Detailed snowpack observations, meteorology, topography and landcover classification were integrated with multi‐temporal SAR data to assess its capability for landscape scale snowmelt mapping at the forest–tundra ecotone. At three sites along an approximately 8° latitudinal gradient in the Fennoscandian mountain range, 16 multi‐temporal spaceborne ERS‐2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) were used for mapping snowmelt. Comparison of field measurements and backscatter values demonstrates the difficulty of interpreting observed backscatter response because of complex changes in snow properties on diurnal and seasonal temporal scales. Diurnal and seasonal melt–freeze effects in the snowpack, relative to the timing of ERS‐2 SAR image acquisition, effectively reduce the temporal resolution of such data for snow mapping, even at high latitudes. The integration of diverse data sources did reveal significant associations between vegetation, topography and snowmelt. Several problems with the application of thresholding for the automatic identification of snowmelt were encountered. These largely related to changes in backscattering from vegetation in the late stages of snowmelt. Due to the impact of environmental heterogeneity in vegetation at the forest–tundra ecotone, we suggest that the potential to map snow cover using single polarization C‐band SAR at the forest–tundra ecotone may be limited to tundra areas.


Many sequenced behaviors, including locomotion, reaching, and vocalization, are patterned differently in different contexts, enabling animals to adjust to their current environments. However, how contextual information shapes neural activity to flexibly alter the patterning of actions is not yet understood. Prior work indicates such flexibility could be achieved via parallel motor circuits, with differing sensitivities to sensory context [1, 2, 3]; instead we demonstrate here how a single neural pathway operates in two different regimes dependent on recent sensory history. We leverage the Drosophila song production system [4] to investigate the neural mechanisms that support male song sequence generation in two contexts: near versus far from the female. While previous studies identified several song production neurons[5, 6, 7, 8], how these neurons are organized to mediate song patterning was unknown. We find that male flies sing 'simple' trains of only one syllable or mode far from the female but complex song sequences consisting of alternations between modes when near to her. We characterize the male song circuit from the brain to the ventral nerve cord (VNC), and find that the VNC song pre-motor circuit is shaped by two key computations: mutual inhibition and rebound excitability [9] between nodes driving the two modes of song. Weak sensory input to a direct brain-to-VNC excitatory pathway (via pC2 brain and pIP10 descending neurons) drives simple song far from the female. Strong sensory input to the same pathway enables complex song production via simultaneous recruitment of P1a neuron-mediated disinhibition of the VNC song pre-motor circuit. Thus, proximity to the female effectively unlocks motor circuit dynamics in the correct sensory context. We construct a compact circuit model to demonstrate that these few computations are sufficient to replicate natural context-dependent song dynamics. These results have broad implications for neural population-level models of context-dependent behavior [10] and highlight that canonical circuit motifs [11, 12, 13] can be combined in novel ways to enable circuit flexibility required for dynamic communication.


Over the years Geriatrics and gerontology have developed a language shared by most clinicians and researchers who unequivocally defines the health conditions of aging people: one could speak of "geriatric canon", i.e. the set of fundamentals (paradigms, principles, standard reference vocabulary) of geriatric knowledge, the heritage from which they draw inspiration and from which the actions for the care of the elderly can be driven, the scientific works for the study of their health. The aim of this paper is to describe and report the most important terms of the geriatric canon, in a simplified way, in order to establish a more precise use of geriatric terminology that can be easily utilized by the cardiologists, or other specialists who takes care of elderly patients, without depriving them of their clinical significance, and becoming heritage of ordinary medical language.


Problem, research strategy, and findings: Income segregation has risen in each of the last four decades in U.S. metropolitan areas, which can have lifelong impacts on the health, economic productivity, and behaviors of residents. Although it is widely assumed that local land use regulations—such as minimum lot sizes and growth controls—exclude low-income households from wealthier neighborhoods, the empirical research is surprisingly limited. We examine the relationship between land use regulation and segregation by income using new measures for the 95 biggest cities in the United States. We find that density restrictions are associated with the segregation of the wealthy and middle income, but not the poor. We also find that more local pressure to regulate land use is linked to higher rates of income segregation, but that more state control is connected to lower-income segregation. Takeaway for practice: Density restrictions do drive urban income segregation of the rich, not the poor, but should be addressed because rich enclaves create significant metropolitan problems. Planners at the local level need assistance from regional and state efforts to ameliorate income segregation. Inclusionary housing requirements have a greater potential to reduce income segregation than bringing higher-income households into lower-income parts of the city. Finally, comprehensive and consistent data on the impacts of local land use regulations should be collected to inform future research and planning practice.


OBJECTIVE
To quantitatively examine the dynamics of molecular alterations involved in dermal remodeling after carbon dioxide (CO(2)) laser resurfacing of photodamaged human skin.

DESIGN
Serial in vivo biochemical analyses after laser therapy.

SETTING
Academic referral center, Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Subjects Volunteer sample of 28 adults, 48 to 76 years old, with clinically evident photodamage of the forearms. Intervention Focal CO(2) laser resurfacing of photodamaged forearms and serial biopsies at baseline and various times after treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction technology and immunohistochemistry were used to assess levels of type I and type III procollagens; matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1, 3, 9, and 13; tropoelastin; fibrillin; primary cytokines interleukin 1beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha; and profibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor beta1.

RESULTS
Production of type I procollagen and type III procollagen messenger RNA peaked at 7.5 and 8.9 times baseline levels, respectively, 21 days after treatment and remained elevated for at least 6 months. Increases in messenger RNA levels of several cytokines (interleukin 1beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and transforming growth factor beta1) preceded and/or accompanied changes in collagen levels. Marked increases in messenger RNA levels of MMP-1 (39 130-fold), MMP-3 (1041-fold), MMP-9 (75-fold), and MMP-13 (767-fold) were noted. Levels of fibrillin and tropoelastin rose in a delayed fashion several weeks after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
The biochemical changes seen after CO(2) laser resurfacing proceed through a well-organized and highly reproducible wound healing response that results in marked alterations in dermal structure. These quantitative changes may serve as a means for comparison as other therapeutic modalities meant to improve the appearance of photodamaged skin are evaluated.


Quality is critical to organizations as it strongly influences organizational
performance. It can be defined in various ways depending upon the
organizational type, but it is generally easier to define the concept in a
manufacturing setting. However, the concept of quality is much more difficult
and complex to define in service sector, in which it is generally referred to as
Service-Quality. In this study Service-Quality has been defined,
operationalized and conceptualized as multi-dimensional construct based
around the Service-Quality determinants approach derived from a number of
existing Service-Quality models.

As well as developing and utilising a novel, multi-dimensional
conceptualisation of Service-Quality, incorporating thirteen distinct
determinants, which have been explicitly tailored to the higher education
context, this study also breaks new ground in a number of other ways. For
example, whilst most prior studies are based upon the more common
 disconfirmation paradigm, this study argues that in a higher education the
 perception paradigm is more appropriate, and consequently the study adopts
this less common perspective. This study is also unusual in that it explicitly
adopts a multiple stakeholder perspective, which helps to deliver a more
holistic picture of the determinants of Service-Quality. Finally, although there
have been some prior studies of Service-Quality in an higher education, none
have been found which explicitly focus upon the provision of MBA education,
and none have focussed on the provision of Service-Quality in HE, from the
perspective of the developing country.

The study has used a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches, to
exploring and evaluating the perceptions of a variety of stakeholder groups.
Based upon a thorough analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data-sets,
it has been found that the three most important determinants of Service-Quality, in a business school context, are: curriculum and programme design,
faculty profile and the teaching methods.


Background: Camel milk is amongst valuable food sources in Iran. On the other hand, due to the presence of probiotic bacteria and bacteriocin producers in camel milk, probiotic bacteria can be isolated and identified from this food product. Objectives: The objectives of the present research were the isolation and molecular identification of lactic acid bacteria from camel milk and evaluation of their probiotic properties. Materials and Methods: A total of ten samples of camel milk were collected from the Golestan province of Iran under aseptic conditions. Bacteria were isolated by culturing the samples on selective medium. Isolates were identified by amplification of the 16S rDNA and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and were then screened and grouped by the Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA) method. To evaluate probiotic properties, representative isolates of different ARDRA profiles were analyzed. The antimicrobial activity of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) against Pediococcus pentosaceus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus was examined by the agar diffusion assay. Acid and bile tolerance of isolates were evaluated. Results: A total of 64 isolates were analyzed based on biochemical tests and morphological characteristics. The most frequently isolated LAB was Enterococci. Weissella, Leuconostoc, Lactobacilli and Pediococci were less frequently found. Based on restriction analysis of the ITS, the isolates were grouped into nine different ARDRA patterns that were identified by ribosomal DNA sequencing as P. pentosaceus, Enterococcus faecium strain Y-2, E. faecium strain JZ1-1, E. faecium strain E6, E. durans, E. lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus casei and Weissella cibaria. The results showed that antimicrobial activity of the tested isolates was remarkable and P. pentosaceus showed the most antibacterial activity. In addition, E. durans, E. lactis, L. casei and P. pentosaceus were selected as probiotic bacteria. Conclusions: This study revealed the presence of bacteriocin-producing bacteria and probiotic bacteria in camel milk from the Golestan province of Iran.


