Abstract. The fact that Descartes describes mind and body as two fundamentally different entities has mostly led to the view that he has to be seen not only as the father of modern Philosophy, but also as the father of substance dualism. Against this commonsense view, I will argue that Descartes' dualism does not primarily aim to prove an ontological, but a transcendental distinction between mind and body as a constitutional fact of human existence. As a consequence, Descartes' dualism has to be seen as a kind of perspectivism: Depending on one's point of view, the human mind can, according to Descartes, be seen as part of a union with the body, as self-consciousness ("ego cogito") or, from a naturalistic point of view, as a natural function that has its correlate in the human brain.


Propagation of ultrashort light pulses in disordered multilayers is studied by using numerical simulations in the time domain. We consider cases of instantaneous and noninstantaneous Kerr nonlinearities of the structure materials. The competitive nature of disorder and nonlinearity is revealed on the long and short time scales. We also pay special attention to the effect of pulse self-trapping in the photonic crystal with relaxing nonlinearity and show the dependence of this effect on the level of disorder. We believe that the results reported here will be useful not only in the field of optics but also from the standpoint of the general problem of classical wave propagation in nonlinear disordered periodic media.


Deep learning in computer vision has achieved great success with the price of large-scale labeled training data. However, exhaustive data annotation is impracticable for each task of all domains of interest, due to high labor costs and unguaranteed labeling accuracy. Besides, the uncontrollable data collection process produces non-IID training and test data, where undesired duplication may exist. All these nuisances may hinder the verification of typical theories and exposure to new findings. To circumvent them, an alternative is to generate synthetic data via 3D rendering with domain randomization. We in this work push forward along this line by doing profound and extensive research on bare supervised learning and downstream domain adaptation. Specifically, under the well-controlled, IID data setting enabled by 3D rendering, we systematically verify the typical, important learning insights, e.g., shortcut learning, and discover the new laws of various data regimes and network architectures in generalization. We further investigate the effect of image formation factors on generalization, e.g., object scale, material texture, illumination, camera view-point, and background in a 3D scene. Moreover, we use the simulation-to-reality adaptation as a downstream task for comparing the transferability between synthetic and real data when used for pre-training, which demonstrates that synthetic data pre-training is also promising to improve real test results. Lastly, to promote future research, we develop a new large-scale synthetic-to-real benchmark for image classification, termed S2RDA, which provides more significant challenges for transfer from simulation to reality.


Model reference adaptive control is a major design method for controlling plants with uncertain parameters. The primary objective of this paper is to develop a new design approach for a differentiator-free model reference adaptive control of a single-input single-output linear time-invariant plant. The proposed method, called the "Identifier-tracking model reference adaptive control", uses a stacked identifier structure that is new to the field of adaptive control. The goal is to make the output of the plant asymptotically track the output of the first identifier, and then driving the output of the first identifier to track that of the second identifier, and so forth, up to the qth identifier where q is the relative degree of the plant. Lastly, the output of the qth identifier is forced to converge to that of the reference model. Simulation results show the superiority of the proposed method over the traditional model reference adaptive control with augmented error in terms of the transient response. Since the resulting control systems are non-linear and time-varying, the stability analysis of the overall system plays a central role in developing the theory.


BENIGN INTRACRANIAL hypertension has been reported as a complication of prolonged steroid therapy by a number of authors. The following case report describes the occurrence of the syndrome in a child with congenital adrenal hyperplasia who had been treated with steroids for nine years before she manifested the syndrome of pseudotumor cerebri. From this report and a review of the literature, it would appear that patients with the syndrome of pseudotumor cerebri following steroid therapy should be treated in a conservative fashion. Report of a Case A 10-year-old white girl (NCBH 23 47 60) was diagnosed at 10 days of age as having congenital adrenal hyperplasia of the salt-losing type. She was admitted to the North Carolina Baptist Hospital with a history of intermittent vomiting of five days' duration. One sibling with enlarged genitalia died at 14 days of age. Physical examination revealed a female infant with an enlarged clitoris.


The present study provides information about concentration of vitamins B1 and B6 in grain products as well as frequency of intake cereal products by students. Higher thiamine and vitamin B6 content was detected in the whole wheat flour. The group of 171 pupils was investigated. Frequency of cereal products consumption and choice of kind of bread intake was estimated using self-report questionnaire. The results of the study showed that respondents were more familiar with wheat bread. Most students reported the consumption of cereal products two times per day.


This study was carried out to analyze the polymorphic region of exon 1 of OsHKT1;5 of 22 high yielding rice varieties that are salt tolerant. The result of the phenotypic screening for salinity stress was done using the standard protocol of the International Rice Research Institute which recorded that all rice varieties developed very well under control condition, 85.38% were quite tolerant to salinity treatment of 4‰, 68.18% were moderately tolerant to salinity treatment of 8‰ and 36.36% were moderately tolerant to salinity treatment of 10‰, similar to Pokalli. The result of sequencing exon 1 region of OsHKT1;5 gene recorded five Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) markers. Five nucleotide substitutions in coding sequence of OsHKT1;5 were found at the positions: 382, 418, 484, 551 and 994. All five non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions caused changes in amino acids (D51N, P63A, V86I, R107H and H255D).

 Key words: High yielding rice, OsHKT1;5, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) makers.


Legumes play a key role in soil fertility replenishment, yet the yields achieved are far below their potential due to poor management practices. The main objective of this thesis was to increase soybean and common bean productivity in the smallholder farming systems of Rwanda. Inputs of manure at different rates, mineral fertilizers and rhizobial inoculants were used. Field trials evaluating the response of common bean and soybean to inoculation, P and manure (0, 5 and 10 t ha-1) in three agro-ecological zones of Rwanda showed greater grain yield, biomass and stover yields when inputs were combined. The %Ndfa, amount of N2-fixed, N and P uptake were larger in treated plots compared to control plots. Large variability in the data following inputs application was observed, but there was no clear relationship between the response to inputs and soil parameters. Inputs applied to the legumes lead to substantial increase in the yield of a subsequent maize crop. However, maize grown after soybean failed to yield in Bugesera due to the long maturity of the soybean variety used which resulted in late planting of the maize. The role of manure on the survival of rhizobia in the soil was explored. The population of rhizobia in the soil was higher in plots that had received manure two seasons earlier compared with plots that had been inoculated or plots that had received P fertilizer only. The number of rhizobia in manured plots was still higher eighteen months from the first sampling. In the dry season rhizobial numbers decreased and increased again soon after during the rainy season. The Northern Province of Rwanda is the best region for climbing bean. However, yields achieved are very poor. Trials evaluating the response of climbing bean to manure (0, 2 and 5 t ha-1) and mineral fertilizers (N, P, K and their combination) were established in Kinoni and Muko villages with seven fields in each village. Results showed consistent yield increase when inputs were used together. Greater yields were achieved when manure was combined with NPK. In all cases larger responses were observed with the higher rate of manure. Similarly, inputs application increased the amount of N2-fixed, N and P uptake. Determination of limiting nutrients to climbing bean was performed using the Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) and the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS). The two approaches were useful in identifying nutrient limitations to climbing bean in Northern Rwanda. We observed deficiencies of Zn, N, K and P in Kinoni, and Zn, Mg, Ca, P and N in the Muko site.


Background:
Piezoelectric instrumentation seems to offer 3 important advantages for cutting bone structures.
Be more precise because it is produced by micro-vibrations from the cutting insert.
Be safer because the ultrasonic frequency used does not affect soft tissue.
Thirdly, the less invasive cutting action produces minor tissue damage and consequently probably a better healing
Aim of the Study:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of piezoelectric device capability in maxillo-facial surgery, in order to take advantage of these favourable capacity.
Material and Methods:
Considering the several potential application of the piezoelectric technology in Orthognathic, Oncologic and Extractive surgery, we would like to design protocols in order to verify how this new device can modify the surgical technique, the surgical time, the patients healing and its quality of life.
Results:
Due to the precise Piezosurgery cut, we can manage the Cad-Cam-Custom Made plates protocol in Oncologic Surgery and in Orthognatic Surgery increasing our percentage of comparison between the 3D preoperative plan and the surgical execution.
We also found a better quality of life impaction in Patient who underwent and extractive surgery
Conclusion:
Piezosurgery device seems to be a strong surgical aid were safe and precise cut are needed and its capability to reduce the discomfort Patients need to be study in deep also in major surgery like Orthognatic and Oncologic surgery.


