This study examines the pattern of unemployment duration of African immigrants in Sweden as well as the effect of emigration origin, age, gender, level of education and family characteristics on the probability of getting a job upon arrival. The study is based on PLACE-database; the dataset is restricted to individuals born in Africa who immigrated to Sweden during the period of 1994-2008. Results from the Kaplan–Meier estimators and Proportional Hazard Models indicate that unemployment duration and the relative risk of getting a job upon arrival vary according to emigration origin and gender differences. In fact, immigrants from Somalia experience longer unemployment duration than Sub Saharan and North African immigrants. Additionally, African women are more likely to experience longer unemployment duration in comparison to men. Women from Sub Saharan Africa experience shorter unemployment duration in comparison to Somalis and North African ones. On the contrary, there are North African men who experience shorter unemployment duration than men from Sub- Saharan African and Somalia. The results also indicate that the relative risk of leaving unemployment upon arrival also differ by gender and region of emigration. In fact, men experience higher relative risk of leaving unemployment in comparison to women. In addition, the gender gap is found to be much more remarkable among the North African immigrants in comparison to Somalis and Sub Saharan ones. Furthermore, the possibility of leaving unemployment upon arrival decreases with age and childbearing, moreover holding university education increases the relative risk of leaving unemployment upon arrival.


In this contribution to Text Matters, I would like to introduce gender into my feminist response to Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology of the capable subject. The aim is to make, phenomenologically speaking, "visible" the gendering of this subject in a hermeneutic problematic: that of a subject's loss of confidence in her own ability to understand herself. Ricoeurian hermeneutics enables us to elucidate the generally hidden dimensions in a phenomenology of lost self-confidence; Ricoeur describes capability as "originally given" to each lived body; but then, something has happened, gone wrong or been concealed in one's loss of confidence. Ricoeur himself does not ask how the gender or sex of one's own body affects this loss. So I draw on contemporary feminist debates about the phenomenology of the body, as well as Julia Kristeva's hermeneutics of the Antigone figure, in order to demonstrate how women might reconfigure the epistemic limits of human capability, revealing themselves as "a horizon" of the political order, for better or worse.


In simulating chemically reacting flows, the differential entropy inequality (the local form of the second law of thermodynamics) must be satisfied in addition to the differential mass, momentum and energy balances. Previously we have shown that entropy violations occur when using a global/reduced mechanism. Herein we show that entropy violations also occur when using a detailed/skeletal/reduced mechanism. Using a recent theorem [1], we illustrate how to modify a reduced chemical kinetics model to automatically satisfy the differential entropy inequality. The numerical solution of a methane laminar flame was improved when using reduced chemical kinetics modified in this way. In addition, an ad hoc temperature limiter is no longer necessary.© 2014 ASME


We perform a detailed numerical and analytical study of the properties of observed light curves from relativistic thin discs, focussing on observational bands most appropriate for comparison with tidal disruption events (TDEs). We make use of asymptotic expansion techniques applied to the spectral emission integral, using time-dependent disc temperature profiles appropriate for solutions of the relativistic thin disc equation. Rather than a power law associated with bolometric disc emission L ∼ t−n, the observed X-ray flux from disc-dominated TDEs will typically have the form of a power law multiplied by an exponential (see equation 91). While precise details are somewhat dependent on the nature of the ISCO stress and disc-observer orientational angle, the general form of the time-dependent flux is robust and insensitive to the exact disc temperature profile. We present numerical fits to the UV and X-ray light curves of ASASSN-14li, a particularly well observed TDE. This modelling incorporates strong gravity optics. The full 900 d of ASASSN-14li X-ray observations are very well fit by a simple relativistic disc model, significantly improving upon previous work. The same underlying model also fits the final 1000 d of ASASSN-14li observations in three different UV bandpasses. Finally, we demonstrate that the analytic formulae reproduce the properties of full numerical modelling at both UV and X-ray wavelengths with great fidelity.


In this paper an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm (IPSO) for electromagnetic applications is proposed. In order to overcome the drawbacks of standard PSO, some improved mechanisms for velocity updating, the exceeding boundary control, global best perturbation and the simplified quadratic interpolation (SQI) operator are adopted. To show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, a selected set of numerical examples, concerned with linear as well as planar array, is presented. Simulation results show that the refined pinpointing search ability and the global search ability of the proposed algorithm are significantly improved when compared to the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA).


This study examines the convergence and divergence between subjective and objective measures of language proficiency for assessing language dominance in Mandarin–English bilinguals. Sixty-two young adults (Experiment 1) and 27 children (Experiment 2) provided self-ratings of proficiency level (or were rated by their parents), were interviewed for spoken proficiency, and named pictures in the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT) and (in Experiment 1 only) the Boston Naming Test. In Experiment 1, the four measures converged in the number of people classified into different dominance groups but both naming tests indicated greater English dominance than self-report and interview measures. In Experiment 2, parent report and interview measures converged in dominance classifications but the MINT indicated higher degrees of English dominance. To a large extent bilinguals were able to classify themselves (or their children) into dominance groups but some mismatches between measures in dominance classification were observed for all age and dominance groups. These results, together with previous findings with Spanish–English bilingual adults (Gollan et al., 2012), suggest that bilinguals may shift to English dominance in confrontation naming before they do so in conversational fluency, and that dominance shifts persist throughout the lifespan but may be relatively more pronounced in children. These findings caution against the use of self-reports as the sole means of classifying bilinguals into dominance groups and support a multi-measure approach including direct assessment of the relevant linguistic domain.


Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) has been widely applied to quartz in sediments. However, quartz that has unstable OSL signal components can be found in tectonically active regions such as Japanese islands (e.g. Tsukamoto et al., 2003; Tokuyasu et al., 2010; Tamura et al., 2015) and it can cause problems for OSL dating. Thus, it is needed to consider the OSL properties carefully if quartz with such properties is measured. Quartz origin is one of possible factors contributing to the OSL properties (e.g. Tokuyasu et al., 2010), but relationship between the quartz origin and OSL properties is not discussed well enough. We therefore investigated OSL properties of coastal sand from Tohoku to Kanto region. As a result, the characteristics of OSL signal from adjacent sampling locations indicate similar trend. Although geomorphological features should be considered, it is likely that the OSL properties of coastal sand roughly reflect the sediment provenance and that the properties come from the average OSL signal for the original rocks.


The roles of the head and tail domains of alpha-internexin, a type IV neuronal intermediate filament protein, in its self-assembly and coassemblies with neurofilament triplet proteins, were examined by transient transfections with deletion mutants in a non-neuronal cell line lacking an endogenous cytoplasmic intermediate filament network. The results from the self-assembly studies showed that the head domain was essential for alpha-internexin's ability to self-assemble into a filament network and the tail domain was important for establishing a proper filament network. The data from the coassembly studies demonstrated that alpha-internexin interacted differentially with the neurofilament triplet protein subunits. Wild-type NF-L or NF-M, but not NF-H, was able to complement and form a normal filament network with the tailless alpha-internexin mutant, the alpha-internexin head-deletion mutant, or the alpha-internexin mutant missing the entire tail and some amino-terminal portion of the head domain. In contrast, neither the tailless NF-L mutant nor the NF-L head-deletion mutant was able to form a normal filament network with any of these alpha-internexin deletion mutants. However, coassembly of the tailless NF-M mutant with the alpha-internexin head-deletion mutant and coassembly of the NF-M head-deletion mutant with the tailless alpha-internexin mutant resulted in the formation of a normal filament network. Thus, the coassembly between alpha-internexin and NF-M exhibits some unique characteristics previously not observed with other intermediate filament proteins: only one intact tail and one intact head are required for the formation of a normal filament network, and they can be present within the same partner or separately in two partners.


In recent years, the world economy has developed quickly in both width and depth. The trend of globalization, economic integration has been expressed not only all over the world but also in Vietnam. To guide the economy-oriented development, commercial bank system is used as a tool to regulate the macro-economy, operating monetary policy of each country. Act as financial intermediaries between the different economic sectors, commercial banks operate smoothly, creating a comprehensive system of rotation of Finance - Currency, contributing to economic growth.
However, besides the development of the economy, one concerned issue of commercial banking system in recent years is the problem of risk in operating activities, especially credit risk. It causes the chain reaction and also difficult to forecast. It leads to the collapse of several banks, the bad effect for the economy. The world economy has fluctuated complicatedly in recent years. The financial risk and credit risk increasing rapidly happening in large scale that affects to Vietnamese banking system, enterprises and also international economy. Many Vietnamese enterprises face bankruptcy, bad debt of commercial banks increase. The issue is set for commercial banks that improves credit management, risk control
From the reality and the impact of credit risk in the commercial bank activity with Vietnamese economy and the other countries over the years, the thesis focus on researching the factor affecting risk in operating activities and credit activities. It analyzes the causes of risk , kind of risk in credit activities ,necessity of risk management and the factor influencing of credit risk management in Vinasiambank in
the period of 2006-2010. Find out practical lessons, from the research, we can propose some recommendations to the State Bank, local authorities and Vinasiambank to prevent and limit credit risk.
To satisfy the requirements and purposes of the topic, the thesis uses quantitative, qualitative method, comparative analysis to give the concept of credit risk management in commercial bank
The thesis focus on some questions as follows: Risk and cause of the risk? The factors influence the business and credit operation of commercial bank as well as Vinasiambank; The affect of credit risk to the economy. What are the factors that influence credit and the necessity of the credit risk management of commercial banks and Bank VinaSiam in particularly; The solution to minimize credit risk, improve the credit risk management in commercial banks in Vietnam.
210 ballots were sent to head quarter, branch and customers of Vinasiambank via post and the assistance of Administrative Department. Determine the number of questionnaires and scales for the survey. From the model of thesis, we use factor analysis methods to test the suitability of the element: The cause of the Bank (CB), from the customer (CC), from the others (OC) and the management of credit risk (CR). From the analysis results to determine the main factors leading to risk in the banking business, which propose solutions to reduce and prevent risks.


