Axon initial segments (AIS) and nodes of Ranvier are highly specialized axonal membrane domains enriched in Na+ channels. These Na+ channel clusters play essential roles in action potential initiation and propagation. AIS and nodal Na+ channel complexes are linked to the actin cytoskeleton through βIV spectrin. However, neuronal βIV spectrin exists as two main splice variants: a longer βIVΣ1 variant with canonical N-terminal actin and αII spectrin-binding domains, and a shorter βIVΣ6 variant lacking these domains. Here, we show that the predominant neuronal βIV spectrin splice variant detected in the developing brain switches from βIVΣ1 to βIVΣ6, and that this switch is correlated with expression changes in ankyrinG (ankG) splice variants. We show that βIVΣ1 is the predominant splice variant at nascent and developing AIS and nodes of Ranvier, but with increasing age and in adults βIVΣ6 becomes the main splice variant. Remarkably, super-resolution microscopy revealed that the spacing of spectrin tetramers between actin rings remains unchanged, but that shorter spectrin tetramers may also be present. Thus, during development βIV spectrin may undergo a switch in the splice variants found at AIS and nodes of Ranvier.


Objective We compare pediatric cardiac risk classification and management recommendations between emergency physicians (EPs) and pediatric cardiologists (PCs) in children with a suspected new cardiac disorder. Methods We prospectively compared the work-up, assessment, classification, and disposition of patients aged 0 to 21 years presenting to the emergency department with a potential cardiac etiology in whom an electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed. The criterion standard was a blinded assessment by the PC-electrophysiologist after review of the history, physical examination, ancillary tests, and ECG. Results In 508 subjects, the median age was 15 years (interquartile range, 11–17 years), with a slight female predominance (281, 55.3%). The most common reasons for obtaining an ECG were: chest pain (158, 31.1%) and syncope, presyncope, or possible seizure (146, 28.7%). The most common auxiliary study was a chest radiograph (432, 85% of subjects). A total of 617 electrocardiographic diagnoses were made by EPs and 984 diagnoses by PCs. Sensitivities and specificities varied by discrete class, but disposition decisions were concordant (home or admission). The EPs were highly accurate for the need for emergent cardiology involvement (area under the curve, 0.89). Conclusions The EPs and PCs agreed on the evaluation and disposition of children at either low risk or high risk for an acute cardiac presentation in the emergency department. There was considerable variation in management recommendations in the intermediate risk children needing cardiology outpatient follow-up. We recommend the development and implementation of focused training modules on emergency pediatric cardiology and increased communication with pediatric cardiology to improve patient safety and resource utilization.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To investigate relationships between anxiety and stressors,coping and subjective burden and to contribute to defining factors related to anxiety among family caregivers of older dependents.

BACKGROUND
Despite the studies analysing factors related to anxiety in caregivers, there is not enough evidence about this issue.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional design.

METHODS
Data from 140 family caregivers (convenience sample) were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients and path analysis. Socio-demographic data and several scales (Barthel Index, Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, Cummings Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Brief COPE, Caregiver Strain Index and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) were used to collect data.

RESULTS
Stressors (psychiatric and psychological symptoms and number of assisted activities of daily living), emotion-focused coping, dysfunctional coping and subjective burden were related to greater anxiety. Subjective burden mediated the effects of psychiatric and psychological symptoms on anxiety and partially mediated the effects of dysfunctional coping on anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS
Stressors, dysfunctional coping and subjective burden were identified as factors related to anxiety. The mediating role of subjective burden in the relationship between dysfunctional coping and anxiety was supported. The effect of dysfunctional coping on anxiety was independent of the stressors.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
These conclusions justify several recommendations regarding nursing interventions for family caregivers of older dependents: (1) stressors,dysfunctional coping and subjective burden can be used in clinical practice for early detection of and early intervention for anxiety; (2) to prevent subjective burden and anxiety,approach-coping skills should be promoted through interventions such as problem-solving,positive reappraisal, assertiveness and control of negative thoughts; (3) these interventions for dysfunctional coping should be systematically developed for individuals with dysfunctional coping regardless of the level of stressors and/or the possibility of respite.


Particulate air pollution comprising inhalable particles with dp les 10 mum is an important determinant of the severity of the overall air pollution level. Among these, the airborne UFPs and NPs with d les 0.1 - 0.3 mum form a particular class of particles because of recent insights that the particle toxicity per unit particle mass is inversely proportional to the particle size. The toxicity of many engineered NPs is thereby still unknown, thus mandating precautionary measures to reduce personal exposure. In this context, the Aerasense NP monitor is a useful instrument to promote human awareness about the issue of NP pollution, to assess personal exposure, to trace pollution sources, and to monitor the effect of exposure reduction measures. Its output signals allow for a characterization of the encountered NP/UFP pollution level and for a generation of a signal that is foreseen to directly relate to the incurred inhalation- induced health risk. In addition, the NP monitor can be used for early warning purposes and for feedback to actively control the settings and operation of air-handling units and air-cleaning units. This can be used to ensure that the NP or UFP pollution levels remain at all times below certain set concentration levels and that the strategy with which this is done is carried out such that the required energy consumption is minimized. Judicious compromises can then be made between the optimization of the indoor air quality in a variety of environments on the one hand and the incurred energy costs on the other hand.


Re-investigation of permineralized plants originally called Cooksonia sp. from the Lower Old Red Sandstone (Siegenian) of Gwent, S. Wales shows them to be rhyniopsids with simple isotomous branching in smooth axes and ellipsoidal terminal sporangia that are longer than wide and that possess a complex wall organization. They are thus placed in a new genus. The sporangial wall is several cells thick, the outermost comprising a layer with pronounced thickening of the anticlinal and outer periclinal walls, which is interrupted by a zone of thinner-walled cells parallel to the longest dimension of the ellipsoidal organ and considered to be involved in its dehiscence into two equal halves. The alete isospores have a bilayered wall, the outer interpreted as an ornamented perispore. Similar granular ornament seen on sheets and globules in the vicinity of the spores and on the innermost surface of the sporangium wall possibly demonstrates the activity of a periplasmodial tapetum. The permineralized sporangia are considered conspecific with those in compression fossils with elliptical outlines and pronounced borders. Comparison of presumed dehiscence mechanisms in a number of Silurian and early Devonian fossils suggests that splitting into two equal valves along the longest dimension, so that a maximum area of spores was exposed to the atmosphere, arose independently in a number of unrelated plants.


The choice of a "good" interleaver in IDMA systems must demonstrate that the interleavers do not "collide" and easy to generate. In this paper, we develop a new one-dimensional system, completely based on the logistic map: "New Logistic Map (NLM)". We use the NLM to generate an interleaver matrix for IDMA systems: NLM Interleaver. The simulation results of chaotic dynamical behaviours show that the NLM is a chaotic system and has an ideal distribution. It is also characterized by its wide range of definition, and depends on the number of the desired real values. In addition, the correlation performances of NLM Interleaver are the same as those found in the literature for different interleaver designs.


Abstract. The results of this study constitute a part of a project aiming at developing a cross-breed suitable for an extensive rearing system, utilising local biodiversity. Hybrids from mating a commercial broiler's male component (C) with Green-legged Partridgenous (GP) or Sussex (Sx) hens were compared with Cobb broilers. The study included 720 chickens of 3 genetic groups. Up to the third week of age, all birds were fed with balanced mixtures recommended for broiler chickens. From the fourth week, the mixture was weekly reduced by 10 % for the birds kept extensively (E). The deducted part was replaced with wheat bran, and from the seventh week with wheat. E groups had access to runs and received green fodder. Birds were slaughtered in 12th week of life. Carcass yield, giblets and proportion of carcass elements were estimated along with meat traits. The body weight at the 6th, 9th, 12th week of rearing and dissection results indicated a good suitability of Cobb chickens for an extensive rearing system. Hybrids were characterised by a considerably smaller proportion of breast muscle and slightly bigger of thighs and drumsticks, compared with Cobb, which could result from their greater motor activity. Results obtained by C × Sx and C × GP chickens, such as final body weight, proportions of abdominal fat and carcass elements, and appropriate value of meat traits, point at the usefulness of these hybrids as a meat-type chicken under extensive housing conditions. Darker colour of chicken meat, derived from C cocks and Sx or GP hens crossbred, can constitute an indicator for their carcasses' identification on the market.


