Steel structures construction continues to be one of the most hazard prone jobs in the construction industry. Safety in construction is a result of a combination of several factors such as the implemented construction technology, worker's training standard, site working conditions, and the design of the project. Even with the strict application of international safety and hazard prevention codes and standards the fatalities in the steel construction site activity as a result of falls for an example is double that compared to other site works. This fact demonstrates the need to improve the safety procedures and implementations in steel construction sites. Based on these facts hazards identification and precautions are essential ingredients of any construction site safety management system. The objective of this paper, which is a first stage of a Ph.D. project, is to review past research that is aimed at addressing some of the safety problems during construction, and identify how to apply novel technologies as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Image recognition for automating safety on site. The contribution of this research project lies in introducing a new methodology by using photographic analysis which has been increasingly used to tackle different site related operations. The paper proposes a methodology based on BIM model incorporating the 3D image data available from an actual project, indexing all real images taken, searching and retrieving selected time images and comparing them with BIM model. This will help the safety managers to monitor progress and make decisions on the implementation of safety standards approved for the project. The integration of image recognition and BIM will enable the identification of risk assessment while assisting the production of the daily site safety report.


Steedman's 'Questions for Kaleckians' is rightly critical of the lack of attention paid by Kaleckian economists to the input-output nature of production. However, his conclusions about Kaleckian mark-up pricing and the irrelevance of dynamics are incorrect, for three reasons. First, his rendition of a Kaleckian model with constant mark-ups is only conditionally stable. Secondly, there is ample evidence that Kaleckian mark-ups should vary inversely with sectoral profitability. Thirdly, given variable mark-ups, and the other factors which must be considered in a general multisectoral dynamical analysis of capitalism, it is almost inevitable that the fixed points of such a system will be unstable. Long-run conditions are therefore not equilibrium ones, and limitations on mark-ups, etc, derived from equilibrium analysis are not applicable. The Kaleckian focus upon the process of price setting is therefore justified in both the short and long term, although this analysis should, as Steedman asserts, be carried out in the context of explicitly multisectoral models.


Circulation Research is available at http://circres.ahajournals.org DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.305017 Abstract: The movement of ions across specific channels embedded on the membrane of individual cardiomyocytes is crucial for the generation and propagation of the cardiac electric impulse. Emerging evidence over the past 20 years strongly suggests that the normal electric function of the heart is the result of dynamic interactions of membrane ion channels working in an orchestrated fashion as part of complex molecular networks. Such networks work together with exquisite temporal precision to generate each action potential and contraction. Macromolecular complexes play crucial roles in transcription, translation, oligomerization, trafficking, membrane retention, glycosylation, post-translational modification, turnover, function, and degradation of all cardiac ion channels known to date. In addition, the accurate timing of each cardiac beat and contraction demands, a comparable precision on the assembly and organizations of sodium, calcium, and potassium channel complexes within specific subcellular microdomains, where physical proximity allows for prompt and efficient interaction. This review article, part of the Compendium on Sudden Cardiac Death, discusses the major issues related to the role of ion channel macromolecular assemblies in normal cardiac electric function and the mechanisms of arrhythmias leading to sudden cardiac death. It provides an idea of how these issues are being addressed in the laboratory and in the clinic, which important questions remain unanswered, and what future research will be needed to improve knowledge and advance therapy. (Circ Res. 2015;116:1971-1988. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.305017.)


Inside the liver cells there are sophisticated mechanisms that have evolved over millions of years to metabolize toxic substances, many of which are fat-soluble compounds making them difficult for the body to excrete. Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are drug-metabolizing enzymes predominantly expressed in the liver that catalyze the first step in the metabolism of lipophilic compounds into water-soluble and thus excretable compounds. Transcriptional activation of CYPs and other drug-metabolizing enzymes by drugs and xenobiotics in the liver is mediated by the mammalian constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and pregnanes X receptor (PXR), whereas the chicken xenobiotic receptor (CXR) mediates drug responses in chicken hepatocytes. This phenomenon, which is called drug induction, is fully reversible and dose-dependent. By increasing the capability for metabolic detoxification and elimination, induction of CYPs is an integral part of the defense mechanism against xenochemical insult. However, it also has important negative clinical consequences, such as altered pharmacokinetics of drugs and carcinogens, drug-drug interactions, and changes in the metabolism of steroids, vitamin D, and other endogenous compounds. For these reasons, it is of great importance to understand the molecular mechanisms leading to drug induced gene expression of hepatic drugmetabolizing enzymes. In this thesis the role of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the phenobarbital-mediated transcriptional regulation of CYPs was studied in hepatoma cells (chicken and human), and in hepatocytes (human and mouse). We show that AMPK activation by phenobarbital occurs via increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in mitochondria and that increased AMPK activity is necessary for drug induction. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phenobarbital-type drugs affect the AMPK upstream kinase LKB1 and the protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ) activities. Importantly, these studies reveal that the signaling cascade involved in drug responses is conserved in evolution from birds to mice and humans. In addition, CXR interacting proteins were identified, which may also bind CAR in mammalian liver. In conclusion, these findings provide new insights into the so far poorly characterized molecular mechanism by which drugs lead to transcriptional regulation of CYP enzymes.


Abstract Presenilin is the catalytic component of γ-secretase, a complex aspartyl protease and a founding member of intramembrane-cleaving proteases. γ-Secretase is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and a top target for therapeutic intervention. However, the protease complex processes a variety of transmembrane substrates, including the Notch receptor, raising concerns about toxicity. Nevertheless, γ-secretase inhibitors and modulators have been identified that allow Notch processing and signaling to continue, and promising compounds are entering clinical trials. Molecular and biochemical studies offer a model for how this protease hydrolyzes transmembrane domains in the confines of the lipid bilayer. Progress has also been made toward structure elucidation of presenilin and the γ-secretase complex by electron microscopy as well as by studying cysteine-mutant presenilins. The signal peptide peptidase (SPP) family of proteases are distantly related to presenilins. However, the SPPs work as single polypeptides without the need for cofactors and otherwise appear to be simple model systems for presenilin in the γ-secretase complex. SPP biology, structure, and inhibition will also be discussed.


The recent economic slowdown in the United Kingdom has been characterised by declines in business investment and exports. The impact on domestic output has been alleviated by robust household spending, but also by a sharp decline in imports of goods and services. This article shows that these divergent trends in the components of demand, and differences in their import content, can help explain the weakness in imports during 2001. More generally, close attention to the relative contribution of the components to aggregate demand can help explain fluctuations in imports. The analysis has been aided by the recent publication of updated information from the ONS on the import content of different expenditure categories.


A professor in France claims to have written a million books using his computer software platform. Many of the sports and financial news stories available on the Internet are written by computers. Computers also draw, paint, and compose music. Is their output copyrightable? Copyright law requires an identifiable human author because authors own copyrights and computers do not possess the personhood necessary to own property. The Copyright Office and some courts and commentators go further, requiring for copyright not only an identifiable human author, but also human authorship of the protected work. They demand, in other words, that the copyrightable expression in a work emanate from a human being. If a person uses a computer to assist in the manipulation of expression created by the user, the result is copyrightable. If a user's interaction with a computer prompts it to generate its own expression, the result is excluded from copyright. This is a tenuous and ultimately counter-productive distinction. It denies the incentive of copyright to an increasingly large group of works that are indistinguishable in substance and value from works created by human beings. The copyright statute does not define "author" and the constitutional interpretation of that concept is sufficiently broad to include a human being who instigates the creation of a work. A computer user who initiates the creation of computer-generated expression should be recognized as the author and copyright owner of the resulting work. A number of foreign countries have already taken this step. The United States should join them.


In this study, microbial content and preservative efficacy of various cosmetic products, which are produced and sold in markets of our country, were investigated. Microbial content and preservative efficacies of products were investigated according to United States Pharmacopeia (USP) method. Microorganism counts of out 14 of 93 cosmetic products were recovered in the range between 1.5 x 10(2)-5.5 x 10(5) cfu/ml. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common contaminant identified in samples (from six different products) and was followed by Burkholderia cepacia (from four different products). Gram negative organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a yeast Candida krusei, were also isolated from samples. Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. were not recovered from any of samples. Preservative efficacies of fourteen out of ninety-three products did not meet the general efficacy of antimicrobial preservation criteria of the USP. Among these fourteen products, degradation and color change by Aspergillus niger was observed in one of samples. According to results, it was observed that pathogen and potential pathogen microorganisms can be found in unused cosmetic products and also preservatives may be ineffective in preventing them. Thus, in order to prevent the contamination that can occur during production, manufacturers are required to manufacture products in compliance with wholesome manufacturing practices and, considering consumer health, it is necessary to add an effective preservative as determined by regulations.


Knowledge transfer and effective knowledge resource management facilitates organisations to innovate and develop new products and services. The knowledge transfer and creation processes require formal and informal networks and relationships. While the need for formal knowledge transfer networks may receive organisational attention, informal inter-personal networks, relationships and friendships also play an important role in knowledge transfer and creation. This paper suggests that rather than attempting to eliminate social activity such as personal use of information and communications technologies, socialisation activity should be encouraged to help build a culture of knowledge sharing and innovation.