Salmonella, a genus of the family Enterobacteriaceae with over 2450 species, has been respon- sible for diseases ranging from non-typhoidal salmonellosis to typhoidal salmonellosis. Several groups of antibiotics such as β-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, quinolones, cephalosporins and sulfonamides are used against Salmonella species. Many Salmonella species had developed resistance to several antibiotics over the years. Two major groups of mechanism of resistance demonstrated by this pathogen are (1) Biochemical Mechanisms; such as enzymatic inactivation, prevention of access to the target site by antibiotics and active efflux pumps. (2) Genetic mechanisms; such as mutation, horizontal gene trans fer and vertical gene transfer. Some factors identified to contribute to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistant- Salmonella include; miss-used of antibiotics, used of antibiotics in agriculture, unregulated sales of antibiotics, inappropriate prescription and dispensing practices, and poor hygiene practices (external or behavioural factors), the presence of mobile genetic elements in the organisms; plasmid DNA, transposons, integrons etc. The clinical and public health consequences, and the strategies to stem the growing tides associated with drugs resistance in Salmonella species are herein discussed. A more radical approach and commitment from the policy makers in health sector to solv-ing problems emanating from increasing spread of resistant Salmonella is advocated.


This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between self-efficacy with healthseeking behavior in breast cancer patients at Ibnu Sina Hospital Gresik. A person affected by breastcancer, affects the physical and psychological condition of the patient. The initial reactions whendiagnosed with breast cancer are denial, anger, despair, and anxiety. These things happen becausethe common person's psychological condition is still not able to accept the fact (Kubler-Ross, 1969).When all happens, it will result in a healthy behavior, the behavior seeking treatment (Notoatmodjo,2010). Someone who has a healthy behavior can occur because of external factors and internalfactors. One of these internal factors is self-efficacy.The research was conducted on breast cancer's patient stage I-II at Ibnu Sina Hospital Gresik, amountof 91 people. Data collection tools are self-efficacy questionnaire and health seeking behaviorquestionnaire compiled by researcher. The reliability of the self-efficacy instrument is 0.883, whilethe reliability of health seeking behavior is 0.942. Data analysis was performed with a statisticaltechnique spearman's rho, with the help of SPSS 16.00 for windows .From the results of the research data analysis using correlation spearman's rho has a significancelevel ρ = 0116, significance level of > 0.05 indicates that the working hypothesis in this study rejected(Ho received, Ha is rejected), that there is no relationship between self efficacy to health seekingbehavior on breast cancer patients at Ibnu Sina Hospital Gresik. The lack of relation between selfefficacywith health seeking behavior only applies to the study population, which are breast cancerpatients at Ibnu Sina Hospital Gresik.


This guide helps students prepare for occupations involving children from school-age to adolescents using websites, video, databases, and other resources.


This thesis is structured in two parts. In part 1 we summarise the necessary
theoretical background and the numerical tools in order to conduct the research
in part 2. In chapter 2 we summarise the 3 + 1 approach to numerical relativity,
with a focus on the initial data formalism in the weighted transverse and conformal
thin-sandwich decompositions. We then move on to discuss initial data for black
hole simulations in chapter 3, where we focus on the moving puncture approach.
We note that the standard gauge evolution equations force the initial numerical
wormhole slices to evolve into trumpet slices, which suggests the construction of a
priori trumpet initial data. We summarise the literature on trumpet research, with
a focus on maximal Schwarzschild trumpet initial data in its analytical form. In
chapter 4 we provide the necessary numerical tools and techniques, which we use in
part 2 to solve the constraint equations numerically. We focus on finite difference
methods in connection with the Thomas algorithm and successive over-relaxation
to solve boundary value problems in one and two variables.
Part 2 contains the novel research of this thesis. In chapter 5 we discuss Kerr
in quasi-isotropic coordinates and point out that it represents a maximal trumpet
foliation for extreme Kerr, however a wormhole foliation for slow Kerr. We lay
out our approach to numerically derive maximal Kerr trumpet initial data. The
approach is based on the proposition that two nontrivial impositions on the constraints
suffice to construct the data numerically. We propose that these relations
can be generalised from Schwarzschild and extreme Kerr to slow Kerr. The main
motivation for this stems from the observation that the square of the extrinsic curvature
for Bowen-York shows the same behaviour as for Kerr for small radii, and
Bowen-York trumpets have been constructed successfully.
Our main results are then presented in chapters 6 and 7 in which we test our
approach for the special cases of zero and maximal spin, ie for Schwarzschild and
extreme Kerr. We succeed with Schwarzschild and present the first ever purely numerical
derivation of maximal Schwarzschild trumpet initial data in the weighted
transverse decomposition – our first main result. Because of the complexity of the
problem for extreme Kerr, we proceed in steps and start out by using more information
of the analytical solution to treat the constraints separately. For instance,
we provide the conformal metric to the Hamiltonian and momentum constraints,
and solve them successfully for the trumpet solution – our second main result. Finally
we elaborate on how to relax the assumptions. In particular, we introduce an additional equation which we can solve successfully for the function which describes
the deviation of the conformal metric from being flat – our third main result.


Dynamic modeling method for parallel indexing cam mechanism was presented based on rigid-flexible coupled modeling according to the analysis of mechanism feature. Dynamic simulation has been done with the dynamic model established by means of Adams. Dynamic characteristics of different transmission functions commonly used in practical engineering were analyzed in detail from the perspective combined kinematics and dynamics. The application principle of transmission functions was presented based on dynamic simulation and analysis results. That is Modified Cosine transmission function being suitable for applying in low speed or low precision transmission cases, Complex or Gutman's transmission function being suitable for applying in high speed, heavy load or precision transmission cases. Complex transmission is the best one for design of high-speed indexing cam mechanism.


The purpose of this work was to establish a neuropathological confirmation of the clinical diagnosis of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) in a group of patients prospectively studied in a geriatric hospital since 1984 (Charles Richet Study). The sample consisted of 45 cases, 35 of which had received a clinical diagnosis of SDAT and 10 others a diagnosis of either vascular or mixed dementia. The mean age at death was 85 +/- 6.9 years (range 64-97). The neuropathological diagnosis was established independently of the clinical findings. Senile lesions typical of SDAT were found in 32/35 cases, giving a 91.4% rate of clinico-pathologic agreement. However, vascular lesions were present in 10 cases (28.5%) and the final pathologic diagnosis was mixed dementia, lowering the score of agreement for SDAT to 63%. Considering that the pathological criteria for the diagnosis of SDAT are not uniform, we independently applied 3 inclusion (senile lesions) and 3 exclusion (vascular lesions) criteria for the diagnosis of SDAT to each of the 45 cases. This permitted a comparison of nine combinations of neuropathological criteria with the clinical diagnosis. The sensitivity values ranged from 37 to 80% and the specificity values ranged from 55 to 100%. The highest agreement rate with the clinical diagnosis was achieved when were associated the criterion which specified that plaques and tangles must be present in the hippocampus regardless of neocortical findings and the criterion which excluded cases with vascular lesions of any site if their volume was 50 ml or more.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A dicut in a directed graph is a cut for which all of its edges are directed to a common side of the cut. A famous theorem of Lucchesi and Younger states that in every finite digraph the least size of an edge set meeting every dicut equals the maximum number of disjoint dicuts in that digraph. In this first paper out of a series of two papers, we conjecture a version of this theorem using a more structural description of this min‐max property for finite dicuts in infinite digraphs. We show that this conjecture can be reduced to countable digraphs where the underlying undirected graph is 2‐connected, and we prove several special cases of the conjecture.


An algorithm has been developed to map burnt areas over the Australian continent using SPOT-VEGETATION (VGT) S1 satellite images. The algorithm is composed of a set of thresholds applied to each pixel's value of the VGT spectral channels, two spectral indices and their temporal difference. The threshold values have been derived by means of a supervised classification methodology based on the classification and regression trees algorithm. A procedure has also been developed specifically for preprocessing the daily S1 images for burnt area mapping purposes. The final product is composed of ten-day and monthly burnt area maps over Australia for the full year 2000.


The authors have made a study of 6 cases of malignant primary paratesticular tumor, and have also included a review of the literature on this topic. They emphasize the importance of the effect of histopathological type of tumor on disease outcome. There is an improved survival potential in cases where the tumors are differentiated, and discovered at an early date.


