This study describes the design and development of a web-based electronic training system aiming at business operations of small and medium-sized agribusiness enterprises (SMAEs). The proposed system will meet current and future needs of SMAEs for timely, accurate, and customised training removing the barriers of geographical solitude and economies of scale. The objectives of this system are: (a) to offer training and consultancy to SMAEs on how to use information and communication technologies as business tools in order to improve their operations and gain competitive advantage (b) to provide education material customised to the special needs of each SMAE, (c) to provide on-line training, advice and consultancy using special-trained operators, and (d) to provide on-line training, advice and consultancy by skilled operators who have been trained to offer those services. ETS will be an Internet-based system. The system will operate as a third-party trusted intermediate between SMAEs, consultants, and content providers. The system design will be extended to cover the needs of the programme "Training support for Go-Digital Project" funded by Greek Ministry of Development which aims to offer training and support in the usage of Internet services to 50.000 SMEs.


This thesis explores the communicative turn in critical theory, beginning with Jurgen Habermas's and Axel Honneth's criticisms of the work of the early Frankfurt school; it then analyses Habermas's ideas on language and discourse ethics alongside Axel Honneth's development of a 'recognitive-theoretical' model of Critical Theory. Following Honneth's lead, I then bring the work of Michel Foucault into dialogue with the communicative turn and explore the merits of both approaches. Habermas's and Honneth's accounts of non-coercive dialogical exchange are found wanting, and I argue that they idealise the public sphere, communication and recognition, and also reproduce procedural conceptions of freedom that abstract from difference and particularity. Foucault compensates for this, but his genealogical work displays an excessive and indiscriminate view of power, alongside an inadequate conception of subjectivity, whilst his later work on ethics/aesthetics idealises the self as a work of art and lacks a substantive account of culture, democracy, and responsibility. I argue that Theodor Adorno's account of non-reified culture and ethics – as a response to the suffering produced by commodification, identity thinking and technological rationality – overcomes the shortcomings of the work of Habermas, Honneth and Foucault, whilst providing us with a more complete account of recognition and solidarity.


We present a new approach to proving non-termination of non-deterministic integer programs. Our technique is rather simple but efficient. It relies on a purely syntactic reversal of the program's transition system followed by a constraint-based invariant synthesis with constraints coming from both the original and the reversed transition system. The latter task is performed by a simple call to an off-the-shelf SMT-solver, which allows us to leverage the latest advances in SMT-solving. Moreover, our method offers a combination of features not present (as a whole) in previous approaches: it handles programs with non-determinism, provides relative completeness guarantees and supports programs with polynomial arithmetic. The experiments performed with our prototype tool RevTerm show that our approach, despite its simplicity and stronger theoretical guarantees, is at least on par with the state-of-the-art tools, often achieving a non-trivial improvement under a proper configuration of its parameters.


Hundreds of articles discuss the imaging characteristics and molecular background of prominent gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders and tumors of the peripheral nervous system, but according to our knowledge an article focusing on the classification and developmental background of these heterogeneous diseases is not to be found. Our aim is to give insight on the common features of several diseases and tumors, starting with their common source of origin, the neural crest (NC). The NC is a transient cell population of the embryo, which differentiates into several organs/structures of our body (sympathetic trunk, adrenal medulla). Although the incidence of the individual tumors of NC cells is not high by themselves, the summation of these incidences may be relevant in the daily routine. In the introduction we mention the most prominent developmental routes and molecular pathways of NC cells, which is crucial to understand the pathogenesis and the wide range of involved cell types from the colon to the adrenal gland. We summarized the most important, useful pathological findings and imaging techniques from the X-ray to the positron emission tomography—computed tomography (CT) in order to help the identification of these diseases. This article may help to better understand NC lineage and its unique, diverse role during ontogeny, which may influence the radiologists to change several convictions, or understand better the background and/or connections of a wide range of tumors and syndromes.


: Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) brought a significant revolution in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a short period of time, EGFR-TKIs became the standard of treatment for mutation-positive, advanced stage non-squamous NSCLC. In recent years, second-and third-generation EGFR-TKIs are emerging, further widening the clinical use. However, the question of EGFR-TKIs efficiency in the treatment of early stage NSCLC still remains open. Early clinical trials failed to approve the use of EGFR-TKIs in adjuvant setting. The majority of these early trials were performed in unselected NSCLC populations and without standardized biomarker identification. One should certainly not rely solely on these results and dismiss the use of EGFR-TKIs as adjuvant therapy. Many important questions are still unanswered. Most important issues such as stage heterogeneity (IA–IIIA), timing (after or concomitantly with chemotherapy), and type of administration (monotherapy or combination) need to be answered in near future. Adjuvant TKIs in the treatment of lung cancer might offer significant number of advancements. Having in mind the significant duration of response observed in advance disease setting, there could be place for prolongation of response in adjuvant setting potentially, leading to improvement in survival. TKIs could offer less-toxic adjuvant treatment with better efficiency than chemotherapy. However, there is a chronic lack of randomized controlled trials in this field, leading to inability to draw any scientifically sound conclusion with regard to the adjuvant treatment. For now, the use of EGFR-TKIs outside clinical trial setting is not recommended. The purpose of this review is to evaluate current and available data.


Abstract Less-drug regimens (LDR) refer to combinations of either two antiretroviral drugs or ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (PI) monotherapy. They may represent a simplification strategy in patients with persistently suppressed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viremia, with the main benefits of reducing drug-related toxicities and costs. Systemic virological efficacy of LDR is slightly lower as compared with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), but patients with failure do not usually develop drug resistance and resuppress HIV replication after reintensification. A major concern of LDR is the lower efficacy in the virus reservoirs, especially in the central nervous system (CNS), where viral compartmentalization and independent evolution of infection may lead to CNS viral escape, often associated with neurologic symptoms. The authors reviewed studies of virological and functional CNS efficacy of LDR, particularly of boosted PI monotherapy regimens, for which more information is available. Symptomatic viral CSF escape was observed mainly in PI/r monotherapy patients with plasma failure and low nadir CD4+ cell counts, and resolved upon reintroduction of triple drug cART, whereas asymptomatic viral failure in CSF was not significantly more frequent in patients on PI/r monotherapy compared with patients on standard cART. In addition, there was no difference in functional outcomes between PI monotherapy and cART patients, irrespective of CSF viral escape. More data are needed on the CNS effect of dual ART regimens and, in general, on long-term efficacy of LDR. Simplification with LDR may be an attractive option in patients with suppressed viral load, if they are well selected and monitored for potential CNS complications.


The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Calamintha pamphylica Boiss. & Heldr. subsp. pamphylica (A,B), subsp. davisii (Quezel & Contandr.) P.H.Davis (C,D,E), and subsp. alanyense S.Alan & Ocak (F) were analyzed using GC/MS. Menthyl acetate (26.2%-40.7%), menthol (13.5%-18.7%), and pulegone (7.7%-13.0%) were the main constituents in samples A and B; menthone (21.7%), pulegone (19.7%), and menthyl acetate (9.8%) were detected in sample C; isomenthyl acetate (16.7%), isomenthone (13.4%), and menthyl acetate (13.0%) were detected in sample D; menthyl acetate (20.9%), menthol (15.4%), and menthone (14.7%) were detected in sample E; and hexadecanoic acid (30.1%), menthyl acetate (9.3%), and hexahydro farnesyl acetone (7.3%) were the main constituents in sample F.


ABSTRACT Despite the biological, social, and physical challenges that exist in urban creek restorations, there are opportunities to effectively involve local residents in ecological rehabilitation projects. An urban riparian restoration project along Strawberry Creek (Berkeley, CA) began with the goal of removing exotic vegetation and restoring native plant coverage. However, through the involvement of local high school and college students, the project accomplished an additional goal of educating the local community about restoration and conservation. Undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley conducted pre-restoration vegetation surveys of species richness and cover in order to assess initial species composition at the restoration site. Berkeley High School students, under the guidance of UC Berkeley graduate student mentors, removed exotic vegetation from an 800 m2 area of the riparian zone and replaced exotics with over 500 individual native plants. Post-restoration vegetation surveys found that this project succeeded in reducing the cover of exotic vegetation and increasing native species richness. A smaller area adjacent to the student plantings was more intensively maintained by the University of California, Berkeley Office of Environment, Health & Safety and had a higher survival rate among the natives planted. Student attitudinal surveys indicated that students' involvement in the restoration activities increased their awareness and appreciation of the creek's value and educated them about scientific concepts of restoration and conservation. In spite of the various challenges of coordinating several interest groups, the involvement of local students has the potential to increase the likelihood that the project will succeed in the long term, especially if such involvement signals greater appreciation for the creek habitat.


In this study, a numerical examination of the significance of rotation and changeable gravitational field on the start of nanofluid convective movement in an anisotropic porous medium layer is shown. A model that accounts for the impact of Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis is used for nanofluid, while Darcy's law is taken for the porous medium. The porous layer is subjected to uniform rotation and changeable downward gravitational field which fluctuates with the height from the layer by linearly or parabolic. The higher-order Galerkin technique is applied to obtain the numerical solutions. The outcomes demonstrate that the rotation parameter TD, the thermal anisotropy parameterh and the gravity variation parameter λ slow the beginning of convective motion, whereas the mechanical anisotropy parameter ξ, the nanoparticle Rayleigh-Darcy number Rnp, the modified diffusivity ratio NAnf and the modified nanofluid Lewis number Lenf quick the start of convective motion. For instance, by rising the gravity variation parameterfrom zero to 1.4, the critical nanofluid thermal Rayleigh-Darcy number Rnf,c and the critical wave numberboost maximum around 133% and 7%, respectively for linear variation of the gravity field, while it were 47% and 2.8% for parabolic variation of the gravity field. It is also observed that the system is more unstable for the parabolic variation of the gravity field.


