Introduction:
 Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is defined as the cancer of squamous epithelium lining nasopharynx. The single most common culprit of undifferentiated NPC is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Recurrent local-regional or metastatic NPC cannot be treated with repeated chemo-radiotherapy because of poor overall survival and profound effect of these therapies on quality of life. One safer approach is immunotherapy with autologous EBV specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (EBV-CTLS) targeted to the EBV antigens EBNA1, latent membrane protein LMP1, and LMP2 expressed by most NPC tumors. This study aims to review the efficacy and toxicity of adoptive immunotherapy with EBV-CTLS in patients with EBV induced NPC.
 Methods:
 A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Web of Science was performed for adoptive immunotherapy in EBV induced NPC patients from inception to May 28, 2020. Out of 604 studies, 07 phase I and II clinical trials were selected for the systematic review.
 Results:
 A total of 134 patients (pts) were evaluated out of 157 pts. 56 had a locoregional disease, 63 had distant metastasis, 15 had both locoregional disease as well as distant metastasis, 8 were in remission and disease status was unknown in 5 pts.
 Li et al. (2015) in their phase I clinical trial on 20 NPC pts with ECOG performance status of <3 after chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) showed overall response rate (ORR) of 95% with complete response (CR) in 19 patients. One patient showed progressive disease (PD). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was observed to be 16 months. Eighteen (90%) pts showed disease-free survival of greater than 12 months after adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Grade (G) ≥3 adverse events (AEs) included leukopenia (5%) and neutropenia (5%).
 Phase I/II dose-escalation trial by Louis et al. (2010) on 23 pts showed ORR of 48.7% (20% CR, 13.3% undetermined complete response [Cru], 15.4% PR) among pts with active disease. Eight pts remained in remission while 10 had metastatic disease at the time of infusion. PD was 21.7%, Stable Disease (SD) 13%, and 3 pts (13%) had recurrent disease. The median time to progression was 1059 days with PFS of 65% and 52% at 1 and 2 years respectively while the (Overall Survival) OS was 87% and 70% at 1 year and 2 years respectively. There was a higher risk of disease progression (HR: 3.91, P= 0.015) and decreased overall survival (HR: 5.55, P=0.022) in metastatic disease as compared to locoregional disease.
 Huang J. et al (2017) conducted a phase I/ II trial in 21 pts with a mean waiting period of 71 days after chemotherapy. Two CTL infusions were given 2 weeks apart. Two pts (9.5%) maintained SD but all other pts (85%) showed PD after 8 weeks follow- up. One patient achieved CR (4.8%). Hence, ORR was 4.8% while median PFS and OS were of 2.2 months and 16.7 months respectively.
 In a phase II trial, 24 patients completed 6 EBV- CTL therapy cycles after receiving chemotherapy cycles of Gemcitabine and Carboplatin. ORR was observed to be 42.9% (CR 5.7%, PR 31.7%). SD was 20% while PD was 31.4%. Median OS was 29.9 months (95% CI 20.8-39.3) with 1, 2, and 3-year rates being 77.1%, 62.9%, and 37.1 % respectively. Median PFS was 7.6 months (95% CI 7.4-8.4). All G≥3 AE occurred during chemotherapy. (Chia et al, 2014)
 Secondino et al. (2011) conducted a phase I/II study in 11 NPC patients who also received chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine. After a mean follow-up of 4 weeks, ORR was 27% (PR 18%, Minor Response [MR] 9%). PD was reported to be 45% and SD 27%. Median PFS at 6 months was 54% (6/11 pts). Only G≥3 AE reported was neutropenia (36%).
 Phase I/II trial by Comoli et al. (2005) evaluated 10 EBV-related stage IV NPC in progression after CCRT. After receiving two to twenty-three EBV-specific CTLs infusions, 2 patients showed PR (20%), 40% of pts maintained SD and all others showed evidence of PD (40%) at 1-2 months follow up. Median PFS was 6.5 months.
 Smith et al (2012) in their phase I trial on 14 patients with locoregional and metastatic NPC reported SD 71.4% and PD 28.6% of patients at a median follow up of 1 month. Median OS and PFS were 17.4 months and 4.5 months respectively. No G≥3 AEs were reported.
 Conclusion :
 Adoptive Immunotherapy with EBV-CTLS has shown impressive efficacy with improvement in median PFS and OS and a favorable safety profile.
 Key Words: Adoptive cell therapy, Cytotoxic T lymphocytes, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Phase I/II clinical trials, Epstein-Barr virus.

 Anwer: Celgene: Research Funding; AbbVie Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Incyte Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Speakers Bureau; Astellas Pharma: Research Funding; Acetylon Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Speakers Bureau; Millennium Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding.


Most available diagnostic methods of insulin resistance are either unsuitable for screening or fail to detect marginal cases. It was reported that including plasma free fatty acids (FFA) into QUICK (quantitative insulin sensitivity check index) I improves its diagnostic power. The aim was to test the effectiveness of modified QUICK I against HOMA (homeostasis model assessment) and QUICK I in identifying insulin resistant subjects in the non-diabetic adult population. 357 healthy adults aged 18 -50 years were recruited randomly. Their anthropometric and demographic information were taken. Biochemical parameters and FFA (free fatty acid) were measured in fasting blood samples and used to calculate modified QUICK I. Reported cut-off point was used to identify IR subjects, who were matched for age and sex to individuals from the rest of the subjects. 209 subjects satisfied the criteria. 97 individuals were identified to be IR. This group had statistically different anthropometric and biochemical parameters compared to NIR group. Biochemical parameters did not differ significantly when QUICK I was used to identify IR subjects. The modified QUICK I for all subjects correlated significantly (p = 0.01) with HOMA values (r = -0.756) and with QUICK I values (r = 0.758). Modified QUICK I is a more powerful diagnostic index of IR in Saudi non diabetic adults.


The article offers the results of the experimental phonetics research on the role of intonation in speech influence realization in the video lecture as a main massive open online courses material. This methodology is elaborated according to the proven techniques in contemporary phonetics and combines the use of auditory analysis, methods of quantitative data and linguistic analysis, methods of semantic differential and questionnaire. The goal of the experiment was to prove the hypothesis about the role of prosodic organization and components of the tutors' intonation in video lectures in better supporting students' attention, capturing the interest to the subject, facilitating understanding, which help in realization of speech influence in scholarly discourse, thus making the communication and learning more efficient, productive and successful. As a result of the experiment, the intonation parameters used in the video lecture and contributory for students' perception have been established. The paper gives brief insights into such notions as speech influence, scholarly discourse and an e-lecture as a genre of modern scholarly discourse.


Introduction Globally Cryptosporidium and Giardia species are the most common non-bacterial causes of diarrhoea in children and HIV infected individuals, yet data on their role in paediatric diarrhoea in Kenya remains scant. This study investigated the occurrence of Cryptosporidium species, genotypes and subtypes in children, both hospitalized and living in an informal settlement in Nairobi. Methods This was a prospective cross-sectional study in which faecal specimen positive for Cryptosporidium spp. by microscopy from HIV infected and uninfected children aged five years and below presenting with diarrhoea at selected outpatient clinics in Mukuru informal settlements, or admitted to the paediatric ward at the Mbagathi District Hospital were characterized. The analysis was done by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of the 18srRNA gene for species identification and PCR-sequencing of the 60 kDa glycoprotein (GP60) gene for subtyping. Results C. hominis was the most common species of Cryptosporidium identified in125/151(82.8%) of the children. Other species identified were C. parvum 18/151(11.9%), while C. felis and C. meleagridis were identified in 4 and 2 children, respectively. Wide genetic variation was observed within C. hominis, with identification of 5 subtype families; Ia, Ib, Id, Ie and If and 21 subtypes. Only subtype family IIc was identified within C. parvum. There was no association between species and HIV status or patient type. Conclusion C. hominis is the most common species associated with diarrhoea in the study population. There was high genetic variability in the C. hominis isolates with 22 different subtypes identified, whereas genetic diversity was low within C. parvum with only one subtype family IIc identified.


The efficiency of the Wind Farm (WF) systems can be greatly improved using an appropriate control methodology. In this paper, a control for variable speed WF that incorporates a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) is described and the so called Vector Control (VC) theory is applied. 6 PMSGs based 2MW generators connected to a common DC bus are used. Each generator is connected to the DC-bus with a rectifier while the DC-bus is connected to the grid through one DC/AC converter. The proposed control law combines Space Vector Modulation (SVM) and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control strategy to maximize the generated power from Wind Turbine Generators (WTG). Also, reactive and active power can be controlled by quadrature and direct current components, respectively. Accordingly, WF system can't only capture the maximum wind energy, but also can maintain the frequency and amplitude of the output voltage with unity power factor. Simulation results have shown the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy for WF based on the PMSGs.


Killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) 2DL4 (CD158d) was previously thought to be a human NK cell-specific protein. Mast cells are involved in allergic reactions via their KIT-mediated and FcɛRI-mediated responses. We recently detected the expression of KIR2DL4 in human cultured mast cells established from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers (PB-mast), in the human mast cell line LAD2, and in human tissue mast cells. Agonistic antibodies against KIR2DL4 negatively regulate the KIT-mediated and FcɛRI-mediated responses of PB-mast and LAD2 cells. In addition, agonistic antibodies and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G, a natural ligand for KIR2DL4, induce the secretion of leukemia inhibitory factor and serine proteases from human mast cells, which have been implicated in pregnancy establishment and cancer metastasis. Therefore, KIR2DL4 stimulation with agonistic antibodies and recombinant HLA-G protein may enhance both processes, in addition to suppressing mast-cell-mediated allergic reactions.


