Cultivars and some cultivar mixtures of spring barley were grown under inversion and non-inversion tillage conditions for three or four years and assessed for disease and yield in order to obtain genotypes that can be used to determine the mechanisms of cultivation adaptation. In general, the higher-yielding cultivars under inversion tillage conditions gave lower yields under non-inversion tillage, whereas low-yielding older cultivars showed relatively smaller reductions in yield under non-inversion tillage. A few cultivars showed preferential yield performance for either inversion or non-inversion tillage and this was irrespective of their overall yield performance. There was no pedigree or breeding programme link between these cultivars and no above-ground gross morphological trait observed was associated with tillage adaptation. Root hairs may contribute to inversion tillage adaptation as a root hair absence mutant was associated with non-inversion adaptation and it is likely that other root-associated traits are responsible also for tillage adaptation. There was no overall cultivar or tillage interaction with rhynchosporium symptoms but a differential tillage interaction may occur in individual years. We have identified clearly contrasting cultivars and tested their across-season robustness with respect to tillage treatment for further detailed mechanistic studies and identification of tillage adaptation traits.


This thesis presents a phenomenological case study of customer delight during product evaluation. The literature presents two existing 'theories' of customer delight. The first, from the field of Consumer Research, presents a cognitive model of post-purchase customer delight as the affective result of expectation disconfirmation. The second, from the Manufacturing literature, proposes that customers are delighted when products contain unexpected features or levels of qualities that exceed expectations. This research was motivated by the fact that our current understanding of this commercially important phenomenon is confined by expectation-based thinking. Furthermore, both streams of research have neglected to study the naturalistic occurrence of delight from the customer's perspective. The aim of this research was to generate an integrated understanding of the affective, behavioural, and cognitive nature of customer delight and its product basis. A case study methodology, incorporating interview, self-report and observational methods, was adopted to generate a triangulated understanding of productbased customer delight. The naturalistic product evaluations of 918 customers were observed and self-reported delight reactions were collected from 66 research participants. In total 414 customer delight reactions were analysed in detail. This approach aimed to generate new theory, rather than test the existing models, and this new integrative understanding of customer delight is the primary contribution of this thesis. A new model of product-based customer delight is presented, and the existing Manufacturing model is extended to incorporate the empirical findings of the case study. Whilst the findings of this research support concepts contained within the existing theories of customer delight, they also demonstrate their limitations. The cognitive and affective diversity of customer delight reactions, previously unaccounted for in the literature, was uncovered and five product-based routes to delight were identified. The emergent theory successfully integrates the two previously separate concepts of delight and builds upon them by identifying the behaviours associated with customer delight resulting from both attribute-based and holistic product appraisals.


Basic science continues to occupy a substantial portion of the program at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. At the 17th conference this year, presentations focused on advances in our understanding of cellular factors that regulate the interplay between the virus and the host cell and, in particular, cellular defenses such as tetherin (or BST-2) that antagonize viral replication. Research into basic mechanisms of primate lentiviral pathogenicity was also an area of great interest at the conference. An analysis of the evolution of lentiviral and primate genomes highlights the conflict between the virus and its host and illustrates the considerable gyrations that lentiviruses have undergone to acquire the ability to replicate within their primate hosts. It is now apparent that all 4 accessory proteins of lentiviruses are in some way involved in overcoming natural antiviral restrictions in primate cells. Therefore, because lentiviruses such as HIV-1 are hard pressed to avoid the intrinsic antiviral defenses of the cell, there is strong rationale for the development of strategies that harness the antiviral capacity of these natural cellular restrictions.


Background This study assessed the impact of DaTscan on clinical management, diagnosis, confidence of diagnosis (CoD), quality of life (QoL), health resource use (HRU) and safety during a 1-year follow-up in patients with clinically uncertain parkinsonian syndromes (CUPS). Methods A total of 19 university hospital centres in Europe and the USA participated in this open-label, single-dose, prospective, clinical trial in patients with CUPS who were randomised to a DaTscan imaging group or to a no-imaging (control) group. The proportion of patients with changes in clinical management, diagnosis, CoD, QoL and HRU from baseline through 1 year post-DaTscan was compared between groups. Results There were 273 patients randomised (135 DaTscan, 138 control). Significantly more patients in the DaTscan imaging group had at least one change in their actual clinical management after 12 weeks (p=0.002) and after 1 year (p<0.001) compared with patients in the control group. In addition, significantly more DaTscan patients had changes in diagnosis and an increased CoD at 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 1 year (all p<0.001) compared with control patients. No significant differences in total score for QoL or HRU were observed between groups during the 1-year follow-up period. DaTscan was safe and well tolerated. One patient in the imaging group had an adverse event (headache) with suspected relationship to DaTscan post-administration. Conclusions DaTscan had a significant impact on clinical management, diagnosis and CoD in patients with CUPS. DaTscan is safe and well tolerated, and is a useful adjunct to differentiate a diagnosis of CUPS. Trial registration number http://ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00382967.


We have investigated the role of the radiation damping term (RDT) on repeated earthquake ruptures by modeling the faulting process through a single one-dimensional analog fault system governed by different constitutive laws. The RDT expresses the energy lost by the seismic waves. The RDT is inherently accounted for in more elaborated, fully dynamic models of extended fault, whereas it is neglected in one-dimensional fault models. In this study, we adopt various formulations of the laboratoryderived rate-dependent and state-dependent friction constitutive laws: the Dieterich-Ruina law, the Ruina-Dieterich law and the Chester and Higgs law. Our numerical results clearly indicate that the RDT significantly affects the system dynamics. More specifically, the more the RDT is effective, the more frequent the slip failures are (with a cycle-time reduction of ca. 30%). We also show that inclusion of the RDT tends to promote smaller but more frequent earthquake instabilities, irrespective of the choice of the governing law. Our data shed light on the limitations implied by the conventional formulation of the equation of motion for the spring system, in which the energy radiation is ignored.


DNA methylation exhibits a gradual genome-wide decrease in association with aging and the rate of decrease appears to be inversely proportional to life expectancy. The observed age-related increase in cancer incidence cannot be explained entirely by genetic mutation rates. Accumulation of epigenetic alterations during aging may contribute to determine the malignant transformation. In particular, global DNA hypomethylation, which has been associated with repetitive DNA demethylation may promote chromosomal instability. About 55% of the human genome consists of repetitive elements, which are for the most part made up of approximately 500,000 long interspersed nucleotide elements (LINE elements) and 1.4 million Alu repetitive elements, which are normally heavily methylated. DNA methylation of LINE-1 and Alu elements has shown to correlate with total 5mC content and thus used to estimate global DNA methylation. In humans, LINEs are the major source of insertional mutagenesis, being involved in both germinal and somatic mutant phenotypes. Alu retrotransposition has also been associated with human disease. However, whether LINE/Alu methylation decreases with age has never been established. We examined the epigenetic effect of aging on DNA methylation in repetitive elements Alu and LINE-1, measured in peripheral blood DNA from 693 subjects evaluated between 1999-2006 as part of the Normative Aging Study (NAS), a longitudinal study established in 1963 by the U.S. Veterans Administration. We measured DNA methylation through quantitative analysis by PCR-Pyrosequencing. Two different blood samples, taken approximately three years apart, were available for each subject. Repeated element methylation was negatively associated with age. In linear regression, we found a decrease equal to 0.016% for LINE-1 (p=0.07) and 0.015% for Alu (p=0.007), for each year increase. We did not find significant changes between repeated measures taken three years apart from each other on the same subjects. The two repeated measures showed high correlation for both Alu (n=300, r=0.46, p DNA methylation of LINE-1 and Alu repetitive elements is inversely correlated with age, although is not captured in repeated measurements taken over a three years period. Such age-related decrease in methylation may increase the risk of mutational events potentially leading to cancer development.


In 1985, Mader conjectured the existence of a function $f$ such that every digraph with minimum out-degree at least $f(k)$ contains a subdivision of the transitive tournament of order $k$. This conjecture is still completely open, as the existence of $f(5)$ remains unknown. In this paper, we show that if $D$ is an oriented path, or an in-arborescence (i.e., a tree with all edges oriented towards the root) or the union of two directed paths from $x$ to $y$ and a directed path from $y$ to $x$, then every digraph with minimum out-degree large enough contains a subdivision of $D$. Additionally, we study Mader's conjecture considering another graph parameter. The dichromatic number of a digraph $D$ is the smallest integer $k$ such that $D$ can be partitioned into $k$ acyclic subdigraphs. We show that any digraph with dichromatic number greater than $4^m (n-1)$ contains every digraph with $n$ vertices and $m$ arcs as a subdivision. We show that any digraph with dichromatic number greater than $4^m (n-1)$ contains every digraph with $n$ vertices and $m$ arcs as a subdivision.


Recent radiometric dating of carbonates and banded iron-formations on the Kaapvaal Craton, southern Africa, has suggested that late Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic carbonate sedimentation was diachronous across the craton. We present new SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages of 2583±5 Ma and 2588±7 Ma for two samples of a tuff bed, 320 km apart in the upper Oak Tree Formation, Transvaal Supergroup. These ages, in conjunction with published data, support previously established sequence stratigraphic correlations that show the temporal equivalence of late Archaean carbonates in the region. A review of the sequence stratigraphy and geochronology of the Mount Bruce Megasequence Set on the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, and the newly named Highveld Megasequence Set on the Kaapvaal Craton, indicates a remarkably similar geohistory. Both cratons are characterized by a divergent megacycle (Hamersley Range and Vaal Megasequences) followed by a convergent megacycle (Chichester Range and Drakensberg Megasequences). Our data show that the megasequence boundary is marked by drowning of both cratons at approximately the same time (c. 2590 Ma), which permits more meaningful geotectonic correlations between them.


