The Squiggol approach to recursive algorithms separates computation and recursion scheme. We revisit the idea in a setting of simple but paradigmatic problems in scientific, particularly ecological, modelling. It is demonstrated that each stereotypic modelling task corresponds to a simple and well-understood recursion pattern, and vice versa. The logistic map is used as the running example of a scientific model. The Haskell implementation of the recursion framework and its applications is discussed. Its benefits from the perspective of application, compared with a previous set-theoretic presentation, are numerous: Static typing and higher-order functions promote abstraction and reuse, whereas immediately executable models make interactive approaches, adequate for modelling living systems, easy and convenient. From the perspective of functional programming, the general logic of scientific modelling is summarized in a concise and familiar language, blazing the trail for truly functional, real-world, non-number-crunching, scientific computing. The material presented here can be and has been used to instruct prospective natural scientists on mathematics they are usually not tought, but which are indespensable for understanding the logic of models, most notably recursion theory. It can also be used to demonstrate to functional programmers the deep and scarcely recognized empirical and epistemological implications of both dedicated simulation programs and very abstract formal algorithms.


Introduction: Endobronchial ultrasound–guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a well recognised, minimally invasive, diagnostic and staging tool for patients with malignancy. However, increasingly this technique is also being utilised in the diagnosis of benign disease (Gupta D. et al. Chest 2014; epub Jan 30).

Aims: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of EBUS-TBNA in patients with suspected benign mediastinal disease in a UK tertiary referral centre.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed data on patients undergoing EBUS-TBNA for suspected benign disease from Feb 2010 to Dec 2013. The sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and tuberculosis (TB) was then determined.

Results: We studied 106 patients with suspected benign mediastinal disease (mean (SD), age 49(15) years, 60% male). Of those, 84 patients had an EBUS-TBNA to investigate for sarcoidosis and 19 patients for TB. The remaining 3 cases were performed for benign cysts. In patients suspected to have sarcoidosis, EBUS-TBNA had a sensitivity of 96.0%, an NPV of 75.0%, a diagnostic accuracy of 96.4% and a prevalence of 70.8%. Of the 3 false negatives for sarcoidosis, 2 were diagnosed by mediastinoscopy and 1 by transbronchial biopsy. In those patients with a suspected diagnosis of TB, EBUS-TBNA had a sensitivity of 92.3%, an NPV of 85.7%, an accuracy of 94.7% and a prevalence of 12.2%. The one false negative for TB was identified on broncho-alveolar lavage.

Conclusion: This UK tertiary centre data suggests that EBUS-TBNA provides a valuable diagnostic tool for patients with benign disease.


Load balance is a key technology in future heterogeneous wireless networks due to its merits like improving resource utilization, enlarging system capacity and providing QoS for users. This paper presents a load balancing scheme which is composed of QoS-based and load-related admission control and dynamic vertical handover. The scheme can provide better QoS and jointly optimize resource utilization. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can provide better performance in packet loss rate and load balance than the traditional scheme which a user is admitted to the network with the least connections.


This final project is designed to explore and describe the emerging international field of orchestral music education programs inspired by Venezuela's "El Sistema." El Sistema is the nickname for a publically funded social and community development program that uses the collective practice of music to affect social change. The program model is reinvigorating and diversifying the fields of orchestral music and music education, while also fighting poverty through access to the arts. This study aims to map the international network of programs inspired by El Sistema through information collected from a literature review, qualitative questionnaires for emerging programs, and semi-structured interviews with leaders from the global Sistema movement. The data collected for the project is used to map the emerging field of El Sistema inspired programs and to conduct a needs assessment for international support structures serving the field.


In the dominant "climate change" imaginary, this phenomenon is distant and abstracted from our experiences of weather and the environment in the privileged West. Moreover, climate change discourse is saturated mostly in either neoliberal progress narratives of controlling the future or sustainability narratives of saving the past. Both largely obfuscate our implication therein. This paper proposes a different climate change imaginary. We draw on feminist new materialist theories—in particular those of Stacy Alaimo, Claire Colebrook, and Karen Barad—to describe our relationship to climate change as one of "weathering." We propose the temporal frame of "thick time"—a transcorporeal stretching between present, future, and past—in order to reimagine our bodies as archives of climate and as making future climates possible. In doing so, we can rethink the temporal narratives of climate change discourse and develop a feminist ethos of responsivity toward climatic phenomena. This project reminds us that we are not masters of the climate, nor are we just spatially "in" it. As weather‐bodies, we are thick with climatic intra‐actions; we are makers of climate‐time. Together we are weathering the world.


Conventional approaches to dynamic line rating (DLR) forecasting provide single point estimates with no indication of the distribution of possible errors. Furthermore, most research related to DLR forecasting deals only with continuous or steady-state ratings while less attention has been given to short-term or transient-state ratings. This thesis describes (a) weather-based models to estimate probabilistic forecasts of steady-state DLRs for up to three 10-minutes time steps ahead for a particular span and a complete overhead line (OHL) and also (b) a fast-computational weather-based approach to probabilistic forecasting of transient-state DLRs for a particular span for time horizons of 10, 20 and 30 minutes. The percentiles of DLR forecasts can be used by a system operator within a chosen risk policy informed by the probability of a rating being exceeded. The thesis first develops time series forecasting models for different weather variables that impact on line rating (i.e. air temperature, wind speed, wind direction and solar radiation) at weather stations that are installed along the route of 132kV OHLs in North Wales. Predictive centres of weather variables are modelled as a sum of residuals predicted by a suitable auto-regressive process and temporal trends fitted by Fourier series. Conditional heteroscedasticity of the predictive distribution is modelled as a linear function of recent changes in residuals within one hour for air temperature and wind speed or concentration of wind direction observations within the most recent two hours. A technique of minimum continuous ranked probability score estimation is employed to determine predictive distributions of the measured weather variables. Then the thesis uses Monte Carlo simulation to generate a large number of random weather samples from the modelled predictive distributions which are paired to have rank correlations similar to those among their recent observations. The probabilistic steady-state DLR forecasts for a particular span in proximity to a weather station are estimated from the random weather samples combined with a maximum allowable conductor temperature using a thermal model of the conductors (i.e. a steady-state heat balance equation). For a complete OHL, possible weather predictions at each span are inferred from random weather samples at stations by using suitable spatial interpolation models; the steady-state DLR forecast of the OHL is then identified as the minimum DLR among all spans for each generated scenario. Using an enhanced analytical method which evolves from a non-steady-state heat balance equation to track the transient-state conductor temperature, the transient-state DLR forecast for a particular span is calculated as that which increases the conductor temperature from an initial value to the maximum allowable limit for a particular future time period (i.e. in this study, 10, 20 and 30 minutes) under each set of random weather samples. The calibration of probabilistic DLR forecasts estimated from independent or correlated random weather samples are then examined to determine which approaches are most suited to estimation of DLRs at the lower end of a predictive distribution consistent with a system operator's risk policy. The potential use of DLR forecasting is then evaluated through estimating the degree to which wind generation curtailment for various assumed installed capacities at a wind farm that is connected to the 132kV network in North Wales can be alleviated through using the lower percentiles of steady-state DLR forecasts in place of the SLRs for each 132kV OHL.


ABSTRACT. In this paper 1D crystal lattice is analyzed within harmonic approximation, with one atom per elementary cell and nearest neighbor interaction included. For this type of crystal lattice dispersion relations are well known. Thermodynamic functions (specific heat and phonon thermal conductivity) are calculated via phonon density of states given in exact form. Thermodynamic variables are calculated for a whole temperature range. In limiting cases of low and high temperatures these thermodynamic variables can be found in analytic forms. For thermal conductivity the results of Callaway model for exact phonon density of states are compared with the results of Callaway model for Debye approximation of phonon density of states.


The efficiency by which a node of a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) can route messages to destinations heavily depends on the VANET's ability to keep track of the locations of its nodes (vehicles). Current location-management schemes lack scalability and, hence, are proven unable to work in large-scale networks. Therefore, location management in VANETs remains a major challenge. In this paper, we propose a new region-based location-service-management protocol (RLSMP) that uses mobility patterns as means to synthesize node movement and, thus, can be used in large VANET applications. The protocol attempts to relax the scalability issue suffered by other protocols by employing message aggregation in location updating and in querying. Furthermore, due to the protocol's intrinsic locality awareness, it achieves minimum control overhead. To evaluate the efficiency of the protocol, we study its performance analytically and by using simulation for a 2-D random-walk model, as well as on real mobility patterns. The performance of the protocol is compared with that of other prominent location-management protocols.


A 3D finite element scheme is developed to calculate eddy current probe responses (impedance or induced emf changes of coils) due to conducting shells in eddy current NDE (nondestructive evaluation) problems. These problems are related to the eddy current inspection of copper and magnetite deposit zones of steam generator tubing in PWR atomic power plants. The finite element scheme uses impedance interface conditions to model the deposit shells and calculates the probe responses by performing integrals over the shell surfaces, thereby ensuring high accuracy even if the probe signal is very small. Two benchmark arrangements are investigated. One, which has an analytical solution, is a conducting thin plate with an impedance probe. The other is a stainless steel tube with a copper shell attached to its outer surface and scanned by a transmitter-receiver probe. In both problems, the calculated probe responses show good agreement with the analytical and experimental data.


The mechanisms by which cancer cells hijack the actin cytoskeleton to invade and disseminate to distant sites of metastasis remains one of the great frontiers in cancer research. Many actin-regulating proteins have been identified to be important in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. However the role of a major actin assembly promoting complex, Scar/WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) in cancer cell invasion is poorly understood.

