We study a mobile edge computing system assisted by multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where the UAVs act as edge servers to provide computing services for Internet of Things devices. Our goal is to minimize the energy consumption of this system by planning the trajectories of UAVs. This problem is difficult to address because when planning the trajectories, we need to consider not only the order of stop points (SPs), but also their deployment (including the number and locations) and the association between UAVs and SPs. To tackle this problem, we present an energy-efficient trajectory planning algorithm (TPA) which comprises three phases. In the first phase, a differential evolution algorithm with a variable population size is adopted to update the number and locations of SPs at the same time. In the second phase, the k-means clustering algorithm is employed to group the given SPs into a set of clusters, where the number of clusters is equal to that of UAVs and each cluster contains all SPs visited by the same UAV. In the third phase, to quickly generate the trajectories of UAVs, we propose a low-complexity greedy method to construct the order of SPs in each cluster. Compared with other algorithms, the effectiveness of TPA is verified on a set of instances at different scales.


The closely related transposable elements, Tn3 and , share significant DNA sequence homology and functional organization. These elements have been shown to encode interchangeable resolvase proteins to mediate resolution of obligatory transpositional cointegrates. There is no apparent complementation between these elements for the tnpA gene function. To analyze the mechanism of resolvase-mediated recombination, the Tn3-encoded tnpR gene was cloned into a high expression plasmid vector. This allowed large amounts of resolvase to be synthesized, thus aiding purification of the protein. The purified protein was subsequently used for biochemical analysis of the resolution reaction and for DNase I footprinting experiments. A number of small plasmid substrates were constructed containing two res sites in direct or inverted orientation. In vitro resolution reactions were assayed by gel electrophoresis to detect the formation of interlocked circles (catenates) which appeared to be the major reaction product. The resolution reaction requires only resolvase and a supercoiled substrate containing two directly repeated sites, under the appropriate ionic conditions; the reaction is independent of host factors or an external energy supply. Catenates are always formed during resolution suggesting that this may be a direct consequence of the reaction mechanism" Substrates containing varying lengths of DNA separating res sites have differing efficiencies of resolution in vitro, the reaction proceeds with greatest efficiency when the length of DNA between (vii) res sites is least . This data, in conjunction with the observed preference for two directly repeated ves sites in cis, has led to the proposal of a "tracking" model for resolvase-mediated recombination. Resolvase has been shown to bind specifically and nonspecifically to DNA. Specific binding, resulting from tight association of resolvase with the target site, was investigated by sequence protection from DNase I. This revealed three binding sites for resolvase within the res region. The sequences of the protected sites conform to the consensus sequence proposed for other regulatory DNA binding proteins.


Engineering design teams are increasingly required to consider sustainability in the design of products and related manufacturing and assembly processes. In this regard, the economic and ecological sustainability of products as well as their quality and cost is influenced by geometric part deviations, which are inevitably observed on every manufactured artefact. Thus, the management of geometric deviations along the product lifecycle is a key issue for companies to living up to modern innovation requirements. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of tools for the tolerance analysis in different stages of geometric variations management and to propose a versatile approach for the sensitivity analysis applicable in these different stages. This approach is to support decision making in the geometric variations management during integrated product and process design.


Scholars frequently give attention to the case of Italy for the purposes of comparative research. Whether they are concerned with assemblies, cabinets, leaders, or most aspects of governance, Italy often features in studies involving parliamentary systems. To aid students interested in examining the Italian case, I introduce a comprehensive dataset that tracks elections, governments, heads, and legislatures in Italy from 1720 to 2021. The dataset covers the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720-1861), the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946), and the Italian Republic (1946-2021). Primarily, the dataset fills the lacuna vis-à-vis the availability of pre-WWII data. In this research note, I display the features of the dataset as well as presenting one example related to premature dissolutions of the Italian Parliament.


In this paper, the analyses of the peak monthly geomagnetic storms observed between January – December 2000 had been presented. This study is based on data from a network of ionosondes stations located within the East Asian latitudinal sector of 40–65°N. It was found that the effects of ionization depletion at an F2 layer maximum observed at all stations during some of the events are as a result of rapid heating of the polar atmosphere during energy income from the magnetosphere. On the contrary, the positivestorm phases observed can be attributed partly to an eastward electric field, which will movethe mid-latitude ionospheric F region plasma to higheraltitudes with lower recombination, resulting in increases of the electron density. It is therefore suggested that this action may be responsible for the observed long-duration positive storm for the 12th February 2000 and 5th October 2000 geomagnetic activities. On the geoeffectiveness of the F2 Ionosphere with Interplanetary and Solar wind parameters,the correlation percentage between the F2 critical frequency deviation D(foF2) and IMF Bz are higher at most ionosonde stations than between D(foF2) and Dst. In relation to the flow speed V, all the stations had a good correlation (>58%) except at Petropavlovsk.The average correlation percentage for the F2 ionosphere against the Dst, flow speed V and Bz are 40.5, 60.3 and 46.4 respectively. This suggests that the plasma flow speed is the most geoeffective parameter with the F2 ionosphere; irrespective of the latitudinal position (low latitude is not considered here).For D(foF2)versus ,the high latitude station of Salekhard had the highest correlation percentage (71.4%), followed by Magadan (60.4%), Tashkent (42.3%), Novosibirk (10%), and Petropavlovsk (negligible). From these, the following were deduced: (i) the increase in percentage correlation of against D(foF2) is directly proportional to the increase in the latitudinal position of each station (ii) the stations with more occurrences of electron density enhancement are those whose altitudes are greater than 100m. (iii) an average value of 37.5% correlation for versus D(foF2) showed that V is more geoeffective, if it were to be Bz, the % value would have been ≥50%.


The aim of this paper is to collect graphical information with thermal images, on how moistures can appear in building materials like concrete, and to develop a method that provides its detection with infrared thermography. This research has been realized due to the fact that moistures are one of the greatest building pathologies, besides standards and documentation for the use of this technology in specific applications, like moisture detection, are insufficient. Real specimens of concrete have been built specially for that purpose, causing moistures in them. Then infrared images (thermograms) of their evolution have been taken, and they have been analysed with FLIR Tools+ and FLIR ThermaCAM Researcher software. The results of the experiments have revealed important information to define the thermal patterns looked for. In this way, the graphic characteristics of a typical qualitative (without measurement temperatures) thermal pattern in a wet material are described, as well as the qualitative thermal pattern of the capillarity rise which a part of the material suffered. In addition, the humidity levels have been checked with a thermo hygrometer to confirm the different areas that thermography shows in the previous thermal patterns. This research will be useful for professionals who have the suitable equipment for moisture detection and treatment because once the visible moisture marks have been produced, they endure regardless the material is damp or not.


PURPOSE
In view of the pleomorphic role cytokines play in human lymphoproliferative disorders, we investigated the possible involvement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in hairy cell leukemia (HCL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The levels of TNF were measured in the serum of untreated patients, and in the culture supernatants of unstimulated and stimulated enriched hairy cells (HC). Furthermore, the presence of TNF mRNA transcripts in HC was analyzed. The possibility that HC could inhibit the in vitro growth of normal erythroid progenitors via the release of TNF was also investigated. Finally, in an attempt to correlate the circulating levels of TNF with the course of the disease, these were retested during and after treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN).

RESULTS
Significantly increased levels of TNF were found in the sera of untreated HCL patients compared with normal control sera were seen from patients with other diseases (P less than .001), with values greater than 10 pg/mL in 21 of 42 samples tested. A significant decrease (P less than .01) of TNF levels was recorded following IFN-2a administration in 16 cases with detectable pretreatment serum levels of TNF. In two cases, an increase in TNF values was associated with persistence or progression of disease. The likelihood that the circulating levels of TNF were caused by the pathologic cells is supported by the evidence that purified HC may release TNF spontaneously. The values can be markedly increased following in vitro activation with the phorbol ester 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (PMA), with B-cell growth factor (BCGF), and, to a further extent, with the combination of PMA and BCGF. Furthermore, the constitutive mRNA for TNF was found in seven of eight HC samples analyzed. Although supernatants of enriched HC, were capable of reducing the growth of normal bone marrow erythroid progenitors by 50%, duplicate experiments using an anti-TNF antibody produced an almost complete disappearance of the inhibitory effect.

CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest that TNF plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the cytopenia(s) characteristically associated with HCL.


A promising technique for exploration is to maximize the entropy of visited state distribution, i.e., state entropy, by encouraging uniform coverage of visited state space. While it has been effective for an unsupervised setup, it tends to struggle in a supervised setup with a task reward, where an agent prefers to visit high-value states to exploit the task reward. Such a preference can cause an imbalance between the distributions of high-value states and low-value states, which biases exploration towards low-value state regions as a result of the state entropy increasing when the distribution becomes more uniform. This issue is exacerbated when high-value states are narrowly distributed within the state space, making it difficult for the agent to complete the tasks. In this paper, we present a novel exploration technique that maximizes the value-conditional state entropy, which separately estimates the state entropies that are conditioned on the value estimates of each state, then maximizes their average. By only considering the visited states with similar value estimates for computing the intrinsic bonus, our method prevents the distribution of low-value states from affecting exploration around high-value states, and vice versa. We demonstrate that the proposed alternative to the state entropy baseline significantly accelerates various reinforcement learning algorithms across a variety of tasks within MiniGrid, DeepMind Control Suite, and Meta-World benchmarks. Source code is available at https://sites.google.com/view/rl-vcse.


