Diffusion Tensor magnetic resonance imaging and computational neuroanatomy are used to quantify postnatal developmental patterns of C57BL/6J mouse brain. Changes in neuronal organization and myelination occurring as the brain matures into adulthood are examined, and a normative baseline is developed, against which transgenic mice may be compared in genotype-phenotype studies. In early postnatal days, gray matter-based cortical and hippocampal structures exhibit high water diffusion anisotropy, presumably reflecting the radial neuronal organization. Anisotropy drops rapidly within a week, indicating that the underlying brain tissue becomes more isotropic in orientation, possibly due to formation of a complex randomly intertwined web of dendrites. Gradual white matter anisotropy increase implies progressively more organized axonal pathways, likely reflecting the myelination of axons forming tightly packed fiber bundles. In contrast to the spatially complex pattern of tissue maturation, volumetric growth is somewhat uniform, with the cortex and the cerebellum exhibiting slightly more pronounced growth. Temporally, structural growth rates demonstrate an initial rapid volumetric increase in most structures, gradually tapering off to a steady state by about 20 days. Fiber maturation reaches steady state in about 10 days for the cortex, to 30-40 days for the corpus callosum, the hippocampus, and the internal and external capsules.


Aims There is increasing recognition of the safeguarding needs of children whose parents are affected by domestic violence (DV), mental health problems and substance misuse highlighted in Local Safeguarding Board Child Protection Procedures. Acute hospital trusts maybe one of the first points of recognition of the parental problems. However there is little evidence demonstrating awareness among staff of adult presentations might lead to protection of their vulnerable children. Our hospital procedures suggest a child and family referral to social care in these situations. We aimed to measure the pattern of referrals to the hospital child and family social worker when the presenting adult causes concern about their children. Method All emergency department, paediatric and other departmental staff were trained to consider the implications of adult presentation with DV, alcohol/drug misuse, mental health problems for their children. Data about such referrals is collected monthly. Results Referrals increased between 2008 and 2009. Of cases reported to named nurse in 2008, 94/320 (30%) were children who were reported through their parents presenting to the hospital. The total numbers referred in 2009 increased to 549 with 164 referred through their parents with the proportion remaining at 30%. The concerns were because of DV/assault, 33 (35%) in 2008 and 56 (34%) in 2009; mental health problems increased from 14 (15%) in 2008 to 43 (26%) in 2009. For substance misuse and overdose the proportion was the approximately the same between the years, average 19% and 8% respectively. There was improved data collection with 23% classified as other in 2008 but 13% in 2009. There was a parallel doubling in the proportion of referrals that came from the hospital to the local Child and Family Social Care; 11% in 2005 versus 22% in 2009. Conclusions The needs of children whose parents present to hospital are rarely considered. The audit shows that with increased training and hospital guidelines, referrals related to parent presentations increase. Many of these cases required liaison with social care, police, education and primary care.


: A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a network system for geographically distributed resources using wireless sensor nodes to observe physical or environmental conditions such as temperature, motion, and sound. The nodes are individually capable to send data to one or more collection points in a WSN to sense their environments and processing the information data locally. WSNs are great solutions for most applications and security is often a major concern. Though research regarding cryptography, secures routing, key management, intrusion detection, and secure data aggregation in WSNs is done until today, there are still some challenges to be addressed. These challenges are like first selection of proper cryptographic method second factors affecting sensors like memory, speed, and bandwidth, third challenge is, most of the available protocols assume that the sensor nodes and the base station are stationary. Sensor node and base stations in some situations like battlefield need to be mobile. The sensor network topology is been extensively affected by mobility of sensor nodes and so raises many issues about secure routing protocols. This paper surveys various security issues related to cluster based WSNs and existing security protocols.


We propose a deductive verification approach for proving partial-correctness and invariance properties on transition-system models. Regarding partial correctness, we generalise the recently introduced formalism of Reachability Logic, currently used as a language-parametric logic for programs, to transition systems. We propose a sound and relatively complete proof system for the resulting reachability logic. The soundness of the proof system is formally established in the Coq proof assistant, and the mechanised proof provides us with a Coq-certified Reachability-Logic prover for transition-system models. The relative completeness of the proof system, although theoretical in nature, also has a practical value, as it induces a proof strategy that is guaranteed to prove all valid formulas on a given transition system. The strategy reduces partial-correctness verification to invariance verification; for the latter we propose an incremental technique in order to deal with the case-explosion problem that affects it. All these techniques were instrumental in enabling us to prove, within reasonable time and effort limits, that the nontrivial algorithm implemented in security hypervisor that we designed in earlier work meets its expected functional requirements.


Purpose The LUNA Aneurysm Embolization System (AES) is a self-expanding ovoid device that serves as an intra saccular flow diverter as well as a scaffold for endothelization across the neck. The objective of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the ability of the AES to occlude intracranial aneurysms while maintaining patency of the parent artery. Materials and Methods 15 patients with intracranial aneurysms were enrolled (intention to treat) in the study so far. Immediate post-implantation occlusion grade (complete (complete obliteration of the aneurysm including the neck), near-complete (persistence of any portion of the original defect of the arterial wall), or incomplete (any opacification of the sac) compared to baseline), and parent vessel compromise were evaluated. Patients underwent neurological and neurocognitive testing with the Modified Rankin Scale and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at baseline and time of discharge. Follow-up included clinical assessment at 1 month and 3 months, clinical and angiographic follow-up at 6 months. Results 15 patients (14 women, 1 man) with 14 unruptured and 1 ruptured saccular aneurysms (5 para-ophtalmic, 3 AcoA, 3 ICA-Pcom, 2 MCA, 1 ICA bifurcation, 1 A1; sizes from 5.0 to 6.7 mm) were enrolled to date in the study. In all but 1 aneurysm (1 failed procedure converted in coiling immediately after aneurysm dome perforation with the microcatheter of a recently ruptured aneurysm) 1 AES was deployed per aneurysm. In four cases, the AES embolization was carried out with balloon microcatheter assistance. In one case, the AES failed to detach and was exchanged for a second AES device that detached. In one case, AES placement led to aneurysm perforation that was controlled by temporary balloon occlusion and heparin reversion. In one case, thrombo-embolic complication was treated with i.a. injection of Abciximab. Immediate complete occlusion was obtained in one case, near complete occlusion was obtained in nine cases, no occlusion in four cases. Clinical follow-up was uneventful. To date, four patients with four aneurysms were followed with angiography at 6 months, showing complete occlusion in two cases, neck remnants in two cases. There was no parent artery stenosis or occlusion. Conclusion Preliminary results demonstrate good safety profile. The first short-term angiographic follow-up are promising. More and longer follow-up are pending. Competing interests None.


The need for the efficient handling of digital multimedia contents has increased tremendously as both home and mobile CE (consumer electronics) devices are equipped with large embedded storage such as hard disks or flash memories and are capable of handling enormous amounts of multimedia data. This paper presents Mint, an efficient multimedia contents management system for CE devices. It provides novel intuitive browsing and search interfaces by arranging multimedia data for various metadata. The system consists of the metadata extractors and the metadata core that are applicable to diverse hardware platforms and operating systems. Being applied to several CE devices has proved the usefulness of the system, especially for such devices as the digital TVs, set-top boxes and mobile phones


This book primarily personified the diversified academic, research and professional developmental activities undertaken by the author while working on various capacities and platforms. The distinctive presentation of thought contents in the domain of library and information science, education, research and management will inspire, aspire and motivate the knowledge workers, educationists, scientists, managers, policy-makers, thinkers and researchers to think out of the box and work differently especially in adverse environment. Throughout the chapters author shared his rich personal and professional experiences gained while working in various segments which are supported by exemplary instances with appropriate pictorial presentations. The Author believes that his painstaking task in completion of this distinctive style of monograph will be found worthwhile when the prospective readers find this book useful and bring positive changes about in their personal thinking and implementing the change in their professional career.


The Ca2l current of single ventricular cells perfused internally by the suction-pipette method can be increased ("potentiated") progressively with repeated stimulation. In Na'- and K+-free external solution containing Ca', the potentiation response begins to appear at a step potential to -20 mV from a holding potential of -90 mV, reaching a maximum at 0-10 mV. Thus, maximal potentiation coincides with peak inward Ca2" current. The time course of potentiation development and decline is very slow, occurring in seconds; the former is voltage-dependent, whereas the latter is not. Concomitant with the peak current increase, current decay during the pulse is slowed markedly, thus resulting in the persistence of significant Ca21 influx at the end of the pulse. With nonperfused single cells, a similar stimulation protocol elicits a si milar increase in cell contractility. It is concluded that the Ca2+ channel, after being opened by a single step depolarization, can be opened further by repeating the same step at an appropriate frequency. This additional channel opening is likely to be responsible for the generation of the positive force "staircase" of the myocardial cells in response to increased heart rate.


Taking a dynamic and reflexive perspective on the interaction between technology, law and economics, the study focuses on the role of competition in shaping the economic, but also regulatory, eco-system in which blockchain technology becomes embedded. There is the promise that the technology and the social space it will foster will give rise to more competitive structures in the organisation of economic activity in the digital economy, in comparison to the current paradigm of digital platforms, which is highly centralised. The narrative of disruption has indeed been quite important in promoting the greater use of blockchain technology and has also framed the socio-technical 'agencements' that have so far guided regulatory action in this area. However, this narrative of disruption has also led to some hasty conclusions made in the literature as to the impotence of competition law to deal with an emergent digital space dominated by blockchain technology, predicting its eventual demise... The study critically engages with this rhetoric and explains why it does not stand serious scrutiny and relies on a superficial analysis of Blockchain competition, as it does not consider the various ways in which the competitive strategies of economic actors shape the rules of the competitive game, the broader "industry architectures" that structure competitive interactions. The study then unveils how blockchain can contribute to competitive advantage, and can thus shape the distribution of surplus value in various industries. It then draws lessons for the work of regulators, in particular competition law enforcers. The last part of the study provides a detailed analysis of the competition law implications of blockchain technology for all aspects of competition law enforcement.


