This paper continues our previous article devoted to quantifier elimination and the valuation property for the expansion of the real field by restricted quasianalytic functions. A basic tool developed there was the concept of active and non-active infinitesimals, whose study relied on transformation to normal crossings by blowing up, and the technique of special cubes and modifications, introduced in our earlier papers. However, the theorem on an active infinitesimal, being one of the crucial results, was proved not in full generality (covering, nevertheless, the classical case of analytic functions). The main purpose of this paper is to provide a proof of the general quasianalytic case and, consequently, to legitimize the results of our previous article. Also given is yet another approach to quantifier elimination and a description of definable functions by terms (in the language augmented by the names of rational powers), which is much shorter and more natural with regard to the techniques applied. Finally, we present some theorems on the rectilinearization of definable functions, which are counterparts of those from our paper about functions definable by a Weierstrass system.


Research on age‐related memory alterations traditionally targets individuals aged ≥65 years. However, recent studies emphasize the importance of early aging processes. We therefore aimed to characterize variation in brain gray matter structure in early midlife as a function of sex and menopausal status. Subjects included 94 women (33 premenopausal, 29 perimenopausal, and 32 postmenopausal) and 99 demographically comparable men from the New England Family Study. Subjects were scanned with a high‐resolution T1 sequence on a 3 T whole body scanner. Sex and reproductive‐dependent structural differences were evaluated using Box's M test and analysis of covariances (ANCOVAs) for gray matter volumes. Brain regions of interest included dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior parietal lobule (iPAR), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus (HIPP), and parahippocampus. While we observed expected significant sex differences in volume of hippocampus with women of all groups having higher volumes than men relative to cerebrum size, we also found significant differences in the covariance matrices of perimenopausal women compared with postmenopausal women. Associations between ACC and HIPP/iPAR/DLPFC were higher in postmenopausal women and correlated with better memory performance. Findings in this study underscore the importance of sex and reproductive status in early midlife for understanding memory function with aging.


ABSTRACT
 A series of experiments were conducted to determine the impact of Protaphorura fimata Gisin (Family: Onychiuridae) feeding on seeds and germinating seedlings of lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. (Asteraceae). First, various densities of P. fimata were incubated with 25 lettuce seeds for 7 d and feeding injury was evaluated in three soilless arena experiments. As a second step, 100 P. fimata were incubated with 25 lettuce seeds in three arena experiments with soil media. Finally, in a commercial field the incidence and impact of P. fimata on recently planted lettuce was assessed following applications of pyrethroid—insecticides: 2 d before planting, at planting, and 20 d later. In experiments without soil, the number of ungerminated seeds, feeding injury sites, and plants with injury were significantly greater in arenas with P. fimata than without. Similarly, the number of germinated seedlings, shoot fresh, and dry weights, and the length and width of fully opened-leaves were greater in arenas without than with P. fimata in assays with soil. In the field, P. fimata densities were significantly lower in beds that received insecticides at 2 d before and at planting than in untreated beds. Also, the fresh and dry weights of lettuce plants were significantly greater in the beds that received insecticide than in untreated. The results clearly show that P. fimata is a pest of lettuce and can cause severe feeding injury to germinating seeds or seedlings, thereby reducing their growth rate. The potential implications of P. fimata feeding and feeding injury characteristics are discussed.


The Preparative Chiral Separation with Crown ether based Chiral Stationary Phases was utilized for resolving racemic Vince Lactam  compound into the desired (-) Lactam and the undesired (+) Lactam. After the resolution of Vince Lactam, (+) Lactam was protected using Di-tert-butyl dicarbonate to form carbonate ester. This carbonate ester then reacts with amines to give tert-butyl (1S, 4R)-3-oxo-2-azabyclo [2.2.1] hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate. Further this protected Lactam is reduced with Sodium Borohydride, to form tert-butyl [(1S, 4R)-4-hydroxymethyl) cyclopent-2-en-1-yl]carbamate. This amide compound is further hydrolyzed to deprotect the (di-tert-butyl dicarbonate) BOC protected amino group using dilute hydrochloric acid to form an undesired isomer of amino alcohol compound - (1R, 4S)-4-Amino cyclopent-2-en-1-yl Methanol HCl. The reverse phase Enantioselective High Performance Liquid Chrsomatography method was developed for the separation of (1R, 4S)-4-Aminocyclopent-2-en-1-yl Methanol HCl and desired isomer (1S,4R) -4-Aminocyclopent-2-en-1-yl Methanol HCl, a key raw material used in the manufacturing processes of Abacavir Sulphate. The enantiomers of 4-Aminocyclopent-2-en-1-yl Methanol were resolved on Daicel Crown pack (+) (15cm x 4.0mm, 5µ) column using a mobile phase 50mM Sodium Perchlorate and pH of the solution was adjusted to 2.0 with perchloric acid. The resolution between the enantiomers was found to be more than 2.0.The method was validated as per International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) guidelines in terms of Limit of detection (LOD), Limit of quantitation (LOQ), linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity, robustness and solution stability. The LOD and LOQ values were found to be 0.6µg/ml and 2.0µg/ml, respectively for 2.5µL injection volume. The sample concentration injected was 5mg/ml. The method is linear within the range of 2.0-7.5µg/ml for (1R, 4S) Isomer.


NoSQL solutions become emerging for large scaled, high performance, schema-flexible applications. WiredTiger is cost effective, non-locking, no-overwrite storage used as default storage engine in MongoDB. Understanding I/O characteristics of storage engine is important not only for choosing suitable solution with an application but also opening opportunities for researchers optimizing current working system, especially building more flash-awareness NoSQL DBMS. This paper explores background of MongoDB internals then analyze I/O characteristics of WiredTiger storage engine in detail. We also exploit space management mechanism in WiredTiger by using TRIM command.


Thermal barrier coatings are commonly used in high temperature parts of gas turbines, to protect the underlying metal substrate from deterioration during high temperature exposure. Unfortunately, the coatings fail prematurely, preventing the design engineers to fully utilize their implementation. Due to the complexity of the coatings, there are many challenges involved with developing failure hypotheses for the failures. This paper reviews some aspects of the current stateof-the-art on modeling failures of thermal barrier coatings, focusing on mechanics based models (such as finite element simulations) where the material physics is incorporated (such as oxidation and diffusion).


Introduction: Oral cavity cancer is the most common cancer in our country. In patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) elective neck dissection results in higher rates of overall survival and disease-free survival. Nodal metastasis in OCSCC is related to poor prognosis. Elective ipsilateral node dissection is recommended in all patients. Contralateral nodal metastasis is associated with poorer prognosis. The purpose of our study is to identify the predictors and factors associated with bilateral or contralateral nodal metastasis in oral cavity cancers reaching or crossing the midline. Materials and Methods: All patients of oral cavity cancer where the primary cancer was reaching or crossing the midline, operated during 3 years in a single institute were taken up for the study. All patients underwent surgery of primary cancer and bilateral neck dissection. Patients with truly lateral disease not approaching midline, history of any previous oncologic treatment, and recurrent cancers, and patients with two or more primaries were excluded from the study. Results: Out of 93 patients, 43% of the buccal mucosa – gingivobuccal sulcus region and 57% of the tongue – floor of mouth region. Out of 46 patients having nodal metastasis (50%), 26.8% of patients had bilateral nodal metastasis, but none had isolated contralateral nodal metastasis. On univariate and bivariate analysis, we found tumor grade, stage, site of ENE, and presence of multiple ipsilateral positive nodes were significant factors predicting contralateral nodal metastasis. Conclusion: Surgical management of the contralateral neck in oral cavity cancer is a complex issue. The simplistic approach of doing contralateral neck dissection in all oral cavity cancers when disease crosses midline is not sufficient. The presence of contralateral neck node metastasis in the absence of positive ipsilateral neck is very rare (0% in our study). There are other important clinic radiological factors such as DOI >10 mm, involvement of skin and bone, and presence of extranodal extension and location of primary tumor which also need to be considered in decision-making algorithm.


Sovereign Wealth Funds objectives can be classified as either demand stabilisation, supply side strengthening, or wealth conservation. These objectives cannot only be explained by domestic development needs, they also show different profiles of market development and political legitimacy risks. Specifically, we find that supply side strengtheners are on average exposed to both legitimacy and market development risks. Demand stabilisers carry only market development risks. Wealth conservation funds have the least exposure to either risk.


OBJECTIVE
To report recovery of ambulation of dogs treated with extended thoracolumbar durotomy for severe spinal cord injury caused by intervertebral disc herniation.

STUDY DESIGN
Descriptive cohort.

ANIMALS
Twenty-six consecutive paraplegic dogs presented with loss of deep pain sensation after acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation.

METHODS
Each dog underwent routine diagnostic assessment and surgery for removal of extradural herniated intervertebral disc, followed by a four-vertebral body length durotomy centered on the herniated disc. Each dog was followed up until it was able to walk 10 steps without assistance or until 6 months after surgery.

RESULTS
Sixteen of 26 dogs recovered to walk unaided (all but one also recovered fecal and urinary continence), and six dogs did not; four dogs were lost to follow-up. One dog was euthanized because of signs consistent with progressive myelomalacia. There was no evidence of detrimental effects of durotomy within the period of study. Using Bayesian analysis, we found a point estimate of successful outcome of 71% with 95% credible interval from 52% to 87%.

CONCLUSION
Extended durotomy seemed to improve the outcome of dogs in our case series without increase in morbidity.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Extended durotomy appears safe and may improve the outcome of dogs with severe thoracolumbar mixed contusion and compressive injuries associated with acute intervertebral disc extrusion.


CONTEXT
Vimentin is a mesenchymal marker, known to express in some epithelial carcinomas.

