Background: Disturbed endothelial barrier function is a hallmark of inflammation. Effusion of protein rich plasma fluid leading to edema formation and overshooting transmigration of leukocytes contribute to severe organ dysfunction under conditions of generalized inflammation, e.g. acute lung injury and sepsis. The peptide hormone Adrenomedullin (ADM) and its receptor (CRLR/RAMP2/3) constitute an important signaling system for the protection of endothelial barrier function. Although elevation of cAMP in endothelial cells was identified as signaling pathway of ADM responsible for barrier protection, it was speculated that other mechanisms are involved and precise intracellular signaling routes have not been explored, yet.
Main findings and conclusions: ADM was confirmed to be a strong stabilizer of the endothelial barrier function in vitro, preventing and reversing hyperpermeability independent of the inflammatory stimulus (as determined by electrical impedance and FITC-dextran permeability measurements after stimulation with thrombin, TNFα, histamine, VEGF). Moreover, it was shown for the first time that ADM inhibited TNFα-induced granulocyte transmigration which was solely due to effects of ADM on endothelial cells. These in vitro-findings could be translated to animal models of vascular permeability and inflammation: ADM dose-dependently reduced vascular permeability in the skin of mice and rats (Miles assay; stimulus histamine). In a murine lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury model, ADM reduced lung edema and leukocyte extravasation.
In endothelial cells, barrier protection could solely be reduced to cAMP signaling via the protein kinase A (PKA) and Epac-Rap1 pathways (dose response comparison with Forskolin). Dissection of the downstream cascade by means of cAMP analogs, specific for PKA and Epac-Rap1 signaling (benz-cAMP and "007", respectively), demonstrated that both pathways are with respect to their efficacy equally involved in effects on permeability probably addressing independent effector mechanisms as suggested by enhanced efficacy of combination of both. Consistently, both pathway activators prevented vascular hyper-permeability in vivo. PKA activation and inhibition of MLC phosphorylation downstream of ADM diminish stimulus induced actin stressfiber formation and contraction of endothelial cells thus counteracting intercellular gap formation and hyperpermeability. Most notably, also effects independent of the contractile apparatus were demonstrated: ADM stabilized barrier function even in the absence of a functional actin cytosceletton after treatment with Cytochalasin D and knockdown of cortactin. ADM induced stabilization of VE-cadherin at the cell borders and increased the amount of detectable VE-cadherin/VE-PTP complex which is important for the regular function of VE-cadherin.
In contrast, granulocyte transmigration was only reduced by PKA activation and ADM effects were lost after knockdown of cortactin. In line with this finding, a PKA inhibitor abolished the effect of ADM. As PKA activation reduces myosin light chain phosphorylation these data collectively link leukocyte extravasation to the contractile apparatus of the endothelial cell. As "007" was fully active with respect to TNFα induced hyperpermeability but had no effect with respect to granulocyte transmigration, endothelial hyperpermeability per se is not a prerequisite for granulocyte transmigration.


This article presents a new model for valuing a credit default swap (CDS) contract that is affected by multiple credit risks of the buyer, seller and reference entity. We show that default dependency has a significant impact on asset pricing. In fact, correlated default risk is one of the most pervasive threats in financial markets. We also show that a fully collateralized CDS is not equivalent to a risk-free one. In other words, full collateralization cannot eliminate counterparty risk completely in the CDS market.


Preface 1. When will we ever learn? Or the elephant in the classroom Kevin Wheldall 2. Educational Psychology - Theory, research and teaching Dennis M. McInerney 3. Intelligence and IQ Ted Nettelbeck and Carlene Wilson 4. Trends in peer learning Keith J. Topping 5. Family environments and children's outcomes Kevin Marjoribanks 6. Individual differences and educational performance Richard Riding 7. Progress in communication intervention for individuals with developmental disabilities Jeff Sigafoos 8. Students' approaches to learning and teachers' approaches to teaching in higher education John T. E. Richardson 9. Reflections on the database of educational psychology and effective teaching research Gregory C. R. Yates 10. Evidence based practice for education? Reg Marsh 11. Recent research on troublesome classroom behaviour Robyn Beaman, Kevin Wheldall and Coral Kemp 12. Teachers' use of approval and disapproval in the classroom Robyn Beaman and Kevin Wheldall 13. Classroom seating arrangements and classroom behaviour Kevin Wheldall and Larraine Bradd 14. Teacher judgment of reading performance Alison Madelaine and Kevin Wheldall


Many of the claims of Materialist Ultra-Darwinist (MUD) worldview are desperately implausible, having about the same credibility as fairy stories. For example, if we accept Dawkins claim that the development of new adaptations is very gradual, the ancestor with the pouch mutation would still at this initial point be giving birth via egg birth. However we are supposed to believe, according to the DUD-MUD account, that there is some subtle slight alteration in the direction of pouch birth. Now in order for this slight new mutational 'something', indicating the possibility of the future development of pouch birth, to actually get 'favoured' it must be advantageous in some way at that point in time . But how could this possibly be true? What kind of environment could make the potentiality of pouch birth signaled by a non-noticeable mutation, significantly more advantageous than an egg one? The egg birth process was presumably working perfectly well otherwise these pouch-mutant mammals would have died out before they became fully pouch endowed. What kind of mutated mind could possibly believe such a desperately implausible scenario?   The only way this scenario could possibly make sense is if there is some kind of quantum evolutionary 'look-ahead' mechanism as suggested by Mensky. The only possible explanation which accords with current scientific knowledge is that there is a deep level of quantum interconnection between an environment and the 'design' of the species found in that environment. And such an interconnection has been shown to exist; it is called 'quantum entanglement'. This can happen precisely because the 'themes' for all the possibilities of life, including organisms and environments, are potential within the Platonic quantum fields of potentiality, and when they are expressed and manifested they do so in a manner which is, in the main, coherent and consistent, the inhabitants fitting, because of the patterning of the internal potentialities, the manifested environments.  When the evidence is examined with precision it becomes clear that the MUD worldview is incoherent and a new quantum Platonic paradigm must supplant it.


We develop a new sequential rate distortion functionto compute lower bounds on the average length of all causal prefix free codes for partially observable multivariate Markov processes with mean-squared error distortion constraint. Our information measure is characterized by a variant of causally conditioned directed information and is utilized in various application examples. First, it is used to optimally characterize a finite dimensional optimization problem for jointly Gaussian processes and to obtain the corresponding optimal linear encoding and decoding policies.Under the assumption that all matrices commute by pairs,we show that our problem can be cast as a convex programwhich achieves its global minimum. We also derive sufficientconditions which ensure that our assumption holds. We thensolve the KKT conditions and derive a new reverse-waterfilling algorithm that we implement. If our assumption is violated, one can still use our approach to derive sub-optimal (upper bound) waterfilling solutions. For scalar-valued Gauss-Markov processes with additional observation noise, we derive a new closed form solution and we compare it with known results in the literature. For partially observable time-invariant Markov processes driven by additive i:i:d: system noise only, we recover using an alternative approach and thus strengthening a recent result by Kostina and Hassibi in [1, Theorem 9] whereas for timeinvariant and spatially IID Markov processes driven by additive noise process we also derive new analytical lower bounds.


In this paper, we propose a 2-step frequency-domain channel estimation scheme suitable for training sequence inserted single-carrier (TS-SC) block transmission using frequency-domain equalization (FDE). In the first step, the received training sequence having cyclic property is constructed for frequency-domain channel estimation to obtain the instantaneous channel estimate. Improved channel estimate is obtained by simply averaging the instantaneous channel estimates over several blocks. In the second step, the maximum likelihood channel estimation is carried out iteratively by using both the estimated symbol sequence and the training sequence. The BER performance with the proposed frequency-domain channel estimation scheme is evaluated by computer simulation. It is shown that the proposed channel estimation scheme achieves a BER performance close to the perfect channel estimation.


BACKGROUND Patient-centered clinical methods encourage physicians to explore the patient's reasons for the visit. Practitioners worry that this behavior may be inefficient. This study piloted a method to examine how the number of problems managed and time per problem vary with time spent exploring a patient's views. METHODS Exploration of a patient's views, medical investigation, explanation, and management were mapped against time for a defined agenda from videotapes of eight second-year residents seeing three simulated patients. Performance of three of four tasks defined completion of work on an agendum. Visit length, time per agendum completed, and proportion of agenda completed were compared with time per task using regression methods. RESULTS Time on exploration correlated with visit length and proportion of agenda completed, but other tasks did not. Time per agendum completed was unrelated to time on exploration. CONCLUSIONS Visits were longer when more time was spent exploring the patient's reason for the visit because the physician tackled more problems. Time required per problem was not significantly increased. Task/agenda mapping is worth further development to examine differences in comprehensiveness and efficiency among practice styles.


Electromagnetic interference (EMI) regulations are a very important issue in the design of almost any electronic circuit. Over the years, "cut-and-try" procedures have been adopted by electronic designers to make circuits comply with these regulations, mainly due to the lack of reliable theoretical models of radiated noise and clear design rules. To gain new insight into this field, a novel approach is presented in this paper based on a well-known technique in the field of antenna design, i.e., the source reconstruction method (SRM). Its application allows a set of equivalent currents to be obtained that behave exactly like the circuit under consideration with regard to radiated noise. From these currents, magnetic and electric radiated fields can be obtained at any point in space, even at 3 or 10 m away from the circuit where the regulations must be met. Moreover, the equivalent currents accurately represent noise sources in the circuit, thus permitting the elements responsible for generating radiated noise to be located. The aforementioned method would enable designers to reduce the use of anechoic-chamber facilities when testing their designs, thereby leaving the chamber only for final certification purposes.


