BACKGROUND
The net economic value of increased health care spending remains unclear, especially for chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the net value of health care for patients with type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN
Economic analysis of observational cohort data.

SETTING
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, a not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system.

PATIENTS
613 patients with type 2 diabetes.

MEASUREMENTS
Changes in inflation-adjusted annual health care spending and in health status between 1997 and 2005 (with health status defined as 10-year cardiovascular risk), holding age and diabetes duration constant across the observation period ("modifiable risk"), and simulated outcomes for all diabetes complications based on the UKPDS (United Kingdom Perspective Diabetes Study) Outcomes Model. Net value was estimated as the present discounted monetary value of improved survival and avoided treatment spending for coronary heart disease minus the increase in annual spending per patient.

RESULTS
Assuming that 1 life-year is worth $200,000 and accounting for changes in modifiable cardiovascular risk, the net value of changes in health care for patients with type 2 diabetes was $10,911 per patient (95% CI, -$8480 to $33,402) between 1997 and 2005, a positive dollar value that suggests the value of health care has improved despite increased spending. A second approach based on diabetes complications yielded a net value of $6931 per patient (CI, -$186,901 to $211,980).

LIMITATION
The patient population was homogeneous and small, and the wide CIs of the estimates are compatible with a decrease as well as an increase in value.

CONCLUSION
The economic value of improvements in health status for patients with type 2 diabetes seems to exceed or equal increases in health care spending, suggesting that those increases were worth the extra cost. However, the possibility that society is getting less value for its money could not be statistically excluded, and there is opportunity to improve the value of diabetes-related health care.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE
None.


Oncogene amplification has been observed in various primary tumors and tumor-derived cell lines. In several types of cancer, amplification of specific oncogenes is correlated with the stage of tumor progression. To estimate the frequency of gene amplification in other tumor types and to determine whether the ability to grow in vivo is associated with gene amplification in tumor cell lines, we have developed a modified version of the in-gel renaturation assay that detects human DNA sequences of unknown nature amplified as little as 7- to 8-fold. This assay was used to screen 16 cell lines derived from various solid tumors and leukemias. Amplified DNA sequences were detected in only one cell line, Calu-3 lung adenocarcinoma. This cell line was found to contain coamplified NGL (formerly termed neu) and ERBA1 oncogenes. However, when one of the amplification-negative cell lines, PC-3 prostatic carcinoma, was selected for in vivo growth in nude mice, amplified DNA sequences became detectable in these cells. The amplified sequences included the MYC oncogene, which showed no amplification in the parental cell line but was amplified 10- to 12-fold in the in vivo-selected cells. MYC amplification may, therefore, provide tumor cells with a selective advantage specific for in vivo growth.


This short report, included in the JEOD "Research Proceedings" Section, illustrates the World Co-operative Monitor (WCM), an initiative promoted by the International Co-operative Alliance (Alliance) and Euricse aimed at colleting economic, organizational, and social data about cooperatives and mutuals worldwide. The report briefly illustrates the project's aims and methodology, and the main findings of the 2017 edition. Work on the next edition is underway, and the new report will be released in the fall of 2018. All of the past reports, the full methodology, and the 2018 questionnaire are accessible at the World Co-operative Monitor website (http://www.monitor.coop).


Antibodies are principal immune components elicited by vaccines to induce protection from microbial pathogens. In the Thai RV144 HIV-1 vaccine trial, vaccine efficacy was 31% and the sole primary correlate of reduced risk was shown to be vigorous antibody response targeting the V1V2 region of HIV-1 envelope. Antibodies against V3 also were inversely correlated with infection risk in subsets of vaccinees. Antibodies recognizing these regions, however, do not exhibit potent neutralizing activity. Therefore, we examined the antiviral potential of poorly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against immunodominant V1V2 and V3 sites by passive administration of human mAbs to humanized mice engrafted with CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, followed by mucosal challenge with an HIV-1 infectious molecular clone (IMC) expressing the envelope of a tier 2 resistant HIV-1 strain. Treatment with anti-V1V2 mAb 2158 or anti-V3 mAb 2219 did not prevent infection, but both reduced the virus burden, and V3 mAb 2219 displayed a superior potency compared to V1V2 mAb 2158. While these mAbs had no or weak neutralizing activity and elicited undetectable levels of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), V3 mAb 2219 displayed a greater capacity to bind virus- and cell-associated HIV-1 envelope and to mediate antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) and C1q complement binding as compared to V1V2 mAb 2158. Mutations in the Fc region of 2219 abolished these effector activities and abrogated virus control in humanized mice. These results demonstrate the importance of Fc functions other than ADCC for antibodies without potent neutralizing activity.


Autonomous driving system can assist to prevent the traffic accidents caused by the negligence of the driver. Obstacle detection and warning mechanism plays an important role in this research field. In this paper, we adopt the computer vision technology because of its large detecting range and abundant information when compared to other kinds of sensors. The proposed system is suitable for both the simplified environment such as freeway and the urban environment with complex background. Thus, the result here improves traffic safety not only for drivers, but also for all pedestrians on the road.


Introduction: Mood disorders including depression are the most common and most serious mental disorders among people. Students as a high risk group are also known for developing this disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of perfectionism and daily stresses on predicting the depression symptoms among the students .   Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 477 students at Allameh Tabataba�I University through multiple cluster sampling. Participants responded to the questionnaires of demographic characteristics, perfectionism, daily stresses and depression symptoms. Data were analyzed using Pearson' s correlation coefficient and stepwise multipee linear regression.   Results: Results showed that there was significant internal correlation among perfectionism, daily stresses and depression symptoms (p


Hydrogen produced using fossil fuel feed stocks causes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, even when carbon capture and storage (CCS) is used. By contrast, hydrogen produced using electrolysis and zero-emissions electricity does not create GHG emissions. Several countries advocating the use of 'clean' hydrogen put both technologies in the same category. Recent studies and strategies have compared these technologies, typically assuming high carbon capture rates, but have not assessed the impact of fugitive emissions and lower capture rates on total emissions and costs. We find that emissions from gas or coal based hydrogen production systems could be substantial even with CCS, and the cost of CCS is higher than often assumed. At the same time there are indications that electrolysis with renewable energy could become cheaper than fossil fuel with CCS options, possibly in the nearterm future. Establishing hydrogen supply chains on the basis of fossil fuels, as many national strategies foresee, may be incompatible with decarbonisation objectives and raise the risk of stranded assets.


Following the events of September 11, 2001, and the recession that was finally acknowledged last year, the debate has intensified over how, and how much, to cut income taxes. The main point of contention in this omnipresent debate centers on what income groups will receive the greatest benefit from any proposed tax cuts, and whether these benefits are warranted for the greater good. Who are the rich? Do they pay their fair share of taxes? What is a fair share of taxes? These are the types of questions that Republicans and Democrats, mothers and fathers, housewives and lawyers, have debated for years. Everyone seems to have an opinion on questions of these sorts and those opinions are often based on a person's specific circumstances, such as socio-economic status, age, level of education, and even gender. It has been long acknowledged that men and women have different attitudes toward any number of issues, including various ethical and public policy issues. Do these differences extend to issues involving taxation? Will men and women from the same socio-economic background have differing attitudes about the fairness of the current tax system in the United States, or the acceptability of cheating on taxes? The focus of this report is to clarify and specify differences of opinion and attitude between men and women on these and related issues.


Project-based learning (PBL) is a promising teaching method for integrated science education that has gained momentum in educational research and curriculum reforms, especially as a method to enhance 21st century skills and connected worldview. How teachers implement PBL greatly affects students' content understanding and development of skills. The purpose of this qualitative study is to highlight active teachers' PBL practices and their perceptions of the advantages and challenges of implementing PBL to better promote the implementation of PBL in teacher education programs and in integrated science education. This study consisted of two parts: (1) a qualitative-led survey and (2) a case study. First, the data for the survey was collected from January to March 2017 through an online reporting form of an international StarT programme. This programme supports the implementation of interdisciplinary and collaborative PBL in science, mathematics and technology education. 244 teachers from early childhood education to upper secondary school participated from 28 countries. Second, 12 PBL units reported by the teachers were chosen for a case study. The teachers exploited PBL practices that were theme- and inquiry-based, collaborative and engaging to students. However, closer inspection revealed variation and defects in the practices particularly in relation to assessment, using reflection and student-centred approach. In addition, teachers reported several challenges relating to the implementation of PBL. The results indicate that teachers see PBL as beneficial but need support with the implementation. Science teachers' pedagogical competence in PBL could be promoted through collaborative learning in which students, teachers and other participants are learning from each other.


1. Presentation Title
Impacts of interprofessional simulation on affective learning among medical students: Qualitative analysis from the CLEIMS study.
2. Background
Studies have found Australian medical graduates to be poorly equipped to prescribe, raising concerns about patient safety. The CLEIMS randomised study of extended immersion in practice simulation (including an interprofessional component with pharmacy students), presented at last year's conference, demonstrated persistent positive impact on medical students' prescribing skills. During the study, students kept textual journals to support reflection on their experience.
3. Methods of Research
Reflective journals from both arms of the study were analysed using a phenomenological approach to identify the impact of the interprofessional simulation on learning in the affective domain. The Krathwohl taxonomy was used to classify the level of affective learning described.
4. Results of Research
Students in the intervention arm, who undertook the simulation in addition to conventional workshops, but not their control counterparts, showed evidence of affective learning at high Krathwohl levels (4 & 5). For example, one participant reflected that they were 'disappointed to discover that we had neglected to check for drug interactions' which caused an adverse event for the simulated patient, noting that they 'found it useful to discuss this error with the [student] pharmacists ... Following on from today I am going to ensure that I am extra precautious with my prescribing and use appropriate resources to check contraindications and interactions'.
5. Conclusions
Phenomenological analysis of participant journals in a randomised educational trial provided a useful method for identifying learning in the affective domain. Participants in the simulation arm, but not those in the control arm, showed clear evidence of significant affective learning in relation to prescribing and collaboration with pharmacy colleagues.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
We analyzed the ability of a machine learning approach that uses diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) structural connectomes to determine lateralization of epileptogenicity in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We analyzed diffusion tensor and 3-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted images of 44 patients with TLE (right, 15, left, 29; mean age, 33.0 ± 11.6 years) and 14 age-matched controls. We constructed a whole brain structural connectome for each subject, calculated graph theoretical network measures, and used a support vector machine (SVM) for classification among 3 groups (right TLE versus controls, left TLE versus controls, and right TLE versus left TLE) following a feature reduction process with sparse linear regression.