Stochastic composition optimization draws much attention recently and has been successful in many emerging applications of machine learning, statistical analysis, and reinforcement learning. In this paper, we focus on the composition problem with nonsmooth regularization penalty. Previous works either have slow convergence rate, or do not provide complete convergence analysis for the general problem. In this paper, we tackle these two issues by proposing a new stochastic composition optimization method for composition problem with nonsmooth regularization penalty. In our method, we apply variance reduction technique to accelerate the speed of convergence. To the best of our knowledge, our method admits the fastest convergence rate for stochastic composition optimization: for strongly convex composition problem, our algorithm is proved to admit linear convergence; for general composition problem, our algorithm significantly improves the state-of-the-art convergence rate from O(T–1/2) to O((n1+n2)2/3T-1). Finally, we apply our proposed algorithm to portfolio management and policy evaluation in reinforcement learning. Experimental results verify our theoretical analysis.


In this paper a novel system to monitor warehouse with wireless sensor networks is proposed. The system consists of wireless nodes and monitor. Wireless sensor nodes collect temperature and humidity information and send to monitor. Monitor provides GUI for warehouse operators. The design of wireless nodes and monitor are introduced in detail.


The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in oxidative stress (OS) and circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs) of the immune system in patients supported by continuous-flow ventricular assist device (CF-VAD) with or without infection. We recruited 16 CF-VAD patients (5 with infection and 11 without infection) and 7 healthy volunteers. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from lymphocytes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocyte, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in plasma were measured. Circulating Tregs were evaluated by flow cytometry. Heart failure (HF) patients had elevated OS than healthy volunteers as evident from higher lymphocyte ROS, elevated oxLDL, as well as depleted SOD and TAC levels. At baseline, HF patients had decreased percentage of Tregs (5.12 ± 1.5% vs. 8.14 ± 3.01%, p < 0.01) when compared with healthy volunteers. Postimplant patients with infection illustrated 35% and 44% rise in ROS and oxLDL, respectively, 31% decrease in TAC, and marked rise in percentage of Tregs (14.27 ± 3.17% vs. 9.38 ± 3.41%, p < 0.01) when compared with the patients without infection. Elevated OS and rise in Tregs were more prominent in CF-VAD patients with infection. In conclusion, OS and compromised immune system may be important indicators of systemic response of the body to CF-VAD among HF patients with infection.


The paper discusses the voltage regulation of a critical load bus using a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) in a distribution system. The critical load cannot tolerate any power quality (PQ) disturbance including large frequency variations occurring in the system. The DVR is operated such that it holds the voltage across the critical load bus terminals constant at system nominal frequency irrespective of the changes occurring in frequency in the source voltages. To compensate for frequency variation the dc link of the DVR is supplied through an uncontrolled rectifier that provides a path for the real power required by the critical load to flow. The reference values of the injected voltages by the DVR are generated and are tracked with their actual values in the closed-loop output feedback switching control. Through simulation studies using PSCAD/EMTDC and frequency spectrum it is shown that the voltage is completely regulated across the critical load.


The Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) program was developed based on a comprehensive review of research on teaching illness self-management strategies to clients with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses and "packaged" in a resource kit to facilitate dissemination. Despite growing dissemination of this program, it has not yet been empirically validated. This article describes the development and theoretical underpinnings of the IMR program and presents pilot data from the United States and Australia (N = 24, 88% schizophrenia or schizoaffective) on the effects of individual-based and group-based treatment over the 9-month program and over a 3-month follow-up. High satisfaction was reported by participants. Strong improvements over treatment and at follow-up were found in clients' self-reported effectiveness in coping with symptoms and clinicians' reports of global functioning and moderate improvements in knowledge about mental illness, distress related to symptoms, hope, and goal orientation. These findings support the feasibility and promise of the IMR program and point to the need for controlled research to rigorously evaluate its effects.


The displacement discontinuity method has been used previously to assess the mechanics of fracture in the SuperPave (TM) Indirect Tension Test and in the Semi-Circular Bending Test. In order to further verify the independence of the test method from the test configuration, this paper investigates the possibility of using the same method (i.e. the displacement discontinuity method) to predict hot mix asphalt fracture energy density in a Bending Beam Test. The predicted stress-strain curves were shown to compare well to the experimental results. The predicted crack initiation and propagation patterns are also consistent with observed cracking behavior. The results show that the displacement discontinuity method is capable of characterizing the fracture behavior of asphalt mixtures at intermediate to low temperatures, regardless of the particular testing setup used in the investigation and that it consistently provides reasonable predictions of HMA Fracture Energy Density.


The ballan wrasse, Labrus bergylta, is a protogynous hermaphrodite marine fish species that inhabits coastal waters of the eastern North Atlantic. Sequential hermaphrodite species tend to be characterized by a skewed sex ratio, which is thought to lead to marked population structuring due to a reduced effective number of breeders. Furthermore, due to its large body size (compared with other wrasse species) and its peculiar feeding behaviour, this species has been identified as a candidate cleaner fish to be used in parasite control of farmed finfish. In the present study, we used mitochondrial DNA (control region) sequence data to investigate the genetic diversity and population structuring of ballan wrasse in waters around the British Isles and southern Norway. Ballan wrasse in southern Norway showed lower levels of genetic diversity than around the British Isles, which appear to be the result of historical demographic events (population bottleneck followed by expansion). Analysis of mismatch distributions and the presence of two highly divergent clades unevenly represented in Atlantic and Scandinavian regions suggest distinct recolonization patterns in these two regions. These results provide a first insight on the status of wild populations of ballan wrasse in the eastern North Atlantic, with implications for conservation and management.


To examine whether sea-level hypoxic ventilatory responses (HVR) predict acute mountain sickness (AMS) and document temporal changes in ventilation, HVR, gas exchange, and fluid balance, we measured these parameters at low altitude (100 m) and daily during 3 days at high altitude (4559 m). At low altitude, there were no significant differences in rest or exercise isocapnic HVR, poikilocapnic HVR at rest, and hypercapnic ventilatory response between 12 subjects without significant AMS and 11 subjects who fell sick. No low altitude ventilatory responses correlated with AMS or fluid balance at high altitude. On day 1, isocapnic HVR was significantly lower in the AMS group [0.86 +/- 0.43 (SD) vs. 1.43 +/- 0.63 L/min/% Sa(O2), p < 0.05). AMS was associated with higher AaD(O2), lower Pa(O2), and Sa(O2), while Pa(CO2) was not different between subjects with and without AMS. Both groups showed equivalent reductions in urine volume, sodium output, and gain in body weight on day 1 while climbing to 4559 m, but on day 2 only subjects without AMS had diuresis, natriuresis, and weight loss. We conclude that (1) susceptibility to AMS, fluid balance, and ventilation at high altitude cannot be predicted by low altitude HVR testing and (2) that the failure to increase HVR on arrival at high altitude and impaired gas exchange, possibly due to interstitial edema, may account for the more severe hypoxemia in AMS.


Jean Fourastie introduced a meaningful but neglected theory of economic development in a 1949 book. According to Fourastie, technical progress is stronger in some industries (e.g. light bulb production) than in others (e.g. hairdressing). Meanwhile, consumers' demand is only insatiable for products weakly affected by technological improvements. When demand for one product is saturated, additional technological progress leads to a decline in the number of workers in this sector. Therefore, workers have to migrate from activities with high productivity gains to production lines which still enjoy growing demand from consumers but which are less sensitive to technology. Gradually, jobs with low productivity gains dominate, reducing the global potential productivity gains. The tertiary civilization Fourastie expected after 2000 is associated with stagnation, despite continuous technical progress. 1800-2000 was a transitory period of global high productivity gains between two eras of stability. This stability occurs because most of the population work in activities with low productivity gains (agriculture before 1800 and the service industry after 2000). His model precedes and inspired Baumol's analysis and provides a rationale in the "secular stagnation" debate.


This paper discusses the challenges in the fight against human trafficking practices in Indonesia. Despite Indonesian central government's commitment to eradicating human trafficking since 2000s, the number of cases of human trafficking remains significantly high. Field research was conducted on the anti-trafficking enforcement in three provinces in Indonesia, i.e. West Jawa, West Kalimantan, and East Nusa Tenggara, through depth interviews and archive studies. This research found that most of trafficking cases in Indonesia are illegal labor migration category where victims voluntarily travelled abroad for jobs without proper documents and sex trafficking. Institutional arrangement to cope with the crime and rehabilitation of the victims also lacking resources. The lack of clarity in defining the crime appears to have affected greatly anti-trafficking policies and law enforcement. This paper proposes a better understanding of human trafficking based on the practice in Indonesia and a more integrated policy to include not only the operational aspects of the crime, but also the proximate factors, i.e. institutional, economic, social, and cultural.


The principal lateral motion of an aircraft is described by a minimum of fourth order coupled state variable model. It is interesting to investigate how a decoupling controller can be designed. The Youla-parametrization is a simple method to design controllers. The KB-parametrization is a successful extension of this method for two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) systems. The paper extends this methodology for multivariable case and applies to the decoupling lateral control.


