In this, his first book aimed at the general reader, Gerald Edelman describes how consciousness arises in complex brains and how it is related to evolution, to the development of the self, and to the origins of feelings, learning, and memory. Edelman's theories offer a solution to the mind-body problem. An understanding of the workings of consciousness in scientific terms would be of enormous value in all areas of science, in medicine and psychiatry, and in the humanities.


The consumption of tobacco is harmful to health and has huge social costs. "Tax to control tobacco" is a widely implemented tobacco control measure all over the world. In order to examine the achievements of two tobacco excise tax reforms in China in 2009 and 2015 on controlling tobacco consumption, we first establish an intertemporal consumption model for addictive goods, and then validate the effectiveness of the two tobacco excise tax reforms using a Continuous Difference-in-Differences Model based on the panel data from 294 cities in China from 2007 to 2018. The results show that the tobacco excise tax reform in 2015 considerably reduced tobacco consumption, while the reform in 2009 did not, providing empirical evidence on the importance of "price links to tax" for tobacco control. Additionally, the study discovers that the tax reform has a heterogeneous effect on the age of smokers, the price of cigarettes, and city size.


To investigate the electronic state of Zirconium diboride (ZrB2) (0001) clean surface, we measured twodimensional photoelectron intensity angular distribution (PIAD) patterns with a display-type spherical mirror analyzer (DIANA). As a result, we obtained two-dimensional band dispersion cross section patterns of ZrB2. In these patterns, we observed the transition-matrix-element effect of linearly-polarized light excitation. Comparing the experimental data to the calculation results, we concluded that the band at the K̄ point at a binding energy of 3.4 eV consists of B 2pz, Zr 4dyz, and Zr 4dzx orbitals. This suggests that this band is the bonding state between the B layer and the Zr layer. We confirmed that this hybrid orbital, where the d electrons of Zr are donated to the pz orbital of B, makes the Dirac-cone-like band of ZrB2. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2015.324]


A key issue in research around embedded Internet systems (EIS) is to reduce power consumption. We envision EIS devices with lifetimes in the range of months or even years. This calls for developing aggressive power management techniques with a high degree of context awareness. As a first step towards this goal we introduce a design methodology for making context aware power optimizations of EIS. The presented design methodology which is verified by experimental results is a promising first step in prolonging operating time of battery powered wireless EIS.


There is little information on oral glucocorticoid use in the general US population. Previously, there have been published estimates of glucocorticoid use in countries outside of the US. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of glucocorticoid use, duration of use, and concomitant use of antiosteoporosis pharmaceuticals in the US population age ≥20 years.


New developments within the micro mechanics department at MESA are presented. The developments are: (1) a description will be provided of dry etch processes-reactive ion etching, RIE-of silicon in a mixture of SF6, 02, and CHF3. (2) The design, fabrication and performance of new electrostatic actuators will be described and (3) Micro liquid handling system such as pumps, valves and flow sensors have along tradition in the laboratory. These developments are further elaborated.


This study investigated the relationship between subjects' felt authenticity (how close to their "true selves" they felt) and how they spent their time. It was hypothesized that people who spent more time doing activities they enjoy, social activities, and reflective activities would experience more authenticity whereas people who spend high amounts of time using electronics would experience lower authenticity. Participants completed two questionnaires; one measured the participants' time uses and rated each activity along scales of importance to the subject, amount of time spent doing that activity, and desire to do the activity more or less often. The other questionnaire assessed their levels of authenticity. Results indicated that authenticity scores positively correlated with the number of hours spent doing homework and with the number of hours spent with friends, and negatively correlated with time spent playing video games. The level of participants' authenticity and the importance ratings of homework and volunteering also had a positive correlation, and there was a negative correlation between authenticity scores and the rated importance of playing video games.  It is important to understand the factors that influence people's levels of authenticity because high levels of authenticity indicate high levels of self-esteem, low levels of depression and stress, protection against mental health problems, and high life satisfaction. By unearthing the factors that affect authenticity levels, such as the way people use their time, psychological well-being can be increased.


Results are presented of a survey undertaken to assess the basic problems of residential wood stoves and the design approaches for the development of a clean wood-burning stove. It is determined that mean combustion temperatures approaching 1000C are needed, and that well-mixed, well-aerated flames are essential for low emissions. Also, controlled pyrolysis hot char-volatiles interaction, and controlled air flow are important considerations for clean burning of sticks and logs. The development of a mathematical and computational model of the residential wood stove based upon gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, fluid dynamic, and heat transfer processes in the stove is discussed. It is determined that a modular stove for laboratory testing and prototype design is feasible.


The broad-host-range plasmid RP4 encodes a highly efficient partitioning system (par) that was previously mapped within the 6.2-kb PstI C fragment. The essential functions were assigned to a region of 2.2 kb between fiwA and IS21 (IS8). On the basis of the nucleotide sequence data of the entire par locus and of in vitro and in vivo expression studies, three distinct loci encoding polypeptides of 9, 18, and 24 kDa were identified. Evidence for the expression of another polypeptide was found. A putative divergent promoter was localized in an intergenic region and is suggested to be responsible for transcription of these genes. It was found that the RP4 par region includes a function resolving plasmid dimers. The 24-kDa polypeptide is considered to function as a resolvase, since its predicted amino acid sequence shows homology to sequences of resolvases of the Tn3 family. Furthermore, palindromes present in the intergenic region containing the divergent promoter resemble repeat structures specific for res sites of Tn3-related transposons. However, it was found that dimer resolution itself was not sufficient for stabilization; additional functions, including the other two polypeptides, seemed to play an important role. These results suggested that RP4 contains a complex stabilization system involving resolution of plasmid dimers during cell division, thus ensuring the delivery of at least one copy to each daughter cell.


Abstract Objective: To determine the risk factors for and timing of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus in women who are not infected with HIV-1. Design: Follow up for a median of 28 (range 24-38) months of babies born to women with antibodies to hepatitis C virus but not HIV-1. Subjects: 442 mothers and babies, of whom 403 completed the study. Main outcome measures: Presence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus and viral RNA and alanine aminotransferase activity in babies. Presence of viral RNA, method of infection with hepatitis C, method of delivery, and type of infant feeding in mothers. Results: 13 of the 403 children had acquired hepatitis C virus infection at the end of follow up. All these children were born to women positive for hepatitis C virus RNA; none of the 128 RNA negative mothers passed on the infection (difference 5%, 95% confidence interval 2% to 7%). 6 children had viral RNA immediately after birth. 111 women had used intravenous drugs and 20 had received blood transfusions. 11 of the infected children were born to these women compared with 2 to the 144 with no known risk factor (difference 7%, 2% to 12%). Conclusions: This study suggests that in women not infected with HIV only those with hepatitis C virus RNA are at risk of infecting their babies. Transmission does seem to occur in utero, and the rate of transmission is higher in women who have had blood transfusions or used intravenous drugs than in women with no known risk factor for infection. Key messages Little information exists on vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus in women not infected with HIV This study in a large unselected population of infants born to HIV-1 negative mothers suggests that intravenous drug use itself is an important risk factor for transmission of hepatitis C virus Maternal post-transfusional hepatitis is also an important risk factor for infection of infants Viral genotype, maternal viraemia, type of delivery (vaginal delivery or caesarean section) and breast feeding do not seem to be risk factors In utero transmission of hepatitis C virus has been suggested by RNA positivity on day of birth in some infected children


Biopharmaceutical supply chains present considerable complexity issue for the formulation of optimal plans due to significant uncertainty in the supply chain. The primary goal of biopharmaceutical supply chain planning is to provide reliable supply to patients while coping with various supply chain risks. In chapter 1 first I discuss the key elements and basic characteristics of the biopharmaceutical supply chain . Then I present the major challenges in biopharmaceutical supply chain planning and divide them into two main categories: deterministic complexity problems and stochastic uncertainty problems. In the end of chapter 1 I briefly discuss the most recent work in solving the deterministic complexity problems.The planning of biopharmaceutical supply chain operations faces risks from various sources. These include customer demand fluctuations, regulatory requirement changes, long quality assurance cycle time, etc. In chapter 2, I review the major risks in biopharmaceutical supply chain and current practice to hedge against these risks. The impact of these risks is evaluated in terms of a cumulative supply and demand perspective. Furthermore I analyze two main risk mitigation tools in supply chain risk management: safety stock and safety time. Then I use simulation to show that safety stock is a preferred approach for risk mitigation in biopharmaceutical supply chains.In chapter 3, first I focus on stochastic lead time risk and discuss conventional as well as crossover based approaches for safety stock planning. Also I demonstrate the benefit of a proposed approach to safety stock planning with numerical examples and simulation. Then the proposed model is extended to consider batch rejection risk and excursion risk. Batch rejection risk represents the possibility that a batch fails to meet regulatory requirements. The excursion risk reflects potential major disruptions in biopharmaceutical supply chain. Examples of such events include contamination of the production facility, earthquake, etc. These three risks cover most of the major uncertainties in biopharmaceutical supply chain. The model determines the necessary safety stock level to prevent stock outs given these risks as a function of the target service level.In chapter 4, I discuss the implementation of the proposed model in a multi-echelon biopharmaceutical supply chain. Also I use sensitivity analysis to evaluate the impact of improving key supply chain parameters. Then the model is applied to determine the stock level supplying a regional market of an actual biopharmaceutical supply chain and significant potential savings are demonstrated. In the end I identify a few important potential research problems in biopharmaceutical supply chain management.


