Microglial TYROBP (also known as DAP12) has been identified by computational transcriptomics as a network hub and driver in late-onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and as an important regulator of the microglial environmental sensing function. TYROBP is the transmembrane adaptor of AD-related receptors TREM2 and CR3, but importantly, TYROBP interacts with many other receptors, and little is known about its roles in microglial action and/or in the pathogenesis of AD. Herein, using dual RNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate that endogenous Tyrobp transcription is increased specifically in recruited microglia in the brains of wild-type and AD-related mouse models. To determine whether chronically elevated TYROBP might modify microglial phenotype and/or progression of AD pathogenesis, we generated a novel transgenic mouse overexpressing TYROBP in microglia. TYROBP-overexpressing mice were crossed with either APP/PSEN1 or MAPTP301S mice, resulting in a decrease of the amyloid burden in the former and an increase of TAU phosphorylation in the latter. Apolipoprotein E (Apoe) transcription was upregulated in MAPTP301S mice overexpressing TYROBP and transcription of genes previously associated with Apoe, including Axl, Ccl2, Tgfβ and Il6, was altered in both APP/PSEN1 and MAPTP301S mice overexpressing TYROBP. Lastly, Tyrobp and Apoe mRNAs were clearly increased in Trem2-null mice in microglia recruited around a cortical stab injury or amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits. Conversely, microglial Apoe transcription was dramatically diminished when Tyrobp was absent. Our results provide compelling evidence that TYROBP-APOE signaling in the microglial sensome does not require TREM2. We propose that activation of a TREM2-independent TYROBP-APOE signaling could be an early or even initiating step in the transformation of microglia from the homeostatic phenotype to the Disease-Associated Microglia (DAM) phenotype.


It is well known that the perception of depth is susceptible to changes in configuration. For example, stereoscopic precision for a pair of vertical lines can be dramatically reduced when these lines are connected to form a closed object. Here, we extend this paradigm to suprathreshold estimates of perceived depth. Using a touch-sensor, observers made quantitative estimates of depth between a vertical line pair presented in isolation or as edges of a closed rectangular object with different figural interpretations. First, we show that the amount of depth estimated within a closed rectangular object is consistently reduced relative to the vertical edges presented in isolation or when they form the edges of two segmented objects. We then demonstrate that the reduction in perceived depth for closed objects is modulated by manipulations that influence perceived closure of the central figure. Depth percepts were most disrupted when the horizontal connectors and vertical lines matched in color. Perceived depth increased slightly when the connectors had opposite contrast polarity, but increased dramatically when flankers were added. Thus, as grouping cues were added to counter the interpretation of a closed object, the depth degradation effect was systematically eliminated. The configurations tested here rule out explanations based on early, local interactions such as inhibition or cue conflict; instead, our results provide strong evidence of the impact of Gestalt grouping, via closure, on depth magnitude percepts from stereopsis.


Author(s): Mehrotra, Megha Lynne | Advisor(s): Glidden, David V. | Abstract: With the support of several successful randomized placebo-controlled trials, the FDA approved Truvada for daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV (PrEP) in the United States in 2012, and shortly thereafter the CDC and WHO released guidelines for widespread PrEP use by all at-risk individuals around the world. However, PrEP rollout is still is infancy, and there are several important questions regarding PrEP implementation that cannot be addressed by randomized trials. The causal transportability theory developed by Pearl and Bareinboim is a mathematically-grounded framework used to consider how effects observed in one setting might be applied to another. This dissertation proposes novel ways transportability can be applied to improve how trial results are used to inform implementation of PrEP. applies transportability to address some of these lingering questions about PrEP implementation. The first chapter uses transportability to better understand why randomization to PrEP was effective in preventing HIV among cisgender men but not effective among transgender women in the iPrEx study. We find that after transporting the results of the trial from cisgender men to transgender women, differences in measured baseline characteristics between the populations were sufficient to explain the observed effect heterogeneity in the trial. The second chapter demonstrates how transportability can be applied to subgroup analyses of randomized controlled trials to produce target-specific guidance for how to most efficiently implement new interventions. To illustrate this approach, we transport subgroup analyses of the iPrEx trial to two hypothetical target populations and show that the subgroups with the lowest number needed to treat differs depending on the composition of the target population. The third and final chapter addresses a common practical challenge faced in applying transportability theory to real-world data: how to decide which variables to include in a transport estimator. In this chapter, we discuss the various types of unnecessary variables that may inadvertently be included in transport estimators. We use a Monte Carlo simulation study to identify what types of variables should be included to maximize the performance (with respect to mean-squared error) of the parametric g-computation transport estimator. Together these projects highlight how transportability theory can be applied to improve translation of study results to real-world populations.


The century-old profession of social work has been characterized, among other things, by ideological commitment and political alertness. However, it has also been accompanied by diverging positions and professional invisibility. This has been perceived as both a strength and a weakness for social workers among other traditional helping professions — of which most are now academic or striving for that. It is argued here that social work is about to change its position, developing from the status of a semi-profession towards maturity and full professionalization. For contemporary social work, the challenge is thus to reconstruct old experiences and narratives as professional integrity, visibility and power in a qualitative work-through process. The clarification and rethinking of themes such as invisible loyalties, dichotomous thinking, conflictual positions, and incompatible meaning of social work research are highlighted as crucial tasks on the path to professional maturity. The increasing interest in and acknowledgement of theory and research in education and professional practice is, alongside an increased, although still ambivalent, emphasis on evidence – knowledge – or information-based practice, a sign of an epistemological change. New ways of thinking, whereby theory, practice, and research are viewed as an integrated, continuous interplay, may be defined as a paradigm-shift. This emerging paradigm shift and epistemological change in social work simultaneously implicates an identity transformation, a role shift. Both first- and second-order change are necessary for facilitating developmental changes. First-order change can be achieved by structural reforms or technical interventions. On the other hand, processes of dynamically reconstructed outcomes imply second-order change, meaning that things become qualitatively different from before. The current reform taking place through the Bologna process is an example of this. A case illustration from the University of Iceland is presented where the pros and cons of the reform process are examined.


The CAvern REtrievable (CARE) concept was originally developed to provide flexibility in tailoring disposal of vitrified HLW to small volunteer host sites, where high emplacement density leads to significant challenges in terms of the management of radiogenic heat. Including an extended storage period in underground caverns prior to sealing solved the heat issue, but also provided benefits in terms of a slow decision-making process that provided more opportunities to engage stakeholders.Recently, direct disposal of spent fuel is being considered in Japan and this gives more severe challenges for heat management, even for conventional disposal concepts. Due to great uncertainties in the future of nuclear power in Japan, this may also be associated with a desire to preserve the option of retrieval for extended periods. The basic CARE concept has thus been re-assessed to consider these aspects — and also the need to be able to develop a robust safety case that can be readily communicated to stakeholders, who are more sensitive to nuclear issues than they were in the past.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


In the last years there has been observed an increase of Albanian economic immigrants living in Greece with their families. During their pregnancy Albanian women rely on Greek hospitals for obsteatric follow-up as well as the the benefits of proper medical care at childbirth. The sample of our study constituted of 175 Albanian new mothers who gave birth in a big public hospital of Thessalonici. The majority of these women stated that they were satisfied with the obstetrical care offered even though some of them didn't have a complete follow-up during their pregnancy and they had feet fear upon entering the hospital.


This study tested the construct validity and invariance of a multidimensional measure of self-concept, the Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ-I), on a non-Western sample of boys and girls. Separate exploratory factor analyses of data from a sample of 566 students (302 boys, 264 girls) clearly identified five of the seven proposed factors. The covariance analysis supported a seven-factor model for boys and girls. The number of factors and the pattern of factor loading and uniqueness were invariant across genders. Factor covariances were not clearly invariant across genders, thus providing support for the differential socialization hypothesis. That is, the Arab girls made a better distinction of their worthiness in different areas than boys did. A model with two higher-order factors was found to be better than models with one or three higher-order factors. Coefficients alpha for the subscales ranged from .74 to .92 for girls and .76 to .93 for boys.


The world of medieval chivalry is at once glamorous and violent, alluring yet alien. Our popular views of the period are largely inherited from the nineteenth-century romantics, for whom chivalry evoked images of knights in shining armour, competing for the attention of fair ladies - with pennons and streamers fluttering from castle battlements. But what is the reality? Were the rituals and romance of chivalry designed to provide an escape from the brutal facts of almost continuous warfare? Or did they instead help regulate the conduct of war and moderate its violent excesses? Nigel Saul charts the introduction of chivalry by the Normans, the rise of the knightly class as a social elite, the fusion of chivalry with kingship in the fourteenth century and the influence of chivalry on literature, religion and architecture. He shows us a world of kings and barons, castles and cathedrals - a world shaped by Richard the Lionheart and the Crusades, by Magna Carta and the rule of law, by battles like Bannockburn and Crecy, by the Black Death and by tournaments, round tables and the cult of Arthurianism. Structured around the related themes of war, politics and knighthood, "For Honour and Fame" tells the story of England from the Norman Conquest to the aftermath of Henry VII's triumph at Bosworth in the Wars of the Roses. Wide-ranging, vivid and authoritative, this is the first book to treat chivalry as part of the wider history of medieval England.