The study of water infiltration processes into the soil helps to understand hydrological processes, soil degradation and solutes transport, with significant support to minimize runoff processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the infiltration behaviour through Kostiakov, Kostiakov-Lewis and Philip models. This research was carried out at the Puerto Lopez municipality (Meta-Colombia). The methodology included the implementation of 64 infiltration tests, using double ring infiltrometer, located in a rectangular grid sampling of 52m by 45m. At each grid point soil samples were taken at 10cm depth, to determine texture, bulk density and volumetric moisture. With the experimental infiltration curves adjustments were made to the empirical models for each point. For data analysis descriptive statistics were implemented in order to understand the behaviour and dispersion of soil properties. Correlations between soil properties and parameters of the estimated models were also established. The experimental data were better fit the Kostiakov-Lewis model, following the model of Kostiakov, with an R2 of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. The property of higher incidence over the infiltration was the bulk density, showing an inverse correlation with most of the parameters. The infiltration variability indicates the desirability of identifying management zones, to avoid a deficit or excess water, which can carry the crop to water stress or contribute to runoff processes.


The tectonic opening of the Fram Strait (FS) was critical to the water exchange between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, and caused the transition from a restricted to a ventilated Arctic Ocean during early Miocene. If and how the water exchange between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic influenced the global current system is still disputed. We apply a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea-ice model to investigate stratification and ocean circulation in the Arctic Ocean in response to the opening of the FS during early to middle Miocene. Progressive widening of the FS gateway in our simulation causes a moderate warming, while salinity conditions in the Nordic Seas remain similar. On the contrary, with increasing FS width Arctic temperatures remain unchanged and salinity changes appear to steadily become stronger. For a sill depth of ~1500 m, we achieve ventilation of the Arctic Ocean due to enhanced import of saline Atlantic water through a FS width of ~105 km. Moreover, at this width and depth, we detect a modern-like three-layer stratification in the Arctic Ocean. The exchange flow through FS is characterized by vertical separation of a low salinity cold outflow from the Arctic Ocean confined to a thin upper layer, an intermediate saline inflow from the Atlantic Ocean below and a cold bottom Arctic outflow. Using a significantly shallower and narrower FS during the early Miocene, our study suggests that the ventilation mechanisms and stratification in the Arctic Ocean are comparable to the present-day characteristics.


Abstract. Augmented Reality (AR) is already transforming many fields, from medical applications to industry, entertainment and heritage. In its most common form, AR expands reality with virtual 3D elements, providing users with an enhanced and enriched experience of the surroundings. Until now, most of the research work focused on techniques based on markers or on GNSS/INS positioning. These approaches require either the preparation of the scene or a strong satellite signal to work properly. In this paper, we investigate the use of visual-based methods, i.e., methods that exploit distinctive features of the scene estimated with Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (V-SLAM) algorithms, to determine and track the user position and attitude. The detected features, which encode the visual appearance of the scene, can be saved and later used to track the user in successive AR sessions. Existing AR frameworks like Google ARCore, Apple ARKit and Unity AR Foundation recently introduced visual-based localization in their frameworks, but they target mainly small scenarios. We propose a new Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) methodology that exploits OPEN-V-SLAM to extend the application range of Unity AR Foundation and better handle large-scale environments. The proposed methodology is successfully tested in both controlled and real-case large heritage scenarios. Results are available also in this video: https://youtu.be/Q7VybmiWIuI.


Digital holography is a technique that permits digital capture of holograms and subsequent processing on a digital computer. This paper reviews various applications of this technique. The presented applications cover three-dimensional (3-D) imaging as well as several associated problems. For the case of 3-D imaging, optical and digital methods to reconstruct and visualize the recorded objects are described. In addition, techniques to compress and encrypt 3-D information in the form of digital holograms are presented. Lastly, 3-D pattern recognition applications of digital holography are discussed. The described techniques constitute a comprehensive approach to 3-D imaging and processing.


The ability to control the interactions between functional biomaterials and biological systems is of great importance for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the underlying mechanisms defining the interplay between biomaterial properties and the human body are complex. Therefore, a key challenge is to design biomaterials that mimic the in vivo microenvironment. Over millions of years, nature has produced a wide variety of biological materials optimised for distinct functions, ranging from the extracellular matrix (ECM) for structural and biochemical support of cells to the holy lotus with special wettability for self-cleaning effects. Many of these systems found in biology possess unique surface properties recognised to regulate cell behaviour. Integration of such natural surface properties in biomaterials can bring about novel cell responses in vitro and provide greater insights into the processes occurring at the cell-biomaterial interface. Using natural surfaces as templates for bioinspired design can stimulate progress in the field of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and biomaterials science. This literature review aims to combine the state-of-the-art knowledge in natural and nature-inspired surfaces, with an emphasis on material properties known to affect cell behaviour.


The pressed protuberant characters on metal label are the difference of reflectance. It is very difficult to obtain the character of full binary image directly. It has presented a novel method of image acquisition on metal label pressed protuberant character based on moiré contour. At first, the principles of moiré contour were analyzed; Secondly, the experiment parameters were designed by using of shadowing moiré equipment and pressed characters' height. The moiré image of metal label is captured through experiment by using of CCD camera. The binary image of pressed characters was output using moiré fringe image modulated by the characters' height as input image contrast enhancing, complement, middle filter, automatic threshold etc. The binary image of pressed character was obtained using image preprocessing. At last, the binary images of moiré contour obtained and direct obtained were compared. The experiments show that the binary image of moiré contour obtained is better than direct obtained image.


Chlorophyll is an important indicator of vegetation health status, accurate estimation of which is important for evaluating forest carbon sink. In this study, we estimated the chlorophyll content of coniferous forests, broad-leaved forests and mixed forest stands at stand and individual tree level by unmanned air vehicle (UAV) hyperspectral data combined with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) point clouds, which improved the non-destructive estimation accuracy of forest chlorophyll. We further comprehensively analyzed the spatial distribution of chlorophyll content at different scales. A total of 36 spectral characteristic variables related to chlorophyll content were screened by correlation analysis based on the fusion of UAV hyperspectral data and LiDAR point clouds combining with the empirical data from ground plots. We constructed multiple models for chlorophyll estimation by using statistical model, including multiple stepwise regression, BP neural network, BP neural network optimized by firefly algorithm, random forest and hybrid data-driven PROSPECT mechanism model. The optimal model was selected to estimate the chlorophyll content. The horizontal and vertical distribution of chlorophyll content at the stand level and individual tree level were analyzed. The results showed that the random forest model was superior to the models constructed by multiple stepwise regression, BP neural network and BP neural network optimized by firefly algorithm for chlorophyll estimation with R2 and RMSE of 0.59-0.64 and 3.79-5.83 μg·cm-2, respectively. The accuracy of the mechanism model was the highest, with R2 and RMSE of 0.97 and 3.40 μg·cm-2. The chlorophyll contents differed across stand types, with that in broad-leaved forest (25.25-31.60 μg·cm-2) being higher than mixed forest (13.52-23.93 μg·cm-2) and coniferous forest (6.40-13.71 μg·cm-2). There were significant differences in chlorophyll contents the in vertical direction among different stands. For individual tree of different species, the chlorophyll content inside the canopy was lower than that outside the canopy in the horizontal direction. In the vertical direction, there was no difference in chlorophyll content among different layers of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica canopy. However, significant differences were observed among the upper, middle, and lower layers of Juglans mandshurica canopy. Using the fusion of hyperspectral image and LiDAR point cloud data, the mechanism model driven by hybrid data could effectively improve the accuracy and stability of chlorophyll content estimation at different scales.


The life cycle of the honeybee, Apis mellifera adansonii , was studied in mangrove area by monitoring the developmental stages and morphology of the castes. It was observed that the fate of the eggs were predetermined at the onset leading to drones, queens or workers. It was also established that the three different castes (drone, queen and worker) exhibit similar patterns of complete metamorphoses. The mean developmental period of the drone from egg to adult stage was the longest (24.97±1.77 days, n = 60) followed by that of worker (20.22 ± 2.20 days, n = 60) and the queen (15.5 ± 2.08 days, n = 60) in that order. The body length and head capsule width varied within the different castes. The general pattern of the studied life cycle of A.mellifera adansonii i n Mangrove area of Lagos is similar to A. mellifera scutellata and Africanized A. mellifera studied in other regions. It was concluded that the knowledge of the life cycle of A. mellifera adansonii by bee farmers in their locality may enhance their apicultural practices for better productivity. Key words : Honeybees, Caste Differentiation, Larval Instar Determination, Life Cycle and Apiculture.


Recently, there has been a growing interest in social capital and in the difficulties related to its measurement. In this paper, we propose to measure social capital by means of principal components analysis. Then, we present the first available international social capital estimates for the nineteenth century. Our analysis is based on a nineteenth-century international database containing a wide range of socio-economic variables. Social capital indicators are constructed for the years 1870 and 1890. Interestingly enough, these indicators are comparable to mid-twentieth century social indicators. This allows us to study the evolution of social capital between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We can make observations about the persistence of the social capital indicator, discovering some exceptional trajectories. In the very long run, we find a significant change in the relative position of the European countries.


