All-optical wavelength conversion of differential phase-shift keyed (DPSK) signals based on semiconductor optical amplifier Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI) is simulated and analyzed. The results show that, to obtain both good quality of the converted signal and high conversion efficiency, phase difference between the upper and lower arms of MZI should be near ¿, which suggests strong cross-phase-modulation (XPM) and cross-gain-modulation (XGM) for optimized operation of this wavelength converter, while weak XPM and XGM will lead to sacrifice of conversion efficiency. The results also show larger wavelength up-conversion range, and suggest non-return-to-zero (NRZ) format for 10 Gb/s operation while return-to-zero (RZ) format for 40 Gb/s operation. Besides, short carrier lifetime is preferred for high-speed applications and appropriate linewidth enhancement factor can be utilized to mitigate amplitude fluctuation of the converted signal if the carrier lifetime is not short enough.


Some scholars consider the biblical phrase mê rʾōš ("poisonous water") a metaphor for the venom of a snake, others interpret it as a poisonous substance produced by pressing herbs and still, others believe it to be a metaphor for the destruction of the people Israel and their land. In the book of Jeremiah in particular, the phrase mê rʾōš appears three times (8:14, 9:15, and 23:15) and in all cases, it appears in execratory contexts. Numerous studies have put this phrase in relation to the trial ordeal in Numbers 5:11-31, and have therefore recognized its execratory nature, yet, to my knowledge, no one has ever studied it against the background of the Neo-Assyrian magical tradition. Accordingly, the expression "poisonous water" may have magical nuances attached to it. For example, the ancient Mesopotamians believed that curses could be passed to the victim by means of food or drink. In this analysis, I argue that the expression mê rʾōš may have the function that the Akkadian phrase mê kaššāpūti ("bewitched water") has in Assyrian anti-witchcraft rituals where the administration of a poisonous drink symbolized the nullification of a curse as it was believed that the bewitched potion given to the evildoer returned to him the evil he had intended for his victim. In my talk, I will analyze the theme of the transfer of the curse through liquids and food in select Assyrian literature. I will then show how the book of Jeremiah redeployed this Assyrian theme to articulate its theological offensive against the harmful effects of the oracular utterances of illegitimate Prophets.


This paper presents the monitoring of single cells subjected to electroporation using microwave dielectric spectroscopy. The experimental results showed first a clear distinction between two cell states: viable cells and affected ones by a chemical treatment (Saponin). It also pointed out a high correlation ( $R^{2}> 0.94$ ) with biological standard techniques in detecting the two types of electroporation: the reversible and irreversible ones. The developed microfluidic and microwave-based sensor exposes a decrease in the capacitive and conductive contrasts of the investigated single cells treated by irreversible electroporation indicating damages at the cellular level, while cells under reversible electroporation present a similar dielectric response to that of the nontreated cells. This result corresponds to results frequently employed in biological studies. More interestingly, a study of the kinetics of the cell's damage induction over time, by electroporation, has been experimentally done, which makes microwave dielectric spectroscopy an attractive technique for cell's electroporation researches.


Indigofera pulchra (family: fabaceae ) is found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries from Sudan to the dry deciduous parts of Madagascar for variety of conditions and ailments related to stomach, intestinal, liver, circulatory and immune system support .This study was aimed at investigating the effect of hydro-methanolic extract of this plant as it affects gastric mucosal integrity and basal gastric secretions using the ethanol-induced ulcer model. Phytochemical screening of the plant revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and cardiac glycosides amongst others, while acute toxicity studies (Lorke's method, 1983) revealed a median lethal dose above 5000mg/kg indicating that the plant is less toxic. A total of 60 rats were used for the two studies, with 30 rats for the mucosal integrity study and 30 rats for the basal acid secretion studies. The first group was subdivided into four(A,B,C,D) with subgroup A,B, and C contain ing five rats each, and subgroup D containing fifteen rats. Subgroup A served as normal control and was given normal saline while subgroup B represented negative control and was administered 70% ethanol, subgroup C was given cimetidine and served as positive control. Subgroup D was further subdivided into three experimental groups which contained five rats each and were administered Indigofera pulchra extract at a dose of 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg, and 400mg/kg respectively 30 minutes prior to the administration of 70% ethanol to induce gastric mucosal damage followed by pyloric ligation. The same procedure was followed in major group II to study basal gastric output. Ulcer and preventive indices were assessed for mucosal integrity while volume of gastric juice, titratable acidity and acid output were assessed for basal gastric secretions. The result showed a dose –dependent decrease in both ulcer and preventive indices. It also showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in volume of gastric juice, titratable acidity and acid output in dose-dependent manner with the three experimental doses administered with the highest reduction at the 400mg/kg dose. The results obtained suggest that this plant extract down-regulated all those parameters which might be attributed to the presence of the phytoconstituents present in the fraction. Therefore, this plant possesses gastro protective and antisecretory effects further explaining the folkloric use of this plant in the therapy of peptic ulcer disease.


Colloidal Nanoparticles of Platinum (Pt-NPs) were obtained by reducing hexacloroplatinic acid with ethylene glycol in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as protective agent of the particles. Two methods of synthesis were performed which differed by the ratio PVP / Pt used. The synthesis of nanoparticles was accompanied by measures in the UV-visible from of which it was possible to determine the end of the reaction. The Pt-NPs were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) that determined the average diameter of particles (~ 2.0 nm). After the synthesis, the Pt-NPs were incorporated into the supports of alumina and alumina promoted with cerium and cerium-zirconium which were prepared by sol-gel method. Supporters with nanoparticles incorporated were then subjected to heat treatment have sought the formation of stable catalysts and without the presence of protective polymer, as this could affect the activity of the catalyst by covering the active sites. Through X-ray diffraction and TEM images it was possible to monitor the stability of samples after heat treatment and the samples that were synthesized with higher PVP were more stable. Measures of X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy in situ allowed the characterization of the samples in the reaction atmosphere. Through the analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) was observed morphological changes in the particles caused by the increase in temperature showing that there is an increase in the number of atoms of low coordination when samples are heated which favors the reaction of steam reforming of methane. Through studies of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) in the edges L2 and L3 of Pt was possible to monitor how the electron density of the catalysts varies in reaction conditions. Moreover, the catalysts were also tested catalysts. Measures of dispersion were obtained by the reaction of dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and catalysts made of alumina promoted with cerium and cerium-zirconium displayed less dispersion due to the coating caused by the support. The catalysts in which the particles were synthesized with a higher amount of PVP, because of its stability, were subjected to the reaction of steam reforming of methane and proved active. This reaction was used to calculate the value of the apparent activation energy. The catalysts containing promoters were more active than the catalyst only alumina thus showing the role of support in this reaction. Therefore, this system has proved very interesting to study the catalytic properties in reactions sensitive to the structure since the nanoparticles present are monodispersed and the catalyst is stable under reaction conditions allowing the study of structural and electronic properties.


Real-time digital video transmission over Internet is a challenging issue because it leads to packet loss and storage capacity problems. The performance of a cache depends on the implemented mechanisms that are responsible for the maintenance of the stored data. Mechanisms that support caching of streaming video include PLFU (Partial Least Frequently Used). The PLFU caching server is compelled to cache the entire video stream even though some segments may never be viewed and therefore inevitably run out of storage space. The PLFU mechanism excessively reserves space for all kinds of frame losses and monitors and recovers from all types of losses. This research enhances the caching ability of PLFU mechanism by selectively storing parts of the video stream on the caching server instead of the entire stream. In addition, enables the cache proxy server to recover from the more critical I-frame losses that can take care of the rest of frame losses without excessive monitoring and reservation of storage space. Caching the selective part of video by the proposed algorithm increases the number of on demand files in cache proxy server and reduces the number of trips between the cache proxy server and the origin server. The proposed mechanism loss recovery algorithm sends a TCP/IP repair request to the origin server for retransmission of I-frame. The playing quality is much better due to this retransmission of I-frame. The performance of proposed caching mechanism and retransmission of I-frames is evaluated through a simulation.


SUMMARY This paper presents descriptions and sedimentological interpretations of a number of sections in the Millstone Grit and Lower Coal Measures of the Bradford area, West Yorkshire. These are used to discuss the application of sequence stratigraphic models to cyclicity, particularly illustrating the problems of interpreting an erosive surface at the base of the Pule Hill Grit (Marsdenian R 2 ). A change in basin bathymetry is confirmed as the cause of an evolution of delta geometry from deep basin, turbidite-fronted deltas in the Kinderscoutian (R 1c 4), to shallow marine, sheet-like deltas from late Kinderscoutian to Yeadonian, and increasingly lacustrine environments during Langsettian times. Evidence is provided for switching of sediment supply in the Langsettian between the Elland, Greenmoor and Grenoside cycles. The importance of intrabasinal sedimentary controls on deposition is discussed in relation to the Elland and Greenmoor cycles. The importance of intrabasinal tectonics is highlighted by slumps in the Stanningley Rock, synsedimentary faults in the Rough Rock Flags and vertical stacking of channel sandstones in the Elland Flags. Displacements on the Denholme Clough and Aire Valley fault systems during early Marsdenian times apparently produced an area of raised sea-bed topography associated with condensed mudstone-successions, diversion of sandy deltaic lobes, lateral transition of the ammonoid-bearing Bilinguites bilinguis Marine Bands into Lingula bands and the shallow marine Keighley Bluestone.


