The applicability of hyperspectral remote sensing models for forage nitrogen (N) retrieval during different growth periods is limited. This study aims to develop a multivariate model feasible for estimating the forage N for the growth periods (June to November) in an alpine grassland ecosystem. The random forest (RF) algorithm is employed to determine the optimum combinations of 38 spectral variables capable of capturing dynamic variations in forage N. The results show that (1) throughout the growth period, the red-edge first shifts toward longer wavelengths and then shifts toward shorter wavelengths, the amplitude (AMP) and absorption depth (AD) gradually decrease, and the absorption position (AP) changes slightly; (2) the importance of spectral variables for forage N estimation differs during the different growth periods; (3) the multivariate model achieves better results for the first four periods (June to October) than for the last period (when the grass is completely senesced) (V-R2: 0.58–0.68 versus 0.23); and (4) for the whole growth period (June to November), the prediction accuracy of the general N estimation model validated by the unknown growth period is lower than that validated by the unknown location (V-R2 is 0.28 and 0.55 for the validation strategies of Leave-Time-Out and Leave-Location-Out, respectively). This study demonstrates that the changes in the spectral features of the red wavelength (red-edge position, AMP and AD) are well coupled with the forage N content. Moreover, the development of a multivariate RF model for estimating alpine grasslands N content during different growth periods is promising for the improvement of both the stability and accuracy of the model.


Several physical and chemical techniques were used to extract, and to identify the location of, proteolytic enzymes associated with mixed rumen bacteria. Most activity was removable by gentle physical methods such as shaking and brief blending, without cell disruption, indicating that it was associated with coat and capsular material. Proteases were present also in the cell envelope, corresponding to the inner membrane fraction of gram-negative bacteria, and intracellularly and were removable by detergent and French press treatment. Temperature and pH profiles were obtained for the coat enzymes, likely to be the most important in the digestion of food protein. Inhibition studies indicated that these proteases, and those of the whole bacterial fraction from rumen fluid, were predominantly of the cysteine protease type.


The TAR element extending from 1 7 to +80 in the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat (HIV LTR) is required for activation of gene expression by the t a t trans-activator protein. TAR RNA forms a stable stem-loop structure, and mutagenesis studies indicate that the stem structure, the primary sequence of the loop, and the bulge element are the major determinants for t a t activation. RNA gel retardation analysis demonstrates that both t a t and cellular proteins bind to TAR RNA, but the mechanism by which these proteins increase HIV gene expression is unknown. We have fractionated HeLa cell nuclear extracts in an attempt to identify cellular proteins that bind to TAR RNA and are involved in regulating HIV gene expression. RNA gel retardation and UV cross-linking reveal that a cellular protein of 185 kD, which we designate TAR RNA-binding protein 185 (TRP-185), binds with both high affinity and marked specificity to TAR RNA. RNA gel retardation and competition analyses indicate that TRP-185 binding is strongly dependent on the TAR RNA loop sequences. The binding of TRP-185 is modulated by both a set of cellular cofactors and the t a t protein. Highly purified preparations of TRP-185 are capable of activating in vitro transcription of wild-type, but not mutated, HIV LTR chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) constructs. These results characterize a positively acting cellular RNA-binding factor, TRP-185, which is involved in the regulation of HIV gene expression.


Abstract This paper discusses participatory research with young people who are leaving public care in Finland to begin independent lives. The aim of the research, organised by SOS Children's Villages International, was to bring about change in alternative care arrangements, particularly those involving young people's transition to independence. The project used a participatory research design based on employing care-leaving peers as co-researchers. This paper adheres to the methodological principles of empowerment in analysing the personal experiences of young people leaving alternative care with the goal of informing good practice. The findings suggest that the peer research method can be an effective means of empowering young people to develop research skills and to be involved in knowledge production, as well as serving as a means of promoting improved services for "care-leavers", those young people who are leaving either foster care or institutional care. The participatory and peer research method challenges the traditional understandings of expertise and knowledge production. Although the hierarchy between adult researchers and young people as co-researchers is still evident, the method provides possibilities for better understanding the social- and health-service systems and their challenges and pitfalls from a user's perspective.


A prototype linear x-ray source to implement stationary source–stationary detector tomosynthesis (TS) imaging has been studied. Potential applications include human breast and small animal imaging. The source is comprised of ten x-ray source elements each consisting of a field emission cathode, electrostatic lens, and target. The electrostatic lens and target are common to all elements. The source elements form x-ray focal spots with minimum diameters of 0.3–0.4 mm at electron beam currents of up to 40 mA with a beam voltage of 40 kV. The x-ray flux versus time was quantified from each source. X-ray bremsstrahlung spectra from tungsten targets were produced using electron beam energies from 35 to 50 keV. The half-value layer was measured to be 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0 mm, respectively, for the 35, 40, and 45 kV tube potentials using the tungsten target. The suppression of voltage breakdown events, particularly during source operation, and the use of a modified form of the standard cold-cathode geometry, enhanced source reliability. The prototype linear source was used to collect tomographic data sets of a mouse phantom using digital TS reconstruction methods and demonstrated a slice-sensitivity profile with a full-width-half-maximum of 1.3 mm. Lastly, preliminary studies of tomographic imaging of flow through the mouse phantom were performed.


Resistance of a Brassica oleracea germplasm collection (broccoli, Italica Group; cauliflower, Botrytis Group; and collard and kale, Acephala Group) to silverleaf whitefly (SLW; Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring) infestation was evaluated using several measures of insect infestation (including adult vs. nymph counts) taken at plant growth stages ranging from seedling to mature plant. An initial study was conducted in an outdoor screen cage artificially infested with the SLW adults; subsequent field trials relied on natural infestations. The glossy-leaved lines ('Broc3' broccoli, 'Green Glaze' collard, and 'SC Glaze' collard) had low SLW infestations in cage and field tests. SLW adult counts were less variable than similar comparisons using nymphal counts, although adult and nymph counts were positively and significantly correlated at late plant stages. Based on this study, comparing relative SLW adult populations would be a preferred criterion for identifying B. oleracea resistance to this insect.


Eraydin A. Attributes and characteristics of regional resilience: defining and measuring the resilience of Turkish regions, Regional Studies. The increasing frequency of recessionary shocks and the difference in regional growth trajectories in periods of both recession and recovery have resulted in an increased interest in the notion of resilience in the recent literature. This paper, through a discussion of the impacts of recession on Turkish regions, presents an empirical exploration of the concept of regional resilience, categorizing the responses of different regions during economic cycles. A discriminant function analysis is used to explore and explain the differences between resilience categories based on the attributes of the 26 NUTS-II regions, indicating which attributes contribute most to group separation.


This essay aims to compare public-policy reactions to the property crisis in the 1990s with reactions to the current crisis, based on France as an example. It argues that although this crisis does not have the same origin or the same characteristics as the earlier one, reactions have been similar. The solutions the state has adopted have all prioritized the economic handling of the property crisis over the social handling of the housing crisis. Support for the market and subsidies for private actors in the sector predominate. Current measures are on a continuum with earlier measures: the current period does not seem very conducive to a fundamental review of the instruments and orientations of housing policy. However, one point of difference should be emphasized, namely the political reaction time, which has been much shorter in the early 2000s than it was in the 1990s. Then, it took nearly 5 years before the most important supportive measures were instituted, whereas in 2008 it took only a few months. Copyright (c) 2010 The Author. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research(c) 2010 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.


Due to its simplicity and patient satisfaction, an implant-retained overdenture has become the most preferred treatment for edentulous patients. Due to the presence of an attachment system at mandibular anterior region, however, base fracture is the most common complication of overdenture. This study aimed to evaluate the stress distribution and deformation on a symphyseal single implant retained mandibular overdenture using a three-dimensional finite element. Zirconia versus acrylic overdenture was investigated. Acrylic overdentures reinforced with short (over inter-canine distance) or long (extending between first molars) zirconia, cobalt-chromium alloy or polyetherketoneketone framework were also investigated. A load of 100 N was applied to the incisal edge of mandibular central incisors at a 30º angle. Results showed that zirconia overdenture had lower von Mises stress and deformation in its components than acrylic. Reinforcement of an acrylic overdenture with cobalt chromium or zirconia short frameworks reduced von Mises stress and deformation on its components. Reinforcement of an acrylic overdenture with polyetherketoneketone framework did not show any significant reduction in von Mises stress and deformation. Therefore, it can be concluded that using zirconia overdenture or reinforcing an acrylic overdenture with cobalt chromium or zirconia framework could increase the longevity of the prosthesis.


Abstract Factors influencing technology adoption by Rwandan coffee farmers, assessed according to the extent of adoption of soil testing and use of fertilizer, are studied based on a survey of 183 coffee farmers from Rusatira and Muyira districts in Butare Province during 2001. Twenty per cent of farmers surveyed have adopted both practices, however, forty-nine per cent have adopted neither. A chi-square test shows a strong association between the two practices, implying that a farmer who tests soils on his farm is also likely to use fertilizer. Results support expectations that farmers who adopt more recommended technologies and farming practices are more productive and more efficient producers of coffee. A discriminant analysis identified land fragmentation, availability of wealth and liquidity, and education of the principal farm decision-maker as the most important factors influencing the adoption of recommended and appropriate farming practices on coffee farms, followed by gender of farm operator, and farm information acquired by farmers. Transformation of Rwandan coffee farming requires policies that (a) remove obstacles to the development of an efficient land market in order to reduce land fragmentation and to transfer land to more efficient farmers; and (b) improve rural education and liquidity, and reduce gender discrimination in order to improve farmers' abilities and promote adoption of recommended farming practices.