The paper discusses the problem of reliability calculation for mechanical units under load. Because the rated reliability of the unit as a system with many independent elements can tend to zero, the methods of reliability calculation of the units as real objects with the common factors (loads, operation conditions) are proposed. The choice of the life test modes and test time depends essentially on unit-related information like their operation conditions. The paper describes one of approaches, passing to this problem. Within its framework, the accumulations of damages are made at several typical points of the loaded system.


Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) populations are declining range wide, and fire is an important process necessary for creating their habitat throughout their range. In order to evaluate the effect of fire on the density and reproduction of this species, we examined nesting activities of red-headed woodpeckers from 2001 to 2005 in landscapes dominated by fires of different ages. We established six 300 ha to 400 ha sites in recently burned sites (i.e., burned in 2000) and two similarly sized old burn sites (i.e., burned in 1988 and 1991). Reproductive success and productivity (number of fledglings per nest) were higher in old burn sites compared to recent burn sites due to low predation rates in the old burn sites. Nest densities of red-headed woodpeckers were higher in the old burn habitats as compared to the recent burn sites. Based upon this productivity and density information, we developed a conceptual model that describes the potential effects of fire severity upon this species. Because our study sites in the Black Hills, South Dakota, are at the western edge of the red-headed woodpecker's range, it is unknown whether patterns detected in our study will be representative of patterns found throughout its range in other burned habitats. Long term studies conducted in multiple burns will broaden our understanding of how fire severity might influence the density and reproduction of birds nesting within burned pine forests.


Purpose: Industry 4.0 is predicted to be a game-changer, revolutionizing commercial and manufacturing practices through improved knowledge utilization and efficiencies. The barriers however, are significant, and the construction industry remains notoriously slow to take up innovations. This study reviews the research work in Industry 4.0 as it relates to construction, and examines a leading UK-based construction firm to ascertain the prognosis for Industry 4.0 roll-out in terms of the impediments and opportunities.

Methodology: A multistage mixed philosophies and methods approach was adopted for this study. First, an interpretivist epistemological lens was used to synthesise extant literature as a means of contextualising the present study. Second, an empirical case study using a post-positivist stance and inductive reasoning was conducted to explore practitioner acceptance of Industry 4.0 in the UK construction context.

Findings: Findings from the literature review indicate studies in Industry 4.0 to be a relatively new phenomenon, with developed countries and Germany in particular leading in the field. The range of opportunities are many, but so too are the barriers to enablement. Findings from the case study provide real-world corroboration of the review; practitioners are sanguine about Industry 4.0's potential to reinvigorate the construction industry, but also note that implementation remains curtailed by residual managerial practices dependent on 'human interaction.' At present, much of the focus of industry practitioners is on the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM), often at the expense of other more advanced technologies within Industry 4.0.

Originality: Research in Industry 4.0 is limited, with the emphasis being on technology application. This paper, by contrast, maps the totality of work carried out so far and presents an assessment of Industry 4.0's progression, potential and degree of uptake within the UK construction industry.


Objectives: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses have an increased risk for adverse perinatal and neonatal outcome. Placental insufficiency is the main cause for SGA. It leads to changes in the circulation, with secondary adaptation of the fetal heart resulting in changed cardiac deformation. This deformation can be measured with two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). SGA is antenatally often undiagnosed. The measurement of deformation changes in the fetal heart might help in the prediction of SGA and identify fetuses in need of more intensive surveillance. Methods: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and strain rate (GLSR), measured before 23 weeks gestational age, were compared between SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) fetuses. Results: 12 SGA fetuses were compared to 124 AGA fetuses. Baseline characteristics were comparable. The fetal heart rate was significantly increased in SGA; 158 beats per minute (146-163) versus 148 (134-156); p = 0.035 in AGA. Right ventricle GLS (RV-GLS) values were significantly increased in SGA; -15.87% (-11.69% to -20.55%) versus -20.24% (-16.29% to -24.28%); p = 0.024, respectively. Conclusions: RV-GLS values, measured with 2D-STE, are significantly increased, indicating systolic RV dysfunction before 23 weeks gestational age in fetuses who will become SGA later in pregnancy, suggesting that by identifying increased RV-GLS, progression to SGA could possibly be predicted. A large longitudinal prospective cohort study is needed to confirm these findings.


1'he aurthorattempts an independent treatment of Paul's life in Corinth. His chapters embrace "Paul on the Way to Oorinth", "Paul in the Synagogue", "The Preaching", "The Effect of 1:Ihe Preaching", "The Spiritual Results", "The Origin of the Ohureh", There is no doubt as to rtJhe 'autihor's diligence in working over this period of Paul's aciivity. He has produced 6 useful monograph which will be of service in the interpretation of 2 Corinthians, tlhe unity of which is now so much disputed. It is vivid and forceful picture of the origin of the notable church in Corinttlh, and has had a fine reception in Germany. A. T. RoBERTSON.


By the time Hume started to work on his Treatise, the notion of an idea as the primary, most general sort of mental item dominated European philosophy. Although Descartes noted that, strictly speaking, only those "thoughts that are as it were images of things" were appropriately described as ideas, in practice he used "the word 'idea' to refer to whatever is immediately perceived by the mind." Not only do we have ideas of trees and the sun, but we also have ideas of our own activities of thinking and willing. Locke characterizes 'idea' as "being that Term, which, I think, serves best to stand for whatsoever is the Object of the Understanding when a Man thinks." Locke also thinks that we not only have ideas that derive from things or objects in the world (ideas of sensation), but also of the activities and operations of our own minds (ideas of reflection). Ideas of sensation are acquired through the operation of external objects on our sense organs, while ideas of reflection come from introspection, from thinking about what happens within our own minds. He also thinks that these ideas of reflection are of two basic sorts of mental activity, perception and willing, that correspond to two faculties of mind: the understanding (or the power of thinking) and the will (or the power of volition). 2


Risk assessment and access control are important issues in cloud computing. In this paper, we propose a formal approach to risk assessment for RBAC Systems, in which access control decisions are taken after consideration of risk assessment. The risk assessment method considers partial orderings on objects and actions, which allow us to effectively capture the notions of importance of objects and criticality of actions and then to determine the risk of assigning a specific role to a specific user. We in particular consider the cases of permission assignment and delegation assignment.


Agatha ChristieFull Length, MysteryCharacters: 8 male, 5 femaleInterior SetSimon Mostyn has recently married Kay Ridgeway, a rich woman, having thrown over his former lover Jacqueline. The couple are on their honeymoon and are at present on a paddle steamer on the Nile. With them is Canon Pennefather, Kay's guardian, and Jacqueline, who has been dogging their footsteps all through the honeymoon. Also on the boat are a rich, ill tempered old woman with her niece and companion, a rather direct young man, a German who nurses a grudge against Kay's father and Kay's maid. During the voyage Jacqueline works herself into a state of hysteria and shoots at Simon, wounding him in the knee. A few moments later Kay is found shot in her bunk. By the time the boat reaches its destination, Canon Pennefather has laid bare an audacious conspiracy and has made sure the criminals shall not go free.


The ultrafine-grained (UFG) duplex microstructure of medium-Mn steel consists of a considerable amount of austenite and ferrite/martensite, achieving an extraordinary balance of mechanical properties and alloying cost. In the present work, two heat treatment routes were performed on a cold-rolled medium-Mn steel Fe-12Mn-3Al-0.05C (wt.%) to achieve comparable mechanical properties with different microstructural morphologies. One heat treatment was merely austenite-reverted-transformation (ART) annealing and the other one was a successive combination of austenitization (AUS) and ART annealing. The distinct responses to hydrogen ingression were characterized and discussed. The UFG martensite colonies produced by the AUS + ART process were found to be detrimental to ductility regardless of the amount of hydrogen, which is likely attributed to the reduced lattice bonding strength according to the H-enhanced decohesion (HEDE) mechanism. With an increase in the hydrogen amount, the mixed microstructure (granular + lamellar) in the ART specimen revealed a clear embrittlement transition with the possible contribution of HEDE and H-enhanced localized plasticity (HELP) mechanisms.


This paper is devoted to adaptive long autoregressive spectral analysis when i) very few data are available and ii) information does exist beforehand concerning the spectral smoothness and time continuity of the analyzed signals. The contribution is founded on two papers by Kitagawa and Gersch (1985). The first one deals with spectral smoothness in the regularization framework, while the second one is devoted to time continuity in the Kalman formalism. The present paper proposes an original synthesis of the two contributions. A new regularized criterion is introduced that takes bath pieces of information into account. The criterion is efficiently optimized by a Kalman smoother. One of the major features of the method is that it is entirely unsupervised. The problem of automatically adjusting the hyperparameters that balance data-based versus prior-based information is solved by maximum likelihood (ML). The improvement is quantified in the field of meteorological radar.


Hepatic lipidosis is a well-recognized condition that is frequently diagnosed postmortem in numerous species of reptiles. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of information concerning the pathogenesis of hepatic lipidosis in reptiles, and, until relatively recently, the collection of biopsies for definitive antemortem diagnosis presented a challenge to clinicans. Although many of the difficulties of sample acquisition have now been overcome, the practitioner is still faced with the problems of microscopic (histopathologic and electron microscopic) interpretation. This article clarifies, and attempts to quantify, the diagnosis of hepatic lipidosis so that others may build on this foundation to produce a body of further information on this clinically important condition. A logical case investigation is described, with particular emphasis on histological interpretation through the grading of microscopic lesions.


