[1] When NaCl precipitates out of a saturated solution, it forms anhydrous crystals of halite at temperatures above +0.11°C, but at temperatures below this threshold it instead precipitates as the dihydrate "hydrohalite," NaCl · 2H2O. When sea ice is cooled, hydrohalite begins to precipitate within brine inclusions at about −23°C. In this work, hydrohalite crystals are examined in laboratory experiments: their formation, their shape, and their response to warming and desiccation. Sublimation of a sea ice surface at low temperature leaves a lag deposit of hydrohalite, which has the character of a fine powder. The precipitation of hydrohalite in brine inclusions raises the albedo of sea ice, and the subsequent formation of a surface accumulation further raises the albedo. Although these processes have limited climatic importance on the modern Earth, they would have been important in determining the surface types present in regions of net sublimation on the tropical ocean in the cold phase of a Snowball Earth event. However, brine inclusions in sea ice migrate downward to warmer ice, so whether salt can accumulate on the surface depends on the relative rates of sublimation and migration. The migration rates are measured in a laboratory experiment at temperatures from −2°C to −32°C; the migration appears to be too slow to prevent formation of a salt crust on Snowball Earth.


Antineoplaston AS2-5 is one of the degradation products of Antineoplaston A10. The chemical structure of Antineoplaston AS2-5 corresponds to phenylacetylglutamine. Toxicology studies of Antineoplaston AS2-5 injections involved 13 patients diagnosed with 15 types of neoplastic disease, including: lung cancer, 3 cases; breast, 3 cases; colon, 2 cases; and single cases of cancer of the larynx, prostate, stomach, pancreas, malignant fibrohistiocytoma, embryonal teratoma and lymphocytic lymphoma. Antineoplaston AS2-5 was injected i.v. daily through subclavian vein catheter in divided doses. The treatment was administered from 41 to 436 days. The highest dosage given was 167.6 mg/kg/24 h. The treatment was associated with only very mild side-effects, including febrile reaction in two patients and swelling of small joints in one patient. Two patients had beneficial side-effects, including increase of platelet count and increase of concentration of plasma globulin. The treatment resulted in two complete remissions, one mixed response, four cases of stabilization and six cases of increasing disease. Complete remission was achieved in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, stage II, and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung with lymph nodes and liver metastases. One patient had mixed response during the treatment of carcinoma of the breast with metastases to the lymph nodes, liver and skin and obtained complete remission of liver metastases but increasing disease of skin metastases. Eight patients discontinued the treatment and three patients died during the trials. The patient diagnosed with lung cancer who obtained complete remission continues to be free from the disease over 5 years after the beginning of the treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Neural assemblies in the cortical microcircuit can sustain irregular spiking activity without external inputs. On the other hand, neurons exhibit rich evoked activities driven by sensory stimulus, and both activities are reported to contribute to cognitive functions. We studied the external input response of the neural network model with lognormally distributed synaptic weights. We show that the model can achieve irregular spontaneous activity and population oscillation depending on the presence of external input. The firing rate distribution was maintained for the external input, and the order of firing rates in evoked activity reflected that in spontaneous activity. Moreover, there were bistable regions in the inhibitory input parameter space. The bimodal membrane potential distribution, which is a characteristic feature of the up-down state, was obtained under such conditions. From these results, we can conclude that the model displays various evoked activities due to the external input and is biologic...


The relationship between Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteremia and proinflammatory cytokine and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA levels in AIDS was investigated. During a prospective study, blood samples were drawn monthly for mycobacterial cultures. Sera were available at baseline and onset of MAC bacteremia from 20 cases and at corresponding times from 19 controls. Mean interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were 154% greater at the time of MAC bacteremia in cases than in controls. The IL-6 levels correlated with body temperature, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) levels, and alkaline phosphatase levels (P < or = .004 for each). Although TNF-alpha levels tended to rise more in MAC patients than in controls, the difference was not significant. However, among both cases and controls, serum TNF-alpha levels rose significantly from baseline to the time of last sample, irrespective of MAC infection (P = .015). Bacteremia was not associated with increased serum HIV-1 RNA levels. Thus, early MAC bacteremia is associated with increases in serum IL-6 levels, while TNF-alpha levels rise over time during advanced AIDS.


The present investigation is concerned with thermomechanical interactions in the fractional theory of thermoelasticity for a homogeneous isotropic thick circular plate in the light of twotemperature thermoelasticity theory in frequency domain. The upper and lower surfaces of the thick plate are traction free and subjected to an axisymmetric heat supply. The solution is found by using Hankel transform technique and a direct approach without the use of potential functions. The analytical expressions of displacement components, stresses, conductive temperature, temperature change and cubic dilatation are computed in transformed domain. Numerical inversion technique has been applied to obtain the results in the physical domain. Numerically simulated results are depicted graphically. The effect of fractional parameter has been shown by taking different values on the components of stress, cubic dilatation and displacement.


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Regenerative capability of Plexaura flexuosa is investigated in experiments which simulate the injuries caused by predation of the ovulid snail Cyphoma gibbosum: partial or total removal of the coenenchyme from the axial skeleton. Regenerative growth of the coenenchyme is primarily induced by the possibility of linear extension of the axial epithelium; settlement of fleshy algae or e.g. Millepora (firecoral) on the axial skeleton inhibits the recovery of the coenenchyme. Coenenchyme growth is accompanied by evagination of the polyp cavity wall and by increased mesoglea production. The cellular basis for regeneration lies in the migration capability and morphogenetic plasticity of at least two cell types of the coenenchyme epidermis: interstitial cells and "transitional" cells. Repeated removal of re-grown coenenchyme causes a decrease of the polyp density followed by the formation of new polyps. These are formed by an extra-tentacular budding mechanism which has its primordia in the epidermis of the


Extraneous carbon (Cex) added during chemical processing and isolation of black carbon (BC) in environmental matrices was quantified to assess its impact on compound specific radiocarbon analysis (CSRA). Extraneous carbon is added during the multiple steps of BC extraction, such as incomplete removal of solvents, and carbon bleed from the gas chromatographic and cation columns. We use 2 methods to evaluate the size and 14C values of Cex in BC in ocean sediments that require additional pretreatment using a cation column with the benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) method. First, the direct method evaluates the size and 14C value of Cex directly from the process blank, generated by processing initially empty vials through the entire method identically to the treatment of a sample. Second, the indirect method quantifies Cex as the difference between processed and unprocessed (bulk) 14C values in a variety of modern and 14C-free or "dead" BC standards. Considering a suite of hypothetical marine sedimentary samples of various sizes and 14C values and BC Ring Trial standards, we compare both methods of corrections and find agreement between samples that are >50 μg C. Because Cex can profoundly influence the measured 14C value of compound specific samples, we strongly advocate the use of multiple types of process standards that match the sample size to assess Cex and investigate corrections throughout extensive sample processing.


In this paper, the locality features of infinitedimensional quadratic programming (QP) optimization problems are studied. Our approach is based on tools from operator theory and ideas from Multi Parametric Quadratic Programming (MPQP). The key idea is to use the spatially decaying operators (SD), which has been recently developed to study spatially distributed systems in [1], to capture couplings between optimization variables in the quadratic cost functional and linear constraints. As an application, it is shown that the problem of receding horizon control of spatially distributed systems with heterogeneous subsystems, input and state constraints, and arbitrary interconnection topologies can be modeled as an infinitedimensional QP problem. Furthermore, we prove that for a convex infinite-dimensional QP in which the couplings are through SD operators, optimal solution is piece-wise affine– represented as convolution sums. More importantly, we prove that the kernel of each convolution sum decays in the spatial domain at a rate proportional to the inverse of the corresponding coupling function of the optimization problem, thereby providing evidence that even centralized solutions to the infinite-dimensional QP has inherent spatial locality. Comments Distributed quadratic programing over arbitrary graphs. N. Motee and A. Jadbabaie IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. To Appear in vol. 54, No 5, June 2009. This working paper is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/grasp_papers/5 Distributed Quadratic Programming over Arbitrary Graphs Nader Motee and Ali Jadbabaie Abstract— In this paper, the locality features of infinitedimensional quadratic programming (QP) optimization problems are studied. Our approach is based on tools from operator theory and ideas from Multi Parametric Quadratic Programming (MPQP). The key idea is to use the spatially decaying operators (SD), which has been recently developed to study spatially distributed systems in [1], to capture couplings between optimization variables in the quadratic cost functional and linear constraints. As an application, it is shown that the problem of receding horizon control of spatially distributed systems with heterogeneous subsystems, input and state constraints, and arbitrary interconnection topologies can be modeled as an infinitedimensional QP problem. Furthermore, we prove that for a convex infinite-dimensional QP in which the couplings are through SD operators, optimal solution is piece-wise affine– represented as convolution sums. More importantly, we prove that the kernel of each convolution sum decays in the spatial domain at a rate proportional to the inverse of the corresponding coupling function of the optimization problem, thereby providing evidence that even centralized solutions to the infinite-dimensional QP has inherent spatial locality. In this paper, the locality features of infinitedimensional quadratic programming (QP) optimization problems are studied. Our approach is based on tools from operator theory and ideas from Multi Parametric Quadratic Programming (MPQP). The key idea is to use the spatially decaying operators (SD), which has been recently developed to study spatially distributed systems in [1], to capture couplings between optimization variables in the quadratic cost functional and linear constraints. As an application, it is shown that the problem of receding horizon control of spatially distributed systems with heterogeneous subsystems, input and state constraints, and arbitrary interconnection topologies can be modeled as an infinitedimensional QP problem. Furthermore, we prove that for a convex infinite-dimensional QP in which the couplings are through SD operators, optimal solution is piece-wise affine– represented as convolution sums. More importantly, we prove that the kernel of each convolution sum decays in the spatial domain at a rate proportional to the inverse of the corresponding coupling function of the optimization problem, thereby providing evidence that even centralized solutions to the infinite-dimensional QP has inherent spatial locality.


