Acid rain has already been the environment issue for the past century and is still concerned in Southern and Eastern China. However, Northeastern China, considered in the past as non-acid rain area, is reported high frequency of acid rain occurred recently. Through a measurement and model simulation analysis with linear regression technique, factor speciation, backward trajectory, source-tracing and fraction sampling methods, this study aims to investigate the causes of the acid rain frequently occurred in the two Northeastern cities (i.e., Dandong and Dalian) and to identify the contributing sources of the chemical ions in precipitation. The annual averaged pH_(vwa) of 2007 ranged within 4.15-4.27 and 4.5-5.15 over Dandong and Dalian, which suggested the similar acidity with Southern China. The precipitation acidity in Dandong was found to be sulfur dominant in winter-spring (nssSO_4^(2-)/NO_3^- = 13.1) than summer-autumn (nssSO_4^(2-)/NO_3^- = 1.05), whereas in Dalian, estimated ratio nssSO_4^(2-)/NO_3^- was about 2.35 all over the year, reflecting the strong impact of local NOx emissions from a much more intense mobile traffic in comparison with Dandong. The findings also revealed a typical physico-chemical condition with constant strong influence of regional transport over Dandong and Dalian particularly in summer. Besides, analysis of washout and rainout mechanisms showed that the long range transport in-cloud (rainout) was more pronounced in Dandong (with minor local emissions) than Dalian (with more significant local emissions). This study indicates that acid rain pollution in Northeastern China requires much effort, not only in local emission abatement, but also in regional trans-boundary pollution control.


© Security of Relational Databases in Business Outsourcing Ersin Uzun, Bryan Stephenson HP Laboratories HPL-2008-168 database watermarking, fingerprinting encryption For most corporations the volume of sensitive data used by outsourcing providers continues to increase. As the number of different entities having access to a database increases, it gets harder to prevent and trace-back data leakage. We address the problems of proving ownership and unauthorized data distribution (leakage) for relational databases. We propose three techniques that altogether may be used to detect, deter and trace-back data leaks from relational databases. We use business process outsourcing scenarios as the descriptive use case, but our techniques are equally applicable in other use cases when a relational database is shared among many parties and its confidentiality and authenticity needs to be protected. Previous work has shown how to watermark and fingerprint numerical relational data to prove ownership and track unauthorized redistributions respectively. This work represents the first attempt to find more general solutions that can practically accommodate relational data with non-numerical or error sensitive attributes that are common in corporate databases. External Posting Date: October 21, 2008 [Fulltext] Approved for External Publication Internal Posting Date: October 21, 2008 [Fulltext] Copyright 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Security of Relational Databases in Business


Varieties of digital practices have increasingly become part of people's everyday lives and people, in general, use these communicative practices on a daily basis, mostly for social and entertaining purposes. As to higher education, researchers have pointed out that digital technology could be a useful tool in how to learn more effectively, if it is based on the abilities that students bring with them into higher education from their everyday life (for example, Buzzard et. al., 2011). In this case study, we explore the issue of students' digital practices in everyday life as well as in higher education, in a teacher training programme at a Swedish University. The aim is two-fold: on the one hand, to provide knowledge regarding students' everyday experiences of digital practices and the ways in which these are utilised in higher education; on the other hand, to contribute to the understanding of the ways in which higher education contributes to challenging and developing students' digital skills. Twenty-nine students from teacher training programmes participated in the study by answering a questionnaire. The results show that the students' digital habits are not being used or acknowledged in higher education, except for when it comes to their Teacher Training Practice (TTP). Furthermore, the results also show that higher education contributes to students' digital skills. This, we argue, could be of interest for teachers and researchers in teacher training programmes and for teachers in primary to tertiary education, in developing education activities with digital technology based on pupils' and students' digital habits. We can also see that the study can inspire other teachers in higher education, where the idea of using students' digital habits perhaps is not yet taken into consideration.


Global warming and rapid climate change have long affected the characteristics of typhoons in the Northwest Pacific, which has induced increasing devastating disasters along the coastal regions of the Korean peninsula. Synthetic Aperature Radar (SAR), as one of the microwave sensors, makes it possible to produce high-resolution sea surface wind field around the typhoon under cloudy atmospheric conditions, which has been impossible to obtain the winds from satellite optical and infrared sensors. The Geophysical Model Functions (GMFs) for sea surface wind retrieval from SAR data requires the input of wind direction, which should be based on the accurate estimation of the center of the typhoon. This study estimated the typhoon centers using Sentinel-1A images to improve the problem of typhoon center detection method and to reflect it in retrieving the sea surface wind. The results were validated by comparing with the typhoon best track data provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), and also by using infrared images of Himawari-8 satellite. The initial center position of the typhoon was determined by using VH polarization, thereby reducing the possibility of error. The detected center showed a difference of 23.76 km on average with the best track data of the four typhoons provided by the KMA and JMA. Compared to the typhoon center estimated by Himawari-8 satellite, the results showed an average spatial variation of 11.80 km except one typhoon located near land with a large difference of 58.73 km. This result suggests that high-resolution SAR images can be used to estimate the center and retrieve sea surface wind around typhoons.


After he firewalked in Polynesia, the world wasn't the same for Alexander Hergensheimer, now called Alec Graham. As natural accidents occurred without cease, Alex knew Armageddon and the Day of Judgement were near. Somehow he had to bring his beloved heathen, Margrethe, to a state of grace, and, while he was at it, save the rest of the world ...


As studies on racial profiling and biased policing have begun to proliferate, researchers are debating which benchmark is most appropriate for comparison with police traffic stop data. Existing benchmark populations, which include populations estimated from census figures, licensed drivers, arrestees, reported crime suspects, and observed drivers and traffic violators, all have significant limitations. This article offers a new, alternative benchmark for police traffic stops, a benchmark that has not been previously applied or tested in a racial profiling research setting. The analysis presented compares traffic observation data, gathered at selected, high volume intersections during an ongoing racial profiling study in Miami-Dade County, Florida, to not-at-fault driver demographic data from two-vehicle crashes at those same intersections. Findings indicate that non-responsible drivers in two-vehicle crashes appear to represent a reasonably accurate estimate of the racial composition of drivers on the roadways at selected intersections and within areas of varying racial composition. The implications of this finding for racial profiling research are discussed, and suggested areas for future inquiry are identified.


Toxins produced by marine microalgae are harmful to humans and a serious threat to aquaculture and fisheries. Most seafood-producing countries have established monitoring programmes and regulations to protect public health from the risk of toxin exposure. However, there are disparities in current regulations regarding methods and applied limits for toxin control. Inconsistencies are especially evident for Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (OSP) toxins. Epidemiological and toxicological data are necessary to assess risk, and to establish safe limits for the different groups of toxins. The scarcity or absence of pure toxins and certified reference materials has hampered toxicological studies and the development of suitable analytical methods. The World Trade Organization and the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade encourage the harmonization of regulations on food safety requirements. The current policy on trade liberalization of seafood is presented, together with a review of the regulations for marine microalgal toxins. Activities on harmonization of methods and limits, particularly to OSP toxins, are discussed.


A low relative humidity (RH) sensor based on overlay on side-polished fiber is presented. The evanescent field from a single-mode optical fiber is coupled to a TiO/sub 2/ waveguide overlay. The transmission response exhibits sharp resonances whose central wavelengths are linearly shifted with RH. This behavior is due to the porous columnar nanostructure of the TiO/sub 2/ film. The water is adsorbed in the pores of the nanostructure changing the refractive index of the layer and causing a shift of the wavelength resonances. The response of the sensor is determined by the shape and size of the pores. The optical fiber evanescent field sensor developed has a linear response and high sensitivity (0.5 nm/% RH) for low RH (RH/spl sim/0%-15%) at 26.1/spl deg/C/spl plusmn/0.6/spl deg/C. The lack of hysteresis in the adsorption-desorption cycle has been checked. The development of a sensor with tailored response is envisaged using properly techniques to control the porosity of the material.


Dynamic ice storage system has advantages of energy-saving by using electricity price difference of the different period. Food in display cabinet requires small temperature fluctuation to prolong preservation time. Considering the questions of energy consumption and unable to adopt the traditional method of halting and running compressor to control center temperature fluctuation in display cabinet, the paper provides dynamic ice storage system to cool display cabinet. When the wind speed keeps in suitable space, according to environment temperature, humidity and wind change, self-adaptive adjusting cooling water pump flow can maintain the center temperature within a certain range, and reduce center temperature fluctuations in display cabinet by controlling inverter frequency using PLC. Experiments prove that when environment temperature change range is 20°C to 32°C, and relative humidity is 40% to 90%, if not adopting PLC control pump flow, the temperature difference is 2.5°C, on the contrary, temperature difference is 1.3°C.


This paper builds on Grossman's notion of approximations of practice as scaleddown opportunities for preservice teachers to learn to teach by doing. The authors propose the use of media rich, collaborative web-authoring tools for preservice teachers to create, complete, or edit scenarios in which they practice particular activities of teaching, such as explaining a mathematics concept or reviewing students' work. The ways these environments can be used to fit the notion of approximations of practice are described, along with the authors' experience using the web-based software Depict (in the LessonSketch platform) in the teaching of secondary mathematics methods. This use of multimedia scenarios combines the advantages of visual and video-based approaches to the study of practice with those approaches that ask the preservice teachers to create scenarios (e.g., lesson plays). The value of integrating this storyboarding web software in a larger environment where scenarios can be created collaboratively, annotated, and commented on in forums is presented.