Since the early 1980s, there have been universal calls for work in educational administration and, in particular, work on the leadership role of the principal (Murphy & Hallinger, 1992). In addition, the positive correlation that has been established between effective schools and effective principals (Brant, 1987) precipitated the need for further studies on the leadership practices of school principals at the various levels of the educational system. In a review of the literature on principal leadership and school effectiveness, Murphy and Hallinger (1992) found that studies during the preceding 15 years, conducted in 12 countries, focused mainly on principals of elementary schools and on principals of traditional secondary schools. However, because of the tremendous diversity with respect to how children are schooled, and the limited research in educational administration highlighting the contextual differences in schooling practices, there seems to be an urgent need to study school leadership in all settings. This paper therefore, attempts to investigate the extent of: (a) the use of principals' leadership; (b) the effectiveness of principals' leadership, and (c) the impact of the use and effectiveness of principals' leadership on (i) teachers' commitment and (ii) students' academic achievement in junior secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago.


Many state-of-the-art approaches to people tracking rely on detecting them in each frame independently, grouping detections into short but reliable trajectory segments, and then further grouping them into full trajectories. This grouping typically relies on imposing local smoothness constraints but almost never on enforcing more global constraints on the trajectories. In this paper, we propose an approach to imposing global consistency by first inferring behavioral patterns from the ground truth and then using them to guide the tracking algorithm. When used in conjunction with several state-of-the-art algorithms, this further increases their already good performance. Furthermore, we propose an unsupervised scheme that yields almost similar improvements without the need for ground truth.


Abstract The Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba National Park (NPNP), located in Brazilian Cerrado, protects portions of three river basins: headwaters of Parnaíba, a small portion in upper Tocantins-Araguaia, and tributaries of the middle section of the São Francisco. This protected area is in the boundaries of the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia, also known as MATOPIBA, a region that has established rapid agricultural expansion associated to land conflicts between corporate agriculture, family agriculture, protected areas, indigenous territories, and quilombola communities. The knowledge of the ichthyofauna in this region is scarce while the impacts on the aquatic environments are increasing. We made a survey of fishes in the NPNP and its surroundings areas, estimating richness, endemics, introduced and shared species between river basins. During 2014, 54 sampling sites were visited, 19 in the NPNP and 35 in the surrounding area. Ninety-five species, 51 genera, 22 families, and six orders were recorded, of which 38 (40%) are in the NPNP. One introduced species were recorded in the Parnaíba River basin and no endangered species were registered. Our data corroborate the importance of the network of protected areas for the preservation of Cerrado fishes, including some possibly undescribed and restricted-range species that may be threatened due to intense agricultural encroachment in the MATOPIBA region.


In the year 1822 two men might have been seen walking and talking together over Kirkby Moor. The elder was a plain, matter-of-fact sort of man of about 54 years of age. We should soon learn that he was not a native of our northern counties, but one born and bred in the Midlands. We should not be long with him before we found out that he was a clear-headed, far-sighted observer of men and of nature. He had the quiet, determined bearing of one who had gone through struggles in early life in which a man of less tenacity of purpose would have succumbed. He had, however, gained the great object of his life; had earned an honourable independence and achieved a great scientific success. He had constructed, single-handed, a geological map of England, and had determined the great principles of the succession of strata and their identification by means of the included organic remains, for this was William Smith.

The younger was a man of about 37, a brilliant scholar of great academic distinction and full of imagination. Intellectual vigour that loved to grapple with the most difficult problems of the universe flashed out of his dark eyes and rippled in his rapid, racy speech, which was redolent of his home in the Yorkshire dales, for this was Adam Sedgwick.

Nine years later, from the Presidential Chair of the Geological Society, Sedgwick gave William Smith the title by which he will be ever fondly known—"the father of ...


Random Digit Dial Telephone Surveys (RDDTSs) are often used in public health and psychology research. Data from such surveys suggest that alcohol consumption rates are similar for African American (AA) and Caucasian adults in California (CA). While these finding are reliable, their validity is questionable because of the methodological problems present in RDDTS. Data collected from RDDTS are gathered from non-representative samples of higher SES landline phone owners and AA women residents of integrated neighborhoods. Thus, the validity of findings from RDDTS data is questionable. The purpose of the current study was to overcome the methodological problems that are inherent in RDDTS by examining the prevalence of binge drinking in a random, statewide sample of 2,190 CA AA adults, using a community-based participatory research approach, and to examine possible sociocultural variables that may contribute to alcohol use. Participants were 54% female, 46% male AAs, with ages ranging from 18 to 95. The results suggested that the current Community-Based Sample (CBS) was more representative of the CA AA population than CA RDDTS samples. Specifically, it was more diverse in age, was younger, and had a larger percentage of AA men and low -income adults. In addition, the current community-based sample reported engaging in significantly more binge drinking behavior than AA and Caucasian CA RDDTS samples, and that binge drinking was even more prevalent among African Americans who lacked landline telephones. Finally, multilevel statistical modeling revealed that neighborhood SES was a significant predictor of binge drinking, but neighborhood segregation was not. Cross-level interactions between measures of individual-level SES and neighborhood SES and individual SES and segregation were not significant. Moreover, social (e.g., racial discrimination, neighborhood dangerousness) and cultural (e.g., acculturation) factors did not significantly predict binge drinking behavior. Findings from the current study suggest that using a community-based participatory research approach may circumvent some of the methodological problems inherent in RDDTS and result higher quality alcohol behavior data


Additional index words. Vitis spp., seedlessness, fruit breeding Abstract. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) (antigibberellins (mepiquat chloride, uniconazole, ancymidol, daminozide, chlormequat, ethephon, methazole), cytokinins (BAP, kinetin, BTP, 2iP), and ABA) were evaluated at various concentra- tions and timings for promotion of seed trace development and germination of four stenospermic grape cultivars ( Vitis spp.): 'Venus', 'Mars', 'Reliance', and 'Saturn'. Data include seed trace number per berry, percent of seed traces with endosperm (sinkers), sinker fresh weight, and percent seed trace germination. Several PGRs effectively increased seed number and percent sinkers over control treatments. PGRs had little effect on seed fresh weight and percent germination. PGRs promoted greater increases in percent sinkers than seed number on all cultivars. The number of viable seeds per sample (seed number × percent sinkers) was increased over controls by up to 802% on 'Reliance', 239% on 'Saturn', 154% on 'Mars', and 153% on 'Venus'. A moderate percentage of viable seeds from treatments and controls of 'Mars', 'Venus', and 'Saturn' germinated and established normal seedlings. The very small seed traces of 'Reliance' did not germinate from either controls or treatments. The results indicate that PGRs can stimulate seed trace formation in some stenospermic cultivars and therefore may be useful tools in grape breeding programs. Chemical names used: abscisic acid (+/-)cis-trans isomer (ABA); a-cyclopropyl-a-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-5-pyrimidinemethanol (ancymidol); 6- benzylaminopurine (BAP); 6-benzylamino-9-(2 tetra-hydropropanyl)-9H-purine (BTP); (2-chloroethyl) trimethyl-am- monium chloride (chlormequat); succinic acid 2,2 dimethyl-hydrazide (daminozide); (2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid (ethephon); 6-(dimethyl-allylamino) purine (2iP); 6-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin); N,N-dimethyl-piperidinium chloride (mepiquat chloride); (2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazolidine-3,5-dione) (methazole); E-1-(4-chlorophenyl)- 4,4-di-methyl-2-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-1-pentan-3-ol (uniconazole).


Graphical models are a class of statistical tools which have recently undergone extensive theoretical development. They allow one to build models representing the relationships between large numbers of variables, helping to identify paths by which different variables are influenced by others. They look particularly promising for
credit-scoring and credit-control problems, since they allow the construction of a holistic applicant model. They can be used in an investigative way, displaying the major influences between variables, or dynamically, allowing statistical prediction of the likely behaviour of individual applicants. They can also be used 'in reverse' to identify the characteristics of individuals demonstrating certain kinds of behaviour.
This paper describes an initial investigation into the value of graphical models for bank loans. In particular,we describe the graphical models we constructed for a large set of unsecured personal loan data, and we draw some general conclusions.


Detection of antigenspecific suppressor cells in Toxoplasma infection of man. Investigations adapted to demonstrate the action of antigen-specific suppressor cells were carried out in subjects with acute toxoplasmosis (n = 5) and latent infections (n = 16) and compared to non-infected controls (n = 11). The investigations were carried out in vitro in the form of autologous one-way lymphocyte mixed culture. Suppressor cells were activated by toxoplasma lysate antigen (325 micrograms/ml) and, for comparison, by concanavalin A (10 micrograms/ml). Responder cells were stimulated by toxoplasma lysate antigen (200 micrograms/ml). In the acute cases, antigen-specific suppressor cells were identified which caused the lymphocyte transformation to be suppressed (tritium thymidine incorporation) to the same extent as did the mitogen-activated cells. The subjects with latent infections revealed a statistically significant difference (p less than 0.01) between the means of the percentage suppression of suppressor cells activated by toxoplasma lysate antigen or concanavalin A, suggesting a diminishing suppressive action of antigen-specific cells at this stage of infection. In addition to the effect on phagosome formation in macrophages, the activation of suppressor cells too should be considered as a factor of virulence for Toxoplasma gondii.


Tjalling C. Koopmans, research director of the Cowles Foundation of Research in Economics, was the first US economist after World War II who, in the summer of 1965, travelled to the Soviet Union for an official visit to the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Koopmans left hoping to learn from the Soviet economists' experience with applying linear programming to economic planning. Would his own theories, as discovered independently by Leonid V. Kantorovich, help increase allocative efficiency in a socialist economy? Inspired by a vague notion of universal reason spanning the iron curtain, Koopmans may have even envisioned a research community that transcends the political divide. Yet, he came home having discovered that learning about Soviet mathematical economists might be more interesting than learning from them. On top of that, he found the Soviet scene caught in the same deplorable situation he knew all too well from home: that mathematicians are the better economists. Reconstructing Koopmans's voyage from a first-person perspective puts the spirit of universal economic knowledge at Cowles to test: Is it capable of establishing a dialogue across the political divide of the Cold War or is it limited to the Western academic cocoon?


Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the right ventricle is more dilated during resuscitation from cardiac arrest caused by pulmonary embolism, compared with hypoxia and primary arrhythmia. Design: Twenty-four pigs were anesthetized and cardiac arrest was induced using three different methods. Pigs were resuscitated after 7 minutes of untreated cardiac arrest. Ultrasonographic images were obtained and the right ventricular diameter was measured. Setting: University hospital animal laboratory. Subjects: Female crossbred Landrace/Yorkshire/Duroc pigs (27–32 kg). Interventions: Pigs were randomly assigned to cardiac arrest induced by pulmonary embolism, hypoxia, or primary arrhythmia. Measurements and Main Results: There was no difference at baseline. During induction of cardiac arrest, the right ventricle dilated in all groups (p < 0.01 for all). The primary endpoint was right ventricle diameter at the third rhythm analysis: 32 mm (95% CI, 29–36) for pulmonary embolism which was significantly larger than both hypoxia: 23 mm (95% CI, 20–27) and primary arrhythmia: 25 mm (95% CI, 22–28)—the absolute difference was 7–9 mm. Physicians with basic training in focused cardiac ultrasonography were able to detect a difference in right ventricle diameter of approximately 10 mm with a sensitivity of 79% (95% CI, 64–94) and a specificity of 68% (95% CI, 56–80). Conclusions: The right ventricle was more dilated during resuscitation when cardiac arrest was caused by pulmonary embolism compared with hypoxia and primary arrhythmia. However, the right ventricle was dilated, irrespective of the cause of arrest, and diagnostic accuracy by physicians with basic training in focused cardiac ultrasonography was modest. These findings challenge the paradigm that right ventricular dilatation on ultrasound during cardiopulmonary resuscitation is particularly associated with pulmonary embolism.


Background People with severe COPD have a burden of symptoms, often greater than those with lung cancer and have unmet need (Gore and Brophy 2000). A local palliative care needs analysis was conducted across primary and secondary care. Gaps were identified in the management of anxiety, breathlessness, social isolation, advance planning and carer support. Patients had high comparative admission rate and length of stay. A team, including a psychologist, OT, palliative and respiratory medicine and physiotherapy and a palliative care CNS, developed and delivered the programme. The focus of the programme was behavioural change through psycho-education, exercise and relaxation, underpinned by CBT. Method Referral was from acute respiratory service for those with at least 2 acute admissions in the previous 6 months, FEV1 of <50% predicted and symptoms of anxiety, fatigue and breathlessness. They attended the hospice programme for 5 weeks with transport provided. Two programmes were completed with a total of 12 patients and 3 carers HADS and CATS were taken at week 1 and week 6. 6 month pre and post course admission data was collected. Results Patients described; improvement in confidence and quality of life and improved management of their exacerbations. HADS and CATS remained unchanged. Initial data from programme 1 demonstrated reduction in total admissions from 7 to 4 and reduction in total bed days from 47 to 20, over a 6 month period. Conclusions Patient evaluated improvement in function and quality of life and reduction in hospital bed days would suggested continuation of the programme with a change in quality of life measurement.


Weakness of inspiratory muscles is a major cause of respiratory failure. There are many clinical circumstances in which it may occur. The diaphragm is a major respiratory muscle. It has been difficult to quantify its shape, curvature and length. To solve this question, a three dimensional diaphragm equation was derived on the, assumption that the diaphragm is only attached at its periphery to the rib cage and the abdomen is filled with fluid. Computer programs were developed to fit the equation to the diaphragm contours obtained from plane X rays. The results indicate that the ratio of transdiaphragmatic pressure to the surface tension of the diaphragm is relatively independent of lung volume, which supports the previous finding that the force-length relation is a more important geometric factor in diaphragm mechanics. Comparing the diaphragm contour of the normal person to two patients with ascites, it is suggested that the ascites patients have higher transdiaphragmatic pressure than normal patients. THREE DIMENSIONAL DIAPHRAGM SIMULATION MODEL FOR THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE TENSION, PRESSURE AND SHAPE


We precisely generate dark solitons using an optical pulse synthesizer (OPS) at a repetition rate of 25 GHz and experimentally investigate soliton transmission through a normal-dispersion fiber. Because of their particular waveform, there are not many experimental studies. The OPS provides frequency-domain line-by-line modulation and produces arbitrary pulse waveforms. The soliton waveform has an intensity contrast greater than 20 dB. At certain input peak power, the pulse exhibits soliton transmission and maintains its initial waveform. The power agrees with soliton transmission theory. We confirm that the π phase shift at the center of the dark soliton is maintained after transmission through the fiber. We also investigate the influence of stimulated Brillouin scattering for long-distance transmission.


In this paper, the general problem of impedance control for a robotic manipulator with a moving flexible base is addressed. Impedance control imposes a relation between force and displacement at the contact point with the environment. The concept of impedance control of flexible base mobile manipulator is rather new and is being considered for first time using singular perturbation and new sliding mode control methods by authors. Initially slow and fast dynamics of robot are decoupled using singular perturbation method. Slow dynamics represents the dynamics of the manipulator with rigid base. Fast dynamics is the equivalent effect of the flexibility in the base. Then, using sliding mode control method, an impedance control law is derived for the slow dynamics. The asymptotic stability of the overall system is guaranteed using a combined control law comprising the impedance control law and a feedback control law for the fast dynamics.

This proposed Sliding Mode Impedance Controller (SMIC) was simulated for a Flexible Base Mobile Manipulator (FBMM) composed of a 2 DOFs planar manipulator and a single DOF moving base with flexibility in between. This controller provides desired position/force control with satisfactory damped vibrations especially at the point of contact.


Althusser enjoys the reputation of having proposed a new, "structuralist" interpretation of Marx instead of an "historicist" and "humanist" one which had long been dominant and which was mainly based on Marx's early philosophical writings from 1843-45. Althusser himself maintains, without explaining the matter more closely, that he does not hold to the "structuralist" ideology. It would be sterile to discuss this question which seems unimportant and blurred by the ambiguity of the word "structuralism". What matters is whether or not Althusser's interpretation provides another, better understanding of Marx and in what respects it differs from the existing ones.


Single cell morphotypes of the species Triadinium caudatum and Spirodinium equi, together with a representative of the genus Blepharocorys (Blepharocorys sp.) were used for phylogenetic analysis based on their 18S rRNA genes. Spirodinium equi clustered with sequences already described for the entodiniomorphs isolated from horses and the Blepharocorys sp. also grouped within the Entodiniomorphida clade, although both sequences were distinct from those described from rumen ciliates. Triadinium caudatum clustered within the Vestibuliferida, and most closely to that of Paraisotricha, only other member of this order which has been described in the horse. It was concluded that although members of the orders Entodiniomorphida and Vestibuliferida are present in the equine gut, and that they share an ancient linage with their rumen counterparts, they are ancestrally different groups.


MINERVE is a two-zone pool type zero power reactor operated by cea (Cadarache, France). Kinetic parameters of the core (prompt neutron decay constant, delayed neutron fraction, generation time) have been recently measured using various pile noise experimental techniques, namely Feynman-α, Rossi-α and Cohn-α. Results are discussed and compared to each other's. The measurement campaign has been conducted in the framework of a tri-partite collaboration between CEA, SCK·CEN and PSi. Results presented in this paper were obtained thanks to a time-stamping acquisition system developed by cea. psi performed simultaneous measurements which are presented in a companion paper. Signals come from two high efficiency fission chambers located in the graphite reflector next to the core driver zone. Experiments were conducted at critical state with a reactor power of 0.2 W. The core integral fission rate is obtained from a calibrated miniature fission chamber located at the center of the core. Other results obtained in two sub-critical configurations will be presented elsewhere. Best estimate delayed neutron fraction comes from the cohn-α method: 747 ± 15 pcm (1σ). In this case, the prompt decay constant is 79 ± 0.5 s-1 and the generation time is 94.5 ± 0.7 μs. Other methods give consistent results within the confidence intervals. Experimental results are compared to calculated values obtained from a full 3D core modeling with the CEA-developed Monte Carlo code tripoli4.9 associated with its continuous energy JEFF3.1.1-based library. A very good agreement is observed for the calculated delayed neutron fraction (748.7 ± 0.4 pcm at 1a), that is a difference of -0.3% with the experiment. On the contrary, a 10% discrepancy is observed for the calculated generation time (104.4 ± 0.1 μs at 1a).


Breast reconstruction after mastectomy should be an integrated part in the therapeutical approach of a patient with breast cancer. It rehabilitates the woman's body and femininity. Breast implant is the option most frequently used, although other alternatives exist, as breast reconstruction with autologous tissues. The major advantage of the breast implant reconstruction is the reduced surgery, but risks of complications are real and the long term evolution shows a frequent deterioration of aesthetic aspect.