The study identified the variables in the financial decentralization policy that have been neglected so as to render local government service delivery a nightmare in Uganda using the upcountry district of Mbale. The population comprised Mbale Municipality administration covering employees in the office of the town clerk, finance department, health department, education department, engineering and works department and internal audit department. The specific objectives were; (1) to establish the relationship between various aspects of financial reporting and accounting and service delivery under the current decentralization; (2) to examine the relationship between the existing planning and budgeting practices and service delivery; and (3) to analyze the relationship between management of funds and service delivery. Results of the study confirm a positive and significant relationship between financial reporting, and accounting practices and the expected service delivery under the current decentralization [r = .832**, p < 0.0001]; (2) there is a positive and significant relationship between the existing planning and budgeting practices and service delivery [r = .752**, p < 0.0001]; and (3) there is a positive and significant relationship between financial management and service delivery [r = .911**, p < 0.0001]. It was concluded that financial reporting, accounting, planning and meaningful budgeting in the management of funds are key service delivery correlates that local governments must adhere to in order to ameliorate and reverse the trend that is leading financial decentralization to be a curse. It was recommended therefore that the central government should have a strategy to see distant things like local governments that are in the rural setting as if they were close and to take a distant view of close things like municipalities within and around the Capital City.


With 7/10 of the population which will live in urban center by 2050, Cities face huge challenge inviting to rethink the very concept of a City. The Smart Cities concept proposes to use Information and Communication Technologies to design sustainable solutions for improving socio-ecological aspects of cities. In this paper, we present the challenge of designing IT applications in Smart Cities and present our own attempt to transform our university into a Smart Campus. Through examples of use cases, we discuss how the Smart Cities concept intends to put citizen back at the center of the city and highlights that inter-disciplinary work is mandatory to address the challenges of Smart Cities.


For the first time in Africa, an entomological study went beyond the conventional practice of determining parity and survival rates of field-collected adult anopheline mosquitoes but also related these variables to duration of Plasmodium sporogony and estimated the expectation of infective life. Blood-seeking female mosquitoes were collected in Ilorin, Nigeria, from January 2005 to December 2006, and dissected for ovarian tracheations following WHO recommended techniques. The results indicated an annual mean parous rate of 70.92%, and significantly higher parous rates in the rainy than dry season, which also had very low densities. Mean probability of daily survival of the mosquitoes was 0.80, with annual mean life expectancy of 12.24 days. The probability of surviving the sporogonic cycle was low (< 0.4) but the expectation of infective life was long, especially in the rainy season (mean = 8.31 days). The epidemiological implications of these results were discussed. The An. gambiae population in Ilorin is dominated by older mosquitoes with high survival rates thus, suggesting a high vector potential for the species in the area. These information on the survival rates of An. gambiae in relation to malaria transmission would enhance the development of a more focused and informed vector control interventions.


Purified allophycocyanin II and its subunits have been examined with respect to spectroscopic properties, sedimentation, reconstitution and isoelectric behaviour. In 0.02m-potassium phosphate buffer, pH8.0, and at a concentration of 0.25mg/ml, allophycocyanin II and its alpha- and beta-subunits show visible absorption maxima at 650, 615 and 615nm respectively, whereas the fluorescence emission maxima were determined to be at 662, 640 and 630nm respectively. The absorption difference spectrum (dilution difference) of allophycocyanin II displays maxima at 650 and 590nm with a minimum at 610nm. The c.d. spectrum of allophycocyanin II showed only one positive-ellipticity band at 635nm, and a major negative-ellipticity band at 340nm. Oxidation of allophycocyanin II, low- and high-pH solutions (pH3.0 and 11.0), various ethanol concentrations as well as dialysis against distilled water induce a spectral change leading to phycocyanin-like characteristics. In most cases these shifts are reversible. Allophycocyanin II is thermostable over a period of 60min at temperatures up to 60 degrees C. The isoelectric points of allophycocyanin II and its alpha- and beta-subunits are 4.65, 4.64 and 4.82 respectively. Estimated molecular weights from sedimentation-equilibrium analyses were 102500 for allophycocycanin II, 16000 for the alpha- and 31500 for the beta-subunit. Recombination of alpha- and beta-subunits leads to allophycocyanin II, which is indistinguishable from native allophycocyanin with respect to its spectral form, to its gel-filtration and to its electrophoretic behaviour.


At ECN, we are developing several different cell concepts to reduce the €/Wp costs of crystalline silicon solar cells by increasing the efficiency on thin and large solar cells. Our metallization wrap through (MWT) concept PUM reduces the shading losses from the front side by 3%, which results in a gain in Jsc. Furthermore, the cells are fully back contacted and easy to implement in a module. Another way to improve efficiencies, especially on thin wafers, is to replace the full aluminum BSF at the rear side by a more appropriate passivating layer like silicon nitride in combination with partial rear metallization. In this paper we present the development at ECN from standard Hpatterned cell processing towards a combination of the two concepts mentioned above: our rear side passivated PUM cell, the ASPIRe cell. The proof of concept of the ASPIRe cell will be given. Compared to PUM reference cells, ASPIRe cells have reached higher Jsc and Voc, although the FF still remained behind. The highest efficiency obtained so far for ASPIRe cells is 16.4%, and methods to improve the FF by changing the rear side Al pattern are shown.


To describe the ultrasonographic technique for investigation of the canine sciatic nerve, four canine cadaver pelvic limbs, two live healthy dogs, and five canine patients with suspected peripheral sciatic nerve lesions were examined with a high-resolution linear ultrasound transducer. The caudal part of the lumbosacral trunk and the origin of the sciatic nerve were visualized through the greater ischiatic foramen. The two components of the sciatic nerve, common peroneal and tibial nerves, were distinguished along the entire length of the nerve, until they branched at the level of the distal femur. In healthy live dogs they appeared as two adjacent hypoechoic tubular structures with internal echotexture of discontinuous hyperechoic bands, surrounded by a thin rim of highly echogenic tissue. The common peroneal component had a smaller diameter and was on the cranial aspect of the tibial component. An ultrasonographic lesion compatible with a peripheral nerve sheath tumor was found in one dog. Improved understanding of the ultrasonographic anatomy of the sciatic nerve supports clinical use of this modality.


40 min after a single injection of 50 µCi of tritiated thymidine a 3 mm punch of DBA-1 mouse skin contains about 1000 dpm. This value remains constant for at least 48 hr after injection. 50 hair follicles contain about 40 dpm, and from these values the activity calculated to reside in the basal layer of a 3 mm punch of skin is 760 dpm. These values also remain constant with time after injection. Fresh punches of skin contain much more activity. The fixative-soluble fraction (the difference between fresh and fixed values) decays slowly with time. The values for DBA-2 mice are similar. Plucking the hair from the follicles appears immediately to increase the size of the fixative-soluble fraction and decrease the fixed tissue values to about 500 dpm per punch for whole skin and about 1 dpm per 50 follicles for DBA-1. Thus almost all the activity is restricted to the epidermis. The fixative-soluble fraction returns approximately to the unplucked value between 24 and 48 hr after plucking. However, during this period the fixed tissue values are rising rapidly as stimulated cells enter S. It appears that in both strains labeled material remains available for incorporation into stimulated cells for at least 48 hr after a single injection. The amount persisting appears to decrease with time. The whole-fixed skin, the hair follicles, and the epidermis all contain cells that are capable of becoming labeled after stimulation 8–48 hr after an injection. The label in question does not become incorporated into normal cycling skin or hair follicle cells. It is concluded that the DNA precursor pool is possibly connected with G0 cells and that both the hair follicle and the basal layer of the epidermis contain these resting cells.


We propose a dynamic verification approach for large-scale message passing programs to locate correctness bugs caused by unforeseen nondeterministic interactions. This approach hinges on an efficient protocol to track the causality between nondeterministic message receive operations and potentially matching send operations. We show that causality tracking protocols that rely solely on logical clocks fail to capture all nuances of MPI program behavior, including the variety of ways in which nonblocking calls can complete. Our approach is hinged on formally defining the matches-before relation underlying the MPI standard, and devising lazy update logical clock based algorithms that can correctly discover all potential outcomes of nondeterministic receives in practice. can achieve the same coverage as a vector clock based algorithm while maintaining good scalability. LLCP allows us to analyze realistic MPI programs involving a thousand MPI processes, incurring only modest overheads in terms of communication bandwidth, latency, and memory consumption.


Questions

Soil properties have been widely shown to influence plant growth and distribution. However, the degree to which edaphic variables can improve models based on topo-climatic variables is still unclear. In this study, we tested the roles of seven edaphic variables, namely (1) pH; (2) the content of nitrogen and of (3) phosphorus; (4) silt; (5) sand; (6) clay and (7) carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, as predictors of species distribution models in an edaphically heterogeneous landscape. We also tested how the respective influence of these variables in the models is linked to different ecological and functional species characteristics.

Location

The Western Alps, Switzerland.

Methods

With four different modelling techniques, we built models for 115 plant species using topo-climatic variables alone and then topo-climatic variables plus each of the seven edaphic variables, one at a time. We evaluated the contribution of each edaphic variable by assessing the change in predictive power of the model. In a second step, we evaluated the importance of the two edaphic variables that yielded the largest increase in predictive power in one final set of models for each species. Third, we explored the change in predictive power and the importance of variables across plant functional groups. Finally, we assessed the influence of the edaphic predictors on the prediction of community composition by stacking the models for all species and comparing the predicted communities with the observed community.

