Viewing gravity as a spacetime bending force instead of just a spacetime curvature, we come to the conclusion of rest mass relativity since it yields equivalent equations as General Relativity. A close analysis of the Schwarzschild metric leads us naturally to the Vacuum Apparent Energy Invariance principle from which we derive the metric equation. Applying this theory to cosmology, we can explain galaxies redshift as a delayed gravitational redshift which explains Hubble diagrams with no need for Dark Energy. This theory has the same predictive power as General Relativity for every local experimental tests of the latter since it's based on a slight modification of the Schwarzchild metric. INTRODUCTION This theory is a new take on gravity that deserves further investigations. It shows the mathematical consistency of seeing gravity as a spacetime bending force and provides sort of a framework for a consistent theory of gravity even for violations of the weak equivalence principle and non-newtonian gravitational potentials. Seeing gravity as a spacetime bending force has two main advantages: gravity can be easily quantized and it gives an alternative explanation to Dark Energy. For every classical test of General Relativity, this theory gives the same measurable results since it uses a slightly modified Schwarzschild metric. Some other tests are possible where General Relativity and this theory would give different results. Many such tests are presented in this paper and are a way to either falsify this theory or to ascertain its physical consistency. We should keep in mind that the overall implications of it could lead to paradoxes as it was the case for Special Relativity and General Relativity whose paradoxes have sometimes been resolved decades after their publication, so only the mathematical consistency is of relevance in this paper.


Management and auditing of construction project, which is a certain trend of management development of modern construction project, is a new theory in audit practicing of construction project and an effective way to work out at the highest degree the returns on construction project investment, improve construction project management performance levels, avoid at the highest degree redundancy of construction projects and eliminate waste of resources. This essay points out the importance of the use of management auditing in construction projects based on the analysis of disadvantages in conventional construction projects management. And it builds up frame for management auditing of construction projects, puts forward performance evaluation methods of management control auditing.


With 62% of her land covered with forest, Sweden is the world's second largest combined exporter of paper, pulp and sawn wood products. Modern industrial sawmilling of Sweden started from the mid-19th Century after British import was made liberal, and Norwegian exporters faced short supplies of raw materials and Canadian producers were more expensive. During the same time, Sweden also developed industries and technology making it more competitive. However, after 20th century, sawmilling in Sweden started to adopt 'integrated forest firm approach' where many small and locals sawmills were forced out of the business because of numerous war-crises and oil-crises that occurred. In recent decades production and exports from Sweden is in increasing trend. This increasing trend is the result of some specific strategies undertaken by Swedish sawmilling sectors viz. transforming market channel, transforming product value adding strategy and transforming service value adding strategy. Currently, Swedish sawmills can be categorized into nine groups based on their value addition strategy and technology they use. These sawmills face competition from other materials and countries, low efficient transfer of technology and knowledge transfer, presence of small scale sawmilling, and some sawmills are in risk as they lack of product diversification and have specialized production. Future of the sawmilling in Sweden is expected to be growing. However, they have to encourage the use of wood, transfer skill and knowledge, increase the size of the firm, further diversify the products, and also improve technology and mechanization. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/init.v5i0.10260 The Initiation 2013 Vol.5; 110-120


C-protein, a substantial component of muscle thick filaments, has been postulated to have various functions, based mainly on results from biochemical studies. In the present study, effects on Ca(2+)-activated tension due to partial removal of C-protein were investigated in skinned single myocytes from rat ventricle and rabbit psoas muscle. Isometric tension was measured at pCa values of 7.0 to 4.5: (a) in untreated myocytes, (b) in the same myocytes after partial extraction of C-protein, and (c) in some myocytes, after readdition of C-protein. The solution for extracting C-protein contained 10 mM EDTA, 31 mM Na2HPO2, 124 mM NaH2PO4, pH 5.9 (Offer et al., 1973; Hartzell and Glass, 1984). In addition, the extracting solution contained 0.2 mg/ml troponin and, for skeletal muscle, 0.2 mg/ml myosin light chain-2 in order to minimize loss of these proteins during the extraction procedure. Between 60 and 70% of endogenous C-protein was extracted from cardiac myocytes by a 1-h soak in extracting solution at 20-23 degrees C; a similar amount was extracted from psoas fibers during a 3- h soak at 25 degrees C. For both cardiac myocytes and skeletal muscle fibers, partial extraction of C-protein resulted in increased active tension at submaximal concentrations of Ca2+, but had little effect upon maximum tension. C-protein extraction also reduced the slope of the tension-pCa relationships, suggesting that the cooperativity of Ca2+ activation of tension was decreased. Readdition of C-protein to previously extracted myocytes resulted in recovery of both tension and slope to near their control values. The effects on tension did not appear to be due to disruption of cooperative activation of the thin filament, since C-protein extraction from cardiac myocytes that were 40- 60% troponin-C (TnC) deficient produced effects similar to those observed in cells that were TnC replete. Measurements of the tension- pCa relationship in skeletal muscle fibers were also made at a sarcomere length of 3.5 microns which, because of the distribution of C- protein on the thick filament, should eliminate any interaction between C-protein and actin. The effects of C-protein extraction were similar at long and short sarcomere lengths. These data are consistent with a model in which C-protein modulates the range of movement of myosin, such that the probability of myosin binding to actin is increased after its extraction.


BACKGROUND
studies comparing different frailty measures in intensive care unit settings are lacking. We aimed to compare the frailty index based on physiological and laboratory tests (FI-Lab), modified frailty index (MFI) and hospital frailty risk score (HFRS) to predict short-term outcomes for critically ill patients.

METHODS
we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database. Outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality and discharge with need for nursing care.

RESULTS
the primary analysis was conducted with 21,421 eligible critically ill patients. After adjusting for confounding variables, frailty as diagnosed by all three frailty measures was found to be significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality. In addition, frail patients were more likely to receive further nursing care after being discharged. All three frailty scores could improve the discrimination ability of the initial model generated by baseline characteristics for adverse outcomes. The FI-Lab had the best predictive ability for in-hospital mortality, whereas the HFRS had the best predictive performance for discharge with need for nursing care amongst the three frailty measures. A combination of the FI-Lab with either the HFRS or MFI improved the identification of critically ill patients at increased risk of in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS
frailty, as assessed by the HFRS, MFI and FI-Lab, was associated with short-term survival and discharge with need for nursing care amongst critically ill patients. The FI-Lab was a better predictor of in-hospital mortality than the HFRS and MFI. Future studies focusing on FI-Lab are warranted.


On p. 714 Dr. Fleet says that it does not follow that in popular records of this class we must always restore double consonants up to the full standard of literary productions. I would point out that even this caveat is unnecessary for the Prakrits of the North-West. The Pisaca dialects and the neighbouring tertiary Prakrits (SindhI and Lahnda) do not as a rule lengthen a vowel before a simplified double consonant. Thus SindhI has bhatu (not bhatu), rice, from bhattb, bhaktas; modern PaisacI uth (not uth), a camel, from utthb, ustras (see J.R.A.S., 1904, p. 730). Forms like rachita-, Takhasila-, pratithdvitaare hence perfectly regular in the North-West. The preservation of r in the bhr of bhrdtarehi is also typical of these North-Western dialects.


Temporal Evolution of Historic Mafic Lavas from Fogo, Cape Verde Erik Magnusson The volcanic Island of Fogo that is situated near the end of the southern island chain in the archipelago of Cape Verde is one of the most active oceanic volcanoes in the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate temporal variations in lavas from Fogo by using whole rock major and trace elements and describe trends in magmatic differentiation, melting systematics and mantle source compositions. Further, for the first time Fogo lavas have been investigated by using 18O isotopes, to test for crustal assimilation and source variations. The time span for this study includes one sample of unknown prehistoric age and then from 1799 and onward all eruptions including the most recent in 2014-2015 are covered. The Fogo lavas are mafic, alkali rich, porphyritic, basanite-tephrites dominated by clinopyroxene phenocrysts followed by olivine and opaque phases situated within glass and microcrystalline groundmass. Fractional crystallization and phenocryst accumulation is important mechanisms for magmatic differentiation, and the best result from fractional crystallization modelling gave a crystallizing assemblage of 20.7 % clinopyroxene, 5.4 % olivine, 4.2 % Fe-Ti oxides and 0.8 % apatite. Temporal variations in MgO content reveal a trend that change from more evolved lavas in older historic eruptions, to more primitive compositions in lavas from the middle of the 19th century, back to more evolved compositions in recent eruptions. Oxygen isotopes of glass and microcrystalline groundmass vary within a normal upper mantle range (δ18O = 5.7±0.3 ‰) which rule out any significant crustal assimilation, and the variations observed for the oxygen isotopes are probably related to source variations as there are tendencies towards covariation with source lithology proxies. Trace element ratios together with high TiO2 contents indicate that pyroxenite is an important source lithology. The Fogo lavas are highly enriched in incompatible elements and utilizing a simple batch melting model suggests ~2-4 % degree of melt for most sampled eruptions. In addition, melting is occurring at high pressures in the presence of residual garnet as the REE are fractionated. Trace element ratios of Ce/Pb and Zr/Y in Fogo lavas are consistent with mixing of a HIMU-like and an EM 1-like mantle source. There are also indications of an increasing involvement of the EM 1-like source through time. Magma mixing is indicated by petrographic observations such as complex zonation patterns and the occurrence of rounded cores in euhedral clinopyroxenes, as well as inferred from a large scatter in certain trace element ratios.


