Clay minerals impart important chemical properties to soils, in part, by virtue of changes in the redox state of Fe in their crystal structures. Therefore, measurement of Fe(III)/Fe(II) and partitioning of Fe(II) in different reactive sites in clay minerals (during biological and chemical Fe(III) reduction) is essential to understand their role and their relative reactivity in terms of reduction and immobilization of heavy metal contaminants such as technetium. This study had three objectives: (1) to understand the degree of dissolution of nontronite (Fe-rich smectite) as a result of chemical and biological reduction of Fe(III) in the structure; (2) to quantify partitioning of chemically and biologically produced Fe(II) into different reactive sites in reduced nontronite, including aqueous Fe2+, ammonium chloride-extractable Fe(II) (mainly from the ion-exchangeable sites, denoted as ${\rm{Fe}}{\left( {{\rm{II}}} \right)_{{\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_4}{\rm{Cl}}}}$Fe(II)NH4Cl), sodium acetate-extractable Fe(II) (mainly from the surface complexation sites, denoted as Fe(II)acetate), and structural Fe(II) (denoted as Fe(II)str); and (3) to evaluate the reactivity of these Fe(II) species in terms of Tc(VII) reduction. Chemical and biological reduction of Fe(III) in nontronite (NAu-2) was performed, and reduced nontronite samples with different extents of Fe(III) reduction (1.2–71%) were prepared. The extent of reductive dissolution was measured as a function of the extent of Fe(III) reduction. Our results demonstrated that chemically and biologically produced Fe(II) in NAu-2 may be accommodated in the NAu-2 structure if the extent of Fe(III) reduction is small (< ∼30%). When the extent of reduction was >∼30%, dissolution of nontronite occurred with a corresponding decrease in crystallinity of residual nontronite. The Fe(II) produced was available for partitioning into four species: ${\rm{Fe}}_{\left( {{\rm{ab}}} \right)}^{2 + }$Fe(ab)2+, Fe(II)acetate, ${\rm{Fe}}{\left( {{\rm{II}}} \right)_{{\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_4}{\rm{Cl}}}}$Fe(II)NH4Cl, and Fe(II)str. The increase in Fe(II)acetate during the early stages of Fe(III) reduction indicated that the Fe(II) released had the greatest affinity for the surface-complexation sites, but this site had a limited capacity (∼60 µmol of Fe(II)/g of NAu-2). The subsequent increase in ${\rm{Fe}}{\left( {{\rm{II}}} \right)_{{\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_4}{\rm{Cl}}}}$Fe(II)NH4Cl indicated that the released Fe(II) partitioned into the exchangeable sites once the amount of Fe at the surface-complexation sites reached half of its maximum site capacity. The fraction of Fe(II)str decreased concomitantly, as a result of Fe(II) release from the NAu-2 structure, from 100% when the extent of Fe(III) reduction was <30% to nearly 65% when the extent of Fe(III) reduction reached 71%. The Fe(II)acetate and Fe(II)str exhibited greater reactivity in terms of Tc(VII) reduction than the ${\rm{Fe}}{\left( {{\rm{II}}} \right)_{{\rm{N}}{{\rm{H}}_4}{\rm{Cl}}}}$Fe(II)NH4Cl. Clearly, the surface-complexed and structural Fe(II) are the desirable species when reduced clay minerals are used to reduce and immobilize soluble heavy metals in contaminated groundwater and soils. These results have important implications for understanding microbe—clay mineral interactions and heavy metal immobilization in clay-rich natural environments.


We investigated whether MR889, a synthetic cyclic thiolic elastase inhibitor, administered for a period of 4 weeks to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, is well-tolerated, and whether it modifies biochemical indices of lung destruction. The study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in COPD patients. Thirty subjects were administered MR889 orally at a dose of 500 mg b.i.d. for 4 weeks, and 30 received placebo following the same schedule. In addition to safety parameters, MR889 efficacy was checked by a pretreatment/postreatment evaluation of levels of plasma elastin-derived peptides and urinary desmosine. There were no statistically significant differences between pretreatment and posttreatment efficacy parameter levels either in the control group or in the treated group. However, in a subset of treated patients with a short disease duration, the level of urinary desmosine dropped significantly with respect to pretreatment values (p = 0.004). We conclude that MR889 is safe to administer to COPD patients for a period of at least 4 weeks. During this time, MR889 does not modify biochemical markers of lung destruction in unselected COPD patients. Nevertheless, a subset of treated patients with fairly short disease duration showed a post-treatment reduction of desmosine urine levels, thus justifying the need for further studies to prove the efficacy of MR889 in modulating indices of lung destruction in COPD.


OBJECTIVES
There are unique challenges to enrolling patients in emergency department (ED) clinical research studies, including the time-sensitive nature of emergency conditions, the acute care environment, and the lack of an established relationship with patients. Prolonged ED wait times have been associated with a variety of adverse effects on patient care. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of ED wait times on patient participation in ED clinical research. The hypothesis was that increased ED wait times would be associated with reduced ED clinical research consent rates.

METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients eligible for two diagnostic clinical research studies from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008, in an urban academic ED. Sex, age, race, study eligibility, and research consent decisions were recorded by trained study personnel. The wait times to registration and to be seen by a physician were obtained from administrative databases and compared between consenters and nonconsenters. An analysis of association between patient wait times for the outcome of consent to participate was performed using a multivariate logistic regression model.

RESULTS
A total of 903 patients were eligible for enrollment and were asked for consent. Overall, 589 eligible patients (65%) gave consent to research participation. The consent rates did not change when patients were stratified by the highest and lowest quartile wait times for both time from arrival to registration (68% vs. 65%, p = 0.35) and time to be seen by a physician (65% vs. 66%, p = 0.58). After adjusting for patient demographics (age, race, and sex) and study, there was still no relationship between wait times and consent (p > 0.4 for both wait times). Furthermore, median time from arrival to registration did not differ between those who consented to participate (15 minutes; interquartile range [IQR] = 9 to 36 minutes) versus those who did not (15.5 minutes; IQR = 10 to 39 minutes; p = 0.80; odds ratio [OR] = 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.99 to 1.01). Similarly, there was no difference in the median time to be seen by a physician between those who consented (25 minutes; IQR = 15 to 55 minutes) versus those who did not (25 minutes; IQR = 15 to 56 minutes; p = 0.70; OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Regardless of wait times, nearly two-thirds of eligible patients were willing to consent to diagnostic research studies in the ED. These findings suggest that effective enrollment in clinical research is possible in the ED, despite challenges with prolonged wait times.


Abstract The Strength-of-Strong-Ties Hypothesis (SSTH) suggests that because of cultural and institutional factors, Chinese job seekers benefit more from their strong social ties than weak ones. However, the methodology used to support SSTH has not been subjected to robust empirical examination. Using data from job searches of 172 Chinese college graduates, we compared findings from the commonly used direct effects methodology, which examines the effect on income of the strength of a tie used to find a job, with the more robust social capital methodology, which examines the effect of network resources. We found that compared to the latter, the former overstates the effect of strong ties on getting a high-paying job and understates the effect of weak ties. We discuss methodological and substantive implications of our results for further study of social networks in China.


The re-use of winery wastewater for irrigation was investigated in a field trial with micro-sprinklerirrigated Cabernet Sauvignon/99 Richter in the Breede River Valley region of South Africa. Irrigation with winery wastewater diluted with river water to 100, 250, 500, 1 000, 1 500, 2 000, 2 500 and 3 000 mg/L chemical oxygen demand (COD) was compared to irrigation with river water. No trends were found in soil pH(KCl) and electrical conductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe ) that were related to the different levels of dilution. However, ECe was considerably higher after the application of diluted winery wastewater irrigations compared to ECe at bud break. This suggests an accumulation of salts from the diluted winery wastewater. Under the prevailing conditions, soil K+ and Na+ increased with a decrease in the dilution of the winery wastewater. Increases in K+ could have a negative impact on wine colour stability should potassium be taken up by the grapevine in sufficient quantities, particularly if soil K+ accumulates to such an extent that it is luxuriously absorbed by grapevines. There were no consistent trends with regard to soil organic C, which indicates that there was too little organic material in the wastewater to have had a positive effect on soil fertility. Furthermore, organic material in the wastewater probably oxidised when the soil was aerated between irrigations. Although irrigation with diluted winery wastewater had almost no other effects, element accumulation, particularly with respect to K+ and Na+, might be more prominent in heavier soils or in regions with low winter rainfall.


This paper focuses on the following aspects of multi-function system testing: analysis of system requirements and revelation of atomic system functions and their relationships, analysis of input/output variables, analysis of system function groups (clusters), composition of the test sets for each group of atomic system functions. Related problems associated with these aspects are briefly described. Numerical and real world examples illustrate the proposed approach.


