Objective: Our hypothesis was that the ability of the product of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) peak systolic velocity (PSV) and ductus venosus (DV) pulsatility index (PI) to predict perinatal mortality in IUGR fetuses delivered at less than 28 weeks' gestation is superior to MCA PSV and DV PI. Study design: Patients with a diagnosis of IUGR, defined as fetuses with either estimated weight or abdominal circumference below the 10th percentile and an abnormal umbilical artery, were included in this study. The ductus venosus PI and the MCA PSV were measured and expressed as multiples of the median. To determine the relationship between the three parameters and perinatal mortality, we performed a receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis for each parameter. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Seventeen fetuses met the inclusion criteria. Gestational age at diagnosis ranged between 23.3 weeks and 27.6 weeks. The median interval between the last examination and delivery was one day. There were seven perinatal deaths. All three indices produced a very similar area under the curve (MCA PSV AUC: 0.743; p = 0.097; DV PI AUC: 0.757, p = 0.079; MCA PSV × DV PI AUC: 0.77, p = 0.064). At 100% sensitivity, the specificities were 30% for the DV PI and the product of the MCA PSV and DV PI, whereas it was 50% for the MCA PSV. Conclusions: These data suggest that the MCA PSV, and the product of the MCA PSV and DV PI may predict perinatal outcomes in very preterm growth-restricted fetuses at least as well as the DV PI. The results may have not reached statistically significance because of the small sample size of the study group. A serial study involving IUGR fetuses that includes the MCA PSV, the product of MCA PSV, and the DV PI is warranted. These might represent the best fetal Doppler parameters in predicting perinatal outcomes in very early preterm IUGR fetuses.


Conventional engineering parts usually composed by algebraic surfaces are important investigation objects of reverse engineering. In this paper a step segmentation method for algebraic models is proposed. The mesh normals and curvedness of every vertex are estimated as a shape descriptor. In the first segmentation fourteen directions are chosen initially, and a k-means algorithm according to the normal vectors is used, then the surface is divided to form patches by a region-growing scheme, as well as some sharp edges or flat areas are detected. In order to identify algebraic surface, curvedness of a patch is set as the criterion by which the surface merged into near constant curvedness region. Especially a novel mean shift algorithm is adopted in this method, that a powerful technique for clustering in image process, and is extended to normal filtering while preserving the features to increase robustness of the method. Experimental evaluations using scan data or noise data demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.


A new method for joint Direction-of-Arrival (DOA) and sensor position estimation is introduced. The proposed method exploits the advantages of both higher-order-statistics (HOS) and second-order-statistics (SOS) with an iterative algorithm. The ambiguity problem in sensor position estimation is solved by observing source signals at least in two different frequencies. These frequencies should satisfy a certain condition which is presented in the paper. A new cost function is defined for the DOA and position estimation. The proposed method works even when the source signals are correlated contrary to the HOS approaches. The performance of the method approaches to the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) for both DOA and position estimation.


Scholars have long recognized that Newton regarded Descartes as his principal philosophical interlocutor when composing the first edition of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica in 1687. The arguments in the Scholium on space and time, for instance, can profitably be interpreted as focusing on the conception of space and motion in part two of Descartes's Principles of Philosophy (1644). What is less well known, however, is that this Cartesian conception, along with Descartes's attempt to avoid Galileo's fate in 1633, serves as an essential background to understanding Newton's own (poorly understood) view of the theological implications of his theory of space and motion. In particular, after withdrawing Le Monde from publication in 1633 because of its Copernican leanings, Descartes later introduced what some regard as a "fudge factor" into the theory of motion in the Principles: from an ordinary perspective the earth does move; but from a philosophical one, it does not. This background indicates the novelty and originality of Newton's own attempt to explicate how scriptural passages concerning the motions of the heavenly bodies can be reconciled with the philosophical views he developed during the 1680s. New evidence from archival sources and correspondence supports this argument, shedding light on the Scholium and on Newton's conception of philosophy's relation to theology.


Objective. Monitoring of regulated physiologic processes using physiomarkers such as heart rate variability may be important in the early diagnosis of subacute, potentially catastrophic illness. Early in the course of neonatal sepsis, there are physiomarkers of reduced heart rate variability and transient decelerations similar to fetal distress. The goal of this study was to determine the degree of increased risk for sepsis, urinary tract infection (UTI), and death when these abnormal heart rate characteristics (HRC) were observed. Methods. We monitored 1022 infants at 2 tertiary care NICUs, 458 of whom were very low birth weight. We calculated an HRC index from validated regression models relating mathematical features of heart rate time series and histograms to episodes of illness. We calculated the risks for adverse events of sepsis, UTI, and death for infants stratified by HRC measurements. Results. Compared with infants with low-risk HRC measurements, infants with high-risk HRC measurements had 5- to 6-fold increased risk for an adverse event in the next day and 3-fold increased risk in the next week. Laboratory tests that were relevant to infection added information to HRC measurements. Infants with both high-risk HRC and abnormal laboratory tests had 6- to 7-fold increased risk for an adverse event in the next day compared with infants who had neither. Conclusion. HRC are noninvasively monitored physiomarkers that identify infants in the NICU who are at high risk for sepsis, UTI, and death.


Neurosurgery without general anesthesia is based on the necessity to avoid any interference between brain electrophysiological recordings and anesthetic agents, and the opportunity to have a patient able to follow commands and to cooperate during surgery. It includes not only several minimally invasive procedures, but also craniotomies for epilepsy surgery or the removal of tumors located close to brain eloquent areas. Before surgery, the patient must be carefully evaluated, correctly informed and appropriately prepared. In the operating room, monitoring is important for conducting the anesthetic management, ensuring patient's comfort and safety, and meeting surgical requests. Propofol and remifentanil are frequently used for anesthesia, but sufentanil, local anesthetics and a2-agonists are also of primary interest. Patient's ventilation may be spontaneous, assisted or controlled. Airway management is a key point strongly related to the anesthesia technique and the type of surgery. Airway may be secured with different airway devices and the laryngeal mask appears to progressively replace the endotracheal tube. Respiratory, hemodynamic, and neurologic complications as well as nausea and vomiting and loss of patient's cooperation may have disastrous consequences and should be prevented rather than cared.


The avian notifiable diseases avian influenza and Newcastle disease are two of the most feared livestock diseases, both being highly infectious transboundary viral diseases that can affect domestic poultry and wild and captive birds. As a result, both diseases are the subject of internationally recognised definitions, as described by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and legislation for the purposes of maintaining poultry health, trade and disease control. This article, the first in a three-part series, focuses on avian influenza, including influenza virus biology and the statutory definitions and epidemiology of the disease. In addition, key clinical and pathological features of avian influenza in different poultry hosts are described. Parts 2 and 3, which will be published in forthcoming issues of In Practice, will discuss, respectively, Newcastle disease and the investigation of poultry health problems with reference to avian notifiable diseases and differential diagnoses.


Kidney transplantation has been known as a major advancement of modern medicine which provides high-quality life years to patients with irreversible kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, ESRD) worldwide. The first kidney transplantation in Semarang was carried out at Telogorejo Hospital in 1985. Dr. Kariadi Hospital, has also undertaken kidney transplantation 28 times since January 2014 until September 2018. Kidney ischemic time is one of the most important factors which can affect the outcome of kidney transplantation. Prolonged ischemia of the graft can be related to transplantation's effects. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of warm and cold ischemic time on the outcome of kidney transplantation in Dr. Kariadi Hospital Semarang.

 This is an observational, cross-sectional study. The data was collected from medical record of all patients who underwent kidney transplantation from January 2014 until December 2018 and the level of creatinine and urine production before and after transplantation was documented. A total of 28 patients were registered and completed the inclusion criteria. The results of the study were tabulated and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0. The relationship was declared meaningful if p = 0.05 was obtained.

 From the analysis of the research that has been done using the Pearson correlation test and hypothesis test Wilcoxon, it was found that there was a relationship between ischemic time and a decrease in creatinine level from r = -0.4489 with a value of p = 0.008. From the analysis of the research, a relationship between ischemic time and urine production was found after transplantation with a value of r = -0.562 and a value of p = 0.002.

 The results of this study show a strong correlation between the length of total ischemic time with a decrease in creatinine and urine production which means that the longer ischemic time, the lower the decrease in creatinine levels and the lesser the urine production.


Globally, ticks are well known vectors of a number of pathogens, including members of the genera Anaplasma, Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Babesia, and Theileria, which are associated with a range of tick-borne diseases (TBD). These bacteria and blood-borne parasites are widely studied overseas due to their significant medical and veterinary impacts. In Australia, in recent decades, research into ticks and TBD has been focused on mammalian hosts, particularly livestock and companion animals. The relationship between wildlife and their ticks, on the other hand, are less studied. Despite disease concerns associated with ticks in Australia caused primarily by the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, and other introduced species such as the bush tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, and the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the impacts of native wildlife ticks are not known. The main objective of this thesis was to identify and characterise novel microorganisms and potential tick-borne pathogens residing in ticks that parasitise Australian wildlife.

Wildlife ticks (n=1,000) were sourced across Australia from wildlife hospitals and sanctuaries, and genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from a subsample (n=196). Following the amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene V1-V2 hypervariable region, next generation sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina MiSeq platform was used to assess the microbial composition. Results revealed the presence of a Borrelia species in Bothriocroton concolor ticks collected from echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), prompting further screening of additional B. concolor ticks (n=97) using primers targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), flagellin (flaB), the 60 kDa heat shock protein (groEL), the glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (glpQ), and the DNA gyrase (gyrB) genes. Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Borrelia sp. identified in the B. concolor ticks was unique and distantly related to the Relapsing Fever Borrelia, with the reptile-associated (REP) Borrelia group, its sister taxa. Therefore, this novel species was described phylogenetically and named 'Candidatus Borrelia tachyglossi', representing the first Borrelia species to be molecularly characterised in native Australian ticks.

