One of commodity which is important to be fulfilled is fruit. From producer side, it has been available much in Lampung Province but has not been utilized optimally by consumer. This study purposed to analyze the factors influencing fruit demand and the response of demand changes due to shifting of price and income. The analysis was conducted by using AIDS (Almost Ideal Demand System) model and the parameter was estimated by using SUR (Seemingly Unrelated Regression) method. The results stated that the fruit demand was influenced by the fruit price (either own-price or cross-price), expenditure, and the number of household members. The elasticity shows that the own-price for all kinds of fruit is inelastic. The cross-price elasticity indicates that there are some fruits that have substitution or complementary relationship among them and in all types of fruits, income elasticity has positive sign.


In spite of the numerous algorithms for automating the verification of handwritten signatures that have been proposed over the years, there are still many handwritten signatures that can cause a system to underperform significantly. Two main elements are responsible for this: the variability of a signature and its complexity. Studies reported analyse these elements in much detail, and include an estimation of a signature's complexity in terms of the difficulty that a potential forger would encounter in an attempt to reproduce it dynamically. This paper introduces a technique to estimate the complexity of a signature image based on knowledge acquired from a human experiment, where 'complexity' is viewed from a different perspective. Importantly, the measure we propose is based entirely on the static signature image.


Liquefaction mitigation can be achieved by dissipating seismic pore pressures. The research reported in this paper elaborates the effectiveness in dissipating seismic pore pressures of a gravel bed and relief well system using gravel columns in a case study in Cilacap, Indonesia. Seismic pore pressure generation was analyzed using commonly available methods in liquefaction analysis. The evaluated pore pressures in the sand layer and gravel columns were used in a 2D dissipation analysis using finite-difference consolidation equation solutions. The results of this study showed that a simple and cost-effective relief well and gravel bed or strip system can effectively dissipate excess pore pressures in the sand layer and gravel columns to a maximum residual pore pressure below 40%, thus reducing liquefaction potential as well as protecting the foundations in the sand.


The standard closed-orbit theory is extended for the photodetachment of negative ions in a time-dependent electric field. The time-dependent photodetachment rate is specifically studied in the presence of a single-cycle terahertz pulse, based on exact quantum simulations and semiclassical analysis. We find that the photodetachment rate is unaffected by a weak terahertz field, but oscillates complicatedly when the terahertz pulse gets strong enough. Three types of closed classical orbits are identified for the photoelectron motion in a strong single-cycle terahertz pulse, and their connections with the oscillatory photodetachment rate are established quantitatively by generalizing the standard closed-orbit theory to a time-dependent form. By comparing the negative hydrogen and fluorine ions, both the in-phase and antiphase oscillations can be observed, depending on a simple geometry of the contributed closed classical orbits. On account of its generality, the presented theory provides an intuitive understanding from a time-dependent viewpoint for the photodetachment dynamics driven by an external electric field oscillating at low frequency.


Metamaterial absorbers (MAs) serve as important electromagnetic wave-absorbing devices that have captured the attention of researchers for a long term. Functioning as sensitive detectors to determine perturbations in an ambient environment is another significant subsidiary function. Here, we theoretically propose an optimized fabrication method to implement terahertz MAs with fewer steps and also evaluate both absorption and sensing performances of such MAs realized by the new method. Simulation findings demonstrate that such MAs can basically maintain the original absorption features perfectly, including near-complete absorption at resonance as well as strong robustness to wide incident angles. Specifically, the full width at half-maximum and quality factor of the absorption resonances attenuate less than 26% and 8% with this new method, remaining in the ranges of ∼0.03–0.04  THz and ∼20–27 for two selected example MAs. More significantly, sensing capacities of this type of MA, in terms of maximum detection range (enhancing at least 9%), observable spectral modulation (increasing at least 6.3%), and refractive index sensitivity, are improved to a large extent because of more intense coupling between resonant field and matter in the case of surface-relief MAs. This stronger coupling results from exposing more spots of the resonantly high field to direct contact with an approaching analyte, which is illustrated by field profiles of the MAs at resonance in this work. Additionally, other desirable absorber features are also explored with such MAs, like functioning as building blocks to configure multiband MAs and strong robustness against fabrication errors. Such new-style terahertz MAs shown in the paper, acting as good examples, not only prove that terahertz MAs can be fabricated by the proposed time- and cost-saving route in contrast to the traditional MA fabrication process, but also can serve as novel platforms to explore other intriguing terahertz photonic effects, such as the field enhancement effect.


We show that a mid-2000s increase in extraterritorial enforcement of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), characterized by greater international regulatory cooperation and more frequent use of the FCPA's accounting provisions, has a significant deterrent effect on foreign direct investment in high-corruption-risk countries. The decrease in investment is at least as large for non-US as for US firms, suggesting that widespread extraterritorial enforcement helps to create a level foreign-investment playing field. Firms under US jurisdiction with fundamental characteristics that make it more difficult to maintain effective internal controls invest less in high-corruption-risk countries after the FCPA enforcement increase, suggesting regulatory compliance costs play a role in deterring investment. Consistent with investments in accounting systems being one way firms limit enforcement risk when investing in high-corruption-risk countries, firms pursuing new investments spend more time evaluating potential targets and firms with existing investments report fewer restatements related to unintentional errors.


OBJECTIVESThe axillary lymph node (LN) status is considered to be one of the most important factors for chemotherapy decision-making of operable breast cancer patients (pts). It is commonly agreed that combination therapies with taxane-containing regimens should be recommended for these pts, whereas high-dose regimens have failed to provide further improvement for pts clinically considered at high-risk.It has previously been shown that the 70-gene profile (MammaPrint®TM), which was developed in node-negative patients is excellent in predicting disease outcome in pts with 1-3 positive nodes and similarly in pts with 4-9 positive-nodes. Further analysis based on adjuvant treatment received and pooled analysis of the 2 LN positive series was performed in order to assess the prognostic added-value of genomic profiling in LN positive pts.METHODS Frozen tumor samples from breast cancer pts with positive LN coming from 2 hospitals were selected in consecutive series (1-3 LN, 4-9 LN; all female, diagnosed between 1984 and 1995, primary invasive breast carcinoma, unilateral T1, T2 or operable T3, mastectomy or breast-conserving therapy, no prior malignancies, fresh frozen tumor material available). Samples were evaluated by gene expression profiling for the 70-gene profile and were classified as genomic high risk (poor prognosis) or genomic low risk (good prognosis).RESULTS A total of 519 pts have been analyzed: 346 with 1-3 positive LN (PN1) and 173 with 4-9 positive LN (PN2). Among them, 212 (41%) had the 70-gene good prognosis-profile and 307 (59%) had the 70-gene poor prognosis-profile (strictly equal proportions among the 2 LN groups). Median follow-up was 10.3 years: distant metastases occurred in 141 patients (116 as first event) and 103 (20 %) died of their disease. Distance metastases as first event and breast cancer specific survival according to LN group (PN) and genomic profile (MP) are shown in Figures 1 and 2.CONCLUSION Our data show that the 70-gene profile is a strong prognostic marker of distant recurrence and breast specific death in breast cancer patients with positive LN. Combining nodal status (1-3 nodes vs. 4-9 nodes) and 70-gene profile (good vs. poor) allows stratifying patients among subgroups for whom tailored treatment strategies should be designed and assessed based on their very different outcome. Pts with elevated number of lymph nodes and high genomic risk have a very poor prognosis and might need to be considered for stronger treatment strategies. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 102.


: The purpose of the study is to find the effects of different growing site conditions on trees with the vessel features in the woods of Quercus ilex L. growing in different regions through Turkey, and to evaluate the results in respect of forestry. A total of 102 wood samples were collected from 102 sampling plots (as 20 m × 10 m plots) in 9 distribution areas in Turkey. Environmental, climate and stand data were obtained for each plot. Standard wood anatomical studies were performed. The results show that, while vessel element lengths are almost stable in all regions, the most changeable vessel element feature is the vessel frequency in different regions of Q. ilex . Hierarchical cluster analysis based on the mesomorphy and xeromorphy ratios revealed that a total of 15 sites fell into Group 1 (14.71%-very humid), 39 sites (38.24%-humid) into Group 2 and 48 sites (47.06%-dry) into Group 3. The ratios of dry sites are 29.63% in Black sea region, 45.71% in Marmara region and 60% in Aegean region; Black Sea Region promotes more mesomorphic wood formation, those in the Aegean region force xeromorphic wood formation in general. The stands of Q. ilex mixed with Pinus brutia are drier and produce negative correlation with temperature and positive correlations with precipitation. Increasing tree cover, tree height and stem diameter promote wider vessel element diameters and lower number of vessels per square mm. In the individuals of Q. ilex growing on the mountain ridges of Muğla, Davutlar National Park and its around and on the shallow soils are the driest conditions, and safety is more prominent than efficiency in water transport. In the lower elevations and on the deep soils, efficiency in water transport becomes more prominent than safety. Due to its mesomorphic vessel features in lowland humid sites, Q. ilex may be planted in lowlands and humid sites through Turkey.