A Bogoliubov transformation accounting simultaneously for spatial compactifica-tion and thermal effects is introduced. The fields are described in a ΓDd = 𝕊11 × ... × 𝕊1d × ℝD−d topology, and the Bogoliubov transformation is derived by a generalization of the thermofield dynamics formalism, a real-time finite-temperature quantum field theory. We consider the Casimir effect for Maxwell and Dirac fields and for a non-interacting massless QCD at finite temperature. For the fermion sector in a cubic box, we analyze the temperature at which the Casimir pressure changes its sign from attractive to repulsive. This critical temperature is approximately 200 MeV when the edge of the cube is of the order of the confining lengths (≈ 1 : fm) for quarks in baryons.


This article recasts earlier research on index fund performance. A different time period shows the opposite results for index fund superiority over actively managed funds. Over the past 20 years, the end result is that neither passive nor active management as a whole wins, as common sense would suggest. Even if active management as a whole were to lose in the future, it is shown how one may use active management to create superior portfolios.


In Sweden, where forests cover more than 60% of the land area, silviculture and the use of forest products by industry and society play crucial roles in the national carbon balance. A scientific challenge is to understand how different forest management and wood use strategies can best contribute to climate change mitigation benefits. This study uses a set of models to analyze the effects of different forest management and wood use strategies in Sweden on carbon dioxide emissions and removals through 2105. If the present Swedish forest use strategy is continued, the long-term climate change mitigation benefit will correspond to more than 60 million tons of avoided or reduced emissions of carbon dioxide annually, compared to a scenario with similar consumption patterns in society but where non-renewable products are used instead of forest-based products. On average about 470 kg of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided for each cubic meter of biomass harvested, after accounting for carbon stock changes, substitution effects and all emissions related to forest management and industrial processes. Due to Sweden's large export share of forest-based products, the climate change mitigation effect of Swedish forestry is larger abroad than within the country. The study also shows that silvicultural methods to increase forest biomass production can further reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by an additional 40 million tons of per year. Forestry's contribution to climate change mitigation could be significantly increased if management of the boreal forest were oriented towards increased biomass production and if more wood were used to substitute fossil fuels and energy-intensive materials.


Cracking has long been accepted as a major mode of premature failure in flexible pavements. Expected life of pavements, pavement condition and maintenance cost are directly related to pavement cracking. It is crucial to have a sufficient understanding of cracking mechanism in order to produce a sound and safe material and structural design of asphalt pavements. Simulation, surveying, observation, and measurement of cracking in pavement structures have been reported in literature in last three decades. However, cracking process in asphalt mixtures in a three dimensional scale is still a great challenge to road engineers. Using SIEMENS SOMATOM plus X-ray CT (computerized tomography) and multi-functional testing rig, a dynamic observation of cracking propagation of hot mix asphalt was conducted in this research. Marshall samples of AC20 were used under uniaxial compressive stress state. Stress and strain behavior was observed during the compressive failure process of asphalt mixtures. Cracking propagation in the samples can be clearly observed and failure mode and stress-strain behavior can then be simulated. Research results show that loading rate is a critical factor influencing cracking velocity and cracking density.


As new hospital reimbursement schemes are rapidly introduced into the hospital industry, the impact of cost containment measures will be felt by all departments of pharmacy. This paper describes how the pharmacy department at one community teaching hospital justified the continuation of clinical pharmacy programs when faced with an immediate 18% reduction in pharmacist staff. Various written communications and recommendations are provided to assist other hospital pharmacy departments that are facing or may face this dilemma.


Nicotine is protective in ulcerative colitis but not Crohn's disease of the small intestine, but little is known about the effects of nicotine on Clostridium difficile toxin A-induced enteritis. Isolated ileal or colonic segments in anesthetized rats were pretreated with nicotine bitartrate or other pharmacological agents before intraluminal injection of toxin A. After 3 hours, the treated segments were removed and inflammation was assessed. Nicotine biphasically inhibited toxin A colitis but not ileitis. Pretreatment with the nicotinic receptor antagonist, hexamethonium, blocked the effects of nicotine. Pretreating the colonic segments with hexamethonium before toxin A administration resulted in more inflammation than seen with toxin A alone, suggesting that a tonic nicotinic anti-inflammatory condition exists in the colon. Nicotine also inhibited toxin A-induced increased colonic concentrations of the TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1) agonist, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and release of the proinflammatory neuropeptide, substance P. Pretreatment with nicotine did not protect against direct TRPV1-mediated colitis caused by intraluminal capsaicin. Nicotinic cholinergic receptors tonically protect the colon against inflammation and nicotine inhibits toxin A colitis but not toxin A ileitis in rats in part by inhibition of toxin A-induced activation of TRPV1 by endogenous TRPV1 agonists such as LTB4.


Paul of Aegina thrived with his innovative operations, practically creating a kind of a new surgical school. He had deeply believed in human's body perfection introducing a series of cosmetic operations. Among them stood the male's breasts reconstruction in the case of pseudo-gynecomastia. His intervention was replicated by both the western Europeans and the Arabs.


The private sector in Saudi Arabia faces many challenges which constrain its capability of achieving the ultimate benefits of Information Systems (IS) including its success in appropriate development and implementation of IS projects. User involvement is essential for successful development of computer-based information systems (Ives and Olson, 1984). This factor is discussed and frequently highlighted in early studies (Dickson and Simmons, 1970; Power and Dickson, 1973; Lucas, 1978) and new ones but few studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabian organisations. If user involvement is performed correctly during all the phases of IS development, many benefits will be achieved, such as more satisfaction and understanding of the new system by the end users (Kujala, 2003). Absence of user involvement in IS development prevents organisations from achieving and delivering the desired benefits, even though the regular functions and daily tasks are accomplished. In addition, it will cause many changes in requirements and resistance to change. This study aims to explore the situation of user involvement throughout IS development stages in Saudi companies, focusing on two systems, the Human Resource System and Financial System, in the companies included in the study. Data were collected through interviews with twenty-four managers and staff within four companies. The data were analysed by using an interpretive approach to draw conclusions about the situation of user involvement in IS development in these companies. The final results demonstrated that user involvement was absent or not carried out adequately within the four companies, even though they are aware with its importance. The findings from this research should help researchers and motivate them to focus on how to implement and improve this factor in Saudi industries.


Over the last decade and continuing into the foreseeable future, a trend has developed in the spacecraft industry of both number of missions and the amount of data taken by each mission increasing faster than bandwidth capabilities to send these data to Earth. The result of this trend is a bottleneck between data gathering (on-board) and data analysis (on the ground). This bottleneck can be overcome by performing data analysis on-board and only transferring the results of this analysis to the ground, rather than the raw data. One attempt to do this is being made by the NASA HPCC Remote Exploration and Experimentation (REE) Project, which is developing spaceborne embedded clusters. Spaceborne embedded clusters share many characteristics of traditional, ground-based clusters such as POSIX-compliant operating systems and message-passing applications, but also have significant differences, including packaging and the need for fault-tolerance and real-time scheduling in software. This paper discusses these similarities and differences, and how they impact application development.


Abstract Objective: To explore how a student-run clinic (SRC) in primary health care (PHC) was perceived by students, patients and supervisors. Design: A mixed methods study. Clinical learning environment, supervision and nurse teacher evaluation scale (CLES + T) assessed student satisfaction. Client satisfaction questionnaire-8 (CSQ-8) assessed patient satisfaction. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with supervisors. Setting: Gustavsberg PHC Center, Stockholm County, Sweden. Subjects: Students in medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology and their patients filled in questionnaires. Supervisors in medicine, nursing and physiotherapy were interviewed. Main outcome measures: Mean values and medians of CLES + T and CSQ-8 were calculated. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Results: A majority of 199 out of 227 student respondents reported satisfaction with the pedagogical atmosphere and the supervisory relationship. Most of the 938 patient respondents reported satisfaction with the care given. Interviews with 35 supervisors showed that the organization of the SRC provided time and support to focus on the tutorial assignment. Also, the pedagogical role became more visible and targeted toward the student's individual needs. However, balancing the student's level of autonomy and the own control over care was described as a challenge. Many expressed the need for further pedagogical education. Conclusions: High student and patient satisfaction reported from five disciplines indicate that a SRC in PHC can be adapted for heterogeneous student groups. Supervisors experienced that the SRC facilitated and clarified their pedagogical role. Simultaneously their need for continuous pedagogical education was highlighted. The SRC model has the potential to enhance student-centered tuition in PHC. Key Points Knowledge of student-run clinics (SRCs) as learning environments within standard primary health care (PHC) is limited. We report experiences from the perspectives of students, their patients and supervisors, representing five healthcare disciplines. Students particularly valued the pedagogical atmosphere and the supervisory relationship. Patients expressed high satisfaction with the care provided. Supervisors expressed that the structure of the SRC supported the pedagogical assignment and facilitated student-centered tuition – simultaneously the altered learning environment highlighted the need for further pedagogical education. Student-run clinics in primary health care have great potential for student-regulated learning.


