In this work, we present a new network design paradigm. Our goal is to help advance the understanding of network design and discover design principles that generalize across settings. Instead of focusing on designing individual network instances, we design network design spaces that parametrize populations of networks. The overall process is analogous to classic manual design of networks, but elevated to the design space level. Using our methodology we explore the structure aspect of network design and arrive at a low-dimensional design space consisting of simple, regular networks that we call RegNet. The core insight of the RegNet parametrization is surprisingly simple: widths and depths of good networks can be explained by a quantized linear function. We analyze the RegNet design space and arrive at interesting findings that do not match the current practice of network design. The RegNet design space provides simple and fast networks that work well across a wide range of flop regimes. Under comparable training settings and flops, the RegNet models outperform the popular EfficientNet models while being up to 5x faster on GPUs.


Discs of TiAl6V4 were cleaned and stored in calcium containing salt melt. The characterization of the reaction layer was realized by TF-XRD, SEM, SIMS, AES, and eddy current. The release of Ca ions was determined after storing the samples in TRIS-HCl buffer solution under physiological conditions for at least 16 weeks. The thickness of the generated calcium titanate layer varied in dependence on salt melt composition, temperature, and storing time in the range of 0.4-0.9.m. The Ca content of the layer depends on melt composition, temperature and storing time and was in the range from 5-42.g●cm-2 in correlation with the thickness. The morphology of the layers also changed in dependence on the salt melt composition and the storing time and temperature.


Third-party applications (apps) drive the attractiveness of web and mobile application platforms. Many of these platforms adopt a decentralized control strategy, relying on explicit user consent for granting permissions that the apps request. Users have to rely primarily on community ratings as the signals to identify the potentially harmful and inappropriate apps even though community ratings typically reflect opinions about perceived functionality or performance rather than about risks. With the arrival of HTML5 web apps, such user-consent permission systems will become more widespread. We study the effectiveness of user-consent permission systems through a large scale data collection of Facebook apps, Chrome extensions and Android apps. Our analysis confirms that the current forms of community ratings used in app markets today are not reliable indicators of privacy risks of an app. We find some evidence indicating attempts to mislead or entice users into granting permissions: free applications and applications with mature content request more permissions than is typical; 'look-alike' applications which have names similar to popular applications also request more permissions than is typical. We also find that across all three platforms popular applications request more permissions than average.


Abstract Objective To assess the validity of nutrient profiling Model WXYfm – developed for the purpose of regulating the promotion of 'less healthy' foods to children. The model ranks foods according to their healthiness and categorises foods into 'healthier' and 'less healthy' foods. Design Convergent and discriminant validity was tested by comparing the way Model WXYfm categorises foods with the way the UK's national food guide – the Balance of Good Health (BGH) – categorises foods. Construct validity was assessed by testing a hypothesis relating the constructs of 'healthiness' of foods (as measured by Model WXYfm) and the 'healthiness' of diets (measured using the Diet Quality Index) and assessing whether this hypothesis was confirmed or refuted by using data on the dietary patterns of subjects (n = 1117) of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of adults carried out in Great Britain in 2000–01. Results Model WXYfm showed good convergent and discriminant validity: the level of agreement between the way the model categorises foods and the way the BGH categorises foods was good (κ = 0.69). Model WXYfm also showed good construct validity: the energy intake from 'less healthy' foods amongst subjects with the least healthy diets was nearly twice the energy intake from 'less healthy' foods amongst the subjects with the healthiest diets. Conclusions Model WXYfm demonstrated good validity in categorising foods in a way that is related to the healthiness of diets both recommended and achieved. The methods for assessing the validity of a nutrient profile model used in this paper have not, to our knowledge, been used before.


The rapid development of Islamic financial institutions lately is quite encouraging, it would be legitimacy that Islam is able to renpond the challenges of globalization and modernization. On the other hand, these developments would make the Islamic financial institutions as a measure of doctrine and Islamic values realized in the lives of all Muslims. But, about Islamic products and a contract that's practiced is being debated by economist Muslims worldwide.
Assuming that ijtihad can be done in mu"amalat according to the rule "al-Aslu fi l mu"amalAt al ibahah illa ya"ti dalilun "ala taN'rA«miha†make this debate more interenting with many opinions expressed by economist Muslims, especially Muslim mainstream economists.
The core of the debate between Muslim economists is the method that being used in building the Islamic economic, either by adopting the practices, systems and the values of conventional economics that are relevant to shariah, or through methodology of ushA«l fiqh and fiqh which is purely a method derives from treasury of Islamic knowledge constructed by scientist Islam as Imam as-SyAfi'A«, Imam al-GhAzalA«, IzzudA«n Ibn SalAm, and Imam as-SyAtibA«.
The focus of this paper is, first, examine approaching of some Muslim economists mainstream madzhab in the economics Islamisation. Second, examines the implications of the approach used by the Muslim economists in Islamic economic intitutions (shariah banking/Islamic banking).


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often involves a wide range of co-occurring medical conditions ("comorbidities") and biochemical abnormalities such as oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Nutritional supplements ("Nutraceuticals") are often used to treat both core ASD symptoms and comorbidities, but some have not yet been formally evaluated in ASD. The potential biological mechanisms of nutraceuticals include correction of micronutrient deficiencies due to a poor diet and support for metabolic processes such as redox regulation, mitochondrial dysfunction and melatonin production. This paper reports on the results of the National Survey on Treatment Effectiveness for Autism, focusing on nutraceuticals. The Survey involved 1286 participants from across the United States. Participants rated the overall perceived benefits and adverse effects of each nutraceutical, and also indicated the specific symptoms changed and adverse effects. From these ratings the top-rated nutraceuticals for each of 24 symptoms are listed. Compared to psychiatric and seizure medications rated through the same Survey, on average nutraceuticals had significantly higher ratings of Overall Benefit (1.59 vs. 1.39, p = 0.01) and significantly lower ratings of Overall Adverse Effects (0.1 vs. 0.9, p < 0.001). Folinic acid and vitamin B12 were two of the top-rated treatments. This study suggests that nutraceuticals may have clinical benefits and favorable adverse effect profiles.


Since 1995, more than 100 transgenic (Tg) mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been generated in which mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) or APP/presenilin 1 (PS1) cDNA is overexpressed (1st generation models). Although many of these models successfully recapitulate major pathological hallmarks of the disease such as amyloid β peptide (Aβ) deposition and neuroinflammation, they have suffered from artificial phenotypes in the form of overproduced or mislocalized APP/PS1 and their functional fragments, as well as calpastatin deficiency-induced early lethality, calpain activation, neuronal cell death without tau pathology, endoplasmic reticulum stresses, and inflammasome involvement. Such artifacts bring two important uncertainties into play, these being (1) why the artifacts arise, and (2) how they affect the interpretation of experimental results. In addition, destruction of endogenous gene loci in some Tg lines by transgenes has been reported. To overcome these concerns, single App knock-in mouse models harboring the Swedish and Beyreuther/Iberian mutations with or without the Arctic mutation (AppNL–G–F and AppNL–F mice) were developed (2nd generation models). While these models are interesting given that they exhibit Aβ pathology, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment in an age-dependent manner, the model with the Artic mutation, which exhibits an extensive pathology as early as 6 months of age, is not suitable for investigating Aβ metabolism and clearance because the Aβ in this model is resistant to proteolytic degradation and is therefore prone to aggregation. Moreover, it cannot be used for preclinical immunotherapy studies owing to the discrete affinity it shows for anti-Aβ antibodies. The weakness of the latter model (without the Arctic mutation) is that the pathology may require up to 18 months before it becomes sufficiently apparent for experimental investigation. Nevertheless, this model was successfully applied to modulating Aβ pathology by genome editing, to revealing the differential roles of neprilysin and insulin-degrading enzyme in Aβ metabolism, and to identifying somatostatin receptor subtypes involved in Aβ degradation by neprilysin. In addition to discussing these issues, we also provide here a technical guide for the application of App knock-in mice to AD research. Subsequently, a new double knock-in line carrying the AppNL–F and Psen1P117L/WT mutations was generated, the pathogenic effect of which was found to be synergistic. A characteristic of this 3rd generation model is that it exhibits more cored plaque pathology and neuroinflammation than the AppNL–G–F line, and thus is more suitable for preclinical studies of disease-modifying medications targeting Aβ. Furthermore, a derivative AppG–F line devoid of Swedish mutations which can be utilized for preclinical studies of β-secretase modifier(s) was recently created. In addition, we introduce a new model of cerebral amyloid angiopathy that may be useful for analyzing amyloid-related imaging abnormalities that can be caused by anti-Aβ immunotherapy. Use of the App knock-in mice also led to identification of the α-endosulfine-KATP channel pathway as components of the somatostatin-evoked physiological mechanisms that reduce Aβ deposition via the activation of neprilysin. Such advances have provided new insights for the prevention and treatment of preclinical AD. Because tau pathology plays an essential role in AD pathogenesis, knock-in mice with human tau wherein the entire murine Mapt gene has been humanized were generated. Using these mice, the carboxy-terminal PDZ ligand of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (CAPON) was discovered as a mediator linking tau pathology to neurodegeneration and showed that tau humanization promoted pathological tau propagation. Finally, we describe and discuss the current status of mutant human tau knock-in mice and a non-human primate model of AD that we have successfully created.


Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) escaped from quarantine facilities on Wardang Island in September 1995 and spread through South Australia to Queensland by December 1995. To determine the impact of this biological control agent on wild rabbit populations in Queensland, shot sample and spotlight count data were collected at six sites. RHDV spread across Queensland from the south-west to the east at a rate of at least 91 km month–1 between October 1995 and October 1996. The initial impact on rabbit density appeared highly variable, with an increase of 81% (255 ± 79 (s.e.) to 385 ± 73 rabbits km–2) at one site and a decrease of 83% (129 ± 27 to 22 ± 18 rabbits km–2) at another during the first outbreak. However, after 30 months of RHDV activity, counts were at least 90% below counts conducted before RHDV arrived. Using a population model to account for environmental conditions, the mean suppression of rabbit density caused by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) was estimated to be 74% (ranging from 43% to 94% between sites). No outbreaks were observed when the density of susceptible rabbits was lower than 12 km–2. Where rabbit density remains low for long periods RHDV may not persist. This is perhaps most likely to occur in the isolated populations towards the northern edge of the range of rabbits in Australia. RHDV may have to be reintroduced into these populations. Further south in areas more suitable for rabbits, RHDV is more likely to persist, resulting in a high density of immune rabbits. In such areas conventional control techniques may be more important to enhance the influence of RHD.


Which emotional experiences should people pursue to optimize happiness? According to traditional subjective well-being research, the more pleasant emotions we experience, the happier we are. According to Aristotle, the more we experience the emotions we want to experience, the happier we are. We tested both predictions in a cross-cultural sample of 2,324 participants from 8 countries around the world. We assessed experienced emotions, desired emotions, and indices of well-being and depressive symptoms. Across cultures, happier people were those who more often experienced emotions they wanted to experience, whether these were pleasant (e.g., love) or unpleasant (e.g., hatred). This pattern applied even to people who wanted to feel less pleasant or more unpleasant emotions than they actually felt. Controlling for differences in experienced and desired emotions left the pattern unchanged. These findings suggest that happiness involves experiencing emotions that feel right, whether they feel good or not.


Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease characterised by hyperglycaemia, resulting from an inability to secrete insulin, a resistance to insulin or both. The number of individuals suffering from Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is currently 336 million and this number is expected to surpass 552 million by the year 2030. Consequently, there exists a need for novel antidiabetic agents for the treatment of T2D.
The retinol transporter, RBP4, is a possible target for the treatment of T2D as elevated levels of this protein are found in T2D sufferers. Compounds that reduce the levels of RBP4 in vivo have been found to improve the diabetic condition. Disruption of the RBP4-TTR complex is a known method for decreasing the levels of RBP4. Therefore, reducing the levels of RBP4 provides a mechanism to treat/manage T2D and allows for the identification and synthesis of novel antidiabetic agents.
Computational studies were used to identify compounds (1, 2 and 3) that bind within RBP4 and have the potential to prevent the formation of the RBP4-TTR complex. Biological assays (SPR, fluorometric binding assay) were performed on these compounds to verify their ability to bind within the protein cavity of RBP4 and inhibit the formation of the RBP4-TTR complex.
A SAR study of compound 1 uncovered compound 4 which was more active than its parent compound in the SPR assay. A subsequent SAR study performed on the new lead compound 4 to identify the functional groups necessary for its biological activity. The derivatives required for this study were synthesised using a variety of chemical processes and were tested in an assay to assess their ability to stimulate muscle cells to take up glucose. This study uncovered a number of compounds with increased activity (64, 79 and 82).
While the glucose uptake assay allowed for the identification of a number of active compound 4 derivatives, it also indicated that a secondary protein target was involved as the glucose uptake assay was RBP4 independent. A method for identifying this unknown target was therefore needed. The method chosen involved immobilising active compounds on an affinity column, which is composed of sepharose beads. A solution of cellular proteins is then passed through the column and the subsequent bound proteins are lysed and analysed by mass spectrometry. Immobilisation of compounds onto this column first required the attachment of a PEG linker to each molecule. Compounds 4
and 79 were successfully immobilised on the affinity column; at the time of writing, the results from their biological evulation remain outstanding.
A SAR study was also performed on compounds 2 and 3. This uncovered compound 115, which proved to be highly active in the glucose uptake assay. A number of derivatives of compound 2 and 3 have been designed, synthesised and characterised and are currently awaiting biological evaluation.
Animal studies were carried out on compounds 1, 4 and 2. Compounds 1 and 4 proved to be more effective than compound 2 at improving the insulin and glucose tolerance of diabetic mice, while also causing a reduced weight gain. Compound 4 was administered to animals after 17 weeks, once insulin resistance had been established. Compound 4 was found to restore both glucose and insulin sensitivity to normal levels.
A number of additional animal studies were considered involving compound 4; however these required aqueous solutions of the compound. As compound 4 had proven to be insoluble in aqueous solutions, a method for preparing these solutions was needed. Cyclodextrins (CD) were chosen and the use of 20 eq of hydroxylpropyl-β-CD (HPBCD) gave a 0.02 M 5% DMSO/H2O solution of compound 4. The dissolution of compound 4 may have occurred due to the formation of an inclusion complex. A phase solubility diagram, SEM, DSC and NMR were used in the characterisation of the inclusion complex.


Anisotropic flow coefficients, $v_n$, non-linear flow mode coefficients, $\chi_{n,mk}$, and correlations among different symmetry planes, $\rho_{n,mk}$ are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_\rm{NN}}=5.02$ TeV. Results obtained with multi-particle correlations are reported for the transverse momentum interval $0.2<p_\rm{T}<5.0$ GeV/$c$ within the pseudorapidity interval $0.4<|\eta|<0.8$ as a function of collision centrality. The $v_n$ coefficients and $\chi_{n,mk}$ and $\rho_{n,mk}$ are presented up to the ninth and seventh harmonic order, respectively. Calculations suggest that the correlations measured in different symmetry planes and the non-linear flow mode coefficients are dependent on the shear and bulk viscosity to entropy ratios of the medium created in heavy-ion collisions. The comparison between these measurements and those at lower energies and calculations from hydrodynamic models places strong constraints on the initial conditions and transport properties of the system.


Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is characterized by an infected thrombus at the heart valves. How bacteria bypass the immune system and cause these thrombi remains unclear. Neutrophils releasing NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps) lie at this interface between host defense and coagulation. We aimed to determine the role of NETs in IE immunothrombosis. Methods: We used a murine model of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis in which IE is provoked on inflamed heart valves and characterized IE thrombus content by immunostaining identifying NETs. Antibody-mediated neutrophil depletion and neutrophil-selective PAD4 (peptidylarginine deiminase 4)-knockout mice were used to clarify the role of neutrophils and NETs, respectively. S. aureus mutants deficient in key virulence factors related to immunothrombosis (nucleases or staphylocoagulases) were investigated. Results: Neutrophils releasing NETs were present in infected thrombi and within cellular infiltrates in the surrounding vasculature. Neutrophil depletion increased occurrence of IE, whereas neutrophil-selective impairment of NET formation did not alter IE occurrence. Absence of S. aureus nuclease, which degrades NETs, did not affect endocarditis outcome. In contrast, absence of staphylocoagulases (coagulase and von Willebrand factor binding protein) led to improved survival, decreased bacteremia, smaller infiltrates, and decreased tissue destruction. Significantly more NETs were present in these vegetations, which correlated with decreased bacteria and cell death in the adjacent vascular wall. Conclusions: Neutrophils protect against IE independent of NET release. Absence of S. aureus coagulases, but not nucleases, reduced IE severity and increased NET levels. Staphylocoagulase-induced fibrin likely hampers NETs from constraining infection and the resultant tissue damage, a hallmark of valve destruction in IE.


The performance and cost for tenants in today's datacenters depends on the location of their virtual machines within the datacenter. However, a tenant's location is a knob for the provider and is of no interest to the tenant. Hence, this paper argues for location independent tenant costs in datacenters. We show how a change in today's IaaS offerings, coupled with a simple pricing scheme, can achieve this. We discuss how such a pricing model can be implemented and show that the consequent increase in system throughput can lead to a win-win situation- tenant costs are location independent and lower while provider revenue increases too.


Recent work on client-server data-shipping OODBs has demonstrated the usefulness of local data caching at client sites. However, none of the studies has investigated index-related performance issues in particular. References to index pages arise from associative queries and from updates on indexed attributes, often making indexes the most heavily used hot spots in a database. System performance is therefore quite sensitive to the index management scheme. This paper examines the eeects of index caching, and investigates two schemes, one centralized and the other distributed, for index page management in a page server OODB. In the centralized scheme, index pages are not allowed to be cached at client sites; thus, communication with the central server is required for all index-based queries and index updates. The distributed index management scheme supports inter-transaction caching of index pages at client sites, and enforces a distributed index consistency control protocol similar to that of data pages. We study via simulation the performance of these two index management schemes under several diierent workloads and contention prooles, and identify scenarios where each of the two schemes performs better than the other.


ABSTRACT This article empirically assesses the validity of current theoretical models of attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy in the Asia-Pacific region. This paper takes representative data from the World Values Survey and implements a multilevel model to test five of the main theories in the literature: the human capital theory, the social capital theory, the political orientation theory, the contact/group threat theory and the economic competition theory. The results from the analysis lend credence to the important effects of human capital, social capital and political-ideological variables on respondents' attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy. However, the results provide mixed and weak evidence for the contact/group threat theory and the role of economic determinants. Importantly, economic determinants tend to be more powerful in shaping people's attitudes toward immigration policy than shaping attitudes toward immigrants as people. Altogether, this article sheds new light on the validity of current theoretical models based on western countries for other areas of the world. Finally, the results from the paper also support the usefulness of non-economic, as opposed to purely economic, models in the understanding of individuals' attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy in the Asia-Pacific region.