In this paper, we are concerned with probabilistic high order numerical schemes for Cauchy problems of fully nonlinear parabolic PDEs. For such parabolic PDEs, it is shown by Cheridito, Soner, Touzi and Victoir [4] that the associated exact solutions admit probabilistic interpretations, i.e., the solution of a fully nonlinear parabolic PDE solves a corresponding second order forward backward stochastic differential equation (2FBSDEs). Our numerical schemes rely on solving those 2FBSDEs, by extending our previous results [W. Zhao, Y. Fu and T. Zhou, SIAM J. Sci. Comput., 36 (2014), pp. A1731-A1751.]. Moreover, in our numerical schemes, one has the flexibility to choose the associated forward SDE, and a suitable choice can significantly reduce the computational complexity. Various numerical examples including the HJB equations are presented to show the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed numerical schemes.


This study evaluates alterations in canine aortic lipid composition under conditions of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or a combination of these factors. Hypertension was produced in the proximal thoracic aorta by creation of an aortic coarctation, whereas hypercholesterolemia was brought about by a lard-cholesterol diet in combination with thyroidectomy. Hypertension alone produced only minor changes in the lipid content of the arterial wall, but hypercholesterolemia yielded modest increases. The combination of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, however, produced a striking increase in the total lipid content in the arterial wall. This change was most marked in the cholesteryl ester fraction, and a shift in cholesteryl ester fatty acids from linoleate to oleate was found. These data indicate that the interaction of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia produces alterations in lipid composition in a relationship which appears to be more geometric than arithmetic in nature.


Background : Coronary arterial stenosis, the major cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), induces shear stress to surrounding arteriolar endothelium. This stimulates changes in endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and fibroblast to create collaterals that can provide alternative blood flow to the jeopardized myocardial area. However, coronary collateralization is various among AMI patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between coronary risk factors and collateral sirculation in AMI patients. Methods : A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out to 148 medical records of hospitalized AMI patients in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung, Indonesia. All patients were assessed for coronary collateral circulation which were graded as good (Rentrop score 2–3) and poor (Rentrop score 0–1). Risk factors noted in this study were age group, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and diagnosis (ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) or Non STEMI (NSTEMI)) according to the medical record data.  Results : Hypertension was found to be associated with the presence of good coronary collateral circulation (p=0.02, PR=1.410 [95% CI 1.030-1.930]). Sex, age group, diabetes mellitus and STEMI or NSTEMI diagnosis were not statistically significant. Conclusions : Hypertension was the only coronary risk factor associated to the presence of well-developed coronary collaterals. The increase of myocardial oxygen demand and flow of collateral feeding coronary artery in the setting of hypertension may contribute to the results.  DOI:  10.15850/amj.v2n4.688


Although Augmented Reality technology was first developed over forty years ago, there has been little survey work giving an overview of recent research in the field. This paper reviews the ten-year development of the work presented at the ISMAR conference and its predecessors with a particular focus on tracking, interaction and display research. It provides a roadmap for future augmented reality research which will be of great value to this relatively young field, and also for helping researchers decide which topics should be explored when they are beginning their own studies in the area.


Hello, Reddit! We are a team of conservationists and scientists here to discuss artisanal and small-scale mining, its surprising importance to some of our most beloved possessions, and its effects on biodiversity. Let's discuss! Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)—the mining of metals and minerals by hand, often using tools as simple as a hammer and a pick—-is an enormous part of our industrial supply chain. In fact, ASM is the main source of income for over 40 million people world wide, and is responsible for between 15–20% of all the world's mineral and metal production. ASM produces huge percentages of the world's gold, tin, and cobalt supplies, which, as you may know, are all absolutely crucial ingredients to one of our most important possessionsour smart phones. As things stand, there are some serious drawbacks to artisanal and small scale mining. Notably, ASM requires a lot of water to clean the mined materials before they're ready for sale, and in some cases, numerous poisonous solvents must be used as well. What results is contaminated water, decreased biodiversity, and birth defects—and these are just some of the problems. For these reasons, we've been extremely interested lately in potential technological, logistical, and political solutions that could improve the lives of ASM workers and protect their environments. We're here today with some ideas of our own, but certainly not all the answers. We hope that we can have a lively discussion about artisanal mining, really dig into the issues surrounding it, and maybe even unearth some possible solutions. Today's discussion is in collaboration with Conservation X Labs, a D.C. based conservation non-profit that acts as an incubator to help innovators and organizations bring great conservation ideas to life and get them out into the world where they can make a difference for the people who need them. Conservation X Labs is putting up $750,000 dollars in prize money in hopes of finding solutions to improve lives of ASM workers and protect their environments. Our discussion-panel guests today are: Alex Dehgan (u/Alex Dehgan): I am CEO and co-founder of Conservation X Labs. I recently served as the Chief Scientist at USAID, with rank of Assistant Administrator, and co-founded the Global Development Lab. I am also the Chanler Innovator at Duke University and served as Duke's inaugural David Rubenstein Fellow. Prior to USAID, I worked in multiple positions within the Office of the Secretary, and the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, at the Dept. of State, where I used science and conservation as a diplomatic tool for engagement with countries in the Islamic world, including Iran. I also hold a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings, and a B.S. from Duke University, and am the author of The Snow Leopard Project and Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation. Luis E. Fernandez (u/Luis E Fernandez): I am the Executive Director of the Amazon Scientific Innovation Center (CINCIA) and an Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Biology at Wake Forest University. I am a tropical ecologist, as well as an expert in the dynamics and impact of environmental mercury in areas where artisanal mining is common. I have held positions at the Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford University, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Agency. Nicole M. Smith (u/Nicole M Smith): I am a cultural anthropologist with research interests in artisanal and small-scale mining; sustainability and social responsibility, as well as engineering education. I am an Assistant Professor in the Mining Engineering Department at the the Colorado School of Mines. I am currently the PI for a U.S. Department of State-funded project addressing mercury use among Peruvian artisanal and


Distributed Systems (DS) are usually complex systems composed of various components and cloud is a common type of DSs. Reliability is a major challenge for the design of cloud systems and DSs in general. In this paper an analytical model to analyze reliability in DSs with regards to task allocation was presented. Subsequently, this model was modified and a new model to analyze reliability in cloud systems with regards to Virtual Machine(VM) allocation was suggested. On the other hand, optimal task allocation in DSs is an NP-hard problem, thus finding exact solutions are limited to small-scale problems. This paper presents a new swarm intelligence technique based on Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO) algorithm to find near optimal solution. For evaluating the algorithm, CSO is compared with Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The experimental results show that in contrast to PSO and GA, CSO acquires acceptable reliability in reasonable execution time.


Hue provides a useful and intuitive cue that is used in a variety of computer vision applications. Hue is an attractive feature as it captures intrinsic information about the colour of objects or surfaces in a scene. Moreover, hue is invariant to confounding factors such as illumination brightness. However hue is not stable to all of the types of confounding factors that one might reasonably encounter. Specifically, the RGBs captured in images are sometimes raised to the power gamma. This is done for two reasons. First, to make the images suitable for display (since monitors have an intrinsic non-linearity). Second, applying a gamma is the simplest way to change the contrast in images. It has also been observed that digital cameras often apply a scene dependent gamma type function (which is unknown to the user). In this paper we show that a simple photometric ratio in log RGB space cancels both brightness and gamma. Furthermore, some simple manipulation reveals that the brightness/gamma invariant can usefully be interpreted as a hue in a log opponent colour space. We carried out indexing experiments to evaluate the usefulness of the derived hue correlate. In situations where gamma is held fixed, the new hue supports recognition equal to conventional definitions. In situations where gamma varies the new correlate supports better indexing. The new hue is also found to predict some psychophysical data quite accurately.


India possesses several advantages due to its varied ecological range and agro-climates to cultivate several important and diverse commercial food commodities ranging from cereals, fruits and spices to medicinal plants. The country has abundance of human resource comprising skilled, educated, technical and scientific manpower on one hand and unskilled manpower on the other. Forests- and agriculture-based industries are a major source of employment in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors all over the country. This article has presented a brief overview of the potential of forest and agriculture in generating employment, providing livelihood and environmental services, sequestration of green house gases, carbon trading, rehabilitation of degraded lands, production of fuel wood, etc. There are clear linkages and synergies between agricultural production and sustainable forest management. If the sustainability of the agriculture and forests can be assured, food security and employment generation would go in long-term perpetuity.


We experimentally investigate the impact of variable transmission power on link quality, and propose variable power link quality control techniques to enhance the performance of data delivery in wireless sensor networks. This study extends the state of the art in two key respects: first, while there are a number of previous results on power control techniques for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks, to our knowledge, nearly all of them have been simulated and analytically studied that assumes the idealized link conditions; second, while there are several recent experimental studies that have shown the prevalence of non-ideal unreliable communication links in sensor networks, the paper has not thoroughly investigated the impact of variable transmission power. We perform a systematic set of experiments to analyze how the transmission power changes affect the quality of low power RF wireless links between nodes. These experiments show how significant variation in link qualities occur in real-world deployments and how these effects strongly influence the effectiveness of transmission power control. We then present a packet-based transmission power control mechanism that incorporates blacklisting to enhance link reliability while minimizing interference. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated via test bed experiments.


