TCP currently recalculates the state of each connection from a fixed set of initial parameters; this recalculation occurs over several round trips, during which the connection can be less than efficient. TCP control block sharing is a technique for reusing information among connections in series and aggregating it among connections in parallel. This paper explores the design space of a modified TCP stack that utilizes these two ideas, and one possible design (E-TCP) is presented in detail. E-TCP has been designed so that the network transmission behavior of group of parallel E-TCP connections closely resembles that of a single TCP/Reno connection. Simulated web accesses using HTTP/1.0 over E-TCP show a significant performance improvement compared to TCP/Reno connection bundles. This paper is first to evaluate performance using four different intra-ensemble schedulers for different workloads. In one scenario simulating a common case, E-TCP is 4-75% faster than Reno for transmitting the HTML parts of various pages, and 17-61% faster transmitting the whole pages. In the same scenario, reusing cached state speeds up repeated E-TCP page accesses by 17-53% for the HTML parts and 10-28% for the whole pages, compared to the initial access. E-TCP can also be integrated with other proposed TCP extensions (such as TCP/Vegas or TCP/SACK), to further improve performance.


Over the last two decades, a number of deadlock control policies based on Petri nets were proposed for flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs). As a structural object of a Petri net, siphons are widely used in deadlock control. For system of sequential systems with shared resources (S4R), the current deadlock control policies based on max or max′-controlled siphons tend to overly restrict the behaviour of a controlled system. The controllability conditions of a siphon are relaxed by a new concept called max″-controlled ones. We conclude that an S4R is live if all its siphons are max″-controlled. Compared with the existing ones, the proposed one is more general. Examples are given to illustrate it.


Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the general fuel of the cell, is the primary product of photosynthesis in most bacteria, and it is one major product, accounting for about 20% of the captured light energy, in oxygenic photosynthesis by cyanobacteria and plants. The proton driven ATP synthase is a paradigmatic enzyme that has it all, an electrical rotary motor being coupled to a rotary chemical generator by a mechanical power transmission. The simplicity and robustness of its construction is just splendid. This chapter describes the interplay of proton pumps and the ATP synthase in photosynthetic organisms and the structure and function of this remarkable enzyme in bacteria and eukarya.


Crop producers face significant and increasing drought risks. We evaluate whether insurances based on globally and freely available satellite-retrieved soil moisture data can reduce farms' financial drought risk exposure. We design farm individual soil moisture index insurances for wheat, maize and rapeseed production using a case study for Eastern Germany. We find that the satellite-retrieved soil moisture index insurances significantly decrease risk exposure for these crops compared to the situation where production is not insured. The satellite-retrieved index also outperforms one based on soil moisture estimates derived from meteorological measurements at ground stations. Important implications for insurers and policy makers are that they could and should develop better suited insurances. Available satellite-retrieved data can be used to increase farmers' resilience in a changing climate.


Biological changes following myocardial infarction (MI) lead to increased secretion of angiogenic factors that subsequently stimulate the formation of new blood vessels as a compensatory mechanism to reverse ischemia. The goal of this study was to assess the role of CD105 expression during MI-induced angiogenesis by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using (64)Cu-labeled TRC105, an anti-CD105 monoclonal antibody. MI was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery in female rats. Echocardiography and (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) PET scans were performed on post-operative day 3 to confirm the presence of MI in the infarct group and intact heart in the sham group, respectively. Ischemia-induced angiogenesis was non-invasively monitored with (64)Cu-NOTA-TRC105 (an extensively validated PET tracer in our previous studies) PET on post-operative days 3, 10, and 17. Tracer uptake in the infarct zone was highest on day 3 following MI, which was significantly higher than that in the sham group (1.41 ± 0.45 %ID/g vs 0.57 ± 0.07 %ID/g; n=3, p<0.05). Subsequently, tracer uptake in the infarct zone decreased over time to the background level on day 17, whereas tracer uptake in the heart of sham rats remained low at all time points examined. Histopathology documented increased CD105 expression following MI, which corroborated in vivo findings. This study indicated that PET imaging of CD105 can be a useful tool for MI-related research, which can potentially improve MI patient management in the future upon clinical translation of the optimized PET tracers.


The best groomed and most productive garden is easy when you know what to prune when and how your plants work.

Pruning for Flowers and Fruit covers plants in cool-temperate to subtropical climates and is suitable for the home gardener, avid enthusiast as well as the nursery trade and horticultural students. It includes annuals, ornamentals, vegetables, roses, perennials and hydrangeas, and fruiting plants that can be pruned to fit in your back garden.

The author shows how to choose the best plant at the nursery, prune weather damaged plants, renovate ornamental or fruiting trees and shrubs, and maintain your secateurs like a professional. Create different landscape features such as pleached avenues, design elements like hedges and the more fanciful topiary. Show off your plant's juvenile foliage or beautiful bark, or sustainably

harvest wood for carpentry or craft by following the steps on how to coppice or pollard plants.

Never get your wisteria in a twist again and learn to prune with confidence following techniques that range from the most basic through to those for the most advanced espaliers.


"Beer revolution" started in the USa during the years after the economical crisis, which reached hungary in the the last few years as well. Thanks to this gastrotrend, the already wide choice of beer was increased further by numerous so called new-wave beers. among these special – mainly craft beers – several fruity beers and fruit flavoured beers appeared on the hungarian beer market, too. a comprehensive scientific research and review of their role and weight, furthermore the consumers' opinion about them on the hungarian beer sector has not happened up till now, however it could be useful to consider the expected changes in future trends, which would result in an increase of these beer products' meaning on the prospective beer market in hungary.


An optical method of registration of optical anisotropy (birefringence) in glasses is offered. The research of heat transfer processes was based on the occurrence and registration of the thermoelastic effect. This effect arises in the sample during radiative cooling. Change of heat balance and loss of internal energy are due to the thermal radiation. This leads to the formation of an inhomogeneous radiation, temperature, and deformation fields in the sample. The measurement method is based on the modulation of polarization of laser radiation transmitted through the anisotropic area and the definition of its anisotropy parameters by means of this modulation. Phase differences between orthogonal components of linearly polarized light are linearly dependent on a mechanical stress magnitude. The method allows obtaining several desired material parameters by measuring one stress (t) value. Detectability of the modulation polarimetry technique was high and ensured the registration of the mechanical stresses during radiative cooling by a fraction of a degree. The mechanical stresses induced by the heat flow also have small values and are nonlinearly related to the temperature function. Time dependence of the stress (t) in various coordinates of the sample demonstrates a complicated and variable dependence during the measurement. Components related to radiation, conductive and convective heat transfer mechanisms are obtained from the (t) dependence. Relaxation parameters of these components are determined. The technique allows simulating high-temperature heating-cooling processes during the manufacture of materials and their technological application.


STEM Master Teacher Corps Act of 2015 Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to consortia of local educational agencies (LEAs) or states, acting in partnership with institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations to establish a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Master Teacher Corps program. Requires grantees to: select exemplary elementary and secondary school STEM teachers for membership in the STEM Master Teacher Corps; provide those teachers with compensation that supplements their base salaries, with higher compensation going to those teaching at high-need public schools; provide, and track the effectiveness of, research-based training for Corps members; provide discretionary resources for Corps members at high-need schools to use; help coordinate instructional leadership and mentoring roles for Corps members; and facilitate efforts by Corps members to inform STEM education policy at the national, state, and local levels. Gives grant priority to applicants that intend to include: (1) large numbers of teachers in the STEM Master Teacher Corps; and (2) rural schools, particularly high-need rural schools, in the area they serve. Requires grantees to ensure that at least 75% of their STEM Master Teacher Corps are teachers at high-need schools. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, to: (1) evaluate the STEM Master Teacher Corps program; (2) identify optimal strategies for designing and advancing such program; and (3) identify best practices for developing, supporting, and retaining STEM teachers based on lessons learned from the program.


Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was first used as a tool for the in vivo monitoring of tissue oxygenation in the late seventies. Today, NIRS instruments are more and more used in clinical environments since they are now easy to use, sensitive, robust, provide rapid analysis and could be complementary to other non invasive methodologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). The feasibility of non-invasive analysis of brain activities is studied in the attempt to overcome the major limitation of invasive in vivo methodologies. In the present work, optic fibre probes were used as optical head of a novel, highly sensitive near infrared continuous wave spectroscopy (CW-NIR) instrument adapted for in vivo NIRS measurements in the brain of rodents. This prototype was designed for non-invasive analysis of the 2 main forms of haemoglobin: oxy-haemoglobin (HbO(2)) and deoxy-haemoglobin (Hb), chromophores present in biological tissues as these are markers of the degree of tissue oxygenation, thus providing an index of blood level and therefore of tissue metabolism. It was first tested in peripheral tissue (human gastrocnemius muscle) and then reset to perform measurement on rat brain. In animal studies, the optical head was firmly placed using stereotaxic apparatus upon the sagittal line of anaesthetised adult rat's head, without any surgery. 'Physiologic' (i.e. with exogenous oxygen (O(2)) or carbon dioxide (CO(2)) supplied orally) or pharmacologic (i.e. with drugs of abuse such as cocaine) experiments have been performed to support the effectiveness of the methodology in preclinical studies. In addition, the possibility that changes in brain metabolism as measured by NIRS might be a useful index of brain penetration of new chemical entities has been investigated using different compounds from different chemical classes that were selected on the basis of their known brain penetration and overall pharmacokinetic profile. Finally, the feasibility of coupling NIRS with another although invasive in vivo method such as electrophysiology for concomitant analysis of cerebral cell firing in discrete brain areas was tested in the attempt to study in real time the putative correlation between blood levels, brain metabolism and neuronal activities in rat CNS, i.e. apply NIRS to pharmacodynamic investigations. The data gathered in rat treated with exogenous O(2), indicate an original relationship between NIRS analysis of brain metabolism and electrical changes in this major nucleus of CNS involved in neurophysiologic and pathologic activities.