AIMS
1. To find out the expression of vimentin in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of breast (not otherwise specified), 2. To find out the correlation between expression of vimentin and prognostic markers such as tumor size, tumor grade, lymph node status, proliferation index (measured by Ki 67), and Nottingham prognostic index (NPI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study was done at Department of Pathology; 50 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (NOS) were studied for tumor grade; immunohistochemistry was done using antibodies against vimentin and Ki 67. Percentages of positive cells were documented. An immunoscore was also calculated for vimentin. Vimentin expression was correlated with tumor size, lymph node status, Nottingham prognostic index, and Ki 67.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED
statistical correlation was done using Pearson's chi-square test. A P value less than 0.01 was considered significant.

RESULTS
Vimentin expression was seen in 18% of cases. Its expression correlated with high tumor grade and high growth fraction (P value < 0.01). It did not correlate with lymph node status, tumor size, and NPI.

CONCLUSIONS
Increased vimentin expression is associated with bad prognostic factors. Immunohistochemistry with vimentin may be helpful in knowing the prognosis in cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of breast (NOS).


In the light of the poor state of peer review ethics and etiquette, the editors of the Journal of Markets & Morality conceived the idea for this peer-review primer. In the course of research, we have also reevaluated and reaffirmed our policy of double-blind peer review for reasons to be detailed herein. Additionally, certain structural issues enable and can even encourage the poor etiquette in question as well as other issues of quality that have come to our attention. In light of all this, we have added a few procedures with the hope of achieving higher quality reviews, streamlining the review process for everyone involved, and discharging our editorial responsibility with regard to maintaining a cordial and professional academic environment. Dylan Pahman, "Editorial: A Primer for Peer Review," Journal of Markets & Morality 17, no. 1 (2014): 1-7. Click here to discuss this editorial on Journaltalk.


Crowdsourced demarcations of object boundaries in images (segmentations) are important for many vision-based applications. A commonly reported challenge is that a large percentage of crowd results are discarded due to concerns about quality. We conducted three studies to examine (1) how does the quality of crowdsourced segmentations differ for familiar everyday images versus unfamiliar biomedical images?, (2) how does making familiar images less recognizable (rotating images upside down) influence crowd work with respect to the quality of results, segmentation time, and segmentation detail?, and (3) how does crowd workers' judgments of the ambiguity of the segmentation task, collected by voting, differ for familiar everyday images and unfamiliar biomedical images? We analyzed a total of 2,525 segmentations collected from 121 crowd workers and 1,850 votes from 55 crowd workers. Our results illustrate the potential benefit of explicitly accounting for human familiarity with the data when designing computer interfaces for human interaction.


Environmental pollutants generate harmful conditions for living organisms, including humans. This accounts for the growing interest to early warning tools for detection of adverse biological responses to pollutants in both humans and wildlife. Molecular and cellular biomarkers of pollution meet this requirement. A pollution biomarker is defined as an alteration in a biological response occurring at molecular, cellular or physiological levels which can be related to exposure to or toxic effects of environmental chemicals.Pollution biomarkers have known a growing development in human and environmental biomonitoring representing a valuable tool for early pollutant exposure detection or early effect assessment (exposure/effect biomarkers).The review discusses the recent developments in the use of pollution biomarker in human and environmental biomonitoring and analyzes future perspectives in the application of this tool such as their potentiality for bridging human and environmental issued studies.


Abstract Background and Aims The human gastrointestinal tract harbours distinct microbial communities essential for health. Little is known about small intestinal communities, despite the small intestine playing a fundamental role in nutrient absorption and host-microbe immune homeostasis. We aimed to explore the small intestine microbial composition and metabolic potential, in the context of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. Methods Metagenomes derived from faecal samples and extensive phenotypes were collected from 57 individuals with an ileostomy or ileoanal pouch, and compared with 1178 general population and 478 IBD faecal metagenomes. Microbiome features were identified using MetaPhAn2 and HUMAnN2, and association analyses were performed using multivariate linear regression. Results Small intestinal samples had a significantly lower bacterial diversity, compared with the general population and, to a lesser extent, IBD samples. Comparing bacterial composition, small intestinal samples clustered furthest from general population samples and closest to IBD samples with intestinal resections. Veillonella atypica, Streptococcus salivarius, and Actinomyces graevenitzii were among the species significantly enriched in the small intestine. Predicted metabolic pathways in the small intestine are predominantly involved in simple carbohydrate and energy metabolism, but also suggest a higher pro-inflammatory potential. Conclusions We described the bacterial composition and metabolic potential of the small intestinal microbiota. The colonic microbiome of IBD patients, particularly with intestinal resections, showed resemblance to that of the small intestine. Moreover, several features characterising the small intestinal microbiome have been previously associated with IBD. These results highlight the importance of studying the small intestinal microbiota to gain new insight into disease pathogenesis.


Abstract. Recent years have shown a continuing interest in studies of the mesosphere-lower thermosphere region at low latitudes, with more than 50 papers dealing specifically with this area published over the past 5 years. Experimental ground-based work has been carried out mainly in South America and the Caribbean, India and the Pacific areas. Subjects of interest include gravity waves, tides and planetary waves, the temperature structure of the mesopause region, with special reference to temperature inversions and the two-level mesopause, sporadic neutral layers and their relationship with ionized layers, the possible effects of the micrometeoroid influx, and long-term trends in the MLT region. Experimental techniques in use include MF, MST and meteor radar, lidar, airglow (including satellite-borne limb-scanning measurements) and rocket-borne instruments. Airglow imaging has shown itself to be a particularly useful technique, mainly for studying gravity wave propagation in the MLT region. This paper will present highlights of recent work and will discuss some of the problems which remain to be resolved.


In this paper we examine how the complex relationship between consumption and production evolves in empty nest households as individuals reconstruct their sense of self during periods of major household change and role status transitions. Specifically, we seek to understand the "lived experience" of mothers as they negotiate the role status transition on entering the empty nest stage of family life, and thus to provide glimpses of how women manage production and consumption in order to create family life across a variety of diffused sites as their children move away from home. The main themes to emerge from the data are: the distress associated with this role status transition as women re‐evaluate their definition of the self and their mothering role; and the evolving role of enacting love and mothering as the emphasis changes, in many cases, from production‐led tasks to consumption‐based activities.


Solutions to scalar theories with derivative self-couplings often have regions where non-linearities are important. Given a classical source, there is usually a region, demarcated by the Vainshtein radius, inside of which the classical non-linearities are dominant, while quantum effects are still negligible. If perturbation theory is used to find such solutions, the expansion generally breaks down as the Vainshtein radius is approached from the outside. Here we show that it is possible, by integrating in certain auxiliary fields, to reformulate these theories in such a way that non-linearities become small inside the Vainshtein radius, and large outside it. This provides a complementary, or classically dual, description of the same theory -- one in which non-perturbative regions become accessible perturbatively. We consider a few examples of classical solutions with various symmetries, and find that in all the cases the dual formulation makes it rather simple to study regimes in which the original perturbation theory fails to work. As an illustration, we reproduce by perturbative calculations some of the already known non-perturbative results, for a point-like source, cosmic string, and domain wall, and derive a new one. The dual formulation may be useful for developing the PPN formalism in the theories of modified gravity that give rise to such scalar theories.


Lung transplantation has grown considerably in recent years and its availability has spread to an expanding number of countries worldwide. Importantly, survival has also steadily improved, making this an increasingly viable procedure for patients with end-stage lung disease and limited life expectancy. In this first of a series of articles, recipient selection and type of transplant operation are reviewed. Pulmonary fibrotic disorders are now the most indication in the U.S., followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Transplant centers have liberalized criteria to include older and more critically ill candidates. A careful, systematic, multi-disciplinary selection process is critical in identifying potential barriers that may increase risk and optimize long-term outcomes.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the effect of tear supplementation with preservative free 0.15% zinc-hyaluronate on ocular surface sensations and corneal sensitivity in dry eye patients.

METHODS
Ocular surface sensations were assessed using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire and by recording ocular sensations during forced blinking in parallel with noninvasive tear film breakup time measurement in 20 eyes of 20 dry eye patients. Corneal sensitivity thresholds to selective stimulation of corneal mechano-, thermal- and chemical receptors were measured using the Belmonte gas esthesiometer. All baseline measurements were repeated after 1 month of treatment with 0.15% zinc-hyaluronate.

RESULTS
After 1 month, a significant decrease in mean OSDI score (from 35.66 ± 12.36 to 15.03 ± 11.22; P < 0.001) and a significant improvement in tear film breakup time (from 3.83 ± 0.80 to 8.67 ± 4.50 s; P < 0.001) was observed compared to baseline. Sensory responses during the interblink period also significantly decreased after 1 month (P < 0.004). Corneal sensitivity thresholds to mechanical stimulation (90.61 ± 20.35 vs. 103.92 ± 17.97 mL/min; P < 0.025) and chemical stimulation (33.21 ± 0.51 vs. 33.58% ± 0.44% CO2; P < 0.025) significantly increased after 1 month, however sensitivity thresholds to thermal stimulation remained unchanged compared to baseline (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Prolonged use of 0.15% zinc-hyaluronate results in an improvement of tear film stability and a decrease of dry eye complaints. The decrease in corneal mechano-and polymodal receptor excitability suggests that zinc-hyaluronate helps to recover normal corneal sensitivity, and thus might have a beneficial additional effect on reducing ocular surface complaints in dry eye patients.


