OBJECTIVES
This study examined the effect of state mental health parity laws on family financial burden, satisfaction with health insurance, and receipt of needed mental health services for privately insured children ages three to 17 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

METHODS
Data came from the 2005-2006 wave of the National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs. An econometric approach with instrumental variables was used to control for the nonrandom selection of states according to their mental health parity laws. The study analyzed data for 949 youths with ASD and private health insurance. Six outcome variables were examined, including several measures of family financial burden, satisfaction with health insurance, and receipt of needed mental health services.

RESULTS
Families of children needing mental health services and living in a state with a strict parity law had a 61% higher probability of reporting out-of-pocket spending >$1,000 compared with those not living in a strict parity state. Compared with families of children living in a strict parity state that did not specify ASD, those living in a strict parity state that specified ASD had a 92% higher probability of reporting unreasonable out-of-pocket spending. All other results were statistically insignificant.

CONCLUSIONS
In contrast with previous research, this study did not find strong evidence that state mental health parity laws positively affected service access for children with ASD. Future research on the effect of autism insurance reform will provide a more precise test of the impact of insurance mandates on improving access to treatment services for children with ASD.


Five oil palm breeding populations were
studied for heritability, phenotypic correlations,
path coefficient analysis and yield performances
involving oil yield, number of bunches, single bunch
weight, percentage fruit-to-bunch, percentage mesocarpto- fruit and percent age oil-to-wet me socarp. The
breeding populations consisted of different families
of Deli Duras, Teneras and Pisiferas grown at Banting
between 1968 and 1970.
Two methods, namely, parent offspring
regression and combined (genotype x year) analyses
were used to estimate heritabilities. Heritabilities
using combined analysis were larger than those
estimated using parent offspring regression. However,
both methods showed that heritabilities for total
bunch weight were lower than those of its component
characters.
The correlation studies for oil yield and
its components showed wide variation in association
in both magnitude and direction. Nevertheless,
number of bunches and single bunch weight negatively
and significantly correlated in four of the five
populations studied.


The milestones of the history of software development are paradigm shifts. Each paradigm brought its own features and new ways of composing them to assemble software systems. Understanding the impact of paradigm shifts encompasses making comparisons among systems built with different paradigms. Performing this kind of assessments is a very difficult exercise since the characterization of software assets is generally performed using paradigm-specific quantifications. In this paper we propose a metamodel for describing software products (either source code or design models) that is paradigm-independent. This metamodel, combined with a formal quantification approach, can help performing paradigm-independent software systems assessment. We illustrate the use of the proposed metamodel on a case study comparing functionally-equivalent systems produced with OOP andAOP.


Objectives: Chronic pain is often experienced alongside other long-term conditions (LTCs), yet our understanding of this, particularly in relation to multimorbidity (≥2 LTCs) is poor. We aimed to examine associations between the presence/extent of chronic pain with type/number of LTCs experienced. Methods: We examined the relationship between number/type of LTCs (N = 45) in UK Biobank participants (n = 500,295) who self-reported chronic pain lasting ≥3 months in seven body sites or widespread. Relative risk ratios (RRR) for presence/extent of chronic pain sites were compared using logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic (sex/age/socioeconomic status) and lifestyle factors (smoking/alcohol intake/BMI/physical activity). Results: 218,648 participants self-reported chronic pain. Of these, 69.1% reported ≥1 LTC and 36.2% reported ≥2 LTCs. In 31/45 LTCs examined, >50% of participants experienced chronic pain. Chronic pain was common with migraine/headache and irritable bowel syndrome where pain is a primary symptom, but also with mental health conditions and diseases of the digestive system. Participants with >4 LTCs were over three times as likely to have chronic pain (RRR 3.56, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 3.44–3.68) and 20 times as likely to have widespread chronic pain (RRR 20.13, 95% CI 18.26–22.19) as those with no LTCs. Conclusions: Chronic pain is extremely common across a wide range of LTCs. People with multimorbidity were at higher risk of having a greater extent of chronic pain. These results show that chronic pain is a key factor for consideration in the management of patients with LTCs or multimorbidity.


The security of the two party Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol is currently based on the discrete logarithm problem (DLP). However, it can also be built upon the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP). Most proposed secure group communication schemes employ the DLP-based Diffie-Hellman protocol. This paper proposes the ECDLP-based Diffie-Hellman protocols for secure group communication and evaluates their performance on wireless ad hoc networks. The proposed schemes are compared at the same security level with DLP-based group protocols under different channel conditions. Our experiments and analysis show that the Tree-based Group Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (TGECDH) protocol is the best in overall performance for secure group communication among the four schemes discussed in the paper. Low communication overhead, relatively low computation load and short packets are the main reasons for the good performance of the TGECDH protocol.


A diverse array of molecules involved in signal transduction have recently been recognised as containing a new homology domain, the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. These include kinases (both serine/threonine and tyrosine specific), all currently known mammalian phospholipase Cs, GTPases, GTPage‐activatng proteins, GTpace‐exchange factors, "adapter" proteins, cyotskeletal proteins, and kinase substrates. This has sparked a new surge of research into elucidating its sturcture and function. The NMR solution structure of the PH domains of β‐spectrin and pleckstrin (the N‐terminal domain) both display a core consisting of seven anti‐parallel β‐sheet strands. The carboxy terminus is folded into a long α‐helix. The molecule is electrostatically polarised and contains a pocket which may be involved in the inding of a ligand. The PH domain overall topological relatedness to the retinoid inding protein family of molecules would suggest a lipid ligand could bind to this pocket. the prime function of the PH domain still remains to be elucidated. However, it has been shown to be important in signal transduction, most probably by mediating protein‐protein interactions. An extended PH domain of the β‐adrenergic receptor kinase (βARK), as well as that of several other molecules, can bind to βγ subunits of the heterotrimeric G‐proteins. The possibility that the PH domain, which is found in so many signalling molecules, being generally inovolved in βγ binding site appear to be concomitant in βARK, detailed analysis indicates that the PH domain is not generally a βγ binding domain. Thus, the race is on to find the ligands of each PH domain and determine a common nature to their interaction.


OBJECTIVE
The neuroactive steroid metabolite of progesterone, allopregnanolone, is a positive allosteric modulator of γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptors and a putative treatment for mood disorders. This pilot study was performed to determine whether an oral allopregnanolone analog (ganaxolone) may be effective adjunctive therapy for persistent depression despite adequate antidepressant treatment in postmenopausal women.

METHOD
Ten postmenopausal women (mean ± SD age: 62.8 ± 6.3 years; range, 53-69 years) with persistent depression despite adequate antidepressant treatment (current DSM-IV-TR major depressive episode per the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] score ≥ 16, and treated with an adequately dosed antidepressant for ≥ 6 weeks) were studied from December 2016 to April 2018. Open-label ganaxolone (225 mg twice daily, increased to 450 mg twice daily if tolerated) was administered for 8 weeks, followed by a 2-week taper.

RESULTS
Mean ± SEM total MADRS score (primary endpoint) decreased by 8 weeks (24.4 ± 1.6 to 12.8 ± 2.9, P = .015), and the decrease persisted over the 2-week taper (P = .019); of the 9 subjects who completed the full 8-week treatment period, 44% (4/9) experienced response (MADRS score decrease ≥ 50%) and remission (final MADRS score < 10), which persisted in 100% and 50% of subjects at 10 weeks, respectively. Secondary endpoints showed significant improvement, including Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report score (P = .003), MADRS reduced sleep subscale score (P < .001), total Symptoms of Depression Questionnaire (SDQ) score (P = .012), and scores on SDQ subscales for disruptions in sleep quality (P = .003) and changes in appetite and weight (P = .009) over 8 weeks. No significant effects were observed on quality of life or sexual function. All subjects experienced sleepiness and fatigue; 60% experienced dizziness.

CONCLUSIONS
In this open-label, uncontrolled pilot study, adjunctive ganaxolone appears to exert antidepressant effects but produces sedation with twice-daily dosing. Ganaxolone may also improve sleep, which may be useful in patients with depression and insomnia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02900092.


This paper presents the development of a new mid-depth Lagrangian profiling float with a primary emphasis on the control system performance and efficiency. While deep water floats have demonstrated much success in open ocean environments, many are not suited for the additional challenges associated with coastal regions. To study these regions, which are often subject to varying bathymetry within the operating range and higher variations in water density, a more advanced system is required. This new design utilizes pressure and altitude feedback to drive a high volume auto-ballasting system (ABS). The main operating modes of this float include step inputs to park and drift at constant depths, profiling inputs with adjustable rates and adaptable limits, and constant altitude bottom tracking. To handle these tasks, a state-space feedback control system, which uses feedback linearization to account for the nonlinear drag force acting on the moving float, was designed and simulated. Additionally, the development of the control system was coupled with empirical motor efficiency data to study the tradeoffs between efficiency and performance.


Large-volume 3D triangle mesh model has large difficult to render, store, and transmit in Internet. This research investigates a 3D (3-dimension) streaming technology to overcome the difficulties in model transmission over Web. Edge collapse based mesh simplification and progressive mesh refinement are studied, which is crucial to establish 3D streaming technology. A prototype with GUI for mesh simplification and refinement and peer-to-peer network architecture are developed to implement the 3D streaming technology for Internet-enabled transmission of 3D mesh model.