Results

Among the set of edaphic variables studied, pH and nitrogen content showed the highest contributions to improvement of the predictive power of the models, as well as the predictions of community composition. When considering all topo-climatic and edaphic variables together, pH was the second most important variable after degree-days. The changes in model results caused by edaphic predictors were dependent on species characteristics. The predictions for the species that have a low specific leaf area, and acidophilic preferences, tolerating low soil pH and high humus content, showed the largest improvement by the addition of pH and nitrogen in the model.

Conclusions

pH was an important predictor variable for explaining species distribution and community composition of the mountain plants considered in our study. pH allowed more precise predictions for acidophilic species. This variable should not be neglected in the construction of species distribution models in areas with contrasting edaphic conditions.


ABSTRACT Capsule Analyses of survey data reveal no clear effects of the removal of European Badger Meles meles, a top predator in Great Britain, on bird populations. Aims To investigate the effects of licensed Badger culling on bird populations in southwest England using ongoing monitoring data. Methods Breeding Bird Survey data were used to compare population growth rates inside and outside Badger cull areas in southwest England over a five-year cull period (2013–2017), following a five-year baseline period (2008–2012). Comparative analyses of population growth rates of ground-nesters and of other species were tested for potential influences of Badger predation. We also compared species richness and diversity before and during culling, in treatment and control areas. Results Most results were non-significant (48 of 58 species) but, where population growth rates were different (P < 0.1), they were higher for five species, and lower for seven, in cull areas. Ignoring significance, 33 population trends were more positive and 25 more negative within Badger cull areas. However, ground-nesting species, which were more likely to be sensitive to Badger predation, were not more responsive. Species richness declined significantly between pre-culling and culling periods in all areas, but diversity was unaffected and neither metric differed between treatment and control areas. Conclusion There was no evidence for broad or consistent effects that support the existence of causal effects of Badger removal. Results for Skylark Alauda arvensis and Lapwing Vanellus vanellus suggested positive and negative effects of the cull, respectively, for these potentially sensitive species. Management and subtle habitat composition differences between study areas, and small sample sizes, may have limited statistical power, but there was no evidence that this affected inference. Monitoring and evaluation must continue as culling continues and is expanded, potentially increasing study power. Future research could also evaluate the potential ecological and demographic mechanisms behind any effects on birds of Badger removal.


Zn-Ni-Ti-O system ceramics were prepared by solid state reaction method using two different routes. The positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (PTCR) behavior and microstructure were investigated in terms of different composition and synthetic routes. It was found that using ZnO, NiO and TiO2 as the starting materials (route A), the prepared ceramics exhibited low room temperature resistivity (ρRT was ~102 Ω•cm) and inferior resistivity jump (ρmax/ρmin<50) starting at the temperature when it began to rise. However, using ZnOss (Zn0.95Ni0.05O), NiOss (Ni0.55Zn0.45O) and spinel phase (ZnNiTiO4) as starting materials (route B), the ceramics revealed ρRT >103 Ω•cm and marked resistivity jump (ρmax/ρmin was ~102) starting at ~200 °C. The microstructure showed that the ceramics prepared by route B possessed clear-cut grain boundaries but the grains of ceramics prepared by route A were irregular shape and distribution.


Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) is a major micronutrient deficiency problem in Nepal. This study was conducted to measure the Urinary Iodine Excretion (UIE) and attempts were made to relate urinary iodine with salt use and other sociodemographic variables of the household of primary school children of Suryodaya municipality of Ilam district of Nepal. A community-based cross-section study was conducted in two schools of study area selected randomly (lottery method). A total of 202 school children of 6-12 years were recruited for the study to collect urine and salt samples for Urine Iodine Content (UIC) and Salt Iodine Content (SIC) measurement respectively and detail information of the study population was achieved from their household. UIC was measured by ammonium persulphate digestion microplate (APDM) method and SIC was estimated by rapid test kit (RTK). Data were expressed in frequency, mean±SD, and median (IQR) according to the nature of data. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to test the significance considering p≤0.05 at 95% confidence interval. It was found that the Median UIC of the study population was 152.14 μg/L. Overall; it was found that 30.7% of children had a urine iodine level less than the normal WHO levels. The availability of adequately iodized salt was 93.1% as measured by RTK. There was a statically significant association between consumed salt iodine content and urine iodine excretion level (P < 0.05).


Nontyphoidal Salmonella bacteria induce a classic inflammatory diarrhea by eliciting a large influx of neutrophils, producing a robust oxidative burst. Despite substantial progress understanding the benefits to the host of the inflammatory response to Salmonella, little is known regarding how Salmonella can simultaneously resist the damaging effects of the oxidative burst. The multidrug efflux pump MacAB is important for survival of oxidative stress both in vitro and during infection. We describe a new pathway used by Salmonella Typhimurium to detoxify extracellular reactive oxygen species using a multidrug efflux pump (MacAB) to secrete a linear siderophore, a metabolite of enterobactin. The natural substrates of many multidrug efflux pumps are unknown, and functional roles of the linear metabolites of enterobactin are unknown. We bring two novel discoveries together to highlight an important mechanism used by Salmonella to survive under the oxidative stress conditions that this organism encounters during the classic inflammatory diarrhea that it also induces. ABSTRACT Nontyphoidal salmonellae (NTS) are exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) during their residency in the gut. To survive oxidative stress encountered during infection, salmonellae employ several mechanisms. One of these mechanisms involves the multidrug efflux pump MacAB, although the natural substrate of this pump has not been identified. MacAB homologs in pseudomonads secrete products of nonribosomal peptide synthesis (NRPS). In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the siderophore enterobactin is produced by NRPS in response to iron starvation and this molecule can be processed into salmochelin and several linear metabolites. We found that Salmonella mutants lacking the key NRPS enzyme EntF are sensitive to peroxide mediated killing and cannot detoxify extracellular H2O2. Moreover, EntF and MacAB function in a common pathway to promote survival of Salmonella during oxidative stress. We further demonstrated that S. Typhimurium secretes siderophores in iron-rich media when peroxide is present and that these MacAB-secreted metabolites participate in protection of bacteria against H2O2. We showed that secretion of anti-H2O2 molecules is independent of the presence of the known siderophore efflux pumps EntS and IroC, well-described efflux systems involved in secretion of enterobactin and salmochelin. Both salmochelin and enterobactin are dispensable for S. Typhimurium protection against ROS; however, linear metabolites of enterobactin produced by esterases IroE and Fes are needed for bacterial survival in peroxide-containing media. We determined that linearized enterobactin trimer protects S. Typhimurium against peroxide-mediated killing in a MacAB-dependent fashion. Thus, we suggest that linearized enterobactin trimer is a natural substrate of MacAB and that its purpose is to detoxify extracellular reactive oxygen species. IMPORTANCE Nontyphoidal Salmonella bacteria induce a classic inflammatory diarrhea by eliciting a large influx of neutrophils, producing a robust oxidative burst. Despite substantial progress understanding the benefits to the host of the inflammatory response to Salmonella, little is known regarding how Salmonella can simultaneously resist the damaging effects of the oxidative burst. The multidrug efflux pump MacAB is important for survival of oxidative stress both in vitro and during infection. We describe a new pathway used by Salmonella Typhimurium to detoxify extracellular reactive oxygen species using a multidrug efflux pump (MacAB) to secrete a linear siderophore, a metabolite of enterobactin. The natural substrates of many multidrug efflux pumps are unknown, and functional roles of the linear metabolites of enterobactin are unknown. We bring two novel discoveries together to highlight an important mechanism used by Salmonella to survive under the oxidative stress conditions that this organism encounters during the classic inflammatory diarrhea that it also induces.


Video surveillance and biomedical research have received a great attention in most of the active application-oriented research areas of computer vision, artificial intelligence, and image processing. Visual analysis of human motion is presently one of the active research areas in video surveillance system. Human motion analysis relates the detection, tracking and recognition of activities of the people, and more generally, the understanding of human behaviours, from image sequences involving humans. The road side traffic video surveillance aims at using several image processing methods to obtain better traffic and road safety, which in turn provides direct solution for to reducing death rate of accident victims. The distributed computing process has an efficient solution for this scalability issues in traffic video surveillance system. In this paper, a road traffic video surveillance system is proposed which can automatically identify road accidents from live video files. The system alerts neighbouring hospitals and highway rescue teams when accidents occur. This paper proposes a methodology to process the video file using map-reduce framework for better network service and better scalability solution in surveillance system. Then, the distributed video files are enhanced with Gaussian filtering. Efficient object classification and detection is carried out using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) with Support Vector Machine (SVM) for traffic monitoring using video files from surveillance camera. Foreground object segmentation is a vital task which is carried out by Markov Random field (MRF) with Bayesian estimation process. This proposed method efficiently track and classify the foreground objects with use of object classification and detection and this will improve traffic monitoring in traffic scenes. The results obtained from the experiments on the proposed research shows the efficiency of traffic monitoring using traffic scenes.


