textabstractA lecture given on the occasion of the public acceptance of the appointment as extraordinary professor of Children, Media, and Parental Mediation in the Department of Media and Communication at the Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, on Thursday 9 June, 2011.

Summary:
Children nowadays live in a media-rich environment, which can make parenting a daunting task. This inaugural lecture discusses three aspects of parental mediation of children's media use. First, a sketch of the media saturated world of children is presented, because that is the media situation parents have to act on. It is concluded that, although several surveys on children's media use in Europe exist, none of them gives a complete overview of the media ownership and use by children from early infancy until early adolescence. Therefore, a new media monitor is proposed. Next, the research on parental mediation is reviewed. It is argued that despite the many studies done so far, we still have little knowledge on how and when parents guide their children when using the media. Especially studies on the effectiveness of parental mediation and on the mediation of children that are more at risk and very young children are lacking. Finally, it is argued that parents are in need of formal and informal forms of parenting support, which they can get from various sources. The information given by institutional sources with regard to parental mediation, however, in the Netherlands often is not validated or evidence-based, because the professionals are not yet well informed about children, media, and parental mediation.


Abstract Sea ice forms every winter in the Baltic Sea and several icebreakers in Sweden and Finland keep the major ports in the area open for sea-trade all the year around. Information and forecasts of the sea ice formation, drift and deformation are vital for safe and efficient winter navigation. In this respect, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery is of great interest, since this technique is almost cloud independent and has potential for real-time ice mapping. The usefulness of SAR imagery for sea ice operations has been evaluated in the Baltic Sea. The imagery was used both for ice mapping, for icebreaker operations and ship routeing. Images presented onboard the icebreakers were highly appreciated and easily interpreted by the crew. The data were frequently used for ship routeing (33 per cent) of merchant vessels and for direct icebreaker assistance (53 per cent). It was concluded by several icebreaker masters that an image resolution of about 100m was indeed enough to distinguish ridged areas and...


Metastasis is still the leading cause of death in cancer patients. In order to improve the prevention and treatment of metastasis, the basic principles and mechanisms of this complex process need to be elucidated. This volume contains the reports of internationally renowned scientists and clinicians on recent progress in metastasis research and its clinical applications. The contributions detail what is now known about the basic processes of metastasis and the specific cellular components, extracellular factors and genes that are involved. The implications of this new knowledge for impeding steps in the metastatic cascade are also discussed. Bringing together findings from theoretical, experimental and clinical metastasis research, this book provides readers with a thorough overview of current efforts to meet the many challenges posed by metastasis.


The present work describes the development of a safety climate questionnaire adapted for nuclear power installations. The survey was administered to all personnel at a Swedish nuclear power plant. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 8 factors together explaining 62% of the variance. The first factor was interpreted as Safety management and explained 38% of the variance. The other factors were labelled; Safety knowledge, Resources (time, personnel), Management/change management, Small group climate, Contractors, Documentation/experience feedback, and Occupational safety. The results are discussed and related to theoretical and methodological issues in safety culture and safety climate research.


Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays an important role in the decline in pancreatic β cell function and mass observed in type 2 diabetes. Here, we developed a novel β cell-based high-throughput screening assay to identify small molecules that protect β cells against ER stress-induced cell death. Mouse βTC6 cells were treated with the ER stressor tunicamycin to induce ER stress, and cell death was measured as a reduction in cellular ATP. A collection of 17600 compounds was screened for molecules that promote β cell survival. Of the approximately 80 positive hits, two selected compounds were able to increase the survival of human primary β cells and rodent β cell lines subjected to ER stressors including palmitate, a free fatty acid of pathological relevance to diabetes. These compounds also restored ER stress-impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion responses. We show that the compounds promote β cell survival by reducing the expression of key genes of the unfolded protein response and apoptosis, thus alleviating ER stress. Identification of small molecules that prevent ER stress-induced β cell dysfunction and death may provide a new modality for the treatment of diabetes.


Background The population of the United Kingdom (UK) is ageing; the already substantial burden of musculoskeletal disorders on health and social care systems will increase over time as the population ages. Social inequalities in health are well documented for the UK in general but little is known about social inequalities in musculoskeletal ageing. Methods Using data from the 3225 'young-old' (59–73 years) community dwelling men and women who participated in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study, we explored social inequalities in musculoskeletal ageing: specifically, loss of muscle strength and physical function (PF); falls; Fried frailty; and osteoporosis. Socio-economic position was characterised by age left full-time education, parental social class at birth and own social class in adulthood, and current material deprivation by housing tenure and car availability. Results 6.4% of men and 17.7% of women had no car and 19.3% of men and 23.1% of women did not own their home. Not owning one's home was associated with lower grip strength and increased frailty prevalence among men and women and with poorer self-reported short-form 36 (SF-36) PF among men. Reduced car availability was associated with lower grip strength and poorer SF-36 PF among men and women and with increased falls and frailty prevalence among men. Average grip ranged from 40.1 kg (95% CI 38.2–42.1) among men who did not own their home and had no cars, to 46.0 kg (95% CI 44.5–47.4) among home owners with three or more cars (for women 23.8 kg [95% CI 22.7–24.8] to 27.3 kg [95% CI 25.8–28.8]). In contrast, there was no evidence for social inequalities in fracture, dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) total femoral bone mineral density and bone loss rate, or peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) strength strain indices for the radius or tibia. Further analysis and review of the literature suggested that social variations in height, fat mass, diet and physical activity are likely to have mediated these contrasting social gradients in muscle and bone. Conclusion A subgroup of older men and women in the UK face increased levels of material deprivation in combination with greater loss of muscle strength and physical function. These people urgently need the government to commit to reform of the funding system for adult care and support. Our results suggest that clinical interventions to reduce the loss of muscle mass and function with age should be targeted proportionately across the social gradient; strategies to reduce fracture and osteoporosis should continue to have a universal population focus.


Abstract Research on vocabulary acquisition in digital game-based learning has been increasing over the years, with advancements in technology giving rise to numerous learning alternatives in second language acquisition. As virtual reality gaming offers new opportunities to explore its effectiveness in language learning, it is thus important to investigate the benefits of virtual reality gaming on English vocabulary learning, as well as the potential in incorporating virtual reality to teaching practices in the classroom. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) and personal computer (PC) gaming on language learners' vocabulary learning, as well as their affective perception. Thirty Grade 12 high school students participated in this study and were randomly assigned to either the VR or PC group. The VR group played a Sci-fi VR visual novel game, Angels and Demigods, using the Oculus Go whereas the PC group played the same game in the PC version without the VR elements. The gaming session lasted for fifty minutes for both groups. A vocabulary translation and recognition pretest, posttest and delayed posttest were adopted to compare their performance, along with a questionnaire to probe into their perception towards their respective treatment. The results revealed that both the VR group and the PC group were able to gain vocabulary knowledge in both the translation and recognition tests. In comparison, the VR group demonstrated a significantly higher mean score than the PC group in the vocabulary translation delayed posttest. The questionnaire showed that learners in both groups enjoyed playing the visual novel game and were willing to adopt it as a tool for learning vocabulary.


We report on measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and celestial polarization at 146 GHz made with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter (ACTPol) in its first three months of observing. Four regions of sky covering a total of 270 square degrees were mapped with an angular resolution of 1.3′. The map noise levels in the four regions are between 11 and 17 μK-arcmin. We present TT, TE, EE, TB, EB, and BB power spectra from three of these regions. The observed E-mode polarization power spectrum, displaying six acoustic peaks in the range 200 < ℓ < 3000, is an excellent fit to the prediction of the best-fit cosmological models from WMAP9+ACT and Planck data. The polarization power spectrum, which mainly reflects primordial plasma velocity perturbations, provides an independent determination of cosmological parameters consistent with those based on the temperature power spectrum, which results mostly from primordial density perturbations. We find that without masking any point sources in the EE data at ℓ < 9000, the Poisson tail of the EE power spectrum due to polarized point sources has an amplitude less than 2.4 μ 2 at ℓ = 3000 at 95% confidence. Finally, we report that the Crab Nebula, an important polarization calibration source at microwave frequencies, has 8.7% polarization with an angle of 150.7̂ ± 0.6̂ when smoothed with a 5′ Gaussian beam.


Abstract. Terrestrial photography is a cost-effective and easy-to-use method for measuring and monitoring spatially distributed land surface variables. It can be used to continuously investigate remote and often inaccessible terrain. We focus on the observation of snow cover patterns in high mountainous areas. The high temporal and spatial resolution of the photographs have various applications, for example validating spatially distributed snow hydrological models. However, the analysis of a photograph requires a preceding georectification of the digital camera image. To accelerate and simplify the analysis, we have developed the "Photo Rectification And ClassificaTIon SoftwarE" (PRACTISE) that is available as a Matlab code. The routine requires a digital camera image, the camera location and its orientation, as well as a digital elevation model (DEM) as input. If the viewing orientation and position of the camera are not precisely known, an optional optimisation routine using ground control points (GCPs) helps to identify the missing parameters. PRACTISE also calculates a viewshed using the DEM and the camera position. The visible DEM pixels are utilised to georeference the photograph which is subsequently classified. The resulting georeferenced and classified image can be directly compared to other georeferenced data and can be used within any geoinformation system. The Matlab routine was tested using observations of the north-eastern slope of the Schneefernerkopf, Zugspitze, Germany. The results obtained show that PRACTISE is a fast and user-friendly tool, able to derive the microscale variability of snow cover extent in high alpine terrain, but can also easily be adapted to other land surface applications.