This paper focuses on the challenges in managing innovation within supply networks. We present an empirical study on innovation collaboration between a focal company and its supply network of small and medium sized enterprises. By analysing the case from the viewpoints of the focal company, the suppliers and investors we point out three controversial issues in innovation management within the supply network: intellectual property rights, partnering versus competition, and commitment versus independency. Furthermore, we analyse the suppliers' positions with a purchasing portfolio model and present implications for innovation management practices in supply chains.


Maceration and evening-cutting are 2 forage management techniques that have independently improved forage quality and nutrient utilization in ruminants, but have not been evaluated in combination. Using a dual-flow continuous culture fermenter system, this preliminary study was designed to evaluate the individual and combined effects of time of cutting and maceration on in vitro ruminal digestion, nutrient flows, and microbial protein synthesis. Forages were harvested as hay from a timothy (Phleum pratense L.)-birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) stand in the morning (AM) or evening (PM). Half of each morning- and evening-cut treatment was macerated (AM-M, PM-M). The chemical composition (DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF), including nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), was determined for each of the 4 treatments (AM, AM-M, PM, PM-M). Forages were ground to 2 mm and allocated to separate fermenters at 60 g of DM/d in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Fermenters were operated over four 10-d periods with the first 7 d for adaptation followed by 3 d of sampling. Evening-cutting enhanced the apparent digestibility of NDF (P = 0.02) and ADF (P = 0.006), with a tendency (P < 0.10) for improved true DM digestibility and microbial protein synthesis. Molar proportions of individual VFA were not affected (P > 0.10) by time of cutting, though evening-cutting increased (P = 0.02) total concentration of VFA. Maceration had no effect (P > 0.10) on true nutrient digestibility or microbial protein synthesis. An interaction of time of cutting and maceration (P < 0.05) was observed whereby maceration decreased true DM and OM digestibilities in evening-cut treatments, but had no effect in morning-cut treatments. Similarly, maceration reduced total N supply (P < 0.001) and molar proportions of acetate (P = 0.04) and increased molar proportions of propionate (P = 0.01) in evening-cut treatments with no effect on morning-cut treatments. These results indicate that independent use of evening cutting increased fiber digestibility and total VFA concentration, and independent use of maceration shifted molar proportions of VFA toward glucogenic fermentation. The combined use of these management techniques afforded no improvement for in vitro digestibility or metabolism when applied to morning-cut hay, and decreased nutrient digestibility when applied to evening-cut hay. Due to inherent limitations of in vitro systems, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution. Further in vivo studies are needed to support our conclusions.


Abstract. Posterior fluxes obtained from inverse modelling are difficult to verify because there is no dense network of flux measurements available to evaluate estimates against. Here we present a new diagnostic to evaluate structures in posterior fluxes. First, we simulate the change in atmospheric CO2 fields between posterior and prior fluxes, referred to as the posterior atmospheric adjustments due to updated fluxes (PAAFs). Second, we calculate the uncertainty in atmospheric CO2 fields due solely to uncertainty in the meteorological fields, referred to as the posterior atmospheric adjustments due to imperfect meteorology (PAAMs). We argue that PAAF can only be considered robust if it exceeds PAAM, that is, the changes in atmospheric CO2 between the posterior and prior fluxes should at least exceed atmospheric CO2 changes arising from imperfect meteorology. This diagnostic is applied to two CO2 flux inversions: one which assimilates observations from the in situ CO2 network and the other which assimilates observations from the Greenhouse Gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT). On the global scale, PAAF in the troposphere reflects northern extratropical fluxes, whereas stratospheric adjustments primarily reflect tropical fluxes. In general, larger spatiotemporal variations in PAAF are obtained for the GOSAT inversion than for the in situ inversion. Zonal standard deviations of the PAAF exceed the PAAM through most of the year when GOSAT observations are used, but the minimum value is exceeded only in boreal summer when in situ observations are used. Zonal spatial structures in GOSAT-based PAAF exceed PAAM throughout the year in the tropics and through most of the year in the northern extratropics, suggesting GOSAT flux inversions can constrain zonal asymmetries in fluxes. However, we cannot discount the possibility that these structures are influenced by biases in GOSAT retrievals. Verification of such spatial structures will require a dense network of independent observations. Because PAAF depends on the choice of prior fluxes, the comparison with PAAM is system dependent and thus can be used to monitor a given assimilation system's behaviour.


Lambdoid bacteriophage Q proteins are transcription antipausing and antitermination factors that enable RNA polymerase (RNAP) to read through pause and termination sites. Q proteins load onto RNAP engaged in promoter-proximal pausing at a Q binding element (QBE) and adjacent sigma-dependent pause element to yield a Q-loading complex, and translocate with RNAP as a pausing-deficient, termination-deficient Q-loaded complex. In previous work, we showed that the Q protein from bacteriophage 21 (Q21) functions by forming a "nozzle" that narrows and extends the RNAP RNA-exit channel, preventing formation of pause and termination RNA hairpins. Here, we report atomic structures of four states on the pathway of antitermination by the Q protein from bacteriophage λ (Qλ), a Q protein that shows no sequence similarity to Q21 and that, unlike Q21, requires the transcription elongation factor NusA for efficient antipausing and antitermination. We report structures of Qλ, the Qλ-QBE complex, the NusA-free "pre-engaged" Qλ-loading complex, and the NusA-containing "engaged" Qλ-loading complex. The results show that Qλ, like Q21, forms a nozzle that narrows and extends the RNAP RNA-exit channel, preventing formation of RNA hairpins. However, the results show that Qλ has no three-dimensional structural similarity to Q21, employs a different mechanism of QBE recognition than Q21, and employs a more complex process for loading onto RNAP than Q21, involving recruitment of Qλ to form a "pre-engaged" loading complex, followed by NusA-facilitated refolding of Qλ to form an "engaged" loading complex. The results establish Qλ and Q21 are not structural homologs and are solely functional analogs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Bacteriophage Q proteins are textbook examples of regulators of gene expression that function at the level of transcription antitermination. Here, we report structures defining the mechanism of antitermination by the Q protein of bacteriophage λ (Qλ). The results show Qλ forms a "nozzle" that narrows and extends the RNA polymerase RNA-exit channel, precluding the formation of terminator RNA hairpins. The results show Qλ exhibits no structural similarity to the Q protein of bacteriophage 21 (Q21), employs a different mechanism for DNA binding than Q21, and employs a more complex process of loading onto RNA polymerase than Q21. We conclude Qλ and Q21 are not structural homologs and are solely functional analogs, akin to a bird wing and a bat wing.


Traditional business models are being used to address school financial concerns, at the potential expense of the development of children. Specifically, at the potential expense of already marginalized populations, with limited academic resources. These students and communities may be losing their voices and power through the application of a business practice that has been found to have a 50% failure rate (Terry & O'Brien, 2001), leading to significant capital loss.  Notably, human capital of underrepresented students is at stake. This article explores the impact closures and mergers have on the school environments, and recommends strategies to address the challenges of school closures and mergers including implications for school counselors.


C. Andre and N. Yan introduced the idea of a supercharacter theory to give a tractable substitute for character theory in wild groups such as the unipotent uppertriangular group U n (F q ). In this theory superclasses are certain unions of conjugacy classes, and supercharacters are a set of characters which are constant on superclasses. This paper gives a character formula for a supercharacter evaluated at a superclass for pattern groups and more generally for algebra groups.


Most disinfectants were introduced to the market more than 30 years ago and little is known about their modes of action and the mechanisms of resistance. In addition, a few basic procedures in decontamination, disinfection, and sterilization have been tested in randomized clinical trials. This chapter cites highest level of evidence available. Even the definition of sterilization as the absence of any viable microorganisms must be revised to address the prions responsible for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and variant CJD (vCJD). Semicritical equipment should be processed with a high-level disinfectant such as glutaraldehyde, stabilized hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, or a chlorine compound. The chapter discusses use of peracetic acid for chemical sterilization of instruments and endoscopes. Studies of sheep naturally infected with scrapie demonstrated that the infectious agent first appears in lymphatic tissue of the tonsils and gastrointestinal tract, suggesting the oral route may be the principal mode of transmission. Numerous studies underline the importance of the B cell in transmission of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. In May 2005, British officials published an excellent assessment of the risk for contaminating surgical instruments with prions. The key observation in this report is that on average 0.2 mg of protein remains on surgical instruments despite "standard cleaning and disinfection," which was sufficient to cause an experimental case of CJD. Therefore, more research and new methods of cleaning and disinfection are needed for surgical instruments.


In the city centers of Roman Asia Minor, honorific monuments, which consisted of a portrait sculpture and biographical inscription, filled the agoras, aedicular facades, and colonnaded avenues. While some monuments were for Roman emperors and magistrates, the majority celebrated and memorialized the most important members of the local community, male and female, individuals who held public offices, sponsored festivals, and funded large scale construction projects. Honorific monuments were collaborative productions that involved civic institutions, the honored benefactor, and the family or friends of the honorand. Because of the multiplicity of actors involved in the honorific process, an examination of honorific inscriptions allows for a discussion of identity construction at different scales from the individual honorand and his or her family to an entire civic community. In a city in Asia Minor during the empire, the identities conveyed included Roman imperial allegiances, Greek cultural values, and ties to the local community, often combined in compositions that justified claims of status or fulfilled political ambitions.
This dissertation investigates the honorific inscriptions from one city in Asia Minor, Aphrodisias, from the mid-1st century BCE to the mid-3rd century CE, which consists of 206 instances of honor for 183 local Aphrodisians. The analysis examines developments in elite self-fashioning and the evolution of the reciprocal relationship between a community and its benefactors, with particular focus on references to ancestry and familial connections in the language of the inscriptions. The evidence indicates that the Aphrodisian elite deployed epigraphic formulations that mention family background and Roman connections in order to construct composite cultural identities and to affirm their place among the city's aristocratic factions. The contextualization of these texts in an historical and archaeological framework demonstrates that the observed epigraphic changes responded both to internal factors, such as demographic shifts, and external ones, such as the spread of Roman citizenship. This analysis highlights the internally-stratified and competitive aristocratic order that functioned in Imperial Aphrodisias and articulates how the elite employed references to ancestral background, local ties, and Roman familial connections strategically in ways that had tangible impacts on the landscape of the city.