Abstract. In 2003 Cohn and Umans introduced a group-theoretic approach to fast matrix multiplication. This involves finding large subsets of a group satisfying the triple product property (TPP) as a means to bound the exponent of matrix multiplication. We present two new characterizations of the TPP, which are used for theoretical considerations and for TPP test algorithms. We describe the algorithms for all known TPP tests and present the runtime differences between their GAP implementations. We prove that the search for non-trivial-sized TPP triples of subgroups of a given group can be restricted to the set of its non-normal subgroups, and apply this, together with other preconditions, to describe brute-force search algorithms for largest-sized TPP triples of subgroups and subsets. In addition we present the results of the subset brute-force search for all groups of order up to 32 and selected results of the subgroup brute-force search for 2-groups, and . Our results for the groups and suggest tentative answers to certain questions posed by Cohn and Umans.


An equivalent circuit approach was presented in this paper to evaluate low-frequency magnetic fields in the presence of non-ferromagnetic plates. Thin plates and conductors, as well as others, were modeled as interconnected and coupled circuit components. The eddy currents on the plates were then solved with a circuit analysis technique. The resultant magnetic field was calculated with the Biot-Savart law. The proposed approach was tested on two plate models, and the results were compared with those obtained from the boundary-element method and the laboratory experiment. A good agreement among these results was found. The proposed method is effective in handling multi-plate problems at low frequency.


Ehlers-Danlos syndrome denotes a group of inherited connective tissue diseases comprising nine types. Type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is the most life-threatening form. It is characterized by a type III collagen deficiency resulting in arterial fragility and death from vascular rupture or bowel perforation. This disease involves a col 3A1 gene mutation. We report the case of a 44 year-old woman with type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The medical history of our patient included bowel necrosis and two vascular ruptures. We indicate data required to establish Ehlers-Danlos syndrome diagnosis and guidelines for patient management.


Summary The production of dried figs involves some unique agricultural practices, which present significant risk of fungal infection of the fruit and subsequent mycotoxin contamination. The figs are allowed to ripen and shrivel on the tree, and after falling to the ground are collected daily, before being laid out for sun-drying for 5 days or more. During the stage of optimum water activity (around 0.8) for fungal growth and at temperatures from 25-30 oC, fungal infection can easily take place either through spore-contaminated dust or insect transmission to the fruit on the tree, or directly from the soil or during the course of subsequent sun-drying. A variety of different fungal species can infect dried figs and as a consequence, contamination can occur with a large number of secondary metabolites including aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisin B2 and kojic acid. This review describes the agricultural production of dried figs and summarises the available data on occurrence of fungi and mycotoxins in figs providing insights into possible infection routes.


A technology called solar energy is a very promising technique, and is
considered as the cleanest and the most abundant renewable resource that is
naturally available every day. In this paper, a MATLAB environment has been
developed to calculate real-time power incidence on a PV system. It takes into
account the time, location, PV tilt, and azimuth angles, and weather conditions
to estimate incident power. In this paper, one case study is considered at New
York State location. It has been applied to a newly installed 8 kW residential
system located in Inwood. The solar panels are made up of silicon HIT
(Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin Layer) cells by Panasonic and solar cell
rated at 19%. The result shows that the system is performing at its rated
efficiency. The calculations involve the determination of direct, diffused and
reflected radiation on the panels taking into account the time of the day,
location, PV area, and orientations and weather conditions. The cloudiness
index may be estimated based on the weather data and included in the
calculations. After performing the irradiance calculations, the output power is
estimated based on the rated efficiency at its temperature and compared with
the generated output power. The real-time assessment of a PV system
performance, during the operational time monitors the health of the PV system.
The data obtained by this calculator may accompany production data provided to
the consumer by the utility company.


This paper presents an evidence for involvement of long-term memory (LTM) resources along volatile memory (VM) resources in active management of information in a working memory (WM) task that features schematic processing of WM content. It was observed that in rehearsing frequently changing WM items in a self-paced concurrent-counting task when subjects learn and use a fixed rehearsing order across different episodes of the task they make significantly less error compared to when they adopt different rehearsing order for different episodes. This finding suggests that while retaining information in this task practically draws on volatile resources such as the phonological loop (PL), access to the corresponding item in WM relies on learning and retaining data structures in LTM. It is discussed that in this role learning and LTM resources help render schematic access to episodic information stored in less structured storage units such as PL. In this role LTM and learning plays a crucial role in execution of WM tasks that employ complex process schemas.


Results on scholar, current and sportive activities for children depend in a very large extent by the visual function health. A child with unsolved problems at visual system certainly will have trouble at school but also in other current activities. Such problems have as main cause the fact that low vision lead to an effort increasing for information perception, understanding and concentration of attention. As a consequence, a major importance is given to the compensatory solutions for low vision, using glasses or contact lenses. A very important aspect is referring to the solutions efficiency evaluation for visual function, especially after a period of time of glasses or contact lenses wearing. For this reason, in the paper is presented a new method developed as research activity, the key-element being to make an efficient and flexible software application for randomly displaying of some optotypes and for degree of rightness and readiness evaluation while their reading. Using the software, the examiner could generate automatically a score and a verdict on child testing results (low vision, degree of correction after training etc). Running the application, the optometrist will be able to select: the age, the category of tracked optotypes, method for quantifying. He will obtain very useful information on totalized scores for all important criteria, depending by the child answer during the tests. In the present, the research activity is focused on the improvement and testing the software application for it's widely use by the students on optometry, as activity to prepare their career.


This walking-aid is of particular value in relatively stationary or chronic cases of paraplegia where the disability is not great enough to preclude standing or walking with the assistance of another person. The presence of gross muscular weakness or ataxia in the upper limbs is, of course, a contraindication to its use. Apart from these restrictions, the apparatus has been found both safe and simple to manipulate, and it should be of great service to many paraplegics in enabling them to move about ,the house more freely without danger of falling and to take short walks out of doors when opportunity offers.


In this paper, the analytic hierarchy theory and fuzzy mathematics method from ergonomics perspective were used to research reliability of the electrical safety evaluation system from coal mining enterprises. In view of ambiguity and randomness of the evaluation system, the multi-level electrical hazard evaluation system was established and the objective weights were calculated on expert consultation method. Finally, the evaluation procedure and evaluation model from a large coal mining enterprises was given. The experimental results show that the evaluation system has a certain engineering value.


This study sought to determine the effect of class size on the evaluation of teaching effectiveness for on‐line courses using a standard student evaluation survey instrument. The data set consists of all MBA courses taught online during an academic year at a large, regional Midwestern university in the U.S. Several simple regression analyses are performed with class size as the independent variable. Dependent variables analysed were global course effectiveness and summated indices representing "building blocks" of online effectiveness. These include course content, instructor support, course structure, student‐to‐student interaction and instructor to‐student interaction. Results indicate no significant relationship between class size and global course effectiveness. In addition, class size showed some significance in predicting instructor support and course structure. Unexpectedly the direction of this association was positive suggesting that larger classes lead to higher levels of instructor support and greater perceived course structure. A comparison to traditional courses is also provided.


Manual Material Handling (MMH) involves lifting, bending, and twisting motions of the torso. Poor lifting technique is often considered a major risk factor in low back injury associated with manual lifting tasks. Currently, there is little work on the effects of lifting on the Malaysian population. The MMH activities that was designed with the different lifting heights, frequency, weight of loads and the effect on of biceps and triceps muscle contraction of the subjects during the lifting tasks were studied. The parameters involved are weight of the loads lifted, height of the loads lifted and lifting frequency as the independent variables. Whereas the dependent variable is Electromyography (EMG) signal. The weight loads are varying from 10kg up to 24kg and the heights of the loads travels from the floor to 70cm and 130cm heights. The frequency of lifting is set to 1 lift and 6 lifts per minute. 14 healthy male and female subjects were recruited in this study. The questionnaires and consent form were used to identify the health condition of the subjects before performing the lifting tasks. The EMG activity was recorded and collected from biceps and triceps muscles using the Shimmer EMG system. This method is used in determining the maximum acceptable weight limit (MAWL) that can be lifted by the subjects in the lifting tasks. This research aims to design a lifting equation that suits for Malaysian people. Therefore, the effects of different manual lifting tasks on Malaysian physiological limits need to be identified.