Although imitation learning is a powerful technique for robot learning and knowledge acquisition from näıve human users, it often suffers from the need for expensive human demonstrations. In some cases the robot has an insufficient number of useful demonstrations, while in others its learning ability is limited by the number of users it directly interacts with. We propose an approach that overcomes these shortcomings by using crowdsourcing to collect a wider variety of examples from a large pool of human demonstrators online. We present a new goal-based imitation learning framework which utilizes crowdsourcing as a major source of human demonstration data. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach experimentally on a scenario where the robot learns to build 2D object models on a table from basic building blocks using knowledge gained from locals and online crowd workers. In addition, we show how the robot can use this knowledge to support human-robot collaboration tasks such as goal inference through object-part classification and missing-part prediction. We report results from a user study involving fourteen local demonstrators and hundreds of crowd workers on 16 different model building tasks.


Studies on the immune response to human papillomaviruses are compromised by the extreme host and tissue specificity of these viruses. To circumvent this, a mouse model system has been used in which antigen is presented via a differentiated, syngeneic keratinocyte graft expressing human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E7 protein. Using this model, previous studies have shown that animals grafted with a high cell inoculum (1x10(7) NEK 16 cells) exhibit a delayed-type hypersensitivity response that is E7-specific and CD4(+)-mediated, but those receiving a low cell inoculum (5x10(5) NEK 16 cells) are rendered unresponsive to subsequent and repeated antigen challenge. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we have analysed the early changes in the cytokine profile of the graft-draining lymph node (GDLN) after high- or low-dose grafts. At 4 days post-grafting, there was a peak secretion of IL-2 associated with a decreased secretion of IL-4 by gammadelta-TCR(+) cells in the group receiving 1x10(7) NEK 16 cells. At 5 days post-grafting, there was a peak secretion of IL-10 by CD8(+) cells in both the high- and low-dose graft groups compared with controls. In contrast, low dose-grafted animals showed an increase in IL-4 production by CD8(+) cells at this time-point. Low antigen challenge in this model system is associated with the appearance of a CD8(+) population in the GDLN that secretes both IL-4 and IL-10. This population may represent a Tc2 or Ts subset that could induce further unresponsiveness.


Background Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem. Its deficiency has been reported to be associated with different autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D level and thyroid antibodies in primary hypothyroidism. Patients and methods A total number of 90 individuals were enrolled in this study. They were divided into the following groups: group I included 60 naïve patients with hypothyroidism representing the case group, and this group was further subdivided into 30 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and 30 patients without autoimmune thyroid disease. Group ІІ included 30 apparently healthy participants matched for age and sex representing a control group. All participants underwent a detailed clinical examination and laboratory tests including, 25 (OH) vitamin D, thyroid function tests (thyroid-stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine), and thyroid autoantibodies assessment, including anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. Results Serum levels of 25 (OH) vitamin D recorded a highly significant difference between the studied groups (13.08±3.58 ng/ml in group I vs. 20.67±13.33 ng/ml in group II; P<0.01). Moreover, there was a highly significant difference between patients with AITD and patients without AITD (12.6±5.5 ng/ml vs. 14.5±7.3 ng/ml, respectively; P<0.01), and vitamin D deficiency was more frequent in patients with AITD (43.3%), rather than 23.3% in patients without AITD. There was a significant negative correlation between serum 25 (OH) vitamin D and thyroid-stimulating hormone, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies, and anti-thyroglobulin (r=−0.459, −0.582, and −0.324, respectively; P<0.05), whereas a significant positive correlation between serum 25 (OH) vitamin D and both of free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine (r=0.368 and 0.598, respectively; P<0.05). Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is associated with AITD, and further studies are needed to determine its role in management of primary hypothyroidism.


This paper proposes a novel two-class classifier, called IPCAC, based on the Isotropic Principal Component Analysis technique; it allows to deal with training data drawn from Mixture of Gaussian distributions, by projecting the data on the Fisher subspace that separates the two classes. The obtained results demonstrate that IPCAC is a promising technique; furthermore, to cope with training datasets being dynamically supplied, and to work with non-linearly separable classes, two improvements of this classifier are defined: a model merging algorithm, and a kernel version of IPCAC. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is shown by their application to the spam classification problem, and by the comparison of the achieved results with those obtained by Support Vector Machines SVM, and K-Nearest Neighbors KNN.


For the first time, a next-to-leading BFKL study of the cross s ection and azimuthal decorrellation of Mueller Navelet jets is performed, i.e. including next-t o-leading corrections to the Green's function as well as next-to-leading corrections to the Mueller Navelet vertices. The obtained results for standard observables proposed for studies of Mueller Navelet jets show that both sources of corrections are of equal and big importance for final magni tude and final behavior of observables, in particular for the LHC kinematics investigated here in detail. The astonishing conclusion of our analysis is that the observables obtained within the c omplete next-lo-leading order BFKL framework of the present paper are quite similar to the same observables obtained within nextto-leading logarithm DGLAP type treatment. This fact sheds doubts on general belief that the studies of Mueller Navelet jets at the LHC will lead to clear discrimination between the BFKL and the DGLAP dynamics.


The possibilities of Cu-Al2O3 particulate reinforced composites, of competitive functional properties, processing by the classical powder metallurgy route have been investigated taking into consideration its known technical and economical advantages in respect to the known worldwide investigated technological routes of their processing. The adopted compositions, of (5.0÷20.0) [vol.%] Al2O3, were selected in agreement with published data for a large range of applications. Pharmaceutical homogenization method applied for powder mixtures preparation proved to assure a high homogeneity, evidenced by SEM and EDS analyses. Their determined compressibility has shown that, for all compositions, the obtainable compactness is very close to that of pure Cu (even over 94 %). Cold uniaxial compaction at 500 and 700 MPa, and subsequent sintering in argon of high purity at 800 °C for 45 and 60 min have been adopted for composites realization. The performed analysis of the compacting pressure and sintering time influence on the composite compactness proved that, beside the above specified values obtaining for 700 MPa and 60 minute processing parameters, high enough values, acceptable for numerous applications, can be also obtained at 500 MPa and 60 or even 45 minutes. Finally, microstructural analysis highlighted that, by the adopted processing conditions, a high uniformity of Al2O3 particles distribution in the Cu matrix can been assured, both creating premises for obtaining good functional properties of Cu-Al2O3 composites, proving the competitiveness of the investigated PM route for their elaboration.


Objective: To assess the impact of treatment foster care (TFC) on psychosocial and behavioral outcomes, delinquency, placement stability, and discharge status for children and adolescents who, for reasons of severe medical, social, psychological and behavioural problems, were placed in out-of-home care in restrictive settings or at risk of placement in such settings. Method: Electronic bibliographic databases, web searches, and article reference lists were used to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of TFC with children and young people. The Cochrane Collaboration's criteria were used to assess the methodological quality of studies that met the inclusion criteria. Wherever possible, extracted outcome data from similar studies were synthesized with random effects meta-analyses. Results: A total of 5 studies including 390 participants were included in this review. Data suggest that TFC may be a useful intervention for children and young people with complex emotional, psychological, and behavioural need, who are at risk of placements in nonfamily settings that restrict their liberty and opportunities for social inclusion. Conclusion: Although the inclusion criteria for this systematic review set a study design threshold higher than that of previous reviews, the findings mirror those of earlier reviews. While the results of individual studies generally indicate that TFC is a promising intervention for children and youth experiencing mental health problems, behavioral problems, or problems of delinquency, the evidence base is not robust and more research is needed due to the limited number of studies in this area.


Objectives In undergraduate medical education, the topics of errors in medicine and patient safety are under-represented. The aim of this study was to explore undergraduate medical students' behavioural intentions when confronted with an error. Design A qualitative case vignette survey was conducted including one of six randomly distributed case scenarios in which a hypothetical but realistic medical error occurred. The six scenarios differed regarding (1) who caused the error, (2) the presence of witnesses and (3) the consequences of the error for the patient. Participants were asked: 'What would you do?". Answers were collected as written free texts and analysed according to qualitative content analysis. Setting Students from German medical schools participated anonymously through an online questionnaire tool. Participants Altogether, n=159 students answered a case scenario. Participants were on average 24.6 years old (SD=7.9) and 69% were female. They were undergraduate medical students in their first or second year (n=27), third, fourth or fifth year (n=107) or final year (n=21). Results During the inductive coding process, 19 categories emerged from the original data and were clustered into four themes: (1) considering communication; (2) considering reporting; (3) considering consequences; and (4) emotional responsiveness. When the student him/herself caused the error in the scenario, participants did mention communication with colleagues and taking preventive action less frequently than if someone else had caused the error. When a witness was present, participants more frequently mentioned disclosure of the error and taking actions than in the absence of a witness. When the outcome was significant to the patient, participants more often showed an emotional response than if there were no consequences. Conclusions The study highlights the importance of coping strategies for healthcare professionals to adequately deal with errors. Educators need to introduce knowledge and skills on how to deal with errors and emotional preparedness for errors into undergraduate medical education.


Foreign aid is one of the most important policy tools that rich countries use for helping poor countries to improve population well-being and facilitate economic and institutional development. The empirical evidence on its benefits is mixed and has generated much controversy. This paper presents descriptive statistics which show that foreign aid to very poor countries accounts for very little of total global aid; reviews the evidence that foreign aid is often determined by the objectives of donor countries rather than the needs of recipient countries; argues that the evidence on the impact of aggregate foreign aid is hindered by problems of measurement and identification, which are partly due to the heterogenous nature of aid; and discusses recent studies using natural and randomized experiments to examine narrowed definitions of aid on more disaggregated outcomes.