Abstract Age‐related changes in diet have implications for competitive interactions and for predator–prey dynamics, affecting individuals and groups at different life stages. To quantify patterns of variation and ontogenetic change in the diets of Tasmanian devils Sarcophilus harrisii, a threatened marsupial carnivore, we analyzed variation in the stable isotope composition of whisker tissue samples taken from 91 individual devils from Wilmot, Tasmania from December 2014 to February 2017. Both δ13C and δ15N decreased with increasing age in weaned Tasmanian devils, indicating that as they age devils rely less on small mammals and birds, and more on large herbivores. Devils <12 months old had broader group isotopic niches, as estimated by Bayesian standard ellipses (SEAB mode = 1.042) than devils from 12 to 23 months old (mode = 0.541) and devils ≥24 months old (mode = 0.532). Devils <24 months old had broader individual isotopic niches (SEAB mode range 0.492–1.083) than devils ≥24 months old (mode range 0.092–0.240). A decrease in δ15N from the older whisker sections to the more recently grown sections in devils <24 months old likely reflects the period of weaning in this species, as this pattern was not observed in devils ≥24 months old. Our data reveal changes in the isotopic composition of devil whiskers with increasing age, accompanied by a reduction in isotopic variation both among population age classes and within individuals, reflecting the effect of weaning in early life, and a likely shift from an initially diverse diet of small mammals, birds, and invertebrates towards increasing consumption of larger herbivores in adulthood.


The variation of refractive index with temperature is measured as a function of wavelength, temperature, and polarization for KDP and eight of its isomorphs. These data are used to predict the tuning rate for second-harmonic generation as a function of temperature. The predicted tuning rate compares well with the measured tuning rate. Reasonable agreement is found in most cases, the principal exceptions being those cases in which the data must be extrapolated significantly beyond the range of the measured values.


ABSTRACT Dengue virus IgM persistence was estimated using follow-up sera from 98 patients (60 with primary infections and 38 with secondary infections) whose first-specimen IgM index was strongly positive, suggesting recent disease onset. Regression analysis of the follow-up IgM index versus days between samples yielded a trend line that reached the cut-point index (1.10) at 179 days for the primary infection group and 139 days for the secondary infection group. This difference reflected significantly higher first-sample IgM indices in primary infections than in secondary infections rather than differences in IgM decay rates.


The reproductive tracts of males from eight species of Australian marsupial were examined (Macropus eugenii, Potovous tridactyhs, Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Antechinus stuartii, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Trichosurus vulpecula, Isoodon macrourus, and Perameles nasuta). The prostate glands of these species were found to be of two shapes, carrot-like or heart-like. From one to three pairs of Cowper's glands were observed; these were mostly bulbous in shape but some were kidney-shaped. Both prostate and Cowper's glands were tubular in structure with the glandular tubules lined by a simple columnar epithelium. The glandular tubules of Cowper's glands were of much larger diameter than those of the prostate. The prostate glands were segmented, and this segmentation was usually shown by variations in the height and staining reactions of the tubular epithelium and in the volume of connective tissue between glandular tubules. Differences in microanatomy between pairs of Cowper's glands were far less than those between prostate segments. Mucosubstance appeared to be the major contribution of the prostate to the seminal plasma. This mucosubstance was mainly neutral, with glycogen largely absent. The present results indicate that the Cowper's glands secrete mucus but that various glands also contributed lipid and glycogen.


The method of normal forms is used to study the nonlinear response of two-degree-of-freedom systems with repeated natural frequencies and cubic nonlinearity to a principal parametric excitation. The linear part of the system has a nonsemisimple one-to-one resonance. The character of the stability and various types of bifurcation including the formation of a homoclinic orbit are analyzed. The results are applied to the flutter of a simply supported panel in a supersonic airstream.


The problem of the ageing population of farmers is often mentioned in European discussion on the future sustainability of Agriculture and is addressed by several policy measures including those belonging to the new CAP reform. The goal of this paper is to conceptualise and empirically map the problem of ageing in the Czech Republic. Using secondary data analysis, the paper outlines the basic trends related to changes in the age structure of farmers, including the main parameters of the young and older farmers' holdings. Findings of the study suggest that the Czech Republic belongs among the group of countries which is not so much affected by the problem of ageing and that the differences between farms run by young and older farmers are not as large as in other European countries. Evaluation of the problem is partly distorted by the survey methods used by Eurostat.


This study was conducted to determine the effects of soybean meal (SBM) treated with formaldehyde on rumen fermentation pattern, microbial protein synthesis, amount of by-pass protein, and amino acid absorption from small intestines. Four 1-year-old rams with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas were fed 800 g of dry clover plus a concentrate mixture containing 100 g of SBM treated with 0%, 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.9% formaldehyde. The amount of crude protein passed through the duodenum was not affected by the formaldehyde treatment; however, the amount of microbial protein decreased in rams fed with SBM treated with both 0.3% and 0.6% formaldehyde (P < 0.05). Digestibility of acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in the duodenum and ileum did not differ by treatments. In the rams fed SBM treated with both 0.3% and 0.6% formaldehyde, absorbability of arginine, histidine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and valine (essential amino acids), as well as alanine and aspartic acid (non-essential amino acids) significantly increased, whereas tyrosine absorbability notably decreased (P < 0.05). Formaldehyde treatment increased the absorbability of other essential amino acids (leucine and valine) and non-essential amino acids (serine and tyrosine) in the ileum (P < 0.05). Increasing the percentage of formaldehyde linearly increased total essential amino acid absorption in the duodenum (P < 0.05). In conclusion, 0.3% and 0.6% formaldehyde treatment enhanced the bioavailability of protein in SBM.


The growth of solar energy is projected to slow down during 2023–25 despite the fall in costs due to economic deceleration, reduced incentives, and market barriers including the lack of relevant and flexible energy project planning and decision-making tools. This study proposes a flexible and computationally simple multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)-based model that takes technical, financial, environmental, social and legal aspects of all project options as input and outputs a feasibility score for each option, which enables ranking the options and identifying the best alternative. The proposed model is applied to a real-world photovoltaic solar farm planned at a site in England and comprising nine different configurations formed by varying system capacity, energy storage option, mode of stakeholder, and network connections. The results of our study show that in this case the options without battery storage and a greater number of off-taker connections are more favorable than the options with battery storage. The analysis also shows that for the solar farm of the presented case study, 'self-consumption fraction' and 'energy yield', 'net present value', 'life-cycle carbon emission reduction', 'ease of permit acquisition' and 'public approval' are key sub-criteria for 'technical', 'financial', 'environmental', and 'social and legal' criteria, respectively. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the confidence on the obtained solution, and a change in the first preference was noticed when 'environmental' and 'social and legal' aspects are given higher weight over 'technical' and 'financial' aspects. The results obtained are in line with the recommendations by experts, who carried out an independent feasibility analysis considering the same options.


Abstract This paper describes four agribusiness simulators which can be processed on a microcomputer for use in undergraduate and extension teaching. The simulators model the environment in which supermarket chains, farm supply centers, and cooperative and proprietary grain elevators compete for business. Instruction manuals, user's manuals, and a diskette are distributed for each simulator. Each diskette contains programs to enter and edit team decisions, to process decisions and print reports, and to create graphs of team performance. The simulators can be used to teach financial management concepts and techniques, as well as economic principles.


The objective of meta-analysis is to combine results from several independent studies in
order to make evidence more generalisable and provide evidence base for decision making.
However, recent studies show that the magnitude of effect size estimates reported in many
areas of research have significantly changed over time. These temporal trends can be dramatic
and even lead to the loss or gain of the statistical significance of the cumulative treatment
effect (Kulinskaya and Koricheva, 2010). Standard sequential methods including cumulative
meta-analysis, sequential meta-analysis, the use of quality control charts and penalised z-test
have been proposed for monitoring the trends in meta-analysis. But these methods are only
effective when monitoring in fixed effect model (FEM) of meta-analysis. For random-effects
model (REM), the analysis incorporates the heterogeneity variance, t2 and its estimation
creates complications. This thesis proposes the use of a truncated CUSUM-type test (Gombay
method) for sequential monitoring in REM, and also examines the effect of accumulating
evidence in meta-analysis. Simulations show that the use of Gombay method with critical
values derived from asymptotic theory does not control the Type I error. However, the
test with bootstrap-based critical values (retrospective Gombay sequential bootstrap test
for REM) leads to a reduction of the difference between the true and nominal levels, and
thus constitutes a good approach for monitoring REM. Application of the proposed method
is illustrated using two meta-analytic examples from medicine. Two kinds of bias associated
with accumulating evidence, termed \sequential decision bias" and \sequential design bias" are
identified. It was demonstrated analytically and by simulations that both types of sequential
biases are non negligible. Simulations also show that sequential biases increase with increased
heterogeneity.


Sectoral and spatial changes in agrirural environment : Agriculture provides sustenance to two-third of India's population, which has crossed more than one billion and still growing. Agriculture and allied activities contribute 25 percent to its GDP. However, with decreasing share of agriculture to GDP is resulting into rural poverty and people are faced with the livelihood problem. The rural poverty and livelihood issue is aggravated by rising standards and cost of living at one end and on the other shrinking land holdings, steadily rising input costs, globalization and associated liberalization of markets and demand of competitiveness in unit cost of production, quality and ability to market produce and primary processed products without excessive post-harvest losses. Factors of demand and supply, poor PH-infrastructure, markets and the forces that intervene the agriculture markets usually create slump in the market price whenever there is a bumper harvest of any crop or commodity. Orchestrated distress sales, denying growers remunerative prices, compels the farmers to shift over to the crop and commodity, which in turn creates scarcity and soaring consumer prices. A vicious cycle that does not seem to be ever ending to the detriment of growers and consumers' interest. This paper makes an attempt to analyze sectoral and spatial changes taking place in agriculture.