This paper presents a new microcontroller based robot working in 4 modes namely Line Follower, Edge Detector, and Obstacle Detector and Path Finder. In this paper the above objective is achieved by using ATMEGA168 Microcontroller alongwith combination of sensors and switches and LED.


ABSTRACT Connective action, or individuals networking with each other online to form social movements, rarely leads to lasting change. In this study, we argue that such movements are ultimately ineffective because they struggle to sustain themselves over time and identify the reasons behind their transience. Our analysis focuses on Twitter conversations about Aadhaar, a biometric ID project that has raised concerns about data privacy and civil liberty in India, the world's largest democracy. A computational mixed-methods approach incorporating social network analysis, sentiment analysis, and structural topic modeling demonstrates that connective action against Aadhaar failed to produce a sustained discourse of resistance, with people's feelings toward and beliefs about Aadhaar vacillating sharply. The analysis draws attention to the power of brick-and-mortar social institutions, including the state and its agencies, political parties, courts, technology companies, and 'legacy' news media, in shaping and reshaping seemingly bottom-up discourses on digital platforms. It also identifies three interlinked weaknesses of connective action – the individualized nature of mobilization, excessive flexibility of social networks, and a negative emotional culture. We contend that in order to be effective, contemporary social movements need to utilize digital technologies for 'collective' action by forging collective identities that bind participants affectively and cognitively, empower them against structures of social control, and enable them to commit to non-personal and long-term objectives.


In a cutting of the Banff, Macduff, and Turriff Extension Railway, about four miles to the north of the latter town, close beside the turnpike-road at the Plaidy toll-bar, there has been exposed a mass of a very tenacious clay, blue in colour, and of homogeneous texture, which contains many Ammonites, Belemnites, and other fossils characteristic of the Lias, such as Gryphæa, Plagiostoma, and possibly others; these I have got myself. I also saw in the possession of one of the "navvies" a fragment of a shell resembling a Nerinæa, in remarkably fine preservation. The altitude of the railway-cutting above the level of the sea, as I learn from the engineer on the line, is 250 feet. At the time of my visit the excavation had reached a depth of from 10 to 15 feet, and the "navvies" were busy at work in the "gullet," filling their waggons with the clay, which is a mass of a fine greenish-blue colour, very compact and tenacious, and unlike any other clay in this part of the country. It consists of a fine impalpable mud, devoid of all manner of stones or pebbles, save occasionally a hard greenish nodule, enclosing the remains of a large Ammonite. This clay is covered by a stratum of the Pleistocene Drift, of a brownish-grey colour, very sandy in some places, and of a more clayey nature in others. In this drift I found many striated fragments of clay-slate, together with bits of other primary rocks. The line


Digital business transformation is considered an effective business strategy that appears to have gained attention since the enterprises are challenged to continuously improve their business practices as well as capabilities. The use of digital technologies could reduce the influence of external crises and could introduce massive changes in business operations by providing better business models. Moreover, adopting digital technology can influence both economic sustainability and social value of enterprises and can improve regional socio-economic conditions. There are few recent studies on how technology can empower enterprises at different phases of growth and sustainability; furthermore, very few studies are available that determine how adopting different modern digital technologies can create value for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, this study aims to close this gap and investigate the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation. With the support of resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capability view (DCV) theories, along with a literature review, a theoretical model has been developed. It was then validated using the PLS-SEM technique considering 319 respondents who are SME employees in India. The findings show that adopting digital technologies has a significant impact on the creation of economic sustainability and social value for SMEs. The study also found a significant moderating impact of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between social and economic value creation and SME performance.


ABSTRACT Two preparation methods used for determining the 18O of quartz overgrowths are compared from the sandstones of the Middle Jurassic Brent Group, Northern North Sea. Method one uses dilute HF to preferentially attack interfacial materials present between the overgrowth and the detrital core, with subsequent ultrasonic agitation used to break the overgrowths off at the weakened contacts. Size fractionation by sieving should concentrate overgrowths into the smaller grain size separates. In the Brent sands studied, however, little interfacial material is present between overgrowth and core, and the overgrowths are thinly developed (average width 20-50 microns). Concentration of the diagenetic overgrowths is therefore difficult. This difficulty is compounded by large amounts of detrital quartz in the size fractions, as a result of internal fracturing of the grains. The 18O (SMOW) values for the finest size fraction (supposedly overgrowth rich), ranging from 9 to 13.3, are unusually low for diagenetic quartz overgrowths, and result from the high detrital component. The second method derives the 18O values for the overgrowths by the difference in 18O for the quartz grains plus overgrowths and quartz grains from which the overgrowths have been removed by HF dissolution. The mass balance used requires the overgrowth abundance to be known from point counting. The calculated 18O values obtained are typical for authigenic quartz overgrowths and range from 17.1 to 20.9. Direct isolation of quartz overgrowths for 18O measurement is suitable where interfacial material exists between the detrital grain and the overgrowth and where overgrowths are well developed. Otherwise, preferential HF dissolution of the overgrowths and a 18O mass balance calculation is the preferred method.


The identification of multiple simultaneous orientations of small molecule inhibitors binding to a protein target is a common challenge. It has recently been reported that the conformational heterogeneity of ligands is widely underreported in the Protein Data Bank, which is likely to impede optimal exploitation to improve affinity of these ligands. Significantly less is even known about multiple binding orientations for fragments (<300 Da), although this information would be essential for subsequent fragment optimisation using growing, linking or merging and rational structure-based design. Here, we use recently reported fragment hits for the SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 1 (nsp1) N-terminal domain to propose a general procedure for unambiguously identifying binding orientations of 2-dimensional fragments containing either sulphur or chloro substituents within the wavelength range of most tunable beamlines. By measuring datasets at two energies, using a tunable beamline operating in vacuum and optimised for data collection at very low X-ray energies, we show that the anomalous signal can be used to identify multiple orientations in small fragments containing sulphur and/or chloro substituents or to verify recently reported conformations. Although in this specific case we identified the positions of sulphur and chlorine in fragments bound to their protein target, we are confident that this work can be further expanded to additional atoms or ions which often occur in fragments. Finally, our improvements in the understanding of binding orientations will also serve to improve the rational optimisation of SARS-CoV-2 nsp1 fragment hits


This paper proposes a new algorithm for seizure detection based on the evolution-like characteristics of a seizure. Most of the existing algorithms for automatic detection of the epileptic seizures in electroencephalograms (EEG) rely upon some pre-defined/patient-tunable detection threshold to classify the data as normal or abnormal. In this paper, we present a method for seizure detection in stereoencephalograms (SEEG) using frequency-weighted energy. The method does not require a threshold or any a priori information about the seizure for its detection. The method is gradient-based and any activity that exceeds the minimum duration satisfying our criteria is considered as a potential seizure activity. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated on 100 hours of single channel SEEG data obtained from five different patients. An overall sensitivity of 96.6% and a false detection rate of 0.21/h is obtained on the complete data.


This article offers an overview of the pantheon and religion of one of the most distinctive indigenous populations of Arunachal Pradesh in North-Eastern India: the Apatani. In particular, through an ethnographical field study on the distinctive culture of this ethnic group, the study aims to explain the symbolisms and functions inherent in the mythical figure of the buru, a kind of animal-chimaera, which plays a key role in the myth of the origins of the Apatani. At the same time, this study proposes a critical analysis of the results of Ralph Izzard's exploratory expedition shortly after WWII, which discounted any possibility of investigating a cosmogonic myth, but strove to trace a legendary extinct saurian. The misinterpretation of the British expedition in the 1950s gave rise to a series of beliefs that in contemporary times (mostly in the West) have aimed to prove the real existence of the buru, extrapolating it from the folklore record. For this reason today the buru has become a sort of post-modern legend, or better a classical figure of cryptozoology, understood as pseudoscience and sub-cultural product. This essay tries to explore the issue through a religious and anthropological investigative approach.


The simplest ideas of antiaromaticity refer to regular monocyclic systems and the eigenfunctions of the H\"{u}ckel Hamiltonian for 4n $\pi $ electrons in such systems. The antiaromaticity is expressed in the energy penalty for such idealized systems relative to the H\"{u}ckel energy for 2n noninteracting $\pi $ pairs. Observed systems seldom achieve the regular planar geometry assumed in this picture, owing to their ability to ease the antiaromaticity penalty by departures from the regular geometry and also by export of the 4n $\pi $ electrons' charge to substituents. In this report we estimate numerical values for the stabilization derived from such departures from the structure and the charge distribution of the idealized antiaromatic cyclopropenyl anion for a specific case, 3-dehydro-3-methyl carboxylate cyclopropenyl anion 1(-) using the thermochemical scheme CBSQB3 supplemented by CCSD(T) calculations. According to the isodesmic reaction, the anion 1(-) is destabilized by about 10--15 kcal/mol relative to the saturated 3-dehydro-3-methylcarboxylate cyclopropyl anion 2(-). We propose that the anion relieves a portion of the antiaromatic destabilization by (a) pyramidalization of one carbon of the ring, and (b) export of negative charge into the ester substituent. Both of these responses are expressed in the equilibrium structure of the anion. In the course of the study we estimate the acidity of several related anions and the enthalpy of formation of their neutral conjugate acids, and describe the interconversion of 1 to the dehydrotriafulvalene anion 3(-) by reaction with CO$_{2}$.


We develop a modern fluid simulation implementing the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method with shared-memory parallelisation using OpenMP. The application features a rich set of time integration methods, particle kernels and explores two different parallel summation algorithms to evaluate the particle-particle forces. It implements the classical Monaghan particles as well as those developed recently by Ferrari et al.