This paper documents the program development and evaluation of a fall prevention series conducted at a local continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Previous literature has illustrated the prevalence of falls in older adults, as well as the significant impacts of fall prevention programs in community-based settings for the well elderly. The methodology that guided this program was based on the Lifestyle Redesign: Well Elderly Study (Mandel et.al, 1999). Coordinators of the CCRC assisted in conducting a needs assessment as well as in selecting well-elderly participants in the independent living community who they felt would be well suited for the program. Once admitted to the program, participants were encouraged to attend a three-week lecture series regarding fall preventions delivered by this author. The sessions were tailored to the specific retirement community and utilized a variety of teaching approaches in order to address their needs. The topics in the sessions included fall prevalence and risk factors, exercise and physical activity, and home modifications as they relate to fall prevention. Information was collected relevant to fall prevention knowledge and current fall prevention practices in the first and last sessions in the form of a pre-test and a post-test. These two tests were independent of one another, however highlighted that individuals in the program gained knowledge relevant to fall prevention and implemented various changes into their daily habits and routines in order to prevent falls. However, as a result of inconsistent attendance and independently developed test measures, no widespread conclusions could be generalized to all of the participants in the program. It is recommended that participants at this CCRC would benefit from long-term fall prevention programming with a more comprehensive approach, as well as a team effort from other staff to ensure that individuals consistently attend sessions. IMPLEMENTATION OF A FALLS PREVENTION PROGRAM 3


A key strategy to combat sedentary lifestyle is to encourage fitness exercises. Traditional wellness and lifestyle management programs focus on inducing health awareness and providing fitness activity support. The growing pervasive use of smartphones allows individualized and cost-effective digital wellness programs to be administrated through mobile fitness apps. Drawing on the self-promotion literature, this paper elucidates the effects of mobile fitness app on health outcomes. Specifically, this study examines a social feature of mobile fitness app usage social sharing. The results of our longitudinal field experiment reveal strong evidence that mobile fitness apps help improve health outcomes. Furthermore, compared the absence of social sharing, social sharing leads to lower body fatness, however the effects of social sharing diminish over time.


Background: Identification of appropriate markers for predicting clinical benefit with erlotinib in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be able to guide patient selection for treatment. This open-label, multicentre, phase II trial aimed to identify genes with potential use as biomarkers for clinical benefit from erlotinib therapy. Methods: Adults with stage IIIb/IV NSCLC in whom one or more chemotherapy regimen had failed were treated with erlotinib (150 mg/day). Tumour biopsies were analysed using gene expression profiling with Affymetrix GeneChip® microarrays. Differentially expressed genes were verified using quantitative RT–PCR (qRT–PCR). Results: A total of 264 patients were enrolled in the study. Gene expression profiles found no statistically significant differentially expressed genes between patients with and without clinical benefit. In an exploratory analysis in responding versus nonresponding patients, three genes on chromosome 7 were expressed at higher levels in the responding group [epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), phosphoserine phosphatase (PSPH) and Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 5 (RAPGEF5)]. Independent quantification using qRT–PCR validated the association between EGFR and PSPH overexpression, but not RAPGEF5 overexpression, and clinical outcome. Conclusions: This study supports the use of erlotinib as an alternative to chemotherapy for patients with relapsed advanced NSCLC. Genetic amplification of the EGFR region of chromosome 7 may be associated with response to erlotinib therapy.


To investigate the functional change of stromal cells along with differentiation, we used a differentiation-inducible mouse embryo fibroblast cell line, C3H10T1/2 (10T1/2). Stably determined preadipocyte and myoblast cell lines were established after a brief exposure of 10T1/2 cells to 5-azacytidine. These cell lines terminally differentiated into adipocytes and myotubes, respectively, under appropriate conditions. The hematopoiesis-supporting ability of each 10T1/2-derived cell line was examined by coculture with FACS-sorted murine hematopoietic stem cells (Thy-1lo c-kit+ Lin-). The number of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM) was slightly reduced after 7 days of culture with parent 10T1/2 fibroblasts, whereas a marked increase in CFU-GM number was observed when the cells were cultured on preadipocytes. Mature adipocytes and myogenically determined cell lines, on the other hand, did not support CFU-GM growth. Further, Northern analysis showed that the preadipocyte cell line acquired the ability to produce a significant amount of stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNAs in response to IL-1 or lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Terminal adipocytic differentiation resulted in reduced ability to express these cytokine mRNAs. Similarly, highest IL-6 activity was detected in the supernatant of preadipocyte culture, whereas adipocytes did not secrete IL-6 even after IL-1 stimulation. Interestingly, hematopoiesis-nonsupporting myoblasts and myotubes also expressed abundant SCF mRNA, suggesting that SCF, per se, may not be sufficient for stem cell growth and survival. The 10T1/2-derived cell lines could provide a valuable tool to aid in the analysis of stromal cell development and the search for novel stromal factors.


The determination of wave penetration in ports is of great importance for the design of coastal structures and for the efficiency of port operations. Nowadays, coastal engineers can make use of numerical models for the assessment of wave climates in ports. Various numerical models exist, including the phase resolving models SWASH (TU Delft) and MIKE 21bw (DHI). Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors are currently using the numerical model MIKE 21bw. To get a bit more familiar with SWASH and to see how the two numerical models relate to one another, they initiated this master project together with TU Delft. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis is to compare the numerical models SWASH and MIKE 21bw in terms of their accuracy, computational requirements and numerical stability for waves encountering approach channels and waves propagating into ports. A theoretical analysis between the two numerical models is presented first which shows that they are fundamentally different, i.e. based on different equations and assumptions. The main difference is that SWASH uses the non-hydrostatic non-linear shallow water equations, including the vertical coordinate, while MIKE 21bw uses the (enhanced) Boussinesq equations which exclude the vertical coordinate. Another difference is that SWASH may use multiple vertical layers, improving its dispersion characteristics. Therefore, the application range of SWASH is larger in terms of the maximum water depth to deep water wave length. Furthermore, SWASH can include more physical phenomena and does not require a minimum water depth as MIKE 21bw does. Beside the theoretical analysis, a comparison study was performed making use of a physical experiment of an approach channel (Case 1) and of a harbour basin (Case 2). From the comparison of the measurements with the numerical simulation of the approach channel (Case 1), it was found that both numerical models are capable of resolving wave-channel interaction for long waves (f < 0.13 Hz) and the accuracy in both models is comparable, although the significant wave height based on the total wave spectra is under-estimated in both numerical models. Numerical damping cannot (fully) explain the under-prediction of the significant wave height. Further, it is believed that inaccuracies/uncertainties in the physical experiment regarding the measurements and the setup were quite severe. This may explain the observed differences between the numerical models and physical model results. A comparison of the numerical simulations of the harbour (Case 2) with the physical experiment shows that both numerical models can accurately model wave penetration of primary waves into ports when simulating on prototype scale. However, the simulations performed on physical model scale (same scale as the physical experiments) resulted in critical numerical instabilities in both numerical models, especially in MIKE 21bw. The accuracy in predicting the significant wave height and energy period is comparable for both numerical models. Furthermore, SWASH turned out to be numerically more stable while the computational requirements are less in MIKE 21bw when two vertical layers are used in SWASH. Finally, a general guideline is presented for the selection of SWASH or MIKE 21bw for wave modelling purposes.


Due to an increasing demand for smaller and higher density packages, Tessera developed /spl mu/BGA(R) technology as a cost-effective solution for chip-size packaging. Many companies including Intel, 3M, Samsung, Amkor, etc. have licensed the technology since 1995. As a current, leading technology for Chip Scale Packaging (CSP), a /spl mu/BGA(R) package typically has a compliant layer between the die and the flex interposer to eliminate strain on solder balls by thermal mismatch of the die and printed wire board (PWB). Historically, a silicone-based encapsulant has been the material of choice for this application. However, for hard disk drive and other applications with zero tolerance of siloxane outgassing, a non-silicone encapsulant having excellent reliability performance is highly desired. A novel 3M epoxy encapsulant with excellent hydrophobicity has been developed for an advanced /spl mu/BGA(R) package platform. The new epoxy encapsulant is designed to meet the requirements of compliancy with good moisture resistance. This new material has demonstrated JEDEC level 1 reliability. During thermal cycling tests, the new encapsulant far surpassed 1000 cycles, both on- and off-board, and survived high temperature aging, as well as 500 hours of pressure cooker testing (PCT). This paper will describe physical properties and reliability performances of the new 3M encapsulant material with emphasis on its hydrophobicity and compliancy. Improvement in reliability trends for /spl mu/BGA(R) technology will also be reviewed.


Energy costs are a major concern for supermarket operators, since they typically represent the third largest operating expense after the cost-of-goods sold and labor. Supermarkets may also be some of the largest customers of electricity in an area and have a high "base load" (stable) demand. In September 2001, a supplemental energy management survey was sent to stores participating in the 2001 Supermarket Panel to gain insights into how grocery retailers are addressing the energy challenge. There are significant differences in energy management and energy costs across stores grouped by ownership group size, store format and region. Larger stores and those with higher sales per square foot are typically more advanced in energy management. In particular, the results identify the characteristics of stores that are most receptive to energy management and cost conservation initiatives.


This paper presents an empirical and theoretical investigation of the strategic components to political participation. Using state-by-state voting data for the eleven U.S. Presidential elections, 1948-1988, we first show that voter turnout is a positive function of predicted closeness and a negative function of the voting population size. We then develop a follow-the-leader model of political participation to explain and to impose structure on these empirical regularities. In the model, leaders expend effort according to their chance of being pivotal, which depends on the expected closeness of the race (at both the state and national levels), its unpredictability, the number of eligible voters, and the rationally anticipated turnout in response to effort by leaders. Returning to the data with structural estimation shows that closeness counts: a one percent increase in the predicted closeness at the state level increases turnout by 0.34 percent. Through simulations, we calculate the chance that each state is pivotal in the national elections. This national closeness effect is significant in explaining effort and participation. Winning the national election is worth thirteen times the value of winning the state. However, since the average chance of a state being pivotal is small, in 96 percent of the observations the value of winning the state had a larger net impact on motivating effort. As a test of the model, we compare our effort variable with National Election Studies data on the proportion of individuals contacted by campaign representatives. Although our effort variable is inferred from the equilibrium model and thus is estimated without using direct data on campaign effort levels, it is significantly correlated with party contact.