The carboxamide-quinoline LS 2616 is a novel immunomodulator augmenting natural killer (NK) cell activity and T-lymphocyte related effector functions. To investigate the possible usefulness of LS 2616 in immunotherapy of tumors, the effect of the substance on growth and metastasis of the B16-F10 melanoma in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice was investigated. Treatment with LS 2616 from the time of s.c. inoculation of B16-F10 cells significantly reduced tumor take. Continuous treatment of mice with LS 2616 initiated 4 days prior to i.v. injection of tumor cells reduced the number of pulmonary metastases by 85%. When treatment with LS 2616 was started 4 days after i.v. injection of tumor cells, a time when established tumor foci were readily detectable in the lungs, a significant reduction in the number of pulmonary metastases resulted. LS 2616 significantly reduced the number of spontaneous pulmonary metastases developing from a B16-F10 tumor growing in the footpad. When treatment with LS 2616 was initiated after the establishment of grossly visible spontaneous pulmonary metastases, no significant effect on the number of metastases was found after 2 weeks of treatment. However, combined treatment with a dose of cyclophosphamide which in itself was ineffective resulted in a statistically significant 70% reduction in the number of remaining pulmonary metastases. Injection of antibodies to asialomonoganglioside which strongly reduce NK cell activity in various organs was used as a probe for the involvement of NK cells in the effects of LS 2616 on the B16-F10 tumor. The therapeutic efficiency of LS 2616 on tumor take when given from the time of s.c. inoculation, on the number of i.v. induced pulmonary metastases when treatment was started before tumor cell injection, as well as the spontaneous development of pulmonary metastases during exposure to the substance was abrogated by simultaneous injection with antibodies to asialomonoganglioside. In contrast, the beneficial effects of LS 2616 on already established i.v. produced or spontaneous pulmonary metastases were unaltered in mice made NK cell deficient by injection of anti-asialomonoganglioside antibodies. In conclusion, LS 2616 has potent antitumor activities mediated by NK cells as well as non-NK cell related defense mechanisms.


To the extent that the sexes typically occupy different social roles, these roles frame individual opportunities in ways that foster differences in motivations and different methods of fulfilling those motivations. From the role congruity perspective, the motivation to achieve role congruity—to align behavior with the demands of roles—is an important force. Our role congruity account of sex differences and similarities in motivation focuses on how roles influence the goals and methods of goal pursuit elected by men and women. First, we examine support for the idea that role congruity yields various positive effects. Next, we examine the mechanisms by which placement in different roles might foster differences in motivation. Finally, we examine evidence documenting role-congruous motivational orientations, specifically agency for men and communion for women. In general, we find that fitting important social roles is a critical motivational force, and the opportunities for goal pursuit afforded by these social roles shape the kinds of goals and methods of goal pursuit elected by individuals.


Microsoft Research is now in its fourth year of awarding Windows Azure cloud resources to the academic community. As of April 2014, over 200 research projects have started. In this paper we review the results of this effort to date. We also characterize the computational paradigms that work well in public cloud environments and those that are usually disappointing. We also discuss many of the barriers to successfully using commercial cloud platforms in research and ways these problems can be overcome.


Broadly speaking, two schools of thought have emerged to interpret China's rapid growth since 1978:the experimentalist school and the convergence school. The experimentalist school attributes China's successes to the evolutionary, experimental, and incremental nature of China's reforms. Specifically, the resulting non-capitalist institutions are said to be successful in (a) agri- culture where land is not owned by the farmers; (b) township and village en- terprises (TVEs) which are owned collectively by rural communities; and (c) state owned enterprises (SOEs) where increased competition and increased wage incentive, not privatization, have been emphasized. The convergence school holds that China's successes are the result of its institutions being allowed to converge with those of non-socialist market economies, and that China's economic structure at the start of reforms is a major reason for the fast growth. China had a high population density heavily concentrated in low-wage agriculture which was favorable for labor-intensive export-led growth in other parts of East Asia. The convergence school also holds that China's gradualism results mainly from a lack of consensus over the proper course, with power divided between market reformers and old-style socialists; and that the 'inno- ative economic circumstances. Perhaps the best test of the two approaches is whether China's policy choices are in fact leading to institutions harmonized with normal market economies or to more distinctive innovations. The recent policy trend has been towards institutional harmonization rather than institutional innovation, suggesting that the government accepts that the ingredients for a dynamic market economy are already well-known.


An attenuated USSR vaccine culture of P. tularensis was examined for dissociation and found heterogeneous with regard to colony type morphology. Live BV, the more immunogenic of two variants isolated from the culture, proved effective for the protection of the mouse against s.c. challenge with strain SCHU S4; in contrast, killed cultures were not immunogenic. Guinea pigs vaccinated with live BV cells and challenged with strain SCHU S4 exhibited an appreciably longer survival time than animals vaccinated with killed preparations but eventually they succumbed.
 Although SCHU S1-11, one of several colony type variants of reduced virulence isolated from strain SCHU S1, proved equally as immunogenic for the mouse as BV and afforded the guinea pig greater protection than BV, the relatively high residual virulence of this variant for the guinea pig precluded its use as a vaccine strain. Serial animal passage of BV permitted the isolation of a culture that was ultimately selected for the production of live vaccine. The culture was designated the live vaccine strain (LVS) and is currently being used for the production of lyophilized live vaccine for use in man.
 Strain SCHU S4 proved superior to strain 503 as a challenge strain for quantitating the protection afforded test animals administered live vaccines.
 Data on the immunogenicity and storage stability of lyophilized live tularemia vaccine produced from cells harvested from GCHA and more recently from MCPH proved sufficiently encouraging to have warranted an extension of this study to a systematic evaluation of the vaccine in the monkey and subsequently in man.


Interaction between 6-mercaptopurine, Cu2+ and the enzyme xanthine oxidase (EC 18.104.22.168.) was examined. Whereas Cu2+ was found to inhibit the enzyme, 6-mercaptopurine could protect as well as reverse the enzyme inhibition produced by the metal ion. The formation of a complex between 6-mercaptopurine and Cu2+ seems to be responsible for the observed effect. Job's [(1928) Ann. Chem. 9, 113] method has shown the composition of the complex to be 1:1. The apparent stability constant (log K value), as determined by Subhrama Rao & Raghav Rao's [(1955) J. Sci. Chem. Ind. Res. 143, 278], method is found to be 6.74. It is suggested that the formation of a stable complex between 6-mercaptopurine molecules and Cu2+ may be an additional mechanism of action of 6-mercaptopurine, particularly with reference to its anti-inflammatory properties.


The notion of a conservative extension plays a central role in ontology design and integration: it can be used to formalize ontology refinements, safe mergings of two ontologies, and independent modules inside an ontology. Regarding reasoning support, the most basic task is to decide whether one ontology is a conservative extension of another. It has recently been proved that this problem is decidable and 2ExpTime-complete if ontologies are formulated in the basic description logic ALC. We consider more expressive description logics and begin to map out the boundary between logics for which conservativity is decidable and those for which it is not. We prove that conservative extensions are 2ExpTime-complete in ALCQI, but undecidable in ALCQIO. We also show that if conservative extensions are defined model-theoretically rather than in terms of the consequence relation, they are undecidable already in ALC.


Ventriculostomy-associated infections in critically ill patients remain therapeutically challenging because of drug- and disease-related factors that contribute to suboptimal antibiotic concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid. Optimal antibiotic dosing for the treatment and prevention of such infections should be based on robust and contextually specific pharmacokinetic data. The objects of this study were to describe and critically appraise studies with reported antibiotic concentrations or pharmacokinetic data in cerebrospinal fluid of critically ill patients without meningeal inflammation. ABSTRACT Ventriculostomy-associated infections in critically ill patients remain therapeutically challenging because of drug- and disease-related factors that contribute to suboptimal antibiotic concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid. Optimal antibiotic dosing for the treatment and prevention of such infections should be based on robust and contextually specific pharmacokinetic data. The objects of this study were to describe and critically appraise studies with reported antibiotic concentrations or pharmacokinetic data in cerebrospinal fluid of critically ill patients without meningeal inflammation. We systematically reviewed the literature to identify published reports and studies describing antibiotic concentrations, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics in cerebrospinal fluid of critically ill patients with uninflamed meninges. Fifty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria. There was significant heterogeneity in methodologies and results. When available, antibiotic pharmacokinetic parameters displayed large intersubject variability. Intraventricular dosing achieved substantially higher antibiotic concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid than did intravenous doses. Few studies conducted a robust pharmacokinetic analysis and described relevant clinical pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic indices and exposure targets in cerebrospinal fluid. Robust and clinically relevant antibiotic pharmacokinetic data describing antibiotic disposition in cerebrospinal fluid are necessary. Such studies should use a standardized approach to accurately describe pharmacokinetic variability. These data should ideally be tied to clinical outcomes whereby therapeutic targets in the cerebrospinal fluid can be better defined. Altered dosing strategies, in conjunction with exploring the utility of therapeutic drug monitoring, can then be developed to optimize antibiotic exposure with the goal of improving outcomes in this difficult-to-treat patient group.