Bismuth ferrite powders were synthesized by a simple citric acid complexing co-precipitation method at much lower temperature of 600°C. The work studies the calcination temperature and molar ratio of Fe and Bi on the structure and morphology. The as-prepared BiFeO3 powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer. The result shows that the phase pure BiFeO3 powders with cubic morphology were prepared as the calcination temperature was 600°C and molar ratio of Fe and Bi was 1:1. The nanoparticles was uniform with the size of about 200nm.


This paper has present an immune evolutionary planning and negating algorithm with instance-learning for mobile robot under changing environment, which combines immune principle in life science with instance-learning into evolutionary algorithm. Experiences (excellent individuals) in elapsed evolutionary process are stored by instances, and by means of instance-learning immune evolutionary algorithms can quickly plan global-optimal path. Then roles of instance-learning and immune are analyzed from mathematical analyses as well as simulating experiments.


Given a graph property $\mathcal{P}$, it is interesting to determine the typical structure of graphs that satisfy $\mathcal{P}$. In this paper, we consider monotone properties, that is, properties that are closed under taking subgraphs. Using results from the theory of graph limits, we show that if $\mathcal{P}$ is a monotone property and $r$ is the largest integer for which every $r$-colorable graph satisfies $\mathcal{P}$, then almost every graph with $\mathcal{P}$ is close to being a balanced $r$-partite graph.


ABSTRACT A "hydrodynamic" model has been proposed to describe nanopattern formation and dynamics on amorphous surfaces eroded by ion-beam sputtering (IBS), that relates to descriptions of pattern formation in macroscopic systems such as aeolian sand dunes. At variance with previous continuum models of the morphology of ion-sputtered surfaces, the dynamics of the species that diffuse along the surface is coupled in a natural way to that of the surface height. We report recent results for this model, considering normal and oblique ion incidence, for both fixed and rotating targets, and include comparison to recent experiments on silicon. Effective interface equations can be obtained, that generalize the anisotropic Kuramoto-Sivashinshy equation through additional conserved Kardar-Parisi-Zhang type nonlinear terms. In general dot or ripple patterns form, that later evolve exhibiting complex nonlinear dynamics. Thus, we observe interrupted coarsening behavior such that, for normal incidence, domains of hexagonally ordered structures appear, that compare favorably with those obtained in many experiments of nanodot formation by IBS. In other parameter regions, this short-range ordered patterns coexist with long range disorder and kinetic roughening. For oblique incidence, a ripple pattern is generically obtained that also shows interrupted coarsening and other nonlinear features like non-uniform transverse motion, again reproducing experimental observations.


Conducting research and implementing its findings is an important ongoing agenda to empower institutions of higher education in Malaysia. Despite ongoing efforts, the number of academics undertaking research activities in the technical and vocational higher education institutions namely, polytechnic education sector remains quite low. This study explored potential factors that may contribute to this situation namely, academics' levels of research knowledge, awareness, and attitudes towards research practice.  A total of 317 of respondents were selected from the engineering and non-engineering academics in three polytechnics; the Sultan Ibrahim Polytechnic, Johor; the Ungku Omar Polytechnic, Perak and the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Polytechnic, Selangor. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical technique for determining average mean scores and differences between means. The data analyses results indicate that academics has high level of research knowledge, positive attitudes and high awareness level towards research practice in the polytechnics. Furthermore, no difference is found between engineering and non-engineering academics. It is concluded that awareness, attitude and knowledge of research practice could not explain the low participations in research practice.


This article proposes a rethinking of biological invasion in contemporary South African and Australian literature. It argues that the literary representation of pest proliferation can offer a privileged insight into the intersection between the legacy of settler colonialism and current ecological concerns. Indeed, the question of invasive species can be connected to both unreconciled histories of colonial expansion and pressing biodiversity and conservation issues. This essay adopts Deleuze and Guattari's concept of deterritorialisation in order to explore the description of invasive species in Henrietta Rose-Innes's Nineveh and The Rabbits, a visual narrative by John Mardsen and Shaun Tan. A reading inspired by the anti-metaphorical value of the concept of deterritorialisation overcomes an anthropocentric view that would reduce animals to mere metaphorical stand-ins for humans. The intimate link between nature and culture posited by Deleuze and Guattari's generalised ecology is conceptualised as a shifting interface between postcolonial and ecocritical agendas in the reading of postcolonial literature from South Africa and Australia.


Real-world Super-Resolution (real-SR) methods focus on dealing with diverse real-world images and have attracted increasing attention in recent years. The key idea is to use a complex and high-order degradation model to mimic real-world degradations. Although they have achieved impressive results in various scenarios, they are faced with the obstacle of evaluation. Currently, these methods are only assessed by their average performance on a small set of degradation cases randomly selected from a large space, which fails to provide a comprehensive understanding of their overall performance and often yields biased results. To overcome the limitation in evaluation, we propose SEAL, a framework for systematic evaluation of real-SR. In particular, we cluster the extensive degradation space to create a set of representative degradation cases, which serves as a comprehensive test set. Next, we propose a coarse-to-fine evaluation protocol to measure the distributed and relative performance of real-SR methods on the test set. The protocol incorporates two new metrics: acceptance rate (AR) and relative performance ratio (RPR), derived from an acceptance line and an excellence line. Under SEAL, we benchmark existing real-SR methods, obtain new observations and insights into their performance, and develop a new strong baseline. We consider SEAL as the first step towards creating an unbiased and comprehensive evaluation platform, which can promote the development of real-SR.


The experimental studies on the static and dynamic mechanical properties of aluminium foam material are presented first. Finite element models of four structures, including circular tube filled and bonded with aluminium foam, circular tube filled but unbonded with aluminium foam, single aluminium foam column and empty aluminium tube, under dynamic transverse compression are established by FEMB code. The dynamic mechanical behaviors of the structures are analyzed using LS-DYNA finite element code. The simulating results at certain cases are compared with experimental measurements and the satisfying consistency confirmed the validity of the model. The further numerical simulations are carried on the dynamic mechanical behaviors of four structures with outer tubes of different wall-thickness. It is found that aluminium foam filling can greatly improve the load-bearing capacity and energy-absorbing efficiency of structures. On the other hand, the effect of the aluminium outer tube on the structure is obvious compared with single aluminium foam column, in spite of the foam core and the tube are bonded together or unbonded. Another result can be seen that the bonding between the foam and outer tube affects the structure weakly for both thinner and thicker tubes. Finally, the simulating results show that the thicker wall of tube can improve the load-bearing capacity and energy-absorbing ability of the structure.


S-(5'-Deoxy-5'-adenosyl)methylthioethylhydroxylamine (AMA) is an irreversible inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) decarboxylase, which is designed to bind covalently the pyruvate residue at the enzyme active site. In the present study the cellular effects of AMA were characterized for the first time in cultured L1210 leukaemia cells. At the approximate IC50 (concn. giving 50% inhibition; 100 microM), AMA decreased spermidine and spermine by more than 80% at 48 h while increasing putrescine more than 10-fold. As an indication of enzyme specificity, growth inhibition was fully prevented with exogenous spermidine. When compared with the irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), at similar growth-inhibitory concentrations, AMA was less cytotoxic, as determined by colony-formation efficiency. In combination with AMA, DFMO eliminated the rise in putrescine and decreased growth in an additive manner. The near-total depletion of intracellular polyamine pools achieved with the drug combination provided an opportunity to examine the relative abilities of individual polyamines to support growth and viability. Of the three exogenously supplied polyamines, only spermidine fully sustained cell growth and viability at control values during incubations totalling 120 h. By contrast, spermine supported growth at 23% of control and viability at 8%. Putrescine was similarly ineffective, supporting growth at 13% of control and viability at 7%. The data indicate that, in L1210 cells, spermidine is apparently the preferred polyamine in growth-related functions and is capable of fully supporting cell growth by itself. However, because spermine and putrescine can also support growth to some extent, maximum interference with growth and viability is best achieved by strategies which deplete all three polyamine pools.


Learned safety, a learning process in which a cue becomes associated with the absence of threat, is disrupted in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A bi-directional relationship exists between smoking and PTSD and one potential explanation is that nicotine-associated changes in cognition facilitate PTSD emotional dysregulation by disrupting safety associations. Therefore, we investigated whether nicotine would disrupt learned safety by enhancing fear associated with a safety cue. In the present study, C57BL/6 mice were administered acute or chronic nicotine and trained over three days in a differential backward trace conditioning paradigm consisting of five trials of a forward conditioned stimulus (CS)+ (Light) co-terminating with a footshock unconditioned stimulus followed by a backward CS– (Tone) presented 20 s after cessation of the unconditioned stimulus. Summation testing found that acute nicotine disrupted learned safety, but chronic nicotine had no effect. Another group of animals administered acute nicotine showed fear when presented with the backward CS (Light) alone, indicating the formation of a maladaptive fear association with the backward CS. Finally, we investigated the brain regions involved by administering nicotine directly into the dorsal hippocampus, ventral hippocampus, and prelimbic cortex. Infusion of nicotine into the dorsal hippocampus disrupted safety learning.