ABSTRACT Introduction: The development of inhibitors against factor VIII (FVIII) replacement therapy remains the most important challenge for clinicians in the treatment of hemophilia patients. This review focusses on risk factors and management of FVIII inhibitors, particularly in light of SIPPET study findings and subsequent analyses. Areas covered: A brief history and evolution of hemophilia therapies is provided, including an overview of conventional and new (including investigational) therapeutic approaches for the treatment of hemophilia. The SIPPET study, the first randomized clinical trial to demonstrate a lower incidence of inhibitors in previously untreated patients treated with plasma-derived FVIII products compared with recombinant FVIII products, has generated much debate. We review the SIPPET trial and reactions, in addition to preliminary observations from a single center's experience, the cost impact of inhibitors, recent findings from SIPPET subanalyses, and inhibitor development in previously-treated patients. Expert commentary: Despite recent advances in potential new treatment options for hemophilia, conventional factor replacement concentrates currently remain the cornerstone of treatment. It is paramount that clinicians familiarize themselves with the findings from the SIPPET trial and substudies, in order to better inform their patients and families on inhibitor risk factors and to aid the treatment decision-making process.


Inflammatory responses contribute to the pathogenesis of various neurological diseases, and microglia plays an important role in the process. Activated microglia can differentiate into the pro-inflammatory, tissue-damaging M1 phenotype or the anti-inflammatory, tissue-repairing M2 phenotype. Regulating microglia differentiation, hence limiting a harmful response, might help improve the prognosis of inflammation-related nervous system diseases. The present study aimed 1. to observe the anti-inflammatory effect of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) on the inflammatory response associated to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglia activation, 2. to clarify that LXA4 modulates the activation and differentiation of microglia induced by LPS stimulation, 3. to determine whether LXA4 regulates the activation and differentiation of microglia through the Notch signaling pathway, 4. to provide a foundation for the use of LXA4 for the treatment of inflammatory related neurological diseases. To construct a model of cellular inflammation, immortalized murine BV2 microglia cells were provided 200 ng/ml LPS. To measure the mRNA and protein levels of inflammatory factors (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and M1 and M2 microglia markers (inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], cluster of differentiation [CD]32, arginase [Arg]1, and CD206), we performed quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, or flow cytometry. To determine the mRNA and protein levels of Notch signaling components (Notch1, Hes1, and Hes5), we performed qRT-PCR and western blot. LXA4 inhibits the expression of Notch1 and Hes1 associated with M1 type microglial differentiation and decreases the M1 type microglia marker iNOS and related inflammatory factors IL-1β and TNF-α. Moreover, LXA4 upregulates the expression of the M2-associated Hes5, as well as the expression of the M2 microglia marker Arg1 and the associated inflammatory factor IL-10. These effects are blocked by the administration of the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT, a specific blocker of the Notch signaling pathway. LXA4 inhibits the microglia activation induced by LPS and the differentiation into M1 type with pro-inflammatory effect, while promoting the differentiation to M2 type with anti-inflammatory effect. LXA4 downregulates the inflammatory mediators IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS, while upregulating the anti-inflammatory mediator IL-10, which acts through the Notch signaling pathway.


This thesis is focused on a study on the dispersion formulation of the recently appeared ''laminated waveguide". In this framework a new method for the analysis of a wide variety of microwave components like posts, circular junctions or corners in rectangular waveguides is developed. This method can be used to model the posts in the laminated waveguide geometry and this was the main motivation of the present work. The method gives the impedance or admittance matrix of the microwave component by applying discrimination between the localised and accessible modes on the indirect mode matching (IMM) formulation. In all cases the method proved to be fast, very accurate and easy to implement. The application of the IMM technique to the dispersion formulation of the laminated waveguide is undertaken by implementing the Transverse Resonance Method. It is the first time that effort is paid, so that every possible polarisation of both bounded and unbounded modes is considered. In the process a new analytic solution is given for the modelling of the transverse bifurcation. Its significance relies on the the fact that the method of moments is not to be used in the analysis and thus its overall speed is increased. The total procedure is expected to be straightforward and flexible.


In this dissertation, I investigate the relationship between unemployment and grocery purchasing patterns with a particular focus on the health impacts of recession. The first chapter, I analyze food items and in the second chapter, I turn the focus on beer and cigarettes. Both of these chapters investigate possible mechanisms behind the documented phenomenon of decreased morbidity and mortality during recessions.To conduct the analysis presented in Chapter 1, I supplement five years of multi-market, multi-chain grocery scanner data with additional information on the positive health attributes of food products to create a unique dataset. First, I find no evidence that products with positive health attributes are systematically more expensive or promoted systematically less. They are, however, purchased on promotion less. Second, I match the scanner data with unemployment rate by market in order to conduct a reduced form analysis of changes in pricing, promotion and quantities sold given a macroeconomic shock. For overall grocery categories, prices go down, promotions weakly increase and overall quantities sold decline; results vary for products with health attributes. While shares for healthy products within category are unaffected by recession in some categories, in other categories I see a marked shift toward higher fat options within category.In Chapter 2, I again use retail scanner data to track price and quantity changes for beer and cigarettes subject to changes in unemployment rate. First, I find prices paid do not change significantly as a function of unemployment rate. Next, I find that the percentage of beer and cigarettes purchased on promotion is not significantly related to unemployment rate per se; that said, there is evidence of a period of experimentation with in-store cigarette promotions following the Tobacco Master Agreement that coincided with the 2001 recession and led to more cigarettes being purchased on promotion overall during that period. However, this period of strong in-store promotions gave way to fewer overall purchases made on promotion as states strengthened tobacco regulations in the early 2000's. The quantity of beer sold in supermarkets, which accounts for about 40 percent of total beer sales, and drug stores seems mostly unchanged by recessionary conditions; however, cigarette quantity sold has a modest negative relationship with unemployment. Taken as a whole, this work suggests that average grocery purchasing patterns do not change greatly due to increases in average unemployment rate. While not entirely inconsistent with the hypothesis that decreased morbidity and mortality during recessions may be due to decreased smoking rates or better eating habits, the small magnitude of the overall effect suggests other mechanisms or heterogeneous effects might be at play.


As a response to the current navigational format of online news, which is linear, chronological, and heavily delineated by topics, we propose a more discursive and heuristic model of navigation that will offer readers a variety of lenses, interpretations, and pathways to read through a news site. Through an analysis of two prominent discursive models of knowledge---Foucault's Discursive Formations and Deleuze and Guattari's Rhizome---we can determine an organizational framework that is more representative of human memory and associative connections. This discursive framework is put into practice through the interactive and exploratory medium of data visualization, shown in a sketch-based format.


OBJECTIVE
Tinnitus is described as a disturbing sound sensation in the absence of external stimulation. We aimed to investigate whether there is any relationship between severe chronic tinnitus and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) I/D and α-adducin (ADD1) G460W gene polymorphisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The patient group and control group consisted of 89 and 104 individuals, respectively. The evaluation of tinnitus was performed using the Strukturiertes Tinnitus-Interview (STI). The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was used to evaluate the tinnitus severity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques were used for genotyping.

RESULTS
With regard to the ACE I/D polymorphism, there was no significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies between the patient group and control group. However, a statistically significant difference was found in genotype (p<0.01) and allele frequencies (p=0.021) of the ADD1 G460W gene polymorphism. Combined genotype analysis showed that the ACE II /ADD1 GW genotype was statistically significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (X2: 7.15, p=0.007). The odds ratio value of the GW genotype was 2.5 (95% CI=1.4-4.7) (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION
Our results demonstrate an association between ADD1 G460W gene polymorphism and susceptibility to severe chronic tinnitus. It was found that the GW genotype increased the disease risk by 2.5-fold compared with other genotypes. This indicates that ADD1 G460W polymorphism could be an important factor in the pathophysiology of tinnitus.


We describe the use of an ellipsometer having the configuration PCSC'A to determine the Mueller matrix of a linear optical system S, using imperfect compensators C and C′ and linear polarizer P and analyzer A. Two manual (16 intensity), one semiautomatic (rotating-compensator) and one fully automatic (dual rotating-compensator) methods are described. Real-time Fourier analysis (of both raw and reduced data) is used in the automatic methods to reduce random and systematic measurement errors. Calibration procedures given for each method permit Mueller matrix spectroscopy using (quasi-) achromatic retarders whose principal axes, as well as retardation and transmission ratios change slightly with wavelength.


PFS is an enigmatic disorder whose etiology remains largely unknown. Its clinical spectrum probably encompasses a heterogeneous group of patients displaying multifactorial symptomatology. Recent evaluation of PFS patients, on both a clinical and laboratory basis, suggests that there is a subpopulation of these patients who exhibit a low grade connective tissue disorder. This group of patients exhibit many of the clinical features expected with rheumatic diseases such as SLE and Sjogren's syndrome. They can be distinguished on a clinical basis from other PFS patients and from patients with the CEBV syndrome. Their disease may be disablingly painful and resistant to many therapeutic modalities. Results of newer information reviewed here suggests that these patients may have EVP on the basis of a peripheral, low grade, quasi-inflammatory process that may have a neurologic and an immune dysregulatory component. The implications of such a mechanism of injury are profound and potentially impact on the treatment of this group of patients.