As the 21st century has been approaching the concept of genocide is nothing new, rather the opposite. Since the beginning of the 1990s we have seen several major genocides taking place around the world, all in where hundreds of thousands of people have been brutally murdered, died or ended up forced to flee from their own country, home and sense of security. This thesis will examine the differences and similarities on how the world has acted in two major genocides: Rwanda 1994 and Darfur 2003-2007.


The East-West Romanian labor market disparities occurred and have been amplified by the rapid regional
economic progress based on entrepreneurial spirit, corroborated with specific market opportunities. The end
of the second millenium marked the liberalization of the Romanian labor market due to the transition from
the planned economy to the open economy. As a result of this transition, the economic globalization
phenomenon occurred and shaped Romania, both positively and negatively. However, at the beginning of the
twenty-third century, some Romanian economic sectors are facing serious issues as far as the labor force is
concerned, or rather the lack of labor force. The objective of this research paper was to explore the EastWest Romanian labor market disparities under the influence of globalization and entrepreneurship through
the lens of socio-economic indicators. Results confirm that the Eastern Romania is encountering serious labor
issues with direct effect on particular economic sectors.


The use of radiotherapy has proven to be an effective technique in the control and cure of head and neck neoplastic disease. Unfortunately, radiotherapy also has a significant negative impact on the oral health of patients and the dental care they require. For dental professionals to be valuable members of the oncology treatment team, they must have a sound understanding of the dental needs and proper treatment of these patients. As background information, a brief overview of ionizing radiation and its effect on mammalian tissue is presented. In addition, the oral complications of ionizing radiation are reviewed, and prevention and treatment protocols discussed.


A two year data (September 1992 August 1994) on photosynhetically-active radiation (PAR) measured at Ilorin (Lat.: 832´N. Long.:434´E) using LI-190SA quantum sensor are analysed both on daily and monthly mean diurnal bases. This was done with the aim of characterizing the diurnal pattern of this radiation at this location. The typical climatic days chosen were clear, cloudy, partly cloudy and Harmattan days, as defined by clearness index. The result shows that the pattern, whether on daily or monthly basis, varies greatly depending on the atmospheric conditions. The amplitude of variation of the monthly mean diurnal flux could be divided into two distinct groups: the larger ones are associated with months when the atmosphere has less cloud and the Harmattan dust spell is either just setting in or clearing off (February, March, April, October and November) while the smaller amplitudes are associated with cloudy and turbid months (May-September, December and January). The month with highest flux at maximum was March while the lowest was in August. The diurnal pattern shows that crops at Ilorin have a high potential for PAR utilization anytime of the year except, probably, in the months of July and August, provided other necessary conditions for plant growth are favourable. Keywords : Diurnal pattern, photosynthetically-active radiation, Ilorin Nigerian Journal of Physics Vol. 18 (2) 2006: pp. 223-226


Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed protozoan parasite that infects humans and a wide variety of warm-blooded animals. Although there are many surveys for T. gondii infection in mammals, little is known about the detailed distribution in localised natural populations. In this study we investigated host genotype and spatial location in relation to T. gondii infection and genotypes. We collected wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) from 4 sampling sites within a localised peri-aquatic woodland ecosystem which is relatively free of cats. Mice were genotyped using standard A. sylvaticus microsatellite markers and T. gondii and its genotypes were detected using 5 specific PCR based markers: SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, B1 and GRA6 directly from infected tissue. Of 126 wood mice collected, 44 samples gave positive reactions with T. gondii specific markers giving an infection rate of 34.92% (95% CI: 27.14%-43.59%). A total of 24/76 (31.58%, 95% CI: 22.19%-42.74%) males and 20/50 (40%, 95% CI: 27.59%-53.84%) female mice were found to be positive for T. gondii with no significant difference (P = 0.353). Juvenile, young adults and adults were infected at similar prevalences, respectively, 7/17 (41.18%), 27/65 (41.54%) and 10/44 (22.72%) with no significant age-prevalence effect (P = 0.23). Detailed analysis of the RFLP patterns and the DNA sequences for the SAG2, SAG3 and GRA6 loci showed a range of genotypes but, surprisingly, suggested that 30/44 (68.2%) infected mice had multiple genotypes (mixed infections) present. Results of genetic analysis of the mice showed that the collection consists of four genetically distinct populations. There was a significant difference in T. gondii infection in the different mouse genotypically derived populations (P=0.035) but not between geographically defined populations based on sampling location (P=0.29). In a parallel study, DNA was successfully collected from 88 human lung tissue samples. All samples showed successful amplification of the human α-tubulin gene and were used for T. gondii DNA detection. We used commonly used PCR markers (B1, SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, APICO, L358, PK1, SAG1-Su, BTUB, alt.SAG2, c22-8 and c29-2), histological and immunohistochemical staining to confirm the presence of the parasite. All 88 tested samples were confirmed to be positive for T. gondii with markers B1, SAG1, SAG2 3', SAG2 5' and SAG3, giving a prevalence of 100% (95% CI: 95.82%-100%). From all successfully genotyped samples, 34 had single infection on all loci and 42 were of mixed infection on one or more loci with all three genotypes present. Type II genotype was the most predominant, followed by Type I and Type III. We detected 11 unusual genotypes. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 76 of the 88 tissue sections using commercial polyclonal antibodies produced in rabbits. All 76 sections were confirmed to be positive for T. gondii. A surprisingly high number of patients (96.05%) showed evidence of an active form of infection, as defined by the presence of tachyzoites or infected alveolar macrophages (or other cell types). Only three subjects (3.95%) had the dormant cyst stage as the only stage present. All 76 tissue sections were successfully stained with haematoxylin and eosin and observed under the light microscope. The presence of structures consistent with infection by the parasite was confirmed in 67 samples. All these patients are at risk of reactivation of chronic infection, leading to toxoplasmic encephalitis or pulmonary toxoplasmosis; which can complicate and delay their treatment or lead to death.


Summary The research activity of social work academics in the UK has been of interest and concern amongst academics and research funders. Multiple initiatives have been implemented to develop social work research activity, yet research by social work academics remains limited, hindered by lack of time, support infrastructures, funding and training. Through the use of a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey (N = 200) and follow-up individual interviews (N = 11), this study reports on the factors that were found to contribute to or impede the amount of time that social work academics reported spending on research. Findings The results from the survey indicated that 73% of respondents were research active. Bivariate analysis revealed that academics spent less time on research and teaching, and more time on administration than expected by their employing universities. Multivariate analysis found that less time spent on administration and teaching, more university supports, and being from a pre-1992 university predicted more time spent on research. Applications The findings indicate that the administrative burdens associated with teaching and assessment in social work education result in academics struggling to fit research into their busy lives, despite initiatives to raise the profile and productivity of social work research. Research support infrastructures and strategies should be reviewed in light of such findings.


The sudden deafness is a common pathology with unilateral affectation and unknown etiology. Nowadays, the treatment is not completely clarified. We compare a urografin-CO2 treatment with CO2 as a single therapy.


Organizational Influences is an umbrella concept that refers to factors in the social and organizational context that impact the project setting. Shared values are organizational influences and a level of organizational culture. This investigation explores the impact of three shared values, namely conformity, commitment and trust, on the organization and project performance. The exploration was done by means of semi-structured interviews. The findings show that conformity is a practiced value that decreases project team performance and causes irrational selection of project personnel. Commitment is a promoted and practiced value that becomes critical in troubleshooting. Trust is a practiced value that is fundamental in stakeholders' relationships. A strategy to manage the impacts of these values is proposed. This investigation is aimed to provide insights into the impacts of shared values so that the project managers can use this knowledge to deal with the complex social context where the project is submerged. Keywords: Organizational influences, organizational culture, shared values, promoted value, practiced value, conformity, commitment, trust, project performance, impact.


Hypertension and tachycardia are well known features of acute porphyria and have been shown to be related to increased circulating catecholamines. The mechanism by which circulating catecholamines are increased was studied using the isolated perfused rat heart and human platelets as a model of adrenergic neuronal function. It was found that neither delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) nor porphobilinogen (PBG) blocked uptake or caused release in the isolated perfused rat heart. Platelets from six patients with acute prophyria, three in remission and three latent, with matching normal controls were studied with regard to their uptake of [(3)H]norepinephrine in the presence of ALA or PBG. It was found that ALA and PBG significantly reduced uptake and accumulation of [(3)H]-norepinephrine in patients with acute porphyria; however, no similar reduction in uptake and accumulation was observed in the platelets of normal controls. Therefore, it appears that there is a latent defect in the catecholamine uptake and (or) accumulation of platelets of patients with acute prophyria which only manifests itself in the presence of ALA or PBG. If platelet uptake serves as a model of adrenergic neuron uptake, this suggests that elevated circulating catecholamine levels during acute attacks of acute porphyria are caused at least partially by blockade of re-uptake into the sympathetic neurons.


