CT) imaging demonstrated a Jefferson's type-C1 fracture with a slight lateral displacement of the C1 left lateral mass (LM) and a rotatory subluxation on the right. MRI showed an intact TAL and demonstrated an isolated rupture of the left alar ligament. Conservative treatment was chosen. Radiographic follow-up showed, at 3 months, progressive lateral mass displacement, most likely due to elongation of the TAL fibers; this was also associated with a persistent mechanical neck pain. For this reason, we performed a posterior reduction and internal fixation in a C-clamp fashion by placement of C1 lateral mass screws and posterior compression sparing the C1–2 joint. Using navigation, a 3.5-mm screw was inserted into the LM bilaterally. The screw heads were then connected with a rod and compression was applied before tightening. Postoperative CT scan demonstrated a satisfying reduction and further imaging will be made during the follow-up. The patient had a considerable relief of neck pain. Simple lateral mass fixation with C-clamp technique is a reasonable option in case of isolated C1 fractures in patients who have failed conservative management while preserving the range of motion (ROM) at the atlanto–axial joint. The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/x8bsVwzCt_M.


For wireless multi-hop message transmission in ad-hoc networks, sensor networks and mesh networks, on-demand route detection is important due to limited battery capacity and mobility. For route detection, it is desirable for mobile computers to transmit less control messages; however, flooding of a route request message in DSR and AODV or repeated location information advertisement in GEDIR, FACE and GPSR is required. This paper proposes no-beacon extensions of GEDIR ad-hoc routing protocol applying on-demand exchange of location information in NB-GEDIR and timer setting based on distance in CNB-GEDIR. Since both protocols do not require repeatedly broadcasted beacon messages, no communication overhead is required in case that there is no route detection request. In simulation, CNB-GEDIR requires 85.1% less control messages than NB-GEDIR


This article describes a 20-year program of research on the Nurse Home Visitation Program, a model in which nurses visit mothers beginning during pregnancy and continuing through their children's second birthdays to improve pregnancy outcomes, to promote children's health and development, and to strengthen families' economic self-sufficiency. The results of two randomized trials (one in Elmira, New York, and the second in Memphis, Tennessee) are summarized, and an ongoing trial in Denver, Colorado, is briefly described. Results of the Elmira and Memphis trials suggest the following: The program benefits the neediest families (low-income unmarried women) but provides little benefit for the broader population. Among low-income unmarried women, the program helps reduce rates of childhood injuries and ingestions that may be associated with child abuse and neglect, and helps mothers defer subsequent pregnancies and move into the workforce. Long-term follow-up of families in Elmira indicates that nurse-visited mothers were less likely to abuse or neglect their children or to have rapid successive pregnancies. Having fewer children enabled women to find work, become economically self-sufficient, and eventually avoid substance abuse and criminal behavior. Their children benefitted too. By the time the children were 15 years of age, they had had fewer arrests and convictions, smoked and drank less, and had had fewer sexual partners. The program produced few effects on children's development or on birth outcomes, except for children born to women who smoked cigarettes when they registered during pregnancy. The positive effects of the program on child abuse and injuries to children were most pronounced among mothers who, at registration, had the lowest psychological resources (defined as high levels of mental health symptoms, limited intellectual functioning, and little belief in their control of their lives). Generally, effects in Elmira were of greater magnitude and covered a broader range of outcomes than in Memphis, perhaps because of differences between the populations studied, community contexts, or a higher rate of turnover among home visitors in Memphis than in Elmira. The article concludes that the use of nurses as home visitors is key; that services should be targeted to the neediest populations, rather than being offered on a universal basis; that clinically tested methods of changing health and behavioral risks should be incorporated into program protocols; and that services must be implemented with fidelity to the model tested if program benefits found in scientifically controlled studies are to be reproduced as the program is replicated in new communities.


Fisheries and aquaculture production, imports, exports and equitability of distribution determine the supply of aquatic food to people. Aquatic food security is achieved when a food supply is sufficient, safe, sustainable, shockproof and sound: sufficient, to meet needs and preferences of people; safe, to provide nutritional benefit while posing minimal health risks; sustainable, to provide food now and for future generations; shock-proof, to provide resilience to shocks in production systems and supply chains; and sound, to meet legal and ethical standards for welfare of animals, people and environment. Here, we present an integrated assessment of these elements of the aquatic food system in the United Kingdom, a system linked to dynamic global networks of producers, processors and markets. Our assessment addresses sufficiency of supply from aquaculture, fisheries and trade; safety of supply given biological, chemical and radiation hazards; social, economic and environmental sustainability of production systems and supply chains; system resilience to social, economic and environmental shocks; welfare of fish, people and environment; and the authenticity of food. Conventionally, these aspects of the food system are not assessed collectively, so information supporting our assessment is widely dispersed. Our assessment reveals trade-offs and challenges in the food system that are easily overlooked in sectoral analyses of fisheries, aquaculture, health, medicine, human and fish welfare, safety and environment. We highlight potential benefits of an integrated, systematic and ongoing process to assess security of the aquatic food system and to predict impacts of social, economic and environmental change on food supply and demand.


This paper reviews possibilities for, and experience with, credit-linked crop insurance, including different types of insurance and credit arrangements, ranging from insurance sold to individual farmers to meso insurance sold to financial service providers (FSPs) to cover losses suffered by farmer borrowers. The paper describes the main methods of linkage that are being tested or proposed, identifies the critical features of each method, and discusses the advantages and limitations for the three parties - farmers, FSPs, and insurers.


Aims There has been growing public concern regarding the ethical conduct of healthcare professionals. This is often reflected as complaints about poor ethical conduct and an increasing use of litigation against healthcare practitioners. The main objectives of this research were to assess the knowledge and perceptions of health workers on ethics, confidentiality and medico-legal issues. Methods This was a descriptive cross sectional study that was carried out among doctors of different grades and specialties in Soba University Hospital, during the period of March-April 2016. 200 doctors were invited to participate in the study. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire that was pretested. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) – version 22 software. Frequency analysis for background variables was conducted, Chi square test was used to study the association between clinical rank and elements of medico-legal awareness. P value was set at 0.05 level of significance. Results The main results showed that more than 90% of the respondents believed that patient medical information may not be disclosed to anyone, 98.5% believed that hospitals are legally bound to maintain records and 94.5% agreed that hospitals should keep records until medico-legal cases are judged. Regarding informed consent, 99% of the respondents believed that informed consent is required if a patient has to undergo an operation. There was consensus about not attending a patient during an emergency and leaving objects at site of operation where more than 90% of respondents agreed that this is a punishable act. On the other hand, there was considerable variation in the other elements of medical negligence. Conclusions Knowledge of health workers on ethics, confidentiality and medico-legal issues is high and their perceptions are positive.


A nonlinear force method model is proposed to study the dynamic behavior of cable trusses. In the paper, travelling wave method is employed to solve the governing equation of motion. After support reaction forces are considered as excitations, cable trusses are extended to infinitude, and D'Alembert solution to the partial differential equation (PDE) is achieved. Substituting the solution into compatibility condition and boundary conditions, the governing equation expressed by dynamic tension is derived, which is named force method dynamic equation (FMDE). Hence the dynamic system of infinite-degree-of-freedom is simplified as a system with only one unknown without any loss of precision. Nonlinear governing equations are developed through considering the effect of quadratic terms of displacements. At last, an example is given to verify the force method model presented in the paper.