The induction of pain states is known to involve changes in gene expression in DRGs and spinal dorsal horn. These changes lead to plasticity in both peripheral and central pathways in the form of peripheral and central sensitisation, which contribute to the full manifestation of pain states. Strong evidence exists to implicate the regulation of pain states by epigenetic mechanisms. Histone modification contributes to long-term plasticity and modulation of gene expression and histone modifying enzymes have been shown to regulate memory formation, a process thought to require neural activity similar to central sensitisation. Specifically, both neural processes engage the same molecular events such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity, which induces the histone modification phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10 (PH3S10) via the nuclear mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase (MSK1). MSK1 has been implicated in various animal models of neural plasticity and PH3S10 is a known marker of transcriptional activation, but neither has been investigated following noxious stimulation. The aim of this thesis was to use the rat formalin model, which induces a biphasic nocifensive behavioural response reflective of peripheral nociceptor activation followed by central sensitisation maintained by ongoing peripheral input, to investigate the role of histone modifications, in particular PH3S10, in pain processing. This thesis demonstrated using immunohistochemistry that hindpaw formalin stimulation caused induction of PMSK1 and PH3S10 in the ipsilateral dorsal horn. PH3S10 peaked at 30 minutes and colocalised with markers of the pain pathways PERK, NK1, c-Fos, and Zif268. Formalin-induced PMSK1 and PH3S10 were prevented by inhibition of upstream ERK activity with the MEK inhibitor SL327. Moreover, intrathecal delivery of the MSK1 inhibitor SB747651A prevented full expression of PH3S10, and attenuated both phases of the formalin response. These findings are the first to elucidate key players involved in ERK/MAPK regulation of pain processing, and suggest that histone phosphorylation plays a crucial role in the response to injury.


Competitive bidding for ancillary services (A/S), in addition to bidding for energy, is increasingly recognized as an important part of electricity markets. In this paper, an LP-based approach is presented for solving the multi-product (i.e. energy and A/S products), multi-zone/area physical market dispatch problem. The approach can explicitly represent various constraints, such as reserve requirement constraints, network security limits, and sharing of constrained resource capacity (e.g. maximum unit generation) between energy and reserve. The joint dispatch method, which dispatches energy and reserve market concurrently, is extended to allow inter-zonal reserve trading in a multi-zone competitive pool. Numerical examples are included to demonstrate the salient characteristics of the joint dispatch solution.


In this presentation, we will give an overview of the Europlanet Evaluation Toolkit, a resource that aims to empower outreach providers and educators in measuring and appraising the impact of their activities. The toolkit is intended to provide advice and resources that can be simply and easily integrated into normal outreach and education activities. It is available as an interactive online resource (http://www.europlanet-eu.org/europlanet-evaluation-toolkit/), as a downloadable PDF and as a hard copy (including a book and set of activity cards).

The toolkit has been developed over a number of years with content provided by professional outreach evaluators Karen Bultitude and Jennifer DeWitt (UCL, UK). Initially, a series of focus groups and scoping discussions were held with active outreach providers from the planetary science community in order to determine what they wanted from such a toolkit, and what sort of tools would be of most interest. A shortlist of tools was developed based on these discussions, with volunteers testing out the tool instructions once they were drafted.

The toolkit begins with a brief introduction to evaluation and steps to choosing the right tools. This advice takes the form of a series of questions to help design an evaluation approach and make the most efficient and effective use possible of limited time and resources.

The toolkit offers a choice of 14 data collection tools that can be selected according to the audience (e.g. primary, secondary, interested adult, general public), the type of environment and activity (e.g. drop-in, interactive workshop, ongoing series, lecture/presentation or online) or according to when they might best be used (during, beginning/end, or after an event). The online version of the toolkit includes a set of interactive tables to help with the selection of which tool is most appropriate for any given situation.

The toolkit includes descriptions and worked examples of how to use two techniques (word-clouds and thematic coding) to analyse the data, as well as some top tips for evaluation and recommended resources.

For some of the tools, case study examples include information about how the tools have been used in the context of an event, how data was actually collected and analysed and what conclusions were reached, based on the data gathered.

The Europlanet Evaluation Toolkit has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149 (Europlanet 2024 RI) and 654208 (Europlanet 2020 RI).


ABSTRACT The literature on welfare and social policy regimes often assumes that countries perform consistently across policy sectors. Is this assumption correct, particularly in the global South? Do countries that do well in a given policy sector do also well in others? This article examines the matter by contrasting pensions with health care in Latin America, clustering countries based on their degree of segmentation in policy outputs. As a region, Latin America is an interesting case to study because of its comparatively high levels of social spending, long history of welfare systems, significant policy transformation in the first decade of the twenty-first century and extensive body of research. Findings show that while some countries do consistently well or poorly across sectors, others report an uneven performance. Questioning overarching generalizations based on the notion of the regime, the paper calls for further comparative analysis on the political economy behind the sectoral change.


Purpose: To study the most recent colon cancer incidence rates among women living in California. Methods: Using the California Cancer Registry SEER*Stat database we calculated colon cancer incidence rates from 2006 to 2010 for the major race/ethnic groups, and analyzed rates among women in particular. We also analyzed colon cancer stage at diagnosis. Rates were calculated per 100,000 population, and ageadjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Results: Compared to men, women had lower rates of colon cancer among the major race/ethnic groups. Th e lowest rate was observed among South Asian women (11.4). Th e highest rate was seen among nonHispanic Black women (40.9). When we analyzed the stage of colon cancer at diagnosis, rates among women were lower at every stage of colon cancer compared to men, except for stage III colon cancer among Chinese women (6.2 versus 5.7 among Chinese men). Conclusion: Colon cancer rates among women in California were lower than rates in men across all major race/ethnicity groups, and subgroups. However, there was a wide gap in rates between non-Hispanic Black women and women of other races/ethnicities. In fact, the rate among non-Hispanic Black women (40.9) was higher than rates among men of all other races and ethnicities, except non-Hispanic Black men. Th is points to the continued gap in disease burden between non-Hispanic Blacks and all other races and ethnicities in general and women in particular. Continued eff orts to identify and overcome barriers to colon cancer screening among the non-Hispanic Black community are required if we are to improve the overall health of our country. 1621


A nonylphenol-assimilating bacterium isolated at a sewage-treatment plant in Tokyo was studied phenotypically, genotypically and phylogenetically. Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence, the G+C content of the DNA (63 mol%) and the isoprenoid quinone composition, as well as the presence of sphingoglycolipid and the whole-cell fatty acid profile, revealed that the isolate is a member of the genus Sphingomonas. However, the sequence similarity of the 16S rDNA with that of known Sphingomonas spp. was found to be at most 96%, implying that the isolate is distinctive. Furthermore, the results of DNA-DNA hybridization experiments and its physiological characteristics clearly indicated that the isolate represents a new Sphingomonas species, for which the name Sphingomonas cloacae is proposed; strain S-3T (= JCM 10874T = IAM 14885) is the type strain.


Purpose: There is currently a notable absence of available scientific literature on Scottish women's rugby. To fulfill this niche, the aim of this study is to investigate the anthropometric, and physiological performance measures in Scottish female rugby players. Methods: Nineteen elite women's rugby union players from Scotland's top tier division were split into forwards and backs and underwent various anthropometric, and physical performance tests. Results: Mean (± standard deviation) recorded height, weight and body volume among all players is 166.11 cm ± 4.66, 73.51 kg ± 10.60 and 69.61 L ± 9.45, respectively. Average lean weight, fat weight and fat percentage is 51.18 kg ± 5.16, 22.75 kg ± 7.00 and 29.83% ± 6.43. Results from the sit and reach test, the Illinois agility test, 40m sprints and the yo-yo test are 23.18cm ± 9.23, 19.09s ± 0.85, 6.98s ± 0.38, and 35.82 ml·kg·min ± 3.02 respectfully. Conclusion: There is no significant difference among forwards and backs in both the anthropometric and physical performance measurements, with the exception of the sit and reach test. The lack of significant difference in weight, body fat percentage and all other physiological performance measures between forwards and backs highlight the need to adapt the squad's training regime to a more positional-orientated program.


Rising sea levels threaten the sustainability of coastal wetlands around the globe, thus understanding how increased inundation alters the elevation change mechanisms in these systems is increasingly important. Typically, the ability of coastal marshes to maintain their position in the intertidal zone depends on the accumulation of both organic and inorganic materials, so one, if not both, of these processes must increase to keep pace with rising seas, assuming all else constant. To determine the importance of vegetation in these processes, we measured elevation change and surface accretion over a 4‐year period in recently subsided, unvegetated marshes, resulting from drought‐induced marsh dieback, in paired planted and unplanted plots. We compared soil and vegetation responses in these plots with paired reference plots that had neither experienced dieback nor subsidence. All treatments (unvegetated, planted, and reference) were replicated six times. The recently subsided areas were 6–10 cm lower in elevation than the reference marshes at the beginning of the study; thus, mean water levels were 6–10 cm higher in these areas vs. the reference sites. Surface accretion rates were lowest in the unplanted plots at 2.3 mm yr−1, but increased in the presence of vegetation to 16.4 mm yr−1 in the reference marsh and 26.1 mm yr−1 in the planted plots. The rates of elevation change were also bolstered by the presence of vegetation. The unplanted areas decreased in elevation by 9.4 mm yr−1; whereas the planted areas increased in elevation by 13.3 mm yr−1, and the reference marshes increased by 3.5 mm yr−1. These results highlight the importance of vegetation in the accretionary processes that maintain marsh surface elevation within the intertidal zone, and provide evidence that coastal wetlands may be able to keep pace with a rising sea in certain situations.