Climate change has become a catch phrase in all disciplines, and that global temperature has increased as a result of climate change, however, much has not be done on whether only analysis of rainfall data, without linking it to its impact on a particular case, evidences climate change. This study therefore analysed merely rainfall to determine whether it is an indication of climate change. Rainfall data was collected from 8 synoptic meteorological stations in Ghana for a 40-year period (1966-2005). The results have shown that average rainy days and average total rainfall for selected months for selected stations have varied which according to the working definition cannot be referred to as climate change. By using the normalised rainfall departure approach, rainfalls have also varied from year to another which cannot also be referred to as climate change. The Sahelian drought might have extended to the northern Ghana because there were continuous negative rainfall departures (meteorological drought) in stations in the northern Ghana from 1966 to 1975. Based on the findings of this research, in order to conclude that climate in Ghana has changed using rainfall as case, timeline research needs to be conducted which should focus on the impacts of rainfall on, for example, crop production and river discharge.


Our field study examines two sites revealing the processes responsible for fault surface development and fault rock juxtaposition along normal faults in porous-sandstone–dominated formations. At the first site, we show that a cluster of cataclastic deformation bands made in an initially poorly consolidated sandstone localizes overprinting of a fault slip surface and brecciation during a subsequent tectonic episode, after a significant diagenesis of the formation induced by burial. Because the permeability of the clusters ranges between 6 × 100 and less than 5 × 10−1 md and because the breccia was highly dilatant, we deduce that the fault behaved as a baffle for cross-fault fluid flow at an early age of the formation and as a conduit after significant diagenetic evolution and subsequent fault surface development. At the second site, we show that the presence of clay-rich layers as thin as 80 cm (31 in.) are responsible for the initiation of a major fault slip surface in the underlying and overlying sandstone. The propagation of the fault prevents further cataclastic deformation and cluster development in these sandstones. Fault displacement juxtaposes fault surfaces, clusters of cataclastic deformation bands, clay-rich gouges, and different sedimentary units. Because both fault rocks have low permeability, their spatial juxtaposition provides a continuous baffle for cross-fault fluid flow. Our study shows that fault surface localization is related to an increase in the contrast of mechanical behavior between the cluster and the adjacent material (diagenetic hardening of the cluster or softening of the clay-rich gouge). Lithological contrasts and diagenesis are favorable conditions for localizing faulting and fault rock juxtaposition, allowing significant three-dimensional anisotropy of permeability during and/or after deformation. These processes must, therefore, be considered for fault-seal analyses in sandstone reservoirs.


'Globalization' has become in recent years one of the central themes of social scientific debates. Social theories of globalization may be regarded as specific academic and analytic manifestations of wider forms of 'global consciousness' to be found in the social world today. These are ways of thinking and perceiving which emphasize that the whole world should be seen as 'one place', its various geographically disparate parts all being interconnected in various complex ways. In this article we set out how both a general 'ecumenical sensibility' involving such ways of thinking, and its specifically academic variant, an 'ecumenical analytic', are simultaneously responses to 'globalizing conditions' and also products of the latter. We demonstrate how social theories of globalization, locatable in the overall set we call the 'ecumenical analytic', are reflexive thought-products, in that they both seek to investigate, and are made possible by, 'globalizing conditions'. Rejecting the view that both an ecumenical sensibility and an ecumenical analytic are solely products of modernity, we show how such modes of consciousness and analysis were present in the period of Greek history between the death of Alexander the Great and the rise of the Roman Empire. We show how at that period a socio-political situation akin in certain ways to modern 'globalizing conditions' generated both an ecumenical sensibility and an ecumenical analytic, the latter most forcefully represented by a revolutionary new genre in historiography called Universal History. By examining the ideas of its most famous practitioner, the historian Polybius, we demonstrate that Universal History both provided a framework for understanding what we today would call 'globalization', and exhibited a remarkable degree of reflexive awareness about its own conditions of possibility. We seek to show that an attentiveness to 'global' processes and a reflexive understanding of what makes that form of thinking possible in the first place, are not solely confined to modernity but were identifiable features of intellectual production in the Hellenistic period of ancient Greece. In this way we argue that scholars today should not imagine that the contemporary 'global turn' in social thought is either unique or wholly historically unprecedented.


This paper provides a country survey of the Turkish defence economy. Turkey is a member of NATO alliance and is strategically located between Europe and Middle East. Moreover, Turkey has a high defence burden and high economic growth. The first part of the survey presents a brief economic background of Turkey, its armed forces, the defence industry, its modernisation and trends in Turkish defence expenditure. The rest of the paper focuses on the relationships between defence spending and economic growth. The effect of defence spending on economic growth is econometrically estimated using a supply side model. Both externality effects and the size effect of defence spending are estimated for Turkey. The study concludes that defence expenditure stimulates economic growth while externalities from the defence sector to the rest of economy are negative for Turkey.


Deeply influenced by karst geological environment, the structure of the soil ecosystem in the southwest karst area of China is characterized by strong vertical variation and space variation, structural feature of nonrenewable soil, and functional feature of poor circulation of nutrient elements and limited vegetation growth. On the basis of analyzing vulnerability in structure and function of soil ecosystem in China's southwestern karst regions, we discussed the degradation process and mechanism of soil structure, nutrient, water and microorganism in the course of soil erosion from the perspective of material and energy cycle. Finally, we put forward some recommendations for recovery of degraded soil, transformation and rational utilization of soil.


Medicinally important plant species Ipomoea is reported in Indian system of medicine from ancient times. Ipomoea carnea is one of those reported as used in folk medicine. It produces a variety of secondary metabolites. Chemical investigation by chromatographic techniques was employed. Bioactive ethyl acetate extract of I. carnea stem bark was used for separation of the components. Substituted dibutyl phthalate was isolated for the first time from this plant source. The structure of the isolated compound was elucidated by IR,MS, 1H-NMR, 13C- NMR, DEPT, HMBC and HSQC. The compound was identified as Butyl- (E)- 3' hydroxyl- 7',7'- dimethyl - oct- 5'- enyl –phthalate.


A numerical modeling system for simulating nearshore surf zone conditions and tidal processes is presented and evaluated with in situ data. The modeling system is comprised of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS v 3.0), a threedimensional numerical ocean model, coupled with Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN), a spectral wave propagation model. The system has been modified with a new vertical distribution of radiation stress terms for applications in very shallow waters. The model performance is evaluated by comparing simulations to hydrodynamic data (wave height, direction, longshore and cross-shore currents) collected in the surf zone in northern South Carolina, U.S. Model results have been analyzed to discern the variability in three-dimensional and depth-averaged cross-shore and longshore velocities due to changing wave height, wave direction and tidal stage. Overall, the model shows good correlation to observed data and it is found to be capable of reproducing typical flow patterns observed due to depth-induced wave breaking. An implication for sediment transport applications on beaches with tidal variability is also discussed. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: surf zone, ROMS, SWAN, longshore current, sediment transport, tidal variability.


Seismic, deformation, and volcanic gas observations offer independent and complementary information on the activity state and dynamics of quiescent and eruptive volcanoes and thus all contribute to volcanic risk assessment. In spite of their wide use, there have been only a few efforts to systematically integrate and compare the results of these different monitoring techniques. Here we combine seismic (volcanic tremor and long‐period seismicity), deformation (GPS), and geochemical (volcanic gas plume CO2/SO2 ratios) measurements in an attempt to interpret trends in the recent (2007–2008) activity of Etna volcano. We show that each eruptive episode occurring at the Southeast Crater (SEC) was preceded by a cyclic phase of increase‐decrease of plume CO2/SO2 ratios and by inflation of the volcano's summit captured by the GPS network. These observations are interpreted as reflecting the persistent supply of CO2‐rich gas bubbles (and eventually more primitive magmas) to a shallow (depth of 1–2.8 km asl) magma storage zone below the volcano's central craters (CCs). Overpressuring of the resident magma stored in the upper CCs' conduit triggers further magma ascent and finally eruption at SEC, a process which we capture as an abrupt increase in tremor amplitude, an upward (>2800 m asl) and eastward migration of the source location of seismic tremor, and a rapid contraction of the volcano's summit. Resumption of volcanic activity at SEC was also systematically anticipated by declining plume CO2/SO2 ratios, consistent with magma degassing being diverted from the central conduit area (toward SEC).


SUMMARY Applying a magnetic field of o-1 Gs (1 gauss = io~*T) to the heads of pigeons homing from unfamiliar release sites significantly increased the scatter of the birds' vanishing bearings. A magnetic field of 0-3 gauss caused no difference between the orientation of birds wearing coils with either their north or south pole up. But a field of o-6 gauss (equal to that of the Earth) produced a small difference in the vanishing bearings of the two groups. Since an applied magnetic field has an effect on pigeon orientation under sun, it appears that pigeons do not simply switch between a magnetic and a sun compass, but that there is some interaction between the two systems.