The objective of this work was to determine by PCR the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis FT-13A (SE) and Salmonella Issatschenko (SI) in different samples of organs from 4 days old chicks experimentally infected. Four days old chicks were inoculated with SE and SI and their organs were frozen for DNA extraction to perform classic and nested PCR. It was possible to demonstrate the presence of SE and SI after 6 hours after experimental infection (AEI), but as time passed AEI positive results were inconsistent, obtaining negative results until 174 hours AEI. PCR is useful for detecting SE and SI in the early hours AEI. It is recommended to use pre-enrichment of the samples, in order to facilitate the DNA extraction and the detection of Salmonella by PCR


Using a percentage of a city's households is a common practice in transport engineering leading to knowing the inhabitants' journey pattern. The procedure theoretically consists of calculating the sample based on the statistical parameters of population variable which one wishes to measure. This requires carrying out a pilot survey which cannot be done in countries having few resources because of the costs involved in knowing the value of such population parameters, because resources are sometimes exclusively destined to making an estimated sample according to a pre-established percentage. Percentages between 3% and 6% are usually used in Colombian cities, depending on population size. The city of Manizales (located 300 km to the west of Colombia's capital) carried out two household surveys in less than four years; when the second survey was carried out the values of the estimator parameters were thus already known. The Manizales' mayor's office made an agreement with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia for drawing up the new origin-destiny matrix, where it was possible to calculate the sample based on the pertinent statistical variables. The article makes a comparative analysis of both methodologies, concluding that when statistically estimating the sample it is possible to greatly reduce the number of surveys to be carried out, but obtaining practically equal results.


Microscopic models of travel and land use tend to have rich descriptions of the travellers, but the other actors in the urban system are normally abstracted into market clearing mechanisms. This project aims to make a central actor, the different retailers, explicit by developing an agent, which can address the locations choice problem of a retail chain, well knowing that this is only one, if important, choice of a retailing firm. The motivation of this choice is that the evaluation of road pricing as a policy tool hinges to a substantial extent on an assessment how the local retailers will respond to such charging. The new agent type will be integrated into the existing, IVT developed, agent-based simulation MATSim and the land use model framework UrbanSim/OPUS, which is currently adapted to Switzerland in a joint IVT/IRL effort. The traveller agents of MATSim will be extended, so that they can respond to road pricing in the scheduling choices. The resulting modelling system will be an important first step to a much richer description of the urban system in land use transport models, while contributing to the current Swiss policy debate about road pricing. It will be also the first to integrate the supply side choices, here for retailing, into such a system. There are three main goals for the proposed project. (I) To introduce retailers in the agent-based modelling framework MATSim, (II) to introduce road pricing to the transport micro-simulation part based on general cost functions and (III) to expand MATSim modelling capabilities by coupling it with elements of the land use model OPUS. The latter goal allows analysing both short-term transport activity and long-term land use effects. This includes shifts in both retail destination and residential location choice due to road pricing as well as shifts in the transport mode choice. Those results can feed back to the agent-based model of retailers in order to simulate their reactions to the road pricing measure.


Abstract This paper presents a framework for the interactions between the processes of mapping and rerepresentation within analogy making. Analogical reasoning systems for use in design tasks require representations that are open to being reinterpreted. The framework, interpretation-driven mapping, casts the process of constructing an analogical relationship as requiring iterative, parallel interactions between mapping and interpreting. This paper argues that this interpretation-driven approach focuses research on a fundamental problem in analogy making: how do the representations that make new mappings possible emerge during the mapping process? The framework is useful for both describing existing analogy-making models and designing future ones. The paper presents a computational model informed by the framework Idiom, which learns ways to reinterpret the representations of objects as it maps between them. The results of an implementation in the domain of visual analogy are presented to demonstrate its feasibility. Analogies constructed by the system are presented as examples. The interpretation-driven mapping framework is then used to compare representational change in Idiom to that in three previously published systems.


Psychologists, economists, and advertising moguls have long known that human decision-making is strongly influenced by the behavior of others. A rapidly accumulating body of evidence suggests that the same is true in animals. Individuals can use information arising from cues inadvertently produced by the behavior of other individuals with similar requirements. Many of these cues provide public information about the quality of alternatives. The use of public information is taxonomically widespread and can enhance fitness. Public information can lead to cultural evolution, which we suggest may then affect biological evolution.


All the girls at a boarding school who presented with symptoms of influenza were interviewed and examined. Their symptoms and signs were recorded and related to age, date of last menstrual period, and previous influenza immunization. The age of the girls had no influence on the incidence of disease, nor did the number of girls in each form. However, the attack rate among those not immunized was 61 per cent and those not immunized 71 per cent. There was a highly significant variation in the incidence of influ¬ enza in relation to the menstrual cycle.


In 1764, Spanish colonel Luis Diez Navarro mapped the racially diverse British settlement at Black River on what is today the coast of northeastern Honduras. I use the map as a point of departure to ponder the origins of Amerindian and mestizo residents of Black River and other British settlements across the Mosquito Shore in the eighteenth century. I suggest that Diez Navarro's map can be read to discuss a regional history of violence, the lengthy importance of northern European (and especially British) influence in the region, the significant presence of free people of color, and the social and economic importance of female captivity in general and the Amerindian slave trade in particular. The paper shows how the Afro-Amerindian and Amerindian Mosquito people became deeply entangled with the trade-driven supply of Amerindian captives during times of Anglo-Spanish peace, but also the capture of Amerindians, Africans, mestizos, and mulattos during times of Anglo-Spanish warfare. The paper argues that Amerindian, mestizo, and mulatto captivity made the Mosquito Shore one of the more racially mixed societies anywhere in the British Atlantic and deserves much more attention than it currently receives.


Plants constitute an ecological niche for microbial communities that colonize different plant tissues and explore the plant habitat for reproduction and dispersal. The association of microbiota and plant may be altered by ecological and evolutionary changes in the host population. Seedborne microbiota, expected to be largely vertically-transferred, have the potential to co-adapt with their host over generations. Reduced host diversity because of strong directional selection and polyploidization during plant domestication and cultivation may have impacted the assembly and transmission of seed-associated microbiota. Nonetheless, the effect of plant domestication on the diversity of their associated microbes is poorly understood. Here we show that microbial communities in domesticated wheat, Triticum aestivum, are less diverse but more inconsistent among individual plants compared to the wild wheat species, T. dicoccoides. We found that diversity of microbes in seeds overall is low, but comparable in different wheat species, independent of their genetic and geographic origin. However, the diversity of seedborne microbiota that colonize the roots and leaves of the young seedling is significantly reduced in domesticated wheat genotypes. Moreover, we observe a higher variability between replicates of T. aestivum suggesting a stronger effect of chance events in microbial colonization and assembly. We also propagated wild and domesticated wheat in two different soils and found that different factors govern the assembly of soil-derived and seedborne microbial communities. Overall, our results demonstrate that the role of stochastic processes in seedborne microbial community assembly is larger in domesticated wheat compared to the wild wheat. We suggest that the directional selection on the plant host and polyploidization events during domestication may have decreased the degree of wheat-microbiota interactions and consequently led to a decreased stable core microbiota.


