The radial aerostatic bearings with reversely tangential gas supply holes have been proved successfully in some applications to improve the dynamic stability. However, the concept lacks firm theoretical support. Aerostatic bearings with reversely tangential gas supply holes and radial gas supply holes were designed. The finite volume method (FVM) was used to solve the three-dimension flow field, the static characteristics of them were studied, and the following conclusions were drawn: The tangential gas supply holes can improve the pressure distributions in the working clearance, but they can't effectively improve the load capacity and stiffness. The improvement of the characteristics of aerostatic bearings with tangential gas supply holes is at the expense of excessive gas consumption. For aerostatic bearings, when the eccentricity ( ) is large and the rotor speed ( ) is high, the dynamic effect can effectively improve the load capacity and stiffness.


Expect the unexpected In convergent evolution, similar environmental conditions produce similar sets of adaptations. Does similar convergence exist in the molecular underpinnings of such morphological changes? Natarajan et al. looked across more than 50 species of birds that have adapted to different elevations to identify patterns of similarity in hemoglobin-oxygen binding affinity (see the Perspective by Bridgham). Increases in hemoglobin-oxygen binding affinity occurred in alpine species, but the molecular changes underlying the hemoglobin changes were variable. Thus, even in cases where adaptive phenotypic change is predictable, the molecular pathways to these changes may not be. Science, this issue p. 336; see also p. 289 Improvements in hemoglobin-oxygen affinity are convergent across taxa, but the genetic pathways are different. To investigate the predictability of genetic adaptation, we examined the molecular basis of convergence in hemoglobin function in comparisons involving 56 avian taxa that have contrasting altitudinal range limits. Convergent increases in hemoglobin-oxygen affinity were pervasive among high-altitude taxa, but few such changes were attributable to parallel amino acid substitutions at key residues. Thus, predictable changes in biochemical phenotype do not have a predictable molecular basis. Experiments involving resurrected ancestral proteins revealed that historical substitutions have context-dependent effects, indicating that possible adaptive solutions are contingent on prior history. Mutations that produce an adaptive change in one species may represent precluded possibilities in other species because of differences in genetic background.


Background Triple therapy-based treatment with protease inhibitors in infected genotype 1 hepatitis C (HCV) patients improves efficacy measured as sustained virological response (SVR). Purpose To compare the effectiveness and safety of triple therapy-based treatment in mono-infected and co-infected HCV-HIV patients. Material and methods All treatments started between 2012/07/01 and 2013/12/31 were analysed. A retrospective evaluation was made of electronic medical records and outpatient pharmacy records. SVR was defined as undetectable viral load at week 60. Results 83 patients were included, 80 treated with telaprevir and 3 with boceprevir, 58 mono-infected and 25 co-infected patients. Baseline characteristics in mono-infected patients were: 83% male, mean age 54 years; 26 genotype 1a, 30 1b, 2 untypable; 64% F4; 40% were treatment-naive, 14% relapsers, 12% partial responders, 31% null responders and 3% no data. In co-infected patients: 84% male, mean age 50 years; 17 genotype 1a, 71b, 1 untypable; 92% F4; 40% were treatment-naive, 28% relapsers, 12% partial responders, 12% null responders and 8% no data. We were able to assess the effectiveness of treatment in 71 patients, who achieved 60 weeks of treatment: 51 mono-infected and 20 co-infected. In the mono-infected group: 21 (41%) achieved SVR (86% treatment-naive or relapsers), 20 (39%) had a detectable viral load (50% null responders) (3 boceprevir-treated) and 10 (20%) discontinued treatment due to toxicity or disease progression. This compared with 11 (55%) (73% treatment-naive or relapsers), 8 (40%) (38% null responders) and 1 (5%) in the co-infected group. Adverse events were: anaemia 58%, neutropenia 81% and thrombocytopenia 36% in mono-infected vs. 44%, 80% and 52% in co-infected patients. Conclusion The rate of SVR was about 50%, higher in co-infected than in mono-infected HCV patients. However, it may have been affected by a greater proportion of null responders in the mono-infected group (p > 0.05), because as in published trials, the rates of SVR differed among patients with different responses to previous treatments. References and/or Acknowledgements Zeuzem S, Andreone P, Pol S, et al. Telaprevir for retreatment of HCV infection. N Engl J Med 2011;364:2417–28 Jacobson IM, McHutchison JG, Dusheiko G, et al. Telaprevir for previously untreated chronic hepatitis C virus infection. N Engl J Med 2011;364:2405–16 No conflict of interest.


Background—Optimal platelet inhibition is an important therapeutic adjunct in patients acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing coronary stenting. Whether adjunctive cilostazol to dual antiplatelet therapy (triple antiplatelet therapy) can inhibit enhanced platelet reactivity in patients with AMI yet has not been determined. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of platelet inhibition by triple antiplatelet therapy in patients with AMI. Methods and Results—Immediately after emergency room arrival, patients with AMI received clopidogrel (600-mg loading dose, followed by 75 mg daily) and aspirin (300-mg loading dose and 200 mg daily throughout the study period). After patients underwent coronary stenting (n=90), they were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups before discharge: standard group, clopidogrel of 75 mg daily (n=30); high maintenance dose (MD) group, clopidogrel of 150 mg daily (n=30); and triple group, adjunctive cilostazol of 100 mg twice daily to clopidogrel of 75 mg daily (n=30). Platelet reactivity was assessed at predischarge and 30-day follow-up by conventional aggregometry and the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay. Predischarge platelet reactivities were similar in the 3 groups. At 30-day follow-up, inhibition of maximal aggregation with 20 &mgr;M ADP stimuli was 6.0% in the standard group, 19.1% in the high-MD group, and 42.4% in the triple group (P<0.001), whereas inhibition of late aggregation with 20&mgr;M ADP stimuli was 10.8%, 38.1%, and 66.4%, respectively (P<0.001). Similar results were demonstrated when 5 &mgr;M ADP was used. Furthermore, percent changes of P2Y12 reaction unit were significantly different among regimens (10.6% in the standard group, 30.7% in the high-MD group, and 43.0% in the triple group; P<0.001). With respect to high-postclopidogrel platelet reactivity (prespecified as 20 &mgr;M ADP-induced maximal aggregation >50% of light transmission), fewer patients in the triple group (13.3%) met the criteria as compared with those in the standard (76.7%) and high-MD groups (56.7%) at 30-day follow-up (P<0.001). In the triple group, there were more potent and consistent platelet inhibitions by all parameters as compared with the high-MD group except for percent changes of P2Y12 reaction unit (P=0.071). Conclusions—Among patients with AMI undergoing coronary stenting, triple antiplatelet therapy results in a greater antiplatelet effect at 30 days as compared with a high-MD clopidogrel or standard dual antiplatelet therapy.


Background —Chemokines play a pathogenic role in atherogenesis and plaque destabilization by activating and directing leukocytes into the atherosclerotic plaque. However, stromal cell–derived factor (SDF)-1 was recently found to have antiinflammatory effects, and we hypothesized that this chemokine could play a beneficial role in coronary artery disease. Methods and Results —Plasma levels of SDF-1 (cid:1) were significantly decreased in patients with stable (n (cid:1) 30) and unstable angina (n (cid:1) 30) compared with healthy control subjects (n (cid:1) 20), particularly in those with unstable disease. By flow cytometry and RNase protection assay, we found decreased surface expression but increased gene expression of the SDF-1 (cid:1) receptor CXCR-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with stable angina and patients with unstable angina. In vitro, SDF-1 (cid:1) (500 ng/mL) reduced both unstimulated and endotoxin/mitogen-stimulated mRNA and protein levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-8, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and tissue factor while increasing tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 in PBMC from patients with unstable angina. The SDF-1 (cid:1) –mediated suppression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 appears to involve cAMP/ protein kinase A type I–dependent pathways. Finally, although SDF-1 (cid:1) suppressed the spontaneous release of these inflammatory mediators in unstable angina, enhancing effects were seen in unstimulated PBMC from healthy control subjects, possibly reflecting that PBMC in unstable angina are preactivated in vivo. our suggest that (cid:1) , at in high concentrations, may mediate antiinflammatory and matrix-stabilizing effects in unstable angina. These effects may promote plaque stabilization, and therapeutic intervention that enhances SDF-1 (cid:1) activity could potentially be beneficial in acute coronary syndromes. Circulation . 2002;106:36-42.)


Human genetic disorders provide a powerful lens to understanding the human brain. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) represent an important, new resource for mechanistic studies and therapeutic development. Christianson syndrome (CS), an X-linked neurological disorder with attenuation of brain growth postnatally (postnatal microcephaly), is caused by mutations in SLC9A6, the gene encoding endosomal Na+/H+ exchanger 6 (NHE6). We developed CS iPSC lines from patients with a mutational spectrum, as well as robust biologically-related and isogenic controls. We demonstrate that mutations in CS lead to loss of protein function by a variety of mechanisms. Regardless of mutation, all patient-derived neurons demonstrate reduced neurite growth and arborization, likely underlying diminished postnatal brain growth in patients. Additionally, phenotype rescue strategies show allele-specific responses: a gene replacement strategy shows efficacy in nonsense mutations but not in a missense mutation, whereas application of exogenous trophic factors (BDNF or IGF-1) rescues arborization phenotypes across all mutations. Our data emphasize the important principle of personalized medicine whereby success of some therapeutic strategies may be more linked to patient genotype than others.