Thirty (30) ground water samples collected from different areas of vidisha block (M.P.) were analysed for fluoride. The maximum concentration of fluoride has been observed as 2.46 mg/L in the sample from industrial area. The high concentration of fluoride is of serious concern, as it causes health problem to the local population.


In the last decade microfabrication processes including rapid prototyping techniques have advanced rapidly and achieved a fairly mature stage. These advances have encouraged and enabled the use of microfluidic devices by a wider range of users with applications in biological separations and cell and organoid cultures. Accordingly, a significant current challenge in the field is controlling biomolecular interactions at interfaces and the development of novel biomaterials to satisfy the unique needs of the biomedical applications. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is one of the most widely used materials in the fabrication of microfluidic devices. The popularity of this material is the result of its low cost, simple fabrication allowing rapid prototyping, high optical transparency, and gas permeability. However, a major drawback of PDMS is its hydrophobicity and fast hydrophobic recovery after surface hydrophilization. This results in significant nonspecific adsorption of proteins as well as small hydrophobic molecules such as therapeutic drugs limiting the utility of PDMS in biomedical microfluidic circuitry. Accordingly, here, we focus on recent advances in surface molecular treatments to prevent fouling of PDMS surfaces towards improving its utility and expanding its use cases in biomedical applications.


The inhibition of coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus of human or animal origin by most free fatty acids was similar, but coagulase-positive staphylococci were sensitive and coagulase-negative cultures were resistant to linolenic acid. Animal strains of S. aureus were more sensitive to linolenic acid than were human strains. These differences were reflected in the relative abilities of the three categories of strains to survive on human skin. The antibacterial effects of 20 mg of linolenic acid were inactivated by 1 ml of serum in vitro. A test organism seeded on to skin also survived better if first suspended in serum. The mechanism of the interaction between serum and linolenic acid may be due to a detergent effect of the serum and could account for colonisation of diseased skin with S. aureus. Cultures of S. aureus seeded on to human skin were rapidly killed after the skin has been covered with linolenic acid. The possibility of therapeutic use of linolenic acid as an antibacterial agent should be explored.


Molecular genetics has recently erupted in the field of flower development, an area of research traditionally cultivated by plant physiologists. The isolation and molecular characterization of seven homeotic genes (four in Antirrhinum majus and three in Arabidopsis thaliana) that control both floral organogenesis and the transition from inflorescences to floral meristems is leading to major breakthroughs in the understanding of the mechanisms governing flower development. This has already had a great impact among plant physiologists, who are incorporating mutant analysis into studies of floral induction and flower development. We are still missing data about the nature of the pollen product of the S-locus in self-incompatibility systems, although current experimental approaches might provide this information in the near future. Gene technology appears to have a high potential in hybrid seed production through the construction of male sterile plants as well as of plants able to restore fertility. The study of genes regulating pigment formation in flowers continues to provide interesting data on gene expression in plants, in which phenomena such as co-suppression and methylation seem to play an important role. Altogether, one can predict that very exciting times are coming in the field of flower development.


This illustrated book examines the work and artistic culture of women artists in France during the period when Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani were guiding the development of modern art. Although this period is better known for the canonical fauvist and cubist works of artists such as Matisse and Picasso, Gill Perry takes as her focus several women artists who were active on the fringes of modernist groups, and whose works were widely exhibited and reviewed in the early-20th century. Apart from the better known names of Suzanne Valadon and Marie Laurencin, these artists include Emilie Charmy, Maria Blanchard, Alice Halicka, Marevna Vorobev and Jacqueline Marval. Perry explores the critical culture through which their work was represented and patronized, and the contemporary perceptions of femininity involved. Drawing on unpublished material, including letters and diary extracts, and some works in French public and private colelctions, she argues that a lack of historical material and limited access to relevant works by these artists has encouraged some mis-representations of the many complex relationships which many women negotiated with avant-garde groups and artistic players.


We aimed to determine the distribution of ophthalmic care providers and its correlation with health and socioeconomic status and health system indicators. Data were gathered from the Iran Medical Council and the Iranian Societies of Ophthalmology and Optometry. Concurrent indicators were collected from the Statistical Center of Iran and national studies. A population-adjusted number of combined ophthalmologists and optometrists was used as the main dependent variable. Optometrist/ophthalmologist ratio was 0.9. We had 1 ophthalmologist and 1 optometrist for every 40 000 and 45 000 individuals, respectively. We observed a direct correlation between the number of ophthalmologists, optometrists and life expectancy at the provincial level. Gross provincial income and expenditure and provincial literacy were correlated as well. Provincial unemployment had a negative correlation. Provincial hospital statistics and population density were also significantly correlated. The Islamic Republic of Iran has met the World Health Organization's desired per capita number of ophthalmologists and optometrists, but there is wide variation in their density.


The resolution of the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions at the atomic level is pivotal to understand the pathobiology of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE), but has been long hindered due to certain particularities of these proteinaceous pathogens. Difficulties related to their purification from brain homogenates of disease-affected animals were resolved almost a decade ago by the development of in vitro recombinant prion propagation systems giving rise to highly infectious recombinant prions. However, lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of the misfolding event and the complexity of systems such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA), have limited generating the large amounts of homogeneous recombinant prion preparations required for high-resolution techniques such as solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR) imaging. Herein, we present a novel recombinant prion propagation system based on PMCA that substitutes sonication with shaking thereby allowing the production of unprecedented amounts of multi-labeled, infectious recombinant prions. The use of specific cofactors, such as dextran sulfate, limit the structural heterogeneity of the in vitro propagated prions and makes possible, for the first time, the generation of infectious and likely homogeneous samples in sufficient quantities for studies with high-resolution structural techniques as demonstrated by the preliminary ssNMR spectrum presented here. Overall, we consider that this new method named Protein Misfolding Shaking Amplification (PMSA), opens new avenues to finally elucidate the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions.


Elizabeth Anne Holmes was once celebrated by the press as the youngest female entrepreneur and billionaire, who dropped out of Stanford to start her own firm Theranos. Theranos quickly joined the prestigious "unicorn" club, and enjoyed the benefits of an "all-star" board of directors.

The unicorn bubble burst when the SEC charged Holmes with massive fraud. Holmes defrauded patients, doctors, investors, journalists, White House officials, military generals and employees. Holme is also scrutinized for various mismanagement claims. Theranos is not the only unicorn that gets press coverage these days. The CEOs of Uber and Zenefits also resigned lately due to various allegations.

Unicorn managers' actions can have serious effects on economic activity. Monitoring unicorn managers is extremely important, because misbehavior, such as rent-seeking, corruption or other illegal activities, can not only hamper the manager's decision-making process, but may also reduce the incentives and opportunities to invest in innovation in the future.

In 2019, it is projected that many unicorns will finally go public, but until recently, there was a sharp decline in the number of IPOs in the USA. Recent changes to the securities laws, provided incentives for unicorn founders to stay private longer, and for new market actors to invest in unicorn firms rather than in the U.S. public markets. As a result of these market and regulatory changes, there was a dramatic increase in alternative financing vehicles and new capital sources.

This Article explores a puzzle: how do the new nontraditional investors affect VC-backed startups corporate governance arrangements (such as voting rights, board composition and ownership structure)?

Unicorns are private companies that experience a transition from early stage to late stage to mega deals, and their new investors are accordingly affecting private ordering in the venture capital financing context.

The hypothesis is that there are new market conditions, specifically, new market actors, that change the traditional investment patterns in unicorns, and affect private ordering. The contractual mechanism that VC investors traditionally used to avoid opportunism by founders changed as a result of the intervention of these new market players. These changes give unicorn founders greater power vis-a-vis preferred shareholders and minority common shareholders to oppose a sale and keep the company private longer. New VC investment rounds are now structured as "friendly" financing rounds.

There is a need for policy reform and implementation of new corporate governance principles and practices for unicorn firms, in order to address the concentration of power in the hands of founders. The Article will also address the new UK Wates Corporate Governance Principles for Large Private Companies.


ABSTRACT The current load shedding in Ghana has led to decreasing productivity leading to economic and social crisis due to Ghana's dependency on hydroelectric power as its main source of power. Incorporating renewable energy sources to the grid installed capacity will ease the burden on Ghanaians. In this study, the potentiality and economic feasibility of wind farm project were evaluated in 11 locations in Ghana. The study employed wind-speed data using Meteonorm 7 software in a Typical Meteorological Year 2 format and analyzed with RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis modeling software. 10 MW of VESTAS V90 Wind turbine model with a rated power of 2,000 kW was proposed, which, when developed and harnessed, will drastically boost productivity of businesses, industries, and the transport sector in Ghana whilst making significant contribution to the export earnings of the country.


