Proteins are important in food processing and food product development, as they are responsible for various functional properties that influence consumer acceptability. Both animal and plant proteins are used commercially as functional ingredients. Plant proteins are
the most abundant in the world. A number of vegetable proteins have been tried for incorporation in various food products as functional and nutritional ingredients.
Oilseed protein products are rapidly gaining importance in protein supplementation because of their unique functional properties. The intrinsic properties of proteins like the amino acid composition and conformation of the proteins, methods and conditions for their isolation,degree of purification and processing alterations are some of the important factors that influence the functional properties of food proteins. Various approaches like chemical
modification, physical treatments and enzymatic modification have been tried to improve functional characteristics of proteins. Chemical modifications such as succinylation,acetylation and mild alkali hydrolysis have been reported to improve the functional properties.
One of the major drawbacks of these approaches is the deterioration of the nutritional quality owing to the blocking or destruction of essential amino acids. One of the important ways to enhance the functional properties of oilseed proteins is enzymatic modification. Enzymatic
modification occur under mild conditions retaining nutritional value and offer a convenient means for improving functional properties of proteins. By controlling the extent of hydrolysis it is possible to enhance various functional properties to develop new functional ingredients to fabricate new food analogs simulating traditional foods. Protein hydrolysates find application in special foods such as those designed for
children, old people, athletes and also in pharmaceutical preparations developed for convalescents and those who suffer from digestive disorders. Foods based on highly
hydrolysed proteins are useful in controlling food allergies. The major ways of supplying tailored amount of amino acids are i) enzymatic protein hydrolysates and ii) a mixture of synthetic amino acids. They are preferred over synthetic amino acids at moderate cost because
of availability on commercial scale and high quality of enzyme hydrolysed products. Enzymatic protein hydrolysates containing short chain peptides with defined amino acid
composition and molecular size are preferred for specific formulations. These protein hydrolysates score over elemental diets in which the protein component consists exclusively of a mixture of free amino acids. The short chain peptides are absorbed preferentially over free
amino acids in the gut. Protein hydrolysates offer as an alternative to intact proteins and elemental formula in the development of special formulations designed to provide nutritional support. Soybean and groundnut are the most widely cultivated oilseeds all over the world.
Dehulled soybean contains 17-18% oil and 25-35% protein depending on the variety. Similarly, dehulled groundnut depending on the variety contains 50-60% oil and 30-35%
protein. Defatted soybean flour contains 50-55% protein of good nutritional quality. Soybean proteins are rich in lysine and deficient in methionine. The major intrinsic anti nutritional factor is trypsin inhibitor, which affects its utility. Groundnut proteins are deficient in lysine and methionine. The protein digestibility corrected amino acid score for soy protein and groundnut protein is 0.92 and 0.52 respectively. The protein ingredients such as defatted flour,protein concentrate and protein isolates from these sources have a good potential for preparing
speciality foods under native and modified conditions. The protein hydrolysates obtained from these sources can effectively replace commercially available milk protein hydrolysates because of their good nutritional quality.
In general, oilseed proteins offer resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. Studies on hydrolysis of pure proteins would help in understanding of the various structural features of the protein both at surface and subunit levels. Though the resistance to hydrolysis of seed proteins by enzymes is well documented, work on the relative effectiveness of the major proteins with different proteolytic enzymes is less. Glycinin and conglycinin are the major fractions of
soybeans and make up to 70% of the total proteins. Arachin and conarachin are the major fractions, which make nearly 80% of the total groundnut proteins. The individual roles of major protein fractions are important in order to understand the overall functional profile of the
total proteins and protein ingredients. Glycinin is poorer in functional properties compared to conglycinin. This has been attributed to the compact structure of the high molecular protein fraction in which hydrophobic groups are buried inside. The functional properties of protein
isolates and isolated fractions can be modified either by chemical means or enzymatic hydrolysis. Although sufficient information is available on the enzymatic modification of soybean or groundnut flour and its effect on functional properties, the information on the
controlled hydrolysis of major globulins of oilseeds are limited. In this work, protein hydrolysates from soybean and groundnut were prepared using different proteolytic enzymes starting with different materials like defatted meal, protein isolates and purified fractions. With the use of different enzymes and by varying the experimental parameters like E/S ratio, pH, temperature and combinations of proteolytic enzymes, it was possible to tailor the functional characteristics of various protein hydrolysates. Attempt has also been made to correlate various functional characteristics with some of the
biophysical and biochemical parameters.


Cutter runout will redistribute the instantaneous uncut chip thickness and the cutting forces in multi-fluted milling process. In this paper, a new procedure is proposed to identify the cutter runout parameters for flat end milling process. By combining least-square method, mathematical derivations and implementation procedures are carried out based on the relative deviation between each cutting edge and the spindle rotation center, measured by a dial gauge. Numerical verifications are conducted to validate the proposed procedures, and the results show that they are efficient and reliable. It is also suggested that to weaken the influence of noise signal, measurements should be conducted at multiple axial positions.


Green marketing is in the focus of present marketing strategy due to the pressure that comes from inclined environmental awareness in the global climate change. Different initiatives have been considered to support environmental programme and practices and one of the meaningful business initiatives is eco or fair trade labeling. Eco-label provides the information of product contribution in the context of environmental burden to the consumers. Different label initiatives are available in the present business market as a provider of 'white goods', however, the basic principles of the label initiative are ignored in most of the business practices. The study compared eight selected eco-brands which were used on the Swedish market. Comparison was based on environmental justice and ecosystem services perspectives. The study showed that most of the eco brands do not comply with environmental justice and ecosystem services in their label policy initiatives. Moreover, there is a gap between policy and practices. Questionnaire survey showed that environment is an important criterion for consumers while purchasing consumer products. Eco-label is an important tool; however, this tool is not communicating to consumers to its expected role.


Most organisations moving their legacy systems to the cloud base their decisions on the naïve assumption that public cloud always provides cost savings, without sufficiently assessing the underlying application architecture, and the technical and financial constraints that it imposes on the chosen cloud architecture. This can lead to undesirable consequences including project delays, budget overruns, below-par performance, application instability and creation of technical debt. In this paper, we address the shortcomings of this assumption by proposing a structured yet flexible decision framework comprising models, guidelines, tools and calculators that enables IT and/or business practitioners to make the correct architectural decision between public, private and hybrid cloud, from a functional, non-functional and financial perspective, based on the application architecture. By treating the application architecture as a first-class citizen in the decision making process, our proposed framework ensures that business and technical stakeholders make the correct decision early on in the migration process, resulting in timely deployment and quality-assured provision of critical business functions, minimization of waste, and avoidance of rework. We use a sample scenario to illustrate the need and usefulness of such a decision framework.


In some companies, there are a lot of data exchange between head office and branch offices. Based on the situation and the actual requirements of a wooden door enterprise, a data management information system is researched and designed for the enterprise, which adopts B/S and C/S combined architecture as well as is developed on .net platform of Microsoft. The head office can monitor purchase, inventory and sales of products in branch offices in real time through the system to improve the efficiency of information management and to achieve the supervision with paperless office. It is of practical significance for the promotion of internal data management system of enterprise.


2The paper presents a method using Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural networks to speed up deterministic search algorithms used for the optimization of superconducti ng magnets for the LHC accelerator project at CERN. The optimization of the iron yoke of the main LHC dipoles requires a number of numerical field computations per trial solution as the field quality depends on the excitation and local iron saturation in the yoke. This results in computation times of about 30 minutes for each objective function evaluation (on DEC-Alpha 600/333). In this paper we present a method for constructing an RBF neural network for a local approximation of the objective function. The computational time required for such a construction is negligible compared to the deterministic function evaluation, and thus yields a speed-up of the overall search process. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by means of two- and three-parametric optimization examples. The achieved speed-up of the search routine is up to 30 %.


Earl Ofari's discussion (MR, March 1971, pp. 18-33) of the insensitivity of most American Marxists to the national question is an extremely valuable summary of a thoroughly scandalous history. Just as privileged position and racist ideology are the shame of the white section of the proletariat, and its fatal weakness, so also the failure of white Marxists to understand the importance of the national question is the historical root of American "Marxist" revisionism and opportunism. However, this is a failure of Marxists, not of Marxism. The point is not that Marxism-Leninism was unable to explain the function of racism and privilege within the working class, but rather that most white Marxists have been so blinded by these factors that they were unable to understand the Marxism that they asserted. The counter-example of W.E.B. DuBois makes this clear. Just as the existence of slave labor and white privilege blocked the full proletarianization of the white sector of the working class, so also these factors blocked the full development of an American Marxism-Leninism. Racism has crippled the American proletariat in its ideology as well as in its practice. This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website , where most recent articles are published in full. Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


This bibliography contains books, articles and chapters that appeared in 2007 and the early part of 2008 with some of earlier date sighted too late for inclusion previously. Most official publications are excluded. Works of fiction are usually omitted unless they are considered likely to be for special interest to Pacific historians. Books, articles, chapters and reprints are interfiled. To reduce annotations to a minimum, items are classified by geographical areas unless the theme covers more than one island group. In this case, they will be found under a subject heading. However, anyone wanting to find all references to a particular subject, e.g. Missions, should also look at entries in geographical sections. An attempt has been made to supply complete and accurate biographical details based on personal examination, but this is not always possible if a work has been published outside Australia. Items are numbered, and an author index has been provided. Many people have contributed to the bibliography. I particularly wish to thank Neil Gunson, Hugh Laracy and Vicki Luker.