TiO2 nanowire (NW)/nanoparticle (NP) composite films have been fabricated by hybridizing various ratios of hydrothermal anatase NWs and TiO2 NPs for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal that uniform NW/NP composite films were formed on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by the dip-coating method. The NWs are randomly but neither vertically nor horizontally oriented within the composite film. The TiO2 NP DSSC possesses superior performance to those of the NW/NP composite and the pure NW cells, and the efficiency of the NW/NP composite DSSC increases on increasing the NP/NW ratio in the composite anode. All types of DSSC possess the same dependence of performance on the anode thickness that the efficiency increases with the anode thickness to a maximum value, then it decreases when the anode is thickened further. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses reveal that the NP DSSCs possess larger effective electron diffusion coefficients (Deff) in the photoanodes and smaller diffusion resistances of I3− in electrolytes compared to those in the NW/NP and the NW DSSCs. Deff decreases when NWs are added into the photoanode. These results suggest that the vertical feature of the NWs within the anodes is crucial for achieving a high electron transport rate in the anode.


Electricity is often argued to be a catalyst for a country's industrialization an d the social development of its citizens, but little is known about the political consequences of providing electric power to people. Contributing to literatures on the politics of public service provision and participation, we investigate the relationship between electricity and three measures of political participation: voting, political contacting, and collective action. Our comparative analysis leverages data from 36 countries collected in five rounds of Afrobarometer surveys between 2002 and 2015 (N ≈ 160,000). Counterintuitively, we find that individuals with access to electricity participate less than those without access to electricity. This relationship is particularly strong for those living in democratic regimes, and with respect to non-electoral forms of participation. We hypothesize that having electricity access is associated with an "anti - politics" leading some citizens to retreat from engagement with the state to things such as the middle-class comforts of cold drinks, cooled air, and television.


In Canada, and indeed throughout the industrialized world, manufacturing is under pressure from a number of major supply side shocks, including technological change and the integration of labor-abundant emerging markets into the global division of labor. In Canada, these impacts have been intensified by several other developments; including the effects of high commodity prices, the global weakening in the U.S. dollar, the erosion of Canada's preferential access to the U.S. market as the United States widened its net of free trade agreements, and in recent years, Canada's trade orientation towards slower-growing economies. This paper documents the decline in Canada's manufacturing sector, particularly in the past half-decade; and considers the linkages of this to the simultaneous deterioration in innovation, productivity, and trade performance. It makes a prima facie case that manufacturing in Canada is experiencing a condition of malaise and, moreover, that this malaise is the linchpin that connects the various problems. If this diagnosis is confirmed, Canada must address its manufacturing sector issues in order to improve its innovation, productivity, and trade performance.


Berber Culture on the World Stage: Village to Video. By Jane E. Goodman. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2005. Pp. 256. $65.00 cloth, $23.95 paper. Jane E. Goodman's study of Berber Culture on the World Stage is very timely. In recent years, there has been little research and only a few publications have appeared on Berber (Kabyle) culture within American academia. Some time has passed since Pierre Bourdieu's scholarly work-his analysis of the Kabyle house that has been studied worldwide, and has become a reference on Berber culture. Goodman's work is on par with Bourdieu's opus and significantly contributes to the perspectives of the scholarship he paved. Although her book is entitled Berber Culture on the World Stage, it actually focuses on Kabyle culture, one of the many facets of the wider Berber heritage in North Africa and elsewhere. More pertinently, the subtitle Village to Video delineates the working idea of the book that invites an understanding of the different ways Kabyle culture moves from locality to globality. The book illustrates how a small unit, such as a village, a house, tajma'at (village assembly), or a wedding, a song (A vava inouva), and a single event (Berber spring) can represent the essence of Berber cultural identity and make it visible on the world stage. In this dynamic process of movement between the local and the universal, Goodman rightly insists on the globalizing configuration of branching interconnections, despite classical perceptions of culture being "stable and unitary" emanating exclusively from Kabyle activists and poets. In her introduction, Goodman provides a brief but accurate historical account of the Berbers and paints the cultural and socio-political context by which a reader unfamiliar with Berber history may get through facts and episodes with ease and clarity. Within this background, emphasis is put on major relevant events and cultural aspects that marked both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as the "Kabyle Myth," the issue of Berber language, and the more recent antagonism between Berberism and Islamism. Part One, entitled "Circuits," deals mainly with the three main aspects symbolic of the Kabyle Berber identity: the Berber Spring (in reference to the demonstrations of April 1980); Idir's famous song A vava inouva; and the Kabyle village. Here, the author's originality lies in her analysis of the ways in which these cultural signifiers are represented and of the networks used to bring them to a world stage. …


Managers are facing an overly complex situation. Delays and interdependencies between different logical levels in the or-ganisation cause unforeseen, and sometimes unwanted, consequences of any decision. By interacting with a multi layered organi-sation simulation model, anyhow, the un-derstanding of anticipation, agility, and learning may be improved and new insights will be generated.


ABSTRACT Positive-strand RNA viruses induce modifications of cytoplasmic membranes to form replication complexes. For coronaviruses, replicase nonstructural protein 4 (nsp4) has been proposed to function in the formation and organization of replication complexes. Murine hepatitis virus (MHV) nsp4 is glycosylated at residues Asn176 (N176) and N237 during plasmid expression of nsp4 in cells. To test if MHV nsp4 residues N176 and N237 are glycosylated during virus replication and to determine the effects of N176 and N237 on nsp4 function and MHV replication, alanine substitutions of nsp4 N176, N237, or both were engineered into the MHV-A59 genome. The N176A, N237A, and N176A/N237A mutant viruses were viable, and N176 and N237 were glycosylated during infection of wild-type (wt) and mutant viruses. The nsp4 glycosylation mutants exhibited impaired virus growth and RNA synthesis, with the N237A and N176A/N237A mutant viruses demonstrating more profound defects in virus growth and RNA synthesis. Electron microscopic analysis of ultrastructure from infected cells demonstrated that the nsp4 mutants had aberrant morphology of virus-induced double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) compared to those infected with wt virus. The degree of altered DMV morphology directly correlated with the extent of impairment in viral RNA synthesis and virus growth of the nsp4 mutant viruses. The results indicate that nsp4 plays a critical role in the organization and stability of DMVs. The results also support the conclusion that the structure of DMVs is essential for efficient RNA synthesis and optimal replication of coronaviruses.


In the tax administration of any country, in-depth knowledge of tax paying attitude is very pertinent. This is very consistent with this study the determinants of tax payers attitude in Nigeria and whose purpose was to examine the variables that account for the attitudes of tax payers and to ascertain whether or not such determinants allow for the payment compliance, in view of tax assessment. A sample size of 320 taxable adults were selected from four (4) states in Nigeria as representative of the taxpayers population. Chi-square tool of analysis was adopted to test the hypotheses. As a consequence, a significant relationship was revealed between religious beliefs and willingness to honour tax obligation. Also, it as found that family pressure has a relationship with taxpayers' attitude, while compliance was shown between tax assessment and the Nigeria tax law. On discussion of these findings, it was recommended that government should ensure equitable distribution of the nation's wealth to justify the money collected from tax and that government should equally provide meaningful social infrastructure to reflect the money paid; moreover, government was expected to give adequate attention to financing education, to eradicate illiteracy and create employment. Finally, an ethical element in tax planning has been suggested for further study to stress the effect of tax avoidance and tax evasion.


Piezoresistive microcantilevers were developed to be used as displacement or force sensors associated with self-detection onboard electronic systems. The aim of this work was to realize a parallel integrated and compact detection system without the need for an optical readout scheme. The electronics developed specifically for this application, when dynamically operated, allows us to measure each piezoresistive microcantilever resonance frequency (by achieving at the same time an enhancement of the quality factor) with an accuracy of 0.1 Hz


This chapter examines the case of Cochlear, a medical manufacturer in Sydney, Australia, and its non-union voice arrangements. It draws on interviews conducted in 2009 and 2012 with management and employees to argue the following points. First, representative non-union employee representation (NER) arrangements can be used in periods of organisational change in a problem-solving capacity (Butler 2009) and as means to address short-term communication needs. However, when the change at hand is embedded in the organisation and the circumstances that gave rise to representative NER dissipate, the centrality and role of a collective non-union representation body wanes. In other words, we concur with much literature that fi nds that NER arrangements diminish in importance in the long term. Second, direct-voice arrangements can substitute for collective NER and in fact be more effective in capturing employee concerns over production and/or other matters. Third, embedding employee voice mechanisms within a broader human resources (HR) framework is crucial and preferred to a "narrow, one-dimensional employee participation initiatives" (Wilkinson et al. 2010: 9). In other words, the existence of voice mechanisms per se is not enough; what is needed is a high-involvement strategy that emphasises competitive advantage through people (Kaufman and Taras 2010).