Amphidiniopsis is one of the most specious genera of sand-dwelling dinoflagellates. However, its systematic position and the affinities to other genera remain unresolved. We obtained the first SSU rDNA sequences of two species of Amphidiniopsis , A. hirsut a and A. swedmarkii collected from the French coasts of the English Channel. In the corresponding SSU rDNA phylogeny, the sand-dwelling Amphidiniopsis spp., Thecadinium dragescoi , Herdmania litoralis and the planktonic Archaeperidinium (= Protoperidinium ) minutum formed a strongly supported clade (100% bootstrap support), with a Scrippsiella-like species occupying a basal position. This clade branched close to families of Peridiniales such as Calciodinellaceae ( Scripssiella ), Podolampadaceae ( Podolampas, Roscoffia ), Heterocapsaceae ( Heterocapsa ) and other peridinioids. The members of the clade of Amphidiniopsis are placed in the family Amphidiniopsidaceae, within the Peridiniales.


This study aims to analyze the determinants for employee performance in Islamic Banks. Based on the literature discussed, the three factors considered as the important elements influence the employees' performance that need to be investigated. The research question lies in whether each of those factors has a simultaneous and partial effect on the employees' performance or otherwise. Using the quantitative method, the population of this study was 47 respondents with N=32. The primary data gathered in the form of questionnaires with a Likert typed-scale were then analysed using the multiple regression method. The findings reveal that the value of the determination coefficient test is 59.3 percent, indicating that the employees' performance is explained by job stress, motivation and communication factors, while the remaining 31.7 percent are linked with other factors. Moreover, the F test shows that the job stress (X1), motivation (X2) and communication variables (X3) simultaneously influence employees' performance, while the T test shows that both job stress (X1) and motivation (X2) variables have no partial effect on the employees' performance, whereas the communication variable (X3) has a partial effect on employee performance.


In the design of deep neural architectures, recent studies have demonstrated the benefits of grouping subnetworks into a larger network. For examples, the Inception architecture integrates multi-scale subnetworks and the residual network can be regarded that a residual unit combines a residual subnetwork with an identity shortcut. In this work, we embrace this observation and propose the Competitive Pathway Network (CoPaNet). The CoPaNet comprises a stack of competitive pathway units and each unit contains multiple parallel residual-type subnetworks followed by a max operation for feature competition. This mechanism enhances the model capability by learning a variety of features in subnetworks. The proposed strategy explicitly shows that the features propagate through pathways in various routing patterns, which is referred to as pathway encoding of category information. Moreover, the cross-block shortcut can be added to the CoPaNet to encourage feature reuse. We evaluated the proposed CoPaNet on four object recognition benchmarks: CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, SVHN, and ImageNet. CoPaNet obtained the state-of-the-art or comparable results using similar amounts of parameters. The code of CoPaNet is available at: this https URL.


A national survey of physicians was used to examine the extent to which they provide family care. Care of other family members was noted for 64.9% of patients of family physicians, 33.9% of patients of general internists, and lesser percentages for patients of medical subspecialists and surgeons. Family physicians in office-based practice and those in rural areas show the highest percentages of family care. Family care is more likely to be noted for patients receiving obstetrical and preventive care and least likely for patients receiving care for psychosocial problems. Family care is most common for children 10 years and under and for older adults, and least common for males 21-30 years of age.


An organophilic bentonite was prepared by means of a reaction of natural Na-montmorillonite with trimethyldococylammonium which has an especially long n-alkyl chain. The addition of trimethyldococylammonium to montmorillonite was in the range 0.25–3.0 times the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the clay (i.e. 0.23–2.82 mmol/g clay). The particle morphology in organic liquid suspensions of organoclay complexes was studied by measuring the viscosity based on Eyring's rate process and Robinson's relative sediment volume. In toluene, montmorillonite with 1.17 mmol/g clay trimethyldococylammonium (1.25 times the CEC) had the largest specific gel volume, relative sediment volume, and K-factor. The results of the stoichiometry for trimethyldococylammonium-montmorillonite show that practically all of the quaternary ammonium was adsorbed to montmorillonite. Maximum half widths of 001 reflections from X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained in the range 0.74–1.17 mmol/g clay, indicating a disordered arrangement of the organic cation molecules intercalated between the layers. Appreciable shifts to lower-frequency regions in the Fourier transform infrared absorption spectra as a result of CH2-stretching vibrations were observed with increasing amounts of the organic cation. When increasing the amount of organic cation added to the clay from 0.94 to 1.41 mmol/g clay, a large shift occurred to the lower-frequency side, approaching the frequency of the organic cation alone. This indicates that the interaction between adjacent hydrocarbon chains becomes progressively stronger, due to van der Waals attraction, with increases in the amount of organic cation. Interactions of the alkyl chains in trimethyldococylammonium-montmorillonite complexes with irregularly distributed and randomly arranged alkyl chains between the silicate layers were weak, and, as a result, solvation with external organic liquids occurred and gel formation developed through macroscopic swelling of the organoclay.


Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a growth factor-like bioactive phospholipid recognising LPA receptors (LPARs) and mediating signalling pathways that regulate embryonic development, wound healing, carcinogenesis, and fibrosis, via effects on cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. Extracellular LPA is generated from lysophospholipids by the secreted hydrolase - ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 2 (ENPP2; also, AUTOTAXIN / ATX) and metabolised by different membrane-bound phospholipid phosphatases (PLPPs). Here, we use public bulk and singlecell RNA sequencing datasets to explore the gene expression of Lpar1-6, Enpp2, and Plpp genes under skeletal muscle homeostasis and regeneration conditions. We show that the skeletal muscle system dynamically expresses the Enpp2-Lpar-Plpp gene axis, with Lpar1 being the highest expressed member among LPARs. Lpar1 was expressed by mesenchymal fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) and tenocytes, whereas FAPs mainly expressed Enpp2. Clustering of FAPs identified populations representing distinct cell states with robust Lpar1 and Enpp2 transcriptome signatures in homeostatic cells expressing higher levels of markers Dpp4 and Hsd11b1. However, tissue injury induced transient repression of Lpar genes and Enpp2. The role of LPA in modulating the fate and differentiation of tissue-resident FAPs has not yet been explored. Ex vivo, LPAR1/3 and ENPP2 inhibition significantly decreased the cell-cycle activity of FAPs and impaired fibro-adipogenic differentiation, implicating LPA signalling in the modulation of the proliferative and differentiative fate of FAPs. Together, our results demonstrate the importance of the ENPP2-LPAR-PLPP axis in different muscle cell types and FAP lineage populations in homeostasis and injury, paving the way for further research on the role of this signalling pathway in skeletal muscle homeostasis and regeneration, and that of other organs and tissues, in vivo. Summary Our reanalysis of single-cell transcriptomics revealed the involvement and temporally dynamic expression of the ENPP2-LPAR-PLPP axis in response to skeletal muscle regeneration.


A regular MCM-41 type mesostructured silica was used as a support for the incorporation of the highly luminescent tris(β-diketonate) complex Eu(tta)3ephen yielding the hybrid MCM–Eu material. Suitable characterization by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), 13C and 21Si solid state NMR spectroscopy and photoluminescence was accomplished. The combination of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence techniques shows that the complex incorporation seems to modify essentially the second Eu3+ coordination shell. For a material that has a simply impregnated lanthanide complex, the herein reported maximum 5D0 quantum yield value of 0.31 is a significantly high value, being almost in the same scale of the values obtained for the materials with covalently bonded complexes. A detailed theoretical photoluminescence study of the MCM–Eu with the recently developed Luminescence Package – LUMPAC is presented. The high accuracy of the theoretical calculations is achieved through the comparison with the experimental values. Aiming at a deeper understanding of the photoluminescence process, the ligand-to-Eu3+ intramolecular energy transfer and back-transfer rates were also predicted. The dominant pathway involves the energy transfer between the lowest energy ligand triplet and the 5D0 level (9.70 × 107 s−1).


Effect of equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) on the corrosion and mechanical properties of Cu-35%Zn alloy were studied. Two types of feed direction were selected. One is parallel pass and the other is 180°degree rotated ECAP pass after each pass. Both ECAP passes made texture in each specimen in which shear band with 45 degree on transverse direction and twins exist. The specimen prepared by parallel ECAP pass has finer shear band. Relative amount of twins to shear band on the microstructure becomes decrease with number of ECAP pass. Microhardness increased from 75 Hv to 210 Hv by ECAP. The corrosion potential and rate of the ECAPed Cu-35%Zn alloys in aerated aqueous 1 M-H2SO4 solution were –92.3 mVSHE and 3.72x10-2 A/cm2 for route- A and –38.6 mVSHE and 5.08x10-2 A/cm2 for route-C, respectively. The corrosion potential and rate of depended on the feed direction and number of pass.


DFT calculations have been performed to study the recently reported unprecedented nucleophilic alkylation of benzene mediated by an organocalcium compound (Science, 2017, 358, 1168). The study reveals that the dimeric reaction mechanism is kinetically more favorable, and the rate-determining step is predicted to be the first nucleophilic attack of benzene by the organocalcium compound. Remarkably, the dimeric mechanism involves the formation of NMR detected dimeric alkyl calcium analogue 4, which agrees well with the experimental observations. EDA-NOCV analysis indicated that the origin of the higher reactivity of alkylcalcium 1 lies in its unusual bonding nature. We further studied the ligand effects and rationally designed the [(SiMe3BDI)CaEt]2 molecule, which shows a higher reactivity towards benzene. In addition, we de novo designed the more reactive heavier alkylstrontium and alkylbarium congeners, which might be targets for experimental synthesis.