This dissertation argues that throughout premodern Japan, classical Japanese poetry (waka) served as a vehicle for the transmission of social knowledge, cultural memory, and specialized information. Waka was originally indispensable to private and public social interactions among aristocrats, but it came to play a diversity of functions for warriors, monks, farmers, merchants, and other social groups at each and every level of premodern society and over many centuries, particularly from the late Heian period (785-1185) through the Edo period (1600-1868).
 To trace the changes in the social functions of waka, this dissertation explores several moments in the history of waka: the development of a pedagogy for waka in the poetic treatises of the Heian period; the reception of these works in anecdotal collections of the Kamakura period (1192-1333), particularly those geared towards warriors; the use of humorous waka (kyoka), in particular those with satiric and parodic intent, in Muromachi-period (1333-1467) narratives for commoners; and the use of waka as pedagogical instruments for the codification, preservation, transmission, and memorization of knowledge about disciplines as diverse as hawking, kickball, and the tea ceremony. In the epilogue, I trace the efforts of Meiji-period (1868-1911) intellectuals who sought to disconnect waka from any social or pedagogical function, in order to reconceptualize it under the modern European notions of "Literature" and "the Arts." I conclude that the social functions of poetry in the premodern period should not be understood as extra-literary uses of poems that were otherwise composed as purely literary works in the modern sense. The roles that waka played in pedagogy, in particular in the transmission of cultural memory and social knowledge across diverse social spaces, were an inherent feature of the practice of waka in premodern Japan.


OpenInfRA is a new system for the scientific documentation and publication of worldwide conducted projects in archaeology. It is based on two older applications developed by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Berlin (iDAI.field + CISAR) and thematically will support not only excavations with their finds but also extensive/intensive surveys, building studies, stratigraphical drillings, restoration works and geophysical prospections. In technical terms it will focus in particular on open interfaces to publish and share its content for re-use and interoperability scenarios. It will consequently provide tools for the communication with online-systems like web-databases, geo-services or library catalogues (e. g. OPACs) on the one hand, and on the other hand, with specific professional (desktop) applications (like GIS, 3D, statistical, CAD, image processing, harris-matrices) for further evaluation and analysis of research results. Due to the aim of the developers to provide functionalities for editing and storing primary data from various field projects with different methodological approaches and scientific questions, the information within OpenInfRA is going to be very heterogeneous in respect to data quality, data formats, data types, languages, accuracy and fuzziness. Against this background, the search queries and the visualisation of the results become a technical and semantical challenge as there is a need for incorporating impreciseness and proximity into a logic based query language. The approach taken is to integrate special retrieval algorithms that combine the power of Boolean logic with vague and uncertain conditions. Therefore, a calculus query language named CQQL (commuting quantum query language) has been introduced by the chair of Database and Information Systems at Brandenburg University of Technology. Its underlying unifying theory is based on the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and quantum logic. The first part of the presentation will give a short overview of the main characteristics and issues of OpenInfRA. The second part will present the information retrieval strategies which are going to be implemented within this system. Related URLs: http://www.dainst.org/de/project/idaifield http://www.tu-cottbus.de/cisar/ http://www.tu-cottbus.de/fakultaet2/de/vermessung/forschung/projekte/openinfra.html


When a sandwich structure is loaded in uniaxial in-plane compression the skin over the debonded region may buckle allowing further propagation of the debond, leading to structural collapse. Hence how to detect the shape and size of debonded defect, and to trace propagation trend of the defect are key factor in the process of damage evaluation of subsurface defect. In the paper, a nondestructive testing system is developed based on liquid crystal cell and Wollaston shearing prism. Nematic liquid crystal has the property of modulating the intensity and phase of light, and the intensity will not change during the phase modulating. According to this property, the phase-shifting of digital shearography are performed successfully. The experimental results prove that we can not only perform detection of the defect size and shape in subsurface of sandwich structure, but also trace the further propagation of debonded defect because of local buckle. This indicates that the method of digital shearogrephy will offer an effective measurement tool to research the buckle behavior of debond defect in subsurface of sandwich under uniaxial in-plane compression.


A study on the dynamic characteristics of the excitonsin finite GaAs single quantum wells surrounded by Ga1–xAlxAs barriers. We consider the calculations of exciton binding energies as a function of well width was presented for five different values of mole fraction (0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45). In addition, we study the exciton Bohr radius λ as a function of the same previous mole fraction values. Also the effect of mole fraction on the binding energy was taken into account for a series of 5-period50 ∘ A GaAs/50 ∘ A GaxAl1-xAs multiple quantum wells as a function of the equal well and barrier widths, also for different values of mole fraction (0.1, 0.12, 0.14, 0.16, 0.18, 0.2).


Despite its existing incentives for leecher cooperation, BitTorrent file sharing fundamentally relies on the presence of seeder peers. Seeder peers essentially operate outside the BitTorrent incentives, with two caveats: slow downlinks lead to increased numbers of ``temporary" seeders (who left their console, but will terminate their seeder role when they return), and the copyright liability boon that file segmentation offers for permanent seeders. Using a simple epidemic model for a two-segment BitTorrent swarm, we focus on the BitTorrent rule to disseminate the (locally) rarest segments first. With our model, we show that the rarest-segment first rule minimizes transition time to seeder (complete file acquisition) and equalizes the segment populations in steady-state. We discuss how alternative dissemination rules may {\em beneficially increase} file acquisition times causing leechers to remain in the system longer (particularly as temporary seeders). The result is that leechers are further enticed to cooperate. This eliminates the threat of extinction of rare segments which is prevented by the needed presence of permanent seeders. Our model allows us to study the corresponding trade-offs between performance improvement, load on permanent seeders, and content availability, which we leave for future work.


In a period when optimization has entered almost every facet of our lives, this thesis is designed to establish an understanding about the rather contemporary optimization technique: Benders' Decomposition. It can be roughly stated as a method that handles problems with complicating variables, which when temporarily fixed, yield a problem much easier to solve. We examine the classical Benders' Decomposition algorithm in greater depth followed by a mathematical defense to verify the correctness, state how the convergence of the algorithm depends on the formulation of the problem, identify its correlation to other well-known decomposition methods for Linear Programming problems, and discuss some real-world examples. We introduce present extensions of the method that allow its application to a wider range of problems. We also present a classification of acceleration strategies which is centered round the key sections of the algorithm. We conclude by illustrating the shortcomings, trends, and potential research directions.


Summary The uptake, distribution and catabolism of 125I-thrombin has been studied in vitro using normal and ballooned (de-endothelialized) aorta segments at 37° C and at 4° C. In addition to rapid uptake by endothelial cells, 125I-thrombin passed at a slower, and yet constant, rate through the endothelium and accumulated in the intima-medial and adventitial layers. The enzyme, however, was not able to cross the adventitia. Passage through the endothelium was probably intercellular rather than due to transcytosis. Uptake by the intima-media layer of ballooned segments was substantially faster (× 2.5) than by the subendothelial (intima-media) region of normal segments. Once associated with the endothelium and the subendothelial layers, 125I-thrombin was catabolized and radioactive products, which were released from the vessel wall, appeared in the incubation medium. Two possible catabolic routes were identified: 1. the enzyme was recovered as a high molecular weight product (i. e. excluded by Sephadex G-200), due to complex formation with an extracellular vessel wall component and/or plasma antithrombin III. 2. Fragments of the enzyme were recovered which were presumably the products of limited, extracellular proteolysis.


Mobile fronthaul (MF) provides connectivity between a remote radio head (RRH) and base-band processing unit (BBU) in a cloud radio access network. Dedicated MF connections between RRH and BBU are costly due to high bandwidth requirements. The cost issue becomes more pressing as cell densification increases the number of connections. A time-division multiplexing Ethernet passive optical network (TDM-EPON) is a promising solution to reduce MF cost, as it can multiplex several fronthaul flows in the MF network. However, even though mobile users transmit intermittently, RRH samples radio signals continuously, resulting in large constant line-rate connections between RRH and BBU that require huge aggregated bandwidth and render statistical multiplexing gain marginal. To improve upstream transmission efficiency by utilizing statistical multiplexing in an MF network, we propose to enhance the conventional TDM-EPON architecture. The enhanced architecture employs two techniques: (1) traffic classification (classifying upstream traffic into useful and useless by using machine-learning classifiers); and (2) useless-data sifting (sifting useless traffic to avoid the transmission of unnecessary EPON frames). We explore two feature-selection methods together with classifier biasedness in the first technique to achieve the best classification results, which then serve as input to our proposed sifting-based hybrid bandwidth allocation scheme in the second technique. Simulation results show significant improvements in terms of per-RRH traffic load, number of RRHs supported by same EPON, and signal-to-noise ratio, while keeping the end-to-end delay under 100 μs.


The redressing the gender imbalance in the UK construction industry has been emphasised on numerous occasions and many researchers have identified that women can contribute in an immense way towards the construction industry development. However, construction industry has failed to attract and retain women who are interested in a construction career. Participation of women is still very low in some parts of the industry, in particular, at a time when skilled people at all levels of the industry are in demand. Further, Training and Development (T&D) activities have been identified as one of the vital element for professional women's career advancement in the construction industry. However, most of the concepts related to competitive advantages of T&D on professional women's career advancement are imprecise and unstructured in the construction industry. There is little evidence of an accepted theoretical framework for applying the ideas and there is even less in the way of empirical evidence concerning the validity and utility of these concepts. This paper presents the how much/how little impact T&D has on women's career advancement. This paper is based on data collected from professional women in the UK construction industry.