There is increasing epidemiologic evidence on beneficial effects of green environments on survival, perceived health and quality of life, mental health, obesity and physical activity. However, most studies have been conducted in adults. Further research to assess the impacts of green environments on children's health is warranted. Moreover, an investigation of potential mechanisms underlying the associations is required.
This thesis comprises three publications, which are based on data from the German birth cohorts GINIplus and LISAplus.
The first publication assessed the effects of residential greenness at the mother's residential address as well as access to green spaces assessed by satellite-derived data on birth weight of newborns. Greenness in a 500-m buffer around the mother's residential address at delivery was positively associated with the birth weight of neonates. Air pollution, noise, population density and maternal stress during pregnancy did not mediate the discovered association. In the stratified analyses, the association between greenness and birth weight was more pronounced in mothers with low socioeconomic status. Access to green spaces and birth weight were not associated. Thus, increased accessibility to green spaces also does not explain the observed association with greenness.
The second publication investigated whether access to green spaces as well as residential greenness are associated with behavioural problems in 10-year-old children. Hyperactivity/inattention and peer relationship problems were positively associated with increasing distances to urban green spaces. The observed association with hyperactivity/inattention was only statistically significant among males. Children living further than 500 m away from any urban green space had more overall behavioural problems than those living within 500 m of an urban green space. Behavioural problems were not associated with the distance to a forest or with residential surrounding greenness. Thus, our findings suggest beneficial effects of living in close proximity to well-maintained green spaces on children's mental health.
The third publication explored for the first time an association between residential greenness and blood pressure in 10-year-old children. The found association was not influenced by environmental stressors (ambient temperature and air pollution, noise annoyance, altitude and level of urbanisation). The discovered link is in line with the existing evidence from experimental studies and thus, with the psychoevolutionary theory of Ulrich; the latter argues that green environments mitigate stress by activating the parasympathetic system. The associations were only significant in the urban Munich study area but null in the rural Wesel area. This result might indicate that children living in urbanised regions, which generally lack vegetation, might bene t more from high residential greenness than those from the rural areas.
In summary, these results support the hypothesis that better access to green spaces as well as higher residential surrounding greenness bene t children health. The results of my thesis suggest that greenness might improve health through the mechanism of physiological stress alleviation. But, contrary to my expectations, the observed effects of greenness and green spaces could not be additionally explained by mediation via physical activity, air pollution, noise, or urbanisation, possibly, because of insufficient data. Thus, future research should test more specifically what stands behind the discovered associations. Finally, health impacts of green environmentson children's health should be further investigated in different geographic areas with incorporation of data on time spent in the neighbourhood and the activities conducted as well as area-level socioeconomic status.


Quantum dot (QD)/TiO2 composites are widely used materials in the field of photocatalysis. However, the influence of different exposed facets of TiO2 in composites on photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is rarely reported. In this work, CdSe QD–TiO2 composites with dominant {001} or {101} faceted anatase were synthesized and specifically characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution tests reveal that {001}-TiO2/CdSe QDs exhibit a 213.1- and 9.0-fold increase in photocatalytic activity compared to {001}-TiO2 and CdSe QDs, respectively. Notably, the photocatalytic activity of {001}-TiO2/CdSe QDs is 2.2 times higher than that of {101}-TiO2/CdSe QDs. Based on the results from UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area testing, Mott–Schottky testing and steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy, the main reason for enhanced photocatalytic activity is the faster electron transfer from CdSe QDs to {001}-TiO2 compared with to {101}-TiO2. This research on tailored facets in QD/TiO2 composites provides primary insights for the design of effective photocatalysts.


Compression and compressive creep behavior was studied on Al-Ti-V ternary alloys containing gamma+beta dual phase microstructures; the gamma phase was based on an L10 face centered tetragonal lattice and the beta phase on a disordered body centered cubic lattice. Yield strength and its temperature dependence have been compared with those in the gamma and/or beta single phase materials. The ternary alloy compositions were located on one assumed conjugate line across the gamma+beta dula phase field: the terminal compositions for the gamma and beta phase constituents were Al51Ti40V9 and Al35Ti20V45, respectively (numbers in atomic %). Three other alloys were prepared that contained different fractions of the constituent gamma and beta phases. The Al47Ti35V18, Al43Ti30V27, and Al39Ti25V36 alloys contained beta phase by about 22, 57, and 76 % in their area fractions. All these alloys showed limited deformability at temperature below 900K. The 0.2% proof stresses of the alloys were described in a similar way as a combination law at the room temperature; the 0.2% proof stress increased from about 500 to 1000 MPa with increasing the vanadium content. The high strength of the alloys containing high level of vanadium retained up to 900K, but the proof stress drastically diminished as the temperature was raised above 900K. Under compressive creep tests performed at temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1200 K, the minimum creep rates were smaller in the alloys containing less vanadium, and this could be ascribed to the fact that the beta phase was much softer than the gamma phase at higher temperatures than about 1000K.


OBJECTIVE
To test the interrater reliability when using the codes of the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 beta draft as well as ICD-10 and to explore the usability of the ICD-11 beta draft and the applicability of ICD-11's Supplementary section for functioning assessment in hand injuries and diseases.

DESIGN
We conducted a validation study of the ICD-11 beta draft complemented by a single-centre study to collect clinical routine data on functioning.

SETTING
German hand surgery clinics.

PARTICIPANTS
Twenty-three physicians coded real-life cases containing diagnostic information on hand injuries and diseases. Additionally, clinical information of 100 patients was coded by 6 physicians and a nurse using ICD-11's Supplementary section for functioning assessment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Physicians coded 210 cases using the ICD-11 beta draft and ICD-10. Krippendorff's alpha was calculated. Clinical routine data was coded using 38 functioning categories.

RESULTS
Interrater reliability (Krippendorff's alpha) of 0.67 for ICD-11 coding and 0.71 for ICD-10 coding was obtained, indicating substantial agreement. However, physicians reported a high proportion of problems with ICD-11 coding and slightly fewer problems with ICD-10 coding. The collected data on functioning could be mapped to ICD-11's Supplementary section for functioning assessment. For some data, however, only unspecific codes were available.

CONCLUSIONS
Interrater reliability of ICD-10 and ICD-11 was satisfactory. Training material for ICD-11 is needed to further improve reliability and usability. Future users of ICD-11 should be encouraged to use the Supplementary section for functioning assessment to shed light on the problems patients experience in everyday life.


The plasma treatment of few-layer graphene (FLG) was investigated for the effect on the performance in supercapacitors and microsupercapacitors. Modifications to the FLG surfaces were proven by comprehensive studies using characterisation techniques including elemental microanalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, potentiometric titration, zeta-potential measurements and dispersion stability analysis.

A thermal pre-treatment to yield dried FLG was shown to increase the FLG surface charge and density due to the removal of adsorbed water and incorporation of carboxyl and phenolic functional groups. The thermal treatment was used before all characterisation methods were applied. An Ar gas plasma treatment on dried FLG was shown to introduce carboxyl and phenolic surface functional groups and reduce material variability. With increasing treatment time of Ar plasma, the FLG oxygen content increased by 1 at% due to the presence of a larger number of carboxyl functional groups.

The introduction of H2 gas at 3 wt% in Ar gas plasma produced a different functionalised FLG with a smaller quantity of carboxyl groups. Compared to the Ar gas plasma treated material, the H2/Ar gas treated material had a lower surface charge and density. NH3 gas plasma increased the nitrogen content of the FLG starting material two-fold according to XPS and elemental microanalysis. A multi-step treatment consisting of H2/Ar mixed gas plasma followed by NH3 gas plasma gave a further surface increase in nitrogen content by five times relative to the starting material.

Electrode films were manufactured using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) as non-conductive binders and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) as a conductive binder. The electrode films were constructed into supercapacitors and microsupercapacitors. External testing with PTFE binder showed promise for the H2/Ar mixed gas plasma treated material with a specific capacitance of 195 F g-1 at 1 mA cm-2 in sulfuric acid electrolyte, a 50% increase relative to untreated FLG devices. The other treated materials did not match this performance because they did not contain low concentrations of oxygen surface functional groups and had large quantities of sp3 hybridised carbon atoms. The supercapacitor devices were studied with sulfuric acid and potassium hydroxide aqueous electrolytes. The devices with potassium hydroxide electrolyte did not match the performance of the materials in sulfuric acid electrolyte due to materials' incompatibilities.

Supercapacitor testing was additionally carried out with SBR and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in sandwiched devices alongside potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid electrolytes. The manufacture of the electrode films required 20 wt% of SBR-CMC binder. The electrochemical results were indistinguishable and had large resistances.

An extensive investigation into the manufacture of flexible electrode films with FLG, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and PEDOT/PSS in composite electrode materials was carried out. The electrode films were laser-etched into interdigitated patterns for planar micro-supercapacitor devices with the application of polyvinylalcohol-phosphoric acid gel electrolyte. These devices performed best with a mass ratio of 1:3:1 (PEDOT/PSS:FLG:MWCNT), and with NH3 functionalised FLG and acid functionalised MWCNT. Gravimetric capacitances of 120 F g-1 at 5 mV s-1 and volumetric capacitances of 20 F cm-3 at 5 mV s-1 were obtained for the NH3:MWCNT(Acid) combination during long cycling tests (10,000 cycles) and showed capacity retentions > 80%. In-situ Raman microscopy analysis suggested that the PEDOT/PSS component underwent pseudo-capacitive, reversible changes during cycling tests but the dominant electric-double layer capacitive-like response was due to the FLG and MWCNT materials, which were highly stable.