Elections are the bedrock of democracy and voting is one of the electoral processes that ensure the sustenance of democracy, political growth and democratic stability of any society. We have designed an Enhanced Electronic Voting System (EnEVoS) with a Hybrid Authentication Technique, which will reduce electoral malpractices and manipulation of results to its barest minimum. The implementation of this Enhanced Electronic Voting System (EnEVoS) in Nigeria will boost the integrity and image of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The programs used to develop this system are VB.net, Java and MySQL. These packages make the Graphic Interface User friendly for even those with little or no computer knowledge.


The Tremadocian graptolite and conodont faunas of the Gondwana Margin recorded at the Eastern Cordillera (EC) of Salta and Jujuy provinces (northwestern Argentina) are studied. The previous data and the new provided information indicate that a "no nominated interval" and several graptolite zones (Anisograptus matanensis, Rhabdinopora flabelliformis anglica, Bryograptus, Kiaerograptus, Kiaerograptus supremus, Araneograptus murrayi, and Hunnegraptus copiosus zones), as well as several conodont zones (Iapetognathus, Cordylodus angulatus, Paltodus deltifer, and Acodus deltatus - Paroistodus proteus zones) occur in the Ordovician successions studied. New or reappraised data from sections such as Angosto del Moreno, Angosto de Lampazar, Parcha-Incamayo-Incahuasi area, and Cajas range (EC western margin), and Alfarcito area and Mojotoro range (EC eastern margin), provide new information on the composition of the fossil faunas. A composite graptoliteconodont biostratigraphic framework, including records of key trilobites as external control group, is proposed for the Tremadocian of the South American margin of Gondwana. Both fossil groups are generally recorded from outer platform to ocean basin environments, showing significant similarities with the Baltoscandian faunas. Nevertheless, particular shallow-water facies include either specific forms or species associations that are common to the epeiric shallow-water seas of Laurentia. This fact demonstrates an important interplay between faunas of different regions of the Iapetus Ocean during the Tremadocian.


The rise of creative economy in recent years has significantly changed the role of creativity in generating social and economic value. Many companies in the creative industries are project-based and their economic development is strictly related to successful implementation of projects. Key topic in the field of successful project management is leadership. However, there is still lack of research focusing on project leadership within the creative industries. Thus, the scope of this research was to explore and examine the relationship between leadership style and project success in creative industries. A web-based questionnaire that included questions on leadership styles and project success assessments to collect data from project stakeholders in the creative industries was administered. It was followed by semi-structured interviews that were conducted and analyzed following the thematic content analysis approach. The analyses of the data indicated that the preferable leadership style for successful projects is the transformational style, followed by the transactional leadership style, as both styles have a significant positive relationship to project success. The right balance between creativity and discipline is the major challenge for project managers in the creative industries. Thus, it is recommended to develop a supportive organizational culture and to continuously develop the project managers' soft skills and competences, focusing on inspirational motivation to enhance successful projects.


We consider doubly selective multiuser/multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channel estimation and data detection using superimposed training. The time- and frequency-selective fading channel is assumed to be well described by a discrete prolate spheroidal basis expansion model (DPS-BEM) using Slepian sequences as basis functions. A user-specific periodic (nonrandom) training sequence is arithmetically added (superimposed) at low power to each user's information sequence at the transmitter before modulation and transmission. A two-step approach is adopted, where, in the first step, we estimate the channel using only the first-order statistics of the observations. In this step, however, the unknown information sequence acts as interference, resulting in a poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We then iteratively reduce the interference in the second step by employing an iterative channel-estimation and data-detection approach, where, by utilizing the detected symbols from the previous iteration, we sequentially improve the multiuser/MIMO channel estimation and symbol detection. Simulation examples demonstrate that, without incurring any transmission data rate loss, the proposed approach is superior to the conventional time-multiplexed (TM) training for uncoordinated users, where the multiuser interference in channel estimation cannot be eliminated and is competitive with the TM training for coordinated users, where the TM training design allows for multiuser-interference-free channel estimation.


Dissent is an integral part of decision making, and dissent processes may be particularly on display in workgroups in which group and organizational pressures intersect. The present study examined workgroup meetings in 3 organizations, focusing on how dissent influenced interactions that immediately followed the disagreement as well as how dissent shaped group meetings beyond those initial interactions. Immediately following dissent, groups typically tabled the dissenting member's concerns, either because the group could not resolve the dissent or because the group leader chose not to discuss the dissent further. A longer view of these meetings revealed phases of dissent interspersed within periods of focused work. These findings make 2 contributions to scholarship. First, much of the literature on organizational and group dissent focuses on variables that affect dissent, but the present study examines how one dissent event influences future events. These data revealed groups' keen awareness of past dissent as they expressed and responded to present dissent. Second, 2 breakpoints emerged as particularly important in the history of these groups, and those breakpoints revealed a dialectic mechanism that lay beneath dissent interactions. In one instance, managerialism seemed to subvert dissent, whereas in the other instance, a synthesis developed as the group developed new norms for interaction.


This investigation is concerned with the unglazed transpired solar collector (solar wall) type. With this purpose, the optimum hole arrangement has been determined by investigating the effect of hole diameter and pitch on the thermal efficiency of the system for different environmental condition. A thermodynamic model is used to simulate the heating process within the system. As a result, for extremely small hole diameters or extremely large hole pitches, the system works as a Trombe wall (glazed thermal storage wall) rather than an unglazed transpired solar collector because of the fact that there is not enough air flow through the absorber.


We study in detail the structure of phase space in the neighborhood of stable periodic orbits in a rotating 3D potential of galactic type. We have used the color and rotation method to investigate the properties of the invariant tori in the 4D spaces of section. We compare our results with those of previous works and we describe the morphology of the rotational, as well as of the tube tori in the 4D space. We find sticky chaotic orbits in the immediate neighborhood of sets of invariant tori surrounding 3D stable periodic orbits. Particularly useful for galactic dynamics is the behavior of chaotic orbits trapped for long time between 4D invariant tori. We find that they support during this time the same structure as the quasi-periodic orbits around the stable periodic orbits, contributing however to a local increase of the dispersion of velocities. Finally we find that the tube tori do not appear in the 3D projections of the spaces of section in the axisymmetric Hamiltonian we examined.


With the rapid growth of wireless networks and demand for services, wireless data broadcast has become a fundamental communication mechanism to enhance the services in ad hoc network of pervasive devices. This work focuses on developing data broadcast service models in a multihop ad hoc network environment. In particular, two such models are proposed for the service proxies, namely, passive proxy and semipassive proxy, while the analysis is carried based on the underlying assumptions. In addition, performance measures are introduced, and subsequently analyzed via explicit calculation and simulations. Numerical experiments show that the proposed hybrid semipassive model outperforms the passive model in terms of resource utilization and propagation delay. It provides a justifiable solution to furnish efficient data broadcast with certain QoS criteria. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to determine the sensitivity of the network performance with respect to the model assumptions.


Singular spectrum analysis (SSA) is a nonparametric method for time series analysis and forecasting that incorporates elements of classical time series analysis, multivariate statistics, multivariate geometry, dynamical systems, and signal processing. Although this technique has shown to be advantageous over traditional model‐based methods, in particular, one of the steps of the SSA algorithm, which refers to the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the trajectory matrix, is highly sensitive to data contamination. Specifically, and because SVD decomposition is least squares based, the presence of a single outlier, if extreme, may be enough to draw the leading principal component towards itself resulting in possible misinterpretations, which may subsequently, in particular and in the case of time series analysis, lead to reduced quality of model fit and forecast accuracy. In order to alleviate this problem, a robust SSA algorithm is proposed, where a robust SVD procedure replaces the least squares based one in the original SSA procedure. The SSA and the robust SSA approaches are compared in terms of model fit quality via Monte Carlo simulations that contemplate both clean and noisy/contaminated time series. The adequacy and value of the proposed approach is then compared with the standard SSA using real data about the industrial production index.


P242 Background: Patients with cerebral infarction have a high frequency of underlying cardiac diseases. Acute cardiac events may be observed in patients with massive middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction due to the severity of neurological insult. We performed this study to determine the frequency of acute cardiac events in this patient population and their impact on outcome and management. Methods: Patients with massive MCA infarction were identified at five university affiliated medical centers using ICD-9 codes or local stroke registries. The medical and neuroimaging records were reviewed at each center by a neurointensivist or stroke neurologist. Only patients who underwent neurological deterioration, defined as a decline in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of ≥2, attributable to cerebral edema were included. All cardiac events and treatment required during hospitalization were recorded. Outcome was determined at 1 month using Glasgow outcome scores and modified Rankin scale. Results: A total of 54 patients (mean age 62.5±18.0 years; 26 were men) were studied. Underlying cardiac diseases included myocardial infarction (24%), congestive heart failure (20%), and dysrythmias (24%). A total of 16 patients had new cardiac events during hospitalization. These included atrial fibrillation (n=8), atrial flutter (n=1), ventricular fibrillation (n=1), ventricular tachycardia (n=2), myocardial infarction (n=2), and pulmonary edema (n=5); 3 patients had more than one event. Treatment was required for 10 of 16 (62%) events; 3 (19%) were fatal. Overall mortality was higher in patients who developed acute cardiac events during hospitalization (69%) compared to those who did not (40%, p Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the relatively high frequency of acute cardiac events in patients with massive MCA infarction and their impact on outcome. Patients with massive MCA infarctions should be managed in settings suited for effective monitoring and management of cardiovascular emergencies.


