Professionals typically use verbal, nonverbal or physiological lie detection tools (Vrij, 2008). There are several drawbacks associated with such tools. First, many tools are complicated to use and it can take several months to train someone properly in their use (Vrij, 2008). Second, the actual application of such tools can be time consuming. For example, speech analyses are typically carried out on transcripts of verbal statements (Masip, Sporer, Garrido, & Herrero, 2005; Vrij, 2005), and in physiological lie detection, examinees are attached to a polygraph (Raskin & Honts, 2002), undergo electroencephalograms (EEGs, Rosenfeld, 2002) or undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scanning (Spence, Farrow, Herford, Wilkinson, Zheng, & Woodruff, 2001). Third, some of the tools are expensive, both in terms of equipment (e.g. fRMI bran scanner) and in their use (recording EEGs and fMRIs). Analysing someone's behaviour is perhaps the least complicated way to detect lies but accuracy rates based on such veracity judgements tend to be low (Bond & DePaulo, 2006; Vrij, 2008; Vrij, Mann, Fisher, & Kristen, 2007).


Once activated, cytotoxic CD8+ T cells react to changes in the protein content of a cell that take place when the cell becomes virally infected or transformed. Degraded protein fragments, which are generated by the proteasome, associate with major histocompatibility complex class I proteins within the endoplasmic reticulum and traffic to the cell surface to be scanned by responsive T cells. However, in order to prime a naïve T cell, the first encounter with peptide must be accompanied by an array of activation signals, which are generally only provided by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). The APCs must somehow acquire peptides without themselves being infected or transformed (see the Perspective by Ploegh). Studies by Wolkers et al. and Norbury et al. show that this process, which is known as cross-priming, depends critically on the location of the peptide within its parent protein. Peptides derived from regions proximal to, or within, the signal sequence were profoundly inefficient at stimulating T cells when compared with more distal peptides--presumably because signal sequences are degraded most quickly and are present at very low levels in the cell. A critical parameter in determining cross-presentation efficiency is the acquisition of intact proteins or peptides, rather than their proteasome-generated products, by the APC. H. L. Ploegh, Nothing 'gainst time's scythe can make defense... Science 304, 1262-1263 (2004). [Summary] [Full Text] C. C. Norbury, S. Basta, K. B. Donohue, D. C. Tscharke, M. F. Princiotta, P. Berglund, J. Gibbs, J. R. Bennink, J. W. Yewdell, CD8+ T cell cross-priming via transfer of proteasome substrates. Science 304, 1318-1321 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text] M. C. Wolkers, N. Brouwenstijn, A. H. Bakker, M. Toebes, T. N. M. Schumacher, Antigen bias in T cell cross-priming. Science 304, 1314-1317 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text]


On rare occasions, the scientific community can relish a major advance, especially when it establishes the certainty of an honored but elusive hypothesis. This year's selection as Molecule of the Year, the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), proves a 70-year-old prediction by Albert Einstein and promises major challenges in physics as well as potentially important practical applications. Since its inception in 1989, the Molecule of the Year feature has highlighted Science's annual selection of the development it judges most likely to have major consequences for advancing science and providing societal benefits [Science 246, 1541 (1989)]. The choice of the BEC broadens the scope of the selection process: The BEC is not a molecule, as are the previously selected buckyballs (1991), nitric oxide (1992), and p53 (1993), nor is it a process such as the polymerase chain reaction (1989), the manufacture of synthetic diamonds (1990), or the DNA repair enzyme system (1994). Rather, the BEC is a long-hypothesized state of matter, derived from quantum theory, which defines the basic units of energy, light, and matter. Contributors to this work include the great pioneers of physics, from Planck, Bohr, and Einstein to de Broglie, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, Fermi, and Dirac. Once it was accepted that electrons behave both as individual particles and as waves, certain inconsistencies in atomic structure could be explained through mathematical formulations concerning those wave systems, that is, through quantum mechanics. Seventy years ago, Einstein built on these theoretical foundations to extend previous work by the Indian physicist S. N. Bose. Just as Einstein had predicted the existence of photons, the unit quanta of light, he now predicted the existence of a special set of atomic particles, bosons, that could be forced into a state in which they would have identical quantum properties [see Science 269, 182 (1995)]. The existence of such a special state has been strongly inferred from phenomena such as the viscosity-free superfluidity of liquid helium, but its proof has been elusive. Earlier this year, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado were at last able to validate the theory by documenting a Bose condensate of supercooled, magnetically trapped rubidium atoms. Their achievement is recognized as the beginning of a new era in condensed-matter and atomic physics. In principle, many elements in the atomic table can exist in the BEC state. The implications for physics researchers and for society at large of the properties of this special state of matter are as yet undetermined. It has already been predicted that the BEC state can be used to create the atomic equivalent of lasers. Such lasers could permit the nanoscale sculpture of computer circuitry and perhaps other advances that are currently impossible. The selection of the BEC as Molecule of the Year exemplifies the intellectual chain of progress that underlies virtually all of science: the interweaving of individual contributions on a worldwide scale and the emergence at certain key points of critical experimental data that give insight into old unknowns, generate important new questions, and provide new ways to create new products. The article on page 1902 of this issue by Contributing Correspondent Elizabeth Culotta, with the help of the News and Editorial staffs, describes the scientific background of the BEC discovery, the actual experiments, and related experiments reported by other groups. In addition, we offer a glimpse of research areas that are likely to make a splash in 1996, and a worldwide overview of a subject that has consumed many scientists' time this year—research funding. As in previous years, our article also lists nine runners-up: truly remarkable scientific achievements in fields ranging from astrophysics (a new planet), to biomedicine (genes to control development and metabolism), to the environment (evidence for global warming), to scientific communication (electronic journals and worldwide information sharing). In 1995, Science also strode ahead. Our World Wide Web pages—which include a complete version of the Molecule of the Year package, plus selected references and hot links—have enhanced the value of our original research and news features by offering searching, browsing, and data display options impossible to achieve in ink, along with a new electronic communication channel dedicated to young scientists. We've put up sound; we've put up video; and we've provided links from our material to sites the world over. Next year the refinements will continue.


The US suffers from large regional disparities in employment rates which have persisted for many decades. It has been argued that foreign migration offers a remedy: it "greases the wheels" of the labor market by accelerating the adjustment of local population. Remarkably, I find that new migrants account for 30 to 60 percent of the average population response to local demand shocks since 1960. However, population growth is not significantly more responsive in locations better supplied by new migrants: the larger foreign contribution is almost entirely offset by a reduced contribution from internal mobility. This is fundamentally a story of "crowding out": I estimate that new foreign migrants to a commuting zone crowd out existing US residents one-for-one. The magnitude of this effect is puzzling, and it may be somewhat overstated by undercoverage of migrants in the census. Nevertheless, it appears to conflict with much of the existing literature, and I attempt to explain why. Methodologically, I offer tools to identify the local impact of immigration in the context of local dynamics.


Hodgkin lymphoma post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (HL‐PTLD) is an uncommon PTLD with unclear prognosis and differences between HL‐PTLD and immunocompetent HL are not well defined. Patient characteristics were compared among 192 patients with HL‐PTLD from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and 13,847 HL patients in SEER (HL‐SEER). Overall survival (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) were compared after exact matching. Additionally, multivariable analyses were used to identify prognostic markers of survival and associations between treatment and survival. Median time from transplant to HL‐PTLD diagnosis was 88 months. When compared with HL‐SEER, patients with HL‐PTLD were older (median age, 52 vs. 36 years, P = 0.001), more likely male (73% vs. 54%, P < 0.001), Caucasian (81% vs. 70%, P = 0.02), and had extranodal disease (42% vs. 3%, P < 0.001). Five‐year OS for patients with HL‐PTLD was 57% versus 80% for HL‐SEER (P < 0.001); DSS was also inferior (P < 0.001). For patients with HL‐PTLD, the use of any chemotherapy was associated with decreased hazard of death (HR = 0.36, P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients who received no chemotherapy or nontraditional HL regimens had increased hazard of death (aHR = 2.94, P = 0.001 and 2.01, P = 0.04) versus HL‐specific chemotherapy regimens. In multivariable analysis, advanced age and elevated creatinine were associated with inferior OS (aHR = 1.26/decade P < 0.001 and 1.64/0.1 mg/dL increase P = 0.02). A prognostic score based on the number of these adverse factors (0, 1, 2) was associated with 10‐year OS rates of 79%, 53%, and 11%, respectively (P < 0.001). Altogether, HL‐PTLD patients have inferior survival when compared with HL‐SEER. Furthermore, treatment with HL‐specific chemotherapy was associated with improved OS, whereas age and creatinine identified patients with markedly divergent survival. Am. J. Hematol. 91:560–565, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Various methodological issues in biostatistics and epidemiology which are relevant for the development of a clinical trial are discussed. A brief set of definitions regarding clinical trials and methods for the assignment of treatments is presented. In addition, methods to reduce the possibility of bias that may be introduced into a clinical trial are summarized. The different elements that must be included in the informed consent form are defined. General considerations for data analysis and for sample size required to obtain an adequate statistical power are illustrated. Finally, critical questions that can be used for the review of the literature on clinical trials are suggested.


There is comparatively little empirical evidence regarding the impacts of cross border business cycle fluctuations on metropolitan housing markets located near international boundaries. This study examines the impacts of economic conditions in Mexico on sales of existing single-family houses in El Paso, Texas. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these impacts are fairly notable. Annual frequency data from the University of Texas at El Paso Border Region Modeling Project are used to test this possibility. Results indicate that solid empirical evidence of such a linkage is elusive.


