This essay provides an overview of current trade patterns between New England and China. It was prepared for a symposium sponsored by The Boston Athenaeum comparing New England's present-day trade with China to the region's prominence in the U.S.-China trade of the 19th century. The essay concludes that a special trade relationship between New England and China does not exist at the present time. Although New England's exports to China are growing rapidly, they are not growing markedly faster than exports from the rest of the country, and China does not account for an unusually large fraction of New England's exports. Moreover, there is some indication that New England has felt the brunt of competition from Chinese imports more strongly than other regions. In one arena, New England does hold a special position: New England universities are highly regarded in China, and the region's share of Chinese students is above its population share—although in line with its share of foreign students generally.


This popular tutorial introduction to standard C++ has been completely updated, reorganized, and rewritten to help programmers learn the language faster and use it in a more modern, effective way.Just as C++ has evolved since the last edition, so has the authors' approach to teaching it. They now introduce the C++ standard library from the beginning, giving readers the means to write useful programs without first having to master every language detail. Highlighting today's best practices, they show how to write programs that are safe, can be built quickly, and yet offer outstanding performance. Examples that take advantage of the library, and explain the features of C++, also show how to make the best use of the language. As in its previous editions, the book's authoritative discussion of fundamental C++ concepts and techniques makes it a valuable resource even for more experienced programmers.Program Faster and More Effectively with This Rewritten Classic Restructured for quicker learning, using the C++ standard library Updated to teach the most current programming styles and program design techniques Filled with new learning aids that emphasize important points, warn about common pitfalls, suggest good programming practices, and provide general usage tips Complete with exercises that reinforce skills learned Authoritative and comprehensive in its coverageThe source code for the book's extended examples is available on the Web at the address below.


THE T-group has become increasingly popular in our psychologically oriented society. The development of a more complete understanding of its effects upon the participants seems warranted at this time. Recently we have had the opportunity to study two patients each of whom suffered an acute transient psychosis precipitated by an intensive T-group experience. In one instance, the psychiatric picture was supplemented by a detailed reconstruction of the T-group experience itself. We present this material in an attempt to learn more about the possible negative effects of T-groups and the psychodynamics of individuals for whom the T-group experience has proven hazardous. The purposes and methods of the T-group have been well described by Bradford et al1: A T-group is a relatively unstructured group in which individuals participate as learners. The data for learning are not outside these individuals or remote from their immediate experience within the T-group. The dataare


This study shows that the Fisher rat thyroid cell line (FRTL-5) can iodinate thyroglobulin (Tg) in an selective way. The Tg-iodination is TSH dependent and shows a optimum at 10-100 microU TSH/ml. Intracellularly, Tg and various other non Tg-related proteins are iodinated in a TSH dependent fashion. Tg added to the medium is specifically iodinated, this occurs already in microgram amounts, in contrast to many other proteins present in the medium. Only albumin, present in mg amounts is clearly iodinated in a lower degree than Tg. Albumin iodination is not clearly dependent of TSH. Since catalase added to the medium prevents the iodination of albumin but not of newly synthesized Tg we suggest that intracellular iodination must exist.


The neuropeptide Y (NPY) family receptors and peptides have previously been characterized in several tetrapods, teleost fishes, and in a holocephalan cartilaginous fish. This has shown that the ancestral NPY system in the jawed vertebrates consisted of the peptides NPY and peptide YY (PYY) and seven G-protein-coupled receptors named Y1–Y8 (Y3 does not exist). The different vertebrate lineages have subsequently lost or gained a few receptor genes. For instance, the human genome has lost three of the seven receptors while the zebrafish has lost two and gained two receptor genes. Here we describe the NPY system of a representative of an early diverging lineage among the sarcopterygians, the West Indian Ocean coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae. The coelacanth was found to have retained all seven receptors from the ancestral jawed vertebrate. The receptors display the typical characteristics found in other vertebrates. Interestingly, the coelacanth was found to have the local duplicate of the PYY gene, called pancreatic polypeptide, previously only identified in tetrapods. Thus, this duplication took place very early in the sarcopterygian lineage, before the origin of tetrapods. These findings confirm the ancient complexity of the NPY system and show that mammals have lost more NPY receptors than any other vertebrate lineage. The coelacanth has all three peptides found in tetrapods and has retained the ancestral jawed vertebrate receptor repertoire with neither gains or losses.


The torsional potential functions Vt(phi) and Vt(psi) around single bonds N--C alpha and C alpha--C, which can be used in conformational studies of oligopeptides, polypeptides and proteins, have been derived, using crystal structure data of 22 globular proteins, fitting the observed distribution in the (phi, psi)-plane with the value of Vtot(phi, psi), using the Boltzmann distribution. The averaged torsional potential functions, obtained from various amino acid residues in L-configuration, are Vt(phi) = 1.0 cos (phi + 60 degrees); Vt(psi) = 0.5 cos (psi + 60 degrees) - 1.0 cos (2 psi + 30 degrees) - 0.5 cos (3 psi + 30 degrees). The dipeptide energy maps Vtot(phi, psi) obtained using these functions, instead of the normally accepted torsional functions, were found to explain various observations, such as the absence of the left-handed alpha helix and the C7 conformation, and the relatively high density of points near the line psi = 0 degrees. These functions derived from observational data on protein structures, will, it is hoped, explain various previously unexplained facts in polypeptide conformation.


An ab-initio method for determining the dynamical structure function of an interacting many--body quantum system has been devised by combining a generalized integral transform method with Quantum Monte Carlo methods. As a first application, the coherent and, separately, the incoherent excitation spectrum of bulk atomic 4He has been computed, both in the low and intermediate momentum range. The peculiar form of the kernel in the integral transform of the dynamical structure function allows to predict, without using any model, both position and width of the collective excitations in the maxon--roton region, as well as the second collective peak. A prediction of the dispersion of the single--particle modes described by the incoherent part is also presented.


A (p, q) connected graph is edge-odd graceful graph if there exists an injective map f: E(G) → {1, 3, ..., 2q-1} so that induced map f+: V(G) → {0, 1,2, 3, ..., (2k-1)}defined by f+(x)  f(x, y) (mod 2k), where the vertex x is incident with other vertex y and k = max {p, q} makes all the edges distinct and odd. In this article, the Edgeodd gracefulness of strong product of P2 and Cn is obtained.


Substance P, a neuropeptide associated with pain perception, is widely distributed in the central nervous system and is decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid of chronic pain patients as compared with that of healthy human volunteers. In this study, we have demonstrated the presence of immunoreactive substance P in saliva and further, that both saliva and plasma levels of immunoreactive substance P are lower in patients with chronic low back pain than in healthy human volunteers. To our knowledge, this is the first time that substance P has been identified in human saliva. These findings, together with the noninvasive nature of saliva collection, suggest that substance P in saliva may be useful as an alternative neurochemical correlate of chronic low back pain when collection of cerebrospinal fluid and plasma samples for substance P analysis is unacceptable or inappropriate.


The majority of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are cared for by family members in their home. Research from several studies has shown that these care providers have rates of emotional morbidity three times that seen in age-similar individuals. This paper will review the epidemiological data on the incidence and prevalence of emotional disability in caregivers. It will also review the 11 treatment studies in the literature in which blinded intervention was carried out. Nine of these 11 studies show that intervention was more beneficial than the placebo comparison treatment. Both educational and emotional support were effective. However, when compared with each other, emotional support was more effective; the combination may be more effective than either alone. Preliminary evidence suggests that intervention on behalf of caretakers may delay the need for institutionalization of family members with AD.


In 1998, the Sara Lee Corporation decided to restructure its value chain by diverging from manufacturing many of its products to outsourcing and concentrating its resources on developing and managing its brands. In light of this change, Bil Mar Foods, a subsidiary of Sara Lee located in Zeeland, Michigan, responsible for the processing of its packaged meat products such as hot dogs, shut down its turkey slaughter facilities and expanded into a full processing plant. The company also opted not to renew the expired production and marketing contracts of turkey growers and bought out the existing contracts of other growers. This action left turkey growers in the region without a market for their live birds. To assess the implications of Sara Lee's decision on the turkey growers in southwest Michigan and the effects on the local economy, an impact analysis using the statistical software Micro IMPLAN was conducted. Results show that shutting down the kill floor at Bil Mar will have an effect of approximately $65.5 million in total lost output and total lost employment in excess of 600 persons. This effect includes not only those persons in the industry directly impacted, but also those indirectly affected in other industries. As an option for redress, the formation of a cooperative, the Michigan Turkey Producers Cooperative (MTPC), will provide significant economic relief.


MicroRNA-based
gene silencing is a functional genomics tool for a wide range of eukaryotes. As
a basis for broader application of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to
photosynthesis research, we employed a tobacco rattle virus (TRV) vector to
silence expression of the nuclear psbS gene in Nicotiana benthamiana. The
22-kiloDalton psbS protein is essential for xanthophyll- and H+-dependent
thermal dissipation of excitation in higher plants widely known as nonphotochemical
quenching (NPQ). Controls treated with the TRV-VIGS vector containing a
bacterial chloramphenicol resistance gene as the silencing target were included
to test for non-silencing effects of the viral vector system. PsbS protein was
undetectable and both psbS mRNA
transcript levels and NPQ capacity were dramatically reduced in new leaf tissue
of VIGS-psbS plants only. Photosynthetic
performance in TRV-VIGS-treated and uninfiltrated plants was assessed by
application of CO2 exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and in vivo absorbance changes at 810 nm. TRV-VIGS caused a
mild stress based on pigment content and light absorption characteristics in
some cases. To assess transient complementation of NPQ, the endogenous psbS gene was silenced using only the
transit sequence in the TRV vector followed by Agrobacterium-mediated transient
expression of a modified gene consisting of an altered transit sequence fused
to the native mature protein sequence. Nevertheless, NPQ in infused fully
expanded leaves that expressed this re-introduced form was not fully restored
indicating the possible importance of psbS incorporation prior to formation of
grana stacks.


