The geochemistry and mineralogy of REE deposits is diverse, from carbonatite-related deposits, alkaline rocks, mineral sands and ion adsorption clays to potential by-products of phosphate and bauxite, and reuse of waste materials. Despite the large number of prospects that have been explored recently, very little additional REE production has started. A major challenge is to design effective, cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly processing and extraction. Processing flow sheets have to be constructed carefully for each deposit. Translating geochemistry and mineralogy studies, including quantitative mineralogy results, into processing characteristics can be illustrated using results from the Songwe Hill carbonatite, Malawi. Combining results with other published data then allows us to make some general conclusions about the common REE ore minerals and their geological environment, including the REE fluorcarbonate series, monazite and xenotime. The use of chemicals for REE extraction is often the largest environmental burden to mitigate. A new issue is that certain REE, such as Ce, are in oversupply, and are not being recovered in some proposed processing flowsheets. It will be important to understand the environmental and commercial implications of this development.


Author(s): Fitzgerald, Sean Patrick | Advisor(s): Lenihan, Hunter S | Abstract: Globally, most fisheries are managed ineffectively. Model-based stock assessments that estimate biomass-based reference points work well for sustainably managing data-rich fisheries, but small-scale fisheries typically lack the data and/or resources needed to perform these assessments. These fisheries comprise the majority of fisheries worldwide, and they require alternative monitoring and assessment methods to better understand fishing's impact on targeted populations and to enhance the sustainability of fished stocks. In this dissertation, I focus on the application of alternative monitoring and assessment techniques to improve understanding and management of two invertebrate fisheries in the Santa Barbara Channel (SBC) in southern California (CA). The first two chapters focus on the multispecies southern CA rock crab fishery, which experienced rapid growth from 2010 to 2015 in the SBC. However, rock crab stock health has never been assessed because substantial biological data limitations exist, species-specific catch data is often unreported, and effort data is not available in this fishery. In the first chapter, I performed five data-limited assessments in an effort to identify any early warning signs of depletion in the fishery. Methods selection was supported by novel decision support software (FishPath) designed to facilitate the selection of context-appropriate assessment and management options for coastal fisheries. Expert opinion of stakeholders was vital when interpreting the suite of assessment results, which suggested that the rock crab fishery may be experiencing serial depletion, effort creep, and regional overfishing. The approach taken delivers a widely applicable means for improving understanding of fishery impacts in data limited circumstances, and I suggest a proactive management strategy to address warning signs of overfishing for southern CA rock crab.In chapter two, I employed a collaborative approach to further assess these early warning signs of overfishing. The rock crab fishery is managed as one assemblage despite life history differences across species and space, as well as spatial variation in fishing effort and species composition of the catch. Uniformly managing such a complex system renders it difficult to assess which rock crab stocks are most affected by the increased fishing pressure in the SBC. I tested for stock-specific declines by replicating a 2008 study in 2016-17, where local fishers collected key fishery-dependent indicator data across the SBC and I compared indicator values between studies. Spatially explicit multiple regression analyses revealed significant declines in male crab sizes, overall CPUE, and the proportion of crab retained (versus discarded) for all heavily targeted stocks. Evidence of decline varied with species, location, and sex, but overall, fishers caught fewer pounds of crab per trap in 2016-17 than in 2008. This work provides a foundation for an adaptive, spatially explicit, empirical management strategy for southern CA rock crab, which may help fishers to avoid financial loss and further depletion of certain stocks. It also demonstrates that relatively simple collaborative approaches can provide valuable insight into complex fishery systems in need of improved management. In chapter three, I focus on the use of no-take marine reserves as a tool for fisheries management. Marine reserves are a widely used and successful strategy for conserving biodiversity, but their ability to benefit adjacent fisheries through spillover of larvae, juveniles, and adults is often uncertain. Assessing fishery-related benefits of individual reserves requires careful evaluation on a case-by-case basis. This chapter examines spillover contributions from a no-take marine reserve network established in 2003 at the Northern Channel Islands, CA to the southern CA spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery. Collaborative fisheries research (CFR) in 2006-08 found considerable population increases within these reserves and potential spillover across reserve borders. I replicated the 2006-08 effort in two reserves in 2018 to quantify further accumulation of biomass inside the reserves, and to test whether spillover led to increased trap yield outside reserve borders following 15 years of reserve protection. The study design controlled for individual reserve characteristics, fisher behavior, and environmental conditions. I found that catch per trap increased 125–465% deep within reserves, 223–331% near outer reserve boundaries, and did not increase at control sites. Spillover therefore contributes to enhanced catch for the Southern CA spiny lobster fishery, and this study illustrates the utility of CFR for assessing the effectiveness of marine reserves as fishery management tools worldwide. As a whole, this dissertation exemplifies the use of collaborative, alternative approaches to stock monitoring and assessment that can be applied to improve the management of small-scale fisheries worldwide.


Advancing our knowledge about cues to deception is crucial to successful deception detection. A lengthy list of cues to deception has been identified via a myriad of deception studies. Nonetheless, we identified two major limitations of existing cues to deception: the lack of cues in computer-mediated communication and in non-Western group communication. In this research, we aim to make some contributions to addressing this line of inquiry. We conducted an empirical study on cues to deception using a large real-world online Chinese community. Through hypotheses testing, we observed a number of interesting findings. For example, we found that deceivers tended to communicate less and showed low complexity and high diversity in their messages. These findings provide significant implications to deception research and the broad online communication community.


Single-layer Fe films 800 A thick, with and without a 10-A-thick Ag buffer layer, were prepared at various growtht emperature,Tg, on GaAs(001) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. For Tg around 200 °C, high-quality single crystal films were obtained without the Ag buffer layer. For Tg ⩽100 °C, a defect structure was observed in the iron layer. However, the addition of an ultrathin Ag buffer layer between GaAs and Fe has the desirable effects of eliminating the defect structure and significantly enhancing the FMR absorption.


The mixed effects of heat and charge transports have been studied at room temperature for Ni∕Cu and Co∕Cu multilayers with currents perpendicular to the interfaces as well as Ni and Co homogeneous nanowires. In order to carry out this analysis, magnetothermogalvanic voltage (MTGV) measurements have been performed. The method consists in monitoring an alternating voltage response that arises when an oscillation of the temperature of the nanostructure is applied and a steady current crosses the nanostructure. Different responses were observed for thicknesses of the ferromagnetic layer larger or shorter than the spin diffusion length. Qualitatively different MTGV profiles were also observed for Ni and Co homogeneous nanowires. These results demonstrate the importance of spin relaxation processes produced in ferromagnetic/nonferromagnetic (FM/NF) interfaces as well as in FM layers for the MTGV response.


Background/Context High schools are under increasing pressure to move beyond just graduating students, and many high schools today continue to have low rates of student retention and learning, particularly for students from traditionally low-performing subgroups. Differential dropout rates, wherein low-income students, minorities, and English language learners leave school at higher rates than other students, only compound the problem. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study In this study, we examine differences in instructional quality between two higher and two lower value-added high schools, as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – Secondary (CLASS-S). It explores (1) differences in levels of instructional quality, (2) differences in the proportions of students taking advanced courses, and (3) differences in the way teachers think and talk about their classroom challenges. Research Design This is a mixed methods study that combines data from classroom observation protocols with teacher interview data. We use multilevel statistical models to address the first two research questions and emergent, inductive coding to determine commonalities within schools in how teachers implement higher-quality instructional practices. Findings/Results We find that the average difference in instructional quality, as measured by the CLASS-S, was not very wide across our four case study schools and that the biggest differences were between the two higher value-added high schools. Our interview data suggest that teachers in the two higher value-added schools are more proactive about providing emotional support and preventing behavioral problems, and intentional about attending to content and engaging students in higher-order thinking. Conclusions/Recommendations The lack of variation in classroom instructional practice across schools also suggests the need to attend to the ways that schools support academic learning outside of the classroom. Qualitative findings signal that the quality of classroom instruction is not the only critical input to students' learning gains when trying to identify what leads schools to place highly in value-added rankings.


Unilateral ablation of cerebral cortical areas 4 and 6 of Brodmann in the macaque monkey results in a dense contralateral hemiplegia that recovers partially with time. During the phase of dense hemiplegia, the local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (lCMRGlc) is decreased significantly in the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus of the hemisphere ipsilateral to the lesion. In the present study, lCMRGlc in the basal ganglia was studied during the phase of partial recovery of motor activity. lCMRGlc was partially restored, and the greatest degree of restoration occurred in structures with direct connections to the cerebral cortex (caudate nucleus, putamen, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus). Restoration was least in structures that do not receive direct connections from the cerebral cortex (the internal and external segments of the globus pallidus). The findings support the hypothesis that corticofugal activity accounts for a substantial degree of functional recovery.


This paper proposes the notion of Nodalism as a means describing contemporary culture and of understanding my own creative practice in electronic music composition. It draws on theories and ideas from Kirby, Bauman, Bourriaud, Deleuze, Guatarri, and Gochenour, to demonstrate how networks of ideas or connectionist neural models of cognitive behaviour can be used to contextualize, understand and become a creative tool for the creation of contemporary electronic music.


