The growth in the hospitalist workforce has been one of the major trends shaping US (and international) inpatient medicine over the last 25 years.1 Hospitalists' clinical work is typically split among serving as the primary attending for admitted patients (termed "most responsible physician," or MRP, in Canada), outpatient clinics, medical consults, and comanagement.2,3 Comanagement typically involves the cooperative efforts of hospitalists and subspecialists ranging from general surgery to orthopedics to medical oncology. Comanagement differs from typical medical consultation because comanaging hospitalists are commonly given broad discretion to directly write orders, manage intercurrent medical illness (eg, hyperglycemia), and even discharge patients from the hospital when appropriate. There can be significant heterogeneity in how comanagement is implemented across institutions.4 With respect to hip fractures, literature suggests that subspecialists value comanagement and that comanagement is associated with reductions in hospital length of stay, timelier surgical repair, and potential cost savings for hospitals.5-7 Some studies have found reductions in in-hospital and 1-year mortality (including one meta-analysis on ortho-geriatric comanagement)8 and complications,9 but others have found no such benefits.10,11 In the current issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine, Maxwell and Mirza used data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Participant Use Data File (PUF)—specifically, from the Hip Fracture PUF—to investigate the relationship between comanagement and mortality and major morbidity among more than 15,000 patients hospitalized with hip fracture.12 The investigators did not find that comanagement was associated with a reduction in either morbidity or mortality. Several factors give gravitas to their analysis. First, the NSQIP PUF is an extremely rigorous data source for evaluating surgical outcomes. Originally developed in the US Veterans Health Administration in the 1980's to standardize data elements needed for quality improvement and hospital benchmarking, today NSQIP involves more than 600 hospitals in 9 different countries submitting hundreds of thousands of cases annually.13 Second, the authors recognized that the comanagement and noncomanagement groups differed substantially and used propensity score matching in an effort to account for these differences. Surprisingly, they found that the comanagement had significantly higher mortality and morbidity than the noncomanagement group, even after propensity score matching. These results are important in testing the assumption of the inherent "good" of comanagement. Does this study provide definitive evidence that surgical comanagement does not improve outcomes? We would suggest that this study be interpreted in light of certain considerations. First, comanagement is a broad term including a variety of operationalizations, such as geriatrician vs hospitalist comanagement, involvement before vs after surgery, and varying divisions of responsibility between the surgical and medical services. Research indicates that successful comanagement models tend to incorporate multidisciplinary teams, embrace the "dual primary caregiver" nature of comanagement, and shared goals among primary caregivers, specifically anticipating prevention of complications.5 The NSQIP data do not provide sufficient granularity to allow for investigation of these crucial nuances that may ultimately determine whether comanagement programs are effective. Additionally, comanagement often (but not always) coexists with a care pathway, and so deficiencies in or absence of a care pathway add additional heterogeneity to the comanagement group which is not captured in the NSQIP PUF. Second, it is important to consider the potential for unmeasured confounding. The propensity score matching did seem to achieve balance in the distribution of most baseline variables between the comanagement and noncomanagement groups, though differences remain for certain covariates. A key assumption in propensity score matching (and in observational research more broadly) is the principle of "no unmeasured confounders" (ie, the assumption that all variables that might influence treatment assignment and outcomes are measured).14 For the NSQIP PUF this absence of unmeasured confounders is clearly not the case because hospital and surgeon variables are omitted from the PUF for reasons of confidentiality. Inclusion of hospital and surgeon variables could well be important because outcomes may vary by hospital or by surgeon, and simultaneously, different hospitals and different surgeons will have different protocols and preferences regarding comanagement. Furthermore, confounding is virtually guaranteed to the extent that hospitals and surgeons do not randomly *Corresponding Author: Peter Cram, MD, MBA; Email: email@example.com; Telephone: 647-767-5508; Twitter: @pmcram.


ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate swimmer's use and coach prescription of recovery strategies during training and competition while examining perceived challenges, barriers, and beliefs in the importance of their effectiveness. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was implemented. Thirty-seven male and 45 female sub-elite to elite swimmers (age 18 ± 3 y), and 4 male and 6 female coaches (age 40 ± 9 y) completed an online, 78-item recovery strategy survey. Swimmers and coaches responded to questions regarding when, why, and how they used recovery strategies, perceived challenges and barriers to strategy inclusion during training and competition. Data were coded and analysed thematically. Fisher's Exact Test was conducted on 5-point Likert scale responses. Most recovery strategies were used and prescribed more during competition. Swimmers reported active recovery as the most effective recovery strategy (44%), whereas coaches rated sleep or napping (40%). Swimmers and coaches perceived most recovery strategies to be more effective and important during competition than in training. Swimmers used, and coaches prescribed, recovery strategies more during the competition, highlighting the discrepancies in use between training and competition. Targeted education programmes should enhance athletes and coach's recovery knowledge and practical application of strategies, while accounting for individual sport and life demands.


This paper describes a gigabit LAN/WAN gateway being developed for the MAGIC gigabit testbed. The gateway interfaces a gigabit LAN developed by Digital's Systems Research Center and the MAGIC SONET/ATM wide area network. The gateway provides 622 Mb/s throughput between the LAN and WAN environments, and supports either a single STS-12c or four STS-3c tributaries. Traffic measurement capability and support for multiple bandwidth management schemes are provided by this architecture.<<ETX>>


ABSTRACT The popularity of cut hydrangea has been increasing in the global floriculture market in recent years. However, vase life of cut hydrangeas is shortened due to sepal browning and wilting. This study was conducted to find out a vase life solution in extending the vase life of cut hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla cv. Schneeball) flowers. Cut hydrangea stems were placed in solutions containing 8-hydroxyquinoline sulphate (100, 200 and 300 mgL−1), glycolic acid (9.5, 19 and 28 mgL−1) and distilled water which was used as the control. The vase life, relative fresh weight and solution uptake were measured. Compared to the control, the vase life of cut hydrangeas were significantly increased by all 8-HQS treatments. The best concentration of 8-HQS was 200 mgL−1 and increased the vase life of cut hydrangeas by 11.67 days compared to control (from 4.22. to 15.89 days). It also improved solution uptake and delayed relative fresh weight loss. The results showed that 8-HQS is effective in extending the vase life of cut hydrangeas.


To develop a generic instrument assessing satisfaction with relationship status, and to examine the role of status satisfaction in explaining life satisfaction and distress beyond marital status. In two studies, we first examined the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Relationship Status Scale (ReSta). Subsequently, regression analyses were used to test the predictive value of ReSta for life satisfaction and distress after controlling for sociodemographic variables and a perceived lack of social support. An economic five-item scale was constructed, cross-validated, and showed very high reliability. In both studies, higher ReSta-scores predicted higher satisfaction with life and lower distress, explaining considerable amounts of additional variance (18–29 %) after controlling for sociodemographic variables (i.e. gender, age, and education), marital status, and also after taking a perceived lack of social support into account. Hence, being satisfied with one's current relationship status (either having a partner or not) seems to be more important in explaining broader well-being constructs (such as life satisfaction and distress), as compared to considering marital status alone. ReSta is the first analog scale enabling comparisons between partnered and single individuals and adds explanatory value beyond marital status and other factors in predicting life satisfaction and distress.


This paper analyzes the cultural constraints imposed in the Russian legal system by the prevailing social philosophy, which is characterized by a significant degree of religious conservatism and communitarianism. This conservatism is predictably opposed to sexual minorities and to those who want to defend or justify them. The author concludes that this philosophy strongly affects decision-making in Russian courts, and can sometimes overrule the provisions of the Russian Constitution and the laws that formally grant protection to sexual minorities. In turn, this conservative social philosophy and communitarian morality are based on religious patterns that are still shaping the mindsets and attitudes of Russians. These attitudes cannot be ignored by judges and other actors in the Russian legal system, who to some extent are subject to the general perception of what is just, acceptable, and reasonable in society, and are factually bound by this perception.


Health professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists provide a wealth of support in the community to patients and their carers receiving palliative care. Moving and handling is one such support that needs careful consideration and assessment including risk, by appropriately qualified professionals. A combination of skills are required as well as knowledge of up to date equipment to assist the health professional in deciding how to formulate safe moving and handling interventions in a timely way. Patients with palliative care needs and their carers should be given the appropriate care and support necessary using a holistic, flexible and patient-centred approach to service delivery.


Federated learning (FL) is a promising new technology in the field of IoT intelligence. However, exchanging model-related data in FL may leak the sensitive information of participants. To address this problem, we propose a novel privacy-preserving FL framework based on an innovative chained secure multiparty computing technique, named chain-PPFL. Our scheme mainly leverages two mechanisms: 1) single-masking mechanism that protects information exchanged between participants and 2) chained-communication mechanism that enables masked information to be transferred between participants with a serial chain frame. We conduct extensive simulation-based experiments using two public data sets (MNIST and CIFAR-100) by comparing both training accuracy and leak defence with other state-of-the-art schemes. We set two data sample distributions (IID and NonIID) and three training models (CNN, MLP, and L-BFGS) in our experiments. The experimental results demonstrate that the chain-PPFL scheme can achieve practical privacy preservation (equivalent to differential privacy with $\epsilon $ approaching zero) for FL with some cost of communication and without impairing the accuracy and convergence speed of the training model.


