Earth embankment dams form a vital part of New Zealand's hydropower, agricultural, and water supply infrastructure. The challenges faced in the management of aging embankment dams are compounded by factors specific to New Zealand, including large variability in soil types and the highly tectonic environment in which the dams are located. Internal erosion, triggered by both seismic and non-seismic events, is considered one of the primary risks to New Zealand embankment dams. Spurred by the recent Canterbury Earthquake Sequence, hydropower asset owners in New Zealand have expressed a need for improved guidance for the evaluation of embankments (1) following significant earthquake ground motions, and (2) from a whole-life perspective. This study considers the applicability of existing empirical methods to assess the potential for internal erosion in the New Zealand context. Two distinct mechanisms of internal erosion are considered: (1) internal instability, and (2) filter incompatibility. Four existing empirical geometric methods were used to assess the potential for internal instability in 19 widely-graded New Zealand soils. One existing method was found to be mathematically ineffectual with respect to the widely-graded soils considered in this study and all methods lack reliable verification using volcanic soils. Existing screening methods suggest that a number of glacial, alluvial, and volcanic materials used in construction of New Zealand's large earth dams may be susceptible to some degree of internal instability phenomena, irrespective of seismic hazard. Secondly, a case-study concerning a common type of widely-graded base-filter soil interface demonstrates ambiguous analysis results arising from overlap in No Erosion and Excessive Erosion thresholds. Uncertainties in interpretation could be resolved by the future development of statistical guidelines for filter assessment. With regard to both internal instability and filter incompatibility mechanisms, the applicability of existing empirical analysis techniques to New Zealand soils appears limited due to a lack verification for the diverse geological range of fill soils encountered. In addition, existing stability thresholds have not been verified for long-term or seismic loading conditions inherent in the New Zealand context. This study highlights significant shortcomings in the applicability of existing screening methods used to assess the potential for internal erosion in New Zealand soils.


The Gothic and death offers the first ever published study devoted to the subject of the Gothic and death across the centuries. It investigates how the multifarious strands of the Gothic and the concepts of death, dying, mourning and memorialisation ('the Death Question') - have intersected and been configured cross-culturally to diverse ends from the mid-eighteenth century to the present day. Drawing on recent scholarship in such fields as Gothic Studies, film theory, Women's and Gender Studies and Thanatology Studies, this interdisciplinary collection of fifteen essays by international scholars combines an attention to socio-historical and cultural contexts with a rigorous close reading of works, both classic and lesser known. This area of enquiry is considered by way of such popular and uncanny figures as corpses, ghosts, zombies and vampires, and across various cultural and literary forms such as Graveyard Poetry, Romantic poetry, Victorian literature, nineteenth-century Italian and Russian literature, Anglo-American film and television, contemporary Young Adult fiction and Bollywood film noir.


In order to reduce the cost, improve the efficiency and simplify the complicated control of existing isolated LED drivers, an improved boundary conduction mode (BCM) Buck ac-dc light emitting diode (LED) driver with extended output voltage and low total harmonic distortion is proposed. With a coupled inductor winding and a stacked output, its output voltage can be elevated to a much higher value when compared to that of the conventional Buck ac-dc converter, without sacrificing the input harmonics and power factor. Therefore, the proposed Buck LED driver can meet the IEC61000-3-2 (Class C) limitation and has a low THD. The operating principle of the topology and the design methodology of the ac-dc LED driver are presented. A 150 W ac-dc prototype was built in the laboratory and it shows that the input current harmonics meet the lighting standard. In addition, the THD is less than 16% at a typical ac input. The peak efficiency is higher than 96.5% at a full load and a normal input.


: A comprehensive clinical and roentgenological evaluation was done in 495 patients with primary tuberculosis aged more than eighteen. The clinical pattern of primary forms of the specific process was characterized by predominance of tuberculosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes (tumorous form) infiltrative tuberculosis of pararoot or lower-lobe localization, and exudative pleurisy. Primary tuberculosis was diagnosed in 56.4% of adults. Examination of sputum for changed forms of MBT increases the frequency of verification of diagnosis by 16.0% in comparison with conventional microbiological assays. Primary tuberculosis of the respiratory system in 63.5% of adults runs its course against the background of significant disorders of T- and B-systems of lymphocytes, antituberculous immune defence and bodily metabolic processes. The use of a complex of immunologic studies was found to promote the accuracy of diagnosis of primary tuberculosis from 56.4% up to 79.6%, that of biochemical ones-from 56.4% to 77.5%.


We analyze the Talbot effect produced by a mask composed of two diffraction gratings. Combinations with phase and amplitude gratings have been studied in the near-field regime. For a two-phase-gratings configuration, the Talbot effect is canceled, even when using monochromatic light; that is, the intensity distribution is nearly independent of the distance from the mask to the observation plane. Therefore, the mechanical tolerances of devices that use the Talbot effect may be improved. In addition, the spatial frequency of the fringes is quadrupled, which improves the accuracy of devices that employ this mask. An experimental verification for the best case two phase gratings, has also been performed, validating the theoretical results.


: The paper presents observational data of depression extent among general patients. Psychosomatic disorders are considered in the article. The authors analyzed the mental disorders incidence among different groups of somatic patients, a problem of using the various treatment techniques in these groups. Authors propose the treatment of depression observed among general patients; it is based on literature data and their own observations.


During 2014/15, the HEA funded the production of a Psychological Literacy Compendium of Case Studies providing examples of psychological literacy gathered from academics in the UK. Following this, we invited psychology academics to submit case studies for a second version of the Compendium and we opened invites to the International community at various conferences. We also invited previous contributors to submit revised version of their case studies showing how they had adapted them as a result of feedback and reflection. This International Compendium will be published online at the www.psychliteracy.com/ website and within our University repositories. The Compendium was presented at a Psychological Literacy Symposium at the EuroPLAT Conference held in Salzburg in September 2017 and it will be discussed within a workshop at the EFPTA Conference to be held in Reykjavik in April 2018. The case studies are presented in alphabetical order and while they are not fully representative of the work being carried out internationally, they provide a snapshot of good practice and hopefully will provide ideas for academics wishing to introduce psychological literacy into their curricula. We would like to thank all our contributors and if you are reading this and would like to contribute to the next edition please email one of us! Jacqui and Julie (February 2018) firstname.lastname@example.com email@example.com


This work presents the design, synthesis, and MAO-B inhibitor activity of a series of chalcogenyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofurans derivatives. Using solvent- and metal-free methodology, a series of chalcogen-containing dihydrobenzofurans 7-9 was obtained with yields ranging from 40% to 99%, using an I2/DMSO catalytic system. All compounds were fully structurally characterized using 1H and 13C NMR analysis, and the unprecedented compounds were additionally analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). In addition, the mechanistic proposal that iodide is the most likely species to act in the transfer of protons along the reaction path was studied through theoretical calculations. Finally, the compounds 7b-e, 8a-e, and 9a showed great promise as inhibitors against MAO-B activity.


: Leydig cell tumor is a testicular tumor with a low incidence characterized by a high estrogens secretion from the tumoral cells. Its more frequent clinical presentation is a testicular nodule with or without other endocrine manifestations due to estrogenic hypersecretion. We're reporting a case of a Leydig cell tumor with high plasmatic levels of estradiol, gynecomastia and inferior cava vein thrombosis, which hasn't been described among its clinical features up to now. Vascular thrombotic phenomenons have already been reported in other clinical situations with hiperestrogesism and they could also be associated with these tumors. Patients with Leydig cell tumors could be at a higher risk of developing thromboembolic phenomenons because of tumoral hyperestrogenism and could present thrombotic complications among the clinical findings.


BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major diseases of mankind that has shown to cause serious public health problem. HBV and HIV share common transmission pathways, and the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) reactivity in HIV co-infected patients is much higher than the population prevalence. HBV/HIV infected individuals are 6 times more likely to develop chronic hepatitis B than HIV negative individuals. OBJECTIVE: To assess HBV co-infection and its predisposing factors among ART na€ıve and ART-initiated HIV positives attending at HIV clinics in Fafaan Zone of Ethiopian Somali Regional State. METHOD: A comparative cross sectional study was conducted from March to September 2013. Questionnaire, clinical and laboratory based data were collected from 350 patients. All the 350 blood samples collected were examined using immuno-chromatographic HBsAg test. Data was entered into Epi Data and analyzed using SPSS 17 computer software. Chi-square (v) and logistic regression tests were used and p-value of <0.05 was considered as cut off value for statistical significance. RESULTS: Age of the patients ranges from 15 to 71 years (mean = 35.73 and standard deviation of 10.1). The majority (68%) were females and the rest 32% were males. The overall prevalence of HBV co-infection was 4.6% (95% CI: 2.7–7.1%). Higher prevalence of HBV co-infection was found among ART na€ıve, which was 6.4%, as compared to 3.1% prevalence among ART-initiated. Of the predisposing factors, only history of surgery had a statistically significant association with HBV co-infection (p-value = 0.02, AOR = 32, 95% CI = 1.7–62). CONCLUSION: the overall prevalence of HBV co-infection lies under intermediate epidemicity according to WHO classification. This underscores the importance of HBsAg Screening, which was not routinely done, for HIV infected individuals prior to HAART initiation to effectively manage co-infection and hepatitis.


