Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) equipment is currently being incorporated into the power system for controlling key networks parameters aiming at improving the power system steady-state and dynamic performances. The vast array of power system analysis tools used by planners and system operators, on a daily basis, for the successful running of the network are to be upgraded to include comprehensive modelling for FACTS plant components. Commensurate with this global objective, this research work is aimed at developing comprehensive power system models of FACTS devices suitable for small-signal stability studies. The FACTS components covered in this research are the Static Var Compensator (SVC) and the Thyristor-Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC). More specifically, the modelling of these devices combined with advanced modelling of synchronous generators has positioned the current work in the area of small-signal stability modelling and analysis of power systems with electronically controlled compensation. The work has been developed within the framework of the block-diagram methodology because it yields physical insight and offers the opportunity to gain fundamental knowledge of the dynamic interactions taking place between synchronous generators and FACTS plant components.

The key issues of synchronous generator modelling, from the viewpoint of small-signal stability analysis, are addressed in this thesis. In particular, the impact of synchronous generator modelling order, with emphasis on system damping, is discussed in depth. Various representations of salient-pole synchronous generators are used to enable a variety of models suitable for small-signal stability studies. The models range from synchronous generators with no danger windings, to cases when one damper winding is included in each of the rotor axes, i.e. d and q-axis. The drive behind the study is to settle the issue of what is a suitable number of machine damper windings to be used in small-signal stability analysis that adequately represents the system model with a good level of reliability while keeping engineering complexity manageable.


Kamal Gasimov is a researcher in the field of Islamic Studies from Azerbaijan. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Oriental Studies (Persian language and literature) from Baku State University (Azerbaijan). He has also studied Arabic language and literature at Kuwait University. Currently, he is a doctoral student at the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. His research has mainly concentrated on Islamic social movements, particularly quietist Salafi trends and their interaction with Islamists or jihadis; the transnationalization of Salafism and its connection with local (post-Soviet) actors; and Islamic legal theories.


We use broadband sensitive LOFAR observations in the 25–80 MHz frequency range to study the single-pulse emission properties of the mode-switching pulsar B0943+10. We review the derivation of magnetospheric geometry, originally based on low-frequency radio data, and show that the geometry is less strongly constrained than previously thought. This may be used to help explain the large fractional amplitudes of the observed thermal X-ray pulsations from the polar cap, which contradicted the almost aligned rotator model of PSR B0943+10. We analyse the properties of drifting subpulses in the Bright mode and report on the short-scale (minutes) variations of the drift period. We searched for the periodic amplitude modulation of drifting subpulses, which is a vital argument for constraining several important system parameters: the degree of aliasing, the orientation of the line-of-sight vector with respect to magnetic and spin axes, the angular velocity of the carousel, and thus, the gradient of the accelerating potential in the polar gap. The periodic amplitude modulation was not detected, indicating that it may be a rare or narrow-band phenomenon. Based on our non-detection and review of the available literature, we chose to leave the aliasing order unconstrained and derived the number of sparks under different assumptions about the aliasing order and geometry angles. Contrary to the previous findings, we did not find a large (of the order of 10%) gradual variation of the separation between subpulses throughout Bright mode. We speculate that this large variation of subpulse separation may be due to the incorrect accounting for the curvature of the line of sight within the on-pulse window. Finally, we report on the frequency-dependent drift phase delay, which is similar to the delay reported previously for PSR B0809+74. We provide a quantitative explanation of the observed frequency-dependent drift phase delay within the carousel model.


The Drosophila morphogenetic protein Bicoid, encoded by the maternal gene bicoid, is required for the development of the anterior structures in the embryo. Bicoid, a transcriptional activator containing a homeodomain, is distributed in an anterior-to-posterior gradient in the embryo. In response to this gradient, the zygotic gene hunchback is expressed uniformly in the anterior half of the embryo in a nearly all-or-none manner. In this report we demonstrate that a recombinant Bicoid protein binds cooperatively to its sites within a hunchback enhancer element. A less than 4-fold increase in Bicoid concentration is sufficient to achieve an unbound/bound transition in DNA binding. Using various biochemical and genetic methods we further demonstrate that Bicoid molecules can interact with each other. Our results are consistent with previous studies performed in the embryo, and they suggest that one mechanism to achieve a sharp on/off switch of gene expression in response to a morphogenetic gradient is cooperative DNA binding facilitated by protein-protein interaction.


This paper describes an overview of the track - 'Retrieval from Conversational Dialogues' (RCD) organized as a part of Forum of Information Retrieval and Evaluation (FIRE), 2020. The motivation of the track is to develop a dataset towards a controlled and reproducible laboratory based experimental setup for investigating the effectiveness if conversational assistance systems. Specifically, the manner of conversational assistance which this track addresses is contextualization of certain concepts within the content either written (e.g. a chat system) or uttered (e.g. in an audio or video communication) by a user about which the other users participating in the communication are not well versed. To study the problem under a laboratory-based reproducible setting, we took a collection of four movie scripts and manually annotated spans of text that may require contextualization. The two tasks involved in RCD track are: a) Task-1:, where participants were required to estimate the annotated span of text likely to be benefited by contextualization from a given sequence of dialogue based interactions from the script; and b) Task-2:, which involved retrieving a ranked list of documents corresponding to the concepts requiring contextualization. To evaluate the effectiveness of Task-1, we used i) a character n-gram based variant of the BLEU score, and ii) bag-of-words based Jaccard coefficient to measure the overlap between the manually annotated ground-truth and the automatically extracted text spans at two different granularity levels of character and word matches, respectively. To evaluate the effectiveness of the retrieved documents for Task-2, we employed two standard precision-oriented information retrieval (IR) metrics, namely precision at top-5 ranks (P@5) and mean reciprocal rank (MRR), along with a both precision and recall oriented metric, namely the mean average precision (MAP). We received a total of 5 submissions from a single participating team for both the tasks. A general trend from the submitted runs is that statistical-based unsupervised approaches of term extraction and summarization from movie scripts turned out to be more effective for both the tasks (i.e. query identification and retrieval) than supervised approaches, such as pre-trained transformer (BERT) based ones.


Objectives. Poisoning mortality rates have increased dramatically in the United States since the 1970s. This trend has been mainly attributed to an increase in accidental medication overdose deaths. The aim of this study was to analyze recent trends in poisoning mortality among U.S. adults using the most recently available data, and to examine gender and age as risk factors. Methods. Data on injury-based mortality for the entire U.S. were obtained from the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS™) for 1999–2006. We analyzed poisoning mortality rates by age group, gender, and intent. We modeled time trends in poisoning mortality using Poisson regression. Results. Although intentional and undetermined poisoning mortality rates remained relatively stable, accidental poisoning mortality rates increased 108.5% between 1999 and 2006, and were significantly higher in each successive year (incidence rate ratio = 1.12 per year increase). Unintentional poisoning mortality rates were higher in men than in women; however, the increase in rate overtime was higher in women than in men. The unintentional poisoning mortality rate was highest in individuals aged 40–49 years across all years studied, but we observed large increases in the rate for individuals aged 15–29 and 50–59 years during the study period. Conclusions. Despite recently raised awareness, rates of unintentional poisoning mortality in the U.S. continued to rise in 2006. Men are at increased risk, but this disparity has decreased over time.


Current optical character recognition (OCR) systems commonly make use of recurrent neural networks (RNN) that process whole text lines. Such systems avoid the task of character segmentation necessary for character-based approaches. A disadvantage of this approach is a need of a large amount of annotated data. This can be solved by sing generated synthetic data instead of costly manually annotated ones. Unfortunately, such data is often not suitable for historical documents particularly for quality reasons. This work presents a hybrid approach for generating annotated data for OCR at a low cost. We first collect a small dataset of isolated characters from historical document images. Then, we generate historical looking text lines from the generated characters. Another contribution lies in the design and implementation of an OCR system based on a convolutional-LSTM network. We first pre-train this system on hybrid data. Afterwards, the network is fine-tuned with real printed text lines. We demonstrate that this training strategy is efficient for obtaining state-of-the-art results. We also show that the score of the proposed system is comparable or even better in comparison to several state-of-the-art systems.


In the case of Romania, pastoral beekeeping becomes more and more a system of industrial maintenance of bee families, with economic importance given by beekeeping products that could be obtained, but also with ecological importance given by realisation of the pollination process. The Romanian main areas with importance for pastoral beekeeping are represented by the agricultural crops consisting mainly of sunflower and rapeseed, forests consisting mainly of acacia and lime, and melliferous vegetation from Danube Delta. The present paper presents an analysis of the main types of honey harvest (rapeseed and sunflower, acacia and lime) from Giurgiu County, in terms of opportunities to practice pastoral beekeeping. We had drawn up the county melliferous balance for the main types of honey harvest on the basis of data regarding honey potential/ha (kg), total surfaces (ha), and total number of bee families from Giurgiu County. Also, we have calculated the percentage of use of the existing honey potential per type of honey harvest by the bee families in the county, and the total number of bee families that could be brought from other counties, through practising pastoral beekeeping. Out study revealed that Giurgiu County could assure the economic operation of 31,923 bee families, which means about 2.4 times more than the existing number of bee families in the county. By practicing a rational pastoral beekeeping to rapeseed and sunflowers crops, and to acacia and lime forests, on the territory of Giurgiu County could be brought a number of 18,516 bee families, which means the county has an important potential for practicing the pastoral beekeeping.