Importance Higher baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The usefulness of serial hsCRP measurements for risk stratifying patients after ACS is not well characterized. Objective To assess whether longitudinal increases in hsCRP measurements during the 16 weeks after ACS are independently associated with a greater risk of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE), all-cause death, and cardiovascular death. Design, Setting, and Participants Secondary analysis of the double-blind, multicenter, randomized clinical Vascular Inflammation Suppression to Treat Acute Coronary Syndromes for 16 Weeks (VISTA-16) trial conducted between June 1, 2010, and March 7, 2012 (study termination on March 9, 2012), which included 5145 patients from 362 academic and community hospitals in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, and North America assigned to receive varespladib or placebo on a background of atorvastatin treatment beginning within 96 hours of presentation with an ACS. The present study evaluated data from patients with available baseline and longitudinal hsCRP levels measured at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 after randomization to treatment or placebo. Statistical analysis was performed from June 15, 2018, through September 15, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcomes were MACE (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or unstable angina with documented ischemia requiring hospitalization), cardiovascular death, and all-cause death after adjustment for baseline clinical, treatment, and laboratory characteristics, including baseline hsCRP levels. Results Among 4257 patients in this study, 3141 (73.8%) were men and the mean age was 60.3 years (interquartile range [IQR], 53.5-67.8 years). The median 16-week low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was 64.9 mg/dL (IQR, 50.3-82.3 mg/dL), and the median hsCRP level was 2.4 mg/L (IQR, 1.1-5.2 mg/L). On multivariable analysis, higher baseline hsCRP level (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36 [95% CI, 1.13-1.63]; P = .001) and higher longitudinal hsCRP level (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.09-1.21]; P < .001) were independently associated with MACE. Similar significant and independent associations were shown between baseline and longitudinal hsCRP levels and cardiovascular death (baseline: HR, 1.61 per SD [95% CI, 1.07-2.41], P = .02; longitudinal: HR, 1.26 per SD [95% CI, 1.19-1.34], P < .001) and between baseline and longitudinal hsCRP levels and all-cause death (baseline: HR, 1.58 per SD [95% CI, 1.07-2.35], P = .02; longitudinal: HR, 1.25 per SD [95% CI, 1.18-1.32], P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance Initial and subsequent increases in hsCRP levels during 16 weeks after ACS were associated with a greater risk of the combined MACE end point, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death despite established background therapies. Serial measurements of hsCRP during clinical follow-up after ACS may help to identify patients at higher risk for mortality and morbidity.


The in-loop deblocking filter in H.264/AVC contains highly adaptive processing on both sample level and block edge level, which inevitably appears in the loop kernel of the algorithm. Therefore it is quite difficult to efficiently implement the filter on digital signal processor (DSP) platform. In this paper, deeply pipelined DSP solutions to both edge filter and boundary strength decision are presented. To avoid conditional jumping when performing edge filter, DSP first calculate all possible filtered outputs, then combine them with corresponding masks to get single output for each sample, and last conditionally store the combined output based on the final content activity check result. Moreover, on the basis of the symmetry of filtering on both sides of the edge, two symmetrical samples are packed into one register for "pair processing" to increase the parallelism of the pipeline. While for boundary strength decision, two-pass pipelines are designed. In the first pass, strengths are created by using the inter-relative information on block level, and then in the second pass, these strengths are refined based on the intra mode checks on macroblock level. To cooperate with global filter control and also to keep pipelining, a two-level internal memory organization is presented as well. The simulated results indicate that this efficient implementation can support real-time filtering for high resolution videos


High rates of commercial fertilizer and animal manure application on cropland have been identified as an important cause of ground and surface water degradation in many areas of the country. Suggested remedies are often based on the idea that fertilization levels are economically irrational for the individual farmer. The received wisdom is that farmers could simultaneously improve their own economic well being and reduce the degradation of the ground and surface waters by fertilizing only to meet crop nutrient needs. Rather than assuming that farmers act irrationally, this study examines the fertilization problem on a mixed crop-livestock farm from the perspective of a risk-averse farmer coping with two key uncertainties: crop yield response to nitrogen applications and the nitrogen content of manure. The effects of fertilization decisions by such a farmer of various policy prescriptions for reducing surface and ground water pollution are examined. The results underscore the importance of understand producer behavior for the design of economically sound policy.


We aimed to describe the knowledge of HIV seropositive mother on the children immunization schedule and know the reasons for their non-compliance to the children immunization schedule. This is a descriptive study with qualitative approach carried out in the outpatient clinic of a public institution, in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil. The subjects were 16 mothers or caregivers of children up to two years of age exposed to HIV/AIDS. Data collection happened through semi-structured interviews conducted from January to March 2012. Two categories emerged from the analysis: Lack of knowledge of mother about special immunization schedule for children with HIV and Reasons for non-compliance to special immunization schedule. Mothers presented poor knowledge, fear and disinterest in the information on the disease and preventive measures, as well as the difficulties faced. Health professionals should promote strategies with these mothers seeking integration, commitment and comprehension of the importance of immunization in children. Descriptors: Immunization Schedule; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Child Health.


Power Control in Cellular Networks Power control has been an intellectually challenging and practically important subject in the design of all generations of digital cellular networks. This is a survey talk on the wide range of results and methodologies in the last 15 years of research in this area. It will highlight a unifying framework, a taxonomy of problem space, and several recent results, including those on robust power control, OFDM power control, and distributed, joint SIR assignment and power control.


Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication may provide high spectral efficiency through the deployment of a very large number of antenna elements at the base stations. The gains from massive MIMO communication come from the use of multiuser MIMO on the uplink and downlink, but with a large excess of antennas at the base station compared to the number of served users. Initial work on massive MIMO did not fully address several practical issues associated with its deployment. This paper considers the impact of channel aging on the performance of massive MIMO systems. The effects of channel variation are characterized as a function of different system parameters assuming a simple model for the channel time variations at the transmitter. Channel prediction is proposed to overcome channel aging effects. The analytical results on aging show how capacity is lost due to time variation in the channel. Numerical results in a multiceli network show that massive MIMO works even with some channel variation and that channel prediction could partially overcome channel aging effects.


Six Sigma is one of the current quality tools that is being introduced in to the design and manufacture of products. The paper starts by introducing the reader to Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), on which the concept is based and the key stages within the DFSS process. The goal of DFSS is to reduce the amount of variation in the design so that fewer defects are seen in manufacturing. To reduce variation and defects in a product the designed tolerance and the manufacturing process capability need to be increased. However, there is little current published research on the effect that this would have on the overall assembled product and the customer requirements in modern military aircraft. One of the most crucial customer requirements within the military aircraft industry is that of weight. This research identifies the potential risk associated with meeting the customer requirements if variation reduction is implemented into the design. The findings in this research indicate that there could be potential issues, including excessive costs to the long term customer requirements.


Context. The [C ii] 158 μm far-infrared (FIR) fine-structure line is one of the most important cooling lines of the star-forming interstellar medium (ISM). It is used as a tracer of star formation efficiency in external galaxies and to study feedback effects in parental clouds. High spectral resolution observations have shown complex structures in the line profiles of the [C ii] emission. Aims. Our aim is to determine whether the complex profiles observed in [12C ii] are due to individual velocity components along the line-of-sight or to self-absorption based on a comparison of the [12C ii] and isotopic [13C ii] line profiles. Methods. Deep integrations with the SOFIA/upGREAT 7-pixel array receiver in the sources of M43, Horsehead PDR, Monoceros R2, and M17 SW allow for the detection of optically thin [13C ii] emission lines, along with the [12C ii] emission lines, with a high signalto-noise ratio (S/N). We first derived the [12C ii] optical depth and the [C ii] column density from a single component model. However, the complex line profiles observed require a double layer model with an emitting background and an absorbing foreground. A multicomponent velocity fit allows us to derive the physical conditions of the [C ii] gas: column density and excitation temperature. Results. We find moderate to high [12C ii] optical depths in all four sources and self-absorption of [12C ii] in Mon R2 and M17 SW. The high column density of the warm background emission corresponds to an equivalent Av of up to 41 mag. The foreground absorption requires substantial column densities of cold and dense [C ii] gas, with an equivalent Av ranging up to about 13 mag. Conclusions. The column density of the warm background material requires multiple photon-dominated region (PDR) surfaces stacked along the line of sight and in velocity. The substantial column density of dense and cold foreground [C ii] gas detected in absorption cannot be explained with any known scenario and we can only speculate on its origins.


The study assesses the role played by cooperative societies' loans services on members' economic condition through household income generation in rural areas where there is no bank or other formal financial providers. Using a questionnaire technique, the study covers the activities of cooperative societies located in rural communities and villages outside the state capital and local government headquarters where there is no electricity, water, and tarred road in Ogun State, Nigeria. Data are analysed using chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, and effect size. The study found that participation in a cooperative is associated with increase in household income, while membership duration, house ownership, and marital status are the three variables that contributed significantly to the increase in household income reported by members in addition to the program loan. The result indicates specifically that being a cooperative member for a longer period of time and living in rented houses were significant contributory factors towards increase in household income. However, there was no difference in the number of increase in household income reported based on marital status of the members. The use of cooperative loan increases household income level of the borrowers because the loan serves as additional investment and therefore helps to improve economic position for better living standard of the members. The increase in household income through cooperative loan is a financial capital which supports the social capital theory to explain the role of cooperatives in rural finance at the household level.


Background: In Rwanda, 52% of the population is female and 25% of the population is of childbearing age. We sought to understand the care provided for obstetric and gynecologic emergencies in the prehospital setting in Rwanda.

Methods: Descriptive analysis was performed of demographic, indication, and intervention data for obstetric emergencies between December 2012 to May 2016 collected in a prospective database.

Results: Nearly 16% of 11,161 patients seen by SAMU were for obstetric emergencies. The average age was 26 (+ 9). Delivery-related included labor (76%) and retained placenta (10%). Pre-delivery complications, such as threatened abortion (26%) and miscarriages (24.5%), were 19% of all obstetric cases and 3.5% of cases were postpartum problems such as postpartum hemorrhage (59%) and infection (31%). Of 826 women in labor, the average dilation was 5.8 + 3.1 cm. SAMU staff delivered 317 healthy babies in the prehospital setting.

Conclusion: Obstetric emergencies need early recognition and intervention to support optimal outcomes for both mother and child. In Kigali, Rwanda, SAMU provides needed emergency obstetric care in the prehospital setting. Supporting their training on management of obstetric emergencies is likely to have substantial impact on maternal and fetal outcomes in the country.


