Although exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of infant life is recommended in the UK, there is little information on the extent of exclusive breastfeeding. This study has taken the 1996 and 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) definitions of breastfeeding and investigated breastfeeding rates in the first 6 months of life in infants born to mothers enrolled in a longitudinal, representative, population-based cohort study--the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Information about breastfeeding and introduction of solids was available for 11 490 infants at 6 months of age (81% of live births). Exclusive breastfeeding declined steadily from 54.8% in the first month to 31% in the third, and fell to 9.6% in the fourth month mainly due to the introduction of solids to the infants. In the first 2 months, complementary feeding (breastmilk and solid/semi-solid foods with any liquid including non-human milk) was used in combination, and declined from 22% in the first month to 16.8% in the second due to a switch to exclusive commercial infant formula feeding. Replacement feeding (exclusive commercial infant formula or combined with any liquid or solid/semi-solid food but excluding breastmilk) increased steadily from 21.9% in the first month to 67.1% by the seventh. This obscured the change from exclusive commercial infant formula feeding only to commercial infant formula feeding plus solids/semi-solids, a change which started in the third month and was complete by the fifth. Using categories in the 1996 and 2003 WHO definitions, such as complementary feeding and replacement feeding, presented difficulties for an analysis of the extent of breastfeeding in this population.


Abstract:This article explores the popular shift to a media-ecological understanding in post-1960s Japan. Bookending its investigation with two actual funerals held for fictional characters in 1970 and 2007, it tracks the trope of death to map the increased interlocking of media temporality and everyday temporality in intensified media capitalism. As characters attain the ability to die, they are increasingly reanimated (to die again) in other media. Death and reanimation thereby become an expression of transformations at the intersection of media-systemic, economic, and aesthetic levels. The article concludes that death and reanimation across media channels point to a new rhythmic temporal regime. Characters are now mortal but cannot die, doomed to become eternally wandering media-mix zombies. The article relates this media economy linked to themes of death and animation to recent discussions of capitalist animism by figures such as Michael Taussig, Achille Mbembe, and Steven Shaviro. The article then offers a brief outlook on the most recent expressions of this zombie economy in narrative tropes of time loops and alternative realities.


This paper reports the synthesis of nine N-(4-carbethoxy-4-substituted butyryl)-N-substituted glycines and their corresponding t-butyl esters. The former were expected to have inhibitory activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme. All of the compounds mentioned above were unreported in the literature. In preliminary test in rats, compounds VII7 and VII9 showed marked hypotensive activity.


With the introduction of EUV lithography into early manufacturing, the lithography community still struggles with some imaging issues, like the magnitude of usable depth of focus, and reduced contrast which can impact stochastic effects such as defectivity and line edge roughness. In recent years EMF mask effects and their impact on best focus shift in EUV lithography were investigated, and alternative absorber stacks were proposed in order to improve control of focus and contrast. Recently, interest in phase shifting masks has resurfaced, and there are proposals for alternative absorber stacks that depend on feature type to be patterned. In this paper, we investigate the phenomenon that for a dipole the separate images of the two monopoles do not overlap with each other. This means that the contrast for the dipole is measurably lower than that of the individual monopoles. We discuss the impact of this effect on contrast and usable depth of focus, propose a method to measure this image split effect, and investigate which absorber materials can reduce it. One approach to suppressing the image split has been the choice of a material that is index matched to vacuum, which therefore shows a negligible image split behavior. While this image split is indeed largely suppressed for absorbers with n ≈ 1, those materials have markedly low intrinsic image contrast, making them unsuitable as absorbers. Instead, we have converged on absorbers that create either a significant phase shift or feature very strong absorption, with recent proposals coming close to a π phase shift for attPSM. We hypothesize that the close index match to vacuum is detrimental to imaging because a larger part of the light is absorbed which would otherwise have contributed to imaging.


In many highly motorised countries, the number of traffic fatalities has gone down by about 80 percent since the peak number, which was reached around 1970. What explains this decline? Is it principally the result of road safety policy, or have other factors made a larger contribution? This paper argues that it is difficult to give a scientifically rigorous explanation of the decline in traffic fatalities. There are five main problems: (1) There are very many potentially relevant explanatory variables. (2) Some of the relevant explanatory variables change slowly at an almost constant rate. (3) Data are incomplete or missing about many potentially relevant variables. (4) Some variables are affected by measurement errors or discontinuities in time series. (5) Many of the explanatory variables are very highly correlated with each other and with time. These problems are illustrated using Norway as an example. It is shown that the problems listed above can result in models that are non-sensical although they pass formal tests of model quality. The lesson is that one should never judge how good a model is merely in terms of formal criteria. Some strategies for developing more meaningful models are discussed.


Foreword R. C. Merton Part I. Introduction: 1. Editors' introduction 2. Stochastic calculus and Markov methods L. C. G. Rogers 3. The risk premium in trading equilibria which support Black-Scholes option pricing S. D. Hodges and M. J. P. Selby 4. On the numeraire portfolio P. Artzner Part II. Option Pricing and Hedging: 5. Convergence of Snell envelopes and critical prices in the American Put N. J. Cutland, P. E. Kopp, W. Willinger and M. C. Wyman 6. Some combination of Asian, Parisian and Barrier options M. Yor, M. Chesnay, H. Geman and M. Jeanblanc-Pique 7. Co-movement term structure and the valuation of crack energy spread options A. Mbanefo 8. Pricing and hedging with Smiles B. Dupire 9. Filtering derivative security valuations from market prices R. J. Elliott, C. H. Lahaie and D. B. Madan 10. Option pricing in the presence of extreme fluctuations J.-P. Bouchard, D. Sornette and M. Potters 11. Hedging long maturity commodity commitments with short-dated futures contracts M. J. Brennan and N. I. Crew 12. Nonlinear financial markets: hedging and portfolio optimization J. Cvitanic 13. Semimartingales and asset pricing under constraints M. Frittelli 14. Option pricing in incomplete markets M. H. A. Davis 15. Option pricing and hedging in discrete time with transaction costs F. Mercurio and T. C. F. Vorst Part III. Term Structure and Interest Rate Derivatives: 16. Bond and bond option pricing based on the current term structure P. H. Dybvig 17. Dynamic models for yield curve evolution B. Flesaker and L. P. Hughston 18. General interest rate models and the universality of HJM M. W. Baxter 19. Swap derivatives in a Gaussian HJM framework A. Brace and M. Musiela 20. Modelling bonds and derivatives with default risk D. Lando 21. Term structure modelling under alternative official regimes S. H. Babbs and N. J. Webber 22. Interest rate distributions, yield curve modelling and monetary policy L. El-Jahel, H. Lindberg and W. Perraudin Part IV. Numerical Methods: 23. Numerical option pricing using conditioned diffusions S. K. Gandhi and P. J. Hunt 24. Numerical valuation of cross-currency swaps and swaptions M. A. H. Dempster and J. P. Hutton 25. Numerical methods for stochastic control problems in finance H. J. Kushner 26. Simulation methods for option pricing J. P. Lehoczky 27. New methodologies for valuing derivatives S. H. Paskov.


PURPOSE
We aimed to explore whether multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics combined with selected blood inflammatory markers could effectively predict the grade and proliferation in glioma patients.

METHODS
This retrospective study included 152 patients histopathologically diagnosed with glioma. Stratified sampling was used to divide all patients into a training cohort (n=107) and a validation cohort (n=45) according to a ratio of 7:3, and five-fold repeat cross-validation was adopted in the training cohort. Multiparametric MRI and clinical parameters, including age, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and red cell distribution width, were assessed. During image processing, image registration and gray normalization were conducted. A radiomics analysis was performed by extracting 1584 multiparametric MRI-based features, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was applied to generate a radiomics signature for predicting grade and Ki-67 index in both training and validation cohorts. Statistical analysis included analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, intraclass correlation coefficient, multivariate logistic regression, Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTS
The radiomics signature demonstrated good performance in both the training and validation cohorts, with areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of 0.92, 0.91, and 0.94 and 0.94, 0.75, and 0.82 for differentiating between low and high grade gliomas, grade III and grade IV gliomas, and low Ki-67 and high Ki-67, respectively, and was better than the clinical model; the AUCs of the combined model were 0.93, 0.91, and 0.95 and 0.94, 0.76, and 0.80, respectively.

CONCLUSION
Both the radiomics signature and combined model showed high diagnostic efficacy and outperformed the clinical model. The clinical factors did not provide additional improvement in the prediction of the grade and proliferation index in glioma patients, but the stability was improved.


This study aims to determine how much of an economic loss results from the FiT policy and to provide such information to the government, which in turn sets policy for future decisions. Findings from a SUR estimation show that the supply of each energy source does not respond to the purchase price, except in the case of natural gas. Increases in the purchase price of natural gas increases the quantity used to produce electricity by natural gas at a significance level 1 percent. The FiT policy is found to create an economic loss that comes from violating the law of one price and from ignoring an externality cost, amounting to 46.67 and 356.44 billion per year, respectively. Therefore, this study suggests that the Thai government should adjust the electricity purchase price by setting the purchase price by following the law of one price and thus reflecting the full cost pricing in power generation.


BH08 A rare cause of hair loss in a child Jake Moss, Anita Takwale and Paul Craig Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK A 7-year-old girl with no past medical history presented to the local paediatric department with a 3-month history of a rapidly enlarging nodular lesion on the central scalp associated with central crusting and hair loss. Four weeks previously the patient had been started on oral terbinafine for a presumed kerion. Further examination by the paediatric team demonstrated no further skin lesions, but examination of her neck revealed tender right-sided cervical lymphadenopathy. Full blood count demonstrated marked eosinophilia at 48 9 10 cells L (normal range 0 10–0 40 9 10 cells L). Owing to the clinical findings and lack of response to treatment a biopsy of the scalp lesion and cervical nodes were undertaken. Biopsy of both scalp lesion and cervical lymph node demonstrated extensive diffuse infiltration of the dermis by small-to-medium round, blue cells consistent with lymphoblasts. Immunostaining showed the cells to be uniformly CD19, PAX5, TdT and CD10 positive, and CD20 weakly patchy positive. Flow cytometry confirmed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Bcell ALL). The patient was referred to our local tertiary paediatric oncology centre for induction chemotherapy as per the UK ALL guidelines 2019. We believe that this case is unique as it is the first time a child with B-cell ALL has presented with leukaemia cutis. It is a rare cutaneous finding in this type of ALL, usually developing subsequently to systemic disease.