RESULTS
In left TLE, we found a significant decrease in local efficiency and the clustering coefficient in several brain regions, including the left posterior cingulate gyrus, left cuneus, and both hippocampi. In right TLE, the right hippocampus showed reduced nodal degree, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency. With use of the leave-one-out cross-validation strategy, the SVM classifier achieved accuracy of 75.9 to 89.7% for right TLE versus controls, 74.4 to 86.0% for left TLE versus controls, and 72.7 to 86.4% for left TLE versus right TLE.

CONCLUSION
Machine learning of graph theoretical measures from the DTI structural connectome may give support to lateralization of the TLE focus. The present good discrimination between left and right TLE suggests that, with further refinement, the classifier should improve presurgical diagnostic confidence.


ABSTRACT Fuzzy Geometric Programming has been in discussion for 32 years since 1987. According to Cao, the author, he in the paper introduces its development process, aiming to promote this new branch, attracting scholars home and abroad to join in ranks of the research, and helping to solve the three conjectures of Fuzzy Geometric Programming proposed by Cao [Three guess of fuzzy geometric programming. Vol. 147. Springer; 2012. p. 591–594. (Advances in intelligent and soft computing)]. At present, many books and teaching materials of it have been translated into Persian with some published.


Heme b is the iron containing prosthetic group to an important pool of iron proteins known as the hemoproteins. Hemoproteins are functionally diverse, playing key roles in photosynthetic and respiratory electron transfer (e.g. cytochrome b6f, photosystem II, cytochrome bc1) among other fundamental biological processes. Heme b is the most naturally abundant heme structure, but data regarding hemes in the marine environment are limited. An investigation has been conducted to improve our understanding of heme b abundance in marine organisms through laboratory monoculture studies of three marine cyanobacteria grown under varying total iron concentration. The unicellular cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp. WH7803 was examined under three total iron concentrations: 12 nmol L-1 (low), 120 nmol L-1 (medium) and 1200 nmol L-1 (high). The marine diazotrophs (i.e. nitrogen fixers) Crocosphaera watsonii (WH8501) and Trichodesmium erythraeum (IMS101) were studied under six total iron concentrations between 0 and 120 nmol L-1. Cultures were analysed for heme b, chlorophyll a, particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) concentration. Nitrogen fixation rates and biophysical measurements (Fv/Fm and ?PSII) were also obtained for diazotroph cultures. Field data regarding the concentration of heme b, chlorophyll a, POC and PON as well as nitrogen fixation rates were collected during two research cruises in the subtropical North Atlantic (STNA, D346) and tropical North Atlantic (TNA, D361); an oceanographic region known to demonstrate high nitrogen fixation rates and receive significant dust (iron) deposition from the Saharan and Sahel deserts of Western Africa. Cultures of Synechococcus sp. WH7803 showed evidence of iron stress at low iron treatments via reduced maximum growth rates (?max), total biovolume and chlorophyll a concentration. This was also reflected by a significant reduction in cellular heme b content per unit carbon (heme:C) at the lowest iron concentration. An estimated heme b requirement between 1.0 and 1.5 ?mol mol-1 C is proposed for Synechococcus sp. WH7803 in order to facilitate ?max. Chlorophyll a to heme b ratios (chl:heme) were significantly decreased in low iron cultures of Synechococcus sp. WH7803, suggesting b-type hemoproteins were conserved when iron stressed. Cultures of Crocosphaera and Trichodesmium were similarly influenced by the availability of iron, with reduced total biovolume and chlorophyll a concentration reported at low iron treatments. However, heme:C ratios were maintained at approximately 1.5 and 0.5 ?mol mol-1 C for Crocosphaera and Trichodesmium cultures, respectively. A high iron requirement is associated with marine diazotrophs relating to the iron-rich non-heme nitrogenase enzyme complex responsible for nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation rates increased as total iron concentration increased, with Trichodesmium demonstrating four-fold higher rates than Crocosphaera at corresponding iron concentrations. It has been suggested that relatively low heme b contents of Trichodesmium cultures resulted from increased nitrogen fixation activity. Furthermore, heme:C ratios of Crocosphaera and Trichodesmium were typically lower than five eukaryotic phytoplankton previously investigated, potentially related to the allocation of iron for nitrogen fixation. Mean heme:C ratios from cruises in the STNA and TNA were 0.64 and 0.66 ?mol mol-1 C, respectively. Results could imply the region was iron stressed and/or dominated by cyanobacteria. Evidence is also presented suggesting a possible inverse relationship between nitrogen fixation and heme:C ratio in the TNA which could be attributed to natural populations of Trichodesmium.


Abstract B-cell-depleting agents are among the most commonly used drugs to treat haemato-oncological and autoimmune diseases. They rapidly induce a state of peripheral B-cell aplasia with the potential to interfere with nascent vaccine responses, particularly to novel antigens. We have examined the relationship between B-cell reconstitution and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responses in two cohorts of patients previously exposed to B-cell-depleting agents: a cohort of patients treated for haematological B-cell malignancy and another treated for rheumatological disease. B-cell depletion severely impairs vaccine responsiveness in the first 6 months after administration: SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence was 42.2% and 33.3% in the haemato-oncological patients and rheumatology patients, respectively and 22.7% in patients vaccinated while actively receiving anti-lymphoma chemotherapy. After the first 6 months, vaccine responsiveness significantly improved during early B-cell reconstitution; however, the kinetics of reconstitution was significantly faster in haemato-oncology patients. The AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and the Pfizer BioNTech 162b vaccine induced equivalent vaccine responses; however, shorter intervals between vaccine doses (<1 m) improved the magnitude of the antibody response in haeamto-oncology patients. In a subgroup of haemato-oncology patients, with historic exposure to B-cell-depleting agents (>36 m previously), vaccine non-responsiveness was independent of peripheral B-cell reconstitution. The findings have important implications for primary vaccination and booster vaccination strategies in individuals clinically vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2.


We live in a world where everyday objects, digital services, and human beings are increasingly interconnected. This forum aims to offer and promote a rich discussion on the challenges of designing for a broader ecology of materials, artifacts, and practices. --- Elisa Giaccardi, Editor


Mechanical Heart Assist Systems are one option to treat cardiovascular disease being the main cause of death worldwide. Since the reliability of these devices has increased and patients on mechanical heart assist systems are even able to leave the hospital, the need for enhanced control algorithms that automatically adapt the output of the devices to the patients need is growing. This review paper aims to give an overview on control strategies proposed for Mechanical Heart Assist Systems. Typical aspects of designing control algorithms are introduced and issues regarding the control of biomedical applications are discussed. Different approaches to control Mechanical Heart Assist Systems are presented and research topics that need further development are identified.


In experiments on male rats, aged 4-5 and 24-26 months, the insulin effect on lipolysis and lipid peroxidation in the epididymal adipose tissue was studied in vivo and in vitro. Insulin was administered in doses of 0.5 and 2 U/g body weight and 0.025 and 0.1 U/ml. It was shown that insulin inhibits lipolysis and lipid peroxidation (malonic dialdehyde level was determined) in the adipose tissue. The antilipolytic and antioxidant effects decreased with age.


Abstract A lack of direct spectroscopic evidence linking cations to the clay mineral structure is a primary reason for many ambiguities regarding the location and structure of the binding sites. This study attempts to obtain such evidence through the observation of nuclear-spin interactions between adsorbed cations (113Cd2+) and nuclei present in the lattice structure of the clay (1H and 27Al) using solid-state NMR. 1H-113Cd variable-amplitude cross-polarization (VACP) and 27Al-113Cd spin-echo double-resonance (SEDOR) experiments were successfully performed on dried, Cd2+-exchanged beidellite, montmorillonite, and vermiculite samples, demonstrating for the first time a direct interaction between the adsorbed cations and the clay. VACP provides much greater cross-polarization (CP) efficiency which enhances signal intensity necessary for these experiments. Signal intensity varies between octahedral and tetrahedral binding sites because hydroxyls in the ditrigonal cavities of tetrahedral sites produce greater CP efficiency presumably due to shorter 1H-113Cd distances in this environment. CP efficiency decreased in the order vermiculite>beidellite>montmorillonite. The observation of nuclear-spin coupling between cadmium and either 1H or 27Al in the minerals is consistent with the presence of the cations in the ditrigonal cavities of the tetrahedral sheet. Inter-sample comparison of the strengths of coupling interactions follow expected trends based on charge location in the crystal structure and Al speciation.


