Porous materials have been shown in nature to be extremely useful for the intended applications. These naturally porous materials have inspired a vast array of synthetic porous materials, especially with the pore sizes in the nanoscale. Of particular interest are the mesoporous materials which have pores in the range of 2 – 50 nm. Thus the pores are the optimum sizes for a wide range of applications being large enough to adsorb/host the larger molecules (bio-molecules) yet small enough to entrap them. Mesoporous silica is of particular interest as its characteristic high surface areas, controllable mesostructures and pore size, coupled with high chemical and thermal stability and availability for surface functionalization could be ideal for a range of applications including adsorption, catalysis, or as drug carriers and biosensors due to their biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. Traditionally mesoporous silica is synthesised through a "wet chemistry" or solvent evaporation method whereby the mesostructures form in solution and are recovered as the precipitate. However, conventional solution or solvent-evaporation precipitation procedures to synthesize mesoporous materials do present several drawbacks. Firstly, most of them are still conducted in time-consuming and costly batch operations that are not amenable to scalable fabrication. More importantly, most mesoporous silica materials produced via hydrothermal methods are fine powders with non-uniform and/or small sizes, which often have to be post shaped to uniform and large microparticles before use in real applications. Evaporation methods, on the other hand, enable high precision in either particle diameter or thickness of film to produce the particle sizes that are better suited for practical applications, such as in adsorption, separation and catalysis, and packed columns where dynamic streams with high pressure, temperature and fluid flow are often involved. Therefore, fast and scalable fabrication of uniform mesoporous silica microparticles with large geometrical sizes (tens of micrometers) and mesopore size (> 2 – 50 nm) is preferred as they can provide large surface area with accessible pore volumes, without inducing excessive fluid pressure drop across the bed. An alternative method for the synthesis of mesoporous silicas is evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) which is the result of competition between condensation of silica and self-assembly of micelles. The EISA process facilitates the control of the final structure though chemical parameters such as the composition of the precursor solution, pH, and aging time, and through processing parameters such as the evaporation rate (partial vapour pressures, temperature, convection), and droplet diameter. Spray drying offers a fast and scalable method of producing mesoporous silica, yet the mechanism behind the self-assembly and the effect of many parameters has yet to be fully elucidated. There are also drawbacks associated with spray drying that are not present in more traditional methods that must be overcome in order for it to be useful in a wide range of applications. These gaps in the knowledge with regards to effects of parameters (drying temperature, initial solute content, precursor composition, solvent, hydrolysis time, post-synthesis treatment) and possible mechanisms are explored in this thesis. We have found that the mesostructure is dependent on the composition of the precursor and for SBA-15 the inlet temperature, while the particle size and shape can be controlled through the initial solute content, inlet temperature, solvent, and hydrolysis time. We propose that the mechanism of assembly is the result of a "wet-pocket" formation with the mesostructure not fully set in the initial spray drying phase, instead it continues to self-organise during secondary drying. The drawbacks, such as the skin that is the result of spray drying which reduces the efficacy of the product in applications, have been overcome through the use of post-synthesis hydrothermal treatments and the addition of co-templates.


Working on gang issues as a whole demands that I, as a scholar, engage different scales that collapse individual and community, local and global, and that make action and study into indistinguishable partners. It is not just that we need to facilitate one woman's path toward finding an academic who will help her husband and their family; we need to work on the bigger thing and ask the Department of State to hold itself to at least the same (flawed) standards as domestic law enforcement regarding the use of tattoos to determine gang affiliation. I do not know if this particular push will be successful, because of the heightened security that I discuss below. But being involved in the struggle is itself transformative, because it creates new narrative threads and strengthens possibilities and openings that can lead to change. Sanyika Shakur, also known as Monster Kody, is a former gang member who wrote, "I am a gang expert—period. There are no other gang experts except participants." His assertion raises a bigger question about study and embodied identity. Whether or not expertise exists in the manner that Shakur is talking about, the need for "expertise" as a putative legal category is evident in the many intersections of gang membership and the law, which are increasingly playing out on transnational stages like the one between the United States and Mexico. The question then becomes how an academic can use purported "expertise" without strengthening the oppressive systems that created those categories in the first place.


SND1, a subunit of the miRNA regulatory complex RISC, has been implicated as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we show that hepatocyte-specific SND1 transgenic mice (Alb/SND1 mice) develop spontaneous HCC with partial penetrance and exhibit more highly aggressive HCC induced by chemical carcinogenesis. Livers from Alb/SND1 mice exhibited a relative increase in inflammatory markers and spheroid-generating tumor-initiating cells (TIC). Mechanistic investigations defined roles for Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways in promoting TIC formation in Alb/SND1 mice. In human xenograft models of subcutaneous or orthotopic HCC, administration of the selective SND1 inhibitor 3', 5'-deoxythymidine bisphosphate (pdTp), inhibited tumor formation without effects on body weight or liver function. Our work establishes an oncogenic role for SND1 in promoting TIC formation and highlights pdTp as a highly selective SND1 inhibitor as a candidate therapeutic lead to treat advanced HCC. Cancer Res; 77(12); 3306-16. ©2017 AACR.


The emergence of web-based technologies have diversified the pedagogical approaches of tertiary institutions. The web is shifting from being a medium, in which information was transmitted and consumed into being a platform, in which content is created, shared, modified and passes along amongst learners and instructors. This study investigated the effect of blended learning in undergraduate students' achievement in pre-algebra course as compared to, purely online and offline/face-to-face learning. The study adopted a completely randomized experimental design, conducted with 90 undergraduate students of the University of Uyo Foundation Programme (i.e., Joint University Preliminary Examination Board, JUPEB). The instrument: Pre-algebra Achievement Test (PAT), created as HTML files were uploaded to webCT. It was administered to the three experimental units. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS. The study revealed that using blended learning, improves students' learning outcome in pre-algebra. Also, gender does not have any statistically significant effect on students' achievement in pre-algebra toward the use of blended learning. The study could contribute toward enhancing the institutions' e-readiness, and as a proactive prospect of blended learning courses in Mathematics Education. The research could be of immense benefit to learners, lecturers, learning technologist, and other stakeholders including curriculum designers, such as head of departments, faculty members and e-learning coordinators in the institution.


THE FOREST HISTORY SOCIETY (FHS) maintains an extensive database of published sources related to environmental history. The "new scholarship" section of this journal includes just a selection of the new information that the FHS library adds each quarter. The library indexes all entries in the database by topic, chronological period, and geographic area. The library staff will gladly provide additional information about items you see in this section or information on other topics from the database. They are happy to respond to requests for full bibliographies or lists of archival collections for specific research projects. The unabridged version of this New Scholarship section is available on our website at http://foresthistory.org/Research/biblio.html. The compiler also welcomes information about relevant publications that the staff may have missed, including books, theses, and dissertations. The compiler particularly welcomes copies of relevant articles. Contact us by mail at New Scholarship, Forest History Society, 701 Wm. Vickers Avenue, Durham, NC 27701, USA, by telephone at 919-682-9319, or by email: firstname.lastname@example.com


Family photographs, snapshots and portraits, affixed to the refrigerator or displayed in gilded frames, crammed into shoeboxes or catalogued in albums, they preserve ancestral history and perpetuate memories. Indeed, photography has become the family's primary means of self-representation. In this book Marianne Hirsch uncovers both the deception and the power behind this visual record. Hirsch explores the photographic conventions for constructing family relationships and discusses artistic strategies for challenging those constructions. When we capture our family photographically, we are often responding to an idealized image. Contemporary artists and writers, Hirsch shows, have exposed the gap between lived reality and a perceived ideal to witness contradictions that shape visual representations of parents and children, siblings, lovers, or extended families. Exploring fiction, imagetexts, and photographic essays, she elucidates their subversive devices, giving particular attention to literal and metaphorical masks. While permitting false impressions and misreadings, family photos have also proved a means for shaping personal and cultural memory. Hirsch highlights an example: the wide variety of family pictures surviving the Holocaust and the displacements of late-20th-century history. Whether personal treasures, artistic constructions, or museum installations, these images link private memory to collective history.


A case of primary Type XX pneumococcal meningitis is <lescribed. Treatment with sulphapyridine was successful, but difficulties during treatment are described. The necessary dosage was very large; a total of 166'5 grammes (333 tablets) was given, spread over one month, but no pronounced toxic symptoms occurred. The concentration of sulphanilamide in the cerebro-spinal ftuid appeared very variable and was often surprisingly low.


Introduction and development
Sensory systems show a topographic representation of the sensory epithelium in the central nervous system. In the auditory system this representation originates tonotopic maps. For the last four decades these changes in tonotopic maps have been widely studied either after peripheral mechanical lesions or by exposing animals to an augmented acoustic environment. These sensory manipulations induce plastic reorganizations in the tonotopic map of the auditory cortex. By contrast, acoustic trauma does not seem to induce functional plasticity at subcortical nuclei. Mechanisms that generate these changes differ in their molecular basis and temporal course and we can distinguish two different mechanisms: those involving an active reorganization process, and those that show a simple reflection of the loss of peripheral afferences. Only the former involve a genuine process of plastic reorganization. Neuronal plasticity is critical for the normal development and function of the adult auditory system, as well as for the rehabilitation needed after the implantation of auditory prostheses. However, development of plasticity can also generate abnormal sensation like tinnitus. Recently, a new concept in neurobiology so-called 'neuronal stability' has emerged and its implications and conceptual basis could help to improve the treatments of hearing loss.