Abstract Recent advancements in the field of electron microscopy, such as aberration correctors, have now been integrated into Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEMs), making it possible to study the behavior of supported metal catalysts under operating conditions at atomic resolution. Here, we focus on in situ electron microscopy studies of catalysts that shed light on the mechanistic aspects of catalyst sintering. Catalyst sintering is an important mechanism for activity loss, especially for catalysts that operate at elevated temperatures. Literature from the past decade is reviewed along with our recent in situ TEM studies on the sintering of Ni/MgAl 2 O 4 catalysts. These results suggest that the rapid loss of catalyst activity in the earliest stages of catalyst sintering could result from Ostwald ripening rather than through particle migration and coalescence. The smallest particles are found to disappear in a few seconds as soon as the catalyst reaches the operating temperature. While particle migration and coalescence is evident in some of these in situ studies, it does not follow the classical model where the smallest particles are most mobile. Deterministic models of Ostwald ripening as well as atomistic Monte Carlo simulations are both in good agreement with these experimental observations, predicting a steep loss in catalyst activity at short times on stream. The in situ studies show the importance of direct observations to deduce mechanisms and show the important role played by the support and the gas atmosphere (especially the presence of H 2 O) on the rates of catalyst sintering.


: The mycoplasmas constitute a group of microorganisms placed between bacteria and virus. The name, Mycoplasma, is derived from the mycelial morphology of the organisms. The minimal reproductive unit, the elementary body, measures 0.2-0.5 mum. Unlike bacteria, mycoplasmas are not confined by a rigid cell wall, but just by a thin membrane. For their cultivation, though common bacteriological technique is adequate, especially enriched media are required. Antibiotics, as a rule penicillins, are added to the medium for inhibition of bacteria. Up to the present, 5 porcine species of mycoplasma are known: Mycoplasma suipneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyorhinis, Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, Mycoplasma flocculare, and Acholeplasma granularum. The 4 species first mentioned are very common among swine in Denmark. A. granularum has not been demonstrated so far. Occasionally, other species of mycoplasma are found in swine. M. suipneumoniae is by far the most important porcine mycoplasma, being to-day regarded as the primary etiologic agent in porcine enzootic pneumonia. A pure mycoplasma infection usually results in only weak clinical signs of pneumonia, but the disease may be aggravated by secondary factors as bacteria, parasites, and bad housing conditions. Enzootic pneumonia is usually prevalent only in fattening units, where it tends to persist indefinitely. The mycoplasma infection is practically incurable. Control of the disease is attempted by the SPF-program launched by the Danish Meat Research Institute, Roskilde. In this connexion the high sensitivity of mycoplasmas to physico-chemical influence is of advantage, because it results in a low rate of survival of the organisms outside the host. A further advantage is afforded by the fast that M. suipneumoniae is a definitely swine-specific organism. The rest of the porcine mycoplasmas are of far lesser importance. Yet, M. hyorhinis may produce a sero-fibrinous inflammation of serous cavities and joints in pigs less than 10 weeks old, and M. hyosynoviae may produce arthritis in fattening pigs.


We study (anti-) coordination problems in networks in a laboratory experiment. Partici- pants interact with their neighbours in a fixed network to play a bilateral (anti-) coordination game. Our main treatment variable is the extent to which players are heterogeneous in the number of connections (neighbors) they have. Other network characteristics are held constant across treatments. We find the following results. Heterogeneity in the number of connections dramatically improves the rate of successful coordination. In addition, even though there is a multiplicity of Nash equilibria theoretically, a very sharp selection is observed empirically: the most connected player can impose her preferred Nash equilibrium almost always and observed Nash equilibria are such that all links are coordinated. As a second treatment variation we let agents decide endogenously on the amount of information they would like to have and find that local (endogenous) information is equally efficient in ensuring successful coordination as full information. We provide an intuitive explanation of these facts which is supported by our data.


The use of MRI in radiation therapy is rapidly increasing. Applications vary from the MRI simulator, to the MRI fused with CT, and to the integrated MRI+RT system.
Compared with the standard MRI QA, a broader scope of QA features has to be defined in order to maximize the benefits of using MRI in radiation therapy. These QA features include geometric fidelity, image registration, motion management, cross-system alignment, and hardware interference. Advanced MRI techniques require a specific type of QA, as they are being widely used in radiation therapy planning, dose calculations, post-implant dosimetry, and prognoses. A vigorous and adaptive QA program is crucial to defining the responsibility of the entire radiation therapy group and detecting deviations from the performance of high-quality treatment.
As a drastic departure from CT simulation, MRI simulation requires changes in the work flow of treatment planning and image guidance. MRI guided radiotherapy platforms are being developed and commercialized to take the advantage of the advance in knowledge, technology and clinical experience. This symposium will from an educational perspective discuss the scope and specific issues related to MRI guided radiotherapy.
Learning Objectives:
1.
Understand the difference between a standard and a radiotherapy-specific MRI QA program.
2.
Understand the effects of MRI artifacts (geometric distortion and motion) on radiotherapy.
3.
Understand advanced MRI techniques (ultrashort echo, fast MRI including dynamic MRI and 4DMRI, diffusion, perfusion, and MRS) and related QA.
4.
Understand the methods to prepare MRI for treatment planning (electron density assignment, multimodality image registration, segmentation and motion management).
5.
Current status of MRI guided treatment platforms.
Dr. Jihong Wang has a research grant with Elekta-MRL project. Dr. Ke Sheng receives research grants from Varian Medical systems.


Displacement is increasingly common (affecting one in every 122 people) and also increasingly protracted (over half of the world's 14 million refugees in 2015 have been displaced for over ten years). Circa 90% of these refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) remain in the global South, and most of them, in turn, reside in urban spaces. However, while it clear that we are facing a period of protracted displacement in (peri)urban settings, it is less frequently acknowledged that this is also a period of overlapping displacements. This is the case in at least two senses. Firstly, refugees and IDPs have often both personally and collectively experienced secondary and tertiary displacement, as in the case of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees who had originally sought safety in Damascus only to be displaced once more by the on-going Syrian con䎽jict, and of Sahrawi and Palestinian refugees who had left their refugee camp homes in Algeria and Lebanon respectively to study or work in Libya before being displaced by the outbreak of con䎽jict in that country in 2011 (Fiddian-Qasmiyeh 2012). Secondly, refugees are increasingly experiencing overlapping displacement in the sense that they often physically share spaces with other displaced people in diverse spaces of asylum: Turkey hosts refugees from over 35 countries of origin, Lebanon from 17, Kenya 16, Jordan 14, Chad 12, and both Ethiopia and Pakistan 11 (Crawford et al: 2015). However, in spite of the widespread reality of these overlapping groups, and given the interest in 'superdiversity' and 'cosmopolitanism' in urban spaces across migration studies writ large (Vertovec, 2007; Derrida 2007), it is particularly notable that refugees' positions, identities, beliefs and behaviours in relation to other groups of refugees remain almost entirely unexplored to date. From Camps to Urban Refugees: Re䎽jections on Research Agendas Romola Sanyal


The purpose of this research is to shed light on the question of
the origin of pig domestication, at least as regards the Near
East. To find out when and where the domestication of this animal
first occurred, whether the origin of its domestication was a
single event occurring in one part of the world and spreading
from there to other regions, or whether it was an event which
occurred several times in several places in the world, is
clearly an interesting matter for debate. In order to be able to
answer these questions in relation to the Near East, large
numbers of modern samples of known age and sex are first examined
and discriminating criteria elucidated for application to
archaeological material. Then, pig remains from a large
archaeological sequence are examined on the basis of these well
tested criteria.
Metrical studies based on a large modern wild pig sample from
Hakel in East Germany show that some measurements are more
variable than others and suggest which measurements to select to
investigate the origin of pig domestication. Among the
measurements tried in this current research, tooth width
measurements are the most reliable dimensions since they show low
sexual dimorphism, low age-related variation and low individual
variability. The examination of modern populations from various parts of the
world on the basis of the well tested criteria shows that there
is a range of variation in size between the samples of wild pig
(Sus scrofa).
Reliable measurements from several archaeological sites of
different periods and regions are compared with those of modern
wild pig samples and pig remains from different archaeological
periods from the same region. The result of the comparisons
suggests that pigs were domesticated during the 7th millennium BC
in different regions of the Old World; at least in the Near East,
in eastern Europe and in the Far East. The present research draws
special attention to the southeastern Taurus in Turkey as this
area provides the earliest evidence for the domestication of this
animal, possibly sometime between 7250-6750 BC at Cayonu and
certainly around 6500-6250 BC at Gritille and Hayaz.


Microgrid is a small scale power system consisting of distributed small power facilities such as solar power, wind power and micro-turbines. The microgrid has been researched and encouraged actively in many countries, because of some merits such as an eco-friendly system, good quality power supply and energy security. Microgrid power generation satisfies the power requirement of considerable number of consumers during the islanded operation. During this off grid time of operation a Demand Side Management (DSM) system can be used for better power distribution among the consumers. DSM promotes the efficient usage of power, while focusing on the network stability and reliability. Because it monitors the real time power consumption of users and automatically distribute the excess power of the system while controlling the power usage of the users to keep the network stability. The authors have developed few smart meter units, robust communication system and a main server to help to transmit the real time information to the consumer as well as to the main control unit which runs the DSM program.


The Aristotelian distinction between actual and potential presence of a substance in a mixture forms part of a conception of mixture which stands in contrast to atomist and Stoic theories as propounded by the ancients. But the central ideas on which these theories are built need not be combined and opposed to one another in precisely the ways envisaged by these ancient theories. This is well illustrated by Duhem, who maintained the Aristotelian idea that the original ingredients are only potentially, and not actually, present in a mixture, but who sided with the Stoics and against Aristotle on the possibility of co‐occupancy. I have argued that the Stoic theory cannot dispense with some such notion as the Aristotelian conception of potentiality in allowing the elements to be actually present in a mixture. Here I suggest that some such Aristotelian notion must be at work in a more modern atomic conception of matter if this is to allow elemental substances to be actually present in compounds, which I think is how compounds are usually understood. Analogous issues arise regarding the status of solutions and their components.