Asia is home to the most rapidly aging populations in the world. This study focuses on two countries in Asia that are advanced in terms of their demographic transition: the Republic of Korea and Singapore. We developed a demographic and economic state-transition microsimulation model based on the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging and the Singapore Chinese Health Study. The model was employed to compare projections of functional status and disability among future cohorts of older adults, including disparities in disability prevalence by educational attainment. The model also projects increasing disparities in the prevalence of activities-of-daily-living disability and other chronic diseases between those with low and high educational attainment. Despite overall increases in educational attainment, all elderly, including those with a college degree, experience an increased burden of functional disability and chronic diseases because of survival to older ages. These increases have significant economic and social implications, including increased medical and long-term care expenditures, and an increased caregiver burden.


Si3N4-Si2N2O-TiN composite ceramics were in-situ fabricated by using following reactions of (1) 3TiO2 + Si3N4 → 3TiN + 3SiO2 + N2 and (2) Si3N4+ SiO2 → 2Si2N2O. The mixed powder of α-Si3N4, Al2O3, Y2O3 and TiO2 was hot-pressed at 24 MPa and 1800°-1900°C for 1-4 h in N2. Sintered composite ceramics were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, four-point bending test and Vickers indentation method. XRD results and TEM observation showed that TiN and amorphous SiO2 were formed at 1250°C by the reaction (1), and the Si2N2O phase formed by reaction (2) above 1800°C. Si3N4-Si2N2O-TiN composites consisted of ≥2 m sized Si2N2O grains with TiN and Si3N4 grains. Hardness and fracture strength of the composites were comparable to those of Si2N2O ceramics, with fracture toughness being improved at 5vol% TiN containing composites.


Real estate is the third-largest asset class for institutional investors, but research into the performance of pension fund investments in real estate is scant. This article employs a unique set of data, the CEM database, to study the real estate investment approach, cost, and performance for a global panel of almost a thousand pension funds. The results show that smaller pension funds invest primarily in direct real estate, through external managers and fund-offunds, and are likely to disregard listed property companies in their real estate allocation. Larger pension funds are more likely to invest in real estate internally, exhibit lower costs, and achieve higher net returns. Internal real estate investment management is associated with lower costs and disproportionally higher returns. Finally, we document that U.S. pension plans' real estate investments significantly underperform both their benchmarks and their foreign peers.


Introduction In young adults, meniscal repair may be an alternative to resection. We compared change in patient-reported outcomes from before to 52 weeks after arthroscopic surgery in younger patients having either meniscal repair or resection. Materials and methods Patients aged 40 or younger from the Knee Arthroscopy Cohort Southern Denmark (KACS) study undergoing arthroscopic meniscal surgery. Patients completed the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) online at pre-surgery, 12 and 52 weeks follow-up. Between-group differences in change in a composite of 4 of 5 KOOS subscales (KOOS4) from baseline to 52 weeks were analyzed using repeated measures mixed linear models. Results 118 patients having meniscal resection (mean age 32 [SD 7], 66% men, mean baseline KOOS4 score 48.3 [SD 17]), and 24 patients having meniscal repair (mean age 26 (SD 6), 67% men, baseline KOOS4 score 47.1 [SD 16]) were included. At 52 weeks both groups had improved, but patients having repair experienced less improvement in KOOS4 scores than patients having resection (adjusted mean difference in change −13.0, 95% CI: −21.1; −4.9, p=0.002). Sensitivity analysis excluding patients having additional surgery in the index knee within the 52 weeks follow-up (repair: 32%; resection 9%) yielded similar results. Additional subgroup analysis including only patients with non-degenerative longitudinal-vertical tears, displayed even less improvement in the repair group compared with the resection group (adjusted mean difference in change −22.9, 95% CI: −32.5; −13.2, p<0.001). Conclusion In this prospective cohort, patients having meniscal repair experienced less improvement after 1 year than patients having meniscal resection.


In ball grid array (BGA) packages, solder balls are exposed to cyclic thermo-mechanical strains arising from the thermal mismatch between package components. Since fatigue cracks in solder balls are observed generally at the chip side junction, dedicated fatigue experiments are conducted using eutectic SnAgCu- Ni/Au specimens in order to mechanically characterize the bonding interface. Sn based solders are prone to thermal fatigue due to the intrinsic thermal anisotropy of the beta-Sn phase. Bulk SnAgCu specimens are thermally cycled and mechanical tests are conducted to quantify the thermal fatigue damage. In both damage schemes a strong size effect is observed. Experimental results are used to develop a cohesive zone based fatigue damage evolution law. Fatigue crack propagation is predicted by an irreversible linear traction-separation cohesive zone law accompanied by a non-linear damage variable. Finally, bulk damage in SnAgCu due to thermal fatigue and the interfacial fatigue failure in BGA balls are combined to simulate a BGA solder ball exposed to thermo- mechanical fatigue in 2D. This combined approach gives a more realistic outcome when determining the overall mechanical response, since the microstructural entities and the solder ball itself are on the same size scale and thus the solder ball cannot be treated as a continuum.


Colloidal delivery systems could be designed to retard lipid oxidation in foods, thereby extending their shelf-lives and improving their nutritional quality. In this study, a class of novel fluid core-hard shell biopolymer particles with lipid droplets being encapsulated in the biopolymer has been designed and fabricated to increase their lipid oxidative stability. This was achieved by injecting a mixture of Tween 80-coated lipid droplets, xanthan gum, and calcium ions into a sodium alginate solution at either pH 3 or 7. The viscosity, hardness, microstructure, physical stability, and chemical stability of the droplet-loaded fluid core-hard shell (FCHS) biopolymer particles were then measured. The results indicated that the FCHS biopolymer particles had thinner, denser, and harder shells at pH 3 than at pH 7. The thickness of the alginate biopolymer particle walls could be modulated by varying the xanthan gum to alginate ratio used during fabrication. The lipid oxidation measurements indicated that the primary (PV) and secondary (TBARS) reaction products decreased by approximately 60% and 75%, respectively, compared to the control after 13 days of storage at pH 3. These results indicate that the encapsulation of lipid droplets within the FCHS biopolymer particles substantially increased their oxidative stability. The biopolymer particles developed in this study may have promising applications in various food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products for retarding lipid oxidation.


New operative method of surgical reinnervation of transplanted kidney was elaborated, experimentally substantiated on 39 mongrel dogs and used in 26 recipients of allonephrotransplants in three transplantation centres. The efficacy and security for recipient of the proposed combined implantation in sinus of transplanted kidney of atraumatically mobilized iliac vegetative plexuses consisting of fascia-adventitia strip-like flaps and lower hypogastric nerves of recipient zone with the neuroterminals preserved was noted. The method may be used independently and in combination with method of nephrogangliotransplantation.


Based on SHS reactive flame spray technology, Al2O3 multiphase ceramics coatings were produced. Chemical copper-plating technology was used to produce the Al-CuO powders of copper cladding, which became individual SHS reactive units respectively. The phenomena and principles of the SHS reactive flame spray of the Al-CuO powders of copper cladding forming Al2O3 multiphase ceramics coatings were investigated. It was found that copper cladding of Al-CuO powders were necessary for the SHS reaction during the spray process. The better the cladding was, the more sufficient the SHS reaction, and the higher the transformation rate was. The Cu and Al2O3 fine molten drops produced by the SHS reaction bumped the substrate and flatted to form layer-shaped Al2O3-based multiphase ceramics coatings. The binding strength between the coating and substrate was as high as 19.8MPa, and the micro-hardness of the coatings was Hv712. The overall properties of the coatings were better than those of the ceramics coatings sprayed by the traditional flame spray.


Freestanding bulk C-doped GaN wafers grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy are studied by optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Significant changes of the near band gap (NBG) emission as well as an enhancement of yellow luminescence have been found with increasing C doping from 5 × 1016 cm−3 to 6 × 1017 cm−3. Cathodoluminescence mapping reveals hexagonal domain structures (pits) with high oxygen concentrations formed during the growth. NBG emission within the pits even at high C concentration is dominated by a rather broad line at ∼3.47 eV typical for n-type GaN. In the area without pits, quenching of the donor bound exciton (DBE) spectrum at moderate C doping levels of 1–2 × 1017 cm−3 is observed along with the appearance of two acceptor bound exciton lines typical for Mg-doped GaN. The DBE ionization due to local electric fields in compensated GaN may explain the transformation of the NBG emission.


Based on the measured CCT diagram of steel S34MnV, the parameters for the heat treatment of large marine crankthrow were designed, and the models for predicting microstructural evolution and mechanical properties were developed. By computer simulation, the temperature and phase volume evolutions in the controlled cooling process were predicted together with the final mechanical properties. Finally, the manufactural trial was carried out in heavy plant, the temperature evolution and final mechanical properties on the blank were obtained. The manufactural data agree well with the predicted results.


[1] Recent experimental and theoretical studies support the notion that bed load in mountain rivers can both enhance incision rates through wear and inhibit incision rates by covering the bed. These effects may play an important role in landscape evolution and, in particular, the response of river channels to tectonic or climatic perturbation. We use the channel-hillslope integrated landscape development (CHILD) numerical model with two different bedrock incision models that include the dual role of the sediment flux to explore the transient behavior of fluvial landscapes. Both models predict that steady state channel slopes increase in landscapes with higher rock uplift rates. However, the incision models predict different transient responses to an increase in uplift rate, and the behavior of each incision model depends on both the magnitude of change in uplift rate and the local drainage area. In some cases, the transient channel behavior is indistinguishable from that predicted for transport-limited alluvial rivers. In other cases, knickpoints form in some or all of the drainage network, as predicted by the detachment-limited stream power model. In all cases the response in the lower parts of the network is highly dependent on the response in the upper parts of the network as well as the hillslopes. As the upper parts of the network send more sediment downstream, channel incision rates may rise or fall, and slopes in the lower parts of the channel may, in fact, decrease at times during the transient adjustment to an increase in rock uplift rate. In some cases, channel incision in the upper parts of the network ceases during the transient while the hillslopes adjust to the new uplift rate; drainage density may also change as a function of uplift rate. Our results suggest that if the sediment flux strongly controls bedrock incision rates, then (1) the transient fluvial response will take longer than predicted by the detachment-limited stream power model, (2) changes in channel slope may be much more complex than predicted by the detachment-limited stream power model, and (3) changes in the fluvial system will be closely tied to sediment delivery from the hillslopes. Importantly, our results outline quantitative differences in system behavior produced by competing models and provide a framework for identifying locations in natural systems where differences in channel morphology can be used to discern between competing fluvial erosion models.