Over the course of half a century, the first two kings of the Saxon dynasty, Henry I (919-936) and Otto I (936-973), waged war across the length and breadth of Europe. Ottonian armies campaigned from the banks of the Oder in the east to the Seine in the west, and from the shores of the Baltic Sea in the north, to the Adriatic and Mediterranean in the south. In the course of scores of military operations, accompanied by diligent diplomatic efforts, Henry and Otto recreated the empire of Charlemagne, and established themselves as the hegemonic rulers in Western Europe. This book shows how Henry I and Otto I achieved this remarkable feat, and provides a comprehensive analysis of the organization, training, morale, tactics, and strategy of Ottonian armies over a long half century. Drawing on a vast array of sources, including exceptionally important information developed through archaeological excavations, it demonstrates that the Ottonian kings commanded very large armies in military operations that focused primarily on the capture of fortifications, including many fortress cities of Roman origin. This long-term military success shows that Henry I and Otto I, building upon the inheritance of their Carolingian predecessors, and ultimately that of the late Roman empire, possessed an extensive and well-organized administration, and indeed, bureaucracy, which mobilized the resources that were necessary for the successful conduct of war. David S. Bachrach is Associate Professor of History at the University of New Hampshire.


In March 2008 Canada's newest watchdog, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, was appointed with considerable fanfare and widespread support. Two years later the record of achievements is considerable – five economic and fiscal updates and more than twenty research reports, all of which have been widely praised – but both the post and its first incumbent, Kevin Page, have also proven highly controversial. This article explores the development of the office and the problems that have surfaced since the Parliamentary Budget Officer was appointed.


Are normative reasons based in our desires, or are they instead grounded in our rational faculties? A familiar way of approaching this question focuses on the fact that individuals are often motivated by very different concerns. Our desires seem to provide us with operative or motivating reasons that are not shared by others, and the question is whether desires can also provide us with different good or normative reasons. Reasons internalism is the view that an agent's normative reasons for action must be within the reach of his or her interest and understanding. Many contemporary followers of Hume as well as Kant endorse this view, but their versions of internalism differ in one key respect. The Humean view is that reasons are relative to the particular motivations of individuals and thus not universally shared. In contrast, the Kantian view is that being fully rational involves converging on reasons that all agents share as such. But what is common to both of these versions of reasons internalism is a focus on the relative powers of the faculties of reason and desire. Hegel, however, introduces an interesting and distinctive way of approaching the question of the source or grounding of normative reasons. Instead of focusing exclusively on the relative powers of inner faculties, Hegel proposes that what we have reasons to do depends largely upon how we understand ourselves within an actual social space. We will consider three different versions of this claim, the most plausible of which sheds new light on reasons internalism. We need not think that there are only two possibilities: either reasons are universal or they are relative to subjective motivations. Instead, what distinguishes a Hegelian approach is the contention that what counts as normative depends in part upon fundamental self-conceptions that we share as participants in a complex social world.


Well log rock physics and seismic facies analysis was carried out with a view to enhancing reservoir sand characterization of Mafe Field of Niger Delta . Lithofacies were identified using suites of well logs and correlated across the block. Rock properties were estimated from wireline logs using empirical methods. Vp-porosity crossplot was used to characterize the delineated sandstone reservoirs by comparing observed clusters and trends with various rock physics models. Seismic attribute analysis was employed to detect lateral changes in lithology across the field. Reservoir A is a relatively clean sand, with low average volume of shale of 0.4, average thickness of 55m, good average porosity of 0.26 and average water saturation of 0.45. Reservoir B is also a relatively clean sand with low average volume of shale of 0.35, average thickness of 85m, high average porosity of 0.27 and average water saturation of  0.54. Reservoir C has an estimated volume of shale of 0.21 average total porosity of 0.23, and an average thickness of 70m with average water saturation of 0.65. Reservoir A conforms to the friable sand model while Vp-porosity crossplot cluster trend for both reservoir B and C show trend and properties imitating the contact cement model. The time slices extracted at different time intervals from the envelope and instantaneous frequency cubes show lateral variation in lithofacies across the delineated sandstones. Instantaneous frequency decreases from southwest to northeast which corresponds to decrease in shalines. Reservoir quality information can be predicted or even derived from the estimated petrophysical properties since these parameters such as porosity and volume of shale are sometimes closely associated with rock properties such as sorting, lithofacies and grain maturity.


Some minority groups manage well in the Western education system; others do not. In this paper we investigate the role of parental education and family relations in explaining the relatively-high school performance among youth of Vietnamese origin in Norway. Differences in parental education and family relations can also help us to understand the internal differences in school performance of these young people. We use quantitative register data, qualitative data from in-depth interviews and survey data. Our results indicate that parental education does not explain their offspring's relatively high educational performance, nor does parental education per se seem to impact as much compared to pupils of majority background. The qualitative data suggest that family relations can provide a more promising approach to understanding these Vietnamese youths' educational success and differences. This is partly supported by the survey data, althoug the correlations are weaker than expected.


"Retirement is defined as the termination of gainful work that is, of activities one of whose aims is that of obtaining wealth, profit or other social rewards." With this definition, Dr Shenk proceeds with her study of retirement and its effects on a specific ethnic community within the United States, the Lebanese-Americans. While traditional sociocultural attitudes toward aging and the elderly are positive and sympathetic among Lebanese, these attitudes are not necessarily the views of the larger, non-ethnic American population - a situation already setting up contraries in a delicate area. The Lebanese-American, for example, is unhappy with the income social Security payments provide upon retirement in the US: the money is not adequate to support the quality of life these people had expected. For analytic purposes, this study is divided into four phases: (1) preparation and anticipation; (2) the actual moment of withdrawal from the active labour force; (3) initial adjustment to the new way of life; and (4) the patterned, established retirement itself. An important element in all of this is the changing patterns within the host community - the US - where retirement does not necessarily mean the end of useful activities, that the new retiree may very well elect to continue in some active, even gainful activity. Leisure, care of the elderly, mobility, and aging and retirement of women are also discussed - all of this supported by a careful description of the Lebanese in history and as emigrants to America.


Introduction: Alzheimer's disease is one of the most prevalent brain neurodegenerative diseases and the most common cognitive deficits are memory dysfunction and spatial perception impairment. Progesterone has a neorostroid action in hippocampal neurogenesis, synaptic stability and spatial learning and memory and has antioxidant effect. Since oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and conflicting results were reported about the effects of progesterone on therefore in Alzheimer's, the present study investigated the effect of microinjection of three doses of progesterone on the process of spatial memory and lipid peroxidation and total peroxidation in the hippocampus in the experimental model of AD. Methods: 42 adult male Wistar rats weighting 250±50 g were randomly divided into six main groups (n=7): control group, sham group, Alzheimer's model (intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin), Alzheimer model + progesterone (0.5, 1.5, 2µg/kg). 2 weeks after injection of streptozotocin (3 mg/kg), Alzheimer's was induced then progesterone injected in different doses. After termination of behavioral testing days, the hippocampus was removed to measure the levels of oxidative stress parameter to measure levels of oxidative stress parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Results showed that intraventricular injection of STZ decreased spatial memory in comparison to control group (P<0.001). Administration progesterone significantly improved spatial memory in experimental models of Alzheimer's rats (P<0.001). MDA and SOD in all doses of progesterone showed a significant reduction compared to the AD animals (P<0.001). Conclusion: Progesterone can prevent a decrease in spatial learning and memory by reducing oxidative stress in the hippocampus of rats with Alzheimer's.


The purpose of this study was to explore the desire, use, benefits and costs of 'take home exams' in assessment as an alternative to an assignment or invigilated exam. There were two motivations driving this need to understand the use of a 'take home exam'. Firstly, our students live in a digital world and need to have the skills to use all technologies this world offers in their application of knowledge. Yet invigilated exams require all digital devices to be left at the door. Assignments tend to be conducted over a larger time period with support from fellow students and teaching faculty available. However, a 'take home exam' gives the student an opportunity to apply their knowledge to a given problem or question on their own, in a short period of time and using all available resources. The skills developed during this process may be different to those required to undertake assignments or invigilated exams. The increased emphasis on job ready skills would naturally favour students applying their knowledge in a real time environment during assessment. The second motivation was more pragmatic and relates to the cost of scheduling, organising and recruiting exam centres and exam invigilators. The rise in distance and on-line education could mean that the use of 'take home exams' could become more wide spread. This type of assessment would not be appropriate for all courses, however, if just a small number of courses were suitable for such assessment there are potential cost savings for institutions and this could help long term sustainability.


: The dose-effect dependence in the dose interval 5-20 Gy the LD50 for L929 cell culture has been investigated. It is 11.8 Gy. After successive irradiation with 12 Gy LD50 of surviving cell has grown to 14 and 16 Gy. The acquisition of radioresistance is accompanied with the increase of cell polymorphism, quantity of intercellular contacts and multikaryon structure formation.