ABSTRACT This article explores the work of Lutheran missionary F. W. Albrecht, who in the decades following the Second World War instituted a privately funded school scheme to provide formal education to Aboriginal children in central Australia. The scheme that Albrecht devised targeted "half-caste" girls living at cattle stations located within the orbit of the Finke River Mission—historically significant because, unlike the child removal commonly associated with the Stolen Generations, it relied on the consent of Aboriginal parents and encouraged the girls to maintain links to and pride in their Aboriginal cultural heritage. As part of a larger study of F. W. Albrecht and the Aboriginal women who were subject to his education scheme, this article discusses the in loco parentis–style relationship that existed between Albrecht and one of his Aboriginal students. By outlining the emotional content of this history, as researchers (one who claims an Indigenous identity position and one who does not) we argue that an ethical engagement with emotions in history is necessary to avoid what Lewis Gordon has termed "disciplinary decadence".


Thin layer chromatographic method has been developed for the separation of metal ions such as Cr (VI), Cr (III), As (III), Cd (II), Tl (III) and Hg (II) from their two, three and four component mixtures. The separations were performed on thin layer of silica gel 'G' using aqueous L - Valine as mobile phase. The effect of concentration and pH of mobile phase on the Rf values of individual metal ions were studied and the optimum conditions for separation of metal ions from their mixture were determined.


: 126 Malay children from higher income families were followed-up regularly from birth to six years of age in the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. Their developmental performance was compared to that of Denver children. Generally, Malaysian and Denver children appear to be similar in their development during the first six years of life except for some minor differences in the personal-social, language and gross motor sectors. Malaysians appear to be slower in self-care but more advanced in "helping around the house", "playing interactive games" and in "separating from mother". They were slightly slower in gross motor function during the first year of life but more advanced during the second year of life. However, they were slightly more advanced in language development. The differences in development between the two groups of children are discussed and it is concluded that the differences can partly be explained by differences in socio-economic or cultural differences between the two groups of children. However, the influence of genetic factors cannot be dismissed.


The urgent goal of the optical polarimetry of solids is simultaneous and accurate measurements of circular dichroism together with circular birefringence. Needless to say, measurements of circular phenomena are extremely difficult compared with those of linear ones. As for circular birefringence, 170 years elapsed since its discovery by Arago until the development of the HAUP method, by which the accurate measurements of the gyration tensor components of a solid became possible for the first time. Subsequent to appearance of the HAUP method, attempts to extend the HAUP theory to being applicable for measurements of circular dichroism of crystals were followed by several authors. However any applications to real crystal were not fully successful. We completed fresh the theory of the extended HAUP. This paper reports the extended HAUP measurement of both circular birefringence and dichroism of fresnoite Ba2Si2TiO8. It is clearly found that the circular dichroism abruptly appears at the transition temperature, where the crystal changes from the high temperature 4mm phase to the low temperature mm2 phase. It increases with decrease of temperature together with circular birefringence. This is the first proof that the HAUP method provides with sufficiently accurate data of circular dichroism of crystals. It is important to note that the circular dichroism affects only θ0, which is one of the salient parameter characterizing the HAUP method. It means that the HAUP is an exclusive method for measuring circular dichroism of crystals.


Wet carcass syndrome (WCS), which is observed predominantly in sheep, affects carcass quality negatively. After slaughter the carcass appears to be 'wet' with a subcutaneous accumulation of watery fluid. Not all animals in a contemporary group are afflicted, and experimental attempts to induce WCS have been unsuccessful. The reported prevalence of WCS in Dorper and Dorper crosses gave rise to the hypothesis that it may have a genetic basis. Therefore, the primary objective of this investigation was to test this hypothesis using a high-density SNP assay to search loci that may predispose sheep to WCS. Muscle samples from 43 afflicted and 41 unafflicted sheep were collected from slaughterhouses in the province of Northern Cape, South Africa, and in southern Namibia. Tests against candidate genes proved uninformative, as did runs of homozygosity. Potential associations between WCS and an autosomal genetic marker were investigated further in a case-control genome-wide association study. Separate analyses for each sex were motivated because single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the X chromosome suggested quantitative trait loci. These analyses revealed significant associations between SNP and WCS in males, but not in females. Three SNPs that reached genome-wide significance in males are in strong linkage disequilibrium with the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2C, and Teneurin transmembrane protein 1 genes. These genes are identified as positional candidate genes, and the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2C genes have biological effects that have been documented in other species, making them plausible functional candidate genes for WCS in sheep. Keywords: association analysis, Dorper, sheep carcass, single nucleotide polymorphisms, X chromosome


This thesis examines the impact of lockup length on three important issues related to initial public offerings (IPOs) on Main Market of London Stock Exchange (LSE). First, we investigate the effect of lockup length on the survival of IPOs following five years after the issue. Our results show that IPOs with longer lockups have higher survival rates and longer survival time compared to IPOs with shorter lockups. Comparing the reasons of delisting from market, we find that IPOs with longer lockups are less likely to delist due to bankruptcy and other negative delisting reasons. The results from our survival models suggest that a 12-month increase in median lockup length increases the survival time by 27 percent, an effect which is statistically and economically significant. Second, a comparative analysis of long-run performance over three years after IPO reveals that IPOs with longer lockups have superior performance relative to IPOs with shorter lockups. These results are consistent across different benchmarks and factor models in both event-time and calendar-time analysis. Furthermore, longer lockup length is a statistically significant predictor of better long-run stock return performance using buy-and-hold returns. We also find negative abnormal returns around lockup expiry. The negative returns tend to be concentrated in IPOs with shorter lockups. Finally, we analyse the association between lockup length and the level of earnings management. We document a statistically significant inverse relationship between earnings management and lockup length. Longer lockups effectively reduce earnings management and this result is invariant to adjustments for potential endogeneity of lockups and alternative proxy for earnings management. Overall evidence suggests that longer lockups tend to be associated with longer survival, superior performance and lower earnings management.


For blind toddlers, development of motor skills enables possibilities for learning and exploring the environment. The purpose of this graduation thesis is to systematically mark the milestones in development of motor skills in blind toddlers, to establish different factors which affect this development, and to discover different ways for teachers for visually impaired and parents to encourage development of motor skills. It is typical of blind toddlers that they do not experience a wide variety of physical positions, they do not like prone-on-elbow position as it disables the use of their hands and arms, they often skip crawling before they learn how to walk, and they frequently use self-stimulatory behavior. The key factor for development of motor skills in blind toddlers is the development of reaching for sound. Development of motor skills is strongly affected by several other factors, such as lack of visual stimulation, lack of physical activity, overprotection and cognitive learning of skills which takes its time. Parents and teachers for visually impaired, who encourage development of motor skills in blind toddlers, must acknowledge the maturity level of the child, provide sufficient time and exercise, and feedback. Early treatment enables systematic training for the child's senses by using the methods of sensory integration, thus providing parents of blind toddlers with vital information about the child's blindness and connecting them with various institutions and individuals who can contribute to their toddler's development.


One feature of judicial life that strikes most appointees to judicial office early on is the silence of the Judiciary outside our judgments and statements in court. We are also struck, when we deliver our first judgment that raises controversy or higher public interest, by the vulnerability of the Judiciary to criticism, sometimes vehement and trenchant. Judges do not answer back. With the exception of Chief Justices, judges are generally only heard in court, unless the speaking occasion involves an extra-curial or academic discussion on the law or judicial life. This is properly so. Yet, when the criticism comes, it is troubling. Judges understand the constitutional and governmental conventions that operate and within which they work. The conventions are not complicated, in fact quite simple. The only regret is that they are forgotten or overlooked when the criticism is made. For this evening's purpose I would wish to reflect on the conventions that judges work within. I will set out the traditional and modern views on parliamentary sovereignty. I will address the doctrine of separation of powers and the role of judicial power. I will postulate that, in modern government, it is the rule of law that is sovereign. I will consider the judicial role and the development of the common law. I will address the topics of judicial activism, the election of judges and judicial accountability. I will conclude with the view that the complaint of judicial activism is misplaced and involves a misapprehension of the judicial function. For some, the high water mark of judicial activism was Mabo.1 For some, the nadir of judicial 'inactivism' was Al Kateb.2 These swings of the pendulum in the discussion of judges' work are not new. In 1956, Boilermakers'3 was an unsatisfactory outcome for some. Similarly, in 1948, the Bank Nationalisation4 decision provoked criticism. When Chief Justice Dixon restrained the Victorian Government from carrying out the execution in Tait,5 criticism ensued. However, each time judicial power prevailed over parliamentary and executive power. Was that undemocratic? My discussion does not say anything new. It has been said before. But, it needs to be said again. I turn then to the topic for consideration.