Cupropearceite is a sulphosalt belonging to the pearceite-polybasite group, formed due to Cu-for-Ag substitution. It is a rare mineral of the Earth's crust, described only in four locations so far. This work reports the occurrence of cupropearceite in the upper part of the Weissliegend sandstone from the Cu-Ag deposit in the Fore-Sudetic Monocline. The mineral is associated with stromeyerite, bornite, chalcocite, native silver, silver amalgams and, rarely, pyrite. Formation of cupropearceite is related to fluid activity during low-temperature hydrothermal events responsible for the formation of the Cu-Ag ore mineralization. The identification of cupropearceite is important in terms of constraining minerals bearing associated metals, particularly Ag and As. This work also presents occurrence of this rare mineral in the previously unnoted mineral assemblage mentioned above. The presence of cupropearceite confirms a low-temperature, hydrothermal origin of the Cu-Ag deposit in the Fore-Sudetic Monocline.


This paper explores the argument that human transformation of Earth's systems is eclipsing the international law-making of nation states. Globally the processes of trade law or environmental law often progress transnationally, with little direction by national governments. Intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations act with autonomy, apart from nations. To be clear, nation states still are the major players in world order, but trends of sustainable development or social networked communications transcend individual nations. Whether viewed as environmental law or sustainability law, this body of law exists at once globally and locally; it is different in kind from the Westphalia legacy of law existing separately at international and national levels. This paper explores how the concepts of environmental sustainability permeate how human society is responding to the many changes humans have made affecting the Earth. Since 1992, concepts of sustainability or sustainable development have been tested as ways to adapt to the new conditions. However, successfully adapting to today's global environmental conditions entails reassessing the assumptions with which society has governed itself since 1945. What principles should guide socio-ecological relations in coming years?


Abstract The Aldridge-Brownhills area, 14 km north of Birmingham, though largely urban, still contains large reserves of sand and gravel, brick clay and coal in areas of open country. The present work, carried out by the British Geological Survey, is a verification of the planning as it affects future land use. Pillar and stall workings in Wenlock Limestone are a hazard around Daw End. The effects of subsidence induced by coal mining are greatest on the Vigo and Clayhanger faults, which locally define the limit of working. The largely dry, abandoned coal mines at Aldridge and Walsall Wood and the old marl quarries overlying them are a major, controlled, chemical waste disposal facility, sealed in by the Etruria Formation. Boreholes into Triassic sandstones are used for public water supply and any future infill in nearby gravel pits is also a matter for close control.


nInventory system menas the input process and output process of such a thing in a warehouse. Inventory information system is a system created to improve and develop the existing system at PT Cipta Sentosa Albahar. Albahar PT Cipta Sentosa which is an agent company that distributes gas cylinders of various kinds and stalls in Bekasi. The research method used is the First In First Out (FIFO). Also by doing a case study that analyzes how is the business processes in the company.
 Keywords: :First In First Out, FIFO, Inventory.


How do you rationally connect the diverse literature, music, and painting of an age? Throughout the modernist era-which began roughly in 1872 with the Franco-Prussian War, climaxed with the Great War, and ended with a third catastrophe, the Great Depression-there was a special belligerence to this question. It was a cultural period that envisioned many different models of itself: to the Cubists, it looked like a vast jigsaw puzzle; to the Expressionists, it resembled a convulsive body; to the Dadaists, it brought to mind a heap of junk following an explosion. In Putting Modernism Together, Daniel Albright searches for the center of the modernist movement by assessing these various artistic models, exploring how they generated a stunning range of creative work that was nonetheless wound together aesthetically, and sorting out the cultural assumptions that made each philosophical system attractive. Emerging from Albright's lectures for a popular Harvard University course of the same name, the book investigates different methodologies for comparing the evolution and congruence of artistic movements by studying simultaneous developments that occurred during particularly key modernist years. What does it mean, Albright asks, that Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, published in 1899, appeared at the same time as Claude Debussy's Nocturnes-beyond the fact that the word "Impressionist" has been used to describe each work? Why, in 1912, did the composer Arnold Schoenberg and the painter Vassily Kandinsky feel such striking artistic kinship? And how can we make sense of a movement, fragmented by isms, that looked for value in all sorts of under- or ill-valued places, including evil (Baudelaire), dung heaps (Chekhov), noise (Russolo), obscenity (Lawrence), and triviality (Satie)? Throughout Putting Modernism Together, Albright argues that human culture can best be understood as a growth-pattern or ramifying of artistic, intellectual, and political action. Going beyond merely explaining how the artists in these genres achieved their peculiar effects, he presents challenging new analyses of telling craft details which help students and scholars come to know more fully this bold age of aesthetic extremism.


: The exponential population growth and increasing world energy consumption has prompted the World to search for new forms of renewable energy that could curb our dependence on fossil fuels, in order to safeguard the world's environment from the looming threat of climate change. Tidal energy is arguably one of the most promising renewable solutions to replace and diversify part of the energy supply. This is due to the tide's high predictability and technological maturity when compared to other renewable sources, as it is an untapped market with room for development. The main goal of this work is to explore the viability of powering the river-side urban areas, namely Oeiras and Lisbon, through the Tagus' tidal energy. Such is accomplished by modelling the Tagus estuary's hydrodynamics through MOHID – a water modelling software developed by MARETEC, at the Instituto Superior Técnico. Different simulations were made, for different river water discharges throughout the year, so as to determine the behavior of said tidal farm over the course of one year. To simulate the energy production that this solution would generate, two calculation modes were used – one through the use of theoretical equations to predict the energy production of a tidal farm, and the other through the use of MOHID's built-in tool to assess a tidal turbine's energy production. In the end, an economic assessment of such a solution is presented, based on current tidal energy costs.


Frequency-domain filters for time-windowed gravitational waves from inspiraling compact binaries are constructed which combine the excellent performance of our previously developed time-domain P approximants with the analytic convenience of the stationary phase approximation without a serious loss in event rate. These Fourier-domain representations incorporate the "edge oscillations" due to the (assumed) abrupt shutoff of the time-domain signal caused by the relativistic plunge at the last stable orbit. These new analytic approximations, the SPP approximants, are not only effectual for detection and faithful for parameter estimation, but are also computationally inexpensive to generate (and are faster by factors up to 10, as compared to the corresponding time-domain templates). The SPP approximants should provide data analysts the Fourier-domain templates for massive black hole binaries of total mass m≲40M⊙, the most likely sources for LIGO and VIRGO.


Learning path in online learning systems refers to a sequence of learning objects which are designated to help the students in improving their knowledge or skill in particular subjects or degree courses. In this paper, we review the recent research on learning path adaptation to pursue two goals, first is to organize and analyze the parameter of adaptation in learning path; the second is to discuss the challenges in implementing learning path adaptation. The survey covers the state of the art and aims at providing a comprehensive introduction to the learning path adaptation for researchers and practitioners.


Plotkin, in his seminal article Call-by-name, call-by-value and the λ-calculus, formalized evaluation strategies and simulations using operational semantics and continuations. In particular, he showed how call-by-name evaluation could be simulated under call-by-value evaluation and vice versa. Since Algol 60, however, call-by-name is both implemented and simulated with thunks rather than with continuations. We recast this folk theorem in Plotkin's setting, and show that thunks, even though they are simpler than continuations, are sufficient for establishing all the correctness properties of Plotkin's call-by-name simulation. Furthermore, we establish a new relationship between Plotkin's two continuation-based simulations Cn and Cv, by deriving Cn as the composition of our thunk-based simulation T and of C+ v — an extension of Cv handling thunks. Almost all of the correctness properties of Cn follow from the properties of T and C+ v . This simplifies reasoning about call-by-name continuation-passing style. We also give several applications involving factoring continuationbased transformations using thunks. ∗Basic Research in Computer Science, Centre of the Danish National Research Foundation. †Computer Science Department 219 Mathematical Sciences, Stillwater, OK 74078-1053, USA. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com ‡Department of Computer Science Ny Munkegade, Building 540, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


The phylogenetic utility of the 16S gene in cichlids is assessed. Eighty-six (86) partial sequences belonging to 37 genera of cichlids from the Genbank was analyzed. The alignment had four hundred and sixty three (463) basepairs with 337 conserved sites and 126 variable sites. Base compositional bias is similar to that found in higher organism with Adenine having the highest average of 30.3%, followed by cytosine, guanine and thiamine with the average values of 26.1, 21.9 and 21.7% respectively. The most suitable evolutionary model is the K2+G+I model as this had the lowest Bayesian Information Criterion. There were 4 major indels at basepair positions 328 which is unique to the Heterotilapia buttikoferi, position 369  unique to Gramatoria lemarii, position 396 which is shared by Tilapia sparrmanii, T. guinasana and T. zilli. The indel at position 373 was found in all tested species except the Oreochromis mossambicus. The Tilapine general is the basal group in Cichlids. The 16S gene separates the Tilapia genera without any ambiguity but there were phylogenetic overlaps in the Sarotherodon and Oreochromis. More finite molecular and statistical methodology may be needed to distinguish the Sarotherodon and Oreochromis. The diversity of cichlids is generally very low due to a common ancestry with little differentiation genetically. The grouping of the Oreochromis and Sarotherodon genera together in the same clade is not unconnected with the preservation of genetic beacons that the group retained as it evolved.