This study examines communication strategies mostly appeared during the learning process at an ESP class, the code switch occurred during the presentation, and the meaning of the code switch that the students used. This research was non experimental descriptive study. Samples in this study were 20 fresh college learners of mathematic study program in a class at University of Lampung. The results show that of the 12 Communications Strategies (CSs) available, the students used 9 CSs. The researcher divided CSs that is used by the students into 4 levels, High frequency strategies (code switching (36,28%),  time-gaining strategies (30,37%), and appeal for help (16,03%)), Mid frequency strategies (non-linguistic signal (6,32%) and literal translation (4,64%)), low frequency strategies (message abandonment (2,53%), topic avoidance (2,11%), circumlocution (0,84%), and approximation (0,84%)), non existence strategies (use of all purpose words, word coinage, and foreignizing).


The traditional patient-primary care physician (PCP) relationship provides many ethical protections for patients, including confidentiality, shared medical decision making, and respect for patient autonomy. Hospitalist models, which introduce a purposeful discontinuity of care, threaten these protections and raise certain ethical concerns. We analyze 2 cases that explore ethical issues arising in hospitalist systems and suggest ways to ensure ethical protection for patients. The first case examines how hospitalization can disrupt the patient-PCP relationship and raise ethical issues regarding confidentiality. In the second case, we discuss decision making when the patient's goals and preferences for care change as a result of hospitalization. Effective hospitalist systems provide a model for a trusting patient-physician relationship. Although the hospitalist must take responsibility for inpatient management, the PCP has a key role in addressing important issues in the hospital and providing care after discharge. As hospitalists assume control of inpatient care, they must also provide ethical protections to patients to supplement those currently vested in the patient-PCP relationship. An approach that keeps the patient's best interests foremost, defines a clear role for the PCP, and takes advantage of the expertise and availability of hospitalists will best serve patients and physicians.


Packaged goods are shipped globally using various means of transportation. Over the past two decades, there has been a continuous increase in studies that measure and analyse dynamic events that occur to packages during transportation and handling. These data offer useful information to design and test packages, and provide protection from potential hazards like drops and impacts. However, none of the past studies are directed towards single packages regarded as 'smalls'. 'Smalls' or small‐package product systems are defined as those with volume of less than 0.013 m3, a longest dimension of 0.356 m and a weight of 4.54 kg or less. Packages that qualify for these specifications are often mixed together in a large carrying bag and handled with other single parcel shipments. This study measured and analysed the effect of moving this category of single packages through expedited shipments in the USA. The results showed that these packages experienced as many as 27 events comprising of drops or tosses in a one‐way shipment, and a maximum of 5.01 m of near‐zero G travel distance representing long 'tosses'. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons are increasingly used to model Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. To study the complex relationship of penetrant and weaker polygenic risk variants to ASD, 'isogenic' iPSC-derived neurons are critical. We developed a set of procedures to control for heterogeneity in reprogramming and differentiation, and generated 53 different iPSC-derived glutamatergic neuronal lines from 25 participants from 12 unrelated families with ASD. Heterozygous de novo and rare-inherited presumed-damaging variants were characterized in ASD risk genes/loci. Combinations of putative etiologic variants (GLI3/KIF21A or EHMT2/UBE2I) in separate families were modeled. We used a multi-electrode array, with patch-clamp recordings, to determine a reproducible synaptic phenotype in 25% of the individuals with ASD (other relevant data on the remaining lines was collected). Our most compelling new results revealed a consistent spontaneous network hyperactivity in neurons deficient for CNTN5 or EHMT2. The biobank of iPSC-derived neurons and accompanying genomic data are available to accelerate ASD research. Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).


OBJECTIVES: To determine the distribution of lipoprotein(a) levels and prevalence of hyperLp(a) in diabetes mellitus type I (IDDM). To analyze the effect of glycemic control and microalbuminuria on Lp(a) levels. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 263 subjects with IDDM with a mean age of 19.2 +/- 11.6 years and an evolutive course of 6.3 +/- 6.5 years. Apart from Lp(a), measurements were obtained from serum levels of lipids, apolipoproteins AI and B, fructosamine, glycosilated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and albuminuria in all patients. RESULTS: Mean serum concentrations of Lp(a) were 16.5 +/- 18.1 mg/dl and 18.5% of patients had Lp(a) levels > 30 mg/dl [hyperLp(a)]. With a multivariate regression analysis, the only variable correlated with Lp(a) levels was cholesterol LDL (p < 0.001). Patients with hyperLp(a) did not differ from the other patients in any of the other variables analyzed, and patients with HbA1c higher and lower than 8% had similar mean serum Lp(a) concentrations (14.0 +/- 16 vs. 17.9 +/- 20). Lp(a) concentration was also similar among patients with albuminuria higher and lower than 20 micrograms/min (16.6 +/- 20 vs. 17.7 +/- 16). CONCLUSIONS: Control of glycemia and microalbuminuria have no effect on Lp(a) concentrations in diabetes mellitus type I. HyperLp(a) is not indicative of a poor glycemic control.


Most forms of swarm coordination require frequently updated relative position and posture information about at least all near neighbours. The Serafina project [1][2] considers comparatively small submersibles (40 cm in lengths) but in large numbers. This imposes constraints in terms of size and energy consumption of the components. It also requires high degrees of flexibility as the school configuration changes frequently and fast. This article suggests a low-cost localization method which involves the communication system [3] and fuses information on the longwave radio band with wide-band acoustic readings in order to generate range, bearing, and posture estimates of all surrounding submersibles, i.e. all submersibles in sensing range. MLS-(maximum lengths sequence) signals are employed for high interference robustness and deployability even in cluttered environments which usually impose multiple specular reflections and possible resonance effects. A number of physical experiments are discussed which tests for precision, sensing range, interference robustness, and motion sensitivity. All those experiments refer to inter-school localization. Absolute localization (with respect to external, global landmarks) need only to be solved for one of the submersibles in the school (as all internal, relative locations are known) and is not discussed in this article.


Surgical correction for kyphoscoliosis is increasingly being performed for patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). Reported case series have predominantly included patients with Type I (Hurler) and Type IV (Morquio) MPS. To their knowledge, the authors describe the first case report of surgical management of thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis in Hunter syndrome (MPS Type II) and the rare occurrence of lumbar spondylolisthesis following surgical stabilization. A 12-year-old boy with Hunter syndrome presented with severe thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis and no associated symptoms. Spinal radiographs demonstrated kyphosis of 48° (T11-L3) and scoliosis of 22° (T11-L3) with an anteriorly hypoplastic L-1 vertebra. The deformity progressed to kyphosis of 60° and scoliosis of 42° prior to surgical intervention. Spinal CT scans identified left T12-L1 facet subluxation, causing anterior rotatory displacement of the spine proximal to L-1 and bilateral L-5 isthmic spondylolysis with no spondylolisthesis. A combined single-stage anterior and posterior instrumented spinal arthrodesis from T-9 to L-4 was performed. Kyphosis and scoliosis were corrected to 4° and 0°, respectively. Prolonged ventilator support and nasogastric feedings were required for 3 months postoperatively. At 2.5 years following surgery, the patient was asymptomatic, mobilizing independently, and had achieved a solid spinal fusion. However, he had also developed a Grade II spondylolisthesis at L4-5; this was managed nonoperatively in the absence of symptoms or further deterioration of the spondylolisthesis to the 3.5-year postoperative follow-up visit. Satisfactory correction of thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis in Hunter syndrome can be achieved by combined anterior/posterior instrumented arthrodesis. The risk of developing deformity or instability in motion segments adjacent to an instrumented fusion may be greater in patients with MPS related to the underlying connective tissue disorder.


The FTA technology was applied for sampling, archiving, and molecular analysis of the DNA isolated from stool samples to diagnose and identify microsporidia, the intracellular opportunistic parasites which induce malabsortion syndrome in immunosuppressed humans, particularly in patients with AIDS. Microsporidia DNA was successfully amplified in 6 of 50 stool samples of HIV-positive patients of the S. P. Botkin Memorial Infectious Disease Hospital (St. Petersburg) applied to FTA cards (FTA-Cars, Whatman Inc. Florham Park, NJ, USA). Amplicons (the fragments of rDNA) were directly sequenced, and microsporidia species--Encephalitozoon intestinalis, E. cuniculi, E. hellem, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi--were identified in Genbank by NCBI BLAST program. The FTA method of DNA immobilization is especially promising for epidemiological and field population studies which involve genotyping of microsporidia species and isolates.


To investigate the effect of chronic hyperglucagonemia on hepatic metabolism, we have studied net splanchnic glucose and ketone body production rates in a patient with glucagonoma before and after complete tumor resection. Preoperatively, immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) concentration was high (1,800 pg. per milliliter) and the molar insulin/glucagon (I/G) ratio was low (0.4). Arterial free fatty acid (FFA) concentration (0.74 mM) and net splanchnic FFA uptake (0.27 mmole per minute) were normal. However, 48 per cent of the net splanchnic FFA uptake was utilized for net splanchnic ketone body production, which was four times (0.52 mmole per minute) greater than normal. Postoperatively IRG (40 to 150 pg. per milliliter) and the molar I/G ratio (> 1.0) were both normal. Arterial FFA concentration and net splanchnic FFA uptake were unchanged (0.67 mM and 0.27 mmole per minute, respectively). However, only 19 per cent of the net splanchnic FFA uptake was utilized for net splanchnic ketone body production, which had declined to 0.19 mmole per minute. These data suggest that chronic hyperglucagonemia in this patient had a stimulating effect on ketogenesis. Preoperatively, the net splanchnic glucose production rate was 0.56 mmole per minute and could be accounted for entirely by gluconeogenesis from lactate (83 per cent), pyruvate (9 per cent), glycerol (14 per cent), and alanine, glutamine, and glutamate (8 per cent). The abnormally large contribution of lactate to gluconeogenesis was an effect of inappropriately elevated lactate concentration (0.88 mM) and increased blood flow (2,400 ml. per minute). Postoperatively the net splanchnic glucose production rate was 0.67 mmole per minute, of which 51 per cent could be accounted for by gluconeogenesis. The data provide no evidence for an effect of chronic hyperglucagonemia on splanchnic glucose production. However, they do not exclude a small stimulating glucagon effect on gluconeogenesis from amino acids.