Not only is alumina the most widely used catalyst support material in the world, it is also an important catalyst in its own right. One major chemical process that uses alumina in this respect is the industrial production of methyl chloride. This is a large scale process (650,000 metric tons in 2010 in the United States), and a key feedstock in the production of silicones that are widely used as household sealants. In this Account, we show how, in partnership with conventional spectroscopic and reaction testing methods, inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy can provide additional insight into the active sites present on the catalyst, as well as the intermediates present on the catalyst surface. INS spectroscopy is a form of vibrational spectroscopy, where the spectral features are dominated by modes involving hydrogen. Because of this, most materials including alumina are largely transparent to neutrons. Advantageously, in this technique, the entire "mid-infrared", 0-4000 cm(-1), range is accessible; there is no cut-off at ~1400 cm(-1) as in infrared spectroscopy. It is also straightforward to distinguish fundamental modes from overtones and combinations. A key parameter in the catalyst's activity is the surface acidity. In infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine, the shifts in the ring stretching modes are dependent on the strength of the acid site. However, there is a very limited spectral range available. We discuss how we can observe the low energy ring deformation modes of adsorbed pyridine by INS spectroscopy. These modes can undergo shifts that are as large as those seen with infrared inspectroscopy, potentially enabling finer discrimination between acid sites. Surface hydroxyls play a key role in alumina catalysis, but in infrared spectroscopy, the presence of electrical anharmonicity complicates the interpretation of the O-H stretch region. In addition, the deformations lie below the infrared cut-off. Both of these limitations are irrelevant to INS spectroscopy, and all the modes are readily observable. When we add HCl to the catalyst surface, the acid causes changes in the spectra. We can then deduce both that the surface chlorination leads to enhanced Lewis acidity and that the hydroxyl group must be threefold coordinated. When we react η-alumina with methanol, the catalyst forms a chemisorbed methoxy species. Infrared spectroscopy clearly shows its presence but also indicates the possible coexistence of a second species. Because of INS spectroscopy's ability to discriminate between fundamental modes and combinations, we were able to unambiguously show that there is a single intermediate present on the surface of the active catalyst. This work represents a clear example where an understanding of the chemistry at the molecular level can help rationalize improvements in a large scale industrial process with both financial and environmental benefits.


This survey is inspired by the International Comparative Study of Ethnocultural Youth (ICSEY), a comprehensive study which has looked at acculturation and cultural identity in adolescents from immigrant families across 13 countries. In the present survey 16 immigrant youths from two different ethnic minority groups in Norway – Somali and Albanian – were interviewed to find out more about their acculturation attitudes and experiences and their cultural identities. Eight Norwegian teenagers were also questioned. As regards acculturation, the Somali and Albanian adolescents were interviewed about how they prefer to live in the Norwegian society, i.e. to what extent they wish to retain their ethnic culture and to what extent they prefer to become involved with the larger society. In addition, they were questioned about their social contacts with peers, language proficiency and use, values as regards family relationships, as well as their perceived notion of discrimination. The Norwegian adolescents, on the other hand, were questioned on their attitudes towards cultural maintenance and intercultural contact, their social contacts with peers and their family relationship values. As to the question of cultural identity, the focus has been on to what extent the respondents identify with their ethnic group and with the larger society. The survey shows that the respondents generally favour an integration profile, and the non-Norwegian adolescents on average display a somewhat stronger ethnic identity than a Norwegian identity.


We argue that the many-worlds of quantum mechanics and the many worlds of the multiverse are the same thing, and that the multiverse is necessary to give exact operational meaning to probabilistic predictions from quantum mechanics.
Decoherence - the modern version of wave-function collapse - is subjective in that it depends on the choice of a set of unmonitored degrees of freedom, the "environment". In fact decoherence is absent in the complete description of any region larger than the future light-cone of a measurement event. However, if one restricts to the causal diamond - the largest region that can be causally probed - then the boundary of the diamond acts as a one-way membrane and thus provides a preferred choice of environment. We argue that the global multiverse is a representation of the many-worlds (all possible decoherent causal diamond histories) in a single geometry.
We propose that it must be possible in principle to verify quantum-mechanical predictions exactly. This requires not only the existence of exact observables but two additional postulates: a single observer within the universe can access infinitely many identical experiments; and the outcome of each experiment must be completely definite. In causal diamonds with finite surface area, holographic entropy bounds imply that no exact observables exist, and both postulates fail: experiments cannot be repeated infinitely many times; and decoherence is not completely irreversible, so outcomes are not definite. We argue that our postulates can be satisfied in "hats" (supersymmetric multiverse regions with vanishing cosmological constant). We propose a complementarity principle that relates the approximate observables associated with finite causal diamonds to exact observables in the hat.


At the Forschungszentrum Kuste six experiments are conducted on dike erosion with six different cohesive materials. A new dike design should be evaluated with the experiments done in the flume. The goal for this thesis is to get to know if it would be possible to model erosion in a numerical model XBeach.
First there has been looked at the erosion process of the dikes built in the flume. Only three of the tested materials did erode. The erosion process of a dike could simply be divided in two stages. In the first stage the toe of the dike is eroding due to the breaking of the wave steep slope. This slope will be hit directly by the wave, which will dig a hole underneath the material. When the hole has become big enough the material of the dike will collapse. By the force of the waves the material will dissolve in the water. The way of eroding is for all the materials similar, but there is one big difference, which is the eroding rate of the different materials.
A very important part of the erosion process is the run-up and run-down of waves. In order to see whether XBeach is a good simulation for this process the model will be validated with measurements done in many flumes around Europe. The outcome of this validation is that XBeach isn't very good in modelling the run-up on a slope.
Furthermore there has been looked into the erosion module of XBeach and done a small sensitivity analysis. The erosion module of XBeach consists of two main branches: the sediment transport and the bottom updating/avalanching. For the sediment transport there has been looked in to the two main parameters, the maximum allowed sediment concentration and the time material needs to be absorbed by the water. For both values the change in the erosion isn't very big, therefore it would be recommended to use the default value in the final simulation of the dike in XBeach. The second part of the erosion module of XBeach is the avalanching. Avalanching is the module of XBeach which accounts for the suddenly collapse of material. There are three important parameters: the maximum slope for both dry and wet material and the maximum amount of falling material per second (Dmax). Especially the value which is chosen for both the maximum dry and wet slope has a large effect on the erosion process in XBeach. Compared to the experiments in the flume the maximum slope for dry material is not steep enough to simulate the process. It seems that the default value for Dmax is nearly large enough to let erode all the material. Therefore it would be recommended to use the default setting for the Dmax.
In the present version of XBeach it isn't possible to simulate cohesive material. There are many differences between the way of eroding in the flume and the way XBeach is simulating the erosion process. XBeach is only capable of roughly giving an indication of the first 1 to 1.5 hour of the experiments. After this the slope is too steep to work with for XBeach.
At first sight the physical process in XBeach looks completely different from the process in the flume. But in the numerical process of XBeach there are parts which have the opportunity to be used for different processes. The greatest challenge will be to make the model work with materials which are cohesive. This of course will affect all the other processes which are happing in the model.


Abstract The Gulf of Suez Basin is a classic extensional rift basin of Miocene age, with a number of syn- and pre-rift hydrocarbon plays. Exploration started in 1886, targeting areas around documented oil seeps, and was highly successful. During the boom in offshore exploration in the 1950s and 1960s, a combination of diligent geology and serendipity resulted in the discovery of a number of giant fields whose reserves form a major part of some 10 billion barrels discovered to date. However, the pursuit of smaller fields, both structural and stratigraphic, has been hampered by the poor quality seismic data characteristic of the basin. The poor quality of the seismic data is due to the interbedded shales and evaporites of shallow post-rift Zeit and South Gharib formations that create massive reverberation and severe attenuation of the seismic signal. Incremental progress in imaging the deeper horizons, including the key pre-rift Nubia Sandstone reservoir, has been achieved through low frequency enhancement and 3D seismic data acquisition. However it is still common for exploration and development wells to miss the Nubia objective due to the poor imaging and consequent misinterpretation of the seismic data. Exploration is now directed towards the smaller targets and subtle plays of the Gulf of Suez. To improve seismic imaging the focus has been on improved acquisition, with 3D ocean-bottom cable seismic data. This has the advantages of reduced multiple energy, higher fold and a broader bandwidth over streamer 3D data. Combined with detailed models of the tectonically controlled sedimentation that characterizes the syn-rift section, this has allowed the development of a re-invigorated exploration programme.


The second-order or transverse Doppler effect (TDE) demonstrates that both the periods
and wavelengths of radiation increase (after the non-relativistic first-order effect has been
eliminated) when a light source is accelerated relative to the observer. It is pointed out that the
fact that an observer traveling with the light source does not detect any change in either quantity,
in accord with the relativity principle (RP), implies not only that there has been a corresponding
increase in the periods of all naturally occurring processes in his rest frame but also a uniform
 expansion in the dimensions of all objects co-moving with him. These results constitute a key
verification of Einsteinean time dilation, but it has not been recognized that they also stand in
contradiction to another fundamental prediction of the special theory of relativity (SR), the
Fitzgerald-Lorentz contraction effect (FLC). A survey of past claims for the validity of the FLC
shows that they are either based on Gedanken experiments or on a specious interpretation of
lifetime measurements for accelerated metastable particles. The manner in which the FLC is
derived from the Lorentz transformation (LT) is then discussed and it is noted that it is based on a
generalization of the original interpretation of its space-time variables in terms of elapsed times
and distances traveled by a given object, and therefore requires separate experimental verification
than observations of the constancy of the speed of light. Experimentation with the Global
Positioning System (GPS) is shown to be consistent with the TDE results and thus verifies the
conclusion that isotropic length expansion accompanies time dilation, not the type of anisotropic
length contraction (FLC) indicated by the LT.