Shape memory alloy (SMA) reinforced composites have been widely used in aerospace engineering fields. In this paper, four basic assumptions were presented to simply the research model based on the Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method and Mori-Tanaka scheme. Based on the three-phase equivalent system and two-step equivalent process, the effective elastic modulus and thermal expansion coefficient of unidirectional random distribution short SMA fiber reinforced composites were derived. The tensile mechanical properties of composites with fiber volume fraction (15%), size (L=3, D=1; L=5, D=1), and number (N= 30, 50), were simulated using software ANSYS12.0, and discussed the failure mode of the composites.


Anti-cancer activity can be improved by engineering immune cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that recognize tumor-associated antigens. Retroviral vector gene transfer strategies allow stable and durable transgene expression. Here, we used alpharetroviral vectors to modify NK-92 cells, a natural killer cell line, with a third-generation CAR designed to target the IL-3 receptor subunit alpha (CD123), which is strongly expressed on the surface of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Alpharetroviral vectors also contained a transgene cassette to allow constitutive expression of human IL-15 for increased NK cell persistence in vivo. The anti-AML activity of CAR-NK-92 cells was tested via in vitro cytotoxicity assays with the CD123+ AML cell line KG-1a and in vivo in a patient-derived xenotransplantation CD123+ AML model. Unmodified NK-92 cells or NK-92 cells modified with a truncated version of the CAR that lacked the signaling domain served as controls. Alpharetroviral vector-modified NK-92 cells stably expressed the transgenes and secreted IL-15. Anti-CD123-CAR-NK-92 cells exhibited enhanced anti-AML activity in vitro and in vivo as compared to control NK-92 cells. Our data (1) shows the importance of IL-15 expression for in vivo persistence of NK-92 cells, (2) supports continued investigation of anti-CD123-CAR-NK cells to target AML, and (3) points towards potential strategies to further improve CAR-NK anti-AML activity.


ABSTRACT This study was carried out to deduce the prevalence of Chlamydia infection amongst infertile women attending fertility clinics in Benin City, Nigeria. Fifty infertile women with either primary or secondary infertility and with their ages ranging from 24 to 51 years were enrolled for this study. The serum of each patient was screened for Chlamydia antibodies with the enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) index of 0.90 or less was reported as seronegative for IgG antibody, while IgG index of 1.00 or greater were positive for IgG antibody. Findings in the present study revealed that 24 % to 52 % of the patients that attend the fertility clinics in Benin City, Nigeria were most likely to be infected with Chlamydia; with the primary infertile patients accounting for 32 % of the cases and secondary infertile patients for 68 % of the cases. Prevalence of Chlamydia infection was also found to be quite high amongst women aged between 36 and 40 years old. Since lack of symptoms often makes the clinical diagnosis of Chlamydia infection somewhat difficult, thus increasing the prevalence of this disease; routine screening is recommended to enable early therapeutic interventions of positive cases.


To investigate the unique interrelation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in living systems, it is necessary to construct novel molecular tools that could detect RNA and SO2 in living cancer cells and animals. Herein, we have constructed a unique fluorescent probe, EPI-RS, for imaging RNA and SO2 with distinct fluorescence signals in living systems. This type of probe shows a series of advantages, such as high photostability, large Stokes shift, high selectivity and sensitivity in a pure water system. In light of these advantages, the probe EPI-RS was employed to image RNA and SO2 by "turn on" and "turn off" fluorescence signals in living cells, tissues, zebrafish and mice. Interestingly, the probe EPI-RS exhibits different in vivo imaging properties in normal and tumor cells.


A magnetotactic bacterium, designated strain MV-1(T), was isolated from sulfide-rich sediments in a salt marsh near Boston, MA, USA. Cells of strain MV-1(T) were Gram-negative, and vibrioid to helicoid in morphology. Cells were motile by means of a single polar flagellum. The cells appeared to display a transitional state between axial and polar magnetotaxis: cells swam in both directions, but generally had longer excursions in one direction than the other. Cells possessed a single chain of magnetosomes containing truncated hexaoctahedral crystals of magnetite, positioned along the long axis of the cell. Strain MV-1(T) was a microaerophile that was also capable of anaerobic growth on some nitrogen oxides. Salinities greater than 10 % seawater were required for growth. Strain MV-1(T) exhibited chemolithoautotrophic growth on thiosulfate and sulfide with oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor (microaerobic growth) and on thiosulfate using nitrous oxide (N2O) as the terminal electron acceptor (anaerobic growth). Chemo-organoautotrophic and methylotrophic growth was supported by formate under microaerobic conditions. Autotrophic growth occurred via the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. Chemo-organoheterotrophic growth was supported by various organic acids and amino acids, under microaerobic and anaerobic conditions. Optimal growth occurred at pH 7.0 and 26-28 °C. The genome of strain MV-1(T) consisted of a single, circular chromosome, about 3.7 Mb in size, with a G+C content of 52.9-53.5 mol%.Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain MV-1(T) belongs to the family Rhodospirillaceae within the Alphaproteobacteria, but is not closely related to the genus Magnetospirillum. The name Magnetovibrio blakemorei gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for strain MV-1(T). The type strain of Magnetovibrio blakemorei is MV-1(T) ( = ATCC BAA-1436(T)  = DSM 18854(T)).


We examine natural expectations on communication performance using MPI derived datatypes in comparison to the baseline, "raw" performance of communicating simple, non-contiguous data layouts. We show that common MPI libraries sometimes violate these datatype performance expectations, and discuss reasons why this happens, but also show cases where MPI libraries perform well. Our findings are in many ways surprising and disappointing. First, the performance of derived datatypes is sometimes worse than the semantically equivalent packing and unpacking using the corresponding MPI functionality. Second, the communication performance equivalence stated in the MPI standard between a single contiguous datatype and the repetition of its constituent datatype does not hold universally. Third, the heuristics that are typically employed by MPI libraries at type-commit time are insufficient to enforce natural performance guidelines, and better type normalization heuristics may have a significant performance impact. We show cases where all the MPI type constructors are necessary to achieve the expected performance for certain data layouts. We describe our benchmarking approach to verify the datatype performance guidelines, and present extensive verification results for different MPI libraries.


Solid liquid separation is a very important operation in uranium ore processing. Once leaching has been completed, it is necessary to separate the pregnant liquor from the solid residue and to wash these residues for recovering the remaining dissolved uranium. Filtration or counter current decantation or a combination of the two processes is generally used. The main factors that influence the selection of methods for solid liquid separation are grade of ore, filterability and settling characteristic of the leached pulp. Detailed parametric optimization studies were carried out to elucidate the ideal conditions for filtration of a uranium hosted limestone ore from Karnataka. Present paper discusses the results of studies that encompass screening of flocculant, role of temperature, kinetics of filtration and effect of different flocculant on other filtration parameters.


Global Justice and Social Conflict offers a ground-breaking historical and theoretical reappraisal of the ideas that underpin and sustain the global liberal order, international law and neoliberal rationality.

Across the 20th and 21st centuries, liberalism, and increasingly neoliberalism, have dominated the construction and shape of the global political order, the global economy and international law. For some, this development has been directed by a vision of 'global justice'. Yet, for many, the world has been marked by a history and continued experience of injustice, inequality, indignity, insecurity, poverty and war – a reality in which attempts to realise an idea of justice cannot be detached from acts of violence and widespread social conflict. In this book Tarik Kochi argues that to think seriously about global justice we need to understand how both liberalism and neoliberalism have pushed aside rival ideas of social and economic justice in the name of private property, individualistic rights, state security and capitalist 'free' markets. Ranging from ancient concepts of natural law and republican constitutionalism, to early modern ideas of natural rights and political economy, and to contemporary discourses of human rights, humanitarian war and global constitutionalism, Kochi shows how the key foundational elements of a now globalised political, economic and juridical tradition are constituted and continually beset by struggles over what counts as justice and over how to realise it. Engaging with a wide range of thinkers and reaching provocatively across a breadth of subject areas, Kochi investigates the roots of many globalised struggles over justice, human rights, democracy and equality, and offers an alternative constitutional understanding of the future of emancipatory politics and international law.

Global Justice and Social Conflict will be essential reading for scholars and students with an interest in international law, international relations, international political economy, intellectual history, and critical and political theory.


A distributed flexible strip-type soil moisture sensing and detection system based on the principle of parallel transmission line distribution parameter measurement is introduced. The changes of soil moisture in some regions will cause the changes of distribution impedance in the strip-type flexible strip-type parallel transmission line which buried in the soil, when a high-speed pulse signal transmit through the transmission line, and the changes of distribution impedance lead to a reflected signal of the pulse in time domain. The soil moisture around the transmission line can be measured by studying the reflected signal. The results of experiments shows, the distributed soil moisture measurement system is able to measure the soil moisture changes of any regions around the long-distance transmission lines. Through this transmission line sensor, it can realize the monitoring work of the soil moisture changes and gradient of changes on different layers or different regions, and the system is quite suitable for the early warning of geological disasters and agricultural scientific production applications.