Background Phyllodes tumor (PT) is a rare breast fibroepithelial biphasic tumor composed of stromal and epithelial components. The patients suffering from this disease present with a large, round, mobile, fast-growing lump, and the giant PT of more than 10 cm in diameter is so uncommon. Surgery is regarded as the primary treatment, but curative efficiency of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy is so indefinite. Case presentation We reported one case of a middle-aged woman with a huge borderline PT in the right breast, over 20 cm in size. The pathology of needle core biopsy of the lump was suggestive of PT of the borderline subgroup, and then she underwent mastectomy of the right breast. The patient had recovered well without any postoperative treatment until a local recurrence occurred 1 year after operation. The tumor was removed with lumpectomy, which was pathologically diagnosed as malignant PT. We followed up her by telephone and heard about her postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as her well recovery. Conclusion The pathology of PT with low incidence is mostly benign, but local recurrence is common, and the histopathology progresses toward worsen trend. Besides, due to the difficulty in precise diagnosis of the borderline PTs, it is recommended that this subtype of patients should undergo total mastectomy. Although the curative effect of postoperative treatment has not been recognized internationally, patients, especially those with huge tumors, may benefit from these treatments.


An overview of the mechanistic features of organometallic reactions is presented. The primary mechanistic types discussed are ligand substitution, oxidative addition, reductive elimination, and electron transfer. Each reaction pathway is discussed within the context of the common electron counts encountered for most organometallic complexes. Examples of how these common reaction pathways extend to polynuclear complexes are also presented. Although reasonable generalizations with regard to overall reaction rates and stepwise mechanisms using the electron count formalism can be made, many recent reports point out that the details of ligand and metal center structure can override these general trends. A considerable amount of quantitative rate data is provided and computational methodologies for understanding the observed rates are discussed.

Keywords:

organometallic complexes;
reaction mechanisms;
ligand substitution;
oxidative addition;
electron transfer;
reaction rates;
carbonyl complexes;
transition metals


Indonesia stands out as one of the most successful cases of democratic transformation in Asia, a continent that has been, with several notable exceptions, generally resistant to democratic change over the last three decades. Taking its cue from other Asian democracies, this article considers the degree to which economic modernization and ethnic factors might account for Indonesia's relative democratic success. With regard to both, it is proposed that a key factor has been the failure of Indonesia's political cleavage structure to express social conflicts that might undermine democracy. Instead, Indonesia's democratic model has been based on an inclusionary elite settlement in which powerful political and economic actors have gained a stake in the system, largely through access to patronage. This settlement has consolidated Indonesian democracy, but it has also generated costs that have been borne by relatively disempowered groups, reflected in continuing economic and gender inequality.


ABSTRACT The recent model of Networked flow (NF) mapped out factors underlying optimal creative collaboration in blended spaces (physical and digital). NF conceives creativity as an evolving network bridging material and symbolic resources of the creative collaboration process at both inter and the intra-group levels. First, this model posits that optimal group creativity is characterized by highest levels of the experiences of flow and social presence. Secondly, these experiences should stem from a peculiar group communicative structure. Therefore, group creativity should be studied through a mixed-method approach focusing on experiential and structural features of group collaboration, on their evolution, and on group artifacts. Here, we measured the evolution of 10 groups' structural dynamics by means of Social Network Analysis (SNA), and we assessed group experience through group flow experience (Flow State Scale) and social presence (NMSPI). Moreover, four independent raters evaluated the creative products through a domain-based approach, that is the Consensual Assessment Technique. Finally, we deepened the analysis of the highest creative group' micro-interaction through the qualitative approach of Interlocutory Logic. Group flow and social presence were positively related. Both experiential dimensions and creative outcomes were predicted by specific SNA indexes. Qualitative approach of Interlocutory Logic and an analysis of most and least creative groups' sociograms, suggested two structural patterns underlying optimal group creativity instances. Specifically, even a few but well-aimed interactions could facilitate the emergence of higher creativity levels, which could emerge silently, with few but effective interactions, or explicitly, with several (mostly) democratic exchanges among members.


In this article, we review the traditional transcutaneous upper lid blepharoplasty technique and contrast it to the newly described transconjunctival upper lid blepharo-plasty technique that has limited indications. The technique and application of the skin-muscle flap transcutaneous lower lid blepharoplasty and the transconjunctival lower lid blepharoplasty are also discussed. We prefer the transconjunctival lower lid blepharo-plasty as it circumvents the risk of lower eyelid retraction associated with the transcutaneous approach. We also discuss application of adjunctive procedures to the transconjun-tival approach to enhance cosmetic results.


We aimed to characterize difficulties in famous face naming in three poststroke aphasic patients with a lesion limited to the left mid-posterior temporal language regions, sparing the anterior temporal lobe. The patients did not present semantic deficits specific to known people. Nonetheless, they showed difficulties naming famous buildings in addition to famous faces, but they were comparable to healthy controls in generating proper names. Our results support the critical role of the mid-posterior temporal language regions in the lexical retrieval of proper names, namely from pictorial stimuli, in absence of semantic impairments.


Modern applications of celestial mechanics include the study of closely packed systems of exoplanets, circumbinary planetary systems, binary-binary interactions in star clusters, and the dynamics of stars near the galactic centre. While developments have historically been guided by the architecture of the Solar System, the need for more general formulations with as few restrictions on the parameters as possible is obvious. Here we present clear and concise generalisations of two classic expansions of the three-body disturbing function, simplifying considerably their original form and making them accessible to the non-specialist. Governing the interaction between the inner and outer orbits of a hierarchical triple, the disturbing function in its general form is the conduit for energy and angular momentum exchange and as such, governs the secular and resonant evolution of the system and its stability characteristics. Focusing here on coplanar systems, the first expansion is one in the ratio of inner to outer semimajor axes and is valid for all eccentricities, while the second is an expansion in eccentricity and is valid for all semimajor axis ratios [...]. Our generalizations make both formulations valid for arbitrary mass ratios. [...]. We demonstrate the equivalence of the new expansions, identifying the role of the spherical harmonic order m in both and its physical significance in the three-body problem, and introducing the concept of principal resonances. Several examples of the accessibility of both expansions are given including resonance widths and the secular rates of change of the elements. Results in their final form are gathered together at the end of the paper for the reader mainly interested in their application, including a guide for the choice of expansion.


The overall rate of omission of items for 28331 17-year-old Australian students on a high-stakes test of achievement in the common elements or cognitive skills of the senior school curriculum is reported for a subtest in multiple-choice format and a subtest in short-response format. For the former, the omit rates were minuscule and there was no significant difference by gender or by type of school attended. For the latter, where an item can be 'worth' up to five times that of a single multiple-choice item, the omit rates were between 10 and 20 times that for multiple-choice and the difference between male and female omit rate was significant as was the difference between students from government and nongovernment schools. For both formats, females from single-sex schools omitted significantly fewer items than did females from coeducational schools. Some possible explanations of omit behaviour are alluded to.


A supramolecular indicator system (cellulose-nanodiamonds-urease) for reusable biochemical detection of urea has been fabricated using sequential immobilization of the components. Modified nanodiamonds (MNDs) were covalently immobilized onto DEAE cellulose granules via the nucleophilic addition reaction. At DEAE cellulose: MND ratio of 4:1 (w/w), up to 110 μg of nanoparticles bound onto 1 mg of the polymer during the addition reaction. Urease was immobilized by covalent conjugation onto the polymer-MND composite with the benzoquinone-activated surface. In comparative experiments, the enzyme was immobilized onto initial polymer granules via nonspecific adsorption and covalent conjugation. However, when these indicator systems were repeatedly used to detect the analyte, the enzyme was considerably inactivated, and that was evidenced by a decrease in the colored product yield. At the same time, the enzyme covalently bound onto the DEAE cellulose-MND composite showed higher functional efficacy and enabled more stable yields of the colored product in repeated urea assays. Comparative experiments with the indicator systems repeatedly used to detect urea at 37 °C demonstrated that the enzyme covalently conjugated onto the DEAE cellulose-MND composite showed greater thermo stability, and its activity was reduced at a much slower rate than the activity of the enzyme covalently bound to the polymer. The data obtained in the present study offer the prospect of designing a new type of reusable indicator assay systems (polymer carrier-nanodiamond-biomarker supramolecular systems) for biomedical analytical applications.


An iodine 131 (I 131) radioconjugate of the synthetic chlorotoxin (CTX) TM-601 with potential antiangiogenic and antineoplastic activities. CTX is a 36 amino acid neurotoxin found in the venom of the giant yellow scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus that preferentially binds malignant cells of neuroectodermal origin. The recombinant version of this peptide, TM-601, is expressed in and purified from E. coli and then covalently linked to I 131 to produce 131I-TM-601. 131I-TM-601 binds to tumor cells of neuroectodermal origin and is internalized; administered once, it may be used as a radioimaging agent; repeated administration may result in a tumor-specific, cumulative radiocytotoxic dose of I 131. In addition, TM-601 alone, similar to native CTX, may inhibit angiogenesis due to its ability to bind to and inhibit matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), an endopeptidase involved in tissue remodeling processes such as angiogenesis.


(Sayer MDJ, Kupper FC, van West P, Wilson CM, Brown H, Azzopardi E. Managing scientific diving operations in a remote location: the Canadian high Arctic. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. 2013 December;43(4):239-243.) Global climate change is expected to alter the Arctic bioregion markedly in coming decades. As a result, monitoring of the expected and actual changes has assumed high scientific significance. Many marine science objectives are best supported with the use of scientific diving techniques. Some important keystone environments are located in extremely remote locations where land-based expeditions offer high flexibility and cost-effectiveness over ship-based operations. However, the extreme remoteness of some of these locations, coupled with complex and unreliable land, sea and air communications, means that there is rarely quick access (< 48 h) to any specialized diving medical intervention or recompression. In 2009, a landbased expedition to the north end of Baffin Island was undertaken with the specific aim of establishing an inventory of the diversity of seaweeds and their pathogens that was broadly representative of a high Arctic marine environment. This account highlights some of the logistical considerations taken on that expedition; specifically it outlines the non-recompression treatment pathway that would have been adopted in the event of a diver suffering decompression illness.