Introduction The term 'fuckbuddy' has been widely used in the men who have sex with men (MSM) population; however, this term is often classified as either 'regular' or 'casual' partnerships in sexual health research. We aimed to examine the definition of 'fuckbuddy' in MSM population and to assess the risk factors for having a fuckbuddy. Methods We conducted a mixed method study among MSM at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia, between March and September 2015. (1) MSM attending MSHC during the study period were invited to complete a questionnaire about their regular and casual partnerships in the last three months. (2) Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 MSM who were asked their views on the terminology they used to describe their relationships and sexual partners. Results A total of 939 MSM completed the questionnaire and 502 MSM had at least one regular partner, with a total of 1139 regular partnerships reported. The majority of regular partners were classified as 'fuckbuddies' (60% [95% CI 57%–63%], 686/1139) s', followed by 'partners' (16% [95% CI 14%–18%]) and 'boyfriends' (16% [95% CI 14%–18%]). MSM who had at least one 'fuckbuddy' were 2.4 (95% CI 1.29, 4.41) times more likely to acquire rectal chlamydia after adjusting for total number of partners and condom use. Findings from interviews showed that the there was a consensus among men that partners they engaged with for 'sex only' were classified as casual partners, and partners with whom there was an emotional attachment or formalisation of the relationship, were classified as 'regular partners'. However, the classification of 'fuckbuddy' as a regular or casual partner was less clear. Conclusion MSM with 'fuckbuddies' are at greater risk of acquiring STIs such as rectal chlamydia. Further research is needed to ascertain the ways in which men conceptualise sexual relationships and define or classify partner types, particularly 'fuckbuddy' relationships. A third category for sexual relationships should be considered to encapsulate fuckbuddy relationships.


Recent thinking suggests that the time is right for a reconsideration of the interface between psychology and religion. We argue that most accounts of religion in contemporary psychology (especially as typified by evolutionary theory) have been toxic to the phenomena of religious experience. This toxicity results from the adoption of a naturalistic explanatory framework that renders religious phenomena as merely results of mechanical forces and material conditions. This approach fails to take religious phenomena seriously and, thereby, dismisses their meaningfulness before any serious investigation has begun. We argue that only by taking religious experience seriously"€"that is by treating religious phenomena on their own terms as fundamentally meaningful expressions of human experience"€"can a fruitful scientific psychology of religion be possible. We propose the phenomenology of Emmanuel Levinas as a viable perspective from within which to develop such a psychology of religion.


Although a movie critic is one the most outstanding figures in the launching of a movie, the influence of a critic and his or her review still remains equivocal. Some researchers argue that critics and their reviews are particularly important in the entertainment industry, but others argue that critics and their reviews are not perceived as vital information sources by moviegoers. Despite these conflicting arguments, the majority of motion picture studios have been heavily using critics' quotes in their movies' advertisements. Especially in print advertisements, critics' quotes often play a major part. Most advertisements using critics' quotes make the source clear by introducing the critic's name and his or her affiliation, but some advertisements mention the affiliation only. In either case, when a movie advertisement has "the name of a third party" and "a positive evaluation of the advertised product," a critic or his or her affiliation definitely serves as an endorser and their review serves as a movie endorsement. Founded in third party endorsement literature, the current study examines the role of a critic as an endorser and the impact of his or her quote as an endorsement. INDEX WORDS: Endorsement, Source credibility, Attitude toward the ad, Movie, Movie critics THE IMPACT OF MOVIE CRITICS' QUOTES USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS


The phosphorylation of the cardiac sodium channel by adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A leads to its inactivation. It was shown that extracellular cAMP can also modulate the sodium channel of rat, guinea pig, and frog ventricular myocytes in a rapid (less than 50 milliseconds), reversible, and dose-dependent manner. The decrease in the sodium current was accompanied by a 10- to 15-millivolt shift in the steady-state availability of the sodium channel toward more negative potentials and was inhibited by guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) or pertussis toxin, suggesting that the extracellular modulation of the sodium channel by cAMP is mediated by a membrane-delimited mechanism that includes a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein.


This essay reads James with and against Nabokov. Taking on what has been called James's unreadable novel, The Sacred Fount, Wood begins by asking quite plainly how do we read sentences of the sort offered by James in that experimental novel and by Nabokov in that tricksy experiment in form, Pale Fire. Beginning with the similarities between these two reading experiences, Wood argues that a too ready acceptance of irony—that modernist and post-modernist mode in which we have all been trained by the recent history of the novel—blinds us to the very oddness of James's narrator and to the delicate balance between suspicion and belief that James asks of us.


Behavioral health care has been slow to take up robust efforts to improve patient safety. This lag is especially apparent in inpatient psychiatry, where there is risk for physical and psychological harm. Recent investigative journalism has provoked public concern about instances of alleged abuse, negligence, understaffing, sexual assault, inappropriate medication use, patient self-harm, poor sanitation, and inappropriate restraint and seclusion. However, empirical evidence describing the scope of unsafe experiences is limited. While evidence-based inpatient psychiatry requires care to be trauma-informed, market failures and a lack of payment alignment with patient-centered care leave patients vulnerable to harm. Existing regulatory mechanisms attempt to provide accountability; however, these mechanisms are imperfect. Furthermore, research is sparse. Few health services researchers study inpatient psychiatry, the issue has not been a priority among research funders, and data on inpatient psychiatry is excluded from national surveys of quality. Several policy levers could begin to address these deficiencies. These include aligning incentives with patient-centered care, building trauma-informed care into accreditation and monitoring, conducting trend analyses of critical incidents, and improving research capacity.


It is commonly-accepted wisdom that more information is better, and that information should never be ignored. Here we argue, using both a Bayesian and a non-Bayesian analysis, that in some situations you are better off ignoring information if your uncertainty is represented by a set of probability measures. These include situations in which the information is relevant for the prediction task at hand. In the non-Bayesian analysis, we show how ignoring information avoids dilation, the phenomenon that additional pieces of information sometimes lead to an increase in uncertainty. In the Bayesian analysis, we show that for small sample sizes and certain prediction tasks, the Bayesian posterior based on a non-informative prior yields worse predictions than simply ignoring the given information.


FUNCTIONAL magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare the cerebral organization during sentence processing in English and in American sign language (ASL). Classical language areas within the left hemisphere were recruited by both English in native speakers and ASL in native signers. This suggests a bias of the left hemisphere to process natural languages independently of the modality through which language is perceived. Furthermore, in contrast to English, ASL strongly recruited right hemisphere structures. This was true irrespective of whether the native signers were deaf or hearing. Thus, the specific processing requirements of the language also in part determine the organization of the language systems of the brain.


The Government has established essential principles in order to make significant improvements in the health of the people and has placed an emphasis on shifting care to the primary sening. This research has explored the potential role of the community pharmacist in health promotion in the pharmacy, and at general medical practices. The feasibility of monitoring patients' health status in the community was evaluated by intervention to assess and alter cardiovascular risk factors.68, hypertensive patients, monitored at one surgery, had a change in mean systolic blood pressure from 158.28 to 146.55 mmHg, a reduction of 7.4%, and a change in mean diastolic bood pressure from 90.91 to 84.85 mmHg, a reduction of 6.7%.120 patients, from a cohort of 449 at the major practice, with an initial serum total cholesterol of 6.0+mmol/L, experienced a change in mean value from 6.79 to 6.05 mmol/L, equivalent to a reduction of 10.9%. 86% of this patient cohort showed a decrease in cholesterol concentration. Patients, placed in a high risk category according to their coronary rank score, assessed at the first health screening, showed a consistent and significant improvement in coronary score throughout the study period of two years. High risk and intermediate risk patients showed improvements in coronary score of 52% and 14% respectively. Patients in the low risk group maintained their good coronary score. In some cases, a patient's improvement was effected in liaison with the GP, after a change or addition of medication and/or dosage.Pharmacist intervention consisted of advice on diet and lifestyle and adherence to medication regimes. It was concluded that a pharmacist can facilitate a health screening programme in the primary care setting, and provide enhanced continuity of care for the patient.


Background & Aim: Preeclampsia is one of the important complications of pregnancy and knowing its risk factors can help us to understant it better. The aim of the present study is to evaluate some of th risk factors for preeclampsia. Patients and Methods: This retrospective case-control study covered 636 preeclamptic women. 318 preeclamptic women constituted the case group and the other 318 preeclamptic women who were normotensive at the time of delivery were considered as the control group. The following factors were evaluated and compared between the two groups: maternal age, gestational age, nuliparity, occupation, educational status of mother, maternal BMI(Body Mass Index), maternal hemoglobin, blood group and Rh, family history of preeclampsia, history of preeclampsia in the previous pregnancy, being relative to spouse, urinary tract infection(UTI) during the present pregnancy, season in which preeclampsia occurs, neonatal sex, and the method of contraception. The obtained results were analyzed using statistical tests such as Chi-square and Mann-Whitney. Results: UTI(P=0.027, phi=0.031), history of preeclampsia during the previous pregnancy(P=0.000, phi=0.144), nuliparity(P=0.008, phi=0.108), blood group of A + (P=0.000, phi=0.129), and low educational status of mother(P=0.009, phi=0.007) were significantly more common in the case group. Maternal hemoglobin was also higher in the case group(12.23 ± 1.41gr/dl vs 11.9 ± 1.46gr/dl; P=0.014, phi=0.042). The rate of cesarean section was higher in the case group than in the control group[245 cases(77%)vs 85 cases(26.7%), P=0.000]. The Apgar score of less than 8 in the first minute of birth was more commonly seen in the case group(28.6%vs 47.4%, P=0.000). Gestational age at the time of delivery was lower in the case group(36.48 ± 3.4 weeksvs 37.12 ± 3.3 weeks, P=0.000). Conclusion: UTI, history of preeclampsia during the previous pregnancy, nuliparity, blood group of A + , low educational status of mother, and high maternal hemoglobin might be the risk factors for preeclampsia.