Theoretical and applied literature on risk in pest control decision making is reviewed. Risk can affect pesticide decision making either because of risk aversion or because of its influence on expected profit. It is suggested that pesticide application does not necessarily reduce risk and that risk does not necessarily lead to increased pesticide use by individual farmers. Analyses need to consider more sources of risk than has usually occurred. The influence of pest information on risk is discussed. A range of analytical techniques for analysing risk in pest control is reviewed. Gaps in existing literature are identified.


Many of the fundamental limits on information processing, from thermodynamics, relativity, and quantum mechanics, are only a few decades away. Novel physically motivated computing paradigms, such as reversible computing and quantum computing, may help in certain ways, but even they remain subject to some basic limits. One can arrive at several firm conclusions regarding upper bounds on the limits of computing. In this article, the author only reviews the fundamental technology-independent limits.


The article is devoted to the economic aspect of the concept of implementation and functioning of a mobile medical clinic (MMC). Despite the role of mobile medical clinics in providing medical assistance to the entire population, all social groups, the overall impact of mobile medical clinics has not often been the subject of research. The purpose of the study is to analyze the project of implementing the business plan of a mobile (mobile) medical clinic. Materials and methods. The presented business plan has a structure focused on the creation of mobile medical complexes on the territory of each subject of Russia. The introduction of such medical clinics is a necessary and important process within the framework of preserving the health and working capacity of the population. Important stages in the implementation of the business plan are: a legislative plan that includes the main regulations, a marketing plan that takes into account the segment of the services market and the demand for the planned price, and an organizational plan that includes an assessment of the total cost of the project and fixed costs. Results. In the article, the results show that the introduction of mobile medical clinics on the territory of the subjects of Russia will not only improve the state of health and improve the quality of care for people, but also improve the health of the population while reducing the growth rate of costs (within the framework of the all-Russian national strategy). In this regard, an organizational plan was developed that takes into account the fixed costs of the mobile clinic. Conclusion. The development of a business plan for the implementation of mobile medical clinics in the territory of each subject of Russia and the introduction of MMC programs into the healthcare system will increase the level of socio-economic well-being of the population.


In this disturbing new entry in a series about monstrous youth (the first being Teen Frankenstein, set in the same small Texas town), the author explores the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde through the perspective of a teen girl with some dark secrets. After being a victim of assault, Cassidy just wants a new designer drug to do its job of making her feel sunny, bright, hopeful, and in charge again; however, it seems to have some shocking side effects. Cassidy is the Dr. Jekyll in this scenario, and Marcy, her alter ego (or other personality, or drug-induced temporary psychotic self ), has some bloodthirsty ideas of justice and and interest in righting wrongs that have been done to her and other teen girls. Marcy and her story are more compelling than Cassidy, but that's largely intentional, as Cassidy is working very hard at being bland, walled off, and numb, and the revenge story is unmatchable for drama. A brief author's note acknowledges the serious nature of sexual assault and offers a resource. AS


Transthyretin-associated familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP), the most common form of systemic hereditary amyloidosis worldwide, is a late-adult-onset autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the TTR gene, with peaks in prevalence in endemic areas. The clinical picture is dominated by a progressive length-dependent polyneuropathy with onset in the feet with loss of temperature and pain sensations, accompanied by life-threatening autonomic dysfunction and infiltrative cardiomyopathy, as well as ocular disturbances. Variable expressivity, in terms of age of onset and involvement of extra-neurological sites, can be due to different mutations, but is also observed among individuals with the same mutation in different countries. Therefore diagnosis of TTR-FAP is often a challenge and must rely on careful clinical assessment combined with a multidisciplinary approach. Elimination of the synthesis of mutated TTR, through liver transplantation, may arrest the progressive neuropathy but not the cardiac and ocular involvement. Novel drugs have recently been developed based on a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the disease. Drugs that prevent the misfolding and deposition of mutated TTR have entered clinical trials, and one of these, tafamidis meglumine, has been approved in Europe and is now clinically available. Other medicines are now in the pipeline aimed at suppressing the expression of the mutated TTR gene or at promoting amyloid fibril destructuration, favouring resorption of amyloid deposits. These recent advancements provide grounded hope of an imminent significant improvement in the care of this life-threatening multi-system disease.


A 46-equation econometric model of the U.S. potato market was developed. The model examines the determination of planted acreage, yield, production, and farm prices in the Pacific Northwest and in five other producing regions which compete with Northwest production. National demand relationships for potatoes used in processing, fresh consumption and livestock feed are also specified. These estimated relationships are used to simulate future scenarios which assume alternative rates of expansion for Northwest potato production. Results suggest that opportunities for considerable expansion of Northwest potato production exist if the secular shift in potato demand continues and increases in acreage are not excessive or expansion does not occur too quickly.


: The intravenous injections of enalapril maleate (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) and losartan (0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg) produced a 22-32% decrease in the size of myocardial infarction in rats with coronary ligation. This was accompanied by inhibition of the lipid peroxidation as revealed by the MDA test and Fe2+ induced chemiluminescence. Both drugs also increased the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin in the P50 test in vitro. Enalapril did not significantly alter the MDA level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the whole human blood. In contrast, losartan reliably inhibited SOD activity.


Abstract Protection of γ-ray-induced injury in hematopoietic and gastrointestinal (GI) systems is the rationale behind developing radioprotectors. The objective of this study, therefore, was to investigate the radioprotective efficacy and mechanisms underlying sesamol in amelioration of γ-ray-induced hematopoietic and GI injury in mice. C57BL/6 male mice were pre-treated with a single dose (100 or 50 mg/kg, 30 min prior) of sesamol through the intraperitoneal route and exposed to LD50/30 (7.5 Gy) and sublethal (5 Gy) dose of γ-radiation. Thirty-day survival against 7.5 Gy was monitored. Sesamol (100 mg/kg) pre-treatment reduced radiation-induced mortality and resulted survival of about 100% against 7.5 Gy of γ-irradiation. Whole-body irradiation drastically depleted hematopoietic progenitor stem cells in bone marrow, B cells, T cell subpopulations, and splenocyte proliferation in the spleen on day 4, which were significantly protected in sesamol pre-treated mice. This was associated with a decrease of radiation-induced micronuclei (MN) and apoptosis in bone marrow and spleen, respectively. Sesamol pre-treatment inhibited lipid peroxidation, translocation of gut bacteria to spleen, liver, and kidney, and enhanced regeneration of crypt cells in the GI system. In addition, sesamol pre-treatment reduced the radiation-induced pattern of expression of p53 and Bax apoptotic proteins in the bone marrow, spleen, and GI. This reduction in apoptotic proteins was associated with the increased anti-apoptotic-Bcl-x and PCNA proteins. Further, assessment of antioxidant capacity using ABTS and DPPH assays revealed that sesamol treatment alleviated total antioxidant capacity in spleen and GI tissue. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that sesamol as a single prophylactic dose protects hematopoietic and GI systems against γ-radiation-induced injury in mice.


This palynological study of cuttings samples from the Lark Formation in the Danish North Sea well Alma-1X documents for the first time in the public domain the succession of last occurrences of dinoflagellate cysts and acritarchs in the Oligocene–Lower Miocene interval of the Central North Sea. The distribution of dinoflagellates and acritarchs in the well demonstrates the potential for the development of a detailed subdivision of the Oligocene–Lower Miocene in the Central North Sea, based on the first downhole occurrences of key taxa. Five regional intra-Lark Formation seismic and petrophysical log markers can be dated with precision using dinoflagellate biostratigraphy. Four new species and one new subspecies of dinoflagellates are described from the study interval: Amphorosphaeridium? almae sp. nov., Filisphaera pachyderma sp. nov., Pentadinium corium sp. nov., Spiniferites pseudofurcatus verrucosus ssp. nov. and Thalassiphora rota sp. nov. Pseudospiniferites manumii Lund, 2002 is emended and transferred to the genus Spiniferites.


The expression of heritable fragile sites on human chromosomes has been shown to be dependent upon composition of the tissue medium for sites at 2q11, 10q23, 11q13, 16p124, 20p11 and Xq27 or 28 but not for the site at 16q22. Expression of the fragile sites is inhibited by folic acid, thymidine, folinic acid, and probably bromodeoxyuridine, and induced by methrotrexate. In addition, there is a correlation between frequency of expression of the sites and pH of the culture medium for the sites on 2q, 10q and Xq. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed, and a definition and classification of fragile sites is proposed.


Abstract The impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is unprecedented At an organisational level, the crisis has been hugely disruptive, complex and fraught with ambiguity for leaders The crisis is fundamentally a human one, making human resource (HR) leaders central in enabling organisations to manage through and ultimately exit the crisis successfully We apply a paradox lens to understand the HR leadership challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis We argue that how the HR function responds to the challenges of the crisis and its role in mapping the exit route from the crisis are likely to shape the trajectory of the function for decades to come The pandemic creates an unprecedented opportunity to elevate the status of the HR function in organisations where it has struggled to gain status and to reinforce the influence of the function in those where it already enjoys legitimacy The value of this is likely to be reflected in more sustainable performance through the alignment of people and purpose and balancing the short and long term objectives of the organisation


Background: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction is a widely known but poorly defined cause of low back pain. To our knowledge, few published studies have been conducted to evaluate systematically the prevalence and significance of concomitant sacroiliac joint dysfunction in patients with herniated lumbar discs. As concomitant SIJ dysfunction in low back pain patients is likely to respond to particular noninvasive interventions such as manipulation, improved understanding of the relationship between these two diagnoses would improve clinical decision making and research. Methods: This study was designated to estimate the prevalence of concomitant sacroiliac joint dysfunction in sub acute low back pain patients with image proven discopathy and evaluate the theory that sacroiliac joint dysfunction can be a source of pain and functional disability in discopathy. A total of 202 patients with sub acute radicular back pain and MRI proven herniated lumbar discs underwent standardized physiatrist history and physical examination, specified for detection of concomitant sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Results: Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a concomitant finding in 72.3% of evaluated patients. There was significantly higher SIJ dysfunction prevalence in female patients (p <0.001), patients with recurrent pain (p <0.005) and in patients with positive straight leg raising provocative test (p <0.0001). Conclusion: SIJ dysfunction is a significant pathogenic factor with high possibility of occurrence in low back pain. Thus, in the presence of radicular and sacroiliac joint symptoms, SIJ dysfunction, regardless of intervertebral disc pathology, must be considered in clinical decision making.