This papers quantifies the redistributive effects on progressivity, poverty and welfare, that would occur if the monetary benefits currently in place in the Spanish system were to be replaced by a neutral alternative in terms of spending, granting a universal basic income (UBI) to everyone. We have calculated two scenarios: one in which the benefit system is replaced by a basic income, and another in which retirement pensions are maintained, with the rest of monetary benefits being distributed via a UBI. The simulations are carried out using EUROMOD. The implementation of a UBI, even a very radical one that eliminates the existing benefits system, could be: economically sustainable; as redistributive as the current one; almost as poverty reducing as the one in force (or more in some dimensions), and a generator of greater welfare.


With more emphasis being put on global infectious disease monitoring, viral genetic data are being collected at an astounding rate, both within and without the context of a long-term disease surveillance plan. Concurrent with this increase have come improvements to the sophisticated and generalized statistical techniques used for extracting population-level information from genetic sequence data. However, little research has been done on how the collection of these viral sequence data can or does affect the efficacy of the phylogenetic algorithms used to analyse and interpret them. In this study, we use epidemic simulations to consider how the collection of viral sequence data clarifies or distorts the picture, provided by the phylogenetic algorithms, of the underlying population dynamics of the simulated viral infection over many epidemic cycles. We find that sampling protocols purposefully designed to capture sequences at specific points in the epidemic cycle, such as is done for seasonal influenza surveillance, lead to a significantly better view of the underlying population dynamics than do less-focused collection protocols. Our results suggest that the temporal distribution of samples can have a significant effect on what can be inferred from genetic data, and thus highlight the importance of considering this distribution when designing or evaluating protocols and analysing the data collected thereunder.


Pigeons prefer a low-probability, high-payoff but suboptimal alternative over a reliable low-payoff optimal alternative (i.e., one that results in more food). This finding is analogous to suboptimal human monetary gambling because in both cases there appears to be an overemphasis of the occurrence of the winning event (a jackpot) and an underemphasis of losing events. In the present research we found that pigeons chose suboptimally to the degree that they were impulsive as indexed by the steeper slope of the hyperbolic delay-discounting function (i.e., the shorter the delay they would accept in a smaller-sooner/larger-later procedure). These correlational findings have implications for the mechanisms underlying suboptimal choice by humans (e.g., problem gamblers) and they suggest that high baseline levels of impulsivity can enhance acquisition of a gambling habit.


Analytical expressions for the phase variance in a nonlinear fiber optic system based on phase-shift keying are developed. The Gauss-Hermite functions are used as the orthogonal basis to represent the noise field. Number of degrees of freedom (DOF) to accurately model the phase variance is estimated. The amplifier noise excites higher order Gauss-Hermite noise modes and the nonlinear mixing of a signal pulse and higher order Gauss-Hermite noise mode leads to new noise fields which enhance the nonlinear phase noise. The higher order noise modes propagate linearly and enhance the linear phase noise if the matched filter is not used at the receiver. Analytical expression for the optimum launch power is developed taking into account the linear and nonlinear phase noise.


This article intervenes in contemporary debates on the nature of cosmopolitanism and the production of hybrid cultural forms by drawing on first and second hand ethnographic materials on tambor de crioula, an Afro-Brazilian play form. Alternatively emphasizing local, global, and diasporic connections, I chronicle the travels of tambor from peasant villages to a first world metropolis, considering the practice's engagement in ethno-racial struggle, spiritual actualization, improvisational pedagogy, and "exotic" performance as markers of cosmopolitan city life. I argue that while postcolonial desire for Otherness shapes Western consumption of trans-national cultural goods, tambor offers resistant and rearticulatory forms of embodied emplacement and sociability that defy unidirectional interpretations.


An organic dye JY1 bearing a nitro group was designed, synthesized and applied in DSCs. An unusual colour change was observed when the voltage applied to the device was reversed which was accompanied by a five-fold increase in the cell efficiency. We propose that applying a bias enabled the attachment of nitro groups to the TiO(2) surface.


The sub-frame of 2500HP fracturing truck is an important component, which connects to chassis with the vehicle equipment. Because the sub-frame bears tension, torsion and bending loads, enough rigidity and intensity are necessary for chassis. Based on the Pro/E software, the 3-D model of frame and sub-frame was constructed. Using topology optimization method, layout of the sub-frame was determined and location of crossbeams was arranged. Meanwhile, number and location of the connectors between main frame and sub-frame was analyzed, analysis result shows that carrying capacity of chassis can be enhanced without increasing connectors number of main frame and sub-frame. Some available reference can be provided for chassis manufacture


Many Indigenous peoples are disproportionately affected by global climate change. Current research is focused on how Indigenous adaptation and mitigation strategies can be integrated into mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Through a mixed-methods approach, this study explored the effects of culture and local perceptions on coping strategies and adaptations to climate change among Indigenous communities, of which knowledge is inadequate, with a specific focus on two Indigenous Tayal communities in northern Taiwan (N = 101). From our findings, we developed a typology based on a polychoric factor analysis, which includes four key aspects: commercialized response; experience and anticipation; culture, preparedness and recovery; and external support and institutions. The typology shows that cultural practices and perceptions profoundly shape how Indigenous households respond to climate-related disasters and should therefore be incorporated more comprehensively into climate change adaptation and mitigation policy. Our findings reflect a nuanced understanding of Indigenous peoples' complicated relationship with global climate change. The proposed typology could be used as a theoretical and/or policy-oriented framework to advance an agenda for strengthening Indigenous livelihood resilience to global climate change.


BACKGROUND
During the last 15 years, a considerable change has taken place regarding the understanding of anatomical and microbiological anogenital findings in children. At the end of the 1980s, abnormal findings were described in more than 50 % of allegedly abused children. Today such findings are described in 5 %. An important consequence of this change is that absence of abnormal findings should never be used to exclude abuse, not even abuse with anogenital penetration. The main reason for this change is increased knowledge about normal variation and healing after injury, as well as an improvement in standardisation of terminology.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
This paper is based on relevant literature published on this topic.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
During this period, several findings have been reclassified from abnormal to normal or non-specific. Examples of such findings are anal dilatation, large and gaping hymenal opening and narrow hymenal brim. Some of the previously reported cases of anogenital scarring are probably mis-classified normal structures. Research-based international classification scales are now established in order to aid the physician in diagnosing sexual abuse, and these are revised on a regular basis. It is currently common to classify medical findings into three main categories; normal/unspecific findings, indeterminate findings and diagnostic findings.


The main purpose of breeding programs is to obtain high yields of common winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Development of new lines and varieties resistant to economically important diseases related to the yield, is associated with proper selection of the initial breeding material. Most of the phylogenetic species closest to bread wheat, such as representatives of the genus Aegilops, possess valuable genes for biotic stress resistance. To establish appropriate accessions which could be involved in the hybridization and breeding programs of bread wheat, 32 accessions of the genus Aegilops (10 of Aegilops cylindrica, 12 of Aegilops tauschii, 6 of Aegilops ventricosa, one of the species Aegilops ovata, Aegilops neglecta and Aegilops speltoides) were observed, as regards their resistance to the pathogens of powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), brown rust (Puccinia recondita) and septoria leaf blight (Septoria tritici). The observation was conducted under field conditions in the ear formation stage. All studied accessions were completely resistant to the pathogen of septoria leaf blight (Septoria tritici). All accessions of Aegilops cylindrica, 3 of Aegilops tauschii and 2 of Aegilops ventricosa were susceptible to powdery mildew. Accessions of Aegilops cylindrica and also 8 accessions of Aegilops tauschii and 3 accessions of Aegilops ventricosa are susceptible to brown rust. Accessions of Aegilops ovata, Aegilops neglecta and Aegilops speltoides are completely resistant to the three pathogens. With the highest complex resistance are accessions AE192, AE1609 and AE20 compared to other accessions of Aegilops tauschii and Aegilops ventricosa. The combination of high complex resistance to diseases, and a large phylogenetic proximity with genus Triticum, makes Aegilops tauschii and Aegilops ventricosa valuable sources of genes for resistance which could be successfully transferred into different wheat species.


The urgent need for innovative approaches to dementia treatment that are acceptable, effective and affordable underlies this research. Growing evidence supports 'integrative medicine' as a potential treatment approach aligned with and including conventional medicine. However, success will depend on addressing barriers, recognising needs of diverse communities and involving people in co-creating desired interventions. The three aims of this study were to, 1) describe conventional allopathic medicine and integrative or functional medicine (I/FM) approaches for dementia treatment in NW England; 2) to explore the views of informal dementia caregivers and service users, compared to healthcare professionals on the benefits and barriers to providing and receiving these two approaches. Thirdly, we engaged caregivers and service users in co-creating a vision for dementia treatment based on their needs and expectations. We conducted semi-structured interviews, focus groups and a deliberative workshop. Data were analysed using framework analysis. A total of 49 participants reported benefits and barriers to providing and receiving treatments. Themes related to inequalities of socioeconomics and access, cultural influences, disempowerment, demotivation and physician pressures. For instance, the NHS conventional medicine approach provided free nearby access, highly rated post-diagnostic support and good quality web-based information. Barriers included limited discussion of non-pharmaceutical treatment options, low-morale and high rates of stress and burnout among GPs who felt de-motivated as they could not slow or stop the progression. I/FM benefits included time for in-depth investigations to determine the underlying causes of a patient's dementia, and practitioners trained in addressing them. Barriers included limited access to I/FM practitioners, need to pay for services, difficulties of making lifestyle changes such as diet, need for strong support from caregivers (or payment for a health coach) and poor compliance. Participants co-created a vision for dementia treatment including the wider environmental, social and cultural context. Neither conventional NHS medicine nor I/FM provided consistently beneficial treatment outcomes for dementia. Findings support the development of a model of dementia treatment that includes the benefits provided by both existing approaches, but further informed by patient, caregiver and practitioner experience and co-design. Such an approach must consider a complexity of cultural and generational needs, ensuring empowerment, making available current evidence, resources and support.