The parameters of central hemodynamics and oxygen balance were studied over the course of prolonged venovenous hemofiltration (VVHF) in 16 patients with the syndrome of multiorgan failure (acute renal, pulmonary, cardiovascular insufficiency and shock), which developed after open heart surgery. The measurements were carried out 3, 8, 16, and 25 h after VVHF was started. The rate of ultrafiltration was 30 to 60 ml/min. Stabilization of arterial pressure (diastolic and mean) and normalization of the total peripheral vascular resistance were observed in all the patients irrespective of the status of the central hemodynamics before hemofiltration session. The doses of catecholamines with the predominant vasopressor effect were reduced. Integrative parameters of cardiorespiratory delivery and consumption of oxygen were unchanged. Addition of VVHF to a complex of intensive care measures used in patients with the multiorgan failure syndrome helped attain satisfactory results in 9 (56%) patients. Seven (44%) patients died in various periods after VVHF, shock occurring in 6 of them.


In this work we present a practical approach to the iterative decoding of Reed-Solomon (RS) codes. The presented methodology utilizes an architecture in which the output produced by steps of belief-propagation (BP) is successively applied to a legacy decoding algorithm. Due to the highly suboptimal performance of BP conducted on the inherently dense RS parity-check matrix, a method is first provided for the construction of reduced-density, binary, parity-check equations. Iterative decoding is then conducted utilizing a subset of a redundant set of parity-check equations to minimize the number of connections into the least-reliable bits. Simulation results show that performance comparable to (and exceeding) the best known practical RS decoding techniques is achievable with the presented methodology. The complexity of the proposed algorithm is orders of magnitude lower than these existing procedures and permits a practical implementation in hardware.


: The nearly two centuries of success and failure in vaccinology have been superceded by an era of new opportunity employing hybridoma, recombinant, directed genetic alteration, and synthetic chemical technologies. Vaccines against a large number of infectious disease agents are now possible and they may be made practically useful by incorporating many relevant epitopes in complex "polytopic" vaccines. Though the technologies are well laid, hurdles still remain and these involve the need for understanding immunity in molecular terms. Developed countries typically underutilize vaccines even though resources are adequate. In Third World countries, where the need is greatest, there is least use because of the lack of resources. In pursuing vaccinology for Third World application, a balance needs to be sought, in the practical sense, between the amount of funds allocated to research and development and the amount allocated to utilization, lest vaccines be wastefully created that can never be used. Inclusion of the greatest possible number of needed immunodeterminants in the fewest number of vaccines is critical to practical application in developed as well as in developing countries.


Supervisory Committee Dr. C. Peter Constabel, Department of Biology Supervisor Dr. Jürgen Ehlting, Department of Biology Departmental Member Dr. Alisdair Boraston, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Outside Member Proanthocyanidins (PAs), also known as condensed tannins (CTs), are oligomers or polymers of flavan-3-ols. They have a very important role in plant-environment interactions, such as defense against herbivory and pathogens. They may also be important for light stress tolerance. In poplar, PAs can make up as much as 30% of the leaf dry weight. The synthesis of PAs in poplar was demonstrated to be inducible by both abiotic and biotic stresses. The B-ring hydroxylation pattern of flavan-3-ols directly affects the structure of PAs, and many studies have shown that B-ring hydroxylation of PAs is associated with their biological functions, including effects on leaf litter decomposition rate and anti-herbivore activity. Anthocyanins are very important colour pigments in plants, and share the intermediate leucoanthocyanidin with PAs. The role of anthocyanins in plant pollination, light stress tolerance, and seed dispersal has been well studied. A change in B-ring hydroxylation pattern can modify the colour of anthocyanins dramatically and also change their biological function. Flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase and flavonoid 3', 5'-hydroxylase (F3'H and F3'5'H) are the two enzymes involved in determining the B-ring hydroxylation pattern of both PAs and anthocyanins. The objective of this study is to characterize the possible role of flavonoid 3', 5'-hydroxylase in PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis in poplar. A candidate F3'5'H was identified in the iv Populus trichocarpa genome database based on previous expression profile experiments, and called PtF3'5'H1. The predicted protein shares high sequence similarity with previously characterized F3'5'H proteins from other plants. To test the function of PtF3'5'H1 directly, transgenic hybrid poplar plants overexpressing PtF3'5'H1 were generated. Preliminary LC-MS analysis showed that the hydroxylation pattern of the PA in the transgenic poplars was not significantly modified. Likewise, overexpression of PtF3'5'H1 in poplar did not change the overall amount of PAs. These results suggest that overexpression of PtF3'5'H1 in poplar is not sufficient to modify the B-ring hydroxylation pattern of PA, and that additional factors may be required. By contrast, the transgenic PtF3'5'H1 overexpressing poplar did show an alteration in anthocyanin profile. In leaves of transgenic poplars, several putative delphinidin derivatives were observed at greater levels than in the wild type, indicating that PtF3'5'H1 participates in the anthocyanin production in poplar. However, transiently introducing PtF3'5'H1 into Nicotiana benthamiana had no effect on the anthocyanin profile in this plant. I conclude that PtF3'5'H1 is very likely to be involved in the anthocyanin synthesis in poplar, while the function of PtF3'5'H1 in poplar PA synthesis has yet to be demonstrated.


More and more businesses are providing their full range of services 24 h a day, 7 days a week, thus forcing their employees to work either rotating shifts or fixed night shifts. Dictates of our endogenous circadian clock prevent our brains and bodies to be indefinitely adaptable to those work schedules. Shift work operations are thus associated with serious healthy and social problems for the workers. Various interventions can counteract circadian desynchronization, sleep disturbances, and social disruption associated with shift work: changes in work schedules, sleeping and napping strategies, use of appropriately timed exposure to bright light, experimental drug treatments, or exercise.


Metal fluoride complexes mimic the transferring phosphoryl group in many enzyme-catalyzed reactions. We here employ the trifluoromagnesate transition state analog (TSA) to study a Zika virus NS3h helicase, which uses energy from ATP hydrolysis to reorganize ssRNA leading to completion of virus replication. The crystal structure of this TSA complex displays two conformations for a catalytically important loop, demonstrating how ATP hydrolysis can be coupled with RNA translocation. Unexpectedly, the trifluoromagnesate core of this transition state complex is octahedral. It is identified as having an unprecedented MgF3(Wat)– ligand, confirmed by 19F NMR analysis. This structure was further probed by quantum mechanical calculations of the catalytic core (200 atoms), confirming the structural data interpretation and the concerted mechanism of ATP hydrolysis by this class of helicase. The formation of this MgF3(Wat)– ligand in helicase but not in other multiple MFx structures for ATPases and GTPases strongly implies they cannot possess such an additional water in their active sites.


Purpose
An increase in outsourcing of consultancy services has been observed during procurement and delivery of public-sector infrastructure projects. However, the incidence of project failure has continued unabated despite this shift by public-sector entities. Also, there appears to be limited literature focussed on seeking to provide the rationale governing the decision to outsource or insource consultancy services by public-sector organisations. The purpose of this study was to appraise the performance of public-sector projects in which consultancy services have been outsourced or insourced. These are the gaps which this study was undertaken to fill.

Design/methodology/approach
A grounded theory methodology (GTM) research design was adopted based on the nature of evidence sought and gathered from a Provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (PDPWI) in South Africa. Data was obtained from a mixture of semi-structured interviews and project-specific documents spanning a five-year period and was analysed according to the procedures associated with GTM. Accordingly, open coding, axial coding and pattern matching were carried out at several intervals to develop categories and themes.

Findings
The findings of the study showed the absence of a structured approach within the PDPWI for facilitating decisions pertaining to outsourcing or insourcing consultancy services within construction projects. Furthermore, the study established that both approaches yielded similar results across all performance facets of cost, time and quality. In addition, a detailed insight into the steps required for the successful application of GTM in built environment research has been provided in the study.

Originality/value
Limited studies have been undertaken to compare the impact of either outsourced or insourced services on the organisational and project performance. This was the gap to which the study reported in this paper was undertaken to contribute.


The aim of this study was to identify variations of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and VIP receptor-1 (VIPR-1) genes that might be associated with turkey reproductive traits. One hundred twenty turkey hens were recorded for age at first egg (AFE), first egg weight (FEW), egg number (EN), total egg weight (TEW), laying period (LP), and broodiness. The DNA was isolated from blood samples and subjected to PCR amplification of the meleagrine VIP and VIPR-1 genes. The SNPs were detected by single-strand conformation polymorphism and the variant DNA fragments were sequenced. One mutation in 3'-UTR of VIP (G5846A) and two SNPs in intron 2 of VIPR-1 (C17687T and A17690T) were found, all of them novel. The associations of the three detected SNPs with the reproductive traits of turkeys were evaluated. The detected polymorphisms were used for marker-trait association analyses. The results of association analysis showed that G5846A on 3' UTR of VIP has a significant association with LP, EN, TEW, and AFE. The G allele of G5846A was the favourable SNP allele for LP, EN, and TEW traits. The AA genotype of A17690T on intron 2 of VIPR-1 was significantly associated with higher LP, EN, and TEW. AGAA haplotype showed association with higher EN and TEW. These results suggest that the SNPs in 3'-UTR of VIP and intron 2 of VIPR-1 genes may influence egg production traits in turkey hens.Keywords: broodiness, candidate gene, egg production, single nucleotide polymorphism, VIPR-1


A study of a typical intercalated structure of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) with organoclay was performed to elucidate the influence of intercalated organoclay on the TLCP molecules, especially on their liquid crystallinity, thermal and rheological properties. The intercalated structures were confirmed in TLCP and organoclay formed molecular interactions with TLCP molecules in the system. Such intercalated structures caused the glass transition temperature of the nanocomposite to become invisible in thermal measurement and also caused loss of liquid crystallinity. The TLCP molecules inside the organoclay galleries showed higher thermal stability and transition temperatures, but the orderly structure of the TLCP molecules outside the galleries was destroyed by the organoclay, causing the TLCP to display lower thermal stability and transition temperatures than pristine TLCP. At 185°C, where TLCP is in the nematic phase, the nanocomposite had three orders of magnitude higher viscosity in the linear viscoelastic region than that of TLCP, with chain mobility and relaxation time slowed due to the intercalated effects in the nanocomposite. Steady shear altered the domain sizes and oriented the highly anisotropic organoclay layers or tactoids along the shear direction.