Effective communication between parties in distributed design teams is essential for successful construction projects. However, there is little consensus and understanding on the factors influencing the distanced communication between these multidisciplinary parties. Many effective practices that are applicable to traditional collocated teams may no longer be relevant and require a thorough examination. This paper reports an on-going research project that aims to investigate the factors influencing the communication effectiveness of virtual design teams in a case project undertaken by final-year undergraduate students in two institutions in Canada and the UK. The empirical work involved a questionnaire survey of 69 students, comprising 32 UK (civil/structural engineering) and 37 Canadian (architectural) students. The findings suggest that there is tendency for different communication modes used by the two professions, with architects preferring visual and kinesthetic modes, and civil/structural engineers preferring aural and read/write modes, although this was not statistically significant (p=0.286). Higher levels of trust could be sustained by providing evidence of consistent performance over the course of the project. The architectural students and female participants are more likely to exhibit higher levels of trust to their counterparts and higher levels of satisfaction with team working. The findings reveal the potential influence of disciplinary training on the preferred communication modes and the development of effective virtual collaboration. Additionally, the research provides material for further reflection and may serve as a useful consideration for future development of a guiding framework for effective training of built environment professionals.


In potentially deceptive situations, people rely on mental shortcuts to help process information. These heuristic judgments are often biased and result in inaccurate assessments of sender veracity. Four such biases—truth bias, visual bias, demeanor bias, and expectancy violation bias—were examined in a judgment experiment that varied nonverbal cue availability and deception. Observers saw a complete videotaped interview (full access to visual, vocal, and verbal cues), heard the complete interview (vocal and verbal access), or read a transcript (verbal access) of a truthful or deceptive suspect being questioned about a mock theft and then rated the interviewee on information, behavior, and image management and truthfulness. Results supported the presence of all four biases, which were most evident when interviewees were deceptive and observers had access to all visual, vocal, and verbal modalities. Deceivers' messages were judged as increasingly complete, honest, clear, and relevant; their behavior as more involved and dominant; and their overall demeanor as more credible, with the addition of nonverbal cues. Deceivers were actually judged as more credible than truthtellers in the audiovisual modality, whereas best discrimination and detection accuracy occurred in the audio condition. Results have implications for what factors influence judgments of a sender's credibility and accuracy in distinguishing truth from deception, especially under conditions where senders are producing messages interactively.


A subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) of about 1500 nucleotides has been detected in millet plants and protoplasts infected with panicum mosaic virus (PMV). This sgRNA expressed p8, p6.6, p15, and the 26-kDa capsid protein (CP) genes during in vitro translation assays, as determined by using mutants inactivated for expression of each open reading frame. Abolishing expression of p8 and p6.6, the two 5'-proximal genes on the sgRNA, did not affect the replication of PMV in millet protoplasts, but obstructed spread in plants. As predicted for a typical cell-to-cell movement protein, p8 localized to the cell wall fraction of PMV-infected millet plants. The introduction of premature stop codons downstream of the PMV p15 start codon (p15*) abolished infectivity in planta, but did not impair replication in protoplasts. However, a delayed systemic infection in millet plants was supported by the p15aug(-) start codon mutant, which may reflect very low levels of expression from a suboptimal start codon context and/or leaky scanning to a second inframe AUG codon to express the C-terminal portion of the 15-kDa protein. PMV CP mutants had little effect on sgRNA accumulation, but were correlated with a reduction of the gRNA and the decreased expression of the 8-kDa protein in protoplasts as well as abolishment of cell-to-cell spread in plants. These results imply that the successful establishment of a PMV systemic infection in millet host plants appears to be dependent on the concerted expression of the p8, p6.6, p15, and CP genes.


In this qualitative study, four nurses of a teaching hospital in the city of Campinas, Sao Paulo-Brazil, all of them working with oncological patients were interviewed in order to verify the situation that most caused mental suffering in the day by day with these patients. Data collection were performed as proposed by the ethnographic approach and the non-directive interview and the direct observation was employed. The contain analysis has been utilized to the data analysis. The results have shown that many situations of the relationship nurses-oncological patients cause mental suffering in that professional. Those situations are tied to the work of the nurses, to the kind of patient treated by those professionals and to the kind of sickness presented by the patient. That study has shown that, many times, the nurses utilize defense mechanisms against that mental suffering. This work aims to contribute to the knowledge of the subject and therefore be itself a base in which one could elaborate measures that can make these problems that occur with the nurses that work in the Oncology area lighter. With that study to contribute to the comprehension of the challenge that the cancer, sickness that make professional and population frightened, is.


Background: The role of P2X7R in the immune response has been investigated and this receptor clearly has important roles in inflammation. However, the mechanisms which integrate P2X7R activation with biochemical changes in T lymphocytes such as: proliferation, migration and regulation of adhesion molecule expression are less well understood. Many of these processes are controlled by the PI3K pathway, which is an important signalling cascade involved in development and immunity that it is frequently altered in disease. This study sought to investigate if PI3K was responsible for integrating P2X7R dependent signalling in primary human T lymphocytes, with an emphasis on regulation of the adhesion molecule CD62L. Results: Whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology is an important technique for characterising ion channel expression. This technique was optimised for the first time in primary human naive CD4+ T lymphocytes and used to show P2X7R expression in this study. The pharmacology of ATP in the process of CD62L down-regulation in these cells was explored using new P2X7R antagonists with improved selectivity over previous compounds. Remarkably, PI3K/mTOR, MAPK and PKC signalling was shown to be dispensable for this down-regulation of cell surface CD62L expression. However, while investigating novel mechanisms for ATP induced CD62L down-regulation, it was revealed that pharmacological modulation of mitochondrial complex I or III, but not inhibition of NADPH oxidase, enhanced P2X7R dependent CD62L down-regulation by increasing ATP potency. The mechanism for this was further explored and this effect may arise from enhanced superoxide generation in the mitochondria of rotenone and antimycin A treated cells. Crucially, although ATP alone did not cause apoptosis of cell, perturbation of the mitochondria of cell with these compounds followed by ATP treatment, revealed P2X7R exposure of phosphatidyl serine. Discussion: This major new finding may have implications for the clearance of naive CD4+ T lymphocytes which have undergone mitochondrial damage. A novel protective mechanism for the potential removal of cells with damaged mitochondria is presented, whereby, P2X7R dependent PS exposure occurs only when cells have enhanced mitochondrial ROS generation. Given the potential role of P2X7R in a number of diseases with a mitochondrial element, the findings of this thesis are of great importance for the targeting of P2X7R in inflammation.


We study two-stage stochastic mixed integer programs (TSS-MIPs) with integer variables in the second stage. We show that under suitable conditions, the second stage MIPs can be convexified by adding parametric cuts a priori. As special cases, we extend the results of Miller and Wolsey [Math. Program., 98 (2003), pp. 73--88] to TSS-MIPs. Furthermore, we consider second stage programs that are generalizations of the well-known mixing (and continuous mixing) set, or certain piecewise-linear convex objective integer programs. These results allow us to relax the integrality restrictions on the second stage integer variables without effecting the integrality of the optimal solution of the TSS-MIP. We also use four variants of the two-stage stochastic capacitated lot-sizing problems as test problems for computational experiments and present tight second stage formulations for these problems. Our computational results show that adding parametric inequalities that a priori convexify the second stage formulation si...


Binding sites for three families of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins, microE3, C/EBP, and OCT, are found in both the promoters and the intronic enhancer of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene. We have used a cotransfection system to investigate how proteins binding these sites may participate in enhancer-promoter interactions. Basic helix-loop-helix-zipper (BHLHZIP) proteins TFE3 and TFEB activate from a distance in this assay, but the basic zipper (BZIP) protein NF-IL6 and endogenous OCT-binding proteins do not. Our results suggest that remotely bound TFE3 is recruited to the initiation site by association with proximally bound TFE3; this interaction is mediated by the BHLHZIP domain and not by activation domains of TFE3. The BZIP domain of Ig/EBP lacks this activity, revealing an important functional difference between these structurally related dimerization domains. We also show that TFE3 can exist as a tetramer in solution and that tetramerization is determined by the HLHZIP domain. These data support a model in which protein-protein interactions between proximally and remotely bound TFE3 recruit TFE3 to the initiation site for activation. The IgH gene is the first example of a cellular gene in which proximal and distal binding sites are found for a protein capable of mediating enhancer-promoter interaction.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of workplace support measures offered by employers on the academic performance and satisfaction of distance-taught paramedic students. Design/methodology/approach – Using a combination of quantitative, qualitative and open text data, the authors identified factors important for student success. Findings – Dedicated study time was not a significant predictor of student pass rate, but was related to the quality of achievement as measured by pass grade. More important for success were less tangible factors such as relationship with a mentor and being part of a supportive peer group. Research limitations/implications – The number of respondents to the survey of graduates in the second part of the investigation was small (n1⁄4 30; 8.9 per cent) and limited to one profession (Emergency care). Practical implications – The support measures the authors have identified should be overtly built into new course design. Placements undertaken away from the primary workplace should be well organised, and students proactively supported while undertaking them. Originality/value – The value of these findings is that they inform, and can be used to enhance, the experience of students on work-based learning programmes and also on degree apprenticeships.