Step by step instructions regarding new NIH law for Yale staff, faculty, and researchers- provided by the Yale Medical Library.


The prevention of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and associated health conditions (eg, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma) is a public health priority in the United States. Hepatitis C virus-related morbidity and mortality is increasing at a time when the advent of highly effective therapies greatly increases opportunities to prevent HCV transmission and disease. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine recommended that national action be taken to address this "underappreciated health concern for the nation." In response, in 2011, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a viral hepatitis action plan that guides response to the viral hepatitis epidemic by providing explicit steps to be undertaken by specific HHS agencies to improve provider training and community education; expand access to testing, care, and treatment; strengthen public health surveillance; improve HCV preventive services for injection drug users; develop a hepatitis C vaccine; and prevent HCV transmission in healthcare settings. For all aspects of the action plan, infectious disease specialists and other clinicians assume a key role in efforts to reduce HCV-related morbidity and mortality. With successful collaboration of the public and private sectors, the hepatitis C epidemic can be forever silenced.


Cognitive radio (CR) enables dynamic spectrum access (DSA). In CR networks (CRNs), unlicensed cognitive users (CUs) can share the radio spectrum with the licensed primary users (PUs) if the incurred signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SNIR) to the PUs is above a predetermined threshold. In this paper, we investigate the use of relaying to enhance the spectrum utilization of an idealized two-dimensional geometric network in Rayleigh fading channels. To do so, the CUs should be made transparent to the PUs while achieving acceptable reliability themselves. Based on these conditions, we first derive the geometric condition under which CUs could transmit over a single hop with the PUs being active. If the destination is beyond the reach of the source in a single hop, multihop relaying will be used for shorter-distance less-power transmission. Then, we propose and analyze two multihop routing strategies, termed nearest-neighbor routing (NNR) and farthest-neighbor routing (FNR). In multihop relaying, we also study the benefits of concurrency, in which more than one CUs are allowed to transmit at the same time to improve the end-to-end (e2e) channel utilization. Finally, we compare the e2e performance of CRNs with and without relaying.


One apparent reason for deferring a decision – abstaining from choosing, leaving the decision open to be taken by someone else, one's later self, or nature – is for lack of sufficient confidence in the relevant beliefs. This paper develops an axiomatic theory of decision in situations where a costly deferral option is available that captures this source of deferral. Drawing on it, a preliminary behavioural comparison with other accounts of deferral, such as those based on information asymmetry, is undertaken, and a simple multi-factor model of deferral – involving both confidence and information considerations – is formulated. The model suggests that incorporating confidence can account for cases of deferral that traditional accounts have trouble explaining.


The field of non-viral vector research has rapidly progressed since the publication of the first edition. This new edition is expanded to two separate volumes that contain in-depth discussions of different non-viral approaches, including cationic liposomes and polymers, naked DNA and various physical methods of delivery, as well as a comprehensive coverage of the molecular biological designs of the plasmid DNA for reduced toxicity, prolonged expression and tissue or disease specific genes. New developments such as the toxicity of the non-viral vectors and recent advances in nucleic acid therapeutics are fully covered in these volumes.


This paper presents a hierarchical image segmentation method that combines multichannel watershed transformation and dynamics of watershed contours for the segmentation of very high resolution (VHR) multispectral imagery. The image gradient was first extracted from a multispectral image using a multichannel morphological method, followed by classical watershed transformation to produce an initial segmentation result. The resulting watershed contours were then analyzed according to their relevance relative to the minima of the adjacent basins to construct an image containing information about their dynamics. By thresholding the image of the contour dynamics at different levels, multilevel hierarchical segmentation results with different levels of detail were achieved. The proposed method was evaluated by comparing with existing methods through visual inspection, quantitative measures and applications in urban impervious surface mapping, using two sets of VHR image data. The experimental results showed that the proposed method produced more accurate segmentation results compared to an existing single-level segmentation method, in terms of visual and quantitative evaluations. While used for urban impervious surface mapping, the proposed method achieved an overall accuracy significantly higher than the pixel based classification method, and also higher than the object based classification using a single-level segmentation result. Compared with the most widely used segmentation method implemented in the eCognition, the proposed method achieved a comparable performance, although they have different segmentation details. The proposed segmentation method can be used in relevant VHR image processing and applications.


Human X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) is a single-strand DNA break repair protein which forms a base excision repair (BER) complex with DNA polymerase beta (beta-Pol). Here we report a site- directed mutational analysis in which 16 mutated versions of the XRCC1 N-terminal domain (XRCC1-NTD) were constructed on the basis of previous NMR results that had implicated the proximity of various surface residues to beta-Pol. Mutant proteins defective in XRCC1-NTD interaction with beta-Pol and with a beta-Pol-gapped DNA complex were determined by gel filtration chromatography and a gel mobility shift assay. The interaction surface determined from the mutated residues was found to encompass beta-strand D and E of the five-stranded beta-sheet (betaABGDE) and the protruding alpha2 helix of the XRCC1-NTD. Mutations that included F67A (betaD), E69K (betaD), V86R (betaE) on the five-stranded beta-sheet and deletion of the alpha2 helix, but not mutations within alpha2, abolished binding of the XRCC1-NTD to beta-Pol. A Y136A mutant abolished beta-Pol binding, and a R109S mutant reduced beta-Pol binding. E98K, E98A, N104A, Y136A, R109S, K129E, F142A, R31A/K32A/R34A and delta-helix-2 mutants displayed temperature dependent solubility. These findings confirm the importance of the alpha2 helix and the betaD and betaE strands of XRCC1-NTD to the energetics of beta-Pol binding. Establishing the direct contacts in the beta-Pol XRCC1 complex is a critical step in understanding how XRCC1 fulfills its numerous functions in DNA BER.


High-density living has always been proclaimed as a way of the future, but the future is now here and we are plagued by inadequate, uninviting city-living environments. This design research paper aims to produce an alternate design method that can be applied to apartment living in New Zealand to produce positive, affordable apartment designs.  The late 20th and early 21st centuries has seen urban New Zealand become an increasingly popular place to live. Large numbers are drawn to the cities by the convenience of closer proximity to amenities and greater job prospects. This urbanisation overlaps with the constant growth of the country's overall population which, combined, puts pressure on cities as land becomes an increasingly rare commodity. In response, cities often expand outward. The negative effect of this has been heavily documented.  The introduction of high density living solutions has attempted to combat the ever increasing 'suburban sprawl.' Many apartment complexes have risen in response to this demand, especially in the cities of Auckland and Wellington. However, this is where the problem develops. A large proportion of smaller, more affordable apartments have been identifi ed to be poorly designed, producing low quality spaces and unsatisfactory living environments. Moreover, the public perception of these 'shoebox' apartments is highly negative.  This research not only investigates the issues associated with the small apartments in New Zealand but seeks to improve upon them by learning from an international precedent. The Japanese architectural movement of Kyosho-Jutaku or Micro-living provides urban accommodation through space effi cient stand-alone dwellings. These dwellings were developed in response to the harsh urban and economic conditions in the early 1990s and continue to be built throughout Japan's urban prefectures. The architects of Japanese micro-architecture approach small spaces with design strategies resulting in interiors which appear expansive beyond their physical limits and produce quality living environments. Through the analysis and diagrammatic formulation of these Japanese micro-architecture design strategies, this research aims to produce an applicable technique for 'micro' design in New Zealand. The contexts are removed allowing the singular strategies to be understood and manipulated, expanding the design possibilities for each technique. Ultimately, this thesis tests the applicability of planning and spatial design strategies, adapted from Japanese micro-architecture, to a New Zealand context in the development of small, high quality urban apartments.


The third-generation partnership project 3GPP and 3GPP2 have standardized the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) to provide ubiquitous and access network-independent IP-based services for next-generation networks via merging cellular networks and the Internet. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) seems to be the technology that will prevail in Next Generation Networks (NGNs). The users wish to communicate through collections of networks using different protocols; rendering service mapping from one network to another with the similar QoS is a complex issue thereby. The heterogeneous networks are collections of communication platforms using different protocols. This heterogeneity implies the need to offer many different services on the market within short time. In this paper we propose a heterogeneous network model based on the IMS that provides guaranteed QoS. Our method presents, in the first, an informational solution. Decisional information is added to the HSS basis to enrich the knowledge base, which is expressed under the form of "profile of QoSR", where the new information informs directly the decisions to be taken according to the user's profile (preferences QoS and pricing, bandwidth, location ...). In the second, a solution for multi provider's context which can allow a subscriber to register with one or more operator(s) according to QoS offered. Thirdly, a mechanism which can be deployed in heterogeneous networks to preserve the original QoS values of the user session and thus eliminate the cumulative effect of QoS rounding across the entire communication path. And it is feasible via the "Interworking QoS Management Sub-network" while adding the new interworking management components, namely: SICs, DIC, QPA AS and HSS-PQoSR.