: The Clinical and Health Outcomes Initiative in Comparative Effectiveness (CHOICE) program, which includes 12 ongoing comparative effectiveness research (CER) trials funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has had firsthand experience in dealing with the unique challenges of conducting CER since the trials started in the fall of 2010. This paper will explore the collective experience of the CHOICE program and discuss common challenges and successes the CHOICE investigators have experienced conducting CER research in the United States. The specific aims of this paper are to describe the common features of the CHOICE award studies (observational studies and trials), to summarize the strategies undertaken to address the challenges in conducting comparative effectiveness pragmatic trials and observational studies from the patient, physician, and administrative perspective, and to provide recommendations for improving the efficiency and feasibility of conducting prospective CER studies in the future.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe immune status in patients prior to colorectal surgery for cancer, to establish values to serve as a baseline for subsequent analyses, and to describe a procedure for studying phenotypes of the immune system, elucidating its advantages.

DESIGN
One component of a larger longitudinal survey.

SETTING
Two large, inner-city university hospitals and two of their affiliated hospitals in the northeastern United States.

SAMPLE
Patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer (N = 94). Subjects were primarily male (n = 57) and Caucasian (n = 85) and ranged in age from 26-88 years (mean = 63). Seventy-seven percent (n = 73) had cancer, 23% (n = 21) had benign diseases or conditions.

METHODS
Flow cytometry analysis of lymphocyte phenotypes was performed on blood samples drawn from patients before they underwent surgery for colorectal cancer.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The average absolute lymphocyte subset levels and the average relative lymphocyte subset levels of blood samples taken from patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer were compared (using t-tests) with the subset levels of two normal reference samples.

FINDINGS
The average absolute lymphocyte subset levels and average relative lymphocyte subset levels of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer fell within normal ranges.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that this sample of patients undergoing surgery has one essential element of an intact immune system--normal levels of lymphocyte subsets.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
There is no indication preoperatively that this population is at a higher risk for infection or delayed wound healing. However, there may be other times in the illness trajectory when the immune system does become compromised, and these values prior to surgery will serve as a baseline to identify changes in patients' immune status over time. Further longitudinal studies are necessary.


Carbon capture from advanced Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle (IGCC) processes should outperform conventional coal combustion with subsequent CO2 separation in terms of efficiency and CO2 capture rates. This paper provides a thermodynamic assessment, using exergy analysis, of a novel Syngas Redox (SGR) process for generating electricity. The power island of the proposed process uses syngas produced by coal gasification and then cleaned through high-temperature gas desulfurization (HGD). Hematite (Fe2O3) is used as an oxygen carrier to oxidize the syngas. To achieve a closed-cycle operation, the reduced iron particles are first partially re-oxidized with steam and then fully re-oxidized with pressurized air. One advantage of this design is that the resulting hydrogen (using steam in the re-oxidation section) can be utilized within the same plant or be on sold as a secondary product. In the proposed process, diluted hydrogen is combusted in a gas turbine. Heat integration is central to the design. The different requirements of syngas cooling, particle-regeneration, and coal drying necessitated the use of a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG) supplying steam at three pressure levels. To establish a benchmark, the rate of exergy destruction within the SGR process was compared to a coal-fed Shell gasification IGCC design with Selexol-based pre-combustion capture. Process simulation was undertaken using Aspen Plus and EES (Engineering Equation Solver).


In this paper, we examine the evolution of the gender gap associated with marriage and parental status, comparing cohorts born between 1936 and 1985. The model of household specialization and division of labor introduced by Becker posits that when forming households, couples will exploit the gains from trade by having one spouse specialize in market work while the other specializes in household work. Given the historical advantage of men in the labor market, the model predicts specialization by gender and therefore an earnings advantage for married men and an earnings disadvantage for married women. Is this model of specialization useful for understanding the evolution of the gender gap across generations of women? And what about children? Academic papers have shown that wages of mothers are significantly lower than those of non-mothers with similar human capital characteristics. We do not attempt to build a structural model here, but rather document how changing associations between marriage and earnings, and between children and earnings, have contributed to the gender gap in an "accounting" sense.


The development of photography, especially in Indonesia experienced significant growth, in the sense that photography is not just a professional job but has become a life style for urban communities. This phenomenon can be seen from the increasing number of media that talks about the world of photography, ranging from newspapers, magazines, television, and internet. The purpose of this research is directed at making food photography reference book themed cuisines of East Java. Food Photography food can not be separated from the object. Therefore, this thesis uses the typical food of East Java. Provinces were chosen for the book to be made so that the communicative and able to enter the minds of the public. East Java has several cities, among others, Surabaya, Lamongan, Gersik, Malang, Kediri, Banyuwangi, Madiun, Ponorogo, and Madura, from every city has a food such as rujak cingur, semanggi, lontong balap, kupang lontong, rawon, Nasi pecel, soto ayam, sate ayam, nasi jagung, urapan, kikil, semur lidah, tahu campur, tahu tek, dan nasi krawu. Of the selected food representing cities in East Java because these foods are familiar in people's hearts.The books which talk about food photography rare version dirak Indonesia - Indonesian shelf bookstalls in the book so terbuatnya lift dishes from East Java in order to attract people and make this book as a medium of publication, documentation, and reference.


The interaction between brain and language has been investigated by a vast amount of research and different approaches, which however do not offer a comprehensive and unified theoretical framework to analyze how brain functioning performs the mental processes we use in producing language and in understanding speech. This Special Issue addresses the need to develop such a general theoretical framework, by fostering an interaction among the various scientific disciplines and methodologies, which centres on investigating the functional architecture of brain, mind and language, and is articulated along the following main dimensions of research: (a) Language as a regulatory contour of brain and mental processes; (b) Language as a unique human phenomenon; (c) Language as a governor of human behaviour and brain operations; (d) Language as an organizational factor of ontogenesis of mentation and behaviour.


VERMICOMPOST SUPPRESSION OF PYTHIUM APHANIDERMATUM SEEDLING DISEASE: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS AND AN EXPLORATION OF THE MECHANISMS OF DISEASE SUPPRESSION Allison Lara Hornor Jack, PhD Cornell University 2012 Composts, vermicomposts and their liquid extracts can suppress plant infections caused by a variety of pathogens, however this suppression is highly variable, which limits their use in commercial crop production. In addition to the inherent variability of these materials, conflicting information abounds in the industry and extension educational materials regarding liquid compost extracts which were critically evaluated with respect to the existing scientific literature. As a case study, non-aerated liquid vermicompost extract was produced that promoted seedling growth, consistently suppressed zoospore-mediated infections of Pythium aphanidermatum on cucumber and maintained suppressiveness for 60 days at room temperature. As both a liquid fertilizer and a cultural practice for the suppression of seedling damping off, this material could satisfy multiple needs for organic growers. After decades of study, we still lack critical insight into the mechanisms of action of suppressive composts. We sought to uncover potential mechanisms by which vermicomposted dairy manure suppresses Pythium aphanidermatum infections on cucumber by investigating the interactions between seed-associated microbial communities and P. aphanidermatum zoospores. We found that vermicompost-derived seed-colonizing microbes prevented the arrival of zoospores on the seed surface and greatly reduced infection in disease suppression bioassays. When microbially modified seed exudates were collected from the bioassay apparatus and exposed to zoospores in vitro, fewer zoospores swam towards, encysted on and germinated in response to exudates from seeds colonized by a suppressive microbial community than to those from seeds sown in sterile sand. Combining control and modified exudates failed to restore zoospore response, indicating the presence of a toxin or repellant confirmed by the consistent lysis of zoospores in the vermicompost and combined treatment, but not the sand controls. Exposing zoospores to control and modified seed exudates that had been ethyl acetate fractionated provided evidence that the putative toxin/repellant is exclusively present in the organic fraction.


Like many other African military forces, the Gabonese national army was a direct offshoot of a colonial army—the French one, in this case. Like many of their former brothers in arms on the African continent, the Gabonese military has had difficulty finding their bearings in the newly independent nation, with which they have experienced no bonding. A coup carried out by a handful of officers in 1964 dealt an early blow to the development of civil‒military concord. As of 1965, the political leadership, then firmly in the hands of the Bongo family, made sure it would keep the military under control. An important part of the security belt created by the Bongo regime was the propping up—and corresponding generous endowment—of a Presidential Guard and the paramilitary forces of the Gendarmerie. With the regime feeling more and more secure, among other reasons thanks to the agile management of an extensive patronage system fuelled by the country's oil wealth, the army was allowed to grow and develop somewhat, although it never reached the capacity to defend the country's sovereignty against any serious threat. Over the more than four decades of Omar Bongo's rule (1967‒2009), Gabon's defense remained outsourced to France through a range of initially secret and later publicly "legitimized" defense treaties. Occasional tensions, such as in the mid-1970s, did not significantly alter that pattern. With its security firmly guaranteed by the Garde Républicaine, the Gendarmerie, and the French, the regime worked to integrate the army into its control system. This was done though accelerating creation of a large number of senior officers' posts, and these officers were gratified with honors, financial rewards, and at times official government posts. Meanwhile, the rank and file were kept at bay. Consequentially, a two-tier army that mirrored the country's sociopolitical makeup evolved. Small pockets of professional soldiers did emerge in the country over the years, especially among up to colonel-rank commissioned officers, who benefited from excellent training abroad and were able to perfect their skills on peacekeeping operations. However, professionalism did not percolate through the institution. In 2020, 10 years into the reign of Omar Bongo's son, Ali, the relationship of the military to the political power is unclear. On the one hand, the army may be an instrument of repression used by a ruling elite that is less and less benevolent in distributing benefits because it has lost the resources to do so. Such was the case in response to unrest after the 2016 elections. On the other hand, it cannot be excluded that part of the army's lumpenmilitariat could side with the people in a revolt against the government. Because the legitimacy of the clientelist order is under duress, the coercive force provided by the carriers of arms can provide one line of defense, but the military may also turn against their increasingly anemic patron.