Abstract: Terrestrial plethodontid salamanders are abundant predators within the forest floor litter of eastern North America, and are hypothesized to regulate soil and litter invertebrate density and species composition. I tested this hypothesis during a 6-yr study of the effects of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) on the invertebrate community of a forest site in northeast Ohio. Salamander surface density, invertebrate abundance, and community composition were monitored within 30 open, circular plots. Variation in plot occupancy by P. cinereus was achieved by supplying plots with differing amounts of artificial cover (0, 1, or 4 ceramic tiles) that served as refuges for the salamanders. Salamander plot occupancy, invertebrate density, leaf litter mass, and leaf litter moisture were quantified each spring and fall from 2003 through 2008. Statistically significant effects of salamander plot-occupancy on invertebrate densities were found for several taxa of mesofauna, including several Collembola taxa, oribatid mites, pseudoscorpions, and psocoptera. The strength and direction of salamander effects varied among taxa and included negative, positive, and no effects on invertebrate densities. The magnitude and sign of salamander effects on invertebrate densities were predicted by seasonal and interannual variation in leaf litter mass and, to a lesser extent, litter moisture content. Salamander effects decreased with increasing litter mass and were more often negative when litter mass was high, whereas positive effects on invertebrate densities were more likely when litter mass was low. For several taxa, the positive effect of P. cinereus also increased with litter moisture. I propose two mechanistic hypotheses for these dynamics that integrate behavioral ecology of salamander prey selection and territorial defense with variation in litter mass and litter moisture.


Zr702 and commercial purity Ti were grain refined through severe plastic deformation and their microstructure and texture characteristics were studied by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron back-scattered diffraction. The equal channel angular pressing was conducted at 350°C using a 90°/20° die. Up to 8 passes of pressing were performed via three different routes, A, C and BC, which resulted in reduction of the grain size down to 0.2-0.5.m. The two materials showed similar evolution characteristics of microstructure and texture. While the specimens pressed via route A showed lamellar grain shapes those via route C or BC exhibited equiaxed grains. A split basal texture was developed in the microstructure obtained by the route A pressing, which was similar to the cold rolling texture, whereas an asymmetric texture was produced in the specimens pressed via route BC. In the case of route C pressing, the texture characteristics were closer to those of the route BC case.


We present the design of a computation engine for a real-time laparoscopic surgery simulator: Since this simulator requires realistic real-time and real-world behaviour a physically correct model of the biological system has to be used, which leads to FEM modeling of the organs. The requirements imposed by dynamic FEM calculations cannot be met with state of the art parallel computers, since they are not optimized for the special needs of the underlying algorithm. Based on these requirements, we are designing a parallel processing engine that optimally supports communicational and computational needs. To support concurrent development of soft- and hardware, we have developed a simulator for the target hardware which allows continuous monitoring of the overall system performance.


A nanocomposite of ultrafine anatase nanoparticles (<5 nm) embedded N-doped carbon (TiO2-NPs/NC) with a relatively low specific surface area was successfully synthesized by in situ pyrolysis of a new and cheap single source precursor of (H2en)3[Ti4(O2)4(Hcit)2(cit)2]·12H2O (en = ethylenediamine and H4cit = citric acid) under 550 °C and an inert atmosphere. The precursor in crystalline state was isolated from an aqueous solution containing of titanium butoxide, citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and ethylenediamine and was characterized. The crystal structure was determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction. To our surprise, the low surface area TiO2-NPs/NC exhibits a high specific capacity, superior rate capability, excellent cycle performance, and good processability as a negative material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). A large reversible capacity of 360 and 125 mA h g-1 and a high Coulombic efficiency (the average value is ∼99.8%) could be kept even after 1000 cycles under a current density of 0.3 and 6 A g-1, respectively. An analysis of the voltammetric sweep data shows that the pseudocapacitive behavior occurred at the surface of the material and the lithium intercalation processes contribute to the total stored charge, resulting in the high capacity of the TiO2-NPs/NC nanocomposite. The potentiostatic intermittent titration technique used to determine the lithium ion diffusion (DLi+) suggested the TiO2-NPs/NC nanocomposite displays a high DLi+. In addition, the high electric conductivity provided by the NC substrate and the ultrafine anatase particles can mitigate the diffusion path for electrons and ions and tolerate higher strain, and thus effectively decrease pulverization and improve the rate and cycle performance. In particular, the observed superior lithium storage properties, resulting from the low surface area nanocomposite with ultrafine nanoparticles embedded NC substrate, are expected to have fundamental and practical implications for the preparation of high performance electrodes in LIBs or other cells.


such reports as are published almost certainly underestimates the true probability, as the selective reporting and publishing bias is not taken into account. It is certainly both wrong and misleading to present the probability ("less than one in a million") of obtaining specific kinds of unrelated abnormality (ependymoma, aqueduct stenosis, and kyphoscoliosis) after they have been observed when there was no prior hypothesis that such abnormalities would be seen. If the successive outcomes of tossing a coin 20 times are recorded the probability of obtaining the specific sequence observed is also less than one in a million; however, this does not necessarily allow us to infer that there is anything unusual about the coin. That the five abnormal births in Birmingham were all female adds little weight to Dr Tomlin's findings, as there is a not unusually low probability (1 in 16) that five such births will involve children of the same sex by chance alone. Finally, Dr Tomlin's statement that "since the only feature that is common to all the affected children was that the father was an anaesthetist this implies that there is an occupational hazard" is an extraordinary one. Since Dr Tomlin's study was limited to children bom to anaesthetists it is hard to see how a different result could have been achieved. KLIM MCPHERSON PETER SMITH MARTIN VESSEY


BACKGROUND: Dysfunction of [gamma]-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (B) receptors has been implicated in the pathogenesis of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the genetic contribution of cloned human GABA(B) receptors to TLE. METHODS: The authors genotyped 141 patients (78 women and 63 men; mean age = 49.1 ± 18.0 years) with nonlesional TLE and 372 ageand sex-matched normal individuals for the known polymorphism G1465A in the human GABA(B) receptor 1 [GABA(B(1))] gene. RESULTS: There was a highly significant overrepresentation of the G1465A heterozygote in patients with TLE compared with controls. The A/G genotype was found in 17% of the 141 patients with TLE and in only 0.5% of the 372 controls (P < 0.0001). The authors also found that patients carrying the A allele had a significantly higher risk (P = 0.003, OR = 6.47, 95% CI = 2.02 to 20.76) of developing drug-resistant TLE. Furthermore, the age at onset of seizures tended to be lower in patients with A/G genotype, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the GABA(B(1)) polymorphism (G1465A) confers a highly increased susceptibility to TLE. Moreover, it seems to influence the severity of this common epileptic disorder.


The article considers the transmissions and effects of a digital letter, and its implications for multi-situated—as opposed to a multi-sited—anthropology. Multi-situated moves beyond multiple sites as supplementary contexts to the life flows of people, materials, and ideas, to consider multi-ontological, dynamic, and temporally contingent situations constitutive of such movements in the making, that are embedded and/or enfolded along several intersecting planes on- and offline. The public letter was written collaboratively in May 2012 by activists in Britain, agreed to and signed off by supportive British members of Parliament among others, and addressed to the then prime minister of India and the chief minister of the state of Tamil Nadu. The letter's contents pertained to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in south India, with concerns about mandatory procedures in the construction of a nuclear power station, and democratic and human rights abuses against nonviolent protestors. By focusing on the emergence, travels, and receptive trajectories of the letter, the article makes a case for the increasing need to encompass aspects of digital anthropology not as a discrete subdiscipline, but as an integral part of core anthropological focus and method for the study of "onlife" entanglements—what effectively has become the digitalia of everyday life.