Information and resources relevant to Integrated Library Management Systems (ILMS) and the automation of Library services and processes. Also general information on IT in libraries.


PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate functional outcomes and knee joint stability after double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using three-tunnel quadriceps tendon-bone graft and four-tunnel hamstring graft (semi-tendinosus and gracilis muscles).

MATERIAL
Group 1 included 20 patients undergoing reconstruction with quadriceps tendon- bone graft group; 2 comprised of 20 patients treated by hamstring graft. There were 26 men and 14 women, with an average age of 27 (range, 16 to 44) years. The minimum follow-up period was one year.

METHODS
In group 1 patients, semi-anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed by a three-tunnel technique (two tunnels in the femur and one in the tibia) using quadriceps femoris muscle graft. Group 2 patients were treated by anatomic four-tunnel reconstruction (two tunnels in the femur and two in the tibia) with the use of hamstring graft. Functional outcomes were evaluated on the basis of Lysholm and IKDC scores. Antero-posterior stability was measured with aKT-1000 arthrometer and rotational stability was assessed by the pivot-shift test. For statistical evaluation, the level of significance (p) was set at < 0.05.

RESULTS
The final evaluation showed an average Lysholm score of 88.9 ± 12 (76-100) points for group 1, and 87.9 ± 11 (62-100) points for group 2; there was no statistically significant difference. The rounded average result of the functional IKDC score after surgery was the same in the two groups (80 ± 10). The joints treated by the three-tunnel technique had on average better antero-posterior stability, but this was not statistically significant. The pivot-shift phenomenon was not seen in either of the groups. Operative times in both groups were comparable. An intra-operative fracture of the patella occurred in two patients of group 1.

DISCUSSION
No similar prospective study comparing the outcomes of the methods reported here has been found in the internatio- nal literature. The studies so far published have not included any such comparison or they compared other techniques, such as single- versus double-bundle reconstructions.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on Lysholm and IKDC score evaluation and antero-posterior and rotational stability assessment, it can be concluded that both the three- and the four-tunnel technique of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction gave similar results, with no significant differences, at one-year follow-up. However, these are only short-term results and only a long-term follow-up can prove or disprove the validity of this conclusion.


Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are a key en-abler for the distribution of large amounts of data with high capacity and low latency. For instance, content streaming companies extensively use geographical distribution and replication to meet the ever-growing demand for media. Optical networks are the only future-proof technology available that meets the reach and capacity requirements of CDNs. However, the robustness of optical networks becomes a point of concern, as they can be a target of deliberate link cuts that can severely degrade network connectivity and cause large-scale service disruption. To mitigate the vulnerabilities, actions can be taken in the optical and/or cloud infrastructures. The replication of content across geographically diverse data centers results in an intrinsic increase of content accessibility. At the network infrastructure level, robustness to attacks can be enhanced by increasing the topology connectivity through link addition. This work focuses on the latter approach and its effectiveness in increasing content accessibility in the presence of deliberate link cuts. The paper proposes a framework for evaluation and enhancement of content accessibility in CDNs by sparse link addition. First, a content accessibility measure called μ-ACA is introduced to gauge the content accessibility of a given network topology under a set of link cut attack scenarios. Based on this measure, a new link addition strategy is defined aimed at maximizing the content accessibility for a given number of extra links. Simulation results on real-world reference topologies show that the proposed strategy can significantly improve content accessibility by adding a very limited number of optical fiber links.


The field of clinical application of hyperthermia to treatment of the cancer patient is developing rapidly both with respect to basic thermal biology, dose-effect relationships, technology for heating and monitoring temperature, efficacy of combination of heat plus radiation, and early clinical studies. The major attrac tion at this time in studies of hyperthermia is the convincing rationale that there is likely to be a differential cytotoxic effect of hyperthermia between tumor and normal tissue systems. This is based on the increased effectiveness of hyperthermia to kill mammalian cells which are existing under conditions of reduced pH or metabolically deprived circumstances. Also, the temperature level in the tumor being treated by local or regional hyperthermia is expected to reach higher levels than that of the adjacent normal tissues. Combinations of hyperthermia and radiation are attractive because thermal killing is most effective against S-phase cells and the oxygen enhancement ratio (hy perthermia) is @1 . That is, hyperthermia is effective against those cells which are least sensitive to radiation. The principal problems facing clinical application of hyperthermia are: only partially developed techniques for monitoring temperature in tissue, determining isothermal lines of surfaces in tissue, meth odologies for achieving uniform heating of local regions of the human body, and information as to the frequency of distant metastasis after hyperthermia. In addition, further studies are needed to determine the influence of the tumor and normal tissue microenvironment on thermal sensitivity, kinetics for repair of sublethal heat damage, and induction and decay of thermal tolerance.


This article discusses the impact of the ongoing global economic crisis on the Indonesian agro-food sector. It compares the current situation with the crisis of 1997–98 and examines whether the liberalisation of the Indonesian economy (and the agro-food sector specifically) in the post-1999 period has increased the exposure of Indonesian food producers and consumers to the volatility associated with global financial and commodity markets. During the 1997–98 crisis, the Indonesian state (with the support of the international development community) instituted structural reforms and increased stabilisation measures to mitigate the effects of the crisis. The author considers whether those measures are still in place to offset the shocks of the current crisis, and what effect they have had on Indonesian food producers and consumers. The question of consumer demand in a recessionary time has particular relevance for those Indonesian agro-food producers who diversified into high-value-added commodities (such as organics) in the past decade.


Background Current treatment options for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) consist of different combinations of chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Treatment choices are highly individual decisions, in which adverse events (AEs) are relevant for decision-making. This study aims to analyse reporting of AEs in prospective stage III NSCLC trials, focussing on trials including radiotherapy and/or surgery. Methods PubMed was searched for prospective studies dealing with stage III NSCLC from January 1987 to April 2019. Meta-analyses were screened as a positive control. Pearson's Chi-squared test and smooth kernel distribution were used to estimate distributions. Data was resampled using bootstrapping. Results Out of 1193 initially identified studies, 119 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 31 had a surgical procedure in any study arm. Grade 3 and 4 AEs were reported in 94.12% and 92.44% of the included studies, respectively. Reporting of grade 5 AEs was provided in 87.39% of cases. Grade 1 and 2 AEs were less commonly reported at 53.78% and 63.03%, respectively. One study did not mention any AEs. Of the 31 treatment arms including any form of surgery, AEs were not reported in 10. Overall, 231 different AE items were reported, only 18 of them were included in at least 20% of the analysed studies. Conclusion Overall, AE reporting in stage III NSCLC was inconsistent and inhomogeneous. Studies including surgical study arms often reported only treatment-related deaths in regards of surgical AEs. Underreporting of AEs prohibits the extraction of patient-relevant information for decision-making and represents a suboptimal use of invested resources. Adverse event reporting for stage III NSCLC is inconsistent and inhomogeneous. Surgical studies tend to underreport lower grade adverse effects. Patient-relevant information for decision-making is lost and invested resources are used suboptimally. https://bit.ly/3gLNIYy


The spectra of the planetary nebula NGC 2392 is reanalysed using spectral measurements made in the mid-infrared with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The aim is to determine the chemical composition of this object. We also make use of IUE and ground based spectra. Abundances determined from the mid-infrared lines, which are insensitive to electron temperature, are used as the basis for the determination of the composition, which are found to differ somewhat from earlier results. The abundances found, especially the low value of helium and oxygen, indicate that the central star was originally of rather low mass. Abundances of phosphorus, iron, silicon and chlorine have been determined for the first time in this nebula. The variation of electron temperature in this nebula is very clear, reaching quite high values close to the center. The temperature of the central star is discussed in the light of the observed high stages of ionization. The nebular information indicates that the spectrum of the star deviates considerably from a blackbody.


The epigram of the Greek Anthology IX 400 has generated an age-old debate. The discussion is about its attribution to the Alexandrine poet Palladas – the last great exponent of the Hellenic civil poetry – and its dedication to the philosopher Hypatia. If we read the epigram in the context of Palladas' poetics as well as in that of the Neoplatonic sources (in particular Synesius and Damascius) mentioning Hypatia, we are allowed to claim that this poem offers a precious evidence about the philosopher's teachings and her political relevance between the end of the IV and the beginning of the V century A.D. The epigram, in fact, is to be considered one of the poems that Palladas dedicated to the debate on the 'fair political practice' that inflamed the Hellenic milieu. In relation to the betrayal of the Platonic political ideal by Themistius, the true philosopher Hypatia rises into the Eastern sky, as the earthly embodiment of the heavenly Virgin.


Starting with a case example, this article introduces the notion of the bivalent leadership style, illustrating the behavior of people who live in a world where everything is either "good" or "bad." It is suggested that this particular Weltanschauung will harm relationships and limit a person's understanding of the world. In addition, such "splitting" behavior can be highly contagious in that people who possess this leadership style will create intense strife and polarized thinking, possibly driving the people they are in contact with crazy. The article also suggests that splitting is a common human behavior pattern. As a defense mechanism, it will always be present in human nature. The suggestion is made that splitting originates in childhood and can be attributed to the way parents deal with their children. The bivalent leadership style will be related to insecure or disrupted attachment behavior patterns — bearing in mind that attachment behavior is the template of all human relationships. This all-or-nothing thinking can be viewed as a developmental failure of a person's mental apparatus to integrate the positive and negative qualities of the self and others. The proposition is made that people will resort to this way of thinking when they do not possess customary coping mechanisms and are unable to handle the stress that accompanies highly complex situations. The article also highlights the challenges of coaching people with a bivalent leadership style. Frequently, these individuals will drive their coaches crazy just as they do with their colleagues and direct reports. The challenge is to make them see that the people they deal with possess both good and bad qualities. To enable progress, an executive coach or psychotherapist needs to handle the transference and counter-transference patterns between the client and coach.