Recently, the risk for suicide while on antidepressant medication became of great concern. Summarizing the literature, it seems that the majority of reports support the favourable effect of antidepressants on suicide rates in general, by diminishing the underlying depression. Some studies, however, suggest that the advantageous effect of antidepressants is partly abolished by its increased risk for suicide, especially in children. Therefore, in the present article, we propose a number of practical diagnostic and therapeutic measures to diminish the risk for suicide in patients on antidepressants. First, the age of the patient should be taken into account, since in children the effect of antidepressants over placebo is not as clear as in adults. Therefore, the indication for antidepressants in children should be restricted to those with severe depression, who cannot be treated by other means and the prescribing of antidepressants to children should be reserved to psychiatrists. Moreover, also in adults, it is important to take the severity and type of depression into account, since the effect of antidepressants in mild depression is less clear than in severe depression and the agitated, "pseudo‐unipolar" type of depression requires a different treatment strategy. Therefore, the decision to prescribe antidepressants should be made by a physician who is experienced in estimating depression severity and type. Probably, the most rewarding measure to decrease suicide rates among depressed patients is adequate antidepressant treatment, since under‐treatment seems to be a serious problem in depressed patients who commit suicide. During this treatment, safety must be ensured and psychosocial factors addressed. Furthermore, antidepressants should be used with low risk for suicide in overdose and, if necessary, benzodiazepines against agitation in the first weeks of treatment. Finally, debriefing strategies, ongoing support, and counselling following suicide should be available for both family and caregivers. Drug Dev. Res. 65:179–184, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Specimens of two new fish species were collected from the Lower Devonian ichthyofauna of the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada. These two species are interesting in that they have monodontode scales, lack teeth, and have an unossified axial, visceral, and appendicular endoskeleton. These characteristics have been suggested to be primitive for jawed fishes. However, the new taxa have combinations of median and paired fin spines which are similar to those of acanthodian fishes. The new taxa show no obvious characteristics to suggest relationship to any particular group of acanthodians, and for the moment, we will not try to determine their relationships, but to use them as outgroups in an analyses of relationships within the class Acanthodii. Our cladistic analysis results suggest that climatiiform fishes are basal relative to acanthodiform and ischnacanthiform taxa. However, in contrast to previously published analyses, the order Climatiiformes appears paraphyletic relative to the other two acanthodian orders. Lupopsyrus pygmaeus is placed as the basal-most acanthodian species, Brochoadmones milesi, Euthacanthus macnicoli, and diplacanthids are relatively derived "climatiiform" fishes, and the heavily armored condition in Climatius reticulatus and Brachyacanthus scutiger appears as a uniquely derived state and not primitive for all acanthodians. In addition, Cassidiceps vermiculatus and Paucicanthus vanelsti seem to be related to acanthodiform fishes based on fin spine structures. Cassidiceps vermiculatus originally was placed with climatiiform fishes in the original description. Given our character coding, we identified several primitive characteristics which were retained in relatively derived acanthodian taxa.


The magnitude and dynamic response of the third-order optical nonlinearity of a 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trihydroxy-phenyl)squaraine was measured by femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) technique at 800 nm. Ultrafast optical response has been observed and the magnitude of the second-order hyperpolarizability of the studied squaraine was measured as large as 3.8 ×10-31 esu. The large optical nonlinearities of the squaraine can be attributed to their rigid and intramolecular charge transfer structure, and the instantaneous NLO response of squaraine is mainly contributed from the electron delocalization.


ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study examined the contributions of motor skills and executive function (EF) to early achievement. Participants were 7,797 children (3,889 girls) between 36 and 72 months of age from 6 countries in East Asia and the Pacific. Fine and gross motor skills, EF, language and literacy achievement, and mathematics achievement were evaluated using the East Asia-Pacific Early Child Development Scales, a tool that assesses child development in 7 domains. Children's caregivers provided demographic information. There were 3 salient findings. First, gross and fine motor skills predicted both language and literacy and mathematics achievement. Second, in general, fine motor skills contributed more to the prediction of early achievement than gross motor skills. However, there were no differences between the contributions of fine and gross motor skills to the prediction of early language and literacy in Papua New Guinea or early mathematics in Timor-Leste. Third, EF partially mediated the relation between both early achievement and gross and fine motor skills in the overall sample, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste and fully mediated the association of gross motor skills and early achievement in China, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. Practice or Policy: Implications of the findings for early childhood education are discussed.


In this paper microstructures and mechanical properties of the Mg-xGd-Er (x=5, 7, 9 and 11wt.%) alloys were characterized and discussed. The results show that the alloys with different Gd were mainly composed of α-Mg solid solution, semi-continuous network-like secondary phases of Mg5Gd and cuboid-shaped compound of Mg(GdEr). The ensile strength and yield strength increase as the content of Gd increase. This improved mechanical properties are mainly ascribed to the formation of network-like secondary phases of Mg5Gd.


A full 3D finite element method has been used to understand how nano-clay particles affect the mechanical properties of an epoxy/clay nanocomposite. The epoxy/clay nanocomposite has been modelled as a representative volume element (RVE) containing intercalated clay platelets that internally delaminates at the gallery layer upon satisfying an energy criterion, and an epoxy matrix that is elastic-plastic. A cohesive traction-displacement law is used to model the clay gallery behaviour until failure. For clay volume fractions >1%, clay particle interaction is observed to develop during uniaxial tension, the nanocomposite stiffness becomes non-linearly dependent on the clay volume fraction, and the Mori-Tanaka model overestimates the stiffness. Failure of the clay gallery is not observed and is believed to have no influence on the ultimate tensile strength of the nanocomposite.


Geomagnetic pulsations are magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in Earth's magnetosphere that can be seen as variations in the magnetic and electric fields, but also in particle data. Artificial Neural Network's (ANN's) ability to recognize patterns have been used to find Pc5 pulsations in geosynchronous electron flux data from LANL satellites. Building on previous results [12] presenting the Fourier transform to the ANN, additional inputs were used to separate false events from real pulsations. The ANN was taught to generate +1 for a pulsation and 0 for a non-pulsation. The procedure of letting the network search for pulsations that later would be used in training caused it to only detect pulsations within the frequency range of the first training set. To get around this, fake training data were produced to make the network detect pulsations with other frequencies. The ANN's ability to separate false events form real pulsations was evaluated using one full year of data that it had not been introduced to before. The three lowest energy channels 50-75 keV, 75-105 keV and 105-150 keV were scanned to make sure a pulsation pattern was detected simultaneously in all channels. A cut-off level was imposed to separate false events from real pulsations. There were several events that the ANN did not detect which is believed to be result of either insufficient training at these frequencies, or it might be caused by the extra inputs giving it the impression of a false event. The ANN were later used to scan all available data from all LANL-satellites from 1989 to 2007. The results indicates that Pc5 pulsations in the electron flux data mainly occurs in the afternoon sector around 14:00-15:00 hours local time. It also shows a dominant frequency around 3 mHz among these events as a possible fundamental mode oscillation. An increase of events around 4-4.5 mHz and 6-6.5 mHz as well.


This paper investigates the effectiveness of knowledge distillation in the context of multilingual models. We show that with knowledge distillation, Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM) models can be used to train standard feed-forward Deep Neural Network (DNN) models for a variety of low-resource languages. We then examine how the agreement between the teacher's best labels and the original labels affects the student model's performance. Next, we show that knowledge distillation can be easily applied to semi-supervised learning to improve model performance. We also propose a promising data selection method to filter un-transcribed data. Then we focus on knowledge transfer among DNN models with multilingual features derived from CNN+DNN, LSTM, VGG, CTC and attention models. We show that a student model equipped with better input features not only learns better from the teacher's labels, but also outperforms the teacher. Further experiments suggest that by learning from each other, the original ensemble of various models is able to evolve into a new ensemble with even better combined performance.


Propolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources. It is a popular folk medicine possessing a broad spectrum of biological activities. It has also been used as a health drink in various Asian, European and American countries. Several groups of researchers have focused their attention on the biological activity of propolis and its active principles. Many scientific articles are published every year in different international journals related to the pharmacological properties of propolis. This review article compiles recent findings (since 1995) on the pharmacological properties of propolis focusing on its antihepatotoxic, antitumour, antioxidative, antimicrobial and antiinflammatory properties. The possible mechanism of action of propolis as well as the active compounds are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


To determine whether there is a difference on the historical and clinical characteristics of omphalitis among term and preterm appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) infants, we prospectlvely investigated 85 newboms with bacteriologically proved omphalitis. Study groups were based on gestational age and being SGA. Preterm AGA infants had significantly lower mean age and neutrophil counts. Risk factors such as septic delivery including unplanned home delivery, and bacterial spectrum were similar in the groups. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most frequent micro-organisms. Mortality rates for the study groups were similar and overall case fatality rate was 13 per cent Immunological immaturity of preterm newboms may explain the earlier occurrence age of omphalitis and lower absolute neutrophil count The following features such as early-onset infection, septic delivery including unplanned home delivery and abnormal temperature may be considered as determinants of poor prognosis. However, further studies are needed.


The paper discusses design considerations of wind powered generating plants that require knowledge of the fault current contribution of the generators. To provide context, the paper includes brief summary of typical design of the electrical collection and interconnect systems of wind power plants. The impact of fault current contribution on equipment selection is discussed. Common protective relaying practices are discussed and the impacts of fault contributions on setting and selectivity of protective relaying systems are discussed.


Unobtrusive heart rate monitoring is a popular research topic in biomedical engineering. The reason is that convential methods, e.g. the clinical gold standard electrocardiography, require conductive contact to the human body. Other methods such as ballistocardiography try to record these vital signs without electrodes that are attached to the body. So far, these systems cannot replace routine procedures. Most systems have some drawbacks that cannot be compensated, such as aging of the sensor materials or movement artifacts. In addition, the signal form differs greatly from an ECG, which is an electrical signal. The ballistocardiogram has a mechanical source, which makes it harder to evaluate. We have developed a new sensor array made of near-IR-LEDs to record BCGs. IR-sensors do not age in relevant time scales. Analog filtering was neccesary, because the signal amplitude was very small. The digitized data was then processed by various algorithms to extract beat-to-beat or breath-to-breath intervals. The redundancy of multiple BCG channels was used to provide a robust estimation of beat-to-beat intervals and heart rate. We installed the system beneath a mattress topper of a hospital bed, but any other bed would have been sufficient. The validation of this measurement system shows that it is well suited for BCG recordings. The use of multiple channels has proven to be superior to relying on a single BCG channel.