Ilieva Y., V. Planski, K. Hristov and P. Penchev, 2018. Comparative study on age of conception of buffalo heifers in different farming systems, Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 24 (Suppl. 2): 52-56 With the aim to assess the effect of different farming systems on age of first conception, a comparative study was initiated on buffalo heifers from three farms for the period 2010-2015. All three farms (SIC, SIB and IMR) practice immediate separation of newborn from dam, 7-day colostrum and 3-month weaning period, live weight (LW) being monitored on Fm-3 only. Number of heifers assigned (n), farming system (FS), feeding in suckling period (SP) and use of natural-service bull (NS) were as follows: SIC – [n = 38, FS – free-stall plus pasture, SP – cow milk, NS – full time]; SIB – [n = 42, FS – tie-stall plus pasture, SP – buffalo milk, NS – by day]; IMR – [n = 69, FS – tie-stall plus yard, SP – milk replacer after first month, NS – by day, after heifers attain 380 kg LW]. The data were processed using the conventional statistical procedure. The results demonstrate the favourable effect of buffalo milk used in pre-weaning period, expressed in earlier age of conception in the heifers from SIB (729 days), as opposed to suckling cow milk on SIC – by 86 days (P < 0.05). Differences in farming system are implied by the considerably lower age of first conception established on SIB, in comparison to IMR (by 147 days, P < 0.001) where no pasture is used and breeding to bull is afforded after reaching a threshold live weight. The study found pronounced seasonality of reproduction, expressed in large percentage of heifers (75%) breeding in the period August-December. A tendency was also observed the heifers born in spring to conceive youngest.


Background: High-molecular-weight phthalates in indoor dust have been associated with asthma in children, but few studies have evaluated phthalate biomarkers in association with respiratory outcomes. Objectives: We explored the association between urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and current asthma. Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis, 11 metabolites of 8 phthalates [including four metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] were measured in one first morning void collected from 2001 through 2004 from 623 10-year-old Norwegian children. Logistic regression models controlling for urine specific gravity, sex, parental asthma, and income were used to estimate associations between current asthma and phthalate metabolite concentrations by quartiles or as log10-transformed variables. Results: Current asthma was associated with both mono(carboxyoctyl) phthalate (MCOP) and mono(carboxynonyl) phthalate (MCNP), although the association was limited to those in the highest quartile of these chemicals. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for current asthma was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.0, 3.3) for the highest MCOP quartile compared with the lowest quartile, and 1.3 (95% CI: 0.98, 1.7) for an interquartile-range increase. The aOR for current asthma was 2.2 (95% CI: 1.2, 4.0) for the highest MCNP quartile and 1.3 (95% CI: 1.0, 1.7) for an interquartile-range increase. The other phthalate metabolites were not associated with current asthma. Conclusions: Current asthma was associated with the highest quartiles of MCOP and MCNP, metabolites of two high molecular weight phthalates, diisononyl phthalate and diisodecyl phthalate, respectively. Given the short biological half-life of the phthalates and the cross-sectional design, our findings should be interpreted cautiously.


Background Adenovirus-vectored (Ad-vectored) vaccines are typically administered via i.m. injection to humans and are incapable of inducing respiratory mucosal immunity. However, aerosol delivery of Ad-vectored vaccines remains poorly characterized, and its ability to induce mucosal immunity in humans is unknown. This phase Ib trial evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of human serotype-5 Ad-vectored tuberculosis (TB) vaccine (AdHu5Ag85A) delivered to humans via inhaled aerosol or i.m. injection. Methods Thirty-one healthy, previously BCG-vaccinated adults were enrolled. AdHu5Ag85A was administered by single-dose aerosol using Aeroneb Solo Nebulizer or by i.m. injection. The study consisted of the low-dose (LD) aerosol, high-dose (HD) aerosol, and i.m. groups. The adverse events were assessed at various times after vaccination. Immunogenicity data were collected from the peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage samples at baseline, as well as at select time points after vaccination. Results The nebulized aerosol droplets were < 5.39 μm in size. Both LD and HD of AdHu5Ag85A administered by aerosol inhalation and i.m. injection were safe and well tolerated. Both aerosol doses, particularly LD, but not i.m., vaccination markedly induced airway tissue–resident memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of polyfunctionality. While as expected, i.m. vaccination induced Ag85A-specific T cell responses in the blood, the LD aerosol vaccination also elicited such T cells in the blood. Furthermore, the LD aerosol vaccination induced persisting transcriptional changes in alveolar macrophages. Conclusion Inhaled aerosol delivery of Ad-vectored vaccine is a safe and superior way to elicit respiratory mucosal immunity. This study warrants further development of aerosol vaccine strategies against respiratory pathogens, including TB and COVID-19. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT02337270. Funding The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada funded this work.


The colloidal probe technique was used to accurately measure forces between water–solid interfaces of negatively charged latex particles in aqueous solutions of linear, cationic oligoamines of different valence up to roughly +4. These measurements were realized between pairs of particles with the atomic force microscope. Monovalent and divalent amines behave as simple electrolytes, and the forces are dominated by double layer repulsion at low concentrations and van der Waals attraction at high concentrations, as suggested by the classical theory by Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO). Additional attractive non-DLVO force of a short range can be evidenced, and its origin is attributed to hydrophobic interaction between the surfaces. Trivalent and tetravalent oligoamines induce a charge reversal and equally an additional attractive non-DLVO force. The charge reversal originates from the adsorption of these oligoamines to the particle surface. The additional non-DLVO force is more long-ranged than...


The problem of image segmentation has been investigated with a focus on colored textured image segmentation.Texture is a substantial feature for the analysis of different types of images. Texture segmentation has an assortment of important applications ranging from vision guided autonomous robotics and remote sensing to medical diagnosis and retrieval in large image databases. But the main problem with the textured images is that they contain texture elements of various sizes and in some cases each of which can itself be textured.Thus the texture image segmentation is widely discerned as a difficult and thought-provoking problem.In this thesis an attempt has been made to devise methodologies for automated color textured image segmentation scheme. This problem has been addressed in the literature, still many key open issues remain to be investigated. As an initial step in this direction, this thesis proposes two methods which address the problem of color texture image segmentation through feature extraction approach in partially supervised approach.The feature extraction approaches can be classified into feature based and model based techniques.In feature based technique features are assessed without any model in mind. But in case of model based approach an inherent mathematical model lets eatures to be measured by fitting the model to the texture.The inherent features of the texture are captured in a set of parameters in order to understand the properties generating the texture. Nevertheless, a clear distinction can not be made between the two approaches and hence a combination of approaches from different categories is frequently adopted. In textured image segmentation, image model assumes a significant role and is developed by capturing salient spatial properties of an image. Markov random field (MRF)theory provides a convenient and consistent way to model context dependent entities.In this context a new scheme is proposed using Gaussian MRF model where the segmentation problem is formulated as a pixel labeling problem.The a priori class labels are modeled as Markov random field model and the number of classes is known a priori in partially supervised framework.The image label estimation problem is cast in Bayesian framework using Maximum a Posteriori (MAP)criterion and the MAP estimates of the image labels are obtained using iterated conditional modes (ICM) algorithm. Though the MRF model takes into account the local spatial interactions, it has a limitation in modeling natural scenes of distinct regions. Hence in our formulation, the first scheme takes into account within and between color plane interactions to incorporate spectraland contextual features. Genetic algorithm is employed for the initialization of ICM algorithm to obtain MAP estimates of image labels. The faster convergence property of the ICM algorithm and global convergence property of genetic algorithm are hybridized to obtain segmentation with better accuracy as well as faster convergence.


This volume contributes to the study of language ideology by focusing on the historical processes through which ideological positions about the relationship of language and society are produced and reproduced. Specifically, the contributors seek to contextualize the ways that language ideologies are contested in particular, often well publicized debates about language and its relationships to society. While ostensibly about linguistic issues, these debates, at one level or another, also address questions of power and national identity.