Man has been struggling to get remedies for various life-threatening disorders which are common in the day to day life of the busy world. Many lifestyle disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, thyroid dysfunction, respiratory disorders, skin diseases, etc. arise due to incompatible diet, polluted atmosphere, sedentary life style, lack of exercise, lack of proper sleep, etc. Ayurveda, the science of life, advices to follow Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Sadvritta etc for the benefit of the common man to enhance longevity. Ayurveda utilizes the wide range of herbal drugs either as single drug or in combination for the purpose of health care remedies. The phyto constituents present in these drugs play the major role in treating the diseases. Ferula foetida, known as Hingu in Ayurveda has promising therapeutic value due to the presence of chemical constituents like sulphide derivatives, volatile oil etc. Many studies revealed the various pharmacological actions of Hingu such as carminative, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, etc. This review highlights the available information on the drug Hingu by due consideration to the action of Hingu on the respiratory system and the formulations with Hingu as an ingredient as available in the Ayurvedic texts in treating respiratory disorders. Some other aspects are also discussed in the review.


This article provides a direction for furfure research in small and medium enterprises invest in foreigner countries; specially in Vietnam market. The major projects that Korea Enterprises invested covered mostly in the Northern of Vietnam provinces such as Bac Ninh, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen. Meanwhile, in southern Vietnam, the Mekong River Delta region with many projects calling for investment in agriculture and tourism has not attracted much attention from Korean investors. The article using the method of descriptive statistics to overview the project investment in agriculture and tourism of the Mekong Delta of Vietnam and points out the advantages of Korean small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in these two sectors. The results of study showed that Mekong River Delta has incentive policies for investment. Besides, with the general policy of Vietnamese government for agriculture and tourism projects, they had incentive policies for foreigner invest in these fields. Moreover, Korea has many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as investing experience in Vietnam. This articles strongly encourages the research of the opportunity for foreigner SMEs invest in tourism and agriculture in other countries, especially emerging market as Vietnam.


In this study we investigated nanoliposome as an approach to tailoring the pharmacology of cerivastatin as a disease-modifying drug for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Cerivastatin encapsulated liposomes with an average diameter of 98 ± 27 nm were generated by a thin film and freeze-thaw process. The nanoliposomes demonstrated sustained drug-release kinetics in vitro and inhibited proliferation of pulmonary artery (PA) smooth muscle cells with significantly less cellular cytotoxicity as compared with free cerivastatin. When delivered by inhalation to a rat model of monocrotaline-induced PAH, cerivastatin significantly reduced PA pressure from 55.13 ± 9.82 to 35.56 ± 6.59 mm Hg (P < 0.001) and diminished PA wall thickening. Echocardiography showed that cerivastatin significantly reduced right ventricle thickening (monocrotaline: 0.34 ± 0.02 cm vs. cerivastatin: 0.26 ± 0.02 cm; P < 0.001) and increased PA acceleration time (monocrotaline: 13.98 ± 1.14 milliseconds vs. cerivastatin: 21.07 ± 2.80 milliseconds; P < 0.001). Nanoliposomal cerivastatin was equally effective or slightly better than cerivastatin in reducing PA pressure (monocrotaline: 67.06 ± 13.64 mm Hg; cerivastatin: 46.31 ± 7.64 mm Hg vs. liposomal cerivastatin: 37.32 ± 9.50 mm Hg) and improving parameters of right ventricular function as measured by increasing PA acceleration time (monocrotaline: 24.68 ± 3.92 milliseconds; cerivastatin: 32.59 ± 6.10 milliseconds vs. liposomal cerivastatin: 34.96 ± 7.51 milliseconds). More importantly, the rate and magnitude of toxic cerivastatin metabolite lactone generation from the intratracheally administered nanoliposomes was significantly lower as compared with intravenously administered free cerivastatin. These studies show that nanoliposome encapsulation improved in vitro and in vivo pharmacologic and safety profile of cerivastatin and may represent a safer approach as a disease-modifying therapy for PAH.


Many areas of forest across northern Canada are challenging to monitor on a regular basis as a result of their large extent and remoteness. Although no forest inventory data typically exist for these northern areas, detailed and timely forest information for these areas is required to support national and international reporting obligations. We developed and tested a sample-based approach that could be used to estimate forest stand height in these remote forests using panchromatic Very High Spatial Resolution (VHSR, < 1 m) optical imagery and light detection and ranging (lidar) data. Using a study area in central British Columbia, Canada, to test our approach, we compared four different methods for estimating stand height using stand-level and crown-level metrics generated from the VHSR imagery. 'Lidar plots' (voxel-based samples of lidar data) are used for calibration and validation of the VHSR-based stand height estimates, similar to the way that field plots are used to calibrate photogrammetric estimates of stand height in a conventional forest inventory or to make empirical attribute estimates from multispectral digital remotely sensed data. A k-nearest neighbours (k-NN) method provided the best estimate of mean stand height (R 2 = 0.69; RMSE = 2.3 m, RMSE normalized by the mean value of the estimates (RMSE-%) = 21) compared with linear regression, random forests, and regression tree methods. The approach presented herein demonstrates the potential of VHSR panchromatic imagery and lidar to provide robust and representative estimates of stand height in remote forest areas where conventional forest inventory approaches are either too costly or are not logistically feasible. While further evaluation of the methods is required to generalize these results over Canada to provide robust and representative estimation, VHSR and lidar data provide an opportunity for monitoring in areas for which there is no detailed forest inventory information available.


More than two decades ago, Richard Swinburne and Robert Adams put forth an argument for theism that they aptly labeled the argument from consciousness . 1 A thumbnail sketch of the argument goes like this: Th ere are facts involving correlations between brain states and conscious states of persons for which rational inquiry demands a satisfying explanation. Th ere are but two broad forms such a possible explanation may take: the correlations can be explained either through more basic scientifi c laws or by the intentions and actions of a powerful personal agent. Since the correlations' facts cannot be given an adequate scientifi c explanation, the best explanation is that they are the result of the work of a purposeful agent. Our aim in what follows is twofold. First, we consider sophisticated recent attempts in the philosophy of mind to defend a robustly physicalist account of the phenomenal character of experience, accounts that, if successful, would undercut the core premise of the argument from consciousness (AC). We will try to show, however, that these accounts fail. We then consider the version of AC advanced by Swinburne and Adams. We contend that their versions are defective, since they overlook a naturalistic form of explanation that is available even on a robustly dualistic view of conscious states. However, we go on to show that the argument may more plausibly be recast by treating the very form of explanation of conscious states we outline as a further datum in the currently popular fi ne-tuning version of the design argument. We do not attempt to determine whether the fi ne-tuning argument is ultimately successful.


Solar energy is renewable and environment friendly and has been widely used in electricity generation and thermal energy through photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system. This system is beneficial in terms of maximum energy generation and cost of usage. The growing concern on energy sources and their usage has increased the significance and demand for PVT collectors. A PVT air collector consists of a PV panel and a thermal collector system. In PVT air collector, electricity and thermal energy are generated simultaneously. This review focuses on efficiency and energy modelling for PVT air collector with extended heat transfer area. Findings of this review indicated that PVT air collector with extended heat transfer area produced PVT efficiency higher than conventional PVT air collector. The thermal efficiency of PVT air collector for with and without extended heat transfer area are 21-83% and 12-70%, respectively, which the improvement of thermal efficiency is 15.7-42.8%.


Because inappropriate supply of physician specialists involves unnecessary human suffering or waste of human resources and because free market forces are ineffective in the medical sector, deliberate planning of supply is necessary. A model projecting the future supply of dermatologists was formulated on the basis of current residency capacity, which produces 250 dermatologists annually, and current experience regarding life expectancy and retirement. The model implies that an equilibrium supply of 8,800 dermatologists, or three per 100,000 population, will be realized early in the 21st century. A number of methods were used to estimate the demand for care, and, under conditions of general access, three dermatologists per 100,000 appear to be appropriate. Thus, maintaining current training capacity seems to be prudent, but because of many unknown and unpredictable factors, periodic reassessment is necessary.


The Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), a national major scientific project in the process of construction in China, is a special reflecting Schmidt telescope with 4meter aperture and 5°field of view. There are three sub-assemblies: the reflecting Schmidt correcting plate, the focal plane mechanism and the spherical primary mirror. The focal plane mechanism is the assembly by which the physical information of the celestial bodies can be obtained from optical spectroscopies. The static and dynamic performance of the focal plane mechanism have a significant effect on the ability of the telescope to obtain the optical spectra of various celestial bodies. So, with the help of ANSYS, the optimization of the focal plane mechanism according to the static and dynamic characteristics requested by specifications is presented in this paper, along with the analysis of truss number, deformation in different compensation positions and contribution to the total deformation of each component. The results of study show that a feasible and reliable design scheme can be achieved.


