Background Recent studies showed that increased fresh fruit consumption is significantly associated with lower risks of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD); other studies suggested that albuminuria is associated with diabetes, hypertension, and CVD. Therefore, we hypothesized that lower fresh fruit consumption is associated with higher risk of incident albuminuria among Chinese adults in rural areas, where fresh fruit consumption level is very low and prevalence of albuminuria is high. Methods We tested the hypothesis in a village-based cohort study of 3574 participants aged ≥ 30 years from the Handan Eye Study conducted from 2006 to 2013. Albuminuria was defined as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g. Results Overall, 35.4% of the participants never or rarely consumed fresh fruits, and 33.9, 21.6, and 9.1% consumed fresh fruits 1–3 times/month, 1–2 times/week, and ≥ 3 times/week, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 5.6 years, albuminuria developed in 17.6% (n = 629) of the participants. Compared with participants who consumed fresh fruits ≥ 3 times/week, the multivariable adjustment odds ratios (ORs) for incident albuminuria associated with fruit consumption 1–2 times/week, 1–3 times/month, and no or rare consumption were 1.58 (95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.05–2.40), 1.74 (95% CI, 1.17–2.58), and 1.78 (95% CI, 1.20–2.64), respectively. After excluding participants with diabetes, the association remained significant. Conclusions Lower fresh fruit consumption was significantly associated with higher risk of incident albuminuria, and fresh fruit consumption frequency could be an essential intervention target to prevent albuminuria in rural China.


Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are genetically heterogeneous. There are many possible etiological investigations for NDDs, and a lack of clear and current guidelines for such testing. Here we characterize the practices of genetic and metabolic physicians in Canada as it pertains to etiological investigation of patients with NDDs, by means of an online questionnaire. The survey response rate was 30% (n = 46). The most commonly ordered first‐line tests for patients with non‐syndromic NDDs are chromosomal microarray (98%) and Fragile X testing (85%). The most commonly ordered second‐line test for non‐syndromic NDDs is a multi‐gene panel (78%) or exome sequencing (29%). Biochemical screening is ordered as a first line test by 33% of respondents, second line by 31%, and rarely or never by 36% of respondents. Those respondents with metabolics fellowship training were more likely to order biochemical screening than those without. The number of years of clinical experience generally did not affect the types of tests ordered. For patients with NDDs, test‐ordering practice among Canadian clinical geneticists is highly variable, in particular with respect to biochemical screening and use of next‐generation sequencing technologies. Evidence‐based guidelines should be developed to facilitate best practices in Canada.


Effective scheduling of communication windows between orbiting spacecraft and ground stations is a crucial component of efficiently using spacecraft resources. In all but the most trivial cases, this forces the operator to choose a subset of the potentially available access windows such that they can achieve the best possible usage of their hardware and other resources.

This is a complex problem not normally solvable analytically, and as a result the standard approach is to apply heuristic algorithms which take an initial guess at a solution and improve upon it in order to increase its quality. Various such algorithms exist, with some being in common practice for this particular problem.

This thesis covers the application of several of the most commonly-used algorithms on a problem instance. Additionally, a real-world problem instance is used, and the resultant practical constraints are addressed when applying the heuristics and fine-tuning them for this application.


Collatz conjecture (stated in 1937 by Collatz and also named Thwaites conjecture, or Syracuse, 3n+1 or oneness problem) can be described as follows: Take any positive whole number N. If N is even, divide it by 2. If it is odd, multiply it by 3 and add 1. Repeat this process to the result over and over again. Collatz conjecture is the supposition that for any positive integer N, the sequence will invariably reach the value 1. The main contribution of this paper is to present a new approach to Collatz conjecture. The key idea of this new approach is to clearly differentiate the role of the division by two and the role of what we will name here the jump: a = 3n + 1. With this approach, the proof of the conjecture is given as well as informations on generalizations for jumps of the form qn + r and for jumps being polynomials of degree m >1. The proof of Collatz algorithm necessitates only 5 steps:
1- to differentiate the main function and the jumps; 2- to differentiate branches as well as their rst and last terms a and n;
3- to identify that left and irregular right shifts in branches can be replaced by regular shifts in 2m-type columns; 4- to identify the key equation ai = 3ni−1 + 1 = 2m as well as its solutions; 5- to reduce the problem to compare the number of jumps to the number of divisions in a trajectory.


Summary
Nucleic acid hybridization tests with cDNA made by the random priming method showed that broad bean yellow band virus (BBYBV) is as closely related to the British and Dutch serotypes of pea early-browning virus (PEBV-B and PEBV-D) as they are to one another. No relationship was detected between BBYBV and either of two other tobraviruses, tobacco rattle and pepper ringspot viruses. BBYBV, PEBV-B and PEBV-D shared extensive nucleotide sequences in their larger genome segment (RNA-1) but differed greatly in the sequences in their RNA-2 and in the antigenic relatedness of their particles. Pseudorecombinant isolates were obtained by re-assorting the genome parts of PEBV-B and PEBV-D with those of BBYBV, which seems best considered as a third serotype of PEBV, designated PEBV-BBYB. The properties of the pseudorecombinants indicated that particle protein specificity and some symptoms in test plants are controlled by RNA-2. Other symptoms induced by the pseudorecombinants were unlike those of the parental strains, implicating both RNA-1 and RNA-2 in their genesis.


This paper presents a routing performance analysis of structured P2P overlay network. Due to the rapid development and hectic life, sharing data wirelessly is essential. P2P allows participating peers move freely by joining and leaving the network at any convenience time. Therefore, it exists constraint when one measuring the network performance. Moreover, the design of structured overlay networks is fragmented and with various design. P2P networks need to have a reliable routing protocol. In order to analyse the routing performance, this work simulates three structured overlay protocols-Chord, Pastry and Kademlia using OMNeT++ with INET and OverSim module. The result shows that Pastry is the best among others with 100% routing efficiency. However, Kademlia leads with 12.76% and 18.78% better than Chord and Pastry in lookup hop count and lookup success latency respectively. Hence, Pastry and Kamelia architectures will have a better choice for implementing structured overlay P2P network.


The tetracycline family is composed of several molecules whose antibacterial properties are due to the fixation on the bacterial ribosomes. Among those, doxycycline is one of the most potent antibiotics for which additional features have been recently discovered. Doxycycline has been found to inhibit metalloproteinases, to decrease gelatinolytic and metastatic activities of cancer cells, to have a "chondroprotective" effect in inflammatory arthritides, and to have strong antimalarial properties. In this study, a murine retrovirus producing cell line (psi CRIP-pXT1) was incubated in variable concentrations of doxycycline. The retroviral titer of this cell line was measured by the ability to transfer resistance to G418 to NIH/3T3 cells. The retroviral titer was significantly decreased by 70% when the packaging cells had been incubated with 25 microM of doxycycline at 37 degrees C. The ID50 was around 8 micrograms/ml. Astonishingly, this effect was not observed at 32 degrees C. The mechanism of this effect is still to be determined. It may be useful to be aware of this effect for uncovering all of the possible antiviral qualities of doxycycline and its related molecules, such as glycylcyclines or anthracyclines.


Abstract The concept of the United Kingdom acting as a bridge between Europe and the United States has been a key element in British foreign policy for six decades. Under the second Blair Premiership it reached both its apogee and its nadir. This paper analyses these developments focusing both on the transatlantic and European ends. Particular attention is paid to the failure of the Blair government either to establish a secure place for Britain as a co-leader or to make the British people more comfortable in their European skins. This failure occurred at a period when the EU is characterised by leadership transition and confusion. New leaderships will emerge in the EU over the next two years but it seems unlikely that Britain, characterised by a continuing disconnect between a Euro-sceptic public discourse and deep involvement at a governmental level will develop a European policy narrative that is regarded as convincing at either the EU or domestic level. This weakness is compounded by a failure to develop new thinking about the rise of new powers such as China and India.


Introduction From 2010 to 2015, the incidence of infectious syphilis (primary, secondary, and early-latent) has increased 5-fold in British Columbia (BC). In response, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) enhanced surveillance for syphilis to characterise sexual/social networks driving the epidemic, and to monitor the risk of HIV transmission. Here we communicate indicators developed from the provincial enhanced surveillance system. Methods In BC, management of syphilis – including partner notification – is centralised, and coordinated by the BCCDC. In January 2016, a new workflow was implemented to systematically collect and analyse data on HIV co-infection, viral-load and partners. New indicators were developed along a cascade-of-care framework for case and partner care. Results From January to September 2016, 581 syphilis cases were diagnosed in BC; 491 (84%) were among men who have sex with men (MSM). Of these, 201 (41%) were HIV-positive and 268 (55%) were HIV-negative. Three-quarters of HIV-positive MSM had undetectable viral loads. 149 (74%) of HIV-positive MSM and 137 (51%) of HIV-negative MSM were diagnosed during the early-latent stage. For both groups, 96% of cases were treated within 30 days of syphilis testing. Of the 201 HIV-positive MSM, 141 (70%) discussed partners with public health nurses and together reported 1270 partners (65% anonymous, 35% notifiable) or 9.0 partners/case (range:0–214). Of the 268 HIV-negative MSM, 215 (80%) discussed partners and reported 1806 partners (51% anonymous, 49% notifiable), or 8.4 partners/case (range:1–200). Conclusion A greater proportion of HIV-positive MSM were diagnosed with syphilis during the asymptomatic early-latent stage, which may be due to routine syphilis screening. However, a lower proportion of HIV-positive MSM with syphilis co-infection were engaged with public health for partner notification, and report a lower proportion of notifiable partners, compared to MSM with syphilis only. Strategies to engage HIV-positive MSM in partner care would strengthen the public health response to syphilis.