Previous research on the motivations for voluntary departures from Congress has often focused on individual events, such as the check-writing scandal, on individual election years, such as 1974 or 1992, or has degenerated into a debate over whether or not members quit because the job is "no longer any fun". In this paper we use a dataset on House careers in the last half of the twentieth century and a synthetic theory to demonstrate that Congress is not universally "no fun," but rather that there are certain situations that lead some members to be less satisfied than others with congressional service. This notion fits well with the data and makes more sense than attempting to conclude whether. Congress either is or is not fun. In the process, we show that members who are not achieving their goals are more likely than others to depart voluntarily from the U.S. House.


With a prevalence rate of 3.1%, Nigeria has a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic. Like much other developing countries, Nigeria has to collaborate with development partners to fight the HIV/AIDS scourge. This review assesses the impact of foreign aid initiatives on the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. It examines Nigeria's capacity and willingness to independently own a sustainable provision of HIV/AIDS care in the country. This paper assesses the outcomes of the HIV/AIDS scheme. Our review indicates that foreign aid initiatives were responsible for the rapid scale-up in HIV/AIDS services and improvement in morbidity and mortality rates. While foreign aids have Review Article Joseph et al.; ISRR, 5(3): 1-14, 2017; Article no.ISRR.34538 2 contributed to the reversal of both prevalence and incidence rates of HIV, donor funded initiatives have overstretched the workforce and the health systems thus diverting healthcare emphases towards specific disease intervention programmes. Evaluation of outcomes measures has consistently excluded viral load assessment, antiretroviral resistant testing and the provision of salvage regimen. Nigeria's budgetary allocation to the health sector is still very low, consequently, government willingness and commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS is grossly inadequate. The HIV/AIDS programme is still donors dependent and often seen as "donor-agency things". The global aid initiatives have recorded a milestone achievement in the fight against HIV infections in Nigeria. While much is needed from the donor agencies, Nigeria must ensure deliberate commitment towards an independent ownership of HIV/AIDS scheme in Nigeria.


Porcine cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has limitations because of the high incidence of fetal failure after embryo transfer to recipient. The fetal failure may originate from disturbed embryo-uterine interactions in the early implantation period. In this study, we compared apoptotic-related gene expression and cytokines using real-time RT-PCR and protein chip array. Ovaries were obtained from prepubertal crossbred gilts at a local slaughterhouse. Oocytes were matured for 40 to 44 h at 38.5°C under 5% CO2 in air. As donor cells, fibroblast cells were cultured from ear skin tissue of 8-month-old MHC inbred miniature pig. After the enucleation and injection process, eggs were held in TCM-199. For fusion, two DC pulses of 1.2 kV cm-1 were applied for 30 μs. SCNT embryos were cultured under PZM-3 medium to the 1- to 4-cell stage. For embryo transfer, approximately 200 SCNT eggs were transferred into the oviduct of each synchronized recipients. We obtained the extraembryonic (embryo origin) and endometrium (maternal origin) tissues from 3 cloned fetus with that from normal fetus by natural mating at Day 30. Each experiment was repeated at least 3 times and the data were presented as mean ± SE. Values of P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Data from real-time RT-PCR are expressed as log (fold change) ± SE. Expression of Bax-α, p53, and caspase-3 mRNA was significantly higher in the SCNT group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Five cytokines were analyzed: Interleukin (IL)4, IL8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and epidermal growth factor were lower in the control group than in the cloned group (P < 0.05). However, the level of MCP1 was higher in the SCNT group (P < 0.05). Numbers of trophoblast cells in the cloned group were also lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that failure of endometrium and extraembryonic tissues in cloned pregnancies may originate from abnormal embryo-maternal communication that develops during the implantation period. This work received grant support from the Agenda Program (no. 200901FHT010305535), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.


A fingerprint identification algorithm based on a modification of the Competitive Learning Algorithm developed originally by T. Kohonen is presented. Given a pair of fingerprint images (template and input image) and a set of minutiae in the template image, the algorithm attempts to extract the corresponding points (if exist) in the input image. This is accomplished by determining the parameters of local transformations that match regions around the interest points of the template image to their corresponding regions in the input image. A properly defined similarity measure is used to conclude whether the two fingerprint images are from the same person or not. The advantage of the proposed fingerprint matching method, compared to corresponding previous similar methods, is based on the non-necessity of constructing minutiae points in the input fingerprint image. The proposed fingerprint matching algorithm was evaluated using the DB3 database of Finger Print Verification Competition (FVC2004). Image pairs of both known and unknown transformations were used for the testing. The overall performance for fingerprints of the same and different fingers was calculated in terms of Equal Error Rate (EER) and was equal to 0.0586.


Large pre-trained language models contain societal biases and carry along these biases to downstream tasks. Current in-processing bias mitigation approaches (like adversarial training) impose debiasing by updating a model's parameters, effectively transferring the model to a new, irreversible debiased state. In this work, we propose a novel approach to develop stand-alone debiasing functionalities separate from the model, which can be integrated into the model on-demand, while keeping the core model untouched. Drawing from the concept of AdapterFusion in multi-task learning, we introduce DAM (Debiasing with Adapter Modules) – a debiasing approach to first encapsulate arbitrary bias mitigation functionalities into separate adapters, and then add them to the model on-demand in order to deliver fairness qualities. We conduct a large set of experiments on three classification tasks with gender, race, and age as protected attributes. Our results show that DAM improves or maintains the effectiveness of bias mitigation, avoids catastrophic forgetting in a multi-attribute scenario, and maintains on-par task performance, while granting parameter-efficiency and easy switching between the original and debiased models.


The role of Enterococcus spp. as a cause of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI) is almost unexplored. We assessed the incidence and clinical characteristics of enterococcal CR-BSI (ECR-BSI) over an 8-year period in our hospital. We performed a retrospective study (January 2003 to December 2010) in a large teaching institution. We recorded the incidence, and the microbiological and clinical data from patients with ECR-BSI. The incidence per 10,000 admissions for enterococcal BSI and ECR-BSI was 25 and 1.7, respectively. ECR-BSI was the fourth leading cause of CR-BSI in our institution (6%). A total of 75 episodes of ECR-BSI were detected in 73 patients (6% of all enterococcal BSI). The incidence of ECR-BSI increased by 17% annually (95% CI 19.0-21.0%) during the study period. Nineteen percent of ECR-BSI episodes were polymicrobial. Overall mortality was 33%. ECR-BSI is an emerging and increasingly common entity with a high mortality. This finding should be taken into account when selecting empirical treatment for presumptive CR-BSI.


Process valves are responsible for regulating and controlling the rate and direction of flow in pipeline systems. The V-port ball valve is one kind of process valve with a regulating performance influenced by V-angle. In this article, a DN50 V-port ball valve is taken as the research object. This work therefore aims to investigate the effect of and relationship between the V-angle on valve performance and internal flow properties via experiments and numerical simulations. Results indicate that an increase in either V-angle or valve opening causes a large-pressure fluctuation near the valve outlet, thus leading to a long pressure-stable distance. Meanwhile, the flow coefficient increases exponentially with valve opening, and the value of the exponent remains at 2.5 for different V-angles. Furthermore, the stable position of internal energy loss along the downstream pipe is well-matched with the stable position of external pressure fluctuation. This inspires a new method for controlling the pressure stability downstream from the valve. These results may facilitate improvements in the design and optimization of the process valve, thus benefiting the development of fluid transport techniques in energy industries.


Boride inclusions in the synthetic diamond single crystals grown from Fe-Ni-C-B system under high temperature and high pressure were studied in the present paper. Both chemical composition and structure of the inclusions incorporated into the diamond during the process of diamond growth were successfully determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the inclusions related to boron trapped in the diamond consisted of f.c.c. (FeNi)23(CB)6, (FeNi)3(CB), Fe2B, FeB, hexagonal Ni3B, and B4C.