Intestinal calcium absorption declines with aging as a result of decreased renal 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25‐(OH)2D3] biosynthesis. At least part of the decline in 1,25‐(OH)2D3 may be due to acquired resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulation of renal 25‐hydroxyvitamin D1‐hydroxylase (1‐OHase) activity. To test whether aging rats can increase 1,25‐(OH)2D3 production in response to PTH, male rats of the same litter were fed a normal Ca diet and were sacrificed at 175–225 g (young rats) or 3 months later at 350–425 g (aging rats). At sacrifice, basal serum 1,25‐(OH)2D3 levels (88 ± 16 versus 49 ± 8 pg/ml, P < 0.05) and in vitro renal proximal tubule 1‐OHase activity (178 ± 15 versus 77 ± 5 pmol/mg protein/5 minutes, n = 6, P < 0.001) were lower in aging animals. rPTH‐(1–34) (10−11 or 10−11 M) increased in vitro 1,25‐(OH)2D3 secretion by perifused renal proximal tubules from young but not aging rats. For young and aging rats, rPTH‐(1–34) (10−7 M) increased proximal tubule cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity, and lower concentrations (10−11 M) stimulated translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) activity from cytosolic to soluble membrane proximal tubule cell fractions. The results of this study show that PTH activation of 1,25‐(OH)2D3 production may involve both signaling pathways, with the PKC pathway responsive to lower concentrations of the hormone. The acquired resistance to PTH stimulation of 1,25‐(OH)2D3 production in aging appears not to involve the hormonal activation of PKA or PKC.


Abstract. This article focuses on the theme of the pilgrimage trails and their cartographic representation in two specific historical periods: the Middle Ages, during which the drawing of the world was a reminder of the places of Christian faith, and the mapped locations were those characterised by some sacred event narrated in the Bible or by the dominant theology of the time, joined together in routes that led to prominent sacred temples, as a sort of ascetic and geographical path along the ways of faith of biblical and evangelical tradition, which were evoked on the map; the contemporary world, in which pilgrimage trails have (additionally) become an opportunity to explore the territories crossed, and to activate local development processes thanks to the presence of pilgrim-tourists. In both cases, the pilgrimage has played a major role in these different types of representations, contributing to the discovery and knowledge of the world in the former and enhancing the territory's potential through tourism in the latter.


It is difficult to tell just what audience this book is written for. Certainly it is not for the beginner, as there are many undocumented references to ideas and concepts in linguistics, to information theory, and to other sciences, without a knowledge of which the book would be difficult or incomprehensible at points. On the other hand, it is hard to believe that it was written for the specialist because there are occasionally rather elementary (though always quite condensed) discussions of linguistic points. Be that as it may, for the reader who is somewhat at home in linguistics Whatmough has written a book which is controversial and polemic. It emphasizes the function of language more than its structure, but ranges widely into the neurological bases of speech, into statistics and information theory, and into many other fields not usually treated in a book on language. The lack of documentation on these extensive excursions into other fields is a bit annoying because it makes it harder to evaluate the argument. Probably The Miracle of Language, by Charlton Laird. Prem, 1953, SOc.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the PSA test at the conventional cut-off value of 4 ng/ml.

DESIGN
Retrospective study.

SETTING
Nairobi Hospital Laboratory, Nairobi.

DATA SOURCE
Results of serum Prostate specific Antigen (PSA), estimation and prostate histology specimens at the Nairobi Hospital Laboratory between January 1997 and December 1999.

RESULTS
A total of 3309 PSA tests and 524 prostate biopsies were processed during the study period. One hundred cases had both PSA test and histology, where the PSA test was done before the surgical procedure. Forty nine of them had histological diagnosis of cancer of prostate (CAP) while 71 had benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). There was considerable overlap in the PSA concentrations between the two groups, the ranges being 0.34-36 ng/ml and 1.78-4339 ng/ml for BPH and CAP respectively. 63.4% of BPH subjects had PSA concentrations above the 4 ng/ml threshold value; 29.6% being in the diagnostic gray zone of 4-10 ng/ml. In contrast only 6% of CAP subjects had PSA values in the gray zone. Using the 4 ng/ml cut-off, the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the PSA test were 89.8, 37 and 49% respectively.

CONCLUSION
Although PSA is a sensitive test, it is not sufficiently specific to discriminate between BPH and CAP at intermediate values. Additional approaches are required to enhance its specificity for CAP screening without reducing the sensitivity.


The distribution and use of the pelagic habitat by sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) is generally poorly understood in Western Australia. However, a variety of data are becoming available to researchers via online portals from where records of historical expeditions, commercial whaling operations, and modern scientific research voyages can be accessed. Crowdsourcing these data from online sources allows collation of presence/absence information of offshore animals such as sperm whales and provides a valuable tool to help augment areas of poor research effort and fill in the gaps identifying critical habitat in the region. Four data sources were examined, the primary one being the Voyage of the Odyssey expedition, a five-year global study of sperm whales and ocean pollution. From December 2001-May 2002, researchers surveyed 5200 nautical miles off Western Australia including historical whaling grounds off Albany and the Perth Canyon, an area previously known for pygmy blue whale distribution, using acoustic techniques to obtain 57 tissue biopsies. To augment areas not surveyed by the RV Odyssey, historical Yankee whaling data, commercial whaling data, and citizen science reports of sperm whale sightings were used. We found that the submarine canyons off Albany and Perth provide important habitat for sperm whales. Recent management measures implemented by the Australian government in this region are evaluated with respect to sperm whales.


Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) crack growth testing has been performed on the polycrystalline superalloy IN792. All tests were conducted in mechanical strain control in the temperature range between 100 and 750 °C. The influence of in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) TMF cycles was investigated as well as the influence of applying extended dwell times (up to 6 hours) at the maximum temperature. The crack growth rates were also evaluated based on linear elastic fracture mechanics and described as a function of the stress intensity factor K I . Without dwell time at the maximum temperature, the crack growth rates are generally higher for the OP-TMF cycle compared to the IP-TMF cycle, when equivalent nominal strain ranges are compared. However, due to the fact that the tests were conducted in mechanical strain control, the stress response is very different for the IP and OP cycles. Also the crack closure level differs significantly between the cycle types. By taking the stress response into account and comparing the crack growth rates for equivalent effective stress intensity factor rages Δ K eff defined as K max − K closure , very similar crack growth rates were actually noticed independent of whether an IP or OP cycle were used. While the introduction of a 6 hour dwell time significantly increased the crack growth rates for the IP-TMF cycle, a decrease in crack growth rates versus Δ K eff were actually seen for the OP-TMF cycle. The fracture behaviour during the different test conditions has been investigated using scanning electron microscopy.


Preview: Local anesthetics are warranted whenever a clinical procedure causes pain that could be eliminated by their use. Their effectiveness is influenced by many factors, particularly the choice of agent and the technique of administration. The authors discuss the clinical uses and advantages of common local anesthetics and describe three techniques used in the primary care setting: topical application, local infiltration, and field block. Smith DW, Peterson MR, DeBerard SC. Local anesthesia: topical application, local infiltration, and field block. Postgrad Med 1999;106(2):57-66 Search


Purpose To evaluate clinical results in elderly and frail patients with bladder cancer treated with curative conformal irradiation alone. Methods The records of ambulatory frail elderly patients, age >80 years, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) >5, with invasive bladder cancer, were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were irradiated with curative intent. Acute and late toxicities were evaluated. Results A total of 27 ambulatory patients were treated. Median age was 84.5 years and a median CCI of 6.5 was recorded. Median delivered radiation dose was 64 Gy. All patients completed the planned treatment. Grade 1-2 gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities were observed in 55.5% of patients (15/27). At the last follow-up, no late G3+ toxicities have been observed, with G1-2 toxicities reported in 11.1% of patients (3/27). Higher values of CCI were associated with higher acute GU/GI toxicities; there was a correlation between CCI and acute GU toxicity (r = 0.43, p = 0.027). The mean survival time was 23.5 months (95% confidence interval 20.9-26.1) and no median was reached. Locoregional disease-free events and metastasis-free survival showed a 2-year actuarial rate of 90% and 87%, respectively, with an actuarial 2-year overall survival of 84.5%. Conclusions Our results demonstrate safety and feasibility of curative radiation therapy in very elderly and frail patients with bladder cancer using 3D conformal radiation therapy.