This volume is the third in a series designed to present scientific developments of clinical importance to the "neurological practitioner and general scholar." Comprised of ten chapters of varied profundity, sophistication, and clinical utility, the book covers clinical interview, neuro-ophthalmologic examination, cerebrospinal fluid, brain biopsy, echoencephalography, and several roentgenographic topics. Nearly two thirds the book is devoted to the latter two. Janeway's description of aortocranial angiography provides lucid and complete instructions for those interested in undertaking this procedure. It might have emphasized some of the medical conditions necessary to assure the patient's safety (eg, the integrity of the clotting mechanism). The review of cerebral isotope scanning by Maynard and Janeway is informative and comprehensive. A rather general chapter devoted to ordering x-ray films can hardly be regarded as directed to the neurological practitioner. It might have been more useful had clinical examples been cited and illustrative "flow sheets" designed to


Introduction Genetic heterogeneity within Barrett's mucosa is significantly associated with the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OA). Why genetic diversity promotes tumorigenesis is unclear. Pro-tumorigenic interaction between clones is a possible explanation. To look for evidence of clonal interaction within Barrett's lesions, we have undertaken a high-resolution clonal-ordering analysis to produce phylogenetic trees and spatial maps that illustrate the spread of genetically distinct clones in endoscopic mucosal resection specimens (EMRs). Methods Entire EMR specimens were serially sectioned. Each crypt was classified according to histological grade. Aneuploidy was assessed using image cytometry. More than 50 individual crypts were then laser-capture microdissected from each EMR. The genetic mutation burden of individual crypts was assessed (K-ras, p53 and p16 point mutations and microsatellite loss of heterozygosity (LOH) data for up to16 loci on chromosomes 3p (FHIT), 5q (APC), 9p (p16), 17p (p53), 17q and 18q (SMAD4)). In each EMR, a point mutation in at least one gene was identified. The relative location of each analysed crypt was recorded and used to reconstruct a genetic and histological map of each EMR. Results EMRs were rarely genetically homogeneous. Typically, dysplastic crypts within individual lesions were clonal for a founding p53 or p16 point-mutated clone, whereas the adjacent metaplastic (non-dysplastic) crypts analysed did not contain the point mutation. Mosaic subclones with distinct patterns of LOH (often 18q and/or 3p) were present. In one EMR, the same p53 and p16 point mutations and 5q and 17p LOH were detected across the entire EMR. Conclusion Clonal expansion of mutated cells is frequently restricted to small numbers of crypts. Interactions between genetically distinct clones appears to be predominantly competitive: a crypt acquiring an additional pro-tumorigenic mutation can outcompete, and so clonally expand to the detriment of, the original crypts. Further investigation will reveal whether this progression is driven by mutation and selection or by additional mutations altering the behaviour of neighbouring pre-existing clones.


A predictive instrument (or index) previously reported to be of value in reducing unnecessary coronary care unit admissions was tested in a randomized study. Acceptability to the physician was then measured by monitoring utilization in a subsequent nonrandomized phase and by debriefing. The predictive instrument retained predictive accuracy in the new setting with good correlation between predicted and actual risk of acute cardiac ischemia (r = 0.925). False-positive diagnosis rate decreased from 71 percent to 0.0 percent (P = .0096) in a subgroup admitted to the intermediate care unit, consistent with previously reported usefulness in low-risk patients. Acceptability was poor, however, with utilization rate of only 2.8 percent of eligible patients. Debriefing revealed low perceived usefulness. This problem will need to be addressed if widespread utilization is to occur. The criteria of predictive accuracy, usefulness, and acceptability are suggested as a standard panel for testing new predictive instruments.


OBJECTIVES
Previous studies have found an association between bruxism and emotional and behavioral problems in children, but reported data are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of bruxism, and of its components clenching and grinding, and its associations with mental problems and depression.

METHODS
Data from two Brazilian birth cohorts were analyzed: one from 869 children in Ribeirão Preto - RP (São Paulo), a more developed city, and the other from 805 children in São Luís - SL (Maranhão). Current bruxism - evaluated by means of a questionnaire applied to the parents/persons responsible for the children - was defined when the habit of tooth clenching during daytime and/or tooth grinding at night still persisted until the time of the assessment. Additionally, the lifetime prevalence of clenching during daytime only and grinding at night only was also evaluated. Mental health problems were investigated using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and depression using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Analyses were carried out for each city: with the SDQ subscales (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, attention/hyperactivity disorder), with the total score (sum of the subscales), and with the CDI. These analyses were performed considering different response variables: bruxism, clenching only, and grinding only. The risks were estimated using a Poisson regression model. Statistical inferences were based on 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS
There was a high prevalence of current bruxism: 28.7% in RP and 30.0% in SL. The prevalence of clenching was 20.3% in RP and 18.8% in SL, and grinding was found in 35.7% of the children in RP and 39.1% in SL. Multivariable analysis showed a significant association of bruxism with emotional symptoms and total SDQ score in both cities. When analyzed separately, teeth clenching was associated with emotional symptoms, peer problems, and total SDQ score; grinding was significantly associated with emotional symptoms and total SDQ score in RP and SL. Female sex appeared as a protective factor for bruxism, and for clenching and grinding in RP. Furthermore, maternal employment outside the home and white skin color of children were associated with increased prevalence of teeth clenching in SL.

CONCLUSIONS
Mental health problems were associated with bruxism, with teeth clenching only and grinding at night only. No association was detected between depression and bruxism, neither clenching nor grinding. But it is necessary to be cautious regarding the inferences from some of our results.


Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition in which excess fat accumulates in the liver, is strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome, including obesity and other related conditions. This disease has the potential to progress from steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. The recent increase in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is largely driven by changes in diet and activity levels. Individual variation in the response to this obesogenic environment, however, is attributable in part to genetic variation between individuals, but very few mammalian genetic loci have been identified with effects on fat accumulation in the liver. To study the genetic basis for variation in liver fat content in response to dietary fat, liver fat proportion was determined using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in 478 mice from 16 LG/J X SM/J recombinant inbred strains fed either a high-fat (42% kcal from fat) or low-fat (15% kcal from fat) diet. An analysis of variance confirmed that there is a genetic basis for variation in liver fat content within the population with significant effects of sex and diet. Three quantitative trail loci that contribute to liver fat content also were mapped.


OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the drug utilization pattern and to observe possible treatment outcomes. METHODS: A Non-experimental prospective observational study has been carried out in tertiary care hospital for a period of six months. A total number of 181 pediatric inpatients of age 1- 14 years with seizures were included and evaluated. The patient case history was collected based on data collection form designed for the study. RESULTS: In our study we observed that female patients are more prevalent. Prevalence of seizures is high among age group 1-5years and low among 11-14 years. Tonic-clonic (51.3%) type of seizures were commonly observed, followed by febrile seizures (19%). Phenytoin is the mostly prescribed drug followed by sodium valproate. Monotherapy is observed mostly. Outcome of the therapy is measured by seizure free period, among which seizure free observed are more 74.1%. The incidence of ADRs in the study group is less (6.6%) and phenytoin is the drug with more number of ADRs. Medication adherence is measured in known epileptic patients(n=67) using MMAS, medium adherence seems to be more (49%). CONCLUSION: This study strongly highlights that the, Clinical pharmacist has a pivot role in conducting drug utilization studies that helps in comparing the ongoing


Aims Uncertainty exists on the prevalence of glucose intolerance in women with a recent diagnosis of gestational diabetes (GDM) based on a two-step screening strategy and the 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Our aim was to evaluate the uptake of postpartum screening, the prevalence and the risk factors for glucose intolerance in women with a recent history of GDM. Methods Retrospective analysis of the medical records of women with a recent history of GDM diagnosed in a universal two-step screening strategy with the 2013 WHO criteria. All women with a history of GDM are advised to undergo a 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) around 12 weeks postpartum. Indices of insulin sensitivity (the Matsuda index and the reciprocal of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, 1/HOMA-IR) and an index of beta-cell function, the Insulin Secretion-Sensitivity Index-2 (ISSI-2) were calculated based on the OGTT postpartum. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders such as age, BMI, ethnicity and breastfeeding. Results Of the 191 women with GDM, 29.3% (56) did not attend the scheduled postpartum OGTT. These women had a higher BMI (28.6 ±6.8 vs. 26.2 ± 5.6, p = 0.015), were more often from an ethnic minority (EM) background (41.1% vs. 25.2%, p = 0.029) and smoked more often during pregnancy (14.3% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.001) than women who attended the OGTT postpartum. Of all women (135) who received an OGTT postpartum, 42.2% (57) had prediabetes (11.9% impaired fasting glucose, 24.4% impaired glucose tolerance and 5.9% both impaired fasting and impaired glucose tolerance) and 1.5% (2) had overt diabetes. Compared to women with a normal OGTT postpartum, women with glucose intolerance were older (32.5±4.3 vs. 30.8±4.8 years, p = 0.049), were more often obese (34.5% vs. 17.3%, p = 0.023), were more often from an EM background (33.9% vs. 18.4%, p = 0.040), less often breastfed (69.5% vs. 84.2%, p = 0.041) and had more often an abnormal fasting glycaemia at the time of the OGTT in pregnancy (55.6% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.040). In the multivariable logistic regression, an EM background [OR = 2.76 (1.15–6.62), p = 0.023] and the HbA1c level at the time of the OGTT in pregnancy [OR = 4.78 (1.19–19.20), p = 0.028] remained significant predictors for glucose intolerance postpartum. Women with glucose intolerance postpartum had a similar insulin sensitivity [Matsuda index 0.656 (0.386–1.224) vs. 0.778 (0.532–1.067), p = 0.709; 1/HOMA-IR 0.004 (0.002–0.009) vs. (0.004–0.003–0.007), p = 0.384] but a lower beta-cell function compared to women with a normal OGTT postpartum, remaining significant after adjustment for confounders [ISSI-2 1.6 (1.2–2.1) vs. 1.9 (1.7–2.4),p = 0.002]. Conclusions Glucose intolerance is very frequent in early postpartum in women with GDM based on the 2013 WHO criteria in a two-step screening strategy and these women have an impaired beta-cell function. Nearly one third of women did not attend the scheduled OGTT postpartum and these women have an adverse risk profile. More efforts are needed to engage and stimulate women with GDM to attend the postpartum OGTT.