Turbo lag and low starting torque is the challenges of turbochargers. These challenges can be met with the implementation of an additional boosting device which can significantly boost the starting torque of the engine. the goal of this study is to show how the steady-state performance of a turbocharged SI engine can be improved by supercharging turbocharged engine. A one dimensional model for a turbocharged V type, four cylinder CNG engine has been developed and studied in detail using GT-POWER software. For validation purposes the model results are compared with experimental data available where acceptable results with good accuracy has been observed.


Cytosolic phospholipase A2 catalyzes the selective release of arachidonic acid from the sn-2 position of phospholipids and is believed to play a key cellular role in the generation of arachidonic acid. The enzymatic activity of cPLA2 is affected by several mechanisms, including substrate presentation and the phosphorylation state of the enzyme. Using covesicles of 1-palmitoy1-2-arachidonoyl-[arachidonoyl-1-14C]-8n-glycero-3 -phosphocholine and 1,2-dimyristoyl-phosphatidylmethanol as substrate, the effects of phosphorylation on the interfacial binding and catalytic constants were investigated. Phosphorylated and dephosphorylated enzyme forms were shown to have identical values of 2.6 microM for KMapp, an equilibrium dissociation constant which consists of the intrinsic dissociation constant from the lipid/water interface (Ks) and the dissociation constant for phospholipid from the active site (KM*). Moreover, the values of KM* for phosphorylated and dephosphorylated enzyme did not differ significantly (0.4 +/- 0.1 and 0.2 +/- 0.1, respectively). However, dephosphorylation of the enzyme reduced the value of kcat by 39%. The phosphorylation state of the enzyme had no effect on either the cooperativity shown by this enzyme or the thermal stability of the enzyme. Surprisingly, the presence of glycerol (4 M) masks the effect of phosphorylation on kcat. Instead, glycerol increased the value of kcat by 440% for the phosphorylated enzyme and by 760% for the dephosphorylated form. Moreover, addition of glycerol had only small effects on KMapp. the increase in the kcat upon addition of glycerol results from a substantial decrease in the activation energy from 29.4 to 14.8 kcal. mol-1. To determine whether the effects of phosphorylation of the enzyme or addition of glycerol are unique to this artificial substrate, membranes from U937 cells were isolated and used as substrate. With these membranes, the dephosphorylated enzyme was only 21% less active than the phosphorylated enzyme. In the presence of glycerol, there was no detectable difference the two enzyme forms, and the rate of hydrolysis was increased by 300-390% over that measured in the absence of glycerol. These results suggest that the catalytic efficiency of the phosphorylated enzyme is not particularly relevant to its activation in vivo. Moreover, it may be that glycerol is mimicking the effect of some unidentified factor which greatly enhances the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme.


In coeliac disease (CD) immunological abnormalities are not confined to the small bowel and it has been suggested that changes in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), such as lymphopenia and increased T‐cell activation, may predispose to malignant or autoimmune complications of this condition. In the light of the recent findings about the Fas–Fas ligand (FasL) system in regulating lymphocyte homeostasis, the aim of the present study was to investigate peripheral lymphocyte Fas‐mediated apoptosis in CD to establish whether the homeostatic role of apoptosis in peripheral T‐cell selection is maintained. Moreover, because a soluble form of Fas has been described to be functionally implicated in the Fas signalling system, suggesting a relationship between some disorders and soluble Fas function, we measured levels of soluble Fas in sera of coeliac patients and analysed the relationship between these levels and the proportions of apoptotic and Fas+ PBL to further explore the function of the Fas–FasL pathway in this condition. Finally, we evaluated whether the increased prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies, recently described in CD, could be related to PBL apoptosis in this condition. We demonstrated an increased apoptosis and higher levels of Fas and FasL expression in PBL isolated from untreated coeliac patients when compared to treated coeliac patients and controls. In addition, low levels of soluble Fas and a significant positive correlation between anticardiolipin antibodies and PBL apoptosis were found in untreated CD. Then, our results showed an increased susceptibility of PBL to undergo Fas‐mediated apoptosis in active CD. This increased apoptosis could be responsible for both lymphopenia and immunogenic exposure of phospholipids with subsequent production of autoantibodies.


Despite the rapid development of robotic control theory, hardware motor controllers still suffer from some disadvantages: they are computationally-intensive and rely on powerful computing systems which are usually implemented using bulky and power-hungry devices. On the other hand, biological motor control systems are power-efficient, light-weight and robust. Neuromorphic engineering sheds a light on how to uncover biological control features that could lead to the design of lower power and less bulky controllers. In this paper, we present a closed-loop motor controller implemented on mixed-signal analog-digital neuromorphic hardware using a spiking neural network. The network performs PI control by encoding target, feedback and error signals using population coding. It continuously calculates the error through the network, which relates the three variables by means of feed-forward inter-population synapses. This biologically plausible and fault-tolerant strategy is ideally suited for the use of neuromorphic hardware that comprises noisy silicon neurons. Here we show how to optimize the network structure to make it robust to both noisy inputs and device mismatch. We provide experimental results showing how the controller can reach 97.1% accuracy with 75.8 ms average latency.


Policies that regulate peoples international movement and their state membership have historically made distinctions based on perceived sexual differences, but little is known about the process by which this has happened. This paper explores how and with what consequences migration and nationality policies have been gendered in two quintessential countries of emigration (Italy and Spain), and in a country of immigrants (Argentina) over a 150-year period. I argue that these migration and nationality policies have reflected the dynamics of the political fields in which they have been crafted. Especially before the Great War, laws and official practices that showed a disproportionate interest in men as soldiers and workers, and in women as mothers and as morally suspect subjects mirrored a dynamic of competition over migrants among these countries. A subsequent harmonization of policies reflected a dynamic of accommodation to the realities of a settled emigrant population and dual nationality. In addition, the administrative mechanisms coupled with these laws have operated differently with respect to men and women. The consequences of these laws and mechanisms have persisted even when the letter of the law has ostensibly become gender neutral.


Growth, spectroscopic properties, and laser performance of Yb, Na:PbF(2) crystals have been investigated. With a 2 mol.% Yb(3+)-doped sample we obtained 2.65 W output power at 1045 nm for 7.5 W of incident power at 976 nm. The laser wavelength could be tuned from 1017 to 1078 nm, showing the great potential of Yb, Na:PbF(2) as an amplifier medium for femtosecond pulses.


OBJECTIVE
To use a simulation model to estimate the costs and benefits of bariatric surgery among full-time employees.

STUDY DESIGN
Multivariate regression analysis of nationally representative survey data sets to estimate the costs of obesity and a simulation model of the number of years until breakeven under alternate assumptions about the costs and benefits of bariatric surgery.

METHODS
We used a 2-part model to estimate medical costs of obesity based on the 2000-2001 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We estimated work loss with a negative binomial regression based on the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. Using these results, we simulated the expected number of years required for a bariatric surgery procedure to become cost saving.

RESULTS
Nine percent of the full-time US workforce, or 29% of the obese workforce, is eligible for bariatric surgery. Obese workers eligible for bariatric surgery have 5.1 (P < .01) additional days of work loss and USD 2230 (in 2004 dollars) (P < .01) higher annual medical costs than persons of normal weight.

CONCLUSION
Although the cost implications of bariatric surgery among full-time employees depend on many factors, the simulations reveal that 5 or more years of follow-up are most likely required for these operations to become cost saving unless the employee bears a significant fraction of the total costs of the surgery.


Contemporary developments in technology provide opportunities for qualitative researchers to enhance their modes of collecting rich data for analysis. In this article we explore the utility and impact of using email as a means of collecting data in the form of semi‐structured interviews. We investigate what participants think about email interviews, and how they view the relationship between email interviews and online pedagogies. We illustrate our discussion with reference to a recent research project carried out using email interviews with professional colleagues, including analyses of the respondents' own insights about the methodology. We conclude that email interviews provide a useful medium to explore the experiences of an international group of participants, including some for whom English is not their first language. Further, the method enables respondents to participate in the process of collaborative knowledge building as co‐researchers, by reflecting on and analysing their own responses in the email interviews


Female Metapeinaeus dobsoni have attained full ovarian maturation in the ponds of the Marine Prawn
Hatchery Laboratory of the CMFRI at Narakkal during the summer months when the salinity was 28.0-29.0
ppt. These females were made to spawn in the pond water kept in 50 litre plastic basins and the resulting
nauplii were successfully reared upto the late postlarval stage in the same medium. The possibility of
M. dobsoni breeding and completing its life cycle in the brackishwater areas during the high salinity months
is discussed.