An adaptive optics (AO) system is most effective when there is a known alignment between the wave front sensor (WFS) and the deformable mirror (DM). Misregistration is the term for the unknown alignment between the WFS and DM. Misregistration degrades system performance and can make the system unstable. An AO system uses a reconstruction matrix to transform WFS measurements into DM commands. A standard AO system uses a model reconstruction matrix that assumes perfect registration between the WFS and DM. The object of this research is to mitigate the negative effects of misregistration by using offline WFS measurements to create the reconstruction matrix. To build the reconstruction matrix, each actuator on the DM is poked to a fixed amount, and then the resulting measurement on the WFS is recorded. Analytic studies of the model and measured matrices show that the measured matrix yields a more stable AO system. Additional simulations indicate that applying the measured matrix improves the overall system performance compared to that of the model reconstruction matrix.


AIM
To investigate the effect of the establishment of in-house multidisciplinary team (MDT) availability (iMDTa) on survival in upper gastrointestinal cancer (UGI) patients.

METHODS
In 2001, a cancer centre with irradiation and chemotherapy facilities was established in the Norwegian county of West Agder with a change of iMDTa (WA/MDT-Change). "iMDTa"-status was defined according to the availability of the necessary specialists within one institution on one campus, serving the population of one county. We compared survival rates during 2000-2008 for UGI patients living in counties with (MDT-Yes), without (MDT-No), with a mix (MDT-Mix) and WA/MDT-Change. Survival was calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. Cox model was used to uncover differences between counties with different MDT status when adjusted for age, sex and stage.

RESULTS
We analyzed 395 patients from WA/MDT-Change and compared their survival to 12 135 UGI patients from four other Norwegian regions. Median overall survival for UGI patients in WA/MDT-Change increased from 129 to 300 d from 2000-2008, P = 0.001. The regions with the highest level of iMDTa achieved the largest decrease in risk of death for UGI cancers (compared to the county with MDT-Mix: MDT-Yes 11%, P < 0.05 and WA/MDT-Change 15%, P < 0.05). Analyzing the different tumour entities separately, patients living in the WA/MDT-Change county reached a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death [hazard ratios (HR)] compared to patients in the county with MDT-Mix for oesophageal and gastric, but not for pancreatic cancer. HR for the study period 2000-2004 are given first and then for the period 2005-2008: The HR for oesophageal cancers was reduced from [HR = 1.12; 95%CI: 0.75-1.68 to HR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.38-0.95] and for gastric cancers from [HR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.66-1.15 to HR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.43-0.93], but not for pancreatic cancer [HR = 1.04-, 95%CI: 0.83-1.3 for 2000-2004 and HR = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.78-1.3 for 2005-2008]. UGI patients treated during the second study period in the county of WA/MDT-Change had a higher probability of receiving chemotherapy. In the first study period, only one out of 43 patients (2.4%, 95%CI: 0-6.9) received chemotherapy, compared to 18 of 42 patients diagnosed during 2005-2008 (42.9%, 95%CI: 28.0-57.8).

CONCLUSION
Introduction of iMDTa led to a two-fold increase of UGI patients, whereas no increase in survival was found in the MDT-No or MDT-Mix counties.


Regulation of the expression of the DNA repair enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) has been investigated in a number of human lymphoblastoid cell lines. In a number of Mex- cell lines that do not express methyltransferase activity, CpG sequences in the mgmt gene were hypomethylated with respect to methyltransferase-expressing Mex+ lines. In the cell line GM1953(S), in which the mgmt gene is coregulated with the thymidine kinase and galactokinase genes, reexpression of all three activities was experimentally induced. In this case, the mgmt gene in the nonexpressing cells was found to be hypermethylated and underwent a demethylation at CpG sequences that was coincident with the reappearance of the mgmt mRNA and the three enzyme activities. The simultaneous silencing of three activities in these cells was correlated with an increase in DNA 5-methylcytosine that was widespread throughout the genome. The data indicate that MGMT expression can be controlled epigenetically in human lymphoid cell lines, although the relationship between cytosine methylation and MGMT expression is complex. Furthermore, the rapid alterations in methylation in GM1953(S) cells indicate the existence of signals that can induce widespread and abrupt alterations in cytosine methylation in human cells in culture.


In 1994, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine established a Primary Care Track (PCT) with an integrated curriculum as part of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Generalist Physician Initiative. This study compared the performance of the first cohort of students to participate in the PCT third year with that of their classmates and determined student attitudes toward their experiences. The performances of 24 PCT and 81 traditional students on the Medical School Admissions Test (MCAT) and the United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 were compared using analysis of variance. Grades on the six core clerkships were compared using chi-square analysis. Performances of the PCT students and a subset of traditional students on the generalist school's objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) were compared using multivariate analysis. The students reported their perceptions on a questionnaire. The traditional students had significantly higher scores on the physical science section of the MCAT and on the USMLE Step 1, but at the end of year three, their USMLE Step 2 scores did not differ. Grade distributions in the core clerkships did not differ, except in psychiatry, where the PCT students received honors significantly more often. The PCT students had a lower mean score on the internal medicine National Board of Medicine Examiners shelf exam but performed better on the generalist OSCE exam. A majority of PCT students reported that they would choose the integrated third year again and recommend it to others.


Despite the high rates of mortality and morbidity associated with malaria very few new antimalarial drugs are being developed. Hence there is much to be gained by optimising currently available antimalarials.

Using pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data from field trials where mefloquine was administered either alone or in combination with artesunate important information regarding optimal dosing for the clinician has been obtained. The pharmacokinetics of mefloquine were influenced relatively little, or not at all, by factors such as age, sex, or measures of acute malaria severity. Splitting the 25 mglkg dose of mefloquine monotherapy was associated with a 50% increase in oral bioavailability, and bioavailability increased by 20% for the split dose on the combination treatment. Oral bioavailability was also observed to be associated with more rapid parasite clearance, a surrogate outcome measure for cure.

A mechanistic mathematical model was developed that describes the change in total parasite burden with time in vivo, in the presence of mefloquine. Estimates for the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were obtained from population modelling of pharmacokinetic and in vitro pharmacodynamic data, both derived from the same region. Model simulations confirmed that, early in the evolution of resistance, conventional assessments of the therapeutic response 28 days after treatment underestimate considerably the level of resistance. Longer follow-up is required. The model also indicates that initial deployment of a lower (l5-mglkg) dose of mefloquine provides a greater opportunity for the selection of resistant mutants and would be expected to lead more rapidly to resistance than de novo use of the higher (25-mglkg) dose.

From the modelling of malaria therapy data it was observed that even in the absence of drugs the patient parasitaemia versus time profiles varied greatly between both patients and parasites. Parasite multiplication rate every 48 hours was estimated to be approximately 8 fold.


Preeclampsia is a common complication of pregnancy associated with high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries. There is considerable progress in the understanding of the pathophysiology and the management of the diseases, although the aetiology and primary pathology remained elusive. Integration of current evidence in the clinical management of the condition has witnessed improved maternal and fetal outcomes in many societies. In developing countries variations in management often not based on current evidence accounts for comparatively higher morbidity and mortality. This article aims to provide an overview of our present understanding of preeclampsia help care providers and our managers focus practice and policy to reflect existing evidence.


While vocalic mergers and splits have been analyzed acoustically since the inception of variationist sociolinguistics (Labov 1994, Labov et al. 1972, Labov et al. 1991), consonant mergers and splits have principally been analyzed impressionistically. Andalusian Spanish presents such a case wherein the fricative mergers ceceo and seseo, and their ongoing split into distinción, have been extensively documented via impressionistic analysis documenting the role of social and linguistic factors (GarcíaAmaya 2008, Melguizo 2007, Moya Corral and García-Wiedemann 1995, Regan 2017a, Santana 2016, 2016-207, Villena 1996), but there has been a lack of studies that acoustically analyze the gradience of this consonant demerger. In order to fill this gap, the current study utilizes a Pillai score analysis on a fricative split-in-progress in Andalusian Spanish, building on previous acoustic studies (Lasarte Cervantes 2010, Regan 2017b, in press a, in press b). The aims were two-fold: (i) to provide researchers a gradient sociophonetic approach to analyze the demerger of ceceo (or seseo) into distinción that can complement previous acoustic analyses; and (ii) to extend the use of Pillai scores to fricatives in order to incorporate consonant mergers and splits into the larger variationist discussion of mergers and splits as it is heavily biased towards English vowels (Gordon 2013). The study, based on read speech includes 19,420 tokens from 80 speakers, ages 18-87 (M: 43.7, SD: 17.2), balanced for gender (40 male, 40 female) and origin (40 Huelva, 40 Lepe). Independent variables included gender, age, education, occupation, origin, style, orthography, and following phonological context with speaker as a random factor. The acoustic measures considered in the creation of the Pillai scores were center of gravity (Hz), variance (Hz), skewness, and mean intensity (dB). The best explanation of the data was the Pillai score that incorporated only center of gravity and mean intensity, taking into consideration following phonological context. A mixed-effects linear regression found that this apparent time (Labov 1994:45) change in progress of ceceo into distinción is led by those with more formal education (secondary or university education), those employed in service or professionally oriented occupations, females, and in more formal styles. The current paper therefore extends the use of the Pillai score into a fricative split-in-progress, simultaneously advancing the sociophonetic analysis of Andalusian fricatives as well as providing a non-English and nonvocalic example to diversify the variationist discussion of mergers and splits. This working paper is available in University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics: https://repository.upenn.edu/pwpl/vol26/iss2/13


Security issues for software systems ultimately concern relationships among social actors – stakeholders, users, potential attackers, etc. -and software acting on their behalf. In assessing vulnerabilities and mitigation measures, actors make strategic decisions to achieve desired levels of security while trading off competing requirements such as costs, performance, usability and so on. This paper explores the explicit modeling of relationships among strategic actors in order to elicit, identify and analyze security requirements. In particular, actor dependency analysis helps in the identification of attackers and their potential threats, while actor goal analysis helps to elicit the dynamic decision making process of system players for security issues. Patterns of relationships at various levels of abstraction (e.g. intentional dependencies among abstract roles) can be studied separately. These patterns can be selectively applied and combined for analyzing specific system configurations. The approach is particularly suitable for new Internet applications where layers of software entities and human roles interact to create complex security challenges. Examples from Peer-to-Peer computing are used to illustrate the proposed framework.