By the test of rotational bending for bar of 45 steel with V notch in low cycle fatigue, the bar's fatigue life is studied under strain-controlled condition. The characteristics of several kinds of specimens' crack propagations are analyzed. The accumulative effect of crack propagation is discussed to find the appropriate load for quick fracture. Based on the theory of continuum medium damage mechanics, the damage evolution model in low cycle fatigue is obtained. The predicted curves and strain-life curves agree with experimental data for medium carbon steel well in this work. These results are very important for the life estimation of medium carbon steel.


Abstract. Novita I, Oedjijono, Asnani A. 2021. The characteristics of fermented purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and black rice (Oryza sativa) using UV-irradiated Monascus purpureus. Biodiversitas 22: 684-690. This research aimed to produce Monascus fermented product (MFP) with purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) and black rice (Oryza sativa L.) using UV-irradiated Monascus purpureus Went and evaluated the characteristic of its antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi. M. purpureus was irradiated with UV at l254 nm for 0, 2, 3, and 4 min. The solid-state fermentation process was carried out for 7, 14, and 21 days. The pigments were measured at l390 nm for yellow and l500 nm for red. The ethanol extracts of MFP were analyzed for their antibacterial activity against S. typhi using the Kirby–Bauer method. The results showed that the highest yield of MFP was obtained from MFP–black rice (51.88%) that used UV-irradiated M. purpureus for 2 min and fermentation for 21 days. The highest absorbance value of MFP–purple sweet potato was obtained from UV-irradiated M. purpureus for 3 min, whereas the highest absorbance value of MFP–black rice was obtained with UV-irradiated M. purpureus for 2 min. Ethanol extracts of both MFP3–purple sweet potato and MFP2–black rice showed antibacterial activities against S. typhi with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 0.2 and 0.15 g/mL, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the ethanol extract from MFP2–black rice revealed the presence of bioactive saponin and flavonoid. These findings suggest that UV-irradiated M. purpureus was able to use both purple sweet potato and black rice substrates to produce MFP with antibacterial activity against S. typhi.


: Chemical machining is a well-known nontraditional machining process and is the controlled chemical dissolution of the machined work piece material by contact with a strong acidic or alkaline chemical reagent. It is also called as chemical etching. The present work is aimed at studying the effect of machining time, machining temperature, etching solution concentration on the surface finish of stainless steel 304 using mixed of acids (HCL+HNO3+HF+ H2SO4+H2O). Alloy samples are of (33×33×6) mm dimensions. Three machining temperatures (45, 50 and 55 ºC) for each of which three machining times (3, 6, and 9 min) were used as machining conditions. Surface roughness increases with the machining temperature and machining time. An assessment of CHM was achieved by empirical models for selecting the appropriate machining conditions of the required surface finish. The models were designed based on multiple regression method via Mtb 16 software.


Abstract. According to available climate change scenarios for Belgium, drier summers and wetter winters are expected. In this study, we focus on two multi-purpose reservoirs located in the Vesdre catchment, which is part of the Meuse basin. The current operation rules of the reservoirs are first analysed. Next, the impacts of two climate change scenarios are assessed and enhanced operation rules are proposed to mitigate these impacts. For this purpose, an integrated model of the catchment was used. It includes a hydrological model, one-dimensional and two-dimensional hydraulic models of the river and its main tributaries, a model of the reservoir system and a flood damage model. Five performance indicators of the reservoir system have been defined, reflecting its ability to provide sufficient drinking water, to control floods, to produce hydropower and to reduce low-flow conditions. As shown by the results, enhanced operation rules may improve the drinking water potential and the low-flow augmentation while the existing operation rules are efficient for flood control and for hydropower production.


Little is known about how HIV/AIDS affects people with disabilities, although international literature suggests that people with learning disabilities and other disabilities may be at increased vulnerability to HIV infection. One factor that increases vulnerability to HIV is the lack of sex education and resulting knowledge about safe sex. People with learning disabilities have historically been excluded from sex education as they have often been perceived as being either asexual or over-sexed, and this sex education is either irrelevant or potentially dangerous. For those that work with people with learning disabilities, they may have to work with notions of damage, vulnerability and dependency, which may be disavowed aspects of the self which are projected on to people with disabilities. The work is made more difficult by the anxieties that issues of sex and sexuality raise. This article reports on a study exploring the experiences of educators providing sex education for people with learning disabilities in South Africa. The interview narratives were subject to a psychosocial analysis, drawing on a psychoanalytic framework to explore possible unconscious emotional aspects of participants' work. The analysis reveals ambivalent feelings about providing sex education for people with disabilities, where on the one hand the need for sex education is recognised, but there is some anxiety about the potential to cause harm or that providing sex education will lead to inappropriate sexual behaviour.


We study the impact of device parameters, such as inner-aperture diameter and cavity photon lifetime, on thermal rollover mechanisms in 850-nm, oxide-confined, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) designed for high-speed operation. We perform measurements on four different VCSELs of different designs and use our empirical thermal model for calculating the power dissipated with increasing bias currents through various physical processes such as absorption within the cavity, carrier thermalization, carrier leakage, spontaneous carrier recombination, and Joule heating. When reducing the top mirror reflectivity to reduce internal optical absorption loss we find an increase of power dissipation due to carrier leakage. There is therefore a trade-off between the powers dissipated owing to optical absorption and carrier leakage in the sense that overcompensating for optical absorption enhances carrier leakage (and vice versa). We further find that carrier leakage places the ultimate limit on the thermal performance for this entire class of devices. Our analysis yields useful design optimization strategies for mitigating the impact of carrier leakage and should thereby prove useful for the performance enhancement of 850-nm, high-speed, oxide-confined VCSELs.


We explain how network failures were caused by a natural disaster, describe the restoration steps that were taken, and present lessons learned from the recovery. At 21:26 on December 26th (UTC+9), 2006, there was a serious undersea earthquake off the coast of Taiwan, which measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. This earthquake caused significant damage to submarine cable systems. The resulting fiber cable failures shut down communications in several countries in the Asia Pacific networks. In the first post-earthquake recovery step, BGP routers detoured traffic along redundant backup paths, which provided poor quality connection. Subsequently, operators engineered traffic to improve the quality of recovered communication. To avoid filling narrow-bandwidth links with detoured traffic, the operators had to change the BGP routing policy. Despite the routing-level first aid, a few institutions could not be directly connected to the R&E network community because they had only a single link to the network. For these single-link networks, the commodity link was temporarily used for connectivity. Then, cable connection configurations at the switches were changed to provide high bandwidth and next-generation Internet service. From the whole restoration procedure, we learned that redundant BGP routing information is useful for recovering connectivity but not for providing available bandwidth for the re-routed traffic load and that collaboration between operators is valuable in solving traffic engineering issues such as poor-quality re-routing and lost connections of single-link networks.


The bulk superconductors can be used as permanent magnets of very high magnetic induction, provided that a feasible way of magnetization is identified and that the superconducting material can withstand the magnetic forces induced by high trapped fields. Here it has been considered as superconducting permanent magnet a bulk MgB2 ring, obtained by the Reactive Liquid Infiltration (RLI) process. This material offers several advantages with respect to the well known YBCO textured material, even if its application temperature will be far lower, around 20-30 K. First of all, MgB2 does not require grain orientation to reach enough current density, it can be produced in a quite straight forward way, it is lightweight and it is mechanically robust. To magnetize the MgB2 ring, we have applied a DC magnetic field with a superconducting magnet, using a step wise, field cooling type, procedure. The induced magnetization of the bulk MgB2 ring, at 4 K, is around 2 T in its vicinity. It has been verified that the magnetization is very stable during the time and it can withstand also AC disturbances of several Hz in frequency.


The effects of sex on the degree of liver damage and human cell engraftment were investigated in immunodeficient urokinase-type plasminogen activator-transgenic (uPA-NOG) mice. Liver damage, measured by serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, was compared in male and female uPA-NOG mice of different ages. Male mice had significantly higher ALT levels than females with a median of 334 versus 158 U/L in transgenic homozygous mice, respectively. Mice were transplanted with human adult hepatocytes or fetal liver cells and analyzed for any correlation of engraftment of hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), and hematopoietic cells with the degree of liver damage. Hepatocyte engraftment was measured by human albumin levels in the mouse serum. Higher ALT levels correlated with higher hepatocyte engraftment, resulting in albumin levels in male mice that were 9.6 times higher than in females. LSEC and hematopoietic cell engraftment were measured by flow cytometric analysis of the mouse liver and bone marrow. LSEC and hematopoietic engraftment did not differ between male and female transplant recipients. Thus, the sex of uPA-NOG mice affects the degree of liver damage, which is reflected in the levels of human hepatocyte engraftment. However, the high levels of LSEC engraftment observed in uPA-NOG mice are not further improved among male mice, suggesting that a lower threshold of liver damage is sufficient to enhance endothelial cell engraftment. Previously described sex differences in human hematopoietic stem cell engraftment in immunodeficient mice were not observed in this model.