Organic electronic transistors are rapidly emerging as ultrahigh sensitive label‐free biosensors suited for point‐of‐care or in‐field deployed applications. Most organic biosensors reported to date are based on immunorecognition between the relevant biomarkers and the immobilized antibodies, whose use is hindered by large dimensions, poor control of sequence, and relative instability. Here, an electrolyte‐gated organic field effect transistor (EGOFET) biosensor where the recognition units are surface immobilized peptide aptamers (Affimer proteins) instead of antibodies is reported. Peptide aptasensor for the detection of the pro‐inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) with a 1 × 10−12m limit of detection is demonstrated. Ultralow sensitivity is met even in complex solutions such as cell culture media containing 10% serum, demonstrating the remarkable ligand specificity of the device. The device performances, together with the simple one‐step immobilization strategy of the recognition moieties and the low operational voltages, all prompt EGOFET peptide aptasensors as candidates for early diagnostics and monitoring at the point‐of‐care.


We performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the brain and neurologic examinations on 23 children after open heart surgery for congenital heart disease. Twenty children also had psychometric assessments. Examinations were performed at a mean age of 66 months (range, 26 to 180 months). Age at operation was less than 1 month in 43% and more than 6 months in 45%. Abnormal scans were found in 17 (74%) and showed diffuse findings consistent with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, with or without areas of cortical infarction; focal cortical infarction alone; and (in one patient) callosal agenesis and abnormal neuronal migration. Normal IQ and neurologic examinations were found in all six of those who had a normal MRI, and five of six children with changes consistent with focal cortical infarction without diffuse change had a normal neurologic examination. Cerebral palsy and mental retardation was common in the group with diffuse abnormality (in eight of nine children), and this was more likely to occur in those who underwent prolonged (> 45 minutes) hypothermic circulatory arrest and operation during early infancy (P = .004). Focal cortical findings without diffuse changes were more likely in those who underwent open heart surgery without hypothermic circulatory arrest and were older than 6 months at operation, and these children were less likely to have frank neurodevelopmental sequelae. Thus, in our population, focal cortical lesions were common after open heart surgery, and, in addition, diffuse brain abnormality on MRI plus neurologic sequelae were common after prolonged hypothermic circulatory arrest. (J Child Neurol 1994;9:390-397).


To investigate the effect of dialysis prescription on patient outcome for peritoneal dialysis patients, the relationship between total solute clearance and the relative risk of death has been investigated. Preliminary studies have suggested that more clearance is better and that patient outcome is predicted by total solute clearance. The recently published Canada-U.S.A. (CANUSA) multicenter study, evaluating adequacy of dialysis and nutrition in peritoneal dialysis patients, has further defined this relationship. Although these publications allow us to establish guidelines for the treatment of peritoneal dialysis patients, they also define the limitations of our knowledge and raise new questions. In this article we review our current knowledge regarding the predicted value of total solute clearance with patient outcome and nutritional status. Furthermore, we attempt to outline a practical approach for optimizing total solute clearance in peritoneal dialysis patients. Based on a review of the published literature and clinical recommendations, we feel that the minimal target total solute clearance for continuous forms of peritoneal dialysis is a weekly total KTN > 2.0 and/or a weekly total creatinine clearance >60 L/week/1.73 m2. For intermittent therapies, a weekly total KTN > 2.2 and/or a weekly total creatinine clearance >70 L/week/1.73 m2 is recommended.


Chronic kidney failure has become a global problem in recent years, and the patients are often restricted K intake because of the problem with excretion of excess K. Low K tomato fruit will improve the dietary habits of the patients and their QOL. In this study, a method of producing tomato fruit with low K content was investigated. Medium-sized and cherry tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) cultivars were used, and the supply of K was restricted using hydroponic technology. In medium-sized tomatoes, fruit K content decreased 40% to 60% depending on cultivar by K withdrawal from the nutrient solution. Although total soluble solid content showed a slight decrease, titratable acid content was affected by K restriction and decreased 20% to 40% depending on cultivar. In either case, K withdrawn in hydroponic culture from anthesis of the 3rd truss was effective in producing tomato fruit with low K, and could decrease the fruit K content to at least 50% of the expected tomato fruit K content. Next study, we applied the newly developed management method, quantitative management, about nutrient supply in hydroponics to control the K supply more precisely. In quantitative management, total amount of nutrients necessary for the plants to achieve their life cycle is divided by the estimated cultivation period. And the calculated amount of fertilizers is supplied to the solution tank at every regular interval. Low K fruit (100 mg K/100 g fruit) was achieved when 0.9 g of potassium was supplied. From these results, restriction of K supply in hydroponics with double or triple truss system is hopeful to produce low K tomato fruits, and quantitative control is thought to be more suitable for low K tomato production. Further study is necessary to expect the cultivation period accurately before the cultivation to plan the schedule of K supply.


Twenty-five asthmatic subjects with suspected alpha-amylase hypersensitivity were studied by skin-prick tests, a capture ELISA, immunoblotting and bronchial provocation tests. At the same time, different amylases were analysed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using a polyclonal rabbit antiserum. Eight patients showed a positive bronchial response to amylase. Seven of them had positive skin-prick tests, with this method being the most sensitive approach for diagnosis. However, in four cases, skin tests were also positive although the patients had a negative provocation test, thus demonstrating that skin tests are not specific. ELISA and blotting showed similar results in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The enzymes used by the workers included several antigens besides alpha-amylase. The rabbit antiserum to alpha-amylase detected a protein in a wheat flour extract. In one case, the IgE antibodies were specific only for a contaminant of lower molecular weight than amylase. These facts suggest that proteins from the culture medium could be responsible for some cases of amylase hypersensitivity, making the diagnosis difficult. The presence of amylase in another enzymatic extract, a protease produced by Aspergillus oryzae, was proved by means of skin tests and immunoblotting, thus demonstrating the allergenic properties of this enzymatic preparation.


Though software engineering courses are taught within different types of programs, one common program is the computer science program. Within this program, most often there is an introductory course in Software Engineering, which is often the only course in this area that a student will take in his/her program. Due to the wide scope of the subject and the constraint of one course only, this introductory course remains one of the hardest courses to teach, and leads to the possibility of a variety of possible goals for such a course. In this talk we will view a course like a software program—having a pre-condition and a post-condition, and then discuss the various possible pre and post conditions of such a course, and some issues related to teaching the course.


Between the late 1970s and the early 1990s the number of motorcycles circulating in Athens almost quadrupled. Th is article examines the spread of motorcycling during the 1980s as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon. By examining representations of motorcycling as a deviant lifestyle, the article focuses on the strategies used to stigmatize bikers. Moreover, it describes the popularization of motorcycling and explores how public anxiety about it led to the emergence of new associations such as the motorcycle clubs. Finally, it argues that motorcycling represented a male lifestyle not completely inaccessible
to women, a development that testifies to greater flexibility regarding contemporary gender norms and preferences.


The cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel plays a pivotal role in phototransducton. Mutations in the channel subunits are associated with achromatopsia and progressive cone dystrophy in humans. More than 50 mutations have been identified in the channel CNGA3 subunit, with 50% of them located in the carboxyl (C) terminus. This study investigates the defects of the two frequently occurring mutations, R377W and F488L, in the C-terminus of CNGA3. Ratiometric measurement of the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration and electrophysiological recordings showed the loss of functional activity of the mutant channels in an HEK293 heterologous expression system. Immunofluorescence labeling revealed an apparent cytosolic aggregation of the mutant channels compared to the wild type (WT). The R377W and F488L mutants, expressed and purified from Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fused to the CNGA3 C-terminal domain, showed no negative effects on interactions with the channel subunits. Circular dichroism spectrum analyses were performed to examine the structural impact of the mutations. Although the R377W and F488L C-termini mutants retained stable, folded structures, the secondary structures of both mutants differed from the WT protein. Furthermore, the WT C-terminus exhibited a significant decrease in alpha-helical content in response to the channel ligands, while this allosteric transition was diminished in the two mutants. This is the first study showing the structural impact of the disease-causing mutations in the cone CNG channel subunit. The observed alterations in the local secondary structure and active conformational change may confer an adverse effect on the channel's activity and cellular processing.


PURPOSE
To assess the dependence of neovascular molecular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging on relaxivity (r1) of αvβ3-targeted paramagnetic perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoparticles and to delineate the temporal-spatial consistency of angiogenesis assessments for individual animals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Animal protocols were approved by the Washington University Animal Studies Committee. Proton longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates of αvβ3-targeted and nontargeted PFC nanoparticles incorporating gadolinium diethylenetrianime pentaacedic acid (Gd-DTPA) bisoleate (BOA) or gadolinium tetraazacyclododecane tetraacetic acid (Gd-DOTA) phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) into the surfactant were measured at 3.0 T. These paramagnetic nanoparticles were compared in 30 New Zealand White rabbits (four to six rabbits per group) 14 days after implantation of a Vx2 tumor. Subsequently, serial MR (3.0 T) neovascular maps were developed 8, 14, and 16 days after tumor implantation by using αvβ3-targeted Gd-DOTA-PE nanoparticles (n = 4) or nontargeted Gd-DOTA-PE nanoparticles (n = 4). Data were analyzed with analysis of variance and nonparametric statistics.