The phytochemical contents of the acetone, ethanol, and boiled and cold aqueous whole-plant extracts of Helichrysum petiolare were determined using standard phytochemical reaction methods. ABTS, DPPH, NO and TAC assays were used to evaluate their antioxidant properties. This study reported the highest total phenolic content (212,963 mg/g) in the boiled aqueous extract, while the ethanol had the highest flavonoid (172.393 mg/g) and proanthocyanidin contents (65.855 mg/g). Alkaloids, flavonols, and saponin were highest in the acetone extract, while the cold aqueous extract had the lowest phytochemical content. Among the extracts, the boiled aqueous extract had the highest DPPH•+ (IC50 0.02 mg/mL) and ABTS•+ (IC50 0.07) inhibition capacities, while the ethanol extract exhibited the highest NO• Inhibition (IC50 0.41 mg/mL) and TAC (IC50 0.19 mg/mL). These findings justify the use of H. petiolare in traditional medicine and further recommend the ethanol and boiled aqueous extracts of the plant as more effective extracts for medicinal treatment.


Two different models, ovalene (C32H14) and circumcoronene (C54H18) and their respective doped models (C31XH14, C53XH18 where X = B, Al, N, P, Fe, Ni and Pt) have been considered for DFT calculations at the GGA-PBE/DNP level. The two models are compared on the basis of various calculated structural parameters and electronic properties. Electronic density of states (DOS) spectra are also plotted to see the changes in the electronic properties on increasing the size. No major changes are observed in the structural and electronic properties as one move from the smaller model to the higher one. It is found that doping maintains the planarity of the surface but induces comparatively large changes in the bond lengths around the doped atom, weakening the bonds. Copyright © VBRI Press.


Teachers during training are In the unique position of alternating roles between learner and teacher whilst also studying the formal theories of the processes that they themselves are involved in. This thesis explores both pre-service and in-service teacher's personal perspectives on teaching and learning with particular reference to the psychology component of their course. This work follows an ethnographic approach consistent with the research philosophy and goals. Research methods included focused interviews, college and school observations and documentation analysis. Participants from four primary education courses (B.Ed, PGCE, B.Ed.I-S and Dip.Ed.) took part throughout the period of one academic year. As teacher educators, and indeed teachers, are concerned with groups of learners it was a concern of this study to present the research findings in terms of "commonalities" as well as "idiosyncrasies". Thus four chapters present the research finding in a summarised form looking at trends between the four courses (B.Ed., PGCE, B.Ed.I-S and Dip.Ed.) and between the two course types (pre-service and in-service). Four further chapters are in the form of individual case studies reminding the reader of the unique perspective of each individual within the group. The study is reviewed in the final chapter. The research findings are discussed in terms of the summarised data and the individual within the group. It is suggested that the personal perspectives of student teachers are of importance to the teacher educator in facilitating their development as intelligent educators. The place of psychology in teacher education and the implications for psychology teachers on education courses is discussed. A more reflexive approach towards the teaching and learning of psychology is advocated.


Cubic assembly composed of platinum nanoparticles has been prepared by a simple reaction between H2PtCl6•6H2O, NaOH and NaBH4 in the presence of deionized gelatin. Gelatin played a decisive role as an inhibitor of the direct reaction of NaBH4 with H2PtCl6•6H2O and coagulation of the growing platinum in producing the cubic assembly composed. In the absence of gelatin, we can only obtain irregular large platinum particles. With decreasing the temperature, the viscosity of the solution increased. The diffusions of BH4- ions and PtCl62− ions are slower. The assembly composed of platinum nanoparticles was synthesized at 10 oC. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectra and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The scanning electron microscope images show the as prepared platinum with cubes and the average dimensions is about 0.35-0.45 μm. The UV-visible absorption spectrum of the as prepared platinum particles dispersed in ethanol solution shows one absorption peaks at 215nm. The size of the subunits of the polycrystalline platinum particles was calculated to be about 4 nm according to half width of the diffraction peaks using Debye–Scherer equation.


1. Troponin I isolated from fresh cardiac muscle by affinity chromatography contains about 1.9 mol of covalently bound phosphate/mol. Similar preparations of white-skeletal-muscle troponin I contain about 0.5 mol of phosphate/mol. 2. A 3':5'-cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and a protein phosphatase are associated with troponin isolated from cardiac muscle. 3. Bovine cardiac 3':5'-cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase catalyses the phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I 30 times faster than white-skeletal-muscle troponin I. 4. Troponin I is the only component of cardiac troponin phosphorylated at a significant rate by the endogenous or a bovine cardiac 3':5'-cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. 5. Phosphorylase kinase catalyses the phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I at similar or slightly faster rates than white-skeletal-muscle troponin I. 6. Troponin C inhibits the phosphorylation of cardiac and skeletal troponin I catalysed by phosphorylase kinase and the phosphorylation of white skeletal troponin I catalysed by 3':5'-cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase; the phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I catalysed by the latter enzyme is not inhibited.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Tumor promoting phorbol esters, such as PMA, are potent activators of the PKC pathway. The bryostatins, marine natural products, activate PKCs similarly to phorbol esters but paradoxically inhibit most phorbol ester responses, including skin tumor promotion. Because of this inhibitory activity on the PKC pathway, bryostatin 1 has been the subject of extensive clinical trials. Serious impediments to clinical development, however, have been the scarcity of natural supplies coupled with great structural complexity, making synthesis problematic. Recent synthetic advances are now yielding simplified structural derivatives. Here, we compare the behavior of the bryostatin derivative Merle 23 with that of bryostatin 1 and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in mouse epidermal cells. While having similar binding activity on PKC as does bryostatin 1, Merle 23 behaves like PMA rather than like bryostatin 1 in U937 human leukemia cells but conversely behaves more like bryostatin 1 in the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. As a first step in assessing whether Merle 23 possesses or lacks skin tumor promoting activity, its activity in mouse primary keratinocyte cultures was assessed. PMA induces a prominent, prolonged morphological response in keratinocytes. Bryostatin 1 induces a similar initial response, which is however very transient. The morphological response to Merle 23 is more prolonged than for bryostatin 1 but much shorter than for PMA. For initial activation of PKCδ or induction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, all three ligands show similar activity. By 24 hrs, however, bryostatin 1 is much more potent for down regulation of PKCα, whereas Merle 23 and PMA are similar. For PKCδ, bryostatin 1 at higher concentrations protects PKCδ from down regulation whereas Merle 23 does not. Transcriptional responses of various inflammation genes were monitored by qPCR. PMA causes the greatest increase in transcript levels for all genes investigated. In many cases bryostatin 1 induces a smaller response and the response to Merle 23 generally resembles that of bryostatin 1. While these studies are ongoing, they suggest that Merle 23 largely behaves like bryostatin 1 in the mouse epidermal cells. Our findings emphasize the important role of cellular context in determining the pattern of behavior of Merle 23. An important implication is that different cellular environments reveal different structure activity relations for bryostatin 1-like behavior. Finally, our studies raise the possibility that Merle 23, which is significantly simplified relative to bryostatin 1 in its upper two rings, may be non-promoting, at least in the mouse skin tumor promotion system.

Citation Format: Jessica Kelsey, Noemi Kedei, Christophe Cataisson, Mark Petersen, Stuart Yuspa, Gary Keck, Peter Blumberg. Comparison of the activity of the bryostatin derivative Merle 23 with that of bryostatin 1 and phorbol ester in mouse epidermal cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2454. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2454


BACKGROUND: Infantile colic is a common disorder, affecting around one in six families, and in 2001 was reported to cost the UK National Health Service in excess of pound65 million per year (Morris 2001). Although it usually remits by six months of age, there is some evidence of longer-term sequelae for both children and parents.Manipulative therapies, such as chiropractic and osteopathy, have been suggested as interventions to reduce the severity of symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the results of studies designed to address efficacy or effectiveness of manipulative therapies (specifically, chiropractic, osteopathy and cranial manipulation) for infantile colic in infants less than six months of age. SEARCH METHODS: We searched following databases: CENTRAL (2012, Issue 4), MEDLINE (1948 to April Week 3 2012), EMBASE (1980 to 2012 Week 17), CINAHL (1938 to April 2012), PsycINFO (1806 to April 2012), Science Citation Index (1970 to April 2012), Social Science Citation Index (1970 to April 2012), Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (1990 to April 2012) and Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Social Science & Humanities (1970 to April 2012). We also searched all available years of LILACS, PEDro, ZETOC, WorldCat, TROVE, DART-Europe, ClinicalTrials.gov and ICTRP (May 2012), and contacted over 90 chiropractic and osteopathic institutions around the world. In addition, we searched CentreWatch, NRR Archive and UKCRN in December 2010. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials evaluating the effect of chiropractic, osteopathy or cranial osteopathy alone or in conjunction with other interventions for the treatment of infantile colic. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: In pairs, five of the review authors (a) assessed the eligibility of studies against the inclusion criteria, (b) extracted data from the included studies and (c) assessed the risk of bias for all included studies. Each article or study was assessed independently by two review authors. One review author entered the data into Review Manager software and the team's statistician (PP) reviewed the chosen analytical settings. MAIN RESULTS: We identified six studies for inclusion in our review, representing a total of 325 infants. There were three further studies that we could not find information about and we identified three other ongoing studies. Of the six included studies, five were suggestive of a beneficial effect and one found no evidence that manipulative therapies had any beneficial effect on the natural course of infantile colic. Tests for heterogeneity imply that there may be some underlying difference between this study and the other five.Five studies measured daily hours of crying and these data were combined, suggesting that manipulative therapies had a significant effect on infant colic - reducing average crying time by one hour and 12 minutes per day (mean difference (MD) -1.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.89 to -0.51). This conclusion is sustained even when considering only studies with a low risk of selection bias (sequence generation and allocation concealment) (MD -1.24; 95% CI -2.16 to -0.33); those with a low risk of attrition bias (MD -1.95; 95% CI -2.96 to -0.94), or only those studies that have been published in the peer-reviewed literature (MD -1.01; 95% CI -1.78 to -0.24). However, when combining only those studies with a low risk of performance bias (parental 'blinding'), the improvement in daily crying hours was not statistically significant (MD -0.57; 95% CI -2.24 to 1.09).One study considered whether the reduction in crying time was clinically significant. This found that a greater proportion of parents of infants receiving a manipulative therapy reported clinically significant improvements than did parents of those receiving no treatment (reduction in crying to less than two hours: odds ratio (OR) 6.33; 95% CI 1.54 to 26.00; more than 30% reduction in crying: OR 3.70; 95% CI 1.15 to 11.86).Analysis of data from three studies that measured 'full recovery' from colic as reported by parents found that manipulative therapies did not result in significantly higher proportions of parents reporting recovery (OR 11.12; 95% CI 0.46 to 267.52).One study measured infant sleeping time and found manipulative therapy resulted in statistically significant improvement (MD 1.17; 95% CI 0.22 to 2.12).The quality of the studies was variable. There was a generally low risk of selection bias but only two of the six studies were evaluated as being at low risk of performance bias, three at low risk of detection bias and one at low risk of attrition bias.One of the studies recorded adverse events and none were encountered. However, with only a sample of 325 infants, we have too few data to reach any definitive conclusions about safety. AUTH


