Subthreshold leakage, dynamic power consumption and delay are major issues for circuits design, especially for SRAM design. Subthreshold leakage and dynamic power consumption can be decreased while supply voltage is scaled down. However, this may dramatically increase the circuit delay. In this paper, we proposed a novel 6t SRAM design which operates in near threshold region to optimize leakage power and speed. In this paper, negative word line is introduced to reduce the leakage current. A novel Latch-type voltage sense amplifier is proposed to improve the read speed of the proposed SRAM cell. The proposed SRAM design is implemented in 45nm technology and achieves more than 50% for power reduction, 68% for leakage reduction, 90% for write delay reduction and 78% for read delay reduction compared to traditional 6T SRAM in near threshold region.


IntroductionBacteria associated with failure endodontic treatment are capable of acquiring and expressing resistance against antimicrobial agents usually used to treat infections, which makes necessary, in some cases, laboratory tests in order to detect the resistance or antimicrobial susceptibility of these microorganisms.Objectiveto evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Actinomyces viscosus and Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from root canals of teeth with failure endodontic treatment.Material and methodEnterococcus faecalis (n=3), Enterococcus faecium (n=3), Actinomyces viscosus (n=3) and Staphylococcus aureus (n=3) clinical strains collected in vivo from root-filled canals with failure endodontic treatment thad been their antimicrobial susceptibility tested by the E-test method in duplicate using the antibiotics: Amoxicillin (AC), Rifampicin (RI), Moxifloxacin (MX), Vancomycin (VA), Tetracycline (TC), Ciprofloxacin (CI), Chloranphenicol (CL), Benzilpenicillin (PG), Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (XL), Doxycycline (DC), Erythromycin (EM) e Azithromycin (AZ).Resultall the clinical strains tested were susceptible to AC, XL, PG, DC, MX, TC e VA. All the isolated S. aureus strains were susceptible to the 12 tested antibiotics. E. faecalis, E. faecium and A. viscosus strains showed intermediary susceptibility pattern against EM. Some E. faecalis and E. faecium strains were resistant against AZ and RI.Conclusionclinical strains isolated from radicular canals of teeth with failure endodontic treatment showed different antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and none of E. faecalis or E. faeciumstrains appeared to be susceptible to AZ or EM.


TiB2-Cu composites in a nanostructured state are candidates for high-strength conductive and erosion-resistant materials. In this work, we studied formation of nanostructured TiB2-Cu composites under shock wave conditions. We investigated the influence of preliminary mechanical activation (MA) of Ti-B-Cu powder mixtures on the peculiarities of the reaction between Ti and B under shock wave. In the MA-ed mixture the reaction proceeded completely while in the nonactivated mixture the reagents remained along with the product – titanium diboride. The size of titanium diboride particles in the central part of the compact was 100-300 nm. This research shows that shock wave synthesis in mechanically activated powder mixtures with simultaneous compaction of the composite is a promising way to materials with submicron and nanostructures.


Abstract The amy gene of Streptomyces griseus was not expressed in Escherichia coli cells due to the lack of recognition of the amy promoter by the E. coli RNA polymerase, as confirmed by using promoter-probe vectors. The expression of the amy gene in E. coli was detected only when the promoter-less gene was placed under the control of the lacZ promoter and was dependent on the level of IPTG added to the medium. The extracellular α-amylase detected in the culture broth seems to be released by cellular lysis. When the amy gene lacking both leader peptide and promoter was transcribed from the lacZ promoter, no α-amylase activity was detected but larger E. coli cells and inclusion bodies were observed.


Extrathymic T cell differentiation pathways have been reported, although the thymus is the main site of T cell differentiation. The thymus is also known to produce several cytokines that induce proliferation of thymocytes. In the present study, we investigated the influence of thymus‐derived cytokines on extrathymic T cell differentiation by intraperitoneal implantation with a diffusion chamber which encloses fetal thymus (we named it fetal thymus‐enclosed diffusion chamber, FTEDC) in athymic BALB/c nu/nu mice. Increase in number of T cells bearing T cell receptor (TcR) α/β was detected in lymph nodes and spleens of FTEDC‐implanted nude mice 1 week after implantation, whereas no such increase was detected in control nude mice implanted with a diffusion chamber without thymus. The FTEDC‐induced increase of T cells was suppressed by intraperitoneal injection of anti‐interleukin‐7 monoclonal antibody (mAb). The TcR α/β T cells in FTEDC‐inplanted BALB/c nu/nu mice preferentially expressed Vβ11, although Vβ11‐positive T cells are deleted in the thymus of euthymic BALB/c mice by clonal elimination of self‐superantigen Dvb 11‐specific T cells. TcR α/β T cells in FTEDC‐implanted nude mice were of CD4−CD8− phenotype and showed no proliferative response against anti‐TcR monoclonal antibody stimulation. These results suggest that the thymus can induce extrathymic T cell differentiation through the influence of thymus‐derived cytokine(s) including interleukin‐7, and that such extrathymically differentiated T cells have acquired only a little or no ability for proliferation when they recognize antigen by their TcR.


Abstract : In an effort to explore new highly resistive soft magnetic materials, Fe/SiO2 nanocomposite materials have been synthesized using a wet chemical reaction approach in which the precursor complex was annealed at various temperatures. The crystallographic structure, nanostructure, morphology, and magnetic properties of the synthetic Fe/SiO2 particles were studied by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The experimental results show that for this approach, the alpha-Fe particles are coated with amorphous silica. The progress of the reaction, the purity of Fe/SiO2 in the synthetic powder, and the Fe particle size are highly dependent on the annealing temperature. By adjusting the annealing temperature, the particle size can be controlled from approximately 20 nm to 70 nm. For the synthetic nanopowder obtained by H2 reduction at 400 deg C, there exists a superparamagnetic behavior below room temperature; while for the nanopowders obtained by reduction at higher temperatures, the ferromagnetic behavior is dominant. Based on these studies, optimum synthesis conditions for Fe/SiO2 nanocomposites is determined.


The network public opinion has brought certain challenges to the authority of the government and the control of social order. Based on the evolutionary game theory, this paper establishes the network public opinion game model of government, netizens, Internet celebrity, network media, and uses the replication dynamic equation to analyze the game process of participants. Finally, according to the evolutionary stabilization strategy, put forward relevant countermeasures to the government in dealing with network public opinion of emergencies.


. Systematics and classification of Asian frogs of the genus Fejervarya and related genera (family Dicroglossi-dae; hereafter referred to as fejervaryan frogs) have been the subject of intensive debates in the past few years. We complement previous phylogenetic studies with analyses of concatenated sequences from 14 nuclear loci and mitochondrial gene fragments, totaling 12,752 nucleotides for 46 species representing all major lineages and relevant outgroups. We find strong support for two major clades within Fejervarya : a South Asian clade and a Southeast Asian clade. Previously, South Asian species have been hypothesized to constitute a separate genus, Zakerana (currently considered a junior syn-onym of Fejer varya ), and also include species previously described as members of the genus Minervarya . Although parsimony and species tree analyses found support for the monophyly of Fejervarya as currently understood, partitioned Bayesian inference and unpartitioned Maximum Likelihood analyses of concatenated sequences recovered Southeast Asian species as a clade sister to the genus Sphaerotheca , albeit with low nodal support. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of alternative classification schemes in light of previously proposed criteria for naming supraspecific taxa. The current single-genus taxonomy would impart desirable economy of nomenclatural change, and morphological dia-gnosability. However, other taxon naming criteria such as support for monophyly, temporal framework for diversification, and biogeographic regionalism would support a contrasting two-genus alternative. Because new species of Fejer varya are increasingly being discovered and described, and because a single-genus classification ( Fejervarya ) will remain controversial, given ambiguous support for its inferred monophyly, we propose recognizing two genera: Southeast Asian Fejervarya , and South Asian Minervarya . This classification results in two genera whose monophyly is strongly supported, respectively, and unlikely to be challenged by future analyses. Accordingly, we transfer all species of the South Asian clade to the genus Minervarya .


Abstract The oldest echinoderms and first cornute stylophorans ever reported from Korea are described, based on more than 40 specimens collected from the Late Cambrian of the Taebaeksan Basin. New material doubles the number of stylophorans described from Asia and the number of specimens of Late Cambrian stylophorans recorded throughout the world. Three different cornutes are identified: Sokkaejaecystis serrata n. gen. and sp. and two genus and species indeterminate forms A and B. Sokkaejaecystis serrata and indeterminate form B are assigned to the Chauvelicystinae, while the systematic position of indeterminate form A within cornutes is difficult to assess. This new material suggests paleobiogeographic connections between echinoderm faunas from Korea, western North America (Wyoming), and western Europe (Montagne Noire, Shropshire). A cladistic analysis of selected cothurnocystids shows that Sokkaejaecystis n. gen. is closely related to Prochauvelicystis and the sister group of a clade uniting Ampelocarpus with Lyricocarpus. The analysis also confirms the placement of Milonicystis within the Chauvelicystinae and questions the monophyly of the genus Chauvelicystis.


Estrogen deficiency and chronic alcohol consumption may have a synergistic and deleterious effect on bone tissue. Aim: To investigate the effects of estrogen deficiency associated with chronic alcohol consumption on the mandibular condyle in rats. Methods: Fifty-four female rats were first divided equally into two groups: ovariectomized (Ovx) and simulated ovariectomy (Sham). One month after the surgeries, these groups were equally sub-divided according to their dietary treatment: G1: Sham/ad-libitum diet; G2: Sham/alcohol; G3: Sham/isocaloric; G4: Ovx/ad-libitum diet; G5: Ovx/alcohol, G6: Ovx/isocaloric. Eight weeks after starting the diets, all animals were anesthetized and sacrificed. The condyles were analyzed histologically, histomorphometrically, and immunohistochemically using the antibodies for bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCC) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL). Results: Histological analysis of the mandibular condyles showed that Ovx and Sham groups presented almost the same characteristics. The histomorphometric analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference only between Ovx/isocaloric and Ovx/ad-libitum groups (p=0.049). No difference was observed in the intensity of BSP, OCC, and RANKL antibody staining between the Ovx/alcohol and the other groups. Conclusions: It may be concluded that there was no histomorphometric, histological, or RANKL, BSP, and OCC staining differences between the Ovx/alcohol group and other experimental groups.