RESULTS
At 3.0 T, Gd-DTPA-BOA nanoparticles had an ionic r1 of 10.3 L · mmol(-1) · sec(-1) and a particulate r1 of 927000 L · mmol(-1) · sec(-1). Gd-DOTA-PE nanoparticles had an ionic r1 of 13.3 L · mmol(-1) · sec(-1) and a particulate r1 of 1 197000 L · mmol(-1) · sec(-1). Neovascular contrast enhancement in Vx2 tumors (at 14 days) was 5.4% ± 1.06 of the surface volume with αvβ3-targeted Gd-DOTA-PE nanoparticles and 3.0% ± 0.3 with αvβ3-targeted Gd-DTPA-BOA nanoparticles (P = .03). MR neovascular contrast maps of tumors 8, 14, and 16 days after implantation revealed temporally consistent and progressive surface enhancement (1.0% ± 0.3, 4.5% ± 0.9, and 9.3% ± 1.4, respectively; P = .0008), with similar time-dependent changes observed among individual animals.

CONCLUSION
Temporal-spatial patterns of angiogenesis for individual animals were followed to monitor longitudinal tumor progression. Neovasculature enhancement was dependent on the relaxivity of the targeted agent.


According to the feature of numeral image of electronic balance photographed by CCD, MATLAB, especially its video image toolbox, was used to achieve the manual character region location, automatical character segmentation and automatical digit recognition of the digit image in video signals. The method is able to recognize the values in the video signals with more than 97% correctness in multiple sampling tests. However, there were also some abnormal data caused by LED light retention in the dynamic display process and recorded by high frame rate video. The problem was solved by replacing the points outside the range with neighborhood median. This method is simple, highly adaptable and reliable, thus facilitate the research on filter media surface wettability and provide a set of reference for solution this kind of research.


The aim of this study was to compare a sample of residents in cohousing communities (n = 180) and inhabitants in traditional neighborhoods (n = 104) During the social isolation that was decreed by the German government due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection was carried out through the Internet Psychological symptoms and coping strategies were measured, and their differences were investigated by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) Results showed that residents in cohousing communities have lower levels of depressive, anxiety, compulsive and eating disorders, as well as less use of coping strategies which are based on emotional concealment, problem avoidance, and social withdrawal Moreover, its inhabitants showed higher levels in the use of social support It is concluded that living in a cohousing community favors, in comparison with life in traditional neighborhoods, the mental health of its inhabitants © 2020, PsychOpen All rights reserved


It is commonly asserted that war has been subject to some form of normative influence since classical times. Such claims have an air of wishful thinking about them when they are judged against the history of warfare. Clausewitz famously stated in On War, that 'Attached to force are certain self-imposed, imperceptible limitations hardly worth mentioning, known as international law and custom, but they scarcely weaken it'. His thinking was, of course, a product of his times and heavily influenced by his personal experience of wars fought on land by France under Napoleon. He should not go unchallenged, however, especially in relation to war at sea. The Emperor has never been noted for consulting legal advisers before resorting to war. Nevertheless, he was certainly aware of the Law of Nations, often referring to it in justifying his strategic decisions. One element of it with which he appears to have been very familiar was that relating to war at sea.

In exile on the island of St Helena he wrote a good deal about war, including about 'the law of nations governing maritime war', of which he was especially critical. Unsurprisingly, he was not favourably disposed towards Britain's use of naval power, claiming that the Royal Navy's actions demonstrated that the law 'remained in a state of utter barbarism'. He had three relevant criticisms of it. First, he objected to the confiscation of private property during action against enemy commerce. Second, he deplored the vulnerability of civilian crews of merchant ships to capture and incarceration. Finally, he disliked neutral vessels being subject to interdiction, seizure or destruction if carrying contraband. His observations were directly related to both the strategic purpose and the operational/tactical conduct of economic warfare at sea, that function of navies subject to the regulatory influence of Prize Law.

Prize was a feature of war at sea during all of the major maritime conflicts fought during the era of maritime imperial rivalry, from the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century to the two World Wars of the 20th. That era is now at an end. The maritime empires have passed into history, as have the general and prolonged naval wars in which they frequently engaged. Given the current rise in Chinese naval power and a resurgence in that of Russia, however, there is arguably an increasing possibility of major naval confrontation, which might lead to war at sea. If it did, a return to economic warfare at sea is at least possible. It is appropriate, therefore, to assess the future relevance of Prize Law and the Prize Courts whose function has been to administer it.

This demands an examination of State practice and legal thinking in the relatively recent past. Nevertheless, some understanding of the historical development of Prize Law serves to reveal its purpose, as well as fluctuations in its application and interpretation. We start, therefore, with comment about the development of Prize Law since the 17th century, before going on to examine its application since the end of the Second World War. We will then draw some conclusions.


Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate the recent steps and enforcement mechanisms employed in Nigeria to combat money laundering and terrorism financing to give a clear and deeper insight to the potential that it portends and locate its workability by combing through various policies that are adapted to reinforce the existing anti-money laundering/combating financing terrorism (AML/CFT) legal and regulatory framework in Nigeria. The paper, therefore, provides a comprehensive assessment of these measures to exhume necessary reinforcement elements required to achieve the desired result by exploring developments from other jurisdictions that have surpassed the country in the AML/CFT crusade.

Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted qualitative research methodology. It is structured in such a way that mixed qualitative methodology approach as a research strategy is employed. This is achieved by putting into use the combination of doctrinal and non-doctrinal research methods. Descriptive, interpretative and content analysis methods are used to analyse various AML/CFT government policies along with the existing AML/CFT laws. Judicial pronouncements, various scholarly opinions, along with the anti-money law (AML/CFT) within the Nigeria context are analysed in line with the 40 "Recommendations" of the Financial Action Task Force which depicts the acceptable legislative and regulatory precedent and an international standard to measure the adequacy or otherwise of any national or local laws on money laundering.

Findings
Factors that were militating against the effectiveness and positive performance of Nigeria government to combat money laundering-related matters were identified. A clear-cut amendment to the existing provisions of law that will address the issue is suggested to enhance the effectiveness and combat other similar challenges that are likely to come out of these policies, otherwise more problems would be created than could be solved.

Originality/value
This paper exposes deficiencies in the present mechanism adopted to combat money laundering in Nigeria and proffers necessary antidote to facilitate the effectiveness of the legislation. It provides necessary information that could facilitate amendments and new legislation(s) to curb the defects by the lawmakers and could serve as a veritable source of information to law students, legal practitioners and academia.


In this paper we examine how the impact of oil price movements on the UK economy differs depending on the underlying source of the shock, that is, whether the oil price has been driven by a supply, or demand, disturbance. In addition we employ an empirical framework with time-varying parameters to allow us to see how the impact of oil price shocks may have developed over time. In line with earlier studies on larger economies, we find that the source of the shock does indeed affect the size and nature of the eventual impact on the UK economy. Oil supply shocks typically lead to larger negative impacts on output and slightly higher increases in inflation relative to oil shocks stemming from shocks to world demand, which typically have smaller and largely positive, impacts on UK output. We find evidence that the nature of shocks in the world oil market has changed over time, with the oil price becoming more sensitive to changes in oil production. There is also evidence that the impact of oil shocks became much smaller from the mid-1980s onwards, although the impact has risen slightly since around 2004.


The vast majority of bile duct injuries is iatrogenic and occurs during abdominal surgeries or other interventions such as endoscopic or percutaneous cannulation of the biliary tree. Accidental traumas are responsible only for 1–5% of the total number of biliary injuries. The diagnosis of non-iatrogenic traumatic bile duct injuries is challeng‐ ing as current cross-sectional imaging tests are not very specific. Therefore, most of the patients are diagnosed when they undergo early explorative laparotomy or when they develop late complications. Among all patients who experience traumatic bile duct injuries, 80–90% are victims of penetrating traumas from stab or gunshot wounds. On the other hand, bile duct lesions due to blunt traumas are predominantly caused by traffic accidents (compression by safety belt or airbag), falls, kicks, or work accidents. Iatrogenic bile duct injuries have been extensively covered in many other papers. In this chapter, we will focus our attention only on traumatic bile duct injuries.


This thesis will answer, "How do ethnic labels function in the Gospel of John?" In order to answer this question properly, this thesis draws on social-scientific theories on ethnic groups, deviancy, and labeling. The primary examples of ethnic labeling for this thesis are John 4:9 and 8:48. In each instance, members from "the Jews" ('Ιουδαιοι) and "Samaritans" label Jesus as a member of each other's group.
The Gospel of John's dual ethnic labeling of Jesus participates in a history of discourse between "the Jews" and "Samaritans." Both people groups adhere to an "us" versus "them" mentality because they both identify themselves as Israelites while rejecting the other group's claim to that identity. The parameters of the discourse are determined by not only how each ethnic group identifies themselves but particularly how they construct the category for the other's group.
Once the parameters of discourse are in place, then we can address the function of ethnic labels in the Gospel of John. On both occasions Jesus is labeled because he deviates from what are deemed to be acceptable practices as a member of "the Jews."
The function of Jesus's dual ethnic labeling in the Gospel of John is to establish a new pattern of practices and categories for the "children of God" who are a trans-ethnic group united as a fictive-kinship and who are embedded within the Judean ethnic group's culture and traditions. The Johannine Jesus is portrayed as "the Jews'" Messiah (1:45; 20:31), who brings "salvation from the Jews" (4:22), and who is "the savior of the world" (4:42). The Gospel of John presents Jesus as broadening the more restrictive boundaries within "his own people" (1:11) in order to "draw all people to myself" (12:32).