Abstract Factors delivered to offspring in colostrum within 2 days of birth support neonatal porcine uterine development. The uterine mRNA transcriptome is affected by age and nursing during this period. Whether uterine microRNA (miRNA) expression is affected similarly is unknown. Objectives were to (1) determine effects of age and nursing on porcine uterine miRNA expression between birth and postnatal day (PND) 2 using miRNA sequencing (miRNAseq) and; (2) define affected miRNA–mRNA interactions and associated biological processes using integrated target prediction analysis.At birth (PND 0), gilts were euthanized, nursed ad libitum, or gavage-fed milk replacer for 48 h. Uteri were collected at birth or 50 h postnatal. MicroRNAseq data were validated using quantitative real-time PCR. Targets were predicted using an established RNA database generated from the same tissues. For PND 2 versus PND 0 comparisons, 31 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified for nursed, and 42 DE miRNAs were identified for replacer-fed gilts. Six DE miRNAs were identified for nursed versus replacer-fed gilts on PND 2. Target prediction for inversely correlated DE miRNA–mRNA pairings indicated 20 miRNAs targeting 251 mRNAs in nursed, versus 29 miRNAs targeting 585 mRNAs in replacer-fed gilts for PND 2 versus PND 0 comparisons, and 5 miRNAs targeting 81 mRNAs for nursed versus replacer-fed gilts on PND 2. Biological processes predicted to be affected by age and nursing included cell-to-cell signaling, cell morphology, and tissue morphology. Results indicate novel age- and lactocrine-sensitive miRNA–mRNA relationships associated with porcine neonatal uterine development between birth and PND 2. Summary Sentence Comprehensive microRNA–mRNA analyses identified novel age- and lactocrine-sensitive porcine uterine microRNAs, microRNA–mRNA interactions, and biological processes associated with porcine neonatal uterine development.


Background: Research has described widespread racial disparities in cancer outcomes across the spectrum of prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. A recent study suggested treatment disparities were mediated when patients were treated at NCI cancer centers. Participation of underserved groups in these centers, however, has been historically poor. In January, 2012, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), in conjunction with Whittier Street Health Center (WSHC), a federally qualified health center in Roxbury Massachusetts, initiated a clinical outreach program as part of a comprehensive Cancer Care Equity Program. A conceptual model was developed to combine prevention, diagnosis, education, and treatment interventions.

Methods: The intervention was developed inductively through the identification of several contributing factors to cancer disparities derived from observations during clinical practice. Most importantly, the lack of integrated cancer care spanning the continuum from prevention to treatment and end of life, in community health centers that predominately cared for the underserved. These observations were confirmed by review of the clinical literature, indicating that there were few clinical cancer outreach programs in the urban community; moreover, no program providing comprehensive cancer care was identified within an established community health center. The development and integration of services between the community health care center and cancer center, including medical, administrative, financial, interpreters, and social support, was achieved by incorporating clinical and administrative stakeholders from each institution into working group sessions through a structured facilitation process.

Results: The intervention, funded by philanthropic support, incorporates a community cancer clinic, staffed by DFCI personnel, within a primary health care center. Primary care providers refer patients to the clinic for diagnostic evaluation, abnormal screening, and selected non-chemotherapy follow-up. Patients with previous cancer histories are also referred to re-establish connections with oncology. The integrated evaluation service is provided on-site at the community cancer clinic. All medical records are maintained within the primary health care center's database so that the primary care providers can track their patients. Patients with an active cancer-related issue are then referred to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with patient navigation and access management services to facilitate a smooth transition. To promote collaborations between the primary health care center and community cancer clinic, formal and informal provider-provider consultations, didactic sessions, and community-level educational sessions have also been established. The conceptual model details the patient referral pathways and services across institutions.

Conclusion: The intervention's impact is currently being evaluated. The formation of this model demonstrates collaboration between academic centers and a primary health care center, focused on eliminating cancer disparities and emphasizing a cohesive clinical service in a novel manner.

Citation Format: Laura T. Waldman, Brian F. Young, Ludmila A. Svoboda, Christopher S. Lathan. Development and implementation of a community-based clinical cancer outreach initiative. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A18.


Purpose : To find out the average economic burden of medical care on a patient with diabetes in Pune, India Methods : A semi-open ended questionnaire followed by interview was conducted with patients attending diabetes and ophthalmic out-patient departments. They were asked regarding the duration of diabetes, methods undertaken for blood sugar control and the amount they spend on consultations, laboratory tests, medicines and procedures if any within past year. Expenditure was classified as direct cost (cost of medicines, doctor's fees, investigations, lasers and surgery) and indirect cost (travel, diet control, health classes and loss of wages). Data was collected regarding the socioeconomic status according to Kuppaswamy classification. Results : 219 patients participated of whom 129 were males (58.9%). Average annual direct cost of diabetes treatment was Rs 8,822 of which 52.1% was spend on medicines, 3.2% was spend on lasers, 12.6% was spend on surgical procedures, 11.6% spent on investigations and 10.4% was spend on clinician fees. Average annual indirect cost was Rs. 3949 of which 3.4% was spend on travelling purpose, 0.4% was spent on health classes, 4.9% was spent on diet control and 91.3% was loss of wages. Average expenditure done by lower middle class was 23.7% of their income. Average percentage of income for direct and indirect cost was 3.6% and 1.4% respectively. The cost of the treatment formed1.3% of the annual income for those in Socio-economic class I, 1.7% in class II, 3.7% in class III and 23.7% in class IV. Conclusion : The cost of managing diabetes was a significant proportion of the patients' income, especially for those on lower socio-economic scale (class IV).


[Note: the substantially revised published version of this article is available at www.ssrn.com/absract=489762] This article questions whether copyright law's prohibition against unauthorized copying and sales is either necessary or beneficial to the production and dissemination of creative content. Building on the thesis of Stephen Breyer's 1970 Harv. L. Rev. article, The Uneasy Case for Copyright, it questions the necessity of copyright by carefully identifying and explaining how new technologies and social norms provide many viable business models for financing new creations without the need for the current broad copyright protection. More significantly, it contends that, in the current lottery-like media entertainment environment, the higher revenues that copyright law enables the most popular creations to generate are generally dissipated on promotional efforts (rent seeking), which tend to drown out marginal creations. Thus, current copyright law may actually reduce the production of new creations. As background, the article reviews the six categories of costs that must be covered to enable content to be published effectively.


Abstract Sulfoxaflor (CAS# 946578-00-3) is a novel active substance with insecticidal properties mediated via its agonism on the highly abundant insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). In developmental and reproductive toxicity studies, gestational exposure caused fetal abnormalities (primarily limb contractures) and reduced neonatal survival in rats, but not rabbits, following high-dose dietary exposure. Sulfoxaflor induced these effects via a novel mode of action (MoA) mediated by the fetal-type muscle nAChR with the following key events: (1) binding to the receptor, (2) agonism on the receptor, causing (3) sustained muscle contracture in the near-term fetus and neonatal offspring. This sustained muscle contracture results in misshapen limbs, bent clavicles, and reduced diaphragm function, which compromises respiration in neonatal rats at birth, reducing their survival. This review evaluates the weight of evidence for this MoA based upon the Bradford Hill criteria, includes a cross-comparison of applied and internal doses in a variety of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo study designs, examines alternative MoAs, and applies a Human relevance framework (HRF) to ascertain human risk for this rat MoA. The review indicated, with a high level of confidence, that the sulfoxaflor-induced fetal abnormalities and neonatal death in rats occur via a single MoA comprising sustained activation of the rat fetal-type muscle nAChR resulting in a sustained muscle contracture. This MoA is considered not relevant to humans, given fundamental qualitative differences in sulfoxaflor agonism on the rat versus the human muscle nAChR. Specifically, sulfoxaflor does not cause agonism on either the human fetal- or adult-type muscle nAChR.


The formation of self-assembled contacts between vapor-liquid-solid grown silicon nanowires and flat silicon surfaces was imaged in situ using electron microscopy. By measuring the structural evolution of the contact formation process, we demonstrate how different contact geometries are created by adjusting the balance between silicon deposition and Au migration. We show that electromigration provides an efficient way of controlling the contact. The results point to novel device geometries achieved by direct nanowire growth on devices.


The most prevalent pneumoconioses are silicosis, asbestosis and coal worker's pneumoconiosis. Other pneumoconioses that have distinct clinical, functional and structural repercussions are caused by inhalation of metal powder in fumes from metals or organic salts. The distinction in terms of the chemical form of the inhaled compound is related to the tissue reaction and to the prognosis. Simple pneumoconiosis, siderosis, berylliosis and phosphate rock-related pneumoconiosis, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by exposure to heavy metals, are succinctly discussed. As an instrument of etiologic investigation of these pneumoconioses, the taking of occupational histories is essential.


When detecting and hygienically assessing the static electric field generated by the devices with a half-tone storage tube it is necessary to take account of the impact of a number of characteristics of field intensity ranging on the obtained results. Taking into consideration the above characteristics during the research permits to lower error in the derived values and approximate them to the characteristics affecting the organisms of those using devices with a half-tone storage tube.


Abstract Rising powers like Brazil, China and India have recently made significant gains in their capabilities as states. Therefore many IR scholars are claiming that these powers must now contribute more to the provision of global public goods like a clean environment, free trade and human rights. This article will argue that reasonably democratic international political discourses are another global public good whose greater supply is sorely needed and that rising powers are having a positive impact on the creation of such discourses. Thus rising powers are not behaving as irresponsibly as many IR scholars assume.


This paper examines invasion of grasslands on Cape York Peninsula, Australia, by Melaleuca viridiflora and other woody species, and the role of storm-burning (lighting fires after the first wet season rains) in their maintenance. Trends in disturbance features, fuel characteristics, ground layer composition, and woody plants dynamics under combinations of withholding fire and storm-burning over a 3-year period were measured on 19 plots in three landscape settings. Population dynamics of M. viridiflora are described in detail and 20-year population projections based on transition matrices under different fire regimes generated. Numerous M. viridiflora suckers occurred within the grass layer, increasing each year regardless of fire regime, and were rapidly recruited to the canopy in the absence of fire. Storm-burning had little impact on fuel, ground layer or woody plant composition, but maintained open vegetation structure by substantially reducing recruitment of M. viridiflora suckers to the sapling layer, and by reducing the above-grass-layer abundance of several other invasive woody species. Population projections indicated that withholding fire for 20 years could cause a sevenfold increase of M. viridiflora density on Ti-tree flats, and that annual to triennial storm-burning should be effective at maintaining a stable open vegetation structure. These findings argue against vegetation thickening being an inevitable consequence of climate change. We conclude that a fire regime that includes regular storm-burning can be effective for maintaining grasslands and grassy woodlands being invaded by M. viridiflora.