The dependability evaluation and management of complex systems is often based on the collection of field data from event logs. Nevertheless, key decisions about log production and management are usually left to the late stages of development, leading to heterogeneous, inaccurate, and redundant logs. This in turn decreases the level of trust on logs. This paper proposes to enrich traditional logging by defining a set of rules, to be followed at design time, specifically conceived to improve the quality of logged failure data and to ease the coalescence of redundant or equivalent data. A tool for processing our rule-based logs has been developed to show the feasibility of the approach. The tool is applied on a real-world case study in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach when compared with traditional logging.


AIM
To elucidate relation of blood viscosity to development of a hypoxic state of microcirculation in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We examined 42 patients with postmyocardial infarction cardiosclerosis and 30 healthy persons (control group). Measurements were made by rotatory viscometer at shear rates 1 - 10 s(-1).

RESULTS
In patients with IHD we found increased blood viscosity and lowering of blood fluidity limit. Pathogenesis of increased blood viscosity in patients with IHD involves elevated blood fibrinogen, enhanced aggregation ability of erythrocytes, and accelerated formation of fine and large erythrocyte aggregates.


p63 is a developmentally regulated transcription factor related to p53, which activates and represses specific genes. The human AEC (Ankyloblepharon–Ectodermal dysplasia-Clefting) and EEC (Ectrodactyly–Ectodermal dysplasia–Cleft lip/palate) syndromes are caused by missense mutations of p63, within the DNA-binding domain (EEC) or in the C-terminal sterile alpha motif domain (AEC). We show here that p63 represses transcription of cell-cycle G2/M genes by binding to multiple CCAAT core promoters in immortalized and primary keratinocytes. The CCAAT-activator NF-Y and ΔNp63α are associated in vivo and a conserved α-helix of the NF-YC histone fold is required. p63 AEC mutants, but not an EEC mutant, are incapable to bind NF-Y. ΔNp63α, but not the AEC mutants repress CCAAT-dependent transcription of G2/M genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation recruitment assays establish that the AEC mutants are not recruited to G2/M promoters, while normally present on 14-3-3σ, which contains a sequence-specific binding site. Surprisingly, the EEC C306R mutant activates transcription. Upon keratinocytes differentiation, NF-Y and p63 remain bound to G2/M promoters, while HDACs are recruited, histones deacetylated, Pol II displaced and transcription repressed. Our data indicate that NF-Y is a molecular target of p63 and that inhibition of growth activating genes upon differentiation is compromised by AEC missense mutations.


Inadvertent hypothermia occurs frequently at typical ambient operating room (OR) temperatures, especially in elderly patients receiving general anesthesia. The aims of the current study were to 1) determine the incidence and magnitude of core hypothermia in an unusually warm OR environment, and 2) to assess age-related differences in perioperative thermoregulatory responses under these circumstances. Forty patients receiving general anesthesia for orthopedic surgical procedures (20 younger patients, 20–40 yr old) and (20 older patients, 60–75 yr old) were enrolled. Mean ambient temperature in the ORs was 25.8° ± 0.2°C. Core temperature, vasoconstriction, and shivering were compared in the younger and older age groups. Mean core temperature on admission to the postanesthesia care unit was not significantly different in the younger (36.7° ± 0.1°C) and older (36.4° ± 0.1°C) age groups. Only 10% of patients (n = 4, 1 younger, 3 older) were admitted with a core temperature <36.0°C. Only 2% of patients (n = 1, older group) had a core temperature <35.5°C. This very mild degree of hypothermia was associated with postoperative vasoconstriction in 80% of the younger and 55% of the older patients (P = 0.18). Postoperative shivering occurred in 40% of the younger patients and in 10% of the older patients (P = 0.06). In summary, an ambient OR temperature near 26°C (79°F) is effective in preventing core hypothermia during general anesthesia regardless of patient age. Even very mild postoperative hypothermia may initiate thermoregulatory responses. Implications: By increasing ambient temperature in the operating room to 26°C (79°F), the incidence of core hypothermia can be dramatically reduced in both younger and older patients.


Cellular response to physical stretch has been extensively studied as a regulator of various physiological functions. For live cell microscopy combined with stretch experiments, cells are typically seeded on an extensible elastomer sheet. In this case, the position of the cells of interest tends to shift out of the field of view upon stretch, making real-time imaging of identical cells difficult. To circumvent this situation, here we describe a robust methodology in which these cell shifts are minimized. Cells are plated in a custom-designed stretch chamber with an elastomer sheet of a small cell culture area. The cell-supporting chamber is stretched on an inverted microscope by using a piezoelectric actuator that provides small, but precisely controlled displacements. Even under this small displacement within the filed of view, our device allows the cells to undergo physiologically relevant levels of stretch. Identical cells can thus be continuously observed during stretching, thereby potentially enablin...


Abstract Oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck), is a pest of many rosaceous temperate fruits, including pomes, Malus spp., and stone fruits, Prunus spp., in much of the world. However, some areas are free of the pest, and shipments of fruit hosts from infested to noninfested areas may be regulated. Current quarantine treatments for oriental fruit moth include methyl bromide fumigation and cold storage for several weeks. Methyl bromide use is being restricted because it is a stratospheric ozone-depleting substance, and alternatives are sought. Cold is not tolerated by many hosts of oriental fruit moth. The objective of this research was to develop irradiation quarantine treatments against the pest under ambient and hypoxic storage conditions because some hosts of oriental fruit moth are stored in hypoxic atmospheres, and hypoxia is known to lessen the effects of irradiation. In ambient atmospheres, no adults emerged from 58,779 fifth instars (the most radiotolerant stage present in fruit) irradiated with a target dose of 200 Gy (195–232 Gy measured). In atmospheres flushed with nitrogen, 5.3% of adults emerged from 44,050 fifth instars irradiated with a target dose of 200 Gy (194–230 Gy measured), but they died at a faster rate than control adults and without laying eggs. A dose of 232 Gy (the maximum recorded when 200 Gy was targeted) is recommended to disinfest any fruit of oriental fruit moth under ambient and hypoxic atmospheres.


This paper addresses some of the recent activities of the ecoMOD project, a research and design / build / evaluate initiative at the University of Virginia School of Architecture and School of Engineering and Applied Science. In 2011, the ecoMOD received a substantial portion of a $2.45 milliongrant from a regional economic development funder to work with commercial companies and non-profit organizations in the two most economically deprived areas of Virginia, Southside and Southwestern Virginia. The funding is being used to develop a commercially available version of an ecoMOD home design. Since 2004, ecoMOD has designed, built and evaluated prefabricated affordable homes for affordable housing organizations such as Piedmont Housing Alliance and Habitat for Humanity. This recent grant is intended to commercialize a modular Passive House Standard version of one of the previous designs and help develop the capacity for fabricating sophisticated, high-performance homes in the region. The effort is dubbed 'ecoMOD South' because the affordable housing organizations and fabricators are based in Southside and Southwestern Virginia.


Our knowledge of the structure and function of the renal glomerulus is reviewed in a historical context. The glomerular corpuscles were first described by Malpighi in 1666. Subsequent injection studies led to conflicting claims concerning a glomerular-tubular connection. This connection was accepted only after the convincing demonstration of the anatomical relationship essentially as we now know it by Bowman in 1842. Ludwig was the first to propose that the mechanism of separation of fluid in the glomeruli was by ultrafiltration. Estimates of the ultrafiltration forces in mammals led to conflicting speculation as to whether or not filtration-pressure equilibrium was reached in glomerular capillaries. Results of direct determinations in some Munich-Wistar rats indicate filtration pressure equilibrium, an ultrafiltration coefficient (Kf) of 0.08 nl X s-1 X mmHg-1, and a strong influence of plasma flow on filtration rate (GFR). In contrast, evidence has been presented that filtration dynamics in other Munich-Wistar rats and several other strains of rats are characterized by filtration disequilibrium, a Kf of 0.04 nl X s-1 X mmHg-1, and a weak dependence of GFR on plasma flow. In conscious and anesthetized rats, kidney GFR is usually relatively stable in the presence of renal vasodilation. Filtration disequilibrium is reported in the dog and equilibrium in the squirrel monkey. Although predictions for humans suggest filtration disequilibrium, final conclusions await an in-depth analysis of direct measurements.


Nowadays, probabilistic models are playing a significant role in various areas in- cluding machine learning, artificial intelligence and cognitive science, etc. How- ever, as those models are becoming more and more complex, it shows that the corresponding programs are really hard to maintain and reuse as well. Meanwhile, the current tools are not feasible enough to enable probabilistic modeling and ma- chine learning to be accessible to the working programmer, who has sufficient do- main expertise, but perhaps not enough expertise in probability theory or machine learning.Probabilistic programming is one possible way to solve this. Indeed, probabilistic programming languages are powerful tools to specify probabilistic models directly in terms of a computer programs. While programmers writes normal procedures, everything will be automatically translated into statistical distributions and then users can do inferences upon them.This project aims at exploring and implementing a probabilistic programming language, for which we name as Shelang. We use Scheme, a dialect of Lisp lan- guage which is originated from λ-Calculus, to implement a embedded probabilis- tic programming language. This paper mainly discusses about the design, algo- rithms, details of this implementation and several usages of Shelang and make a conclusion in the end.


"Because history is larger than history books" this is why MyStory (Creating an ICT-based inter-generational learning environment;Project no. 511641-LLP-1-2010-1-RO-KA3-KA3MP) has been planned to explore and bring out into the light the stories of the past.

Their stories matter! The stories of all those who have had history for a daily life. It is through these stories that we hope to bridge the gap between generations. Understanding the other is the first step towards embracing generations which may seem so far away or ahead of times.