Emotions should play an important role in the design of interfaces because people interact with machines as if they were social actors [4]. We developed and tested a model for the convincingness of affective expressions, based on Fogg and Hsiang Tseng [3]. The empirical data did not support our original model. Furthermore, the experiment investigated if the type of emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear and disgust), knowledge about the source (human or machine), the level of abstraction (natural face, computer rendered face and matrix face) and medium of presentation (visual, audio/visual, audio) of an affective expression influences its convincingness and distinctness. Only the type of emotion and multimedia presentations had an effect on convincingness. The distinctness of an expression depends on the abstraction and the media through which it is presented.


A 20 years old man presented with a budding swelling which started on his glans penis as a wart 4 years ago and then gradually spread over the inguinal regions, initially appearing as condylomata acuminata and then progressing to moderately painful cauliflower lesion with no notion of fever (Figure 1). He regularly applied traditional decoctions without effect on the tumor. He has been sexually active from the age of 15 and practices unprotected sex. His HIV, viral hepatitis B and C and syphilis serologies were negative. No history of chronic inflammation of that region, immunosuppression factors in him or his family or history of STIs were found. The management was surgical with complete removal of the budding lesions whose pathological analysis concluded on a "Giant condyloma acuminatum". Isolated and recurrent warts were treated with podophyllin following the surgery. The evolution was favourable after 1 year. He is however regular followed-up every 6 months to assess relapse.


An advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) becomes more and more important since it can improve driving safety. It is composed of a human driver and an automated system called co-pilot. To make it effective, the driver and co-pilot should properly cooperate. Hence, it is very important to define and model their cooperation behavior such that an ADAS can be effectively designed and realized. This paper presents a colored hybrid Petri net model to describe it. The model is shown to be deadlock-and-conflict-free. Therefore, it is useful for ADAS design, analysis, and simulation.


The world's most pressing challenges are systemic. Our ability to survive as a species is now linked to how quickly and effectively we are able to address systemic challenges like climate change. The practice of low-resolution prototyping helps designers quickly explore and learn about ideas, but it is rarely utilized when designing for complex systems. At the same time, physical games have often been utilized in service of learning about complex systems, but they have not been used as prototypes for systemic interventions. This short paper and demo provide examples of two games that show how designers can use games as low-resolution prototypes for complex systems. These physical games will transform systems from intimidating, impenetrable, and abstract concepts, to entities that can be explored, engaged, and influenced.


This study sought to determine whether wild white sturgeon from the Columbia River (Oregon) were exhibiting signs of reproductive endocrine disruption. Fish were sampled in the free-flowing portion of the river (where the population is experiencing reproductive success) and from three reservoirs behind hydroelectric dams (where fish have reduced reproductive success). All of the 18 pesticides and almost all of the 28 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that were analyzed in livers and gonads were detected in at least some of the tissue samples. Metabolites of p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) [p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and p,p′-1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDD)] were consistently found at relatively high levels in fish. Some males and immature females showed elevated plasma vitellogenin; however, concentrations were not correlated with any of the pesticides or PCBs analyzed. Negative correlations were found between a number of physiologic parameters and tissue burdens of toxicants. Plasma triglycerides and condition factor were negatively correlated with total DDT (DDD + DDE + DDT), total pesticides (all pesticides detected – total DDT), and PCBs. In males, plasma androgens and gonad size were negatively correlated with total DDT, total pesticides, and PCBs. Fish residing in the reservoir behind the oldest dam had the highest contaminant loads and incidence of gonadal abnormalities, and the lowest triglycerides, condition factor, gonad size, and plasma androgens. These data suggest that endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be accumulating behind dams over time. Overall, results of this study indicate that exposure to environmental contaminants may be affecting both growth and reproductive physiology of sturgeon in some areas of the Columbia River.


Abstract:This essay analyzes two late Victorian texts by white women colonists in South Africa—F. Clinton Parry's children's book African Pets (1880) and Annie Martin's memoir Home Life on an Ostrich Farm (1890)—to nuance understandings of animality as racialization. By reading representations of colonial pet-keeping, the essay shows how the racializing tendencies of Western humanism—especially within slavery and colonialism—manifest within gendered animalhuman relationships and help construct both Blackness and whiteness. It focuses on pet-keeping in the colonies to explore understandings of animal-human relationships within the Victorian empire and thus revises Achille Mbembe's taxonomy of colonial animality. Moving beyond comparison and the tendency to group multiple kinds of dehumanizing practices within slavery and colonialism under the term animalization, the essay suggests that the assemblage is a more productive way to read the many layers of dehumanization taking place within colonial contexts. By analyzing constructions of Blackness, whiteness, and the animal together, it argues that within the animalization and dehumanization projected from the white colonist, we can move beyond reading only for anti-Blackness and locate significant moments of Black fugitivity, wherein Blackness escapes the racializing logics of Western humanism.


Some performance standards for continuous trio breeding in 'shoebox' cages for inbred stocks and outbred strains ofmice challenge the minimum floor space recommendations in the 8th edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of LaboratoryAnimals. In our study, we evaluated whether continuous trio breeding could be successfully applied to a breeding colonyof genetically engineered mice housed in shoebox cages with a floor area of 67.6 in2. Mice heterozygous for genetically engineered mutations to estrogen receptors and their wildtype counterparts were continuously bred as trios or pairs. Confounding environmental factors were controlled through standardized husbandry practices and husbandry, and all mice were bred simultaneously to control for temporal factors. Several measures of reproductive performance-including number of littersper female, production index, interlitter interval, litter size at birth, litter size at weaning, weaning rate, and body weight of pups at weaning- were evaluated over approximately 6 mo. Regardless of genotype, interlitter interval, litter size at birth, and litter size at weaning were significantly lower for trio-bred mice than for pair-bred mice. In addition, significant interactions emerged between genotype and breeding strategy for these reproductive measures. Furthermore, significant differencesbetween genotypes occurred for interlitter interval and weaning rate, regardless of breeding strategy. Underlying mechanismsto account for effects of genotype on interlitter interval and the interaction of genotype with breeding strategy were unclearbut may reflect effects of overcrowding and reproductive suppression.


Purpose
A significant proportion of adults who stutter experience anxiety in social and speaking situations. The Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering (UTBAS) scales provide a comprehensive measure of the unhelpful cognitions associated with social anxiety in stuttering. However, reducing the number of UTBAS items would make it ideal as a brief screening instrument. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a brief version of the full UTBAS scales.

Method
The 66-item UTBAS scales were completed by 337 adults who stutter. Item reduction was used to determine a smaller set of items that could adequately reproduce the total score for each full UTBAS scale.

Results
Item reduction resulted in the inclusion of six items for the brief UTBAS-6 scales. Decile ranges for scores on the brief UTBAS-6 provide reliable estimates of the full UTBAS scores and valuable clinical information about whether a psychological assessment is warranted.

Conclusions
The brief UTBAS-6 provides a reliable and efficient means of screening the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs associated with speech-related anxiety among adults who stutter. Referral for a psychological assessment is recommended in cases where the UTBAS total score falls in or above the fifth decile.


: Spatial temporal and local EEG characteristics were studied in healthy subjects during inhalation of hypoxic oxygen-nitrogen gas mixture with 8 % content of oxygen. Analysis of spectra power density, coherence, phase shift, similarity of dominant frequencies in the EEGs of different derivations was performed separately for the EEG epochs with and without visually detected patterns of spatial synchrony of the EEG. Apart from this, a fact of dominance of the frequency in the EEG spectra of corresponding derivation was taken into account when estimating spectral parameters. Results of the study showed that, in general, under hypoxia, the EEG coherence in alpha- and delta-frequency range decreases as compared to the background level, in beta-range growth of this parameter is observed, in theta-range ambiguous changes occur: in the epochs with patterns of spatial synchrony--growth, in other epochs--lowering. Under hypoxia, also occurs growth of frontal and temporal EEGs' phase shift (corresponding to EEGs other derivations) in delta- and theta-range. In beta-range, on the contrary, average level of the phase shift decreases. It was revealed that taking into account the fact of dominance of frequency in the local EEG spectra is necessary for correct interpretation of the EEG spatial and temporal parameter analysis' results. A mathematical model of interaction between processes with different frequency characteristics is suggested, which explains some facts obtained in the study.


The special significance and characteristics of mountains often require that major portions of them be afforded extra care or protection. Many have received legislative recognition by designation as parks or reserves of various kinds, and there are some 430 mountain protected areas worldwide. The guidelines are intended for planners and managers of this estate. They are offered as a sharing experience by 40 scientists and managers in over 30 countries. They arise out of an international consultation on "Protected Areas in Mountain Environments" organized in 1991.