Coworking is characterized by different people sharing a workspace to benefit from the inspiring working atmosphere. Even before Covid-19, many positive effects and dynamics were not fully exploited by their users. One reason is a lack of trust among the users that leads to social isolation, although a coworking space should increase knowledge and idea exchange. As most people in coworking spaces use information and communication technologies (ICT) for their collaboration with their clients or employers, we examined if and how ICT can be used to support the positive effects and dynamics of coworking spaces. For this, we conducted eight interviews with freelancers and entrepreneurs who have already worked in coworking spaces in order to identify requirements for a complementary virtual coworking platform. We found that social proximity, motivation and knowledge sharing could be increased by such a platform. Based on the process virtualization theory, we derived six design principles.


A method for handling the problem of financial mission statement has been suggested to evaluate effects of projected upgrading equipment of a manufacturing company. For this end, such project is analyzed as an Asian real option with constant business volatility. The problem is solved using the Black-Scholes model, a refined and modified binomial model and a modified trinomial model. It has been demonstrated that the most accurate valuation of the option and the entire project in general is provided by the trinomial model.


An impressive and challenging survey of the five poems attributed to the poet known as the "Gawain"-poet. Bowers presents the principal critical issues in "Gawain, Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, "and" St. Erkenwald," with special attention to the poems relation to contemporary political and social events. J. Stephen Russell, Hofstra UniversityIn "An Introduction to" "the "Gawain" Poet," John Bowers surveys an expanded selection of the works of Chaucer s anonymous contemporary, considering "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight "alongside the poet s lesser known but no less brilliant works. In addition to his succinct introductions and plot summaries, Bowers skillfully details the cultural, historical, political, and religious contexts for these works, synthesizing them with close reading of selected passages. Perhaps his most exciting contribution to the field is his choice to historicize the poet s life and works in the context of the royal culture of King Richard II, boldly contending that it was highly possible the "Gawain" Poet was a frequent visitor to Richard s court in London. The final chapter surveys the works influenced by, as well as the influences reflected in, the poet s work, from the Bible to "The" "Lord of the Rings." The attention Bowers pays to the critical tradition that has developed around these texts over the past hundred years makes "An Introduction to the "Gawain" Poet" an ideal volume for both undergraduate students and scholars of the "Gawain" Poet. Bowers has marshaled his formidable skills to create a book impressive in its balanced combination of breadth and depth."


Community detection in social networks is becoming one of the key tasks in social network analysis, since it helps with analyzing groups of users with similar interests. As a consequence, it is possible to detect radicalism or even reduce the size of the data to be analyzed, among other applications. This paper presents a metaheuristic approach based on Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) methodology for detecting communities in social networks. The community detection problem is modeled as an optimization problem, where the objective function to be optimized is the modularity of the network, a well-known metric in this scientific field. The results obtained outperform classical methods of community detection over a set of real-life instances with respect to the quality of the communities detected.


Mathematical models predict that a population which oscillates in the absence of time-dependent factors can develop multiple attracting final states in the advent of periodic forcing. A periodically-forced, stage-structured mathematical model predicted the transient and asymptotic behaviors of Tribolium (flour beetle) populations cultured in periodic habitats of fluctuating flour volume. Predictions included multiple (2-cycle) attractors, resonance and attenuation phenomena, and saddle influences. Stochasticity, combined with the deterministic effects of an unstable 'saddle cycle' separating the two stable cycles, is used to explain the observed transients and final states of the experimental cultures. In experimental regimes containing multiple attractors, the presence of unstable invariant sets, as well as stochasticity and the nature, location, and size of basins of attraction, are all central to the interpretation of data.


In First Amendment doctrine, the "chilling effect" is often invoked as an objection to an otherwise legitimate rule that has the incidental effect of over-deterring protected speech. Although applications of the chilling effect are pervasive in cases involving the freedom of speech, they have received surprisingly little attention. This Article focuses specifically on the use of chilling effect arguments to explain the role of speaker's intent in protecting free speech. Speaker intent requirements, such as the "actual malice" standard for defamation, are common features of First Amendment law, and the chilling effect has been the primary doctrinal and normative explanation for their presence. This Article argues that the chilling effect is an unsatisfactory justification for such requirements. Moreover, the failure of the chilling effect to account for important aspects of free speech doctrine ought to raise more general concerns about the use of deterrence-based arguments in constitutional law.


The literature indicates that aspects of culture have the potential to influence recovery from first episode schizophrenia (FES). The purpose of this study was to describe the infl uence of culture on the process of recovery for individuals with first episode schizophrenia. This study employed a qualitative descriptive methodology and elicited the experience of five male participants, who self-identified that culture influenced their recovery from FES. The three categories that emerged from the data are: 'Emerging Cultural Identity,' 'Cultural Identity and Describing the Illness Experience,' and 'Cultural Identity: A Bridge to Recovery.' A distinctive feature of this study is that participants turned toward their cultural identity to facilitate their process of recovery from a FES and maintain a positive sense of self. This study offers a preliminary understanding of the role of culture in recovery from FES and suggests implications for clinical practice, future research and theory.


Increasing the life cycle of critical components is a common goal in many vehicle industries. One of the most common ways to increase the fatigue resistance of fasteners holes is the process of cold expansion. This method introduces a compressive stress field in the region around the hole that slows the propagation of cracks. Determining the life cycle benefits gained from cold expansion is difficult due to the complex nature of the residual stress field. Many groups have attempted to accurately predict how this field is generated and what factors can cause major variations in the resulting stress field. There are still many factors related to the cold expansion process that have not been quantified. By creating a script in the computer language Python it was possible to generate a number of different models quickly and efficiently in the finite element program Abaqus. While not all the models that could be created were initially found to be convergent, the script proved useful in creating a varied number of models to assist in determining which factors were leading to the convergence problems. Confidence in the script's ability to produce accurate models was established by generating models that mirrored the conditions found in other literature, so that a direct comparison of results could be made. For this work two factors were considered for analysis, the effect of starting hole size and multi-layer expansion. The results showed that even within the range of recommended starting hole sizes, a difference in the residual stress field was evident. If the hole was expanded beyond the recommended size a threshold was reached and a severe weakening of the residual stress field was noticed. In the case of two plate expansion, changes in the residual stress field were only observed at the interface region of the plates. For the entrance face of the second plate in the expansion, this change was highly beneficial. The results from the two plate expansion suggest that artificially creating a multi-layer stack-up may be a useful tool to improve the residual stress field at the entrance surface of a plate


Alcohol addiction and stress are both highly prevalent health conditions impacting our society. With stress on the rise in college students and alcohol addiction impacting 19.7 million Americans as of 2017, communication around the science of these issues is ever important because of stigma around them. This digitally animated video effectively explains alcohol addiction and stress on a neurobiological level with college science students as the audience, including two important examples of how stress and alcohol addiction interact. Stress experienced early in life is a known risk factor in developing addiction due to dysregulation of the reward pathway and altered limbic brain regions. Furthermore, corticotropin-releasing factor, a neuropeptide crucial in initiation of stress response pathways and present throughout the limbic brain regions, contributes to the continued administration of alcohol as well as heightened anxiety addicts experience during withdrawal. Ultimately this video aims to improve mental health by increasing awareness around alcohol addiction and stress, as well as inspire college students to pursue further neuroscience knowledge.


OBJECTIVE
Sternoclavicular joint infections are rare, and their management is controversial. We reviewed our experience with the surgical management of this condition.

METHODS
From August 1988 to August 2001, 26 patients (16 men and 10 women) were treated surgically for infected sternoclavicular joints. The median age was 56 years (range, 20-77 years). Patients who had a recent previous median sternotomy were excluded.

RESULTS
All patients were symptomatic. Pain was present in 21 patients, swelling in 14 patients, fever in 11 patients, and erythema in 9 patients. Associated conditions included recent or ongoing infections in other areas in 12 patients (pneumonia in 4 patients, multiple joint infections in 2 patients, and other in 6 patients) and an indwelling central venous catheter in 1 patient. Five patients had a history of trauma in the region of the joint. Four patients had prior joint incision and drainage. Unilateral sternoclavicular joint resection was done in 18 patients, bilateral resection in 2 patients, and incision and drainage with debridement in 6 patients. Wound culture results were positive in 24 patients, and the most common organism isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (n = 17). Eleven patients had transposition of the ipsilateral pectoralis major muscle to obliterate residual space and to reconstruct the chest wall. Two (7.7%) patients had complications, and 1 died (operative mortality, 3.8%). Follow-up was complete in all 25 operative survivors and ranged from 2 months to 10 years (median, 25 months). Twenty-one patients are alive without symptoms, infection, or limitations in range of motion. Four patients have died as a result of causes unrelated to their joint infections.

CONCLUSIONS
Symptomatic sternoclavicular joint infections often require surgical intervention. Surgical resection combined with muscle transposition provides effective long-term outcome.


Abstract This study explores ways in which salary can be structured to reduce leadership shortages by investigating how comparative wage dispersion and position alter the relationship of salary to principal turnover. Using a seventeen-year longitudinal dataset covering over sixteen thousand principals in Texas, discrete-time hazard models demonstrate that principals are highly sensitive to salary comparisons over and above basic salary. Higher comparative position is associated with significantly reduced turnover risk, while wider dispersion is associated with a significantly increased turnover risk. Interactions demonstrate that dispersion and position act in tandem to create conditions where principals have particularly high turnover risk. These results have implications for strategies to address turnover through district salary structures, as well as broader notions of how wage tournaments operate in the principal labor market.