The characteristics of implantation stage endometrium following a single-dose, early luteal phase application of mifepristone (RU486) in proven conception cycles has been examined in the rhesus monkey in an attempt to understand the physiological basis of the anti-implantation activity of the drug. Endometrial samples were collected from monkeys subjected to vehicle (group 1, n = 14) and RU486 (2 mg/kg body weight; group 2, n = 12) on day 2 after the presumed day of ovulation of successfully mated cycles. The average diameter of glands (P < 0.05), number of vacuolated cells (P < 0.01), number of supranuclear vacuolated cells (P < 0.05) in glandular epithelium and amount of glandular secretion (P < 0.05) were significantly lower in RU486-treated endometrium compared with control tissue samples. Additionally, 18% of glandular epithelial cells showed apoptotic and degenerative features in RU486-treated tissue samples. These data, together with the observed significant decreases in precipitate area (P < 0.02) and in the optical absorbance of alkaline phosphatase reaction end-product (P < 0.05), confirm that retardation in glandular differentiation in the upper functionalis is a likely target of antiprogestin action in implantation stage endometrium. An increased frequency of mitosis in stromal cells (P < 0.05) and a greater degree of extravasation (P < 0.05) were also observed after RU486 exposure. Despite an apparent indication of constriction and regression in few RU486-exposed endometria compared with controls, morphometric analyses did not show any changes in capillary structure. Whether endometrial vasculature in progesterone-exposed uterus is a target of antiprogestin action during the peri-implantation stage remains to be determined. Further studies are required to explain the observed increase (P < 0.02) in the area of precipitate of von Willebrand (vW) factor with no change in vW factor-positive vessels, and the apparent increase in collagen IV immunostain in subepithelial and perivascular basement membrane in implantation stage endometrium after early luteal phase RU486 treatment in monkeys.


ABSTRACT In an effort to understand how and if Cu isotopes can be used to trace native copper artifacts to their mineral deposits of origin, this study presents Cu isotope measurements from weathered native Cu artifacts and ores known to be derived from the Precambrian native copper deposits of Michigan. The five weathered artifacts have Cu isotope compositions ranging from &dgr;65Cu= +0.54 to -1.15%o. Weathered glacial till native copper nuggets range from &dgr;65Cu= -0.12 to +0.54%o, non-weathered ores have &dgr;65Cu= +0.33 ± 0.2%o (n= 42 from the literature and this study), a completely oxidized copper rind derived of large glacial boulder of native copper has -0.04%o. The oxidized rinds along with the weathered artifacts possess isotopically lighter signatures in comparison to the non-weathered ores and interiors of weathered copper nuggets. The copper isotope data indicate the interiors of oxidized nuggets correlate with the non-weathered ores. Copper from the artifacts was sampled as micro drill bits (0.001–0.0009g) and larger cut pieces of the artifacts (>0.5g). Only the larger sample artifacts have the same copper isotope composition as the non-weathered ores, and not the oxidized rinds, and non-weathered interiors of copper nuggets. Therefore, when considering the unreacted interior of the native copper artifacts, the copper isotopic composition matches that of the known copper ore source. In contrast, weathering clearly depletes 65Cu on the surfaces of artifacts and micro-sampling of the outer rims does not yield similar isotope results between sources and artifacts.


In view of a three-dimensional picture (3D) of probability to find a particle at a plane of the frequency and the time (PTF) becomes that process of absorption and process of radiation for two level system have different direction on the time. Both processes are in the past or in the future depending on named transition due to reversible model of the two-level atom. The opportunity to know the last history of the resonant event for the absorption process is for quantum interference interaction or for the resonant radiation. On the contrary, to predict the resonant event in the future is possible only by use near resonant atom-field absorption or by use radiation at a fixed time. The problem of life time for a particle is entered through time of spontaneous radiation connected with trajectory of the quantum transition. It is offered to connect a trajectory of a particle during quantum transitions with distribution of probability to find a particle. The conception of the spectral history for events due to probability distribution is introduced for next discussion. 31.70., 32.80. Typeset using REVTEX


The still ongoing processes of consolidation and globalization affect the organizational diversity of the food system in very complex and somehow contradictory ways. The few transnational companies (TNCs) in whose hands the most part of food processing and distribution activities is concentrated, continuously look for organizational innovations to enhance their profits. Inter-firms collaborative arrangements, global sourcing and sector diversification are some of the most widely followed strategies that require (and/or lead to) new organizational forms. The paper identifies some important patterns of organizational structures and innovation in the food (and specifically food retailing) system, in order to evaluate the role and the competitiveness of cooperatives with respect to other organizational forms.


The E2F transcription factors play a critical role in controlling cell fate. In Drosophila, the inactivation of E2F in either muscle or fat body results in lethality, suggesting an essential function for E2F in these tissues. However, the cellular and organismal consequences of inactivating E2F in these tissues are not fully understood. Here, we show that the E2F loss exerts both tissue-intrinsic and systemic effects. The proteomic profiling of E2F-deficient muscle and fat body revealed that E2F regulates carbohydrate metabolism, a conclusion further supported by metabolomic profiling. Intriguingly, animals with E2F-deficient fat body had a lower level of circulating trehalose and reduced storage of fat. Strikingly, a sugar supplement was sufficient to restore both trehalose and fat levels, and subsequently, rescued animal lethality. Collectively, our data highlight the unexpected complexity of E2F mutant phenotype, which is a result of combining both tissue-specific and systemic changes that contribute to animal development.


Historians have rarely acknowledged the restraint shown by Catholic exile writers in their portrayals of Queen Elizabeth. As a general rule, exiles took care to restrict their often stringent criticism to the queen's government or advisers. This restraint has been obscured, in part, by the Apologia pro Rege Catholico Philippo II (1592) written by Thomas Stapleton (1535–1598), Regius Professor of Scriptures at the University of Leuven (Louvain). The Apologia represents the queen as a malignant genius and witch responsible for much of the world's evils. This article shows that the Apologia, hitherto read as transparently the work of an English Catholic exile, was written for a largely Netherlandish audience, played to Netherlandish concerns, and appeared under a Netherlandish pseudonym. English involvement in the Revolt of the Netherlands on the side of the Protestant rebels meant that anti-Elizabethan sentiment in the Spanish Netherlands was widespread, and the Apologia was part of Stapleton's efforts to bridge English and Netherlandish Catholic concerns. By presenting his criticism of Elizabeth as a defence of and a sign of devotion to Philip II of Spain by a loyal subject, Stapleton sidestepped accusations of disobedience levelled against the Catholic exiles by the English government. Careful study of Stapleton's representation of Elizabeth shows why as a general rule other Catholic apologists, such as Robert Persons and Richard Verstegan, did not follow suit. Stapleton's portrayal of a powerful and malignant queen highlights how the standard representation was influenced by a language of loyal opposition and a need for the nominal preservation of obedience.


A summary review of the knowledge related to the mechanism of cavitation is presented. Stability criteria for a spherical gas nucleus as well as the possible origins of such nuclei are examined. The critical pressure for cavity instability depends on the type and size of nuclei present in the flow. This critical pressure in large hydraulic structures usually be taken as the liquid vapor pressure but for small models tested in laboratory facilities, the critical pressure can be much less than vapor pressure. For streamlined bodies with unseparated boundary layers, the conditions for cavitation inception may be predicted by setting the minimum boundary pressure equal to the critical pressure. This method is usually inadequate for the case of bodies with separated flows; however, a method of conservatively estimating the conditions for cavitation inception in separated flows is presented. The dynamics of a collapsing cavity are examined, and the influence of the boundary layer on the types of cavities formed and the resulting damage is also reviewed. The scale effects suggested by the mechanics of the cavitation process are presented.


Motivated by the many acts of unconscionable greed and avarice that have outraged, even disgusted the public at large, elite academic institutions around the world have begun incorporating ethics and social responsibility into their MBA programs, even going so far as to ask their students to commit to the MBA equivalent of medicine's Hippocratic Oath. CAIA Association Executive Director Craig Asche applauds these efforts and makes the case for all investment professionals to similarly commit to professionalism. Asche points out there already exists a globally-recognized and respected set of principles, encompassed in the CFA Standards of Professional Conduct, which is precisely why the CAIA Association has required all its members to learn and abide by these guiding principles since launching the CAIA Program in 2003.


ABSTRACT Recent fieldwork in Tunisia resulted in the discovery of one liverwort (Saccogyna viticulosa (L.) Dumort.) and three mosses (Orthotrichum bistratosum (Schiffn.) J.Guerra, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans (Brid.) Z.Iwats., Tortula protobryoides R.H.Zander) new for mainland Africa. The localities are briefly described with a focus on habitats, accompanying species, and comments on taxonomy and variability. Conservation actions are urgently needed in Tunisia in light of rising anthropogenic pressures.


2008 Finance Act provides for the introduction of a tax credit in favour of those employers increasing the number of subordinate workers having a permanent contract, its implementation being restricted only to the "disadvantaged" areas of the Mezzogiorno. The Decree of the Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs, of March 12th, 2008, has enacted implementing provisions for regulating the procedures for accessing and benefiting from this concession. It is to be hoped that such a concession, provided for recruitment made from January 1st to December 31st 2008, will be "extended" also after 2008 recruitment, as economic improvement of Southern productive structure can be achieved by more long-lasting measures. Tax credit, monthly amounting to 333 euros for each worker who can be facilitated, accrues with reference to each month, from the month in which it is surveyed an increase of the employment basis through December 31st 2010; in case of female workers included in the Community definition of "disadvantaged worker", tax credit concession rises to 416 euros, on a monthly basis as well. The maximum amount of benefit due to each worker is of about 12,000 euros in all for "ordinary" employment, while it totals about 15,000 euros for "female" employment. In this study, we estimate the effects of such a measure in terms of "new jobs" created - 50,000 units, if we assume to employ all "ordinary" workers, 40,000 units, in case we employ all "disadvantaged" female workers. Therefore, on the whole, a full implementation of this concession could lead to an increase of the employment basis in the Mezzogiorno, varying between 40,000 and 50,000 units.