Abstract. The Eyjafjallajokull eruption, which occurred during May 2010, is used as a case study to evaluate the consistency of the detection and characterization of volcanic ash plumes from different thermal infrared instruments. In this study, the well-known split window technique is used to retrieve the optical thickness and the effective particle size, and to estimate the mass concentration of volcanic particles from brightness temperatures measured in the infrared atmospheric window (8–12 μm). Retrievals are obtained for several mineral compositions whose optical properties are computed using Mie theory accounting for spectral variations of the refractive index. The impacts of errors in atmospheric parameters on the a posteriori uncertainties have been analysed. This analysis confirmed that major sources of errors are the layer altitude, the particle composition and, most of all, the size distribution for which uncertainties in retrievals can reach 50% in mass loading estimates. This retrieval algorithm is then applied to measurements acquired near-simultaneously from MODIS, SEVIRI and IASI space-borne instruments, using two channels around 11 μm and 12 μm. The retrievals are in close agreement when taking into account the different spatial and spectral configurations, and deviations between retrievals remain less than the uncertainties due to errors in atmospheric parameters. This analysis demonstrates the robustness of the retrieval method and the consistency of observations from these instruments for volcanic ash plume monitoring.


Abstract Objective To examine the association of total animal protein intake and protein derived from different dietary sources (meat; fish and shellfish; eggs; milk products) with global and abdominal obesity among adults in Luxembourg. Design Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between animal protein intake (as a percentage of total energy intake) and global obesity (BMI≥30·0 kg/m2) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥102 cm for men and ≥88 cm for women), after controlling for potential confounders. Setting Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Luxembourg (ORISCAV-LUX) study. Subjects The study population was derived from a national cross-sectional stratified sample of 1152 individuals aged 18–69 years, recruited between November 2007 and January 2009. Results There was an independent positive association between total animal protein intake and both global (OR=1·18; 95 % CI 1·12, 1·25) and abdominal obesity (OR=1·14; 95 % CI 1·08, 1·20) after adjustment for age, gender, education, smoking, physical activity and intakes of total fat, carbohydrate, fibre, and fruit and vegetables. Protein intakes from meat, fish and shellfish were positively associated with global and abdominal obesity with further adjustment for vegetal protein and other sources of animal-derived protein (all P<0·01). Protein derived from eggs or milk products was unrelated to global or abdominal obesity. Conclusions Our findings suggest that protein derived from animal sources, in particular from meat, fish and shellfish, may be associated with increased risk of both global and abdominal obesity among presumably healthy adults in Luxembourg. These findings suggest that lower animal protein intakes may be important for maintenance of healthy body weight.


ABSTRACT This paper extends some current decision-Making and DSS perspectives that were originally identified in Herbert Simon's decision-making and action process model, socialising them in theory and practice to account for the effective development of decision support systems that can profitably be incorporated in the context of multisided platform- powered eco-systems. It shows how adopting these extended perspectives enhances the opportunities for supporting socialised (rather than individualised) action and development through 'Transaction Provenance Decision Support' (TPDS). It takes as its example SMART.T, a TPDS powered by two multisided platforms enabling trading, provenance-building and socio-economic development. These are (i) a provenance authentication platform, and (ii) a transaction management platform. Together, these platforms offer the core functions needed for a comprehensive TPDS. As discussed in this paper, these functions are: integration of transactions involving private and public goods in TPDS; exploring, and establishing provenance; structuring provenance within the World Wide Web Consortium's Provenance Ontology; authenticating provenance; socialising decision enactment; anticipating good provenance within a transaction network. It establishes the importance of provenance in providing socialised, end-to-end, multisided decision support within the TPDS platform-powered eco-systems that will drive the rapidly expanding platform business sector in the future.


This richly illustrated book features latest shopfront designs of over 140 different kinds of shops. It shows how to design it from planning to design principles according to type of store, location, product and architectural elements including interesting details about the designs, materials and construction methods. The content is divided into eight major parts; Introduction, Parts of a Shopfront, Planning for Shopfront Design, Renovation of Traditional Shopfront, New Shopfront Principles, Design Approach of Architectural Elements, Security, and Works. A useful reference for architects, shopfront and sign designers, shop owners and anyone interested in the subject.


This collaborative research data management planning project (hereafter the RDMP project) sought to help a collaborative group of researchers working on an EU FP7 staff exchange project (hereafter the EU project) to define and implement good research data management practice by developing an appropriate DMP and supporting systems and evaluating their initial implementation. The aim was to "improve practice on the ground" through more effective and appropriate systems, tools/solutions and guidance in managing research data. The EU project (MATSIQEL - (Models for Ageing and Technological Solutions For Improving and Enhancing the Quality of Life), funded under the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme, is accumulating expertise for the mathematical and computer modelling of ageing processes with the aim of developing models which can be implemented in technological solutions (e.g. monitors, telecare, recreational games) for improving and enhancing quality of life.1 Marie Curie projects do not fund research per se, so the EU project has no resources to fund commercial tools for research data management. Lead by Professor Maia Angelova, School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences (SCEIS) at Northumbria University, it comprises six work packages involving researchers at Northumbria and in Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, Mexico and South Africa. The RDMP project focused on one of its work packages (WP4 Technological Solutions and Implementation) with some reference to another work package lead by the same person at Northumbria University (WP5 Quality of Life).

The RDMP project"s innovation was less about the choice of platform/system, as it began with existing standard office technology, and more about how this can be effectively deployed in a collaborative scenario to provide a fit-for-purpose solution with useful and usable support and guidance. It built on the success of the Datum for Health project by taking it a stage further, moving from a solely health discipline to an interdisciplinary context of health, social care and mathematical/computer modelling, and from a Postgraduate Research Student context to an academic researcher context, with potential to reach beyond the University boundaries. In addition, since the EU project is re-using data from elsewhere as well as creating its own data; a wide range of RDM issues were addressed. The RDMP project assessed the transferability of the DATUM materials and the tailored DATUM DMP.


Herein, we explore the use of spin-spin coupling constants (SSCCs) in merocyanine (MCYNE) dyes as indicators of polarity. For this purpose, we use Car-Parrinello hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) to determine the structures of MCYNE in solvents of different polarity, followed by computations of the SSCCs by using QM/MM linear-response theory. The molecular geometry of MCYNE switches between neutral, cyanine-like, and zwitterionic depending on the polarity of the solvent. This structural variation is clearly reflected in the proton SSCCs in the polymethine backbone, which are highly sensitive to the dielectric nature of the environment; this mechanism can be used as a "polarity indicator" for different microenvironments. This result is highlighted by computing the SSCCs of the MCYNE probe in the cavity of the beta-lactoglobulin protein. The computed SSCCs clearly indicate a non-polar hydrophobic dielectric nature of this cavity.


The differentiated services architecture has been proposed for providing different levels of services and has received wide attention. A packet in a diff-serv domain is classified into a class of service according to its contract profile and treated differently by its class. While many studies have addressed issues on the diff-serv architecture (e.g., dropper, marker, classifier and shaper), there have been few attempts to analytically understand a flow's behavior in a diff-serv network. We propose simple models of TCP behavior in a diff-serv network. Our models quantitatively characterize TCP throughput as functions of the contract rate, the packet-drop rate and the round-trip time in either two-drop precedence or three-drop precedence network. We also extend our models to aggregated flows. The models are validated through a number of simulations.


The analysis of the functional diversity of soil nematodes requires detailed knowledge on theoretical aspects of the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationship in natural and managed terrestrial ecosystems. Basic approaches applied are reviewed, focusing on the impact and value of soil nematode diversity in crop production and on the most consistent external drivers affecting their stability. The role of nematode trophic guilds in two intensively cultivated crops are examined in more detail, as representative of agriculture from tropical/subtropical (banana) and temperate (apple) climates. The multiple facets of nematode network analysis, for management of multitrophic interactions and restoration purposes, represent complex tasks that require the integration of different interdisciplinary expertise. Understanding the evolutionary basis of nematode diversity at the field level, and its response to current changes, will help to explain the observed community shifts. Integrating approaches based on evolutionary biology, population genetics and ecology can quantify the contribution of nematode fauna to fundamental soil functions. These include carbon transformation, nutrient cycling, pest control and disease transmission. In conclusion, different facets of nematode diversity such as trophic groups, life history traits, variability in body size and/or taxa identities in combination with DNA-based techniques are needed in order to disclose nematode–soil–ecosystem functioning relationships. Further experimental studies are required to define locally adapted and sustainable management practices, through ecosystem-based approaches and nature-based solutions.


Service Level Agreement (SLA) for taxi licence holder is an agreement regarding the guarantees of the taxi service. It defines mutual understandings and expectations of a service between regulator and taxi operators. Service guarantees define what transactions need to be executed and how well they should be executed. The establishment of the SLA is intended to protect both the regulator and taxi licence holder. SLA is critically important as it helps regulator to effectively monitor the performance of taxi licence holder at the same time it defines impact of a failure service level objective. In a typical scenario, each service interacts with other services, switching between roles of being a provider (regulator and taxi operator) in some interactions and being a passenger in other interactions. Each of these interactions could potentially be governed by a SLA. To ensure that the taxi licence is given to the right parties, taxi licence holder needs to sign the SLA prior to getting the licence by the regulator. In this regards, it is important that SLA is prepared so that it would be able to balance the risks and benefits of all parties. This balance should be based on good understanding of impact of various service levels on business processes relating to both regulator and taxi licence holder. SLA would be a mechanism to define specific service level procedures hence, further strengthening the existing conditions attached to legislations that govern matters related to taxi industry, which currently are too general. Successful service organizations understand well the importance of carefully monitoring and managing customer satisfaction. In this regards, the most successful way of recovering from any service failure is to make things right, eliminating the cause of dissatisfaction with the initial service.