While scientists categorize the chemical elements as metals, nonmetals, and metalloids largely based on the elements' abilities to conduct electricity at normal temperatures and pressures, there are other distinctions that are taken into account when classifying the elements of the periodic table. The post-transition metals, for example, are metals, but have such special properties that they are given their own classification. The same is true for the metalloids Metals and Metalloids presents the current scientific understanding of the physics, chemistry, geology, and biology of these two families of elements, including the post-transition metals and metalloids. Examining how these elements are synthesized in the universe, when and how they were discovered, and where they are found on Earth, this new, full-color resource clearly details how metals and metalloids are used by humans, as well as the resulting benefits and challenges to society, health, and the environment.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the expectations of university teachers about the importance of generic competences in Higher Education Institutions of Ecuador (E-DUC, acronym in Spanish), based on the competences typology from the Tuning Latin America Project.

Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire with Likert scales was administered to 458 university teachers from seven universities in Ecuador. Exploratory and confirmatory analyzes have been carried out to validate the theoretical model.

Findings
After the validation process, four groups of generic competences were confirmed and the measurement model showed high levels of reliability, as well as content and construct validity.

Research limitations/implications
Since tuning project has an international scope, the research could be replicated in other Latin American countries for comparability purposes regarding teachers' perceived importance of generic competences in teaching activity. In addition, further research can relate teachers' expectations with teaching performance and other constructs, based on a broad theoretical framework.

Practical implications
These technical characteristics allow the use of E-DUC as an instrument to measure the expectations of teachers on the general competences that are worked on in higher education in Ecuador. Data about these perceptions are useful for the design of teachers' training programs, curriculum reforms and other higher education policies.

Originality/value
It is the first research carried out in Ecuador and Latin America in order to validate a scale for measuring the expectations of teachers about the importance of the generic competences proposed in the Tuning Latin America Project.


This paper presents a hybrid pulse-width modulation (PWM) technique, for a 3-level neutral point clamped (NPC) electric vehicle (EV) traction inverter drive. In this strategy both the advantages from the SV-PWM and carrier-based PWM strategies are introduced. The duty cycles for the switches are calculated using carrier based PWM, to reduce the computational time and complexity. The redundancies of the switching states are used to balance the two DC-link capacitor voltages, as in the SV-PWM based strategies. The proposed scheme is capable of maintaining the difference between the two DC-link capacitor voltages stable for a wider range of machine speed-torque variations. Moreover, a single carrier is used instead of multiple carriers, which also reduces the computational complexities. A detailed simulation studies are carried out in MATLAB/SIMULINK® platform to verify the controllability of the proposed control scheme. Experimental studies are carried out with a 6.0 kW surface permanent magnet synchronous machine (SPMSM). The simulation and experimental results show the desired performance of the proposed scheme.


The residents of Nairobi, Kenya, use 700 tonnes of charcoal per day, producing about 88 tonnes of charcoal dust that is found in most of the charcoal retailing stalls that is disposed of in water drainage systems or in black garbage heaps. The high costs of cooking fuel results in poor households using unhealthy materials such as plastic waste. Further, poor households are opting to cook foods that take a short time to prepare irrespective of their nutritional value. This article presents experiences with community self-help groups producing charcoal fuel briquettes from charcoal dust in poorer nieghbourhoods of Nairobi for home use and sale. Households that produced charcoal fuel briquettes for own use and those that bought them saved 70% and 30% of money spent on cooking energy respectively. The charcoal fuel briquettes have been found to be environmentally beneficial since they produce less smoke and increase total cooking energy by more than 15%, thereby saving an equivalent volume of trees that would be cut down for charcoal. Charcoal briquette production is a viable opportunity for good quality and affordable cooking fuel. Bioenergy and waste management initiatives should promote recovery of organic by-products for charcoal briquette production.


The Rushworth family have been largely overlooked in the seminal texts covering Liverpool's socio-economic and cultural history. This thesis will redress this gap in the historiography of the city and account for the contributions made by the family to Liverpool's cultural economy and civic society for a period of over 150 years. The Rushworth family music business was founded by a cabinet maker from Yorkshire, William Rushworth, and operated in Liverpool between c.1840-2002, a period spanning five generations. The company developed two separate interests: the original pipe organ building business, and a musical instrument retail enterprise which grew out of the organ building side during the second generation under the guidance of Edwin Rushworth. Throughout the generations the company passed from father to son and the third and fourth generations saw the organ works and retail arms united under a single owner, whilst the fifth saw them divided between two brothers and into two largely separate companies. The thesis will examine the growth, development and diversification of the company across the five generations, and analyse the performance of the business in relation to local economic conditions. In doing so it builds on existing research which considers the workings of commerce and culture, family business succession, and the impact of technological advancement on music consumption, production and practice. This framework provides the context in which we can consider the performance, growth and profitability of the business, and how these provided the foundation for, and facilitated, the cultural contribution of the family across Merseyside and the UK. This thesis provides a unique perspective on the functioning, structure and operations of a musical instrument manufacture and retail enterprise, and addresses four general questions: what factors contributed to the success and longevity of the Rushworth Company? How was the Rushworth family able to maximise the profitability of the firm in relation to the growth and decline of the consumer and cultural economy? How did the family drive music consumption and create the commercial and cultural environment in which the company flourished? How did the city, the business and family work in tandem to service and facilitate the local musical community? In addressing these questions the thesis provides a unique insight into the commercial strategies of a family firm specialising in cultural products, and the regional factors which contributed to the company's shifting fortunes, thereby contributing to existing scholarship on the relationship between commerce and culture in Liverpool. The thesis will establish how the regional economy impacted upon the profitability of the business and influenced in both positive and negative ways the family's ability to drive music consumption and encourage musical participation, and thus develop the local cultural economy and the commercial success of their business. By examining these developments, the thesis will construct a timeline of development showing how the region's economic prosperity and subsequent downturn mirrored the growth and ultimate demise of the business, thus illustrating the reciprocal and symbiotic relationship between commerce and culture in Liverpool.


We prove that any complete Riemannian manifold with negative part of the Ricci curvature in a suitable Dynkin class is bi-Lipschitz equivalent to a finite-dimensional $\mathrm{RCD}$ space, by building upon the transformation rule of the Bakry-\'Emery condition under time change. We apply this result to show that our previous results on the limits of closed Riemannian manifolds satisfying a uniform Kato bound carry over to limits of complete manifolds. We also obtain a weak version of the Bishop-Gromov monotonicity formula for manifolds satisfying a strong Kato bound.


Synthetic Biology
Overproduction of thyroid hormone is the hallmark of Graves' disease. Therapy is limited to suppression of thyroid hormone (which shows a high relapse rate) or destruction/removal of the thyroid gland. Saxena et al. , have created a synthetic gene network that can sense and respond to abnormally high thyroid hormone levels. The circuit contained a thyroid hormone-sensing receptor fused to the DNA binding domain of yeast Gal4 and reversibly induced expression of a thyroid hormone receptor antagonist. This antagonist competed with thyroid-stimulating hormone and autoantibodies that cause abnormal activity. When cells transgenic for the circuit were injected into a mouse model of Graves' disease, the regulation of thyroid hormone was improved.

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 10.1073pnas.1514383113 (2016).


Eruca sativa (Arugula or Roket) is a widely distributed species. It has many economical, medical benefits. Growth abnormalities had observed among plants grown in Kalar city such as enlargement of Calyx in some plants. The aim of this study was to identify the reason beyond the abnormal growth and to decide whether the abnormality is due to fungal infection or no. To do so, we did collected different samples and took different sections from normal and abnormal plants. The sections were examined under different microscopes. The results indicated that the abnormal enlargements were due to the fungal infection (Albugo candida).


A semi-physical model of an hydraulic power steering system is presented in this paper. The proposed model allows to evaluate the wheels dynamic response to steering inputs and to calculate the corresponding reaction torque on the steering-wheel (steering torque). The analyzed steering system increases its stiffness (so that the steering assist level is decreases) with the rise of the vehicle speed. Thus, vehicle maneuverability is improved during parking maneuvers, while at high vehicle speeds, stability and driver perceived steering feel are ensured. A two d.o.f. (steering-wheel and rack-pinion rotations) model has been implemented during this study. The model parameters have been identified through the standard laboratory tests carried out to characterize a steering system, minimizing the difference between the experimental data and the model numerical results. During laboratory tests the hydraulic power system has been characterized first, measuring its stiffness variation as a function of the relative rotation between the steering-wheel and the rack-pinion, and the steering torque as a function of the difference between the delivery and the reversal pressure of the double-acting ram. The complete steering system has been then characterized, suspending the vehicle and placing the wheels on appropriate low-friction plates which permit them to turn; sine and frequency sweep steering input have been applied by a robot and the corresponding reaction torque on the steering-wheel has been measured. Simulations results are in good agreement with the experimental ones for all the performed tests. The steering system model has been integrated into a 14 d.o.f. vehicle model developed by the Mechanical Department of the Politecnico di Milano in order to access its reliability during handling maneuvers. Several simulations have been performed both in open (step-steer, steering pad, etc.) and in closed loop (lane change, double lane change, slalom, etc). Simulation results have shown a reduction of the toe angle due to the deformability of the steering system and a time delay of the wheel angle respect to the cinematic condition introduced by the steering system dynamics. The reaction torque on the steering-wheel has also been calculated during the simulations to access the driver perceived steering feel during the maneuvers.© 2006 ASME


This paper reviews three methods used to evaluate the uniformity in the lapping process. The first one evaluates the uniformity in lapping process according to studying the uniformity of lapping trajectory. The second one, compared with the measurement pattern based on polar coordinate, explains the advantages of Cartesian -based coordinate pattern in evaluating the lapping uniformity. The last one develops a model to calculate material removal in the lapping process and indicates the uniformity by calculating the material removal. These methods evaluate the uniformity in lapping process from different views, respectively, but each method still has various drawbacks. Therefore, further researches must be carried out to improve the system used to evaluate the uniformity in the lapping process.