The present work describes the structure of a pilot study which was addressed to test a tool developed to automatically assess Critical Thinking - CT Levels through language analysis techniques. Starting from Wikipedia database and lexical analysis procedures based on n-grams, a new approach aimed at the automatic assessment of the open-ended questions, where CT can be detected, is proposed. Automatic assessment is focused on four CT macro-indicators : basic language skills, relevance, importance and novelty. The pilot study was carried out through different workshops adapted from Crithinkedu � EU Erasmus + Project model aimed at training university teachers in the field of CT. The workshops were designed to support the development of CT teaching practices at higher education level and enhance University Teachers' CT as well. The two-hour workshops were conducted in two higher educational institutions, the first in the U.S.A (CCRWT Berkeley College NYC, 26 university teachers) and the second in Italy (Inclusive memory project - University Roma Tre, 22 university teachers). After the two workshops, data were collected through an online questionnaire developed and adapted in the framework of the Erasmus + Crithinkedu project. The questionnaire includes both open-ended and multiple choice questions. The results present CT level shown by university teachers and which kind of pedagogical practices they intend to promote after such an experience within their courses. In addition, a comparison between the values inferred by the algorithm and those calculated by domain human expert is offered. Finally, following up activity is shown taking into consideration other sets of macro-indicators: argumentation and critical evaluation.


Optimizing train movement has a great significance for railway traffic. In this paper, based on the optimal velocity car-following model, we propose a new simulation model for optimizing train movement in railway traffic. Here a kind of single-track railway is considered. Our aim is to reduce the energy consumption of train movement and ensure the train being on time by controlling the velocity curve of train movement. The simulation results indicate that the proposed model is effective for optimizing train movement. In addition, some major characteristics of train movement can be well captured. This method provides a new way to optimize train movement in railway traffic.


Gluckman's approach to case studies is seen as a pivotal moment in the history of social anthropology. The shift was from nor mative accounts of structure to the tracking of sequences of events. An example from the author's study of happenings on Kilimanjaro illustrates the complex factors that enter a processual approach. Some dimensions of a century of social history can be seen to surround the struggle over a piece of property.


Existing buildings are indispensable in a society and they will continue to exist until
they reach the end of their service or economic life. While it is crucial to upkeep existing
buildings, enhancing their sustainability is equally important as the energy performance of
some older properties is usually less than satisfactory. Despite that, it is never easy for
citizens to establish which is the most suitable sustainable refurbishment strategy for their
properties. If historic cases can be captured and represented systematically, owners and
occupants living in properties of similar types can review the outcomes of these cases to
decide whether some sustainable building refurbishment solutions adopted by the others
before are applicable to their property. In the paper, a prototype case-based reasoning model
for sustainable building refurbishment is proposed. This paper demonstrates how to make use
of the proposed model to retrieve and reuse previous cases to derive suitable sustainable
building refurbishment strategies for existing buildings.


The registered nurse's pursuit of professionalism is of prime importance in the execution of her task. This research attempts to assess the perceptions concerning the subject Ethos of Nursing held by post-registration nursing students--after they had written the examination on the subject. The purpose was to determine the extent of the student's pursuit of professionalism, as her perception of Ethos is synonymous with her attitude towards professionalism. During the student's basic education in Nursing Science she was taught the fundamental principles of Ethos. This research revealed that this basic teaching failed to meet the requirements of the nurse subsequent to registration. It appeared that the students' perceptions changed from negative to positive during their studies at Unisa. This finding supported the assumption that the subject Ethos, and its impact on the nurse practitioner's pursuit of professionalism, might only reach its full potential at the post-basic level.


Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic implications of the pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and its dynamic change during chemotherapy in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 203 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to interval debulking surgery for advanced-stage ovarian cancer at Yonsei Cancer Hospital between 2007 and 2015. Pretreatment NLR was evaluated before starting neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Change in NLR was defined as the post-neoadjuvant NLR value divided by the initial value. The correlation of NLR and its dynamic change with chemotherapy response score, response rate, and recurrence was analyzed. Results The NLR ranged from 0.64 to 22.8. In univariate analyses, a higher pretreatment NLR (>3.81) was associated with poor overall survival (OS), but not progression-free survival (PFS). Through multivariate analysis, high pretreatment NLR was shown to be an independent parameter affecting OS, but not necessarily PFS. Changes in NLR during chemotherapy were better predictors of PFS than baseline NLR. Patients with increased NLR during chemotherapy showed significantly poor PFS, and this change was an independent predictor of PFS. Conclusion Pretreatment NLR and its dynamic change during chemotherapy may be important prognostic factors in patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy.


This paper examines whether the American officer's education at West Point and the Swedish officer's education at the Military Academy Karlberg have adapted their history of the military art education in accordance to the new requirements of the Armed Forces and its focus on the operational defense. Sweden is evolving towards an operational defense and so is the United States. This in turn requires that training and education keep up with the changes. The National Defense College in Sweden do not focus the teaching of advanced history, which happened before the invention of the engine, in the officer's training program, while the American education is rather advanced, with special focus on events taken place in the 19 th century up to the Cold War. The Swedish history of the military art education is more of a philosophical and introductory character resulting in less military historical knowledge. The American education is more focused on dates, battles and events, making the West Point education both more profound and extensive in these dimensions in comparison with the Swedish education. However, it is very doubtful that 19 th century military history is useful for a commanding officer during an operation, for example in Afghanistan. Having knowledge about the history of the military art's development is important to be able to understand the evolution of the Armed Forces, but having knowledge of the number of battalions and name of the commander at the Battle of Austerlitz is of less importance. This paper compares the Swedish and the American history of the military art education in order to analyze the degree of adaption to the new operational defense.


: A study was made on 23 rabbits of the degree of spatial synchronization in response to repeated electrical stimulations of one or simultaneously two cortical areas: the sensorimotor or visual, or simultaneously the sensorimotor and visual, or sensorimotor and precentral respectively. Enhancement of the synchronization induced by the stimulation, globally spread over the entire cortex and was followed by its decrease. However, in the two directly stimulated areas of the cortex, the similarity of bioelectrical oscillations persisted for a long time, which testifies to the establishment of selective relations between them.


Improving citizens' quality of life is a stated priority of many governments in both the global north and south.  However, efforts to achieve this often focus on socio-economic measures, with limited attention to the contributions of environmental variables such as green spaces.  This paper sought to bridge this knowledge gap by tracing the linkages between green spaces and quality of life, and how these connections can inform policy development in order to assist governments to achieve positive outcomes for quality of life.  The paper took a theoretical approach by utilising the systematic review method.  In all, 452 publications were included in this review, and rigorous content analysis was employed to retrieve relevant data.  Green spaces were found to provide various social, economic, and environmental benefits, which in turn improve physical, psychological, emotional, social, and material wellbeing of individuals and thus enhance quality of life.  It is therefore strongly recommended that conservation of green spaces should be integrated into national health, environmental and socio-economic policies in order to promote effective utilisation of green spaces to enhance citizens' overall quality of life.


Under a steady DC electric field of sufficient strength, a weakly conducting dielectric sphere in a dielectric solvent with higher conductivity can undergo spontaneous spinning (Quincke rotation) through a pitchfork bifurcation. We design an object composed of a dielectric sphere and an elastic filament. By solving an elasto-electro-hydrodynamic (EEH) problem numerically, we uncover an EEH instability exhibiting diverse dynamic responses. Varying the bending stiffness of the filament, the composite object displays three behaviours: a stationary state, undulatory swimming and steady spinning, where the swimming results from a self-oscillatory instability through a Hopf bifurcation. By conducting a linear stability analysis incorporating an elastohydrodynamic model, we theoretically predict the growth rates and critical conditions, which agree well with the numerical counterparts. We also propose a reduced model system consisting of a minimal elastic structure which reproduces the EEH instability. The elasto-viscous response of the composite structure is able to transform the pitchfork bifurcation into a Hopf bifurcation, leading to self-oscillation. Our results imply a new way of harnessing elastic media to engineer self-oscillations, and more generally, to manipulate and diversify the bifurcations and the corresponding instabilities. These ideas will be useful in designing soft, environmentally adaptive machines.


Objectives: The study aimed to prepare carbamazepine in solid lipid nanoparticle form (CBZ-SLN) in order to enhance its anticonvulsant effect. Method: Eight formulations of CBZ-SLNs were prepared by homogenization and ultra-sonication techniques. Results: The prepared CBZ-SLN showed a high entrapment efficiency% (39.66 ± 2.42%–71.91 ± 1.21%), a small particle size (45.11 ± 6.72–760.7 ± 5.25 nm), and a negative zeta potential (from −21.5 ± 1.02 to −38.4 ± 1.32 mv). The in vitro release study showed the slow release of CBZ from SLNs compared to CBZ aqueous dispersion (p < 0.05). The infrared spectroscopy and the thermal analysis revealed the compatibility of the drug with other ingredients and the presence of drug in the more soluble amorphous estate, respectively. The in vivo study on mice revealed that the CBZ-SLN had a higher anticonvulsant efficacy than CBZ aqueous dispersion after a lethal and chronic dose of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (p < 0.05). The histopathological examination of the hippocampus revealed a decrease in the percentage of degeneration in mice treated with the CBZ-SLN compared to the PTZ and CBZ groups. Conclusion: CBZ can be formulated as SLN with higher anticonvulsant activity than free CBZ aqueous dispersion.


On September 25 and 26, 2021, the Alzheimer's Association hosted the first meeting focused on people with early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD)-sometimes referred to as younger onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Though a diagnosis of AD can be devastating at any age, those with a younger onset-defined as symptoms developing prior to 65 years of age-face unique challenges. EOAD occurs when people are in the prime of their lives, often with multiple responsibilities including careers, community activities, and raising children and caring for older family members. These challenges warrant special consideration and study, yet people with EOAD are often excluded from AD research because of their atypical age of onset. To help fill this gap, we designed and launched the Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS) to enroll and follow 500 people with EOAD from > 15 sites in the United States, which the National Institute on Aging funded in 2018. The September 2021 meeting was designed to inform people with EOAD and their family members and caregivers about the latest research on the biology of EOAD, treatments in the pipeline, practical considerations about legal and financial arrangements for families, and the support networks available to them. More than 217 registrants attended.