This work builds on the first phase of UKDPC family research, with a study investigating the extent and nature of support provided to adult family members affected by a relative's drug problems.

The study found that adults who have a relative with drug problems have been increasingly recognised as a group with significant needs as a result of the stress of living and caring for someone with such problems. Policy has reflected this increased recognition to an extent, but there is still lack of clarity in the identification of this specific group of family members. Children affected by parental drug misuse have been increasingly recognised in policy and provision. Families in general have also been identified as a useful source of support for treatment and recovery of the person with the drug problem. However, apart from a few exceptions, adult family members as a specific group are not yet clearly identified in policy and guidance.

The work concluded that services should to a greater extent provide help for adult family members in their own right, as well as to support them as part of treatment of their drug-using relative. It suggests much more assertive promotion of help for adult relatives, including advertising services at locations like GP surgeries, carer organisations and local community centres. It also recommends that services take more account of the needs of adult family members, including with routine assessment of adult family members' needs when drug users enter treatment.

The lack of routine data sources providing information on the numbers affected continues to hamper the development of services to meet the full range of needs of adult family members. Therefore adult family members need to be identified as a specific group in national and local policies, accompanied by data collection to provide estimates of need at local level followed by robust systems for monitoring, coordinating and delivering a range of services to respond to the range of need.

This second phase of the project involved three tasks:
• A review of policy and guidance. Over 50 documents from six areas of social policy from across the four countries of the UK were reviewed thematically.
• A web survey of 253 services across the United Kingdom.
• An in-depth mapping exercise of current support provision. This involved 100 qualitative interviews across England and Scotland. In England 63 interviews (20 commissioners of drug treatment and 43 treatment service providers and other key informants) were conducted across 20 areas from five regions (North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, London and the South West). In Scotland 37 interviews (8 Alcohol and Drug Partnership [ADP] coordinators and 29 service providers and other key informants) were conducted.


Purpose An augmented pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) response may explain exercise intolerance in some humans. However, routine use of exercise hemodynamic testing is limited by a lack of data from normal older men and women. Our objective was to evaluate the exercise PAWP response and the potential for sexual dimorphism in healthy, nondyspneic older adults. Methods Thirty-six healthy volunteers (18 men [54 ± 7 yr] and 18 women [58 ± 6 yr]) were studied at rest (control) and during two stages of semi-upright cycle ergometry, at heart rates of 100 bpm (light exercise) and 120 bpm (moderate exercise). Right heart catheterization was performed to measure pulmonary pressures. The PAWP response to exercise was assessed in context of exercise work rate and body size. Results At control, PAWP was similar between men and women. Work rates were significantly smaller in women at comparable HR (P < 0.001). PAWP increased similarly at light exercise, with no further increase at moderate exercise. When indexed to work rate alone or work rate adjusted to body weight and height, the PAWP response at light and moderate exercise was significantly elevated in women compared with men (P < 0.05 condition–sex interaction). The change in PAWP relative to the increase in cardiac output did not exceed 2 mm Hg·L−1·min−1 in any volunteer at moderate exercise. Conclusions The similar rise in the PAWP response to submaximal exercise occurs despite lower work rate in healthy older women compared with men, even when adjusted for smaller body size. It is important to consider sex in the development of normal reference ranges for exercise hemodynamic testing.


Policy formulation has failed to take cognizance of the fact that production and marketing constitute a continuum and that the absence of development in one retards progress in the other. The study analysed the concentration of yam markets in southern part of Adamawa and Taraba states. It specifically identified the degree of product differentiation, market information dissemination and determined the concentration of yam sellers in the markets. A total of 410 respondents comprising 210 retailers and 200 wholesalers were randomly sampled using simple random sampling techniques from six purposively selected yam markets namely, Ganye, Nadu and Tola markets in Adamawa State and Wukari, Sarkin-Kudu, and Chanchanjim markets, Taraba State. Descriptive statistics, Gini coefficient and Lorenz Curve were the analytical tools used. The common features used in yam differentiation were yam varieties and size or length and market information were majorly disseminated by means of personal contact (verbal message) and telephone (GSM). The Gini coefficient of 0.56 and 0.52 were obtained for wholesaling and retailing, respectively. The concentration of sales was high with high income inequality in yam wholesaling than retailing in the area. This difference could result from the differences in their access to ownership and control of physical marketing facilities, funds availability and market behaviour and conducts. The markets therefore exhibit features of imperfect markets of oligopolistic competition. To reduce high concentration and income inequality among sellers especially in wholesale business, funds, security and physical market facilities should be provided to the yam marketers in the area. Key word: Lorenz Curve, Gini Coefficient Analysis, Yam, Nigeria.


Swimming places high demands on the athlete as to time and training load. High loads cause considerable stress about the joint and musculoskeletal structures, which join into a wide range of postural injuries that can be associated with the breathing pattern. The authors aimed to identify the incidence of postural changes and the relationship of these deviations with the breath type. The authors evaluated 60 elite swimmers from the swim team at the University of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, between the ages 14 and 27 (mean 20±3 years). Age, gender, main swimming style, practice time and breath type were recorded. A digital camera (Sony DSC-W 130 Cybershot) was used for postural evaluation. Statistical analysis used the software SAS V.9 and the exact Fisher's test. The main swimming styles were crawl (42%) and butterfly stroke (25%) and the practice time was 9±4 years. The main postural changes were: 41 (68%) hyperkyphosis chest, 40 (67%) knee hyperextension, 30 (50%) low back pain and 25 (42%) rotation of left shoulder girdle. The authors verified that the alterations in the thoracic spine were associated with the breath type (p=0.03), where 7 (11%) swimmers showed bilateral breath and convex left scoliosis, 6 (10%) bilateral breath and convex right scoliosis, 13 (22%) unilateral right respiration and convex left scoliosis, 4 (7%) unilateral right respiration and convex right scoliosis, 9 (15%) unilateral left breath and convex right scoliosis, 2 (3%) unilateral left breath and convex left scoliosis and 19 (32%) swimmers showed no changes. The breath type more used was the bilateral and right unilateral respiration. The knee hyperextension and hyperkyphosis chest were the main postural deviations of the swimmers. These assessments can be the basis for the development of preventive measures in swimming, to obtain better results for athletes who compete.


Story collected by Rose Curran, a student at Baile an Mhuilinn, An Droichead Nua school (Milltown, Co. Kildare) from informant Denis Curran.


In rat ovary, 20alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20alpha-HSD), a member of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily, converts progesterone into the inactive progestin 20alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and has been implicated in the termination of pregnancy. Here we report a convenient overexpression system that permits the purification of milligram quantities of homogeneous recombinant 20alpha-HSD with wild-type enzyme activity. The availability of this enzyme has permitted detailed kinetic, inhibition and fluorescence analyses. The enzyme exhibited narrow steroid specificity, catalysing reactions only at C-20; it reduced progesterone and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and oxidized 20alpha-hydroxypregnanes. It also turned over common AKR substrates, such as 9, 10-phenanthrenequinone and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde. The intrinsic fluorescence spectrum of 20alpha-HSD was characterized and was quenched on the binding of NADP(H), yielding a KNADPd of 0.36 microM and a KNADPHd of 0.64 microM. NADP(H) binding generated an energy transfer band that could not be quenched by steroids. Inhibition studies conducted with non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and synthetic oestrogens indicated that even though rat ovarian 20alpha-HSD and rat liver 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3alpha-HSD) share more than 67% amino acid identity, their inhibition profiles are markedly different. Unlike 3alpha-HSD, most of these compounds did not inhibit 20alpha-HSD. Only meclofenamic acid and hexoestrol were potent competitive inhibitors for 20alpha-HSD, yielding K(i) values of 18.9 and 14.3 microM respectively. These studies suggest that selective non-steroidal AKR inhibitors could be developed for 20alpha-HSD that might be useful in maintaining pregnancy and that specific inhibitors might be developed from either N-phenylanthranilates or biphenols.