 Key words: Cichlids, 16S gene, phylogeny, evolutionary model, monophyletic, conserved segment, speciose, indels


Agricultural production of high value crops in Chile's Central Valley is highly dependent on surface and groundwater resources. They are connected and together form an integrated hydrological system, the individual components of which have to be studied. This research is addressed to answering two questions: 1) to what extent do irrigation and canal seepage contribute to groundwater recharge and 2) what is the influence of the interactions between the Cachapoal River and ground water. The study was carried out from 2003 to 2007 in Peumo Valley (34.3° S, 71.3° W). In winter, the irrigation canal network intercepts and diverts surface runoff, which flows to flat areas and recharges groundwater. In summer, infiltration from the canals recharges the aquifer directly and partially compensates for water uptake from plants and evaporation. The effects of both interactions keep groundwater at a relatively constant level over the whole year. The water balance of the valley is strongly affected by agricultural practices, groundwater recharge mainly originating from irrigation loss (22%) and canal seepage (52%). It is important to know how management decisions, such as change in irrigation practices or canal lining, can affect the hydrological system and agricultural production within the valley.


Active galaxies are thought to be both fueled and obscured by neutral gas removed from the host galaxy and funneled into a central accretion disk. We performed a VLA imaging survey of 21 cm absorption in Seyfert and starburst nuclei to study the neutral gas in the near-nuclear environment. With the exception of NGC 4151, the absorbing gas traces 100 pc-scale, rotating disks aligned with the outer galaxy disk. These disks appear to be rich in atomic gas relative to nuclear disks in nonactive spirals. We find no strong evidence for rapid infall or outflow of neutral hydrogen, but our limits on the mass infall rates are compatible with that required to feed a Seyfert nucleus. Among the galaxies surveyed here, neutral hydrogen absorption traces parsec-scale gas only in NGC 4151. Based on the kinematics of the absorption line, the disk symmetry axis appears to align with the radio jet axis rather than the outer galaxy axis. The most surprising result is that we detect no 21 cm absorption toward the central radio sources of the hidden Seyfert 1 nuclei Mrk 3, Mrk 348, and NGC 1068. Moreover, 21 cm absorption is commonly observed toward extended radio jet structure but appears to avoid central, compact radio sources in Seyfert nuclei. To explain these results, we propose that 21 cm absorption toward the nucleus is suppressed by either free-free absorption, excitation effects (i.e., enhanced spin temperature), or rapid motion in the obscuring gas. Ironically, the implications of these effects is that the obscuring disks must be small, typically not larger than a few tens of parsecs.


PURPOSE
To report the experience of a radiology department in the use of computed tomography guided biopsies of mediastinal lesions with fine and cutting needles, describing the differences between them. The results of adequacy of the sample and histologic diagnoses are presented according to the type of needle used.

METHODS
We present a retrospective study of mediastinal biopsies guided by computed tomography performed from January 1993 to December 1999. Eighty-six patients underwent mediastinal biopsy in this period, 37 with cutting needles, 38 with fine needles, and 11 with both types (total of 97 biopsies).

RESULTS
In most cases, it was possible to obtain an adequate sample (82.5%) and specific diagnosis (67.0%). Cutting-needle biopsy produced a higher percentage of adequate samples (89.6% versus 75.5%, P = 0.068) and of specific diagnosis (81.3% versus 53.1%, P = 0.003) than fine-needle biopsy. There were no complications that required intervention in either group.

CONCLUSION
Because they are practical, safe, and can provide accurate diagnoses, image-guided biopsies should be considered the procedure of choice in the initial exploration of patients with mediastinal masses. In our experience, cutting needles gave higher quality samples and diagnostic rates. We recommend the use of cutting needles as the preferred procedure.


1. We compared the root systems of seven halophytic species that occur at different elevations on a salt marsh, in order to (i) test the hypothesis that variations in root system architecture reflect adaptation to inundation frequency or nitrogen limitation, and (ii) verify the theoretically predicted relationships between root diameter, link magnitude and root topology. Diameters and lengths of individual laterals were determined along root axes, and branching patterns were quantified by calculating a topological index (TI). 2. Chenopodiaceae (annual dicots) showed that with increasing elevation, the branch density and length of individual first- order laterals tended to increase, so that the relative length of the main axes decreased. Root branching of the Chenopodiaceae at lower elevations was herringbone-like, whereas species from higher elevations had smaller TIs because their branching patterns were more complex. 3. The Gramineae, too, showed a tendency to increased length of individual laterals with increasing elevation. However, TI was not related to elevation, did not indicate a herringbone structure for all species, and was within the same range of that of the Chenopodiaceae. 4. As root topology of the Chenopodiaceae is related to elevation, but that of the grasses is not, topology is not necessarily an important adaptive trait in all plant families that inhabit the salt marsh. Short first- and second- order laterals may represent a more general architectural adaptation to frequent inundation, with longer first-order laterals being favourable to competition for nutrients. 5. Diameters at the root base tended to decrease if root branching was herringbone-like (TI close to 1). Roots of first-order laterals were approximately one-third of the diameter of the main axes; second-order laterals were approximately half the diameter of the first-order laterals. These ratios illustrate the value of using the developmental segment-ordering system in describing roots. The theoretically predicted relationship between root diameter and link magnitude was not present within individual orders of roots, whereas diameter did slowly increase with magnitude when combining different root orders. 6. In the absence of a clear relationship between root diameter and link magnitude, the predicted high carbon costs associated with herringbone root systems disappear, whereas the advantage of minimized inter-root competition remains. Consequently, herringbone root systems will be most efficient in terms of nutrients gained per carbon invested. However, dichotomous root systems offer a greater potential for exploring the soil, which contributes to the potential competitiveness of plants growing in nutrient limited habitats. [KEYWORDS: root architecture; root branching; root diameter distribution; root topology; topological index; salt marsh Fractal branching models; salt-marsh; architectural analysis; spartina-alterniflora; plant zonation; aeration; efficiency; nutrients; predictor; patens]


Nowadays use of social networking site like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ for communication and maintaining relationship among various user is increased due to its popularity on network. Each user that uses the social networking sites are making profiles and uploading their private information. These social networks users are not aware of numerous security risk included in this networks like privacy, identity stealing and erotic harassment and so on. The third party apps on social sites have main role to make the site more attractive and incredible. The hackers are using these third party apps to get the private information and get unlawful access to their accounts. As we aware that not most but least of the applications on sites are malicious. As research goes on the research community has focused on detecting malicious wall-posts and campaigns. In this paper, we are going to find that applications are malicious or not? In earlier system, It is important to note that My PageKeeper that is our base data, cannot detect malicious apps; it only detects malicious posts on Facebook. Though malicious apps comprises the bunch of malicious posts. In contrast, FRAppE Lite and FRAppE are designed to detect malicious apps. Therefore the FRAppE or FRAppE Lite that is being developed is more controlling than My Page-Keeper To develop FRAppE, we use information collected by observing the posting behaviour of basic Facebook apps that are running on it. So, First we try to find out the features of malicious apps and another characteristics of malicious apps that are harmful to users.


Introduction The Java programming language and environment is designed to solve a number of problems in modern programming practice. It started as a part of a larger project to develop advanced software for consumer electronics. These devices are small, reliable, portable, distributed, real-time embedded systems. When we started the project, we intended to use C++, but we encountered a number of problems. Initially these were just compiler technology problems, but as time passed we encountered a set of problems that were best solved by changing the language.


This Article analyzes the doctrinal instruments federal courts use to allocate scarce adjudicative resources over competing demands for constitutional remedies. It advances two claims. The first is that a central, hitherto underappreciated, doctrinal instrument for rationing judicial resources is a demand that most constitutional claimants demonstrate that an official violated an exceptionally clear, unambiguous constitutional rule — that is, not only that the Constitution was violated, but that the violation evinced a demanding species of fault. This fault rule first emerged in constitutional tort jurisprudence. It has diffused to the suppression and postconviction review contexts. The Article's second claim is that fault-based rationing of constitutional remedies flows, to an underappreciated degree, from a commitment to judicial independence. Federal courts have developed branch-level autonomy, along with distinctly institutional interests, over the twentieth century. These interests are inconsistent with the vindication of many individualized constitutional claims. While ideological preferences and changing socioeconomic conditions have had well-recognized influences on the path of constitutional remedies, I argue that the judiciary's institutional preferences have also played a large role. This causal link between judicial independence and remedial rationing raises questions about federal courts' function in the Separation of Powers.


We study the distinguishability of bipartite quantum states by positive operator-valued measures with positive partial transpose (PPT POVMs). The contributions of this paper include: 1) we give a negative answer to an open problem of showing a limitation of a previous known method for detecting nondistinguishability; 2) we show that a maximally entangled state and its orthogonal complement, no matter how many copies are supplied, cannot be distinguished by the PPT POVMs, even unambiguously. This result is much stronger than the previous known ones; and 3) we study the entanglement cost of distinguishing quantum states. It is proved that √{2/3}|00〉+√{1/3}|11〉 is sufficient and necessary for distinguishing three Bell states by the PPT POVMs. An upper bound of entanglement cost of distinguishing a d ⊗ d pure state and its orthogonal complement is obtained for separable operations. Based on this bound, we are able to construct two orthogonal quantum states, which cannot be distinguished unambiguously by separable POVMs, but finite copies would make them perfectly distinguishable by local operations and classical communication. We further observe that a two-qubit maximally entangled state is always enough for distinguishing a d ⊗ d pure state and its orthogonal complement by the PPT POVMs, no matter the value of d. In sharp contrast, an entangled state with Schmidt number at least d is always needed for distinguishing such two states by separable POVMs. As an application, we show that the entanglement cost of distinguishing a d ⊗ d maximally entangled state and its orthogonal complement must be a maximally entangled state for d=2, which implies that teleportation is optimal, and in general, it could be chosen as O(logd/d).