The ability of stem cells to propagate indefinitely is believed to occur via the fine modulation of pathways commonly involved in cellular senescence, including the telomerase, the p53, and the mitochondrial/oxidative stress pathways. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a novel stem cell population obtained from somatic cells through forced expression of a set of genes normally expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). These reprogrammed cells acquire self‐renewal properties and appear almost undistinguishable from ESCs in terms of morphology, gene expression, and differentiation potential. Accordingly, iPSCs exhibit alterations of the senescence‐related telomerase and p53 signaling pathways. However, although treatments with antioxidants have been recently shown to enhance cellular reprogramming, detailed information regarding the state of the mitochondrial/oxidative stress pathway in iPSCs is still lacking. Mitochondria undergo specific changes during organismal development and aging. Thus, addressing whether somatic mitochondria within iPSCs acquire ESC‐like features or retain the phenotype of the parental cell is an unanswered but relevant question. Herein, we demonstrate that somatic mitochondria within human iPSCs revert to an immature ESC‐like state with respect to organelle morphology and distribution, expression of nuclear factors involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, content of mitochondrial DNA, intracellular ATP level, oxidative damage, and lactate generation. Upon differentiation, mitochondria within iPSCs and ESCs exhibited analogous maturation and anaerobic‐to‐aerobic metabolic modifications. Overall, the data highlight that human iPSCs and ESCs, although not identical, share similar mitochondrial properties and suggest that cellular reprogramming can modulate the mitochondrial/oxidative stress pathway, thus inducing a rejuvenated state capable of escaping cellular senescence. STEM CELLS 2010;28:721–733


ABSTRACT We propose representation justice as a theoretical lens for socio-hydrology and water governance studies. An exploratory survey of 496 water sector employees in the United States revealed that self-identifying females felt more strongly discriminated against due to their gender and other social factors, compared to self-identifying males. Responses unveiled how macro- and microaggressions impede career pathways to leadership positions and, therefore, representation. We identify ways in which socio-hydrology can benefit from a representation justice lens by considering the following: (1) how power and politics shape the composition of the water sector and decision-making processes; (2) how available quantitative data do not account for lived experiences of individuals in the water sector; and (3) how intersectionality cannot easily be accounted for in current socio-hydrological models. We offer a representation justice research and water management agenda that goes beyond quota filling to include meaningful engagement with diverse groups, lenses, and knowledge.


: PtK1 metaphase cells were treated with varying concentrations of nocodazole to reduce spindle microtubule number and spindle length. The range of concentrations employed reduced spindle length from approximately 47% to 82% of the original pole-pole distance. Electron microscopy of cells treated with the lowest concentration of nocodazole employed (0.01 microgram/ml) showed a small decrease in the number of non-kinetochore microtubules (nkMTs), particularly evident in the astral region, with no significant effect on kinetochore microtubule number. Metaphase cells treated with 1 microgram/ml nocodazole for 2 min demonstrated a reduction in spindle length and loss of most non-kinetochore microtubules with little effect on the number and arrangement of the kinetochore class of microtubules. Following nocodazole treatment, the cells were perfused with 0.5 M sucrose dissolved in tissue culture medium, a treatment which has previously been shown to induce spindle elongation in metaphase cells. In cells where nocodazole effected a large decrease in non-kinetochore microtubule number with a concomitant decrease in spindle length, sucrose treatment had a reduced effect in inducing spindle elongation. In cells treated with lower concentrations of nocodazole, where numerous non-kinetochore microtubules remained, sucrose had a greater effect in inducing spindle elongation. These data suggest that the non-kinetochore population of microtubules is responsible for the extent of sucrose-induced spindle elongation. An explanation of these data is provided which suggests that the role of non-kinetochore microtubules is to trap energy in the developing spindle, such that it can be used to separate spindle poles during anaphase B.


This thesis was concerned with investigating a visual-illusionary phenomenon that co-occurs with post-traumatic anxiety symptoms. More specifically, individuals who report recurring specific memories of a fearful event (RSM) also tend to report a persistent illusion of movement (PIM) upon prolonged visual fixation (Tym, Dyck & McGrath, 2000). The development of a visual test (iTest) designed to reliably elicit PIM has enabled research to be conducted on the nature and correlates of this type of visual disturbance. The present research aimed: 1) To develop a standard protocol for assessment of PIM and RSM; 2) to test the reliability of the i-Test in eliciting PIM in a student sample 3) to test the predictive relationship between dissociation and anxiety symptoms with PIM and RSM 4) to formulate and test a hypothesis regarding a mechanism underlying PIM. The first study screened 142 participants for RSM and PIM using selfadministered questionnaires designed by Tym (personal communication, 2001). There was an unexpectedly high rate (54.2%) of PIM and RSM (37.3%) in the sample, which appeared to be the product of questionnaire design limitations. Two semi-structured interviews were developed and subsequently tested on a new sample of 50 participants in Study 2. Study 2 documented intra-rater and inter-rater reliability co-efficient of sufficient strength to indicate good reliability for the semi-structured interviews. The results of Study 2 indicate that PIM is a relatively stable symptom over a 30minute and one-week test-retest time frame. The onset time for PIM was relatively consistent between participants, with a mean latency of approximately 7 seconds. The oscillation rate of PIM was relatively consistent between individuals, with a mean average oscillation of approximately 0.8Hz. The third study tested a sample of 148 participants using the revised assessment protocols. The base rate for PIM (16.2%) and RSM (18.9%), and the concordance rates (46% to 54%) were slightly stronger than the Tym et al. (2000) community based study (33%). In addition to this, 11 other illusionary phenomena were documented, however none of these visual symptoms significantly correlated with RSM. The average oscillation rate is comparable to the rate documented in Study 2, further establishing the consistency of the reported rate of PIM oscillations between individuals. In Study 3, each participant was assessed for levels of dissociation (Dissociative Experiences Scale), somatic arousal (Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire – Anxious Arousal Scale) and anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index). The results indicate that gender and dissociation significantly predict RSM status, and self-reported levels of anxious-arousal significantly predict PIM status. A multiway frequency analysis between the sub-components of RSM and PIM revealed that the physiological arousal inducing properties of the recurring memory is the only significant predictor of PIM. The observed relationship between RSM and PIM may reflect the broader relationship between anxiety and dissociation. A pulsatile hypothesis was proposed as a feasible mechanism underlying PIM, due to the rhythmical nature of the visual disturbance, the range of the documented oscillations, and its specificity to psychological disorders characterised by cardiovascular sensitivities. All participants were administered the i-Test prior to and following aerobic exercise aimed at increasing pulse rate to 80% of maximum load. An increase in physical exertion significantly increased the latency of PIM onset, but did not impact on the rate of PIM. PIM rate appeared relatively consistent between individuals at 0.6Hz to 0.8Hz at the pre-exercise condition. Several participants who reported PIM also displayed obvious nystagmoid-like movements during the i-Test perceptual task. The role of eye-movements in PIM requires further investigation by future ophthalmological research. The final aim of Study 3 was to investigate the relationship between RSM/PIM and flicker sensitivity. Through the use of a Critical Flicker Frequency/Fusion task (CFF), each participant's sensitivity to flicker was determined. In addition to detecting sensitivity thresholds, CFF is also considered to be a reliable indicator of the level of cortical arousal. The results of this study suggest that individuals with RSM have a higher sensitivity to flicker than other participants, however there was a non-significant relationship between CFF and PIM. The lack of relationship between PIM and CFF may be due to issues concerning statistical power and effect-size. Future research is required to investigate this link in more detail. The overall results of this thesis suggest that i-Test elicited PIM is a reliable phenomenon that is associated with higher rates of traumatic memories when compared with persons who do not report this visual symptom. The strength of the association between RSM and PIM, however, does not support the use of the i-Test as a marker for the presence of RSM outside a clinical sample. The reliability of PIM as a phenomenon and its association with anxiety symptoms may be of theoretical importance in enabling future research to investigate the relationship between visual symptoms and anxiety-related pathology.


Objectives: The main objective of this paper is to solve the criminal problems with in less amount of time. There are many methods to do so but this paper concentrates in solve the easily and reduce the time in solving the case. Methods: To solve the criminal cases with in less time there are many methods but here we used clustering technique. Cluster analysis or clustering is the task of grouping a set of objects in such a way that objects in the same group (called a cluster) are more similar (in some sense or another) to each other than to those in other groups (clusters). When a case is enrolled into the data base before if there is any case similar to it then we can solve the case easily by doing the same procedure. Findings: Before they used to file a case on FIR. But now a day, they are using data bases to file a case. By getting any new case they are comparing the new case with the older case so that it will be easy to find the suspect as it takes less time to solve the case. Before they used for other techniques like classification etc. But in my findings and research work clustering is simple, more accurate and takes less time to solve the case easily. In clustering techniques also we have different type of algorithm, but in this paper we are using the k-means algorithm and expectation - maximization algorithm. We are using these techniques because these two techniques come under the partition algorithm. Partition algorithm is one of the best method to solve crimes and to find the similar data and group it. K-means algorithm is done by partitioning data into groups based on their means. K-means algorithm has an extension called expectation- maximization algorithm here we partition the data based on their parameters. Applications: This system can be used for the Indian crime departments for reducing the crime and solving the crimes with less time. This technique can be used to solve the crimes with in less time.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the association between fluconazole and reversible alopecia.

DESIGN
A retrospective survey of 1) patients enrolled in NIAID Mycoses Study Group (MSG) protocols involving the long-term use of fluconazole for treatment of endemic mycoses and 2) patients treated with fluconazole outside of a protocol setting but by the MSG investigators who were MSG members.

SETTING
26 MSG sites in the United States.

PATIENTS
33 patients with various deep and superficial mycoses who developed alopecia while receiving fluconazole.

