Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are the most severely affected subpopulation for HIV infection; existing intervention modalities are failing to meet the unique needs of Black MSM. The M2M Project is a counseling-based intervention for MSM residing in the Pittsburgh area that focuses on reducing substance use and sex related risks for HIV transmission. The following recommendations are based on a critical review of the M2M Project and relevant literature: involve stakeholders in meaningful ways throughout all stages of the process, and ensure greater consistency between data collection methods and the evolving standards, recommendations and directives in healthcare and HIV prevention research. Additionally, greater attention should be paid to structural or policy level issues that impact the lives of Black MSM and the communities in which they reside such as unequal access to health care. The M2M Project represents a good attempt to address the urgency of the HIV disparity among Black MSM that utilized the incomplete data that was available at the time regarding drivers of the infection in this population. However, future interventions must consider the landmark work of Millett and colleagues, who used multiple meta-analyses to determine which factors contribute most to the disparity of HIV among Black MSM, in order to increase intervention effect sizes among this population. The public health relevance of this critical discussion is to put forth a preliminary evaluation of an intervention that attempts to address the disparity of HIV among Black MSM in Pittsburgh so that future interventions can be built in an iterative process in order to increase the benefits to participants. The development, evaluation, dissemination, and implementation of novel, effective interventions that go beyond past efforts to reduce HIV risk among Black MSM is necessary in order to reduce or eliminate the disparity of HIV infection among Black MSM.


Much research in recent years has focused on using empirical machine learning approaches to extract useful insights on the structure-property relationships of superconductor material. Notably, these approaches are bringing extreme benefits when superconductivity data often come from costly and arduously experimental work. However, this assessment cannot be based solely on an open black-box machine learning, which is not fully interpretable, because it can be counter-intuitive to understand why the model may give an appropriate response to a set of input data for superconductivity characteristic analyses, e.g., critical temperature. The purpose of this study is to describe and examine an alternative approach for predicting the superconducting transition temperature <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$T_c$</tex-math></inline-formula> from SuperCon database obtained by Japan's National Institute for Materials Science. We address a generative machine-learning framework called Variational Bayesian Neural Network using superconductors chemical elements and formula to predict <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$T_c$</tex-math></inline-formula>. In such a context, the importance of the paper in focus is twofold. First, to improve the interpretability, we adopt a variational inference to approximate the distribution in latent parameter space for the generative model. It statistically captures the mutual correlation of superconductor compounds and; then, gives the estimation for the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$T_c$</tex-math></inline-formula>. Second, a stochastic optimization algorithm, which embraces a statistical inference named Monte Carlo sampler, is utilized to optimally approximate the proposed inference model, ultimately determine and evaluate the predictive performance. As a result, in comparison with the standard evaluation metrics, the results are promising and also agree with the existing models prevalent in the field. The <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R^2$</tex-math></inline-formula> value obtained is very close to the best model (0.94), whereas a considerable improvement is seen in the RMSE value (3.83 K). Notably, the proposed model is known as the first of its kind for predicting a superconductor's <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$T_c$</tex-math></inline-formula>.


In a fast-twitch muscle, three types of fibers (red, intermediate, and white) can be distinguished on the basis of mitochondrial content. Red fibers, identified by abundant mitochondria, can be further differentiated on the basis of a positive or negative response to antibodies specific for white ("fast") myosin. Because there is also a difference in Z-line width among fibers of the same muscle, the possibility existed that the two red fibers, which differ in type of myosin, might also differ in dimensions of the Z line. We therefore examined, with the electron microscope, fibers which had been exposed to antibody against white myosin. In those fibers which react with the antibody, an electron-opaque band is evident in the H-band region, thereby distinguishing reactive from unreactive fibers. The red fiber can now be subdivided on the basis of a positive or negative response to anti-white myosin visualized directly with the electron microscope. Both categories of red fibers ("fast" and "slow") have wide Z lines, and thus are distinguished from white and intermediate fibers, which react with the antibody but which have narrow Z lines. On the basis of combined immunocytochemical and ultrastructural characteristics, four types of fibers can be recognized in a single muscle. Moreover, it is demonstrated here that a wide Z line does not necessarily imply a slow speed of contraction.


Inspired by an industry initiative to address the celebrated market for lemons (poor-quality used cars), we investigate how incentives for a permissioned blockchain-based system in the automobile ecosystem can be designed to ensure high-quality data storage and use by different stakeholders. The peer-to-peer distributed ledger platform connects organizations and car owners with disparate interests and hidden intentions. While previous literature has chiefly examined incentives for permissionless platforms, we leverage studies about crowdsensing applications to stimulate research on incentives in permissioned blockchains. This article uses the action design research approach to create an incentive system featuring a rating mechanism influenced by data correction measures. Furthermore, we propose relying on certain institutions capable of assessing data generated within the system. This combined approach of a decentralized data correction and an institutionalized data assessment is distinct from similar incentive systems suggested by literature. By using an agent-based model with strategy evolution, we evaluate the proposed incentive system. Our findings indicate that a rating-based revenue distribution leads to markedly higher data quality in the system. Additionally, the incentive system reveals hidden information of the agents and alleviates agency problems, contributing to an understanding of incentive design in inter-organizational blockchain-based data platforms. Furthermore, we explore incentive design in permissioned blockchains and discuss its latest implications.


The most important and illuminating early writing on Brown v. Bd. of Education is a nine-page essay by Charles Black. Black memorably shows that segregation was a crucial part of a racial caste system. At the same time, he cuts through legal abstractions that made it difficult to answer the question whether the Court's decision was sufficiently "neutral." At the same time, Black's argument suffers from two serious problems: formalism and institution-blindness. Black writes as if his interpretation of the equal protection clause can be simply read off the clause, and he does not engage the complex institutional problems that were raised by the Court's decision. Nonetheless, the legal culture needs more voices like Black's.


Abstract Objectives: Physical activity (PA) may help maintain brain structure and function in aging. Since the intensity of PA needed to effect cognition and cerebrovascular health remains unknown, we examined associations between PA and cognition, regional white matter hyperintensities (WMH), and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in older adults. Method: Forty-three older adults without cognitive impairment underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Waist-worn accelerometers objectively measured PA for approximately one week. Results: Higher time spent in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was uniquely associated with better memory and executive functioning after adjusting for all light PA. Higher MVPA was also uniquely associated with lower frontal WMH volume although the finding was no longer significant after additionally adjusting for age and accelerometer wear time. MVPA was not associated with CBF. Higher time spent in all light PA was uniquely associated with higher CBF but not with cognitive performance or WMH volume. Conclusions: Engaging in PA may be beneficial for cerebrovascular health, and MVPA in particular may help preserve memory and executive function in otherwise cognitively healthy older adults. There may be differential effects of engaging in lighter PA and MVPA on MRI markers of cerebrovascular health although this needs to be confirmed in future studies with larger samples. Future randomized controlled trials that increase PA are needed to elucidate cause-effect associations between PA and cerebrovascular health.


Background: Previous studies have reported associations of perinatal exposure to air toxics, including some metals and volatile organic compounds, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Objectives: Our goal was to further explore associations of perinatal air toxics with ASD and associated quantitative traits in high-risk multiplex families. Methods: We included participants of a U.S. family-based study [the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE)] who were born between 1994 and 2007 and had address information. We assessed associations between average annual concentrations at birth for each of 155 air toxics from the U.S. EPA emissions-based National-scale Air Toxics Assessment and a) ASD diagnosis (1,540 cases and 477 controls); b) a continuous measure of autism-related traits, the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS, among 1,272 cases and controls); and c) a measure of autism severity, the Calibrated Severity Score (among 1,380 cases). In addition to the individual's air toxic level, mixed models (clustering on family) included the family mean air toxic level, birth year, and census covariates, with consideration of the false discovery rate. Results: ASD diagnosis was positively associated with propionaldehyde, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), bromoform, 1,4-dioxane, dibenzofurans, and glycol ethers and was inversely associated with 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), benzidine, and ethyl carbamate (urethane). These associations were robust to adjustment in two-pollutant models. Autism severity was associated positively with carbon disulfide and chlorobenzene, and negatively with 1,4-dichlorobenzene. There were no associations with the SRS. Conclusions: Some air toxics were associated with ASD risk and severity, including some traffic-related air pollutants and newly-reported associations, but other previously reported associations with metals and volatile organic compounds were not reproducible. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1867


Successful e-commerce portal organizations focus intensely on customers. They try to consider every bit of information that flows from the customer to their system as an input for analyzing and identifying their needs precisely and catering to them. Being mostly 'click and mortar' or completely e-enabled, they have a lot of operational flexibility to address customer requirements in a more personalized and customized way than their brick-andmortar counterparts with more operational rigidity and resource constraints. Managing diverse range of channels is a challenge because of exponential and sometimes disruptive growth of diverse technologies that are used for supporting highvolume e-commerce operations. Customers are bouncing between phone, email and the web with greater fluidity than ever and therefore, fragmented, 'stove-pipe' communications, in such situations, can create problems as they loose out the holistic view on the basic nature of the problems and customer priorities. Therefore, the use of a common knowledge base across all channels is a dire necessity for an e-commerce portal, especially the ones which do not have a 'brick-and-mortar' back-end. The customer-support knowledge network as proposed in this paper addresses these issues. Using Self Organizing Maps(SOM), the network becomes incrementally self learning representing various groups of communication instances at any point of time. The advantages include the integration of all communication elements and an assimilation of all the customer communication issues into a reusable form of self-learning network. It adds an immense value for a customer-focused ecommerce company for identification of generic issues, better understanding of customer concerns and priorities and designing products/ services/ promotions accordingly, to ensure an overall better success of business.