WRC has a well-known motility-promoting role in 2D planar cell migration, but a recent study on human epithelial cancers suggests WRC may be anti-invasive in vivo. To investigate the controversy, human epithelial cancer cells with reduced WRC expression were tested in multiple 3D cell motility assays. Interestingly, WRC demonstrates a robust anti-invasive role in these exciting experiments.

To understand how loss of WRC promotes invasion, the molecular mechanism is investigated. N-WASP is the other major actin assembly promoting protein. Unlike WRC, N-WASP is interestingly not required for 2D planar cell migration, but is important for motility in 3D. The interplay of the two major actin assembly promoting proteins has not been explored in 3D cell motility. I report here that loss of WRC promotes hyper-activation of focal adhesion kinase that leads to N-WASP accumulation and activation at the invasive front. This chain of events results in enhanced invasion providing a molecular mechanism of WRC's anti-invasive function.

In addition to this FAK-N-WASP core mechanism, I also identified a novel pro- invasive role of HSPC300 independently of WRC. Loss of WRC possibly releases free HSPC300 that could subsequently interact with and regulate N-WASP activation during invasion providing a potential direct molecular link between the two proteins. Furthermore, WRC also supresses focal adhesion kinase mediated cell transformation and tumour formation in vivo.

In this thesis I therefore demonstrate novel anti-invasion and anti-tumourigenesis functions of WRC. I also show how a novel WRC binding protein, NHS, could negatively regulate WRC function.


Abstract Rationale: Information regarding the clinical features and outcomes of pneumonia due to an infection with human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43 in children with cancer is rare. This report presents the clinical features in terms of chest CT scan images which may be used to identify cases of HCoV-OC43 infection induced pneumonia in immunocompromised children. Patient concerns: We report here a girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed respiratory symptoms during febrile neutropenia. Rapid clinical progression and nodular lesions on her chest X-ray and computed tomography scans were suggestive of a pulmonary fungal infection. Diagnosis: A series of tests eventually confirmed the exclusive presence of HCoV-OC43 by the FilmArray Respiratory Panel from a throat swab sample. Interventions: After the diagnosis was confirmed, the antimicrobial agents initially administered were discontinued. Outcomes: Although the chest CT scan images looked severe, the clinical course of the infection induced pneumonia was benign. The respiratory status of the patient was completely resolved in 2 weeks. Lessons: This report highlights the importance of early identification of respiratory viruses, via the realization of their clinical characteristics, which helps reduce the duration of administration of antimicrobial agents in this setting.


Novel hexa-armed and pyrene (Pyr) end-capped phosphazene dendrimer [N 3 P 3 -(Pyr) 6 ] and star polymer with poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) arms [N 3 P 3 -(PCL-Pyr) 6 ] were prepared via two series of reactions. In these series, core-first approach was used starting from a hexa-hydroxy functional phosphazene derivative (N 3 P 3 -(OH) 6 ). It was used as an initiator in the ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone to prepare a hexa-armed PCL star polymer (N 3 P 3 -(PCL-OH) 6 ). Hydroxyl functionalities of N 3 P 3 -(OH) 6 and N 3 P 3 -(PCL-OH) 6 were then successfully converted into bromide and azide, in turn. Further end-group modifications of azide functional dendrimer precursor (N 3 P 3 -(N 3 ) 6 ) and star polymer (N 3 P 3 -(PCL-N 3 ) 6 ) were achieved quantitatively via the Cu(I) catalyzed click reaction between azide functional groups and 1-ethynyl pyrene in the final step. Moreover, the pyrene end-capped phosphazene dendrimer and star polymer were used in noncovalent functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes.


In order for students with disabilities to have the opportunity to meet the same academic standards and expectations as their peers in general education, students with disabilities are, more than ever, educated within the general education classroom. Placement in general education will not alone ensure the success of students with disabilities; it is essential that teachers use the most effective instructional strategies. Evidence based practices (EBPs) represent the most recent efforts to identify what works in education. A Council for Exceptional Children Workgroup has recently developed quality indicators and standards for determining EBPs in special education. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the inter-rater reliability for Cook et al.'s (2013) proposed quality indicators and standards for special education and (b) whether classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) is an EBP for students with mild disabilities. Sixteen single subject studies met inclusion criteria; five were coded for inter-rater reliability. Kappa statistics for individual studies ranged from k = 0.16 to k = 1.0. Combined kappa was 0.64, which suggests substantial agreement (Landis & Koch, 1977). Percentage agreement scores were calculated for individual quality indicators. Inter-rater reliability was perfect (100%) for the majority of quality indicators (13/23), moderate (80%) for five quality indicators, and low (60%) for five quality indicators. None of the 16 studies were considered to be methodologically sound; therefore it was determined that there is currently insufficient evidence for CWPT to be considered an EBP for students with mild disabilities.


Treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells in vitro with dibutyrl adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate converts the culture from one of compact, randomly oriented cells that grow in multilayers to a monolayer of elongated, fibroblast-like cells growing parallel to one another. Testosterone propionate, which has a similar though smaller effect at high concentrations and after prolonged incubation, potentiates the action of dibutyryl cyclic AMP even when added at very low concentrations. The transformation is recognizable within one hour, affects cells throughout all or most of the life cycle, and is completely reversible. Both cell forms can reproduce, with approximately the same generation time. Agents like colcemid and vinblastine, which inhibit assembly of microtubules, prevent the transformation to the fibroblast-like form. It is postulated that the dibutyryl cyclic AMP and testosterone act by promoting organization of microtubules from protein monomers.


There have been very few developments in the field of polarimetry in hard X- and soft /spl gamma/-ray astronomy, indeed not one dedicated polarimeter has ever been launched either as a satellite or balloon borne experiment. A recent result from the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) solar observatory suggests that, at least in gamma-ray bursts, high energy emission may be strongly polarised. We have recently proposed an instrument devoted to polarimetric measurements in this energy range known as the Coded Imager and Polarimeter for High Energy Radiation (CIPHER), a telescope which uses a detection plane optimised for the detection of Compton scattered events. In order to compare the results already obtained from simulations with experimental data, we have prepared an experiment (POLCA: POLarimetry with CdTe Arrays) based on a prototype detector of 4 /spl times/ 4 pixels, to study the response of this concept of polarimeter to linearly polarised radiation in the 100 keV to 1 MeV energy range. The use of a beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ERSF) allowed us to study the Compton double-event efficiency and distribution, for beams of nearly 100% linearly polarised radiation in the energy range from 100 keV to 400 keV. Polarimetric Q factors higher than 0.4 and double events relative efficiencies higher than 20% were obtained. The photon beam energy and detector thickness dependencies will be discussed, comparing these experimental results with those calculated by suitable Monte Carlo simulations.


The last pieces of the new regulatory framework for regional aid are finally coming together: following the adoption of the new regional aid guidelines last year, Member States have been engaged in devising assisted area maps, the last of which were approved on 16 September 2014; and, with the adoption of the general block exemption regulation this year, new instruments are being designed and i mplemented. More generally, over the last year or so, the European Commission has largely completed the reform programme set out in the 2012 State aid modernisation initiative . The reach of the reforms has been considerable: almost every substantive State aid text has been subject to review and revision, and there have been important procedural changes, notably in relation to transparency and new requirements for evaluation. Overall, there has been a significant recalibration of policy. In some areas, the s cope of compatible aid has been enlarged. By contrast, in the area of regional aid, there has been a significant tightening of some aspects of policy – notably regarding support for large firms in 'c' areas and the treatment of large cases of aid in all assisted areas.


We present an ideal observer analysis of single word reading in normal readers and central scotoma patients. Using this technique we are able to predict the spatio-temporal pattern of saccades in terms of pixels. This enables us to contrast theories that are impossible to compare using the traditional letter-slot approaches to modelling reading.


Abstract. Conventional flood risk methods typically focus on estimation at a single location, which is inadequate for civil infrastructure systems such as road or railway infrastructure. This is because rainfall extremes are spatially dependent, so that to understand overall system risk it is necessary to assess the interconnected elements of the system jointly. For example, when designing evacuation routes it is necessary to understand the risk of one part of the system failing given that another region is flooded or exceeds the level at which evacuation becomes necessary. Similarly, failure of any single part of a road section (e.g., a flooded river crossing) may lead to the wider system's failure (i.e. the entire road becomes inoperable). This study demonstrates a spatially dependent Intensity-Duration-Frequency curve framework that can be used to estimate flood risk across multiple catchments, accounting for dependence both in space and across different critical storm durations. The framework is demonstrated via a case study of a highway upgrade, comprising five bridge crossings where the upstream contributing catchments each have different times of concentration. The results show that conditional and unconditional design flows can differ by a factor of two, highlighting the importance of taking an integrated approach. There is also a reduction in the failure probability of the overall system compared with the case of no spatial dependence between storms. The results demonstrate the potential uses of spatially dependent Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves and suggest the need for more conservative design estimates to take into account conditional risks.