Meticulous correlation of mammographic and pathologic findings is essential to improve detection and understanding of the many processes that affect the breast. A review of recent radiologic papers dealing with several breast cancer variants as well as two benign lesions, the radial scar and the breast hamartoma, is presented. Important papers from the pathologic, oncologic, and radiologic literature are reviewed. These papers described the evolving concepts of proliferative breast disease as risk markers, as well as insights into prognostic differences among the histologic subtypes of ductal carcinoma in situ.


This paper presents a process integration approach to analyze and evaluate usage of residual gases from coke oven, blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace in a primary steelmaking integrated with a carbon dioxide capturing and a polygeneration plant. Mathematical programming is applied to find the optimal operation of the integrated system for a given time horizon, where the polygeneration system produces methanol, electricity and district heat as by-products. As alternative technologies for steelmaking, blast furnace top gas recycling with three different integration scenarios for compressing and heating of the top gas and the blast have been studied. This includes an evaluation of the technical potential to enrich the oxygen content of the blast to full oxygen (i.e., nitrogen-free) injection operation. The results illustrate the optimal states and technologies under different external energy demands. Medium blast oxygen enrichment and top gas recycling with preheating for cold season and cold oxygen injection with preheated high top gas recycling rate is suggested for warm season.


Set between an evocation and an ethnographic documentary, this essay explores aspects of aftermath of terror as an affective experience. Working through visuals and writing, I recall banal moments that disrupt the politics of forgetting by showing forms of remembrance through spaces, looks, or moments of simplicity. These moments signal leakages in official definitions of memory in otherwise classified spaces of nothingness, lethargy, and apathy. The article thus extends the evocative potential of photography and narrative writing as means to engage with multidimensional and hazy expressions of the experience of the aftermath of terror.


Uncalibrated photometric stereo (UPS) is challenging due to the inherent ambiguity brought by the unknown light. Although the ambiguity is alleviated on non-Lambertian objects, the problem is still difficult to solve for more general objects with complex shapes introducing irregular shadows and general materials with complex reflectance like anisotropic reflectance. To exploit cues from shadow and reflectance to solve UPS and improve performance on general materials, we propose DANI-Net, an inverse rendering framework with differentiable shadow handling and anisotropic reflectance modeling. Unlike most previous methods that use non-differentiable shadow maps and assume isotropic material, our network benefits from cues of shadow and anisotropic reflectance through two differentiable paths. Experiments on multiple real-world datasets demonstrate our superior and robust performance.


The use of mobile devices in classrooms is becoming more and more common. The introduction of these resources to produce learning is part of the mobile learning methodology. Among the possibilities of these devices provide we can find, as an emerging technology, augmented reality, which combines elements of the real world with virtual images. The purpose of this paper is to know the impact of the augmented reality in the educational cooperatives of Andalusia. In this regard, educational cooperatives are centers characterized in their origin by promoting the development of methodologies based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The data collection instrument used in this questionnaire is a quantitative methodology of a descriptive nature. The questionnaire was prepared ad hoc according to the existing literature and the answers coded on a Likert scale. The results show that only a minority of teachers implement the augmented reality in their classes. In addition, there are statistically significant differences in terms of professional experience, so that younger teachers tend to implement methodologies based on the use of emerging mobile technologies such as augmented reality. Finally, it is emphasized that despite the constant technological advance of mobile devices in society, their application in the classroom occurs slowly.


With 3 figures and 1 table

Abstract

Late blight (LB), caused by Phytophthora infestans, is a destructive disease of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). To gain adequate control of LB in tomato, new sources of resistance are being identified and characterized with the aim of introducing resistance genes to elite tomato germplasm. In this study, heritability (h2) of LB resistance conferred by a S. pimpinellifolium resistant accession (PI 270443) was estimated using populations developed from crosses with a LB-susceptible tomato breeding line. In the F2 population, 986 seedlings were evaluated for LB, and 50 resistant and 40 susceptible individuals were selected and self-pollinated to generate F3 progeny. Seedlings of the F3 progeny were evaluated for LB in two separate experiments. Using parent–offspring correlation analysis, h2 of LB resistance was estimated to be 0.86, indicating that this resistance was highly heritable and could be transferred to the cultivated tomato via phenotypic selection. The number of resistance genes involved was estimated to be two. Breeding efforts to transfer this resistance to elite tomato lines and genetic mapping to identify the underlying resistance genes are underway.


We report a case of lymphoepithelial cyst of the thyroid gland in a 31 year-old-man with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and history of multinodular goiter. The lesion was resected and the histopathologic examination showed that the cystic mass was lined by squamous and focally columnar epithelium, an it was surrounded by follicular lymphoid tissue. To our knowledge only twenty cases of this lesion have been reported in the medical literature. An association with chronic thyroiditis has been noted in 10 cases.


From 1776 to 1800, the United States ceased to be a fantastic dream and became a stable reality. Newspapers were increasingly the public's major source of information about people and events outside of their community. The press reflected the issues of the day. Its foremost concern was naturally the armed struggle with Britain. The press covered the conflict, providing both patriot and loyalist interpretations of the battles and personalities. Yet after the British withdrew, a host of new challenges confronted the United States, including the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, the Bill of the Rights, the Whiskey Rebellion, slavery, women's roles, the French Revolution, the XYZ Affair, the Sedition Act, and more. Again, the press not only purveyed the facts. It became a political tool trumpeting the viewpoint of Republicans and Federalists, ushering in a new era of American journalism. Beginning with an extensive overview essay of the period, this book focuses on 26 pressing issues of the war and the early republic. Each issue is presented with an introductory essay and multiple primary documents from the newspapers of the day, which illustrate both sides of the debate. This is a perfect resource for students interested in the Revolutionary War, the birth of the new nation, and the actual opinions and words of those involved.


Introduction By the mechanical composition of a sediment we understand the proportions of particles of different specified sizes it contains. Stated in other terms, the mechanical composition of a sediment is the frequency distribution in it of particles of different specified sizes, the frequency being measured by the weight of the particles, not by their numbers. In most natural sediments particles of about a certain specific size predominate—that is, their number is greater than that of larger or smaller particles. In some sediments this predominant or mean size represents what statisticians would call a pronounced central tendency. In certain respects the bell-shaped curve representing the frequency distribution or central tendency in the size of the particles, like many other similar curves representing physical or biological data, is closely related to the probability curve, or the so-called normal curve of error.2 In many sediments the deviation in the size of . . .


The automated functional and performance analysis of communication systems specified with some Formal Description Technique has long been the goal of telecommunication engineers. In the past SDL and Petri nets have been the most popular FDTs for the purpose. With the growth in popularity of UML the most obvious question to ask is whether one can translate one or more UML diagrams describing a system to a performance model. Until the advent of UML 2.0, that has been an impossible task since the semantics were not clear. Even though the UML semantics are still not clear for the purpose, with UML 2.0 now released and using ITU recommendation Z.109, we describe in this dissertation a methodology and tool called proSPEX (protocol Software Performance Engineering using XMI), for the design and performance analysis of communication protocols specified with UML.

Our first consideration in the development of our methodology was to identify the roles of UML 2.0 diagrams in the performance modelling process. In addition, questions regarding the specification of non-functional duration contraints, or temporal aspects, were considered. We developed a semantic time model with which a lack of means of specifying communication delay and processing times in the language are addressed. Environmental characteristics such as channel bandwidth and buffer space can be specified and realistic assumptions are made regarding time and signal transfer.

With proSPEX we aimed to integrate a commercial UML 2.0 model editing tool and a discrete-event simulation library. Such an approach has been advocated as being necessary in order to develop a closer integration of performance engineering with formal design and implementation methodologies. In order to realize the integration we firstly identified a suitable simulation library and then extended the library with features required to represent high-level SDL abstractions, such as extended finite state machines (EFSM) and signal addressing. In implementing proSPEX we filtered the XML output of our editor and used text templates for code generation. The filtering of the XML output and the need to extend our simulation library with EFSM abstractions was found to be significant implementation challenges.

Lastly, in order to to illustrate the utility of proSPEX we conducted a performance analysis case-study in which the efficient short remote operations (ESRO) protocol is used in a wireless e-commerce scenario.


The control over particle shape and internal architecture offers promise to better realize catalytic activity and selectivity through structural optimization but remains a challenge for crystalline zeolite frameworks. This work describes a facile one-pot strategy to synthesize uniform zeolite Y microspheres through epitaxial hydrogen bonding and entropic hydrophobic interactions using simple mono-alcohols as zeolite growth modifiers with judicious adjustment of synthesis parameters. The internal architecture can be fine-tuned by the co-presence of L-carnitine which creates hidden defects. Unprecedented wheel-like mesoporous channels are created within the microspheres by acid attack of the induced weak points. Moreover, the combination of zeolite Y microspheres with other materials is expected to impart additional properties due to the hybrid nature of the resulting nanocomposites and the perpendicular mesochannels for alleviated diffusion. As demonstrated, Pd2+-exchanged microspheres exhibit remarkably enhanced catalytic activity and recyclability for C–C coupling reactions, and metal doped Ag@Y microspheres allow for fast sensing by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), achieving orders of magnitude lower detection limit for water soluble molecules.