Using biometrics for personal identity authentication is becoming more reliable and accurate than current methods because it links the event to a particular individual (e.g. a password may be used by someone other that the authorized user), is convenient (nothing to carry or remember), accurate (provides positive authentication) and is socially acceptable. Adaptive frequency sub-band or time frame recombination approaches are introduced in this thesis.


Abstract A seismic attenuation map of regional phase Pg is constructed for the northern Middle East using two-station frequency-dependent Q measurements and seismic attenuation tomography. Pg is widely used in source discrimination, but its attenuation behavior is not well understood. We investigate the functional form of the geometrical spreading of Pg for both uniform and more complex seismic velocity structures. We find that there is significant trade-off between attenuation and geometrical spreading of Pg , and we quantify this trade-off to interpret the observed Pg attenuation in the Middle East. The northern Middle East attenuation tomographic images show significant lateral Q Pg variations, which may be caused by lateral variations of crustal rheology if intrinsic attenuation dominates the seismic attenuation mechanism of this region. We observe very large variations in the Q Pg model, such as low Q Pg within the Anatolian plate and high Q Pg within much of the stable Arabian plate. The low Q Pg anomalies generally coincide with active fault systems or Quaternary volcanisms. In order to perform a systematic comparison with Lg propagation, we have also updated the Q Lg map of Zor et al. (2007). These two new maps provide estimates for crustal Q α ( Pg ) and Q β ( Lg ) for the northern Middle East.


We evaluate the progressivity of the federal Child Care Tax Credit using the Ernst and Young/University of Michigan panel of tax return data. Incidence measures are calculated using both annual and "timeexposure" income to measure ability to pay. Both indicate that the benefits of the credit are progressively distributed. Replacing annual with time-exposure income dramatically increases the proportion of the credit received by lower-income taxpayers and yields a more even distribution of benefits across middle-and upper-income taxpayers. Our results suggest that policymakers should use both income measures to evaluate the credit.


The perceived scourge of forum shopping has been hotly debated of late in international bankruptcy circles in both scholarly articles and judicial opinions. Proponents of the "territorialist" school have especially seized upon forum shopping as a specific problem with the ascending paradigm of "universalism" and have used it to breathe new life into their critiques. This Article fights back, arguing not only that the forum-shopping temptations of universalism are overstated - a myth - but that the latent possibilities for shopping under territorialism have hitherto skated by unnoticed in academic analysis (but not, it would appear, by savvy market participants). This Article further explores what it contends is the "real" forum shopping in today's international bankruptcy environment: inter-system arbitrage between territorialist and universalist courts in an interregnum, hybrid world. It ultimately remains agnostic on the normative question lurking beneath the surface and taken for granted (that "forum shopping," however we define it, is unwelcome), which has been well probed elsewhere. Rather, it contends that if policymakers are indeed worried about forum shopping, they should not fall for the bugbear that universalism's ascent will markedly increase its incidence.


We derive an analytical expression of the density functional theory (DFT)-broken-symmetry (BS) estimation J(BS) of the singlet-triplet gap at the "3 sites-4 electrons" level, that is, two S = (1)/(2) metallic sites + one diamagnetic bridge orbital. As originally designed by Noodleman and Davidson (Chem. Phys.1986, 109, 131), J(BS) contains the residual ferromagnetic contribution, single ligand-to-metal and metal-to-metal charge-transfer terms, but no double ligand-to-metal charge-transfer terms or intra/interligand spin-polarization terms. As revealed by the present analysis, the triplet and BS states computed by DFT differ, not only perturbatively (as expected) because of the various physical mechanisms involved (i.e., differential charge-transfer terms) but mainly because of a spurious and unphysical symmetry breaking of the bridge orbitals in the BS state. We examine the consequences of such a difference by deriving two analytical expressions of the exchange coupling constant, one from the BS orbitals designed to match J(BS) and another one from triplet orbitals only. Following and extending on the first paper in the series (J. Phys. Chem. A 2010, 114, 6149), we propose a simple procedure to extract appropriate parameters filling in our analytical expressions. Moreover, we derive the equivalent "3 sites-4 electrons" exchange coupling constant in the configuration-interaction approach, J(CI), for the purpose of comparison. These analytical expressions have been applied to various copper dimers and compared to experimental values.


Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are the two enzymes that predominantly break down choline esters. The AChE gene produces four types of subunits based on alternative splicing; the BChE gene just one. The tailed AChE and BChE subunits form soluble oligomers and anchored hetero-oligomers. Hetero-oligomers are functional forms of cholinesterases in cholinergic synapses and at neuromuscular junctions. The hetero-oligomers consist of anchoring proteins and catalytic subunits held together by hydrophobic interactions. Cholin¬esterases anchored by collagen Q predominate in skeletal muscle while cholinesterase assambled with proline-rich membrane anchor are predominant in the nervous system.


Similarity Joins are recognized among the most useful data processing and analysis operations and are extensively used in multiple application domains. They retrieve all data pairs whose distances are smaller than a predefined threshold e. Multiple Similarity Join algorithms and implementation techniques have been proposed. They range from out-of-database approaches for only in-memory and external memory data to techniques that make use of standard database operators to answer similarity joins. Recent work has shown that this operation can be efficiently implemented as a physical database operator. However, the proposed operator only support 1D numeric data. This paper presents DBSimJoin, a physical Similarity Join database operator for datasets that lie in any metric space. DBSimJoin is a non-blocking operator that prioritizes the early generation of results. We implemented the proposed operator in PostgreSQL, an open source database system. We show how this operator can be used in multiple real-world data analysis scenarios with multiple data types and distance functions. Particularly, we show the use of DBSimJoin to identify similar images represented as feature vectors, and similar publications in a bibliographic database. We also show that DBSimJoin scales very well when important parameters, e.g., e, data size, increase.


Big Data, originating from the digital breadcrumbs of human activities, let us observe the individual and collective behaviour of people at an unprecedented detail. In this paper we investigate the informative potential of the digital tracking that GPS-enabled devices can offer to academic research and to policy makers, with a specific attention for urban and metropolitan settings. The unstructured nature of the dataset requires a careful consideration and correction of possible biases which could lead to unreliable results. We use the 2011 census commuting matrix as a validation tool for our proposed methodology. GPS data contain information that would not be otherwise available, i.e. non-systematic mobility patterns. The produced estimates are then used to analyse mobility patterns within the Florence Metropolitan Area in a more exhaustive and detailed form.


This article explores how it became possible for the former Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to make a major trust-building initiative with his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, at the 1999 Lahore Summit. Building on security dilemma theorizing in the field of International Relations, the present article develops the concept of a "leap of trust" as a way of understanding how decision-makers trapped in security dilemmas might break through the psychology of distrust by a frame-breaking conciliatory move. This framework is then applied to the moves that led to the development of a trusting relationship between Sharif and Vajpayee. A few months later, Pakistan launched an attack across the Line of Control (LoC) and Vajpayee felt betrayed. I explore how far Sharif knew about his army's plans to attack at Kargil and ask whether he was prisoner of a Pakistani military machine that was intent on pursuing a military solution in Kashmir irrespective of any peace process that might be developing. The article examines the lessons that Vajpayee drew from Kargil and discusses his two further attempts to recover the trust that had developed at Lahore. I conclude with an analysis of the wider lessons of this case for the success of any future leaps of trust that Indian and Pakistani leaders might take.


Successful outcome of total shoulder arthroplasty depends on a well-designed and a well-executed physical therapy program. For maximal benefit, the program is usually initiated immediately after surgery and follows a logical pattern of joint mobilization followed by muscle strengthening. The process proceeds through a series of well-defined phases. The patient must see himself or herself as the active agent in the program, a concept that is enhanced by a discussion and demonstration of the therapy goals before surgery. Because of a unique understanding of the therapy requirements, the surgeon should remain intimately involved with the patient and therapist, frequently evaluating progress and outcomes of the exercises. When a well-performed surgical procedure is supplemented with a well-designed and frequently monitored therapy program, an excellent outcome of shoulder replacement should be expected.


Network economics offers an innovative perspective for bridging general equilibrium theories and game theories under the same framework. However, potential interactive patterns of financial agents challenge the application of network economics in finance settings. This thesis discusses statistical and econometric models to generate and further study financial networks, which can supplement studies on financial networks by introducing novel constructing methods and general econometric models with the networking effect, which benefits wider understanding of global finance systems.


Recent deep learning techniques promise high hopes for self-driving cars while there are still many issues to be addressed such as uncertainties (e.g., extreme weather conditions) in learned models. In this work, for the uncertainty-aware lane keeping, we first propose a convolutional mixture density network (CMDN) model that estimates the lateral position error, the yaw angle error, and their corresponding uncertainties from the camera vision. We then establish a vision-based uncertainty-aware lane keeping strategy in which a high-level reinforcement learning policy hierarchically modulates the reference longitudinal speed as well as the low-level lateral control. Finally, we evaluate the robustness of our strategy against the uncertainties of the learned CMDN model coming from unseen or noisy situations, as compared to the conventional lane keeping strategy without taking into account such uncertainties. Our uncertainty-aware strategy outperformed the conventional lane keeping strategy, without a lane departure in our test scenario during high-uncertainty periods with random occurrences of fog and rain situations on the road. The successfully trained deep reinforcement learning agent slows down the vehicle speed and tries to minimize the lateral error during high uncertainty situations similarly to what human drivers would do in such situations.