High-strength aluminum alloys are widely used in industry. Hydrogen embrittlement greatly reduces the performance and service safety of aluminum alloys. The hydrogen traps in alumi-num profoundly affect the hydrogen embrittlement of aluminum. Here, we took a coinci-dence-site lattice (CSL) symmetrically tilted grain boundary (STGB) Σ5(120)[001] as an example to carry out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of hydrogen diffusion in aluminum at dif-ferent temperatures, and to obtain results and rules consistent with the experiment. At 700 K, three groups of MD simulations with concentrations of 0.5, 2.5 and 5 atomic % hydrogen (at. % H) were carried out for STGB models at different angles. By analyzing the simulation results and the MSD curves of hydrogen atoms, we found that, in the low hydrogen concentration of STGB models, the grain boundaries captured hydrogen atoms and hindered their movement. In high-hydrogen-concentration models, the diffusion rate of hydrogen atoms was not affected by the grain boundaries. The analysis of the simulation results showed that the diffusion of hydro-gen atoms at the grain boundary is anisotropic.


Background: Herpes zoster is dermatomal neuropathic disease caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus, characterized by vesicobullous eruptions. Although, being a common cause of morbidity, there are few clinicepidemiological studies and the studies regarding the knowledge and practice among the patients are nominal.Methods: This was descriptive observational study which included 100 consecutive patients with herpes zoster who presented to Department of Dermatology and Venereology in a Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu during the period from July 2014 to June 2015.Results: The annual incidence was 0.55%. Seventy two percent were males and 28 percent were females with the M: F=2.5:1. The average age of patients and mean duration of disease was 40.4 years and 5.5 days respectively. Ninety five percent were managed at OPD and 5 % of them needed hospitalization. Most common dermatome involved was thoracic (50%) followed by cervical (20%). Twelve percent had one or more provocative features including diabetes, steroid use, chemotherapy, surgical trauma etc. Twenty patients had definite history chicken pox. Twenty-five percent had local complication at the time of presentation. Fifty two percent had themselves identified the lesion as herpes zoster. However, only 10 had some knowledge about it. Twelve percent had visited traditional healers prior to hospital arrival.Conclusions: The results show varied clinicoepidemiologic patterns of herpes zoster. Major patient have less knowledge about it. A larger study would be necessary for better clinical, epidemiological and social behavioral data. Because of ignorance and tradition, awareness program should be conducted to reduce potential complications. Med Phoenix. Vol. 3, Issue. 1, 2018, Page: 60-65


Searching for evidence to inform best practice in medical education is a complex undertaking. With very few information sources dedicated to medical education itself, one is forced to consult a wide range of often enormous sources--and these are dedicated to either medicine or education, making a medical education search all the more challenging. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of relevant information sources and methods (including bibliographic databases, grey literature, hand searching and the Internet) and describes when they should be consulted. The process of constructing a search is explained: identifying and combining core concepts, using Boolean algebra and search syntax, limiting results sets, and making best use of databases' controlled vocabularies. This process is illustrated with images from search screens and is followed by numerous examples designed to reinforce skills and concepts covered. The guide has been developed from the ongoing experience gained from the systematic searches conducted for the Best Evidence Medical Education Collaboration, and concludes by looking ahead to initiatives that will shape future searching for medical education evidence.


BACKGROUND
Civilian and military mass casualty incidents (MCI) are an unfortunate reality in the 21st century, but there are few situational training exercises (STX) to prepare for them. To fill this gap, we developed a MCI STX for U.S. Army Forward Surgical Teams (FST) in conjunction with the U.S. Army Trauma Training Center.

METHODS
After a standardized briefing, each FST has 60 minutes to unpack, setup, and organize a standard equipment cache into an emergency room, operating room, and intensive care unit. In an adjacent room, five anesthetized swine are prepared with standardized, combat-relevant injuries. The number and acuity of the total casualties are unknown to the FST and arrive in waves and without warning. A realistic combat environment is simulated by creating resource limitations, power outages, security breaches, and other stressors. The STX concludes when all casualties have died or are successfully treated. FSTs complete a teamwork self-assessment card, while staff and FST surgeons evaluate organization, resource allocation, communication, treatment, and overall performance. Feedback from each FST can be incorporated into an updated design for the next STX.

RESULTS
From 2003-2005, 16 FSTs have completed the STX. All FSTs have had collapses in situational triage, primary/ secondary surveys, and/or ATLS principles (basic ABCs), resulting in approximately 20% preventable deaths.

CONCLUSIONS
We concluded (1) a MCI can overwhelm even combat- experienced FSTs; (2) adherence to basic principles of emergency trauma care by all FST members is essential to effectively and efficiently respond to this MCI; (3) by prospectively identifying deficiencies, future military or civilian performance during an actual MCI may be improved; and (4) this MCI STX could provide a template for similar programs to develop, train, and evaluate civilian surgical disaster response teams.


Focusing on the notion of the double in relation to photography and to Mike and Doug Starn, the authors examine the artists' lives, the development of their work and their use of fragmented and manipulated images. Biographical notes. Circa 84 bibl. ref.


It is true that authors do not like their manuscripts being rejected early at the editorial level, and they even think that it is an arbitrary judgment by the editor. Editors and journals take this rather seriously.
Desk-rejection (DR) is an important issue for all, authors and editors alike. It occurs even before the peer review of the submitted manuscript begins. Most authors experience DR sometime during their careers, though we are not aware of it until we encounter one, and may take it as a shock. Many a times, the journal editor rightly points out that a DR is mostly due to a 'premature' submission of a 'half-cooked' manuscript. It may not pass through in the very beginning due to abstract of poor construct, lack of clearly defined purpose of the paper, low standard of procedures undertaken, and insignificant principal findings, also referred to as the important 3Ps. Up to 80% of the submissions are not processed further and are rejected early on within a few days without an external review.


This paper studies noisy low-rank matrix completion: given partial and corrupted entries of a large low-rank matrix, the goal is to estimate the underlying matrix faithfully and efficiently. Arguably one of the most popular paradigms to tackle this problem is convex relaxation, which achieves remarkable efficacy in practice. However, the theoretical support of this approach is still far from optimal in the noisy setting, falling short of explaining the empirical success. We make progress towards demystifying the practical efficacy of convex relaxation vis-à-vis random noise. When the rank of the unknown matrix is a constant, we demonstrate that the convex programming approach achieves near-optimal estimation errors — in terms of the Euclidean loss, the entrywise loss, and the spectral norm loss — for a wide range of noise levels. All of this is enabled by bridging convex relaxation with the nonconvex Burer–Monteiro approach, a seemingly distinct algorithmic paradigm that is provably robust against noise. More specifically, we show that an approximate critical point of the nonconvex formulation serves as an extremely tight approximation of the convex solution, allowing us to transfer the desired stability guarantees of the nonconvex approach to its convex counterpart.


ABSTRACT Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common cancers in men and is a major threat to the lives and health of older men. Many studies have shown that miR-7, as an important tumor suppressor gene, could directly inhibit some pathways involved in the development of cancer. MiR-7-5p, which was assessed in this study, consists of one arm of miR-7 and acts as a cancer suppressor gene in multiple cancer types. Autophagy, as a common biological process, plays dual roles in the process of cancer. Chemotherapy resistance is a problem in the treatment of BCa. In this study, the data showed that miR-7-5p was obviously down-regulated in BCa tissues and cells compared to their respective controls. In addition, miR-7-5p mimic effectively inhibited migration, invasion and autophagy both in vitro and in vivo. In the mechanistic study, miR-7-5p targeted autophagy-related gene ATG7 to inhibit its expression, which in turn inhibited autophagy. Finally, the migration of BCa cells was inhibited, and chemosensitivity was improved. Overall, our results provide evidence of the role of miR-7-5p as a cancer suppressor gene in BCa and provide new opportunities for the treatment of BCa. Graphical Abstract


TO ERR is human—and though health care practitioners who make mistakes in treating patients may count on divine forgiveness, current opinion holds that instituting quality safeguards is preferable to seeking absolution. Promoting patient safety by using a systems approach to analyze human or organizational errors that may lead to patient injuries and thereby discover—and eliminate—their root cause is the goal of a new group launched by the American Medical Association (AMA). The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) at the AMA is, said its executive director Martin J. Hatlie, JD, an unprecedented initiative to enhance the safety of the US health care system. Its organizational structure encourages the interaction of safety experts, public health advocates, patient representatives, medical ethicists, physicians and other health care practitioners, managed care organizations, government, researchers, employers, lawyers, and liability insurers, among others. The not-for-profit foundation is a collaborative effort of the AMA and founding sponsors


In order to extend understanding of the drivers that underlie entrepreneurial intention formation, this article investigates the hitherto underexplored roles of people's learning orientation and passion for work. It considers how these personal characteristics may moderate the instrumentality of their perceived ability to become a successful entrepreneur, and perceptions of the attractiveness of becoming an entrepreneur. Using a survey of 946 university students, it finds that learning orientation and passion for work invigorate the role of these feasibility and desirability considerations in enhancing entrepreneurial intention. A follow-up analysis reveals that the moderating effects of learning orientation and passion for work on the perceived attractiveness–entrepreneurial intention relationship are stronger to the extent that people value the intrinsic goal of autonomy in their future career more, but these moderating effects are immune to the importance of the extrinsic goal of earning financial rewards. Several implications for research and practice emerge.