Cognitive impairment and dementia form a major health issue, affecting a considerable proportion of the aging population. Cerebral vascular damage is increasingly recognized as one of the main causes of cognitive decline in aging and dementia. Another main cause of cognitive deterioration in older people are neurodegenerative processes, resulting in Alzheimer's disease (AD) type pathologies. Evidence is growing for a crucial role of vascular damage in AD. A current challenge is to explore the role of vascular disease in causing cognitive impairment, by itself or in interaction with AD. Besides the cerebral large vessels, the cerebral microvasculature is fundamentally important for brain functioning. Microvascular damage is important for the entire range of cognitive functioning, from subtle decrements in normal aging to frank dementia. The research in this thesis aimed to investigate the relation between biomarkers of microvascular disease and cognitive functioning. In the first part of this thesis, we investigated measures of microvascular disease in parts of the body outside the brain and the relation with cognitive functioning. We show in that retinal microvascular changes, microalbuminuria, and low-grade inflammation and endothelial dysfunction were related to subtle cognitive decrements in non-demented older individuals. Despite consistency of the findings, in all studies associations between markers of microvascular disease and cognitive functioning were rather weak. Thus, these biomarkers of systemic microvascular disease are of limited value as markers of reduced cognitive performance in the population. In the second part of this thesis, measures of microvascular disease in the brain were investigated, in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) or early AD. Multiple microbleeds were associated with disruptions of the microstructure and organization of the cerebral network as measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), independent of other measures of small vessel disease or atrophy. We used 7 Tesla MRI to investigate the presence of microbleeds in detail and to image cortical microinfarcts. We showed that the majority of patients with aMCI or early AD exhibit cerebral microbleeds. Microinfarct numbers were not significantly increased in patients relative to controls. They did appear to be related to cerebral microbleed numbers and to other, larger, cortical infarcts. We showed that cerebral microvascular lesions are associated with (end-stage) dementia presence, but not so much with cognitive functioning in patients with AD. In the third part of this thesis, we investigated spatial navigation, a cognitive function that is often affected in patients with aMCI or early AD, which has high clinical relevance. On three fundamental aspects of spatial navigation, patients performed worse than controls, and patients with aMCI were at an intermediate level between controls and patients with AD. In conclusion, microvascular disease is important for cognition. A consistent, but rather weak, association between markers of microvascular disease and cognitive functioning is present in people without cognitive complaints. In patients with aMCI or early AD, cerebral markers of microvascular disease are prevalent and are related to other vascular brain damage. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of vascular-related cognitive impairment.


Flaviviruses are arboviruses, which comprises more than 70 viruses, covering broad geographic ranges, and responsible for significant mortality and morbidity globally. Due to the lack of efficient inhibitors targeting flaviviruses, the designing of novel and efficient anti-flavi agents is an important problem. Therefore, in the current study, we have developed a dedicated prediction algorithm anti-flavi, to identify inhibition ability of chemicals and peptides against flaviviruses through quantitative structure–activity relationship based method. We extracted the non-redundant 2168 chemicals and 117 peptides from ChEMBL and AVPpred databases, respectively, with reported IC50 values. The regression based model developed on training/testing datasets of 1952 chemicals and 105 peptides displayed the Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC) of 0.87, 0.84, and 0.87, 0.83 using support vector machine and random forest techniques correspondingly. We also explored the peptidomimetics approach, in which the most contributing descriptors of peptides were used to identify chemicals having anti-flavi potential. Conversely, the selected descriptors of chemicals performed well to predict anti-flavi peptides. Moreover, the developed model proved to be highly robust while checked through various approaches like independent validation and decoy datasets. We hope that our web server would prove a useful tool to predict and design the efficient anti-flavi agents. The anti-flavi webserver is freely available at URL http://bioinfo.imtech.res.in/manojk/antiflavi.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to assess the risk associated with recreational bathing at Del Azul stream, Argentina, a water course naturally containing Arsenic. It represents a case study on the carcinogenic risk for bathers and on how the risk varies among age groups and genders, analyzing the uncertainties of the model input variables and the risk quantification technique. The risk was probabilistically estimated with the 2D Monte Carlo method considering four age groups (5, 10, 15, and 20 years old) and separate exposure routes: accidental water intake, skin contact, and the two combined. Although in all the studied groups the risk levels were within safety limits, differences in risk values were observed among age groups and genders. Accidental water intake during bathing was the most risky exposure route. The risk decreased with age and it was higher in males than in females, with larger differences between the two older age groups. This could be attributed to the difference in the accidental water intake rate associated with the daily duration of the bathing event, which varied according to age and gender.


Enzyme activities (β‐glucosidase, N‐acetylglucosaminidase, phosphatase, and arylsulfatase) were determined in various wetland soils. Soil samples from 21 locations were analyzed, covering a latitudinal range of 5° to 60° N and four types of wetlands (bog, fen, marsh, and swamp). Overall, the greatest activity was found in swamps, followed by marshes. Bogs and fens exhibited less activity than the other two types of wetlands. It appeared that cool temperature and low quality of litter were the main reasons for such low activity. Mean enzyme activity determined in this study was compared to decomposition rates of leaf litter in the literature. Percentage of mass loss of litter in the first year was highly correlated with mean enzyme activity when we compared values by wetland types. This result suggests that enzymatic analysis can be used as an index for litter decomposition rates in wetlands at a worldwide scale.


Belief tracking is a basic problem in planning with sensing. While the problem is intractable, it has been recently shown that for both deterministic and non-deterministic systems expressed in compact form, it can be done in time and space that are exponential in the problem width. The width measures the maximum number of state variables that are all relevant to a given precondition or goal. In this work, we extend this result both theoretically and practically. First, we introduce an alternative decomposition scheme and algorithm with the same time complexity but different completeness guarantees, whose space complexity is much smaller: exponential in the causal width of the problem that measures the number of state variables that are causally relevant to a given precondition, goal, or observable. Second, we introduce a fast, meaningful, and powerful approximation that trades completeness by speed, and is both time and space exponential in the problem causal width. It is then shown empirically that the algorithm combined with simple heuristics yields state-of-the-art real-time performance in domains with high widths but low causal widths such as Minesweeper, Battleship, and Wumpus.


This guide is designed to help students find research for assignments in Professor McCabe's Comp I course at the Osceola Campus


This thesis is an attempt to present a detailed exposition of certain changes occurring in a social system during its transformation from subsistence to commercialized agriculture. This transformation has been accelerated by the introduction of an irrigation system. The analysis is constructed from general theoretical literature and data collected from an irrigated lowland Northeast Thai village. In Chapter One I discuss the distribution of certain factors of production, and the means by which they are acquired. I attempt to show how these factors previously organized through social channels are slowly becoming commercialized. 1 also show how the imposition of an irrigation system conflicts in certain areas with the traditional system of land tenure. In Chapter Two I discuss the Domestic Mode of Production and identify certain factors influencing the economic intensity of households. I argue that due to the availability of irrigation water to certain farmers, production levels previously related to household composition are now more a function of resource endowment. Chapter Three discusses opportunity response and choice. I begin by considering the different types of response to opportunity both agricultural and non-agricultural, and I show how different response patterns are related to such factors as household composition, kinship ties and resource endowment. I then continue with an analysis of the way in which certain features of the social system are conducive to or inimical to economic change. Village expenditure patterns are then examined, and the choice - whether to re-invest in production, or to purchase consumer goods, are discussed. Chapter Four examines the relationship between economic and social power and prestige. Notions of status, socio-economic differentiation, village leadership and the ideology of wealth are discussed in order to comment on the possibilities of an emerging class structure.


Mouse CD1d-restricted V (cid:1) 14 NKT cells are a unique subset of lymphocytes, which play important roles in immune regulation, tumor surveillance and host defense against pathogens. DOCK2, a mammalian homolog of Caenorhabditis elegans CED-5 and Drosophila melanogaster myoblast city, is critical for lymphocyte migration and regulates T cell responsiveness through immunological synapse formation, yet its role in V (cid:1) 14 NKT cells remains unknown. We found that DOCK2 deficiency causes marked reduction of V (cid:1) 14 NKT cells in the thymus, liver, and spleen. When (cid:1) -galactosylceramide ( (cid:1) -GalCer), a ligand for V (cid:1) 14 NKT cells, was administrated, cytokine production was scarcely detected in DOCK2-deficient mice, suggesting that DOCK2 deficiency primarily affects generation of V (cid:1) 14 NKT cells. Supporting this idea, staining with CD1d/ (cid:1) -GalCer tetramers revealed that CD44 (cid:2) NK1.1 (cid:2) V (cid:1) 14 NKT cell precursors are severely reduced in the thymuses of DOCK2-deficient mice. In addition, studies using bone marrow chimeras indicated that development of V (cid:1) 14 NKT cells requires DOCK2 expression in T cell precursors, but not in APCs. These results indicate that DOCK2 is required for positive selection of V (cid:1) 14 NKT cells in a cell-autonomous manner, thereby suggesting that avidity-based selection also governs development of this unique subset of lymphocytes


Foraminifera are single-celled marine organisms, which may have a planktic or benthic lifestyle. During their life cycle they construct shells consisting of one or more chambers, and these shells remain as fossils in marine sediments. Classifying and counting these fossils have become an important tool in e.g. oceanography and climatology.Currently the process of identifying and counting microfossils is performed manually using a microscope and is very time consuming. Developing methods to automate this process is therefore considered important across a range of research fields.The first steps towards developing a deep learning model that can detect and classify microscopic foraminifera are proposed. The proposed model is based on a VGG16 model that has been pretrained on the ImageNet dataset, and adapted to the foraminifera task using transfer learning. Additionally, a novel image dataset consisting of microscopic foraminifera and sediments from the Barents Sea region is introduced.