This paper describes a probabilistic approach to template-based chord recognition in music signals. The algorithm only takes chromagram data and a user-defined dictionary of chord templates as input data. No training or musical information such as key, rhythm, or chord transition models is required. The chord occurrences are treated as probabilistic events, whose probabilities are learned from the song using an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. The adaptative estimation of these probabilities (together with an ad-hoc postprocessing filtering) has the desirable effect of smoothing out spurious chords that would occur in our previous baseline work. Our algorithm is compared to various methods that entered the Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange (MIREX) in 2008 and 2009, using a diverse set of evaluation metrics, some of which are new. The systems are tested on two evaluation corpuses; the first one is composed of the Beatles catalog (180 pop-rock songs) and the other one is constituted of 20 songs from various artists and music genres. Results show that our method outperforms state-of-the-art chord recognition systems.


Abstract. Since
the 2000s, a change in the atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic
resulting in more frequent blocking events has favoured warmer and sunnier
weather conditions over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) in summer, enhancing
the melt increase. This circulation change is not represented by general
circulation models (GCMs) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase
5 (CMIP5), which do not predict any circulation change for the next century
over the North Atlantic. The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of
an atmospheric circulation change (as currently observed) on projections of
the future GrIS surface mass balance (SMB). We compare GrIS SMB estimates
simulated by the regional climate model MAR forced by perturbed reanalysis
(ERA-Interim with a temperature correction of +1, +1.5, and
+2 ∘C at the MAR lateral boundaries) over 1980–2016 to
projections of the future GrIS SMB from MAR simulations forced by three GCMs
over selected periods for which a similar temperature increase of +1,
+1.5, and +2 ∘C is projected by the GCMs in comparison to
1980–1999. Mean SMB anomalies produced with perturbed reanalysis over the
climatologically stable period 1980–1999 are similar to those produced with
MAR forced by GCMs over future periods characterised by a similar warming
over Greenland. However, over the 2 last decades (2000–2016) when an
increase in the frequency of blocking events has been observed in summer, MAR
forced by perturbed reanalysis suggests that the SMB decrease could be
amplified by a factor of 2 if such atmospheric conditions persist compared to
projections forced by GCMs for the same temperature increase but without any
circulation change.


In 1985 a report was published on incidence of cancer
and cancer mortality among a cohort of 1807 workers
from a semiconductor factory.' For the total study
cohort, observed numbers of deaths (and incident
cases) for all cancers were close to those expected.
For incidence of melanoma, three cases were
observed and 0 68 were expected. This excess was of
borderline significance at the 5% level and was not
associated with either duration of employment in
the plant or duration of employment in the photomasking
process-a process that involves potential
exposure to ultraviolet light. This report provides
results from a further seven years of follow upnamely
mortality data to the end of 1989 and data on
the incidence of cancer to the end of 1988


Dorothy L. Sayers's 1941–1942 radio play cycle on the life of Christ, The Man Born to be King, was both a ground-breaking series in the history of the British Broadcasting Corporation and a watershed in Sayers's work, as she brought the Gospels and Christian theology to dramatic life. In her Introduction to the plays, she described her use of sources: "Apart from a few such traditions, hallowed by Christian piety and custom, the only sources used have been the Canonical Scriptures, together with a few details from Josephus and other historians to build up the general background" (The Man Born to be King 36). Suzanne Bray gives us a foundational study of Sayers's secondary material by finding the sources of Sayers's direct citations (2011), but Bray's conference paper is not meant to be exhaustive. There remains the tantalizing possibility that there might be other clear marks of influence that are neither credited by Sayers nor mentioned by Bray. Indeed, a thorough study of all six secondary source books shows substantial influence identifiable both within the notes before the play scripts and within the scripts themselves.


What do you need to become a data-driven organization? Far more than having big data or a crack team of unicorn data scientists, it requires establishing an effective, deeply-ingrained data culture. This practical book shows you how true data-drivenness involves processes that require genuine buy-in across your company, from analysts and management to the C-Suite and the board.Through interviews and examples from data scientists and analytics leaders in a variety of industries, author Carl Anderson explains the analytics value chain you need to adopt when building predictive business modelsfrom data collection and analysis to the insights and leadership that drive concrete actions. Youll learn what works and what doesnt, and why creating a data-driven culture throughout your organization is essential.Start from the bottom up: learn how to collect the right data the right wayHire analysts with the right skills, and organize them into teamsExamine statistical and visualization tools, and fact-based story-telling methodsCollect and analyze data while respecting privacy and ethicsUnderstand how analysts and their managers can help spur a data-driven cultureLearn the importance of data leadership and C-level positions such as chief data officer and chief analytics officer


In signal integrity applications involving the model- ing and analysis of high-speed digital interconnects, it is necessary to include the effects of nonideal transmission line behavior due to, for example, the effects of ohmic, dielectric, and skin effect losses. This paper describes a new approach to this problem by employing a path integral formulation to both model lossy and nonuniform transmission line behavior. The algorithm resulting from the application of this formulation is accurate, stable, com- putationally efficient, and applicable to time domain modeling of interconnect in digital systems.


Modular aircraft for flexible transportation The modular Clip-Air aircraft decouples the transportation module - a flying wing - from its load - capsules that can carry passengers, freight, or fuel. This project is laying the groundwork for tomorrow's air transport technology, which should be more flexible. Clip-Air represents a feasible technological challenge with implications that go well beyond the air transport sector.


This paper reports the preparation and characterization of MnOx–CeO2/SBA-15 monolith (MnCe/SM) catalysts for NOx-assisted soot combustion. The SM with a three-dimensional (3D) network structure was synthesized by a sol–gel method, in which the shearing force and the acidity of the solution were finely tuned to direct the formation and assembly of the primary particles. The MnCe/SM catalysts were further prepared by a facile isovolumetric impregnation method. The samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersed spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, O2 temperature-programmed desorption, NO temperature-programmed desorption, and NO temperature-programmed oxidation. It is found that the MnOx–CeO2 nanoparticles were dispersed in the channels or/and on the outer surface of the SM support depending on the loading, and had a strong synergistic effect. The MnCe/SM catalysts with an appropriate MnOx–CeO2 loading showed much higher catalytic performance for soot combustion than that of the unsupported MnOx–CeO2 mixture. This is attributed to the combination of the MnOx–CeO2 active component with the 3D network structure of SM. The later not only provides large surface area and high accessibility for the soot particulates to the active sites, but also acts as a particulate filter.


BACKGROUND
The Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) are used worldwide in adults. Until now, no adaptation for use in children has been proposed.

OBJECTIVE
To present comprehensive and short-form adaptations of Axis I and II of the DC/TMD for adults that are appropriate for use with children in clinical and research settings.

METHODS
Global Delphi studies with experts in TMDs and in pain psychology identified ways of adapting the DC/TMD for children.

RESULTS
The proposed adaptation is suitable for children aged 6-9 years. Proposed changes in Axis I include (i) adapting the language of the Demographics and the Symptom Questionnaires to be developmentally appropriate for children, (ii) adding a general health questionnaire for children and one for their parents, (iii) replacing the TMD Pain Screener with the 3Q/TMD questionnaire, and (iv) modifying the clinical examination protocol. Proposed changes in Axis II include (i) for the Graded Chronic Pain Scale, to be developmentally appropriate for children, and (ii) adding anxiety and depression assessments that have been validated in children, and (iii) adding three constructs (stress, catastrophizing, and sleep disorders) to assess psychosocial functioning in children.

CONCLUSION
The recommended DC/TMD, including Axis I and Axis II, for children aged 6-9 years, is appropriate for use in clinical and research settings. This adapted first version for children includes changes in Axis I and Axis II changes requiring reliability and validity testing in international settings. Official translations to different languages according to INfORM requirements will enable a worldwide dissemination and implementation.


We present a new numerical algorithm for evolving the Mixmaster space-times. By using symplectic integration techniques to take advantage of the exact Taub solution for the scattering between asymptotic Kasner regimes, we evolve these spacetimes with higher accuracy using much larger time steps than previously possible. The longer Mixmaster evolution thus allowed enables detailed comparison with the Belinskii, Khalatnikov, Lifshitz (BKL) approximate Mixmaster dynamics. In particular, we show that errors between the BKL prediction and the measured parameters early in the simulation can be eliminated by relaxing the BKL assumptions to yield an improved map. The improved map has different predictions for vacuum Bianchi Type IX and magnetic Bianchi Type VI 0 Mixmaster models which are clearly matched in the simulation.


Having completed the requirements engineering phase in a software engineering project, we usually refer to requirements as unambiguous, comprehensible and objective. In a software development case study conducted over a period of more than three ye ars we observed several problems within and between the project teams resulting from different understandings of the software specification. Aim of the project was the implementation of a DWH that collects and evaluates significant data of an international banking institute in order to fulfill the requirements specified by Basel II. In order to classify and explain the observed communication defects that occurred during the implementation phase, we consider findings from communication theory and knowledge t ransfer (on the interaction setting). As a result, we propose a general schema for the classification of communication defects that may make a significant contribution to the handling of problems in communication issues.