For multivariate frequency analysis of hydrometeorological data, the copula model is commonly used to construct joint probability distribution due to its flexibility and simplicity. The Maximum Pseudo-Likelihood (MPL) method is one of the most widely used methods for fitting a copula model. The MPL method was derived from the Weibull plotting position formula assuming a uniform distribution. Because extreme hydrometeorological data are often positively skewed, capacity of the MPL method may not be fully utilized. This study proposes the modified MPL (MMPL) method to improve the MPL method by taking into consideration the skewness of the data. In the MMPL method, the Weibull plotting position formula in the original MPL method is replaced with the formulas which can consider the skewness of the data. The Monte-Carlo simulation has been performed under various conditions in order to assess the performance of the proposed method with the Gumbel copula model. The proposed MMPL method provides more precise parameter estimates than does the MPL method for positively skewed hydrometeorological data based on the simulation results. The MMPL method would be a better alternative for fitting the copula model to the skewed data sets. Additionally, applications of the MMPL methods were performed on the two weather stations (Seosan and Yeongwol) in South Korea.


Summary: Artificial subtraction of fluids and solutes was evaluated in the course of acute and chronic heart failure when it became refractory to standard intensive medical treatment. A group of 19 patients (mean age 57 years), 9 with ischemic, 2 arnyloidotic, 4 valvular, and 4 idiopathic cadiomyopathy, were treated. In 17 patients extracorporeal ultrafiltration (UF) by means of a polysulfonate ultrafilter was adopted along 125 sessions (105 assisted by a roller pump and 20 as a slow continuous ultrafiltrate). In two patients continuous peritoneal dialysis was adopted. In every case UF was well tolerated. Ultrafiltmte volumes ranged from 1680 to 3500 ml for every session with corresponding Na losses ranging from 194 to 434 mEq/session. Improved clinical and functional status with reduction of edema was observed in 17 of 19 patients. In 12 patients UF could be discontinued due to restored response to diuretics; 5 of these patients could subsequently undergo heart surgery (1 transplant, 3 valve nplacement, 1 coronary bypass). The remaining 7 patients survived od medical therapy alone for an average of 228 days. In 7 of 19 cases, UF could not be discontinued, and these patients died after an average of 23 days of treatment. In conclusion, UF proved to be effective in eliminating salt-fluid overload and restoring response to medical treatment. Patients who are potential surgical candidates !kern to be the most suitable for UF.


Family genetic testing of probands with newly diagnosed rare hereditary diseases including Fabry disease improves early diagnosis and allows to initiate specific treatment, if available, at earlier stage in affected family members. Diagnosis of Fabry disease, an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder affecting kidneys, heart, brain and other organs, is usually late due to low awareness of physicians about rare diseases. Moreover, early symptoms can be non-specific (e.g. gastrointestinal disorders and autonomic neuropathy) or misleading (e.g. recurrent unexplained fever) whereas characteristic skin rash and keratopathy (cornea verticillata) are frequently overlooked. Undiagnosed patients with Fabry disease can be detected by screening in at-risk populations, such as patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis or renal transplantation, patients with unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy, and young adults with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack who have a higher prevalence of the disease compared to general population. High-risk screening paves the way to family screening to identify affected relatives, including children, who can benefit from earlier treatment and genetic counselling. The major barriers to family screening include costs of testing, cultural and societal issues, stigma associated with a diagnosis of genetic disease, low contacts in the family, weak infrastructure, national regulations.


Myocardial ischemia caused inhibition of myocardial contractility, increased pressure in the left atrium, reduced cardiac output and reduced systemic blood pressure. The decrease in cardiac output is due to a combination of the myocardial contractility reduction and that of the outflow of blood from the pulmonary vascular bed. Hemodynamic changes in the arterial part of the systemic circulation are accompanied by shifts in its venous part: reduced blood flow in the anterior and posterior caval veins and a decrease in venous return. The determining factor for reducing the flow of venous blood to the heart during myocardial ischemia is a decrease in cardiac output. Myocardial ischemia of the left ventricle is accompanied by a decrease in pressure and blood flow in the pulmonary artery. The data obtained suggest that the degree of reduction of these indicators of pulmonary hemodynamics depends on the elevated pressure in the left atrium resulting from reduction of the left ventricle contractility. The degree of hemodynamic disorders in systemic and pulmonary circulation in myocardial ischemia depends not only on the size of the zone of myocardial ischemia of the left ventricle, but also on the duration of cessation of its blood supply. We suggest that the time factor is a decisive one with respect to severity of hemodynamic disorders occurring only at a certain, critical, size of the zone of myocardial ischemia.


Through the use of ICT tools, such as the internet, portals, and telecommunication devices, the quality of healthcare has improved in local and global health; aiding in the development of a sustainable economy. Handbook of Research on ICTs for Quality Improvement in Healthcare and Social Services brings together a valuable research collection on ICT elements needed to improve communication and collaboration between global health institutes, public and private organisations, and foundations. Highlighting the adoption and success factors in the development of technologies for healthcare, this book is essential for IT professionals, technology solution providers, researchers, and students interested in technology and its relationship with healthcare and social services.


In keeping with Canada's climate change mitigation goals, the 2012 Ontario Building Code will demand higher levels of insulation than in current practice. Rapid changes to higher RSI levels will force light frame home builders to employ building envelope designs that are hitherto untried, and therefore present risks in terms of durability and efficiency. To address the disparate issues in choosing design options with respect to OBC 2012 requirements and beyond, seventeen wall assembly configurations were analyzed in terms of heat transfer, moisture safety, environmental impact and costs, for new residential housing in Ontario. ASHRAE Standard 160P was used to determine the moisture safety of the wall assemblies. Furthermore, a new technique for analyzing hygrothermal performance was developed where the maximum number of consecutive daily average relative humidity levels that exceeded 80% were quantified and analyzed. An overall normalized score was awarded to each wall to assist stakeholder decision-making processes.


This paper is the fourth in a series presenting (galaxy morphology, and thus galaxy formation)-dependent black hole (BH) mass, M BH, scaling relations. We have used a sample of 119 galaxies with directly measured M BH and host spheroid parameters obtained from multicomponent decomposition of, primarily, 3.6 μm Spitzer images. Here, we investigate the correlations between M BH and the projected (apparent) luminosity density μ, the projected stellar mass density Σ, and the de-projected (internal) stellar mass density ρ, for various spheroid radii. We discover the predicted M BH–μ 0,sph relation and present the first M BH–μ e,sph and M BH–ρ e,int,sph diagrams displaying slightly different (possibly curved) trends for early- and late-type galaxies (ETGs and LTGs, respectively) and an offset between ETGs with (fast-rotators, ES/S0) and without (slow-rotators, E) a disk. The scatter about various M BH–〈Σ〉R,sph (and 〈ρ〉 r,sph) relations is shown to systematically decrease as the enclosing aperture (and volume) increases, dropping from 0.69 dex when using the spheroid "compactness," 〈Σ〉1kpc,sph, to 0.59 dex when using 〈Σ〉5kpc,sph. We also reveal that M BH correlates with the internal density, ρ soi,sph, at the BH's sphere-of-influence radius, such that core-Sérsic (high Sérsic index, n) and (low-n) Sérsic galaxies define different relations with total rms scatters 0.21 dex and 0.77 dex, respectively. The M BH–〈ρ〉soi,sph relations will help with direct estimation of tidal disruption event rates, binary BH lifetimes, and together with other BH scaling relations, improve the characteristic strain estimates for long-wavelength gravitational waves pursued with pulsar timing arrays and space-based interferometers.


Background: Dario Diabetes Solution (DDS) is a digital health application (app) that combines a blood glucose (BG) monitoring system with a smartphone app, allowing tracking of BG levels in real time. This study evaluated effectiveness of DDS on HbA1c between DDS users and matched nonusers.
 Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with a baseline (BL) HbA1c ≥7% who used DDS (users) or received usual care (nonusers) between January 1, 2017, to October 31, 2021. BL period was 1 year before index date (first DDS registration [users] or first claim date in the quarter [nonusers]); follow-up period was 6 months. DDS user and nonuser cohorts were matched 1:3 using exact and propensity score matching. Primary endpoint was change in HbA1c from BL to 6 months, with subgroup analyses of patients (pts) with BL HbA1c >7.5%, >8%, >9%, and ≥1% drop from BL. Difference-in-difference results are reported using least squares (LS) means from linear models.
 Results: The study included 568 DDS users and 1699 nonusers. For all 2267 pts, mean ± SD age was 57.5±11.3 years and HbA1c was 9.14±1.83% at BL. At 6 months, LS mean difference between groups was −0.23% (mean HbA1c change vs BL: users, −1.02% [95% CI, −1.15, −0.89]; nonusers, −0.79% [−0.87, −0.71]; P=0.004). HbA1c drop ≥1% from BL to 6 months was achieved by 47% of users vs 37% nonusers (difference: 10%; P<0.001). Subgroup analysis at all BL HbA1c showed users achieved more significant HbA1c reductions vs nonusers (P<0.05). For pts with BL HbA1c >9%, the healthcare effectiveness data and information set performance measure, mean difference between groups was -0.47% (users, -2.25% [-2.50, -1.99]; nonusers, -1.78% [-1.92, -1.63]; P=0.002).
 Conclusions: Adults with uncontrolled T2DM using DDS had better outcomes at 6 months, with more significant HbA1c reductions than matched nonusers across various BL HbA1c levels, showing incremental improvements to usual care.