With the recent broad acceptance of body worn cameras (BWC) for police departments, there is an increased need to perform video analytics for this domain. However, body worn cameras pose several challenges including severe motion blur, barrel camera distortion from wide angle lenses, close proximity and odd viewing angles, and poor lighting conditions. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of several state of the art face detection approaches including Aggregate Channel Features [1] and Faster R-CNN [2] and show their limitations in this domain. We then describe how face detection can be improved for BWC by corroborating information from body parts detection. We design a system using 0–1 linear integer programming to optimize the matching of body parts detections for each person in the scene and to maximize the hit rate of faces with supporting evidence. By leveraging information from body parts detection, we are able to improve the average precision by nearly two percent.


Coastal sedimentation along Nova Scotia's eastern shore is dominated by a rising sea level, restricted drumlin sediment supply, and inherited glacial topography. Evolution of barrier systems follows a 500-1,000 year cyclic sequence of: (1) generation from marine erosion of glacial deposits, (2) transgression resulting from ongoing sea level rise and depletion of original sediment sources, and (3) landward removal following an estuarine retreat path to new sites of reconstruction. The dominant sediment transfer mechanism operating during this transgressive cycle is landward dispersal by tidal inlet, overwash, and eolian process. Vibrocore, surface sampling, marine geophysics, and underwater photography were used to investigate the potential for eastern shore coastal deposits to be incorporated into the shelf stratigraphic record. High-resolution seismic profiles from the inner continental shelf reveal a lower acoustic unit interpreted as Wisconsinan glacial deposits. Overlying the lower unit is a discontinuous upper unit 1-2 m thick, which occupies topographic depressions and is composed of sand, silty sand, and a coarse gravel lag. Side-scan sonar and underwater photographs show large gravel ripples covering the upper acoustic unit in water up to 30 m deep. The upper acoustic unit is interpreted as the remnants of reworked coastal barriers, drumlins, and till. Transgressive sedimentation on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia, therefore, conforms to the concept of shoreface retreat. Coastal sediments here are poorly preserved, except in linear shelf valleys, because of a high-energy wave climate and prior landward transfer into tidal deltas, washovers, and associated back-barriers deposits. End_of_Article - Last_Page 261------------


A novel natural rubber/silk fibroin (NR/SF) antibacterial composite was prepared firstly by using bombyx mori silk fibroin as the antimicrobial filler through latex compounding techniques. The results from scanning electron microscopy and universal tensile machine proved that the compatibility between SF and NR matrix is excellent, and the tensile strength of composite sheets is enhanced to some extent. NR/SF antibacterial composite sheets have a good antimicrobial effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the suitable loading of SF is 0.5~1 wt% according to the results above.


A single-chip conductometric gas sensor system fabricated in industrial CMOS-technology with post-CMOS micromachining is presented, which comprises a tin dioxide-covered microhotplate, a digital temperature controller (200-350/spl deg/C/spl plusmn/2/spl deg/C), a logarithmic converter for the tin dioxide resistor and a serial interface. All necessary driving circuitry and A/D conversion units were realized on chip. The chip communication is handled with an I2C digital standard interface. Gas tests evidenced a detection limit below 1 ppm for carbon monoxide.


This is the last part of a three-part paper regarding performance analysis and optimization of a centrifugal compressor used in a 100 kW microturbine. This part deals with the numerical constrained optimization of the diffuser apparatus (i.e. the radial and deswirl cascades) for maximum aerodynamic efficiency and pressure recovery. The optimization is accomplished through the application of a multiobjective Pareto evolutionary algorithm which is interfaced to a parametric code, that generates the geometries to be analyzed, and a Computational Fluid Dynamics code that measures the fitness of the candidate solutions. The variables of the optimization include the main dimensions of diffuser (with a constraint on the overall radial and axial size) and the profiles' shape. The set of optimized configurations is illustrated and compared to the original one; the reason of improved performance are finally discussed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME


Introduction: Autologous bone transplantation is a standard procedure in dentoalveolar surgery for filling bone defects prior to implant placement. Information about bone perfusion is essential in the assessment of bone donor and recipient sites. A valid assessment of tissue microcirculation is possible without applying an invasive technique. Until now, it has been impossible to measure bone perfusion as part of a non-invasive procedure. Materials and Methods: Bone perfusion was determined for two augmentation procedures, both during the procedure and three months later. In one case, the graft and the recipient site were measured (mental bone graft), in the other, measurements were taken only at the time of augmentation (pelvic bone graft). It was measure in 2mm depth the relative blood flow, the venous oxygen saturation of haemoglobin and the regional haemoglobin concentration Results: Flow, SO2 and rHb could be determined about the whole course of the intervention. Above all the comparison between the augmentation and the control after 3 months could occur. The values were consistent with the clinical situation and allowed an assessment of perfusion. Conclusion: The measurements taken on the two patients have shown that the probe is well suited to measure local circulation in bones. It was possible to measure bone perfusion at all times. The method can be declared safe and practicable. It was demonstrated that this non-invasive method of measuring bone perfusion provides reproducible data that offer information on the perfusion of the graft and the recipient site at any time during the procedure and thus provide a valid assessment of vitality.


Fiduciary duties in corporate law are pervasive, but courts tend to be very deferential to directors. Courts are right to be reluctant to make substantive business decisions, but they would be wrong to refuse to decide cases when the circumstances require. In this address, I offer two proposals to help empower the courts to review directors' decisions when necessary. First, I suggest that courts should consider being more liberal with injunctive and declaratory relief. In this way, courts could more clearly set forth the law without the risk of ruinous liability. Second, I suggest that courts should pay more attention to the larger issues involved rather than focus on the specific facts of the case. Because courts are extremely reluctant to accuse directors of bad faith, too great an emphasis on the facts of the case causes courts to search sympathetically for justifications of director behavior. By comparison, a greater emphasis on the rule will allow courts to find that the behavior in question is unacceptable without necessarily labeling the directors as bad actors. In other words, we can empower the courts by allowing them to say, "no—this is a bad idea," rather than requiring them to say, "no—you are a bad person."


The alternative current driven light emitting diode (AC-LED) lighting system has attracted a great deal of attention because of the high luminous efficiency and the simple electric circuit. However, this system causes the unacceptable flicker due to rapid fluctuations in the voltage of the power supply. In order to compensate the flicker effect in AC-LED, we proposed the use of yellow persistent luminescent garnet phosphors. The time evolution of luminescence intensity measurement of Ce3+ and Cr3+ co-doped Gd3Al2Ga3O12 phosphor using a modulated blue laser diode was performed. From this measurement, the flicker percent of Ce3+ and Cr3+ co-doped Gd3Al2Ga3O12 phosphor is calculated and showed to be about 60%. This result demonstrated that persistent phosphor is expected to solve the problem of flicker caused in AC-driven LED lighting system.


The aim of this study is to examine the effect of student-centered listening-speaking activities developed by the researcher on Turkish listening and speaking skills of bilingual Arabian students. In the study, control group experimental design was applied. The subjects were a group of Arabianic 6th graders at a secondary school in Bitlis, Turkey. Students in the experimental group (n=20) were given a total of 24 hours of training which took 12 weeks for 2 hours per week in the spring semester of the 2018-2019 academic year, utilizing listening-speaking training activities developed by the researcher. On the other hand in the control group (n=18), training was provided in accordance with the education curriculum of the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) within the specified period. Listening Skills Self-Assessment Scale (LSSAS) and Turkish Speaking Skills Scale (TSSS) were used to collect pretest and post-test data. The Listening Skills Self-Assessment Scale (LSSAS), was completed by the students in the pre/posttest. The Turkish Speaking Skills Scale (LSSS) was completed by the researchers in the pretest and post-test while the students were making their speech. Based on the results of independent samples t-test, it was concluded that the listening-speaking training carried out with the student-centered activities positively affected the Turkish speaking and listening skills of the bilingual Arabian students.


The Mygatt-Moore Quarry is a deposit of several thousand dinosaur bones in the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation in western Colorado. The site has been worked for more than 30 years and nearly 2400 mapped specimens have been collected. This study gathered data about the quarry from many sources to investigate the origin of the deposit. The Mygatt-Moore Quarry appears to be an attritional deposit of a relatively restricted diversity of dinosaurs, with few other non-dinosaurian taxa, that accumulated in a vernal pool deposit in an overbank setting. Bone modification was mostly by corrosion and breakage by trampling; scavenging was abundant. The paleofauna is dominated by Allosaurus and Apatosaurus (MNI and NIS), with the polacanthid ankylosaur Mymoorapelta less common. The matrix of the main quarry layer includes abundant carbonized fragments of plant material, and the mud during the time of deposition may have been often at least damp and occasionally acidic and dysoxic. The Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is a close correlate of the Mygatt-Moore Quarry in terms of lithology and taphonomy, but demonstrates significant differences upon close inspection of matrix details and bone modification. Large quarries of fine-grained facies in the Morrison Formation possess a very different preservation mode as well as different taxon and relative abundance profiles from those in coarser sediments, which suggests that more may be learned in the future from taphofacies study of large quarries in mudstone beds.