INTRODUCTION
Sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) is distinct in the elderly as age-related co-morbidity may be aggravated by sleep-related breathing disorders or may mask typical clinical symptoms.

STATE OF ART
The SAHS prevalence in the elderly varies from one study to another, with an average rate of 25% that might increase according to the importance of associated pathologies. Clinical symptoms tend to be the neurological manifestations of excessive daytime sleepiness and cognitive deterioration.

PERSPECTIVES
Treatment of SAHS should include weight reduction strategies if obesity is present. There is no role for surgery in this age group. On the other hand, adjustable oral appliances can be used depending on the severity of the SAHS, but nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) remains the most effective therapy available. Acceptance of and compliance with CPAP treatment is as good in this age group as in younger patients, with remarkable effectiveness in terms of improvement in daytime sleepiness and cognitive function. However, the effectiveness of treatment for SAHS is related to the level of symptoms present and this should be taken into account when making a therapeutic decision.

CONCLUSIONS
These results fully justify treatment of SAHS in the elderly, but the decision to treat should be governed by the level of clinical symptoms from SAHS.


Between 1970 and 2005 sightings data of cetaceans in the southern North Sea were collected as part of the Marine Mammal Database of the Dutch Seabird Group. The data include incidental sightings and reports as well as results from systematic surveys and seawatching data. They are therefore difficult to correct for fluc- tuations in observer effort. The material was evaluated firstly to see which species occur in Dutch waters and, secondly, to see if any spatial and temporal trends in abundance can be observed. In this study the harbour por- poise (Phocoena phocoena) is excluded from the analysis, except in the discussion, where the results are put into context with data about strandings and overall abundance. The status of the 17 different species that have been recorded in the southern North Sea between 1970 and 2005 was evaluated based on the frequency of occurrence of sightings (dead and alive) in the last 36 years. Two species were listed as resident (harbour porpoise and white- beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)), because they were abundant in 36 and 34 years respectively. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), recorded in 23 years, was listed as a regular visitor or passage migrant. Ten species were qualified as irregular visitors (represented in 4-18 of the 36 years of study) and four as vagrants (recorded in <4 years). The frequency of sightings of cetaceans has generally increased between 1970 and 2005, but it is unclear how the increased popularity of cetaceans by the general public (i.e. more reports) has con- tributed to that trend. From effort-corrected data this trend seems genuine, but offshore surveys suggest more variable results.


This article examines the impact of globalization and technological achievement on the lives of vulnerable groups in society as well as the larger environment so that the marketing community may better understand the macrolevel implications of the digital divide. Using data collected by a variety of international organizations and in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, this research explores the creation, diffusion, and use of technology within the context of economic inequities, gender discrimination, and carbon dioxide pollution across nations. The article opens with a brief introduction to the technology revolution and the digital divide along with a theoretical discussion of the research objectives. Data descriptions are presented in the next section, and the findings show comparisons across technology achievement categories. The article closes with suggestions for abridging the digital divide and research implications for macromarketing.


The generated noise caused by the fluid inside a duct is difficult to estimate accurately due to the difference of power between fluid and noise caused by the fluid. However, it would be required to estimate the distribution of sound pressure inside the duct to introduce the active noise control techniques effectively. The objective of this paper is to estimate the radiated acoustical energy and to visualize the distribution of the sound pressure inside an air‐conditioning duct using the acoustical power balance method. This method is suitable for analyzing complicated random noise at a fairly high frequency. Also introduced was a new method of the boundary integral equation to analyze the dynamic behavior of sound fields. The analysis of sound fields controlled by an active noise control system will be shown with the dynamic time‐domain visualization of the sound‐pressure field.


Although pre-fabricated carbon fibre posts have been used during the past decade clinical evaluations of the technique are still few. Using dental records and radiographs the clinical performance of 65 pre-fabricated carbon fibre posts (Composipost and Endopost) placed in 48 patients who regularly visited a general practice were evaluated in the present study. After an average time of 2.3 +/- 0.8 years (median 2.1 years, range 1-4.9 years) of clinical service the failure rate was 3%. Failure occurred in one tooth with a single crown restoration and in one tooth that was part of a cantilever fixed partial denture. Although the failure rate is lower than those mostly reported for metallic posts and cores more clinical studies are necessary to assess the suitability of pre-fabricated carbon fibre posts for routine use as an alternative to individually cast posts.


This study aims to examine how organizations in the bio-based industry perceive risks and perform risk analysis within the capital investment decision-making process. More specifically, this study aims to assess sources of uncertainty commonly considered, identify tools and methods used for risk assessment, and understand how risk analysis is considered in capital budgeting. Eighty-six respondents were electronically surveyed on practices for capital investment risk analysis, including C-suite and upper management from different organization sizes and segments in the bio-based industry. It was found that some forms of risk analysis are utilized either in project assessment and/or for decision making by most respondents; however, qualitative and deterministic assessment practices dominate over probabilistic methods. In addition, risk assessment is most commonly performed in the later stages of a project, with less than 50% of adoption at the earlier stages. Overall, the main sources of uncertainties considered when performing risk assessment are financial, market and sales, and technology, with competition being considered mostly by upper management levels. Additionally, consistent with previous studies in other industry sectors, Internal Rate of Return, Return on Investment, and Net Present Value are the preferred financial indicators used to evaluate capital investments.


: A 61-year-old patient with pre-existing but asymptomatic spinal stenosis was placed in the lateral position on the operating table for hip surgery. The lumbar spine was in a position of extension and lateral bend. This position, combined with severe spinal stenosis (proven later at surgery), caused enough compression on the neural elements to produce permanent paraplegia. Similar cases have been reported but remain an infrequent cause of postoperative paraplegia.


It is by now obvious that Ovidian studies have 'arrived', apologies are no longer issued, nor are defences launched at the beginning of books. The nineties alone have seen so far the appearance of over fifty new books on Ovid in English, French, Italian, and German, and not just on the Metamorphoses, but on the Fasti, the Amores and Ars Amatoria, and the exile poetry, including the little known Ibis. Most importantly, there is a flourishing growth industry in commentaries on all of Ovid's works, with a greatly anticipated forthcoming commentary from Italy on the Metamorphoses authored by an international team, new Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics commentaries, including a recent excellent edition on Fasti 4 by Elaine Fantham (with an extremely useful and much-needed section on Ovid's style), the vastly learned commentaries of J. McKeown on the Amores, among others (all seemingly getting longer and longer). The appearance of a series of excellent English translations has made Ovid's works more widely available for teaching. A number of companion volumes on Ovid are also forthcoming. N. Holzberg's recent impressive German introduction to Ovid evidently made the author, for a while at least, a sort of celebrity in Germany, and the book has already been reissued in a second edition. The rehabilitation of later Latin epic of the first century has more than anything served to place Ovid's work within a vigorous post-Vergilian literary tradition.


In this thesis a series of investigations into haptic (touch) perception of multiple objects is presented. When we hold a collection of objects in our hand, we can extract different types of information about these objects. We can, for instance, identify which objects we are holding. The first chapters of this thesis aim at providing insight into how fast humans can find a certain object among other objects using touch and which specific features make an object stand out among the other objects. To this end human subjects were instructed to respond as fast as possible whether a certain target item was present among a varying number of distractor items. This way response times were measured as a function of the number of items. In chapters 2 and 3 subjects were asked to search a plane on which items could be placed. The results show that a rough item is highly salient among less rough items (chapter 2) and that in this produces 'pop-out' effect. In chapter 3 it is shown that very poor visual information can already guide haptic exploration effectively. In chapters 4 and 5 items consisted of three-dimensional shapes (spheres, cubes, tetrahedrons, cylinders and ellipsoids) that could be grasped together in the hand. We show that shapes with edges are highly salient and that there is a whole range of search slopes depending on the target –distractor combination. In addition to identifying the object we may hold in our hand, we can also determine how many objects we are holding. In chapters 6 to 8 we investigated haptic numerosity judgement. From vision it is known that numerosity judgment is fast and error-free up to 3 or 4 items, while for larger numbers response times and error-rates increase rapidly. The process used for assessing small numerosities has been labeled 'subitizing', while the process for larger numerosities is referred to as 'counting'. In chapter 6 we show that subitizing also occurs in haptics when subjects are asked to determine the number of spheres grasped in their hand. A visual study was conducted in chapter 7 to show that visual and haptic numerosity judgment is comparable. In chapter 8 we show that numerosity judgment can three times faster when the items are distributed over the two hands compared when they are all held in the same hand. Finally, in chapter 9 we show that numerosity judgement is not affected by size or shape differences between the objects in a set. The studies in this thesis show that haptic perception can be fast and that not all items have to be necessarily explored sequentially. Haptic information can be processed in parallel across the different items in a set when searching for a salient target item or when judging small numbers of items.


The spectrum of turbulent density fluctuations at long poloidal wavelengths in the edge plasma of the DIII-D tokamak peaks at nonzero radial wave number. The associated electric-potential fluctuations cause sheared E x B flows primarily in the poloidal direction. These zonal flows have been predicted by theory and are believed to regulate the overall level of turbulence and anomalous transport. This study provides the first indirect experimental identification of zonal flows.