Treatment response in asthmatic children Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways and the most common chronic disease among children. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of persistent asthma treatment and are thought to function due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, β2-adrenergic receptor agonists (short- or long-acting) are used to relieve asthma symptoms. Although asthma treatment is effective in many patients, there is large variability in the level of symptom control and lung function improvement. Furthermore, a small group of patients continues to suffer from severe exacerbations, or long-term uncontrolled asthma symptoms, despite asthma maintenance treatment. The thesis of Susanne Vijverberg describes research on the biological profile underlying asthma treatment outcomes in children. Research methodologies from the fields of pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacogenetics, immunology and breath metabolomics were applied to study asthma treatment response. Most studies have been performed in the context of the PACMAN cohort study, a Dutch pharmacy-based cohort study of children with a reported use of asthma medication. Main findings of this thesis The research in this thesis shows that various genetic loci influence the risk of severe exacerbations or poor symptom control in children with a reported use of asthma medication. Variation in the gene ST13 and in a DNA region called the 17q21 locus, were found to be associated with an increased risk of severe exacerbations despite ICS use. Variation in another gene, ADRB2, was found to be associated with a poorer response to long-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonists. Especially this genetic marker seems to have a large effect on treatment response. Furthermore, the research shows that the pre-activation of granulocytes in the peripheral blood did not relate to asthma symptoms or lung function. Airway inflammation is one of the main pathological characteristics of asthma. Inflamed tissue releases chemo-attractants and cytokines which recruit activated immune cells, such as granulocytes, from the peripheral blood. It was hypothesized that the level of pre-activated granulocytes in peripheral blood would be different in children with uncontrolled asthma symptoms compared to children with controlled symptoms. However, no differences were found. Additionally, preliminary data in this thesis shows that breath analysis might be promising tool to identify distinct asthma phenotypes in a non-invasive manner. The measurement of a combination of exhaled inflammatory markers is more accurate in capturing the different aspects of asthma control than the measurement of one single exhaled inflammatory marker. Recommendations In the near future, clinically applicable algorithms incorporating genetic and inflammatory markers may help to diagnose and stratify treatment. The first steps towards this personalised treatment involve the identification and validation of potential biomarkers. A multi-dimensional biomarker approach (the assessment of a multitude of biomarkers), rather than a single biomarker-approach should be applied to characterize the different asthma phenotypes. In addition, there is a need for international collaboration to exchange knowledge, obtain larger study populations and validate biomarkers. Lastly, large randomised controlled trials are necessary to evaluate the clinical value of ADRB2-guided treatment in asthmatic children in comparison to current clinical practises.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of pin hole size and number on the breaking strength of the adult equine radius when loaded in torsion to failure.

SAMPLE POPULATION
54 pairs of equine radii from adult horses.

PROCEDURE
For test one, 12 pairs of radii were used to determine the effect of pin hole size on torsional breaking strength. A 6.35-mm hole was drilled in 1 radius, and a 9.5-mm hole was drilled in the contralateral radius. For test two, 36 pairs of radii were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups (n = 12) to determine the effect of pin hole number on the torsional breaking strength of the equine radius. One radius of each pair served as a control, and one, three, or six 6.35-mm transcortical holes were drilled in the contralateral radius. For test three, 6 pairs of radii had torsional forces applied directly to the transfixation pins, as opposed to the bone itself. One radius of a pair served as a control, and three 6.35-mm smooth Steinman pins were placed in the contralateral radius. All radii were loaded in torsion to failure, and the breaking strengths were recorded.

RESULTS
Compared with the 6.35-mm hole, the 9.5-mm hole significantly decreased torsional strength of the radius. There was no significant difference in mean torsional strength between the control radii and the radii with 1, 3, or 6 transcortical holes or when the transfixation pins were loaded.

CONCLUSION
Use of up to three 6.35-mm transfixation pins can be used in a full-limb transfixation pin cast to optimize stiffness without a significant decrease (12%) in bone strength.


165 Atlas-Augmented Ultrasound Guidance of Lumbar Epidural Needle Insertions Abstract Type: Original Research Abtin Rasoulian, M.Ss. 1; Allaudin Kamani, M.D.2; Purang Abolmaesumi, Ph.D.1; Robert Rohling, Ph.D.1 University of British Columbia1; British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre2Type: Original Research Abtin Rasoulian, M.Ss. 1; Allaudin Kamani, M.D.2; Purang Abolmaesumi, Ph.D.1; Robert Rohling, Ph.D.1 University of British Columbia1; British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre2 Background: There is increasing interest in ultrasound to guide epidural needle insertions. The interpretation of ultrasound can be difficult because of the presence of imaging artifacts and complexity of the ultrasound echoes from the spinal anatomy. In other image guided surgical interventions, pre-operative imaging, such as computed tomography, is available so that the fusion of pre-operative imaging with intra-operative ultrasound can aid ultrasound interpretation and guidance. For obstetric epidural anesthesia, only ultrasound imaging is normally available. The development of statistical computer-based anatomical atlases has the potential to provide the context for image interpretation. Methods: We propose to augment 3D ultrasound images with a registered patient-specific atlas of the vertebrae. We instantiate and register the atlas to a spine surface extracted from the ultrasound images. Validation is performed on ultrasound data collected from tissue mimicking patient-specific phantoms of vertebrae L1 to L3 (n=3) and 3D ultrasound captured from single lumbar vertebrae of human subjects (n=3). The ultrasound images are captured in the transverse plane with the spinous processes centered in the image. 100 registrations were performed per vertebrae. Results: The average alignment error achieved for individual vertebrae of the spine phantoms is 3.50 mm. Registration was successful in 74% of cases. The average distance error achieved for three human subjects is 3.27 mm. Registration was successful in 77% of cases. Conclusions: The ultimate aim is to provide a guidance system that can guide the selection of an appropriate puncture site, trajectory of the needle towards the epidural space, and depth of needle insertion. This is particularly important in training, and is meant to augment the traditional loss of resistance technique.


The intrinsic dynamics of two interacting electric polarized nanorods is theoretically investigated. The relative motion between them caused by electric dipole–dipole interaction is derived based on the generalized Lagrangian formulation. The results show that the relative translation and rotation are nonlinear and closely dependent on the initial configuration of the two nanorods. Furthermore, the general conditions of the initial configuration, which determine the two nanorods to repel or attract each other at the initial time, are obtained. The two-dimensional relative motion of the two nanorods shows that the antiparallel and head-to-tail ordering stable self-assembly are respectively formed in two planar initial configurations. For different three-dimensional initial configurations, the interesting dynamic relative attraction, repulsion, and oscillation with rotation are respectively realized. Finally, the theoretical schemes which realize the relaxing, direct head-to-tail ordering, and direct antiparallel ordering stable self-assembly are presented according to the different modes of the motion of the nanoparticles. Some of our results agree well with the results of experiments and simulations.


1. Concentrations of hair sensilla have been noted by a number of authors in the joints of the insect body and limbs. 2. Special groups of such sensilla in the form of "hair plates" are described from three positions on the legs of Periplaneta americana . 3. The hairs of the hair plates are mechanical sense organs with a slow rate of adaptation. 4. In life the hairs are excited by a fold of the intersegmental membrane, the excitation varying with the position of the joint. 5. It is suggested that these and similar structures in other parts of the bodies of insects act as "position" sense organs.


Small, high resolution touchscreens open new possibilities for wearable and embedded applications, but are a mismatch for interactions requiring appreciable movement on the screen surface. For example, multi-touch or large-scroll zooming actions su er from occlusion and di culties in accessing or resolving large zoom ranges or selecting small targets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies have the potential to combine many capabilities, e.g., touchand proximity-sensitivity, exibility and transparency. A current challenge is to develop interaction techniques that can exploit the capabilities of these new materials to solve interaction challenges presented by trends such as miniaturization and wearability such as tiny screens that only one nger of one hand can t on. To this end, Zed-zooming exploits the capabilities of emerging near-proximity sensors to address these problems, by mapping nger height above a control surface to image size. The EZ-Zoom technique adds the pseudohaptic illusion of an elastic nger-screen connection, by exploiting non-linear scaling functions to provide a usage metaphor. In a two-part user study, we compared EZ-Zoom to touchscreen standard pinch-to-zoom on smartphone and smartwatch screens, and found (a) a signi cant improvement in task time and preference for the smallest screen (equivalent task time for the smartphone); and (b) that the illusion improved users' reported sense of control, provided cues about the interaction's spatial extent and dynamics, and made the interaction more natural. From our experience with the study, we conclude requirements for the development of proximity sensors in order to a ord such interactions. Our work goes on to re ect on how zed-zooming can be incorporated into seamless interaction tasks. We aim to identify some characteristics of a zooming interaction that would need to be considered when designing a complete one, and explore how these characteristics play into a complete and usable zooming interaction.


We used standard microelectrode techniques to observe the time course of the appearance and disappearance of the cellular electrophysiologic effects of antiarrhythmic drugs during drug infusion and after washout. The slopes of phases 0 (Vmax), 2(V2) and 3(V3) of the action potential of canine Purkinje fibers were followed during 30 min of infusion of quinidine (0.2 - 1 x 10(-5) M), disopyramide (1 x 10(-5) M) or lidocaine (1 x 10(-5) M) and then during 60 min of washout with drug-free Tyrode's solution. All three drugs significantly reduced V3 and increased V2; quinidine and disopyramide also significantly reduced Vmax. The onset of the effects of quinidine and disopyramide on Vmax, V2 and V3 occurred at similar rates. Both the onset and disappearance of the effects of lidocaine were more rapid than those of quinidine and disopyramide. This may have been related to the greater lipid solubility of lidocaine with a heptane: water partition coefficient of 0.85 for lidocaine compared with 0.16 for disopyramide and 0.06 for quinidine. The effects of quinidine (1 x 10(-5) M) on V3 reversed much more slowly upon washout (T1/257 +/- 12 min, mean +/- S.E.) than the effects of quinidine on Vmax (T1/218 +/- 3 min, P less than .01) and V2 (T1/215 +/- 3 min, P less than .01). Concentration-response data showed that the time course of washout of the effects of quinidine was independent of drug concentration. These data suggest that rapidity of antiarrhythmic drug action is related to lipophilicity and that the effect of quinidine on V3 is due to action at a different cellular site from its effects on Vmax and V2.