E-service composition is most impressing method for development and deployment of e-business. Description and modeling the behavior requirements of composite E-services for users and verifying composite E-service compliance to specific requirements is an important step in design of services. But most work does not address the issue of how to model the requirements that the BPEL4WS processes are supposed to satisfy. The specifications in verification works are general temporal relation based on activity or scenario in essence. Distinguish with these work, we propose a novel concept of behavior specification based on activity chain in which granularity is between activity and scenario. Chain existence mode, chain absence mode are designed to express such behavioral requirements based on activity chain that is similar with safety or liveness property based on activity respectively. Encode them on Labeled Transition System LTS and then give them exact operation semantics. Finally, an example is illustrated.


William Wallace of Elderslie, younger son of a country knight, came to fame through his active opposition to the aggressive imperialism of England s King Edward I. From political and social obscurity he seized control of the reins of government and became the first leader of his people in a war of liberation against a far larger and richer enemyEnglandthat would last for more than60 years. Historians have seen Wallace as a man of the common people, a man who built an army from the patriotic masses when the Scottish nobility sided with the English. In fact, Wallace was a member of the nobility himself and his army little removed from the ordinary military conventions of the day. Chris Brown cuts through the myths still perpetuated today to produce the first biography of Wallace driven by contemporary medieval records rather than Victorian legends to present an accurate portrait of the life and career of Scotland s greatest hero."


Type 2 diabetes has a series of metabolic aberrations accompanied by chronic hyperglycemia, along with various comorbidities. In recent reports, punicalagin from pomegranate has been reported to exert hypoglycemic effects against diabetes. The goal of the current research was to investigate the therapeutic effectiveness and elucidate the mechanisms of punicalagin underlying type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) combined with streptozotocin (STZ) injection in C57BL/6J mice. Punicalagin was administered daily by oral gavage for 4 weeks. The results indicated that high FBG (fasting blood glucose), dyslipidemia and associated islet, liver and kidney injury were observed in the model group mice. Through metabolomics analysis, it was found that the administration of punicalagin could regulate 24 potential biomarkers and their related metabolic pathways. Moreover, the pathological changes in the liver and kidney were mainly mediated by reducing gluconeogenesis and increasing glycogenesis via stimulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and regulation of the HMGB-1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, which simultaneously interrelated to ten main pathological pathways. In addition, we confirmed the positive role of punicalagin in glucosamine-induced HepG2 cells and HG-induced HK-2 cells through related mechanistic studies in vitro. In conclusion, these findings suggested that the multi-effect and multi-target action mode of punicalagin had a significant hypoglycemic effect and a protective effect on diabetes mellitus. Punicalagin might serve as an alternative functional food or as a clinical supplemental therapy for the diabetic population to ameliorate metabolic syndrome.


The present study examined the relations between personality traits, depression, anxiety, stress and self-determination variables associated with gambling involvement. Participants were 126 university students using self-report method. Gambling behaviour is conceptualized on a continuum ranging from non-gambling to problem and pathological gambling using SOGS-RA. At risk gamblers represented 17, 5 % of the sample while 7.1% were classified as pathological gamblers. No significant gender differences were found. Personality variables associated with gambling problems were low conscientiousness, high levels of neuroticism and sensation seeking. Negative emotional states like anxiety and stress (but not depression) were associated with more severe gambling involvement. Regression analysis revealed that ascribing personal value to gambling behavior (identified regulation) and gambling in hopes of becoming rich (external regulation) were significant motivational predictors of severity and frequency of gambling behavior. These findings support a linkage between personality traits, different forms of motivation, emotional states, and gambling behaviour. The results are interpreted with the aim of improving prevention initiatives for young people.


Recent trends in mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. food sector food manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers raise concerns about market power. In the presence of market power, farmers may receive lower than competitive farm prices, and consumers may pay higher than competitive retail prices. This study presents empirical tests of market power at the national level for seven food categories: beef, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables. At the national level, our tests provide evidence of competitive conduct in both the sale of final food products and the purchase of farm ingredients.


A prerequisite for the stabilization of important features, such as aroma production, in starter strains used in dairy fermentations, is an extensive knowledge of the genetic basis of these properties. In this thesis the genetic basis of citrate metabolism in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis var. diacetylactis and Leuconostoc spp. are studied and genetic aspects of citrate-fermenting Leuconostoc strains are analyzed.- Chapter II describes the development of a cloning system for Leuconostoc which was necessary due to the lack of natural transformation systems.- Chapter III describes the use of polymerase chain reaction to classify Leuconostoc strains.- Since lactose is the most important carbohydrate used by lactic acid bacteria, knowledge of the genetic basis of the genes involved in lactose metabolism can offer important data concerning gene regulation and expression. Chapters IV and V describe the cloning and expression of the lactose genes of Leuconostoc ssp.- Cloning and functional expression in Escherichia coli of the the citrate permease gene of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis var. diacetylactis are described in Chapter VI.- A comparison of the lactococcal citrate permease with the Leuconostoc lactis citrate permease gene is described in Chapter VII.- A summary together with concluding remarks are given in Chapter VIII.


This paper presents the calculation of the isentropic efficiency of a gas turbine axial compressor manufactured by Alstom. Isentropic efficiency shows how much energy is transformed in exergy and how much into anergy. This paper presents the calculation of axial compressor characteristics of an Alstom GT11N2 thermal power plant in Brestanica, Slovenia. The efficiency changes dependant on external temperatures during 2009 are also presented.


Many landscapes are characterized by a patchy, rather than homogeneous, distribution of vegetation. Often this patchiness is composed of single‐species patches with contrasting traits, interacting with each other. To date, it is unknown whether patches of different species affect each other's uptake of resources by altering hydrodynamic conditions, and how this depends on their spatial patch configuration. Patches of two contrasting aquatic macrophyte species (i.e., dense canopy‐forming Callitriche and sparse canopy‐forming Groenlandia) were grown together in a racetrack flume and placed in different patch configurations. We measured 15NH4+ uptake rates and hydrodynamic properties along the centerline and the lateral edge of both patches. When the species with a taller, denser canopy (Callitriche) was located upstream of the shorter, sparser species (Groenlandia), it generated turbulence in its wake that enhanced nutrient uptake for the sparser Groenlandia. At the same time, Callitriche benefited from being located at a leading edge where it was exposed to higher mean velocity, as its canopy was too dense for turbulence to penetrate from upstream. Consistent with this, we found that ammonium uptake rates depended on turbulence level for the sparse Groenlandia and on mean flow velocity for the dense Callitriche, but Total Kinetic Energy was the best descriptor of uptake rates for both species. By influencing turbulence, macrophyte species interact with each other through facilitation of resource uptake. Hence, heterogeneity due to multispecific spatial patchiness has crucial implications for both species interactions and aquatic ecosystem functions, such as nitrogen retention.


Submerged woody habitat provides the major structure around which ecological processes operate in many lowland rivers. Colonisation by macroinvertebrates was measured in a south-eastern Australian river over a 32-day period in an experiment testing the hypothesis that wood type influences the invertebrate assemblage structure. The wood types were green wood, dry wood, and dry but previously waterlogged wood. All wood used was river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). Macroinvertebrates colonised previously waterlogged wood more rapidly than green or dry wood. The assemblage structure varied significantly over the sampling period, with copepods and cladocerans numerically dominating the assemblage during the first few days after the introduction of the wood. The assemblage became more diverse through time and was numerically dominated by dipterans, ephemeropterans and trichopterans. The results indicate that there was little difference in the time taken for macroinvertebrate colonisation after wood introduction when using either green or dry wood. This has implications for large-scale restoration projects, where green wood is likely to be a more readily available option for reintroduction than dry wood.


The paper will discuss social responsibility that is related to business. The term 'social responsibility' refers to the responsibility of managers or organizations in carrying out their socially approved missions, to be responsive to, to be congruent with and to interact and live with the forces and elements of their social environment. Social responsibility was still perceived as the burden for almost all of the business society in Indonesia. This perception was then followed by business malpractices that created disadvantages for the society as a whole. Recently, as people were not passive anymore, the business society can no longer do what they want to do without social considerations. Business is not merely a matter of economics. The existence of businesses should provide the society with welfare. This new paradigm is a new challenge for Indonesian businesses today and in the future.


In this paper, advanced membrane designs are simulated in order to improve the sensitivity of micromachined silicon condenser microphones. Analytical analyzes and finite element simulations have been carried out to derive algebraic expressions for the mechanical compliance of corrugated membranes and membranes supported at spring elements. It is shown that the compliance of both types of membranes can be modeled with the help of an enhanced theory of circular membranes. For spring membranes, a numerically derived and design dependent constant takes into account the reduced suspension. The mechanical stress in corrugated membranes is calculated using a geometrical model and is confirmed by finite element simulations. A very good agreement between theory and experimental results is demonstrated for spring membranes of different shape and for membranes with varying number of corrugations. In a silicon microphone application, a high electro-acoustical sensitivity up to 8.2 mV/Pa/V is achieved with a membrane diameter of only 1 mm.