The purpose of this essay is to analyze the media coverage of the case with Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson in the four biggest newspapers in Sweden in order to see how social constructions is created through the use of language. It is also of interest to see how nationality is represented in the material. The theory is based on Edward Said's theory of post colonialism and the prejudices that has developed from the western way of viewing "The orient". It is also based on Richard Dyers theory on whiteness and binary oppositions, which shows how "whiteness" is viewed as the norm and is also never questioned.The method is critical linguistics and based on Norman Fairclough and Michael Halliday. The results from the method in critical linguistics shows how power is used in the media coverage of Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson. It shows how Schibbye and Persson are presented as human beings and as individuals and the other parts as foreign and unknown parts in the conflict.


available to practices elsewhere. Ours was essentially a study performed within the routine of general practice and can be used by others as a valid yardstick. Dr Gordon's was an open access study performed on the highways and byways and he did not have to concern himself with the problem of non-attendance. Furthermore, no personal responsibility was taken for subsequent follow up. Patients with high readings were advised to see their own doctors, and later inquiries showed that only 287 out of 582 referred (49%) had done so. By taking personal responsibility for manual screening, we achieved an attendance rate of 73°,, at this stage of the study. It did seem that the higher the Vita-Stat reading the less likely the patient was to reattend for follow up, suggesting that patients were being deterred in some way from having their blood pressure rechecked because of high machine readings. Ours was a practical study to discover patients requiring hypotensive medication. Decisions to treat hypertension are usually based on diastolic readings and we are doing no more than following contemporary practice. We do not contest the value of the systolic reading as an indicator of cardiovascular risk. Vita-Stat overestimates systolic readings and we found the workload involved in screening manually the many hundreds of patients with systolic hypertension to be impractical. A great deal of effort went into the detection of a small number ofpatients with unrecognised hypertension. We contend that the efficiency of automatic devices for measuring blood pressure is inversely proportional to the attendance rates. If poor attendance rates are achieved then routine measurement at surgery visits may well be a more efficient method of screening. W P STEPHENS R D G TUNBRIDGE


Atmospheric rivers (ARs) traveling thousands of kilometers over arid North Africa could interact with the highlands of the Near East (NE), and thus affect the region's hydrometeorology and water resources. Here, we use a state‐of‐the‐art AR tracking database, and reanalysis and observational datasets to investigate the climatology (1979–2017) and influences of these ARs in snowmelt season (March–April). The Red Sea and northeast Africa are found to be the major source regions of these ARs, which are typically associated with the eastern Mediterranean trough positioned over the Balkan Peninsula and a blocking anticyclone over the NE‐Caspian region, triggering southwesterly air flow toward the NE's highlands. Approximately 8% of the ARs are relatively strong (integrated water vapor transport >∼275 kg m−1 s−1). AR days exhibit enhanced precipitation over the crescent‐shaped orography of the NE region. Mean AR days indicate wetter (up to + 2 mm day−1) and warmer (up to + 1.5°C) conditions than all‐day climatology. On AR days, while snowpack tends to decrease (up to 30%) in the Zagros Mountains, it can show decreases or increases in the Taurus Mountains depending largely on elevation. A further analysis with the observations and reanalysis indicates that extreme ARs coinciding with large scale sensible heat transport can significantly increase the daily discharges. These results suggest that ARs can have notable impacts on the hydrometeorology and water resources of the region, particularly of lowland Mesopotamia, a region that is famous with great floods in the ancient narratives.


In this paper, we propose a novel three-phase fuzzy approach to optimize dispatching and rebalancing for Ride-sharing Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand (RAMoD) systems, consisting of self-driving vehicles, which provide on-demand transportation service, and allowing several customers to share the same vehicle at the same time. We first introduce a new multi-objective possibilistic linear programming (MOPLP) model for the problem of dispatching and rebalancing in RAMoD systems considering the imprecise nature of the customer requests as well as two conflicting objectives simultaneously, namely, improving customer satisfaction and minimizing transportation costs. Then, after transforming this possibilistic programming model into an equivalent crisp multi-objective linear programming (MOLP) model, the Goal Programming (GP) approach is used to provide an efficient compromise solution. Finally, computational results show the practicality and tractability of the proposed model as well as the solution methodology.


ABSTRACT Tax collection system in Indonesia adopts self-assessment system in which the taxpayers are give full trust to calculate, consider and pay for the tax due themselves in accordance with tax legislation.Tax audit was not done to all of corporate taxpayers, but only the disobedient corporate taxpayers who are against the stipulation of tax legislation. After being audited, the Directorate General of Tax shall notify the result of audit through the letter of audit result notification (SPHP) and give the right to the corporate tax payers to attend the closing conference, then issue a legal product in the form of Tax Assessement Letter. In case of untrue Letter of Tax Assessment, the corporate taxpayers may apply for a legal remedy as the legal protection in seeking justice for corporate lawyers. Keywords: Legal Remedy, Corporate Taxpayers, Tax Audit


Pancreatic cancer is the most common lethal cancer, with annual incidence and mortality rates being approximately equal. This dismal prognosis can be attributed to late diagnosis making the cancers unresectable. These cancers respond poorly to chemotherapy and radiation, and surgical resection remains the most effective treatment available. Diagnostic tests that are sensitive, specific, and capable of early detection are urgently needed and would significantly impact upon pancreatic cancer treatment and outcomes. Exosomes, small membrane-bound vesicles which are fairly uniform in size (approximately 30–100 nm in diameter), contain messenger RNA, microRNA (miRNA), and proteins. They are ubiquitous and stable in most body fluids and exosomal miRNAs are also resistant to degradation by RNAses and DNAses. Expression profiles of serum exosomal miRNAs display sensitivity and specificity in the detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Markers of pancreatic cancer-initiating cells are also expressed on serum exosomes. Exosomes exhibit key functions in addition to their distinct structural properties: they are involved in immune system modulation via the transfer of antigenic proteins, and through protease activity they modulate the extracellular environment prior to metastasis. Exosomes are being studied as potent gene delivery tools and dendritic cell exosomes are already used as cancer vaccines. This review focusses on the current state of exosomal research, particularly in relation to their applicability as diagnostic and therapeutic tools for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.


The author reviews the way in which the art of modern railgunnery has progressed since it began at The Australian National University about 30 years ago. During the 10-year life of that program, most of the problems fundamental to railguns were encountered and examined. One of the reasons for the success of the ANU railgun program was the existence in Canberra at that time of the very large 500-MJ 1.6-MA homopolar generator. Use of this set the tone for the railgun work as its focus moved to the USA. The progression of power supply thinking from that point on is examined and conclusions drawn. The evolution of the railgun itself is also presented with particular emphasis being placed on armature development. The specifics of the two main armature-rail problems, gouging and transition, are examined in detail. Finally, where we are now is described, and from this vantage point, suggestions for the direction of future work are made.


BACKGROUND
The use of pre-recorded heart murmur in an electronic referral for a remote consultation can save children and their parents from having to travel to the nearest out-patient clinic. The heart sound can be recorded by the GP at the local health clinic and sent by e-mail to the specialist. 41 clinics in the North Norway healt region have invested in equipment that makes pre-recorded sound referrals possible. This study analyses whether this investment is a cost-saving technology or not.

METHODS
A yearly average of 50 children with a heart murmur are referred to a specialist in Troms. The costs of using pre-recorded telemedicine were compared to the costs of patient travelling to the nearest secondary care centre.

RESULTS
Pre-recorded heart sound referrals cost from 216 000 NOK more per year than the alternative of bringing patients to the out-patient clinic. The number of children with a heart murmur needed in order to break even must exceed 195 per year, i.e. 1.7 children per GP per year.

INTERPRETATION
The number of children with a heart murmur in Troms is too low for this method to be a cost-saving approach.


The traffic in concubines flourished in Ming-Qing Jiangnan as a result of large scale interactions of political and socioeconomic contexts. How women were situated within the system is central to this study, which revolves around two major arguments. First, the traffic in concubines as a means for disaster relief during difficult times was legitimized as a benevolent policy. Second, women were not necessarily the victims of the commercialized market in concubines. To study concubinage in general and individual concubines in the market system in Jiangnan, the following issues command attention: the political and socioeconomic conditions fostering concubinage, the market system of women, the roles of brokers, the value indicators and resultant prices, the transaction procedures for the sale of women with specific contents of contracts, the effects of the market system on the concubines' lives, and the regulations of law and the judicial practice in penal cases.


In this letter, a novel sequential logic device based on three-terminal ballistic junctions (TBJs) is proposed and demonstrated. Two TBJs and two in-plane gates are laterally integrated in a high-electron-mobility InGaAs/InP quantum-well material by a single-step lithography process. Electrical measurements reveal that the integrated device functions as a set-reset (SR) latch with voltage gains at room temperature. The demonstrated device provides a new and simple circuit design for SR latches in digital electronics.


This study is an evaluation of a process of strategic planning in the Missionary Society of St. Columban. Four Regions of the Society, Korea, Fiji, Chile and Britain were taken as a representative sample. The documentation from their planning processes was analysed and 108 members were surveyed by questionnaire. The study found that strategic planning could be profitably used by an international missionary organization and that it could help the Society improve: its sense of direction and unity; communication; participation; and morale. It also proved a valuable instrument for renewal, long-term change and leadership training. The study identifies a number of conditions for successful planning processes in missionary congregations and concludes that different planning approaches are valuable at different times in the life cycle of the organization. In the earlier stages the more rational and formal approach to planning seemed the best approach for the Columbans. Once the members had begun to think systematically about the future, it was clear more attention needed to be given to process, leadership, vision, managing cultural change, building learning communities and increasing the organization's capability to become more responsive and relevant.


Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a simple index to monitor the state of vegetation (stressed/unstressed) which can be derived from satellite data. Hence an attempt is made to find out the vegetation responses to rainfall through NDVI over the study area. Applicability of NDVI in drought monitoring is discussed using the NDVI and rainfall data for the period 1982-2003. The anomaly of NDVI is compared with the percentage departure of rainfall of corresponding years. Results showed a significant relation between the NDVI with the percentage departure of rainfall. The time series plots of averaged NDVI and seasonal rainfall (June-September) are done for NW India (21° N - 31° N, 68° E - 78° E), Central India (22° N - 27° N, 70° E - 77° E) and Peninsular India (16° N - 21° N, 74° E - 79° E) over the period 1982-2003 to analyze changes in vegetation pattern of India during the last two decades. Results indicated a clear linear relationship over NW and Central India. NDVI anomalies and the corresponding cumulative rainfall showed significantly linear correlation of 0.69 over NW India and 0.57 over Central India significant at 1% level but the correlation is found to be insignificant over Peninsular India which was only 0.04. Trend analysis of averaged NDVI over India showed that during last two decades the vegetation status had quite improved over the dry farming tracts of India.