Concentrations of four heavy metals (Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb) in two ginger varieties were determined using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) with wet acidic digestion methods. Results showed that the concentration of zinc is 0.86 to 1.17 mg/kg in Hargama and 0.63 to 0.87 mg/kg in Bolbo varieties. The concentration of nickel for Hargama and Bolbo are 0.15 to 0.18 and 0.17 to 0.21 mg/kg, respectively. Zinc concentration in Hargema variety is statistically significantly different from Bolbo variety. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in nickel concentrations. Concentration of zinc is relatively greater than concentration of nickel in the samples. Concentrations of both metals are below permissible limits set by WHO/FAO and could not cause health problems. In addition to this, the concentration level of both metals is lower than toxicity levels. But concentrations of cadmium and lead metals were below the method detection limit.

 Key words: Concentration, ginger, heavy metal, permissible limit, toxicity.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to elucidate the effect of neurospheres (NS) on dementia in the mouse model of nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) lesion.

METHODS
Mouse embryonic stem cell (ES) derived neurospheres were transplanted into the frontal association cortex and barrel field of S1 cortex of C57BL/6 mice 4 weeks after including a lesion of NBM by ibotenic acid, while other healthy mice that received ES cells served as control. Behavioral tests by 8-arm radial maze were conducted 8 weeks after transplantation, and double staining of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), serotonin, amyloid-beta protein (AP) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) 12 weeks after transplantation. We found that the neurospheres transplanted into the mouse cortex survived and produced many ChAT-positive neurons and a few serotonin-positive neurons in and around the grafts. The working memory error decreased significantly in the mice grafted with neurospheres. In contrast, the ES cells developed into teratomas in all of the control mice and expressed no neurons, and the working memory deteriorated remarkably.

CONCLUSIONS
Transplantation of neurospheres, but not ES cells, into the prefrontal and parietal cortices, dramatically alleviated the cholinergic deficits and recent memory disruption in the NBM lesioned mice.


Pressure distributions on slender bodies are measured at various roll angles; it is found that the side loads on the blunted-nose slender body are as small as one-third of that on a pointed-nose one, or even zero at some roll angles. Numerical simulation shows that different flow structures are generated on the leeside of the bodies with different noses. The results confirm that a structure of U-shaped horseshoe vortex develops on the top of the blunted nose due to the closed type of surface flow separation. The shear layer separated from the nose is entrapped into the horseshoe vortex core and forms two mainof this structure is to hold in the two main nose vortices andvortices on the two sides of the body. The function to restrict the emergence of asymmetry.


Ribosomally synthesised and post translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a diverse class of industrially-important and clinically-relevant natural products. Reprogramming the biosynthesis of RiPPs can provide an understanding of their biosynthesis, increases in their yield, and compound derivatives. In this thesis, two RiPP biosynthetic pathways are reprogrammed to achieve these aims.

Bottromycin is a potent antibiotic RiPP, however it is produced in low yields by its native producer and it is rapidly hydrolysed in blood plasma. It was hypothesised that the bottromycin gene cluster could be reprogrammed to increase the production of bottromycin and to derivatise it. Synthetic biology techniques available at the start of the project were deemed inappropriate for use in reprogramming the bottromycin gene cluster as they lacked the ability to conduct refactoring, produce gene insertions/deletions, and make targeted mutations in single steps in the high-GC bottromycin gene cluster. Here, a one-step yeast-based method that enables efficient and flexible modifications to the bottromycin gene cluster is presented. Multiple modifications are showcased, including refactoring, gene deletions and targeted mutations. This facilitated the construction of an inducible, riboswitch-controlled pathway that achieved a 120-fold increase in pathway productivity in a heterologous host. Additionally, an unexpected biosynthetic bottleneck resulted in the production of a suite of new bottromycin-related metabolites.

Thiostreptamide S4 is part of a family of promising antitumor RiPPs, the thioviridamide-like molecules. The gene cluster responsible for thiostreptamide S4 production has been identified, yet the biosynthesis has not been elucidated. It was hypothesised that reprogramming the thiostreptamide S4 gene cluster could provide insights into its biosynthesis. These modified clusters were constructed, and in-depth metabolomics enabled an understanding of the biosynthetic pathway. This biosynthetic understanding could pave the way for future engineering projects and allow key biosynthetic steps to be identified for use in genome mining.


Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is primarily treated with levodopa and dopaminergics that target the inhibitory dopamine receptor subtypes D3 and D2. The initial success of this therapy led to the idea of a hypo-dopaminergic state as the mechanistic origin underlying RLS. However, multiple lines of evidence suggest that this simplified concept of a reduced dopamine function as the basis of RLS is incomplete. Moreover, long-term medication with the D2/D3 agonists leads to a reversal of the initial benefits of dopamine agonists and augmentation, which is a worsening of symptoms under therapy. The recent findings on the state of the dopamine system in RLS that support the notion that a dysfunction in the dopamine system may in fact give rise to a hyper-dopaminergic state is summaraized. Based on this data, the concept of a dynamic nature of the dopamine effects in a circadian context, is presented. The possible interactions of cell-adhesion molecules expressed by dopaminergic systems and their possible impact on RLS and augmentation are discussed. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) indicate a significantly increased risk for RLS in populations with genomic variants of the cell adhesion molecule receptor type protein tyrosine phosphatase D (PTPRD), and PTPRD is abundantly expressed by dopamine neurons. PTPRD may play a role in the reconfiguration of neural circuits, including shaping the interplay of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) homomers and heteromers that mediate dopaminergic modulation. Recent animal model data support the concept that interactions between functionally-distinct dopamine receptor subtypes can re-shape behavioral outcomes and change with normal aging. Additionally, long-term activation of one dopamine receptor subtype can increase receptor expression of a different receptor subtype with opposing modulatory actions. Such dopamine receptor interactions at both spinal and supra-spinal levels appear to play important roles in RLS. In addition, these interactions can also extend to the adenosine A 2A receptor, which is also prominently expressed in the striatum. Interactions between A 2A and dopamine receptors and dopaminergic cell adhesion molecules, including PTPRD, may provide new pharmacological targets in treating RLS. In summary, new treatment options for RLS that include recovery from augmentation will have to take into account dynamic changes to the dopamine system that occur during the circadian cycle, plastic changes that can develop as a function of treatment or with aging, changes to the connectome based on alterations to cell adhesion molecules, and receptor interactions that may reach beyond the dopamine system itself.


Managing work related stress in employees and role of an HR manager are instrinsically correlated. Well organized and effectively and effectively managed work helps in promoting and maintaining the well-being and health of an employee. But in a scenario where insufficient priority has been given to the work organization, job design, and management, a significant portion of benefits and efficiency can be lost with respect to 'good work.' And, one of the most common results of this is stress!!! The first step in helping employees cope is to find out what is causing the most stress and what an employee's idea of a stress-free environment would be. If employees are not comfortable talking to a manager, the manager should make arrangements for the employee to speak to someone else. Managers can decrease stress by setting clear expectations, helping employees prioritize, being available to listen to employee concerns, and not tolerating any workplace bullying or harassing. Organizations should encourage stress relief by providing a safe and pleasant workplace, a relaxing break room in which to eat, a nutritious selection of food at the cafeteria, access to a gym, and resources to reduce stress for employees


Remittances play a significant role in the economic development of the recipient economy through different micro and macroeconomic channels. The adverse impact of remittances in the form of Dutch disease and inflation cannot be overlooked. This paper examines the impact of remittance on overall inflation measured by the consumer price index in Nepal. It applies time series data for the period 1975 to 2020. Ordinary least squared (OLS) regression method results revealed that remittances, money supply, import trade and budget deficit have a positive impact on inflation whereas the impact of real gross domestic product is negative. The impact of export trade is inconclusive. Given the inflationary nature of remittances, it becomes necessary for the government to channelize the remitted funds into productive investment to avoid a surge in demand-pull inflation.


: The paper discusses the possibility of repeated termination of plant vegetation by prolonged darkness approximating the lunar night. This may be helpful for the incorporation of higher plants into the life support system of lunar bases, the solar light being used for illumination. In this connection vegetables (beet Bordeaux, turnip Petrovskaya, carrot Chantanet, dill, radish Virovsky white) and wheat (variety Sonora) were cultivated during the lunar light-dark cycle (i. e. 15 day light: 15 day dark). The experiments demonstrated that traditional plant products can be obtained under the conditions of lunar photoperiod. Grain of wheat grown during the lunar photoperiod were tested as seed material for further cultivation under similar conditions.


Although reef-building corals are rapidly declining worldwide, responses to bleaching vary both within and among species. Because these inter-individual differences are partly heritable, they should in principle be predictable from genomic data. Towards that goal, we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly for the coral Acropora millepora. We then obtained whole genome sequences for 237 phenotyped samples collected at 12 reefs distributed along the Great Barrier Reef, among which we inferred very little population structure. Scanning the genome for evidence of local adaptation, we detected signatures of long-term balancing selection in the heat-shock co-chaperone sacsin. We further used 213 of the samples to conduct a genome-wide association study of visual bleaching score, incorporating the polygenic score derived from it into a predictive model for bleaching in the wild. These results set the stage for the use of genomics-based approaches in conservation strategies.


