The electrical and optical properties, and microstructures of 100 nm-thick Ga2O3 films fabricated on Al2O3(0001) substrates by a sputtering deposition were investigated. The partial pressure of oxygen was controlled and the substrate temperature was kept to be 500 °C during deposition. With increasing the oxygen partial pressure, the structures of the Ga2O3 films deposited on the substrates were observed to change from amorphous to crystalline (monoclinic β-type Ga2O3). The transmittance of the Ga2O3 films was measured to be more than 80 % at the visible and ultraviolet regions although the electrical resistivity was high. In order to obtain both low electrical resistivity and high transmittance at the ultraviolet regions, the addition of active dopant elements such as Sn into the Ga2O3 films would be required.


The effects of aqueous extract of Spondias mombin leaves on testicular characteristics and neonatal birth weights after oral treatment of male and female wistar rats with graded dosages were studied. Twenty-five female and male sexually matured wistar rats divided into four treatment groups B,C, D and E and control group(A) were used. Five untreated matured male were also used for mating. The treatment groups were given 200mg/kg, 400mg/kg, 600mg/kg and 800mg/kg respectively while distill water was served to the control group for 28 days. After, testicles were harvested and studied grossly and for histology while the females were served by sexually matured untreated male rats introduced at the last half of the oral treatment. The gross and histology studies showed normal conformation of all the testicles. There was no abnormality noticed in all. Weekly vaginal cytology done during treatment revealed that all the female rats cycled normally. Births were recorded in all groups within the average gestation range of 24-28 days. While group A (control group) had the highest average litter size of 13 followed by groups D and E with 9, group C and E had the highest average birth weights of approximately 5g. It is concluded that there was no antifertility consequence of aqueous spondias mombin on the male wistar rat but insipient infertility was noticed with lower dosages for the female but none with dosage as high as 800mg/kg.


This paper introduces a new open source platform for end-to-end speech processing named ESPnet. ESPnet mainly focuses on end-to-end automatic speech recognition (ASR), and adopts widely-used dynamic neural network toolkits, Chainer and PyTorch, as a main deep learning engine. ESPnet also follows the Kaldi ASR toolkit style for data processing, feature extraction/format, and recipes to provide a complete setup for speech recognition and other speech processing experiments. This paper explains a major architecture of this software platform, several important functionalities, which differentiate ESPnet from other open source ASR toolkits, and experimental results with major ASR benchmarks.


During the years 1984 through 1987 2,574 isolates of obligately anaerobic bacteria were isolated from samples submitted for analysis. The most common anaerobic isolates were members of the genus Bacteroides, representing 44.6% of the isolates. Of these, the most commonly isolated identifiable microorganisms were bile-resistant and nonpigmented, belonging to the B fragilis group of Bacteroides. Importantly, obvious predilections for any one species or group of Bacteroides were not apparent for animal or site (condition), except that the proportion of isolates belonging to the nonpigmented, bile-resistant group obtained from the respiratory tract was significantly (P less than 0.005) higher than that not belonging to this group. On the other hand, the proportion of isolates of the non-pigmented, bile-resistant group obtained from abscesses was significantly lower than that not belonging to this group.


Passive arm-assistive devices play an important role in the rehabilitation of patients with neuromuscular disorders or injuries by overcoming their motor deficit. Routine human activities such as feeding are not possible without the aid provided by one of these devices or by a caregiver. In this study, a body-powered assistive device was designed for feeding purposes using a compact spherical scissors mechanism and zero-free-length (ZFL) springs (rubber bands) to leverage the patient's residual biceps and healthy triceps function. This partially balanced and lightweight orthosis was also projected to accommodate the spring attachment points closer to the elbow joint center. The performance of the prototype was evaluated on a young adult with bilateral amyoplasia of the biceps due to arthrogryposis who could not initially reach the superior anterior aspect of the close-to-torso region of the reachable three-dimensional (3D) workspace (RWS). That was accomplished by measuring the anatomical RWS of the patient before and while wearing the device. The results show that the patient, with the assistance provided by the device, was able to attain positions in the frontal close-to-torso region of the body that included reaching her mouth, thus enabling independent feeding.


Digital elevation model (DEM) generation through interferometric processing of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data requires the calculation of a constant phase offset present in the unwrapped interferograms. This operation is usually carried out by exploiting the external information provided by GPS measurements in correspondence of corner reflectors (CRs) properly deployed over the illuminated area. This is, however, expensive in terms of cost and time. Moreover, deployment of CRs along with the corresponding in situ GPS measurements can be difficult (if not impossible) in unfriendly areas or in natural disaster scenarios. To circumvent these limitations, we address in this work the estimation of the required phase offset by exploiting a low-accuracy external DEM, without using CRs. More specifically, a two-step approach is proposed. The first step exploits the synthetic phase computed by means of the external DEM and represents a straightforward extension of the procedure that is usually applied in the presence of CRs. Subsequently, in order to refine the achieved solution, a second step is introduced. It is based on a least squares approach that properly exploits the difference between the available low-accuracy DEM and the interferometric DEM generated by means of the phase offset value roughly estimated through the first step. The presented approach is very easy to implement and allows us to achieve an accurate and fast estimate of the needed phase offset, even in the presence of an external DEM affected by a vertical bias and/or a planar shift. The algorithm performances improve in the presence of a large variation of the look angle, as it generally happens in airborne systems. On the other side, the effectiveness of the algorithm may be impaired by the possible presence of artifacts in the unwrapped interferograms, such as those due to the residual motion errors typical of repeat-pass airborne SAR scenarios. Accordingly, the proposed solution is particularly suitable for single-pass interferometric airborne SAR systems, as demonstrated through the presented experimental results achieved on real data.


Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is one of the major forms of a group of conditions called epidermolysis bullosa. Epidermolysis bullosa cause the skin to be very fragile and to blister easily. Blisters and skin erosions form in response to minor injury or friction, such as rubbing or scratching. The signs and symptoms of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa vary widely among affected individuals. In mild cases, blistering may primarily affect the hands, feet, knees, and elbows. Severe cases of this condition involve widespread blistering that can lead to vision loss, scarring, and other serious medical problems.


We wanted to determine the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) cutoff for clinical pregnancies in women receiving intra-uterine insemination (IUI) with this sperm and to assess the contribution of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection on sperm DNA damage and its impact on clinical pregnancies. Prospective non-interventional multi-center study with 161 infertile couples going through 209 cycles of IUI in hospital fertility centers in Flanders, Belgium. Measurement of DFI and HPV DNA with type specific quantitative PCRs (HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66 and 68) in sperm before its use in IUI. Clinical pregnancy (CP) rate was used as the outcome to analyze the impact on fertility outcome and to calculated the clinical cutoff value for DFI. A DFI criterion value of 26% was obtained by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Couples with a male DFI > 26% had significantly less CPs than couples with DFI below 26% (OR 0.0326; 95% CI 0.0019 to 0.5400; p = 0.017). In sperm, HPV prevalence was 14.8%/IUI cycle. Sperm samples containing HPV had a significantly higher DFI compared to HPV negative sperm samples (29.8% vs. 20.9%; p = 0.011). When HPV-virions were present in sperm, no clinical pregnancies were observed. More than 1 in 5 of samples with normal semen parameters (17/78; 21.8%) had an elevated DFI or was HPV positive. Sperm DFI is a robust predictor of clinical pregnancies in women receiving IUI with this sperm. When DFI exceeds 26%, clinical pregnancies are less likely and in vitro fertilization techniques should be considered.


In our educational system today, co-curricular activities have not gain its rightful place in our society especially among parents who would put more importance on academic achievements as compared to achievements in cocurricular activities. They view co-curricular activities as a hindrance towards excellent achievements in their children's examinations. Therefore this study is an attempt to gauge how far it is true that a student who is active in co-curricular activities at school will fare poorly in academic achievements. Research Objectives : follows :Three main objectives of the study are as I. To find the extent of female students' involvement in co-curricular activities. 2. To find out if there is any relationship between being active in cocurricular activities and failure in academic achievements. 3 . To compare academic achievement standards between female students who are actively involved in co-curricu1a.r activities and those who are not. R e s e a r c h M e t h o d s : All 237 Form 4 students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultanah Asma were selected as respondents. They were required to answer questionnaires regarding their persona1 particulars, their family backgrounds and also their degree of involvement in the cocurricular activities. Hypotheses were tested using the SPSS, that is the chisquare analysis and the Pearson Regression analysis. Results The test showed that there is a significant difference between those students who are actively involved in cocurricular activities and those who are not. There is also a difference in academic achievements between athletes who are hostelites and athletes who are non-hostelites. However, there is no difference in academic achievements between athletes from the lower income-group families and those athletes from the higher income-group families. Therefore, this study rejects the null hypotheses and accepts the alternative hypotheses. Active involvement in the co-curricular activities has negative effects on academic achievements among female students.


In this work deformed shapes and volumes of liquid-filled packages made with flexible barrier materials that follow neo-Hookean and Mooney-Rivlin constitutive equations are determined analytically. The theory of large elastic deformations as applied to the axisymmetric membrane structures is used in the analysis. The strength and thickness of the flexible sheet and the hydrostatic pressure variation inside the package are considered in predicting the deformed shapes and volumes. Space requirements for stacking one liquid-filled flexible package over another are also calculated. The governing equations, which are nonlinear ordinary differential-integral types, are solved numerically on a digital computer. The solution suggests applications to more efficient storage and transportation of liquids in flexible containers.