 N.Thingalaya: None. F.Lee: Employee; Sanofi, Stock/Shareholder; Sanofi. D.Kerr: Consultant; Sanofi-Aventis U.S. P.Potukuchi: None. L.Wilson: Employee; Sanofi. K.C.Lee: Employee; Sanofi. E.K.Han-burgess: Employee; Sanofi. A.Edwards: Employee; Symphony Health, an ICON plc company, Other Relationship; Sanofi. X.Yu: None. A.Kennedy: None.

 Sanofi


We have evaluated the factors influencing the labeling of human platelets in the presence of autologous plasma. The labeling efficiency was found to be dependent on a) the time and temperature of incubation, b) the platelet concentration, c) the con centration of citrate ions (in ACD anticoagulant), and d) the concentration of 8-hydroxyquinoline in the suspending medium. Contrary to what was expected, unsat urated transferrin was found not to interfere with the transfer of In-Ill from the [ ui /n] 8-hydroxyquinoline complex to the platelets. Based on the findings of this study, a protocol was established by which human platelets can be labeled with In-Ill in plasma with a labeling efficiency of 55.5 ± 9.3 (mean ± 1 s.d.) percent.


We present the in‐flight scalar calibration and characterisation of the Swarm magnetometry package consisting of the absolute scalar magnetometer, the vector magnetometer, and the spacecraft structure supporting the instruments. A significant improvement in the scalar residuals between the pairs of magnetometers is demonstrated, confirming the high performance of these instruments. The results presented here, including the characterisation of a Sun‐driven disturbance field, form the basis of the correction of the magnetic vector measurements from Swarm which is applied to the Swarm Level 1b magnetic data.


Ogyu Sorai (1666-1728) was one of the greatest philosophers of early modern Japan. This volume, a monumental work of scholarship, offers for the first time in any Western language unabridged and fully annotated translations of Sorai's masterpieces. The Bendo (Distinguishing the Way) and Benmei (Distinguishing Names) are works of political philosophy that define the theoretical foundation for a leadership exercising total power, the best remedy, in Sorai's view, for a regime in crisis. The translations are based on the 1740 (Genbun 5) woodblock edition, the first major edition of these seminal texts published during the Tokugawa period. In his commentary, John Tucker situates the Bendo and Benmei in relation to NeoConfucianism via what is known as "philosophical lexicography." This genre, which links Sorai's thinking with Neo-Confucianism, is traced to the early-thirteenth-century Song dynasty text the Xingli ziyi (The Meanings of Neo-Confucian Terms) by Chen Beixi (1159-1223). Although Sorai was an unrelenting critic the Neo-Confucian formulations of the great Song synthesizer Zhu Xi (1130-1200), his thinking remained, due to its genre, methodology, and conceptual repertory, essentially a radical revision of Neo-Confucian discourse. Tucker's introduction also examines the reception of Sorai's two Ben during the remainder of the Tokugawa, calling attention to radical tendencies in later developments of Sorai's thought as well as to the increasingly scathing critiques of his "Chinese" approach to philosophy, language, and politics. Finally, it traces the vicissitudes of the two Ben in modern Japanese intellectual history and their role in the formation of the ideas of Meiji intellectuals such as Nishi Amane (1829-1897) and Kato Hiroyuki (1836-1916).


Aims:
To assess the prevalence and severity ofstress amongjunior doctors (interns) as well as determine the factors associated with increased stress.

Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, we administered the10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale,a measure of stress,to 380 interns from 11 different hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We also asked them to answer questions regarding their gender, marital status, clinical rotation, the hospital in which they were completing their currentrotation, satisfaction with their work environment, presence of personal issues unrelated to the hospital,and whether they had sat for the Saudi MedicalLicensing Exam in the month prior to theircompletion of the questionnaire.

Results:
Two hundred forty-seven interns completed the questionnaire, the majority of whom (95%) expressed some degree of stress. Most of theinterns experiencing stresshad severe levels(75%), followed by moderate (13%) and mild levels (7%). The proportion of male interns who were stressed (97.9%) wasgreater than the proportion of female interns(91.3%) (p< 0.001), and a greater proportion ofsingle internsthan married internswere stressed (95.1% vs. 95.3%), respectively (p =0.004). Factors such ashaving sitfor the licensing exam and having family or personal issues wereassociated with greaterstress (p = 0.006 and p=0.001, respectively). Interestingly, we observed no significant relationsof stress with clinical rotations, the hospitals in which their currentrotation was taking place, or satisfaction with work (p= 0.364,0.236, and 0.421, respectively).

Conclusion
The prevalence of stress among interns is very high. Further studies are necessarytodetermine the precise causes of such stress in order todevelop suitable solutions.


The Government of India has entrusted the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) with the responsibility of four laning of Chenani to Nashri Section of NH-1A from km 89.00 to km 130.00 including 9km long bi-directional traffic tunnel with a parallel escape tunnel of 9km on BOT (annuity) basis. The project area lies in western Himalayan region. The rock masses along the project of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel, belong to the Lower Murree formation that includes a sequence of interbedded sandstones, siltstones and claystones layers. The tunnel behaviour classification of the rock mass has been performed by Geodata, Italy. These rock behaviour classes has been correlated with the rock mass behavior type of NATM. The supports for various behavior classes have also been designed using the numerical methods as per the requirements. The tunnel construction work was started in August 2011 from South end and in September 2011 from North end. As expected the experience of tunneling in Himalayan mixed geology having bands of sandstone, siltstone, claystone, intermingled siltstone and claystone and sheared siltstone and claystone is not very encouraging. There have been instances of overbreaks and cracks in shotcrete support in the tunnel. Accordingly the designs have been modified. The benefits of displacements/convergence monitoring have been highlighted at the end.


Description: The Power of the Talking Stick makes the case that, reaching back to the beginning of the nation-state and all through the current period of corporate-led globalization, our governments and social institutions have been engaged in activities that will ultimately extinguish the world's ecological life support systems. This book offers an alternative, listening to indigenous leaders and others whose voices often go unheard in the din of contemporary culture. Their warning is stark, but their insights are firmly grounded in traditional knowledge and provide a way to see past the politics and rescue the earth.


Advances in wireless communications have paved the way for wide usage of mobile phones in modern society, resulting in mounting concerns surrounding its harmful radiation. Energy absorption in human biological tissues can be characterized by spe- cific absorption rate (SAR). This value refers to the actual amount of electromagnetic energy absorbed in the biological tissues, thus a lower value of SAR indicates a lower radiation exposure risk to the human body. So, our challenge is to introduce mobile handset antennas with low SAR and operating at all mobile and wireless applications. In this chapter, novel configurations of single-element antenna are designed, simulated, fabricated, and measured. The antennas operate for most cellular applications: global system for mobile (GSM)-850/900, digital cellular system (DCS)-1800, personal commu nication service (PCS)-1900, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS)-2100, and long-term evolution (LTE) bands. The antennas also support wireless applications. The proposed antennas have a compact size and low SAR at all bands. Also, this chap - ter presents a comprehensive study on the performance of the antenna in the different environments. Furthermore, the antenna performance is tested in the presence of head and hand in free space and in a car. The simulation and measurement results are in good agreement.


Abstract : This report describes the new portable platform and gravity meter system which has been assembled at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. It consists of three functionally distinct parts. The first of these is a recently developed gyro-stabilized two-axis platform. This platform has been designed to carry the vibrating string accelerometer (VSA) and its associated oven assembly as the gravity sensor. The new platform represents a major reduction in both size and weight over other platforms suitable for gravity measurement. The second major part of this system is a new gravity readout which interfaces with the VSA, processes the VSA output, and prepares the resulting filtered acceleration data for output to the acquisition system. The readout has been designed to allow flexible use of the gravity system on a variety of vehicles, including ships, submarines and aircraft. The third part of this new meter is the data acquisition system. It consists of a microprocessor interfaced to a Kennedy 9-track tape drive. Both the platform and the readout are connected to the microprocessor. Results are presented from Endeavor cruise 88 that demonstrate the ability of the platform to stabilize the gravity meter and for the gravity system to produce raw data with a resolution of 48 milligals at a sampling rate of 10 Hz.


Solitary median maxillary central incisor syndrome (SMMCI) syndrome is a unique developmental abnormality arising from an unknown event occurring between the 35th and 38th days in utero, and involving mieline structure of the head including the cranial bones, the maxilla and its container dentition (specifically the central incisor tooth germ), together with other midline structures of the body. The SMMCI tooth may be possibly occur as an isolated trait or in association with many other midline developmental anomalies. It is estimated to occur in 1:50000 live births. There is a wide variability in the phenotypic spectrum. SMMCI is considered one of the most minimal expressions of the holoprosencephaly spectrum. Mutation in the Sonic Hedgehog homolog (SHH) gene may be associated with SSMMCI, but recent studies suggests the existence of several other candidate genes. We described two patients with SMMCI. They presented a solitary median maxillary incisor, short stature, hipotelorism and corpus callosus anomalies found on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They also present severe hiponatremia. At the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of cases of SMMCI with hiponatremia. We suggest that the sodium disorder may be secondary to syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH).


We analyze new photometric data for the Herbig Be eclipsing binary TY CrA, which securely reveal the secondary eclipse, ∼0.03 mag deep in y. From the light-curve solution and our previous spectroscopic data, absolute dimensions of the primary and secondary stars are derived. The masses are found to be M1 = 3.16 ± 0.02 M☉ and M2 = 1.64 ± 0.01 M☉, the radii are R1 = 1.80 ± 0.10 R☉ and R2 = 2.08 ± 0.14 R☉, the luminosities are L1 = 67 ± 12 L☉ and L2 = 2.4 ± 0.8 L☉, and the effective temperatures are T1 = 12,000 ± 500 K and T2 = 4900 ± 400 K. Here the uncertainties represent high-confidence limits, not standard deviations. The secondary star is a pre–main-sequence star located at the base of the Hayashi tracks. As such, it is the least evolved star with a dynamically measured mass. Given higher effective temperatures for the primary (e.g., 12,500 K), the solar-composition 1.64 M☉ evolutionary tracks of Swenson et al., Claret, and D'Antona & Mazzitelli are all consistent with the properties of the TY CrA secondary and suggest an age of order 3 Myr. The radius and projected rotational velocity of the secondary star are consistent with synchronous rotation. The primary star is located near the zero-age main sequence, which, for solar compositions, is consistent with an age of 3 Myr. However, the primary star is not well represented by any of the 3.16 M☉ evolutionary models, which predict somewhat higher effective temperatures than observed.