Next Generation Sequencing analyses of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene V1-V2 hypervariable region also revealed the presence of Ehrlichia spp. belonging to the Anaplasmataceae family, which were further characterised using Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, the citrate synthase (gltA) and groEL genes to evaluate the relationship between the Ehrlichia detected in the echidna ticks to other Ehrlichia spp. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Ehrlichia sequences derived from the echidna ticks were unique and shared the closest nucleotide identity (99.2%) with 'Candidatus Ehrlichia ornithorhynchi' detected in platypuses and I. ornithorhynchi ticks, clustering with 'Candidatus Ehrlichia khabarensis' as their closest sister species, while dissimilar to other described Ehrlichia species.

This thesis also presents the first identification of a Theileria fuliginosa-like species in Ixodes australiensis ticks collected from western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) in Western Australia. In addition, Theileria orientalis was identified in one Haemaphysalis longicornis tick from a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and new genotypes of Theileria and Babesia spp. were identified in ticks from bandicoots (Perameles nasuta) and brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), respectively. Collectively, phylogenetic analyses of the Babesia and Theileria spp. derived from Australian marsupials demonstrates that they are unique and different from their overseas counterparts. Currently, little is known about the pathogenicity of these newly identified bacteria and piroplasms in wildlife ticks.

In conclusion, the results presented in this thesis provide an essential foundation for future research and valuable insights into the presence of important tick-borne microorganisms and the microbial diversity in ticks associated with Australian wildlife.


Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity is an extraordinary portrait of one of the world's largest cities. Sam Miller sets out to discover the real Delhi, a city he describes as being 'India's dreamtown - and its purgatory'. He treads the city streets, making his way through Delhi and its suburbs, visiting its less celebrated destinations. Miller's quest is the here and now, the unexpected, the ignored and the eccentric. All the obvious ports of call - the ancient monuments, the imperial buildings and the celebrities of modern Delhi - make only passing appearances. Through his encounters with Delhi's people - from a professor of astrophysics to a crematorium attendant, from ragpickers to members of the Police Brass Band - Miller creates a richly entertaining portrait of what Delhi means to its residents, and of what kind of city it is becoming. Miller is, like so many of the people he meets, a migrant in one of the world's fastest growing cities - and the modern Delhi he depicts is one whose future concerns us all. Miller possesses an intense curiosity; he has an infallible eye for life's diversities, for all the marvellous and sublime moments that illuminate people's lives. This is a generous, original, humorous portrait of a great city; one which unerringly locates the humanity beneath the mundane, the unsung and the unfamiliar.


More than 40% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients lack actionable targets and require non-targeted chemotherapeutics. Many become refractory to drugs due to underlying resistance-associated mutations. KEAP1 mutant NSCLCs further activate NRF2 and upregulate its client PTGR1. LP-184, a novel alkylating agent belonging to the acylfulvene class is a prodrug dependent upon PTGR1. We hypothesized that NSCLC with KEAP1 mutations would continue to remain sensitive to LP-184. LP-184 demonstrated highly potent anticancer activity both in primary NSCLC cell lines and in those originating from brain metastases of primary lung cancers. LP-184 activity correlated with PTGR1 transcript levels but was independent of mutations in key oncogenes (KRAS and KEAP1) and tumor suppressors (TP53 and STK11). LP-184 was orders of magnitude more potent in vitro than cisplatin and pemetrexed. Correlative analyses of sensitivity with cell line gene expression patterns indicated that alterations in NRF2, MET, EGFR and BRAF consistently modulated LP-184 sensitivity. These correlations were then extended to TCGA analysis of 517 lung adenocarcinoma patients, out of which 35% showed elevated PTGR1, and 40% of those further displayed statistically significant co-occurrence of KEAP1 mutations. The gene correlates of LP-184 sensitivity allow additional personalization of therapeutic options for future treatment of NSCLC.


This study was undertaken to examine the possible relationships between muscle capillary basement membrane width (CBMW) and glycemic control, bone age, chronologic age, and duration of diabetes in young patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) during different stages of pubertal development. We studied 49 males and 43 females (age, 7–20 yr) with IDDM for up to 16 yr for whom bone age and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) data were available at the time of right quadriceps muscle biopsy. Based on pubic hair Tanner stage, subjects were assigned to prepubertal (Tanner I), pubertal (Tanner II and III), and postpubertal (Tanner IV and V) groups. In 30 pubertal and prepubertal subjects, none of the variables studied was significantly correlated with CBMW. This is attributable in part to the small number of subjects in each group. In 62 postpubertal subjects, CBMW was correlated with age (r = .27, P = .03), bone age (r = .43, P = .0005), and postpubertal duration of diabetes (r = .38, P = .003) but not total duration of diabetes. In the postpubertal subjects, CBMW was correlated with HbA1c at the time of biopsy (r = .31, P = .01) but correlated more strongly with the mean of HbA1c values obtained during the 1- and 2-yr periods before biopsy (r = .37, P = .01, and r − .54, P = .03, respectively). An analysis of covariance revealed that the slopes for the regression of loge CBMW on HbA1c differed significantly (P = .02) among the three groups. This difference is due primarily to the negative relationship between loge CBMW and HbA1c in the prepubertal group in contrast to the positive relationship in the other two groups. Multiple regression analyses performed on data from the postpubertal group showed that bone age and glycemic control were independently associated with CBMW. These observations suggest that in children with IDDM, CBMW is influenced after puberty by the factors responsible for skeletal maturation (i.e., sex steroids) and also by the degree of hyperglycemia.


Diagnosis of Gambian sleeping sickness is problematic because of the very low levels of parasitaemia encountered in the field. A PCR method developed for the sensitive detection of Trypanosoma brucei was used to diagnose parasitologically negative suspects in a recent survey in Cameroon. Individuals were screened in two foci (Mbam and Fontem), firstly with the card agglutination test for trypanosomiasis (CATT) as a primary serological test, together with palpation and puncture of enlarged cervical lymph glands. Any suspects found positive by CATT (CATT+) and any clinical suspects were then subjected to several parasitological tests (examination of thick blood films and use of hematocrit centrifugation, mini-anion-exchange chromatography and a commercial kit for in-vitro isolation). Overall, 43 of the 1703 subjects screened in the Mbam focus were CATT+ and three (two of whom were CATT+) had enlarged glands. In Fontem, 56 of the 1210 subjects screened were CATT+, 78 (24 of whom were CATT+) had enlarged glands and two (both CATT+) had trypanosomes in their gland juice. However, all the suspected cases of sleeping sickness, including the two gland-positives, gave negative results in the secondary, parasitological tests. Blood samples from 28 suspects from Mbam and 30 from Fontem were selected for PCR analysis on the basis of high CATT response or clinical grounds. For each suspect, DNA was prepared from 0.5 ml blood by phenol extraction or differential lysis and then amplified by PCR using specific primers for T. brucei ssp. Four samples from Mbam and nine from Fontem, including the two gland-positives, were found positive by PCR. Compared with the other parasitological techniques, therefore, PCR was the most sensitive diagnostic method in this study, with an estimated sensitivity of 25 trypanosomes/ml blood. Although PCR analysis is too expensive for routine diagnosis, it could be very useful in determining which sleeping-suspects should be closely followed up.


Concrete runways are subject to material deterioration or structural problems, which lead to surface cracks and scaling of a concrete pavement. In this study, seismic techniques including the SASW method, the impact-echo method and the impulse-response method were integrated into a systematic nondestructive approach, which is designed for the assessment of structural integrity of concrete runway pavements. Numerical simulation of the employed seismic methods was performed to verify the validity. For feasibility, the integrated approach was applied to a concrete runway which has surface cracks at pavement segments not subject to airplane loading. The approach verified that the surface cracks were attributed to reduced subgrade stiffness, which may not be detected by conventional pavement tests. The validity of the integrated approach was also proven in lieu of forensic engineering for concrete runway pavements.


This article is devoted to a new method to find defects in some elastic-plastic structure in the antiplane case from overdetermined data on a subpart of its boundary. This iterative method merges the method of quasi-reversibility and a simple level set technique. The foundations of the method are justified from a theoretical point of view and its efficiency is shown with the help of numerical experiments.


We recorded EEG from both hemispheres and documented the state of the two eyes in two species of Cetaceans (one beluga and one bottlenose dolphin) and one species of Pinnipeds (two northern fur seals). In the dolphin and beluga we found that episodes of unihemispheric slow wave sleep (USWS) were associated with asymmetry in eye state. During USWS and asymmetrical SWS the eye contralateral to the sleeping hemisphere was mostly closed or in an intermediate state while the eye contralateral to the waking hemisphere was more often open or in an intermediate state. Bilateral eye opening indicated waking in about 80% cases and unilateral eye closure indicated USWS with an accuracy of about 75%. Bilateral eye closure was rare (< 2% of the observation time) and was not necessarily associated with high amplitude SWS. In fur seals, episodes of one eye briefly opening usually occurred in the beginning of sleep episodes and lasted several minutes. Those episodes were frequently associated with lower amplitude EEG slow waves in the contralateral brain hemisphere. During most of their sleep on land, fur seals had both eyes tightly closed. No EEG asymmetry was recorded at this time. Although eye state and EEG stage are correlated in the bottlenose dolphin, beluga and fur seals, short episodes of EEG synchrony (less then 1 min) occur contralateral to an open eye and waking (a more activated EEG) activity can be present contralateral to a closed eye. The available data suggest that two functions of USWS/EEG asymmetry during SWS in Cetaceans and fur seals are multisensory control of the environment and maintenance of motion and postures of sleep. The adaptive advantages of USWS throughout the evolution of Cetaceans and Pinnipeds from terrestrial mammals to present forms could include 1) the avoidance of predators and maintenance of contact with other animals of the same species; 2) continuance of regular breathing; 3) and effective thermoregulation in the water environment.