Blanching is the removal of testa from peanut kernel by heating followed by abrasion. Blanchability is the capacity to recover kernels with all the testa removed. This study investigated the response to early generation selection for blanchability and the stability of 22 breeding lines over 3 environments. F2-derived families with 'good' and 'poor' blanchability were selected. BLUPs for F4:5 lines from F2 families were significantly correlated with the mean blanchability of F2:3 rows. The within-family variance was mostly in 3 of the poor blanching families. In all other families, variance among lines within families was smaller than the error variance. Early generation selection was effective. In the 22 lines × 3 site experiment, there was a high genetic correlation common to each pair of sites, suggesting that differences in blanchability are repeatable. The expression of genetic variation was much greater at Coominya, with a 5-fold greater genetic variance than at Walkamin. All 3 environments in this experiment were irrigated. Interaction may have been greater with the inclusion of rainfed environments. Parent selection could make an important contribution to breeding for improved blanchability. Environment may not substantially affect the rank of genotypes but may affect the capacity to detect differences. AR Sho rtcat A. W. C an et al


Agricultural land protection near the urban-rural fringe is a goal of many jurisdictions, including British Columbia, Canada, which uses a provincial-wide zoning scheme to prevent subdivisions and non-agricultural uses of the land. Preferential taxes are also used to encourage agricultural use of the land. Small scale hobby farmers are present at the urban fringe near Victoria (the capital), both inside and outside of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The goal of this paper is to investigate whether hobby farms create problems for agricultural land preservation. We make use of a GIS (geographic information system) model to construct detailed spatial variables and analyse our parcel-level data set using an hedonic pricing model and a limited dependent variable model. The results show that hobby farmers tend to select small parcels that are near open space and relatively close to the city and they tend to support horses and other livestock. In terms of price, farmland is worth more per ha the smaller the parcel is and the closer it is to the city. In general farmland is worth more when it is less fragmented but this appears to be reversed for hobby farms – indicating that hobby farmers may be better adapted to surviving in the urban fringe than conventional farmers. The conclusions drawn from the results in this paper would likely apply to other jurisdictions which seek to protect agricultural land in the urban fringe.


During the last decade, there was a marked increase in the development of tools and techniques to study the molecular mechanisms of the HIV replication cycle by using fluorescence microscopy. Researchers often apply the fusion of tags and fluorophores to viral proteins, surrogate proteins, or dyes to follow individual virus particles while they progress throughout infection. The inclusion of such fusion motifs or surrogates frequently disrupts viral infectivity or results in a change of the wild-type phenotype. Here, we detail the construction and functional characterization of two new constructs where we fused fluorescent proteins to the N-terminus of HIV-1 Integrase. In the first, IN is recruited into assembling particles via a codon optimized Gag to complement other viral constructs, while the second is fused to a Gag-Pol expression vector fully capable of integration. Our data shows that N-terminal tagged IN is functional for integration by both recovery of integration of catalytically inactive IN and by the successful infectivity of viruses carrying only labeled IN. These tools will be important to study the individual behavior of viral particles and associate such behavior to infectivity.


Biofilms play an important role in the material flux of many aquatic ecosystems, but little is known about the mechanisms controlling their community structure under natural conditions. In the present study, we focused on the effects of ciliates on the quantity and taxonomic composition of heterotrophic flagellates (HF), and the effects of HF on the quantity and life forms (single cells vs. microcolonies) of bacteria in the early phase of biofilm colonization. For this purpose, we established semi-natural biofilms in flow cells connected to the river Rhine at Cologne, Germany. Using filter car- tridges, we size-fractionated the potamoplankton, which is the source of the biofilm community, thus establishing biofilms containing (1) only bacteria (1.2 µm filter), (2) HF and bacteria (8 or 5 µm filter), or (3) ciliates, HF and bacteria (20 µm filter). The presence of ciliates negatively influenced the abun- dance of biofilm-dwelling HF and selectively altered the taxonomic composition of the HF commu- nity. The presence of HF resulted in a significant reduction in the abundance of single bacterial cells, but enhanced the abundance of bacterial microcolonies. Furthermore, the presence of ciliates stimu- lated the abundance of single-cell bacteria (probably due to an HF-mediated trophic cascade), but had no effect on bacterial microcolonies. Taken together, the results of this study show the impor- tance of protozoan grazing in shaping the species composition and morphology of early river biofilms under semi-natural conditions.


The objective of this study was to develop refined procedures for the economic analysis of stand treatments for timber production. This objective has been achieved by a review and explicit statement of the economic principles relevant to the analysis of stand treatments. Based on these principles, procedures for the analysis of silvicultural investments are proposed and demonstrated. The review of economic principles indicated that the appropriate class of criteria for the analysis of stand treatments are expected Present Certainty Equivalent Value. However, these criteria were also shown to be incomplete due to the failure of the Separation Theorem to hold under imperfect markets. This incompleteness and the theoretical requirement that the quantity and price of inputs and outputs, of investment ensembles, be measurable limits these criteria to defining efficient investment emsembles. Although these criteria were found to be incomplete, they do provide a means of organizing the measurable information associated with alternative stand treatments in a way that contributes to the selection of an optimum combination. The review also points out the necessity of correctly identifying the opportunities for productive transformation in the analysis of investments. In addition, the requirement to estimate real prices, which define exchange opportunities in a manner consistent with the concepts of intertemporal choice is identified. The maximization of expected Present Certainty-Equivalent Value of wealth gain is proposed as the rule and criterion for the economic analysis of stand treatments. The elements of the analysis procedure relating to (1) the level of analysis, (2) its duration, (3) the interval within the analysis period, and (4) treatment possibilities considered are discussed and a standard for each proposed. In addition, the requirements for estimates and measurements of the quantity and price of inputs and outputs are discussed. Standards for these estimates and measurements are identified in three categories; the requirements for the calculation of expected Present Certainty-Equivalent Value of wealth gain, the timber management requirement, and the measurement requirements. The procedures for the analysis of stand treatments are demonstrated for a hypothetical compartment of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) in western Washington. The treatments considered in the analysis include thinning, fertilization, and regeneration. The conclusion of the study is that the procedures proposed and demonstrated are feasible and practical under current conditions. Further, the information resulting from these analyses will contribute to a more efficient allocation of resources in timber production. Additional study of the economic theory of investment choice is recommended with particular attention being concentrated on the theory of exchange in imperfect markets, and the role of information in the selection of uncertain alternatives. However, the major opportunity for additional study is in the collection of information and the development of estimation techniques required to forecast the quantity and price of inputs and outputs associated with investments in timber production.


The rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune, rheumatic and chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by joints damage. The early diagnosis of RA allows the initiation of a treatment which offers to the patients more chance of remission and avoids the evolution towards the unrecoverable deformity of joints. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of recent tests for the determination of anti -CCP antibodies and FR by ELISA in Benin Republic. This analytical, retrospective (2 years 6 months) and prospective (7 months) study allowed us to collect 36 patients meeting the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for RA and 24 controls. A comparison was made with the latex agglutination test for rheumatoid factors and a search of rheumatoid factors (RF) on the one hand and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide. In our study, the specificity of anti-CCP assay (100 %) is higher than that of RF-ELISA (91.7%). The sensitivity of RF-ELISA assay is higher (77.8 %) than that of anti-CCP assay (66.7%). The latex test for rheumatoid factors has a sensitivity of 33.3 %. The positive predictive value (PPV) of anti-CCP assay (100 %) is higher than that of RF-ELISA assay (93.33 %). The positive-likelihood ratio (LR+) of anti-CCP assay is higher than the LR+ of RF-ELISA assay (4.96). The negative-likelihood ratio (LR-) of anti-CCP assay (0.33) is higher than the LR- of RF-ELISA assay (0.24). In conclusion, the anti-CCP assay has the highest specificity and RF-ELISA assay shows the highest sensitivity. In conclusion, the association of the two assays enhances a better diagnosis value for RA. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. September 2016, 2(3): 379-388


This paper introduces a novel algorithm for biological sequence compression that makes use of both statistical properties and repetition within sequences. A panel of experts is maintained to estimate the probability distribution of the next symbol in the sequence to be encoded. Expert probabilities are combined to obtain the final distribution. The resulting information sequence provides insight for further study of the biological sequence. Each symbol is then encoded by arithmetic coding. Experiments show that our algorithm outperforms existing compressors on typical DNA and protein sequence datasets while maintaining a practical running time


This paper deals with the problem of estimating the pose of tactile elements (i.e. taxels) composing a robotic skin covering the whole body of a robot. This problem arises when a robot skin technology has to be integrated into an already existing robotic platform. To date, the integration process is done by hand and it is not possible to predict where the sensor will be placed on the robot body. This paper presents a novel approach based on a RGB-D camera and exploiting the motion capabilities of the robot for activating the skin sensors. The method uses the measurements of the camera to reconstruct the unknown robot body outer shape and to compute how the area can be touched by the robot. The taxels responses and the related contact centroids are used for estimating the position of the sensors. Our method is based on few assumptions and is a step towards a calibration procedure that can be executed autonomously by a robot. Experiments performed on the Baxter robotic platform demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented approach obtaining an average position error less than 2mm.


On the world stage, the increase in temperatures due to global warming is already a reality that has become one of the main challenges faced by the scientific community. Since agriculture is highly dependent on climatic conditions, it may suffer a great impact in the short term if no measures are taken to adapt and mitigate the agricultural system. Plant responses to abiotic stresses have been the subject of research by numerous groups worldwide. Initially, these studies were concentrated on model plants, and, later, they expanded their studies in several economically important crops such as rice, corn, soybeans, coffee, and others. However, agronomic evaluations for the launching of cultivars and the classical genetic improvement process focus, above all, on productivity, historically leaving factors such as tolerance to abiotic stresses in the background. Considering the importance of the impact that abiotic stresses can have on agriculture in the short term, new strategies are currently being sought and adopted in breeding programs to understand the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses to environmental disturbances in plants of agronomic interest, thus ensuring the world food security. Moreover, integration of these approaches is bringing new insights on breeding. We will discuss how water deficit, high temperatures, and salinity exert effects on plants.


Abstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a process in which scientific evidence is evaluated to determine underlying trends and principles of health/health care. This information is then translated into information about best clinical practices. EBP affords a systematic way to improve healthcare, improve patient outcomes, and evaluate resources needed. The Star Model of EBP provides a mechanism to transform large collections of research data into clinical practice. The 5 steps of knowledge production through original research, evidence summary, evidence translation, implementation, and evaluation differ from the traditional methods for research utilization. A number of groups are currently summarizing research on a wide variety of topics, providing conclusions about the state of the science. The nurse can access these valuable summaries of clinical knowledge as a crucial step in moving research into practice. The use of research evidence in our care increases certainty and predictability in the effect of the practice on the outcome. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company


Minimizing neppiness, neps, seed coat fragments, and motes in ginned cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fibers is one of the keys to keep US fibers competitive in the global market. Fortyeight F2 hybrids derived from crosses between 12 exotic germplasm lines (male parents), i.e., six Species Polycross (SP) and six John Cotton lines, and four elite germplasm lines (female parents) were evaluated to detect combining ability for the neppiness traits. F2 hybrids and parents were planted at two locations with four and three replicates each in 2008 and 2009. Neps and seed coat fragments were measured using Advanced Fiber Information System. Significant general combining ability (GCA) effects were observed for most neppiness traits. Additive effects were more important than nonadditive effects for neps, seed coat neps (SCN), and motes. Correlation (r = 0.52) between increased nep count and increased short fiber content (SFCn) implied a possibility for simultaneous improvement of these two traits. In contrast, correlation (r = -0.50) between nep count and fineness implied an antagonistic relationship between the two properties in selection. MD15 was the best female parent with negative GCA effects for neppiness traits and SFCn. SP156 was the best general combiner with favorable GCA effects for neppiness traits and other fiber properties with positive GCA effect for lint yield. Results provide evidence for the possibility of simultaneous genetic improvement of multiple neppiness traits with lint yield and other fiber properties in Upland cotton using SP156 as parent.


This study looked at the sustainability of the growth and development of business process outsourcing (BPO) in the Philippines. It was prompted by the sector`s spectacular growth in several of its subsectors, mainly contact call centers, medical transcription, animation, and software development. Doubts about the sustainability of this hypergrowth situation are increasingly being felt, as the industry experiences difficulties in meeting the demands of the market--specifically, the country`s ability to supply the skilled workforce. In addressing sustainability, the government will have to grapple with several important issues, such as the main drivers of the BPO phenomenon, the size of the global BPO market, and the competitiveness of the Philippines as a BPO location. These questions were directly addressed by the study. Only after these issues have been addressed can policymakers provide broader and longer term directions for the industry, specifically on: (1) whether the present level of priority given to BPOs is appropriate and consistent with national economic goals or should the government instead prioritize other sectors, and (2) whether the country`s educational system should be aligned with the goals of enhancing the competitiveness of the BPO industry, and the consequences of this educational thrust on other strategic sectors of the economy.


Including the human component in simulation software is of primary importance to enhance the building's design and management. In particular, the user-window interaction impacts significantly energy and comfort profiles. Through an environmental and behavioural monitoring, this research investigated windows' opening and closing actions during the summer season in three offices. The analyses highlighted that the behaviours are influenced by both environmental factors and time-related events. Using logistic regression techniques, stochastic behavioural models have been developed to predict windows status.


Gasification is used by industry to convert low cost carbon into materials for producing electricity and chemical products such as fertilizer, plastics, and Fischer-Tropsch liquids. It is considered a critical technology in the success of the DOE's Near Zero Emissions Advanced Fossil Fuel Power Plants, could play a key role in defining long-term energy security in both power and liquid fuels, and is considered a leading candidate for H2 production in a hydrogen based economy. Molten slag originating from mineral impurities in the carbon feedstock is of concern to slagging gasifier operation, with some gasifiers generating over 100 tons per day. Molten slag attacks and wears away the internal lining of the gasifier vessel by two major mechanisms, chemical dissolution and spalling. The main component in current refractory linings is chrome oxide. NETL is researching new types of refractory materials as an alternative to the high chrome oxide refractories currently used, with the goal of improving performance and providing a predictable service life. It has previously developed and patented the use of phosphate additives to improve the wear and spalling resistance of high chrome oxide refractories, and is exploring chrome and non-chrome oxide materials through laboratory testing and the use of thermodynamic modeling. In this paper, the results of a different additive (carbon) was evaluated by laboratory testing and found to improve slag penetration resistance. Data on this evaluation will be presented, and is proposed as a means of improving the molten slag wear resistance of the refractory. The use of it as a means of improving refractory service life in the field is patent pending.


This thesis describes the results of two independent research projects. The first project is concerned with the synthesis of chiral 1,2-amino alcohols using an organocatalysed Mannich reaction. Chapter 1 gives an overview of L-proline catalysed Mannich reactions and describes the aims of this project. Chapter 2 reports the results of this study. These reactions were found to be low yielding and poorly diastereoselective with the model compound propanal and did not work with the desired aldehyde Obenzylglycosaldehyde. The stereochemical outcomes of these reactions using NMR analysis were not certain. Future work would require X-ray crystallographic studies to confirm the product relative stereochemistries. This project was thus abandoned and a second project was studied. Chapter 3 provides an overview of cyclic N-acyliminium ion chemistry. Chapter 4 describes the results of a study of the borono-Mannich reaction on N-acyliminium ions, generated in situ from hemi-aminals derived from chiral 5-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones, to prepare substituted pyrrolidinones. The reactions of these N-acyliminium ions with boronic acids and other nucleophiles can afford the corresponding substituted pyrrolidinones diastereoselectively. The stereochemical assignments of these products were based on NMR coupling constants. X-ray structures of these compounds would be required in the future to confirm these assignments. The success of these reactions provided a possible strategy for the synthesis of functionalized pyrrolidinones and other potential glycosidases inhibitors.


Some sufficient conditions are obtained for the global exponential stability and existence of the periodic solution to the BAM neural networks with distributed delay and impulsive on time scales. By using the Lyapunov functional and some inequality technique, the results can be easily applied in practice.


In addition to the Kitaev (K) interaction, candidate Kitaev materials also possess Heisenberg (J) and off-diagonal symmetric (Γ) couplings. We investigate the quantum (S=1/2) K-J-Γ model on the honeycomb lattice by a variational Monte Carlo method. In addition to the "generic" Kitaev spin liquid (KSL), we find that there is just one proximate KSL (PKSL) phase, while the rest of the phase diagram contains different magnetically ordered states. The PKSL is a gapless Z_{2} state with 14 Majorana cones, which in contrast to the KSL has a gapless spin response. In a magnetic field applied normal to the honeycomb plane, it realizes two of Kitaev's gapped chiral spin-liquid phases, of which one is non-Abelian with Chern number ν=5 and the other is Abelian with ν=4. These two phases could be distinguished by their thermal Hall conductance.


Orographic and dynamic blocks have a profound influence on both weather and climate. The persistence of dynamic blocks can, for example, lead to the build-up of extreme temperature anomalies or droughts. In addition, previous studies linked dynamic blocks to Rossby wave breaking events, which can be associated with extreme precipitation. Dynamic blocks occur preferentially at certain locations, and therefore influence local climate. A important climatic effect of orographic blocks is to act as a temperaturebarriers. For example, the North-Atlantic would be significantly colder during winter if Greenland did not shield the North-Atlantic from the climatological cold pool over the Canadian Arctic. Thus, both types of blocking contribute to the zonal asymmetries in the climate and in the atmospheric circulation. Unfortunately, our understanding of the dynamics of both types of blocking is still far from complete. One of the main challenges in trying to grasp the essentials of blocking is the importance of non-linear effects. These effects are important, because the flow diversion around a block constitutes a large deviation from an unblocked basic state, such that the differences in the advection cannot be neglected. For that reason, previous studies proposed different indicators to capture the transition from linear flow over to non-linear flow around orography. Despite this effort, none of the proposed indicators is generally applicable. Furthermore, it is unclear how dynamic blocks interact with breaking Rossby waves and whether variability indexes like the North-Atlantic Oscillation are resulting from variability of blocking and/or wave breaking. In this thesis, I pursue three novel approaches to enhance the understanding of blocking. First, I demonstrate that deformation is a suitable diagnostic for detecting and quantifying the magnitude of orographic and dynamic blocks. Consequently, deformation helps to investigate the splitting of synoptic systems at the Rocky-Mountain barrier. Furthermore, I show that the deformation associated with Rossby wave breaking is aligned with the observed mean deformation up and downstream of a dynamic block. Thus, the deformation associated with the wave breaking reinforces the flow diversion around the dynamic block, establishing a potential link by which Rossby wave breaking can strengthen a dynamic block. Second, I adapt an existing scheme for upper-tropospheric jet detection. The detected jet axes open up new perspectives on the relation between jets and blocking, because they condense dynamically relevant information about the distribution of horizontal wind shear into a set of jet axis lines. Jet axes also provide the basis to directly analyse variability of the jet location. Usually, this variability is characterised indirectly by geopotential variability. I find the leading variability patterns of the jet location in the Atlantic and the Pacific to be consistent with the variability described by the NorthAtlantic Oscillation and the Pacific-North American pattern, respectively. However, in both the Atlantic and the Pacific, the second variability patterns of the jet location has no clear counterpart in the geopotential-based variability patterns. Both the East Atlantic pattern and the West Pacific pattern are related to the two leading variability patterns of the jet location. Third, I devise and implement a new model named "Bergen dynamic model" (BEDYMO), that combines the quasi-geostrophic and dry hydrostatic primitive equations in one model. BEDYMO hence allows to easily switch between the two approximations, facilitating a direct assessment of the effect the processes that are neglected in the transition from the primitive equations to quasi-geostrophy. Therefore, BEDYMO is an ideal tool to assess the importance of these processes for simulating a given aspect of the atmospheric dynamics. Although BEDYMO is designed with an application to blocking in mind, this aspect is not limited to either type of blocking.