The demand for high-density, high-speed programming in flash memories has been increasing because their expanding applications in portable equipment such as digital still cameras and music players. A multilevel technique is one of the most effective approaches for improving memory density. But long cell programming time and precise control of the memory cell's threshold voltage (Vth) degrade its programming performance. To realize fast cell programming, we have developed a so-called assist-gate (AG)-AND-type flash cell, in which programming is performed by source side channel hot electron injection (SSI). In this paper, we developed a constant-charge-injection programming, which realizes fast precise control of Vth by suppressing the characteristic deviation. By utilizing proposed scheme, we achieved. 10.3-MB/s programming throughput in multilevel AG-AND flash memories.


The brain is known as the most complex organ in the human body. Due to its complexity, learning and understanding the anatomy and functions of the cerebral cortex without effective learning assistance is rather difficult for medical novices and students in health and biological sciences. In this paper, we present a new virtual reality (VR) simulator for neurological education and neurosurgery. The system is based on a new three-dimensional (3D) user-computer interface design with a tangible object and a force-torque sensor. The system is combined with highly interactive computer-generated graphics and acoustics to provide multi-modal interactions through the user's sensory channels (vision, tactile, haptic and auditory). The system allows the user to feel the simulated object from its physical model that formed the interface device, while exploring or interacting with the mimicked computer-generated object in the virtual environment (VE). Unlike other passive interface devices, our system can detect the position and orientation of the interacting force in real-time, based on the system's set-up and a force-torque data acquisition technique. As long as the user is touching the model, the positions of the user's fingertip in the VE can be determined and is synchronized with the finger's motion in the physical world without requirement of an additional six-degree-of-freedom tracking device. The prior works have shown the use of the system set-up in medical applications. We demonstrate the system for neurological education and neurosurgery as a recent application. The main functions of the simulator contribute to education in neuroanatomy and visualization for diagnostic and pre-surgery planning. Once the user has touched the model, the system will mark the associated anatomy region and will provide the information of the region in terms of text note and/or sound. The user can switch from anatomy to the brain's function module, which will give details of motor, sensory or other cortical functions associated to the touch areas. In addition, the user can generate and visualize arbitrary cross-sectional images from corresponding to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets either for training or for diagnostic purpose. The user can manipulate the cross-section image interactively and intuitively by moving the finger on the interface device.


Purpose: To describe retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) aperture and to generate hypotheses about pathogenesis of this previously unreported finding in the evolution of avascular pigment epithelium detachment (PED) secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Methods: Medical records and multimodal imaging results from 10 patients with RPE apertures were reviewed between January 2009 and December 2014 by 2 institutions. Main outcome measures were analysis of RPE aperture imaging characteristics, including aperture areas and PED diameters, and their temporal course. Lesions preceding RPE aperture development were also evaluated. Results: Eleven RPE apertures were identified in 10 eyes of 10 patients (1 male, 9 females; mean age 73.1 ± 6.7 years) and included for analysis. The RPE apertures appeared as round discontinuities either at the apex or at the base of avascular PED. No rippling or retraction of the RPE was found at the sites of aperture. The RPE apertures enlarged homogeneously (mean round area of hypoautofluorescence significantly increased from 0.18 ± 0.13 to 0.93 ± 1.2; P = 0.005), and PED flattened (PED maximal height on spectral domain optical coherence significantly decreased from 445.2 ± 259 to 206.4 ± 218; P = 0.04) after a mean of 38.6 ± 16.3 months. Analysis of lesions preceding RPE apertures revealed areas of focal hyperautofluorescence at the site of development, in some cases appearing as drusenoid material connected with the base of avascular PED. Conclusion: The RPE aperture represents a previously unreported possible evolution of avascular PED, which should be distinguished by typical RPE tears. Analysis of lesions preceding RPE apertures suggests focal atrophic progression of drusenoid material in its pathogenesis.


Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) refers to the ability of short periods of ischemia to make the myocardium more resistant to a subsequent ischemic insult. It is the most powerful form of endogenous protection against myocardial infarction and has been demonstrated in all species evaluated to date. However, the cellular mechanisms that drive IPC remain poorly understood. This hypothesis describes an important role for °° 1 -adrenoreceptors in mediating IPC and discusses the underlying mechanisms by which this is likely achieved. °° 1 -Adrenoreceptors are present in the myocardium of all mammalian species, and several lines of evidence suggest that they play an important role in mediating IPC. During periods of myocardial hypoxia/ischemia, cardiomyocytes have to rely solely on anaerobic glycolysis for energy production; for this, the cells have to depend on increased glucose entry inside the cell as well as increased glycolysis. Stimulation of°° 1 -adrenoreceptors increases glucose transport inside the cardiomyocytes by translocating glucose transporter (GLUT)-1 and GLUT-4 from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane, enhances glycogenolysis by activating phosphorylase kinase, increases the rate of glycolysis by activating the enzyme phosphofructokinase, reduces intracellular acidity produced during excessive glycolysis by activating the Na + /H + exchanger, and inhibits apoptosis by increasing the levels of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Myocardial ischemia produces an increase in the expression of°° 1 -adrenoreceptors in cardiomyocytes, as well as increases the levels of its agonist norepinephrine by several fold. During ischemic states, upregulation of°° 1 -adrenoreceptors and increase in norepinephrine release could be a powerful adaptive mechanism that drives IPC. An understanding into the role of °° 1 -adrenoreceptors in mediating IPC could not only point to newer treatments for limiting myocardial damage during myocardial infarction or heart surgery, but could also help in avoiding the use of °° 1 -antagonists in patients with ischemic heart disease.


Background: With a drive towards early diagnosis of lung cancer and aim for curative treatment, CT guided biopsy is being used increasingly. While it is a relatively safe procedure, institutions performing this should audit its practice against recommended standards.

Objective: Measuring this procedure's complication rate and positive results to ascertain if there are any predictors for these outcomes.

Method: A retrospective study was undertaken to collect data for all CT guided biopsies done in last 2 years (2009-10) in our hospital.

Result: 66 biopsies were reviewed. Mean (SD) age of patients was 69 (11) years. Conclusive histology was obtained in 38 (56%). Complication rate and the British Thoracic Society (BTS) standards are shown below.

View this table:

Table 1

The mean size and depth from chest wall of lesions in patients with and without PTX, hemorrhage and conclusive biopsies are shown in Table 2.

View this table:

Table 2

In lesions with a size of >3cm (n=43), 31 (72%) results were conclusive as opposed to 8 (35%) conclusive results in lesions 1.5 cm (n=13) was 46% while the same for lesions at depth <1.5 cm (n=53) was 61%.

Conclusion: Good pick up rate with complications well within acceptable standards were achieved in our study population. Depth of the lesion correlated well with pneumothorax and hemorrhage while size correlated with pneumothorax. Size was also a good predictors of conclusive biopsies.


1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, 1,2,4-tribromobenzene, 1,3,5-tribromobenzene and hexabromobenzene were compared for their abilities to induce acetanilide esterase, acentailide hydroxylase and procaine esterase. Except for hexabromobenzene all induced acetanilide esterase whereas the hydroxylation of acetanilide was seen only with the fully halogenated benzenes and with 1,3,5-tribromobenzene. Hepatic procaine esterase activity was increased by the three chlorinated benzenes and 1,2,4-tribromobenzene.


In order to operate solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems it is necessary to investigate their dynamic characteristics through modeling and simulations. Here we use a low order non linear state space model of a tubular SOFC developed in simulink [1]. Input variables of the model are fuel and air inlet pressures. The voltage output of the SOFC and the cell temperature are the model outputs. Other variables such as the current demand, the fuel and air inlet temperatures are considered as disturbances. The voltage output of the cell must be controlled and stabilized to reduce the effect of the disturbances. A linear quadratic integral controller has been designed using matlab to establish cell voltage control.


Georgia today stands at crossroads between two alternatives: to continue rapprochement with the European Union (EU) on a basis of the Association Agreement (and to ultimately pursue membership through a lengthy, drawn-out process), or to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a much simpler prospect. Georgia has long made clear that it favors engagement with Europe and Euro Atlantic institutions; however, discussion of Georgia's rapprochement with Russia is becoming more and more topical as a result of uncertainty in modern Georgia-Russia relations and the establishment of the EEAU. This essay clarifies the main differences between the EU and EAEU in the wider context of Georgia's future. The EAEU started operations in 2015 and at present includes five member- countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Georgia is located between two member states – Armenia and Russia – which creates new challenges for Georgia's development. Georgia and the EU signed the EU Georgia Association Agreement in June 2014. Despite this agreement, talks on Georgia's rapprochement with Russia have recently reignited, largely sparked by the establish- ment of the EAEU. When analyzing the suitability of these two organization for Georgia, it is important to consider the essential differences between them:

The EU was initially set up as an economic union, with the aim of promoting the economic development of its member states. Although the EAEU contains the term "economic" in its title, this union is not so much a means of economic development as it is a mechanism through which Moscow seeks to maintain and increase its political influence on the member states.