Abstract In Algeria, vegetable crops occupy an important cultivated area which accounts for 70% of the total arable land. The Sahel and coastal areas are particularly occupied by plasticulture due to favorable pedoclimatic conditions, which also allows the outbreak of various diseases and pests. Among the latter, the root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne are considered as one of the most important phytosanitary problems both in open fields and greenhouses. Biological control is a realistic alternative to replace or at least minimize the use of chemicals. The study of microflora is essential for targeting new biological agents for pest control. Two study stations belonging to Algiers are selected: Staoueli and Bordj el Kiffan. Between 2017 and 2018, soil samples were taken at random from a depth of 0 to 10 cm inside the greenhouses (treated soils) and outside the greenhouses (no treatment). The results obtained revealed a diversity of species of nematophagous fungi belonging to 8 genera, Arthrobotrys, Dactylaria, Dactylella, Myzocytium, Harposporium, Rhopalomyces, Stylopage and Triposporina. The most frequent species is Arthorobotrys musiformis with a rate of 77.5% in untreated Bordj-el-kiffan soils and 57.5% in treated soils, Staouali has a percentage of 55% and 57.5% in treated and untreated soils respectively. This study give new insights regarding the availability of endemic nematophagous fungi vegetables fields. Parasitism assessment indicated that 8 nematophagous fungi were efficient to suppress M. incognita and M. javanica by 70% and 50%, respectively. This indicate their potential as biocontrol agents against plant parasitic nematodes.


Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus having perilous effects globally, and more particularly among pregnant females. Its current epidemic in the Pacific and in Central and South America is linked with microcephaly and other abnormalities of the central nervous system in neonates. The case reports and personal communications are the only sources containing data about ZIKV and pregnancy; however, recommendations related to managing ZIKV exposure during pregnancy are emerging rapidly. We aim to review and synthesize the existing literature about ZIKV and pregnancy and to assist clinicians to manage pregnant patients who are susceptible to ZIKV infection. This review supports the existing evidence about the causal link between microcephaly and ZIKV infection during pregnancy. Globally more than 2 billion people are the residents of the areas which are conducive to ZIKV transmission. It is estimated that in 2016 around 4 million people will be infected with ZIKV in the Americas. Looking towards the current scenario of ZIKV pandemic and its drastic consequences during pregnancy, it is quite evident that ZIKV may have massive impact both on health services and affected communities. Thus, there is a dire need to establish global public health and research response on urgent footing to minimize and preclude its deleterious impact via proper diagnosis, vaccination and treatment.


The scope of this work is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the aerosol pollution in the megacity Beijing. The focus lies on the interaction of anthropogenic and geogenic aerosol particles, their spatio-temporal variation, the most important pollution sources as well as the impact of particulate aerosols on human health and the environment. Furthermore, the bioavailable fraction of metal concentrations and the effect of mitigation measures during the 2008 Olympic Games were evaluated.


At the turn of the twentieth century, everyday relationships between Chinese and Mexican fronterizos mobility at the Arizona-Sonora borderlands. In the near absence of generational ties on which to draw, Chinese newcomers created vibrant communities from social, economic, and familial-based networks; similar situations occurred in northern Sonora. As Chinese merchants sought to cross legally into the United States, they relied heavily on Mexican neighbors and Mexican and U.S. officials to attest to long-term residential histories, their Mexican citizenship, and their merchant status. On both sides of the border, discreet arrangements and daily interactions, among families and friends and within networks of commerce and community, militated against Sinophobia and harsh exclusion laws. Out of this contested social landscape grew interethnic, transnational communities even as attendant apprehensions weighed heavily on Chinese borderlanders.


A common error in statistical analysis of ophthalmic data is the lack of accounting for the positive correlation generally present between observations made in fellow eyes. The alternative of data analysis from only one eye in each patient may lead to loss of power and unrealistically large confidence intervals. This paper discusses a method to estimate kappa, a measure of agreement between two graders, when both graders rate the same set of pairs of eyes. The method assumes that the true left-eye and right-eye kappa values are equal and makes use of the correlated binocular data to estimate confidence intervals for the common kappa. Simulations show that the new estimators are better than the estimator based on only one eye; new confidence intervals had the correct coverage probability, but were usually only about 70 per cent as wide as single-eye intervals. The general methodology described here applies to analysis of grader agreement in rating other paired body structures.


A redox polymer, poly(ethylenimine)ferrocene (PEI-Fc) was synthesized by attaching ferrocene groups to the backbone of water soluble poly(ethylenimine), and multilayer film in nanoscale was assembled on gold electrode by alternate layer-by-layer adsorption (LBL) of the positively charged PEI-Fc and the negatively charged thermostable diaphorase (DI) from B.Stearothermophilus. The LBL process was monitored and analyzed by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique, which confirmed the formation of the multilayer structure. The electrochemical oxidation of coenzyme (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NADH) was observed on the electrode fabricated with PEI-Fc/DI multilayer film, and the influence of layer number on current response was investigated. The modified electrode retained ca. 65% relative response after storage in buffer for two months and 50% relative response after incubation at 80 °C for 3 min, which inferred that the multilayer structure was unique stable. A NAD-dependent glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) was also immobilized via the same LBL technique, and electrode modified with PEI-Fc/DI/G6PDH film exhibited current response to glucose-6- phosphate in the presence of free NAD+.


More and more frequently, computational biomechanics deals with problems where the portion of physical reality to be modeled spans over such a large range of spatial and temporal dimensions, that it is impossible to represent it as a single space–time continuum. We are forced to consider multiple space–time continua, each representing the phenomenon of interest at a characteristic space–time scale. Multiscale models describe a complex process across multiple scales, and account for how quantities transform as we move from one scale to another. This review offers a set of definitions for this emerging field, and provides a brief summary of the most recent developments on multiscale modeling in biomechanics. Of all possible perspectives, we chose that of the modeling intent, which vastly affect the nature and the structure of each research activity. To the purpose we organized all papers reviewed in three categories: 'causal confirmation,' where multiscale models are used as materializations of the causation theories; 'predictive accuracy,' where multiscale modeling is aimed to improve the predictive accuracy; and 'determination of effect,' where multiscale modeling is used to model how a change at one scale manifests in an effect at another radically different space–time scale. Consistent with how the volume of computational biomechanics research is distributed across application targets, we extensively reviewed papers targeting the musculoskeletal and the cardiovascular systems, and covered only a few exemplary papers targeting other organ systems. The review shows a research subdomain still in its infancy, where causal confirmation papers remain the most common. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2017, 9:e1375. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1375


The sedimentary series from Academician Ridge, Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia, was examined using cation exchange capacity (CEC) to estimate the amount of expandable clay minerals (ECM) and high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) to determine their basic classification. The comparison of the magnetic susceptibility (MS) at sub-millennial resolution and the δl8O record of a reference Atlantic core (ODP 980) was used to create an age model. The most closely studied part of the series covered the major part of the last glacial cycle (120–20 ky BP). The HT-XRD analysis is based on monitoring the course of ECM dehydration with 5°C steps between 25 and 250°C and enabled us to improve the discrimination between ECM, chlorite and micas. The CEC obtained at millennial resolution showed that the neoformation of ECM in warmer periods of the last interglacial was either insignificant or fully compensated by their dissolution or dilution. The CEC record was correlated with the main climatic stages in the period studied. Both MS and CEC records reflected the environmental changes at about millennial resolution, including climatic instabilities between 117 and 73 ky BP (late MIS5).


A Mexican treatment centre currently offers to transplant insulin-producing (islet) cells into people with Type-1 diabetes. The transplantation material is sourced from 'clean' laboratory pigs in an attempt to enable the human patient to produce insulin internally. Using this example, our paper investigates three issues:- 1) The geographical location of this procedure and responses from other parts of world tell us much about technology as a global/local process. We examine to what extent Mexico is understood as an (in)appropriate venue for such a dangerous procedure, and how tropes of global regulation can be used to inhibit or advance technoscientific procedures. 2) Patient compliance has long been a difficult issue for the medical profession. Xenotransplantation is particularly problematic in this regard; not only are there risks for the individual patient, but also there are concerns about trans-species retroviruses against which humans have no known protection. Individual patients are required to balance the compulsion that they manage their health as responsible neo-liberal citizens with the necessity to avoid epidemics. We examine responses to this treatment that oscillate between calls for individual freedom and global regulation. 3) We examine the extent to which medical treatments are increasingly commodified (or connected to leisure broadly conceived). We analyse Mexican xenotransplantation as an example of 'medical tourism', where explicit links are established between medical procedures, holidays, accommodation and other tourist consumption experiences.


The challenges for developing an ESD (electrostatic discharge) layout extractor originate from unconventional layout patterns of ESD protection devices, parasitic ESD device extraction and device count reduction. This paper reports a new technology-independent layout extractor, ESDExtractor, which is capable of extracting all types of ESD devices and answers the demands for ESD design verification. A general methodology to extract both intentional and parasitic ESD devices, specific algorithms and implementation methods for efficiency-enhancement are presented, followed by a design example.