Freshly prepared Fe and Al hydrous oxide gels and the amorphous product of heating gibbsite selectively adsorbed traces of Ca and Sr from solutions containing a large excess (∼1M) of NaNO3. The fraction of the added Ca (Sr) adsorbed depended principally on the suspension pH, the amount of solid present, and to a lesser extent on the NaNO3 concentration. Significant Ca and Sr adsorption occurred on the Fe and Al gels, and heated gibbsite, at pH values below the points of zero charge (8.1, 9.4, and 8.3±0.1, respectively), indicating specific adsorption. The pH (± 0.10) at which 50% of the Ca was adsorbed (pH50) occurred at pH 7.15 for the Fe gel (0.093M Fe), 8.35 for the Al gel (0.093M Al), and 6.70 for the heated gibbsite (0.181M Al); for Sr, the pH50 values were 7.10, 9.00, and 6.45, respectively. For the Fe gel and heated gibbsite, an empirical model based on the law of mass action described the pH dependence of adsorption reasonably well and suggested that for each Ca or Sr fraction adsorbed, approximately one proton was released. Failure of the Al gel to fit this model may have resulted from its rapid aging.


DNA methyltransferases Dnmt1, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b cooperatively regulate cytosine methylation in CpG dinucleotides in mammalian genomes, providing an epigenetic basis for gene silencing and maintenance of genome integrity. Proper CpG methylation is required for the normal growth of various somatic cell types, indicating its essential role in the basic cellular function of mammalian cells. Previous studies using Dnmt1−/– or Dnmt3a−/–Dnmt3b−/– ES cells, however, have shown that undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells can tolerate hypomethylation for their proliferation. In an attempt to investigate the effects of the complete loss of CpG DNA methyltransferase function, we established mouse ES cells lacking all three of these enzymes by gene targeting. Despite the absence of CpG methylation, as demonstrated by genome‐wide methylation analysis, these triple knockout (TKO) ES cells grew robustly and maintained their undifferentiated characteristics. TKO ES cells retained pericentromeric heterochromatin domains marked with methylation at Lys9 of histone H3 and heterochromatin protein‐1, and maintained their normal chromosome numbers. Our results indicate that ES cells can maintain stem cell properties and chromosomal stability in the absence of CpG methylation and CpG DNA methyltransferases.


The biochemical, clinical and histological findings are described in nine patients of the Gastroenterology Service of the Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen National Hospital - EsSALUD, with diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) between January 1996 and April 1998.They did not have significant differences in relation to sex prevalence (5 males and 4 women). Five patients were obese, 2 patients had diabetes mellitus, 5 hyperlipidemic values and a patient was taking prednisone for more than 2 years. Only 2 patients were asymptomatic at the moment of the study; while 4 patients presented with abdominal discomfort, 2 patient had pain in the right upper quadrant (RUQ), 5 patients referred fatigue and hepatomegaly was found on clinical examination. All the patients presented high levels of aminotransferases at the study. All the patients had steatohepatitis in the histology with different combinations of injury to the hepatocyte. Fibrosis and cirrhosis were found in 3 patients. Our results were compared with that described by other authors.


Our understanding of mechanisms for GroEL/GroES-assisted protein folding to date has been derived mostly from studies with small proteins. Little is known concerning the interaction of these chaperonins with large multidomain polypeptides during folding. In the present study, we investigated chaperonin-dependent folding of a large 86-kDa fusion polypeptide, in which the mature maltose-binding protein (MBP) sequence was linked to the N terminus of the α subunit of the decarboxylase (E1) component of the human mitochondrial branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex. The fusion polypeptide, MBP-α, when co-expressed with the β subunit of E1, produced a chimeric protein MBP-E1 with an (MBP-α)2β2 structure, similar to the α2β2 structure in native E1. Reactivation of MBP-E1 denatured in 8 m urea was absolutely dependent on GroEL/GroES and Mg2+-ATP, and exhibited strikingly slow kinetics with a rate constant of 376m −1 s−1, analogous to denatured untagged E1. Chaperonin-mediated refolding of the MBP-α fusion polypeptide showed that the folding of the MBP moiety was about 7-fold faster than that of the α moiety on the same chain with rate constants of 1.9 × 10−3 s−1 and 2.95 × 10−4 s−1, respectively. This explained the occurrence of an MBP-α·GroEL binary complex that was isolated with amylose resin from the refolding mixture and transformedEscherichia coli lysates. The data support the thesis that distinct functional sequences in a large polypeptide exhibit different folding characteristics on the same GroEL scaffold. Moreover, we show that when the α·GroEL complex (molar ratio 1:1) was incubated with GroES, the latter was capable of capping either the very ring that harbored the 48-kDa (His)6-α polypeptide (incis) or the opposite unoccupied cavity (intrans). In contrast, the MBP-α·GroEL (1:1) complex was capped by GroES exclusively in the trans configuration. These findings suggest that the productive folding of a large multidomain polypeptide can only occur in the GroEL cavity that is not sequestered by GroES.


In this paper I present aspects of my practice-based research, which focuses upon my cross-disciplinary collaborations undertaken with particle physicists working at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). This research led to the productionand exhibition of a series of audiovisual artworks that engage with the philosophical, epistemological, and material aspects of particle physics. Issues arising between theory and experimentation - in terms of observation and measurement. My inquiry into the philosophy of particle physics has been framed largely through the epistemology of quantum physicist Niels Bohr. I discuss Bohr's insights regarding nature and apparatuses, which I frame in the concepts of technological agency developed by contemporaryscientific philosopher Andrew Pickering. Through my interactions with both physicists and apparatuses, I have produced artworks which express and question the limits of, and relationships between the subatomic and macroscopic universe, and the tensions and connections between art science.


Phenotypical variability in the absence of genetic variation often reflects complex energetic landscapes associated with underlying gene regulatory networks (GRNs). In this view, different phenotypes are associated with alternative states of complex nonlinear systems: stable attractors in deterministic models or modes of stationary distributions in stochastic descriptions. We provide theoretical and practical characterizations of these landscapes, specifically focusing on stochastic Slow Promoter Kinetics (SPK), a time scale relevant when transcription factor binding and unbinding are affected by epigenetic processes like DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling. In this case, largely unexplored except for numerical simulations, adiabatic approximations of promoter kinetics are not appropriate. In contrast to the existing literature, we provide rigorous analytic characterizations of multiple modes. A general formal approach gives insight into the influence of parameters and the prediction of how changes in GRN wiring, for example through mutations or artificial interventions, impact the possible number, location, and likelihood of alternative states. We adapt tools from the mathematical field of singular perturbation theory to represent stationary distributions of Chemical Master Equations for GRNs as mixtures of Poisson distributions and obtain explicit formulas for the locations and probabilities of metastable states as a function of the parameters describing the system. As illustrations, the theory is used to tease out the role of cooperative binding in stochastic models in comparison to deterministic models, and applications are given to various model systems, such as toggle switches in isolation or in communicating populations, a synthetic oscillator, and a trans-differentiation network.


— Electrical distribution systems are incurring large losses as the loads are wide spread, inadequate reactive power compensation facilities and their improper control. A comprehensive static VAR compensator consisting of capacitor bank in five binary sequential steps in conjunction with a thyristor controlled reactor of smallest step size is employed in the investigative work. The work deals with the performance evaluation through analytical studies and practical implementation on an existing system. A fast acting error adaptive controller is developed suitable both for contactor and thyristor switched capacitors. The switching operations achieved are transient free, practically no need to provide inrush current limiting reactors, TCR size minimum providing small percentages of nontriplen harmonics, facilitates stepless variation of reactive power depending on load requirement so as maintain power factor near unity always. It is elegant, closed loop microcontroller system having the features of self regulation in adaptive mode for automatic adjustment. It is successfully tested on a distribution transformer of three phase 50 Hz, Dy11, 11KV/440V, 125 KVA capacity and the functional feasibility and technical soundness are established. The controller developed is new, adaptable to both LT & HT systems and practically established to be giving reliable performance.


The aim of this research is to establish a testing scenario, allowing an evaluation of the durability for sandwich panels. In the context of this research, sandwich panels are thin, metal-faced, three-layer panels with rigid core materials. A literature review has been carried out, highlighting the fact that, up to now, only limited research in the area of sandwich durability has been conducted. The research carried out up to date tried to distinguish between suitable and unsuitable materials for sandwich applications. This report tries to take a more accurate, quantity-driven approach, which includes the consequences of material property deterioration on design procedures. In a first introduction, the principle mechanical behaviour of sandwich structures together with the specific failure modes is presented. Different typical components and their basic properties are described. An introduction to the current state of the art with reference to the actual standards and regulations is given. Different aspects of durability impacts are shown. The shortcomings of durability evaluation in the current state of the art are presented and a plan of action to overcome the shortcomings is given. This includes the development of a mathematical model, connecting tensile strength perpendicular to the faces with wrinkling strength. For polyurethane core panels, chemical reactions based on auto-oxidation under the presence of oxygen and diffusion models for oxygen into polymer matrixes are presented. An artificial ageing scenario is derived. Measurements from internal climates in mineral wool panels are combined with an existing ageing model. On the base of the obtained results, the ageing models presented in prEN 14509, the European standard for sandwich panels, are discussed. Finally, a complete testing and evaluation scenario, accessing sandwich durability, is proposed.


Objective To identify physical activity (PA) accrued while playing golf and modifiers of PA accrued. Design A rapid review of primary research studies. Quality was assessed using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute quality assessment tool for cohort and cross-sectional studies. Methods and outcomes The following databases were searched from 1900 to March 2017: SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Google Advanced Search, ProQuest, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. All primary research investigating golf or golfers with any of the following outcomes was included: metabolic equivalent of task, oxygen uptake, energy expenditure, heart rate, step count, distance covered, strength, flexibility, balance, sedentary behaviour. Results Phase one searching identified 4944 citations and phase two searching identified 170 citations. In total, 19 articles met inclusion criteria. Golf is primarily a moderate intensity PA, but may be low intensity depending on the playing population and various modifiers. Less PA is accrued by those who ride a golf cart compared with those walking the course. Conclusions Golf can be encouraged in order to attain PA recommendations. Further research is required into the relationship between golf and strength and flexibility PA recommendations and how modifiers affect PA accrued. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017058237.