Classical benzodiazepine sensitive GABAA receptor subtypes, the major mediators of fast synaptic inhibition in the brain are heteropentamers that can be assembled from α1–3/5, β1–3, and γ2 subunits, but how neurons orchestrate their selective accumulation at synapses remains obscure. We have identified a 10 amino acid hydrophobic motif within the intracellular domain of the α2 subunit that regulates the accumulation of GABAA receptors at inhibitory synaptic sites on both axon initial segments and dendrites in a mechanism dependent on the inhibitory scaffold protein gephyrin. This motif was sufficient to target CD4 (cluster of differentiation molecule 4) molecules to inhibitory synapses, and was also critical in regulating the direct binding of α2 subunits to gephyrin in vitro. Our results thus reveal that the specific accumulation of GABAA receptor subtypes containing α2 subunits at inhibitory synapses is dependent on their ability to bind gephyrin.


Men who have sex with men are a hidden population in India. This study explores the psychological violence such men are exposed to in Puducherry, India. Eleven in-depth interviews probe experiences of blackmail, discrimination, and rejection. Some informants modified their behaviors or appearances to avoid harassment and safeguard their families' reputations. Others told how Indian men accepted their behaviors, but rejected their identities. Social pressure to marry was also a recurring theme. Understanding the factors behind these violent experiences may facilitate their amelioration.


Explaining decisions of black-box classifiers is paramount in sensitive domains such as medical imaging since clinicians confidence is necessary for adoption. Various explanation approaches have been proposed, among which perturbation based approaches are very promising. Within this class of methods, we leverage a learning framework to produce our visual explanations method. From a given classifier, we train two generators to produce from an input image the so called similar and adversarial images. The similar image shall be classified as the input image whereas the adversarial shall not. Visual explanation is built as the difference between these two generated images. Using metrics from the literature, our method outperforms state-of-the-art approaches. The proposed approach is model-agnostic and has a low computation burden at prediction time. Thus, it is adapted for real-time systems. Finally, we show that random geometric augmentations applied to the original image play a regularization role that improves several previously proposed explanation methods. We validate our approach on a large chest X-ray database.


The aim of the current study was to identify the casualty characteristics that contribute to drowning according to the 4W model (Avramidis, Butterly, & Llewellyn, 2007, 2009). Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze drowning incident videos (n = 41) and semistructured interviews of those involved in drowning incidents (n = 34). Results confirm that human activity in, on, and around an aquatic environment can lead to drowning, regardless of the casualty's type, gender, age, ethnicity, and area of residence. Males far outnumbered females as drowning victims. Younger persons were more likely to drown than were adults. Due to socioeconomic differences, Black people in our sample were likely to drown more often, while Whites who drowned were engaged in aquatic activities that lower socioeconomic individuals likely cannot afford or have access to. Nonswimmers, casualties who have lost consciousness, and nonresidents to specific aquatic environments also were the ones in the highest danger. Language: en


Population dynamics are often correlated in space and time due to correlations in environmental drivers as well as synchrony induced by individual dispersal. Many statistical analyses of populations ignore potential autocorrelations and assume that survey methods (distance and time between samples) eliminate these correlations, allowing samples to be treated independently. If these assumptions are incorrect, results and therefore inference may be biased and uncertainty underestimated. We developed a novel statistical method to account for spatiotemporal correlations within dendritic stream networks, while accounting for imperfect detection in the surveys. Through simulations, we found this model decreased predictive error relative to standard statistical methods when data were spatially correlated based on stream distance and performed similarly when data were not correlated. We found that increasing the number of years surveyed substantially improved the model accuracy when estimating spatial and temporal correlation coefficients, especially from 10 to 15 yr. Increasing the number of survey sites within the network improved the performance of the nonspatial model but only marginally improved the density estimates in the spatiotemporal model. We applied this model to brook trout data from the West Susquehanna Watershed in Pennsylvania collected over 34 yr from 1981 to 2014. We found the model including temporal and spatiotemporal autocorrelation best described young of the year (YOY) and adult density patterns. YOY densities were positively related to forest cover and negatively related to spring temperatures with low temporal autocorrelation and moderately high spatiotemporal correlation. Adult densities were less strongly affected by climatic conditions and less temporally variable than YOY but with similar spatiotemporal correlation and higher temporal autocorrelation.


In present work, our research is mainly focused on the electronic structures, optical and magnetic properties of Cu2FeSnZ4 (Z = S, Se) compounds by using ab initio calculations within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The calculations are performed by using the Vienna ab-initio simulation package (VASP) based on the density functional theory. The band structure of the Cu2FeSnZ4 ( Z = S, Se) compounds for majority spin (spin-up) and minority spin (spin-down) were calculated. It is seen that for these compounds, the majority spin states cross the Fermi level and thus have the metallic character, while the minority spin states open the band gaps around the Fermi level and thus have the narrow-band semiconducting nature. For better understanding of the electronic states, the total and partial density of states were calculated, too. The real and imaginary parts of dielectric functions and hence the optical functions such as energy-loss function, the effective number of valance electrons and the effective optical dielectric constant for Cu2FeSnZ4 (Z = S, Se) compounds were also calculated.


Reflective cracking is one of the major type of distresses associated with the use of asphalt concrete (AC) overlay for rehabilitating deteriorated asphalt pavements. This paper briefly describes the research efforts completed in Nevada to identify the best promising techniques to mitigate reflective cracking in AC overlays under Nevada's climatic and materials' conditions. The main outcome of the study was the development of a preliminary performance-based mix design specification for an experimental stress relief course (referred to as ESRC) to be placed between the AC overlay and the milled AC surface. Consequently, in summer of 2015, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) implemented the developed specification on a demonstration project on US 95 in southern Nevada. The project included test sections with three different strategies: (1) AC overlay on top of the ESRC mixture, (2) AC overlay on top of the NDOT fine-graded Type 3 mixture (SRC-T3), and (3) AC overlay without any stress relief layer. An extensive laboratory evaluation was conducted on all three mixtures using both laboratory-mixed laboratory-compacted and field-mixed laboratory-compacted mixtures. Core samples were also collected after construction and were evaluated for in-place thickness and air voids as well as resistance to reflective cracking. The data showed promising results for the ESRC mixture in terms of its resistance to fatigue and reflective cracking while maintaining an acceptable level of stability and resistance to rutting. A windshield survey conducted approximately 13 months after construction showed no distresses in any of the surveyed sections. In summary, the study showed a very good performance for the ESRC mixture thus far, making it a promising technique for reflective cracking mitigation in Nevada.


In case of an interconnected power system, any small sudden load change in any of the areas causes the fluctuation of the frequencies of each and every area and also there is fluctuation of power in tie line. The main goals of Load Frequency control (LFC) are, to maintain the real frequency and the desired power output (megawatt) in the interconnected power system and to control the change in tie line power between control areas. So, a LFC scheme basically incorporates a appropriate control system for an interconnected power system, which is heaving the capability to bring the frequencies of each area and the tie line powers back to original set point values or very nearer to set point values effectively after the load change. This is achieved by the use of conventional controllers. But the conventional controllers are heaving some demerits like; they are very slow in operation, they do not care about the inherent nonlinearities of different power system component, it is very hard to decide the gain of the integrator setting according to changes in the operating point. Advance control system has a lot of advantage over conventional integral controller. They are much faster than integral controllers and also they give better stability response than integral controllers. In this proposed research work advanced control technique (optimal controller, optimal compensator) and IMC-PID control technique has been applied for LFC of two area power systems. The optimal controllers and compensators are capable of working without full state feedback and at the presence of process and measurement noise. The IMC-PID controller is capable of giving better response and is applicable under different nonlinearities.


An examination has been carried out to govern the daily, monthly and annual temperature variations in urban habitats of the Bengaluru region, India for the period 2007-2015. Spatial pattern of temperature showed the increase in monthly and annual variation in the Bengaluru region. Mean maximum temperature was found to be the highest in the month of April (32.65-35.34 °C), whereas mean minimum temperature was found to be the lowest in the month of January (15.27-17.11 °C). A linear relationship between the minimum (Y) and maximum temperatures (X) was established in the form of equation as y = 0.6581x + 0.0674; R2 = 0.2625. The findings of the study are reliable with the results obtained by other parts of Indian subcontinent and the remaining parts of the world. Thus, climate change will rigorously influence the Indian monsoon in terms of generating more tolerances which may have impact on the biodiversity of flora and fauna.


Tube feeding has become a common procedure among patients of nursing homes. Reliable data about prevalence in nursing homes, medical and nutritional indications are not available on local or national level. The Public Health Office in Bremen conducted a questionnaire based survey of all nursing homes in August 2003 in which 56 of 62 institutions participated (90.3%) and 4,300 of 4,549 patients (94%) could be included. Prevalence of patients with gastrostomy tubes (PEG) varied between 0 and 16.7% and was higher than expected with an average of 7.8%. The evaluation of reported medical indications, patients' problems and decision-making showed need of further vocational training and guidelines which include ethical aspects. The re-sults of the survey were presented to and discussed with the staffs of nursing homes at a conference in February 2004.