Objective: The antimicrobial activity of lactic acid (LA) alone or in combination with chlorhexidine (CHX) and cetrimide (CTR) against three Enterococcus faecalis strains, E. faecalis ATCC 29212, E. faecalis EF-D1 and E. faecalis U-1765, one Enterococcus durans strain and one dual-species biofilm was investigated. Study Design: The irrigating solutions tested were 20%, 15%, 10%, 5% and 2.5% LA, alone and in combination with 2% CHX and with 0.2% CTR. The biofilms were grown in the MBECTM high-throughput device for 24 hours and exposed to the solutions for 30 seconds and 1 minute. "Eradication" was defined as 100% bacterial kill. Results: Twenty percent LA eradicated all enterococci biofilms after 30 seconds contact time. The association of LA + 0.2% CTR achieved better results than LA alone, in contrast with the results obtained using LA + 2% CHX. E. durans was eradicated by all the tested solutions at 1 minute. The dual-species biofilm, E. faecalis ATCC 29212 + E. durans, gave intermediate values of the pure cultures. Conclusions: LA is capable of eradicating enterococci biofilm at a concentration of 20%. The combination of lower concentrations with 0.2% CTR achieved eradication after 1 minute. Key words:Biofilm, cetrimide, chlorhexidine, enterococcus durans, enterococcus faecalis.


The design and use of hyperspectral imaging remote sensing systems involve the selection of a large number of parameters in particular due to the richness of the data. Many of these parameters interrelate in their effect on system performance. The tasks of optimizing parameter values that one has control over and understanding the impact of those that are uncontrollable are important in system design and use. A computational model of relevant system components and parameter values for a hyperspectral remote sensing system has been developed an used to explore their relative impact on system performance. The hyperspectral remote sensing system is defined by considering the scene and all contributions to the upwelling radiance, the sensor and all effects leading to measured data, and the subsequent processing applied to extract the desired information which is then used as the metric for system performance. The relative contribution to system performance is studied by defining a nominal configuration for the system and then perturbing individual parameters and examining the impact on system performance that results from these perturbations. By considering the effect of parameter values one at a time, the relative impact can be studied. However, since the entire system is still considered in the analysis, the constraining interrelationships are still present thus providing a more relevant indication of impact. Results will be presented for a canonical scenario where an airborne hyperspectral sensor observes a scene where an unresolved object is arbitrarily located and the performance metric is detection accuracy. Significant effects in system performance are seen to be attributable to spectral channel selection and the object spectral characteristics and size, while factors such as instrument noise and calibration error play relatively minor roles in system performance.


This study was carried out for the evaluation of the parasitic fauna of the autochthonous species Luciobarbus callensis (Valenciennes, 1842) synonym of Barbus callensis Valenciennes, 1842 belonging to the Cyprinid. This species has been widely distributed in the rivers of Algeria, and was studied for the first time in the Beni Haroun dam. The samples were obtained using a trammel net during the years of 2015-2016. On a total of 168 specimens examined, the biometric and anatomical measurements have shed light on a multitude aspects related to the growth and development of fish studied in relation to the infestation by endohelminth parasites. The evaluation of parasite indices according to size, sex and seasons showed that all the specimens of this fish species were likely to be parasitized, but with varying degrees.


Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of release media (compendial and biorelevant) in combination with in vitro hydrodynamics on the release of Indomethacin (IND) from interpolymer matrices. Methods Interpolymer complexes (IPC-1, IPC-2 and IPC-3) were synthesized from copolymers Eudragit® grades EPO and S100 which were generously donated by Evonik Rohm GmbH. Indomethacin was selected as a model drug and was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. The release of IND was investigated in buffer solutions (pH 1.2; 5.8; 6.8 and 7.4) and in biorelevant media (FaSSGF, FASSIF-V2 and FASSCoF) with sequential media change for 7 hours using BIO-DIS Reciprocating Cylinder Apparatus [USP Apparatus III; Agilent Technologies, USA] at 5 dip per minute in 200 ml of medium and Flow through cell apparatus [CE 7 smart USP Apparatus IV; SOTAX, Switzerland] at flow rate 16 ml/min in buffer solutions and 8 ml/min and 4 ml/min in biorelevant media. The concentration of IND was determined by UV-spectrophotometry (Helios, Thermo Electron Corporation, USA) in buffer solutions and by HPLC-UV (Agilent 1200 Series, Agilent Technologies, USA) in biorelevant media. Results The release of IND from the Interpolymer Complexes with the Flow through cell apparatus was negligible in the buffer media with pH value lower than 6.8 and in FaSSGF. Indomethacin was released only in the two last media with pH values of 6.8 and 7.4 in the case of the evaluation of IND in buffer solutions and in FaSSIF-V2 and FaSSCoF in the case of the evaluation of IND in biorelevant media. This profile of release reveals the properties of the formulations tested to have gastro resistant properties and release the drug in the lower part of the intestine. It is important to note that the release of IND from the formulations based on IPC-2 and IPC-3 was similar despite their different compositions and the conditions of their synthesis. In the case of the release evaluation with the Bio Dis apparatus the release profiles of all complexes could show their gastro resistant properties and expected release of IND in the lower part of the intestine only. The release of IND from the formulations of IPC-2 and IPC-3 was similar in the Bio Dis apparatus as observed in the flow through cell apparatus. A higher release of IND was obtained with the BioDis apparatus in all conditions tested due to the disintegration of the matrices observed with this experimental set up. The results of the release studies with the flow through cell apparatus and with the Bio Dis apparatus with sequential media change confirms that all the Interpolymer Complexes tested are erosion type systems. A higher release of IND was observed from formulations based on IPC-1 under all conditions tested. Conclusion IND formulations based on interpolymer complexes Eudragit EPO/S100 provided release of the drug in the lower part of the intestine based on release studies under physiological relevant conditions. IND release was higher from formulations based on IPC-1, whereas IND release from formulations based on IPC-2 and IPC-3 was similar in all conditions tested.


Pharmacokinetics can be a useful aid to therapy only if its limitations are clearly recognized. Therapeutic monitoring is indicated only when there is a correlation between the kinetic behaviour of a drug (mainly blood concentrations) and therapeutic outcome. The argument for correlating therapeutic effects with plasma levels would be more convincing if it could be demonstrated in variable diseases, e.g. mental disease. Measurement of concentrations in the treatment of acute poisoning is invaluable only in cases of overdosage with salicylate or paracetamol.


Background/Objectives: This study designed a model that used the sandwich-style notched tensile specimens of the same specifications by applying to the properties of CFRP, stainless steel, and aluminum, and performed a test simulation. Methods/Statistical analysis: The study used CATIA design software to perform the 3D modeling of the sandwich-style notched tensile specimens with the properties of CFRP, a composite material, and stainless steel and aluminum, both ordinary metals, and then, performed a tensile test simulation. Findings: By designing the sandwich-style notched tensile specimens of the same specifications and performing a test simulation, we were able to verify the tensile strength and durability of the specimens for the different materials. This study result showed that unlike the specimens for the ordinary metals, those specimens with the properties of the composite material of CFRP first showed maximum load instead of breaking immediately due to the fibers in CFRP, before they resisted displacement in response to the alternately increasing and decreasing load until it fractured. To be specific, we saw that the CFRP specimens had the more excellent tensile strength and durability. Improvements/Applications: The data obtained from the studies will serve as the basic data for studies on the composite materials like CFRP and other various materials.


The main focus of this study is the costs and benefits of return of coal case in Turkish electricity market in terms of economic and environmental aspects. Three chapters mainly answer the questions regarding the study. The first chapter includes a comprehensive explanation of the state of coal both around the globe and in Turkey. Proven reserves, production & consumption values and coal in power generation are analyzed in this chapter. Moreover, the return of coal case for the Turkish electricity market is clearly defined. In the second chapter, economic outcomes of the return of coal are discussed considering the cost effectiveness and a goal of having more predictable market. Certain cases in the Turkish electricity market are used to elucidate issues regarding the economic aspect. Third chapter renders the environmental costs of coal by classifying types of impacts. The cases in Turkey are also introduced in this chapter to grasp the environmental challenges in Turkey. Certain options to mitigate the environmental risks are clearly explained. Key Words: Energy Policy, Coal Policy, Electricity Market, Coal-Fired Power Generation.


Upper mantle structure between 150 and 400 km depth is imaged beneath the Arabian Shield and northern Red Sea by modeling P and S traveltime residuals from teleseismic events recorded on the Saudi Arabia National Digital Seismic Network, the 1995–1997 Saudi Arabian PASSCAL experiment, and three permanent stations (RAYN, EIL, and MRNI). Relative traveltime residuals were obtained using a multichannel cross‐correlation method and inverted for upper mantle structure using VanDecar's inversion method. The resulting images reveal a low‐velocity region (∼1.5% for the P model and ∼3% for the S model) trending NW–SE along the western side of the Arabian Shield and broadening to the northeast beneath the Makkah‐Madinah‐Nafud volcanic line. We attribute the low velocities to a mantle thermal anomaly that could be as large as 330 K and that is associated with the Cenozoic uplift of and volcanic centers on the Shield. Our tomographic images are not consistent with models invoking separate mantle upwellings beneath the northern and southern regions of the Shield and instead favor single plume or superplume models. We also find little evidence for low velocities beneath the northern Red Sea, suggesting that there might not be a geodynamic link between rifting in the Red Sea and plateau uplift and volcanism in the Shield.


We consider some generalizations of median filters which combine properties of both the linear and median filters. In particular, L filters and M filters are considered, motivated by robust estimators which are generalizations of the median as a location estimator. A related filter, which we call the modified trimmed mean (MTM) filter, is also described. The filters are evaluated for their performance on noisy signals containing sharp discontinuities or edges. It is shown that M filters can offer a more favorable combination of the running mean and median filters than can L filters, while MTM filters generally have better characteristics than M filters. We also show that an MTM filter is a data-dependent modification of L filters. The concept of double-window filtering is introduced as a refinement of MTM filtering. One representative set of filtered sequences of a test input using these filters are presented to illustrate the performance characterisics of these filters.