*is study aims to establish the model of the cryptocurrency price trend based on a financial theory using the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks model with multiple combinations between the window length and the predicting horizons. *e RandomWalk model is also applied with different parameter settings. *e object of this study is the cryptocurrency and medical issues, primarily the Bitcoin and Ethereum and the COVID-19. Quantitative analysis is adopted as the method of this dissertation. *e research tool is Python programming language, and the TensorFlow package is employed to model and analyze research topics. *e results of this study show the limitations of the LSTM and Random Walk model for price prediction while demonstrating the different characteristics of both models with different parameter settings, providing a balance between the model's accuracy and the model's practicality.


So far Open Educational Resources (OER) research has focused on the objective to 'open' education by making accessible free educational resources to the world. In the latest years the movement has matured, and a growing amount of OER have been made available by universities, researchers and scholars through several portals. Nonetheless, the level of adoption of OERs into common teaching practices remains quite low. In this paper we suggest that one of the main barriers to OER's adoption is the lack of 'opening up' to people's thinking around OERs and we propose Cohere, a tool which aims at making this thinking visible and exportable in ways that support the emergence of 'collective intelligence' around OERs research. Accessing Collective Intelligence (CI) around OERs is presented as a medium to know and understand what people think, how people design and use OERs thus increasing the easy of re-use of OER in learning and research practices.


This paper describes a see and avoid system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In order to obtain an affordable solution, only optical camera systems are used as sensors. The main drawback of pure passive optical solutions so far is the fact that important variables like the range and the velocity of the other vehicles can not be measured. For that purpose, a nonlinear estimation filter is developed here based on a dynamic model of the engagement scenario and available measurements. Herein, the nonlinear filter is based upon a factorization of the dynamic scenario model. With the help of the estimated variables, a rule-based non-cooperative avoidance strategy is applied to complete the see and avoid system.


Algorithmic skeletons are abstractions from common patterns of parallel activity which offer a high degree of reusability for developers of parallel algorithms. Their close association with higher order functions (HOFs) makes functional languages, with their strong transformational properties, excellent vehicles for skeleton-based parallel program development. However, using HOFs in this way raises substantial problems of identification of useful HOFs within a given application and of resource allocation on target architectures. We present the design and implementation of a parallelising compiler for Standard ML which exploits parallelism in the familiar $map$ and $fold$ HOFs through skeletons for processor farms and processor trees, respectively. The compiler extracts parallelism automatically and is target architecture independant. HOF execution within a functional language can be nested in the sense that one HOF may be passed and evaluated during the execution of another HOF. We are able to exploit this by nesting our parallel skeletons in a processor topology which matches the structure of the Standard ML source. However, where HOF arguments result from partially applied functions, free variable bindings must be identified and communicated through the corresponding skeleton hierarchy to where those arguments are actually applied. We describe the analysis leading from input Standard ML through HOF instantiation and backend compilation to an executable parallel program. We also present an overview of the runtime system and the execution model. Finally, we give parallel performance figures for several example programs, of varying computational loads, on the Linux-based Beowulf, IBM SP/2, Fujitsu AP3000 and Sun StarCat 15000 MIMD parallel machines. These demonstrate good cross-platform consistency of parallel code behaviour.


Climate change has changed planting structure greatly in cold regions. Studies are needed that understand the relationship between climate change and agriculture in cold regions and to serve as references for studies of the impact of climate change on agriculture in similar areas. This paper uses Heilongjiang Province as a case study; seven test methods and mutual information were used to analyse the variation trend, abrupt changes and relationship between climate and planting structure. The following was concluded. (1) The precipitation trend was not significant; temperature showed a significant upward trend, the minimum temperature showed the sharpest increase. (2) The proportion of area planted in rice and maize showed a significant upward trend. The trend of rice was the most pronounced, the trend of wheat significantly decreased. (3) Abrupt changes in temperature occurred in the 1980s; abrupt changes in wheat were concentrated at the end of the 1990s. (4) The relationship between temperature and planting structure was stronger than that of precipitation, and the relationship between minimum temperature and planting structure was stronger than that of maximum temperature. The results show that temperature variables, especially minimum temperature, are the main factors affecting the change in planting structure in cold regions.


One possible image of powerful (35 kW) RF-ion thruster (RF IT) with specific impulse of 7000 s is examined in the paper. The work is supported by the RF Government Grant for supporting the scientific researches performed under the leadership of Russian distinguished scientists. The work carried out in the frames of the Grant makes it possible to integrate German experience (Giessen University) in developing the RF-ion thruster (including the large-size one 1,2 ) and Russian experience (MAI) in the field of the electric propulsion 3 . RF-ion thruster of 46.5 cm in diameter (RF IT-450) is examined as a basic conception. Structural features and design parameters are obtained by scaling performances of smaller RF- ion thrusters developed in the Giessen University as well as physical approaches, obtained during their investigation and development. To secure the thruster lifetime of 50 000 hours, the RF IT should operate under 60% of maximal power, which would be possible to obtain at the module with given size. The thruster's structure consists of the gas-discharge chamber made of alumina, and equipped by high-voltage unit for xenon feeding, inductor and RF generator with operating frequency of 650 kHz. Two-electrode ion extraction system contains approximately 8000 apertures for forming the beamlets with perveance acceptable for focusing. The electrodes' geometry is optimized for operating under 4500 V at the screen electrode. The emitting area is 59% of the screen electrode area. The calculations shows that at the consumed RF power of 2.1 kW and Xe flow rate 10.9 mg/s the ion beam current will be about 7 A, and the thrust 760 mN. Without considering power losses and gas flow rate in the neutralizer, the total efficiency of such RF IT is 81%. The thruster operation mode can be enhanced up to a power of 57 kW and a thrust of 1.3 N. The lifetime under the nominal mode of operation is estimated about 56 500 hours.


The Faraday rotation angle is calculated in a diffusive regime in a three dimensional disordered slab. It is shown that it is an oscillating function of the magnetic field or the mediums internal properties, and is proportional to the ratio of the inelastic mean free path to the mean free path, that is to the average number of photon scatterings. The maximum rotation is achieved at frequencies when the photons elastic mean free path is minimal. We have obtained the rotation angle of polar backscattered light taking into account the maximally crossed diagrams. The latter leads to an ellipticity in the backscattered wave that can serve as precursor of weak localization.


OBJECTIVE
To study the WAF1/CIP1 gene DNA status, mRNA and protein expressions in human breast cancer cell line and its significance.

METHODS
Using cell culture, molecular biological techniques such as Southern blot, Northern blot and immunocytochemical methods, the WAF1/CIP1 gene DNA status, mRNA and protein expression levels in MCF-7 expressing wild type p53(wtp53) and MDA-MB-231 expressing mutant p53 (mtp53) human breast cancer cell lines were detected respectively. The p53 and mdm-2 protein expression levels and cytobiological features of the 2 cell lines were compared and correlated to their WAF1/CIP1 gene expression levels.

RESULTS
(1) There was no difference in WAF1/CIP1 gene DNA status in the two breast cancer cell lines. Neither of them showed gene amplificatian or deletion. However, the WAF1/CIP1 mRNA and p21WAF1/CIP1 protein expression levels of MCF-7 cells were higer than those of MDA-MB-231 cells (P < 0.05). (2) The character and cellular distribution of p53 protein in the two cell lines were clearly different. The expression level of mdm-2 proteion was significantly higher in MCE-7 than in MDA-MB-231 cells (P < 0.05). (3) Compered to the other breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 cells were better differentiated, grew more slowly and adhered more closely with each other.

CONCLUSION
The WAF1/CIP1 gene expression at mRNA and protein levels is associated with p53 phenotype and some cytobiological features of human breast cancer.


Composite and nanostructured materials have hierarchical architecture with different levels: (a) macroscopic (substructure of porous clusters); (b) mesostructural (particles constituting the clusters); and (c) microscopic and nanometric (coatings, bulk of the particles). The identification of the key parameters that affect the electronic transport across all observed size scales is required, but is not possible using conventional dc-conductivity measurements. In this paper, the powerful broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) from low-frequencies (few Hz) to microwaves (few GHz) is applied to one of the most important composite materials for lithium batteries. LiFePO4 is wrapped in a carbon coating whose electrical properties, although critical for battery performance, have never been measured due to its nanometre-size and the powdery nature of the material. We provide a description of the electronic transport mechanism from the nanoscale (sp2 crystallites) up to the sample macroscopic scale for this material. Moreover, the true conductivities and their respective drop when going from one scale to another are given, for the very first time, in the case of a composite powdery material for lithium batteries.