PURPOSE Patients with progressive or recurrent meningiomas have limited systemic therapy options. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition has a synthetic lethal relationship with NF2 loss. Given the predominance of NF2 mutations in meningiomas, we evaluated the efficacy of GSK2256098, a FAK inhibitor, as part of the first genomically driven phase II study in recurrent or progressive grade 1-3 meningiomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligible patients whose tumors screened positively for NF2 mutations were treated with GSK2256098, 750 mg orally twice daily, until progressive disease. Efficacy was evaluated using two coprimary end points: progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS6) and response rate by Macdonald criteria, where PFS6 was evaluated separately within grade-based subgroups: grade 1 versus 2/3 meningiomas. Per study design, the FAK inhibitor would be considered promising in this patient population if either end point met the corresponding decision criteria for efficacy. RESULTS Of 322 patients screened for all mutation cohorts of the study, 36 eligible and evaluable patients with NF2 mutations were enrolled and treated: 12 grade 1 and 24 grade 2/3 patients. Across all grades, one patient had a partial response and 24 had stable disease as their best response to treatment. In grade 1 patients, the observed PFS6 rate was 83% (10/12 patients; 95% CI, 52 to 98). In grade 2/3 patients, the observed PFS6 rate was 33% (8/24 patients; 95% CI, 16 to 55). The study met the PFS6 efficacy end point both for the grade 1 and the grade 2/3 cohorts. Treatment was well tolerated; seven patients had a maximum grade 3 adverse event that was at least possibly related to treatment with no grade 4 or 5 events. CONCLUSION GSK2256098 was well tolerated and resulted in an improved PFS6 rate in patients with recurrent or progressive NF2-mutated meningiomas, compared with historical controls. The criteria for promising activity were met, and FAK inhibition warrants further evaluation for this patient population.


Ceria nanoparticles have been recently used as an optical fluorescent material with visible emission under ultraviolet excitation, due to the formation of trivalent cerium ions with corresponding oxygen vacancies. This paper introduces the enhancement of both fluorescence emission and lifetime through adding gold nanoparticles. The reason is due to possible coupling between the plasmonic resonance of gold nanoparticles and the fluorescence emission of ceria that has been achieved, along with enhanced formation of trivalent cerium ions. Both factors lead to higher fluorescence intensity peaks and shorter fluorescence lifetimes. As an application, gold-ceria nanoparticles have been used as an optical sensing material for lead particles in aqueous media based on fluorescence quenching. Stern-Volmer constant of in-situ gold-ceria nanoparticles is found to be 2.424 M−1, with a relative intensity change of up to 40% at 0.2 g/L.


Many view apartment-living as the way of the future, and this book demonstrates just why it can be so desirable. After all, apartment dwellers enjoy the best of everything: the best views; functional floorplans; low-level maintenance, and convenient, inner-city locations close to work, shops, restaurants and continuous entertainment. With over 50 apartments set in the world's most desirable destinations, including Rio, Sydney, New York, London and Hong Kong, this new book demonstrates why so many people are now choosing to call an apartment home. A handy, pocket-sized reference, it offers a concise and insightful glimpse into some of the world's most beautiful homes, from penthouses to pied-a-terres. Each started life as a non-descript shell, with many being reclaimed from warehouses or office spaces. Now, they are luxury penthouses, funky lofts, sleek bachelor pads, and even sumptuous family homes. Outstanding colour photography and plans complement easy-to-read project descriptions to make this book a functional guide to planning and decorating your own sophisticated piece of residential bliss.


High-resolution satellite observations are used to investigate air‐sea interaction over the eastern Pacific warm pool. In winter, strong wind jets develop over the Gulfs of Tehuantepec, Papagayo, and Panama, accelerated by the pressure gradients between the Atlantic and Pacific across narrow passes of Central American cordillera. Patches of cold sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and high chlorophyll develop under these wind jets as a result of increased turbulent heat flux from the ocean and enhanced mixing across the base of the ocean mixed layer. Despite a large decrease in SST (exceeding 38C in seasonal means), the cold patches associated with the Tehuantepec and Papagayo jets do not have an obvious effect on local atmospheric convection in winter since the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is located farther south. The cold patch of the Panama jet to the south, on the other hand, cuts through the winter ITCZ and breaks it into two parts. A pronounced thermocline dome develops west of the Gulf of Papagayo, with the 208C isotherm only 30 m deep throughout the year. In summer when the Panama jet disappears and the other two wind jets weaken, SST is 0.58C lower over this Costa Rica Dome than the background. This cold spot reduces local precipitation by half, punching a hole of 500 km in diameter in the summer ITCZ. The dome underlies a patch of open-ocean high chlorophyll. This thermocline dome is an ocean dynamic response to the positive wind curls south of the Papagayo jet, which is optimally oriented to excite ocean Rossby waves that remotely affect the ocean to the west. The meridionally oriented Tehuantepec and Panama jets, by contrast, only influence the local thermocline depth with few remote effects on SST and the atmosphere. The orographical-triggered air‐sea interaction described here is a good benchmark for testing high-resolution climate models now under development.


The vast majority of deep-sea ecosystems are sustained by exported organic material from the productive, sunlit surface ocean. Bacteria dominate benthic communities both in biomass and abundance, and have been recognized as the key players in the remineralization of organic material. Since most sediment bacteria remain however uncultivated and represent unknown taxa, we have very limited knowledge of their metabolic capabilities and enzymatic machinery. Here we studied deep-sea surface sediments along a seafloor depth gradient from 1200 m to 5500 m at the Arctic long-term ecological research station HAUSGARTEN. We applied Illumina 16S rRNA gene surveys based on DNA and cDNA, as well as metagenomic and -transcriptomic sequencing to elucidate total and active bacterial community composition and gain insight into the carbohydrate processing and uptake capabilities of deep-sea benthic bacteria. We identified specific taxa of interest and quantified their cellular abundance using CAtalyzed Reporter Deposition–Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization.

Results from the different molecular approaches were in good agreement and suggested similar community structures with the same dominant members. Interestingly, typically predominant sediment taxa, i.e. the JTB255 marine group, the Sh765B.TzT29 group or the OM1 clade, were underrepresented in the active part of the community, while other usually low-abundant taxa, i.e. Flavobacteriia and the SAR202 clade, were overrepresented. At low taxonomic resolution, communities along the slope were similar, yet showed high turnover at species level. Although, the repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes (e.g. polysaccharide hydrolases) appeared unchanging along the depth gradient, the relative contribution of distinct enzyme-coding genes varied. Specific glycoside hydrolases involved in polysaccharide degradation of algae material (e.g. for laminarin; xylan) had higher counts at shallow depth, while others responsible for the breakdown of bacterial cell walls (e.g. for components of peptidoglycan) were more strongly represented at deep stations. Our findings indicate an adaptation of the communities to differences in organic matter quality.


OBJECTIVE
To record the anatomical variations and clinical importance of the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve in the inguinal canal.

DESIGN
Neuropathology study.

SETTING
General hospital, Taiwan.

SUBJECTS
58 cadavers.

INTERVENTIONS
116 dissections findings of the genitofemoral nerve in the inguinal canal.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Anatomical variations.

RESULTS
All the genital branches passed through the ventral aspect of the internal ring. Almost all these branches entered the ring and continued within the spermatic cord between the fibres of the cremaster and the internal spermatic fascia. In 59% the nerve was related to the inferior fibres and in 38% it was in relation to the lateral or medial fibres. In only 3% did the genital branch run outside the spermatic cord.

CONCLUSION
To avoid damage to the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve, suturing should be done over the dorsal aspect of the internal ring. The cremaster should be incised longitudinal rather than transversely and the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve should be identified before repair of the posterior wall.


Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier has been analyzed from almost every angle imaginable, yet it has not often been studied from the position of discovering what forces influenced Bach while he was writing it. For example, Bach was a keyboard teacher for most of his professional years, and this influenced many of the styles and genres in which he chose to write his preludes and fugues. This also influenced his desire to gather the preludes and fugues into a unified collection. Additionally, Bach was a devout Lutheran who never discarded his religion when he sat down at the keyboard to compose. No matter if the piece was sacred or secular, with text or without, Bach believed that all music should glorify God. His music in the Well-Tempered Clavier shows this devotion through musical symbols that signify aspects of the Christian life such as the cross. Lastly, the Doctrine of Affections influenced Bach's thinking that certain keys should have a specific affect on the listener. While Bach did not always follow the prevailing Doctrine of Affections philosophies of the day, he did purposefully create specific contrasting moods for each key. This paper seeks to prove through historical documentary research that Bach's composition of the WellTempered Clavier was influenced by his role as a teacher, by his religious background, and by the Doctrine of Affections.


We conducted acoustic surveys at National Park Service and state park properties in south-central West Virginia to create bat habitat association models across a large, topographically complex and relatively intact Appalachian Hardwood landscape representative of the Allegheny Plateau portion of the central Appalachians. We developed generalized and species-specific groups of a priori habitat association models to predict bat presence using various microhabitat and landscape features linked to body-size, wing morphology, food habits and echolocation call characteristics for seven species. Habitat as - sociations for the species generally followed expectations based on previous research in the region. Although variable among species, riparian areas were important components of foraging habitat, with open, less structurally cluttered zones most important for little brown myotis ( Myotis lucifugus), eastern pipistrelles (Pipistrellus subflavus ), and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), and to a lesser extent eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis). Riparian areas with closed-canopy forests were important for Indiana myotis (M. sodalis) and northern myotis (M. septentrionalis). Current regulations and guidelines that ensure protection and maintenance of riparian health and integrity concomitantly will provide protection of important bat foraging habitat in the region.


Abstract Bull trout Salvelinus confluentus are currently listed as a threatened species in the western United States. Entrainment (the passage through screens of water diversion structures) has been identified as one cause of bull trout population decline. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether existing fish screen criteria developed for the Pacific Northwest are adequate to prevent bull trout fry from being impinged (having extended whole-body contact with a screen) or entrained by screened water intakes. Bull trout were exposed to four types of screens in an artificial stream. Recently emerged bull trout (median total length = 25.0 mm) were tested in groups of 25 at 6–7°C for approximately 16 h. Only one bull trout was entrained during all the experiments. Bull trout were regularly impinged on the screens but, in most cases, escaped impingement and survived for at least 24 h. This implies that the currently specified screen regulations for salmonid fry might not need to be modified for bull...