Reliable design and reanalysis of coastal and offshore structures require, among other things, characterization of extreme crest elevation corresponding to long return periods. Extreme crests typically correspond to focused wave events enhanced by wave–wave interactions of different orders—third-order, four-wave interactions dominating in deep water (Janssen, P. A. E. M., 2003, "Nonlinear Four-Wave Interactions and Freak Waves," J. Phys. Oceanogr., 33(4), pp. 863–884). Higher-order spectral (HOS) analysis can be used to identify wave–wave interactions in time-series of water surface elevation; trispectral analysis is needed to detect third-order, four-wave interactions. Four-wave interactions between Fourier components can involve interactions of the type where f1 + f2 + f3 = f4 and where f1 + f2 = f3 + f4, resulting in two definitions of the trispectrum—the T- and V-trispectrum (with corresponding tricoherences), respectively. It is shown that the T-tricoherence is capable of detecting phase-locked four-wave interactions of the type f4 = f1 + f2 + f3 when these are simulated with simple sinusoids, but such interactions were not detected in HOS model simulations and field data. It is also found that high V-tricoherence levels are detected at frequencies at which four-wave interactions of the type f1 + f2 = f3 + f4 are expected, but these may simply indicate combinations of independent pairs of Fourier components that happen to satisfy the frequency relationship. Preliminary analysis shows that using a cumulant-based trispectrum (Kravtchenko-Berejnoi, V., Lefeuvre, F., Krasnosel'skikh, V. V., and Lagoutte, D., 1995, "On the Use of Tricoherent Analysis to Detect Nonlinear Wave–Wave Interactions," Signal Process., 42(3), pp. 291–309) may improve identification of wave–wave interactions. These results highlight that caution needs to be exercised in interpreting trispectra in terms of specific four-wave interactions occurring in sea states and further research is needed to establish whether this is in fact possible in practice.


Sentinel surveillance for drug resistance in leprosy by global leprosy programme has launched in 2006. Possible contribution of Japanese researchers to global leprosy control in the future were discussed on the base of circumstances of the project and our assignment in the sueveillance.


Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is an age-associated phenomenon that increases risk for hematologic malignancy and cardiovascular disease. CH is thought to increase cardiovascular disease risk through inflammation in the peripheral blood1. Here, we profile peripheral blood gene expression in 104,566 single cells from a cohort of 17 CH patients and 6 controls. We discovered that patients harboring DNMT3A and TET2 CH mutations at baseline and in response to IL-6 stimulation confer a pro-inflammatory profile to CD14+ monocytes through previously unrecognized pathways including Macrophage Inhibitory Factor (MIF). A germline genetic variant in MIF modifies TET2 CH cardiovascular disease risk. Using mitochondrial lineage tracing, we used a novel method to compare gene expression between mutated and non-mutated cells within individual CH patients. We found that the mutated CH monocytes, but not non-mutated monocytes are pro-inflammatory, explaining why patients with larger CH clones have increased cardiovascular disease risk.


ABSTRACT Saxicolous lichens were investigated for the first time in the southern reaches of the Caatinga biome in Sergipe, NE Brazil. Only 20 species could be identified, and three more are described as new to science: Cresponea quinqueseptata Aptroot & M.Cáceres, sp. nov. with 5-septate ascospores and yellow pruinose discs; Fulgogasparrea intensa Aptroot & M.Cáceres, sp. nov. with a cinnabar red, appressed thallus with marginally elongated lobes; and Peltula nigrotestudinea Aptroot & M. Cáceres, sp. nov. with flat, black, isolated areoles. A number of substrate shifts was observed: 1) the new species of Peltula Nyl. does not grow in places with run-off as usual, but on top of the boulders, where it is in the best position to catch the precipitation, which is the limiting factor here; 2) Synalissa matogrossensis (Malme) Henssen, which was previously known only from the type locality, where it grows on limestone, was found on granite; the apparently considerable width of its ecological amplitude is unusual. Its position inside the Lichinaceae was confirmed by sequence data; 3) Xanthoparmelia succedans Elix & J.Johnst. was found growing on bark, rather high on trees. The corticolous occurrence is attributed to high diaspores pressure; 4) the area and thus the tree bark is wet enough part of the year to sustain the growth of a corticolous Lichinaceae (one of only two compared to 340 saxicolous and terricolous species in the family) and other cyanophilic lichens; and 5) the new Cresponea Egea & Torrente is the first saxicolous species in the genus in the tropics, where the genus is most speciose; its thallus is deeply endolithic.


Cloud storage has become immensely popular for maintaining synchronized copies of files and for sharing documents with collaborators. However, there is heightened concern about the security and privacy of Cloud-hosted data due to the shared infrastructure model and an implicit trust in the service providers. Emerging needs of secure data storage and sharing for domains like Smart Power Grids, which deal with sensitive consumer data, require the persistence and availability of Cloud storage but with client-controlled security and encryption, low key management overhead, and minimal performance costs. Cryptonite is a secure Cloud storage repository that addresses these requirements using a Strongbox model for shared key management. We describe the Cryptonite service and desktop client, discuss performance optimizations, and provide an empirical analysis of the improvements. Our experiments shows that Cryptonite clients achieve a 40% improvement in file upload bandwidth over plaintext storage using the Azure Storage Client API despite the added security benefits, while our file download performance is 5 times faster than the baseline for files greater than 100MB.


BACKGROUND Most vitamin E supplements contain synthetic all-rac-alpha-tocopherol [2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2RS-(4'RS,8'RS,12-trimethyltridecyl)-6-chromanol] with 8 stereoisomers; only 1 is identical to the natural stereoisomer, RRR-alpha-tocopherol [2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2R-(4'R,8'R,12-trimethyltridecyl)-6-chromanol]. In humans, 2R-alpha-tocopherol stereoisomers are preferentially maintained in the plasma, a function that has been attributed to hepatic alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (alpha-TTP), but this hypothesis has not been tested. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the functions of alpha-TTP by comparing mice that express alpha-TTP with mice that are genetically unable to express alpha-TTP. DESIGN Adult alpha-TTP null (Ttpa(-/-); n = 5), heterozygous (Ttpa(+/-); n = 7), and wild-type (Ttpa(+/+); n = 3) mice consumed equimolar RRR-alpha-[5,7-(C(2)H(3))(2)]-(d(6))- and all-rac-alpha-[5-(C(2)H(3))]-(d(3))-tocopheryl acetates (30 mg/kg diet each) for 3 mo. Subsequently, we measured labeled and unlabeled alpha-tocopherols in plasma and 17 tissues. RESULTS In all mice, plasma and tissue d(6)- + d(3)-alpha-tocopherols represented approximate 80-90% of total alpha-tocopherol. In the Ttpa(-/-) mice, low total alpha-tocopherol concentrations were found in plasma (5.4%) and most other tissues (2-20%), but liver concentrations were 39% of those of Ttpa(+/+) mice. Peripheral tissue ratios of d(6)- to d(3)-alpha-tocopherol were 1.1 plus minus 0.1 and 1.8 plus minus 0.2 in Ttpa(-/-) and Ttpa(+/+) mice, respectively (P < 0.0001), showing that alpha-TTP preferentially selects 2R-alpha-tocopherols for secretion into plasma. This 2:1 ratio does not support the currently defined international unit of 1.36:1 RRR-alpha-tocopherol to all-rac-alpha-tocopherol. CONCLUSION Deletion of the alpha-TTP gene in mice results in an accumulation of dietary alpha-tocopherol in the liver and depletion of peripheral tissue alpha-tocopherol.


Background Pedestrian collisions are a major cause of injury in Canadian children. Parents indicate that traffic injury risk is a leading reason why children are not encouraged to walk to school. Promoting walking to school must take injury risk into consideration. Previous studies investigating walking to school have generally relied on parent report, and have not included pedestrian injury data. Objective To determine the relationship between observed numbers of children walking to school and collision rates at elementary schools. Methods Observational counts were conducted of elementary school transportation modes to school in Toronto, Canada. Pedestrian-motor vehicle collision data from 2000–2009 were obtained. Negative binomial regression was used to model rates of child pedestrian injury within school attendance boundaries with observed proportion of children walking to school. Results There were 441 collisions in 118 study school boundaries. A total of 16 137 children were observed walking. The mean collision rate was 78/1000/child years. The mean proportion of walking to school was 67%. Walking to school was a significant predictor of collisions (4.05, 95% CI 1.22 to 13.43). Significance The proportion of children arriving to school using AST was higher and demonstrated greater variability than expected. Proportion of exposure to traffic with children walking to school was positively significantly associated with rate of child pedestrian collision. Increasing the numbers of children walking to school could have the undesired effect of increasing pedestrian injury rates, if efforts are not made to enhance pedestrian safety around schools.


AIMS
In recent years, treatment options for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) have increased (e.g., paricalcitol, calcimimetics). To determine the impact these new treatments have on achieving K/DOQI targets, an observational, prospective survey was undertaken.

METHODS
Four 6-month time-spaced surveys of 2,637 patients in 28 Italian dialysis units were performed. Patient demographic information; use of vitamin D or calcimimetics; and changes in parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) levels were evaluated.

RESULTS
Over the course of the survey, use of calcitriol decreased (from 62.1% at baseline to 44.5% at month 18; p<0.001), while use of paricalcitol (from 19.9% to 36.9%; p<0.001) and calcimimetics (from 6.4% to 10.8%; p<0.001) increased. This was associated with a decrease in mean PTH values (from 310.3 ± 292.4 pg/mL at baseline to 279.5 ± 250.1 pg/mL at month 18; p=0.0002), while mean Ca and P remained steady. The percentage of patients achieving K/DOQI ranges for PTH (from 26.8% at baseline to 32.0% at month 18, p<0.001), Ca (from 50.4% at baseline to 55.9% at month 18, p<0.001) and the 3 targets combined (PTH, Ca and P; from 8.8% at baseline to 11.5% at month 18, p=0.003) significantly increased (p<0.05). Despite the introduction of newer agents, two thirds of patients did not achieve target levels.

CONCLUSIONS
Increased awareness and newer treatment options for chronic kidney disease patients with SHPT have changed treatment policy and number of patients achieving K/DOQI target levels in Italy. However, the majority of patients did not meet the target ranges, suggesting that new drugs and strategies are still warranted for optimal management of SHPT in chronic kidney disease.