Abstract. Long-term decreases found recently in both the atmospheric electrical potential gradient (PG) and the air-Earth current density ( J z ), using observation series from the UK and Hungary, have motivated studies of other European data. Two surface data series somewhat longer than a decade were available: PG data obtained at Serra do Pilar (Portugal), and PG, J z and positive air conductivity measurements at Athens (Greece). Selecting data to minimise local effects, the 1960–1971 Serra do Pilar PG values decrease at dawn and in the evening. Dawn data obtained at Athens (1967–1977) indicate a reduction in J z , while the simultaneous PG values there increase (coincident air conductivity values decrease) for the periods investigated. The Athens PG increase is attributed to local aerosol influences, typical of urban environments. Despite the urban influence, the Athens J z shows similarities with soundings of the ionospheric potential. The decline in J z at Athens occurs simultaneously with a decrease reported previously in J z at Kew (UK), indicating that, at least, a regional decrease in the global atmospheric electrical circuit occurred during part of the twentieth century. Similar surface changes occur in European atmospheric electrical parameters, with a decrease of about 0.5% to 0.7% per year between 1920 and 1970 (possibly extending back to 1898), an annual decrease of between 2.7 and 3.4%, between 1959 and 1971 and a continued decrease of about ~1% per year between 1967 and 1984, possibly still continuing. Keywords. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (Atmospheric electricity) – Geomagnetism and paleomagnetism (Time variations, secular and long term) – Atmospheric composition and structure (Aerosols and particles)


Writing digital forensics (DF) tools is difficult because of the diversity of data types that needs to be processed, the need for high performance, the skill set of most users, and the requirement that the software run without crashing. Developing this software is dramatically easier when one possesses a few hundred disks of other people's data for testing purposes. This paper presents some of the lessons learned by the author over the past 14 years developing DF tools and maintaining several research corpora that currently


CRM1 plays an important role in the nuclear export of cargo proteins bearing nuclear exporting signal sequences. Leptomycin B (LMB), a well-known CRM1 inhibitor, possesses strong antitumor properties. However, its toxicity prevents it from being clinically useful. In this study, we demonstrate that a novel compound, CBS9106, inhibits CRM1-dependent nuclear export, causing arrest of the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner for a broad spectrum of cancer cells, including multiple myeloma cells. CBS9106 reduces CRM1 protein levels significantly without affecting CRM1 mRNA expression. This effect could be reversed by adding bortezomib or LMB. Moreover, CBS9106-biotin allows capture of CRM1 protein by streptavidin beads in a competitive manner with LMB and vice versa. Mass spectrometric analysis shows that CBS9106 reacts with a synthetic CRM1 peptide that contains Cys528 but not with a Cys528 mutant peptide. Oral administration of CBS9106 significantly suppresses tumor growth and prolongs survival in mice bearing tumor xenograft without a significant loss in body weight. A reduced level of CRM1 protein is also observed in tumor xenografts isolated from mice treated with CBS9106. Taken together, these results indicate that CBS9106 is a novel reversible CRM1 inhibitor and a promising clinical candidate.


TRANSACTIONS of The Society for Computer Simulation International ISSN 0740-6797/00 Copyright © 2000 The Society for Computer Simulation International Volume 17, Number 3, pp. ##-##


The damage potential of spatially variable seismic ground motion on buried pipelines has long been confirmed by field evidence, but it is still debatable whether transient seismic loads can be truly detrimental to the pipeline integrity. In the absence of systematic scrutiny of the effects of local site conditions on the seismic behaviour of such structures, this study presents a staged approach to numerically investigate the elastic-plastic buckling response of buried steel natural gas pipelines subject to transient differential ground motions arising from strong lateral site inhomogeneities. The first stage involves the study of 2D linear viscoelastic and equivalent-linear site response for the case of two sites and the resulting seismic demand in terms of longitudinal strains for input motions of various intensities and frequency content. The influence of key problem parameters is examined, and the most unfavourable relative ground deformation cases are identified. In the second stage of analysis, the critical in-plane ground displacement field is imposed monotonically on a near-field trench-like 3D continuum soil model encasing a long cylindrical shell model of the pipeline. Next, the performance of the buried pipeline is assessed under axial compression. The impedance contrast between the laterally inhomogeneous soil profiles is shown to govern the amplitude of induced elastic strains, which are maximized for low-frequency excitations. It is also demonstrated that peak axial strains along the pipeline considering equivalent-linear soil behaviour under strong earthquake motion can be as much as two orders of magnitude larger than their linear counterparts, as a result of the severe, spatially variable moduli degradation. It is finally shown that the seismic vibrations of certain inhomogeneous sites can produce appreciable axial stress concentration in the critically affected pipeline segment near the material discontinuity, enough to trigger coupled buckling modes in the plastic range. This behaviour is found to be controlled by pronounced axial force-bending moment interaction and is not accounted for in code-prescribed limit states.


The paper presents the main issues from the working group on on Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) within the SOCRATES/ ERASMUS Thematic Network "Speech Communication Science". SLT is today a profession which has undergone a dramatic evolution in recent decades, as developments in clinical skills have been integrated with an increasingly high level of academic and research expertise. The short term aim of the working group has therefore been to evaluate current practice in education in communication science for speech and language therapists throughout Europe. A questionnaire was designed with the aim of eliciting some factual information about speech commmunication science education for SLT, as well as attitudes about the role of this area within the broader context of SLT education. Responses were received from institutions representing eight countries, but the response rate has so far been very poor. This has reinforced the aim of developing internet connections, both within the profession and as an interface with other related disciplines. A web site, developed and supported at Lund University, provides basic information about all SLT education courses within Europe. The working group has also decided to adopt a new strategy for the second year's work within the Network. Data will be collected and summerized in a multilingual style through the selection of a responsible persons from each European country. There will be a report of these activities in the beginning of January 1998.


Programmes of political parties are an important element of public discourse. In this article, I present the results of research aimed at defining the place of Russia and Polish-Russian relations in the programmes of several Polish right-wing political groups. I attempt an overview of the political programmes of the right-wing parties as regards their principal features, internal structure, and central postulates. Content analysis shows that relations with Russia are an impor tant element in most political programmes proposed by Poland's major right-wing political groups. Based on a qualitative analysis, I distinguish between parties that postulate a determined and assertive policy towards Russia, parties committed to a neutral position on Russia, and those that seek the improvement and pragmatisation of Polish-Russian relations. There are two important conclusions from the qualitative analysis. Firstly, international relations have a pronounced influence on the programmes of political parties. Secondly, as to the right-wing parties considered in the Polish political discourse as pro-Russian (the National Revival of Poland, the National Radical Camp), they are either far from being pro-Russian or Russia is quite low on their agenda.


In May of 1940, a wartime British government arrested those deemed "enemy aliens" and transferred them to safe areas of the country. Over 2000 of these "enemy aliens" were Jewish German and Austrian men. On June 29, 1940, the first group of Jewish refugees was sent to internment camps in Canada. This thesis explores three different examples of memory and community to illustrate the development of the internees' search for meaning during and post-internment. Artwork created in the camps, a series of letters between ex-internees, and several issues of the Ex-Internees Newsletter are the focus of this study. Social network analysis tools are used to visualize the post-internment internee network. By looking at diverse aspects of the internment narrative, this thesis provides a unique lens into the conversation on memory and history.


The Government of India has, in recent years, taken multiple steps to encourage private sector participation, adopt a more holistic approach towards expanding its coal base, and improve efficiency in the sector as a whole. However, the existing regulatory framework in India is not adequately developed or in tune with international standards that the extractive industries sector have been putting together. It is thus crucial for the Indian coal industry to consider changes in its regulatory environment to make it a par with the international standards to meet the critical requirement for energy security. In fact coal mining society is passing though havoc changes due to Government's newly introduced multifold policies. The industrial relation now has changed immensely than the previous practices. Coal industry, which contributes 67 percent of total energy requirements of our country. After two phases nationalization the industry witnessed certain developments, which have implications for the human recourses management and industrial relation. In the beginning of the 90s one important event was the introduction of the new economic policy and this has a great influence over the coal mine sector. Impact of the policy Change is the introduction of a number of private operators in the coal production. Broadly, new economic policy initiated the gradual withdrawal of state from the control of basic industry and infrastructure. Coal mines are no exception in this regard. So the effect of new economic policy in the consequence of globalization also falls on the coal sectors. We now see what sort of impact of policy change has taken place upon the coal sector and coal workers. This article tires to examine the changes taken place due to policy changes and changes in general outlook of the people of coal mines in which they live. Now the industrial relation as well as the mechanism of work has been changed drastically. The traditional practice of work and mental outlook is gradually replacing with global method. It was noticed that people associated in this industry has started accepting the wider scope of work culture.


Genomic prediction typically relies on associations between single-site polymorphisms and traits of interest. This representation of genomic variability has been successful for prediction within populations. However, it usually cannot capture the complex effects due to combination of alleles in haplotypes. Therefore, accuracy across populations has usually been low. Here we present a novel and cost-effective method for imputing cis haplotype associated RNA expression (HARE, RNA expression of genes by haplotype), studied their transferability across tissues, and evaluated genomic prediction models within and across populations. HARE focuses on tightly linked cis acting causal variants in the immediate vicinity of the gene, while excluding trans effects from diffusion and metabolism, so it would be more transferrable across different tissues and populations. We showed that HARE estimates captured one-third of the variation in gene expression and were more transferable across diverse tissues than the measured transcript expression. HARE estimates were used in genomic prediction models evaluated within and across two diverse maize panels – a diverse association panel (Goodman Association panel) and a large half-sib panel (Nested Association Mapping panel) – for predicting 26 complex traits. HARE resulted in up to 15% higher prediction accuracy than control approaches that preserved haplotype structure, suggesting that HARE carried functional information in addition to information about haplotype structure. The largest increase was observed when the model was trained in the Nested Association Mapping panel and tested in the Goodman Association panel. Additionally, HARE yielded higher within-population prediction accuracy as compared to measured expression values. The accuracy achieved by measured expression was variable across tissues whereas accuracy using HARE was more stable across tissues. Therefore, imputing RNA expression of genes by haplotype is stable, cost-effective, and transferable across populations. Author summary The increasing availability of genomic data has been widely used in the prediction of many traits. However, genome wide prediction has been mostly carried out within populations and without explicit modeling of RNA or protein expression. In this study, we explored the prediction of field traits within and across populations using estimated RNA expression attributable to only the DNA sequence around a gene. We showed that the estimated RNA expression was more transferable than overall measured RNA expression. We improved prediction of field traits up to 15% using estimated gene expression as compared to observed expression or gene sequence alone. Overall, these findings indicate that structural and functional information in the gene sequence are highly transferable.