Researchers, like practitioners, often examine managerial coaching in isolation, focusing on the coach without considering the impact those being coached (i.e., coachees) have on the success of the coaching process. Thus, utilising a survey-based design, this paper explicates the behaviours of highly coachable employees – proactively seeking, demonstrating receptivity to, and implementing constructive feedback – and examines critical outcomes they achieve, while controlling for the influence of effective managerial coaching behaviours. Our findings demonstrate employee coachability drives individual job performance, adaptability, and promotability to a greater extent than effective managerial coaching behaviours.


Recently, transformer has achieved remarkable performance on a variety of computer vision applications. Compared with mainstream convolutional neural networks, vision transformers are often of sophisticated architectures for extracting powerful feature representations, which are more difficult to be developed on mobile devices. In this paper, we present an effective post-training quantization algorithm for reducing the memory storage and computational costs of vision transformers. Basically, the quantization task can be regarded as finding the optimal low-bit quantization intervals for weights and inputs, respectively. To preserve the functionality of the attention mechanism, we introduce a ranking loss into the conventional quantization objective that aims to keep the relative order of the self-attention results after quantization. Moreover, we thoroughly analyze the relationship between quantization loss of different layers and the feature diversity, and explore a mixed-precision quantization scheme by exploiting the nuclear norm of each attention map and output feature. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified on several benchmark models and datasets, which outperforms the state-of-the-art post-training quantization algorithms. For instance, we can obtain an 81.29\% top-1 accuracy using DeiT-B model on ImageNet dataset with about 8-bit quantization.


One of the major roles of professional phagocytes is the removal of dead cells in the body. We know less about the clearance of necrotic cells than apoptotic cell phagocytosis, despite the fact that both types of dead cells need to be cleared together and necrotic cells appear often in pathological settings. In the present study, we examined phagocytosis of heat‐ or H2O2‐killed necrotic and apoptotic thymocytes by mouse bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDMs) in vitro and found that the two cell types are engulfed at equal efficiency and compete with each other when added together to BMDMs. Phagocytosis of both apoptotic and necrotic thymocytes was decreased by (a) blocking phosphatidylserine on the surface of dying cells; (b) inhibition of Mer tyrosine kinase, Tim‐4, integrin β3 receptor signaling, or Ras‐related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 activity; or (c) using BMDMs deficient for transglutaminase 2. Stimulation of liver X, retinoid X, retinoic acid or glucocorticoid nuclear receptors in BMDMs enhanced not only apoptotic, but also necrotic cell uptake. Electron microscopic analysis of the engulfment process revealed that the morphology of phagosomes and the phagocytic cup formed during the uptake of dying thymocytes is similar for apoptotic and necrotic cells. Our data indicate that apoptotic and necrotic cells are cleared via the same mechanisms, and removal of necrotic cells in vivo can be facilitated by molecules known to enhance the uptake of apoptotic cells.


Cultured human glial cells were blocked in interphase (G1) by 24 h of serum starvation and subsequently subjected to 200 Gy, 8 MV X‐radiation. Immediately following irradiation the cultures were transferred to serum‐containing medium. Time‐lapse cinemicrography performed during the next 48 h showed a profoundly disturbed motility with decreased ability for polarization and locomotion of the irradiated cells. Specimens fixed 24 and 48 h after irradiation and investigated by immunofluorescence with tubulin‐antibodies and DNase/DNase‐antibodies, and by whole cell transmission electron microscopy showed derangements in the distribution of microfilament bundles related to the cytoplasmic ramification of the irradiated cells, but otherwise no detectable alterations in structure or distribution of either microtubules or microfilaments. It is suggested that the alteration in the arrangement of filament bundles is of importance to the impaired locomotion of the irradiated cells.


Objective: The current study aimed to examine if self-esteem and traits of alexithymia influenced individual's attitude towards help-seeking. College students are of interest due to the transition they make from school to college as this can be a difficult time (adjustment wise). There is research on positive self-esteem, gender differences towards attitudes and alexithymic individuals having higher levels of depression and psychological suffering. Therefore, to investigate these variables and discover what we can do to aid individuals would be of importance.

Methods: The study consisted of 108 college (part-time and full-time students) participants, with 33 males and 75 females. The participants were asked demographic questions and were measured on three scales; the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services scale (IASMHS).

Results: Alexithymic traits were the strongest predictor of attitudes towards help-seeking. Males had a more positive attitude towards help-seeking then females and individual's scores going down from high self-esteem to medium self-esteem had more positive attitudes towards help-seeking.

Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that individuals with alexithymic traits present are having a more positive attitude towards help-seeking over those with none and that alexithymia is a strong predictor of attitudes. It also indicates that males are more positive over females in attitudes. These results should be further examined as they play a major role in why people would be more inclined to help-seek or not.


This paper describes an end-to-end learning framework that allows a novice to create a model from data easily by helping structure the model building process and capturing extended aspects of domain knowledge. By treating the whole modeling process interactively and exploiting high-level knowledge in the form of an ontology, the framework is able to aid the user in a number of ways, including in helping to avoid pitfalls such as data dredging. Prudence must be exercised to avoid these hazards: certain conclusions may be supported by extra knowledge if, for example, there are reasons to trust a particular narrower set of hypotheses. This paper adopts the solution of using higher-level knowledge in order to allow this sort of domain knowledge to be inferred automatically, thereby selecting only relevant input attributes and thence constraining the hypothesis space. We describe how the framework automatically exploits structured knowledge in an ontology to identify relevant concepts, and how a data extraction component can make use of online data sources to find measurements of those concepts so that their relevance can be evaluated. To validate our approach, models of four different problem domains were built using our implementation of the framework. Prediction error on unseen examples of these models show that our framework, making use of the ontology, helps to improve model generalization.


The aim of the study was to test the efficacy of 3% & 5% sodium Hypochlorite gel as compared to 3% and 5% sodium hypochlorite solution_ for deproteinization and also to assess the nanoleakage following deproteinization of dentin by an indigenous sodium hypochlorite gel, of varying concentrations with different tunings, using a conjocal laser scanning microscope. Seventy non-carious maxillary premolars were taken and Class V cavities were prepared on the cervical aspect with the cervical margin in dentin. The cavities were etched, rinsed with water and blot dried. Sodium hypochlorite was used at a concentration of 3 % and 5% both in the solution form and gel form for the study. Prime & bond NT was applied as per manufacturer's instructions and the cavities were restored with TPH spectrum composite resin. Teeth were immersed in 50% alcoholic solution of 1 % wt Rhodamine B fluorescent dye for 24hrs. After rinsing they were sectioned longitudinally and dentin / adhesive interface were examined under confocal laser scanning microscope. Dye leakage was measured in micrometers. Results suggest, Sodium hypochlorite gel is as effective as the solution form for deproteinization procedures and provides better handling and control. Efficacy of .sodium hypochlorite in reducing nanoleakage increases with increase in concentration and time.