Following the tradition set in previous volumes, volume 18 of Birth Defects: Original Article Series continues to use the 'mucopolysaccharidosis' system of numbering, that is, 1, 3, 5, and to alternate between Latin and Arabic (volume XVII has sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6). This slightly eccentric approach extends to the choice of articles; thus the volume labelled Dysmorphology has an article on collagen synthesis by Duchenne myogenic clones and the one labelled Prenatal Diagnosis and Mechanisms of Teratogenesis has a whole section on perinatology. In the volume on dysmorphology there are, as usual, many 'new' syndromes. While one applauds accurate reporting of clinical features, the insertion of too much jargon can leave the reader worrying about the precise meaning. For example, did the patient who could "ambulate independently" do anything else besides walking? Did the patient with "oligophrenic facies" look stupid? One wonders about the value of reporting 'A possible new short rib syndrome in two sibs' without clinical photographs or radiographs. Fortunately these cases, like others in the volume, have been published elsewhere. The volume on Prenatal Diagnosis and Mechanisms of Teratogenesis contains useful reviews on hyperthermia and brain development, malformations in infants of diabetic mothers, the effectiveness of antenatal screening, and methods of diagnosing some bone dysplasias antenatally. However, one must remark that editorial control over the content of articles seems to have been non-existent. For example, the paper on 'Prenatal detection of a balanced translocation: a counselling dilemma' reports a single case of a balanced translocation found on amniocentesis (46,XY,t(5 ;1 1)(q33 ;pl 5-1). The mother was found to carry an identical translocation. The infant was subsequently normal. This sort of case may cause much soul-searching in California, and indeed the family are thanked for allowing the investigators "to enter their private lives, become informed decision-makers, and ultimately chose, for themselves, the right option", but it must be a run of the mill event at other genetics units around the world. In summary, these volumes are probably indispensable to active genetics units; nevertheless, erratic editorial policy, patchy quality, and a tendency for identical articles to be published elsewhere, are, to my mind, rapidly eroding the well deserved reputation of the Birth Defects series.


The Retinol-Binding Protein (RBP) is expressed primarily in the liver. The regulatory elements involved in its tissue-specific expression have been identified and mapped to the 5' flanking region of the RBP gene. In this paper heterokaryons and somatic cell-hybrids have been produced and analysed in order to demonstrate that the RBP gene is subject to extinction and to identify the target sequences of this phenomenon. We show here that the gene is extinguished in fusions of hepatoma with a variety of cells of different species and embryonic lineages. The repression is not due to loss of the gene and occurs also when chromosome 10, where the gene is located, is inherited from the expressing parental cell-type. Hybrid clones were transfected with constructs carrying DNA segments of different lengths from the 5' flanking region of the RBP gene fused to a reporter gene. We demonstrate that extinction takes place also on an exogenous RBP-CAT gene, mimicking the phenomenon observed with the endogenous gene in its chromosomal location. Moreover, we identify and map the target sequences of the putative extinguishing function. Our data thus show that extinction of RBP is mediated through the DNA segment that is involved in its tissue-specific expression.


Shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) can provide effective, chemically specific information on fluorescent samples. However, the restricted ability for fast alternating detection (usually < 10 Hz) of spectra excited at two shifted laser wavelengths can limit its effectiveness when rapidly varying emission backgrounds are present. This paper presents a novel charge-shifting lock-in approach permitting fast SERDS operation (exemplarily demonstrated at 1000 Hz) using a specialized dual-wavelength diode laser (emitting at 829.40 nm and 828.85 nm) and a custom-built charge-coupled device (CCD) enabling charge retention and shifting back and forth on the CCD chip. For six selected mineral samples (moved irregularly during spectral acquisition), results demonstrate superior reproducibility of the fast charge-shifting read-out over the conventional read-out (operated at 5.4 Hz). Partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed improved classification performance of charge-shifting (four latent variables, sensitivity: 99%, specificity: 94%) versus conventional read-out (six latent variables, sensitivity: 90%, specificity: 92%). The charge-shifting concept was also successfully translated to sub-surface analysis using spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS). Charge-shifting SERDS-SORS spectra recorded from a polytetrafluoroethylene layer, concealed behind a 0.25 mm thick, opaque, heterogeneous layer, matched reference spectra much more closely and exhibited a signal-to-background-noise (S/NB) ratio two times higher than that achieved with conventional CCD read-out SERDS-SORS. The novel approach overcomes fundamental limitations of conventional CCDs. In conjunction with the inherent capability of the charge-shifting lock-in technique to suppress rapidly varying ambient light interference demonstrated by us earlier it is expected to be particularly beneficial with heterogeneous fluorescent samples in field applications.


The use of ultraviolet light (UVL) to study and document patterned injuries on human skin has opened a new frontier for law enforcement. This article discusses the photographic techniques involved in reflective and fluorescent UVL. Documentation of skin wounds via still photography and dynamic video photographic techniques, which utilize various methods of UV illumination, are covered. Techniques important for courtroom presentation of evidence gathered from lacerations, contusions, abrasions, and bite marks are presented through case studies and controlled experiments. Such injuries are common sequelae in the crimes of child abuse, rape, and assault.


Win the all-important kicking game, every game! "Complete Guide to Special Teams" provides the tactical insights for gaining an advantage in every facet of the crucial third component of championship squads: -Kickoffs -Kickoff returns -Extra points -Two-point conversions-Punts-Punt returns -Field goals -Punt and field goal blocks In addition, this comprehensive guide presents detailed technique instruction for kickers, punters, long snappers, field goal and extra point kickers and holders, kickoff and punt returners, and other specialized positions related to the kicking game. Chapters on the development of special team units and players highlight the best practice drills and key teaching points for success."Complete Guide to Special Teams" is the authoritative resource on the kicking game for coaches and players. Created by the American Football Coaches Association, this guide could spell the difference in the outcome of several games each season.


In the paper, we showed the local existence and uniqueness of weak solution of a nonlinear degenerate parabolic equation with nonlinear boundary conditions, and we also obtained global solvability conditions for the situation with and without strong absorption terms.


Although cryptotanshinone (CT) from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge was known to exert antitumor activity in liver, breast and prostate cancers, its molecular mechanism under hypoxia still remain unclear. Thus, in the present study, the roles of astrocyte elevated gene 1 (AEG-1) and HIF-1α in crytotanshinone induced antitumor activity were investigated in PC-3 prostate cancer cells under hypoxia. Cryptotanshinone exerted cytotoxicity against prostate cancer cells and suppressed HIF-1α accumulation and transcriptional activity and AEG-1 expression in hypoxic PC-3 cells. Also, AGE-1 was overexpressed in prostate cancer cells and also upregulated along with HIF-1α in hypoxic PC-3 cells. Interestingly, HIF-1α siRNA transfection blocked AEG-1 expression and activated caspase 9/3 and PARP cleavage, while AEG-1 siRNA transfection did not affect HIF-1α activity in hypoxic PC-3 cells. Of note, HIF prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, dimethyloxalylglycine enhanced the stability of AEG-1 and HIF-1α during hypoxia. In addition, CT also significantly reduced cellular levels of VEGF, a downstream of HIF-1α, and disturbed tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells maintained in conditioned medium of hypoxic PC-3 cells. Consistently, ChIP assay revealed that CT inhibited the binding of HIF-1α to VEGF promoter. Furthermore, CT at 10 mg/kg suppressed the growth of PC-3 cells in BALB/c athymic nude mice by 46.4% compared to untreated control. Consistently, immunohistochemistry revealed decreased expression of Ki-67(proliferation), CD34 (blood vessel), VEGF (angiogenesis), carbonic anhydrase(CA)IX (hypoxic marker) and AEG-1 indices in CT-treated group compared to untreated control. Overall, our findings suggest that CT exerts antitumor activity via inhibition of HIF-1α, AEG1 and VEGF as a potent chemotherapeutic agent. Citation Format: Sung Hoon Kim, Hyojeong Lee, Hanna Hyun Kim, Deok Beom Jung, Eunjung Sohn. Inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor alpha and astrocyte elevated gene-1 mediates cryptotanshionone induced antitumor activity in hypoxic PC-3 cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A83.


In this letter, we investigate the removal of multiple access interference and optical beat noise from a two-channel optical system that simulates the output from a time-spread optical code-division multiple access system operating at a data rate of 100 Mb/s. Both noise sources were removed using a saturable absorber semiconductor optical amplifier two-photon absorption receiver structure. Experimental results show error-free operation when all three devices are used together.


System-level design requires behavioral models of its complex components in order to validate the designs, synthesize implementations and generate tests. Descriptions of these components are often only available as English descriptions. Developing behavioral models from natural language descriptions has been a tedious and time consuming task. The paper describes the semiautomatic generation of conceptual models from text and a simulator for these models. The conceptual modeling language is a knowledge representation notation (semantic hypergraphs), and simulation of these abstract descriptions based on the VHDL execution model is described. Simulation at the conceptual level avoids having to add the extraneous declarations and other syntactic artifacts necessary with more conventional description languages. These declarations not only take time, but also prejudice the implementation.


We study the effect of the impurity density on lifetimes and relaxation lengths of electron spins in the presence of a static electric field in a n-type GaAs bulk. The transport of electrons and the spin dynamics are simulated by using a semiclassical Monte Carlo approach, which takes into account the intravalley scattering mechanisms of warm electrons in the semiconductor material. Spin relaxation is considered through the D'yakonov-Perel mechanism, which is the dominant mechanism in III-V semiconductors. The evolution of spin polarization is analyzed by computing the lifetimes and depolarization lengths as a function of the doping density in the range 10^{13} - 10^{16} cm^{-3}, for different values of the amplitude of the static electric field (0.1 - 1.0 kV/cm). We find an increase of the electron spin lifetime as a function of the doping density, more evident for lattice temperatures lower than 150 K. Moreover, at very low intensities of the driving field, the spin depolarization length shows a nonmonotonic behaviour with the density. At the room temperature, the spin lifetimes and depolarization lengths are nearly independent on the doping density. The underlying physics is analyzed.