Seniors and teenagers - two social extremes in the present world, each of them carying an impressive load of knowledge, values and abilities.

Seniors have the memories of a world slowly fading away while teenagers have the pulse of present and vision of future. It is therefore a must that these two ends bound to create a constant interconnection through sharing, input and intake on the part of both sides. Factual information is moulded by personal experice and in this particular context subjectivity brings an added value to already stored historical information. The "I" stands not for distortion of reality but for personal experience which needs to be valorised and treasured for its great potential of casting light upon present.

Past itself can be updated and present technologies be put in its service. MyStory project empowers seniors and encourages them to share their stories with the young generation through interviews collected by young people. Films, the final form of these interviews, are presented to the final beneficiary on the project website at www.mystories.eu and are accompanied by complementary information on the historical and social background. This is mainly targeted at teenagers, educational institutions, museums, researchers etc who can use the processed or row material in their professional activities.

On the other hand, seniors are involved in training classes to develop basic ICT skills which allow them to have access to online information and thus add a new alternative to daily activities. Training is being done with the help and support of teenagers and this ensures a bidirectional transfer of knowledge and abilities.

Technology in the case of MyStory project is being used to facilitate access to online information but also to equip the user with transversal competences which can be used either on the virtual or the face-to-face medium.

Combining past experiences with present innovative technologies is a means of reviving history in a functional way and making it part of the present dynamics.


A sustainable approach in the construction industry requires civil engineering professionals with technical and soft skills. Those skills complement each other and facilitate the professional to work effectively in multidisciplinary groups during the development of construction projects. Universities apply collaborative learning methods such as group work (GW) in the classroom to achieve these skills. There is disagreement on the best way to select the members of the GW to achieve their best performance, but it is clear that it should favor the interaction of diverse actors to promote the development of soft skills. A random or criteria-based selection could bring groups of people very close together, leading to the academic homogeneity of GW members and impairing performance and learning. Even the most alert instructors lack information about the closeness of their students, so they rely on their intuition without having tools that allow them to confirm their assumptions or relate them to GW performance. The objective of this paper was to discover the social structures within the classrooms and to identify the groups of people close by trust, knowledge, and informal conversation to relate them to their GW performance. For this purpose, a social network analysis (SNA) was applied to Civil Engineering degree students. In addition, a correlation analysis between SNA metrics and GW grades was performed. The results show that beyond the way in which members are selected, there is a social structure that affects such selection and GW performance. This study presents information that can be used for instructors for a better GW selection that propitiates the development of soft skills in Civil Engineering students.


The main aims of the present paper are to examine whether gender role attitudes mitigate or facilitate social cohesiveness of Luxembourg residents and to uncover whether this effect is moderated by gender. Social cohesiveness is measured by composite indicators: first two represent general dimensions of social cohesiveness (behavioural and attitudinal) and the remaining five stand for specific domains of the concept (institutional trust, solidarity, socio-cultural participation, political participation and social relations). Attitudes toward gender are operationalized into three indicators: childcare, homemaking and economic relations. The outcomes of the analysis reveal that traditional attitudes, mainly those regarding homemaking, have a mixed impact on social cohesiveness. On the one hand, being more traditional increases attitudinal level of cohesiveness, i.e. institutional trust and solidarity. On the other hand, it seems to negatively affect cohesiveness at behaviour level, concretely in the intensity of socio-cultural relations and political participation. Gender appears to moderate the effect of gender role attitudes on political participation and solidarity, implying that traditional attitudes decrease the level of these type of cohesiveness more among women than among men.


We perform both dc and ac magnetic measurements on the single crystal of Mn3O(Et-sao)3(ClO4)(MeOH)3singlemolecule magnet(SMM) when the sample is preserved in air for different durations. We find that, during the oxidation process, the sample develops into another SMM with a smaller anisotropy energy barrier and a stronger antiferromagnetic intermolecular exchange interaction. The antiferromagnetic transition temperature observed at 6.65 K in the new SMM is record-high for the antiferromagnetic phase transition in all the known SMMs. Compared to the original SMM, the only apparent change for the new SMM is that each molecule has lost three methyl groups as revealed by four-circle x-ray diffraction(XRD), which is thought to be the origin of the stronger antiferromagnetic intermolecular exchange interaction.


In July 2013, a 44-year-old Taiwanese man was admitted to Kaohsiung Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, presenting with a 3-year history of progressively growing nasal mass with pustules and foul smelling discharge. He is a victim of cerebrovascular accident 4 years ago, hypertension for 12 years, and left hemiplegia. He has no personal history of smoking or alcoholism. Facial disfigurement led to psychological distress, and he sought out residence at a nursing home as a social recluse. Examination revealed a giant pedunculated bulbar mass measuring 23 × 13 × 8 cm and extending from the forehead to over the tip of the nose, with complete obliteration of the normal nasal contour. MRI scan revealed extensive nasal cutaneous lobulated tumors with complete obstruction of his left nostril due to vestibular phymatous lesions. Following biopsy results, we diagnosed the patient with "vestibulophyma", giant rhinophyma with extensive external phymatous lesions, and concomitant presentation of all four rosacea subtypes. After undergoing application of topical metranidazole jelly and low oral dose of doxycycline (40 mg/day) for 2 weeks, we proceeded with surgical intervention of giant rhinophyma de-bulking, vestibulophyma resection, inferior turbinectomy, and middle turbinectomy with microdebrider. Full thickness skin graft played an important role as an ideal and effective biological dressing during the healing process. The patient is currently well and satisfied with the results. J Med Cases. 2015;6(5):216-218 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2121w


SUMMARY The present study evaluated the pest constraints of an innovative crop management system in Cameroon involving conservation tillage and direct seeding mulch-based strategies. We hypothesized that the presence of mulch (i) would support a higher density of phytophagous arthropods particularly millipedes as well as pathogenic fungi that cause severe damage to cotton seedlings and (ii) would reduce early aphid infestations. The impact of two cover-crop mulches Calopogonium mucunoides and Brachiaria ruziziensis on the vigour of seedling cotton stands and arthropod damage was assessed in two independent field experiments conducted in 2001 and 2002 respectively. In both experiments the presence of mulch negatively affected cotton seedling stand by 13–14% compared to non-mulched plots and the proportion of damaged seedlings was higher in mulched than in non-mulched plots supporting the hypothesis that mulch favoured soil pest damage. In both experiments insecticidal seed dressing increased the seedling stand and the number of dead millipedes collected and fungicide had little or no effect on seedling stand and vigour. It was however observed in 2002 that the fungicide seed dressing had a positive effect on seedling stand in non-mulched plots but not in mulched plots suggesting that fungi may have been naturally inhibited by B. ruziziensis mulch. The dynamics of aphid colonization was not influenced by the presence of mulch. In 2001 taller seedlings were found in mulched than non-mulched plots probably due to greater water and nutrient availability in C. mucunoides-mulched plots than in non-mulched plots.


The progress in cancer research has been processed by the discovery of molecules, genes, and mechanisms to cause carcinogenesis. Even with the advent of a novel technologies, the consequent drug discovery is still not enough to meet the demands, with the limited numbers of choice for anti-cancer strategy are not satisfactory. It is considered partly because mono-targeted agents should have certain limitations against diseases originated from multiple factors and environmental stresses throughout a lifelong time. These defects in the current anti-cancer strategy of cancer therapy chiefly are caused by the lack of information required for cancer recovery. It is extremely required to obtain minimum-essential information to define the molecular basis for cancer Arch Clin Biomed Res 2021; 5 (3): 457-483 DOI: 10.26502/acbr.50170180 Archives of Clinical and Biomedical Research Vol. 5 No. 3 – June 2021. [ISSN 2572-9292]. 458 recovery, with a comparison to that in the process of carcinogenesis. For this purpose, we should have successful agents possibly and reliably to cure the disease. We have identified anti-cancer effects of Huaier, and its unique characteristics of 1) no side effects or toxicity, 2) in dose dependent manner, 3) causing specific cancer cell death with simultaneous tissue regeneration, 4) miRNA-mediated transcriptional control on the rescue of multiple signal transduction, by dependent on individual genomic potential. Here we summarize the results of our genome scope project on clinical research of Huaier therapy on cancer patients. MEGA-DATA analysis in the process of cancer recovery by total RNA and small non-coding RNA sequencing. The results revealed significant differences in the behavior and coordination of RNA editing events, biomolecules, and multiple signaling pathways which beyond any speculations from the findings in the process of carcinogenesis. The time has come to change a point of view of "cancer therapy", from the mere killing of cancer cells to regenerate the disrupted biophysiological functions through ageing and stress-accumulation in a long-range of life. Huaier provides a timely trigger to induce the spontaneous genomic ability and flexibility to rescue damaged, and impaired functions toward the reconstruction of homeostasis. We will add the Huaier effects on the population with hereditary mutations for prevention of carcinogenesis, and on the compensation of impaired signal transfer inter/intra neurons.