Based on eighteen case studies the chapter discusses social values of urban wasteland areas. Therefore, it presents contemporary, post-human theories of vernacular models of democracy. Based on non-participatory observation, inventory of territorial markers and free-form interviews: processes, functions, users and possible development of urban wastelands are shown. The role of these places is perceived in two aspects, either as a substitute for the deficit of green areas or as their necessary functional complementation. Consequently, the main functions of these areas are informal activities, community gardening, extreme sports, inhabiting place for homeless, etc. Concluding, the authors state that in a development of urban wastelands, a new and open design approach is required. Future development of these spaces should preserve their values such as: inclusiveness, freedom of creation, creative attitudes and social participation processes.


This book addresses the right of indigenous peoples to live, own and use their traditional territories, and analyses how international law addresses this. Through its meticulous examination of the interaction between international law and indigenous peoples' land rights, the work explores several burning issues such as collective rights, self-determination, property rights, cultural rights and restitution of land. It delves into the notion of past violations and the role of international law in providing for remedies, reparation and restitution. It also argues that there is a new phase in the relationship between States, indigenous peoples and private actors, such as corporations, in the making of territorial agreements.


In a new approach to a long-ranging debate on the causes of the Late Medieval Debasement, we offer an institutional case-study of Russia and the Levant. Avoiding the complexity of the "upstream" financial/minting centres of Western Europe, we consider the effects of debasement "downstream", in resource-exporting periphery countries. The paper shows the amazing synchronicity of the worldwide appearance of the early modern trading system, associated with capitalism or commercial society. The centre-periphery feedback loop amplified trends and pushed towards economic and institutional changes. This is illustrated via the Hanseatic-Novgorodian and Italian-Levantine trade – under growing market pressure of the exploding transaction costs, the oligopolies gradually dissolved and were replaced by the British-Dutch traders. In this case-study the late-medieval/early-modern monetary integration served as the transitional institutional base for reducing transaction costs during a dramatic global shift. Highlighting centre-periphery links, a new trading outpost of Arkhangelsk rose synchronously with Amsterdam.


Abstract : Computer vision deals with algorithms that allow machines to detect, segment, feature extract, and recognize objects in an image. There are numerous applications in medicine, manufacturing, and security for this technology. By studying the visual processes of biological systems, enhancements can be achieved in the development of computer vision algorithms. One biological function of interest involves the oscillatory pulses generated in the primary visual cortex engaged in stimulus-specific oscillatory responses. As a result of these experiments, it can be concluded that these tightly correlated, stimulus-induced oscillations may play a role in the recognition of images. Therefore these cortical oscillations have been modeled to investigate their ability to segment objects in a visual field. This report briefly discusses the visual system and the internally stimulus-dependent oscillations that may lead to identification of images. Emphasis will be on the models that attempt to reproduce this biological phenomena, their computational and behavioral aspects, as well as simulation performance. Detail will be given to their computational and behavioral aspects since it is in these areas that possible improvements can be achieved through more detailed modeling.


Epidemiological data on dengue in Africa are still scarce. We investigated imported dengue infection among travelers with a high proportion of subjects from Africa over a 9-year period. From January 2005 to December 2013, blood samples from travelers with clinical suspicion of dengue were analyzed. Dengue was diagnosed using serological, antigen detection, and molecular methods. Subjects were classified according to birthplace (Europeans versus non-Europeans) and last country visited. Overall, 10,307 serum samples corresponding to 8,295 patients were studied; 62% were European travelers, most of them from Spain, and 35.9% were non-Europeans, the majority of whom were born in Africa (mainly Equatorial Guinea) and Latin America (mainly Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia). A total of 492 cases of dengue were identified, the highest number of cases corresponding to subjects who had traveled from Africa (N = 189), followed by Latin America (N = 174) and Asia (N = 113). The rate of cases for Africa (4.5%) was inferior to Asia (9%) and Latin America (6.1%). Three peaks of dengue were found (2007, 2010, and 2013) which correlated with African cases. A total of 2,157 of past dengue infections were diagnosed. Non-Europeans who had traveled from Africa had the highest rate of past infection (67.8%), compared with non-Europeans traveling from Latin America (38.7%) or Asia (35%). Dengue infection in certain regions of Africa is underreported and the burden of the disease may have a magnitude similar to endemic countries in Latin America. It is necessary to consider dengue in the differential diagnosis of other febrile diseases in Africa.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether dogs with naturally occurring canine parvoviral (CPV) enteritis have laboratory evidence of hypercoagulability.

DESIGN
Case-control study. Animals-9 dogs with naturally occurring CPV enteritis and 9 age-matched control dogs.

PROCEDURE
Blood was collected from all dogs within 24 hours of admission for thromboelastography (TEG) and determination of activated partial thromboplastin time (aP-TT), prothrombin time (PT), antithrombin III (AT) activity, and fibrinogen concentration. Fibrin-fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) concentration, D-dimer concentration, and platelet count were obtained in dogs with CPV enteritis only. Records were reviewed for evidence of thrombosis or phlebitis.

RESULTS
All 9 dogs with CPV enteritis had evidence of hypercoagulability, determined on the basis of significantly increased TEG maximum amplitude and decreased AT activity. Fibrinogen concentration was significantly higher in dogs with CPV enteritis than in control dogs. The aPTT was moderately prolonged in dogs with CPV enteritis, and FDP concentration was < 5 mg/ml in 7 of 9 dogs. No dogs had a measurable D-dimer concentration. Platelet counts were within reference range. Four of 9 dogs had clinical evidence of venous thrombosis or phlebitis associated with catheters. One dog had multifocal splenic thrombosis identified at necropsy.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Dogs with CPV enteritis have a high prevalence of clinical thrombosis or phlebitis and laboratory evidence of hypercoagulability without disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Thromboelastography may help identify hypercoagulable states in dogs.


The purpose of this paper is to examine how internationally recognized styles of transactional, instructional, transformational and distributed leadership have emerged in the Japanese education system.,National legislation and policy documents in Japan since 1945 were collected by searching for the word "principal" or "head of school." Then, four types are excluded: those that are unique only to one school type, do not explicitly deal with the role of the principal, are in subordinate laws prescribing contents that essentially overlap with those in superordinate statutes and define procedural roles of the principal. As a result, 17 legal provisions and 35 policy documents remained, each of which was analyzed by using four leadership styles.,Despite an increasing focus on instructional, transformational and distributed styles, Japan has not comprehensively articulated attributes and abilities expected of the principal. Additionally, a movement away from instructional leadership in the 2000s contrasts with the recent emphasis on "educational leadership." Moreover, transformational leadership has centered on the school–family–community collaboration and the expansion of principal autonomy, and distributed leadership has taken the forms of new positions that support the principal, both of which were influenced by the decentralization movement.,It points to the susceptibility of the role of the principal in Japan and western countries alike to broader structural reforms but with different implications and distinct timing of the advent of leadership styles among them. Additionally, Japan has adopted a modified approach to distributed leadership style, which is somewhat similar to delegation, to make a compromise between the emergent theory and the centrality of the principal in the school hierarchy. Furthermore, instructional leadership seems to be a "late bloomer" in Japan because of its practice-based nature and unsuitability to daily realities of the principal.,As an arguably unprecedented attempt to apply leadership styles to legislation and policy documents, this study builds a foundation for understanding how school leadership is shaped by education policies. Moreover, while making connections to the western view, it creates a paradigm for future studies of school leadership in Japan and in the field of comparative educational administration.


The use of dietary adsorbents to reduce arsenic (As) exposure is innovative. Ferrihydrite successfully sorbs arsenite and asenate over a wide range of pH conditions and the As–ferrihydrite complexes are stable in gastrointestinal (GIT) models. Our objectives were to (1) compare structural characteristics (using x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared [FTIR] spectroscopy) and As binding affinities of industrially produced ferrihydrite (IDF) and lab-synthesized ferrihydrite and (2) evaluate the efficacy of the material displaying the best sorption capability as an As enterosorbent in a short-term mammalian model. Lab-synthesized ferrihydrite displayed superior binding affinity for both arsenate and arsenite in vitro, which led to its use in the in vivo portion of the study. Young Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed either a control diet or a 0.5% w/w ferrihydrite feed. After 1 wk of acclimation, rats were given 0.5 ml of 500 mg/L arsenate or arsenite via gavage with or without ferrihydrite. Rats were then transferred to metabolism cages, and urine collected after 24 and 48 h was analyzed for total As. Rats were evaluated daily for signs of morbidity and mortality for up to 1 wk. Ferrihydrite reduced mean urinary As levels by 74.9% and 43.6% after 24 h and 49.1% and 39.5% after 48 h for arsenite- and arsenate-treated groups, respectively. Importantly, treatment groups receiving ferrihydrite displayed no signs of As-related toxicity. All As reductions were statistically significant except for arsenate treatments at 24 h. Data suggest that, as an enterosorbent, ferrihydrite reduces bioavailability after As exposures.