The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique is a simple method to detect DNA polymorphism. It is sensitive to reaction conditions. Small changes in the reactants' concentration cause variations in amplification products. Using DNA from Asparagus officianalis, Dactylis glomerata, Mercurialis annua and Escherichia coli, we examined variability in the amplification pattern associated with reaction constituents. An increase in the ratio of Taq DNA polymerase to DNA in the reaction increased the number of amplified fragments. Increasing the concentration of primer resulted in the amplification of low molecular weight DNA fragments, while lowering the concentration resulted in high molecular weight fragments. Subsets of amplified fragments required different concentrations of magnesium for their highest intensity. Mechanical shearing of DNA obtained by sonication led to reduction in amplification of a subset of products. Enzymatic fragmentation of DNA by restriction enzymes led to loss or gain of specific fragments, depending on the DNA, primer, and restriction enzyme. RAPD markers of pooled DNA of anonymous pedigree should be critically evaluated for frequent 'false positive' markers.


This paper documents evidence of size clustering behavior in the European Carbon Futures Market and analyzes the circumstances under which it happens. Our findings show that carbon trades are concentrated in sizes of one to five contracts and in multiples of five. We have observed the existence of price clustering of prices ending in digits 0 or 5, and we have also proved that the more clustered prices have more clustered sizes. Finally, the analysis reveals that traders use a reduced number of different trade sizes when uncertainty is high, market liquidity is poor, and the desire for opening new positions is very strong.


Antibiotic was discovered in 1926 by Alexander Flaming but only in 1943 after World War-II, penicillin was marketed for all followed by tetracycline and streptomycin. However, high dose uses of antibiotics cause rapid destruction of gut microbiota that help human growth and metabolism by providing vitamins and many other complex biomolecules. It appears that intestinal cells signal to bacteria that are also induced save its soul creating many mdr genes and activating gene transfer mechanisms by combining R-plasmids with F'-plasmids. Thus, large conjugative MDR plasmids have 5-15 mdr genes, 6-10 metal resistant genes and two dozen TRA genes for conjugation as well as new protein synthesizing genes like transposases, integrases, topoisomerases, resolvases, restriction endonucleases, DNA ligases and DNA polymerases. Physicians do not know how to cure KPC2 Klebsiella kneumoniae, NDM1 Escherichia coli or MRSA Staphylococcus aureus, MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis and XDR Acinetobacter baumannii infections. Sadly, once used ampicillin, oxacillin, streptomycin, cefotaxime, azithromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and chlormphenicol are useless against those bacteria. Our study with Ganga River water of Kolkata indicated that super drugs like imipenem, colistin, tigecycline, amikacin, ceftizidime, vancomycin, levofloxacin and linezolid resistant bacterial species were generated creating a antibiotic dark age even we had thousand antibiotics in the selves.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic disease manifested principally by motor signs and symptoms, but with frequent neuropsychological alterations. Objectives To study the relationship between clinical and cognitive aspects and the perception of quality of life (QOL) in PD patients. Methods Twenty consecutive patients (13 men) with idiopathic PD (mean age: 64.5y), mean disease time of 7.8 years and at stages 1-3 according to the modified Hoehn and Yahr staging scale (HYS), all outpatients from the Neurology Department of the Celso Pierro General and Maternity Hospital (PUC-Campinas), were analyzed. The following were applied: a clinical-neurological assessment, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), standard neuropsychological battery of the CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and a QOL questionnaire (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire - PDQ-39). Statistical analysis was carried out at a significance level of p<0.05. Results On the PDQ-39 under the sections total, mobility and activities of daily living, and the items motor compromise (HYS) and language of the MMSE were predictors of worse QOL. Verbal fluency was a factor for emotional well-being on the PDQ-39, whereas higher scores for HAM-D and worse performance on the item attention and calculation of the MMSE were associated with worse QOL in the social support section. Total score on the MMSE and educational level were QOL factors in cognition. Conclusions The findings of the present study suggest that clinical, cognitive, motor or other depression-related factors contribute differently to the domains of QOL.


In this paper a new complete technique using one dimensional Walsh coding to improve the robustness of watermarking in digital images is presented. The proposed technique inserts bits of binary handwritten signatures in the DCT blocks of a digital image. In the proposed method, the 1-D Walsh functions are used to encode the signature before being embedded in the cover image. The 1-D Walsh coding can be applied either horizontally or vertically. The work was carried out using the horizontal 1-D Walsh coding. By utilizing this type of coding, each row of the signature's vectors will be replaced by the Walsh code and queue them horizontally to get the modulated signal. In the decoding process, the original signature's bits are identified by the use of odd and even functions. The proposed technique gives good image quality and is robust against JPEG compression.


WASTED COMPLIANCE STRATEGIES? THE POLICY-MAKING STYLES OF HUNGARY AND POLAND IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL DIRECTIVES How does the policy-making process affect policy compliance? Analysing the relationship between policy outcomes and their decision-making processes, the article explores the process of implementation of European directives in two CEE countries namely, Hungary and Poland, in the waste sector. Hungary and Poland have been considered as similar cases for their historical, political and economic experiences; however, EU monitoring reports have shown that these two countries have differently performed in the adoption and implementation of the EU waste legislation. The explanation for variation considered in this article relies on the existence of different "styles" of policy-making. To operationalise this concept, in the article is adopted the typology of "policy style" defined by Richardson (1982) which distinguishes between the environmental institutional and legal settings and the stakeholders' involvement in the policy-making. The analysis of the Hungarian and Polish cases shows that, while similarities have characterised the legal and institutional environmental decision-making settings, greater difference has existed in the effective involvement of stakeholders in the environmental policy-making. In Hungary, front-runner in the implementation of the European waste legislation, we have the establishment of open and coordinated arenas of cooperation and consultation in which the stakeholders multilaterally are involved. In contrast, in Poland, laggard in the implementation of the EU waste legislation, we have the establishment of personal, bilateral and informal relations between officials of the Environmental Ministry or the Members of Parliament and the stakeholders involved in the environmental decision-making. Hence, the paper demonstrates that the existence of variations in the involvement of stakeholders determines also variation in the policy outcomes and may also explain variation in the compliance with the European legislation. Benedetta Cotta • Wasted compliance strategies? 5


In 2012, 40% of total U.S. energy consumption was attributed to residential and commercial buildings. However, in order to improve building energy efficiency, most conservation measures adopted today are based on technologies or maintenance. In this project, we worked with Smart Green Institute to develop behavior-based energy saving measures, which are more cost effective and have fewer installation constraints. After selecting two campus buildings-Old Chemistry and Rubenstein Hall-for our case study, we analyzed the building utility and expense data from 2005 to 2013 to explore the consumption and expenditure trends, and figured out the relatively elastic and changeable energy sources to focus on. Then we conducted survey to occupants of the two buildings to study their consciousness of building energy conservation and awareness of gamification. Based on the study of building data and occupants' behavior, we proposed a tailored gamified energy conservation plan using the Behavioral Change Gamification Model.


Background: Many factors are involved in the prognosis and outcome of Chronic Migraine and Medication Overuse Headache (CM+MOH), and their understanding is a topic of interest. It is well known that CM+MOH patients experience increased psychiatric comorbidity, such as anxiety, depression, or personality disorders. Other psychological factors still need to be explored. The present study is aimed to evaluate whether early life traumatic experiences, stressful life events, and alexithymia can be associated with CM+MOH. Methods: Three hundred and thirty-one individuals were recruited for this study. They belonged to one of the two following groups: CM+MOH (N = 179; 79% females, Age: 45.2 ± 9.8) and episodic migraine (EM) (N = 152; 81% females; Age: 40.7 ± 11.0). Diagnosis was operationally defined according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD-IIIβ). Data on early life (physical and emotional) traumatic experiences, recent stressful events and alexithymia were collected by means of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Stressful life-events Questionnaire, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), respectively. Results: Data showed a higher prevalence of emotional (χ2 = 6.99; d.f. = 1; p = 0.006) and physical (χ2 = 6.18; d.f. = 1; p = 0.009) childhood trauma and of current stressful events of important impact (χ2 = 4.42; d.f. = 1; p = 0.025) in CM+MOH patients than in EM ones. CM+MOH patients were characterized by higher difficulties in a specific alexithymic trait (Factor 1 subscale of TAS-20) [F(1, 326) = 6.76, p = 0.01, ηp2 = 0.02] when compared to the EM group. The role of these factors was confirmed in a multivariate analysis, which showed an association of CM+MOH with emotional (OR 2.655; 95% CI 1.153–6.115, p = 0.022) or physical trauma (OR 2.763; 95% CI 1.322–5.771, p = 0.007), and a high score at the Factor 1 (OR 1.039; 95% CI 1.002–1.078, p = 0.040). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated a clear relationship between CM+MOH and life traumas, stressful events, and alexithymia. These observations have a relevant role in multiple fields of related to chronic headache: from the management to the nosographic framing.