Alternate bearing is a significant economic problem adversely affecting the producers, consumers, and economy of a country. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the physiological role of free polyamines (PAs) in fruit bud abscission of the Uzun pistachio variety, which has a strong alternate bearing tendency. The identification and quantification of PAs, such as putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), at different physiological stages and in different organs, were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography. Putrescine was the major PA in all the organs of pistachio trees. Furthermore, the concentrations of Put and Spd in the leaves and shoots sharply declined and reached the minimal levels during the fruit bud abscission period (June), and then increased during the period of kernel development. The concentration of Put and Spd in the panicles increased gradually until the beginning of kernel growth and then decreased until harvest. The concentration of Spm exhibited a negative correlation between shoots and leaves, especially in the 'On-year' trees. There was a significant decrease in PAs in the leaves during the period of bud abscission in the 'Off-year' trees. In the 'On-year' trees, the concentration of PAs exhibited a negative correlation with the panicles, especially when the concentration of Put and Spd increased during the kernel development period, and then decreased. The concentration of PAs in the panicles of the `On-year? trees was higher than that in the nuts, and it exhibited a negative correlation with that in the nuts. The results suggest that PAs might lead to physiological changes during the growth and development stages of pistachios, and a strong relationship was observed.


This paper investigates the way decisions are taken in Tunisian public higher education establishments. We focus our review on the ubiquitous but not well understood concept of "university governance" Despite the presence of a large body of literature about governance in higher education, the lack of empirical research led us to think that it would be important to "perationalize" the concept of "university governance" in an empirical survey. To do this, we tried to identify the factors which may increase or decrease, in a significant way, the odds that the decision-making process relates to a precise domain (pedagogic, scientific, institutional management or academic personnel), and that this process follows the characteristics of four decision-making models in current use: collegial, political, bureaucratic or anarchical model.


Digital technologies produce vast amounts of unstructured data that can be stored and accessed by traditional banks and fintech companies. We employ deep learning and several other techniques to extract credit-relevant information from user-generated text on Lending Club. Our results show that even short pieces of user-generated text can improve credit default predictions significantly. The importance of text is further supported by an information fusion analysis. Compared with other approaches that use text, deep learning outperforms them in almost all cases. However, machine learning models combined with word frequencies or topic models also extract substantial credit-relevant information. A comparison of six deep neural network architectures, including state-of-the-art transformer models, finds that the architectures mostly provide similar performance. This means that simpler methods (such as average embedding neural networks) offer performance comparable to more complex methods (such as the transformer networks BERT and RoBERTa) in this credit scoring setting.


Fractional frequency reuse (FFR) is an efficient method to suppress inter-cell interference (ICI) in multi-cell OFDMA networks. In this paper, the optimal threshold is designed for FFR schemes to identify cell central and edge users. We first derive throughput of the FFR scheme considering small-scale fading channels and different scheduling strategies. Then we conclude from the analysis and simulation results that the throughput of maximum normalized SINR (MNSINR) scheduling is larger than that of round robin scheduling, and the optimal thresholds for both scheduling strategies decrease with the increase of cell user number. Simulation results also show that the performance of FFR scheme with the optimal threshold outperforms that with the conventional predefined threshold.


Tuberculosis is a major public health problem in Ethiopia more than half a century ago. If the disease is not treated well and on time, it can lead to severe health problems like lungs, but can also affect other organs, including the central nervous system. Therefore, detecting those diseases at early stages enable us to overcome and treat them appropriately. However, among people in the developing countries like Ethiopia, permanent diseases are growing to be causes of death. These problems are becoming worse due to the scarcity of specialists, practitioners and health facilities. In Ethiopia, there has been observed a threat of increased prevalence of tuberculosis and the number of death rates imputed to tuberculosis reached above 29,000 deaths (35 per 100,000) due to TB, excluding HIV related deaths, during the same period, 2014. In an effort to address such problem, this study attempts to design an expert system model for tuberculosis disease diagnose pre-screen laboratory process that can provide advice for physicians and patients to facilitate the diagnosis before laboratory testing. To this end, knowledge is acquired using both structured and unstructured interviews from domain experts which are selected using purposive sampling technique from health agents. Relevant documents analysis method is also followed to capture explicit knowledge. Thereafter, the acquired knowledge is modeled using decision tree that represents concepts, procedures involved in diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis and production rules are used to represent the domain knowledge, and knowledge-based system is developed using SWI Prolog editor tool. It uses backward chaining which begins with possible solutions or goals and tries to gather information that verifies the solution.

 Key words: Model, expert system, knowledge representation, knowledge acquisition, tuberculosis disease.


Problem statement: Communication and control are two main components in any Mechatronics system. They can be designed either by centralized or decentralized approach. Both approaches can be chosen based on application designed and specific requirements of the designer. In this study, decentralized or normally called distributed approach was selected to solved communication and control of a human adaptive mechanical system namely Intelligent Chair Tools (ICT). The ICT seating system is powered by thirty six intelligent pneumatic actuators to facilitate investigation of chair shapes from spring and damping effect of seating and backrest surface. Three studies are proposed from the sitting experiments namely chair shapes, chair spring and chair damping properties. Approach: PSoC microcontroller was selected based on its features of having configurable analog and digital blocks. Its flexible modules and programmable peripherals ease designer in designing the communication and control of ICT in improved and faster way. Three protocols of USB, SPI and I2C were used for the communication system of ICT using PSoC. Flow charts of each communication protocols algorithms were discussed. On the other hand, the control system used PSoC's ADC and counter modules to read inputs of pressure and encoder respectively. PWM module is used to control the valve and data communication was achieved using I2C module. Block diagram of unified control was discussed for further understandings of the control algorithms. Results: The PSoC specification, development design and experimental evaluation of ICT system are presented and discussed. Three studies of chair shapes, chair spring property and chair damping property from sitting experiment were shown. Conclusion/Recommendations: The PSoC microcontroller selection was discussed and application of its distributed communication and control was successfully applied to ICT. This distributed approach can be applied to other application suitable for local control approach for easy debugging, more modular design and intelligence in deciding output based on feedback inputs.


ABSTRACT Wright, C.W.; Kranenburg, C.; Battista, T.A., and Parrish, C., 2016. Depth calibration and validation of the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar, EAARL-B. In: Brock, J.C.; Gesch, D.B.; Parrish, C.E.; Rogers, J.N., and Wright, C.W. (eds.), Advances in Topobathymetric Mapping, Models, and Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 76, pp. 4–17. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The original National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), was extensively modified to increase the spatial sampling density and improve performance in water ranging from 3–44 m. The new (EAARL-B) sensor features a 300% increase in spatial density, which was achieved by optically splitting each laser pulse into 3 pulses spatially separated by 1.6 m along the flight track and 2.0 m across-track on the water surface when flown at a nominal altitude of 300 m. Improved depth capability was achieved by increasing the total peak laser power by a factor of 10, and incorporating a new "deep-water" receiver, optimized to exclusively receive refracted and scattered light from deeper water (15–44 m). Two clear-water missions were conducted to determine the EAARL-B depth calibration coefficients. The calibration mission was conducted over the U.S. Navy's South Florida Testing Facility (SFTF), an established lidar calibration range located in the coastal waters southeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A second mission was conducted over Lang Bank, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The EAARL-B survey was spatially and temporally coincident with multibeam sonar surveys conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship Nancy Foster. The NOAA depth data range from 10–100 m, whereas the EAARL-B captured data from 0–41 m. Coefficients derived from the SFTF calibration mission were used to correct the EAARL-B data from both missions. The resulting calibrated EAARL-B data were then compared with the original reference dataset, a jet-ski-based single beam sonar dataset from the SFTF site, and the deeper NOAA data from St. Croix. Additionally, EAARL-B depth accuracy was evaluated by comparing the depth results to International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) standards. Results show good agreement between the calibrated EAARL-B data and all three reference datasets, with 95% confidence levels well within the maximum allowable total vertical uncertainty for IHO Order 1 surveys.


In this letter we suggest two statistical hypothesis tests for the regression function of binary classification based on conditional kernel mean embeddings. The regression function is a fundamental object in classification as it determines both the Bayes optimal classifier and the misclassification probabilities. A resampling based framework is presented and combined with consistent point estimators of the conditional kernel mean map, in order to construct distribution-free hypothesis tests. These tests are introduced in a flexible manner allowing us to control the exact probability of type I error for any sample size. We also prove that both proposed techniques are consistent under weak statistical assumptions, i.e., the type II error probabilities pointwise converge to zero.


Background: Patient awareness during general anaesthesia has considerable potential for severe emotional distress in the patient as well as professional, personal, and financial consequences for the anaesthetist. Objectives: To examine the role of a previously described core algorithm "COVER ABCD–A SWIFT CHECK", supplemented by a specific sub-algorithm for awareness, in the detection and management of potential awareness in association with general anaesthesia. Method: The potential performance of this structured approach for each of the relevant incidents among the first 4000 reported to the Australian Incident Monitoring Study (AIMS) was compared with the actual management as reported by the anaesthetists involved. Results: Of the first 4000 reports received by AIMS, there were 21 incidents of patient awareness under general anaesthesia, and 20 of patients being paralysed while awake from "syringe swaps" before induction of anaesthesia. In 12 of the 21 reports there was an obvious cause, most commonly a low concentration of volatile agent (8 of 12 reports). The AIMS "core" crisis management algorithm would have detected the cause of awareness in all of these cases. In nine reports the course of anaesthesia appeared unremarkable, and in these the algorithm would not have been expected to detect or prevent awareness. Volatile agent monitoring would have prevented some cases of awareness, as would bispectral index electroencephalographic (BIS) monitoring. The role of BIS monitoring is still contentious, but it should be considered for high risk patients. Conclusion: Awareness should be minimised by thorough checking of equipment, particularly vaporisers, and frequent application of a structured scanning routine. Awareness may occur during crisis management and aftermath protocols should include patient follow up to detect and manage awareness when it occurs.