The time of expression of the paternal genes of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) was investigated in the development of fish hybrids. The species which differed by the thermostability of homologous enzymes were selected as parental pairs. The appearance of differences in the thermostability of homologous enzymes between the hybrids and the maternal species suggested the beginning of paternal enzyme synthesis in the hybrid embryos. Differences in the AChE thermostability appeared simultaneously with the enzyme activity at the stage of first muscle contractions (35 hrs of development), differences in the mitochondrial GDH thermostability appeared at the stage of hatching (50-60 hrs) and those in the LDH thermostability 12-17 days after hatching. The total activity of AChE and GDH sharply increased during the period of the paternal enzyme appearance whereas the activity of LDH suffered practically no changes. Differences in the AChE thermostability between the hybrids and the maternal species are the same for both the total AChE (in supernatant, 15,000 gX10 min.) and the solubilised AChE (in supernatant, 130,000 gX60 min.). AChE of the parental species and the hybrids have the same electrophoretic mobility. The differences in the thermostability of enzymes are preserved following the electrophoresis in polyacrilamide gel.


In epithelial tumors, the platelet-derived growth factor receptor B (PDGFRB) is mainly expressed by stromal cells of mesenchymal origin. Tumor cells may also acquire PDGFRB expression following epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which occurs during metastasis formation. Little is known about PDGFRB signaling in colorectal tumor cells. We studied the relationship between PDGFRB expression, EMT, and metastasis in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cohorts by analysis of gene expression profiles. PDGFRB expression in primary CRC was correlated with short disease-free and overall survival. PDGFRB was co-expressed with genes involved in platelet activation, transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling, and EMT in three CRC cohorts. PDGFRB was expressed in mesenchymal-like tumor cell lines in vitro and stimulated invasion and liver metastasis formation in mice. Platelets, a major source of PDGF, preferentially bound to tumor cells in a non-activated state. Platelet activation caused robust PDGFRB tyrosine phosphorylation on tumor cells in vitro and in liver sinusoids in vivo. Platelets also release TGFB, which is a potent inducer of EMT. Inhibition of TGFB signaling in tumor cells caused partial reversion of the mesenchymal phenotype and strongly reduced PDGFRB expression and PDGF-stimulated tumor cell invasion. These results suggest that PDGFRB may contribute to the aggressive phenotype of colorectal tumors with mesenchymal properties, most likely downstream of platelet activation and TGFB signaling.


IMPORTANCE
The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of a transcatheter aortic valve in patients for whom traditional valve replacement surgery poses a high or prohibitive risk. Our hospital was one of the first Veterans Affairs facilities to launch a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate our early experience with transfemoral TAVR.

DESIGN AND SETTING
We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who underwent TAVR during the first year of our program at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

PARTICIPANTS
The mean (SD) age of the patients was 77 (9) years, and their mean (SD) Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality score was 8.8 (10.7).

INTERVENTIONS
All patients underwent TAVR with the SAPIEN transcutaneous valve.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
We evaluated operative mortality and major operative morbidity (stroke, myocardial infarction, renal failure necessitating dialysis, and requirement for mechanical circulatory support, as well as vascular complications and requirement for permanent pacemaker), in addition to length of hospital stay and discharge status.

RESULTS
Between December 21, 2011, and December 13, 2012, a total of 19 transfemoral TAVR procedures were performed at our center. Implantation was successful in all cases. There were no reports of operative (30-day) mortality, prosthetic valve endocarditis, renal failure necessitating dialysis, perioperative myocardial infarction or stroke, or conversion to surgical aortic valve replacement. Seven patients (37%) had mild paravalvular leak, 3 patients (16%) had moderate paravalvular leak, 2 patients (11%) had groin wound complications, 2 patients (11%) required a permanent pacemaker, 1 patient (5%) had a vascular access complication requiring endovascular repair, and 1 patient (5%) required temporary circulatory support (with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). The mean (SD) length of hospital stay after TAVR was 8.0 (5.9) days. All patients were discharged home.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement can be performed safely and with good outcomes at a Veterans Affairs facility with a committed multidisciplinary team and substantial experience in heart valve and endovascular therapies.


Abstract Recent years have witnessed significant progress of workflow systems in different business areas. However, in the medical domain, the workflow systems are comparatively scarcely researched. In the medical domain, the workflows are as important as in other areas. In fact, the flow of information in the healthcare industry is even more critical than it is in other industries. Workflow can provide a new way of looking at how processes and procedures are completed in particular medical systems, and it can help improve the decision-making in these systems. Despite potential capabilities of workflow systems, medical systems still often perceive critical challenges in maintaining patient medical information that results in the difficulties in accessing patient data by different systems. In this paper, a new cloud-based service-oriented architecture is proposed. This architecture will support a medical workflow system integrated with cloud services aligned with medical standards to improve the healthcare system.


In 1989, the centenary of his death, Gerard Manley Hopkins continues to provoke fundamental questions among scholars: what major poetic strategy informs his work and how did his reflections on the nature of poetry affect his writing? While form meant a great deal to Hopkins, it was never mere form. Maria Lichtmann demonstrates that the poet, a student of Scripture all his life, adopted Scripture's predominant form--parallelism--as his own major poetic strategy. Hopkins saw that parallelism struck deep into the heart and soul, tapping into unconscious rhythms and bringing about a healing response that he identified as contemplation. Parallelism was to him the perfect statement of the integrity of outward form and inner meaning.Other critics have seen the parallelism in Hopkins's poems only on the auditory level of alliterations and assonances. Lichtmann, however, builds on the views held by Hopkins himself, who spoke of a parallelism of words and of thought engendered by the parallelism of sound. She distinguishes the integrating Parmenidean parallelisms of resemblance from the disintegrating Heraclitean parallelisms of antithesis. The tension between Parmenidean unity and Heraclitean variety is resolved only in the wordless communion of contemplation. This emphasis on contemplation offers a corrective to the overly emphasized Ignatian interpretation of Hopkins's poetry as meditative poetry. The book also makes clear that Hopkins's preference for contemplation sharply differentiates him from his Romantic predecessors as well as from the structuralists who now claim him.Originally published in 1989.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


This article presents a taxonomy for the user-visible parts of window managers. It is interesting that there are actually very few significant differences, and the differences can be classified in a taxonomy with fairly limited branching. This taxonomy should be useful in evaluating the similarities and differences of various window managers, and it will also serve as a guide for the issues that need to be addressed by designers of future window manager user interfaces. The advantages and disadvantages of the various options are also presented. Since many modern window managers allow the user interface to be customized to a large degree, it is important to study the choices available. A window manager is a software package that helps the user monitor and control different contexts by separating them physically onto different parts of one or more display screens. At its simplest, a window manager provides many separate terminals on the same screen, each with its own connection to a time-sharing computer. At its most advanced, a window manager supports many different activities, each of which uses many windows, and each window, in turn, can contain many different kinds of information including text, graphics, and even video. Window managers are sometimes implemented as part of a computer's operating system and sometimes as a server that can be used if desired. They


The past economic colonial policies in the Philippines created severe issues for land tenancy and distribution patterns. When Magsaysay won the presidency in 1953, his administration carried the banner of land and agrarian reform as its core policy. The paper investigated how Magsaysay Administration's agrarian reform policies addressed the needs of the peasants. Further, the study presents the land and agrarian reform programs enacted by the Magsaysay Administration, from conceptualization to implementation, their results, and efficacy in easing the tenancy problem of farmers. Using the historical method, the study showed that Magsaysay's land and agrarian reform program provided security of tenure to the farmers. It enabled them to become more independent, self-reliant, and responsible citizens. Ultimately, the program succeeded in protecting the farmers from the uncertainty and threat of land deprivation and, in effect, curtailed insurgency. Magsaysay's program also proved influential to succeeding administrations in the design and construction of their land and agrarian reform laws.