To determine if genetic and environmental (dietary) factors and gene-environment interaction impact on the expression variation of genes related to stroke, we conducted microarray experiments using two homozygous rat strains SHRSR and SHRSP fed with high and low dietary salt levels. We obtained expression data of 8,779 genes and performed the ranking analysis of microarray data. The results show that the genetic difference for stroke in rat brain has a strong effect on expression variations of genes. At false discovery rate (FDR) ≤ 5%, 534 genes were found to be differentially expressed between the genotypes resistant and prone to stroke, among which 304 genes were up-regulated in the resistant genotype and down-regulated in the prone genotype and 230 were down-regulated in the former and up-regulated in the latter. In addition, 365 were functional genes for transcription and translation, receptors (in particular, neurotransmitter receptor), channels of ions, transportation, metabolism and enzymes, and functional and structural proteins. Some of these genes are pivotal genes that cause stroke. However, dietary salt levels and GE interaction do not strongly impact on the expression variations of these genes detected on arrays.


Anselm of Canterbury's Cur Deus Homo (CDH) is one of the most important theological approaches to the issues of Incarnation and Atonement which may be found in the history of Christianity. Anselm's ingenuity and rigor in his examination of the rationale for the central doctrine of the Christian faith established the Cur Deus Homo as mandatory reading for a medieval understanding of Christology. However, the Cur Deus Homo has been received with varying degrees of suspicion due to that very medieval context in which Anselm wrote. In his defense of the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation of the Word of God, Anselm framed his reasoning within the feudal context in which he lived and he tended to derive analogies and imagery from the legal peculiarities of that society. Unfortunately, the influence of feudalism has caused some scholars to harshly criticize or dismiss outright the entire Cur Deus Homo. In this paper, I would like to address those criticisms and counter those who maintain that Anselm's argument lacks viability because of its feudal context. It is my hope that, by showing possible patristic sources for some of Anselm's key imagery, the weight of some criticisms leveled against the argument may be mitigated.


Before the regulation of blood coagulation should be studied pharmacologically, I have, first of all as a means requisite for the desired object, selected out of or improved the existing method of determining both the coagulation time and coagulable components. In the second place, after giving some critical comments on those methods and making carful experiments upon various ploblems that have not yet been solved comprehensively, I have brought to light some conclusive evidences which stand test fairly, as follows: I 1; My own apparatus used for measuring the required time for clotting is but simple. As seen in Fig. 1, two glass-cylinders are put in an oblong kettle, Petres' diches of big size being put in each cylinder. Either cold or hot water or ice-water is filled up in these vessels, in order to keep on a difinite temperature. while the dishes being filled with a piece of gauze well soaked in water. A piece of filter-paper is laid on it, on which a watch-glass is put. The mater to be tested is run dawn on the glass. As for the determination of coagulation time, a hooked glass-thread is used for hooking the matter up at about the middle of it every 15 seconds. The first period of coagulation time lasts until when a tiny piece of fibrin sticks on the end of the glass-thread, and the second period comes to an end as a whole coagulated blood is crear of the face of the watch-glass by means of a glass-rod. This method requires no special skill in practice, and is good for oft-repeated experiments because of a little amount of blood used, and is not only affected by the change of external temperature and humidity, but has also an advantage of pointing out each end of the two periods precisely. 2. While there is an average value of 30 minutes for the coagulation time of a normal rabbit at the temperature ranging from 21°C to 23°C by Fonio's method, my own method takes far less time, an average time for coagulation being 7 minutes at 20°C in the first period, varying from 6.5 to 8 minutes, while taking 15.5 minutes on an average the second period, ranging from 12 minutes to 18.5 minutes. When tried with a single animal, it takes 15 seconds in the first period, and 30 to 45 seconds in the second period respectively, under repeated tests of blood. 3. By my method, as by Fonio's, there is some difference in coagulation time according as the amount of blood used. There exists, however, but little disparity in time in either experiment with a difinite amount used from 0.5 to 2.0 cc by Fonio's method, or with the amount of 2 to 4 gtt. by mine. Any increased amount of blood does not always run parallel to the length of its coagulation time, nor the coagulation is strikingly belated on account of a little amount used. 4. It is an unchangeable fact that the external temperature has no less influence upon the coagulation time. It has been tried by my method at the temperature ranging from 5° to 42°C, marking by drawing a curve line, as do by Burker's, the result, which shows both the first and second period of coagulation become shorter as the external temperature rises higher. 5. The influence of body temperature upon the coagulation time of blood was inspected by means of heat puncture with a result showing the fact that there is a well-defined parallelism between the curves of the change of body temperature and coagulation time. 6. While it is true that certain amount of carbonic acid in blood plays part in its coagulation time, scholars opinion on the variation of clotting time between the venous and arterial blood has not agreed yet, it has been confirmed the fact that the coagulation time of the former is certainly longer than that of the latter in my own experiments by Fonio's method; but it is not certain whether it is due to only the difference in the tension of carbonic gas. II 1. My methods of measuring fibrinogen, thrombin, anti-thrombin have been much improved based on the principle of Wohlgemuth's methods, are not only good for repeated examinations, but are, also, able to indicate the desired results in a mere fragments of time. 2. Owing to the individuality of animals, the contained amount of those components varies, but when it is repeatedly experimented on the same animal, the result is generally unchangeable. 3. Fibrinogen solution used by myself contains prothrombin. 4. While the potency of serum decreases with the lapse of time, if it is applied to actively, no preeeptible change can be seen in its activity so long as several houres after its being taken out. It is, therefore, best fitted, accompany-ing no great troubles, to use an active serum as thrombin solution in measuring fibrinogen in blood. 5. Serum contains some amount of kinase, yet the amount of calcium in serum is too little for kinase to present itself in its activity, so that the coagulable power of serum on fibrinogen is strengthend when some of calcium is added to the serum in case the power relaxes in both normal condition and wanting in calcium. I doubt kinase will sway a great influence upon my method of measuring thrombin in serum. 6. Hybrid-serum coagulate fibrinogen and transform it into fibrin but the speed of transforming being greatly varied, it may be safely be said the serum has a singular property so far as coagulation time is conserned.


In this review, we discuss how protozoan parasites alter immature and mature B cell compartment. B1 and marginal zone (MZ) B cells, considered innate like B cells, are activated during protozoan parasite infections, and they generate short lived plasma cells providing a prompt antibody source. In addition, protozoan infections induce massive B cell response with polyclonal activation that leads to hypergammaglobulnemia with serum antibodies specific for the parasites and self and/or non related antigens. To protect themselves, the parasites have evolved unique ways to evade B cell immune responses inducing apoptosis of MZ and conventional mature B cells. As a consequence of the parasite induced-apoptosis, the early IgM response and an already establish humoral immunity are affected during the protozoan parasite infection. Moreover, some trypanosomatides trigger bone marrow immature B cell apoptosis, influencing the generation of new mature B cells. Simultaneously with their ability to release antibodies, B cells produce cytokines/quemokines that influence the characteristic of cellular immune response and consequently the progression of parasite infections.


Measles outbreaks burden both low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs), including the United States. Although these outbreaks happen locally, usually due to pockets of low vaccination coverage, and though data is often collected locally, this data is often available to researchers only at an aggregated, low-resolution level. This diminishes the strength of spatial analyses, particularly those that determine heterogeneity and clustering. We collected and used high-resolution measles coverage data and performed spatial clustering and prediction analyses, as well as a longitudinal analysis on US school vaccination exemption law, to determine whether analyses using high-resolution data could perform well compared to those using the low-resolution data typically available. With Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data, we mapped clusters of low vaccination coverage in a 10-country area of East Africa and determined the covariates associated with low coverage. Using the Lexis Nexis database, we examined the effect of vaccination exemption law changes by state on coverage rates in the US over a six-year period. Finally, we created a database of publicly available high-resolution school vaccination coverage data and used this to create two models predicting counties at high risk for measles outbreak in the United States. Together, these papers show that high resolution data is better at finding areas of local, low-coverage clustering as well as predicting outbreak risk. Health departments and surveys often already collect this data; improved availability of high-resolution data will create new opportunities to improve understanding of disease risk and to detect geographic communities at increased risk of outbreaks. This in turn will allow public health practitioners to improve efficiency of resource use by better targeting their efforts, decreasing the impact of possible outbreaks or preventing outbreaks altogether.


Homo sapiens has mastered its environment so thoroughly that, for the first time in history, a small minority of the population is capable of creating enough food and fuels to support not only itself, but a growing majority of the 6 billion people now living on earth. This unparalleled abundance is allowing our species to develop, distribute, and profit from innovation in nearly every corner of civilization. Now key elements of the modern world such as the speed and connectedness of digital communication, the dynamic movement of capital, and changing nature of political boundaries are propelling capitalism into a new form that can be characterized as "virtual capitalism." And global corporations in their size and global influence are leading the embodiment of virtual capitalism into the modern world.


Data exploitation, acquired by medium-frequency omnidirectional multibeam sonar, enables original studies in fisheries research but is seldom used despite the fact that such equipment is found on most fishing vessels and a number of research vessels. This is the only system for real-time monitoring of fish schools within a horizontal omnidirectional plane about a vessel or a buoy. Between 1996 and 2001, we used two standard omnidirectional sonars and developed new methodologies for exploiting their specific acoustic data according to two main sampling schemes: 'prospecting', including fishing and searching operations, and 'drifting', as with an instrumental buoy system or aboard a stationary vessel. We present a complete method for continuous data acquisition from aboard a research vessel or commercial boat, with automated data extraction by picture analysis and a data processing method. Two cases of data analysis are considered: the first on a school-by-school basis, the 'single school' mode; the second taking into account all fish schools detected within the sonar sampling volume, the 'cluster' mode. Elementary sonar information is divided into five categories that comprise 24 survey and sonar parameters and 55 school, cluster and fisher behaviour descriptors. We review the applications of these categories and discuss perspectives for their use in fisheries science. If the sonar system enables the evaluation of the effects of vessel avoidance on fish school biomass assessment, no accurate abundance estimate can be provided by a simple sonar echo-integration process. Omnidirectional sonar data can be used to analyse collectively the fish schools' swimming speed, kinematics in terms of diffusion and migration, aggregative dynamics as school splitting and merging indexes, spatial characteristics of clusters such as school density, 2D structure and fisher behaviour. The prospect of integrating such data into a fish school database, including multifrequency echo-sounder and lateral multibeam (3D) sonar data combined with a species recognition method, will enable a complete view of fish school behaviour and consequently the adoption of accurate fisheries management methods.