An important way of breaking the rotational constraint in rotating convection is to invoke fast oscillation through strong inertial effects which, referring to as inertial convection, is physically realizable when the Prandtl number Pr of rotating fluids is sufficiently small. We investigate, via both analytical and numerical methods, inertial convection in a Boussinesq fluid contained in a narrow annulus rotating rapidly about a vertical symmetry axis and uniformly heated from below, which can be approximately realizable in laboratory experiments [R. P. Davies-Jones and P. A. Gilman, "Convection in a rotating annulus uniformly heated from below," J. Fluid Mech. 46, 65- 81 (1971)]. On the basis of an assumption that inertial convection at leading order is represented by a thermal inertial wave propagating in either prograde or retrograde direction and that buoyancy forces appear at the next order to maintain the wave against the effect of viscous damping, we derive an analytical solution that describes the onset of inertial convection with the non-slip velocity boundary condition. It is found that there always exist two oppositely traveling thermal inertial waves, sustained by convection, that have the same azimuthal wavenumber, the same size of the frequency, and the same critical Rayleigh number but different spatial structure. Linear numerical analysis using a Galerkin spectral method is also carried out, showing a quantitative agreement between the analytical and numerical solutions when the Ekman number is sufficiently small. Nonlinear properties of inertial convection are investigated through direct three-dimensional numerical simulation using a finite-difference method with the Chorin-type projection scheme, concentrating on the liquid metal gallium with the Prandtl number Pr = 0.023. It is found that the interaction of the two counter-traveling thermal inertial waves leads to a time-dependent, spatially complicated, oscillatory convection even in the vicinity of the onset of inertial convection. The nonlinear properties are analyzed via making use of the mathematical completeness of inertial wave modes in a rotating narrow annulus, suggesting that the laminar to weakly turbulent transition is mainly caused by the nonlinear interaction of several inertial wave modes that are excited and maintained by thermal convection at moderately supercritical Rayleigh numbers. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.


Because role change can be disruptive, the introduction of nurse prescribing could potentially lead to confusion and conflict over role boundaries and definitions. This article considers how adopting prescribing has influenced the role of nurse prescribers who treat and manage patients with diabetes. Interviews with 10 nurse prescribers, nine doctors and three non-prescribing nurses were collected as part of a case study of nine UK sites where nurses prescribed medicines for patients with diabetes. We found that nurses resisted the 'medicalization' of their role. They strove to ensure that their consultations continued to follow a 'nursing model' which involved holistic assessment, health promotion and patient-centred care. There were perceived differences in the level of decision-making between doctors and nurse prescribers. To conclude, nurses adopted prescribing while maintaining a nursing approach to practice. For specialist nurses, this expanded role included higher levels of decision-making more tra...


Numerous researches on the representation and handling of the uncertainty, starting with the pioneering works about probability of Laplace, Bernoulli, etc. to reach a substantial increase during the twentieth century have been made, with applications in many fields (for example, psychology, decision theory, etc.), including the artificial intelligence one (in this case, related to the multi-agent systems). On the other hand, the notions of holon and informon developed by Koestler, Sulis, Alonso, Pazos et al. have shown to be a very useful way of to model evolving complex dynamic systems. In this work the relationship between holons, informons, randomness and uncertainty (as the opposed to certainty) in a holonic system that reacts to events is analyzed.


: Data on ingestion of Culex quinquefasciatus Say 1823 larvae by Girardinus metallicus, Poey 1854 under lab and field conditions were obtained and compared to those reported on the same species by other authors. It was observed that G. metallicus is not so aggressive as other species of larvivorus fish in capturing larvae. The consumption of larvae is higher in females since males prefer feeding on vegetation. Because of the bioecological characteristics of the species, resistance to management and survival in cultural conditions, G. metallicus is recommended to be used as bioregulator of mosquito larvae.


For a long time, playing games was considered as the opposite of being productive. However, in the digital age, millions of players produce economic value in the game worlds. This new phenomenon challenges the previous dichotomy of labor and play. To understand this new phenomenon, theoretical innovations are required.This thesis aims to give a better understanding of in-game productive activities from a theoretical perspective. Based on previous academic studies, I develop a new theoretical framework upon the concept "playbor." This framework is an attempt of combining two theoretical traditions, namely the Ludology tradition and the Marxism tradition. It is a framework from a ludological starting point toward a critical direction.In this framework, I firstly analyze how play has been transformed to playbor. This process is shown as a transition model by the shifts of characteristics. Based on the transition model, a taxonomy of playbor is introduced. In the taxonomy, I identify three types of playbors: unintentional playbor, autonomous playbor and obligational playbor. Thereafter, problems related to playbors are examined. Problems from which traditional labor suffers, such as division of labor, alienation and exploitation, can also be observed in the game worlds. Apart from these problems, I identify a new problem which threatens all forms of playbors, namely the vulnerability of data.This thesis is based on my theoretical research from January to May 2015. The main research method is literature review. Data from news reports and participant observations have also been used to support arguments.


The residues of ornamental rocks, especially quartzite, cause great environmental impact. More impulse has been given to research on the recycling of these residues over the last years, particularly for use as aggregates in concrete and mortar. Nevertheless, the studies conducted so far do not mention the behavior of the mortar blended with aggregates coming from residues of ornamental rocks when under chemical attacks in sulfaterich environment. Thus, in the present study it was sought to add quartzite residues to the mortar, verifying its mechanical behavior and its durability when attacked by sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). The durability of the mortar blended with quartzite residues under sulfate attack was evaluated by the dimensional variation of the test specimens when immersed in sodium sulfate solution, according to the methodology of the NBR 13583 standard. Were used the following complementary techniques: simple compressive strength, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric and differential analysis. From the tests, it was verified that the mortars, after attack of sodium sulfate, presented dimensional expansions superior to 0.06%, as well as increased mechanical strength. Therefore, although it was found that the specimens incorporated with quartzite residues were attacked by sulfate, it was observed that it was not able to form sufficient secondary ettringite to mechanically damage the specimens submitted to the sodium sulfate attack.


Domestication has often seemed a matter of the distant past, a series of distinct events involving humans and other species that took place long ago. Today, as genetic manipulation continues to break new barriers in scientific and medical research, we appear to be entering an age of biological control. Are we also writing a new chapter in the history of domestication?

Where the Wild Things Are Now explores the relevance of domestication for anthropologists and scholars in related fields who are concerned with understanding ongoing change in processes affecting humans as well as other species.

From the pet food industry and its critics to salmon farming in Tasmania, the protection of endangered species in Vietnam and the pigeon fanciers who influenced Darwin, Where the Wild Things Are Now provides an urgently needed re-examination of the concept of domestication against the shifting background of relationships among humans, animals and plants. -


The shared nature of the medium in wireless networks makes it easy for an adversary to launch a Wireless Denial of Service (WDoS) attack. Recent studies, demonstrate that such attacks can be very easily accomplished using off-the-shelf equipment. To give a simple example, a malicious node can continually transmit a radio signal in order to block any legitimate access to the medium and/or interfere with reception. This act is called jamming and the malicious nodes are referred to as jammers. Jamming techniques vary from simple ones based on the continual transmission of interference signals, to more sophisticated attacks that aim at exploiting vulnerabilities of the particular protocol used. In this survey, we present a detailed up-to-date discussion on the jamming attacks recorded in the literature. We also describe various techniques proposed for detecting the presence of jammers. Finally, we survey numerous mechanisms which attempt to protect the network from jamming attacks. We conclude with a summary and by suggesting future directions.


A method is developed for integrating heuristic design knowledge with optimization models to create a tool for the topological design of computer communication networks. Design choices are based on suggestions from optimization models, as well as heuristic knowledge, which interact through a blackboard. A truth maintenance system (TMS) records justification for current design choices, as well as promising alternatives. A dependency-directed backtracking mechanism works with the TMS to choose other alternatives as warranted. This hybrid tool can consider a wider range of design requirements than is possible using one type of knowledge alone, is flexible in handling variations in these requirements, and has a modular structure which facilitates incremental refinement. Computational results on separate networks show it is effective in identifying good low-cost solutions. >


This report documents the data collection at and analysis of 77 fatal work zone crash sites throughout Texas from February 2003 through April 2004. The methodology used to collect the data for this project included a site analysis after notification by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) of each fatal crash. This project allowed an in-depth analysis of fatal work zone locations in Texas by supporting the collection of data regarding work zone configuration and characteristics that are generally not made available through the Department of Public Safety Crash Database or traditional police crash report forms. Based on these investigations, researchers concluded that only 8% of the investigated crashes had a direct influence from the work zone, whereas 39% of the investigated crashes had an indirect influence from the work zone. Researchers also concluded that 45% of the investigated crashes appeared to have no influence from the work zone (included in this subset are the 16% of the investigated crashes which occurred in work zones that were work zones in name only, such as work zones that consisted only of project limit signing). The crash investigations also provided unique insights into how and what characteristics of the work zones might have played some type of role in the overall chain-of-events for each crash. Researchers utilized this information in generating a series of possible crash countermeasures to intervene in the crash chain-of-events where plausible. Researchers critiqued each countermeasure and arrived at a final list of eight strategies that TxDOT should consider adopting or pursue further with research and development efforts.


Air pollution is a leading concern in China, linked to one in three deaths. Given the rising prominence and importance of environmental protection in China and worldwide, this study investigates civic engagement related to air pollution by examining the associations between social network site (SNS) use, attention to the China smog crisis-related content on mobile Internet platforms, and motives for SNSs use. Results revealed that attention to the China smog crisis-related content on mobile Internet platforms was positively associated with participation in the China smog crisis, both on SNSs and on the ground. The combination of having a high need for recognition along with a low need for entertainment best predicted civic engagement, both on SNSs and offline. Furthermore, results indicated the importance of differentiating geography in the context of Chinese communication practices, as smogginess of location moderated the relationship between offline civic engagement and attitude toward SNS use.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe the pain experience of outpatients with cancer and explore the relationships with sleep disturbance, depression, and patient functioning.