We present Neptune - the resource director of Océano, a policy driven fabric management system that dynamically reconfigures resources in a computing utility cluster. Neptune implements an on-line control mechanism subject to policy-based performance and resource configuration objectives. Neptune reassigns servers and bandwidth among a set of service domains, based on pre-defined policy, in response to workload changes. It builds and executes a reconfiguration plan through a planning framework, breaking reconfiguration objectives into individual tasks delegated to set of lower level resource managers. We describe an example decision policy algorithm that we implemented and demonstrated in an 80 server multi-domain computing utility.


Objectives. Early studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy showed varied intensity across countries, which was linked to various factors such as socio-economic conditions, information sources, and issues of trust in government, scientific experts, and the health sector. This study aims to evaluate the determinants of vaccine hesitancy to offer insights into the strategies that may be successful in designing communications campaigns for enhanced vaccination uptake. Methods. Through logistic regression, this study examines correlates of survey data from five Southeast Asian countries, namely Indonesia (ID), Malaysia (MY), Philippines (PH), Thailand (TH), Vietnam (VN) collected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Initiative on Digital Economy and Facebook between July 2020 and March 2021. Results. Some significant determinants at the 5% or 1% level of significance of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the countries of interest include gender [ID: 1.17 (1.01, 1.15), MY: 1.35 (1.2,1.53), PH: 1.92 (1.68,2.19), VN: 1.28 (1.04,1.58)], age [MY:1.11 (1.06,1.17), PH: 0.92 (0.88, 0.97), TH: 1.17 (1.11, 1.23)], knowing someone who tested positive for COVID-19 [ID: 0.75 (0.65,0.88), MY: 0.82 (0.71,0.95), PH: 0.76 (0.67, 0.87), TH: 0.76 (0.59, 0.99), VN: 0.72 (0.54,0.97)], and perceived effectiveness of mask wearing [ID: 0.83 (0.74, 0.94), MY: 0.86 (0.79, 0.95), TH: 0.88 (0.8,0.98)]. Vaccine hesitancy is particularly strong among women in 3 countries—peaking at 52% in Indonesia, 42% in Malaysia, and 56% in the Philippines. Conclusion. Results from the survey highlight the significance of a targeted vaccine education and research campaign. This study calls for streamlining of communications campaigns towards messages that promote vaccine uptake in the region, while better targeting those groups most vulnerable guided by the empirical findings herein.


As one of the major platforms of communication, social networks have become a valuable source of opinions and emotions. Considering that sharing of emotions offline and online is quite similar, historical posts from social networks seem to be a valuable source of data for measuring observable subjective well-being (OSWB). In this study, we calculated OSWB indices for the Russian-speaking segment of Twitter using the Affective Social Data Model for Socio-Technical Interactions. This model utilises demographic information and post-stratification techniques to make the data sample representative, by selected characteristics, of the general population of a country. For sentiment analysis, we fine-tuned RuRoBERTa-Large on RuSentiTweet and achieved new state-of-the-art results of F1 = 0.7229. Several calculated OSWB indicators demonstrated moderate Spearman's correlation with the traditional survey-based net affect (rs = 0.469 and rs = 0.5332, p < 0.05) and positive affect (rs = 0.5177 and rs = 0.548, p < 0.05) indices in Russia.


A prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of bilioenteric bypass in noncalculous distal biliary obstruction. Thirty-one patients required bypass for either malignant obstruction or chronic pancreatitis and were randomized into two groups: cholecystoenterostomy or choledochoenterostomy with cholecystectomy. Nine bypasses failed after cholecystoenterostomy and two after choledochoenterostomy (p less than 0.04). Eight of the 9 failures occurred in the subgroup of 22 patients with malignant biliary obstruction. In this subgroup, five bypasses failed within 90 days of operation, all after cholecystoenterostomy (p = 0.03 compared with choledochoenterostomy). The results indicate that choledochoenterostomy is the superior operation for malignant distal biliary obstruction. Additional studies will be necessary to identify the procedure of choice for benign noncalculous obstructions.


The negotiation is a science based on several other sciences such as: philosophy, mathematics, psychology and it represents the art of finalizing the businesses in an efficient manner. In general, the negotiation is approached from a procedural perspective but also from a personal style of negotiation. Therefore, most of the times, negotiators are tempted to win even if their partner is not satisfied. However, in the actual economic context, the negotiation should lead to long term results for both partners because, in this way, the necessary premises of the economic development will be created.


Event cameras are bio-inspired vision sensors that naturally capture the dynamics of a scene, filtering out redundant information. This paper presents a deep neural network approach that unlocks the potential of event cameras on a challenging motion-estimation task: prediction of a vehicle's steering angle. To make the best out of this sensor-algorithm combination, we adapt state-of-the-art convolutional architectures to the output of event sensors and extensively evaluate the performance of our approach on a publicly available large scale event-camera dataset (~1000 km). We present qualitative and quantitative explanations of why event cameras allow robust steering prediction even in cases where traditional cameras fail, e.g. challenging illumination conditions and fast motion. Finally, we demonstrate the advantages of leveraging transfer learning from traditional to event-based vision, and show that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms based on standard cameras.


With an innovative perspective on the social character of ignorance production, agnotology has been a fruitful approach for understanding the social and epistemological consequences of the interaction between industry and scientific research. In this paper, I argue that agnotology, or the study of ignorance, contributes to a better understanding of commercially driven research and its societal impact, showing the ways in which industrial interests have reshaped the epistemic aims of traditional scientific practices, turning them into mechanisms of ignorance production. To do so, I examine some of the main contributions to agnotology and provide a taxonomy of practices of ignorance construction common in commercially driven research today. In particular, I present the tobacco industry's campaign against the health hazards of smoking as a paradigmatic case of ignorance production, identifying five central strategies. I then argue that the same strategies have been used in three other cases—global warming, pharmaceuticals, and the 2008 financial crisis.


Background: Comprehensive evidence comparing treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) among PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors is unavailable. Methods: A systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted. Randomized controlled trials in cancer patients treated with PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors or their combinations with chemotherapy/placebo and compared with PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors/chemotherapy/placebo were identified through comprehensive searches of multiple databases. Bayesian NMA was performed using random-effects model. Relative ranking of treatments was assessed with surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities. Incidences and odds ratios of trAEs and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of all-grade (Grade 1–5) and high-grade (Grade 3–5) were estimated. Results: Twenty-three RCTs (14,204 patients) comparing six different strategies were included. The incidence of trAEs was lowest for PD-L1 inhibitors (all-grade: pooled incidence = 60.4%, SUCRA = 77.2%; high-grade: 6.4, 73.8%). PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy had the highest incidence of all-grade trAEs (88.6, 10.1%), while PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy had the highest incidence of high-grade trAEs (8.2, 9.3%). The use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone was associated with significant reductions on high-grade trAEs, compared with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy. PD-1 inhibitors had the highest incidence of irAEs (all-grade: 15.1, 9.5%; high-grade: 3.5, 16.8%). Compared with PD-L1 inhibitors, PD-1 inhibitors neither increased trAEs nor irAEs significantly. Results from sensitivity analyses were consistent. Conclusions: Current data showed that PD-L1 inhibitors had the best safety on both trAEs and irAEs. Awareness of the comparative safety could promote further appropriate utilization of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in clinical practice.


Todays Las Vegas welcomes 35 million visitors a year and reigns as the world's premier gaming mecca. But it is much more than a gambling paradise. In A Short History of Las Vegas, Barbara and Myrick Land reveal a fascinating history beyond the mobsters, casinos, and showgirls. The Lands present a complete story, beginning with southern Nevada's indigenous peoples and the earliest explorers to the first pioneers to settle in the area; from the importance of the railroad and the construction of Hoover Dam to the arrival of the Mob after World War II; from the first isolated resorts to appear in the dusty desert to the upscale, extravagant theme resorts of today. Las Vegas—and its history—is full of surprises. The second edition of this lively history includes details of the latest developments and describes the growing anticipation surrounding the Las Vegas centennial celebration in 2005. New chapters focus on the recent implosions of famous old structures and the construction of glamorous new developments, headline-making mergers and multibillion-dollar deals involving famous Strip properties, and a concluding look at what life is like for the nearly two million residents who call Las Vegas home.


An understanding of how each individual 5q chromosome critical deleted region (CDR) gene contributes to malignant transformation would foster the development of much needed targeted therapies for the treatment of therapy related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs). Early Growth Response 1 (EGR1) is a key transcriptional regulator of myeloid differentiation located within the 5q chromosome CDR that has been shown to regulate HSC (hematopoietic stem cell) quiescence as well as the master regulator of apoptosis—p53. Since resistance to apoptosis is a hallmark of malignant transformation, we investigated the role of EGR1 in apoptosis of bone marrow cells; a cell population from which myeloid malignancies arise. We evaluated radiation induced apoptosis of Egr1 and Egr1 bone marrow cells in vitro and in vivo. EGR1 is not required for radiation induced apoptosis of murine bone marrow cells. Neither p53 mRNA (messenger RNA) nor protein expression is regulated by EGR1 in these cells. Radiation induced apoptosis of bone marrow cells by double strand DNA breaks induced p53 activation. These results suggest EGR1 dependent signaling mechanisms do not contribute to aberrant apoptosis of malignant cells in myeloid malignancies.


The primary sequence of the small cysteine-rich protein (EnvA) of Chlamydia psittaci 6BC has been shown to possess a potential lipid modification/signal peptidase II-processing site, and the mature protein was labeled by a [3H]palmitic acid precursor. We further characterized the mature EnvA, showing that it lacks the N-terminal methionine of the primary peptide, is hydrophobic despite a peptide sequence that is predicted to be hydrophilic, and appears to be lipid modified at an N-terminal cysteine in a manner analogous to that of murein lipoproteins of gram-negative bacteria. We also report the fatty acid content of the small cysteine-rich proteins of C. psittaci and Chlamydia trachomatis L2 as determined by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.