Design for assurance of security, from the hardware level on up, is essential for securing the integrity of the smart cyber-physical infrastructure that is the Internet of Things. If the smart cyber-physical infrastructure fails to do the right things—that is, if it loses integrity because it is insecure and vulnerable—then untold social consequences will occur. For the security and integrity of cyber-physical systems to improve, not only must engineers and computer scientists possess the capability to design-in security from the very beginning, but they must do so in ways that enable people other than the designers to reproduce and check verification results easily and quickly. Designers and certifiers must formally describe and verify operations at high levels, such as the command-and-control (C2) protocols used by commanders and operators, down to the operations of applications and hardware. We call this design and verification capability for security and integrity certified security by design (CSBD). Our experience leads us to conclude that CSBD is feasible and practical for undergraduates. What makes CSBD feasible at the undergraduate level is similar to what made very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuit design feasible in the 1980s: (1) rigorous, simplified, and parameterized design and analytical methods spanning multiple levels of abstraction, and (2) computeraided design and verification tools to mitigate complexity and problems of scale.


The dependence of the elastic modulus of the nanofiller for polymer/graphene nanocomposites on the structure of graphene aggregates has been shown. It is established that this structure is defined by the dimension of Euclidean space, in which these aggregates are formed. The indicated structure is most accurately characterized by its fractal dimension.


We propose a new method for the task of fine-grained visual categorization. The method builds a model of the base-level category that can be fitted to images, producing high-quality foreground segmentation and mid-level part localizations. The model can be learnt from the typical datasets available for fine-grained categorization, where the only annotation provided is a loose bounding box around the instance (e.g. bird) in each image. Both segmentation and part localizations are then used to encode the image content into a highly-discriminative visual signature. The model is symbiotic in that part discovery/localization is helped by segmentation and, conversely, the segmentation is helped by the detection (e.g. part layout). Our model builds on top of the part-based object category detector of Felzenszwalb et al., and also on the powerful Grab Cut segmentation algorithm of Rother et al., and adds a simple spatial saliency coupling between them. In our evaluation, the model improves the categorization accuracy over the state-of-the-art. It also improves over what can be achieved with an analogous system that runs segmentation and part-localization independently.


Bio-products and bio-based value chains have been identified as one of the most promising pathways to attaining a resource-efficient circular economy. Such a "valorization and value-addition" approach incorporates an intricate network of processes and actors, contributing to socio-economic growth, environmental benefits and technological advances. In the present age of limited time and funding models to achieve ambitious sustainable development targets, whilst mitigating climate change, a systematic approach employing two-tier multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) can be useful in supporting the identification of promising bio-based value chains, that are significant to the EU plans for the bio-economy. Their identification is followed by an elaborate mapping of their value chains to visualize/foresee the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges attributable to those bio-based value chains. To demonstrate this methodology, a systematic review of 12 bio-based value chains, prevalent in the EU, sourcing their starting material from biomass and bio-waste, has been undertaken. The selected value chains are mapped to visualize the linkages and interactions between the different stages, chain actors, employed conversion routes, product application and existing/potential end-of-life options. This approach will help chain-actors, particularly investors and policy-makers, understand the complexities of such multi-actor systems and make informed decisions.


The present contribution focuses on the effects of language dominance / attrition, context of acquisition, age of onset of learning, frequency of general use of a language and sociodemographic variables on self-reported language choice for swearing. The analysis is based on a database to which 1039 multilinguals contributed through a web based questionnaire. Results suggest that, according to the self-reports, swearing happens most frequently in the multilinguals' dominant language. Mixed instruction, an early start in the learning process, and frequent use of a language all contribute to the choice of that language for swearing. Sociodemographic variables were not found to have any effect. Frequency of language choice for swearing was found to be positively correlated with perceived emotional force of swearwords in that language. Quantitative results based on answers to close-ended


The research study aimed to probe distributed leadership practices, the most and the least prevailed practices in public universities of Lahore. The study also aimed to find gender-based differences in prevalence of distributed. The study was conducted in a quantitative paradigm and a survey technique was used to collect data. The population was consisted of all general public universities located in Lahore (6). Three universities were selected through random strata sampling. Among them one was women and two were mixed general universities. Randomly 300 faculty members were selected to get the questionnaire filled. Distributed leadership questionnaire (Özkan and Çakır,2017) was adopted. SPSS version 20 was used to analyse the data through descriptive and Inferential statistics. It was found that distributed leadership was prevailed in public universities. In women university it was more prevailed than mixed universities. Further there was difference in prevalence of different dimensions of distributed leadership. In women university, practices related to sharing responsibilities and unity of purpose were comparatively more prevailed as compared to mixed universities where rest of three dimensions of distributed leadership were more prevailed. It was suggested that factors behind these differences should be explored through conducting researches in broader context including private sector universities also.


The World Bank is focused on developing and supporting programs that help children reach their potential and live lives free of poverty. To help build a body of evidence of what works, the World Bank financed an evaluation of a program in Jamaica that targeted mothers of babies stunted due to malnutrition. The mothers received either support or guidance on how to encourage their babies' development through play and language, or nutritional supplements, or a combination of the two. The children whose mothers had received the extra guidance were doing as well financially as the less disadvantaged (and non-stunted) children. This study is a rare look at the effects of early childhood intervention over the decades, giving policymakers and development experts tangible proof of the potential effects of early childhood development programs. A rare long-term study of the effects of an early childhood development program shows that children's lives can be improved by ensuring that they have the right stimulation and emotional support as babies and toddlers. This Evidence to Policy note was jointly produced by the World Bank Group, the Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund (SIEF), and the British government's Department for International Development.


The study aimed at identifying the impact of legal and social factors on the increase of tax evasion in Jordan. The researchers have applied the descriptive approach for the theoretical framework, and the analytical approach for testing the study's hypotheses to achieve the objective of the study. A questionnaire has been developed and distributed over a random sample of the study's population composed of the sales and income tax auditors. (75) Questionnaires were distributed, (72) were retrieved and (2) were excluded; that is (93.3%) of the distributed questionnaires. results revealed that there are a positive relationship between Legal factors (the lack of corporate governance, The lack of severity of penal system, The lack of clarity of law provisions and their gaps), and social factors (The lack of taxpayer's loyalty to the state, The unjust of tax system , The societies admirable view for evaders) and increase the cases of tax evasion. Therefore, the study recommended reviewing tax legislations, and emphasizing the commitment to corporate governance to reduce tax evasion.


Both the minimum relative depth of die cavity and the minimum amount required in preforming are determined to produce a defect-free product of tubular component in the preforming technique of radial extrusion in this study. This scheme is based on the least amount of material dissipation in radial extrusion of tubular component. A finite element based code is utilized to investigate the effects of various relative depths of die cavity, different percentage of preforming and relative height reduction on the material flow characteristics resulting in the movements of the defects locations. The abductive network is also applied to synthesize the data sets obtained from the numerical simulations. Consequently, a prediction model is established for organizing the minimum relative depth of die cavity and the related minimum amount required in preforming of the tubular component for different end strokes of deformation.


A review of medical, social science, and "grassroots" literature on support groups and breast cancer, this paper concerns the need among women living with breast cancer and their caregivers for more information on the efficacy of social support as a therapeutic intervention. The literature has been subdivided into reviews of articles dealing with professionally led support groups, community-based support groups, support groups and survival, and support groups and psychological adjustment.


Although insertions and deletions (indels) are a common type of sequence variation, their origin and their functional consequences have not yet been fully understood. It has been known that indels preferably occur in the loop regions of the affected proteins. Moreover, it has recently been demonstrated that indels are significantly more strongly correlated with functional changes than substitutions. In sum, there is substantial evidence that indels, not substitutions, are the predominant evolutionary factor when it comes to structural changes in proteins. As a consequence it comes natural to hypothesize that sizable indels can modify protein interaction interfaces, causing a gain or loss of protein-protein interactions, thereby significantly rewiring the interaction networks. In this paper, we have analyzed this relationship in a large-scale study. We have computed all paralogous protein pairs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Yeast) and Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly), and sorted the respective alignments according to whether they contained indels of significant lengths as per a pair Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based framework of a recent study. We subsequently computed well known centrality measures for proteins that participated in indel alignments (indel proteins) and those that did not. We found that indel proteins indeed showed greater variation in terms of these measures. This demonstrates that indels have a significant influence when it comes to rewiring of the interaction networks due to evolution, which confirms our hypothesis. In general, this study may yield relevant insights into the functional interplay of proteins and the evolutionary dynamics behind it.


This paper experimentally investigates the effect of gender-based affirmative action (AA) on performance in the lab, focusing on a tournament environment. The tournament is based on GRE math questions commonly used in graduate school admission, and at which women are known to perform worse on average than men. We find heterogeneous effect of AA on female participants: AA lowers the performance of high-ability women and increases the performance of low-ability women. Our results are consistent with two possible mechanisms—one is that AA changes incentives differentially for low- and high-ability women, and the second is that AA triggers stereotype threat.