There is keen interest to develop new technologies to recycle the plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). To this end, the use of PET-hydrolyzing enzymes has shown promise for PET deconstruction to its monomers, terephthalate (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). Here, we compare the Ideonella sakaiensis PETase wild-type enzyme to a previously reported improved variant (W159H/S238F). We compare the thermostability of each enzyme and describe a 1.45 Å resolution structure of the mutant, highlighting changes in the substrate binding cleft compared to the wild-type enzyme. Subsequently, the performance of the wild-type and variant enzyme was compared as a function of temperature, substrate morphology, and reaction mixture composition. These studies show that reaction temperature has the strongest influence on performance between the two enzymes. We also show that both enzymes achieve higher levels of PET conversion for substrates with moderate crystallinity relative to amorphous substrates. Finally, we assess the impact of product accumulation on reaction progress for the hydrolysis of both PET and bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET). Each enzyme displays different inhibition profiles to mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET) and TPA, while both are sensitive to inhibition by EG. Overall, this study highlights the importance of reaction conditions, substrate selection, and product accumulation for catalytic performance of PET-hydrolyzing enzymes, which have implications for enzyme screening in the development of enzyme- based polyester recycling.


A new fast flash photography fast imaging system is devised to develop for studying the evolution of micron sized droplets travelling from the ink jet nozzle to substrate at 5 - 20 m/s. using flash illumination of 10 short pulses from different angles consecutively, sharp images of evolving droplets are expected to be captured. The electrical and optical characterization of the laser driver and photodetector is presented along with corresponding measurements. Detailed schematics of the whole optical system design are presented.


This paper investigates a novel task of talking face video generation solely from speeches. The speech-to-video generation technique can spark interesting applications in entertainment, customer service, and human-computer-interaction industries. Indeed, the timbre, accent and speed in speeches could contain rich information relevant to speakers' appearance. The challenge mainly lies in disentangling the distinct visual attributes from audio signals. In this article, we propose a light-weight, cross-modal distillation method to extract disentangled emotional and identity information from unlabelled video inputs. The extracted features are then integrated by a generative adversarial network into talking face video clips. With carefully crafted discriminators, the proposed framework achieves realistic generation results. Experiments with observed individuals demonstrated that the proposed framework captures the emotional expressions solely from speeches, and produces spontaneous facial motion in the video output. Compared to the baseline method where speeches are combined with a static image of the speaker, the results of the proposed framework is almost indistinguishable. User studies also show that the proposed method outperforms the existing algorithms in terms of emotion expression in the generated videos.


Background In athletes, ECG changes from physiological cardiac remodelling are common but can overlap with findings from a pathological disorder. We compared ECG findings in a group of elite high school athletes to a cohort of adolescents with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods/results We prospectively performed 15-lead ECGs and echocardiograms in 147 elite high school athletes. Student-athlete ECGs were compared in blinded fashion to ECGs of 148 adolescents with HCM of similar age and ethnicity. Standard ECG hypertrophy criteria and established expert opinion guidelines (European Society of Cardiology, ESC and Seattle criteria) were analysed. All student-athletes had normal echocardiograms. Overall, 77/147 (52%) of student-athletes met standard ECG criteria for ventricular hypertrophy compared to 126/148 (85%) adolescents with HCM (p<0.0001). There were 112/148 (76%) adolescents with HCM who had pathological Q-waves, T-wave inversion and/or ST-segment depression compared to 1/147 (1%) athletes (p<0.0001). Most patients with HCM (84%, 124/148) had ≥1 abnormal ECG finding(s) according to Seattle criteria, compared to 1% of student-athletes (2/147). Similarly, 130/148 (88%) patients with HCM met group-2 ESC criteria (abnormal), compared to 36/147 (24%) student-athletes (p<0.0001). Conclusions Over 50% of elite high school athletes with echocardiographically confirmed normal hearts satisfied standard voltage criteria for ventricular hypertrophy. Pathological Q-waves, T-wave inversion or ST-segment depression were most helpful in distinguishing adolescents with HCM from normals. Both ESC and Seattle criteria successfully stratified the student-athlete and HCM cohorts, however each had a false-negative rate >10% for the HCM cohort. The Seattle criteria demonstrated a significantly lower false-positive rate (1%) than the ESC criteria (24%).


We continue our earlier investigation on generalized reproducing kernels, in connection with the complex geometry of $C^*$- algebra representations, by looking at them as the objects of an appropriate category. Thus the correspondence between reproducing $(-*)$-kernels and the associated Hilbert spaces of sections of vector bundles is made into a functor. We construct reproducing $(-*)$-kernels with universality properties with respect to the operation of pull-back. We show how completely positive maps can be regarded as pull-backs of universal ones linked to the tautological bundle over the Grassmann manifold of the Hilbert space $\ell^2({\mathbb N})$.


We have developed a method for purifying L-CAM, the cell adhesion molecule from embryonic chicken liver cells, and have compared its properties with those of N-CAM, the neural cell adhesion molecule. L-CAM was released from membranes with trypsin, purified by a series of chemical techniques, and used to generate monoclonal antibodies which allowed the identification of the intact L-CAM molecule from membranes. The monoclonal antibodies were used to isolate trypsin-released L-CAM in a single step by affinity chromatography. Material purified by either technique was predominantly a component of M(r) 81,000 on NaDodSO(4)/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a pI of 4.0-4.5. Rabbit antibodies to this component and to the M(r) 81,000 species that had been further purified on NaDodSO(4)/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis displayed all of the activities of anti-L-CAM. Some of the trypsin-released L-CAM bound specifically to lentil lectin, suggesting that L-CAM is a glycoprotein. The apparent molecular weight of material having L-CAM antigenic determinants depended upon the procedures used to extract membranes; this appears to account for the various values reported previously in the literature. Both the rabbit serum antibodies and the monoclonal antibodies detected the M(r) 81,000 species on immunoblots of unfractionated trypsin-released material. Immunoblots of whole liver cell membranes with the same antibodies revealed a major M(r) 124,000 component, with minor components of M(r) 94,000 and 81,000. Active L-CAM derivatives released by trypsin in the presence of EGTA were detected as a species of M(r) 40,000. L-CAM derivatives obtained by extraction of membranes with EDTA alone appeared as species of M(r) 53,000, 62,000, and 81,000. The combined results suggest that L-CAM on the cell surface is an acidic glycoprotein of M(r) 124,000. In the presence of calcium, the molecule can be released from membranes by trypsin as a soluble M(r) 81,000 fragment; in the absence of calcium, it is released by either endogenous proteases or by trypsin as a variety of smaller fragments.


Abstract This paper begins with a discussion of the importance of the effective performance measurement of product introduction and the difficulties inherent within that task. Criteria are then established for effective product introduction performance measures which are used to identify the most appropriate of existing performance measurement mechanisms. A case study approach of industrial organizations is used to examine whether this mechanism is employed in practice, and wider conclusions are drawn on the formation of effective measures of performance for product introduction.


The risks and insecurities emphasised in contemporary societies have given rise to diverse forms of policing, such as transnational and intelligence-based police collaborations. This dissertation focuses on a border police collaboration project, called Turnstone, that took place between 2014 and 2015, aiming to address issues related to irregular migration and cross border crimes in the Baltic Sea areas. The purpose of this study is to provide a community of practice perspective on cross- border police collaboration drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with a number of intelligence police, coast-guard, and border guard officers from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. The study illustrates the everyday interactions as well as the formal processes and practices that have generated a trust-based collaborative environment, which is necessary for sharing secret intelligence information. Increasing demands of collaboration places the officers in an ambivalent position: their neighbouring countries are both their work partners and the "source" of the cross-border criminals. Two processes account for the emergence of a community of practice: 1) the development of a common linguistic repertoire (a set of norms and values that served as guidelines for streamlining and guiding the pursuit of their joint daily activities), and 2) the actors' engaging in what they consider "real police work". The study shows how the participants are at pains to reconcile between these two demands: "real police work" involving "action" and aiming at catching criminals, versus formal work practices, such as attending formal meetings and writing reports, thereby catering to bureaucratic needs. By focusing on their joint activities organized during the project (referred to as Power Weeks), the study shows how a trust-based relationship, which is necessary for the exchange of culturally, politically and professionally sensitive information, has gradually developed by the participants in and through their joint engagement in these everyday practices. The study highlights the importance of both informal face-to-face encounters and more formal processes in the development of the group as an entity. The findings of this study suggest that working together, attending formal meetings, producing reports, sharing sensitive information, and profiling suspects are equally important as the informal after-work activities. The Power Weeks included various episodes of telling stories and sharing jokes and this has proved to a be a fertile context for generating trust, knowledge, and innovative work practices. The study emphasises the relevance of community of practice for understanding how participants from different organizational and cultural contexts brought together in a project can develop a collaborative environment around sensitive issues. (Less)


The standard formula for the change in the effective action under a conformal transformation is extended to the case when the boundary is piecewise smooth. We then determine the functional determinants on regions of the plane obtained by stereographic projection of the fundamental domains on the orbifolded 2-sphere. Examples treated are the sector of a disk and a circular crescent. The effective action on a spherical cap is also found.


CO2 and other chemicals affect mosquito blood meal seeking behavior. Heat, humidity and black color can also serve as orientation cues. However mosquito attraction does not necessarily mean that it will land. The sequence of the cues used for mosquito landing is unclear. We performed a field study with wild mosquitoes in an open space and found that no chemicals (except pyrethrins) could completely prevent mosquitoes from landing. CO2 mimics cyclopentanone and pyridine attracted mosquitoes but did not lead to landing. No mosquito was caught in the absence of heat, although in the presence of CO2. Mosquito females commonly explore visible black objects by eyes, which is independent of infrared radiation. Humidification around the heat source may increase the detection distance but it did not affect mosquito landing. If a black object was located distant from the CO2 and heat, mosquitoes still explored the heat source. Relative to CO2 and heat, odorants, humidity and black color show lesser effects on mosquito landing.