Precipitation controls the availability of drinking water and viability of the land to support agriculture. Failure to accurately predict the location, magnitude, and frequency of precipitation impacts not only numerical weather forecasting but also climate modeling. It has been proposed that most rainfall events originate from ice that has melted to form rain. Here we use remote sensing from spaceborne cloud radar to quantify that idea. A new metric is constructed to quantify the fraction of rain events at the surface that are linked to snow melting at a higher altitude. CloudSat is used to show the global variation of the importance of snow in the precipitation process. In the tropics, subtropics, midlatitude and polar regions 0.3, 0.4, 0.8, and >0.9, respectively, of all precipitation events (>1 mm/d) are linked to the production of snow in clouds.


In the European Union, the collection of discard data is enforced through the Data Collection Regulation or Framework (DCR/DCF) of the European Commission (EC). To comply with this ruling, approximately ten trips of discard-intensive beam-trawlers are being monitored annually since 1999 (Helmond and Overzee, 2010). In 2009, revisions to the DCF (2008/949/EG), required member states to increase sampling intensity to i) improve the precision of their estimates and ii) the number of sampled metiers. To meet this requirement within an affordable budget, the Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (IMARES, part of Wageningen University and Research) set up a collaborative project between the Dutch fishing industry and the research institute to recruit a 'reference fleet' of vessel owners willing to participate in a self-sampling programme. This programme complemented the existing observer programme. In the observer programme, vessels were selected quarterly from a pool of available vessels, whereas in the self-sampling programme, trips were pre-determined from a reference fleet of participating vessels. Missing and/or wrong information precluded the inclusion of 17% and 13% of all self-sampled trips in 2009 and 2010. In total, 9 and 10 observer, and 63 and 132 valid self-sampling trips were completed in 2009 and 2010, respectively. For these remaining valid self-sampled trips, procedures were developed to test whether data quality was comparable with i) other self samples from the reference fleet and ii) comparable observercollected data (i.e. temporally and spatially overlapping trips). In addressing i), there were no unusual patterns in the length frequencies of self-sampled discards of European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), common dab (Limanda limanda), grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus), and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) in 2009 and2010. In addressing ii), no significant differences in the discard rates of plaice between the two programmes were found. There was no evidence that sampling may have been biased at the vessel level, justifying the decision to present all discard estimates independent of the programme type. While in both programmes the majority of observations were done onboard beam-trawl vessels with mesh sizes ranging between 70 and 99 mm, in the self-sampling programme data from four additional beam- and otter-trawl metiers with two 70-99 and 100-119 mesh size ranges and other target species assemblages (i.e mixed crustaceans and/or demersal fish) were collected. This lead, apart from a considerable increase in sampling effort for some metiers, to an increase in the temporal and spatial spread of sampling. Samples from previously unsampled northern and eastern parts of the North Sea were available. The spatial distribution of sampling locations matched that of the total effort of the fleet for intensively-sampled metiers. In all but two metiers, combined fish and benthos discards exceeded the volume of landings. In contrast, large-mesh beam- and otter trawls (100-119 mm) landed on average more than they discarded. The majority of discards was comprised by benthic (invertebrate ) species such as common starfish (Asteria rubens); sand star (Astropecten irregularis); swimming crab (Liocarcinus holsatus); and serpent star (Ophiura ophiura). Most frequently discarded fish species of no commercial value included: dragonet (Callionymus lyra); grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus); scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna); and solenette (Buglossidium luteum). Among commercially-valuable fish, common dab (Limanda limanda) and European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) were the most frequently discarded species.


The focus of this research was to study the effect of cobalt-doping on the structure and performance of hybrid silica membranes made with 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE) as precursor. Sols were made with cobalt concentrations between 7 and 28 mol% and varying amounts of nitric acid and measured for particle size and particle size distribution in a dynamic light scattering apparatus. Cobalt concentrations above 16% gave a bimodal particle size distribution, cobalt concentration of 16% and below gave a mono modal size distribution with particles between 7 and 14 nm. Sols with different dilutions were measured for particle size and showed a decrease in measured particle size when de sol was diluted from 0 times to 15 times. When the sols were diluted more than 15 times the distribution became bimodal.
XRD experiments were done on 16% and 22% samples calcined at 400°C in a nitrogen environment. No peaks were found, indicating an amorphous structure which suggest that the cobalt was incorporated in the silica matrix or existed in particles with a non crystalline structure.
Single gas permeation experiments were done on 16 mol% cobalt concentration membranes of sols that were diluted 6 and 10 times. The gas permeation data of these membrane were compared to a membrane without cobalt doping and turned out to be higher suggesting a more open structure than standard BTESE membranes. Permselectivity turned out to be lower for H2/N2 and H2/CH4 and higher for H2/CO2 for both the six and ten times diluted sols if compared with standard BTESE. From the cobalt-doped membranes only the H2/CH4 permselectivity was close to two times higher for the ten times diluted sol compared to the six times diluted sol indicating that the membrane made of the more diluted sol had less defects.


The dynamics of a system of two fluid-elastically coupled coaxial cylindrical shells is studied theoretically. The general equations of motion for free and forced-damped vibration are derived in terms of virtual mass, coupling coefficients, and uncoupled natural frequencies of the individual cylindrical shells. For free vibration, numerical solutions to the coupled equations of motion are given as a function of these parameters. For forced-damped vibration, solution is given to the special case when the external force is a normal one acting on the surface of the outer shell, such as the dynamic pressure forces arising from an external turbulent axial flow. It is shown that the coupled system can then be reduced to an equivalent single cylindrical shell. However, the effective force acting on the equivalent single cylinder, as well as its natural frequencies and effective damping ratios, are all modified from the corresponding uncoupled values. The response of the system can then be predicted by established methods in flow-induced random vibration analysis. Curves are included. The study aims mainly at applications to the vibration analysis of hydraulically coupled internal components of a pressurized nuclear reactor but is general enough to find application in other engineering disciplines.


: Tumour cells (ascitic A/Sn mouse lymphosarcoma ON-2), treated by the Bac. mesentericus AB-56 metabolism products used for the production of antitumour autovaccines were analyzed for their antigenic properties. The reactions of precipitation in gel, zonal and oncoming immunoelectrophoresis, passive hemagglutination as well as cytotoxic, absorption and transplantation tests were used. A considerable number of soluble and insoluble antigens inherent in intact tumour cells were inactivated by the products of microbial metabolism in the process of antitumour vaccine production, and modified antigens which induce synthesis of humoral antibodies in the syngenic system appeared.


Current concern about biodiversity change associated with human impacts has raised scientific interest in the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning. However, studies on this topic face the challenge of evaluating and separating the relative contributions of biodiversity and environment to ecosystem functioning in natural environments. To investigate this problem, we collected sediment cores at different seafloor locations in Saanich Inlet and the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, and measured benthic fluxes of oxygen and five nutrients (ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and silicate). We also measured 18 environmental variables at each location, identified macrofauna, and calculated a suite of species and functional diversity indices. Our results indicated that, examined separately, macrobenthic functional richness (FRic) predicted benthic flux better than species richness, explaining ~ 20% of the benthic flux variation at our sites. Environmental variables and functional diversity indices collectively explained 62.9% of benthic flux variation, with similar explanatory contributions from environmental variables (21.4%) and functional diversity indices (18.5%). The 22.9% shared variation between environmental variables and functional diversity indices demonstrate close linkages between species and environment. Finally, we also identified funnel feeding as a key functional group represented by a small number of species and individuals of maldanid and pectinariid polychaetes, which disproportionately affected benthic flux rates relative to their abundance. Our results indicate the primary importance of environment and functional diversity in controlling ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, these results illustrate the consequences of anthropogenic impacts, such as biodiversity loss and environmental changes, for ecosystem functioning.


Abstract By focusing a laser pulse inside a capillary partially filled with liquid, a vapour bubble is created that emits a pressure wave. This pressure wave travels through the liquid and creates a fast, focused axisymmetric microjet when it is reflected at the meniscus. We numerically investigate the formation of this microjet using axisymmetric boundary integral simulations, where we model the pressure wave as a pressure pulse applied on the bubble. We find a good agreement between the simulations and experimental results in terms of the time evolution of the jet and on all parameters that can be compared directly. We present a simple analytical model that accurately predicts the velocity of the jet after the pressure pulse and its maximum velocity.


Objective: According to widespread belief or clinical experience, uninfected hematoma can cause fever. However, epidemiological data regarding this assumption are scant. We assess the epidemiology of hematoma and fever in the postoperative orthopedic context, in the context of surgical indications for revision surgery.
Methods: Single-center prospective observational study among adult orthopedic patients. All patients have anti-inflammatory medication and many have blood transfusions. Fever is defined as any axillary temperature ≥ 38°C (104°F), subfebrile temperatures as ≥ 37.2°C.
Results: Among 405 patients in the study, 164 had (40%) fever, 221 (55%) subfebrile temperatures, and 166 (41%) yielded visible hematomas. Overall, fever was not associated with hematoma (67/164 vs. 99/241; Pearson-χ², p=0.96). We equally found no association when analyzing only the subfebrile level (156/385 vs. 10/18; p=0.21) or when analyzing the temperatures only on Day 4 (p=0.95), Day 7 (p=1.00), or solely for cases requiring surgical re-intervention (4/10 vs. 6/9; Fisher-exact-test, p=0.37). As continuous variables, the maximum temperatures on each of the seven postoperative days were not higher for patients with hematoma (Wilcoxon-ranksum-tests; all p>0.10).
Conclusion: Within the time frame of one week postoperatively and real-life conditions, we failed to establish an epidemiological association between postoperative fever and the presence of hematoma in a large prospective observational study among adult orthopedic patients under anti-inflammatory drugs.