David Shugar was born on the 10th of April 1915 in Poland. In 1918 his family immigrated to Canada. In Canada Shugar attended school and later studied Physics at McGill University in Montreal, receiving his Master's degree in 1936 and a Doctorate in 1940. Drafted for military service during the war. In 1948 he and his wife, Grace, left for Europe, where he worked for scientific institutions in Paris and Brussels, and from 1952 in Poland. In Poland he was employed by the National Institute of Hygiene (until 1966), the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (1954-1985) and the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics (1965-1980). He published scientific papers in the areas of: biochemistry, physical chemistry and biophysics of nucleic acids and their analogues, mutagenesis, the search for potential anti-cancer and antiviral drugs, modelling biological processes. 400 publications, 10 000 citations. Thesis advisor on dozens of doctoral dissertations and hundreds of Master's theses. Founder of the first Polish Biophysics Chair. Initiator of the first Polish Science Festival. Received many awards and honours, including the Commander's Cross of Polonia Restituta, as well as Doctor honoris causa degrees from Ghent University (1969) and the University of Warsaw (1985). He passed away on the 31st of October 2015, in Warsaw.


[only abstract in English; full article and abstract in Lithuanian]
This article analyses the metaphoric language pertaining to the concepts of GOD and JESUS in the modern translation of the Fourth Gospel into the Lithuanian language (Kavaliauskas 2009). The aim of the research is to reveal the system of conceptual metaphors defining these concepts in the text. The investigation was conducted following MIP(VU) as a method of identifying metaphoric language in discourse following the framework of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory.
The study reveals that the concepts of GOD and JESUS are defined by a complex system of closely related conceptual metaphors related to each other through various conceptual mappings. The system is based on the oppositions of UP and DOWN, LIGHT and DARK, GOOD and BAD, and is constituted of the source domains of FAMILY, POWER RELATIONSHIPS, LAW, AGRICULTURE, and PHYSICAL REALITY. The most common conceptual metaphors are the GOD – FATHER and JESUS – SON metaphors. They are the basis of other cases of personification of GOD and JESUS identified, namely: KING, SHEPHERD, JUDGE, SENDER, SOWER, WINE-MAKER, etc. All these conceptual metaphors may be related through the conceptual mappings of AUTHORITY and POWER. The authority and power of the Father are passed to the Son, who comes to this world to continue the works of his Father and inherits his Father's place in the hierarchy of the family.


Abstract. The scope of this paper is to analyze the developments of European bond market integration in the context of the Economic and Monetary Union. We structured our research on sections that present the euro implications for the bond markets integration, the actual stage of the considered process, and the main features of the above mentioned markets in the light of the international crisis. Our results show that before the advent of the financial turmoil, bond markets have shown a high level of integration, particularly in the euro area. Convergence of prices of European government bond markets, for instance, has been significant since the introduction of the single currency. Corporate bond markets have also shown a positive integration pattern despite the insufficient harmonization of the post trading infrastructure. The recent financial crisis has had a significant impact on government bond markets, as evidenced by a deterioration of several integration indicators. Regarding the corporate bond markets, available data show only a limited impact of the turmoil on its (quite advanced) degree of integration.


Objective Myocardial fibrosis identified by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with adverse cardiovascular events, but its value as an independent risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD) is unknown. We investigated the role of LGE-CMR in the risk stratification of HCM. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study in a tertiary referral centre. Consecutive patients with HCM (n=711, median age 56.3 years, IQR 46.7–66.6; 70.0% male) underwent LGE-CMR and were followed for a median 3.5 years. The primary end point was SCD or aborted SCD. Results Overall, 471 patients (66.2%) had myocardial fibrosis (median 5.9% of left ventricular mass, IQR: 2.2–13.3). Twenty-two (3.1%) reached the primary end point. The extent but not the presence of fibrosis was a significant univariable predictor of the primary end point (HR per 5% LGE: 1.24, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.45; p=0.007 and HR for LGE: 2.69, 95% CI 0.91 to 7.97; p=0.073, respectively). However, on multivariable analysis, only LV-EF remained statistically significant (HR: 0.92, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.95; p<0.001). For the secondary outcome of cardiovascular mortality/aborted SCD, the presence and the amount of fibrosis were significant predictors on univariable but not multivariable analysis after adjusting for LV-EF and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Conclusions The amount of myocardial fibrosis was a strong univariable predictor of SCD risk. However, this effect was not maintained after adjusting for LV-EF. Further work is required to elucidate the interrelationship between fibrosis and traditional predictors of outcome in HCM.


Synthesis of the capsular polysaccharide colanic acid in Escherichia coli K12 Is regulated by a complex network of regulatory proteins. This regulation is expressed at the level of transcription of the cps (capsular polysaccharide synthesis) genes. Two positive regulators, RcsA and RcsB, are necessary for maximal capsule expression. The availability of RcsA is normally limited because the RcsA protein is rapidly degraded by the Lon ATP‐dependent protease. Therefore Lon acts, indirectly, as a negative regulator of capsule synthesis. The sequence predicted for RcsB suggests that it is the effector component of a two‐component system; a protein with homology to sensors, RcsC, also plays a role in capsule regulation. We propose a model for capsule synthesis in which RcsA interacts with RcsB to stimulate transcription of the cps genes. The mechanism of regulation of colanic acid synthesis in E. coli may apply to other capsules in a variety of Gram‐negative bacteria.


The crystal of the title compound 6 has been prepared and determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. It belongs to the orthorhombic system, space group P212121 with a = 10.195(2), b = 11.955(2), c = 14.335(3)(A), C16H21BrO7, Mr = 405.24, V = 1747.0(6) (A)3, Z = 4, Dc = 1.541 g/cm3, μ = 2.387 mm-1, F(000) = 832, R = 0.0266 and wR = 0.0348 for 2110 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). The crystal exhibits a characteristic spiral structure consisting of one cyclopropane and two butyrolactones with envelope configuration. The intermolecular hydrogen bond between C(16)- H(16)…O(1) and C(3)-H(3)…O(2) has been observed in the crystal lattice.


Cancer is a common disease and due to problems with resistance against cancer drugs and the limited benefit from chemotherapy in many diagnoses, there is a need to develop new cancer drugs. In this thesis new methods to screen for cancer drugs and to evaluate their mechanism of action are discussed. In Paper I, it was found that by studying the gene expression of a cell line panel and combining the data with sensitivity data of a number of cytotoxic drugs, it was possible to cluster compounds according to mechanism of action as well as identifying genes associated with chemosensitivity. In Paper II, studies of compounds with selective activity in drug-resistant cell lines revealed the glucocorticoids as a group of interesting compounds. The glucocorticoid receptor was overexpressed in 8226/Dox40 and the difference in sensitivity was abolished when the cells were treated with a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. In Paper III, an image-based screening method for new proteasome inhibitors was successfully developed and the compounds disulfiram, PDTC and NSC 95397 were identified as inhibitors of the proteasome. In Paper IV, disulfiram and PDTC were shown to induce cytotoxic activity, to inhibit the activation of the transcription factor NFkappaB and to inhibit the degradation of proteins normally degraded by the proteasome. In Paper V, NSC 95397 was shown to be cytotoxic to all cells in the resistance-based cell line panel as well as to patient samples from a variety of cancer diagnoses. Connectivity Map was successfully used as a tool to propose a new mechanism of action of NSC 95397. The gene expression induced by NSC 95397-treatment was similar to that induced by several proteasome inhibitors not present in the Connectivity Map.


Corpus Viewer is a production service developed by the State Secretary for Digital Advancement (SEAD) within the framework of the National Language Technologies Plan (Plan TL), promoted by the same State Secretary. Corpus Viewer relies on Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML) and Machine Translation (MT) to analyze structured metadata and unstructured textual data in large document corpora. The platform allows the decision maker and the policy implementer the possibility of analyze R&D&i information space (mainly patents, scientific publications and public aids) for evidence and knowledge-based policy making and implementation. In this paper, we describe the main functionalities of the platform and enumerate the techniques it is based on, which include a variety of methods like document topic modeling and graph analysis.


Background & objectives: Salvia officinalis is one of the memory-enhancing herbs that were used in the past. On the other hand, iron oxide nanoparticles which are widely used in medicine and industry may impair the brain process related to memory. In this investigation, the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Salvia officinalis on iron oxide nanoparticle induced memory impairment and the role of beta-adrenergic receptors in this effect were studied. Methods: To assess the inhibitory avoidance memory, animals were trained in the step-down task and drugs (saline, hydro-alcoholic extract of sage leaves, nanoparticles of iron oxide and propranolol) were injected immediately after training by intraperitoneal (ip) injections. Longterm memory was tested 24 hours later and step-down latencies were recorded. Results: Administration of iron oxide nanoparticles (5 mg/kg, ip) impaired memory retrieval. Salvia officinalis extract (40 mg/kg, ip) also prevented iron oxide nanoparticle induced longterm memory impairment. On the other hand, administration of propranolol (5, 10 mg/kg, ip) before Salvia officinalis extract (40 mg/kg, ip) and iron oxide nanoparticles (5 mg/kg, ip) attenuated the effect of Salvia officinalis extract. Conclusion: It seems that extract of Salvia officinalis leaves decreases iron oxide nanoparticle induced memory impairment. Beta-adrenergic mechanisms are possibly involved in these effects of Salvia officinalis extract.