OBJECTIVE
This article reviews relevant aspects of social phobia and the stages of treatment within cognitive-behavioral therapy in children and adolescents, as well as in adults.

METHOD
A review of the literature published on the treatment of social phobia using cognitive-behavioral treatments was performed using the Medline database.

RESULTS
A review of the literature suggests that social phobia is a chronic and prevalent condition, characterized by social inhibition and excessive shyness. Diagnosis and treatment of the disorder are usually determined by distress level and functional impairment. Population studies indicate that lifetime prevalence rates for social phobia range from 2.5 to 13.3%. The main techniques used in cognitive-behavioral therapy for social phobia are described and exemplified in a case report.

CONCLUSIONS
There is a general consensus in the literature that cognitive-behavioral therapy is efficacious in the treatment of youth and adults with social phobia. Because of the early onset associated with social phobia, the identification of children at high risk for the development of social phobia should be prioritized in future investigations.


Cross cultural research projects are becoming a norm in our global world. More and more projects are being executed using teams from eastern and western cultures. Cultural competence might help project managers to achieve project goals and avoid potential risks in cross cultural project environments and would also support them to promote creativity and motivation through flexible leadership. In our paper we introduce an idea for constructing an information system, a cross cultural knowledge space, which could support cross cultural communication, collaborative learning experiences and time based project management functions. The case cultures in our project are Finnish and Japanese. The system can be used both in virtual and in physical spaces for example to clarify cultural business etiquette. The core of our system design will be based on cross cultural ontology, and the system implementation on XML technologies. Our approach is a practical, step by step example of constructive research. In our paper we shortly describe Hofstede's dimensions for assessing cultures as one example of a larger framework for our study. We also discuss the concept of time in cultural context.


The current research aims to study the relations between psychology and inclusive education in Brazil in accordance with the journal Psicologia: Ciencia e Profissao. Since its foundation in 1979, this journal was introduced as a scientific and professional publication that aimed at framing the national thought on psychology. With that in mind, one can assume that the journal also expresses, in a meaningful way, the theoretical concepts and the expert's practices throughout the time. Titles, summaries and keywords published in all the volumes of the journal were taken into consideration when selecting the articles which matched the area of interest of the research. The selected articles were analyzed according to the following categories: authorship, type of article, adopted references and thematic tendencies. The results showed that the articles are split almost equally between theoretical and practical, most of the authors are linked to public institutions and social psychology is the main chosen reference. One comes to the conclusion that along the history of the journal, although the number of articles on the relation between psychology and inclusive education throughout the history of the journal proves to be small, this number has become more expressive in the last years, and that in order to have a more realistic view of the subject it is required to search for other complementary sources.


A BSTRACT : Current evaluations of the anticoagulant diphacinone for field control of introduced rodents in New Zealand include risk assessment with respect to non-target mortality, secondary poisoning, and environmental contamination. As non-target wildlife of rodent control operations, feral pigs may be exposed to vertebrate pesticides if they access toxic baits or scavenge the carcasses of poisoned animals. Feral pigs are also a significant resource for recreational hunters who harvest wild pork for food, hence the need to assess the risks of human exposure to diphacinone residues through feral pigs. Pen trials with domestic pigs were used to evaluate the potential for pig mortality through oral exposure to diphacinone and the residual persistence of diphacinone in pig tissues following a sublethal exposure. In the first trial, pigs were offered palatable food containing diphacinone doses of 12.5 mg/kg, 0.25 mg/kg/day for 3 days, or 0.5 mg/kg/day for 5 days. Significant elevations in coagulation time tests were measured 2 days after dosing, but these had returned to baseline values by 7 days. Two of the dosed pigs were euthanased due to lameness, which was accompanied by elevated prothrombin times and severe hemorrhage in a leg joint. In the second trial, pigs were dosed with 12.5 mg/kg diphacinone and then euthanased in groups for tissue sampling at Days 1, 4, and 10. Liver, muscle, and fat samples were analysed for diphacinone residues using an HPLC method. Data fitted to an exponential decay model estimated the hepatic elimination half-life as between 5.43 days (overall) and 14.12 days (terminal phase only). Half-lives of diphacinone in pig muscle and fat were 4.48 and 2.29 days respectively. A conservative withholding period of approximately 160 days is suggested before feral pigs should be taken for human consumption from areas where diphacinone baits have been used. This would minimize the likelihood of detectable diphacinone residues ( ≥ 0.02 µg/g) occurring in wild pork. K EY W ORDS : anticoagulant, coagulation time, diphacinone, half-life, liver, meat, pig, residue, Sus scrofa Proc. 22 nd Vertebr. Pest Conf. (R. and 434-439.


PURPOSE
To evaluate a less intensive chemotherapeutic regimen specifically designed for patients with Down syndrome (DS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and to determine the prognostic factors for event-free survival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Seventy-two patients with AML-DS were treated with remission induction chemotherapy consisting of pirarubicin (25 mg/m2/d for 2 days), cytarabine (100 mg/m2/d for 7 days), and etoposide (150 mg/m2/d for 3 days). Patients received four courses of intensification therapy of the same regimen. Prophylaxis for CNS leukemia was not included.

RESULTS
All but two patients were younger than 4 years, and 67 of the 72 patients (93%) were diagnosed as acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). Seventy of the 72 patients (97.2%) achieved a complete remission (CR), and the estimated 4-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was 83% +/- 9%. Nine patients relapsed, and one died as a result of pneumonia during CR. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of monosomy 7 was a greater risk factor of adverse outcome (odds ratio = 5.67; P = .027).

CONCLUSION
A less intensive chemotherapeutic regimen produces excellent outcomes in standard-risk AML-DS patient. Risk-oriented therapy should be considered for future trials in AML-DS.


Abstract The effect of the weld joint configuration on components has been studied, which are under service loads, under repair or construction and the residual stresses as well as the mechanical properties of the joint have been determined. For this purpose, a horizontal positioned tensile testing device and a semi-automatic MIG welding machine have been used and then the weld joints of the plates were subjected to different elastic stresses. When the temperature of the joined elements decreased to room temperature, applied elastic stresses were released. By this means, the effects of the existing tensile stresses in the joined parts and the tensile stresses created by the welding processes were investigated. The tensile stresses occurring in the joined elements were determined by using the photo-elasticity analysis method and the hole-drilling method. Also, tensile-shear tests were applied in order to determine the effect of permanent tensile loads on the mechanical properties of the joint. Experimental results showed that the application of corner welded lap joints for components under tensile loading significantly decrease the shear strength and yielding capacities of the joint.


This dissertation comprises three papers that study how external economies of scale help to explain geographic variation in access to medical services as well as potential implications on the real estate market. Specifically, the first two papers examine whether an increased concentration of the hospital service industry promotes productivity in treating patients and if so, what are the specific channels through which agglomeration economies might take place in the health care industry. The third paper explores how the productivity variation is reflected in the real estate market. Chapter 2 examines two factors that help to explain geographic variation in health outcomes. The first factor concerns proximity to medical services. The second factor is statespecific health care policy that may impede access to nearby medical services. Three key findings are obtained. First, the effect of local doctors on reducing mortality rates of various diseases in a county attenuates with distance. Second, at approximately the same distance, instate doctors contribute more to lowering mortality rates in the primary county than do out-ofstate doctors. Third, the lesser impact of nearby out-of-state doctors is amplified when the primary state adopts more stringent policies that restrict entry of out-of-state physicians. This evidence is consistent with labor market pooling as one of the specific channels through which agglomeration economies affect productivity. Chapter 3 addresses two related questions that help to explain geographic variation in access to medical services. The first question examines the existence of agglomeration economies in the hospital service industry. The second considers whether the sharing of intermediate inputs contributes to spillovers from spatial concentration of hospital services. Three key findings are obtained. First, hospitals in more concentrated areas are more likely to outsource intermediate services to specialized intermediate service suppliers. This suggests that agglomeration economies exist in the hospital service industry and are generated in part through the sharing of intermediate inputs. Second, the presence of nearby small hospitals increases the tendency to outsource, consistent with a "Chinitz" effect identified elsewhere in the literature. Third, the agglomeration effect attenuates geographically. Chapter 4 replicates and extends a paper by Holly, Pesaran, and Yamagata (2010). Their paper uses a panel of 49 states over the period of 1975 to 2003 to show that state-level real housing prices are driven by economic fundamentals, such as real per capita disposable income, as well as by common shocks, such as changes in interest rates, oil prices, and technological change. They apply the common correlated effects (CCE) estimator of Pesaran (2006) which takes into account spatial interactions that reflect both geographical proximity and unobserved common factors. This chapter replicates their results using a panel of 384 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) observed over the period of 1975 to 2010. Our replication shows that their results are fairly robust to the more geographically refined cross-section units, and to the updated period of study. ESSAYS ON AGGLOMERATION, ACCESS TO MEDICAL SERVICES, AND THE REAL ESTATE MARKET By Jing Li B.A. Harbin Institute of Technology, 2006 M.A. Harbin Institute of Technology, 2008 M.A. Syracuse University, 2010


The act of changing the direction of a sheet surface along a non-straight curve is a specific case of curved folding. From an architectural point of view, curved folding is an exciting operation. One or a couple of operation can generate highly complex shell-like spatial enclosure. From a digital design perspective, the implementation of curved folding with the built-in toolsets of available computer-aided design softwares is a challenging problem. The equilibrium state of curved folded geometry is needed to be found with a computational form-finding strategy. To use curved folding as a digital design operation, we introduce a new tool through developing a digital procedure for form-finding. The tool we develop can enable the experimentation with curved folding in the early stage of design process and facilitate the subsequent design development. In this article, we briefly present the literature focusing on curved folding in computational geometry, as well as the scope and description of a subclass of curved folding operation. Then, we introduce a digital tool, CURVED.IT through a design manual for its implementation and an algorithmic framework for its extension. Lastly, we discuss the design examples generated by CURVED.IT, and the potentials of the tool.