This study explores the nature of the need for counselling/psychotherapy for older people who suffer a debilitating physical injury or illness. This topic is investigated within a medical setting where the emphasis is on physical rehabilitation. The relevance of this inquiry is highlighted by the paucity of literature about the individual impact of such an event and the need for counselling/psychotherapy in these situations. Theories, on the ageing process, the body, and the self, are used to develop an analysis of the material. The suitability of a research method is considered, with particular reference to inquiring into a contemporary phenomenon within a real-life context. A case study approach (Yin 1994) utilising narrative analysis (Riessman 1993) and metaphor (Lacan 1968) was the method chosen to conduct the study. In the data, presented in the form of interviews and cases, there is a sense of each person grappling with a new experience of self. Through analysis of the data, emergent themes termed "encounters" were developed which reveal the need for counselling/psychotherapy in these situations. These "encounters" show the shock of a disabling illness and the reality of the patient's fears of incapacity and death. A complexity of losses are also identified, some of which engender feelings of anxiety, helplessness and isolation. The study includes illustrations of how the creative and imaginative use of metaphors can help people explore new meanings and openings to re-establish a sense of purpose and meaning in life and hope for the future. Other ways of working are introduced and suggested, for instance, guided imagery and visualisation, and the use of meditation. Some areas indicated for future research include the role of group work with older people in medical settings and the role of counselling/psychotherapy with regard to relatives, carers and staff, Implications for future counselling/psychotherapy training are also provided.


Langerhans cells (LC) constitute a morphologically well-characterized minor subpopulation of the mammalian epidermis whose functional role is still a matter of conjecture. The hypothesis that LC represent an epidermal equivalent to cells of the monocyte-macrophage-histiocyte series is supported by the recent observations that in humans and guinea pigs LC are the only epidermal cells that express Fc-IgG receptors, C3 receptors, and Ia antigens. Using inbred strain 2 and strain 13 guinea pigs, we investigated in this study whether LC can mediate the same immunologic functions as Ia-bearing macrophages. LC-enriched and LC-depleted epidermal cells were prepared by separation of Fc-IgG rosetting epidermal cells on density gradients. When both populations were tested for the biosynthesis of alloantigens by immunoprecipitation techniques, Ia antigen synthesis was restricted to the LC-enriched fraction. Functional studies demonstrated that antigen-pulsed LC-enriched epidermal cells induce a proliferative response in immune T cells that is comparable in magnitude to that seen with macrophages. Moreover, effective presentation of immunologically relevant antigen requires syngeneity between LC-enriched epidermal cells and responder lymphocytes. In the mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR), LC-enriched epidermal cells were as effective stimulators as macrophages. LC-depleted epidermal cells, by contrast, induced little or no stimulation in both assay systems. Both the antigen-presenting and the MLR-stimulatory capacities of LC-enriched epidermal cells could be abrogated by pretreatment with anti-Ia sera and complement. The presence in the epidermis of Ia-bearing LC, capable of mediating the immunologic functions of Ia-bearing macrophages, has important clinical implications with regard to the role of LC as sensitizing cells in both contact hypersensitivity and skin graft rejection.


Data on the seasonal dynamics of population structure is obtained for the first time for the Trematode species Sphaerostomum globiporum from roach Rutilus rutilus (L) in Ladoga Lake, which situates in the northern limit of the distribution range of this species. The parasites infest the host in October and leave it from the end of July to the beginning of August. The maximum of the magnitude of the Trematode population falls on spring, and the minimum is observed in summer. In August and September roach is free of the parasites. It is established that the period of maturing occupies 10 months for S. globiporum from roach in Ladoga Lake. The prereproductive period takes 5 months and comes to the end in February. The reproductive period occupies 5 months too. Although these two periods of the parasite's life cycle do not separated from each other clearly, an overlapping of two generations was not observed, unlike the case of more southern water bodies.


During the observations over nurseries and almond orchards of Kermanshah Province in 2010-2011, saplings and fertile trees suspected to infection by Pythium and Phytophthora and the soil around their crown and foots were sampled. After culturing these samples on common and semi-selective media, some isolates of Pythium (sensu lato) and Phytophthora were obtained. These isolates were identified based on their morphological and several physiological characteristics. Pathogenesity tests were performed on excised shoots and seedlings In vitro and In vivo respectively. In this research, 12 isolates, belong to 4 species including Phytophthora cactorum, Pythium aphanidermatum , Ovatisporangium helicoides and Pythium group-G were identified. The isolates were mostly from the soil around the roots and foots of saplings. In pathogenesity test on excised shoots, highly significant differences were found among the treatments based on the rate of disease extension. In this experiment the most disease extension was induced by P. cactorum followed by O. helicoides . There was no significant differences among P. aphanidermatum and P. group-G when compared to the control. In pathogenesity test under greenhouse condition, P. cactorum isolates caused seedling death after 7 days; but the symptoms of seedling death appeared after 40 days, when almond seedlings were exposed to P. aphanidermatum and O. helicoides . P. group-G did not make any pathogenesity on almond seedlings in both experiments. This is the first report of identification and pathogenesity of O. helicoides in Iran.


The aim of the study was to monitor the operational sustainability and efficacy of rainwater harvesting solar pasteurization (SOPAS) treatment systems installed in a local informal settlement in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Indicator organisms, cations and anions were routinely monitored in the tank water before (untreated) and after SOPAS treatment, while molecular-based techniques were used to identify and quantify pathogens associated with rainwater sources. The operational sustainability of the systems was monitored to determine the volume of water produced, the total water usage by the end-user households and the required system maintenance. Anions and cations analyzed for in the untreated and SOPAS treated rainwater were within national and international drinking water guidelines, with the exception of zinc which exceeded the limits in all samples. Additionally, the total coliform, E. coli, fecal coliform and heterotrophic bacteria counts exceeded drinking water guideline limits in 100%, 55%, 36% and 100% of the unpasteurized tank water samples (n = 11), respectively. However, a minimum pasteurization temperature of 66 °C was required to reduce all indicator organism counts to within drinking water standards. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed that Legionella spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Salmonella spp. were still detected following SOPAS treatment. Monitoring of the operational sustainability of the systems indicated that minimal system maintenance was required and that the systems were effectively able to provide water to the participating households during the rainfall periods. Based on microbiological indicator analyses, the SOPAS systems may be used in rural areas and informal settlements for the provision of an alternative water source.


The state of the plasma sheet in the magnetosphere is usually observed to be hot (1-10 keV) and tenuous (∼0.1 cm-3). However, sometimes part of it is observed to be colder (< 1 keV) and denser (∼1 cm-3), and the plasma flow is almost stagnant. Much higher density (∼10 cm-3) plasma material (superdense plasma sheet) is also sometimes observed near the geosynchronous orbit. The cold dense plasma sheet (CDPS) is usually observed after a period of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), which is also a necessary condition for the formation of a superdense plasma sheet (SDPS). Since the CDPS is generally absent of a cold O+ component, and the ionospheric outflow is strong only under southward IMF condition, the source of the CDPS is thought to be the solar wind. Usually, solar wind plasma and energy entry into the magnetosphere is considered to occur mainly during the southward IMF condition through reconnection processes that first occur at the dayside magnetopause and then in the magnetotail. However, the formation of CDPS suggests that there are also certain processes that let solar wind enter the magnetosphere when the IMF is northward. The purpose of this dissertation study is to find out the mechanism that transports solar wind plasma into the magnetosphere under northward IMF conditions, and thus to find out the mechanism of the formation of CDPS and SDPS. To study the solar wind entry mechanism, I use global simulations of the magnetosphere in conjunction with the analysis of observation data. The model used here is the Open Global Geospace Circulation Model (OpenGGCM), which is a magnetosphere MHD model with a stretched grid that has higher grid resolution near the Earth. The simulation is driven by the upstream solar wind input. I run simulations for several CDPS events to validate the model by comparing the simulation results with observations. I then establish that the double high-latitude reconnection process is the dominant process that leads to the entry of solar wind plasma under northward IMF conditions, and that it is sufficient to form the CDPS. With the successful simulation of CDPS events, I continue to study a SDPS event in detail using simulation and observations from a series of spacecraft. I find that the southward IMF following a long period of northward IMF condition compresses the preexisting CDPS, and sets off the near-tail reconnection that causes the compressed CDPS to be pushed and accelerated toward the Earth and form the SDPS near the geosynchronous orbit. I further systematically study how the solar wind plasma enters the magnetosphere due to double highlatitude reconnection for various solar wind, northward IMF and geomagnetic dipole conditions. I trace flow paths from the solar wind and study the variation of the magnetic field line topology along the flow paths. I find that there is an entry window through which the solar wind plasma can enter the magnetosphere as a result of double high-latitude reconnection under northward IMF conditions. I show how the entry window depends on solar wind, IMF and geomagnetic dipole parameters. With the entry window, I estimate the solar wind plasma entry rate for various conditions. I find that the entry rate under northward IMF conditions is of the order of 1026 to 1027 particles per second. I also estimate the conditions at which solar wind plasma entry is most efficient.


We present a new scheme for an optical resonator for production of Bessel and Bessel-Gauss light beams. The resonator with Bessel modes is composed of two plane mirrors with an axicon placed close to one of them. If this mirror is concave, the modes are Bessel-Gauss light beams. Analytical expressions relating parameters of the resonator and characteristics of its modes are obtained and analyzed. The results are verified with the Fox-Li algorithm. The resonator scheme was implemented in an experiment to confirm the possibility of the generation of zero-order Bessel beams. It was found that multipass modes can also oscillate in the resonator if its apertures are large enough.