Being socially connected directly impacts our basic needs and survival. People with deficits in social cognition might exhibit abnormal behaviors and face many challenges in our highly social-dependent world. These challenges and limitations are associated with a substantial economical and subjective impact. As many conditions where social cognition is affected are highly prevalent, more treatments have to be developed. Based on recent research, we review studies where non-invasive neuromodulatory techniques have been used to promote Social Plasticity in developmental disorders. We focused on three populations where non-invasive brain stimulation seems to be a promising approach in inducing social plasticity: Schizophrenia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Williams Syndrome (WS). There are still very few studies directly evaluating the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the social cognition of these populations. However, when considering the promising preliminary evidences presented in this review and the limited amount of clinical interventions available for treating social cognition deficits in these populations today, it is clear that the social neuroscientist arsenal may profit from non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for rehabilitation and promotion of social plasticity.


The Glu54 residue of the norovirus 3C-like protease was implicated in proteolysis as a third-member carboxylate of the catalytic triad. The E54L mutant protease cleaved the sequence (133)LSFE/AP between the 3B and 3C regions of norovirus polyprotein, but did not cleave the sequence (198)ATSE/GK between the 3A and 3B. The 3BC junction mutation (3B-L133A or 3B-F135S) hampered the cleavage by the E54L protease, whereas the 3AB junction mutation (3A-A198L, S200F) allowed the E54L protease to digest. These results indicate that the E54L mutant protease is a substrate-specificity mutant and requires large hydrophobic amino acid residues at both P4 and P2 positions of the substrate. It was notable that the 3A-S200F P2 position mutation caused tight interaction between the wild-type protease and the C-terminus of the 3A protein, hence a decreased release rate of the product from the enzyme. This tight binding was dependent on the hydrophobicity of amino acid residues introduced at position 200 of the 3A region and was affected by the mutation in the bII-cII loop of the protease or the mutation of position 198 of 3A corresponding to the P4 position of the substrate. These results suggest that the protease and the substrate sense each other in the process of the proteolysis, being supported by crystal structures.


The development of aeroengine needs the collaboration of many enterprises. In order to realize the share and optimization configuration of different enterprises' design and manufacturing resources, a method of realizing product collaborative development based on grid service is proposed. In the method, the collaboration among enterprises is realized by grid service cell. The grid service cell is an encapsulated service agent which can provide certain design and manufacturing abilities through the network. Enterprises can release their grid service information in the portal and create their grid service cells, and then they become the grid service supplier. The customers use the grid service matching engine to search the suited grid services in the portal and use these services to accomplish the product development. Accordingly the method can realize the optimization configuration of different enterprises' design and manufacturing resources. Therefore, a prototype system of networked collaborative development of aeroengine based on grid service is developed. In the system, an ontology of aeroengine networked collaborative development is proposed, and the models of grid service cell and grid service requirement are built. Aiming at the matching of the grid service, a matching method based on semantic is proposed; a mathematic model for grid service matching is created and the corresponding matching algorithm is presented. Finally, we validated the prototype system with the example of the collaborative development of an aeroengine part.


Study of the basic traffic flow characteristics and comprehensive understanding of vehicular interaction are the pre-requisites for highway capacity and level of service analyses and formulation of effective traffic regulation and control measures. This is better done by modeling the system, which will enable the study of the influencing factors over a wide range. Computer simulation has emerged as an effective technique for modelling traffic flow due to its capability to account for the randomness related to traffic. This paper is concerned with application of a simulation model of heterogeneous traffic flow, named HETEROSIM, to study the relationships between traffic flow variables such as traffic volume and speed. Further, the model is also applied to quantify the vehicular interaction in terms of Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) or Passenger Car Unit (PCU), taking a stretch of an intercity road in India as the case for the study. The results of the study, provides an insight into the complexity of the vehicular interaction in heterogeneous traffic.


For nearly 15 years, The Art of Service has been the guiding light for those in pursuit of satisfying and fulfilling employment in IT. This Web Designer edition has been completely revised and rewritten and is designed to work in conjunction with the latest best practices. At the heart of this Guide's formula for your Web Designer Role are five questions: Where does the Web Designer's role fit, What does it mean to be or become a Web Designer, How to be a Web Designer, When is a Web Designer successful and Why be a Web Designer. This Guide has all the answers and sets you up, well on your way to finding, keeping and being successful in the job you really want. This book is not filled with theoretical babble but practical and useful information, knowledge and experience! Packed with time-tested advice, This Web Designer Handbook works as a good companion for those just starting out in the "real world" as well as for those who are thinking seriously about a career change. It is with incredible ease, yet depth and understanding that this book ploughs through the important issues that concerns not only HR managers and CIOs, but anyone who wants to climb up the Web Designer ladder, this Guide is filled with Valuable hints, tips and guidance on how to successfully be a Web Designer. The Art of Service's Guides have helped thousands of people find truly satisfying work. This guide tells you how you process information, make decisions and interact with the world around you in your Web Designer role - and shows you what works best. Then, using real-life examples to highlight the strengths and pitfalls of the Web Designer, it shows you step-by-step how to ensure the best results in the shortest period of time. And if you plan to stay in your job, the Web Designer Guide provides savvy advice for getting the most out of your current career. Every other career guide offers generic, one-size- fits-all advice. But because it is based on this specific career, The Web Designer Handbook helps you determine what you need to be more successful and satisfied.


Why do firms decide sometimes to disclose widely part of their knowledge while they could have kept it secret ? We attempt to provide an original answer to this question by combining the literature in economics of innovation and in economics of incomplete information. We suggest that such practices of open knowledge disclosure can be deliberate strategies aiming at solving adverse selection problems that arise when firms try to find partners with whom to cooperate in R&D. Competent firms can sometimes think it a profitable strategy to disclose knowledge because this disclosure may allow them to display their differences with less competent firms, thus making it easier to start a profitable collaboration with other competent firms. We illustrate this intuition with the help of a signalling game under incomplete information.


Biofilm fouling is a common problem in industrial water and medical systems. Prevention of biofilm formation is often difficult because of the numerous potential attachment and adhesion mechanisms of bacteria, and therefore removal strategies are often necessary. Three surface properties, surface roughness, hydrophobicity (contact angle), and surface charge (zeta potential) were measured for several polymeric surfaces and related to specific biofilm characteristics. Biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were allowed to form on these surfaces for a period of 1-3 d, and the fraction of bacterial cells removed from each surface by exposure of biofilms to a standard shear stress was determined. Cells were most readily removed from the smoothest, most hydrophilic, neutral surfaces, with removal becoming more difficult at longer attachment times. This finding correlates directly with the finding that surfaces with these characteristics are most resistant to biofilm initiation. Therefore, it is demonstrated that by optimizing surface properties, it is possible to produce a surface from which bacteria can be more readily removed.


For the nano-ZrO2 powders, it is difficult to disperse the particles in a highly concentrated electrolyte. Polymer MZN with composite structure was employed as a dispersant in this work. On the basis of having obtained the optimum quantity of dispersant MZN, the effects of process conditions on stability of Ni-ZrO2 composite electroplating bath were investigated via sedimentation experiments and SEM micrograph. The results showed that the charging sequence have a significant influence on the stability of composite electroplating bath, and the optimum process conditions is that the stable aqueous suspension of 2.5g nano-powders in 100 ml water should be prepared at first by milling for 3 hours, and then the electrolytes were added in it. The well-dispersed composite electroplating bath was obtained, which made sure that the nano-ZrO2 smaller than 30nm was found in the Ni matrix.


Portal hypertension and the development of varices in areas of portosystemic venous anastomoses can lead to dramatic and life‐threatening haemorrhage. Varices most commonly occur in the gastro‐oesophageal region but ectopic varices can arise at other sites in the gastrointestinal tract. This report describes a patient with massive haemorrhage from duodenal varices. We believe the case highlights the importance of considering ectopic varices as a cause of gastro‐intestinal haemorrhage especially when oesophageal varices are absent.


BACKGROUND: According to the recent report by the Ministry of Statistics in India, number of elderly accounts for 8.6% of the country's population. Aging causes biological as well as psychological changes. Decline in cognitive functions is one of the normative changes of aging; however, this may impact both physical and mental health of an individual. Quality of Life (QoL) is one of the prime features of successful aging. Hence, this study was undertaken to correlate the level of cognition and QoL in older adults. METHODOLOGY: One twenty-nine males and females of age 60–75 with or without cognitive impairment were selected using convenience sampling, those who could not read Hindi, who had any unstable medical condition, whose vision could not be corrected to normal level, and those with impaired speech were excluded from the study. Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) was administered to assess the cognitive level. QoL was assessed by QoL-Alzheimer's disease (AD) scale. RESULTS: Result indicated that there is a moderate positive correlation between MoCA and QoL-AD with r = 0.465 and P < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that the level of cognition and QoL of older adults are moderately in positive correlation with each other.


This master thesis project was carried out at Ringhals AB Unit 2. It is focused on modeling and introducing a new control strategy for control loop 21414V141/131 which is a condensate water system. Existing control strategy of the selected control loop is simple feedback control system with one PID controller. Results of current control strategy were taken into account for improvements in terms o f system stability, valve movements and unwanted transients. Problems found in selected loop were; large variations in process variable, extra movement in valve positions and inefficient opening of valves.Simulation model with similar control strategy and results as of real power plant was createdand validated, as new control strategy can be applied and results can be compared. The main recommendation to improve the control system performance was found through cascade control strategy that could assist the current controller. The recommendation was evaluated by designing and implementing the cascade control strategy on the Dymola simulation model. Simulation results pointed out considerable increase in system performanceaccording to the requirements of Vattenfall AB.