One of the dangers for a biographer, particularly when their subject shares the same ideology, is to display their love for them. This temptation is never truer for the Cold War Left and New Left than with regard to Dalton Trumbo—the author of the anti-war classic, Johnny Got His Gun (1939), and the screenwriter who singlehandedly broke the blacklist. This is not surprising for an Old Left buffeted by declassified documentation that revealed their cause celebres Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs to be Soviet spies. Since Trumbo was not a spy, they can freely celebrate him without looking over their shoulders for damning revelations. He fulfills their needs in a way Hiss and company never did. For the Left, he was both a victim (of the House Un-American Activities Committee and a Hollywood that blacklisted him) and a hero by breaking the blacklist. Moreover, they have bought into his role as an avatar of free speech. This has required careful editing, for Trumbo was indeed a Communist Party member, whose Stalinism was in need of airbrushing. Surprisingly, Larry Ceplair, a historian whose biases fall into what was once during the Cold War called an "anti-anti-communist," avoids airbrushing and qualifiers. Except for a few instances, Ceplair, and amazingly enough, the late Christopher Trumbo, Dalton's son, present Trumbo with warts and all. This doesn't mean that Ceplair doesn't follow the familiar leftist trick of rigging the game in his subject's favor. Ceplair makes three easily refutable assertions that (a) one shouldn't view Trumbo through a political lens; (b) that he never publicly, and certainly not privately, defended the Soviet Union; and (c) that Trumbo applied the same complexity to the Right as he did to the Left. The first slights Trumbo, for he was very much a political animal. As Trumbo says in one passage in the book, writers should marry their literary efforts to their politics ("politics is life"). A simple look at the historical record—which to his credit Ceplair supplies—shows that Trumbo spent enormous amounts of time as an unpaid political activist. In the 1930s, he helped found the Screen Writers' Guild, an open shop union, which forced by the animus of studio heads, met in the same kind of secrecy that the Party engaged in. Disturbed by the "growing pro-war fervor" among liberals and leftists, Trumbo wrote the anti-war work, Johnny Got His Gun (1939). In the 1940s, he wrote pamphlets defending labor leader Harry Bridges; the opening of a Second Front in Europe to aid the Soviet Union; a defense of those Mexicans accused of and imprisoned for killing a fellow gang leader, in what was known as the Sleepy Lagoon case; campaigning for FDR during the 1944 election; and defending a particularly vicious strike against the studios in 1945 (ironically the behavior of Trumbo's side, particularly with the leg-breaking tactics of a pro-Soviet labor leader named Herbert Sorrell pushed the self-described "bleeding heart liberal" Ronald Reagan into the anticommunist camp). He also edited the industry magazine The Screenwriter. While he awaited the decision of the Supreme Court regarding whether he would be imprisoned for refusing to answer political questions from HUAC, Trumbo wrote a pamphlet, The Time of the Toad (1949) defending the right of free speech for his fellow defendants, known as the Hollywood Ten. Even while obsessed by the blacklist, he still managed some political work. He wrote a pamphlet to exonerate eleven members of the American Communist Party who were imprisoned for their supposed support of overthrowing the government. In the 1960s and 1970s, he moved beyond attacking the blacklist to attacking the US effort in Vietnam. His was quite the political life, and as such, it provides an entry into understanding Trumbo as a complex and contradictory figure. Ceplair is on equally shaky ground regarding Trumbo's supposed refusal to defend, publicly or privately, the Soviet Union. The record says otherwise. Trumbo attacked and bragged of (in the privacy of letters—in and of itself proof of his support) preventing Trotsky's reactionary and "socalled" biography of Stalin from being filmed. In the post-war era, he, amazingly, in light of what Stalin was doing to the citizens of Poland, said that the Soviet Union "had no colonies." To his credit, Ceplair does list these two; although, he condemns only the latter. But other, equally damning defenses of the Soviet Union are left out. While analyzing Trumbo's anti-blacklist polemic, The Time of the Toad, Ceplair neglects to mention that the screenwriter assured readers that there was no anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union because their constitution forbid it—an example of the blind faith Trumbo later condemned the CPUSA for exhibiting. Up until 1956, he was still calling Stalin one of the democratic leaders of the Soviet Union. Ceplair tries to argue that Trumbo was not a blind follower of every zig and zag of the Soviet Union, and he cites Ring Lardner Jr. who said that Trumbo's stance toward American participation in


This paper will examine the relationship between Scottish common-sense philosophy and the formation of New Haven Theology. It will be illustrated that Nathaniel William Taylor's adaptations of orthodox Calvinism (particularly the doctrines of election and predestination and total depravity) relied heavily upon the principles of common-sense philosophy found in the work of Thomas Reid. Furthermore, it will be argued that Taylor's adaptation of Calvinism was a necessary accommodation to the phenomenon of mass conversion and evangelism during the Second Great Awakening.


Query completion systems are well studied in the context of information retrieval systems that handle keyword queries. However, Natural Language Interface to Databases (NLIDB) systems that focus on syntactically correct and semantically complete queries to obtain high precision answers require a fundamentally different approach to the query completion problem as opposed to IR systems. To the best of our knowledge, we are first to focus on the problem of query completion for NLIDB systems. In particular, we introduce a novel concept of functional partitioning of an ontology and then design algorithms to intelligently use the components obtained from functional partitioning to extend a state-of-the-art NLIDB system to produce accurate and semantically meaningful query completions in the absence of query logs. We test the proposed query completion framework on multiple benchmark datasets and demonstrate the efficacy of our technique empirically.


We have used umbilical veins as experimental graft materials for superior vena cava replacement. The patency rate of these grafts in 25 laboratory animals was 96%; the mortality and graft thrombosis rate was 4%. Histopathologically, no evidence of rejection was detected in the graft material. These results suggest that umbilical veins are superior to other prosthetic materials as grafts in venous surgery.


The paradox of modern constitutionalism resides in having two imperatives, apparently irreconcilable, i.e. a governmental power generated from the 'consent of the people' and, in order to be sustained and effective, that power must be divided, constrained and exercised through distinctive institutional forms. This paradox reflects the dilemma arising from the dialectical interaction between constituent power and constitutional form. I will argue that constitutionalism, as a limited government, does not contradict with Arab and Islamic legal culture. While modern constitutionalism, as a normative order, requires the adherence to the rule of law and the protection of human rights, it is in the name of national, religious, historic or cultural particularities that modern constitutionalism is discredited, as being essentially 'Western', not appropriate for Arab-Islamic culture. This paper challenges this rejection and argues for the possibility, and the necessity thereof, of applying modern constitutionalism in contemporary Arab states.


This paper deals with the electrical and wideband frequency characterizations of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors integrating the medium-k material ZrO2. First, the in situ material electrical properties are characterized in a frequency range from dc up to 5 GHz by using a microstrip waveguide method. The loss tangent and the permittivity are extracted with frequencies up to 5 GHz. We then investigate the evolution with frequency of the electrical parameters, such as capacitance density, quality factor, temperature coefficient of capacitance, voltage coefficient of capacitance, and cut-off frequency for MIM capacitors which incorporate ZrO2 dielectric layers with thickness from 10 to 45 nm.


Multiple years of measurements of tropical upper-tropospheric temperature and humidity by the Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapor by Airbus In-Service Aircraft (MOZAIC) project are analyzed in the vicinity of deep convective outflow to study the variations of temperature and humidity and to investigate the influence of the sea surface temperature (SST) on the outflow air properties. The principal findings are the following. 1) The distribution of relative humidity with respect to ice (RHi) depends on where a convective system is sampled by the MOZAIC aircraft: deep inside the system, RHi is unimodal with the mode at ;114%; near the outskirts of the system, bimodal distribution of RHi starts to emerge with a dry mode at around 40% and a moist mode at 100%. The results are compared with previous studies using in situ measurements and model simulations. It is suggested that the difference in the RHi distribution can be explained by the variation of vertical motions associated with a convective system. 2) Analysis of MOZAIC data shows that a fractional increase of specific humidity with SST, q 21 dq/dSTT, near the convective outflow is about 0.16‐0.18 K 21 . These values agree well with previous studies using satellite data. Because MOZAIC measurementsoftemperatureandhumidityareindependent,theauthorsfurtheranalyzetheSSTdependenceofRHiand temperature individually. Temperature increases with SST for both prevalent flight levels (238 and 262 hPa); RHi stays close to constant with respect to SST for 238 hPa but shows an increasing trend for the 262-hPa level. Analysis conducted in this study represents a unique observational basis against which model simulations of upper-tropospheric humidity and its connection to deep convection and SST can be evaluated.