Iron is a key micronutrient in seawater, but concentrations would be negligible without the presence of organic ligands. The processes influencing the ligand pool composition are poorly constrained, limiting our understanding of the controls on dissolved iron distributions. To address this, the release of iron and iron‐binding ligands during the microbial remineralization of sinking particles was investigated by deploying in situ particle interceptor/incubator devices at subsurface sites in the Mediterranean Sea and Subantarctic. Analyses revealed that the pool of released ligands was largely dominated by electroactive humic substances (74 ± 28%). The release of ligands during remineralization ensured that concurrently released iron remained in solution, which is crucial for iron regeneration. This study presents compelling evidence of the key role of humic ligands in the subsurface replenishment of dissolved iron and thus on the wider oceanic dissolved iron inventory, which ultimately controls the magnitude of iron resupplied to the euphotic zone.


Recently, there has been much interest in extending models for simulation-based security in such a way that the runtime of protocols may depend on the length of their input. Finding such extensions has turned out to be a non-trivial task. In this work, we propose a simple, yet expressive general computational model for systems of interactive Turing machines (ITMs) where the runtime of the ITMs may be polynomial per activation and may depend on the length of the input received. One distinguishing feature of our model is that the systems of ITMs that we consider involve a generic mechanism for addressing dynamically generated copies of ITMs. We study properties of such systems and, in particular, show that systems satisfying a certain acyclicity condition run in polynomial time. Based on our general computational model, we state different notions of simulation-based security in a uniform and concise way, study their relationships, and prove a general composition theorem for composing a polynomial number of copies of protocols, where the polynomial is determined by the environment. The simplicity of our model is demonstrated by the fact that many of our results can be proved by mere equational reasoning based on a few equational principles on systems


A new and mild palladium(II)-catalyzed reaction for the intramolecular acyloxylation/cyclization of 2-(3'-alkenyl)indoles was developed. The newly formed cycles involve oxygen-containing functionalized groups, which might be transferred further to provide other indole derivatives.


As an integral part the railway network infrastructure, insulated rail joints (IRJs) electrically isolate track segments providing critical feedback to both track signaling and train position detection systems. Because of the discontinuous nature of IRJs, accumulated damage at the railhead is high. Failure modes include plastic flow of metal across joints, bolt and fishplate failures, delamination of insulated material and, as a result of rolling contact fatigue, end post and endpost surface damage. In the current investigation, microstructural changes in the vicinity of endposts of IRJs made from both surface coated and uncoated rail are investigated using techniques of optical and scanning electron microscopy. Damaged IRJs made from pearlitic head hardened rail steel are compared with head hardened rail steel laser coated with martensitic stainless steel, the latter having an increased service life. Problems associated with the surface coating are identified and approaches to further improving IRJ resistance to rolling contact fatigue suggested. Keywords: Insulated rail joints, rail, head hardened, surface coated rail


Abstract: Anthropogenic disturbance often results in the proliferation of native species of particular groups that leads to biotic homogenization. Leaf-cutting ants are an example of such winner organisms in tropical rain forests, but their response to disturbance in dry forests is poorly known. We investigated Atta colony density in areas of tropical dry forest in Brazil with different distance to roads and vegetation cover. Atta colonies were surveyed in 59 belt transects of 300 × 20 m, covering a total area of 35.4 ha. We found 224 Atta colonies, 131 of which were active and belonged to Atta opaciceps (87 colonies, 2.45 ha−1), A. sexdens (35 colonies, 0.98 ha−1) and A. laevigata (9 colonies, 0.25 ha−1). The density of active colonies sharply decreased from 15 ± 2.92 ha−1 in the 50-m zone along roads to only 2.55 ± 1.65 ha−1 at distances up to 300 m. The reverse pattern was observed for inactive colonies. Active Atta colonies preferentially occur in areas with low vegetation cover, while inactive colonies prefer areas with high vegetation cover. We demonstrate for the first time that anthropogenic disturbances promote the proliferation of leaf-cutting ants in dry forest in Brazil, which may affect plant regeneration via herbivory and ecosystem engineering as demonstrated for rain forests.


This study aims to determine the differences amongst countries in terms of students' preferences of buying clothes and getting dressed who are at the same age and are from the cultures of various countries. The sample of the research consists of 389 students coming from Liverpool of Britain, Nicosia of Cyprus and Turkic Republics who attend the universities in Ankara. The data of the research have been collected by means of the survey which has been prepared in order to determine demographic attributes of the students, their behaviors of buying clothes and their preferences of getting dressed. The collected data have been analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 15,0). The relation between the behaviors of the students – to buy clothes- from the cultures of various countries has been evaluated on p<0,05 significance level by using Chi-square (χ2 ) test. Whether or not there is a difference based on the education, sex and the country regarding the average points of the factors that affect the students' preferences of getting dressed, has been evaluated statistically by making one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) [p<0,05]. In the end of the research, it has been observed that there is significant difference amongst the countries based on the students' meeting their need for dressing, their preparation for shopping for the clothes, their behaviors of keeping pace with the fashion, the reasons for preferring the fashionable clothes and their clothing style. Although there is difference in their preferences for dressing and selection of clothes in terms of sex, there is no significant difference in terms of being affected by environmental factors in selecting clothes. Also, it has been observed that the average points are different from each other based on the countries in getting dressed in terms of their preferences for dressing, the criteria in selecting clothes and the issue of being affected by the environment when getting dressed


Separation of enantiomers of chiral inorganic nanoparticles can be performed using enantioselective optical forces that are strong enough to make the ordered drift of nanoparticles faster than their movement down a concentration gradient. Here, we solve the problem of nanoparticle diffusion in a bounded domain in the presence of an exponentially decaying driving force, which can represent a chiral force exerted on nanoparticle enantiomers by a circularly polarized light beam exhibiting either scattering, absorption, or both. We analyze the steady state spatial distributions of two basic purity measures of chiral mixtures, showing that extinction puts a fundamental limit on the degree of enantiopurification achievable with optical forces. Our solution can be used to model resolution of racemates of any kind of chiral inorganic nanoparticles that strongly interact with light.


The banded iron formation (BIF)-hosted Hope Downs high-grade hematite ore deposits are situated within the Marra Mamba Iron Formation with subsidiary deposits in the Brockman Iron Formation of the Archean to Proterozoic Hamersley Group of Western Australia. The main orebody extends to 260 m below the surface and is unusually rich in martite (pseudomorphous hematite after magnetite) and poor in limonite and goethite compared to other ore deposits of the Marra Mamba Iron Formation. The high-grade hematite ore is mainly within the Newman Member but also occurs in parts of the Nammuldi Member together with low-grade limonitic ore that becomes high grade after calcining. Karst erosion of the overlying Wittenoom Formation has produced steep-sided buried valleys adjacent to the in situ orebodies that contain thick deposits (<160 m) of goethitic and sideritic sediments, including remnants of Robe Pisolite Formation, bedded siderite, hematite gravels, red ochreous detrital material, and enriched scree deposits that are additional sources of ore.

The ore consists of low phosphorous martite-limonite-goethite derived from chert-free BIF by supergene weathering. No evidence of the complete carbonate replacement of chert has been found at Hope Downs nor were any traces of preexisting chert bands seen in the ore, despite the abundance of chert bands in BIF elsewhere. A variety of textures and composition shown by cherty BIF adjacent to the orebodies is described from which the origin of the chert-free BIF is inferred, including sedimentary structures consistent with density-current deposition.

A model is presented for the origin of the host iron formation and the ore deposits, in which density currents transported reworked iron silicates and hydroxides in colloidal suspension onto an unstable sea floor. The amorphous silica produced during diagenesis of Al-poor iron silicates formed the characteristic chert bands of BIF but some of the hydrous amorphous silica was lost prior to lithification to form chert-free BIF. Weathering of the chert-free BIF produced the high-grade hematite ore that is exposed today.


Social networks contribute a significant fraction of Internet traffic, and increasingly this traffic is in support of mobile social networking using smart phones. This situation has spurred considerable recent research interest in mobile social networks. Social networks have been studied for decades, although most of the earlier work in this area addressed issues lying outside the scope of technological networks. High bandwidth wireless networking enabling ubiquitous access of smart phones to the Internet completely enriches various potential of mobile social networks. However, there are still significant technological challenges in the development of the cloud infrastructure and mobile terminal devices. The purpose of this special issue is to highlight recent advances that address some of these mobile user-centric challenges.


Decoding language from brain activity is a long-awaited goal in both healthcare and neuroscience. Major milestones have recently been reached thanks to intracranial devices: subject-specific pipelines trained on invasive brain responses to basic language tasks now start to efficiently decode interpretable features (e.g. letters, words, spectrograms). However, scaling this approach to natural speech and non-invasive brain recordings remains a major challenge. Here, we propose a single end-to-end architecture trained with contrastive learning across a large cohort of individuals to predict self-supervised representations of natural speech. We evaluate our model on four public datasets, encompassing 169 volunteers recorded with magneto-or electro-encephalography (M/EEG), while they listened to natural speech. The results show that our model can identify, from 3 s of MEG signals, the corresponding speech segment with up to 72.5% top-10 accuracy out of 1,594 distinct segments (and 44% top-1 accuracy), and up to 19.1% out of 2,604 segments for EEG recordings – hence allowing the decoding of phrases absent from the training set. Model comparison and ablation analyses show that these performances directly benefit from our original design choices, namely the use of (i) a contrastive objective, (ii) pretrained representations of speech and (iii) a common convolutional architecture simultaneously trained across several participants. Together, these results delineate a promising path to decode natural language processing in real time from non-invasive recordings of brain activity.