Introduction Incidence and mortality of haematological malignancies have been increasing in Brazil, as a great number of individuals reach the age of 60 years. The aim of this study was to analyse patterns of mortality from haematological cancers in older Brazilians. Methods Deaths from haematological malignancies in individuals of 60 or more years in 11 States were identified in the Mortality Information System, a population-based nationwide registry. Population data was obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Polynomial regression was used to analyse trends in age-adjusted and age-specific mortality rates. Results Leukaemia showed the highest rates, varying from 11.96 to 17.58 per 100 000. Trends of increment were observed in three States, while a declining trend was observed in one. Mortality rates of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma ranged between 6.64 and 16.35 per 100 000 and presented regional variability, with declining trends in South and Southeast States and increments in Central-West States. Mortality rates for myeloma showed steady increasing trends in four States. For Hodgkin's disease, declining trends were seen in two States. Trends of increment were observed for leukaemia and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the 80 or more age-group. Conclusions The Southeast is the most industrialised Brazilian region with major petroleum exploitation and petroleum-based industries. The South and the Central-West are areas of extensive agriculture. Although the aetiology of these malignancies is still largely undefined, they have some common potential risk factors (solvents, pesticides) which could have contributed to the observed trends. These findings need further analysis to better characterise mortality patterns.


Student leadership identity is fast becoming one of the most critical challenges educational institutions face today. However, mental health counselors may be limited in the amount of education and training received as they become leaders in the field. There is currently no known mandate at the master's level for leadership embedded within the counseling curriculum in the educational environment, although research suggests otherwise. The purpose of this correlational predictive empirical study was to investigate leadership identity characteristics as measured by the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale, Revision 2 (SLRS-R2), moderated by demographic factors. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine outcome measures of the SLRS-R2 relating to leadership. Conclusions and suggestions for future practice regarding leadership skill development are provided.


Planktonic populations were sampled over a 4 week period in the NW Mediterranean, at a site subject to little vertical advection during the Dynaproc 2 cruise in 2004. The characteristics of the phytoplankton, the tintinnid community and the zooplankton have recently been described in detail. Based on these studies, we compared the characteristics of 3 well-circumscribed assemblages of different trophic levels: Ceratiumof the phytoplankton, herbivorous tintinnids of the microzooplankton, and large ( >500μm) omnivorous and carnivorous copepods of the metazoan zooplankton. In all three groups, diversity as H' or species richness, was less variable than concentration of organisms. Plotting time against species accumulation, the curves approached plateau values forCeratiumspp, tintinnids and large copepods but only a small number of species were consistently present (core species) and these accounted for most of the populations. ForCeratiumcore species numbered 10, for tintinnids 11 species, and for large copepods, core species numbered 4 during the day and 16 at night. Ceratium, tintinnids and large copepods showed some similar patterns of community structure in terms of species abundance distributions. Ceratium species were distributed in a log-normal pattern. Tintinnid species showed a log-series distribution. Large copepod assemblages were highly dominated with night samples showing much higher abundances and greater species richness than day samples. However, species abundance distributions were similar between day and night and were mostly logCorrespondence to: J. Dolan (email@example.com) normal. The paradox of the plankton, describing phytoplankton communities as super-saturated with species, extends to the microzooplankton and zooplankton.


The AAPM celebrates past and current contributions of distinguished female scientists to medical physics in the areas of radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy, as well as in some non‐traditional areas of medical physics, such as mechanics, optics and electromagnetism. The impact of female medical physicists' work at the scientific, educational and professional levels will be analyzed and key individuals will be recognized. Among the twenty female charter members, the achievement of at least three of them was extraordinarily. Mary Louise Meurk won the AAPM Award for Achievement in Medical Physics; Edith Quimby, the AAPM William D. Coolidge Award, and Rosalyn A. Yalow, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine! Many more women joined the AAPM after them. Some were elected to lead the organization. Among the AAPM female officers, there have been two presidents, one secretary and six treasurers. Women have been very active in medical physics world‐wide. In Europe, the majority of medical physicists in clinical settings are women. The symposium will present an overview of the advancement of several medical physics applications in both diagnosis and therapy and will introduce novel methods of physics teaching such as explaining the physics of soccer. The future of the profession and the impact of the increasing number of women joining it will be addressed.


: Acetylsalicylate and salicylate partially desensitized fructose 1,6-biphosphatase from rabbit liver and skeletal muscle to allosteric AMP inhibition. The desensitization was accompanied by a decrease in cooperativity between allosteric sites especially distinct for the liver isoenzyme. The effect of salicylate on both isoenzymes was more pronounced than that of acetylsalicylate. No essential differences in the effect of the compounds studied on these isoenzymes were found.


The CeTIn5 superconductors (T=Co, Rh, or Ir) have generated great interest due to their relatively high transition temperatures, non-Fermi liquid behavior, and their proximity to antiferromagnetic order and quantum critical points. In contrast to small changes with the T-species, electron doping in CeT(In1 xMx)5 with M=Sn and hole doping with Cd or Hg have a dramatic effect on the electronic properties at very low concentrations. The present work reports local structure measurements using the extended x-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) technique that address the substituent atom distribution as a function of T, M, and x, in the vicinity of the superconducting phase. Together with previous measurements for M=Sn, the proportion of the M atom residing on the In(1) site, fIn(1), increases in the order M=Cd, Sn, and Hg, ranging from about 40% to 70%, showing a strong preference for each of these substituents to occupy the In(1) site (random occupation = 20%). In addition, fIn(1) ranges from 70% to 100% for M=Hg in the order T=Co, Rh, and Ir. These fractions track the changes in the atomic radii of the various species, and help explain the sharp dependence of Tc on substituting into the In site. However, it is difficult to reconcile the small concentrations of M with the dramatic changes in the ground state in the hole-doped materials with only an impurity scattering model. These results therefore indicate that while such substitutions have interesting local atomic structures with important electronic and magnetic consequences, other local changes in the electronic and magnetic structure are equally important in determining the bulk properties of these materials.


When performing railway track stiffness analyses, in current standards sleepers are often regarded as a rigid member. For flexible sleeper materials like timber or polymers, this may lead to underestimating rail deflections up to a factor two and overestimating rail seat loads up to 20%. Calculations incorporating sleeper bending can currently be performed analytically by a two-layer beam-on-elastic-foundation calculation, or by finite element analyses, but a simple approach does not yet exist. This article introduces a simple calculation method to establish rail deflections, track stiffness and rail seat loads, incorporating the effects of both bending and shear stiffness of the sleeper, applicable to new or tamped track. A sleeper flexibility factor fS is introduced as a deformation multiplication factor compared with a rigid sleeper. Validation against current calculation models shows a deformation accuracy within 6% and a load accuracy within 2%. When a track is not maintained, a gap will develop under the sleeper at the rail seat. The size of this gap correlates to the stiffness of the sleeper. Eventually a uniform load distribution can develop under the sleeper. A calculation method is introduced to estimate the gap and the track behaviour at uniform load distribution. When for flexible sleepers the track deflection due to the gap can develop outside of the desired range, timely track maintenance or monitoring is advised.


One of the fundamental questions in areas of large-magnitude extension and magmatism is the role of the mantle in the extension process. The Lake Mead area is ideally suited for developing models that link crustal and mantle processes because it contains both mantle and crustal boundaries and it was the site of large-magnitude crustal extension and magmatism during Miocene time. In the Lake Mead area, the boundary between the amagmatic zone and the northern Colorado River extensional corridor parallels the Lake Mead fault system and is situated just to the north of Lake Mead. This boundary formed between 11 and 6 Ma during, and just following, the peak of extension and corresponds to a contact between two mantle domains. During thinning and replacement of the lithospheric mantle in the northern Colorado River extensional corridor, the lithospheric mantle in the amagmatic zone remained intact. Contrasting behavior to the north and south of this boundary may have produced the mantle domain boundary. The domain to the north of the boundary is characterized by mafic lavas with a lithospheric mantle isotopic and geochemical signature (ϵ Nd = -3 to -9; 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.706-0.707). To the south of the boundary in the northern Colorado River extensional corridor, lavas have an ocean island basalt (OIB)-mantle signature and appear to have only a minor lithospheric mantle component in their source (ϵ Nd = 0 to +4; 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.703-0.705). Mafic lavas of the northern Colorado River extensional corridor represent the melting of a complex and variable mixture of asthenospheric mantle, lithospheric mantle, and crust. Pliocene alkali basalt magmas of the Fortification Hill field represent the melting of a source composed of a mixture of asthenospheric mantle, high U/Pb (HIMU)-like mantle, and lithospheric mantle. Depth of melting of alkali basalt magmas remained relatively constant from 12 to 6 Ma during, and just after, the peak of extension but probably increased between 6 and 4.3 Ma following extension. Miocene and Pliocene low ϵ Nd and high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr magmas and tholeiites at Malpais Flattop were derived from a lithospheric mantle source and were contaminated as they passed through the crust. The shift in isotopic values due to crustal interaction is no more than 4 units in ϵ Nd and 0.002 in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and does not mask the character of the mantle source. The change in source of basalts from lithospheric mantle to asthenospheric mantle with time, the OIB character of the mafic lavas, and the HIMU-like mantle component in the source are compatible with the presence of rising asthenosphere, as an upwelling convective cell, or plume beneath the northern Colorado River extensional corridor during extension. The Lake Mead fault system, a major crustal shear zone, parallels the mantle domain boundary. The Lake Mead fault system may locally represent the crustal manifestation of differential thinning of the lithospheric mantle.