Charles Lindblom's 1959 essay "The Science of 'Muddling Through'" is best known for the strategy of decision making—disjointed incrementalism—that it recommended. That famous paper and Lindblom's related work also provided two theories: a critique of the conventional method (the synoptic approach) and an argument for using incrementalism instead. Both are applied theories: they are designed to help solve complex policy problems. Lindblom's negative applied theory has stood the test of time well: the empirical foundations of its main micro-component (cognitive constraints of individuals) and its central macro-component (the impact of preference conflict on policy making) have grown stronger since 1959. The picture regarding the positive applied theory is more mixed. As a coherent decision-making strategy, disjointed incrementalism has almost disappeared. Yet its key elements, the major heuristics identified in "Muddling Through," are thriving in many applied fields. Intriguingly, they are often accompanied by subroutines—especially optimization as a choice rule—typically associated with the synoptic approach.


Abstract In the southern Pyrenees foreland, the Cardona salt diapir has a 250 m high stem and a small bulb, which is partially exposed. The internal structure of the diapir consists of a main sheath fold divided by a shear zone. This shear zone crosses two salt units with different initial properties. In this paper, a qualitative analysis of the fabric both units crossed by the shear zone and a 3D quantitative morphological and textural analysis of the unit with small grain size were carried out. In this unit, the fabric is characterized by a grain size similar to that of the initial fabric, disappearance of primary structures, a poor grain orientation with the long axis statistically at 20° of the shear boundary, and a strong {100} crystallographic preferred orientation. The unit composed of coarser grains shows a disappearance of primary structures. The fabric changes in both units and the strong decrease in water content during deformation suggest that fluid-assisted synkinematic recrystallization was dominant. The different behaviour of the two studied units on shear deformation also suggests that the initial grain size and water content were the main factors controlling fabric changes.


In this paper, we discuss an interpretable framework to integrate toxic language annotations. Most data sets address only one aspect of the complex relationship in toxic communication and are inconsistent with each other. Enriching annotations with more details and information is however of great importance in order to develop high-performing and comprehensive explainable language models. Such systems should recognize and interpret both expressions that are toxic as well as expressions that make reference to specific targets to combat toxic language. We therefore created a crowd-annotation task to mark the spans of words that refer to target communities as an extension of the HateXplain data set. We present a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the annotations. We also fine-tuned RoBERTa-base on our data and experimented with different data thresholds to measure their effect on the classification. The F1-score of our best model on the test set is 79%. The annotations are freely available and can be combined with the existing HateXplain annotation to build richer and more complete models.


In response to the wishes of Member States, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has, over the years, significantly expanded its activities for strengthening the international co-operation in nuclear, radiation and waste safety. While it has not been decided that supervisory or regulatory functions should be conferred on the IAEA, it has been recognized that the Agency is the appropriate institution to use for the establishment of an international infrastructure comprising three main elements - basic binding conventions, recommended standards and advisory studies and assistance in application of Safety Standards. These instruments form the basis of a general policy for achieving safety in the nuclear activities of Member States. Recent efforts accomplished by the IAEA for achieving safety in the radioactive waste management are illustrative of this objective and deserve to be particularly highlighted. They concern i) the preparation of a Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management; ii) the development of the Agency's Radioactive Waste Safety Standards (RADWASS) and iii) the application of the Safety Standards in providing assistance to Member States.


Over the last few decades, public opinion has shifted dramatically to be more supportive of gay and lesbian people and their rights, including support for same-sex relationships and marriage. Support for transgender people and rights, in contrast, remains relatively low. As a result, transgender people suffer from discrimination and violence. Shifting attitudes toward transgender people requires a new approach to persuasive communication, one that recognizes the discomfort that many people feel about the subject but also one that appeals to core values and emotions in a way that encourages them to shift their perspective. This book introduces a new theory—Identity Reassurance Theory—which outlines how to transform prejudice against transgender people. The book provides concrete suggestions about how to reduce defensive reactions, helping people take a journey from prejudice to support. Support for Identity Reassurance Theory comes from a series of experiments conducted with individuals face to face, via the Internet, and in the laboratory. When individuals are put in a happier state of mind or when they are reminded about the good in people, they are more supportive of transgender rights. When they are told a story about a mother who did not support transgender people and rights until her own child came out as transgender, they are more likely to support transgender rights. In these and other experiments, Transforming Prejudice describes a method of boosting the self-esteem of recipients of communication to lower their defenses and to encourage them to be more accepting of others who are different than they are.


Understanding the complex interactions between atmosphere, snow, sea ice and ocean is one of the biggest challenges in polar research. These interactions control the observed changes in the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice cover, with consequences far beyond the Polar Oceans. But the lack of simultaneous in-situ observations leads to significant knowledge gaps on these interactions and their impacts. Here we present the concept and first results from our Multidisciplinary Ice-based Distributed Observatory (MIDO), which is a network of autonomous platforms that monitor the most essential climate and ecosystem parameters. A number of innovative instruments record atmosphere, snow, sea ice, and ocean parameters year round, including the largely under-sampled winter period. Data are publically available in near real time and contribute to numerical weather predictions and re-analysis data sets through the Global Telecommunication System. First platforms were installed on ice floes in the central Arctic Ocean in 2015. Their results suggest that this approach has great potential to advance our understanding of many physical and biogeochemical processes and interactions in the Polar Oceans. The time series indicate the timing and importance of different processes over the seasons along single drift paths. However, the ultimate aim is to achieve a quasi-synoptic, basin-wide coverage of key parameters, such as air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, ice and snow thickness, incoming, reflected and transmitted irradiance, seawater temperature and salinity, Chl-a and CDOM fluorescence, turbidity, oxygen and nitrate. We will also discuss the challenge of maintaining a high data quality and present our plans to extend autonomous distributed observatories in the framework of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP, 2017-2019) and the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC, 2019-2020).


This paper summarizes the early results of the two systemwide off-peak free-fare transit experiments being conducted in Trenton, New Jersey, and Denver, Colorado. These experiments, which are sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) under its Service and Methods Demonstration Program, are the first free-fare programs of such size and comprehensiveness. The demonstrations have already provided a number of interesting, if still tentative, conclusions. The first major conclusion is that, while free fare induces large and sustainable ridership gains (19 percent in Trenton and 34 percent in Denver), the general aggregate behavior of the population in making their modal choices is not significantly different from what it would be with any other absolute change of an equal amount. The price elasticity of demand for transit implied by the Trenton results was -0.42, which is virtually identical to the transit industry's experience. Saturday evening youth riders and walk trips made up fully 7 percent of the ridership in the free-fare system in Trenton. The demonstration appears to have reduced the peak-load capacity requirements in Trenton's transit system and caused a dramatic shift from the peak to the off-peak. The most surprising finding was that complaints of rowdiness, vandalism, and other incidents increased at both sites to such an extent that some groups called for the abandonment of the experiments.


The teleost fish Danio rerio (zebrafish) has a remarkable ability to generate newborn neurons in its brain at adult stages of its lifespan-a process called adult neurogenesis. This ability relies on proliferating ventricular progenitors and is in striking contrast to mammalian brains that have rather restricted capacity for adult neurogenesis. Therefore, investigating the zebrafish brain can help not only to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of widespread adult neurogenesis in a vertebrate species, but also to design therapies in humans with what we learn from this teleost. Yet, understanding the cellular behavior and molecular programs underlying different biological processes in the adult zebrafish brain requires techniques that allow manipulation of gene function. As a complementary method to the currently used misexpression techniques in zebrafish, such as transgenic approaches or electroporation-based delivery of DNA, we devised a cerebroventricular microinjection (CVMI)-assisted knockdown protocol that relies on vivo morpholino oligonucleotides, which do not require electroporation for cellular uptake. This rapid method allows uniform and efficient knockdown of genes in the ventricular cells of the zebrafish brain, which contain the neurogenic progenitors. We also provide data on the use of CVMI for growth factor administration to the brain – in our case FGF8, which modulates the proliferation rate of the ventricular cells. In this paper, we describe the CVMI method and discuss its potential uses in zebrafish.


This book presents an algorithm for the detection of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal in a cognitive radio context by means of a joint and iterative channel and noise estimation technique. Based on the minimum mean square criterion, it performs an accurate detection of a user in a frequency band, by achieving a quasi-optimal channel and noise variance estimation if the signal is present, and by estimating the noise level in the band if the signal is absent.
Organized into three chapters, the first chapter provides the background against which the system model is presented, as well as some basics concerning the channel statistics and the transmission of an OFDM signal over a multipath channel. In Chapter 2, the proposed iterative algorithm for the noise variance and the channel estimation is detailed, and in Chapter 3, an application of the algorithm for the free-band detection is proposed. In both Chapters 2 and 3, the principle of the algorithm is presented in a simple way, and more elaborate developments are also provided. The different assumptions and assertions in the developments and the performance of the proposed method are validated through simulations, and compared to methods of the scientific literature


Multi-Modal freight models are traditionally built following the well known "four steps model" in which generation, distribution, modal-split and assignment are seen as separated modules. An alternative approach, now implemented in some software, is to represent the multi-modal network by means of a "mono-modal" one, in which each particular transport operation (loading or unloading operation, transhipments ...) is represented by a dedicated "virtual link", that represents a specific operation in the transportation chain. This approach, promoted by several authors, often referenced to as "super networks" or "virtual networks", is proven to give interesting results, but has the drawback to generate much larger networks than the pure geographic representation of the studied area. It has also some kind of "hidden trap", linked to transport distances, that will be presented in this paper and that can only be solved using appropriate assignment techniques. This paper presents some results obtained on a large multi-modal network, using different equilibrium assignment algorithms, in order to test their ability to give an appropriate solution to the "distance trap". It however concludes that the implementation of classical equilibrium assignment techniques leads to solutions that are barely different from the one obtained by a simple all-or-nothing assignment, opening the way to alternative multi-flow solutions.