Safety is paramount for mobile robotic platforms such as self-driving cars and unmanned aerial vehicles. This work is devoted to a task that is indispensable for safety yet was largely overlooked in the past – detecting obstacles that are of very thin structures, such as wires, cables and tree branches. This is a challenging problem, as thin objects can be problematic for active sensors such as lidar and sonar and even for stereo cameras. In this work, we propose to use video sequences for thin obstacle detection. We represent obstacles with edges in the video frames, and reconstruct them in 3D using efficient edge-based visual odometry techniques. We provide both a monocular camera solution and a stereo camera solution. The former incorporates Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data to solve scale ambiguity, while the latter enjoys a novel, purely vision-based solution. Experiments demonstrated that the proposed methods are fast and able to detect thin obstacles robustly and accurately under various conditions.


This paper focuses on providing new results relating to the impacts of Diurnal variation, Vertical distribution, and Emission source on sulfur K-edge XANES spectrum of aerosol samples. All aerosol samples used in the diurnal variation experiment were preserved using anoxic preservation stainless cylinders (APSCs) and pressure-controlled glove boxes (PCGBs), which were specially designed to prevent oxidation of the sulfur states in PM10. Further investigation of sulfur K-edge XANES spectra revealed that PM10 samples were dominated by S(VI), even when preserved in anoxic conditions. The "Emission source effect" on the sulfur oxidation state of PM10 was examined by comparing sulfur K-edge XANES spectra collected from various emission sources in southern Thailand, while "Vertical distribution effects" on the sulfur oxidation state of PM10 were made with samples collected from three different altitudes from rooftops of the highest buildings in three major cities in Thailand. The analytical results have demonstrated that neither "Emission source" nor "Vertical distribution" appreciably contribute to the characteristic fingerprint of sulfur K-edge XANES spectrum in PM10.


Well-dispersed cesium-doped WO3 (CWO) nanocrystals are an attractive candidate as hosts that exhibit excellent near infrared-shielding ability owing to two kinds of absorptions: localized surface plasmon resonance absorption around 900 nm and small polaron absorption near 1800 nm. In this work, a simple thermal reduction method was introduced to synthesize a CWO powder, which was further dispersed by bead milling to obtain a CWO nanodispersion liquid. The CWO nanodispersion liquid can be employed to make a unique nonlinear optical foil with 70% visible transmittance and a near infrared transmittance less than 10%, while maintaining a high transparency with less than 1.0% haze. However, the main issue concerning CWO nanoparticle-based polymer foils is the detrimental photochromic effect under strong ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, which hampers their extensive application in energy-saving windows, such as in automobiles and architecture. Herein, the photochromic effect is largely relieved by embedding CWO nanoparticles into inert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) instead of mixing with resins like polyurethane or acrylic resin, and the final organic–inorganic nonlinear optical foils exhibit almost no coloration under strong UV illumination. Therefore, this study provides a new insight into making hybrid foils with high stability, transparency and multifunctionality in the optical and magnetic fields.


For a compact Poisson-Lie group $K$, the homogeneous space $K/T$ carries a family of symplectic forms $\omega_\xi^s$, where $\xi \in \mathfrak{t}^*_+$ is in the positive Weyl chamber and $s \in \mathbb{R}$. The symplectic form $\omega_\xi^0$ is identified with the natural $K$-invariant symplectic form on the $K$ coadjoint orbit corresponding to $\xi$. The cohomology class of $\omega_\xi^s$ is independent of $s$ for a fixed value of $\xi$.
In this paper, we show that as $s\to -\infty$, the symplectic volume of $\omega_\xi^s$ concentrates in arbitrarily small neighbourhoods of the smallest Schubert cell in $K/T \cong G/B$. This strengthens earlier results [9,10] and is a step towards a conjectured construction of global action-angle coordinates on $Lie(K)^*$ [4, Conjecture 1.1].


Will argues that Congress's ability to legislate effectively is being undermined by politicians using it a vehicle for seeking re-election. Term limits, he says, would work to reverse the trend toward short-term popularity seeking and re-establish Congress as a proper deliberative chamber. The USA is in the midst of a deep-seated governmental crisis. Congress's inability to formulate coherent policies and the low esteem in which it is consequently held lies at the heart of this crisis. Will contends that the constitution desperately needs term limits in Congress, and that partisan considerations, if there really be any, should be suppressed in the interests of the good of the state. George F. Will is a Pulitzer Prize winner and the author of numerous books, including "Suddenly" and "The Morning After". He contributes a column to "Newsweek".


The article is devoted to the study of the trends in Russian criminal policy at the present stage of its development. The authors come to the conclusion that criminal policy today is understood and exists in three aspects: first, as a policy in its own (narrow) sense of the word, that is, state political activity in the field of combating crime; second, as law enforcement in this area (practical policy); third, as a branch of scientific knowledge of complex content (based on the connection of criminal law, process, criminal executive law, criminology with political science, sociology, management theory), the so-called criminal political science.
Criminal policy, implemented at different stages of development of social relations, is characterized by certain priority areas. Currently, with regard to international documents and standards, one of the key trends in Russian criminal policy is humanization, as evidenced by the analysis of changes and additions to the criminal law over the past twenty years.


In this work we provide a systematic explanation to the unusual non-monotonic behavior of the Hall resistance observed in two-dimensional electron systems. We use a semi-analytical model based on the interaction theory of the integer quantized Hall effect to investigate the existence of the anomalous, i.e. overshoot, Hall resistance RH. The observation of the overshoot resistance at low magnetic-field edge of the plateaus is elucidated by means of overlapping evanescent incompressible strips, formed due to strong magnetic fields and interactions. Utilizing a self-consistent numerical scheme we also show that, if the magnetic field is decreased the RH decreases to its expected value. The effects of the sample width, temperature, disorder strength and magnetic field on the overshoot peaks are investigated in detail. Based on our findings, we predict a controllable procedure to manipulate the maxima of the peaks, which can be tested experimentally. Our model does not depend on specific and intrinsic properties of the material, provided that a single-particle gap exists.


This paper provides a new method to repair the steel pipe with fatigue cracks by using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Cracks may arise in Pressure pipeline in service because of low cycle fatigue. Crack defect is the biggest problem, because crack will gradually propagate and seriously threaten the safe operation of pipeline. This paper provides a repair and calculation method for pressure pipeline with fatigue cracks, and some specific engineering cases are given based on this method.


Abstract Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), fairly common disease in the field of otorhinolaryngology, is the focal point of thorough study of the pathophysiology and treatment strategies for a favourable evolution of patients with this problem. Although there have been important advances in the treatment of CRS, signs and symptoms still remain long after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), indicating the persistence of the biofilm infection on the sinus mucosa. This review aims to highlight the relationship between bacterial biofilm and CRS, and also the available treatment strategies of the latter.


evaluate explore the basics of establishing how the structure and properties of and other macromolecules influence our eating and cooking experiences. We also investigate the chemical components that contribute to color, and aroma in The rest of the will examine consumer issues related to food science. A comprehensive how the works, how and from beginning to present. A brief survey of the historical development of mathematics, physics, and astronomy leads to a conceptual survey of the modern theory of the physical universe: space and time in relativity; the quantum theory of and and evolution of cosmic structure and to using powerful theory The Big Bang model describes the Universe on the largest scales and its evolution from the earliest observationally accessible times through the formation of the complex world we live in today. This powerful framework allows us to interpret a wide range of observations and to make detailed and precise predictions for new experiments. The key motivating observations include the expansion of the Universe and how it has changed with time; the existence of radiation indicating a hot and dense early phase; the abundance of the light elements; and how matter is organized over a wide range of physical scales. The model naturally incorporates dark matter and dark energy, two surprising and poorly understood components that govern the growth of structure over time. The course will explore the history of scientific cosmology and the evidence for the Big Bang model, Bang, and its fate of include a hands-on measurement of the relic cosmic microwave background radiation from the early universe and the use of astronomical data to verify key discoveries in the history of Big Bang cosmology. Quantitative analysis will be an important part of the course, but prior experience with mathematics beyond algebra will not be required. Elements such as carbon and oxygen are created in fusion reactions at high temperatures and pressures in the deep interiors of stars, conditions that naturally arise in stars like the Sun. This course will outline the physical principles at work and the history of the development of the key ideas: how nuclear physics and the theory of stellar interiors account for how stars shine, why they live for such long times, and how the heavy elements in their cores are dispersed to form a new generation of stars. Gravity assembles stars out of more diffuse material, a process that includes the formation of planetary systems. The course shows how, taken together, these physical processes naturally lead to the ingredients necessary for the emergence of life, namely elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, and planets in stable orbits around long-lived stars. The course features quantitative analysis of data; any tools needed beyond pre-calculus algebra will be taught as part of the course. in


Rice is one of the few cereal products that does not contain gluten. However, the absence of gluten poses problems in the structure of and cooking quality of rice pasta. The objective of this project was to investigate the addition of starch on the physicochemical properties and cooking quality of rice-based pasta. Rice-based pasta was prepared from parboiled long-grain rice flour with the addition of 25% cooked starch from different sources. The color and pasting properties of the ground pasta flour were measured by a chroma meter and a Rapid Visco Analyser, respectively. The pasta was cooked to the optimum cooking time to evaluate its hardness, stickiness, adhesiveness and resilience by using texture profile analysis with a texture analyzer. The water absorption and cooking loss of pasta were determined by weight difference. Overall the addition of starch improved the processibility of rice pasta and enabled the b* value (yellow color) of the uncooked rice pasta to be close to that of the semolina control. The pasting properties of rice pasta containing common corn starch were close to those of the semolina control. Upon cooking, the rice flour control had higher water absorption and greater cooking loss than the semolina control. The addition of starch decreased both the water absorption and the cooking loss relative to the rice flour control. The effect of starch addition on the textural properties of rice-based pasta varied with the type of starch. The addition of waxy starch or tapioca starch resulted in rice pasta with an increase in hardness and stickiness, whereas the addition of common corn, Hylon V, or Hylon VII resulted in rice pasta with a decrease in hardness, stickiness, and adhesiveness. This project demonstrates that the addition of starch significantly changes the color, pasting, cooking and texture properties of rice pasta, and these changes are governed by the type of starch incorporated into the rice pasta. Gluten-free rice pasta can be prepared with properties similar to the semolina pasta by incorporating starches. * Alexandria W. Mertz will be a senior, in the 2011-2012 school year, in the Department of Food Science. † Ya-Jane Wang, the faculty mentor, is a University Professor in the Department of Food Science.