Located in the Lower Centaurus Crux group, HD 106906 is a young, binary stellar system. This system is unique among discovered systems in that it contains an asymmetrical debris disk, as well as an 11 M Jup planet companion, at a separation of ∼735 au. Only a handful of other systems are known to contain both a disk and a directly imaged planet, where HD 106906 is the only one in which the planet has apparently been scattered. The debris disk is nearly edge-on and extends to roughly >500 au, where previous studies with the Hubble Space Telescope have shown the outer regions to have high asymmetry. To better understand the structure and composition of the disk, we have performed a deep polarimetric study of HD 106906's asymmetrical debris disk using newly obtained H-, J-, and K1-band polarimetric data from the Gemini Planet Imager. An empirical analysis of our data supports a disk that is asymmetrical in surface brightness and structure, where fitting an inclined ring model to the disk spine suggests that the disk may be highly eccentric (e ≳ 0.16). A comparison of the disk flux with the stellar flux in each band suggests a blue color that also does not significantly vary across the disk. We discuss these results in terms of possible sources of asymmetry, where we find that dynamical interaction with the planet companion, HD 106906b, is a likely candidate.


We study the relation between distillability of multipartite states and violation of Bell's inequality. We prove that there exist multipartite bound entangled states (i.e., nonseparable, nondistillable states) that violate a multipartite Bell inequality. This implies that (i) violation of Bell's inequality is not a sufficient condition for distillability and (ii) some bound entangled states cannot be described by a local hidden variable model.


Background: Smoking in pregnancy is known to be associated with a range of adverse pregnancy outcomes, yet there is a high prevalence of smoking among pregnant women in many countries, and it remains a major public health concern. We have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide contemporary estimates of the association between maternal smoking in pregnancy and the risk of stillbirth. Methods: We searched four databases namely MEDLINE, EMBASE, Psych Info and Web of Science for all relevant original studies published until 31 December 2012. We included observational studies that measured the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the risk of stillbirth. Results: 1766 studies were screened for title analysis, of which 34 papers (21 cohorts, 8 case controls and 5 cross sectional studies) met the inclusion criteria. In meta-analysis smoking during pregnancy was significantly associated with a 47% increase in the odds of stillbirth (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.37, 1.57, p < 0.0001). In subgroup analysis, smoking 1-9 cig/day and ≥10 cig/day was associated with an 9% and 52% increase in the odds of stillbirth respectively. Subsequently, studies defining stillbirth at ≥ 20 weeks demonstrated a 43% increase in odds for smoking mothers compared to mothers who do not smoke, (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.32, 1.54, p < 0.0001), whereas studies with stillbirth defined at ≥ 24 weeks and ≥ 28 weeks showed 58% and 33% increase in the odds of stillbirth respectively. Conclusion: Our review confirms a dose-response effect of maternal smoking in pregnancy on risk of stillbirth. To minimise the risk of stillbirth, reducing current smoking prevalence in pregnancy should continue to be a key public health high priority.


Background: Clinical evaluation of patients with diabetes or after myocardial infarction (MI) with preserved left ventricular (LV) systolic function is not very precise in isolating patients at particularly high risk of developing manifest cardiac failure and associated cardiovascular incident. Early diagnosis of LV diastolic dysfunction is essential because implementation of the appropriate treatment can positively affect the course of the disease. Aim: To assess the impact of LV diastolic function on B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration at rest and immediately after exercise test, and to search for the relationship between LV diastolic function and BNP secretion, tolerance, and duration of exercise in the studied groups of patients. Methods: Ninety-nine consecutive patients were qualified for the study: in Group 1 — patients with type 2 diabetes without a history of MI, and in Group 2 — patients after MI with preserved LV systolic function (ejection fraction ≥ 40%), without diabetes. The studied patients had echocardiography with LV systolic and diastolic function evaluation, an electrocardiographic exercise test and blood sampling for BNP determination before and immediately after exercise test. Results: The study included 99 patients aged 40–75 years (60 patients after MI and 39 patients with diabetes). The study group included 62 patients who were diagnosed with diastolic dysfunction. Diastolic dysfunction occurred in 41 (68.4%) patients in the group after MI, and in 21 (53.8%) patients in the group with diabetes, severe disorders in the form of pseudonormal and restrictive mitral valve inflow occurred in 13 (21.7%) and five (12.8%), respectively. The average BNP concentration in patients with severe diastolic dysfunction at rest was 188.3 vs. 25.2 pg/mL in patients with normal diastolic function (p < 0.001). In all patients with severe diastolic dysfunction BNP after exercise was 285.2 vs. 37.5 pg/mL in patients with normal diastolic function, and the increase in BNP during exercise was 96.9 vs. 12.4 pg/mL, respectively. Duration of exercise and exercise tolerance in patients with normal diastolic function was better in comparison with the studied patients with disturbed diastolic function, but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: The BNP initial concentration and its value immediately after exercise were significantly higher in subjects with severe diastolic disorders than those in subjects with normal LV diastolic function and in subjects with impaired LV relaxation.


We analyze the effect of an infinite planar perfectly conducting surface on the physical and statistical properties of an otherwise ideal reverberant field. The surface induces statistical uniaxial field anisotropy at a distance, and its effect can be characterized based on calculable local field polarization and anisotropy coefficients that exhibit a damped oscillatory behavior as a function of the distance to the surface. It is shown, both theoretically and experimentally, that compound exponential (CE) distribution functions with a degenerate polarization coefficient as parameter govern the statistics of the local energy density and amplitude of the vector field near the surface. The influence of adjacent walls is taken into account by a transverse field anisotropy coefficient and gives rise to bifurcation of the polarization coefficient. The effect of the transverse field anisotropy on the statistics of the energy density, field amplitude, and their sample maxima as a function of distance to the surface is quantified. It is found that the increase in the expected value of the maximum electric field strength caused by the presence of the surface is of the order of 1 dB. Theoretical results are validated against measured data. A theoretical derivation based on a spectral plane-wave expansion for this configuration is given. The results are relevant to applications in which a sensor, test artefact or critical component in immunity testing is relatively close to a conducting surface, in aperture coupling between cavities, and in emissions measurement of total radiated power.


Measuring pollutant gases for real-time air quality monitoring is a challenging task that claims a lot of time of observation and large numbers of sensors [1]. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with different micro-sensors have been introduced for air quality monitoring, as they can offer new approaches and research opportunities in air pollution and emission monitoring instead of ground-based monitoring systems [2]. UAVs with mobile monitoring devices are an effective, flexible and alternative mean to collect air pollutant concentration data [3]. Hence, deployment of a fleet of UAVs could be considered as an acceptable alternative for the purpose of air monitoring [4]. The aim of this paper is to elaborate performance capabilities of UAVs for effective monitoring of air pollution, providing the ability to measure air pollutants with high sensitivities.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Narcolepsy is strongly associated with the presence of HLA DQB1*0602. This and other evidence suggests that human narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease. This is in distinction to that found in canine models where hypocretin receptor 2 mutations are etiologic. We decided to test for the presence of several neuron-specific and organ-specific autoantibodies to see if they were present in HLA DQB1*0602-associated or cataplexy-associated narcolepsy or could serve as a serologic marker of the illness.

DESIGN
We tested for N-type and P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium-channel antibodies, neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha3 subunit, acetylcholine receptor-binding antibodies, striated muscle antibodies, Type 1 Purkinje cell cytoplasmic antibodies, types 1 and 2 antineuronal nuclear antibodies and amphiphysin antibodies, GAD-65 antibody, and thyroid microsomal and thyroglobulin antibodies in the serum of 43 patients with or without cataplexy, 41 with known HLA status.

SETTING
Narcoleptic subjects were recruited from the Mayo Sleep Disorders Center.

PARTICIPANTS
N/A.

INTERVENTIONS
N/A.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
No antibody test yielded significantly positive results for the group as a whole or for subgroups of patients with cataplexy or positive HLA DQB1*0602 status.

CONCLUSIONS
These results do not support the hypothesis that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease. However, it is possible that the autoimmune attack is very selective and does not involve the epitopes measured in this study. Recent findings that the hypocretin neurotransmission system is involved in animal models of narcolepsy should lead to research to look for antibodies directed against components of the hypocretin neurotransmission system in narcolepsy.


Most quantum communication schemes aim at the long-distance transmission of quantum information. In the quantum repeater concept, the transmission line is subdivided into shorter links interconnected by entanglement distribution via Bell-state measurements to overcome inherent channel losses. This concept requires on-demand single-photon sources with a high degree of multi-photon suppression and high indistinguishability within each repeater node. For a successful operation of the repeater spectral matching of remote quantum light sources is essential. We present a spectrally tunable single-photon source emitting in the telecom O-band with the potential to function as a building block of a quantum communication network based on optical fibers. A thin membrane of GaAs embedding InGaAs quantum dots (QDs) is attached onto a piezoelectric actuator via gold thermocompression bonding. Here the thin gold layer acts simultaneously as an electrical contact, strain transmission medium and broadband backside mirror for the QD-micromesa. The nanofabrication of the QD-micromesa is based on in-situ electron-beam lithography, which makes it possible to integrate pre-selected single QDs deterministically into the center of monolithic micromesa structures. The QD pre-selection is based on distinct single-QD properties, signal intensity and emission energy. In combination with strain-induced fine tuning this offers a robust method to achieve spectral resonance in the emission of remote QDs. We show that the spectral tuning has no detectable influence on the multi-photon suppression with $g^{(2)}(0)$ as low as 2-4% and that the emission can be stabilized to an accuracy of 4 $\mu$eV using a closed-loop optical feedback.