Many researchers have suggested that a sanctioning system is necessary to achieve cooperation in a large society. Sanctioning others, however, is costly, raising the question of what exactly is the adaptive advantage of sanctioning. One possible answer is that sanctioners get reputational benefit. While the reputational benefits accruing to punishers and nonpunishers have been compared in previous studies, in the present study we directly compared the reputational benefit of punisher, rewarder, and non-sanctioner. We conducted a scenario experiment in which participants were asked to play several games, such as the Ultimatum Game, Dictator Game, and Chicken Game with punisher, rewarder, and non-sanctioner. While in previous studies, punishers have gotten better reputational benefit as providers of resources than have non-sanctioners, we found that punishers received worse reputations than did rewarders or non-sanctioners in all games used in our experiment. These results suggest that reputational benefits change according to what kind of sanction individuals can exercise.


Prodrug activation via antibodies was examined by using the antibiotic chloramphenicol as a model drug. Based on the conformational change between substrate and product, this antibody-catalyzed reaction was designed to prevent product inhibition, thus enhancing turnover. Antibodies elicited against a phosphonate transition-state analogue were found to catalyze hydrolysis of a nonbioactive chloramphenicol monoester as a prodrug at a significantly higher rate above the uncatalyzed background reaction to regenerate chloramphenicol as a parent molecule. The antibody-catalyzed prodrug activation was tested by the paper-disc diffusion method using Bacillus subtilis as an indicator strain. The antibody 6D9 catalyzes the reaction with multiple turnover to generate enough chloramphenicol to inhibit bacterial growth, as indicated by a clear inhibitory zone after incubation with monoester. Using the same method, no inhibition was detected by incubation of either the monoester or the antibody alone. This result reveals that only the antibody hydrolytically activates the monoester, which can be expected to be a suitable prodrug, as it is resistant to the action of bacterial hydrolytic enzymes. The approach in this study demonstrates the use of catalytic antibody technology in medicine and may be applicable to drugs with undesirable effects, particularly in the field of cancer therapy.


Metal complexes of the type ML2. H2O, where M = Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and MLCl. H2O where M= Zn(II), Cd(II) , Hg(II) and L = OCEBFC, Schiff base derived from the condensation of benzofuran-2-carbohydrazide with 3-acetyl- 2H –chromen-2-one have been synthesized. The structure of the complexes have been proposed in the light of analytical, IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR, FAB-Mass, ESR spectral data and magnetic studies. The complexes are soluble in DMF and DMSO. The measured molar conductance values indicate that, the complexes are non-electrolytic in nature. On the basis of these studies six coordinated dimeric octahedral structure has been assigned to Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes and four coordinated tetrahedral geometry to Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes. The Schiff base and their metal complexes have been tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities by Cup plate method.


Everyday practice of cutting process planning requires reliable cutting force estimates, which currently can be obtained only from process-dependent machinability databases. The greatest obstacle to developing a more basic, efficient approach is a lack of understanding of material behavior under unique deformation conditions of cutting. The metal cutting process has been defined by the authors earlier as the purposeful fracture of workpiece material and, therefore, a new way to minimize the energy consumption per unit volume of the layer to be removed in cutting should be revealed in order to predict metal cutting performance. Unfortunately, the traditional mechanical metallurgy has too little to be used for such a purpose. This paper deals with practical applications of the equation of state of a solid to the metal cutting process. It is shown theoretically and proven experimentally that the energy consumed in cutting can be effectively controlled by applying external force fields to the workpiece.


Objectives. The DETECT algorithm has been developed to identify SSc patients at risk for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) yielding high sensitivity but low specificity, and positive predictive value. We tested whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) could improve the performance of the DETECT screening strategy. Methods. Consecutive SSc patients over a 30-month period were screened with the DETECT algorithm and positive subjects were referred for CPET before the execution of right-heart catheterization. The predictive performance of CPET on top of DETECT was evaluated and internally validated via bootstrap replicates. Results. Out of 314 patients, 96 satisfied the DETECT application criteria and 54 were positive. PAH was ascertained in 17 (31.5%) and pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension in 23 (42.6%) patients. Within CPET variables, the slope of the minute ventilation to carbon dioxide production relationship (VE/VCO2 slope) had the best performance to predict PAH at right-heart catheterization [median (interquartile range) of specificity 0.778 (0.714 0.846), positive predictive value 0.636 (0.556 0.750)]; exploratory analysis on pre-capillary yielded a specificity of 0.714 (0.636 0.8) and positive predictive value of 0.714 (0.636 0.8). Conclusion. In association with the DETECT algorithm, CPET may be considered as a useful tool in the workup of SScrelated pulmonary hypertension. The sequential determination of the VE/VCO2 slope in DETECT-positive subjects may reduce the number of unnecessary invasive procedures without any loss in the capability to capture PAH. This strategy had also a remarkable performance in highlighting the presence of pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension.


ASEAN is facing a complex problem when the interverence of two great powers, China and United States of America, expanded their influences in Southeast Asia. Both states gave their influence in the dynamic of South China Sea dispute. One of ASEAN member states that has interest on the claim of South China Sea was the Philippines. The Philippines and United States of America military cooperation triggered China to give their responses and made the conflict resolution became more complicated. This research aim to look at ASEAN role in dealing with the problem of two great powers related to one of ASEAN member. This research was using qualitative method. The research used the concept of the role of international organization. Analysis was conducted by using data interpretation on literature review.


During the last decade parallel technologies have completely transformed main stream computing. The majority of standard PC's today incorporate multi-processor chips, with up to four processors. This number will reach eight and more processors soon. The flexibility that parallel systems constructed with commodity components offer, make them easy to link through wide area networks, such as the Internet, to realize grids or clouds. The immediate benefit of these networks is that they can be accessed by a wide community of users, from many different disciplines, to solve compute intensive or data intensive problems requiring high speed computing resources. "High Speed and Large Scale Scientific Computing" touches upon issues related to the new area of cloud computing, discusses developments in grids, applications and information processing, as well as e-science. The book includes contributions from internationally renowned experts in these advanced technologies. The papers collected in this volume would be of interest to computer scientists, IT engineers and IT managers interested in the future development of grids, clouds and large scale computing.


Background: Among patients with chronic medical conditions, unrelated conditions are often undertreated. Objective: To compare the quality of diabetes care delivered to diabetic patients with and without cancer in a large regional integrated delivery system. Design: Observational cohort study using propensity score methods to control for baseline differences between diabetic patients with and without a history of cancer. Subjects: A total of 5773 Kaiser Northern California members with diabetes and previous cancer and 23,092 members with diabetes and no previous cancer. Measures: Nine measures of diabetes technical quality and clinical outcomes in 2003. Results: Relative to diabetic patients without cancer, those with cancer had higher adjusted rates of HbA1c testing (66.3% vs. 64.4%; P = 0.02), HbA1c control (73.4% vs. 70.9%; P < 0.001), and urine microalbumin testing (59.1% vs. 55.2%; P < 0.001) but lower rates of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol control (40.7% vs. 42.2%; P = 0.02) and statin use if LDL >100 mg/dL (76.7% vs. 80.6%; P < 0.001). The groups had similar rates of LDL cholesterol testing, dilated retinal examinations, blood pressure control, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor use for hypertension (all P ≥ 0.20). Conclusions: Despite the potential for cancer-related services to compete with delivery of diabetes care, diabetic patients with cancer received care of generally similar quality relative to diabetic patients without cancer in this integrated delivery system. Nevertheless, the quality of diabetes care delivered to all patients could be improved, particularly the control of LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. Combining data from electronic disease registries has the potential for monitoring quality of care delivered to patients with more than 1 major medical illness.