While many firms realize the benefits of quality improvement, many others founder or fail in the attempt to implement quality improvement programmes. This paper presents and discusses the influence of self-efficacy, a construct that has consistently provided valuable insights in organizational research, on quality training success. We propose that applying self-efficacy to the quality improvement environment is an appropriate and promising area of research. We offer a series of propositions linking the types of self-efficacy information offered to the effectiveness of quality training programmes in organizations. We suggest that self-efficacy provides insights into why some quality training programmes work while others do not--tent may be same, but what matters is whether or not it is delivered via the most valuable sources of self-efficacy information. We conclude with a discussion of its applicability to the quality environment using an analogy and provide an agenda for future research.


Last Saturday the envelope containing my decree absolute landed on the mat. Two and a half years ago, after 19 years of marriage and the production of three children, my partner, a doctor, thought that he could do better elsewhere and left. But the pill which has at times been harder to swallow than the divorce wrangling is the elegant disdain with which I have been cast aside by some of his colleagues.

I had been around for a long time—not in any stunningly important capacity, but always available to take telephone messages, entertain colleagues, attend functions, soothe irate private patients. Yet within an amazingly brief period the new partner was introduced on to the scene and to certain people I automatically became yesterday's news, an Orwellian unperson.

> What turns intelligent members of a profession into blank eyed strangers?

These are people with whom we socialised as a couple for years. People who came regularly—over eight, 10, 12 years—to our home to receive our hospitality, which generally entailed …


First-principles calculations employing the hybrid exchange functional B3LYP are used to determine the structural parameters, electronic structure and associated properties of a graphene sheet, graphane chair and graphane boat confirmations. Graphane is found to have a band gap corresponding to an electronic insulator at room temperature. The relative performance of the B3LYP functional in comparison to calculations employing generalized gradient approximations (PBE) is also assessed. The B3LYP functional finds the band gap to be almost double that predicted by PBE methods. The choice of functional is found to be insignificant in the determination of the structural parameters


We recently established, using the NOD mouse model, that hybrid insulin peptides (HIPs), formed spontaneously in islet beta-cells by fusion of insulin C-peptide fragments to peptides of Chromogranin A (ChgA) or Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP), are ligands for diabetogenic CD4 T cell clones. The goal of this study was to investigate whether HIP-reactive T cells were indicative of ongoing autoimmunity in human T1D patients. To investigate their relevance to human disease, we used IFN-gamma ELISPOT to determine whether HIP-reactive T cells with an inflammatory phenotype were present in PBMCs of new onset T1D patients. We observed that PBMCs from new onset T1D patients responded to 8 of 16 HIPs tested and that nearly half of the patients tested responded to one or more HIPs. We used a CFSE based assay to further characterize T cells reactive to HIP peptides. CD4+CFSEdimCD25+ T cells were sorted single into single wells using FACS and cloned. T cell clonality was confirmed using TCR deep sequencing and T cell reactivity to specific HIPs was confirmed by ELISA. A total of 6 T cell clones were isolated and show a variety of TCR usage. One T cell clone was isolated from the same patient on two different blood draws, indicating a high frequency of this T cell clone in the peripheral blood. While all the T cell clones isolated secreted IFN-gamma in response to HIPs, they also produced other inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and GM-CSF and reacted to HIPs in the low nanomolar range. Our findings provide new evidence that HIP-reactive T cells are critical players in the pathogenesis of T1D and indicate that HIP-reactive T cells present in the peripheral blood can potentially serve as a biomarker of disease in a subset of patients. Disclosure R.L. Baker: None. T. Delong: None. P. Gottlieb: Advisory Panel; Self; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Research Support; Self; Caladrius Biosciences, Inc.. Advisory Panel; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Board Member; Self; ImmunoMolecular Therapeutics. Consultant; Self; Kamada. Research Support; Self; JDRF, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Novo Nordisk Inc., MacroGenics, Inc., Pfizer Inc.. Advisory Panel; Self; Viacyte, Inc.. Research Support; Self; GlaxoSmithKline plc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. K.M. Haskins: None.


The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a Safety Journey in 2011 aimed at elevating safety consciousness and practice in the Agency. All employees were required to attend an engagement session during the year to introduce them to the Safety Journey. In September, a survey was launched to help Forest Service leadership better understand employee views concerning the Safety Journey, and generally of safety in the Agency. The survey included 49 statements relating to the content of the engagement sessions. Demographic questions were also included, as well as an opportunity to comment. A total of 11,980 completed surveys were received between September 15, 2011, and March 7, 2012. In general, findings showed that most employees were cautiously optimistic about the Safety Journey, but some degree of skepticism was present in every Agency division. Future efforts should give more emphasis to making the Safety Journey more applicable to office worker, Law Enforcement and Investigations, Washington Office, and Research and Development employees. A significant number of employee comments called for more follow-through by Agency leaders, particularly by providing more financial resources; hiring better qualified personnel; assuring adequate safety equipment; and offering more relevant safety training, such as peer-to-peer mentoring and job-specific training.


In the present paper, a Bolza problem of optimal control theory with a fixed time interval given by convex and nonconvex second-order differential inclusions (PH) is studied. Our main goal is to derive sufficient optimality conditions for Cauchy problem of sth-order differential inclusions. The sufficient conditions including distinctive transversality condition are proved incorporating the Euler–Lagrange and Hamiltonian type inclusions. The basic concepts involved in obtaining optimality conditions are the locally adjoint mappings. Furthermore, the application of these results is demonstrated by solving the problems with third-order differential inclusions.


Recent advances in wireless communications and computer technology have provided users the opportunity to access information and services regardless of their physical location or movement behavior. In the context of database applications, these mobile users should have the ability to both query and update public, private, and corporate databases. The main goal of mobile software research is to provide as much functionality of network computing as possible within the limits of the mobile computer's capabilities. Consequently, transaction processing and efficient update techniques for mobile and disconnected operations have been very popular. In this paper, we present the main architecture of mobile computing and the characteristics with a database perspective. Some of the extensive transaction models and transaction processing for mobile computing are discussed with their underlying assumptions. A brief comparison of the models is also included


The transport of urate was evaluated in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from the dog renal cortex. It was previously shown that uphill urate and p-aminohippurate (PAH) uptake into these membrane vesicles results from imposing an outwardly directed OH- gradient. In the present study, the OH- gradient-stimulated uptake of urate was inhibited by external Cl-. In the absence of OH- gradients, imposing an outwardly directed Cl- gradient induced the transient accumulation of urate against its concentration gradient (overshoot), whereas imposing an inwardly directed Cl- gradient induced the transient uphill efflux of urate (undershoot). The effects of Cl- gradients on urate transport persisted when the diffusion potentials caused by the Cl- gradients were negated by superimposing K+ gradients in the presence of the K+ ionophore valinomycin. The dose-response curves for three different inhibitors were identical for the OH- and Cl- gradient-stimulated modes of urate uptake. The uptake of PAH was also stimulated by imposing an outwardly directed Cl- gradient. The dose-response curves for probenecid inhibition were identical for the OH- and Cl- gradient-stimulated modes of PAH uptake. Finally, the existence of a Na+ cotransport pathway for urate or PAH could not be demonstrated. We conclude that the principal mechanism for urate transport in dog renal microvillus membrane vesicles is via an anion exchanger with affinity for urate, PAH, OH-, and Cl-. This anion exchanger may play an important role in mediating organic anion reabsorption and secretion in the proximal tubule.


The CCLRC is one of Europe's largest multidisciplinary research organisations supporting scientists and engineers world-wide. It operates world-class large-scale research facilities, provides strategic advice to the government on their development and manages international research projects in support of a broad cross-section of the UK research community. CCLRC is involved in the development of grid and data management tools for a number of e-Science projects in the UK including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded e-Science project 'The Simulation of Complex Materials' or e-materials [1]. The focus of the multi-institution project was to aid the development of a computational technology for the prediction of the polymorphs of an organic molecule prior to its synthesis. The project's use of grid computation and workflows has enabled the running of very large scale computations and simulations, with the subsequent production of large amounts of scientific data. In order for the simulation data to be used and shared effectively the project required an effective data infrastructure to ease data discovery for both data originators and their collaborators. As such the data needed to be self-reflexive and organised into an intuitive and flexible hierarchy; and access to the data to be possible from a variety of perspectives. The annotation of the data with metadata, the usage of relational databases and the deployment of web-enabled applications has enabled the browsing and discovery of data and metadata and underpinned the collaborative nature of the project.


Efficiency of the problem solution to create a regionally-oriented data computing system for marine dynamics and ecosystem evolution modeling and forecasting (that should be capable for providing reliable information for managerial decision making, justifying future economic projects and adjusting the existing ones) depends on development level of observational systems, environmental evolution, mathematical models and techniques for observational data assimilation. The analysis of the system as an observational segment of modern geo-informational technology allows us to draw a conclusion that the system of drifter observations is one of the most effective ones nowadays. Surface drifter network, continuously operating in the World Ocean, provides systematic operational data on the surface water circulation, thermal processes in the upper ocean and air pressure. Drifter data, acquired over the past 15 years, allowed one to improve and even change the existing concepts of patterns and mechanisms of regional climatic trend and hydrometeorological anomaly formation under effect of global processes in the Ocean–Atmosphere model (in the high latitudes as well). In the present paper the principle results of the analysis of expediency and feasibility of drifting systematic operative pressure field monitoring establishment in the near-surface atmosphere layer over the Arctic Ocean and the seas of the Russian Federation Arctic Zone have been considered.More than 30 drifters of BTC60/GPS/ice type, whose summarized lifetime as for June 2015 exceeded 6500 days, were deployed in the Arctic in 2012–2015. According to data acquired from the drifters, more than 155 000 air pressure readings were received. The most intensive drifter observations were carried out in two regions: in the Beaufort Sea–Canada Basin and in the Central Arctic. The results of experiments revealed that hardware-software solutions implemented in polar modifications of barometric drifters provide reliable long-term operation of these apparatus as autonomous instruments of air pressure field operative systematic monitoring in the Arctic Region. With regard to relatively low cost and acceptable dimensions and weights barometric drifters may be considered as the elements of reliable and low-cost polar network of operative meteorological observations.