The leakage problem, which occurs due to the high hydrostatic pressure values of the fluid inside the pipes, is a serious issue in most of the pipeline systems. Therefore, the leak tightness test is required in different standards for verification of almost every kind of pipes used in both academic researches and industrial applications. The behavior of the hydrostatic pressure parameter in the test pipe has to be as smooth as possible during the leak tightness test. The conventional control loops of the servo mechanisms used for pumping the test fluid into the test pipe are weak to provide the minimum overshoot, the rise time and the steady-state error. In this situation, hydrostatic pressure tests are not capable of giving meaningful results. In this study, a leak tightness test machine working with a servo control loop to provide the optimum hydrostatic pressure pattern is designed. The efficacy of the designed leak tightness test machine and proposed optimized servo control loop have been shown with both simulation and experimental results.


Purpose Arteries continuously respond to changing tissue demands and to hemodynamic conditions by altering their diameter and wall structure. The relatively slow dilatation of the feeding artery of vascular accesses continues at least two years after access creation with a continuous decrease in wall shear rate (WSR), which however, remains highly supra-physiological. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that after a longer time period the WSR returns to its baseline value. Methods In a cross-sectional study patients with arteriovenous fistulae were classified into four groups according to the access vintage (from new access to accesses older than six years). The WSR, cross-sectional area, and mean circumferential wall stress were measured and compared between groups. Results WSR decreased from group 1 (fistula < ninety days old) to group 4 (fistulae > six years old) with a concomitant increase in internal diameter. Patients with the oldest access had normal WSR values (compared to the contralateral brachial artery) and the largest internal diameter of the feeding artery. In diabetic patients the absolute values of WSR were higher and internal diameter was lower compared to nondiabetic patients. Conclusions Brachial artery WSR is normal in accesses older than six years with an increased internal diameter and wall cross-sectional area as compared to "younger" accesses. This suggests a process of vascular remodeling with an increase in vascular wall mass and normalization of WSR to physiologic values at the price of increased mean cross-sectional wall stress.


Orthodoxy as a social phenomenon is not a "thing" but rather a process. For theological doctrines to become established as orthodox, they must find a place in the constantly changing net of social relations and institutions that constitute society. This is a two-way process: ideas can reconfigure these relations and institutions, but the social context also actively receives ideas and promotes, channels and/or suppresses them. Thus the history of orthodoxy cannot be simply a history of ideas, but a history of how, in particular situations, claims to truth came to be enshrined in social practices, such as rituals, and in institutions, such as the "community of scholars". This chapter seeks to provide an overview of the social and institutional environment in which discourses of orthodoxy in Islamic theology were formed, propagated and resisted between the ninth and nineteenth centuries CE. In each of the disciplines which touched upon the realm of theology, scholars ( 'ulame' ) were socialised into a specific culture of learning, with established modes of inquiry and standards of authenticity. Within these parameters, they developed and defended notions of orthodoxy and sought to marginalise those they defined as heretics, sometimes by drawing on executive power or the muscle of the mob. The government, in turn, employed its coercive potential to influence the definition of theological orthodoxy in order to defuse perceived threats to social order, often by means of its executive prerogatives (especially the appointment of judges and other authorities), and occasionally through the outright persecution of those whose unorthodoxy was deemed too dangerous. Finally, ordinary believers were not passive recipients of ideals of orthodoxy proffered by scholars and rulers: they were actively engaged in evaluating, propagating and forging beliefs and rituals that contributed substantially to the construction of orthodoxy in any given time or place.


Abstract. The Labrador Sea is an ideal region to study the biogeographical, physiological, and biogeochemical implications of phytoplankton community composition due to sharp transitions between distinct water masses across its shelves and central basin. We have investigated the multi-year (2005–2014) distributions of late spring and early summer (May to June) phytoplankton communities in the various hydrographic settings of the Labrador Sea. Our analysis is based on pigment markers (using CHEMTAX analysis), and photophysiological and biogeochemical characteristics associated with each phytoplankton community. Diatoms were the most abundant group, blooming first in shallow mixed layers of haline-stratified Arctic shelf waters. Along with diatoms, chlorophytes co-dominated at the western end of the section (particularly in the polar waters of the Labrador Current (LC)), whilst Phaeocystis co-dominated in the east (modified polar waters of the West Greenland Current (WGC)). Pre-bloom conditions occurred in deeper mixed layers of the central Labrador Sea in May, where a mixed assemblage of flagellates (dinoflagellates, prasinophytes, prymnesiophytes, particularly coccolithophores, and chrysophytes/pelagophytes) occurred in low-chlorophyll areas, succeeding to blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates in thermally stratified Atlantic waters in June. Light-saturated photosynthetic rates and saturation irradiance levels were highest at stations where diatoms were the dominant phytoplankton group ( >  70 % of total chlorophyll a), as opposed to stations where flagellates were more abundant (from 40 up to 70 % of total chlorophyll a). Phytoplankton communities from the WGC (Phaeocystis and diatoms) had lower light-limited photosynthetic rates, with little evidence of photoinhibition, indicating greater tolerance to a high light environment. By contrast, communities from the central Labrador Sea (dinoflagellates and diatoms), which bloomed later in the season (June), appeared to be more sensitive to high light levels. Ratios of accessory pigments (AP) to total chlorophyll a (TChl a) varied according to phytoplankton community composition, with polar phytoplankton (cold-water related) having lower AP  :  TChl a. Polar waters (LC and WGC) also had higher and more variable particulate organic carbon (POC) to particulate organic nitrogen (PON) ratios, suggesting the influence of detritus from freshwater input, derived from riverine, glacial, and/or sea ice meltwater. Long-term observational shifts in phytoplankton communities were not assessed in this study due to the short temporal frame (May to June) of the data. Nevertheless, these results add to our current understanding of phytoplankton group distribution, as well as an evaluation of the biogeochemical role (in terms of C  :  N ratios) of spring phytoplankton communities in the Labrador Sea, which will assist our understanding of potential long-term responses of phytoplankton communities in high-latitude oceans to a changing climate.


Food insecurity, defined as the inability to access sufficient food for an active, healthy life, affects 11.1% of the US population and is primarily assessed using the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). The HFSSM is a self-report measure presumed to represent all household members, but it is unknown if cohabiting parents report food security differently. This pilot study aimed to determine (i) the inter-rater reliability of the HFSSM; (ii) the direction of any difference between responses to the HFSSM; and (iii) the item-level response similarities and differences among mothers and fathers of young children. Twenty-five pairs of low-income, food-insecure cohabiting parents of 2.5- to 10-year-old children participated in cognitive interviews assessing their level of food security using the USDA's HFSSM and completed related questionnaires. Intraclass correlations were computed to compare the responses of each dyad on the HFSSM overall and by item. Results revealed that overall report of food security was significantly but weakly correlated (r = .40, p = .02) within dyads. The majority of fathers (60%) reported higher food security scores on the HFSSM than their respective female partners. Furthermore, item-level intraclass correlations revealed that some HFSSM questions had poor reliability between cohabiting parents. This research identifies that a potential shortcoming of the HFSSM is the under-reporting of food insecurity by fathers compared with mothers within the household. These findings have implications for the utility of this measure used in national monitoring of the nation's food security.


It has been observed that the presence of water or mud on the floor of a mining tunnel seems to reduce tunnel failure associated with remote seismic events. We examine two mechanisms that could explain this phenomenon. The investigations suggest that lubrication effects due to the presence of water within cracks could well affect the occurrence of spalling, and the results obtained suggest that coating the tunnel walls with moisture containing semi-liquid pastes may be effective for tunnel wall stabilization.


The inaugural committee of the Cicerone Project commissioned a survey of livestock producers in the New England region to determine the research problems and production practices which were of greatest importance to graziers. In addition, an assessment was made of the level of interest livestock producers had in participating in a proposed producer-led research and adoption project. The survey was mailed to livestock producers in five districts across the New England region during October and November 1997. The survey results concerning land and pasture management issues suggested that a majority of livestock producers in the New England region found the challenges of dry seasons, fertiliser use, pasture composition and pasture persistence to be major problems. A further issue identified was the problem of resistance to drenches used for internal parasite control in sheep. It was clear that producers depend largely on pastures as the primary feed source due to the high cost of supplementary feed. There was considerable interest in learning how to fill gaps in the feed supply, and the management of the feed supply through droughts. Thus, one desired focus of future studies was to explore management systems that might improve the productivity, resilience, stability and longevity of pastures in the New England region. In addition, a focus on grazing management and its effects on pastures and on internal parasite control was suggested by survey respondents. Of the 316 responses to the survey, 76% expressed interest in becoming involved in the Cicerone Project, confirming the desirability of forming a producer-led research and adoption network within the New England region. One hundred and eighty-one respondents expressed an interest in becoming partner members, 100 respondents indicated they were interested in having their farm included in a network, while 139 people were interested in attending regional workshops where further details about the nature of the Cicerone Project would be developed. The survey was clearly of interest to commercial-scale livestock producers as the average size of respondents' sheep flocks and cattle herds was over 5000 and 500, respectively. The results of this survey provided empirical evidence to support the formation of the Cicerone Project, which was created in 1998 following the approval of a business plan by the primary funding agency, the Woolmark Co.