Entrepreneurship is now a very important course in higher education institutions in Nigeria. This has become necessary in view of the high level of unemployment of graduates which has and is still causing youth restiveness. Being enterprising is vital for job and wealth creation as prerequisites for economic and political stability. Universities are power-houses of knowledge, and as such should take a lead in producing graduates with entrepreneurial skills and mindset to tackle unemployment crisis. Using a survey design, the study investigated  the level  of  misconceptions of  entrepreneurship  education among  students; ascertained  the  extent to which students  who offered  entrepreneurship  education  have  entrepreneurial  mindset; identified  the teaching strategies mostly  used  for  teaching entrepreneurship education; and  analyzed the  contents of entrepreneurship  curriculum. Questionnaire items were the instrument used for data collection from 150 randomly sampled students in two faculties at the University of Port Harcourt. Frequencies, percentages, mean scores and z-test were the statistical tools used for analyzing the data. The findings identified six major misconceptions about entrepreneurship education among students. It established that the strategies  used for  teaching/learning entrepreneurship  were not  experiential  and activity–oriented  to enhance  active construction of knowledge; and that the focus of  the curriculum contents were basically  on entrepreneurial learning  skills only, although the students have entrepreneurial mindset. The following recommendations were made: (1) The National University Commission (NUC) should liaise with university authorities to collaborate with entrepreneurial experts, curriculum experts, educational technologists, policy-makers and politicians, to form a forum and re-design entrepreneurship education curriculum, paying attention to activities, delivering strategies, and generic skills; (2) Workshops and seminars to be conducted in all faculties where local entrepreneurs from different related fields peculiar to each faculty are invited to share success stories, and business-starting fundamentals to an audience of students and teachers, among others.


Much recent sociological debate about the state, whether neo-Marxist or neo-Weberian, has been concerned with its supposed transformation or its decline in the face of globalization and neo-liberalization. This paper argues that conceptual confusion underlies such claims, and to speak of a transformation of the state in short historical runs, of around thirty years, is inappropriate. We offer a narrower understanding of the state in terms of the means it deploys (cf. Weber) and its "core tasks" – i.e. those concerned with internal and external security. In doing so, we also seek to counter aspects of contemporary anti-statism, not least by highlighting their historical genealogies. To make our case, we appeal to the analysis of the state by the so-called "Cambridge School" of historians of political thought (§1). We then take Gianfranco Poggi's account of the constitutional state as an ideal type characterization of the state in a certain developed form (§2) and draw out the implications for recent sociological analysis of the state (§3). Finally, we make one suggestion as to how that debate can be conceptually recast in the light of the historically less compressed picture that emerges when we bring the arguments of the historical school together with Poggi's Weberian account, namely we seek to revive the notion of "regime" as it was used by Raymond Aron who builds on Weber's account of politics in terms of eternal struggle and selection (§4). The changes that have been misdesignated as transformations of the state are better understood as changes in regimes.


Learning to optimize (L2O) has gained increasing attention since classical optimizers require laborious problem-specific design and hyperparameter tuning. However, there is a gap between the practical demand and the achievable performance of existing L2O models. Specifically, those learned optimizers are applicable to only a limited class of problems, and often exhibit instability. With many efforts devoted to designing more sophisticated L2O models, we argue for another orthogonal, under-explored theme: the training techniques for those L2O models. We show that even the simplest L2O model could have been trained much better. We first present a progressive training scheme to gradually increase the optimizer unroll length, to mitigate a well-known L2O dilemma of truncation bias (shorter unrolling) versus gradient explosion (longer unrolling). We further leverage off-policy imitation learning to guide the L2O learning, by taking reference to the behavior of analytical optimizers. Our improved training techniques are plugged into a variety of state-of-the-art L2O models, and immediately boost their performance, without making any change to their model structures. Especially, by our proposed techniques, an earliest and simplest L2O model can be trained to outperform the latest complicated L2O models on a number of tasks. Our results demonstrate a greater potential of L2O yet to be unleashed, and urge to rethink the recent progress. Our codes are publicly available at: this https URL.


Background: Many countries have adopted the nursing process as a basic requirement for quality health care services, but there is a problem with its implementation in the clinical areas of many hospitals. Even though nurses accept the benefits of the nursing process, they do not use it practically. The implementation of the nursing process in Ethiopia is not well organized and developed. Many health care settings in Ethiopia demand the application of the nursing process in clinical practice. Methods: An institutional-based, descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted at Woldia Comprehensive Specialized hospital. A simple random sampling technique was applied to select study subjects. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from August (01/0821 to September 01/09/2021. Binary logistic regressions were used. Then, P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant in this study. Results: This study reviled that 62.8% of nurses implemented the nursing process. Work experience greater than or equal to five years [AOR: 1.79; 95% CI (1.31–4.84)], support from the administration of the organization to do the nursing process [AOR: 1.98; 95% CI (1.22–3.01)], and knowledgeable nurses [AOR: 2.21; 95% CI (1.32–4.97)] are significantly associated with the implementation of the nursing process. Conclusion: More than sixty present nurses implemented the nursing process. Work experience, organizational support to implement the nursing process, and knowledge were significant factors affecting the implementation of the nursing process.


To characterize the time course of plasma and red blood cell (RBC) changes after n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation, 20 healthy male volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either four l-g capsules of n-3 PUFA ethyl esters or four 1-g capsules of olive oil (as placebo) for a period of 4 mo, followed by a 3-mo washout period. Fatty acids of plasma and RBC phospholipid fractions were analyzed at 0, 2, and 4 mo of treatment and at 1 , 2, and 3 mo of washout. During n -3 PUFA supplementation, accumulations of eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosapentaenoic (DPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids were marked after 2 mo with differences among different fractions of plasma and RBCs in further accumulation up to 4 mo. During the first and second months of the washout, slight differences were observed in changes of various fatty acids among different phospholipid fractions, but after 3 mo of washout, only minor alterations were still detectable with respect to pretreatment values. These data confirm the complex relations among different fatty acid pools after n-3 PUFA supplementation. Am J Gun


Combination of alumina (Al2O3) and zirconia (ZrO2) as cutting tool have been established themselves as a dominant in ceramic category for dry machining. The mechanical properties of Al2O3-ZrO2 cutting tool were critically dependent on its density and hardness, which affected by the powder preparation and sintering processes. This paper present the effect of sintering temperature on density, hardness and tool wear of Al2O3-ZrO2 cutting tool. Specific composition of 80-90 wt% Al2O3 and 10-20 wt% ZrO2 powders were mixed and ball milled for 12 hours. These powders then were compacted in the form of RNGN120600 designated cutting tool by using manual hydraulic press before undergone secondary compaction by Cold Isostatic Press. The compacted powders then were sintered from 1200oC to 1400oC at constant 9 hours soaking time. For each sintered cutting tool, evaluation has been made based on the density and hardness. By using AISI 1045 as a workpiece material, the wear performance of the selected cutting tools were evaluated within 200-350 m/min cutting speeds, 0.1 mm/rev feed rate and 0.5 mm depth of cut. The results shows that the sintering temperature at 1400oC and 9 hours soaking time produced maximum relative density and hardness for 90 wt% Al2O3 and 10 wt% ZrO2 at 94.17% and 63.4 HRC respectively. Cutting tool contained with 80 wt% Al2O3 and 20 wt% ZrO2 contributed maximum relative density of 97% and hardness of 70.07 HRC. Maximum tool life recorded was 156s at 200 m/min cutting speed. Wear mechanisms of fabricated cutting tool dominated by the notch and flank wear at the early stage of machining and formation built up edge at the end of machining process.


Cowpea seeds are produced in many sites and consumed in Côte d'Ivoire. These seeds varied widely in coat colour. The present study was carried out to check the influence of some factors (production site and coat colour) on the physicochemical characteristics of cowpea seeds. For this purpose red seed samples and white ones were drawn from three production sites. The physicochemical characteristics were determined following standard methods while the influence of factors was checked out via chemometric methods. The results showed that cowpea seeds are rich in carbohydrates (63.76 ± 0.85%) and proteins (21.29 ± 0.94%). Its characteristics were significantly (p˂0.05) affected by seed coat colour and production sites. The effects of their interaction were also shown to be significant. In addition, the significant (p˂0.05) effects of coat colour, production site and their interaction on physicochemical properties of cowpea seeds are responsible of differences observed between samples analysed. Cowpea samples from Marahoue site which seed coat is white recorded the highest protein content while the red ones collected in Tonkpi site recorded highest value of carbohydrates. These samples could be used to fight against nutritional diseases due to protein and carbohydrate deficiencies.


We analyze a modified $f(R)$ theory of gravity in the Palatini formulation, when an Holst term endowed with a dynamical Immirzi field is included. We study the basic features of the model, especially in view of liminating the torsion field via the Immirzi field and the scalar-tensor degrees of freedom of the $f(R)$ model. The main task of this study is the investigation of the morphology of the gravitational wave polarization when their coupling to a circle of test particles is considered. We first observe that the dynamics of the scalar mode of the $f(R)$ Lagrangian is frozen out, since its first order term identically vanishes. This allows a detailed characterization of the linearized theory, which outlines the emergence of a modified Newtonian potential in the static limit, and when time independence is relaxed a standard gravitational wave plus the scalar wave associated to the Immirzi field. Investigating the effect of the coupling of this scalar-tensor wave on a circle of test particles, we arrive to define two effective gravitational polarizations, corresponding to an equivalent phenomenological wave, whose morphology is anomalous with respect the standard case of General Relativity. In fact, the particle circle suffers modifications as it was subjected to modified plus and cross modes, whose specific features depend on the model free parameters and are, in principle, detectable via a data analysis procedure.