Abstract—Whitebark pine plays a prominent role in high elevation ecosystems of the northern Rocky Mountains. It is an important food source for many birds and mammals as well as an essential component of watershed stabilization. Whitebark pine is vanishing from the landscape due to three main factors: white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle outbreaks, and successional replacement by more shade-tolerant species. Between 1990 and 1994, 116 research plots were established to determine the health and status of whitebark pine populations in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in Montana, USA. In the summers of 2013 and 2014, we assisted volunteers or "citizen scientists" from the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation in remeasuring 25 of these 116 plots to assess changes in the health and status of whitebark pine over the past 20 years. Methods from the original study were simplified to accommodate volunteer crews' inexperience. Results of this remeasurement effort show that mortality of mature whitebark pine trees in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex has more than doubled in the last two decades (to 80 percent from 35 percent) with white pine blister rust now present in all surveyed stands. Most tree deaths were from white pine blister rust (>60 percent), but a large increase in mountain pine beetle attacks was also noted. As blister rust kills more stands dominated by whitebark pine, the trees will be replaced with the more shade-tolerant subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce, further inhibiting regeneration of the shade-intolerant species.Whitebark pine plays a prominent role in high elevation ecosystems of the northern Rocky Mountains. It is an important food source for many birds and mammals as well as an essential component of watershed stabilization. Whitebark pine is vanishing from the landscape due to three main factors: white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle outbreaks, and successional replacement by more shade-tolerant species. Between 1990 and 1994, 116 research plots were established to determine the health and status of whitebark pine populations in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in Montana, USA. In the summers of 2013 and 2014, we assisted volunteers or "citizen scientists" from the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation in remeasuring 25 of these 116 plots to assess changes in the health and status of whitebark pine over the past 20 years. Methods from the original study were simplified to accommodate volunteer crews' inexperience. Results of this remeasurement effort show that mortality of mature whitebark pine trees in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex has more than doubled in the last two decades (to 80 percent from 35 percent) with white pine blister rust now present in all surveyed stands. Most tree deaths were from white pine blister rust (>60 percent), but a large increase in mountain pine beetle attacks was also noted. As blister rust kills more stands dominated by whitebark pine, the trees will be replaced with the more shade-tolerant subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce, further inhibiting regeneration of the shade-intolerant species.


This article begins by recounting the story of Clarence Darrow's defense of Leopold and Loeb in 1924. The account is based heavily on a recently republished trial transcript. The Leopold and Loeb trial captured world-wide attention and, even today, continues to engender interest and controversy. It was apparently the first instance of an elaborate psychological defense offered in mitigation to avoid the death penalty for defendants who conceded their guilt of a horrendous murder. Darrow's summation in the case is also considered one of the most spectacular examples in history of legal advocacy. After describing Darrow's extrordinary defense at length, the article uses the story as a springboard for examining the Eighth Amendment function of the capital sentencing trial in the modern era. The Supreme Court has mandated a sentencing trial as a prerequisite to a death sentence, no matter how aggravated the capital crime. However, the Court has never provided a persuasive Eighth Amendment explanation for this requirement. The article explores whether such a rationale exists.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe the cancer experience of gay men and lesbian women.

RESEARCH APPROACH
Descriptive, qualitative analysis.

SETTING
Ambulatory cancer center in a midsized Canadian city.

PARTICIPANTS
3 gay men and 4 lesbian women with cancer.

METHODOLOGIC APPROACH
In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with a semistructured interview guide. Transcribed interviews were analyzed, and themes were identified within and among individuals.

FINDINGS
Coded transcripts of the interview data yielded four themes: Disclosure related to individuals' experiences in revealing their sexual orientation to cancer care providers, Response to Partner described the role of partners in the care continuum and healthcare providers' responses to the presence of same-sex partners, Support From Others addressed the lack of support groups for gay and lesbian clients, and Body Image concerned the alterations to physical appearance resulting from cancer and its treatments and the unique role that image plays in gay and lesbian communities.

CONCLUSIONS
Overt homophobia or discrimination within the cancer care system was not experienced by this study's participants. Participants valued the central role of their partners in coping with cancer. Some gaps in the cancer care system related to support groups were identified.

INTERPRETATION
Although the participants did not experience overt discrimination in the cancer care system, nurses should continue to ensure that sensitive care is provided to the gay and lesbian population.


Background: Recent research has indicated that ethical concerns are insufficiently dealt with in dissertations. This study examines how research ethics and informed consent is reported in nurses' dissertations. Methods: Analyses of ethical content and complexity of ethical reasoning in 64 PhD dissertations published by Swedish nurses in 2007. Results: All dissertations, except one, had a section on ethical considerations; however, these were short, lacking in references, and thin on content. Information and informed consent was discussed in (87% of the dissertations). A third of these dissertations explicitly mention the concept of informed consent. A substantial amount of space described the informing phase of research, including details of form of information (written and/or verbal) and type of information. While many ethical concerns, like informed consent, involve systematic concepts or metasystematic principles, the complexity of ethical reasoning in the dissertations was categorized as abstract (6% of the dissertations), formal (84%) and systematic (10%). Conclusions : The concept and practice of informed consent is poorly reported in many dissertations. Important ethical concerns are missing and the complexity of reasoning on ethical principles, motives and implications is insufficient. This is partly due to traditions and norms that discount ethical concerns, but probably also reflect the ability of PhD-students and supervisors to handle complexity in general. It is suggested that the importance of ethical considerations is emphasized in graduate and post-graduate studies, and that individuals with capacity to deal with systematic and meta-systematic concepts are recruited to senior research positions.


Drought is considered as a destructive disaster that can have irreversible effects on different aspects of life. In this study, artificial neural network was used as a powerful means of modeling nonlinear and indefinite processes in order to simulate drought intensities at 7 synoptic stations of Khorasan Razavi from more than 35 years ago up to the year 2014. Input data were the calculations of the two indicators of PNPI and SPI by DIC software, and the output layer (drought intensity) was taken to the Matlab software and employed as the teaching data (from 25 years), experiment (from 5 years), and validation (from another 5 years). The 3-9-1 structure of the network of layers had the maximum accuracy with the error rate of less than 2 % and high correlation (more than 90 %). After trial and error for each station through sigmoid stimulation function in the Perceptron network, it was observed that the stations of Mashhad and Quchan had the minimum error and the maximum error was related to the station of Neyshabur. The results of comparisons and observations showed that the artificial neural network had high efficiency in simulation of the data. The obtained correlation amount of 0.999 for the base station represented the small error of the model in prediction. Drought forecasting was performed in this study by the trained algorithm in the artificial neural network without using the observation data. The results showed that rainfall, temperature, and speed models had a positive role in forecasting the provinces that would experience drought. Due to its lower amount of error, SPI indicator was selected for mapping, the findings of which showed that the highest drought intensity belonged to the near normal to normal wet lands.


The dilute solution model is quite widely used because the chemical potential is more easily defined than that in the sub-lattice model. In the present study, the thermodynamic model for the Fe-Mn-Si-Nb-Ti-V-C system was conducted by evaluating Wagner interaction parameters. The data used in this work was collected and modified by means of TCFE 2000-database in Thermo-Calc and up-to date references. The relationship of interaction parameters(L) in the sub-lattice model and Wagner interaction parameters in the dilute solution model was derived. The composition dependency of reference state and the higher order interaction parameters of the excess Gibbs energy were considered to evaluate Wagner interaction parameters. The equilibrium compositions of austenite and fractions of phases and the dissolution temperature of precipitates(NbC, VC, and TiC) were evaluated by the dilute solution model and compared with the results by the sub-lattice model.


There is a pressing need for: (i) cleaner fuels (free of aromatics and of minimal sulfur content) or ones that convert chemical energy directly to electricity, silently and without production of noxious oxides and particulates; (ii) chemical, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical processes that may be conducted in a one-step, solvent-free manner, and that use air as the preferred oxidant; and (iii) industrial processes that minimize consumption of energy, production of waste or the use of corrosive, explosive, volatile and nonbiodegradable materials. All these needs and other desiderata, such as the in situ production and containment of aggressive and hazardous reagents, and the avoidance of use of ecologically harmful elements, may be achieved by designing the appropriate heterogeneous inorganic catalyst, which, ideally should be cheap, readily preparable, and fully characterizable, preferably under in situ reaction conditions. A range of nanoporous and nanoparticle catalysts, designed, synthesized, characterized, and tested by the authors and their colleagues, that meet most of the stringent demands of sustainable development and responsible (clean) technology is described. Specific examples that are highlighted include: (a) the production of adipic acid (precursor of polyamides and urethanes) without the use of concentrated nitric acid or the production of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide; (b) the production of caprolactam (precursor of nylon) without the use of oleum and hydroxylamine sulfate; and (c) the terminal oxyfunctionalization of linear alkanes in air. The topic of biocatalysis and sustainable development is also briefly discussed, and a cautionary note is sounded concerning fast screening methods for the discovery of new inorganic catalysts.


Aims The aim of this study was to enhance the understanding of the baby boom generation's use and perception of recommended assistive technology. Methods A mixed quantitative and qualitative research design was employed, primarily based on a phenomenological framework. Literature was reviewed to provide an overview of the factors found to influence the use of assistive technology. Twelve patients (born 1946-1965 inclusive) from a regional Australian public hospital, who were recommended assistive technology upon discharge, were administered questionnaires. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with four participants. Findings Eight participants followed recommendations to hire/purchase assistive technology. All of the participants who obtained recommended assistive technology stated they 'used' it. Cost was identified as influencing non-use. Conclusions There was some variation from the literature in factors that influenced use, highlighting the importance of further examination of baby boomers and a...


BACKGROUND
In our investigations to develop microexplosion lithotripsy (MEL), the detonation theory, which was proposed in industrial blasting, was proved to be tenable also in MEL with tiny explosives of a few mg. According to the theory, the peak pressure of shock wave generated by blasting was analyzed relating to the volume of calculi.

METHODS
472 cases of renal urinary calculi to be disintegrated by ESWL were examined.

RESULTS
For the successful disintegration, the maximum length of calculi, which was employed conventionally, was a good predictor as for those less than 15 mm (disintegrated in 95%) and those more than 25 mm (disintegrated in 8%). However, the maximum length could not predict the successful result in calculi with intermediate maximum length between 15 and 25 mm. For this intermediate range of the maximum length, the volume of calculi was a very good indicator to show whether the integration was possible or not, because the large majority (90%) of calculi less than 6 cm3 was treated successfully, while none of calculi more than 6 cm3 was disintegrated. According to the theory, the peak pressure of shock wave generated by blasting, which was required to disintegrate a calculated of 6 cm3, was calculated as 80 MPa.