Theoretically, the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s created new possibilities to control population growth on a global scale. Several of those involved in developing the pill belonged to the transnational population control movement. In the Federal Republic, demographic and medical experts in the 1960s debated the advantages and dangers of the new contraceptive, and they argued about whether it could be of benefit in West Germany and/or in developing countries. The paper examines the contemporary debate about the pill and the role it was awarded in the effort to solve what was considered a global population problem.


The authors previously developed a technique for studying a mathematical model cell with spontaneous activity, namely, a 'real time' simulation of a rabbit sinoatrial node (SAN) model cell that is simultaneously electrically coupled via a 'coupling clamp' circuit to a real, isolated ventricular myocyte. This technique was applied to investigate the effects of coupling conductance (Gc), cell size and modulation of membrane potential by elevated extracellular potassium ion concentrations on the ability of an ectopic focus, represented by the SAN model cell, to successfully drive a ventricular cell. Values of Gc and the relative sizes of the two cells define three possible outcomes: spontaneous pacing of the SAN model cell but not driving of the ventricular cell; cessation of spontaneous pacing; or pacing of the SAN model cell and driving of the ventricular cell. Below a critical size of the SAN model cell, only the first two outcomes are possible. Above this critical size, there is a range of Gc that allows successful operation of the system as an ectopic focus. Elevation of extracellular potassium ion concentrations from 4 to 8 mM increases both the lower and upper boundaries of Gc for this range. Elevation of extracellular potassium ion concentrations, commonly observed in myocardial ischemia, may affect either inhibition or release of inhibition of an ectopic focus.


Summary
The evolutionary potential and ecological importance of interspecific hybrids continues to be a controversial issue. Traditionally, hybridization – often associated with polyploidy and clonal reproduction – was considered an important mechanism for speciation in plants, but not in animals. More recently, investigations have shifted to the question: Under which genetic and ecological conditions do hybrid taxa and different ploidies arise and succeed, and when and where do they fail? Finding answers to this question is aggravated by the fact that suitable taxa for such studies are often far apart on the phylogenetic tree. Hence, results are influenced by many confounding variables.
In this study, we reduce this problem by investigating the fitness within a complex of three closely related water frog taxa consisting of the two sexually reproducing parental species Pelophylax lessonae (genotype LL) and P. ridibundus (RR) plus their interspecific hybrid P. esculentus which comes in three ploidy types (LR, LLR and LRR), as well as with sexual and hemiclonal reproduction. Offspring of all five genotypes were produced by artificially crossing adults sampled from populations in Slovakia, Germany and Switzerland. This created genetic variation. They were then raised at two temperature levels: 18 and 24 °C. This created ecological variation. Larval performance under the two temperature regimes was analysed with respect to three fitness-related parameters: survival rate, days to metamorphosis and weight at tail resorption.
Survival rate was significantly higher for offspring of the three hybrid types (LR, LLR and LRR) compared with those of the parental species (LL, RR), at both rearing temperatures. For days to metamorphosis and weight at metamorphosis, we found an interaction between offspring type and temperature. In both cases, performance of hybrid and parental offspring did not differ at 24 °C, but at 18 °C hybrids metamorphosed faster and at a lower weight than parentals.
We discuss these results in relation to those from other studies and conclude that under cold conditions hybrids (especially the two triploid types) have higher fitness than both parental species. This genotype × environment interaction could be one reason why all-hybrid populations mainly occur at the cooler northern range of the water frog distribution.


This paper presents the results and findings of a research project on innovation culture in Australian information technology sector organisations. The primary objective of this study was to establish the determinants of a successful enterprise innovation culture in organisations with a strong industry reputation for radical innovation initiatives. The authors obtained 244 responses from 102 member organisations of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA). The survey explored the internal and external characteristics of a successful innovative organisation. Both employees' and competitors' perspectives on "what makes a particular organisation a successful innovator" were the main focus. The authors' findings indicated that the absence of a successful innovation culture is a serious impediment to growth and success. However, preferences for the key innovation culture attributes varied significantly by executive functions, size of the organization and type of ownership structure. Thus, a mix of key innovation attributes should be deployed and tailored to each organisation, based on their industry and strategic objectives.


The genes encoding type IV O antigen glucosylation were characterized from both Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. The putative O antigen modification genes from E. coli, o120 o306 o443, were PCR-amplified and introduced into S. flexneri serotype Y strain SFL124. Immunogold labelling and phage sensitivity indicated the presence of both serotype Y and serotype 4a O antigens on the cell surface of the resulting recombinant SFL124 strains, suggesting that only partial serotype conversion was conferred by the E. coli genes. The type IV O antigen modification genes were then isolated and characterized from S. flexneri serotype 4a strain NCTC 8296. A 3.8 kb chromosomal fragment conferred complete conversion to serotype 4a when introduced into SFL124. Sequence analysis of the fragment revealed the presence of three genes, gtrA(IV) gtrB(IV) gtrIV(Sf). DNAs homologous to bacteriophage int and attP were located upstream of gtrA(IV), suggesting that this region of the NCTC 8296 genome may have originated from a bacteriophage; however, a serotype-converting phage could not be induced from this strain nor from other strains used in this study. Comparison of the GtrIV(Sf) and GtrIV(Ec) (o443) proteins revealed that they are 41% identical and 63% similar, which is the highest degree of similarity reported among the S. flexneri O antigen glucosyltransferases.


The libguide for the English 09, "Fear and Suspense" Short Story Unit, is a complete resource guide for students to access unit materials and the teacher to facilitate understanding and learning of the concepts through creative use of technology.


Traditional microwave absorbers usually use the epoxy resin dielectric board, which is neither flexible nor optically transparent, so cannot be used in certain applications. In this work, a flexible and optical-transparent broadband absorber is reported, which is based on the indium tin oxide (ITO) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material system with an ITO-PET-ITO structure. It showed more than 75% transmittance in the visible light range. The microwave absorption was above 0.8 from 19.9 GHz to 51.8 GHz. The absorption decreased when the absorber was bent, though the variation was not big. Further analysis pointed out that the absorption decrease could be attributed to the change of the incident angle. Theoretical simulation results agreed well with the measured absorption spectra.


Computation increasingly takes place not on an individual device, but distributed throughout a material or environment, whether it be a silicon surface, a network of wireless devices, a collection of biological cells or a programmable material. Emerging programming models embrace this reality and provide abstractions inspired by physics, such as computational fields, that allow such systems to be programmed holistically, rather than in terms of individual devices. This paper aims to provide a unified approach for the investigation and engineering of computations programmed with the aid of space–time abstractions, by bringing together a number of recent results, as well as to identify critical open problems.


Developed countries have agreed to provide duty free and quota free access to imports from LDCs covered by 97 per cent of tariff lines. However, LDCs would like to extend the agreement to 100 per cent coverage, since 3 per cent of tariff lines can cover a substantial proportion of LDC exports. Products of major interest include textiles and clothing and agricultural goods such as rice, oilseeds, sugar and bananas. The potential trade and welfare impacts of expanding the coverage are analysed using a global general equilibrium model. Updated estimates indicate LDCs stand to gain $4.2 billion in additional exports, the bulk of which accrues to Bangladesh, Cambodia and West Africa. A further $1.8 billion increase in exports could be obtained if LDCs had duty free access to the markets of China, India, Brazil and South Africa. However, non-LDC developing countries are likely to become worse off as a result of extension of preferences to LDCs.


Thisarticle aims to introduce the book "Doing Visual Ethnography" writtenby Sarah pink, who is a Professor of media design and ethnography at the RoyalMelbourne Institute of technology in Australia, and is a Professor of AppliedSocial and Cultural Analysis at Halmstad University in Sweden. An overview ofthe book introduces the history of ethnography, ethical issues in ethnographicand theory, creating ethnographic knowledge and ethnographic representation.Ethnography is a research route through complex society that could not beimplemented successfully in one day (Fetterman, 2010). Therefore, to obtain ahigh quality research results which could reflect cultures, behaviors and factsof ethnic groups, researchers should have a basic knowledge about various datacollections in order to be able to select a data collection method that suitswith a particular circumstance. Hence, this book is useful for guiding studentsand researchers who are interested in performing ethnography to prepare andselect a data collection method which could answer research problems as well ascreate reliable knowledge.                         Keywords: Visualethnography, Ethnographic


The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of HIV/AIDS related stigmatization, discrimination and coping strategies among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) at University College Hospital Ibadan. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design carried out among 700 PLHIV selected using a systematic random sampling technique from May to June 2010.  A validated pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data which was analysed using SPSS version 16. The mean age of the respondents was 40.0 ± 9.40 years and more were females (474, 67.70%). About 212 (30.30%) have experienced stigmatization with verbal insult (138, 65.10%), subjection to ridicule (134, 63.20%) and avoidance by friends (89, 42.0%) being the most reported forms of induced stigmatization/discrimination. In addition, there was no significant relationship of experiencing stigmatization/discrimination by gender (P=0.097). However, more females experienced physical assault than male. Strategies adopted by respondents in coping with stigmatization and discrimination were unmoved 376 (53.70%), prayer 321 (45.90%) and ignoring the person 281 (40.10%). The study reported prevalence of various forms of stigmatization and discrimination against PLHIV. Therefore, there is need for more awareness campaign in communities on the dangers of HIV-related stigmatization and discrimination on the health of PLHIV.

 Key words: Social discrimination, perception, stigmatization, social support, HIV/AIDS.