Fillets from marine fish species contain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the form of phospholipids (PLs). To investigate the importance of PL-bound n-3 PUFAs in mediating the anti-obesogenic effect of lean seafood, we compared the anti-obesogenic properties of fillets from cod with fillets from pangasius, a fresh water fish with a very low content of PL-bound n-3 PUFAs. We prepared high-fat/high-protein diets using chicken, cod and pangasius as the protein sources, and fed male C57BL/6J mice these diets for 12 weeks. Mice fed the diet containing cod gained less adipose tissue mass and had smaller white adipocytes than mice fed the chicken-containing diet, whereas mice fed the pangasius-containing diet were in between mice fed the chicken-containing diet and mice fed the cod-containing diet. Of note, mice fed the pangasius-containing diet exhibited reduced glucose tolerance compared to mice fed the cod-containing diet. Although the sum of marine n-3 PUFAs comprised less than 2% of the total fatty acids in the cod-containing diet, this was sufficient to significantly increase the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) in mouse tissues and enhance production of n-3 PUFA-derived lipid mediators as compared with mice fed pangasius or chicken.


Despite the endemicity of brucellosis in Nigeria, reports on equine brucellosis are rare. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) was used to determine the serologic prevalence of Brucella abortus antibodies amongst 75 horses from three stables in two States of northern Nigeria. The highest prevalence (22.7%) was recorded in stable C located in Plateau State and the lowest (6.7%) was found in stable B in Kaduna State. The overall prevalence determined was 14.7%. There is need for the inclusion of horses in brucellosis surveillance and control strategies in Nigeria to safeguard people at high risk.


The July-2002 report of the High Energy Neutrino Astrophysics Panel (HENAP, [1]) recommended the construction of a km-scale Northern hemisphere neutrino observatory to complement a large-scale under-ice observatory (IceCube) in the Southern hemisphere. Such an observatory would study cosmic neutrinos with energies in excess of a few hundred GeV, which arrive undeviated from a variety of galactic and extragalactic sources of astrophysical interest, and which might be produced in the possible annihilation of dark matter particles, including neutralinos. Future developments in technology from that being presently implemented by the Lake Baikal, Nestor, and Antares collaborations toward that necessary for a much larger km-scale array are discussed. In January 2000, a part of the Nemo collaboration, engaged in studies for a km–scale detector close to the Sicilian coast, joined Antares in the development of a 0.1km detector. The two collaborations have formed a common working group to coordinate the effort toward the construction of a kmscale detector. The great depth presents numerous technical challenges in the construction, deployment and interconnection of such detectors, and may require the involvement of industrial contractors with experience in fields including deep-sea oil exploitation, submarine telecommunications cable deployment, underwater acoustic navigation and communication, and in the operation of manned or remotely-operated submarine vehicles. This paper reviews the status of some of the technologies for underwater neutrino detector arrays.


The existence of nasal mucosa remodeling in allergic rhinitis is controversial. Few data are available on the dynamics of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in nasal fluid after an allergen challenge. We examined whether an immediate allergic reaction that induces nasal congestion and inflammation is able to also induce changes in remodeling parameters in nasal fluid.


: Acute arterial occlusion may cause prolonged ischemia of the lower extremity. Since skeletal muscle is the major component, its reaction to the stress of ischemia best determines the final outcome for the limb. The combination of cellular damage during the period of ischemia and its exacerbation during reperfusion may result in the production of skeletal muscle necrosis. The relative resistance of skeletal muscle to normothermic ischemia is related to its low resting energy demands and large intracellular stores of available energy. If the period of ischemia is long enough, restoration of the circulation may exacerbate cellular damage, due in part to washout of adenine nucleotide precursor, free-radical-mediated injury and finally calcium-dependent necrosis. In addition to the clinical manifestation of local swelling, rhabdomyolysis can lead to systemic complications of hyperkalemia, renal failure or death. Therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing reperfusion damage may result in the salvage of functional lower limbs that might otherwise be lost.


A group of previously untreated obese hypertensive patients were started on a weight reduction programme supervised by two dietitians working in a general practice surgery. It was stressed from the beginning of the programme that reducing blood pressure was the purpose of the diet. The results of follow-up after six months are presented together with results for a control group of obese hypertensive patients not receiving dietary advice or drug therapy, but being followed by the general practitioner. The weight, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of the dieting hypertensive group were significantly lower than those of the non-dieting group after six months. However, the drop-out rate was significantly higher for the dieting group than for the non-dieting group.The results of a separate comparison between a control group of obese normotensive patients following the same dietary programme and the group of dieting obese hypertensive patients are also presented. Attendance rates and weight loss achieved were significantly better for the hypertensive group than for the normotensive group after 12 months.Weight reduction appears to be an effective first-line therapy for approximately 50% of obese patients with mild to moderate hypertension, and raised blood pressure appears to provide motivation for such patients to attend a dietitian's clinic and to lose weight.


Nicotine is one of the highly toxic and addictive chemicals, belonging to tobacco alkaloids. In the present work, a HPTLC method was developed for the estimation of nicotine in different brands of Gutkha available in local market. Diethyl ether extracts of standard nicotine and the sample solutions were spotted on pre-coated TLC Silica gel G60 F254 plated and developed using chioroform: methanol: ammonia (60:5:1 v/v) as mobile phase. Densitometric scanning was performed at 255 nm. The linearity was found to be in the concentration range of 200-1000 ng/spot with correlation coefficient of 0.996.The method was validated for precision, repeatability and accuracy. Twenty different brands of Gutkha were analysed for the nicotine content and the results were compared with the nicotine content estimated by an UV-Spectrophotometric method. The content of nicotine in different brands of Gutkha was found to be in the range of 0.1 to 0.5% w/w.


The advent of wholesale electricity markets has brought renewed focus on intraday electricity load forecasting. This article proposes a multi-equation regression model with a diagonal first-order stationary vector autoregresson (VAR) for modeling and forecasting intraday electricity load. The correlation structure of the disturbances to the VAR and the appropriate subset of regressors are explored using Bayesian model selection methodology. The full spectrum of finite-sample inference is obtained using a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling scheme. This includes the predictive distribution of load and the distribution of the time and level of daily peak load, something that is difficult to obtain with other methods of inference. The method is applied to several multiequation models of half-hourly total system load in New South Wales, Australia. A detailed model based on 3 years of data reveals trend, seasonal, bivariate temperature/humidity, and serial correlation components that all vary intraday, justifying the assumption of a multiequation approach. Short-term forecasts from simple models highlight the gains that can be made if accurate temperature predictions are exploited. Bayesian predictive means for half-hourly load compare favorably with point forecasts obtained using iterated generalized least squares estimation of the same models.


Over 25 000 transgenic field trials were conducted globally from 1986-1997, and many transgenic crops, including soybean (Glycine max), maize (Zea mays), tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), canola (Brassica napus, B. rapa), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and potato (Solarium tuberosum) have been commercially released. There has been a high adoption rate, with at least 28 million ha reported for 1998, with herbicide- and insect-resistant plants occupying 71 and 28% of the releases, respectively. The current status of commercial production of transgenic crops in Canada is summarized. Transgenic crops have the potential to change weed communities/populations in three principal ways, via: 1 ) escape and proliferation of the transgenic plants as 'weedy' volunteers with subsequent displacement of the crop, weed and/or natural vegetation; 2) hybridization with and transgene infiltration into related weedy and/or wild species, resulting in invigorated weeds and/or alteration of natural gene frequencies in these species; and 3) genetic changes in populations of unrelated species, as a result of changes to the environment, in particular herbicide-resistant (HR) transgenic crops and the development of HR weeds. Potential risk can be estimated a priori using knowledge of the systematics of crop/wild/weed complexes. Risk must be assessed on a case-by-case basis for each crop, each country/ecological region, and for each trait. Potential weed risks will be greater if crop volunteers are predisposed to becoming weedy, are well adapted to the Canadian climate and if sexually compatible wild species are present.