This paper addresses the methodological challenge of exposing and reconciling contradictory narratives of change in a social-ecological system (SES). Our research occurred in the Ovens Valley in southeastern Australia. Other studies have used the adaptive cycle to interpret change, but those efforts have been based on researcher-derived interpretations. We drew on the Factors Actors Sectors framework as a structure for coding qualitative interview data provided by key informants. Our analysis suggested that interpretations of SES change fell into three groups: farmers, employees of government and local organizations, and local politicians. Those narratives were then overlaid on the adaptive cycle as a way of exposing and interpreting the narratives. To farmers, the SES was based on agriculture and approaching collapse, and intervention was required to prevent a collapse. Employees of government and local organizations thought the SES had already collapsed, and local people were struggling to identify a prosperous new trajectory. The local politicians also thought the system had collapsed but unlike the other stakeholders, considered the SES as having already reorganized. We then drew on a range of secondary data to reconcile those contradictory narratives and form a consolidated interpretation of landscape change. Our synthesis of the primary and secondary data suggested that the SES had collapsed and reorganized as a multifunctional landscape. We suggest our approach may be useful to others attempting to interpret landscape change using a resilience framework. The case study also illustrates the importance of exploring multiple perspectives of landscape change as a way of exposing the role of power as a force shaping discourse and, therefore, policy and planning.


Drought prediction for in many regions of the world has critical importance for strategic planning agriculture and water management. The occurrence of droughts cannot be predicted with certainty and thus must be treated as random variables. It is the main purpose of this paper to develop a new concept of drought features assessments based on triple drought related hydrometeorological and meteorological variables, namely, rainfall, solar irradiation and sunshine duration. Equal standard rainfall lines are drawn as a map with two reference variables as solar irradiation and sunshine duration. These are referred to as the triple graphical method (TGM) approach. It furnishes rich features of drought behaviour variation based on the rainfall, solar irradiation and sunshine duration. This analysis and the solar irradiation estimation method are applied to seven climatologically different stations in the Republic of Turkey for the monthly data period 1982–1991. The linear relations between drought and the variables of the Angström equation are found between 55% and 94% without Trabzon. Drought and Angström equation parameters are estimated by the proposed methodology. Relations between monthly drought and Angström equation variables are presented by the triple solar‐drought graphical method. TGM provides information about the drought occurrences for different combinations of solar irradiation and sunshine duration. TGM graphs help to identify not only precipitation surplus (wet spells) or deficits (dry spells droughts) but also their variations with two more meteorological variables as solar irradiation and sunshine duration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract Use of infrared spectroscopy as an accurate, quantitative method to measure concentrations of hydrous species in minerals requires consideration of the interactions of anisotropic crystals with infrared light. Ensuring that contributions are identified from species at all orientations in the crystal requires combining three measurements, taken with the electric field polarized along three mutually perpendicular directions. This is typically accomplished by determining the orientation of a crystal in advance, and then sectioning it perpendicular to its principal axes. In many instances, however, natural or experimental samples are not suitable for such handling. Here we demonstrate a method that instead uses at least three randomly sectioned grains, considered to be multiple samples of a homogeneous population. We explain the theory whereby: (1) the orientations of the polarization vectors of measurements taken on these grains are determined by comparison to oriented standards of the same mineral, and (2) the principal-axis spectra of the sample are synthesized from the randomly oriented spectra. By comparison to complementary electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data, we demonstrate that determination of orientations using the silicate overtone bands in Fourier-Transform infrared (FTIR) spectra is accurate and precise, with typical angular errors of 6°. We show that this precision is sufficient for the synthetic principal-axis spectra to be essentially indistinguishable from X-ray oriented standard spectra. We demonstrate the application of this technique to determining the OH concentrations in a population of hydrated olivine grains recovered from a high-pressure, high-temperature multi-anvil experiment.


Texas is the second largest state in U.S.A. based on geographical area, population and the economy. It is home to several large coastal urban areas with major industries and infrastructure supporting the fossil-fuel based energy sector. Most of the major cities on the state have been impacted by significant air pollution events over the past decade. Studies conducted in the southern coastal region of TX have identified long range transport as a major contributor of particulate matter (PM) pollution along with local emissions. Biomass burns, secondary sulfates and diesel emissions sources are comprise as the dominant mass of PM2.5 have been noted to be formed by the long range transport biomass from Central America. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to identify and quantify local as well as regional sources contributing to the PM pollution in the coastal area of Brownsville located along the Gulf of Mexico. Source apportionment techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) were employed on the air quality monitoring data to identify and quantify local and regional sources affecting this coastal region. As a supplement to the PMF and PCA, conditional probability function (CPF) analysis and potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis were employed to characterize the meteorological influences for PM events. PCA identified an optimal solution of 6 sources affecting the coastal area of Brownsville, while PMF resolved 8 sources for the same area. Biomass comingled with sea salt was identified to be the dominant contributor from the PCA analysis with 30.2% of the apportioned PM mass in Brownsville, meanwhile PMF account secondary sulfates I & II with 27.6%. the other common sources identified included, biomass burning, crustal dust, secondary sulfate, oil combustion, mobile sources and miscellaneous traffic sources.


As environmental change accelerates and future uncertainty increases, implementation of strategy inherently involves continuous adjustment and modification. To meet the need for further research on the critical role of communication, this article contributes to the literature by examining the relationship between communication and strategy implementation. I propose that senders' bias, which refers to the overestimation of the quality of communication (i.e., degree of sharing) with organizational members by senders (i.e., top managers), is a fundamental implementation problem. Thus, top managers' perceived degree of communication with organizational members is expected to have limited effects on the degree of value sharing and resulting effectiveness of strategy implementation up to a certain threshold point. Additionally, I argue that the relationship between top managers' perceived degree of communication and strategy implementation are moderated by the type of communication (i.e., whether storytelling is used in the communication), communication medium (i.e., the use of e-mails), and top managers' openness to the voices of organizational members. The idea of senders' bias should provide insights into why many organizations struggle with strategy implementation.


The purpose of this research was to understand male college students' experiences in a traditionally female academic major, such as apparel. Based on the analyses and interpretation of interviews with 22 male students from an apparel program, two topical areas emerged: (a) attitudes of toward male apparel students; and (b) experiences of male students in an apparel program. The first topical area describes what male apparel students encounter when they inform parents, friends, and people around them about their academic major. The second topical area portrays male student experiences in a major with an overwhelming majority of peers being women. The study contributes to the literature on men in non-traditional occupations. Such understanding is a precursor for minimizing gender-stereotypic career boundaries. Implications and recommendations for apparel program instructors, advisors, administrators, and career counselors are presented.


Robot navigation in human-populated environments is a subject of great interest among the international scientific community. In order to be accepted in these scenarios, it is important for robots to navigate respecting social rules. Avoid getting too close to a person, not interrupting conversations or asking for permission or collaboration when it is required by social conventions, are some of the behaviours that robots must exhibit. This paper presents a social navigation system that integrates different software agents within a cognitive architecture for robots and describes, as the main contribution, the corpus that allows to establish dialogues between robots and humans in real situations to improve the human-aware navigation system. The corpus has been experimentally evaluated by the simulation of different daily situations, where robots need to plan interactions with real people. The results are analysed qualitatively, according to the behaviour expected by the robot in the interaction performed. The results show how the corpus presented in this paper improves the robot navigation, making it more socially accepted.


Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by mucosa damage associated with an uncontrolled inflammatory response. This immunological impairment leads to altered inflammatory mediators such as IL-33, which is shown to increase in the mucosa of active UC (aUC) patients. MicroRNAs present a distorted feature in inflamed colonic mucosa and are potential IL-33 regulating candidates in UC. Therefore, we studied the microRNA and mRNA profiles in inflamed colonic samples of UC patients, evaluating the effect of a microRNA (selected by in silico analysis and its expression in UC patients), on IL-33 under inflammatory conditions. We found that inflamed mucosa (n = 8) showed increased expression of 40 microRNAs and 2,120 mRNAs, while 49 microRNAs and 1,734 mRNAs were decreased, as determined by microarrays. In particular, IL-33 mRNA showed a 3.8-fold increase and eight members of a microRNA family (miR-378), which targets IL-33 mRNA in the 3′UTR, were decreased (−3.9 to −3.0 times). We selected three members of the miR-378 family (miR-378a-3p, miR-422a, and miR-378c) according to background information and interaction energy analysis, for further correlation analyses with IL-33 expression through qPCR and ELISA, respectively. We determined that aUC (n = 24) showed high IL-33 levels, and decreased expression of miR-378a-3p and miR-422a compared to inactive UC (n = 10) and controls (n = 6). Moreover, both microRNAs were inversely correlated with IL-33 expression, while miR-378c does not show a significant difference. To evaluate the effect of TNFα on the studied microRNAs, aUC patients with anti-TNF therapy were compared to aUC receiving other treatments. The levels of miR-378a-3p and miR-378c were higher in aUC patients with anti-TNF. Based on these findings, we selected miR-378a-3p to exploring the molecular mechanism involved by in vitro assays, showing that over-expression of miR-378a-3p decreased the levels of an IL-33 target sequence β-gal-reporter gene in HEK293 cells. Stable miR-378a-3p over-expression/inhibition inversely modulated IL-33 content and altered viability of HT-29 cells. Additionally, in an inflammatory context, TNFα decreased miR-378a-3p levels in HT-29 cells enhancing IL-33 expression. Together, our results propose a regulatory mechanism of IL-33 expression exerted by miR-378a-3p in an inflammatory environment, contributing to the understanding of UC pathogenesis.