The setting depth of tuna longlines was measured with time-depth recorders (18mm in diameter, 127mm in length, 33.6g in air, 5.0g in water). Two different materials (the main lines and branch lines were either polyamid [nylon] monofilament or polyester multifilament) were used for the longlines (53 were operated in total). The number of hooks used in each hachi (i.e., a unit set of main line) was five, seven, or ten for both longline types. The time-depth recorders were attached to the under end of the branch lines (hook positions) and the under end of the float lines (main line positions). The depth fluctuation of the branch lines could be divided into six types. The float lines showed very little upward and downward movements. The setting depth of the branch lines was shallower than the estimated depth calculated by a catenary curve, especially with the polyamid monofilament gear. Sinking speed on the polyester multifilament gear was faster than that of the polyamid monofilament gear. The depth movments (as recorded via a hachi-attached time-depth recorder) of the longlines that fished for large fishes (e.g., Prionace glauca, Thunnus alalunga, Istiophorus platypterus, Tetrapturus angustirostris, and Coryphaena hippurus) showed significant upward and downward depth fluctuation, especially with the polyamid monofilament gear.


In 2015, the Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation (CAGI) proposed a challenge to devise a computational method for predicting the phenotypic consequences of genetic variants of a lysosomal hydrolase enzyme known as α-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAGLU). In 2014, the Human Gene Mutation Database released that 153 NAGLU mutations associated with MPS IIIB and 90 of them are missense mutations. The ExAC dataset catalogued 189 missense mutations NAGLU based on exome sequence data from about 60,000 individual and 24 of them are known to be disease associated. Biotechnology company, BioMarin, has quantified the relative functionality of NAGLU for the remaining subset of 165 missense mutations. For this particular challenge, we examined the subset missense mutations within the ExAC dataset and predicted the probability of a given mutation being deleterious and relating this measure to the capacity of enzymatic activity. In doing so, we hoped to learn the degree to which changes in amino acid physicochemical properties are tolerable for NAGLU function. Amino acid substitution (AAS) prediction methods are mainly based on the sequence and structure information. Simple comparisons between different AAS methods are not only difficult, but also irrational because each method was tested on various datasets and based on varied versions of databases. Currently, several AAS prediction methods have been introduced. PolyPhen-2, an updated version of PolyPhen, is a tool used to predict possible impacts of an amino acid substitution on the structure and function. Users are required to provide protein or SNP identifiers, protein sequences, substitution positions, etc. A score is provided, ranging from 0 to 1, corresponding to the probability of a mutation resulting in no functionality for the enzyme Once the probability scores were generated, the dataset was then run through multiple machine learning algorithms to generate an applicable model for predicting the enzymatic activity of MPS IIIB-related mutations. This prediction was generated using the PolyPhen-2 probability score and other information about the mutation (amino acid type, location, allele frequency, etc.) as input feature variables. This generated a predicted aggregate score for each mutation, which was then reported back to CAGI. The results of the analysis are significant enough to hold confidence that the scores are decent predictors of enzymatic activity given a mutation in the NAGLU amino acid sequence.


Age-associated chronic inflammation (inflammaging) has emerged as a central hallmark of aging1-3, but its impact on specific cells is still largely unknown. Fibroblasts are present in all tissues and contribute to wound healing4-6. They are also the cell type that is mostly used for induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming7 – a process that has implications for regenerative medicine and rejuvenation strategies8-17. Here we show that primary fibroblasts from old mice secrete inflammatory cytokines and that there is an increased variability in reprogramming efficiency between fibroblast cultures from old individuals. Individual-to-individual variability is emerging as a key feature of old age18-21, which could reflect distinct aging trajectories, but the underlying causes remain unknown. To identify drivers of this variability, we perform a multi-omic assessment of young and old fibroblast cultures with different reprogramming efficiency. This approach, coupled with single cell transcriptomics, reveals that old fibroblast cultures are heterogeneous and show a greater proportion of 'activated fibroblasts' that secrete inflammatory cytokines, which correlates with reprogramming efficiency. We experimentally validate that activated fibroblasts express inflammatory cytokines in vivo and that their presence is linked to enhanced reprogramming efficiency in culture. Conditioned-media swapping experiments show that extrinsic factors secreted by activated fibroblasts are more critical than intrinsic factors for the individual-to-individual variability in reprogramming efficiency, and we identify TNFα as a key inflammatory cytokine underlying this variability. Interestingly, old mice also exhibit variability in wound healing efficiency in vivo and old wounds show an increased subpopulation of activated fibroblasts with a unique TNFα signature. Our study shows that a switch in fibroblast composition, and the ratio of inflammatory cytokines they secrete, drives variability in reprogramming in vitro and may influence wound healing in vivo. These findings could help identify personalized strategies to improve iPSC generation and wound healing in older individuals.


This dictionary is a modern resource designed to strengthen knowledge of the growing vocabularies respective to both Hausa and English. It is especially geared to the needs of speakers of both languages, be they student, business traveler, or tourist. Throughout the 18,000 entries and more than 40,000 definitions presented here in handy reference form, the user is exposed to both traditional as well as modern terminology. Notions of computerization, telecommunications, business, and the globalization of politics, law, and economy are well represented. Hausa is one of the major languages of Nigeria. It is also spoken in Niger and other neighboring West African countries in significant numbers. It is the African language with the greatest number of native speakers in sub-Saharan Africa.


perai iacration. -t is important, inerciore, to establish or exclude any effect the drug might have on bleeding or clotting mechanisms in patients treated with bromocriptine. Seventeen patients (five males and five females with acromegaly, six females with anorexia nervosa, and one female with refractory obesity) were investigated. None was taking any drug known to disturb blood coagulation mechanisms. Coagulation studies including bleeding time were carried out on each patient, after which they started treatment with bromocriptine in doses increasing to 10 mg/day. The coagulation study was repeated after the patients had been established on this dose for at least one week (range 1 week2 months). No significant alteration was detected in any of the following coagulation indices: bleeding time, platelet count, Quick's onestage prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time with kaolin, fibrinogen, euglobulin clot lysis time, fibrin degradation products, and prothrombin consumption index. The dose of the drug in our patients on a weight-for-weight basis was approximately one-hundredth of that given to the mice used in the study by Karmali and Horrobin, but a total dose of 10 mg/day has been shown to be effective in suppressing galactorrhoea2 and puerperal lactation.4 Although doses of as much as 60 mg/day have been used in acromegaly,1 there are probably few patients who require so much. Our evidence indicates that patients can take a clinically effective dose of bromocriptine without showing any tendency to a "hypercoagulable" state as might be suggested by a shortened bleeding time or a change in any other of the coagulation variables listed.


Although mounting in vitro studies suggest a critical impact of structural and mechanical properties of the surrounding microenvironment on stem cell maintenance and differentiation, little is known about how extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling co-ordinates stem cell behavior in vivo. In this study we used the native ECM (mesoglea) of the freshwater polyp Hydra and determined the mesoscopic ECM structure by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering using a nano-focused beam. We found that the packing of Hydra collagen fibrils is comparable to that in vertebrates. It is also highly anisotropic with respect to the main (oral-aboral) body axis explaining the very dynamic contraction and extension behavior of a Hydra polyp. We monitored the spatio-temporal evolution of ECM mechanics ex vivo during Hydra maturation by mapping the elastic modulus of Hydra mesoglea along the main body axis before and after the budding with aid of nano-indentation. The extracted characteristic elasticity patterns implied that freshly detached polyps bear a mesoglea of uniform elasticity. By time, the mesoglea becomes softer in the upper gastric region but stiffer in the middle and lower region, where new buds emerge. The complementary proteome analysis demonstrated that the observed changes in mechanical patterns are correlated with the activity of proteases. Our data are consistent with a model according to which regions of high ECM stiffness facilitate stem cell activity in a given tissue.


After a decade of gravitational microlensing experiments, 13 to 17 events by MACHO (depending on quality) and two events by EROS have been detected. All of those have been observed in the direction of Large Magellanic Cloud. We use Evans spherically symmetric halo model to study the rate of microlensing events. The expected number of events in this model obtain by using EROS and MACHO observational efficiencies. We compare our numbers with the observed events to obtain the fraction of halo that is made by compact objects. It is shown that results derived from two experiments are in good agreement with each other and MACHOs, comprise only a fraction (depending on the model) of Milky Way halo. The results are also compatible with the White Dwarfs population studies in the Hubble Deep Field.


ZEB2 and TCF4 are transcription factors (TFs) whose locations in embryos overlap in many sites and developmental phases, including in the forebrain and its cortical neurons. De novo mutations cause the phenotypically overlapping, haploinsufficient Mowat-Wilson (MOWS, in the ZEB2 gene) and Pitt-Hopkins (PTHS, in TCF4) syndromes, which currently cannot be cured. Mutant alleles have been mapped and defects documented (also in brain function) in MOWS and PTHS patients. Appropriately designed mouse models and cells derived from these, as well as cellular models including cultured pluripotent cells, enable investigating the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying the developmental deficiencies that manifest after birth in the nervous systems and their multiple cell types, as well as those of organs other than the brain, in MOWS and PTHS. Biochemical analyses of cell type-specific transcriptomic changes in these perturbation models as compared to control cells, the identification of the intact-factor dependent and direct target genes, and of partner proteins including chromatin modulators, are revealing complex and multiple modes of action that eventually will explain target gene selectivity for these TFs. Both TFs have also been found to operate in acute and chronic diseases and cell-based repair processes after tissue or organ injury. In addition, the defective function also arises from their aberrant gene expression, which will require a deeper investigation of how the transcription of these TF genes is regulated. Furthermore, these two factors genetically and biochemically interact. This review combines the essentials and recent progress for both TFs for the first time, with a focus on MOWS and PTHS.