The internet of things (IoT) has provided a promising opportunity to build powerful systems and applications. Security is the main concern in IoT applications due to the privacy of exchanged data using limited resources of IoT devices (sensors/actuators). In this paper, we present a classification of IoT modes of operation based on the distribution of IoT devices, connectivity to the internet, and the typical field of application. It has been found that the majority of IoT services can be classified into one of four IoT modes: gateway, device to device, collaborative, and centralized. The management of either public or symmetric keys is essential for providing security. In the present paper, we survey different key management protocols concerning IoT, which we further allocate in a map table. The map table is a link between modes of operation and the associated security key management elements. The main target of this mapping table is to help designers select the optimum security technique that provides the best balance between the required security level and IoT system mode constraints.


Phytoremediation has been proposed for treatment of cyanide-contaminated soil. This study was conducted to identify plants with the highest potential for phytoremediation of iron cyanide contaminated soil. Multiple cultivars of two cyanogenic species, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and flax (Linum usitatissimum), and one non-cyanogenic species, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L), were selected for evaluation. The cultivars were screened by quantifying germination and root elongation. Differences in germination emerged among the cultivars (P < 0.05), but these differences appeared to be unrelated to cyanide concentration. The presence of 1000 mg/kg Prussian blue tended to suppress root growth parameters of flax and switchgrass but did not affect sorghum similarly.


We propose a novel solution for semantic-based XML schema matching, taking a mathematical programming approach. This method identifies the globally optimal solution for the problem of matching two XML schemas by reducing the tree-to-tree matching problem to simpler problems of path-topath, node-to-node, and word-to-word matching. We formulate these matching problems as maximum weighted bipartite graph matching problems with different constraints, which are solved by different mathematical programming techniques, including integer programming and dynamic programming. Solutions to simpler problems provide weights for the next stage until the optimal tree-to-tree matching solution is obtained. The effectiveness of this approach has been verified and demonstrated by computer experiments.


Scholars have long recognized that public support for presidential uses of military force depends critically on elite support. Similarly, scholars have argued that the media "index" their coverage of foreign policy to reflect the responses of partisan (particularly congressional) elites. We argue that journalists' choices also play an important role by systematically (and predictably) skewing the elite rhetoric presented to the public. In particular, we argue that criticism of the president by his own party is disproportionately likely to be broadcast–particularly in unified government–and that such criticism should be exceptionally persuasive to citizens. To separate the media's independent effect from that of the actual tenor of elite discourse, as presented in the news, we investigate all interviews with members of Congress on network television Sunday morning political interview shows between 1980 and 2003. We then determined which comments were selected for inclusion on the evening news and compare the characteristics of such comments to those that were not selected, both during periods immediately following major U.S. uses of military force and during "normal" periods. We find that the evening news presents a biased sample of elite rhetoric, heavily over-representing criticism of the president by his own party, while under-representing supportive rhetoric. Our findings indicate that future studies of public opinion and U.S. foreign policy must take into account the intervening role of journalists, who function as strategic, self-interested gatekeepers of public information regarding foreign policy events.


Importance Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common skin cancer with metastatic potential, but epidemiologic data are poor. Changes to the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) in England have allowed more accurate data analysis of primary and metastatic cSCC since 2013. Objective To assess the national incidence of cSCC and metastatic cSCC (mcSCC) in England from 2013 through 2015. Design, Setting, and Participants This national population-based study identified a cohort of patients with cSCC and mcSCC in England from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2015. Patients were identified using diagnostic codes derived from pathology reports in the NCRAS. Data were analyzed from March 1, 2017, through March 1, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence rates across sex and risk factors for cSCC were derived from the NCRAS data. Risk of occurrence of mcSCC among the population with cSCC was assessed with Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to determine indicators of mcSCC. Results Among the 76 977 patients with first primary cSCC in 2013 through 2015 (62.7% male; median age, 80 years [interquartile range, 72-86 years]), the age-standardized rates for the first registered cSCC in England from 2013 through 2015 were 77.3 per 100 000 person-years (PY) (95% CI, 76.6-78.0) in male patients and 34.1 per 100 000 PY (95% CI, 33.7-34.5) in female patients. Increased primary cSCC tumor count was observed in older, white male patients in lower deprivation quintiles. After a maximum follow-up of 36 months, cumulative incidence of mcSCC developed in 1.1% of women and 2.4% of men with a primary cSCC. Significant increases in the risk of metastasis with adjusted hazard rates of approximately 2.00 were observed in patients who were aged 80 to 89 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.43), 90 years or older (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.09-1.66), male (HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.52-2.10), immunosuppressed (HR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.64-2.42), and in higher deprivation quintiles (HR for highest quintile, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.35-2.00). Primary cSCC located on the ear (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.42-2.03) and lip (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.29-2.63) were at highest risk of metastasis. Conclusions and Relevance This study presents the first national study of the incidence of mcSCC. With limited health care resources and an aging population, accurate epidemiologic data are essential for informing future health care planning, identifying high-risk patients, and evaluating skin cancer prevention policies.


BACKGROUND
Little is known about the accuracy of facility-based birth registry data for routine monitoring of birth outcomes. This report details the results of a data quality strengthening intervention aimed at improving completeness of birth registry data in Kenya and Uganda, as part of a package of interventions in an implementation science trial under the East Africa Preterm Birth Initiative.
METHODS
The intervention aimed to improve completeness of key intrapartum and post-partum data, including gestational age, birthweight, and newborn outcomes. We conducted data strengthening activities in 23 facilities in Uganda and Kenya. To test the effects of these interventions on completion of key variables, we compared completion rates at various time points.
RESULTS
In Uganda, the completion rate of all four fields of interest increased by 13% (95% CI: 10, 17) with the introduction of data quality training and mentoring. Documentation of the status of infant at discharge and gestational age increased by 12% (95% CI: 9, 14) and 22.3% (95% CI: 19, 17), respectively; while that of birthweight had a marginal increase of 3.2% (95% CI: 1, 5) and Apgar at 1 minute showed no significant change. In Kenya, there was no significant change in completion for most fields.
CONCLUSION
This study suggests that the data strengthening campaign had mixed effects on completion of facility-based maternity register fields and may be country specific. Given emerging international priorities around maternal and neonatal health, utilizing facility-based routine data sources will be key to ensuring sustainable monitoring and evaluation of interventions and outcomes.


Introduction: The objective of the study was to track the impact of endoprosthesis-plasty of the genicular joint upon the pelvic gait pattern in three dimensions at a natural velocity. Material and methods: 27 persons ranging from 60 to 74 years of age who had underwent arthroplasty of the genicular joint a s a result of degenerative lesion were incorporated into the study. The first study session occurred prior to the surgery and the second took pace 6 months afterwards, when the patient regained unaided mobility. Results: The outcome of locomotion analysis were presented against a comparative group of 30 healthy persons within the age range of 50 - 70 years. The subject of the evaluation featured angular variations with regard to pelvis position in the three motor planes. Conclusions: The analysis of results indicates that the largest deviation from norm was present in the sagittal plane.


CONTEXT
Goal-directed delivery of sedative and analgesic medications is recommended as standard care in intensive care units (ICUs) because of the impact these medications have on ventilator weaning and ICU length of stay, but few of the available sedation scales have been appropriately tested for reliability and validity.

OBJECTIVE
To test the reliability and validity of the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS).

DESIGN
Prospective cohort study.

SETTING
Adult medical and coronary ICUs of a university-based medical center.

PARTICIPANTS
Thirty-eight medical ICU patients enrolled for reliability testing (46% receiving mechanical ventilation) from July 21, 1999, to September 7, 1999, and an independent cohort of 275 patients receiving mechanical ventilation were enrolled for validity testing from February 1, 2000, to May 3, 2001.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Interrater reliability of the RASS, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and Ramsay Scale (RS); validity of the RASS correlated with reference standard ratings, assessments of content of consciousness, GCS scores, doses of sedatives and analgesics, and bispectral electroencephalography.

RESULTS
In 290-paired observations by nurses, results of both the RASS and RS demonstrated excellent interrater reliability (weighted kappa, 0.91 and 0.94, respectively), which were both superior to the GCS (weighted kappa, 0.64; P<.001 for both comparisons). Criterion validity was tested in 411-paired observations in the first 96 patients of the validation cohort, in whom the RASS showed significant differences between levels of consciousness (P<.001 for all) and correctly identified fluctuations within patients over time (P<.001). In addition, 5 methods were used to test the construct validity of the RASS, including correlation with an attention screening examination (r = 0.78, P<.001), GCS scores (r = 0.91, P<.001), quantity of different psychoactive medication dosages 8 hours prior to assessment (eg, lorazepam: r = - 0.31, P<.001), successful extubation (P =.07), and bispectral electroencephalography (r = 0.63, P<.001). Face validity was demonstrated via a survey of 26 critical care nurses, which the results showed that 92% agreed or strongly agreed with the RASS scoring scheme, and 81% agreed or strongly agreed that the instrument provided a consensus for goal-directed delivery of medications.

CONCLUSIONS
The RASS demonstrated excellent interrater reliability and criterion, construct, and face validity. This is the first sedation scale to be validated for its ability to detect changes in sedation status over consecutive days of ICU care, against constructs of level of consciousness and delirium, and correlated with the administered dose of sedative and analgesic medications.


This article explores the literature relating marketing to the natural environment from the point of view of morality. It argues that the issue of morality has not been developed in any comprehensive or cohesive way in this literature and subsequently seeks to provide an analysis of the different ways in which morality has, to date, been applied and used. Five different moral perspectives are identified—namely, fair play, managerialist, reformist, reconstructionist, and interpretist perspectives. These are categorized according to the main moral issues typically examined, the core discipline from which the perspective has been developed, the form of morality ordinarily referred to, and the prevalent subject of moral enquiry. The various approaches are examined and their contribution assessed. The relationship between the perspectives is addressed, and it is suggested that from a macromarketing point of view, the reconstructionist and the interpretist perspectives might be expected to be the most fruitful avenues for future investigation.