SummaryNeo4j in Action is a comprehensive guide to Neo4j, aimed at application developers and software architects. Using hands-on examples, you'll learn to model graph domains naturally with Neo4j graph structures. The book explores the full power of native Java APIs for graph data manipulation and querying.Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the TechnologyMuch of the data today is highly connectedfrom social networks to supply chains to software dependency managementand more connections are continually being uncovered. Neo4j is an ideal graph database tool for highly connected data. It is mature, production-ready, and unique in enabling developers to simply and efficiently model and query connected data. About the BookNeo4j in Action is a comprehensive guide to designing, implementing, and querying graph data using Neo4j. Using hands-on examples, you'll learn to model graph domains naturally with Neo4j graph structures. The book explores the full power of native Java APIs for graph data manipulation and querying. It also covers Cypher, Neo4j's graph query language. Along the way, you'll learn how to integrate Neo4j into your domain-driven app using Spring Data Neo4j, as well as how to use Neo4j in standalone server or embedded modes. Knowledge of Java basics is required. No prior experience with graph data or Neo4j is assumed. What's InsideGraph database patternsHow to model data in social networksHow to use Neo4j in your Java applicationsHow to configure and set up Neo4jAbout the AuthorsAleksa Vukotic is an architect specializing in graph data models. Nicki Watt, Dominic Fox, Tareq Abedrabbo, and Jonas Partner work at OpenCredo, a Neo Technology partner, and have been involved in many projects using Neo4j.Table of ContentsPART 1 INTRODUCTION TO NEO4JA case for a Neo4j databaseData modeling in Neo4jStarting development with Neo4j The power of traversalsIndexing the dataPART 2 APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT WITH NEO4JCypher: Neo4j query languageTransactionsTraversals in depthSpring Data Neo4jPART 3 NEO4J IN PRODUCTIONNeo4j: embedded versus server mode


Summary
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of CD1 mice was investigated by immunofluorescence and virus titration. The salivary glands were obviously prime targets for the virus, infection involving initially perivascular interstitial cells and then spreading to acinar cells. The submaxillary gland was the most affected and, in mice infected at 3 wk of age, virus was recoverable from saliva for up to 58 days. The ovaries became infected, especially after intravenous injection of virus into pregnant mice, but it was corpora lutea and not ova that were involved. In the adrenals, the medulla was most heavily infected in suckling mice, the cortex in older mice. Virus was not recoverable from mammary glands or milk. Infection of respiratory epithelial cells did not occur, and in the skin only the dermis became infected, leading to the appearance of bald patches.
Among mice surviving neonatal infection, about half continued to carry infectious virus in the kidneys for 12-26 mth, and a smaller number carried virus in the salivary glands. This was seen after infection with a virulent, salivary-gland-passaged strain of virus and also with an attenuated tissueculture- passaged strain. Nearly all these surviving mice had chronic glomerulonephritis and hyaline acellular deposits of unknown nature in the adrenals and salivary glands.


Introduction: The current study was carried out to investigate the phytochemical constituents and in vitro antioxidant potential of the aerial parts of Justicia beddomei (Clarke) Bennett belonging to the family Acanthaceae. The aerial part of J. bebbomei is traditionally used as a hepatoprotective, antitussive and antispasmodic. Methods: The dried powdered aerial parts of J. beddomei were extracted using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol using a soxhlet extractor and preliminary phytochemical screening was performed using standard protocols. All the extracts were evaluated for their potential antioxidant activities using tests such as DPPH, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical scavenging abilities, β-carotene-linoleic acid model, reducing power ability and total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Results: Preliminary screening revealed the presence of bioactive components especially phenolics and flavonoids in all the extracts. The phenolic and flavonoid content was found to be highest in methanolic extract and lowest in petroleum ether extract. All extracts showed strong antioxidant activity when compared with the standard. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that the aerial part extracts of J. beddomei is a good source of antioxidant constituents.


In the last few years, the way we learn has been significantly changed from traditional classrooms that depend on printed papers into e-learning relying on electronic teaching material. Contemporary educational technologies attempt to facilitate the delivery of learning from instructors to students in a more flexible and comfortable way. Mobile learning (M-learning) is one of such pervasive technologies that has been evolved rapidly to deliver e-learning using personal electronic devices without posing any restrictions on time and location. Literature that sheds light on using M-learning in various institutions of learning is beginning to emerge. The work in this paper demonstrates the state of the art of the M-learning. It discusses learners' and educators' attitudes towards the use and adoption of M-learning. Advantages and disadvantages of M-learning were also presented. The integration and implementation of M-learning with other technological resources has been described. Factors affecting the students' and faculty members' attitudes towards the use of M-learning have been demonstrated. Moreover, the new trends and challenges, which are evolved while conducting this survey, are explained.


On 21st February 2023, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released its concept for a "Global Security Initiative", a white paper outlining the country's proposed solution to challenges across traditional and non-traditional security issues. While the content mostly amounts to a restatement of long-standing principles and pooling of existing activities under a new label, its packaging as a "global initiative" should be seen as a statement of intent, claiming a much greater role in international politics. The sketched Chinese security agenda differs significantly from that of Western powers in both its principles and practices, making this field a new arena of competition between both sides.


In this paper the Korean 4Dframe educational modelling kit's rich capacities are presented within a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education workshop. The workshop is an adaptation of the Warka Water social design project, launched by the architect Arturo Vittori in response to Ethiopia's diminished sources of drinking water. Participants of the workshop will study the geometry of the Warka Water tower and understand its water harvesting technique, which is based on collecting water from the air.


ing and Indexing • Academic Search (EBSCO Publishing) • Academic Search Alumni Edition (EBSCO Publishing) • Biological Abstracts (Thomson Reuters) • BIOSIS Previews (Thomson Reuters) • Biotechnology & Bioengineering Abstracts (ProQuest) • CSA Biological Sciences Database (ProQuest) • Embase (Elsevier) • MEDLINE/PubMed (NLM) • Science Citation Index Expanded (Thomson Reuters) • SCOPUS (Elsevier) • Web of Science (Thomson Reuters) Society Information The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT) was founded in 1900, and consists of over 2,200 professionals whose primary interest is to advance the science and practice of clinical pharmacology and translational medicine for the therapeutic benefi c of patients and society. ASCPT is the largest scientifi c and professional organization serving the disciplines of Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Medicine. To learn more, or to apply for membership, visit: www.ascpt.org All articles published in this journal are freely available to read, download, and share. Articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. Disclaimer The Publisher, the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Editors cannot be held responsible for errors or any consequences arising from the use of information contained in this journal; the views and opinions expressed do not necessarily refl ect those of the Publisher, the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics or Editors, neither does the publication of advertisements constitute any endorsement by the Publisher, the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics or Editors of the products advertised. Production Editor: Farhath Jabeen, S (email@example.com) Publisher Clinical and Translational Science is published by Wiley Periodicals LLC, 101 Station Landing, Suite 300, Medford, MA 02155; Telephone: 781-388-8200; Fax: 781-388-8210.


The effects of rare earth elements (RE) on corrosion behavior of Q345B steel at marine atmospheric environment in Compact strip production (CSP) technology was studied using alternate immersion test in this paper. The influences of RE on the microstructure, the components of corrosion products, the corrosion dynamic laws as well as the electrochemical properties were also investigated by optical microscope, SEM, XRD, polarization curve and EIS measurements. The results show that the microstructure of Q345B steel in CSP is finer and the corrosion is mitigated due to relatively compact corrosion products with the addition of RE. The corrosion current density of Q345B steel with RE is lower than that of Q345B steel without RE and the corrosion resistance of Q345B in CSP is improved to a certain extent by RE.


Two hypotheses predict a positive relationship between population density and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) among species of Anolis lizards; these hypotheses focus on food competition and male-male competition for breeding territories, respectively. We first tested an underlying assumption of the food competition hypothesis, using data on the prey consumed by Anolis aeneus. This assumption is that SSD reduces intersexual food competition relative to the amount of competition expected if males and females are the same size. Contrary to this assumption, estimates of food competition were lower if males and females were the same size than if males were larger than females or vice versa Next, we tested the prediction from both hypotheses that SSD should be positively related to female density, using data from 25 taxa (24 species) of anoles. Statistically significant relationships between these two variables were obtained in the vast majority of potentially correct phylogenies for the species in this data set, based on either a gradual or a speciational model of evolution. In addition to documenting a relationship between SSD and density, this study shows how comparative questions can be pursued in taxa that currently lack a definitive phylogeny.


ABSTRACT This paper contributes to an on-going exchange in political theory on the normative legitimacy of expert bodies. It focuses on epistemic worries about the expertisation of politics, and uses the Nordic system of advisory commissions as an empirical case. Epistemic concerns are often underplayed by those who defend an increasing role of experts in policy-making, while those who have epistemic worries often tend to overstate them and debunk expertise. We present ten epistemic worries, of which some are of an epistemological nature, while others are related to failures and biases. These worries must not be overstated, but no doubt point to real problems which have to be handled through the design of expert bodies and institutions of science advice. We introduce three groups of mechanisms that are likely to contribute to remedying the problems of expertise and discuss what they imply for the design of a system of public advisory commissions.


We investigated the effects of Fe3O4 (0~0.1 wt.%) on the thermoelectric properties of Bi1Sb4Te7.5 alloy prepared by mechanical alloying process. The Seebeck coefficient increased with Fe3O4 content, but the power factor decreased with Fe3O4 content because of the decreased electrical conductivity. The thermal conductivity decreased with Fe3O4. The carrier concentration measured by the Hall effect measurement decreased with Fe3O4. The thermal conductivity of 0.1 wt.% Fe3O4 alloy was 0.814 W/Km, 20%lower than that of Fe3O4 free alloy. As a result, the small addition of Fe3O4 improved the Z value owing to the decreased thermal conductivity by adding Fe3O4. The Z value of 0.01 wt.% Bi1Sb4Te7.5 alloy was 3.1×10-3 /K, the highest value among the prepared alloys.