[1] Most tsunami models apply dislocation models that assume uniform slip over the entire fault plane, followed by standard analytical models based on Volterra's theory of elastic dislocations for the seabed deformation. In contrast, we quantify tsunami runup variability for an earthquake with fixed magnitude but with heterogeneous rupture distribution assuming plane wave propagation (i.e., an infinitely long rupture). A simple stochastic analysis of 500 slip realizations illustrates the expected variability in coseismic slip along a fault plane and the subsequent runup that occurs along a coastline in the near field. Because of the need for systematically analyzing different fault geometries, grid resolutions, and hydrodynamic models, several hundred thousand model runs are required. Thus, simple but efficient linear models for the tsunami generation, propagation, and runup estimation are used. The mean value and variability of the maximum runup is identified for a given coastal slope configuration and is analyzed for different dip angles. On the basis of the ensemble runs, nonhydrostatic effects are discussed with respect to their impact on generation, nearshore propagation, and runup. We conclude that for the geometry and magnitude investigated, nonhydrostatic effects reduce the variability of the runup; that is, hydrostatic models will produce an artificially high variability.


Autosomal dominant centronuclear myopathy (AD-CNM) is due to mutations in the gene encoding dynamin 2 (DNM2) involved in endocytosis and intracellular membrane trafficking. To understand the pathomechanisms resulting from a DNM2 mutation, we generated a knock-in mouse model expressing the most frequent AD-CNM mutation (KI-Dnm2(R465W)). Heterozygous (HTZ) mice developed a myopathy showing a specific spatial and temporal muscle involvement. In the primarily and prominently affected tibialis anterior muscle, impairment of the contractile properties was evidenced at weaning and was progressively associated with atrophy and histopathological abnormalities mainly affecting mitochondria and reticular network. Expression of genes involved in ubiquitin-proteosome and autophagy pathways was up-regulated during DNM2-induced atrophy. In isolated muscle fibers from wild-type and HTZ mice, Dnm2 localized in regions of intense membrane trafficking (I-band and perinuclear region), emphasizing the pathophysiological hypothesis in which DNM2-dependent trafficking would be altered. In addition, HTZ fibers showed an increased calcium concentration as well as an intracellular Dnm2 and dysferlin accumulation. A similar dysferlin retention, never reported so far in congenital myopathies, was also demonstrated in biopsies from DNM2-CNM patients and can be considered as a new marker to orientate direct genetic testing. Homozygous (HMZ) mice died during the first hours of life. Impairment of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, demonstrated in HMZ embryonic fibroblasts, could be the cause of lethality. Overall, this first mouse model of DNM2-related myopathy shows the crucial role of DNM2 in muscle homeostasis and will be a precious tool to study DNM2 functions in muscle, pathomechanisms of DNM2-CNM and developing therapeutic strategies.


ABSTRACT Do European Parliament (EP) elections have adverse effects on the political socialisation of individuals? Instilling a lasting political disaffection in impressionable voters, the supranational contest may have negative consequences for long-term political socialisation. Relying on a large cross-national dataset from 2004, I identify the causal effect of first-time eligibility and voting in the EP elections by exploiting the exogenous variation in adolescents' birth months. The results of a discontinuity design show that the elections do not politically disengage young voters or strengthen their party bonds to radical or Eurosceptic parties. Instead, the EP elections arouse their political interest in general and their European interest in particular; a long-lasting effect that persists for more than five years. Placebo tests and various robustness tests confirm the results. Considering that individuals are most receptive towards political socialisation stimuli during early adulthood, this study sheds light on the integrative potential of the EP elections.


Grinding temperature is the main factor to limit the improvement of grinding efficiency. The main reason of grinding temperature rise is amount of heat transfer into the workpiece in grinding process. How to determine the proportion ratio, which heat transfers into the workpiece, is the main research issue to the precise machining scholars. In this paper, the heat resistance model is used to analyze the proportional coefficient about how much heat transfer into the grinding wheel, and the factors which to influence this coefficient are discussed. The moving heat source method is used to calculate the temperature field caused by single grain heat source, and the heat integral method is used to calculate the heat contains by the grinding chip, and then the heat proportional coefficients transferring into the chip and workpiece are determined respectively.


Changes in land use and land cover are associated with many environmental issues observed on the earth's surface. In the last decades, these changes were unprece-dented, mainly in tropical forest areas. The Brazilian Amazon, the world's largest tropical forest, lost around 200.000 km² of primary forest in the last ten years (INPE, 2005). Considering this, and the consequences caused by this deforestation, it is important to know and define correctly the responsible agents, aiming at better pub-lic policies that can help preserve the forest. Searching for indicators that could help to identify the deforestation agents, some studies, such as Mertens and Lambin (1997), suggest that every deforestation process shapes the forest land in a specific way, producing a spatial pattern that can be interpreted as indicative of the agents with specific economic activities. Based on this hypothesis, the objective of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of land change processes in the Amazon forest, investigating the linkages between spatial patterns of deforestation, as visualized in satellite images, and different agents and their specific economic activities. To reach this objective, our methodological approach was based on socio-economic data acquired at a household level combined with data from satellite im-ages. First, different spatial patterns of deforestation were identified on the satellite images, based on the typologies proposed by Husson et al. (1995). Then, some of the identified spatial patterns were isolated and analyzed for specific aspects, such as, the deforestation rate calculated through satellite images. socio-economic character-istics based on household survey data and evolution of land use and land cover based on thematic maps derived from satellite images. In addition, cluster analysis was applied using the socio-economic data (household survey) and land use and land cover data (satellite images) in a search for homogeneous groups related to the spa-tial pattern. In the end, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to confirm the differences between spatial patterns. The results suggested that the different spatial patterns of deforestation found in the study area can be related to specific economic activities. Nevertheless, the re-sults have indicated that the spatial configuration is not a consequence of its main economic activity. They suggest that the spatial configuration is linked to the settle-ment project, and the main economic activity in the spatial patterns is a consequence of a set of factors such as: size of property, location and disposition of the property, presence or absence of infrastructure (road, market, transportation, economic and technical).


This article focuses on the sanctuary movement in the United States and Europe, putting into conversation with one another migrant solidarity activists from different national contexts. This transnational roundtable draws on interviews with activists in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as in the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and on a workshop on sanctuary activism that involved forty activists from the Bay Area, Europe, and Australia. The article explores the meaning of sanctuary in these different locations and the strategies used by activists to create various forms of sanctuary while grappling with its contradictions. It addresses three key themes: (1) the meaning of sanctuary in campaigns that enact the right to freedom of movement across borders; (2) the binary of "good"/deserving versus "bad"/unworthy migrants; and (3) an abolitionist sanctuary model that links border violence to carcerality, neoliberal capitalism, white supremacy, settler colonialism, and fascism.


Tests for renal function are of two types: those that determine the power of the kidney to dilute and concentrate the urine and those that measure the ability of the kidney to eliminate the renal excretory products. Those of the first group, which includes the various tests for specific gravity, are well established and adequate; those of the second are not completely satisfactory. Beside the use of the dye tests, which are not specific, the measure of renal excretion usually is attempted by a determination of the amount of urea or nonprotein nitrogen in the blood. These estimations demonstrate how much of these substances is actually retained, but not the degree of the impairment of renal function. This is especially true when the figures for the blood chemistry determinations are low; it is not then certain whether renal function is normal or impaired, since the level of the nonprotein nitrogen


The value of tensile force during soil tillage is crucial for estimating the energy performance of trailed machines. For tensile force measurements, a mouldboard plough with working width of 4 m was used. The ploughing speed was approximately 7 km h -1 . Measurements were carried out on two plots with different soil texture. Loam-sandy soil dominated on the first plot, whereas clay soil dominated on the second one. The slopes of the plots are 1.1° and 2.4° respectively. Both plots have been left without stubble modification after harvest. The dynamometer LUKAS type S-38 was used for measuring tensile force. The dynamometer was placed on a hinge, which was positioned between two tractors. As a second method of tensile force measurement, electro-hydraulic hitch sensors were used, from which the values were recorded. The obtained values of tensile force were approximately 30 kN on the first plot and 54.3 kN on the second plot. The interdependence values of tensile forces between internal and external sensors showed a high coefficient of determination R 2 = 0.91 in regression data analysis. The comparison of tensile force measurements using a special dynamometer and electro- hydraulic tractor sensor proved that the outputs of serial sensors can be used for the continuous monitoring of tensile forces during operating the machine. The automated storage of data collected from tractor sensors during tillage can greatly simplify this work, while no additional expenses are incurred to obtain data. Thus, the findings can be used to determine the variability of the land.


On-chip detection of biological analytes can enable diagnosis at the point of care. Combining the advantages of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology and molecular methods, we present the design of an integrated microfluidic platform, a microelectrochemical sensor (μECS), and its implementation for the detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. This platform is capable of electrochemically sensing the target analyte in a microfluidic reactor without the usage of bulky electrodes, rendering it useful for in vitro diagnostics. In our experiments, the functionality of the sensor was tested for detecting specific DNA sequences of mecA gene (an indicator of methicillin resistance) over a range of concentrations of DNA (down to 10 pM). Synthetic oligonucleotides and bacterial PCR product were used as a target analyte in Hoechst 33258 marker-based detection and horseradish peroxidase-based detection, respectively. The results revealed that this platform has high sensitivity and selectivity. Also, its compatibility to MEMS processes enables its use with different applications ranging from detecting various types of cancers to endemics. The designed μECS can enable the detection of biological analytes of interest at low cost and high throughput.