1. In community and population ecology, there is a chronic gap between the classic Eltonian ecology describing patterns in abundance and body mass across species and ecosystems and the more process oriented foraging ecology addressing interactions and quantitative population dynamics. However, this dichotomy is arbitrary, because body mass also determines most species traits affecting foraging interactions and population dynamics. 2. In this review, allometric (body-mass dependent) scaling of handling times and attack rates are documented, whereas body-mass effects on Hill exponents (varying between hyperbolic type II and sigmoid type III functional responses) and predator interference coefficients are lacking. This review describes how these allometric relationships define a biological plausible parameter space for population dynamic models. 3. Consistent with the classic Eltonian description, species co-existence in consumer-resource models and tri-trophic food chains is restricted to intermediate consumer-resource body-mass ratios. Allometric population dynamic models allow understanding the processes of energy limitation and unstable dynamics leading to this restriction. Complex food webs are stabilized by high predator-prey body-mass ratios, which are consistent with those found in natural ecosystems. These high body-mass ratios yield positive diversity-stability and complexity-stability relationships thus supporting the classic picture of ecosystem stability. 4. Allometric-trophic network models, based on body mass and trophic information from ecosystems, bridge the gap between Eltonian community patterns and process-oriented foraging ecology and provide a new means to describe the dynamics and functioning of natural ecosystems.


Artificial learners often require many more trials than humans or animals when learning motor control tasks in the absence of expert knowledge. We implement two key ingredients of biological learning systems, generalization and incorporation of uncertainty into the decision-making process, to speed up artificial learning. We present a coherent and fully Bayesian framework that allows for efficient artificial learning in the absence of expert knowledge. The success of our learning framework is demonstrated on challenging nonlinear control problems in simulation and in hardware.


Aneurysmal bone cysts of the skull are rare and involvement of sphenoid bone is even less frequent. We present X-ray, CT, MR imaging and histopathologic findings of an aneurismal bone cyst of the sphenoid in a 15-years old female adolescent. Radiological findings of the aneurysmal bone cyst of the skull were highly suggestive of the diagnosis and that were confirmed by histopathologic analysis.


Climate change. Finite fossil fuels. Fresh water depletion. Rising commodity prices. Ocean acidification. Overpopulation. Deforestation. Feeding the world's billions. We're beset by an array of natural resource and environmental challenges. They pose a tremendous risk to human prosperity, to world peace, and to the planet itself. Yet, if we act, these problems are addressable. Throughout history we've overcome similar problems, but only when we've focused our energies on innovation. For the most valuable resource we have isn't oil, water, gold, or land – it's our stockpile of useful ideas, and our continually growing capacity to expand them. In this remarkable book, Ramez Naam charts a course to supercharge innovation – by changing the rules of our economy – that can lead the whole world to greater wealth and human well-being, even as we dodge looming resource crunches and environmental disasters and reduce our impact on the planet. "Most books about the future are written by blinkered Pollyannas or hand-wringing Cassandras. Ramez Naam—Egypt-born, Illinois-raised, a major contributor to the computer revolution—is neither. Having thought about science, technology and the environment for decades, he has become that rarest of creatures: a clear-eyed optimist. Concise, informed and passionately argued, The Infinite Resource both acknowledges the very real dangers that lie ahead for the human enterprise and the equally real possibility that we might not only survive but thrive." —Charles Mann, New York Times bestselling author of 1491 and 1493 "An amazing book. Throughout history, the most important source of new wealth has been new ideas. Naam shows how we can tap into and steer that force to overcome our current problems and help create a world of abundance." —Peter H. Diamandis, MD, chairman and CEO, X PRIZE Foundation; chairman, Singularity University; and author, Abundance—The Future Is Better Than You Think


BACKGROUND
Although mucoepidermoid carcinoma is considered a very rare, low grade thyroid neoplasm, in two patients a very rapid and aggressive outcome occurred. We describe the cytologic, histologic and immunohistochemical findings of a high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma that evolved into an anaplastic carcinoma.

CASE
A 57-year-old man was admitted with dysphagia, dysphonia and odynophagia. The patient had begun to develop symptoms over the previous two months. Ultrasound and computed tomography revealed diffuse enlargement of the thyroid gland with multiple, bilateral, palpable lymph nodes in the cervical, supraclavicular, paratracheal and retrocaval chains. The patient died four weeks after receiving the first cycle of treatment with adriamycin and cisplatin. The smears were highly cellular, with a background rich in neutrophilic, inflammatory infiltrate and necrotic debris. Two main types of tumor cell were identified: squamoid and mucus secreting. Squamoid cells were polygonal, with well-defined borders and dense cytoplasm. Nuclei varied greatly in shape and size and displayed clumped chromatin and prominent nucleoli. Mucussecreting cells were ring shaped and dispersed among the squamoid cells; they contained a large vacuole, with condensed acid and neutral mucins, that peripherally displaced the nucleus. Small and large clusters of large, polygonal cells with single or multiple bizarre nuclei and less-dense cytoplasm were also present. Histology revealed tumor cells distributed in irregular nests, with necrosis surrounded by a fibrous stroma. The predominant cells were squamoid, but dispersed mucus-secreting cells were frequently seen in the better-differentiated areas. Sparse anaplastic spindle cells were observed adjacent to the squamoid focus. Immunohistochemistry revealed a reaction positive for cytokeratin (AE3/AE1) in tumor nests and negative staining for thyroglobulin and neuroendocrine markers.

CONCLUSION
Although mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thyroid is a very rare neoplasm, its peculiar cytomorphologic features in fine needle aspiration cytology may contribute to its correct diagnosis.


The image of Iran in the global media is that of an ever-expanding authoritarian regime, determined to hold on to its ideological foundations as they were articulated in 1979. However, beneath the surface profound shifts are taking place in Iranian society, particularly in the institution of marriage and sexuality–changes that threaten the core principles of the regime and have substantially weakened its ideological appeal. While the Iranian media presents these changes as highly negative and destructive, in many cases they have also released women from the shackles of outdated notions of "morality" and "propriety," and made it possible for them to emerge as leaders in the unrelenting grassroots protests against the authoritarian regime. This article looks at some of these shifts in the last decade and the ways in which they continue to threaten the ideological fabric of a regime that has built its legitimacy on old notions of justice, gender segregation, family values, and supposed piety and morality.


The Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) is a key component of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). For this type of high intensity proton synchrotron, the chromaticity, space charge effects and magnetic field tracking errors between the quadrupoles and the dipoles can induce beta function distortion and tune shift, and induce resonances. In this paper the combined effects of chromaticity, magnetic field tracking errors and space charge on beam dynamics at CSNS/RCS are studied systemically. 3-D simulations with different magnetic field tracking errors are performed by using the code ORBIT, and the simulation results are compared with the case without tracking errors.


This paper uses ANES data to analyze changes in religious political mobilization since the 1980s. Religious Traditionalists, Moderates, and Seculars will be defined in terms of church attendance, beliefs in Biblical inerrancy and the importance they attach to of religion. Both Secularists and Traditionalists have increased in number since 1980, and differ considerably in party identification, vote choice, and opinions on social issues. According to most recent research, secular perspectives are less likely to be articulated in mass political behavior than the views of more religious Americans. Yet while Seculars are still less partisan, and less likely to vote in primaries, their political involvement and interest have increased considerably. By 2004 and 2008 they were equally or more likely than Traditionalists or Moderates to register, vote, convince others how to vote, and be involved in campaigns. Church attendance has less independent impact on political involvement than in previous decades. While religious Traditionalists have become significantly more Republican, white Seculars are more likely now than in 1980 to vote for Democrats, despite their lack of strong partisanship. A pooled regression analysis, 1988-2008, will show that even with controls for other factors predicting political participation, antipathy to "Christian fundamentalists" (based on the ANES thermometer scores) is a significant predictor of political activism by Seculars as well as by religious Moderates. Demographic trends and survey data suggest what an increasingly secular America might look like.


Background: We reviewed epidemiological studies on alcohol drinking and breast cancer among the Japanese population. This report is one among a series of articles by our research group evaluating the existing evidence concerning the association between health-related lifestyles and cancer. Methods: Original data were obtained from MEDLINE searches using PubMed or from searches of the Ichushi database, complemented with manual searches. Evaluation of associations was based on the strength of evidence and the magnitude of association, together with biological plausibility as previously evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Results: Three cohort studies and eight case-control studies were identified. There were inconsistent results regarding alcohol drinking and breast cancer risk among cohort studies. A significant positive association was observed in one, but another showed nonsignificant inverse association. Out of the eight case-control studies, two studies showed a significantly increased risk among women who drink daily and who had higher intake of alcohol, respectively. Experimental studies have supported the biological plausibility of a positive association between alcohol drinking and breast cancer risk. Conclusion: We conclude that epidemiologic evidence on the association between alcohol drinking and breast cancer risk remains insufficient in terms of both the number and methodological quality of studies among the Japanese population.