In this paper we present an adaptive high-gain observer-based controller for linear, minimum-phase systems with known relative degree larger than one and known sign of the high-frequency gain. The adaptation scheme does not use any identification mechanism and is universal in the sense that it is independent of the system the controller is designed for. We prove that for any bounded and sufficiently smooth reference signal the modulus of the tracking error becomes smaller than an arbitrary small but fixed error bound X if t tends to infinity. All states of the nonlinear closed-loop system remain bounded.


Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II, or hereditary erythroblastic multinuclearity with a positive acidified-serum-lysis test (HEMPAS), is a genetic anemia in humans inherited by an autosomally recessive mode. The enzyme defect in most HEMPAS patients has previously been proposed as a lowered activity of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II, resulting in a lack of polylactosamine on proteins and leading to the accumulation of polylactosaminyl lipids. A recent HEMPAS case, G.C., has now been analyzed by cell-surface labeling, fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry of glycopeptides, and activity assay of glycosylation enzymes. Significantly decreased glycosylation of polylactosaminoglycan proteins and incompletely processed asparagine-linked oligosaccharides were detected in the erythrocyte membranes of G.C. In contrast to the earlier studied HEMPAS cases, G.C. cells are normal in N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II activity but are low in alpha-mannosidase II (alpha-ManII) activity. Northern (RNA) analysis of poly(A)+ mRNA from normal, G.C., and other unrelated HEMPAS cells all showed double bands at the 7.6-kilobase position, detected by an alpha-ManII cDNA probe, but expression of these bands in G.C. cells was substantially reduced (less than 10% of normal). In Southern analysis of G.C. and normal genomic DNA, the restriction fragment patterns detected by the alpha-ManII cDNA probe were indistinguishable. These results suggest that G.C. cells contain a mutation in alpha-ManII-encoding gene that results in inefficient expression of alpha-ManII mRNA, either through reduced transcription or message instability. This report demonstrates that HEMPAS is caused by a defective gene encoding an enzyme necessary for the synthesis of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides.


We prove that every ultraproduct of p-adics is inp-minimal (i.e., of burden 1). More generally, we prove an Ax-Kochen type result on preservation of inp-minimality for Henselian valued fields of equicharacteristic 0 in the RV language.


The recovery, identification, and analysis of archaeobotanical remains can help address a wide range of archaeological and historical research questions, from foodways, to the agricultural economy, to ritual practice and social identity. This state of the discipline article reviews the application of archaeobotanical techniques to classical archaeology from historical, regional, and thematic perspectives. It also highlights current challenges and limitations in the field of archaeobotany. The article concludes with some suggestions for future directions to improve the practice and outcomes of the discipline. Classical-period archaeobotanical research has not yet reached its full potential, and despite facing some internal and external issues, we envision a bright future for both archaeobotanical and classical archaeological research with a greater degree of communication and collaboration between the two fields.1


Abstract This article is based on part of findings of a PhD study that was carried out to determine how farmers have used indigenous knowledge (IK) to adapt to climate change and variability in the semi-arid region of central Tanzania. Two villages, Maluga and Chibelela, were used as the case studies. The study applied Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory and model. The study which predominantly adopted a qualitative approach used a post-positivist paradigm. The study population was made up of farmers, agricultural extension officers and the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa project manager. The principal data collection methods were interviews and focus group discussions. The qualitative data collected were subjected to content analysis whereas quantitative data were analysed with the help of SPSS to generate descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the farmers in the two villages under study perceived conventional information on weather as unreliable and untimely. Consequently, the farmers turned to IK to predict weather patterns and make the necessary farming adjustments. It was established that uncertainty about seasonal weather forecasts was one of the most critical factors which forced farmers to continue using IK. Moreover, farmers' knowledge of birds, insects, plants, animals, wind direction and astronomical indicators was used to predict weather patterns. The recommendations include the provision of timely and accurate weather forecast information to the farmers to enhance their coping and adaptation strategies under varying climate conditions; and a clear policy framework on the dissemination of information related to weather patterns in rural Tanzania.


Before Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted Il Buon Governo in the municipal palace of Siena the divine virtues had never before been included in depictions of rulers. Furthermore, he made Charity most important. She surmounts all the other virtues surrounding the personification of Siena. Lorenzetti painted an allegory in which charity is regarded as the motivation for people to subordinate themselves to the common good and act accordingly. The Virgin functioned as catalyst. She was considered to be the governor of Siena since the Battle of Montaperti. The divine virtues, characteristic of the Virgin, should be the most important features of Siena's governors in order for Siena to become a reflection of the heavenly Jerusalem.


In this paper, we bring together two divergent strands of research: photometric face capture and statistical 3D face appearance modelling. We propose a novel lightstage capture and processing pipeline for acquiring ear-to-ear, truly intrinsic diffuse and specular albedo maps that fully factor out the effects of illumination, camera and geometry. Using this pipeline, we capture a dataset of 50 scans and combine them with the only existing publicly available albedo dataset (3DRFE) of 23 scans. This allows us to build the first morphable face albedo model. We believe this is the first statistical analysis of the variability of facial specular albedo maps. This model can be used as a plug in replacement for the texture model of the Basel Face Model and we make our new albedo model publicly available. We ensure careful spectral calibration such that our model is built in a linear sRGB space, suitable for inverse rendering of images taken by typical cameras. We demonstrate our model in a state of the art analysis-by-synthesis 3DMM fitting pipeline, are the first to integrate specular map estimation and outperform the Basel Face Model in albedo reconstruction.


ESA's Swarm constellation mission makes it possible for the first time to determine field-aligned currents (FACs) in the ionosphere uniquely. In particular at high latitudes, the dual-satellite approach can reliably detect some FAC structures which are missed by the traditional single-satellite technique. These FAC events occur preferentially poleward of the auroral oval and during times of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation. Most events appear on the nightside. They are not related to the typical FAC structures poleward of the cusp, commonly termed NBZ. Simultaneously observed precipitating particle spectrograms and auroral images from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites are consistent with the detected FACs and indicate that they occur on closed field lines mostly adjacent to the auroral oval. We suggest that the FACs are associated with Sun-aligned filamentary auroral arcs. Here we introduce in an initial study features of the high-latitude FAC structures which have been observed during the early phase of the Swarm mission. A more systematic survey over longer times is required to fully characterize the so far undetected field aligned currents.


A two-dimensional (2D) cone shape has been added to the normal circular tubes of heat exchangers to minimize the area of stagnation and to streamline the air flow around the heat exchanger tubes. An experimental setup has been developed to study the influence of the apex angle of the cone-shaped tubes on particulate fouling of heat exchangers. Fouling experiments have been performed in which calcium carbonate particles are injected during the experiments and the deposition of particles on the tubes of the heat exchanger is monitored. Four sets of experiments have been performed, in which normal cylindrical tubes and coned tubes with an apex angle of 60°, 90°, and 120° are examined. It was found that particulate fouling ceased if the apex angle of the cone-shaped tubes is smaller than 90°. The attached cones enhance the flow around the tubes of the heat exchanger, by minimizing the stagnation area and keeping the flow attached to the tubes starting from the tip of the attached cone until separation, such that particles that deposit on the top of the tubes of the heat exchanger can be removed by the air flow.


Abstract Somewhat of a growth industry these days, theoretical formulations of the poetics of autobiography by and large continue to ignore post-colonial writings even though many of the texts emerging from these locations, particularly in the past twenty years, are 'life-writings' .1 Generally, EuroAmerican autobiography theory focuses on its own cosmopolitan space. Displaying an all too familiar geographic and ethnocentric bias, theory is made in the West and it speaks of the West. Because of this bias, theory tends to ignore the issue of place- that is, spatial and geographic location -as a constitutive element of the autobiographical '1'. Where the 'I' is, theory says, doesn't really matter. But this ignores the fact that literary texts are always deeply rooted in specific places and histories. It is my argument that spatial location is crucial to post-colonial autobiographical self-representation, and that the forgetting of the located ness of the subject speaks of an imperialist assumption of centrality that has never been possible for the post-colonial writer.


Graph convolution networks (GCN) are increasingly popular in many applications, yet remain notoriously hard to train over large graph datasets. They need to compute node representations recursively from their neighbors. Current GCN training algorithms suffer from either high computational costs that grow exponentially with the number of layers, or high memory usage for loading the entire graph and node embeddings. In this paper, we propose a novel efficient layer-wise training framework for GCN (L-GCN), that disentangles feature aggregation and feature transformation during training, hence greatly reducing time and memory complexities. We present theoretical analysis for L-GCN under the graph isomorphism framework, that L-GCN leads to as powerful GCNs as the more costly conventional training algorithm does, under mild conditions. We further propose L^2-GCN, which learns a controller for each layer that can automatically adjust the training epochs per layer in L-GCN. Experiments show that L-GCN is faster than state-of-the-arts by at least an order of magnitude, with a consistent of memory usage not dependent on dataset size, while maintaining comparable prediction performance. With the learned controller, L^2-GCN can further cut the training time in half. Our codes are available at https://github.com/Shen-Lab/L2-GCN.