Periapical health is the primary goal of endodontic treatment in mature and immature teeth. In addition, the goals of treatment of immature teeth with arrested root development include root growth to length and maturation of the apex, as well as thickening of the canal wall. These goals are valid for immature teeth that have been subjected to trauma and dental caries or that are the result of developmental anomalies that expose the tooth to the risk of pulp necrosis and consequently result in the cessation of root maturation. Regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) have been described as a "paradigm shift" in the treatment of immature teeth with pulp necrosis and underdeveloped roots, as there is the potential for further root maturation and return of vitality. Treatment with REPs is advocated as the treatment of choice for immature teeth with pulp necrosis. REP protocols involve the use of alkaline biomaterials, primarily sodium hypochlorite, calcium hydroxide, mineral trioxide aggregates and Biodentine, and are the essential components of a successful treatment regimen.


This paper reports on an analysis of how school inspection in Sweden – its aims, directions and procedures – is portrayed in texts produced by the responsible national authorities. The study involves a textual analysis of official annual accounts and plans (texts directed to the government, municipalities, schools and the public) produced by the National Agency for Education and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate. The analysis concentrates on key concepts conveying the dominant ideas of inspection and education. The analysis is structured around four dimensions that are based on an understanding of inspection as education governance and on the characteristics of the Swedish education system. The results suggest that the rhetoric and dominant ideas of schools inspection changed when the responsibility for inspection was transferred to the Swedish School Inspectorate in the autumn of 2008. Key concepts before that time are more supportive of schools and municipalities, recognising local conditions. Later, a language with the intention of detecting shortcomings and supporting an ideology of individual rights and juridification is apparent.


This thesis provides an introduction to the field of Multimedia Distribution Networks (MDN) and is written as the first part the Aeetes Project. It compares potential MDN architectures and technologies, and makes a proposal for a suitable IMDN architecture based on it. The thesis defines the concepts of MDN and IMDN, and describes the current state of the art of MDN technologies and implementations. An Internet-based Multimedia Distribution Network (IMDN) is a type of overlay network, comprised of a cluster of servers on the Internet which is used to distribute multimedia content to end-users in a cost-efficient manner with better quality of service compared to regular distribution models. It also makes a comparison of the technology and performance of various existing MDN architectures with focus on their advantages and limitations. Based on this comparison the possible architectures are evaluated and a proposal is made for an Aeetes implementation candidate. The suggested architecture is focused on low cost and simple deployment, and is designed to be used in both academic and commercial settings. It also attempts to be extensible and to allow for simple modifications as it might become the base system upon which a range of further work in the field of Multimedia Distribution Networks is built.


Familicide and familicide-suicide have not been extensively documented or adequately defined in forensic and psychiatric literature. Such incidents occupy a distinct epidemiological niche and are often precipitated by financial stressors. We present a cluster of 3 such cases, all of which occurred within a 4-month period in Los Angeles County, Calif. The dynamics of these cases are evaluated relative to the literature.


ABSTRACT
The aim of this research was to study the effect of high dose calcium carbonate as supplement to histopatological feature of renal rats (Rattus norvegicus) after ovaryohysterectomy. Ovaryohysterectomy was done to achived the lack of estrogen that equal with menopause in women.
Total twenty female rats, strain Spraque dawley, 13 weeks old were used as experimental animals. After ovaryohysterectomy, they were randomized in four groups. P0 has been fed with standart food without calcium carbonate as supplement. P1, P2 and P3 were groups that each rat fed standart food with 75 mg/PO/day, 225 mg/PO/day and 450 mg/PO/day calcium carbonate respectively. The calcium carbonate supplement were given every morning during 42 days successively.
The experimental animals were euthanized at 21 weeks old. The dexter kidneys were fixed in to 10% formalin for hystological observation using Haematoxylin-Eosin staining. The hystopatological feature of the kidneys were presented descriptively.
The result showed the hypercellularity of glomerulus and necrosis of tubulus contortus proxymal in P0, but normal hystological feature were observed in P1. Contrarary, the sign of renal degeneration were clearly observed in P2 and P3. Sweling of glomerulus and necrosis of tubulus contortus proxymal were observed in P3.
The conclusion of the research is the renal deterioration increased with augmentation of calcium carbonat given.


139 conductors were manufactured for the magnetic system of the ITER toroidal field coils in total by 6 different teams based on 5 different suppliers of Nb3Sn wires. Despite the fact that all conductors and superconducting wires were manufactured according to the same criteria, there were some differences in the manufacturing technologies of the components themselves, and in the result of the acceptance tests. Samples of some of the conductors passed acceptance tests, where the dependence of Tcs on the number of cycles of inputting the operating current into the samples when they were in a magnetic field was determined. The results of these tests showed that there are not only quantitative, but also qualitative differences in the Tcs (N) dependence. These differences are also observed within the same supplier. It would be useful to understand which parameters most strongly contribute to Tcs (N) in order to possibly improve this characteristic. For this purpose, the article provides a statistical analysis of the test results of 49 samples of conductors. The results are being discussed.


The acyclic adenosine analogue (S)-9-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine [S]-HPMPA) is a potent and selective inhibitor of adenovirus (Ad) replication in cell culture. We studied the mechanism of inhibition using a reconstituted in vitro DNA replication system. The diphosphoryl derivative (S)-HPMPApp, but not (S)-HPMPA, inhibited the DNA replication of origin containing fragments strongly. The inhibitory effect was exerted at the level of elongation, while initiation was resistant to the drug. Remarkably, the elongation of short strands was only slightly impaired, while inhibition was maximal upon synthesis of long DNA fragments. (S)-HPMPApp appeared to be competitive with dATP, suggesting that the Ad DNA polymerase is the prime target for the drug. We purified the Ad DNA polymerase in complex to the precursor terminal protein to homogeneity from cells infected with overproducing recombinant vaccinia viruses. Employing gapped DNA or poly(dT).oligo(dA) templates, only a weak inhibition was observed. However, inhibition was strongly enhanced in the presence of the adenovirus DNA binding protein (DBP). We interpret this to mean that the increased processivity of the polymerization reaction in the presence of DBP leads to increased drug sensitivity.


With the increasing trend of telecommunication innovations worldwide, emerging markets do not dare to sit back and watch as the global technologies advance at record speed. More and more developing countries are taking heed to these opportunities by developing solutions that best suit the markets they serve. Moreover, regardless of the lack of efficient and affordable financial infrastructure as a contributing factor in the persistence of poverty in many rural parts of developing countries, some firms have taken bold steps to partner with knowledgeable firms in order to increase their own capabilities that are crucial in developing innovative solutions.The purpose of this study was to explore how knowledge is transferred in emerging/developing markets in order to facilitate open innovation. Knowledge transfer is considered a process and not a one-time event. Therefore, using a since case study design, an in-depth exploration was made on the MPesa mobile money transfer system which started in Kenya but has now spread to several emerging countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The results indicate that for successful knowledge transfer; (i) Personnel movements is the most effective mechanism (ii) Technology should be transferred using a social mode of transfer (iii) Joint ventures are the most effective partnership form (iv) the bottom-of-the pyramid markets must be engaged in the development of innovative products.


BACKGROUND
Quantifying the severity of delirium is essential to advancing clinical care by improved understanding of delirium effect, prognosis, pathophysiology, and response to treatment.

OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a new delirium severity measure (CAM-S) based on the Confusion Assessment Method.

DESIGN
Validation analysis in 2 independent cohorts.

SETTING
Three academic medical centers.

PATIENTS
The first cohort included 300 patients aged 70 years or older scheduled for major surgery. The second included 919 medical patients aged 70 years or older.

MEASUREMENTS
A 4-item short form and a 10-item long form were developed. Association of the maximum CAM-S score during hospitalization with hospital and posthospital outcomes related to delirium was evaluated.

RESULTS
Representative results included adjusted mean length of stay, which increased across levels of short-form severity from 6.5 days (95% CI, 6.2 to 6.9 days) to 12.7 days (CI, 11.2 to 14.3 days) (P for trend < 0.001) and across levels of long-form severity from 5.6 days (CI, 5.1 to 6.1 days) to 11.9 days (CI, 10.8 to 12.9 days) (P for trend < 0.001). Representative results for the composite outcome of adjusted relative risk of death or nursing home residence at 90 days increased progressively across levels of short-form severity from 1.0 (referent) to 2.5 (CI, 1.9 to 3.3) (P for trend < 0.001) and across levels of long-form severity from 1.0 (referent) to 2.5 (CI, 1.6 to 3.7) (P for trend < 0.001).

LIMITATION
Data on clinical outcomes were measured in an older data set limited to patients aged 70 years or older.

CONCLUSION
The CAM-S provides a new delirium severity measure with strong psychometric properties and strong associations with important clinical outcomes.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE
National Institute on Aging.


Successful communication and accurate inferences in science depend on the common understanding and consistent usage of the terms we apply to concepts of interest. Likewise, new terminology is required when important concepts have gone unnamed. Here, I focus on terminological issues about biological variation and ecological speciation, especially in herbivorous insects but also more generally. I call for the more restricted use of concepts that have sometimes been misapplied, and thus caution against synonymizing ecological speciation with sympatric speciation and the unwarranted invocation of "host races" to describe herbivorous insect differentiation. I also call for the qualified application of terms for different kinds of biological variation and for host range when confronting uncertainty. Among other "missing terms" introduced here is "host form," a generic term describing any case of host-associated differences for which current evidence does not allow diagnosis of the specific kind of variation. Embracing the use of host form should free host race from its current overapplication. Finally, I present a case study in which Neochlamisus leaf beetle populations previously described as host forms are hereby declared to be host races, based on accumulated evidence supporting each of the associated criteria.