This paper presents a study on near circular orbits around asteroids, whose purpose is to make optical observations of asteroids globally with high resolution. All the asteroids, whose sizes are below 100km, are objects. At first, the feasible region of the frozen orbit was studied. There exist two kinds of the frozen orbits. One is the orbit in the orbital plane of the asteroid and was found not to be adequate for observation with high resolution because of the large altitude. The other is the solar plane-of-sky orbit whose orbit normal corresponds to the solar or anti-solar direction, and was found to be adequate for asteroids whose radii are below 2 or 3km. Maintenance of polar orbits, which are adequate for global observations of asteroids and have the merit that effects of the oblateness disappear, was studied by numerical integrations. It turned out Cp/(Cs*ellmlt) can be used to roughly judge the necessity of maintenance maneuvers.


Pluripotent stem cells present an extraordinary powerful tool to investigate embryonic development in humans. Essentially, they provide a unique platform for dissecting the distinct mechanisms underlying pluripotency and subsequent lineage commitment. Modest information currently exists about the expression and the role of ion channels during human embryogenesis, organ development, and cell fate determination. Of note, small and intermediate conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels have been reported to modify stem cell behaviour and differentiation. These channels are broadly expressed throughout human tissues and are involved in various cellular processes, such as the after-hyperpolarization in excitable cells, and also in differentiation processes. To this end, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) generated from plucked human hair keratinocytes have been exploited in vitro to recapitulate endoderm formation and, concomitantly, used to map the expression of the SK channel (SKCa) subtypes over time. Thus, we report the successful generation of definitive endoderm from hiPSCs of ectodermal origin using a highly reproducible and robust differentiation system. Furthermore, we provide the first evidence that SKCas subtypes are dynamically regulated in the transition from a pluripotent stem cell to a more lineage restricted, endodermal progeny.


This paper describes the design and analysis of a pyramidal horn antenna having linear polarized, high gain, low side lobes and light in weight. This horn will be used in rectangular antenna test range as source to generate a quasi-plane wave in far field test zone. It specifies the straightforward procedure to determines the physical dimension of pyramidal horn as per the performance specifications generated for antenna test range. The antenna gives 15 dBi gain over 20% bandwidth with center frequency of 10 GHz. HFSS software was used to simulate the design of antenna. Here we describe the estimated dimensions and simulated radiation data.


In this paper I address an important aspect of the link between the larger process of globalization and work. I focus on how globalization has affected the lives of Guatemalan women of different class backgrounds and ethnicities in Guatemala and in Los Angeles, through an examination of the link between paid work and household work. Data for this article come from eighty-six in-depth interviews with indigenous and ladina women and from ethnographic field work I conducted in Los Angeles and in two regions of Guatemala. There are certain aspects of earning an income among the women in this study that emerge in both contexts, perhaps due to the demands of contemporary capitalism on workers around the world. My observations indicate that whereas the experiences of women and femininities are played out in the context of global economic relations, they are experienced differently in diverse sites and within the same context by individuals of different class and ethnic backgrounds. Thus, experiences of globalization through work are very much localized; they are historically and culturally situated and interact with broader processes in dissimilar fashion.


The aim of the research was to establish which marketing challenges SMEs are facing and whether these challenges contribute to the high business failure rate in South Africa. The conducted research has established that lack of marketing skills knowledge of the following marketing factors: analysing competition; establishing product demand; poor location of the small business; ineffective marketing of products and lack of market knowledge are causing business failure in South Africa. The conclusion is that a positive correlation exists between lack of marketing skills and business failure in South Africa. This research undertook quantitative research design as the purpose of this study was to establish marketing skills challenges facing South African SMEs. A sample of 1 000 small business owners was randomly selected from a list supplied by the Department of Trade and Industry. The South African challenge is to improve the marketing skills of SME owners as small businesses are considered to be the panacea for South Africa's unemployment problems. SMEs contribute significantly to job creation, social stability and economic welfare and it is therefore important that their marketing skills be developed with training their marketing skills.


The analysis of outdoor climate normative information, given in the form of calculated parameters of outdoor air for warm and cold periods of the year, is given. The requirements to the form of presentation of climatic information and to its content are formulated. The information is presented in the form of tables of recurrence of outdoor parameters in two-dimensional intervals for different cities of the Russian Federation and the capital of Iraq, Baghdad. It is shown that the information in the form of these tables can be used for the tasks indicated in the article at the stage of conceptual design of air conditioning system. The results of approbation of the considered form of climate information implemented at practical tasks are demonstrated. Among these results, we should pay special attention to dependence of installation capacities of subsystems on the time of non-availability of the rated parameters of the air environment in a room. Moreover, it is shown by the example that information about heat, cold, air, and water consumption by heat and humidity treatment in air conditioning systems can be determined for various calculated periods of time. The results were obtained using an applied computer program that executes the recommended form of presentation of climate information for the design of air conditioning systems.


Summary Since visual observation is the most commonly used way of detecting oestrus and is supposed to be as effective as detection with technical devices, we evaluated a recently developed oestrus detection scoring system in daily dairy practice. In this scoring system nine signs of oestrus are scored with points, ranging 3 to 100. Twenty‐one dairy farmers used the scoring system during a period of 3 weeks. All cows that were more than 30 days post partum and not confirmed pregnant were monitored, using the scoring system, by the herd owners. Oestrus was confirmed by measuring progesterone concentrations in milk. With the scoring system a detection rate of 47% was achieved. This was lower than expected, because in an earlier control period, the detection rate was 64%. We concluded that this new method might be too complicated to introduce to normal herd management, because in daily practice it is too demanding to watch cows twice a day for 30 minutes, especially if the cows show only vague and infrequent symptoms of oestrus. It also appeared to be too complicated to watch the herd at the most appropriate time. However, if the scoring system is included in the daily routine, meaning that farmers are trained to watch for other symptoms than standing heat only and are able to recognize their different values, it can be a valuable aid to oestrus detection.


This post-review discusses the reception of Ara Norenzayan's Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict(2013) by zooming in on two review symposia for the book — one in Religion(2014), the other in Religion, Brain and Behavior(2014). The symposia ran parallel to one another, and both have resulted in the publication of ten reviews plus one commentary. The post-review discusses a selection of topics raised, including some underlying key premises, similarities with the Supernatural Punishment Hypothesis, the evidence presented, its cultural evolution framework, its conceptualization of "religion," prosociality versus obedience, and whether "Big Gods" are really just "Abrahamic gods" rewrapped.


This article deals with this ongoing spatial and political recrafting of the Mediterranean sea as a space of migration governmentality. It retraces the recent political and spatial transformations occurred with the starting of the military-humanitarian operation Mare Nostrum in the channel of Sicily and then the handover to the Triton operation coordinated by Frontex. The two specific angles from which it tackles this issue are the politics of and over life that is at stake in the government of migration at sea and the politics of visibility that underpins it. In the first section it analyses the politics and the scene of rescue that has been put into place with the start of Mare Nostrum, tacking stock of the re-articulation of military and humanitarian technologies for governing and containing migrant movements. Then, it discusses the recent transformations occurred with Triton operation and the effects on the level of political actions undertaken by activist migrant groups. The article moves on by taking into account the peculiar politics of visibility that is at stake in the government of migration in the Mediterranean.


Information security has long hinged on trusted insiders' ability to make good decisions. However, modifying human behavior through training is difficult; some battle-worn security executives might even dismiss it as impossible. Although foundational controls such as antivirus, data leak protection, and firewalls are important, they're far from sufficient. The sharp rise in "knowability" of people at a distance raises an important question for the information security industry about the automation of personalized attacks: what happens when the marginal cost of launching a convincing personalized attack starts to approach $0? Today, most security controls are ignorant of rich historical data about the person they're tasked with protecting. As the cost for attackers to personalize their attacks goes down, our zeal in building technology to personalize defense must rise. This article explores our industry's need to embrace security's human element.


High-Throughput (HT) SELEX combines SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential Enrichment), a method for aptamer discovery, with massively parallel sequencing technologies. This emerging technology provides data for a global analysis of the selection process and for simultaneous discovery of a large number of candidates but currently lacks dedicated computational approaches for their analysis. To close this gap, we developed novel in-silico methods to analyze HT-SELEX data and utilized them to study the emergence of polymerase errors during HT-SELEX. Rather than considering these errors as a nuisance, we demonstrated their utility for guiding aptamer discovery. Our approach builds on two main advancements in aptamer analysis: AptaMut—a novel technique allowing for the identification of polymerase errors conferring an improved binding affinity relative to the 'parent' sequence and AptaCluster—an aptamer clustering algorithm which is to our best knowledge, the only currently available tool capable of efficiently clustering entire aptamer pools. We applied these methods to an HT-SELEX experiment developing aptamers against Interleukin 10 receptor alpha chain (IL-10RA) and experimentally confirmed our predictions thus validating our computational methods.