Loss of limb through amputation presents a significant, life changing, circumstance for individuals. The prosthetist as the gate keeper to the health-care system and the facilitator of rehabilitation is essential to positive adjustment post-amputation. As yet, however, commonalities and differences in the understandings of each of these parties of the experience of limb loss, prosthesis use and rehabilitation remain unexamined. This comparison provides the focus for this study.
Fifteen individuals post amputation and 13 prosthetists were interviewed on their perceptions of limb loss and prosthesis use. Semi structured interviews were conducted, face to face, via telephone or via email. Data were audio-recorded and transcribed as necessary and thereafter analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in order to gain an understanding of the subjective experiences of individuals with limb loss and of prosthetists of the post-amputation process.
Analysis of the data led to identification of four key themes, namely Personal Identity, Social Identity, The Prosthesis and Communication. These themes were relevant for both groups. The meanings that they held for the two groups, however, differed in relation to key elements of the post-amputation experience.
Both groups have a shared interest in the process of prosthetic limb fitting and rehabilitation and yet come from very differing perspectives. The fitting and use of a prosthetic device is not a simple, technical process but rather involves a combination of psychological, social and practical components all of which must be recognized in the rehabilitation process. The differing expectations and understandings held by both groups become especially evident in interactions between individuals with limb loss and prosthetists. Communications between members of these groups can provide a central point for addressing differences in their understandings of living with limb loss and might provide a focus for further developments in research and practice.


BACKGROUND
Calcium phosphate (CaP)-coated surface showed enhanced contact osteogenesis around dental implant and finally accelerate osseointegration in early healing phase.

PURPOSE
The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to compare the peri-implant marginal bone level around uncoated and CaP-coated sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched (SLA) surface implants during the first year after placement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was performed upon 34 patients with randomized and double-blinded design. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed immediately after implant placement, at re-entry after 3 months, and after 12 months to evaluate the initial stability and change in the marginal bone level. The distance from the implant shoulder to the top of the bone-to-implant contact was defined as the marginal bone level, and its alteration was measured at 1 year after implant installation.

RESULTS
None of the implants failed, and most of them showed a marginal bone loss of less than 1 mm. Small changes in the bone level were noted at all sites in the control and test groups, and there were no clinically significant differences in the changes in the marginal bone.

CONCLUSION
Both CaP-coated and uncoated SLA surface implants showed comparably successful marginal bone stability without any complications during the first year after placement.


An effective pension system enhances economic and financial efficiency. A majority of pension plans in Canada are defined-benefit (DB) plans, but DB plans are under stress from increasing longevity, low long-term interest rates, and the shrinking equity premium. DB plans are vulnerable to such shocks because they are complex financial vehicles, with interdependencies not fully understood by those who design, administer, regulate, and otherwise influence their operation. In this paper, I provide an overview of the basic economic workings of a highly stylized DB pension plan. I use the framework to highlight some of the misconceptions about these plans and explain why the burden on sponsors has been increasing.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association of long-term intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuation and visual field (VF) progression in patients with glaucoma and low IOP.

METHODS
Four hundred eight eyes with IOPs below 18 mm Hg after a triple procedure (phacoemulsification, posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, and trabeculectomy) were included in this study. Measurements of IOP and VF were taken for at least 3 years after surgery. Based on the SD in postoperative IOPs, the sample was split into 2 groups (group 1: SD<or=2; group 2: SD>2). Change in VF at each test location was defined as a change in threshold sensitivity of 1 dB per year or higher, with P<or=.01; pointwise linear regression analysis was applied.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Intraocular pressure and VF progression.

RESULTS
The groups showed no differences in IOPs through the follow-up period and in the VF defect score 3 months after surgery. After 13 years, more patients with progressive VF deterioration were detected in group 2 than in group 1.

CONCLUSION
Our results showed that larger long-term IOP fluctuation was associated with a progressive increase in the VF deterioration even though patients with glaucoma maintained their IOPs after the triple procedure.

APPLICATION TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
The SD of long-term IOP should be less than 2 in patients with glaucoma, even if their IOPs drop below 18 mm Hg.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00428740.


In this paper the hydrogeological setting of Rome is figured out. This setting has been strongly influenced by different factors as tectonic activity, volcanism and seal level variations. The conceptual model of the groundwater flow in the roman area is represented by four aquifers, three of which being overlappingones. These aquifers flow from peripheral sectors of the study area toward Tiber and Aniene Rivers and the Sea.


The mechanism and the effective factors for the development of intragranular misorientations due to kinking is studied by a crystal plasticity finite element method. A single crystal with hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure in which only basal slip system is activated is used as a model material. To activate basal slip system, the initial crystal orientations are set to be the ones whose basal planes are slightly deviated from the compressive direction. The result shows that basal slip and the development of intragranular misorientations are sometimes localized near the center of the specimen depending on the initial deviation angle, strain hardening rate, and strain rate sensitivity. The mechanism is discussed in terms of the nonuniform stress distribution and lattice rotation. The effect of slight changes in the boundary conditions shows significant effect on the positions of slip localization. In summary, the present numerical results suggest that there are a number of effective factors for the development of the intragranular misorientations due to kinking including initial crystal orientation, material parameters, and boundary conditions. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.MH201403]


Abstract:This essay focuses on the creation story of the Indigenous Chamorro people from the western Pacific Island of Guam. The essay presents and analyzes the deeper meaning of the story of Puntan and Fu'una as they birth the island of Guam and the Chamorro people. Moreover, it maps the history of Catholic missionization that displaced and replaced the Chamorro creation story. The essay covers the related issue of how colonization removed Chamorros from their ancestral lands and appropriated these lands for imperial, military, tourism, and urban development. Then it highlights the decades-long struggle of Chamorro activists to reclaim the land. Lastly, it turns to contemporary Chamorro poetry to illustrate how authors have revitalized and retold the story of Puntan and Fu'una to critique and protest the degradation of Chamorro lands and to advocate for the protection and return of the land.


The discipline of economics encompasses both theoretical concepts and empirical methods for the study of human behaviours, as well as competing schools of thought and ideologies that students need to engage with and reflect upon. The university economics lecturer has an important role in helping students accomplish this goal. However, as an individual, the lecturer also holds personal ideological positions that may emerge and elude L2 listeners. The aim of this paper is to propose a systematic and comprehensive procedure for detecting ideological stance in a university economics lecture. Using a case study approach, I apply Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis to identify ideological stance and show how semiotic resources beyond verbal language contribute to its expression. This process was facilitated by the use of multimodal annotation software to analyse verbal expressions of ideological stance (e.g., evaluative language, rhetorical elements) and co-occurring non-verbal cues (e.g., prosodic features, gaze direction, gesturing). The method was able to shed light on how the lecturer's contemporaneous use of multiple semiotic modes worked synergistically in the expression of ideological meanings in relation to a controversial issue (i.e., access to healthcare in the United States) in subtle but distinctive ways that were linked to the lecturer's background and to the broader socio-political issues of the research context. The method could be leveraged to inform eSp settings to assist L2 learners in acquiring a better understanding of lecturers' stance towards content, thus resulting in a more complete, effective, and satisfying lecture experience


This article contextualizes recent concerns about rest in the National Basketball Association by considering the concurrent rise of a promotional sleep culture. This work builds upon Grant Farred's analysis of the event of the Black athletic body at rest. Drawing on research from the cultural studies of sport and the critical sleep literature, the author complicates the idea that rest, broadly conceived of as sleep, is a straightforward route to resistance or refusal. Instead of dislodging underlying racial logics or capitalist expectations, the promotion of sleep among National Basketball Association players makes their recovery habits subject to greater surveillance and commodification. Such developments have obvious consequences for athletes and sport systems. What is less apparent is how these social forces also shape collective understandings of sleep difficulties and how to solve them.


Rosa Morena tells a story about kinship in which a white homosexual Danish man adopts a child born to a black poor Brazilian woman. Using a theoretical framework of biopolitics and affective labour the article highlights how the male homosexual figure is being cast as heteronormative and white in order to become intelligible as a parent and the bearer of liveable kinship. The casting rests on the affective and reproductive labour of the birth mother who is portrayed as an unsuitable parent through a colonial discourse steeped in sexualized and racialized imagery. A specific distribution of affect fixates and relegates the birth mother to a state of living dead, and thus she becomes the bearer of an unliveable kinship.


We demonstrate a femtosecond mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) using a nickel oxide (NiO) as a saturable absorber (SA). NiO nanoparticles are hosted into polyethylene oxide film and attached to fiber ferrule in the laser cavity. The NiO-SA shows a 39% modulation depth with a 0.04 MW/cm2 saturation intensity. Our ring laser cavity based on erbium-doped active fiber with managed intracavity dispersion has the ability to generate ultrashort pulses with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of around 2.85 nm centered at 1561.8 nm. The pulses repeat at a frequency of 0.96 MHz and duration of 950 fs.


The inverse quantum-mechanical control of molecules is studied using the equation of motion for the expectation value of an operator. With this method, a requisite external field is obtained to track exactly a prescribed molecular objective expectation value as a function of time. Applications to diatomic and polyatomic molecules are formulated. While the method is directly applicable as a test of physical intuition, it can in principle be used to design fields for specific objectives including reactive selectivity. Results are presented for position and energy tracking in the hydrogen fluoride molecular system. The numerical calculations show that seemingly benign objective tracks may give rise to singularities in the field


The design steps for film–substrate single-reflection retarders are briefly stated and applied to the SiO2–Si film–substrate system at wavelength 6328 A. The criterion of minimum-maximum error of the ellipsometric angle ψ is used to choose angle-of-incidence-tunable designs. Use is made of the (ϕ-d) plane (angle of incidence versus thickness) to determine whether a given film–substrate system with known optical properties and film thickness can operate as a reflection retarder and to determine the associated angles of incidence and retardation angles. This leads to the concept of permissible-thickness bands and forbidden gaps for operation of a film–substrate system as a reflection retarder. Experimental measurements on one of the proposed designs proved the validity of the method.