DESIGN
Descriptive, cross-sectional study.

SETTING
Outpatient clinics at a large comprehensive cancer center in the southeastern United States.

SAMPLE
85 patients with a pain intensity level of at least 3.

METHODS
Secondary analysis of baseline data.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Pain intensity and distress, pain interference, sleep disturbance intensity, and distress and depression.

FINDINGS
The sample included men and women with a mean age of 54 years and 13 years of education. Mean present pain intensity on the Brief Pain Inventory scale was 4.6; mean pain at its worst was 8.3. Mean pain intensity measured with the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale was 2.4 and pain distress was 2.2. Pain intensity and pain distress had a strong, positive correlation. The mean interference score for the group was 42.8. More than 63% of patients reported a problem with sleep disturbance. Distress from sleep disturbance was significantly correlated with pain intensity and pain distress. Pain interference also was correlated with sleep disturbance intensity and sleep disturbance distress. Pain severity, pain distress, pain right now, and pain interference total scores all were significantly correlated with depression scores.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with cancer continue to experience pain during outpatient treatment and report sleep and depressive symptoms related to it.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Improvements continue to be needed in assessment and treatment of pain.


In 1972 a large deposit of pottery and other finds from the mid-fifth century B.C. were found in a pit just west of the Royal Stoa in the Athenian Agora. It contained many fragments of figured pottery, more than half of which were large drinking vessels. 21 fragments were inscribed with a graffito known to be a mark of public ownership. The authors conclude that the pottery is refuse from one of the public dining facilities which served the magistrates of Classical Athens. The volume examines the archaeological context and chronology of the deposit and gives a detailed analysis of all the finds. A complete catalogue arranges the finds by type and in chronological order.


This work is devoted to studying of the accumulation peculiarities of heavy metals (HM) by the meadow phytocenosis plants and also plants phytomeliotating properties at various levels of soil contamination. The system "cespitose-podsol soil – meadow vegetation" has been chosen as a research object. Heavy metals as a kind of industrial waste-galvanic slurry enriched by zinc amounting 79.7% of all HM detected in the slurry-was introduced into the soil. Heavy metals content and redistribution in soil at various amount of galvanic slurry, quantitative and specific content of phytocenosis, heavy metals accumulation in the meadow vegetation crop at various contamination layers have been studied during research. Among the researched phytocenosis the groups of plants with high and low heavy metals accumulation capacity have been defined. Cirsium arvense, Capsella bursapastoris, Artemisia vulgarus and Rumex confertus belonged to the group accumulating several heavy metals in considerable amounts without significant phytomass loss. The majority of these plants possess developed phytomass and their ability to accumulate heavy metals in large amount allows using them as phytomeliorants for soil decontamination at the final stages of reclaiming.


Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of pulmonary resection in the management of high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). Methods Patients who underwent pulmonary resection as part of their treatment for chemotherapy-resistant high-risk GTN from 1986 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had received 1 or more multiagent chemotherapy regimens preoperatively. Patient and disease characteristics were evaluated with respect to outcome. Results Fifteen (26%) of 58 patients treated for high-risk GTN underwent pulmonary resection with curative intent. Mean age of patients was 29 years (range, 19–37 years). International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage was III in 12 and IV in 3. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics scores ranged from 5 to 20 (mean, 10). Antecedent pregnancy was nonmolar in 11 patients (73%). Adjuvant surgical procedures other than pulmonary resection were performed in 8 patients (53%). Preoperative chemotherapy regimens ranged from 1 to 10 (median, 4) and courses numbered from 2 to 32 (median, 14). Preoperative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels ranged from 2 to 2786 mIU/mL (median, 177 mIU/mL). Pulmonary wedge resections or lobectomies were performed via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (11) or thoracotomy (4). Two patients underwent pulmonary resections on 2 separate occasions. No patient had complications as a result of these procedures. Eleven patients (73%) were cured. In these 11 patients, hCG levels decreased to less than 2 mIU/mL within 6 to 52 days (mean, 22 days) postoperatively. Conclusions Pulmonary resection of chemotherapy-resistant GTN was an important component of treatment in 26% of high-risk patients, 73% of whom were cured. Ideal candidates have disease isolated to the lungs and low hCG levels.


The aim of this thesis is to examine the rock-art of Egypt's Central Eastern Desert in order to outline the petroglyphs' distribution and influences on their location, to date them, and to explore the reasons why they were created. The area is notable for the presence of boat petroglyphs, along with images of people and a wide range of fauna, in the middle of the desert many miles from the Nile and Red Sea. Since Hans Winkler's pioneering work in the 1930's, the corpus covering the whole of the area has been considerably increased due to work from the 1980's to the present, thanks mainly to the Eastern Desert Survey (EDS) and the Rock Art Topographical Survey (RATS).
The construction of a comprehensive corpus enables an analysis of the distribution of the approximately 4000 images, the dating of a significant majority of the rock-art sites and interpretation of the reasons for their creation. Many of the petroglyphs were probably made in the early predynastic period: Naqada I c to II a/b (which scholars generally date from 3750 to 3650 BCE), and often show hunting scenes associated with boats, or even have vessels integrated within them. As the spatial analysis carried out in this work demonstrates, these motifs are often located in shaded locations and, especially in the south of the survey area, near to the entrances to side wadis. In contrast, the smaller numbers of dynastic and Greco-Roman images are usually situated on routes to the mines and quarries of the Eastern Desert, as well as to the Red Sea.
This thesis also proposes a new approach to the interpretation of boats and the figures with arms raised and incurved above the head. As opposed to common scholarly practice where they have previously been interpreted by retrospective comparison with pharaonic themes, I pursue a synchronic approach to interpretation, placing the predynastic motifs in Naqada culture funerary context linked to hunting as an elite activity. The later rock-art is divided between pharaonic images related to mining and quarrying expeditions, and horse and camel riders pictured in unique conflict scenes.


The aim of this study was to characterize two monoclonal antibodies (F6A11 and F109-D12) generated against Pdx1 (pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1), a homeodomain transcription factor, which is critical for pancreas formation as well as for normal pancreatic beta cell function. For production of monoclonal antibodies, we immunized Robertsonian POSF (RBF)mice with a GST-Pdx1 fusion protein containing a 68-amino acid C-terminal fragment of rat Pdx1. These monoclonal antibodies detect Pdx1 by western blotting and allow immunohistochemical detection of Pdx1 in both mouse and rat tissue. F6A11 and F109-D12 produce IHC staining patterns indistinguishable from that obtained with highly specific polyclonal Pdx1 antisera raised in rabbits and goats, when applied to embryonic or adult mouse pancreatic tissue. In contrast to previously generated polyclonal anti-Pdx1 antisera, we also demonstrate that F6A11 works for intracellular fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) staining of Pdx1. By using F6A11, we characterize the induction of Pdx1 in the Doxycycline (DOX) inducible insulinoma cell line INSrαβ-Pdx1 and follow the reduction of Pdx1 after removing Dox. Finally, we show that induction of exogenous Pdx1 leads to a reduction in endogenous Pdx1 levels, which suggests that a negative feedback loop is involved in maintaining correct levels of Pdx1 in the cell.


Background: The comparison of same,equal and low dose of misoprostol by the oral and vaginal routes for induction of labour at term requires further elucidation. Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of 25 micrograms (ug) of oral misoprostol with 25ug vaginal misoprostol for induction of labor at term. Methods: A randomised control trial that involved 169 consented women with indication for induction of labor. A total of 85 women had oral misoprostol while 84 women had vaginal misoprostol. The oral misoprostol dose (25ug) was repeated every 2 hours, while the vaginal dose (25ug) was repeated every 6 hours for a maximum duration of 24 hours or when need arose for intervention. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20. Results: The mean induction-delivery interval was significantly shorter (18.48 +/- 2.01 vs. 22.82 +/- 2.50, P = 0.00), with more vaginal deliveries (88.2% vs. 85.7%, P = 0.00) in the oral group compared to the vaginal group respectively. The cardiotocographic abnormalities in the vaginal group were significantly higher than the oral group (8.3% vs. 1.2%, P = 0.03). There were more foetal distress and meconium stained liquor in the vaginal group but not statistically significant.