Ancient hydrothermal metalliferous sediments (umber) have recently attracted attention as a new rare-earth element resource. We conducted chemical leaching experiments on three different umber ores to optimize the hydrometallurgical extraction process, especially regarding the grinding process. The three umber ore samples, which were collected from Japanese accretionary complexes (Kuminiyama and Aki umber) and Troodos ophiolite (Cyprus umber), had different chemical, mineral, and physical properties, and showed different leaching behaviors. The experimental results revealed that the physical properties (density and P-wave propagation velocity) principally controlled the extent of REY (lanthanides and yttrium) extraction from the umber ore samples, and REY extraction from umber samples clearly increased with the decrease in the density and P-wave propagation velocity. The differences in physical properties of the umber samples are attributable to the pressure and thermal history of each ore sample, and it was revealed that umber samples which underwent strong metamorphism are not suitable for actual development. The results also suggested that the optimum particle size (optimum grinding level) of umber samples is simply predictable based on the physical properties. The results of this study should be valuable for future efforts to procure these important mineral resources.


We describe a model for competitive online scheduling algorithms. Two servers, each with a single observable queue, compete for customers. Upon arrival, each customer strategically chooses the queue with minimal expected wait time. Each scheduler wishes to maximize its number of customers, and can strategically select which scheduling algorithm, such as First-Come-First-Served (FCFS), to use for its queue. This induces a game played by the servers and the customers. We consider a non-Bayesian setting, where servers and customers play to maximize worst-case payoffs. We show that there is a unique subgame perfect safety-level equilibrium and we describe the associated scheduling algorithm (which is not FCFS). The uniqueness result holds for both randomized and deterministic algorithms, with a different equilibrium algorithm in each case. When the goal of the servers is to minimize competitive ratio, we prove that it is an equilibrium for each server to apply FCFS: each server obtains the optimal competitive ratio of 2.


The advance of variable speed drives systems (VSDs) engineering highlights the need of specific technical guidance provision by electrical machines and drives manufacturers, so that such applications can be properly designed to present advantages in terms of both energy efficiency and expenditure.
This book presents problems and solutions related to inverter-fed electrical motors. Practically orientated, the book describes the reasons, theory and analysis of those problems. Various solutions for individual problems are presented together with the complete design process, modelling and simulation examples with MATLAB/Simulink on the companion website.
A key focus of Variable Speed AC Drives with Inverter Output Filters is to examine the state variables estimation and motor control structures which have to be modified according to the used solution (filter). In most control systems the structure and parameters are taken into account to make it possible for precise control of the motor. This methodology is able to include modifications and extensions depending on specific control and estimation structures.


Deadlock avoidance and recovery techniques suffer from severe performance degradation when the network is close to or beyond saturation. Many parallel applications produce bursty traffic that may saturate the network during some intervals, and increase execution time. Therefore, the use of techniques that prevent network saturation are of crucial importance in both deadlock avoidance and recovery strategies. Several mechanisms have been proposed in the literature to reach this goal. However some of them do not work well under all network load conditions. Others introduce some penalty when the network is not fully saturated, or complicate network and/or node implementation. In this paper we propose a new mechanism to avoid network saturation that overcomes these drawbacks. In this mechanism, each node estimates network traffic locally by using the percentage of free virtual output channels that can be used for forwarding a message towards its destination. When this number surpasses a threshold value, network congestion is assumed to exist and message injection is forbidden.


It is well-known that introductory physics students often have alternative conceptions that are inconsistent with established physical principles and concepts. Invoking alternative conceptions in quantitative problem-solving process can derail the entire process. In order to help students solve quantitative problems involving strong alternative conceptions correctly, appropriate scaffolding support can be helpful. The goal of this study is to examine how different scaffolding supports involving analogical problem solving influence introductory physics students' performance on a target quantitative problem in a situation where many students' solution process is derailed due to alternative conceptions. Three different scaffolding supports were designed and implemented in calculus-based and algebra-based introductory physics courses to evaluate the level of scaffolding needed to help students learn from an analogical problem that is similar in the underlying principles but for which the problem solving process is not derailed by alternative conceptions. We found that for the quantitative problem involving strong alternative conceptions, simply guiding students to work through the solution of the analogical problem first was not enough to help most students discern the similarity between the two problems. However, if additional scaffolding supports that directly helped students examine and repair their knowledge elements involving alternative conceptions were provided, students were more likely to discern the underlying similarities between the problems and avoid getting derailed by alternative conceptions when solving the targeted problem. We also found that some scaffolding supports were more effective in the calculus-based course than in the algebra-based course. This finding emphasizes the fact that appropriate scaffolding support must be determined via research in order to be effective.


Combining a detailed outcrop characterization of fracture and fault occurrence with attributes from a three-dimensional model of an anticlinally folded clastic reservoir body, we determine which characteristics of the structural form and evolution are most closely related to the development of important reservoir-scale structures. Our example reservoir body studied is the Frontier Formation 1 sandstone in Oil Mountain, an asymmetric anticline on the western flank of Casper arch in central Wyoming. The three-dimensional model of the structure was constructed using an iterative scheme designed to maximize interpretation accuracy and precision. The model was analyzed to determine the spatial variance in morphologic and kinematic attributes. Using a quantitative testing approach, we found that the intensity of tectonically produced fractures is closely related spatially to rate of dip change and total curvature, with the former having the strongest correlation. This folding is a low-strain process compared to tear faulting, which has the strongest spatial correlation to larger strains. The location and magnitude of these higher strain areas can be adequately predicted by three-dimensional restoration and forward modeling of the upper bounding surface of the reservoir body. We use these results to build a predictive model for fault and fracture distribution at Oil Mountain and to discuss how this approach can aid in the exploitation of analogous producing reservoirs.


Data association problems are an important component of many computer vision applications, with multi-object tracking being one of the most prominent examples. A typical approach to data association involves finding a graph matching or network flow that minimizes a sum of pairwise association costs, which are often either hand-crafted or learned as linear functions of fixed features. In this work, we demonstrate that it is possible to learn features for network-flow-based data association via backpropagation, by expressing the optimum of a smoothed network flow problem as a differentiable function of the pairwise association costs. We apply this approach to multi-object tracking with a network flow formulation. Our experiments demonstrate that we are able to successfully learn all cost functions for the association problem in an end-to-end fashion, which outperform hand-crafted costs in all settings. The integration and combination of various sources of inputs becomes easy and the cost functions can be learned entirely from data, alleviating tedious hand-designing of costs.