B cells switch to IgE under the influence of IL-4, IL-13, and CD40 costimulation through a multistep process involving ε germline transcription and class switch recombination. Classically, switching has been considered an event restricted to lymphoid tissues; however, ε germline transcripts (I(initiator)ε RNA) have been observed within lung, sinus, and nasal tissue of individuals with asthma, sinusitis, and rhinitis. Furthermore, nasal mucosal tissue from allergic rhinitics produces ε germline transcripts following ex vivo allergen challenge. Collectively, these studies raised the possibility that switching to IgE may occur locally, at sites of allergic inflammation. Although ε germline transcripts are considered necessary to target the IgE locus, it is class switch recombination that ultimately leads to de novo IgE production. In this study, we demonstrate that SεSμ DNA switch circles (products of class switch recombination) as well as Iε and Cε RNA are produced within nasal tissue from allergic individuals following ex vivo allergen challenge. ε germline transcription was inhibited when tissue was cultured with a combination of allergen and neutralizing Abs against IL-4 and IL-13, indicating that de novo cytokine production mediated the isotype switch. We also show allergen-induced appearance of SεSγ DNA switch circles and up-regulation of Cγ4 mRNA, illustrating that sequential switching to IgE also occurred. This work strongly suggests that B cells residing within the nasal mucosa undergo switching to IgE in the context of a local immune response to allergen.


As was reported elsewhere (Gasparian, Grigorian, 1989a, 1989b), the stimulation of cell proliferation takes place in established culture of chick embryo cells after adding a suspension of living or inactivated homologous cells. In the present paper the kinetic parameters of this process, termed as the contact stimulation of cell proliferation, were studied. The dose- and time-dependence of cell response to the stimulus is described. It was shown that the addition of cells activates cell growth both in exponential and stationary cultures. DNA synthesis in resting cells is seen initiated only if their continuous interaction with the added cells is provided. The nature of signals involved in the process of contact stimulation is described.


Uptake and persistence of Cadusafos, an organophosphatic nematicide, in root, shoot and fruit of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum ) [Mill.] cv. Pusa Ruby was evaluated following soil application of the chemical as broadcast @2.0 kg ha -1 , furrow @1.0 kg ha -1 and spot treatment@ 0.5 kg ha -1 at the time of transplanting of one month old seedling in winter. Root and Shoot samples were taken at different time intervals from 7-150 days after application and processed for residues using a FPD-GC. The residues of Cadusafos persisted in both root and shoot up to 105-120 days. Absorption of Cadusafos by roots was rapid but further translocation to shoot was slow. The residues accumulated in roots up to 15 days. The concentration of residues (µg g -1 ) in roots reached a maximum of 15.44 in spot, 2.24 in broadcast and 1.22 in furrow treatments after 15 days of application. The level of residues in shoot was highest after 7 days of treatments accounting for 3.22, 0.56 and 0.38 µg g -1 in spot, broadcast and furrow applications, respectively. Application method affected uptake of Cadusafos from soil, it was maximum in spot treatment followed by broadcast and furrow application. Despite differential plant uptake, the residue levels (µg g -1 ) in fruits were very low to non-detectable in broadcast (0.003-0.001) and furrow (0.007-0.002) applications but slightly higher (0.024) in earlier pickings of tomato in spot application. The levels of 0.003-0.018 µg g -1 were, however, considered safe from the angle of toxic residues following broadcast, furrow and spot applications of Cadusafos in soil.


In recent years, with the rise of environmental awareness worldwide, the number of solar power plants has significantly increased. However, the maintenance of solar power plants is not an easy job, especially the detection of malfunctioning photovoltaic (PV) cells in large-scale or remote power plants. Therefore, finding these cells and replacing them in time before severe events occur is increasingly important. In this paper, we propose a hybrid scheme with three embedded learning methods to enhance the detection of malfunctioning PV modules with validated efficiencies. For the first method, we combine the improved gamma correction function (preprocess) with a convolutional neural network (CNN). Infrared (IR) thermographic images of solar modules are used to train the abovementioned improved algorithm. For the second method, we train a CNN model using the IR temperatures of PV modules with the preprocessing of a threshold function. A compression procedure is then designed to cut the time-consuming preprocesses. The third method is to replace the CNN with the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm and the selected temperature statistics. The experimental results show that all three methods can be implemented with high detection accuracy and low time consumption, and furthermore, the hybrid scheme provides an even better accuracy.


Abstract Introduction: An important issue in disaster medicine is the establishment of standards that can be used as a template for evaluation. With the establishment of standards, the ability to compare results will improve, both within and between different organizations involved in disaster management. Objective: Performance indicators were developed for testing in simulations exercises with the purpose of evaluating the skills of hospital management groups. The objective of this study is to demonstrate how these indicators can be used to create numerically expressed results that can be compared. Methods: Three different management groups were tested in standardized simulation exercises. The testing took place according to the organization's own disaster plan and within their own facilities. Trained observers used a predesigned protocol of performance indicators as a template for the evaluation. Results: The management group that scored lowest in management skills also scored lowest in staff skills. Conclusion: The use of performance indicators for evaluating the management skills of hospital groups can provide comparable results in testing situations and could provide a new tool for quality improvement of evaluations of real incidents and disasters.


In the paper noted above, which was published in 2009, we reported safety information for patients on sodium oxybate (Xyrem®), including the numbers of patients with a prescription for sodium oxybate who had died from all causes (i.e., whether or not the deaths were considered related to treatment), from 2002 through March 30, 2008. The purpose of this letter is to present additional important safety data, to correct the previously reported numbers of deaths, and to provide updated information and analysis of these cases through May 31, 2011.

These data come from two main sources. The first is from ordinary pharmacovigilance reports to the company, its partners, regulatory agencies, or the literature. The second is from the controlled distribution system for this product, which includes a single central pharmacy, direct shipment of the drug to patients, and regular communication between patients and the central pharmacy. In addition to a report from a healthcare provider or a family member, the central pharmacy can learn about a patient death if a patient doesn't contact the central pharmacy for a routine refill, or if a drug shipment is not delivered to the patient and is returned by the shipping company, an inquiry is made by the pharmacy as to the reason. This allows the death of a patient to be recorded and tracked.

When the 2009 paper was written, we reported the data for all deaths that had been reported to the Drug Safety Department at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. However, we have recently discovered that there were an additional 82 deaths that occurred through March 30, 2008 (the cutoff date for the paper), that had not been properly recorded by the central pharmacy. Because these cases had not been reported to Jazz Pharmaceuticals Drug Safety, they were not included in the 2009 paper. We present here the corrected information including the newly identified cases.

The corrected total number of deaths from any cause in patients who had received sodium oxybate for the reporting period 2002 through March 30, 2008, is 112 (30 reported originally, plus 82 newly identified cases). In the 2009 paper, the mortality rate was calculated as the number of deaths per 100 treated patients. To provide a more precise rate, we calculated the mortality rate as patient-years of exposure, using both the original and the corrected numbers for this time period. Although this calculation includes the number of deaths worldwide in the numerator, the denominator (patient-years of exposure) is based on US numbers only, resulting in a potential slight overestimation of the rate. US-only exposure data were used because patient-years of exposure for Europe and Canada could not be obtained with the same precision as US data from the central pharmacy. Three out of 112 death cases are non-US cases. Based on this calculation, the mortality rates in patients worldwide who had received a prescription for sodium oxybate through March 30, 2008, are 0.18 for the original reported number, and 0.66 for the corrected number, which is higher than what was originally reported in 2009.

As part of ongoing pharmacovigilance activities, the collection of safety data has continued since the previous March 30, 2008, cutoff date for data included in the 2009 paper. We provide here an update on the number, rate, and causes of deaths through May 31, 2011.

Worldwide, there have been a total of 227 deaths in patients who received sodium oxybate via perscription from market introduction in 2002 through May 31, 2011. Cause of death was documented in 88 (39%) of the 227 cases. In an additional 37 (16%) cases, no cause of death was provided by the person or entity reporting the decedent's status; however a potential etiology was identified from medical history and/or follow-up information. In the remaining 102 (45%) cases, no etiological information was provided regarding any potential cause of death. Table 1 summarizes the information on causes of death in these cases.

Table 1

Documented and suspected causes of death

Among these 227 cases, 11 are non-US cases. The exposure for this time period in the US only was 37,992 patient-years. Using the same calculation (worldwide number of cases as numerator; US-only exposure numbers as denominator), the overall mortality rate for this period is 0.60 per 100 patient-years of exposure, consistent with the corrected rate for the period from 2002 through March 30, 2008. As Figure 1 shows, based on both corrected and subsequent data on reports of death from all causes, regardless of whether or not the cause was deemed to be related to sodium oxybate, the annual all-cause mortality rates have remained fairly stable over more than eight years of postmarketing experience.

Figure 1

All-cause annual mortality rate by year from market introduction in 2002 through May 31, 2011


Sea cucumber mariculture is an important emerging field of practice and applied research in the coastal tropics. This is due to the existing importance of tropical sea cucumber fisheries for wealth generation and poverty reduction, and the potential for mariculture to contribute to the longer term sustainability of these fisheries while generating benefits additional to those from wild caught sea cucumber. Understanding the optimal institutional arrangements for sea cucumber mariculture is an important area of focus in this field, with a variety of arrangements currently in place. This paper documents the establishment of a communal form of sea ranching in the Philippines, as a case study of community level institutional processes. It describes the background to establishment of the sea ranch in the community of Victory, challenges encountered and how these were managed, and the evolution of governance arrangements. In charting this process, we assess the impacts on livelihood outcomes, highlighting this as a crucial aspect influencing this evolution and the nature of community involvement in the sea ranch. While the sea ranching project generated a range of benefits for livelihoods, including possible spillover effects for the surrounding fishery, substantial economic returns from harvests did not occur. Thus, the system of governing the sea ranch evolved from a communal model to a more exclusive household model primarily to improve operational efficiency. In order for possible benefits of the sea ranch to be sustained and enhanced, greater integration with fisheries management and government support will be needed.