The purpose of this study was to compare the microcirculation perfusion and plasma-protein extravasation in varieties of venous nerve grafts. Venous nerve grafts were created from the left median nerve and brachial vein of the rabbit. The vein was interposed between (a) brachial artery to brachial artery (AVA); or (b) brachial artery to proximal cephalic vein (AVV); or (c) brachial vein to brachial vein (VVV). A standard, vascularized, nerve graft was created in the opposite limb, to serve as a control, and the untouched sciatic nerve served as a second control. Microcirculation perfusion and permeability of endoneurial vessels were evaluated using intravenously-injected albumin labelled with Evans blue dye (EBA) as a fluorescent tracer within 1 hr after surgery. Six hours after surgery, the nerves were removed and evaluated for tracer content and distribution. Extravasation of EBA was extensive in both AVA and AVV forms of the venous nerve graft, suggesting good perfusion but showing significant protein leakage and edema. VVV, on the other hand, had only slight extravasation, comparable to untouched sciatic nerves. Although the number of vessels filled with blood in the VVV was 69 percent of the vascularized nerve graft, the lack of marked extravasation may make it the venous nerve graft of choice.


We decompose currency returns into (permanent) intrinsic-value shocks and (transitory) expected-return shocks. We explore interactions between these shocks, currency returns, and institutional-investor currency flows. Intrinsic-value shocks are: dwarfed by expected-return shocks (yet currency returns overreact to them); unrelated to flows (although expected-return shocks correlate with flows); and related positively to forecasted cumulated-interest differentials. These results suggest flows are related to short-term currency returns, while fundamentals better explain long-term returns and values. They also rationalize the long-observed poor performance of exchange-rate models: by ignoring the distinction between permanent and transitory exchange-rate changes, prior tests obscure the connection between currencies and fundamentals.


This case study examines barriers to entry in retail banking in South Africa, informed by Capitec's experiences as an entrant in this concentrated and highly regulated sector. Capitec's entry and growth in transactional banking sparked a competitive response from incumbents. Across all four incumbent banks, the fees for low-cost accounts have come down in nominal terms. It is unlikely that these effects would have occurred if the status quo had continued without a disruptive entrant, or if Capitec had been acquired by one of the incumbents early on. Capitec overcame barriers to entry including customers' reluctance to switch, complex regulation, and the largely self-regulated payments system, in order to grow, in a sector populated by incumbents with some market power. The case study considers measures that could lower barriers for future entrants.


Abstract The Quaternary evolution of the main coastal basins located along the southwestern margin of the Southern Apennines has been reconstructed by integrating the huge amount of existing stratigraphical and geomorphological data. The information produced in the last twenty years has shed new light on the recent (late Middle Pleistocene to Present) history of the Campanian and Sele plains or basins. During the early Quaternary, the analysed coastal basins originated as half-grabens in response to opening processes active since the late Tortonian in the southern Tyrrhenian back-arc basin. In some of these basins (e.g. the Campanian Plain), volcanism has also played an important role. In the inner sectors of the coastal basins, the complex interplay between block faulting, sedimentary inputs and glacioeustatic fluctuations gave rise to relative sea-level change and related coastline migrations, leading to the formation of the present-day coastal plains. In the Sele Plain basin, the construction of the present-day landscape mainly resulted from the substantial ceasing of subsidence in the final part of the Middle Pleistocene. Conversely, a strong contribution to the recent evolution of the Campanian Plain has been provided by abundant volcaniclastic aggradation, able to hinder the effect of the vertical motions that occurred in the last 100 ka.


: The method of sparing thermosurgical treatment has been developed and applied at 91 patients with benign tumors and tumor-like skeleton affections which provides for sparing approach to the affected segment and envisages CO2 laser treatment of residual osseous walls. The results have been traced for 5 postoperative years. There was no pathologic process recurrence observed.


Psychological Trait Helps Identify Boys at Risk of Substance Use Disorder A psychological trait called neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND), which consists of a measurable decrease in behavior control, modulation of emotion, and higher-level thought, may help identify boys at risk of habitual drug abuse after experimentation with an addictive substance, according to a study published in the December 2007 issue of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Investigators funded by NIDA evaluated 278 boys between the ages of 10 and 12 for the ND trait. The boys returned for a follow-up evaluation at age 16, and again at 19, when they were diagnosed with the presence or absence of substance use disorder (SUD) by a clinical committee. The investigators found that the ND trait score measured at ages 10 to 12 could significantly predict SUD at age 19, as well as a history of arrests, violent behavior, and concussive injury. Interestingly, neuroimaging of 21 of the boys showed that activation of the frontal cortex, a region of the brain thought to play a role in regulating higher-level cognitive behavior, correlated more strongly with the ND trait score than did activity in any other region of the brain. Although the study had several limitations—including that the boys were not randomly selected but instead chosen based on the presence or absence of SUD in their fathers, and that no girls were included in the cohort—the ND trait has "potential value as a screening tool...for detection of high-risk youths," as well as value as a tool for future research, state the authors.


For three decades the 'New Order' in Indonesia had epitomized the kind of rigidly centralized authoritarian rule that gave little room for autonomously developing civil society-based organizations, and where oppositional political parties and the press were all but hamstrung, while highly orchestrated general elections provided a smokescreen for systematic coercion and brutality. By stark contrast, Indonesia today easily ranks among the most democratic countries in Southeast Asia, along with the likes of the Philippines and Thailand (the overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 notwithstanding). There is notable vibrancy in Indonesian civil society, while a multitude of political parties contest national and local elections regularly and vigorously. In spite of numerous potential threats against it, the Indonesian press thus far remains remarkably free. Furthermore, Indonesia's experiment with administrative and political decentralization has been lauded for its 'radical' nature (Betts 2003; Rohdewohld 2004), and in yet another break with the past, the Indonesian military has been forced to take a back seat role in formal politics, although it continues to jealously guard economic interests through involvement in a range of informal political alliances, notably at the local level (Honna 2006). The relative economic and political stability of the second half of the last decade, moreover, has largely overshadowed earlier, much exaggerated, fears of Indonesia being overwhelmed by communal violence, terrorist activity or descending into state failure.


— The linear stability of nanofluid convection in a horizontal porous layer is examined theoretically when the walls of the porous layer are subjected to time-periodic temperature modulation. The model used for the nanofluid incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermopherosis, while the Darcy model is used for the porous medium. The analysis revels that for a typical nanofluid (with large Lewis number) the prime effect of the nanofluids is via a buoyancy effect coupled with the conservation of nanoparticles. The contribution of nanoparticles to the thermal energy equation being a second-order effect. It is found that the critical thermal Rayleigh number can be found reduced or decreased by a substantial amount, depending on whether the basic nanoparticle distribution is top-heavy or bottom-heavy. Oscillatory instability is possible in the case of a bottom-heavy nanoparticle distribution, phase angle and frequency of modulation.


Humpback whales undertake long-distance seasonal migrations between low latitude winter breeding grounds and high latitude summer feeding grounds. We report the first in-depth population genetic study of the humpback whales that migrate to separate winter breeding grounds along the northwestern and northeastern coasts of Australia, but overlap on summer feeding grounds around Antarctica. Weak but significant differentiation between eastern and western Australia was detected across ten microsatellite loci (FST = 0.005, P = 0.001; DEST = 0.031, P = 0.001, n = 364) and mitochondrial control region sequences (FST = 0.017 and ΦST = 0.069, P = 0.001, n = 364). Bayesian clustering analyses using microsatellite data could not resolve any population structure unless sampling location was provided as a prior. This study supports the emerging evidence that weak genetic differentiation is characteristic among neighboring Southern Hemisphere humpback whale breeding populations. This may be a consequence of relatively high gene flow facilitated by overlapping summer feeding areas in Antarctic waters.


ABSTRACT This article analyses the importance of including corporate legal officers (also termed general counsel or chief legal officers) in the anti-money laundering (AML) international standard set by the Financial Action Task Force – in particular, the Recommendations dealing with the legal profession. It deconstructs the origins and development of the standard and explores the reasons that led to the inclusion of the legal profession in the AML regime and the ways in which the standard has reshaped regulatory regimes globally. The article fills a void in the existing literature by contemplating the future of the legal professional and the role of corporate legal officers, providing a case study of a profession that is not (yet) required to comply with the AML international standard. This approach differs significantly from that of other literature in the field, which deals comprehensively with the appropriateness of including legal professionals in the AML regime, without considering the impact of exempting CLOs from the regime. The article aims to demonstrate that an understanding of the role of CLOs in the legal profession can shed light on the gaps in the international standard and the consequent risks to the AML regime.


Store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a robust mechanism in skeletal muscle, supported by abundant STIM1 and Orai1 in the junctional membranes. The precise role of SOCE in skeletal muscle Ca2+ homeostasis and excitation–contraction coupling remains to be defined. Regardless, it remains important to determine whether the function and capacity of SOCE changes in aged skeletal muscle. We identified an approximate 40% decline in the expression of the integral SOCE protein, stromal interacting molecule 1 (STIM1), but no such decline in its coupling partner, Orai1, in muscle fibers from aged mice. To determine whether this changed aspects of SOCE functionality in skeletal muscle in aged mice, Ca2+ in the cytoplasm and t‐system were continuously and simultaneously imaged on a confocal microscope during sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and compared to experiments under identical conditions using muscle fibers from young mice. Normal activation, deactivation, Ca2+ influx, and spatiotemporal characteristics of SOCE were found to persist in skeletal muscle from aged mice. Thus, SOCE remains a robust mechanism in aged skeletal muscle despite the decline in STIM1 protein expression, suggesting STIM1 is in excess in young skeletal muscle.