BACKGROUND: Ewing sarcoma is a bone and soft tissue sarcoma characterized by fusion of the wild-type EWSR1 and FLI1 genes, which creates a constitutively activated transcription factor, EWS/FLI1. Ewing sarcoma cells are dependent on the continued activity of EWS/FLI1 to block differentiation and promote proliferation. For these reasons, EWS/FLI1 represents an ideal drug target. With this in mind, we have shown that the small molecule trabectedin inhibits EWS/FLI1 activity and synergizes with irinotecan in vivo. In addition, we showed that the gene expression response of Ewing sarcoma cells to trabectedin treatment is identical to keratinocytes exposed to UV light. Interestingly, wild-type EWSR1 accumulates in the nucleolus in response to UV light damage. Therefore, we hypothesize that the response and sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cells to trabectedin is due to the re-localization of EWS/FLI1 in the nucleus. METHODS: Here, we utilize confocal microscopy and chromatin immunoprecipitation to characterize the localization of EWS/FLI1 and EWS/FLI1 deletion mutants in response to trabectedin. Because trabectedin has a narrow therapeutic index, we characterize the effect of PM01183, a second-generation structural analog with an improved pharmacokinetic profile, on EWS/FLI1 localization. In addition, we use qPCR and western blotting to determine the kinetics of EWS/FLI1 inhibition in response to this class of compounds. W demonstrate the effects of PM01183 treatment on the EWS/FLI1 gene signature genome-wide. Finally, we translate these findings in vivo using two Ewing sarcoma xenograft models. RESULTS: Treatment of Ewing sarcoma cells with Trabectedin and PM01183 causes EWS/FLI1 to accumulate in the nucleolus. This effect is accompanied by a loss of binding at target sequences and a reversal in expression of the gene signature of EWS/FLI1. We found the effect on EWS/FLI1 to be sustained, even after removal of the drug from the cell culture medium. We extended these findings in vivo to demonstrate the efficacy of a previously characterized combination therapy. Interestingly, treatment of Ewing sarcoma xenografts with the combination therapy caused the tumor to be replaced by benign adipocytes. CONCLUSIONS: We characterize a novel method of targeting an oncogenic fusion protein by leveraging a property of the wild-type protein to inactivate the oncogenic transcription factor. We demonstrate that wild-type EWSR1 protein9s propensity to accumulate in the nucleolus upon UV light damage is maintained within the oncogenic EWS/FLI1 protein with trabectedin or PM01183 treatment. We believe that this accounts for the heightened sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cells to this class of compounds and has numerous clinical implications. Citation Format: Matt Harlow, Matthew Easton, Maria Jose Guillen Navarro, Lisa Turner, Galen Hostetter, Carlos Galmarini, Pablo Aviles, Patrick Grohar. PM01183 inactivates the EWS/FLI1 transcription factor by redistributing the protein within the nucleus. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-177.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: DTI can provide information about brain ultrastructure by quantifying water diffusion. Our objective was to assess the value of DTI in detecting the acute effects of alcohol on healthy human brains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen healthy volunteers were studied with conventional MR imaging and DTI before and 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 hours after the initiation of acute alcohol administration. Two DTI parameters, FA and ADC, were measured in the frontal lobe, internal capsule, external capsule, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, thalamus, middle cerebellar peduncle, and brain stem. BrACs were measured at each time point after drinking to estimate BACs. RESULTS: No abnormalities were found by conventional MR imaging at any time point in all subjects. ADC values of the frontal lobe, thalamus, and middle cerebellar peduncle were significantly reduced, reaching a minimum value at 1 or 2 hours, and FA values of the frontal lobe were significantly increased, reaching a maximal value at 0.5 hour in both doses. BrAC (BAC) was significantly increased to reach a peak at 0.5 hour in both doses and decreased gradually. CONCLUSIONS: DTI can detect changes in brains after acute alcohol consumption that are not detectable by conventional MR imaging. The frontal lobe, thalamus, and middle cerebellar peduncle are more vulnerable to the effects of acute alcohol consumption. DTI is more effective than BrAC or BAC for the detection of alcohol-induced changes on the human brain.


The subject of this paper is open multiclass queueing networks, which are common models of communication networks, and complex manufacturing systems such as wafer fabrication facilities. We provide sufficient conditions for the existence of bounds on long-run average moments of the queue lengths at the various stations, and we bound the rate of convergence of the mean queue length to its steady-state value. Our work provides a solid foundation for performance analysis either by analytical methods or by simulation. These results are applied to several examples including re-entrant lines, generalized Jackson networks, and a general polling model as found in computer networks applications.


Two nonlinear optical fluoride carbonate crystals (Na8Lu2(CO3)6F2 and Na3Lu(CO3)2F2) have been synthesized under subcritical hydrothermal condition. Both crystals crystallize in the noncentrosymmetric space group Cc (No. 9). The structure of Na8Lu2(CO3)6F2 with high density of [CO3] groups is described as 1D [Na5Lu(CO3)2F2] chains connected by [CO3] triangles, forming an intricate three-dimensional framework. Lu3+ and Na+ cations are alternatively ordered and disordered in the cavities of the 3D network. The structure of Na3Lu(CO3)2F2 is built up from the [NaLu(CO3)2F2] layers which are separated by other Na+ cations. The [CO3] anionic groups arrange approximately coparallel to the plane. The second harmonic generation (SHG) measurement indicates that Na8Lu2(CO3)6F2 and Na3Lu(CO3)2F2 have large SHG responses that are approximately 4.29 and 4.21 times KH2PO4 (KDP), respectively. The responses are also phase-matchable in the visible region. In addition, it exhibits wide transparent regions ranging from UV t...


Objective Functional neurological disorders are common in neurology outpatient clinics and subsequently may be referred for follow-up to other specialists in neurology, neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry. The main aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of mental health problems in a group of patients referred to neuropsychiatry with functional neurological symptoms Method The case notes of fifty consecutive patients with a functional disorder seen at a neuropsychiatry clinic were reviewed. Frequency of associated psychiatric co-morbidity, previous self-harming, and other variables was reviewed. Results The most common form of functional neurological disorder reviewed at clinic were blackouts/non-epileptic attacks followed by functional movement disorders. However, a wide variety of other functional symptoms were observed including functional forms of speech problems, tics, blindness, and fugues. Rates of previous deliberate self-harm was high with 60% having a history of either self-harming or suicide attempts. The most common diagnoses was post-traumatic stress disorder which was seen in almost a third. Less than 10% had no evidence of any Axis One disorder. Over a third had co-morbid borderline personality disorder or significant traits of emotionally unstable personality disorder. Over 90% of individuals had a history of experiencing some significant emotional trauma- the majority of such traumas had occurred decades earlier in childhood with only a few reporting more recent stresses. Conclusion Severe enduring psychiatric problems are very commonly seen in a cohort of individuals referred to a neuropsychiatric clinic with functional neurological symptoms. Rates of previous self-harming are especially high. This study shows the importance of neuropsychiatry within the multidisciplinary management of functional neurological symptoms.


C-shaped canal is one of the most difficult situations with which the dentist is confronted during endodontic treatment of teeth. Recognition of unusual variation in the canal configuration is critical because it has been established that the root with a single tapering canal and apical foramen is the exception rather than rule. The early recognition of these configurations facilitates cleaning, shaping, and obturation of the root canal system. "C" configuration, which is an important anatomic variation, presents a thin fin connecting the root canals. In this case reports successful management of C-shaped canals in mandibular second molars are presented by using cone-beam computed tomography and operating microscope for diagnosis, sonic irrigation and calamus dual obturating device.


Plasmids containing sequences 3' of the adult beta 1 globin gene of Xenopus laevis are unstable on propagation in a range of E. coli host strains. Up to 300 bp of Xenopus DNA are lost by rec A independent recombination between (AT)37 and (AT)17 sequences. Additionally, smaller deletions occurring in or around the (AT)37 sequence are observed. Deletion of these potential cruciform structures occurs in the absence of exonuclease I, exonuclease V and exonuclease VIII as the same pattern of deletion events is observed in recA recBC sbcB and recBC sbcA recE strains.


This quantitative research aimed to study consumer buying behavior of Thai traditional medicine from Naraosoth (Mor Bua) Pharmacy in Rayong Province and to identify the effect of retail mix of consumer buying decision toward Thai traditional medicine. Data were collected from consumers at Naraosoth (Mor Bua) Pharmacy using questionnaire-based surveys. The purposive sampling was used to collect data from 200 samples. The statistics used in the study were descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, standard deviation, t-test, One-Way ANOVA, Correlation Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis.
  The majority of respondents were female, age between 40-49 years old; the highest education level was lower than bachelor's degree. Most of them, employed in state-owned organizations and government sector with the salary range of 15,000-25,000 baht/month, lived in Amphoe Muang Rayong.
  The results showed that the retail mix factors that significantly affected consumer buying decision toward Thai traditional medicine were customer service, location, and merchandising respectively. However, the other retail mix factors consisting of pricing, communication mix and store design and display had no effect.