Nowhere in chapter 13 of the General Theory does Keynes state that his initial, introductory, Liquidity Preference equation determine the rate of interest. He states that there are two factors that determine the rate of interest. Unfortunately, the neoclassical theory of the rate of interest is based only on one of the two factors. It is therefore necessary to discuss the second factor in detail. This is done in chapter 15. Chapter 13 is thus an introductory chapter that introduces the concept of Liquidity preference. Unfortunately, economists, such as Millikan, Viner, and Hansen, ignored Keynes's ten pages of analysis and took the L=M(r) equation on page 168 completely out of context, even though Keynes explicitly introduced Y, national (aggregate) income, where Y=C I, so that I=S, as a reason why decision makers would hold money balances on pp.170-171 of the GT. Keynes's introductory analysis of the rate of interest was thus reduced to a one liner –L=M(r) - by the vast majority of economists. Current views of Keynes's contributions in the GT amount to a jumble of conflicting stories, tall tales, myths, fables, fairy tales, claims and concoctions that have been passed down from the 1930's. For instance, one fable is that there could never be any IS-LP(LM) model in the GT because Keynes was a partial equilibrium, Marshallian, anti formalist, methodologist who would never, ever, use a formal set of simultaneous, mathematical, equations in any analysis because this would be a Walrasian, general equilibrium approach which Keynes had condemned. The vast majority of these fables are related to phony claims that were spread by Joan Robinson, who, supposedly, knew what Keynes was doing because she was a close collaborator who worked with Keynes in the writing of the GT. Actually, Joan Robinson never knew what Keynes was doing because she was mathematical illiterate. She never collaborated with or worked with him on the writing of the GT. A careful reading of her 1953 contribution, "A Lecture Delivered at Oxford by A Cambridge Economist", provides all the evidence one needs to support the conclusion that she had no idea about the nature of Keynes's GT contribution. She was a draft reader who completely overlooked the clearly specified four equation, formal, simultaneous, mathematical, IS-LP(LM) model in the 1934 draft copy of the GT. If she had been able to follow this analysis, then she would have realized that Keynes's GT is based directly on the IS-LP(LM) model with uncertainty integrated as a shift parameter in chapter 21 in Sections IV, V and VI of the GT. The IS-LP(LM) model, supported by the microeconomic, optimizing, expectations D-Z model of chapter 20, is the central contribution of Keynes's GT.


Short Abstract: Singapore public financial data has large unreconciled financial discrepancies.Long Abstract: Financial data reported by Temasek Holdings and Singapore reveal problematic characteristics. First, Temasek reports an average annual return of 16% for 40 years despite Singaporean and global stock returns averaging less than 8% during this same time period. Given the range of stock market returns and its portfolio companies' returns, it is difficult to reconcile claimed returns. Second, Singapore has become one of the most indebted countries in the world despite supposedly running large and sustained government surpluses. Given publicly available economic data on Singaporean finances, there is an expected asset gap of more than $800 billion SGD unaccounted for from historical surpluses and financing operations when factoring in claimed interest. Third, given total Singaporean net incurrence of liabilities plus operational surpluses since 1974 of $822 billion SGD and balance sheet holdings of $834 billion SGD, the returns claimed by Temasek and GIC cannot be reconciled. This leaves a few scenarios. Either financial returns have been drastically overstated, there are large unreported Singaporean asset holdings, or significant unreported financial leakages have reduced investment capital.


To investigate the association between NAT2 genotypes and the incidence of isoniazid (INH)-induced adverse reactions, in the hope of identifying a pharmacogenetic approach that could be useful in the prediction and prevention of adverse reactions in Japanese patients, we retrospectively studied the genotypes of NAT2 in 102 Japanese patients treated with INH (without rifampicin co-administration). The subjects were classified into three groups according to their genotypes: rapid-type, intermediate-type, and slow-type. The clinical conditions of the patients were followed-up in order to evaluate the development of any adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and correlate them with patient genotypes. Six out of the 102 patients (5.9%) developed various ADRs following INH treatment. These reactions included nausea/vomiting, fever, visual impairment, and peripheral neuritis. We found a statistically significant difference between the incidence of ADRs and NAT2 genotype. The incidence of ADRs was significantly higher in the slow type than in the other two types, as 5 out of the 6 ADR patients were of the slow-type, and the other one was of the intermediate-type, while no patients of the rapid-type developed any ADRs. The results indicated that the genes coding for slow acetylation were associated with the incidence of serious ADRs following INH treatment. Our findings suggest that determination of NAT2 genotype might be clinically useful in the evaluation of patients at high risk of developing ADRs induced by INH.


The issues of nutrition and fertilization of meadow phytocenosis with the emphasis on the production effectiveness and economic effectiveness were observed at the low, medium and high intensity of fertilization using artificial fertilizers. The obtained results are based on the research of valley meadows (series A), mountainous meadows (series B) and semi-natural and additionally sown and ploughed mountainous meadows (series C). In series A, in the observed period, the production effectiveness reached 14.93–23.76 kg of hay and the economic effectiveness reached 1.07–1.43 €. The higher production effectiveness and economic effectiveness are produced by doses of nutrients in the ratio N : P : K – 1 : 0.35 : 0.5. The highest production effectiveness and economic effectiveness were determined in variants fertilized by lower doses of artificial fertilizers (variants 7 and 12). The influence of PK and NPK nutrients on the production effectiveness and economic effectiveness of fertilization of different grasslands in different altitudes was observed in series B: the higher the altitude (from 350 to 850 meters above the sea level), the lower the indicators of production and economic effectiveness of artificial fertilizers. In series C, the loss of phosphoric and potassic nutrition is represented by higher inputs than outputs. Semi-natural grasslands and ploughed grasslands fertilized by medium and high intensity of NPK fertilizers (var.3–90 N kg*ha-1 + PK a var.4–180 N kg*ha-1 + PK) are economically effective.


Abstract : Global tensions and threats such as terrorist acts continue to pressure America's effort to provide peace and stability to regions around the world. Consequently, military leaders have traditionally been called to protect American interests at home and abroad. Today's Army is faced with the important task of producing competent leaders who can successfully accomplish America's worldwide endeavor to combat the contemporary challenges it faces. Yet, the process of developing individuals into consummate leaders requires a great deal of time, planning, resourcing, and a collection of skilled cadre. Illustrating the meaningful development of victorious wartime leaders is one way to educate today's aspiring leaders. General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General George S. Patton Jr. demonstrated superb leadership in World War II. Their childhood upbringing, military education, Army assignments, as well as the mentoring they received during the interwar period essentially strengthened their development, making them triumphant leaders. Therefore, Eisenhower and Patton's leadership growth, coupled with their personal determination to become successful commanders in World War II, is an indispensable model and a valuable lesson for today's leaders.


Background : Evaluation is one of the essential parts of education.  Before the academic year 2003, only final examination was used to evaluate students' knowledge in Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. Objective : To compare students' knowledge in diagnostic radiology between pre- and post-learning periods. Subject and Method : All the fifth-year medical students in the academic year 2003 were divided into 12 groups (10-15 per group), total 156 students.  Each group rotated to attend in diagnostic radiology for 2 weeks.  Each student was evaluated by pre- and post-tests which were the same test. Result : One hundred and fifty-two students (97.43%) showed improvement in their knowledge.  The average score of the pre-test was 6.8, while that of the post-test was 10.91.  There was no relationship between the score and final grade, except 4 students who got same score from the tests.  They also got low score from the final examination, both theory and practice sections. Conclusion : Students had more knowledge in diagnostic radiology after learning.


Abstract Large scale atomistic simulations are used to investigate the properties of screw dislocation dipoles in copper. Spontaneous annihilation is observed for dipole heights less than 1 nm. Equilibrated dipoles of heights larger than 1 nm adopt a skew configuration due to the elastic anisotropy of Cu. The equilibrium splitting width of the screw dislocations decreases with decreasing dipole height, as expected from elasticity theory. The energy barriers, and corresponding transition states for annihilation of stable dipoles are determined for straight and for flexible dislocations for dipole heights up to 5.2 nm. In both cases the annihilation is initiated by cross-slip of one of the dislocations. For straight dislocations the activation energy shows a linear dependence on the inverse dipole height, and for flexible dislocations the dependence is roughly linear for the dipoles investigated.


Surface plasmon resonance is a very well-established surface sensitive technique for label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions, generating thousands of publications each year. An inconvenient effect that complicates interpretation of SPR results is the "bulk response" from molecules in solution, which generate signals without really binding to the surface. Here we present a physical model for determining the bulk response contribution and verify its accuracy. Our method does not require a reference channel or a separate surface region. We show that proper subtraction of the bulk response reveals an interaction between poly(ethylene glycol) brushes and the protein lysozyme at physiological conditions. Importantly, we also show that the bulk response correction method implemented in commercial instruments is not generally accurate. Using our method, the equilibrium affinity between polymer and protein is determined to be KD = 200 μM. One reason for the weak affinity is that the interaction is relatively short-lived (1/koff < 30 s). Furthermore, we show that the bulk response correction also reveals the dynamics of self-interactions between lysozyme molecules on surfaces. Besides providing new insights on important biomolecular interactions, our method can be widely applied to improve the accuracy of SPR data generated by instruments worldwide.


Microstructure and mechanical properties of epoxy resin/carbon black composites synthesized by in situ condensation polymerization of monomers in the presence of carbon black particles were investigated. SEM observation showed that carbon black particles were well dispersed in the epoxy resin matrix. The composite with 1 wt. % carbon black had the electrical resistivity of approximately 108.7 Ω•cm. The composites exhibited an a percolation threshold at carbon black content about 4 wt.%, indicating the existence of a path of percolation by connecting carbon black particles. Bending strength dramatically increased to a maximum value of 133.4MPa and then slowly decreased with content of carbon black increasing. Shore hardness increased gradually with content of carbon black and came to 23.3HD at carbon black 10 wt.%.


The burgeoning eld of genomics, and in particular microarray experiments, have revived interest in both discriminant and cluster analysis, by raising new methodological and computational challenges. The present paper discusses applications of resampling methods to problems in cluster analysis. A resampling method, known as bagging in discriminant analysis, is applied to increase clustering accuracy and to assess the con dence of cluster assignments for individual observations. A novel prediction-based resampling method is also proposed to estimate the number of clusters, if any, in a dataset. The performance of the proposed and existing methods are compared using simulated data and gene expression data from four recently published cancer microarray studies.