See video of the presentation. The benefits of making research data permanently accessible through data archives is widely recognized: costs can be reduced by reusing existing data, research results can be compared and validated with results from archived studies, fraud can be more easily detected, and meta-analyses can be conducted. Apart from that, authors may gain recognition and reputation for producing the datasets. Since 2003, the accredited research data center PsychData (part of the Leibniz Institute for Psychology Information in Trier, Germany) documents and archives research data from all areas of psychology and related fields. In the beginning, the main focus was on datasets that provide a high potential for reuse, e.g. longitudinal studies, large-scale cross sectional studies, or studies that were conducted during historically unique conditions. Presently, more and more journal publishers and project funding agencies require researchers to archive their data and make them accessible for the scientific community. Therefore, PsychData also has to serve this need. In this presentation we report on our experiences in operating a discipline-specific research data archive in a domain where data sharing is met with considerable resistance. We will focus on the challenges for data sharing and data reuse in psychology, e.g. large amount of domain-specific knowledge necessary for data curation high costs for documenting the data because of a wide range on non-standardized measures small teams and little established infrastructures compared with the "big data" disciplines studies in psychology not designed for reuse (in contrast to the social sciences) data protection resistance to sharing data At the end of the presentation, we will provide a brief outlook on DataWiz, a new project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). In this project, tools will be developed to support researchers in documenting their data during the research phase.


Individuals infected with HTLV-1 harbor the virus mainly in CD4+ memory T-cells as a lifelong infection that remains subclinical in the majority of cases. However, about 3-5% of HTLV-1-infected individuals develop an aggressive T-cell neoplasia (ATLL) or a neurodegenerative disease (TSP/HAM) after a latency period ranging from years to decades. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the effects of the HTLV-1 proteins Tax, p13 and p12 on cell death and survival pathways. Tax, the major oncogenic determinant of HTLV-1, enhances cell survival through its effects on the NF-kappaB, CREB and AKT pathways and on the tumor suppressors p53 and Rb. p13 is targeted to the inner mitochondrial membrane and sensitizes cells to the Fas/ceramide apoptotic pathway and reactive oxygen species-mediated cell death. p12 enhances release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum and therefore may influence calcium-dependent apoptotic signals, including opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. The long-term fate of HTLV-1-infected cells (apoptosis, survival, transformation) may therefore depend on the balance of the effects of Tax, p13 and p12 on cell death pathways.


The intention of this paper is to analyse how audit courts and local autonomy affect political discussion, controlling in a multivariate analysis for a broad variety of potential factors focusing on Switzerland, due to its variety of audit court competences and its strong decentralised structure. With data from the World Values Survey 1995-1997 (Swiss data 1996) evidence has been found that a higher audit court competence and a lower level of centralization is correlated with a higher level of political discussion. Thus, the results in Switzerland suggest that such institutions help improve citizens' willingness to acquire information costs and discuss political matters.


A demand feature of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is to support different levels of quality of service (QoS) as required by subscribers and their applications. To provide QoS, the UMTS backbone network needs an efficient QoS mechanism and a hardware platform to provide the demanded level of services on the UMTS core network. Network processors are emerging as programmable alternative to the traditional ASIC-based solutions in scaling up the data plane processing of network services. This paper presents a methodology of differentiated services (DiffServ) in UMTS backbone network based on the IXP2400 platform. DiffServ is a relatively simple but scalable IP-based technology, which can efficiently provide QoS in DiffServ supporting networks. In this paper, several different schemes are discussed in detail and implemented on the ixp2400 platform for the scheduling and buffer management components of UMTS DiffServ model.


In has long been known that the chronological scheme commonly transmitted by the early Arabic sources for events of the latter half of the sixth century A.D. poses a number of major problems. These are sufficiently important to raise serious doubts about the reliability of the traditional chronological framework for the last years of the Jāhilīya in general. A key problem is that of the date for 'Ām al-fīl, the 'Year of the Elephant', so called after the expedition of Abraha into the Hijāz in that year. The early Arabic literary tradition does not specifically date this event: it simply maintains, first, that Muammad was born in the Year of the Elephant, and second, that he was summoned to act as God's Prophet at the age of forty. Considered together, the many reports to this effect imply―based on the prevailing view that the mab'ath is to be dated to approximately A.D. 610―that both the expedition of Abraha and the birth of Muhammad occurred in about A.D. 570.


Complex well developed and established Anonymity systems lack Accountability. These systems offer unconditional anonymity to their users which can stimulate abusive behavior. Controlling abuse should be equally important as protecting the anonymity of legitimate users when designing anonymous applications. Current anonymity systems are promoted to family and friends, businesses, activists and the media. However, these same systems could potentially be used for: sending offensive email, spam, copyrighted material, cyber warfare, child pornography, pedophiles chatting with kids online or any other illegal activity performed on the Internet. Freedom of speech and the First Amendment allows people to express their opinions and choose any anonymity service and by no means will people be forced to use this system. In this thesis, a model that allows an anonymous yet accountable method of communication on the Internet is introduced. The design and implementation is based on a new proxy-re-encryption scheme and a modified onion routing scheme. Techniques for Accountable Anonymity are demonstrated by building a lightweight prototype. In this system, users are registered in the system's database in order to use it. In this research, the total network latency is significantly smaller when sending data over the network compared to The onion router (Tor) system which makes it deployable to use at a larger scale system. Also, the Accountable Anonymity system's digital forensic mode makes it easier to track the perpetrators.


We present Success weighted by Completion Time (SCT), a new metric for evaluating navigation performance for mobile robots. Several related works on navigation have used Success weighted by Path Length (SPL) as the primary method of evaluating the path an agent makes to a goal location, but SPL is limited in its ability to properly evaluate agents with complex dynamics. In contrast, SCT explicitly takes the agent's dynamics model into consideration, and aims to accurately capture how well the agent has approximated the fastest navigation behavior afforded by its dynamics. While several embodied navigation works use point-turn dynamics, we focus on unicycle-cart dynamics for our agent, which better exempli-fies the dynamics model of popular mobile robotics platforms (e.g., LoCoBot, TurtleBot, Fetch, etc.). We also present RRT*-Unicycle, an algorithm for unicycle dynamics that estimates the fastest collision-free path and completion time from a starting pose to a goal location in an environment containing obstacles. We experiment with deep reinforcement learning and reward shaping to train and compare the navigation performance of agents with different dynamics models. In evaluating these agents, we show that in contrast to SPL, SCT is able to capture the advantages in navigation speed a unicycle model has over a simpler point-turn model of dynamics. Lastly, we show that we can successfully deploy our trained models and algorithms outside of simulation in the real world. We embody our agents in a real robot to navigate an apartment, and show that they can generalize in a zero-shot manner. A video summary is available here: https://youtu.be/QOQ56XVIYVE


The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amends its medical regulations concerning the copayment required for certain medications. But for this rulemaking, beginning on January 1, 2014, the copayment amount would increase based on a formula set forth in regulation. The maximum annual copayment amount payable by veterans would also increase. This rulemaking freezes copayments at the current rate for 2014 for veterans in priority categories 2 through 8, and thereafter resumes increasing copayments in accordance with the regulatory formula.


Ischemic strokes constitute 80% of all strokes nationwide, but an imaging technique for predicting patient outcome is yet to be determined. This study effectively tests whether the Cerebral Blood Volume (CBV) imaging modality is a parameter of perfusion calculated from multiple CT images following contrast injection. 13,000 CT perfusion scans performed on identical scanners and paradigms from 2000 to 2010 were reviewed. A total of 451 showed measurable changes of perfusion/ischemia.
CBV values were calculated and compared with final infarct size, calculated from CT (217) and MRI (234) scans performed 24+ hours after the initial infarct. Patient outcomes were divided into three categories based on hospital discharge: hospice/death, discharge to rehabilitation facility, or healthy discharge to home. Strokes represent a significant social and economic burden. Understanding the viability of tissue in acute ischemic strokes can allow physicians to better plan treatment paradigms and predict outcome. Time, effort, and money can be allocated more efficiently, as medical resources and procedures can be used on the patients who need them most.Our multi-site study shows that CBV can be used as an effective predictor of completed stroke (futility) and that the value of CBV is an excellent predictor of patient clinical outcome.


High levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are driving the acidification of the world's oceans, with considerable and generally negative impacts on the physiology, performance and survival of marine organisms. The differential and often idiosyncratic responses shown by differ- ent taxa suggest that interspecific interactions may be drastically affected by ocean acidification. Here, we quantified the transmission success of the trematode Maritrema novaezealandense to its intertidal amphipod intermediate host Paracalliope novizealandiae, as well as the host's survival, under acidified conditions. We used a custom-built system to simulate ocean acidification with 3 different seawater treatments: 8.1 pH, corresponding to current average ocean surface waters, as well as 7.6 and 7.4 pH, the levels predicted for the years 2100 and 2300, respectively. In 2 separate experiments, parasite transmission success tended to peak in the most acidified conditions (7.4 pH), although this was only statistically significant when a wide range of infection doses was used. Because the survival of the parasite's transmission stages decreases with decreasing pH, this pattern suggests that host susceptibility remains unaffected at 7.6 pH and is only compromised with further acidification. Amphipod mortality was not affected by pH levels, though it tended to be lowest at 7.6 pH, where the longevity of parasite transmission stages was reduced but host sus- ceptibility was unaffected. These results suggest that ocean acidification could change the dynamics of parasite transmission with possible consequences for intertidal community structure, and emphasise the need to consider the transmission and severity of marine parasites and diseases in ocean acidification research.