Tumorigenesis is not only determined by the intrinsic properties of cancer cells but also by their interactions with components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are among the most abundant immune cells in the TME. During initial stages of tumor development, macrophages can either directly promote antitumor responses by killing tumor cells or indirectly recruit and activate other immune cells. As genetic changes occur within the tumor or T helper 2 (T H 2) cells begin to dominate the TME, TAMs begin to exhibit an immunosuppressive protumor phenotype that promotes tumor progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. Thus, targeting TAMs has emerged as a strategy for cancer therapy. To date, TAM targeting strategies have focused on macrophage depletion and inhibition of their recruitment into the TME. However, these strategies have shown limited therapeutic efficacy, although trials are still underway with combination therapies. The fact that macrophages have the potential for antitumor activity has moved the TAM targeting field toward the development of TAM-reprogramming strategies to support this antitumor immune response. Here, we discuss the various roles of TAMs in cancer therapy and their immunosuppressive properties, as well as implications for emerging checkpoint inhibitor–based immunotherapies. We review state-of-the-art TAM-targeting strategies, focusing on current ones at the preclinical and clinical trial stages that aim to reprogram TAMs as an oncological therapy.


The main purpose of this study was to determine the Impact of Promotion on Merit and Education Level bases to performance of the Tanzania Police Force. The objectives involved to determine whether promotion on merit and education level bases satisfies the employee's desire of being recognized, valued and assigned duties which they perform best; motivates employees to offer their loyalty to the force; helps the force to retain the skilled workforce; if it motivates other employees to study to high education levels, and exploring possible challenges related to promotion on merit and education level bases and ways of addressing them. The study employed mainly qualitative approach using the case study design. A total of 65 participants were involved in the study including 40 rank and file soldiers, soldiers studying in high education institutions, 20 soldiers of inspectorate rank and 5 senior Police officers who were selected through stratified random sampling and purposive sampling. Data were sought through interviews, documentary review and observation; and were analyzed mainly through content analysis. The findings of the study indicated that promoting soldiers on merit and education level bases has a positive impact on the forces' performance; it satisfies soldiers' desire of being recognized and valued; it builds soldiers' loyalty to the force; it enables the force to retain its skilled workforce; it motivates other soldiers to acquire high education and it faces a number of challenges. In the light of the finding the study recommends that the force has to continue using these qualifications for promotion since it encourages soldiers to improve their performance and hence an efficient and effective police organization. And it has to work on the challenges identified using the suggested ways to make the practice fair and acceptable by soldiers.


Anthelmintics presently used in humans were discovered using empirical biological screening processes targeting helminths of veterinary importance. The modern approach to drug discovery is based on genetic, bioinformatic and genomic identification of protein targets followed by specific validation assays and high-throughput screening using chemical libraries. Existing broad-spectrum anthelmintics bind just three classes of molecular targets; more classes of targets are urgently needed. In the absence of robust functional genomics technologies for helminth parasites, the technology of RNA interference in parasites and in the model Caenorhabditis elegans is the best available for discovery and validation of new targets. This article outlines and critically discusses an idealised drug discovery pipeline for anthelmintic discovery in nematodes.


The operational reliability of the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) server in a filmless hospital environment is always a major concern because server failure could cripple the entire PACS operation. A simple, low-cost, continuous-availability (CA) PACS archive server was designed and developed. The server makes use of a triple modular redundancy (TMR) system with a simple majority voting logic that automatically identifies a faulty module and removes it from service. The remaining two modules continue normal operation with no adverse effects on data flow or system performance. In addition, the server is integrated with two external mass storage devices for shortand long-term storage. Evaluation and testing of the server were conducted with laboratory experiments in which hardware failures were simulated to observe recovery time and the resumption of normal data flow. The server provides maximum uptime (99.999%) for end users while ensuring the transactional integrity of all clinical PACS data. Hardware failure has only minimal impact on performance, with no interruption of clinical data flow or loss of data. As hospital PACS become more widespread, the need for CA PACS solutions will increase. A TMR CA PACS archive server can reliably help achieve CA in this setting. RSNA, 2004


Huperzine A, a potential agent for therapy in Alzheimer's disease and for prophylaxis of organophosphate toxicity, has recently been characterized as a reversible inhibitor of cholinesterases. To examine the specificity of this novel compound in more detail, we have examined the interaction of the 2 stereoisomers of Huperzine A with cholinesterases and site‐specific mutants that detail the involvement of specific amino acid residues. Inhibition of fetal bovine serum acetylcholinesterase by (—)‐Huperzine A was 35‐fold more potent than (+)‐Huperzine A, with K1 values of 6.2 nM and 210 nM, respectively. In addition, (—)‐Huperzine A was 88‐fold more potent in inhibiting Torpedo acetylcholinesterase than (+)‐Huperzine A, with K1 values of 0.25 μM and 22 μM, respectively. Far larger K1 values that did not differ between the 2 stereoisomers were observed with horse and human serum butyrylcholinesterases. Mammalian acetylcholinesterase, Torpedo acetylcholinesterase, and mammalian butyrylcholinesterase can be distinguished by the amino acid Tyr, Phe, or Ala in the 330 position, respectively. Studies with mouse acetylcholinesterase mutants, Tyr 337(330) Phe and Tyr 337(330) Ala yielded a difference in reactivity that closely mimicked the native enzymes. In contrast, mutation of the conserved Glu 199 residue to Gln in Torpedo acetylcholinesterase produced only a 3‐fold increase in K1 value for the binding of Huperzine A. Molecular mechanics energy minimization of the complexes formed between each of the 2 stereoisomers of Huperzine A and fetal bovine serum acetylcholinesterase, Torpedo acetylcholinesterase, or human butyrylcholinesterase also revealed that (—)‐Huperzine A gave a better fit than (+)‐Huperzine A and implicated Tyr 337(330) in the stereoselectivity of Huperzine A.


A recent research and development has the requirement for the optimization to shorten design time of modified or new product model and to obtain more precise engineering solution. General optimization problem must consider many conflicted objective functions simultaneously. Multi-objective optimization treats the multiple objective functions and constraints with design change. But, real engineering problem doesn`t describe accurate constraint and objective function owing to the limit of representation. Therefore this study applies variance analysis on the basis of structure analysis and DOE to the vertical roller mill fur portland cement and proposed statistical design model to evaluate the effect of structural modification with design change by performing practical multi-objective optimization considering mass, stress and deflection.


With Broeker as his guide, award-winning science writer Robert Kunzig looks back at Earth's volatile climate history so as to shed light on the challenges ahead. Ice ages, planetary orbits, a giant 'conveyor belt' in the ocean...it's a riveting story full of maverick thinkers, extraordinary discoveries and an urgent blueprint for action. Likening climate to a slumbering beast, ready to react to the smallest of prods, Broecker shows how assiduously we've been prodding it, by pumping 70 million tonnes of CO2 into the air each year. "Fixing Climate" explains why we need not just to reduce emissions but to start removing our carbon waste from our atmosphere. And in a thrilling last section of the book, we learn how this could become reality, using 'artificial trees' and underground storage.


Pursuit and evasion strategies are used in both biological and engineered settings; common examples include predator-prey interactions among animals, dogghting aircraft, car chases, and missile pursuit with target evasion. In this paper, we consider an evolutionary game between three strategies of pursuit (classical, constant bearing, motion camouage) and three strategies of evasion (classical, random, optical-ow based). Pursuer and evader agents are modeled as self-propelled steered particles with constant speed and strategydependent heading control. We use Monte-Carlo simulations and theoretical analysis to show convergence of the evolutionary dynamics to a pure strategy Nash equilibrium of classical pursuit vs. classical evasion. Here, evolutionary dynamics serve as a powerful tool in determining equilibria in complicated game-theoretic interactions. We extend our work to consider a novel pursuit and evasion based collective motion scheme, motivated by collective pursuit and evasion in locusts. We present simulations of collective dynamics and point to several avenues for future work.


Automated test generation tools have been widely investigated with the goal of reducing the cost of testing activities. However, generated tests have been shownnot to help developers in detecting and finding more bugs even though they reach higher structural coverage compared to manual testing. The main reason is that generated tests are difficult to understand and maintain. Our paper proposes an approach, coined TestDescriber, which automatically generates test case summaries of the portion of code exercised by each individual test, thereby improving understandability. We argue that this approach can complement the current techniques around automated unit test generation or search-based techniques designed to generate a possibly minimal set of test cases. In evaluating our approach we found that (1) developers find twice as many bugs, and (2) test case summaries significantly improve the comprehensibility of test cases, which is considered particularly useful by developers.


An approach is proposed for creating location-specific audio textures for virtual location-exploration services. The presented approach creates audio textures by processing a small amount of audio recorded at a given location, providing a cost-effective way to produce a versatile audio signal that characterizes the location. The resulting texture is non-repetitive and conserves the location-specific characteristics of the audio scene, without the need of collecting large amount of audio from each location. The method consists of two stages: analysis and synthesis. In the analysis stage, the source audio recording is segmented into homogeneous segments. In the synthesis stage, the audio texture is created by randomly drawing segments from the source audio so that the consecutive segments will have timbral similarity near the segment boundaries. Results obtained in listening experiments show that there is no statistically significant difference in the audio quality or location-specificity of audio when the created audio textures are compared to excerpts of the original recordings. Therefore, the proposed audio textures could be utilized in virtual location-exploration services. Examples of source signals and audio textures created from them are available at www.cs.tut.fi/~heittolt/audiotexture.