Nowadays, proliferation of jellyfish has become a severe matter in many coastal areas around the world. Jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai is one of the most perilous organisms and leads to significant deleterious outcomes such as harm to the fishery, damage the coastal equipment, and moreover, its envenomation can be hazardous to the victims. Till now, the components of Nemopilema nomurai venom (NnV) are unknown owing to scant transcriptomics and genomic data. In the current research, we have explored a proteomic approach to identify NnV components and their interrelation with pathological effects caused by the jellyfish sting. Altogether, 150 proteins were identified, comprising toxins and other distinct proteins that are substantial in nematocyst genesis and nematocyte growth by employing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF/MS). The identified toxins are phospholipase A2, phospholipase D Li Sic Tox beta IDI, a serine protease, putative Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor, disintegrin and metalloproteinase, hemolysin, leukotoxin, three finger toxin MALT0044C, allergens, venom prothrombin activator trocarin D, tripeptide Gsp 9.1, and along with other toxin proteins. These toxins are relatively well characterized in the venoms of other poisonous species to induce pathogenesis, hemolysis, inflammation, proteolysis, blood coagulation, cytolysis, hemorrhagic activity, and type 1 hypersensitivity, suggesting that these toxins in NnV can also cause similar deleterious consequences. Our proteomic works indicate that NnV protein profile represents valuable source which leads to better understanding the clinical features of the jellyfish stings. As one of the largest jellyfish in the world, Nemopilema nomurai sting is considered to be harmful to humans due to its potent toxicity. The identification and functional characterization of its venom components have been poorly described and are beyond our knowledge. Here is the first report demonstrating the methodical overview of NnV proteomics research, providing significant information to understand the mechanism of NnV envenomation. Our proteomics findings can provide a platform for novel protein discovery and development of practical ways to deal with jellyfish stings on human beings.


ABSTRACT The history of the Serratia marcescens population in two hospitals in Danzig, Poland, over a 5-year period was analyzed in a study that combined MIC evaluation, typing by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and analysis of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). We analyzed 354 isolates collected from 341 patients in two teaching hospitals in Danzig, Poland, from 1996 to 2000. The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles varied greatly, and for resistance to newer β-lactams, probable AmpC cephalosporinase derepression and ESBL production occurred in about 23 and 19% of the isolates, respectively. RAPD typing, by which 69 types were discerned altogether, revealed a high degree of clonal diversity among the populations. However, the four most prevalent types were highly predominant, grouping approximately 71% of the isolates studied. These clones were observed in the two hospitals and were strong contributors to both outbreaks and the background of endemicity of the S. marcescens infections. Some of the strains that were not so widely spread (12 RAPD types; ∼14% of the isolates) were responsible for several smaller outbreaks, and the remaining isolates represented unique RAPD types (53 types; ∼15% of the isolates) and were probably sporadic introductions from other environments. ESBLs were identified in several different clones, and some of these had most likely already been introduced into the hospitals as ESBL producers, whereas the others acquired the ESBL-encoding genes from other enterobacterial strains in these environments. The CTX-M-3 enzyme, which is widely observed in Poland, was the most common ESBL type among the S. marcescens isolates, followed by TEM-47 and SHV-5. The complex epidemiology of ESBLs, especially in 1999 and 2000, must have arisen from the introduction of ESBL producers from other centers, their clonal dissemination, and the constant penetration of the S. marcescens populations with plasmids with ESBL genes. Multiple S. marcescens isolates were obtained from 11 patients, who probably represented both patients with recolonizations and reinfections and patients with recurrences of infections with the evolution of the strain's susceptibility.


This issue of the East Asian Journal of Popular Culture (EAJPC) includes a thematic section, edited by Scott Sommers, consisting of four papers dealing with various cultural ramifications of a modern popular culture in middle-class Japan, particularly in relation to gender and consumerism. It further features articles analysing the role of humour in the Sinophone world: one (by Charles Lam and Genevieve Leung) on the emergence during the 1970s of a consciousness of distinctive Hong Kong identity through the prism of the television sketch comedy, the Hui Brothers Show and another (by Jacob Tischer) investigating the use of a humorous social media strategy by Taiwan's government in its attempts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue concludes with a paper by Marketa Bajgerová Verly on the representation of female victims of the Sino-Japanese War in the museums of the PRC. The book reviews section features commentary on four recently published works that relate to themes discussed in the research articles.


Candelilla (Euphorbia antisiphylitica Zucc.) is a very important plant resource in the arid lands of Northern Mexico. This is because the wax content coating the stem has unique properties which have been useful for multiple applications in the food industry, electronics, cosmetics, etc. However, the intensive exploitation of this resource has caused a great decrease in the populations of this species making necessary to consider strategies for their conservation and sustainable use. One of the primary needs with regeneration purposes is to know their reproductive processes, particularly the biotic and/or abiotic factors that determine the viability and germination of seeds. The present study evaluated the (1) germination and seed viability in relation to the ripeness degree of the fruit at the time of collection, (2) weight of the seed (low, medium and high), and (3) storage time (1, 3, and 5 months). Fruits from four locations, two in the State of Coahuila (Las Coloradas and Candela) and two in the State of Nuevo Leon (Icamole 1 and Icamole 2), were collected. Three germination assays were carried out corresponding to each month of storage. Seed viability was determined by the tetrazolium test. The average weight of the candelilla seeds was 0.0029 ± 0.0010 g, with extreme average values of 0.0018 ± 0.0006 g at Las Coloradas and 0.0036 ± 0.0010 g in Icamole 2. Those seeds with heavier weight obtained from red fruits and with 1 month of storage showed the highest average percentage of viability (66.87 ± 24.19%). At the same time, seeds with around average weight, obtained from red fruits and five months of storage, showed the highest average germination percentage (50.00 ± 9.42%).


The Brexit 'divorce bill' is supposed to settle existing obligations, rather than cover the cost of any future agreements. Some therefore argue that it is simply a matter of honouring past debts and the UK should just pay up. The problem with this approach is that there is no legal certainty over what it owed. Even ignoring the argument that the UK can walk away under the terms of Article 50, the amounts depend on a wide range of assumptions – almost all of which are open to debate. This means that the divorce bill is something that needs to be negotiated. It is therefore right to ask what the UK might be getting in return for paying more than it has already offered – and attach conditions. The Prime Minister has effectively offered to cover any shortfall until the end of the current EU budget period in 2020. It is likely that the UK will need to pay something extra for the pensions of EU officials too. But the EU is also demanding large contributions to spending that could take place long after 2020 (and might not happen at all). Instead, the EU should be cutting back to reflect the departure of its second biggest net contributor. That said, a sizeable payment could still be good value for money if it secures a better deal on the future relationship. And it should soon be offset by the accumulated savings on the UK's annual payments to the EU budget. Viewed this way, even a figure north of £40bn could be a fair price to pay.


Usually, the joint transmission friction model for robots is composed of a viscous friction force and of a constant dry sliding friction force. However, according to the Coulomb law, the dry friction force depends linearly on the load driven by the transmission. It follows that this effect must be taken into account for robots working with large variation of the payload or inertial and gravity forces, and actuated with transmissions as speed reducer, screw-nut or worm gear. This paper proposes a new inverse dynamic identification model for n degrees of freedom (dof) serial robot, where the dry sliding friction force is a linear function of both the dynamic and the external forces, with a velocity-dependent coefficient. A new identification procedure groups all the joint data collected while the robot is tracking planned trajectories with different payloads to get a global least squares estimation of inertial and new friction parameters. An experimental validation is carried out with a joint of an industrial robot.


Social support is an important resource in old age in many developing countries including Ghana. Typically, in the absence of a well-developed welfare state, the traditional kinship ties serve as old age security. However, these relationship support links tend to differ by ethnicity and gender of older adults. The first goal of this paper is to examine how structural and functional social support are associated with disparities in health and well-being at older ages in Ghana. The second goal is to tease out how ethnicity and gender affect support in old age and its impact on health and well-being. The data come from Wave 1 of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Study on Global Aging and Adult Health (SAGE) (2007). Patrilineal ethnicities seem to offer more support in old age. Overall, the results show that structural support factors are more important than functional support factors. Regarding functional support, older adults who receive support, provide support, and perceive the availability of support are less likely to report better health and well-being outcomes. Structural support factors such as the size of one's household, contact with social ties, and the perceived quality of one's relationship are significantly associated with health and well-being. Also, older adults are more concerned with their level of social connectedness than with the material resources that flow out of these social relationships. The results suggest that structural and functional social support cannot be substituted for each other, to the extent that each aspect serves different purposes in the lives of current older adults. This evidence further underscores the distinct effects of structural and functional support on health and well-being of older adults in Ghana.


Like in many other Central and Eastern European countries, in 2016, Romanian populist parties were voted by the 'silent' citizens, by those feeling deprived and not represented properly. Shortly before that, in 2015, the tragic Colectiv nightclub fire had given birth to a new party: Save Romania Union (USR) that promotes a populist discourse on the 'corrupt elite' versus the 'pure people'. At the beginning, however, the new party did not disseminate messages specific to the nationalist or radical right-wing populists. Another party, endorsed by a news television channel Romania TV, almost succeeded at overpassing the electoral threshold in the 2016 parliamentary election: United Romania Party (PRU) used xenophobic and anti-EU messages during the 2016 general election campaign. My hypothesis is that the extremist electoral messages, the expressions of hatred towards foreigners and Western businessmen or the EU institutions were spread through social networks. Using a content analysis, I shall verify the extent to which the official Facebook pages of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, the direct successor of the Romanian Communist Party), the United Romania Party (PRU) and the Save Romania Union (USR) reflected the antagonism of the 'pure' people versus the 'corrupt' elite and I shall reveal who these parties identified as the so-called 'people's enemies'.