Over 50% of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients suffer multi-vessel coronary artery disease, which is known to be associated with worse prognosis. Treatment strategies used in clinical practice vary from acute multi-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), through staged PCI procedures to a conservative approach with primary PCI of only the infarct-related artery (IRA) and subsequent medical therapy unless recurrent ischaemia occurs. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages. This review paper summarizes the international experience and authors' opinion on this clinically important question. Multi-vessel disease in STEMI is not a single entity and thus the treatment approach should be individualized. However, the following general rules can be proposed till future large randomized trials prove otherwise: (i) Single-vessel acute PCI should be the default strategy (to treat only the IRA during the acute phase of STEMI). (ii) Acute multi-vessel PCI can be justified only in exceptional patients with multiple critical (>90%) and potentially unstable lesions. (iii) Significant lesions of the non-infarct arteries should be treated either medically or by staged revascularization procedures—both options are currently acceptable.


The use of Markov chains to simulate non-perennial streamflow data is considered. A non-perennial stream may be thought as having three states, namely zero flow, increasing flow and decreasing flow, for which a three-state Markov chain can be constructed. Alternatively, two two-state Markov chains can be used, the first of which represents the existence and non-existence of flow, whereas the second deals with the increment and decrement in the flow for periods with flow. Probabilistic relationships between the two alternatives are derived. Their performances in simulating the state of the stream are compared on the basis of data from two different geographical regions in Turkey. It is concluded that both alternatives are capable of simulating the state of the stream.


Six measures of nutritional status were studied in 162 consecutive cases of presumed nutritional keratopathy ranging from mild xerosis through full-thickness necrosis (keratomalacia) and in a variety of control subjects. The severity of corneal involvement was related to the severity of wasting, prevalence of edema, and serum levels of albumin, transferrin, and vitamin A. Even the most severe corneal alterations were compatible with normal indices of protein and anthropometric status, but not with normal serum vitamin A levels. Analysis suggests that interaction between vitamin A and protein status determines cellular adequacy of vitamin A metabolism, which virtually collapses in keratomalacia. Serum levels of holoretinol-binding protein were severely and uniformly depressed in all degrees of corneal involvement.


Onwards from the mid-twentieth century, the stochastic filtering problem has caught the attention of thousands of mathematicians, engineers, statisticians, and computer scientists. Its applications span the whole spectrum of human endeavour, including satellite tracking, credit risk estimation, human genome analysis, and speech recognition. Stochastic filtering has engendered a surprising number of mathematical techniques for its treatment and has played an important role in the development of new research areas, including stochastic partial differential equations, stochastic geometry, rough paths theory, and Malliavin calculus. It also spearheaded research in areas of classical mathematics, such as Lie algebras, control theory, and information theory. The aim of this paper is to give a brief historical account of the subject concentrating on the continuous-time framework.


A critical procedure in diagnosing atrial fibrillation is the creation of electro-anatomic activation maps. Current methods generate these mappings from interpolation using a few sparse data points recorded inside the atria; they neither include prior knowledge of the underlying physics nor uncertainty of these recordings. Here we propose a physics-informed neural network for cardiac activation mapping that accounts for the underlying wave propagation dynamics and we quantify the epistemic uncertainty associated with these predictions. These uncertainty estimates not only allow us to quantify the predictive error of the neural network, but also help to reduce it by judiciously selecting new informative measurement locations via active learning. We illustrate the potential of our approach using a synthetic benchmark problem and a personalized electrophysiology model of the left atrium. We show that our new method outperforms linear interpolation and Gaussian process regression for the benchmark problem and linear interpolation at clinical densities for the left atrium. In both cases, the active learning algorithm achieves lower error levels than random allocation. Our findings open the door toward physics-based electro-anatomic mapping with the ultimate goals to reduce procedural time and improve diagnostic predictability for patients affected by atrial fibrillation. Open source code is available at https://github.com/fsahli/EikonalNet.


: A case report is presented showing the reconstruction of a two-compartment scrotum out of hair-bearing perineal skin following a severe degloving injury of the scrotum and testicles. We feel that this is an appropriate procedure to be used in patients who have lost the testicles and scrotum traumatically, either one or both testicles, or in the situation where both testicles have been spared. Aesthetically, the result in this patient is superior to skin grafting and should be readily reproducible.


OBJECTIVE
This study examined the role of community in understanding Latino adults' (18-64 years of age) use of community mental health services.

METHODS
Service utilization data from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health were analyzed from 2003 in two service provider areas. Demographic data, including foreign-born status, language, education, and income for the Latino population, were obtained from the 2000 U.S. Census. The study sample consisted of 4,133 consumers of mental health services in 413 census tracts from an established immigrant community and 4,156 consumers of mental health services in 204 census tracts from a recent immigrant community. Negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between locales, community characteristics, and use of services.

RESULTS
Community of residence and foreign-born status were significantly associated with Latinos' service use. Latinos from the established immigrant community were more likely to use services than Latinos from the recent immigrant community. Across both communities, census tracts with a higher percentage of foreign-born noncitizen residents showed lower service use. Within the established immigrant community, as income levels increased there was little change in utilization. In contrast, in the recent immigrant community, as income levels increased utilization rates increased as well (beta=.001, p<.001).

CONCLUSIONS
The findings point out the importance of locale and community determinants in understanding Latinos' use of public mental health services.


NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP) was created to accelerate the insertion of advanced space-related technologies into future science missions by validating these technologies on deep space and Earth-orbiting technology validation missions. The process by which technologies are chosen for validation on NMP flights is complex, because many factors have to be considered. This paper describes the currently approved NMP flight projects and the processes used to select and validate their associated technologies. In addition, the processes being developed to select and validate technologies for future NMP flight projects and the relationships of these processes to NASA technology and science roadmaps are described.


The "Rookie Coaches Swimming Guide" provides a unique combination of coaching advice and swimming expertise for the beginning youth swimming coach. This concise book presents the basic principles of coaching and shows you how to teach fundamental swimming skills to young swimmers.The "Rookie Coaches Swimming Guide" was developed by the American Sport Education Program--America's premier coaching education program. With contributions by John Leonard, executive director of the American Swim Coaches Association, this guide details: - your major responsibilities as a coach, - the tools required to be an effective coach, - the communication skills necessary for coaching young athletes, - the steps in planning practices and teaching swimming skills, - the methods for preventing and caring for injuries, and- how to protect yourself from legal liability.In addition, the book provides essential information for coaching swimming, including: - information on swimming pools and equipment;- a discussion of the operational procedures of swim meets;- key teaching points for the four competitive strokes--freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly;- 19 drills for isolating and improving specific skills;- techniques for detecting and correcting errors commonly made with each of the four strokes;- instruction on how to properly execute starts and turns;- a sample season plan; and- a glossary that defines 50 common swimming terms.By combining the fundamentals of coaching and swimming in one resource, the "Rookie Coaches Swimming Guide" provides all the essential information developing swimming coaches need to make their coaching experience safe, successful, and enjoyable.


Plants and filamentous fungi share with mammals enzymes responsible for DNA methylation. In these organisms, DNA methylation is associated with gene silencing and transposon control. However, plants and fungi differ from mammals in the genomic distribution, sequence specificity, and heritability of methylation. We consider the role that transposons play in establishing methylation patterns and the epigenetic consequences of their perturbation.


In the midst of a noncommunicable disease (ncd) crisis, sport has emerged as a popular public health strategy across Oceania. Promising to turn unhealthy, obese bodies into fit, productive bodies, sport-based health programs are supposed to contribute to the economic development of Pacific Island nations. In Sāmoa, however, these efforts have been complicated by an existing web of meaning entangling sport within the transnational realities of Samoan families. Drawing from twelve months of multi-sited, ethnographic field research on sport for development (sfd) in Sāmoa, this paper demonstrates how Samoan understandings of sport reshape what it means to be a fit and productive citizen. Specifically, I illuminate (1) how sport is perceived as a "ticket" overseas and (2) how sport is perceived as a viable alternative pathway to the blessed life, especially for those (male) youth not excelling in school. Finally, I discuss (3) how sfd is a sociocultural response to a shifting transnational political economy of tautua (service) to the family, church, and village rooted in an unevenly expanding social landscape of mobility and work. This paper contributes to anthropological conversations on contemporary sporting formations in Oceania by highlighting how sport is reimagined and repackaged by Samoan youth, education leaders, and government officials as a development tool to create healthy development futures.


It is shown that the Anderson-Mott metal-insulator transition of paramagnetic, interacting disordered electrons in an external magnetic field is in the same universality class as the transition from a ferromagnetic metal to a ferromagnetic insulator discussed recently. As a consequence, large corrections to scaling exist in the magnetic-field universality class, which have been neglected in previous theoretical descriptions. The nature and consequences of these corrections to scaling are discussed.