Acute phase proteins are used as markers of inflammation and sub-clinical disease, and are considered potential biomarkers for animal health and welfare. The objective of this study was to analyse haptoglobin as the main positive acute phase protein in the mouflon. A total of 30 clinically healthy mouflon of different age and sex, reared in a game reserve, were used for this study. Haptoglobin was determined in blood serum by colorimetric assay with a commercially accessible kit. The mean value of haptoglobin in the herd was 0.215 ± 0.068 mg/ml. There was no significant difference between animals divided by sex: male 0.228 ± 0.073 mg/ml, female 0.202 ± 0.062 mg/ml. The mean value in young animals was higher than the mean value in the adults 0.260 ± 0.081 mg/ml and 0.201 ± 0.059 mg/ml, respectively (P < 0.05). This work was designed to identify the baseline concentration of haptoglobin in a clinically healthy population, thus allowing the comparison of welfare and general health status of the herds or different structured groups within the game reserve. This is the first similar study of haptoglobin as a biomarker in the mouflon. Biomarker, herd, welfare, wildlife


Did the Greek gods play tennis? What is the ambassador from the land of Alchemy telling us? What secrets are being told on the shores of the Island of Venus? What is a monk doing on the ship of fools? "What Great Paintings Say" has the answers to these and many other burning questions asked about the most important and famous paintings of all time. In two volumes, a selection of history's greatest masterpieces is presented chronologically, including works by Botticelli, Breughel, Chagall, Courbet, Degas, Delacroix, Durer, Goya, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Tiepolo, Titian, and many others. Each chapter focuses on one painting, with enlarged details and in-depth texts describing their significance. Taking apart each painting and then reassembling it again like a huge jigsaw puzzle, the authors reveal the history of art as a lively panorama of forgotten worlds.


Protein function is inherently linked to its localization within the cell, and fluorescent microscopy data is an indispensable resource for learning representations of proteins. Despite major developments in molecular representation learning, extracting functional information from biological images remains a non-trivial computational task. Current state-of-the-art approaches use autoencoder models to learn high-quality features by reconstructing images. However, such methods are prone to capturing noise and imaging artifacts. In this work, we revisit deep learning models used for classifying major subcellular localizations, and evaluate representations extracted from their final layers. We show that simple convolutional networks trained on localization classification can learn protein representations that encapsulate diverse functional information, and significantly outperform autoencoder-based models. We also propose a robust evaluation strategy to assess quality of protein representations across different scales of biological function.


Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential heavy metal, which is classified as a "known human carcinogen" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Understanding the mechanisms controlling Cd distribution in planta is essential to develop phytoremediation approaches as well as for food safety. Unlike most other plants, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants translocate most of the Cd taken up from the soil, out of the roots and into the shoots, leading to high Cd accumulation in tobacco shoots. Two orthologs of the Arabidopsis thaliana HMA2 and HMA4 Zn and Cd ATPases that are responsible for zinc (Zn) and Cd translocation from roots to shoots were identified in tobacco and sequenced. These genes, named NtHMAα and NtHMAβ, were more highly expressed in roots than in shoots. NtHMAα was expressed in the vascular tissues of both roots and leaves as well as in anthers. No visual difference was observed between wild-type plants and plants in which the NtHMAα and NtHMAβ genes were either mutated or silenced. These mutants showed reduced Zn and Cd accumulation in shoots as well as increased Cd tolerance. When both NtHMA genes were silenced, plant development was altered and pollen germination was severely impaired due to Zn deficiency. Interestingly, seeds from these lines also showed decreased Zn concentration but increased iron (Fe) concentration.


In this article, it is tried to study the role of IT powerful tools to change in identity of procedure in developmental project management from traditional space to virtual space (conversion of project traditional management to project electronic project) and also it is studied how to enforce electronic methods in managing projects and it's effect on expense/time and quality factors with modeling a developmental project as a pilot project to exiting systems and procedures in projects. Since in accordance to PMBOK [6] viewpoint, project management process can be defined as management on multiple domains such as Communication, Provisions, Cost, Quality and time. Therefore, in this article, some suggestive algorithms will be introduced to show the feasibility of virtual making and web-based management of one of the domains of project management. (Cost domain)


Purpose. Whole Body Vibration (WBV) might be considered an alternative to the traditional resistance training methods. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of three different WBV frequencies on the maximum isometric knee extensor strength in untrained adults. Methods. Twenty volunteers participated in this study. They were all students enrolled at the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. The participants were exposed to vertical vibrations, generated by the Fitvibe Excel Pro vibration platform, with frequencies of 30, 50 and 60 Hz, respectively. Mean forces were recorded for both legs, with the KIN-COM isokinetic dynamometer, over 5 s long time intervals of maximal isometric voluntary contractions of the knee extensor muscles, before and after bouts of 60 s of WBV training. Results. Mean isometric force of the right quadriceps muscles after exposure to a 30 Hz vibration frequency was 656.90 +/- 214.86 N, mean isometric force of the right quadriceps muscles after exposure to a 50 Hz vibration frequency was 645.10 +/- 220.21 N, and mean isometric force of the right quadriceps muscles after exposure to a 60 Hz vibration frequency was 653.65 +/- 206.93 N. Significant changes in isometric knee extensor strength were found between males and females both pre and post-WBV. No significant changes were found between pre- and post-WBV force values for the whole group of participants. Conclusions. There was no enhancement in muscular performance after one bout of 60 s of WBV in healthy adults. More research is needed on the potential effects of short term WBV exposure among untrained adults.


Objective: To study the effect of Pharmaceutical Care (PC) program and health education delivered by pharmacist on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patient's knowledge about diabetes, glycemic control, blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Patients and methods: A prospective interventional study including T2DM patients with poor glycemic control, i.e. glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) more than 7%. Patients receiving PC and education about T2DM and cardiovascular disease by the researcher pharmacist. Patients were followed for 26 weeks. The study parameters included HbA1c, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Systolic Blood pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), BMI and Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ-24).
Results: Thirty-eight T2DM patients were included in the study. Thirty-two completed the program. A significant decrease in the HbA1c and FBS at the end line measurements (from 9.1% to 7.4%, P-value = 0.001) and (from 187.4 to 135.3, P-value = 0.001) respectively. A significant decrease occurred in both SBP and DBP (from 129.8 to 125.2, P-value = 0.009) and (from 82.0 to 77.9, P-value =0.001) respectively. Diabetes knowledge score also showed a significant increase at the end of study (from 52.6 to 63.7, P-value =0.001)
Conclusion: Pharmaceutical care and health education with continuous follow up delivered by the pharmacist even for a relatively short period of time in collaboration with specialist physician, resulted in improved T2DM Knowledge plus better glycemic and blood pressure control.


Extensive and systematic machine computations are carried out to investigate the integral cohomology of the Euclidean Bianchi groups and their congruence subgroups. The collected data give insight into several aspects, including the asymptotic behavior of the torsion in the first homology. Along with the experimental work, some basic properties of the integral cohomology are recorded with an eye toward the liftability issue of Hecke eigenvalue systems.


The federal income tax system treats married couples as if each spouse earned approximately one-half of the couple's combined income through a mechanism called income splitting. For many one-earner and unequal-earner couples, income splitting produces a significant advantage, a marriage bonus, by shifting income from higher to lower rate brackets. Marriage-based income splitting relies on a presumption that marriage is a good indicator of economic unity between two taxpayers. It is not. Marriage does not require spousal sharing and many unmarried couples share everything they earn. As a result, the current system extends the benefit of income splitting to some taxpayers who do not deserve it while withholding it from others who do. Because marriage is a poor proxy for economic unity, this Article proposes a new eligibility criterion for income-splitting: only couples legally committed to sharing their income, regardless of marital status, would be permitted to file jointly.