BACKGROUND. The secretory acini of the adult human prostate contain basal, luminal, and intermediate types of exocrine cells. Intermediate cells are thought to play an important role in normal growth and neoplastic transformation. In this study we investigated whether this cell type is present in early stages of prostate development, using keratin antibodies specific for them. METHODS. Autoptic tissue from 11 prepubertal and 5 normal adult prostates was immunohistochemically stained with four keratin antibodies capable of specifically detecting basal, luminal, or intermediate cell types. RESULTS. Morphologically, in fetal prostate cells differentiation was often not evident. However, basally located cells usually displayed a basal-cell keratin-phenotype. Morphologically similar cells with more luminal localization expressed keratins typical of luminal cells, or of intermediate cells. CONCLUSIONS. 1) In early stages of prostate development, cells with intermediate keratin-phenotype can be identified. 2) Their large numbers comply with a hierarchical pathway of cellular differentiation from basal to luminal cells. 3) The presence of intermediate cells at such an early fetal age may reflect their regulatory function in prostate development. Prostate 34:292–301, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss


We study the complex evolution of song grammars of the Bengalese finch. Their mating songs have the remarkable feature that they are described by finite-state automata. (Honda and Okanoya, 1999) In addition, it has been experimentally confirmed that complex songs are preferred by females and that the Bengalese finch's song is more complex than that of its ancestors. (Okanoya, 2002) These facts suggest that complex grammar-like systems may have evolved as a result of sexual selection. In order to explore this hypothesis, we study the communication between male and female finches, modeling their co-evolution by asymmetric finite-state automata. By introducing a complexity measure for song grammars, we study the effect of females' preferences. We observe that a gradual transition from lower complexity to higher complexity grammars is associated with the changing of male birds' courting strategy.


Acknowledgments vii Introduction:What We Talk about When We Talk about Rape 1 CHAPTER ONE Seduced and Enslaved:Sexual Violence in Antebellum American Literature and Contemporary Feminist Discourse 12 "Rape Crisis "or "Crisis in Sexual Identity"? The Feminist Rhetoric of Rape 13 "Guilty Passions" and" Foul Words": The Powers of Seduction and the Racialization of Sexual Violence 15 The Deployment of Sexual Violence and the" Cult of Secrecy": Historicizing the Feminist Rhetoric of Rape 27 CHAPTER TWO The Rise of the (Black) Rapist and the Reconstruction of Difference or, "Realist" Rape 33 "Black Claws into Soft White Throat" and Other Bestialities: Rapist Rhetoric, Rivalry, and Homosocial Desire in Thomas Nelson Page's Red Rock, Thomas Dixon's The Clansman, and Frank Norris's McTeague 35 "A Tender Lamb Snatched from the Jaws of a Hungry Wolf": Inversions of Rapist Rhetoric in Frances E. W. Harper's Iola Leroy 50 "The One Crime" and "the Real 'One Crime '": Rape, Lynching, and Mimicry in Sutton E.Griggs's The Hindered Hand 54 "A Thing Not to Be Faced": Rape as Robbery in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle 59 "Unconscious Penetration": Manners, Money, and the Primitive Man in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth 64 "The Kind We Can't Resist": The Lesson of William Vaughn Moody's A Sabine Woman 68 CHAPTER THREE Rape and the Artifice of Representation: Four Modernist Modes 75 "Soiled! Despoiled! Handled! Mauled! Rumpled! Rummaged! Ransacked!": Styles and Hyperboles of Seduction, Rape, and Incest in Djuna Barnes's Ryder 77 "That Little Hot Ball inside You That Screams": Rape's Resistance to Representation, the Resistance to Rape, and the Transgression of Boundaries in William Faulkner's Sanctuary 86 "Not What One Did to Women": Enacting Projections and Constructing the Racial Border in Richard Wright's Native Son 103 Fighting "Forced Relationship": Rape and Manslaughter in Ann Petry's The Street 116 CHAPTER FOUR Voicing Sexual Violence, Repoliticizing Rape: Post-Modernist Narratives of Sexuality and Power 139 "Mankind's Greatest Crime, Man's Inhumanity to Man": Chester Himes's A Case ofRape 145 "Plain Black (Gender) Trouble": Intraracial Rape, Incest, and Other Family Feuds 150 "Phantom Men" and" Zipless Fucks": Rape Fantasies and the Fictions of Female Desire 159 "An Obscene Posture That No One Could Help": Sodomy, Male Anxiety, and the" Crisis of Homo/Heterosexual Definition" in James Dickey's Deliverance 171 AFTERWORD: Challenging Readings of Rape 179 Notes 191 Work Cited and Consulted 211 Primary Texts 211 Secondary Sources 213 Index 233


Soil salinity is a serious threat to agriculture, because it compromises biomass production and plant productivity, by negatively affecting the vegetative growth and development of plants. Fiber crops like textile hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) are important natural resources that provide, sustainably, both cellulosic and woody fibers for industry. In this work, the response to salinity (200 mM NaCl) of a fiber variety of hemp (Santhica 27) was studied using quantitative real-time PCR. The responses of plantlets aged 15 days were analyzed by microscopy and by measuring the changes in expression of cell wall-related genes, as well as in the general response to exogenous constraints. The results presented here show that a different response is present in the hemp hypocotyls and leaves. In the leaves, genes coding for heat shock proteins were significantly upregulated, together with a phytohormone-related transcript (ethylene-responsive factor 1 ERF1) and genes involved in secondary cell wall biosynthesis (cellulose synthase CesA4, fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins FLA10 and FLA8). Moreover, a tendency towards upregulation was also observed in the leaves for genes involved in lignification (4CL, CAD, PAL); a finding that suggests growth arrest. In the hypocotyl, the genes involved in lignification did not show changes in expression, while a gene related to expansion (expansin EXPA8), as well as transcripts coding for calcium-dependent lipid-binding family proteins (CALB), were upregulated. Microscopic analyses on the hypocotyl cross sections revealed changes in the vascular tissues of salt-exposed plantlets, where the lumen of xylem vessels was reduced. The gene expression results show that a different response is present in the hemp hypocotyls and leaves. The data presented contribute to our understanding of the regulatory gene network in response to salinity in different tissues of an important fiber crop.


Graph representations of genomes are capable of expressing more genetic variation and can therefore better represent a population than standard linear genomes. However, due to the greater complexity of genome graphs relative to linear genomes, some functions that are trivial on linear genomes become more difficult in genome graphs. Calculating distance is one such function that is simple in a linear genome but much more complicated in a graph context. In read mapping algorithms, distance calculations are commonly used in a clustering step to determine if seed alignments could belong to the same mapping. Clustering algorithms are a bottleneck for some mapping algorithms due to the cost of repeated distance calculations. We have developed an algorithm for quickly calculating the minimum distance between positions on a sequence graph using a minimum distance index. We have also developed an algorithm that uses the distance index to cluster seeds on a graph. We demonstrate that our implementations of these algorithms are efficient and practical to use for mapping algorithms.


Rapid tools for injection moulding are often produced by casting of epoxide filled composites. The moulding blocks obtained in this way are likely to undergo wear especially at the surfaces of the moulding cores during the ejection phase. In this study, tribological properties of epoxide composites containing different volume fractions of short steel fibres used in moulding blocks were assessed. Friction tests with the composites and moulded polypropylene were carried out with a prototype equipment that reproduces the actual ejection phase of injection moulding. The friction data were interpreted in terms of the roughness and compared with the microscopic features of the epoxy composite surface.


With many traditional conservation approaches becoming outdated and inefficient this project looks at the role of architecture in facilitating forward thinking, system based conservation aimed at high levels of self-organization. Through the consolidation of architecture, with concerns relating to ecological conservation, landscape ecology and landscape architecture new approaches to the development of New Zealand's conservation estate are explored. Adopting the backcountry (DoC) hut as an anti-precident, the existing apathetic approach to the development and care of New Zealand's conservation estate is critiqued through design research. This thesis looks at the possibility of integrating a system of structures into the landscape at Nga Potiki reserve (South Wairarapa, New Zealand) which, through both their architecture, and programme, actively advance the restoration and invigoration of the site's ecologies. With the aim of expanding public ecological literacy the structures provide habitation, and importantly, the opportunity for visitors to engage with and understand the significance of the forces that drive natural ecologies. In doing so it aims to investigate the possibility of assimilating ecological conservation into architectural built form.


Grid computing is becoming more and more attractive for coordinating large-scale heterogeneous resource sharing and problem solving. Although Globus toolkit version 4 which is developed based on WSRF can successfully deal with the heterogeneity of resources and the diversity of applications, the current grid environments based on Globus toolkit version 4 have several limitations regarding dynamic reconfiguration of virtual organization (VO) and remote hot deployment of grid services. This paper proposes WIVO (Web-based user Interface for Virtual Organization), the web-based user interface using web service. Using WIVO, user requested sub-VO can easily be configured on top of grid environment based on Globus toolkit version 4, and grid services can also be deployed remotely for better utilization of resources and applications. It is expected that the VO reconfiguration function as well as the remote grid service deployment function provided in WIVO can improve resource and application utilization.