Chronkhite-Canada Syndrome is characterised by diffuse gastrointestinal polyposis, dystrophic changes of the fingernails, cutaneous hyperpigmentation, alopecia, diarrhoea, weight loss, and abdominal pain. This disease is also associated with peripheral neuropathies and autoimmune disorders. Its association with other diseases may cause the polyps to turn into malignant tumours and worsen the condition. The first-line treatment is a combination of prednisone and mesalamine. NSAIDs and antibiotic administration is based on the symptoms and needs of patients. Here, we describe a 51-year-old male who presented to us with abdominal pain and significant weight loss. His physical examination showed dystrophic nails, alopecia and hyperpigmentation. Endoscopy and colonoscopy showed multiple polyps. His manifestations were consistent with Cronkhite-Canada syndrome. We prescribed oral corticosteroids, which improved his condition.


There are comparatively few conservative and libertarian law professors on U.S. law school faculties. Why is this? One possible explanation is discrimination based on political orientation. This paper tests this using a model of discrimination based on the work of Nobel Prize-winning economists Gary Becker and Kenneth Arrow in order to measure the "rank gap" — the difference in the ranking of a hiring law school based on one's political orientation after controlling for other predictors of that ranking (clerkships, publications, the law school one graduated from, etc.). The paper, using matching statistical methods, finds that upon comparing conservative/libertarian law professors hired from 2001-2010 with equally-credentialed liberal law professors, conservatives/libertarians end up, on average, at a law school ranked 12-13 spots lower (i.e., less prestigious). (See pages 36-37.) This rank gap is not uniform, being more moderate with the top 75 schools, non-existent with schools 76-100, and the largest with the lowest-ranked schools. (See page 40.) The paper finds a similar "rank gap" for law professors whose political orientation was unknown or moderate compared to their liberal peers. Thus, while there may be other mechanisms causing the dearth of conservative/libertarian law professors in the legal academy, those who do make it in the door appear to experience discrimination based on political orientation. The paper also discusses the harms that a lack of conservative/libertarian law professors causes. Namely, legal scholarship suffers from an echo chamber; law students, particularly liberal ones, may not sufficiently learn how to make or counter conservative and libertarian arguments; and law and policy is not as strong as it could be without conservative/libertarian critiques and perspectives. (See part I.A, pages 5-11.)


Much work in psycholinguistics and social psychology has investigated the notion of implicit causality associated with verbs. Crinean and Garnham (2006) relate implicit causality to another phenomenon, implicit consequentiality. We argue that they and other researchers have confused the meanings of events and the reasons for those events, so that particular thematic roles (e.g., Agent, Patient) are taken to be causes or consequences of those events by definition. In accord with Garvey and Caramazza (1974), we propose that implicit causality and consequentiality are probabilistic notions that are straightforwardly related to the explicit causes and consequences of events and are analogous to other biases investigated in psycholinguistics.


The AUTOSAR standard describes an architecture for embedded automotive systems. The lack of flexibility is a major drawback of this architecture and updates are not easily possible. In our work we explore the various facets of software updates in the context of AUTOSAR embedded applications. With few modifications that remain compatible with the development process, we propose specific concepts for updates. Such updates can be remotely achieved, for maintenance and/or evolution purposes. As functional updates may lead to safety mechanisms updates, we also highlight how safety mechanisms can be added or updated with different level of granularity. We illustrate these concepts and capabilities with a simple case study as a proof of concepts. We finally draw the lessons learnt from this work.


Objective: This study presents outcomes from a randomized trial of a novel Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) model for foster families. Differential effects of two intervention doses on child externalizing and internalizing symptoms are examined. Method: A sample of 102 foster children was assigned to one of three conditions—brief PCIT, extended PCIT, or wait-list control. The brief and extended groups received 2 days of PCIT training and 8 weeks of telephone consultation. The extended PCIT group received an additional booster training plus 6 more weeks of consultation. Wait-list controls received services as usual. Tests of change over time were estimated using mixed-model repeated measures analysis of covariance. Results: Compared to controls, children in both PCIT groups exhibited a greater reduction in externalizing and internalizing scores over time. Pairwise contrasts of the two PCIT conditions yielded mixed results. Conclusion: Results indicate that PCIT can be tailored efficaciously for foster families using alternative treatment modalities.


All political parties recognized the need for the territorial and administrative reform that was drafted between 2013 and 2015, and there have generally been no reservations about it. In order to provide Albania, the chance to perform to its full potential in this aspect, such atmosphere galvanized high expectations from the public opinion and garnered a signifcant lot of support from donors. The opposition at the time decided to withdraw for recognized reasons and did not participate in the process. In these circumstances, territorial consolidation and the number of municipalities dominated the public and political discourse, while the governance structure and the division of powers at the central-local level received little attention. These reforms proceed through iterative cycles until a social and political balance is achieved, as evidenced by experiences from other nations/countries. The current outcome of this reform in Albania after six years of implementation enables us to evaluate what has been accomplished thus far. What action is necessary now? In my opinion, the Reform is not "black and white." Of course, there have been some successes; any changes should not seek to undo or start over, but rather to rectify and improve in accordance with the needs of the nation, economy, and communities. Without getting into specifcities of data...


The k-nearest neighbor approach (k-NN) has been extensively used as a powerful non-parametric technique in many scientific and engineering applications. However, this approach incurs a large computational cost. Hence, this issue has become an active research field. In this work, a novel k-NN approach based on various-widths clustering, named kNNVWC, to efficiently find k-NNs for a query object from a given data set, is presented. kNNVWC does clustering using various widths, where a data set is clustered with a global width first and each produced cluster that meets the predefined criteria is recursively clustered with its own local width that suits its distribution. This reduces the clustering time, in addition to balancing the number of produced clusters and their respective sizes. Maximum efficiency is achieved by using triangle inequality to prune unlikely clusters. Experimental results demonstrate that kNNVWC performs well in finding k-NNs for query objects compared to a number of k-NN search algorithms, especially for a data set with high dimensions, various distributions and large size.


Beyond the classic idea of profit maximization and permanent growth aim to raise the firm performance, new generation and well-educated top level managers exactly know the obligation of implication modern theories and practices in organizations. Market and innovation orientations are two of new theories of this thought. This paper will try to evaluate the effects of using various strategic orientations on family-owned firm performance. The other tricky question is why it's chosen family owned-firms; it has a very simple answer: ninety eight percent of firms are family-owned firms in Turkey. That means in every one hundred firms there are only two firms driven by independent stakeholders. Briefly, any kind of evidence that can prove the strategic orientations may improve family-owned performance is the desired output of this empirical research.


Histoplasma capsulatum is the agent of histoplasmosis, one of the most frequent mycoses in the world. The infection initiates with fungal spore inhalation, transformation into yeasts in the lungs and establishment of a granulomatous disease, which is characterized by a Th1 response. The production of Th1 signature cytokines, such as IFN-γ, is crucial for yeast clearance from the lungs, and to prevent dissemination. Recently, it was demonstrated that IL-17, a Th17 signature cytokine, is also important for fungal control, particularly in the absence of Th1 response. IL-22 is another cytokine with multiple functions on host response and disease progression. However, little is known about the role of IL-22 during histoplasmosis. In this study, we demonstrated that absence of IL-22 affected the clearance of yeasts from the lungs and increased the spreading to the spleen. In addition, IL-22 deficient mice (Il22−/−) succumbed to infection, which correlated with reductions in the numbers of CD4+ IFN-γ+ T cells, reduced IFN-γ levels, and diminished nitric oxide synthase type 2 (NOS2) expression in the lungs. Importantly, treatment with rIFN-γ mitigated the susceptibility of Il22−/− mice to H. capsulatum infection. These data indicate that IL-22 is crucial for IFN-γ/NO production and resistance to experimental histoplasmosis.


Neuroimaging researchers commonly assume that the brain of a mother is comparable to that of a nulliparous woman. However, pregnancy leads to pronounced gray matter volume reductions in the mother's brain, which have been associated with maternal attachment towards the baby. Beyond two years postpartum, no study has explored whether these brain changes are maintained or instead return to pre-pregnancy levels. The present study tested whether gray matter volume reductions detected in primiparous women are still present six years after parturition. Using data from a unique, prospective neuroimaging study, we compared the gray matter volume of 25 primiparous and 22 nulliparous women across three sessions: before conception (n = 25/22), during the first months of postpartum (n = 25/21), and at six years after parturition (n = 7/5). We found that most of the pregnancy-induced gray matter volume reductions persist six years after parturition (classifying women as having been pregnant or not with 91.67% of total accuracy). We also found that brain changes at six years postpartum are associated with measures of mother-to-infant attachment. These findings open the possibility that pregnancy-induced brain changes are permanent and encourage neuroimaging studies to routinely include pregnancy-related information as a relevant demographic variable.


Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and pharmacological mechanisms of icariin, which is the main component in the traditional Chinese herb Epimedium, on β-amyloid (Aβ) production in an amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic (Tg) mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: APPV717I Tg mice were randomly divided into a model group and icariin-treated (30 and 100 μmol/kg per day) groups. Learning-memory abilities were determined by Morris water maze and object recognition tests. Aβ contents were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and immunohistochemistry. Amyloid plaques were detected by Congo red staining and Bielschowsky silver staining. The levels of expression of APP and β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE-1) were measured by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results: Ten-month-old Tg mice showed obvious learning-memory impairments, and significant increases in Aβ contents, amyloid plaques, and APP and BACE-1 levels in the hippocampus. The intragastric administration of icariin to Tg mice for 6 months (from 4 to 10 months of age) improved the learning-memory abilities and significantly decreased the Aβ contents, amyloid plaques, and APP and BACE-1 levels in the hippocampus. Conclusion: Icariin reduced the Aβ burden and amyloid plaque deposition in the hippocampus of APP transgenic mice by decreasing the APP and BACE-1 levels. These novel findings suggest that icariin may be a promising treatment in patients with AD.