The study contains an analysis of the essence of decentralization and its impacts on the creation of territorial communities. Scholarly views on the essence of the concept of 'territorial community' are presented and its features mentioned. The factors that determine the regional development of the territorial community as a subject of economic relations in the region have been identified. The legislative regulation of the process of creation and development of territorial communities is analysed and the shortcomings of the current situation are pointed out. The degree of decentralization over the period 2018–2020 is briefly analysed and a description of the methodology for assessing the viability of the created territorial communities is given. It is emphasised that the methodology of formation of affluent territorial communities is described in the 2015 Ukrainian legislation and approved by the resolution of 8 April No. 214 "The methodology of formation of affluent territorial communities". The calculated indicators are given on the example of the Stepanivska united territorial community and its prospects of development are estimated. Recommendations for improving the conditions of formation and development of territorial communities in the conditions of decentralization in Ukraine have been developed. The empirical methodology used in the study proved to be liquid and can be applied in practice to the formation of the territorial community as a subject of local development.


Nanowires can be manipulated using an ion beam via a phenomenon known as ion-induced bending (IIB). While the mechanisms behind IIB are still the subject of debate, accumulation of point defects or amorphisation are often cited as possible driving mechanisms. Previous results in the literature on IIB of Ge and Si nanowires have shown that after irradiation the aligned nanowires are fully amorphous. Experiments were recently reported in which crystalline seeds were preserved in otherwise-amorphous ion-beam-bent Si nanowires which then facilitated solid-phase epitaxial growth (SPEG) during subsequent annealing. However, the ion-induced alignment of the nanowires was lost during the SPEG. In this work, in situ ion irradiations in a transmission electron microscope at 400 °C and 500 °C were performed on Ge and Si nanowires, respectively, to supress amorphisation and the build-up of point defects. Both the Ge and Si nanowires were found to bend during irradiation thus drawing into question the role of mechanisms based on damage accumulation under such conditions. These experiments demonstrate for the first time a simple way of realigning single-crystal Ge and Si nanowires via IIB whilst preserving their crystal structure.


The cache interference is found to play a critical role in optimizing cache allocation among concurrent threads for shared cache. Conventional LRU policy usually works well for low interference workloads, while high cache interference among threads demands explicit allocation regulation, such as cache partitioning. Cache interference is shown to be tied to inter-thread memory reference interleaving granularity: high interference is caused by fine-grain interleaving while low interference is caused coarse-grain interleaving. Profiling of real multi-program workloads shows that cache set mapping and temporal phase result in the variation of interleaving granularity. When memory references from different threads map to disjoint cache sets, or they occur in distinct time windows, they tend to cause little interference due to coarse-grain interleaving. The interleaving granularity measured by run-length in workloads is found to correlate with the preference of cache management policy: fine-grain interleaving workloads perform better with cache partitioning, and coarse-grain interleaving workloads perform better with LRU.
Most existing shared cache management techniques are based on working set locality analysis. This dissertation studies the shared cache performance by taking both locality and interleaving information into consideration. Oracle algorithm which provides theoretical best performance is investigated to provide insight into how to design a better practical policy. Profiling and analysis of Oracle algorithm lead to the proposal of probabilistic replacement (PR), a novel cache allocation policy. With aggressor threads information learned on-line, PR evicts the bad locality blocks of aggressor threads probabilistically while preserving good locality blocks of non-aggressor threads. PR is shown to be able to adapt to the different interleaving granularities in different sets over time. Its flexibility in tuning eviction probability also improves fairness among thread performance. Evaluation indicates that PR outperforms LRU, UCP, and ideal cache partitioning at moderate hardware cost.
For single program cache management, this dissertation also proposes a novel technique: reuse distance last touch predictor (RD-LTP). RD-LTP is able to capture reuse distance information, which represents the intrinsic memory reference pattern. Based on this improved LT predictor, an MRU LT eviction policy is developed to select the right victim at the presence of incorrect LT prediction. In addition to LT predictor, another predictor: reuse distance predictors (RDPs) is proposed, which is able to predict actual reuse distance values. Compared to various existing cache management techniques, these two novel predictors deliver higher cache performance with higher prediction coverage and accuracy at moderate hardware cost.


This work introduces a new classification method in the remote sensing domain, suitably adapted to dealing with the challenges posed by the big data processing and analytics framework. The method is based on symbolic learning techniques, and it is designed to work in complex and information-abundant environments, where relationships among different data layers are assessed in model-free and computationally-effective modalities. The two main stages of the method are the data reduction-sequencing and the association analysis. The former refers to data representation; the latter searches for systematic relationships between data instances derived from images and spatial information encoded in supervisory signals. Subsequently, a new measure named the evidence-based normalized differential index, inspired by the probability-based family of objective interestingness measures, evaluates these associations. Additional information about the computational complexity of the classification algorithm and some critical remarks are briefly introduced. An application of land cover mapping where the input image features are morphological and radiometric descriptors demonstrates the capacity of the method; in this instructive application, a subset of eight classes from the Corine Land Cover is used as the reference source to guide the training phase.


This research work was pursued to gain insights on the level of satisfaction of students in the Lyceum International Maritime Academy (LIMA) Campus on the services rendered by its Canteen. This study would determine the level of satisfaction of the LIMA students on the current services that are rendered by the LIMA canteen and also propose problems for the problems that are cited. This study utilized a descriptive research method with (240) Maritime students that were chosen on the basis of random sampling. Results showed that the respondents of the study are satisfied. The LIMA students agreed that the canteen to the problems like lack of space, chairs and tables, and poor ventilation. The respondents are also aware that the LIMA Canteen also has problems that are needed to be improved. Since the study's objective is to propose some plans of actions on the following problems, we would be able to suggest solutions to these problems involving the persons involved. So far, the LIMA Canteen is accomplishing its vision and mission to further satisfy the needs of their customers.


Objectives: This study aimed to assess prevalence rate of depression and perceptions regarding stigma associated with depression amongst medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 331 undergraduate medical students at a private medical college in Gujarat. Data was collected, which comprised of socio-demographic details, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and a 22-item semi-structured questionnaire to assess personal, perceived, and help-seeking stigma. Univariate analysis and chi-square tests were used to test for association between variables. Results: Overall prevalence of depression was found to be 64%. Highest level of depression was seen in first year. Moderate to severe depression was found in 26.6% students. 73.3% students felt that having depression would negatively affect their education, and 52.3% saw depression as a sign of personal weakness. Females more strongly believed that students would not want to work with a depressed student (50.9% v/s 36.2%) and that if depressed, they would be unable to complete medical college responsibilities (61.9% v/s 44.1%). With increasing academic year, there was increase in stigma about disclosing depression to friends (P = 0.0082) and increase in stigma about working with a depressed student (P = 0.0067). Depressed students felt more strongly than non-depressed students on 10 items of the stigma questionnaire. Conclusions: High stigma exists among students about the causation of depression, and there exists an environment in which students discriminate fellow colleagues based on the presence of depression. This raises need for increasing awareness and support from peers and faculty.


High stress regions around corrosion pits can lead to crack nucleation and propagation. In fact, in many engineering applications, corrosion pits act as precursor to cracking, but prediction of structural damage has been hindered by lack of understanding of the process by which a crack develops from a pit and limitations in visualisation and measurement techniques. An experimental approach able to accurately quantify the stress and strain field around corrosion pits is still lacking. In this regard, numerical modeling can be helpful. Several numerical models, usually based on FEM, are available for predicting the evolution of long cracks. However, the methodology for dealing with the nucleation of damage is less well developed, and, often, numerical instabilities arise during the simulation of crack propagation. Moreover, the popular assumption that the crack has the same depth as the pit at the point of transition and by implication initiates at the pit base, has no intrinsic foundation. A numerical approach is required to model nucleation and propagation of cracks without being affected by any numerical instability, and without assuming crack initiation from the base of the pit. This is achieved in the present study, where PD theory is used in order to overcome the major shortcomings of the currently available numerical approaches. Pit-to-crack transition phenomenon is modeled, and non-conventional and more effective numerical frameworks that can be helpful in failure analysis and in the design of new fracture-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials are presented.


Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of top management team (TMT) processes on firm innovativeness. Firm innovativeness is critical for organizational survival. Yet, the authors' understanding about the key determinants of firm innovativeness is limited, particularly concerning the role of TMT dynamics. Drawing on upper echelon's theory, the authors develop and test hypotheses concerning the influence of two TMT processes, namely affective conflict and cognitive conflict, on firm innovativeness. They also explore the boundary conditions of TMT dynamics by examining the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between TMT conflict (affective and cognitive conflict) and firm innovativeness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected survey-based data from TMT members in 171 information technology organizations based in India. They used multiple regression analyses to test the study hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical findings indicate that TMT affective conflict is negatively associated with firm innovativeness, whereas TMT cognitive conflict has a negative curvilinear relationship with it. Both relationships are stronger in firms operating in environments characterized by a high degree of uncertainty.

Originality/value

This study highlights the role of TMT conflict in the pursuit of firm innovativeness. Significantly, the study shows that both TMT affective conflict and cognitive conflict can affect firm innovativeness. However, their effectiveness is contingent on environmental uncertainty. This contributes to the firm innovation literature by clarifying how specific types of TMT conflict influence firm innovativeness in different environmental conditions.