Using a narrative methodology to explore the stories Olympic and elite athletes tell about success, we identified three alternatives to the dominant conception of success as the achievement of performance outcomes. In these alternatives, success is storied as: (1) 'I did the best that I could' – a controllable and sustainable story of effort and application; (2) 'It's the closest thing you can get to flying' – a story where success relates to embodied experience and discovery; (3) 'People I made the journey with' – which prioritises relationships and connection between people. We reflect on three key insights: (1) success is a multidimensional concept, broader than the singular conception encapsulated within the dominant performance narrative; (2) through various narrative strategies, experienced athletes resist cultural pressures towards a singular conception of success; (3) for long-term performance and well-being, it is necessary to work towards multiple forms of success over time and across contexts.


A multisectoral model promoting sociocultural environmental change to increase physical activity levels among African Americans in Los Angeles County, California, was developed and implemented. This model represents a true collaboration between a local health department and a community lead agency. Community organizations serving targeted areas of the county participated in one or more interventions incorporating physical activity into routine organizational practice, which centered around modeling the behaviors promoted ("walking the talk"). In the current study, level of organizational support for physical activity integration was assessed, as reflected in the extent of organizational commitment associated with each intervention. Individual-level data, characterizing the sociodemography, health status, and health behaviors of organization staff, members, and clients, are presented to document the average risk burden in the targeted population. Nearly half of the more than 200 participating organizations actively embraced incorporating physical activity into their regular work routines, with more than 25 percent committed at the highest level of involvement. Broad capacity and support for organizational integration of physical activity was demonstrated, with the observed level of commitment varying by organization type. Similar to the successful evolution of tobacco control, some of the responsibility ("cost") for physical activity adoption and maintenance can and should be shifted from the individual to organizational entities, such as workplaces.


Semi-structured interviews are a widely used technique in development research. Unlike formal interviews, which follow a rigid format of set questions, semi-structured interviews focus on specific themes but cover them in a conversational style. They are often the best way for learning about the motivations behind people's choices and behaviour, their attitudes and beliefs, and the impacts on their lives of specific policies or events. And they often provide valuable information that wasn't anticipated by the researcher. Whether you are interviewing a ministry official, a farm worker, or a head teacher, there are tips and techniques for getting the most from the conversation.


This paper examines how the outside world´s growing interest in the Arctic, which has emerged due to the opportunities implied by the Arctic"s retreating sea ice, is affecting theArctic Ocean littoral states" relations with each other. It does so by utilizing the Copenhagen Schools" theory of securitization in a case study of Canadian and RussianArctic discourse between the years 2007 and 2012. The main findings are that bothRussia and Canada have securitized the Arctic and designated non-Arctic actors as anexistential threat. Through that process their willingness to cooperate with each other hasincreased.


Plasmatic amino acids concentrations were measured in 59 depressive patients and compared with that of a control population. Serine, glutamine, cystine, lysine and arginine have increased levels in the depressed males and females; so are 3 competitors of the tryptophan for the transport through the blood-brain barrier: valine, leucine and isoleucine. The tryptophan ratio is decreased in the depressive males. The sum of the competitors of the tryptophan is increased in the depressive males and females. All these results are discussed in relation with an abnormality of the carrier through the blood-brain barrier in the depressive state, without no proof thereof being however given.


We review the intimate connection between (super-)gravity close to a spacelike singularity (the "BKL-limit") and the theory of Lorentzian Kac-Moody algebras. We show that in this limit the gravitational theory can be reformulated in terms of billiard motion in a region of hyperbolic space, revealing that the dynamics is completely determined by a (possibly infinite) sequence of reflections, which are elements of a Lorentzian Coxeter group. Such Coxeter groups are the Weyl groups of infinite-dimensional Kac-Moody algebras, suggesting that these algebras yield symmetries of gravitational theories. Our presentation is aimed to be a self-contained and comprehensive treatment of the subject, with all the relevant mathematical background material introduced and explained in detail. We also review attempts at making the infinite-dimensional symmetries manifest, through the construction of a geodesic sigma model based on a Lorentzian Kac-Moody algebra. An explicit example is provided for the case of the hyperbolic algebra E10, which is conjectured to be an underlying symmetry of M-theory. Illustrations of this conjecture are also discussed in the context of cosmological solutions to eleven-dimensional supergravity.


As a significant technology of Computer Integrated Manufacturing System (CIMS), Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) is the bridge between Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). Meanwhile, it is a momentous foundation for building the overall information model of manufacturing of engineering product. By using of which along with the theory of rough set in rule reduction of expert system, the development of CAPP system framework is basis of .net platform, utilizing Visual Studio 2003 to design the system interface and associated structured query language (SQL) allow distributed data processing and data access, which is supported by SQL Server 2000. By designing and running the program, the method of designing is verified.


This paper addresses the problem of generating the simplest plans that solve robotic planning problems. Most robotic planning algorithms are concerned with producing plans that minimize execution cost, or generalizations of such costs. Motivated by circumstances with severe computational resource limits (e.g., memory or communication constrained settings), we instead address the problem of producing concise plans. In this work, conciseness is a measure of plan size that reflects the complexity of representing the plan explicitly. We seek a plan with minimal representational size, subject to correctness and completeness. We introduce a planning algorithm that generates concise plans for planning problems that may involve both non-determinism and partial observability, and also show that finding the most concise plan is an NP-hard problem, excusing the possible sub-optimality of our algorithm's output. We describe an implementation of the algorithm, along with empirical results on the run time and solution quality for both manipulation and navigation problem domains.


This article addresses attorneys' evolving views of civil claims against nursing homes, hospitals, nurses and doctors relating to pressure ulcers. The author describes measures that healthcare professionals may take to avoid becoming subject to claims, such as properly documenting assessments of patient risks and documenting consistent and appropriate care. Several issues of ethical consideration for nurses are presented relating to the role of nurses as patient advocates, including the issue of under what circumstances may or should a nurse recommend that a patient confer with an attorney. The article describes some common misconceptions about nursing and medical malpractice claims, and identifies ways that some proposed tort reforms appear borne of unsubstantiated fears.


"The Intolerable Burden of Malaria: II. What's New, What's Needed" aims to strengthen the capacity of scientists and control workers and their institutions to address the burden of malaria through research and development of sciencebased policies and actions in the malarious countries. Ultimately, this research and its application will result in the elimination of malaria from Africa and other intransigent foci. We are grateful to the three organizations that have provided the major impetus to realization of this supplement. The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) began in 1997 and aims "to strengthen and sustain, through collaborative research and training, the capability of malaria-endemic countries in Africa to carry out research required to develop and improve tools for malaria control" and to strengthen the research-control interface. The Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries Project (DCPP) was launched in 2002 "to assess disease control priorities and produce sciencebased analyses and resource materials to inform health policy-making in developing countries" to decrease morbidity, mortality, disability, and their economic consequences. The Fogarty International Center (FIC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), was a MIM founding partner, and has led, housed, and fully supported the coordinating Secretariats for MIM (1999 to 2002) and DCPP (2002 to the present). The FIC "promotes and supports scientific discovery internationally and mobilizes resources to reduce disparities in global health." We thank the following agencies and organizations for their generous financial support that enabled the supplement's publication and distribution: the Academy for Educational Development; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the Burroughs Wellcome Fund; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the FIC, NIH; the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health; the MIM; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH; the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH; the National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH; the Malaria Vaccine Initiative at the Program for Appropriate Technologies in Health (PATH); the Regional Office for Africa, WHO; the Rockefeller Foundation; the Roll Back Malaria Department, WHO; the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization (TDR/WHO); the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; the United Nations Foundation; the United States Agency for International Development; the Wellcome Trust and the World Bank. Special appreciation goes to the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and many other individuals who supported the development and publication of this supplement, especially the authors of the articles and James Kazura, editor of The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Encouragement, guidance, and help in highlighting the malaria burden and in mobilizing resources and disseminating this supplement were kindly provided by Sharon Hrynkow, Gerald Keusch, Richard Miller, and Lauren Sikes of the FIC, Julia Royall of the NLM, and Amy McGuire, Juli Staiano, Lysander Vereen, Michael Lee, and Tibberly Richard of the Foundation for NIH. We are particularly grateful to Cherice Holloway (FIC, NIH) and Cathi Siegel (American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene) whose outstanding organizational and personal skills were key to keeping the publication on schedule. Some of the information in this supplement was first presented during an all-day symposium, entitled "The Intolerable Burden of Malaria: What's New, What's Needed", at the Third Pan-African MIM Conference in Arusha, Tanzania, held November 18−22, 2002. The first supplement on this topic, "The Intolerable Burden of Malaria: A New Look at the Numbers", focused on clinical and epidemiologic manifestations of malaria and was previously published by the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2001, Volume 64 [supplement 1,2]: 1−106).


Almost twenty-five years ago, the Federal Circuit turned unauthorized experimental use of another's patented invention into patent infringement. As with other patent doctrines standing at the intersection of exclusion and competition, the court has taken a hard line in favor of exclusion. The hard and fast rule here is particularly significant because experimental use is the most important form of competition in the patent domain. Over the same period, the Supreme Court has consistently rejected the Federal Circuit's hard line approach. The Court's decisions, most recently in eBay and KSR, have favored more nuanced approaches and, as a result, opened the patent domain to increased competition. The Supreme Court has not spoken to the experimental use defense. This article examines the demise of the currently comatose experimental use defense and then reformulates it into a robust doctrine that better reflects the constitutional policy of promoting progress in science and useful arts. It begins by showing how a distended profit logic emerged in the 1980s to turn the virtue of independent experimentation into the vice of patent infringement. This inflated profit logic is an overstatement of incentive theory, the intuitively attractive precept that has long dominated patent policy despite its profound difficulties. More broadly, the current jurisprudence short-circuits analysis of interactions between key patent law conceptions of public benefit and private right, idea and invention, process and product. In this light, the second section builds the foundation for a revised patent policy that is more faithful to the constitutional norm of promoting progress and practically superior to the current approach and its unworkable incentive theory. In particular, the section introduces a concept of inventor welfare and, with it, begins to reshape dynamic efficiency as the logic of progress. The final section presents a schematic phenomenology of the invention process to serve as the framework for restoring independent experimentation to its vital role in the constitutionally inscribed process of invention.