Abstract The crystal structure of yuksporite, (Sr,Ba)2K4(Ca,Na)14(⃞ ,Mn,Fe){(Ti,Nb)4(O,OH)4[Si6O17]2[Si2O7]3}(H2O,OH)n, where n ∼ 3 [monoclinic, P21/m, a = 7.126(3), b = 24.913(6), c = 17.075(7) Å, β = 101.89(3)°, V = 2966.4(17) Å3] has been solved using X-ray synchrotron radiation data collected from a needle-like crystal with dimensions of 6 × 6 × 50 µm3 at the Swiss-Norwegian beamline BM01 of the European Synchrotron Research Facility (ESRF, Grenoble, France). The structure was refined to R1 = 0.101 on the basis of 2359 unique observed reflections with |Fo| ≥ 4σF. The structure of yuksporite is based upon titanosilicate nanorods elongated along a and with an elliptical cross-section of ca. 16 × 19 Å = 1.6 × 1.9 nm. Silicate tetrahedra form double xonotlite-like chains 1∞[Si6O17] oriented parallel to (001). Two 1∞[Si6O17] chains are linked into a rod via TiO6 octahedra and Si2O7 double tetrahedra. The {(Ti,Nb)4(O,OH)4[Si6O17]2[Si2O7]3} nanorods are porous. The internal pores are defined by eight-membered rings (8MR) with open diameters of 3.2 Å. The interior of the titanosilicate nanorods is occupied by Sr, Ba, K, and Na cations and H2O molecules. The nanorods are separated by walls of Ca coordination polyhedra that are parallel to (010) and link the rods into a three-dimensional structure.


The efficacy of ustekinumab in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) refractory to anti-TNF is worse than in anti-TNF naïve patients.

 Retrospective study of patients with CD refractory or intolerant to TNF initiating ustekinumab between January 2013 and March 2020, with a minimum follow-up of 12 months, and without corticosteroid treatment. Our aim was evaluated clinical response (reduction of CDAI >100), clinical remission (CDAI <150) and biochemical remission (CDAI <100 and CRP <1 mg/L and faecal calprotectin <100 µg/g) in short and long term.

 A total of 49 patients with a medium follow-up of 28 months (IQR:13-37) were included. Patients baseline characteristics are reflected in Table 1. In 20% patients the induction was made subcutaneous (90 mg/week for 4 weeks). At week 52, clinical response, clinical remission and biochemical remission was 93%, 82% and 54% respectively (Figure 1). In the long term (3 years), 62% had clinical response, 52% remained in clinical remission, and 48% showed biochemical remission. 1/3 of patients needed intensification every year. Ustekinumab treatment discontinuation was observed in 13 patients (27%) mainly due to lack of response (6[12%]: primary, 7[14%]: secondary). No serious adverse effects have been reported.

 About 50% of the patients are in clinical and biochemical remission at week 152 in a real-life cohort of anti-TNF-exposed CD patients. With a harder remission definition including biochemical parameters, our results in real life are similar to pivotal studies at week 152. Nevertheless, at week 52 our remission rates were higher.


In this paper we model the geometry of a seismic source as a dislocation occurring on an elemental flat fault in an arbitrary direction with respect to the fault plane. This implies the use of a fourth parameter in addition to the three usual ones describing a simple double couple mechanism. We applied the radiation pattern obtained from the theory to a computer code written for the inversion of the observation data (amplitudes and polarities of the first onsets recorded by a network of stations). It allows the determination of the fault mechanism gener- alized in the above mentioned way. The computer code was verified on synthetic data and then applied to real data recorded by the seismic network operated by the Ente Nazionale per l'Energia Elettrica (ENEL), monitoring the geothermal field of Larderello. The experimental data show that for some events the source mechanism exhibits a significant dipolar component. However, due to the high standard deviation of the amplitude data, F-test applied to the results of the analysis shows that only for two events the confidence level for the general- ized model exceeds 90%.


Background The Aerides–Vanda alliance is a complex group in the subtribe Aeridinae (subfamily Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae). Some phylogenetic systems of this alliance have been previously proposed based on molecular and morphological analyses. However, several taxonomic problems within this alliance as well as between it and its allies remain unsolved. Methodology/Principal Findings We utilized ITS and five plastid DNA regions in this phylogenetic analysis. Consensus trees strongly indicate that the Aerides–Vanda alliance is monophyletic, and the 14 genera of this alliance can be grouped into the following clades with 14 subclades: 1. Aerides, comprising two subclades: Rhynchostylis and Aerides; 2. Ascocentropsis; 3. Papilionanthe; 4. Vanda, comprising five subclades: Neofinetia, Christensonia, Seidenfadenia, Ascocentrum, and Vanda–Trudelia, in which Vanda and Trudelia form a subclade; 5. Tsiorchis, comprising three subclades: Chenorchis, Tsiorchis, and two species of Ascocentrum; 6. Paraholcoglossum; and 7. Holcoglossum. Among the 14 genera, only Ascocentrum is triphyletic: two species of the Ascocentrum subclade, an independent subclade Ascocentrum subclade in the Tsiorchis clade; the Ascocentrum subclade in the Vanda clade; and one species in the Holcoglossum clade. The Vanda and Trudelia species belong to the same subclade. The molecular conclusion is consistent with their morphological characteristics. Conclusions We elucidate the relationship among the 14 genera of the Aerides–Vanda alliance. Our phylogenetic results reveal that the Aerides–Vanda alliance is monophyletic, but it can be divided into 14 genera. The data prove that Ascocentrum is triphyletic. Plants with elongate-terete leaves and small flowers should be treated as a new genus, Pendulorchis. Saccolabium himalaicum (Ascocentrum himalaicum) should be transferred to Pendulorchis. Ascocentrum pumilum, endemic to Taiwan, should be transferred to Holcoglossum. A new combination, Holcoglossum pumilum, was also established. Trudelia should not be recognized as an independent genus. Two new species, Pendulorchis gaoligongensis and Holcoglossum singchianum, were described as well.


In the present study, a nanocrystalline Ni-Fe matrix with reinforced TiO2 nanoparticles as a functional nanocomposite material was fabricated by pulsed current electroforming in UV-LIGA (lithography, electroplating, and molding). The influences of TiO2 nanoparticles on the Ni-Fe nanocomposite deposition were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and in vitro cytotoxicity assay. It was found that the Ni-Fe nanocomposite with 5 wt.% TiO2 nanoparticles showed a smooth surface and better dispersion property. When the Ni-Fe nanocomposite is combined with 20 wt.% TiO2, it resulted in congeries of TiO2 nanoparticles. In addition, TiO2 nanoparticles possessed better dispersion properties as performed in pulse current electrodeposition. The microstructure of the electrodeposited Ni-Fe-TiO2 nanocomposite was a FeNi3 phase containing anatase nano-TiO2. Moreover, the electrodeposited Ni-Fe-5 wt.% TiO2 nanocomposite exhibited a smooth surface and structural integrity. Cytotoxicity assay results also proved that the Ni-Fe nanocomposite with different concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles had good biocompatibility. Therefore, the optimization of pulse current electroforming parameters was successfully applied to fabricate the Ni-Fe-TiO2 nanocomposite, and thus could be used as an endodontic file material for dental applications.


Plague caused by the Gram‐negative bacterium, Yersinia pestis, is still endemic in parts of the world today. Protection against pneumonic plague is essential to prevent the development and spread of epidemics. Despite this, there are currently no licensed plague vaccines in the western world. Here we describe the means of delivering biologically active plague vaccine antigens directly to mucosal sites of plague infection using highly stable microvesicles (outer membrane vesicles; OMVs) that are naturally produced by the abundant and harmless human commensal gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt). Bt was engineered to express major plague protective antigens in its OMVs, specifically Fraction 1 (F1) in the outer membrane and LcrV (V antigen) in the lumen, for targeted delivery to the gastrointestinal (GI) and respiratory tracts in a non‐human primate (NHP) host. Our key findings were that Bt OMVs stably expresses F1 and V plague antigens, particularly the V antigen, in the correct, immunogenic form. When delivered intranasally V‐OMVs elicited substantive and specific immune and antibody responses, both in the serum [immunoglobulin (Ig)G] and in the upper and lower respiratory tract (IgA); this included the generation of serum antibodies able to kill plague bacteria. Our results also showed that Bt OMV‐based vaccines had many desirable characteristics, including: biosafety and an absence of any adverse effects, pathology or gross alteration of resident microbial communities (microbiotas); high stability and thermo‐tolerance; needle‐free delivery; intrinsic adjuvanticity; the ability to stimulate both humoral and cell‐mediated immune responses; and targeting of primary sites of plague infection.


As of February 2020, all access to the research field has taken place online out of necessity and, as a consequence of this, it seems that there are many questions which must be tackled by methodological research. The paper will discuss some of these, starting from a focus group experience: what elements of the interview situation change? What comes into play in the dynamics of the relationship that is established? Do the typical dynamics of a focus group also develop, even among people who look at each other from a screen, who only see each other's faces or little more, and who have never met before? What must the facilitator of the discursive production take into account? The reference is to two important authors, Edith Stein and Georg Simmel. The hypothesis discussed concerns the reduction of the possibility for empathy in the interaction and the affirmation of sociability, which almost seems to fill the space left by empathy.


A Delay/Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN) is an overlay on top of a number of diverse networks such as mobile ad hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, satellite networks, vehicular networks and the Internet. In terrestrial DTNs, the effectiveness of data dissemination is greatly affected by node mobility and end-to-end disconnections. The inherent mobility of nodes is exploited to forward data opportunistically when a contact arises through the store-carry-and-forward technique. Thus a DTN is characterized by limited bandwidth, long queuing delays, low data rate, low power and intermittent connectivity. The real challenge is how to make DTN resilient against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. In this thesis, we have investigated several DoS mitigating schemes for wired and wireless networks and found most of them to be highly interactive requiring several protocol rounds, resource-consuming, complex, assume persistent connectivity and hence not suitable for DTN. This thesis proposes three variants of DTN-Cookies of which any is selected as the light-weight authenticator based on the perceived Network Threat Level. For the intra-region scenario, it proposes a DoS-Resilient Authentication Mechanism to mitigate the effect of resource exhaustion DoS attacks. For the inter-region scenario, it proposes an enhanced version of the DoS-Resilient Authentication Mechanism. The proposed mechanism exploits the loose time-synchronization property of DTN, dividing communication contact time into timeslots. The mechanism uses variable seed values in different time slots for the computation and verification of DTN-Cookies, incorporates an ingress filter at the region gateways and uses the HMAC variant of DTN-Cookie. This work also proposes a comprehensive defence mechanism against flooding DoS attacks. The aim of the proposed mechanism is to restrict the volume of malicious traffic during an attack. The rate limiting component monitors the number of bundles per traffic flow and different nodes are assigned different threshold values based on their capability and role in the network. The results show that the proposed DTN-Cookies accurately detect DoS attacks and outperform RSA-1024 digital signatures in terms of energy and bandwidth efficiency. The proposed mechanisms have been verified through simulations and their superior performance is established over solutions which are based purely on Public-Key Cryptography.