This article presents the operational and control problems of complex power systems. Keeping in view the time hierarchy of power system operational and control problems, the control strategies employed at different control levels are discussed and reviewed. Recent advances in control strategies, like applications of artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic concepts in power systems, are considered.


The admission of this principle was for long a controversial aspect in the Romanian and French doctrine that didn't accept the recovery for this prejudice. It was accepted only the recovery from the prejudice suffered by the direct victim, because the acceptance of the recovery from the moral prejudice by back bounce was regarded as being against morals and against the principle that the prejudice must be fully recovered and only one time. Accordingly only the direct victim could get compensation for the suffered prejudice, the indirect victims being regarded as persons that are trying to abuse the legal system for getting undeserving benefits, as well as immoral because they use someone else's suffering.


OBJECTIVE--To determine which factors predict the occurrence of mitral regurgitation after balloon dilatation of the mitral valve for rheumatic stenosis. DESIGN--Analysis of a case series of patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis who had had successful balloon dilatation of the mitral valve. SETTING--A tertiary care centre with an experience of over 150 balloon dilatations of the mitral valve. PATIENTS--70 young patients with non-calcified rheumatic mitral stenosis, who had undergone successful balloon dilatation of the mitral valve. No patient had mitral regurgitation or atrial fibrillation before dilatation. INTERVENTION--Dilatation of the mitral valve by the transvenous, transatrial double balloon technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Development of mitral regurgitation after balloon dilatation of the mitral valve and its relation to age, mitral valve area before dilatation and after dilatation, the degree of mitral subvalvar pathology, and the size of balloon used for dilatation. RESULTS--In 10 patients (14%) mitral regurgitation developed after balloon dilatation of the mitral valve. No statistically significant differences were found between patients who did not develop regurgitation and those who did in terms of age (mean (SD)) (19.9 (6.46) v 19.4 (5.5)), mitral valve area before dilatation (1.05 (0.33) v 0.94 (0.4) cm2) and after dilatation (2.52 (1.06) v 2.45 (1.1) cm2), mitral subvalvar pathology assessed by the mitral subvalvar distance ratio (0.116 (0.03) v 0.118 (2.32), or balloon diameter corrected for body surface area (21.37 (3.5) v 20.57 (2.32) mm/m2. CONCLUSIONS--In this subset of children and young adults with non-calcified mitral stenosis, none of the morphological, technical, or patient characteristics studied predicted the development of mitral regurgitation after balloon dilatation. The low incidence of mitral regurgitation may have reduced the discriminatory power of this study. None the less, the means and standard deviation for each factor in each group suggest that even in a larger sample size the variables would have little predictive capacity.


ABSTRACT To review scientific literature to assess nutritional status of elderly patients with osteoarthritis in the last 16 years. This is an integrative literature review that included articles published in national and international journals indexed in PubMed, SciELO and BIREME. We selected 14 articles, and English language was predominant. The year of publication of articles ranged from 2006 to 2016, and most of papers were cross-sectional studies. To gather papers and for posterior evaluate, we used a validated data collection instrument and the included studies were critical analyzed by reading, gathering and analysis of articles. Studies suggested that there is a positive correlation between obesity and knee osteoarthritis. Obesity is one of the most important modifiable factors in worsening of osteoarthritis symptoms.


Over the past four decades, I have been asked many questions regarding the substance and methodology of my essay "Person and Community in African Thought". I cannot in the space of these pages retrieve or reframe the content and implications of these several questions and it would be fool-hardy to attempt an answer to all of them here. But that is no reason not to try to say a few things, by way of additional commentary, on the occasion of this retrospective on the essay. It would be helpful to proceed by concentrating on a few issues which have been of some concern, or interest, to readers over the years, adding a response, however brief, as I go along.Keywords: Community, Personhood, Descriptive Metaphysics Africa Philosophy Human Person


ABSTRACT Six steep (0.6-4.3°), short (radial length 1.5-5 km), deeply incised Pliocene to early Pleistocene paleofans and associated axial-fluvial strata are preserved adjacent to the footwall of the Palomas half graben in the southern Rio Grande rift. Two different scales of interbedding of lithofacies are evident in the exposed basin-fill sediment. The footwall-derived alluvial-fan strata are arranged into 3-10 m-thick cyclothems representing three events: (1) development of calcic paleosols that were contemporaneously or subsequently truncated by channels up to 4 m deep, (2) infilling of channels by turbulent-flow, horizontally bedded and cross-bedded conglomerates, and (3) deposition of hyperconcentrated-flow pebbly sandstones. These cyclothems probably resulted from paleoclimatic changes on the scale of 150 kyr. On a larger geographic and temporal scale, the axial river (ancestral Rio Grande), which primarily deposited cross-bedded pebbly sand, experienced kilometer-scale lateral movement toward the footwall block, resulting in one thick (80 m) axial-fluvial lithosome in the northern part of the basin and two or three thinner (8-25 m) axial-fluvial lithosomes in the south. A protracted period of fault movement and consequent basin tilting was the probable driving force behind lateral movement of the river, and toe cutting of the fans by the river was the dominant process.


Many intellectual endeavors require mathematical problem solving, but this skill remains beyond the capabilities of computers. To measure this ability in machine learning models, we introduce MATH, a new dataset of 12,500 challenging competition mathematics problems. Each problem in MATH has a full step-by-step solution which can be used to teach models to generate answer derivations and explanations. To facilitate future research and increase accuracy on MATH, we also contribute a large auxiliary pretraining dataset which helps teach models the fundamentals of mathematics. Even though we are able to increase accuracy on MATH, our results show that accuracy remains relatively low, even with enormous Transformer models. Moreover, we find that simply increasing budgets and model parameter counts will be impractical for achieving strong mathematical reasoning if scaling trends continue. While scaling Transformers is automatically solving most other text-based tasks, scaling is not currently solving MATH. To have more traction on mathematical problem solving we will likely need new algorithmic advancements from the broader research community.


In recent years, the cloud computing center has developed rapidly all over the world, the contradiction between its high energy consumption and the present situation of tension energy supply increasingly stand out. One of the most effective cards to reduce the electricity consumption of cloud computing center and decrease operating cost is reducing the power consumption of air-conditioner. In this project, on the basis of heat supply capacity in thermal power plants and the cold demand of users in terminal cloud computing center, LiBr absorption chiller utilizing gas and electric centrifugal refrigerator were adopted, and the energy was electricity power from thermal power plant and waste heat steam power generation. In addition, in consideration of high reliability about cold source of data center, the standby energy was natural gas, and LiBr absorption chiller utilizing gas was adopted. The guaranteeing design of equipment, energy, water supply and drainage, and cooling network satisfied the request of cooling safety for users. Construction of this district functional item brought out economic benefits such as the reduce of operating cost, plant room, placing cooling tower and maintenance attendance cost, social benefits such as the increase of overall energy utilization degree, the decrease of heat island effect and carbon dioxide


The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the foundation of global health statistics and epidemiology. The ICD is designed to translate health conditions into alphanumeric codes. A number of approaches have been proposed for automatic ICD coding, since manual coding is labor-intensive and there is a global shortage of healthcare workers. However, existing studies did not exploit the discourse structure of clinical notes, which provides rich contextual information for code assignment. In this paper, we exploit the discourse structure by leveraging section type classification and section type embeddings. We also focus on the class-imbalanced problem and the heterogeneous writing style between clinical notes and ICD code definitions. The proposed reconciled embedding approach is able to tackle them simultaneously. Experimental results on the MIMIC dataset show that our model outperforms all previous state-of-the-art models by a large margin. The source code is available at https://github.com/discnet2022/discnet


The monomer, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl 3-(N-(2-(diethylamino)ethyl)acrylamido)propanoate (TF-DEAE-AM), which contains both O2 and CO2-responsive functionalities, was first synthesized from commercially available N,N-diethylethylenediamine, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate, and acryloyl chloride. Subsequently, a series of dual-gas responsive polymers, poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl 3-(N-(2-(diethylamino)ethyl)acrylamido)propanoate) (poly(TF-DEAE-AM)) and poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl 3-(N-(2-(diethylamino)ethyl)acrylamido)propanoate) (PEG-b-poly(TF-DEAE-AM)), were synthesized by employing reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Due to the protonation between CO2 and DEAE groups, and the specific van der Waals interactions between O2 and C–F bonds, micelles consisting of poly(TF-DEAE-AM) or PEG-b-poly(TF-DEAE-AM) display distinct CO2 and O2 responsiveness in aqueous media. Pyrene, which is a model hydrophobic drug, is able to be effectively encapsulated in the micelles based on PEG-b-poly(TF-DEAE-AM). It is found that the release of pyrene sharply increases after bubbling CO2 or O2 compared to N2, and the release rate of the solution bubbling with CO2 is the fastest. Since both CO2 and O2 are key gases for the human body, the CO2- and O2-induced release property of poly(TF-DEAE-AM) may open opportunities for the preparation of functional materials with special CO2 and O2 responsiveness for potential applications in biomedicine.


Abstract Observational evidence is provided for the occurrence of anomalous winds which represent an anticyclonic rotation in space, and a mechanism for their development is suggested. The unstable nature of these winds and the role they play in the development of certain types of atmospheric disturbances is then discussed, and it is suggested that anomalous winds provide the dynamic mechanism for triggering hurricane formation and for the observed deepening of troughs downstream from intense pressure ridges. Finally it is noted that although the observational evidence presented is for the occurrence of anomalous winds over small regions of the atmosphere, their development is dependent on large-scale processes and their effect extends beyond the area where they occur.