The EU is, with the partial exception of some Eastern European member states, an association of developed economies, while the EAEU is comprised solely of underdeveloped post-Soviet economies deficient in their market institutions and lagging behind global standards in technology.

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index demonstrates an essential disparity between the EU and EAEU on the issue of corruption. The most corrupt state in the EU according to this rank- ing is Bulgaria (75th of 175), while the least corrupt in the EAEU is Belarus (79th). For comparison, Georgia ranks 44th.

For a country to join the EU, it must meet certain standards set by Brussels in areas such as demo- cratic institutions, human rights, freedom of speech and expression, and market economy. Furthermore, only after an applicant country has met European standards in the above areas is the issue of formal membership placed on the agenda. In order to encourage rapprochement with the EU, Brussels has adopted special formats of cooperation – for instance, the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) instrument and the Eastern Partnership (EaP). Georgia is a participant in both formats. It is through the application of the EaP framework that Georgia has managed to successfully traverse the rather difficult path towards the entry into force of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and the Association Agreement. Unlike the EU, the EAEU has virtually no complex preconditions for member- ship. On the contrary, Moscow's aim is to expand the union in order to increase its political influence on member-states via economic leverage, with no concern for economic and political standards such as those emphasized by the EU.

When the essential differences between the EU and the EAEU are summed up, it can be concluded that Georgia can more easily attain membership in the latter than in the former. However, this evokes a separate question: why would Georgia, a country with a more or less EU-level standard of corruption, enter into the much more corrupt EAEU, which lags behind the EU in institutional and technological terms, and serves Moscow's political objective of strengthening Russian control over the member states? The answer, of course, is that it would not be in Georgia's interest to pursue EAEU membership.

Moreover, it is important to emphasize that the so- called "commensurability barrier" for the EAEU is much more significant than for the EU. Ruslan Greenberg, a Russian economist, outlines this issue through the comparison of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the EU Greenberg shows that an alliance of countries is streamlined and possesses a higher chance of success when the commensurables (sizes) of the member countries are more or less comparable. When an alliance of countries is formed, the states concerned should make a decision on the areas where they are ready to relinquish part of their sovereignty in favor of the supranational gov- erning bodies of the association. When the commensurability of the countries is more or less analogous, reaching consensus on this matter is easier than when one country and its economy are several times larger in size than those of all the other constituents of the union put together. In this case, the largest country finds it difficult to imagine how it can be expected to yield a share of its sovereignty equivalent to that of much smaller states. As a result, this large country attempts to relinquish far less of its state sovereignty than it obligates the other smaller member states to surrender, thereby maintaining a dominant position in the association.

One of the reasons of the EU's success is also the fact that it consolidates relatively large and simultaneously commensurably more or less homogeneous countries, such as Germany, Great Britain (before the implementation of Brexit), Italy and France, and relatively small but commensurably comparable countries, such as Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and others.

According to Greenberg, the "commensurability barrier" for the CIS was rather high, since the Russian economy accounted for 67-70 percent of the entire economy of the CIS. This barrier is even larger in the EAEU, as Russia's constitutes over 82% of the entire economy of the union. The issue of, the "commensurability barrier" is a further indication that the EAEU does not have a high chance of success and an additional.


In this work we present a study concerning the modeling and control of two cooperative mobile manipulators for transport and manipulation of payloads. The advantages of such system can be summarized by the general system capacities in terms of size, weight and shape of payload to be transported, intricate moves and maneuvers and a wide range of applications. The study has an emphasis in the motion modeling and control of the system. The system is nonlinear and cannot be controlled by traditional linear control techniques. The motion is divided in the transport phase and the manipulation phase. In the transport phase, two mobile platforms carry the payload in a trajectory controlling the driving wheels in a formation control and in th e manipulation phase, two manipulators carries the payload in a trajectory controlling the revolute joints. The control strategy pro- posed for the transport phase is the leader-follower with SDRE (State-Dependent Riccati Equation) method applied on formation control and the control strategies proposed for the manipulation phase are the SDRE method and the Variable Structure with Sliding Mode method. Simulation results with the software Matlab show the efficiency of the control strategies.


(p. 50) In this article is described a hand-axe, found on the surface of a dam, near the hamlet of Anreep (mun. of Assen). The hand-axe is made of halleflinta, a rock of northern origin that to some extent resembles flint. Up to now no other finds have been made at the site. At this spot boulder-clay is present at a depth of 120 cm below the surface (in some places less deep), on top of which there is bouldersand (a weathering residue of boulder-clay) and cover-sand (dating from the Late Glacial of the last ice age). The hand-axe, that in view of the surface modifications present must originate from the boulder-sand, presumably came to lie on the surface as a result of digging activities in the immediate vicinity. The site lies along the northwestern fringe of a side-valley of the Amer diep, that belongs to the valley system of the Drentsche Aa. Typologically the hand-axe can be classified as a biface subcordiforme. The specimen is asymmetric, however, and this can probably be attributed to the relatively deficient properties of the material used. From an archeological viewpoint the hand-axe can best be placed in the MTA type A of Bordes, just like the triangular hand-axe from Anderen and the material of Mander (including a subtriangular hand-axe made out of a flake). The hand-axe therefore can most probably be dated in the Early Glacial of the last ice age.


Background: Although mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is not as common in professional baseball as in collision sports, it does occur and frequently results in significant loss of time away from the sport. To date, no study has investigated MTBI among an entire cohort of professional baseball players. Purpose: To investigate MTBIs in major and minor league baseball players to determine the most common mechanisms of injury, activity at time of injury, position, level of play, and time lost, as well as ultimately inform prevention efforts. A secondary objective was to document the association between MTBI and return to play using several different measures. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiologic study. Methods: Data were captured from a newly implemented league-wide injury surveillance system that records injuries among all professional baseball players as entered by certified athletic trainers and physicians. The MTBIs were identified with respect to level of play, activity, field location, and mechanism of injury. Time loss was assessed by 3 measures of return to play, and MTBI game rates were reported as injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures. Data were combined over the 2011-2012 seasons for analysis, and results were presented separately for minor and major league players. Chi-square tests were used to test the hypothesis of equal proportions between the various categories of MTBI injury characteristics. Results: There were 41 reported MTBIs in the major leagues and 266 in the minor leagues over the 2-year period under study. The overall MTBI game rate across both major and minor league ball clubs was 0.42 per 1000 athlete-exposures. The median time lost was 9 days. Mild traumatic brain injury accounted for 1% of all injuries resulting in time lost from play. For MTBIs that occurred while fielding, catchers were significantly overrepresented. No differences were noted among the 3 measures of time lost. Conclusion: Mild traumatic brain injury is an important problem in professional baseball players, especially for catchers. This study provides a foundation for future inquiry to reduce the incidence of MTBI in those positions at greatest risk and to provide a baseline as rules and equipment evolve.


With full-bridge longitudinal-connected foundation plates,CRTSⅡslab track sets type ∏ terminal restricted configuration anchorage structure in the bedroad-bridge transition section,in order to transmit forces such as temperature force and braking force from foundation plate to subgrade. In connection with the deficiency of exsiting researches, through the established finite element analysis model on Type ∏ terminal restricted configuration transition section,its mechanical characteristics under the most unfavorable longitudinal load by changing the structural parameters of transition section are analyzed, focusing on the criterion that the range of maximum of longitudinal displacement is 3mm.Analysis results show that when the longitudinal force is being transmitted to the anchorage structure, the maximum stress and longitudinal displacement of main terminal restricted configuration are far less than the limit and this process has little influence on track geometrical regularity .The laying of sliding layer can ameliorate structural force and deformation. However, changing its friction coefficient has no effect. Moreover, as the soil is under elastic deformation stage, its elastic modulus presents significant effects on mechanical properties of transmit section while its internal friction angle and cohesion have no influence.


Composites have been extensively used in high performance structural applications due their lightweight and better strength to weight ratio. A common defect in angle ply laminates is caused by the low velocity impacts, due to their poor resistance to accidental impact by foreign objects, and also the defect is barely visible. Actually contact zone between the target and the penetrating object is relatively large and the whole structure is affected even well away from the impact point. This type of interaction can generate large delaminations, which can reduce the strength under compressive loading. At present, allowance for the delamination induced strength reduction is given by maintaining the strain limits to the structures that prevent the failure due to delamination. If any damage is found in the structure, it is not easy to repair due to the larger damage area.Carbon auxetic composites can be considered as good candidate materials with special properties required for today's modern technology. This thesis presents the study of auxetic laminates and their response to low velocity multiple impact events in order to assess the damage behaviour of the laminates. These materials are of great interest because the damage area created is smaller, which does not affect the whole structure as compared to the conventional carbon laminates.
As received unidirectional 12k tow fibre reinforced, high performance (IM7/8552), epoxy resin pre-preg, which one of the stiffest fibre matrix systems, was used to prepare 24-layers auxetic and positive Poisson's ratio laminates. This work focuses on four stacking sequences; all through-thickness auxetic and positive Poisson's ratio laminates were prepared with [±30]s and [35/-20/25/40/-85/40/25/-45/35/-15/25/40] s angles, respectively. Stacking angles for the in-plane auxetic and positive Poisson's ratio laminates were designed as [0/15/75/15]s and [0/-70/10/25]s respectively. These laminates were cured by vacuum bagging technique before testing in order to achieve the highest quality specimens. All the tests presented in this work are conducted on 100mm2 squared size specimens, by using a standard 12.7mm steel hemisphere indentor. In this work multiple indentation and impact tests were conducted both at the initial test site and also away from the initial test site to determine the extent of damage zone.The most important conclusions and findings drawn from the experimental results are as follows. From the low velocity multiple impacts, indentation testing, fractography, residual testing and dynamic analysis it can be concluded that through-thickness auxetic laminates are found to be better than the positive Poisson's ratio laminates, even though they were tested 20mm away from the vicinity of the initial test site. Their confined damage area can prevent the structure from catastrophic failure because the damage is more concentrated at the test site and is easy to repair due to the smaller damage area. A preliminary study into the high velocity impact on the through-thickness laminates and the low velocity impacts on the in-plane laminates was also carried out in order to study their impact response. Here, auxetic and the positive Poisson's ratio laminates show almost similar damage response to the high velocity impacts. However, auxetic in-plane laminates were found to have better resistant to an impact event as compared to the positive Poisson's ratio specimens.