The complex nature of the reservoir dictated comprehensive formation evaluation logging that was typically done on wireline. The high angle designed for maximum reservoir exposure, high temperature, high pressure (HTHP), differential reservoir pressure and wellbore stability challenges necessitated a new approach to overall formation evaluation. The paper outlines Formation Evaluation strategy that reduced risk, increased efficiency and saved money, while ensuring high quality data collection, integration and interpretation.
 After review of all risks, a decision to utilize Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) for wellbore stability, Logging While Drilling (LWD) to replace wireline and Advanced Mudlogging Services was implemented. The Formation Evaluation team utilized LWD resistivity, neutron, density and nuclear magnetic resonance logs supplemented with x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and advanced mud gas analysis to ensure comprehensive analysis. The paper outlines workflows and procedures necessary to ensure all data from LWD, XRF, XRD and mud gas are integrated properly for the analysis.
 Effects of Managed Pressure Drilling on mud gas interpretation as well as cuttings and mud gas depth matching are addressed. Depth matching of all data, mud gasses, cuttings and logs are critical for detailed and accurate analysis and techniques are discussed that ensure consistent results. Complex mineralogy due to digenesis and effect of LWD logs are evident and only reconciled by detailed XRF and XRD data. The effects of some conductive mineralogy are so dramatic as to infer tool function compromise. The ability to determine acceptable tool response from tool failures eliminates unnecessary trips and leads to efficient operations. The final result of the above data collection, QC and processing resulted in a comprehensive formation evaluation interpretation of high confidence.
 Finally, conclusions and recommendations are summarized to provide guidelines in Formation Evaluation in similar challenging highly deviated, HTHP, complex reservoir environments on land and offshore.


This study presents the Thesis Steering Model (TSM), an instrument supporting systematic communication and collaboration between the different stakeholders involved in industrial doctoral projects. The results describe TSM and illustrate its introduction for seven doctoral projects within a postgraduate school in applied informatics. The experiences from the first two years in use are: enhanced communication, mutual understanding of academic and business values, and opportunity to the doctoral students to build a research identity associated to their own project.


Abstract Frontal sinus fractures account for 2% to 15% of maxillofacial injuries. Up to 66% to 87% of the patients with frontal sinus fractures experience associated facial fractures. The majority of classifications used today categorize frontal sinus fractures depending on the integrity of the anterior table, posterior table, and the nasofrontal outflow. A retrospective study was performed, which included 24 patients diagnosed with frontal sinus fractures. Treatment in all patients consisted of open reduction and bone fixation. We analyzed population variables, injury etiology, fracture site, associated craniofacial injuries, surgical technique employed, handling of the nasofrontal duct, and postoperative complications. The most frequent etiology was falling accidents. Fifty-eight percent of the fractures involved both the anterior and posterior tables. Sixty-six percent experienced associated facial fractures. Fifty percent of frontal sinus fractures were treated by open reduction internal fixation as the only treatment, 33.3% underwent sinus obliteration, and 16.6% were treated with cranialization. Frontal sinus fractures resulting from high-energy impact exhibited additional facial bone fractures in 100% of the cases, whereas fractures following low-energy impact showed involvement of additional facial fractures in only 27% of the cases. In this report, we suggest a modification to the anteroposterior classification of frontal sinus fractures. In addition to the involvement of the anterior and posterior walls and the degree of dislocation, high and low energy impact can direct us to the involvement of additional facial fractures and influence the surgical strategy.


Small agricultural firms have to cope with increasing economic, legal and environmental difficulties. The purpose of the paper is to identify whether there are available research outputs to these challenges, focusing on the Swiss traditional fruit sector. Identification of firms' needs using face-to-face interviews and a focus group allowed us to prioritize innovations. Knowledge and innovation transfer gaps were identified thanks to bibliometric analysis, providing hints for research program orientations. The main sectoral needs were related to varieties like increasing pest and disease resistance, weather sensitivity, and ripening behavior. Knowledge produced by research institutions was partly related to the firms' needs. The study demonstrated a need for better coordination between agricultural stakeholders and researchers. Knowledge must be transferred and shared in the network with greater efficiency by extending interactions and involving stakeholders earlier in the innovation process. However, the search for scientific outputs should include more specificities of the local environment.JEL Codes: O31, O32


Contamination by heavy metals has attracted increasing attention considering the ability of these elements in producing serious consequence to ecosystem, and especially on animals health. Due to their widespread use in human activities such as industry, agriculture and even as medicine (e.g. arsenic, selenium and platinum), numerous health risks may be associated with exposure to these substances. All heavy metals, in spite some of them are essential micronutrients, have their toxic effects because of their bioaccumulation on living organisms, and so generally exhibit chronic toxicity via metabolic interference and mutagenesis. They are also classified as carcinogens (known or probable) according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In the present paper, the lead, cadmium and chromium disease processes (induced toxicity) were summarized with particular emphasis on the generation and the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the unifying factor in determining toxicity for all these metals.


ABSTRACT The first committed step in the biosynthesis of heme, an important cofactor of two catalases and a number of cytochromes, is catalyzed by the hemA gene product. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium hemA26::Tn10d (hemA26) was identified in a genetic screen of insertion mutants that were sensitive to hydrogen peroxide. Here we show that the hemA26 mutant respires at half the rate of wild-type cells and is highly susceptible to the effects of oxygen species. Exposure of the hemA26 strain to hydrogen peroxide results in extensive DNA damage and cell death. The chelation of intracellular free iron fully abrogates the sensitivity of this mutant, indicating that the DNA damage results from the iron-catalyzed formation of hydroxyl radicals. The inactivation of heme synthesis does not change the amount of intracellular iron, but by diminishing the rate of respiration, it apparently increases the amount of reducing equivalents available to drive the Fenton reaction. We also report that hydrogen peroxide has opposite effects on the expression of hemA and hemH, the first and last genes of heme biosynthesis pathway, respectively. hemA mRNA levels decrease, while the transcription of hemH is induced by hydrogen peroxide, in an oxyR-dependent manner. The oxyR-dependent induction is suppressed under conditions that accelerate the Fenton reaction by a mechanism that is not yet understood.


Photovoltaic (PV) modules typically operate at approximately 30 °C above ambient temperature on clear sunny days, irrespective of their location. Since the average annual daytime temperature is typically higher than 20 °C in most locations, where PV modules are installed, operating temperatures can exceed 50 °C on clear sunny days. This translates to a 12% reduction in nameplate power for crystalline silicon modules. In addition, thermally induced degradation mechanisms have a higher probability of occurrence when operating temperatures increase, thereby reducing the module lifetime. The operating temperatures are impacted by the selection of packaging materials, e.g., backsheets and encapsulants. This paper demonstrates a significant reduction in the operating temperature of single-cell modules with innovative thermally conductive backsheet (TCB) materials vis-à-vis a baseline Tedlar/polyester/Tedlar (TPT) backsheet. Field results demonstrate that the nominal operating cell temperature of the TCB coupons is approximately 1 °C lower than those of conventional TPT coupons. The daily average module operating temperature of TCB coupons was as much as 3 °C cooler compared with the TPT coupons in summer months. Reducing the module temperature by 3 °C results in a 1.5% relative efficiency increase. Finally, an empirical thermal model to predict the cell temperature for each backsheet type and a physical thermal model using ANSYS were developed and presented in this paper.


A theory is presented for determining the diffraction image of two, identical, opaque or transmitting, uniform, individually unresolved particles of finite area located in a uniform, transmitting surround. Numerical calculations are included for the classical Airy type objective, for center-blocked Airy type objectives and for simplified Sonine type objectives which have been coated so as to produce diffraction patterns having central disks of reduced diameter. It is shown that marked improvement in the resolution of two particles can be expected by such coated objectives. The resolving power for two particles increases rapidly with the area of the particles and has unexpectedly steep dependence upon the relative amplitude and phase transmission of particle and surround. The theory, subject to experimental verification, forms a basis for explaining why a microscope as used with transmitted light can resolve considerably better than is indicated by the Airy limit.


This paper presents an initial conceptualisation of relationship coaching for single people. The needs of singles are often ignored or misunderstood, and this paper argues that coaching offers an effective framework for helping them form and secure sustainable life-partnerships. Relationship coaching is here portrayed as a nuanced balance between goal-focused coaching, building a clear focus to create an effective action plan, and developmental coaching, to help the coachee identify areas of intrapersonal awareness and growth. Rather than emphasising a therapeutic role or aiming for profound inner change, relationship coaching seeks to foster more adaptive relationship attitudes and skills. Developmentally, relationship coaching draws most heavily on Kegan's subject-object relations, recognising that ability to reflect on experiences and be more in control of life dynamics are essential to making effective choices. The paper concludes with a model of relationship coaching, to serve as a flexible guide for assisting singles through a process of discovery and action towards their achieving their aim.


There is now sufficient information to attempt an integrated model for melt generation, transfer and storage beneath subduction-zone volcanoes. Fluid release from the subducting oceanic crust into the mantle wedge may occur over a period ranging from a few hundred kyr, to as little as less than 1 kyr, before eruption. This supports models in which fluid addition is closely linked to partial melting, though there may also be evidence for a component of decompression melting. The timing of the onset of fluid addition may be linked to the rate of subduction (i.e. water supply rate) and the angle of subduction, and, consequently, the thermal structure of the mantle wedge. In contrast, contributions from subducted sediments to subduction-zone lava sources appear to occur some 350 kyr–4 Myr before eruption. Evidence for partial melting of the sediment component, combined with the short fluid transfer times, phenocryst equilibration temperatures and other observations all point to quite high mantle wedge temperatures close to the interface with the subducting plate. New 226Ra data permit only a short period of time between fluid addition and eruption. This requires rapid melt segregation, magma ascent by channelled flow and minimal residence time within the lithosphere. Typically, the evolution from basalt to andesite occurs rapidly during ascent or in magma reservoirs, inferred from some geophysical data to lie within the lithospheric mantle. Mineral isochron data suggest that some andesitic magmas subsequently stall in more shallow crustal level magma chambers, where they can evolve to dacitic compositions via fractionation, typically combined with assimilation, on time-scales of a few thousand years or less.