Women's preference for symmetrical men need not have evolved as part of a good gene sexual selection (GGSS) reproductive strategy employed during recent human evolutionary history. It may be a remnant of the reproductive strategy of a perhaps promiscuous species which existed prior to the divergence of the human line from that of the bonobo and chimp.


Often prefaces make you want to continue reading the book you would like to introduce as a mitral rite, but this does not depend (fortunately) on the preface. To avoid such unpleasant problems, in the dialogues with Leucos, Cesare Pavese himself wrote the preface expressing himself in a third person. Moreover, even when he came to Eugenio Montale to write a preface to Italo Svevo, his reading caused yawning.


ABSTRACT This article examines religious freedom in the People's Republic of China (PRC) using critical frame analysis of state and civil society organisations' (CSOs) policy discourse associated with the United Nations (UN) Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The findings show how indigenous Chinese CSOs' input to the UPR is limited. Their voice is muted, some merely mirror the rhetoric of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In contrast, international CSOs are highly critical of what they see as state failure to uphold religious freedom. The analysis reveals a significant disjuncture between the policy discourse of international CSOs and the CCP. The former's discourse is framed in terms of: denial of rights, imprisonment, legal failings, (re-)education, torture, and persecution. In the absence of enforcement mechanisms, CCP input to the UPR can be seen as part of a process of legitimation and performativity; allowing the ruling elite to afford primacy to what it dubs 'a framework of socialism with Chinese characteristics' at the expense of religious freedoms.


Presentation with suicidal ideation is a key opportunity to engage with people. The needs of this vulnerable group and their fears about presenting with suicide and self-harm is poorly understood. From research I have undertaken participants have reported avoiding A and E wherever possible. When they do, they do so with feelings of shame and unworthiness. These feelings have reportedly been reinforced with what they people perceive as punitive treatment perpetuating a cycle of shame, avoidance and further self-harm and suicide (Owens, example if needs be). Positive encounters on the other hand mirrored situations in the care received was delivered with compassion which had the potential to challenge negative self-evaluation.

Definitions: An internationally agreed definition.

Self harm: "An act with non-fatal outcome in which an individual deliberately initiates a non-habitual behaviour, that without intervention from others will cause self-harm, and which is aimed at realising changes that the person desires via the actual expected physical consequences."

Suicidal ideation: "Acts of suicidal ideation include presentation to the ED by persons who have experienced thoughts of self-harm and, or suicide, where no physical act to harm oneself has taken place."

Knowledge exchange seminar series (2015-2016) Queen's University Belfast, The Open University, Ulster University.

While we know there are certain ages and groups of people at particular risk, my focus here today is on young people.

What are some of the things that drive people to think about suicide or engage in self-harm?

* Personal catastrophes such as being made redundant, break up of a relationship, grief, conflict within the home or members of the community.
* A persistent sense of worthlessness or failure, uncertainty about sexual identity or personal goals
* Ideas about successful life goals which they see other people doing such as getting married, going to university, getting new jobs, house etc. and being left behind.
* A combination of all the above together with a series of setbacks which can be devastating.


Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol (CBD), a potential treatment option that may alleviate pain in companion animals and humans, in the Hispaniolan Amazon parrot (Amazona ventralis). A pilot study administered a single oral dose of CBD in hemp oil at 10 mg/kg to 2 birds and 20 mg/kg to 2 birds. Because the maximum serum concentrations (Cmax) for these doses were 5.5 and 13 ng/mL, respectively, and the serum half-life was 2 hours for both groups, the doses were considered too low for clinical use in this species. Therefore, a study was designed in which 14 healthy 12–14-year-old parrots of both sexes and weighing 0.24–0.35 kg (mean, 0.28 kg) were enrolled. Seven birds were administered 60 mg/kg CBD PO, and 7 birds were administered 120 mg/kg CBD PO. Blood samples were obtained at time 0, and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10 hours posttreatment in a balanced incomplete block design. Quantification of plasma CBD concentrations was determined by use of a validated liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry assay. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by noncompartmental analysis. The areas under the curve (h·ng/mL) were 518 and 1863, Cmax (ng/ mL) were 213 and 562, and times to achieve Cmax (hours) were 0.5 and 4 for the 60 and 120 mg/kg doses, respectively. The serum half-life could not be determined in the 60 mg/kg treatment, but was 1.28 hours at 120 mg/kg. Adverse effects were not observed in any bird. The highly variable results and short half-life of the drug in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots, even at high doses, suggests that this drug formulation was inconsistent in achieving targeted concentrations as reported in other animal species.


In Reply .—We thank Dr Haddock for his interest in our article 1 on the use of phenobarbital sodium and carbamazepine in preventing febrile convulsions. With regard to his question about our reassuring parents, it was a double-blind trial, and, therefore, we did not know which of the two medications the children were receiving. All of the patients in the trial received considerable reassurance and medical attention, but both groups equally so. It is impossible for us to comment on the use of an antacid (Maalox Plus) in Dr Haddock's trial, since no details, such as numbers of patients, ages, and statistical analysis of data, are given. As of now, there is good evidence that valproate sodium and phenobarbital can prevent recurrent febrile seizures. If Dr Haddock has convincing proof that other measures are effective, then perhaps it would be helpful for him to report his findings in the literature for all


Purpose The Airways Questionnaire 20 (AQ20) is a concise, disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) measure applicable to a spectrum of obstructive respiratory conditions ranging from asthma to emphysema. We wished to assess the performance characteristics of the AQ20 using a modified instrument that accounts for the complete cessation of certain activities, evaluating its cross-sectional and longitudinal performance among various subtypes of airway disease. Methods We revised 7 of the 20 original items of the AQ20 (AQ20-R) to allow for an additional response category for those unable to perform certain activities due to a respiratory condition. We tested the performance characteristics of the AQ20-R among 352 adults with COPD, asthma, or chronic bronchitis identified in a national random telephone sample. Concurrent validity of the AQ20-R was assessed in relation to physical health status (Short Form 12, Physical Component Score [SF-12 PCS]), lung function (FEV1 % predicted), and therapies used. Predictive validity was assessed by examining the longitudinal relationship between the AQ20-R and utilization of health care services reported at one year follow-up. Results Twenty-one of 352 subjects responded as being unable to participate in at least one of seven activities queried. Compared with others, these subjects had higher AQ20-R scores (p≤0.01), indicating worse HRQL, and poorer physical health status as measured by the SF-12 PCS (p≤0.01). Mean AQ20-R scores differed significantly (ANOVA, p≤0.01) among the subjects with COPD (8.9, SD 5.2), asthma (6.7, SD 5.0) and chronic bronchitis alone (4.7, SD 4.2). Overall, the AQ20-R correlated moderately with the SF-12 PCS (r = –0.55, p≤0.01) and FEV1 (r = –0.43, p≤0.01), and was significantly associated (p≤0.01) with the use of each of the following: inhaled bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, home nebulizer, oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, and home oxygen. Adjusting for respiratory condition and demographics, the AQ20-R was an independent predictor of follow-up outpatient visits (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6–3.1), emergency department visits (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.9–4.6), hospitalization (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.6–4.9), and admission to an ICU (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.2–7.3). Conclusions The revised AQ20 (AQ20-R) is a simple, disease-specific HRQL measure that takes into account activity limitation in those with the most severe disease. It is valid for use among various subtypes of obstructive airway disease.


Owing to recent taxonomic changes to the Nannoniscidae Hansen, the concepts of the taxa within the family require clarification. Specimens of Nannoniscus oblongus Sars, putatively those examined by G.O. Sars, and specimens from Hjeltefjord, Norway were illustrated to clarify the concept of the type genus of the Nannoniscidae. Specimens used by Siebenaller and Hessler (1981) and several other recently-described taxa were evaluated. Standard views are argued to provide more consistent illustrations of morphology. The somite articulations of the posterior body were found to be variable and often inaccurately illustrated feature in nannoniscid taxonomy; this character complex is therefore unreliable for taxonomic concepts in the family. In replacement, new characters that distinguish this family from the Desmosomatidae Sars are described. These include the proximal segmentation of the antennal flagellum, a subdistal dorsal tooth on the left mandible incisor process and ventral pereonal insertions of the coxae. The composition and classification of the family is adjusted using this new information. Subfamilies recently proposed for the Nannoniscidae by George (2001) based on somite articulations are rejected. Diagnoses of several genera, including Saetoniscus Brandt, were reconsidered using this new information. This latter genus is found to be indistinguishable from Nannoniscus Sars and is placed in junior synonymy. A new diagnosis and a new key to the genera of the Nannoniscidae use the new character information, omitting somite articulations as a primary descriptor. New diagnoses for Nannoniscus Sars and Nannonisconus Schultz, and revised compositions for these genera are proposed. Nannoniscus intermedius Siebenaller & Hessler is transferred to Nannonisconus. Rapaniscus Siebenaller & Hessler is diagnosed and pereopods I–II of its type species, R. dewdneyi are illustrated.