Background—Pitx2 is the homeobox gene located in proximity to the human 4q25 familial atrial fibrillation (AF) locus. When deleted in the mouse germline, Pitx2 haploinsufficiency predisposes to pacing-induced AF, indicating that reduced Pitx2 promotes an arrhythmogenic substrate. Previous work focused on Pitx2 developmental functions that predispose to AF. Although Pitx2 is expressed in postnatal left atrium, it is unknown whether Pitx2 has distinct postnatal and developmental functions. Methods and Results—To investigate Pitx2 postnatal function, we conditionally inactivated Pitx2 in the postnatal atrium while leaving its developmental function intact. Unstressed adult Pitx2 homozygous mutant mice display variable R–R interval with diminished P-wave amplitude characteristic of sinus node dysfunction, an AF risk factor in human patients. An integrated genomics approach in the adult heart revealed Pitx2 target genes encoding cell junction proteins, ion channels, and critical transcriptional regulators. Importantly, many Pitx2 target genes have been implicated in human AF by genome-wide association studies. Immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy studies in adult Pitx2 mutant mice revealed structural remodeling of the intercalated disc characteristic of human patients with AF. Conclusions—Our findings, revealing that Pitx2 has genetically separable postnatal and developmental functions, unveil direct Pitx2 target genes that include channel and calcium handling genes, as well as genes that stabilize the intercalated disc in postnatal atrium.


The use of fences to segregate wildlife can change predator and prey behaviour. Predators can learn to incorporate fencing into their hunting strategies and prey can learn to avoid foraging near fences. A twelve-strand electric predator-proof fence surrounds our study site. There are also porous one-strand electric fences used to create exclosures where elephant (and giraffe) cannot enter in order to protect blocs of browse vegetation for two critically endangered species, the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi). The denser vegetation in these exclosures attracts both browsing prey and ambush predators. In this study we examined if lion predation patterns differed near the perimeter fencing and inside the elephant exclosures by mapping the location of kills. We used a spatial analysis to compare the predation patterns near the perimeter fencing and inside the exclosures to predation in the rest of the conservancy. Predation was not over-represented near the perimeter fence but the pattern of predation near the fence suggests that fences may be a contributing factor to predation success. Overall, we found that predation was over-represented inside and within 50 m of the exclosures. However, by examining individual exclosures in greater detail using a hot spot analysis, we found that only a few exclosures contained lion predation hot spots. Although some exclosures provide good hunting grounds for lions, we concluded that exclosures did not necessarily create prey-traps per se and that managers could continue to use this type of exclusionary fencing to protect stands of dense vegetation.


We present Generative Semantic Segmentation (GSS), a generative learning approach for semantic segmentation. Uniquely, we cast semantic segmentation as an image-conditioned mask generation problem. This is achieved by replacing the conventional per-pixel discriminative learning with a latent prior learning process. Specifically, we model the variational posterior distribution of latent vari-ables given the segmentation mask. To that end, the segmentation mask is expressed with a special type of image (dubbed as maskige). This posterior distribution allows to generate segmentation masks unconditionally. To achieve semantic segmentation on a given image, we further intro-duce a conditioning network. It is optimized by minimizing the divergence between the posterior distribution of maskige (i.e. segmentation masks) and the latent prior distribution of input training images. Extensive experiments on standard benchmarks show that our GSS can perform competitively to prior art alternatives in the standard semantic segmentation setting, whilst achieving a new state of the art in the more challenging cross-domain setting.


Fairchild Clipper: 32-bit Microprocessor User's Manual (Prentice-Hall, 1987,457 pp., £19.10) This manual provides comprehensive information on the 'Clipper' 32-bit microprocessor. The microprocessor itself is implemented in 3 CMOS VLSI chips and includes a CPUjFPU and two combined memory management/cache units, one for data and the other for instructions. The manual extensively supplemented with hardware and software design examples and guidelines, will serve as a valuable resource for design engineers, computer architects and programmers in the development of high-performance systems based on this microprocessor. It will also be helpful to engineers investigating the Clipper microprocessor family and to students learning about state-of-the-art computer architectures. Chapter 1 provides an overview of computer architectural concepts and how they influenced the design of the Clipper microprocessor. Chapters 2-6, 9 and 10 will be of particular interest to software engineers. They describe the programming model, memory management, caches, instruction pipe line, floating point unit, software design and the instruction set. Chapters 7 and 8 are intended for hardware designers and provide details of the 'Clipper Bus' as well as hardware design guidelines. P. F. JACKSON, Division ofElectrical and Electronic Engineering, The Hatfield Polytechnic


International Conference on Groundwater: Our source of security in an uncertain future, CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa, 19-21 September 2011


This paper takes advantage of a new corruption measure across regions within a country to measure the influence of corruption on public spending efficacy in the education sector in Indonesia, one of the most corrupt countries in the world. I find that public spending has a negligible effect on education outcomes in highly corrupt regions, while it has a statistically significant, positive, and relatively large effect in less corrupt regions. I do not find any direct effect of corruption on education outcomes, hence implying that one channel through which corruption adversely affects the education system is through reducing the effectiveness of public spending.


This article interprets Poe's tales of perversity as Hegelian critiques of the antebellum culture of sentiment. Whereas progressive author-activists like Emerson and Stowe honored the benign impulses of the moral sentiment theorized by eighteenth-century philosophers, Poe, in such tales as The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, "The Black Cat," and "The Imp of the Perverse," ventriloquized this discourse of "sensus communis" to insist instead upon the malignity of the so-called "sixth sense." Replacing Adam Smith's sympathetic "man within the breast" with Descartes's "evil genius," Poe held that the man within the breast is an agonistic "Arch-Fiend," a demonic "imp" who prompts us to do violence to both self and other. Thus, although Poe was in many respects sympathetic to contemporaneous sentimental critiques of reason—critiques that challenged Kant's association of morality with reason alone—he also sought to complicate their frequently monological understanding of affective morality. In so doing, Poe not only articulated a conservative skepticism regarding the putatively benign nature of humans; he also posited that liberal subjectivity is, paradoxically, self-annihilating—a point that renders the "imp of the perverse" a poetical correlative of the Hegelian process of "tarrying with the negative," one illustrative of the cunning of unreason.


BACKGROUND: Hypothermia is associated with poor outcome in trauma patients; however, hemorrhagic shock (HS) model with anesthetized swine was different from that of clinical reality. To identify the effects of environmental hypothermia on HS, we investigated hemodynamics and oxygen dynamics in an unanesthetized swine model of HS under simulating hypothermia environment. METHODS: Totally 16 Bama pigs were randomly divided into ambient temperature group (group A) and low temperature group (group B), 8 pigs in each group. Venous blood (30 mL/kg) was continuously withdrawn for more than 15 minutes in conscious swine to establish a hemorrhagic shock model. Pulmonary arterial temperature (Tp), heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP), central venous pressure (CVP), cardiac output (CO), hemoglobin (Hb), saturation of mixed venous blood (SvO 2) and blood gas analysis were recorded at the baseline and different hemorrhagic shock time (HST). The whole body oxygen delivery indices, DO 2I and VO 2I, and the O 2 extraction ratio (O 2ER) were calculated. RESULTS: Core body temperature in group A decreased slightly after the hemorrhagic shock model was established, and environmental hypothermia decreased in core body temperature. The mortality rate was signifi cantly higher in group B (50%) than in group A (0%). DO 2I and VO 2I decreased significantly after hemorrhage. No difference was found in hemodynamics, DO 2I and VO 2I between group A and group B, but the difference in pH, lactic acid and O 2ER was signifi cant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Environmental hypothermia aggravated the disorder of oxygen metabolism


Long-term incoherent scatter radar (ISR) observa- tions are used to study ionospheric variability for two midlat- itude sites, Millstone Hill and St. Santin. This work is based on our prior efforts which resulted in an empirical model sys- tem, ISR Ionospheric Model (ISRIM), of climatology (and now variability) of the ionosphere. We assume that the vari- ability can be expressed in three terms, the background, so- lar activity and geomagnetic activity components, each of which is a function of local time, season and height. So the background variability is ascribed mostly to the day-to-day variability arising from non solar and geomagnetic activity sources. (1) The background variability shows clear differ- ences between the bottomside and the topside and changes with season. The Ne variability is low in the bottomside in summer, and high in the topside in winter and spring. The plasma temperature variability increases with height, and reaches a minimum in summer. Ti variability has a marked maximum in spring; at Millstone Hill it is twice as high as at St. Santin. (2) For enhanced solar activity conditions, the overall variability in Ne is reduced in the bottomside of the ionosphere and increases in the topside. For Te, the solar ac- tivity enhancement reduces the variability in seasons of high electron density (winter and equinox) at altitudes of high electron density (near the F2-peak). For Ti, however, while the variability tends to decrease at Millstone Hill (except for altitudes near 200 km), it increases at St. Santin for altitudes up to 350 km; the solar flux influence on the variability tends to be stronger at St. Santin than at Millstone Hill.


Great thicknesses of Triassic and younger sediments are observed seismically in the Blake Plateau-Bahama area. Basement is thought to be from 7 to 14 km deep below high velocity carbonates. Ridge-like reflectors along the Blake Escarpment are found by drilling to be Cretaceous reefal rim-complexes. Deep wells indicate that this rim facies extends southeast along the Bahama Platform margin. The Gulf Stream apparently has swept the continually subsiding Blake Plateau during much of the Cenozoic creating this deeper water area; while contour currents eroded the Blake-Bahama Escarpment and deposited muds to form the Blake-Bahama Outer Ridge. Deep water Bahamian channels developed in the Cretaceous and Cenozoic between the accreting carbonate banks; while Jurassic salt has app rently domed in Exuma Sound. The crustal type, oceanic vs. continental, beneath the Blake Plateau-Bahamas is still problematic. Other geophysical data indicate that the igneous basement is about 10 km deep and that the crust is of intermediate seismic velocity and density. Red Sea - Afar Triangle crustal types might be the modern analog, agreeing with Plate-tectonic reconstructions and the Atlantic Margin rifting in Triassic-Jurassic. The Blake-Bahama area has great petroleum potential. Fault structures, regional tilting over reef-complexes, and possible salt domes are good for traps. Porous dolomite horizons and cavernous limestones have been drilled, but flushing of these excellent reservoirs is unfavorable for Cretaceous and younger rocks. Jurassic carbonate targets offer potential reserves with carbonate sources being likely. Mexican Golden Lane - Poza Rica fields and Smackover analogies are possible. End_of_Record - Last_Page 4---------


In this study, we utilized a catch-vaccinate-release approach for dogs in a canine rabies vaccination program in Kotagiri municipality, India. Following vaccination, surveys on dog population and their vaccination status was undertaken. A bespoke smartphone 'Mission Rabies' application was developed to facilitate data entry and team management. This global positioning system (GPS) enabled application captured the location of all vaccinated dogs and dogs sighted on post-vaccination surveys. In areas where coverage was below 70%, catching teams were re-deployed to vaccinate additional dogs followed by repeat survey. Out of 248 dogs captured, only 210 dogs were vaccinated because of the previous vaccination history within a year, and refusal of owner due to their misconceptions. In survey, 147 dogs were sighted of which 77 were seen marked with paints indicating a vaccination coverage of 52.4%. The total estimated dog population was found to be 475. Our study demonstrated that mobile technology enabled efficient team management and real-time data entry and analysis. The vaccination approach outlined in this study can serve as a guideline for rapid vaccination of large numbers of dogs with a high coverage rate in free roaming dog populations in India in the future.