A principal purpose of this text was to provide an insight into the social nature of coaching, inclusive of such notions as power, interaction, structure and agency. A base point to highlight was that what we need to know about coaching is rich, complex and diverse. A second aim was to encourage a healthy suspicion of rather simplified a-theoretical explanations of coaching that do not take heed of such social complexity. Echoing Stones (1998a), the more one looks at the varied insights offered by thinkers such as Goffman, Foucault, Bourdieu and others, the more one realises that there is much to know about coaching that cannot be contained in sound bites and 'chat-show' logic. We should not (and in any real sense cannot) forcibly simplify the complexity: for example, by assuming functional relations exist (or should exist) among various groups or individuals (Guilianotti, 2005), or skipping over such notions as 'social skills' and 'communication' as if they are self-explanatory. Similarly, just developing a literal grasp of the theories presented is not enough. The point here is not to make 'accuracy a virtue' (Housman, 1937). That would be like 'praising an architect for using wellseasoned timber or properly mixed concrete in his [sic] building. It is a necessary condition of his work, but not his essential function' (Carr, 1961: 11). In coaching terms, such a perspective would privilege the precision of communicative behaviours over the quality of communicative interaction (Pineau, 1994). Alternatively, through this book, we advocate a critical understanding of coaching that challenges instrumental reasoning.


The purpose of the research is the study of memes as objects of Internet creativity, according to the genre typology related to post-folklore and post-folklore type of communication in the Internet. The methodology consists in the application of analytical, semiotic and culturological methods of study of visual-graphic and verbal types of Internet memes, which, thanks to the content-communicative characteristics, are capable of forming other kinds of post-folklore texts. The scientific novelty of the research is that for the first time Internet-memes have been studied as a genre variety of post-folklore and a means of post-folklore communication on the Internet; The segment of memes of the Ukrainian Internet space and the sources of their formation are analyzed. Conclusions. As a result of the research it was established that meme as a phenomenon of post-folklore Internet creativity is both verbal, graphical-visual and creolized text, has genre and structure-forming potential in constructing other semiotic complicated post-folklore texts. Internet-memes originate mainly in the environment of social networks and communities, however, gradually spreading by other channels of communication. The popularity and spread of the meme is influenced by its ability to be used in many senses and various communicative situations. According to their semantic content, memes refer to precedent phenomena, which in a condensed form contain information about actual events and phenomena of social reality, forming the appropriate context. In the process of communication, recognizing and "reading" these connotations of the meme provide the expected result of reaching the main idea of the text, which, in turn, can serve as a source for further creativity. Memes become sources of post-folklore creativity on the Internet, and the post-folklore texts themselves are means of intercultural communication, with the help of which a definite opinion is expressed, and its own reference within the communicative environment is confirmed.


We devised a novel method for rapid and ultrasensitive detection of target microRNA (miRNA) by employing target-assisted isothermal exponential amplification (TAIEA) combined with poly (thymine)-templated fluorescent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) as signaling probes. The target miRNA hybridizes to the unimolecular template DNA and works as a primer for the extension reaction to form double-stranded product, which consequently generates two nicking endonuclease recognition sites. By simultaneous nicking and displacement reactions, exponential amplification generates many poly (thymine) strands as final products, which are employed for the synthesis of fluorescent CuNPs. Based on the fluorescent signal from CuNPs, target miRNA is detected as low as 0.27 fM around 1 h of total analysis time. The diagnostic capability of this system has been successfully demonstrated by reliably detecting target miRNA from different cell lysates, showing its great potential towards real clinical applications.


Abstract Reduction of stress is an important factor in improving poultry welfare, especially during periods of heat stress. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding the functional metabolites of Diamond V Original XPCTM to broilers reared under ambient or heat stress temperatures. Dietary treatments included: control feed (CON) and Original XPC fed continuously at 1.25 kg/MT (XPC). Half the birds in each dietary treatment were subjected to either no heat stress (24°C constant) or heat stress (35°C:24°C for 18:6 h daily) from 28 to 42 d. At the end of the heat stress period, blood was collected from 40 birds/treatment. Blood was analyzed for plasma corticosterone (CORT), plasma HSP70 (HSP70), and heterophil/lymphocyte ratios (H/L). At 42 d, bilateral metatarsal traits were also measured in 40 birds/treatment to assess physical asymmetry. Birds fed XPC had significantly lower CORT levels than CON (P < 0.001; 5,129 ± 617 vs. 8,433 ± 730, respectively). Physical asymmetry scores were also significantly higher in CON compared to XPC fed broilers (P < 0.001; 1.50 ± 0.13 vs. 0.54 ± 0.05, respectively). H/L ratios were significantly greater in CON than for XPC birds (P = 0.01; 0.81 ± 0.05 mm vs. 0.62 ± 0.05 mm, respectively). No differences were observed between CON and XPC fed broilers in HSP70. However, heat stress did increase (P < 0.0001) HSP70 compared to no heat stress birds (5.65 ± 0.12 vs. 4.78 ± 0.11 pg/mL, for heat stress and no heat stress, respectively). Feeding XPC to broiler chickens improved animal welfare via reduced stress indicators while under heat stress or no heat stress conditions. These results indicate that feeding XPC may improve poultry welfare by reducing heat stress susceptibility.


Combining high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, 3d photoemission line shape and surface core-level shifts have been reinvestigated on the Ge(111)c(2 x 8) surface. It is found that 3d spectra include, in addition to the bulk and three surface-shifted components reported in literature, a component that was not identified in earlier measurements with a lower resolution. The detailed interpretation of these spectra and their line shape is made on the basis of DFT calculations. It is shown that the lowest binding energy component is due to the rest atoms. The higher binding energy emission is caused by the adatoms and the third-layer atoms that are below the adatoms. Finally, the two other surface components originate from the first- and second-layer atoms. The screening effects in the Ge(111)c(2 x 8) are discussed.


Temperature estimation of MOSFET is crucial, for failure of semiconductors is closely related to the junction temperature. In order to improve the reliability of semiconductor devices, it is necessary to realize on-line temperature monitoring. However, it remains a challenge to measure the junction temperature fast and precisely, especially for high-switching-frequency devices, such as silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET devices. To realize on-line junction temperature monitoring of SiC MOSFETs, this paper proposes a new method based on the on-state resistance. Firstly, on-state resistance is proven theoretically to be an available thermo-sensitive electrical parameter (TSEP). Then, a circuit with an auxiliary MOSFET is proposed to measure the on-state voltage drop online. It can provide accurate on-state voltage measurement, while working at higher frequencies with lower power consumption. Finally, the off-line and on-line experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method has a relatively satisfactory performance of monitoring the junction temperature of SiC MOSFETs online.