CONTEXT
Whether testosterone (Te) depletion in aging men reflects deficits in the testis, hypothalamus, and/or pituitary gland is unknown.

OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to quantify the impact of age on gonadal Te secretion driven by amplitude-varying pulses of recombinant human LH (rhLH) in the absence of confounding by endogenous hypothalamo-pituitary signals.

DESIGN
This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

SETTING
The setting was an academic medical center.

SUBJECTS
Fifteen healthy community-dwelling men ages 22-78 yr were included in the study.

INTERVENTION
Saline or four separate rhLH doses were each infused twice iv in randomized order as one pulse every 2 h over 20 h to stimulate Te secretion, after LH secretion was suppressed by a GnRH-receptor antagonist, ganirelix.

MAIN OUTCOME
LH and Te concentrations were determined in blood samples collected every 5 min. Maximal and minimal (as well as mean) Te responses were regressed linearly on age to reflect LH peak and nadir (and average) effects, respectively.

RESULTS
The ganirelix/rhLH paradigm yielded serum LH concentrations of 4.6 +/- 0.22 IU/liter (normal range 1-9). By regression analysis, age was associated with declines in rhLH pulse-stimulated peak and nadir (and mean) concentrations of total Te (P = 0.0068), bioavailable Te (P = 0.0096), and free Te (P = 0.013), as well as lower Te/LH concentration ratios (P < 0.005). Deconvolution analysis suggested that the half-life of infused LH increases by 12%/decade (P = 0.044; R(2) = 0.28).

CONCLUSIONS
Infusion of amplitude-varying pulses of rhLH during gonadal-axis suppression in healthy men unmasks prominent age-related deficits in stimulated total (39%), bioavailable (66%), and free (63%) Te concentrations, and a smaller age-associated increase in LH half-life. These data suggest that age-associated factors reduce the efficacy of LH pulses.


The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Rb2(P2S6)(C12H24O6)2]·2CH3CN, contains one half of an [Rb(18-crown-6)2]2[P2S6] unit and one acetonitrile solvent molecule. The [Rb(18-crown-6)]2[P2S6] unit is completed by inversion symmetry. Its Rb+ ion is situated near the centre of the macrocyclic cavity, but is displaced by 0.8972 (1) Å from the O atoms of the crown in the direction of the [P2S6]2− moiety. The overall coordination number of the cation is eight, defined by the six crown ether O atoms and by two terminal S atoms of the [P2S6]2− anion. The hexathiometadiphosphate anion is built up from two tetrahedral PS4 units joined together by a common edge. The crystal structure is characterized by alternating layers of [Rb(18-crown-6)]2[P2S6] and acetonitrile solvent molecules stacked along [010].


As part of a broader study of the effects of fruit exposure on fruit composition, this study aimed to evaluate how the timing and extent of leaf thinning impacted crop yield components and primary fruit composition of Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot. Treatments consisted of three post-fruit set leaf/lateral shoot removal treatments: (i) no leaf removal (NO); (ii) leaf removal from opposite the basal primary cluster and the node directly above (MED); and (iii) leaf removal from the node directly above the distal primary cluster down to the cordon (HIGH). An additional treatment applied immediately prebloom (P-B) involved removal of leaves and lateral shoots from the basal six nodes of primary shoots. Post-fruit set leaf removal had modest or no effects on crop yield components, whereas prebloom leaf removal reduced most crop yield components in both cultivars relative to the NO treatment. In both cultivars, P-B reduced crop yield by an average of 49 to 50% over two years when compared to NO, and that reduction was primarily driven by reduced cluster weight. Prebloom leaf removal implemented on the same vines in two consecutive seasons caused further reductions in crop yield in both cultivars. Both HIGH and P-B tended to depress juice Brix in Petit Verdot but not in Cabernet franc, and HIGH reduced titratable acidity more consistently than did P-B. Fruit zone leaf thinning after fruit set may balance the competing goals of improving fruit exposure, while avoiding precipitous reductions in crop yield.


Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health problem and its incidence is rising dramatically. The brain, particularly the cerebral cortex, is very susceptible to glucose fluctuations and hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress. Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.)) is widely consumed; however, the antidiabetic properties of white tea remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we investigated the effects of daily consumption of white tea on the cerebral cortex of prediabetic rats. The cerebral cortex metabolic profile was evaluated, and the expression levels of GLUT, phosphofructokinase-1, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and monocarboxylate transporter 4 were assessed. LDH activity was also determined. The cerebral cortex oxidative profile was determined by evaluating its antioxidant power, lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation levels. Catalase, glutathione, glutamate, N-acetylaspartate, aspartate, choline, γ-aminobutyric acid, taurine and valine contents were determined. Daily consumption of white tea ameliorated glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Moreover, white tea altered the cortex glycolytic profile, modulating GLUT expression and lactate and alanine contents. Finally, white tea consumption restored protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation levels and catalase expression, and improved antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, daily consumption of white tea improved the cerebral cortex metabolic and oxidative profile in prediabetic rats, suggesting it as a good, safe and inexpensive strategy to prevent DM-related effects in the cerebral cortex.


To analyze the development pathways of early hematopoietic cells, we studied the rearrangement and expression of the immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes in 12 patients with acute unclassified leukemia (AUL). Leukemia cells from these patients were negative for myeloperoxidase staining and failed to express B-cell, T-cell, or megakaryocyte associated antigens. The expression of the CD7 antigen, myeloid associated antigens, or both was detected in three patients each. Ig and/or TCR gene rearrangements were detected in seven of the 12 patients, and five had rearrangement of both the Ig and TCR genes. Full length mature TCR gene transcripts were not demonstrated in most of the patients showing TCR gene rearrangements. In contrast, cells from two patients with germline configurations of the Ig and TCR genes tested expressed truncated forms of both Ig and TCR genes. These results suggest that AUL may generally originate from undifferentiated cells with an aberrant rearrangement and/or expression of the Ig and TCR genes.


Abstract. This contribution addresses the characterization of the model-error
covariance matrix from the new theoretical perspective provided by the
parametric Kalman filter method which approximates the covariance dynamics
from the parametric evolution of a covariance model.
The classical approach to obtain the modified equation of a dynamics is revisited to
formulate a parametric modelling of the model-error covariance matrix which
applies when the numerical model is dissipative compared with the true dynamics.
As an illustration, the particular case of the advection equation
is considered as a simple test bed. After the theoretical derivation of
the predictability-error covariance matrices of both the nature and the numerical model,
a numerical simulation is proposed which illustrates the properties
of the resulting model-error covariance matrix.


This work uses surface imprinting to design a novel smart plastic antibody material (SPAM) for Haemoglobin (Hb). Charged binding sites are described here for the first time to tailor plastic antibody nanostructures for a large size protein such as Hb. Its application to design small, portable and low cost potentiometric devices is presented. The SPAM material was obtained by linking Hb to silica nanoparticles and allowing its ionic interaction with charged vinyl monomers. A neutral polymeric matrix was created around these and the imprinted protein removed. Additional materials were designed in parallel acting as a control: a neutral imprinted material (NSPAM), obtained by removing the charged monomers from the procedure, and the Non-Imprinted (NI) versions of SPAM and NSPAM by removing the template. SEM analysis confirmed the surface modification of the silica nanoparticles. All materials were mixed with PVC/plasticizer and applied as selective membranes in potentiometric transduction. Electromotive force (emf) variations were detected only for selective membranes having a lipophilic anionic additive in the membrane. The presence of Hb inside these membranes was evident and confirmed by FTIR, optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The best performance was found for SPAM-based selective membranes with an anionic lipophilic additive, at pH 5. The limits of detection were 43.8 μg mL−1 and linear responses were obtained down to 83.8 μg mL−1, with an average cationic slope of +40 mV per decade. Good selectivity was also observed against other coexisting biomolecules. The analytical application was conducted successfully, showing accurate and precise results.


A leading guide for the new generations of Ecclesiastical and Canon Law scholars, the ones who got questions instead of offering answers
ABDTRACT: These brief notes just pretend to suggest some issues concerning a deepened anthology of essays written by an influential scholar, presented and collected by his colleagues of different approaches and generations. It definitely means to underline peculiar and still not completely explored issues in both Ecclesiastical and Canon Law: the liberty of conscience and the importance of religious freedom in defending fundamental human rights, the scientific purpose to investigate and analyse the still ongoing relevance of a renewed "Church" for a changing world. Rinaldo Bertolino's thoughts seem in this sense a gift to the youngest scholars, encouraging them to have more questions than answers.