This investigation examined the effects of HIV-1 infection on speeded complex cognitive processing in a group of HIV-negative (n = 666), HIV-positive symptomatic (n = 156), and HIV-positive asymptomatic (n = 623) participants while controlling for the effects of slowed motor functioning, peripheral neuropathy, and several other putative confounds. Stroop Interference and reaction-time tasks served as anchor procedures to assess cognitive processing. The present findings suggest that HIV-1 infection is capable of compromising CNS-mediated cognitive processes (speeded processing) infringing upon their efficacy in the symptomatic stages of the disease while sparing individuals in the asymptomatic stage. The detrimental effects observed on information-processing mechanisms associated with HIV infection persisted despite the use of procedures to control for peripheral nerve integrity and other potential confounds.


The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is one of the most important problems in combinational optimization. Many works have done for this problem using ant colony optimization (ACO). The ACO is one of the most powerful optimization methods that combines distributed computation, auto-catalysis (positive feedback) and constructive greedy heuristic in finding optimal solutions for combinational optimization problems. Most of these previous works deal with software processing. However, ACO has the inherent problem of requiring substantial processing time. Therefore, the dedicated ACO hardware becomes important when applying ACO to combinational problems. In this paper, we propose a new hardware architecture for ACO. No previous studies have, to our knowledge, applied ACO hardware to TSP, as this study does using the proposed architecture. Experimental results to evaluate the proposed algorithm show improvement comparison with software processing.


We present a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tunable metamaterial, Fabry-Perot interferometer with a widely tunable mid-infrared response. An array of subwavelength holes in a gold film is suspended above a gold reflector, forming an interferometer cavity whose length can be modulated over a range of 1.7 to 21.67 μm using MEMS electrostatic actuation. Reflectance spectra exhibit the convolution of extraordinary optical transmission through the holes and Fabry-Perot resonances with free spectral ranges from 2900 to 230.7 cm–1. Measuring the free spectral range enables us to perform in situ interferometric calibration of the cavity length. We present a simple analytical model that describes the experimental and simulated results. This device shows promise as a surface-enhanced sensing substrate with a tunable spectral response.


Deep neural networks have achieved state-of-the-art accuracies in a wide range of computer vision, speech recognition, and machine translation tasks. However the limits of memory bandwidth and computational power constrain the range of devices capable of deploying these modern networks. To address this problem, we propose SQuantizer, a new training method that jointly optimizes for both sparse and low-precision neural networks while maintaining high accuracy and providing a high compression rate. This approach brings sparsification and low-bit quantization into a single training pass, employing these techniques in an order demonstrated to be optimal. Our method achieves state-of-the-art accuracies using 4-bit and 2-bit precision for ResNet18, MobileNet-v2 and ResNet50, even with high degree of sparsity. The compression rates of 18x for ResNet18 and 17x for ResNet50, and 9x for MobileNet-v2 are obtained when SQuantizing both weights and activations within 1% and 2% loss in accuracy for ResNets and MobileNet-v2 respectively. An extension of these techniques to object detection also demonstrates high accuracy on YOLO-v3. Additionally, our method allows for fast single pass training, which is important for rapid prototyping and neural architecture search techniques. Finally extensive results from this simultaneous training approach allows us to draw some useful insights into the relative merits of sparsity and quantization.


Research has indicated multiple factors unique to the individual may be more important in
predicting their response to a traumatic event than objective assessment of the severity of
an event. Such factors have included individual appraisal of threat to life and fear of death,
emotional processing of the experience, perceived severity of the stressor, and perceptions
of blame for the event. The current research aimed to systematically examine the
contribution of such factors in the aetiology of posttraumatic stress responses and to
consider factors that might influence the development of both positive and negative
responses.
The integrative model proposed by Joseph, Williams and Yule (1995) pro\'ided structure to
the investigation. The components included appraisal factors (the explanations formed for
the event); stimulus factors (characteristics that rendered it most traumatic); personality
factors (e.g., dysfunctional beliefs, attributional style, locus of control, anger expression and
hostility); emotional state factors (peritraumatlc emotional states, psychophysiOlogical
responses and dissociation); and activity factors (cogrutive or behavioural actions taken
after the event).
Eight studies based on evaluating each of these factors were conducted. The studies
involved participants with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (n= 19), Acute Stress
Disorder (ASD) (n=13), Sub-Clinical symptoms (n=17) and No symptoms (n=18).
Comparisons across two event types; Motor Vehicle Accident (1vfV A) and Physical assault
and two blame types; self-blame and other-blame were also made. The methodologies
included clinical interview, questionnaire and a four stage guided imagery methodology to
access psychological and psychophysiological states during imagery of the traumatic event.
\ "
These studies contributed to the current understanding of trauma responses by highlighting
that a more vulnerable response to trauma was associated with more blame towards others,
a perception of malicious intent to harm, less control, greater perceptions of life threat and
peritraumatic fear of death and higher perceptions of the severity of the event, the threat to
life and injury. Vulnerability was associated with greater irrational belief and social
withdrawal. Although posttraumatic growth was observed in the PTSD group, a greater
degree of negative changes were also observed. A more protective response to trauma, as
observed in the ASD group who recovered withm 4 weeks of the traumatic event, was
associated with delay in attnbution of blame unul after the event, self-blame or blame
towards others that was coupled with low perceptions of life threat and fear of death, lower
severity ratings, lower levels of mjury, and an absence of a trauma history. The Sub-Clirucal
group tended to blame their behavtour; to feel gUilty and to criticise themselves more
strongly than other groups but they may have been protected from developmg full PTSD
by the fact that they did not direct blame externally.
The results of the empirical studies contributed to the current understanding of protective
responses to trauma and supported the role of the components of the integrative model
Qoseph, Williams et al., 1995) in the aetiology of posttraumatic stress responses. The
implications of these results for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of posttraumatic stress
symptoms and directions for future research were discussed.


Abstract. Banknote recognition systems have many applications in the modern world of automatic monetary transaction machines. They are traditionally based on simple classifiers applied over manually selected areas. A new solution in this field, borrowed by content-based image retrieval (CBIR), which is based on dense scale-invariant feature transform features in a bag-of-words framework followed by a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, is explored. The proposed computer vision system for banknote recognition, on one hand, enables recognition at high accuracy and speed, and, on the other hand, provides basis for further applications, e.g., counterfeit detection and fitness test. This approach makes the system robust to various defects, which may occur during image acquisition or during circulation life of banknote. We implemented and tested on an embedded platform three state-of-the-art classification techniques [SVM, artificial neural network (ANN), and hidden Markov model (HMM)]. The comparative results are reported for accuracy with different sizes of the training datasets and with various types of datasets. In this framework, the SVM classifier outperforms ANN and HMM on the basis of speed and accuracy on our embedded platform.


While some individuals are innately skilful negotiators, this is not a common skill. However, it can be developed, and this chapter offers guidelines to this end. It discusses the different types of intelligences and competencies that negotiators need to succeed, as well as the principles followed by successful negotiators. The theoretical concepts are exemplified by anecdotes from leading negotiators who come from diverse backgrounds. By articulating a multiple intelligences model and a quadruple competencies model for negotiators, this chapter hopes to enable more individuals to become successful negotiators, which will, in turn, help them craft more beneficial agreements.


WHILE the literature on the pathology of the pulmonary arteries and arterioles in cor pulmonale is extensive, only a few cases of primary changes in the small pulmonary veins and venules leading to hypertension in the lesser circulation have been described. Since the clinical findings in patients with pulmonary vascular obstruction of either type are similar, a definite diagnosis may not be established until cardiac catheterization has been done, or may be proved only at necropsy. To our knowledge cardiovascular studies have been performed in only three of the published cases of pulmonary venous obstruction. 1-3 Because this condition is rare in young children and is difficult to distinguish from primary pulmonary artery hypertension, we are describing a 21-month-old child with idiopathic pulmonary venous subintimal fibrosis and severe vascular obstruction proved by necropsy. The symptoms, clinical findings, the electrocardiogram and the results of cardiovascular studies, including cardiac catheterization and selective


Malignant gliomas remain incurable brain tumors because of their diffuse-invasive growth. So far, the genetic and molecular events underlying gliomagenesis are poorly understood. In this study, we have identified the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl as a mediator of glioma growth and invasion. We demonstrate that Axl and its ligand Gas6 are overexpressed in human glioma cell lines and that Axl is activated under baseline conditions. Furthermore, Axl is expressed at high levels in human malignant glioma. Inhibition of Axl signaling by overexpression of a dominant-negative receptor mutant (AXL-DN) suppressed experimental gliomagenesis (growth inhibition >85%, P < 0.05) and resulted in long-term survival of mice after intracerebral glioma cell implantation when compared with Axl wild-type (AXL-WT) transfected tumor cells (survival times: AXL-WT, 10 days; AXL-DN, >72 days). A detailed analysis of the distinct hallmarks of glioma pathology, such as cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and tumor angiogenesis, revealed that inhibition of Axl signaling interfered with cell proliferation (inhibition 30% versus AXL-WT), glioma cell migration (inhibition 90% versus mock and AXL-WT, P < 0.05), and invasion (inhibition 62% and 79% versus mock and AXL-WT, respectively; P < 0.05). This study describes the identification, functional manipulation, in vitro and in vivo validation, and preclinical therapeutic inhibition of a target receptor tyrosine kinase mediating glioma growth and invasion. Our findings implicate Axl in gliomagenesis and validate it as a promising target for the development of approaches toward a therapy of these highly aggressive but, as yet, therapy-refractory, tumors.