The objective of these groundwater and sediment modeling studies is to determine the net change in storage and potentiometric levels within the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin resulting from construction and operation of the proposed Mentone Dam. The modeling analysis includes effects of the dam on historical potentiometric levels and basin storage for water years 1945 through 1980 assuming the dam and sedimentation effects to be in place in 1945. It is found that no effect on groundwater basin storage results from the dam and reservoir area with application of relocated groundwater recharge facilities within project limits. Localized depressions in potentiometric levels in the immediate vicinity of the dam would be accompanied by localized rises in other parts of the groundwater basin as a result of the project.


[1] Over much of the world, heating of the surface by sunlight is balanced predominately by evaporative cooling. However, at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF) in Niamey, Niger, evaporation makes a significant contribution to the surface energy balance only at the height of the rainy season, when precipitation has replenished the reservoir of soil moisture. The AMF was placed at Niamey from late 2005 to early 2007 to provide measurements of surface fluxes in coordination with geostationary satellite retrievals of radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere, as part of the RADAGAST experiment to calculate atmospheric radiative divergence. We use observations at the mobile facility to investigate how the surface adjusts to radiative forcing throughout the year. The surface response to solar heating varies with changes in atmospheric water vapor associated with the seasonal reversal of the West African monsoon, which modulates the greenhouse effect and the ability of the surface to radiate thermal energy directly to space. During the dry season, sunlight is balanced mainly by longwave radiation and the turbulent flux of sensible heat. The ability of longwave radiation to cool the surface drops after the onset of southwesterly surface winds at Niamey, when moist, oceanic air flows onshore, increasing local column moisture and atmospheric opacity. Following the onset of southwesterly flow, evaporation remains limited by the supply of moisture from precipitation. By the height of the rainy season, however, sufficient precipitation has accumulated that evaporation is controlled by incident sunlight, and radiative forcing of the surface is balanced comparably by the latent, sensible, and longwave fluxes. Evaporation increases with the leaf area index, suggesting that plants are a significant source of atmospheric moisture and may tap moisture stored beneath the surface that accumulated during a previous rainy season. Surface radiative forcing during a dust aerosol outbreak is balanced comparably by net surface longwave and the sensible heat flux during the dry season, with the sensible flux increasing in importance with the onset of the summer monsoon winds. Measurements of surface fluxes by the AMF indicate broader features of the West African monsoon circulation and should be used to evaluate model simulations of the Sahel climate.


This paper contributes to recent discussions of corporate tax avoidance and global wealth chains. Drawing on multiple case studies, we outline the key strategies adopted by Finnish mining companies as they seek to lower their tax burden. After screening the accounts of the companies mining metallic ores in Finland, we provide an in-depth analysis of the tax avoidance arrangements at three of these mines. The mines were operated by two Canadian enterprises that utilized seven different tax avoidance arrangements. The multiple case study approach adopted in this paper is helpful in developing both quantitative and qualitative tax avoidance research, since our fi ndings highlight major de fi ciencies of datasets commonly used in the dominant quantitative tax avoidance research. Our qualitative approach helps tackle some of the limitations imposed on tax researchers as a result of the considerable secrecy surrounding tax matters. In particular, we argue that the existing tax avoidance research has focused too much on statutory corporate income tax rates even though today, tax minimization relies mostly on speci fi c tax incentives and other loopholes in tax laws. We argue that the arrangements we describe mirror a wider phenomenon where multinational enterprises exert societal power commonly associated with sovereign states. Crossing the disciplinary boundaries of accounting, political economy and tax law, we also contribute to the emerging research agenda on global wealth chains. We call for more attention to the intersections between accounting and tax law for understanding how enterprises can separate their value chains from the intra- fi rm fl ows of wealth.


This thesis is concerned with the means by which the state in Britain has attempted to influence the technological development of private industry in the period 1945-1979. Particular emphasis is laid on assessing the abilities of technology policy measures to promote innovation. With that objective, the innovation literature is selectively reviewed to draw up an analytical framework to evaluate the innovation content of policy (Chapter 2). Technology policy is taken to consist of the specific measures utilised by government and its agents that affect the technological behaviour of firms. The broad sweep of policy during the period under consideration is described in Chapter 3 which concentrates on elucidating its institutional structure and the activities of the bodies involved. The empirical core of the thesis consists of three parallel case studies of policy toward the computer, machine tool and textile machinery industries (Chapters 4-6). The studies provide detailed historical accounts of the development and composition of policy, relating it to its specific institutional and industrial contexts. Each reveals a different pattern and level of state intervention. The thesis concludes with a comparative review of the findings of the case studies within a discussion centred on the arguments presented in Chapter 2. Topics arising include the state's differential support for the range of activities involved in innovation, the location of state-funded R&D, the encouragement of supplier-user contact, and the difficulties raised in adoption and diffusion.


This article criticizes compensation mechanisms for the victims of environmental disaster in Indonesia. In particular, it attempts to answer the questions of how compensation mechanism is addressed in Indonesian environmental law, how the victims of environmental disasters are compensated, and what lessons can be learned from the application of law in practice. This article begins with discussions about the current Indonesian compensation system for damage resulting from pollution, focusing on the provisions in environmental management acts. In order to explain how these provisions have been applied in practice, this article discusses two major environmental disasters in Indonesia, i.e. the Mandalawangi landslide case and the Sidoarjo mudflow case, and analyses how the victims have been compensated. In this regard, this article also pays a great deal attention to the court rulings on the two cases. Since the ruling on the Sidoarjo mudflow case has dealt with the issue of the 'act of God' defense, this article extensively discusses the defense with reference to various US court rulings on the defense. The article is of the opinion that had the Indonesian court ruled similar to the US court rulings, the defendants would have been held liable for the damage. By discussing compensation mechanisms in these two cases, the article observes some key problems likely to paralyze Indonesian compensation mechanisms. Furthermore, in order to find a better compensation mechanism, this article conducts a brief literature study to compare the Indonesian system with some practices, notably in Europe. In this way, the article argues that a better mechanism should include not only liability rules, but also liability insurance, alternatives to insurance liability insurance, and compensation fund. Based on the discussions, the article finds that Indonesia urgently needs a reform on compensation mechanism and that the Indonesian courts need also serious studies on how to apply liability rules and the 'act of God' defense.


Abstract Simultaneous bilingual children sometimes display crosslinguistic influence (CLI), widely attested in the domain of morphosyntax. It remains less clear whether CLI affects bilinguals' event construal, what motivates its occurrence and directionality, and how developmentally persistent it is. The present study tested predictions generated by the structural overlap hypothesis and the co-activation account in the motion event domain. 96 English–French bilingual children of two age groups and 96 age-matched monolingual English and French controls were asked to describe animated videos displaying voluntary motion events. Semantic encoding in main verbs showed bidirectional CLI. Unidirectional CLI affected French path encoding in the verbal periphery and was predicted by the presence of boundary-crossing, despite the absence of structural overlap. Furthermore, CLI increased developmentally in the French data. It is argued that these findings reflect highly dynamic co-activation patterns sensitive to the requirements of the task and to language-specific challenges in the online production process.


The present study shows that extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has the capacity to mediate dose-dependent lysis of the monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1. The lysis, assessed by 51Cr release, was found to be selective for ATP, because adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or other nucleotides were less effective in their ability to lyse the cells. The amount of 51Cr released was particularly enhanced by the stimulation of the cells with 1,000 U/mL of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) for 3 days, and the sensitivity was time and dose dependent. Analysis of the mechanism of lysis indicated that the fully ionized form, ATP4-, mediated the lysis, because the addition of cation chelators or the absence of the divalent cations, Ca2+ and Mg2+, in the culture medium of a 6-hour 51Cr release assay increased the percent specific lysis. Therefore, the ATP receptors on THP-1 cells were classified as P2Z purinoceptors. Moreover, it is shown here that the Ca2+/calmodulin complex plays a role in the regulation of the lysis by extracellular ATP of THP-1 cells, because antagonists of this complex, such as trifluoperazine or KN-62, were found to inhibit the ATP-mediated cell lysis.


As of 18:00 (Rio de Janeiro time) November 17, INPEX CORPORATION has confirmed the following points from Chevron (operator of the Frade oil field) regarding the oil sheen which was found in the vicinity of the Frade oil field, Brazil. - Chevron today confirms that cementing operations are taking place as part of its well plugging activities on an appraisal well located in the vicinity of the Frade field offshore Brazil. - Chevron also confirms that there has never been any oil flow from the wellhead and current monitoring indicates oil from nearby seep lines on the ocean floor have reduced to infrequent droplets. Chevron continues to work in close partnership with its drilling contractor, Transocean, on well plugging operations. All development well drilling in the field continues to be suspended. - Chevron has continued to monitor the oil sheen which has substantially dissipated. Current estimates place the volume of the oil sheen on the ocean surface to be less than 65 barrels. The sheen is located about 120 kilometers offshore and continues to move in a south-easterly direction away from the Brazilian coast. - Chevron continues to coordinate and deploy resources to monitor and manage the remaining sheen. The company has been scheduling a fleet of up to 18 vessels on a rotational basis, weather permitting, to control and monitor the sheen. - Full production activities have been maintained at Frade throughout the seep incident. Production operations have been monitored continuously to ensure those facilities are not contributing to the oil sheen. Daily production volumes are approximately 79,000 barrels of oil equivalent. - Chevron continues to fully inform and work with Brazilian government agencies and industry partners on all aspects of this matter. - The appraisal well was drilled in the vicinity of the Chevron operated Frade project located 370 kilometers (230 miles) offshore north east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in water depths of approximately 1200 meters (3800 feet).