In order to optimize the recrystallization texture of ferritic stainless steel sheets, the crystallographic texture was modified by means of cross rolling. The as-received hot band displayed pronounced through-thickness texture gradients with a strong rotated cube orientation in the sheet center layer. After the conventional normal rolling, the strong initial texture was retained. Pronounced{001}<110> in the rolling textures led to the formation of {334}<483> in the final recrystallization texture. Cross rolling in the present work was performed by a 45° rotation of RD around ND. Cross-rolling led to a weakening of {001}<110> orienations. After recrystallization annealing the cross-rolled samples displayed stronger {111}//ND orientations. The orientation stability during the rolling deformation was tackled by means of Taylor deformation model.


Path-to-trajectory conversion problem for car-like autonomous ground vehicles has been studied in various ways. It is challenging to generate a trajectory which is dynamically feasible for the vehicle and comfortable for the passengers. An important practical concern of low computational costs makes the problem even more difficult. In this work, a path-to-trajectory converter is developed using a novel receding-horizon type suboptimal algorithm. By transforming the dynamic constraints to a longitudinal velocity limit function in the velocity-acceleration phase plane, a time-sub-optimal trajectory satisfying the dynamic constraints and the initial boundary condition is generated by computing the maximum constant acceleration in the down-range horizon. The portion of the trajectory approaching the end of the path is generated in reverse time. As illustrated by some simulation results and validation on a full-scale Kia Soul EV, the proposed path-to-trajectory conversion algorithm is able to account for dynamic constraints of the vehicle and guarantees passenger comfort.


Legumes are among the most important crops worldwide just behind cereals for both animal and human consump- tions, being particularly important in Mediterranean agriculture. However, legume acreage in the area is continuously decreasing, whereas it increases in other continents. Yield instability due to diseases is one of the reasons for this decline. Legumes are damaged by a number of diseases and available management methods are scarce or uneconomical. This includes aerial fungi, together with soilborne pathogens associated with foot and root rot complexes, nematodes, parasitic weeds bacteria and viruses. The use of genetic resistance is the most economical and environmentally friendly control method. However, no efficient sources of resistance have been described to some diseases, or it is scarce and of complex nature, making necessary the implementation of other control measures. Phenotypic expression of resistance is usually poorly described. Comprehensive studies on host status and virulence of the causal agents are often missing, and in many instances there is little understanding on the existence of races and their distribution. Also, available information on levels of resistance and on the responsible mechanisms is often incomplete. This is a major limitation for any breeding programme. Only after significant input to improve existing knowledge on biology of the causal agents as well as on the plant, resistance breeding will be efficiently accelerated. In this contribution relative importance of a number of diseases on legume crops and available management strategies will be critically presented, with a special focus on Mediterranean context. For this, examples will be given on faba bean, pea and chickpea crops and associated rusts, ascochytas, powdery mildews, wilts and broomrape problems.


Mechanical force–induced orthodontic root resorption is a major clinical challenge in orthodontic treatment. Macrophages play an important role in orthodontic root resorption, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we examined the mechanism by which the ratio of M1 to M2 macrophage polarization affects root resorption during orthodontic tooth movement. Root resorption occurred when nickel–titanium coil springs were applied on the upper first molars of rats for 3 to 14 d. Positively stained odontoclasts or osteoclasts with tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase were found in resorption areas. Meanwhile, M1-like macrophages positive for CD68 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) persistently accumulated on the compression side of periodontal tissues. In addition, the expressions of the M1 activator interferon-γ and the M1-associated pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were upregulated on the compression side of periodontal tissues. When the coil springs were removed at the 14th day after orthodontic force application, root resorption was partially rescued. The number of CD68+CD163+ M2-like macrophages gradually increased on the compression side of periodontal tissues. The levels of M2 activator interleukin (IL)-4 and the M2-associated anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 also increased. Systemic injection of the TNF-α inhibitor etanercept or IL-4 attenuated the severity of root resorption and decreased the ratio of M1 to M2 macrophages. These data imply that the balance between M1 and M2 macrophages affects orthodontic root resorption. Root resorption was aggravated by an enhanced M1/M2 ratio but was partially rescued by a reduced M1/M2 ratio.


E-Business has gained much attention as a new opportunity to provide global competitiveness for companies in developing countries. This study is primarily focused on critical success factors of e-Business systems in developing countries, especially in Kazakhstan. This study aims to provide a framework to unfold the barriers and challenges so that companies in Kazakhstan take benefit of making а right decision for e-Business implementation. To achieve the goal of the research, the survey was conducted to assess and understand the lаndsсарe of e-Business in Kazakhstan аnd identify the key suссess fасtors which can be utilized in improving the design and implementation of e-Business systems. Kazakhstan, as a leader of Central Asia, has a great potential to impact expansion of e-Business systems in this region. In order to prepare a well designed e-Business systems which reflect success factors identified in this study, a framework to develop a landscape design for e-Business systems might be necessary. This study revealed critical factors affecting successful implementation of e-Business in Kazakhstan, which has shown the reality of success factors in developing countries. It is expected that success factors identified in this study can be utilized in designing and implementing e-Business systems in developing countries. In addition, it might be desirable to stay aware of opportunities and challenges, and see it as an initiative to improve businesses rather than the solution, especially in developing countries.


Intelligent agents need to remember salient information to reason in partially-observed environments. For example, agents with a first-person view should remember the positions of relevant objects even if they go out of view. Similarly, to effectively navigate through rooms agents need to remember the floor plan of how rooms are connected. However, most benchmark tasks in reinforcement learning do not test long-term memory in agents, slowing down progress in this important research direction. In this paper, we introduce the Memory Maze, a 3D domain of randomized mazes specifically designed for evaluating long-term memory in agents. Unlike existing benchmarks, Memory Maze measures long-term memory separate from confounding agent abilities and requires the agent to localize itself by integrating information over time. With Memory Maze, we propose an online reinforcement learning benchmark, a diverse offline dataset, and an offline probing evaluation. Recording a human player establishes a strong baseline and verifies the need to build up and retain memories, which is reflected in their gradually increasing rewards within each episode. We find that current algorithms benefit from training with truncated backpropagation through time and succeed on small mazes, but fall short of human performance on the large mazes, leaving room for future algorithmic designs to be evaluated on the Memory Maze.


The retinoblastoma protein pRb is required for cell-cycle exit of embryonic mammalian hair cells but not for their early differentiation. However, its role in postnatal hair cells is unknown. To study the function of pRb in mature animals, we created a new conditional mouse model, with the Rb gene deleted primarily in the inner ear. Progeny survive up to 6 months. During early postnatal development, pRb(-/-) hair cells continue to divide and can transduce mechanical stimuli. However, adult pRb(-/-) mice exhibit profound hearing loss due to progressive degeneration of the organ of Corti. We show that pRb is required for the full maturation of cochlear outer hair cells, likely in a gene-specific manner, and is also essential for their survival. In addition, lack of pRb results in cell division in postnatal auditory supporting cells. In contrast, many pRb(-/-) vestibular hair cells survive and continue to divide in adult mice. Significantly, adult pRb(-/-) vestibular hair cells are functional, and pRb(-/-) mice maintain partial vestibular function. Therefore, the functional adult vestibular pRb(-/-) hair cells, derived from proliferation of postnatal hair cells, are largely integrated into vestibular pathways. This study reveals essential yet distinct roles of pRb in cochlear and vestibular hair cell maturation, function, and survival and suggests that transient block of pRb function in mature hair cells may lead to propagation of functional hair cells.


In February 1994, Robert Kaplan published a highly controversial article in the influential Atlantic Monthly titled, "The Coming Anarchy." Kaplan prophesized that a combination of "scarcity, crime, overpopulation, tribalism and disease" would swiftly undermine the social fabric of the world we know. (1) Africa, and especially West Africa, was depicted as one of the key ground zero sites. Kaplan's article has been widely read and debated by both academics and policymakers. One and a half decades later, Kaplan's doomsday predictions are yet to be realized. States and citizens, in Africa and elsewhere, remain challenged by the problems identified in "The Coming Anarchy," but the prospect of a continent-wide social meltdown seems an unlikely short- to medium-term scenario. In Africa, some of the conditions of human security have arguably improved. In particular, there has been a quantifiable decrease in the occurrence of major armed conflict. Between 1998 and 2002, Africa was the region with the highest number of major armed conflicts compared to the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. (2) Africa experienced on average eight distinct major armed conflicts each year during this five-year period. However, between 2003 and 2006 the number of major armed conflicts decreased to three per annum; in 2007, only one major armed conflict was observed in Africa. (3) Despite this decrease in the number of major armed conflicts, Africa currently remains affected by a series of intense minor armed conflicts. (4) These conflicts brew in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Darfur region of Sudan and Somalia; they all have the potential to significantly destabilize much of central and eastern Africa. The existence of armed non-state groups in the Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria, as well as the high levels of firearms crime and violence in urban centers in Kenya and South Africa remains a critical human security concern. Small arms and light weapons are among the key tools used to foment violence in Africa. The proliferation of such weapons and related ammunition has intensified and prolonged violent conflicts. In response to the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons in Africa, African governments, with the support of donor governments and agencies, have initiated inter-state arms control processes. Since 2000, African governments have successfully negotiated continental and regional arms control agreements and established inter-governmental implementation agencies. A number of countries have initiated bilateral arms collection and destruction operations, and certain governments have updated or are in the process of reforming their arms control policy and legislation. These developments contribute to greater confidence building and continental integration. They have the potential to enhance the safety and security of Africa's population, thereby forestalling Kaplan's prophecy of impending chaos. This article explores both the legal and illegal dynamics of the international conventional arms trade as well as weapons transfers and proliferation in Africa--all of which are intertwined. Specific reference is made to current conflict hotspots in Africa, where the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons is most severe. This article also critically considers the mechanisms and instruments that have been established to control these arms transfers. In addition, it examines the link between arms transfers and peace and continental integration in Africa. OVERVIEW OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRADE IN RELATION TO AFRICA (5) The arms trade in relation to Africa, as in other regions, can be divided into legal and illegal components. No international instrument currently regulates the international arms trade. Therefore, the legality of arms transfers is determined by relevant national legislation of the export, transit and recipient states, as well as international arms embargoes. …


The Shapley value is one of the most common solution concepts in Operations Research applications of cooperative game theory. It was defined and axiomatically characterized in different game-theoretic models. In this article, we focus on the Shapley value for cooperative games where the set of players is finite and the coalition values are compact intervals of real numbers. Our main contribution is to characterize the interval Shapley value by using the properties of efficiency, symmetry and strong monotonicity. We also give a characterization by using the interval dividends.