Worldwide, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the leading causes of lower respiratory tract infections in children and older adults. Currently, an antiviral drug ribavirin and RSV neutralizing monoclonal antibodypalivizumab are the only relief options. However, efficacy, cost and adverse effects are the problems associated with them. Nanotechnology has significantly contributed in the medicine, especially, drug delivery. Nano-encapsulation of drugs provides the advantage of longer retention and controlled release. RSV infects the host cells by F protein mediated cell membrane fusion. Chemical or protein fusion inhibitors that block this vital step of RSV infection are currently explored. In this study, we synthesized the biodegradable nanoparticles by double emulsion method, firstly we encapsulated RSV F protein derived RF482 peptide (a fusion inhibitor) with poly [lactic acid-glycolic acid] (PLGA) and then by chitosan. The size and shape of nanoparticles were determined by electron microscopy and differential light scattering. Charges were analyzed by measuring the zeta potential. Cytotoxic concentration of these nanoparticles for HEp-2 cell lines was determined by MTT assay. Fluorescence microscopy showed the attachment of nanoparticles on the HEp-2 cells. Our study showed that, the mucoadhesive chitosan-PLGA nanoparticles (without RF482 peptide) contribute in RSV inhibition. However, the RF482 peptide encapsulated chitosan-PLGA nanoparticles treatment showed higher RSV inhibition than the unloaded nanoparticles.


The farm financial crisis, combined with deregulation of the U.S. banking system, has created a new environment within which the Farm Credit System competes. Despite their unique business clientele, the Banks for Cooperatives (BCs) have been adversely affected by this changed environment. In 1987, the BCs requested an economic analysis of possible consolidation alternatives, with emphasis on the economies of size they might achieve. Summary results of that analysis are presented here. A 47 basis point reduction in interest rates charged borrowers was estimated to result from a total consolidation of the BCs.


The conformation of native pertussis toxin has been investigated by secondary structure prediction and by circular dichroism, fluorescence and second-derivative ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The far-ultraviolet circular dichroic spectrum is characteristic of a protein of high P-sheet and low a-helix content. This is also shown by an analysis of the circular dichroic spectrum with the Contin programme which indicates that the toxin possesses 53% P-sheet, 10% a-helix and 37% P-turnlloop secondary structure. Second-derivative ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy suggests that 34 tyrosine residues are solvent-exposed and quenching of tryptophan fluorescence emission has shown that 4 tryptophan residues are accessible to iodide ions. One of these tryptophans appears to be in close proximity to a positively charged side-chain, since only 3 tryptophans are accessible to caesium ion fluorescence quenching. When excited at 280 nm, the emission spectrum contains a significant contribution from tyrosine fluorescence, which may be a consequence of the high proportion (55%) of surfaceexposed tyrosines. No changes in the circular dichroic spectra of the toxin were found in the presence of the substrate NAD. However, NAD did quench both tyrosine and tryptophan fluorescence emission but did not change the shape of the emission spectrum, or the accessibility of the tryptophans to either the ionic fluorescence quenchers or the neutral quencher acrylamide.


Emaravirus (Order Bunyavirales; Family Fimoviridae) is a genus comprising over 20 emerging plant viruses with a worldwide distribution and economic impact. Emaraviruses infect a variety of host plants and have especially become prevalent in important long-living woody plants. These viruses are enveloped, with a segmented, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genome and are transmitted by eriophyid mites or mechanical transmission. Emaraviruses have four core genome segments encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, a glycoprotein precursor, a nucleocapsid protein, and a movement protein. They also have additional genome segments, whose number varies widely. We report here that the proteins encoded by these segments form three main homology groups: a homolog of the sadwavirus Glu2 Pro glutamic protease; a protein involved in pathogenicity, which we named "ABC"; and a protein of unknown function, which we named "P55". The distribution of these proteins parallels the emaravirus phylogeny and suggests, with other analyses, that emaraviruses should be split into at least two genera. Reliable diagnosis systems are urgently needed to detect emaraviruses, assess their economic and ecological importance, and take appropriate measures to prevent their spread (such as routine testing, hygiene measures, and control of mite vectors). Additional research needs include understanding the function of emaravirus proteins, breeding resistant plants, and clarifying transmission modes.


The use of fecal steroid analysis to assess gonadal and adrenal function in primates has rapidly increased in recent years due to the ability to collect feces from nonhuman primates living in wild conditions. These techniques offer an exciting new potential for enhancing our knowledge of the endocrine status of free‐living animals. Prior to using these techniques under field conditions, it is important to determine the diurnal variation of fecal excreted steroids for assessing possible time limitations on fecal collections. The following study investigates the diurnal frequency of defecation and patterns of steroid levels excreted in feces from four female common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, living in a family group. These females represented three reproductive conditions: early pregnancy, ovarian cycling, and noncycling (postpubertal). Cortisol, estradiol, and progesterone were extracted and analyzed by enzyme immunoassay. Diurnal variations in steroid levels were found by ANOVA for cortisol and progesterone but not for estradiol. Significantly higher levels of cortisol were found in the afternoon, while the reverse was found for progesterone. All females showed the same pattern of steroid level change, except for cortisol in the pregnant female. Since all females defecated within the first hour after they awoke in the morning, this time was determined to be the most effective time to collect feces. The consistency of our findings reinforces the usefulness of this approach for studying reproductive and adrenocortical function in marmosets and also indicates that fecal collection should be limited to either morning or afternoon collections. Am. J. Primatol. 46:105–117, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


While it is common for individuals to have concerns about their appearance, individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) experience a marked distress that often results in time-consuming rituals, social anxiety, and depression among other debilitating effects. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a severe and debilitating disorder that is characterized by a perceived physical defect that causes significant impairments in everyday functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). BDD was first mention in the late 1800's (Morselli, 1891). It was described as dysmorphophobia and referred to a strong emotional response (e.g. anxiety) to certain changes in physical appearance. Body dysmorphic disorder was not mentioned again until the advent of the third Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM III), in which BDD was listed as a somotaform disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1987). While BDD remains classified as a somotaform disorder in the current edition of the DSM (DSM IV-TR), more recently it has been conceptualized as an obsessive-compulsive related disorder (OCRD). Like other OCRD, BDD involves symptoms of obsessions and compulsions.


ABSTRACT Osteoarthritis (OA) is typically managed in late stages by replacement of the articular cartilage surface with a prosthesis as an effective, though undesirable outcome. As an alternative, hydrogel implants or growth factor treatments are currently of great interest in the tissue engineering community, and scaffold materials are often designed to emulate the mechanical and chemical composition of mature extracellular matrix (ECM) tissue. However, scaffolds frequently fail to capture the structure and organization of cartilage. Additionally, many current scaffold designs do not mimic processes by which structurally sound cartilage is formed during musculoskeletal development. The objective of this review is to highlight methods that investigate cartilage ontogenesis with native and model systems in the context of regenerative medicine. Specific emphasis is placed on the use of cartilage explant cultures that provide a physiologically relevant microenvironment to study tissue assembly and development. Ex vivo cartilage has proven to be a cost-effective and accessible model system that allows researchers to control the culture conditions and stimuli and perform proteomics and imaging studies that are not easily possible using in vivo experiments, while preserving native cell–matrix interactions. We anticipate our review will promote a developmental biology approach using explanted tissues to guide cartilage tissue engineering and inform new treatment methods for OA and joint damage.


Metabolism of serotonin was studied in duodenum of rabbits in acute kidney ischemia (from 15 min to 1 hr). Estimations of serotonin and 5-hydroxy indolacetic acid content and the activities of 5-hydroxytryptophane decarboxylase (5-HTD) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) using serotonin as a substrate were carried out. A complicated phase dynamics in the intestine of main patterns of serotonin metabolism was observed in acute kidney ischemia. Within the ischemic period content of serotonin and the MAO activity correlated with the activity of 5-HTD in the duodenal tissue. The alterations in the activity of MAO from intestine suggest that this enzyme was especially important in the serotonin metabolic conversions studied.


Interior Point methods for Nonlinear Programming have been extensively used to solve the Optimal Power Flow problem. These optimization algorithms require the solution of a set of nonlinear equations to obtain the optimal solution of the power network equations. During the iterative process to solve these equations, the search for the optimum is based on the combination of two directions: the affine-scaling and the centralization. In this work, it is shown that the suitable combination of these directions can increase the potential of the optimization algorithm in terms of speed and reliability. Real size and test networks are used to assess the performance of the presented methods. KeywordsInterior Point Methods, Nonlinear Programming, Nonlinear Systems, Optimal Power Flow, Optimization Methods, Power Systems.