Background Since 1995, Traumatic injuries remain as the leading cause of hospitalisation in Sri Lanka for consecutive years. Among traumatic injuries, road traffic injuries are leading. It accounts for 22% to 25% of all types of injuries. For both fatal and non-fatal Road Traffic Injuries (RTI), heavy vehicles are involved frequently. It was revealed from the statistics available at National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI) in Colombo, Western Province of Sri Lanka that 10.38% of heavy vehicle drivers met with accidents were found medically unfit for driving and they face a number of risk factors. The study was undertaken with the objective of describing the risk factors and occupational health hazards among heavy vehicle drivers. Methods A descriptive cross sectional study design was adopted with a systematic random sample of heavy vehicle drivers attending to renew driving licenses at NTMI, the national institute with its branches responsible for conducting medical examination of heavy vehicle drivers enabling them to obtain or renewal of driving licenses in Sri Lanka during a period of one month. Data were collected using a questionnaire and a document review (medical examination and investigations) using a check list. Results The majority of heavy vehicle drivers in study population comprise young male drivers with a mean of 33.9 years. They work for extended period of time (mean working duration is 11.3 hours). The study showed a clear evidence of high incidence of Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease and Gastritis (13.8%). The conditions like impaired distance vision (4.4%) Hypertension (0.8%) and Diabetes Mellitus (1.2%) were also found. Nonspecific backaches and pains (10.9%) and chronic cough (9.7%) were common complaints. The habits of cigarette smoking (45.1%), beetle chewing (34.9%) and alcohol consumption (60.5%) were obviously high, compared to national level. The leading occupational health hazards encounter with heavy vehicle driving were identified in the study. They included frequent exposure to diesel exhaust (8.5%), overload vehicle (26.8%), uncomfortable gear lever operation (13%), uncomfortable foot pedals (14.6%), uncomfortable steering wheel operation (17%) and driving seat vibration (10.1%). The options available in vehicles for drivers comfort looked insufficient in most of the heavy vehicles (availability of Air Conditioning (4.8%), Automatic gear transmission (0.8%) and availability of head rest in driving seat (43.4% ) were not adequate. The emerging hazard of "inattention blindness" in driving due to use of cell phones while driving (18.2%) was also noted among Sri Lankan heavy vehicle drivers in significant level. Conclusions The study shows that road safety research needs to go beyond common RTI risk factors and analyse risks involved with the health status of drivers. And it suggests that strengthening of quality control of heavy vehicles, health education and regular monitoring of health status of heavy vehicle drivers is vital to improve the status of countries injury prevention efforts.


Using the density functional B3P86/cc-PV5Z method, the geometric structure of BH molecule under different external electric fields is optimized, and the bond lengths, dipole moments, vibration frequencies, and other physical properties parameters are obtained. On the basis of setting appropriate parameters, scanning single point energies are obtained by the same method and the potential energy curves under different external fields are also obtained. These results show that the physical property parameters and potential energy curves may change with external electric field, especially in the case of reverse direction electric field. The potential energy function without external electric field is fitted by Morse potential, and the fitting parameters are obtained which are in good agreement with experimental values. In order to obtain the critical dissociation electric parameter, the dipole approximation is adopted to construct a potential model fitting the corresponding potential energy curve of the external electric field. It is found that the fitted critical dissociation electric parameter is consistent with numerical calculation, so that the constructed model is reliable and accurate. These results will provide important theoretical and experimental reference for further studying the molecular spectrum, dynamics, and molecular cooling with Stark effect.


The passive current noise of sensitized SUS 304 was analyzed by the FFT method in 0.05 M H2SO4 to investigate correlation between the degree of the sensitization and electrochemical noise pattern, comparing with results obtained by the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation method (EPR method). It was found that the sensitization effect appeared markedly in an early stage after polarization start, on the power spectral density (PSD) of lower frequency region (•`0.2 Hz), when the specimen was polarized at a less noble potential, +0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Also, in the early stage (•`5 h), the burst type noise with small amplitude was very frequently observed on the passive current, which corresponding to local dissolution of sensitized SUS 304. The micronized and local dissolution at grain boundaries and its neighborhood was concluded to bring mainly the higher level of PSD in the early stage for sensitized SUS 304. Further, the comparison of the PSD level in the early stage gave a possibility to estimate the degree of the sensitization.


Empirical evidence suggests that the stability of personality itself contributes to successful ageing and is associated with longer life. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between personality traits and the self-perceived health status, stratified by medical conditions in a representative sample of non-institutionalized elderly people in Chile. The data used for this study come from the fourth waves (2009) of the Chilean Social Protection Survey (SPS-2009). Included were a total of 2655 subjects aged 65 and over. The results showed that higher scores of all five personality factors were associated with good health. Those with the perception of poor health were more likely to be female, with lower education level and older than those with good health. With the exception of agreeableness, strong and significant associations with self-perceived health were demonstrated for extraversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness, among elderly with medical conditions. Among elderly without medical problems, significant associations with self-perceived health were demonstrated only for extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability. This study has shown that there is a consistent association between personality factors and self-perceived health throughout the older population. Our results suggest that extraversion and openness traits could be acting as "protector" factors and agreeableness and conscientiousness traits as "resilient" factors, facing to the health problems among elderly people.


Summer Lecture Series 2009: Eleanor Blakely, radiation biologist of the Life Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has been a scientist at Berkeley Lab since 1975. She is studying the effect of radiation on cataracts which concerns not only cancer patients, but also astronauts. As astronauts spend increasingly longer time in space, the effects of cosmic radiation exposure will become an increasingly important health issue- yet there is little human data on these effects. Blakely reviews this emerging field and the contributions made at Berkeley Lab


Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008

B25

Information on perceived breast cancer risk may help tailor risk assessment among high risk women. />Background: Women with a family history of breast cancer (FHBC) are believed to overestimate their breast cancer risk more than women from the general population. However there is little research examining which factors predict variations in perceived and actual risk among women with FHBC. We examined whether specific lifestyle and demographic factors are associated with over- or under-estimating BC risk. Methods: Cross-sectional data on 767 women with FHBC who attended the Breast and Ovarian Surveillance Service clinic at Johns Hopkins between February 1996 and March 2008 and were cancer-free were identified from a prospective database. Prior to their appointment women completed a questionnaire measuring breast cancer risk perception (5-year and life-time) and demographic and lifestyle behaviors. Detailed information on family history was also provided. Actual risk was determined using the Tyrer-Cuzick model. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of being an over-estimator or under-estimator (in comparison with accurate estimators) were estimated from age-adjusted logistic regression. Results: Risk estimates were provided by 69% (531) of women. Those who did not provide risk estimates had significantly more breast cancer-affected family members (p = 0.040) and were more likely to be African American (p=.016). The median actual risk level was 23.79% (range: 0.70%-96.33%). In comparison with women who were accurate in their BC risk estimates (n=92), women who underestimated their lifetime BC risks by more than 10 percentage points (n=37) were younger (OR=0.94, 95%CI 0.90-0.98). In comparison to accurate women, women who overestimated their lifetime BC risk by more than 30 percentage points (n = 295) had a higher body mass index (BMI) (OR=1.08, 95%CI 1.03-1.13), had fewer years of education (OR=0.86, 95%CI 0.75-0.99), had more family members affected with BC (OR=1.28, 95%CI 1.02-1.60), and were more likely to have ever smoked (OR=1.79, 95%CI 1.08-2.97). Conclusion: Distinct profiles were observed for women who underestimated, overestimated or were accurate in their risk perception suggesting they may benefit from more tailored approaches to risk assessment.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):B25.


A review is presented of the phenomena associated with particles in low pressure plasmas. Dust particles which are typically micrometers in diameter have been observed by laser light scattering in various low-pressure, radiofrequency-excited plasmas. Experiments have been designed so that the origin of the dust material is unambiguous and, to some extent, quantitative. The processes involved in the appearance of the mesoscopic dust particles are outlined and compared with our experimental observations. The source material and its required generation rate, nucleation, charging, growth mechanisms, growth rates, and saturation mechanisms are discussed. The mutual influences of dust and plasma, particularly the role of geometric and circuit boundary conditions in laboratory plasmas, are described.


This study aims to explore the characteristics of crystallization inhibition by cellulose polymers at the supersaturated states of drugs. The study was performed by simulating supersaturated process and preparing supersaturated drug solid, and was carried out by measuring the content of drugs at different time points using dissolution apparatus. The types, amounts, ionic intensity and viscosity of cellulose polymers were examined to assess the crystallization inhibition effect on BCS II class drug indomethacin. HPMC E15 exhibited the strongest crystallization inhibition effect. The more added, more obvious crystallization suppression was observed against indomethacin. The decrease in viscosity and increase in ionic intensity led to an enhanced inhibition. The research provides a scientific guide for the crystallization inhibition of supersaturated drug by cellulose polymers.