This thesis is concerned with the development of Bayesian inference approach for the analysis of infectious disease models. Stochastic SIS household-based epidemic models were considered with individuals allowed to be contracted locally at a given rate and there also exists a global force of infection. The study covers both when the population of interest is assumed to be constant and when the population is allowed to vary over time. It also covers when the global force of infection is constant and when it is spatially varying as a function of some unobserved Gaussian random fields realizations. In addition, we also considered diseases coinfection models allowing multiple strains transmission and recovery. For each model, Bayesian inference approach was developed and implemented via MCMC framework using extensive data augmentation schema. Throughout, we consider two most prevalent forms of endemic disease data- the individual-based data and the aggregate-based data. The models and Bayesian approach were tested with simulated data sets and successfully applied to real-life data sets of tick-borne diseases among Tanzania cattle.


In order to meet the growing need for smart bionic devices and epidermal electronic systems, biaxial stretchability is essential for energy storage units. Based on porous single-walled carbon nanotube/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (SWCNT/PEDOT) hybrid fiber, we designed and fabricated a biaxially stretchable supercapacitor, which possesses a unique configuration of the parallel buckled hybrid fiber array. Owing to the reticulate SWCNT film and the improved fabrication technique, the hybrid fiber retained its porous architecture both outwardly and inwardly, manifesting a superior capacity of 215 F g(-1). H3PO4-polyvinyl alcohol gel with an optimized component ratio was introduced as both binder and stretchable electrolyte, which contributed to the regularity and stability of the buckled fiber array. The buckled structure and the quasi one-dimensional character of the fibers endow the supercapacitor with 100% stretchability along all directions. In addition, the supercapacitor exhibited good transparency, as well as excellent electrochemical properties and stability after being stretched 5000 times.


Background: Owing to difficulties faced by individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) in accessing multiple services, the Australian Government trialed a care coordinated service model called the Partners in Recovery (PIR) initiative. Material: A total of 45 stakeholders in Gippsland were asked what difference the initiative had made. Discussion: The PIR initiative benefited not only clients and carers but also service providers. It addressed an unmet need in service delivery for individuals with SPMI. Conclusion: The PIR initiative has filled a gap in delivery of care for individuals with SPMI in Gippsland.


In the last decade, there has been an increased focus in California on encouraging children to walk and bicycle to school safely. In 1999, the California Legislature created the Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program, authorizing issuance of a competitive grant process for roadway construction projects. There has been an overall decline in the numbers of child pedestrian/bicyclist collisions in California as a whole. When compared with the control areas, the SR2S project areas did not show a greater decline in numbers of collisions. However, it is likely that the number of children walking/bicycling in the SR2S project areas increased over the relevant time frame. When changes in mobility in the program areas are taken into account, the SR2S program appears to be associated with a net safety benefit for affected school age students.


: We report on newly tailored dye layers, which were employed, on one hand, for covalent deposition and, on the other hand, for non-covalently post-functionalizing TiO 2 nanoparticle films. Our functionalization concept enabled intermixing a stable covalent attachment of a first layer with a highly versatile and reversible hydrogen bonding through the Hamilton receptor–cyanuric acid binding motif as a second layer. Following this concept, we integrated step-by-step a first porphyrin layer and a second porphyrin/BODIPY layer. The individual building blocks and their corresponding combinations were probed with regard to their photophysical properties, and the most promising combinations were implemented in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Relative to the first porphyrin layer adding the second porphyrin/BODIPY layers increased the overall DSSC efficiency by up to 43%.


After subcutaneous injection, monoclonal antibodies directed against a tumor can enter local lymphatic vessels, pass to the draining lymph nodes, and bind to metastases there. Lymphatic delivery of antibody to early metastases is more efficient than intravenous administration, and the lymphatic route can be used to image smaller metastatic deposits. Perhaps more important, the lymphatic route minimizes binding of antibodies to circulating tumor antigens and to cross-reactive antigens present on normal tissues. Antibodies inappropriate for intravenous use because of binding to normal tissues may therefore be useful against lymph node metastases when injected subcutaneously or directly into lymphatic vessels.


SIR,-Sir Derrick Dunlop (October 12, p. 887) and the writer of your leading article in the same issue (p. 882) both recommend cortisone acetate plus fludrocortisone as adequate treatment for patients suffering from Addison's disease and for those whose adrenal glands have been removed surgically. The human adrenal cortex secretes hydrocortisone (cortisol) and not cortisone. The latter is biologically inactive. Cortisone is used as replacement therapy because it is easier and therefore cheaper to manufacture and is normally effective because it is converted to hydrocortisone in its passage through the liver. Under certain circumstances-namely, liver disease-the conversion of cortisone to hydrocortisone is impaired and satisfactory replacement is not obtained with the recommended dose of cortisone (2537.5 mg.) nor with amounts up to 75 mg. daily. The administration of tablets of hydrocortisone 20 mg. in the early morning and 10 mg. at mid-day, simulating the normal diurnal rhythm of hydrocortisone secretion, will be noted by these patients to be accompanied by a greatly increased feeling of well-being. Three of our patients adrenalectomized for Cushing's *syndrome, who were requiring 75 mg. of cortisone acetate daily, plus 0.1 or 0.2 mg. of fludrocortisone, and who did not feel well on this dose, were found to have, moderately increased retention of bromsulphthalein (B.S.P.) at 45 minutes. They were greatly improved by transfer to 30 mg. of hydrocortisone. Others with normal B.S.P. tests whose treatment was altered from cortisone to hydrocortisone without them being told have remarked spontaneously about how well they were now feeling. Despite its slightly higher cost it would seem that hydrocortisone B.P. is to be preferred to cortisone acetate as the natural glucocorticoid replacement therapy in patients with loss of adrenal function. Fludrocortisone is also given in a dose of 0.1 mg. to replace aldosterone.-I am, etc., E. J. Ross. University College Hospital Medical School, London W.C.l.


Integrating multi-modal data to promote medical image analysis has recently gained great attention. This paper presents a novel scheme to learn the mutual benefits of different modalities to achieve better segmentation results for unpaired multi-modal medical images. Our approach tackles two critical issues of this task from a practical perspective: (1) how to effectively learn the semantic consistencies of various modalities (e.g., CT and MRI), and (2) how to leverage the above consistencies to regularize the network learning while preserving its simplicity. To address (1), we leverage a carefully designed External Attention Module (EAM) to align semantic class representations and their correlations of different modalities. To solve (2), the proposed EAM is designed as an external plug-and-play one, which can be discarded once the model is optimized. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method on two medical image segmentation scenarios: (1) cardiac structure segmentation, and (2) abdominal multi-organ segmentation. Extensive results show that the proposed method outperforms its counterparts by a wide margin.


Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a severe physically and mentally disabling illness that demonstrates consistent immunological dysfunction. Natural Killer (NK) cells in particular are compromised in CFS/ME, with reduced NK activity being the most consistent immunological biomarker of the illness. Few studies have examined a wide range of innate immune cells, including NK, dendritic cells, monocytes and neutrophils in CFS/ME patients and these cells have not been examined in patients with varying severities of CFS/ME.
The objective of this study was to assess innate immune cells in CFS/ME patients with varying severities based on internationally recognised severity scales.
Questionnaires were used to assess CFS/ME patients based on the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Case Definition and severity was determined using the Karnofsky Performance Scale, Dr Bell's Disability Scale and the Fatigue Severity Scale. Whole blood samples were taken from CFS/ME patients of varying severities and non-fatigued controls (n=65). Samples were stained with monoclonal antibodies and examined via flow cytometric analysis.
The data confirmed differences in the innate immune cells of CFS/ME patients in conjunction with the varying severities as well as in comparison to the non-fatigued control group.
The role of a severity scale analysis in CFS/ME patients has been demonstrated by this research. Also, previous research has confirmed that immune cell dysfunction is present in CFS/ME patients and this study shows that innate immune cells may be of particular importance in the potential pathomechanism CFS/ME.


We connect a broad class of generative models through their shared reliance on sequential decision making. Motivated by this view, we develop extensions to an existing model, and then explore the idea further in the context of data imputation - perhaps the simplest setting in which to investigate the relation between unconditional and conditional generative modelling. We formulate data imputation as an MDP and develop models capable of representing effective policies for it. We construct the models using neural networks and train them using a form of guided policy search [9]. Our models generate predictions through an iterative process of feedback and refinement. We show that this approach can learn effective policies for imputation problems of varying difficulty and across multiple datasets.


Progress of medical ultrasonic diagnostics systems and methods is strongly dependent on new research findings in non-linear interaction of waves and tissues. Advanced and complex solutions of non-linear ultrasound signals transformations in tissues are developed. Developments are based on derivation of second order differential equations, their calculations using finite elements or finite difference methods. These methods we found very complex to study and explaining separately diffraction, attenuation and non-linear interaction effects. The paper aims to discuss simplified method for analysis of non-linear transformations. Solution is based with few assumptions on ultrasound elementary waves superposition and aperture impulse spatial response calculation.