Preformed antidiphtheria toxin (anti-DT) IgG limits the development of diphtheria fusion proteins because the anti-DT IgG binds and removes the diphtheria fusion protein from the circulation. In our phase I trial of DT–granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GMCSF), a truncated DT linked to human GMCSF, in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, patients with high concentrations of preexisting anti-DT IgG (>2.5 μg/ml) had significantly lower DT-GMCSF concentrations. This study details the fate of anti-DT IgG during the patient's treatment with DT-GMCSF and describes how we could lower anti-DT IgG concentrations and increase the patient's exposure to DT-GMCSF. Using an enzyme immunoassay, we measured anti-DT IgG concentrations before the first cycle of treatment (baseline) and on day 2 (after one dose of DT-GMCSF) and on day 5 (after four doses of DT-GMCSF). Thirty-three patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia in the phase 1 trial received DT-GMCSF at doses from 1 to 5 μg/kg/day intravenously for 5 days. The mean anti-DT IgG concentration pretherapy was 1.3 μg/ml (range: undetectable to 7.8) and significantly decreased to a mean concentration of 0.7 μg/ml on day 2 (P=0.007) and to 0.5 μg/ml on day 5 (P<0.0001). In two individuals in whom we measured DT-GMCSF concentrations on day 1 and day 5, we observed that a decrease in anti-DT IgG concentrations was associated with an increase in DT-GMCSF concentrations. No relationship was observed between dose of DT-GMCSF and the absolute change in anti-DT IgG concentrations on day 2 (r=−0.01, P=0.98) or day 5 (r=−0.12, P=0.53). For patients with high baseline anti-DT IgG concentrations, a single dose of DT-GMCSF could be used to lower the anti-DT IgG concentrations and potentially result in a significant increase in DT-GMCSF concentrations and efficacy.


Abstract School psychology from the instructional perspective must change as we enter the 21st Century. Our typical approach of solving problems one student at a time will not be successful in impacting the big problems of illiteracy, technological and mathematics deficiencies, writing, and problem solving for academic skill development. The need to build academic competence and resilience among future generations of children through early intervention and prevention programs should become a key component of school psychology practice.


Summary Arising from the discharge at the surface of minewater drainage pumped from a mine in the Kent Coalfield, which underlies the Chalk of East Kent, U.K., an area of some 27 km2 of the Chalk aquifer has become contaminated with saline water having concentrations of chloride between 200 and 5000 mg/l. Between 1907, when the first shaft was sunk, until 1974, when the discharge onto the Chalk ceased, it is estimated that 318 000 tonnes of chloride were discharged, and only about 15% has so far been dissipated by stream flows. An investigation has been carried out to determine the size and shape of the plume of contamination, and to examine possibilities for rehabilitation of the aquifer. The work has shown that the top 40-50 m of Chalk has become saturated with highly saline water, but at greater depths the contaminant is localized around well-developed fissures. The results of fifteen months pumping of a production borehole located near the centre of the pollution plume suggests that a long period would be required for the contamination to be cleared, and this has been supported by the results of a mathematical model.


The coping strategies that a victim of a rape engages in can have a strong impact on the development and persistence of psychological symptoms. Research provides evidence that victims who rely heavily on avoidance strategies, such as suppression, are less likely to recover successfully than those who rely less heavily on these strategies. The present study utilized structural path analysis to identify predictors of avoidance coping following rape and examined factors in the assault itself (e.g., force, alcohol use), sequelae of the assault (e.g., self-blame, loss of self-worth), and social support as potential direct and indirect predictors of avoidance coping. From a sample of 1,253 university women, the responses of 216 women who endorsed an experience of rape were examined. Results suggested that sequelae of the assault such as feelings of self-blame and negative reactions received from others are potentially important predictors of avoidance coping. Implications of the results for future rape recovery research are discussed.


Focusing on the ten countries with the most-traded currencies, we provide novel empirical evidence about the existence of significant heterogenous exposure to global growth news shocks. We incorporate this empirical fact in a frictionless risk-sharing model with recursive preferences, multiple countries, and multiple consumption goods whose supply is subject to both global and local short- and long-run shocks. Since news shocks are priced, heterogenous exposure to global long-run growth shocks results in both a relevant reallocation of international resources and currency adjustments. Our unified framework replicates the properties of the HML-FX and HML-NFA carry trade strategies studied by Lustig et al. (2011) and Della Corte et al. (2013).


When I first arrived in California from the Midwest, I discovered a smorgasbord of backpacking destinations. I was determined to do them all. Slipping across banana slugs at Point Reyes, freezing in Death Valley, stranded and lost in the Ventana Wilderness, it was all great fun. Yet I kept hearing of a distant place to the north with alluring names like the Trinity Alps, and the Marble Mountains. And so finally we went, finding a place that surpassed our expectations for remoteness, ruggedness and beauty. In camp one morning I awoke to find that a deer had completely eaten my favorite t-shirt; I knew we would have to come back. While this anecdote might not convince you to visit the Klamath Mountains in northern California, Jim Agee almost certainly will in his new book Steward's Fork. In an easy-to-read style, Agee captures a sense of the place—a place between the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada that is similar but unlike these more celebrated regions. Much like Aldo Leopold's writings, Agee uses stories as jumping off points to larger discussions about the Klamath Mountains; a Decomposed Granite County Almanac. One cannot fault Agee for a lack of scope. In this relatively slim book (294 pages) he covers the geology, natural history of the flora and fauna of the region, the ethnography of the pre-European Indians, the history since European settlement and finally a consideration of how these factors influence and constrain land management practices. Agee's treatment of each of these topics is highly personal, with stories of his experiences and tales of colorful historic characters. For example, his chapter on the diverse flora of the region is set as a plant identification contest between Agee and Alice Underwood, a well-known early botanist in California, as he retraced Underwood's route from 1900. The description of the wildlife of the region includes the common, the controversial (salmon, the spotted owl) and the cryptic; boasting a half chapter on Bigfoot (complete with a tell-tale photo of a very large footprint, taken by the author!). Although Agee is ultimately skeptical about the existence of Bigfoot, he concludes "...Bigfoot remains a metaphor for wild land and our desire to retain the element of surprise in our encounters with the wilderness."


During the last decade, the information technology industry has adopted a data-driven culture, relying on online metrics to measure and monitor business performance. Under the setting of big data, the majority of such metrics approximately follow normal distributions, opening up potential opportunities to model them directly without extra model assumptions and solve big data problems via closed-form formulas using distributed algorithms at a fraction of the cost of simulation-based procedures like bootstrap. However, certain attributes of the metrics, such as their corresponding data generating processes and aggregation levels, pose numerous challenges for constructing trustworthy estimation and inference procedures. Motivated by four real-life examples in metric development and analytics for large-scale A/B testing, we provide a practical guide to applying the Delta method, one of the most important tools from the classic statistics literature, to address the aforementioned challenges. We emphasize the central role of the Delta method in metric analytics by highlighting both its classic and novel applications.


ABSTRACT Machine's spare parts are very important to support maintenance and repair ship's machine. The purpose of this research is to find out the spare parts availability for ship's machine and the level of smooth-running operation, and also to analyze the relationship between spare parts' availability for machine and the level of smooth-running operation of MT. Gede of PT Pertamina (Persero) Jakarta in 2017. To solve the problem, the writer used field research method and library research for collecting data, and data analysis technique used Likert scale. Based on the result, this research shows that Simple Linear Regression Analysis obtains A¶ = 8,068 + 0,837X which means every increase in spare parts' availability for machine that is 1 unit of SKU (stock-keeping unit) will increase the level of smooth-running operation of MT. Gede about 0,837 point for PT Pertamina (Persero) Jakarta with 8,068 constant. A correlation coefficient obtained r XY = 0,740 which means the spare parts' availability for machine has strong relationship between the level of smooth-running operation and PT Pertamina (Persero) Jakarta, because value of r = 0,740 means there is a positive and strong correlation between variable X (the spare parts' availability for machine) and variable Y (the smooth-running operation of MT. Gede) that can be seen on interpretation of correlation table in Chapter I. The determinant coefficient is Kp = 54,7% which means relationship of contribution of the spare parts availability for machine is about 54,7% and the rest is about 45,3% for other factors outside the variable of this research, such as relationship of tools quality, skill of the ship's crew, and other obstacle. The hypotesis testing obtained is tcount (5,816 > 1,701) so Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted. It means that there is a significant relation between variable X (the spare parts' availability for machine) and variable Y (the smooth-running operation of MT. Gede) so the hypotesis stated in Chapter 1 is absolutely true.


Young infants have demonstrated a remarkable sensitivity to probabilistic relations among visual features (Fiser & Aslin, 2002; Kirkham et al., 2002). Previous research has raised important questions regarding the usefulness of statistical learning in an environment filled with variability and noise, such as an infant's natural world. In an eye-tracking experiment, 8-month-old infants viewed sequences of spatio-temporal events with three different transitional probabilities (1.0-Deterministic, 0.75-High probability, and 0.5-Low probability). Across two between-subjects conditions, the sequences were presented with or without competing visual distracters. Results show that as transitional probability decreased, infants distributed less attention to the predictable locations and their anticipations were less often correct. With no distraction, infants had faster saccadic latencies to the high probability events; however, with distracters present in the stimulus environment, infants' eye movements shifted to favour the deterministic relations. These findings suggest that infants integrate multiple sources of variability to guide visual attention and facilitate the detection and learning of statistically reliable events.


Note: Ten chapters were prepared as background for the work of the Maize Advisory Group and for input to the public symposium, held 11 March 2004, in Oaxaca as part of the CEC Article 13 study on maize and biodiversity. These chapters were later reviewed and revised prior to this release, based on comments received at the symposium and during the subsequent comment period. Responses to reviewers are provided at <www.cec.org/maize/>.