RESULTS
11 of 26 investigators reported a total of 33 patients with substantial alopecia related to fluconazole therapy. Underlying mycoses included blastomycosis, sporotrichosis, histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, and mucosal candidiasis. In separate MSG studies, 17 of 136 (12.5%) and 8 of 40 (20%) patients had substantial reversible alopecia associated with fluconazole therapy. Eight patients who were not in the protocol had similar adverse effects. Twenty-nine of 33 patients (88%) received at least 400 mg of fluconazole daily for a mean of 7.1 months. Alopecia developed a median of 3 months after initiation of fluconazole therapy and involved the scalp in all patients. Other sites were involved in about one third of patients. Three patients required wigs because of extensive hair loss. Alopecia resolved within 6 months of discontinuation of fluconazole therapy or reduction of the daily dose by at least 50%.

CONCLUSIONS
Alopecia appears to be a common adverse event associated with higher-dose (400 mg/d) fluconazole given for 2 months or longer. This effect may be severe but is reversed by discontinuing fluconazole therapy or substantially reducing the daily dose.


Tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) derivatives exhibit good biological activity. However, utilization of TIQ compounds in asymmetric catalysis is limited. This paper presents a series of TIQ derivatives in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) reactions. Chiral TIQ amino alcohol ligands were synthesized and screened for the ATH reaction of aromatic ketones. The effect of a cis- and trans-phenyl substitution at the C-1 position on the ligand backbone was investigated both experimentally and computationally. The results showed that the trans orientation on the TIQ scaffold yields higher turnover rates with a selectivity of 94% ee obtained at room temperature with an Ru complex. The cis isomer results in a high turnover rate with no selectivity. The trans isomer gave 99% ee at lower temperatures. Furthermore, it was observed that substitution at the C-3-alpha position results in a drop of the enantioselectivity and the reactivity of the catalyst.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Evergreen herbaceous species in the deciduous forest understorey maintain the photosystems in long-lived leaves under dynamic seasonal changes in light and temperature. However, in evergreen understorey herbs, it is unknown how photosynthetic electron transport acclimates to seasonal changes in forest understorey environments, and what photoprotection systems function as excess energy dissipation under high-light and low-temperature environments in winter.

METHODS
Here, we used Asarum tamaense, an evergreen herbaceous species in the deciduous forest understorey with a single-flush and long-lived leaves, and measured photosynthetic CO2 assimilation and electron transport in leaves throughout the year. The contents of photosynthetic proteins, pigments, and primary metabolites were determined from regularly collected leaves.

KEY RESULTS
Both the rates of CO2 assimilation and electron transport under saturated light were kept low in summer, but increased in autumn and winter in A. tamaense leaves. Although the contents of photosynthetic proteins including Rubisco did not increase in autumn and winter, the proton motive force and ΔpH across the thylakoid membrane were high in summer and decreased from summer to winter to a great extent. These decreases alleviated the suppression by the lumen acidification and increased the electron transport rate in winter. The content and composition of carotenoids changed seasonally, which may affect changes in non-photochemical quenching from summer to winter. Winter leaves accumulated proline and malate, which may support cold acclimation.

CONCLUSIONS
In A. tamaense leaves, the increase in the photosynthetic electron transport rates in winter was not due to the increase in photosynthetic enzyme contents, but due to the activation of photosynthetic enzymes and/or release of limitation of photosynthetic electron flow. Not only these seasonal changes in the regulation of electron transport but also the changes in several photoprotection systems should support the acclimation of photosynthetic C gain under dynamic environmental changes throughout the year.


Pseudochirita trifoliata, a new Gesneriaceae species from Pu Luong-Cuc Phuong limestone mountain range in northern Vietnam is described and illustrated here. This new taxon is the second species of the narrowly endemic genus Pseudochirita which is known from limestone areas in southern China and northern Vietnam. It is easily distinguished from P. guangxiensis by a set of differences on the leaves, bracts, calyx, external corolla indumentum, staminode number, pistil length, ovary indumentum, style indumentum, and capsule length. A detailed description, illustration, information on distribution, ecology, phenology, provisional conservation assessment using IUCN categories and criteria of the proposed new species, and comparison with its similar species, are also provided.


The present study describes the development of a technique for the measurement of atmospheric turbulence and temperature at a point in space based on the integration of a fast-response multihole pressure probe and a thermocouple with an inertial measurement unit on a multirotor UAV-based platform. This allows for an accurate measurement of time series of the three components of the velocity vector and temperature at any point in space in which the UAV can fly within the limitations of its autonomy. The presented technique relies on an accurate correction of the three-component velocity vector measured by the pressure probe on the frame of reference of the UAV—noninertial—with the information provided by the inertial measurement unit. The study includes a validation of the technique against sonic anemometry and the measurement of the signature of tip vortices shed by the blades of a full-scale wind turbine as an example of its potential.


At process having to do with machines or turning material that ductile usually having problem. For example at cutting process have income chip that continue or not broken. So chip be turn at material. The matter can be disturb in turning process, much time that free to clean teh chip, because the machine always turn on and turn off. The solution is used cutting chip radius that long chip. So turn machine operator can work with efficient and quality of work more increase. Purpose of the research is to know large of cutting radius that appropriate to turn steel S 45 C and to know how for effect of large of cutting radius to long of chip. Based on data analysis that regressed  having result of experiment with used radius 0,25 (mm) income long of chip average 11,09 (mm), radius 0,5 (mm) income long of chip average 17,54 (mm), radius 0,75 (mm) income long of chip average 23,45 (mm), radius 1,0 (mm) income long of chip average 32,41 (mm), radius 1,25 (mm) income long of chip 42,91 (mm), radius 1,3 (mm) income long of chip average 55,45 (mm). Include the larger of cutting chip radius so income long the chip can be long form long turning process, so turn of chip at material or object be able to displacement.


It is anticipated that a large amount of multicast traffic needs to be supported in future communication networks. The network coding technique proposed recently is promising for establishing multicast connections with a significantly lower bandwidth requirement than that of traditional Steiner-tree-based multicast connections. How to design multicast network topologies with the consideration of efficiently supporting multicast by the network coding technique becomes an important issue now. It is notable, however, that the conventional algorithms for network topology design are mainly unicast-oriented, and they cannot be adopted directly for the efficient topology design of network-coding-based multicast networks by simply treating each multicast as multiple unicasts. In this paper, we consider for the first time the novel topology design problem of network-coding-based multicast networks. Based on the characteristics of multicast and network coding, we first formulate this problem as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem, which is NP-hard, and then propose two heuristic algorithms for it. The effectiveness of our heuristics is verified through simulation and comparison with the exhaustive search method. We demonstrate in this paper that, in the topology design of multicast networks, adopting the network coding technique to support multicast transmissions can significantly reduce the overall topology cost as compared to conventional unicast-oriented design and the Steiner-tree-based design. Index Terms—Network coding, multicast networks, topology design, heuristic algorithms. C


The prestige ranking of scholarly journals is costly to science and to society. Researchers' payoff in terms of career progress is determined largely from where they publish their findings, and less from the content of their scholarly work. This fact creates perverted incentives for the researchers. Valuable research time is spent in trying to satisfy reviewers and editors, rather than spending their time in the most productive direction. This in turn leads to unnecessary long time from research findings are made until they become public. This costly system is upheld by the scholarly community itself. Scholars supply the journals with time, serving as reviewers and editors without any paycheck asked, even though the bulk of scientific journals are published by big commercial enterprises enjoying super profit margins. The super profit results from expensive licensing deals with the scholarly institutions. The free labour offered, on top of the payment for the licensing deals, should be viewed as part of the payment to these publishers – a payment in kind. Why not use this as a negotiating chip towards the publishers? If a publisher asks more than acceptable for a licensing deal, rather than walk away with no deal, the scholarly institutions could pull out all the free labour offered by reviewers and editors.


A procedure was developed for enumeration of total associated, attached and intracellular bacteria after interaction of Yersinia spp. with epithelial cells in vitro. Isogenic cultures of Y. enterocolitica grown at 25 degrees C had greater affinity for epithelial cells (Henle, HeLa and Vero) than for polystyrene, and they invaded the cells. Y. kristenseni and Y. intermedia showed less attachment to either surface and were non-invasive. The degree of attachment to cells and invasion by Y. enterocolitica was related to number of bacteria added and interaction time, whereas attachment to polystyrene occurred rapidly and did not change. Y. enterocolitica was more hydrophobic when grown at 35 degrees C than at 25 degrees C according to partitioning in a biphasic dextran-polyethylene glycol system, and attached strongly to both polystyrene and epithelial-cell monolayers. Y. kristenseni grown at 25 degrees C was also hydrophobic but did not have the same attachment properties. Y. kristenseni and Y. intermedia showed slightly reduced electrostatic interactions with the anion exchangers DEAE-Sepharose and DEAE-Trisacryl. Attachment of Y. enterocolitica to epithelial cells probably involves non-specific surface properties that are not entirely explicable by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, whereas invasion of epithelial cells appears to resemble "receptor-mediated endocytosis".