The dissertation looks beyond the dominant frames of Western epistemology and philosophy that largely determine the ways revolution and revolutionaries are conceptualized and remembered in modern society. Rather than focusing on historically grounded political projects that conform to a particular revolutionary doctrine, our focus will be on common people whose praxis posed, and still poses, an alternative to a social order premised on the separation and stratification of the commons and its people. The revolutionaries we will meet in these pages see through what we will unravel as the myth of separateness. They see through a mythic reality that veils people's interconnections with each other, with the commons, and with the cosmos from which all life emerges. Their praxis touches this deeper reality. To ground our discussion, we will look deeply at three flashpoints of revolt against the myth as it manifested itself in the liberal capitalist regimes of the 19th and 20th centuries: The Paris Commune of 1871, the student protests of 1968 in Paris and Mexico, and a self-immolation in protest of the Vietnam War that occurred in 1970. We will thread these flashpoints together to see how, despite the distance that separates these revolts in time and space, they illuminate an alternative way of being that stands in contrast to the atomized, competitive, and militant existence that is formed in the crucible of liberal capitalist empire. Threading these flashpoints together, we will begin to reconceptualize what is meant by success and failure, beginnings and endings. Though these revolts may end with defeat and death, the way of being that they touched continues on past their historical or biographical endpoint. Like the light from a dead star or from an extinguished candle, their revolution travels across space and across time waiting for the right conditions to manifest itself again in renewed praxis. Cultural production, particularly art and literature, will serve as our vehicle for illuminating this revolution and its continuations.


The egg cell in the embryo sac of flowering plants is generally accompanied by two symmetrical cells, called synergid cells, which usually contains haploid nucleus. However, in some species of genus Allium L. mainly one and sometimes both of the synergid cells enlarge in size, undergo endopolyploidization and become hypertrophic. We have studied structure of the synergid cells of Allium atroviolaceum Boiss., A. rotundum L., A. fistulosum L. and A. cepa L. and determined DNA amount (C value) in the synergid cells of A. atroviolaceum. Cytophotometric study of various Feulgen-stained synergid and integument nuclei revealed clear difference in DNA content both in different types of the cells and in different stages of synergid development. The amount of DNA measured in newly formed synergid was already equal to 2C value found in the integument cell nucleus. At the time of fertilization the DNA amount in synergid is 4C. At the stage of proembryo it is already 6C and before degeneration at the late globular stage of embryo development 8C. No sign of mitotic cell division or formation of metaphase plate have been observed in any of investigated materials. It is assumed that endopolyploidization might determine longer persistent of intact synergid and increase of its trophic function.


"Professor Edmond S. Meany, executive head of the Department of History in the University of Washington since 1897, and Founder and editor of the Washington Historical Quarterly died suddenly on the morning of April 22, 1935… On Sunday, May 5, a Memorial service was held by the University of Washington. The three addresses delivered by his colleagues on that occasion are here printed."


This article is an attempt to analyse and assess the use of personal responsibility in the National Development Plan (NDP). Some signposts that Christian anthropology can make to the enhancement of the plan will then be suggested. An overview of the development debate will include the development debate after the two world wars, the church and state attempts for social transformation and the contributions of Korten and Sen who represent the peoplecentred and capability approaches. It will be followed by a Christian anthropology that is characterised by personhood and personal responsibility. The fact that constructive and sustainable development is embedded in personal integrity and responsibility will be argued. The NDP acknowledged the shortcomings of the previous attempts by both state and church, and the global development debate. Instead of exclusive economic development, human capital and human capabilities are integral to development. Christian anthropology embeds responsibility within personhood and the two form part of an integral whole.


Twin baboon embryos were acquired by hysterotomy from a multipara on the twenty‐sixth day of gestation. All preceding and succeeding pregnancies yielded single births. This case of dichorionic, diamniotic twins is unique because there is a seven day difference in the morphological development of the two embryos. The embryos are approximately the same fertilization age because mating was limited to one 12 hour period of the menstrual cycle. In addition only one corpus luteum was identified at laparotomy. Both twins were males as indicated by the sex chromatin, eliminating the positive identification of dizygosity. Several alternatives for the twins' origin are cited. One possibility is that there was a division of the blastomeres at the two‐cell stage, or at some other stage before implantation, yielding monozygotic twins. Another possibility is that both ova arose from the same follicle, yielding dizygotic twins. The larger embryo is 2.0 mm in greatest length and has six pairs of somites, and is similar to ten other baboon embryos 25–26 days old. The smaller embryo is of the trilaminar disc stage and is comparable in developmental features to five other baboon embryos 18–19 days old. The morphological features of each placenta are comparable in development to the age of its respective embryo.


Organic photovoltaic cells are appealing as indoor illumination harvesters to drive off-grid electronics in the Internet of things. However, a desirable output power usually requires expansive and dark active layers to absorb sufficient incident photons. The deployment of such large-scale dark objects is detrimental to the elaborately designed indoor lighting environment and affects human visual perceptions. Here, we propose a free-contact strategy to adjust the chromaticity of the transmitted indoor light by applying one-dimensional photonic crystals. Combining photonic crystals with various transmittances outside the photovoltaic cells, the spectral power distribution of the transmitted light can be precisely manipulated to realize a broad and consecutive color modulation covering the region from blue to orange. For certain photonic crystals, the chromaticity of propagated light can be recovered close to the light source. This work presents a solution to relieve light-disturbing in the application of organic photovoltaic cells under indoor illuminations.


Although pathologically not necessarily the same, germane to both diabetic neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease is the morbid vascular complication of diabetes mellitus. As it appears, strict glycemic control alone is unable to neither prevent nor promote recovery of diabetic microvascular complications, thus the need to seek other treatment strategies. In addressing the vascular complications, a unitary approach between diabetic neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease and antiplatelet therapy is in order. Notably, the fine balance between platelet/coagulation and fibrinolysis systems are dominantly shifted to acceleration of the platelet/coagulation system in diabetes mellitus. Not only platelet homophilic aggregation, but also platelet heterophilic aggregation with neutrophils or monocytes in inflammatory conditions is observed. Hyperglycemia also induces overproduction of reactive oxygen species by multiple pathomechanisms that injure endothelial cells and reduce nitric oxide which eventually reduce the blood flow in microvessels. Among other antiplatelet agents, cilostazol is a novel antiplatelet agent that has been found to have beneficial effects in macrovascular events like stroke and peripheral vascular diseases. In peripheral vascular disease clinical trials, there is robust data that cilostazol is efficacious in improving walking speed. Also, cilostazol increases nerve blood flow/nerve conduction, and inhibits reduction in pericyte area of endoneurial microvessels in animal models of diabetic neuropathy. Clinical trials on diabetic polyneuropathy alone or in combination with peripheral vascular disease indicate clinical improvement in blood flow, but not necessarily in neuropathy parameters. Since a neurodegenerative process is equally as important a pathomechanism, the effect of antiplatelet therapy in diabetic neuropathy should be examined in long-term clinical trials that may potentially unfold its benefits over time.


We investigate the nonlinear coupling between radial and nonradial oscillations of static spherically-symmetric neutron stars as a possible mechanism for the generation of gravitational waves that may lead to observable signatures. In this paper we concentrate on the axial sector of the nonradial perturbations. By using a multiparameter perturbative framework we introduce a complete description of the nonlinear coupling between radial and axial nonradial oscillations; we study the gauge-invariant character of the associated perturbative variables and develop a computational scheme to evolve the nonlinear coupling perturbations in the time domain. We present results of simulations corresponding to different physical situations and discuss the dynamical behavior of this nonlinear coupling. Of particular interest is the occurrence of signal amplifications in the form of resonance phenomena when a frequency associated with the radial pulsations is close to a frequency associated with one of the axial w-modes of the star. Finally, we mention possible extensions of this work and improvements towards more astrophysically motivated scenarios.


A key to healthy beekeeping is the Health Status Index (HIS) inspired by EFSA's Healthy-B toolbox which we will make fully operational, with the active collaboration of beekeepers, by facilitating the coordinated and harmonised flow of data from various sources and by testing and validating each component thoroughly. We envisage a stepby-step expansion of participating apiaries, and will eventually cover all EU biogeographic regions. The key to a sustainable beekeeping is a better understanding of its socio-economics, particularly within local value chains, its relationship with bee health and the human-ecosystem equilibrium of the beekeeping sector and to implement these insights into the data processing and decision making. We will fully integrate socio-economic analyses, identify viable business models tailored to different contexts for European beekeeping and determine the carrying capacity of the landscape. In close cooperation with the EU Bee Partnership, an EU-wide bee health and management data platform and affiliated project website will be created to enable sharing of knowledge and learning between scientists and stakeholders within and outside the consortium. We will utilise and further expand the classification of the open source IT-application for digital beekeeping, BEEP, to streamline the flow of data related to beekeeping management, the beehive and its environment (landscape, agricultural practices, weather and climate) from various sources. The dynamic bee health and management data platform will allow us to identify correlative relationships among factors impacting the HSI, assess the risk of emerging pests and predators, and enable beekeepers to develop adaptive management strategies that account for local and EU-wide issues. Reinforcing and establishing, where necessary, new multi-actor networks of collaboration will engender a lasting learning and innovation system to ensure socialecological resilient and sustainable beekeeping.