Biological nutrient removal (BNR) is being selected as the cost effective option for enhancing nutrient removal at plants located in temperate climates in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the Long Island Sound in the U.S.A. However, there is considerable discrepancy in the reported values for temperature sensitivity for nitrification and denitrification rates in winter, as observed at different plants and those reported in higher strength wastewaters in Europe and South Africa. Full scale data show that the temperature sensitivity for nitrification is considerably lower. Denitrification rates in the primary anoxic zone are also lower, possibly because of lower influent strengths (250 to 450 mg/L COD). Secondary clarifier limitations have been a key cost factor in attempting year round nitrogen removal as against seasonal (summer) nitrogen removal. The anoxic MCRT and anoxic volume requirements have been a critical cost factor in designs. Split flow designs, where a fraction of the influent flow is sent directly to the anoxic zone, have allowed process designs with lower anaerobic volumes. The readily available COD in the fraction of the influent which enters the primary anoxic zone enhances denitrification rates. Though the anaerobic cell receives less than 100 percent of the influent flow, excellent biological phosphorus removal can still be maintained with phosphate detergent ban wastewaters. The fraction of biomass maintained under anaerobic conditions (and the anaerobic volume) can be reduced because the phosphate detergent ban has decreased the amount of phosphorus which has to be removed for the same influent COD. Biofilm and suspended growth systems have been combined in a single reactor to reduce volume requirements for nitrogen removal.


This paper presents an interesting strategy for using polarized/multiangular satellite measurements to infer aerosol composition. The method uses the Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties (GRASP) along with assuming that aerosols are mixtures of non-soluable particles embedded within a soluable host. GRASP then derives size distribution, loading and light absorption characteristics based on determining the fractions of each aerosol type. The algorithm is applied first on synthetic data, then on ground-based AERONET, then on historic POLDER data.


Abstract This article discusses closed-loop systems, namely Cradle to Cradle and circular economy, in the context of sustainable education. These circular models, at least ideally, promise absolute decoupling of resource consumption from the economy. This article presents student assignments applying these models to Hennes & Mauritz, a clothing retail company, and insect food producer, Protix. While the discussion of circular economy revolves around the economic benefits of closed-loop systems, it rarely addresses posthumanism. Posthumanism is related to postqualitative theory, inspired by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. Deleuze and Guattari emphasize that nature has become intertwined with technology and culture. In the cases discussed, combining both techno- and organic materials produces 'monstrous hybrids'. It appears that fully circular solutions are rare as absolute decoupling is limited by thermodynamic (im)possibilities. This realization still has to be developed in environmental education. Within this posthumanist inquiry, the larger lesson from the case studies is the necessity of teaching about degrowth in production, consumption and corporate strategy. In pedagogical terms, this article aims to generate a more critical discussion within the environmental education community about how postqualitative inquiry can provide different and distinct perspectives from qualitative inquiry in the context of the circular economy.


One of the most important and perennially debated philosophical questions is whether we can have knowledge of the external world. Butchvarov here considers whether and how scepticism with regard to such knowledge can be refuted or at least answered. He argues that only a direct realist view of perception has any hope of providing a compelling response to the sceptic and introduces the radical innovation that the direct object of perceptual, and even dreaming and hallucinatory, experience is always a material object, but not necessarily one that actually exists. This leads him to a metaphysics in which reality is ultimately constructed by human decisions out of objects that are ontologically more basic but which cannot be said in themselves to be either real or unreal.


The stability of a liquid layer flowing down an inclined plane is investigated. A new perturbation method is used to furnish information regarding stability of surface waves for three cases: the case of small wavenumbers, of small Reynolds numbers, and of large wavenumbers. The results for small wavenumbers agree with Benjamin's result obtained by the use of power series expansion, and the results for the two other cases are new. The results for large wavenumbers, zero surface tension, and vertical plate contradict the tentative assertion of Benjamin. The three cases are then re‐examined for shear‐wave stability, and the results compared with those for confined plane Poiseuille flow. The comparison serves to indicate the vestiges of shear waves in the free‐surface flow, and to give a sense of unity in the understanding of the stability of both flows. The case of large wavenumbers also serves as a new example of the dual role of viscosity in stability phenomena.The topological features of the ci curves for...


This paper analyses theoretical and empirical scientific literature about the impact of technological innovations on unemployment, considering the former as a key driver of long-term productivity and economic growth. Using panel data from 25 European countries for the period of 2000–2012, we aim to examine whether technological innovations affect unemployment. We used triadic patent families per million inhabitants as our main proxy for technological innovations, as well as other unemployment controls, in our model, which were estimated using System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM). Finding no significant relationship between technological innovations and unemployment in our base estimation, we re-estimated it testing the impact with a time lag as well as using alternative proxies for technological innovations. Overall, the research estimations do not suggest that technological innovations have an effect on unemployment.


SIMPLE (Superheated Instrument for Massive ParticLE searches) employs super-heated droplet detectors (SDDs) to search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter. As a result of the intrinsic SDD insensitivity to minimum ionizing particles and high fluorine content of target liquids, competitive WIMP limits were already obtained at the early prototype stage. We comment here on the expected immediate increase in sensitivity of the program and on future plans to exploit this promising technnique.


Objective: To examine the influence of environmental-structural factors in promoting consistent condom use (CCU) among female sex workers (FSW) and their regular paying partners in the Dominican Republic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 288 FSW recruited from 41 sex establishments in Santo Domingo from March to June 1998. Sex workers were asked about their sexual behavior, self-efficacy at negotiating safe sex, perceived intimacy with their most recent regular paying partner, and the physical, social and policy environment of the establishment where they worked. Factor and reliability analysis were utilized to develop aggregate measures for self-efficacy (Cronbach's Alpha 0.60), intimacy (Cronbach's Alpha 0.80), and environmental-structural support (Cronbach's Alpha 0.72). Results: Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of participants in multivariate analyses, environmental-structural support for condom use and HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention was a significant predictor of CCU (OR 2.16; CI 1.18–3.97) among FSW and their regular paying partners. Safe sex self-efficacy (OR 2.80; CI 1.31–5.97) and low perceived intimacy with the most recent regular paying partner (OR 7.20; CI 3.49–14.83) were also significantly associated with CCU in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Environmental-structural support for condom use and HIV/STI prevention is a significant predictor of CCU among FSW in the context of regular paying partnerships. Environmental-structural factors, in addition to relational and individual cognitive factors, should be assessed and addressed by behaviorally guided theory, research and interventions related to HIV/STI prevention and female sex work.


Context-aware computing, an emerging paradigm in which applications sense and adapt their behavior to changes in their operational environment, is key to developing dependable software for use in the often unpredictable settings of ad hoc networks. However, designing an application which gathers, maintains, and adapts to context can be a difficult undertaking, even for a seasoned programmer. Our goal is to simplify the programming task by hiding such issues from the programmer, allowing one to quickly and reliably produce a context-aware application for use in ad hoc networks. With this goal in mind, we introduce a novel abstraction called context-sensitive data structures (CSDS). The programmer interacts with the CSDS through a familiar programming interface, without direct knowledge of the context gathering and maintenance tasks that occur behind the scenes. In this paper, we define a model of context-sensitive data structures and present protocols which enable the programmer to construct and maintain a CSDS as a distributed structure over a mobile ad hoc network in a state of flux.


Ever since their appearance in the early 1990s, hypertext novels were presented as the pinnacle of digital aesthetics and claimed to represent the revolutionary future of literature. However, as a literary phenomenon, hypertext novels have remained marginal. The article presents some scientifically derived explanations as to why hypertext novels do not have a mass audience and why they are likely to remain a marginal contribution in the history of literature. Three explanatory frameworks are provided: (1) how hypertext relates to our cognitive information processing in general; (2) the empirically derived psychological reasons for how we read and enjoy literature in particular; and (3) the likely evolutionary origins of such a predilection for storytelling and literature. It is shown how hypertext theory, by ignoring such knowledge, has yielded misguided statements and uncorroborated claims guided by ideology rather than by scientifically supported knowledge.