Large conductance, voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels regulate blood vessel tone, synaptic transmission, and hearing owing to dual activation by membrane depolarization and intracellular Ca2+. Similar to an archeon Ca2+-activated K+ channel, MthK, each of four α subunits of BKCa may contain two cytosolic RCK domains and eight of which may form a gating ring. The structure of the MthK channel suggests that the RCK domains reorient with one another upon Ca2+ binding to change the gating ring conformation and open the activation gate. Here we report that the conformational changes of the NH2 terminus of RCK1 (AC region) modulate BKCa gating. Such modulation depends on Ca2+ occupancy and activation states, but is not directly related to the Ca2+ binding sites. These results demonstrate that AC region is important in the allosteric coupling between Ca2+ binding and channel opening. Thus, the conformational changes of the AC region within each RCK domain is likely to be an important step in addition to the reorientation of RCK domains leading to the opening of the BKCa activation gate. Our observations are consistent with a mechanism for Ca2+-dependent activation of BKCa channels such that the AC region inhibits channel activation when the channel is at the closed state in the absence of Ca2+; Ca2+ binding and depolarization relieve this inhibition.


Author(s): Fernandez, Julia | Advisor(s): Wardwell, Mariana R | Abstract: This thesis is a historical and visual analysis of the United Farm Workers' (UFW) newspaper El Malcriado and their reimagination of the Mexican Revolution narrative to visualize the farm worker movement in the U.S. The UFW newspaper was launched during the origins of the Delano Grape Strike in 1965 to galvanize the masses. Artwork by the Mexican printing collective Taller de Grafica Popular (TGP), photography from the Mexican Revolution, and caricatures by Chicano artists Andrew "Andy" Zermeno communicated the goals of the union through allegory, symbolism, and satire. The first two volumes of El Malcriado reproduced prints from the 1940s by the TGP on the cover, which served as revolutionary allegories to visualize a transnational struggle that connected the UFW labor movement and agribusiness in the U.S. with the history of pre-colonial Mexico, Mexican Revolution, and hacienda system. Photography of Mexican generals Emiliano Zapata and Francisco "Pancho" Villa were used as symbols of revolution and leadership, but especially with Zapata, as a symbol for land rights and agrarian justice. Andy Zermeno used caricature and satire to visualize the unjust conditions and power dynamics of the farm worker, foreman, and farm owner—characters that would later be performed under the productions of playwright Luis Valdez by the farm workers themselves. I argue that the radical reimaginings of the Mexican Revolution on the pages of El Malcriado empower the farm workers to visualize their movement during the pivotal era if the Delano Grape Strike and identify not only their cultural origins, but also their connection with a larger global agrarian struggle and fight for workers' rights.


Writing guidelines to assist communication partners of individuals with autism spectrum disorders is not an easy task. Despite common areas of challenge, children and adults who have an autism spectrum disorder will differ from one another in the comprehension of the speech messages of others and in their response to strategies that might facilitate a communicative exchange. The following, however, represent some general guidelines for communication partners.


Since 1926, the fishes in Lake Orta, one of Italy's deepest natural lakes, were heavily damaged by profundal hypoxia and acidification linked to oxidation of ammonia from industrial effluents and by industrial metal pollution. Of the original 28 fish species, only perch survived the lake's contamination. Recently, the water quality of the lake has been largely restored by reductions in pollutant inputs, and a massive liming intervention. These interventions restored fish habitat, but it is unclear whether the recent fish reintroductions were successful, and the present status of the fish community is unknown.  Here we reviewed the history of the Lake Orta fish assemblage. Using an extensive 2014 sampling campaign, we compared the present fish community to both its pre-pollution composition and to the assemblages of nearby un-polluted, but otherwise similar lakes, Lake Mergozzo and Lake Maggiore. While nearshore fish density now appears normal in lake Orta, the open water community remains impoverished both in numbers and in species. Epilimnetic and hypolimnetic benthic nets were dominated by perch and roach in all the three lakes, but the catch of pelagic nets differed among lakes. Perch ( Perca fluviatilis) , rudd ( Scardinius erythrophthalmus) and brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) dominated in Lake Orta while shad ( Alosa fallax lacustris ) and coregonids ( Coregonus spp.) were dominant in the open waters of the other two lakes, but missing from Lake Orta.  Many fully or partially migratory species, including marble trout ( Salmo trutta marmoratus) , eel ( Anguilla Anguilla) and barbel ( Barbus plebejus) were also missing from Lake Orta, a consequence of their initial extirpation and blocked re-colonization routes along the River Strona. In comparison with both pre-pollution and contemporary reference data, the fish community of Lake Orta has not been rehabilitated. The recovery of the littoral community is complete, but cold water species such as burbot ( Lota lota), Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus) and bullhead ( Cottus gobio) are still lacking, as are the pelagic zooplanktivores European whitefish ( Coregonus lavaretus) and shad, which dominate offshore communities in the reference lakes, as they did a century ago in Lake Orta.  To propose priorities for fish community rehabilitation in Lake Orta, we categorized the conservation, ecological and fishing values of each missing fish species in the lake, and evaluated the cost and probability of success of the needed intervention for each species. This analysis indicated that rehabilitation of shad and European whitefish should receive highest priority.


Forestry informationization is an important part of Forestry ecological construction, which needs a large number of high-level mastery of information technology expertise of forestry specialty, so exploration of effective way to integrate instruction of forestry specialty and information technology is the important task of teaching reforms. This paper describes the basic objectives of forestry specialty training and the importance and necessity of the integration of information technology and forestry specialty, and detailed objectives and integration method. The integration methods are to establish the course systems of computer expertise and forestry specialty special knowledge, to improve the contents of information technology courses, to combine information technology courses with practical teaching considering all levels of forestry production, operation and management information needs. Meanwhile, The platform can be established for students to master the ability of information technology through graduation thesis, innovative project, teachers ' scientific research, other non-curricular teaching and laboratory opening session, and network platform, database technology, multimedia technology, and test database systems, teaching methods.


We present the optical-to-submillimetre spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for 33 radio and mid-infrared (mid-IR) identified submillimetre galaxies discovered via the SHADES 850-μm SCUBA imaging in the Subaru-XMM Deep Field (SXDF). Optical data for the sources come from the SXDF and mid- and far-IR fluxes from SWIRE. We obtain photometric redshift estimates for our sources using optical and IRAC 3.6- and 4.5-μm fluxes. We then fit SED templates to the longer wavelength data to determine the nature of the far-IR emission that dominates the bolometric luminosity of these sources. The IR template fits are also used to resolve ambiguous identifications and cases of redshift aliasing. The redshift distribution obtained broadly matches previous results for submillimetre sources and on the SHADES SXDF field. Our template fitting finds that active galactic nuclei, while present in about 10 per cent of our sources, do not contribute significantly to their bolometric luminosity. Dust heating by starbursts, with either Arp220 or M82 type SEDs, appears to be responsible for the luminosity in most sources (23/33 are fitted by Arp220 templates, 2/33 by the warmer M82 templates). 8/33 sources, in contrast, are fitted by a cooler cirrus dust template, suggesting that cold dust has a role in some of these highly luminous objects. Three of our sources appear to have multiple identifications or components at the same redshift, but we find no statistical evidence that close associations are common among our SHADES sources. Examination of rest-frame K-band luminosity suggests that 'downsizing' is underway in the submillimetre galaxy population, with lower redshift systems lying in lower mass host galaxies. Of our 33 identifications six are found to be of lower reliability but their exclusion would not significantly alter our conclusions.


The aim of this work is to identify the molecular cause of autosomal recessive early onset retinal degeneration in a consanguineous pedigree. Seventeen members of a four-generation Pakistani family were recruited and underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination. Exomes of four affected and two unaffected individuals were sequenced. Variants were filtered using exomeSuite to identify rare potentially pathogenic variants in genes expressed in the retina and/or brain and consistent with the pattern of inheritance. Effect of the variant observed in the gene Intraflagellar Transport Protein 43 (IFT43) was studied by heterologous expression in mIMCD3 and MDCK cells. Expression and sub-cellular localization of IFT43 in the retina and transiently transfected cells was examined by RT-PCR, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Affected members were diagnosed with early onset non-syndromic progressive retinal degeneration and the presence of bone spicules distributed throughout the retina at younger ages while the older affected members showed severe central choroidal atrophy. Whole-exome sequencing analysis identified a novel homozygous c.100 G > A change in IFT43 segregating with retinal degeneration and not present in ethnicity-matched controls. Immunostaining showed IFT43 localized in the photoreceptors, and to the tip of the cilia in transfected mIMCD3 and MDCK cells. The cilia in mIMCD3 and MDCK cells expressing mutant IFT43 were found to be significantly shorter (P < 0.001) than cells expressing wild-type IFT43. Our studies identified a novel homozygous mutation in the ciliary protein IFT43 as the underlying cause of recessive inherited retinal degeneration. This is the first report demonstrating the involvement of IFT43 in retinal degeneration.