Field experiments were conducted at five sites in Nebraska in 2000 and 2001 to determine the effect of planting depth and isoxaflutole rate on the response of an isoxaflutole-sensitive corn hybrid, 'Pioneer 33-G' across variable environments. Corn was planted at depths of 2.5 and 5.0 cm, and isoxaflutole was applied PRE at the recommended (1×) and twice the recommended (2×) rate. The effects of planting depth and herbicide rate on injury varied considerably across site–years. When injury was evident, it was generally greater at the high rate of isoxaflutole (2×) and at the shallow planting depth (2.5 cm). In most site–years, corn recovered from early season injury, and yields were not reduced, except at Scottsbluff, NE, and North Platte, NE, where soils were lower in organic matter and higher in pH. Isoxaflutole rates should be carefully selected for soils with low organic matter and high pH. Nomenclature: Isoxaflutole, corn, Zea mays L


A model has been developed for preliminary examination of radiometric properties pertaining to the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative. This project aims to send a nanocraft to the Proxima Centauri system. The nanocraft will deploy a solar sail driven by a 100 GW laser beam at 1064 nm projected from a segmented aperture of several kilometers in diameter. The radiometric model uses both MATLAB and FRED to quantify and characterize the light returning from the sail while also predicting the nanocraft's kinematic motion. Photon counts and wavelengths along with craft position, velocity, and acceleration at any time throughout the duration of the launch are among the quantities modeled. Since the nanocraft is to be accelerated to 20% the speed of light, relativistic effects must be considered. In particular, the Doppler shifted reflected drive light is of significance since it may be suitable for wave-front sensing once the shift is sufficient to separate it from the unshifted drive light at the projector. Additionally, estimates of the photon flux support predictions of the amount of light the system will be able to collect for wave-front sensing. All of these quantities are calculated using an iterative process which takes known initial conditions and integrates forward in time to provide the desired properties at every time interval. The model allows system parameters (e.g., reflectivity of the sail, BRDF profiles, projector fill factor, etc.) to be varied for optimization of the drive system design. The model will continuously be updated as advancements in both projector and sail designs are made. An expanded model including other phenomena, such as sail self-emission, transmission, and irradiance distribution patterns at the solar sails, will follow.


Background:The male condom is the most effective barrier method available for protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV infection. There is an urgent need to develop and evaluate other prevention methods, such as the female condom. This study estimated the additional protection against STDs offered to sex workers by giving them the option of using the female condom when clients refused to use a male condom. Methods:Sex establishments in four cities in Thailand were randomized into two study groups: one in which sex workers were instructed to use male condoms consistently (male condom group); and one in which sex workers had the option of using the female condom if clients refused or were not able to use male condoms (male/female condom group). Randomization was done by sex establishments, and not by individuals, to minimize sharing of female condoms across study groups. The proportion of unprotected sexual acts (defined as sexual acts in which condoms were not used, tore, or slipped in or out) and incidence rate of STDs (gonorrhoea, chlamydial infection, trichomoniasis and genital ulcer disease) were measured over a 24-week period and compared between the two study groups. Findings:Results are available from 34 sex establishments (249 women) in the male/female condom group, and 37 sex establishments (255 women) in the male condom group. Condom use was very high in both groups (97.9 and 97.3 % of all sexual acts, respectively, P > 0.05). Male condom use was lower in the male/female condom group when compared with the male condom group (88.2 and 97.5%, respectively, P < 0.001). However, this reduction in male condom use was counterbalanced by the use of female condoms in 12.0% of all sexual acts in the male/female condom group, contributing to a 17% reduction in the proportion of unprotected sexual acts in this group when compared to the male condom group (5.9 versus 7.1%, respectively, P = 0.16). Female condom use was sustained over the entire study period. There was also a 24% reduction in the weighted geometric mean incidence rate of STDs in the sex establishments of the male/female condom group compared to the male condom group (2.81 versus 3.69 per 100 person-weeks, P = 0.18). Interpretation:The replacement of male condoms by female condoms in a proportion of sexual acts in the male/female condom group suggests that some sex workers and/or their clients preferred using the female condom. This switch in barrier method was accompanied by non-significant reductions in the proportion of unprotected sexual acts and in the incidence rate of STDs in the women of the male/female condom group. Special attention should be paid to a potential risk of slippage of the female condom in inexperienced users.


DrScheme provides a graphical user interface for editing and interactively evaluating Scheme programs on all major graphical platforms (Windows 95/nt, MacOs, Unix/X). The environment is especially well-suited to beginning programmers because it supports a tower of Scheme subsets. Each level corresponds to a particular stage in a typical introductory Scheme course and implements a stringent set of syntactic checks. The environment also pinpoints run-time exceptions in a graphical manner and implements a mostly functional read-eval-print loop.Dr. Scheme's most advanced component is a powerful static debugger. It permits programmers to inspect programs for potential safety violations before running them. If the debugger discovers a potential problem, it explains the problem by drawing a value-flow graph over the program text. The value-flow graph shows how an inappropriate value may reach a program operation and trigger a run-time check.The development of Dr. Scheme in Scheme validated the strengths of Scheme, but also revealed several weaknesses. To overcome the latter, the underlying Scheme implementation was extended with a class-based object system, a language of program units, and a sophisticated GUI engine. All of these extensions are available to the programmer, who can thus interactively create fully portable, graphical applications.


This paper studied the transmission of the athletics starting signal and the end signal detection over the line in track and field competition. At the starting point, 433MHz wireless transmitter module coded and sent the start signal. In the race finish line, the laser device detected athletes signal over the line. The system used an embedded Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 serial communication control to achieve a reasonable upper and lower computer hardware and software online. Experiments show that: The combination system of hardware and software control applies wireless communication technology and laser detection devices to avoid interference with normal visible light. It has many advantages of a timing accuracy, fast and accurate arrangement of athletes.


Abstract Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable material that can be processed using the common processing techniques, such as injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding. PLA has widely been researched and tested due to its biodegradable nature. As a biodegradable material, PLA can be subject to some inherently poor qualities, such as its brittleness, weak mechanical properties, small processing windows, or poor electrical and thermal properties. In order to nullify some of these issues, nanofiller composites have been added to the polymer matrix, such as nanocellulose, nanoclays, carbon nanotubes, and graphene. Dye-clay hybrid nanopigments (DCNP) have been used to explore potential applications in the food packaging industry with promising results. Several different compatibilizers have been studied as well, with the goal of increasing the mechanical properties of blends. A key application for PLA is in wound healing and surgical work, with a few studies described in the present chapter. Finally, the superwettability of dopamine modified PLA is examined, with promising results for separation of oily wastewater.


BACKGROUND
Clinical, animal, and epidemiological studies have clearly demonstrated that cancer is a hormonally mediated disease and several factors that influence hormonal status or are markers of change in hormonal status have been shown to be associated with the risk of breast cancer.

AIMS
To identify the association of various reproductive factors with breast cancer.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN
A hospital-based, matched, case-control study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Three hundred and twenty newly diagnosed breast cancer cases and three hundred and twenty normal healthy individuals constituted the study population. The subjects in the control group were matched individually with the cases for their age ± 2 years and socioeconomic status. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was administered to each individual to collect information on identification data, socio-demographic profile, and reproductive factors.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED
The Chi-square test and unpaired t-test were used. The conditional univariate logistic regression analysis (unadjusted odds ratio and confidence intervals) was used to calculate the significance level of each variable followed by multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
The cases had a lower mean age at menarche, higher age at marriage, higher mean age at last child birth, lower mean duration of breastfeeding, higher number of abortions, late age at menopause, history of oral contraceptive pills, and a family history of breast cancer as compared to the controls. The results of the present study revealed a strong association of reproductive factors with breast cancer in the Indian population.


Over the past few years, the electronic media, as represented by the internet version of print media and independent blogs of journalists, has become a major player in the coverage of incidents related to violence against women. While this has brought forward issues of violence and specifically rape prominently into the public sphere, the media portrayal of women has often been as victims or victims who are somehow responsible for the violence against them. Such portrayal has been repeatedly challenged by feminists. Using data from 572 national and international English media reports for a six-month period (from December 2012 to April 2013) the coverage of the protests about the 2012 case of gang rape and eventual death of Jyoti Singh Pandey in India's capital city, New Delhi, is examined in this chapter. Drawing from past research, three main frames are discerned in the portrayal of women in the reports: mainstreaming gender, endangered woman, and the ungendered woman. Media portrayals of these three frames by three broadly categorized actors most prominently covered by the media reports are analyzed: activists, state representatives or political actors, and ordinary citizens. The findings suggest that while some reports allude to women's agency and rights particularly when they cover feminist activists, women's agency is marginalized in the debates around safety and protection for women when other actors (such as state representatives or political actors, and ordinary citizens) are considered. Indian women's rights have been reduced to passive messages negating the broader politics of the contemporary women's movement.