Economic restructuring, which is difficult to engineer even in the private sector, poses particularly serious challenges in highly unionized public sector environments. In 1993, the Ontario New Democratic Party government, which relied on labor support and was committed to collective bargaining, enacted the "Social Contract," a bill that mandated spending reductions. The Social Contract has been widely criticized for failing to obtain a negotiated consensus between labor and management. This analysis of data from a survey of 1,225 employers finds, however, that the law, as administered, succeeded not only in preserving key elements of collective bargaining and an open and accountable relationship between management and labor, but also in giving those elements a positive role in economic restructuring. The authors conclude that creatively altering the collective bargaining process remains a viable economic restructuring policy option in jurisdictions with highly unionized public sectors.


This paper describes how the evolution of thermal tourism in Greece has caused the construction of numerous imposing building complexes, installations of treatment (spa centers) and hotels (around important thermal springs), which formed the initial cores of future urban development. During the last two decades, Greek thermal tourism entered a phase of decline. Consequently the above mentioned installations (built up during a long period of flourishing in the 19th and 20th centuries), and especially those found within urban areas, are abandoned and downgraded. Therefore these spa centers deserve the appropriate (architectural) restoration and (urban) renewal in order to reassemble the urban space by filling in the existing 'urban holes', modernize their infrastructure and be able to successfully compete in a more difficult international economic environment. The Greek spa towns of Kamena Vourla and Ypati are a characteristic example of the above mentioned situation. In Kamena Vourla half of the treatment installations/buildings are completely abandoned while in Ypati the main spa center core is operating in a rather downgraded building construction and several hotels are also empty and nearly ruined. This paper aims to investigate the possible ways for the restoration, reuse and urban integration of the abandoned installations in spa towns for the benefit of sustainable thermal tourism in Greek regions in the short and long term.


Abstract: This paper provides new evidences to the literature of assignment in the labor market for the Colombian case. Specifically it focuses on the existing relationship between acquired human capital in higher education and its congruence in the labor market. Differing from previews studies, the misallocation analysis is not only based on the horizontal component and the educational mismatch, but it also includes the vertical mechanism (vertical mechanism is related to skills mismatch and horizontal mechanism is related to professional career mismatch). Another contribution is how we measure the abilities through an exploratory factor analysis. The data are taken from the Survey of Graduates of Higher Education Institutions 2014, provided by OLE. We employ a two-step treatment effect method proposed by Heckman (1974, 1979) and Lee (1978)), we found that generic abilities raise the probability of horizontal mismatch and diminish the probability of vertical mismatch. On the other hand, specific abilities lower the probability of both horizontal and vertical mismatch. In terms of wages, we found evidence that confirmed the results of the assignment models because it exists a wage penalty for the mismatched individuals (Sattinger, 1993).


The original radiosity method searches for the radiosity distribution in a piecewise constant
function form. Using this stepwise constant assumption about the radiosity distribution,
the integral equation describing the energy transfer is transformed to a linear equation
system. Higher order radiosity method means the approximation of the radiosity distri-
bution by more complex functions, as for example, by piecewise linear, harmonic, wavelet,
etc. function series with unknown coefficients. Due to higher order approximation, the
number of the unknown variables can be significantly smaller than the number of constant
steps in the original method. This paper discusses the conversion of the integral equation
to an equivalent variational problem which can result in a linear equation system for the
unknown coefficients. Three function bases are examined in detail in this framework:
piecewise constant, piecewise linear and harmonic approximations.


Objective To validate a new risk stratification system for thyroid nodules, the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS), using a prospective design. Materials and Methods From June 2013 to May 2015, 902 thyroid nodules were enrolled from four institutions. The type and predictive value of ultrasonography (US) predictors were analyzed according to the combination of the solidity and echogenicity of nodules; in addition, we determined malignancy risk and diagnostic performance for each category of K-TIRADS, and compared the efficacy of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with a three-tier risk categorization system published in 2011. Results The malignancy risk was significantly higher in solid hypoechoic nodules, as compared to partially cystic or isohyperechoic nodules (each p < 0.001). The presence of any suspicious US features had a significantly higher malignancy risk (73.4%) in solid hypoechoic nodules than in partially cystic or isohyperechoic nodules (4.3–38.5%; p < 0.001). The calculated malignancy risk in K-TIRADS categories 5, 4, 3, and 2 nodules were 73.4, 19.0, 3.5, and 0.0%, respectively; and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for malignancy were 95.5, 58.6, 44.5, 96.9, and 69.5%, respectively, in K-TIRADS categories 4 and 5. The efficacy of FNA for detecting malignancy based on K-TIRADS was increased from 18.6% (101/544) to 22.5% (101/449), as compared with the three-tier risk categorization system (p < 0.001). Conclusion The proposed new risk stratification system based on solidity and echogenicity was useful for risk stratification of thyroid nodules and the decision for FNA. The malignancy risk of K-TIRADS was in agreement with the findings of a previous retrospective study.


Metastatic tumors of the pituitary gland are uncommon. The majority of them are silent lesions incidentally discovered at autopsy. In contrast, the occurrence of symptomatic metastases is exceptional. Here we report the clinical and radiological findings of a 45 year-old woman with a metastatic lung adenocarcinoma who presented with diabetes insipidus and hypernatremic dehydration. There was no previous history of malignancy, and the pituitary metastases were responsible for the first manifestation of the disease. Clinical presentation, diagnosis and therapeutic management of patients with pituitary metastases are reviewed.


United Nations Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, has issued a number of resolutions following the widespread and re-active piracy on important international waterways, particularly off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, which pose a serious threat to international peace and security. (Twenty-three resolutions). Since Security Council resolutions are a binding source of international law and states are obliged to comply with them, as well as other obligations under the conventions to which they are party, in this descriptive-analytical study The "limitations" of Security Council resolutions on piracy, which have led to many developments and innovations in the international community's response to the phenomenon, have been discussed. In general, although Security Council resolutions have proposed a variety of strategies to effectively combat piracy, which in the short term have been able to influence the spread of piracy and, with the cooperation of various countries, establish security on some international waterways, this security has been temporary and fragile. And the security of international maritime trade requires other long-term solutions, including the allocation of courts to prevent the impunity of perpetrators of piracy, in addition to the existing methods used, such as patrols, and so on.


The electron ionization mass spectrometric behavior of pyrroloquinazolinones (1-6) and isoindoloquinazolinones (7-14) was studied. These compounds were further classified as partly saturated pyrroloquinazolinones (1-3), benzologues (7-11), methylene-bridged derivatives (4-6, 12, 13) and a bisacyl compound (14). The mass spectra of the pyrrolo- and isoindoloquinazolinones did not exhibit stereospecific retro-Diels-Alder (RDA) fragmentations. The cyclohexane-fused compounds 7 (cis annelated) and 8 (trans annelated) did display some other ions differing in their abundances that could be used to differentiate this pair of stereoisomers. Also the cyclohexene-fused compounds 2, 3, 9 and 10 exhibited somewhat different ion abundances pairwise that could be utilized for isomeric differentiation. Earlier hypothesis of pyrrolo ring cleavage via the loss of C(3)H(5)O(.) was strengthened by the fragmentation of compounds 1-4. RDA(+/-H) fragmentation is more favorable than the formation of [M-R](+) ions (R=H, C(6)H(4)CH(3), or C(6)H(4)Cl) when an unsaturated bicyclic group is present but both RDA fragmentation and [M-R](+) formation occur for cyclohexene-fused compounds, possibly because of the lower ring strain than with norbornene-fused compounds. The [M-H](+) ion was abundant for compounds 7 and 8 as was [M-Ar](+) for 1-4 and 11. Although the compounds studied might participate in amide-imidol tautomerism, no indication of such tautomerism was detected.


Hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with different average pore sizes (0.22, 1.00 and 5.00 μm) were used in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) to investigate the effect of the membrane properties on membrane flux, desalination performance and the wetting phenomenon in reverse osmosis (RO) brine treatment. The membranes used were systematically characterized with reference to contact angle, porosity, thickness, maximum pore sizes and liquid entry pressures (LEP). Moreover, the interfacial and morphological characteristics of new and used MD membranes were analyzed with respect to contact angle, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectra. Although all the ion rejections of membranes with different pore sizes exceeded 99.95%, the conductivity of the distillate was much lower when the membrane with the smallest pore size was used. Regarding membrane flux and pore wetting, the pore size of the MD membrane was not observed to be a vital factor, whereas the porosity of the membrane was critical since it alters the flux. Besides, membrane wetting was found to be mainly influenced by salt scaling rather than pore size, allowing wetting of the MD membranes when the transmembrane pressure was far lower than the liquid entrance pressures of the membranes.