By combining the first-principles concept based on the density functional theory with a model vacuum potential, we calculate image potential states and analogous ones in the presence of an electric field applied on a nonmagnetic Ag(100) surface and a magnetic Fe(110) surface. Our investigations are based on the Green-function embedding technique, which allows us to treat a truly semi-infinite surface and whence yields a continuum of bulk states. This turns out to be of crucial importance in order to investigate the qualitative difference between localized image or field states located in a band gap of the substrate and states in resonance with bulk states present at the same energies. This difference leads to remarkable changes in the binding energy versus field dispersion of the states. Furthermore, we show that in the case of the Fe(110) surface, the calculated magnetic exchange splitting increases with the electric field and is also modified by the transition from field states to surface resonance states.


The construction of meanings in Environmental Education throughout a scientific course for Master ś and Doctoral candidates in Education for a Science and Mathematics in a Brazilian University is diagnosed and evaluated. The qualitative research comprised illustrations, interviews, halfstructured questionnaires and the preparation of proposals for projects based on postgraduate candidates ́ knowledge and concepts formed during the course. At first, the students forwarded a reductional and traditional view on the environment. Lectures and discussions were held during the semester. They dealt with the theoretical and practical principles that foregrounded Environmental Education, coupled to discussions within the social, political and cultural context. Results were positive since the postgraduate students ́ concepts on environmental themes improved. However, in-depth and long term studies are required to build concepts within a more complex dimension on social and environmental reality. The insertion of environmentalism in the academic curriculum is highly relevant. It will attribute to Higher Institutions of Education an essential role in the preparation of responsible citizens and constructors of a democratic, just, equal and sustainable society with a view on future generations.


Small-scale farmers in the Brazilian Amazon collectively hold tenure over more than 12 million ha of permanent forest reserves, as required by the Forest Code. The trade-off between forest conservation and other land uses entails opportunity costs for them and for the country, which have not been sufficiently studied. We assessed the potential income generated by multiple use forest management for farmers and compared it to the income potentially derived from six other agricultural land uses. Income from the forest was from (i) logging, carried out by a logging company in partnership with farmers' associations; and (ii) harvesting the seeds of Carapa guianensis (local name andiroba) for the production of oil. We then compared the income generated by multiple-use forest management with the income from different types of agrarian systems. According to our calculations in this study, the mean annual economic benefits from multiple forest use are the same as the least productive agrarian system, but only 25% of the annual income generated by the most productive system. Although the income generated by logging may be considered low when calculated on an annual basis and compared to incomes generated by agriculture, the one-time payment after logging is significant (US$5,800 to US$33,508) and could be used to implement more intensive and productive cropping systems such as planting black pepper. The income from forest management could also be used to establish permanent fields in deforested areas for highly productive annual crops using conservation agriculture techniques. These techniques are alternatives to the traditional land use based on periodic clearing of the forest. Nevertheless, the shift in current practices towards adoption of more sustainable conservation agriculture techniques will also require the technical and legal support of the State to help small farmers apply these alternatives, which aim to integrate forest management in sustainable agricultural production systems.


The Tinajitas and Peas Blancas Limestones are thin bioclastic carbonate units of Eocene age in the foreland fold and thrust belt of eastern Venezuela. They represent the only limestone deposits in the otherwise siliciclastic Cenozoic succession of the eastern Venezuelan shelf. The geometry of the carbonate units suggests a coast-parallel, bar-like form; the particle population (larger benthic forams, glauconite, and algal balls) indicates shallow-marine provenance; and there is a regional unconformity with major lacuna landward from the location of the limestone units. We interpret these carbonates as the capping deposit of a coast-parallel ridge on the continental shelf that rose and sank in the Eocene. We propose that this transient ridge was an elastic forebulge that migrated landward across the shelf and craton hinge of the South American continent because of a brief episode of Eocene subduction of northern South American lithosphere. Such subduction may have been caused by closure between the North and South American plates. The bulge had an amplitude of at least 800 m and migrated landward at least 50–100 km. This distance suggests the minimum closure between the plates at the subduction zone. Supporting evidence comes from facies suites of the passive-margin wedge, now juxtaposed in the thrust and fold belt. The most seaward facies suite contains no evident Eocene lacuna or limestone; these facies were at too great a depth for the passing bulge to affect sedimentation. In the shallower intermediate facies, which contains the Tinajitas–Peas Blancas Limestones, the passing ridge brought the seabed to depths of carbonate production, but not to shoal. In the most landward facies of the passive-margin wedge and on the platform, the ridge caused emergence and erosion, producing the Eocene unconformity of large coast-parallel extent. The resubsidence of the margin in the Oligocene is attributed to passage of a foreland basin, which trailed the forebulge.


Neural vector representations are ubiquitous throughout all subfields of NLP. While word vectors have been studied in much detail, thus far only little light has been shed on the properties of sentence embeddings. In this paper, we assess to what extent prominent sentence embedding methods exhibit select semantic properties. We propose a framework that generate triplets of sentences to explore how changes in the syntactic structure or semantics of a given sentence affect the similarities obtained between their sentence embeddings.


Remission rates for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have improved with the use of anthracyclines and proper management of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. In a prospective randomized trial of chemotherapy in patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia, there were 16 patients with APL. All 7 of the patients receiving the amsacrine-containing regimen and 5 of 9 receiving the daunorubicin- containing regimen achieved a remission. All patients, except 2 of the 3 who underwent bone marrow transplantation, remain alive and in remission from 1+ to 25+ mo. Amsacrine is an effective replacement for daunorubicin in the treatment of APL, and its use does not compromise the favorable remission duration characteristic of APL.


Abstract In this study, the impacts of Bitcoin on Japan, China, Turkey and USA stock indexes were investigated. Nikkei225, SSE380, BIST100 and S&P500 were selected as the stock market indexes. The weekly data including dates between January 03, 2016 and December 16, 2018 were analyzed using EViews program and firstly the time-dependent, non-stationary data set was stabilized. Then, the stabilized data was analyzed with VAR(3) model according to Akaike information criteria. According to the Johansen cointegration test, 2nd model was selected as the most appropriate model for the study. The variables were rearranged with error correction model and then Granger causality analysis was performed. As a result of these analysis, it was determined that Bitcoin only affected BIST100 and that there were two-way causality relation between them. In addition, a one-way causality from Nikkei225 to SSE380, from SSE380 to Bitcoin, from S&P500 to Nikkei225 and from Nikkei225 to Bitcoin were observed.


Absolute fluxes and energy distributions of ions in inductively coupled plasmas of Ar, CHF3/Ar, and CHFJ Ar/O2 have been measured. These plasmas were generated in a Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) cell modified for inductive coupling at pressures 10-50 mTorr and 100-300 W of 13.56 MHz radio frequency (RF) power in various feedgas mixtures. In pure Ar plasmas, the Ar* flux increases linearly with pressure as well as RFpower. Total ion flux in CHF3 mixtures decreases with increase in pressure and also CHF3 concentration. Relative ion fluxes observed in the present studies are analyzed with the help of available cross sections for electron impact ionization and charge-exchange ion-molecule reactions. Measurements of plasma potential, electron and ion number densities, electron energy distribution function, and mean electron energy have also been made in the center of the plasma with a RF compensated Langmuir probe. Plasma potential values are compared with the mean ion energies determined from the measured ion energy distributions and are consistent. Electron temperature, plasma potential, and mean ion energy vary inversely with pressure, but increase with CHF3 content in the mixture.


Gallium 67 has been used as a modality to diagnose and follow the clinical course of diseases such as tumors, infections, inflammatory disorders, and inter stitial lung disease. It has been appreciated, however, that mild to moderate changes in scan activity, when these disorders are followed over time, are less than optimal. SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) scanning is a new technique designed to obviate this problem. SPECT scanning utilizes com puter acquisition to provide three-dimensional scanning and the additional ben efit of colorization to aid in discerning differences of uptake. SPECT scanning was performed on 22 patients with interstitial lung disease of various etiologies. Additionally, 7 patients had follow-up SPECT scanning to determine their re sponse to treatment. Two patients are presented as examples.


The ability to anticipate future events and to modify erroneous anticipatory actions is crucial for the survival of any organism. Both theoretical and empirical lines of evidence implicate the cerebellum in this ability. It is often suggested that the cerebellum acquires "expectations" or "internal models". However, except in a metaphorical sense, the cerebellum, which consists of a set of interconnected nerve cells, cannot contain "internal models" or "have expectations". The aim of this thesis is to untangle these metaphors by translating them back into neurophysiological cause and effect relationships. This task is approached from within the paradigm of classical conditioning, in which a subject, through repeated presentations of a conditional stimulus, followed by an unconditional stimulus, acquires a conditioned response. Importantly, the conditioned response is timed so that it anticipates the unconditioned response. Available neurophysiological evidence suggests that Purkinje cells, in the cerebellar cortex, generate the conditioned response. In addition, Purkinje cells provide negative feedback to the IO, which is a relay for the unconditional stimulus, via the nucleo-olivary pathway. Purkinje cells can therefore regulate the intensity of the signal derived from the unconditional stimulus, which, in turn, decides subsequent plasticity. Hence, as learning progresses, the IO signal will become weaker and weaker due to increasing negative feedback from Purkinje cells. Thus, in an important sense, learning induced changes in Purkinje cell activity constitute an "expectation" or "anticipation" of a future event (the unconditional stimulus), and, consistent with theoretical models, future learning depends on the accuracy of this expectation. Paper 1 in this thesis show that learned changes in Purkinje cells influences subsequent IO activity. The second paper show that, depending on the number of pulses it contains, the signal from the IO to the Purkinje cells can either cause acquisition or extinction. In the third paper we present evidence that can potentially help explain overexpectation, a behavioral phenomenon, which have for long been elusive. Collectively these papers advance our understanding of the feedback mechanisms that govern cerebellar learning and it proposes a potential solution to some long standing behavioral conundrums.