Background Ibuprofen suppositories are produced as bulk ware by the hospital pharmacy. According to the recently amended German regulation, 'Apothekenbetriebsordnung', which entered into force on 12 June 2012, supplementary quality controls regarding bulk ware have been requested in § 8: For non-validated manufacturing processes, each batch of bulk ware has to be analysed for uniformity of content. Neither the German nor the European Pharmacopoeia provides instructions for the quantitative analysis of formulations. Purpose The aims of this study were (1) to develop and validate an appropriate method for the quantitative analysis of ibuprofen suppositories, which fulfils the conditions set out in the European Pharmacopoeia as well as the Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines and (2) to validate the manufacturing process. Materials and methods A literature research was performed to find an adequate quantification method for ibuprofen suppositories. To validate the method, the accuracy, precision, specificity, linearity and range were evaluated, according to the Guidelines of International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH). In the following validation of the process, a risk analysis was carried out to determine the critical parameters and a quantitative analysis of the suppositories was conducted. Results The method developed to validate the ibuprofen content involved a procedure for the dissolution with dichloromethane and methanol and quantification of ibuprofen using an acidimetric titration. It was successfully validated according to the requirements of ICH Guidelines. Regarding process validation, all of the individual contents of the suppositories produced by four staff members were within the required range of 85–115% in terms of uniformity of content. Measures arising from the risk analysis complied with the predefined specifications. Conclusions Validation of the method and process developed resulted in suitable quality control of the manufacturing process of ibuprofen suppositories. This approach can be adopted by other hospital pharmacies and may serve as an example for the development of further method and process validations in the future. No conflict of interest.


The desire to better understand design cognition has led to the application of literature from psychology to design research, e.g., in learning, analogical reasoning, and problem solving. Psychological research on cognitive heuristics and biases offers another relevant body of knowledge for application. Cognitive biases are inherent biases in human information processing, which can lead to suboptimal reasoning. Cognitive heuristics are unconscious rules utilized to enhance the efficiency of information processing and are possible antecedents of cognitive biases. This paper presents two studies that examined the role of confirmation bias, which is a tendency to seek and interpret evidence in order to confirm existing beliefs. The results of the first study, a protocol analysis involving novice designers engaged in a biomimetic design task, indicate that confirmation bias is present during concept generation and offer additional insights into the influence of confirmation bias in design. The results of the second study, a controlled experiment requiring participants to complete a concept evaluation task, suggest that decision matrices are effective tools to reduce confirmation bias during concept evaluation.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


The systematic study of music-induced emotions requires standardized measurement instruments to reliably assess the nature of affective reactions to music, which tend to go beyond garden-variety basic emotions. We describe the development and conceptual validation of a checklist for rapid assessment of music-induced affect, designed to extend and complement the Geneva Emotional Music Scale. The checklist contains a selection of affect and emotion categories that are frequently used in the literature to refer to emotional reactions to music. The development of the checklist focused on an empirical investigation of the semantic structure of the relevant terms, combined with fuzzy classes based on a series of hierarchical cluster analyses. Two versions of the checklist for assessing the intensity and frequency of affective responses to music are proposed.


This paper traces interpersonal utility comparisons and bargaining in the work of John Harsanyi from the 1950s to the mid-1960s. As his preoccupation with how theorists can obtain information about agents moved from an approach centered on empathetic understanding to the more distanced perspective associated with game theory, Harsanyi shifted emphasis from the social scientist's lack of information vis-à-vis agents to agents' lack of information about each other. In the process, he provided economists with an analytical framework they could use to study problems related to the distribution of information among agents while consolidating the perspective of a distant observer whose knowledge can replace that of real people.


This report is an outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Australia Council and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNSECO) Bangkok to promote cultural diversity in the Asia-Pacific, signed in 2012. The report aims to contribute to understanding and debate of the implications of UNESCO's 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression, to which Australia became a signatory in 2009. The selection of projects featured in this report was conducted jointly by representatives of the Australia Council, UNESCO Bangkok and the researchers from the Institute for Culture and Society. Projects were selected on the basis of their suitability for a 'best practice' case study report on the interpretation and implementation of the UNESCO Convention with a national and international readership. In-depth interviews were conducted in order to gain an understanding of multiple stakeholder perspectives on the processes and practices in question. Ethnographic material has been supported by analysis of available project documentation, other public documentation and critical writing. Since the research was conducted, many of these projects have evolved considerably. However, the detailed case studies still provide relevant material for discussion and insight on the wide range of practical possibilities to promote diversity of cultural expressions through the arts. The introduction of the report presents five key principles to advance critical discourse in this field.


The regulatory effects of adenosine are dependent upon its ability to bind four distinct adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes termed A1, A2A, A2B and A3 (Ralevic and Bumstock, 1998). Despite coupling to the same class of inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G-protein) and binding the same physiological ligand, the A1 and A3ARS are subject to distinct regulatory events following agonist exposure. Rapid termination of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling is typically regulated by their phosphorylation by second messenger-activated and/or G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs). Upon phosphorylation by G protein- coupled receptor kinases (GRKs), many GPCRs bind arrestin proteins that serve to uncouple activated receptors from G-proteins leading to a functional desensitisation of G protein-linked signalling, cluster activated receptors to clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) and recruit and activate Src family tyrosine kinases ultimately resulting in the activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. It is thought that receptors proceed from CCVs to endosomes where they may be dephosphorylated and recycled back to the plasma membrane or degraded and down- regulated. In this study, by employing the use of epitope and fluorescently tagged receptors, we show that agonist activation is required for A3AR phosphorylation and internalisation and that this process can be blocked by an A3AR-selective antagonist MRS 1523. We have characterised rates of A3AR internalisation and recycling and shown that it is dynamically controlled by three phosphorylation sites Thr 307, 318 and 319 and two presumed palmitoylation sites Cys 302 and 305 in its carboxyl- terminal (C) tail. Mutation of the Thr sites renders the receptor resistant to phosphorylation by GRKs, ultimately resulting in a loss of receptor sequestration compared to WT A3AR. In contrast, mutation of the Cys residues produces an increase in the rate of receptor internalisation compared to wild type (WT), a phenomenon not observed by the introduction of a similar mutation in the WT A1AR (Cys309Ala, data not shown). By the use of confocal microscopy, we reveal that despite their differences in trafficking rates, both WT and (C-A)A3ARs co-localise with transferrin (Tfn) receptor-positive early endosomes. We also demonstrate that this accumulation is dependent upon receptor phosphorylation as the non-internalising A1AR can be directed through this endosomal pathway by replacing the C-terminal tail with the GRK-phosphorylatable 14 amino acids of the A3AR (A1CT3AR). The process of receptor phosphorylation also dictates the pattern of arrestin distribution following agonist stimulation. A1AR activation caused a re-distribution of arrestin3 to distinct spots at the plasma membrane whereas WT A3AR, (C-A)A3AR and A1CT3 produced an accumulation of arrestin3 at both the plasma membrane and diffusely within the cytoplasm This study also demonstrates that long-term agonist exposure causes a down- regulation in total A3AR number via an as yet undefined pathway and may be directed by the C-terminal region of the receptor (Tsao and von Zastrow 2000b). Consequently, we have presented initial confocal images to suggest that recovery from down-regulation requires newly synthesised receptor to be transported from the Golgi apparatus to the plasma membrane.


The effects of eel atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on drinking were investigated in eels adapted to freshwater (FW) or seawater (SW) or in FW eels whose drinking was stimulated by a 2-ml hemorrhage. An intra-arterial infusion of ANP (0.3-3.0 pmol ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ min-1), which increased plasma ANP level 1.5- to 20-fold, inhibited drinking dose dependently in all groups of eels. The drinking rate recovered to the level before ANP infusion within 2 h after infusate was replaced by saline. The inhibition at 3.0 pmol ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ min-1was profound in FW eels and hemorrhaged FW eels, whereas significant drinking still remained after inhibition in SW eels. Plasma ANG II concentration also decreased dose dependently during ANP infusion and recovered to the initial level after saline infusion in all groups of eels. The decrease at 3.0 pmol ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ min-1was large in FW eels and hemorrhaged FW eels compared with that of SW eels. Thus the changes in drinking rate and plasma ANG II level were parallel during ANP infusion. Plasma sodium concentration and osmolality decreased during ANP infusion in SW and FW eels, and they were restored after saline infusion. In hemorrhaged FW eels, however, ANP infusion did not alter plasma sodium concentration and osmolality. Hematocrit did not change during ANP infusion in any group of eels. Collectively, ANP infusion at physiological doses decreased drinking rate and plasma ANG II concentration in parallel in both FW and SW eels. It remains undetermined whether the inhibition of drinking is caused by direct action of ANP or through inhibition of ANG II, which is known as a potent dipsogen in all vertebrate species, including eels.


In this work, we initiated to study new synthetic conditions to obtain uniformly sized molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in the micrometer to nanometer range, using carbamazepine (CBZ) as a model template. The MIPs were successfully prepared by precipitation polymerization using methacrylic acid (MAA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) as functional monomers at different mole ratios. The effect of MAA-to-MMA mole ratios on the morphology, binding, recognition, and release behaviors of the final particles were studied, and the adjusting possibility of these properties was also obtained. The produced polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, and their morphology was precisely examined by scanning electron microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy. We obtained very uniform imprinted nanospheres and microspheres with diameter in the range of 120 nm to 1.74 μm under various conditions. Among the MIP nanospheres and microspheres prepared, the MIPs using MAA-to-MMA mole ratio of 1 : 2 showed nanospheres with the lower polydispersity index (0.004) and the highest selectivity factor (10.4), which is defined as the binding ratio of CBZ and oxcarbazepine as template analog. Results from binding experiments proved that MIPs exhibit specific affinity to CBZ in contrast to control polymers, and this performance was affected by pH and concentration of the loading solution. Moreover, release experiments showed the controlled release of CBZ in long-time period. The 50% of loaded CBZ was released from the imprinted nanospheres within the first 30 h, whereas another 50% was released in the following 160 h. The release kinetics of CBZ from the MIPs highly affected with the properties of particles. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012


A method of virtualization technology of manufacturing resources was analyzed and designed in Cloud Manufacturing environment toward the new type of networked manufacturing. Diverse-grained information such as the abstract, description, interface, packages have been put forward on basis of resource virtualization technology of manufacturing grid in order to implement resource virtualization. Virtualization of manufacturing hardware and software resources were mainly analyzed and researched in this paper. The primary research shows that this resource virtualization technology of Cloud Manufacturing can provide an important basis and premise for the further development of Cloud Manufacturing theory.