This study assessed the long-term radar reflectivity (Z) biases of collocated S- and C-band dual-polarization radars. The systematic bias, wet-radome effect (WRE), and attenuation effect were investigated. The algorithm of self-consistency utilizes Z, differential reflectivity (Zdr), and specific differential phase (Kdp) to estimate the systematic bias and WRE of both radars. Eleven years of disdrometer data in northern Taiwan were used to obtain the self-consistency and Kdp-based attenuation correction relation coefficients. Subsequently, a series of sensitivity tests were conducted to examine the influence of these coefficients on bias and attenuation corrections. The Kdp(Z,Zdr) relationship outperformed that of the Kdp(Z). The Kdp(Z,Zdr) relationship with seasonal coefficients and systematic bias-corrected Zdr constituted the optimal procedure. The corrected Z of collocated radars was in good agreement, lending further validity to the correction schemes. The results demonstrated that the stable systematic bias values of two radars were -1.89 to -1.14 dB and -2.46 to -1.87 dB. During the WRE period, additional underestimations of the Z by nearly 4 and 7 dB were recorded for S- and C-band radar, respectively. The mean value of radar reflectivity near radar (Znr) was obtained to identify the WRE period. In this study, an innovative quadratic polynomial fitting equation was proposed to investigate the systematic and WRE biases using the Znr. Moreover, a pronounced wind intensity dependency of the WRE could be observed in the quadratic polynomial fitting equation.


Fiber availability is not always ensured in all year long grazing systems. In this context, low quality fiber feeds may be of relevance for bovine feeding. We propose, thus, to study the effect of adding 5% of urea (on a dry matter basis) on the chemical composition and nutritional value of Hedychium gardnerianum, Sheppard ex Ker-Gawl (ginger lily or Kahili ginger), a traditional fiber source used by Azorean farmers. Treatments were: green ginger lily as a control, addition of 5% urea on a DM basis to green ginger lily, with treatments lasting 0, 5, 10, 15 and 30 days and addition of 5% urea on a DM basis to previously dried ginger lily, at day 0. The treatment afforded a significant (P<0.05) increase in crude protein, while maintaining the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents, and a variation in the acid detergent lignin (ADL) content. No significant improvement in in vitro dry matter digestibility. The treatment with urea of the green forage does not have the same effect as in other low quality fiber feeds, namely straw, since ginger lily has much higher a Crude Protein value than those other fibrous feeds.

 Key words: Hedychium gardnerianum, in vitro digestibility, urea treatment, roughage.


1. Measurements are presented of the activity and intracellular distribution of phosphoenolypruvate carboxykinase, pyruvate carboxylase and NADP-malate dehydrogenase in rat, guinea-pig and rabbit liver and kidney cortex, together with previously obtained measurements of these enzymes in adipose tissue. 2. In all three tissues pyruvate carboxylase activity was greatest in the rat and lowest in the rabbit. 3. Guinea pig and rabbit were very similar to each other with respect to the extramitochondrial-mitochondrial distribution of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in all three tissues. 4. NADP-malate dehydrogenase was present in all three tissues in the rat, present in kidney cortex and adipose tissue in the guinea pig and absent from all tissues examines in the rabbit.


Unique Cu2O–CuO–TiO2 hollow nanocages are synthesized by a facile self-template hydrothermal method without any surfactants and additional templates. In the synthesis process, Cu2O serves as the self-template to induce the morphology control of hollow nanocages. As the precursor to fabricate the TiO2 layer, TiF4 also etches the Cu2O template to form a hollow structure by releasing HF during the hydrothermal treatment. The design of combining copper oxides with the TiO2 layer in a hollow nanocage structure is favorable for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Because it is beneficial to fully utilize the respective advantages of different components and solve the critical volume expansion issue that exists in almost every metal oxide electrode. As anode materials of LIBs, the as-prepared hollow nanocages of ternary metal oxides exhibit a superior reversible capacity of 700 mA h g−1 at 50 mA g−1 for over 85 cycles, which is much higher than the theoretical capacity of the compounds and any of their compositions. The capacity of the anode materials still deliver a negligible decay when restart charging/discharging after stopped more than one month. The outstanding electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergetic effects of individual components and the special structure, namely, higher theoretical capacity of copper oxides, the well-designed hollow structure, and good structural stability and cycling stability of TiO2.


Considerable efforts have been made during the past two decades to develop reliable and effective macroscopic process models for inert gas stirred ladles. The primary objective of these has been to develop simplified equations/expressions embodying a set of key operating variables such as ladle dimensions, gas flow rate, nozzle/tuyere dimension and so on for hydrodynamics, scaling criterion, structure and profiles of the gas-liquid two phase plume, mixing, heat and mass transfer between solids and bulk liquid etc. An exhaustive literature search on the subject indicates that both fundamental as well as empirical approaches were adopted by investigators to develop these simplified process models. It was further noted that a vast majority of these studies applied aqueous model of gas stirred ladle systems as a means to arrive at or validate such models. Parallel to this, limited available evidence within the literature also suggests that macroscopic models, despite being simplistic have a sound basis and therefore can form a reasonably reliable predictive framework, particularly in the absence of any elaborate computer solutions, for first hand analysis of rate processes in gas stirred ladles.


The world is witnessing appreciable advancements in different spheres of life. However, an alarm is being raised in the way society consumes finite natural resources and how such unbridled behavior has affected the world around us. Therefore, business is being held to a higher level of accountability to ensure that we do not run out of those resources. Competition is at its peak as globalization gains more visibility despite the rise of nationalism. This is presenting both opportunities and challenges for business, but the consensus is that the world needs to rethink its production, consumption, and disposal processes. Today, concepts such as Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Business Ethics etc. have been resonating in the business community. At the center of this new paradigm is the growing need to incorporate stakeholders in business policies and practices. Lately, sustainability is being echoed in most organizations through policy changes on people, planet, and profit (3Ps). As the Shareholder Primacy Norm (SPN) is being relegated to the background, sustainability is becoming a major factor on the overall relationship between business and society. Therefore, its relevance can hardly be exaggerated. This paper focuses on stakeholder mapping and attributes, and how they can be harnessed to gain stakeholder commitment to sustainability matters. Experience demonstrates how some stakeholder groups have maximized power and urgency attributes to positively influence the supply chain management behavior of some multinational organizations and acknowledges the lack of homogeneity in different sectors of the economy. Essentially, the paper explores the transferability of such approaches in all sectors to promote and maintain sustainability. Additionally, it recognizes the increasing influence of stakeholders globally and tries to examine its relevance to the concept of sustainability as it shifts from ideology to an inevitable business longevity strategy. It decomposes the different perspectives in which stakeholder groups can be used to achieve sustainability by paying attention to the 3Ps. Some setbacks experienced by companies (especially the extractive industry) in their sustainability drive have been identified. The paper concludes by highlighting extant practices and gaps in business' approach to sustainability from both developing and less-developed nations dimension. Furthermore, it establishes a relationship between the institutional environment and embrace of sustainability. Finally, it makes recommendations that are driven by stakeholder attributes to the required awareness in the production, consumption, and disposal of goods.


This paper proposes a novel neural network (NN) training method that employs the hybrid exponential smoothing method and the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm, which aims to improve the generalization capabilities of previously used methods for training NNs for short-term traffic flow forecasting. The approach uses exponential smoothing to preprocess traffic flow data by removing the lumpiness from collected traffic flow data, before employing a variant of the LM algorithm to train the NN weights of an NN model. This approach aids NN training, as the preprocessed traffic flow data are more smooth and continuous than the original unprocessed traffic flow data. The proposed method was evaluated by forecasting short-term traffic flow conditions on the Mitchell freeway in Western Australia. With regard to the generalization capabilities for short-term traffic flow forecasting, the NN models developed using the proposed approach outperform those that are developed based on the alternative tested algorithms, which are particularly designed either for short-term traffic flow forecasting or for enhancing generalization capabilities of NNs.


Abstract Chinese and European privets are among the most aggressive invasive shrubs in forestlands of the southern United States. We analyzed extensive field data collected by the U.S. Forest Service covering 12 states to identify potential determinants of invasion and to predict likelihood of further invasion under a variety of possible management strategies. Results of multiple logistic regression, which classified 75% of the field plots correctly with regard to species presence and absence, indicated probability of invasion is correlated positively with elevation, adjacency (within 300 m) to waterbodies, mean extreme maximum temperature, site productivity, species diversity, natural regeneration, wind disturbance, animal disturbance, and private land ownership and is correlated negatively with slope, stand age, site preparation, artificial regeneration, distance to the nearest road, fire disturbance, and public land ownership. Habitats most at risk to further invasion (likelihood of invasion > 10%) under current conditions occur throughout Mississippi, with a band stretching eastward across south-central Alabama, and in eastern Texas and western Louisiana. Invasion likelihoods could be reduced most by conversion to public land ownership, followed by site preparation, fire disturbance, artificial regeneration, and elimination of animal disturbance. While conversion of land ownership may be neither feasible nor desirable, this result emphasizes the opportunity for reducing the likelihood of invasions on private lands via increased use of selected management practices. Nomenclature: Chinese privet, Ligustrum sinense Lour, European privet, Ligustrum vulgare L. Management Implications: Biotic invasions have affected ecosystems worldwide. One of the greatest current challenges facing forest ecosystem management in the southern United States is the control of range expansions by invasive plant species. To move beyond reactive control efforts toward more proactive management requires prediction of potential ranges of invasive species on spatial scales relevant to forest managers. We drew upon extensive geo-referenced datasets on nonnative invasive plants maintained by the U.S. Forest Service to develop an invasion distribution model predicting possible range expansion of Chinese and European privets in forestlands of the southern United States. By identifying determinants of invasion and potential habitat, our analyses should assist land managers and restoration practitioners in planning proactive management strategies and control treatments.