This study provides insights into surface mass-balance (SMB) and runoff exiting the Watson River drainage basin, Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland during a 30 year period (1978/79–2007/08) when the climate experienced increasing temperatures and precipitation. The 30-year simulations quantify the terrestrial freshwater output from part of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and the land between the GrIS and the ocean, in the context of global warming and increasing GrIS surface melt. We used a snowevolution modeling system (SnowModel) to simulate the winter accumulation and summer ablation processes, including runoff and SMB, of the ice sheet: indicating that the simulated equilibrium line altitude (ELA) was in accordance with independent observations. To a large extent, the SMB fluctuations could be explained by changes in net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation and sublimation), with 8 out of 30 years having negative SMB, mainly because of relatively low annual net precipitation. The overall trend in net precipitation and runoff increased significantly, while SMB increased insignificantly throughout the simulation period, leading to enhanced precipitation of 0.59 km3 w.eq. (or ∼60%), runoff of 0.43 km3 w.eq. (or ∼55%), and SMB of 0.16 km3 w.eq. (or ∼85%). Runoff rose on average from 0.80 km3 w.eq. in 1978/79 to 1.23 km3 w.eq. in 2007/08. The GrIS satellite-derived melt-extent increased significantly, and the melting intensification occurred simultaneously with the increase in local Kangerlussuaq runoff, indicating that satellite data can be used as a proxy (r2 = 0.64) for runoff from the Kangerlussuaq drainage area.


I. Theory and Research in Child Development. 1. History, Theory, and Research Strategies. The Field of Child Development. Basic Issues. Historical Foundations. Mid-Twentieth-Century Theories. Recent Theoretical Perspectives. Comparing Child Development Theories. Studying the Child. II. Foundations of Development. 2. Biological and Environmental Foundations. Genetic Foundations. Reproductive Choices. Environmental Contexts for Development. Understanding the Relationship Between Heredity and Environment. 3. Prenatal Development. Motivations for Parenthood. Prenatal Development. Prenatal Environmental Influences. Preparing for Parenthood. 4. Birth and the Newborn Baby. The Stages of Childbirth. Approaches to Childbirth. Medical Interventions. Birth Complications. Precious Moments After Birth. The Newborn Baby's Capacities. The Transition to Parenthood. III. Infancy and Toddlerhood: The First Two Years. 5. Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood. Body Growth. Brain Development. Influences on Early Physical Growth. Learning Capacities. Motor Development. Perceptual Development. 6. Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood. Piaget's Cognitive-Developmental Theory. Information Processing. The Social Context of Early Cognitive Development. Individual Differences in Early Mental Development. Language Development. 7. Emotional and Social Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood. Erikson's Theory of Infant and Toddler Personality. Emotional Development. Development of Temperament. Development of Attachment. Self-Understanding. IV. Early Childhood: Two to Six Years. 8. Physical Development in Early Childhood. Body Growth. Brain Development. Factors Affecting Physical Growth and Health. Motor Development. 9. Cognitive Development in Early Childhood. Piaget's Theory: The Preoperational Stage. Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory. Information Processing. Individual Differences in Mental Development. Language Development. 10. Emotional and Social Development in Early Childhood. Erikson's Theory: Initiative vs. Guilt. Self-Understanding. Emotional Development. Peer Relations. Foundations of Morality. Gender Typing. Child Rearing and Emotional and Social Development. V. Middle Childhood: Six to Eleven Years. 11. Physical Development in Middle Childhood. Body Growth. Common Health Problems. Health Education. Motor Development and Play. 12. Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood. Piaget's Theory: The Concrete Operational Stage. Information Processing. Individual Differences in Mental Development. Language Development. Children's Learning in School. 13. Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood. Erikson's Theory. Self-Understanding. Emotional Development. Understanding Others: Perspective Taking. Moral Development. Peer Relations. Gender Typing. Family Influences. Some Common Problems of Development. VI. Adolescence: The Transition to Adulthood. 14. Physical Development in Adolescence. Conceptions of Adolescence. Puberty: The Physical Transition to Adulthood. The Psychological Impact of Pubertal Events. Health Issues. Motor Development, Sports Participation, and Physical Activity. 15. Cognitive Development in Adolescence. Piaget's Theory. An Information-Processing View of Adolescent Cognitive Development. Consequences of Abstract Thought. Sex Differences in Mental Abilities. Language Development. Learning in School. Vocational Development. 16. Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence. Erikson's Theory: Identity versus Identity Confusion. Self-Understanding. Moral Development. Gender Typing. The Family. Peer Relations. Problems of Development. At the Threshold. 17. From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood. A Period of Unprecedented Exploration. Cultural Change and Emerging Adulthood. Development in Emerging Adulthood. Risk and Resilience in Emerging Adulthood.


INTRODUCTION
Although pedophilia is defined by a recurrent sexual interest in prepubescent children, little attention has been paid to the stability or fluidity of this sexual interest over time.

AIM
The aim of the current study was to investigate if patterns of penile tumescence (as a proxy for sexual interest) measured by penile plethysmography testing (PPT) can change.

METHODS
In this retrospective chart review study, PPT results of 43 men diagnosed with pedophilia were collected and analyzed. All participants displayed a pedophilic sexual arousal pattern at the time of their first PPT. To test for change, we compared initial PPT results with subsequent PPT results measured at least 6 months later.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Sexual arousal was assessed using PPT by measuring change in penile circumference induced by the presentation of standardized sexual audio stimuli.

RESULTS
Approximately half of the sample (n = 21) displayed a change in PPT results. This change was characterized by a significant decrease of sexual arousal in response to pedophilic (child) stimuli and a significant increase of sexual arousal in response to nonpedophilic (adult) stimuli. No differences between sexual interest changers (ICs) and nonchangers (NC) were found for demographic data or for length of time between assessments. However, between-group comparisons revealed that ICs had significantly lower pedophilic indices at the initial assessment than NCs.

CONCLUSIONS
Results from the current study indicate that relative pedophilic interest, as defined by increase in penile circumference in response to nonpedophilic stimuli as measured by PPT, changed in about 50% of men diagnosed with pedophilia who also had initial pedophilic PPT sexual responses. This represents a significant challenge to the hypothesis that sexual interest in men with pedophilia is unchangeable and should be the focus of future studies.


This text is the translation, by Frederic Keck, of Paul Rabinow's "Artificiality and Enlightenment: From Sociobiology to Biosociality," published in 1996 in his Essays on the Anthropology of Reason (Princeton, Princeton University Press). It makes available to Francophone readers an important contribution by Paul Rabinow, in which he develops the concept of "biosociality", starting from an analysis of the Human Genome Project. This concept is central today for research on issues related to biotechnology, life sciences and, more generally, the "boundaries of the human". The translation is completed by a presentation by Frederic Keck of the background, issues and perspectives opened by the text.


This paper presents a new approach to the integration of vibrotactile feedback into digital musical instrument designs. A design strategy for musical vibrotactile systems is developed that considers actuator placement, vibration synthesis, and a mapping from audio to vibrotactile feedback parameters utilizing neurophysiological studies. Stimulation takes both physiology and actuator technology into account to maximize sensation. Vibrations are created using perceptual sound features of the audio feedback to drive a vibration synthesizer, producing vibrotactile feedback that is tailored specifically for cutaneous display. This framework simplifies integration of vibrotactile feedback into instrument designs, avoiding the need to explicitly specify vibration stimulus parameters.


Imaging characteristics of stasis leg ulcers (SLUs) are not easily demonstrated through existing diagnostic tools. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. This pilot study was conducted to assess the quantitative flow (QFlow) in triggered angiography noncontrast enhanced (TRANCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify the hemodynamics of victims with stasis leg ulcers (SLUs). This study included 33 patients with SLUs and 14 healthy controls (HC). The 33 patients with SLUs were divided into a reflux (15 patients) and a nonreflux group (18 patients). QFlow was done in the reflux, the nonreflux, and the HC. The stroke volume (SV), forward flow volume (FFV), absolute flow volume (AFV), mean flow (MF), and mean velocity (MV) were higher in the reflux than in the HC group in most segments, namely the external iliac vein (EIV), popliteal vein (PV), and great saphenous vein (GSV) (SV, p = 0.008; FFV, p = 0.008; absolute stroke volume (ASV), p = 0.008; MF, p = 0.002; MV, p = 0.009). No differences in the QFlow patterns were found in the GSV segment between the nonreflux group and the HC. Excellent performance in discriminating SLU with superficial venous reflux was reported for SV in the EIV and the PV (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.851 and 0.872), FFV in the EIV and PV (AUC = 0.854 and 0.869), ASV in the EIV and PV (AUC = 0.848 and 0.881), and MF in the EIV and PV (AUC = 0.866 and 0.868). The cutoff levels of SV/FFV/ASV/MF in the EIV/FV/PV/GSV for discriminating the SLU with superficial venous reflux were identified (p < 0.005). In conclusion, SLUs present different QFlow patterns by different etiology. The QFlow parameters of all vessel segments were higher in the morbid limbs of the reflux group than HC. The GSV segment of the nonreflux group displayed a pattern like the HC.