European electricity markets are coping with low energy prices as a result of overinvestments in generation capacity, subsidies for renewables and the financial crisis of 2008. In this chapter we explore the implications of low electricity prices on the Swiss electricity market, which is facing the additional challenge of phasing out nuclear power plants and market liberalization. System Dynamics is utilized to model and simulate the long-term impacts on investments in new generation capacity, security of supply and future electricity prices. Simulation results indicate that the current low electricity prices are likely to persist for another decade. The most likely response to the low prices is an underinvestment in generation capacity, with the risk of scarcity pricing under low security of supply, as it coincides with the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. There is little evidence this will lead to boom-and-bust investment cycles. Finally, in the long-term we observe a shift towards renewable energy sources and natural gas fired power plants, resulting in more volatile electricity prices. These findings are similar to earlier studies of the liberalized German and Belgian electricity markets, which are also facing the challenges of a nuclear phase-out under depressed European prices.


The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical efficacy, prognosis, and risk factors of surgery combined with chemotherapy in treating Hepatoblastoma (HB). A total of 102 HB patients diagnosed and enrolled in Beijing Tongren Hospital from September 2006 to June 2014 were included in this study. Clinical stage of HB was determined according to the Post-surgical staging system of the Children Oncology Group (COG). The treatment regime mainly included surgery and chemotherapy. The common chemotherapeutic drugs were mainly cyclophosphamide, carboplatin and etoposide, 5- fluorouracil, cisplatin and Adriamycin. The chemotherapeutic regimens were chosen according to the clinical stage, histological type, and progression of the disease, or alternative chemotherapeutic regimens were selected. The clinical efficacy of treatment and the prognosis of the different stages and risk factors were statistically analyzed. The distributions of stage II, III and IV cases were 4 (3.9%), 46 (45.1%) and 52 (51.0%) respectively. After comprehensive treatment, 52 cases (51%) achieved complete remission, 20 cases (19.6%) achieved partial remission, and 28 cases (27.4%) died. The follow-up period lasted until 1st January 2015, with an average mean follow-up time of 27.54 ± 19.95 months. The 2 y overall survival rate was 76.54%, and the 3 y event-free survival rate was 60.5%. Venous tumor embolus and distant tissue-organ metastasis were important prognostic factors for HB. Comprehensive treatment for small infants and cases of non-increasing Alpha Foetal Protein (AFP) should be investigated in the future to reduce the recurrence rate.


Abstract The Nullarbor Region of Australia is one of the most prolific sites for meteorite recoveries outside of Antarctica. Reported 14C terrestrial ages for chondritic meteorites from the Nullarbor indicate an age range from present day to c. 35 ka. There is good evidence to suggest that meteorites are lying on, or close to the surfaces on which they fell and that, physiographically, the region has remained essentially undisturbed for at least the last 30 ka. The Nullarbor can thus provide important data on the flux of meteorites over the period of accumulation. One significant factor influencing flux calculations based on meteorite accumulation sites is the determination of the number of falls represented in the recovered population. In the case of the Nullarbor, a general lack of transportation processes in the region and careful documentation of the distribution of finds allows confident 'pairing' of meteorites. For example, strewn fields of showers that have remained undisturbed for thousands of years are easily recognized and mapped today. Mass distribution statistics confirm that there are few undetected pairs in the population of meteorites so far described from the Nullarbor, and there is no evidence of selection of meteorites of a specific terrestrial age. The Nullarbor is the largest accumulation of meteorites nearest to Antarctica with a terrestrial age range (0–35 ka) that overlaps the Antarctic population (0 to >1 Ma). Analysis of the well-documented population of meteorites from the Nullarbor compared with Antarctica suggests that there are many unrecognized paired meteorites in the Antarctic population and the abundance of small meteorites at that site can be accounted for, at least in part, by the presence of large shower falls of common chondrites. The data suggest that there may also be many unrecognized paired meteorites in collections from the Sahara.


Aim:To explore the experience of fighters disabled during the Liberian civil war; what they did and what was done to them; and what happened after their demobilization.
Methods:Six focus group discussions were organized in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, with 50 invalid veterans aged 10 to 25 at their entrance into the war and eightwomen wounded, although civilians, sampled as in convenience. In addition,sevenkey-informant interviews took place. All encounters were agreeably taped, transcribed and summarized under the items of the discussion guide.
Results:Most ex-combatants joined the fighting to protect themselves and their families who were targeted by rebel fighters or joined to revenge the killing of close family members by fighters from all sides including government soldiers. Nearly all the former fighters interviewed expressed their desire to be trained in various areas of life skills. A vast majority of the ex-combatants are living from begging in the streets.Those from factions feel that government cares for former regular soldiers and discriminates those from other warring factions. The lack of housing for ex-combatants with war related infirmities is of paramount concern to them. They feel that the post-war reintegration program did not achieve its objectives. In the communities, they are stigmatized, blamed as the ones who brought suffering to their own people. The key informants are calling for establishment of trust fund for survivors of the civil war who are disabled.
Recommendations: Establishment of a trust fund for survivors of the civil war who are disabled; reform of the National Bureau of Veteran Affairs to include the disabled ex-combatants of all former warring factions; erection as planned of the proposed Veterans Hospital; a national census of disabled ex-combatants and war victims.


This grammar is a complete reference guide to the language of Indonesia as used by native speakers. The book is organised to promote a thorough understanding of Indonesian grammar. It presents the complexities of Indonesian in a concise and readable form. An extensive index, cross-referencing and a generous use of headings will provide readers with immediate access to the information they require. Key features: * to aid clarity, all word groups and structures discussed are illustrated by natural examples of frequently used words and expressions * each section can be read independently, enabling the reader to focus on a specific aspect of the language, if required * all major structures of Indonesian, from words to complex sentences are described in detail * common grammatical terms used are all clearly defined in an extensive glossary. By providing a comprehensive description of Indonesian in a clear and non-technical manner, this grammar makes an ideal reference source for all users of the language, whether in colleges, universities or adult education classes of all types. James Neil Sneddon was Associate Professor in the Faculty of Asian and International Studies at Griffith University, with long experience teaching Indonesian language and linguistics. He is also author of Understanding Indonesian Grammar. Alexander Adelaar is Principal Fellow in the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne. He is author of a number of books on Austronesian linguistics. Dwi Noverini Djenar lectures in the Department of Indonesian Studies at the University of Sydney. She is author of Semantic, Pragmatic and Discourse Perspectives of Preposition Use: A study of Indonesian locatives. Michael C Ewing is a senior lecturer in Indonesian Studies at the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne. He is author of Grammar and Inference in Conversation: Identifying clause structure in spoken Javanese.


The increasing interest in the Arctic region due to exploitation of natural resources requires methods for estimating design loads on offshore structures. The borehole jack (BHJ) is an ISO approved tool for assessing the in-situ confined compressive strength of ice. On request from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), a BHJ was made by M-Tech and delivered to the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in 2010. This work presents a technical description of the UNIS-BHJ as well as calibration instructions and experimental setup. A classification system of stress – time curves has been developed with focus on post-peak stress behavior. Three field campaigns have been conducted, two in Van Mijenfjorden (first-year level ice) and one in the Barents Sea (young and rafted ice) in March and April 2012. The new classification system proved convenient when used for classifying the results of these experiments. An advantage is that the system is applicable for all BHJs, hence allowing comparisons of different works to be made regardless of the BHJ used. Investigations of the spatial variation of borehole (BH) strength were also done. Sampling areas of sizes 100 by 100 m and 10 by 10 meters were established in Van Mijenfjorden, where both concluded mean BH strength of 16.8 MPa with STD of the larger area 1.9 MPa and the smaller 0.3 MPa. Another three sampling areas of sizes 20 by 20, 4 by 4 and 4 by 4 m were established in the Barents Sea, with BH strengths 13.0, 11.1 and 14.0 MPa and STDs 3.2, 2.0 and 2.4 MPa.


Motivated by non-anthropomorphic dynamic stabilization of a walking robot, we consider the bias propagation problem for a homogeneous nonlinear model-based differentiator applied to a reaction wheel pendulum with a biased position sensor. We show that the bias propagates through the velocity observer and compromises the vertical stabilization. To cancel the impact of the bias, we propose to augment the differentiator with a reduced-order bias observer. Local asymptotic stability of the augmented nonlinear observer is shown, where the observer gain can be tuned using matrix inequalities. Experimental results illustrate the applicability of the proposed solution.