Differentiating between normal human activity and aberrant behavior via closed circuit television cameras is a difficult and fatiguing task. The vigilance required of human observers when engaged in such tasks must remain constant, yet attention falls off dramatically over time. In this paper we propose an architecture for capturing data and creating a test and evaluation system to monitor video sensors and tag aberrant human activities for immediate review by human monitors. A psychological perspective provides the inspiration of depicting isolated human motion by point-light walker (PLW) displays, as they have been shown to be salient for recognition of action. Low level intent detection features are used to provide an initial evaluation of actionable behaviors. This relies on strong tracking algorithms that can function in an unstructured environment under a variety of environmental conditions. Critical to this is creating a description of ldquosuspicious behaviorrdquo that can be used by the automated system. The resulting confidence value assessments are useful for monitoring human activities and could potentially provide early warning of IED placement activities.


Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models are routinely used in predicting toxicologic and ecotoxicologic effects of untested chemicals. One critical factor in QSAR‐based risk assessment is the proper assignment of a chemical to a mode of action and associated QSAR. In this paper, we used molecular similarity, neural networks, and discriminant analysis methods to predict acute toxic modes of action for a set of 283 chemicals. The majority of these molecules had been previously determined through toxicodynamic studies in fish to be narcotics (two classes), electrophiles/proelectrophiles, uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and neurotoxicants. Nonempirical parameters, such as topological indices and atom pairs, were used as structural descriptors for the development of similarity‐based, statistical, and neural network models. Rates of correct classification ranged from 65 to 95% for these 283 chemicals.


INTRODUCTION
For a long time, the importance of Chagas disease in Mexico, where many regarded it as an exotic malady, was questioned. Considering the great genetic diversity among isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi, the importance of this biological characterization, and the paucity of information on the clinical and biological aspects of Chagas disease in Mexico, this study aimed to identify the molecular and biological characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi isolates from different endemic areas of this country, especially of the State of Jalisco.

METHODS
Eight Mexican Trypanosoma cruzi strains were biologically and genetically characterized (PCR specific for Trypanosoma cruzi, multiplex-PCR, amplification of space no transcript of the genes of the mini-exon, amplification of polymorphic regions of the mini-exon, classification by amplification of intergenic regions of the spliced leader genes, RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA).

RESULTS
Two profiles of parasitaemia were observed, patent (peak parasitaemia of 4.6×10(6) to 10(7) parasites/mL) and subpatent. In addition, all isolates were able to infect 100% of the animals. The isolates mainly displayed tropism for striated (cardiac and skeletal) muscle. PCR amplification of the mini-exon gene classified the eight strains as TcI. The RAPD technique revealed intraspecies variation among isolates, distinguishing strains isolated from humans and triatomines and according to geographic origin.

CONCLUSIONS
The Mexican T. cruzi strains are myotrophic and belong to group TcI.


Electronic correlations are manifested in many-body effects like superconductivity and magnetism. Established theoretical concepts show that the Coulomb and exchange interaction result in a tendency of two electrons to avoid each other, leading to an exchange-correlation xc hole. We will report on double photoemission DPE experiments using a time-of-flight setup consisting of a small central collector surrounded by a resistive anode. The first allows detection only within a narrow solid angle, therefore fixing the momentum. The resistive anode covers a solid angle of 1 sr, the determination of the impact position results in momentum resolution. As a pulsed light source we used synchrotron radiation and we studied a NaCl 100 surface upon excitation with 34 eV photons. The very existence of coincidences is already a manifestation of the correlation. The onset of pair emission occurs when energy conservation allows the ejection of two electrons from the highest occupied level. We have made two key observations. If E1 and E2 are fixed such that a pair emission from the top of the valence band is possible, a zone of reduced intensity with a diameter of 1.1 A−1 is visible. Recent calculations on DPE from a Cu 100 surface display exactly such a feature due to the xc hole. Hence we prove experimentally the very existence of the xc hole in double photoemission. The zone of reduced intensity disappears whenever emission below the top of the valence band becomes possible, indicating the sensitivity of the xc hole to inelastic scattering.


SARS-CoV-2 is the newly emerged virus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic. There is an incomplete understanding of the host humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 during acute infection. Host factors such as age and sex as well the kinetics and functionality of antibody responses are important factors to consider as vaccine development proceeds. The receptor-binding domain of the CoV spike (RBD-S) protein is important in host cell recognition and infection and antibodies targeting this domain are often neutralizing. In a cross-sectional study of anti-RBD-S antibodies in COVID-19 patients we found equivalent levels in male and female patients and no age-related deficiencies even out to 93 years of age. The anti-RBD-S response was evident as little as 6 days after onset of symptoms and for at least 5 weeks after symptom onset. Anti-RBD-S IgG, IgM, and IgA responses were simultaneously induced within 10 days after onset, but isotype-specific kinetics differed such that anti-RBD-S IgG was most sustained over a 5-week period. The kinetics and magnitude of neutralizing antibody formation strongly correlated with that seen for anti-RBD-S antibodies. Our results suggest age- and sex- related disparities in COVID-19 fatalities are not explained by anti-RBD-S responses. The multi-isotype anti-RBD-S response induced by live virus infection could serve as a potential marker by which to monitor vaccine-induced responses.


In this paper, we introduce the production of ductile iron crankshaft of the engine status quo and development. Ductile iron crankshaft discussed smelting process, alloying and manufacturing process mode. This paper focuses on the application of isothermal hardened spheroidal graphite cast iron in the crankshaft, especially its application in the power of the engine crankshaft. We also introduce a way for casting production technique of high strength-high toughness nodular iron crankshaft. In order to increase the strength, toughness of the nodular iron crankshaft and improve casting quality, a series of investigations were carried out on the mini-amount alloying technique, control technique of iron melt eutectic point, nodularizing treating technique, curved parting method and the structure normalization process and, as the result, the high-strength and high toughness nodular iron crankshaft was successfully developed. The tensile strength of the crankshaft was increased from original 872 MPa to 927 MPa.


Most of the conventional approaches to mobile robot navigation avoid any kind of contact with the environment or with humans. However, most distance sensors have a limited field of view, so that collisions cannot be fully avoided in practical mobile robot applications. At the same time, direct physical contact also can be used as a means of intuitive communication between a robot and humans. We present a whole-body sensory concept based on a 6-DoF force-torque sensor to detect interaction forces between the robot body and humans. To distinguish between external contact forces and forces that result from the accelerations of the mobile platform, we employ a novel neural network-based filtering approach. The network fuses information from an inertial sensor, odometry data and the 6-DoF force-torque sensor. Our approach allows the robot to detect and react to physical contact during autonomous motion. Extensive experiments with our robot Canny demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.


The question of whether Medicare coverage of outpatient services, nursing home care, and home health care reduced the use of short-term hospitals by Medicare beneficiaries, and whether reduced hospital use saved the Medicare program money, is reexamined by use of a simultaneous-equations model estimated by the two-stage least-squares method. It is argued that all alternative modes of care must be examined simultaneously for accurate results. The findings partly support and partly contradict results of previous studies: both outpatient care and nursing home care can substitute for hospital care, but a complementary relationship between outpatient and nursing home care indicates that the additional coverage resulted in greater, not less, expenditure by Medicare.


Introduction: Failure of molar anesthesia is commonly encountered in our clinical practice ranging around 15% in normal pulps and 44%–81% in inflamed pulps. Effective pain management is challenging in such situations. The aim of the present systematic review was to enlist the reasons for local anesthesia failure in mandibular molars during root canal treatment and to assess the effectiveness of supplementary methods along with the conventional inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) in achieving profound anesthesia. Materials and Methods: A literature search on Pubmed and Google scholar database from the year 1990–2020 was conducted using the keywords: "Molar anesthesia," "Local anesthesia failure," "Hot tooth," "irreversible pulpitis." The articles pertaining to the failure of IANB during endodontic treatment of mandibular molars and the techniques for the improved success of molar anesthesia were reviewed. The data were analyzed in terms of author, year, type of study design, study population and type of intervention, method of assessment of outcome, outcome assessed, result and clinical recommendations. Results: The search yielded 9090 articles, from which the specific articles relevant to the topic were reviewed. The articles were reviewed independently by two authors. Finally, a total of 7 randomized controlled trials fulfilling the eligibility criteria were analyzed and subjected to qualitative assessment. Conclusion: The failure of IANB could be attributed to several reasons such as anatomical variations, Operator Technique, Presence of inflammation, and Psychological reasons. In addition, there is a positive association in using adjuncts for achieving effective anesthesia in mandibular molars.


Most low-frequency AC single-phase railway grids have both power-electronic based Static Frequency Converters (SFCs) and electrical-machine based Rotary Frequency Converters (RFCs) connecting them to the three-phase public grid.
 Already today, in some such grids, a majority of the power conversion is from SFCs. As railway traffic (and thus power demand) increases, more SFCs are installed for capacity increase, while the number of RFCs remains (almost) constant. Thus, the share of SFCs is expected to increase, and the ratio of installed rotational inertia over installed power to decrease.
 This paper investigates how different shares of SFCs affect the transient stability of low-frequency AC railway grids when having a mix of RFCs and SFCs converting three-phase AC power to single-phase AC power. Results from numerical simulations of the interactions that occur between converters when and after the grid is subject to a fault are presented.
 The numerical studies show that with an increased share of SFCs there is an increased oscillatory behavior, for example in the voltage magnitude and active power after fault clearance.