The limitation of intervention in historical buildings is one of the basic challenges for choosing a strengthening method. Base isolation is one of the best methods which can satisfy such limitations. Although there is a probability to reduce base shear and have negligible drift by base isolating, but it is very important to make sure that the integrity of superstructure reliably stands against the induced acceleration. Lack of integrity leads to local failure mechanisms rather than global failure mechanisms in masonry buildings. For this reason, simplified kinematic limit analysis has been selected as a method in earthquake safety assessment. This paper presents an investigation about the capabilities of simplified kinematic limit analysis as a complementary method, for the seismic safety evaluation of the superstructure of a base isolated masonry historical construction. This method has been applied on the "Naghareh Khaneh" edifice. The Naghareh Khaneh is a masonry historical building in Iran which was constructed around 400 years ago. The main body of this study focuses on the vulnerability assessment of the superstructure after using isolators on the base and the efficiency of simplified kinematic limit analysis will be discussed which shall be based on the results obtained from the out of plane and in plane behaviour of walls after installing isolators and dampers on the base of the Naghareh Khaneh structure.


In the Infamous Opening Sections from Part IX of Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche celebrates a strident kind of elitism and countenances, in however attenuated a form, the institution of slavery. "Every enhancement of the type 'man,'" he writes, "has so far been the work of an aristocratic society—and it will be so again and again—a society that believes in the long ladder of an order of rank and difference in worth [Werthverschiedenheit] between man and man, and that needs slavery [Sklaverei] in some sense or other" (257). In the section that follows, Nietzsche describes a "good and healthy aristocracy" as "accept[ing] with a good conscience the sacrifice of untold human beings who, for its sake [um ihretwillen], must be reduced and lowered to incomplete human beings, to slaves [Sklaven], to instruments [Werkzeugen]" (258). From these passages taken in isolation, an unsavory picture can emerge of Nietzsche as a defender, indeed a champion, of exploitation of the worst sort: Nietzsche appears to praise a world in which a small elite enhances itself through the subjugation of the rest of mankind, who bear this yoke of servitude and get nothing in return.
The assumption undergirding this reading is a natural one: namely, that whatever benefits it may bring to an elite, whatever cultural achievements it may make possible, slavery is not in the interest of the slaves themselves. But it is not, as I shall argue here, Nietzsche's own way of looking at things. Far from thinking it is contrary to the interests of "the masses" that they be subjugated, Nietzsche argues that ironically it is in being "reduced and lowered to incomplete human beings, [End Page 135] to slaves, to instruments" (BGE 258) that most people—those not part of the tiny aristocracy of Nietzschean great individuals—can come to live what Nietzsche regards as the most flourishing life for them. As I hope to make clear in what follows, the idea of "slavery in some sense or other" (BGE 257) that Nietzsche envisages is far more subtle than one might at first suppose from the connotations of this deliberately shocking word he chooses. In this paper I will spell out what conception of a person's flourishing Nietzsche is working with, what sense of "slavery" he has in mind, and why he thinks this form of "slavery" is the best sort of life for all but a few exceptional great individuals. My aim here is primarily to explicate Nietzsche's views, not to evaluate them. But I do hope to suggest that Nietzsche's remarks about slavery are less odious than they can sometimes seem, even if they ultimately leave us unsettled.


Using the Kubo linear response formalism, we study the effects of intrinsic graphene optical and surface polar phonons (SPPs) on the optical conductivity of doped graphene. We find that inelastic electron-phonon scattering contributes significantly to the phonon-assisted absorption in the optical gap. At room temperature, this midgap absorption can be as large as 20-25% of the universal ac conductivity for graphene on polar substrates due to strong electron-SPP coupling. The midgap absorption, moreover, strongly depends on the substrates and doping levels used. With increasing temperature, the midgap absorption increases, while the Drude peak, on the other hand, becomes broader as inelastic electron-phonon scattering becomes more probable. Consequently, the Drude weight decreases with increasing temperature.


Abstract. In spite of the many factors that are occurring and known for positively affecting the growth of forests, some boreal forests across North America have recently felt the adverse impacts of environmental changes. Knowledge of causes for productivity declines in North American boreal forests remains limited, and this is owed to the large spatial and temporal scales involved, and the many plant processes affected. Here, the response of pristine eastern boreal North American (PEBNA) forests to ongoing climatic changes is examined using in situ data, community ecology statistics, and species-specific model simulations of carbon exchanges forced by contemporary climatic data. To examine trends in forest growth, we used a recently acquired collection of tree-ring width data from 252 sample plots distributed in PEBNA forests dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). Results of linear trend analysis on the tree growth data highlight a dominating forest growth decline in overmature forests (age > 120 years) from 1950 to 2005. In contrast, improving growth conditions are seen in jack pine and mature (70–120 years) black spruce stands. Multivariate analysis of climate and growth relationships suggests that responses of PEBNA forests to climate are dependent on demographic and species traits via their mediation of temperature and water stress constraints. In support of this hypothesis, the simulation experiment suggests that in old-growth black spruce stands the benefit to growth brought on by a longer growing season may have been low in comparison with the increasing moisture stress and respiration losses caused by warmer summer temperatures. Predicted increases in wildfire frequency in PEBNA forests will likely enhance the positive response of landscape-level forest growth to climate change by shifting the forest distribution to younger age classes while also enhancing the jack pine component.


In 2012, Bruce Springsteen delivered the keynote address at the South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival. His task was daunting: reconnect authenticity to a traditional approach to creating art. By bringing together ideas on authenticity, creativity, and culture, Springsteen's talk joins a lineage of essays that defend poetry, creativity, and culture, including famous works by William Wordsworth and T.S. Eliot. In this article, I connect Springsteen's ideas to the "folk process," which leads to considering Wordsworth's ideas on the voice of the common citizen and Eliot's ideas on historical tradition. In the end, I consider Springsteen's legacy as cultural ambassador for the arts.


We report the preparation of a series of new heteroleptic Ir(III) metal complexes chelated by two cyclometalated 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyrazole ligands (dfpz)H and a third ancillary bidentate ligand (L=X). Such an intricate design lies in a core concept that the cyclometalated dfpz ligands always warrant a greater pi pi* gap in these series of iridium complexes. Accordingly, the lowest one-electron excitation would accommodate the pi* orbital of the ancillary L=X ligands, the functionalization of which is then exploited to fine-tune the phosphorescent emission wavelengths. Amongst the L=X ligands designed, three classes (series 1-3) can be categorized, and remarkable bathochromic shifts of phosphorescence were observed by (i) replacing the 2-benzoxazol-2-yl substituent (1a) with the 2-benzothiazol-2-yl group (1b) in the phenolate complexes, (ii) converting the pyridyl group (2a) to the pyrazolyl group (2b) and even to the isoquinolyl group (2c) in the pyrazolate complexes and (iii) extending the pi-conjugation of the benzimidazolate ligand from 3a to 3b. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction study on complex [(dfpz)Ir(bzpz)] (2b) was conducted to confirm their general molecular architectures. Complex 2b was also used as a representative example for fabrication of multilayered, green-emitting phosphorescent OLEDs using the direct thermal evaporation technique.


This research concerns the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a regional actor and aims to explore ASEAN's policies related to Myanmar (1991-2012) at the same time dealing with challenges to the region. It is built around the research question that investigates what was the most important dimension in ASEAN's action regarding Myanmar. Though various kinds of interactions exist between the Association and Yangon that include economic and cultural aspects, the emphasis of this research is on the security element. A focus on the recent literature on the security challenges in Southeast Asia creates scope for this research to engage with constructivist and realist perspectives to explain ASEAN's affairs in Southeast Asia in the post-Cold War period. Applying both views, this research explores how ASEAN engaged in certain practices and behavior concerning Myanmar that may be found to be logically understandable by explaining these as 'balance of power', 'policy of communication' and 'ASEAN's policy of restructuring itself'. It argues that these actions are complementary, and shows that the findings highlight that the range of policies explored clarifies the fact that the most important dimension in ASEAN's affairs with a direct or indirect link to Myanmar was the pursuit and maintenance of security in the region. This investigation encourages other researchers to focus on ASEAN's interactions with different countries in the region, either discussing how ASEAN has dealt with the challenges and attempted to heighten its image, or implementing a different methodology, eventually confirming or supplementing the findings provided here.


Certain cardiovascular and hepatic functions were measured for a period of 6 to 14 hours in conscious, chaired, male rhesus macaques given (intravenously (IV) or orally) staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). In macaques orally given SEB (1 mg/kg), there was little change in the cardiovascular variables. The half-life of injected indocyanine green was apparently prolonged in macaques given SEB as compared with that in the controls. However, in macaques given SEB (0.05 or 1.0 mg/kg) by IV injection, there were tachycardia, increase in arterial resistance, and decreases in blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume, cardiac work, mean cardiac power, and central blood volume. In addition, mean transit time from caudal vena cava to ascending aorta was prolonged and a simultaneous reduction of hepatic removal of indocyanine green occurred.


Is there one best way to run the modern business corporation? What is the appropriate balance between shareholders, executives, and employees? These questions are being vigorously debated as layoffs, scandals, and restructurings rattle companies around the world. The common assumption is that globalization is merging the varieties of corporate capitalism. Yet, as this book shows, corporations in Japan and the United States are responding differently to the pressures unleashed by globalization. In The Embedded Corporation , Sanford Jacoby traces this diversity to national differences in economic history and social norms, and, paradoxically, to global competition itself. The book's vantage point for exploring the varieties of capitalism is the human resource departments of large corporations, where changes in markets and technology turn into corporate labor policies affecting millions of workers. Despite some cross-fertilization, Japanese and American corporations maintain distinctive approaches to human resource management, which has important consequences for how firms compete, for corporate governance, and even for the level of inequality in Japan and the United States. The Embedded Corporation is a major contribution to our understanding of comparative management and the relationship between business, society, and the global economy.