The purpose of this study is to understand which textual skills children appropriate in interactive situations with science communication texts. For this, oral and written texts were analyzed where children expressed their understanding about a scientific concept. The theoretical and methodological perspective of the analysis draws on the Bakhtin's conceptions of verbal interaction and in the micro genetic analysis. Scenes of work from science classes were recorded. The participants were 9-10 years-old children who attended the 4th year of a public elementary school in Belo Horizonte. The analysis of both the episodes and the texts produced by the children showed that the interaction with science communication texts provided to children starting to read an opportunity to appropriate textual skills reflected on the speech and writing during a science class to be closer to the knowledge produced from science communication texts. However, it was observed that such process does not occur spontaneously, since it is necessary that the educational context provides support to work with the language, instead of only talking about it. Therefore, science communication texts may enable to express the knowledge, the appropriation of strategies and textual skills along with the ability of using an explanatory language.


Background Azacitidine (Vidaza) is a powder to be made up into a suspension for injection whose stability, after reconstitution, does not exceed 45 min at room temperature. This is a very short time considering that the drug is prepared in the pharmacy department and injected in another department. This stability can extended up to 22 h if the preparation is made and kept between 2 and 8°C (Vidaza EPAR EMEA/H/C/000978 -II/0009). Purpose The authors here describe a method for preparing Vidaza injection syringes that ensures an unbroken cold chain, from preparation to storage. Materials and methods Our chemotherapy preparation unit is equipped with two Isocyt Freja rigid isolators (Getinge). Sterile DPTE (Double Door Leaktight Transfer) containers can be safely connected and disconnected to these isolators without breaking containment. Sterile anticancer drug vials that should be stored between 2 and 8°C after opening are put in such containers Vidaza is administered daily for 7 days. On the first day The authors sterilise all the materials needed for the first and the second injection (drug phial(s), syringes, water for injection vials). On the next day the sterile products are put in a sterile container and placed in our refrigerator. The following days: 1/ The authors sterilise and put in a container what is necessary for the next day's injection. 2/ The authors use the previously sterilised, cold-stored medicine, material and solvent for the current day's injection. And so The authors proceed until the end of the cycle (from day 2 to day 7). Results All the Vidaza injection syringes for a given day are prepared at the same time, sealed in sterile bags and stored between 2 and 8°C. The cold chain is uninterrupted throughout this process and The authors can ensure 22-h stability for our Vidaza injection syringes. So when the patients come back (day 2 to day 7), their injection syringe is already prepared and given to them immediately. Conclusions Going from 45-min stability to 22-h stability is a huge improvement. This makes us more flexible towards the patients' consultation hours: they can come at any time during the day, the syringes are waiting for them. It has really improved the way patients are taken care of in the Haematology Department. The authors should also mention that it greatly helped us optimise the chemotherapy production flow.


Adaptive entropy-based learning with dynamic artificial neural network Entropy models the added information associated to data uncertainty, proving that stochasticity is not purely random. This paper explores the potential improvement of machine learning methodologies through the incorporation of entropy analysis in the learning process. A multi-layer perceptron is applied to identify patterns in previous forecasting errors achieved by a machine learning methodology. The proposed learning approach is adaptive to the training data through a re-training process that includes only the most recent and relevant data, thus excluding misleading information from the training process. The learnt error patterns are then combined with the original forecasting results in order to improve forecasting accuracy, using the Rényi entropy to determine the amount in which the original forecasted value should be adapted considering the learnt error patterns. The proposed approach is combined with eleven different machine learning methodologies, and applied to the forecasting of electricity market prices using real data from the Iberian electricity market operator – OMIE. Results show that through the identification of patterns in the forecasting error, the proposed methodology is able to improve the learning algorithms' forecasting accuracy and reduce the variability of their forecasting errors.


Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) was prevented from recurring in 2 children by sodium cromoglycate (SCG) before intake of the causative food. Case 1: A 14-year-old girl who had suffered recurrent symptoms of anaphylaxis when she exercised after lunch. Radioallergosorbent test (RAST) was 1.49 UA/mL for wheat. She was advised to take SCG before lunch. In 2007, she ate bread at lunchtime without taking SCG and developed anaphylaxis. After this, she always took SCG and did not develop anaphylaxis. Case 2: A 9-year-old boy who had recurrent symptoms of anaphylaxis when he exercised after lunch. RAST was 0.46 UA/mL for wheat. He started taking SCG before lunch. In June 2008, he forgot to take SCG and ate fu (a food made from wheat). He exercised after lunch and developed anaphylaxis. Since then, he has always taken SCG and has not developed anaphylaxis. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SCG prevents FDEIA caused by wheat allergy.


To identify possible neurotransmitters in the visual cortex, high pressure liquid chromatography was used to measure the release of endogenous compounds from a tissue slice preparation of the visual cortex of the rat. When synaptic release was induced, either by raising the K+ concentration in the medium or by adding veratridine, of the compounds measured, marked increases (6- to 35- fold) in release rate were observed for aspartate, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This increased release was blocked either with a low Ca2+/high Mg2+ or a tetrodotoxin-containing medium. To label possible aspartate or glutamate pathways, D-[3H]aspartate and D-[3H]glutamate were injected in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), superior colliculus, and visual cortex. Following injections in the LGN, labeling was observed in the pyramidal cells in cortical layer 6 and in a diffuse band in layer 4, whereas no cortical cells were labeled after injections in the superior colliculus. When D-[3H]aspartate was injected in the cortex, the uptake again was concentrated in the layer 6 cells, but not labeled cell bodies were seen in the LGN, confirming the specificity of the uptake and retrograde filling process. Diffuse labeling was present in the LGN, however, presumably produced by anterograde filling process. Diffuse labeling was present in the LGN, however, presumably produced by anterograde transport from the layer 6 cells. These results suggest that layer 6 cells in the cortex, which are the source of the recurrent projection to the thalamus, may use aspartate or glutamate as their transmitter. Analysis of the function of the corticothalamic pathway may be facilitated by these findings.


Using a large suite of galaxies with a variety of concentrations and metallicity gradients, we study the evolution of non-dissipative ("dry") equal mass mergers. Our purpose in generating these simulations is to explore how the metallicity gradient in dry mergers depends on the structure and metallicity gradients of the galaxies involved in the merger. Specifically, we would like to answer: Could dry mergers lead to metallicity gradients as observed in elliptical galaxies in the local Universe? Do dry mergers always lead to a flattening of the initial (i.e., pre-merger) gradient? From this modeling, we conclude that: The ratio of the remnant and the initial galaxy slopes span a wide range of values, up to values greater than 1 (with values greater than one resulting only when companions have gradients twice the progenitor). For a merger between two ellipticals having identical initial metallicity slopes (i.e., equal companion and galaxy slopes), the metallicity profile of the remnant flattens, with a final gradient about 0.6 times the initial one. Ellipticals can maintain their original pre-merger metallicity gradient if the companion slope is sufficiently steep. The amount of flattening neither depends on the characteristics of the orbit of the progenitors or on their initial concentration. Given the diversity in outcomes of the mergers, we conclude that dry mergers do not violate any observational constraints on the systematic characteristics of metallicity gradients in local ellipticals. In fact, dry mergers may be important within the context of the results of our simulations and may explain the large scatter in gradients for massive ellipticals and the relative paucity of massive ellipticals with no or shallow metallicity gradients.


Rhinovirus, a member of the Picornaviridae family, is usually the cause of common cold with the symptoms of rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, cough, sneezing, sore throat, and headache. In the current literature, it is remarked that rhinovirus can lead to fatal lower respiratory tract infections, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and myocarditis. Human herpes virus-7 (HHV-7), which was first described in 1990, is the cause of exantem subitum, coryza, acute infantile hemiplegia, and hepatitis. In a recent article, it has been reported that HHV-7 can be an agent of myocarditis. In this report, we present a child diagnosed with fulminant myocarditis due to co-infection of rhinovirus and HHV-7, in whom extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was utilized. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fulminant myocarditis case caused by a co-infection rhinovirus and HHV-7.


Aristotle invokes a specifically human desire, namely wish (boulesis), to provide a teleological explanation of the pursuit of the specifically human good in terms of virtuous activity. Wish is a basic, unreasoned desire which, independently of other desires, or evaluative attitudes, motivates the pursuit of the human good. Even a person who pursues what she mistakenly believes to be good is motivated by wish for what in fact is good, although she is oblivious of it.


Characterizing the potential effects of human activities on natural systems is a central problem in applied ecology. This requires the development of analytical procedures able to separate human perturbation from natural spatio-temporal variability displayed by most populations. Beyond- BACI experimental designs provide a framework to address these issues but, to date, their use is limited to the analysis of human impacts on the abundance of single species or other univariate measures. Here, we describe in detail an asymmetrical design that included 1 impact location (I) and a set of 3 controls (Cs), sampled at a hierarchy of spatial scales 4 times over a period of 15 mo. We focused on shallow subtidal assemblages of sessile organisms exposed to sewage discharge along a stretch of coast in southern Italy. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate (1) the comparison of vari- ance components for the assessment of impacts and (2) the use of recently developed multivariate methods (distance-based premutational MANOVA) in the analysis of multivariate species data in response to a complex asymmetrical design. Results indicated that temporal changes in the whole assemblage at I were distinct from those occurring at Cs, and that the nature of this difference (although not its size) was fairly consistent through time. A suite of taxa was identified as important in characterizing the differences found between I and Cs. Some algae (e.g. Colpomenia sinuosa, Gelidium sp. and Pterocladiella sp.), in particular, occurred uniquely at I. Univariate analyses indi- cated significant Time × I-v-Cs interactions for several taxa, and significantly smaller spatial variation at the scale of quadrats at I compared to Cs. In contrast, the small-scale spatial variation in the num- ber of taxa was significantly greater at I than at Cs. The findings of this study have important impli- cations for future multivariate and univariate analyses in environmental impact assessment.