Objective. Retinal prostheses aim to restore some vision in retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration blind patients. Many spatial and temporal aspects have been found to affect prosthetic vision. Our objective is to study the impact of the space-variant distance between the stimulating electrodes and the surface of the retina on prosthetic vision and how to mitigate this impact. Approach. A prosthetic vision simulation was built to demonstrate the perceptual effects of the electrode–retina distance (ERD) with different random spatial variations, such as size, brightness, shape, dropout, and spatial shifts. Three approaches for reducing the ERD effects are demonstrated: electrode grouping (quads), ERD-based input-image enhancement, and object scanning with and without phosphene persistence. A quantitative assessment for the first two approaches was done based on experiments with 20 subjects and three vision-based computational image similarity metrics. Main results. The effects of various ERDs on phosphenes' size, brightness, and shape were simulated. Quads, chosen according to the ERDs, effectively elicit phosphenes without exceeding the safe charge density limit, whereas single electrodes with large ERD cannot do so. Input-image enhancement reduced the ERD effects effectively. These two approaches significantly improved ERD-affected prosthetic vision according to the experiment and image similarity metrics. A further reduction of the ERD effects was achieved by scanning an object while moving the head. Significance. ERD has multiple effects on perception with retinal prostheses. One of them is vision loss caused by the incapability of electrodes with large ERD to evoke phosphenes. The three approaches presented in this study can be used separately or together to mitigate the impact of ERD. A consideration of our approaches in reducing the perceptual effects of the ERD may help improve the perception with current prosthetic technology and influence the design of future prostheses.


reactions that followed. The poor results reported with the conditioned aversion treatment were also probably due to the fact that the method was not used primarily as a means of indoctrinating and brain-washing the patient to a greater realization of the dangers of relapse whenever the first drink is again taken. The book confirms what has been known for a long time -namely, that ordinary forms of psychotherapy and psychoanalytically orientated treatments work very poorly indeed in alcoholism. The only hopeful treatment seems to be to produce total abstinence by " fair means or foul." It does not seem to matter much whether this happens following sudden conversion at a revival meeting, or by attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, or by the regular taking of antabuse, or by using the increased suggestibility that occurs both during conditioned aversion treatment and hypnotherapy to drive home the absolute necessity for total future abstinence. Any treatment which permits a return to moderate drinking is practically always doomed to failure, and that is why the statistics of this study may not be indicative of the full possibilities of the same treatments in other hands. WILLIAM SARGANT.


In a pilot investigation we evaluated the impact of a structured early memory loss (EML) program intervention in a longitudinal (repeated measures) study of 55 persons with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. At four test sites we examined whether participation in the club—which sought to stimulate mental activity and social interaction, provide opportunities for light exercise, and teach memory strategies—would be associated with changes in cognitive function during 1 year. Controlling for relevant covariates, we found that club participation was associated with improvements in two of three executive function measures and maintenance of function in two of three memory measures. We observed decline, over time, on a measure of delayed recall. There were interactions between change and test site, indicating that some effects were related to where clubs were located. This pilot study suggests that EML clubs may be an efficacious, nonpharmacologic intervention for people with early memory loss. However, further research (especially randomized control trials) is needed before recommending widespread implementation of this program.


Objective: To compare the outcomes of modified Appleby procedure and sub-adventitial divestment technique for locally advanced or borderline resectable pancreatic body cancer. Methods: A total of consecutive 58 patients(33 males and 25 females) who were diagnosed as locally advanced or borderline resectable pancreatic body cancer and underwent distal pancreatectomy at Pancreas Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between September 2013 and May 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The age(M(IQR)) was 62(9)years(range: 43 to 79 years). Thirty-one patients underwent distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) and 27 patients underwent distal pancreatectomy with sub-adventitial divestment technique(SDT). Perioperative parameters and follow-up data of these patients were analyzed. Quantitative data were compared with Wilcoxon test while categorical variables were compared with χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. Survival results were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier survival method with a Log-rank test. Results: There were no differences in age,gender,body mass index,abdominal symptoms,comorbidity or preoperative serum CA19-9 between two groups(all P>0.05). Obvious preoperative weight loss was more common in the group of SDT(48.1%(13/27) vs. 19.4%(6/31),χ²=5.431,P=0.020). Longer operative time(310(123) minutes vs. 254(137)minutes, Z=2.277,P=0.023),higher rate of combined organ resection(41.9%(13/31) vs. 14.8%(4/27),χ²=5.123,P=0.041) and longer postoperative hospital stay(15(10) days vs. 11(5)days,Z=2.292,P=0.022) were observed in the group of DP-CAR. Moreover,rate of overall morbidities was also higher (71.0%(22/31) vs. 29.6%(8/27),χ2=9.876,P=0.003),implicated by clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula(61.3%(19/31) vs. 29.6%(8/27),χ2=5.814,P=0.020) in the DP-CAR group. Tumor size of the DP-CAR group was bigger(4.9(1.5)cm vs. 4.0(1.2)cm,Z=2.343,P=0.019) but no difference was seen between the DP-CAR group and SDT group in R0+R1(<1 mm) resection rate (84.0%(21/25) vs. 90.0%(18/20),P=0.678) and LNR(12.0(23.0)% vs. 9.0(18.0)%,Z=1.238,P=0.216),as well as median disease free survival(11.7 months vs. 11.4 months,Z=0.019,P=0.892) and median overall survival(16.3 months vs. 13.7 months,Z=0.172,P=0.679). Conclusions: Both DP-CAR and distal pancreatectomy with SDT are relatively safe and feasible for locally advanced or borderline resectable pancreatic body cancer. Compared with arterial resection,SDT may contribute to lower rates of postoperative complications and shorter duration of hospitalization,but no significant benefit is seen in long-term survival.


Objective: This article is aimed at outlining the approaches to the pre-trial (quasi-judicial) dispute settlement and the landmarks in the establishment and development of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the BRICS countries in the form of voluntary pre-trial dispute settlement with an emphasis on constructing the system of alternative procedures. The relevance of such a study is determined by its complex nature, giving an understanding of the ADR development vector in the BRICS format, based on relatively new legislation, which was not adequately reflected in scientific books, articles, etc. in the previous period. Thus, the present study fills this gap. Method: Based on analytical reflections on information obtained from sources and literature indicated in the references, the article analyzes the provisions of normative acts and documents of the BRICS countries, creating patterns of ADR development and the potential for its use from the position of legal principles. Having characterized ADR in general, the author successively moves from the approaches of one country to those of another to clarify and outline general ideas in this field based on the foregoing information. Results: The author's results are presented in a set of legal prescriptions and scientific provisions found in the current legislation with regard to the field of research, including from the perspective of contribution to the further improvement of the ADR concept in the BRICS. Contribution: The theoretical and practical significance of the results is defined by the fact that foreign readers will be provided with up-to-date scientific information on the state of the legislation in the BRICS countries in the field under study, which in practical terms will favor understanding of the gap (or lack thereof) in the achievements obtained by Russian and foreign researchers and practitioners in this sphere in terms of their implications at the level of legislation. 1 Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) – Federação da Russia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8068-1616 E-mail: email@example.com Quaestio Iuris vol. 13, no. 04, Rio de Janeiro, 2020. pp. 1649-1671 DOI: 10.12957/rqi.2020.45898 ____________________________________________vol.13, no. 04, Rio de Janeiro, 2020. pp. 1649-1671 1650


Genetic algorithms were used to select and create features and to select reference exemplar patterns for machine vision and speech pattern classification tasks. For a complex speech recognition task, genetic algorithms required no more computation time than traditional approaches to feature selection but reduced the number of input features required by a factor of five (from 153 to 33 features). On a difficult artificial machine-vision task, genetic algorithms were able to create new features (polynomial functions of the original features) which reduced classification error rates from 19% to almost 0%. Neural net and k nearest neighbor (KNN) classifiers were unable to provide such low error rates using only the original features. Genetic algorithms were also used to reduce the number of reference exemplar patterns for a KNN classifier. On a 338 training pattern vowel-recognition problem with 10 classes, genetic algorithms reduced the number of stored exemplars from 338 to 43 without significantly increasing classification error rate. In all applications, genetic algorithms were easy to apply and found good solutions in many fewer trials than would be required by exhaustive search. Run times were long, but not unreasonable. These results suggest that genetic algorithms are becoming practical for pattern classification problems as faster serial and parallel computers are developed.


Numerous reports have highlighted the importance of protein kinases and transcription factors in cardiogenesis and cardiac hypertrophy. The salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1), a protein kinase encoded by the snf1lk gene, is involved in early cardiogenesis in mice. Genotype-phenotype association studies in three Swedish and one Japanese population-based cohorts suggested that 15Ser-SIK1 variant (15Gly-Ser change, T allele), bestow augmented SIK1 activity, was associated with lower blood pressure and decreases in left ventricular (LV) mass. The present study aims to determine the potential role of SIK1 as a mediator of cardiac hypertrophic signaling pathway and to evaluate age-related changes on the cardiac expression of several elements of the SIK network associated with hypertension, in Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). For this purpose, mRNA expression levels of skeletal actin (SkA), β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) as markers for cardiac hypertrophy, SIK isoforms (SIK1, SIK2 and SIK3), and transcription factors (MEF2C, NFAT5c, KFL4, Snail1 and Snail2) were determined, using Taqman, in 13- , 52- and 91-week old SHR and their normotensive counterparts WKY. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, determined by the tail-cuff method, were significantly higher in 3- , in 3- , 13- and 21-month old SHR than in age-matched WKY. In the SHR, increases in heart/tibia length ratio were associated to the overexpression of cardiac hypertrophic genes (SkA and β-MHC) and the underexpression of cardiac SIK3, at the age of 3- , 13- and 21-months. Ageing accompanied by a diminished mRNA expression of SIK1 in SHR, relative to WKY (both at 13- and 21-months of age). Whereas, Snail2, MFAT5c and KLF4 mRNA levels decreased with aged SHR, comparing to age-match WKY (both at 13- and 21-months of age). These results indicate that SIK1 and SIK3 isoforms might be upstream mediators of transcriptions factors implicated in the regulation of cardiac hypertrophic growth response. In conclusion, ageing in SHR is accompanied by cardiac alterations that include hypertrophy and dysfunction of the SIK signaling network. Supported by grant PIC/IC/83204/2007.