This course will educate the student on techniques needed to evaluate the nutritional status and plan appropriate nutrition intervention. Includes assessment of dietary intake, body composition, nutrient requirements and laboratory indices of nutritional


Most of the world population works in the service sector, which stresses the importance of knowledgeintensive organizations and, consequently, strategic competence management. Knowledge management and the supporting enterprise systems (ESs) have received a lot of researcher attention, but the deployment success rate is not flattering. Therefore, in this 33-month long Action Design Research (ADR) program we designed and implemented Competence Management System (CMS) with agile methods in a professional services company Siili Solutions PLC. The contribution of this paper is to provide rich insight and understanding on technological aspect of CMS design and implementation as well as on agile software development practices of agile experts.


Abstract Dissolution subsidence affords some of the most difficult ground conditions with which engineering geologists have to deal. Within the UK, areas underlain by gypsiferous Permo-Triassic strata, most notably around Ripon in Yorkshire, are prone to dissolution structures and resultant building failures are well documented. Conventional drilling of such unstable sites is often a 'hit and miss' affair and most geophysical techniques do not provide sufficient resolution to offer adequate confidence in the results. Proposals for the redevelopment of a site within the urban area at Ripon could not rely on such frequently inconclusive methods and it was necessary to implement a phased approach to site investigation. Following a desk study, high-resolution microgravity geophysics was carried out both inside and outside the existing building. This indicated a major negative anomaly of peak amplitude -74 μGal. Subsequent static core probing, rotary drilling and trial trenching confirmed the existence of a potentially unstable breccia pipe which could therefore be taken into account in the engineering design.


Since the 1970s, extensive research has been devoted to the development of a standard procedure for the isolation of fetal nucleated red cells (fnRBCs) from maternal blood. Since these cells are sources of fetal DNA, cytogenetic analysis would lead to a minimally-invasive method for the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal and genetic disorders early in gestation. FnRBCs constitute a significant portion of the fetal blood, have a short and finite life span, and are rare in peripheral adult blood. They have been reported to exist in the maternal circulation at frequencies as low as 1:105 - 1:109 maternal nucleated cells. Due to these ultra-rare frequencies, isolation with minimal loss has been a time and labor-intensive process. To overcome this problem, a fully automated scanning cytometer that incorporates high-performance autofocus and image segmentation has been built and shown higher rate, quantity, sensitivity (true positive rate) and specificity (true negative rate) in a model cell preparation. For detecting fnRBCs, two discriminating characteristics may suffice: (1) the presence of fetal hemoglobin, which is the major intracytoplasmic protein found in fetal red cells from 5 to 35 weeks gestation, and (2) the presence of a nucleus. In clinical trials, the fetal origin of the isolated cells will be confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on the X and Y chromosomes in male pregnancies. The aim of the present study was to develop a reliable and reproducible staining method for combined immunofluorescence and FISH analysis for these clinical trials. This staining technique was developed using fnRBCs extracted from fetal liver blood and a human erythroleukemia cell line (HEL) that expresses fetal hemoglobin. The resulting method for four-color X- and Y-FISH , anti-(gamma) -Hb fluorescence and DAPI staining was consistent and bright.


Abstract This study examines the impact of the management and leadership style of a school principal on teachers' satisfaction in the Arab sector in Israel. The article presents central concepts of the research and the influence of each of the leadership and management styles of principals on teachers' satisfaction within an Arab school in Israel. Teachers' satisfaction (the dependent variable) refers to various variables related to teachers' well-being at school, such as organizational commitment and motivation in the workplace, that are also linked to the teacher satisfaction (Arar & Masri-Herzallah, 2016). Accordingly, these variables are presented with reference to their definition, their impact, and the way they are affected by the management and leadership styles. The research is based on the qualitative methodology, in which we conducted observations in these Arab schools in Israel in and around the Arab city of Nazareth. In these observations, we visited the schools and observed how teachers and principals communicate and whether teachers were satisfied from their interaction with the principal.


The evolution of strained Ge/Si(001) islands during exposure to a Si flux was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. Dome islands display appreciable shape changes at Si coverages as low as 0.5 monolayer. With increasing coverage, they transform into [105]-faceted pyramids, and eventually into stepped mounds with steps parallel to the <110> directions. These morphological changes are induced by alloying and represent a complete reversal of those previously observed during Ge island growth. The results are interpreted with a simple model in which the equilibrium shape of an island mainly depends on its volume and composition.


Introductions: Cross or two lateral pinnings are the most commonly done procedures for displaced supracondylar humerus fractures in children. A crossed pin is biomechanically stable than lateral pins, but associated with risk of iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury. Recent studies have shown stable fixation with three lateral pin construct. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of three lateral divergent pinning for displaced supracondylar humerus fractures. Methods: Thirty five children with Gartland types III were treated between November 2012 and November 2013. Closed reduction and three lateral divergent pinning was done with image intensifier guidance. Patients were followed up for minimum 6 months. Radiological assessment was done to see union, proper pin placement and loss of reduction. Clinically, patients were assessed by using Flynn criteria. Results: There were 24 (68.6%) male and 11 (31.4%) female children between 2 to 13 years of age with displaced supracondylar fractures, left side 26 (74.3%) and right nine (25.7%) cases. All were successfully managed with closed reduction and three lateral divergent pins within 2-6 days of injury. One radial and one median nerve palsies sustained at injury recovered spontaneously. No iatrogenic nerve injuries occurred. A comparison of perioperative and final radiographs revealed no loss of reduction. Twenty-seven excellent, five good, two fair and one poor results on Flynn's grading. One patient had a superficial pin-tract infection. Conclusions: Closed reduction with three lateral divergent pins is safe for stable fixation of displaced supracondylar humeral fractures in children. Keywords: children, humerus, percutaneous pinning, supracondylar fracture


Background: HC is a critical contributor to chronic allograft injury as a "nonimmune" risk factor. HC believed to be an integral part of the CR process by the accumulation of oxidized LDL cholesterol in the kidney interstitium and arterial walls leading to interstitial fibrosis (IF) and transplant arteriosclerosis (TA). This study aimed to show the influence of HC on the risk of development of AR and CR. Methods: The presence of HC (>200mg/dl) diagnosed according to the first six months mean total cholesterol levels after transplant. Among 170 patients, 75 (44%) had HC and 95 (56%) had normal cholesterol levels (NC). CD31, vWF, and VEGF expression of peritubular capillaries (PTCs) and vascular endothelium studied to show the presence or absence of EC surface antigens. Vascular and tubular F-actin and α-SMA expression evaluated to show the development of tubular EMT and vascular EndoMT. Angiogenesis highlighted with CD31 and VEGF. Both tubular and inflammatory cell TGF-β and TNF-α expression studied. Follow-up biopsies analyzed for the development of AR, TA, IF, and CR. Results: The mean AR episodes, the degree of inflammation, the development of proteinuria, the degree of both tubular and inflammatory cell TGF-β and TNF-α expression were found significantly higher in HC group compared to NC group (p<0.001). The degree of the loss of EC surface antigens (CD31, vWF, VEGF) on PTCs and arteries and the degree of F-actin and α-SMA expression on both vasculature and tubules found to be highest in HC group compared to NC Group (p<0.01). The degree of angiogenesis noted lowest in HC group. The risk of the development of IF and TA during 18 months found higher in recipients with HC (P<0.001). The development of IF and TA showed a significant correlation with the loss of EC surface antigens and with the degree of F-actin and α-SMA expression on both vasculature and tubules (p<0.01). The mean graft survival was 91,8±34 and 70,8±39 months for patients with NC and HC respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: HC can activate the inflammatory response and lead to a series of pathological changes such as EMT and EndoMT in renal tissue. Thus both inflammatory factors and lipid dysmetabolism can aggravate damage in the kidney and cause early development of IF, TA, and CR. Because HC in the recipient increases the rate of AR and the risk of late graft loss, it is important to control cholesterol levels in kidney transplant recipients. P-11.11


The thesis proposes that there was a short-lived movement in the Catholic press in the 1960s whereby certain Catholic editors in Australia and America attempted to open their newspapers to a wider range of uncensored views and information. This "liberal project" in the Catholic press arose out of wider liberal movements in the Catholic Church and the world. The key features of the project are traced by way of a case study of the Melbourne Advocate between 1961 and 1969 and reveals a different Catholic press to the one of popular preconception.


ABSTRACT Research demonstrates that animal abuse is linked with various forms of interpersonal violence and that veterinarians themselves are concerned about this link. However, Australian veterinarians are not currently mandated to report cases of suspected animal abuse (AA), a position outlined by the Australian Veterinary Association under their "Animal Welfare principles and philosophy–Animal Abuse" section. A range of barriers to reporting suspected abuse cases have been identified. Barriers specifically mentioned in the AVA statement regarding the non-mandatory reporting stance were presented to a community sample of 209 participants. While 161 (77%) indicated they were aware that certain professionals were mandated to report animal abuse, notably 76% of these (n=123) indicated (incorrectly) that veterinary professionals in Australia were so mandated. Over half of the participants (n=117, 58%) indicated that "Concerns about the continued welfare of the animal victim" was, in their opinion, the most significant barrier to introducing mandatory reporting for the veterinary profession in Australia. The implications of community opinion regarding veterinarians and mandated reporting, along with acknowledgement of barriers and potential consequences of mandated reporting, are discussed.