Since World War II the requirements of military security, space exploration, economic progress, medical advances, and assistance to underdeveloped nations have led to a rapid increase in the financial support of research and development. The increasing research program and the rapid growth in the enrollment in the colleges and universities have produced a rising demand for scientific personnel. In the field of optics this increased demand has been especially large because of new developments in optics and the consequent increase in the demand for optical specialists and optical engineers. Analysis of the supply and demand relationships in optics leads to the conclusion that special attention to this field is required and that there is a need for the development of new university programs which will increase the rate of training of optical specialists even more rapidly than that of other kinds of scientists and engineers.


Our aim in this prospective radiological study was to determine whether the flexibility rate calculated from radiographs obtained during forced traction under general anaesthesia, was better than that of fulcrum-bending radiographs before corrective surgery in predicting the extent of the available correction in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. We evaluated 33 patients with a Cobb angle > 60 degrees on a standing posteroanterior radiograph, who had been treated by posterior correction. Pre-operative standing fulcrum-bending radiographs and those with forced-traction under general anaesthesia were obtained. Post-operative standing radiographs were taken after surgical correction. The mean forced-traction flexibility rate was 55% (SD 11.3) which was significantly higher than the mean fulcrum-bending flexibility rate of 32% (SD 16.1) (p < 0.001). We found no correlation between either the forced-traction or fulcrum-bending flexibility rates and the correction rate post-operatively (p = 0.24 and p = 0.44, respectively). Radiographs obtained during forced traction under general anaesthesia were better at predicting the flexibility of the curve than fulcrum-bending radiographs in curves with a Cobb angle > 60 degrees in the standing position and may identify those patients for whom supplementary anterior surgery can be avoided.


This paper deals with the investigation of a stepwise surface priming strategy based on zirconium phosphate-phosphonate chemistry (ZP priming), which was applied for the first time to nanostructured, micrometer-thick titanium dioxide electrodes. Through the extensive use of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) depth profiling technique, it was possible to monitor the composition of the titania samples after every single reaction step of the priming. In particular, the impregnation of the surface with zirconium was found to be the determining step of the whole treatment. SIMS data allowed for the identification of the diffusion mechanism that governs the uptake of zirconium from an aqueous Zr(IV)-containing solution. Furthermore, from the depth profiling results, it was possible to optimize the priming experimental conditions in order to achieve the desired uniform surface modification along the entire nanostructured TiO2 layer. ZP-priming of nanostructured titania electrodes could be exploited within th...


The purpose of this paper is to probe into the role of Emotional Intelligence in knowledge sharing behaviour. Seeking to support a leader's cognitive, emotional and physical resources, the use of Emotional Intelligence is a modern tool of effective management, enabling the individual to manage a wide range of employees that are often performing in a unique set of roles. In addition, emotional and personal competencies are two primary factors that are shown to be directly linked to performance within a work environment, making the Emotional Intelligence identification and analysis essential for effective knowledge sharing as well as the increased development of the organization's human capital. With tighter budgets, escalating costs and the continuous demand to produce more for less, there is a need to develop a higher standard for knowledge sharing behaviour, ones that will effectively address the challenges of high employee turnover, a rapidly changing business environment and the ever increasing demand for improved products and services. The study is based on examining the most generally applied definitions and other aspects of Emotional Intelligence, as well as its associated managerial leadership competencies in knowledge sharing. The paper adopted an empirical methodology in describing Emotional Intelligence leadership for effective knowledge sharing in the organization. The Emotional Intelligence leadership discussed in this paper requires that for effective knowledge sharing, organizations have to grow emotional capital to handle issues of low morale, organizational stress, high staff turnover and lack of work/ life balance. The aim of the present paper is to explore the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and knowledge sharing to measure the tendency of emotional control of the working class both male and female at a managerial level in a private and public sector of petrochemicals in India. The main task of this study is to find out the impact of different factors of emotional intelligence on knowledge Sharing. Sample statistical members of this research were 210 people. Convenience sampling technique is used to answer the instrument of the study. SPSS software was used to analyse the data collected based on descriptive statistics viz., mean, standard deviation, and percentage. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire is tested using cronbach alpha test with the derived value 0.814. Research hypothesis was reviewed using a structural equation model. The respective results have revealed that Emotional Intelligence has a positive and significant effect on the knowledge sharing behavior in the organization.


Large-scale deep neural networks (DNN) have been successfully used in a number of tasks from image recognition to natural language processing. They are trained using large training sets on large models, making them computationally and memory intensive. As such, there is much interest in research development for faster training and test time. In this paper, we present a unique approach using lower precision weights for more efficient and faster training phase. We separate imagery into different frequency bands (e.g. with different information content) such that the neural net can better learn using less bits. We present this approach as a complement existing methods such as pruning network connections and encoding learning weights. We show results where this approach supports more stable learning with 2-4X reduction in precision with 17X reduction in DNN parameters.


Agricultural insurance has played a positive role inensuring agricultural production and stabilizing farmers' income, and has become an important financial tool for poverty alleviation for the rural poor in China. Due to different capital levels, the individual farmer will use production technology with different efficiency. This paper establishes some multiple equilibrium models based on agricultural risk and agricultural insurance, and then discusses the effect of agricultural insurance on poverty alleviation under the agricultural risks. It is found that agricultural insurance can effectively reduce the probability of falling into the poverty trap for the farmers whose initial capital is larger than a certain critical value, and can play a good role in poverty alleviation. At the same time, the individualized design for the optimal agricultural product will improve farmers' enthusiasm for Agricultural insurance.


In this article, I will analyse live coding technique under the magnifying lens of Ethnography. Using this perspective, I will try to delve into three main aspects: the effect on the audience/performer interaction of the screen projection during performances; the relationship between "hacker's ethic", borrowing a Pekka Himanen's definition, and live coders community; how some researchers are trying to establish contacts between formal and informal music milieu. In my view, an Ethnographical approach can help people interested in live coding to contextualise some implication of this technique's internal dynamics. Additionally, this perspective can be useful to build a bridge between some academic and non-academic computer music contexts, using live coding as glue between them.


Lang, Charles H., Duanqing Wu, Robert A. Frost, Leonard S. Jefferson, Thomas C. Vary, and Scot R. Kimball. Chronic alcohol feeding impairs hepatic translation initiation by modulating eIF2 and eIF4E. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Endocrinol. Metab. 40): E805–E814, 1999.—The present study examined potential cellular mechanisms responsible for the inhibition of protein synthesis in liver after chronic alcohol consumption. Rats were maintained on an alcoholcontaining diet for 14 wk; control animals were fed isocalorically. Hepatic ATP content was not different in alcohol-fed and control animals. No alcohol-induced reduction in total hepatic RNA content (an estimate of ribosomal RNA) was detected, suggesting that alcohol decreased translational efficiency. Alcohol feeding increased the proportion of 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits in the nonpolysome-associated fraction by 30%. To identify mechanisms responsible for the impairment in initiation, several eukaryotic initiation factors (eIF) were analyzed. Alcohol feeding decreased hepatic eIF2B activity by 36%. This reduction was associated with a 20% decrease in eIF2Be content and a 90% increase in eIF2a phosphorylation. Alcohol also dramatically influenced the distribution of eIF4E. Compared with pair-fed control values, alcohol feeding increased the amount of eIF4E present in the inactive 4Ebinding protein 1 (4E-BP1) ·eIF4E complex by 80% and decreased binding of eIF4G to eIF4E by 70%. However, the phosphorylation status of 4E-BP1 and eIF4E was not altered by alcohol. Although the plasma concentrations of threonine, proline, and citrulline were mildly decreased, the circulating amount of total amino acids was not altered by alcohol feeding. In summary, these data suggest that chronic alcohol consumption impairs translation initiation in liver by altering eIF2B activity as well as eIF4F function via changes in eIF4E availability.


This article discusses the meaning and scope of the 'ancillary principle' as laid down in various provisions of the OECD, UN and US Model Tax Conventions and the Commentaries thereon, i.e. the principle according to which if, under a mixed contract, an activity is ancillary to another main one, the former transaction is to receive the tax treatment accorded to the latter. Although the ancillary principle is specifically considered in various articles of the Model Tax Conventions and the Commentaries thereon, neither the meaning of the word 'ancillary' nor the scope of such rule is precisely clarified. The term 'ancillary', in fact, takes on different meanings and, thus, has divergent scopes in the relevant provision of each tax treaty. This may eventually cause two states to understand and apply the principle in a given case differently, thus leading to situations of double taxation or non-taxation. Moreover, a far-stretched interpretation of the principle could result in an erosion of the source state's taxing rights in favour of exclusive residence-based taxation. Lastly, despite being influenced by the need to simplify taxpayers' obligations and to facilitate their monitoring by tax authorities, the application of the ancillary principle raises several concerns in terms of potential competitive distortions between domestic and international businesses.