The present study was conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity available in the cultivars of Corchorus olitorious L. with the aim of broadening their genetic base. Eleven cultivars of C. olitorious , including BUC 1 , BUC 2 , Oniyaya, BUC 3 , NHCO 12 , NHCO 21 , BUC 4 , BUC 5 , BUC 6 , BUC 7 and BUC 8 were evaluated for their morphological relationship. Plant height, leaf number, leaf area, leaf weight and root weight were used as agronomic indices. Seeds were sourced from Babcock University and National Institute of Horticultural Research (NIHORT) and germplasm were treated using the recommended wet heat treatment method in order to break seed dormancy. The seeds were then sown using a randomized Complete Block Design with the C. olitorious cultivars as the treatment. Results showed significant differences in all traits evaluated for the eleven cultivars except seedling fresh leaf weight, which was not significantly different for all the cultivars. Significant positive variations also existed among some of the paired traits. The present study indicated enough diversity among the C. olitorious cultivars that can help to broaden the genetic bases of new cultivars.


In recent times, the indiscriminate disposal of post-consumer plastic packaging material has received global attention. There is a need to develop an alternative packaging material from bio-based polymers to reduce plastic waste pollution. This work studied the effects of loading seaweed nanoparticles into an agar matrix by analyzing the physical, mechanical, water vapor barrier, and biodegradation properties, as well as the surface morphological properties of biopolymer composite. The results showed that the addition of seaweed nanoparticles in the biopolymer matrix improved the properties of the agar-based biopolymer composite, except for the water vapor barrier properties of the biopolymer composite. The biopolymer composite film loaded with 6 w/w% seaweed nanoparticles appeared to achieve the highest mechanical strength. In addition, scanning electron microscopy analysis verified that the 6% w/w% seaweed nanoparticles biopolymer composite showed a homogenous surface morphology and had a strong adhesion on the interfaces of the filler and matrix. The samples had a desirable density of 0.0131 cmg and a desirable biodegradability when 8 w/w% nanoparticles was used. This study verified that seaweed nanoparticles are compatible with agar matrix in terms of the enhancement of biopolymer composite properties.


The 1992 Landers, California, earthquake (magnitude 7.3) was modeled as the propagation of a spontaneous rupture controlled by a realistic prestress distribution with the use of a three-dimensional finite-difference method. The dynamic rupture reproduces the general slip pattern used to compute the initial stress distribution and generates near-fault ground motions at the surface similar to observations. The simulated rupture propagates on the fault along a complex path with highly variable speed and rise time, changing the magnitude and pattern of the stress significantly. The method provides the framework to estimate earthquake rupture parameters from recorded seismic and geodetic data.


Background:
 Sarcopenia and obesity have become important public health and clinical issues worldwide, especially in an aging society like Taiwan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiometabolic risk factors among the different weight status and grip strength status among elder individuals in Taiwan.

 Methods:
 We administered a series of community-based health surveys among the elder population in Chiayi County, Taiwan, from 2017 to 2019. Anthropometric characteristics, handgrip strength, and cardiometabolic risk profiles were measured using standard methods. History of chronic diseases was also asked. The questionnaires, including questions regarding any history of chronic diseases, were administered to the subjects under the assistance of a research technician.

 Results:
 This study recruited 3739 subjects (1600 males and 2139 females). The non-obese group had lower blood glucose (BG) levels compared to the obese group (100.3 ± 32.2 mg/dl vs 109.1 ± 34.3 mg/dl for the male subjects; 102.8 ± 32.1 mg/dl vs. 112.5 ± 40.3 mg/dl for the female subjects). The grip strength was negatively associated with BG in both sexes (β = –0.357, p < 0.001 for the male subjects male and β = –0.385, p < 0.05 for the female subjects). Relationship between the grip strength and the risk of cardiometabolic disease showed that for every 1 kg increase in the grip strength, there was a 4.1% and 4.5% decrease in the risk for developing diabetes in male and female subjects, respectively (OR = 0.959, 95% CI = 0.940-0.979 for males and OR = 0.955, 95% CI = 0.932-0.978 for females).

 Conclusions:
 A higher handgrip strength is associated with a lower BG level and lower risk for developing diabetes mellitus among elder population in Taiwan. Health promotion studies to increase muscle mass along with early rehabilitation programs should focus on the obese and sarcopenic population to prevent cardiometabolic comorbidities.


Several of the multitude of functions attributed to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) are coordinated by its various isoforms, which are generated as a result of alternative splicing from a single gene. Despite the fact that the VEGF isoforms exhibit distinct biochemical properties, little has been done to clarify their functions and their contributions to physiological and pathological processes. In this thesis I describe the biochemical and biological characterization of the heparin-binding domain of mouse VEGF 164 through structure-function analysis. To investigate the functional significance of heparin binding, mutations were introduced into exon 7 of VEGF 164 to identify essential residues for heparin binding. Three key amino acids involved in this interaction were identified. Mutants with alterations in these amino acids were unable to bind heparin and were compromised in their ability to bind to cell-surface heparan sulfate. These mutants, however, retained wild-type like potency in inducing tissue factor expression in vitro and microvessel growth ex vivo, and maintained the capacity to bind to the receptors neuropilin-1, VEGFR-1, and VEGFR-2. A second goal of this work was to better define the role of VEGF 164 in mediating inflammatory processes during pathological vascularization of the retina. Analysis of VEGF 164-deficient (VEGF1ZU/ iao) mice subjected to neovascularization-inducing conditions and rats injected intravitreally with recombinant VEGF variants demonstrated that endogenous and exogenous VEGF 164 increases leukocyte adhesiveness to retinal vessels compared to the non-heparin-binding isoform, VEGF 120. Interestingly, the three basic residues that confer heparin binding of VEGF 164, appear to be critical for its pro inflammatory activity, but not for its angiogenic activity. In addition, both mutants (and VEGF 120) exhibited a reduced affinity for VEGFR-1, a leukocyte-expressed receptor that mediates VEGF-induced migration. Results of in vivo experiments using P1GF, VEGF-E, as well as a VEGFR-1 neutralizing antibody, further demonstrate a role for VEGFR-1 in retinal leukostasis.


The net value-added of an investment strategy has two parts: the expected value of the alpha skill, and the cost of implementation. The first part is positive and depends on the efficacy of a return forecasting model; the second is negative and depends on portfolio turnover and trading skills. The higher the former, and the lower the latter, the happier the investor. Typically, managers give little consideration to turnover, but throw an alpha model into an optimizer, setting turnover constraints to handle transaction costs. The explicit framework here instead integrates alpha models with portfolio turnover and transaction costs. The result allows evaluation of factors in terms of net return and then optimization of multiple factors to achieve the best net information ratio. Optimal multifactor models change as portfolio turnover constraints change, providing a potential solution for model evolution as assets under management grow.


Coating is an effective method to solve the contradiction between the wear resistance and the toughness for tool materials and the coated tool can yield satisfied cutting performances. Now the coated high-speed steel (HSS) drill is widely used in drilling of stainless steel. This paper studied the tool life of the TiN, the TiAlN and the TiCN coated special drills in drilling austenitic stainless steel 1Cr18Ni9Ti through contrastive experiments. The tool life of the TiN coated drill was only 81.5% of TiCN, and 66% of TiAlN because of its low oxidization resistance and hardness. The wearing features of TiAlN and TiCN coating were also studied by experiments and the different wear mechanisms were revealed. Finally the comparison of cutting performance was given between TiAlN and TiCN coated drills and recommendation of coating selection for drilling austenitic stainless steel was also presented. TiCN coating is suitable for HSS cutting tool base, which is often used for drilling austenitic stainless steel at low speed. TiAlN coating is appropriate for tungsten carbide cutting tool base, which is used for drilling austenitic stainless steel at high speed. The special designed drill with optimal geometrical structure plus appropriate coating can yield long tool life and high material removal rate in high-efficient drilling austenitic stainless steel.


A new series of Co (II), Ni (II) and Cu (II) metal complexes with biologically active Schiff bases derived from 3- substituted-4-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 2-Chloro-3-formylquinoline have been synthesized. The synthesized Schiff bases and their metal complexes have been characterized in the light of elemental analyses, spectral data (IR,1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, ESR and ESI-Mass) Magnetic and thermal studies. The stoichiometry of all the metal complexes is found to be 1:2 of the type ML2.2H2O. The measured molar conductance values in DMSO indicate that, the complexes are non-electrolytic in nature. It has been concluded that, all the metal complexes possess octahedral geometry in which ligand is coordinated to metal ion through azomethine nitrogen and thione sulfur atoms via deprotonation. The Schiff bases and their metal complexes have been screened for their in vitro antibacterial (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and antifungal activities (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum and Candida albicans) by Minimum Inhibition Concentration(MIC) Method. The DNA Cleavage activity is studied by agarose gel electrophoresis method


PURPOSE
To demonstrate that highly accelerated (net acceleration factor [R(net)] ≥ 10) acquisition techniques can be used to generate three-dimensional (3D) subsecond timing images, as well as diagnostic-quality high-spatial-resolution contrast material-enhanced (CE) renal magnetic resonance (MR) angiograms with a single split dose of contrast material.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
All studies were approved by the institutional review board and were HIPAA compliant; written consent was obtained from all participants. Twenty-two studies were performed in 10 female volunteers (average age, 47 years; range, 27-62 years) and six patients with renovascular disease (three women; average age, 48 years; range, 37-68 years; three men; average age, 60 years; range, 50-67 years; composite average age, 54 years; range, 38-68 years). The two-part protocol consisted of a low-dose (2 mL contrast material) 3D timing image with approximate 1-second frame time, followed by a high-spatial-resolution (1.0-1.6-mm isotropic voxels) breath-hold 3D renal MR angiogram (18 mL) over the full abdominal field of view. Both acquisitions used two-dimensional (2D) sensitivity encoding acceleration factor (R) of eight and 2D homodyne (HD) acceleration (R(HD)) of 1.4-1.8 for R(net) = R · R(HD) of 10 or higher. Statistical analysis included determination of mean values and standard deviations of image quality scores performed by two experienced reviewers with use of eight evaluation criteria.