In previous works, we have developed a new Malliavin calculus on the Poisson space based on the lent particle formula . The aim of this work is to prove that, on the Wiener space for the standard Ornstein-Uhlenbeck structure, we also have such a formula which permits to calculate easily and intuitively the Malliavin derivative of a functional. Our approach uses chaos extensions associated to stationary processes of rotations of normal martingales.


This study was aimed to study the food value, associated spoilage fungi (Biodeterioration) and possible aflatoxin contents of 'Abacha' a cheap popular food locally prepared as shredded cassava in Nigeria. Fresh and stored samples (25) were collected from different markets and analysed for nutrient, fungal components and aflatoxin concentrations; these was compared laboratory prepared samples (control). The samples contained mainly carbohydrate (96.95-97.95%), moisture (10.6-12.21%), crude protein (1.57-1.63%), fat (0.44-0.49%) and fibre (0.480.51%). Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus tamarii, Aspergillus ochraceus, Fusarium oxysporium, Penicillum chrysogenum, Penicillum oxalicum, Trichoderma sp. and Rhizopus stolonifer were isolated from the samples, these are commonly reported in many food deterioration and aflatoxin production. Aflatoxin contents were higher in market samples than the control, and increased with storage time. Aflatoxin G2 had highest concentration (0.0263-0.0388 μg/kg) followed by aflatoxin G1 (0.0150-0.0213 μg/kg), aflatoxin B2 (0.0048-0.0071 μg/kg) while aflatoxin B1 had the least concentration (0.00300.0056 μg/kg). This study showed that fungal contamination and storage time have effect on the nutrient content and aflatoxin components of 'Abacha'. The detected aflatoxin contents of abacha were found below the tolerance limit but increase with storage time. It is therefore necessary to avoid fungal contamination of this food before and during storage period to avoid being contaminated with aflatoxins and ensuring its nutritive quality.


Fecundity is a term that refers to the number of offspring produced per female. It combines fertility (i.e. ability to produce offspring) and prolificacy (i.e. number of offspring). Ovulation rate i.e. the number of mature eggs released from the ovaries during one reproductive cycle in sheep, as with other mammals, is controlled by an exchange of hormonal signals between the pituitary gland and the ovary. Genetic mutations affecting ovulation are commonly referred to as the fecundity genes (Fec). The most obvious outcome is the number of offspring produced. There is already evidence of a number of major genes affecting the ovulation rate in sheep, specifically the Booroola, Inverdale, Hanna and more recently the Woodlands gene. The sheep carrying the Woodlands gene arose because the mutation was first recognised on a farm in Woodlands, Southland, New Zealand. Woodlands have a novel, X-linked maternally-imprinted, fecundity trait referred to as FecX2w, where Fec = fecundity, X = X chromosome, 2= 2nd mutation identified on X and W= Woodlands. The studies in this thesis investigated ovarian follicular development in both 4-week old Woodland carrier (W+) and non-carrier (++) lambs and adult ewes and evaluated some aspects of the endocrine interactions between the ovary and pituitary gland. The purpose was to identify potential physiological effects of the FecX2w gene on ovarian function. A confounding issue during these studies was the discovery that a large ovary phenotype (LOP) which was present in many of the W+ but not ++ lambs at 4 weeks of age was in fact a coincidence and not linked to the FecX2w mutation. The key findings from the studies of lambs and/or ewes that were carriers (W+) or non-carriers (++) of the FecX2w gene were: 1. No genotype differences were present either in the numbers of primordial (i.e. Type 1/1a follicles) or developing preantral (i.e. Types 2-4 follicles); 2. Significant genotype differences were present in the numbers of small antral (Type 5) follicles (W+>++; p<0.05); 3. An earlier onset of antral follicular development in W+ vs. ++ ewes with irregularities in morphology between the basement membrane and stroma in the former; 4. No genotype differences in the onset of gene expression during follicular development or in the cell-types expressing GDF9, BMP15, alpha inhibin, beta A inhibin and beta B inhibin, FSHR, ER alpha, or ER beta; 5. No genotype differences in the levels of GDF9 or BMP15 gene expression in oocytes throughout follicular growth; 6. No genotype difference in the diameters that follicles reached in W+ vs. ++ ewes; 7. Some lambs at 4-weeks of age had unusually large ovaries with an exceptional level of antral follicular development that is reminiscent of a polycystic ovarian condition. The underlying cause of this condition is unknown. In conclusion, the physiological characteristics of ovarian follicular development in ewes with the FecX2w gene is different from that in ewes with the Booroola, Inverdale, Hanna or other recently identified mutations.


The rapid growth of the platform economy has provoked scholarly discussion of its consequences for the nature of work and employment. We identify four major themes in the literature on platform work and the underlying metaphors associated with each. Platforms are seen as entrepreneurial incubators, digital cages, accelerants of precarity, and chameleons adapting to their environments. Each of these devices has limitations, which leads us to introduce an alternative image of platforms: as permissive potentates that externalize responsibility and control over economic transactions while still exercising concentrated power. As a consequence, platforms represent a distinct type of governance mechanism, different from markets, hierarchies, or networks, and therefore pose a unique set of problems for regulators, workers, and their competitors in the conventional economy. Reflecting the instability of the platform structure, struggles over regulatory regimes are dynamic and difficult to predict, but they are sure to gain in prominence as the platform economy grows.


Background Although rare, external compression of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) by a pulmonary arterial aneurysm (PAA) as a consequence of pulmonary arterial hypertension causing stable angina pectoris is well described. However, acute myocardial infarction is extremely rare, particularly with a full array of electrocardiographic, biochemical, and echocardiographic features, as in this scenario. Case In this case, a 62-year-old man with a past history of severe fibrotic lung disease was hospitalised with chest pain. The patient had dynamic anterolateral ischaemic changes on electrocardiography and serially elevated high-sensitivity troponin I. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed impaired left ventricular ejection fraction with anterolateral hypokinesis. Coronary angiography with intracoronary imaging revealed external compression of the LMCA. Computer tomography (CT) scans confirmed new PAA, compared to previous scans. The patient was successfully treated by percutaneous coronary stent implantation. Conclusion Progressive dilatation of the pulmonary artery due to pulmonary arterial hypertension can result in acute MI secondary to external compression of the LMCA. Clinicians should be mindful of acute coronary syndromes in patients with long-standing pulmonary hypertension presenting with chest pain.


This article describes the statutory recognition of the need for prevention/early intervention juvenile services in Florida that are both trauma-informed and gender-specific. It examines how childhood trauma can impact at-risk children and the gendered aspects of such trauma. The article then describes the PACE Centers for Girls, a Florida based school, currently undergoing a comprehensive evaluation, which attempts to incorporate elements that fulfill the statutory recommendations into its programming.


Adult-derived human liver stem/progenitor cells (ADHLSCs) are, nowadays, developed as therapeutic medicinal product for the treatment of liver defects. In this study, the impact of hepatogenic differentiation and inflammation priming on the ADHLSCs' immune profile was assessed in vitro and compared to that of mature hepatocytes. The constitutive immunological profile of ADHLSCs was greatly different from that of hepatocytes. Differences in the expression of the stromal markers CD90 and CD105, adhesion molecules CD44 and CD49e, immunoregulatory molecules CD73 and HO-1, and NK ligands CD112 and CD155 were noted. While they globally preserved their immunological profile in comparison to undifferentiated counterparts, differentiated ADHLSCs showed a significant downregulation of CD200 expression as in hepatocytes. This was mainly induced by signals issued from EGF and OSM. On the other hand, the impact of inflammation was quite similar for all studied cell populations with an increased expression level of CD54 and CD106 and induction of that of CD40 and CD274. In conclusion, our immune profiling study suggests CD200 as a key factor in regulating the immunobiology of differentiated ADHLSCs. A better understanding of the molecular and physiological events related to such marker could help in designing the optimal conditions for an efficient therapeutic use of ADHLSCs.


The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has developed into a pandemic, yet still has many unknowns. The modalities of transmission, different symptoms and manifestations as well as concomitant circumstances of the disease are insufficiently characterized. Especially patient groups in special situations like pregnant women and newborns have to be considered separately. The current knowledge about pregnancy, labor and the first days of life is characterized by particular uncertainty due to the scarce data available. However, there is currently no evidence of significant unfavorable maternal and perinatal outcome. Many pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection remain asymptomatic. The possibility of vertical transmission to the child cannot be excluded with certainty. However, indications of vertical transmission were detected only in individual cases. Newborn infections are also rather rare, unspecific and usually mild, with respiratory symptoms dominating. In this article, the data available to date are examined in order to provide better information, advice and treatment for pregnant women and newborns with SARS-CoV-2 and to provide suggestions for future research.