CONCLUSION
Since it is believed that the peak pressure generated by usual ESWL machines is between 80 and 120 MPa at the focussing point, the conclusion in this report that the maximum volume of calculi disintegrated by ESWL might be 6 cm3 was thought to be fairly reasonable.


ABSTRACT Introduction: The β-thalassemias are rare diseases caused by more than 300 different mutations of the adult β-globin genes: they are treated with blood transfusions, chelation therapy or bone marrow transplantation. Areas Covered: This article reviews orphan drugs, related patent applications and related clinical trials on β-thalassemia, including novel therapeutic approaches and repurposing of orphan drugs. Expert Opinion: Patient stratification is expected to be applied for personalized therapeutic interventions for β-thalassemia patients. This will cover primary mutations of the β-globin gene and DNA polymorphisms that predict severity of the disease and response to therapy. Improved understanding of the regulation of γ-globin gene expression and the optimization of novel approaches for gene editing are expected to introduce innovative orphan drugs and/or approaches for fetal hemoglobin induction and gene correction, respectively. The possible combination between gene therapy and cellular therapy, including gene-correction, presents a new opportunity. A dramatic increase in the need for cellular biobanking (including also cord blood biobanking) is expected, given the possibility to intervene on patients-derived cells with bone marrow transplantation and/or generated induced pluripotent stem cells. The repurposing of drugs used in clinical trials for different pathologies is an interesting approach to providing novel drugs at low cost.


ABSTRACT The diachronous Upper Lias Sands of southern England are comprised of small scale rhythmic alternations of friable, yellow sandstone and firm, gray, calcareous sandstones. In general, the alternating layers are parallel to bedding and to one another; exceptions occur where the calcareous sandstones mark out the bases of erosional structures. Individual carbonate-rich or deficient horizons cannot be correlated between outcroups 2-3 miles apart, but within a single outcrop they preserve a remarkable uniformity in vertical sequence. Petrographic studies demonstrate that original textural relationships are retained in the calcareous sandstones, while the friable sandstone interbeds have undergone compaction effects. Field evidence indicates that the calcareous sandstones were lithified be ore the deposition of more than 6 inches of superimposed sediment. Such lithification is estimated to have taken approximately 150 years. The alternations are considered to be the result of fluctuating rates of detrital deposition: the calcareous sandstones representing temporally, and spatially restricted locales characterized by little or no detrital deposition, and the sandstone interbeds representing contiguous areas of more rapid detrital deposition. Within the Upper Lias Sands a gradual increase is observed in the relative proportions of CaCO3 to detritals. This is believed to reflect the southerly lateral migration of the wave of maximum terriginous sedimentation. This process established conditions suitable for deposition of the succeeding limestone sequences an environment foreshadowed by the calcareous sandstones of the Upper Lias Sands.


Susceptibility to arthritis in the Lewis rat is associated with a defect of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We examined the pituitary corticotropes of both intact and dexamethasone-treated male and female inflammatory-disease-susceptible Lewis and inflammatory-disease-resistant Fischer rats. We determined adrenocorticotropin levels in the media from primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells of both strains. In other experiments we have measured intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate and inositol monophosphate accumulation. Cells were incubated with corticotropin-releasing hormone, arginine vasopressin, forskolin, phorbol myristate acetate, or thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulated adrenocorticotropin secretion from both male and female Lewis rat pituitary cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Basal and stimulated adrenocorticotropin levels in cells from Lewis rats were lower than those measured in the incubation media of Fischer rat dispersed pituitary cells. Arginine vasopressin, as well as forskolin and phorbol myristate acetate, induced a significant release of adrenocorticotropin from pituitary cells of both strains. Incubation with corticotropin-releasing hormone did not produce a significant accumulation of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate in Lewis rat dispersed pituicytes of both sexes. On the other hand, forskolin induced a significant increase of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the same cultures. Finally, inositol monophosphate accumulation was comparable in pituitary cells from both Lewis and Fischer rats of both sexes incubated with thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Adrenocorticotropin secretion from pituitary cells of male Lewis rats treated in vivo with dexamethasone was either reduced or abolished following incubation with different secretagogues. A defect in pituitary adrenocorticotropin secretion could be among the causes of the hyporesponsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the Lewis rat. Such a defect appears to be associated with dysfunction of receptor-coupled events related to adenylate cyclase.


Millennial is the category of generation who
are born between 1980s to 2000. Hence, the present workplace across industries
in the globe is dominated by millennials. It is also clear
that they are the future leaders. Hence, it is imperative
to comprehend the preferences they perceive in terms of work and leadership. When
we are deliberating about work, it covers both the content and context of the work
setting, whereas leadership is being acknowledged as the management or boss,
who influence millennials to contribute for the revenue of the organization. So,
major focus in the workplace has gone to millennials. No doubt, these
millennials possess and demonstrate different attitudes, values, beliefs, and
aspirations when compared to the previous generations and leaders should be
alert every time, be flexible towards the requirement and become the role model
for the generation. Therefore, an attempt has been made here by the researchers
to develop a conceptual framework that explores Millennials' perception of
leadership in the workplace. By examining Millennials perception in the context
of leadership, this article provides important theoretical and practical
implications for organizations of present and future.


Mass transfer enhancement by the use of nanoparticles suspended in a liquid phase (known as nanofluids) has been studied in recent years with positive results. Different theories have been proposed to explain the improvement in mass transfer, however it has not been possible to elucidate a definite answer. While the theory is still uncertain the experimental work continues in areas that will benefit much such as non-reactive gas absorption. In this study carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption experiments are performed in a Taylor-Couette absorber at different rotational speeds. The base fluid for the experiments is methanol. Al2O3 and SiO2 nanoparticles are combined with methanol to produce nanofluids with the purpose of enhancing the absorption of the CO2 gas into the methanol. The system is equipped with a mass flow controller at the inlet and a mass flow meter at the outlet to obtain the absorption rate. The Taylor-Couette absorber performance is compared to a modified version in which trays were added to enhance the absorption rate. Experiments in co-current and counter-current flow modes are carried out. The results of continuous absorption are presented. In addition, the two-phase flow pattern of the CO2 gas bubbles and the liquid methanol in the Taylor-Couette absorber and the modified version is analyzed with pictures obtained by a high speed camera.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


OF THESIS The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of SrS based ACTFEL devices. Better understanding of the processes in the host phosphor will give us the possibility to design more efficient blue emitting ACTFEL devices. Towards this aim, a physical model, that describes the optoelectronic processes taking place in the phosphor, was developed and analytical equations were written. The analytical model was numerically simulated and the plots of flux flowing through the device and luminance output by the device were obtained. Experiments were performed to obtain the plots of current flowing through the device and luminance output by the device. These plots were then qualitatively compared and the results of comparisons are presented. The numerical simulations qualitatively verify the accuracy of the model. The drive parameters were varied in order to study its effect on the VIL characteristics of the device. On varying the voltage applied to the device and its rise and fall times, a good insight was obtained into device behavior. Simulations were also performed to obtain responses to qualitatively match the experimentally obtained responses. Various What-If scenarios have been studied by varying the device parameters. These studies have indicated the importance of these parameters in determining device performance.


This Article builds upon prior works which articulate an objective standard for corporate ethics and compliance that furthers shareholder wealth maximization: A firm should only engage in conduct that acclimates itself as optimally as possible to the full range of its constituencies, including investors, workers, consumers, and regulators. Further, because of the deep racial and social divisions within the United States today (and present in most business environments), a firm can achieve optimal acclimation only if it includes the full range of cultural diversity within its constituencies, as those diverse voices influence the behavior of the firm. This allows the firm to import the conscience of those constituencies due to differences in ethical sensitivities among discrete segments of the population. This Article argues in favor of an SEC disclosure guidance release requiring the disclosure of ethical and compliance governance structures and practices. Such a disclosure mandate should include: disclosure of governance structures at the board level and below; the role of cultural diversity in the ethics and compliance function; the degree to which the ethics and compliance function is independent of senior management; and how reports of potential misconduct are encouraged. These facts would be material to a reasonable investor given the history of shareholder losses (particularly in recent history) suffered at the hands of unethical and non-compliant management. This disclosure mandate could trigger a competitive race-to-the-top as firms search for those ethical and compliance practices that lead to the highest gains in sustainable financial performance. In short, competitive capitalism can lead to a race-to-the-top, in terms of ethicality and compliance practices, as well as a firm's embrace of cultural diversity.


Introduction: Persistent COVID-19 symptoms (long COVID) may bring numerous challenges to long haulers' social lives. Women may have to endure more profound impacts given their social roles and existing structural inequality. This study aims to explore the impacts of long COVID on various aspects of social life among female long haulers. Methods: We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with female long haulers in the United States purposely recruited from Facebook groups, Slack group, and organization websites. The interviews were audio recorded after appropriate consent and transcribed verbatim. Inductive approach was applied in thematic analysis, which consists of six stages: becoming familiar with data, developing initial codes, extracting themes, refining themes, labeling themes, and reporting. The MAXQDA software was used in data analysis. Results: Participants reported persistent symptoms that negatively affected their social lives in many ways. The main impacts included physical limitation, financial hardship, social relationship, conflict of social roles, and social stigma. Negative effects of long COVID hindered female long haulers' recovery process. Social isolation, COVID-19 associated stigma, and conflicts of social roles cause tremendous stress. Employers' support and social media usage may play positive role in their coping with impacts of long COVID on their social life. Conclusion: Existing policies and intervention programs need to be adapted to address the challenges and barriers that long haulers face in returning to normal social life, especially for females. Tailored social life-related recommendations and social support are needed for female long haulers.