"Sanctuary cities" - jurisdictions that refuse to assist federal government attempts to deport undocumented immigrants - have become a major focus of political conflict over immigration policy. The Trump administration's efforts to punish sanctuary jurisdictions have led to multiple legal battles over constitutional federalism.

The administration's crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions has helped make federalism great again. It achieved this unintended outcome by generating a series of court decisions protecting state and local governments against federal coercion, and by leading many on the political left to take a more favorable view of judicial enforcement of constitutional limits on federal power.

This is the first academic article to attempt a comprehensive evaluation of the federalism issues at stake in the Trump-era litigation on sanctuary cities. The article assesses the three main sets of sanctuary cases that have arisen during the Trump administration: legal challenges to Trump's January 2017 executive order targeting sanctuary cities, challenges to the Justice Department's July 2017 policy of conditioning federal law enforcement grants on state and local government cooperation with efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, and the administration's lawsuit against California's "sanctuary state" law. So far, at least, all three have led to notable victories for advocates of constitutional limits on federal power.

The sanctuary litigation has also produced a noteworthy reversal of the usual ideological valence of judicial enforcement of federalism, with progressive "blue" jurisdictions relying on legal doctrines traditionally associated with the political right. Whether this helps trigger a more lasting shift in attitudes towards federalism remains to be seen.


To determine if meconium fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) in rat pups is a good biomarker of prenatal exposure and effect to alcohol, three groups of pregnant rats were studied: one control (pair fed) and two treatment groups given 25% alcohol at 2.2 or 5.5 g−1 kg−1 d−1. The pups were delivered on day 20 and, for each dam, were separated into a male and female group. The body, brain, intestines, and placenta of the pups were obtained, weighed, and stored at −20°C. The pups' intestines (as surrogate of meconium) from each group were pooled, and meconium was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy for FAEE. The meconium showed the following FAEE: ethyl palmitate, ethyl stearate, and ethyl linolenate and were only found in the alcohol-treated group and with high specificity but low sensitivity. Mean body weight of the pups was lower in the treatment groups compared to the control groups. Ethyl palmitate concentration correlated negatively to the pups' mean body and brain weights. Therefore, ethyl palmitate, stearate, and linolenate, in meconium of rat pups prenatally exposed to alcohol, are useful biomarkers of prenatal alcohol exposure, with ethyl palmitate a good biomarker of adverse effect on the pups' body and brain weight.


A series of ruthenium, osmium and rhodium complexes utilizing pta, (1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo-[22.214.171.124]decane) and pta-Me+, its N-methyl derivative, have been synthesized. Their characterization by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS and single crystal X-Ray diffraction are described. The mechanism of hydrolysis for [Ru(η6-C10H14)Cl2(pta)] has been studied and two watertype adducts, [Ru(η6-C10H14)Cl(OH2)(pta)][Cl] and [Ru(η6-C10H14)(OH2)2(pta)][Cl]2, have been characterized by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS. The pKa of the pta moiety for the mono-aqua complex has been determined to be 2.33 ± 0.07, and the one of bis-aqua estimated to be between 2 and 2.1 units of pH. Although it was not possible to measure the pKa of the coordinated water, it is expected to be higher than 8 for the mono-aqua and 6.5 for the bis-qua complexes. The reactivity of the above described complexes towards guanine and adenine in which N9 position is blocked by a methyl or ribose substituent, has been investigated. The coordination of the complexes through the N7 center has been demonstrated by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and ESI-MS, which has also shown the formation of η2-(N6,N7) coordination mode for the adenine derivatives. The pKa for [Ru(η6-C10H14)Cl2(guanosine)(pta)] has been determined as 2.54 ± 0.03. A second model was devised based on a 14-mer strand (5'-ATACATGGTACATA-3') and ESI-MS has been used to demonstrate specific reactivity of the complexes. The interaction of pta and pta derivatives has been confirmed, however, no correlation between the reactivity toward the DNA strand and antineoplastic activity was found. Ruthenium, especially with hydrogen bonding capable substituents, is able to dissociate the arene group, which is not observed for the osmium cases, and it is believed that the water solubility of the arene, rather the strength of the arene – ruthenium bond plays more of a role.


Apple crop is one of the most important products in exports and foreign currency arrival. In addition, this crop has very high value added inside the country in processing terms. Therefore, studying apple wastes and analyzing wastes reducing methods will have special importance. Therefore; the present research was conducted in descriptive-survey methodology to study the effective factors on lowering apple wastes in West Azarbaijan Province in Iran. The statistical population of the research included all apple growers in West Azarbaijan Province (N=35,000). The size of samples in the research has been assessed in Cochran formula (n=149). The samples were taken in classes and simple random type. The field information in the research was collected by questionnaires. The validity of questionnaire was confirmed by the supervisor and advisor professors and the relevant field experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach Alfa coefficient (83%). The data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential methods (percent, mean, correlation coefficient and regression analysis) by using SPSS statistical software. Findings showed significant relations with one percent error level between reducing apple wastes and educational, technical, transportation, support-governmental, marketing and production factors variables. The results of regression analysis showed the sum of educational, technical, transportation, supportgovernmental, marketing and production factors variables constituted approximately 46 percent of the research dependent variable; that is, reducing apple wastes.


Loan borrowing among community college students has increased in recent years. This study utilized original survey data to examine this trend from the perspective and firsthand experiences of 107 community college financial aid counselors from three states: California, Florida, and Texas. Findings indicate these counselors are concerned with the increase in borrowing and the prospects for future financial hardship among borrowers at their colleges. There are indications that many borrowers do not fully understand the long-term consequences of taking on loans. While students need tailored advice about borrowing and debt management, the financial aid counselor-to-student ratio at many community colleges makes this extremely challenging. Findings indicate the need to reevaluate borrowing guidelines for part-time community college students, improve students' financial literacy, and equip financial aid offices with the resources needed to meet students' growing demand for financial aid services.


The control of the contractile state of a muscle cell, a process called excitation-contraction coupling, involves a sequence of steps and is passed along through a series of cellular structures. The excitation of the fibre, initiated at the motor end-plate, spreads rapidly over the surface of the fibre and into the fibre along the T-system networks as an action potential. This excitation is coupled to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) by a mechanism not yet identified with certainty. The SR then responds by releasing stored calcium from its interior compartment into the myoplasm. The diffusion and binding of this calcium to regulatory proteins initiates the mechanical events of contraction, which subsequently are turned off when calcium is removed from these regulatory binding sites. Some of this calcium may temporarily bind to proteins in the myoplasm, but eventually it gets pumped back into the internal compartment of the SR by a calcium-ATPase in the SR membrane. The system then is poised for a repeat performance.


In this paper, we report, to the best of our knowledge [1, 2], the most sensitive artificial hair-based flowsensor arrays operating in air, to date. Artificial hair sensors are bio-inspired from the cerci of crickets, one of nature's best in sensing small air flows. The presented hair sensor arrays aim to realize comparable sensitivity to nature by means of model-based design optimizations and were fabricated using advanced MEMS technologies. The presented artificial hair sensor arrays display a clear figure-of-eight response and show remarkable sensitivities to oscillating air flows down to 0.85 mm/s surpassing noise levels at 1 kHz operational bandwidths.


The availability of an increasing number of enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for detecting syphilis antibodies makes it appropriate to review approaches to syphilis serology and to assess the role of syphilis EIAs in routine diagnostic microbiology laboratories. This paper summarises the principles and practice of syphilis serology and provides recommendations on the use of laboratory tests for syphilis in UK diagnostic microbiology laboratories. The main recommendations are summarised in a testing algorithm. Treponemal EIAs are an appropriate alternative to the use of combined Venereal Disease Research Laboratories/rapid plasma reagin and Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) tests for screening for syphilis. If a treponemal EIA is used for screening an alternative treponemal test, such as TPHA, should be used for confirmatory testing. The fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorbed test is probably best reserved for specimens giving discrepant results. Such specimens may be referred to the PHLS laboratories that provide confirmatory treponemal testing for reference testing and to facilitate collection of surveillance data on what remains an important public health problem.