This paper presents focused synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing of airborne radar sounding data acquired with the High-Capability Radar Sounder system at 60 MHz. The motivation is to improve basal reflection analysis for water detection and to improve layer detection and tracking. The processing and reflection analyses are applied to data from Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica. The SAR processor correlates the radar data with reference echoes from subsurface point targets. The references are 1-D responses limited by the pulse nadir footprint or 2-D responses that include echo tails. Unfocused SAR and incoherent integration are included for comparison. Echoes are accurately preserved from along-track slopes up to about 0.5deg for unfocused SAR, 3deg for 1-D correlations, and 10deg for 2-D correlations. The noise/clutter levels increase from unfocused SAR to 1-D and 2-D correlations, but additional gain compensates at the basal interface. The basal echo signal-to-noise ratio improvement is typically about 5 dB, and up to 10 dB for 2-D correlations in rough regions. The increased noise degrades the clarity of internal layers in the 2-D correlations, but detection of layers with slopes greater than 3deg is improved. Reflection coefficients are computed for basal water detection, and the results are compared for the different processing methods. There is a significant increase in the detected water from unfocused SAR to 1-D correlations, indicating that substantial basal water exists on moderately sloped interfaces. Very little additional water is detected from the 2-D correlations. The results from incoherent integration are close to the focused SAR results, but the noise/clutter levels are much greater.


The present work proposes an ultrasonic-frequency pulsed arc approach to improve effectively the service life of oxidative plasma cutting electrode, and introduces the implementation and principle of the pulsed arc system. A number of electrode arcing experiments were then carried out to demonstrate effectiveness of this novel way. Experimental results show that this ultrasonic frequency pulsed process can contract the cathode zone of the arc while speeding up the movement of the cathode spots, and thus reduced the scope and depth of erosion pit on the hafnium electrode. The life of the electrode was finally increased by 47.8% at the pulse frequency of 40 kHz.


Abstract This paper presents results, 5 years after closure, of a randomized trial comparing adjuvant with postrelapse tamoxifen in 747 women with histological node-negative breast cancer. Two hundred thirty-six disease-free patients on adjuvant therapy were secondarily randomly assigned at 5 years to stop or to continue tamoxifen until relapse. Adjuvant tamoxifen, taken for a median duration of 60 months, has significantly prolonged disease-free survival overall (P = .0001), in the 214 premenopausal group (P = .018), in the 533 postmenopausal group (P = .0026), and for the 246 patients with estrogen receptor levels greater than 19 fmol/mg of protein (P = .0032); distant relapse has also been delayed overall (P = .029). Total survival comparison by Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis shows a nonsignificant trend in the same direction (P = .07). Adjuvant tamoxifen has also reduced the incidence of contralateral breast cancer and of death from myocardial infarction. No increase in the incidence of endometrial cancer has been found.


Abstract. Studies on odontocetes (e.g., porpoises) have revealed that these animals may adaptively use vision. The present study examined the contributions of vision to the approaching behavior of the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). When a porpoise approached a target, the time-to-contact perceived by the animal and its trajectory with a visual impediment condition were compared with those in the control (no impediment) condition. The results suggested that approaching behavior to a stationary target was guided by the animal's evaluation of time-to-contact (τ), maintaining the time derivative of τ () at a constant value. A porpoise with visual deprivation exhibited grater τ value and a longer evaluation time before contact than a porpoise that was not blindfolded in the task of reaching for the target. Furthermore, the porpoise with a visual impediment changed its swimming trajectory toward a target less than the control, which appeared to adaptively adjust its approaching trajectory. These findings imply that the use of vision aided echolocation and enables precise control and alteration of the trajectory during the approach. The present study has implications for adaptive use of vision during approaching behavior in the harbor porpoise.


Abstract In contemporary society various demographic factors lead to changes of people habits to use medicinal plants. A matter of interest is to establish how specific demographic features of people influence the use of herbs. The present survey aimed at determining the current trends regarding the use of four valuable medicinal Lamiaceae species in Bulgaria: thyme, mint, lemon balm and oregano. In the survey, 220 people were interviewed. Demographic profiles of the respondents were evaluated. Then the participants were questioned for the following item: "Do you use any of these herbs: thyme, mint, lemon balm and oregano." In order to disclose correlations between demographic features of the participants and their answers cross-relationships were analyzed. The majority of respondents reported to use these plants. Mint and thyme were more commonly used herbs. We identified that age of respondents had sufficient influence on the answer to the questionary. Level of education and living regions had moderate impact on the use of relatively lesser utilized herbs – oregano and lemon balm. The analysis showed the persistence of traditional knowledge for these plants. At the same time, the results revealed better knowledge on medicinal plants in groups of better educated people and in urban population.


Predatory and scavenging birds may be exposed to high levels of lead when they ingest shot or bullet fragments embedded in the tissues of animals injured or killed with lead ammunition. Lead poisoning was a contributing factor in the decline of the endangered California condor population in the 1980s, and remains one of the primary factors threatening species recovery. In response to this threat, a ban on the use of lead ammunition for most hunting activities in the range of the condor in California was implemented in 2008. Monitoring of lead exposure in predatory and scavenging birds is essential for assessing the effectiveness of the lead ammunition ban in reducing lead exposure in these species. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of the regulation in decreasing blood lead concentration in two avian sentinels, golden eagles and turkey vultures, within the condor range in California. We compared blood lead concentration in golden eagles and turkey vultures prior to the lead ammunition ban and one year following implementation of the ban. Lead exposure in both golden eagles and turkey vultures declined significantly post-ban. Our findings provide evidence that hunter compliance with lead ammunition regulations was sufficient to reduce lead exposure in predatory and scavenging birds at our study sites.


Background: The study aimed to find out the alterations in serum amino acid (AA) profiles and to detect their relationship with carcinoma formation. Methods: Targeted metabolomics based on ultraperformance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to quantitatively analyze serum AA levels in 136 hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 93 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Results: It was shown that decreased serum levels of leucine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, serotonin, and taurine were observed in more HCC patients than CHB patients, but the serum phenylalanine level was increased. Serum valine and serotonin were lower in Class C than Class A and Class B in HCC patients. Accompanied with the higher score of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, serum phenylalanine was increased not only in CHB patients but also in HCC patients. The serum level of phenylalanine increased in the decompensated stage more than in the compensated stage, while serum leucine and serotonin significantly decreased. Serum serotonin still had significant differences between CHB and HCC both in the HBV desoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA) negative group and in the HBV-DNA positive group. Furthermore, it was shown that the tryptophan ratio, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)/aromatic amino acids ratio, BCAAs/tyrosine ratio, Fischer's ratio, and serotonin-to-tryptophan ratio significantly decreased, while the tyrosine ratio and the kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio increased in HCC patients more than those in CHB. Conclusions: A distinct metabolite signature of some specific serum amino acids was found between CHB and HCC patients, which may help predict the development of HCC at an early stage.


Low-grade inflammation has been associated with the risk of chronic pathologies including cancer, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes. Epidemiological studies demonstrate an inverse correlation between diets rich in cruciferous vegetables and risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease mortality and circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Sulforaphane (SF), an isothiocyanate obtained from broccoli, has many biological functions. The aim of this thesis was to test whether SF was able to suppress pro-inflammatory signalling using in vitro models of chronic inflammation.
In human monocytes (PBMCs and THP-1 cells), physiologically relevant concentrations of SF significantly suppressed the production of LPS-induced cytokines IL-6, IL-1β and TNFα. The suppression was also observed with all genes induced by 1ng/ml LPS as measured by whole genome arrays. In addition, it was demonstrated that SF could directly interact with thiol groups of cysteine residues 609 and 246 within the LPS receptor, TLR4 under non-reducing conditions, to reduce the levels of inflammatory mediators that are produced in response to LPS.
The anti-inflammatory effect of SF was not restricted to the TLR4 pathway, and significant reductions were observed in NF-κB activity induced in response to TLR2 and NOD2 ligands. These findings were translated into a more complex in vitro model, investigating the effect of SF on lipid accumulation within adipocytes and adipose tissue inflammation in response to macrophage-conditioned medium (MaCM) using human SGBS adipocytes. SF at 10μM significantly reduced levels of lipid accumulation within adipocytes and increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1A (CPT1A), suggesting a role in energy metabolism, a process often disrupted in obesity. In addition, a significant suppression in SGBS adipocyte IL-1β and IL-6 expression was observed when adipocytes were exposed to MaCM from SF-treated macrophages, when SF was used at a concentration as low as 2μM.
This work demonstrates that concentrations of SF that could be achieved via reasonable broccoli consumption can suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine production, induced in response to a number of signalling pathways in addition to suppression of lipid accumulation and adipose tissue inflammation. The relevance of this data supports the concept that consumption of broccoli could lead to a reduction in the chronic inflammatory status in vivo as well as a suppression of lipid accumulation within adipocytes, to reduce the risk of developing chronic disease.