RESULTS
The 2-mL 3D time-resolved image successfully portrayed progressive arterial filling in all 22 studies and provided an anatomic overview of the vasculature. Successful timing was also demonstrated in that the renal MR angiogram showed adequate or excellent portrayal of the main renal arteries in 21 of 22 studies.

CONCLUSION
Two-dimensional acceleration techniques with R(net) of 10 or higher can be used in CE MR angiography to acquire (a) a 3D image series with 1-second frame time, allowing accurate bolus timing, and (b) a high-spatial-resolution renal angiogram.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11110242/-/DC1.


During the months May-July, 1974, a follow-up investigation was carried out on hookworm infections in dogs and cats in order to study changes in the hookworm distribution in Surinam since 1967. Fifty-two cats and 152 dogs were examined for the presence of helminths in the oesophagus, small intestine, coecum and heart. In total 15,942 helminths were isolated; most of these (14,006) were hookworms belonging to the species Ancylostoma caninum, A. tubaeforme, A. ceylanicum and A. braziliense. The average size of the hookworn load in dogs and cats appeared to have decreased since 1967, especially as regards A. ceylanicum. The distribution area of A. braziliense had extended largely by 1974 to the east and south in Surinam. In west Surinam A. braziliense infection was not found, just as in 1967.. The remaining parasites were Dipylidium caninum, Toxocara sp., Dirofilaria immitis, Spirocerca sanguinolenta, Spirometra mansonoides, Taenia taeniaeformis and Trichurisvulpis.


Time delay is recognized as an important issue in haptic telepresence systems as it is inherent to long-distance data transmission. What factors influence haptic delay perception in a time-delayed environment are, however, largely unknown. In this article, we examine the impact of manual movement frequency and amplitude in a sinusoidal exploratory movement as well as the stiffness of the haptic environment on the detection threshold for delay in haptic feedback. The results suggest that the detection of delay in force feedback depends on the movement frequency and amplitude, while variation of the absolute feedback force level does not influence the detection threshold. A model based on the exploration movement is proposed and guidelines for system design with respect to the time delay in haptic feedback are provided.


Intelligent classification systems proved their merits in different fields including cybersecurity. However, most cybercrime issues are characterized of being dynamic and not static classification problems where the set of discriminative features keep changing with time. This indeed requires revising the cybercrime classification system and pick a group of features that preserve or enhance its performance. Not only this but also the system compactness is regarded as an important factor to judge on the capability of any classification system where cybercrime classification systems are not an exception. The current research proposes an improved feature selection algorithm that is inspired from the well-known multi-verse optimizer (MVO) algorithm. Such an algorithm is then applied to 3 different cybercrime classification problems namely phishing websites, spam, and denial of service attacks. MVO is a population-based approach which stimulates a well-known theory in physics namely multi-verse theory. MVO uses the black and white holes principles for exploration, and wormholes principle for exploitation. A roulette selection schema is used for scientifically modeling the principles of white hole and black hole in exploration phase, which bias to the good solutions, in this case the solutions will be moved toward the best solution and probably to lose the diversity, other solutions may contain important information but didn't get chance to be improved. Thus, this research will improve the exploration of the MVO by introducing the adaptive neighborhood search operations in updating the MVO solutions. The classification phase has been done using a classifier to evaluate the results and to validate the selected features. Empirical outcomes confirmed that the improved MVO (IMVO) algorithm is capable to enhance the search capability of MVO, and outperform other algorithm involved in comparison.


Fine sediments represent an important vector of pollutant diffusion in rivers. When deposited in floodplains and riverbeds, they can be responsible for soil pollution. In this context, this paper proposes a modelling exercise aimed at predicting transport and diffusion of fine sediments and dissolved pollutants. The model is based upon the Telemac hydro-informatic system (dynamical coupling Telemac-2D-Sysiphe). As empirical and semiempirical parameters need to be calibrated for such a modelling exercise, a sensitivity analysis is proposed. An innovative point in this study is the assessment of the usefulness of dissolved trace metal contamination information for model calibration. Moreover, for supporting the modelling exercise, an extensive database was set up during two flood events. It includes water surface elevation records, discharge measurements and geochemistry data such as time series of dissolved/particulate contaminants and suspended-sediment concentrations. The most sensitive parameters were found to be the hydraulic friction coefficients and the sediment particle settling velocity in water. It was also found that model calibration did not benefit from dissolved trace metal contamination information. Using the two monitored hydrological events as calibration and validation, it was found that the model is able to satisfyingly predict suspended sediment and dissolve pollutant transport in the river channel. In addition, a qualitative comparison between simulated sediment deposition in the floodplain and a soil contamination map shows that the preferential zones for deposition identified by the model are realistic.


Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is highly heterogeneous and despite treatment advances it remains a life-shortening condition. There have been significant advances in imaging technologies, but despite evidence of their potential clinical utility, practice remains variable, dependent in part on imaging availability and expertise. This statement summarizes current and emerging imaging modalities and their potential role in the diagnosis and assessment of suspected PH. It also includes a review of commonly encountered clinical and radiological scenarios, and imaging and modeling-based biomarkers. An expert panel was formed including clinicians, radiologists, imaging scientists, and computational modelers. Section editors generated a series of summary statements based on a review of the literature and professional experience and, following consensus review, a diagnostic algorithm and 55 statements were agreed. The diagnostic algorithm and summary statements emphasize the key role and added value of imaging in the diagnosis and assessment of PH and highlight areas requiring further research.


The hardness and intensity are easily measured quantities for all gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and so, many past and current studies have sought correlations between them. This Letter presents many serious methodological problems with the practical definitions for both hardness and intensity. These difficulties are such that significant correlations can be easily introduced as artifacts of the reduction procedure. In particular, cosmological models of GRBs cannot be tested with hardness/intensity correlations with current instrumentation and the time evolution of the hardness in a given burst may be correlated with intensity for reasons that are unrelated to intrinsic change in the spectral shape


Abstract. We propose a real time indoor corridor layout estimation method based on visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). The proposed method adopts the Manhattan World Assumption at indoor spaces and uses the detected single image straight line segments and their corresponding orthogonal vanishing points to improve the feature matching scheme in the adopted visual SLAM system. Using the proposed real time indoor corridor layout estimation method, the system is able to build an online sparse map of structural corner point features. The challenges presented by abrupt camera rotation in the 3D space are successfully handled through matching vanishing directions of consecutive video frames on the Gaussian sphere. Using the single image based indoor layout features for initializing the system, permitted the proposed method to perform real time layout estimation and camera localization in indoor corridor areas. For layout structural corner points matching, we adopted features which are invariant under scale, translation, and rotation. We proposed a new feature matching cost function which considers both local and global context information. The cost function consists of a unary term, which measures pixel to pixel orientation differences of the matched corners, and a binary term, which measures the amount of angle differences between directly connected layout corner features. We have performed the experiments on real scenes at York University campus buildings and the available RAWSEEDS dataset. The incoming results depict that the proposed method robustly performs along with producing very limited position and orientation errors.


Enzymes involved in collagen biosynthesis, including lysyl oxidase (LOX), have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. LOX expression is significantly upregulated in bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis, and knockdown of LOX expression or inhibition of LOX activity alleviates the lung fibrosis. Unexpectedly, treatment of the mice with LOX inhibitor at the inflammatory stage, but not the fibrogenic stage, efficiently reduces collagen deposition and normalizes lung architecture. Inhibition of LOX impairs inflammatory cell infiltration, TGF-β signaling, and myofibroblast accumulation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of LOX sensitizes the fibrosis-resistant Balb/c mice to BLM-induced inflammation and lung fibrosis. These results suggest that LOX is indispensable for the progression of BLM-induced experimental lung fibrosis by aggravating the inflammatory response and subsequent fibrosis process after lung injury.


Abstract Throughout the world many former colonies are struggling with an inheritance of legal pluralism that gives recognition to both customary law and formal, written law. The interaction of such laws, which are very different in nature, often raises complex questions, especially because in practice the boundaries between them are often blurred. Each has had to adapt to accommodate the other, and in some cases hybrids have emerged. Questions of jurisdiction also arise, since recognition of a discrete legal system requires definition of the community to which it applies. This article explores the question of how, when state law gives recognition to custom, boundaries between different communities are determined within the State legal system for the purposes of legal jurisdiction. The geographical context of this examination is the South Pacific, and in particular Solomon Islands. In many countries of the South Pacific, including Solomon Islands, the Constitution establishes a hierarchy of laws. In this customary law is placed below the Constitution and statute, but sometimes above common law and equity. However, in practice choice of law issues arise and are debated, as it is not accepted that customary law necessarily applies to every branch of substantive law or to everyone present in the country. Whilst most South Pacific countries give special treatment to customary land, in other areas the choice of law rules are unclear and cases are determined on an ad hoc basis. Frequently reference is made to the notion of a 'personal law', determined according to whether a party is an 'islander'. The interpretation of the term 'islander', as used in various places and with various meanings in the statute law of Solomon Islands, is shown to raise complex problems. This is the case, whether or not choice of law rules are provided by statute or have to be developed by judicial action. It is argued that it is imperative to have clear definitions, or at least a clear process for identification, if a plural system is to flourish. It appears that in cases of uncertainty the rules underpinning the State system will be adopted by default. If South Pacific jurisprudence is to develop then more appropriate solutions must be found, but this will be best done through exploration of the boundaries of legal identity together with the communities themselves.