Background The frequency of invasive fungal disease (IFD) has increased in recent two decades and has emerged as an important cause of life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients, especially in those who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Empirical antifungal therapy has been the standard of care used to decrease the number of deaths due to IFD among neutropenic patients who have persistent or recurrent fever despite broad-spectrum antibacterial treatment. However, about two thirds of these patients may be potentially exposed to unnecessary empirical antifungal treatment with associated potential toxicity and considerable financial burden. It was demonstrated that high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) had early predictive value for fungal infection, and the major signs on chest CT scans generally precede the positive outcome of serum galactomannan test. It was also shown that the diagnosis-based treatment strategy only based on HRCT results could reduce more than a half use of antifungal agents in HSCT patients who had persistent febrile neutropenia. Thus, we would like to explore the feasibility of this new strategy for hematological patients with IA in China. Method This was a prospective and single-arm study. Up to now, 24 neutropenic patients after intensive chemotherapy or HSCT with high risk factors for IFD from three hospitals were enrolled. After recruitment, HRCT of thorax will be conducted within 24h. If HRCT shows any new changes suspicious of fungal infection, including halo sign, cavity, air-crescent sign, or other non-specific signs, voriconazole would be given intravenously for two weeks, followed by oral voriconazole. Six weeks after initiation of antifungal therapy, the outcome was evaluated by clinicians according to the patients9 imagining and microbiological evidences and clinical conditions, and complete or partial responses were defined as successful outcome of antifungal therapy. Result The median age of this population was 38.5 years (range from 19 to 78). Four of 24 patients were the recipients of HSCT, and the others received intensive chemotherapy. There were four patients had history of IFD, and 7 take fluconazole orally for antifungal prophylaxis. At the beginning of antifungal therapy with voriconazole, 12 had non-specific infiltrates on pulmonary HRCT, 8 had dense lesions with halo sign, and 4 had cavity. At the end of six-week follow-up, 5 patients were diagnosed with possible IA, 6 with probable IA and 1 with proven IA. The total successful rate of antifungal therapy with CT-diagnostic-driven strategy was 50.0% (12/24). Notably, efficacies of the antifungal treatment in patients with specific IA signs on pulmonary HRCT were significant higher than that in patients with non-specific signs (75.0% vs. 25.0%, P=0.043). Conclusion The CT-diagnostic-driven antifungal strategy was effective and suitable for patients with hematological malignancies. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Domestic violence infringes the basic right to security of the individual and affects society as a whole – it impacts on demography, education and health systems, the economy, political participation and the overall security of a country. Domestic violence is a universal problem which affects all parts of the social fabric; it transcends ethnic, gender, religious, generational and economic lines. In Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, beyond the ratification of a number of international instruments, domestic violence is widely recognised as a persistent challenge. On average, more than one in three women in the Caribbean experience gender-based violence in their lifetime; child sexual abuse is also a concern. The causes behind domestic violence in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean are complex and deeply entrenched in cultural and behavioural norms. The prevention of domestic violence is vital if protection rights are to be effectively safeguarded. To this end, a sustainable and community driven approach -involving civil society and the various stakeholders - is crucial in effecting changes in cultural attitudes towards domestic violence. Early and continuous education about gender based violence and a focus on the prosecution and rehabilitation of perpetrators are both necessary to address the problem at its root. In addition, it is important that the relevant legal framework - and accompanying measures - is fortified and effectively enforced, so that the safety of victims and their families is adequately provided for. A co-ordinated approach between the various stakeholders is important to allow public and private mitigation and response mechanisms toward both protective and restorative safety nets (European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), 'Towards a Future Free from Domestic Violence', Guidelines for grant applicants 2014).


We analyze the determinants of bank branch location in Spain controlling for geography explicitly. After a long period of intense expansion, most savings banks are now involved in merger processes. However, given the contributions of this type of bank to combatting financial exclusion, this process might exacerbate the consequences of the crisis for some social groups. Related problems such as new banking regulation initiatives, or the current excess capacity in the sector, add further relevance to this problem. We address the issue from a Bayesian spatial perspective, which has several advantages over other methodologies used in previous studies. Specifically, the techniques we choose allow us to assess with some precision whether over-branching or under-branching have taken place. Results suggest that both phenomena exist in the Spanish banking sector, although implications for the three types of banks in the industry (commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions) differ.


We propose a new model and a solution method for two-phase compressible flows. The model involves six equations obtained from conservation principles applied to each phase, completed by a seventh equation for the evolution of the volume fraction. This equation is necessary to close the overall system. The model is valid for fluid mixtures, as well as for pure fluids. The system of partial differential equations is hyperbolic. Hyperbolicity is obtained because each phase is considered to be compressible. Two difficulties arise for the solution: one of the equations is written in non-conservative form; non-conservative terms exist in the momentum and energy equations. We propose robust and accurate discretisation of these terms. The method solves the same system at each mesh point with the same algorithm. It allows the simulation of interface problems between pure fluids as well as multiphase mixtures. Several test cases where fluids have compressible behavior are shown as well as some other test problems where one of the phases is incompressible. The method provides reliable results, is able to compute strong shock waves, and deals with complex equations of state. c © 1999 Academic Press


The time dependence of the replacement rate of devices with lognormal failure distributions is studied. The relationship between the peak replacement rate and a, the standard deviation in the corresponding s-normal distribution, is obtained. The study assumes that each device represents a renewal process and the system of devices represents a superimposed renewal process. The peak replacement rate becomes very large for both extreme values of a. The corresponding replacement rate eventually approaches the conventional asymptotic rate only after many MTTFs (Mean Time To Failure), possibly long after the system becomes obsolete. Ways to cope with this situation are suggested. However, the replacement rate curve becomes almost critically damped with a minimum-peak-factor ¿1.03 at ¿ ¿0.63. The study also reveals that asymptotically the lognormal devices with ¿ << 1 would require fewer replacements than the exponential devices with the same MTTF. The difference is equal to one-half of the population in service. For large a, more replacements are required. The results of this paper apply to a variety of reliability studies and maintenance and inventory strategies for communication systems that employ lognormal devices such as a semiconductor laser, LED, avalanche photo diode, or IMPATT diode. In particular, the present approach is especially helpful when such a device is the least reliable component in the system.


The School Environmental Action Showcase is in its fifth year at George Mason University. This event may be the largest STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) showcase in Virginia. Seven hundred youth, from kindergarten through high school, present their environmentally oriented research at Mason's Center for the Arts in April. The Mason leader, a science professor, has coordinated with a communication faculty member to support SEAS.  SEAS  is funded by the 4VA Wind and Watershed partnership.  It also includes faculty and students in a James Madison University course, community NGOs, dozens of regional K-12 schools, state and federal agencies, Mason admissions and sustainability offices, public officials, and student volunteers.  Youth present projects such as planting radishes to improve the cleanliness of Virginia waters and designing wind turbines to increase energy production.  This proposed lightning talk will share highlights, Mason students' feedback, and lessons learned about teaming across disciplines.


Cognitive scientists sometimes find themselves embroiled in debates over the precise definitions of high-level concepts in their fields – COGNITION, EMOTION, SENSE, and so on. The idea behind these debates seems to be that achieving a precise definition of these concepts will be a boon to scientific inquiry. We argue that these efforts of conceptual analysis would benefit from greater appreciation of the importance of such high-level concepts in supporting association or semantic priming, as opposed to deduction. In this associative role, they provide the basis for making connections between related concepts, connections that can then be explored by empirical methods, which in turn yield more precise, but often quite novel, concepts. In combination with well-established work in cognitive psychology on the non-classical structure of natural concepts, this perspective suggests that researchers should be cautious about investing substantial time and energy in attempts to precisely define concepts like COGNITION.


In this article, the author tries to prove the advantages of exporting the export price. It is proposed to evaluate export growth based on the common formula of regulation.
The chronic shortage of balance of trade in commodity products of Georgia was always the subject of concerns of Georgian authorities. Under the independence of Georgia all
governments have set a goal of foreign trade openness. At different stages, different ways of solving this problem, name ly opening new markets, increasing re-export, re-orientation
in traditional markets, etc. This issue was also a subject of research for scientists and researchers, and many interesting researches were conducted in this direction. See Bibliography. All these directions are distinguished in this study and are considered to be the most serious problems that impede export growth, at the same time it is expedient to identify new directions and establish new opportunities for export growth.


Gulf war illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom disease that afflicts 25-33% of troops that were deployed in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. GWI symptoms include cognitive, behavioral and emotional deficits, as well as migraines and pain. It is possible that exposure to Gulf War agents and prophylactics contributed to the reported symptomology. Pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and permethrin (PER) were given to protect from nerve gas attacks and insect vector born disease, respectively. Previous studies have demonstrated that 10 days of exposure to these chemicals can cause symptoms analogous to those observed in GWI, including impairment of long-term memory in mice. Other studies using this model have shown chronic neuroinflammation, and chronic neuroinflammation can lead to altered nociceptive sensitivity. At 10-weeks after the 10-day PB and PER exposure paradigm, we observed lowered nociceptive threshold on the Von Frey test that was no longer evident at 28 weeks and 38 weeks post-exposure. We further determined that vagus nerve stimulation, initiated at 38 weeks after exposure, restores the lowered nociceptive sensitivity. Therefore, stimulating the vagus nerve appears to influence nociception. Future studies are need to elucidate possible mechanisms of this effect.


The effects of oral contraceptive steroids (OCS) on the disposition and elimination of lorazepam, oxazepam, and chlordiazepoxide were examined. Lorazepam and oxazepam are metabolized via glucuronidation while chlordiazepoxide is metabolized by oxidation in the liver. The disposition and elimination of lorazepam, oxazepam, and chlordiazepoxide was studied in females not taking OCS and females taking OCS (norethindrone acetate, 1 mg; ethinyl estradiol, 50 m̈g) for 6 months or more. The t½ (β) for lorazepam was significantly reduced in women taking OCS (6.0 ± 3.1 vs. 14.0 ± 6.2 hr) (p < 0.005) as compared to controls, and the tV4 (/}) for oxazepam was reduced in women taking OCS (7.71 ± 3.23 vs. 12.09 ± 5.08 hr) as compared to controls, but did not reach statistical significance. The plasma clearance of both lorazepam and oxazepam was significantly increased in women taking OCS [(288.9 ± 165.9 vs. 77.5 ± 3.29 ml per min) (p < 0.01) and (251.2 ± 106.9 vs. 97.86 ± 69.4 ml per min) (p < 0.01), respectively] as compared to controls. The volumes of distribution of lorazepam and oxazepam were significantly increased in women taking OCS (p < 0.05) while plasma binding of these drugs was similar in both groups. In contrast, the t½ (β?) of chlordiazepoxide was significantly prolonged (20.58 ± 8.08 vs. 11.63 ± 5.91 hr) (p < 0.05), and the plasma clearance was significantly reduced (13.41 ± 4.69 vs. 33.22 ± 12.37 ml per min) (p < 0.05) in the OCS group as compared to controls. The volumes of distribution of chlordiazepoxide were similar in both groups, and the plasma binding of chlordiazepoxide tended to be lower in the OCS group but did not reach statistical significance. We conclude that OCS exert a differential effect on the elimination of benzodiazepines, whereby oxidation of chlordiazepoxide is impaired while the glucuronidation of lorazepam and oxazepam is enhanced by OCS.