Band selection is an important data dimensionality reduction tool in hyperspectral images (HSIs). To identify the most informative subset band from the hundreds of highly corrected bands in HSIs, a novel hyperspectral band selection method using a crossover based gravitational search algorithm (CGSA) is presented in this paper. In this method, the discriminative capability of each band subset is evaluated by a combined optimization criterion, which is constructed based on the overall classification accuracy and the size of the band subset. As the evolution of the criterion, the subset is updated using the V-shaped transfer function based CGSA. Ultimately, the band subset with the best fitness value is selected. Experiments on two public hyperspectral datasets, i.e. the Indian Pines dataset and the Pavia University dataset, have been conducted to test the performance of the proposed method. Comparing experimental results against the basic GSA and the PSOGSA (hybrid PSO and GSA) revealed that all of the three GSA variants can considerably reduce the band dimensionality of HSIs without damaging their classification accuracy. Moreover, the CGSA shows superiority on both the effectiveness and efficiency compared to the other two GSA variants.


Abstract. Ionospheric tomography based on the total electron content (TEC) data along the ray path from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) satellites to ground receivers is a typical ill-posed inverse problem. The regularization method is an effective method to solve this problem, which incorporates prior constraints to approximate the real ionospheric variations. When two or more prior constraints are used, the corresponding multiple regularization parameters are introduced in the cost functional. Assuming that the ionospheric spatial variations can be separable in the horizontal and vertical directions, different prior constraints are used in each direction, and the dual-parameter regularization algorithm is established to reconstruct the three-dimensional ionospheric electron density in the present paper. To make the reconstruction results comprehensively reflect the observation information and background (prior) information, it is crucial to determine the optimal regularization parameters. The linear model function method is used to choose these regularization parameters. Both an ideal test and a real test show that this regularization algorithm can effectively improve the background model output.


We develop a means to detect ongoing per-country anomalies in the daily usage metrics of the Tor anonymous communication network, and demonstrate the applicability of this technique to identifying likely periods of internet censorship and related events. The presented approach identifies contiguous anomalous periods, rather than daily spikes or drops, and allows anomalies to be ranked according to deviation from expected behaviour. The developed method is implemented as a running tool, with outputs published daily by mailing list. This list highlights per-country anomalous Tor usage, and produces a daily ranking of countries according to the level of detected anomalous behaviour. This list has been active since August 2016, and is in use by a number of individuals, academics, and NGOs as an early warning system for potential censorship events. We focus on Tor, however the presented approach is more generally applicable to usage data of other services, both individually and in combination. We demonstrate that combining multiple data sources allows more specific identification of likely Tor blocking events. We demonstrate the our approach in comparison to existing anomaly detection tools, and against both known historical internet censorship events and synthetic datasets. Finally, we detail a number of significant recent anomalous events and behaviours identified by our tool.


This study examined the reading and writing processes that seventh-graders used in hypertext versus traditional print environments. Additionally, it considered the impact of incorporating technology and collaboration into pedagogical practice. Three separate literacy activities involved students in finding information, creating presentations, and working collaboratively. An examination of the literacy processes students used showed no differences that were clearly attributable to the students' choices of print or hypertext environments. Student achievement scores in Reading and Language Arts were compared to their choice of print or electronic resources, with a finding of no significance. However, when scores on individual work were compared to scores on collaborative work, a significant difference was found.


The history of prions is a fascinating saga in the annals of biomedical science. For nearly five decades with no clue as to the cause, physicians watched patients with a central nervous system (CNS) degenerative disorder called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) die, often within a few months of its onset (Creutzfeldt 1920; Jakob 1921; Kirschbaum 1968). CJD destroys the brain while the body remains unaware of this process. No febrile response, no leukocytosis or pleocytosis, and no humoral immune response is mounted in response to this devastating disease. Despite its recognition as a distinct clinical entity, CJD remained a rare disease; first, it was in the province of neuropsychiatrists and, later, of neurologists and neuropathologists. Although multiple cases of CJD were recognized in families quite early (Kirschbaum 1924;Meggendorfer 1930; Stender 1930; Davison and Rabiner 1940; Jacob et al. 1950; Friede and DeJong 1964; Rosenthal et al. 1976; Masters et al. 1979, 1981a,b), this observation did little to advance understanding of the disorder. The unraveling of the etiology of CJD is a wonderful story that has many threads, each representing a distinct piece of the puzzle. An important observation was made by Igor Klatzo, Carleton Gajdusek, and Vincient Zigas in 1959, when they recognized that the neuropathology of kuru resembled that of CJD (Klatzo et al. 1959). That same year, William Hadlow suggested that kuru, a disease of New Guinea highlanders, was similar to scrapie, a hypothesis also based on light microscopic similarities (Hadlow 1959). Hadlow's insight was much more profound that...


Nitrogen availability controls nitrogen mineralization and nitrification which are important reaction for nitrogen cycle in the soil (Schimel and Bennet. 2004). To evaluate nitrogen availability, soil C/N ratio and net nitrogen mineralization are usually used. However, difficulty in extracting the nitrogen source pools for soil microbes and getting the field circumstance information by using laboratory culture experiment create the difficulty in evaluating the nitrogen availability accurately. Then, the natural abundance of 15N (d15N) has been used for evaluating the nitrogen availability as a tool of getting the field circumstance information. Dijkstra et al. (2008) showed negative correlation between D15N which means the difference between d15N of SMB (Soil Microbial Biomass) and d15N of microbial substrate (K2SO4 extractable nitrogen from soil) and microbial substrate C/N, and this result suggested D15N could be a good indicator for nitrogen availability. They explained this phenomenon that mineralization is the dominant process for soil microbes at the high nitrogen availability sites, and SMB becomes enriched in 15N because microbes release NH4+ which is depleted in 15N. However, previous study about the relationship between d15N-biomass and d15N-NH4+ in C/N controlled pure culture is conducted only by Collins et al. (2008) who used E. coli, and they could not detect d15N-NH4+ in a low concentration. Thus, the relationship between nitrogen availability and d15N-biomass is unclear. The purpose of our study is to reevaluate if biomass becomes enriched in 15N when microbes release NH4+ which is depleted in 15N. In this study, we cultured Fungi (Aspergillus oryzae) who has large biomass in the forest soil in C/N controlled pure culture (C/N5, 10, 30, 50, 100) for 4 days. We used glycine and glucose as a nitrogen and carbon source. And we measured mainly changes in d15N-biomass, NH4+ concentration and d15N-NH4+. In C/N5 and 10 where NH4+ concentration increased over time, we found that biomass was strongly enriched in 15N and NH4+ is depleted in 15N. Conversely, in C/N 30, 50 and 100 where microbes hardly released NH4+, we found that d15N-biomass got the almost same value of initial d15N-glycine. In the presentation, we will discuss more detail about the carbon and nitrogen mass balance during our experiment.


This paper studies the optimal debt repayment policy of a government facing a credibility problem: the public is uncertain about whether the outstanding public debt will be repaid in full or in part and requires a risk premium to roll it over. The model determines when it is optimal for the government in power to signal the sustainability (full repayment) or the non-sustainability (partial repayment) of the debt regime. The timing depends on the initial reputation of the government, the costs of taxing labour income, and the costs of defaulting on government debt, which are endogenized as a function of the redistributive preferences of the government. In the presence of a deficit net of interest payments, the uncertainty may or may not be resolved, but it will always be resolved when a lasting surplus net of interest payments is achieved. The model allows an evaluation of the deficit and the debt prerequisites for EMU set by the Maastricht Treaty: they are sufficient to exclude potentially defaulting governments, but may be excessively strict for this purpose.