1-Hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-c]quinoline (22), 1-hydroxypyrazolo[4, 3-c]quinoline (21), 1-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-c]isoquinoline (20), and 1-hydroxypyrazolo[4,3-c]isoquinoline (19) were prepared from 1-benzyloxypyrazole (6), establishing the pyridine B-ring in the terminal step. The pyridine ring of pyrazoloquinolines 14 and 18 was formed via cyclization of a formyl group at C-4 or C-5 and an amino group of a 2-aminophenyl substituent at C-5 or C-4 in 1-benzyloxypyrazole. The pyridine ring of pyrazoloisoquinolines 5 and 9 was created via cyclization of a formyl group in a 2-formylphenyl substituent at C-4 or C-5 with an iminophosphorane group installed at C-5 or C-4 of 1-benzyloxypyrazole by lithiation followed by reaction with tosyl azide and then with tributylphoshine utilizing the Staudinger/aza-Wittig protocol. The 2-aminophenyl and the 2-formylphenyl substituent were introduced at C-5 or C-4 by regioselective metalation followed by transmetalation to the pyrazolylzinc halide and subsequent palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling with 2-iodoaniline or 2-bromobenzaldehyde. The order of reactions and use of protecting groups in the individual sequences have been optimized. The 1-benzyloxy-substituted pyrazoloquinolines and isoquinolines thus obtained were debenzylated by strong acid to the corresponding 1-hydroxy-substituted pyrazoloquinolines and isoquinolines 19-22.


Mitochondrial dysfunction has been identified as a major source of oxidative stress in aged tissues. In this study we asked whether activities of components of the SAPK/JNK and p38 MAPK stress response signaling pathways are indicative of oxidative stress in aged mouse livers and whether these pathways are responsive to oxidative stress generated by 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), an inhibitor of complex II (succinic dehydrogenase). We asked whether (a) aging affects the basal activity of the SAPK/JNK stress signaling pathway; (b) specific isoforms of JNK, i.e. 46 or 54 kDa JNKs are activated by 3-NPA; (c) aging affects the response of this signaling pathway to 3-NPA; (d) there is a cross pathway activation of JNK or p38 MAPK by upstream activators. Our studies have shown that although their protein pool levels are not altered, the basal JNK activities using c-Jun as substrate is elevated. Furthermore, in aged livers, JNK activity is induced to a greater extent and takes longer to recover from 3-NPA treatment. The activities of the upstream activators of JNKs, MAP kinase kinase (MKK) 4 and 7, are also elevated in livers of aged C57BL/6 male mice. These activator kinases, which are induced (phosphorylated) by 3-NPA in young livers, are not inducible by this inhibitor in aged livers. In fact, these proteins are highly phosphorylated in the control aged livers and are dephosphorylated in response to 3NPA. Finally, we demonstrate for the first time that MKK7 serves as an upstream activator of p38 MAPK and that MKK3 and MKK6 activates 54 kDa JNK2 in aged liver. Our studies suggest that failure to respond to 3-NPA may be indicative of the susceptibility of aged tissue to oxidative stress, supporting our hypothesis that aged tissues (especially liver) develop a state of chronic stress even in the absence of a challenge. # 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.


Acoustic resonance in liquid-filled pipe systems is an undesirable phenomenon that cannot always be prevented. It causes noise, vibration, fatigue, instability, and it may lead to damage of hydraulic machinery and pipe supports. If possible, resonance should be anticipated in the design process and be part of the hydraulic-transients analysis. This paper describes acoustic resonance tests carried out at Deltares, Delft, The Netherlands, within the framework of the European Hydralab III programme. The test system is a 49 m long pipeline of 206 mm diameter that is discharging water from a 24 m high reservoir through a 240 mm 2 orifice to the open atmosphere. The outflow is partly interrupted by a rotating disc which generates flow disturbances at a fixed frequency in the range 1.5 Hz to 100 Hz. In previous studies [1, 2] a similar system was analysed theoretically. Herein experimental data are presented and interpreted. Steady oscillatory behaviour is inferred from pressures measured at four different positions along the pipeline. Heavy pipe vibration during resonance was observed (visually and audibly) and recorded by a displacement transducer.


In environmental geotechnics, the valorization of dredging sediments and their use in embankments is a way increasingly prospected by researchers these last years. This paper treats exploitation of dredging sediments of the dam Cheurfas (Algeria) and their valorization in road embankments. Physico-chemical, mineralogical and mechanical analyses were studied to determine their level of influence on the mechanical behaviour. These analyses showed that a treatment by sand, lime and cement proved to be necessary. Various formulations were elaborate in this direction and a synthesis of the mechanical characteristics was elaborate in accordance with the standards and the classification of materials used in road embankments. MOTS CLES : sediments de dragage, valorisation, traitement, technique routiere, barrages,


This paper describes an internet-based distributed data-acquisition system for fiber-optic pressure sensors. There is a great need in industry to coordinate remote resources to perform a common task. The architecture described is based on remote access, via the internet, to a large number of fiber-optic pressure sensors located in different geographical areas. Distribution is done with server applications, which schedule requests for service and control the actual sensor device. Servers also detect conflicts between new requests and their current schedules. Client applications act as virtual instrument panels that dispatch measurement tasks for servers. The architecture supports multiple sensors, which can be added/removed from the system dynamically. As well, there can be multiple clients attempting to access servers simultaneously. Thus, the sensors in question are publicly shared among the various active client applications


Background The Philippines' Department of Health state that "reliability of health information remains the primary challenge in health policy planning and intervention". Can electronic health recording systems help generate quality health data? Evidence is inconclusive, especially in developing countries. The research by Wireless Access for Health aims to contribute answers to this question. With over five years of experience on e-Health implementation, WAH holds one of the largest electronic patient record databases in the country. More so, WAH has become a repository of what has worked and what has not for e-Health scale-up in the Philippines. By partnering with academic institutions like the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and New York University (NYU), WAH has made possible the conduct of data-mining and empirical research on these data. The answers we offer add light to some intriguing questions on e/m-Health implementation in the Philippines. Objectives The research aims to answer the following claims: Use of an EMR increases time spent of health workers on consultation thereby helping improve patient care. Use of an EMR improves access to higher quality health data. Use of an EMR facilitates data analysis and utilization promoting informed decision- making leading to better health policy planning and timely health intervention. Methods The research builds on a previous research done in 2013 using data from 39 clinics in Tarlac. Now with more than 100, updated database, and additional two years of data coming from clinics all over the country, the new research employed statistical analysis on aggregate health data reports. This was supported by secondary data-gathering techniques of content-analysis on the data generated by and researches performed independently by AIM and NYU in 2013 and 2014. Result The research on the efficacy of the WAH-EHR in bringing forth change in local health systems confirms the results proclaimed by the first research in 2013, which are the following: that use of an EHR increased efficiency in the clinic by (a) decreasing waiting time by patient during consultations at the clinic, (b) decreasing health/patient information recording, compiling, and reporting by clinicians; and (c) increasing number of patients accommodated at the clinic over time. Result of the research also claims that use of an EHR generates and improves access to higher quality health data. Conclusion As local e-Health systems like WAH continue to scale-up, empirical evidence enables us to document the gaps and good practices in using an EHR. Support is needed to keep initiatives like WAH going and moving for national scale-up. WAH has shown that pooling of resources by public and private sector partners is desirable if we are to make the scale up of local systems possible. Empirical evidence gathered by WAH and independent research teams support the hypothesis that WAH helped improve the quality of data recording and submission by partner clinics. Anecdotal evidence and qualitative data also suggest that clinicians now feel and work with more pride and enthusiasm. Finally, cost-benefit analysis and end-user and client interviews support the claim that WAH improved access to quality health data by managers and this helped them manage their clinics efficiently.


The purpose of this article is to recognize the articulation between the natural and contemporary global social sphere, in generic terms, the capitalist mode of production. Based on an analysis of the mechanisms of appropriation of nature by the social engendering of the accumulation of capital, it seeks to identify some of the forms of the contemporary commodification of nature. These commodified expressions of nature are connected to the dynamics of the structural crisis of capitalism. In methodological terms, it emphasizes a perspective of totality in the approach to the object of study , without reducing the empiric substrate to a homogenized entity. Therefore, the interactive process between nature and capitalism finds support in a set of mutual influences, of unequaled mediations of causality and contradictions.


Air traffic service is an extra-ventricular service which regulates and assists aircraft in real time to ensure their safe operations. The importance of the air traffic service is to prevent collision between aircraft and to expedite and maintain an orderly flow of the air traffic. The objective of this project is to assess the effectiveness of the installed system in assisting the air traffic controller in providing the air traffic service. In order to achieve this objective, the Automatic Dependent Surveillance and Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (ADS/CPDLC) system has been installed and its functionality to provide continuous surveillance and communication has been evaluated. A survey of 35 air traffic controllers had participated to assess the effectiveness of the system to the air traffic controller. The results showed that over 80% of the air traffic controllers agree that the system is able to provide a continuous surveillance and continuous communication over the oceanic area. Apart from that, 60% of the air traffic controllers agree the reduced separation minima can be applies over the oceanic area by using the application of the system. Base on this result, reduced separation minima over the oceanic area can be applied in order to expedite and maintain an orderly flow of air traffic over the oceanic area.