SIR,-Generic prescribing has become much more widely practised since the introduction of the limited list, as several drugs are available only if prescribed by their generic names. Also, the discount clawback applied to chemists and dispensing doctors alike has resulted in a search to improve dispensing income by buying cheaper generic drugs from a variety ofsources. Is this always in the patients' interests? I think not. Drug absorption was highlighted by the Lanoxin-digoxin story some years ago, when reformulation of Lanoxin tablets effectively doubled the amount of digoxin available in the bloodstream, although the amountof digoxin in the tablet remained unchanged. There cannot now be many prescriptions for digoxin which are not filled by dispensing Lanoxin so as to ensure a standard effect. What about other commonly prescribed generics? It probably does not matter


At a landscape scale, the combined influence of biotic and abiotic factors may determine the distribution patterns of large herbivores in African savanna ecosystems. Herbivores foraging in these ecosystems may become nutritionally stressed during an annual dry season when both forage quality and quantity are reduced. Additionally, the locations of water sources may impose a landscape-scale constraint on dry-season herbivore distri- butions. We used logistic regression to analyze 13 years of aerial census data collected in the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, and evaluated hypotheses regarding the relative influences that surface water, forage quality, and forage quantity exert on the dry- season, landscape-scale distribution patterns of eight herbivore species. Hypotheses re- garding the degree of correlation between species' distributions and distance to water were developed using previous observations of species' relative water dependence. We also developed hypotheses regarding species' responses to the trade-off that may occur between surface-water constraints and nutritional requirements when either forage quality or quantity is reduced. In general, we expect an increase in species' mean distance to water as a result of individuals mitigating limitations in nutritional requirements (i.e., intake quality or quantity) by foraging farther from water. Our analyses suggest that the trade-off between nutritional requirements and surface-water constraints that species face varies according to the species' water dependence, size, and gut morphology. Of the four grazers considered in our analyses, waterbuck distributions appear to be constrained primarily by surface- water availability. Distributions of buffalo, a large ruminant grazer, suggest that individuals face a trade-off between nutritional requirements and surface-water constraints when forage quantity is reduced. Alternatively, distributions of wildebeest, a smaller ruminant grazer, suggest that individuals face this trade-off when access to high-quality forage is limited. In comparison to buffalo and wildebeest, the strength of this trade-off is moderate for zebra, a nonruminant similar in size to wildebeest, when either forage quality or quantity is reduced. Distribution patterns for browsers are characterized by a weak relationship with distance to water, as expected for these relatively water-independent species. Population densities relative to forage quality confound exploration of this trade-off for mixed feeders.


It is now longer than half a century, humans, animals, and nature of the world are under the influence of exposure to many newly introduced noxious substances. These exposures are nowadays pushing the borders to be considered as the causative or exacerbating factors for many chronic disorders including allergic, autoimmune/inflammatory, and metabolic diseases. The epithelial linings serve as the outermost body's primary physical, chemical, and immunological barriers against external stimuli. The "epithelial barrier theory" hypothesizes that these diseases are aggravated by an ongoing periepithelial inflammation triggered by exposure to a wide range of epithelial barrier–damaging insults that lead to "epithelitis" and the release of alarmins. A leaky epithelial barrier enables the microbiome's translocation from the periphery to interepithelial and even deeper subepithelial areas together with allergens, toxins, and pollutants. Thereafter, microbial dysbiosis, characterized by colonization of opportunistic pathogen bacteria and loss of the number and biodiversity of commensal bacteria take place. Local inflammation, impaired tissue regeneration, and remodeling characterize the disease. The infiltration of inflammatory cells to affected tissues shows an effort to expulse the tissue invading bacteria, allergens, toxins, and pollutants away from the deep tissues to the surface, representing the "expulsion response." Cells that migrate to other organs from the inflammatory foci may play roles in the exacerbation of various inflammatory diseases in distant organs. The purpose of this review is to highlight and appraise recent opinions and findings on epithelial physiology and its role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases in view of the epithelial barrier theory.


A substantial proportion of children with language-based learning problems [learning disabilities (LD)] display abnormal encoding of speech at rostral levels of the auditory brainstem (i.e. midbrain) as measured by the auditory brainstem response (ABR). Of interest here is whether these timing deficits originate at the rostral brainstem or whether they reflect deficient sensory encoding at lower levels of the auditory pathway. We describe the early brainstem response to speech (waves I and III) in typically developing 8- to 12-year-old children and children with LD. We then focus on the early brainstem responses in children with LD found to show abnormal components of the rostral speech-evoked ABR (waves V and A). We found that wave I was not reliably evoked using our speech stimulus and recording parameters in either typically developing children or those with LD. Wave III was reliably evoked in the large majority of subjects in both groups and its timing did not differ between them. These data are consistent with the view that the auditory deficits in the majority of LD children with abnormal speech-evoked ABR originate from corticofugal modulation of subcortical activity.


In the intestine, finger-like villi provide abundant surface area for nutrient absorption. During murine villus development, epithelial Hedgehog (Hh) signals promote aggregation of subepithelial mesenchymal clusters that drive villus emergence. Clusters arise first dorsally and proximally and spread over the entire intestine within 24 h, but the mechanism driving this pattern in the murine intestine is unknown. In chick, the driver of cluster pattern is tensile force from developing smooth muscle, which generates deep longitudinal epithelial folds that locally concentrate the Hh signal, promoting localized expression of cluster genes. By contrast, we show that in mouse, muscle-induced epithelial folding does not occur and artificial deformation of the epithelium does not determine the pattern of clusters or villi. In intestinal explants, modulation of Bmp signaling alters the spatial distribution of clusters and changes the pattern of emerging villi. Increasing Bmp signaling abolishes cluster formation, whereas inhibiting Bmp signaling leads to merged clusters. These dynamic changes in cluster pattern are faithfully simulated by a mathematical model of a Turing field in which an inhibitor of Bmp signaling acts as the Turing activator. In vivo, genetic interruption of Bmp signal reception in either epithelium or mesenchyme reveals that Bmp signaling in Hh-responsive mesenchymal cells controls cluster pattern. Thus, unlike in chick, the murine villus patterning system is independent of muscle-induced epithelial deformation. Rather, a complex cocktail of Bmps and Bmp signal modulators secreted from mesenchymal clusters determines the pattern of villi in a manner that mimics the spread of a self-organizing Turing field. Highlighted article: Intestinal villus pattern in the fetal mouse is controlled by mesenchymal BMP signaling, not mechanical forces, and behaves in accordance with a reaction-diffusion Turing mechanism.


In this paper I would like to show the importance of the concept of responsibility as the foundation of ethics in particular in the fields of politics and economics in the modern civilisation marked by globalization and technological progres. I consider the concept of responsibility as the key notion in order to understand the ethical duty in a modern technological civilisation. We can indeed observe a moralization of the concept of responsibility going beyond a strict legal definition in terms of imputability. The paper begins by discussing the humanistic foundations of such a concept of responsibility. It treats the historical origins of responsibility and it relates this concept to the concept of accountability.  On the basis of this historical determination of the concept I would like to present the definition of the concept of responsibility as fundamental ethical principle that has increasing importance as the foundation of the principles of governance in modern welfare states. In this context the paper discusses the extension of the concept of responsibility towards institutional or corporate responsibility where responsibility does not only concerns the responsibility of individuals but also deals with the responsibility of institutional collectivities. In this way the paper is based on the following structure : 1) The ethical foundation of the concept of responsibility 2) Responsibility in technological civilisation 3) Political responsibility for good governance in the welfare state 4) Social responsibility of business corporations in times of globalization 5)  Conclusion and discussion : changed conditions of responsibility in modern times.


OBJECTIVE
There is few report on dynamic stabilization for posterior cervical reconstruction. To investigate the biomechanical properties of a novel cervical spine posterior fixation using the bio-derived freeze-dried tendon in posterior cervical spine reconstruction.

METHODS
The palmaris longus flexor tendon and metacarpal extensor tendon were collected from the death donors' stump to prepare bio-derived tendon. Twenty fresh cervical vertebrae (C1-7) were harvested from goats and were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 5): intact group (group A); injury control group (group B); screw-rods fixation group, fixed with screw-rods on C3, 4 (group C); tendon reconstruction group, cross-fixed with bio-derived freeze-dried tendon on C3, 4 bilatera facet joints (group D). The range of motion (ROM) values in flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation were measured.

RESULTS
In flexion, the ROM values of group C were significantly lower than those of the other 3 groups (P < 0.05), and the ROM values of group B were significantly higher than those of groups A and D (P < 0.05). In extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation, the ROM values of group C were significantly lower than those of groups A, B, and D (P < 0.05), and no significant difference was found within the other 3 groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The novel cervical spine posterior fixation using the bio-derived frozen-dried tendon can provide enough stability in flexion motion, but it can not limit the lateral bending and axial rotation motion, which can provide dynamic stabilization in animal model.


The Yule-Nielsen modified spectral Neugebauer model enables predicting reflectance spectra from surface coverages. In order to provide high prediction accuracy, this model is enhanced with an ink spreading model accounting for physical dot gain. Traditionally, physical dot gain, also called mechanical dot gain, is modeled by one ink spreading curve per ink. An ink spreading curve represents the mapping between nominal to effective dot surface coverages when an ink halftone wedge is printed. In previous publications, we have shown that using one ink spreading curve per ink is not sufficient to accurately model physical dot gain, and that the physical dot gain of a specific ink is modified by the presence of other inks. We therefore proposed an ink spreading model taking all the ink superposition conditions into account. We now show that not all superposition conditions are useful and necessary when working with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks. We therefore study the influence of ink spreading in different superposition conditions on the accuracy of the spectral prediction model. Finally,


Silicon nano crystals (NCs) have attracted considerable interest for possible uses in optoelectronics1 As the particle size decreases the properties of NCs become increasingly sensitive to the surface termination.2, 3 Monolayer chemistries4-10 have been exploited to control the physicochemical properties. NCs are often prepared by vapour-phase deposition techniques; using these they can be conveniently analysed via gas phase analysis techniques, such as mass spectrometry. This cannot be employed, however, if NCs are not synthesized in the gas phase. Here we present a STEM study of undecyl-capped SiNCs, evaporated intact upon heating in ultrahigh vacuum at 200 °C and collected on a variety of solid substrates, including carbon-coated TEM grids. The BF- and HAADF lattice images confirm that the particles have a crystalline core with Si-lattice spacings. The presence of Si in the core is also confirmed by Si-L edge EELS, which reveals furthermore the presence of a surface oxide.