This paper investigates the reservoir architecture of thin interlayer within meandering river monosandbody in the thick-bedded oil layers. The thin interlayer within the monosandbody of the terrestrial reservoir is one of the dominant factors which form the reservoir heterogeneity of fluid motion. It is of equal importance in comparison with the rhythmic distribution of permeability, and it is also the important content of the elaborate representation of reservoirs. However, previous researches of the heterogeneity of reservoir focus mostly on the theory of distribution disparity of the permeability and neglect the influence of thin interlayer on the heterogeneity. Therefore, taking the PⅠ2 individual reservoir at the Putaohua reservoir formation in Daqing oilfield as an example, this paper analyzes the distribution, formation, and the three-dimensional construction of the internal thin interlayer of the monosandbody from a new point of view, on the basis of which a set of cycle research technique about it is put forward. With the method of configuration parameter extraction, which is most important before establishing interlayer configuration in three dimensions, this study clarifies the classification, causes of formation and the differences of distinct monosandbodies. Ultimately, four categories of thin interlayer according to the characteristics of the studied area is divided and two dominate causes for thin interlayer formation is discussed: argillaceous and arenaceous rock interlayer through deposition and interlayer in process of sedimentary diagenesis.For the convenience of the study, here mainly focuses on the thick - thin interlayer. Techniques are taken the use of determining the obliquity of the thin interlayer superface based on the configuration of paired wells and abandoned channel surface. The causes for thin interlayer and their classification, distribution and the three-dimensional construction are entirely revealed, which would possess important geologic meaning for taking affective engineering measures in the aspects of the elaborate representation of oil reservoir, and the research of remaining oil formation and distribution.


Objective: In developing countries, sputum smear microscopy is the main tool for pulmonary tuberculosis case finding. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of Gabbett's staining (GS) and modified cold staining (MCS), both of which are two-step methods, in comparison with that of fluorescent staining (FS), which is a three-step method, for the detection of AFB in sputum smears. Methods: Our sample comprised 260 sputum samples collected from individuals suspected of having pulmonary tuberculosis at Kasturba Hospital, in Manipal, India. Smears were prepared in triplicate: one each for FS, MCS, and GS. The smears were randomly numbered so that the examiner was blinded to the sample identities. Results: Of the 260 samples, 16 (6.15%), 15 (5.77%), and 13 (5.00%) showed positive AFB results with FS, MCS, and GS, respectively. The sensitivity of GS and MCS, in comparison with that of FS, was 81.25% and 93.75%, respectively. The concordance of GS and MCS with FS was good (0.988 and 0.996, respectively), and no statistically significant differences were found. Conclusions: Although MCS and GS were found to be less sensitive than was FS, which is evaluated under fluorescence microscopy, the first two are promising methods for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.


This paper explores how revenue-neutral tax reforms impact employment and economic growth in a model of endogenous growth and search frictions on the labor market. We analyze how savings and the incentive to create new jobs are affected by tax swaps between wage income taxes, payroll taxes, capital income taxes and taxes levied on capital costs. In our framework, the payroll tax is found to be neutral. If this tax is used to finance a cut in the capital income tax, we will observe an increase in both growth and, via the capitalization effect, employment. Most other tax reforms, however, imply a trade-off between employment and growth.


There are a number of different ways you can receive financial support to help pay for the cost of care


Background: Teaching is an important professional role for most faculty members in academic health sciences centres. Careful delineation of educational workload is needed to foster and reward teaching efforts, and to facilitate equitable allocation of resources. Aims: To promote recognition in teaching and facilitate equitable resource allocation, we developed, piloted, and qualitatively assessed a tool for delineating the educational workload of pediatric faculty in an academic health sciences centre. Methods: A prototype educational workload measurement tool was developed. Between 2002 and 2004, three successive phases of pilot implementation were conducted to (1) assess the face validity of the tool, (2) assess its feasibility, and (3) develop and assess the feasibility of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) version. Participants were interviewed regarding strengths, weaknesses, and barriers to completion. Data were analyzed for recurrent themes. Results: Faculty found that the tool was usable and represented a broad range of educational activities. The PDA format was easier to use and better received. Technical support would be imperative for long-term implementation. The greatest barriers to implementation were skepticism about the purpose of the tool and concerns that it would promote quantity over quality of teaching. Conclusion: We developed a usable tool to capture data on the diverse educational workload of pediatric faculty. PDA technology can be used to facilitate collection of workload data. Faculty skepticism is an important barrier that should be addressed in future work.


This paper focuses on frequency and spatial domain scheduling in a frequency division duplex (FDD) Long Term Evolution - Advanced (LTE-A) system for the uplink direction. First we present a single-user (SU) channel-dependent scheduling (CDS) algorithm for continuous bandwidth allocation. There, we introduce a parameter to adjust the distribution of the user throughput without any loss in system performance. This is done as a preparation for the main contribution of this paper where we take advantage of the fact that a base station (BS) in LTE-A will be equipped with two ore more receive antennas by exploiting virtual multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) through multi-user (MU) scheduling. We take the output of the SU-algorithm and group additional user in a second spatial layer to increase the system throughput. Note that our proposed MU algorithm requires a SU scheduler considering the continuous bandwidth constraint for assigned resources per user, because we do not change scheduling decisions made by the SU algorithm. The evaluation in this paper is done by extensive system level simulations in a third generation partnership project (3GPP) conform multi-cell scenario, assuming both SU and full MU interference. Numerical results show that our MU-algorithm improves the system throughput by 25-50 % compared to SU scheduling in uplink.


This is the first book-length study of Marx's concept of the alternative to capitalism. It shows that his critique of capital flowed from a commitment to a specific vision of the kind of human relations that define a new society.


Solar illuminance has become an important task in recent years as a new way of energy saving within the building sector. Incorporation and employ of new more efficient windows and light pipes in buildings require accurate information of external solar illuminance levels for a proper design. Unfortunately, illuminance data is not measured as often as solar radiation and therefore luminous efficacy models must be used. A large amount of these models are based on the empirical relationship existing between the components of luminous efficacy and the corresponding components of solar radiation, i.e. direct, diffuse and global. However, these relationships seem to be non-linear and site specific. In this article, the performance of five illuminance models to estimate clear-sky solar global and diffuse illuminances is analyzed. Experimental values of irradiance and illuminance have been obtained from a solar radiation station sited at the Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development of the National Observatory of Athens (Athens, Greece). Results have shown that illuminance models based on solar geometry variables alone seem to exhibit a noted locality. Inclusion of radiometric variables is thus needed to improve illuminance estimation. This characteristic is noted for both diffuse and global components.


We present a continuum solvent model (CSM) with a smooth cavity for the application in grid-based electronic structure methods. The cavity is identified with the inherently smooth distribution function of a binary mixture at infinite dilution. We obtain a cavity model based on atomic van der Waals radii and one free parameter controlling the overall size. This single parameter is sufficient to adequately reproduce experimental partial molar volumes. The CSM based on this cavity is of similar accuracy in the prediction of aqueous solvation Gibbs energies of small neutral molecules and ions as other CSMs with a smooth cavity. We apply the model to systems in non-aqueous solution, i.e., spiropyran/merocyanin energetics, a proton transfer reaction in dimethyl sulfoxide, and the electrostatic screening of charged gold clusters in an ionic liquid.


Abstract We retrospectively reviewed outcomes in 45 previously untreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) considered unfit for chemotherapy who were treated with 10-day courses of decitabine 20 mg/m2 daily outside of a clinical trial, with no cut-offs for organ function or performance status (PS). Nineteen had Eastern Cooperative Group performance status (ECOG PS) ≥ 2, and 39 had ≥ 2 comorbidities. Fourteen patients (31%) achieved complete remission (CR) and five (11%) CR with incomplete count recovery, for an overall response rate of 42%, after a median of 2 (range, 1–4) courses. The only pretreatment characteristic that differed significantly between responders and non-responders was percent marrow blasts (median 42% vs. 65%; p = 0.01). Median overall survival was 9.0 months; it was 19.4 and 2.3 months for responders and non-responders, respectively (p < 0.001). Thus 10-day decitabine therapy has efficacy in patients with AML considered unfit for chemotherapy, and may serve as a backbone for the addition of other novel agents.


Inulin is a class of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) derived from plants, which is often used as a natural food ingredient. Inulin is currently used as an additive in baked goods, dairy products, infant formula, and dietary supplements as a result of its purported health-promoting properties. The growth of health-promoting lactobacilli and bifidobacteria is supported by FOS, giving it the classification of a prebiotic; however, its ability to selectivity stimulate only beneficial bacteria has not been demonstrated. In order to better understand the role of inulin and FOS as prebiotics, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has been used for qualitative and quantitative analysis on bacterial growth. A method using an internal standard has been developed to quantify the consumption of FOS by Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis using a calibration curve. Due to the differential consumption of FOS, the calibration curve was modified to include intensity components for each polymer unit in order to achieve more accurate quantitation. The method described was designed to be more rapid, precise, and robust for quantitative analysis when compared to existing methods.


As the first study focusing on the implementation of the constitutions and quality of government (QoG) in Kurdistan from a practical point of view, this thesis examines the question why the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) fails to deliver the constitutions in a way that strengthens its democracy and produces a good QoG. From analyses of the data gleaned from 41 semi-structured interviews the thesis identifies the main factors that affect the implementation of the constitutions and QoG with particular reference to the 2005 Iraqi constitution and the Kurdistan draft constitution of 2009. The study also outlines the reform process in the Kurdistan Region and explains how a system of political checks and balances in a democratic society can improve QoG and democracy. This research considers the main obstacle to the establishment of a good and democratic government in the region to be political influence on all state institutions, including the executive, parliament, the judiciary, military forces, police and security services, and use of these institutions for political and personal benefits. Other obstacles identified are a reliance on oil products, a culture of corruption, poor administration, a low-quality legal system, Kurdish disputes with the central Iraqi government, the absence of a clear, enforceable regional constitution, the lack of experience with democracy and, more importantly, the absence of political will for reform by the ruling parties. In this light, the study recommends strengthening the state institutions, reducing political influence over them and establishing a process of political checks and balances – as exists in democratic states – as extremely important to improving QoG. However, it also argues that these aims will not be achieved without a genuine political will for reform. Thus, this thesis stands as the first detailed research in this field that qualitatively investigates the effect of the implementation of democratic constitutions in a region that has gone through conflict and violence; attempts to set out the factors that form obstacles to such implementation; and puts forward recommendations for the improvement of QoG in the light of the constitutions. This study therefore, can help the government and politicians to take action in terms of reforms to improve QoG in the region and develop the democratic process. This research will also contribute to future study on a similar theme.