Background and aims A UK-wide study of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) cases in UK children under 16 years of age was undertaken beginning November 2008 until the end of November 2009. Little data regarding incidence, management and outcomes has been published about children with TSS. Previous literature suggested staphylococcal TSS to have a significantly greater incidence than streptococcal TSS. Methods Consultants from paediatric and burns units notified the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit of cases. Questionnaires requesting detailed information on case presentation and progression were sent to notifying consultants. TSS cases were identified as staphylococcal or streptococcal if they met the established criteria used by the US Centre for Disease Control and American Academy of Paediatrics respectively. Results 50 confirmed and probable cases were identified. 15 were confirmed and 5 probable staphylococcal cases; 18 were confirmed and 12 probable streptococcal cases. There were nine deaths, all from the confirmed or probable streptococcal groups. Mortality was 18% overall but 30% of the streptococcal cases. Four were reported to have residual morbidity. 78% (n=39) received treatment in paediatric intensive care facilities. 70% (n=35) required invasive ventilatory support, 68% (n=34) inotropic support and12% (n=6) haemofiltration. All patients received antibiotics, with two thirds (n=33) receiving clindamycin and only two receiving linezolid. 20% (n=10) received immunoglobulin and 40% (n=20) fresh frozen plasma. Conclusions This study demonstrates streptococcal TSS to have a higher incidence than staphylococcal TSS, in contrast to previous literature. This finding is in keeping with the increasing incidence of other types of invasive streptococcal disease. A significantly higher mortality was seen with streptococcal TSS indicating it may be a more virulent disease than staphylococcal TSS. Intensive care support facilities were required in three-fourth of patients. It was noted that proven antitoxin therapies which have been shown to reduce toxin production, such as clindamycin and linezolid, appeared to be underused. This study highlights the need for education on patho-aetiology and management of TSS.


We study a Luttinger liquid (LL) coupled to a generic environment consisting of bosonic modes with arbitrary density-density and current-current interactions. The LL can be either in the conducting phase and perturbed by a weak scatterer or in the insulating phase and perturbed by a weak link. The environment modes can also be scattered by the imperfection in the system with arbitrary transmission and reflection amplitudes. We present a general method of calculating correlation functions under the presence of the environment and prove the duality of exponents describing the scaling of the weak scatterer and of the weak link. This duality holds true for a broad class of models and is sensitive to neither interaction nor environmental modes details, thus it shows up as the universal property. It ensures that the environment cannot generate new stable fixed points of the renormalization group flow. Thus, the LL always flows toward either conducting or insulating phase. Phases are separated by a sharp boundary which is shifted by the influence of the environment. Our results are relevant, for example, for low-energy transport in (i) an interacting quantum wire or a carbon nanotube where the electrons are coupled to the acoustic phonons scattered by the lattice defect; (ii) a mixture of interacting fermionic and bosonic cold atoms where the bosonic modes are scattered due to an abrupt local change of the interaction; (iii) mesoscopic electric circuits.


This guidebook aims to help companies identify the stakeholders in their supply chain and recognize the effects their transition to reuse business models may have on them. It is intended to be a guide, as part of a learning process, to ensure the transition to a reuse model, a component of the circular economy, is equitable and just. The guidebook takes companies through three steps of identifying who their stakeholders are, what effects are felt by these stakeholders, and target setting to mitigate risks to these stakeholders and identify partners to support a transition to an equitable reuse business model.


Abstract Forty-nine patients with ulcerative colitis in remission were entered into a prospective, double-blind, multicenter trial comparing the relapse-preventing effect and safety of 4 g sulfasalazine and 2 g olsalazine daily during 48 wk. Of the 46 evaluable patients, 23 were assigned to sulfasalazine and 23 to olsalazine. Seven of 23 patients (30.4%) relapsed on sulfasalazine and six of 23 patients (26.1%) on olsalazine (95% confidence interval of the difference -22.0% to 30.3%). The relapse-free survival curves did not differ significantly at any time during the trial period. In both treatment groups, three patients dropped out because of adverse effects. Four patients on sulfasalazine and six patients on olsalazine experienced minor adverse effects. One patient on sulfasalazine had mild leukopenia, and four patients on sulfasalazine and one patient on olsalazine had decreased levels of haptoglobin. Thus, sulfasalazine and olsalazine are equally effective in maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis and are accompanied by a similar incidence of adverse effects.


Apocalyptic Transformations: the Secularization of Apocalypse in Contemporary Fiction and Film Apocalypse is a story whose main character is God, and whose narrative climax is the awarding of New Jerusalem to the faithful. Because the apocalyptic genre's defining characteristics are therefore theological, contemporary authors and filmmakers face certain unique challenges in adapting the story of Apocalypse for a secular audience. In spite of the increasing presence of a new kind of apocalyptic story which emphasizes the destruction of the world and jettisons ideas of New Jerusalem entirely, authors continue to create apocalyptic works based on the classic paradigm. It is the position of this study that this is so because apocalypse is more than a religious story which has been passed down through the ages: it is also a means by which to understand the world and one's place in it. It is thus an organizing principle imposed on an overwhelming, seemingly-disordered universe, and a vehicle for social critique. This thesis examines both how the late twentieth-century imagination adapts this inherently religious story for secular consumption, and why authors appropriate the apocalyptic story at all. While positing a variety of personal motives ranging from political outrage to metaphysical inquiry, it is the contention of this study that the appeal of the traditional apocalyptic paradigm is based largely on its sense-making potential and socio-critical function. Focusing on the apocalyptic works of five contemporary authors and film-makers-comic book writer Alan Moore, film-makers Larry and Andy Wachowski, and authors Kurt Vonnegut and Don DeLillo-this thesis seeks to understand how the traditional paradigm is changed in the process of secular translation, and what is to be gained from such re-workings. Furthermore, by examining these artists' end-of-the-century engagement with the apocalyptic paradigm, it seeks to draw conclusions about the continuing appeal of the paradigm at the end of the twentieth century.


BACKGROUND
There has been much debate in the past about whether honey is harmful to the teeth, mostly as part of the debate about raw sugar versus refined sugar and the results have been equivocal. However, what has not been taken into account is that honey varies markedly in the potency of its antibacterial activity. Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey from New Zealand has been found to have substantial levels of non-peroxide antibacterial activity associated with an unidentified phytochemical component, denoted as Unique Manuka Factor (UMF).

AIMS
Considering the potential antimicrobial effects of manuka honey, the present study attempted to investigate effects of twice daily use of manuka honey with UMF 19.5 on salivary levels of Mutans streptococci in children.

STUDY DESIGN
The investigation was a stratified comparison of two parallel groups of children who either used manuka honey with regular tooth brushing regimen or continued only with regular tooth brushing regimen twice daily under professional supervision for a 21-day period. A total of three salivary samples were taken from each individual at baseline, day 10, and day 21; colony counts of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) were determined. All data was subjected to paired T-test and Wilcoxon's signed ranks sum for intra- and intergroup comparisons respectively.

RESULTS
Children using manuka honey showed statistically significant reductions in salivary S. mutans after 10 and 21 days.

CONCLUSION
Manuka honey with UMF 19.5 may be considered as an effective adjunctive oral hygiene measure for reducing colony counts in children.


Antibodies against Schizophyllan (SPG) or SPG conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were raised in rabbits by multiple subcutaneous immunization. The titer of SPG-reactive antibodies in the antiserum to SPG-BSA conjugate was significantly higher than that in the antiserum to SPG as assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The SPG-reactive antibodies purified by affinity chromatography using a Protein A-Sepharose CL-4B column interacted with the SPG-BSA conjugate spotted on a nitrocellulose membrane filter in a dose-dependent manner, but the anti-SPG antibodies did not interact with BSA.Immunocytochemical staining has also shown that the anti-SPG antibodies reacted with SPG taken up by mouse peritoneal macrophages.


The problem of programming a parallel processor is discussed. Previous methods of programming a parallel processor, analyzing a program for parallel paths, and special language features are discussed.
Graph theory is used to define the three basic programming constructs: choice, sequence, repetition. The concept of mechanized programming is expanded to allow for total separation of control and computational sections of a program. A definition of a language is presented which provides for this separation.
A method for developing the program graph is discussed. The control graph and data graph are developed separately. The two graphs illustrate control and data predecessor relationships used in determining parallel elements of a program.


This paper aims to consider a sector of cultural tourism: gastronomy tourism (also known as food tourism, culinary tourism) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This is a conceptual paper, based mainly on the critical review of academic literature and UN WTO, UN WHO and UNESCO documents. By synthesising available data and research results, this paper provides an assessment of the present situation of gastronomy tourism, and tries to formulate some trends possible to be developed in the future, once the pandemic is over (as a potential role of culinary tourism in the revival of the whole sector). The research questions focused on the meaning and tradition of gastronomy tourism, consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and post-pandemic regeneration of the sector. The paper concludes that trends seen in gastronomy tourism sector before lockdown are no longer applicable during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The new technologies helped to overcome some of the challenges which this industry currently faces. Several potential trends might be developed after the pandemic crisis, serving as local food and local culinary tradition promotion. Suggestions are provided for further research as discussion about more resilient, sustainable and inclusive gastronomy tourism in the future as well as recovery practices within the domestic hospitality are important.