Abstract We previously showed the first clear evidence of aggregate hierarchy in an Andisol by comparing the particle-size fractions released upon different levels of dispersion energy up to the maximum dispersion – sonication at 5 kJ mL−1 following sodium saturation. While smaller particles (< 2 μm) appeared to act as major binding agents, the variation in organic matter (OM) chemistry among the size fractions remains unstudied. Here, we focused on comparing the carbon structure and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio (δ13C and δ15N) among the particle-size fractions isolated by limited dispersion (mechanical shaking) and by the maximum dispersion treatments for the allophanic Andisol previously examined. Both solid-state carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR)and stable isotope ratios showed clear differences among the size fractions after the maximum dispersion but not after the limited dispersion. From 2–53 μm toward the < 0.2 μm fraction, we observed a progressive decline in the proportion of aromatic-C and an increase in that of O-alkyl-C. Similarly, the enrichment of 13C and 15N toward the smaller particle size fractions was observed after the maximum dispersion. While δ15 N had progressive enrichment from 3.6‰ (53–4000 μm) to 6.4‰ (< 0.2 μm fraction), δ13C showed a 2.5–3.0‰ enrichment from the 53–4000 μm fraction (−24.0‰) to 2–53 μm fraction and remained largely constant between 0.2–2 μm and < 0.2 μm fractions. The sonication-induced redistribution and chemical alternation of OM appeared to be minor due to the small pool sizes of low-density materials (e.g., plant litter) and microbial biomass. The emergence of the size-dependent changes in C chemistry after the maximum dispersion was consistent with the Andisol aggregate hierarchy model we previously proposed. The observed difference in C/N ratio and isotopic ratios as well as C composition implies that the OM present in the sonication-resistant particles of < `2 μm sizes (that account for roughly 70% of total C and N) are highly recycled by and/or largely originated from soil microbes. The applicability of current findings to other samples (e.g., non-allophanic Andisols) should be examined to establish the unique role of OM-enriched, micron to submicron particles in the aggregate hierarchy of Andisols.


Climate Projection shows the impacts of climate change on agricultural sustainability and relevant livelihood sustainability is vulnerable in Malaysia. Here mitigation is necessary but adapting to future risk is more important for immediate and long term action relating to the larger number of stakeholders in local scale. Generally adaptation policy has different levels and approaches that related with different challenges. Several countries have already prepared their adaptation approaches in their own way. Malaysia is on the way to develop its adaptation policy for last couple of years. This paper focuses on few guidelines that need to examine carefully while determining the climatic change adaptation approach for agricultural sector in Malaysia.


The article presents the beginning of a research project on the girls' magazine Cordelia. Foglio settimanale per le giovinette italiane (1881-1942), founded in Florence by Angelo De Gubernatis. Referring to 19th century writing on the subject of young women's education and upbringing, the initial study, which covers the period 1880-1890, focuses on the founding of the magazine Cordelia and its explicit aim of encouraging the progress of female education in Italy. With an attempt to inculcate patriotic feeling in the minds of the magazine's female readers and to assign a national identity to young Italian girls, Cordelia mainly focused on the exemplary female role of the queen, Margherita of Savoy, but also on the Italian colonial policy.


The key point in the management of modern industrial innovation cluster in the global economic market, as well as on the inside of the domestic arena, is administration, responsible for making decisions in the production process, management policy, the sale of products on the market. Most established and functioning innovation clusters in Russia were created on the initiative of the regional authorities and the main role of the management company's innovation cluster usually performs one of the "universal institutions of development" of the region. The formation and operation of cluster management in the management focuses on enhancing interaction of all participants in the cluster, in order to implement all the main objectives of development of innovation clusters and implement joint projects, to represent the interests of residents in the cluster bodies, development institutions, in the arena of domestic and global economic market. In the process of writing a new approach to the management of management of innovation clusters, based on the representation of system activity, allowing, on the one hand, to bring a progressive dynamism of the cluster and its objectives, on the other hand, it ensures high competitiveness both in domestic markets and in the world.


The cervical scraping smears from 42 cases of microinvasive squamous-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix with stromal invasion less than 3 mm were reviewed. Microinvasion could be suggested in approximately 60% of the cases by examination of the smears. The cytologic prediction of microinvasion was 14% in cases having stromal invasion less than 1 mm; it increased to 72.7% and 88.2% when stromal invasions were 1.1 to 2 mm and 2.1 to 3 mm in depth, respectively.


We model the optimal allocation of limited resources of an animal during a transient stressful event such as a cold spell or the presence of a predator. The animal allocates resources between the competing demands of combating the stressor and bodily maintenance. Increased allocation to combating the stressor decreases the mortality rate from the stressor, but if too few resources are allocated to maintenance, damage builds up. A second source of mortality is associated with high levels of damage. Thus, the animal faces a trade-off between the immediate risk of mortality from the stressor and the risk of delayed mortality due to the build up of damage. We analyze how the optimal allocation of the animal depends on the mean and predictability of the length of the stressful period, the level of danger of the stressor for a given level of allocation, and the mortality consequences of damage. We also analyze the resultant levels of mortality from the stressor, from damage during the stressful event, and from damage during recovery after the stressful event ceases. Our results highlight circumstances in which most mortality occurs after the removal of the stressor. The results also highlight the importance of the predictability of the duration of the stressor and the potential importance of small detrimental drops in condition. Surprisingly, making the consequences of damage accumulation less dangerous can lead to a reallocation that allows damage to build up by so much that the level of mortality caused by damage build up is increased. Similarly, because of the dependence of allocation on the dangerousness of the stressor, making the stressor more dangerous for a given level of allocation can decrease the proportion of mortality that it causes, while the proportion of mortality caused by damage to condition increases. These results are discussed in relation to biological phenomena. Copyright 2005.


The present study investigated the sources and incidence of self-reported teacher stress in a context in which selected demographic characteristics and school variables were incorporated in the research design. The results of the survey of 478 teachers who completed a self-administered occupational stress questionnaire revealed that 36.03% teachers rated their work as either very stressful or extremely stressful. Results also showed that biographical characteristics of the research sample mitigated self-reported teacher stress. Male and rural teachers found their work to be more stressful, while severity of self-reported teacher stress diminished with teaching experience. Implications of the results of this study were explored and several recommendations made.


High-performance poly-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs) with 50-nm nanowire (NW) channels fabricated by integrating a simple spacer formation scheme and metal-induced-lateral-crystallization (MILC) technique are proposed. By using the sidewall spacer formation scheme, the NW channels with nanometer-scale feature sizes can be easily fabricated, exhibiting superior channel controllability through the triple-gate structure. In employing the MILC technique, the grain crystallinity of NW channels is significantly superior to that formed by the solid-phase-crystallization (SPC) technique. Therefore, the MILC NW TFT exhibits greatly improved electrical performances, including lower threshold voltage, steeper subthreshold swing, and higher field-effect mobility, as compared to those of the SPC NW TFT. Moreover, the superior threshold-voltage rolloff characteristics of MILC NW TFT are also demonstrated.


Allocating low bit-budgets to intra-coded pictures can often lead to high quantisation and loss of important high frequency information. Coding at lower resolutions can alleviate some of this distortion when utilising effective resampling techniques and filters that minimise the additional distortion introduced as a result of spatial resampling. However, it is not always possible to reconstruct each portion of a picture to the same or similar level of quality; within natural scenes frequency content tends to vary spatially and therefore a fixed scale factor may either cause loss of high frequencies or oversampling of low frequency content. SHVC provides many of the tools required for enhancing rate-distortion performance of intra-coded pictures but it is not used for this purpose. In this paper we analyse the performance of a mixed resolution coding approach by using inter-layer prediction within SHVC to construct intra-coded pictures as a combination of different spatial resolutions. We evaluate the performance of coding with and without an enhancement layer for varying bit-budgets and compare these results to standard HEVC to provide insight regarding the optimisation of intra-coded pictures.


The success of autonomous vehicles has made path planning in real, physically grounded environments an increasingly important problem. In environments where speed matters and vehicles must maneuver around obstructions, such as autonomous car navigation in hostile environments, the speed with which real vehicles can traverse a path is often dependent on the sharpness of the corners on the path as well as the length of path edges. We present an algorithm that incorporates the use of the turn angle through path nodes as a limiting factor for vehicle speed. Vehicle speed is then used in a time-weighting calculation for each edge. This allows the path planning algorithm to choose potentially longer paths, with less turns in order to minimize path traversal time. Results simulated in the Breve environment show that travel time can be reduced over the solution obtained using the Anytime D* Algorithm by approximately 10% for a vehicle that is speed limited based on turn rate.


In this paper, the achievable performance of a turbo coded system adapted to a block fading channel model is evaluated. This model is suitable for analyzing, for instance, frequency-hopped multiple access (FHMA) systems that operate in a mobile satellite environment characterized by frequency-nonselective slow Rician fading, provided that the spacing between carriers is larger than the coherence bandwidth, resulting in basically uncorrelated blocks. In such systems, coded information is transmitted over a small number of fading channels in order to achieve diversity. The best coded information allocations over a certain number of fading channels are evaluated. Bounds on the achievable performance due to coding are derived using information-theoretic techniques. Moreover, simulation results are obtained and compared with the theoretical ones.