This paper examines all of the banks that submitted sufficient Call Report data to the FDIC for the quarters ended September 30, 2015 through December 31, 2018. We compared the current December 31, 2018, loan loss reserve percentage to calculated actual write-off experience, as described below, over the 42-month period ending on December 31, 2018 (the Recovery Period) and the 42-month period ending on December 31, 2011 (the Great Recession Period). The 42-month period was selected based on an average maturity calculation from amounts reported on the December 31, 2018, Call Report.

For each selected bank, we totaled the bad debt write-offs (net of recoveries) from the call reports submitted to the FDIC for the quarters ended September 30, 2015 through December 31, 2018 and divided the result by the average gross loans and leases balance over that same period. We performed the same procedures for the quarters ended September 30, 2008 through December 31, 2011 (Post Recession).

For each period, we then broke the data down by size decile based on December 31, 2018 total asset balances.

We found that, for the Recovery period, at all size deciles, the median current bad debt reserve balance exceeds the calculated 2015 to 2018 net write-off bad debt experience. However, compared to the Post Recession period (from September 30, 2008 to December 31, 2011) the banking system appears under-reserved by from 50% (for the smallest banks) to 500% (for the largest banks).

Portfolio duration will impact the calculation of expected reserves. However, given the shorter portfolio duration in banking relative to a full economic cycle, the expected reserve may be insufficient if the full economic cycle is not considered.


Laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effect of soil drought on leaf gas exchange and water relations of young sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.) - cv. Favorit and cv. Albena. Similar changes were established in the parameters tested. Significant inhibition of net photosynthetic rate, transpiration intensity and stomatal conductance were observed. Cultivar's differences were also established, particularly marked in terms of transpiration intensity and stomatal conductance, which were more strongly inhibited in plants of cv. Favorit. Among the water exchange parameters, it was the leaf water potential (Ψ) that changed most in both cultivars, becoming more than two times lower.


Manufacturing of electronic products and semiconductor wafers involves the use of III–V materials, which can lead to the shedding of particulate and ionic (e.g., arsenic) waste products that gain access to waste water streams. Of particular concern is the use of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) for polishing of semiconductor wafers, with the potential of contributing GaAs and InAs particulates and ionic species that could adversely impact aquatic organisms. We adopted zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, larvae and adults as model organisms for studying the potential impact of commercially acquired GaAs and InAs particulates and ionic species in an automated screening platform. While there was no effect on zebrafish embryo hatching, morphological abnormalities or survival at particle doses up to 200 ppm (environmentally relevant), larval screening demonstrated survival reduction and inhibition of growth by nanoscale particulates (nm-InAs and nm-GaAs) and As(III). These growth inhibitory effects could be ascribed to compromised digestive function, as evidenced by enzymatic assay for digestion as well as structural damage to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Moreover, the damage inflicted by nm-InAs and nm-GaAs particulates could be seen to persist after a depuration period. Larvae and adult fish were used in mechanistic studies to demonstrate that GIT damage is linked to the induction of an oxidative stress response, as reflected by glutathionine (GSH) depletion and immunohistological evidence of heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) expression. In summary, the impact of III–V particulates and ionic species on the zebrafish GIT could serve as a study model for the adverse health outcome of semiconductor slurries in aquatic organisms such as fish.


This chapter is a contribution to a volume, Addiction and Choice, edited by Nick Heather and Gabriel Segal that is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. Some claim that addiction is a chronic and relapsing brain disease; others claim that it is a product of choice; yet others think that addictions have both disease and choice aspects. Which of these views holds sway in a particular domain enormously influences how that domain treats addictions. With limited exceptions, Anglo-American criminal law has implicitly adopted the choice model and a corresponding approach to responsibility. Addiction is irrelevant to the criteria for the prima facie case of crime, it is not an excusing or mitigating condition per se, and it does not contribute relevant evidence to existing excusing conditions, such as legal insanity. This chapter evaluates the criminal law's model of responsibility using scientific and clinical evidence and dominant criminal law theories. It concludes that although the law's approach is generally justifiable, current doctrine and practice are probably too unforgiving and harsh. Recommendations for reform conclude the chapter.


Students in recent years spend a considerable amount of time on social networking web-sites. They have made online access and navigation through these sites part of their daily activities. The impact of social network sites in particular has become a major subject of discussion among various studies, because some of them see these pages as a threat or obstacle, while the rest argue that them affects positively the age of adolescence. A quantitative, descriptive and exploratory survey was conducted to identify the impact of this involvement on adolescents' behaviour that affect their psychological development. The research sample consisted of 893 students, between the ages 10-15 years, users of the social network sites. This champion has been taken from middle school institutions from different cities of Albania. The analysis of the study results confirmed that students are using social network sites for a long time during the day. They have become addicted to them and they already display some behaviour patterns. As a conclusion, the study found that the inclusion in social network sites, if students spend a considerable amount of time on them, has a negative impact in their psychological problems. Parents, teachers and students need to communicate with each other in order to identify and avoid the risks of social network sites and also other studies should be done in this field and suggest different strategies to manage the psychological problems caused by the use of social networking sites.


on the L.U.S. from 3 to 6 cm. At one year the group with closed peritoneum it performed cystic-anecogenic areas in the uterine scar. Conclusions: The peritoneum closure lengthens operative time and favours hematomas on the L.U.S. which increase post-operative morbidity, antibiotics use 2.6 and 4.8 (P < 0.01). In the long term follow up we observed in the closed peritoneum group the anecogenic cystic areas while in open group this was not present (P < 0.01). So the uterine scar was regularly in the open group.


The extracellular matrix adhesion molecule fibronectin exhibits different isoforms derived by alternative splicing as well as recently demonstrated variation in O-glycosylation. Although fibronectin is widely distributed in normal tissues, the individual isoforms have been found to show restricted tissue distribution and association with malignancies. The monoclonal antibody FDC-6 defines a cancer-associated de novo glycosylation of a specific threonine residue in the C-terminal region of the fibronectin molecule termed oncofetal fibronectin. Here we report an immunohistological study of oral squamous cell carcinomas (n = 33), premalignant lesions (n = 15), and normal oral mucosa (n = 10) using the FDC-6 antibody. A selective expression of the oncofetal fibronectin epitope was demonstrated in close relation to the invading carcinoma, whereas no staining was observed in premalignant lesions without epithelial dysplasia, or in normal epithelium. Furthermore, we attempted to identify additional carbohydrate-related epitopes distinguishing fibronectin of human hepatoma cell line HUH-7 from plasma fibronectin. No novel epitopes were identified, as all generated monoclonal antibodies lacking reactivity with plasma fibronectin showed the same specificity as FDC-6. Previous studies have indicated that the de novo glycosylation is induced by a novel transferase activity only found in fetal and carcinoma cell lines, placenta and hepatoma tissues. Here we provide further evidence that a purified UDP-GalNAc:peptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase from normal bovine thymus and human placentae is incapable of utilizing the hexapeptide VTHPGY as a substrate. The results demonstrate that oncofetal fibronectin is highly associated with malignancy, and appears to be induced by expression of a unique glycosyltransferase or modification of the specificity of the normally expressed transferase.


Because of the complexity of the components in Traditional Chinese Medicine formula (TCM formula), it is still a challenge to identify its effective components, to elucidate the mechanism of the components, and to discover the relationship between components and therapy objectives. In this paper, a method called directed TCM grammar systems (dTGS) for effective component identification was proposed using entity grammar systems (EGS) as the theoretical framework. The component-disease relationship of a TCM formula (i.e., Bai-Hu decoction plus Wasting-Thirsting formula, BHDWT) and one disease (i.e., type 2 diabetes mellitus) treated with it was studied, and the effective component groups (ECGs) were identified. 19 compounds were found acting on 20 proteins in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) disease network, and 15 compounds were determined as the candidate effective components. Results indicated that this method can be used to identify the effective components and provide an innovative way to elucidate the molecular mechanism of TCM formulas.


Efficient and accurate methods to monitor crop physiological responses help growers better understand crop physiology and improve crop productivity. In recent years, developments in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and sensor technology have enabled image acquisition at very-high spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions. However, potential applications and limitations of very-high-resolution (VHR) hyperspectral and thermal UAV imaging for characterization of plant diurnal physiology remain largely unknown, due to issues related to shadow and canopy heterogeneity. In this study, we propose a canopy zone-weighting (CZW) method to leverage the potential of VHR (≤9 cm) hyperspectral and thermal UAV imageries in estimating physiological indicators, such as stomatal conductance (Gs) and steady-state fluorescence (Fs). Diurnal flights and concurrent in-situ measurements were conducted during grapevine growing seasons in 2017 and 2018 in a vineyard in Missouri, USA. We used neural net classifier and the Canny edge detection method to extract pure vine canopy from the hyperspectral and thermal images, respectively. Then, the vine canopy was segmented into three canopy zones (sunlit, nadir, and shaded) using K-means clustering based on the canopy shadow fraction and canopy temperature. Common reflectance-based spectral indices, sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), and simplified canopy water stress index (siCWSI) were computed as image retrievals. Using the coefficient of determination (R2) established between the image retrievals from three canopy zones and the in-situ measurements as a weight factor, weighted image retrievals were calculated and their correlation with in-situ measurements was explored. The results showed that the most frequent and the highest correlations were found for Gs and Fs, with CZW-based Photochemical reflectance index (PRI), SIF, and siCWSI (PRICZW, SIFCZW, and siCWSICZW), respectively. When all flights combined for the given field campaign date, PRICZW, SIFCZW, and siCWSICZW significantly improved the relationship with Gs and Fs. The proposed approach takes full advantage of VHR hyperspectral and thermal UAV imageries, and suggests that the CZW method is simple yet effective in estimating Gs and Fs.


Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an exotic stemborer introduced to Africa from Asia some eighty years ago which results in 30–50 % grain losses by attacking all stages (seedling, vegetative, flowering and maturity) of the crop in the field. As the case in all exotic pest, the control of C. partellus was attempted through classical biological control by introducing an endo-larval parasitoid, Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Barconidae) form India and Pakistan. The field release of C. flavipes was done in most of the eastern and southern African countries where C. partellus is a very important pest. However, in Ethiopia the parasitoid established with out release. The population established in Ethiopia might be from the Somalia release of 1997 along the Shebele river. Cotesia flavipes was for the first time recorded in Ethiopia and the 2007 survey showed that the average parasitism rate was 72.5 %. The rate growth in parasitism since its establishment is tremendous indicating the success of biological control in suppressing the density of C. partellus. More over, there are a number of pupal and egg parasitoids of C. partellus recorded in Ethiopia. A number of entomopathogens belonging to fungi and nematodes were also isolated from C. partellus in Ethiopia. In summery natural enemies can give sufficient control of C. partellus. However, the naturally occurring bio-agents should be complemented with other control options such us habitat management (push-pull) and Varietal resistance among others. Augmentative release of C. flavipes and application of conservation mechanisms should also be done.


Gas sensor array based on polymer/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (polymer/MWCNTs) composites prepared by screen printing technique was examined for rice aroma detection. The sensor array consists of two sets of three different sensors, i.e., MWCNTs dispersed in the matrix of poly (2-Acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid-co-acrylonitrile (S1-S2), polyvinyl alcohol (S3-S4) and poly (styreneco-maleic acid) partial isobutyl/methyl mixed ester (S5-S6). Sample temperature, which is one of the important parameters, has been found to influence the releasing rate of the volatiles from rice grain when needed to operate on the electronic nose system. In this case, the fabricated sensor array installed within a lab-made electronic nose system with optimum sample temperature at 70°C could provide rapid and best responses to the volatiles released from the milled rice sample. Moreover, the responsive signals could be recovered to original state as well within four minutes by only purging with fresh air at room temperature. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) pattern recognition, it was shown that the electronic nose can discriminate six rice samples based on the content of aroma.


Quantum simulators are a promising technology on the spectrum of quantum devices from specialized quantum experiments to universal quantum computers. These quantum devices utilize entanglement and many-particle behaviors to explore and solve hard scientific, engineering, and computational problems. Rapid development over the last two decades has produced more than 300 quantum simulators in operation worldwide using a wide variety of experimental platforms. Recent advances in several physical architectures promise a golden age of quantum simulators ranging from highly optimized special purpose simulators to flexible programmable devices. These developments have enabled a convergence of ideas drawn from fundamental physics, computer science, and device engineering. They have strong potential to address problems of societal importance, ranging from understanding vital chemical processes, to enabling the design of new materials with enhanced performance, to solving complex computational problems. It is the position of the community, as represented by participants of the NSF workshop on "Programmable Quantum Simulators," that investment in a national quantum simulator program is a high priority in order to accelerate the progress in this field and to result in the first practical applications of quantum machines. Such a program should address two areas of emphasis: (1) support for creating quantum simulator prototypes usable by the broader scientific community, complementary to the present universal quantum computer effort in industry; and (2) support for fundamental research carried out by a blend of multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary collaborations with resources for quantum simulator software, hardware, and education.


The promoter/regulatory sequences responsible for the transcription of the rat inhibin alpha subunit gene in the testis were identified by the transient expression in an MA-10 Leydig tumour cell line of a bacterial reporter gene, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), which was driven by different regions of the 5' flanking sequence of the inhibin alpha subunit gene. The CAT activity was elevated when the 2.0 kb 5' flanking alpha subunit gene fragment was progressively shortened from its 5' end, and a maximal increase was reached when the CAT gene was driven by an alpha subunit gene promoter extending to -163 bp. This construct was termed A alpha BstCAT. Furthermore, when either the -2.0 to -1.6 kb or the -2.0 to -1.0 kb alpha subunit DNA fragment was fused to A alpha BstCAT, and CAT activity was markedly suppressed, indicating the presence of negative regulatory DNA elements (NREs) in the upstream region of the gene. The cyclic AMP (cAMP) responsiveness of the alpha subunit gene, which was dependent upon the putative cAMP response element within the 67 bp alpha subunit promoter, was not affected by the upstream NREs. The inhibitory effect was also demonstrated when the -2.0 to -1.0 kb fragment was placed in either orientation with respect to the alpha subunit promoter or to a thymidine kinase promoter, suggesting that the NRE(s) can act as a silencer. Based on our observations we conclude that the basal expression of the rat inhibin alpha subunit gene in testicular MA-10 cells may, at least in part, be controlled by the upstream silencer(s) and NRE(s).


The Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) detector was launched on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite on 2006 June 15. The data collected during the first four years have been used to search for large-scale anisotropies in the arrival directions of cosmic ray positrons. The PAMELA experiment allows for a full sky investigation, with sensitivity to global anisotropies in any angular window of the celestial sphere. Data samples of positrons in the rigidity range of 10 GV ≤ ?> R ≤ ?> 200 GV were analyzed. This article discusses the method and the results of the search for possible local sources through the analysis of anisotropy in positron data compared to the proton background. The resulting distributions of arrival directions are found to be isotropic. Starting from the angular power spectrum, a dipole anisotropy upper limit of δ = 0.076 at the 95% confidence level is determined. An additional search is carried out around the Sun. No evidence of an excess correlated with that direction was found.


Author(s): Fiedler, L. A.; Fall, M. W.; Reidinger, R. F., Jr. | Abstract: Based on findings from studies conducted in the Philippines over a span of almost a decade, primarily by scientists at the Philippine National Crop Protection Center, crown-baiting (wherein bait containing anticoagulant is placed monthly in the crowns of some palms in a coconut plantation), holds the potential of providing highly economical protection from rat damage. The success of the method in various field trials appeared related, in part, to selective removal of rodents that feed in the palms and to the use of baits that were preferred over growing nuts. Studies have also indicated that only 10% or less of the trees may have to be baited for effective control, although additional field trials are needed to confirm the optimal levels of treatment for different coconut-growing regions in the Philippines. Based on findings from the studies, fallen, rat-damaged nuts may represent only a small portion of the damage that rats inflict on coconut palms in the Philippines.


It has been the author's privilege in recent years to personally visit with a number of nationally recognized retirement industry gurus. Generally speaking, these discussions have tended to identify two obstacles as blocking the implementation of any corporate strategy designed to retire workers in dignity. FIRST: Life expectancy is soaring, with the financial implication being that if persons retiring at age 65 lived into their nineties (or beyond, as many are beginning to foresee), the current pension paradigm will simply not be affordable! However, when this issue was confronted head-on in Common Cents (May 2008), which is available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1128376 a sensible methodology circumnavigating this particular obstacle was revealed. SECOND: While most agreed that nobody had yet to logically ascertain the incremental business cost to retire workers in dignity, it was nevertheless intuitively deemed to be beyond the ability of the typical business model to accomplish while, at the same time, remaining true to the company's profit plan. This second issue is confronted, again head-on, by this paper For Want of a Nail (June 2008) with once again a surprising conclusion predicated on Fortune 500 data. The issue is not really whether we the people will be financially able to enjoy an adequate retirement income. Most benefit gurus believe that such a goal is attainable. The real issue is thought to be this: what is the best delivery system for an adequate retirement income? Many solid citizens believe that only the federal government will be able to deliver the necessary result (and this issue transcends political beliefs). Other equally thoughtful citizens believe that only the free market can deliver the needed result and, at the same time, preserve the foundation which supports our liberty and freedom. The primary purpose of this paper, For Want of a Nail is to focus on the key factors comprising a retire in dignity equation so as to enable readers to first make a fair assessment and judgment, and then to undertake the activity necessary to make it so.


Artemisinin drugs have become the first-line antimalarials in areas of multidrug resistance. However, monotherapy with artemisinin drugs results in comparatively high recrudescence rates. Autoinduction of cytochrome P450 (P450)-mediated metabolism, resulting in reduced exposure, has been supposed to be the underlying mechanism. To better understand the autoinduction and metabolic drug-drug interactions (DDIs), we evaluated the P450s (particularly CYP2B6 and CYP3A4) inhibited or induced by two artemisinin drugs, Qing-hao-su (QHS) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) using human liver microsome, recombinant P450 enzymes, and primary human hepatocytes. The results suggested that QHS was a weak reversible inhibitor of CYP2B6 (Ki 4.6 M), but not CYP3A4 (IC50 50 M) and did not show measurable time-dependent inhibition of either CYP2B6 or CYP3A4. DHA inhibited neither CYP2B6 nor CYP3A4 (IC50 > 125 M). In addition, it was found that QHS induced the activity of CYP3A4 (Emax 3.5-fold and EC50 5.9 M) and CYP2B6 (Emax 1.9-fold and EC50 0.6 M). Of the other P450s, UDP glucuronosyltransferases, and transporters studied, QHS and DHA had no significant effect except for minor induction of mRNA expression of CYP1A2 (Emax 7.9-fold and EC50 5.2 M) and CYP2A6 (Emax 11.7-fold and EC50 4.0 M) by QHS. Quantitative prediction of P450-mediated DDIs indicate autoinduction of QHS clearance with the AUCi/AUC ratio decreasing to 59%, as a result of a 1.9-fold increase in CYP3A4 and a 1.6-fold increase in CYP2B6 activity. These data suggest that QHS drugs are potential inducers of P450 enzymes, and the possible drug interactions (or lack thereof) with artemisinin drugs may be clinically relevant.