Background Patient knowledge gaps about the evaluation and waitlisting process for kidney transplantation lead to delayed and incomplete testing, which compromise transplant access. We aimed to develop and evaluate a novel video education approach to empower patients to proceed with the transplant evaluation and listing process and to increase their knowledge and motivation. Material/Methods We developed 2 theory-informed educational animations about the kidney transplantation evaluation and listing process with input from experts in transplantation and communication, 20 candidates/recipients, 5 caregivers, 1 anthropologist, 3 community advocates, and 36 dialysis or transplant providers. We then conducted an online pre-post study with 28 kidney transplantation candidates to measure the acceptability and feasibility of the 2 videos to improve patients' evaluation and listing knowledge, understanding, and concerns. Results Compared with before intervention, the mean knowledge score increased after intervention by 38% (5.7 to 7.9; P<0.001). Increases in knowledge effect size were large across age group, health literacy, education, technology access, and duration of pretransplant dialysis. The proportion of positive responses increased from before to after animation viewing for understanding the evaluation process (25% to 61%; P=0.002) and waitlist placement (32% to 86%; P<0.001). Concerns about list placement decreased (32% to 7%; P=0.039). After viewing the animations, >90% of responses indicated positive ratings on trusting the information, comfort level with learning, and engagement. Conclusions In partnership with stakeholders, we developed 2 educational animations about kidney transplant evaluation and listing that were positively received by patients and have the potential to improve patient knowledge and understanding and reduce patient concerns.


Abstract Schizophrenia has long been associated with abnormalities in circadian rhythms and sleep. Up until now, there have been no thorough reviews of the potential mechanisms behind the myriad of circadian and sleep abnormalities observed in schizophrenia and psychosis. We present evidence of sleep playing an important role in psychosis predominantly mediated by dopaminergic pathways. A synthesis of both human and animal experimental work suggests that the interplay between sleep and dopamine is important in the generation and maintenance of psychosis. In particular, both animal and human data point to sleep disruption increasing dopamine release and sensitivity. Furthermore, elevated dopamine levels disrupt sleep and circadian rhythms. The synthesis of knowledge suggests that circadian rhythms, dopamine dysregulation, and psychosis are intricately linked. This suggests that treatment of circadian disturbance may be a useful target in improving the lives and symptoms of patients with schizophrenia.


We have investigated two original hydrated cobalt arsenates based on Co2+ octahedral edge-sharing chains. Their different magnetocrystalline anisotropies induce different types of metamagnetic transitions: spin-flop versus spin-flip. In both compounds, a strong local anisotropy (Ising spins) is favored by the spin-orbit coupling present in the CoO6 octahedra, while ferromagnetic (FM) exchanges predominate in the chains. Co2(As2O7)·2H2O (1) orders antiferromagnetically below TN = 6.7 K. The magnetic structure is a noncollinear antiferromagnetic spin arrangement along the zigzag chains with DFT calculations implying frustrated chains and weakened anisotropy. A metamagnetic transition suggests a spin-flop process above μ0H = 3.2 T. In contrast, in BaCo2As2O8·2H2O (2) linear chains are arranged in disconnected layers, with only interchain ferromagnetic exchanges, therefore increasing its magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The magnetic structure is collinear with a magnetic easy axis that allows a spin-flop to a sharp spin-flip transition below TN = 15.1 K and above μ0H = 6.2 T.


The concept of managing natural resources to maintain and restore biodiversity has received increased emphasis from resource managers in recent years. Many state and federal land management agencies have incorporated biodiversity concepts into management plans and programs. Active management of both wildlife habitats and populations must increase as natural systems are simplified and fragmented by human activities. Wildlife damage management programs can be compatible with ecosystem management and maintenance of biodiversity. Species that are widespread but rare and, in particular, species with small and isolated populations remain at risk from environmental and genetic changes, competition, parasitism, and predation. There are many examples of wildlife damage management programs that directly protect and enhance rare plant and animal populations and promote biodiversity. There will be an increased need for wildlife professionals with expertise in wildlife damage management as state and federal agencies take a more active role in managing natural resources to maintain local and regional biodiversity. Pages 113-115 in R.E. Masters and J.G. Huggins, eds. Twelfth Great Plains Wildl. Damage Control Workshop Proc, Published by Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Okla.


Germination represents a rapid transition from dormancy to a high level of metabolic activity. In-depth transcriptomic profiling at 10 time points in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), including fresh seed, ripened seed, during stratification, germination, and postgermination per se, revealed specific temporal expression patterns that to our knowledge have not previously been identified. Over 10,000 transcripts were differentially expressed during cold stratification, with subequal numbers up-regulated as down-regulated, revealing an active period in preparing seeds for germination, where transcription and RNA degradation both play important roles in regulating the molecular sequence of events. A previously unidentified transient expression pattern was observed for a group of genes, whereby a significant rise in expression was observed at the end of stratification and significantly lower expression was observed 6 h later. These genes were further defined as germination specific, as they were most highly expressed at this time in germination, in comparison with all developmental tissues in the AtGenExpress data set. Functional analysis of these genes using genetic inactivation revealed that they displayed a significant enrichment for embryo-defective or -arrested phenotype. This group was enriched in genes encoding mitochondrial and nuclear RNA-processing proteins, including more than 45% of all pentatricopeptide domain-containing proteins expressed during germination. The presence of mitochondrial DNA replication factors and RNA-processing functions in this germination-specific subset represents the earliest events in organelle biogenesis, preceding any changes associated with energy metabolism. Green fluorescent protein analysis also confirmed organellar localization for 65 proteins, largely showing germination-specific expression. These results suggest that mitochondrial biogenesis involves a two-step process to produce energetically active organelles: an initial phase at the end of stratification involving mitochondrial DNA synthesis and RNA processing, and a later phase for building the better-known energetic functions. This also suggests that signals with a mitochondrial origin and retrograde signals may be crucial for successful germination.


The problem of learning using connectionist networks, in which network connection strengths are modified systematically so that the response of the network increasingly approximates the desired response can be structured as an optimization problem. The widely used back propagation method of connectionist learning [19, 21, 18] is set in the context of nonlinear optimization. In this framework, the issues of stability, convergence and parallelism are considered. As a form of gradient descent with fixed step size, back propagation is known to be unstable, which is illustrated using Rosenbrock's function. This is contrasted with stable methods which involve a line search in the gradient direction. The convergence criterion for connectionist problems involving binary functions is discussed relative to the behavior of gradient descent in the vicinity of local minima. A minimax criterion is compared with the least squares criterion. The contribution of the momentum term [19, 18] to more rapid convergence is interpreted relative to the geometry of the weight space. It is shown that in plateau regions of relatively constant gradient, the momentum term acts to increase the step size by a factor of 1/1-μ, where μ is the momentum term. In valley regions with steep sides, the momentum constant acts to focus the search direction toward the local minimum by averaging oscillations in the gradient. Comments University of Pennsylvania Department of Computer and Information Science Technical Report No. MSCIS-88-62. This technical report is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/cis_reports/597 LEARNING ALGORITHMS FOR CONNECTIONIST NETWORKS: APPLIED GRADIENT METHODS OF NONLINEAR OPTIMIZATION


Distributionally robust chance-constrained programs (DR-CCPs) over Wasserstein ambiguity sets exhibit attractive out-of-sample performance and admit big-M–based mixed-integer programming reformulations with conic constraints. However, the resulting formulations often suffer from scalability issues as problem size increases. To address this shortcoming, we derive stronger formulations that scale well with respect to the problem size. Our focus is on ambiguity sets under the so-called left-hand side uncertainty, where the uncertain parameters affect the coefficients of the decision variables in the linear inequalities defining the safety sets. The interaction between the uncertain parameters and the variable coefficients in the safety set definition causes challenges in strengthening the original big-M formulations. By exploiting the connection between nominal chance-constrained programs and DR-CCP, we obtain strong formulations with significant enhancements. In particular, through this connection, we derive a linear number of valid inequalities, which can be immediately added to the formulations to obtain improved formulations in the original space of variables. In addition, we suggest a quantile-based strengthening procedure that allows us to reduce the big-M coefficients drastically. Furthermore, based on this procedure, we propose an exponential class of inequalities that can be separated efficiently within a branch-and-cut framework. The quantile-based strengthening procedure can be expensive. Therefore, for the special case of covering and packing type problems, we identify an efficient scheme to carry out this procedure. We demonstrate the computational efficacy of our proposed formulations on two classes of problems, namely stochastic portfolio optimization and resource planning.