Objectives. The purpose of this study is to establish the psychometric characteristics of the population of the municipality of Sabaneta, Colombia, using the Pediatric Sleepiness Scale and the Cleveland Sleepiness Questionnaire for Adolescents. Design. Cross-sectional descriptive study in a population of school children was used. Neither pathological population nor clinical evaluation is included in this study. Instruments. The instruments used were the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire, Colombian version, the Children's Depression Inventory, the ADHS, and sleepiness and the sleep-disordered breathing sub-scales of the Colombian version of the PSQ. Procedures performed were reliability coefficient, factor analysis, inter-item and inter-scale correlation, linear regression and test-retest, which indicates inter-concordance index evaluators. Participants. The population surveyed consisted of 324 children and adolescents enrolled in public and private schools in the municipality of Sabaneta Antioquia, Columbia. Results. The Pediatric Sleepiness scale yields a Kappa index of 0.927. The overall score of the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire yields a Kappa index of 0.867. In the EPS-VC Cronbach's alpha of 0.734, the correlations of each item with the total score of the scale are both positive and significant (P <0.01). The total variance explained by the described test points to 59.9%. The CCSA obtained a Cronbach's alpha of 0.759, showing significant correlations (p <0.01). Total explained variance for this test is 56.9%. Conclusions. Both instruments have characteristics generally appropriate content validity, criterion and construct, making their use in the Colombian population


Abstract. This paper sums up the main contribution derived from the thesis entitled "Multispectral imaging for the analysis of materials and pathologies in civil engineering, constructions and natural spaces" awarded by CIPA-ICOMOS for its connection with the preservation of Cultural Heritage. This thesis is framed within close-range remote sensing approaches by the fusion of sensors operating in the optical domain (visible to shortwave infrared spectrum). In the field of heritage preservation, multispectral imaging is a suitable technique due to its non-destructive nature and its versatility. It combines imaging and spectroscopy to analyse materials and land covers and enables the use of a variety of different geomatic sensors for this purpose. These sensors collect both spatial and spectral information for a given scenario and a specific spectral range, so that, their smaller storage units save the spectral properties of the radiation reflected by the surface of interest. The main goal of this research work is to characterise different construction materials as well as the main pathologies of Cultural Heritage elements by combining active and passive sensors recording data in different ranges. Conclusions about the suitability of each type of sensor and spectral range are drawn in relation to each particular case study and damage. It should be emphasised that results are not limited to images, since 3D intensity data from laser scanners can be integrated with 2D data from passive sensors obtaining high quality products due to the added value that metric brings to multispectral images.


A process for feeding or cracking heavy hydrocarbon feedstock containing non-volatile hydrocarbons comprising: heating the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, mixing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, flashing the mixture to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase, and varying the amount of the fluid and/or the primary dilution steam stream mixed with the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock in accordance with at least one selected operating parameter of the process, such as the temperature of the flash stream before entering the flash drum.


Partially relaxed III–V heterostructures: GaAs/InGaAs and InP/InAlAs/InGaAs, with a small lattice mismatch, grown using molecular beam epitaxy under compressive or tensile misfit stress at the (001) interface, have been investigated by means of high-resolution X-ray diffractometry, atomic force microscopy and generalized ellipsometry. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy and electron-beam induced current in a scanning electron microscope have been employed to reveal misfit dislocations at the heterostructure interface. Chemical etching was used to determine polarity of the crystals and threading dislocation densities in the epitaxial layers. Our findings are interpreted in terms of the dependent on growth conditions, material's composition and doping glide velocities of two types of misfit dislocations: α and β, differing in their core structure and lying along two orthogonal 〈110〉 crystallographic directions at the (001) interface.


CATASTROPHIC brain injury following minor impact has been known to occur in contact sports, particularly football. 1 This peculiar susceptibility remains unexplained. However, the common resumption of contact play soon after concussion suggests that sequential minor impacts may occasionally lead to major cerebral pathological conditions. If these injuries have a compounding effect rather than representing isolated events, then additional impact to an already compliance-compromised brain might precipitate a catastrophic increase in intracranial pressure, perhaps through loss of vasomotor tone. We report a case documenting a preexisting cerebral contusion and the lethal effect of a second minor impact. This case suggests that clinical examination alone may sometimes be inadequate in evaluating persisting symptoms after minor head injury. In the athlete who has had a cerebral concussion, computed tomographic (CT) scanning may be required before medical clearance to resume play is justified. Report of a Case A 19-year-old, right-handed, college football player


Surface modification process was employed to enhance the thickness of film and avoid crack propagation during ambient drying for the smart glazing. To eliminate the hydrocarbon on the surface of glass, UV was irradiated on the glass slide under oxygen atmosphere. The wetting angle was reduced to the optimal condition for dip-coating when UV irradiation with oxygen time was kept for 10minutes. The thickness of the surface modification samples have almost double value compared to the sample of non-surface treatment. The thickness of the film after heat treatment of the substrate was highly increased.


The importance of reducing processor-memory bandwidth is recognized in two distinct situations: single board computer systems and microprocessors of the future. Cache memory is investigated as a way to reduce the memory-processor traffic. We show that traditional caches which depend heavily on spatial locality (look-ahead) for their performance are inappropriate in these environments because they generate large bursts of bus traffic. A cache exploiting primarily temporal locality (look-behind) is then proposed and demonstrated to be effective in an environment where process switches are infrequent. We argue that such an environment is possible if the traffic to backing store is small enough that many processors can share a common memory and if the cache data consistency problem is solved. We demonstrate that such a cache can indeed reduce traffic to memory greatly, and introduce an elegant solution to the cache coherency problem.


We utilize a 3D hybrid hydro+micro model for a comprehensive and consistent description of soft and hard particle production in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC. In the soft sector we focus on the dynamics of (multi-) strange baryons, where a clear strangeness dependence of their collision rates and freeze-out is observed. In the hard sector we study the radiative energy loss of hard partons in a soft medium in the multiple soft scattering approximation. While the nuclear suppression factor R AA does not reflect the high quality of the medium description (except in a reduced systematic uncertainty in extracting the quenching power of the medium), the hydrodynamical model also allows us to study different centralities and in particular the angular variation of R AA with respect to the reaction plane, allowing for a controlled variation of the in-medium path length.


The adaptive optics capabilities are strongly limited by the quality of the phasing of the primary mirror of the extremely large telescope. Up to date, the Keck telescopes are the only segmented telescope phased with a quality enabling the application of adaptive optics. The Active Phasing Experiment has been installed at the Namyth focus of the Very Large Telescope Melipal during the last 6 months. Its purpose is to understand and compare different technological concepts for an optical phasing sensor dedicated to the European Extremely Large Telescope. The pupil of the telescope is segmented in 61 hexagonal segments by projecting it on an Active Segmented Mirror. The ASM is controlled by a dual wavenlength interferometer made by Fogale Nanotech with a nanometric precision. The segmented pupil is distributed in parallel to four optical phasing sensors. They are a pyramid sensor, a curvature sensor, a phase filtering sensor and a ShackHartmann sensor. They have been developed respectively by Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Florenze, Instituto Astrofisica Canarias in Tenerife, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille and ESO. The global behaviour of the optical phasing sensors will be described and preliminary results of the Active Phasing Experiments obtained on sky will be explained. The extrapolation of the results to the EELT and the potential consequences for the adaptive optics will be given. The Active Phasing Experiment has been financed by the European Union and the European Southern Observatory via the Sixth European Union Framework Program for Research and Technological Development under the contract number 011863.


There is little doubt that the requirement to reposition empty containers is one of the more persistent problems in the container transport industry, and is a key factor in cutting operating costs. Empty container transport involves high costs, particularly for shipping lines, since they generally bear these container management costs. Not surprisingly, shipping lines try to reduce the costs of moving empty containers as much as they can. Most strategies are focussed on improving the instruments to match cargo with empty containers. However, due to trade imbalances transport movements of empty containers remain to some extent unavoidable. Therefore, foldable containers seem an attractive option from the point of view of saving transport costs as well as handling and storage costs. So far, however, these containers have not been introduced successfully. In this paper we analyse why previous initiatives for foldable containers failed and discuss the conditions required for successful commercial applications. Although the economic advantages of foldable containers seem evident, we explain that these types of boxes have to cope with scepticism about technical performance, the complexity of the folding and unfolding process in particular, as well as logistical and organisational problems with using foldable containers.


Homology analyses of the protein sequences of chicken liver and rat mammary gland fatty acid synthases [acyl-CoA:malonyl-CoA C-acyltransferase (decarboxylating, oxoacyl- and enoyl-reducing and thioester hydrolyzing), EC 220.127.116.11] and yeast fatty acid synthase [fatty-acyl-CoA synthase; acyl-CoA:malonyl-CoA C-acyltransferase (decarboxylating, oxoacyl- and enoyl-reducing), EC 184.108.40.206] were carried out. The amino acid sequences of the chicken and rat enzymes are 67% identical. If conservative substitutions are allowed, 78% of the amino acids are matched. A region of low homologies exists between the functional domains, in particular around amino acid residues 1059-1264 of the chicken enzyme. Homologies between the active sites of chicken and rat and of chicken and yeast enzymes have been analyzed by an alignment method. A high degree of homology exists between the active sites of the chicken and rat enzymes. However, the chicken and yeast enzymes show a lower degree of homology. The NADPH-binding dinucleotide folds of the beta-ketoacyl reductase and the enoyl reductase sites were identified by comparison with a known consensus sequence for the NADP- and FAD-binding dinucleotide folds. The active sites of all of the enzymes are primarily in hydrophobic regions of the protein. This study suggests that the genes for the functional domains of fatty acid synthase were originally separated, and these genes were connected to each other by using different connecting nucleotide sequences in different species. An alternative explanation for the differences in rat and chicken is a common ancestry and mutations in the joining regions during evolution. A higher mutation rate in the joining regions than in the active site regions of the enzymes without loss of function might be expected.