The DE and ME content (Exp. 1) as well as the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of essential AA (EAA; Exp. 2) were compared between Chinese corn and U.S. sorghum. The effects of U.S. sorghum as a potential substitute for Chinese corn on growth performance of 114 weaned pigs (8.8 ± 1.0 kg BW; Exp. 3) and 60 growing pigs (23.4 ± 1.6 kg BW; Exp. 4) were evaluated, and the effect of protease supplementation on N utilization was determined in sorghum-based diets fed to growing pigs (Exp. 4). In Exp. 1, there was no difference in DE and ME content between corn and sorghum. In Exp. 2, the AID and SID of most EAA and the concentrations of standardized ileal digestible Lys, Met, Thr, and His were less in sorghum than in corn ( < 0.05). In Exp. 3, there was no difference in ADG and ADFI among treatments during the experimental period. The G:F and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of CP was decreased for pigs fed diets with sorghum in the first 2 wk ( < 0.05) and for pigs fed diets containing 60% sorghum in the following 2 wk ( < 0.05). The fecal score for pigs fed diets with sorghum, regardless of the substitute level, was less ( < 0.05) or tended to be less ( = 0.086) than that for pigs fed diets containing 60% corn. In Exp. 4, no differences were observed in ADG and ADFI overall among pigs fed diets based on corn and soybean meal (CSBM) or sorghum and soybean meal (SSBM). Pigs fed CSBM or SSBM with protease supplementation had greater ( < 0.05) or tended to have greater ( = 0.062) G:F than pigs fed SSBM. Compared with CSBM, SSBM increased fecal N excretion by more than 25% and decreased the ATTD of CP by more than 7% during the whole experiment ( < 0.05). Protease supplementation reduced fecal N excretion by more than 12% and increased ATTD of CP by more than 6% ( < 0.05). In conclusion, based on optimal G:F and CP digestibility, diets for weaned pigs should contain less than 20% sorghum during the first 2 wk and no more than 40% during the subsequent 2 wk after weaning. Sorghum used as an alternative energy source for corn in diets fed to growing pigs decreases CP utilization by increasing manure N output, which might be partially offset by protease supplementation.


Based on cross-country panel datasets, we find that (i) an increase in population share in agriculture is associated with poverty reduction once the longer-term poverty change or dynamic is taken into account; (ii) the rural non-agricultural sector also is poverty-reducing in some cases; and (iii) increased population in the megacities has no role in poverty reduction. In fact, the growth of the populations in megacities increases poverty in a few cases. Given that rapid population growth or rural-urban migration is likely to increase poverty, more emphasis should be placed on policies that enhance support for rural agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. If our analysis has any validity, doubts are raised about recent research that emphasizes the role of secondary towns and urbanization as the main drivers to reduce extreme poverty.


A cDNA clone for glutaminyl cyclase was isolated from a human pituitary cDNA library and the complete DNA sequence determined. The cDNA clone had 1573 bp and contained an open reading frame of 1086 bases, coding for a protein of 361 amino acids and molecular mass of 40,876 Da. The predicted amino acid sequence of the human cDNA showed 86% sequence identity to the previously reported bovine glutaminyl cyclase sequence. A comparison of the amino acid sequences derived from the human and bovine cDNAs showed that several glycosylation and phosphorylation sites as well as two cysteine residues (Cys139, Cys164) were conserved. The human cDNA was cloned into the Escherichia coli expression vectors pMALc2 and pET19b. Expression of this cDNA in either vector resulted in the production of a glutaminyl cyclase fusion protein which was enzymatically active and reacted with anti-bovine glutaminyl cyclase antisera. Substrate specificity studies with the recombinant enzyme suggested a bias against acidic and tryptophan residues adjacent to the N-terminal glutaminyl residue and a lack of importance of chain length after the second residue.


Objective: To compare important indicators of quality of care between Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs) and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Methods: We used the Health Care Cost and Utilization Project, Hawaii State Inpatient Databases, 2010–2014. They included 10,645 inpatient encounters from 7,145 NHOPI or NHW patients age ≥ 50 years, residing in Hawaii, and with at least one ADRD diagnosis in the discharge record. Outcome variables were inpatient mortality, length of hospital stay, and hospital readmission. Results: NHOPIs with ADRD had, on average, a hospital stay of .94 days less than NHWs with ADRD but were 1.16 times more likely than NHWs to be readmitted. Discussion: These patterns have important clinical care implications for NHOPIs and NHWs with ADRD as they are important indicators of quality of care. Future studies should consider specific contributors to these differences in order to develop appropriate interventions.


This work investigates the particle trajectory in a turbulent flow field and its interaction with the disk surfaces in enclosed hard disk drives (HDDs) through numerical simulation. Two different models of commercial HDDs are used, and two types of particle with sphere and tetrahedral shapes are examined. The results indicate that both HDDs exhibit similar impact distribution patterns on the disk surface. Due to high turbulence intensity caused by the obstruction of the arm, the particles tend to impact at areas located near the arm which spreads from the middle to the outer radius of the disk. At each layer of the disk, impact counts increase from the innermost radius to the outermost radius, with the highest impact counts located at the outermost radius. The simulation results provide useful information and can be used as a guideline in the design of HDD and the arrangement of air filters inside it.


Objectives: The study aimed to demonstrate the interethnic differences and clinical features of Spondyloarthropathy(SpA) patients in a diverse Middle Eastern Country. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records to collect the required data was conducted for SpA patients at two study institutions in the United Arab Emirates. Results: Of 141 SpA patients found, 88 AS(Ankylosing Spondylitis) patients and 53 'other SpA' patients were identified. Males constituted 81% of AS and 55% of 'other SpA' patients. Patients with AS and 'other SpA' had a mean age of symptom onset of 28 and 34 years, respectively. 49% and 40% of AS and 'other SpA' patients had a history of Anti-TNF therapy usage. Enthesitis and Uveitis were noted in 16% and 18% of AS patients whilst 53% and 11% in 'other SpA' patients, respectively. Caucasian, Indian Subcontinent and Arabs constituted 93% of our cohort. Mean age of onset of symptoms in the Indian Subcontinent 'other SpA' group was much greater than the other two ethnicities. Duration of symptoms to diagnosis was 3.5 and 4 years in AS and other SpA patients' respectively. HLA-B27 positivity was found in 53%, 80% and 93% of Arab, Indian Subcontinent and Caucasian AS patients, respectively, whilst seen in 50%, 25% and 33% of the same respective ethnicties in 'other SpA' patients. Conclusion: This study on 141 patients is the largest to analyse inter-ethnic variations in SpA patients in the region. Our cohort shows a short delay in diagnosis with a relatively higher Anti-TNF usage.


In this study, a simple and reliable method based on magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction (MDSPE) with modified magnetic nanoparticles followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed for the determination of sterol composition in liquid milk samples and the detection of palm oil in milk fat. Hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles were synthesised by assembling octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS) onto iron magnetic nanoparticles and used as an adsorbent for MDSPE. The method is based on the saponification of milk fats followed by extraction of unsaponifiable sterols by the MDSPE procedure and subsequent desorption of sterols into acetonitrile for GC-MASS analysis. The mass fraction of each sterol, as a percentage of the total sterol content, was used for the quantitative determination of sterols in milk samples. The main factors affecting the extraction efficiency, including extraction and desorption time, desorption conditions, sample volume, amount of magnetic adsorbent and saponification conditions, were investigated. The results of this study showed that addition of palm oil to milk caused substantial changes in sterol contents and the fractions of phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol) increased with increasing the addition level of palm oil. Based on the evidence for the presence of vegetable sterols in pure milk fat, a limit of detection of 3% for palm oil was obtained in milk fat. Under the optimum conditions, the inter-day precision and intra-day precision for sterols in a sample containing 3% fat (10% of the fat containing palm oil) were in the range of 1.1–1.8% and 1.3–1.9%, respectively. Also, the good recovery of the total phytosterol (97–97.2%) showed that the proposed method can be successfully applied to the determination of phytosterols in milk samples for the detection of palm oil addition.


Outbreaks of house mice (Mus domesticus) occur irregularly in the wheat-growing areas of south-eastern Australia, and are thought to be driven by weather variability, particularly rainfall. If rainfall drives grass and seed production, and vegetation production drives mouse dynamics, we should achieve better predictability of mouse outbreaks by the use of plant-production data. On a broader scale, if climatic variability is affected by El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, large-scale weather variables might be associated with mouse outbreaks. We could not find any association of mouse outbreaks over the last century with any ENSO measurements or other large-scale weather variables, indicating that the causal change linking mouse numbers with weather variation is more complex than is commonly assumed. For the 1960-2002 period we were only partly successful in using variation in cereal production to predict outbreaks of mice in nine areas of Victoria and South Australia, and we got better predictability of outbreaks from rainfall data alone. We achieved 70% correct predictions for a qualitative model using rainfall and 58% for a quantitative model using rainfall and spring mouse numbers. Without the detailed specific mechanisms underlying mouse population dynamics, we may not be able to improve on these simple models that link rainfall to mouse outbreaks.