Objective Speech and language disorders, when happening during childhood will ultimately lead to im portant negative outcomes in the life of the child. The farther we move from this critical period, that is, the first 3 years of life, the less will be the positive effects of environmental stimuli on the development of speech and language. Early detection of children at risk for or in the preliminary phases of develop mental delays and provision of early intervention services for them is of utmost importance. The objec tive of this research was to compile and produce protocols for early intervention in childhood speech and language developmental disorders in Iranian children. Materials & Methods This study was conducted in two main phases: review phase and qualitative phase. In the review phase, all accessible search engines and databases, especially those for systematic reviews and guidelines were searched. In the qualitative study phase, several focus group discussions and rounds of Delphi were carried out with 20 experts in 7 subgroups, who were selected purposively. Results The result of this study is presented as 7 intervention packages, including the following domains of disorders: prelingual lingual hearing impairment, speech sound disorders, dysphagia, stuttering, and dysarthria Conclusion Most studies have confirmed the effectiveness and need for early interventions for children with speech and language impairment. However, most do not explain the details of these interventions. Before the present study, no systematic and evidence-based protocol existed for early intervention in childhood speech and language impairments, in Iran; and due to language differences, as well as pos sible differences in the speech and language developmental process of children of different communi ties, making direct use of non-Persian references was not possible and effective. Thus, there was a clear demand for the production of such a protocol. A B S T R A C T


Some parasitic angiosperms cause considerable damage to food and fodder
plants resulting in very low yield or none at all. The pernicious root parasites Striga
and Orobanche are among the most devastating weeds and are not effectively
controlled due to various reasons. The principal interest of this study was the
biochemical understanding of the growth and development processes of the weeds.
In this study, biochemical pathways of Orobanche aegyptiaca that can be inhibited
with anti-metabolites were investigated using in vitro experimental systems.
In vitro cultures of Orobanche aegyptiaca were established both on solid and
liquid media with potential use in bioassays and biochemical studies. A modified MS
medium composition was adopted as most suitable and consisted of a 10-fold
reduction in ammonium nitrate. The medium was further supplemented with 2 mg/L
2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid and 0.1 mg/L kinetin as plant growth regulators and
standard MS vitamins:
The effect of anti-metabolites inhibiting amino acid, fatty acid, carotenoid,
cellulose and folate biosyntheses, photosynthesis and tubulin polymerization were
determined by measuring the growth of the in vitro tissues and elongating radicles.
Branched chain amino acid biosynthesis was the most sensitive pathway to inhibition
among all the investigated biosynthesis pathways. Glutamine biosynthesis and/or
ammonium assimilation was equally sensitive to inhibition in the in vitro tissues.
The significance of amino acid biosyntheses in Orobanche aegyptiaca was
shown when the activities of the specific enzymes were also found to be quite
sensitive to inhibition by the same anti-metabolites. Acetolactate synthase in
branched chain amino acid biosynthesis was effectively inhibited by all the ALS
targeting anti-metabolites used i.e. chlorsulfuron (IC₅₀ 1.0 nM), imazapyr (IC₅₀ 0.88
μM) and imazaquin (IC₅₀ 1.97 μM). Despite the common inhibitory activity,
imazaquin was completely ineffective on the radicles. Glutamine synthetase was
sensitive to glufosinate when partially purified (IC₅₀ 9.1 μM).
Cellulose biosynthesis was sensitive to inhibition by dichlobenil in callus
tissues (IC₅₀ 0.1 nM) and elongating radicles (IC₅₀ 10 nM) only. Cell suspensions
seemed to have developed the ability to grow without real cell walls. Inhibitors of
microtubulin polymerization were only effective in inhibiting growth of callus
tissues. Folate biosynthesis was mildly sensitive to inhibition by sulfadiazine and
asulam possibly due to a competent folate recycling system and/or sufficient stored
reserves. Inhibition of fatty acid, carotenoid and plastoquinone/tocopherol
biosyntheses, and photosynthesis, had little effect on growth of the tissues.


A high-performance one-dimensional (1D) nanofibrillar N–Co–C oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst was fabricated via electrospinning using renewable natural alginate and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as precursors, where Co nanoparticles (NPs) are encapsulated by nitrogen (N)-doped amorphous carbon and assembled on MWCNTs. The 1D morphology not only prevents the aggregation of the Co NPs, but also provides a typical multimodal mesoporous structure which is beneficial for the O2 diffusion and the migration of adsorbed superoxide. In combination with the high conductivity of CNTs, the N-doped amorphous carbon shell can exert electron release on the encapsulated Co NPs, and thus enhance the ORR activity. It is also a protective layer that stabilizes the Co NPs, which ensures a high ORR activity of the catalysts in both alkaline and acid media and long-term durability. So compared with a commercial Pt/C catalyst, as expected, the N–Co–C nanofiber reported herein exhibited a comparable current density and onset potential (−0.06 V), with better durability in alkaline and acid solutions and better resistance to crossover effects in the ORR.


The surgeon's unending efforts to control infection in the surgical patient have reopened old avenues in the last years of this century. While there remains much to be learned about ideal antibiotic use, much contemporary energy is devoted to a clarification of the host's non-specific antimicrobial defense system, looking for the salient and critical defect and evaluating putative therapies. The laboratory bench yields a myriad of defects and likely solutions; the clinical scenario has been far less forgiving, and a raft of well-planned and executed clinical trials have produced half an answer. The wisest current strategy in surgical infection control is a judicious critique of failed clinical trials and the prospective development of precise reassessment, seeking a definable valuable outcome. We must continue to monitor the laboratory bench and should apply these concepts to the recalcitrant pneumonia that has been the most common cause of death in surgical patients for the past 30 years.


Background. The aim of this study was to assess long-term results and adverse events in patients with ventricular tachycardia from different etiologies. Methods. The recurrence rate of tachycardia, consequent further therapies (other catheter ablation procedures, drug therapy and implantable defibrillator) and clinical events have been assessed in 60 consecutive patients undergoing ventricular tachycardia catheter ablation between January 2000 and December 2004. Results. During a median follow-up of 20 months (interquartile range 13-36 months), tachycardia recurred in 27 patients (45%) after a median of 3 months (interquartile range 1-12 months). A second procedure was performed in 11 patients; it was successful in 8 patients. Four patients underwent pharmacological therapy which was successful in all cases. Overall, after ablation (≥ 1 procedures) and pharmacological therapy, tachycardia was cured in 75% of cases. All the 20 patients without structural heart disease were cured with ablation vs 62% of patients with heart disease (p = 0.001). Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy reported worst results (33% success, p = 0.03). Recurrences were predicted by acute failure of procedure (p = 0.05), presence of heart disease (p = 0.006) and history of atrial arrhythmias (p = 0.02). On a multivariate analysis, only structural heart disease continued to be an independent predictor of ventricular tachycardia recurrence. Conclusions. Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia has a high percentage of recurrences in patients with heart disease, whereas is curative in subjects without structural heart disease.


The purpose of this study is to assess the use and knowledge degree of risk identification techniques in the construction industry. They are classified in residential housing construction, institutional and commercial building construction, specialized industrial construction, infrastructure and heavy construction. Therefore, we conducted a survey research by applying a questionnaire among professionals in the construction industry. When we compared the results to literature, we verified that, according to the results, the risk identification techniques more frequently applied in construction in Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil) are Checklist, Flowchart and Brainstorming, which partially is according to what is found in the literature. Nonetheless, not all the techniques mentioned in literature are known by the professionals.

 Key words: Risk identification technique, survey, construction.


People with diabetes are dying in Africa because they cannot afford or access insulin. This is despite nearly 100 years having passed since the discovery of insulin by University of Toronto researchers, who all wished for universal access. Most Africans also do not have the medical supplies, education and monitoring needed to use this life saving medication. One in two people who need insulin cannot afford it. Over the next decade, many of the over 22 million Africans living with diabetes today will die predictable and avoidable deaths without insulin treatment.


SUMMARY: Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation, indicated for the prevention of ischemic stroke and in-stent thrombosis. However, it has a number of drawbacks, including an increased risk of hemorrhage; a clinical effect that is slow in onset and irreversible; a genetically determined variability in its clinical potency; and interactions with other commonly administered drugs.


Several techniques of exciting Raman spectra of low-pressure gases and vapors with cw laser radiation are described. Both the He–Ne laser with output at 6328 a and the Ar+ ion laser with output at 4880 and 5145 a have been used. The use of the He–Ne laser with a multiple-pass Raman tube inside the laser cavity yields Raman spectra which can be photographed in exposure times that are equivalent to those required with the classical Hg-arc and large-volume Raman tube as the source of scattered radiation. The Ar+-ion laser allows the photoelectric recording of rotational Raman spectra at atmospheric pressure with a signal/noise ratio of 10:1 when the Raman tube is located outside the laser cavity, and about 100:1 when the Raman tube is inside the laser cavity. A comparison is given for the relative efficiency when the scattering gas is located inside and outside the laser cavity. Pure rotational Raman spectra for N2, O2, CO2, and H3CC≡CH (methylacetylene) are presented. The depolarization ratios of both the Rayleigh and Raman lines of N2, O2, and CO2 have been determined and relative scattering cross section for the pure rotational Raman scattering of oxygen has been obtained.


The prospect of chemical, biological, radiological, and/or nuclear (CBRN) terrorism is recognized by the United States government as an acute security challenge. Particularly following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, but also for several years prior, senior U.S. officials and official government reports have underscored the likelihood, over time, of terrorist organizations coming into possession of such unconventional materials, and the prospect of their use against the United States homeland, U.S. forwarddeployed forces, or U.S. friends and allies. Toward the end of the last century, this concern was heightened, among other events, by the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo's 1995 use of sarin in the Tokyo subway. The combination of increasing availability of technology and expertise, a perceived mass-casualty motive structure for particular terrorist organizations, the impending end of a millennium, a spate of conventional attacks against U.S. assets – World Trade Center, 1993; Oklahoma City Federal Building, 1995; American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, 1998; and the U.S.S. Cole, 2000 – and both the widespread suspicion of terrorists seeking CBRN weapons and the actual sub-national employment of a chemical agent all contributed to this general assessment.


We present a rare but potentially harmful adverse reaction of propofol. A 50-year-old patient was posted for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, developed generalized convulsions after few seconds of propofol administration at anesthesia induction. Convulsions subsided with intravenous administrations of thiopentone and midazolam. Patient remained hemodynamically stable and surgery was uneventful. Blood sugar, serum electrolytes and arterial blood gas analysis were normal. Postoperatively, there was no evidence of postictal phase, serum electrolytes and postoperative computerized tomographic scanning of the head were normal. Patient had uneventful recovery. The administration of propofol has been associated with abnormal movements collectively termed as seizure-like phenomenon. Despite the claims that propofol may have proconvalsant activity, there is significant amount of evidence to the contrary also. The pathophysiological mechanisms behind the neuroexcitatory symptoms with propofol are unknown. Propofol alters the conscious state, the transition from the conscious state to anesthesia or vice versa may be a particularly vulnerable period and may be prolonged after the end of propofol administration.