Network design, as it is currently practiced, involves putting devices together to create a network. However, a network is more than the sum of its parts, both in terms of the services it provides, and the potential for bugs. Devices are important, but their combination into a network should follow from expression of high-level policy, not the minutiae of network device configuration. Ideally we want to consider the network as a whole object. In this paper we develop generalized graph products that allow the mathematical design of a network in terms of small subgraphs that directly express business policy. The result is a flexible algebraic description of networks suitable for manipulation and proof. The approach is more than just design — it allows for analysis of existing networks providing an understanding of the policies used in their construction, something which can be difficult if the original designers no longer work on that network. We apply the approach to several real world networks to demonstrate how it can provide insight, and improve design.


Objective Sunrouge tea is a special green tea with high content of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)which is reported having an inhibition effect of alfa-glucosidase activity and alfa-amylase activity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the suppressive effect of Sunrouge tea powder on postprandial blood glucose level. Methods We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study for twenty healthy volunteers(8 males and 12 females, aged from 20 to 60 years). Subjects consumed either Sunrouge tea powder beverage containing 140.2 mg of EGCG as test food, or the beverage containing corn flour instead of EGCG as placebo, together with loading meal(130 g of cooked rice). Blood glucose and insulin level of subjects were measured prior to and, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after consumption of the loading meal. Result Consumption of the test food showed significant suppress in the elevation of postprandial blood glucose level, but not in the insulin level, compared to that in the placebo group. The concentration of blood glucose at 15, 30 and 45 min after consumption of the test food were significantly lower than that of placebo(P=0.049, P=0.001 and P=0.003). Also, the changing values of blood glucose from 0 min of test food group were significantly lower than that of placebo group at 15, 30, 45 min after loading(P=0.004, P=0.0001 and P=0.003). The area under the curve of the changing values of blood glucose from 0 min of test food group was smaller than that of placebo group(P=0.085). Conclusion These results indicate that Sunrouge tea powder which contains EGCG suppress the elevation of postprandial blood glucose level in human.


The hype around e-government can also be understood in terms of myths. Myths play an important role in policy formulation because they can inspire and convince and thus can stimulate collective action. However, they can also blur our perspective on reality. In such cases people talk about 'hypes'. In this chapter we look at policy documents regarding the first waves in the establishment of electronic government in Australia, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands. We discuss these documents in terms of myths in order to understand the cleft between the ambitions of these documents and daily reality. Four myths are constructed and discussed: the myth of a new and better government which operates as a single unit, the myth of technological progress, the myth of rational information planning and the myth of the intelligent and empowered consumer.


The monitoring of a zoo population's development allows conclusions about a species' breeding
and management success. Different parameters can be taken into consideration. In this paper we
determined the mortality rates per year of 26 ruminant species in closed populations at the Al
Wabra Wildlife Preservation and plotted the yearly mortalities against the total number of animals.
Over the years, five different patterns were observed: 1 population increased and the mortality
decreased ("complete success"); 2 population increased and the mortality was stable ("good
success"); 3 population increased and the mortality increased ("limited success"); 4 population
stagnated or decreased after a peak and mortality decreased with decreasing population size
("stagnation"/"over the top"); 5 population decreased and mortality decreased or, even worse,
increased ("deterioration"). The categorical ranking of the species was significantly correlated to
the initial population size indicating that populations that started below their carrying capacity can
increase consistently whereas a high initial population size increases the danger of a population
crash due to crowding phenomena. Our results demonstrate the importance of population
monitoring and its management in order to optimize the breeding success of captive ruminant
populations.


In Film and Television after 9/11, twelve distinguished scholars and critics discuss the production, reception, and distribution of Hollywood and foreign films after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and examine how movies have changed to reflect the new world climate. While some contemporary films offer escapism, the bulk of mainstream American cinema since 9/11 seems centered on the desire to replicate the idea of the "just war," in which military reprisals and escalation of warfare appear to be both inevitable and justified. Films such as Black Hawk Down, Collateral Damage, and We Were Soldiers reflect a renewed audience appetite for narratives of conflict, reminiscent of the wave of filmmaking that surrounded American involvement in World War II. The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington have galvanized the American public into a call for action and film critics wonder how this will play out in the months and years to come. How will American films shape the perspectives of other nations? What sort of dialogue do post-9/11 films establish? How do we now re-view the films of our shared cinematic past in light of these recent events? And are we about to replay the events of the 1940s and 1950s, albeit in a hyperstylized, MTV edited format? With an introduction by editor Wheeler Winston Dixon and original essays by leading cinema scholars, Film and Television after 9/11 is the first book to offer critical insights to these and other concerns.


The mountain stone weta Hemideina maori, a tree weta, is a cold-adapted New Zealand insect that shows increasing body size with increasing altitude and decreasing temperature. This study modelled the monthly survival probability of adult weta at three sites (high, medium and low altitude) in the Rock and Pillar Range, Otago. Survival was predicted to be lowest at the low elevation site where weta are at the lower limit of their current altitudinal range. A total of 504 adult weta were marked and released at all three sites between November 1999 and May 2002. Mark-recapture analysis showed that survival varied over time, being lowest during the summer months. Survival also differed between the sexes, with females having a higher probability of survival than males, but there was no difference in survival between altitudes. Our findings that body size varied significantly with elevation but that survival was similar between sites, suggest that body size at each altitude might be adapted to the local environment. It would be of interest in a longer term study to model survival of Hemideina maori as a function of variation in average summer temperatures, to test predictions about the effects of climate change on populations of alpine ectothermic animals.


Excretion of cholesterol with urine was studied using gas chromatography in healthy persons, in patients with cancer of mammary glands, fibroadenoma, lung carcinoma and in patients with beningn processes in lungs. Cholesterol excretion was not increased in patients with the malignant tumors studied. In patients with the cancer of mammary glands and lung carcinoma normal correlation was altered between excretion of cholesterol with urine and content of lipoproteins, protein-bound iodine, 11-hydroxycorticosteroids in blood as well as excretion of cyclic AMP with urine. Treatment with euphylline was accompanied by a decrease in cholesteroluria in patients with fibroadenoma but the drug had no comparable effect on patients with the cancer of mammary glands. In patients with the cancer of mammary glands phenphormine caused distinct decrease and misclerone--moderate increase in excretion of cholesterol with urine.


Many buried scattering objects of interest take the form of two-dimensional geometries. This includes scattering from utility lines, tunnels, and geological structures such as fault lines. Radar systems used to detect these objects commonly use antennas that are at least comparable in size to the depth of the target. Thus the target and the antenna do not satisfy far zone conditions, and the radar range equation is not applicable. Consequently, the usual separate analyses of range, antenna, and target are not possible. In a previous paper a method was outlined that permitted the antenna properties and the scattering properties of a two-dimensional target to be treated separately for the case of a linear electric or magnetic dipole source parallel to the axis of the two-dimensional scatterer. This involved computing the received voltage for an antenna located at the image position, i.e., at twice the target range, and computing the backscattered fields for an electric or magnetic line source at the position of the transmitting antenna. This model has also been applied approximately to a video pulse radar with an orthogonal dipole antenna system. It would also be applicable to large loop antennas quite commonly used in geophysical explorations, as will be discussed. The primary goal of this paper is to discuss additional scattering analyses that could be used to extend the previous results. The major thrust then is to generate solutions for the scattering attenuation function (SAF) which has the form ES/EI or HS/HI where the EI (or HI) are the electric (or magnetic) fields of an electric (or magnetic) line source at the image position and the ES (or HS) are the respective scattered fields. Eigenfunction solutions have been used to obtain the SAF for circular cylindrical geometries to represent pipes and tunnels. Moment method solutions have been applied to perfectly conducting wires with and without a dielectric sheath. Moment method solutions have been applied to noncircular penetrable bodies using the polarization currents to represent the unknowns. Such solutions were developed for a line source above dikes by Parry and Ward (1971) and Hohman (1975) in the early seventies. Such solutions can be made for frequencies that include several target resonances for potential target identification. These solutions can possibly be extended to include fault lines, joints, etc., provided their electrical properties can be estimated by using some of the concepts involved in the hybrid geometrical theory of diffraction-moment approach. The methods of the modified geometrical optics could also be applied to obtain scattered fields at higher frequencies. These and other potential approaches will be discussed.


Infection and malnutrition have constantly been intricately related. Malnutrition is the primary motive of immunodeficiency worldwide, and we're getting to know more and more about the pathogenesis of this interaction. Malnutrition is the main cause of immunodeficiency international, with infants, children, youth, and the aged most affected. There is a strong courting between malnutrition, contamination and mortality, due to the fact bad nutrients leading to kids underweight, weakened, and susceptible to infections, mainly considering that of epithelial integrity and irritation. The most consistent changes in immune competence in protein energy malnutrition are in cellmediated immunity, the bactericidal function of neutrophils, the complement system, the secretory immunoglobins A, and antibody response. This direct relationship between malnutrition and immunodeficiency reflected on susceptibility to infection by influenza and Zika viruses.