G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) exist within a landscape of interconvertible conformations readily influenced by their association with ligands and other GPCRs, formerly known as oligomerisation. Originally thought to function as monomers, the actual challenges encompass understanding the mechanism governing these interactions and their relevance in vivo. As for other quaternary arrangements, oligomerisation offers unique allosteric properties. However, unveiling these unappreciated opportunities requires deciphering the molecular basis underlying this phenomenon.

Here, we undertook this challenge focusing on the recently identified heteromers between the serotonin 2A and cannabinoid 1 receptors, which have been recently linked to the cognitive side-effects of cannabis. Our results provide new insights into the structural determinants driving cross-talk within this dimer, organised in a rhombus-shape simultaneously recruiting two Gi proteins. This organisation allows non-canonical downstream signalling pathways, which might account for the cognitive impairment induced by marijuana.

Furthermore, illustrating the significance of heteromerisation in vivo, we took advantage of the ability of the histamine H3 receptor to modulate aberrant D1R over-activation in Huntington's disease (HD). Using cellular and murine HD models, we identified functional D1R-H3R heteromers that are lost over HD progression. In addition, striatal cell death was reverted after the administration of H3R ligands. This strategy rescued heteromer expression and prevented both cognitive and motor learning deficits in HD mice, providing compelling evidence of a novel heteromer-based target for HD.

Finally, aiming at certain receptor populations through allosteric interactions, we developed 5-HT2CR-selective positive allosteric modulators with anti-obesity properties. For the first time, we identified, validate and delineated a pharmacophore model for the effective targeting of 5-HT2CR allosteric sites, providing an alternative strategy to overcome the often hard to achieve selectivity within receptors subtypes.

Altogether, from small molecules to quaternary interactions, our findings provide important insights into the vast array of pharmacological opportunities arising from GPCR allosteric modulation.


This is a Research Guide to be used to direct students and faculty in the SAET to FAMU architectural research resources


Fashion trends vary year by year and from a season to another. These trends are expressed by different combinations of materials, colours, lines, styles, and finally, all of these lead to new models of garments. Designers must understand and transpose all this information into useful, unique and desirable models of clothes for all consumers. They must also have a good intuition and perception of the lines and shadows (2D/3D geometry for fashion), as well as skills and competencies in patterning and knowledge in technology. By understanding and processing all the data, the designers have to elaborate the proper solution for sizing and shaping the new patterns, by taking into consideration the shape of the human body and the properties of the materials from the structure of the garment. Nowadays, they often have to use advanced construction techniques in developing ready-to-wear products by using tools and functions from two CAD systems. The virtual environments allow the user to define a garment surface in relation with the 3D body model and to verify the dimensional correspondence and balance of the product on the human body. The designer also checks if the virtual prototype looks the same as its picture representation and if there is something to be changed. This paper presents comparative e- demonstrations of how to select and use functions and tools from two CAD systems in order to design a specific model of a garment, in a proper and logical sequence of steps, with a good quality level from the designing stage.


BACKGROUND
Disturbances in evidence gathering and disconfirmatory evidence integration have been associated with the presence of or propensity for delusions. Previous evidence suggests that these 2 types of reasoning bias might be differentially affected by antipsychotic medication. We aimed to investigate the effects of a dopaminergic agonist (L-dopa) and a dopaminergic antagonist (haloperidol) on evidence gathering and disconfirmatory evidence integration after single-dose administration in healthy individuals.

METHODS
The study used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-way crossover design. Participants were healthy individuals aged 18-40 years. We administered a new data-gathering task designed to increase sensitivity to change compared with traditional tasks. The Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence (BADE) task was used as a measure of disconfirmatory evidence integration.

RESULTS
We included 30 individuals in our study. In the data-gathering task, dopaminergic modulation had no significant effect on the amount of evidence gathered before reaching a decision. In contrast, the ability of participants to integrate disconfirmatory evidence showed a significant linear dopaminergic modulation pattern (highest with haloperidol, intermediate with placebo, lowest with L-dopa), with the difference between haloperidol and L-dopa marginally reaching significance.

LIMITATIONS
Although the doses used for haloperidol and L-dopa were similar to those used in previous studies, drug plasma level measurements would have added to the validity of findings.

CONCLUSION
Evidence gathering and disconfirmatory evidence integration might be differentially influenced by dopaminergic agents. Our findings are in support of a dual-disturbance account of delusions and provide a plausible neurobiological basis for the use of interventions targeted at improving reasoning biases as an adjunctive treatment in patients with psychotic disorders.


AIMS
Using primary cultures of mouse hippocampal neurons, we studied the molecular and functional interactions between high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), two proteins playing a key role in neuronal hyperexcitability. By measuring NMDA-induced calcium (Ca(2+)) increase in neuronal somata and neurotoxicity as functional read-out parameters, we explored the role of the redox state of HMGB1, the receptor involved, and the molecular signaling underlying its interactions with postsynaptic NMDAR. We also investigated whether HMGB1 redox state affects its proconvulsive effects in mice.

RESULTS
Nonoxidizable HMGB1 with a triple cysteine-to-serine replacement (3S-HMGB1) was ineffective on NMDA response. Conversely, the disulfide-containing form of HMGB1 dose dependently enhanced NMDA-induced Ca(2+) increase in neuronal cell bodies. This effect was prevented by BoxA, a competitive HMGB1 antagonist, and by Rhodobacter sphaeroides lipopolysaccharide (LPS-RS), a toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) selective antagonist, and it was abrogated in neurons lacking TLR4 while persisting in the absence of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). TLR4 and NMDAR subunit 1 (NR1) and 2B (NR2B) were colocalized in neurons. Disulfide HMGB1 effect on NMDA-induced Ca(2+) influx was prevented by 3-O-methylsphingomyelin (3-O-MS) and 4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl) pyrazolo [3,4-d] pyrimidine, (PP2) selective inhibitors of neutral sphingomyelinase and Src-family Tyr kinases, respectively. Disulfide HMGB1, but not 3S-HMGB1, increased Tyr(1472) phosphorylation of the NR2B subunit of the NMDAR, which is known to increase Ca(2+) channel permeability. Similarly, disulfide HMGB1 increased NMDA-induced neuronal cell death in vitro and enhanced kainate-induced seizures in vivo.

INNOVATION AND CONCLUSION
We describe a novel molecular neuronal pathway activated by HMGB1 that could be targeted in vivo to prevent neurodegeneration and seizures mediated by excessive NMDARs stimulation.


In this brief presentation, I will try to provide some useful thoughts on "Confronting Complexity in the Preservation of Cultural Property: Monuments, Art, Antiquities, Archives, and History" based on my almost 25 years of working with the Republic and the Church of Cyprus in protecting the cultural heritage of Cyprus. CULTURAL PROPERTY IN JEOPARDY When we refer to something as "cultural property," we mean that it has taken on some special meaning, whether religious or secular, beyond its monetary or artistic value. The term is well defined in the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which states that: "the term 'cultural property' means property which, on religious or secular grounds, is specifically designated by each State as being of importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science." Recent experience has reinforced the message that cultural property, because of its special meaning, is at risk of looting or destruction for any of a number of reasons: the Bamiyan Buddhas due to intolerance and hatred; the Iraq National Museum, Library, and archeological sites due to civil unrest and turmoil resulting from war and military occupation; as well as the inability or unwillingness of an occupation government to protect locations of cultural significance. High-value objects taken from sites in Italy (the famous Aphrodite/Persephone returned to Italy by the John Paul Getty Foundation) and Greece (the equally well-known funerary wreath also returned by the Getty) demonstrate that even stable Western democracies cannot protect all of their cultural resources from looters without international cooperation. The problem is magnified for Cyprus, which was invaded by Turkey in 1974 and has seen pervasive looting of churches, museums, private collections, and archeological sites in the area that Turkey has occupied and kept beyond the reach of the government and the church since then. LYSI FRESCOES: RECOVERY THROUGH LONG-TERM LOAN I will talk briefly about the Lysi frescoes, which I did not work on; the Kanakaria mosaics, where I was lead counsel for the Church and the Republic in litigation in Indianapolis, Indiana; and a few smaller matters I have helped with. I will also make some observations about Cyprus's overall approach to international efforts in the protection of cultural property, particularly in its relations with the United States, and to assess where Cyprus stands now and what lessons can be drawn from its experience. We start with a tale of two churches: the Church of Ayios Themonianos in Lysi and the Church of Panagia Kanakaria, both in the Turkish-occupied area. The appearance of the Lysi Frescoes on the international black market was the first major incident after the 1974 invasion. Historical photographs show the original fresco of Christ Pantocrator from 1972 as it looked in the church building. Another photograph--one that I cannot vouch for--which appears in the book Hot Art, Cold Cash by notorious Dutch art dealer Michel van Rijn shows the same fresco with lines drawn on it by Aydin Dikman, believed to be the most active smuggler who operated in occupied Cyprus. Supposedly Dikman marked these lines on the photograph to show how he would cut the fresco apart to make pieces for export. Dominique de Menil of the Menil Foundation learned that the frescoes were available for purchase from a smuggler in Munich who would not allow his identity to be revealed to Cyprus, and who threatened to sell the frescoes to various buyers if the Menil Foundation did not buy them. Recognizing that the Church of Cyprus had title to the frescoes, Menil acquired, conserved, and exhibited them in Houston, Texas, on long-term loan from the Church. The frescoes have been exhibited as part of a consecrated chapel within the museum, serving as goodwill ambassadors for Cyprus and the Church. …