Body louse Pediculus humanus humanus, belong to the group of blood-sucking insects that act as vectors of several deadly diseases to either Mankind or his Livestock, resulting in massive economic losses, especially in third world countries where these diseases are prevalent. Body louse are host specific and feed exclusively on blood. Because of their feeding habits they are therefore prone to blood-borne control agents. Proteins are by far the most abundant nutrients of a bloodmeal. Hence the characterization of enzymes involved in bloodmeal digestion is crucial in understanding their physiological role within the body louse. In this study, Aminopeptidase was characterized from Midgut of human body louse Pediculus humanus humanus which had been dissected 24 hrs after bloodmeal. In crude midgut homogenate, the aminopeptidase showed optimum activity at pH 8.0 (Alkaline) using Leucine para nitoanilide as the sub,strate. Body louse midgut aminopeptidase is fairly thermally stable, incubation at 50°C for 150 min resulted in 80% remaining activity. Supernatants from midgut homogenized in 1% Tween 20 showed 2.5 fold increase in enzyme activity; while midguts homogenized in 1% Triton X-IOO showed 8.0 fold increase in enzyme activity. Aminopeptidase inthe midgut of body louse is stimulated by bloodmeal and increases gradually with time after feeding. Maximal release is realized 48 hrs after bloodmeal. The activity persisted even 96 hrs after bloodrneal. The pattern of feeding in both female adults and newly hatched nymphs remained fairly similar. Kinetic studies showed that the enzyme exists in two forms of soluble and membrane bound. However it exhibited different catalytic activity with regard to Vmax but had the same Km value. The enzyme activity was inhibited by and l' 1a Phenanthroline and Mn2+. The enzyme activity in homogenate supernatant was restricted to one peak after partial purification using Gel Filtration Chromatography on Superose 6. Only one peak of 67 KDa 69 KDa was observed after separation of homogenates extracted with or without Triton Xvl Ou. Fractions purified from Superose 6 revealed one band of 69 KDa on Native PAGE with homogenates extracted in saline buffer and two bands of 67 KDa and 69 KDa with homogenates extracted in 1% Triton X-lOa. In-gel staining of the enzyme activity revealed one band of Mr=70,OOO. These results indicate that Aminopeptidase is one of the major digestive enzyme in the body louse


Abstract. The Tremiti Archipelago (Southern Adriatic Sea), also called Insulae Diomedae from the name of the Greek hero who first landed there, is an area of high landscape and historical value. It is severely affected by significant geomorphologic processes dominated by mass movements along the coast that constitute the most important and unpredictable natural hazard for the population and cultural heritage. Coastal erosion is favoured by the peculiar geological and structural setting, seismic activity, weathering, development of karst processes, and wave action. The present paper reports on descriptive and qualitative evaluation of the factors controlling landslides and coastline changes based on medium-term in situ observation, detailed surface surveys at selected locations since 1995, and historic and bibliographic data. The Tremiti Archipelago is part of an active seismic area characterised by a shear zone separating two segments of the Adriatic microplate that have shown different behaviour and roll back rates in the subduction underneath the Apennines since middle Pleistocene. Although coastal morphology can be basically considered to be the result of wave action, the continual action of subaerial processes contributes effectively to the mechanism of shoreline degradation. Weathering mainly affects the marly calcisiltites and calcilutites of the Cretaccio Fm. and the friable and low cemented calcarenites and biomicrites of the San Nicola Fm. The cliffs are characterised by different types of failure such as lateral spreads, secondary topples, rock falls and slides. At the Isle of San Nicola, landslides are controlled by the contrast in competence, shear strength and stiffness between the Pliocene re-crystallised dolomitic calcarenites and calcisiltites and the Miocene marly calcilutites and calcisiltites. At the Isles of San Domino and Caprara rock falls are attributed to the undercutting of waves at the base of the cliffs.


ABSTRACT COVID-19 lockdowns have deeply impacted teaching programs. Online teaching has suddenly become the main form of medical education, a form that may be used as long as the pandemic continues. We aimed at analyzing how online teaching was perceived by both teachers and learners to help determine how to adapt curricula in the next few years. An anonymous cross-sectional survey of medical students, pediatric residents, neonatal fellows, and their respective teachers was conducted between June and August 2020 to assess feelings about quality, attendance, equivalence, and sustainability of online teaching programs. 146 Students and 26 teachers completed the survey. 89% of students agreed that the offered online teaching was an appropriate way of teaching during the pandemic. Less than half of learners and teachers felt they have received or provided a training of an equivalent level and quality as in usual courses. About one-third thought that this online teaching should continue after the crisis ends. Medical school students had significantly more mixed opinions on online teaching than residents and fellows did. Attendance of learners significantly improved with synchronous online classes (p < 0.001), and among more advanced learners (p < 0.002). Our study is the first of this kind to assess simultaneously the feelings of learners at different levels (medical students, residents, and fellows) and their respective teachers of pediatric on programs taught online. It showed that online programs were perceived as appropriate ways of teaching during the COVID pandemic. Further studies are, however, needed to assess the efficacy of such teaching methods on medical skills and communication capabilities.


Many animals must trade-off anti-predator vigilance with other behaviours. Some species facilitate predator detection by joining mixed-species foraging parties and 'eavesdropping' on the predator warnings given by other taxa. Such use of heterospecific warnings presumably reduces the likelihood of predation, but it is unclear whether it also provides wider benefits, by allowing individuals to reduce their own vigilance. We examine whether the presence of an avian co-forager, the fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), affects rates of vigilance (including sentinel behaviour) in wild dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula). We simulate the presence of drongos—using playbacks of their non-alarm vocalizations—to show that dwarf mongooses significantly reduce their rate of vigilance when foraging with this species. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to demonstrate experimentally that a mammal reduces vigilance in the presence of an avian co-forager.


Free speech was once an integral part of copyright law; today it is all but forgotten. At common law, principles of free speech protected those who expressed themselves by using another's expression. Free speech determined whether speakers had infringed a copyright. To prevail on a copyright claim, then, a copyright holder would need to prove that the speaker's use fell outside the scope of permissible speech - or in other words, that the use was not fair. Where uncertainty prevented that proof, fair use would protect speakers from the suppression of copyright. Today, however, all this has changed. Copyright has deeply buried any remnants of free speech, redefining the doctrine of fair use as a pretext for piracy that aims to excuse infringing conduct. Copyright enforcement has become the norm and fair use the exception, resulting in a presumption against fair-use speech. Uncertainty no longer protects speakers; it damns them. The change from fair use as a strong right of speech to fair use as a weak excuse for infringement occurred subtly, unintentionally, and without reason. It was a mistake. Quickly becoming widespread, the mistake swiftly eroded speech protections in copyright. If left unchecked, the mistake will become immutable. This Article traces the history of fair use from its birth as a strong right of speech to its deterioration into a weak excuse for infringement.


In recent decades outdated noise, planning and liquor laws, encroaching residential development, and the rise of more lucrative forms of entertainment for venue operators, such as poker machines, have acted singly or in combination to close many live music venues in Australia. A set of diverse and quite unique policy and planning initiatives have emerged across Australia's cities responding to these threats. This paper provides the results of a systematic research effort conducted in 2008 into the success or otherwise of these approaches in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Archival and legislative reviews and field visits were supplemented by interviews with key authorities, venue operators, live music campaigners and others in each city. The research sought to categorise and evaluate the diverse approaches being used and to attempt to understand best ways forward to maintain opportunities for live music performance. In Brisbane a place-based approach designating 'Entertainment Precincts' has been used, re-writing separate pieces of legislation (across planning, noise and liquor law). Resulting in monopolies for the few venue operators within the precincts, outside the threats remain and venues continue to be lost. Melbourne instead liberalised liquor licensing, resulting in a profusion of small bars, many of which have provided for live music performance. And Sydney, where perhaps the situation was most acute, undertook a review of NSW liquor laws in late 2008, seeking to find solutions. The paper explores these efforts, and points to ways forward for improved urban management.


Grassland productivity of communal rangelands is limited by land degradation, which leads to nutrient depletion, soil fertility decline and overall soil quality. However, little is known as to what the soil quality threshold is for different degradation intensities. To address this, we selected a 0.05 m surface soil layer of a communal rangeland site in Drakensburg, South Africa, exhibiting a degradation gradient varying from heavily degraded (0–5%, grass aerial cover), moderately degraded (25–50%) and non-degraded (75–100%) grasslands, to evaluate the effects of land degradation on soil aggregate stability, compaction, bulk density and texture. Results indicate that land degradation decreased soil aggregate stability by 47%, increased soil compaction by 42% and increased soil bulk density by 12%, and these were accompanied by a pattern of lower sand and almost two times greater clay content in heavily degraded grassland compared with non-degraded grassland. Ultimately, this decline in the soil quality of the communal rangeland has serious implications for the ecosystem services and functions it provides, such as storing water, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. We recommend the protection and improvement of grass vegetation because of its dense sward characteristics, which intercept raindrop energy, slow surface runoff and increase the structural stability of the soil to minimize and prevent degradation in rangelands.