A relationship between the location of the lesions of multiple sclerosis and the veins of the nervous system was pointed out by Rindfleisch. 1 The majority of those who have dealt with the subject have agreed that small lesions usually surround small veins and that larger plaques probably arise by coalescence. A similar relationship between lesions and veins in cases of "post-infectious encephalomyelitis" has recently been pointed out by Finley. 2 In other papers of this series the probable cause for such a relationship has been traced. Veins in the neighborhood of sclerotic plaques are often found to be engorged, tortuous, surrounded by blood pigment, thrombosed or obstructed. Thrombosis of veins in the central nervous system invariably produces lesions of the same general type as those seen in "encephalomyelitis" and multiple sclerosis. Presumably, therefore, the vascular abnormality is primary to the parenchymal lesions. 3 It is the purpose of the


INTRODUCTION
Zolpidem is a hypnotic medication approved to manage sleep for crewmembers involved in combat operations in the USAF and other services. Previous studies demonstrated the effectiveness of zolpidem under laboratory conditions, but confirmation from the field is needed.

METHODS
We evaluated zolpidem in managing sleep-work cycles for crews of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) during surge combat operations. There were 3 10-mg tablets of zolpidem dispensed to each of 43 crewmembers tasked to support RPA surge combat operations requiring rapid unscheduled shift changes. All personnel were required to take the drug on a non-flying day to evaluate its individual effect; use of the drug during operations was voluntary.

RESULTS
The surge operations were carried out successfully with no flight or ground mishaps. There were 27 crewmembers (63%) who used the medication. Of those, 19 reported that the intervention resulted in good sleep without side effects or morning drowsiness. The other eight subjects reported side effects consisting of drug hangover (N = 4) or poor sleep with frequent awakening (N = 4). There were no reports of abnormal sleep behaviors. Five crewmembers considered the medication essential to duty performance.

CONCLUSION
Zolpidem promoted the safe induction of sleep and was used successful by a majority of the RPA crewmembers. Side effects occurred in some crewmembers even though they had previously tested the drug without side effects. A small subset of the test group heavily relied on medication to successfully manage their sleep-rest cycle.


Dimensional metrology is of prime importance in the industrial and scientific domains, particularly in the field of quality control of manufactured products. In robotics too: without dimensional sensors, robots would be nothing else more than automatons, going through the same repetitive tasks again and again in a carefully controlled environment. This thesis deals with a noncontact measurement technique involving active vision, called triangulation under laser plane lighting. This optomechatronic method consists in projecting a laser sheet on an object or a surface under test, and analyzing the intersecting curve on an image taken by a camera. It allows making a wide variety of dimensional, noncontact and nondestructive, measurements (length, area, volume, diameter, curvature, reverse engineering,...). The original approach of the work is that the focus is brought on the determination of specific, restricted dimensional information on objects of diverse, but a priori known, shapes with the objective of achieving metrological performances in agreement with the industrial requirements. Furthermore, ambulatory instrumentsi.e. devices that are at least portable, or even handheldare exclusively aimed, using low-cost components. Another objective is to obtain systems for which an industrial transposition to innovative instrumental products is feasible. The text is divided in two distinct parts, both strongly correlated. The first one deals with all the theoretical aspects of the method: camera model, passage from 2-D image to 3-D scene, image processing, calibration, accuracy analysis... The performances of the developed models are also studied, in terms of robustness and repeatability. The second part describes four innovative applications of our own: the diameter measurement of cylindrical and of spherical objects, dimensional measurements in the building sector and the determination of the road surface microtexture. The achieved accuracies are globally of about 1%.


IgA nephropathy often progresses to endstage renal failure over a period of many years, and any therapy directed to IgA nephropathy will most likely have to be administered over an extended period of time. Therefore, optional therapy should be effective and free of long-term adverse effects. Besides fish oil, prednisone has also been investigated for treatment of IgA nephropathy, with a lack of consistent results; severe adverse effects are common with long-term use. Several studies have shown positive although not overly impressive results; therefore optimal therapy for slowing the progression of renal failure secondary to IgA nephropathy has not been established. Problematic issues with available studies included the following: (1) most of the clinical studies previously discussed were short-term, contained small numbers of patients, and most but not all were uncontrolled; (2) early reports involving fish oil therapy demonstrated conflicting results regarding its efficacy, including one study that observed increased progression of renal disease in patients treated with fish oil; however, recent studies have shown more promise for fish oil therapy for up to 2 years of treatment; and (3) since most of the studies were conducted over a short period of time, it is difficult to assess long-term effects and safety of oil treating IgA nephropathy, a disease that progresses to ESRD over 10-20 years. However, given the low number of adverse effects and apparent low risks associated with this relatively safe food supplement therapy observed in most clinical trials of up to 2 years duration, fish oil may slow the progression of renal failure in patients with IgA nephropathy. Therefore, with appropriate monitoring of renal function and blood tests, treatment with fish oil 6-12 g/d should be considered in patients with IgA nephropathy.


ABSTRACT There is an ongoing debate in New Testament scholarship on the correct interpretation of Paul's pistis Christou formulations: are we justified by our own faith/trust in Christ, or by participating in Christ's faith and faithfulness towards God? This article contributes to the position of purposeful or sustained ambiguity by reading Paul's imitation – and faith(fulness) – language against the background of Hellenistic-Roman thought on and practice of imitation. In particular, the mimetic chain between teachers and students training for a philosophical disposition, and the philosophical topos of 'becoming like God' (homoiōsis theōi) offer material valuable for comparison. Since pistis, fides and cognates are used in these settings as both a quality to imitate and as attitude towards a model, and since, conversely, imitation is very much involved in Paul's pistis-vocabulary, it makes sense to read pistis Christou as shorthand for a mimetic movement of faith(fulness) via Christ towards God.


Objective: In this study, the posterior and anterior axillary field dosimetries, where the target volume was determined on computerised tomography (CT), were compared in breast cancer irradiation. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six breast cancer patients were examined in this study. Target volumes were contoured by 2 physicians. The posterior field was established by traditional anatomical structures in the posterior axillary plan (PAP). The second anterior field was performed in the same gantry angle with Supraclacicular field (SCF) at the anterior axillary plan (AAP). V105 (volume receiving ≥105% prescribed dose), V80 ve V30 values, mean lung dose, V20 (lung volume receiving ≥20 Gy) value, maximum spinal cord dose, conformity index and monitor unit (MU) values were defined. Two independent groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U test, 2 dependent groups were compared with Wilcoxon's signed rank test. p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Small hot-point areas defined as volumes receiving more than 105% of the prescribed dose and more conformal 90% isodose curves were established at AAP. Low-dose areas were wider at PAP. Mean V105 (70.8 to 52.8, p=0.005), V80 and V30 volumes (p=0.005 and p=0.009 respectively), mean lung dose (p=0.04) and V20 value (p=0.03) were statistically significantly lower at AAP. There was no difference between two groups as maximum spinal cord dose. Conformity index was significantly higher at AAP (0.023 to 0.025, p=0.005). Treatment time was found longer at PAP (242.3 MU, p=0.047). Conclusion: According to the anatomy of the Turkish patients, AAP was superior when compared to the traditional method. The CT based treatment planning with dose optimization and target volume determination must be the standard treatment of SCF and axillary lymph node. Different techniques should be studied comparatively in terms of dosimetric and clinical superiority.


This paper contributes to the recent literature that studies the quantitative implications of the imperfect information about potential output for the conduct of monetary policy. By means of Bayesian techniques, a small New Keynesian model is estimated taking explicitly account of the imperfect information problem. The estimation of the structural parameters and of the monetary authorities' objectives is key in assessing the quantitative relevance of the imperfect information problem and in evaluating the robustness of previous exercises based on calibration. Finally, the model allows us to analyse the usefulness of unit labor costs as monetary policy indicator.


Ride comfort is an important factor to measure the performance of automobiles. The research presented in this paper investigates the effects of parameters related to suspension, wheels and tires on ride comfort. A seven freedom degrees model is established for automobiles, and the corresponding simulation model is also given. An actual automobile is taken as example to simulate its acceleration based on the above models. In addition, ride comfort simulation comparison of three types of vehicles from different manufacturers has been conducted. The outcome of the research provide useful tools for designers to optimize their automobile structure parameters to improve the design efficiency and accuracy.


In this introduction to the first installment of the Common Knowledge symposium "Peace by Other Means," the journal's editor questions the assumptions that underwrite standard approaches in the social sciences to the issue of how non-state, tribal societies have dealt with matters of war and peace. He in particular examines and finds wanting the approach that Jared Diamond takes in The World until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? (2012). Whereas Diamond's theme is that modern states can learn much about many things from traditional hunter-gatherer societies, with respect to peacemaking and peacekeeping he finds traditional societies distinctly inferior, and the arguments by which he reaches this conclusion are tautological and also beg the question. This prefatory essay explains that "Peace by Other Means" will analyze and detail non-Western and premodern European means of keeping peace that modern theorists of conflict resolution are reluctant to credit or incompetent to assess.