Methods for multivariate meta-analysis of genetic association studies are reviewed, summarized and presented in a unified framework. Modifications of standard models are described in detail in order to be applied in genetic association studies. The model based on summary data is uniformly defined for both discrete and continuous outcomes and analytical expressions for the covariance of the two jointly modeled outcomes are derived for both cases. The models based on the binary nature of the data are fitted using both prospective and retrospective likelihood. Furthermore, formal tests for assessing the genetic model of inheritance are developed based on standard normal theory. The general model is compared to the recently proposed genetic model-free bivariate approach (either using summary or binary data), and it is clearly shown that the estimates provided by this approach are nearly identical to the estimates derived by the general bivariate model using the aforementioned tests for the genetic model. The methods developed here as well as the tests, are easily implemented in all major statistical packages, escaping the need of self written software. The methods are applied in several already published meta-analyses of genetic association studies (with both discrete and continuous outcomes) and the results are compared against the widely used univariate approach as well as against the genetic model free approaches. Illustrative examples of code in Stata are given in the appendix. It is anticipated that the methods developed in this work will be widely applied in the meta-analysis of genetic association studies.


The oriented peptide library technique was used to investigate the peptide-binding specificities of nine PDZ domains. Each PDZ domain selected peptides with hydrophobic residues at the carboxyl terminus. Individual PDZ domains selected unique optimal motifs defined primarily by the carboxyl terminal three to seven residues of the peptides. One family of PDZ domains, including those of the Discs Large protein, selected peptides with the consensus motif Glu-(Ser/Thr)-Xxx-(Val/Ile) (where Xxx represents any amino acid) at the carboxyl terminus. In contrast, another family of PDZ domains, including those of LIN-2, p55, and Tiam-1, selected peptides with hydrophobic or aromatic side chains at the carboxyl terminal three residues. On the basis of crystal structures of the PSD-95-3 PDZ domain, the specificities observed with the peptide library can be rationalized.


The present study sought to illustrate how the way parents were viewed was expressed, and how it developed between 1957 and 1997, as seen from child-health-care recordcard material, a professional journal and public reports on instruction for parents. The study also describes and analyses the relationship between family and society during the same period. The starting point is the state´s intention to strengthen the social standing of children and support their parents in their task of upbringing. The material reveals a line of development in which during the first twenty years, parents were viewed with a certain distrust. The family was portrayed as a partly dangerous isolate while parents were described in long paragraphs as less than fully knowledgeable and aware, and in need of expert guidance. Hence attempts were made to usher the parents and their child onto the lighted stage of public concern. A generally directed parental training scheme run by the community was considered necessary and was, moreover, expected to be able to fashion the parents into more social-politically committed citizens. The goal was ultimately to promote democracy and equality. Hope lay in the inherent development potential parents are nevertheless considered to possess, and in the collective upbringing provided by public child care in pedagogically stimulating surroundings. From the end of the 1970s till the last year of the 1990s the perspective shifted toward greater reliance on parental competence. At the same time national control changed towards more decentralisation, which also affected the relation between family and society. Towards the end of the period under study parents were being viewed as adult and competent. Respect for parental autonomy and freedom of choice were now at the focal point of the state view. Parents had become customers in a market much reflecting the urge towards globalisation then making itself felt. The responsibility for support to parents shifted out to the local community which, through local mobilisation, was expected to be available with support and resources when parents themselves so wished. Instead of being governed by the state, parents, through selfgovernance, were to be responsible for choise of life-style, pre-school and school alike. Their task was, in harmony with the local community surrounding them and with the UN children´s convention, to act in their child´s best interests.


Research has shown that poor sleepers focus primarily on their sleep as a cause of daytime fatigue rather than the multitude of other possible causes of fatigue. This can create sleep-related anxiety and further perpetuate the insomnia. In order to lessen the increased focus on sleep, the present study investigated whether people could learn to consider other attributions for fatigue via an information-based intervention, and whether this cognitive change would have implications for relevant mood states. Participants were randomized to receive either "causes of fatigue" information (FI), or generic sleep-information (control), and were tested pre- and post-intervention. FI participants were significantly more likely to consider non-sleep-related attributions for fatigue at post-intervention, relative to control participants. There were no significant group differences on relevant mood states. These results demonstrate that attributions or fatigue are amenable to change via an information-based intervention; thus, this research explores one avenue toward refining insomnia treatments.


Ionic liquid, 1-(2-hydroxylethyl)-3-ethylene imidazolium chloride ([HeVIM]Cl) was synthesized and its chemical structures was examined by FTIR and 1HNMR. Fir powder was extracted with a mixture of benzene/ethanol or activated with 25% (mass fraction) NaOH under normal temperature and pressure, microwave and high pressure. Dissolution of the pretreated wood powder in [HeVIM]Cl by microwave (90°C, 400w) was studied. The results showed that the ionic liquid [HeVIM]Cl exhibited a good solubility. Wood powder pretreated with 25% NaOH under high pressure had the lowest crystallinity (2.4%) and the highest dissolution rate (21.6%).


Infection is an important source of mortality for avian embryos but parental behaviors and eggs themselves can provide a network of antimicrobial defenses. Mound builders (Aves: Megapodiidae) are unique among birds in that they produce heat for developing embryos not by sitting on eggs but by burying them in carefully tended mounds of soil and microbially decomposing vegetation. The low infection rate of eggs of one species in particular, the Australian brush-turkey (Alectura lathami), suggests that they possess strong defensive mechanisms. To identify some of these mechanisms, we first quantified antimicrobial albumen proteins and characterized eggshell structure, finding that albumen was not unusually antimicrobial, but that eggshell cuticle was composed of nanometer-sized calcite spheres. Experimental tests revealed that these modified eggshells were significantly more hydrophobic and better at preventing bacterial attachment and penetration into the egg contents than chicken eggs. Our results suggest that these mechanisms may contribute to the antimicrobial defense system of these eggs, and may provide inspiration for new biomimetic anti-fouling surfaces.


Increasing of urine albumin excretion in hypertension patient is early sign of renal excretion disorder. Increasing of urine albumin excretion could not detect with conventional methods, but with more sensitive methods, one of them is examined ratio of urine albumin and urine creatinine (ACR). Knowing ACR rate in essential hypertension. This research was done by cross sectional with consecutive sampling of hypertension patient with JNC VII 2003 criteria. Research used quantitative urine albumin with Albumin Tina Quant Methods draught Immunoturbidinetry. The urine creatinine was analyzed with Jaffe Methods using Roche Hitachi 902. From 25 people of hypertension group found ACR < 30 mg/g amount 16 people and ACR rate 30–300 mg/g amount 9 people. Mean while from 22 people of non hypertension, all had ACR < 30 mg/g. In this research also found strong correlation between ACR with hypertension, diastolic and systolic blood pressure. It was found that ACR rate of hypertension group was higher than the non hypertension group. It was also found a strong relation between ACR with hypertension, systolic and blood diastolic pressure.


Triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses were measured in 222 pairs of like-sex twins (78 monozygotic and 144 dizygotic) aged 3-15 years. Log transformations of the measurements were standardized for age and sex and the results used to estimate heritability--that is, the proportion of total variation determined by genetic factors. The overall contribution of non-genetic familial effects was small. There were appreciable differences in heritability between limb and trunk fat and between the sexes and at different ages. Over the age of 10 heritability was high for both sites in boys and girls. In younger children environmental factors contributed more to the variation.


In the 1980s, the Laboratories of Belice were a place of experimentation and validation of the compositional proposals of Italian architecture. Since then, the issues related to the approach followed have been very much discussed, especially those related to urban planning strategies established for the new town of Gibellina. However, the aspects related to the conservation and restoration project, on which this experience should have been founded, have not been treated yet, with the same care. Actually, followed the 1968 earthquake, the architects intervened in many ways on the surviving built heritage, stressing on formal and symbolical aspects, often forcing principles already consolidated in the Restoration Charters, or perhaps paying little attention to the architectural durability over time. For their different approach to memory and for the results in terms of ageing and material decay, the experiences carried out in Gibellina by Alberto Burri with the edification of the Cretto, by Ludovico Quaroni with the construction of the Chiesa Madre, by Francesco Venezia, Franco Purini and Laura Thermes, etc. need to be analyzed. In this sense, this paper aims to discuss the choices made in such examples of monumentality - almost contemporary archaeological sites - and their consequences in terms of functionality, structural behavior and maintenance needs, comparing them with other examples in which the conservation of the ruin coincides with the wish to preserve the memory of a natural (or intentional) destructive act.


BACKGROUND
Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) is a potentially preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite high rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in accordance with an institutional guideline, VTE remains the most common hospital-acquired condition in our institution.

OBJECTIVE
To improve the safety of all hospitalized patients, examine current VTE prevention practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and decrease rates of HA-VTE.