Poly(L-lactide) exhibits good biocompatibility and processability, but its surface lacks proper hydrophilicity for cell growth and proliferation, which hinders its use as a tissue engineering scaffold. Surface aminolysis has been reported to improve the surface hydrophilicity and cytocompatibility of polymers. However, the aminolysis of 2D substrates has been achieved on the surface to only low depths, and aminolysis of 3D scaffolds does not guarantee homogenous distribution of amine functionality on their surfaces. Thus, herein, we address these problems by developing 3D scaffolds based on pre-aminolyzed poly(L-lactide) single crystals. The scaffolds are fabricated using the simple compression molding salt leaching technique in the absence of heat and gluing materials. Mechanical and morphological studies show that the scaffolds are mechanically stable with well interconnected open-porous structures. Furthermore, the ninhydrin test confirms homogenous spatial distribution of amine groups. The biological behavior of the scaffolds is investigated by seeding them with fibroblast cells. The aminolyzed single crystals offer a better interface for fibroblasts to adhere, proliferate and migrate than the pristine crystals and hence result in a promising 3D porous structure for tissue engineering applications.


An unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver, WIND, is employed to capture the flowfield features of a synthetic jet pulsing into the quiescent air, case 1 of NASA Langley Research Center Workshop: "CFD validation of synthetic jets and turbulent separation control," held at Williamsburg, Virginia in March 2004. Both 2-D and 3-D simulations of this case have been performed by employing the appropriate boundary conditions at diaphragm of the actuator. It should be noted that the computations reported in this paper strictly follow the guidelines of the workshop in terms of all the parameters and modeling issues such as grid resolution, time step, boundary conditions, turbulence modeling, etc. Furthermore, to authors' knowledge, this is the only paper among the workshop participants reporting the 3-D simulations for this case. Comparisons are made with the experimental data; fair agreement is obtained. It is shown that the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations are capable of predicting the overall features of the oscillatory synthetic jet flowfield; however, noticeable discrepancies remain between the computations and the experimental data.


Modern real-time systems have to be adaptable and flexible to deal with non-periodic events, requiring a means of checking for schedulability during execution time. Thus, online schedulability tests are a fundamental building block in the design of such systems. Usually, when such tests are carried out at time t they either consider or not future events that occur after t. Those that take such events into consideration are based on previously derived offline scheduling. Otherwise, they focus only on the jobs that are active at t. Unlike these usual approaches, we describe in this paper two online tests that verify schedulability within a given time interval [t, t′) so that future event occurrences are considered but bounded within the interval. The tests are proved correct and are evaluated by simulation.


Carotenoids are antioxidants with pharmaceutical potential. The major carotenoids important to humans are α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-cryptoxanthin. Some of the biological functions and actions of these individual carotenoids are quite similar to each other, whereas others are specific. Besides genotype and location, other environmental effects such as temperature, light, mineral uptake, and pH have been found affect carotenoid development in plant tissues and organs. Therefore, this research investigated the effects of the season and storage periods during postharvest handling on the accumulation of carotenoid in pumpkin. This study shows that long-term storage of pumpkins resulted in the accumulation of lutein and β-carotene with a slight decrease in zeaxanthin. The amounts of β-carotene ranged from 174.583±2.105 mg/100g to 692.871±22.019 mg/100g, lutein from 19.841±9.693 mg/100g to 59.481±1.645 mg/100g, and zeaxanthin from not detected to 2.709±0.118 mg/100g. The pumpkins were collected three times in a year; they differed in that zeaxanthin was present only in the first season, while the amounts of β-carotene and lutein were the highest in the second and third seasons, respectively. By identifying the key factors among the postharvest handling conditions that control specific carotenoid accumulations, a greater understanding of how to enhance the nutritional values of pumpkin and other crops will be gained. Postharvest storage conditions can markedly enhance and influence the levels of zeaxanthin, lutein, and β-carotene in pumpkin. This study describes how the magnitudes of these effects depend on the storage period and season.


Glaucoma is a serious eye disease, overtime it will result in gradual blindness. Early detection of the disease will help prevent against developing a more serious condition. A vertical cup-to-disc ratio which is the ratio of the vertical diameter of the optic cup to that of the optic disc, of the fundus eye image is an important clinical indicator for glaucoma diagnosis. This paper presents an automated method for the extraction of optic disc and optic cup using Fuzzy C Means clustering technique combined with thresholding. Using the extracted optic disc and optic cup the vertical cup-to-disc ratio was calculated. The validity of this new method has been tested on 365 colour fundus images from two different publicly available databases DRION, DIARATDB0 and images from an ophthalmologist. The result of the method seems to be promising and useful for clinical work.


Three major systems are currently available in most urban settings for the delivery of long-term oxygen therapy. These are compressed oxygen in tanks, liquid oxygen, and oxygen concentrators. Each system has advantages and disadvantages. The choice of system for any individual patient must be based on relative cost, the need for portability, and safety features. The cost of oxygen and regulations governing its reimbursement vary widely throughout the country. Oxygen should be supplied by reputable vendors who meet specific criteria for assuring quality service. In many instances referral to a home care agency for teaching and supervision of the patient is essential. Patient compliance with long-term oxygen therapy is often poor due to factors such as lack of significant subjective improvement, unrealistic fears or embarrassment concerning use of oxygen, and feelings of depression or hopelessness that the patient may experience when told he needs oxygen.


To address the dual need to examine the weaponization of social media and the nature of non-Western propaganda, this article explores the use of Twitter bots in the Gulf crisis that began in 2017. Twitter account-creation dates within hashtag samples are used as a primary indicator for detecting Twitter bots. Following identification, the various modalities of their deployment in the crisis are analyzed. It is argued that bots were used during the crisis primarily to increase negative information and propaganda from the blockading countries toward Qatar. In terms of modalities, this study reveals how bots were used to manipulate Twitter trends, promote fake news, increase the ranking of anti-Qatar tweets from specific political figures, present the illusion of grassroots Qatari opposition to the Tamim regime, and pollute the information sphere around Qatar, thus amplifying propaganda discourses beyond regional and national news channels.


Neuroscience
We constantly make choices. It is often important to consider not only the short-term but also the longer-term implications of a choice, also known as its prospective value. In a combined decision-making and brain-scanning study, Kolling et al. found that when humans make sequential decisions, they do not only consider their immediately available options. Instead, they incorporate the average value of future options, their variability, and the time frame or search horizon, as well as search costs. Furthermore, humans even consider individual capacities and preferences for making decisions in the future. Brain activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex represents prospective value, but when there is an increased need to overcome costs, activity in the ventral striatum and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex is more strongly coupled.

Neuron 99 , 1069 (2018).


Giant condylomata acuminata (Buschke-Lowenstein tumor) of the penis resembles carcinoma in some respects but has a favorable prognosis. The authors reporting the 50-odd cases in the literature emphasize the occurrence in uncircumcised males with phimosis. All observed rapid growth, benign histology, failure of conservative measures, and all advised surgical removal. An additional case presenting similar findings and requiring surgical treatment after conservative therapy failed is presented in some detail. Immediate circumcision should be carried out in all males with phimotic foreskins who develop verruca acuminata in this area in order to prevent the development of this lesion. A seven-year follow-up, with no evidence of recurrence, exemplifies the necessity of differentiating this tumor from squamous cell carcinoma.


Summary This paper presents a statistical analysis chart suitable for continuous processes like the human blood flow in the real time. Noninvasive measurement of blood glucose concentration based on reflected laser beam from the index finger has been reported in this paper. This method depends on Helium-Neon gas (He-Ne) laser operating at 632.8nm wavelength. During measurement the index finger is placed under the laser beam transceiver unit, the reflected optical signal is converted in to a electrical signal, compared with the reference electrical control limit signal, and the obtain difference signal is processed by the six-sigma concept which presents the results in the form of blood glucose concentration chart with respect to blood flow particles, Red Blood Carpusels (RBC). This method would enable the monitoring of blood glucose level of the diabetic patient continuously, safely and noninvasive. Certain aspects that are unique to this kind of process make conventional charts inadequate and misleading, causing false information and search of non-existent problems.


Author(s): Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila; Redding, Alyssa M.; Arkin, A.P.; Borglin, Sharon; Dehal, P.; Chakraborty, R.; Geller, Jil T.; Giles, B.; Hazen, T.C.; He, Q.; Joachimiak, Marcin P.; Joyner, D.C.; Wall, J.D.; Yang, Z.; Zhou, J.; Keasling, J.D. | Abstract: Though considered obligate anaerobes for many years after their discovery, sulfate reducing bacteria like Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH) are found in environments with very low sulfate and in many environments that are regularly exposed to oxygen or are normally aerobic. The best growth condition for DvH, measured as increase in biomass, remains a completely anaerobic environment. However, DvH is clearly able to tolerate sub-aerobic environments and can survive exposure to air for up to 20 days. Controlled experiments were conducted to expose DvH to aerobic and microaerobic conditions (0.1% O2). Cell-wide responses were monitored via transcriptomics and proteomics measurements. Microaerobic conditions caused an overall decrease in growth without affecting the viability of the bacterium. Cellular responses to microaerobic conditions were mild and primarily included up-regulation of the putative PerR regulon, but other known oxidative stress response candidates remained unchanged. Other transcripts that show an expression profile similar to the PerR regulon genes included the cydA/B operon, encoding putative oxidative phosphorylation proteins. However, comparison with data from prior DvH functional genomics studies suggested that many of these changes could be part of a general stress response in DvH. In contrast, exposure to air produced drastic changes at both the transcriptome and proteome levels and had a detrimental effect on both growth and viability of DvH. During aerobic stress, increases in proteases and chaperones signified air exposure to be a very harsh stress in DvH. However, quantitative proteomics also indicated an accumulation of superoxide-dismutase, catalase as well as ferritins and thioredoxins, and these candidates may be critical for the survival of the small fraction of cells which survive air exposure. Our results indicated that DvH has very different responses towards microaerobic vs. aerobic exposure. Growth of DvH strains under these different O2 exposures and the data from our integrated genomics experiment are presented and have been used to improve the model for O2 stress response in DvH.