Abstract During August 2013, a mobile Rayleigh lidar was deployed in Lhasa, Tibet (29.6°N, 91.0°E) for making measurements of middle atmosphere densities and temperatures from 30 to 90 km. In this paper, the authors present the initial results from this scientific campaign, Middle Atmosphere Remote Mobile Observatory in Tibet (MARMOT), and compared the results to the MSIS-00 (Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter) model. This work will advance our understanding of middle atmosphere dynamic processes, especially over the Tibetan Plateau area.


Arthritis doesn't only affect humans and dogs; cats can suffer from this debilitating condition too. There are around nine million cats in the UK, with three-quarters of those over eight years old showing signs of the disease. Yet arthritis is on the rise, and while cats' survival instincts mean they don't usually vocalise their pain, it doesn't mean they're not hurting. My cat has arthritis, but lives life to the full, gives our feline friends the voice they've been longing for. With expert input from leading feline vets, cat dieticians, and specialists in complementary therapies, the book covers all aspects of the disease, from how to spot the signs, to where to go for help. Areas covered include: the types of feline arthritis; the importance of an early diagnosis; the different kinds of treatment available, and the question of euthanasia for cats whose pain and discomfort sadly cannot be controlled. Featuring moving case histories, owner insight, and lavish colour photos, this book is an invaluable companion for all cat owners, and anyone considering getting a cat.


Product- Service Systems (PSS) and business model share the emphasis on value creation. Still PSS literature uses the term business models vaguely without being clearly understood. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to develop a framework that structures and integrates the various ways the term business model is used in PSS literature by pointing out the connection to strategy and tactics. This is done by conducting a systematic literature review. The findings are aggregated in a framework that proposes that a business model is chosen based on the strategy and that tactics are the residual choice after the business model is chosen. Four tactical sets, contract, marketing, network and product design, have been identified from the literature to be most relevant for PSS business models. The analysis of the tactics relates them to the PSS categories.


: Purpose: The research problem discussed in the article concerns the transport of dangerous goods by rail in Poland and its forecasting for the future through the obtained evaluation from the analysis of retrospective data. The purpose of the study was outlined for the adopted research problem. The aim of the study is to forecast the number of dangerous goods transported by rail in Poland for the years 2020-2023. Project/Methodology/Approach: Theoretical research methods for the analysis of the literature were used in the study which allowed to solve the adopted research problem. The literature on the transport of dangerous goods by rail in Poland was reviewed. The method of comparison was also used which made it possible to rank companies in terms of their participation in the transport of dangerous goods by rail in Poland. The method of the forecasting of dangerous goods transport by rail for the years 2020-2023 was used. The obtained forecasts were analyzed and evaluated through the forecast remainder. Results: The forecast for the transport of dangerous goods by rail in Poland for 2020 is 26 151 tons, for 2021 it is 27 899 tons, for 2022 it is 28 005 tons and for 2023 it is 28 752 tons. The forecast was considered very good as the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the obtained forecast was 3,50%. Practical implications: On the basis of the evaluation of historical data through the detection of regularities from the past, such as an increasing trend, a model to forecast for the future can be selected. Originality: The grouping of primary data allowed for their comparison on categorized bar and line charts to compare them dynamically and, thus, highlight their similarities and differences.


Abstract Introduction: The major aim of hand washing promotion programs is to persuade people to change their behaviour to reduce high-risk hygiene practices and use. Unfortunately, in a refugee setting, there is a dearth of information about participation in hand washing promotion programs. Objective: To assess barriers and motivators to participation in hand washing promotion programs at household level among refugees in Rhino Camp, Arua district, Uganda. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect quantitative and qualitative data. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on participation, individual, household factors related to hand washing promotional programs from 312 refugees. Five key informant interviews were conducted to gather data on public policy, institutional and community factors related to participation in the hand washing promotion programs. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: Only 19.6% (61/312) of the refugees had participated in hand washing promotion programs. Significant barriers to participation were; no formal education and staying in the camp for more than 3 years. The significant motivators were; households who had 6 to 10 members and more. Conclusion: Participation in hand washing promotion programs was low among the refugees. There is need for relevant stakeholders to come up with interventions to increase participation among the refugees while taking into consideration the potential barriers and motivators to their participation as identified by this study.


In this chapter we show that chordal structure can be used to devise efficient optimization methods for many common model predictive control problems. The chordal structure is used both for computing search directions efficiently as well as for distributing all the other computations in an interior-point method for solving the problem. The chordal structure can stem both from the sequential nature of the problem as well as from distributed formulations of the problem related to scenario trees or other formulations. The framework enables efficient parallel computations.


In this study, we describe a novel protein production platform that provides both activation and amplification of transgene expression in planta. The In Plant Activation (INPACT) system is based on the replication machinery of tobacco yellow dwarf mastrevirus (TYDV) and is essentially transient gene expression from a stably transformed plant, thus combining the advantages of both means of expression. The INPACT cassette is uniquely arranged such that the gene of interest is split and only reconstituted in the presence of the TYDV-encoded Rep/RepA proteins. Rep/RepA expression is placed under the control of the AlcA:AlcR gene switch, which is responsive to trace levels of ethanol. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Samsun) plants containing an INPACT cassette encoding the b-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter had negligible background expression but accumulated very high GUS levels (up to 10% total soluble protein) throughout the plant, within 3 d of a 1% ethanol application. The GUS reporter was replaced with a gene encoding a lethal ribonuclease, barnase, demonstrating that the INPACT system provides exquisite control of transgene expression and can be adapted to potentially toxic or inhibitory compounds. The INPACT gene expression platform is scalable, not host-limited, and has been used to express both a therapeutic and an industrial protein.


We develop a code length principle which is invariant to the choice of parameterization on the model distributions. An invariant approximation formula for easy computation of the marginal distribution is provided for gaussian likelihood models. We provide invariant estimators of the model parameters and formulate conditions under which these estimators are essentially posteriori unbiased for gaussian models. An upper bound on the coarseness of discretization on the model parameters is deduced. We introduce a discrimination measure between probability distributions and use it to construct probability distributions on model classes. The total code length is shown to be closely related to the NML code length of Rissanen when choosing Jeffreys prior distribution on the model parameters together with a uniform prior distribution on the model classes. Our model selection principle is applied to a gaussian estimation problem for data in a wavelet representation and its performance is tested and compared to alternative wavelet-based estimation methods in numerical experiments. Copyright c © 2004 by Eirik Fossgaard


With sesames as a culture medium, cordyceps sinensis and cordyceps militaris are subjected to double-bacterial mixed solid fermentation. The invention belongs to the technical field of biological engineering. The sesames prepared through the double-bacterial bio-conversion have functions of health caring and are excellent in application prospect.


The whole Mediterranean is suffering today because of climate changes, with projections of more severe impacts predicted for the coming decades. Egypt, on the southeastern flank of the Mediterranean Sea, is facing many challenges for water and food security, further exacerbated by the arid climate conditions. The Nile River represents the largest freshwater resource for the country, with a minor contribution coming from rainfall and from non-renewable groundwater aquifers. In more recent years, another important source is represented by non-conventional sources, such as treated wastewater reuse and desalination; these water resources are increasingly becoming valuable additional contributors to water availability. Moreover, although rainfall is scarce in Egypt, studies have shown that rainfall and flash floods can become an additional available source of water in the future. While presently rare, heavy rainfalls and flash floods are responsible for huge losses of lives and infrastructure especially in parts of the country, such as in the Sinai Peninsula. Despite the harsh climate, water from these events, when opportunely conveyed and treated, can represent a precious source of freshwater for small communities of Bedouins. In this work, rainfall climatology and flash flood events are presented, together with a discussion about the dynamics of some selected episodes and indications about future climate scenarios. Results can be used to evaluate the water harvesting potential in a region where water is scarce, also providing indications for improving the weather forecast. Basic information needed for identifying possible risks for population and infrastructures, when fed into hydrological models, could help to evaluate the flash flood water volumes at the outlets of the effective watershed(s). This valuable information will help policymakers and local governments to define strategies and measures for water harvesting and/or protection works.


In wireless orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, the time-varying channel is often estimated by algorithms based on pilot symbols. Such an estimator, however, requires statistical prior knowledge that is not easily obtained. Therefore, the pilot tones have to be close enough to fulfill the sampling theorem. In this case the statistical knowledge of the channel is not required to reconstruct correctly the channel impulse response (CIR). This paper explores the optimal placement and number of pilot symbols, we investigate optimal training sequences in OFDM systems and we analyze the number of pilot symbols required to fulfill the sampling theorem. Using a general model for a multipath slowly fading channel, the approach is based on the LS as a criterion of channel estimation while the channel interpolation is done using the piecewise-constant interpolation compromising between complexity and performance. Simulation results demonstrate the good performance of our approach.