Novel fused donor-acceptor dyad (TTF-Q or D-A) and acceptor-donor-acceptor triad (Q-TTF-Q or A-D-A) incorporating the donor tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and the acceptor p-benzoquinone (Q) have been synthesized. The solution UV-vis spectra of these molecules display a low-energy absorption band that is attributed to an intramolecular charge transfer between both antagonistic units. The presence of reversible oxidation and reduction waves for the donor and acceptor moieties was shown by cyclic voltammetry, in agreement with the ratio TTF/quinone(s) units. The successive generation from these compounds of the cation radical and anion radical obtained upon (electro)chemical oxidation and reduction, respectively, was monitored by optical and ESR spectroscopies. The anion radical Q-TTF-Q(-.) triad was demonstrated to be a class II mixed-valence system with the existence of a temperature-dependent intramolecular electron transfer. The crystallographic tendency of these fused systems to overlap in mixed stacks of alternating A-D-A units is also discussed.


In this paper, the conventional conservation laws are formulated by modeling the lattice behavior during phase transformation as the rotation of a director. More precisely, a crystal lattice in a metal is modeled during the recrystallization process as an elastic bar element subject to stretching. Using this model, the discrete conservation laws for micropolar theory are finally derived. These conservation laws are the basis of the governing equations of Kobayashi–Warren–Carter (KWC)-type phase-field models. Hence, the derivation of this theory is significant in gaining a deeper comprehension of KWC-type phase-field models. First, balance laws for the mass, momentum, angular momentum, and energy of a lattice element are formulated. These laws are summed over a phase in a representative volume element (RVE) and averaged over the RVE. This enables the development of macroscopic balance laws for a continuum mixture consisting of several phases. When the RVE is reduced to a material point in the final formulation, the present model can be regarded as a director model whose direction vector expressing the crystal orientation is attached to a material point of a simple body. By performing an order estimation, the balance law of angular momentum can be separated into bulk and lattice parts. The bulk part results in the usual form and the latter corresponds to the evolution equation of the crystal orientation in a KWC-type phase-field model.In this paper, the conventional conservation laws are formulated by modeling the lattice behavior during phase transformation as the rotation of a director. More precisely, a crystal lattice in a metal is modeled during the recrystallization process as an elastic bar element subject to stretching. Using this model, the discrete conservation laws for micropolar theory are finally derived. These conservation laws are the basis of the governing equations of Kobayashi–Warren–Carter (KWC)-type phase-field models. Hence, the derivation of this theory is significant in gaining a deeper comprehension of KWC-type phase-field models. First, balance laws for the mass, momentum, angular momentum, and energy of a lattice element are formulated. These laws are summed over a phase in a representative volume element (RVE) and averaged over the RVE. This enables the development of macroscopic balance laws for a continuum mixture consisting of several phases. When the RVE is reduced to a material point in the final formula...


OBJECTIVE
Between 3.3 and 10 million children witness domestic violence (DV) each year. These children are at risk for both emotional and behavioral problems. In 1998, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines for pediatricians to screen for DV and for residency programs to include DV education. Prior studies have assessed practicing pediatricians' DV screening habits. This study was designed to assess chief residents' attitudes and training regarding DV screening.

METHODS
A 53-question survey regarding residents' attitudes and training surrounding DV was mailed to the chief residents of all 194 nonmilitary US pediatric residency programs. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed.

RESULTS
Sixty-eight percent of surveys were returned. Sixty-eight percent of respondents were female. Although 93% of chief residents felt that pediatricians should screen for DV, only 21% screen every patient. Only 24% agreed or strongly agreed that they felt experienced in handling DV cases. Although 60% of respondents say that they received 11 or more hours of residency training in how to handle child abuse, the majority (80%) received 4 hours or less of DV training. Seventy-one percent agreed or strongly agreed that pediatricians do not screen secondary to lack of training.

CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric chief residents believe that DV is a significant pediatric health problem. However, screening practices are variable. Most chief residents feel that their training was not sufficient to make them comfortable screening for DV. Chief residents demonstrated openness to incorporating DV training into their programs, indicating a positive environment for DV curricula.


We consider the binary hypothesis testing problem with two observers. There are two possible states of nature (or hypotheses). Observations are collected by two observers. The observations are statistically related to the true state of nature. Given the observations, the objective of both observers is to find out what is the true state of nature. We present three different approaches to address the problem. In the first (centralized) approach, the observations collected by both observers are sent to a central coordinator where hypothesis testing is performed. In the second approach, each observer performs hypothesis testing based on locally collected observations. At every time step decision information is exchanged until consensus is achieved. In the third approach, sequential hypothesis testing problem is formulated for each observer. The sequential hypothesis testing problem is solved for each observer using locally collected observations. Taking into account the asymmetric and random stopping times of the observers, a consensus algorithm has been designed. Numerical study has been done to assess the performance of the three approaches.


In this paper, we quantify the ability of a future measurement of the Sandage-Loeb test signal from the Cosmic-Dynamic-Experiment-like spectrograph to constrain some popular modified gravity theories including DGP brane-world scenario, $f(R)$ modified gravity and $f(T)$ gravity theory. We find that the Sandage-Loeb test measurements are able to break degeneracies between model parameters markedly and thus greatly improve cosmological constraints for all concerned modified gravity theories when combined with the latest observations of CMB--shift parameter. However, they yield almost the same degeneracy directions between model parameters as that from the distance ratio data derived from the latest observations of the cosmic microwave background and baryonic acoustic oscillations (CMB/BAO). Moreover, for the $f(R)$ modified gravity, the Sandage-Loeb test could provide completely different bounded regions in model parameters space as compared to CMB/BAO and thus supplement strong complementary constraints.


OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the number of males per cage as a possible risk factor for murine ankylosing enthesopathy (ANKENT)--a spontaneous joint disease with parallels to human seronegative spondylarthropathies--since ANKENT shows incomplete penetrance of genetic susceptibility factors among individuals living in a stable environment. METHODS: Frequency of ANKENT was compared among males housed with females, with other males, or alone. RESULTS: In three independent cohorts, a trend was observed that males housed with females rarely develop the disease, in contrast to males housed with other males (P < 0.25, P < 0.05, and P < 0.01). Furthermore, no males caged alone developed ANKENT, whereas disease did occur in males grouped together (P < 0.01). When healthy males (retired breeders) were recaged either alone or with other males, ANKENT developed among the grouped males only (P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Caging males together is a relative risk factor for ANKENT. Grouped caging may perturb the immune system through endocrine pathways or modify microbiological load through behaviour (for example, infection due to biting).


It was no accident that the first neuroscience community, the Neurosciences Research Program (NRP), took shape in the 1960s at MIT, the birthplace of cybernetics. Francis O. Schmitt, known as the founding father of the NRP, was a famous biologist and an avid reader of cybernetics. Focusing on the intellectual and institutional context that Schmitt was situated in, this article unveils the way that the brain was conceptualized as a distinct object, requiring the launch of a new research community in the US. In doing so, this article moves beyond the dominant narratives on the triumph of molecularization of the brain at the beginning of neuroscience. Instead, it argues that what brought researchers together in the name of neuroscience was not just a molecule but an aspiration to develop biological theories of the brain/mind, which resonated with biologists in a postwar context and was materialized through support for basic research. The article highlights the tension over the computerization and molecularization of the brain, which shaped the interdisciplinary gathering of neuroscientists in the context of growing interest in basic research. Thereby, this article reveals the rise of theoretical concerns in brain science that reflect the distinct desires and concerns of biologists in the US at an intellectual and institutional level. By revisiting the launch of the NRP with a focus on Schmitt, the article sheds light on the historical contingencies in launching the new community as neuroscience in the US and their meaning for the locality and transiency of (inter)disciplinarity in brain science.


We find strong intensity modulations in surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) by changing the refractive index and thickness (i.e., the optical length) of the dielectric layer in metal-dielectric nanodevices. We interpret the phenomena by considering the dielectric layer as a Fabry–Pérot cavity. Analysis from finite-difference time-domain numerical studies reveals that the strong periodic variation of the enhancement in SPP fields is due to alternating constructive and destructive interference of optical waves in the dielectric layer. The present results can be applied in designing planar metal-dielectric nanodevices that require optical intensity modulation or high-field enhancement, such as optical switches or thin-film solar cells.


Following a general presentation of the system architectures for two types of reliable energy stations, GEODE and ALFATEL, used in telecommunication facilities, the authors describe the concept of a centralized management system covering several energy stations situated at different geographical locations. The role of communication with the power supply station monitoring units is then described. This makes it possible to define the functions carried out by the management unit, some of which may be operated through remote control by staff on standby duty. The functions of remote monitoring of processes, statistical studies, inventories, background records, man/machine relationships, and maintenance assistance are backed up by a PC-type machine.<<ETX>>


The paper presents an analysis of the constructions of oil pumps for an aircraft compression ignition engine. It is a two-stroke liquid-cooled engine with a power of 100 kW. The system has 3 cylinders and 6 opposed pistons. The paper estimates the required oil pump capacity to make the engine components well-lubricated. Next, automotive oil pumps for diesel engines are analyzed to select a correct pump for aircraft diesel engine applications. Three pump constructions of different constructions and dimensions of a rotor were selected. A measurement bench was designed and built to test these oil pumps in the range of pump shaft speeds from 0 to 4500 rpm and volumetric flow rate up to 150 l/min. The bench also enables stabilization of oil temperature at the required level within the range from 30 to 120oC. In addition, flow resistance through engine slide bearings was simulated by changing the position of a throttling valve at the pump output to regulate pressure in the range of 0–700 kPa. The obtained capacity characteristics of individual pumps versus on oil pressure and temperature allowed us to find an appropriate oil pump to make individual engine nodes well-lubricated.