Sugar and organic acid concentrations in fruit of two cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme Alef.) cultivars ('Large Red Cherry' and 'Small Fry') were determined at five stages of ripening. Fructose and glucose concentration increased in both cultivars from the immature-green to table-ripe stage, with fructose being the primary sugar. Sucrose, present in low concentration, was higher in the immature-green than table-ripe stage. Citric acid was the primary organic acid and it increased in concentration from the immature-green to mature-green stage (and to the light-red stage in 'Small Fry'), but no further change occurred from the light-red to table-ripe stage. Malic acid decreased in concentration from the mature-green to table-ripe stage. 'Large Red Cherry' fruit contained more fructose, glucose, and malic acid, but less citric acid than 'Small Fry' fruit. The pattern of sugar and organic acid change during cherry tomato fruit ripening was similar to the pattern of change previously reported for large-fruited types.


Boston during the first 50 years of its existence remained architecturally a community of mostly wooden buildings in an English-derived post-medieval tradition. About 1680, however, there began to be a significant influx of new building artisans, many of them with London backgrounds. These men became the "carriers" of stylistic ideas then fashionable in English urban centers among the mercantile middle class, ideas which can best be defined as a blending of English Renaissance forms, derived ultimately from Inigo Jones and his successors, with contemporary material and stylistic borrowings from the Lowlands. Patronized by Boston9s own growing mercantile elite, the immigrant builders were responsible for the transplantation in provincial terms of a new "high" style, while at the same time introducing into Boston for a more modest clientele of artisans and small shopkeepers current urban vernacular forms, representative of the simplest two- and three-story brick houses of post-Fire London.


Gametophytic self-incompatibility (SI) in Citrus is known in pummelo, mandarin and many hybrid cultivars with pummelo in their pedigrees. What seems to be lacking, however, is determination of allelic vari- ation in SI gene (S) and the genotypes of self-incompatible and semi self-incompatible cultivars. In previ- ous studies, S genotypes of several Citrus cultivars were estimated on the basis of segregation distortion for Got-3 gene in F1 progenies between these cultivars. In this study, S1 seedlings were produced from self- pollinated 'Hirado Buntan' pummelo, and homozygous S1 seedlings for the S gene were determined by the pollination with 'Hirado Buntan'. Then, the homozygous S1 seedlings were pollinated with the homozygous S1 seedling (SaSa) each other and classified them into two genotype groups of SaSa and SbSb. The ten culti- vars, whose S genotypes were predicted on the basis of joint segregation analysis with Got-3 gene in their progenies, were pollinated with the homozygous S1 seedlings (SaSa or SbSb). Pollen tube behavior in the style of the ten Citrus cultivars after pollination with the Sa or Sb pollen led to the conclusion that 'Hirado Buntan' has S9 and S10 alleles. Furthermore, pollen tube arrest in the style of self-compatible 'Kabusu' sour orange pollinated with S9 pollen suggested that the genotype of 'Kabusu' is SfS9. Inscrutably, neither S9 nor S10 alle- les were found in a group belonging to the Hirado pummelo line, which started from seeds sown by the 11th feudal load Terasu Matsura of the domain of Hirado. This fact supported the two origins of Hirado pummelo plants described in the literature, and indicated the association of multiple seed and/or pollen parents with different S alleles to the original seed production.


Southwest Japan is an island arc formed by subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate. The Quaternary magmatism in this region is characterized by eruptions of high‐Sr andesites and dacites, considered to have been derived by melting of the PHS plate. The loci of these volcanoes spatially coincide with seismic discontinuities of the subducted PHS plate. Thus, the magmatism is interpreted as the result of slab melting at the plate tears. However, the processes that promote slab tearing remain unclear. In this study, we applied geochronological and geochemical analyses to late Cenozoic volcanic rocks in southwest Japan as tracers of slab morphology. Two different magma types, ocean‐island basalt (OIB) and island‐arc basalt (IAB), have occurred over 12 million years (Myr). These two magmas are attributed to different integrations of melts extracted from an originally fertile mantle; the OIBs from high temperature melt (1,300–1,400°C) were extracted at a depth of 40–80 km, whereas the IABs were extracted from a shallower, lower temperature region (30–60 km, 1,200–1,350°C). Secular change in Sr enrichment of IAB likely arose due to a transition of slab‐derived fluids, incorporated into magmas as they formed, from water‐ to melt‐dominant one. Progressive shallowing of the subducted PHS plate is responsible for secular change in the properties of slab‐derived fluids as well as rollback of OIB volcanoes. Production of chemically variable magmas in the Chugoku district is the surface expression of distorting slab morphology by interaction between mantle and the subducting plate.


This paper examines the background and work of the AICPA's Accounting Objectives Study Group, chaired by Robert M. Trueblood, which issued its important report in October 1973. In particular, the research is informed by interviews with three members of the Study Group and with four of the principal members of its research staff. Evidence is presented on the members of the Study Group who supported, or did not support, various positions in the report, including their apparent reasons, as well on the influential role of the staff in shaping the report. The conclusion is that the full-time staff, abetted by the financial analyst member of the Study Group, played the key role in driving the thrust of the final report, which recommended that financial statements should provide users with information about the cash-generating ability of the enterprise, and eventually the cash flow to the users themselves. This recommendation resonated with the FASB and with standard setters around the world.


Purpose and framing of questions.The objective of this study has been to problematize the concept of "health" by studying the philosopher Nietzsche's writings on the subject and by analyzing four PE teachers' thoughts on his view of health. This has been achieved by examining the following questions: What types of health does Nietzsche describe, and how are these promoted and inhibited according to him? How does a Nietzschean view of health stand visavi the one expressed by the Swedish national curriculum? What do teachers think about the Nietzschean concept of health and its potential applicability in physical education?Theory and Method.The literary study had a hermeneutic approach and was conducted according to a qualitative analytical method, in addition the so-called three-step method was used to create a definition of "health" on the basis of Nietzsche's use of the term. The source material consisted of Nietzsche's overall philosophical writings (ca 2600 pages) in order to give a complete picture of his view of health. The four interviews consisted of open enquiries, which were conducted according to a qualitative interviewing technique. The selection of respondents was made from convenience.Results.The study showed that Nietzsche uses "health" in varying contexts and applies it to several different subjects: he writes about cultural, spiritual, physical, mental health, and relates these categories to humanity as a whole and to the individual. Nietzsche argues that healthy human beings sublimate their urges instead of repressing them, look for invigorating challenges, preserve themselves through rest and a healthy lifestyle, are free from resentment, affirm life even when it is most difficult, and practice moderation. The view of health expressed in the curriculum is considerably narrower than Nietzsche's, as it relates the term "health" solely to questions of physical activity and lifestyle.Conclusion.We suggest that Nietzsche's health philosophy should be used by physical education teachers as a heuristic tool to problematize health, as his approach has a philosophical depth and an inquisitorial variation which rarely occurs in the health discourse of physical education teachers, which would be broadened, deepened, and stimulated by inviting more alternative approaches.


Phenomenologists have given considerable attention to questions of human embodiment and the experience of being enmeshed within the immanent world, most notably in the thought of Merleau-Ponty. This focus on incarnation has, in turn, heavily influenced contemporary philosophy of religion and post-theological turn phenomenology. Yet when speaking of the human experience of embodiment, philosophers run the risk of adopting a normative perspective that universalizes a particular type of human body while excluding or marginalizing different forms as deviant, defective, or deficient. This paper considers numerous critiques against the perceived normativity in Merleau-Ponty's account of embodiment in the Phenomenology of Perception (feminist, gender studies, post-colonial critiques) before positing disability studies as an even more radical – and privileged – means to dispense with phenomenological normativity. In doing so, this paper attempts to open a space for multiple phenomenological perspectives for experiencing the world as a body, yet without lapsing into an entirely relativistic individualism that precludes phenomenology from making meaningful claims about the experience of human embodiment as such.


The problems of such pre-school children are being increasingly recognized, but there are still few well organized programmes of help. It says much for the perspicacity and drive of certain lay members of the Chelsea Group of Hospitals and of the South-west Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board that, despite formidable difficulties, a day assessment and treatment centre was established in Chelsea. The expanded centre has a flourishing existence and serves as a valuable model. It has not had the notice it deserves. Now at a time when the future of the centre and that of a number of other small, but unique, semi-autonomous specialist hospitals and centres in the metropolis is threatened by the uncertainty engendered by a new sort of Todd's paralysis, the staff of Cheyne Walk has presented this collection of papers based on the experience accumulated at the centre. This is no requiem, but a timely description of the praiseworthy efforts of a pre-school unit, with which to enliven some of the tendentiously pious plans for district assessment centres. In her preface, the superintendent of the centre, who has edited the book, indicates that it should be suitable for teachers, social workers, house-mothers, nursery nurses, and parents as well as doctors and therapists. There are obvious difficulties in catering for such a wide range of readers, and certain sections, notably those on the specifically clinical aspects, are probably too recondite for most non-medical readers. Nevertheless, this book can be wholeheartedly commended to those concerned with the care of children with neurological handicaps, as well as to those involved in the planning of new units.