What should activist-scholars teach in the social problems classroom? In this conversation, I challenge the assertion that advancing a sociology of social problems is an overly academic enterprise of little use to students and other publics. I introduce the potential of a pedagogical framework for promoting social problems literacy: a set of skills that promotes critical, sociological understandings of social problems toward aims of supporting civic engagement and activism. Though some readers might argue that scholar-activism demands instruction on what to think and do about the causes and consequences of troublesome societal conditions, I suggest that activist-scholars might instead prepare students to evaluate social problems information critically and with a sociological eye, begin forming their own commitments, and publicly share these ideas in compelling, civic-minded ways. In proposing the merits of this framework, I hope to question the sometimes rigid line drawn between what is "activist" and "academic."


Background: Autophagy is a catabolic cellular recycling pathway that is essential for maintaining intracellular homeostasis. Autophagosome formation is achieved via the coordination of the Beclin-1 protein complex. Rubicon is a Beclin-1 associated protein that suppresses autophagy by impairing the activity of the class III PI3K, Vps34. However, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate Rubicon function. Methods: In this study, co-immunoprecipitation and kinase assays were used to investigate the ability of Hormonally Upregulated Neu-associated Kinase (HUNK) to bind to and phosphorylate Rubicon. LC3B was monitored by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting to determine whether phosphorylation of Rubicon by HUNK controls the autophagy suppressive function of Rubicon. Results: Findings from this study identify Rubicon as a novel substrate of HUNK and show that phosphorylation of Rubicon inhibits its function, promoting autophagy.


The addition of ronidazole to the drinking water at the concentration of 0.003% was effective for the treatment of experimentally induced swine dysentery in swine. Ronidazole at concentrations of 0.0015% and 0.00075% aided in the treatment of swine dysentery and the development of immunity to the disease. In experiment I, in which swine were given concentrations of 0.003, 0.0015, and 0.00075%, there were more survivors, fewer days of hemorrhagic diarrhea, greater feed and water consumption and body weight gain, and more favorable feed efficiency in the medicated swine than in the nonmedicated swine. With the 0.003% concentration, there were no deaths, and the diarrhea receded during or after treatment with the 0.0015% and 0.00075% concentrations, the incidence of nonhemorrhagic diarrhea was greater in medicated than in nonmedicated swine, and the diarrhea did not subside during treatment. In experimetn II, there were more survivors in the groups of swine medicated with the 0.0015% concentration than in the nonmedicated groups of swine. All surviving nonmedicated swine in experiment I were immune to reexposure 3 months after initial exposure. More swine given to the 0.0015% and 0.00075% concentrations in the same experiment were immune to reexposure 3 months after initial exposure than were the swine given the 0.003% concentration. In experiment II, neither the swine previously medicated with the 0.0015% concentration nor the nonmedicated swine were immune to reexposure 5 weeks after initial expsoure. Large spirochetes were observed in fecal smears from all exposed swine which developed either hemorrhagic or nonhemorrhagic diarrhea.


In this study, the effects of operational parameters such as initial pH, current density, and electrolysis time on the treatment of transport container washing wastewater by electrocoagulation (EC) with aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) electrodes were investigated separately. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity and color were used to measure the treatment efficiency. Energy consumptions were calculated per cubic meter of wastewater. Amount of sludge produced after EC was also reported per cubic meter of wastewater. Different direct and indirect cost items including energy, sacrificial electrodes, labor, sludge handling and disposal, maintenance, and depreciation costs have been considered in the calculation of the total operating cost, and it was calculated as per cubic meter of wastewater and per kilograms of COD removed. The total operating costs were acquired as 11.2 $m−3 with 79.45% of COD, 99.71% of color, and 99.45% of turbidity removal efficiencies by Fe electrodes and 23.89 $ m−3 with 76.31% of COD, 99.05% of color, and 99.77% of turbidity removal efficiencies by Al electrodes under the optimum parameters in this study. In addition, the optimum operating times were found as 30 min for Fe electrodes and 60 min for Al electrodes. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 32: 249‐256, 2013


In this paper the issue of the architectural organization of a bandwidth broker with respect to the distribution of functionalities among separate entities is examined. We discuss the benefits of a distributed versus a centralized architecture and study some of the most important implementations. We also present a novel design proposal that builds on our earlier work on the admission control module of a bandwidth broker and introduces it in the framework of a distributed bandwidth broker architecture. Our conclusions are supported by a series of simulated experiments that we analyze.


North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) make a short, distinctive broadband sound that is produced internally called a Gunshot sound. This sound has been recorded in the Bay of Fundy, Canada from both single whales (n= 9) and social surface active groups (n=49). Those single whales producing Gunshot sounds whose sex could be determined (n= 9) were all mature males. Gunshot sounds were produced as part of a stereotyped behavioral sequence by these individuals, including frequent head-lifts and flipper slapping at the surface. In surface active groups, Gunshot sounds were commonly recorded when males were present in the group. The rate of production of Gunshot sounds was weakly correlated with the total number of males present in the group. Given the behavioral context of Gunshot sound production, and production of the sound only by male whales, Gunshots may function in a reproductive context as an advertisement signal to attract females, an agonistic signal directed toward other males, or a combination of the two functions.


Beirut's city center, Sahat al-Borj, has been the receptacle to many historical events, which shaped its current identity, such as repeated wars and other violent events such as tsunamis and earthquakes. These events affected the Square's identity and the national identity and culture of Lebanon, and led to the creation and evolution of Sahat al-Borj from a cosmopolitan city center in the 1950s and 1960s, to a demarcation line between East (Christians) and West (Muslims) during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) to an abandoned city center since 1990. Like Derrida's khōra, the sites of Beirut and Sahat al-Borj both have interior qualities and are receptacles of repeated wars and violent events. In Lebanese, both the city and the city Square are referred to with a feminine pronoun: hiyeh or "she" in Lebanese and elle in French. In Arabic and Lebanese, the nouns Sahat (a square, is an open space; open to a diversity of activities) and Mdineh (city) are feminine, giving both feminine connotations. This gendered pronoun accruing to cultural practices humanizes the Square and personalizes its identity and its occupation by referring to the city and its center as "she" or "her." In Anglophone societies, city squares are usually referred to as "it" in English and do not have feminine or masculine genders or "character" attributed to them, unlike French, Arabic, or Lebanese. Through a series of historical cartographic maps and images collected from different library archives in France and Lebanon, this article will explore the human occupation of the Square throughout history and will examine the urban site of Beirut as a container of events and a transitional "non-place" with feminine and interior qualities with a specific reference to Derrida's khōra. Although there are many interpretations of Khōra, like Derrida's Khōra, in this article, the interior is explored as a receptacle associated with the feminine, the container, which receives human's occupation.1


Today's SoCs are complex designs with multiple embedded processors, memory subsystems, and application specific peripherals. The memory architecture of embedded SoCs strongly influences the power and performance of the entire system. Further, the memory subsystem constitutes a major part (typically up to 70%) of the silicon area for the current day SoC. In this article, we address the on-chip memory architecture exploration for DSP processors which are organized as multiple memory banks, where banks can be single/dual ported with non-uniform bank sizes. In this paper we propose two different methods for physical memory architecture exploration and identify the strengths and applicability of these methods in a systematic way. Both methods address the memory architecture exploration for a given target application by considering the application's data access characteristics and generates a set of Pareto-optimal design points that are interesting from a power, performance and VLSI area perspective. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive work on memory space exploration at physical memory level that integrates data layout and memory exploration to address the system objectives from both hardware design and application software development perspective. Further we propose an automatic framework that explores the design space identifying 100's of Pareto-optimal design points within a few hours of running on a standard desktop configuration.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify variables related to smoking behaviors (never smoked, former smoker, current smoker) among college students on the basis of the PRECEDE model. Method: Data were collected from 327 college students in Chungbuk Province from May to June 2006 using a self-reported questionnaire. Result: The rate of current smokers was 19.0%. The rate of current smokers in male students (41.1%) was significantly higher than that of female students(8.3%). Also, there were significant differences by general characteristics such as major, academic achievements, satisfaction with major and alcohol consumption. Number of smokers among five close friends was 1.72 and it showed significant differences among different gender, majors, levels of satisfaction with majors and alcohol consumption. In discriminant analysis, discriminant variables on smoking behavior were the number of smokers among close friends, the referent persons` responses about smoking and subject`s belief about smoking. Conclusion: These research findings suggest that we can enhance the prevention of college students` smoking by strengthening the related factors such as enforcing a non-smoking environment and strengthening college health education strategies of non-smoking including a negative belief of smoking and the hazard of passive smoking.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background and Purpose: Despite a higher incidence of stroke and a more adverse cardiovascular risk factor profile in Blacks and Hispanics compared with Whites, carotid artery revascularization is performed less frequently among these subpopulations. We assessed racial differences in high-grade (≥70% diameter-reducing) carotid stenosis. Methods: Consecutive clients in a Nationwide Life Line for-Profit Service to screen for vascular disease, 2005 to 2019 were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. The prevalence of high-grade stenosis, defined by a carotid ultrasound peak systolic velocity of ≥230 cm/s, was assessed. Participants self-identified as White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or other. Race/ethnic differences were assessed using Poisson regression. The number of individuals in the United States with high-grade stenosis was estimated by applying prevalence estimates to 2015 US Census population estimates. Results: The prevalence of high-grade carotid stenosis was estimated in 6 130 481 individuals. The prevalence of high-grade stenosis was higher with increasing age in all race-sex strata. Generally, Blacks and Hispanics had a lower prevalence of high-grade stenosis compared with Whites, while Native Americans had a higher prevalence. For example, for men aged 55 to 65, the relative risk of stenosis compared with Whites was 0.40 (95% CI, 0.29–0.55) and 0.61 (95% CI, 0.46–0.81) for Blacks and Hispanics, respectively; and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.12–2.10) for Native Americans. When these prevalence estimates were applied to the Census estimates of the US population, an estimated 327 721 individuals have high-grade stenosis, of whom 7% are Black, 7% Hispanic, and 43% women. Conclusions: Despite their having a more adverse cardiovascular risk profile, there was a lower prevalence of high-grade carotid artery stenosis for both the Black and Hispanic relative to the White clients. This lower prevalence of high-grade stenosis is a potential contributor to the lower use of carotid revascularization procedures in these minority populations.