ABSTRACT Autocorrelation between pixels in digital images of sediment can be used to measure average grain size of sediment on the bed, grain-size distribution of bed sediment, and vertical profiles in grain size in a cross-sectional image through a bed. The technique is less sensitive than traditional laboratory analyses to tails of a grain-size distribution, but it offers substantial other advantages: it is 100 times as fast; it is ideal for sampling surficial sediment (the part that interacts with a flow); it can determine vertical profiles in grain size on a scale finer than can be sampled physically; and it can be used in the field to provide almost real-time grain-size analysis. The technique can be applied to digital images obtained using any source with sufficient resolution, including digital cameras, digital video, or underwater digital microscopes (for real-time grain-size mapping of the bed).


Combustion of fuel finds its importance in heating, power production and transportation. The main objective of this study is to assess the performance of an air-blasted combustor using the exergy at different combustor exit temperatures (T4). Exergetic metrics of the combustor in a test rig were made between 1,100 < T4 ≤ 1500K. JP8 kerosene-type fuel was used for analysis. For the combustor, exergy efficiency was calculated to be between 49.3% and 59.4%. Furthermore, greatest exergy destruction is found at highest combustor exit temperature (138.7 kW at 1500 K), while the lower exergy destructions are found at 1102 K with the value of 90.7 kW. The methodology and the results of this study can be beneficial for further improvement, and development of similar combustor systems for designers.


Laku Pandai is a program providing banking services and/or other financial services through cooperating with other parties (bank agents) and supported by the usage of modern facilities to increase and expand any accesses to financial services. Laku Pandai is quite effective and efficient if its implementation and optimization are conducted by the banks that are eager in expanding their services in lower average cost. As for how it is, its significant development then triggered BRI Sharia to participate. However, Financial Services Authority thinks that conventional banking is not yet optimal, so it comes up with an argumentative assumption on sharia banking if it successfully implements the program. The purpose of this study is to determine appropriate strategies for optimizing Laku Pandai outputs in sharia banking using SWOT and AHP analysis. SWOT analysis is used to determine internal and external factors related to application of the output, while AHP is used to capture the best precise strategy. The result of the research shows that the main output of Laku Pandai is to successfully reach unbanked people with the exact alternative that is by improving marketing and promotion, improving socialization and education to society, improving agent quality and establishing vision and mission.


I use three waves of panel data to examine the relationship between child support payments and fathers' contact with their nonmarital children. I disaggregate support into fathers' formal and informal payments and incorporate cross-lagged effects models to identify the direction of causality between payments and contact. After including the behavior from the prior wave (lagged term) and a rich set of family characteristics, I find a marginally significant effect of paying formally at Time 1 on the likelihood of contact at Time 2 but no effect of contact at Time 1 on formal payments at Time 2. In the first examination of the relationship between informal support and father-child contact, I find a strong, positive reciprocal relationship between the likelihood and frequency of father-child contact and the likelihood and amount of informal support, with slightly stronger and more consistent effects of contact on payments than of payments on contact.


In GharehAghaj basin
drought has the most profound effect on the way of living and regional economy.
Drought Hazard by nature is a result of interrelated parameters concerned. The
objective of this paper presents a model to assess hazard of drought using the
Geographical Information System (GIS). The data analyzed have been gathered
from the records, reports and maps published by the governmental offices of
Iran. Various drought hazard
indicators have different severity classification in different models. The
drought hazard indicator maps take into account the meteorological,
hydrological, physical and socioeconomic characteristics that related to
drought hazard. Each of the hazard indicator maps and also final hazard map are
classified into 4 hazard classes of drought: mild, moderate, severe and very
severe. The final hazard classes were defined on the basis of hazard scores
arrived at by assigning the appropriate attributes to the indicators and the
final hazard map was prepared by overlaying different hazard indicator maps in
the GIS, deploying the new model. The final Hazard Map shows that moderate
hazard areas (89.87% of the basin) are much widespread than areas under severe
hazard (10.13% of the basin) which are observed in the Southeast of the region.


The goal of this study is to improve upon the existing literature in quantifying the economic return of transportation infrastructure. Speci¯cally, I propose incorporating the changes of between-city price gaps to approximate economic bene¯ts that have been omitted by the current literature. Identifying the causal impact of new infrastructure on price gaps is complicated. To circumvent this problem, I propose to employ empirical settings in which natural experiments can be constructed to eliminate the e®ects of confounding factors. In particular, I consider two cities in northwestern China; they are connected by a railroad, the capacity of which was doubled in my sample period (1993-1996). I ¯nd strong evidences suggesting that increasing the railroad capacity signi¯cantly decreased price gaps. The change in price gaps implies a real economic return of between 12% and 24% per year.


ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact that pre-tests have on the effectiveness of library instruction when students are given feedback on their pre-test performance. Librarians and academic faculty partnered to measure library instruction outcomes in two Master's degree classes. The Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA) was used as a pre-test (before instruction) and a post-test (after instruction) in Class 1 and as a post-test only in Class 2. Students who completed both tests performed significantly better on a post-test, earning higher scores on obtaining information and overall information literacy. They reported greater library/research experience and less reliance on browsing. Compared to students who did not take a pre-test, students who received pre-test-based feedback had higher scores on library/research experience and lower scores on reliance on browsing. To enhance the effectiveness of library instruction, students can be given pre-test-based feedback that compares their actual and perceived literacy and encourages the use of library databases.


Childhood mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is associated with elevated risk of developing social problems, which may be underpinned by changes in the structural developmental trajectory of the social brain, a network of cortical regions supporting social cognition and behavior. However, limited sample sizes and cross-sectional designs generally used in neuroimaging studies of pediatric TBI have prevented explorations of this hypothesis. This longitudinal retrospective study examined the development of parent-reported social problems and cortical thickness in social brain regions following childhood mTBI using data from the large population-based Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Two-group latent change score models revealed different developmental trajectories from ages 10 to 12 years in social problems between children with (n=345) and without (n=7,089) mTBI. Children with mTBI showed higher levels of social problems than controls at age 10. Then, social problems decreased over 2 years, but still remained higher than in controls in which they stayed stable. Both groups showed similar decreases in social brain cortical thickness between ages 10 and 12 years. Further studies providing detailed information on the injury mechanism and acute symptoms are needed to better understand individual differences in social impairment and brain development in pediatric TBI.


Abstract A four-dimensional typology of work-family balance (WFB) that has previously been reported was tested in four samples: Finnish nurses (n=662), Slovenian nurses (n=667), Finnish health and social care workers (n=1493) and Finnish service sector employees (n=827). Latent profile analyses identified three rather than four types of WFB in each sample. In line with the four-dimensional typology, a Beneficial type (56% to 70% of the participants), experiencing high work-to-family and family-to-work enrichment (WFE and FWE) and low work-to-family and family-to-work conflict (WFC and FWC), and an Active type (15% to 20%), experiencing high WFC, FWC, WFE and FWE, emerged; however, the Harmful and Passive types were not identified. Instead, a Contradictory type (16% to 53%), experiencing high WFC and low WFE in combination with low FWC and high FWE, was found. The Beneficial type showed higher subjective well-being than the Contradictory and Active types, the latter showing higher vigour at work but also higher psychological strain and lower life satisfaction than the Contradictory type. These findings support the view that WFB is not a single state or continuum, but manifests itself in diverse combinations of WFC, FWC, WFE and FWE.


Research indicates that L2 reading competence is influenced by L1 reading ability, L2 proficiency, and L2 decoding competence. The present study investigates the significance of two variables, regularity and frequency, in relation to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading accuracy in students with a transparent L1. Fifteen 6th grade students in their sixth year of regular instruction in English took part in this study. Their mother tongue is Polish whereas English is their foreign language; thus, their language competence in L1 and L2 differs substantially. The research design followed Glusko (1979), Plaut (1996), and Wang and Koda (2007). There are four sets of real words. Two features of real words are manipulated for regularity and frequency. The study reveals that both conditions of script, regularity and transparency, affect reading accuracy in EFL students. However, the dimension of regularity is a stronger predicator of accuracy than the frequency with which the students encounter a word. From the pedagogical perspective, the collected data supports the use of structured reading instructions in the EFL classroom in order to restrain negative transfer of L1 to L2 reading strategies.


Objective To elicit medical leaders' views on reasons and remedies for the under-representation of women in medical leadership roles. Design Qualitative study using semistructured interviews with medical practitioners who work in medical leadership roles. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Setting Public hospitals, private healthcare providers, professional colleges and associations and government organisations in Australia. Participants 30 medical practitioners who hold formal medical leadership roles. Results Despite dramatic increases in the entry of women into medicine in Australia, there remains a gross under-representation of women in formal, high-level medical leadership positions. The male-dominated nature of medical leadership in Australia was widely recognised by interviewees. A small number of interviewees viewed gender disparities in leadership roles as a 'natural' result of women's childrearing responsibilities. However, most interviewees believed that preventable gender-related barriers were impeding women's ability to achieve and thrive in medical leadership roles. Interviewees identified a range of potential barriers across three broad domains—perceptions of capability, capacity and credibility. As a counter to these, interviewees pointed to a range of benefits of women adopting these roles, and proposed a range of interventions that would support more women entering formal medical leadership roles. Conclusions While women make up more than half of medical graduates in Australia today, significant barriers restrict their entry into formal medical leadership roles. These constraints have internalised, interpersonal and structural elements that can be addressed through a range of strategies for advancing the role of women in medical leadership. These findings have implications for individual medical practitioners and health services, as well as professional colleges and associations.