This paper provides an empirical and experimental analysis of individual decision making in small decision-making problems with a series of laboratory experiments. Two experimental treatments with binary small decision-making problems are implemented: (1) the search treatment with the unknown payoff distribution to the decision makers and (2) the choice treatment with the known payoff distribution. A first observation is that in the search treatment the tendency to select best reply to the past performances, and misestimation of the payoff distribution can lead to robust deviations from expected value maximisation. A second observation is concerned with choice problems with two options with the same expected value: one option is more risky with larger payoff variability; the other option is moderate with less payoff variability. Experimental results show that it is likely that the more the decision makers choose a risky option, the higher they can achieve high points, ex post. Finally, I investigate the exploration tendency. Comparison of results between the search treatment and the choice treatment reveals that the additional information to the decision makers enhances expected value maximisation.


The functional aftermath of microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas has not been demonstrated. miRNAs represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as putative therapeutic targets; their investigation may shed light on the mechanisms that underpin pituitary adenoma development and progression. Drugs interacting with such pathways may help in achieving disease control also in the settings of ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas. We investigated the expression of 10 miRNAs among those that were found as most dysregulated in human pituitary adenoma tissues in the settings of a murine ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma cell line, AtT20/D16v-F2. The selected miRNAs to be submitted to further investigation in AtT20/ D16v-F2 cells represent an expression panel including 5 up-regulated and 5 down-regulated miRNAs. Among these, we selected the most dysregulated mouse miRNA and searched for miRNA targets and their biological function. We found that AtT20/D16v-F2 cells have a specific miRNA expression profile and that miR-26a is the most dysregulated miRNA. The latter is overexpressed in human pituitary adenomas and can control viable cell number in the in vitro model without involving caspase 3/7-mediated apoptosis. We demonstrated that protein kinase C (PRKCD) is a direct target of miR-26a and that miR26a inhibition delays the cell cycle in G1 phase. This effect involves down-regulation of cyclin E and cyclin A expression via PRKCD modulation. miR-26a and related pathways, such as PRKCD, play an important role in cell cycle control of ACTH pituitary cells, opening new therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of persistent/recurrent Cushing's disease. (Endocrinology 154: 1690–1700, 2013)


In order to study internationally adopted delinquents, internationally adopted controls, delinquent controls and an additional group of healthy non-adopted, non-delinquent controls, the following tests were used: WISC/WAIS, TOL, WCST, a questionnaire, I think I am, ISSI, an attachment test, KSP, and SCL-90. In the register study, data were obtained from the registers of The National Board of Health and Welfare and Statistics Sweden and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. Odds ratios (OR) for different forms of out-of-home care placements were calculated.It was found that the adopted delinquents had a significantly lower full scale IQ (WISC/WAIS) and significantly lower results on several measurements in the WISC /WAIS compared to the adopted controls. In addition, both groups of adoptees scored low in the WISC/WAIS subscale arithmetics when compared to the population mean. The adopted delinquents clearly had disruptive and infectious relations to their parents which was demonstrated in I think I am, ISSI, the attachment test and the questionnaire. The adopted controls demonstrated good relations to adoptive parents. When personality and self-perception were measured and analyzed in a two-way ANOVA, the results clearly pointed to "delinquency" as the explaining factor to the variance of the results as opposed to "adoption". Finally, the regression analyses of the register data demonstrated an OR of 3.0 (after adjustments for age and sex) for placements of intercountry adoptees in residental care from age 10 and an OR of 5.1 in model 2 (after adjustments for socio-demographic background variables). More over, higher child age at adoption, origin from Latin America, single parent adoption and maternal age above 35 at birth of the child were identified as significant predictors of out-of-home care from age 10.


The object of this study is overlay coatings of MCrAlY alloy sprayed by a vacuum plasma spray (VPS) process for the protection against high-temperature corrosion and oxidation in the field of gas turbine components. Reaction diffusion behaviors at the interface between the MCrAlY coatings and the substrate, which have an important effect on coating degradation, have not always been clarified. Three kinds of substrate, equiaxis IN738LC, directional solidified CM247LC and single-crystal CMSX-2, and the four kinds of vacuum plasma sprayed MCrAlY coating have been selected for these experiments. The experimental results showed that the reaction diffusion layers consisted of aluminum compound layer and aluminum depleted layer, excepting that the aluminum depleted layer could not be observed in the case of CoNiCrAlY and NiCoCrAlY coatings. It also indicated that the diffusion thickness could be observed to follow a parabolic time dependence. The order of reaction diffusion rate was NiCrAlY > CoCrAlY > CoNi-CrAlY > NiCoCrAlY independent of the substrates. A convenient computer-aided system was developed for analyzing the reaction diffusion behaviors at the interface between coating and substrate. It was also clear that the estimated results of long time diffusion behaviors by simulation analysis was in good agreement with experiments.


The fractal nature of the majority of biological tissues and intensive development of laser diagnostics in biology and medicine are stimulate an interest to creation of new optical methods of diagnostics and analysis of properties of biological fractals. The present paper is dedicated to investigation of polarizational properties of cross layers of bone and muscle tissues.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surface properties and gloss of CAD/CAM composites after toothbrush abrasion testing. Four CAD/CAM composites for molars (Cerasmart 300, Estelite P block, Katana Avencia P block, and KZR-CAD HR3 Gammatheta), one CAD/CAM composite for premolars (Shofu Block HC Hard), and one feldspathic ceramics (Vitablocs Mark II) were assessed. Knoop hardness number, gloss, and surface roughness (Ra, Rz, and Sa) were measured before and after toothbrush abrasion testing. Knoop hardness number values were in the order Vitablocs Mark II > Katana Avencia P block > Estelite P Block > Shofu Block HC Hard > Cerasmart 300 > KZR-CAD HR3 Gammatheta. After testing, the gloss of Estelite P block and KZR-CAD HR3 Gammatheta was greatly decreased and surface roughness was greatly increased. Periodic recall and re-polishing may thus be necessary when these products are used clinically.


A related document defines schemas to be used for documentation about the execution of a process, process documentation, and introduce a provenance store, a type of Web Service with the capability for storing and giving access to process documentation. In particular, process documentation has a defined schema, the p-structure, which clients of a provenance store can navigate in queries to extract particular pieces of process documentation. In this document, we specify a protocol by which a querying actor and provenance store can communicate in performing a process documentation query. This primarily takes the form of an abstract WSDL interface defining messages to be accepted and produced by a provenance store.


It has been experimentally observed that wrinkles formed on the surface of electrospun polymer nanofibers when they are under uniaxial tension (Appl. Phys. Lett., 91, p. 151901 (2007)). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, finite element analyses (FEA), and continuum theory calculations have been performed to understand this interesting phenomenon. The surface wrinkles are found to be induced by the cylindrical core–shell microstructure of polymer nanofibers, especially the mismatch of Poisson's ratio between the core and shell layers. Through the MD simulations, the polymer nanofiber is found to be composed of a glassy core embedded into a rubbery shell. The Poisson's ratios of the core and shell layers are close to that of the compressible (0.2) and incompressible (0.5) polymers, respectively. The core is twice stiffer than the shell, due to its highly packed polymer chains and large entanglement density. Based on this observation, a FEA model has been built to study surface instability of the cylindrical core–shell soft solids under uniaxial tension. The "polarization" mechanism at the interphase between the core and shell layers, induced by the mismatch of their Poisson's ratios, is identified as the key element to drive the surface wrinkles during the instability analysis. Through postbuckling analysis, the plastic deformation is also found to play an important role in this process. Without the plastic deformation, the initial imperfection cannot lead to surface wrinkles. The FEA model shows that the yielding stress (or strain rate) can greatly affect the onset and modes of surface wrinkles, which are in good agreement with experimental observations on electrospun polymer nanofibers. The deformation mechanism and critical condition for the surface wrinkles are further clarified through a simplified continuum theory. This study provides a new way to understand and control the surface morphology of cylindrical core–shell materials.


This article explores the therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) implications of civil commitment or other mental disability proceedings involving children. Its primary focus is due process hearings provided to review the appropriateness of minors' hospitalization in public or private mental health facilities. Providing such due process protections including legal counsel for children has been criticized as counter-therapeutic, reinforcing the child's denial of mental disability and increasing conflict with parents and therapists. Advocates for minors' civil rights have replied that due process hearings for minors are required to prevent inappropriate hospitalization and promote accurate evaluation and treatment in the least restrictive setting. This paper will analyze from a TJ perspective one state's attempt to balance the interests of parent, child, and state by providing independent clinical review hearings and legal representation for minors committed to private mental health facilities. After a brief overview of the case law and policy background establishing due process rights for minors in the civil commitment context, the article reviews the literature on the therapeutic possibilities of civil commitment proceedings, summarizing key concerns. Using a hypothetical due process hearing, the article identifies ways in which the existing procedures are counter-therapeutic. Finally, the article recommends ways of improving the therapeutic potential of mental disability proceedings for minors.