Globally, decision makers in companies have been attracted by Business Intelligence Systems (BISs) for their high ability in forecasting the current and future views of the decision process in business operations. Surely, the impacts of BIS will be realized when these systems are used intensively. Based on the literature, more than 70% of BIS projects fail to achieve their expected returns and benefits. Review of literature shows there is dearth of research surrounding BIS acceptance in SMEs especially in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia (SA). This study extends the current literature of users' post-adoption behaviour of BISs by proposing model that integrates individual and social perspective factors as effective factors in BIS user behaviour intention in Saudi's SMEs. BIS and SME characteristics have been considered in the implementation of this model. This study seeks to address the gap in the literature and provide better understanding of BIS post-adopt behaviour in SMEs


The morphological diversity of floral organs can largely be attributed to functional divergence in the MADS-box gene family. Nonetheless, research based on the ABCDE model has yet to conclusively determine whether the AGAMOUS-LIKE 6 (AGL6) subgroup has a direct influence on floral organ development. In the current study, the ABCDE model was used to quantify the contributions of ABCDE and AGL6 genes in the emergence of floral organs. We determined that the flower formation contribution values of the ABCDE and AGL6 genes were as follows: A gene, 0.192; B gene, 0.231; CD gene, 0.192; E gene, 0.385; and AGL6, 0.077. As AGL6 does not directly influence floral structure formation, the contribution value of AGL6 to flower formation was low. Furthermore, the gradient values of the floral organs were as follows: sepals, 0.572; petals, 1.606; stamens, 2.409; and carpels, 2.288. We also performed detailed analysis of the ABCDE and AGL6 genes using the Circlize package in R. Our results suggest that these genes likely emerged in one of two orders: 1) B genes→CD genes→AGL6→E genes→A genes; or 2) B genes→CD genes→AGL6/E genes→A genes. We use the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to prove the contribution values and gradient values of floral organs. This is the first study to understand the contribution values of ABCDE and AGL6 genes using the AHP and the Circlize package in R.


The main focus of this commentary is the examination of the Vox Circuit Trilogy (2007) consisting of The Suicided Voice (2003/2007), Hand-to-Mouth (2007) and Etch (2007). The innovative use of interactive technologies and the architecture of the Bodycoder System in terms of its software, hardware and human-computer interface will be examined.

Kinaesonics will be discussed in relation to the coding of real-time one-to-one mapping of sound to gesture and its expression in terms of hardware and software design. The compositional processes will be discussed, in particular: the use of performance simulations, workshop collaboration with the performer and the
negotiation of creation, composition and performance in the final work. Rehearsal
processes will be examined with particular reference to The Suicided Voice. The notion of expressivity will be interrogated and how four principle forms of expressivity are interconnected, modelled and realized to generate a totally integrated performance modality.


Robert Lebrun, a young and handsome but girlfriendless courtier of (usually) married women, who spends every summer vacation with his mother, and Mademoiselle Reisz, a celibate, misanthropic pianist, who refers to The Awakening's attractive Edna Pontellier as "beautiful woman" and "my queen," especially admiring her appearance in a bathing suit, cry out almost audibly for the critic's interrogation of their sexuality. Encountering Robert and Reisz as real people in daily life, many of us would have little question about their sexuality. It is not a wholly original point, but has not usually been so baldly asserted, has not been supported with as much detailed evidence as Chopin actually provides, and has not been placed within the context of a fuller gendered analysis. Yet holding these two characters up to the sexual orientation spotlight only begins to illuminate Chopin's radical, gendered social critique. I will examine her complex variations on traditional assumptions about gender and especially about sexuality, focusing on Edna, Robert, and Reisz, and mentioning also some minor characters usually overlooked by critics: Madame Lebrun, Tonie, and the Farival twins.


There has been considerable debate for some time about the proper role of private enforcement in cartel enforcement. It arose again recently in the wake of the decision of the European Court of Justice in Pfleiderer. The Court had to decide whether to disclose to private claimants documents obtained by a national competition regulator through its immunity programme. It decided that disclosure was not prohibited by EU law but was a matter for a national court to weigh the interests of civil claimants against the need to protect immunity programmes. Similar issues have arisen in Australia. The paper provides a brief overview of immunity policy and the place of private enforcement and then examines the regulatory, legislative and judicial responses to the disclosure/immunity issue in Europe and Australia and considers whether the correct balance has been struck between the competing interests of private claimants and regulatory authorities.


In this paper, two types of the microstrip duplexers for third generation mobile communication systems are investigated, In our design, good performance, compact size and low cost are considerations. Simulation and optimization are carried out with the aid of numerical methods for high frequency EM problems, and accurate results are obtained. The loss caused by both the substrate and metallization is taken into account. The duplexers are made and tested. The experimental results agree well with those of simulation.


The present work addresses the problematic of forecasting impacts of climate change on future rainfall regimes and their consequences on urban stormwater infrastructures. Researches carried out allowed to develop an integrated framework for producing high resolution probabilistic rainfall projections suitable for studying hydrological processes at the scale of urban drainage. Downscaling is at the core of the methodology as the predictions of the numerical General Circulation Models (GCMs) employed by the climate scientific community to model climate evolution are too coarse for hydrological impact studies. The proposed downscaling approach respects the scales of the physical processes characterizing precipitations and consists in three steps: i) Daily rainfall series at the location of interest are downscaled from coarse-gridded monthly GCMs projections (scale of weather events); ii) The generated daily series are further downscaled to the hourly time-step (scale of storms dynamics); iii) Finally, hourly series are disaggregated to sub-hourly level (scale of raincells). Daily downscaling is achieved by a statistical procedure, based on Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), seeking to relate large-scale atmospheric variables, corresponding to the scale of GCMs, to local daily rainfall series. The proposed methodology is assessed using three contrasted situations in Switzerland (Geneva, Sion and Santis) and is shown to perform well in reproducing historical rainfall statistics (including extremes and inter-annual variability) in the present-day climate; furthermore, projections were shown to be consistent with the simulations of physically-based dynamical models (i.e. Regional Climate Models). Projections for the second part of the 21th century indicate considerably drier summers, but no significant tendency toward more extreme events was detected except for Santis. Finally, extensions of the methodology were presented allowing to downscale other atmospheric variables than rainfall. Sub-daily rainfall downscaling is achieved using a stochastic hourly rainfall generator based on Poisson clusters model which aims at conceptualizing storm dynamics in a simple way. To provide sensible results such generators have to be fitted on historical rainfall statistics computed at different levels of temporal aggregation. In the present context, this raises a fundamental problem as the required fitting statistics at the sub-daily time-scale are not available for the future. Shortcomings of existing methods led us to develop a novel approach based on Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) which were so far seldom used in hydrology. The proposed MARS models are conditioned on climate and fit thus particularly well in the general downscaling framework. In addition, atmospheric predictors allow to account naturally for seasonal variations meaning that a single MARS model holds for the whole year, whereas existing models are specific to each month of the year and are therefore not robust against the seasonal changes that might induce global warming. The methodology was applied to generate hourly rainfall series from daily data simulated by the GLMs at Geneva for the end of the 21th century. Climate change was found to impact significantly summer storm dynamics: raincells are predicted to be shorter but more intense, and storms are projected to be less frequent. A frequency analysis made on the simulated hourly rainfall series revealed a significant increase of hourly rainfall return levels. Hourly rainfall series are further disaggregated to the 10-minute level using a cascade-based model. Using case studies in the Geneva area, the performances of this sub-hourly rainfall disagreggator (in particular the reproduction of extreme values) were shown to be equivalent when fitted on statistics derived from the temporal levels 10-minute to 1-hour (sub-hourly fitting set), or from the 1-hour to 3-hour levels (supra-hourly fitting set). In consequence, the supra-hourly statistics of the hourly rainfall series generated by the stochastic Poisson clusters model can be used to fit the disagreggator model in order to simulate 10-minute rainfall series. Projections of 10-minute rainfall at Geneva for the end of the 21th century indicate an increase of extreme events intensities. Uncertainties in the proposed downscaling procedure are dealt with using, whenever feasible, probabilistic models (i.e. GLMs, hourly rainfall generator, MARS model and sub-hourly disagreggator), and relying on a large number of General Circulation Models projections conditioned on various greenhouse gases emissions scenarios. The present work concludes with a case study illustrating how the developed downscaling methodology may be used to evaluate different strategies of sustainable stormwater management. The Industrial Zone of Plan-les-Ouates (ZIPLO) taken as example is a small urbanized area of Geneva. Urban drainage was characterized using a semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model, and climate change (under the higher greenhouse gas emissions scenario) was shown to increase significantly the peak discharge flows at the ZIPLO outlet. Different sustainable stormwater options were then evaluated in order to limit the peak discharge flows under the joint scenario of climate change and projected urbanization increase.


The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors of late relapse in nonmetastatic osteosarcoma patients treated at the Rizzoli Institute from 1983 to 1997. Clinical features of patients who had late (>4 y of follow-up) or earlier recurrence were compared. Late relapse was reported in 24 (3.7%) of the 648 patients who entered the studies. A surgical complete remission was achieved in 19 (79%) patients. The 5-year probability of postrelapse survival was 65% for the complete remission patients (48% in the entire group), which was significantly better than that of the patients (5-year postrelapse survival 20%) with an early relapse. Sex, site, and size of the tumor, histologic subtype, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase serum levels, type of surgery, and histologic response did not significantly differ between patients with late or early relapse. No clinical predictive factors of late relapse were identified and a prolonged follow-up is recommended for all patients.


Removal properties are researched and discussed of algae and nitrogen & phosphorus nutrients with periphyton by assembled substrate in lake-based eutrophic water body, including impacts on removal effects of several physical & chemical properties as water depth, water velocity, DO, temperature and PH. The results show that: the removal rate of NH4-N, other nitrogen nutrients, phosphorus nutrients and Chl-a were 96%, 40%, 80%, 65% respectively. With the growth of water velocity(from 0 to 200L/h ), the removal of Chl-a, TP, TDP increased to a certain extent(Chl-a: from 63.63% to 67.66%; TP:from 76.15% to 85.13%;TDP:from 80.10% to 88.44%),and that of TN,TDN and NO3-N decreased to different extents(TN: from 45.19% to 31.97%; TDN: from 42.81% to 28.77%; NO3-N: from 38.11% to –5.26%), but that of NH4-N and PO4-P altered little(NH4-N:from 96.80% to 95.94%;PO4-P:from 85.38% to 87.02%). It will provide reference for recovery and re-contribution of destroyed Eco-system, and a new thought for treatment in eutrophical lakes.