Objective: This article investigates the role of motivation in female immigrants' labour force participation. Focusing on recently-arrived immigrants (who have resided in the host country for 18 months or less), we compare the outcomes of two different ethnic groups in Germany: Poles and Turks. Background: The immigrant integration literature tends to focus on the role of resources in immigrant labour market integration. However, when examining particularly the labour force participation of female immigrants, their motivation for joining the labour force is also important. Previous studies of female immigrants in Germany have often neglected this consideration, which includes aspects like culturally-specific gender values and perceived ethnic discrimination. Method: We use data from the SCIP project (Diehl et al., 2015) to conduct logistic regressions on female immigrants' labour force participation. Our sample includes 829 female immigrants from Poland and Turkey between the ages of 18-60, who were either active in the labour force or were 'at risk' of entering. Results: In line with previous studies, our analysis shows that female immigrants' labour market resources, mainly their prior work experience and German proficiency, greatly reduce the ethnic gap in labour force participation rates. Moreover, motivational factors have a large impact on this outcome for both groups, and greatly enhance the picture that our empirical models present. However, we find no evidence that perceived ethnic discrimination plays an important role. Conclusion: Our analysis indicates that when seeking to understand the labour market participation of female immigrants, their resources and motivation should be seen as key components of a gender-sensitive analysis.


Global software engineering (GSE) courses traditionally require cooperation between at least two universities so as to provide a distributed development environment to the students. In this study, we explore an alternative way to organize a global software engineering course where students work on open source software development (OSSD) projects rather than in a multi-university collaboration setting. The results show that the new setup may provide core GSE challenges as well as challenges associated with software development outsourcing and challenges related to working on large open source software. The present article compares the experiences gained from running a combined GSE and OSSD course against the experiences gained from running a traditional GSE course. The two alternatives are compared in terms of students' learning outcomes and course organization. The authors found that a combined GSE and OSSD course provides learning opportunities that are partly overlapping with, and partly complementary to, a traditional GSE course. The authors also found that the combined OSSD and GSE course was somewhat easier to organize because most of the activities took place in a single university setting. The authors used the extended GSE taxonomy for the comparison and found it to be a useful tool for this, although it had some limitations in expressive power. Therefore, two additional relationship dimensions are proposed that will further enrich the extended taxonomy in classifying GSE (and OSSD) projects.


The mechanical characteristics and extremely hard working conditions of large die hydraulic press are considered. The limitations of traditional condition monitoring method are analyzed. A new condition monitoring system which consists of a digital and non-contact method for measuring column stress and a digital method for measuring moving beam's spatial altitude based on machine vision is proposed. The basic principle and composition of the system are introduced in detail. The system is applied in 300MN large forging hydraulic press, and large amounts of monitoring data are collected. Data analysis is carried out. The laws of column stress distribution in different working conditions are found out. At last, some recommendations are proposed which is helpful for the safety operation and maintenance of large hydraulic press.


Due to the increased share of food consumption away from (FAFH) on overall household food expenditure, a considerable body of literature has examined the impacts of FAFH on diet quality and physical health. A conventional wisdom is that FAFH is associated with poor diet quality, and it also increases the likelihood of being overweight. However, not much attention has been paid to the association between FAFH and mental health of the individual. Since mental health is as important as physical health, a better understanding of the effect of FAFH on mental health is crucial for policy making. This study contributes to this knowledge gap by assessing the causal effect of FAFH on elderly depression using a national representative dataset of elderly in Taiwan. Results indicate that elderly who consumed food away from home is more likely to be depressed by 34% compared to their counterparts of FAFH non-participants, after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics and other factors.


This paper illustrates several research activities being carried out within the Center of Competence for Casting and Thixoforging Stuttgart (CCT `NOVUS´). A new method for manufacturing Metal Matrix Composites out of the semi-solid state has been developed at the Institute for Metal Forming Technology, Universitaet Stuttgart, and applied for patent pending. Within this new manufacturing method for the production of fibre and particle reinforced composites now disadvantages of liquid-phase-techniques can be reduced in combination with decreased manufacturing costs compared to conventional MMC-production technologies due to short cycle times and the ability of near-net-shape forming. It is obvious that manufacturing process in the fabrication of metal matrix composite materials will influence in some extent the performance of these materials. A current research project at the Institute for Metal Forming Technology (IFU), contributes implementing specific boundary condition of the manufacturing process to numerical analysis. Such boundary conditions exert direct influence on product quality. For manufacturing of metal matrix composites limiting factors are e.g. temperature, pressure, deformation, etc. Detecting input-parameter for numerical analysis basic rheological parameters, such as static and dynamic yield points, hysteresis and shear rate jump tests, detection of the differential structural parameter, evolution of apparent viscosity of different castalloys are topics of current research project at the Institue for Metal Forming Technology. For reheating-process of semi-solid alloys new technologies have been developed and applied for patent pending by the Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW). The two main advantages of this technique as compared with other induction heating techniques are the direct online determination of liquid-, solid fraction and heating-homogeneity as well as robustness against variations of prematerial (chemical composition, billet-diameter, etc.).


"International research on student transitions to university highlights the importance of this key period in their academic life, as those who have difficulties with the transition may perform poorly and/or disengage at an early stage from university life" (Gibney, Moore, Murphy and O'Sullivan, 2011, p.352). In particular, three main themes have emerged from research on the first year university experience, these being: student motivation and transition; student expectations (of themselves, of lecturers and of the 'new' learning environment); and time management/allocation within the context of a shift away from the highly structured nature of post-primary education. These three themes are briefly considered next in order to demonstrate the ways in which they informed the design and delivery of an enhanced bespoke induction programme by the academic staff, in consultation with a learning facilitator from Amazing Brains NI.


A number of children struggle with literacy, social/emotional skills and motivation to attend school. While there are a number of initiatives to support these children, an imaginative method of support is through our canine companions. The Delta Society Classroom Canines™ program provides assistance to children identified as having difficulties with literacy learning and/or social/emotional skills. Through the program, a trained dog and handler visit a school on a weekly basis and work with children in a classroom setting.

This research investigated the impact of the Classroom Canines™ program on the reading and social/emotional skills of selected students at a primary school in Queensland, Australia. It utilized both quantitative and qualitative data, including reading scores, attendance records, classroom observations, artefacts (work samples), interviews with teachers and students, and researcher journals. Findings from the study support the benefits of dog-assisted programs to motivate children and improve their reading, confidence and self-esteem.


When recording seismic ground motion in multiple sites using independent recording stations one needs to recognize the presence of the same parts of seismic waves arriving at these stations. This problem is known in seismology as seismic phase picking. It is challenging to automate the accurate picking of seismic phases to the level of human capabilities. By solving this problem, it would be possible to automate routine processing in real time on any local network. A new machine learning approach was developed to classify seismic phases from local earthquakes. The resulting model is based on spectrograms and utilizes the transformer architecture with a self-attention mechanism and without any convolution blocks. The model is general for various local networks and has only 57 k learning parameters. To assess the generalization property, two new datasets were developed, containing local earthquake data collected from two different regions using a wide variety of seismic instruments. The data were not involved in the training process for any model to estimate the generalization property. The new model exhibits the best classification and computation performance results on its pre-trained weights compared with baseline models from related work. The model code is available online and is ready for day-to-day real-time processing on conventional seismic equipment without graphics processing units.


J. H. Ryu 1, S. W. Lee 2, J. H. Lee 2, E. H. Lee 3, S. H. Do 1 and C. S. Kim 4* 1 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and 2 Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Lung Institute, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea 3 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea 4 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea


SCID X1 is characterized by faulty T-cell and natural killer cell differentiation caused by mutation of the gamma-c chain gene encoding a number of multiple cytokine receptors (interleukin-2 [IL-2], IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15 receptors). To assess the feasibility of inducing long-term expression and function of the gamma-c chain, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B-cell lines from two patients with SCID X1 were transduced with a Moloney-derived retroviral vector containing the gamma-c chain cDNA. The viral LTR was used as the promoter. Immediately after two cycles of coculture with the psi-crip clone producing the MFG(B2)-gamma-c cDNA vector, gamma-c expression, assessed by detection of the mRNA and membrane protein expression, was found in 15% to 20% of cells. The degree of membrane expression was similar to that in control EBV-B cells. Expression increased steadily over 6 months, becoming detectable in 100% of cells, and remained stable thereafter for a total of 9 months, reflecting positive selection of transduced cells. A study of provirus integration sites showed multiple integration. The expressed gamma-c was functional, because it restored high-affinity IL-2 receptor binding, IL-2 endocytosis, and IL-2-triggered phosphorylation of JAK-3 tyrosine kinase. Similar results were obtained with the two B-cell lines. These results show that efficient gamma-c gene transfer into B-cells lacking functional gamma-c is feasible and results in strong and stable expression of a functional gamma-c chain, apparently conferring a selective growth advantage in culture. Further in vitro studies of gamma-c gene transfer into gamma-c- hematopoietic progenitors are being conducted to assess the feasibility of correcting lymphocyte differentiation defects.