In this paper, we evaluate the spatial nature of the price discovery process in regional distiller's grain markets in the US and the price relationships among distiller's grains, corn, and soybean meals since the beginning of the biofuel boom. We use multivariate and pairwise cointegration analyses to examine spatial integrations among regions and to investigate whether a stable long-term price relationship exists in the market. Error correction models are estimated to determine the speed of price adjustment to the long-run spatial equilibrium in the distiller's grain market. Furthermore, Directed Acyclic Graphs are used to determine the contemporaneous causal patterns of prices observed at different regions. We also conduct cointegration analyses to investigate the long-run relationships between corn, soybean meal, and distiller's grain prices. Overall, results suggest that with a few exceptions, the distiller's grain market in the US market is well-integrated for the ten locations considered. It also appears that while there appears to be no long-run relationship between corn, soybean meal, and distiller's grain prices prior to 2007, a much stronger link between them has been established since then, in parallel with the expansion of ethanol production and the maturity of DDGS markets.


Design and analysis of cooperative communication schemes based upon modeling and simulation exist in large quantities in the research literature. Despite this fact, there have been relatively few efforts directed toward implementing and experimentally evaluating such schemes. Cooperative protocols have many components that make them challenging to implement in real-world radio architectures, and their expected gains are highly dependent on the network topology and RF environment in which they operate. As such, experimental work will be crucial in the transition of such schemes from conceptual proposals to next-generation wireless standards. This paper motivates such practical work, surveys existing efforts in the area, and offers future direction for architectural and experimental design.


Despite intensive research on testosterone therapy for older men, important questions remain unanswered. The evidence clearly indicates that many older men display a partial androgen deficiency. In older men, low circulating testosterone is correlated with low muscle strength, with high adiposity, with insulin resistance and with poor cognitive performance. Testosterone replacement in older men has produced benefits, but not consistently so. The inconsistency may arise from differences in the dose and duration of testosterone treatment, as well as selection of the target population. Generally, studies reporting anabolic responses to testosterone have employed higher doses of testosterone for longer treatment periods and have targeted older men whose baseline circulating bioavailable testosterone levels were low. Most studies of testosterone replacement have reported anabolic that are modest compared to what can be achieved with resistance exercise training. However, several strategies currently under evaluation have the potential to produce greater anabolic effects and to do so in a safe manner. At this time, testosterone therapy can not be recommended for the general population of older men. Older men who are hypogonadal are at greater risk for the catabolic effects associated with a number of acute and chronic medical conditions. Future research is likely to reveal benefits of testosterone therapy for some of these special populations. Testosterone therapy produces a number of adverse effects, including worsening of sleep apnea, gynecomastia, polycythemia and elevation of PSA. Efficacy and adverse effects should be assessed frequently throughout the course of therapy.


A Fourier transform infrared investigation of the rates and energetics of conversion of ice nanocrystals within 3-D arrays to ether clathrate-hydrate (CH) particles at approximately 120 K is reported. After an induction period, apparently necessitated by relatively slow nucleation of the CH phase, the well-established shrinking-core model of particle-adsorbate reaction applies to these conversions in the presence of an abundance of adsorbed ether. This implies that the transport of the ether adsorbate through the product crust encasing a reacting particle core (a necessary aspect of a particle reaction mechanism) is the rate-controlling factor. Diffusion moves adsorbed reactant molecules to the reaction zone at the interface of the ice core with the product (CH) crust. The results indicate that ether hydrate formation rates near 120 K resemble rates for gas hydrates measured near 260 K, implying rates greater by many orders of magnitude for comparable temperatures. A surprising secondary enhancement of ether CH-formation rates by the simultaneous incorporation of simple small gas molecules (N2, CO2, CH4, CO, and N2O) has also been quantified in this study. The rapid CH formation at low temperatures is conjectured to derive from defect-facilitated transport of reactants to an interfacial reaction zone, with the defect populations enhanced through transient H bonding of guest-ether proton-acceptor groups with O-H groups of the hydrate cage walls.


GLP-1 receptor agonist is one of the most effective drugs to treat type 2 diabetes. LEADER Clinical Trials revealed that liraglutide exerted its renoprotective effect by reducing microalbumin-urine and slowing down the decline of eGFR. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. High glucose exposure upregulates the expression of TXNIP, a pro-oxidative stress and pro-apoptotic protein, by regulating histone acetylation. SIRT1, a deacetylase, also plays an important role in protecting renal function. We investigated the role of SIRT1/TXNIP pathway in the beneficial effect of liraglutide on improving renal function. In our study, eight-week old male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to a chow diet or a high fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Then, mice were divided into groups as follows: NC, HFD, HFD+ Liraglutide (HL) group for 8 weeks. The results revealed that the body weight, fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were statistically improved in HL group when compared with HFD group. Significant reduction of kidney lipid deposition and Bowman's capsule space were observed in HL group based on the histology results. Besides, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and apoptosis in the kidney were ameliorated in the HL group. Western blotting results revealed the expression of genes involved in apoptosis was notably downregulated after liraglutide treatment. In addition, the protein expression of SIRT1 was upregulated, whereas TXNIP was downregulated in the HL group. Collectively, the data indicated that the effect of liraglutide on renoprotection is via SIRT1/TXNIP pathway. Disclosure R. Liang: None. M. Wang: None. C. Fu: None. F. Xu: None. M. Cai: None.


Some applications in landscape architecture eg. evaluation of environmental features requires detailed 3D models of vegetation. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) allows to determine precisely not only the external shape of the plant, but the geometry of individual branches as well. A method of macro and micro-structure estimation of a single shrub is presented in this work. In the research data from several shrubs measured with Leica ScanStation II were used. In the macro-structural approach, where the plant is considered as a compact solid, it is important to choose those measurement points which represent the surfaces of the plant. To achieve better matching to the non-convex parts of the hull, the use of a multi-stage solid generation procedure in which points are divided into segments with common edges was proposed. This method assumes that the plant is divided along the z axis into segments of a given width. Points from one segment are projected onto the division plane and 2D convex hull is generated for all the points. Finally, selected points (again in 3D space) are used to generate 3D convex hull. In order to define the geometry of vegetation the micro-structure procedure is supplemented by the segmentation algorithm to split points into groups, which form one branch. To verify the accuracy, the total surface area and the total shrub volume of branches calculated for individual variants were compared with the total surface area and volume derived from the direct measurements. Additionally, the qualitative analysis was performed.


Since Hugo Chávez Frias assumed the Venezuelan presidency in 1999, Venezuela has strengthened ties with most of its Latin American neighbors, particularly those where sympathetic leftist administrations also managed to assume power, including Argentina. With our analysis we show: 1) that Argentine media, divided between proand anti-government positions, presents a polarized view of chavismo; and 2) that Argentine public opinion regarding Chávez is not necessarily divided on the basis of ideological affiliations (left-right), but rather by the rejection or support of the former Argentine government. With these findings, we argue that in such a polarized information environment, chavismo is a polarizing issue and a tool that can be exploited in the domestic realm.


Background: The study of endometrial microscopy in women with AUB is helpful to distinguish anovulatory from ovulatory AUB and to diagnose hyperplasia and carcinoma of endometrium. The aim of this study to find out the endometrial histopathological causes of abnormal uterine bleeding. Subjects and Methods: A hospital based descriptive type of observational study done on all abnormal uterine bleeding cases of age above menarche attending the outdoor of Government hospital & Government Medical College, Bharatpur (raj.). The study material consisted of endometrial curettings from 100 patients attending Gynecology OPD. These patients were having a clinical diagnosis of Abnormal uterine bleeding. Endometrial curettage samples were fixed in 10% formalin and histopathological slides were prepared sand Hematoxyline and Eosin staining was done. Results: In the present Study, high incidence of AUB was noted in 31-40 years (42%). The incidence of AUB in the reproductive age group was 57%. Conclusion: We concluded that dilatation and curettage is useful for diagnosis, to assess therapeutic response and to know the pathological incidence of organic lesions in cases of abnormal uterine bleeding prior to surgery.


We apply the CMA-ES, an evolution strategy which efficiently adapts the covariance matrix of the mutation distribution, to the optimization of the weights of neural networks for solving reinforcement learning problems. It turns out that the topology of the networks considerably influences the time to find a suitable control strategy. Still, our results with fixed network topologies are significantly better than those reported for the best evolutionary method so far, which adapts both the weights and the structure of the networks.


A 2005 study by Han et al estimated that illegal parking of parcel delivery vehicles was the third leading cause of urban non-recurring congestion behind vehicle crashes and construction. However, very little has been done to investigate the causes of illegal parking by trucks and develop mitigation strategies. As an exploratory step toward addressing truck parking problems in urban areas, this study analyzed truck parking citation data in Chicago to identify factors that affect concentration of high density of violations. Analysis of hot spots using the geographic information system (GIS) showed that parking problems are generally worse within or near the downtown and become less prevalent toward the outer perimeter of the city. However, it was also found that truck parking does not seem to be a serious issue in the part of the city that has been home to industrial sites for a long time. The regression analysis revealed that truck parking problems can be exacerbated by the concentrations of food businesses in newly developed neighborhoods with low density of vehicles owned by its residents. The finding underscores the importance of land use plan and urban and streetscape designs that takes into account trucks in the neighborhoods that may not seem to generate intense truck activities. The


The Millennium Drought across Australia during the 2000s placed cities under pressure in providing urban water security. In Sydney, Australia's largest city, a comprehensive water demand programme triggered a significant reduction in per capita water consumption. The water demand programme included incentives for the installation of rainwater tanks. This paper explores the willingness to pay (WTP) for rainwater tank features in the post-drought context. Rainwater tanks have been demonstrated as an effective measure to reduce mains water demand, but they also provide broader environmental and economic benefits, such as the reduction of urban runoff to waterways and deferred capital investment in augmenting capacity of water supply system. Therefore, there is the need to better understand WTP for rainwater tank features across the community. An online survey was administered to a sample of Sydney households, with 127 respondents completing a rainwater tank choice experiment that explored their WTP for different rainwater tank features and the socio-psychological constructs that might influence their tendency to adopt rainwater tanks. The results demonstrated that householders surveyed valued slimline rainwater tanks, as they are likely to be less obstructive, particularly given the trend for smaller lot sizes and increased building size. Householders also placed greater value on connecting the rainwater tank to outdoor demands, which may be influenced by perceived vulnerability of outdoor uses to water restrictions relative to indoor uses. The survey analysis also identified that the householders most receptive to installing a rainwater tank are likely to be conformists, who compare themselves to peers, and spend significant effort when making decisions, and are already taking actions to conserve water. The findings are of significance when targeting future education programmes and designing financial incentives to encourage rainwater tank adoption.