The incidental detection of abnormalities at screening thoracic imaging examinations performed in asymptomatic patients, such as lung cancer screening with computed tomography or computed tomographic coronary artery calcium scoring for cardiac risk stratification, is a common event. Most such abnormalities, while often indeterminate, are nevertheless of no significance and can be approached conservatively. The detection of multiple nodules and masses in the screening setting is exceptional and usually mandates an aggressive approach toward establishing the diagnosis. Leading diagnostic considerations for such a presentation include granulomatous infections, rare nonmalignant proliferative disorders, and lymphoproliferative diseases. Lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) is a rare, Epstein-Barr virus–driven angiodestructive malignant B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder that is often associated with immunosuppression, preferentially affects men and often manifests in the fifth and sixth decades of life. LYG is commonly characterized by a relapsing course, but may transition to a frank, malignant, high-grade lymphoma and can prove fatal. The lungs are the most commonly affected organ in patients with LYG, with the skin and nervous system also being frequently involved. Thoracic imaging findings in patients with LYG are nonspecific, but typically show multiple variably sized nodules and masses, occasionally with an appearance suggesting infarction, and showing tracer uptake at 18fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography, with the bulky lymphadenopathy characteristic of lymphoma noticeably lacking in patients with LYG. The diagnosis of LYG is made through tissue sampling, and may be performed through a minimally invasive approach, but often ultimately requires surgical biopsy. Treatment of LYG focuses on combination chemotherapy, anti-B-cell–targeted therapy, and interferon &agr;-2 therapy.


The s-clubs model cohesive social subgroups as vertex subsets that induce subgraphs of diameter at most s. In defender-attacker settings, for low values of s, they can represent tightly knit communities, whose operation is undesirable for the defender. For instance, in online social networks, large communities of malicious accounts can effectively propagate undesirable rumors. In this article, we consider a defender that can disrupt vertices of the adversarial network to minimize its threat, which leads us to consider a maximum s-club interdiction problem, where interdiction is penalized in the objective function. Using a new notion of H-heredity in s-clubs, we provide a mixed-integer linear programming formulation for this problem that uses far fewer constraints than the formulation based on standard techniques. We show that the linear programming relaxation of this formulation has no redundant constraints and identify facets of the convex hull of integral feasible solutions under special conditions. We further relate H-heredity to latency-s-connected dominating sets and design a decomposition branch-and-cut algorithm for the problem. Our implementation solves benchmark instances with more than 10,000 vertices in a matter of minutes and is orders of magnitude faster than algorithms based on the standard formulation.


Sebaceous carcinoma of the ocular adnexa is a malignant neoplasm which can exhibit aggressive local behavior and can metastasize to regional lymph nodes and distant organs. The neoplasm is known to masquerade as other benign and less malignant lesions, resulting in delay in diagnosis and relative high morbidity and mortality. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of recurrent upper eyelid nodules treated elsewhere as chalazion was done. Cytological smears were suggestive of malignancy. Subsequently histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of sebaceous gland carcinoma. Eyelid reconstruction was done after histopathologically confirmed tumor-free margins. The article highlights the role of FNAC in early diagnosis and subsequent appropriate surgical management of eyelid sebaceous gland carcinoma to prevent recurrence and metastasis.


The paper proposes a receiver-based rate-distortion optimized framework to stream interactively scalable bitstreams of light fields. Based on the desired viewpoints, the predicted future buffer state, the network characteristics, and the target transmission rate, the receiver customizes the data request in order to minimize the distortion in the frames to be rendered. Experimental results show that the proposed framework improves the rendering quality by 1.0-2.8 dB over a heuristic scheme at the same rate. Correspondingly, to achieve the same rendering quality the proposed framework reduces 25-35% of the rate over the heuristic scheme.


Increasing knowledge of the role of nitric oxide (NO) in physiology and disease has stimulated efforts to target the NO pathway pharmacologically. These therapeutic strategies include NO donors that directly or indirectly release NO and agents that increase NO bioactivity. Traditional organic nitrates such as nitroglycerin, which indirectly release NO, were believed to have limited long‐term efficacy and tolerability, chiefly because of nitrate tolerance. Recent studies, however, suggest more effective ways of using these agents and new applications for them. Nicorandil, a hybrid organic nitrate that also activates potassium channels, has demonstrated significant benefits in acute coronary syndromes. Other nitrates are being investigated for use in neurodegenerative diseases. Direct NO donors include NO gas, which is useful in respiratory disorders, and the more recent classes of diazeniumdiolates, sydnonimines, and S‐nitrosothiols. Preliminary data suggest that these agents may be effective as anti‐atherosclerotic agents as well as in other disease states. In addition, hybrid agents that consist of an NO donor coupled with a parent anti‐inflammatory drug, including nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, have demonstrated enhanced efficacy and tolerability compared with the anti‐inflammatory parent drug alone in diverse experimental models. Established drugs that enhance NO bioactivity include antihypertensive agents, particularly angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and newer vasodilating β‐blockers. In addition, 3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) promote NO bioactivity, both through and independent of lipid lowering. The NO‐promoting actions of these established drugs provide some insight into their known benefits and suggest possible therapeutic potential.


The CVP (Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide) is well known as anti-tumor drug in clinical applications. Although recent studies have demonstrated that CVP can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, the different purity level of CVP has a different affect on various cancer cells. In this study, the crude CVP was extracted from C. versicolor dry fruit bodies by hot-water extraction and ethanol precipitation. The content of CVP was 7.74% in the fruit bodies, while 54.69% in the crude extracts by phenol-vitriolic colorimetry. After that, the in vitro cytotoxic activities of the CVP were examined on the four human liver cancer (7703, HepG2, 7721, PLC) and four human breast cancer (Bcap37, ZR75-30, MCF-7, T-47D) cell lines using a MTT cytotoxicity assay. The results showed that the CVP inhibited the proliferation of 7703, Bcap37, T-47D in low concentration; the IC50 values on 7703, Bcap37 and T-47D were 18.37, 14.42 and 9.29 mg/l, respectively. The CVP also inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and ZR75-30, but at high concentration, the IC50 values on MCF-7 and ZR75-30 were 39.26 and 34.59 mg/l, respectively. The CVP does not inhibit the proliferation of HepG2, 7721, PLC and human normal liver cell line (WRL). The CVP was found to selectively inhibit the proliferation of human liver cancer and human breast cancer.


Restorative procedures may lead to tooth postoperative sensitivity. The objective of this study was to observe postoperative tooth sensitivity in dental patients after application of light curing units. The clinical trial included 90 subjects with occlusal Class I carious lesions. Subjects were given a resin composite restoration and assigned into 3 groups based on the chosen light-curing unit: (i) a pulse lighting curing unit of 1,000 mW/cm2 in 10 sec, (ii) a pulse lighting curing unit of 1,000 mW/cm2 in 20 sec, and (iii) a single light exposure from a continuous lighting curing unit of 900 mW/cm2 in 20 sec, as a comparison. After light curing, weasked the subjects using a questionaire containing 6 questions of tooth sensitivity at time points, i.e., at the time ofthe light exposure; right after light exposure; 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after light exposures. The assessment was based on the four-level sensitivity of none (score=1), slight (score=2), moderate (score=3) and severe (score=4). Reply of each patient on the presence or absence of the sensitivity was recorded as a postoperative tooth sensitivity score providing the total score is 6 (minimum) to 24 (maximum). Results showed that 87.8% of subjects reported post operative tooth sensitivity score of 6; 8.9% and 3.3% of the subjects showed light sensitivity (scores 7 and 8, respectively), however, the sensitivity faded away within 15 minutes. The application of the experimental curing units observed insignificant difference intooth sensitivity when using the pulse lighting at 1,000 mW/cm in 10 or 20 sec, and also when those were compared to the commercially available continuous lighting at 900 mW/cmin 20 sec. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2019; 12(3): 1079-1083)


PURPOSE
To evaluate the available evidence on the effectiveness of intrastromal corneal rings (ICRs) in the treatment of adults with keratoconus.

METHODS
A systematic review of electronic databases was completed through July 30, 2017. All primary research articles in which adults with keratoconus were treated with ICRs were included. Two independent reviewers assessed methodological quality and classified the studies into high, low, or undefined risk of bias. The measured variables assessed were visual acuity, refraction, keratometry, ring type, and complications.

RESULTS
The initial search yielded 442 scientific articles, 62 articles were read extensively, and 18 articles were assessed for eligibility and included for statistical analysis and quality assessment. A total of 1,325 eyes were analyzed, and the results were evaluated preoperatively and at 12 months of follow-up. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) improved 0.23 ± 0.28 logMAR and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) improved 0.06 ± 0.21 logMAR. Sphere improved 2.81 ± 1.54 diopters (D), cylinder improved 1.49 ± 0.83 D, and mean keratometry improved 3.41 ± 2.13 D within 12 months of follow-up. ICR implantation combined with corneal crosslinking improved UDVA, refraction, and keratometry to a greater degree than ICR implantation alone.

CONCLUSIONS
The studies analyzed demonstrate refractive and visual improvement of patients treated with the ICR implantation technique. However, description of the methodological process necessary to evaluate the bias effectively is insufficient. [J Refract Surg. 2019;35(3):191-200.].