Purpose The goal of this study was to examine the behavioral effects and to suggest possible underlying mechanisms of binocularity on audiovisual temporal perception in normally-sighted individuals. Methods Participants performed two audiovisual simultaneity judgment tasks—one using simple flashes and beeps and the other using audiovisual speech stimuli—with the left eye, right eye, and both eyes. Two measures, the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS) and the temporal binding window (TBW), an index for audiovisual temporal acuity, were derived for each viewing condition, stimulus type, and participant. The data were then modeled using causal inference, allowing us to determine whether binocularity affected low-level unisensory mechanisms (i.e., sensory noise level) or high-level multisensory mechanisms (i.e., prior probability of interring a common cause, pC=1). Results Whereas for the PSS there was no significant effect of viewing condition, for the TBW, a significant interaction between stimulus type and viewing condition was found. Post hoc analyses revealed a significantly narrower TBW during binocular than monocular viewing (average of left and right eyes) for the flash-beep condition but no difference between the viewing conditions for the speech stimuli. Modeling results showed no significant difference in pC=1 but a significant reduction in sensory noise during binocular performance on flash-beep trials. Conclusions Binocular viewing was found to enhance audiovisual temporal acuity as indexed by the TBW for simple low-level audiovisual stimuli. Furthermore, modeling results suggest that this effect may stem from enhanced sensory representations evidenced as a reduction in sensory noise affecting the measurement of physical asynchrony during audiovisual temporal perception.


This paper aims to review the practice of hisbah in Malaysia and the relationship with the management of aqidah in Malaysia. Second is to know for sure the role of Islamic institutions in the practice of hisbah especially in the management of faith in the issue and challenges in the inauguration of faith in Malaysia. This study uses content analysis to discuss deep in the practice of faith and its relationship to the management of faith in Malaysia. Although in Malaysia there are institutions such as the Position of the Progress of Islamic Malaysia (JAKIM), the State Islamic Religion Council (MAIN), the State Islamic Religion (JAIN) and the State Mufti Position (JMN) do not use the term hisbah, but intipati, implementation and function the function of hisbah is carried out by Islamic agencies concerned. This study method uses content analysis to get an initial review of the role and contribution of hisbah practice in Malaysia in the issue of the management of faith in Malaysia. And also the initial observations found elements and elements of the approach of hisbah practice are very necessary and implemented in the contemporary world to deal with issues and challenges include the management of aqidah which is emphasized as a fortress rather than threats that bring impact to the mistakes and renewal of the grip of Muslims in Malaysia. Then the role and application of hisbah practice in the management of the faith is very much needed special attention, there are governments, communities and individual Muslims so that the teachings of Islam are maintained and maintained in achieving the blessings and blessings of Allah SWT.


Prophet Muhammad is a role model for millions of Muslims today. This makes sīrah, the life of the Prophet, a critical source to understand and contextualise. Muslims interpret the events of his life so that they can replicate them in every aspect of their lives. However, extremely polar interpretations of sīrah exist, leading to terrorists on the one side and peace-loving Muslims on the other side, with both using Prophet Muhammad as a reference. The major events most often referred to in sīrah are incidents that unfolded after migration to Medina, particularly the battles and conflicts with other communities. When classical and contemporary sīrah sources are studied, the prominence of the battles is easily seen. However, events besides the battles are just as critical, yet these events are often omitted or downplayed—events that could have easily led to a violent outcome, based on the societal norms at the time, but did not. The Meccan and Medinan periods of Prophet Muhammad's life are significantly different, with the main difference being the power balance. In Mecca, Muslims had little power, which meant great hardships and mistreatment; meanwhile, in Medina, Muslims were in a position of power. While Prophet Muhammad has been criticised for taking advantage of this power and being violent, this article argues otherwise. Through the examples provided, it becomes evident that Prophet Muhammad preferred peace first and foremost at all times.


There has been growing interest in the role of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in the modulation of the immune response during early childhood and whether this may translate to a reduction in childhood allergic disease. Several randomized controlled trials of n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation have been reported, largely involving children who are at high hereditary risk of developing allergies. These studies relatively consistently indicate that supplementation during pregnancy results in fewer children with atopic eczema in early childhood. On the other hand, supplementation studies confined exclusively to the postnatal period have demonstrated mixed results with one trial showing no effect and the other suggesting a transient effect on symptoms of respiratory disease. In summary, supplementation with n-3 LC-PUFA during the perinatal period and before allergic response is established may be a useful strategy to prevent early childhood allergic disease in children at high hereditary risk. Further work is needed to establish the optimal period of supplementation and whether longer term benefits exist.


The well-known martensitic transformation is not always the unique solid-solid phase change in NiTi shape memory alloys (SMA). For this material, R-phase can occur from both austenite and martensite. In some applications, macroscopic strain of the material can be limited to 2%. In these cases, R-phase contribution can not be neglected anymore when compared with martensite. Furthermore, different thermomechanical couplings have to be taken into account to carefully predict strain rate effects and to better describe application conditions. In this paper, a new model taking into account various phase transformations with thermomechanical couplings is presented. This model is based on several transformation criteria. In most applications, SMA are used as wires, submitted to tensile-tensile loadings, in the superelasticity working range. Consequently, a uniaxial reduction of the model is presented for its simplicity. A thermodynamic framework is proposed. It enables to describe the internal variables evolution laws. The simple and fast identification process of model parameters is briefly presented. To verify the validity of the proposed model, simulation results are compared with experimental ones. The influences of testing temperature and strain amplitude on the material behavior is discussed. The damping capacity is also studied, using an energy-based criterion.


features summary of articles published in Indian and international journals with special emphasis on India and other emerging markets Indian Management Research


Children of persons with Alzheimer disease (AD), as a group, face an increased risk of developing AD. Many of them, throughout their adult lives, seek input on how to reduce their chances of one day suffering their parent's fate. We examine the state of knowledge with respect to risk and protective factors for AD and recommend a research agenda with special emphasis on AD offspring.


Three tracer tests were carried out by slug injection of fluorescein, amino-G-acid, and bromide at piezometers with 0.4 m long intake zones located 5 m distant from an 80 m deep pumping borehole. The piezometer intake zones were about 2 m (Tests 1 and 2) and 18 m below static water level, and the pumping borehole was sealed using a packer at about 11 m (Tests 1 and 2) and 19 m below static water level. Analytical expressions were used to interpret the data. Test 2 was unsuccessful. Four pathways were discernible from the Test 1 tracer breakthrough curves. These pathways were interpreted as being due to three dominantly fracture routes and one dominantly intergranular flow route. The earliest (sharp) peak arrived after a few hours, and the last (broad) intergranular flow peak arrived after around 40 hours. Fluorescein was delayed slightly (retardation factor = 1.4) relative to the other tracers. In the deeper Test 3, three pathways were discernible, with concentration peaks at about 9, 25, and 78 hours. Fluorescein was delayed relative to amino-G-acid (retardation factors = 1.25 and 1.5) in the second and third pathways. As with the first test, the last peak was very broad, suggesting a variety of intergranular routes through the rock, and possibly the effect of diffusion. The tests clearly demonstrate the importance and complexity of fracture flow over short distances in the Triassic sandstones, the complexity of the intergranular flow routes, and that different retardation factors can be associated with different pathways.


The now growing literature on the content and sources of the phenomenology of first-person agency highlights the multi-faceted character of the phenomenology of agency and makes it clear that the experience of agency includes many other experiences as components. This paper examines the possible relations between these components of our experience of acting and the processes involved in action specification and action control. After a brief discussion of our awareness of our goals and means of action, it will focus on the sense of agency for a given action, understood as the sense the agent has that he or she is the author of that action. I argue that the sense of agency can be analyzed as a compound of more basic experiences, including the experience of intentional causation, the sense of initiation and the sense of control. I further argue that the sense of control may itself be analysed into a number of more specific, partially dissociable experiences.


Aim: To construct a Bifidobacterium infantis/CD targeting gene therapy system and observe the antitumor effect of cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) suicide gene therapy system mediated by Bifidobacterium infantis on melanoma in vitro and in vivo. Methods: A recombinant CD/pGEX-1 LamdaT plasmid was transfected into Bifidobacterium infantis by electroporation. Bifidobacterium infantis transfected by recombinant CD/pGEX-1LamdaT plasmid was incubated with 5-FC anaerobically. Then the supernatant fluid was collected and added to melanoma B 16-F10 cells to observe the killing effect for B 16-F10 cells.Mice were inoculated with melanoma B 16-F10 cells to establish animal models.The mice were then injected with 5-FC and Bifidobacterium infantis transfected by recombinant CD/pGEX-1LamdaT plasmid. Results:Two segments of approximate 4.9kb and 1.3 kb were extracted from the 6.2 kb recombinant plasmid, which were equal to the size of the pGEX-1LamdaT plasmid and CD gene, respectively.Sequencing results showed that the full length and sequence of nucleotide acid of the inserted gene in extracted recombinant plasmid was completely identical to the CD gene. In vitro, B 16-F10 cells treated by supernatant fluid were remarkably damaged morphologically, and the cell growth was significantly inhibited. Experiments on the mice melanoma model showed that after treatment with a combination of transfected Bifidobacterium infantis and 5-FC, the tumor volume was significantly inhibited compared with controls. Conclusion: The foreign gene,CD gene, was correctly inserted into pGEX-1LambdaT plasmid and transferred into Bifidobacterium infantis. CD/5-FC suicide gene therapy system mediated by Bifidobacterium infantis demonstrated a good antitumor effect on melanoma in vitro and in vivo.


The People's Republic of China (PRC) has now decided to shift its value-added tax (VAT) from production-based to consumption-based. This transition is currently piloted in the three provinces of the northeast PRC, and is expected to be extended to the whole country in the coming 2 or 3 years. Using a two-region dynamic general equilibrium model with overlapping generations, this paper investigates the macroeconomic and welfare effects of the VAT transition in PRC. The distribution effects between generations are also analyzed to get a sense of public opinion toward the reform. We put special emphasis on the pace of reform by analyzing the pre-announcement effects and the inter-regional impacts of tax reform that began in one pilot region. The simulation results suggest large welfare gains from the VAT transition. However, the pilot reform in the northeast provinces, which delays the national implementation of consumption-based VAT, would involve substantial transitional costs for the rest of the PRC.