The growth in federal conservation programs has created a need for policy modeling frameworks capable of measuring micro-level behavioral responses and macro-level landscape changes. This paper presents an empirical model that predicts crop choices, crop rotations, and conservation tillage adoption as a function of conservation payment levels, profits, and other variables at more than 42,000 agricultural sites of the National Resource Inventory (NRI) in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Predicted changes in crop choices and tillage practices are then fed into site-specific environmental production functions to determine changes in nitrate runoff and leaching and in water and wind erosion at each NRI site. This policy-scale model is applied to the case of green payments for the adoption of conservation practices (conservation tillage and crop rotations) in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, a region under scrutiny as a significant source of nutrient loadings to the Mississippi River, causing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Results from this application suggest that payments for conservation tillage and crop rotations increase the use of these conservation practices. However, the acreage response is inelastic and the programs are not likely to be cost effective on their own for addressing the hypoxia problem in the Gulf of Mexico.


After growth in an iron-depleted chemically-defined medium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus expressed four high mol. wt outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) which were repressed under iron supplementation or in a complex laboratory medium. Immunoblotting with serum from a septicaemic patient infected with A. calcoaceticus revealed antibody binding to these iron-repressible OMPs, indicating that they were expressed in vivo, and also to the 42- and 18-Kda OMPs. Although the antibody response to the OMPs did not vary significantly during convalescence, the response to the O-polysaccharide component of lipopolysaccharide decreased significantly. However, antibodies in serum from patients with A. calcoaceticus wound infections reacted with the iron repressible OMPs and a 54-Kda antigen suggesting a difference in immune recognition between local and systemic infection.


The use of the calcineurin inhibitors cyclosporine and tacrolimus led to major advances in the field of transplantation, with excellent short-term outcome. However, the chronic nephrotoxicity of these drugs is the Achilles' heel of current immunosuppressive regimens. In this review, the authors summarize the clinical features and histologic appearance of both acute and chronic calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity in renal and nonrenal transplantation, together with the pitfalls in its diagnosis. The authors also review the available literature on the physiologic and molecular mechanisms underlying acute and chronic calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, and demonstrate that its development is related to both reversible alterations and irreversible damage to all compartments of the kidneys, including glomeruli, arterioles, and tubulo-interstitium. The main question--whether nephrotoxicity is secondary to the actions of cyclosporine and tacrolimus on the calcineurin-NFAT pathway--remains largely unanswered. The authors critically review the current evidence relating systemic blood levels of cyclosporine and tacrolimus to calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, and summarize the data suggesting that local exposure to cyclosporine or tacrolimus could be more important than systemic exposure. Finally, other local susceptibility factors for calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity are reviewed, including variability in P-glycoprotein and CYP3A4/5 expression or activity, older kidney age, salt depletion, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and genetic polymorphisms in genes like TGF-beta and ACE. Better insight into the mechanisms underlying calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity might pave the way toward more targeted therapy or prevention of calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity.


Objective: The objective of the study was to discuss the controversies surrounding the use and dosing of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in obese patients recognizing the limitations of the existing evidence base that preclude strong recommendations. Data Sources: A literature search of MEDLINE was performed (2020 to end August 2022) subsequent to recent guidelines using the following search terms: direct acting anticoagulants, obesity, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, dabigatran, dabigatran etexilate, and clinical practice guidelines. Study Selection and Data Abstraction: English-language studies and those conducted in adults were selected. Data Synthesis: The available randomized studies evaluating DOACs had relatively small numbers of patients with more extreme forms of obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 40 kg/m2) and none of the larger studies had a specific focus on dosing DOACs in obese patients. Recent guidelines by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) have specific recommendations for dosing DOACs in obesity. There are pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and observational studies published before and after the ISTH guidelines with a focus on DOAC dosing in obese patients that generally support the recommendations in the guidelines, but most involved small numbers of patients usually with BMIs <45 kg/m2. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: This review discusses DOAC dosing in obesity with important considerations for clinicians related to DOAC choice and dosing. Conclusions: Dosing alterations of DOACs do not appear to be necessary when used for either prophylaxis or treatment in patients with BMIs up to approximately 45 to 50 kg/m2, but research is needed for BMIs >50 kg/m2.


Partner choice is an important element for any business throughout its lifecycle. It is even more strategic in early startup stages, when the business model is set in the pre-incubation phase.Entrepreneurs are confronted to take decisions on which partners to choose. Those strategic decisions on which partners to commit with, and defining their roles, can be made more or less formally, with the risk of relying on "gut feelings" when there is complex data to be taken in consideration and when there is pressure, constraints, limited resources and no proper methodology for the entrepreneur to base its decision on.Confronted to such a situation, it is interesting to consider building a decision-making support methodology for strategic partner choice for in the business modelling phase of a startup pre-incubation phase. This can offer support to the entrepreneur and make its leadership anchored in more formal approach to decision-making.This research presents a methodological framework that can support early startups, while still in the pre-incubation phase, to select the most suitable strategic business partner(s) and develop, based on that, their business operations, management, development and commercialization models. The methodology offers an initial approach which allows an entrepreneur to make more formal investigation and be assisted in the decision-making process on choosing the partners and defining their roles and contribution in the strategy of the start-up. Specifically, the methodology intends to provide support on selecting the most relevant and feasible data types that need to be collected for the effective partner evaluation and selection. Furthermore, it provides a data collection mechanism and algorithm, a partner evaluation procedure, support on identifying the strategic intend or need from a specific partner, the analysis of the potential partner based on the partnership needs, a scoring tableau based on several parameters per partner selection criteria and finally the calculation of the potential partner's score. The research conducted evaluated twenty-one potential partners for a VR training startup that intends to operate in the following months and it is currently at the partnerships establishment phase. The partners that have been analyzed derive from eight, related to the start-up, professional sectors, from five countries, and with more than fifty unique activities that cover the fourteen key parameters of the partner evaluation methodology. The paper presents the overall methodological approach in stages and the procedure (steps) of each stage. It indicates the goal setting approach, the evaluation of the partner's activities, the partner's evaluation scorecard, the computation of the scoring process and the visualization of the scoring results in tables and charts that create a partner's evaluation dashboard for effective partners comparison in total or in specific partnership requirements as set in the partnerships strategy and objectives. It must be noted that the proposed methodology is not an optimal tool but more of a heuristic exploratory tool. Further research has been scheduled to be extend the testing of the methodology with more cases, to increase the number of partner evaluation parameters and to link several of the related parameter metrics with sources than can provide more subjective values.


As computer networks rapidly increase in size and speed, Internet-distributed systems such as P2P, volunteer computing, and Grid systems are increasingly common. A precise and accurate characterization of Internet resources is important for the design and evaluation of such Internet-distributed systems, yet our picture of the Internet landscape is not perfectly clear. To improve this picture, we measure and characterize the time dynamics of availability in a large-scale Internet-distributed system with over 110,000 hosts. Our characterization focuses on identifying patterns of correlated availability. We determine scalable and accurate clustering techniques and distance metrics for automatically detecting significant availability patterns. By means of clustering, we identify groups of resources with correlated availability that exhibit similar time effects. Then we show how these correlated clusters of resources can be used to improve resource management for parallel applications in the context of volunteer computing.


N.A.C.A. Model 36, a hull form with parallel middle body for half the length of the forebody and designed particularly for use with stub wings, was tested according to the general fixed-trim method over the range of practical loads, trims, and speeds. It was also tested free to trim with the center of gravity at two different positions. The results are given in the form of nondimensional coefficients. The resistance at the hump was exceptionally low but, at high planing speeds, afterbody interference made the performance only mediocre.


Upon infection with a virus, a cellular innate immune response is rapidly initiated to contain the pathogen. A potent interferon (IFN)-α/β cytokine response underlies host defence by prompting the expression of antiviral genes and stimulating adaptive immunity. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are integral components of this response, as they recognize molecules specific to pathogens, including viral nucleic acids and couple to IFN induction. For my studies, I pursued lines of investigation aimed at deepening our understanding of immune responses trigered by the sensing of viruses within the cell cytosol. Initially, I focused on the PRR RIG-I. This RNA helicase senses RNA present in the cytosol of mammalian cells infected with certain negative-sense RNA viruses. Although many molecules capable of activating RIG-I had been proposed, the precise nature and contribution of RIG-I agonists during the course of a viral infection was undefined. I was able to show with the help of two colleagues that viral genomic RNA, but not other RNA species, constitutes the prominent source for RIG-I activation in influenza and Sendai virus infected cells. Next, I focused on the identification of new regulators of the innate pathways dedicated to the sensing of cytosolic nucleic acids following infection. My first approach, involving the use of a vaccinia-encoded immunomodulator as bait for novel components of the cytosolic DNA sensing pathway, was unsuccessful. So I turned my attention to DDX60: an IFN-inducible superkiller-2- like RNA helicase that I fished-out from microarray data. I was able to generate a ddx60-knockout mouse and demonstrate that this helicase is dispensable for the induction of IFN-α/β in response to different PRR stimuli. These results shed light on the role of this poorly characterized helicase in antiviral immunity and suggest that DDX60 may function as a specific antiviral restriction factor rather than a component of the IFN-inducing PRR pathways.


BACKGROUND
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is often diagnosed very late, variable "facets" of the disease exist render the diagnosis more difficult.

METHODS/PATIENTS
Follow-up observations of five very old patients are reported in whom diagnosis was made too late, resulting in blindness of both eyes.