We review the theoretical work carried out on the tri-hydrogen ion in the electronic triplet state 13E′, which is split into a and 23A′ by vibronic interaction. We begin with an overview on analytical potential energy surfaces and calculations of rovibrational states by focusing on our own results, which are based on the most accurate potential energy surfaces available so far. This is followed by an examination of the selection rules and predictions of infrared transition frequencies. Finally, we discuss the Slonczewski resonance states supported by the upper sheet of the potential energy surface. Theoretical work reported here may be of interest for future experiments on the title ion.


Legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen which initiates infection of the human host by adhering to macrophages in the alveoli of the lung following which internalization and intracellular multiplication occurs. In this study a novel mechanism of opsonin-independent attachment for this organism to host cells was identified. L. pneumophila serogroup 1, strain Nottingham N7, and U-937 cells as well as primary guinea pig alveolar macrophages were used to study this adherence phenomenon. A variety of assay methods were used to evaluate the nature of this binding event: transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to visualize the uptake and replicative processes while organism enumeration as a measure of adherence was accomplished using viable bacterial cell colony counts and indirect immunofluorescence studies. It was shown that L. pneumophila adhered to U-937 cells in the absence of complement and a complete infectious cycle for the organism was found. These data confirmed previously identified stages of phagocytic host cell interaction including uptake, intracellular replication and release of progeny bacteria. The chemical nature of the L. pneumophila bacterial "adhesin" and the host cell "receptor" in binding studies were investigated. The results from both competitive binding and surface treatment studies suggested the nature of the putative adhesins and receptor moieties associated with successful attachment of L. pneumophila to these host cells. Glycolipids on host cell surfaces and proteins or glycoproteins on Legionella membranes function to facilitate binding of bacteria prior to engulfment. Monoclonal antibodies specific for complement receptors CR1, CR3 and CR4 were used in blocking studies and these indicated that these molecules were not involved in the recognition of legionellae. These results indicate the importance of opsonin-independent binding mechanisms for L. pneumophila to host cells and shed new light on our understanding of cellular infection by L. pneumophila.


A system simulation environment is constructed dedicatedly for IEEE1394 high speed digital communication. In this environment, various network transactions inherent in communication systems are taken into account for system simulation, which is indispensable to enable IP (Intellectual Property)-based design of the systems. By using the proposed environment, a link layer controller of IEEE1394 is implemented with great ability of network transactions as well as connectivities with physical layer chips. Co-simulation between Verilog-HDL description of the link layer and C++ behavioral description of the physical layer has been carried out to verify the functionalities of the designed controller. FPGA implementation result of the link layer controller is also shown.


In passive seismic interferometry using naturally occurring, heterogeneous noise sources and in active-source seismic interferometry where sources can usually only be distributed densely on the exterior of solid bodies, bias can be introduced in Green's function estimates when amplitudes of energy have directional variations. We have developed an algorithm to remove bias in Green's function estimates constructed using seismic interferometry when amplitudes of energy used have uncontrollable directional variations. The new algorithm consists of two parts:1 a method to measure and adjust the amplitudes of physical, incoming energy using an array of receivers and 2 a method to predict and remove nonphysical energy that remains and can be accentuated in interferometrically derived Green's functions after applying the method in step 1. To accomplish step 2, we have created two data-driven methods to predict the nonphysical energy using direct computation or move-out-based methods, and a way to suppress such energy usingin this case helical leastsquares filters. Two-dimensional acoustic scattering examples confirm the algorithm's effectiveness.


The 2009 Samoan Tsunami killed 143 and affected 4389 people. Before communities could begin to rebuild, the tonnes of potentially hazardous (to public health and the environment) debris had to be removed. Interviews were conducted with professionals involved in, and affected by, the tsunami debris clean-up in April 2010. A number of government and international non-governmental organisation initiated clean-up programmes in affected communities. Terrestrial waste clearance was prioritised ahead of coast, marine and wetland areas. Generally a combination of community and contracted labour was used during the clean-up. Some material was salvaged for temporary shelter and recycling, however, the majority of the waste was disposed of at Tafaigata landfill. An overall strategy and strong leadership in waste management activities was absent – leading to a string of discrete, nonstrategic and varied interventions. There appeared to have been no overall coordination, and no waste management strategy from the international community, or the Government of Samoa's Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MNRE). The MNRE lacked the physical and financial resources and oversight to deal with the waste efficiently and holistically. In the future a more coordinated approach would be beneficial. Key waste programme components such as financing, waste management programme implementation and environmental standards varied between organisations and there was little cohesion and consistency. This resulted in mixed and incomplete outcomes from the clean-up works. Inconsistencies included: varying levels of recycling; expectations on community participation in debris cleanup (paid and non-paid; waste segregation vs. mixed waste collection); different standards in clean-up service provided between villages.


Background Antimicrobial resistance to treatment can hinder gonorrhoea prevention and control efforts, thereby leading to increases in gonorrhoea incidence. We estimated the economic burden of potential increases in gonorrhoea incidence in the US as a result of emerging cephalosporin resistance. Methods The potential increase in gonorrhoea due to resistance was based on an analysis of historical gonorrhoea incidence and ciprofloxacin resistance data. We used clinic-level resistance data from the Gonococcal Isolates Surveillance Project (GISP) and city-level gonorrhoea incidence rates from surveillance data for 17 GISP cities from 1991 to 2006. We performed a regression analysis in which the gonorrhoea rate (log) was the dependent variable and the independent variable of interest was the percentage of GISP isolates (from the clinic in the respective city) resistant to ciprofloxacin. To estimate the cost of potential increases in gonorrhoea, we used STIC-Figure, a spreadsheet programme that applies published equations of the economic impact of STDs. Results The regression analysis found a significant, positive association (p < 0.01) between ciprofloxacin resistance and gonorrhoea incidence at the city level. The results suggested that an increase in resistance from 0% to 10% of isolates could result in a net increase in gonorrhoea of about 7% (range: 3% - 12%) in the first year and 17% (range: 6% - 28%) after ten years. Over ten years, the estimated impact would be substantial: 48,000 additional cases of PID, 5,000 additional cases of epididymitis, and 560 additional HIV infections, with direct medical costs totaling $405 million (range: $152 million - $689 million). Conclusions Ciprofloxacin resistance was associated with increased gonorrhoea rates, despite availability of alternative treatments at the time. Correspondingly, emerging cephalosporin resistance could have substantial health and economic consequences. Efforts to control the spread and reduce the consequences of resistant strains can mitigate this potential burden.


High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) is a noninvasive cortical stimulation (NICS) technique that, due to the utilization of multi-electrode stimulation, may enable development of sham conditions characterized by indistinguishable scalp sensations compared to active conditions, with little or no cortical influence. We sought to contribute to the development of an optimal sham electrode configuration for HD-tDCS protocols by gathering ratings of overall sensation reported by participants during different electrode configurations and current intensities. Twenty healthy participants completed a magnitude estimation task during which they rated their "overall sensation" in 1-minute intervals during five 5-minute stimulation conditions. A 5 x 5 (Time x Stimulation condition) analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine if sensation measurements differed over time, and how this varied by condition. Null hypothesis significance tests and equivalence tests were conducted to determine which sham conditions were statistically indistinguishable from the experimental condition. The ANOVA revealed main effects for Time and Stimulation condition. Planned comparisons, comparing each sham condition to the experimental condition (4x1 ring configuration, 2 mA), revealed differences in sensation ratings for all but one condition (Sham 1x1A); no sham conditions were found to be statistically equivalent to the experimental condition. Our HD-tDCS findings build upon previous NICS reports of differences in sensation ratings between sham versus experimental conditions when traditional "ramping down" approaches were used. Alternative multi-electrode configurations that manipulate electrode placement to shunt current across the scalp warrant further investigation as valid blinding methods. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE


The gold mining site of Kamituga in South Kivu is characterized by a tense co-existence between Banro, a Canadian mining company, and a large number of artisanal miners who operate in the company's concessions. This co-existence will be put to the test as Banro further develops its activities. To assess what the future may bring, we study the profile of artisanal miners and their coping mechanisms. Relying on a structured survey among a representative sample of artisanal miners, we address three specific questions: • Are artisanal miners willing to relocate their mining activities? • Can they reorient towards other economic activities? • To what extent may the tension between both modes of production give rise to (violent) confrontations?