Mixed reality technology is being increasingly used in cultural heritage attractions to enhance visitors' experiences. However, how the characteristics of mixed reality affect satisfaction and brand loyalty has not been explored in previous research. The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting satisfaction with mixed reality experiences at cultural and artistic visitor attractions and their influence on brand loyalty, which is connected with management performance. We propose a theoretical model based on brand equity theory in the context of mixed reality experience. Survey data were gathered from 251 respondents visiting a cultural and artistic visitor attraction in Seoul, Korea, using a stratified sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for the data analysis. The results suggest that the characteristics of mixed reality (interactivity, vividness) not only influence the affective aspects (perceived immersion, perceived enjoyment) of visitors' experiences, but also positively affect brand awareness, brand association, and brand loyalty.


The G protein-coupled P2Y 11 receptor is involved in immune system modulation. In-depth physiological evaluation is hampered, however, by a lack of selective and potent li- gands. By screening a library of sulfonic and phosphonic acid derivatives at P2Y 11 receptors recombinantly


In the machine manufacturing industry, CNC machine tools possess many advantages and have gradually become the leading machine tools to replace the ordinary machine tools. According to their processing usages, they can be divided into two kinds: general CNC and NTC. With the automatic tool change device consisting of tool magazine and mechanical arm, the latter can complete the most, if not all, processings of workpieces in a clamping. According to the instruction to select tools from the digital control system, the tools in the tool magazine can be located to the position for tool change, which is called automatic tool selection. Automatical tool selection can be implemented at random and sequentially. This paper focuses on random tool selection in ATC tool magazine controlled by Mitsubishi FX2N PLC series.


Dissatisfaction about compensation and repatriation debts culminated in the Brandfort congress of December 1904. This congress in its turn led to the two Bloemfontein congresses of 1905 and 1906 and the founding of the ""Volksvereeniging Orangia"" (People's Association Orangia), better known as the Orangia Unie, in May 1906. The establishment of rival political parties forced the Orangia Unie to function as a political party as well. The policy of the Orangia Unie dealt mainly with the attainment of self-government, education, the poor white question, non-whites, the equal status of the two languages, farming interests and fundraising for a national monument to commemorate the women and children who had died in the concentration camps. Emphasis is placed on the role of the Orangia Unie in advancing Afrikaner nationalism in the Orange River Colony and the Orange Free State, as well as its role in the establishment of the National Party in 1914.


The aging population is increasing worldwide. The decline in cognitive functions, health literacy, visual and hearing limitations add to the challenge of acquiring adequate knowledge. The level of Knowledge has been associated with overall health outcomes. This study aimed to address the Medication Knowledge (MK) in elders. Identify factors associated with knowledge and areas where the knowledge needs to be enhanced. The MK in elders was poor. Illiteracy, Polypharmacy and follow up in multiple clinics compromised knowledge. Knowledge with regards to side effects fared worse. Elders were most knowledgeable on how to store the medications and refills dates. Elders considered knowledge provided by medical staff about their medications as inadequate. The health care providers should be aware that a large gap in MK exists in elders. Multiple factors make MK enhancement in elders very challenging. Knowledge Improvement requires defining evidence based approaches and needs to be individualized. Prospective studies addressing the impact of interventions on improving knowledge and important outcomes like safety, adherence and mortality are needed.


When the nineteenth century investigators first squinted down the microscope at blood cells and identified diseases they had no idea of the explosion of knowledge that would follow. A blood specimen is so easily obtained that the red cells have been studied in enormous detail, and a vast amount is known about their diseases, some of great rarity. Professor Mentzner is a paediatric haematologist and Dr Wagner is an adult haematologist. Their book is a comprehensive review by a selection ofauthors from the San Francisco Bay area of the hereditary red cell disorders which lead to haemolysis. After an introductory chapter by the editors, there are chapters on diagnostic strategy, and subsequent chapters on the thalassaemia syndromes, sickle cell disorders and unstable haemoglobins, membrane disorders, metabolic disorders, haemolytic disease of the newborn, mechanisms of red cell destruction, and a final chapter, which is the shortest in the book, on treatment. The book is not written specifically for paediatricians. It is strong on pathophysiology and weak on management. The chapter on haemolytic disease of the newborn is an exception, so although the subject is not really hereditary, it is well worth reading. The other chapters are useful for reference. The need to be comprehensive means that a page and a half of table is given to classifying the 29 variants of glucose phosphate isomerase associated with haemolytic anaemia. Fortunately the editors have resisted the temptation to include the 150 variants of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. This is a problem with the haemolytic anaemias: all this information has to be recorded, but its relevance to the day to day management of the haemolytic anaemias that make up the day to day business of a paediatric clinic is slender in the extreme. Nevertheless, this is a good book for looking up the rare disease, for help with an unusual problem, and for throwing light on the dark mystery of the unsolved cases of haemolytic anaemia which puzzle every haematology department.


In this article, we present the rationale, development and preliminary evaluation of a novel set of materials to encourage and improve the consideration of users and their needs during the process of architectural design. Our focus is specifically on two areas: user-centred design principles and spatial cognition research. To this end, we developed two decks of flash-cards, termed the Architectural Strategies Cards (72 cards) and the Spatial Cognition Cards (111 cards). We conducted preliminary evaluations of the cards in the design studio and in design thinking workshops with multidisciplinary groups of students and with architectural practitioners. Our results suggest that the cards improve designers' immersion into the perspective of building-users in a playful way and introduce scientific concepts effectively. In conclusion, we argue that serious-games and card-based methods should be part of the multiple approaches necessary to encourage and improve user-centred thinking, and integrate research findings into evidence-based design at large.


Volcanoes in rift situations often show distinctive "hour-glass" fault patterns, with increased fault throw as the volcano is approached. We present analogue models that show that this is caused by an interaction of the regional stress field with that set up by the volcano mass. For faults to be reorientated there must be a ductile layer below the volcano. This can be hot crust at mid-ocean ridges, continental rifts, or weak sedimentary strata. Increased volcano size or mass and lower brittle/ductile ratios lead to increased fault curvature, whereas an increased regional extension rate decreases the effect. Volcanoes on one side of a rift may capture it, forming the axis of a new rift, with curved or en echelon zones on either side. By concentrating extension, magma is more easily erupted, so volcanoes may erupt more magma of less-evolved composition. A positive feedback between increased extension and magma eruption rate will lead to rift narrowing, which can favor the formation of oceanic crust.


Purpose of review The purpose of the article is to review the available options for fertility preservation in patients with breast and ovarian cancer, and the special issues faced by BRCA mutation carriers. Recent findings Future fertility is an important consideration for many young patients with cancer. There are both experimental and standard available strategies for patients with breast and ovarian cancer to preserve fertility, and each has potential advantages and disadvantages. Summary Embryo cryopreservation is widely available with a highly successful track record. Improvements in laboratory techniques have led to oocyte cryopreservation recently being recategorized as nonexperimental. Conservative gynecologic surgery is a standard consideration for patients with stage I ovarian cancer who desire future fertility. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation as well as ovarian suppression with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs during chemotherapy are considered experimental methods at this time, although recent data suggest both safety and efficacy for the use of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs in women receiving (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Special issues should be considered for women with BRCA mutations because of the need to undergo preventive surgery at young age. Multidisciplinary teams and well functioning relationships between the oncology and reproductive units are crucial to manage the fertility issues of young women with cancer.


Pakistan is facing energy scarcity. The biogas is one of the renewable substitutes. It does not only overcome the energy scarcity but also harness the energy from animal dung which causes the CO 2 emissions. The present study was done on the appraisal of potential of biogas from the dung of animals (Buffaloes, Cows, Goats and Sheep) within the villages surrounded by Taluka Saeedabad. The purpose of the study was the energy potential of the biogas and the selection of the most suitable design and size of the biogas plant for the villagers. The present study also includes the domestic biogas plant economics. As per the estimation, total quantity of animal dung generated was about 129 tons/day, which can produce 3859 m of biogas per day. On the contrary, for cooking villagers require only 2748 m of biogas per day. Moreover, the surplus biogas of 1111 m per day can be used to produce electricity of 6666 kWh per day, which can fulfill the demand of about half of the population of villages under study. People are using firewood, cotton stalks, kerosene oil and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) for cooking. Converting animal dung into the biogas not only reduces the consumption of the traditional fuels used (Firewood, Cotton Stalks, Kerosene Oil and LPG), but also prevents about 900 thousand tons of CO 2 emissions into the environment. Additionally, a fixed dome biogas plant of 8-10 m size was recommended for each of the houses under study.