The digital inequality literature has focused on the antecedents and effects of differentiated Internet use. The scientific and public policy relevance of the digital divide is based on the assumption that those who are able to effectively use the Internet might increase their social, economic, cultural, and human capital, and this could exacerbate social inequalities (DiMaggio et al., 2004). But individuals' digital footprints—the sum of their digitally traceable behavior and online presence—can also lead to beneficial and adverse outcomes, short-term or long-term, individual or societal. What users do online matters; however, what is online about them also has consequences. Digital footprints entail results both in the sense of immediate gratifications (e.g., enjoyment) and of outcomes (e.g., finding a job). Digital divide scholarship should consider how online traces and their consequences vary according to socio-demographic variables and traditional markers of inequalities. From this premise, we develop the concept of "digital footprint gap," suggest viable methods to investigate it, and reflect on action plans that could connect research, policy, and practice.


Abstract Background The 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak was the most sustained in history. In Guinea, we compared trends in family planning, antenatal care, and institutional deliveries over the period before, during and after the outbreak. Methods We carried out an ecological study involving all the health facilities during pre-Ebola (1 March 2013 to 28 February 2014), intra-Ebola (1 March 2014 to 28 February 2015) and post-Ebola (1 March to 31 July 2016) periods in Macenta district. Results Utilization of family planning declined from a monthly average of 531 visits during the pre-Ebola period to 242 visits in the peak month of the Ebola outbreak (51% decline) but recovered in the post-Ebola period. From a monthly average of 2053 visits pre-Ebola, antenatal care visits declined by 41% during Ebola and then recovered to only 63% of the pre-Ebola level (recovery gap of 37%, p<0.001). From a monthly average of 1223 deliveries pre-Ebola, institutional deliveries also declined during Ebola and then recovered to only 66% of the pre-Ebola level (p<0.001). Conclusions All services assessed were affected by Ebola. Family planning recovered post-Ebola; however, shortfalls were observed in recovery of antenatal care and institutional deliveries. We call for stronger political will, international support and generous funding to change the current state of affairs.


Various physical infrastructure activities carried out to improve road performance one of them with improvement and improvement of roads. Package of road improvement activities Boyolali - Jrakah / Selo is worth 19.5 billion more with the type of handling of concrete road pavement + concrete widening + 2 layer overlay over 4 km. However, the timing of the activities specified during the 240 working days is delayed due to various factors. Though this road has a function and a very important role that disrupt the activities of society and the flow of agricultural goods. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors causing the delay of the project Improving the Road of Boyolali - Jrakah / Selo in 2015. The research method used is descriptive approach method. The survey method was conducted to capture the opinions, experiences and attitudes of the respondents on the issues in road improvement project of Boyolali-Jrakah / Selo road in Boyolali Regency through questionnaire and institutional survey. The sample of research using all members of the population is called total sample or census which amounts to 60 respondents. The analysis technique used is factor analysis. While the variables used are labor, materials, equipment, design, planning and implementation, financing, social environment and community and managerial.

Keywords : project delays, road improvements, Boyolali-Jrakah road


A physical model based on the open‐source toolkit Geant4 for production rates of cosmogenic nuclei on the lunar surface is proposed and calibrated. The fluxes of proton and neutron beneath the lunar surface are obtained by simulating the physical processes between the cosmic‐ray particles and the lunar surface material. By combining the experimental proton cross sections and the a posteriori neutron cross sections, we calculate the production rate depth profiles of long‐lived nuclei (10Be, 14C, 26Al, 36Cl, and 53Mn). Through comparing experimental and theoretical data for these nuclei, we find that for all the selected nuclei, experimental and theoretical production rate depth profiles agree well with each other by introducing a single normalization factor. It means that the physical model based on Geant4 can also reproduce the depth profiles of cosmogenic nuclei, and that this model can be used by everyone worldwide. In addition, we predict the production rates of three stable nuclei (21Ne, 22Ne, and 38Ar).


This paper explores the translation of British experimental poetry into French, with reference to Charles Bernstein's emphasis on "aurality" as "the sounding of the writing". We consider three approaches to sound: firstly, the play between speech and perception in the poetry of Carol Watts, translated collectively by the graduate students of Paris Diderot University; multivocal lyric and inarticulacy in the context of mourning (Denise Riley, translated by Martine Chardoux); and finally linguistic soundings and echoes as present in the poetry of Jeff Hilson (translated by Carole Birkan-Berz with Auxemery). By examining, alongside the translations, the translation-like strategies at work in the source texts that focus attention on aurality, we attempt to investigate listening across the overlapping practices of poetry and translation in both languages.


WebIDE is a new web-based development environment for entry-level programmers with two primary goals: minimize tool barriers to writing computer programs and introduce software engineering best practices early in a student's educational career. Currently, WebIDE focuses on Test-Driven Learning (TDL) by using small iterative examples and introducing lock-step labs, which prevent the student from moving forward until they finish the current step. However, WebIDE does not require that labs follow TDL. Instruc tors can write their own labs for WebIDE using any software engineering or pedagogical approach. Likewise, instructors can build custom evaluators—written in any language—to support their approach and provide detailed error messages to students. We report on a pilot study in a CS0 course where students were split into two groups, one that used WebIDE and one that didn't. The WebIDE group showed a significant improvement in performance when writing a simple Android application. Additionally, among students with some programming experience, the WebIDE group was more proficient in writing unit tests.


We present extensive photometry at ultraviolet (UV), optical, and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, as well as dense sampling of optical spectra, for the normal Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2005cf. The optical photometry, performed at eight different telescopes, shows a 1σ scatter of ≲0.03 mag after proper corrections for the instrument responses. From the well-sampled light curves, we find that SN 2005cf reached a B-band maximum at 13.63 ± 0.02 mag, with an observed luminosity decline rate Δm15(B) = 1.05 ± 0.03 mag. The correlations between the decline rate and various color indexes, recalibrated on the basis of an expanded SN Ia sample, yield a consistent estimate for the host-galaxy reddening of SN 2005cf, E(B − V)host = 0.10 ± 0.03 mag. The UV photometry was obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, and the results match each other to within 0.1–0.2 mag. The UV light curves show similar evolution to the broadband U, with an exception in the 2000–2500 Å spectral range (corresponding to the F220W/uvm2 filters), where the light curve appears broader and much fainter than that on either side (likely owing to the intrinsic spectral evolution). Combining the UV data with the ground-based optical and NIR data, we establish the generic UV-optical-NIR bolometric light curve for SN 2005cf and derive the bolometric corrections in the absence of UV and/or NIR data. The overall spectral evolution of SN 2005cf is similar to that of a normal SN Ia, but with variety in the strength and profile of the main feature lines. The spectra at early times displayed strong, high-velocity (HV) features in the Ca ii H&K doublet and NIR triplet, which were distinctly detached from the photosphere (v ≈ 10,000 km s−1) at a velocity ranging from 20,000 to 25,000 km s−1. One interesting feature is the flat-bottomed absorption observed near 6000 Å in the earliest spectrum, which rapidly evolved into a triangular shape and then became a normal Si ii λ6355 absorption profile at about one week before maximum brightness. This premaximum spectral evolution is perhaps due to the blending of the Si iiλ6355 at photospheric velocity and another HV absorption component (e.g., an Si ii shell at a velocity ∼18,000 km s−1) in the outer ejecta, and may be common in other normal SNe Ia. The possible origin of the HV absorption features is briefly discussed.


Variables obtained from statistical techniques of multivarying analysis, related to psychosocial adaptation of chronic renal patients on treatment were applies in order to construct an index for the probability of the psychosocial adaptation of chronic renal patients (I.P.P.A.C.R.P.). The probability of 1% adaptation determines correctly to 97% of the cases with high sensibility and specificness thus is convenient to wait for the crossed validation of other investigators.


Real-life activities, such as watching a movie or engaging in conversation, unfold over many minutes. In the course of such activities, the brain has to integrate information over multiple time scales. We recently proposed that the brain uses similar strategies for integrating information across space and over time. Drawing a parallel with spatial receptive fields, we defined the temporal receptive window (TRW) of a cortical microcircuit as the length of time before a response during which sensory information may affect that response. Our previous findings in the visual system are consistent with the hypothesis that TRWs become larger when moving from low-level sensory to high-level perceptual and cognitive areas. In this study, we mapped TRWs in auditory and language areas by measuring fMRI activity in subjects listening to a real-life story scrambled at the time scales of words, sentences, and paragraphs. Our results revealed a hierarchical topography of TRWs. In early auditory cortices (A1+), brain responses were driven mainly by the momentary incoming input and were similarly reliable across all scrambling conditions. In areas with an intermediate TRW, coherent information at the sentence time scale or longer was necessary to evoke reliable responses. At the apex of the TRW hierarchy, we found parietal and frontal areas that responded reliably only when intact paragraphs were heard in a meaningful sequence. These results suggest that the time scale of processing is a functional property that may provide a general organizing principle for the human cerebral cortex.