The Summitville Mine was a high-elevation (3500 m) gold mine in southwestern Colorado. The mine was abandoned in 1992, leaving approximately 200 ha of disturbance comprised partially of an open pit, a cyanide heap leach pad, and two large waste rock piles. Reclamation of these mine facilities is challenging due to extreme climatic conditions in conjunction with high acid-production potential and low organic matter content of waste materials on site. In addition, stockpiled topsoil at the site is acidic and biologically inactive due to long-term storage, and may not be suitable for plant growth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of organic amendments (mushroom compost vs. biosolids) and topsoil (stockpiled vs. nonstockpiled) on aboveground biomass and plant trace element uptake. An on-site field study was established in 1995 to identify the most effective combination of treatments for successful reclamation of on-site waste rock materials. Incorporation of organic matter significantly increased aboveground biomass, with mushroom compost being more effective than biosolids, but did not significantly influence trace element uptake. Conversely, the use of topsoil did not affect aboveground biomass, but did influence trace element uptake. Treatments that received topsoil supported plant growth with significantly higher trace element tissue concentrations than treatments that did not receive topsoil. In general, it was found that waste rock could be directly revegetated when properly neutralized, fertilized, and amended with organic matter. Additionally, stockpiled topsoil, when neutralized with lime, supported plant growth equivalent to that on nonstockpiled topsoil.


Resilience is an important system property that relies on the ability of a system to automatically recover from a degraded state so as to continue providing its services. Resilient systems have the means of detecting faults and failures with the added capability of automatically restoring their normal operations. Mastering resilience in the domain of Cyber-Physical Systems is challenging due to the interdependence of hybrid hardware and software components, along with physical limitations, laws, regulations and standards, among others. In order to overcome these challenges, this paper presents a modeling approach, based on the concept of Dynamic Cells, tailored to the management of Smart Grids. Additionally, a heuristic algorithm that works on top of the proposed modeling approach, to find resilient  configurations, has been defined and implemented. More specifically, the model supports a flexible representation of Smart Grids and the algorithm is able to manage, at different abstraction levels, the resource consumption of individual grid elements on the presence of failures and faults. Finally, the proposal is evaluated in a test scenario where the effectiveness of such approach, when dealing with complex scenarios where adequate solutions are difficult to find, is shown.


Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy has been employed to understand the excited state dynamics of [Ru(bpy)(2)Sq](+) (I; bpy is 2,2'-bipyridyl, and Sq is the deprotonated species of the semiquinone form of 1,2-dihydroxy benzene) and its derivatives, a widely studied near-infrared (NIR) active electrochromic dye. Apart from the well-defined dpi(Ru) --> pi(bpy)-based metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition bands at approximately 480 nm, this class of molecules generally shows another dpi(Ru) --> pi(Sq)(SOMO)-based intense MLCT band at around 900 nm, which is known to be redox active and bleaches reversibly upon a change in the oxidation state of the coordinated dioxolene moiety. To have better insight into the photoinduced electron transfer dynamics associated with this MLCT transition, detailed investigations have been carried out on exciting this MLCT band at 800 nm. Immediately after photoexcitation, bleach at 900 nm has been observed, whose recovery is found to follow a triexponential function with major contribution from the ultrafast component. This ultrafast component of approximately 220 fs has been ascribed to the S(1) to S(0) internal conversion process. In addition to the bleach, we have detected two transient species absorbing at 730 and 1000 nm with a formation time approximately 220 fs for both species. The excited state lifetimes for these two transient species have been measured to be 1.5 and 11 ps and have been attributed to excited singlet ((1)MLCT) and triplet ((3)MLCT) states, respectively. Transient measurements carried out on the different but analogous derivatives (II and III) have also shown similar recovery dynamics except that the rate for the internal conversion process has increased with the decrease in the S(1) to S(0) energy gap. The observed results are consistent with the energy gap law for nonradiative decay from S(1) to S(0).


Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out in the study of oxidation of benzene to phenol by N2O on relaxed [(SiH3)4AlO4M] (where M=Fe, Co) cluster models representing Feand CoZSM-5 surfaces. The catalytic cycle steps are completed for both Fe-ZSM-5 and Co-ZSM-5 clusters. The general trend of the results that were obtained in terms of activation barriers for the Fe-ZSM-5 cluster is in agreement with the experimental and theoretical literature. It was observed that the phenol formation step is the rate-limiting step for both clusters and Co-ZSM-5 surface has a lower activation barrier than the Fe-ZSM-5 surface (i.e. 35.82 kcal/mol vs. 45.59 kcal/mol, respectively).


Background: Advancement in health care is primarily due to health research as well as the active involvement of research participants. Health college students are future health care professionals and their role in research activities is essential for the effective and scientific public health care system. Objectives: This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and barriers towards health research among students from health colleges at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This cross-sectional study surveyed students from health science colleges of Jouf University. The students' responses were collected on a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was performed by independent t-test, one-way Analysis of Variance, and Pearson's correlation tests. Results: With a response rate of 82.4%, 11.9% of participants belonged to the high knowledge category, 33.2%, and 36.5% were in a positive attitude and high barrier category respectively. The mean knowledge score was significantly lower among students' who were living alone (p<0.001) and who perceived smartphone addiction (p=0.044). Male students had a lower barrier score compared to females (p=0.035). Lack of time and lack of good research ideas were some of the perceived barriers. The attitude scores were positively correlated with barrier score (r =0.256, p<0.001) Conclusion: Students showed inadequate scientific knowledge and a moderate attitude towards health research. The program should enable student research activities by providing sufficient time dedicated to research. Counseling services on judicious use of smartphones and student self-help groups are other potential suggestions that can help overcome research barriers.


In research disciplines such as organization science and information systems, fit, for example between environmental factors and organizational structure, and between organizational tasks and information systems, plays an important role to explain and predict variables such as organizational performance and user satisfaction. We build on the observation that while different types of fit have been identified, the characteristics that underlie the functional relationships of fit and the respective dependent variables have received less attention. We suggest that two characteristics in particular, (1) continuity versus dichotomy of fit and non-fit, and (2) symmetry of effects, require the attention of researchers who study complex organizational phenomena as part of organizational and information systems research. We suggest that researchers routinely consider asymmetric forms of fit that distinguish over-fit and under-fit and clearly justify their choices of continuous versus dichotomous fit-variables in their research designs. We discuss the implications for fit-related research studies.


Abstract Crop wild relatives (CWR) are valuable resources for crop breeding due to their close genetic relationship to the cultivated plants and their wide genetic variation, allowing the introgression of desirable traits into the crops, such as resistance to plant pests and diseases or adaptability to climate change. Mexico is a centre of agrobiodiversity, including CWR, but climate change, and other factors, are contributing to the loss of important Mexican CWR genetic diversity. The in situ and ex situ conservation status of Mexican priority CWR were assessed through a gap analysis as part of a national CWR conservation strategy for Mexico, to ensure the long-term preservation and improve the availability of these genetic resources. A set of 310 priority CWR taxa, previously identified as part of the national CWR inventory for Mexico, were analysed. Species distribution modelling and ecogeographic diversity analyses were used to detect gaps in in situ and ex situ conservation at taxon and ecogeographic levels. Priority target sites were identified throughout the country for complementary in situ and ex situ conservation of these taxa. The results obtained allow us to make recommendations for immediate conservation actions, thus helping to mitigate the threats to Mexican agrobiodiversity and enhance both national and global food security.


The present study examined whether hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) attenuates norepinephrine (NE) effectiveness in small arteries by interfering with function of alpha 1a- and/or alpha 1b- adrenoceptor subtypes. Small mesenteric arteries (approximately 150 microns) were obtained from rats mounted on a small vessel myograph in oxygenated physiological salt solution (PSS), and the relationship between NE concentrations and contractile tension was assessed. Hypoxia was induced by bubbling the vessels with 95% N2-5% CO2 for 15 min. Vessels were then reoxygenated for 30 min, and NE responses were reevaluated. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were added to the PSS in one group of vessels to investigate the role of reactive oxygen metabolites. In other groups, alpha 1b-receptors were blocked with chloroethylclonidine and alpha 1a-receptors were blocked with 5-methylurapidil or WB-4101 to produce exclusive alpha 1a- or alpha 1b-responses to NE. H/R decreased the NE negative logarithm of the mean effective concentration (pD2: i.e., -log[EC50], where EC50 is mean effective concentration) from 6.26 +/- 0.24 to 5.84 +/- 0.12 (P < 0.05). SOD and CAT prevented the H/R-induced contractile dysfunction. alpha 1a-Receptor responses to NE were not altered by H/R. In contrast, alpha 1b-receptor responses were significantly attenuated after H/R. The results indicate that alterations in NE responsiveness after H/R are due to dysfunction of the alpha 1b signal transduction pathway.