This second quarter report of 2003 describes progress on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to test a hybrid sulfur recovery process for natural gas upgrading. The process concept represents a low cost option for direct treatment of natural gas streams to remove H{sub 2}S in quantities equivalent to 0.2-25 metric tons (LT) of sulfur per day. This process is projected to have lower capital and operating costs than the competing technologies, amine/aqueous iron liquid redox and amine/Claus/tail gas treating, and have a smaller plant footprint, making it well suited to both on-shore and off-shore applications. CrystaSulf{reg_sign} (service mark of CrystaTech, Inc.) is a new nonaqueous sulfur recovery process that removes hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) from gas streams and converts it into elemental sulfur. CrystaSulf features high sulfur recovery similar to aqueous-iron liquid redox sulfur recovery processes, but differs from the aqueous processes in that CrystaSulf controls the location where elemental sulfur particles are formed. In the hybrid process, approximately 1/3 of the total H{sub 2}S in the natural gas is first oxidized to SO{sub 2} at low temperatures over a heterogeneous catalyst. Low temperature oxidation is done so that the H{sub 2}S can be oxidizedmore » in the presence of methane and other hydrocarbons without oxidation of the hydrocarbons. The project involves the development of a catalyst using laboratory/bench-scale catalyst testing, and then demonstration of the catalyst at CrystaTech's pilot plant in west Texas. Previous reports described development of a catalyst with the required selectivity and efficiency for producing sulfur dioxide from H{sub 2}S. In the laboratory, the catalyst was shown to be robust and stable in the presence of several intentionally added contaminants, including condensate from the pilot plant site. Bench-scale catalyst testing at the CrystaSulf pilot plant using the actual pilot plant gas was successful, and a skid-mounted catalyst pilot unit has been designed for fabrication and testing at the CrystaSulf pilot site.« less


This study examined factors that contributed to fathers being perceived as good or poor sexuality educators by their daughters. The data from 10 female participant interviews were analyzed (five fathers were rated as quality educators and five as poor educators). Good Paternal Educators were perceived as being emotionally close to their daughter, displayed attentiveness to her comfort level during sexual conversations, were open and honest when discussing sexual topics, monitored her behaviors with a level of trust, and were direct communicators. Conversely, Poor Paternal Educators were viewed as not being close to their daughters, not talking regularly in general, appeared uncomfortable when talking about sex, attempted to avoid sexual conversations, used humor to avoid a serious conversation, and had ambiguous or indirect forms of monitoring.


Recently, the XE-2100 hematology analyzer was investigated in a rather small patient group; pseudoeosinophilia or abnormal white blood cell (WBC) scattergrams reported by this instrument were considered as significantly valuable diagnostic parameters in detecting vivax malaria. This study was conducted not only to assess the usefulness of pseudoeosinophilia or abnormal WBC scattergram in vivax malaria-endemic areas with large patient groups (N = 1,801) but also to investigate the correlation of parasitemia and platelet count with pseudoeosinophilia and abnormal WBC scattergrams. Of the 1,801 analyzed patients, 413 (22.9%) were found to have malaria by Wright-Giemsa stained blood smears. Overall, either pseudoeosinophilia or abnormal WBC scattergram was detected in 191 of 413 malaria patients and 4 of 1,388 patients without malaria (sensitivity = 46.2%, specificity = 99.7%). We suggest that clinical hematology laboratories using the XE-2100 analyzer should be aware of such specific parameters, even with the absence of a clinical request.


A solar tunnel dryer was designed and fabricated with locally available materials having the cross sectional area of the entire tunnel 5400 × 1700 mm. The half of the nearly air tight tunnel base was used as the flat plate air heating solar collector and the remaining half as a dryer. The drying air temperature could be easily raised by some 6–10°C above the ambient temperature at an air velocity of approximately 1.5 m/sec. The moisture content of 12.5 kg freshly harvested mushroom was reduced to 10% (wet-basis) within two days from the initial moisture content of 91.7% (wet-basis). The energy utilisation efficiency of the dryer was about 32.0%. It was possible to reach the moisture content level for safe storage within less than two days with solar tunnel dryer and 3–4 days in open air natural sun drying. The improvement in the quality of ear-lobe mushroom in terms of colour, flavour, and taste and food value was distinctly recognised.


"Lightning Strikes" tells the story of how Vanguard founder John C. Bogle came to create a unique mutual mutual fund structure in 1974, and how the index fund strategy almost inevitably followed. Paul Samuelson's essay in the first issue of The Journal of Portfolio Management was published at almost the same moment that Vanguard began. In "Challenge to Judgment," Samuelson urged that somebody, somewhere, somehow form an index fund. Inspired, Mr. Bogle accepted the challenge, and in 1975 created the world's first index mutual fund. Vanguard's two disruptive innovations—mutuality and indexing—have combined to make Vanguard the largest firm in the mutual fund industry. In the second part of the essay, Mr. Bogle summarizes 10 of the 13 essays he has written for The Journal of Portfolio Management and provides a perspective on his works.


ABSTRACT Objective Few donors are available for restoration of sensibility in patients with complete brachial plexus injuries. The objective of our study was to evaluate the anatomical feasibility of using the intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) as an axon donor to the lateral cord contribution to the median nerve (LCMN). Methods Thirty cadavers were dissected. Data of the ICBN and the LCMN were collected, including diameters, branches and distances. Results The diameters of the ICBN and the LCMN at their point of coaptation were 2.7mm and 3.7mm, respectively. The ICBN originated as a single trunk in 93.3% of the specimens and bifurcated in 73.3%. The distance between the ICBN origin and its point of coaptation to the LCMN was 54mm. All ICBNs had enough extension to reach the LCMN. Conclusion Transfer of the ICBN to the LCMN is anatomically feasible and may be useful for restoring sensation in patients with complete brachial plexus injuries.


In recent years researchers have been paying significant attention to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles as a crucial factor in company performance. This paper aims to summarize the trends and findings in academic literature devoted to the board of directors as a determinant of ESG performance and non-financial disclosure quality. This paper also summarizes the key findings for a board's moderating effects on the impact of ESG on corporate financial performance. The results of qualitative analysis of more than 70 empirical papers demonstrate that board independence is the most widely considered parameter, interpreted as a positive factor for strengthening a board's monitoring function according to agency theory. There is no consensus on board size: larger boards include directors who represent the interests of a wider range of stakeholders (stakeholder theory), however, the increase in board size leads to a complication of decision-making and controlling processes. Researchers mostly agree that an augmentation of women' and foreigners' representation among directors positively affects ESG performance and disclosure quality, although the lack of critical mass may dilute this effect. As for CEO's role in the board, while some researchers argue that CEO duality enhances agency conflict, deterring corporate transition to ESG, other authors claim that a CEO's organizational power may enhance the ESG transition due to a faster implementation of board decisions. One of the crucial determinants for this effect is the board members' diversified professional expertise, including specialized education and experience, for the effective monitoring of managers' performance. Finally, there is a growing interest in the role of board sustainability committees, which accumulate the required professional expertise for developing environmental and social strategies (resource-based theory). By examining the key board characteristics' effect on corporate ESG performance and disclosure quality, this paper contributes to corporate governance literature, expanding the field for further research. Moreover, the paper highlights several understudied issues for further research.


Responding to the dearth of research on user-system interaction patterns in context-aware recommendation systems (CARSs), this study extends Social Interdependence Theory (SIT) to construct a research model that seeks to unveil how users' perceptions of procedural and outcome accountability affect their interaction patterns with CARSs, which in turn dictate the outcomes to be gained from cooperative learning between the two parties. Distinguishing the usage of CARSs as decision aids from that of delegated agents, we posit interaction patterns as having an impact on cooperative learning outcomes in terms of perceived system evolvability and habitual usage. Furthermore, we postulate context- and user-oriented affordances as moderators influencing the relationship between individual accountability and interaction patterns. To empirically validate our hypothesized relationships, we outline our plans for conducting an fMRI experiment in conjunction with survey data collection methods.


There is a triple difference between the law and values of European integration: scope; substance; and enforceability. In the light of this triad it is particularly clear that Europe's structural constitutional vulnerability stretches far beyond the Rule of Law enforcement issues per se: the other two aspects outlined are as important at least. The EU is thus facing, it is argued, a structural deficiency in the Rule of Law field, which concerns both the supranational and the national legal orders to an equal degree. Worse still, enforcement becomes particularly difficult if it is about the values, i.e. not-quite-acquis and if it happens in the face of an ideological choice taken by a Member State not to comply. The latter, which is not a hypothetical invention, but a day-to-day reality in the Union, exacerbates the trio of law/values differences outlined. Arguments taking the plasticity of the law as a starting point could theoretically help to solve the puzzle. All in all, however, it is the time for the EU to be simultaneously extremely creative and extremely cautious in order to prevail in dealing with the outstanding problems related to the numerous deficiencies in the Rule of Law filed – at the heart of the legal system.


INTRODUCTION
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a hepatotropic virus causing a variety of extrahepatic immunological manifestations and is a risk factor of a variety of extrahepatic diseases, such as mixed cryoglobulinemia and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), which is the most common glomerulonephritis. The aim of this study was to evaluate renal involvement in HCV-infected patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 300 randomly-selected HCV antibody-positive outpatients at the HCV clinic of Shariati hospital were enrolled. Serum creatinine was measured and glomerular filtration rate was estimated accordingly. Urine proteinuria was measured in 24-hour urine samples.

RESULTS
The patients were 249 men (83.2%) and 51 women (16.8%) with a mean age of 37.8 +/- 11.7 years (range, 18 to 70 years). Proteinuria was found in 12 HCV antibody-positive adults (4%), 1 of whom underwent biopsy. He was a 55- year-old man with a 4-month history of facial and lower extremities edema and 3-g proteinuria with a normal kidney function (glomerular filtration rate, 85 mL/min) and normocomplementemia. Kidney biopsy specimens showed MPGN. The frequency of low glomerular filtration rate was 0.7% (2 patients) in the HCV antibody-positive adults. There was no significant relationship between HCV seropositivity and low glomerular filtration rate.