The movements of humans have a significant impact on population health. While studies of such movements are as old as public health itself, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the profile of mobility research using digital technologies to track transmission routes and calculate the effects of health policies, such as lockdowns. In sub-Saharan Africa, the high prevalence of cell phone and smartphone use is a source of potentially valuable mobility data for public health purposes. Researchers can access call data records, passively collected in real time from millions of clients by cell phone companies, and associate these records with other data sets to generate insights, make predictions or draw possible policy implications. The use of mobility data from this source could have a range of significant benefits for society, from better control of infectious diseases, improved city planning, more efficient transportation systems and the optimisation of health resources. We discuss key ethical issues raised by public health studies using mobility data from cell phones in sub-Saharan Africa and identify six key ethical challenge areas: autonomy, including consent and individual or group privacy; bias and representativeness; community awareness, engagement and trust; function creep and accountability; stakeholder relationships and power dynamics; and the translation of mobility analyses into health policy. We emphasise the ethical importance of narrowing knowledge gaps between researchers, policymakers and the general public. Given that individuals do not really provide valid consent for the research use of phone data tracking their movements, community understanding and input will be crucial to the maintenance of public trust.


The nuclei that constitute a crystalline lattice, oscillate relative to each other with a very low energy that is not sufficient to penetrate through the Coulomb barriers separating them. An additional energy, which is needed to tunnel through the barrier and fuse, can be supplied by external electromagnetic waves (X-rays or the synchrotron radiation). Exposing to the X-rays the solid compound LiD (lithium-deuteride) for the duration of 111 hours, we have detected 88 events of the nuclear fusion d+Li6 ---> Be8*. Our theoretical estimate agrees with what we observed. One of possible applications of the phenomenon we found, could be the measurements of the rates of various nuclear reactions (not necessarily fusion) at extremely low energies inaccessible in accelerator experiments.


An extension of the classical thermodynamics to nanometer scale has been conducted to elucidate information regarding size dependence of phase transition functions and binary phase diagrams. The theoretical basis of the extension is Lindemann′s criterion for solid melting, Mott′s expression for vibrational melting entropy, and Shi′s model for size dependent melting temperature. These models are combined into a unified one without adjustable parameters for melting temperatures of nanocrystals. It is shown that the melting temperature of nanocrystals may drop or rise depending on interface conditions and dimensions. The model has been extended and applied to size dependences of melting enthalpy, melting entropy, atomic cohesive energy. Moreover, the above modeling has been utilized to determine the size-dependent continuous binary solution phase diagrams. These thermodynamic approachs have extended the capability of the classical thermodynamics to the thermodynamic phenomena in the nanometer regime.


This article explores an aspect of identity that can be particularly challenging for conflict resolution—negative identity. By negative identity, I mean an identity in which a party implicitly or explicitly defines itself in a negative way, specifically, by way of contrast to some other party. This phenomenon occurs in conflicts ranging from small, interpersonal ones to large-scale conflicts between national, ethnic, and religious groups. Negative identities may make conflicts more likely to arise and also make them more difficult to resolve when they do. Fortunately, there are steps that both parties and neutrals can take to foster conflict resolution in the context of negative identity. These include processes that help parties listen to one another with open minds, engage in self-examination of their own identities, and embrace the range of identities that they hold.


Abstract Culture has long been considered one of the key elements characterising rurality and plays a central role in rural development. While the majority of research on cultural sustainability focuses on specific resources such as heritage or arts, few studies exist on the culture of rural production and life. Focusing on rural villages of Northeastern Japan, this study explores the key to conserving traditional, rural Japanese cultures—including slash-and-burn agriculture, using ash in cooking, and weaving cloth from plant fibres—by examining its spatial, gender, and generational variations, with semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey. Our analysis clarified that these regional cultures have a varied pattern of regional distribution, associated with various factors such as methods and habits of cultural practice, the state of related industries, and commodification of culture. Furthermore, in response to such factors, the cultures showed gender and generational variations of practice, with the former influenced by the segregation of roles, particularly with regard to household labour. Most cultural practices appear to be undertaken by those of advanced years, so encouraging the maintenance of this culture among the younger generation through conservation organisations is vital to revitalising its economic significance. When examining the maintenance of a culture in a particular region, it is valuable to first understand the regional, gender, and generational differences in cultural practice for the various elements from which the overall culture can be distilled.


This working paper reports on the main conclusions of an ambitious handbook project ( Handbook on Regional Cooperation and Integration , published by Edward Elgar). The handbook answers three fundamental questions: Why is regional cooperation needed? Where has it been implemented? What does the empirical evidence tell us about its effectiveness and impact? It is shown that there are strong normative theoretical arguments in favour of regional cooperation in various policy fields, based on a variety of criteria, and in consonance with the realities of multi-level governance and the subsidiarity principle. It is shown that regional cooperation and integration have been implemented all over the world, be it in a variety of forms and modalities. It is finally shown that there is solid empirical evidence of the beneficial effects of regional cooperation or integration for citizens in several areas, even if these effects are sometimes conditional on accompanying factors; in some cases, the evidence is mixed or inconclusive.


Topographic complexity on continental shelves is the catalyst that transforms the barotropic tide into the secondary and residual circulations that dominate vertical and cross-shelf mixing processes. Island wakes are one such example that are observed to significantly influence the transport and distribution of biological and physical scalars. Despite the importance of island wakes, to date, no sufficient, mechanistic description of the physical processes governing their development exists for the general case of unsteady tidal forcing. Controlled laboratory experiments are necessary for the understanding of this complex flow phenomenon. Here, three-dimensional velocity field measurements of cylinder wakes in shallow-water oscillatory flow are conducted across a parameter space that is typical of tidal flow around shallow islands. The wake form in steady flows is typically described in terms of the stability parameter $S=c_{f}D/h$ (where $D$ is the island diameter, $h$ is the water depth and $c_{f}$ is the bottom boundary friction coefficient); in tidal flows, there is an additional dependence on the Keulegan–Carpenter number $KC=U_{0}T/D$ (where $U_{0}$ is the tidal velocity amplitude and $T$ is the tidal period). In this study we demonstrate that when the influence of bottom friction is confined to a Stokes boundary layer the stability parameter is given by $S=\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}/KC$ where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$ is the ratio of the wavelength of the Stokes bottom boundary layer to the depth. Three classes of wake form are observed with decreasing wake stability: (i) steady bubble for $S\gtrsim 0.1$ ; (ii) unsteady bubble for $0.06\lesssim S\lesssim 0.1$ ; and (iii) vortex shedding for $S\lesssim 0.06$ . Transitions in wake form and wake stability are shown to depend on the magnitude and temporal evolution of the wake return flow. Scaling laws are developed to allow upscaling of the laboratory results to island wakes. Vertical and lateral transport depend on three parameters: (i) the flow aspect ratio $h/D$ ; (ii) the amplitude of tidal motion relative to the island size, given by $KC$ ; and (iii) the relative influence of bottom friction to the flow depth, given by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$ . A model of wake upwelling based on Ekman pumping from the bottom boundary layer demonstrates that upwelling in the near-wake region of an island scales with $U_{0}(h/D)KC^{1/6}$ and is independent of the wake form. Finally, we demonstrate an intrinsic link between the dynamical eddy scales, predicted by the Ekman pumping model, and the island wake form and stability.


Objective: Differences between the self-image of persons with typical development and the image they have of their brother or sister with disabilities have been hypothesized in literature, but no specific patterns have been detected with reference to intellectual disability associated or not with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The aim of the study was to address this specific issue. Method: Two Semantic Differentials on self-image vs brother/sister's image were administered to 93 individuals with typical development divided into three groups, matched by age, according to the sibling's condition: Autism with Intellectual Disability, Intellectual Disability without Autism, Typical Development. Severity of impairment and levels of adaptation of disabled brothers/sisters were also taken into account. Results and conclusions: Siblings of individuals with disability perceived the disabled brother/sister as less active and less emotionally stable than themselves, but not demonstrating any significant difference in showing affects and feelings. In future research, specific behaviors associated with ASD need to be controlled in order to better address the differences between the aforementioned groups.


This article discusses a detailed research design to measure entrepreneurship quality, as opposed to entrepreneurship quantity, and to develop a standard entrepreneurship quality measure focusing on high-growth small and often new businesses, based on critiques of previous entrepreneurship measures. Available longitudinal establishment-level data sources for building up the entrepreneurship quality index are introduced and evaluated and the Longitudinal Business Database of the US Census Bureau emerges as the best candidate because of its coverage and timely update. The creation and development of the entrepreneurship quality measure will enable researchers to empirically identify a wide range of economic, social, policy, and firm factors that may affect the development of high-quality entrepreneurship. The creation and development of the entrepreneurship quality measure will also enable researchers to uncover the critical role of high-quality entrepreneurship in economic growth in general and in rural development in particular.