Rural communities around Nha Phu Lagoon depend on coastal fishery resources for their livelihoods. The prevailing problem is that unorganized Vietnamese fishermen are watching helplessness at the vast degradation of their natural resources in which they have a substantial share. The over-exploitation of marine resources is a common and recognized problem and fishery resources protection and management is under development. However, so far government measurements are not yet sufficient to carry out the assigned tasks. For a period of six months participatory action research following an Integrated Natural Resource Management approach was carried out visiting 12 fishing villages around Nha Phu Lagoon. Electric fishing is still very common in Nha Phu Lagoon and was identified as one major factor in the destruction of coastal fishery resources and social structures. Electric fishing violates Article 6 according to Resolution No. 17/2003/QH11 of the National Fisheries Law. The main reasons fishermen engage in electric fishing is the low initial investment cost and that no specific knowledge is needed. In addition, electric fishing is less labor intensive and the income slightly higher than from traditional gill net fishing methods. Seven years ago electric fishing was introduced to the village of Ha Lien. Soon half of the fishermen were using this destructive fishing method. The following rapid reduction of fishery resources lead to conflicts that paralyzed the entire community until a village meeting was arranged to raise awareness and persuade fishermen to ban electric fishing. The whole community agreed to ban electric fishing and in 2002 a local 'Fishery Protection Group' was established to control illegal electric fishing activities in the area. The local government authorized the self-formed group and 20 group members patrol and confiscate electric fishing equipment. The number of electric fishermen in the area has declined significantly. Today fishermen in Ha Lien are characterized by high awareness towards the degraded state of their natural resources and strong communal ties have formed between households.


In the context of Universal Composability, we introduce the concept of universal environments and simulators. Then, Universal Composability is equivalent to Universal Composability wrt. universal environments and simulators. We prove the existence of universal environments and simulators and investigate their computational complexity. From this, we get a number of consequences: First, we see that for polynomial-time protocols, exponential adversarial entities are as powerful as unlimited ones. Further, for a large class of protocols (those with bounded communication-complexity) we can show that UC and specialised-simulator UC coincide in the case of statistical security, i.e., that it is does not matter whether the simulator is chosen in dependence of the environment or not. This also implies that for the Universal Composition Theorem for polynomial-time protocols specialised-simulator UC is sufficient. This result is the last piece needed to find all implications and non-implications between the notions of UC, specialised-simulator UC, O(1)-bounded and polynomially-bounded general composability for polynomial-time protocols in the cases of perfect, statistical and polynomial security. Finally, we introduce the notion of bounded-risk UC, which allows to give explicit security guarantees for concrete security parameters and show that in the above case also this variant coincides with UC.


The effects of salt and drought stresses at the water potentials of -2, -4, -6 and -8 bars induced by NaCl and PEG 6000 (polyethylene glycol 6000) each, on germination and early seedling growth, were investigated for 3 pea cultivars (Bolero, Sprinter and Utrillo). Electrical conductivity (EC) values of the NaCl solutions were 4.5, 8.8, 12.7 and 16.3 dS m-1. Germination percentage, mean germination time, root and shoot length, and seedling fresh and dry weight were measured in the study. The objective was to determine genotypic differences among pea cultivars in terms of salt and drought stress and to determine factors (salt toxicity or osmotic stress due to PEG) inhibiting seed germination. The germination results revealed that the genotypes significantly differed for salt and drought stress. Bolero appeared to be more tolerant to salt stress, but Sprinter cv. gave higher values under drought stress. Both NaCl and PEG inhibited germination and seedling growth in all cultivars, but the effects of NaCl compared to PEG were less on germination and seedling growth. All cultivars were able to germinate at all NaCl levels without a significant decrease in germination, while a drastic decrease in germination was recorded at -6 bars of PEG. It was concluded that inhibition in germination at equivalent water potentials of NaCl and PEG was mainly due to an osmotic effect rather than salt toxicity.


Emission regulations focus on the simultaneous reduction of NOx and particulate matter emissions, especially for heavy-duty engines. Oxygenated fuels offer significant advantages in reducing particulate emissions while having little effect on NOx emissions. In addition, renewable fuels present a GHG emission advantage to meet the zero-emission requirements of future hydrocarbon fuels. Among the leading contenders, oxymethylene dimethyl ether (OME) fuels have the potential to be used for direct injection applications. OME as a blend with diesel fuel offers a direct means of improving the emissions of current on-road diesel engines without modification.
 In this paper, an empirical investigation into spray behavior and engine performance of diesel/OME fuel at 10% by mass has been performed under various fuel injection pressures. Neat diesel fuel was tested as a baseline case. The results are compared to tests under matching conditions using a diesel and OME fuel blend with a focus on spray characteristics, combustion behavior, and engine-out emissions. The physical properties of OME improve the volatility of diesel fuel and can tolerate shorter mixing times without promoting PM production. The PM emissions were found to be reduced by up to 50% and the combustion efficiency was improved at matching NOx levels with OME blending.


This article argues for a systems approach to learning how to improve performance, conceptualising child protection services as complex, adaptive systems. This requires an acceptance of the complexity of the work, the essential role of professional judgment, and the need for feedback loops in the system where lower level workers are not afraid to communicate honestly about their experiences, both good and bad, and senior managers treat their feedback as a valuable source of learning. It is argued that current strategies to manage risk in child protection are, paradoxically, making it harder for professionals to learn how to protect children better. Three factors are identified as combining in such a way that they promote a culture in which professional practice is being excessively controlled and proceduralised: the personcentred approach to investigating child deaths, the blame culture, and the performance management system. The way they reduce the opportunities for learning are explored.


The two-step GMM estimators of Arellano and Bond (1991) and Blundell and Bond (1998) for dynamic panel data models have been widely used in empirical work; however, neither of them performs well in small samples with weak instruments. The continuous-updating GMM estimator proposed by Hansen, Heaton, and Yaron (1996) is in principle able to reduce the small-sample bias, but it involves high-dimensional optimizations when the number of regressors is large. This paper proposes a computationally feasible variation on these standard two-step GMM estimators by applying the idea of continuous-updating to the autoregressive parameter only, given the fact that the absolute value of the autoregressive parameter is less than unity as a necessary requirement for the data-generating process to be stationary. We show that our subset-continuous-updating method does not alter the asymptotic distribution of the two-step GMM estimators, and it therefore retains consistency. Our simulation results indicate that the subset-continuous-updating GMM estimators outperform their standard two-step counterparts in finite samples in terms of the estimation accuracy on the autoregressive parameter and the size of the Sargan-Hansen test.


The Power of Photography is a seminal work of such importance that it should become mandatory reading in the fields of communications, media, photography, and sociology. Taking specific images from the history of photography. Vicki Goldberg weaves her analysis of the impact that specific images have had on society. The quality of research and Goldberg's keen perception, along with her personable writing style, combine to keep the reader interested and entranced...Unquestionably the only book of its kind. --Choice


Modern effort in radiotherapy to address the challenges of tumor localization and motion has led to the development of MRI guided radiotherapy technologies. Accurate dose calculations must properly account for the effects of the MRI magnetic fields. Previous work has investigated the accuracy of a deterministic linear Boltzmann transport equation (LBTE) solver that includes magnetic field, but not the stability of the iterative solution method. In this work, we perform a stability analysis of this deterministic algorithm including an investigation of the convergence rate dependencies on the magnetic field, material density, energy, and anisotropy expansion. The iterative convergence rate of the continuous and discretized LBTE including magnetic fields is determined by analyzing the spectral radius using Fourier analysis for the stationary source iteration (SI) scheme. The spectral radius is calculated when the magnetic field is included (1) as a part of the iteration source, and (2) inside the streaming-collision operator. The non-stationary Krylov subspace solver GMRES is also investigated as a potential method to accelerate the iterative convergence, and an angular parallel computing methodology is investigated as a method to enhance the efficiency of the calculation. SI is found to be unstable when the magnetic field is part of the iteration source, but unconditionally stable when the magnetic field is included in the streaming-collision operator. The discretized LBTE with magnetic fields using a space-angle upwind stabilized discontinuous finite element method (DFEM) was also found to be unconditionally stable, but the spectral radius rapidly reaches unity for very low-density media and increasing magnetic field strengths indicating arbitrarily slow convergence rates. However, GMRES is shown to significantly accelerate the DFEM convergence rate showing only a weak dependence on the magnetic field. In addition, the use of an angular parallel computing strategy is shown to potentially increase the efficiency of the dose calculation.


This Research Guide was created to help students in Dr. Christiansen's ESL 5033 class find the necessary resources to complete course assignments.


Demethylated pectin is involved in initiating morphogenetic events in pavement cells, and crystalline cellulose plays a role during feedback-mediated augmentation of waviness. Simple plant cell morphologies, such as cylindrical shoot cells, are determined by the extensibility pattern of the primary cell wall, which is thought to be largely dominated by cellulose microfibrils, but the mechanism leading to more complex shapes, such as the interdigitated patterns in the epidermis of many eudicotyledon leaves, is much less well understood. Details about the manner in which cell wall polymers at the periclinal wall regulate the morphogenetic process in epidermal pavement cells and mechanistic information about the initial steps leading to the characteristic undulations in the cell borders are elusive. Here, we used genetics and recently developed cell mechanical and imaging methods to study the impact of the spatio-temporal dynamics of cellulose and homogalacturonan pectin distribution during lobe formation in the epidermal pavement cells of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cotyledons. We show that nonuniform distribution of cellulose microfibrils and demethylated pectin coincides with spatial differences in cell wall stiffness but may intervene at different developmental stages. We also show that lobe period can be reduced when demethyl-esterification of pectins increases under conditions of reduced cellulose crystallinity. Our data suggest that lobe initiation involves a modulation of cell wall stiffness through local enrichment in demethylated pectin, whereas subsequent increase in lobe amplitude is mediated by the stress-induced deposition of aligned cellulose microfibrils. Our results reveal a key role of noncellulosic polymers in the biomechanical regulation of cell morphogenesis.


Commercial farming of mud crab Scylla serrata is a significant industry throughout South East Asia. The limited scientific knowledge of mud crab nutritional requirements and digestive processes, however, is recognised as a

major constraint to the future growth of this industry. To better understand the

mechanisms of digestion in the mud crab we have analysed the diversity of digestive enzymes from the hepatopancreas. Significant protease, amylase,cellulase and xylanase activities were detected in soluble extracts from this

organ.