With increasing demand for travel and limited opportunities for increasing capacity within urban areas there is increasing pressure to make more effective use of the capacity available. One approach is the introduction of special vehicle lanes where particular classes of traffic, typically buses and high occupancy vehicles are permitted to use the lane. Vehicles eligible to use special vehicle lanes typically represent only a limited part of the total traffic flow, resulting in lower and more reliable travel times for those vehicles. However, where existing road space is reallocated, other traffic may face increased congestion as the capacity available for this is reduced. Users may respond by changing their behaviour to take advantage of improved travel conditions in the special vehicle lane. Because the setup costs of special vehicle lanes are typically small, their economic assessment therefore depends critically on whether the reduction in costs for the managed traffic is greater than any increase for the remaining traffic. This report considers evidence on these issues using New Zealand data and international research and outlines a systematic approach and analytical modelling techniques for the assessment of special vehicle lanes on arterial roads.


Background/Objectives: The central purpose of the present research is to investigate the effect of resilience on drinking problem, family abuse experience and negative emotion of Chinese students. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The subjects were composed of 150 Chinese students who were attending at a university located in Seoul, Kyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do Provinces. PASW 18.0 program, descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, moderated multiple regression were conducted to explore the issues under discussion. Findings: Family abuse experience was found having a negative correlation with resilience, but a positive correlation with negative emotion and drinking problem. The Chinese students' negative experience in their childhood might later lead to a behavioral problem of drinking while studying in Korea. Depression might act as a risk factor for their drinking problem. The Chinese students' high negative emotion might lead to their maladjustment in their lives in Korea. It was also found that resilience can perform a moderating role in decreasing their drinking problem by reducing family abuse experience and negative emotion. Such a finding clearly calls for measures that may help control their negative experiences and emotion and improve their resilience. Improvements: The results of the current research are expected to provide a base data that can be used to help the Chinese students to adjust better to Korean university life and culture.


In a fascinating passage in his epistle to Abū ʿAlī b. al-Ḥārith on differences in character, the polymath Qusṭā b. Lūqā (d. 300/912) observes that there are three kinds of sexual preference among people (al-nās): "those who incline to women, those who opt for boys (al-ghilmān) exclusively, and those who are disposed to both."1 As the context clearly indicates, the referent of "people" here is, unsurprisingly, adult males: the minority group with whose pens and for whose edification and/or entertainment the overwhelming majority of premodern Arabic texts were composed. This is no less true in the domain of the erotic, as demonstrated by Pernilla Myrne in her outstanding recent monograph on female sexuality in the third and fourth centuries AH, which partly redresses this systematic neglect with its welcome focus on women and their agency.
To read the full book review, download the PDF file on the right.


Although a great many different crowdsourcing approaches are available to those seeking to accomplish individual or organizational tasks, little research attention has yet been given to characterizing how those approaches might be based on task characteristics. To that end, we conducted an extensive review of the crowdsourcing landscape, including a look at what types of taxonomies are currently available. Our review found that no taxonomy explored the multidimensional nature of task complexity. This paper develops a taxonomy whose specific intent is the classification of approaches in terms of the types of tasks for which they are best suited. To develop this task-based taxonomy, we followed an iterative approach that considered over 100 well-known examples of crowdsourcing. The taxonomy considers three dimensions of task complexity: (a) task structure – is the task well-defined, or does it require a more open-ended solution; (2) task interdependence – can the task be solved by an individual, or does it require a community of problem solvers; and (3) task commitment – what level of commitment is expected from crowd members? Based on this taxonomy, we identify seven categories of crowdsourcing and discuss prototypical examples of each approach. Furnished with such an understanding, one should be able to determine which crowdsourcing approach is most suitable for a particular task situation.


In this paper, robust delay-independent stabilization of multivariable single state-delayed systems with mismatching parameter uncertainties and matching/mismatching external disturbances are considered. To achieve this goal, two types of robust sliding mode controllers design techniques are advanced. The first is an integral sliding mode controller design modification to Shyu and Yan type controller design. The mismatching sliding conditions are parametrically obtained by using the Lyapunov-Razumikhin-Hale method and formulated in terms of some matrix norm inequalities. In the second contribution, a new combined sliding mode controller design technique for the stabilization of multivariable single state-delayed systems with mismatching parameter perturbations is advanced by using the Lyapunov-Krasovskii V-functional method. The sliding, global stability and delay-dependent β-stability conditions are parametrically obtained and formulated in terms of matrix inequalities. A sliding mode controller design example for AV-8A Harrier VTOL aircraft with lateral unstable dynamic model parameters is considered to illustrate the controller design method. Design procedures and simulation results show that our advanced method is useful, and unstable lateral dynamics is successfully stabilized by using the combined controller.


Informal entrepreneurs operate in a shadowy sector where they produce legal goods but do not register their businesses under the requirement of government authorities. Hidden practices of entrepreneurs are a persistent problem for both developed and developing nations. Academic scholars and policymakers considered that public institutes are responsible for this occurrence where taxes rate too high, tough registration procedure with high cost, and political instability are considered significant. In this study, factor model is struggled to investigate the important determinants of informal entrepreneurs. The authors collected survey-based data from 30 markets of Lahore city, provincial capital city of Pakistan. Snowball sampling technique used for picking the respondents because no comprehensive list of informal entrepreneurs is existing in these markets. Sample size was 1200 and 40 structured interviews were conducted in each market with the help of four trained interviewers. Shockingly, this study reveals that not only institutional factors are the most serious but also individual and structural factors are also play a positive role to stay in informal entrepreneurship, at least in developing nations. The outcomes of this study will help policymakers who work to minimize and mitigate the informal activities. Findings verified that individual and structural factors also have a significant role in the development of informal entrepreneurship culture. Government departments and other regulatory agencies can be considered important factors for taking policy decision to minimize the size of such enterprises. This paper is pioneer to factorize the individual, structural, and institutional based determinants to explore the most important reasons for informal entrepreneurs.


Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is the etiologic agent of all Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), the outcome of which is associated with immuno-dysregulation, resulting in the abnormal production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. We quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α from patients with KS-AIDS, classic KS, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) without KS. A correlation between HHV-8 molecular detection and cytokine production was also performed. We observed that IL-10 production was higher in patients with KS-AIDS when compared to those with classic KS or HIV. However, no significant differences were seen for IFN-γ, TNF-α, or IL-17 production between studied groups. When patients with KS-AIDS were analyzed according to lesion topography, IL-10 levels were higher in patients with disseminated disease than those observed in patients with only cutaneous lesions or cutaneous and digestive and/or respiratory tract lesions. Finally, patients with KS-AIDS that presented viral DNA for HHV-8 in serum showed a higher production of IL-10 when compared with those patients with a negative result for nested polymerase chain reaction for the virus. The results presented here are the first to demonstrate that there exists a stratification of patients with KS-AIDS according to lesion topography where IL-10 levels are higher in those individuals with disseminated disease than those with only localized lesions.


Magnesium, an important cofactor of more than 300 enzymes, has previously been found to modulate blood lipid levels, atherogenesis and atherosclerosis in rabbits, when added to their diet. The aim of this study was to examine whether magnesium fortification of drinking water, without a change in diet content, can affect atherogenesis. The study included six groups of LDL-receptor-deficient mice. The mice received either distilled water or water containing 50 g of magnesium sulfate per liter. In the first (12 weeks) and second (6 weeks) stages of the experiment, the mice received low- and high-cholesterol diets, respectively. At the end of each stage, blood was drawn for the determination of plasma magnesium, calcium and lipid levels. In addition, the extent of atherosclerosis was determined at the aortic sinus. In both males and females, magnesium fortification was associated with higher levels of plasma magnesium (50 and 37% increase, respectively), without any differences in plasma calcium content. The extent of atherosclerosis at the aortic sinus in the male mice that received high levels of magnesium was a third of that of the male mice that received distilled water. However, these differences were not found in the female groups. Surprisingly, the female mice that received water fortified with magnesium had higher levels of cholesterol after stage 2, whereas no differences regarding plasma lipid levels were found among the male mice. These results confirm that magnesium fortification of drinking water is capable of inhibiting atherogenesis in male LDL-receptor-deficient mice. The mechanisms of action are yet to be discovered, and are probably not related to diminished lipid excretion, but possibly to the prevention of calcium influx into vascular smooth muscle cells, elevated antioxidative capacity, or other yet undetermined mechanisms.


: The treatment of chronic ulcers is a complex issue and presents an increasing problem for caregivers everywhere. This is especially true in Germany, where more than 4 million chronic wounds are treated each year. Therapeutic decisions must be patient-centered and reflect wound etiology, localization, and healing status. The practice of using the same wound dressing during the entire healing period is no longer reasonable. Instead, multiple types of dressings may be needed for a single wound over its healing trajectory. Selection of the most appropriate dressing should be based on wound phase, depth, signs of infection, and level of exudate. Moisture balance is critical in wound care; dryness will hamper epithelial cell migration while excessive generation of fluid causes maceration at the wound margins. Hence, exudate management is a key issue in chronic wound therapy, particularly given that exudate from chronic wounds has a composition different from that of acute wound fluid. Several studies have shown that exudates from non-healing wounds contain significantly elevated levels of protease activity, increased formation of free radicals, and abundant amounts of proinflammatory cytokines, while concentrations of growth factors and protease inhibitors are markedly decreased. Application of dressings that remove and sequester excess amounts of wound fluid may not only help in restoring the correct balance of moisture, but also support the wound healing process by preventing tissue deterioration caused by abundant protease activity. Several types of dressings, such as hydrogels, hydrocolloids, alginates, hydrofibers, foams, and superabsorbent dressings, are reviewed here and evaluated with regard to their efficacy for highly exuding wounds.