The tourism industry has become an important sector to both developed and developing countries, including Malaysia. Acknowledging positive advantages of tourism, much research has been carried out on small business in the tourism industry. However, direct impact of tourism on business performance is totally ignored. This paper presents an empirical result of a study on the impact of tourism on small businesses performance operating on four main tourist destination islands in Malaysia. Employing primary data collected from small tourism businesses on the four islands and a multiple regression analysis, this study found that tourism as measured by tourist arrivals and tourist customers has significant positive impact on the financial and non-financial performance of the small businesses. This finding consolidates tourism development theory that tourism is an important catalyst for entrepreneurial development and small business performance. It also justifies the government efforts in promoting and developing the tourism industry in general and island tourism in particular. Field of Research: Tourism, small business, performance, Malaysia


The associations, at the group level, between serological titer to Pasteurella haemolytica surface antigens (Ph), Pasteurella haemolytica cytotoxin (Ph-cytox), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV), bovine virus diarrhea virus (BVDV), parainfluenza-3 virus (PIV3), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Mycoplasma dispar (Md), M. bovis (Mb), and respiratory disease treatment rates, relapse rates, and 28 day weight gains were investigated in 14 groups of calves entering two feedlots during years 1983-1985, in Ontario. Based on least squares regression analyses, seroconversion rates to Mb and BVDV were predictive of increased respiratory disease rates, and seroconversion rates to Ph, Ph-cytox, Md and PIV3 were predictive of decreased weight gains. The R2 for predicting weight gains was much higher than for morbidity rates (0.75 vs 0.47 respectively). Titer data were not predictive of relapse rates. Group level analyses were performed because calves are managed as groups (e.g. pens) in commercial feedlots. Only BVDV seroconversion rates were related to increased risk of respiratory disease at both the individual and group levels of organization. Mycoplasma may be important factors in causing respiratory disease, and their relationship to potentiating the effects of other respiratory pathogens needs further investigation.


AIM
The goal of the study was to evaluate changes in lung status due to spaceflight stressors that include radiation above levels found on Earth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Within hours after return from a 13-day mission in space onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, C57BL/6 mice (FLT group) were euthanized; mice housed on the ground in similar animal enclosure modules served as controls (AEM group). Lung tissue was collected to evaluate the expression of genes related to extracellular matrix (ECM)/adhesion and stem cell signaling. Pathway analysis was also performed. In addition, immunohistochemistry for stem cell antigen-1 (SCA-1), the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay for apoptosis, and staining for histological characteristics were performed.

RESULTS
There were 18/168 genes significantly modulated in lungs from the FLT group (p<0.05 vs. AEM); 17 of these were up-regulated and one was down-regulated. The greatest effect, namely a 5.14-fold increase, was observed on Spock1 (also known as Spark/osteonectin), encoding a multi-functional protein that has anti-adhesive effects, inhibits cell proliferation and regulates activity of certain growth factors. Additional genes with increased expression were cadherin 3 (Cdh3), collagen, type V, alpha 1 (Col5a1), integrin alpha 5 (Itga5), laminin, gamma 1 (Lamc1), matrix metallopeptidase 14 (Mmp14), neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (Ncam1), transforming growth factor, beta induced (Tgfbi), thrombospondin 1 (Thbs1), Thbs2, versican (Vcan), fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1), frizzled homolog 6 (Fzd6), nicastrin (Ncstn), nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic, calcineurin-dependent 4 (Nfatc4), notch gene homolog 4 (Notch4) and vang-like 2 (Vangl2). The down-regulated gene was Mmp13. Staining for SCA-1 protein showed strong signal intensity in bronchiolar epithelial cells of FLT mice (p<0.05 vs. AEM). TUNEL positivity was also significantly higher in the FLT mice (p<0.05 vs. AEM), but no consistent histological differences were noted.

CONCLUSION
The results demonstrate that spaceflight-related stress had a significant impact on lung integrity, indicative of tissue injury and remodeling.


The understanding of the onset of breaching induced by surface erosion is fundamental to enable definition of the level of protection afforded by embankments and provision of standards for the design of new structures and the upgrading of existing ones. Compacted embankment materials are generally partially saturated due to seasonal variation in the water content. At the onset of the overflow process embankments undergo to a wetting process due to the changes at the outer surface boundary conditions (i.e. overflow). Erosion behaviour is known to be a counterbalance between gravity forces and shear erosion forces. However, as the particle size decreases (i.e. clayey soils), gravitational forces become negligible and electrochemical interaction between particles play a dominant role. Clay microstructure (e.g. particle configuration and inter-particle forces) changes with the hydro-mechanical stresses history. Thus, it is necessary to consider the microstructural changes in particle configuration to understand the influence of microstructure on the macroscopic behaviour of clay during erosion. Upon wetting, clay have a swelling/collapse behaviour. This research presents experimental results on erosion of clay samples compacted at the same initial dry density but with different compaction water content. The influence of different wetting times on erosion is also investigated. We show that for a given as-compacted water content, the longer the wetting stage, and hence the higher the sample water content, the more erodible the samples. Additionally, for samples compacted at the same dry density, the ones compacted on the dry side of optimum are more erodible than samples compacted at the optimum water content, despite the lower water content at formation. We hypothesise that this may be due to the formation of a different initial microstructure in sample on the dry side of optimum (i.e. bi-modal pore size distribution). Our results contribute to the fundamental understanding of time-dependent mechanisms that influence erosion of clay embankments during overflow and, hence, to embankment failure. In addition, these tests show how basic concepts of unsaturated soil mechanics can serve as a guide to 'design' the compaction conditions of embankment material.


Flow dispersion, pressure drop, and averaged mass transport measurements have been made to characterize the reaction environment in an industrial scale electrochemical reactor. The 10 cell filter-press stack was operated with a relatively low mean linear velocity in the range 0.6 to 6.2 cm s–1. Flow dispersion was studied by a perturbation–response technique by electrolyte conductivity measurements at the reactor outlet. Mass transport coefficients were evaluated from the first order reaction decay of dissolved bromine (Br3–) which was anodically generated from 1 mol dm–3 NaBr (aq). Each cell consisted of two 0.72 m2 projected area electrodes separated by a cationic membrane, and each electrolyte compartment contained a high-density polyolefin turbulence promoter. The electrodes consisted of a carbon/polyethylene core with a layer of an activated carbon–poly(vinylidene difluoride) composite on each side. Comparison is made with the mass transport characteristics of a similar system that contains five bipolar cells.


The present work is concerned with the preliminary design of a new galley concept for long-haul airliners. Usually, galley systems are placed in the main deck of airliners or even in some cases in the lower-deck cargo compartment. The present concept considers placing trolleys, components that occupy significant room in galley installations, in the lower-deck compartment and transport them to the passenger deck by a dedicated lift system. The main advantage of this proposal is that more room becomes available in the passenger cabin for the accommodation of additional passengers. By a careful analysis, which considers the required structural modifications that must be incoporated into the airplane configuration to accommodate the new concept, the payoff of the present proposal is investigated. This was carried out by using the PADLAB® 2.4 software package, written for MATLAB®, and an in-house routine to evaluate aircraft performance and calculation of direct operating costs per seat mile. PADLAB® is tailored to the design of the cabin and the device and systems aimed at operating the trolleys by the passenger cabin crew; the in-house routine was validated against data obtained for the category of airliners under consideration.


Air cargo transport is a growing industry in parallel with the growth in world trade and e-commerce. The global air cargo transport traffic getting busier, the importance of timely loading with minimum error is increasing. Therefore, digitalization of the air cargo loading process is needed. Assignment of Unit Load Devices (ULDs) to the specific positions on the freighter is performed by loadmasters by manual or semi-manual methods. This study aims to design a simulation model, which performs the ULD assignment automatically by simulating the loading process performed by the experienced loadmasters under the weight and balance constraints. The SEMMA (sample, explore, modify, model, assess) model is used while generating the simulation model. Fifty real-world loading orders were used to assess the performance of the model. The ULD assignment process by the simulation model and the loadmasters using semi-manual loading were compared with regard to time and center of gravity performance indicators. The results demonstrated that the simulation model can load all the given sets of ULDs, as efficiently as a loadmaster with a similar center of gravity in a shorter period of time. In conclusion, the proposed simulation model provides an efficient solution to the ULD assignment problem. However, the base model generated may be improved to address various real-world scenarios


An integrated, compact piezohydraulic actuator system for active vibration control was designed and developed with a primary application for gas turbine aircraft engines. Copper tube was chosen as the transmission line material for ease of assembly. Liquid plastic, which meets incompressibility and low-viscosity requirements, was adjusted to provide optimal actuator performance. Variants of the liquid plastic have been prepared with desired properties between {minus}40 F and 400 F. The effectiveness of this hybrid actuator for active vibration control (AVC) was demonstrated for suppressing critical speed vibration through two critical speeds for various levels of intentionally placed imbalance. A high-accuracy closed-loop simulation, which combines both finite element and state space methods, was applied for the closed-loop unbalance response simulation with/without AVC. Good correlation between the simulation and test results was achieved.


Crystals of BaSi 4 O 9 synthesized at 4 GPa and 1000 degrees C were determined to be isostructural with barium tetragermanate [trigonal, space group P3, a = 11.2469(11) and c = 4.4851(6) Aa, V = 491.3(1) Aa 3 ]. The structure (R = 2.4%) features a corner-linked framework of three-member silicate tetrahedral rings, which are cross-linked by isolated silicate octahedra. Ba cations occupy tenfold-coordinated sites in channels defined by the silicate framework. This structure is 4.2% denser than the topologically similar benitoite form of high-pressure BaSi 4 O 9 , which was produced by grinding the barium tetragermanate-type crystals described in this report.