The results of an experimental study concerning the behavior of concretes made with recycled aggregates under repeated mechanical and thermal actions are presented. A comparison with the performances achieved by similar concretes made with traditional aggregates in the same working conditions eventually made it possible to estimate the actual quality and durability of the recycled concretes examined and identify possible limitations in their use. The laboratory protocol here adopted is suggested as a practical experimental procedure to test hardened concretes and pre-qualify their performances with respect to compressive actions and thermal solicitations.


Although there are contentious debates concerning the nature of international and globalised social work, there is considerable evidence that Schools of Social Work Education are actively engaged in cross-border collaborations. Whilst this is occurring and although Social work as a professional discipline exists in diverse contexts across the globe, experiences and voices from the South Pacific have had limited attention. Building on 'data' drawn from the literature and a discussion of international social work, this paper reflects on a collaboration occurring between an Australian social work education program and one in Papua New Guinea. We review and describe a model that is based on transparent, collaborative relationships between equal, although different, partners. We continue to work on how to encourage louder voices from UPNG, but we conclude that focusing on long-term outcomes, built on small steps, offers a framework for meaningful and sustainable cross-border engagements in social work education.


In Aotearoa New Zealand, as a consequence of colonisation, generations of Māori have been alienated from both their language and culture. This project harnessed an artistic re-consideration of pūrākau (traditional stories) such that previously fractured or erased stories relating to Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga were orchestrated into a coherent narrative network. Storytelling is not the same as reading a story aloud or reciting a piece from memory. It also differs from performed drama, although it shares certain characteristics with all of these art forms. As a storyteller I look into the eyes of the audience and we both construct a virtual world. Together the listener and the teller compose the tale. The storyteller uses voice, pause and gesture; a listener, from the first moment, absorbs, reacts and co-creates. For each, the pūrākau is unique. Its story images differ. The experience can be profound, exercising thinking and emotional transformation. In the design of 14 episodes of the Māui narrative, connections were made between imagery, sound and the resonance of traditional, oral storytelling. The resulting Māui pūrākau, functions not only to revive the beauty of te reo Māori, but also to resurface traditional values that lie embedded within these ancient stories. The presentation contributes to knowledge through three distinct points. First, it supports language revitilisation by employing ancient words, phrases and karakia that are heard. Thus, we encounter language expressed not in its neutral written form, but in relation to tone, pause, rhythm, pronunciation and context. Second, it connects the Māui narratives into a cohesive whole. In doing this it also uses whakapapa to make connections and to provide meaning and chronology both within and between the episodes. Third, it elevates the pūrākau beyond the level of simple children's stories. The inclusion of karakia reinforces that these incantations are in fact sacred texts. Rich in ancient language they give us glimspes into ancient epistemologies. Appreciating this elevated state, we can understand how these pūrākau dealt with complex human and societal issues including abortion, rape, incest, murder, love, challenging traditional hierarchies, the power of women, and the sacredness of knowledge and ritual. Finally, the presentation considers both in theory and practice, the process of intergenerational bowdlerisation.


Acylation of lysine in beta-lactoglobulin-B with citraconic anhydride resulted in a loss of free sulfhydryl groups. These were not regenerated under the conditions used to remove the modifying groups from lysine. Gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the citraconylated and decitraconylated beta-lactoglobulin showed the presence of high molecular weight components. Modification of sulfhydryl groups with N-ethylmaleimide prior to citraconylation prevented the formation of these high molecular weight components. The heterogeneity of the decitraconylated protein was attributed to a combination of intermolecular disulfide bonding of subunits caused by structural changes occurring during lysine modification and to alkylation of free sulfhydryl groups via the citraconyl double bond.


All female graduates of the Family Practice Residency Program at the University of Manitoba over a 10-year period (1974-1983) were surveyed with respect to demographic data; training; present practice profiles; personal life and attitudes; professional attitudes; and career satisfaction. Respondents perceived two significant problem areas: combining family and career, and discrimination against women. The author of this paper makes some suggestions for alleviating these problems. More knowledge about female physicians' attitudes, their practice profiles, and the difficulties they encounter will facilitate improvements in manpower planning and medical education.


Takayasu's Arteritis (TA) is an uncommon chronic inflammatory and stenotic disease of medium and large-sized arteries characterized by a strong predilection for the aortic arch and its major branches. We report a rare manifestation of TA in a 16-year-old female with no previous history of heart disease who presented with heart failure. She was found to have hypertension and discrepancies of pulses in upper and lower limbs. She developed ST elevated anterior wall myocardial infarction (MI) during hospitalization. Her aortography revealed narrowing of descending thoracic, upper abdominal and infrarenal aorta with significant stenosis of both renal arteries. She was diagnosed as a case of TA on the basis of her clinical profile and arteriography. Her coronary angiography did not reveal any stenosis or occlusion or aneurysm in coronary arteries or at coronary ostia which is in contrast to patients of TA with MI reported in the literature who had focal or diffuse stenosis or aneurysm in the coronaries.


The obesity epidemic in industrialized countries is associated with increases in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and certain types of cancer. In animal models, caloric restriction (CR) suppresses these diseases as well as chemical-induced tissue damage. These beneficial effects of CR overlap with those altered by agonists of nuclear receptors (NR) under control of the fasting-responsive transcriptional co-activator, peroxisome proliferator-activated co-activator 1α (PGC-1α). In a screen for compounds that mimic CR effects in the liver, we found statistically significant overlaps between the CR transcript profile in wild-type mice and the profiles altered by agonists of lipid-activated NR, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), liver X receptor, and their obligate heterodimer partner, retinoid X receptor. The overlapping genes included those involved in CVD (lipid metabolism and inflammation) and cancer (cell fate). Based on this overlap, we hypothesized that some effects of CR are mediated by PPARα. As determined by transcript profiling, 19% of all gene expression changes in wild-type mice were dependent on PPARα, including Cyp4a10 and Cyp4a14, involved in fatty acid ω-oxidation, acute phase response genes, and epidermal growth factor receptor but not increases in PGC-1α. CR protected the livers of wild-type mice from damage induced by thioacetamide, a liver toxicant and hepatocarcinogen. CR protection was lost in PPARα-null mice due to inadequate tissue repair. These results demonstrate that PPARα mediates some of the effects of CR and indicate that a pharmacological approach to mimicking many of the beneficial effects of CR may be possible.


The aim of this thesis is to investigate the literary structure, form and unity of
the letter of James, an investigation which only really began about the middle of the 19th
century. This period of time marked a beginning where scholars began to suggest that
James was more than a chaotic jumble of sayings and exhortations, a characterisation
often describing James in earlier studies. This line of inquiry continued on throughout the
20th and 21st centuries. There still, however, remains a great diversity of opinion and
disagreement on the matter. .This thesis offers a sustained study of the literary structure
and form of James over seven chapters. Chapter I traces the present state of the question
in relation to the literary structure of the letter, and how diverse the range of opinions are.
Chapter II focuses specifically on the introduction and conclusion of the letter. Chapter
TTI outlines the various methodologies used to decipher the letter's structure and form,
with suggestions on the methods this thesis will take. Chapter IV endeavours to
delineate the introduction to the letter while Chapter V focuses on the literary structure
of the rest of the letter. Chapter VI will examine the literary form of James which is an
important issue that arises from the study of the letter's literary structure. Here, the
epistolary status of James will be assessed. Finally, Chapter VII will then seek to
establish the unity of the letter, with a focus upon the themes of perfection and double
mindedness as unifying themes.


Most contemporary research into aging is driven by interest in the human aging process and in interventions that attenuate the normal and pathophysiological effects of aging, or senescence. Operationally, senescence is the progressive, inevitable breakdown of the organism. Among the changes associated with senescence is the diminished capacity of the immune systems and reactions to challenge, known as immunosenescence. Senescence and age-related immunosenescence has been recorded in several invertebrates, including insects. Two invertebrates, the worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, and the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, are model organisms for research into mechanisms of senescence and of prolonged life spans. In this essay, I will treat some of the available information on immunosenescence in invertebrates. The purpose is to move away from trying to understand human senescence and toward generating new ideas around the application of research into invertebrate immunosenescence to contemporary and emerging problems in aquatic and terrestrial agriculture. I cover mechanisms of senescence, beginning with the original idea of increasing oxidative damage and moving to more recent views. I provide a thumb-nail sketch of insect immunity as a model for the generality of complex invertebrates, then discuss selected examples of immunosenescence in invertebrates. In some instances, changes that look like immunosenescence may be physiological resource trade-offs and I highlight a few examples. Finally, I complete the essay with a few remarks on the potential practical significance of research to understand immunosenescence in invertebrates.


The objective of the paper was to obtain the impact of the velocity of measuring head on measuring values of basic differentiators of the profile analysis of texture (TPA) such as: hardness I and II, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, elasticity, chewability and gumminess as well as resilience. The investigated material was subject to double compression to 50% of original height at the following head speeds: 0.5; 0.83 1.0; 1.2; 1.5 (mm·s). Cubic samples of cream cheese of Italian type Capresi with the side length of 15 (mm) were analysed. The obtained test results proved that statistically significant differences (at =0.05) were reported only in few cases between the results obtained for particular analysed levels of the measuring head speed. However, one may report clear trends of changes of TPA differentiators values with increase or decrease. The increase of hardness differentiators I and II may be reported with the increase of the measuring head speed (however without confirmation of statistically significant differences at =0.05). A similar trend may be also reported for gumminess and chewability differentiator on account of the head speed from 1.0 to 1.5 (mm·s).