As is well known, the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court appears to be re-defining its approach to the commerce clause: limits on federal power again are being enunciated. However, the debate on this issue in the United States is taking place without any significant consideration of the comparative law on the subject from Canada and Australia, which have similar clauses in their constitutions. As this Article shows, Canadian and Australian law confirm that the approach of the Supreme Court majority is preferable to that of the minority. Furthermore, the minority's fear that drawing boundaries may prove impossible is shown, by consideration of the experience of Canada and Australia, to be exaggerated.


The presence of a distinct nucleus, the compartment for confining the genome, transcription and RNA maturation, is a central (and eponymous) feature that distinguishes eukaryotes from prokaryotes. Structural integrity of the nucleus is maintained by the nuclear envelope (NE). A crucial element of this structure is the nuclear pore complex (NPC), a macromolecular machine with over 90 protein components, which mediates nucleo-cytoplasmic communication. Given the indispensability of these structures for nuclear function, the natural history of the nucleus can only be understood in terms of the origin and subsequent evolution of NE and NPC components. We investigated the provenance of the conserved domains found in these perinuclear proteins and reconstructed a parsimonious scenario for NE and NPC evolution by means of comparative-genomic analysis of their components from the available sequences of 28 sequenced eukaryotic genomes. We show that the NE and NPC proteins were tinkered together from diverse domains, which evolved from prokaryotic precursors at different points in eukaryotic evolution, divergence from pre-existing eukaryotic paralogs performing other functions, and de novo. It is shown that several central components of the NPC, in particular, the RanGDP import factor NTF2, the HEH domain of Src1p-Man1, and, probably, also the key domains of karyopherins and nucleoporins, the HEAT/ARM and WD40 repeats, have a bacterial, most likely, endosymbiotic origin. The specialized immunoglobulin (Ig) domain in the globular tail of the animal lamins, and the Ig domains in the nuclear membrane protein GP210 are shown to be related to distinct prokaryotic families of Ig domains. This suggests that independent, late horizontal gene transfer events from bacterial sources might have contributed to the evolution of perinuclear proteins in some of the major eukaryotic lineages. Snurportin 1, one of the highly conserved karyopherins, contains a cap-binding domain which is shown to be an inactive paralog of the guanylyl transferase domain of the mRNA-capping enzyme, exemplifying recruitment of paralogs of pre-exsiting proteins for perinuclear functions. We infer an autogenous scenario of nuclear evolution in which the nucleus emerged in the primitive eukaryotic ancestor (the "prekaryote") as part of cell compartmentalization triggered by archaeo-bacterial symbiosis. A pivotal event in this process was the radiation of Ras-superfamily GTPases yielding Ran, the key regulator of nuclear transport. A primitive NPC with approximately 20 proteins and a Src1p-Man1-like membrane protein with a DNA-tethering HEH domain are inferred to have been integral perinuclear components in the las common ancestor of modern eukaryotes.


The concept of sustainable development concerns not only the natural environment but also human societies and economies. The method of economy‐wide materials flow accounting and analysis (EW‐MFA) is internationally recognized as a valuable tool for studying the physical dimensions of economies. EW‐MFA has been carried out in many industrialized countries, but very little work has been done for developing China; this article can be regarded as one of the first attempts to study China's economy in terms of materials flows. In this article we have compiled materials flow accounts for China during the time series 1990 to 2002 and derived indicators associated with international comparison. Results show that the annual material consumption of China's economy continuously increased except for a slump around 1998, whereas the material efficiency exhibited a three‐phase trend reflecting different macropolicies of the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Five‐Year Plans implemented by the central government. Based on this experience with EW‐MFA for China, suggestions for methodology development and further research are given for improving EW‐MFA as a more effective tool for environmental management.


We report our methods and experiment results from the collaborative participation of the InfoLab group from University of Delaware and the school of Information Systems from Singapore Management University in the TREC 2009 Entity track. Our general goal is to study how we may apply language modeling approaches and natural language processing techniques to the task. Speci(cid:12)cally, we proposed to (cid:12)nd supporting information based on segment retrieval, to extract entities using Stanford NER tagger, and to rank entities based on a previously proposed probabilistic framework for expert (cid:12)nding.


Soybean lecithin (SBL) is usually added to aquafeed as a lipid source because aquatic animals cannot synthesize phospholipids. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of SBL on the growth, nutrient consumption, digestive enzyme activity, blood parameters, and antioxidant capability of striped catfish. The fish were fed on five experimental diets with five grading levels of SBL (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8%) for 60 days. The final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, and protein efficiency ratio were markedly higher in striped catfish treated with 2–4% SBL than the control level (0% SBL). However, the lowest feed conversion ratio was in the fish-fed groups of 4–6% SBL. The carcass lipid content was significantly higher in fish fed 2–4% SBL compared to the control level (0% SBL). The lipase, amylase, and protease activities were significantly increased in the fish fed 2–6% SBL compared to 0% SBL-fed group. The gradually increased levels of SBL improved the structural appearance and increased the intestinal villi length and branching appearance. The triglycerides and total cholesterol were increased in the fish fed with 4, 6, and 8% compared to the control level, with the highest being in the fish fed with 8%. The lysozyme activity was higher in the fish fed with 2, 4, and 6% of SBL compared to the control level, with higher activity in the fish fed with 2 and 4% than 6%. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities were increased in the fish fed with 2, 4, and 6% SBL. The malondialdehyde level was lower in the fish fed with 4–6% SBL compared to the control level. The regression analysis revealed that the optimum dose of SBL is required at 3.65–4.42% for better productivity and health performances in striped catfish.


Exposure to desiccation during heat wave conditions (≥ 35°C) is considered the most likely cause of a sudden dieback of 12 700 ha of intertidal and shallow subtidal seagrasses along 95 km of coast in Spencer Gulf, South Australia. To investigate this hypothesis experiments in a con- stant environment (CE) room were designed to test the tolerances of 2 shallow subtidal species, Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia australis, to desiccation for a range of temperatures and expo- sure times. The first experiment compared the effects of increasing exposure time (15, 30, 45, 60, 80 and 100 min) on photosynthetic efficiency at a relatively mild summer temperature (CE room set to 24°C). The second experiment compared the effects of increasing temperature (CE room temperature set to 18, 24, 28 or 32°C) and exposure time (0, 20 and 60 min). Photosynthetic efficiency, damage and extent of recovery were determined by chlorophyll fluorescence measured using a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer. The ability of both species to recover from desiccation decreased at higher temperatures and longer exposure time, with P. australis more susceptible to desiccation than A. antarctica. The results indicate that higher temperatures alone did not significantly affect photo- synthetic efficiency for either species. Four main responses for maximal quantum yield over a time series were apparent: (1) no difference from controls, (2) a significant degree of photosystem II inhi- bition followed by complete or (3) partial recovery, and (4) complete inhibition of photosystem II with no recovery. Short exposures to desiccation at lower temperatures generally resulted in moderate stress followed by complete recovery, while at higher temperatures there was only partial recovery, particularly for P. australis. However, both species exposed for 1 h at the highest temperature showed no signs of photosynthetic recovery up to18 h after re-immersion, suggesting that significant seagrass dieback is plausible under these conditions in situ, particularly if the seagrasses were exposed to repeated desiccation on consecutive days.


The mismatch between short lifetimes of free charge carriers and slow kinetics of surface redox reactions substantially limits the efficiency of most photocatalytic systems. Hence, the knowledge of trapping and recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes at different time scales is key for a rational optimization of photocatalytic materials. In this study, we used subsecond time-resolved diffuse-reflectance FTIR spectroscopy to investigate how energy and intensity of the incident irradiation affect the dynamics of photogenerated charge carriers in TiO2 P25 photocatalysts subjected to different pretreatments and how shallow trapped electrons (STE) are formed under these conditions. Intensity-dependent measurements demonstrated that electrons and holes generated by 325 and 409 nm irradiation undergo bimolecular and trap-assisted recombination, respectively. Analysis of characteristic times of photogenerated electron absorption rise and decay indicated that the apparent charge carrier dynamics at the time scale of seconds to minutes relate to chemical trapping of photogenerated electrons and holes. The presence of dissociatively adsorbed water on the oxide surface was required for efficient STE formation. This suggests that STE form at the seconds–minutes time scale upon surface-mediated self-trapping of electrons.


Exemplar clustering attempts to find a subset of data-points that summarizes the entire data-set in the sense of minimizing the sum of distances from each point to its closest exemplar. It has many important applications in machine learning including document and video summarization, data compression, scalability of kernel methods and Gaussian processes, active learning and feature selection. A key challenge in the adoption of exemplar clustering to large-scale applications has been the availability of accurate and scalable algorithms. We propose an approach that combines structured similarity matrix representations with submodular greedy maximization that can dramatically increase the scalability of exemplar clustering and still enjoys good approximation guarantees. Exploiting structured similarity matrices within the context of submodular greedy algorithms is by no means trivial, as naive approaches still require computing all the entries of the matrix. We propose a randomized approach based on sampling sign-patterns of columns of the similarity matrix and establish accuracy guarantees. We demonstrate significant computational speed-ups while still achieving highly accurate solutions, and solve problems with up-to millions of data-points in around a minute or less on a single commodity computer.