The work described in this thesis is concerned with the regioselective coupling of carbon dioxide and propene in the presence of nickel catalysts to give methacrylic acid, the catalytic cycle for which is given m Figure 1.0. An important aim of the work is to obtain information which can lead to a better understanding of the chemistry involved and to a viable process for the industrial production of methacrylic acid. Carbon dioxide is a remarkable source of carbon both as gas or bound in carbonate rocks. The total amount of carbon existing in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide is estimated to be 720 x 10(^9) tons(^1). The chemical utilisation of carbon dioxide as a resource for the production of useful substances has been rather limited, however. The large quantities of carbon dioxide available at relatively inexpensive cost is one driving force for the development of the use of carbon dioxide in industry. Another pressure to find ways to use carbon dioxide is related to its perceived role in the greenhouse effect. The important result of this work is the demonstration that the complexes of the type [L(_2)Ni{CH(_2)CH(CH(_3))COO}] (I) and [L(_2)Ni{CH(CH(_3))CH2COO}](_9) (II) can be synthesised from methacrylic acid (I) and crotonic acid (II) respectively via an extension of the chemistry developed by Yamammoto et al and reviewed in chapter four(i). The same complexes can also be synthesised from propene and carbon dioxide via an oxidative coupling reaction at phosphine liganded nickel(O). The synthesis of the intermediates (type I and II) from the corresponding carboxylic acid is a two step process. The oxidative addition of methacrylic/crotonic acids to nickel(0) only occurs in the presence of one molar equivalence of tricyclohexylphosphine, a highly electron donating sterically demanding phosphine. The second reaction to form complexes of die type [L(_2)Ni{CH(_2)CH(CH(_3))COO}] (I) and [L(_2)Ni{CH(CH(_3))CH(_2)COO}] (II) is a ligand displacement reaction. The following compounds have been synthesised. Type (I) [L(_2)Ni{CH(_2)CH(CH(_2))COO}] where = DPPE(IB), DCPE(1C), DCPP(1D), DCPy(lG), Bipy(lH), Phen(lJ), TMEDA(II). Type (II) [L(_2)NiCH(CH(_3))CH(_2)COO] where L(_2) = DPPE(IE), DCPE(IF).The complex [(DCPE)Ni{CH(_2)CH(CH(_3))COO}] has been used for further reaction shidies, chosen because it has been shown that it can be synthesised from methacrylic acid as well as from propene/carbon dioxide mixtures. Ways were sought to destabilise the metallacycle to liberate methacrylic acid, the use of maleic anhydride and heat/pressure are reported. The final section of this work involved the oxidative coupling of propene and carbon dioxide at liganded nickel(O). Successful coupling in high yield was obtained using die ligands DCPE and DCPy only to yield complexes of the type [L(_2)Ni{CH(_2)CH(CH(_3))COO}] and [L(_2)Ni{CH(CH(_3))CH(_2)COO}]. A small degree of coupling was indicated using DCPP but this was only a minor component of the nickel containing species isolated at the end of the reaction. The amine ligands tried all appeared to form carboxylates and/or carbonates as indicated by die IR spectra of the solids isolated.


Some committees are made up of experts, persons who care both about the matter at hand and about coming across as able decision makers. We show that such committees would like to conceal disagreement from the public. That is, once the decision has been reached, they show a united front to the outside world. Also, if such committees are required to become transparent, for example, by publishing verbatim transcripts of their meetings, members will organize pre-meetings away from the public eye. A large part of the article is dedicated to a case study of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee in the United States. It provides suggestive evidence supporting our theory. (JEL: D71, D72, D82, E58) (c) 2008 by the European Economic Association.


Using dimeric dialkylgallium and dialkylindium alkoxide catalysts for the polymerization of rac-lactide (rac-LA), we have shown for the first time that the formation of homochiral dimeric species [Me2MOR]2 (M = Ga, In), induced by chiral recognition of monomeric Me2MOR units in the presence of Lewis base, leads to an increase of the heteroselectivity of the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-LA, and therefore provides a new tool for controlling the stereoselectivity of the polymerization of heterocyclic monomers. To explain the origin of the heteroselectivity of the [Me2Ga(μ-OCH(Me)CO2Me)]2/Lewis base system in the ROP of rac-LA, structure of (S,S)-[Me2Ga(μ-OCH(Me)CO2Me)]2 ((S,S)-1) and rac-[Me2Ga(μ-OCH(Me)CO2Me)]2 (1) in the absence and presence of tertiary amines and pyridines was investigated. Studies were further extended by analysis of the structure/activity data for both (S,S)-[Me2In(μ-OCH(Me)CO2Me)]2 ((S,S)-2) and rac-[Me2In(μ-OCH(Me)CO2Me)]2 (2). Contrary to gallium complex 1, which exists in a solution as equimolar mixture of homo- and heterochiral diastereomers, an excess of homochiral (R*,R*)-2 species was observed in the case of 2. For both the Ga and In complexes, the interaction of amines with the metal center increased the tendency for the formation of homochiral species with retention of the dimeric structure in the solution. This tendency was additionally demonstrated by the structure of model dialkylgallium (3) and indium (4) complexes with monoanionic ligands possessing chiral centers in the α-position to the alkoxide oxygen and pyridine functionalities. The polymerization of rac-LA with gallium and indium catalysts (S,S)-1 and (S,S)-2 resulted in the formation of heterotactically enriched polylactide (PLA) (Pr = 0.50–0.85) and (Pr = 0.54–0.72), respectively. The heteroselectivity of the investigated systems was in line with the excess of the homochiral catalytic species. The higher activity of homochiral species activated by amines resulted in a positive non-linear effect between an excess of homochiral (R*,R*)-1 or (R*,R*)-2 catalysts and the heterotacticity of the obtained PLA. The observed dependence of stereoselectivity of rac-LA polymerization on the excess of homochiral species was similar to the asymmetric amplification in enantioselective organic catalysis; however, it is exceptional in polymerization processes.


Changes in the temporal structure and amplitude of electrical fluctuations connected with the heart function were revealed by the electrophysiological method. In the range of optimum temperatures, high- and low-amplitude impulses are predominantly generated. Their amplitudes differ approximately by a factor of three. Hypo- and hyperthermia stimulate pauses in heart function. Their duration increases with the unfavorable effect of temperature. During the activation of heart function, high-amplitude fluctuations are predominantly generated. In cold torpor, all forms of electric activity stop, whereas in the active state they are resumed.


Norconsult's initial environmental examinations for the environmental impact assessments for the Sekong 4 and Nam Kong 1 dams recognize many of the inevitable impacts of these projects on the environment and people living along these rivers in the Sekong River Basin in southern Laos. However, these IEEs fail to refer to the impacts of these projects on people living downstream in Cambodia. Meanwhile, the World Bank's Regional Director for Southeast Asia, Ian Porter, and other proponents of large hydroelectric dams invariably claim that these dams produce electricity that is "environmentally and socially clean". The experience with the trans-boundary impacts of large hydroelectric dams elsewhere in the Mekong Region clearly indicates that the impacts of the Sekong 4 and Nam Kong 1 dams on Cambodia and in Laos must not be ignored, and should not be allowed to happen, no matter how easy it is for the proponents of dams per se to dismiss these impacts.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to elicit the views of students on their experiences of being part of a doctoral community. In doing so, this paper will shed light on the success of doctoral schools and the degree to which students identify with the wider community of postgraduate researchers.

Design/methodology/approach
This research adopted an in-depth interview method based on interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Findings
The findings indicate that Higher Education still has some way to go before all students identify as being part of a doctoral school. The data suggest that significant differences exist between PhD and Doctor of Business Administration students on their perceptions of being part of a doctoral community.

Originality/value
This paper contributes to the growing corpus of work produced through IPA, and also provides insights into the development of a doctoral school.


Mass spectrometry techniques employing electron capture and electron transfer dissociation represent powerful approaches for the analysis of biological samples. Despite routine employment in analytical fields, the underlying physical processes dictating peptide fragmentation remain less understood. Among the most accepted mechanisms, the Cornell proposal of McLafferty postulates that the homolytic cleavage of N-C(α) bonds located in the peptide backbone occurs on the right (C-terminal) side of a hydrogen acceptor carbonyl group. Here, we illustrate that an alternative "enol" mechanism, based on a heterolytic N-C(α) bond cleavage located on the left (N-terminal) side of an acceptor carbonyl group, not only is thermodynamically viable but also often represents the energetically preferred cleavage route.


Portable computing devices with wireless communication interfaces such as PDAs or smart phones led to the emerging of applications and services that support communication and collaboration among mobile users. In this paper we focus on the collaborative applications that allow a group of users, geographically distributed, to work together. In particular a teleconferencing system is an example of a collaborative application where remote users may interact to accomplish a common goal. Therefore, the teleconference owner may initiate a session, which is then joined and left dynamically by the involved group members. The teleconferencing collaborative system over a mobile network provides tools for communication between group members while allowing them to share information and collaborate with each other. Collaboration in a mobile condition poses new challenges, such as host mobility, limited device resources, and intermittent connectivity. The group members are frequently opposed to disconnections during the collaboration session. A user might become temporarily unavailable even though he or she is still engaged in the collaboration session.

The contribution of this paper is two fold. First we describe a formal specification of a teleconferencing system over a mobile network. This specification allowed us to define a set of important properties of the teleconferencing system dynamic behaviour. Second we formalize these properties using LTL logic while distinguishing between the required properties for the floor control and those related to the mobility requirements.


Guide to our holdings of presidential publications, including presidential papers, executive orders and proclamations, the Office of Management and Budget, and presidential agencies and commissions.