The present study aims to discuss the interactions between the Actor-network Theory and the Cartography of Controversies method in Information Science research. A literature review was conducted on books, scholarly articles, and any other sources addressing the Theory-Actor Network and Cartography of Controversies. The understanding of the theoretical assumptions that guide the Network-Actor Theory allows examining important aspects to Information Science research, seeking to identify the relationships between information, people, and technological equipment in the structure of information flows that create intricate information sharing networks. This interaction between the Actor-network theory and Information Science highlights the role of the research method Cartography of Controversies as an approach that results from the use of the Actor-network theory to investigate the creation of sociotechnical networks.


Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) belongs to the group of non-melanoma skin
cancers and is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in fair-skinned
individuals. In the majority of BCC the tumor suppressor gene patched1
(PTCH) is mutated resulting in aberrant hedgehog (HH) signaling. Analysis of
human and murine BCC shows that the putative tumor suppressor Wnt
inhibitory factor 1 (Wif1) is highly expressed by this tumor entity. However,
malignant forms of skin cancer, i.e. squamous cell carcinomas and
melanomas, also express Wif1. Thus, the objective of this thesis was to
analyze the role of Wif1 in BCC by Wif1 overexpression in the BCC cell line
ASZ001 and by Wif1 depletion in the BCC mouse model
Ptch flox/flox CreERT2 T/-.
Indeed, tumor-intrinsic Wif1 overexpression in ASZ001 significantly inhibits
tumor growth in nude mice. The Wif1-mediated tumor suppression was not
due to diminished vascularization or alterations in canonical Wnt, Hh or
PI3K/Akt signaling activity. It also was not due to induction of differentiation
or apoptosis. However, we found that Wif1-expressing tumors were
characterized by a decrease in Ki67 positive cells which was accompanied
by phosphorylation of PKC and Erk1 along with moderately increased
deposition of collagens. Vice versa, BCC growth is enhanced in
Ptch-knockout mice on a Wif1-deficient background due to an increase in
proliferation. Together, the data suggest that Wif1 is both necessary and
sufficient to restrict BCC growth and may be one of the factors that are
responsible for the very low metastatic potential of this tumor entity.


ABSTRACT Hantavirus-induced diseases are emerging zoonoses with endemic appearances and frequent outbreaks in different parts of the world. In humans, hantaviral pathology is characterized by the disruption of the endothelial cell barrier followed by increased capillary permeability, thrombocytopenia due to platelet activation/depletion and an overactive immune response. Genetic vulnerability due to certain human leukocyte antigen haplotypes is associated with disease severity. Typically, two different hantavirus-caused clinical syndromes have been reported: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). The primarily affected vascular beds differ in these two entities: renal medullary capillaries in HFRS caused by Old World hantaviruses and pulmonary capillaries in HCPS caused by New World hantaviruses. Disease severity in HFRS ranges from mild, e.g. Puumala virus-associated nephropathia epidemica, to moderate, e.g. Hantaan or Dobrava virus infections. HCPS leads to a severe acute respiratory distress syndrome with high mortality rates. Due to novel insights into organ tropism, hantavirus-associated pathophysiology and overlapping clinical features, HFRS and HCPS are believed to be interconnected syndromes frequently involving the kidneys. As there are no specific antiviral treatments or vaccines approved in Europe or the USA, only preventive measures and public awareness may minimize the risk of hantavirus infection. Treatment remains primarily supportive and, depending on disease severity, more invasive measures (e.g., renal replacement therapy, mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) are needed.


The success of Extension programs in motivating homeowners to adopt good lawn management practices will likely depend on addressing their personal values. A survey for homeowners in New Jersey assessed attitudes about lawn care and environmental impacts, and determined which demographic factors related to these values. As in previous surveys, the study reported here found that homeowners valued both environmental conservation and having attractive lawns. A cluster analysis divided respondents into two groups, with one more highly valuing environmental concerns, but membership in this group did not translate into better horticultural practices.


The paper aims to enrich previous findings for an emerging banking industry such as Vietnam, reporting the difference between the parametric and nonparametric methods when measuring cost efficiency. The purpose of the study is to assess the consistency in issuing policies to improve the cost efficiency of Vietnamese commercial banks.,The cost efficiency of banks is assessed through the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). Next, five tests are conducted in succession to analyze the differences in cost efficiency measured by these two methods, including the distribution, the rankings, the identification of the best and worst banks, the time consistency and the determinants of efficiency frontier. The data are collected from the annual financial statements of Vietnamese banks during 2005–2017.,The results show that the cost efficiency obtained under the SFA models is more consistent than under the DEA models. However, the DEA-based efficiency scores are more similar in ranking order and stability over time. The inconsistency in efficiency characteristics under two different methods reminds policy makers and bank administrators to compare and select the appropriate efficiency frontier measure for each stage and specific economic conditions.,This paper shows the need to control for heterogeneity over banking groups and time as well as for random noise and outliers when measuring the cost efficiency.


Biologically-inspired spiking neural networks (SNNs) hold great promise to perform demanding tasks in an energy and area-efficient manner. Memristive devices organized in a crossbar array can be used to accelerate operations of artificial neural networks (ANNs) while circumventing limitations of traditional computing paradigms. Recent advances have led to the development of neuromorphic accelerators that employ phase-change memory (PCM) devices. We propose an approach to fully unravel the potential of such systems for SNNs by integrating entire layers, including synaptic weights as well as neuronal states, into crossbar arrays. However, the key challenges of such realizations originate from the intrinsic imperfections of the PCM devices that limit their effective precision. Thus, we investigated the impact of these limitations on the performance of SNNs and demonstrate that the synaptic weight and neuronal state realization using 4-bit precision provides a robust network performance. Moreover, we evaluated the scheme for a multi-layer SNN realized using an experimentally verified model of the PCM devices and achieved performance that is comparable to a floating-point 32-bit model.


The shadow impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are critical, especially for children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDDs). Financial constraints and home confinement have increased the challenges for caregivers to meet the educational and health needs of children with IDDs. Hence, this research examines the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on families with IDDs children in rural Pakistan. Overall, 176 parents participated in this study and provided valuable responses through interview technique. Parents responded to five (05) open-ended questions. Results indicated that parents of children with IDDs are facing various challenges including financial constraints, social lockdown, deteriorated health conditions of their children, reduced or no health services, closure of educational institutes, negative behavioral impacts, and slow mental development. Still, a subset of parents also reported the positive side of lockdown, indicating that staying at home resulted in improved relationships. The findings of the study suggest that parents of children with IDDs are confronted with significant challenges that increase their stress.


Melanoma is one of the deadliest skin cancers and accounts for most skin-related deaths due to strong resistance to chemotherapy drugs. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms of dabrafenib-induced drug resistance in human melanoma cell lines A375 and MEL624. Our studies support that both endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy were induced in the melanoma cells after the treatment with dabrafenib. In addition, ER stress-induced autophagy protects melanoma cells from the toxicity of dabrafenib. Moreover, inhibition of both ER stress and autophagy promote the sensitivity of melanoma cells to dabrafenib. Taken together, the data suggest that ER stress-induced autophagy determines the sensitivity of melanoma cells to dabrafenib. These results provide us with promising evidence that the inhibition of autophagy and ER stress could serve a therapeutic effect for the conventional dabrafenib chemotherapy.