The objective of the study was to fabricate the colorimetric sensor of biodegradable material for free chlorine determination. The colorimetric reagent of N,N-diethyl-pphenylenediamine sulfate (DPD) was entrapped in the hybrid biopolymer film of agar (AG) and tapioca starch (TAS) and it was coated on the plastic micro-PCR tube. The pink product obtained from the reaction between DPD reagent and chlorine could indicate the presence of residual chlorine in the water. The condition for the sensor film synthesis was optimized by the digital image analytical technique with mobile phone application. The results were showed that Red-Green-Blue (RGB) intensity of reaction product was not changed, even through the DPD reagent was added over 0.2 g/mL. The addition of 16 g/L EDTA in the buffer solution could reduce the interference effect from some metals, especially Fe3+, contaminated in water sample. The water pH could be maintained for best analysis at the volume ratio between buffer and DPD solution of 0.5:1. The incubation of colorimetric film at 60 °C and 60 minutes provided the best sensor performance with fast analysis of 1 min reaction time. In conjunction with the digital image colorimetry (DIC), the developed test kit did not provided only the qualitative information, but the rapid quantitative analysis could be also fulfilled. A wide linear range of 0.3 to 15 mg/L chlorine concentration with good linearity (R2 > 0.99) was achieved by this coupled technique. The application of biopolymer film to various kind of real water samples showed the good performances, which were comparable with the standard spectrophotometry (no significantly different results at 95% confidence level). These could promote the use of biopolymer test kit as the environmentally-friendly analytical method for chlorine in water.


Capitalism without Capital by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake explores the changes in the types of investments that have occurred in almost all developed countries over the last forty years. If tangible investments predominated in the past, most investments are intangible at present, meaning that money is spent on buying and creating knowledgebased products, including computer software, research and development, design, works of art, market research, learning, and new business processes. The authors attempt to answer why the economy in which intangible assets are intensively used is so different from the economy where tangible assets dominate. The authors conclude that these changes are explained by the basic properties of the intangible assets and have resulted in long-lasting stagnation, lower economic growth, increasing inequality, and difficulties in public policies for economic and financial sectors. The Journal of Economic Sociology publishes the introductory chapter, 'Valuation, the Old-Fashioned Ways: Or a Thousand Years in Essex' from Capitalism without Capital, where the authors discuss the meaning of investments, define the distinctions between tangible and intangible assets, and explain why some basic properties of intangible assets generate such dramatic changes in the contemporary economy.


A retrospective study of forty-one patients who had undergone subfascial ligation of perforating veins in the lower extremity, or Linton procedure, is presented. All procedures were performed by the same surgeon from 1971 to 1993. Two patients underwent bilateral procedures. There were 28 female patients and 13 males. Fifteen had a history of smoking. There was a history of previous thrombophlebitis in 21 patients, and 21 had a family history of varicosities and/or ulceration. Results of venograms and Doppler duplex studies, if done, were evaluated. Follow up procedures, such as sclerosing injections and skin grafts, were also noted. A total of 25 patients had subsequent sclerosing injections, one underwent debridement twice, and one received skin grafts, secondary to incisional skin necrosis. It was noted that there was no occurrence of wound infection or incisional necrosis when zinc oxide paste boots were applied and maintained post-operatively. All patients were contacted directly prior to the writing of this article to ascertain prevalence, severity, and circumstances of recurrence.


Deformation of sedimentary rocks is widespread within Valles Marineris, characterized by both plastic and brittle deformation identified in Candor, Melas, and Ius Chasmata. We identified four deformation styles using HiRISE and CTX images: kilometer-scale convolute folds, detached slabs, folded strata, and pull-apart structures. Convolute folds are detached rounded slabs of material with alternating dark- and light-toned strata and a fold wavelength of about 1 km. The detached slabs are isolated rounded blocks of material, but they exhibit only highly localized evidence of stratification. Folded strata are composed of continuously folded layers that are not detached. Pull-apart structures are composed of stratified rock that has broken off into small irregularly shaped pieces showing evidence of brittle deformation. Some areas exhibit multiple styles of deformation and grade from one type of deformation into another. The deformed rocks are observed over thousands of kilometers, are limited to discrete stratigraphic intervals, and occur over a wide range in elevations. All deformation styles appear to be of likely thin-skinned origin. CRISM reflectance spectra show that some of the deformed sediments contain a component of monohydrated and polyhydrated sulfates. Several mechanisms could be responsible for the deformation of sedimentary rocks in Valles Marineris, such as subaerial or subaqueous gravitational slumping or sliding and soft sediment deformation, where the latter could include impact-induced or seismically induced liquefaction. These mechanisms are evaluated based on their expected pattern, scale, and areal extent of deformation. Deformation produced from slow subaerial or subaqueous landsliding and liquefaction is consistent with the deformation observed in Valles Marineris.


A new species of the chromodorid genus Felimare (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) of the Atlantic blue chromatic group is described using material from Cape Verde (eastern Atlantic). Felimare aurantimaculata n. sp. was described based on morphological characters, as well as a molecular phylogeny using two mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA) and one nuclear (histone-3) markers. Felimare aurantimaculata n. sp. is characterized by having a ground of dark blue colour with many orange polka dots over the body, dark blue rhinophores and branchial leaves, and very large and not clustered mantle dermal formations (MDFs) at the edge of the mantle, totally absent in the anterior area facing the rhinophores.


Effects of the concentrations of solid particles in the bath and plating conditions on chemical components and polarization curves of oxygen separating out were studied by use of PARSTAT2263 electrochemistry testing instrument made by Research Center of Princeton and EPMA-1600 electron probe X-ray diffraction. And the results show that kinetic parameters of oxygen evolution of the obtained Al/Pb-WC-ZrO2 composite electrode materials are a=771mV, b=140mV, i0=3.11×10-6A·cm-2, and oxygen overvoltage is η=1009mV. The contents of WC and ZrO2 particles in the Al/Pb-WC-ZrO2 composite coating are 10.02wt% and 3.55wt% respectively when plating conditions are as follows: WC:50g/L,ZrO2:40g/L, bath temperature: 20°C, electric current density: 1.5A/dm2, plating time: 2h.


The outbreaks of 2002/2003 SARS, 2012/2015 MERS and 2019/2020 Wuhan respiratory syndrome clearly indicate that genome evolution of an animal coronavirus (CoV) may enable it to acquire human transmission ability, and thereby to cause serious threats to global public health. It is widely accepted that CoV human transmission is driven by the interactions of its spike protein (S-protein) with human receptor on host cell surface; so, quantitative evaluation of these interactions may be used to assess the human transmission capability of CoVs. However, quantitative methods directly using viral genome data are still lacking. Here, we perform large-scale protein-protein docking to quantify the interactions of 2019-nCoV S-protein receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) with human receptor ACE2, based on experimental SARS-CoV S-RBD-ACE2 complex structure. By sampling a large number of thermodynamically probable binding conformations with Monte Carlo algorithm, this approach successfully identified the experimental complex structure as the lowest-energy receptor-binding conformations, and hence established an experiment-based strength reference for evaluating the receptor-binding affinity of 2019-nCoV via comparison with SARS-CoV. Our results show that this binding affinity is about 73% of that of SARS-CoV, supporting that 2019-nCoV may cause human transmission similar to that of SARS-CoV. Thus, this study presents a method for rapidly assessing the human transmission capability of a newly emerged CoV and its mutant strains, and demonstrates that post-genome analysis of protein-protein interactions may provide early scientific guidance for viral prevention and control.


SUMANTRI, C., R. DIYONO, A. FARAJALLAH, A. ANGGRAENI and E. ANDREAS. 2010. Aplication of growth hormone genes familly (GH, GHR, GHRH and Pit-1) for detecting genetic variation of buffaloes in Pandeglang and Lebak districts in Banten Province. JITV 15(4): 286-296. Selection using genetic markers are commonly performed to improve livestock productivity in the livestock industry. The objectives of this study were to identify growth hormone genes family (GH|MspI, GH|AluI, GHR|AluI, GHRH|HaeIII and Pit1|HinfI) polymorphisms of Banten buffalo population consisted of Pandeglang and Lebak subpopulations. A total number of 209 blood samples were collected from 15 districts. Genomic DNAs were extracted by a standard phenol-chloroform protocol and amplified by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, then PCR products of GH, GHR, GHRH and Pit-1 Genes were digested with MspI, AluI, HaeIII and HinfI enzyme restriction. Fragments of GH|MspI, GH|AluI, GHR|AluI, GHRH|HaeIII and Pit-1|HinfI were detected by EtBr method. The results showed that GH|MspI and GHRH|HaeIII loci were polymorphic, GH|AluI, GHR|AluI and Pit-1|HinfI, loci were monomorphic. GH allele (-) at locus GH|MspI was only found in Cisata (0.03) and Menes (0.11). Allele B at locus GHRH|HaeIII only found in Cibadak (0.42), Cisata (0.30) and Menes (0.11). In the total population of Banten locus GH|MspI have low diversity (He = 0.02) and polymorphic information content (Pic = 0.02), whereas GHRH|HaeIII locus has a higher diversity (He = 0.23) and Pic (0.22).