CONCLUSIONS
Our observations showed renal involvement in HCV antibody-positive patients. Among immune complex glomerular kidney diseases, MPGN without cryoglobulins is thought to be the most common in these patients.


This paper presents an experimental study on effect of specimen size on the static strength and dynamic increase factor (DIF) of plain and fiber reinforced high-strength concrete determined from Split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests. Four types of specimens were used to determine the static strength of the concrete including (i) cylinders with the same size as that used for SHPB test (diameter (D)=77 mm and length (L)/D ratio=0.5), (ii) cylinders with the same diameter as that of SHPB but with L/D=2, (iii) standard cylinders of D100×200-mm, and (iv) 100-mm cubes. Results indicate that cylinders with the same diameter as those of the SHPB but with L/D=2 are suitable for determining the static strength to be used in DIF computations based on the stress state and failure patterns.


To the Editor.— Warts are not acquired from toads, but contact hypersensitivity can be. We report a case of an immediate hypersensitivity reaction to amphibian serum in a biochemistry laboratory worker that manifested as hand eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis. Report of a Case.— A 26-year-old woman presented with a three-month history of an eczematous reaction on the tips of the left thumb as well as index and long fingers. In approximately monthly cycles, the skin became red, scaly, and insensitive to cold and heat, and then would heal in four to seven days. Her job in a biochemistry laboratory, which she had begun shortly before the onset of this reaction, involved periodic contact with toads (Bufo marinis) and frogs (Rana catesbeiana). She killed the amphibians and handled serum and peritoneal fluid. Wearing latex gloves did not prevent the eruption. Initially she felt that the eruption did not correlate with the handling


ABSTRACT VIIRS 375 m active fire data (VNP14IMG), the highest spatial resolution available cost-free fire product, were assessed for representing fire in typical degraded tropical peatlands in Indonesia. The results of applying the Tropical Peatland Combustion Algorithm to Landsat-8 (ToPeCAl-L8) daytime imagery were utilised as the fire references. To permit the comparison of non-simultaneous VNP14IMG and ToPeCAl-L8, peatland fire propagation speeds resulting from previous study using TET-1 data in Central Kalimantan's peatlands were utilised. Most peatland fires were still within 750 m from their source over 15 h under uniform conditions, except for very large fires. The detection rates of nighttime VNP14IMG compared with ToPeCAl-L8 showed about 80% agreement for small fire areas (< 14 ha). For fires larger than 14 ha, a dissolved 375 m buffer (cluster buffer) of VNP14IMG active fires with an integration of nighttime and daytime acquisitions, produced a probability of detection up to 90%. These results generated a recommendation for implementing cluster buffer analysis and integration of nighttime and daytime analysis of VNP14IMG data for better accuracy in fire detection for ground fire management. They also demonstrate the utility of the ToPeCAl-L8 algorithm with VIIRS 375 m active fire data.


While social network advertising is pervasive, research focused on avoidance behavior toward it is relatively rare. This study provides the development of a three-dimension scale to measure avoidance behavior toward social network advertising. Based on the survey of 195 social network users, evidence is provided for the reliability, factor structure and validity. Meanwhile, T-tests are used to examine the effects of gender, sample source and purchasing experience on the three-dimension avoidance behavior (i.e., skimming, ignoring and blocking). The results show males on social network are more likely to block social network advertising than females while users without purchasing experience on social network are more likely to skimming through advertisements on social network.


Experimental evolution shows that the cooperation of cells in multicellular organisms degrades under low relatedness. Most complex multicellular organisms develop clonally from a single cell. This should limit conflicts between cell lineages that could threaten the extensive cooperation of cells within multicellular bodies. Cellular composition can be manipulated in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, which allows us to test and confirm the two key predictions of this theory. Experimental evolution at low relatedness favored cheating mutants that could destroy multicellular development. However, under high relatedness, the forces of mutation and within-individual selection are too small for these destructive cheaters to spread, as shown by a mutation accumulation experiment. Thus, we conclude that the single-cell bottleneck is a powerful stabilizer of cellular cooperation in multicellular organisms.


An efficient watershed algorithm is proposed in order to solve the problem that touching rice is difficult to process during consequent image segmentation. First, the binary image is ultra-eroded by using a different structuring element to form different distance image. Second, watershed image is obtained by using the watershed algorithm. Finally, the real watershed can be extracted. Compared with other watershed algorithms, the experiment results demonstrated that this method segmented out rice successfully in the touching rice image and improved the measurement accuracy, and also overcome over-segmentation effectively.


Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in Western countries. About one-half of patients with lung cancer have metastatic disease at the time of initial diagnosis. Metastasis to the gastrointestinal tract from primary lung cancer has rarely been described. The most common metastatic site is the small bowel whereas large bowel secondary lesions are very rare. The majority of patients are referred to a surgeon only after the intestinal secondary lesion becomes symptomatic posing a threat to the patient's life. Although the outcome is still unfavourable, the development of chemotherapy and of surgical techniques allows aggressive treatment when facing a single intestinal metastasis from lung cancer. We report on a case of a patient who came to our observation for a neoplastic stenosis of the descending colon with a single liver secondarism. Histology proved both lesions to be metastases of primitive adenocarcinoma of the lung.


In this paper, a new analytical method is proposed to generate concrete random aggregate structure (RAS) in meso-scopic level. This method is particular useful for the progressive failure of concrete under various external loads. In the meso-mechanics level, the concrete is taken as the composite material consisting of aggregate, mortar and interface between them. As a result, it is generated a random aggregate structure in which the shape, size and distribution of the aggregate particles resemble real concrete in the statistical sense using the Monte Carlo random sampling principle in this paper, and the method proposed can generate both regular aggregate particles and irregular ones in 2-Dimmension. It is should be noted that vector concept and some controlling measures are also proposed to avoid generating aggregate particles not consistent with real ones. Numerical examples are simulated to validate the proposed method finally.


Introduction: Transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC) is thought to be underestimated and under-managed in the pre-hospital setting. This clinical audit aims to assess the compliance of ambulance clinicians against the National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidance on the management of patients with T-LOC. Method: Ninety-four patients' clinical records and electrocardiograms (ECGs) were reviewed to determine appropriateness of assessment and patient management. Results: In this limited sample, findings show standard assessments and history documented for all patients were equally well recorded for T-LOC patients, but those specific to T-LOC were not. The number of ECGs conducted and interpreted correctly was an additional area of concern. Conclusions: Further assessments and history specific to T-LOC are required in the pre-hospital setting to ensure any potentially serious causes are recognised and these patients are taken to hospital.


In the past 15 years, numerous methods have been developed to detect selective sweeps underlying adaptations. These methods are based on relatively simple population genetic models, including one or two loci at which positive directional selection occurs, and one or two marker loci at which the impact of selection on linked neutral variation is quantified. Information about the phenotype under selection is not included in these models (except for fitness). In contrast, in the quantitative genetic models of adaptation, selection acts on one or more phenotypic traits, such that a genotype–phenotype map is required to bridge the gap to population genetics theory. Here I describe the range of population genetic models from selective sweeps in a panmictic population of constant size to evolutionary traffic when simultaneous sweeps at multiple loci interfere, and I also consider the case of polygenic selection characterized by subtle allele frequency shifts at many loci. Furthermore, I present an overview of the statistical tests that have been proposed based on these population genetics models to detect evidence for positive selection in the genome.


For knowledge intense companies the knowledge and skills of its employees are much more valuable than any physical assets. To share knowledge between its employees, some companies launch knowledge sharing initiatives which aims to spread best practices and increase the expertise of the employees. These initiatives are often supported by technical systems, repositories, which store the information that is to be shared. This report discusses how the value of such a repository, a Wiki containing reference cases of SOA projects at IBM Nordic, can be increased by using processes that aims to better connect it to the organization.To do this, seven employees at IBM Nordic were interviewed. Four of them were sales people, the main user group of the Wiki. Two were employees at the SOA Acceleration Team, the group responsible for the Wiki. The last interviewee works at Learning and Knowledge, IBM's internal department for organization-wide knowledge management and education. The answers were analyzed using a framework created using academic theory. This framework consists of four different areas of requirements for the processes connecting the Wiki to the organization. The analysis showed that for IBM the most important area to manage is enablement followed by governance, motivation and finally content.The report is concluded with recommendations for five processes to connect the Wiki to the organization. The process Internal selling aims to inform the sales people about the existence of the Wiki and how they are to use it. Ensure search engine compatibility makes sure that the sales people are able to find the contents of the Wiki via the intranet based search engines. The process for adding a new case description ensures that new case descriptions which are added to the Wiki is consistent and contains the right kind of information. By validating the case information that is added to the Wiki the acceleration team verifies that the information is correct, increasing its credibility. In the last process, ensure information congruence, the members of the acceleration team updates the guidelines on what information to collect and the information in the Wiki as the information need of the sales people changes. This is done on a regular basis and ensures that the information that is collected and stored is actually useful.


The Vaughan Williams system of classification of antiarrhythmic drugs provides valuable information concerning their electrophysiologic effects and mechanism of action. Despite its limitations in predicting the clinical effectiveness for treatment of specific arrhythmias, this classification is helpful in allowing many correlations between different drugs and their expected actions and adverse effects.