Many prey species are faced with multiple predators that differ in the degree of danger posed. The threat-sensitive predator avoidance hypothesis predicts that prey should assess the degree of threat posed by different predators and match their behavior according to current levels of risk. To test this prediction, we compared the behavioral responses of nocturnal velvet geckos, Oedura lesueurii, to chemicals from 2 snakes that pose different threats: the dangerous broad-headed snake Hoplocephalus bungaroides that eats geckos and the less dangerous small-eyed snake Cryptophis nigrescens that eats skinks (i.e., does not consume geckos). We also tested whether predator avoidance by prey was modulated by thermal costs associated with retreat-site selection. In both the presence and absence of thermal costs, velvet geckos avoided crevices scented by both dangerous and less dangerous snake species. When given the choice between a crevice scented by a broad-headed snake and a crevice scented by a small-eyed snake, most geckos avoided either retreat site. These results suggest that velvet geckos treat both snake predators as equally dangerous. To further explore these results, we quantified patterns of retreat-site selection by free-living velvet geckos on 2 sandstone plateaux. As in the laboratory, velvet geckos avoided thermally suitable rocks previously used by both snake species. Hence, a gecko's choice of retreat site is influenced by the presence of snake chemicals but is independent of thermal costs or the level of danger posed by the predator. To minimize their risk of predation, geckos may use a simple rule of thumb: "all snakes are dangerous." Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.


In this work, we studied a few surfaces, of which the structures have not yet been revealed, using reflection high-energy positron diffraction (RHEPD). We studied the Ge(111)/Pb and Ge(111)/Sn surfaces that exhibit the phase transition from 3×3 to √3×√3 periodicities at around 200K. We found that in both phases the equilibrium positions of Pb and Sn adatoms are conserved. That is, in the unit-cell, one of three adatoms is located upper position and two of them are located lower positions (one-up-two-down). The phase transition is interpreted in terms of an order-disorder type. We furthermore studied the quasi-one dimensional Si(111)/In surface which exhibits the metal-insulator transition at around 120K. The high temperature phase is well explained as the zigzag chain structure. We found that a dynamic atomic displacement which leads to the formation of hexagon structure occur below 120 K. We confirmed the appearance of the band gap using the surface structure determined from the RHEPD rocking curves.


The influence of the tobacco additives diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP) and urea on the delivery and respiratory tract retention of nicotine and solanesol and on the uptake of nicotine into venous blood was investigated in 10 smokers under mouth-hold and 75 and 500 mL inhalation conditions. Three cigarettes with identical physical specifications were produced from a common lamina tobacco blend. The control cigarette contained nonammoniated reconstituted tobacco sheet (RTS), whereas DAP and other ammonia compounds were added to the RTS of the second cigarette. Urea was added to the tobacco of the third cigarette. The presence of DAP or urea in the test cigarettes did not significantly influence solanesol retention within the mouth during the mouth-hold condition. Nicotine retention within the mouth during the mouth-hold condition was, however, significantly higher for the DAP cigarette (64.3 +/- 10.5%) than for the urea (53.3 +/- 11.3%) or control cigarette (46.3 +/- 8.6%), but this did not result in an increase in nicotine uptake into venous blood. Solanesol retentions during the 75 and 500 mL inhalation volume conditions and nicotine retentions during the 75 mL inhalation volume condition were not significantly different for the three cigarette types. Although the nicotine retention approached 100% with each cigarette type during the 500 mL inhalation condition, the nicotine retention for the urea-treated cigarette (99.6 +/- 0.2%) was marginally, but statistically, significant, higher than for the control (99.1 +/- 0.5%) and DAP-treated cigarettes (98.8 +/- 0.6%). There were no statistically significant differences between the indices of nicotine uptake into venous blood for the three cigarette types in any of the inhalation conditions.


This work introduces the initial experience of an infrastructure for digital documents preservation in archives or repositories. Prior backgrounds of similar infrastructures are recognized in this work, and among them three successful experiences are described. These experiences are all aimed to connect a digital repository with different software tools able to ensure digital preservation of repository contents according to OAIS ISO 14721 standard (2012). After the description of the three models, we describe a prototype under development in the repositories supported by PREBI-SEDICI (UNLP), which uses the software tools DSpace, Archivematica and ArchivesSpace. In this prototype, DSpace handles the ingest and delivery of digital contents, while Archivematica performs all the required digital preservation activities. This is achieved through a set of microservices applied to a conceptual structure similar to the information package (IP) in its different versions (SIP, AIP, DIP). The resulting structure of the IP includes checksums, original files, logs, transfer documentation and XML metadata. The main purpose of this work is to show the background activities already carried out in institutions around the world, and to start a research project aiming to generate ideas and thoughts in the Latin American context.


This article provides an analysis of the skills that health professionals and patients employ in reaching diagnosis and decisionmaking in telemedicine consultations. As governmental priorities continue to emphasize patient involvement in the management of their disease, there is an increasing need to accurately capture the provider–patient interactions in clinical encounters. Drawing on conversation analysis of 10 video-mediated consultations in 3 National Health Service settings in England, this study examines the interaction between patients, General Practitioner (GPs), nurses, and consultants during diagnosis and decision-making, with the aim to identify the range of skills that participants use in the process and capture the interprofessional communication and patient involvement in the diagnosis and decision-making phases of telemedicine consultations. The analysis shows that teleconsultations enhance collaborative working among professionals and enable GPs and nurses to develop their skills and actively participate in diagnosis and decision-making by contributing primary care–specific knowledge to the consultation. However, interprofessional interaction may result in limited patient involvement in decisionmaking. The findings of this study can be used to inform training programs in telemedicine that focus on the development of effective skills for professionals and the provision of information to patients.


This article starts from two principal observations. First, television flow studies have abundantly demonstrated that language is an important factor in the global circulation of television programs. Second, scholarly work on the global television industry has shown that the television executives who trade in television programs function as highly important gatekeepers within global television flows. When combining these two observations, the question arises about which ways language is a significant criterion in television buyers' purchasing decisions. In-depth interviews with five prominent heads of acquisitions with major broadcasting networks in the Dutch-speaking region in Europe reveal that gatekeepers' perceptions of audiences' linguistic preferences largely explain why they prefer programs in English and Dutch. In addition, the interviews reveal that a number of vicious circles reinforce the global dominance of English-language content.


Learning analytics (LA) is among the most emergent research fields nowadays, as a consequence of the technological progress (e.g. big data, cloud technologies, virtual reality, brain computer interface) and of the importance given to education and new forms of education (computer-based, online). Also, the European Digital Agenda proposes an efficient equitable digital education, with a positive impact on economy. This goal can be achieved only through a continuum measurement and improvement of educational activities, aspect highly taken into account by LA. Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) defines LA as the measurement, collection, analysis and report of data about students and about their learning contexts, with the purpose of understanding and optimizing the learning process and also the environment in which the learning takes place. Also, the cultural values of today's society changed: the education takes place in different places, not only in a formal institution. Thus, huge amounts of heterogeneous data related to a particular student can be gathered from different sources and, in order to provide an accurate diagnostic of the educational profile of that student, LA has to be based on all the data, despite of its provenience. This paper discusses about LA: provides a detailed definition of what LA is, in connection with the fields to which it can be applied, revises the benefits brought by LA to education and underlines the multitude of LA data sources. The focus is then put on biometric data, as a consequence of the recent technologies and devices allowing the collection and analysis of this data, e.g. magnetometers for Magnetoencephalography, scanning technology for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, electrodes placed directly on the brain or recording caps, web tools that analyse the online activity of a user. Finally, a set of applications exploiting biometric data with the purpose of analysing and improving the learning process are described and compared.


A dispersion relation for ultralow frequency drift compressional modes in high pressure plasmas with finite gyroradius is derived from the linearized gyrokinetic‐Maxwell equations with cold electrons and narrow eigenmode localization width along the field line. The dispersion relation demonstrates instability under two different conditions: 1) when the density gradient and proton temperature gradient are in opposite directions, or 2) when the magnetic guiding center drift is reversed with respect to the proton diamagnetic drift, i.e., drift reversal, which could occur during periods of strong magnetospheric disturbance. Furthermore, it is found that the most unstable modes have short azimuthal wavelengths comparable to the proton gyroradius.


Previous scholarship has demonstrated the value of high-impact practices of community engagement, inquiry-based pedagogy, and collaborative learning for engagement and learning in sociology courses, especially undergraduate research methods and statistics. This article explores the changes made to an upper-division undergraduate course focused on applied research practices and community-level interventions. After teaching the course once as a lecture-based course with assignments that simulated real projects and receiving poor student evaluation scores, I revised the course by partnering with local nonprofit organizations that were in need of research assistance. I turned the major graded assignments into real-world research projects that would ultimately be presented to the local organization, thus making everything actually count—in the real world. The findings from surveys of students, course evaluations, and assessment of group projects suggest that students found this to improve their experience of the course and to increase their learning and engagement of the material and confidence in their ability to conduct applied research on their own.