Thank you for reading miss silver comes to stay. As you may know, people have search hundreds times for their chosen novels like this miss silver comes to stay, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some infectious virus inside their desktop computer. miss silver comes to stay is available in our book collection an online access to it is set as public so you can download it instantly. Our book servers saves in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Kindly say, the miss silver comes to stay is universally compatible with any devices to read.


Game culture and material culture have always been closely linked. Analog forms of rule-based play (ludus) would hardly be conceivable without dice, cards, and game boards. In the act of free play (paidia), children as well as adults transform simple objects into multifaceted toys in an almost magical way. Even digital play is suffused with material culture: Games are not only mediated by technical interfaces, which we access via hardware and tangible peripherals. They are also subject to material hybridization, paratextual framing, and processes of de-, and re-materialization.


Forest microclimatology is the study of physical processes in the forest atmospheric boundary layer over time. An
understanding of these biophysical principles is essential in the development of sustainable forest management
system in which forest resources can be utilized for ecological protection, timber resources, recreation, water
resources and aesthetic appreciation. The objective of this paper is to characterise the microclimate of Ayer
Hitam Forest. The study was conducted at Compartment 6 of the Ayer Hitam Forest. Parameters such as soil
temperature, light, humidity, wind velocity and air temperature were monitored hourly during the study period.
Data on the same parameters (except light) were also obtained from the Universiti Putra Malaysia,
meteorological station. The UPM meteorological station had higher mean hourly air temperature, recorded
higher maximum and lower minimum compared to Ayer Hitam Forest. Mean relative humidity at Ayer Hitam
was higher than at UPM meteorological station while daily range relative humidity was higher at UPM
meteorological station compared to Ayer Hitam. Mean soil temperatures at all depths in Ayer Hitam Forest were
lower compared to the UPM meteorological station. Result from the study shows that microclimate of Ayer
Hitam is different from UPM meteorological station.


Brower based system provides a regular mechanism to reflect real world human browser-based systems. Supply chains are the network of corporation including a variety of human browser-based in connected but different processes. Browser-based computer systems can help and replace human-based interaction and decide in the supply chain, but there is no need to focus on heavy or top-down management plans. The Task Based on Browser (TPBB) construction uses techniques inspired by both human institutions and insect colonies. The probability density over time the ability to use the allocation of resources is committed to providing an agent for these surfaces can be a stroll in looking for opportunities to optimize.


: In diabetic eye disease, worsening vision may lead to the phenomenon of pseudohallucinations. Illustrated by a case history, a hypothesis is proposed which views this phenomenon as a kind of deprivation. This deprivation has implications for treatment, since reassurance and explanation seem more appropriate than pharmacological action. Other forms of sensory deprivation may occur in which one might expect the same situation, for example in polyneuropathy or impending deafness.


Organo-montmorillonite (OMMT) was treated with 3-amino- propyltrimethoxysilane. Epoxy (E) composites reinforced with glass fibber (GF) and OMMT were prepared with the hand-lay up technique. The flexural properties of the E/GF/OMMT composites were characterised by the three-point bending flexural test. The flexural modulus and strength of the E/GF composites were improved by the addition of silane-treated OMMT. The exfoliation of the OMMT in the E was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the OMMT silicate layers were exfoliated successfully in the E matrix. The flexural fractured surface morphology of the E/GF/OMMT composites was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is interesting to note that parts of the silane-treated OMMT also adhered to the GF, which can promote better interfacial interaction and wettability between the E and GF.


Abstract— Multi-level inverter has a capability to reduced voltage stress across power switches and low total harmonic distortion (THD) output voltage waveform. The variable voltage and frequency requirements the need and increasing trend of using multilevel inverter (MLI) in modern drives and utility applications. The MLI curves nearly sinusoidal output voltage waveforms like that stair case voltage waveform depend of steps. The proposed topology is reduced the size, cost and complexity of the circuit. The paper orients to develop a new variety of dual bridge multilevel inverter (DBMLDCLI) with primary objective to arrive at reduced component count for particular voltage level. By appropriately choosing ratio of voltage sources (Vo:Vn) and connecting parallel to Hbridge with diode, where Hbridge used for increased no of level and diode for current path. This paper present a novel multilevel topology witch is capable of obtaining all additive and subtractive combinations of input DC voltage. The numbers of level depend on DC source arrangement. For this proposed topology different PWM techniques are used for control the switches of the inverter. The performance of the proposed topology is analyzed through MATLAB based simulation studies.


Swiftlets are birds contained within the four genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia. To date, the bird nest grading is based on weight, shape and size. The inspection and grading for raw edible bird nest were performed visually by expert panels. This conventional method is relying more on human judgments. A Fourier-based shape separation (FD) method was developed from Charge Couple Device (CCD) image data to grade bird nest by its shape and size. FD was able to differentiate different shape such as oval and 'v' shaped depending on the swift let species and geographical origin. The Wilks' lambda analysis was invoked to transform and compress the data set comprising of large number of interconnected variables to a reduced set of variates. It can be further used to differentiate bird nest from different geographical origin. Overall, the vision system was able to correctly classify 100% of the V and Oval shaped and 81.3% for each grade in oval shape of the bird nest.


Based on the framework of the FEM, the three-dimensional numerical analysis for evaluating the efficiency of pile groups of large diameter bored cast-in-place pile is conducted in this paper. The effect of the pile numbers and pile spacing on the efficiency of pile groups is obtained by studying the ultimate bearing capacity behavior of different arrangements of pile groups under vertical loading. Then they are compared with the calculated results gained by the formula of the efficiency factor of the pile groups based on superimposed stresses. The findings can serve as a reference for the design of large diameter bored cast-in-place pile.


This guide will assist your research on entertainment law including intellectual property, agency, antitrust, contracts, and labor and employment of the film, television, radio, music recording, publishing, theater, and sports industries.


One of the most highlighted issues in the developing world of the 21st century is the hydrometeorological disasters. Developed and developing nations are all affected by the more prominent climate change. There has been a rise in disaster occurrences over the past decade that this has caused more attention to be given to the topic of disaster management especially to floods. The scale of these disaster events has also intensified and have broken past records with more destructive disasters. This paper intends to review the activities related to hydrometeorological disaster. Key activities are broken down into three different phases, namely pre-disaster, during disaster and post-disaster. Understanding the activities involved is pertinent to not only the lead agencies and non-governmental organizations but plays a bigger role for the vulnerable communities. In the past, communities were the last group to be participative in disaster risk reduction efforts. Today, communities are being engaged from early stage to empower them to be resilient towards the possibility of facing future flood disaster. Evacuation planning and logistics arrangement are key activities prior to the occurrence of any disaster which will ease the implementation of search and rescue operations. However during disaster, it is important for the early warning system to be functioning to alert the affected communities. People also need to be aware of the outbreak of diseases during flood disaster. Finally, post-disaster efforts focuses more on the restoration of damaged infrastructure as well as the mental state of the affected victims. Understanding these key activities will increase the awareness of stakeholders in reducing loss of life and minimizing damages towards properties.


The goal of the study was to determine if pesticide use in rice production in Arkansas was leading to environmental problems. Four sites on each of four small rivers in the rice growing area in eastern Arkansas were chosen for sampling from spring to mid-August each year. Typically, 9 to 12 compounds were chosen based on recommendations of scientists involved in rice production. The specific compounds may have changed, but the constant was that there was a reasonable chance of the compounds being present. For this study, only concentrations above 2 μg L-1 (2 ppb) were used to determine if nontarget species were being harmed. Eliminating low concentrations makes it easier to determine meaningful detections on consecutive sampling dates, frequency of detections, and multiple detections per sample. Although glyphosate is used in rice production, it was not included in the study because it is also used in other crops, especially soybean, so results could not be related to rice production. Most detections occurred in May, June, and July, when most compounds are applied. The probability of finding compounds in the L'Anguille and Cache rivers was 5 to 10 times higher than in the St. Francis River or Lagrue Bayou. The…


older unimmunised ones should have exaggerated rather than diminished the apparent protective effect of the vaccine. I was careful, however, not to claim that my study demonstrated a lack of protective effects of vaccination to the younger children. I did discover that the only seriously ill infants were too young to have been vaccinated in any case; and that these children were threatened by an outbreak of which the onset and initial spread were entirely among immunised children.


Four Al2O3 nanostructures (i.e. nanofiber, nanoplatelet, nanorod and nanoflake) have been successfully synthesized via hydrothermal procedures followed by a dehydration process. Subsequently, polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites incorporating these four Al2O3 nanostructures have been fabricated using a surface initialized polymerization (SIP) method. Both TEM and SEM are used to characterize the morphologies of the Al2O3 nanostructures and PANI/Al2O3 nanocomposites. X-Ray diffraction results reveal that the morphology of the nanofiller has a significant effect on the crystallization behavior of the PANI during polymerization. The electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of these nanocomposites are strongly related to both the morphology of the filler and the dispersion quality. Temperature-dependent-conductivity measurements from 50–290 K show that the electron transportation of the nanocomposites follows a quasi 3-d variable range hopping (VRH) conduction mechanism. The extent of charge carrier delocalization calculated from VRH is well correlated to the dielectric response of these nanocomposites. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results reveal an enhanced thermal stability of the PANI/Al2O3 nanocomposites as compared to that of pure PANI due to the strong interaction between the nanofillers and polymer matrix. The mechanism of the SIP method is also elaborated in this work.