We report novel data on ion-pair formation in hyperthermal (30–800 eV) neutral potassium collisions with neutral pyrimidine (Pyr, C4H4N2) molecules. In this collision regime, negative ions formed by electron transfer from the alkali atom to the target molecule were time-of-flight mass analyzed and the fragmentation patterns and branching ratios have been obtained. The most abundant product anions have been assigned to CN− and C2H− and the electron transfer mechanisms are comprehensively discussed. Particular importance is also given to the efficient loss of integrity of the pyrimidine ring in the presence of an extra electron, which is in contrast to dissociative electron attachment experiments yielding the dehydrogenated parent anion. Theoretical calculations were performed for pyrimidine in the presence of a potassium atom and provided a strong basis for the assignment of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals accessed in the collision process. In order to further our knowledge about the collision dynamics, potassium cation (K+) energy loss spectrum has been obtained and within this context, we also discuss the role of the accessible electronic states. A vertical electron affinity of (−5.69 ± 0.20) eV was obtained and may be assigned to a π3*(b1) state that leads to CN− formation.


Choosing the basis of 6-311++G (d. p) with chitosan as its model, we use the density functional B3LYP method to optimize the structure and calculate the energy for the chitosan and sulfate. We study the adsorption for the sulfate from different adsorption point (amidogen, hydroxide and carbon-ring) with or without the protonation of chitosan amidogen. Through a comparative analysis of the bond-lengths, bond-angles, charges and binding energies before and after the interaction of chitosan and sulfate, we find that the adsorption of chitosan for sulfate is mainly the adsorption of amidogen after protonation. The adsorption mode is the combination of sulfate with two amidogens after protonation.


It is becoming increasingly apparent that microwave technology can make an important contribution to the effectiveness and efficiency of current technical practices in histopathology laboratories. The authors of this interesting book are pioneers in this field and their enthusiasm is undeniably compelling. While specialised knowledge is required to appreciate the information concerning the physics which govern the behaviour of microwaves, few would have difficulty in appreciating the potential of microwaves to accelerate fixation and staining without in any way reducing the quality of the final product. Indeed, in many instances, and in frozen sections in particular, the quality can be greatly improved. Ofcourse only time will tell if the many remarkable claims made by the authors can be substantiated, and there are problems to be overcome, notably with regard to temperature control; but it is beyond question that laboratories should be looking closely at this interesting development and this book will certainly convince them of the need to do so. FD LEE


In this study, a robust path tracking control scheme is constructed for a nonholonomic mobile robot via a dynamic Petri recurrent-fuzzy-neural-network (DPRFNN). In the DPRFNN, the concept of a Petri net (PN) and the recurrent frame of internal feedback loops are incorporated into a traditional fuzzy neural network (FNN) to alleviate the computation burden of parameter learning and to enhance the dynamic mapping of network ability. This five-layer DPRFNN is utilized for the major role in the proposed control scheme, and the corresponding adaptation laws of network parameters are established in the sense of projection algorithm and Lyapunov stability theorem to ensure the network convergence as well as stable control performance without the requirement of detailed system information and the compensation of auxiliary controllers. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed robust DPRFNN control scheme is verified by numerical simulations of a differential-driving mobile robot under different moving paths and the occurrence of uncertainties, and its superiority is indicated in comparison with a stabilizing control system.


Abstract In this Letter we explored the regioselective cyclization of 2-bromophenylalanine derivatives to access enantiopure dihydroquinolinones via an intramolecular regioselective Buchwald–Hartwig cyclization using Pd 2 (dba) 3 /XPhos as a catalytic system in the presence of BTPP as organic base. This procedure represents a promising strategy for the direct synthesis of bridged Phe-Xaa dipeptides.


Six fallout tephra layers and 16 heterolithologic volcaniclastic deposits drilled at Holes 953A, 954A, 954B, and 956A, during Leg 157 in the sedimentary aprons of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, have been dated by single crystal laser 40Ar/39Ar analysis. The fallout tephra markers range in age from 0.273 ± 0.006 Ma to 2.74 ± 0.01 Ma. Maximum sedimentation ages determined for the volcaniclastic deposits range from 0.24 ± 0.01 Ma to 2.24 ±
0.02 Ma, closely matching the nannofossil and paleomagnetic chronostratigraphies of the cores. Both tephra and volcaniclastic layers represent material from Pliocene–Pleistocene explosive eruptions of the Canadas Caldera (Tenerife), mixed with Miocene volcanic debris only in the holes drilled north of Gran Canaria (954A and 954B). Two fallout layers (0.61 ± 0.02 Ma and 1.83 ± 0.02 Ma) and five volcaniclastic deposits reflect explosive eruptions, which took place during postulated dormant stages of the Canadas edifice.


This study was designed to investigate the middle ear function of neonates during the first few hours of life. Twenty normal babies, ranging in age from 2.5 to 20 hours old, were tested with an electro-acoustic impedance bridge. Measurements of the acoustic compliance of the tympanic membrane and tympanometry were obtained on both ears of each child. Results of compliance measurements indicated a median of 1.2 cu cm with a range from 0.25 to 1.65 cu cm. Tympanometry results showed smooth notched-shaped tympanograms in most cases although a few M-shaped tympanograms were observed. All of the infants demonstrated normal middle ear pressures and mobile middle ear systems. The finding of normal middle ear function in these neonates suggests that mucus is not commonly present and therefore not a factor in infants' response to sound.


This thesis argues that the divine regeneration metaphor in 1 Peter is fully integrated into the author's theological goal of constructing Christian identity in ethnic terms. The author grounds Christian regeneration on Christ's resurrection (Chapter 2, 1:3) and the preaching of the word, through which the imperishable seed is implanted in believers (Chapter 3, 1:23-25). Believers are then socialized into their new identity by feeding on spiritual milk like newborn babes
(Chapter 4, 2:1-3) and being built into a spiritual house and corporate temple (Chapter 5, 2:4-10). All of these images contribute to Christian ethnic identity by activating different aspects of Jewish and Greco-Roman perceptions of what constituted ethnic identity.
Chapter 1 prepares the groundwork for this study by reviewing previous scholarship on Petrine regeneration, metaphor theory, and ancient and modern perceptions of ethnicity. This chapter also maps the letter's structure to provide a bird's eye view of the letter as a whole.
The following chapters then examine one Petrine metaphor in light of its Jewish and early Christian precedents. In most cases, 1 Peter is in continuity with Jewish and Christian traditions, though the author of the letter always recasts these traditions for his own purposes. Each of these metaphors link together to bring the reader into the interpretive process as an active participant. These metaphors also relativize the importance of physical familial relationships, heritage, and group belonging in favor of heightened awareness of Christian membership. People acquire ethnic identities through birth and by living according to the group's values. In 1 Peter, believers acquire their new identity through their divine regeneration, but this regeneration must be fostered, maintained, and developed by living holy lives dedicated to God in order to become his chosen people.


A review is undertaken of recent palaeoecological research bearing on a number of the most important Jurassic environmental factors. Temperature is the most significant variable related to global climate, and terrestrial plants provide the best data. Use of the biome method of phytogeography for the Eurasian region leads to some modification of earlier views, but still supports polar regions being much warmer than today, while growth ring studies indicate broad equatorial and temperate climatic belts and a monsoonal climate. Stomatal density studies on leaf cuticles are consistent with there having been a much higher level of atmospheric CO 2 . The degree of oxygenation of the sea bed has been the subject of a number of intensive studies, most notably for the inferred oxygen-deficient environments of the German Posidonienschiefer, the Swiss Opalinus Clay and the English Kimmeridge Clay, and a large amount learned about how to distinguish varying oxygen levels. Important studies of salinity-controlled environments include those of the Bathonian of Scotland, the Kimmeridgian of Portugal and the Bajocian-Callovian of Tunisia, and the use of carbon isotopes as a tool in relation to palaeoecology is discussed. Determination of depth of sea is important for basin analysis but remains a difficult challenge. Significant advances can however be made using a variety of criteria. Among other factors, varying substrates and incidence of light are also amenable to palaeoecological analysis.


Comprehensive records of 957 meniscectomies, over a period of 30 months, were obtained from five hospitals in one of the largest British coalfields. Corresponding records of 1,075 appendicectomies were collected and used as reference. The combined data provided conclusive evidence that the rate of meniscectomy was very much higher among miners than among other men. The proportions of bucket handle cartilage tears, which are a severe handicap to any individual, whether miner or not, and of other tears were very similar for miners and for others, in the various hospitals. This suggests that miners are more likely than others to suffer cartilage damage of any type. Information was also obtained by interviewing some 200 of the miners on whom meniscectomy had been performed. This included the normal attitude at work, the attitude and activity at the time of the incident leading to the tear of the cartilage, and the mechanism of the first incident. It was clear that cartilage tears were more common in miners who knelt at work although, as often as not, the tear actually occurred when the man was walking. From an examination of 80 consecutive patients, laxity of the knee joint was shown to result from kneeling at work. This appeared to be the initiating factor in the majority of cartilage tears, because it renders the knee more unstable and the menisci more liable to injury when rotational strains are put on the joint. External rotation of the leg on the knee, combined with abduction, when in an upright posture, appeared to be the major factor in producing tears of the medical cartilage; tears of the lateral cartilage, which were much less frequent, appeared to be caused mainly by internal rotation combined with adduction. Measures of "good housekeeping" in maintaining better walking surfaces are very likely to reduce the number of knee cartilage injuries, by reducing the risk of stumbling and slipping. They should also reduce the incidence of other knee injuries and ligamentous strain, which between them cause a substantial proportion of mining injuries.