Soft clayey soil was treated by a combination of cement (PC) and Quicklime (LQ) in order to modify and stability. This study shows an improvement of clay soil brought from Garma Ali site in the Al Basra governorate, Iraq. The PC was added in percentages of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%, and LQ was added to 2 and 4%, of dry weight. Also, this research used Microstructure Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) testing and Mineralogical Analysis by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) testing on the examination soil treated with mix between cement (PC) and Quicklime (LQ) for the purpose of knowing the reasons for the increase in the shear strength and decrease maximum dry density. Through the micrographs that result from the scanning electron microscoping and the curves of X-ray that demonstrate presentence, the formation of the hydration reaction product (CSH gel) shows tiny bristle (rod) crystals. The CSH gel and the tiny bristle (rod) crystals worked on coating and contact the particles together. The micrographs for soils treated with (2% LQ + 10% PC) show an increase in the amount hydrated gel (CSH) compared to the soil treated with 6% PC and 2% LQ and 8% PC and 4% LQ, but the number of bristle-like crystals decreases compared to soil treated by 8% PC and 4% LQ.


Summary:  Serum prolactin (PRL) was significantly lower in smokers, compared with non‐smokers in 233 males and 250 females referred to our infertility clinics. In subjects smoking 10 cigarettes or more per day, the mean serum PRL was 22% and 20% lower in men and women, respectively. In cigarette smoking men serum testosterone was significantly higher and semen volume lower, while neither serum luteinizing hormone (LH) or follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sperm density, motility of morphology differed between smokers and non‐smokers. It is possible that the higher serum testosterone levels in smokers are due to their lower bodyweight, and that the lower semen volume may be due to an effect of nicotine on the contractility of the deferental ducts. Cigarette smoking may increase central dopaminergic tonus and reduce PRL levels, but it is unknown whether or not this is of biological significance in relation to reproductive function.


We propose and test a silicon waveguide grating which serves dual functions: as a 1 times 2 variable integrated beam splitter/combiner and as an out-of plane diffractive element for coupling light between a single-mode optical fiber and a 500-nm-wide silicon-on-insulator waveguide. An integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer made with this novel functional element had over 20-dB extinction ratio. The splitting ratio can be tuned by changing the launch position of the optical fiber. The grating coupler had over 36% coupling efficiency and a 1-dB spectral bandwidth of 37 nm.


Since 1988, we have pursued enabling technologies and methods as tools for 'green' synthetic chemistry. The developed technologies comprise hardware including catalytic membranes and continuous and batch microwave reactors that have established global markets, as well as interactive, predictive software for optimization of yields and translation of conditions. New methods include 'green' reactions such as a catalytic symmetrical etherification, Pd-catalyzed coupling processes and a multi-component cascade for aniline derivatives. Reactions and workup were facilitated through solvent-free conditions, aqueous media at high temperature and dimethylammonium dimethylcarbamate (dimcarb) as a 'distillable' protic ionic liquid, as well as by non-extractive techniques for product isolation. The technologies and methods were designed for use alone or in various combinations as desired. Consolidation of individual operations or processes into unit steps was achieved through multi-tasking: media, reactants, catalysts, and conditions were selected to serve several purposes at various stages of a reaction. The tools were used to establish a technology platform comprising structurally diverse oligomers, macrocycles, and rod-like molecules supplementary to those available through phenol-formaldehyde chemistry. Dienone precursors were assembled from versatile building blocks containing complementary 'male' or 'female' fittings that were connected through inherently 'green' Claisen–Schmidt-type reactions. Isoaromatization afforded Horning-crowns, macrocyclic phenolic derivatives that were hybrids of calixarenes and crown ethers. Preliminary studies of organic substrates in salt water, with and without CO2, called into question proposals for disposal of anthropogenic CO2 by deep-sea dispersal.


Along with growing demand for high data rate in wireless communications applications and the significant increase of the number of users, the radio frequency (RF) spectrum become one of the scarcest resources in the world. To extract nonnegative signals in optical wireless communication (OWC) systems, flipped orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (Flip-OFDM) transmits the positive and negative parts of the signal more than two back to back OFDM subframes (positive sub frame and negative subframe, individually).As the conventional receiver for Flip-OFDM transmit the data by subtracting the negative frame from the positive subframe. As the signal analysis shows that the information will be transmitted by both the subframes. But in conventional the data loss will be there. To overcome that problem in our proposed an iterative receiver is proposed to increase the performance of FLIP-OFDM by abusing the signal in two frames. Simulation results show that the proposed iterative receiver provides significant signal to noise ratio (SNR) gain over the conventional receiver.


The topic of Viking Age and medieval writing traditions is is a huge subject which is impossible to cover in a short speech during a conference. For that reason I will not try to give a full description of how the runic alphabet was used and developed in different parts of Scandinavia in this period. Instead, I have chosen to focus on a few selected cases, which I hope can shed some light on a couple of interesting issues connected to the long history of the runic script. The development must naturally be seen in a Scandinavian perspective, but since I am most familiar with the runic material from Sweden many of the examples will be taken from this area. Hopefully some of these observations may also contribute to the discussion of the development of the runic script in other parts of Scandinavia.


Erosion and sedimentation, resulting in the loss of fertile agricultural soil and
cause damage outside the region. The sediment transport on water quality
parameters are effective The estimated amount of sediment, soil conservation
projects, design and implementation of hydraulic structures, and utilization of
water resources is necessary. Estimation of suspended sediment is a function of
many factors that may be difficult to model analytically, so they are all using
artificial intelligence techniques that are capable of significantly useful
simulation of complicated phenomena appear
,In the present study using an artificial neural network model of multi-layer
perceptron (MLP) and general regression (GRNN) to estimate sediment gauging
stations located in Khorasan Razavi Kardeh dam was discussed. GRNN Neural
networks are often used as estimation functions. Which consists of a radial basis
layer and a special linear layer is. Multi-layer perceptron network consists of
three layers of input, hidden and output the number of neurons in each layer is
determined by trial and error After monitoring data, review of data
homogeneity and normality of the data flow, rainfall, discharge day before, day
before the precipitation corresponds to the rate of deposition as the network
input and output of the network was used to calculate the deposition rate.
Models used during the training process and the process of network weights of
trained neural network is optimized for Estimation of suspended sediment was
used, then use statistical indicators to compare the estimated and actual values,
and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the model in predicting sediment
was examined. Finally, a general regression neural network in the input
parameters to the neural network was associated with a more acceptable results


The aim of this study was to investigate the learning styles of prospective biology teachers in Islamic universities (PBTs-IU) in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. 195 PBTs-IU were surveyed by using the Felder-Silverman Learning Style instruments. The results show that in online learning PBTs-IU practice and like dimensions of learning styles, such as in active – social oriented learning, in sensing – existing ways, concrete material, careful with details, in visual – pictures, and in sequential – sequential progress.


Abstract : We present results related to the vertex degree in a uniform s-intersection graph which has received much interest recently. Specifically, we derive the probability distribution for the minimum vertex degree, and show that the number of vertices with an arbitrary degree converges to a Poisson distribution. A uniform s-intersection graph models the topology of a secure wireless sensor network employing the widely used s-composite key predistribution scheme. Our theoretical findings is also confirmed by numerical results.


This study provides empirical evidence for the proposition that asset price booms matter because they tend to bring about the worst output, price, and inflation outcomes in the case of eight East Asian countries, namely, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The main findings are: (i) asset price booms in housing and equity markets, especially in housing, significantly lower the conditional mean of real output growth and raise those of the price-level gap and inflation, and also raise the conditional variance of all three variables; and (ii) expected real output and price-level outcomes that are obtained without conditioning on asset price booms, or are obtained conditionally on asset price booms using the normal distribution, both underestimate the risk of the worst outcomes occurring and lead to less pessimistic but misleading inferences. These findings are not premised on the ability of central bankers to be able to identify correctly asset bubbles ex ante. One possible implication for monetary policy is that central bankers ought to be wary about the occurrence of any large increase in asset prices and consider an approach that is ex ante more compatible with risk management.


The teleomorph name, #Mycosphaerella eumusae#, and its anamorph, #Pseudocercospora eumusae#, are validated for the banana disease formerly known as Septoria leaf spot. This disease has been found on different #Musa# cultivars from tropical countries such as southern India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mauritius and Nigeria. It is contrasted with two similar species, namely #Mycosphaerella fijiensis# (black leaf streak or black Sigatoka disease) and #Mycosphaerella musicola# (Sigatoka disease). Although the teleomorphs of these three species are morphologically similar, they are phylogenetically distinct and can also be distinguished based upon the morphology of their anamorphs. (Resume d'auteur)


In this study, the longitudinal wave characteristics of magnetic field sensitive viscoelastic rods under the transverse magnetic field effect is addressed by including lateral inertia effect. The analysis is based on the Love rod theory. The polymeric rod is modeled as standard linear solid viscoelastic material. The obtained explicit solution is illustrated graphically. The comparative results of the analysis show that the transverse magnetic field has a remarkable effect on the wave phase velocity and attenuation coefficient. The transverse magnetic field especially leads to a significant reduction on attenuation coefficient for high frequencies values and large diameters. The analysis results presented here especially for low frequencies ranges can provide a reliable support for the similar experimental studies in related the magnetic field effects.