Project-based learning (PBL) is a well-known student-centred methodology for engineering design education. The methodology claims to offer a number of educational benefits. This paper evaluates the student perceptions of the initial and second offering of a first-year design unit at Griffith University in Australia. It builds on an earlier evaluation conducted after the initial offering of the unit. It considers the implementation of the recommended changes. Evaluations of the two offerings reveal that students (in both the initial and second offering) generally enjoyed the experience, but that the second offering was found to be a significantly more enjoyable learning experience. Students in the second offering also reported a significantly better understanding of what they needed to do for the design projects and where to find the requisite information. The oral presentation aspect of the initial and second offerings received the lowest satisfaction rating. The inclusion (and delivery) of the computer-aided drawing component of the unit is seen as a positive aspect by some students, but many others comment on it negatively. The best aspects of the PBL unit and those aspects needing further improvement were similar to the findings of other investigations documented in the literature.


DOI: 10.14527/pegegog.2015.033 The aim of this study was to reveal secondary school students' ability of making transitions between text, picture, table and graphic representations related to the electricity. The research is a case study of the qualitative research methods. The working groups of the study were totally 100 students, including 50 from each of 6th, 7th and 8th students, studying at a secondary school in the 2012-2013 academic year. To determine the students' status of transitions in representations, a measurement tool relating to the subject of electricity was developed by researches. The measurement consists open-ended questions which questioned transitions representations (text, images, tables and graphics) with each other. Document analysis method was used in data analysis. In this context, determining specific criteria, established codes in accordance with the given answers by the students and the questions was evaluated in certain dimensions. Consequently, students were found to be inadequate to present transitions in representations in electricity. When the results are evaluated, it was suggested that during the teaching of electricity topic, teaching practices to draw attention to transition between different representations and in measurement-assessment processes, the questions reflecting the transition between different representations should be given; regulation the assessment questions in textbooks in this direction is recommended.


The Baltic macro-region is a heterogeneous socio-economic ecosystem consisting of both the innovative and successful 'core regions' and the peripheral areas of the borderland. Facing contemporary challenges of the global market competition, national policies are increasingly being directed at establishing conjoint competence centers capable of absorption and recombination of heterogeneous tacit and codified knowledge generated by the nodes of an international innovation network. Furthermore, systematic and sustainable institutional efforts on facilitating the embeddedness of the remote and underdeveloped areas into these networking activities have created a diversity of transnational economic cooperation and integration (TECI) forms being elaborated and applied by the institutions of the respective territories. Drawing on an in-depth review, the study reflects on the development factors relevant to an active integration and cooperation process of individual territories of the respective countries. The study suggests that social, cultural, institutional proximity facilitates industrial collaboration being of the highest significance in increasing competitive advantage of a territory. Keywords: cross-border cooperation, Baltic region, regionalization, new regionalism, Russia JEL Classifications: F15, F63, O19, R10


37 Saint Petersburg has a special mission in delivering national development priorities, ensuring sustainable economic growth, and commercializing R&D. This necessitates research on the situation in the corporate sector, including investment potential and propensity to invest. The authors estimate the readiness of Saint Petersburg public companies to employ investment tools in delivering development strategies, which determine to a large extent the competitiveness of the city's economy. This article presents a study into the response of twenty local public companies to changes in the economy and their ability to stay efficient and preserve investment potential in volatile economic conditions. The measures taken by the companies are considered as inert and inefficient. The authors surveyed managers from 70 Russian non-public companies, who confirmed the hypothesis that businesses are interested in investing in the earning assets (securities) of other companies to receive interest (dividends). The respondents tend to associate the risk of such investments with the issuer's corporate control and corporate governance, which often fall short of best practices. The authors conclude that there is a need to improve knowledge of corporate relations, which affect competitiveness and the raising of funds necessary for sustainable economic growth in Saint Petersburg.


Summary The effects of dietary supplements of .a-carotene (20-500 mg per kg diet) on hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzyme activities were studied in mice. Supplementation for 14 days resulted in marked reductions in the concentrations of cytochrome P-4S0 and biphenyl 4-hydroxylase. The antipyrine N-demethylase and p-nitroanisol O-demethylase activities, however, were unchanged. Also apparently unchanged were the hepatic concentrations of microsomal protein, lipid peroxides, and superoxide dismutase. Supplemental .a-carotene was weakly protective against the acute toxic effects of an injection of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), as indicated by a lowered mortality. This anti-carcinogenic action of p-carotene, including a protection against Di'\1H-induced colon carcinogenesis, suggests an alteration by this carotenoid in the metabolism of carcinogens by the liver.


The Friedel-Crafts reaction of homochiral pyrrole derivatives with α,β-unsaturated esters catalyzed by metal triflates furnished conjugate addition products. The best yields were obtained by using yttrium triflate and methyl 4-phenyl-2-oxobut-3-enoate (2a). The addition worked regioselectively at C-5 of pyrrole. The diastereoisomers were separated by column chromatography.


An 8 node assumed stress hexahedral element with rotational degrees of freedom is proposed for static and free vibration analyses. The element formulation is based directly on an 8-node element. This direct formulation requires fewer computations than a similar element that is derived from an internal 20-node element in which the midside degrees of freedom are eliminated by expressing them in terms of displacements and rotations at corner nodes. The formulation is based on Hellinger-Reissner variational principle. Numerical examples are presented to show the validity and efficiency of the present element for static and free vibration analysis.


Vermiculites and phlogopites can be exfoliated by chemical and thermal treatment methods to obtain chemically inert, adsorbent, fire-resistant, low-density materials with excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties. The water content of the clay generally determines the extent of exfoliation and the presence of interstratification is claimed to increase the rate of exfoliation. Considering the strong interaction between water and microwaves, the effect of microwave power on exfoliation characteristics of vermiculites and phlogopites after treatment with water and hydrogen peroxide solution were studied at 600, 950 and 1300 W for microwave exposure times of 10, 20, 30, 60, 120 and 300 s. It was observed that the water molecules in the interlayers of the individual flakes were driven off quickly by microwave treatment causing layer separation in the samples. The vermiculite sample showed 2.8 and 5.6 times, respectively, the exfoliation ratio of the phlogopite samples, in accord with their water contents.


Abstract. The ancient map has a large span of history, diverse types and rich content. Therefore, comprehensive analysis and summarization of ancient maps and geographical location in different categories are conducive to obtaining more ideal geographical correction results. How to classify the ancient map classification suitable for geographical correction, and then carry out targeted geographic coordinate correction is the primary research content of this research. The geographic reference and geographic reference of the map are the main factors determining the geographical location of the map. Therefore, the division of the ancient map according to the presence or absence of georeferencing is a prerequisite for solving the difficulty of correcting the ancient map.The geographic parameters of ancient maps mainly include map projection, geographic reference, map accuracy, scale and so on. In the study of ancient map geolocation, the first thing to be solved is the determination of ancient map projection and geo-reference. For maps with different mathematical foundations (projection and geo-reference), different positioning methods are used for geo-correction. Only by determining the mathematical basis, projection and geographic reference of the ancient maps that need to be located, can the corresponding projection conversion method or geographic correction method be used for map positioning. However, the mathematical basis of ancient maps is not clearly marked on the map, and even if it is marked, it is often not very accurate. Therefore, it is necessary to study the acquisition methods of mathematical parameters of ancient maps.For different ancient canal maps, different methods are needed to determine the basis of their geolocation:(1) Latitude and longitudeThe latitude and longitude survey of the ancient canal map is based on the modern Western measurement method, through projection conversion, and the latitude and longitude map on the map. The latitude and longitude measurement map has a clear geographic reference and projection.(2) Similar to modern latitude and longitudeThis type of map does not indicate the age of production, cartographers and geo-references, or incorrectly label cartographers, geo-references or geographic benchmarks, but according to the presence or absence of latitude and longitude and latitude and longitude, the map's performance techniques, drawing characteristics, related content, etc. In addition to the reference frame of the latitude and longitude network, some maps also have geo-references for the grid, which can be used to determine whether such maps are modern latitude and longitude georeferences. There is a gap between the accuracy of such maps and the measured maps.(3) Grid in the squareGrid in the square is an important traditional Chinese method for mapping maps. It uses a grid coordinate system of square squares. It is an auxiliary line for drawing maps on an ancient scale. The length of each square is the number of real points. Quite a scale of today's maps. The map drawn by the method of "counting in the painting" is more accurate than the predecessors and is reliable. According to this method, the map has been used for more than 500 years (from the drawing time of the trace map). According to records, this method began with the principle of "drawing six bodies" proposed by China's Jin Dynasty. The "six bodies" are the "scores", which is the current scale; the second is the "preview", which is used to determine the mutual orientation of the landforms and features; and the third is the "daoli" to determine the road between the two places. The distance is four; the fourth is "high"; the fifth is "Fang", that is, the fluctuation of the slope of the ground; the sixth is "straight", that is, the conversion of the height of the field and the distance on the map. This is a milestone in the history of maps in China. Because such maps are greatly improved in accuracy, the role in multidisciplinary fields is worth paying attention to. Moreover, such maps are often compiled with reference to a certain map, such as Huayi map, trace map, map of Yu, map of the Emperor, map of the emperor's work, and the preparation of the records of the history of the party, all based on the previous one. of. Therefore, when correcting, you can classify them into one category and consider them together.(4) Landscape imageryThe image of the ancient canal of the landscape image painting adopts the expression of "the law of the landscape", that is, all kinds of ground elements on both sides of the river are drawn toward the center line of the river. This type of map, because of the "reality" is very strong, the mountains and rivers are realistic and rich in color, so it has always been the mainstream painting method of the ancient rivers before the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are many types of maps, large quantities, rich map content, and extremely high historical value, but their compilation is very different from modern maps. First, the coordinate directions in ancient maps are "upper south and north", and also " "Upper north and lower south", mainly "upper south and north", which is different from the directional principle of the modern map "up north and south"; secondly, the use of visually intuitive painting to express features, and the use of less map symbols There is a certain proportional relationship between the positional relationship between the features, but it is quite different from the modern maps with strict mathematical foundations.