A range of antibiotics and other drugs was tested for possible inhibitory activity toward the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Escherichia coli . Several agents believed to interfere primarily with protein or DNA synthesis in microorganisms were shown to have no significant effect on AMP incorporation into RNA by the enzyme system. Neomycin, Antrycide, and pentamidine precipitated the DNA primer and gave substantial inhibition; suramin, prothidium bromide, proflavin, and ethidium bromide were more powerfully inhibitory, and actinomycin D was the most potent inhibitor found. These results are discussed with reference to the probable modes of action of the drugs in vivo .

Inhibition by ethidium bromide was found to be related to the concentration of DNA, as would be expected if the inhibition were due to the drug's forming a complex with the primer. Calculations of the expected level of binding of ethidium to DNA under the assay conditions led to the conclusion that RNA polymerase activity was inhibited in direct proportion to the amount of drug bound to the primer.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was supported by a Scholarship for training in research methods from the Medical Research Council. The author wishes to thank Dr. Kenneth McQuillen for much valuable discussion and the staff of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, for assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.


The content of molybdenum in wild-type and chlD cells was measured under a variety of growth conditions to determine if cells with a defective chlD gene were able to accumulate molybdenum. The chlD cells accumulated less molybdenum than wild-type cells did but concentrated molybdenum to a level at least 20-fold higher than the concentration in the culture medium. Molybdenum was present within spheroplasts of chlD cells and was not dialyzable. The chlD cells accumulated as much molybdenum as wild-type cells did when grown in medium containing 0.1 mM molybdate; thus, the capability of incorporation of molybdenum into cellular component(s) was equivalent to that of the wild type under these conditions.


Tension rocker bearing (TRB) cables installed at auxiliary piers were critical members to sustain the structural system in a prestressed concrete cable-stayed bridge. Once these cables fractured or broken, its structural system would be transferred. Based on diseases caused by fracture of TRB cables in Yonghe Bridge, corresponding maintenance or strengthening measures were described in detail. These measures included replacement of TRB cables, strengthening of the closure segment of main girder at each side span, and adjustment of stay cable forces. Monitoring results showed that, its structural system was finally and completely rehabilitated, and the safety factor of new TRB cables is enough under the most unfavorable load combination. Moreover, the line shape of main girder and the inclined displacement at the top of each pylon were improved effectively. Thus, Yonghe Bridge accumulated some valuable experience for maintenance or strengthening of existing prestressed concrete cable-stayed bridges, and also made a useful exploration.


With this short contribution, we present our first observations about the application of pressure flaking at Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter more than 70 000 years ago (70 ka). Presently, only three other Middle Stone Age sites have produced evidence of this knapping strategy at such deep time. Identifying more sites, such as Umhlatuzana, with evidence of Middle Stone Age pressure flaking demonstrates that knappers possessed know-how of the technique, enabling them to apply it when useful or necessary, and on a range of raw materials. Our findings indicate at least three applications of pressure flaking in the production of Still Bay and serrated points at Umhlatuzana. These applications seem to include the final shaping of Still Bay points, the deliberate flaking of serrated edges, and the thinning of point preforms. The points from Umhlatuzana currently represent the most extensive indication of pressure flaking as a well-developed part of the Middle Stone Age knapping repertoire.


The biology underlying craniosynostosis remains unknown. Previous studies have shown that the underlying dura mater, not the suture itself, signals a suture to fuse. The purpose of this study was to develop an in vitro model for cranial-suture fusion that would still allow for suture-dura interaction, but without the influence of tensional forces transmitted from the cranial base. This was accomplished by demonstrating that the posterior frontal mouse cranial suture, known to be the only cranial suture that fuses in vivo, fuses when plated with its dura in an organ-culture system. In such an organ-culture system, the sutures are free from both the influence of dural forces transmitted from the cranial base and from hormonal influences only available in a perfused system. For the cranial-suture fusion in vitro model study, the sagittal sutures (controls that remain patent in vivo) and posterior frontal sutures (that fuse in vivo) with the underlying dura were excised from 24-day-old euthanized mice, cut into 5 x 4 x 2-mm specimens, and cultured in a chemically defined, serum-free media. One hundred sutures were harvested at the day of sacrifice, then every 2 days thereafter until 30 days in culture, stained with H & E, and analyzed. A subsequent cranial-suture without dura in vitro study was performed in a similar fashion to the first study, but only the calvariae with the posterior frontal or sagittal sutures (without the underlying dura) were cultured. Results from the cranial-suture fusion in vitro model study showed that all sagittal sutures placed in organ culture with the underlying dura remained patent. More importantly, the posterior frontal sutures with the underlying dura, which were plated-down as patent at 24 days of age, demonstrated fusion after various growth periods in organ culture. In vitro posterior frontal mouse-suture fusion occurred in an anterior-to-posterior direction but in a delayed fashion, 4 to 7 days later than in vivo posterior frontal mouse-suture fusion. In contrast, the subsequent cranial-suture without dura in vitro study showed patency of all sutures, including the posterior frontal suture. These data from in vitro experiments indicate that: (1) mouse calvariae, sutures, and the underlying dura survive and grow in organ-culture systems for 30 days; (2) the local dura, free from external influences transmitted from the cranial base and hormones from distant sites, influences the cells of its overlying suture to cause fusion; and (3) without dura influence, all in vitro cranial sutures remained patent. By first identifying the factors involved in dural-suture signaling and then regulating these factors and their receptors, the biologic basis of suture fusion and craniosynostosis may be unraveled and used in the future to manipulate pathologic (premature) suture fusion.


B-terms are built from the B combinator alone defined by B f g x = f (g x), which is well-known as a function composition operator. This paper investigates an interesting property of B-terms, that is, whether repetitive right applications of a B-term circulates or not. We discuss conditions for B-terms to and not to have the property through a sound and complete equational axiomatization. Specifically, we give examples of B-terms which have the property and show that there are infinitely many B-terms which does not have the property. Also, we introduce a canonical representation of B-terms that is useful to detect cycles, or equivalently, to prove the property, with an efficient algorithm.


Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory airway disease whose incidence and mortality increases every year. COPD is characterized by irreversible airflow limitation based on obstructive bronchiolitis and emphysema. It is associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lung to toxic particles or gases, such as cigarette smoke. Recently, an increasing body of evidence has been accumulated for a link between inflammation and autoimmunity in the development of COPD. The idea that autoimmunity could contribute to the development of COPD provides a new angle to understand the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the non-physiological stress caused by environmental factors such as cigarette smoking is linked to the inflammatory process and autoimmunity, and all these factors may contribute to the occurrence of exacerbation in COPD. It will be demonstrated some evidences that support this paradigm and the need to invest in research in this area.


Well-developed research skills are essential to our student's educational success. For a generation that will create more information than was created by all those who came before them access to information is not an issue, at least for those on the access side of the digital divide. However as that wealth of information grows so does the need for the skill sets that allows one to pull the drops of needed information from the ocean that they have available to search. Students, who have not known a world without Google, smart phones, and abundant wireless internet access, often feel their research skills are good enough but usually fail, not in the search for information, but in the ability to determine what the best information is and how to find it most efficiently. Online library research classes are one of the best methods we have for providing our students with the skills they need to succeed. Designing, implementing, and teaching library research classes allows librarians to communicate research skills that meet our students at their point of need. This paper will provide an examination of the benefits for our students, libraries and faculty in providing these classes, an overview on how they can be structured to meet the information literacy needs of any student and basic information on how to create library research classes at any institution of higher education.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The prevalence of intracranial artery stenosis is high in Asian people. This study aimed to investigate whether there are differences in the imaging features of symptomatic MCA stenosis in patients of different ages using vessel wall MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of consecutive patients with unilateral MCA stenosis based on a prospectively established vessel wall MR imaging data base between January 2017 and December 2018. According to age, the patients were divided into the young group (18 – 45 years of age) and the middle-aged and elderly group (older than 45years of age). RESULTS: Overall, 131 patients with unilateral MCA stenosis were included (45.8% in the young group and 54.2% in the middle-aged and elderly group). Middle-aged and elderly patients had a higher prevalence of hypertension ( P ¼ .01) and diabetes ( P ¼ .05). The lesion length ( P , .0001), proportion of circular involvement ( P ¼ .006), and proportion of circular enhancement ( P ¼ .03) were higher in the young group than in the middle-aged and elderly group. The analysis of the atherosclerotic subgroup showed that compared with middle-aged and elderly patients, young patients had longer lesions ( P ¼ .002). The atherosclerotic-versus-nonather-osclerotic subgroup analysis showed that the maximal wall thickness in the patients with atherosclerosis was larger than that of patients without it ( P ¼ .002). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the middle-aged and elderly group, young patients with MCA stenosis tended to have longer lesions and more circular wall involvement and circular enhancement, which may indicate the differences in underlying vascular pathophysiologic and developmental mechanisms in symptomatic MCA stenosis.