The historical sources of the antique epoch (Flavius, Arianne) clearly show that in the 2nd century the Georgian (Kartvelian) population, namely, Laz people, really dwelt in the North-East part of the Black Sea region. Beginning from the 5th century, the territory between the regions of Apkhazeti and Jiqeti was known under the name Nikopsia. During the period of the 8th -11th centuries, Nikopsia was a part of the Georgian principality of Abkhazeti. The following Georgian expressions which refer to the old Georgian territories: "nikopsiidan darubandamde "–– "spread from Nikopsia to Darubandi" and "ovsetidan sperad aragatsamde" – "beginning from Oseti through Speri to Aragats" - are historically confirmed and well known from the times of the Georgian King Davit Aghmashenebeli (David the Builder). Those territories were the important part of the Georgian Kingdom under the rule of David Aghmashenebeli. The intensive process of migration of the Abkhaz –Adygh people from the North Caucasus to the sea-side regions began in the 13th century. In the 14th century Georgia lost a part of its territory, namely, the outmost principality Saeristao, a part of Abkazeti region, the territory between the rivers Nikopsia and Bzipi. This processes caused expulsion of the Georgian population from the region and in parallel, moving and settling of the North Caucasus people to the mentioned region. At the time when the late middle centuries began, the Georgian population had already disappeared from the territory between the rivers Nikopsia and Bzipi. Beginning from the 30-ies of the 19th century, Russia started the process of adoption of the Sochi territory and its surroundings. It seems that at the mentioned time the territories were almost uninhabited. The Tsarist Russia tried to occupy the territory by Russian inhabitants but Russian people were accustomed to living in the prairies, called steps in Russian, so they were not eager to dwell on the sea side territory. Later, Russia inhabited these territories by Ukrainians, Estonians and Moldavians. At the end of the 19th century, the Georgians from different regions of Georgia began to live there too (from Samegrelo, Racha).
In March 1918, incited and supported by bolshevik Russia, Abkhaz bolsheviks announced the Soviet power in Sokhumi and addressed Russia for help and support. The council of Abkhaz people in its turn addressed Tbilisi (the Trans-Caucasian Seim) to help and support Abkhazeti against bolsheviks. The Georgian Army under the command of General Giorgi Mazniashvili liberated Abkhazeti and then occupies Sochi and Tuapse. The representatives of the Russian Volunteer Army Generals - Mikhail Alekseev and Anton Denikin, in the form of ultimatum, requested the Georgian Army to retreat. Mazniashvili offered negotiations to the Generals of the Russian Volunteers Army. On the 6th of September, this Army occupied Tuapse. The negotiations between the Government of Georgia and representatives of the Russian Army took place on September 6th but they brought no results. General Denikin united all the anti-Soviet forces in the South of Russia and becan military activities to occupy Sochi. In December, the soldiers of the Denikin Army occupied first Sochi and then Gagra. After the Bolshevik Army destroyed the military forces of General Denikin, the Georgian Army succeeded in deoccupying Gagra though it did not even try to enter Sochi and thus, stopped its actions at the Psou River.. Thus, the territorial pretensions of Georgia towards the Sochi and Nikopsia (Tuapse), from the viewpoint of the first native inhabitants, are reasonable, though it must be said that those territories were not taken off from Georgia by Russia. Long before Russians came to the territory, the Georgians had left it as a result of the expansion of the mountainous people. As for the role of Sergo Ordjonikidze in regard with Sochi problem, he did not have any bearing on it.
Key Words: Sochi region, Apkhazeti, Democratic Republic of Georgia.


This research analyzes how language reflects Yogyakarta modernity dynamics through the analysis of Kedaulatan Rakyat's weekly short stories from 2010 to 2015. The research is aimed to find out how the city's modernity is portrayed through language by the means of code-switching in the weekly short stories. It identifies the phenomena of code-switching in the short stories and analyzes whether or not the switch is an illustration of the city's modernity through language. Keywords: code-switch, short stories, modernity, Yogyakarta.


We derive expected bond return equations for various structural credit valuation models with alternative stochastic processes and boundary conditions for default given in Merton [1974], Merton [1976], Black and Cox [1976], Heston [1993], Longstaff and Schwartz [1995], and Collin-Dufresne and Goldstein [2001]. We investigate the relationship between bond yields and expected returns under each of these models. We show that for the case of low leverage, bond yields are inversely related to expected returns for a range of maturities that lie beyond the hump of the term structure of bond yields. We also show that for the bonds of same maturity, the option characteristics of the bonds often lead to an inverse relation between bond yields and expected returns. For example, callable bonds have higher yields, but lower expected returns, than the corresponding yields and expected returns of the underlying straight bonds. Convertible bonds have higher yields but lower expected returns for the case of high leverage, and lower yields but higher expected returns for the case of low leverage, than the corresponding yields and expected returns of the underlying straight bonds.


Case Presentation A 10-year-old boy presented with a 1-year history of a solitary brown patch on the right side of his scrotum. In the following months, further asymptomatic lesions similar in appearance developed on his right leg and persisted unchanged. The boy was otherwise healthy, and there was no history of prior skin disease or congenital anomalies. Exogenous triggers, infections, allergies, and intake of drugs were denied. On physical examination, several purpuric to golden-brown, irregularly shaped patches with tiny interspersed red papules were noted on the right side of his scrotum and his right leg in a segmental distribution (Fig. 1). Diascopy revealed a yellowish to brown color of the lesions, which were studded with purpuric spots (Fig. 2). Vesicles were absent. Color-coded ultrasound of the right leg demonstrated a normal venous and arterial vascular system. Laboratory investigations were unremarkable. A biopsy was taken from a lesion on the right leg. Histopathology is shown in Figs 3 and 4.


Importance
The Patient Health Questionnaire depression module (PHQ-9) is a 9-item self-administered instrument used for detecting depression and assessing severity of depression. The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) consists of the first 2 items of the PHQ-9 (which assess the frequency of depressed mood and anhedonia) and can be used as a first step to identify patients for evaluation with the full PHQ-9.

Objective
To estimate PHQ-2 accuracy alone and combined with the PHQ-9 for detecting major depression.

Data Sources
MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, PsycINFO, and Web of Science (January 2000-May 2018).

Study Selection
Eligible data sets compared PHQ-2 scores with major depression diagnoses from a validated diagnostic interview.

Data Extraction and Synthesis
Individual participant data were synthesized with bivariate random-effects meta-analysis to estimate pooled sensitivity and specificity of the PHQ-2 alone among studies using semistructured, fully structured, or Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) diagnostic interviews separately and in combination with the PHQ-9 vs the PHQ-9 alone for studies that used semistructured interviews. The PHQ-2 score ranges from 0 to 6, and the PHQ-9 score ranges from 0 to 27.

Results
Individual participant data were obtained from 100 of 136 eligible studies (44 318 participants; 4572 with major depression [10%]; mean [SD] age, 49 [17] years; 59% female). Among studies that used semistructured interviews, PHQ-2 sensitivity and specificity (95% CI) were 0.91 (0.88-0.94) and 0.67 (0.64-0.71) for cutoff scores of 2 or greater and 0.72 (0.67-0.77) and 0.85 (0.83-0.87) for cutoff scores of 3 or greater. Sensitivity was significantly greater for semistructured vs fully structured interviews. Specificity was not significantly different across the types of interviews. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.88 (0.86-0.89) for semistructured interviews, 0.82 (0.81-0.84) for fully structured interviews, and 0.87 (0.85-0.88) for the MINI. There were no significant subgroup differences. For semistructured interviews, sensitivity for PHQ-2 scores of 2 or greater followed by PHQ-9 scores of 10 or greater (0.82 [0.76-0.86]) was not significantly different than PHQ-9 scores of 10 or greater alone (0.86 [0.80-0.90]); specificity for the combination was significantly but minimally higher (0.87 [0.84-0.89] vs 0.85 [0.82-0.87]). The area under the curve was 0.90 (0.89-0.91). The combination was estimated to reduce the number of participants needing to complete the full PHQ-9 by 57% (56%-58%).

Conclusions and Relevance
In an individual participant data meta-analysis of studies that compared PHQ scores with major depression diagnoses, the combination of PHQ-2 (with cutoff ≥2) followed by PHQ-9 (with cutoff ≥10) had similar sensitivity but higher specificity compared with PHQ-9 cutoff scores of 10 or greater alone. Further research is needed to understand the clinical and research value of this combined approach to screening.


In this paper, a reduced rank extended window decorrelator (RREWD) for asynchronous CDMA detection is derived. The reduction in the rank of the extended window signal space is obtained through interference cancellation. It is shown that the reduction in rank of the decorrelation matrix improves the performance and user capacity of the extended window decorrelator. Further, it is demonstrated that the edge assisted decorrelator, which also work on the similar principle of interference cancellation, exhibit the identical architectures as that of the RREWD. The results have become more demonstrative by introducing a classification for the decorrelators. The type of signature sequences used in processing the received signal at the receiver decides the class to which the decorrelator may belong. Full signature sequences based decorrelators are considered as the members of class-I while those that used partial/full signature sequences form class-II. A comparison of these two classes of decorrelators is presented to highlight the relative merits.


This paper describes basic components and principles for support of the normatively regulated organizational activities. These activities are characterized by precise objective or purpose, participation of actors as role-holders, and norms and rules that govern the performance of these activities. Particular aspect and modeling of the normatively regulated activities are presented. Some aspects of object view on normatively regulated activities are described, with particular case of procurement activity.


Background The majority of patients with Alzheimer's disease live outside institutions and there is considerable serious psychological morbidity among their carers. Aims To evaluate whether family intervention reduces the subjective burden of care in carers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and produces clinical benefits in the patients. Method A prospective single-blind randomised controlled trial with three-month follow-up in which the experimental group received family intervention and was compared with two control groups. Results There were significant reductions in distress and depression in the intervention group compared with control groups at post-treatment and follow-up. There were significant reductions in behavioural disturbance at post-treatment and an increase in activities at three months in patients in the intervention group. Based on an improvement on the General Health Questionnaire resulting in a carer converting from a case to a non-case, the number to treat was three immediately post-treatment and two at follow-up. Conclusions Family intervention can have significant benefits in carers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and has a positive impact on patient behaviour.