Like other dangerous but pleasurable activities, such as downhill skiing and mountain climbing, engaging in unprotected sex implicitly involves the weighing of costs and benefits. Recognizing that the transmission of the AIDS virus is a consequence of private choices - rational and often informed - to engage in risky conduct, the authors employ tools of economic analysis to reassess the orthodox approach to AIDS by the public health community. Standard predictions of the spread of AIDS, the authors argue, are questionable because they ignore rational behavioural response to the risk of infection. For the same reason, customary recommended public health measures, such as exstensive testing the AIDS virus, not only may be ineffective in controlling the spread of the disease but may actually cause it to spread more rapidly. The authors examine regulatory measures and proposals such as mandatory esting, criminal punishments, and immigration controls, as well as the subsidization of AIDS education and medical research, the social and fiscal costs of AIDS, the political economy of the government's response, and the interelation of AIDS and fertility risk. Neither liberal nor conservative, the tone of the book is, on the whole skeptical about governmental involvement in the epidemic.


aximizing company's wealth and its shareholders is the main objective for a company. Several measurement tools to determine company's financial performance are Economic Value Added (EVA) and Market Value Added (MVA). Financial performance can represent the rate of return of wealth that has been generated for investors and the company itself. This research has the objective to find out the result of companies' financial performance with Economic Value Added and Market Value Added on LQ45 companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. This type of research is quantitative descriptive which means a research that conducted to find out the value of independent variable, either it has one variable or more (independent) without making any comparison, or connecting any other variables. Samples that this research used are LQ45 companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange for the period of 2016-2018. The results are companies listed on LQ45 have positive Economic Value Added and Market Value Added values, so that companies listed on LQ45 are in good condition and companies have increased their wealth also its investors as well. Keywords: Financial Performance, Economic Value Added (EVA) and Market Value Added (MVA)


There are various kinds of evolutionary computations (ECs) and they have their own merits and demerits. For example, PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) shows high ability during initial period in general, whereas DE (Differential Evolution) shows high ability especially in the latter period in search to find more accurate solutions. This paper proposes a novel and integrated framework to effectively combine the merits of several evolutionary computations. There are five distinctive features in the proposed framework. 1) There are several individual pools, and each pool corresponds to one EC. 2) Parents do not necessarily belong to the same EC: for example, a GA type individual can be a spouse of a PSO type individual. 3) Each incorporated EC has its own evaluated value (EV), and it changes according to the best fitness value at each generation. 4) The number of individuals in each EC changes according to the EV. 5) All of the individuals have their own lifetime to avoid premature convergence; when an individual meets lifetime, the individual reselect EC, and the probability of each EC to be selected depends on the EV. In the proposed framework, therefore, more individuals are allotted to the ECs which show higher performance than the other at each generation: effective usage of individuals is enabled. In this way, this framework can make use of merits of incorporated ECs. Original GA, original PSO and original DE are used to construct a simple proposed framework-based system. We carried out experiments using well-known benchmark functions. The results show that the new system outperformed there incorporated ECs in 9 functions out of 13 functions.


David Lucking sees Shakespeare's plays as negotiating tensions between a number of alternative, and sometimes mutually antagonistic perspectives. Some of these perspectives are associated with particular languages, cultures and texts, while others involve philosophical issues such as the nature of personal ontology and distinctions between reality and dream, being and nothingness. In elaborating his insights Lucking draws extensive comparisons with Lucretius' De Rerum Natura, and between Sophocles' Theban plays and King Lear, and he also pays close attention to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and Antony and Cleopatra. Re-assessing a wide range of earlier commentary, his nine essays confirm the lasting value of apposite contextualization in tandem with detailed close reading.


Liver carcinoma is in the top five leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Patients often require radiologic interventions in which needles are inserted, for example when taking biopsies, accessing blood vessels or bile ducts, and ablating tumors. Accurate and precise needle placement in interventional radiology is important, but also challenging. Challenges include several factors, such as anatomical obstructions along the insertion path, patient motion, and unwanted needle bending upon insertion. Incorrect needle placement may prolong procedure time, increase radiation dose for the patient and may cause complications. Proposed approaches to improve needle placement in interventional radiology include, but are not limited to, steerable needles and liver phantoms. Although steerable needles are technically feasible to produce, these prototypes are often general-purpose. Currently, there is a lack of (analyzed) clinical and experimental data that provide insight into needle placement, and that would clarify the right design requirements for novel needles in interventional radiology. Another gap exists in the development of liver phantoms, which can be used in a validation set-up for novel needles and/or a training model for medical doctors. Current phantom development focusses mostly on medical imaging properties. However, matching needle-tissue interaction forces and simulating breathing motion are also crucial for a phantom to be of use in a realistic validation set-up. Therefore, the objectives of this thesis are to define relevant design considerations for novel needles, and to develop a high fidelity liver phantom that features respiratory motion and that mimics needle-tissue interaction forces upon insertion. Accomplishing this will improve and advance needle placement in interventional radiology.


ABSTRACT The present study was designed to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of garlic supplement in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by using the terms garlic and T2DM up to April 2017. The quality of included RCTs was assessed by the Cochrane tool of risk of bias, and data of outcomes were pooled by REVMAN 5.3. Clinical factors were handled by meta-regression and subgroup analysis, and risk of publication bias was explored by inverted funnel plots. Nine RCTs involving 768 T2DM patients were included in the meta-analysis, and the dose of daily garlic (allicin) supplement ranged from 0.05g to 1.5g. A significant reduction in the level of fasting blood glucose in 1–2 weeks [SMD = −1.61, 95%CI (−2.89, −0.32)], 3–4 weeks [SMD = −2.87, 95%CI (−4.74, −1.00)], 12 weeks [SMD = −9.57, 95%CI (−12.39, −6.75)], and 24 weeks [SMD = −21.02, 95%CI (−32.47, −9.57)] was achieved in favour of the garlic group rather than the control group. Significantly decreased fructosamine and glycated hemoglobin (both in 12 and 24 weeks) were also found in garlic group. Meanwhile, significantly improved blood liquids of total cholesterol [SMD = −1.93, 95%CI (−2.98, −0.87), 3–4 weeks], high density lipoprotein [SMD = −0.41, 95%CI (−0.83, −0.00), 3–4 weeks] and low density lipoprotein [SMD = −3.47, 95%CI (−5.76, −1.18), 12 weeks] were confirmed after garlic administration. There was no significant difference in complications. Current data confirms that garlic supplement plays positive and sustained roles in blood glucose, total cholesterol, and high/low density lipoprotein regulation in the management of T2DM. Abbreviations: T2DM = type 2 diabetes mellitus; RCT = randomized controlled trial; SMD = standard mean difference; CI = confidence interval; FBG = fasting blood glucose; HbA1c = glycated hemoglobin; HDL = high density lipoprotein; LDL = low density lipoprotein.


This paper proposes a spatial approach to identity and mediation as, it is argued, this approach provides a framework for grasping and analysing the complex and changing formation of identity in current times and in an interconnected world. More specifically, it looks at the significance of mobility, immediate and mediated intersections and juxtapositions of difference as necessary elements of the analysis of current formations of identity. The paper proposes a multi-spatial analysis and looks at the spatial matrix of diasporic belonging in developing the discussion. The case of diaspora is chosen as an exemplary case of cultural formation within an interconnected world. As it is argued, diaspora captures human mobility and (re-)settlement not as opposites, not as cause and effect, but rather as co-existing elements of a world connected through flows and networks. Diaspora also presents an exceptional case of intense mediation, as communication networks and information exchange develop across various locations and they follow different directions with consequences for identity and community.


This paper examines the financial sustainability of long-term care funding options in Spain. We employ the generational accounting ("GA") methodology to evaluate the intertemporal impact of funding policies for long-term care services in the face of demographic change. Our findings suggest first that, although at present the system seems actuarially fair, the resources currently employed will be clearly insufficient to fund future needs, due to the demographic dependency of expenditures; second, that the specific tax instrument used to fund long-term care plays a less significant role. Conversely, the role of co-payment turns out to be key in offsetting the adverse effect of demography on the finances of the system.


We present a label-based approach for implementing deflection in a photonic packet network, and we introduce an algorithm for determining deflection options in a manner which eliminates looping. A general analytical model is developed to evaluate packet loss probabilities in networks with deflection. The analysis may be applied to a wide class of deflection schemes and may be applied to networks with any arbitrary topology. The analysis is verified through simulation.


Abstract During the first two years of human life a common neural substrate (roughly Broca's area) underlies the hierarchical organization of elements in the development of speech as well as the capacity to combine objects manually, including tool use. Subsequent cortical differentiation, beginning at age two, creates distinct, relatively modularized capacities for linguistic grammar and more complex combination of objects. An evolutionary homologue of the neural substrate for language production and manual action is hypothesized to have provided a foundation for the evolution of language before the divergence of the hominids and the great apes. Support comes from the discovery of a Broca's area homologue and related neural circuits in contemporary primates. In addition, chimpanzees have an identical constraint on hierarchical complexity in both tool use and symbol combination. Their performance matches that of the two-year-old child who has not yet developed the neural circuits for complex grammar and complex manual combination of objects.