This article represents the particularities of people's blood and bone marrow referent parameters during aging. On the basis of 56 blood parameters of apparently healthy people a mathematical model of blood's morphofunctional state during physical aging was created. The following integral changes have been discovered: in age group of 35-59 years the integral indicator amounts to 0.05 +/- 0.0008, it approaches the benchmark in elderly age (0.02 +/- 0.0001) and becomes negative with people of gerontic age (-0.06 +/- 0.0003). On the basis of 14 selected blood parameters a calculation of referent integral indicators of blood state for healthy people of various age groups was performed, which serve as standards in clinical practice. Out of 70 peripheral blood cells' indicators the integral indicators for patients suffering from community-acquired pneumonia were calculated. The organism reacts to pneumonia most appropriately at the age of 22-34 years (integral indicator amounts to -0.0386). In patients of 35-59 years the integral indicator descends closer to zero mark (-0.0236), pointing to minor reaction to inflammation. Patients over 60 years of age show the biggest divergence of integral indicator from the benchmark (-0.0613), which points to an inadequate reaction of the organism to inflammation in this age. Based on discriminant analysis of 80 indicators (clinical blood analysis, cytograms, cardiac beat count, breath count, C-reactive protein) the most informatory indicators used to create the algorithm for determination of pneumonia severity were chosen.


Corporate donations form a substantial part of social charitable donations in China. Corporate non-monetary asset donations are important in this regard as they bring goods and materials to areas where they are desperately needed. However, the current scope and scale of corporate donations are narrow due to a lack of tax incentives. This paper will explain the incentive effects of the current tax regime by analyzing how asset donations are treated by Chinese taxation laws, from the perspective of macroeconomic policies and market demands. It particularly focuses on the relatively heavy tax burden and limited scope for tax exemptions on corporate asset donations in China. In light of this, we propose some pragmatic suggestions on incentivizing policies that are more suitable for China's current situation, such as increasing the exemptions before tax and allowing exemptions to roll over to future years, developing incentive policies on indirect and property taxes, and establishing the mechanism for third-party price evaluation and equity donation regulation, etc.


The understanding of a folk narrative lies in the underlying principles that govern its composition. This study focuses on structures and culture found in the folk narratives of Sama, an indigenous group in Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines. The paper uses the theory on narratology by French-Lithuanian literary theorist, Algirdas Julien Greimas, and cultural theory by Bronislaw Malinowski to analyze the selected Sama folk narratives. The study reveals that the ten (10) Sama folk narratives collected do not completely follow the theory on narratology of Greimas. This is because the theories used are foreign and the folk literature collected are of local origin. Regardless of this, the study shows that Sama folk narratives reflected the ways of their people. Consequently, Sama folk narratives exemplify their cultural practices. They present social, economic, political, and religious practices. The leaders from the Sama folk were requested to validate the cultural texts gathered for this study. This research highlights the structure of Sama literature and illustrates Sama's cultural heritage by gathering and analyzing their folk narratives so that the rest of the population (the new generation) could have the chance to experience their culture and appreciate it. Also, the researcher further emphasizes the relevance of gathering and using local literature to prevent it from vanishing into oblivion.


A heterozygous Caveolin-1 c.474delA mutation has been identified in a family with heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This frameshift mutation leads to caveolin-1 protein that contains all known functional domains but has a change only in the final 20 amino acids of the C terminus. Here we studied how this mutation alters caveolin-1 function using patient-derived fibroblasts. Transmission electron microscopy showed that fibroblasts carrying the c.474delA mutation formed typical caveolae. Expression of mutated caveolin-1 in caveolin-1-null mouse fibroblasts failed to induce formation of caveolae due to retention of the mutated protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. However, co-expression of wild type caveolin-1 with mutated caveolin-1 restored the ability to form caveolae. Importantly, fibroblasts carrying the mutation showed 2-fold increase in proliferation rate associated with hyper-phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8. This mutation impaired the anti-proliferative function of caveolin-1. Inhibition of type I TGFβ receptors ALK1/2/3/6 responsible for phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 reduced the hyper-proliferation seen in c.474delA fibroblasts. These results demonstrate the critical role of the final 20 amino acids of caveolin-1 in modulating fibroblast proliferation through dampening Smad signaling, and suggest that augmented Smad signaling and fibroblast hyper-proliferation are contributing factors in the pathogenesis of PAH in patients with caveolin-1 c.474delA mutation.


Quanta 450 FEG, discover the "any sample, all data" solution for ultimate versatility and high resolution SEM. Addressing the need to investigate a wide variety of materials and characterize structure and composition, the FEI Quanta™ FEG provides unmatched flexibility to increase both performance and versatility to handle the challenges of today's wide ranging research needs. View any sample and get all the data: surface images and compositional images can be combined with accessories for determining material properties and elemental composition.


Objectives Mozambique has a high prevalence of gynecologic cancers and has no trained gynecologic oncologist or specialized training program. There are challenges associated with creating a training program. Methods The International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Gynecologic Oncology Global Curriculum & Mentorship Program, a two-year program to train gynecologists in gynecologic oncology in countries without training programs, includes self-study, assessments and surgical training with international mentors. The program uses the Project ECHO (Extension for Community HealthCare Outcomes) telementoring model for monthly tumor boards. Fellows present cases, discuss management with international mentors from Brazil and the US, and receive didactic lectures. Fellows record cases in REDCap, a web database, and travel to Brazil for additional study. Results Prior to this program there were limited options for surgical treatment of women with gynecologic tumors in Mozambique. Developing support and resources for a new training program requires fellows and mentors to clearly explain the program to hospital and Ministry of Health leadership. The fellows in Mozambique developed strategies to work and learn together, particularly in the operating room. A senior gynecology faculty member is the local mentor. The program, initiated in 2017, has matured as administrative and resource challenges have been successfully met. Conclusions This program offers a unique opportunity to build a specialty training program with support from an international society and experienced clinicians and lays the foundation to develop a training program. Knowledge, surgical skills and patient care has improved. Patients with gynecologic cancers can now receive care locally, including surgery.


The paper contains an analysis of the basic criteria for the selection of spreading sequences for the multicarrier CDMA (MC-CDMA) systems with spectrum spreading in the frequency domain. It is shown that the time-domain crosscorrelation function between the spreading sequences is not a proper interference measure for the asynchronous MC-CDMA users. Therefore, the spectral correlation function is introduced and, together with the crest factor and the dynamic range of the corresponding multicarrier waveforms, is used for the evaluation of MC-CDMA sequences. Some well-known classes of sequences, such as Walsh, Gold, orthogonal Gold, and Zadoff-Chu sequences, as well as Legandre and Golay complementary sequences, are evaluated with respect to the aforementioned basic criteria. It is also shown that the crest factors of the multicarrier spread spectrum waveforms based on the multilevel Huffman sequences are very close to or even lower than the crest factor of a single sine wave.


Although people are capturing more video with their mobile phones, digital cameras, and other devices, they rarely watch all that video. More commonly, users extract a still image from the video to print or a short clip to share with others. We created a novel interface for browsing through a video keyframe hierarchy to find frames or clips. The interface is shown to be more efficient than scrolling linearly through all keyframes. We developed algorithms for selecting quality keyframes and for clustering keyframes hierarchically. At each level of the hierarchy, a single representative keyframe from each cluster is shown. Users can drill down into the most promising cluster and view representative keyframes for the sub-clusters. Our clustering algorithms optimize for short navigation paths to the desired keyframe. A single keyframe is located using a non-temporal clustering algorithm. A video clip is located using one of two temporal clustering algorithms. We evaluated the clustering algorithms using a simulated search task. User feedback provided us with valuable suggestions for improvements to our system.


This study investigates the influence of citizens' socio-economic characteristics on the presence of social media in county-level government. E-government is ostensibly citizen-driven and therefore variation in an area's demographics would likely impact a government's utilization of emerging technology, such as social media. Despite its transformative potential and widespread adoption, e-government development beyond basic stages has been sluggish. Social media is transforming the nature of interaction among individuals and organizations and has the potential to overcome some of the restrictive challenges of e-government. Understanding if, how, and to what end governments are harnessing social media will help make e-government a citizen-driven, democratic, transparent, and trustworthy platform. County governments are challenged by their size, resource scarcity, heterogeneous service area (urban and rural), and varying population density; thereby preventing them from gaining a critical mass of online users. By exploring social media's role in e-government as related to citizen demographic factors, this study reveals an important paradoxical role of social media in government: operational ineffectiveness as a necessary precursor for exception events. Additional results reveal the presence of digital divide - counties with higher median household income and educational qualification tend to have social media presence in their e-government sites, which is also not related to population growth of the counties.


One of the leading food retail chains, 'Spencers' have established backward linkages with farmers for procuring fresh fruits and vegetables. The main strategy of this system ensures a steady and continuous supply of fresh vegetables to the food retail chain and flow of income to farmers. This linkage has been able to change the method of farming and the marketing arrangement followed by the food retail chains. The marketing arrangement by Spencers food retail chain has reduced the market risks and transaction cost of farmers and has helped them in breaking away from the clutches of traditional brokers/wholesalers/commission agents. Direct supply by farmers has allowed the retail chain to simultaneously increase control over quality, supply reliability and price stability. An added advantage of this model is that it provides flexibility to the farmers to exit from this system, if they are not satisfied with its functioning, since there are no written contracts. This model of linkage is specially suited to small and marginal farmers and improves their economic conditions by providing an opportunity to grow and supply high-value vegetables round the year at a fairly decent price. The study has analyzed the impact of food retail chain linkage on farmers.