Advanced models for the spread of infectious diseases are based on the age-structured epidemic models. In this work we study an age-structured epidemic model of susceptible, infected and recovered (SIR) populations dynamics with delay parameter — incubation period of infection. The investigated model is given as a competitive Lotke-Volterra system of initial-boundary value problems for nonlinear hyperbolic (first order) partial dierential equations with non-local integral boundary conditions and discrete time delay. Using a method of characteristics we obtain the explicit recurrent formulae for the travelling wave solution of Lotka-Volterra system which guarantees existence and uniqueness of continuous solution and allows for developing of accurate numerical algorithm for simulation the epidemiology processes. Then, using some simplied assumptions we reduce the age-structured epidemic model with constant coecients to the nonlinear autonomous system of delay ODE. The analysis of possible equilibria of such system provides the conditions of existence of trivial disease-free equilibrium, two non-trivial endemic equilibriums for the incurable and curable infection-induced diseases, respectively. The stability analysis of equilibria results in the restrictions on dimensionless stability indicators and infection period which guarantee existence of asymptotically stable behavior of solutions in the vicinities of steady states. The numerical simulations provide the practical insight into the dierent dynamical regimes of susceptible, infected and recovered subclasses and help us better understand the epidemiology of infectious diseases of biological populations in the real-world applications. The results of study were particularly presented in work.


A cannabinoid radioimmunoassay (RIA) that detects some of the major delta 9-THC metabolites is developed and evaluated for use in forensic science. It incorporates a novel 125I radiotracer, is sensitive, reliable, relatively quick, and simple to use. The RIA uses a commercially available antiserum and detects a number of cannabinoid metabolites, including delta 9-THC-11-oic acid and its glucuronide conjugate in biological fluids. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of blood and urine samples submitted for forensic analysis.


This paper studies the identification of a simultaneous equation model involving duration measures. It proposes a game theoretic model in which durations are determined by strategic agents. In the absence of strategic motives, the model delivers a version of the generalized accelerated failure time model. In its most general form, the system resembles a classical simultaneous equation model in which endogenous variables interact with observable and unobservable exogenous components to characterize an economic environment. In this paper, the endogenous variables are the individually chosen equilibrium durations. Even though a unique solution to the game is not always attainable in this context, the structural elements of the economic system are shown to be semiparametrically identified. We also present a brief discussion of estimation ideas and a set of simulation studies on the model.


Presents aquatic chemistry in a way that is truly useful to those with diverse backgrounds in the sciences. Major improvements to this edition include a complete rewrite of the first three background chapters making them user-friendly. There is less emphasis on mathematics and concepts are illustrated with actual examples to facilitate understanding.


Climate warming is especially pronounced in the Arctic, which has led to decreased sea-ice coverage and substantial permafrost thawing. These changes have a profound impact on the carbon cycle that directly affects the air–sea exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2), possibly leading to substantial feedback on atmospheric CO2 concentration. Several recent studies have indicated such feedback but the future quantitative impact is very uncertain. To minimize these uncertainties, there is a need for extensive field studies in order to achieve both a better process understanding as well as to detect probable trends in these processes. In this contribution, we describe a number of processes that have been reported to be impacted by climate change and suggest a coordinated international observational programme for their study.


A Monte Carlo method is employed to investigate the properties of electron transport with considerations of electron-phonon scattering including intervalley scattering and intravalley scattering. Under different electric fields, the coupling relations between electrons and phonons are studied, and the behaviors of absorbing and releasing phonons from electrons are also analyzed. The results show the scattering events of absorbing phonons from electrons decrease with the increasing simulation time. At the same temperature, the mean free path of electron increases initially and then decreases with the increasing electric field intensity, and finally approaches an asymptotic value.


Low hydrogen evolution overpotential, along with high stability during operation and ease of preparation from inexpensive raw materials, is a crucial characteristic of an effective electrode for large-scale hydrogen generation by alkaline water electrolysis. Herein, we present a method of preparation of a low-cost electrode, applying as a substrate a carbon fiber textile derived from a technical carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Noble-metal free composite films composed of cobalt–nickel alloy and amorphous Co,Ni(OH)2 phases are obtained by a one-step electrodeposition process. Deposition is optimized in terms of the applied potential as well as metal ion concentration and Co/Ni ratio in an electroplating bath. The experimental results indicate that the hCT-Co0.4Ni0.6 electrode possesses the lowest HER overpotential of 150 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH, with negligible activity loss within 100 h of galvanostatic operation. A significant decrease of the overpotential and electrode stability boost are achieved thanks to the precise control of the bimetallic electrode composition, which affects the morphology, electrocatalytically active surface area and electronic properties of the material.


In this study, an artificial neural network model is proposed to predict the flow stress variations during the hot rolling process. Optimization of the proposed neural network with respect to number of neurons within the hidden layer, different training methods and transfer functions of the neural network is performed. The results of the optimal network were compared with those of the conventional analytic method and it is shown that using an optimal neural network the mean calculated error is drastically reduced.


INTRODUCTION: The Indian Council of Medical Research recommended chemoprophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for asymptomatic health-care professionals (HCPs) treating coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). This questionnaire study was aimed at assessing the knowledge and the practice of HCPs on the use of HCQ for prophylaxis of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the knowledge and practice of HCQ prophylaxis among HCPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study targeting HCPs involved in the management of suspected/confirmed COVID-19. The data were obtained by convenience sampling, collected by a structured tested online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Chi-square analysis and Fisher's exact analysis and Mann–Whitney U-test were used. RESULTS: Among 135 study participants, about 76% were male and 26% were female, and the mean age was 37 years (standard deviation: 10.35). About 64.5% of the participants took HCQ prophylaxis, and 67.8% among them got an electrocardiogram. Thirty-two percent were using proper personal protective equipments (PPEs) and 11% were unaware of the use of appropriate PPEs. Apprehension associated with HCQ adverse effects in those who were suggested (70%) (P = 0.002) and made mandatory (33.3%) (P < 0.001) by their institutions (P < 0.001) was statistically significant. About 67.8% did not experience side effects. Gastrointestinal side effects were most common. Majority of the study participants who took HCQ prophylaxis were consultant doctors directly involved in patient care (71.2%) (P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge and practice with HCQ prophylaxis for COVID-19 was not adequate among the HCPs, and appraisal on proper HCQ dose and need for adequate PPEs and provision of the same could mitigate the false sense of security with HCQ prophylaxis alone.


Cytokines are a class of soluble proteins that mediate signals throughout the immune system as well as between immune effector cells and other cell populations. This class of proteins includes interleukins, interferons, and chemokines. The expression of cytokines is tightly controlled in the producing cells, and one of the most important regulatory steps in this control is gene transcription. The transcription of most cytokine genes is silent until a producing cell is activated by extracellular stimuli. It is very common that transcription of these genes initiates immediately upon activation and shuts down quickly even in the continuous presence of the stimulating agent. Work performed over the past decade has revealed much about the molecular mechanism responsible for transcriptional regulation of these genes. Positive and negative transcription factors function in a concerted manner to regulate transcription of a specific cytokine at the promoter or intron region. We focus on recent progress in the field of transcriptional regulation of cytokine genes with an emphasis on the negative regulation of cytokine gene transcription.-Ye, J., Young, H. A. Negative regulation of cytokine gene transcription. FASEBJ. 11, 825-833 (1997)


ABSTRACT Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (Fp) and Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) are probiotics, which have been reported to ameliorate certain gastrointestinal disorders. We evaluated the effects of supernatants (SN) derived from Fp and EcN on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-treated intestinal cells and in a rat model of mucositis. In vitro: IEC-6, Caco-2, and T-84 cells were analyzed for viability and monolayer permeability. In vivo: Female dark agouti rats were gavaged with Fp or EcN SN and injected intraperitoneally with saline (control) or 5-FU to induce mucositis. Rats were euthanized and intestinal tissues collected for myeloperoxidase assay and histological analyses. In vitro: Caco-2 cell viability was further reduced when treated with Fp SN + 5-FU compared to 5-FU controls. In both Caco-2 and T-84 cells, Fp SN partially prevented the decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) caused by 5-FU administration. In vivo: 5-FU-injected rats administered Fp SN or EcN SN partly prevented body weight loss and normalized water intake compared to 5-FU controls. These results suggest a growth inhibitory mechanism of Fp SN action on transformed epithelial cells that could be mediated by effects on tight junctions. Factors derived from Fp SN and EcN SN could have a role in reducing the severity of intestinal mucositis.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the adsorption characteristics of acidic and basic dyes onto chemically treated mangrove bark. The Rhizophora Apiculata barks, an industrial waste lignocellulosic product was obtained from the charcoal industry. The bark powder was chemically treated in an acidic formaldehyde solution to produce non-soluble adsorbent and used for the adsorption of dyes. Batch experiments were carried out for the adsorption of dyes molecules onto modified barks at room temperature (30 ± 2) oC. Various factors such as pH, contact time, initial dyes concentrations, and amount of adsorbent were taken into account, and promising results were obtained. The applicability of the Langmuir as well as Freundlich adsorption isotherms for the present system was tested. The equilibrium data were found to be well represented by the Langmuir isotherm equation. The monolayer adsorption capacity of modified barks for Malachite Green (basic dye) and Sunset Yellow FCF (acidic dye) adsorption was found to be 129.87 mg g -1 and 12.72 mg g -1 , respectively. The adsorption kinetics was found to follow pseudo- second order kinetic model for both dyes. These results indicate that mangrove bark could be employed as a low-cost material for the removal of the textile dyes from effluents.


Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) screening of subtelomeric rearrangements has resulted in the identification of previously unrecognized chromosomal causes of mental retardation with and without dysmorphic features. This article reports the phenotypic and molecular breakpoint characterization in a cohort of 12 patients with subtelomeric deletions of chromosome 9q34. The phenotypic findings are consistent amongst these individuals and consist of mental retardation, distinct facial features and congenital heart defects (primarily conotruncal defects). Detailed breakpoint mapping by FISH, microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping analysis has narrowed the commonly deleted region to an approximately 1.2 Mb interval containing 14 known transcripts. The majority of the proximal deletion breakpoints fall within a 400 kb interval between SNP markers C12020842 proximally and C80658 distally suggesting a common breakpoint in this interval. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Cold preservation of liver allografts injures hepatic sinusoidal lining cells. This injury is exacerbated on reperfusion, in part because of adhesion of leukocytes. Platelets also adhere to activated endothelial surfaces. In this study we examined the role of platelets in preservation injury. Our specific aim was to determine whether the degree of platelet adhesion on reperfusion of preserved rat livers was related to duration of cold or warm ischemia and whether platelet adhesion resulted in injury to allografts. We also examined the effect of prior activation of platelets on adhesion and injury. Rat livers were preserved at 1° C for different time periods in University of Wisconsin solution and then reperfused for 3 hr on the isolated perfused rat liver system with Krebs‐Henseleit solution to which unactivated isolated rat platelets were added. Other livers were rewarmed before reperfusion or reperfused with activated platelets. Platelets were lost from the circulation in all studies; the percentage reduction of circulating platelets was dependent on the length of preservation. The initial platelet concentration did not affect the rate of reduction of platelets in the circuit. Rewarming before reperfusion increased platelet adherence, and prior activation also increased adherence. With electron microscopy we determined that platelets adhered in small aggregates to endothelial cells or endothelial cell remnants. Adherent platelets appeared more activated and contained fewer granules than did unperfused platelets. Liver injury as measured by release of transaminases into perfusate was worsened by longer periods of cold preservation and by addition of rewarming to the protocol. The presence of platelets under these circumstances aggravated injury. Prior activation of platelets also increased the extent of injury. These studies show that platelets have an important role in cold preservation‐reperfusion injury. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;18:635–647.)


Role of clay minerals on the carbonate chemistry in a marine clay formation Lerouge C., Grangeon S., Mazurek M., Wille G. Samples from different levels of the Opalinus clay formation at Benken were studied for their mineralogy using X-ray diffraction, and for chemistry of diagenetic calcite, using X-Ray diffraction and electron microprobe (EPMA). X-ray diffraction data combined with EPMA mean chemical composition of calcite indicate that the calcite c lattice parameter decreases with the decreasing Ca occupancy in its cationic site, and consequently with incorporation of trace elements in calcite, the major ones being Fe and Mg. At the scale of the formation, the trace element content in calcite is anticorrelated with clay content in the claystone. The different generations of diagenetic calcite identified in a sample (micrite in clay matrix, and sparite in silty layers or lenses) exhibit almost the same trace element content, but are characterized by different Fe/(Fe+Mg) atomic ratios : <0.45 for micrite and ~0.7 for sparite. These data suggest that clay minerals have a constant control on the cation content of porewater from which calcite precipitated, but cation ratios are respected independently of cation sorption on clay minerals. Figure 1.


Computer-aided-design classes have largely replaced those dealing with engineering drafting, resulting in an often heard criticism by today's faculty that engineering students are no longer able to express themselves using simple freehand drawings (sketches). While engineering students are expected to become proficient with modeling packages, they are seldom asked to think visually and communicate visual ideas with art-based freehand drawing. With the right instructor and short weekly exercises, however, the ability to sketch in engineering classes need not be lost. Likewise, free-hand drawing techniques can help students to develop and refine their visualization skills. In an undergraduate aerospace engineering design class, the professor advocates the use of an art-based approach to help students think at deeper and more creative levels. By his modeling the drawing of airplanes throughout the semester, he talks through essential design components and tries to get the students to focus on seeing and visualizing. In this paper, we will describe the instructional processes he uses, the reasoning behind his approach, student drawing examples (to illustrate abilities at the beginning and end of the semester), student feedback on the drawing process and their perceptions on how it influences their learning, and suggestions on how to implement free-hand drawing techniques into your classes.


The family physician frequently makes decisions relating to patients' dental health. The physician can address patients' concerns about tooth eruption or the adverse effects of mercury amalgam. Predisposing factors for dental disease, such as use of certain medications, existing medical conditions (e.g., xerostomia) and traumatic injury, often are first noted by the family physician. Dental emergencies, including abscess and avulsion, can be initially managed by the physician and then referred to the dentist. The physician can coordinate care with a dentist when a patient has dental trauma, requires medical management for a dental procedure or has a medical condition that increases the likelihood of dental disease.


A general protocol has been developed for the Markovnikov-selective intermolecular hydrofunctionalization based on visible-light-mediated Co/Ru dual catalysis. The key feature involves the photochemical oxidation of an organocobalt(III) intermediate derived from hydrogen atom transfer, which is supported by electrochemical analysis, quenching studies and stoichiometric experiments. This unique redox process enables the efficient branch-selective alkylation of pharmaceutically important nucleophiles (phenols, sulfonamides and various N-heterocycles) using a wide range of alkenes including moderately electron-deficient ones. Moreover, light-gated polar functionalization via organocobalt species was demonstrated.


The G protein-coupled receptor is one of the major transmembrane proteins in plants. It consists of an α subunit, a β subunit and three γ subunits. Chilling tolerant divergence 1 (COLD1) includes a Golgi pH receptor (GPHR) domain, which maintains cell membrane organisation and dynamics, along with abscisic acid linked G protein-coupled receptor (ABA_GPCR) that regulates the signalling pathways during cold stress. In the present study, we performed characterisation of a homologous COLD1 from the economically important monocot species Oryza sativa L., Zea mays L., Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench and Erianthus arundinaceus (L.) Beauv. IK 76-81, a wild relative of Saccharum. COLD1 was isolated from E. arundinaceus IK 76-81, analysed for its evolution, domain, membrane topology, followed by prediction of secondary, tertiary structures and functionally validated in all four different monocots. Gene expression studies of COLD1 revealed differential expression under heat, drought, salinity and cold stresses in selected monocots. This is the first study on regulation of native COLD1 during abiotic stress in monocots, which has opened up new leads for trait improvement strategies in this economically important crop species.


: The incidence and predisposing factors for bilateral branch vein occlusions were evaluated in a retrospective study. Complete medical and ocular histories of 49 patients with angiographically proven branch vein occlusion were studied. Nine of these patients had bilateral vein occlusions that were unsuspected clinically. Hypertension was the only significant predisposing risk factor for this occurrence. The relationship between control of the hypertension and retinal vascular disease could not be evaluated in this study.


The erratic extent of aganglionic and hypoganglionic segments in Hirschsprung's disease (HD) makes it difficult to predict the amount of the intestine to remove in order to restore the proper functional motility. Our aim was to assess whether the embryonic rostro-caudal intestinal colonization by neuroblasts from the neural crest follows a predictable pattern in HD. In touch with Turing's reaction diffusion model (RD), which describes biological patterns (such as leopard spots and lung branching morphogenesis) in terms of interactions/competitions between activating and inhibiting factors, we hypothesized that intestinal neural density could be triggered by local gut factors that counteract the proximal-distal embryonic progression of neural progenitors. While the neuronal number is approximately the same throughout the whole intestine in healthy subjects, in HD neural density decreases rostro-caudally towards the rectal region, due to an augmented activity and concentration of distal local inhibitors. In order to prove our hypothesis of HD's nervous rostro-caudal adjustments driven by Turing-like processes, we compared the neuronal density patterns achieved through RD models' simulations with the neuronal numbers detected in different colonic regions from affected children. We showed that the virtual and the real plots display fully overlapping and matching features. The fact that neuronal decreases in impaired colons match Turing equations's previsions points towards the human intestine (both healthy and sick) as colonized through a diffusive proximal-distal neural pattern that is predictable, allowing us to straightforwardly calculate the length of the gut to resect during surgical procedures for HD.