Helen Tiegs didn't take to driving a tractor when she became a farmer's wife, but after fifty years she considers herself the hub of the family operation. Lila Hill taught piano, then ultimately took a job off the farm to augment the family income during a period of rising costs. From Montana's cattle pastures to New Mexico's sagebrush mesas, women on today's ranches and farms have played a crucial role in a way of life that is slowly disappearing from the western landscape. Recalling her own family-farm ties, Sandra Schackel set out to learn how these women's lives have changed over the second half of the twentieth century. In "Working the Land," she collects oral histories from more than forty women in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas recalling their experiences as ranchers and farmers in a modernizing West. Through this diverse group of women-white and Hispanic, rich and poor, ranging in age from 24 to 83 we gain a new perspective on their ties to the land. Although western ranch and farm women have often been portrayed as secondary figures who devoted themselves to housekeeping in support of their husbands' labors, Schackel's interviews reveal that these women have had a much more active role in defining what we know as the modern American West. As Schackel listened to their stories, she found several currents running through their recollections, such as the satisfaction found in living the rural lifestyle and the flexibility of gender roles. She also learned how resourceful women developed new ways to make their farms work by including tourism, summer camps, and bed-and-breakfast operations and how many have become activists for land-based issues. And while some like Lila made the difficult decision to work off the farm, such sacrifices have enabled families to hold onto their beloved land. Rich with memory and insight into what makes America's family farms and ranches tick, "Working the Land" provides a deeper understanding of the West's development over the last fifty years along with new perspectives on shifting attitudes toward women in the workforce. It is both a long-overdue documentation of the lives of hard-working farm women and a celebration of their contributions to a truly American way of life."


The present work corresponds to the foundations of the subject "City-brand" from the point of view of the intervention of the design of visual communication. The preponderance of visual message is a fact that characterizes today's sociocultural environment. Its application and maintenance, ruled according to the concept of mark strategy of differentiation and competition, form part of today's great challenge of communication and image
of a city which is the challenge of development. A big challenge in this matter is one the outlines the integrated system of transport BIOVIAS of the Great Concepcion. The communicative intervention of the design has to give an effective answer to the aspirate cultural identity and requirements to the user.


A study was conducted in Summer 1996 and 1997 to determine the residual effects of planting nematode-resistant vs. susceptible tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivars and use of white vs. black polyethylene mulch on the growth and yield of a subsequent muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) crop. Tomato cultivars were planted in early April and harvested in June and early July. Muskmelons were planted in late July on the same beds. Muskmelons, planted after the nematode-resistant tomato cultivar Celebrity, produced significantly greater marketable yield and more fruit per hectare in both years than did muskmelons planted after the nematode-susceptible tomato cultivar Heatwave. Plant dry weight of muskmelons was greater and the percentage of their galled roots was smaller when planted after nematode-resistant tomatoes than when planted after nematode-susceptible ones. Mulching tomatoes with black or white polyethylene had no significant effect on growth, yield, and root galling of subsequent muskmelon crops.


Electronic engineering budget software provides a powerful tool for the electronic engineering cost analysis, reduces the tedious hand-written budget work of the Engineer. However, to break down the project, and input into project budget software are still time-consuming works. This thesis identifies electronic engineering construction drawings using image recognition technology, automatically calculates the engineer quantities in accordance with the semantic properties of the image pixel, and finally designs electronic engineering budget software based on construction drawing recognition technology. Software application shows that the time of budget book using PRBudget is only 1% of manual preparation, and the average error of calculate is 3.89%, so it can apply to practical engineering.


As a result of legal restrictions on branch banking, an extensive interbank system developed in the United States during the 19th century to facilitate interregional payments and flows of liquidity and credit. Vast sums moved through the interbank system to meet seasonal and other demands, but the system also transmitted shocks during banking panics. The Federal Reserve was established in 1914 to reduce reliance on the interbank market and correct other defects that caused banking system instability. Drawing on recent theoretical work on interbank networks, we examine how the Fed's establishment affected the system's resilience to solvency and liquidity shocks and whether these shocks might have been contagious. We find that the interbank system became more resilient to solvency shocks but less resilient to liquidity shocks as banks sharply reduced their liquidity after the Fed's founding. The industry's response illustrates how the introduction of a lender of last resort can alter private behavior in a way that increases the likelihood that the lender will be needed.


Approximate Value Iteration (AVI) is an method for solving a Markov Decision Problem by making successive calls to a supervised learning (SL) algorithm. Sequence of value representations Vn are processed iteratively by Vn+1 = ATVn where T is the Bellman operator and A an approximation operator. Bounds on the error between the performance of the policies induced by the algorithm and the optimal policy are given as a function of weighted Lp-norms (p ≥ 1) of the approximation errors. The results extend usual analysis in L∞-norm, and allow to relate the performance of AVI to the approximation power (usually expressed in Lp-norm, for p = 1 or 2) of the SL algorithm. We illustrate the tightness of these bounds on an optimal replacement problem.


Abstract. Evidence is accumulating that emissions of primary particulate matter (PM) from residential wood and coal combustion in the UK may be underestimated and/or spatially misclassified. In this study, different assumptions for the spatial distribution and total emission of PM from solid fuel (wood and coal) burning in the UK were tested using an atmospheric chemical transport model. Modelled concentrations of the PM components were compared with measurements from aerosol mass spectrometers at four sites in central and Greater London (ClearfLo campaign, 2012), as well as with measurements from the UK black carbon network. The two main alternative emission scenarios modelled were Base4x and combRedist. For Base4x, officially reported PM2.5 from the residential and other non-industrial combustion source sector were increased by a factor of four. For the combRedist experiment, half of the baseline emissions from this same source were redistributed by residential population density to simulate the effect of allocating some emissions to the smoke control areas (that are assumed in the national inventory to have no emissions from this source). The Base4x scenario yielded better daily and hourly correlations with measurements than the combRedist scenario for year-long comparisons of the solid fuel organic aerosol (SFOA) component at the two London sites. However, the latter scenario better captured mean measured concentrations across all four sites. A third experiment, Redist – all emissions redistributed linearly to population density, is also presented as an indicator of the maximum concentrations an assumption like this could yield. The modelled elemental carbon (EC) concentrations derived from the combRedist experiments also compared well with seasonal average concentrations of black carbon observed across the network of UK sites. Together, the two model scenario simulations of SFOA and EC suggest both that residential solid fuel emissions may be higher than inventory estimates and that the spatial distribution of residential solid fuel burning emissions, particularly in smoke control areas, needs re-evaluation. The model results also suggest the assumed temporal profiles for residential emissions may require review to place greater emphasis on evening (including discretionary ) solid fuel burning.


The development of inexpensive batteries based on magnesium (Mg) chemistry will contribute remarkably toward developing high-energy-density storage systems that can be used worldwide. Significant challenges remain in developing practical Mg batteries, the chief of which is designing materials that can provide facile transport of Mg. In this review, we cover the experimental and theoretical methods that can be used to quantify Mg mobility in a variety of host frameworks, the specific transport quantities that each technique is designed to measure or calculate, and some practical examples of their applications. We then list the unique challenges faced by different experimental and computational techniques in probing Mg ion transport in materials. This review concludes with an outlook on the directions that the scientific community could soon pursue as we strive to construct a pragmatic Mg battery. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Materials Research, Volume 52 is July 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


Introduction: There has been an increase in the number of hemodialysis (HD) patients seeking treatment for carotid artery stenosis in recent times. These patients suffer from a unique course of cardiac and vascular disease and are often considered high risk for surgery. In this study, we compare long-term outcomes after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) versus angioplasty and stenting (CAS) in a large contemporary cohort of HD patients. Methods: We studied all HD patients who underwent CEA and CAS in the United States Renal Disease System (USRDS) database between January 2006 and December 2011. Patient data were linked to the Medicare database to capture long-term outcomes. Univariable, multivariable cox regression, and propensity score matched analyses were employed to compare perioperative (stroke, death, MI) and long-term (stroke and death) outcomes following CAS vs. CEA. Results: There were 6183 (CEA: 5121; CAS: 1062) carotid revascularizations performed in this cohort with a mean age of 67 (S.D 10.1) years. The majority of patients were male (60%), white (76%) and asymptomatic (CEA: 83%; CAS: 83%). Mean follow-up was of 1.6±1.3 years. Thirty day stroke (3.2 vs 5.5%) and death (4.6 vs 5.5%) were significantly lower after CEA. However, 30-day MI was similar between groups (3.2 vs 3.5%). Propensity score matched analysis showed a significantly higher risk of perioperative stroke after CAS compared to CEA (Table 1). Symptomatic status was a significant predictor of perioperative stroke (OR: 1.92; 95%CI: 1.33-2.77; P Conclusions: This is the first study to compare long-term outcomes after CEA and CAS in a large cohort of HD patients. CAS is associated with a significantly higher risk of perioperative stroke compared to CEA. Long term stroke free survival is similar between groups, and differences appear to be largely driven by perioperative stroke rates.


Psychrophilic phytases suitable for aquaculture are rare. In this study, a phytase of the histidine acid phosphatase (HAP) family was identified in Morchella importuna, a psychrophilic mushroom. The phytase showed 38% identity with Aspergillus niger PhyB, which was the closest hit. The M. importuna phytase was overexpressed in Pichia pastoris, purified, and characterized. The phytase had an optimum temperature at 25°C, which is the lowest among all the known phytases to our best knowledge. The optimum pH (6.5) is higher than most of the known HAP phytases, which is fit for the weak acidic condition in fish gut. At the optimum pH and temperature, MiPhyA showed the maximum activity level (2,384.6 ± 90.4 μmol·min⁻¹·mg⁻¹, suggesting that the enzyme possesses a higher activity level over many known phytases at low temperatures. The phytate-degrading efficacy was tested on three common feed materials (soybean meal/rapeseed meal/corn meal) and was compared with the well-known phytases of Escherichia coli and A. niger. When using the same amount of activity units, MiPhyA could yield at least 3× more inorganic phosphate than the two reference phytases. When using the same weight of protein, MiPhyA could yield at least 5× more inorganic phosphate than the other two. Since it could degrade phytate in feed materials efficiently under low temperature and weak acidic conditions, which are common for aquacultural application, MiPhyA might be a promising candidate as a feed additive enzyme.