In the fall of 1983, executives of Frito-Lay are considering an experiment in Kansas City involving a change in the allocation of spending among advertising, consumer promotions, trade promotions, and sales-force incentives in its efforts to expand the sales of Grandma's Cookies. The amount of marketing funds under consideration is $100,000 over the current annual rate of $363,000. The experiment is to last six months. The purpose of this case is to expand student understanding of various push and pull tactics to include the concepts of trade and consumer loading/unloading, and the timing involved in these considerations. A further objective is to relate the various trade and consumer deals and promotions to consumer and competitive behavior.


Abstract
We explore how scholarly understandings of and the practice of organizational transformation have evolved since Bartunek and Louis's (1988) Research in Organizational Change and Development chapter. While Bartunek and Louis hoped to see strategy scholarship and OD approaches to transformation inform each other, strategy literature has drifted away from transformation toward more continuous change. OD practice has focused on the implementation of its own versions of transformation through Large Group Interventions, Appreciative Inquiry, the new dialogic OD, and Theory U. Based on a discussion of Theory U, we call attention to the importance of individuals as an important source of new ideas in understanding and practicing large-scale change.


This study aimed to empirically predict the degree of acceptance of an online business simulation game in an educational context. To do so, this study proposed an extended technology acceptance model that includes variables such as perceived enjoyment and flow. In addition, the moderating role of students' personal innovativeness in the technology field was analysed. The framework was empirically tested applying partial least squares to a sample of 266 students. Results reveal that perceived enjoyment is a key variable in explaining students' perceived ease of use, usefulness and attitudes towards the simulation. Perceived ease of use is not significantly related to flow experience. However, this relationship is moderated by personal innovativeness. Indeed, results indicate that the higher the students' personal innovativeness, the more attenuated the effect of perceived ease of use on the attitude towards the game and on flow experience. The study offers relevant insights for the pedagogical use of competitive digital technologies in university contexts.


Owing to discrimination, woman in most cultures is by tradition inhibited from attaining her full capabilities in life. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston attempts to expose how the tragic condition of the black woman in America was aggravated by slavery when she suffered multiply first as a slave, then as a black and ultimately as a woman. The novelist also proffers possible roles which the black woman could adopt after the Slave Emancipation in order to raise her social status. That is what is referred to by Nanny, the grandmother of the protagonist Janie, as "picking from the higher bush and the sweeter berry." Since Hurston is more concerned with getting the black woman better integrated in society after the Slave Emancipation, the sociological qualified by the feminist critical theory and practice will be employed in this essay. While bringing up Janie, Nanny overprotects her and shields her from the realities of life in order to give her more comfort and raise her social status. In her quest, Janie discovers that it is not comfort or money that brings about love and peace but sacrificial love and sharing of one's life. After her two earlier loveless marriages to fairly rich older men, Janie eventually finds true love in Tea Cake, a younger, cheerful and more loving and caring husband who treats her like an equal and not like a work-ox or a mule of the world the way her two earlier husbands attempted to treat her.


We present a method of localized control of chaos in Hamiltonian systems. The aim is to modify the perturbation locally using a small control term which makes the controlled Hamiltonian more regular. We provide an explicit expression for the control term which is able to recreate invariant (KAM) tori without modifying other parts of phase space. We apply this method of localized control to a forced pendulum model, to the delta-kicked rotor (standard map) and to a non-twist Hamiltonian.


Physicians from nearly every medical specialty rely on CT for its ability to rapidly and reliably define anatomic morphology. The tremendous advances in CT technology over the past decade have allowed many new techniques to move into mainstream clinical use. CardiacCT,CTangiography,CT enterography and CT colonography have, in many cases, become accepted replacements for invasive alternatives such as catheter angiography or endoscopy. The use of 3‐ or 4‐D image displays allows a more intuitive demonstration of imaging findings to the referring physician and the patient, resulting in more than 100% growth per year in the numbers of exams using these techniques. The use of 4D CT joint kinematics may allow for the assessment of orthopedic motion abnormalities, just as 4D cardiacimaging allows for the assessment of cardiac motion abnormalities. New interventional CT procedures allow for outpatient spine fracture stabilization, tumor ablation, and complicated biopsies. CT perfusion exams in oncology patients may allow assessment of the therapeutic effect of anti‐angiogenic drugs. And, material composition information is becoming available with the reintroduction of dual‐energy CT. Dual energy CT has been shown to provide > 93% accuracy for the identification of uric acid kidney stones; to be able to differentiate gout from calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposits; to facilitate rapid bone removal from CTangiographydata sets; and to be able to remove iodine from contrast‐enhanced data sets. Clinical adoption of these and other dual‐energy applications is anticipated to increase as more commercial dual‐energy CT products are brought to the marketplace. In spite of these and other advances in CT capabilities, the pressure to keep patient dose as low as possible (consistent with the imaging task) remains. Dose management strategies are thus a necessary consideration for the development and clinical implementation of any new CTimaging capability. The participant will learn about these and other new CT clinical applications.


Nitric oxide synthesis requires the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin. We have examined the effect on nitric oxide synthesis in experimental endotoxic shock of 2,4- diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DAHP), an inhibitor of GTP cyclohydrolase I, the first and rate limiting enzyme for tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis. Rats given lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 mg/kg) showed a large rise in plasma nitrate at 4 and 8 hours which was significantly reduced by DAHP (1 g/kg) given at the same time as LPS. There was a 40-50% reduction in the haem-NO signal detected in kidney by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. LPS produced hypotension at 3 hours and 6 hours and this was ameliorated at 6 hours in rats given DAHP. DAHP abolished the rise in kidney tetrahydrobiopterin levels seen 4 hours after LPS but no effect was seen on induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) as assessed by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase PCR, consistent with the effect of DAPH being by reduction of tetrahydrobiopterin levels. The results show that inhibition of tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis is an effective strategy to reduce nitric oxide synthesis by iNOS in vivo.


In recent years, the replacement repair welding, which repairs damaged steel girder bridges by replacement of the damaged sections with new steel plates through cutting and welding under in-service conditions, is spotlighted for its brilliant features, i.e. it can be achieved without incurring traffic dislocation. However, the mechanical behavior of the welded joints under cyclic loads due to the traffic which passes along the girder bridges is not clarified. In this paper, the fatigue strength of the replacement repair welded joints was investigated in order to improve reliability in the repair welded joints. Steel plate was extracted from the old steel girder bridge; then was welded with new steel plate to construct specimen with the replacement repair welded joints. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) process was used to fabricate the double "V" butt joints. Fatigue tests were conducted using a servo hydraulic controlled 50tonf capacity UTM with a frequency of 5Hz under constant amplitude loading. The fatigue strength of the replacement repair welded joints was analyzed in detail.


Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements in children are frequently performed under halothane-nitrous oxide anesthesia; however, anesthesia face masks may limit access to the eyes, and tracheal intubation is associated with transient increases in IOP. Use of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) permits the maintenance of a patent airway without the need for laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. In a randomized study of 41 children, we compared the IOP, hemoglobin oxygen saturation, and hemodynamic responses to the insertion of an LMA or tracheal tube during a standardized steady-state anesthetic technique consisting of 1 MAC halothane and 66% nitrous oxide. Baseline measurements of IOP, hemoglobin oxygen saturation, heart rate, and arterial blood pressure were recorded and repeated within 15-30 s after insertion of the airway device and at 1-min intervals for 5 min. Insertion of the LMA required significantly less time (26 +/- 16 vs 39 +/- 17 s [mean +/- SD]) and was associated with higher hemoglobin oxygen saturation values compared with the tracheal intubation. The LMA did not increase IOP, heart rate, or arterial blood pressure above baseline values. In contrast, tracheal intubation was associated with significant increases of IOP, heart rate, and arterial blood pressure. We concluded that the laryngeal mask offers advantages over tracheal intubation and the face mask for airway management in patients undergoing IOP measurements.


Introduction: Electronic Assistive Technology (EAT) including communication devices, environmental control systems and personal computers have always been seen an important component of patients' rehabilitation. At the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) this inclusion of EAT had been largely unsystematic and challenging due to limited EAT knowledge and skill. In addition inefficiencies in trialing equipment without technical support had prevented timely access to EAT. This paper describes a developing integrated EAT service. Context: The Electronic Assistive Technology (EAT) Clinic is a joint Occupational Therapy (OT) & Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service. Referrals are received from speech & language therapists or occupational therapists. The clinic offers assessment, trial, loan and support services for electronic assistive devices for inpatients across all NRH Programs (Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Prosthetic and Orthotic Rehabilitation and Peadiatrics). Key Objectives of the EAT clinic: To deliver an effective and efficient EAT service to meet the needs of the population of inpatients within the NRH. Develop systems to ensure that clinic staff are continuously up-skilled in the rapidly developing area of EAT in order to ensure highest quality service provision for patients To provide access to technology that can enable independence for patients and create efficiencies in providing the most appropriate EAT solution. Provide EAT recommendations and/or solutions to patients upon discharge. Outcomes of the Project to date: The EAT clinic has progressed through investment in stock, securing a physical clinic space, upskilling key staff, allocation of protected staff time and the approval of a therapy assistant. This pilot has resulted in onsite delivery of individualised EAT solutions for inpatients by Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Departments. There have been significant cost savings in terms of staff time as well as a reduction in the number of inappropriate devices being purchased. Service users now have the opportunity to engage in assessment with an EAT team and trial one or more EAT solutions during their rehabilitation. In addition the clinic provides education for less experienced clinicians, patients and their families. Future Plans: Global increasing digital literacy demands that EAT be seamlessly integrated into rehabilitation settings. This EAT Clinic plays an important role in the promotion and adoption of mainstream technology devices and specialised assistive technology devices to improve patient outcomes. The continued aim of the EAT Clinic is to provide service-users with the opportunity to experience electronic assistive technologies during their rehabilitation while being supported by skilled therapists. A business plan has been composed to support contingency planning for the service into the future as well as identifying opportunities for continuing professional development and developing specialisations in the area of EAT.