Abstract Hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is valuable to optimize tumor heating during thermal therapy delivery. Yet, clinical hyperthermia treatment plans lack quantitative accuracy due to uncertainties in tissue properties and modeling, and report tumor absorbed power and temperature distributions which cannot be linked directly to treatment outcome. Over the last decade, considerable progress has been made to address these inaccuracies and therefore improve the reliability of hyperthermia treatment planning. Patient-specific electrical tissue conductivity derived from MR measurements has been introduced to accurately model the power deposition in the patient. Thermodynamic fluid modeling has been developed to account for the convective heat transport in fluids such as urine in the bladder. Moreover, discrete vasculature trees have been included in thermal models to account for the impact of thermally significant large blood vessels. Computationally efficient optimization strategies based on SAR and temperature distributions have been established to calculate the phase-amplitude settings that provide the best tumor thermal dose while avoiding hot spots in normal tissue. Finally, biological modeling has been developed to quantify the hyperthermic radiosensitization effect in terms of equivalent radiation dose of the combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia treatment. In this paper, we review the present status of these developments and illustrate the most relevant advanced elements within a single treatment planning example of a cervical cancer patient. The resulting advanced HTP workflow paves the way for a clinically feasible and more reliable patient-specific hyperthermia treatment planning.


The large Public Sector Purchase Programme (PSPP) which the ECB started in 2015 on the basis of monetary policy purposes, had major side-effects on fiscal policy. One concerns the programme's uncommon seigniorage effects. We find that the PSPP not only led to partly negative seigniorage gains, but also produced super-seigniorage gains resulting from negative interest rates on the excess reserves which have been created by the programme. Another effect of the PSPP is its interference with fiscal debt management, thereby making fiscal budgets more vulnerable to changes in short-term interest rates. We also find that the experience with the PSPP suggests that fiscal policy should prepare for a greater role in fighting future recessions.


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Agreement was reached by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on the Fourth Framework Programme on Research and Technology Development on the 26th April 1994. It encompasses all the European Union's effort in the fields of research, technological development and demonstration for five years and is directed at improving the competitiveness of European industry and the quality of life within the member states. The Fourth Framework Programme gives UK industry and academia the opportunity to share in a 12.3 billion ECU (£9.6 billion) European Union budget for research and technological development. The role of the UK in defining the content of the programme, and the UK's contribution to it are briefly discussed.


We present a design methodology for a nanoscale self-assembling fabrication process that uses the specificity of DNA hybridization to guide the formation of electrical circuitry. Custom design software allows us to specify the function of a structure in a way similar to that used by VLSI circuit designers. In an analogous manner to generating masks for a photolithographic process, our software generates an assembly procedure including DNA sequence allocation. We have found that the number of unique DNA sequences needed to assemble a structure scales with its surface area. Using a simple face-serial assembly order we can specify an unambiguous assembly sequence for a structure of any size with only 15 unique DNA sequences.


Resonance models describe a wide variety of musical sounds using perceptually-meaningful parameters. The compact representation of resonance models allows efficient storage, modification and real-time implementation. Widespread adoption of resonance models has been hampered by the lack of specialized tools to display and manipulate them. We demonstrate here a novel 3D editor designed for musicians, composers and sound designers to manipulate sounds described by resonance models. Visualization and modification of resonance parameters is based on familiar metaphors from the physical world. The editor is a component of OpenSoundEdit, a portable sound-editing framework.


: Practical experience regarding the application of receptive individual music therapy after Schwabe is used as a basis to discuss its use at outpatient surgeries. The method is used for patient-centred psychodynamic counselling of neurotics and can, because it permits particularly an emotional access to the patient, accelerate the treatment. The author discusses the treatment itself, its indicants, the training of therapeutics, questions of medical competence and the constraints limiting its application for outpatient treatment.


Most research on player experience has focused on in-game experiences. The question remains whether game-related player experiences do only occur while gaming, and, consequently stop when the player turns off the gaming device. Or, do they linger and transfer into real life? This paper proposes and tackles long term post game experiences or experiences that arise after repeatedly and intensively playing a particular game or game genre. Examples are association of real life objects with game elements, sounds or songs heard in real life that trigger lively memories of a game world, or slang typical to the game world that shows up in everyday vocabulary. These long term post game experiences presumably originate from the way people perceive and process their environment. To explain this, we rely on basic human perception theory (Boring, 1930). When processing their environment, people use prior knowledge to recognize objects, words, or sounds. The prior knowledge that is used as a reference point can be shaped by any perceptual stimulation that is repeated frequently and over long periods of time. Consequently, this prior knowledge biases human perception by creating a mental predisposition to perceive a stimulus in a certain way (Boring, 1930; Bruner & Potter, 1964). If we apply this reasoning to digital gaming as one particular kind of perceptual stimulation, we could assume that for habitual players of digital games, real world perceptions, cognitions, and actions will be partly structured by their repeated exposure to the game environment. We expect that long term post game experiences can be established through this process. These post game experiences can relate to all kinds of game stimuli, such as environments, actors and objects as well as sounds and words. We expect the concrete manifestation of these long term post game experiences to depend on the type of game or game genre one is repeatedly engaged in. This means, frequent players of First Person Shooter games will probably experience different things, make other associations, and use other game related slang, compared to habitual players of MMORPGs. To the best of our knowledge, there is not yet any research available that investigates the existence and conditions of these specific kinds of post game experiences. We present a focus groups study and a large scale survey (N>500) with habitual players of MMORPGs. The focus group study aimed at probing long term post game experiences, induced by repeated immersion into a particular game or game genre. We further wanted to gain insights in the extent to which habitual players experience the real world based on inferences that stem from the game world. The focus group discussion was clustered around four potential long term experiences, we hypothesized to occur for habitual players of MMORPGs. These topics were: (1) association of game elements with environmental stimuli in the real world, (2) sounds and music that triggers lively memories about game elements, (3) elements of the game showing up in daydreams, fantasy and dreams, and (4) the use of words and expressions from the game into real life conversations. The results found in the focus groups support the idea that intensive playing of MMORPGs shapes players' perceptions of reality. Within all four discussion topics, participants vividly described examples of how the game world gets intertwined with their real world perceptions and experiences. The use of gamerelated vocabulary and the (day)dreaming experience were most frequently mentioned. This effect seems to gradually build up over longer periods of game play, and is reinforced, and thus most salient, after each gaming session. We subsequently designed and conducted a large scale survey of which data will be available at the time of the conference. The survey aimed at consolidating the different types of post game experiences and determining the potential impact of a number of play style factors, such as play frequency and duration. The paper concludes with a discussion and recommendations for future research.


Abstract. Pollen-based climate reconstructions were performed on two high-resolution pollen marines cores from the Alboran and Aegean Seas in order to unravel the climatic variability in the coastal settings of the Mediterranean region between 15 000 and 4000 years BP (the Lateglacial, and early to mid-Holocene). The quantitative climate reconstructions for the Alboran and Aegean Sea records focus mainly on the reconstruction of the seasonality changes (temperatures and precipitation), a crucial parameter in the Mediterranean region. This study is based on a multi-method approach comprising 3 methods: the Modern Analogues Technique (MAT), the recent Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling/Generalized Additive Model method (NMDS/GAM) and Partial Least Squares regression (PLS). The climate signal inferred from this comparative approach confirms that cold and dry conditions prevailed in the Mediterranean region during the Oldest and Younger Dryas periods, while temperate conditions prevailed during the Bolling/Allerod and the Holocene. Our records suggest a West/East gradient of decreasing precipitation across the Mediterranean region during the cooler Late-glacial and early Holocene periods, similar to present-day conditions. Winter precipitation was highest during warm intervals and lowest during cooling phases. Several short-lived cool intervals (i.e. Older Dryas, another oscillation after this one (GI-1c2), Gerzensee/Preboreal Oscillations, 8.2 ka event, Bond events) connected to the North Atlantic climate system are documented in the Alboran and Aegean Sea records indicating that the climate oscillations associated with the successive steps of the deglaciation in the North Atlantic area occurred in both the western and eastern Mediterranean regions. This observation confirms the presence of strong climatic linkages between the North Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.


Although Japan's demographic decline is well known, the slow but steady increase in the country's immigrant population has been less acknowledged. Despite this continuing influx of foreigners the Japanese state still has no coordinated immigration policy that clearly addresses such issues as residency, employment, education, and access to social services. Rather it is at the local level that towns and villages all across the country are having to develop ad hoc responses to the growing number of foreigners resident in their communities. Hitherto most research into immigrants' lives has focused on what are known as 'diversity points', large urban areas with significant numbers of non-Japanese residents. However, the majority of immigrants live in small, ethnically dispersed communities spread across the entire country. This paper presents a case study of one such location, an industrial town in northern Japan.