Poster G3 Mafic igneous intrusions are a common feature in extensional sedimentary basins, particularly those located at volcanic rifted margins, and are important in both exploration and development contexts due to their range of interactions with the petroleum system and their role as potential drilling hazards. Experience from a range of basins containing mafic igneous intrusions suggests that seismically resolvable intrusions are typically accompanied by a large number of intrusions that are too thin to be confidently identified and interpreted from seismic reflection surveys. The increased vertical resolution of wireline log data affords an opportunity to identify such sub-seismic-scale intrusions, though in many wells with full wireline suites igneous intrusions are often misidentified as sedimentary units, including felsic intrusions whose physical properties are more similar to sedimentary rocks. Here we apply a wireline-log-based probability model to well data from a number of basins. In previous applications, the model has proven highly effective in predicting the occurrence of carbonate cementation zones in sandstones in comparison to neural network approaches. We demonstrate its ability to predict the presence of igneous intrusions that were not previously identified by either seismic interpretation, or through the analysis of well-derived datasets. The broader application of this model to large suites of legacy data could lead to improved knowledge of the occurrence of intrusions in basins with implications for basin modelling and well planning. To access the poster click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here


ABSTRACT Solid, liquid and alloyed phases of gallium play a role in a variety of important technological applications. While many of the gallium phases involved in these applications are metallic, some have been proposed or are known to contain covalently bound Ga dimers. Thus, understanding the nature of bonding in Ga is crucial to the development of Ga-based materials. The solid phase of gallium at ambient conditions, α-Ga, is metallic and composed of molecular dimers, and can serve as a testing ground for studying gallium bonding with electronic structure calculations. We use density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with maximally localised Wannier functions to examine the nature of chemical bonding in α-Ga. We propose a geometric criterion for defining various bonding environments, which enables the quantification of covalent and weak bonds in solid gallium. We additionally connect the bonding structure of α-Ga to its phonon density of states and discuss similarities and differences with diatomic halogen crystals. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Basic corporate finance and microeconomic theory indicate that the primary financial directive of any firm ought to be to maximise the wealth of the shareholders. This objective benefits all stakeholders and, also ensures that scarce resources are allocated, managed and re-deployed as efficiently as possible for the benefit of all. An appropriate performance measure gauges how management strategy affects shareholder value as measured by the risk-adjusted return on the invested capital. The effectiveness of this given strategy must incorporate the required rate of return on invested capital, accurately measure the amount of capital used by the company, and correlate highly with the risk-adjusted rate of return earned by shareholders. Economic Value Added (EV A) is considered an appropriate measure and is a way of measuring a company's net operating profit after tax and after deducting the cost of capital. In this study the EV A concept is considered from a financial management perspeCtive. Several elements and advantages of the concept are discussed. The additional tasks required of management in this process are highlighted. It was found that one of the major challenges facing EV A implementation is changing traditional methods of financial reporting. In the theoretical study the major elements of EVA, in particular the advantages of the financial measurement, are discussed. Against this background an empirical investigation was carried out. The results of which provide an insight into the understanding and practical implementation of EV A by three v large retail groups within South Africa. In conclusion to this study, the approach of EVA as a financial management system is the key to creating wealth based on the results of the practical and theoretical investigation. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za


BACKGROUND
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 1-time hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing in the 1945-1965 birth cohort, in addition to targeted risk-based testing. Emergency departments (EDs) are key venues for HCV testing because of the population served and success in HIV screening. We determined the burden of undocumented HCV infection in our ED, providing guidance for implementation of ED-based HCV testing.

METHODS
An 8-week seroprevalence study was conducted in an urban ED in 2013. All patients with excess blood collected for clinical purposes were included. Demographic and clinical information including documented HCV infection was obtained from electronic medical records. HCV antibody testing was performed on excess samples.

RESULTS
Of 4713 patients, 652 (13.8%) were HCV antibody positive. Of these, 204 (31.3%) had undocumented HCV infection. Among patients with undocumented infections, 99 (48.5%) would have been diagnosed based on birth cohort testing, and an additional 54 (26.5%) would be identified by risk-based testing. If our ED adhered to the CDC guidelines, 51 (25.0%) patients with undocumented HCV would not have been tested. Given an estimated 7727 unique ED patients with HCV infection in a 1-year period, birth cohort plus risk-based testing would identify 1815 undocumented infections, and universal testing would identify additional 526 HCV-infected persons.

CONCLUSIONS
Birth cohort-based testing would augment identification of undocumented HCV infections in this ED 2-fold, relative to risk-based testing only. However, our data demonstrate that one-quarter of infections would remain undiagnosed if current CDC birth cohort recommendations were employed, suggesting that in high-risk urban ED settings a practice of universal 1-time testing might be more effective.


Introduction
Surgical site infection (SSI) is an infection occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place within 30 days and a significant portion of healthcare-associated infections. Distal pancreatectomy (DP) is a major surgery associated with a relatively high incidence of SSI. The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors of SSI after distal pancreatectomy.

Methods
In total, 159 patients who underwent DP from January 2002 to December 2019 were identified and included in this study. We retrospectively collected clinical data based on the medical records of the patients. The risk factors were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.

Results
A total of 14 patients (8.8%) developed SSI after DP. Four patient (2.5%) experienced deep incisional SSI and 10 patient (6.3%) had organ space SSI. Male sex was associated with SSI. Hypertension and combined surgery were associated with organ space SSI in univariate analysis. Male sex and hypertension were significant risk factor of organ space SSI in multivariate analysis (p = 0.040, p = 0.032, respectively). Male sex and combined surgery were associated with overall complication (p = 0.039, p = 0.026, respectively). However, age, body mass index, diabetes, diagnosis, type of antibiotics administered, laparoscopic surgery, and spleen preservation were not associated with SSI.

Conclusions
Male sex, hypertension, and other concomitant organ resections were statistically associated with SSI. The type of prophylactic antibiotics used was not related to SSI. Organ space SSI is associated with significant complications and the effort to reduce SSI is important.


This work presents the design and construction of a low input impedance preamplifier with a gain of more than 30 dB and a noise figure of less than 1 dB. It has a low input impedance, around 1Ω. A λ/4 transmission line is used to transform the low input impedance of the preamplifier to a high impedance at the coil to reduce the cross-coupling between coils. In order to test the preamplifier, a single-transmit, single-receive coil was developed at 297.2 MHz. The designed preamplifier can have a footprint as small as 27 mm × 13 mm. Small footprint preamplifiers are crucial where space is at a premium in multichannel coil arrays.


This preliminary study looks into how visual information affects motion planning in a gravitational environment. Recently, it has been shown that goal-directed tasks, e.g. simple pointing actions, are performed using a combination of a priori knowledge and closed-loop information, coming from proprioceptive-vestibular and visual feedback. In particular it has been observed that visual information is used by the central nervous system to reorganize motor planning when visuo-motor conflicts occur.The aim of our work is to investigate deeper the contribution of the visual channel in motor planning by means of virtual reality tools. Indeed, virtual reality technology is used here to modify the nature of visual input, leading to test several scenarios from minimalist and impoverished scenes to fully immersive and realistic environments. In fact we want to understand how the richness of the visual information is relevant in influencing our motor planning. We describe here our experimental setup and protocols. Moreover we present some preliminary results and we discuss the ongoing developments.


Twenty-six of 117 consecutive patients with a provisional diagnosis of transient ischemic attacks answered the following criteria: (1) transient hypofunction of an area supplied by a branch of an internal carotid artery, (2) no evidence of infarction, (3) carotid and vertebral arterial systems visualized angiographically, (4) cerebral blood flow and metabolism studies performed, (5) followed a minimum of three months, (6) other causes of transient dysfunction had been ruled out, and (7) no carotid arterial system surgery. Only six (23%) had occlusion greater than 50% and 21 (81%) had evidence of irregularity or ulceration of an atherosclerotic plaque in the appropriate internal carotid artery. It was noted in retrospect that 15 of the patients were treated with aspirin (300 mg b.i.d.) and 11 were not. No difference in ultimate infarction or death was noted, but only two (13%) of those treated with aspirin had an additional attack compared to nine (82%) of those who had no aspirin. These findings suggest that fibrin-platelet emboli may be a major contributor to transient ischemic attacks in the carotid circulation. The authors stress that this is a retrospective study and its importance is to further support the need for prospective studies before antiplatelet aggregating drugs are used indiscriminately.