Belarus Vis a Vis Nation-Building Processes in Central and East European CommunitiesThe text explores the nation-building factors that determined the intensity with which certain nations in Central and East Europe were formed in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century – with some reference to their contemporary situation, especially of today's Belarus. In addition to Belarus, the analyses also briefly cover nation-building processes in Ukraine (Galicia and Dnieper Ukraine), Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Three categories of factors that are crucial for the processes under discussion have already been distinguished – namely civilization, culture and politics. All three types decisively benefited the Czechs, who succeeded in developing nation-building processes the soonest; the Czechs, among all the other nations in the region, thus first acquired a national awareness at the popular level. On the contrary, the above-mentioned factors did not work to the benefit of the Belarussians and Dnieper Ukrainians. The territories they inhabited were very weakly industrialized and urbanized, while their languages differed from Russian and Polish much less than was the case, on the one hand, of the Slovaks and Czechs, and on the other, of the Hungarians and Austrians (Germans). At the same time, Russian policies obviously hampered the formation of the Belarussian and Ukrainian nations. This article shows the strength with which objective conditions exerted an influence on nation-building processes in our part of the continent.


HYPOTHESIS
Splenectomy is recognized as a cause of portal, mesenteric, and splenic vein thrombosis. The exact incidence of the complication and its predisposing factors are not known.

DESIGN
Prospective observational cohort study. The median follow-up time of the patients was 22.6 months.

SETTING
University surgical clinic in a teaching hospital.

PATIENTS
A total of 147 consecutive patients who underwent splenectomy in a 4-year period were enrolled in the study.

INTERVENTIONS
Preoperative and postoperative evaluation included ultrasonography with color Doppler flow imaging of the portal system, results of blood coagulation tests, fibrinogen levels, D-dimer levels, and complete blood counts. Operative sheets were recorded and reviewed. When portal system thrombosis (PST) was diagnosed, a complete control for acquired and congenital thrombophilia disorders was obtained.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary end points of the study were the assessment of the incidence of postsplenectomy PST and the identification of risk factors for its occurrence.

RESULTS
Portal system thrombosis occurred in 7 (4.79%) of 146 patients who underwent splenectomy. The age, sex, type or length of the operation, and use of preoperative and postoperative thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin did not prove to be significant factors in the occurrence of PST. Platelet count of more than 650 x 10(3)/microL and greater spleen weight (>650 g) was associated with the development of PST (P = .01, P = .03). Normal D-dimer levels on diagnosis of the complication showed a negative predictive value of 98%. Two of the affected patients were diagnosed with thrombophilia disorders. In a median follow-up period of 22.6 months, no other case of PST was recorded.

CONCLUSIONS
Postsplenectomy PST occurs in approximately 5% of patients. Possible risk factors are thrombocytosis, splenomegaly, and congenital thrombophilia disorders.


Purpose To evaluate the impact of clinical protocol change via active minimisation on the number of general anaesthetic (GA)/sedation episodes for diagnostic ophthalmic purposes at Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street (CHI-TS), Dublin, Ireland, from 2016 to 2019, inclusive. Change was implemented following published cautionary principles in 2016 by the FDA regarding the potential neurotoxic risk from multiple GA exposure in children. Methods Retrospective analysis of electronic operating theatre records was completed using procedure codes "Ophthalmological examination" and "Examination of fundi". Available records for patients undergoing multiple examination under anaesthesia (EUA) procedures were assessed for demographics, indication. Comparison was made regarding overall EUA numbers and breakdown for each year, before and after the new departmental approach. From 2018 onward, a patient-centred, departmental strategy of active minimisation of EUA was adopted, using strategies of "training, technology and patience". A literature review was conducted using online databases. Results A total of 450 EUAs were performed over the 4 years investigated. In the former 2 years of the study period, prior to departmental policy change, EUAs represented 32% (304 of 948 total theatre episodes) of the ophthalmic theatre caseload. In the latter 2 years of this study period, this proportion fell to 19% (146 EUAs of 783 theatre episodes). Total theatre case numbers were comparable in both time periods. Eighteen children had multiple EUAs (ie, ≥2 EUAs, mean 6.5, SD 2.9) for life/sight threatening indications, totalling 116 EUAs (25.7%). Conclusion A significant reduction in diagnostic EUA volume was accomplished resulting in reduced individual patient risk and increased capacity for surgical interventions. A detailed description of this methodology is included for the purposes of replication at comparable units. EUA will continue to play a crucial role in the management of life/sight threatening conditions but the application of a cautionary principle to reduce EUA, where possible, is appropriate to reduce potential for neurotoxicity.


Porosity analysis is the way to have a better understanding of porosity system in oil and gas fields. By using the image log technology, we can do this analysis verywell, but this process is complicated and it is still unknown to many researchers. Therefore, we decided to explain this process by using a unique case study and a number of valuableimage log interpretation examples. This jobwill be done for two wells (GS-A & GS-B) located inGachsaran field, one of the most important Iranian fields, and the main reservoir that will be studied isAsmari reservoir, one of the most important Iranian oil and gas reservoirs. We aim to offer a unique educational paper that will be very useful for the other researchers who are interested in image log technology.


The paper proposes a method to detect and control the speed and the position of a BLDC motor with a low resolution position encoder in very low speeds of several rad/sec. The low resolution encoder could be the Hall effect sensor that has a resolution of 60 electrical degrees maximum, according to the pole number of the motor. The proposed algorithm used a Kalman filter (KF). The position and the current are sampled. The algorithm was simulated on MATLAB/spl copy/, and the simulation results were valuable.


The rational construction of a carbon base with a porous structure and incorporating effective dopants is an intriguing and challenging strategy used to develop advanced electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we synthesize a novel, efficient electrocatalyst comprised of three-dimensional (3D) porous graphene doped with Fe/N/S and incorporating Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4/FeNSG). We use a melamine formaldehyde resin which plays the dual-functional roles of a soft template and a nitrogen-abundant source. The rational design of the Fe3O4/FeNSG-3 with its 3D porous architecture, abundant active sites (Fe–N–C, Fe3O4, pyridinic N, C–S–C, et al.), and large surface area (530.5 m2 g−1) makes it an efficient electrocatalyst towards ORR. The Fe3O4/FeNSG-3 catalyst shows a positive ORR onset potential (0.951 V) and half-wave potential (0.810 V), comparable to those of the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst in alkaline media. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibits a four-electron transfer pathway, superior methanol tolerance and good stability. This work paves the way for preparing low-cost, active, stable, non-Pt group metal catalysts through regulating the active catalytic sites on 3D graphene with a porous architecture.


Ticks are known to carry several pathogenic agents of human diseases. To define the role of migrating birds as host and disseminators of ticks in Lithuania and Norway we analysed immature stage of ticks feeding on different passerine bird species. During April-May of 20062007 and August-September of 2008, migrating passerine birds were captured at ornithological stations in southern Norway and in Lithuania respectively. In Norway were investigated 152 passerine birds representing 26 species, in Lithuania - 36 birds of 14 species. A total of 668 immature stages of I. ricinus ticks were collected. The most infested bird species in Norway were Starling (Sturnus vulgaris ), Icterine Warblers (Hippolais icterina) and Blackbird (Turdus merula) and in Lithuania Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and Trush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia). In Norway the total bird infestation rate was 4.1, but in Lithuania birds were 2.4 times less infested. The infestation with nymphal stages of I. ricinus was more frequent than the larval. The results of the study support previous observations that migratory birds play an important role in the dispersal of I. ricinus ticks.


The present study was aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of leaf extract of Aloe vera on forty adult male albino rats weighing 200-300 mg body weight (BW) which were divided into four groups (A, B, C and D), Group A served as control, Group B included normal rats treated with Aloe vera leaf extract (0.5 ml/100 gm BW), Group C and D were made diabetic by alloxan injection (65 mg/100 gm BW). Group C served as diabetic control while Group D was given Aloe vera leaf (AVL) extract at the same dose to Group B for 30 days. After 30 days the blood serum was analyzed for serum glucose level in all the four Groups. Twenty rats were randomly taken from these 40 rats for a follow up study and were not given AV extract. The serum glucose level was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased in AVL extract feeded rats in Group B and D indicating its hypoglycemic effect.


Since the early days of gene therapy, both the scientific community and the public have perceived the ethical challenges intrinsic to this discipline. First, the technology exploited by gene therapy is still experimental and burdened by important safety issues. Second, in several instances gene therapy aims at stably modifying the genetic characteristics of individuals. Third, the same modifications could in principle be applied also to embryos, foetuses or germ cells. Finally, while gene therapy applications are generally accepted for therapeutic purposes, the same gene transfer technologies could also be exploited to improve the aesthetic appearance, or the physical and intellectual performance of people. The definition of suitable guidelines for a controlled, ethically accepted translation of gene therapy to the clinics remains a major challenge for the near future.