We study the evolution of cosmological perturbations in f(G) gravity, where the Lagrangian is the sum of a Ricci scalar R and an arbitrary function f in terms of a Gauss-Bonnet term G. We derive the equations for perturbations assuming matter to be described by a perfect fluid with a constant equation of state w. We show that density perturbations in perfect fluids exhibit negative instabilities during both the radiation and the matter domination, irrespective of the form of f(G). This growth of perturbations gets stronger on smaller scales, which is difficult to be compatible with the observed galaxy spectrum unless the deviation from general relativity is very small. Thus f(G) cosmological models are effectively ruled out from this ultraviolet instability, even though they can be compatible with the late-time cosmic acceleration and local gravity constraints.


ABSTRACT Random walks (RWs) have been extensively studied for more than a century (Feller, 1968). These walks have traditionally been on a line, and the generalizations for two and three dimensions have been by extending the random steps to the corresponding neighboring positions in one or many of the dimensions. Among the most popular RWs on a line are the various models for birth and death processes, renewal processes, and the gambler's ruin problem. All of these RWs operate on a discretized line, and the walk is achieved by performing small steps to the current state's neighbor states. Indeed, it is this neighbor-step motion that renders their analyses tractable. When some of the transitions are to non-neighbour states, a formal analysis is typically impossible because the difference equations of the steady-state probabilities are not solvable. One endeavor on such an analysis is found in Yazidi et al. (2011). The problem is far more complex when the transitions of the walk follow an underlying tree-like structure. The analysis of RWs on a treehave received little attention, even though it is an important topic since a tree is a counterpart space representation of a line whenever there is some ordering on the nodes on the line. Nevertheless, RWs on a tree entail moving to non-neighborstates in the space, which makes the analysis involved and, in many cases, impossible. In this article, we consider the analysis of one such fascinating RW. We demonstrate that an analysis of the chain is feasible because we can invoke the phenomenon time reversibility. Apart from the analysis being interesting in itself from an analytical perspective, the RW on the tree that this article models is a type of generalization of dichotomous search with faulty feedback about the direction of the search, rendering the real-life application of the model to be pertinent. To resolve this, we advocate the concept of "backtracking" transitions in order to efficiently explore the search space. Interestingly, it is precisely these backtracking transitions that naturally render the chain to be time reversible. By doing this, we are able to bridge the gap between deterministic dichotomous search and its faulty version. The article contains the analysis of the chain, reports some fascinating limiting properties, and also includes simulations that justify the analytic steady-state results.


Thermovirga lienii Dahle and Birkeland 2006 is a member of the genus Thermovirga in the genomically moderately well characterized phylum 'Synergistetes'. Members of this relatively recently proposed phylum 'Synergistetes' are of interest because of their isolated phylogenetic position and their diverse habitats, e.g. from humans to oil wells. The genome of T. lienii Cas60314T is the fifth genome sequence (third completed) from this phylum to be published. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 1,999,646 bp long genome (including one plasmid) with its 1,914 protein-coding and 59 RNA genes is a part of the GenomicEncyclopedia ofBacteria andArchaea project.


Two modified formulae for the preparation of trichloracetic acid (TCA)-Schiff reagent have been presented in this communication. The modifications involve addition of 250 mg or 500 mg of trichloracetic acid per 100 ml of a 0.5% aqueous solution of basic fuchsin in place of NTCA which means 1.63 g of TCA per 10 ml of distilled water to be added to 100 ml of the dye solution. The use of TCA-Schiff reagents prepared by the modified method reveals a considerably faster Feulgen staining, a more intense colouration of the nuclei and a longer shelf-life of the dye-SO2 reagents as compared with the standard TCA-Schiff of Bloch and Godman. Possible interpretations for these phenomena have been presented.


Data mining in time‐series medical databases has been receiving considerable attention because it provides a way of revealing useful information hidden in the database, for example, relationships between the temporal course of examination results and the onset time of diseases. This article presents a new method for finding similar patterns in temporal sequences. The method is a hybridization of phase‐constraint multiscale matching and rough clustering. Multiscale matching enables us to cross‐scale a comparison of the sequences, namely, it enables us to compare temporal patterns by partially changing observation scales. Rough clustering enables us to construct interpretable clusters of the sequences even if their similarities are given as relative similarities. We combine these methods and cluster the sequences according to the multiscale similarity of patterns. Experimental results on the chronic hepatitis dataset showed that clusters demonstrating interesting temporal patterns were successfully discovered. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 20: 737–757, 2005.


Our study primarily focused on permaculture for sustained agriculture. Permaculture can be a best alternative for modern industrial and commercial based agriculture which has given a good yield at present but, it is deteriorating soil quality and other environmental aspects. More ever it can lead to a global threat in the future due to overuse and somewhere due to unutilized resources which may give rise to the food and economic insecurity. By compiling the different literatures, we reviewed that permaculture enriches soil quality by increasing organic matter in soil thus increasing water retention capacity, infiltration, nutrient availability, microbial activities and decreasing the erosion. Thus, it increases physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. It provides food and economic safety by providing diverse crops, increasing yield and income of farm andproviding least cost inputs with increasing output. It is an efficient in terms of resource use as it utilizes renewable resources and makes connections like a web among resources. This review can be useful information for students, research topic for permaculturists for making it smoother and other environmental enthusiast.
Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 7(2): 167-173


Geographical Indications present significant opportunities for differentiating products or services that are uniquely related to their geographic origin. While they can offer many positive economic, social, cultural, and even environmental benefits, they can also be problematic and therefore caution is warranted when pursuing them. The publication distills the relevant lessons that could apply, particularly to developing countries, from a review of more than 200 documents and a number of original Case Studies. It presents a groundwork to better understand the costs and the benefits of undertaking Geographical Indications by outlining the basic processes, covering the pros and cons of different legal instruments, and offering insights into the important factors of success. It reviews and presents current data on the key issues of global GIs such as: economic results, public and private benefits; and market relevance.


When dermatologist and minoxidil inventor Guinter Kahn gives speeches to medical school staff and students, he does not talk about the profession as a healing one; rather, he reminds his audiences of a time when doctors were cold-blooded killers. He talks calculatedly about how doctors killed Jews during the Holocaust - as if he were standing there watching - relating precise dates, names and stories. His aim? In his own small way, he says, he hopes to keep people remembering, so that those horrendous crimes never happen again.


Human asthma is characterized by increased airway hyperreactivity to a variety of bronchoconstricting agents. Aberrant type 2 immune responses in the lung have been associated with airway hyperreactivity in both human asthma and in murine models of allergic airways disease. Despite their intrinsically elevated basal airway reactivity to smooth muscle constricting agents, A/J mice demonstrated no inherent inflammatory cell infiltration nor elevation of type 2 cytokines in the lung. Crossed bone marrow reconstitution experiments between A/J and MHC congenic B10.A mice revealed enhanced airway reactivity only in A/J recipients, irrespective of whether they had been reconstituted with A/J or B10.A hemopoietic cells. Further, A/J-derived bone marrow cells did not affect the reactivity of B10.A recipients. Although mice on RAG-deficient and IL-4-deficient backgrounds demonstrate substantial abrogation of allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity, these gene deletions had no impact on the elevated baseline reactivity when backcrossed onto A/J mice. Thus, in these mice, basal airway hyperreactivity is maintained independently of type 2 immunity induced by allergens.


Possibilities for engineering of fluorescent micro/nanoscale devices for glucose sensing are presented. A description of the potential for clinical use is given in terms of overall concept, current knowledge, advantages of the fabrication approach proposed, and challenges that must be addressed prior to clinical use. Deployment of micro/nanoparticles in the dermis may allow transdermal monitoring of glucose changes in interstitial fluid. Using electrostatic self-assembly, an example of nanotechnology for fabrication, two types of sensors are being studied: (1). solid nanoparticles coated with fluorescent enzyme-containing thin films and (2). hollow micro/nanocapsules containing fluorescent indicators and enzymes or glucose-binding proteins. Nanoengineering of the coated colloids and microcapsules allows precision control over optical, mechanical, and catalytic properties to achieve sensitive response using a combination of polymers, fluorescent indicators, and glucose-specific proteins. Challenges to in vivo use include understanding of material toxicity and failure modes, and determining methods to overcome fouling, protein inactivation, and material degradation.


Ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts from Mendeleev Ridge, Chukchi Borderland, and Alpha Ridge, in the Amerasia Basin, Arctic Ocean, are similar based on morphology and chemical composition. The crusts are characterized by a two- to four-layered stratigraphy. The chemical composition of the Arctic crusts differs significantly from hydrogenetic crusts from elsewhere of global ocean by high mean Fe/Mn ratios, high As, Li, V, Sc, and Th concentrations, and high detrital contents. Here, we present element distributions through crust stratigraphic sections and element phase association using several complementary techniques such as SEM-EDS, LA-ICP-MS, and sequential leaching, a widely employed method of element phase association that dissolves mineral phases of different stability step-by-step: Exchangeable cations and Ca carbonates, Mn-oxides, Fe-hydroxides, and residual fraction. Sequential leaching shows that the Arctic crusts have higher contents of most elements characteristic of the aluminosilicate phase than do Pacific crusts. Elements have similar distributions between the hydrogenetic Mn and Fe phases in all the Arctic and Pacific crusts. The main host phases for the elements enriched in the Arctic crusts over Pacific crusts (Li, As, Th, and V) are the Mn-phase for Li and Fe-phase for As, Th, and V; those elements also have higher contents in the residual aluminosilicate phase. Thus, higher concentrations of Li, As, Th, and V likely occur in the dissolved and particulate phases in bottom waters where the Arctic crusts grow, which has been shown to be true for Sc, also highly enriched in the crusts. The phase distributions of elements within the crust layers is mostly consistent among the Arctic crusts, being somewhat different in element concentrations in the residual phase.