High-resolution seismic reflection profiles in the Sevier Desert basin in western Utah help clarify the relationship between some late Quaternary fault scarps and subjacent faults. A profile crossing the Clear Lake fault confirms that Holocene(?) displacement has occurred on a high-angle normal fault that is directly connected to the Sevier Desert detachment. If detachment faults can act as seismogenic source zones, then the young movement on the normal fault suggests that the Sevier Desert detachment may be unstable and perhaps the source of future earthquakes. A swarm of late Quaternary scarps near the Drum Mountains overlies a network of steep faults in competent rock that have had recurrent movement. Many subsurface faults are not associated with scarps, suggesting that selected faults ruptured during the last episode of surface faulting.


INTRODUCTION . 7Be is one of the radionuclide produced by spallation reactions of cosmic rays with light atmospheric nuclei. 7Be rapidly associates primarily with submicronsized aerosol particles. Gravitational settling and precipitation processes largely accomplish transfer to the earth's surface. 210Pb which is one of the natural radionuclide of the 238U series is widely used as a tracer. 210Pb depositional pattern gave us information on continental aerosols in lower troposphere. These two radionuclides with their different sources and therefore are useful to understand the mechanisms of aerosol removal from the atmosphere. These radionuclides have measured routinely in many places in order to study the description of environmental processes such as aerosol transit and residence times in the troposphere , aerosol deposition velocities and aerosol trapping by ground vegetation.40K has been associated with the arrival of coarse re-suspended material from the Africa continent. The bulk atmospheric deposition of 7Be , 210Pb and 40K has been measured at Málaga , south-eastern Spain, from January 2005 to December 2012 for monthly periods.


For high speed ultra-wideband (UWB) communication systems, the multipath interference exhibits a primary obstacle to improve transmission performance. In order to enhance the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) in the receiver, a partial template receiver is proposed in this paper. Instead of using the conventional template, the model in this paper adopts a partial template to demodulate signals. To analyze the performance of the proposed receiver, bit error rate (BER) formulation of IR-UWB systems in the presence of multipath interference, multiuser interference and addictive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) is derived in IEEE 802.15.4a channel models. Simulation results show that, compared with the conventional correlation receiver, the proposed receiver can achieve a better BER performance for high Eb/N0, which falls in the conventional used Eb/N0 range.


Isolated coastal areas and remote islands may be particularly vulnerable to damage from powerful storms, storm surges, and flooding. Because wave energy converters are designed to survive rough seas and can be transported by sea, they could potentially play a role in poststorm operations and contribute to power-grid recovery. To that end, this paper addresses questions such as how many devices would need to be deployed and in what sequence, in order to optimize some performance index that includes, as functions of time, both, the energy needed and the energy converted by the device units. In this work, the wave-by-wave dynamics of the devices are controlled to optimize mean power conversion over 20 min, assuming sea-state stationarity over that period. Sea-state variations between 20 min and 13 h are found to be small (relative to variations between 13 and 60 h) for a candidate deployment site near a Caribbean island. Targeting deployment over 5–7 days, two optimization schemes are considered: (i) maximization of the power conversion capacity over a specified time interval and (ii) minimization of the time taken to deploy the desired conversion capacity. With the wave energy devices controlled for optimal conversion over successive 20-min periods, the optimization is carried out over the number of converter units added as a function of time. The results indicate that optimal deployment sequences can be evaluated for given conversion capacity/recovery-time targets and the type of recovery desired [strategies (i) or (ii) above]. However, depending on the energy richness of the "normal" wave climate at the deployment site, cost-effective recovery may require closer consideration of the trade-offs among device configurations, size, and number of units needed for desired capacity. The potential for wave energy devices to power early recovery operations and to support power-grid black-start could be worth considering further as a means to enhance the resilience of coastal and island energy systems.Isolated coastal areas and remote islands may be particularly vulnerable to damage from powerful storms, storm surges, and flooding. Because wave energy converters are designed to survive rough seas and can be transported by sea, they could potentially play a role in poststorm operations and contribute to power-grid recovery. To that end, this paper addresses questions such as how many devices would need to be deployed and in what sequence, in order to optimize some performance index that includes, as functions of time, both, the energy needed and the energy converted by the device units. In this work, the wave-by-wave dynamics of the devices are controlled to optimize mean power conversion over 20 min, assuming sea-state stationarity over that period. Sea-state variations between 20 min and 13 h are found to be small (relative to variations between 13 and 60 h) for a candidate deployment site near a Caribbean island. Targeting deployment over 5–7 days, two optimization schemes are considered: (i) maximiz...


This study examined the effect of fluid balance on survival in ARDS. Of the 213 patients entered into a prospective data collection study, we evaluated 113 patients who met strict criteria for ARDS. Multiple variables were analyzed for as long as 14 days after intubation including cardiac output, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, mean blood pressure, intake minus output (I-O), cumulative intake minus output (cum I-O), and change in weight (delta wt). We found significant differences in cum I-O and delta wt between survivors and nonsurvivors on almost every day. Survivors lost weight and had a significantly lower cum I-O compared with nonsurvivors. Logistic regression was used to determine if delta wt and cum I-O could predict survival. Patients who lost 3 kg or more weight had a much higher survival than did those who gained 3 kg or more weight (67 and 0%, respectively, on Day 14). Similar results were obtained using comparably low and high values for cum I-O. The logistic regression equations demonstrated that weight loss and low cumulative I-O correlated with improved survival. Although cause and effect relationships are difficult to determine from these types of analyses, they can be used to formulate prospective studies and predict survival in patients.


The identification and annotation of nucleotide variants, including insertions/deletions and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), from whole genome sequence data is important for studies of bacterial evolution, comparative genomics, and phylogeography. The in Silico Genotyper (ISG) represents a parallel, tested, open source tool that can perform these functions and scales well to thousands of bacterial genomes. ISG is written in Java and requires MUMmer (Delcher, et al., 2003), BWA (Li and Durbin, 2009), and GATK (McKenna, et al., 2010) for full functionality. The source code and compiled binaries are freely available from https://github.com/TGenNorth/ISGPipeline under a GNU General Public License. Benchmark comparisons demonstrate that ISG is faster and more flexible than comparable tools.


— Evaluating an (implemented) Business Rules Management Solution (BRMS) is not a frequently conducted process within organizations. A tool is needed, which supports this process and supports future BRMS implementations. A literature study is conducted on the relevant building blocks of a BRMS. The results are validated through qualitative expert interviews. This resulted in the BRMS analysis tool that can be utilized to structure the analysis for one or multiple BRMS implementations. Next, the BRMS analysis tool is applied at 13 organizations that implemented a BRMS. The BRMS analysis tool provides the BRMS implementation stakeholders with a tool that structures, in a systematic and controlled way, that is capable to analyze a BRMS implementation for one or multiple organizations. This research contributes to structured and managed information which is important for better business and IT alignment. Furthermore, structured and managed information contributes towards the easier creation of a business case.


The paper presents the results of theoretical and experimental research regarding the establishing of some chemical positions of the bearing alloy and of cladding technology. The final properties of the materials depend on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the interface processes. In the paper the diffusion zone developed between the two bimetal materials is revealed and characterized under the aspect of chemical composition and structure. An application for this research that could lead to increasing the endurance of the steel products cladded through welding is the case of boring bits with three cones, which work under short oiling conditions and variations of the contact pressure.


Tamoxifen, a non-steroidal antiestrogen, is the class representative of a group of drugs that include toremifene, droloxifene and idoxifene. Tamoxifen has been successfully used worldwide as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of women with breast cancer. However, such therapy results in a slightly increased risk of endometrial cancers. Lifetime exposure of rats to high doses of tamoxifen results in a high incidence of liver tumors. Tamoxifen itself is not genotoxic but is activated in the liver to alpha-hydroxytamoxifen. This is further conjugated to form the sulfate ester as the putative reactive intermediate. Studies with recombinant human CYPs show only CYP3A4 is able to catalyze the formation of alpha-hydroxytamoxifen and the irreversible binding of [(14)C]tamoxifen to DNA. CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 convert tamoxifen to N-desmethyltamoxifen. The formation 4-hydroxytamoxifen is catalyzed by CYP2D6 and at a much lower level by CYP2C19. In women, detoxication of alpha-hydroxytamoxifen via a stable glucuronide occurs at a rate in the order of 100 fold higher than in rats whereas rates of sulfation are 3 fold lower than in rats. These factors, together with the low dose of tamoxifen used therapeutically in women, indicates a minimum risk of liver cancers. Results from (32)P-postlabeling and accelerator mass spectrometry suggest that low levels of uterine DNA binding does occur but this is probably too low to play a role in uterine tumor development and it is more likely to be the estrogen agonist action of this class of drug that is the most important factor in tumor development in humans.