Tobacco dependence is a chronic condition, and tobacco use affects Medicaid recipients at a higher rate than the general population. Some Medicaid programs do cover the cost of tobacco treatments; however, these benefits are underutilized. This article provides insight from decision makers within managed care organizations regarding barriers and facilitators that influence Medicaid recipients' receipt of treatment for tobacco dependence. Abstract Objective Medicaid recipients are vulnerable to increased morbidity and mortality secondary to high tobacco use prevalence and barriers to accessing tobacco treatment. The purpose of the pilot study was to explore managed care administrators' perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to tobacco treatment for Medicaid recipients. Methods Focus groups with key informants (n = 14) from managed care organizations were conducted in fall 2018. Participants included case, integrated care, quality and field care managers, and individuals working in provider and network relations. Results Facilitators to tobacco treatment were universal quality reporting requirements, access to medications, and the role of case management in identifying and engaging tobacco users in treatment. Barriers included bias regarding smokers' ability to quit, communication challenges, and competing priorities. Conclusions The analysis provided data to support the development of a policy brief and recommendations to the Department for Medicaid Services for enhancing tobacco dependence treatment.


Abstract Purpose To evaluate labor induction success rate by Foley catheter (FC) on patients who conceived spontaneously, as compared to those who underwent fertility treatments. Materials and methods This retrospective cohort study included all pregnant women hospitalized at a single tertiary care center between January 2011 and May 2018 for induction of labor with FC. The study groups included patients with a singleton pregnancy who conceived after fertility treatments: controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), while control group included patients who conceived spontaneously. Our primary outcome was the rate of cesarean deliveries. Regression analysis was conducted on the following parameters: age, gravidity, parity, the gestational week, and IVF. Results The study groups included 59, 321, and 3159 patients who conceived following COH, IVF, or spontaneously, respectively. While 72.1% of patients who conceived spontaneously had a vaginal delivery, only 62.7% and 58% of patients who conceived by COH and IVF had successful labor induction (respectively, p < .01). Similarly, significantly higher cesarean section (CS) rates were demonstrated by patients who conceived by COH and IVF (28.8% and 30%, respectively), compared to the control group (18.7%, p < .01). Regression analysis demonstrated that although age, parity, and the gestational week were significantly related to cesarean sections, no statistically significant association was found regarding fertility treatments (p = .050). Conclusions The possible association between fertility treatments and cesarean delivery remains an important dilemma for obstetricians and fertility experts. While unadjusted analysis demonstrated such association among patients who undergo labor induction by FC, adjusted analysis has not supported that finding. Further studies focusing on the causes of failed vaginal delivery are needed to further expand our knowledge and to improve patient consultation.


Assume that a finite set of points is randomly sampled from a subspace of a metric space. Recent advances in computational topology have provided several approaches to recovering the geometric and topological properties of the underlying space. In this paper we take a statistical approach to this problem. We assume that the data is randomly sampled from an unknown probability distribution. We define two filtered complexes with which we can calculate the persistent homology of a probability distribution. Using statistical estimators for samples from certain families of distributions, we show that we can recover the persistent homology of the underlying distribution.


It is often assumed that innovative technology is an essential resource for the establishment of an information infrastructure. This study on geoinformation infrastructures convincingly demonstrates that technology is an important and far more complex factor than much geoinformation practitioners want us to believe. Three Dutch cases were studied, of which two were intended to develop an infrastructure deliberately applying innovative technology. Due to a constant stream of innovations these cases failed to bring about a working infrastructure. The third case was aimed at establishing a system of large-scale basemaps. These maps acted as a 'narrative anchor', a non-tangible interface between innovating technology and the infrastructure to be developed. Through the narrative anchor, this infrastructure has already existed for over 35 years and is likely to continue. Its success can be attributed to the ability of the narrative anchor to reconcile different types of technology through time, both innovative and conservative. The conclusion of this book is that lasting and reliable future (geo)information infrastructures need to have a narrative anchor that will act as an interface between ever-innovating technology and infrastructure itself.


A new conceptual bonding technique, " hyper-interfacial bonding" has been proposed as the most effective bonding technique for ultra-fine grained steels. The hyper-interfacial bonding process was characterized by the instantaneously surface-melted pressure-bonding which involved a series of steps, namely, surface heating by high frequency induction, rapid removing of a heating coil and simultaneously pressing of specimens together by an oil pressure system. All equences were typically completed within a second under vacuum/gas atmosphere. An ultra-fine grained high strength steels with the average grain size of 1.0-1.5µm were used for bonding. A bainitic structure and MAconstituents were confirmed in the HAZ, while the base metal indicated the fine ferrite-cementite/ pearlite texture. The maximum hardness in HAZ was limited at HV320-400 and the softening in the HAZ did not occur consequently. Prior austenitic grains were coarsened at the vicinity of the bond interface, however, the grain growth in the bond layer could be depressed below about 11-16µm attributed to the dynamic recrystallization during pressure-bonding process. The tensile strength of joints attained to 83% of the base metal strength. The upper-shelf absorbed energy and DBTT were improved to approx. 60J/cm2 and 223K respectively in the case of Ni-plated UFG steel joints. It could be resulted that the hyper-interfacial bonding technique was a feasible joining method for ultra finegrained steels.


The HIPERC study was a European research project involving several steel companies and research organisations which examined the effects of alloying elements and processing conditions in low carbon (< 0.09 wt%), niobium containing (0.05 0.12 wt.%) steels. Laboratory-scale heats and pilot rolling trials simulating air and water-cooled plate production, as well as hot-rolled strip production, were made and the effects of C, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mo, Nb, Ti and B on transformation characteristics and temperatures of recrystallisation determined. Regression equations for the characterisation of microstructure, tensile and impact properties and for the weldability of these steels were derived. Several full commercial casts were made and processed into plate and coil-plate by three steel companies and pipe was produced from both products. The weldability of all these products was assessed and full scale fracture tests carried out. The project has shown that excellent combinations of strength, toughness and weldability can be obtained for a wide variety of applications.


The performance of container and bareroot loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L. ) seedlings from the same improved seedlot was compared on highly productive bottomland sites in South Carolina. At the time of planting, size and quality of the open-grown container stock were equal to or better than bareroot material. When outplanting conditions were ideal, field plantings in March, April, and May of 2 successive years indicated equal performance of the 2 stock types. When conditions were more stre.ssfu1, container stock survived andgrew better than bareroot seedlings. Needle-tip burn caused by postplanting app1ication.s of herbicides had no long-term effects on seedling growth. South. J. Appl. For. 17(2): 80-83.


In this research, hyperspectral and multispectral images were utilized for vegetation studies in the greenbelt corridor near Denton. EO-1 Hyperion was the hyperspectral image and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) was the multispectral image used for this research. In the first part of the research, both the images were classified for land cover mapping (after necessary atmospheric correction and geometric registration) using supervised classification method with maximum likelihood algorithm and accuracy of the classification was also assessed for comparison. Hyperspectral image was preprocessed for classification through principal component analysis (PCA), segmented principal component analysis and minimum noise fraction (MNF) transform. Three different images were achieved after these pre-processing of the hyperspectral image. Therefore, a total of four images were classified and assessed the accuracy. In the second part, a more precise and improved land cover study was done on hyperspectral image using linear spectral unmixing method. Finally, several vegetation constituents like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, caroteoids were distinguished from the hyperspectral image using feature-oriented principal component analysis (FOPCA) method and which component dominates which type of land cover particularly vegetation were correlated.


The portable instrument, here referred to as a "berylometer," is a new geophysical tool for use by geologists in both exploration and examination of Be deposits. This is a scintillation counter which contains a phosphor having a high neutron to gamma ratio of detection and makes use of the Be 9 (gamma , n) Be 8 reaction. A gamma emitting source is carried in a shield on the bottom of the instrument which, when set upon any Be-bearing mineral or rock, causes the emission of neutrons from the Be which are immediately recognizable. Gamma rays are biased out, and neutrons only are counted. An automatic counting register records the neutron count, and since this is directly proportional to the Be content of a sample, a simple means of analysis is provided. The use of Be would expand rapidly if adequate reserves could be established and also if, with increased production, a lower cost could be attained. The discovery of nonpegmatitic deposits offers a better prospect for the development of substantial reserves in contrast to the generally small size of Be-bearing zones as found in pegmatites. Towards this end the berylometer provides a much-needed field instrument for all persons engaged in research for Be ore.


The abnormal form of the prion protein (PrP) is believed to be responsible for the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. A peptide encompassing residues 106-126 of human PrP (PrP106-126) is neurotoxic in vitro due its adoption of an amyloidogenic fibril structure. The Alzheimer's disease amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) also undergoes fibrillogenesis to become neurotoxic. Abeta aggregation and toxicity is highly sensitive to copper, zinc, or iron ions. We show that PrP106-126 aggregation, as assessed by turbidometry, is abolished in Chelex-100-treated buffer. ICP-MS analysis showed that the Chelex-100 treatment had reduced Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) levels approximately 3-fold. Restoring Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) to their original levels restored aggregation. Circular dichroism showed that the Chelex-100 treatment reduced the aggregated beta-sheet content of the peptide. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy identified a 2N1S1O coordination to the Cu(2+) atom, suggesting histidine 111 and methionine 109 or 112 are involved. Nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) binding to His-111 and weaker binding to Met-112. An N-terminally acetylated PrP106-126 peptide did not bind Cu(2+), implicating the free amino group in metal binding. Mutagenesis of either His-111, Met-109, or Met-112 abolished PrP106-126 neurotoxicity and its ability to form fibrils. Therefore, Cu(2+) and/or Zn(2+) binding is critical for PrP106-126 aggregation and neurotoxicity.