The objective of the EcoGrad project was to develop a design concept of eco-efficient districts in the city of St. Petersburg. The important principles of the creation of this concept included the so-called GOLD principle (GOLD – Globally Optimized, Locally Designed). This meant that local conditions had to be taken into account while applying globally optimized solutions. The EcoGrad concept includes dense city development, a minimal need for travel, a maximum use of public transportation and light vehicles, minimum power consumption, the maximum use of renewable energy sources and ecologically stable solutions concerning waste disposal and sewerage. Social and cultural aspects must also be taken into account. In Russia, the creation of energy efficient sites is still in its early stages. Power supply systems based on renewable energy sources are also hardly known. On the other hand, the Russians are well skilled in placing offices and consumer services next to residencies. Regulations dictate the maximum allowable distances between residential buildings and such services as infant-care groups, kindergartens, schools, ambulatory clinics and stores, fully conforming to the principles of designing ecoefficient city districts. While the project was being implemented, residents were polled. The polls revealed that the absolute majority of them (92%) did not consider the use of renewable energy sources important. Most of them (80%) had not heard of mechanical ventilation. Fresh air is considered important yet less than half of al respondents (40%) are prepared to pay for it. Involving residents in the development process, that is, the so-called LivingLab action is an important component of designing eco-efficient residential areas. In Russia, the participation of residents should be further extended and made a part of the design work. The project concerned three pilot territories for which residential designs were made. The designs included estimates of power consumption and a study of the distribution of emissions when using various energy supply systems suitable for local conditions. Besides, a design providing for better ecology without any greater investment was made for one of the pilot sites. The PPP (Public-PrivatePartnership) pilot project involved the development of practical models of project implementation. While this work continued, seven meetings with representatives of St. Petersburg administration were held. During these meetings, a presentation of the components of this concept was made and opinions heard as to how its various sections would suit local conditions. These opinions were put in the basis of the list of the criteria of designing environmentally clean areas presented in this report. Local designers may use this list while searching for answers as to requirements to city designs which need to be met in order to make residential areas eco-effective.


COMMON MODE VOLTAGE MITIGATION STRATEGIES USING PWM IN NEUTRAL-POINT-CLAMPED MULTILEVEL INVERTERS Chad Alexander Somogyi, B.S. Marquette University, 2015 Over the last several decades, there has been consistent growth in the research and development of multilevel voltage-source inverter-based adjustable speed motor drives (ASDs) as a result of low cost, high reliability power semiconductors. The three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) ASD is a popular multilevel inverter used in low and medium voltage applications because of its ability to produce lower levels of total harmonic distortion (THD) and withstand higher voltages while preserving the rated output power compared to two-level ASDs. As with other voltage-source inverters, three-level NPC ASDs produce common-mode voltage (CMV) that can cause motor shaft voltages, bearing currents, and excess voltage stresses on motor windings, resulting in the deterioration of motor bearings and insulation. Furthermore, the CMV and resultant currents can generate electromagnetic interference that can hinder the operation of sensitive control electronics. In this thesis, three carrier-based, threelevel pulse-width-modulation (PWM) strategies were investigated to examine the levels of CMV, common-mode current, and dv/dt produced by the three-level NPC ASD. Additionally, the effects that each PWM strategy has on the THD in the output waveforms, as well as the total switching and conduction losses were analyzed through software simulation programs using a resistive-inductive load over a range of modulation indices. The first of the three methods, in-phase disposition sub-harmonic PWM (PD-SPWM), was verified experimentally using a laboratory-scale, 7.5 kVA three-level NPC ASD prototype. It was determined that PD-SPWM produced the highest CMV amplitude of one-third the dc bus voltage, but the lowest values of differential-mode dv/dt, THD, and drive losses. The second strategy, phase-opposition (PO)-SPWM, reduced the CMV amplitude to one-sixth the dc bus voltage, at the cost of higher THD and drive losses and a doubling of the differential-mode dv/dt. The final strategy, zero common-mode (ZCM)-SPWM, was modified (MZCM-SPWM) to accommodate IGBT dead-time by delaying the output voltage transitions based on the polarity of the output currents and the direction of the commanded voltage transitions. The MZCM-SPWM method nearly eliminated all CMV pulses while maintaining comparable levels of THD, but produced twice the switching losses compared to PDand POSPWM, and twice the differential-mode dv/dt compared to PD-SPWM.


: The arthrodised hip of a 52 year-old female patient that had been absolutely trouble free for 9 years was remobilised by implanting a Mittelmeier, Autophor prosthesis (Al2O3 socket, Al2O3 head). Two years later, the hip joint had to be revised because of loosening of the socket. Since the shaft of the prosthesis was still firmly anchored within the femur, only the socket und the head were replaced. About three years following this revision, signs of loosening of the acetabular component again developed. Finally 4 1/3 years after the first revision (6 1/3 years after primary implantation) the hip was again revised. A polyethylene socket was then cemented into an acetabulum supporting shell and the prosthesis shaft furnished with a ceramic head of 32 mm diameter. Possible disadvantages of ceramic-ceramic bearing surfaces in patients with an altered bone structure of the pelvis and with a high risk of subluxation, due to weakened pelvi-trochanter muscles, are discussed.


BACKGROUND
The angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene (ACE gene) has been broadly studied as for cardiorespiratory fitness phenotypes, but the association of the ACE genotype to middle-distance running has been poorly investigated.

OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the possible influence of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) genotype (I/D) on cardiovascular fitness and middle-distance running performance of Brazilian young males. The validity of VO(2max) to predict the ACE genotype was also analyzed.

METHODS
A homogeneous group of moderately active young males were evaluated in a 1,600 m running track test (V1600m; m.min(-1)) and in an incremental treadmill test for VO(2max) determination. Subsequently, the actual and the predicted [(0.177*V1600m) + 8.101] VO(2max) were compared to ACE genotypes.

RESULTS
The VO(2max) and V1600m recorded for DD, ID and II genotypes were 45.6 (1.8); 51.9 (0.8) and 54.4 (1.0) mL.kg(-1).min(-1) and 211.2 (8.3); 249.1 (4.3) and 258.6 (5.4) m.min(-1) respectively, and were significantly lower for DD carriers (p< 0.05). The actual and predicted VO(2max) did not differ from each other despite ACE genotype, but the agreement between actual and estimated VO(2max) methods was lower for the DD genotype.

CONCLUSION
It was concluded that there is a possible association between ACE genotype, cardiovascular fitness and middle-distance running performance of moderately active young males and that the accuracy of VO(2max) prediction may also depend on the ACE genotype of the participants.


In this 1930s, both France and Great Britain hosted Fascist movements on their territories. There, groups which were inspired by the Italian and/or/then the German models adopted the political uniform, such as the mass party of the British Union of Fascists or the small group of the Francistes. Others, like the fascistic Parti populaire francais, preferred to be prudent, even if it integrated the uniform gradually from 1938. Then, the forms these movements gave to their uniform(s) may have changed, but the functions and the issues were practically the same ones, making their totalitarian project of reshaping society known by the dress. Finally, in these two old democracies in crisis, the reception of the political uniform by the populations, the authorities and the governments were similar. It went from denunciations to derisions and, at last, to its official ban in the two countries.


Objective: To analyze the relationship between matrix Gla protein(MGP) and clinical characteristics of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods: Fifty-one UC patients who were admitted to the gastroenterology department of Peking union medical college hospital from July 1, 2015 to May 31, 2017 were included. Twenty-seven healthy subjects in the same period were included as normal controls. The expression of MGP mRNA in the colonic mucosa was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Clinical data of the patients were collected during a 2-year follow-up. The public data set containing MGP gene expression profile of UC patients was downloaded from the GEO database, and was divided into four groups according to the microscopic Mayo score. The differential expression of MGP in each group was analyzed. Results: All the fifty-one UC patients were followed up. The expression of MGP mRNA in the colonic mucosa of UC patients treated with hormone and immunosuppressive agents or biological agents or surgery was higher than that of patients treated with mesalazine. MGP mRNA expression was positively correlated with C-reactive protein level. It was also higher in the colonic mucosa of UC patients with clostridium difficilis or cytomegalovirus infection than that of patients without opportunistic infection. The difference of MGP mRNA expression between groups in GEO public data set was statistically significant(P<0.01), showing an up-regulation trend with the aggravation of inflammation. The expression level of MGP was moderately correlated with the microscopic Mayo score. The relationship between MGP mRNA expression and lifestyle, lesion range, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, parenteral manifestations and recurrence frequency of UC patients was not obvious. Conclusions: MGP is associated with colonic inflammation and its abnormal expression can help to predict the disease activity of patients with UC.


In this article, the author utilizes a GIS to spatially analyze radar reflectivity returns during the 24 hours following 43 tropical cyclone (TC) landfalls. The positions of convective rainfall regions and their areal extent are then examined according to storm intensity, motion, vertical wind shear, time until extratropical transition, time after landfall, and distance from the coastline. As forward velocity increases in conjunction with an extratropical transition, these regions move outward, shift from the right side to the front of the TC, and grow in size. A similar radial shift, but with a decrease in areal extent, occurs as TCs weaken. Further quantification of the shapes of these regions could yield a more spatially accurate assessment of where TCs may produce high rainfall totals.


This work focused on the effect of Co content on the corrosion resistance of high pitting resistance equivalent (PRE), super ferritic, Ni-free stainless steels in simulated biosolutions. The effect of Co in Ni-free alloys was evaluated by cytotoxicity test. Anodic polarization test and AC impedance measurement were performed to evaluate the effect of Co on corrosion resistance of the alloys. The cytotoxicity test result for 4 experimental alloys shows non-cytotoxic but mild cytotoxic for 316L stainless steel due to relatively poor corrosion resistance. However, the effect of Co on the passivity was positive in bio-solution but it was negative in acidic chloride solution.