ABSTRACTLong-range correlations in the air quality index (AQI) are analysed using rescaled range analysis (R/S), detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and power spectral density analysis. Air quality index in five cities of India is considered for this purpose. Statistical transformations such as differencing and shuffling have been carried out to examine the effect of temporal correlations on long-range correlation property of the time series. All three methods indicated the presence of persistence in original AQI time series. After differencing, long-range correlation property is, however, observed to be distorted. R/S analysis did not show the similar results as DFA and power spectral density analysis. Shuffled time series is shown to possess persistence as in the original one by using R/S analysis, whereas other two methods showed random behaviour at most of the locations. This suggests that the persistence property is largely influenced by short-range correlations in the AQI time series. The incorporation of this information can enhance the performance of the models to forecast the air quality. The similarity in the results of DFA and power spectral density analysis suggests that both methods can be relied more than R/S analysis in studying the persistence property of the time series.


The paper discusses the problem of speed and flux estimation for the induction motor (IM) drive and presents a series of Sliding Mode Observers (SMOs) that are constructed using compound manifolds. Observers with compound manifolds have not been widely investigated because they cannot be designed following a standard procedure; however, it is shown that they have unique and useful properties. The paper introduces the candidate manifolds associated with IM estimation and shows various approaches for designing SMOs with compound manifolds. Generally, using the IM model, it is typical to design observers with simple manifolds. However, since the state transition matrix of the IM model depends on the motor speed, the problem is more complicated – the speed must either be known or it must be estimated. In the paper, several sensored and sensorless observer designs are presented. The paper presents the theoretical developments and shows simulations and experimental results.


Significance Lignocellulosic biomass is a potential major resource for renewable energy production. Plant cell-wall deconstruction, however, remains an inefficient process, mainly due to the recalcitrant nature of the lignin and cellulosic components, that requires chemical pretreatment methods prior to degradation. This study aims to overcome this barrier by combining two paradigms into a single system, by using a synthetic biology approach. The designed system integrates an engineered laccase (an oxidizing enzyme that acts on lignin) into a multienzyme cellulosome complex, thereby producing enhanced decomposition of wheat straw. These findings demonstrate the potential of introducing complementary enzymes that fail to occur together in nature into designer cellulosomes for improved lignocellulose conversion. Efficient breakdown of lignocellulose polymers into simple molecules is a key technological bottleneck limiting the production of plant-derived biofuels and chemicals. In nature, plant biomass degradation is achieved by the action of a wide range of microbial enzymes. In aerobic microorganisms, these enzymes are secreted as discrete elements in contrast to certain anaerobic bacteria, where they are assembled into large multienzyme complexes termed cellulosomes. These complexes allow for very efficient hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose due to the spatial proximity of synergistically acting enzymes and to the limited diffusion of the enzymes and their products. Recently, designer cellulosomes have been developed to incorporate foreign enzymatic activities in cellulosomes so as to enhance lignocellulose hydrolysis further. In this study, we complemented a cellulosome active on cellulose and hemicellulose by addition of an enzyme active on lignin. To do so, we designed a dockerin-fused variant of a recently characterized laccase from the aerobic bacterium Thermobifida fusca. The resultant chimera exhibited activity levels similar to the wild-type enzyme and properly integrated into the designer cellulosome. The resulting complex yielded a twofold increase in the amount of reducing sugars released from wheat straw compared with the same system lacking the laccase. The unorthodox use of aerobic enzymes in designer cellulosome machinery effects simultaneous degradation of the three major components of the plant cell wall (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin), paving the way for more efficient lignocellulose conversion into soluble sugars en route to alternative fuels production.


In the last decades the frequency of the digestive bled in UCI has been increased, particularly in those patients who require mechanical ventilation. From 1960 one has been to explain the involved physiopatogenic mechanisms in the digestive bled in UCI; also like determining the most suitable prophylaxis and the best treatment of this complication (1). Most of the critically ill patients develop injury of gastric mucosa so soon they enter the unit of intensive cares (UCI). Numerous factors of risk have been identified that prearrange to the hemorrhage of high digestive routes in patient the critically ill one, as they are the mechanical ventilation by but of 48 hours, coagulation disorders , severe sepsis, cranial trauma, severe neurosurgery, burns and fails organic manifold (1). Although controversial, the infection by H Pylori also has been related like factor of bled risk for digestive in UCI (5). It has been tried to prevent the patient HVDA in the critically ill one by means of the use with different pharmacologic agents as they are the antacid medicines, the antagonists of histamine the H2 receivers and the inhibitors of proton pump. Nevertheless, until the moment there is no a general consensus of as of them it does not have to be used, like of the route of administration being used either. Another disadvantage is to differentiate if the digestive bled one is clinically important because the boarding and unties is different (2). The therapy with antagonists of histamine H2 receivers has shown to diminish the incidence of HVDA in critically ill patients in the United States and have been approved by the FDA for bled prophylaxis of in UCI. The single present evidence allows to suppose us that the inhibitors of proton pump are as effective as the antagonists of the H2 receivers in the prevention of the patient digestive bled one in the critically ill one in UCI, but not yet we know if they are superior (1, 2, 6).


Green's View that the Kilauea Emanation is Anhydrous In a book, 1 now little known and rare, William Lowthian Green, a distinguished Englishman, long in the service of the native government of the Hawaiian Islands, writes as follows : "What we mainly wish to contend for and to Impress upon geologists—for re-consideration, at least—is, that it may be a mistake to assert, as is so often done in the most positive manner that water and steam are inseparably connected with volcanic action. On the contrary it would appear that elastic vapors have nothing to do with the liquidity of the Hawaiian basic lavas, and that as a matter of fact they do not seem to come up with them from below, whilst the basic minerals themselves give no indications in the main eruptions, of having been in contact with water, highly susceptible as they are, to such an influence." Mr. Green . . .


This collection of interviews captures the imagination of the writer widely regarded as "the granddaddy of science fiction." However, Ray Bradbury considers Fahrenheit 451 to be his only science-fiction novel and his others, including The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man, to be more fantasy and horror than science fiction. Bradbury, born in 1920, began reading voraciously quite early. He enjoyed the pulp magazine Amazing Stories when it first appeared. He came to maturity just before World War II, when Nazis were firing V-1 and V-2 rockets at Britain, and began writing fiction as the space age was coming to full stride. In addition to having a moon crater named in his honor, he has received science fiction's Nebula Grandmaster Award for his lifetime achievements and in 2000 the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. "The writer's vocabulary need not be extensive," Bradbury says. "He shouldn't throw unusual words at the reader, but I do believe in using the right word. The reader should be given something more than the basic meaning by the use of words that are dynamic and colorful, that provide pictures for the reader." Since 1941, when Super Science Stories bought his first story, Bradbury has written and published hundreds of short stories, as well as novels, essays, dramas, operas, teleplays, poems, and screenplays. His film work in Ireland crafting the screenplay for John Huston's Moby-Dick in 1954 established Bradbury as a fixture in Hollywood. Versions of his works have been shown on all the major networks, and USA Network produced sixty-five of his teleplays for The Ray Bradbury Theater. During his career Bradbury has given more than 300 interviews. The selection included in this volume begins in 1948, spans more than five decades, and charts Bradbury's long creative life. A recent Ph.D. graduate from Florida State University, Steven Aggelis teaches at Tallahassee Community College.


More than 90% of the Dutch greenhouse area is covered with single glass. Energy losses through the covering are high during the heating period (winter) but energy requirements are also high during the cooling period (summer) in the case of semi-closed greenhouses. Until now, light losses of insulating coverings prevented growers from using double glass or plastic film. However, increasing energy prices allow new developments. Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture studied the possibilities to use modern glass coatings to increase light transmission and save energy. Several glass types (standard glass, 90+ glass, low-iron glass) were covered with different anti-reflection coatings from different producers. Double glasses were produced; their optical properties were determined. It was possible to produce double glasses with new coatings having a higher light transmission than traditional single greenhouse glass (83-85% for hemispherical (diffuse) light, compared to 82-83% for traditional single glass) and a k-value of 3.6 W m-2 K-1 (compared to7.6 W m-2 K-1 of a traditional single glass). Other double glasses were produced using a combination of anti-reflection and modern low-emission coatings, reaching an even lower k-value of ˜2.4 W m-2 K-1, however, showing a slight light loss (78.5% for hemispherical (diffuse) light). Calculations of greenhouse climate (temperature, humidity, CO2) and energy consumptions year-round were carried out with a validated dynamic climate model. Additionally the effects on tomato production (dry matter) were calculated for the different prototypes of coated and insulated glass. Double materials show the highest energy saving with 25-33%, depending on the composition but also low-emission coatings on single glass decrease the energy use with 15-20%. Economic calculations with current tomato and energy prices showed that single and double glasses with anti-reflection coating currently have the highest potential.


tions may occur with exercise or other stresses, but the evidence for this in man could be obtained only directly from the cerebrospinal fluid, which is clearly not practical. In future it should be possible to investigate central opioid activity when there are more specific antagonist drugs, rather than naloxone or naltrexone, which have a preferential affinity for ,t receptors and an analgesic function. Another alternative is to use positron emission tomography with an opiate labelled ligand. I Finally, I also doubt whether it is significant that in the past six years all of the runners who have collapsed at the end of the Great North Run have been men-the entrants to such runs are predominantly men, in the ratio of about 10 to 1.