Temperature profiles for all enzymes were basically similar with optimal activities observed at 500C. Examination of pH tolerance revealed optimal activities for protease and amylase at pH 7.0 while optimal activities for

cellulase and xylanase were observed at pH 5.5. Under optimum conditions,protease and amylase activities were approximately two orders of magnitude greater than those seen for either cellulase or xylanase. Interestingly,

hepatopancreatic extracts were able to liberate glucose from either starch or carboxymethyl (CM)-cellulose suggesting that a range of carbohydrates may be utilised as energy sources. The effects of dietary carbohydrates on feed

digestibility, digestive enzyme levels and growth were also studied by inclusion of additional starch or CM-cellulose at the expense of casein in formulated diets. It was shown that amylase, cellulase and xylanase activities

in extracts from the hepatopancreas were highest in mud crabs fed diets containing 47% carbohydrate. Based on the findings, we suggest that the ability of the mud crab to modulate digestive enzyme activities may represent

a mechanism to maximise access to essential nutrients when the dietary profile changes.


Onset and duration of anaesthesia as well as the changes in vital parameters associated with pentobarbitone-induced anaesthesia in normal dogs administered acetaminophen with and without Silybon 140 were studied. The rectal temperature, heart rates and respiratory rates of dogs before anaesthesia were higher than those after pentobarbitone (35 mg/kg) treatment alone or its combination with acetaminophen or acetaminophen plus Silybon 140. The acetaminophen and Silybon 140 combination produced the least changes in vital parameters following pentobarbitone treatment. The duration of anaesthesia produced in dogs with pentobarbitone anaesthetic was significantly lower in dogs pre-treated with acetaminophen and Silybon 140 combination compared to those given pentobarbitone alone or its combination with acetaminophen. The dogs pre-treated with acetaminophen (300 mg/kg) had the highest duration of anaesthesia of 437± 64 min. These results suggest that pentobarbitone anaesthesia in dogs may be associated with decreased vital parameters. The decrease appears to be more in dogs treated with acetaminophen. The higher duration of anaesthesia and decreased vital parameters in dogs pre-treated with acetaminophen (300 mg/kg) could be associated with hepatotoxic effect of acetaminophen. Silybon 140 given in combination with acetaminophen ameliorated the enhanced vital parameters and duration of pentobarbitone anaesthesia.


The computing power of modern GPUs makes them very suitable for Computed Tomography (CT) image reconstruction. Apart from accelerating the reconstruction, their extra computing performance compared to conventional CPUs can be used to increase image quality in several ways. In this paper we present our upgraded GPU based iterative reconstruction algorithm, including ML-TR (Maximum Likelihood algorithm for Transmission tomography), MAP estimation using MRF Gibbs priors with Huber function. We experimentally evaluated the impact of wide range of reconstruction parameters on the image noise level and the resolution, and we compared the performance of the reconstruction components in phantom studies with special focus on image noise, resolution and ring artefacts. Achieving more performance we extended our solution with multi-GPU support.


Eigenquantum defects (cid:22)(cid:11) and transformation matrix Ui(cid:11) of La + are calculated from the (cid:12)rst principles by relativistic multichannel theory, and dipole matrix elements D(cid:11) are obtained by (cid:12)tting the experimental spectra. With these parameters, ionic autoionization spectra of lanthanum via an intermediate state (Xe)5d6d 1 P1 of La + in the energy region of 90650{91500cm (cid:0)1 are calculated within the framework of multichannel quantum defect theory. Our calculated spectra are in general agreement with the experimental data.


We present the most comprehensive two-dimensional numerical model to date for a nanoconfined bipolar electrochemical system. By accounting for the compact Stern layer and resolving the diffuse part of the electrical double layer at the bipolar electrode (BPE) surface and channel walls, our model captures the impact of surface polarization and ionic charge-screening effects on the heterogeneous charge-transfer kinetics, as well as nonlinear electrokinetic transport phenomena such as induced-charge electroosmosis and concentration polarization. We employ the Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Stokes flow system of equations, unified with generalized Frumkin-Butler-Volmer reaction kinetics, to describe water electrolysis reactions and the resulting transport of ions and dissolved gases in the confined BPE system. Our results demonstrate that under a sufficiently large applied electric field, the rapid reaction kinetics on our Pt BPE dynamically transition from charge-transfer-limited to mass-transfer-limited temporal regimes as regions depleted of redox species form and propagate outward from the respective BPE poles. This phenomenon was visualized experimentally with a pH-sensitive fluorescein dye and showed excellent phenomenological agreement with our numerical calculations, providing a foundation for further understanding and developing bipolar electrochemical processes in confined geometries. We introduce two prospective applications arising from our work: (1) a hybrid hydrodynamic/electrochemical peristaltic pump and (2) deducing information about chemical kinetics through simulation.


Two thousand and twenty was a challenging year for all, however it was also a year of many successes for the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, attributable in no small part to the contributions of authors, peer reviewers and readers. Here, we discuss some of our achievements to date, including publication of four quarterly issues through our relaunched website, and highlight new journal sections and plans to expand on resources for support and guidance to authors. We also introduce a guest editorial by professors Juanita Sherwood, Roianne West and colleagues who signal the beginning of a developing community of practice as First Nations nurses and midwives, educators, practitioners and researchers.  The year gone has shown us all how important it is that we share our knowledge and experience, and so we look forward to supporting another year of challenge and accomplishment for nursing and midwifery both in Australia and beyond.


Background Travel to foreign countries involves the risk of becoming a carrier of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially when the destination is a country with a high prevalence of this type of bacteria. Aim and methods The aim of this study was to learn about the knowledge of antibiotic resistance, and the behaviour and risk-taking among travellers, who had become carriers of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-producing bacteria during travel to a high-prevalence country. A modified version of grounded theory was used to analyse 15 open interviews. Results The analysis resulted in a core category: A need for knowledge to avoid risk-taking. Before the journey, the participants did not perceive there to be any risk of becoming a carrier of antibiotic- resistant bacteria. The low level of knowledge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and transmission routes influenced their behaviour and risk-taking during their journey, resulting in them exposing themselves to risk situations. After their trip, the majority did not believe that their personal risk behaviour could have caused them to become carriers of ESBL. Conclusion The participants' lack of knowledge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria resulted in unconscious risk-taking during their journey, which may have resulted in becoming carriers of ESBL-producing bacteria.


This paper attempts to investigate the linkage between the excess money supply growth and inflation in Pakistan and to test the validity of the monetarist stance that inflation is a monetary phenomenon. The results from the correlation analysis indicate that there is a positive association between money growth and inflation. The money supply growth at first-round affects real GDP growth and at the second round it affects inflation in Pakistan. The important finding from the analysis is that the excess money supply growth has been an important contributor to the rise in inflation in Pakistan during the study period, thus supporting the monetarist proposition that inflation in Pakistan is a monetary phenomenon. This may be due to the loose monetary policy adopted by the State Bank of Pakistan to show the high priority of the growth objective. The important policy implication is that inflation in Pakistan can be cured by a sufficiently tight monetary policy. The formulation of monetary policy must consider development in the real and financial sector and treat these sectors as constraints on the policy.


Lipid oxidation and oxidative volatiles as affected by pork meat cut and packaging method during frozen storage at -10 degrees C were evaluated. Pork belly cut had higher thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and pH values than did the loin, whereas the loin had higher free fatty acid (FFA) values than that of the belly cut. Peroxide values increased with increased storage time, but were not affected by pork meat cut and packaging method. Volatiles with carbon numbers less than 10 in the belly cut were higher than those in the loin cut, whereas those with carbon numbers greater than 10 in the loin cut were higher than those in belly cut. Most volatiles were decreased with increased storage time, except for propane. Both 4-pentenal and 4-methyl-2-hexanone in the belly cut showed a positive correlation with FFA, whereas 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene and 9-octadecenal in the loin cut were positively correlated with TBARS and FFA, respectively, even though the values were not high enough to predict the degree of lipid oxidation.


: Because all types of cancer therapy are most effective when the tumor burden is small, adding adjuvant cancer treatment to surgical excision has great merit both in theory and experimentally. Even though large numbers of patients with large bowel cancer have been entered into various types of experimental trials over the past 25 years, the potential of multimodal cancer therapy has only been examined in a superficial manner at best. If this therapeutic approach had any substantial effectiveness, it would have long since become apparent. Surgical therapy is effective, with a five-year survival of 50%, and the various adjuvant therapies have shown only modest effectiveness when tested on patients with measurable disease. 5-Fluorouracil, with a response rate in measurable disease of approximately 20%, is the only consistently effective cancericidal drug, and its combination with other agents has thus far shown no increase in this response rate. Currently, available data would indicate a modest survival benefit from the use of postoperative 5-fluorouracil, particularly in patients with positive lymph nodes. There are a number of trials in progress studying the effectiveness of multiple drug combinations as well as combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy and/or immunotherapy in the adjuvant setting. Preliminary studies would suggest a benefit from infusing chemotherapy into the liver in the immediate postoperative period, although there has been no evidence substantiating improved survival from this approach. The multiple approaches for generating an effective immunologic response continue to be experimental and have little use in other than a highly controlled experimental environment. The use of radiotherapy as an adjuvant to surgery has been confined largely to patients with low-lying rectal cancer. There is substantial evidence that high-dosage radiotherapy for large bulky and fixed rectal cancer will result in shrinkage of the lesion, permitting more satisfactory surgical resection and decreasing the incidence of perineal recurrence. Evidence would also suggest that moderate-dosage preoperative radiotherapy may sufficiently alter cancer cells so that cells disseminated at the time of operation are no longer capable of growth. It has also been demonstrated that preoperative radiotherapy decreases the incidence of positive lymph nodes. Modest increase in survival following preoperative radiotherapy has also been demonstrated in numerous trials. Postoperative radiotherapy has not been tested for a sufficient period of time to either demonstrate its effectiveness or safety.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Movements of wool from grower to wool store in Queensland, N.S.W., Victoria, and South Australia are affected by differing State legislation and Section 92 of the Australian Constitution. Taking various arrangements within each State into account, average wool transport costs from wool production areas to selling centres are found. A linear programming technique is then applied to produce an optimal pattern of wool flows minimizing transport costs for all growers.