Accurate traffic flow prediction under abnormal conditions, such as accidents, adverse weather, work zones, and holidays, is significant for proactive traffic control. Here, the authors focus on a special challenge of how to develop robust responsive algorithms and prediction models for short-term traffic forecasting in different traffic conditions. To this end, this study presents an ensemble learning algorithm for the short-term traffic flow prediction via the integration of gradient boosting regression trees (GBRT) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso). Four different model structures whether considering the feature selection are proposed and tested for multi-step-ahead prediction under both normal and abnormal conditions. The results indicate that the proposed multi-model ensemble models are superior to the benchmark algorithms, i.e., support vector regression, and random forests, the GBRT model outperforms the Lasso model under normal traffic conditions, and the Lasso model has a better prediction accuracy under abnormal traffic conditions. In addition, the Lasso model with the feature selection is superior to the full feature model under either normal or abnormal conditions, while the GBRT model is not always better under normal conditions. The proposed integration framework is general and flexible to assemble various traffic prediction algorithms.


Based on density functional theory and Berry curvature calculations, we predict that the p–p band inversion type quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE) can be realized in a series of two dimensional (2D) bilayer honeycomb TlMs (M = N, P, As, Sb), which can be effectively equivalent to a bilayer triangular lattice for low energy electrons. Further topological analysis reveals that the band inversion between p−z and px,y of the M atom contributes to the non-trivial topological nature of TlM. The band inversion is independent of spin–orbit coupling which is distinctive from conventional topological insulators (TIs). A tight binding model based on a triangular lattice is constructed to describe the QSH states in the systems. Besides the interesting 2D triangular lattice p–p type inversion for the topological mechanism, the maximal 550 meV local band gap (TlSb) and the tunable global band gap of the systems provide a new choice for a future room temperature quantum spin Hall insulator (QSHI). Considering the advance of the technology of van der Waals passivation, combination with hexagonal materials, such as h-BN, enables TlMs to show great potential for future 2D topological electronic devices.


An individual-based model of the process of niche construction is presented, whereby organisms disturb the environment experienced by their neighbours. This disturbance in local conditions creates a niche that potentially could be filled by another species (which would then create still more niches and so on). The model is unique in allowing the complexity of the organisms—measured by the number of genes they possess in order to be well adapted to their local environment—to evolve over time, and is therefore the first model with which it is possible to study the contribution of niche construction to the evolution of organism complexity. Results of experiments demonstrate that the process of niche construction does indeed introduce an active drive for organisms with more genes. This is the first explicit example of a model which possesses an intrinsic drive for the evolution of complexity.


Mechanization was introduced to the oil palm plantations to overcome labor shortage and to improve production efficiency. The impact of soil compaction from the mechanization contributes to gradual alteration of soil
physical properties. The information on severity and extent of soil degradation due to mechanization are still lacking. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the extent of soil degradation resulting from mechanization activities and its subsequent influence on oil palm performance.
The study was carried out at Melentang Estate in Bagan Datuk, Perak, Malaysia. The site was a flat coastal terrain of clayey Bernam Series soil (Typic Endoaquepts). It was planted in 1996 with GH300 DxP materials at planting density of 148 palms per hectare and the trial was started in 2002.
The treatments were combination of three trailer weights (0, 2 and 4 tonnes) and three transportation frequencies (1, 2 and 3 rounds monthly).Soil physical analyses and vegetative measurements were done twice a year. Yield was recorded every 10 to 12 days and root samplings were
taken at the end of the trial.
After six years of compaction treatments, the soil bulk density and total porosity were significantly increased and reduced by 30% and 15% respectively. Compaction was further indicated by a significant reduction of macropores by 10% and increment of mesopores and micropores by 10%
and 3% respectively. This resulted in increased available water of the compacted soil by 19%. However, the soil hydraulic conductivity and infiltration rate were significantly reduced by 51% and 31% respectively.
Most of the changes in the soil physical properties were found only within the first 0 to 10 cm depth of the harvesting path.
Although soil compaction was expected to reduce the oil palm yield, the results show otherwise. The fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield, bunch number and bunch weight increased by 11%, 14% and 2% respectively in the compacted plots as compared to control. However, the oil palm standing
biomass in control plots was significantly higher by about 11%. Although there was no significant difference in trunk height, the palm in the compacted plots exhibited a significant reduction in trunk diameter by 9%, trunk dry weight by 8% and frond dry weight by 6% as compared to the
control. Total leaf area was not affected as reflected in the optimum leaf area index (LAI) value. A greater root biomass was observed in the control,while the treated plots showed a decreasing trend in root biomass with increasing trailer weight. The reduction in total root biomass in the
compacted plots was compensated by higher tertiary and quaternary roots biomass. This resulted in a significant increase in root surface area for better water and nutrient uptake as ompared to the control.
The results indicated that six years of compaction treatments had affected the soil physical properties of this Bernam series soil, but it was nonlimiting to palm growth, since a positive relationship was found between
these treatments and oil palm yield.


Introduction National guidelines, standards and policies help health care professionals to elicit information during sexual history taking as part of partner notification (PN) for sexually transmitted infections (STI). Accurate information about sexual partners and sexual behaviours is vital to prevent onward transmission. This study focuses on patients' experiences on how sexual history questions for the purpose of PN could be improved. Methods We conducted 12 focus groups with members of the public and patients at sexual health clinics in Glasgow and London. All patient participants had been diagnosed with a (non-HIV) STI in the past six months. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Analysis revealed a number of interrelated themes arising from participants' experiences and perceptions. Shared beliefs about sensitivity and reflexivity of questions regarding the frequency, riskiness and contactability of sexual partners influenced the way in which patients experienced and responded in sexual health consultations. Congruence in language and clinician-led consideration of the context of individual sexual behaviour contributed to the extent to which information was shared. Discussion Sexual history taking for PN is embedded within a complex interaction between clinicians and patients. The need to accurately identify all partners is balanced against acknowledging that questions asked must be sensitive yet unambiguous. This study suggests that establishing congruence in language and investing time to examine contextual factors within the patient's sexual behaviours can lead to active collaboration within a time-efficient window, and enhancing the accuracy of information shared thereby enabling health professionals to offer appropriate options for PN.


PURPOSE
Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer can result in complete disappearance of tumor and involved nodes. In patients without residual tumor on imaging and endoscopy (clinical complete response [cCR]) a wait-and-see-policy (omission of surgery with follow-up) might be considered instead of surgery. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate feasibility and safety of a wait-and-see policy with strict selection criteria and follow-up.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with a cCR after chemoradiotherapy were prospectively selected for the wait-and-see policy with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoscopy plus biopsies. Follow-up was performed 3 to 6 monthly and consisted of MRI, endoscopy, and computed tomography scans. A control group of patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) after surgery was identified from a prospective cohort study. Functional outcome was measured with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) bowel function questionnaire and Wexner incontinence score. Long-term outcome was estimated by using Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS
Twenty-one patients with cCR were included in the wait-and-see policy group. Mean follow-up was 25 ± 19 months. One patient developed a local recurrence and had surgery as salvage treatment. The other 20 patients are alive without disease. The control group consisted of 20 patients with a pCR after surgery who had a mean follow-up of 35 ± 23 months. For these patients with a pCR, cumulative probabilities of 2-year disease-free survival and overall survival were 93% and 91%, respectively.

CONCLUSION
A wait-and-see policy with strict selection criteria, up-to-date imaging techniques, and follow-up is feasible and results in promising outcome at least as good as that of patients with a pCR after surgery. The proposed selection criteria and follow-up could form the basis for future randomized studies.


Solutions to Model Predictive Control (MPC) problems can be given in an explicit form as piecewise affine (PWA) state feedback laws over a polyhedral partition of the feasible set, avoiding the online optimization. In this paper we propose a technique to compute an approximate PWA MPC law that is suboptimal only over the subregion of the feasible set where constraints are active. In this subregion, the problem of computing a suitable suboptimal PWA control law is related to an important problem in computer aided geometric design: surface reconstruction. The technique is based on a fundamental structure in computational geometry theory, Delaunay tessellation, which have been particularly successful in dealing with the surface reconstruction problem.


ABSTRACT Bacteria have evolved strategies to resist killing by antimicrobial peptides (APs), important effectors of innate immunity. The sap (sensitivity to antimicrobial peptides) operon confers resistance to AP-mediated killing of Salmonella. We have recently shown that sapA gene expression is upregulated in the middle ear in a chinchilla model of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI)-induced otitis media. Based on these findings, we constructed an NTHI strain containing a Lux reporter plasmid driven by the sapA promoter and demonstrated early yet transient expression of the sap operon within sites of the chinchilla upper airway upon infection. We hypothesized that the sap operon products mediate NTHI resistance to APs. In order to test this hypothesis, we constructed a nonpolar mutation in the sapA gene of NTHI strain 86-028NP, a low-passage-number clinical isolate. The sapA mutant was approximately eightfold more sensitive than the parent strain to killing by recombinant chinchilla β-defensin 1. We then assessed the ability of this mutant to both colonize and cause otitis media in chinchillas. The sapA mutant was significantly attenuated compared to the parent strain in its ability to survive in both the nasopharynx and the middle ear of the chinchilla. In addition, the mutant was impaired in its ability to compete with the parent strain in a dual-strain challenge model of infection. Our results indicate that the products of the sap operon are important for resisting the activity of APs and may regulate, in part, the balance between normal carriage and disease caused by NTHI.