The corticosteroids biosynthesis in adrenals with administration of o,p'-DDD in doses of 40, 100, 200 mg/kg was studied for two weeks in experiments on chickens. The corticosteroids biosynthesis was judged by formation of corticosterone, hydrocortisone and desoxycorticosterone by 2% adrenal homogenates from the precursors (pregnelonone and 11-hydroxyprogesterone) introduced into the incubation medium. The formed corticosteriods were isolated chromatographically, then they were identified and quantitatively determined by spectrophotometry following the reaction with tetrazolium blue. The data of the studies performed by thin-layer chromatography show the inhibition of the 11-beta-hydroxylizing system with administration of o,p'-DDD in a dose of 50 mg/kg and stimulation of 21-hydroxylation of steroids. When introducing the inhibitor in a larger amount, most enzymatic systems participating in the process of the corticosteroids biosynthesis are inhibited.


Using an experimental methodology, the present study investigated adolescents' attitudes toward media images of women in non-appearance-focused (CEO and military pilot) and appearance-focused occupations (model and actor). One hundred adolescent girls and 76 adolescent boys provided ratings of likability, competence, and similarity to self after viewing media images of women in non-appearance-focused and appearance-focused occupations. Both boys and girls reported that women in non-appearance-focused occupations were good role models at higher rates than women in appearance-focused occupations. Girls reported greater likability and similarity to the self for women in appearance-focused occupations compared with women in non-appearance-focused occupations, whereas boys showed the opposite pattern. Boys rated women in non-appearance-focused occupations as more competent than women in appearance-focused occupations, whereas girls showed the opposite pattern. The role of internalization of media standards for appearance in teens' attitudes was also considered. Implications for career identity are discussed.


We propose that collective support for European integration is mani-fested in 2 distinct forms: first, as engagement in socio-political action by citizens who seek to change their nation and its status in Europe. Second, it is manifested as a transnational acculturation process that impacts on both nations and their citizens. These processes potentially engage social identities at 3 levels: national, European and as supporters of the European integration. Here, we examine these different levels of identification as part of a model predicting collective support for the European integration. To capture the dimension of transnationality, we collected data from 2 Romanian samples, 1 of participants living in their country of origin (N = 203), and 1 of participants living as migrants outside Romania (N = 196). We found that identification as a pro-integration supporter flows from European and Romanian national identifications and is an excellent predictor of collective support for European integration in both its forms. We conclude by discussing how our findings can be applied to the design of intervention strategies and policies to promote support for the European Union and the integration process in the current socio-political climate (where the unity and the very existence of European Union are under threat).


Objectives:The study aims to define the incidence, causes and outcome of treatment of feeding difficulties in the immediate post operative period following surgical correction of congenital diaphragmatic hernias {CDH).
Methodology: This was a retrospective study. It involved the review of the case notes of all children diagnosed with congenital diaphragmatic hernia at the Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH) England over a ten year period, 1982-1991. The feeding difficulties and associated problems noticed postoperatively were extracted from the case notes.
Results: There were 97 children treated for CDH. Sixty four of these children survived. Of these, 24 (37.5%) developed feeding difficulties in the immediate post operative period. The causes of the feeding difficulties were Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) 9, Recurrent diaphragmatic hernia 8, Adhesive intestinal obstruction 4, Poor intestinal motility 2, Campylobacter enteritis, 1, Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, 1. Many if the children had more than one cause for their feeding problem. Howevert in 6 of the 24 children no cause could be found.
Two of the 24 with feeding difficulties died and 3had lingering feeding difficulties in spite of appropriate surgical and medical treatment.One of these 3 had GOR while the other 2 had adhesive intestinal obstruction in association with recurrence of the diaphragmatic hernia.
Conclusions: Feeding difficulties were very common following the repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernias in children at the BCH. They were a cause of considerable postoperative morbidity.
The occurrence of adhesive intestinal obstruction with recurrent diaphragmatic hernia in the same patient was associated with a poor prognosis in the children in the series. KEY WORDS: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia; Post operative period African Journal of Paediatric Surgery Vol.(1)1 2004: 11-15


In order to model hesitations for technical applications such as conversational speech synthesis, it is desirable to understand interactions between individual hesitation markers. In this study, we explore a pair of markers that has been subject to many discussions: silences and fillers. While it is generally acknowledged that fillers occur in two distinct forms, um and uh, it is not agreed on whether these forms systematically influence the form of associated silences. This notion will be investigated on a small dataset of English spontaneous speech data and the measure of distance between filler and silence will be introduced to the analyses. Results suggest that filler type influences associated silence duration systematically and that silences tend to gravitate towards fillers in utterances, exhibiting systematically lower duration when preceding them. These results provide valuable insights for improving existing hesitation models.


The poetry of George Crabbe has for a long time not received the attention it deserves. Part of the reason for this is that it does not easily fit the preconceived trends in eighteenth and early nineteenth century verse. This thesis looks at Crabbe from a new direction, exploring his writing on its own terms. Using previously unexplored writing, the thesis builds a fuller picture of the poet's interests in the world and examines how these informed the creation of his major achievement, the verse tale.

The preface opens arguments for re-evaluating the critical reception. It considers the apparent twenty-two year gap in Crabbe's writing career and argues that the activities of this period must be considered to fully understand the verse tales he produced in the latter period of his life.
Chapter one examines the origins for the tale. Looking at Crabbe's interest in redressing what he considered 'failings' in poetry it draws together examples of the poet's original innovation. Using a hitherto unexamined poetic fragment in the John Murray Archive, a view is put forward that Crabbe had already begun writing tales during the twenty-two year gap, countering the opinion that the form was arrived at from experimentation in 'The Parish Register'.

Chapter two considers the largely overlooked impact that Crabbe's faith had on his poetry. Examining a wide range of the poet's unpublished religious manuscripts, it redresses the view that he entered the church simply to support himself writing poetry. It counters the opinion that these are simple 'moral tales', demonstrating a more complex view that Crabbe's firm soteriological views did not allow such judgements to be made.

Chapter three explores the poet's naturalist endeavours and examines how his pursuits in scientific classification shaped the arrangement of his writing. It puts forward new evidence for the range of taxonomic systems the poet was using, and argues that the attention to specification had a significant impact on the poet's realistic portrayals of the world.

Chapter four draws together the arguments of these chapters in considering the poet's representation of altered psychological states. It builds a detailed picture of key examples of realist narratives in Crabbe's tales.

In the conclusion, the impact of Crabbe's writing is addressed. Looking at how his poetry influenced a wide range of writers in the nineteenth century and beyond, it argues that the poet's refusal to simplify the complexities of the world set the foundations for Victorian realism.


Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a descriptive term for the technologically advanced, collaborative and information-centric processes used to drive design, construction and operation of the built environment. BIM is essentially value creating collaboration through the entire life-cycle of an asset (building or infrastructure), underpinned by the creation, collation and exchange of shared 3D models and intelligent, structured data attached to them. BIM is also about a shift in culture that will affect the way the built environment and infrastructure works and how it is delivered. Historically the health and safety record of the construction industry in the UK is relatively poor as compared to the manufacturing industries. BIM and the digital environment it operates within now allow us to use design and construction data in a more intelligent way. It allows data generated by the design process to be re-purposed and contribute to improving efficiencies in other areas of a project. This evolutionary step in design is not only creating exciting opportunities for the designers themselves but it is also creating opportunity for every stakeholder in any given project. From designers, engineers, contractors through to H&S managers, BIM is accelerating a cultural change. The paper describes the idea behind a research project at the University of Birmingham that uses BIM as a platform to elucidate construction, operation and maintenance health hazards and using the principles of prevention devise mechanisms for their control.


T cells restricted to neurotropic viruses are potentially harmful as their activity may result in the destruction of neurons. In the Borna disease virus (BDV) model, antiviral CD8 T cells entering the brain of infected mice cause neurological disease but no substantial loss of neurons unless the animals lack interferon(IFN). We show here that glutamate receptor antagonists failed to prevent BDV-induced neuronal loss in IFN-deficient mice, suggesting that excitotoxicity resulting from glutamate receptor overstimulation is an unlikely explanation for the neuronal damage. Experiments with IFN-deficient mice lacking eosinophils indicated that these cells, which specifically accumulate in the infected brains of IFN-deficient mice, are not responsible for CA1 neuronal death. Interestingly, BDV-induced damage of CA1 neurons was reduced significantly in IFN-deficient mice lacking perforin, suggesting a key role for CD8 T cells in this pathological process. Specific death of hippocampal CA1 neurons could be triggered by adoptive transfer of BDV-specific CD8 T cells from IFN-deficient mice into uninfected mice that express transgene-encoded BDV antigen at high level in astrocytes. These results indicate that attack by CD8 T cells that cause the death of CA1 neurons might be directed toward regional astrocytes and that IFNprotects vulnerable CA1 neurons from collateral damage resulting from exposure to potentially toxic substances generated as a result of CD8 T cell-mediated impairment of astrocyte function. (Am J Pathol 2009, 174:1799–1807; DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.080897; DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.080897)