Federal regulations allow up to 2% of the student population of a state to achieve proficiency for adequate yearly progress by taking an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). Such tests are likely to be easier, but as long as a test is considered a valid measure of grade level content, it is allowable as an AA-MAS (U.S. Department of Education, 2007b). In this article, we examine procedures for developing, modifying, and evaluating items and tests using an evolving modification paradigm, as well as a classic reliability and validity framework. Theoretical influences, such as principles of universal design, cognitive load theory, and item development research, are discussed. The Test Accessibility and Modification Inventory, a tool that provides systematic and comprehensive guidance to help educators modify grade-level tests, is introduced. Cognitive lab methods and experimental field tests are then described, along with examples and key findings from each, relevant to AA-MASs. The article concludes with a discussion of precautions, lessons learned, and questions generated about the methods used to improve both access and test score validity for the students who are eligible for this new alternate assessment.


The increasing attention paid to the possible consequences of climate change for the financial sector has strengthened international cooperation on green finance, with initiatives from both the industry and the institutions. International surveys show that so far there has been no adequate growth in awareness of the risks linked to climate change and the opportunities linked to the transition towards a low carbon economy. Evidence acquired on Climate-Related Financial Risk (CRFR) disclosure in Italy has confirmed the same conclusions. We have therefore identified three steps with the aim of encouraging financial institutions to take CRFR into account in their corporate risk management strategies: 1) create a information hub to gather the information required for assessing the CRFR; 2) compile a list of the information not yet available; 3) define standard methodologies that allow the climate scenarios to be part of the decision-making processes of financial institutions.


PaCO2, transcutaneous PCO2 (PtcCO2), and end-tidal PCO2 (PetCO2) measurements were studied in 12 critically ill neonates. PtcCO2 was measured using a combination CO2/O2 sensor during the routine care of these patients. End-tidal sidestream sampling was performed during blood gas measurement as dictated by the patient's clinical condition. There was a linear correlation between PtcCO2 and PaCO2 (n = 51, r = .71, slope = 0.90). PetCO2 and PaCO2 did not correlate as well (n = 51, r = .52, slope = 0.42). Acidosis negatively affected the correlation between PtcCO2 and PaCO2. When pH was greater than 7.30, r = .75 and slope = 1.28 (n = 38), whereas when pH was less than 7.30, r = .62 and slope = 0.73 (n = 13). The presence or absence of a metabolic acidosis did not have a significant effect on the slopes obtained. PtcCO2 monitoring using combined sensors is a useful and practical means of monitoring in the neonatal ICU, although acidosis affects the ability to correlate transcutaneous and arterial values. End-tidal sidestream measurements are not as clinically useful because they vary due to different ventilation/perfusion relationships in the sick neonate.


A widespread use of ultrasound (US) examination is contributing to an increase in the diagnosis of renal and hepatic cysts. However, the vast majority of these lesions are benign with an indolent course during the patient's lifespan. Adult polycystic kidney disease (APKD) is one of the most common diagnosed entities. APKD is a genetic disease defined by the presence of multiple kidney cysts, occasionally accompanied by hepatic cysts. The presence of hepatic cysts sparing kidneys is very rare and thereby must be assumed as a different clinical entity. This article describes a case of an exuberant hepatomegaly due to the presence of isolated multiple hepatic cysts without renal involvement.


Abstract As Turkey set its sights on modernization and Westernization in the early decades of the twentieth century, clothing reform took center stage. The state used clothing as a constitutive element in its establishment and continues to legislate appearance as a means to maintain its power and create a model public citizen that will support it. Today there exists an extensive regulatory regime on clothing and appearance in the public sphere, which induces those governed by it to dress in a "modern" fashion. An examination of these regulations reveals the deeply politicized nature of clothing in Turkey which is guided by the assumption that you are what you wear. While choice of clothing and appearance is neither entirely free nor fully prescribed, dress codes do further restrict already limited choices. Dress codes undermine the relationship thought to exist between individual belief and appearance. Dress codes, in the case of Turkey, are dictated by the state; therefore, the appearance of students and state employees does not necessarily represent their belief but that of the state. The Turkish state, through the use of dress codes, continues to try and produce "modern" citizens, meaning Western and secular.


The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview description of important differences in agricultural development China and Indonesia in poverty reduction efforts in rural areas and some strategy. This chapter hopes to provide an objective picture of the development from agricultural sector level of evidence both Indonesia and China. China and Indonesia are agriculture-based countries with a program of integrated rural development as a whole to be a target of poverty reduction programs. Several farm programs related to poverty alleviation have been launched and had a good impact or significance, especially in China that is able to reduce extreme poverty from 30% in 1978 to less than 3% in 2008. Certainly many lessons can be obtained from this success, especially the concept and strategy development in rural China to be a reference of other states in its development model, especially for poverty alleviation programs.


A power transformer needs continuous monitoring and fast protection as it is a very expensive piece of equipment and an essential element in an electrical power system. The most common protection technique used is the percentage differential logic, which provides discrimination between an internal fault and different operating conditions. Unfortunately, there are some operating conditions of power transformers that can mislead the conventional protection affecting the power system stability negatively. This study proposes the development of a new algorithm to improve the protection performance by using fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms. An electrical power system was modelled using Alternative Transients Program software to obtain the operational conditions and fault situations needed to test the algorithm developed, as well as a commercial differential relay. Results show improved reliability, as well as a fast response of the proposed technique when compared with conventional ones.


Cellulose was treated in ethylene glycol with p-toluene sulfonic acid monohydrate as a catalyst at different temperatures. At the highest treatment temperature (150 °C) liquefaction of wood pulp cellulose was achieved and was dependant on cellulose polymerization degree (DP). Furthermore, the rate of amorphous cellulose weight loss was found to increase with cellulose degree of polymerization, while the rate of crystalline cellulose weight loss was reciprocal to the size of the crystallites. The cellulose degradation was studied by monitoring of the molecular mass decrease by size-exclusion chromatography. It was revealed that microcrystalline cellulose degrades via a 'quantum mode' mechanism, while the degradation of Whatman filter paper no 1. and cotton linters proceeded randomly and were partly dependent on the starting polymerization degree, crystallinity, and treatment temperature. The kinetics of cellulose degradation in heterogeneous media was described by means of a one-stage model, characterised by the consumption of glycosidic bonds in amorphous and crystalline cellulose regions until the levelling-off degree of polymerization is reached.


A nationwide investigation was carried out to (1) determine the distribution of Culex quinquefasciatus and other species of mosquitoes in stagnant water in residential areas, (2) investigate the genetic diversity of Cx. quinquefasciatus, (3) quantify the insecticide
susceptibility status of Cx. quinquefasciatus, (4) characterize the biochemical mechanisms of insecticide resistance in Cx. quinquefasciatus, (5) characterize the
molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance in Cx. quinquefasciatus from 13 states and one federal territory in Malaysia. Culex larval surveillance indicated that Cx.
quinquefasciatus was the predominant species in residential areas. Several habitat characteristics (i.e., pH, conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, elevation and dissolved oxygen) were found to be associated with Culex larvae distribution. In the context of molecular phylogeography, the genetic diversity of Malaysian Cx.
quinquefasciatus was extremely low since only three and four haplotypes were revealed by COI and COII, respectively. As for insecticide resistance study of Cx.
quinquefasciatus, both WHO larval and adult bioassays exhibited dissimilar trends in susceptibility against DDT, propoxur, malathion and permethrin. Correlations between
propoxur and malathion resistance as well as between propoxur and permethrin resistance in larval bioassays were found. In enzyme microassays, elevated levels of α-
esterases, β-esterases, mixed function oxidases, glutathione-S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase activities were demonstrated in majority of the populations.
Besides, a correlation between α-esterases activity and malathion resistance was also demonstrated. An association between activity of α-esterases and β-esterases and
between glutathione-S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase was also demonstrated. In addition, genotyping of insensitive acetylcholinesterase revealed the presence of G119S mutation in the wild populations of Cx. quinquefasciatus, but in heterozygous state and at a very low frequency (18 out of 140). Statistical analysis also revealed that malathion resistance was associated with the frequency of ace-1 resistant allele in Cx.
quinquefasciatus populations. On the other hand, genotyping of insensitive voltage gated sodium channel revealed the presence of L1014F mutation which was dominated by heterozygous genotype (99 out of 140), followed by three individuals of homozygous genotype. However, no association was found between the frequency of kdr resistant allele and DDT and permethrin resistance. The findings of this study could be utilized in the implementation of strategic measures in vector control programs in Malaysia. Identification of the breeding preferences and population structure of mosquitoes offers an opportunity to elucidate their influence on the current distribution of mosquito species in these study areas and subsequently understand their potential risks in disease transmission. Besides, the bioassay data may also assist local authorities in providing susceptibility baseline and appropriate dosage of larvicide or adulticide to be used during vector control operations. Application of both biochemical and molecular tools provides significant insights into the evolution and adaptation of Malaysian Cx. quinquefasciatus. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated the associations between the Culex distribution and various habitat characteristics. Besides, a phylogenetic relationship among Malaysian Cx. quinquefasciatus was revealed. This
study has provided the first evidence for the involvement of target site alterations and detoxification mechanisms in insecticide resistance among Cx. quinquefasciatus
populations in Malaysia.