ABSTRACT The transformation of smectite to illite has been cited by many authors as a source of silica during diagenesis of mudrocks. Illites themselves, however, undergo chemical changes as they recrystallize into micas during high-grade diagenesis/low-grade metamorphism. Average compositions of phyllosilicates from the literature suggest that an equivalent amount of silica is available from transformation of illite to muscovite as from illitization of smectites. The fate of silica released by this process has not been reported, but could be a major contributor to the silt-size quartz population. The quartz and feldspar fraction of pelites from the Stanley Shale (Mississippian) in the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas was separated using sodium bisulfate fusions. The mineralogy and the grainsize distribution of this fraction were determined using standard petrographic and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Bulk rock samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) methods. The data obtained were related to illite crystallinity and vitrinite reflectance as reported by Guthrie et al. (1986) and Houseknecht and Matthews (1985). Both the percentage of quartz and the mean grain size of the quartz and feldspar fraction increase with greater illite crystallinity values. The growth in quartz is especially apparent in the finest size fractions. A corresponding decrease in the silica content of the clay-mineral fraction is also observed. Development of quartz polycrystallinity occurs across the same interval. Whole-rock chemical abundances show no statistical correlation with thermal maturity. Relative to titanium, both the major-element and the trace-element concentrations show little variation. Rare-earth element ratios do not correlate with thermal maturity and remain essentially constant. Our results are consistent with reported differences between quartz in schists and their shale precursors, and suggest that release of silica during diagenesis of phyllosilicates continues after the smectite-illite transformation. This silica precipitates as quartz within the pelite, consistent with the suggestion by Blatt (1987) that metapelites are the source of abundant silt-size quartz. The lack of whole-rock chemical variation with thermal maturity implies closed-system behavior across much of the pelite-to-metapelite transition.


Inhibition of activin signaling enhances the efficacy and safety of platinum chemotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma models. Blocking activin actively treats cancer Platinum-based chemotherapy is a mainstay of treatment for lung cancer, but resistance to this therapy is a common problem, as are dose-limiting side effects, particularly kidney toxicity. To search for mechanisms that may contribute to treatment resistance, Marini et al. performed a whole-genome RNA interference screen and identified the activin pathway, which can be targeted. The authors demonstrated that inhibition of this pathway using a small molecule or a protein called follistatin can offer a dual benefit in that it potentiates the effects of platinum drugs in mouse models of cancer and also protects the animals from kidney damage. These findings suggest that activin inhibitors could be a valuable addition to platinum chemotherapy, enhancing the efficacy of treatment while also allowing the use of higher doses or longer periods of drug exposure. Resistance to platinum chemotherapy is a long-standing problem in the management of lung adenocarcinoma. Using a whole-genome synthetic lethal RNA interference screen, we identified activin signaling as a critical mediator of innate platinum resistance. The transforming growth factor–β (TGFβ) superfamily ligands activin A and growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) mediated resistance via their cognate receptors through TGFβ-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), rather than through the SMAD family of transcription factors. Inhibition of activin receptor signaling or blockade of activin A and GDF11 by the endogenous protein follistatin overcame this resistance. Consistent with the role of activin signaling in acute renal injury, both therapeutic interventions attenuated acute cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, its major dose-limiting side effect. This cancer-specific enhancement of platinum-induced cell death has the potential to dramatically improve the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy in lung cancer patients.


Background CYP2C19 and CYP3A are the main enzymes involved in omeprazole metabolism, while CYP3A is the principal enzyme family for amlodipine biotransformation. Concomitant use of these drugs in patients with hypertension and acid-related disorders (ARD) might lead to drug–drug interaction. Purpose The aim of the study was to find if adding omeprazole for treating ARD to amlodipine long-term therapy of hypertension influenced blood pressure of CYP2C19 polymorphism carriers. Patients and methods Fifty-one patients diagnosed with hypertension and ARD were enrolled in the study. Evaluation of antihypertensive therapy was performed by office (OBPM) and ambulatory (ABPM) blood pressure monitoring. Peripheral venous blood was collected for DNA extraction and real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for CYP2C19*2G681A (rs4244285), CYP2C19*3G636A (rs4986893) and CYP2C19*17C−806T (rs12248560) polymorphisms analysis. Results Of 51 patients there were 21 extensive metabolizers (EMs), 18 ultrarapid metabolizers (UMs) and 12 intermediate metabolizers (IMs). The results of OBPM showed that antihypertensive effect was significantly more pronounced in IMs compared to EMs or UMs and the average group value in the following parameters: average office systolic blood pressure (BP), dynamics of the average office systolic BP. According to dynamics of diastolic BP, the antihypertensive effect was also significantly higher in IMs than in UMs and the average group value. The results of ABPM revealed that there was a significantly more pronounced antihypertensive effect in IMs compared to all other analyzed groups according to the dynamics of both daytime systolic and 24 hr diastolic BP. The average daytime diastolic BP and its dynamics, the average 24 hr systolic BP and its dynamics were higher in IMs compared to EMs and UMs. Conclusion Adding omeprazole to long-term amlodipine therapy in patients with hypertension and ARD may lead to a significantly more pronounced antihypertensive effect in patients genotyped CYP2C19 IMs.


Optimum properties of superalloys are derived from the interactions of the composition, thermomechanical deformation, and heat treatment. Nickel-base alloys contain a variety of elements in a large number of combinations to produce various desired effects. The general characteristics of any specific precipitation hardening heat-resisting alloy is determined by its composition. Microstructural variations in forging stock can further influence forging and heat treatment response. Specific alloy composition, as affected by heat treatment, is characterized by the time-temperature relationship to produce various phases and compounds. Chemical banding and carbide distribution, for example, contribute to directional property variations through differential response to heat treatment. Structural response relative to final property effects is also influenced by recrystallization brought about through use of selected thermomechanical processing parameters. Special controls are required under these circumstances to ensure satisfactory structural uniformity in forged components of complex configurations. These combined effects of composition, deformation, and heat treatment produce certain microstructures relating to the final desired properties.


Background and Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sodium bicarbonate against candida albicans, the main infectious factor of denture stomatitis, and to compare it with other common anti-candida medications. Materials and Methods: Three concentrations of Candida albicans (10 5 , 10 6 , 10 7 CFU/mL) were prepared. Experimental substances were 5% sodium bicarbonate, nystatin, chlorhexidine, and sterile saline (as control). Each of them was added separately to the same amounts of Candida albicans of different concentrations, and sampled at the intervals of 1, 2, 3 and 4 min. Then, the samples were cultured and incubated. The number of formed colonies was counted for each plate. The data were analyzed, using ANOVA and Tukey test. Results: Sodium bicarbonate showed a noticeable anti-candida effect on the concentrations of 10 5 and 10 6 CFU/mL, with almost similar anti-candida effect as nystatin and chlorehexidine(P=0.29, P=0.32). Nystatin was the most effective medication on the concentration of 10 7 CFU/mL of candida (P=0.03, P=0.01). Sodium bicarbonate and chlorhexidine were less effective in this concentration with no statistically significant difference (P=1.00). Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate showed a significant anti-candida effect at low and medium concentrations of Candida albicans, but nystatin was more effective in the higher concentrations.


We propose an approach to address two undesired properties of unsupervised GANs. First, since GANs use only a continuous latent distribution to embed multiple classes or clusters of a dataset, GANs often do not correctly handle the structural discontinuity between disparate classes in a latent space. Second, discriminators of GANs easily forget about past generated samples by generators, incurring instability during adversarial training. We argue that these two infamous problems of unsupervised GANs can be largely alleviated by a memory structure to which both generators and discriminators can access. Generators can effectively store a large amount of training samples that are needed to understand the underlying cluster distribution, which eases the structure discontinuity problem. At the same time, discriminators can memorize previously generated samples, which mitigate the forgetting problem. We propose a novel end-to-end GAN model named memoryGAN, that involves a memory network that can be trained in an unsupervised manner, and integrable to many existing models of GANs. With evaluations on multiple datasets including Fashion-MNIST, CelebA, CIFAR10, and Chairs, we show that our model is probabilistically interpretable, and generates image samples of high visual fidelity. We also show that our memoryGAN also achieves the state-of-the-art inception scores among unsupervised GAN models on the CIFAR10 dataset, without additional tricks or weaker divergences.


Two atypical patients with a multiple sclerosis (MS)–like illness and evidence of occult celiac disease (CD) were managed by the authors. This prompted screening of a further 49 unselected MS cases for serologic evidence of CD. IgA anti-endomysial antibody was found in one case (2%). IgG anti-gliadin antibody was found in 12% of patients and 13% of blood donors. Anti-gliadin antibody (especially IgG isotype) can be a nonspecific finding.


Pulses of growth hormone (GH) release in acromegaly may arise from hypothalamic regulation or from random events intrinsic to adenomatous tissue. To distinguish between these possibilities, serum GH concentrations were measured at 5-min intervals for 24 h in acromegalic men and women with active (n = 19) and inactive (n = 9) disease and in normal young adults in the fed (n = 20) and fasted (n = 16) states. Daily GH secretion rates, calculated by deconvolution analysis, were greater in patients with active acromegaly than in fed (P < 0.05) but not fasted normal subjects. Significant basal (nonpulsatile) GH secretion was present in virtually all active acromegalics but not those in remission or in fed and fasted normal subjects. A recently introduced scale- and model-independent statistic, approximate entropy (ApEn), was used to test for regularity (orderliness) in the GH data. All but one acromegalic had ApEn values greater than the absolute range in normal subjects, indicating reduced orderliness of GH release; ApEn distinguished acromegalic from normal GH secretion (fed, P < 10(-12); fasted, P < 10(-7)) with high sensitivity (95%) and specificity (100%). Acromegalics in remission had ApEn scores larger than those of normal subjects (P < 0.0001) but smaller than those of active acromegalics (P < 0.001). The coefficient of variation of successive incremental changes in GH concentrations was significantly lower in acromegalics than in normal subjects (P < 0.001). Fourier analysis in acromegalics revealed reduced fractional amplitudes compared to normal subjects (P < 0.05). We conclude that GH secretion in acromegaly is highly irregular with disorderly release accompanying significant basal secretion.