New cyclic quaternary ammonium salts, composed of N-alkyl(alkyl ether)-N-methylpyrrolidinium, -oxazolidinium, -piperidinium, or -morpholinium cations (alkyl = nC4H9, alkyl ether = CH3OCH2, CH3OCH2CH2) and a perfluoroalkyltrifluoroborate anion ([R(F)BF3]-, R(F) = CF3, C2F5, nC3F7, nC4F9), were synthesized and characterized. Most of these salts are liquids at room temperature. The key properties of these salts--phase transitions, thermal stability, density, viscosity, conductivity, and electrochemical windows--were measured and compared to those of their corresponding [BF4]- and [(CF3SO2)2N]- salts. The structural effect on all the above properties was intensively studied in terms of the identity of the cation and anion, variation of the side chain in the cation (i.e., alkyl versus alkyl ether), and change in the length of the perfluoroalkyl group (R(F)) in the [R(F)BF3]- ion. The reduction of Li+ ions and reoxidation of Li metal took place in pure N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium pentafluoroethyltrifluoroborate as the supporting electrolyte. Such comprehensive studies enhance the knowledge necessary to design and optimize ionic liquids for many applications, including electrolytes. Some of these new salts show desirable properties, including low melting points, high thermal stabilities, low viscosities, high conductivities, and wide electrochemical windows, and may thus be potential candidates for use as electrolytes in high-energy storage devices. In addition, many salts are ionic plastic crystals.


A conspicuous part of the parasite fauna of marine fish are ectoparasites, which attach mainly to the fins or gills. The abundant copepods have received much interest due to their negative effects on hosts. However, for many localities the copepod fauna of fish is still poorly known, and we know little about their temporal stability as long-term observations are largely absent. Our study provides the first inventory of ectoparasitic copepods on fish from the western Wadden Sea (North Sea) based on field data from 1968 and 2010 and additional unpublished notes. In total, 47 copepod parasite species have been recorded on 52 fish host species to date. For two copepod species parasitizing the European flounder (Platichthys flesus), a quantitative comparison of infection levels between 1968 and 2010 was possible. Whereas Acanthochondria cornuta did not show a change in the relationship between host size and infection levels, Lepeophtheirus pectoralis shifted towards the infection of smaller hosts, with higher infection levels in 2010 compared to 1968. These differences probably reflect the biology of the species and the observed decrease in abundance and size of flounders during the last decades. The skin-infecting L. pectoralis can probably compensate for dwindling host abundance by infecting smaller fish and increasing its abundance per given host size. In contrast, the gill cavity inhabiting A. cornuta probably faces a spatial constraint (fixed number of gill arches), thus limiting its abundance and setting a minimum for the host size necessary for infections.


Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) leverage the great power in representation learning on regular grid data such as image and video. Recently, increasing attention has been paid on generalizing CNNs to graph or network data which is highly irregular. Some focus on graph-level representation learning while others aim to learn node-level representations. These methods have been shown to boost the performance of many graph-level tasks such as graph classification and node-level tasks such as node classification. Most of these methods have been designed for single-dimensional graphs where a pair of nodes can only be connected by one type of relation. However, many real-world graphs have multiple types of relations and they can be naturally modeled as multi-dimensional graphs with each type of relation as a dimension. Multi-dimensional graphs bring about richer interactions between dimensions, which poses tremendous challenges to the graph convolutional neural networks designed for single-dimensional graphs. In this paper, we study the problem of graph convolutional networks for multi-dimensional graphs and propose a multi-dimensional convolutional neural network model mGCN aiming to capture rich information in learning node-level representations for multi-dimensional graphs. Comprehensive experiments on real-world multi-dimensional graphs demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.


Recent evidence suggests that grammatical aspect can bias how individuals perceive criminal intentionality during discourse comprehension. Given that criminal intentionality is a common criterion for legal definitions (e.g., first-degree murder), the present study explored whether grammatical aspect may also impact legal judgments. In a series of four experiments participants were provided with a legal definition and a description of a crime in which the grammatical aspect of provocation and murder events were manipulated. Participants were asked to make a decision (first- vs. second-degree murder) and then indicate factors that impacted their decision. Findings suggest that legal judgments can be affected by grammatical aspect but the most robust effects were limited to temporal dynamics (i.e., imperfective aspect results in more murder actions than perfective aspect), which may in turn influence other representational systems (i.e., number of murder actions positively predicts perceived intentionality). In addition, findings demonstrate that the influence of grammatical aspect on situation model construction and evaluation is dependent upon the larger linguistic and semantic context. Together, the results suggest grammatical aspect has indirect influences on legal judgments to the extent that variability in aspect changes the features of the situation model that align with criteria for making legal judgments.


The nature of moral facts, and their relationship to rationality, imagination and sentiment, have been central and pressing issues in recent moral philosophy. In this paper, I discuss and criticise a meta-ethical theory put forward by Alison Denham, which views moral facts as being constituted by the responses of ideal, empathetic agents. I argue that Denham's account is radically unstable, in that she has given us an account of the nature of such agents which is inconsistent with an independently plausible principle relating to concept acquisition. I go on to discuss one line of defence that Denham might employ, but argue that taking such a line entails abandoning what she takes to be an important advantage of her account over rival ideal-observer theories such as Michael Smith's.


Evidence exists that women have lower orthostatic tolerance than men during quiescent standing. Water ingestion has been demonstrated to improve orthostatic tolerance in patients with severe autonomic dysfunction. We therefore sought to test the hypothesis that water ingestion would improve orthostatic tolerance in healthy young women more than in aged-matched men. Thirty seven (22 men and 15 women) healthy subjects aged 22.5± 1.7 and 21.5±1.4 (means±SD) respectively, ingested 50ml (control) and 500ml of water 40min before orthostatic challenge on two separate days of appointment in a randomized controlled, cross-over design. Seated and standing blood pressure and heart rate were determined. Orthostatic tolerance was assessed as the time to presyncope during standing. Ingesting 500ml of water significantly improves orthostatic tolerance by 22% (32.0 ± 5.2 vs 26.2 ± 2.4min; p< 0.05) in men and by 33% (24.2±2.8 vs 18.3 ± 3.2; p< 0.05) in women. Thirty minutes after ingesting 500ml of water, seated systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure rose significantly in men while only systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure rose significantly in women. However ingesting 500ml of water did not have significant effect on seated heart rate in both men and women. Ingestion of 500ml of water significantly attenuated both the orthostatic challenge-induced increased heart rate and decreased pulse pressure responses especially in women. Diastolic blood pressure tended to be positively correlated with orthostatic tolerance strongly in men than in women. Pulse pressure correlated positively while heart rate correlated negatively to orthostatic tolerance in women but not in men independent of other correlates. Water ingestion is associated with orthostatic tolerance strongly in women but weakly in men independent of other correlates. In conclusion, the findings in the present study demonstrated that water ingestion caused improvement strongly in young women than in young men. This improvement is associated with increased pulse pressure and decreased tachycardiac responses during orthostatic challenge.


This study is a literary analysis of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, which focuses on how female and male characters approach religion. A stark contrast is presented between the two approaches - differing according to gender - which point to two different forms of religion. The novel highlights one form, the religion of the heart, as the superior form as it empowers women to achieve spiritual, mental and physical independence. The analytical approach is based upon Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar's theory of imprisonment/escape as well as Carol Gilligan's discussion of ethic of care and ethic of justice. Through these theories my study shows that the function of religion in the novel is not to discredit it, but to bring to the fore the disadvantages and benefits of religion. In the character Jane a biblical feminism is displayed which challenges the novel's patriarchal society.


Graphene is a key material of interest for the modification of physicochemical surface properties. However, its flat surface is a limitation for applications requiring a high specific surface area. This restriction may be overcome by integrating 2D materials in a 3D structure. Here, a strategy for the controlled synthesis of Graphene-Mesoporous Germanium (Gr-MP-Ge) nanomaterials is presented. Bipolar electrochemical etching and chemical vapor infiltration were employed, respectively, for the nanostructuration of Ge substrate and subsequent 3D nanographene coating. While Raman spectroscopy reveals a tunable domain size of nanographene with the treatment temperature, transmission electron microscopy data confirm that the crystallinity of Gr-MP-Ge is preserved. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates the non-covalent bonding of carbon to Ge for Gr-MP-Ge. State-of-the-art molecular dynamics modeling provides a deeper understanding of the synthesis process through the presence of radicals. The successful synthesis of these nanomaterials offers the integration of nanographene into a 3D structure with a high aspect ratio and light weight, thereby opening avenues to a variety of applications for this versatile nanomaterial.


Feasibility study on the use of newly developed FRP and concrete composite bridge deck system is conducted. To lengthen the service life of bridge deck, the steel-free bridge deck system is developed. In this deck system, shear connectors between FRP module and concrete are utilized and structural behavior of shear connectors is investigated experimentally. The result of an investigation reveals that the system is promising.


Each of the three papers that make up this report focuses on the question: What is the best rationale for the continued existence of the West European-British and French-nuclear forces in the post- cold war period. The three analyses are not symmetrical. The British and French papers discuss the specifics of their own forces, and in doing so come up with similar rationales, each of which invokes what both papers term a European Vocation for the two forces operating in increasingly close cooperation with one another. The American paper is based on a view of U.S. interests in these forces which values their retention but questions the European Vocation as the primary premise. The three papers share a common structure, each providing a description of the past-the French paper with a more thoroughgoing description of a more complex past-as a basis for examining future alternatives. They also share the premise that it is in the real interests of not only Britain and France, but also of the United States and of international stability, that the British and French retain their forces. That is why the central issue throughout the report is not the real need, but rather the ranonale formore » the forces, the set of arguments that will convince the electorates of the two countries that their real interests dictate retention of their nuclear forces. (KAR) P. 8.« less


Finger vein is a new and promising trait in biometric recognition and some related progress have been achieved in recent years. Considering that there are many different sensors in a biometric system, sensor interoperability is a very important issue and still neglected in the state-of-the-art finger vein recognition. Based on the analysis of the shortcomings in the current finger vein ROI extraction methods, this paper proposes a new superpixel based finger vein ROI extraction method with sensor interoperability. First, finger boundaries are determined by tracking superpixels which are very robust to image variations such as gray level and background noises. Furthermore, to handle finger displacement, the middle points of the detected finger boundaries are used to adjust finger direction. Finally, finger ROI is localized by the internal tangents of finger boundaries. Experimental results show that the proposed method can extract the ROIs accurately and adaptively from images which are captured by different sensors.