We have developed a new and improved optical model of reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM) to determine with a precision of a few nanometers the absolute thickness h of thin films on a flat surface in immersed conditions. The model takes into account multiple reflections between a planar surface and a multistratified object, finite aperture illumination (INA), and, for the first time, the polarization of light. RICM intensity I is typically oscillating with h. We introduce a new normalization procedure that uses the intensity extrema of the same oscillation order for both experimental and theoretical intensity values and permits us to avoid significant error in the absolute height determination, especially at high INA. We also show how the problem of solution degeneracy can be solved by taking pictures at two different INA values. The model is applied to filled polystyrene beads and giant unilamellar vesicles of radius 10-40 microm sitting on a glass substrate. The RICM profiles I(h) can be fitted for up to two to three oscillation orders, and extrema positions are correct for up to five to seven oscillation orders. The precision of the absolute distance and of the shape of objects near a substrate is about 5 nm in a range from 0 to 500 nm, even under large numerical aperture conditions. The method is especially valuable for dynamic RICM experiments and with living cells where large illumination apertures are required.


This phase 3 pivotal study evaluated the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of a recombinant FVIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) for prophylaxis, treatment of acute bleeding, and perioperative hemostatic control in 165 previously treated males aged ≥12 years with severe hemophilia A. The study had 3 treatment arms: arm 1, individualized prophylaxis (25-65 IU/kg every 3-5 days, n = 118); arm 2, weekly prophylaxis (65 IU/kg, n = 24); and arm 3, episodic treatment (10-50 IU/kg, n = 23). A subgroup compared recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) and rFVIIIFc pharmacokinetics. End points included annualized bleeding rate (ABR), inhibitor development, and adverse events. The terminal half-life of rFVIIIFc (19.0 hours) was extended 1.5-fold vs rFVIII (12.4 hours; P < .001). Median ABRs observed in arms 1, 2, and 3 were 1.6, 3.6, and 33.6, respectively. In arm 1, the median weekly dose was 77.9 IU/kg; approximately 30% of subjects achieved a 5-day dosing interval (last 3 months on study). Across arms, 87.3% of bleeding episodes resolved with 1 injection. Adverse events were consistent with those expected in this population; no subjects developed inhibitors. rFVIIIFc was well-tolerated, had a prolonged half-life compared with rFVIII, and resulted in low ABRs when dosed prophylactically 1 to 2 times per week.


Herein, a strategy is developed for efficient production of l,3-propanediol via the hydrolysis of 1,3-dioxane by the in situ transformation of the co-product formaldehyde (HCHO) in the presence of Eu(OH)3. The reversible hydrolysis reaction is promoted to yield 98% conversion and 99% 1,3-propanediol selectivity. Furthermore, HCHO is converted to formic acid (HCOOH) which could act as an acidic catalyst in the hydrolysis of 1,3-dioxane. The combination of FT-IR and control experiments demonstrates that HCOOH is generated via the hydrolysis of formate species which formed on the surface of Eu(OH)3.


Local anesthetics are an integral part of routine pain management in mammals, yet their use is relatively limited in fish, amphibians and reptiles. These animals frequently undergo potentially painful surgical procedures and therefore could possibly benefit from those drugs. Some recommendations are currently available in the literature concerning analgesic use in these animals. However the pharmacological properties, safety and often efficacy of local anesthetic drugs have not been investigated yet in fish, amphibians, or reptiles. This review compiled current information concerning the use of those agents in fish, reptiles and amphibians to help clinicians make an informed decision as to which dose and drug to use. The resulting literature search showed that the literature concerning use of local analgesics in fish and amphibians is very limited while the literature for reptiles is more extensive. We found few experimental studies evaluating the efficacy of local anesthetics. Further studies would provide additional information for developing guidelines to improve the welfare of fish, amphibians and reptiles.


Strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) were evaluated as a potential method for studying the geographical origin of populations and movements patterns of migratory fish from the La Plata Basin (Paraná, Uruguay and Bermejo Rivers and Río de la Plata Estuary, South America). Surface water samples were collected at 43 sites during austral summer and winter (2018) while, Surubí (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans), Patí (Luciopimelodus pati), dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) and sábalo (Prochilodus lineatus) fishes were collected at seven locations. Water 87Sr/86Sr ratio was analysed by MC‐ICP‐MS (N = 74) and otolith core‐to‐edge 87Sr/86Sr transects (N = 50) were measured by LAfs‐MC‐ICP‐MS. Several water bodies presented significantly different (p < 0.05) water 87Sr/86Sr values. A ~ 1:1 relationship was found between 87Sr/86Sr measured in edge otolith and water. Data provide novel perspectives about migratory behaviour for all species, such as potential cross‐border migrations between countries of more than 1,000 km recorded for L. pati, S. brasiliensis and P. lineatus. These species seem to move between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, which imply using the delta or the estuary as a corridor between them. Discriminant analysis based on otolith core 87Sr/86Sr suggested that the four species studied originate in sub‐basins different from those that were collected and revelled the presence of several potential spawning/nursery areas. The otolith 87Sr/86Sr profiles also suggested movements between different environments such as reservoirs, large plain rivers, mountain streams, floodplain valleys and estuaries. These results show the potential of 87Sr/86Sr as a tool for tracking the life history of fishes, and depict for the first time a complex use of the La Plata basin by the fishes, providing new information for management plans at the regional level.


The article aims at evaluating the implementation of the National Immunization Programme 2009-2013 by assessing the effectiveness in reaching the intermediate targets. The article looks at the trends in the vaccination coverage by diseases that are vaccinated against in accordance with Lithuanian Childhood Vaccination Schedule. Vaccinations given according to the schedule are covered by the National Health Insurance Fund in pursuance of the National Immunization Programme. The effectiveness was assessed by comparing the target indicators to the actual ones. It was found that in 2012 vaccination coverage for all infections was more than 90%, consequently, the target of the National Immunization Programme – "to maintain the coverage among children across the country at levels no less than 90%" – was successfully achieved by the effectiveness criteria. However, it was also noted that in recent years a visible downward trend in overall vaccination coverage has been observed, and the target to increase the scale of immunization against communicable diseases in pursuance of Lithuanian Immunization Schedule up to 97-98% by the year 2010, which was set in the Lithuanian Health Programme, basically has remained unfulfilled. This might have been influenced by anti-vaccine movements that have been gaining momentum in the country and not evidence-based information being disseminated through the mass media.


BACKGROUND
Warfarin is the primary therapy to prevent stroke and venous thromboembolism. Significant periods of nonadherence frequently go unreported by patients and undetected by providers. Currently, no comprehensive screening tool exists to help providers assess the risk of nonadherence at the time of initiation of warfarin therapy.

METHODS
This article reports on a prospective cohort study of adults initiating warfarin therapy at two anticoagulation clinics (university- and Veterans Affairs-affiliated). Nonadherence, defined by failure to record a correct daily pill bottle opening, was measured daily by electronic pill cap monitoring. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to develop a point system to predict daily nonadherence to warfarin.

RESULTS
We followed 114 subjects for a median of 141 days. Median nonadherence of the participants was 14.4% (interquartile range [IQR], 5.8-33.8). A point system, based on nine demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors, distinguished those demonstrating low vs high levels of nonadherence: four points or fewer, median nonadherence 5.8% (IQR, 2.3-14.1); five points, 9.1% (IQR, 5.9-28.6); six points, 14.5% (IQR, 7.1-24.1); seven points, 14.7% (IQR, 7.0-34.7); and eight points or more, 29.3% (IQR, 15.5-41.9). The model produces a c-statistic of 0.66 (95% CI, 0.61-0.71), suggesting modest discriminating ability to predict day-level warfarin nonadherence.

CONCLUSIONS
Poor adherence to warfarin is common. A screening tool based on nine demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors, if further validated in other patient populations, may help to identify groups of patients at lower risk for nonadherence so that intensified efforts at increased monitoring and intervention can be focused on higher-risk patients.


Summary 1. Differential demands on cognitive ability may be expected to result in the evolution of cognition and associated changes in underlying neural mechanisms. While most comparative studies of cognition have focused on volumetric brain measurements, it remains unclear whether neuron morphology, which appears to be directly linked to cognitive functions, may be responsive to differential selection on cognitive ability. 2. Food-caching birds rely on caches to survive winter and use spatial memory to recover previously stored food. Birds in more harsh winter climates have been hypothesized to be more dependent on cached food, and therefore, their winter survival may be expected to be more memory-dependent relative to their conspecifics from the milder winter climates. Here, we show that neuron soma size in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory function, exhibits significant population variation associated with different environmental pressures on spatial memory related to differences in winter climate harshness in two species of foodcaching chickadees. Comparing ten populations of black-capped chickadees and three populations of mountain chickadees along a gradient of winter climate harshness, we found that birds from harsher environments had significantly larger hippocampal neuron soma sizes. 3. Using chickadees from the two most divergent populations reared in a laboratory environment, we showed that these differences appear to be at least partly heritable as significant differences between these populations remained in birds sharing the same laboratory environment. At the same time, laboratory-reared birds had significantly smaller neuron soma size compared with the wild-sampled birds, suggesting that at least some variation in neuron soma size may be due to environment-related plasticity. 4. Our data suggest that environment-related selection on memory may generate differences in neuron morphology, which appear to be controlled by some heritable mechanisms and likely underlie population differences in spatial memory.