Model transformations play a cornerstone role with the emergence of Model Driven Engineering (MDE), where models are transformed from higher to lower levels of abstraction. Unfortunately, a quick and easy way to check the correctness of model transformations is still missing, which compromises their quality (and in turn, the quality of the target models generated from them). In this paper we propose a lightweight and efficient method that performs a static analysis of the ATL rules with respect to two correctness properties we define: (1) weak executability, which determines if there is some scenario in which an ATL rule can be safely applied without breaking the target metamodel integrity constraints; and (2) coverage, which ensures a set of ATL rules allow addressing all elements of the source and target metamodels. In both cases, our method returns meaningful feedback that helps repairing the possible detected inconsistencies.


To study the characteristics of the wall motion of the suprarenal abdominal aorta and common carotid arteries in patients with arterial hypertension using the pulsed-wave tissue Doppler imaging. The study involved 140 patients (64 men and 76 women aged from 35 to 68 years) who were divided into 2 groups. The first group (n=72) consisted of patients with arterial hypertension of the 2 and 3 degrees. In the second (control) group (n=68) were included almost healthy volunteers. By means of the pulsed-wave tissue Doppler among the surveyed patients was evaluated the phase structure of the motion of the front and rear walls of the suprarenal abdominal aorta and common carotid artery were obtained the differences of phase structure of motion of the front and rear walls of the suprarenal abdominal aorta and common carotid arteries in healthy persons and patients with arterial hypertension. These results allow us to conclude that during the remodeling of arteries in hypertension appear some peculiarities of the motion of their walls.


This paper reviews the literature on the psychological effects of change and discusses the impact of an overarching organizational change on the staff nurses of a large oncology unit in the Midwest. Their reactions are compared with a grief-change framework synthesized from the literature. This framework was useful in explaining staff nurse behaviors and attitudes, and offered interventions specific to each stage of the change process useful to the CNS. Dissemination of this information is discussed, as well as implications for advanced nursing practice.


The aim of this study is to reveal that barrier toll booths are inefficient in terms of delay and travel time when compared to non-barrier toll booths. In our study, Kurnaköy toll booth, on the Northern Marmara Highway, was examined. The toll booth was modeled using the PTV Vissim micro simulation program. Currently, 8 toll booths are in active service and are operated with barriers. As an alternative to the current operation, 4 different operations were modeled: 8 toll booths without barriers, 10 toll booths without barriers, 12 toll booths without barriers and finally 4 toll booths with free passage system. The designed models were run under 3 different demand levels as low, medium and high, and compared using the PTV Vissim program. When the current barrier toll booth and the non-barrier operations were compared with medium demand, it was seen that there is a significant difference in delay. A bottleneck problem was also encountered due to the geometry of the barrier-free toll booth operation. The optimum operation was found by comparing the alternative operations.


For more than 20 years, tamoxifen has been the gold standard for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-responsive early breast cancer. However, recent randomized trials have shown efficacy and tolerability benefits with the third-generation aromatase inhibitor anastrozole, resulting in an increased use of this agent in the adjuvant setting. Data on anastrozole's long-term efficacy and tolerability are therefore of interest in clinical practice and will be reviewed here, especially in the light of the 100-month analysis of the ATAC (Anastrozole, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination) trial.


This paper presents a general equilibrium model with a dynamic banking sector to characterize optimal size-dependent bank capital regulation (CR). Bank leverage choices are subject to the risk-return trade-off: high leverage increases expected return on capital, but also increases return variance and bank failure risk. Financial frictions imply that bank leverage choices are socially inefficient, providing scope for a welfare-enhancing CR that imposes a cap on bank leverage. The optimal CR is tighter relative to the pre-crisis benchmark. Optimal CR is also bank specific, and tighter for large banks than for small banks. This is for three reasons. First, allowing small banks to take more leverage enables them to potentially grow faster, leading to a growth effect. Second, although more leverage by small banks results in a higher exit rate, these exits are by the less efficient banks, leading to a cleansing effect. Third, failures are more costly among large banks, because these are more efficient in equilibrium and intermediate more capital. Therefore, tighter regulation for large banks renders them less prone to failure, leading to a stabilization effect. In terms of industry dynamics, tighter CR results in a smaller bank exit rate and a larger equilibrium mass of better capitalized banks, even though physical capital stock and wages are lower. The calibrated model rationalizes various steady state moments of the US banking industry, and provides general support for the Basel III GSIB framework.


Abstract: This survey study attempts to understand the research questions that evaluators were most interested in answering. The findings suggested that there is a great deal of interest in research efforts that (a) explore factors that increase the impact of evaluation, (b) help develop new methodologies, (c) examine the influence of context on evaluations, and (d) help to address ethical dilemmas. Respondents also provided research questions for each topic, revealing a diverse body of concerns and issues. The study also indicated that research on evaluation is viewed as an important endeavour with strong support from the community.


Introduction: Patient dissatisfaction and medication non-compliance correlate with patient misunderstanding of their medications and care plan. We aimed to assess the degree of these gaps and their associations in hospitalized stroke patients. Methods: A 5-question survey was administered to patients hospitalized on the neuroscience ward of a comprehensive stroke center. Patient understanding of their condition leading to admission, care plan, medications, primary attending physician, and follow-up plan was assessed. If the patient was unable to communicate, then their health care representative was interviewed. Results: A total of 146 patients (55 stroke and 91 general neurology and neurosurgery (non-stroke) patients) or their representatives were interviewed. Stroke patients were less likely to properly identify their primary attending physician (33/55 (60.0%) stroke patients versus 35/91 (38.5%) non-stroke patients; p=0.011). Inability to identify the attending physician was associated with lack of medication and care plan knowledge and was more common in stroke patients, (23/33 (69.7%) stroke patients versus 14/35 (40.0%) non-stroke patients; p=0.014). Conclusion: Despite sharing a common pool of providers, the inability to identify the primary attending physician was significantly more common in stroke patients and was associated with patient knowledge deficits regarding their medication regimen and care plan. This correlation was significantly higher in stroke patients and suggests that stroke patients may require different, extra or more robust communication and education than the general neurology and neurosurgery population. Additionally, emphasis on attending physician identification may improve patient satisfaction and medication compliance.


Nowadays at Moscow SIA "RADON" the method of combined conditioning of solid radioactive wastes (SRW) and liquid radioactive wastes (LRW) is being developed. SRW represent radioactive silts of natural and artificial reservoirs. LRW represent water salt solutions of low and intermediate activity level. The developed method consists of mixing SRW with LRW and dry-weighed additives. From the resulting mixture an alkaline binding material is formed. The synthesized binding material can be used in process for hardening of other SRW and/or LRW. In this work it is shown that the developed method allows obtaining an accelerated hardening product, which has high strength characteristics and good water resistance. Its quality of does not concede to quality of a product received with use of a traditional binding material – portland cement. It is also shown that using this method it is possible to achieve a reduction in volume of the final product in comparison with the initial volume of SRW and LRW of 4-10. All secondary wastes formed during processing can be conditioned within the framework of the given technology.


Results from an experimental study of the deformational behavior of an oolitic limestone and a marble indicate that the mode of deformation changes systematically as a function of both confining pressure and total strain. With increasing pressure, the mode changes from extension fracture to brittle faulting to ductile faulting to uniform flow; with increasing strain, the change is from uniform flow to faulting with or without loss of cohesion, depending upon the confining pressure. The results reported here are for 79 tests run on the limestone and for 32 tests on the marble at confining pressures from 1 to 2000 bars, room temperature, dry, and a strain rate of 3.9 × 10 −5 per second. The systematic variation of deformational mode in experimentally deformed rock as a function of rock and environmental factors allows fields to be defined for the individual modes. In this study, the deformational mode fields thus defined for the limestone are: uniform flow, at low strains and low confining pressure to strains up to 15 percent at 2000 bars pressure; extension fracture, below 50 bars confining pressure; brittle faulting, initiated at generally low strains between 50 and 650 bars confining pressure; and ductile faulting, initiated at pressures above 650 bars and at total strains from a few percent at the lower pressures to 15 percent at 2000 bars. In the marble, the fields of ductile faulting and uniform flow have generally similar relationships as those in the limestone, except that they have been shifted laterally with respect to the pressure axis of the field diagram. The boundary between brittle faulting and ductile faulting occurs at 50 bars, rather than at 650 bars as in the limestone. Because of its significantly higher ductility, the marble has no field of extension fracture, and the field of brittle faulting has almost been eliminated for the test conditions cited. The DMF diagram appears to be a potentially valuable tool in the interpretation of natural deformational environments by relating deformational modes to environmental conditions and rock factors.


Bayesian growth curve modeling is a popular method for studying longitudinal data. In this study, we discuss a flexible extension, the Bayesian piecewise growth curve model (BPGCM), which allows the researcher to break up a trajectory into phases joined at change points called knots. By fitting BPGCMs, the researcher can specify three or more phases of growth without concern for model identification. Our goal is to provide substantive researchers with a guide for implementing this important class of models. We present a simple application of Bayesian linear BPGCMs to childrens' math achievement. Our tutorial includes Mplus code, strategies for specifying knots, and how to interpret model selection and fit indices. Extensions of the model are discussed.