The intrinsic moisture sensitivity of the hybrid perovskite methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) calls for new synthetic strategies to enhance moisture resistance and, thus, long-term stability. Here, we combine two strategies: (i) transitioning from 3D to 2D hybrid perovskites by inserting larger A-site cations as spacers and (ii) using fluorinated linkers to enhance the hydrophobicity of the material and identify two new hybrid perovskite-type compounds, (FC2H4NH3)2PbCl4 and (FC2H4NH3)PbBr3·DMF, carrying 2-fluoroethylammonium (FC2H4NH3) as a promising organic cation for the synthesis of moisture-resistant hybrid perovskites. (FC2H4NH3)2PbCl4 features a two-dimensional structure and pronounced long-term stability as confirmed by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The observed reversible phase transitions at 87 and 107 °C investigated with thermal analysis, temperature-dependent powder X-ray diffraction measurements, and 1H, 13C, and 207Pb solid-state NMR spectroscopy can be assigned to changes in the inorganic lead chloride and organic sublattices, respectively, both having clearly observable fingerprints in the solid-state NMR spectra. DFT calculations trace the origin of the observed severe distortion of the inorganic sublattice in (FC2H4NH3)2PbCl4 back to structural features including the formation of hydrogen bonds. The optical properties of (FC2H4NH3)2PbCl4 were characterized by optical absorption spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements with a view toward the interaction between the organic and inorganic sublattices. The broad 2. Toward Fluorinated Spacers for MAPI-Derived Hybrid Perovskites 30 photoluminescence spectrum as well as specific absorption characteristics are assigned to exciton self-trapping due to a strong coupling of the excited states to lattice distortions.


ABSTRACT Recent studies indicate that phosphatidylinositide-3OH kinase (PI3K)-induced S6 kinase (S6K1) activation is mediated by protein kinase B (PKB). Support for this hypothesis has largely relied on results obtained with highly active, constitutively membrane-localized alleles of wild-type PKB, whose activity is independent of PI3K. Here we set out to examine the importance of PKB signaling in S6K1 activation. In parallel, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) inactivation and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) phosphorylation were monitored as markers of the rapamycin-insensitive and -sensitive branches of the PI3K signaling pathway, respectively. The results demonstrate that two activated PKBα mutants, whose basal activity is equivalent to that of insulin-induced wild-type PKB, inhibit GSK-3β to the same extent as a highly active, constitutively membrane-targeted wild-type PKB allele. However, of these two mutants, only the constitutively membrane-targeted allele of PKB induces S6K1 activation. Furthermore, an interfering mutant of PKB, which blocks insulin-induced PKB activation and GSK-3β inactivation, has no effect on S6K1 activation. Surprisingly, all the activated PKB mutants, regardless of constitutive membrane localization, induce 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and the interfering PKB mutant blocks insulin-induced 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. The results demonstrate that PKB mediates S6K1 activation only as a function of constitutive membrane localization, whereas the activation of PKB appears both necessary and sufficient to induce 4E-BP1 phosphorylation independently of its intracellular location.


The current study focuses on modeling the server-rack airflow and heat transfer interaction in a data center. In a typical computing facility, the computing requirements are often gradually built-up. For example, in this instance, two servers are placed in a rack designed for a six-server stack. Each server will be separately modeled to the required specifications, and also so that their numbers and placement can be changed. The mass flow rate through the server is determined by examining how pressure profiles develop at the inlet and outlet. This mass flow rate then becomes the input into the rack model. The air inflow temperatures at the front and rear grills were obtained from experiments. The pressure profile into and out of the servers were extracted from the rack model and substituted back into the server model. Iteration continues till an acceptable level of convergence is obtained. To validate the models, experiments were carried out using thermocouples arranged in a 3 × 3 grid on a vertical plane between the exit of the server and the rear cabinet wall of the rack. The results showed that the modeling had captured the essence of the flow and heat transfer interaction. The temperature and pressure profile at the rack inlet and outlet, although in a segmented form, have performed adequately to obtain a good approximation of the flow and temperature distribution within the server/rack. The methodology of passing parameters at the server-rack level using a segmented pressure profile has been established. A similar rack-room level interaction will subsequently be developed. In essence, the methodology is equivalent to replacing the server in the rack and the rack in the room with combined flow network - thermal models. But because of the coupled nature of these two different length scale systems, the models are obtained through an iterative process. The approach enables various combinations of servers and racks to be studied quickly for any undesirable effects of off-design data center operation or layout.© 2007 ASME


In the recent past, Government interest toward conserving and promoting Romanian cultural heritage has visibly increased. National authorities are trying to uphold it as a single entity through different measures like cultural events and touristic activities. The drawback to this otherwise positive course of action is that this process cannot oversee or offer an efficient degree of protection and an even exposure to all types of cultural objectives. None the less, promoting cultural heritage holds top priority, but at the same time it is equally important that there are no hasty measures taken and an appropriate exposure of all its facets is granted. A more fitting solution for accomplishing the task at hand would be to first divide Romania's cultural objectives in distinct groups, in this case literature, and attach a suitable form of tourism dedicated to its requirements. In order to meet these terms a series of conditions must be taken into consideration. Literature's relationship with tourism has already been consecrated through Literary Tourism, but this marriage of worlds has yet to be described from a geographical perspective. In order to validate this point of view Romania's literary icons have been brought up because of their crucial role in shaping the country's image and people. This study would be responsible of drawing attention to a new form of tourism for Romania; one which focuses on promoting aspects and personalities form the literary world. Working with specialised forms of tourism represents a mature and efficient approach toward the sustainable promotion of a destination's cultural heritage.


The purpose of the study is to observe historically national identity expressed in Chinese and Korean Clothing. The literature review and the case study both in China and South Korea were conducted at the same time. The outcomes from the studies are as follow: National identity has been reflected in clothing mainly via the adoption of ethnic elements and civic elements. Chinese and Korean visible-symbolized ethnic elements are from their traditional arts, costumes and lifestyles, invisible-spiritual ethnic elements mainly from religious philosophy. But the Korean wave, which is the modern ethnic invisible-spiritual element, is growing popular all over the world. Chinese and Korean visible-symbolized political elements refer to national or governmental sign, marks or national logo. The invisible-spiritual political elements contain the specific political atmosphere. Chinese are Socialism and anti-capitalism. Meanwhile Korean are Patriotism, Collectiveness, anti-communism and Military ideology. It provides a comprehensive and complete theoretical background for investigating how national identity has been shown in China and Korea's past and current fashion. It is expected to promote the diversified development of both Chinese and Korean clothing design expression in the future.


Facultative parthenogenesis is important for mayflies with short alate stages because females are able to reproduce without mating. We studied facultative parthenogenesis in Ephoron eophilum, a mayfly with an extremely short alate stage. We examined the survival rates of embryos from unfertilized eggs, in addition to investigating the number of chromosomes in parthenogenetic offspring and the mode of inheritance by nuclear genetic analyses using Exon-Primed Intron-Crossing markers. The survival rate of thelytokous embryos was 0-70.2% (16.7 ± 26.7%, mean ± S.D.). Sixteen chromosomes were present throughout most of the mitotic metaphase in parthenogenetic offspring, which was similar to the number recorded in diploid females. All parthenogenetic offspring were homozygous in nuclear genetic analyses, despite the presence of heterozygous mothers. These results indicate that E. eophilum has the ability to reproduce via facultative parthenogenesis, producing mostly diploid thelytokous offspring. The restoration of ploidy level occurs by automixis via terminal fusion or gamete duplication, and causes rapid reduction of heterozygosity. However, despite this, significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was not observed in the studied populations. This is because facultative parthenogenesis in these circumstances normally has little influence on population genetic structuring, even though parthenogenetic embryos exhibit a high survival rate. The lack of influence of parthenogenesis on the population structure of the natural population strongly suggests that parthenogenesis rarely occurs under natural circumstances.


Aim: to study characteristics of hemodynamics, spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and their association with the total blood concentration of stable metabolites of nitric oxide (nitrites and nitrates) in patients with hypertension living in highlands. Patients and methods: 110 natives of the highlands of Elbrus region were examined. All of them were divided into 2 groups — with 2d stage of hypertension (n =50) and conditionally healthy (n =60). All the participants were performed routine examination under the conditions of hospitals and out-patient clinics. Moreover they were performed ECG, rhythm-cardiography, echo-CG evaluation of the blood pressure, renal and thyroid ultrasound and eye-ground examination. The assessment of HRV was made. Results: in the group of patients with hypertension there was decrease in the total power of HRV — TP, low frequency range — VLF, LF and high frequency range HF. The main characteristics of the central and intracardiac hemodynamics were significantly higher in patients with hypertension in decreasing of nitric oxide production. Conclusions: reverse reliable correlations were established between low frequency values of HRV, morpho-functional characteristics of the left ventricle and blood concentration of nitric oxide in patients with hypertension.


We identify two seemingly disparate structures: supercharacters, a useful way of doing Fourier analysis on the group of unipotent uppertriangular matrices with coefficients in a finite field, and the ring of symmetric functions in noncommuting variables. Each is a Hopf algebra and the two are isomorphic as such. This allows developments in each to be transferred. The identification suggests a rich class of examples for the emerging field of combinatorial Hopf algebras.