Long ago Coleman, Callan, Wess and Zumino (CCWZ) constructed the general effective lagrangian for nonlinearly realized symmetry by finding all possible nonlinear representations of the broken group G which become linear when restricted to the unbroken group H. However, in the case of a single Nambu-Goldstone boson (NGB), which corresponds to a broken U(1), the effective lagrangian can also be obtained by imposing a constant shift symmetry. In this work we generalize the shift symmetry approach to multiple NGBs and show that, when they furnish a linear representation of H that can be embedded in a symmetric coset, it is possible to derive the CCWZ lagrangian by imposing 1) the "Adler's zero condition," which requires scattering amplitudes to vanish when emitting a single soft NGB, and 2) closure of shift symmetry with the linearly realized symmetry; knowledge of the broken group G is not required at all. Using only generators of H, the NGB covariant derivative and the associated gauge field can be computed to all orders in the NGB decay constant f.


This thesis examines the influences of primitive vocal delivery on Post-Modern Theatre. Beginning with a review of the work of three directors: Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, and Richard Schechner; the thesis moves to a case study of a 1991 production of Macbeth where primary research is documented. Focusing on the production of a language based on primitive culture, the theatrical community is furnished with a vocabulary of sound/communication that may be implemented for Macbeth's Weird Sisters. Finally, the thesis directs the use of primitive vocal scoring, like musical transcription, toward a future outlook at similar projects.


Purpose

Certified emission reduction (CER) survey studies in the literature are quite restrictive in scope. These studies are based on convenience sampling and, therefore, cannot be relied upon. The current study comprehensively surveys the strengths, weaknesses and suggestive measures for clean development mechanism (CDM). This paper systematically aims to conduct the survey on top 50 companies in terms of CER volume.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey is aimed to target top 50 companies which account for 55 per cent of total number of CERs of all the Indian projects. The online survey link was sent to all 50 companies, and the finance managers were followed up regularly over a period of one year. Finally, 37 responses (a response rate of 72 per cent) have been received.

Findings

"CER is cheaper than EUA for Emission Compliance" is rated as topmost strength and "Methodology of Financial Additionality is Subjective" is rated as topmost weakness of CER mechanism. Removal of Quantitative Restrictions on CERs is rated as the topmost suggestive measure for stabilization of CER. Companies overwhelmingly favored continuation of banking and inclusion of carbon emission cost as one of the internal cost of business.

Practical implications

The current study throws light on future policy interventions for minimization of carbon footprint and efficient energy management.

Social implications

This study gives vital reflections for stabilization of CDM. This will help sustainable development, generation of green energy, mitigation of carbon emission at the least cost and employment generation in developing countries because of CDM project development.

Originality/value

This study differs from earlier studies because it comprehensively surveys the pertinent issues relating to strengths, weaknesses and suggestive measures for CDM. It also differs from them because it is not based on convenience sampling. It conducts the survey systematically on top 50 companies in terms of CER volume. Therefore, unlike previous studies of questionable validities, the findings of this study can be safely considered for policy interventions


In primary schools, mathematics teachers use support tools to introduce new concepts. The objective of these tools is to reinforce a mental representation of the newly introduced concept. Tools can be physical objects or paper- pen based. We call these tools artefacts. In computer assisted environments, such artefacts are not always clearly present, those environments focus on the nature of the exercises (drills, quiz). To realise environments in closer relation to classroom teaching, we propose to analyse and categorise such artefacts: we used pedagogical literature and we extracted artefacts used in teaching multiplication. We present our infrastructure and a list of artefacts in the multiplication realm.


Livestock grazing is the principal land use in arid central Asia, and range degradation is considered a serious problem within much of the high-elevation region of western China termed the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Rangeland degradation on the QTP is variously attributed to poor livestock management, historical-cultural factors, changing land tenure arrangements or socioeconomic systems, climate change, and damage from small mammals. Few studies have examined currently managed pastures using detailed data capable of isolating fine-scale livestock–vegetation interactions. The aim of the study was to understand how differences among livestock (primarily sheep) management strategies of pastoralists during winter affected subsequent rangeland condition and productivity. Plant species composition, annual herbage mass, and indicators of erosion were quantified during four summers (2009–2012) on winter pastures managed by 11 different pastoralists on QTP steppe rangeland in Qinghai Province, China. Data came from repeated-measurements on 317 systematically located permanent plots, as well as pastoralist interviews and the use of GPS-equipped livestock. Relationships between annual weather variation and herbage mass were modelled using an independent set of vegetation measurements obtained from livestock exclosures. Account was taken of inherent site differences among pastures. Annual variation in herbage mass was found to be best fitted by a model containing a negative function of winter-season temperature and a positive function of spring-season temperature. Accounting for annual and site effects, significant differences among pastoralists were found for most response variables, suggesting that individual heterogeneity among management approaches had consequences, even among neighbouring pastoralists. Annual herbage mass of preferred plant species was positively associated, whereas that of unpreferred species was negatively associated, with mean sheep density and intensity of use. However, the proportion of bare soil, an index of erosion, and annual herbage mass of unpreferred forbs were found to have positive relationships with sheep grazing pressure during the preceding winter, whereas live vegetation cover and annual herbage mass of preferred grasses were negatively related. Thus, on a spatial scale, pastoralists responded adaptively to the cover of preferred plant species while not responding to total annual herbage mass. Pastoralists stocked pastures more heavily, and livestock used regions within pastures more intensively, where preferred species had a higher cover. However, where sheep grazing pressure was high, downward temporal trends in the herbage mass of preferred species were exacerbated. Pastures that were stocked at a lower density did not experience the negative trends seen in those with a higher density.


The synthesis, spectroscopic properties and protein-binding studies of a novel luminescent organometallic NCN-platinum complex are described. The luminescent organometallic complex was linked to a serine hydrolase reactive phosphonate group by means of click chemistry, and was ex-plotted in serine hydrolase specific-binding studies using gel electrophoresis. The NCN-platinum protein label was found to be a robust dye with absorbance and emission maxima between 374-380 and 482-493 nm, respectively, and quantum, yields between 0.04 and 0.15


A public database, SAGEmap, was created as a component of the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project to provide a central location for depositing, retrieving, and analyzing human gene expression data. This database uses serial analysis of gene expression to quantify transcript levels in both malignant and normal human tissues. By accessing SAGEmap (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SAGE) the user can compare transcript populations between any of the posted libraries. As an initial demonstration of the database's utility, gene expression in human glioblastomas was compared with that of normal brain white matter. Of the 47,174 unique transcripts expressed in these two tissues, 471 (1.0%) were differentially expressed by more than 5-fold (P<0.001). Classification of these genes revealed functions consistent with the biological properties of glioblastomas, in particular: angiogenesis, transcription, and cell cycle related genes.


Silica Fume Concrete (SFC) produced with hybrid Fibres is a relatively new and advanced material of construction. In a typical SFC with Hybrid Fibers mixture consist of absence of coarse aggregate replaced by fine sand in conventional concrete. The Portland cement plays the role of fine aggregate and the silica fume that of the cement. SFC has no large aggregate and contains small steel Fibers that provides additional strength and in some cases can replace traditional reinforcement. The strength and ductility characteristics of SFC may be improved by using hybrid Fibers. The different combinations of hybrid Fibers like (Steel + galvanized iron) (Steel + polypropylene) (Steel + Waste coiled steel Fibers) (Steel + HDPEF) can improve the characteristics properties of SFC. In this paper, the experimental investigation has been made to study effect of chloride attack on the strength properties of SFC using Hybrid Fibers like Compressive Strength, Tensile Strength, Flexural Strength and Impact Strength. Results are compared with strength properties of SFC without Fibers and SFC with Mono Fibers.


The actual energy
consumption of China's transportation sector accounts for 10% - 15% of the
nation's total energy consumption. Experience from developed countries shows
that on entering a phase of stable urbanization, transportation will account
for around 30% of total energy consumption, close to levels seen in developed
nations (nearly 40%). Transportation in China is one of the sectors with the fastest
growth in energy consumption. A literature review shows an obvious future
growth in China's total energy usage within this sector, with a continuous
increase from baseline until 2050. However, withstrict
policy the growth will drop a little by 2030, but will still be about 1.5 times
higher than current levels (reported in 2010) in 2050. Therefore, China needs
to further optimize traffic infrastructure, properly allocate resources, and improve
transportation technology and energy efficiency. This will help realise infrastructural energy saving and
facilitate China's low-carbon transportation sector development.


An electronic nose (e-nose), or artificial olfaction, is a device that analyzes the air to quantify odor concentration using an array of gas sensors. This equipment is a monitoring tool for industrial firms. There is a shortage of an algorithm to address odor prediction challenges in an automatic fashion. These challenges include unreliable data transfer due to sensor malfunction or missing data due to anomalies in mobile data connection. Providing such an algorithm avoids human intervention in data handling, and elevates electronic nose towards smart nose. We address these challenges by proposing a data validation and data imputation method combined with a robust odor prediction machinery. Our proposed algorithm is successfully implemented on the e-nose equipment and is serving the industry currently.