Variables affecting user/expert system interaction are evaluated empirically, and theoretical development of the relationship between human cognition and the use of intelligent machines is addressed. The hypotheses are that a good mental model will lead to increased user/computer interaction and performance and that graphic inference explanations will lead to higher performance than textual explanation. The examination of these hypotheses, as well as the cognitive processing underlying them, contributes directly to expert system interface design principles, as well as to theoretical development of the role of mental models in the understanding and use of dynamic, complex systems. Based on Newell and Simon's (1972) theory of problem solving and the concept occurring in a problem space, human interaction with expert systems is quantified, relevant search strategies and directions are identified, and a theory of mental models of complex, dynamic systems is developed. The basic findings are that the user must have a good understanding (i.e., good mental model) of the expert system's reasoning process, and that the user must effectively understand the information present in the expert system's inference explanations. >


Korean secondary EFL classrooms have suffered severely from limited opportunities for authentic language interaction, which Integrationists claim is necessary for language acquisition. The literature and previous research suggest that Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) can provide many of the alleged benefits ascribed to the Interaction Hypothesis. This study focuses on the viability of CMC in the Korean secondary EFL classroom and examines how CMC can provide Korean learners with increased opportunities to engage in meaningful negotiations in English. Twenty pre-intermediate EFL students participated in eight rounds of CMC, which asked them to chat in pairs using a synchronous chat program MS Chat 3.0 and to solve a series of tasks that required cooperation with their assigned partner. They were also provided with a questionnaire post survey, which gathered perceived advantages and disadvantages of synchronous CMC using MS Chat 3.0. Jigsaw and information gap tasks were used to collect the data. All written transactions from 10 dyads were recorded and printed out. The results show that Korean learners do engage in appropriate meaning negotiation for their foreign language development through task based synchronous CMC. The results also provide further confirmation for Pica et al.'s findings related to task types. Information gap tasks appeared as productive in stimulating negotiations of meaning as jigsaw tasks, and picture-drawing tasks offered a significantly higher occurrence of negotiations than other tasks. The findings demonstrate that task based synchronous CMC can provide Korean learners with more opportunities to engage in meaning negotiation in the target language, and illustrate that pictures can play a significant role in promoting


The paper analyses productivity spillovers from foreign MNEs on domestic manufacturing firms. Using a database on foreign MNEs in Italy, our results reveal that local firms do benefit from the presence of foreign MNEs, and the effect is higher when local and foreign firms are in manufacturing sectors and co-located. However, spillovers benefiting domestic firms are likely to be less influenced by co-location when foreign MNEs are in services sectors as the latter are different from manufacturing industries under a number of aspects that overcome the effect of distance. In fact, in these sectors, proximity and interaction are often obtained through professional mobility and temporary inter-organizational routines.


The increased penetration of Distributed Renewable Energy Sources (DRES) has posed several challenges into the electric power systems, the most important of which is the instability caused by the intermittent and stochastic nature of the primary sources (wind, sun). Since the System Operators have started to specify limits for the restriction of the Ramp-Rate (RR) at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) of the DRES with the grid, several algorithms have been proposed to mitigate the power fluctuations using energy storage systems (ESS). Some drawbacks are: high computational effort in the calculation of RR, increased ESS size/decreased ESS operational life, etc. In this paper a new RR Limitation (RRL) algorithm is proposed to address gaps in the current state-of-the-art. This algorithm is based on the two-point calculation of RR and is performed considering the connection of a Supercapacitor (SC) at the DC-link of a DRES converter. The relationship between the SC voltage and the degree to which the RRL is achieved is established, which is something missing from the current state of the art and is essential if the RRL is to be treated as a new tradeable AS. The RR control is validated in a real experimental testbed. Finally, this control is modelled in Simulink in order to perform investigations on the influence that several parameters have on the achieved RRL at the DRES PCC. This is important, since the evaluation of the RRL impact at DRES level will allow for further investigations to evaluate the RRL impact at distribution system level and defer costs related to the installation of large-scale ESS.


This article seeks to challenge a potentially dangerous assumption that constitution-drafting is an appropriate peacemaking tool in countries suffering from on-going violent conflict. A recent trend in conflict resolution is to use constitution-drafting as a form of peace negotiation and the resultant constitution as a peace treaty, such as in Iraq, Afghanistan and Nepal. Policy-makers simply assume that the goals and needs of constitution-drafting and peacemaking are compatible. On closer examination, however, while theoretically the goals and needs of the two processes can be harmonized, in practice, a combined constitution-drafting/peacemaking process causes deep, inherent tensions to erupt that make it far too likely that peacemaking needs will subordinate constitution-drafting goals. In doing so, the merged process not only risks the failure of the constitution but also risks renewing violence. When warring parties demand constitutional change to secure peace, however, it may be impossible to prevent the merger. This article concludes that the best way to salvage this peacemaking tool is through an interim constitutional process that allows parties to make the immediate constitutional change necessary for a cease-fire in a temporary constitution while giving society the room to meet constitutional needs when drafting a permanent constitution.


This study aimed to evaluate the filler contents (FCs), flexural properties, depth of cure (DOC), wear resistance, and handling properties of different low-viscosity bulk-fill resin composites (LVBRCs) and to determine the correlations between the tested parameters. Six LVBRCs, Beautifil-Bulk (BBF), Bulk Base Hard (BBH), Bulk Base Medium (BBM), Filtek Bulk-Fill Flowable Restorative (FBF), G-ænial Bulk Injectable (GBI), and SDR flow+ Bulk-Fill Flowable (SDR) were used. The DOC and flexural property tests were conducted according to the ISO 4049 specifications. The flexural strength, elastic modulus, and resilience were determined in 12 specimens that were obtained from each of the 6 materials. Sliding-impact-wear testing was conducted by evaluating the wear facets of the specimens using a noncontact profilometer and by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The handling properties of the LVBRC was assessed via extrusion force and thread formation measurements. The DOC for the majority of the LVBRCs was approximately 4 mm. Although the FCs and mechanical properties were material dependent, some LVBRCs exhibited excellent flexural properties and wear resistance. The LVBRCs demonstrated a wide range of extrusion force and thread formation. Regarding the correlations between the tested parameters, extremely strong negative and positive correlations were observed for the DOC versus extrusion force, flexural strength versus elastic modulus, maximum depth versus volume loss, and maximum depth versus thread formation. In addition, strong correlations between FCs and DOC, resilience, wear resistance, and extrusion force were observed.


It is well known that the eye is capable of changing its power, in order to focus on objects that are placed on different distances. The change in focus of the human eye is established as accommodation and it is vital for the visual performance of the human eye, as accommodation has an essential contribution to it. Retinal image quality also influences the visual performance of the human eye, as well as the resolution of the images formed on the retina. The retinal image quality is described in terms of ocular aberrations.
The aim of this Thesis was to investigate the crystalline lens response to different optical signals. In order to achieve the aim of the study, the most widely accepted and powerful technologies of wavefront sensing, Optical Coherence Tomography and Adaptive Optics were used to objectively appraise the accommodation mechanism of the human eye under different conditions.
In particular, initially it was assessed the accommodation response after short reading periods with two different handheld electronic devices, as well as the potential differences in accommodation response at various stimulus vergences, using a wavefront aberrometer. The acquired accommodation responses were not affected by the electronic devices employed, due mainly to the young age and the level of the amplitude of accommodation of the subjects that were enrolled.
Then, a two-scaled study was conducted between different age groups to evaluate the changes that occur at the main structures that take part in the process of accommodation in the anterior segment of the eye (i.e. lens curvature and ciliary muscle area) using OCT. It was identified that there are significant variations in the anterior segment structures, which occur with the accommodation process. Whereas, with aging, the eye undergoes some significant anatomical changes that have an impact on the quality of vision and thus, of life.
A subsequent study took place to………………………………………………………………………..chapter 6
Finally, using the AO system, it was investigated how the monochromatic higher-order aberrations (HOAs) influence on the accommodation response of the eye. More specifically, the accommodation response of the subjects' eye was measured under different conditions; with the natural aberrations being present and with the odd and even HOAs aberrations being corrected. The odd and even HOAs were not helping the visual system to choose the right direction of accommodation, as with their partial correction the accommodation performance remained unaffected, in comparison to the condition of the total aberrations presence.
This Thesis has provided with extra useful information about the accommodation mechanism and aging process of the eye that can be useful to improve the quality of vision and further of life of individuals with different age.


In the present study, we investigated the mechanism by which sphingosine and its analogues, dihydrosphingosine and phytosphingosine, inhibit polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized erythrocytes (EIgG) and inhibit ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation. We used antibodies that recognized the phosphorylated forms of ERK1 (p44) and ERK2 (p42) (extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2). Sphingoid bases inhibited ERK1 and ERK2 activation and phagocytosis of EIgG in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubation with glycine, N,N′-[1,2-ethanediylbis(oxy-2,1-phenylene)]bis[N-[2-[(acetyloxy)methoxy]-2-oxoethyl]]-bis[(acetyloxy)methyl]ester (BAPTA,AM), an intracellular chelator of calcium, failed to block either phagocytosis or ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation, consistent with the absence of a role for a calcium-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) in ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylations. Western blotting demonstrated that sphingosine inhibited the translocation of Raf-1 and PKCδ from PMN cytosol to the plasma membrane during phagocytosis. These data are consistent with the interpretation that sphingosine regulates ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation through inhibition of PKCδ, and this in turn leads to inhibition of Raf-1 translocation to the plasma membrane. Consistent with this interpretation, the sphingosine-mediated inhibition of phagocytosis, ERK2 activation, and PKCδ translocation to the plasma membrane could be abrogated with a cell-permeable diacylglycerol analog. The increase in the diacylglycerol mass correlated with the translocation of PKCδ and Raf-1 to the plasma membrane by 3 minutes after the initiation of phagocytosis. Additionally, the diacylglycerol analog enhanced phagocytosis by initiating activation of PKCδ and its translocation to the plasma membrane. Because PMN generate sufficient levels of sphingosine by 30 minutes during phagocytosis of EIgG to inhibit phagocytosis, it appears that sphingosine can serve as an endogenous regulator of EIgG-mediated phagocytosis by downregulating ERK activation.


Human anatomy is the study of the structure of the human body. Tremendous of memorizing and understanding process that involve in order to learn this topic which very challenging for students in form 4 and 5. Currently, at school the only material
for learning human anatomy is through textbook. This situation lead to difficulties for students to learn human anatomy because textbook have limited 3D presentation. Therefore, this project is conducted by aim to use augmented reality (AR) technology
to reduce the limitation. Augmented reality allows the superimposing of computergenerated images over real scenes in real time. The application will be develop based on the ADDIE model methodology. There are five phases that involve in this project which are Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation. Each phases contain several activity and deliver. Usability testing will take place at end of this project as an evaluation for knowing how well the application was develop. The
result of the evaluation is shown that augmented reality introduced the new technology that suitable for learning human anatomy. Lastly, this project also can give a benefits to future developer that want to develop the augmented reality system.