A unified change detection approach was proposed recently for detecting and identifying changes caused by various types of faults in rotating machinery. This novel, but unsophisticated method was validated using vibration data from rotating machines with several different types of faults, e.g. gear, bearing, pump, shaft and planet carrier faults. This paper further explores the application of unified change detection to the structural health monitoring field. We will present results of applying the method to detecting a crack in a Black Hawk helicopter frame structure using the in-flight strain gauge data, which were collected during a flight trial. During the trial, an excessive level of stress was detected in the 53rd test flight hour at a strain gauge located on a forward frame structure and by follow-up inspection a structural crack was found in close proximity to the gauge location. A previous study showed that, with the development of the structural crack, the dominant frequency components around the 4th shaft order of the main rotor were shifted from their nominal position by approximately 10 percent of the main rotor shaft order and were observed to vary with time (i.e. a crack-induced nonlinear effect). For this paper, the strain data acquired at various locations around the crack location have been analyzed using the unified change detection approach. Analysis results show that the changes in structural loading due to the crack can be detected and trends indicating a gradual change in behaviour are observed, even under the most common and uniform maneuvers such as the in-ground effect (IGE) hover that was experienced in every flight of the trial. The crack-induced change can be detected by most strain gauges around the crack location.


For the technology of diamond cutting of optical glass, the machinability of glass is poor, which hindering the practical application of this technology. In order to investigate and ameliorate the machinability of glass, and achieve optical parts with the satisfied surface quality and dimensional accuracy, this paper first conducted SF6 indentation experiment by Vickers microhardness instrument, and then the scratching tests with increasing depths of cut were conducted on glass SF6 to evaluate the influence of the cutting fluid properties on the machinability of glass. Based on this, turning tests were carried out, and the surface quality of SF6 was assessed based on the detections of the machined surfaces roughness. Experimental results indicated that compared with the process of dry cutting, the machinability of glass SF6 can be improved by using the cutting fluid.


Approaches to assessing the effectiveness of decision analyses in strategy development contexts have yet to be widely covered in the academic literature. In particular, there are two major gaps: first, a lack of conceptual links between socio-technical decision analysis and strategy development processes, and, second, a limited number of approaches that assess empirically the process effectiveness of decision analyses. This PhD research contributes to filling these gaps. The first part of this study analyses the contribution of socio-technical decision analysis to the effective development of strategies. I introduce a simplified taxonomy of strategy development that classifies socio-technical decision analysis as contributing both to enhanced information exchange ('socio' side) and improved information processing (technical side). The second part of the study assesses the effect of socio-technical decision analysis. I develop two measures to test the process effectiveness as well as the group alignment effects of the approach. An application to six case studies shows that socio-technical decision analysis is perceived as consistently more effective than existing decision processes on eight 'socio', technical and result-oriented dimensions. In addition, it has helped to create group alignment. The study also indicates that a group of relatively inexperienced decision analysts can apply socio-technical decision analysis successfully. The empirical studies, however, revealed several weaknesses in the approach, in particular on the information exchange side. The third part of the study addresses these weaknesses by introducing 'Strategy Conferencing'. The approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of socio-technical decision analysis in strategy development contexts by adding outside expertise to the process-based socio-technical decision analysis.


Agricultural land packers are generally used following the seeding
operation. It has been found that fields which have been packed usually
give higher yields than those which have not been packed, although the
reasons for this result are not understood. A laboratory study was undertaken
to determine the effect of packing and the effect to determine the
effect of packing and the effect of packer weight on soil density and
moisture loss. A soil bin system was designed and constructed for the
proposed study. The bulk density of the soil in the box was measured with
a gamma ray density system. A 12-inch cultivator shovel was used to till
the soil before packing. Two agricultural land packers, a crowfoot and a
coil type were used to pack the soil. Four different weights of packers
ranging from 60 pounds to 160 pounds per foot of width were used for both
packers at three depths of cultivation and at two moisture levels. Based
upon the theoretical analysis of gamma transmission, a linear relationship
was found between the count rate and the moisture content, and between the
count rate and the dry bulk density. These relationships were used in
determining the undisturbed bulk density of soil.
It was found that the packed density of the soil was essentially
the same for all packer weights used. No differences in packed density were
detected with changes in depth of cultivation, moisture level, or the type
of packer. The packed density increased with depth. Based upon these
results an equation of packing was developed which related packed density to
Depth.Experimental results were then checked against the theoretical
calculations based upon a pressure-sinkage equation. Laboratory compaction
tests and consolidation tests were carried out with a Proctor density apparatus
and a consolidation apparatus respectively. The results from the compaction
tests were compared with the experimental values. The Bossinesq equation
was used to draw iso-pressure curves. Densities were calculated by graphical
integration of iso-pressure curves using the density-pressure relationship
obtained from the consolidation tests. A comparison was made between the
densities obtained graphically and experimentally. The trend of calculated
values was similar to that of the experimental values to a depth of four
inches.
A comparison of the moisture loss from a sample of soil which was
cultivated only to that from a sample which was cultivated and packed showed
no difference during a period of seven days.


Background It is unclear whether proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) concentrations may be useful for cardiovascular risk stratification. Design The LUdwigshafen RIsk and Cardiovascular health (LURIC) study is a prospective observational registry of patients who were referred for coronary angiography. Methods Circulating PCSK9 was measured in 2139 participants of the LURIC study. There was a follow-up for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality with a median (interquartile range) duration of 10.1 (8.1–10.8) years. Results The mean (standard deviation) age of the participants (1470 males and 669 females) was 62.6 (10.8) years, body mass index 27.3 (4.0) kg/m2, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol 114 (33) mg/dl. The mean (standard deviation) PCSK9 concentration was 220 (82) ng/ml. Of the participants, 1035 (48.4%) were on statins. Use of statins was associated with significantly lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol (106 vs 121 mg/dl, p < 0.001) but significantly higher circulating PCSK9 (244 vs 197 ng/ml, p < 0.001). A total of 674 (31.5%) study participants died from any cause and 431 (20.1%) from cardiovascular diseases. In the entire cohort, the third vs first tertile of PCSK9 was not associated with the risk of death from any cause (hazard ratio = 1.09, p = 0.367) and from cardiovascular diseases (hazard ratio = 1.09, p = 0.476). In participants without statins, the third vs first PCSK9 tertile was modestly associated with increased all cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.34, p = 0.029) but not with cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio = 1.25, p = 0.194). Conclusions Circulating PCSK9 may be upregulated by statin use and does not appear to be useful for cardiovascular risk stratification.


Concepts of vitamin B6 megatherapy are classified in three categories: 1. megatherapy with well-known mechanism of action; 2. megatherapy with hypothetical or unknown, but nevertheless plausible mechanism of action; 3. megatherapy on the basis of pure speculation. Examples of all three categories are shown. The dosages applied extend from 100 mg up to several grams; the duration of treatment varies from weeks to several years. After long-term intake of high doses toxic effects can occur in the form of peripheral sensory neuropathy, in two reported cases combined with a subepidermal vesicular dermatosis. The threshold above which toxic effects can occur appears to be somewhat between 300 and 500 mg/day; however, systematic investigations in this dose range have never been performed. Furthermore, there appears to be an inverse relationship between the dose and the time up to the occurrence of toxic symptoms. The danger consists less in controlled application by a physician as far as he is aware of the clinical picture of sensory neuropathy. Doses in excess of 500 mg are rarely necessary in specific indications. Unlike this situation, self-medication by laymen on the basis of promises in obscure health magazines is much more risky because the dose is frequently raised more and more up to several grams per day when the expected effect does not occur. Language: en


Globalization plays an important role in modern society. It exist the necessity to be connected and able to reach every place. Some of the most important networks and systems include the Internet network, the transport and comunication system, the electric grid, social networks,.. These can be considered as complex networks and each of them has specialized in a necessity. In order to satisfy the demand, networks must be resilient enough to fight against posible node failure, which can occur by a random or intentioned attack. When a node or set of nodes fail, the network has to reorganize its connections with other operative neighbor nodes and assign them the load of the initial node, being the most equitable possible. Recent studies have created models about cascade failure of real networks as Twitter, Facebook or the electric grid. In this final degree project we study the behaviour of the global airport network, composed by the United States and Europe networks when cascade failure exist. Specifically, an initial radius is set to determine the failing airports.Taking in account the fact that each airport can handle a maximum amount of flight transfers in spite of its scheduled flights, we have analysed the evolution of cadacade failure for different loads. Efffectivity of two failing methods is tested. Hence, properties of the United States, Europe and global networks are studied first, taking the data from public sources. Furthermore, an interpretation of the evolution of its propierties has been done, betwen years 2001 and 2018. The simulations and analysis has been done by using the "NetworkX" Python package that makes it easier to create, handle and analise complex networks.


Several researchers have recently explored various graph parameters that can or cannot be characterized by the spectrum of a matrix associated with a graph. In this paper, we show that several NP-hard zero forcing numbers are not characterized by the spectra of several types of associated matrices with a graph. In particular, we consider standard zero forcing, positive semidefinite zero forcing, and skew zero forcing and provide constructions of infinite families of pairs of cospectral graphs, which have different values for these numbers. We explore several methods for obtaining these cospectral graphs including using graph products, graph joins, and graph switching. Among these, we provide a construction involving regular adjacency cospectral graphs; the regularity of this construction also implies cospectrality with respect to several other matrices including the Laplacian, signless Laplacian, and normalized Laplacian. We also provide a construction where pairs of cospectral graphs can have an arbitrarily large difference between their zero forcing numbers.