The Markowitz mean-variance optimizing framework has served as the basis for modern portfolio theory for more than 50 years. However, efforts to translate this theoretical foundation into a viable portfolio construction algorithm have been plagued by technical difficulties stemming from the instability of the original optimization problem with respect to the available data. In this paper we address these issues of estimation error by regularizing the Markowitz objective function through the addition of a penalty proportional to the sum of the absolute values of the portfolio weights (l1 penalty). This penalty stabilizes the optimization problem, encourages sparse portfolios, and facilitates treatment of transaction costs in a transparent way. We implement this methodology using the Fama and French 48 industry portfolios as our securities. Using only a modest amount of training data, we construct portfolios whose out-of-sample performance, as measured by Sharpe ratio, is consistently and significantly better than that of the naïve portfolio comprising equal investments in each available asset. In addition to their excellent performance, these portfolios have only a small number of active positions, a highly desirable attribute for real life applications. We conclude by discussing a collection of portfolio construction problems which can be naturally translated into optimizations involving l1 penalties and which can thus be tackled by algorithms similar to those discussed here.


Periodic and non-periodic 1-3 type cement based piezoelectric composites were fabricated by cut and filling technique, using P(MN)ZT ceramic as functional material and cement as matrix. The influences of periodicity of piezoelectric ceramic rods in the composites on electrical properties of all the composites were discussed. The results show that the non-periodic composites have larger dielectric factor and piezoelectric strain constant than those of the periodic composite. The impedance-frequency spectra analysis indicates that the non-periodic arrangement of ceramic rods can effectively restrict the lateral structural mode of the composite, accordingly reduces the coupling resonant between the thickness resonant mode and lateral resonant mode. The thickness electromechanical coupling coefficient of non-periodic composites is larger than that of the periodic composite. With increasing the non-periodic level of P(MN)ZT ceramic in the composites, the mechanical quality factor of the composites increases gradually. Therefore, 1-3 type cement based piezoelectric composites with different special abilities can be obtained by varying the periodic arrangement of P(MN)ZT ceramic rods in the composites.


Various test methods have been developed to determine the performance limits of various classes of hydraulic fluids. Lubrication capacity depends on various fundamental fluid parameters including viscosity and anti-wear properties. Critical elements of hydraulic pump and motor lubrication, which is characterized by sliding line-contact wear, will be discussed here. In vane pumps, the pressure loaded tips of the vanes are under Hertz-type load in contact with the surface of the cam ring, and rotate at a high speed creating a sliding line-contact. Due to this sliding line contact, the vane pump is the best-suited instrument for determination of the anti-wear performance of hydraulic fluids within acceptable time and at reasonable expense. Alternatively, hydraulic pump and motor testing may require greater energy, 150 kW or more over a period of more than 1000 hours significantly increasing the cost of testing. Furthermore, tests on smaller versions of one type of pump or motor do not necessarily correlate with larger units of similar design. Therefore, it would be desirable to develop a laboratory test that: utilizes a rig with standard wear parts, provides a selective method for identifying various forms of lubricant failure, and that permits tests correlation with a wide variety of hydraulic pumps and motors used in the industry today.


There is an urgent need for new anti-tubercular agents which can lead to a shortened treatment time by targeting persistent or non-replicating bacilli. In order to assess compound activity against non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we developed a method to detect the bactericidal activity of novel compounds within 7 days. Our method uses incubation at low pH in order to induce a non-replicating state. We used a strain of M. tuberculosis expressing luciferase; we first confirmed the linear relationship between luminescence and viable bacteria (determined by colony forming units) under our assay conditions. We optimized the assay parameters in 96-well plates in order to achieve a reproducible assay. Our final assay used M. tuberculosis in phosphate-citrate buffer, pH 4.5 exposed to compounds for 7 days; viable bacteria were determined by luminescence. We recorded the minimum bactericidal concentration at pH 4.5 (MBC4.5) representing >2 logs of kill. We confirmed the utility of the assay with control compounds. The ionophores monensin, niclosamide, and carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone and the anti-tubercular drugs pretomanid and rifampicin were active, while several other drugs such as isoniazid, ethambutol, and linezolid were not.


Background Bonding is an important step in fixed orthodontic mechanotherapy. Many new materials introduced an adhesive for bonding. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical bond failure rate of orthodontic brackets bonded with green glue: two way color changes adhesive and transbond XT adhesive paste. Methods Eighteen male patients with a mean age of 16 years were included in the study. Convenience sampling technique was used to select the sample for this study. The split-mouth design was used to bond 360 brackets by one operator and both adhesives were used in each patient. Bond failure rates were estimated with respect to bonding procedure, dental arch, tooth type (incisor, canine, and premolar). The results were evaluated using the chisquare test. Kaplan - Meier analysis and the log rank test were used to estimate the survival rate of the brackets. Bracket failure rates for each system were analyzed, and failure causes as reported by the patients and the quadrant of each tooth in which brackets failed were recorded. Results The bond failure rate was 5.00% and 4.44% for green gloo and transbond XT group. No significant difference was found in the bond failure rate between transbond XT and Green gloo group. No significant difference was found in the bond failure rate between the two groups, in relation to right and left side and the type of teeth. Conclusion Green gloo adhesive can be effectively used to bond orthodontic brackets.


Research on post-retirement asset decumulation shows that many retired households are consuming from their financial assets at a very slow rate or not at all. Factors commonly associated with this phenomenon are the complexity of decumulation decisions, uncertain longevity and medical costs, home production, and bequest motives. Using a product allocation framework and data from the Health and Retirement Study we provide evidence of a retirement consumption gap for those with financial assets in the third, fourth, and fifth quintiles. In comparison to previous studies that focus on changes in financial asset values over time to examine post-retirement consumption, our methodology provides a more dynamic evaluation of consumption behavior and quantifies the consumption available to and forgone by retirees under a variety of asset allocation strategies. When incorporating the effects of uncertain longevity, uncertain medical costs, and bequests we find that retirees with median wealth have a consumption gap of approximately 8% on average and that retirees with higher levels of wealth have a consumption gap as high as 45.6%. We discuss the implications of these findings and considerations for future research addressing this topic.


Chronic effects of orally available, nonpeptide vasopressin V1 and V2 receptor antagonists on conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were investigated. SHR and Wistar rats were divided into four groups, groups S-1 to S-4 and W-1 to W-4, respectively. Groups S-1 and W-1 were untreated as control. Groups S-2 and W-2 were treated with V1 antagonist, groups S-3 and W-3 received V2 antagonist, and groups S-4 and W-4 were treated with both of V1 and V2 antagonists. V1 and/or V2 antagonists did not affect degree of blood pressure of W-2, W-3, and W-4 rats, and V1 antagonist, alone or combined with V2 antagonist, slightly reduced increases in blood pressure of S-2 and S-4 rats without significance. However, V2 antagonist induced significantly massive and hyposmolar urine in W-3 rats compared with that in S-3 rats. In conclusion, in SHR, circulating vasopressin contributes to increases in blood pressure via either V1 or V2 receptors less than expected from previous studies with antibodies or peptide antagonists.


Mirizzi syndrome is an uncommon cause of obstructive jaundice in which the common hepatic duct is obstructed by stones trapped within the neck of the cystic duct of the gall-bladder. In long standing cases the calculi may erode through into the common duct and may in fact, impact in the resulting fistula. This syndrome with its later progression is a rare complication of calculous disease of the gall-bladder worldwide. While it is perhaps encountered in the developing countries where cholelithiasis is not as prevalent as in the affluent countries, there has not been much documentation. This article reports on a Nigerian patient with a fistulous complication of Mirizzi syndrome (Type II) managed by cholecystectomy and choledochoduodenostomy and also presents a discussion of the condition.


Diagonal diffusion-weighted imaging (dDWI) uses simultaneous maximized application of 3 orthogonal gradient systems as opposed to sequential acquisition in 3 directions in conventional 3-scan trace DWI (tDWI). Several theoretical advantages of dDWI vs. tDWI include reduced artifacts and increased sharpness. We compared apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) quantification and image quality between monopolar dDWI and tDWI in a dedicated diffusion phantom (b = 0/500/900/2000 s/mm2) and in the abdomen (b = 50/400/800 s/mm2) and pelvis (b = 50/1000/1600 s/mm2) of 2 male volunteers at 1.5 T and 3.0 T. Phantom estimated signal-to-noise ratio (eSNR) was also measured. Two independent observers assessed the image quality on a 5-point scale. In the phantom, image quality was similar between tDWI and dDWI, with equivalent ADC quantification (mean coefficient of variation [CV] between sequences: 1.4% ± 1.2% at 1.5 T and 0.7% ± 0.7% at 3.0 T). Phantom eSNR was similar for both tDWI and dDWI, except for a significantly lower eSNR for b900 of dDWI at 3.0 T (P = .006). In the volunteers, the CV values between tDWI and dDWI were higher than those in the phantom (CV range: abdominal organs, 1.3%–13.3%; pelvic organs, 0.6%–5.7%). A trend toward significant better image quality for dDWI compared with tDWI was observed for b800 (abdomen) at 3.0 T and for b1000 and b1600 (pelvis) at 1.5 T (P = .063 to .066). Our data suggest that dDWI may provide better image quality than tDWI without affecting ADC quantification, needing confirmation in a future clinical study.


Titania powders were synthesized by a sol-gel process using titanium tetrabutoxide as a precursor. The syntheses were performed in water or in saturated aqueous solutions of KCl, CaCl(2), NiCl(2), CoCl(2), and MnCl(2). It is demonstrated, by X-ray diffraction patterns of the synthesized powders that the samples obtained in saturated aqueous solutions of metal chlorides are crystalline (anatase phase) with some minor amount of brookite phase, whereas the sample synthesized in water is amorphous in nature. Thus, it is shown that the anatase phase can be obtained independently on any previous or further treatment of the synthesized powder, such as hydrothermal or heat treatment, providing a new, simple, quick, and inexpensive route to synthesize anatase powders. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.