Optical NDE (Nondestructive Evaluation) techniques such as ESPI (Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometer) and shearography that are non-contact and real-time method are used to detect the defects in material. However, ESPI measurement is affected by disturbance such as rigid body motion, and has difficulty in recognizing the real shape and size of the defect. Shearography also involves several problems like it needs several operator-dependent factors including the amount of shearing and shearing direction for the quantitative analysis of internal defect, and it does not show the exact shape of the defect. In order to overcome these problems and evaluate the internal defect quantitatively in this study, the imaging of the inner defect based on the ESPI technique is proposed. In this method, the external perturbative load such as thermal load is induced to the specimen, and the deformation distribution of the specimen is measured by ESPI. Then the distribution of the shear strain energy is obtained by the strain analysis of the ESPI measurement result. On the edge of the defect, the shear strain energy is concentrated, so we can obtain the outline of the internal defect by following the peak point of the shear strain energy distribution. This method makes it possible to evaluate the size and shape of the defect quantitatively without operator-dependent factors.


Events and incidents are relatively rare, but they often have a negative impact on traffic. Reliable travel demand predictions during events and incident detection algorithms are thus essential. The authors study link flows that were collected throughout the Dutch city of Almelo. We show that reliable, event-related demand forecasting is possible, but predictions can be improved if exact start and end times of events are known, and demand variations are monitored conscientiously. For incident detection, we adopt a method that is based on the detection of outliers. Our algorithm detects most outliers, while the fraction of detections due to noisy data is only a few percent. Although our method is less suitable for automatic incident detection, it can be used in an urban warning system that alerts managers in case of a possible incident. It also enables us to study incidents off-line. In doing so, we find that a significant fraction of traffic changes route during an incident.


Formal analysis is required to check the behavior of the system before implementation of any safety critical system. As the complexity of software increases, the need for reasoning about correct behavior becomes more prominent.
Algorithmic analysis of different programs is usually carried out in order to prove their properties of execution. Application of formal method is being considered necessary for modeling, verification, and development of any software or hardware systems. In the formal verification of behavioral model, an attempt has been made to formally describe a real-time system e.g., use of
Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Banks. In this thesis, formal models of ATM system are described using state-based languages such as, Z, B, and Alloy as well as event-based language such as, Monterey Phoenix. Model checking
is being carried out by automated tools, viz. Z/EVES, Atelier B, and Alloy Analyzer for Z, B, and Alloy specifications respectively. Furthermore, a comparative
analysis of different characteristics shown by varied formal approaches has been presented in this thesis.
Software architecture plays an important role in the high level design of a system in terms of components, connectors, and configurations. The main building block of software architecture is an architectural style that provides domain specific design semantics. In the analysis of complex architectural style, an attempt has been made in our work to formalize one complex style e.g., C2 (component and connector) using formal specification language Alloy.
For consistency checking of modeling notations, the model checker tool e.g., Alloy Analyzer is used. Alloy Analyzer automatically checks properties such as,compatibility between components and connectors, satisfiability of predicates over the architectural structure, and consistency of an architectural style. For modeling and verification of C2 architectural style, one case study on Cruise Control System has been considered. At the end of this study, performance evaluation of different SAT solvers associated with Alloy Analyzer has been performed in order to assess the quality.


Many gastropods, such as slugs and snails, crawl via an unusual mechanism known as adhesive locomotion. We investigate this method of propulsion using two mathematical models: one for direct waves and one for retrograde waves. We then test the effectiveness of both proposed mechanisms by constructing two mechanical crawlers. Each crawler uses a different mechanical strategy to move on a thin layer of viscous fluid. The first uses a flexible flapping sheet to generate lubrication pressures in a Newtonian fluid, which in turn propel the mechanical snail. The second generates a wave of compression on a layer of Laponite, a non-Newtonian, finite-yield stress fluid with characteristics similar to those of snail mucus. This second design can climb smooth vertical walls and perform an inverted traverse.


Emission spectrum analysis was used for measuring the levels of such trace elements as copper, manganese, zinc, nickel and silver in blood serum and tissues of the diseased organs in female patients with certain precancerous and precursor lesions of genital tract. It was found that such changes as an increase in serum copper, a decrease in zinc concentration in blood cells and a rise in the levels of zinc and silver in the affected tissues were more pronounced in cases of precancerous lesions than in those of precursor pathology.


Integrating public art into highway transportation projects is important because commuters' quality of life can be enhanced through attractive daily drives, tourists enjoy pleasant aesthetics in all aspects of an environment when visiting a location, and communities gain a sense of pride and place through their public art. It appears that the Oregon Department of Transportation is not taking advantage of opportunities to integrate public art into highway projects, but rather has focused on mass transit systems, scenic byways and rural areas. Therefore; it is often perceived that there are no highway transportation projects that contain public art. This study explores public art policy and transportation policy to develop recommendations for integrating public art into Oregon Department of Transportation highway projects. The methods used for conducting this research included literature reviews, a comparative case study through the use of surveys, and interviews with key political leaders and transportation officials in the state of Oregon.


Botanical preparations are widely used by patient with cancer in Korea, Japan and China. Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) has traditionally been used as a medicinal ingredient for the therapy of stomach and uterine cancer. In this study, we showed that exposure to an ethanol extract of RVS (50 microg/ml) resulted in a synergistic inhibitory effect on cell growth in AGS cells. Growth inhibition was related with the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. The extract induces G1-cell cycle arrest through the regulation of cyclins, the induction of p27Kip1, and decrease the CDK2 kinase activity. The upregulated p27Kip1 level is caused by protein stability increment by the reduction of Skp2, a key molecule related with p27Kip1 ubiquitination and degradation, and de novo protein synthesis. RVS extract induces apoptosis through the expression of Bax, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and activation of caspase-3. RVS extract induces G1-cell cycle arrest via accumulation of p27Kip1 controlled by Skp2 reduction and apoptosis passing through an intrinsic pathway in human gastric cancer cells but not in normal cells, therefore we suggest that this extract could be a candidate medicine or compound for the development of novel class of anti-cancer drugs.


Intravenous challenge with parasite antigens in Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-sensitized rats resulted in anaphylactic shock and, in some animals, death. Surviving animals showed significant drop in mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, and blood flow to the trachea, bronchioles, and mesentery. After anaphylaxis, changes in the cellular and protein composition in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) were assessed. 8 h after antigen challenge, there was significant influx of inflammatory cells and an increase in the levels of histamine and serum- derived immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) in BALF. Chemotactic activity for neutrophils was also present in BALF. Once we established this anaphylaxis-induced model of pulmonary inflammation, we sought to determine whether or not the superior cervical ganglia (SCG) modulate this inflammation. We performed bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy or decentralization of the SCG. Our results show that decentralization significantly reduced mortality (by 68%) after anaphylaxis. Furthermore, the increases in levels of serum-derived proteins, histamine, and influx of cells (especially neutrophils) observed in BALF after anaphylaxis were attenuated by both decentralization and ganglionectomy. By contrast, hemodynamic parameters in the respiratory tract and the presence of neutrophil chemotactic activity in BALF were not influenced by decentralization. Thus, the severity of pulmonary inflammation initiated by systemic anaphylaxis is depressed by bilateral ganglionectomy or decentralization of SCG.


Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse the perspectives of millennials interpreting da'wah communication through social media. The presence of new media in digital platforms has become an alternative medium for accessing information and entertainment. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses a case study methodology with in-depth interviews as the method of data collection. A total of nine audiences were informants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Findings: The results indicate that the flexible quality of the social media entrenched in YouTube enables its audiences – especially the millennials – to see and listen to preachers or study da'wah in any location at any time. Practical Implications: The study can contribute to promoting Islamic development in social media, e.g., YouTube channel. Originality/Value: This study contributes to compiles prior research and contributes among other digital media; YouTube has become a famous source of information. In light of the current media development, Da'i (a person engaging in da'wah) can use YouTube as a means of preaching (da'wah) and YouTube becomes an alternative media for millennials with a wide selection of proselytizing video content.


In this paper, An Analysis of Double Sided Linear Induction Motor is done using one of the latest Finite Element Tool that is a Maxwell. The work is emphasized to evaluate the Magnetic and Electric characteristics of Double Sided Linear Induction Motor by varying geometrical based parameters. The 2-Dimensional Finite Element analysis used her to compute Magnetic Flux Density, Magnetic Flux Intensity and Flux Lines with refinement of meshing. These parameters further used to evaluate the end effect and other effect of Double Sided Linear Induction Motor to design best performing Model by varying air-gap between teeth of stator.


Floods and low primary school enrolments are major concerns in Nyando Districts every year. With the inception of Free Primary Education programme in 2003 enrolments rose from 83,147 in 2002 to 96,475 in 2003 but dropped to 90,251 in 2004, further dropping to 89,532 in 2005 suggesting there was educational wastage concerns in the district. The purpose of the study therefore was to assess factors that contribute to repetition and dropout of pupils in primary schools in flood prone areas of Nyando District. Ex-post-facto and descriptive survey designs were used in the study. The study population consisted of 35 head teachers, 280 teachers, 1,225 standard eight pupils, in 35 flood prone primary schools and one District Quality Assurance Officer. Data was collected using document analysis guide, questionnaire, interview schedule and focus group discussion. The study established high repeater rate of 23.63% and dropout rate of 20.17% in the district. Floods and flood related factors were found to be the cause to loss of learning hours and equally exacerbating poverty through destruction of infrastructure and school structures, water borne diseases, high absenteeism, low syllabus coverage and poor performance in flood prone areas of Nyando District. The study concluded that there was high repetition and dropout rates due to floods and flood related factors. The study recommended building and repair of dykes to reduce flooding, pitch tents for learners in camping sites, equitable distribution of funds for infrastructure, initiate school health/nutrition and feeding programmes, hardship allowance for teachers and any other mechanisms that could institutionalized for addressing the plight of learners and the entire community in flood prone areas to reduce educational wastage. The findings of the study are important to the government, educational planners, stake holders, donor agencies, parents and community in making decisions and laying strategies applicable to flood prone areas in order to reduce educational wastage.