Using Swedish register data, this article examines the association between having experienced the birth of a younger half-sibling and two educational outcome measures among Swedish 9th graders from 1998 to 2007. The data set, with the full population of 9th graders (N = 874,812), enables us to differentiate between adolescents with maternal as well as paternal half-siblings. The results show that adolescents in postseparation families with half-siblings have lower overall grades and are less likely to be eligible for school continuation after 9th grade than those without half-siblings. The results point to interesting gender patterns both by the sex of the child and whether the half-sibling is maternal or paternal.


List of Figures and Tables ix Preface xi Part I What Are Statistical Races? Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview 3 Chapter 2 Classification before Counting: The Statistical Races 14 Part II Policy, Statistics, and Science Join Forces Chapter 3 The Compromise That Made the Republic and the Nation's First Statistical Race 31 Chapter 4 Race Science Captures the Prize, the U.S. Census 45 Chapter 5 How Many White Races Are There? 61 Part III When You Have a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail Chapter 6 Racial Justice Finds a Policy Tool 83 Chapter 7 When You Have a Hammer: Statistical Races Misused 105 Part IV The Statistical Races under Pressure, and a Fresh Rationale Chapter 8 Pressures Mount 129 Chapter 9 The Problem of the Twenty-first Century Is the Problem of the Color Line as It Intersects the Nativity Line 151 Part V What We Have Is Not What We Need Chapter 10 Where Are We Exactly? 171 Chapter 11 Getting from Where We Are to Where We Need to Be 183 Appendix: Perspectives from Abroad--Brazil, France, Israel 209 Notes 221 Bibliography 251 Index 263


Lysosomal destabilization indices (based on a neutral red retention assay) were evaluated for digestive gland cells of oysters Crassostrea virginica. Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of variable salinity regimes (a natural stressor) and copper exposures (a pollutant stresSOT) on lysosomal destabilization. Field studies were also conducted with native oysters and hatcheryreared juvenile oysters deployed in situ at reference and polluted sites. Lysosomal integrity was not affected by either short-term or longer-term variations in salinity during laboratory experiments, and the destabilization indices were similar to those of deployed and native oysters from reference sites characterized by a range of salinlties. However, laboratory Cu exposures (ranging from 2.5 to 20 pg Cu 1-') caused significant adverse effects on lysosomal destabilization after only 18 h, and the eiiecis were sustained or worsened with increasing exposure time and concentration. Hatchery-reared oysters deployed at or native oysters collected from polluted sites had significantly higher lysosomal destabilization indices. Estuanne habitats are characterized by variable sal~nity regimes, so cellular responses that are sensitive to salinity stress as well as contaminant stress would be difficult to interpret if salinity effects cannot be distinguished from pollutant effects. A robust biomarker of anthropogenic effects should be insensitive to natural stressors such as salinity, but should be sensitive to pollutants. The salinity and contaminant studies described in this paper indicate that lysosomal destabilization responses in oysters are insensitive to salinity variations and sensitive to pollutants, and are therefore potentially valuable biomarkers of anthropogenic stress.


In this work, the influence of multi-step solution (MSS) treatments on the constituent particle dissolution, overheating and associated quench cracking behaviour in room temperature water-quenched 7150 Al alloy has been investigated. For comparison, the microstructure and quench cracking behaviour of single step solution treated samples water-quenched from 505°C were also investigated. Based on optical microscopy of differently quenched samples, the quench cracking mode and the influence of overheating of constituents on the quench cracking behaviour have been demonstrated. The results reveal that the constituent particles can be effectively dissolved in the MSS-505°C samples. When the quench temperature of MSS-505°C samples is equal to or higher than 485°C , macro quench cracks can be clearly observed. Moreover, the density and length of the quench cracks increase with increasing quench temperature. Etched microstructures indicate that the quench crack propagation mode is intergranular. However, for samples directly heated to 505°C , typical overheating can be observed at the triple junctions and these regions preferentially act as crack propagation routes.


The term amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) describes a diverse group of hereditary conditions primarily affecting the quality and/or quantity of dental enamel which are usually not associated with generalized findings. It affects all teeth in both the primary and permanent dentitions. The estimated frequency of AI is one in 14000. Disruptions occurring during histodifferentiation, apposition, and mineralization result in enamel hypoplasia or hypomineralization for AI. In this paper a 10-year-old male is presented who referred to a dental office in Sari with a chief complaint of generalized discolored teeth since childhood and sensitivity while having hot and cold foods. After clinical and radiographic examination the patient was diagnosed with AI (hypoplastic type). AI affects the psychology of patients negatively due to the aesthetic concerns, so, it should be identified promptly and involved patients must receive appropriate treatments.


Background: Bacterial peptide pheromones control gene expression via Rgg family transcription factors in Streptococcus. Results: Pheromone length variants produced by S. pyogenes directly bind Rgg receptors with Kd values ranging from 0.5 to 5 μm. Conclusion: Peptide variant activities correlate with binding affinities. Significance: Bioactivity and receptor-ligand affinity assays developed herein provide a platform to discover quorum-sensing inhibitors. Streptococcus pyogenes, a human-restricted pathogen, accounts for substantial mortality related to infections worldwide. Recent studies indicate that streptococci produce and respond to several secreted peptide signaling molecules (pheromones), including those known as short hydrophobic peptides (SHPs), to regulate gene expression by a quorum-sensing mechanism. Upon transport into the bacterial cell, pheromones bind to and modulate activity of receptor proteins belonging to the Rgg family of transcription factors. Previously, we reported biofilm regulation by the Rgg2/3 quorum-sensing circuit in S. pyogenes. The aim of this study was to identify the composition of mature pheromones from cell-free culture supernatants that facilitate biofilm formation. Bioluminescent reporters were employed to detect active pheromones in culture supernatants fractionated by reverse-phase chromatography, and mass spectrometry was used to characterize their properties. Surprisingly, multiple SHPs that varied by length were detected. Synthetic peptides of each variant were tested individually using bioluminescence reporters and biofilm growth assays, and although activities differed widely among the group, peptides comprising the C-terminal eight amino acids of the full-length native peptide were most active. Direct Rgg/SHP interactions were determined using a fluorescence polarization assay that utilized FITC-labeled peptide ligands. Peptide receptor affinities were seen to be as low as 500 nm and their binding affinities directly correlated with observed bioactivity. Revelation of naturally produced pheromones along with determination of their affinity for cognate receptors are important steps forward in designing compounds whose purpose is positioned for future therapeutics aimed at treating infections through the interference of bacterial communication.


Trustworthy biographical data is a cornerstone of research, whether one needs to place a person in historical and cultural context, verify birth date and place, or introduce a speaker to an audience.


Analyses of radioactive oligonucleotides in endonuclease digests of 3'-terminally labeled lambda DNA revealed the 3' terminal sequence -GTTACG for the l strand and -ACCCGCG for the r strand. These sequences, together with those previously known for the 5' cohesive ends, provide a total of 25 known base-pairs in the vicinity of the termini. When the cohesive ends are paired, the sequence between the nicks can be bisected by a 2-fold rotational axis of symmetry. Five of the first eight base-pairs, on either side of the axis, are rotationally symmetric. This symmetry may be involved in the recognition of the site by an enzyme responsible for formation of the cohesive ends.


Daptomycin is an important, last-resort antimicrobial therapeutic for the treatment of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus that has acquired β-lactam nonsusceptibility or reduced vancomycin susceptibility. The mechanism of action of daptomycin involves disruption of the cell membrane rather than cell wall synthesis, as with β -lactams and vancomycin. In the rare event of failed daptomycin therapy, the source of resistance is often attributable to single-nucleotide polymorphisms directly within the membrane phospholipid biosynthetic pathway of S. aureus or in the regulatory systems that control cell envelope response and membrane homeostasis. Here we describe the structural changes to the cell envelope in a daptomycin-resistant strain selected from methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) N315 with mutations in the most commonly reported SNPs associated with daptomycin-resistance: mprF, yycG, and pgsA. In addition to the decreased phosphatidylglycerol (PG) levels that are the hallmark of daptomycin-resistance, the mutant with high-level daptomycin resistance had increased branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) in its membrane lipids, increased membrane fluidity, and increased cell wall thickness relative to its parental strain. Despite the enrichment of BCFAs, we found that the daptomycin-resistant strain successfully utilized isotope-labeled straight-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the synthesis of membrane lipids and that supplementation of the culture broth with SCFAs restored membrane fluidity in the daptomycin-resistant strain to the state of its parental strain. These results demonstrate that exogenous fatty acids can mitigate, in part, the phenotypes associated with daptomycin resistance when it is driven by mutations in yycG and pgsA. IMPORTANCE The cationic lipopeptide antimicrobial daptomycin has become an essential tool for combating infections with Staphylococcus aureus that display reduced susceptibility to beta lactams or vancomycin. Since the mechanism of daptomycin's activity is based on interaction with the negatively charged membrane of S. aureus, the most commonly detected routes to daptomycin-resistance occur through SNPs in the lipid biosynthetic pathway surround phosphatidylglycerols and regulatory system that control cell envelope homeostasis. We demonstrate that a strain of MRSA N315 with high-level daptomycin resistance due to mutations in pgsA, yycG, and mprF has aberrantly high membrane fluidity and thickened cell. These phenotypes can be reserved upon supplementation of the culture broth with exogenous SCFAs through their incorporation through the FakA pathway. Our results give premise to the concept that targeted remodeling of the staphylococcal membrane may be an advantageous strategy to restore daptomycin susceptibility.