ABSTRACT An R638A mutation of the polymerase acidic protein (PA) subunit of the RNA polymerase of influenza A/WSN/33 virus results in severe attenuation of viral growth in cell culture by promoting the synthesis of defective interfering RNAs. We propose that R638A is an "elongation" mutant that destabilizes PA-RNA template interactions during elongation. A C453R mutation in PA can compensate for this defect, suggesting that amino acids C453 and R638 form part of the same domain.


Group communication systems that provide consistent group membership and reliable, ordered multicast properties in the presence of faults resulting from malicious intrusions have not been analyzed extensively to quantify the cost of tolerating these intrusions. This paper attempts to quantify this cost by presenting results from an experimental evaluation of three new intrusion-tolerant microprotocols that have been added to an existing crash-fault-tolerant group communication system. The results are analyzed to identify the parts that contribute the most overhead during provision of intrusion tolerance at the group communication system level.


Forest-dependent species are among the most threatened species due to landscape changes, and this is the case of the buffy-tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix aurita), an Atlantic Forest endemic primate. Besides its extensive habitat reduction across Atlantic Forest, the species suffers from the negative impact of the presence of non-native congeners that threatens its local populations due to competition and hybridization events. Knowing the population status of this endangered species is important to guide conservation efforts. Thus, we estimated the population density of C. aurita and recorded the presence of invasive Callithrix species and Callithrix hybrids in Serra do Japi, a large forest remnant with mountainous terrain within the most human-populated region of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. We surveyed a 14.8 km2 area with 387.2 km of survey effort. We estimated a sighting rate of 4.4 groups/10 km walked. The maximum number of individuals recorded per group ranged from 7 to 12. We identified 15 groups throughout the sampled area, totalling 1.01 groups/km2. Two individuals from two distinct groups presented body pelage characteristic of hybrids between C. aurita and other Callithrix species. No individuals of other Callithrix species were recorded within the surveyed area. Considering the total size of this remnant and the potential population size of C. aurita inhabiting this area, this local population may be an important source of individuals for helping the conservation and long-term persistence of the species. However, the presence of Callithrix hybrids in the area is worrying and may threaten the local native population. Our study reinforces the concern with C. aurita conservation and the need for studies focused on the management of hybrids and invasive Callithrix species. Mitigation measures should be directed to readily control hybridization to keep this large population of Serra do Japi safe.


While gene knockout technology can reveal the roles of proteins in cellular functions, including in mast cells, fetal death due to gene manipulation frequently interrupts experimental analysis. We generated mast cells from mouse fetal liver (FLMC), and compared the fundamental functions of FLMC with those of bone marrow-derived mouse mast cells (BMMC). Under electron microscopy, numerous small and electron-dense granules were observed in FLMC. In FLMC, the expression levels of a subunit of the FcεRI receptor and degranulation by IgE cross-linking were comparable with BMMC. By flow cytometry we observed surface expression of c-Kit prior to that of FcεRI on FLMC, although on BMMC the expression of c-Kit came after FcεRI. The surface expression levels of Sca-1 and c-Kit, a marker of putative mast cell precursors, were slightly different between bone marrow cells and fetal liver cells, suggesting that differentiation stage or cell type are not necessarily equivalent between both lineages. Moreover, this indicates that phenotypically similar mast cells may not have undergone an identical process of differentiation. By comprehensive analysis using the next generation sequencer, the same frequency of gene expression was observed for 98.6% of all transcripts in both cell types. These results indicate that FLMC could represent a new and useful tool for exploring mast cell differentiation, and may help to elucidate the roles of individual proteins in the function of mast cells where gene manipulation can induce embryonic lethality in the mid to late stages of pregnancy.


This paper looks at how Rimbaud adopts radical new positions in relation to time and space in the Illuminations. He wishes to escape the dictatorship of the clock and familiar geographical boundaries and develops a technique of spatio-temporal synthesis across many of the prose poms. So we find temporal elasticity and spatial universality and the compendium of figures in 'Parade' and the great inventories of the 'Villes' poems illustrate these features handsomely. Time becomes protean and Rimbaud moves easily across spatial and temporal boundaries in a great unfiying and synthesizing vision. His is a universal intelligence stretching beyongd familair castegories and boundarie sand this is nowhere better seen than in the formulae of 'Genie' and the widespread use of "tous" and "toutes" across the illuminations. A text such as 'Promontoire' shows geographical sysnthesis at work every bit as powerfully as 'Genie' illustratres temporal synthesis. The spectacular finales evoking elemental ferment are linked to this urge to transcend recognizable time and space and the poet's regular use of oxymora and the reconciliation of opposites both relate to his definition of a new type of modernity.


This article explores the role played by French Algeria in British imperial thinking during the middle decades of the nineteenth century. It argues that British commentators developed a remarkably stable vision of contemporary French colonial enterprise as unprogressive, incapable, authoritarian and militaristic, as well as harmful to French domestic politics. The explanations they offered for the miscarriage of France's colonial project in Algeria cast light on mid-nineteenth-century British imperial thinking, throwing into relief the qualities and policies which were believed to make modern British imperial rule uniquely successful. The article contends that analysis of other European countries' colonial projects contributed importantly to a domestic political culture which defined itself in significant part through contrasts with the Continent.


The steady state effect of vertical fins is assessed on a photovoltaic/thermal solar air heater having a double pass configuration in which fins are placed in the lower channel perpendicular to the direction of air flow. Air passes through the upper channel of the air heater and before passing in the opposite direction through the lower channel. The effects of design, climatic and operating parameters are evaluated on temperatures, efficiencies and other parameters. For fixed operating conditions, fins are observed to increase heat transfer area and rate, reduce cell temperature about 16°C, and improve thermal and electrical efficiencies. Higher packing factors are advantageous as they increase electrical output per collector area and reduce cell temperature.


The gift exchange hypothesis postulates that workers reciprocate above market-clearing wages with above-minimum effort. This hypothesis has received mixed support in dyadic employer-worker relationships. We present a field-experimental test to assess this hypothesis in the context of a triadic relationship in which only one out of two workers receives a pay increase. We conjecture that inequality aversion motivations may thwart positive reciprocity motivations and analyze the interaction between such motivations theoretically. Across three treatments, the pay increase is justified to workers based on either relative merit or relative need or was arbitrary as no justification was offered. Two conditions in which either one or both workers receive a bonus serve as the reference. In contrast to the gift exchange hypothesis, we find that pay increases lead to a decrease in productivity. Such a decrease is most sizable in the condition where both workers receive the bonus. A post-diction of this result is that workers interpret the monetary bonus as a signal of the employer's contentment with their effort, which makes them feel entitled to reduce their effort. In other treatments, receiving the pay increase while the coworker does not has a positive effect on productivity, especially when the pay increase is based on merit. This result is consistent with statusseekingpreferences rather than aversion against advantageous inequality. Conversely, not receiving the pay increase while the coworker does, leads to lower productivity, especially when the pay increase is assigned based on relative needs.


I thought I knew all the world would ever know about Lady Byron when I heard a rumor while on sabbatical at Oxford University. The rumor was not about her, but about a man who would reveal himself as having been an intimate friend of hers, F.W. Robertson, a once-prominent Victorian cleric. According to the rumor, he, a married man with two children, confessed in his diary, which was supposedly written in secret code, to having "affairs with the women of Brighton." I was conducting my search for this diary when I found a letter penned in 1846, a letter that remains in private hands, a letter that corrects all biographical accounts regarding when Robertson met Lady Byron, he a charismatic public speaker, a man of God, a man who was so handsome that women were known to faint if he so much as smiled at them, (1) a man whom the Dictionary of National Biography describes as follows: "There is perhaps no parallel in English church history to the influence of Robertson's six years' ministry at a small proprietary chapel." The Dictionary account continues: "Robertson, whose character in all parts that were comprehended within the region of morality, was not only stainless but exalted, nevertheless suffered from some minor defects disastrous in his public position--fiery vehemence, exaggerated sensitiveness, and an entire lack of humour." (2) With regard to the charismatic appeal of Robertson, the local newspaper for Brighton, The Brighton Gazette, carried the following statement in 1926, 73 years after his death: "Miss Anderson [daughter of the proprietor of Robertson's chapel] preserves a vivid impression of Robertson's beautifully clear voice, his dark blue eyes, his thoughtfulness for children and his wonderful truthfulness. She possesses an engraving from a water-colour by an artist of the period picturing his rich brown curly hair, mutton-chop whiskers and clean-shaven mouth and chin" (3) But there was much more to Robertson than his striking good looks and charisma as is indicated by his funeral, the largest in Brighton's history. A procession of 3,000, whose number included a thousand members of the Mechanics' Institute, which he co-founded, Oxford dons, fellow clergymen, aristocrats, the poor, and members of his parish, followed a cortege of five horse-drawn carriages to the extra-mural cemetery. The Brighton Gazette reported that men of every religious persuasion and none were in the crowd: Jews, Unitarians, Roman Catholics, Quakers, and Churchmen of High, Broad, and Low persuasion. All lined the streets to honor his memory as the procession passed. The whole city closed up shop for the occasion, their shades drawn (4) They followed behind the funeral cortege because they admired Robertson as a promoter of universal education regardless of gender or social class at a time when only the male gender and only those of the upper class were formally educated. He was a Scripture scholar as well as a linguist. He was one of those far-seeing social reformers responsible for preventing in England the kind of violent political revolutions that were going on all over the continent at the time. But what about his moral character? Given the rumor of a diary, was his moral character "not only stainless but exalted" as the Dictionary proclaims? If the rumor of his extra-marital affairs proved to be true, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the man alone with himself, recording his inner struggle [if there was one] to be what he had publicly professed to be: a man of God. I also wanted to know if there was more to the friendship between him and Lady Byron than history reports. After six years of searching, I found not only his diary, which was indeed written in secret code as the rumor suggested, but a briefcase full of papers, including personal correspondence. A letter that contains mention of Lady Byron was sent from Nanders in the Tyrolean Alps on October 4, 1846. Robertson was 30 years old at the time, alone, and depressed. …