Background Deficiency of alpha-1 protease inhibitor, or alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), predisposes to chronic lung diseases and some extra-pulmonary pathology. Besides classical implications, such as pulmonary emphysema and other associated lung diseases, A1AD is also known to be associated with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA, or Wegener's). Objectives The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency of mutated A1AT forms and its clinical significance among GPA patients. Methods We analysed 38 samples of sera, collected from GPA patients. Detailed clinical data, including Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), incidence of lung involvement, anti-(Pr3) antibodies concentrations and other laboratory data were collected. We also studied control group of 46 healthy donors. All collected samples underwent A1AT phenotyping by isoelectrofocusing (IEF) and turbidimetric A1AT measurement. Results Mutated A1AT variants were revealed in 18.4% (7/38) cases and included following phenotypes: 1ZZ, 4MZ and 2MF. The mean A1AT concentration in samples with pathological genetic A1AT forms was significantly lower (P=0,0038), than in normal A1AT phenotype. According to reference values, only 2 of 7 pathological samples demonstrated decreased A1AT concentration. Comparing BVAS activity, we found that patients with mutated A1AT phenotype had significantly higher vasculitis activity, as well as anti-PR3 antibodies concentration. When analysis of nonspecific systemic inflammation markers was performed, the significant difference (P<0.05) was found only between means of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) Conclusions Laboratory testing to find pathological A1AT forms are not usually ordered for patients with systemic vasculitides. During medical examination of GPA patients the possibility of A1AT deficiency should be considered and may be verificated by IEF. Disclosure of Interest None declared


BACKGROUND
Collection of genetic biospecimens as part of critical illness investigations is increasingly commonplace. Oversight bodies vary in restrictions imposed on genetic research, introducing inconsistencies in study design, potential for sampling bias, and the possibility of being overly prohibitive of this type of research altogether. We undertook this study to better understand whether restrictions on genetic data collection beyond those governing research on cognitively intact subjects reflect the concerns of surrogates for critically ill patients.

METHODS
We analyzed survey data collected from 1,176 patients in nonurgent settings and 437 surrogates representing critically ill adults. Attitudes pertaining to genetic data (familiarity, perceptions, interest in participation, concerns) and demographic information were examined using univariate and multivariate techniques.

RESULTS
We explored differences among respondents who were receptive (1,333) and nonreceptive (280) to genetic sample collection. Whereas factors positively associated with receptivity to research participation were "complete trust" in health-care providers (OR, 2.091; 95% CI, 1.544-2.833), upper income strata (OR, 2.319; 95% CI, 1.308-4.114), viewing genetic research "very positively" (OR, 3.524; 95% CI, 2.122-5.852), and expressing "no worry at all" regarding disclosure of results (OR, 2.505; 95% CI, 1.436-4.369), black race was negatively associated with research participation (OR, 0.410; 95% CI, 0.288-0.585). We could detect no difference in receptivity to genetic sample collection comparing ambulatory patients and surrogates (OR, 0.738; 95% CI, 0.511-1.066).

CONCLUSIONS
Expressing trust in health-care providers and viewing genetic research favorably were associated with increased willingness for study enrollment, while concern regarding breach of confidentiality and black race had the opposite effect. Study setting had no bearing on willingness to participate.


Executive Summary This paper examines the experiences of Central American youth who have attempted internal relocation before migrating internationally. Based on interviews and participant observation with Guatemalan, Honduran, and Salvadoran youth migrating through Mexico, this paper shows how youth from the Northern Countries of Central America turn to their domestic networks to escape labor exploitation and gang violence before undertaking international journeys. The paper further demonstrates how those domestic networks lead youth into contexts of poverty and violence similar to those they seek to escape, making their internal relocation a disappointment. The failure of their internal relocation attempts makes them turn to international migrant networks as their next option. This paper sheds light on the underexplored issue of internal migration among Central American youth and that migration's synergy with Central American youths' migration to the United States. The paper finds that internal relocation is unsuccessful when the internal destination fails to resolve the issues from which youth are attempting to escape. This failure ultimately triggers their departure from their home country.


The increasing complexity of digital VLSI designs is causing the simulation execution time to increase enormously. Circuit partitioning is an efficient way to speed up the parallel simulation and reduce the communication overhead. Based on classical F-M heuristic algorithm, we proposed a multilevel partitioning approach TCFM, which can get fast convergence of F-M algorithm by refining the initial partitioning. The simulator was implemented on Network of workstations and a benchmark of ISCAS85 was executed to show that it is feasible to obtain the speedup and lower communication overhead.


ABSTRACT In the last decades, the propagation of Mandarin has been carried out across the People's Republic of China as de facto language assimilation. It has achieved great success in that over 80 percent of the population can speak Mandarin, but it has also had devastating effects on minority language learning, maintenance, and use. Meanwhile, the Chinese government continues to strongly promote Mandarin nationwide. This paper applies summative content analysis to examine the reasons the government provides for promoting Mandarin in its official policies, government reports, and news. Our findings show that in official documents, the value of promoting Mandarin typically prevails over the importance of protecting minority languages. Additionally, the government tends to equate minority assimilation with progress and advancement. In this context, we argue that to enhance conditions of minorities in society, the government should work to ensure that mastering Mandarin is a free choice of minorities, and regard Mandarin and minority languages and their speakers as of equal status and value in society.


Liver cancers including both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) have increased steadily with the prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but the underlying mechanism for the transition from NASH to liver cancers remains unclear. Here we first employed diet-induced NASH zebrafish and found that elevated level of satiety hormone, leptin, induced overexpression of tgfb1. Then we developed tgfb1a transgenic zebrafish for inducible, hepatocyte-specific expression. Interestingly, chronically high tgfb1a induction in hepatocytes could concurrently drive both HCC and CCA. Molecularly, oncogenicity of Tgfb1 in HCC was dependent on the switch of dominant activated signaling pathway from Smad to Erk in hepatocytes while concurrent activation of both Smad and Erk pathways in cholangiocytes was essential for Tgfb1-induced CCA. These findings pinpointed the novel role of Tgfb1 as a central regulator in the two major types of liver cancers, which was also supported by human liver disease samples.


Band gaps and electron affinities of binary and ternary, wurtzite (wz-) and zincblende (zb-) III-nitrides are investigated using a unified hybrid density functional theory, and band offsets between wz- and zb- alloys are calculated using Anderson's electron affinity model. A conduction (and valence) band offset of 1.85 (0.89) eV has been calculated for zb-GaN/InN heterojunctions, which is 0.25 eV larger (and 0.26 eV smaller) than that of the wz- counterpart. Such polarization-free zb-GaN/InGaN/GaN quantum well structures with large conduction band offsets have the potential to suppress electron leakage current and quantum-confined Stark effects (QCSEs). Contrarily, the conduction (and valence) band offset of zb-AlN/GaN heterojunctions is calculated to be 1.32 (0.43) eV, which is 1.15 eV smaller (and 0.13 eV larger) than that of the wz- case. The significant reduction in zb-AlN/GaN band offsets is ascribed to the smaller and indirect band gap of zb-AlN—the direct-to-indirect crossover point in zb-AlXGa1–XN is when X ∼ 65%. The small band gap of the zb-AlN barrier and the small conduction band offsets imply that electrons can be injected into zb-AlN/GaN/AlN quantum well heterostructures with small bias and less energy loss when captured by the quantum wells, respectively, i.e., loss as heat is reduced. The band gap of ternary III-nitrides does not linearly depend on alloy compositions, implying a nonlinear dependence of band offsets on compositions. As a result, the large bowing of the conduction band offset is identified and ascribed to the cation-like behavior of the conduction band minimum, while the linear dependence of the valence band offset on compositions is attributed to the anion-like character of the valence band maximum.


Government of India spends most of its income towards strengthening the Army, Air Force and Navy. Out of the amount spent for this, about 80% of money is spent on technology advancement and maintenance. We are coming in particular now about the Air Force and its fighter jets along with other flying machines as well. Taking Mirage-2000 as an instance, the complete project has been planned to be carried out. The total technical life i.e., effective flying time for a fighter plane is generally around 5000 h of flying/25 years approximately. In between, there can be services done at periodic intervals. Means, it will be permitted to fly up to 2000 h, then servicing can be done with which further flying can be permitted. The point here is, even if a flight has not flown for 2000 h, but reached 12 years of time frame, it has to be serviced, which is definitely under utilization of the machine. Also a particular flight can be flown for 2000 h. well before time, say 8 years; even then the servicing has to be carried out. A flight might have been subjected to tough flying (G-Conditions) conditions in a short span of time. In such case, it undergoes tough wear and tear through which more fatigue is also possible. In this case this machine has to be given more attention as it has been used under extreme conditions. On the other side of the coin, for the same flying hours, another flight which had flown under straight/study conditions will also get the same treatment. It is not fair to treat a guy who is working hard and a guy who has not done that! Few researchers have worked on understanding and even proposing fault diagnositcs. But, there is a lot more to do in cost savings point of view. This study aims at bringing a solution, which has an embedded system in place which would fetch all the critical information during flight and with which optimum usage can be obtained and thereby increasing the effective flying time of the flight through which we get better results economically, technically and avoiding over maintenance. This will eventually find out a way to exploit the aircraft more effectively with cutting down the unnecessary cost.


Historically, Saudi Arabia and USA relationship have been based on oil-for-security in which Saudi Arabia supports global energy market stability through its production-export policies and the US guarantees Saudi Arabia security in facing with regional threats. Yet, there were some changes in second decade of the new century. As a matter of fact, USA and Saudi's relationship in Arab world experienced some rifts during Barak Obama era. In this regard, the two country strategy for coping with revolutionary upheavals in the Arab world which is called "Arab Spring", especially in Egypt, was among their central divergence causing several challenges between the two countries. Hence, Using Explaining method, in this research, it is aimed to inspect that what factors are resulted in the US and Saudi Arabia strategic differences in Arab World through 2010-2017? The US attempts to adapt with geopolitical changes in international system have been resulted in the US and Saudi Arabia strategic differences in Arab World.