Doped water-dispersible polyaniline (PANI) emulsion were synthesized by emulsion polymerization in aqueous medium and characterized by dc conductivity and Transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed the PANI has bar-like shape and the diameter is about 200nm. The composite anticorrosion coatings of PANI emulsion and waterborne epoxy resin emulsion (EP) were prepared by mixture in aqueous medium and used for corrosion protection of mild steel. Open circuit potential (OCP) and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrated that the PANI/EP composite coatings have better anticorrosion properties than EP. It's impedance and corrosion potential is higher. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) showed that the oxidation film formed on the metal surface and prevent corrosion effectively. The anticorrosion coatings are environmental friendly because of water dispersion medium.


Characterizing quantum processes is a key task in the development of quantum technologies, especially at the noisy intermediate scale of today's devices. One method for characterizing processes is randomized benchmarking, which is robust against state preparation and measurement errors and can be used to benchmark Clifford gates. Compressed sensing techniques achieve full tomography of quantum channels essentially at optimal resource efficiency. In this Letter, we show that the favorable features of both approaches can be combined. For characterizing multiqubit unitary gates, we provide a rigorously guaranteed and practical reconstruction method that works with an essentially optimal number of average gate fidelities measured with respect to random Clifford unitaries. Moreover, for general unital quantum channels, we provide an explicit expansion into a unitary 2-design, allowing for a practical and guaranteed reconstruction also in that case. As a side result, we obtain a new statistical interpretation of the unitarity-a figure of merit characterizing the coherence of a process.


The accuracy of localizing source currents within the human heart by non-invasive magneto- and electrocardiographic methods was investigated in 10 patients. A non-magnetic stimulation catheter inside the heart served as a reference current source. Biplane fluoroscopic imaging with lead ball markers was used to record the catheter position. Simultaneous multichannel magnetocardiographic (MCG) and body surface potential mapping (BSPM) recordings were performed during catheter pacing. Equivalent current dipole localizations were computed from MCG and BSPM data, employing standard and patient-specific boundary element torso models. Using individual models with the lungs included, the average MCG localization error was 7±3 mm, whereas the average BSPM localization error was 25±4 mm. In the simplified case of a single homogeneous standard torso model, an average error of 9±3 mm was obtained from MCG recordings. The MCG localization accuracies obtained in this study imply that the capability of multichannel MCG to locate dipolar sources is sufficient for clinical purposes, even without constructing individual torso models from x-ray or from magnetic resonance images.


An RBE for acute skin reaction to peak pions, for a specific fractionation scheme, has been established at 1.40-1.44. The time of development of acute skin reactions varied in 2 patients with 30 metastatic skin nodules treated with doses varying from 1,175 to 1,951 peak pions and 2,350 to 3,901 rads of 100 kVp x rays. The reactions reached their peak approximately one week apart at all dose levels with both forms of radiation. No untoward effects have been seen in epidermis or subcutaneous tissues as late as 169 days after the start of treatment. All nodules disappeared and have not returned 169 days after treatment. There is a strong suggestion that the response of thick tumors is sensitive to the proportion of high LET radiation deposited at various levels in the tumor.


Title of Document: INVESTIGATION OF LOW TEMPERATURE SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS FOR AIRINDEPENDENT UUV APPLICATIONS Jennie Mariko Moton, Master of Science, 2012 Directed By: Professor Gregory S. Jackson, Department of Mechanical Engineering Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) will benefit greatly from high-energy-density (> 500 Wh/L) power systems utilizing high-energy-density fuels and air-independent oxidizers. Current battery-based systems have limited energy densities (< 200 Wh/L), which motivate development of alternative power systems such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). SOFC-based power systems have the potential to achieve the required UUV energy densities, and the current study explores how SOFCs based on gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) electrolytes with operating temperatures of 650°C and lower may operate in the unique environments of a promising UUV power plant. The plant would contain a H2O2 decomposition reactor to supply humidified O2 to the SOFC cathode and exothermic aluminum/H2O combustor to provide heated humidified H2 fuel to the anode. To characterize low-temperature SOFC performance with these unique O2 and H2 source, SOFC button cells based on nickel/GDC (Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95) anodes, GDC electrolytes, and lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ or LSCF)/GDC cathodes were fabricated and tested for performance and stability with humidity on both the anode and the cathode. Cells were also tested with various reactant concentrations of H2 and O2 to simulate gas depletion down the channel of an SOFC stack. Results showed that anode performance depended primarily on fuel concentration and less on the concentration of the associated increase in product H2O. O2 depletion with humidified cathode flows also caused significant loss in cell current density at a given voltage. With the humidified flows in either the anode or cathode, stability tests of the button cells at 650 °C showed stable voltage is maintained at low operating current (0.17 A/cm 2 ) at up to 50 % by mole H2O, but at higher current densities (0.34 A/cm 2 ), irreversible voltage degradation occurred at rates of less than 4.0 mV/hour depending on exposure time. From these button cell results, estimated average current densities over the length of a lowtemperature SOFC stack were estimated and used to size a UUV power system based on Al/H2O oxidation for fuel and H2O2 decomposition for O2. The resulting system design suggested that energy densities above 300 Wh/L may be achieved at neutral buoyancy with seawater if the cell is operated at high reactant utilizations in the SOFC stack for missions longer than 20 hours. INVESTIGATION OF LOW TEMPERATURE SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS FOR AIR-INDEPENDENT UUV APPLICATIONS


The time may have come to extend the U.S. Supreme Court's drive to constitutionalize the domain of speech torts into the field of products liability. This paper considers a pointed way of testing the viability of such a move: decisions recognizing an exception to the learned intermediary doctrine whenever manufacturers of prescription drugs or medical devices advertise directly to consumers, which seems to represent a fairly blatant violation of federal constitutional protections for commercial speech. Venturing into far more debatable territory, this paper then suggests that certain consumer goods closely connected to the exercise of fundamental rights—including but not limited to contraceptives—might deserve additional protection from the operation of well-established principles of strict products liability. If, however, that comes across as too radical an idea, then perhaps the longstanding constitutionalization of speech torts must remain distinctive, which also means that developments in the law of defamation can offer little assistance to those commentators who promote the notion that the Second Amendment should infiltrate the law of torts.


In 1809, E. T. A. Hoffmann declared that the symphony, in the hands of Haydn and Mozart, had become the "opera of instruments." This view of symphony, which was echoed by other writers of the period, reflected how composers engaged with instruments through orchestration. This essay explores the use of instrumental sonority in the slow movements of Haydn's later symphonies, in particular looking at the ways in which Haydn's approach to the orchestra helped cultivate the notion that symphonies unfolded as dramas. This conception of the orchestra and of orchestration informed the language of musical criticism of the early nineteenth century: Hoffmann's discussions of musical works frequently take the form of operatic plot summaries, in which individual instruments act as characters. The persistence of operatic metaphors suggests that, instead of thinking of this period as the "rise of instrumental music," it is more accurate to understand it as the rise of the orchestra.


Nowadays, genomic and proteomic studies produce vast amounts of data. To get the biological meaning of these data and to generate testable new hypothesis, scientists must use several tools often not designed for ruminant studies. Here we present ProteINSIDE: an online tool to analyse lists of protein or gene identifiers from well-annotated species (human, rat, and mouse) and ruminants (cow, sheep, and goat). The aims of ProteINSIDE modules are to gather biological information stores in well-updated public databases, to proceed to annotations according to the Gene Ontology consortium, to predict potentially secreted proteins, and to search for proteins interactions. ProteINSIDE provides results from several software and databases in a single query. From a list of identifiers, ProteINSIDE uses orthologs or homologs to extend analyses and biological information retrieval. As a tutorial, we presented how to launch, to recover, to view, and to interpret the results provided by the two types of analysis available with ProteINSIDE (basic and custom analyses). ProteINSIDE is freely available using a simple internet browser at www.proteinside.org. The results of this article are provided on the home page of ProteINSIDE website as the example of an analysis results.


Context: Coronavirus disease 2019 (CoViD 19) pandemic has induced the government to initiate strict control measures. Improvements to these measures and shortcomings could be gleaned with the understanding of the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of the public. Aims: The aim of this study the CoViD 19 KAP of a south Indian state population. Settings and Design: This was a Cross-sectional observational study. Subjects and Methods: We conducted an online survey to elicit this information. Statistical Analysis Used: Mean, Standard deviation, Binomial and Multinomial logistic regression. Results: Of the 1837 subjects who answered the survey, 70% were youth (16–29 years), 54% were postgraduates and 47.8% were desk jobholders. The mean knowledge score was 9.92 ± 2.37/14 and 94.44% secured at least above-average score. The subjects had a positive (70%) attitude towards the CoViD 19 situation and 77% of subjects followed good preventive practices. However, we found that women, people with low education and nonmedical background were associated with poor knowledge and practices. The attitude was poor in subjects occupant in physical works. Conclusions: The health policy would better serve the purpose of the groups with poor scores are targeted.


Football is currently the most popular sporting activity in the world. Multiple reports have shown that a high incidence of osteoarthritis is found in football players. Evidence clearly shows that traumatic injury significantly predisposes players for such pathophysiology. Injuries are frequent in amateur as well as professional football players, with knee and ankle accounting for the most severe injuries. Many professional athletes lose playing time due to injuries and many are forced into early retirement. Posttraumatic osteoarthritis is a common finding among ex-football players with numbers well above the normal population. Today's surgical techniques are advanced and capable of restoring the joint to a certain extent. However, a restitution ad integrum is reached only in very rare cases. Professional football players that return to play after serious injuries perform their extremely strenuous activity on morphologically compromised joints. Incomplete rehabilitation and pressure to return to play after an injurious event clearly put the athlete at an even higher risk for joint degeneration. Prevention strategies, improved surgical management, strict rehabilitation, as well as future aspects such as early suppression of inflammation, personalized medicine, and predictive genomics DNA profiling are needed to reduce incidence and improve the health perspectives of football players.