Many countries have adopted economic regulation to the electricity distribution. Economic regulation plays a significant role when long-term decisions are determined. The regulatory model sets the framework for the network planning process. It does not give strict instructions for the planning process but aims to ensure the development of the network. This paper elaborates on the influence of the incentive regulation on the electricity distribution and especially on renovation programs, which are among the main functions of the network operators in the coming years. The backgrounds of the electricity distribution network owners are very diverse, which makes the aims of the ownership different. For instance, maximising the return or profit, a strict reliability target or a tight investment schedule may reflect the objectives of the owner. Alternatively, a distribution company owned by a municipality typically wants to provide low-cost electricity for the customers, and to this end, the costs of the company should be minimised. Among others, these objectives have to be taken into account in strategic planning. Traditional distribution network planning that minimises the total costs including capital, operational and interruption costs leads to a different result, compared with planning based on maximising the profit of the owner.


Food, medicine and vaccine in developing countries are often difficult to preserve due to epileptic power supply from the utility companies. In other to reduce the over dependence on the utility company and harness the abundant renewable energy resources. This paper presents the implementation of a solar power DC refrigerator with a microcontroller based temperature monitoring and control system. A DC compressor of 12V/59.8W Danfoss, 12V/100AH battery, a pair of 12V/130W solar panels connected in parallel through a 20A charge controller was used for the refrigerator. ATMEGA16 microcontroller interface with weight, temperature and momentary sensors was programmed in C language to monitor temperature and control the switching ON or OFF of the DC compressor. This project has demonstrated that the energy required for effective operation of DC refrigerator could be harnessed from renewable energy source at reduced cost, the flexibility of its application is vital in developing countries.


To investigate allelopathic activity of a leguminous mangrove plant, Derris indica, the 'Protoplasts Co-culture Method' for bioassay of allelopathy was developed using suspension culture. A suspension culture was induced from immature seed and sub-cultured in Murashige and Skoog's (MS) basal medium containing 10 μM each of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 6-benzyladenine (BA). The protoplasts were isolated using the separate wells method with 2% each of Cellulase RS, Driselase 20 and Macerozyme R10 in 0.4 M mannitol solution. Protoplast cultures of D. indica revealed that high concentrations of cytokinins, BA and thidiazuron, were effective for cell divisions. The co-cultures of D. indica protoplasts with recipient lettuce protoplasts using 96 multi-well culture plates were performed in MS basal medium containing 0.4 M mannitol solution and 1 μM 2,4-D and 0.1 μM BA. The protoplast density of D. indica used in co-culturing varied from 6 × 103 - 105 / mL. Very strong inhibitory allelopathic effects of D. indica protoplasts on lettuce protoplast growth were found. A similar strong inhibitory allelopathic activity of dried young leaves on lettuce seedling growth was also observed by using the sandwich method. Rotenone, which is a component of Derris root, dissolved in DMSO, was highly inhibitory on the growth of lettuce protoplasts in culture and this could be one of the causes of the strong allelopathic activity of D. indica.


The paper presents the conclusions of a qualitative study regarding the efficiency of new design/development models of pedagogical resurses very useful in blended learning. The purpose of the present study is the capitalization of the new blended educational directions used in designing/accomplishing/implementing modern courses used pedagogical methods, recent software products, new perspectives in the process of blended learning/education. The methodology is a qualitative one. The experts participating in the focus group introduce us to new insights with a view to blended learning, emphasizing the advantages of using the blended education in learning environments that allow the adults either on-line or face-to-face communication in oder to create and present their own content and evidence of learning through performance-based evaluations.
The specific objects of this study are:
o the analysis of the latest tendencies regarding the design and development of the adults' blended learning courses;
o the analysis of the complex role of the teacher in adult blended learning and of the mentorship relation with the beneficiaries of the course;
o the analysis of the benefits of the blended learning strategies including the evaluation of the acquired competences using blended learning strategies;
o outcomes of nowadays adult blended learning best practices in Romania.
The conclusions of the present study points out the efficiency of blended learning models designed for stimulating the adults' cognitive procecess in order to allow the capitalization of the educational differentiated and personalised content and to ensure a flexible structure of the learning steps, an instantaneous measurement of the students' progress in acquiring competences and last but not least, an increased involvement of the adults in their own learning process.


INTRODUCTION
In the last years, the consumption of ready-to-eat foods has become an increasing part of the current Spanish diet. Accordingly, the nutritional composition of these food categories should be investigated in order to estimate its contribution to vitamin and nutrient intakes, in particular its folate content. The broad lack of folate data in food composition tables and databases justifies this approach.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this work was to screen the current availability and to supply new folate data in ready-to-eat commercial products in the Spanish market.

METHODS
Seventeen ready-to-eat foods, including mainly vegetable ingredients, were analysed for total folate content using a validated method that relies on Lactobacillus casei ssp. rhamnosus chloramphenicol-resistant folate dependent growth. The accuracy of the analytical procedure was checked using a certified reference material and by a recovery test.

RESULTS
Mean TF content ranged from 13.6 to 103.8 μg/100 g in different food matrices on a fresh weight basis. Higher TF quantity was found for vegetable hamburguers, recipes including chickpeas, peas or artichockes. Selected precooked products were also analysed after a soft heat treatment as recommended by the manufacter before its consumption. No significant differences were found in the folate content after processing. The coefficient of variation for the duplicates of the same product was less than 15%.

CONCLUSION
Folate content in ready-to-eat products indicates the potential to considerably increase folate intake by choosing folate-rich foods. There have been no previous reports on folate data in chilled ready-to-eat meals. The present data will assist dietary studies to estimate and evaluate the adequacy of population folate intakes.


Nowadays, Business Process Management (BPM) has progressed significantly and established itself as an important management concept for enterprises. For creating efficient and effective business processes enterprises have given process models a high priority. A well-documented business process is intended not only to describe a procedure
in detail, but serves as a foundation for further actions such as process automation, improving process performance, and the identification of potential consequences as
well as the quickness to respond for changes. To this end, it is important to ensure that process models represent the corresponding real world business processes as accurately as possible. In turn, a not proper described business process may lead to ineffectiveness, costs, and even losses. Hence, a focus is set on the quality, granularity
as well as structure of process models. By now, numerous guidelines exist for creating correct and sound process models in respect to their quality, granularity, and resulting structure. However, hardly research addresses cognitive aspects when creating process models. Thereby, cognitive aspects are of particular importance for creating and understanding process models.
This thesis contributes insights from a controlled experiment investigating the influence of psychological distance on the process of process modeling. More precisely, the effects of social distance of a process designer to the modeled domain has on the creation
of process models are evaluated. In this context, the recent and emerging trend of gamification is applied. Therefore, gamification in a 3D virtual world is used to enhance the effects of social distance and for a better reflection of a real world problem.
The final results obtained from the experiment do not agree with the theory. In particular, significant differences between low and high social distance with respect to process model quality, granularity, and structure are observed but are contrary to the stated goal of the experiment. Hence, the findings underline the importance of understanding the effects of cognitive aspects on the process of process modeling. However, the results may provide valuable incitements for enterprises to compose adequate teams for creating or optimizing business process models.


The hypoglycemic effect of 2.5 mg glipizide and the potentiation of this effect by ethanol were studied in 10 normal-weight nondiabetic subjects. The reductions in blood glucose concentrations were similar in time of onset and extent (2 mM) whether glipizide was taken alone or in combination with ethanol. However, the return of blood glucose toward fasting level was delayed by ethanol. Β-Cell secretory activity, evaluated from the concentrations of insulin and C-peptide, was unchanged by ethanol. The serum glipizide concentrations were reproducible within subjects, whereas there was a considerable interindividual variation. This heterogeneity in the rise in glipizide concentration was strongly correlated with blood glucose fall and insulin secretion. Thus, ethanol can prolong but does not augment the hypoglycemia induced by glipizide. The heterogeneity in glipizide concentration seems to be caused by an interindividual variation in kinetics.


Reaction temperature, alcohol/oil molar ratio, type and amount of catalyst, reaction duration, and the water content in free fatty acid are the most important parameters in biodiesel production by the transesterification method. Thus, it is important to define the optimum values of these parameters to achieve the EN 14214 standards. In this study, optimum levels of the variables affecting the yield of tobacco seed oil methyl ester (TSOME) for KOH and NaOH catalysts are investigated. Reaction temperatures of 40, 50, and 60 °C, alcohol/oil molar ratios of 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, and 1:10, and the addition of 0.5, 1, and 1.5% KOH catalyst of tobacco seed oil (TSO) were chosen as parameters. Effects of these parameters on kinematic viscosity, flash point, and freezing points are also investigated. The effect of the reaction duration on the yield of ester is also studied.


While conditions in trade finance markets returned to normality in the main routes of trade, the structural difficulties of poor countries in accessing trade finance have not disappeared – and might have been worsened during and after the global financial crisis. In fact, there is a consistent flow of information indicating that trade finance markets have remained characterized by a greater selectivity in risk-taking and flight to "quality" customers. In that environment, the lower end of the market has been struggling to obtain affordable finance, with the smaller companies in the smaller, poorer countries most affected. In an area where statistics are difficult to find, this paper looks at recent available information and provides background on the persistent and significant market gaps for trade finance in developing countries, notably in Africa and developing Asia. It discusses various initiatives in which the WTO and partner institutions are involved to alleviate in part this situation.