The defect distributions have been investigated using positron lifetime spectroscopy on amorphous and nanocrystalline Pr2Fe14B samples, produced by melt-spinning and nanocrystallization route. The main two components can be concluded that were ascribed to vacancy-like defects in the intergranular layers or the interfaces, and microvoids or large free volumes with size compared to several missing atoms at the interactions of the atomic aggregates or the crystallites. The remarkable changes in the positron lifetimes from the amorphous structure to the nanocrystalline with varied sizes can be interpreted, indicating that the structural transformation and the grain growth induce the defect distribution changes occurring at the interfaces with different shape and size.


Many different technologies exist to adapt to natural coastal hazards. These technologies can also play an important part in reducing vulnerability to climate change in coastal zones. Technologies are available to develop information and awareness for adaptation in coastal zones, to plan and design adaptation strategies, to implement them, and to monitor and evaluate their performance. This paper briefly describes these four steps and provides important examples of technologies that can be employed to accomplish them. In addition, it identifies three trends in coastal adaptation and associated technology use: (i) a growing recognition of the benefits of "soft" protection and of the adaptation strategies retreat and accommodate, (ii) an increasing reliance on technologies to develop and manage information, and (iii) an enhanced awareness of the need for coastal adaptation to be appropriate for local natural and socio-economic conditions.


Abstract The Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping mountain belt constitutes the middle segment of the Trans-North China Orogen, which separates the North China Craton into the Eastern and Western Blocks. The belt consists of the high-grade Hengshan and Fuping complexes, and the intervening low- to medium-grade Wutai Complex. Previous tectonic models assumed that the high-grade complexes were an older basement (Archaean to Palaeoproterozoic) to the low-grade Wutai Complex. However, new geochronological data show that the emplacement of granitoid rocks and eruption of volcanic rocks in the Wutai Complex occurred essentially coeval with or slightly earlier than intrusion of the tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic (TTG) suites in the Hengshan and Fuping complexes. New isotopic data also reveal the widespread presence of Palaeoproterozoic granitoid rocks in these complexes. Structural and metamorphic data demonstrate similar tectonothermal histories for the three complexes, which are characterized by peak medium- to high-pressure metamorphism accompanied by the development of thrusting, isoclinal folding (F2) and penetrative foliations, followed by near-isothermal decompression and cooling and retrogression associated with the formation of large-scale ductile shear zones and asymmetrical folds (F3) with nearly vertical axial planes. These geochronological, structural and metamorphic data suggest that the tectonic evolution of the Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping mountain belt may not be related to local interaction of the three complexes, as suggested in earlier models, either through closure of a Wutai rift or collision between a Wutai arc and the Hengshan and Fuping micro-continental blocks. Instead, they may represent elements of a single Late Archaean to Early Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc that was subsequently incorporated into the Trans-North China Orogen along which the Eastern and Western blocks amalgamated to form the North China Craton at around 1.85 Ga.


ABSTRACT Alternaria alternata apple pathotype (previously A. mali) causes Alternaria blotch on susceptible apple cultivars through the production of a host-specific toxin, AM-toxin. Identification of some Alternaria species, especially those that produce host-specific toxins, has been extremely difficult due to a high level of variability which extends even to nonpathogenic isolates. We have recently cloned and characterized a gene (AMT) that plays a crucial role in AM-toxin biosynthesis and demonstrated that it is only present in isolates of A. alternata apple pathotype. Using primers designed for the AMT gene, we developed a polymerase chainreaction-based method to specifically detect AM-toxin producing isolates of A. alternata apple pathotype.


Among the different cancer treatments that are currently used, hyperthermia has a promising potential due to the multiple benefits that are obtained by this technique. In general terms, hyperthermia is a method that takes advantage of the sensitivity of cancer cells to heat, in order to damage or destroy them. Within the different ways of supplying heat to cancer cells and achieve their destruction or damage, the use of magnetic nanoparticles has attracted attention due to the capability of these particles to generate heat under the influence of an external magnetic field. In addition, these nanoparticles have a high surface area and sizes similar or even lower than biological entities, which allow their approaching and interaction with a specific region of interest. The most used magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia treatment are those based on iron oxides, mainly magnetite and maghemite, due to their biocompatibility, good magnetic properties and chemical stability. However, in order to fulfill more efficiently the requirements that demand the treatment of magnetic hyperthermia, there have been investigations using ferrites that incorporate different metallic ions, such as Mg, Mn, Co, Ca, Ni, Cu, Li, Gd, etc., in their structure. This paper reports the synthesis of nanosized MgxMn1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.3 and 0.4) ferrites by sol-gel method and their evaluation in terms of heating capability and in vitro hemolysis to determine the potential use of these nanoparticles as thermoseeds for the treatment of cancer by magnetic hyperthermia. It was possible to obtain ferrites with nanometric sizes, a single crystalline phase with an inverse spinel structure and a behavior near to that of superparamagnetic materials. Additionally, at concentrations of 10 mg of magnetic material per mL of water, it was possible to reach a temperature of approximately 45°C, which is within the range of temperatures used for the treatment of hyperthermia. The results of the in vitro hemolysis assay showed that, at the concentrations tested, these nanoparticles are nonhemolytic, as their percentage of hemolysis is close to zero. Therefore, these materials can be used as thermoseeds for the treatment of cancer by magnetic hyperthermia. Keywords—Ferrites, heating capability, hemolysis, nanoparticles, sol-gel.


Traffic congestion is a constant problem for cities worldwide. The human driving inefficiency and poor urban planning and development contribute to traffic buildup and travel discomfort. An example of human inefficiency is the phantom traffic jam, which is caused by unnecessary braking, causing traffic to slow down, and eventually coming to a stop. In this study, a brake and acceleration feature (BAF) for the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is proposed to mitigate the effects of the phantom traffic phenomenon. In its initial stage, the BAF provides a heads-up display that gives information on how much braking and acceleration input is needed to maintain smooth driving conditions, i.e., without sudden acceleration or deceleration, while observing a safe distance from the vehicle in front. BAF employs a fuzzy logic controller that takes distance information from a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and the vehicle's instantaneous speed from the engine control unit (ECU). It then calculates the corresponding percentage value of needed acceleration and braking in order to maintain travel objectives of smooth and safe-distance travel. Empirical results show that the system suggests acceleration and braking values slightly higher than the driver's actual inputs and can achieve 90% accuracy overall.


This paper presents a study of the behavior of a built-in current sensor (BICS) to be used for online concurrent error detection in circuits working in radiation-exposed environments. BIC sensors are used to monitor the power-bus static current of these circuits to detect excessive current consumption. This excessive static current consumption is compared to a predefined reference value in order to detect radiation-induced multiple parametric failures and system power supply breakdown. BIC sensors can also be affected by these faults and the reliability of the system can be lost. However, we show that the proposed current sensor is strongly code disjoint (SCD) with respect to the above faults and the system reliability is guaranteed.<<ETX>>


Despite growing attention to the unintended intergenerational consequences of incarceration, little is known about whether and how paternal incarceration is related to children's food insecurity. In this article, I use data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study to examine the relationship between paternal incarceration and children's food insecurity. Propensity score matching models indicate that recent paternal incarceration, defined as incarceration in the past 2 years, is associated with an increased likelihood of food insecurity among 5-year-old children, but only among children living with their biological fathers prior to his incarceration. These associations cannot be explained by the mechanisms considered, including post-incarceration changes in economic well-being, parental relationships, maternal parenting, and maternal health. Taken together, the findings highlight the salience of the father's residential status in linking paternal incarceration to children's food insecurity, and they have a number of implications for policy and practice.


Tumor escape from immunity, as well as the failure of several anti‐cancer vaccination and cellular immunotherapy approaches, is suggested to be due to the angiogenesis‐mediated suppression of endothelial cell (EC) adhesion molecules involved in leukocyte‐vessel wall interactions. We hypothesized that inhibition of angiogenesis would overcome this escape from immunity. We investigated this in vivo by means of intravital microscopy and ex vivo by immunohistochemistry in two mouse tumor models. Angiogenesis inhibitors anginex, endostatin, and angiostatin, and the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel were found to significantly stimulate leukocyte‐vessel wall interactions by circumvention of EC anergy in vivo, i.e., by the up‐regulation of endothelial adhesion molecules in tumor vessels. This was confirmed by in vitro studies of cultured EC at the protein and mRNA levels. The new angiostatic designer peptide anginex was most potent at overcoming EC anergy; the enhanced leukocyte‐vessel interactions led to an increase in the numbers of tumor infiltrating leukocytes. While anginex inhibited tumor growth and microvessel density significantly, the amount of infiltrated leukocytes (CD45), as well as the number of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, was enhanced markedly. The current results suggest that immunotherapy strategies can be improved by combination with anti‐angiogenesis.‐Dirkx, A. E. M., oude Egbrink, M. G. A., Castermans, K., van der Schaft, D. W. J., Thijssen, V. L. J. L., Dings, R. P. M., Kwee, L., Mayo, K. H., Wagstaff, J., Bouma‐ter Steege, J. C. A., Griffioen, A. W. Anti‐angiogenesis therapy can overcome endothelial cell anergy and promote leukocyteendothelium interactions and infiltration in tumors. FASEB J. 20, 621–630 (2006)