In the arms race of attackers and defenders, the defense is usually more challenging than the attack due to the unpredicted vulnerabilities and newly emerging attacks every day. Currently, most of existing malware detection solutions are individually proposed to address certain types of attacks or certain evasion techniques. Thus, it is desired to conduct a systematic investigation and evaluation of anti-malware solutions and tools based on different attacks and evasion techniques. In this paper, we first propose a meta model for Android malware to capture the common attack features and evasion features in the malware. Based on this model, we develop a framework, MYSTIQUE, to automatically generate malware covering four attack features and two evasion features, by adopting the software product line engineering approach. With the help of MYSTIQUE, we conduct experiments to 1) understand Android malware and the associated attack features as well as evasion techniques; 2) evaluate and compare the 57 off-the-shelf anti-malware tools, 9 academic solutions and 4 App market vetting processes in terms of accuracy in detecting attack features and capability in addressing evasion. Last but not least, we provide a benchmark of Android malware with proper labeling of contained attack and evasion features.


Merchant of Cloister that is small trader which roadside sell like pavement, garden, veranda, resident house without permit is effort from government. This situation of course very is bothering road; street panoramic view panoramic beauty or hygiene despitefully difficult PKL also arranged and direlokasi. Effort live on to pass berjualan like PKL in fact lawful work, because this work have to elaborate to fulfill everyday requirement and continuity of life. Chosening work of fundamental PKL as profession non caused by economic crisis because have experienced work of sufficient PKL during and have so loved the work. Work as PKL really is becoming choice merchant of itself not because of situation constraint and condition embosoming. Growing of existing requirement and low earnings result more and more him far fufilled of requirement of competent life. Many alternatife gone through by merchant to fulfill requirement of life in the middle of squeezing influence of and globalization of PHK one of them become merchant or worker various goods requirement of society by the side of as long as joint town as PKL. Method which used in research descriptive type qualitative where event or occurence perceived as well as depicting this fenomena. Study is to know effort of Pedagng Cloister in fulfilling requirement of life in ferny market. Research data obtained to three way of that is (1) Interview by researcher with a few merchant exist in Pakis market ( 2)Observasi atmosphere and condition of PKL market of pakis(3) Documentation by way of taking photo in research location. Result of study indicate that most merchant which is sell alongside joint streets, effort to fulfill requirement of life among others a lot trade at the same time work peripheral like becoming courier, farming, making snack and others. Merchant of Cloister also often pilfer pavement and also in great roadside and cause rights consumer of street feel uncared loss also, PKL also make jam in roadway. Pursuant to interview earn analysis various effort to fulfill requirement of everyday life two kinds of that is: 1.Effort to increase merchandise. In improving its merchandise of PKL have to have some effort the merchandise sold by in society that is as follows. a.Quality of merchandise have to nicely. b.Service storey;level to buyer have to gratify. c.Hygiene. d.Goods price have to according to normal standart and not cheat buyer. e. Quality and goods benefit have to goodness. 2.Effort To Increase Level Life. Merchant of Cloister in fulfilling requirement of everyday life various effort besides becoming merchant of following: a.Most merchant only berjualan mengandalakan. b.Giving service service like cleaning clothes , iron, ripe, baby sister. c.Paddy cultivation [in] rice field. d.Making snack at home. e.Opening other effort by opening rice booth street Keyword : Pedagang Kaki Lima, Kebutuhan hidup Link: http://skripsi.umm.ac.id/files/disk1/289/jiptummpp-gdl-s1-2008-rahayukusu-14402-PENDAHUL-N.pdf


Background: In response to the increasing numbers of people with (multiple) chronic conditions, the need for integrated care is increasing too. Social prescribing is a new approach that aims to integrate the social and healthcare sector to improve the quality of care and user experience. Understanding main stakeholders' perceptions and experiences is key to the implementation of social prescription and for informing future initiatives. Objectives: This paper presents the protocol of a qualitative research study to explore factors that (i) facilitate and hinder the implementation of a social prescribing pilot in the East of England, and (ii) affect the uptake, adherence, and completion rates by service users. Methods: A qualitative study including semi-structured interviews with managers, health professionals, service providers, navigators, and service users. Iterative thematic analysis will be used to analyse the data. Conclusion: This study will produce evidence on factors that hinder and facilitate the implementation of a social prescribing programme, as well as factors affecting the engagement, and non-engagement, of service users. Findings can contribute to the development of an evidence base for social prescription programmes in the UK, and inform practice, policy, and future research in the field.


Abstract This article investigates the relationship between trade and politics, particularly the effect of improved or deteriorated political ties upon economic relations with particular reference to the bilateral trade and diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel. The study attempts to identify under what conditions bilateral trade is affected by any significant change in political relations. It finds that economic relations were relatively bolstered at times of enhanced political relations whereas visible deterioration or decline was observed in the volume and state of trade relations at some critical points when diplomatic relations worsened. However, this does not refer to a constant and steady decline and is limited to some severe diplomatic crises experienced in bilateral relations. Some major premises of Realist and Liberal theories are employed to analyse the findings in this study. These findings are at least partially against the main arguments in the literature of the Liberal approach that trade determines politics. However, the course of trade relations between Israel and Turkey appears to be consistent with the tenets of the Realist theory which pays greater attention to security than it does to trade relations and argues that trade may not be relevant to improved bilateral political relations.


This is the portion of the Faculty file of Deane Montgomery containing his bibliography and recommendation letters. Some folders in the Director's Office Faculty files series include a processing note with the heading "Items Removed." These removed items are now located in the offprint collection of the Institute's Historical Studies-Social Science Library.


Objective: The purpose of this paper is to rectify the aspects that leads the acceptance of cloud based E-learning services and why it is plagued by security issues despite its numerous advantages and find out the possible solutions to the problems. So this study highlights the security threats with cloud based e-learning and the precaution acquired recently on those problems. Method: This paper used both theoretical and empirical studies. Empirical study is done by the information congregated using numerous cloud based e-learning solution vendors websites. On the other hand, theoretical study is made by examining several research articles linked to our theme areas. Based on this analysis it identify different security threats in cloud service delivery model through the object to recommend a solution in the procedure of security measures related to the cloud based e-learning. Projected practice certifies data availability and offers solution to secure essential data from the invaders. Findings: The project edupshot of this study is to highlight the vital security threats and concerns occupied on when executing the cloud computing for e-learning systems. We do attempt to exploit the security concerns that e-learners and the end-users of cloud based e-learning solutions desire to acquire it from the cloud based e-learning solution vendors. This study finds diverse security issues in cloud service by an object to advocate a resolution in the form of security dealings linked to the cloud based e-learning. Traditional E-Learning approaches are merged with cloud computing technology to give enormous benefits to the academic users but it compromises on security facets. This study of E-Learning advocate's users to acquire the data in the cloud via a secured layer using the internet. Cloud based E-Learning is a way to lessen cost and density of data retrieving, which are handled by third party services. Improvements: The study does not explore negative aspects that may deject acceptance of cloud-based services. However, we have just discussed cloud computing and its service and have presented ways by which the present security issues in cloud computing can be resolved.


The Asian water monitor, Varanus salvator, has been exploited for its skin and meat in Indonesia. We found evidence of trade on this species in the greater Cirebon area in the province of Jawa Barat and linked the trade to raw skin supplies for local craft markets. Skins of water monitor distributed on Java were unique in their pattern, where a series of yellowish and dark grey scales that form a round shape called ocelli are arranged into two compact transverse bands on the back near the front limbs. This unique pattern found in our sample may be useful to identify the origin of skins collected for trade and the subsequent craft products. However, this pattern was absent in the craft products available for display in one of the warehouses visited for this study. On the other hand, we observed stockpiles of water monitor raw skins at the warehouses and found a slight difference in the dorsal color pattern. These raw skins in stock were lacking in "double banded" pattern on the dorsal side and were likely to be originated from other areas in Indonesia, possibly Sumatra or Kalimantan. Live animals for sale at the warehouses maybe used for other purposes than to supply materials for local craft industry, for example meat consumption or feed for catfish.


A-Raf kinase can inhibit apoptosis by binding to the proapoptotic mammalian sterile 20-like kinase (MST2). This function relies on expression of hnRNP H, which ensures the correct splicing of a-raf mRNA needed to produce full-length A-Raf protein. Here, we showed that expression of hnRNP H and production of full-length A-Raf is positively controlled by c-Myc. Low c-Myc reduces hnRNP H expression and switches a-raf splicing to produce A-Raf(short), a truncated protein. Importantly, A-Raf(short) fails to regulate MST2 but retains the Ras-binding domain such that it functions as a dominant negative mutant suppressing Ras activation and transformation. Human colon and head and neck cancers exhibit high hnRNP H and high c-Myc levels resulting in enhanced A-Raf expression and reduced expression of A-Raf(short). Conversely, in normal cells and tissues in which c-Myc and hnRNP H are low, A-Raf(short) suppresses extracellular signal regulated kinase activation such that it may act as a safeguard against oncogenic transformation. Our findings offered a new paradigm to understand how c-Myc coordinates diverse cell functions by directly affecting alternate splicing of key signaling components.


Untethered nodes in mobile ad-hoc networks strongly depend on the efficient use of their batteries. In this paper, we propose a new metric, the drain rate, to forecast the lifetime of nodes according to current traffic conditions. This metric is combined with the value of the remaining battery capacity to determine which nodes can be part of an active route. We describe new route selection mechanisms for MANET routing protocols, which we call the Minimum Drain Rate(MDR) and the Conditional Minimum Drain Rate(CMDR). MDR extends nodal battery life and the duration of paths, while CMDR also minimizes the total transmission power consumed per packet. Using the ns-2 simulator and the dynamic source routing (DSR) protocol, we compare MDR and CMDR against prior proposals for power-aware routing and show that using the drain rate for power-aware route selection offers superior performance results.
Key words : Mobile Ad Hoc Networks; Routing; Power-aware; Route Selection; Drain Rate;


International Journal of Ayurveda & Alternative Medicine (IJAAM)  is a peer reviewed scientific open access professional journal, publishing full-length original research papers and reviews on Ayurveda, Complementary & Alternative Medicine and allied health disciplines. The journal endow with an inter-disciplinary platform for linking contemporary & traditional knowledge with the most recent developments in scientific world. IJAAM will explore disciplines like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Pharmacognosy, Botany, Ethnobotany, Ethnomedicine, Taxonomy, Ethnopharmacology, Biology, Biotechnology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Clinical Research, Animal Experiments. All manuscripts contributed to IJAAM will be subjected to rigorous editorial & double blind expert peer review process considering that the same have not published previously and also are not under consideration for publication elsewhere.