Functional imaging studies, using blood oxygen level‐dependent signals, have demonstrated cortical reorganization of forearm muscle maps towards the denervated leg area following spinal cord injury (SCI). The extent of cortical reorganization was predicted by spinal atrophy. We therefore expected to see a similar shift in the motor output of corticospinal projections of the forearm towards more denervated lower body parts in volunteers with cervical injury. Therefore, we used magnetic resonance imaging‐navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to non‐invasively measure changes in cortical map reorganization of a forearm muscle in the primary motor cortex (M1) following human SCI. We recruited volunteers with chronic cervical injuries resulting in bilateral upper and lower motor impairment and severe cervical atrophy and healthy control participants. All participants underwent a T1‐weighted anatomical scan prior to the TMS experiment. The motor thresholds of the extensor digitorum communis muscle (EDC) were defined, and its cortical muscle representation was mapped. The centre of gravity (CoG), the cortical silent period (CSP) and active motor thresholds (AMTs) were measured. Regression analysis was used to investigate relationships between trauma‐related anatomical changes and TMS parameters. SCI participants had increased AMTs (P = 0.01) and increased CSP duration (P = 0.01). The CoG of the EDC motor‐evoked potential map was located more posteriorly towards the anatomical hand representation of M1 in SCI participants than in controls (P = 0.03). Crucially, cord atrophy was negatively associated with AMT and CSP duration (r2 ≥ 0.26, P < 0.05). In conclusion, greater spinal cord atrophy predicts changes at the cortical level that lead to reduced excitability and increased inhibition. Therefore, cortical forearm motor representations may reorganize towards the intrinsic hand motor representation to maximize output to muscles of the impaired forearm following SCI.


One model of gastric ulcerogenesis implicates a disruption of complementary circadian rhythms between protective and destructive factors. The purpose of this study was to compare circadian rhythms in gastric production of H+ and HCO3- in fasted rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were acclimatized in sound-attenuating, light-proof chambers for 3 wk on a 12:12-h light-dark schedule. Eighteen-hour fasted rats were studied at each of eight sampling times. After anesthesia, the stomachs were cannulated and filled with test solution. Thirty-minute gastric samples were titrated for H+ or assayed for HCO3-. Cosinor analysis of the data showed significant (P less than 0.05) circadian rhythms for both H+ and HCO3-. Peak times were 22:45 HALO (hours after lights on) (4:45 A.M.) for H+ and 05:41 HALO (11:41 A.M.) for HCO3-. These data demonstrate that H+ and HCO3- secretion in the fasting rat gastric lumen follow circadian rhythms with different peak times. Theoretically, this may result in circadian rhythmicity of relative mucosal vulnerability to injury.


Defects in infrastructure as code (IaC) scripts can have serious consequences, for example, creating large-scale system outages. A taxonomy of IaC defects can be useful for understanding the nature of defects, and identifying activities needed to fix and prevent defects in IaC scripts. The goal of this paper is to help practitioners improve the quality of infrastructure as code (IaC) scripts by developing a defect taxonomy for IaC scripts through qualitative analysis. We develop a taxonomy of IaC defects by applying qualitative analysis on 1,448 defect-related commits collected from open source software (OSS) repositories of the Openstack organization. We conduct a survey with 66 practitioners to assess if they agree with the identified defect categories included in our taxonomy. We quantify the frequency of identified defect categories by analyzing 80,425 commits collected from 291 OSS repositories spanning across 2005 to 2019. Our defect taxonomy for IaC consists of eight categories, including a category specific to IaC called idempotency (i.e., defects that lead to incorrect system provisioning when the same IaC script is executed multiple times). We observe the surveyed 66 practitioners to agree most with idempotency. The most frequent defect category is configuration data i.e., providing erroneous configuration data in IaC scripts. Our taxonomy and the quantified frequency of the defect categories may help in advancing the science of IaC script quality.


in vaginal and endocervical canal swabs. It was observed that the number of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. was statistically decreased in cancer patients compared to controls. It was also shown that significantly more microorganisms were isolated from endocervical canal swabs in women from control group compared to endometrial cancer.


We present in this paper the interannual variability of seasonal temperature and rainfall in the Indian meteorological subdivisions (IMS) for boreal winter and summer seasons that take in to account the varying length of the seasons. Our study reveals that accounting for the variations in the length of the seasons produces stronger teleconnections between the seasonal anomalies of surface temperature and rainfall over India with corresponding sea surface temperature anomalies of the tropical Oceans (especially over the northern Indian and the equatorial Pacific Oceans) compared to the same teleconnections from fixed length seasons over the IMS. It should be noted that the IMS show significant spatial heterogeneity in these teleconnections.


Uniaxial deformation of amorphous L-polylactic acid films was performed at two different temperatures at which thermal degradation was minimal, 70 °C or Tg + 10 and 90 °C or Tg + 30. Samples were annealed postdeformation for long times (either 15 or 45 min) to approach equilibrium conditions. Samples deformed and annealed at 70 °C showed low crystallinity and poor crystalline order or crystal size, as determined by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. At 90 °C, high crystallinity and order parameters were observed. In addition, once the oriented chains had crystallized at this temperature, nonoriented chains also underwent crystallization, and a small fraction of nonordered crystal phase was therefore observed after long annealing times. These observations are explained on the basis of different morphologies in samples drawn at the two temperatures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013


Photoacoustic imaging is a new imaging technology in recent years, which combines the advantages of high resolution and rich contrast of optical imaging with the advantages of high penetration depth of acoustic imaging. Photoacoustic imaging has been widely used in biomedical fields, such as brain imaging, tumor detection and so on. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of image signals in photoacoustic imaging is generally low due to the limitation of laser pulse energy, electromagnetic interference in the external environment and system noise. In order to solve the problem of low SNR of photoacoustic images, we use feedforward denoising convolutional neural network to further process the obtained images, so as to obtain higher SNR images and improve image quality. We use Python language to manage the referenced Python external library through Anaconda, and build a feedforward noise-reducing convolutional neural network on Pycharm platform. We first processed and segmated a training set containing 400 images, and then used it for network training. Finally, we tested it with a series of cerebrovascular photoacoustic microscopy images. The results show that the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of the image increases significantly before and after denoising. The experimental results verify that the feed-forward noise reduction convolutional neural network can effectively improve the quality of photoacoustic microscopic images, which provides a good foundation for the subsequent biomedical research.


Charge transport across proteins can be surprisingly efficient over long distances—so-called long-range tunneling—but it is still unclear as to why and under which conditions (e.g., presence of co-factors, type of cargo) the long-range tunneling regime can be accessed. This paper describes molecular tunneling junctions based on an encapsulin (Enc), which is a large protein cage with a diameter of 24 nm that can be loaded with various types of (small) proteins, also referred to as "cargo". We demonstrate with dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy that Enc, with and without cargo, can be made stable in solution and immobilized on metal electrodes without aggregation. We investigated the electronic properties of Enc in EGaIn-based tunnel junctions (EGaIn = eutectic alloy of Ga and In that is widely used to contact (bio)molecular monolayers) by measuring the current density for a large range of applied bias of ±2.5 V. The encapsulated cargo has an important effect on the electrical properties of the junctions. The measured current densities are higher for junctions with Enc loaded with redox-active cargo (ferritin-like protein) than those junctions without cargo or redox-inactive cargo (green fluorescent protein). These findings open the door to charge transport studies across complex biomolecular hierarchical structures.


Background: Heroin use is associated with many serious consequences.While effective treatments exist, barriers to services persist. Understanding service use and barriers to treatment can structure treatment practice and target interventions for those who are most at risk. Objectives: To describe patterns and correlates of substance abuse service utilization and treatment barriers among a nationally representative sample of heroin users. Methods: Data for this study were derived from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. This study focused on lifetime heroin users (N = 150). Results: Fifty-nine percent of heroin users reported receiving at least one treatment service. The most common services used were 12-step programs, detoxification, and rehabilitation. Approximately 44% reported at least one barrier to treatment. The most common were lack of motivation and beliefs that it could be managed alone. In a multivariate logistic regression, having a heroin use disorder was associated with a greater likelihood of receiving services (OR = 6.09) and experiencing a barrier (OR = 11.11) compared to those without a disorder. Conclusions and Scientific Significance: High rates of service use and barriers were observed for all levels of heroin involvement. These findings underscore the importance of improving access to services for this group, even when full criteria for a drug disorder is not met. Integration of motivational approaches is also needed within the most common services used. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe patterns and correlates of service use using a nationally representative community sample of heroin users.


Hope Bay and Botany Bay, Graham Land, Antarctica have yielded two of the most diverse floras known from the Jurassic. Because of its high diversity, as well as its early discovery and description (by T. G. Halle in 1913), the Hope Bay flora has served as a taxonomic standard for studies of other Mesozoic floras from Gondwana.

This paper presents a major revision of the Hope Bay flora, based on extensive subsequent collections. A nearby flora from Botany Bay is described for the first time. Thirty-seven species are now recognised in the Hope Bay flora and 32 from Botany Bay. The floras are closely similar; 80 per cent of the Botany Bay species also occur at Hope Bay. They are shown here to be Early Jurassic, which contradicts the results of previous studies that suggested a Late Jurassic or earliest Cretaceous age.

The revision of their age has special significance for our understanding of the Mesozoic geological history of the Antarctic Peninsula. It also highlights the need for reappraisal of a number of other Mesozoic Gondwanan floras that had been dated mainly on their close similarity to the Hope Bay flora. The taxonomic work has resulted in establishment of a new combination, Taeniopteris taeniopteroides, and emendation of the diagnoses of Coniopteris oblonga, Sphenopteris nordenskjoeldii, Sphenopteris pecten and Komlopteris indica.