Research has shown that the memory characteristics questionnaire (MCQ) can be used to discriminate between 'memories' of perceived events and 'memories' of imagined events. The present study extended this research by examining the utility of the MCQ in distinguishing impossible memories (i.e., reports of an event a person could not have witnessed). Congruent with previous research, a considerable number of participants in both the pilot study (45%) and the main study (44%) were willing to report that they had seen a non-existent film of the car crash in which Diana, Princess of Wales was killed. The MCQ ratings of three groups of participants were therefore compared: (1) those who indicated that they had seen the non-existent film, (2) those who were asked to imagine having seen the film, and (3) a control group who were asked to rate their memory of when they first heard the news of the crash. The MCQ did not serve to distinguish impossible memories, but there were reliable differences on one of the MCQ subscales between those who imagined the film and controls. Furthermore, participants who reported that they had seen the film gave higher scores on the Self Monitoring scale. Implications are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


We introduce a new approach to incorporate uncertainty into the decision to invest in a commodity reserve. The investment is an irreversible one-off capital expenditure, after which the investor receives a stream of cashflow from extracting the commodity and selling it on the spot market. The investor is exposed to price uncertainty and uncertainty in the amount of available resources in the reserves (i.e. technical uncertainty). She does, however, learn about the reserve levels through time, which is a key determinant in the decision to invest. To model the reserve level uncertainty and how she learns about the estimates of the commodity in the reserve, we adopt a continuous-time Markov chain model to value the option to invest in the reserve and investigate the value that learning has prior to investment.


Summary

Humans can contribute to the long-distance dispersal of many plants, including weeds. We assessed the distance for which seed remained attached to the socks and trouser legs of walkers. The experiment in Kakadu National Park, Australia used seed of the Australian native Black Spear Grass (Heteropogon contortus) as a surrogate for the potential dispersal of weed seed. Two models were fitted to the data, with a double exponential model fitting the data slightly better than a power exponential model. Although 19% of seed were dispersed within the first 5 m of walking, most (55%) seed remained attached to socks and trousers at 5 km. Humans may, therefore, unintentionally carry and eventually disperse this grass and other invasive grasses with similar long awns and pointed seeds over long distances. Implementing strategies to reduce the potential for seed to attach to walkers (gaiters) and reduce potential dispersal (removal and careful disposal of seed) would reduce the risks posed by this type of human-mediated seed dispersal.


Graphite nanosheets prepared through high-temperature oxidation via powdering the expanded graphite. After soaking the expanded graphite with styrene(S) and maleic anhydride(MA) monomers, the polymer (Poly(S-co-MA))/expanded graphite(EG) (PSMA/EG) composite granules were obtained by in situ polymerization. Light microscope,scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction characterization were performed. SEM analysis indicate that the expanded graphite was mostly tore to sheets with thickness of 50–80 nm and with diameter of 1μm. Optical micrographs showed that the distribution of graphite platelets is found to be nearly uniform.


Purpose: The reason of this work was to determine the laser treatment parameters, particularly the laser power, to achieve a high value of layer hardness for protection of this hot work tool steel from losing their work stability and to make the tool surface more resistant for work. The purpose of this work was also to determine technological and technical conditions for remelting the surface layer with HPDL. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper the results of new laser treatment techniques applied in metal surface technology are presented and discussed. There is presented laser treatment with remelting of hot work tool steel 32CrMoV12-28 with ceramic powders especially carbide - TaC, as well as results of laser remelting influence on structure and properties of the surface of the hot work steel, carried out using the high power diode laser (HPDL). Special attention was devoted to monitoring of the layer morphology of the investigated material and on the particle occurred. Optical and scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the microstructure and intermetallic phases occurred. Findings: The layer is without cracks and defects as well as has a considerably higher hardness value compared to the non remelted material. The hardness value increases according to the laser power used so that the highest power applied gives to highest hardness value in the remelted layer. Research limitations/implications: The results present only four choused laser powers by one process speed rate. Also one powder in form of TaC was used for alloying with the particle size of 10µm. Practical implications: The aim of this work is the determination of laser treatment technique for alloying and remelting of hot work tool steel. Originality/value: The originality of this work is based on applying of High Power Diode Laser for improvement of steel mechanical properties.


In this work, Al0.83In0.17N/GaN/Al0.18Ga0.82N/GaN epitaxial layers used for the fabrication of double-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor high-electron mobility transistors (MOSHEMTs) were grown on silicon substrates using a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition system (MOCVD). A sheet electron density of 1.11 × 1013 cm−2 and an electron mobility of 1770 cm2/V-s were obtained. Using a vapor cooling condensation system to deposit high insulating 30-nm-thick Ga2O3 film as a gate oxide layer, double-hump transconductance behaviors with associated double-hump maximum extrinsic transconductances (gmmax) of 89.8 and 100.1 mS/mm were obtained in the double-channel planar MOSHEMTs. However, the double-channel devices with multiple-mesa-fin-channel array with a gmmax of 148.9 mS/mm exhibited single-hump transconductance behaviors owing to the better gate control capability. Moreover, the extrinsic unit gain cutoff frequency and maximum oscillation frequency of the devices with planar channel and multiple-mesa-fin-channel array were 5.7 GHz and 10.5 GHz, and 6.5 GHz and 12.6 GHz, respectively. Hooge's coefficients of 7.50 × 10−5 and 6.25 × 10−6 were obtained for the devices with planar channel and multiple-mesa-fin-channel array operating at a frequency of 10 Hz, drain–source voltage of 1 V, and gate–source voltage of 5 V, respectively.


This article contributes to the literature on small business and regulation by presenting and testing a comprehensive framework for explaining government motivations to implement regulatory reform targeting micro companies as beneficiaries. Following Haines, I adopt an alternative approach to the conventional market failure or equity rationales to explain government reform. Reform initiatives are conceptualised in terms of the management of three types of risk – actuarial, sociocultural and political. Combining a critical discourse analysis with an argumentative approach to policy analysis of documentary sources relevant to the Small Companies (Micro-Entities' Accounts) Regulations 2013, I propose three contributions to the literature. First, reform policies are prompted by diverse risk concerns; they cannot be explained solely in terms of addressing market failure or equity considerations alone. Second, regulatory reform might, in certain circumstances, be better explained as a strategy for managing political and sociocultural risk rather than the actuarial risks that policymakers use explicitly to justify government action. Third, reforms might be motivated more by political and sociocultural risk where the legal change implemented is minimal, where robust research evidence to support the reform is limited or non-existent, or where the issue is of low salience to business owners themselves.


This master thesis was performed in cooperation with SchlumbergerSema. During the project we identified several maintenance methodologies and studied the characteristics of both the ISO and IEEE standard. The base for our evaluation of the CURE maintenance model (developed by SchlumbergerSema) were both the result of our case study that comprised interviews from five maintenance projects as well as maintenance literature available. Both the interviews and the literature studies resulted in lists of requirements that each area make on a maintenance model. We compare the CURE model to the requirements found within these two areas. Based on the result of the comparison we give our recommendations for maintenance in general, maintenance within SchlumbergerSema as well as specific recommendations for the CURE development team. Our conclusions drawn from our work were mostly positive about CURE. However we have suggested several issues for further development such as e.g. certification to a standard. Other conclusions are that no matter what model you choose as a maintenance model, make sure that you implement the model fully. A major pitfall is to allow it to become "just a fancy book on the shelf".


Tendon and ligament injuries, prevalent requiring surgical intervention, significantly impact joint stability and function. Owing to excellent mechanical properties and biochemical stability, Nondegradable synthetic materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), have demonstrated significant potential in the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries. These above materials offer substantial mechanical support, joint mobility, and tissue healing promotion of the shoulder, knee, and ankle joint. This review concluded the latest development and application of nondegradable materials such as artificial patches and ligaments in tendon and ligament injuries including rotator cuff tears (RCTs), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, and Achilles tendon ruptures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Whilst good governance is a worthy goal by itself, this book argues that it is not a prerequisite for economic growth or development. Challenging the conventional good governance paradigm favoured by the donor community, this book exposes the methodological shortcomings of the commonly-used governance indicators developed within the World Bank. It argues that aggregate good governance indicators are less helpful for identifying governance failure in specific areas needing policy interventions. Bringing together contributions from leading political scientists, political economists and development practitioners, this is the first book that focuses on such good governance issues.


The evolution of cadastre between tradition and future applications The evolution of cadastre during the last three centuries has been the main focus of an exhibition held in Rome, since the 26th of november 2009 until the last 10th of january. The event has been organized by the italian Cadastral Agency (formerly Agenzia del Territorio) and it featured maps, instruments and experiences collected during the last three centuries. The awareness of the technological advancements of the instruments for surveying, acquisition, management and representation of land data could be very useful in order to understand the importance of cadastre in the control and management of our land.


By means of a systemic approach toward analysis and design of complex systems, we introduce the issue of implementing open computational systems on service-oriented architectures. We start by studying general systems theory, as it accounts for analysis and modeling of complex systems, and then compare three different implementation strategies toward system implementation. As such, the comparison is grounded in the notion of supporting architectures and, more specifically, in the practical case of a service-oriented layered architecture for communicating entities (SOLACE).


Professor Roland Robertson is one of the most known researchers who have contributed to the worldwide debate on globalisation. His work has been translated into around twenty languages (including German, Japanese, Chinese, French, Arabic, Russian, as well as Brazilian Portuguese), and it counts among the most influential references within the globalisation studies for decades. He is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh (USA), and Emeritus Professor at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). This interview was kindly given by Professor Robertson via correspondence. Thus, instead of having the conventional question/answer format, the Idéias Journal will present the edited core parts of the correspondence between Professor Robertson and Danilo Arnaut, the interviewer.


Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) remains the major barrier to successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a potent immunomodulatory treatment option for GvHD. In contrast to conventional immunosuppressants, ECP is considered not to increase relapse and infection rates resulting from generalised immunosuppression. ECP involves the mechanical separation of 5-10% of patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which are then exposed to psoralen and UVA light (PUVA) before they are returned to the patient. ECP has been shown to induce apoptosis in various cell types, in particular lymphocytes. Several studies describe downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as promotion of peripheral tolerance through enhanced production of T regulatory cells in the course of ECP-treatment. Modulation of antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DC) by PUVA-treated lymphocytes might be implicated in these regulatory processes. We evaluated the impact of PUVA-treated lymphocytes on immature DC and further demonstrated the functional capacity of such modified DC to modulate GVH reactions using a well-established human skin-explant model of GvHD. Addition of immature DC isolated after co-culture with PUVA-treated but not untreated MLR cells significantly downregulated skin-GvH reactions (p=0.023, Mann-Whitney-Test). IFN-gamma levels were non-significantly decreased in MLR and skin supernatants. We observed a non-significant increase in PD-L1 expression in iDC after co-culture with PUVA-treated MLR cells whereas expression levels of IDO and ILT-3 were not affected. We conclude that iDC modulated by PUVA-induced apoptotic cells potently downregulate allogeneic immune responses possibly through PD-L1- dependent signaling.


Abstract. The present study confirms
that a thermodynamic perspective on soil water is well suited to distinguishing the
typical interplay of gravity and capillarity controls on soil water dynamics
in different landscapes. To this end, we express the driving matric and
gravity potentials by their energetic counterparts and characterize soil
water by its free energy state. The latter is the key to defining a new
system characteristic determining the possible range of energy states of soil
water, reflecting the joint influences of soil physical properties and height
over nearest drainage (HAND) in a stratified manner. As this characteristic
defines the possible range of energy states of soil water in the root zone,
it also allows an instructive comparison of top soil water dynamics observed
in two distinctly different landscapes. This is because the local
thermodynamic equilibrium at a given HAND and the related equilibrium storage
allow a subdivision of the possible free energy states into two different
regimes. Wetting of the soil in local equilibrium implies that free energy of
soil water becomes positive, which in turn implies that the soil is in a
state of storage excess, while further drying of the soil leads to a negative
free energy and a state of storage deficit. We show that during 1
hydrological year the energy states of soil water visit distinctly different
parts of their respective energy state spaces. The two study areas compared here exhibit
furthermore a threshold-like relation between the observed free energy of
soil water in the riparian zone and observed streamflow, while the tipping
points coincide with the local equilibrium state of zero free energy. We
found that the emergence of a potential energy excess/storage excess in the
riparian zone coincides with the onset of storage-controlled direct
streamflow generation. While such threshold behaviour is not unusual, it is
remarkable that the tipping point is consistent with the underlying theoretical
basis.


A cold microclimate will prompt a reaction to be triggered by heat generation and the effects on the body are decreased sweating, peripheral vascular constriction by increasing the excitability threshold of the Krause corpuscles, cold receptors that maintain the blood pressure control threshold. Hot climatization requires vasodilation and sweating, especially when the air temperature exceeds 29° C. Objectives: To evaluate and present the beneficial effect of the microclimate formed on the upper course of Bârlad from the Central Moldavian Plateau on the human body of the patients with advanced pathology of the locomotor apparatus. Methods: The study was performed on a group of 17 patients aged 63-98 with chronic pathology of the locomotor system, the clinical status being analyzed over a period of 5-10 months sanatorium treatment. The pain scale - Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) was used. Results: The analysis of the clinical status of patients with chronic pathology of the locomotor apparatus for a period of 5-10 months balneary-climatic sanatorial treatment indicated an important improvement due to the climate of the area (VAS Media at the beginning of the evaluation - 7.12, after 5- 10 months of treatment in sanatorium - 3.06, P Stewdent = 0.01). Recommendations: Modeling some limits of microclimatic parameters in order to increase the degree of multifunctional comfort of patients.


A new method for structure-from-motion (SfM) is developed for moving vehicles on the street using a video camera Outdoor vehicle is one of the most difficult objects for tracking or three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction because most vehicle surfaces are specular and reflect background scenes. Therefore conventional point feature tracking method is not appropriate since spurious features are often tracked and the numbers of the correct features are too small. To overcome such difficulties, epipolar constraint, cross-ratio histogram and 3D curve reconstruction are employed in this method. The proposed method is also computationally efficient since it does not require expensive feature tracking process, which is used in most conventional SfM methods. Finally, to evaluate the error, experiments over 200 vehicles are performed under various viewing conditions and they show significant correlation among the number of frames, distance from the camera and accuracy of reconstruction.


The tourism industry is characterized by severe shifts in demand that play havoc with forecasting future investment. Within the tourism industry, the need for large-scale initial capital investment in the hotel sector, make the latter particularly vulnerable to the vagaries of the tourism market. Given an up-turn in demand, the hotel industry cannot always re- spond immediately and its' response is likely to vary across regions. There is therefore a need for a forecasting tool that can estimate the magnitude of the demand 'push' that can stimulate the hotel sector into new investment and the extent to which this response is re- gionally differentiated. Using a multi-regional input output (MRIO) augmented by an in- vestment matrix, this paper demonstrates the capabilities of such an approach. Regional ho- tel industry outputs for four classes of hotels in the six regions of Israel are estimated. Ex- pected regional rates of return to hotel investment are compared with actual (reported) rates of return and the discrepancy between the two explained. Regional hotel (per room) capaci- ty coefficients are also estimated and regional responses to an increase in demand of 100,000 extra tourists are calculated in terms of additional hotel rooms and capital investment.


Private labels play an increasingly important role in the current food retail sector and the growth is driven partially by self-interest from retailers who sees private labels as a strong contributor to the profitability and return on sales. On many of the stores' private labels it does'nt show who the underlying provider is, it only says that the product is made for the store. This leads to the aim of the essay, which is examining whether the grocery stores' customers are aware or not aware of who produces the stores' private labels, if it matters to customers who it is, and if the potential unaware customers choose manufacturer brands in front of private labels and if so, why. Essay problem is: Are grocery stores customers aware of that the stores' private labels have underlying suppliers? If there is a lack of awareness on the issue, will the customers' trust and loyalty to the store and its products change if they become aware? Do the potential unaware customers choose manufacturer brands in front of private labels and if so, why?The authors have used theories in the field of marketing, especially theories of consumer behavior and relationship marketing. The study is based on a quantitative method with a digital questionnaire survey tool to collect data. The survey is based on a convenience sample.The study shows that there is a lack of awareness among the respondents about who produce stores' private labels. The majority of the respondents who were unaware has not change their view on the product or the brands after becoming aware, and they will not change brand. However, more than a fifth of the respondents will vary more, and one-tenth do not know what their choices in the future will look like. This shows that the underlying providers can have a significant role for some, but the majority will stand by its election of manufacturer brands or private labels.


DsRed, a brilliantly red fluorescent protein, was recently cloned from Discosoma coral by homology to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea. A core question in the biochemistry of DsRed is the mechanism by which the GFP-like 475-nm excitation and 500-nm emission maxima of immature DsRed are red-shifted to the 558-nm excitation and 583-nm emission maxima of mature DsRed. After digestion of mature DsRed with lysyl endopeptidase, high-resolution mass spectra of the purified chromophore-bearing peptide reveal that some of the molecules have lost 2 Da relative to the peptide analogously prepared from a mutant, K83R, that stays green. Tandem mass spectrometry indicates that the bond between the alpha-carbon and nitrogen of Gln-66 has been dehydrogenated in DsRed, extending the GFP chromophore by forming C==N==C==O at the 2-position of the imidazolidinone. This acylimine substituent quantitatively accounts for the red shift according to quantum mechanical calculations. Reversible hydration of the C==N bond in the acylimine would explain why denaturation shifts mature DsRed back to a GFP-like absorbance. The C==N bond hydrolyses upon boiling, explaining why DsRed shows two fragment bands on SDS/PAGE. This assay suggests that conversion from green to red chromophores remains incomplete even after prolonged aging.


S U M M A R Y Receiver functions are a powerful tool to isolate and interpret receiver-side structure effects in teleseismic seismic records. They are easily constructed by deconvolving one component of a seismogram by another. Deconvolution is the inverse of convolution, and hence can be mathematically viewed as an inverse problem. It is a numerically unstable procedure that needs to be stabilized (i.e. regularized). This points to a recurring problem in geophysical imaging: there is a trade-off between variance and resolution, where the user needs to arbitrarily define a level of compromise. Here we propose a novel misfit function for inversion of converted phases that avoids deconvolution. In this way, the choice of regularization parameters (e.g. water level, width of a low pass filter) is avoided, and statistics of data errors can be correctly accounted for. We use this misfit measure to construct a likelihood probability function and carry out a transdimensional Bayesian inversion for shear wave structure. After illustrating the method with a synthetic test, a real data application is shown where teleseismic signals recorded at HYB station (Hyderabad, India) and surface wave dispersion measurements are jointly inverted to provide a probabilistic 1-D seismic model beneath the station. The results help address the debate on the thickness of the lithosphere in this region. We show that the sharp negative velocity jump at 110 km that was previously interpreted as the lithosphere– asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is actually a mid-lithospheric discontinuity. The actual LAB is seen deeper as a milder gradient between 150 and 200 km.


INTRODUCTION GENERAL FEATURES OF THE PERMIAN SERIES The Permian series of North America attains its greatest development in trans-Pecos Texas. Strata of this age have an important influence on the geography of the region. Permian limestones, sandstones, and shales constitute many of the mountain ranges and plateaus, and the more resistant rocks crop out in bold cliffs and ledges on numerous escarpments. The highest peak in Texas, El Capitan (8750 feet), is the summit of a cliff of Permian limestone at the crest of the Guadalupe Mountains (Fig. 13 A). In New Mexico, not far northeast of this peak, is the great Carlsbad Cavern, which is carved from limestones of the same age. Permian strata beneath the plains east of the mountains have produced vast quantities of oil, and contain large deposits of valuable potash salts. Strata of the Permian series in trans-Pecos Texas reach a thickness of about 7000 . . .