DESIGN
Pre/post assessment.

SETTING/PATIENTS
Urban academic tertiary referral center, level 1 trauma center, safety net hospital; all patients.

INTERVENTION
We formed a multidisciplinary VTE task force to review all HA-VTE events, assess prevention practices relative to evidence-based institutional guidelines, and identify improvement opportunities. The task force developed an electronic tool to facilitate efficient VTE event review and designed decision-support and reporting tools, now integrated into the electronic health record, to bring optimal VTE prevention practices to the point of care. Performance is shared transparently across the institution.

MEASUREMENTS
Harborview benchmarks process and outcome performance, including patient safety indicators and core measures, against hospitals nationally using Hospital Compare and Vizient data.

RESULTS
Our program has resulted in >90% guideline-adherent VTE prevention and zero preventable HA-VTEs. Initiatives have resulted in a 15% decrease in HA-VTE and a 21% reduction in postoperative VTE.

CONCLUSIONS
Keys to success include the multidisciplinary approach, clinical roles of task force members, senior leadership support, and use of quality improvement analytics for retrospective review, prospective reporting, and performance transparency. Ongoing task force collaboration with frontline providers is critical to sustained improvements. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:S38-S43. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.


As computer and network technology grows, medical application is become more complex to solve the physiological problems within expected time. Workflow management systems (WMS) in Grid computing are becoming more important to solve the sophisticated problem such as genomic analysis, drug discovery, disease identification, etc. Although existing WMS can provide basic management functionality in Grid environment, consideration of user requirements such as performance, reliability and interaction with user is missing. In this paper, we discuss how to guarantee different user requirements according to user SLA in Grid workflow management system. A hybrid workflow management system for QoS constrained medical Grid application is designed and implemented to provide QoS awareness WMS. The proposed system is applied to Physio-Grid e-health platform to identify human heart disease with ECG analysis and Virtual Heart Simulation (VHS) workflow applications. The experimental result shows that the proposed system can flexibly enhance the Physio-Grid platform in terms of SLA guarantee of different user.


In Ayurveda Raktamokshana is the procedure of Panchakarma. Jalaukavcharana is the type of Raktamokshana. A detail description on Jalaukavcharan is available in Ayurveda. It is used in the management of various diseases in all the systems of the body including ears, nose, throat, eyes and head. Now a day's Leeches are also used by ophthalmologists to treat inflammatory, traumatic processes and various diseases of eyes. There are various bioactive substances are present in saliva of leech. Along with that, it also exerts a therapeutic effect in several diseases. Jalaukavcharana is very effective ancient method of Panchakarma neglected by physician. There are many side effects of modern medicine. So it is the need to spread awareness about Jalaukavcharana and its efficacy. Thus Jalaukavcharana is the alternative therapy promising more effective and safer outcome for the society.


Purpose: To present endophthalmitis-like massive vitreous opacity as a manifestation of cat-scratch disease. Methods: Report of a case. Results: A 47-year-old man developed massive vitreous opacity and total retinal detachment in his right eye after a four-month period of uveitis, which was controlled with oral prednisolone. During the diagnostic vitrectomy, a massive fluffy white opacity adhering to the detached retina was shaved using a vitreous cutter. Further surgical procedures to reattach the retina were not pursued because of the poor state of the infected retina. Pathological examination of the vitreous aspirates revealed pleomorphic bacilli. The serological testing done at referral revealed an IgG titer positive for Bartonella henselae and culture of the vitreous proved the infection a month later. With a mixture of oral sulfamethoxazole (1600 mg daily) and trimethoprim (320 mg daily), the intraocular inflammation subsided. Conclusion: Rapid progression of massive vitreous opacity with total retinal detachment, mimicking endophthalmitis, can occur in cat-scratch disease.


An integrated curriculum is an educational approach that prepares students to face lifelong learning. In curriculum integration, schools must view education as a process of developing the abilities needed in life, especially in facing 21st-century life challenges, not discrete subjects that are divided into different fields. Integrated learning will provide the opportunity for students to understand the complex problems that exist in the surrounding environment with a complete view. With this integrated learning, students are expected to have the ability to identify, gather, assess, and use information that is around them meaningfully. This can be obtained not only through the provision of new knowledge to students but also through the opportunity to strengthen and apply it in a variety of increasingly diverse new situations. The main focus of this article is to analyze the implementation of integrated learning in the curriculum in Indonesia. The integrated curriculum developed by Robin Fogarty has many advantages that can be adapted in the development of education in Indonesia, including the revised Curriculum 2013. Academics and practitioners must comprehensively understand the nature of the ten curriculum models (Robin Fogarty) and Curriculum 2013 before making tools and implementing them in learning.


We investigate the dopant distribution and its influence on the oxygen ion conductivity of ceria doped with rare earth oxides by combining density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulations. We calculate the association energies of dopant pairs, oxygen vacancy pairs and between dopant ions and oxygen vacancies by means of DFT + U including finite size corrections. The cation coordination numbers from ensuing Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations show remarkable agreement with experimental data. Combining Metropolis and Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations we find a distinct dependence of the ionic conductivity on the dopant distribution and predict long term degradation of electrolytes based on doped ceria.


The Campanian Beloe Ozero locality within the Rybushka Formation in Saratov Province, Russia, is one of the richest and most diverse Upper Cretaceous pterosaur localities in Europe. It produces identifiable remains of Pteranodontidae indet. and Azhdarchidae indet., as well as bones which can be attributed to either of these groups. The pteranodontid specimens from the Beloe Ozero locality described in this paper include a cervical III, distal scapula, humerus deltopectoral crest, proximal syncarpal, preaxial carpal and complete femur. Based on the femur and proximal syncarpal, the wingspan estimate for the Beloe Ozero pteranodontid varies from 5.2 to 6.5 m. Volgadraco bogolubovi, known from the neighbouring Shyrokii Karamysh locality of the same formation and attributed previously to the Azhdarchidae, is more likely pteranodontid than azhdarchid. The other putative records of the Pteranodontidae in the Late Cretaceous of North America, Europe and Asia are discussed. Pteranodontid pterosaurs had a much wider distribution on the northern continents in the Late Cretaceous than previously thought.


XmAb®5574 is an Fc engineered humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to the human cell surface antigen CD19 and demonstrates anti-proliferative activity against CD19-positive (CD19+) cell lines. XmAb5574 also has an engineered Fc region to enhance cell killing activity via recruitment of effector cells through increased binding affinity to Fcγ receptors (FcγRs). Consequently, XmAb5574 exhibits superior antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis (ADCP), when compared to a native IgG1 (non Fc-engineered) or an Fc knock out (Fc KO; engineered to ablate FcγR interaction) version of the anti-CD19 antibody. To evaluate the potential clinical activity of XmAb5574 in CD19+ B cell malignancies such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), XmAb5574 was tested in murine subcutaneous (sc) xenograft models using the CD19+ Ramos and Raji human lymphoma cell lines. XmAb5574, administered by intraperitoneal injection (ip, 2qw ×2), gave dose-related inhibition of tumor growth with these models. The efficacy against established sc Ramos tumors was shown to be FcγR-dependent and enhanced by Fc engineering. Fc KO antibodies had no effect at the doses used. Preclinical studies were conducted to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of XmAb5574 in non-human primates. In vitro studies demonstrated that the cynomolgus monkey was an appropriate species for study. XmAb5574 bound to a CD19-expressing cynomolgus monkey cell line and CD20+ peripheral lymphocytes from either cynomolgus monkey or human whole blood samples. Binding affinities of XmAb5574 to both human and cynomolgus monkey FcγRs were evaluated by Biacore methods and were found to be similar. Additionally, XmAb5574 gave similar staining patterns in immunohistochemistry cross-reactivity studies with normal human and cynomolgus monkey tissue panels. Single dose administration of XmAb5574 (0, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 mg/kg, intravenous [iv] infusion) to cynomolgus monkeys gave an immediate and sustained depletion of peripheral B cells in a dose-dependent manner. B cells were reduced in the bone marrow and lymph node with the spleen showing involuted germinal centers and decreased CD20 immunostaining. B cell recovery, peripherally evident after 57 days, was observed in lymphoid tissues after 85 days. The native anti-CD19 IgG1 (non Fc-engineered) did not induce B cell depletion at 3 mg/kg, in contrast to almost complete B cell depletion by XmAb5574 at the same dose. The pharmacokinetics of XmAb5574 were determined in cynomolgus monkeys after a single iv infusion at 0.3, 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg. Blood samples were collected throughout the study, processed to serum, and XmAb5574 concentration determined using an ELISA method. Exposure was approximately dose proportional for the 1–10 mg/kg dose levels but decreased at the 0.3 mg/kg level indicating dose-dependent clearance for XmAb5574 in this species. Among the 1–10 mg/kg dose levels, the clearance and half-life ranged from 4.3–5.8 mL/day and 7.7–10.7 days, respectively. Single iv infusions of XmAb5574 (0.3–10 mg/kg) were well tolerated in cynomolgus monkeys. These preclinical data provide a rationale for the clinical testing of XmAb5574 in patients with B cell malignancies.