An algorithm for the application of a hybrid finite element, finite difference technique for the solution of linear conductor problems has been developed. This paper describes the implementation of the technique to single layer helically spiralling conductor strand geometries. Such conductor configurations occur in hollow conductors with magnetically neutral spacers. However, the technique can also be used as an approximation to the solution of expanded conductor or ACSR conductor problems if it is assumed that the core wires remain substantially magnetically neutral. The influences of conductor pitch and strand diameter or equivalent circuit parameters are illustrated by considering a number of different configurations. Theoretical samples which are physically similar to actual ACSR specimens are analyzed in order to infer the inductive role of the core strand.


: A food poisoning epidemic caused by Salmonella hadar was confirmed by epidemiologic investigation and laboratory examination Samonalle hadar had been detected in the specimens of food feces of patients. Many epidemics of food poisoning caused by Salmonall group of have been reported before, but that caused by the serogroup Hadar hereby reported organisms is the first of its hind in China. Attention should be paid by the public health authorities.


Prostate cancer is the most common nonskin malignancy among men in the United States. Since the introduction of screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA), most patients are being diagnosed at an early stage with low-risk disease. For men with low-risk prostate cancer, there exists an array of radiotherapeutic strategies that are effective and well tolerated, such as external-beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy. In recent years, there have been tremendous advances in the field of radiation oncology that have transformed the way radiation is used to treat prostate cancer, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, image-guided radiotherapy, and stereotactic radiotherapy. It is now feasible to deliver high doses of radiation to the target volume with improved precision and spare more of the neighboring tissues from potentially damaging radiation. Disease outcomes are generally excellent in low-risk prostate cancer. Improvements are expected with further integration of innovative technologies in radiation delivery, tumor imaging, and target localization.


Various wavelet-based estimators of self-similarity or long-range dependence scaling exponent are studied extensively. These estimators mainly include the (bi)orthogonal wavelet estimators and the wavelet transform modulus maxima (WTMM) estimator. This study focuses both on short and long time-series. In the framework of fractional autoregressive integrated moving average (FARIMA) processes, we advocate the use of approximately adapted wavelet estimators. For these "ideal" processes, the scaling behavior actually extends down to the smallest scale, i.e., the sampling period of the time series, if an adapted decomposition is used. But in practical situations, there generally exists a cutoff scale below which the scaling behavior no longer holds. We test the robustness of the set of wavelet-based estimators with respect to that cutoff scale as well as to the specific density of the underlying law of the process. In all situations, the WTMM estimator is shown to be the best or among the best estimators in terms of the mean-squared error (MSE). We also compare the wavelet estimators with the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) estimator which was previously proved to be among the best estimators which are not wavelet-based estimators. The WTMM estimator turns out to be a very competitive estimator which can be further generalized to characterize multiscaling behavior.


Piston type valve cores are widely adopted in check valves, globe valves, pressure reducing valves and so forth. With the irregular inlet flow channel, the bottom of piston type valve core exits unbalanced torques usually. The unbalanced torque causes the valve core to squeeze sealing elements and increases the energy consumption. To analyze the unbalanced torque on the bottom of the piston type valve core, a transient numerical model of the piston type valve core is established and the simulation results are compared with the theoretical formula for the purpose of validation. The dynamic flow characteristics are studied to investigate pressure characteristics on the bottom of the piston type valve core with the dynamic motion of the valve core. Meanwhile, pressure characteristics under different valve core displacements are obtained, and the sensitive range of the unbalanced torque is found. This work can be helpful for the further structural optimization on the valves with piston type valve cores.


During a 6-month period, 7252 faeces specimens were examined for Escherichia coli serotype0157:H7. Forty-nine specimens (0.7%) from 19 patients yielded this organism. Escherichia coli 0157:H7 was the third most frequently isolated bacterial pathogen, following Campylobacter jejuni and (or) Salmonella sp. Although regional variation between laboratories determined whether Campylobacter jejuni or Salmonella was the primary bacterial pathogen isolated, E. coli 0157:H7 was consistently isolated more frequently than either Shigella or Yersinia enterocolitica.


There is good evidence of the benefit of transferring vascularized muscle into wounds that are contaminated or have been infected previously. This benefit particularly applies in cavities around bones and joints. We present two patients in whom the inclusion of a portion of muscle in the lateral arm and radial forearm flaps allowed the effective combination of good-quality skin cover with the properties of vascularized muscle.


The purpose of this literature review is to find out how incidents related to unintended consequences in caring processes are reported by patients or their families, and the status of patient reporting systems globally. The focus of the study is on patient self-reporting systems, and patient centrism. For that purpose, this scoping review examines studies that summarize the current position of patient self-reporting in health care. Scopus, PubMed including MEDLINE, and Cochrane retrievals, and hand search revealed in 50 articles for further analysis. The results showed that patient-reported incidents are still ifrequently researched. Patient reporting systems were implemented to some extent, but not worldwide in spite of the existence of several report systems. More research is obviously needed, especially within organizations where patient self-reporting systems are in use.


Trees and urban forests remove particulate matter (PM) from the air through the deposition of particles on the leaf surface, thus helping to improve air quality and reduce respiratory problems in urban areas. Leaf deposited PM, in turn, is either resuspended back into the atmosphere, washed off during rain events or transported to the ground with litterfall. The net amount of PM removed depends on crown and leaf characteristics, air pollution concentration, and weather conditions, such as wind speed and precipitation. Many existing deposition models, such as i-Tree Eco, calculate PM2.5 removal using a uniform deposition velocity function and resuspension rate for all tree species, which vary based on leaf area and wind speed. However, model results are seldom validated with experimental data. In this study, we compared i-Tree Eco calculations of PM2.5 deposition with fluxes determined by eddy covariance assessments (canopy scale) and particulate matter accumulated on leaves derived from measurements of vacuum/filtration technique as well as scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (leaf scale). These investigations were carried out at the Capodimonte Royal Forest in Naples. Modeled and measured fluxes showed good overall agreement, demonstrating that net deposition mostly happened in the first part of the day when atmospheric PM concentration is higher, followed by high resuspension rates in the second part of the day, corresponding with increased wind speeds. The sensitivity analysis of the model parameters showed that a better representation of PM deposition fluxes could be achieved with adjusted deposition velocities. It is also likely that the standard assumption of a complete removal of particulate matter, after precipitation events that exceed the water storage capacity of the canopy (Ps), should be reconsidered to better account for specific leaf traits. These results represent the first validation of i-Tree Eco PM removal with experimental data and are a starting point for improving the model parametrization and the estimate of particulate matter removed by urban trees.


Mounting non-performing assets (NPAs), particularly for project finance bank loans to public–private partnership (PPP) projects in the infrastructure sector, is a cause of concern for the Indian banking industry. In order to tackle the problem of NPAs, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) advises banks on joint and corrective actions that include early detection of declines in asset quality, infusions of equity, conversion of debt into equity, fresh management commitments, and distressed sales of assets. This article presents a conceptual framework and suggests that in economies such as India's, there is information asymmetry among the key stakeholders of PPP projects. This makes it difficult for banks to structure perfect deals or monitor loans after they have been made. Information asymmetry leads to agency costs for the project as sponsors' actions are sometimes directed at shedding the risk to the banks and exiting the project. The data show that debt has increased and that the interest coverage ratio has declined for infrastructure companies in the last five years. The author calculates the new risk premiums that equity investors will demand as debt piles up in the balance sheets of infrastructure companies. Data from Moody's Investors Service are analyzed to consider the feasibility of distressed asset sales. The author argues for a simple solution: Policies for project finance debt restructuring should aim at, in addition to financial solutions, addressing the structural problems of information asymmetry and agency costs among the key stakeholders. This should lead to a solution for NPAs that is sustainable in the long run.


Precision medicine can be defined as the comparison of a new patient with existing patients that have similar characteristics and can be referred to as patient similarity. Several deep learning models have been used to build and apply patient similarity networks (PSNs). However, the challenges related to data heterogeneity and dimensionality make it difficult to use a single model to reduce data dimensionality and capture the features of diverse data types. In this paper, we propose a multi-model PSN that considers heterogeneous static and dynamic data. The combination of deep learning models and PSN allows ample clinical evidence and information extraction against which similar patients can be compared. We use the bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) to analyze the contextual data and generate word embedding, where semantic features are captured using a convolutional neural network (CNN). Dynamic data are analyzed using a long-short-term-memory (LSTM)-based autoencoder, which reduces data dimensionality and preserves the temporal features of the data. We propose a data fusion approach combining temporal and clinical narrative data to estimate patient similarity. The experiments we conducted proved that our model provides a higher classification accuracy in determining various patient health outcomes when compared with other traditional classification algorithms.


nteraction sets the focus for this paper, observed through a project on "The Carnival of the Animals" app for the iPad. The interpretations of a small child's playful interaction behaviour with the App 1) as investigated by early childhood teacher students – and 2) via the learning results gained as an understanding of interaction behaviour created on the basis of the current study project. The aim was to support the students' professional identity development with the interaction experiences during the family visits included in the study protocol. The project was performed as group work and supported with a basic theory and some supervision during it. The aims for the students were two-fold: learning about the interaction behaviour of a child, and learning about doing research. These were used as tools for the professional development. Five students, one of each group, were interview six months after the project. Despite of the challenges especially in the beginning of the project, a clear finding of the professional development and an understanding of a child was stated. New ideas for teacher training as a ground for development can be considered for the future needs.