In control of vibrations, diffusion and many other problems governed by partial differential equations, there is freedom in the choice of actuator location. The actuator location should be chosen to optimize performance objectives. In this paper, we consider linear quadratic performance. Two types of cost are considered; the choice depends on whether the response to the worst initial condition is to be minimized; or whether the initial condition is regarded as random. In practice, approximations are used in controller design and thus in selection of the actuator locations. The optimal cost and location of the approximating sequence should converge to the exact optimal cost and location. In this work conditions for this convergence are given in the case of linear quadratic control. Examples are provided to illustrate that convergence may fail when these conditions are not satisfied.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Surgical intervention is a successful treatment for stage I patients, whereas other more advanced cases may require adjuvant chemotherapy. The selection of effective adjuvant treatments remains, however, challenging. Accurate patient stratification is necessary for the identification of the subset of patients likely responding to treatment, while sparing others from pernicious treatment. Targeted sequencing approaches may help in this regard, enabling rapid genetic investigation, and at the same time easily applicable in routine diagnosis. We propose a set of guidelines for the identification, including variant calling and filtering, of somatic mutations driving tumorigenesis in the absence of matched healthy tissue. We also discuss the inclusion criteria for the generation of our gene panel. Furthermore, we evaluate the prognostic impact of individual genes, using Cox regression models in the context of overall survival and disease-free survival. These analyses confirmed the role of commonly used biomarkers, and shed light on controversial genes such as CYP2C8. Applying those guidelines, we created a novel gene panel to investigate the onset and progression of CRC in 273 patients. Our comprehensive biomarker set includes 266 genes that may play a role in the progression through the different stages of the disease. Tracing the developmental state of the tumour, and its resistances, is instrumental in patient stratification and reliable decision making in precision clinical practice.


A method for designing a terrestrial digital audio broadcasting single frequency network (T-DAB SFN) for a mountainous region is proposed. A computer database and the digital terrain elevation data are used in designing the network. Two fundamental approaches are compared; first, utilization of the existing transmitter sites is maximized by applying the initial cost constraint; then, the coverage percent of the service is forced to approach to 100% by applying the coverage efficiency constraint. Finally, a T-DAB SFN hybrid design procedure optimizing both constraints is proposed. The three design approaches are illustrated on the coverage of the mountainous Istanbul-Ankara highway. The results are compared using a reference cost look up table. The hybrid approach is shown to optimize the initial cost and the coverage efficiency, and can be applied to similar networking problems.


: A rapid fluorimetric method for the estimation in biological fluids of the neuromuscular-relaxant drug 1,1'-azobis-3-methyl-2-phenyl-1H-imidazo-[1,2-a]-pyridinium dibromide (fazadinium bromide, AH 8165) is described. The drug is hydrolized by alkali to give 3-methyl-2-phenyl-1H-(1,2-a)-imidazo-pyridinium bromide, which is extracted by cyclohexane and measured for fluorescence. Intravenous administration (1 mg/kg) in dogs gives initial blood levels of unchanged drug of 4.34 +/- 0.25 microgram/ml. The decay of serum concentrations is rapid. The extent of urinary excretion of unchanged drug is 15% within 6 h.


The active layer constitutes an important subsystem of permafrost environments. Thermal andhydrological processes in the active layer determine local phenomena such as erosion, hydrologicaland ecosystem changes, and can have implications for the global carbon-climate feedback.Despite their importance for environmental and climate change, active layer dynamics are stillonly poorly understood. The importance of hydrology for active layer processes is generallywell acknowledged on a conceptual level, but the physical interdependencies between soil moisture,subsurface water flows and active layer depth are largely unresolved. This thesis usedstate-of-the-art numerical modeling to study the influence of ground surface temperature, soilmoisture content and advective heat flow on near-surface permafrost temperatures and activelayer depths. The investigation was performed for a dry, loess-covered river terrace in centralAdventdalen, Svalbard, and fed by high-resolution hydro-climatic field data for the period2000-2014. Nine scenarios were considered in order to independently test the influence ofdifferent initial soil moisture contents (6%, 12%, and 19%) and infiltration patterns (no infiltration,constant infiltration, and early summer peak infiltration). Results indicated that the permafrost-hydrological system at the study site is largely influenced by cryosuction processes due tostrong capillarity of the highly unsaturated soil. Zones of increased ice content developedprimarily near the permafrost table, creating a 'transition zone' between the lower part of theactive layer and the upper permafrost. Infiltration based on snow melt and summer precipitationwas found to be negligible for the seasonal active layer development. The active layer depthgenerally decreased with increasing initial soil moisture content due to a higher consumption oflatent heat. However, cryosuction into the permafrost table and water percolation could potentiallycounterbalance latent heat effects, at least in systems characterized by higher soil moisturecontents. Both model simulations and field observations showed a clear tendency of increasingactive layer depth during the study period, whereas inter-annual variations in active layer depthwere comparably small. Given the moisture migration into the 'transition zone', the modelresults further suggested that the site might be capable to buffer thaw and thus obscure increasingground surface temperatures to a certain degree. This could have implications for the suitabilityof active layer depth as a proper indicator for climate change.


Effectiveness of Pseudomonas fluorescens against groundnut bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum). The experiment was conducted to study effectiveness of Pseudomonas fluorescens (PF) soil drenching application against groundnut bacterial wilt disease (Ralstonia solanacearum) suppression. Results showed that PF applications gave significant effect to reduce wilt incidence. The lowest wilt incidence (7.17%) was obtained by three times periodically soil drenching of the growing plant (1 day before planting, 15 days after planting and 30 days after planting) with PF (107 cfu/ml) suspensions. PF applications showed no significant effect on plant height which ranging from 13,07 cm - 15,60 cm.  In addition, PF applications showed wet  root and pod weight ranging from  0,35 g – 0,83 g and  7,13 g – 9,13 g, respectively which significantly different compared with untreated PF application.


Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) infection of the central nervous system is associated with characteristic virological, clinical, and neuropathological findings in adults and children. Productive infection in the brain and spinal cord occurs in blood‐derived macrophages, resident microglia, and multinucleated giant cells. Previous work implicated indirect mechanisms for neurotoxicity by HIV‐1 gene products or by factors secreted from HIV‐1‐infected macrophages. However, this cannot explain the paradox between the small numbers of infected cells and the widespread tissue pathology. Based on recent studies from our laboratories, we suggest that HIV‐1‐infected macrophages can initiate neurotoxicity, which is then amplified through cell‐to‐cell interactions with astrocytes. Macrophageastrocyte interactions produce cytokines tumor necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐1b̃ and arachidonic metabolites that cause astroglial proliferation and neuronal injury. Inevitably, the astrogliosis serves to amplify these cellular processes while brain infection maintains itself in macrophage and microglia and possibly in astrocytes (by restricted infection). These findings, taken together, provide fresh insights into how low numbers of productively infected cells could elicit progressive and devastating neurological impairment during HIV‐1 disease, and suggest therapeutic strategies to interrupt the pathological process.


ABSTRACT This is the first installment of a revision of the didelphid marsupial genus Philander, commonly known as gray four-eyed opossums. Although abundant and widespread in lowland tropical forests from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, species of Philander are not well understood taxonomically, and the current literature includes many examples of conflicting species definitions and nomenclatural usage. Our revision is based on coalescent analyses of mitochondrial gene sequences, phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, morphometric analyses, and firsthand examination of relevant type material. Based on these results, we provisionally recognize eight species, of which three are formally treated in this report: P. quica (Temminck, 1824), an Atlantic Forest endemic formerly known as P. frenatus (Olfers, 1818); P. canus (Osgood, 1913), a widespread species formerly treated as a synonym or subspecies of P. opossum (Linnaeus, 1758); and P. pebas, a new species endemic to Amazonia. The remaining, possibly valid, species of Philander can be allocated to two clades. The first is a cis-Andean complex that includes P. andersoni (Osgood, 1913); P. mcilhennyi Gardner and Patton, 1972; and P. opossum. The second is a trans-Andean complex that includes P. melanurus (Thomas, 1899) and P. pallidus (Allen, 1901). Among other nomenclatural acts, we designate a neotype for the long-problematic nominal taxon Didelphis superciliaris Olfers, 1818, and (in an appendix coauthored by Renate Angermann), we establish that Olfers' coeval binomen D. frenata is based on an eastern Amazonian type and is a junior synonym of P. opossum.


Language Learner Strategies, an edited volume born from a series of meetings at the International Association of Applied Linguistics Congress in the early 2000s, provides a comprehensive overview into the past, present, and proposed future of the field of language learner strategies (LLS). Principally written for language or education researchers, this book is concerned with the strategies learners employ in the process of second language (L2) acquisition and performance in the second or foreign language classroom. The editors, Andrew D. Cohen and Ernesto Macaro, propose that the volume serve as a coherent auto-critique and theoretical synthesis of LLS research to date, with the goal of improving opportunities for all language learners through further research into LLS.


Citrus maxima peel is rich in natural phenolic compounds and has a long use in the traditional medicine. HPLC-DAD analysis on Citrus maxima peel powder exhibited the presence of various phenolic compounds such as caffeic acid and (−)-epicatechin. To determine the plausible hepatoprotective activity of Citrus maxima peel powder, we used carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treated rat model. Liver damage in rats was confirmed by measuring the AST, ALT, and ALP enzyme activities. In addition, lipid peroxidation products (MDA), nitric oxide, advanced protein oxidation products level (APOP), and catalase activities were also analyzed along with the histological profiling for the inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen, and iron deposition in liver. Dietary supplementation of Citrus maxima peel powder exhibited significant reduction of serum AST, ALT, and ALP activities in carbon tetrachloride treated rats. Moreover, Citrus maxima peel powder also showed a significant reduction of the oxidative stress markers (MDA, NO, and APOP level) and restored the catalase activity in CCl4 treated rats. Histological examination of the liver section revealed reduced inflammatory cells infiltration, collagen, and iron deposition in CCl4 treated rats. The results from this study demonstrated that Citrus maxima peel powder produced significant hepatoprotective action in CCl4 administered rats.