Experiments to determine heat transfer coefficients and friction factors are conducted on a stationary 45 deg parallel rib-roughened square channel, which simulates a turbine blade internal coolant passage. Copper plates fitted with silicone heaters and thermocouples are used to measure regionally averaged heat transfer coefficients. Reynolds numbers studied range from 30,000 to 400,000. The ribs studied have rounded (filleted) edges to account for manufacturing limitations of actual engine blades. The rib height (e) to hydraulic diameter (D) ratio (e/D) ranges from 0.1 to 0.2, while spacing (p) to height ratio (p/e) ranges from 5 to 10. Results indicate an increase in the heat transfer due to the ribs at the cost of a higher friction factor, especially at higher Reynolds numbers. Round-edged ribs experience a similar heat transfer coefficient and a lower friction factor compared with sharp-edged ribs, especially at higher values of the rib height. Correlations predicting Nu and f as a function of e/D, p/e, and Re are presented. Also presented are correlations for the heat transfer and friction roughness parameters (G and R, respectively).


Our goal is to define a list of tasks for graph visualization that has enough detail and specificity to be useful to: 1) designers who want to improve their system and 2) to evaluators who want to compare graph visualization systems. In this paper, we suggest a list of tasks we believe are commonly encountered while analyzing graph data. We define graph specific objects and demonstrate how all complex tasks could be seen as a series of low-level tasks performed on those objects. We believe that our taxonomy, associated with benchmark datasets and specific tasks, would help evaluators generalize results collected through a series of controlled experiments.


Relaxin-like peptides (RLN/INSL) play diverse roles in reproductive and neuroendocrine processes in placental mammals and are functionally associated with two distinct types of receptors (RXFP) for each respective function. The diversification of RLN/INSL and RXFP gene families in vertebrates was predominantly driven by whole genome duplications (2R and 3R). Teleosts preferentially retained duplicates of genes putatively involved in neuroendocrine regulation, harboring a total of 10-11 receptors and 6 ligand genes, while most mammals have equal numbers of ligands and receptors. To date, the ligand-receptor relationships of teleost Rln/Insl peptides and their receptors have largely remained unexplored. Here, we use selection analyses based on sequence data from 5 teleosts and qPCR expression data from zebrafish to explore possible ligand-receptor pairings in teleosts. We find support for the hypothesis that, with the exception of RLN, which has undergone strong positive selection in mammalian lineages, the ligand and receptor genes shared between mammals and teleosts appear to have similar pairings. On the other hand, the teleost-specific receptors show evidence of subfunctionalization. Overall, this study underscores the complexity of RLN/INSL and RXFP ligand-receptor interactions in teleosts and establishes theoretical background for further experimental work in nonmammals.


Based on the theme of how donors can play a more effective role to stimulate effective and sustainable provision of BDS by or through private sector intermediaries, this case study looks at how the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) has sought to encourage the development of markets for Business Development Services (BDS) in the remote areas of northern Pakistan. This paper explores that the isolation of the region, poor infrastructure, small scale of landholdings, and lack of economic development leads to problems when attempting to promote markets for business development services. In the short term, the priority is the development of more basic markets, rather than markets for business development services. Without active markets there are a few opportunities for BDS provision let alone the development of vibrant private sector markets for BDS. It specifies the geographic, economic, political, and institutional context in which the AKRSP's interventions have been implemented. Grassroots village based initiatives have been discussed, where groups of farmers are facilitated by AKRSP to provide BDS to neighboring farmers (farmers interest groups in Chitral), along with more structured formal approaches such as the more direct provision of BDS through commercial entity associated with AKRSP (North South Seeds). It is argued that both models have a positive impact on MSME performance and lead to market development in the long run. Both are methods through which donors can promote BDS markets but which model is most appropriate depends on the market being served. Where the service offered is relatively simple and the business of the BDS provider is relatively straight-forward, facilitating private sector intermediaries may be the most effective way of creating markets for BDS. However, where the service is complex and there is a need to establish a sophisticated organisation to provide the service, it may be necessary to set up an organisation within the NGO, on commercially sustainable basis if possible, with a view to fully commercialising and ideally privatising the organisation over time.


Words and wisdom from Chicago Bulls #23: Mega-superstar, "His Airness" He is the most successful player to ever wear a basketball uniform. On the court and off the court, Michael has entertained the world as a pitchman, movie star, spokesperson, and an extraordinary athlete-although not the greatest baseball player. For the first time ever, bestselling author Janet Lowe has compiled a portrait from Michael's own words. Michael Jordan Speaks touches upon everything about the sport, his mega-superstar status, and his life, culled from articles, newscasts, and interviews.


Although it is not yet current practice in life cycle assessment, it is recommended that impact assessment methods be accompanied by their uncertainty data to better guide the decision maker. This work uses the best available information to assess uncertainty of the AWARE model for water scarcity and corresponding sensitivities of input parameters. An uncertainty estimate for the AWARE characterization factors (CFs) is provided via (1) arrays (5000 values per CF) with statistics, (2) dispersion analysis, and (3) distribution best fit and parameters. Results show that uncertainty, represented by the dispersion of the values, varies significantly around the world and tends to be more important in regions of higher scarcity and low in most regions around the world (area based) in terms of absolute spread. Globally, values of 18.8 and 66.28 are found for the spread, represented by the interpercentile range (95%) and interquartile range (25–75%), respectively. The lognormal distribution shows the best fit for most regions around the world and could be used as a default distribution. Two parameters come out as influential: actual water availability (because of precipitation uncertainty) and the global hydrological model itself (because of the variability of results obtained from different models). When compared with uncertainty associated with spatio‐temporal variability, uncertainties found in this work are generally lower, and hence improving resolution in water scarcity assessments (to monthly and watershed levels) should remain the priority. Finally, required data for software integration of AWARE uncertainty are provided. This article met the requirements for a Gold‐Gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.


Introduction Phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS) could be prevented by a silastic patch over the epicardial lead. We studied the effects in preventing PNS by placing a silastic patch directly over an epicardial lead or placing a graft around the phrenic nerve (PN). Methods and Results Fourteen Lanyu swine were enrolled. A bipolar lead was placed epicardially on the left ventricle (LV) inferior to the PN. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) lead was placed into the right ventricle (RV). The maximal influential distance (MID) was measured under 3 pacing configurations to express the influential electrical field on the PN. The threshold of the LV and PN were evaluated epicardially. Then, PTFE patches of different sizes (10×10 mm, 20×20 mm and 30×30 mm) were placed between the LV lead and PN to study the rise in PN threshold in 7 swine. On the other hand, the PN were surrounded by a PTFE graft of different lengths (10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm) in the remaining 7 swine. LV-bipolar pacing showed the shortest MID when compared to the other 2 unipolar pacing configurations at pacing voltage of 10 V. The patch was most effective in preventing PNS during LV-bipolar pacing. PNS was prevented under all circumstances with a larger PTFE patch (30×30 mm) or long graft (30 mm). Conclusions PNS was avoided by placing a PTFE patch over the LV lead or a graft around the PN despite pacing configurations. Hence if PNS persisted during CRT implantation, a PTFE patch on the LV lead or a graft around the PN could be considered.


Mutations in the Parkin gene cause juvenile and early onset Parkinsonism. While Parkin-related disease is presumed to be an autosomal-recessive disorder, cases have been reported where only a single Parkin allele is mutated and raise the possibility of a dominant effect. In this report, we re-evaluate twenty heterozygous cases and extend the mutation screening to include the promoter and intron/exon boundaries. Novel deletion, point and intronic splice site mutations are described, along with promoter variation. These data, coupled with a complete review of published Parkin mutations, confirms that not only is recessive loss of Parkin a risk factor for juvenile and early onset Parkinsonism but that Parkin haplo-insufficiency may be sufficient for disease in some cases.


The first step to understanding the species present in a particular area is to perform inventory and assemblage studies. To obtain a species inventory, it is important to determine parameters such as species richness and relative abundance. This information can be useful for future studies and decision-making purposes in the conservation area. Despite the fundamental role of the terrestrial Heteroptera in ecosystems, they remain poorly known. We expected that the terrestrial Heteroptera species assemblage would be strongly associated with plant communities. Presently, 840 samples were collected in northern Argentine Patagonia during two years, 2013 and 2014. A total of 1950 adults of terrestrial Heteroptera belonging to 12 families, 32 species, and 8 morphospecies were found. Various statistical techniques were applied to correct the observed data for undersampling bias. These suggested that the lower boundary of the summer Heteroptera species richness in northern Patagonia was about 44–54 species. We concluded that the high regional habitat heterogeneity along the west-to-east and south-to-north gradients was paralleled by the turnover of Heteroptera. However, the Patagonian steppe shared a high number of species with the Monte and Subantarctic provinces. The suction sampling technique is an efficient technique to collect Heteroptera in environments with different plant structure and should thus be used in a complementary way with the sweeping technique.


Fluorometric hybridization in microdilution wells was developed to determine genetic relatedness among microorganisms. Total chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for hybridization reactions was labeled with photoreactive biotin (photobiotin). The biotinylated DNA was hybridized with single-stranded unlabeled DNAs which had been immobilized on the surfaces of microdilution wells. After hybridization, biotinylated DNA was quantitatively detected with beta-D-galactosidase and a fluorogenic substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside. Homology values obtained with this fluorometric direct binding method were compared with values obtained with two membrane filter methods, one in which photobiotin labeling was used and one in which radioisotope labeling was used. The results showed that the fluorometric direct binding method in which microdilution wells are used could be an alternative to radioisotope and membrane filter hybridization methods.