What We Already Know about This TopicPerioperative hypotension is associated with cardiovascular events in patients having noncardiac surgery, but it is unknown if the severity of preexisting coronary artery disease determines susceptibility to the cardiovascular risks of perioperative hypotension What This Article Tells Us That Is NewIn patients who had risk factors for, or known, coronary artery disease and were having noncardiac surgery, perioperative hypotension and degree of coronary artery disease on preoperative coronary computed tomographic angiography were independently associated with perioperative cardiovascular death and myocardial infarctionPerioperative hypotension was associated with cardiovascular events regardless of the degree of coronary artery disease on preoperative coronary computed tomographic angiography Background: Perioperative hypotension is associated with cardiovascular events in patients having noncardiac surgery. It is unknown if the severity of preexisting coronary artery disease determines susceptibility to the cardiovascular risks of perioperative hypotension. Methods: In this retrospective exploratory analysis of a substudy of an international prospective blinded cohort study, 955 patients 45 yr of age or older with history or risk factors for coronary artery disease underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography before elective inpatient noncardiac surgery. The authors evaluated the potential interaction between angiographic findings and perioperative hypotension (defined as systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg for a total of 10 min or more during surgery or for any duration after surgery and for which intervention was initiated) on the composite outcome of time to myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death up to 30 days after surgery. Angiography assessors were blinded to study outcomes; patients, treating clinicians, and outcome assessors were blinded to angiography findings. Results: Cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death within 30 days after surgery) occurred in 7.7% of patients (74/955), including in 2.7% (8/293) without obstructive coronary disease or hypotension compared to 6.7% (21/314) with obstructive coronary disease but no hypotension (hazard ratio, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.11 to 5.66; P = 0.027), 8.8% (14/159) in patients with hypotension but without obstructive coronary disease (hazard ratio, 3.85; 95% CI, 1.62 to 9.19; P = 0.002), and 16.4% (31/189) with obstructive coronary disease and hypotension (hazard ratio, 7.34; 95% CI, 3.37 to 15.96; P < 0.001). Hypotension was independently associated with cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.99 to 5.06; P < 0.001). This association remained in patients without obstructive disease and did not differ significantly across degrees of coronary disease (P value for interaction, 0.599). Conclusions: In patients having noncardiac surgery, perioperative hypotension was associated with cardiovascular events regardless of the degree of coronary artery disease on preoperative coronary computed tomographic angiography.


It has been established that both tutors and tutees gain from tutoring sessions. However, tutors' benefits may be enhanced or limited depending on the type of behaviours they perform during the tutoring sessions. Although behaviours enhancing both tutor and tutee learning can be promoted by training, generalized tutor training models that are often used do not take into account tutors' preexisting perceptions of tutoring, which may guide their instructional behaviours. The goals of this multiple-case study of three chemistry tutors are to characterise their perceptions of tutoring, their behaviors during tutoring sessions, and the connections between their perceptions and behaviors. Data was collected through interviews in which tutors' perceptions of tutors and tutoring were probed and through video recordings of three to four sessions for each tutor. Interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Video recordings of sessions were analyzed using a list of codes corresponding to different types of behaviours that had been reported in prior tutoring studies. Analysis of the interviews indicated that tutors' perceptions of tutoring did not overlap fully across all the three tutors. Cross-case analysis indicates that tutors' perceptions of tutees and of the role of tutor were reflected in the instructional behaviours the tutors enacted during the sessions. The results of this study may be used to improve tutor training programmes, particularly through examining individual tutor's perceptions of tutoring as this may help anticipate natural instructional preferences of tutors.


Slurry density monitoring is of paramount importance in the industrial world. Most industries, especially cement and mineral processing industries, employ this method to obtain good quality products. However, most Carbon-In-Leach (CIL) tanks of gold processing industries do not use slurry density monitoring systems. As a result, many a time, agitation difficulties occur when the slurry begins to harden. This paper, therefore, seeks to design an integrated anti-hardening system for CIL tanks, with the aid of a microcontroller, to monitor the density of the slurry in order to prevent it from hardening. Slurry density measurement was achieved with the help of a strain gauge pressure sensor and a couple of level sensors. Atmega 328p  microcontroller board was programmed to continuously compute the density of the slurry from values of pressure and level of slurry in the tank indicated by the pressure and level sensors, respectively. The microcontroller responds to slurry hardening by activating a light emitting diode and triggering the piezo buzzer when a set point is reached. The designed circuit was successfully simulated using Proteus 8.2 design suite software to ascertain its functionality. Based on the results obtained, the light emitting diode and piezo buzzer activated when the set point was reached. It was concluded that the anti-hardening system is effective for constantly monitoring the density of the slurry to prevent it from hardening. It was also recommended that the mining industries could employ the designed system to monitor the density in order to prevent hardening of slurry in CIL tanks. Keywords: Carbon-In-Leach Tanks, Slurry Densisty, Strain Guage Pressure Sensor, Microcontroller


V and Nb are key elements for the production of high-grade steel. These elements are produced by few countries, and V has been nominated as a national stockpile element in Japan. Despite the importance of these elements, there are no strategies to obtain stable resources for them. Some types of iron ore that contain V and Nb can be used as sources of these elements. This study clarified the possibility of extracting V and Nb by means of a conventional hot metal dephosphorization process without using CaF2 as a flux. First, the influences of V and Nb oxides on the distribution ratio of P2O5 between the solid solution and liquid phases in slag were measured. Then, the behaviors of V and Nb in hot metal dephosphorization by CaO–SiO2–FetO slag were investigated. Finally, a previously described hot metal simulation model was modified and the behaviors of various elements, including V and Nb, during hot metal dephosphorization were simulated, and the results were compared with experimental ones. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The addition of V and Nb oxides slightly increases the distribution ratio of P2O5 between the solid solution and liquid phases in slag. (2) The decreasing rate of the elements by the flux addition can be expressed as Nb > Mn > P > V, and these decreasing rates increase as the basicity increases. (3) The simulation results for the behavior of P and V or Nb are in good agreement with the experimental results; that is, the decreasing rate for Nb is greater than that for P, and the separation of Nb leaving P in the hot metal is easier than the separation of V.


The process of micturition is related to activation of the cardiovascular autonomic nervous system. Hypotension with bradycardia often occurs during or immediately after micturition. We experienced a case of sudden severe hypotension and bradycardia following urethral catheterization in a patient who underwent an urethral dilatation and transurethral resection of bladder tumor while under general anesthesia. The patient was treated with inotropics and intravenous fluids, and he recovered without any complications. The characteristics of this case are similar to the physiologic changes that occur in micturition syncope. Therefore, it is presumed that the autonomic reflex that was triggered by the urethral catheterization caused the hypotension and bradycardia.


Background: The teaching of the sensitive examinations—i.e. that of the female breast, female
pelvis, female and male rectum and male genitalia—is a challenging part of the
undergraduate curriculum. There are no studies to date detailing how national
and international medical schools teach all of these examinations. Purposes: This
research sought to document the teaching strategies used by national and international
medical schools regarding the sensitive examinations. Methods: The sensitive
examinations surveyed are the: 1) Female breast; 2) Female pelvis; 3) Male
genitalia; 4) Female and male rectum. The term "female sensitive examinations"
is used to refer to female breast and female pelvis examinations. This was a
questionnaire study, which polled national New Zealand medical schools as
well as international medical schools. Questions included: a) sensitive
examination teaching method; b) stress reduction strategies; c) perceived graduating
student confidence. Results: A total of 104 medical schools participated in
this survey in 2010. Artificial manikin usage was the most common technique
utilized for each sensitive examination (60% of all schools, 95% CI 55%-65%),
whether as the sole teaching method or in combination with other methods. The
next most common technique was teaching
associates (49% of schools, 95% CI 44%-54%). The female breast and
pelvis sensitive examinations used the teaching associate program more frequently
than the male genital examination and female and male rectal examination.
Regardless of teaching method, most schools believed their graduating students
were confident. Stress management teaching was used in most schools, in
conjunction with teaching associate sessions. Conclusion: Manikins were the
most commonly used teaching component of a teaching programme on sensitive
examinations. Irrespective of teaching method, most schools believed their
students were confident upon graduation.


The protection of individuals from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection with an envelope subunit derived from a single isolate will require the presentation of conserved epitopes in gp120. The objective of the studies presented here was to test whether a native recombinant gp120 (rgp120) immunogen would elicit responses to conserved neutralization epitopes that are not present in a denatured recombinant gp120 antigen from the same virus isolate. In a large study of 51 baboons, we have generated heterologous neutralizing activity with native, glycosylated rgp120SF2 but not with denatured, nonglycosylated env 2-3SF2. After repeated exposure to rgp120SF2 formulated with one of several adjuvants, virus isolates from the United States, the Caribbean, and Africa were neutralized. The timing of the immunization regimen and the choice of adjuvant affected the virus neutralization titers both quantitatively and qualitatively. These results suggest that vaccination with native, glycosylated rgp120 from a single virus isolate, HIV-SF2, may elicit a protective immune response effective against geographically and sequentially distinct HIV-1 isolates.


Mountains and trees have many similarities. In this way, Simorgh of Shahnameh shifts from the tree of Vispobish to Alborz Mountain. If Simorgh has spiritual existence in Avesta, a devilish side has been added to it in Shahnameh. In Avesta, it lives on a tree, but in Shahnameh we find him on Alborz Mountain. All the researches done on Shahnameh and Iranian mythology did not pay any attention to the reasons of this shifting. The writer of this research studies the elements of Mithraism such as the sun and water in connection with the stories of Shahnameh and the similarities between Alborz and the tree of Vispobish and the reasons caused Simorgh's shifting to Alborz Mountain.

Keywords: Myth, Avesta, Shahnameh, Simorgh, Alborz Mountain, Vispobish


Abstract 'Green rusts' are a group of reduced Fe hydroxides with a pyroaurite-like structure. In a new occurrence, green rust is present as a 45−60 mm thick band which lies just below the surface (~4 mm) of an ochreous deposit at an abandoned coal mine site. The sample is characterized by the presence of μm-sized hexagonal crystals which have been identified from SEM imaging. Chemical analyses reveal an Fe(II):Fe(III) ratio which is close to the characteristic 2:1 ratio, and XRD analysis identifies the material by characteristic lattice spacings. The green rust layer also contains aragonite which is not present in the surrounding ochre. Green rusts are important as they have the potential to be used in water treatment.