A great deal has been written about southern memory centering on the Civil War, particularly the view of the war as a valiant lost cause. In this challenging new book, Bruce Baker looks at a related, and equally important, aspect of southern memory that has been treated by historians only in passing: Reconstruction. "What Reconstruction Meant" examines what both white and black South Carolinians thought about the history of Reconstruction and how it shaped the way they lived their lives in the first half of the twentieth century. Baker addresses the dominant white construct of "the dark days of Reconstruction," which was instrumental both in ending Reconstruction and in justifying Jim Crow and the disfranchisement of African Americans in the South, setting the tone for early historians' accounts of Reconstruction. Looking back on the same era, African Americans and their supporters recalled a time of potential and of rights to be regained, inspiring their continuing struggles to change the South. Baker draws on a tremendous range of newspapers, memoirs, correspondence, and published materials, to show the intricate process by which the white-supremacist memory of Reconstruction became important in the 1890s, as segregation and disenfranchisement took hold in the South, and how it began to crumble as the civil rights movement gained momentum. Examining the southern memory of Reconstruction, in all its forms, is an essential element in understanding the society and politics of the twentieth-century South.


Rare earth elements (REEs), along with other metals, will play a pivotal role in the transition towards a low-carbon economy. Primary mining of REEs consists of multiple steps, is energy intensive and has an adverse environmental impact. Thus, the current scenario of "use and throw" of REEs after a single use in a product is untenable. Furthermore, the REEs are classified as critical metals by the US and EU due to the monopoly of China over REE production. Thus, recycling REEs from secondary resources and end-of-life (EOL) waste products can help effectuate a circular economy by a) reducing the environmental impact of primary mining, b) reducing the dependency on imports and formulating a secure supply chain, c) avoiding landfilling and incineration...


DNA methylation is one of the predominant epigenetic mechanisms to propagate heritable epigenetic information. Recently, we identified two subsets of memory CD8+ T cells expressing high and low levels of IL-7Rα in humans. IL-7Rαlow memory CD8+ T cells have impaired proliferation and survival in response to TCR triggering and IL-7, respectively. Importantly, the expansion of IL-7Rαlow memory CD8+ T occurs in human aging and lupus, suggesting a potential role for this cell subset in immunosenescence and autoimmunity. However, the exact characteristics of this cell subset are yet to be defined. Of interest, IL-7Rα expression in T cells is tightly regulated by DNA methylation in the IL-7Rα gene promoter. Here, we investigated how DNA methylation contributes to determining the distinct characteristics and functions of IL-7Rαhigh and IL-7Rαlow memory CD8+ T cells using genome-wide DNA methylation profiling technique. Methylation profiling revealed genes that are differentially methylated between IL-7Rαhigh and IL-7Rαlow memory CD8+ T cells. In particular, we found that the most significantly hypomethylated genes in IL-7Rαlow memory CD8+ T cells are associated with chemotaxis (CX3CR1, CXCR1, CCL3, and CCL4). Furthermore, the hypomethylation of these genes directly correlated with increased gene expression in this cell subset. Our data suggest that DNA methylation can be an important mechanism involved in defining the characteristics of IL-7Rαlow memory CD8+ T cells.


Eventual failures in induction machines may lead to catastrophic consequences in terms of economic costs for the companies. The development of reliable systems for fault detection that enable to diagnose a wide range of faults is a motivation of many researchers worldwide. In this context, non-invasive condition monitoring strategies have drawn special attention since they do not require interfering with the operation process of the machine. Though the analysis of the motor currents has proven to be a reliable, non-invasive methodology to detect some of the faults (especially when assessing the rotor condition), it lacks reliability for the diagnosis of other faults (e.g. bearing faults). The infrared thermography has proven to be an excellent, non-invasive tool that can complement the diagnosis reached with the motor current analysis, especially for some specific faults. However, there are still some pending issues regarding its application to induction motor faults diagnosis, such as the lack of automation or the extraction of reliable fault indicators based on the infrared data. This paper proposes a methodology that intends to provide a solution to the first issue: a method based on image segmentation is employed to detect several failures in an automated way. Four specific faults are analyzed: bearing faults, fan failures, rotor bar breakages and stator unbalance. The results show the potential of the technique to automatically identify the fault present in the machine.


The structure and form of gill gland among inseminating and externally fertilizing species of the Cheirodontinae are described under light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and compared to other members of the family Characidae. At least one species from thirteen cheirodontine genera were analyzed, totaling seventeen species. Gill glands were found in all analyzed mature males of Cheirodontinae and were always absent in females, being located on the anteriormost portion of the lower branch of the first gill arch, extending posteriorly through a variable number of gill filaments. Gill glands of all cheirodontines and of all characid species in which this organ has been described possess the same structure, being considered homologous and supporting a single origin of the structure in a common ancestor to Clade A and Clade B characids.


In the present paper, a dynamic modeling approach is presented to determine the contact stiffness and structural damping between the spindle and the toolholder; and then, the spindle and the toolholder are coupled by some springs and dampers. Finally, the dynamic performances of the HSK-A63 spindle/toolholder interface are analyzed by means of finite element method (FEM). From the simulated results, it can be seen that the natural frequencies of the first two modes increase with the increase of the rotational speed, which make the HSK spindle/toolholder interface appear good dynamic performances and be suitable for high-speed machining.


Chiral macrocycles with the hydrogen bond donor/acceptor sites in the cavity were synthesized and covalently bonded to silica gel to give chiral stationary phases (CSPs), which showed excellent abilities to resolve various chiral compounds including ketones, esters, carboxylic acids, sulfoxides, amines, amino acid derivatives, and metal complexes. The effect of the linker connecting the macrocyclic moiety to silica was examined, and a more electronegative substituent was found to be better. Various organic solvents could be used as the mobile phase to optimize the resolution efficiency of the CSPs. Although the separation factors (alpha) tended to decrease with an increase in the solvent polarity, remarkable solvent tolerance was also observed. In some cases, even MeCN and MeOH could be used for the complete resolution of enantiomers. The MM calculations suggested that the chiral recognition of Co(acac)(3) is achieved by a combination of steric interactions and hydrogen bonds between the carbonyl O atom coordinated to the Co atom and the macrocyclic amide NH groups. The attachment of substituents to the 3,3'-positions of the binaphthyl moiety improved chiral HPLC performance in some cases. In particular, CSP-1d, having the Br atoms, showed the best performance for several analytes.


In the century of information technology automatic processing of knowledge is evolving to be a crucial challenge. However, it is usually not obvious to extract information from the syntax of texts. Hence, ontologies are an important pillar by defining entities of a knowledge domain and setting them in relation to each other. The multitude of facts within a field is represented as a collection of single statements following a strict syntax. This structured representation of knowledge allows for automatic processing of the information.
Within the iBeetle project, more than 5,000 genes were knocked down by RNAi in Tribolium castaneum in a large-scale screen, and the resulting phenotypes were annotated and compiled in the database of the iBeetle-Base website. I developed the Tribolium Ontology (TrOn), a compilation of the morphological structures found in Tribolium castaneum, in order to enable consistent annotation and machine-readable description of the observed phenotypes as well as a user-friendly search function. TrOn supports to search for defects in general anatomical structures like "leg", although the annotation may have pointed to a substructure, e.g. the coxa, a part of the leg. With around 1,000 terms the ontology covers the morphological structures visible from the outside and some selected internal ones. All structures are modeled for the main developmental stages larva, pupa and adult, regardless of their occurrence in the iBeetle phenotype screen. There are three sets of entities within TrOn defining its architecture: concrete, abstract and mixed classes. Concrete ontology classes represent dissectible anatomical structures of a specific developmental stage. Abstract ontology classes stand for umbrella terms, e.g. "wing", that rather stresses the concept of a biological function and are independent of the developmental stage. Anatomical structures, which are only present in a single developmental stage, and thus represent a dissectible structure as well as a biological concept, are listed in the set of mixed classes.
Initially, ontologies are data stored in a file. Tools are required to process these data, to edit and to visualize them, and also to enable their use as input for statistical calculations. I developed the service Ontology Based Answers (OBA) to offer ontologies and their semantic information to other applications. The OBA service provides access to the ontologies over a network interface. The client of the OBA service uses this
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Abstract
interface to load the connected entities in the background only when required while traversing the ontology. The service is extended by plugins implementing ontology- specific knowledge such as annotation guidelines of the ontology. The OBA service enables an application developer, who is unfamiliar with the semantic of ontologies, to quickly enhance applications similar to iBeetle-Base with the information provided by the ontologies.
The ontology TrOn, the ontology service OBA, and the search function of iBeetle-Base, which I developed in this work, demonstrate the benefit of ontologies for biological applications.