LINKAGES BETWEEN CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION (CAFO) EXPANSION AND COUNTY BOARD POLITICS IN RURAL ILLINOIS Eric A. Sterling, MA Department of Anthropology Northern Illinois University, 2015 Kendall Thu, Advisor Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are rapidly expanding in rural Illinois. This research explores the political power linkages between county boards and corporate entities in four Illinois counties. The hypothesis is that collusion and impropriety within county board politics and CAFO expansion in rural Illinois are attributed to stakeholder influence and power at the local county government level. My research revealed a connection between ownership of CAFOs, county board political power, and endorsement of expansion. Utilizing Walter Goldschmidt's method of a controlled comparison, the research analyzes two CAFO inundated counties (Pike and Adams) with two less affected counties (LaSalle and Peoria). Considering the political nature of the research, data collection was forced into engaging secondary text sources to study up, down, and sideways on local government officials. The documents analyzed were public information meeting transcripts, county board meeting transcripts, municipal meeting transcripts, plat maps, public websites, and Freedom of Information Act requests (FOIAs). FOIAs were obtained through government entities and other confidential sources. Citizens are distressed by the proliferation of CAFOs. Through interviews, participant observation, field notes, and archival work, the research indicates that people have knowledge that social stratification is much greater in counties with CAFO proliferation. Citizens that have CAFOs built in close proximity to their property are angered by the permitting system. Considering the amount of pollution and social degradation connected to rapid expansion from livestock farming in Illinois, this research on the linkages between corporate agribusiness and county board politics fills a gap previously overlooked by anthropologists. NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY DEKALB, ILLINOIS AUGUST 2015 LINKAGES BETWEEN CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION (CAFO) EXPANSION AND COUNTY BOARD POLITICS IN RURAL ILLINOIS BY ERIC A. STERLING © 2015 Eric A. Sterling A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY Thesis Advisor: Kendall Thu


This paper describes a method of improving spatial analyses by using a process model to define the sampling window. This method allows the sample to adapt to changing conditions as they occur in the dataset, rather than applying the same geometric shape to all locations. Such a sampling method can be used to reduce the noise in the sample, and thus generate more sensible results. The general approach may be applied to other processes that influence or control the distribution of spatial variables, provided the processes are known and can be modelled. The method also enables exploration of the degree to which a spatial variable is controlled by an assumed driving process. In this study the sampling windows for each location are defined using uphill and downhill watersheds, and are applied to geochemical variables across a 1100 km2 area in Weipa, Queensland, Australia. The utility of the approach is assessed using variograms and the Getis-Ord G*i statistic. Results indicate an improvement over omnidirectional and wedge-shaped sampling, with the most improvement where the variable is highly mobile in solution. These areas are considered to be under modern hydrological control. Most errors in the example are attributed to the effect of other landscape processes, such as aeolian transport and marine incursions.


We describe a feasibility demonstration of an 'intelligent' robot system for inspection and testing of electronic properties of devices. The system consists of a Seiko RT-3000 robot, an Automatix Autovision II vision system, two CCD Panasonic cameras plus peripherals. The latter include two testing probe-stations, a passive-hand with magnetic pick-up fingertips, racks and pallets. The system is interconnected through serial RS-232 ports and I/O switches. The system is capable of relocating devices with a precision of 0.1 mm. The initial part-presentation requires only a ≈ 10 cm precision. The system is presently set up to demonstrate the measurement of capacitance and dark- current of InGaAs PIN photodetectors.


Inhalation administration requests the microparticles with appropriate average diameters and narrow diameter distribution. In this paper, the tetracycline microparticles suitable for inhalation administration were prepared successfully by Supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) process developed in recent years. A continuous SAS process had been adopted to prepare the micro-particles of tetracycline using ethanol as solvent and supercritical CO2 as anti-solvent. The effects of pressure, temperature, solution concentration and nozzle diameter on the morphology, size and size distribution of the particles were investigated. The results showed that tetracycline micro-particles with diameters range of 20nm to 40nm could be obtained by SAS continuous process when ethanol was used as organic solvent at the experimental operation parameters of the pressure of 15MPa, the temperature of 35°C, the solution concentration of 5mg/ml and the nozzle diameter of 75µm. The nano-particles of tetracycline prepared by the above continuous SAS process can be used for alveolus targeting drug delivery and the preparation of sustained-releases micro-spheres


Trivalent praseodymium exhibits a wide range of luminescent phenomena when doped into a variety of different materials. Herein, radioluminescent NaLuF4:20%Pr3+ nanoparticles are studied. Four different samples of this composition were prepared ranging from 400-70 nm in size. Kinetic studies of radioluminescence as a function of X-ray irradiation time revealed a decrease in the emissions originating from the 1S0 level, due to the formation or optical activation of defects during excitation, and a simultaneous increase in the visible emissions resulting from the lower optical levels. Thermoluminescence measurements elucidated that a local de-trapping mechanism was responsible for the increase in steady state emission and persistent luminescence originating from the lower optical levels. The results and mechanism described through this study serve to provide a novel nanoparticle composition with versatile luminescent properties and provides experimental evidence in favor of a local trapping model.


Peer-to-peer systems consist of groups of nodes acting as clients and servers. These groups of nodes communicate directly among themselves through wide-area networks. Some of the benefits of fully distributed peer-to-peer systems are scalability, resource aggregation and interoperability without any administration cost or centralized infrastructure support. In this context, reputation schemes aid the service requesters to choose the proper resource provider and to prevent malicious behaviors. This paper analyzes reputation management in fully distributed peer-to-peer systems. This paper discusses the main issues that a reputation framework must address and analyzes the most representative distributed reputation systems. This paper also discusses the main advantages and drawbacks of each proposal in relation to peer-to-peer reputation system requirements


Sound and light propagate as waves and are scattered, reflected and change direction when encountering other media and obstacles. By optimizing the spatial placement and distribution of the media, which the waves encounter, one can obtain useful and interesting effects. This thesis describes how topology optimization can be used to design structures for manipulation of the electromagnetic and acoustic waves. The wave problems considered here fall within three classes. The first class concerns the design of cloaks, which when wrapped around an object will render the object undetectable for an outside observer. In the study the material layout of cloaks are restricted to isotropic materials readily available in nature. For fully enclosed, all-dielectric cloaks the cloaking is shown to be nearly perfect for a few discrete angles of incidences in a limited frequency range. The working principle for the cloak is to delay the waves in regions of higher permittivity than the background and subsequently phase match them to the waves outside. Directional acoustic cloaks can also be designed using the topology optimization method. Aluminum cylinders constitutes the design and their placement and size is optimized such that their combined scattering pattern cancel the scattering from a big cylinder. If only the backscattering in a limited angular range needs to be eliminated the electromagnetic cloak design simplifies to surprisingly simple annular Bragg-like grating structures with layer dimensions that depend on the obstacle radius. The second class concerns the optimization of grating couplers for efficient inand out-coupling of electromagnetic surface waves at a metal-dielectric interface. Results indicate that efficiencies beyond 68% are possible for slanted grove-based gratings. The third class concerns the design of planar Fresnel zone plate lenses for focusing electromagnetic waves. The topology optimized zone plates improve the focusing performance compared to results known from the literature.


Operating system (OS) kernels form the backbone of system software. They can have a significant impact on the resilience and security of today's computers. Recent efforts have demonstrated the feasibility of formally verifying simple general-purpose kernels, but they have ignored the important issues of concurrency, which include not just user and I/O concurrency on a single core, but also multi-core parallelism with fine-grained locking. In this work, we present CertiKOS, a novel compositional framework for building verified concurrent OS kernels. Concurrency allows interleaved execution of programs belonging to different abstraction layers and running on different CPUs/threads. Each such layer can have a different set of observable events. In CertiKOS, these layers and their observable events can be formally specified, and each module can then be verified at the abstraction level it belongs to. To link all the verified pieces together, CertiKOS enforces a so-called contextual refinement property for every such piece, which states that the implementation will behave like its specification under any concurrent context with any valid interleaving. Using CertiKOS, we have successfully developed a practical concurrent OS kernel, called mC2, and built the formal proofs of its correctness in Coq. The mC2 kernel is written in 6500 lines of C and x86 assembly and runs on stock x86 multicore machines. To our knowledge, this is the first correctness proof of a general-purpose concurrent OS kernel with fine-grained locking.


The globally distributed, ciprofloxacin resistant hospital associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lineage epidemic (E)MRSA-15 (sequence type 22) continues to expand into new healthcare systems around the world. To further understand the evolution of EMRSA-15, which has been proposed to have emerged in the West Midlands, a large collection of contemporaneous and historical Birmingham isolates were studied alongside a collection of International genomes. Through generation of phylogentic trees this study has been able to determine that EMRSA-15 emerged in c1984 and that during this time a highly related healthcare associated ciprofloxacin sensitive ST22 population was present in Birmingham. A dominant, geographically restricted EMRSA-15 clone was also identified in Birmingham (designated the BHM clone). Analysis of the impact of fluoroquinolone use on the Birmingham EMRSA-15 phylogeny showed increasing use of fluoroquinolones (the introduction of ofloxacin) coincided with the emergence of the BHM clone. Further evidence of geographically restricted EMRSA-15 clones were found in Guernsey and Hong Kong; demonstrating localized evolution giving rise to distinct island populations. Comparison of the desiccation tolerance of geographically restricted and non-restricted EMRSA-15 clones indicated enhanced environmental survival as a possible reason for the spread and dominance of the restricted lineages.


The hippocampus executes crucial functions from declarative memory to adaptive behaviors associated with cognition and emotion. However, the mechanisms of how morphogenesis and functions along the hippocampal dorsoventral axis are differentiated and integrated are still largely unclear. Here, we show that Nr2f1 and Nr2f2 genes are distinctively expressed in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, respectively. The loss of Nr2f2 results in ectopic CA1/CA3 domains in the ventral hippocampus. The deficiency of Nr2f1 leads to the failed specification of dorsal CA1, among which there are place cells. The deletion of both Nr2f genes causes almost agenesis of the hippocampus with abnormalities of trisynaptic circuit and adult neurogenesis. Moreover, Nr2f1/2 may cooperate to guarantee appropriate morphogenesis and function of the hippocampus by regulating the Lhx5-Lhx2 axis. Our findings revealed a novel mechanism that Nr2f1 and Nr2f2 converge to govern the differentiation and integration of distinct characteristics of the hippocampus in mice.