This paper is about the creation of a digital dialect database, and the focus is on automatic word segmentation. Automatic word segmentation has been studied by several research groups during the last two decades. However, the task we are faced with differs in several respects from previous ones. For instance, in our case we are dealing with recordings of interviews containing spontaneous dialect speech and 'enriched' (quasi-phonetic) orthographic transcriptions (instead of 'normal' orthographic transcriptions, which are usually available). Furthermore, the nature of the task requires that the word segmentation procedure can be adapted for each interview.


This paper presents an investigation into the use of a 2-dimensional laser scanner (LiDAR) to obtain measurements of wave processes in the inner surf and swash zones of a microtidal beach (Rousty, Camargue, France). The bed is extracted at the wave-by-wave timescale using a variance threshold method on the time series. Individual wave properties were then retrieved from a local extrema analysis. Finally, individual and averaged wave celerities are obtained using a crest-tracking method and cross-correlation technique, respectively, and compared with common wave celerity predictors. Very good agreement was found between the individual wave properties and the wave spectrum analysis, showing the great potential of the scanner to be used in the surf and swash zone for studies of nearshore waves at the wave-by-wave timescale.


Among the various methods used to assess calcium and phosphorus requirements, only the factorial method seems to be scientifically satisfactory. Used for the first time in the pig by the Agricultural Research Council in 1967, this method demands a good knowledge of net requirements (storage in weight gain and gestation products, secretion in milk, obligatory endogenous losses) and of the true absorption coefficient. New results, acquired during the last 15 years by the use of radioisotopes, now provide a more solid theoretical basis for the use of this method, even if such problems (recently discussed by Partridge, 1980) as defining some net requirements (maintenance, growth) and the significance of the intestinal absorption coefficient cannot be underestimated. Two recent attempts to reassess Ca and P requirements in pig have thus been reported by Mudd & Stranks (1979) and Gueguen & Perez (1979).


Overseas broadcasting during the Hungarian uprising indicated a new phase in the relationship between the media and the international events they report. Mapping the course of the uprising for Hungarian and global audiences alike, the western radios occupied multiple broadcast, diplomatic, and cultural terrains. The anti-communist rhetoric of their output allied to their perceived influence on listeners behind the Iron Curtain made the Hungarian uprising a cause célèbre of international broadcasting: one that revealed both the strategic significance of cold war radio as well as the limits of its use as a tactical weapon.


Short cycles of ventilation with anesthetic gases prior to or after prolonged cardiac ischemia, called anesthetic pre- or postconditioning, are known to reduce cardiac damage. The underlying mechanisms include the reperfusion injury salvage (RISK) pathway and involve recruitment of molecular signaling via caveolin (Cav) modulation. Postconditioning with helium (HePoc) mimics cardioprotective effects. In the present study using a rat model, we investigated whether (1) HePoc alters protein or mRNA expression of Cav-1 and -3 and (2) activation of RISK pathway and (3) autophagy associated proteins.
Heliox ventilation (70% He, 30% O2) was applied after 25 min of ischemia and tissue from ischemic area at risk (AAR), non-ischemic not area at risk (NAAR), and serum was obtained. Cell fractions of Sham, I/R, I/R+He treated animals were separated and investigated for changes of Cav-1 and Cav-3 protein levels and mRNA expression. Phosphorylation levels were measured to determine RISK pathway activation (Erk1/2, PI3K, PKCe and Akt). Protein levels of autophagy proteins Bcl-1 and sequestosome-1 were also measured.
HePoc lead to an increase of Cav-1 mRNA expression compared to I/R only and additionally elevated levels of Cav-1 (P<0.01) and Cav-3 (P<0.05) in the membrane fraction of ischemic myocardium (AAR). RISK pathway kinase Akt was activated more in AAR and NAAR tissue of the HePoc group (both P<0.05). Erk1/2 phosphorylation was higher in AAR (P<0.05) after HePoc. However in NAAR tissue of I/R and HePoc treated animals, pErk1/2 was lower compared to Sham (both P<0.001). PKCe and PI3K showed no significant changes in phosphorylation. Bcl-1 was significantly elevated in the mitochondrial fraction after HePoc in AAR (P<0.05) as well as NAAR (P<0.05), while sequestosome-1 levels showed no difference between groups.
We propose that HePoc induces cardioprotection through a network of signalling. Respective mediators may include caveolins, the RISK pathway and autophagic processes.


Abstract : The thunderstorm gust front is an important feature for both the maintenance and initiation of storms. Previous studies have shown that the thunderstorm outflow producing the gust front can be treated as an atmospheric density current to a good approximation. In this study, a new version of the density current speed equation, based on the surface pressure rise, is derived. This equation is shown to give much better results than other commonly used forms when applied to twenty previously reported gust front observations. A two-dimensional numerical model is used to investigate the dynamics of atmospheric density currents. Simulations with this model show the effects of the environmental wind relative to the storm and the wind shear on the propagation of the gust front and the depth of the thunderstorm outflow. The results of these simulations are discussed in terms of the conditions necessary for the gust front to remain in a position that is beneficial for the maintenance of the storm. Moist processes are included in the model and simulations are made to investigate atmospheric density current propagation through a moist atmosphere. The lifting that occurs during gust front passage is calculated and it is found that even when this lifting is sufficient to bring moist parcels above their level of free convection; deep convection is prohibited by other aspects of the circulation. The generation of an arc cloud by the gust front is found to result in a less intense and slower gust front compared to an outflow that did not produce an arc cloud. This result is interpreted in terms of the gust front speed equation based on the surface pressure rise. (Author)


As racial tensions ravage America's inner cities, Byron M. Roth argues that the time has come to reassess our public policies on race and rethink the flawed theories that underlie them. In this pathbreaking book, Roth examines the sources of racial conflict and attempts to discover why advances in civil rights for blacks over the past thirty years have not been accompanied by greater harmony between blacks and whites. Roth's central thesis is that America's policies on race have failed because they have been based on social science theories unsupported by sound evidence. He contends that many of the policies initiated in the 1960s were founded on the premise that discrimination was the greatest barrier to black advancement. This premise, Roth argues, no longer reflects reality, as white attitudes toward blacks have unproved and the black middle class has grown. According to Roth, social scientists have failed to communicate to the policy-making community that policies aimed at diminishing white racism can have only a negligible effect on the massive problems of the black underclass. "Prescription for Failure "touches on a wide range of issues, including the role of the media in perpetuating common misunderstandings about race, the reluctance of social scientists to report on controversial findings that might be construed as insensitive or racist, and the trend on university campuses toward self-segregation among minority students. Written hi a style accessible to the general reader, Roth's book poses a serious challenge to the status quo. It will be of significant interest to political scientists, policymakers, sociologists, and scholars interested hi the study of race.


The enrichment analysis of pre-defined gene sets is a widely used tool to extract functional information in association studies. However, traditional methods give biased results on genome-wide DNA methylation data due to the different number of probes in genes. In this article, we present MethylSet, a novel two-step procedure which combines gene based association analysis with logistic regression model for enrichment analysis to correct bias induced by gene size. The adjustment of gene size effect is crucial because irrelevant gene sets may be identified otherwise. Our simulation studies showed that MethylSet has a well-controlled type I error rate and promising statistical power. When applied to a real DNA methylation data set, MethylSet was able to obtain meaningful gene sets associated with the studied disease outcome.


Continuous media, such as digital movies, video clips, and music, are becoming an increasingly common way to convey information, entertain and educate people. However, limited system and network resources have delayed the widespread usage of continuous media. Most existing on-demand services are not scalable for a large content repository. In this paper, we propose a scalable and inexpensive video delivery scheme, named Scheduled Video Delivery (SVD). In the SVD scheme, users submit requests with a specified start time. Incentives are provided so that users will specify the start times that reflect their real needs. The SVD system combines requests to form the multicasting groups and schedules these groups to meet the deadline. SVD scheduling has a different objective from many existing scheduling schemes. Its focus has been shifted from minimizing the waiting time toward meeting deadlines and at the same time combining requests to form multicasting groups. SVD compliments most existing video delivery schemes as it can be combined with them. It requires much less resources than other schemes. Simulation study for the SVD performance and the comparison to other schemes are presented.


Monolignols are the building blocks for lignin polymerization in the apoplastic domain. Monolignol biosynthesis, transport, storage, glycosylation, and deglycosylation are the main biological processes partaking in their homeostasis. In Arabidopsis thaliana, members of the uridine diphosphate-dependent glucosyltransferases UGT72E and UGT72B subfamilies have been demonstrated to glycosylate monolignols. Here, the poplar UGT72 family, which is clustered into four groups, was characterized: Group 1 UGT72AZ1 and UGT72AZ2, homologs of Arabidopsis UGT72E1-3, as well as group 4 UGT72B37 and UGT72B39, homologs of Arabidopsis UGT72B1-3, glycosylate monolignols. In addition, promoter-GUS analyses indicated that poplar UGT72 members are expressed within vascular tissues. At the subcellular level, poplar UGT72s belonging to group 1 and group 4 were found to be associated with the nucleus and the endoplasmic reticulum. However, UGT72A2, belonging to group 2, was localized in bodies associated with chloroplasts, as well as possibly in chloroplasts. These results show a partial conservation of substrate recognition between Arabidopsis and poplar homologs, as well as divergent functions between different groups of the UGT72 family, for which the substrates remain unknown.