RESULTS
Five patients (age 76-84 years, 4 women, one man) with GCA became blind in both eyes because diagnosis had been delayed (two patients) or onset of therapy was too late (three patients). In two patients who also had arterial hypertension, the symptom "headache" had been misleading. Symptoms of accompanying general diseases masked the real diagnosis, particularly in the second patient who had renal insufficiency, coronary artery disease, and unilateral obstruction of the internal carotid artery. Symptoms that failed to lead to the correct diagnosis were: muscle or chewing pain (three patients), circumscribed numbness around the mouth (second patient), and persistent headache despite normalization of blood pressure. Normal findings from cranial CTAs (two patients) led to the wrong reassurance of the patient. Swelling of the optic disk (two patients) was misdiagnosed by ophthalmologists, as was a retinal branch arterial occlusion (first patient). Three patients, afraid of possible side effects caused by glucocorticoids, took ineffective alternative medications. Poor vigilance led to blindness of the fifth patient with long-standing polymyalgia rheumatica.

CONCLUSIONS
Targeted examinations at the onset of symptoms are necessary. GCA-symptoms were mis-constructed by additional diseases that disguised the correct diagnosis. The danger of bilateral blindness is particularly great in patients of great age.


The author examines the steps taken by the new administration to resolve the decadesold Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The search for a solution requires dealing with many players with conflicting interests and contradictory agendas. President Obama's relaunch of the Middle East peace process soon ran into problems. His two-state solution was not endorsed by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until June 2009. President Obama's early call for a settlement freeze in the occupied territories was hailed by the Palestinians, but US envoy George Mitchell was able to get Netanyahu to agree only to a partial freeze, which was rejected by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Obama's subsequent retreat on a settlement freeze shocked the Palestinians, who refused to start the peace talks.


The water frog form caralitana was first described as a subspecies of Rana ridibunda by Arikan (1988) from southwestern Turkey. Its orange ventral colour has been used as a diagnostic character since its description. After testing for a correlation between body size and ventral colour, we compared mtDNA and venter colour of adult specimens from 27 localities to assess the validity of this character for systematics of Anatolian water frogs. We mapped the distribution of each category and tested whether there is concordance between mtDNA haplotype and ventral colour of sampled individuals at the watershed level. Furthermore, we analyzed relationships between ventral colour and altitude. Size and ventral colouration were found to be significantly correlated. The distribution of orange ventral colour exhibited a complex clinal variation espe- cially west of the Lake District where different coloured individuals are seen syntopically. In other regions, there were abrupt changes, presumably because of geographic barriers such as mountains. Our results indicate that although there is significant concordance between caralitana-specific mtDNA and orange venter colour, there are certain watersheds where the majority of sampled individuals exhibits discordance in mtDNA and ventral colouration. In all periphery regions, some degree of ge- netic introgression is indicated. These patterns clearly indicate gene flow between the caralitana lineage and non-caralitana lineages and is supported by lack of evidence for habitat-specific selection, the assignment of individuals from the same population into distinct clades, and the occurrence of an intermediate character between different forms in transition zones.


In the present study we investigated the early steps of human IgG subclass differentiation by defining the conditions necessary for IgG subclass-specific production of germ-line transcripts in human peripheral blood B cells. Constant region of gamma-globulin (C gamma) subclass germ-line transcripts were measured using newly developed reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays that were shown to be C gamma subclass-specific germ-line transcripts by size of the amplification products obtained before and after digestion with appropriate endonucleases (NarI and NcoI). In initial studies we found that C gamma 1 and C gamma 2 germ-line transcripts were constitutively expressed in total peripheral blood B cells, but not in high density sIgM+(sIgG-) B cells prepared with Percoll density gradients and magnetic beads separation techniques; the latter cells were therefore used throughout this study. Induction of germ-line transcripts (germ-line C gamma 1 transcript) was noted in stimulated B cells (SAC plus IL-2) at 6 h; thus, the appearance of germ-line transcripts could not be attributed to preferential growth of B cells expressing germ-line transcripts. In subsequent studies we found that induction of germ-line transcripts for the various IgG subclasses fell into two patterns. Induction of C gamma 3 and C gamma 1 germ-line transcripts, transcripts of genes in the first human duplication unit, generally required a proliferative stimulus (Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I, SAC) and was brought about by SAC plus IL-4 (C gamma 3 germ-line transcripts) and SAC alone or SAC plus IL-2 (C gamma 1 germ-line transcripts); in contrast, induction of C gamma 2 and C gamma 4 germ-line transcripts, transcripts of genes in the second duplication unit, was accomplished with cytokines alone: IFN-gamma (C gamma 2 germ-line transcripts) and IL-4 (C gamma 4 germ-line transcripts), and was not augmented by addition of a proliferative stimulus. Finally, we found that IFN-gamma inhibited IL-4-induced C gamma 3 and C gamma 4 germ-line transcripts (with or without SAC). These findings establish that the various human IgG subclasses manifest distinct requirements for the regulation of early steps in isotype differentiation. In addition, they suggest that human C gamma genes exhibit patterns of regulation related to their respective duplication units.


In today's intense global competition, problems still exist under the umbrella of Just-in-Time application in the field of order management. The management of a firm usually faces difficulty in allocating stock to fulfil customer order, especially in the case of receiving a sudden change request from customers. In order to ease order allocation issues aroused by JIT, an intelligent system, namely, Intelligent Sales Order Handling System (ISOAS), is developed through the integration of fuzzy-AHP approach for decision making process in order allocation. This approach enables the selection of desired sales orders based on multiple criteria which may be quantitative or qualitative in nature, according to the judgment of scholars and domain experts. With ISOAS, customer orders are prioritized with respect to the values according to their performance under each decision making attributes. The degree of confidence of the decision judgements are quantified through the spread of fuzzy numbers with fuzzy pairwise comparison calculations. The approach can transform the fuzziness of human preference into the measurable number, enabling the operation of the AI-based system to assist humans in decision-making. An order allocation case study in a logistics department is demonstrated in this study. Results indicate an improved efficiency during the decision making process.


The proper representation of business processes is important for its execution and understanding. BPMN is the de facto standard notation for business process modeling. However, domain specialists, which are experts in the business, do not have necessarily the modeling skills to easily read a BPMN model. Natural language is easier to read for them. So, both model and text are necessary artifacts for a broad communication. However, unilateral manual editions of them may result in inconsistencies. This research proposes a framework for synchronizing BPMN model artifacts and its natural language text representation. It generates textual work instructions from the model, and it updates the original model if the textual instructions are edited. The framework was implemented using Java standard technology and evaluated through experiments. In the first experiment, we showed the knowledge represented by the textual work instructions and the correspondent process models are equivalent. Furthermore, in a second experiment, we showed our approach for maintaining the texts and models consistent performed satisfactory, where we verified the equivalence of the two artifacts.


The C-terminal domain (CTD) of the transcription antiterminator RfaH folds to an α-helix bundle when it interacts with its N-terminal domain (NTD) but it undergoes an all-α to all-β conformational transformation when it does not interact with the NTD. The RfaH-CTD in the all-α topology is involved in regulating transcription whereas in the all-β topology it is involved in stimulating translation by recruiting a ribosome to an mRNA. Because the conformational transformation in RfaH-CTD gives it a different function, it is labeled as a transformer protein, a class that may eventually include many other functional proteins. The structure and function of RfaH is of interest for its own sake, as well as for the value it may serve as a model system for investigating structural transformations in general. We used replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations with implicit solvent to investigate the α-helix to β-structure transformation of RfaH-CTD, followed by structural relaxation with detailed all atom simulations for the best replica. The importance of interfacial interactions between the two domains of RfaH is highlighted by the compromised structural integrity of the helical form of the CTD in the absence NTD. Calculations of free-energy landscape and transfer entropy elucidate the details of the RfaH-CTD transformation process.


This study investigates the potential impact of Blue Economy on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). The analysis of the concept in terms of foreign investment is an additional contribution to the previous studies in this field. What we suggest is the development of crosscutting strategies in the development of the coastal economy, especially for developing countries such as Albania, as it would be a good opportunity for attracting foreign investment. Developing such a strategy supports the development of existing sectors, as well as the promotion of investment and innovation in the growth of new domains. Therefore there is a need to examine the necessary mechanisms for encouraging foreign investment in this sector (Blue Economy). The methodology of this paper is based on existing knowledge, observations and theoretical framework on Blue Economy.


The effect of Ce2O3 on the fabrication of the Al-Ti-C-RE refiner prepared by adding a powder mixture of potassium titanium fluoride and carbon into the aluminum melt was studied by means of the OM, XRD, ESEM and EDAX etc. It found that the addition of Ce2O3 increases the reaction rate between the potassium titanium fluoride and carbon during the fabrication of the Al-Ti-C-RE refiner making the Al3Ti and TiC phases well distributed. Moreover, the Ce2O3 is an intensive kind of the surface activation element strongly sticking to the Al3Ti phase after reacting on the master alloy observed by ESEM, which formed a new rare earth compound phase [AlTiCe] and accelerated the synthesis rate of TiC particles. And adding 0.15wt% Al-Ti-C-RE alloy can refine the pure Al strongly and remarkably, in which the grain size of pure Al is lower than 94.2μm. When the holding time of refining exceeded the 120 minutes, the refining effect on the pure Al has not faded remarkably, which proves the Al-Ti-C-RE prepared by the Ce2O3 have long-life and stable refining effects.