Age-related thymic atrophy or involution, a hallmark of thymic aging, takes place both in humans and animals. In this chapter, we will discuss age-related thymic atrophy, outlining the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of its occurrence. We will also address the downstream influences on the aged T cell immune system, not only regarding insufficiency against pathogens, but also hyper-reactivity to self. Particularly, we will focus on how thymic atrophy disrupts efficient establishment of central T cell immune tolerance primarily via impairment of thymocyte negative selection, resulting in an increased number of self-reactive conventional T cells, and on thymic-derived regulatory T cell generation. Finally, we will provide a framework for understanding the significant role that the atrophied thymus plays in shaping inflammaging: a chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammatory phenotype observed in aged individuals in the absence of acute infection. The involvement of T cell adaptive immunity in mediating inflammaging plays a crucial role in the progression of many age-related neurological and cardiovascular diseases.


This is the second of a two-paper series, in which the field-data-based analytical method proposed in Part I has been extended to determine the amount of harmonic currents absorbed by the shunt harmonic filters of the iron and steel (I&S) plants from the rest of the system. The nonlinear characteristics of the plants and the utility are modeled as harmonic current sources, whereas the linear parts of the proposed extended model consist of passive circuit elements, with the harmonic filter RLC circuit parameters also integrated into the model. This extended method, which can be also used for harmonic contribution assessments, requires sample-by-sample time-synchronized harmonic current measurements inside the plants and at the point of common coupling (PCC). It eliminates the need for harmonic voltage measurements at the expense of the need for inside-plant measurements. It has been verified both by computer simulations and by application on field data. The results have shown that the proposed method is a successful tool to determine the magnitude of harmonic currents that are absorbed by the harmonic filters of I&S plants connected to the PCC, particularly when measured harmonic currents of I&S plants exceed the actual contributions.


In cost-cumulant control for the class of multi-person single-objective decision problems characterized by quadratic random costs and state-feedback information structures, individual decision makers share state information with their neighbors and then autonomously determine decision strategies to achieve the desired goal of the group which is a minimization of a finite linear combination of the first k cumulants of a finite-horizon integral-quadratic performance-measure associated with a linear stochastic system. Since this problem formulation is parameterized by the number of cost cumulants, the scalar coefficients in the linear combination and the group of decision makers, it may be viewed both as a generalization of linear-quadratic Gaussian control, when the first cumulant is minimized by a single decision maker and of the problem class of linear-quadratic identical-goal stochastic games when the first cumulant is minimized by multiple decision makers. Using a more direct dynamic programming approach to the resultant initial-cost problem, it is shown that the decision laws associated with multiple persons are linear and are found as the unique solutions of the set of coupled differential matrix Riccati equations, whose solvability guarantees the existence of the closed-loop feedback decision laws for the corresponding multi-person single-objective decision problem.


Arsenic is an abundant toxicant in ground water and soil around areas with extractive industries. Human epidemiological studies have shown that arsenic exposure is linked to developmental defects and miscarriage. The placenta is known to utilize vasculogenesis to develop its circulation. The hypothesis tested here states the following: arsenic exposure causes placental dysmorphogenesis and defective placental vasculogenesis resulting in placental insufficiency and subsequent spontaneous abortion. To test this hypothesis, pregnant mice were exposed to sodium arsenite (AsIII) through drinking water from conception through weanling stages. Neonatal assessment of birth rates, pup weights, and litter sizes in arsenic exposed and control mothers revealed that AsIII-exposed mothers had only 40% the fecundity of controls. Preterm analysis at E12.5 revealed a loss of fecundity at E12.5 from either 20 ppm or greater exposures to AsIII. There was no loss of fecundity at E7.5 suggesting that spontaneous abortion occurs during placentation. Histomorphometry on E12.5 placentae from arsenic-exposed mice revealed placental dysplasia especially in the vasculature. These results suggest that arsenic toxicity is causative for mammalian spontaneous abortion by virtue of aberrant placental vasculogenesis and placental insufficiency.


Felodipine-loaded poly (epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) microspheres were prepared by two methods, the conventional emulsion solvent evapouration method and the quenching method. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of process parameters such as emulsion type, drug loading, molecular-weight of the polymer, types of emulsion stabilizer and dispersed phase solvents, as well as preparation methods. The results show that, when conventional emulsion solvent evapouration method was used, the o/w-method produced smaller mean size and higher encapsulation efficiency compared with the o/o-method. The encapsulation efficiencies increased with an increase in the molecular weight and a decrease in crystallinity of PCL. The size of microspheres varied with the type of emulsion stabilizer used, smaller microspheres with PVA and narrow size distribution with Pol 237. The water solubility of the dispersed phase solvent was one of the critical factors in controlling the encapsulation efficiency and microsphere mean size. When water-soluble solvents such as acetonitrile and ethyl formate were used, the encapsulation efficiencies decreased due to higher evapouration rate. When quenching methods were used, in contrast to the conventional emulsion solvent evapouration method, very narrowly size-distributed but bigger microspheres were obtained.


Domestic cats have a unique breeding history and can be used as models for human hereditary and infectious diseases. In the current era of genome-wide association studies, insights regarding linkage disequilibrium (LD) are essential for efficient association studies. The objective of this study is to investigate the extent of LD in the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus, particularly within its breeds. A custom illumina GoldenGate Assay consisting of 1536 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) equally divided over ten 1 Mb chromosomal regions was developed, and genotyped across 18 globally recognized cat breeds and two distinct random bred populations. The pair-wise LD descriptive measure (r 2) was calculated between the SNPs in each region and within each population independently. LD decay was estimated by determining the non-linear least-squares of all pair-wise estimates as a function of distance using established models. The point of 50% decay of r2 was used to compare the extent of LD between breeds. The longest extent of LD was observed in the Burmese breed, where the distance at which r2 ≈ 0.25 was ∼380 kb, comparable to several horse and dog breeds. The shortest extent of LD was found in the Siberian breed, with an r2 ≈ 0.25 at approximately 17 kb, comparable to random bred cats and human populations. A comprehensive haplotype analysis was also conducted. The haplotype structure of each region within each breed mirrored the LD estimates. The LD of cat breeds largely reflects the breeds' population history and breeding strategies. Understanding LD in diverse populations will contribute to an efficient use of the newly developed SNP array for the cat in the design of genome-wide association studies, as well as to the interpretation of results for the fine mapping of disease and phenotypic traits.


The ability of a population to adapt to a changing environment depends on
its genetic variation. Thus, the study of genetic diversity within and among
species or populations is especially important on conservation biology scopes.
One way to assess the genetic diversity is through the use of microsatellite
molecular markers. Microsatellites have been widely used to answer population
genetics issues as gene flow, parentage, and population structure, mostly
resulting in data on the distribution of genetic
variability within and among natural populations, which are essential for ex situ and in situ conservation procedures. As the Psittacidae family comprehends one of the birds
group with the largest number of endangered species, studies that aim to investigate
the genetic diversity of these animals may support their conservation. This
article is a review of genetic data on parrots, through the use of
microsatellite markers, that have been published since 2004.


1. Rates of degradation of normal and abnormal protein were measured in hepatoma cells after labelling first for 16h with [14C]leucine plus L-arginine and then for 3h with [3H]-leucine plus the arginine analogue, L-canavanine. 2. Over the first 2h of the degradation period, canavanine-containing proteins were degraded at approximately 5 times the average degradation rate of normal proteins. 3. Degradation of normal proteins was inhibited by about 30% by insulin, cycloheximide, puromycin, leupeptin, antipain and foetal calf serum, whereas these agents had a negligible effect on the breakdown of canavanine-containing proteins. 4. Other compounds inhibited degradation of both classes of protein to equal extents. 5. Combination experiments showed no additional inhibitory effects on the degradation of normal proteins over degradation measured in the presence of a single selective inhibitor. 6. In contrast with the results with a 16 h labelling period, the degradation of normal proteins labelled for only 3 h was not inhibited by insulin. 7. These results are explained by a model with two distinct pathways of protein turnover. The first of these pathways involves the formation of autophagic vacuoles and would be completely inhibited by each of the selective inhibitors. Normal and canavanine-containing proteins would be catabolized by this pathway at equal rates. We propose that degradation by a second pathway is not regulated by the agents tested, but by the inherent stability of each protein.


Dental implants on irradiated and often grafted bone, in patients previously treated for head and neck cancer is a controversial issue. For some specialists, particularly in North-America they constitute a formal contra indication. However, a review of 21 studies reported mainly by European specialists argues that these implants can be done with an acceptable rate of complications, confirming our clinical observation. Patients have reported significant improvements in their quality of life after dental implantation.