At the heart of South Africa's 'miracle' transition from intractable ethno-racial conflict to democracy was an improvised nation born out of war weariness, hope, idealism and calculated pragmatism on the part of the elites who negotiated the compromise settlement. In the absence of any of the conventional bonds of national consciousness, the improvised nation was fixed on the civic identity and national citizenship envisaged in the new constitution. In the twentieth anniversary year of the country's democracy, "South Africa" reviews the progress of nation-building in post-apartheid South Africa, assesses how well the improvised nation has been embedded in a shared life for South Africans and offers a prognosis for its future. It draws up a socio-economic profile of the population which is the raw material of nation-building. It measures the contributions of the polity and the constitution, religion and values, as well as sport and the media, to building a sense of national citizenship. The book explains the abrupt discontinuity between the contributions of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki to nation-building and goes on to note the changing focus from reconciliation between black and white to include a concern for social cohesion in a society beset by violent crime, corruption and citizen deviance and dissidence. "South Africa" reconsiders the short, intense life cycle of Afrikaner nationalism and portrays the ambiguous relationships between African nationalism, non-racialism, civic nationalism and 'African tradition' in the ideology and practice of the African National Congress. In doing so, it provides a comprehensive analysis of a crucial aspect of South Africa's first twenty years of democracy, as well as exploring intriguing questions for the student of nationalism.


We use air gun shots recorded by ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) to generate a three‐dimensional (3D)P‐wave tomographic velocity model of the Trans‐Atlantic Geotraverse (TAG) segment of the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, and to search for evidence of reflections from a shallow crustal fault interface. Near‐vertical reflections were observed in some of the seismic records from OBSs deployed within the active seismicity zone defined by microearthquake hypocenters. Forward modeling of synthetic seismograms indicates that these reflections are consistent with a fault interface dipping at a low angle toward the ridge axis. Our observations suggest that the fault zone may extend beneath the volcanic blocks forming the eastern valley wall. Our 3D tomographic results show that the across‐axis structural asymmetry associated with detachment faulting extends at least 15 km to the east of the ridge axis, indicating that detachment faulting and uplifting of deep lithologies has been occurring at the TAG segment for at least the last ∼1.35 Myr. The velocity model contains a 5 km by 8 km velocity anomaly within the detachment footwall. This anomaly, which is present beneath the active TAG hydrothermal mound, is characterized by a velocity inversion at 1.5–2.0 km below seafloor underlain by reducedP‐wave velocities (∼6.2–6.5 km/s compared to surrounding areas ∼7.0–7.2 km/s) extending down to 3.5 km below seafloor. The velocity anomaly likely results from some combination of thermal and/or hydrothermal processes, and in either case our results suggest that hydrothermal fluids circulate within the upper section of the detachment footwall beneath the active mound.


One hundred-and-twelve yearling bulls were penned together for at least 3 mo in groups of 7 or 21. They were then shipped 150 km to an abattoir in groups of either 7 or 21, and were either regrouped or not regrouped before shipment. They were held overnight at the abattoir before slaughter. A further seven yearling bulls were shipped and held individually before slaughter. After slaughter, muscle color was appraised by Federal graders. Load size had no significant effect on the incidence of dark-cutting, but regrouping had a dramatic effect (73 vs. 2% dark cutters, P < 0.01). There were no dark cutters among the bulls shipped individually. It is concluded that agonistic encounters among regrouped bulls was a far more important cause of dark-cutting than either load size or exposure to an alien environment.


Background.The histologic core needle biopsy (CNB) diagnosis is gaining importance in the initial diagnostic workup of breast lesions. However, CNB diagnosis requires 24 hours of processing while cytology can allow diagnosis within 1 hour. A quick reliable preliminary diagnosis is essential in the management of the one-day breast clinic.After a successful preclinical study investigating the diagnostic potential of an alternative method of core wash cytology, this method has now been introduced into the clinical setting.1 We hereby present the first data.Materials and methods.From April 2008 to April 2009, ultrasound guided biopsies were obtained from all palpable and non-palpable lesions in the female breast in our institute. Core wash cytology was derived from the CNB with the modified technique and classified in the categories proposed by the 1996 National Cancer Institute-sponsored conference approach: malignant, suspicious for malignancy, atypical, benign and unsatisfactory. The results of the core washes and the CNBs were correlated with the histopathology of subsequently obtained resection specimens. Suspicious for malignancy and malignant was considered as positive. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated.Results.Core wash cytology was obtained from 226 breast lesions. The age of the patients ranged from 21-92 years (median 57,5 years). In 167 of these cases subsequent resection of the lesion was performed in the follow-up. The specimens revealed 149 carcinomas (ductal 111, lobular 24, mucinous 4, tubular1, medullary 1, papillary 1 and 7 intraductal carcinoma grade 2/3). Of the 149 malignant cases 136 were classified as either malignant or suspicious for malignancy on core wash cytology, 7 cases were classified as atypical, 4 as benign and 2 as unsatisfactory. The remaining 18 resected cases were benign (adenosis 4, benign fibrous tumors 9, intracystic papilloma 1, mastitis 1, fat necrosis 2 and 1 mammary duct ectasia). None of the benign lesions were classified as suspicious or malignant on core wash cytology. Eleven lesions were classified as benign, 3 as atypical and 4 as unsatisfactory on core wash cytology. The sensitivity and specificity of the core wash compared to the definite resection diagnosis were 90% and 100%, respectively (95% confidence interval: 86%-95%).Comparing the core wash diagnoses to those on CNBs in the group of 149 resected carcinomas, it was noted that in 8 cases, which were negative on CNB, 5 cases revealed positivity on core wash cytology.Conclusion.The introduced modified technique on core wash cytology can provide a reliable preliminary indication of the likely CNB diagnosis. The modified core wash cytology is a sensitive and quick method for the detection of malignant breast lesions. This information is valuable for same-day patient counselling and management planning.Furthermore, combining core wash cytology with CNB findings can lead to an increase in the number of positive preoperative diagnoses in malignant lesions of the breast.So, don9t be reluctant or afraid to implement cytology in the diagnostic work-up of breast lesions.Accepted for publication February 2009 in Cancer Cytopathology Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 6017.


A bound for Betti numbers of sets definable in o-minimal structures is presented. An axiomatic complexity measure is defined, allowing various concrete complexity measures for definable functions to be covered. This includes common concrete measures such as the degree of polynomials, and complexity of Pfaffian functions. A generalisation of the Thom-Milnor Bound [17, 19] for sets defined by the conjunction of equations and non-strict inequalities is presented, in the new context of sets definable in o-minimal structures using the axiomatic complexity measure. Next bounds are produced for sets defined by Boolean combinations of equations and inequalities, through firstly considering sets defined by sign conditions, then using this to produce results for closed sets, and then making use of a construction to approximate any set defined by a Boolean combination of equations and inequalities by a closed set. Lastly, existing results [12] for sets defined using quantifiers on an open or closed set are generalised, using a construction from Gabrielov and Vorobjov [11] to approximate any set by a compact set. This results in a method to find a general bound for any set definable in an o-minimal structure in terms of the axiomatic complexity measure. As a consequence for the first time an upper bound for sub-Pfaffian sets defined by arbitrary formulae with quantifiers is given. This bound is singly exponential if the number of quantifier alternations is fixed.


grc4f is a Monte-Carlo package for generating e + e − → 4-fermion processes in the standard model. All of the 76 LEP-2 allowed fermionic final state processes evaluated at tree level are included in version 1.0. grc4f addresses event simulation requirements at e + e − colliders such as LEP and up-coming linear colliders. Most of the attractive aspects of grc4f come from its link to the GRACE system: a Feynman diagram automatic computation system. The GRACE system has been used to produce the computational code for all final states, giving a higher level of confidence in the calculation correctness. Based on the he-licity amplitude calculation technique, all fermion masses can be kept finite and helicity information can be propagated down to the final state particles. The phase space integration of the matrix element gives the total and differential cross sections, then unweighted events are Generated. Initial state radiation (ISR) corrections are implemented in two ways, one is based on the electron structure function formalism and the second uses the parton shower algorithm called QEDPS. The latter can also be applied for final state radiation (FSR) though the interference with the ISR is not yet taken into account. Parton shower and hadronization of the final quarks are performed through an interface to JETSET. Coulomb correction between two intermediate W 's, anomalous coupling as well as gluon contributions in the hadronic processes are also included.


Since its development in 2008, hand-held spectral domain optical coherence tomography (HHSD-OCT) has contributed to improve the management of paediatric ocular oncology cases, by allowing a non-invasive evaluation of the retina and optic nerve of the young children during the under anesthesia examination. In this session, emblematic cases will be presented, which illustrates its role in the differential diagnosis of paediatric tumors and its importance in the management (diagnostic and therapeutic) of retinoblastoma cases.


The 1H and 13C nmr spectra of 11,12-dimethoxy[1]benzothieno[3,2-a]-4,7-phenanthroline and its 8-chloro precursor were totally assigned using a combination of two-dimensional nmr techniques. After correlation of the majority of the proton signals by a COSY spectrum and one-bond heteronuclear correlation, the full assignment of the 1H and 13C nmr spectra of the novel heterocyclic compounds required the application of long-range CH coupling information particularly for quaternary carbon resonance assignments and the orientations of individual spin systems relative to one another. Key long-range heteronuclear couplings in both compounds served to confirm the one-bond heteronuclear correlations. Unequivocal interpretation of the spectral data leads to the complete assignments of the resonances.


Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is a disease condition characterized be presence of fever, and altered consciousness with or without presence of seizures or a neurological deficit. This definition is broad, and AES may be caused by a wide variety of neurotropic viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi or may even be non-infectious in etiology. Most AES is however considered to be due to a viral encephalitis, a condition which is common in many developing countries. The epidemiologic features of AES, especially in adults are still not well defined, and this study is first of its kind from India. This dissertation consists of three original studies and two systematic literature reviews. We first performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with fever presenting to a single hospital in central India, to determine proportions of patients with AES, and to understand diagnostic and management practices in this condition. We found that AES accounts for about 20% of all acute fevers, has a high mortality, remains frequently undiagnosed, and is mostly empirically treated as malaria. In the subsequent year we designed a descriptive study to understand the temporal and spatial profile, and survival characterictics. We also conducted a case-control study to understand risk factors for AES. We found that most AES occurs in hot and humid months of the year, and proximity to a river or stream may be associated with development of the disease. About half of all patients with AES died within 30 days of disease, and low Glasgow coma score, and need for assisted ventilation significantly predicted hazard for mortality. In our extensive laboratory testing of cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples obtained from 152 AES cases suspected of having viral encephalitis, we found 31 (17%) patients who had a confirmed viral etiology. Enteroviruses were the commonest etiology (9.2% of all AES cases) followed by flaviviruses (4.3% of all AES cases). Based on serology 16 (8.8%) patients had probable leptospirosis. In a third of all cases etiology remained unknown. Low socioeconomic status was the only risk factor significantly associated with AES. These studies have provided novel insights into epidemiology of AES in India, and it is likely that most adult AES is due to water borne enteroviruses rather than vector borne flaviviruses as previously believed


Hypertension is common in chronic renal failure (CRF). It is an important cardiovascular risk factor and therefor it is important to establish factors contributing to the pathophysiology of this hypertension. Apart from volume overload and activation of the renin-angiotensin system numerous (minor) mechanisms have been found to contribute to the pathophysiology. There is now increasing evidence, that sympathetic overactivity may be crucial in the pathogenesis. In the present thesis we studied sympathetic nerve activity and the pharmacological and physiological modulation of this activity in various forms of hypertensive renal disease. Furthermore we analyzed the effects on sympathetic activity of cyclosporine and tacrolimus, to elucidate the role of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in transplantation-associated hypertension.
In this theses we use muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) to assess sympathetic activity. MSNA is a reproducible direct online registration of post-synaptic nerve activity to resistance vessels and there is a direct correlation with MSNA and systemic vascular resistance.
MSNA is measured in hypertensive renal disease patients. It has been established that plasma renin activity (PRA) is inappropriately increased in relation to the fluid status in these patients. High levels of PRA reflect high angiotensin II (AngII) levels. AngII can increase sympathetic activity. PRA and MSNA are related to the volume status in a large group of patients. We established that as with PRA MSNA is inappropriately increased with respect to volume status in CRF patients.
Reducing the effects of AngII through ACE-inhibition could reduce sympathetic hyperactivity. We compared the effects of an ACE-inhibitor with those of a calcium-channel blocker, amlodipine, which is a drug not affecting the renin system. ACE-inhibition reduced while amlodipine increased the already augmented sympathetic activity. Furthermore the blood pressure lowering effect of a central sympatholytic drug, clonidine, was augmented in CRF compared to healthy controls, underscoring the importance of the effects of sympathetic hyperactivity on hypertension in CRF.
AngII receptor blockers may provide a more complete blockade of the renin cascade than ACE-inhibition. This may also result in more pronounced inhibition of the sympathetic activity. We addressed this hypothesis by comparing these two types of drugs with respect to their effect on blood pressure and sympathetic activity. We could not find a clinical relevant difference between the effects of these two agents.
Could sympathetic nerve activity already be increased when renal function is still normal? Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) patients are often identified as "renal patient" when kidney function is still normal. PKD patients with normal renal function and normal renal function are not different from controls whereas PKD patients with normal renal function but with hypertension already show an increased blood pressure. Thus already in an early stage of a renal disease sympathetic nerve activity is increased.
The last two studies in this thesis address the cause of cyclosporine-associated hypertension and renal dysfunction. The pathogenesis of this type of hypertension is probably multifactorial. It is likely that increased sympathetic nerve activity is one of these factors. There are however contrasting findings both in animals and in humans, which may be explained by differences in dosage and duration of treatment. Tacrolimus (TAC) is a newer immunosuppressive agent, which is believed to cause less hypertension. We addressed the question whether cyclosporine (CsA) after single and sustained administration has any effect on MSNA and whether TAC acts differently in this respect in healthy humans. Acute administration of CsA resulted in a dose dependent increase in MSNA while sustained administration reduced MSNA. In contrast acute TAC had no effects on MSNA while it had comparable effects during sustained use.
Renal vasoconstriction and subsequent salt retention could be a factor contributing to the pathogenesis of cyclosporine-associated hypertension. Some but not all studies have indicated that TAC may cause less renal vasoconstriction. To clarify this matter, we studied in healthy subjects the effects of both agents on renal hemodynamics. We found a difference between CsA and TAC: CsA caused renal vasoconstriction while TAC did not. Maybe these findings could be beneficial during long-term use in transplant patients
In conclusion this theses elucidates the role of sympathetic hyperactivity in the pathogenesis of hypertension in CRF and the effects of important antihypertensive agents with respect to this patient category. While it also establishes the crude effects of CsA and TAC on sympathetic activity in healthy controls.


The minimization algorithms which do not require any preliminary generation of all the prime implicants (PI's) of a function are the most efficient. In this work a new algorithm is described which follows such an approach. It is based on a local selection of PI's carried out by examining a set of vertices whose number is never greater than the number of PI's of a minimum cost cover. This algorithm takes advantage of a technique which uses numerical equivalents of the function vertices as pointers. For this reason it is well suited for implementation by computer. To illustrate the features of this algorithm a few examples are reported.


There is a general consensus that the movement of electricity price is crucial for electricity market. As a practical tool to estimate the future prices, electricity price forecast is of great importance and use for the operations of market participants. So a hybrid forecast model is proposed in this paper that integrates independent component analysis (ICA) with least squares support vector machines (LS-SVM). First, a novel feature extraction method of price influence factors is proposed based on ICA, which aims at mining the latent source-features by using the higher-ordered statistical characteristics. After that, nonlinear regression modeling of electricity price and its extracted features is accomplished by LS-SVM with more efficient training and forecasting. Finally, Californian market data are employed to test the proposed approach.


Eribulin is a non-taxane microtubule inhibitor approved for the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma after two prior chemotherapeutic regimens. We report a patient with extended progression-free survival (PFS) of more than 57 months with metastatic breast carcinoma treated with eribulin in the third-line setting. A 48-year-old lady was diagnosed with stage IIA (pT2N0M0), high grade, triple-negative, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the left breast on core needle biopsy. She underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy with adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide followed by a negative sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. Subsequent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection revealed a 2.5 cm, high grade, triple-negative IDC with three additional lymph nodes negative for metastatic carcinoma, consistent with the initial diagnosis. Eight months into the surveillance program, the patient developed a 2.8 cm right lower lobe (RLL) lung mass with standard uptake value (SUV) of 27 on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT). Core needle biopsy of the lung lesion revealed sheets of poorly differentiated carcinoma, immunophenotypically compatible with the initial diagnosis of breast pathology. She then commenced single-agent paclitaxel in the 1st line metastatic setting with a significant decrease in RLL lung mass to less than 1 cm with an SUV of 1.7 noted. The patient developed progression after seven months and started 2nd line gemcitabine noting initial improvement and subsequent stable disease for a period of 12 months. Eventual progression of RLL lung nodule measuring 2.1 cm with SUV of 10 noted. Initiated 3rd line eribulin with a notable response on imaging studies within three months and with no evidence of disease (NED) on scans over the subsequent 57 months. Eribulin related mild neuropathy superimposed on previous paclitaxel associated grade 2 neuropathy required a 20% eribulin dose reduction. The patient is currently clinically and radiographically stable with plateaued serum tumor markers. Our patient has shown excellent response and tolerance to eribulin with PFS of over 57 months (nineteen times the norm) which is rare.


Berberine is an active ingredient extracted from Coptidis rhizoma which has been used for centuries as a traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Recent studies have indicated that berberine has anticancer properties. Berberine arrested cell growth and inhibited cell migration in various cancer cell lines. In this study, we examined the effects of berberine on HONE1 cells, which have been commonly used as a cell model for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We observed the inhibitory effects of berberine on HONE1 cells at a high dosage (>150 microM). Berberine effectively induced the mitotic arrest of HONE1 cells at 300 microM which was associated with apoptosis. Berberine had differential intracellular localization at low and high doses. At a low dose (50 microM), berberine was localized in the mitochondria while at a high dose (300 microM), berberine was localized in the nucleus which may have induced mitotic arrest. Berberine effectively inhibited cell migration and invasion at low doses. Using a specific GST pull-down assay of activated Rho GTPases, we demonstrated that berberine suppressed the activation of Rho GTPases including RhoA, Cdc42 and Rac1. This indicates a novel function of berberine in the suppression of Rho GTPase signaling to mediate its inhibitory action on cell migration and motility. The potential of berberine to inhibit cancer metastasis in cancer warrants further investigation.