Meshless methods are a promising new field in computational electromagnetics. Instead of relying on an explicit mesh topology, a numerical solution is computed on an unstructured set of collocation nodes. This allows to model fine geometrical details with high accuracy and facilitates the adaptation of node distributions for optimization or refinement purposes. The radial point interpolation method (RPIM) is a meshless method based on radial basis functions. In this paper, the current state of the RPIM in electromagnetics is reviewed. The localized RPIM scheme is summarized, and the interpolation accuracy is discussed in dependence of important parameters. A time‐domain implementation is presented, and important time iteration aspects are reviewed. New formulations for perfectly matched layers and waveguide ports are introduced. An unconditionally stable RPIM scheme is summarized, and its advantages for hybridization with the classical RPIM scheme are discussed in a practical example. The capabilities of an adaptive time‐domain refinement strategy based on the experiences on a frequency‐domain solver are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This essays focus is to study two municipalities' environment- and sustainable development, in relation to the meaning and understanding of the concept. In this case the concepts of Agenda 21 and sustainable development are examined within the municipal community. Sustainable development is a vague and flexible concept that has many meanings. To define sustainable development, the Brundtland report is the basis of the definition of the concept. This study compares two municipalities, Botkyrka and Tyreso, which both are within the Stockholm area. These municipalities have been chosen because they resemble each other geographically, and are both on the outskirts of Stockholm. Municipalities work in different ways to sustain the environment, and this effort can be different depending on the problems, expectation, priorities, and preventive measures they hold. This study is a comparative case study, which means that municipalities have been compared to each other. The work of conversation interviews and review of official documents have been used, where the analysis method for this work is a qualitative text analysis. The method is used to create a deeper insight and understanding of the concepts meaning, by comparing the municipalities, the similarities and differences are highlighted. The result of this essay is that there are differences between the two municipalities, where Botkyrka is considered advanced within environmental work, whereas Tyreso want to keep up with the development. The similarities and differences are present, however, one thing that is certain is that Agenda 21 as a concept is gone and has been replaced by sustainable development, and that, both municipalities agrees on.


The physiological response of two species of mussels (Mytilus edulis and M. galloprovincialis) and two species of oysters (Crassostrea gigas and Ostrea edulis) to temperature, oxygen levels and food concentration, factors likely to vary as a result of climate change, was determined experimentally. Bivalves of similar size from different origins were exposed to six temperatures (3, 8, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) at two food regimes (2 and 10 μg Chl a L−1) for 6 weeks. In a parallel running experiment M. edulis from the same batches were exposed to three different temperatures (15, 20 and 25 °C) and three different oxygen levels (30, 50 and 100%) at two food regimes (2 and >8 μg Chl a L−1) for 3–4 weeks. Survival during the experiment ranged from 93% to 100% except for the mussels exposed to 30 °C which showed 100% mortality after three to 32 days. Higher food conditions showed higher optimal temperatures for growth of mussels and oysters. In addition, at the high food treatment, reduced O2 saturation resulted in lower growth of mussels. At the low food treatment there were no differences in growth among the different O2 levels at the same temperature. At high food concentration treatment, M. edulis growth was higher with low temperature and high oxygen level. Condition index was higher at higher food concentrations and decreased with increasing temperature. In addition, condition was lower at low oxygen saturation. Lower clearance rates were observed at high food concentrations. At 100% saturation of oxygen, mussel clearance rate increased with temperature at High food regime, but not at Low food regime. Mussel clearance rates were significantly reduced with low oxygen concentrations together with high temperature. Oxygen consumption significantly increased with temperature. Oxygen saturation was the main factor affecting mussel clearance rate. High temperature and low oxygen concentration combined significantly reduced clearance rate and increased oxygen consumption. These response curves can be used to improve parameterisation of individual shellfish growth models taking into consideration factors in the context of climate change: temperature, food concentration, oxygen concentration and their interactions. The observation that abiotic factors interact in affecting mussels and oysters is an important result to take into account.


Background: Symptoms in mitral stenosis (MS) are heart rate (HR) dependent. Increase in HR reduces diastolic filling period with rise in transmitral gradient. By reducing HR, beta-blockers improve hemodynamics and relieve symptoms, but the use may be limited by side effects. The present randomized crossover study looked at comparative efficacy of ivabradine and metoprolol on symptoms, hemodynamics, and exercise parameters in patients with mild-to-moderate MS (mitral valve area, 1–2 cm2) in normal sinus rhythm. Material and Methods: Baseline clinical assessment, treadmill stress testing, and an echocardiographic Doppler evaluation were performed to determine resting HR, total exercise duration, mean gradient across mitral valve, and mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). Patients were then allocated to either metoprolol or ivabradine to maximal tolerated doses over 6 weeks (metoprolol: 100 mg twice a day, ivabradine: 10 mg twice a day). Reevaluation was done at the end of this period, and all drugs stopped for washout over 2 weeks. Thereafter, the 2 groups were crossed over to the other drug that was continued for another 6 weeks. Assessment was again performed at the end of this period. Results: Thirty-three patients of 34 completed the protocol. Fifteen were male, mean age was 28.9 ± 6.6 years, all were in New York Heart Association class 2, and mean resting HR was 103.5 ± 7.2/min. Mean mitral valve area was 1.56 ± 0.16 cm2, mean PASP was 38.1 ± 5.1 mm Hg, and mean gradient across mitral valve was 10.6 ± 1.6 mm Hg. Significant decrease in baseline and peak exercise HR was observed at the end of follow-up with both drugs. Reduction in mitral valve gradient after ivabradine (42%) and metoprolol (37%) and reduction in PASP after both ivabradine (23%) and metoprolol (27%) were to a similar extent. Significant reduction in total exercise duration after both ivabradine and metoprolol therapy was observed. One patient developed blurring of vision with ivabradine therapy but did not require discontinuation of drug. An improvement in dyspnea of one grade was observed in all the patients by treatment with both ivabradine and metoprolol. Conclusions: Both metoprolol and ivabradine reduced symptoms and improved hemodynamics significantly from baseline to a similar extent. Ivabradine thus can be used effectively and safely in patients with MS in normal sinus rhythm who are intolerant or contraindicated for beta-blocker therapy.


We report on a combined experimental and theoretical study of the metastable form of the vacancy-dioxygen defect in Si labeled VO∗ 2. Important new experimental observations are the detection of mixed local vibrational modes of VO∗ 2 in 16O,18O co-doped samples, the determination of the position of LVM bands for the negatively charged defect, and an assignment of an acceptor level at about Ec − 0.05 eV. Defect energetics, electrical levels and LVM frequencies of the VO∗ 2 complex are also investigated by ab-initio density-functional modeling.We find it to be a bistable defect which accounts well for the experimental data. The metastable form produces an acceptor state at 0.05 eV below Ec, and can be thought of as a VO defect perturbed by interstitial oxygen.


Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by the presence of dense stroma that is enriched in hyaluronan (HA), with increased HA levels associated with more aggressive disease. Increased levels of the HA-degrading enzymes hyaluronidases (HYALs) are also associated with tumor progression. In this study, we evaluate the regulation of HYALs in PDAC. Methods: Using siRNA and small molecule inhibitors, we evaluated the regulation of HYALs using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blot analysis, and ELISA. The binding of BRD2 protein on the HYAL1 promoter was evaluated by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Proliferation was evaluated by WST-1 assay. Mice with xenograft tumors were treated with BET inhibitors. The expression of HYALs in tumors was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and by qRT-PCR. Results: We show that HYAL1, HYAL2, and HYAL3 are expressed in PDAC tumors and in PDAC and pancreatic stellate cell lines. We demonstrate that inhibitors targeting bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins, which are readers of histone acetylation marks, primarily decrease HYAL1 expression. We show that the BET family protein BRD2 regulates HYAL1 expression by binding to its promoter region and that HYAL1 downregulation decreases proliferation and enhances apoptosis of PDAC and stellate cell lines. Notably, BET inhibitors decrease the levels of HYAL1 expression in vivo without affecting the levels of HYAL2 or HYAL3. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the pro-tumorigenic role of HYAL1 and identify the role of BRD2 in the regulation of HYAL1 in PDAC. Overall, these data enhance our understanding of the role and regulation of HYAL1 and provide the rationale for targeting HYAL1 in PDAC.


In this unique contribution, Blackman focuses upon the affective capacities of bodies, human and non-human as well as addressing the challenges of the affective turn within the social sciences. Fresh and convincing, this book uncovers the paradoxes and tensions in work in affect studies by focusing on practices and experiences, including voice hearing, suggestion, hypnosis, telepathy, the placebo effect, rhythm and related phenomena. Questioning the traditional idea of mind over matter, as well as discussing the danger of setting up a false distinction between the two, this book makes for an invaluable addition within cultural theory and the recent turn to affect.

In a powerful and engaging matter, Blackman discusses the immaterial body across the neurosciences, physiology, media and cultural studies, body studies, artwork, performance, psychology and psychoanalysis. Interdisciplinary in its core, this book is a must for everyone seeking a dynamic and thought provoking analysis of culture and communication today.


The pollution status and total concentration of soil heavy metals were analyzed around Baotou tailing reservoir located in Inner Mongolia grassland and desert transition zone. Aim of the study is to control soil heavy metal pollution of Baotou tailings and provide the basic data information. The results indicated that concentrations of Pb, Zn and Mn from different directions of the tailing reservoir changed significantly with distance and were higher than the background values of Inner Mongolia. According to the single factor pollution index, soils from different directions were contaminated by Pb, Cu, Zn and Mn. The pollution degree was in order: Mn > Pb > Zn > Cu> Cr > Ni > As. According to Nemerow's synthetical pollution index, soils collected from the southeast of the tailing reservoir had the most serious heavy metal contamination, the index was 11.1. The order of pollution level in different directions was southeast > northeast > southwest > northwest, which was mainly affected by the dominant wind of northwest. In general, the pollution characteristic and the elements of heavy metal contamination were corresponding with the concentrations of iron tailings. The health and stabilization of environmental quality are being threatened by soil heavy metals.