AIMS
Stent thrombosis (ST) is a major complication of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). An invasive management by re-PCI is the commonly adopted treatment for ST, but data on outcome are limited.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We performed a 2-year multicentre registry enrolling consecutive patients with angiographically confirmed ST undergoing PCI. The primary angiographic endpoint was optimal angiographic reperfusion (TIMI 3 + blush grade 2 or 3). The primary clinical endpoints were death and major adverse coronary and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) at 6 months. A total of 110 patients underwent 117 urgent PCI during the study. Patients with drug-eluting stent (DES) thrombosis, compared with those with bare metal stent (BMS) thrombosis, exhibited a higher rate of late or very late presentation and of anti-platelet therapy withdrawal. Optimal angiographic reperfusion was obtained in 64% of the patients. Death and MACCE rates at 6 months were 17 and 30%, respectively. Clinical outcome was similar for BMS and DES thrombosis. Very late ST, implantation of stent during PCI for ST, and failure to achieve optimal angiographic reperfusion were the independent predictors of 6-month mortality.

CONCLUSION
DES and BMS thromboses have different clinical features, but a similar poor outcome. Indeed, PCI for ST is associated with a low rate of reperfusion and to a high rate of death and MACCE, calling for action in order to prevent its occurrence and to improve its management.


Chronic pain has been identified as an important issue related to various rheumatic diseases. At the time of a major government spending review, it is appropriate to discuss the pain characterising rheumatic diseases and its related costs. It is clearly essential for healthcare authorities to rationalise their policies on the basis of the increasing expectations of the users of healthcare services while simultaneously balancing their books. There are few published studies concerning the costs of pain of any kind, and the same is true of the costs of the chronic pain associated with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia.


This article presents the optimization of a single-phase reluctance actuator for an application in the automotive industry. As an example, the electrical throttle plate for an E-Gas system is analyzed. The main advantages of such E-Gas systems, against a mechanical solution using a Boween cable are: 1) improved driving comfort, 2) integration of idele speed, cruise and traction control, 3) reduced emissions, 4) reduced fuel consumption, 5) simplified engine packaging and 6. cost reduction. The requirements and boundary conditions required for an electrical actuator for this application is summarized in this paper.


Drawing on data from a survey of returning migrants, this study examines the factors behind the decision to launch a business in Loja, Ecuador. The possible explanations fall under various headings: demographic characteristics, work experience abroad, reasons for returning, current situation, intention to re-emigrate, and activity before, during and after migration. The study also considers different concepts of "entrepreneur", as own-account worker and as employer. The results are analysed, first, using univariate tests and then estimating probit models. The variables most closely associated with a high probability of starting a business after returning from migration are entrepreneurial experience during the migration, and the fact of having returned voluntarily, as well as having worked in the host country in agriculture or the hospitality sector. Having university training and having worked in public administration before migrating are negative factors. Other influential variables are age and the wage or salary received abroad, but these are more nuanced.


Abstract We generate an amorphous MgCu model using the rapid solidification of the melt through a first-principles molecular dynamics approach within a generalised gradient approximation and reveal, for the first time, its structural features and mechanical properties in details. The liquid and glassy MgCu are found to acquire slightly distinct local structures. Yet in both forms of MgCu, most Cu atoms have a tendency to form the ideal and defective icosahedrons while Mg atoms are arranged in complex configurations. The mean coordination number of Cu and Mg at 300 K is 11.31 and 13.73, respectively. The short-range order of MgCu glass is projected to be different than the known crystalline MgCu and Mg2Cu phases. The mechanical properties of MgCu glass and the CsCl-type MgCu crystal are computed and compared. On the basis of the enthalpy analyses, a possible pressure-induced crystallisation of the MgCu glass into a CsCl-type structure is proposed to occur at around 11 GPa.


Demand response has become a key feature of the future smart grid. In addition to having advanced communication and computing infrastructures, a successful demand response program must respond to the needs of a power system. In other words, the efficiency and security of a power system dictate the locations, amounts and speeds of the load reductions of a demand response program. In this paper, we propose an event-driven emergency demand response scheme to prevent a power system from experiencing voltage collapse. A technique to design such a scheme is presented. This technique is able to provide key setting parameters such as the amount of demand reductions at various locations to arm the demand response infrastructure. The validity of the proposed technique has been verified by using several test power systems.


(p=4.3x10 -4 ), respectively. Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and CD44, involved in surfactant regulation, were decreased in COPD, log2FC of -0.4 (p=8.0x10 -3 ) and -0.7 (p=1.1x10 -5 ), respectively. Histamine and hypoxanthine metabolites were increased in COPD, log2FC of 0.8 (p=2.5x10 -2 ) and 1.0 (p=4.0x10 -2 ), respec-tively, which could indicate immune-dysregulation and inflam-mation. Surfactant lipid levels were decreased in COPD, specifically, PC, PG, and PI, log2FC of -2.1 (p=2.6×10 -7 ), -2.4 (p=5.3×10 -8 ) and -1.5 (p=9.0×10 -6 ), respectively. Conclusions We used a multiomics approach to comprehensively describe surfactant dysregulation in a well-characterised COPD cohort, with an aim to generate novel insights into key aspects of this biology within the COPD lung. Further mechanistic studies could help to understand the role this plays in pathological mechanisms and allow novel therapeutic target identification.


Oxygen incorporated molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) nanoparticles are highly promising materials in hydrodesulfurization catalysis, mechanical, electric, and optical applications. We report a systematic theoretical study of the successive oxidation reactions of the Mo27SxOy nanoparticles and the reaction network, along with the electronic structure changes caused by the oxygen substitution. The replacement of surface sulfur by oxygen atoms is thermodynamically favorable. Our results indicate that the oxidation on the S edge with 100% and 50% coverage is more favored than on the Mo edge. Meanwhile, it is found that the oxidation on the S edge with 100% coverage has similar replacement ability by oxygen as on the S edge with 50% coverage. Thus, sulfur coverage does not play an important role in the oxidation on the S edge. Further comparison shows that the oxidation on corner sites is more favorable than on edge sites. In addition, the replacement of the bulky sulfur on the Mo edge is equally as favored as those of sulfur on the S edge. This work provides important information on the thermodynamics of the Mo27SxOy nanoparticles, and gives new insights into the mechanism of the oxidation of MoS2 and the sulfidation of MoO3.


Long-term (multiyear) buildup tests conducted for multifractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) completed in shale reservoirs offer the unique opportunity to study and analyze flow-regimes sequences that are not commonly observed with typical buildup test periods. In this study, two buildup periods (including a rarely observed, nearly 5-year buildup), and the preceding extended flow tests, were analyzed for an MFHW completed in an Australian shale gas reservoir within the Beetaloo Basin. The objectives of the analyses were to (a) identify the sequence of flow regimes observed for each test (flow/buildup, F/BU) period; (b) extract estimates of reservoir permeability and hydraulic fracture properties; and (c) study the evolution of these properties with each subsequent test.
 An MFHW, the Amungee NW-1H, completed in the Velkerri B shale in Australia, was analyzed. Due to a casing deformation and inability to mill out plugs beyond this, most of the flow contribution was from the heel stages of the well. The first F/BU period was conducted from 2016 to 2021 (a nearly 5-year buildup), while the second F/BU was initiated in 2021 (buildup is currently continuing). The extended (>1 month) production tests (EPTs) preceding the buildups were analyzed using rate-transient analysis (RTA) methods [flow-regime identification/straightline /type curve analysis (TCA)] modified for shale gas properties (e.g., desorption), while the buildups were analyzed using classic pressure-transient analysis (PTA) methods.
 The first (~5-year) buildup period (BU 1) revealed a sequence of bilinear-linear-elliptical-pseudoradial flow followed by a second linear flow period. The first two flow regimes are interpreted to be associated with interfracture flow, while the latter is assumed to correspond to linear flow to the well. Elliptical/radial flow around fractures is rationalized to occur due to interpreted relatively short fracture half-lengths (corresponding to the high-conductivity portion of the fractures). Permeability estimates are in good agreement with diagnostic fracture injection test (DFIT) analysis. Flow-regime interpretations for the other test periods (EPTs 1 and 2, BU 2) are largely consistent, although EPT 1 flow-regime interpretation was challenged by noisy data. Permeability values derived from EPTs 1 and 2 are smaller than from buildup tests, suggesting stress sensitivity caused by drawdown. Properties derived from the analysis of BU 1 and 2 are in good agreement, suggesting that any effects caused by stress sensitivity of reservoir parameters are largely reversible. Permeability derived from all tests are much larger than those obtained from laboratory data, leading to the interpretation that natural fractures are elevating system permeability. Fracture half-lengths are also much shorter than those typically reported for MFHWs.
 The mostly "textbook" quality well test data obtained for this field example, combined with the length of the test periods, resulted in one of the most complete flow-regime sequences observed for an MFHW completed in a shale gas reservoir. The existence of a radial flow period observed for all test periods (interpreted to be interfracture radial flow) allows for confident estimates of reservoir permeability/skin and their evolution with each subsequent test, which is rarely reported. The radial-flow-derived permeability, combined with early linear flow analysis, also allowed fracture half-length to be estimated for all tests. This case study adds significantly to our understanding of shale gas reservoir characteristics and flow-regime sequences associated with MFHWs.