Different learning strategies are thought to fall along a continuum that ranges from simple, inflexible, and fast "model-free" strategies, to more complex, flexible, and deliberative "model-based strategies". Here we show that, contrary to this proposal, strategies at both ends of this continuum can be equally flexible, effective, and time-intensive. We analyzed behavior of adult human subjects performing a canonical learning task used to distinguish between model-free and model-based strategies. Subjects using either strategy showed similarly high information complexity, a measure of strategic flexibility, and comparable accuracy and response times. This similarity was apparent despite the generally higher computational complexity of model-based algorithms and fundamental differences in how each strategy learned: model-free learning was driven primarily by observed past responses, whereas model-based learning was driven primarily by inferences about latent task features. Thus, model-free and model-based learning differ in the information they use to learn but can support comparably flexible behavior. Statement of Relevance The distinction between model-free and model-based learning is an influential framework that has been used extensively to understand individual- and task-dependent differences in learning by both healthy and clinical populations. A common interpretation of this distinction that model-based strategies are more complex and therefore more flexible than model-free strategies. However, this interpretation conflates computational complexity, which relates to processing resources and generally higher for model-based algorithms, with information complexity, which reflects flexibility but has rarely been measured. Here we use a metric of information complexity to demonstrate that, contrary to this interpretation, model-free and model-based strategies can be equally flexible, effective, and time-intensive and are better distinguished by the nature of the information from which they learn. Our results counter common interpretations of model-free versus model-based learning and demonstrate the general usefulness of information complexity for assessing different forms of strategic flexibility.


The Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the world. Due to the changing life style heart attack rate is increasing day by day. In India, current heart attack rate is about 25%. The main cause of heart attack is a lack of medical care at the right time. To avoid this there is a need of regular checkup of health. In some cases it might be required to monitor ECG frequently. But it is not possible due to the high cost of healthcare equipment as well as time consuming process. This is the limitations of existing system. So, there is a need of low cost, portable, low power and time saving ECG monitoring device. With the use of this portable device patient can monitor their ECG anytime, anywhere and send the report of ECG to the doctor and can effectively communicate with the doctor. In case of any abnormality doctor may call the patient. This paper presents the development of Low cost, low power, portable and time saving ECG monitoring device. Android is the platform of choice because of its availability on most mobile phones apart from strong existing and future growth prospects.


The structuring of project financings has developed significantly over the past several years as sponsors, bankers, and investors have become more sophisticated in their allocation and understanding of project risk. This article examines the evolution of financing structures, the catalyst for change, and the resulting enhancements. Based on these trends, it is anticipated that a growing number of project financings will involve innovative structures with below-investment-grade credit profiles sourcing capital from an increasing sophisticated investor base.


In this research, we have implemented a numerical algorithm to identify the seismic wave parameters: P phase, S phase, amplitude, period and seismic signal duration. We have used the Matlab programming language and the digital signal processing toolbox to conduct the automatic picking of seismic signal parameters. As a mathematical tool, we have used the discrete Fourier transform to study the frequency components of the signal and the Hilbert transform to obtain the envelope signal. The Butterworth filter was used to bandpass the seismic signal, in case of a noisy signal. We have implemented a graphical user interface in Matlab to pick the seismic signals (with options of automatic picking and manual picking). In this way, the routine of picking a great set of seismic signals is easier. The results of the automatic algorithm agree very well with that of a human operator for a Signal/Noise ratio greater than 50, according to the sensitivity test, with an accuracy of around [Formula: see text]0.05[Formula: see text]s.


The recent NMC recording of chamber music by Robert Saxton has broadened our knowledge of his oeuvre, complementing the perspective on his music that had been opened up by recordings of his orchestral works and the opera Caritas in the early 1990s. Certainly, the period 1990 to his fortieth birthday in 1993 represented a highpoint in terms of public recognition, but in recent years much of Saxton's composition has been in the more private sphere of chamber or solo music, or in the less prominent medium of choral writing, and it has received less sustained attention than its quality deserves. But while most composers are subject to fluctuations of interest, the not unalloyed distinction of being called a sucéss d'estime is a very real hazard of today's musical climate, especially for a composer who writes the sort of serious music that Saxton does; and from being frequently programmed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, his work currently seems to present less of a fashionable surface while continuing to be highly regarded by many serious commentators. But Saxton has made creative use of the 1990s as a time for thinking through the implications of his earlier music and reconsidering aspects of his style and approach to structure. This article looks at some of the music of almost the decade from Caritas (1991) to his current major project, The Legend of the Wandering Jew, an opera being conceived specifically for the medium of Radio. In the music of this period, Saxton has continued to demonstrate the ability to harness his wide intellectual interests to an essentially consistent compositional style and a single-minded artistic vision.


Objective: To assess the safety of the Mitchelle bank technique for herniotomy in children by comparing its recurrence rate with conventional Ferguson's technique.
Study Design: Quasi-experimental study.
Place and Duration of Study: Paediatric Surgery Department, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Sep 2018 to Sep 2019.
Methodology: Children below the age of 6 years coming to Paediatric Surgery Outpatient Department with inguinal hernia were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group-I underwent herniotomy by Mitchelle bank technique (MBT-group) while Group-II by Ferguson's technique (FT-group). The demographic characteristics of the studied population, operative time, and intra-operative and post-operative complications were recorded.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 25.94 ± 17.06 months in Ferguson's technique-group and 24.76 ± 16.63 months in the Mitchelle bank technique-group. The mean operative time was less in the Mitchelle bank technique-group (13.17 ± 1.47 minutes) as compared to Ferguson's technique-group (16.23 ± 1.51 minutes) (p<0.05). Early complications such as hydrocele, seroma and hematoma were seen in 5 (2.3%), 6 (2.6%) and 3 (1.3%) cases in Ferguson's technique-group, and 15 (6.9%), 8 (3.7%), and 9 (4.1%) cases in the Mitchelle bank technique group, respectively. Late complications such as orchitis, testicular atrophy, and recurrence were seen in 5 (2.3%), 6 (2.6%), 2 (0.9%) in Ferguson's technique group, and 6 (2.6%), 4 (1.8%), and 3 (1.3%) in the Mitchelle bank technique group (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Mitchelle bank technique is safe for herniotomy in children with less operative time and no increase in...


A laboratory-scale bio-trickling filter (BTF) was initialized to evaluate the removal of formaldehyde biologically. However, generating formaldehyde gas in the lab is one of the grand challenges hindering research efforts. Formaldehyde was introduced into the gaseous phase by aerating the required air flowrate through a diluted formaldehyde solution mixed with methanol as a stabilizer by a bubbler. However, achieving stable gaseous influent concentrations of formaldehyde was challenging since it polymerizes while volatilizing. Resulting in paraformaldehyde. The resulting white powder clogged the pipes and generated uneven gaseous concentrations. To solve this problem, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was added with a phosphate buffer to the aqueous formaldehyde solution to maintain the pH between 7.00-7.20. Additionally, the aqueous solution needed to be heated at 60℃ to eliminate the polymerization. The exhausted formaldehyde by volatilization was replaced by a continuous supply of aqueous diluted formaldehyde solution to keep the volume and mass of the aqueous solution and formaldehyde constant, respectively. Stable gaseous concentration was achieved for extended periods of time and verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.


Nilotonia (Manotonia) tegulata (Viets 1951), known previously from Africa and Italy, is new for the Turkish fauna. The morphological features are compared with similar species, and an identification key for subgenera of the genus Nilotonia is given. The subgenus Manotonia is also reported for the first time from Turkey.


This article is trying to highlight some identity aspects of the Greek youth movement that seem to be appropriate in order to understand and interpret similar collective actions of excluded people against social exclusion. The core of the argument is that the notion of "collective identity" is more appropriate than others for our understanding of the complex interactions among different and heterogeneous youth groups that participated actively in the December 2008 riots. In our case, it is precisely the emergence of creative symbolic and physical interactions during rioting, that should be considered as the main factor in the construction of a collective identity that led to the rise of a youth movement in Greece.


Bulimia nervosa in males: a case report Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a severe, life-threatening eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other purging methods (e.g., laxatives, diuretics, excessive exercise) to prevent weight gain. BN is rare in men compared to women. Etiology, treatment and information on the clinical appearance are limited in males patients with BN. A 23-year-old man with BN is discussed under the influence of his psychiatric illness and his childhood history in the light of the literature examining. In this study, general characteristics and treatment of BN in males are presented, emphasizing different features between genders.


In the last few years, the cloud computing model has moved from hype to reality, as witnessed by the increasing number of commercial providers offering their cloud computing solutions. At the same time, various open-source projects are developing cloud computing frameworks open to experimental instrumentation and study. In this work we analyze Eucalyptus Community Cloud, an open-source cloud-computing framework delivering the IaaS model and running under the Linux operating system. Our aim is to present some of the results of our analysis and to propose some enhancements that can make Eucalyptus Community Cloud even more attractive for building both private and community cloud infrastructures, but also with an eye toward public clouds. In addition, we present a to-do list that may hopefully help users in the task of configuring and running their own Linux (and Windows) guests with Eucalyptus.