Amperometric determination of Rh(III) was accomplished in 0.1M NH3 + 0.1M NH4Cl medium with TDPA at d.m.e. (dropping mercury electrode). Both cathodic and anodic titrations were carried out successfully. Metal species- TDPA stoichiometry obtained was 1:1. The lowest concentration estimated by amperometric titrations were 5.00 ppm and 9.00 ppm for cathodic and anodic titrations respectively with high degree of accuracy. Maximum error (± 2%) was encountered in case of most dilute solutions. Interference of different foreign ions has also been studied.


The increasing global demand for paperand the opportunity for Indonesia to become one of the the top three players in the world pulp and paper industry tend to increase the capacity of national pulp production in the coming years.On the other hand the production process of pulp gives rise to the environment impacts such as increasing use of energy and environmental pollution. This study aims to do the environmental assessment of pulp production using Life Cycle Assessment by means of Simapro Software Version 126.96.36.199.As the object of the study we took a pulp production process using acacia wood as raw material that is undertaken by a pulp producer named PT Tanjungenim Lestari. The company is located in Muara Enim, South Sumatera, Indonesia. The results of the study show that the highest environmental impacts generated from the pulp production process include marine aquatic depletion and human toxicity resulted from chip preparation, digesting,and washing/screening processes.


Abstract : The appearance in certain saprophytes of lethal properties can become hereditarily fixed by ensuring the particular micropopulation better nutritional conditions and as a result give rise to the formation of a pathogenic species. The occurrence of this character might have enabled the ancestors of Cl. botulinum to separate from the mass of other saprophytes and to provide unusual possibilities for circulating as well as a comparatively isolated sphere of existence. The decomposing carcass of an animal becomes a medium for multiplication and toxin formation and a source for the further spread of the microbe. A necessary condition for the hereditary fixation and further perfection of the given adaptive character in a 'profitable' direction for the microbe is the possibility of such a mechanism of transmission recurring, the possibility of achieving the regular transmission of the pathogenic factor to a healthy organism, and the use by the microbe for this purpose of certain regular contacts between the animal and the environment. It is believed that the toxigenicity of Cl. botulinum gave rise to a specialized mechanism of transmission which, in turn, was a factor in the further evolution toward the natural selection of forms possessing more pathogenic properties and different methods of adaptation suitable to the new way of life. (Author)


The "Questionnaire on Differentiated Assessment of Addiction (QDAA)" is a multi-modal, selfrating instrument for the Assessment of addiction and abuse of psychotropic substances. The QDAA provides the diagnosis of addiction as well as an overview of relevant information needed for the treatment of addiction. Several subscales assess variables that contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction such as mood, stress, expectancy of drug effects, self-esteem, life satisfaction and coping ability. In the present study validity and reliability of the QDAA was tested in several dependent and non-dependent samples. A total of 575 non-dependent, alcohol-, heroin- and cannabis-dependent subjects was available for the present study. Six criteria (craving, tolerance, withdrawal, loss of control, addictive behavior, negative consequences), that form the basis of the addiction diagnosis were shown to have high internal consistency and can be reduced to one dimension by factor analysis. The resulting diagnosis of addiction is significantly correlated with the external criterion "dependence syndrome" of the ICD-10 by external experts. The assumed structure of the QDAA-subscales could be confirmed by factor analysis. In addition, the results of the subscale analysis provide empirical evidence for convergent validity. All subscales showed moderate to high internal consistency. The results suggest that the QDAA is a valid and reliable instrument for the differential assessment of substance addiction, abuse as well as relevant information in the context of addiction and its treatment.


That there is still much to be learned about infections and use of antibiotics is seen in the lectures by Andrewes on 'Recent Work on the Common Cold', by Pollock on 'Adaptation in Microorganisms', by Lowbury and by Knox on 'Drug Resistance' and by Collier on 'Trachoma and Inclusion Blennorrheea'. The continuing resistance of cancer to success in finding clues to its cause and treatment is well illustrated in the lectures by Galton on 'Contributions of Chemotherapy to the Study of Leukemia', by Kay on 'Transplantation of Hxemopoietic Cells', by Magee on 'Experimental Liver Cancer', and by Hewitt on 'Fundamental Aspects of the Radiotherapy of Cancer'. Nabarro contributes a critical and practical lecture on 'Oral Hypoglycaemic Agents'. These authors are all actively engaged in research in their subjects and the lectures comprise up-to-date knowledge which should be of value not only to fellow research workers but to all interested in medical science and the methods now being used to increase our understanding of man and how to keep him healthy and efficient.


In meeting bio-enterprise needs, university education often revolves around introducing students in the sciences to business, managerial and other professional expertise. This paper introduces the Bio-Enterprise Innovation Expertise Model, an alternative driver for bio-enterprise-relevant education that includes science-focused students, but also draws students from non-scientific fields, which are essential to the success of any bio-enterprise. Students are grounded in the global biotechnology industry and the dynamic of expertise required throughout the innovation process – from science to product. Against a backdrop of current approaches, the experience of the Business of Biotechnology (BoB) Program at the University of San Francisco (USF) is described. It utilizes the model to cohesively integrate multiple degree programs (business, law, information systems and biotechnology.) With a complement of three lecture courses and four study tours to differing global bioclusters, 95 graduate students from four degree programs undertook 170 BoB courses over five semesters. In terms of extensibility, previously unpublished Council of Graduate Schools research data is presented that shows master's focused institutions out-performing doctoral institutions at the master's level, establishing relevance of the model to all universities. The experience further demonstrates how such programs can evolve incrementally with strategic use of the model, opening numerous options for implementation, and increasing the potential to better serve bio-enterprise.Â


While recent studies implicate that signaling through the receptor tyrosine kinase MET protects cancer cells from DNA damage, molecular events linking MET to the DNA damage response machinery are largely unknown. Here, we studied the impact of MET inhibition by the small molecule PHA665752 on cytotoxicity induced by DNA-damaging agents. We demonstrate that PHA665752 reduces clonogenic survival of tumor cells with MET overexpression when combined with ionizing radiation and synergistically cooperates with ionizing radiation or adriamycin to induce apoptosis. In search of mechanisms underlying the observed synergism, we show that PHA665752 alone considerably increases γH2AX levels, indicating the accumulation of double-strand DNA breaks. In addition, PHA665752 treatment results in sustained high levels of γH2AX and phosphorylated ATM postirradiation, strengthening the assumption that MET inhibition attenuates postdamage DNA repair. PHA665752, alone or in combination with irradiation, leads also to a massive increase of γH2AX tyrosine phosphorylation and its subsequent interaction with the proapoptotic kinase JNK1. Finally, MET inhibition reduces activation of ATR, CHK1, and CDC25B and abrogates an associated DNA damage–induced S phase arrest. This indicates that MET inhibition compromises a critical damagedependent checkpoint that may enable DNA-damaged cells to exit cell cycle arrest before repair is completed.


By the macroscopic tensile tests of the 3D four-directional braided composites, the failure pattern and fracture morphology of specimens with different geometric sizes have been observed. It is obtained that the different failure mechanisms and the material properties are relevant to the geometric sizes of samples under tensile states. The elastic properties of the braided composites are obtained by volume average method. The variation of shear modulus and Poisson ratio is obtained as well. It is shown that the elastic modulus increases with the increase of number of interior cells. The predicted results are in agreement with the experimental results. The results may provide experimental basis for further study on strength prediction and the establishment of strength criterion for 3D four-directional braided composites.


Water institutions are highly diffused throughout society. These institutions interact with one another in various ways. As water needs and services expand, collaborative and cooperative arrangements are commonly sought as a means of meeting common goals of providing a safe, dependable and least cost water supply to particular constituencies. Of the many different institutions involved in the development, management, distribution, and use of water, perhaps the most significant in terms of extensive interactions with other institutions is the kind that is typified by Water Conservancy Districts and Metropolitan Water Districts in Utah. The sLatutory and operating framework of counterpart organizations in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, and South Dakota are compared in this report. Significant differences in procedures for creation and termination, selection of officers, powers and legal rights, opportunity for input to policy formulation, sources of financing, planning responsibility, and coordination are identified. Interstate comparisons provide the backdrop for more specific examination of the interactions of districts in Utah with other organizations and agencies. The results indicate that districts have tended to embrace large scale projects as solutions to projected water shortages. The continuing and long term financial obligation constrains the districts flexibility to adjust to alternative supply options that may become visible to retail users as demand patterns change during the drawn out construction schedules of large projects. Because the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project is presently engaged in a large and active investigative and construction program, and is negotiating water purchase contracts, examples of some of the kinds of impediments to effective institutional interaction were more readily identified in that region by those interviewed. In situations where institutional differences occur, their mediation could be more readily effected if districts were more directly linked to general purpose government and particularly to state oversight. State government might promote more harmonious coordination of district operations by inviting periodic full and open appraisal of district plans and policies in a search for mid-course corrections that might better serve the public interest without abrogating contractual commitments.