Security is one of the most important factors in providing eServices. This is particularly the case for organizations, including government departments, that provide critical systems. Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks are a threat to systems, individuals, organizations and society because they cause damage that is far-reaching. Protecting systems against DoS attack is a priority.
To provide an acceptable level of protection for eServices against DoS attack, requirements need to be met in four key areas: functionality, security, decision accuracy and performance. A review of current models revealed that not one of the existing solutions for DoS attack satisfies all requirements.
Our search for a solution to the DoS-attack problem began with an analysis of government eService business flows. We then designed a formal-analysis model to understand and describe the critical government systems. Following this, we built a comprehensive model (DoS-PIF) that integrates the three required protection tasks – packet filtering, attack detection and attack prevention – and that includes communication controls. In order to demonstrate the practical value of the model, a security approach, called the Holistic Approach for Securing and Protecting Critical Government eService Systems (HASP-CGeSS), was derived and realized.
In order to implement the communication control in HASP-CGeSS, we proposed a Token-Filtering Technique (TFT) to provide an authentication and filtration layer for packet filtering. TFT offers fast packet filtering through the use of packet headers. We then designed the Token-Filtering-Technique Protocol (TFTP) to prevent DoS attack.
Our subsequent evaluation indicated that the TFTP enhances packet-filtering rates, prevents the spoofing of communication sources, filters packets without needing to decrypt them, protects systems from modified and malformed packets, can manage communication timing and free the client from unproductive processing, provides stateful features in a stateless connection and provides efficient communication control between comparative communication controls. In addition, the results show that the proposed protocol is efficient and DoS-resistant for legitimate users and under seven types of DoS-attack scenarios. Furthermore, the results show that (unlike other solutions) the size of the proposed repeat-communications list does not limit the number of clients. Finally, the protocol filters DoS attacks faster than existing protocols and consequently creates greater resource availability in a system because of the reduced time required to filter DoS attacks.
This research has proposed a number of innovative security advances to protect critical government systems. The outcomes of the research justify continuing investigation in this domain for the betterment of citizens, organisations, government and society.


BACKGROUND
Although periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) can affect multiple joints concurrently, the majority of patients with multiple prosthetic joints present with PJI of a single joint. Data regarding the optimal management of these patients are limited. We aimed to identify the prevalence, risk factors for a subsequent PJI, and clinical circumstances of PJI in patients with multiple prosthetic joints.

METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 197 patients with ≥2 total joint prostheses in place who presented with PJI from 2000 to 2017. The average follow-up was 3.6 years (range, 0.5 to 17 years). Demographic data and risk factors for synchronous or metachronous PJI were identified. The time from the initial to the second PJI and organism profile data were collected as well. The workup for other joints with a prosthesis in place at the time of the initial PJI was noted.

RESULTS
Among the 197 patients with PJI and multiple joint prostheses in situ, 37 (19%) developed PJI in another joint; 11 had a synchronous PJI and 26 had a metachronous PJI. The average time between the first and the second infection in the metachronous cases was 848 days (range, 20 to 3,656 days). Females and patients with an initial PJI with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were more likely to have a metachronous PJI, and patients with rheumatoid arthritis had an increased risk of a second (metachronous or synchronous) PJI. Three of 11 patients in the synchronous group and 19% (5) of the 26 in the metachronous group had bacteremia at the time of the initial PJI compared with 12% (19) of the 160 with a single PJI. The percentage of negative cultures increased from 10% for the initial PJIs to 38% for the metachronous PJIs.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients who have multiple prosthetic joints in place and present with PJI of a single joint are at risk of developing PJI in another joint. Female sex, rheumatoid arthritis, bacteremia at presentation, and infection with MRSA appear to be risk factors for PJI of another joint. Clinical evaluation of the other prosthetic joint(s) should be carried out in all patients and aspiration of those joint(s) should be considered for patients with any of the above risk factors.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate a 5-min structured mental warm-up involving aspects of goal setting, imagery, arousal regulation, and positive self-talk. Results of a study that featured a pretest–posttest design with 101 male youth soccer players (Study 1) and a study that featured a repeated-measures experimental design with 29 female intercollegiate soccer players (Study 2) indicated that executing the mental warm-up was associated with significantly greater readiness to perform and to use mental skills to enhance performance. In Study 3, 30 male high school soccer players used the mental warm-up daily over a competitive season and rated it as acceptable (albeit less so than their physical warm-up) at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the season. The findings suggest that a mental warm-up is both acceptable to athletes and potentially useful in helping them prepare for training and competition.


Research to assess ergonomic interventions that aim to improve the musculoskeletal health of workers is, for good reason, criticised as being of poor quality. Study design can be inadequate with poor or missing control groups, risk of bias and confounders potentially influencing the outcome. Many ergonomic intervention reviews have made this point, from the early review of Westgaard and Winkel1 to the review by Driessen et al 2 published in this issue of OEM ( see page 277 ). Researchers have responded to this criticism by upgrading study design, and in some studies aiming for the gold standard of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Secondary to this development, recent reviews of ergonomic intervention have performed an extensive pruning of studies on the basis of flawed design (eg, Brewer et al 3, Burton et al 4, Boocock et al 5), culminating in the review by Driessen et al 2 who only included RCT studies. Inclusion and exclusion criteria follow the Cochrane mould (Higgins and Green6). Literature searches for reviews have typically identified several thousands of potentially relevant studies, but with only …


The article considers whether there are limits to capitalist strategies for survival. It argues that the present downturn represents a crisis in the capitalist system itself, in that the mediating forms by which it could maintain control and grow have reached their limits. As there is no working class opposition or any socialist opposition worth the name, capitalism is not in danger of overthrow, but low growth or stagnation and disintegration are possibilities. In brief, the article argues that capitalism has used imperialism, war, and the welfare state as successful mediations in the contradictions of capitalism. However, Stalinism played the crucial role through the Cold War, controlling the left, ruining Marxism and providing the basis for an anti-communist ideology. In the last period, finance capital played a particular role of control which, in the end, became cannibalistic in that it was using and devouring itself. With the end Stalinism and of the Cold War, the implosion of finance capital, the failure of the present wars and the limited welfare state, there is one alternative—to go for growth and reflate, as in the immediate post-war period. However, capital would find that too dangerous, as it risks a repeat of the militancy of the 1960s and 1970s.


Without any question, ecclesiology along Christology remain the crucial issues for theologians in the modern Ecumenical dialogue. And while we take as granted that we, as Christians coming from different Churches, have reached a common place regarding the doctrines of Christology, at the same time we experience and we live within our various confessional bodies a different Christ. We are the receivers of the baptismal gift (unum baptisma) and of the calling to be workers of unity, but still, we are living in a "not yet" unity situation. We all witness the paradoxical phenomenon of accepting that baptism bring us in communion with God, but not with one another, exceptionally not with those who come from different Christian denomination. We are "already" in God's grace, but "not yet" in that same gracious acceptance of one another. We tend to want to correct each other before we encourage one another; to judge before we accept. Statements of faith tend to carry more value than acts of faith. This paper aims to answer the question of ecclesial unity.
Keywords: unity, identity, entity, Christian Church, ecclesiology, Body of Christ


Deficiency of the anterior lobe of the pituitary due to disease in the pituitary-hypothalamic area may involve any or all pituitary hormones to varying degrees but, usually, growth hormone (GH) and gonadotropins (FSH and LH) are more commonly affected than thyrotropin (TSH), corticotropin (ACTH) and prolactin. Of these 6 hormones TSH and ACTH are of life sustaining importance.


We present a simple algorithm to compute the Hausdorff distance between complicated, polygonal models at interactive rates. The algorithm requires no assumptions about the underlying topology and geometry. To avoid the high computational and implementation complexity of exact Hausdorff distance calculation, we approximate the Hausdorff distance within a user-specified error bound. The main ingredient of our approximation algorithm is a novel polygon subdivision scheme, called Voronoi subdivision, combined with culling between the models based on bounding volume hierarchy (BVH). This cross-culling method relies on tight yet simple computation of bounds on the Hausdorff distance, and it discards unnecessary polygon pairs from each of the input models alternatively based on the distance bounds. This algorithm can approximate the Hausdorff distance between polygonal models consisting of tens of thousands triangles with a small error bound in real-time, and outperforms the existing algorithm by more than an order of magnitude. We apply our Hausdorff distance algorithm to the measurement of shape similarity, and the computation of penetration depth for physically-based animation. In particular, the penetration depth computation using Hausdorff distance runs at highly interactive rates for complicated dynamics scene.


This paper explores how 'creativity' and 'innovation' are most usefully modelled for the modern design context invariably consisting of conflicting technical, economical, organisational and social demands. Section 2 summarises the experiences and observations of engineers and the most comprehensive theories of creativity and innovation proposed by psychologists and educators, which set the stage for a generic model. Section 3 evaluates and synthesises the scope and use of over 100 commercially available tools to enhance creativity and innovation. We place this in the context of the 'processes of creating' outlined in the psychological literature as well as those generally accepted to lead to internationally competitive outcomes in engineering, business, sociology and literature, among others. The series of tables defines a preliminary Taxonomy of Tools to enable potential users to clarify how and where additional information or help should be solicited, to streamline any stage of engineering design. Section 4 elucidates a 'process of creating' as a generic model, which illustrates how contradictory input data become novel outcomes in processes that co-evolve the bodies of knowledge on both sides of a problem?solution equation. The model, in contrast to previous theories, is not vague ? apparent contradictions between design demands can be resolved in precise steps, as long as the starting point of all actors/stakeholders is made coincident.


The working tooth of traditional cathode can't change angle with the helix angle changing while processing mixed rifle, so the rifle would be widen and sunken. An assembled cathode comprising a cathode body and ten turntables with teeth was designed, which can do relative motion to body. The step between adjacent turntable teeth being a cause to induce cave and eddy, three schemes were adopted to optimize teeth shape and the gap flow field was simulated by COMSOL. The results show that the gap flow velocity bear on the shape of tooth, while the left side of which was chamfered (R0.24mm) and the right side screw out 0.15mm, the shape of tooth is considered appropriate. The simulation results are consistent with to the experiments.