In this seminal work, we reveal for the first time an extensively field-tested, demonstrably accurate and simple analytical equation for the calculation of the critical gas velocity limit (or onset of liquid flow reversal) in horizontal wells as an explicit and direct function of diameter, inclination and fluid properties. For the independently verifiable and first-of-its-kind multi-play field validation study, we carefully assimilate a very large database of actual horizontal gassy oil and gas liquid loading wells from several unconventional U.S. shale plays with different bubble point and dew point fluid systems and varying gas-to-liquid ratios and varying water cuts. The shale plays in our validation database include the Eagle Ford, Woodford, Cleveland Sands, Haynesville, Cotton Valley, Fayetteville, Marcellus and Barnett formations within their associated Western Gulf, South Texas, Arkoma, Western Anadarko, East Texas, Appalachian and Permian basins. Then, after summarizing our comprehensive field testing results, practical production optimization applications of the new analytical equation and advanced use cases of interest are further highlighted in various liquid loading prediction and prevention scenarios.
 As opposed to prior critical gas velocity calculation methods (droplet reversal-based, film reversal-based, flow structure stability/energy), video observations both in the lab and the field clearly show continuously-evolving, co-existing and competing flow structures even with simple fluids without mass exchanges. Therefore, this work avoids skewed assumptions on demarcating the prevailing or dominant flow structure. Instead, the new analytical equation developed is based on an analysis of the major forces in the flow field, namely the axial buoyancy vector, the convective inertial and the interfacial tension forces, in combination with an assumption of the onset of liquid flow reversal based on flow field bridging (Taylor instability). Since the new analytical equation was formulated using these minimalist assumptions, this unique characteristic results in the highest predictability obtainable for the critical gas velocity calculation because there is the least amount of uncertainties (fudge factors). The consistent accuracy of the equation against our extensive horizontal well liquids loading database verifies this fact. Moreover, the simplicity of form of the equation makes it easy to use in that every practicing engineer in practice can perform fast hand or spreadsheet calculations. In effect, this equates to having a model as simple as the Turner model but now with additional direct functions of diameter and inclination. Also, the results clearly invalidate the need for artificial variables (such as interfacial friction factor) that cannot be directly measured in any experiment. In terms of usage, the new model is used in liquid loading prevention scenarios such as end-of-tubing (EOT) landing optimization and tubing-casing selection. Evidently, this work proves that no complex, computer-only procedure is necessary for accurate critical gas velocity calculation. This finding has significant speed and improved answer-reliability implications in strong favor of the presented simple equation for use in artificial lift, production optimization and digital oilfield software in industry, in addition to being ideally suited for 'physics-guided data analytics' applications in real-time production operations environments.


The thermal behaviour of a 2.4 l direct injection diesel engine has been investigated to identify how the fuel consumption penalty associated with operation during warm–up can be minimised. A version of PROMETS (Programme for Modelling Engine Thermal Systems) was developed to support the investigations. The developments improved the representation of thermal-friction conditions in the oil circuit, extended the piston heat transfer sub-model to account for the effects of piston cooling jets and introduced a main bearing thermal-friction model to predict friction and oil film temperatures. Computational studies were complemented by an experimental investigation of the effectiveness of pre-heating the oil feed to the bearings. Results show that heat transfer from the oil film to the bearings shells and crankshaft journal reduces the benefit in friction savings. Other measures considered were exhaust gas heat recovery, repositioning of the oil main gallery within the block, thermal energy storage, reductions in engine thermal capacity and a novel split-EGR cooler able to cool the EGR gases and heat either the coolant or oil streams. All of the above measures were investigated in isolation, but where appropriate different measures were adopted in conjunction to achieve even greater fuel savings.

During warm-up the energy available to raise fluid temperatures is small. As a result, over the New European Drive Cycle, thermal energy storage showed the greatest benefits. Given an available source of thermal energy which can be transferred to the oil over a chosen time, simulations indicate that a higher power input over a shorter period is most beneficial. This reflects the increased sensitivity of oil viscosity to temperature changes at colder temperatures which in turn means that the potential to reduce friction is highest in the first minutes after engine start up but drops rapidly hereafter. Results also show how the balance of energy transfers out of the oil changes as the engine warms up and point to the importance of oil interaction with components in the lower parts of the engine which have a large thermal capacity, such as elements supporting the main bearings, the crankshaft and the lower liner which limit the rate of temperature rise of the oil. A combination of supplementary heat introduction into the oil circuit from a thermal store and an elimination of heat losses from the oil to the lower parts of the engine resulted in a fuel consumption saving close to that achieved by starting the engine fully warm, which equates to around 6% improvement.


How multitrophic relationships between wildlife communities and their ectoparasitic vectors interact to shape the diversity of vector-borne microorganisms is poorly understood. Nested levels of dependence among microbes, vectors, and vertebrate hosts may have complicated effects on both microbial community assembly and evolution. We examined Bartonella sequences from European bats and their ectoparasites with a combination of network analysis, Bayesian phylogenetics, tip-association and cophylogeny tests, and linear regression to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape parasite communities. We detected seven bat-ectoparasite-Bartonella communities that can be differentiated based on bat families and roosting patterns. Tips of the Bartonella tree were significantly clustered by host taxonomy and geography. We also found significant evidence of evolutionary congruence between bat host and Bartonella phylogenies, indicating that bacterial species have evolved to infect related bat species. Exploring these ecological and evolutionary associations further, we found that sharing of Bartonella species among bat hosts was strongly associated with host phylogenetic distance and roost sharing and less strongly with geographic range overlap. Ectoparasite sharing between hosts was strongly predicted by host phylogenetic distance, roost sharing, and geographic overlap but had no additive effect on Bartonella sharing. Finally, historical Bartonella host-switching was more frequent for closely related bats after accounting for sampling bias among bat species. This study helps to disentangle the complex ecology and evolution of Bartonella bacteria in bat species and their arthropod vectors. Our work provides insight into the important mechanisms that partition parasite communities among hosts, particularly the effect of host phylogeny and roost sharing, and could help to elucidate the evolutionary patterns of other diverse vector-borne microorganisms.


Many wireless access systems have been developed recently to support users mobility and ubiquitous communication. Nevertheless, these systems always work independently and cannot simultaneously serve users properly. In this paper, we aim to integrate IPv6-based wireless access systems and propose a coordinated call admission control mechanism to utilize the total bandwidth of these systems to minimize the call blocking probabilities, especially the handoff call dropping probabilities. First, we propose an integrated hierarchical wireless architecture over IPv6-based networks to combine the wireless access systems including cellular systems (second-generation, General Packet Radio Service, or third-generation), IEEE 802.11 a/b/g WLAN, and Bluetooth. In the proposed architecture, mobile user can request a call with quality-of-service (QoS) requirements by any wireless network interfaces that can be accessed. When the proposed coordinated call admission control (CCAC) mechanism receives a request, it takes the QoS requirements of the incoming call and the available and reserved bandwidth of this wireless system into consideration to accept or reject this request. Besides, the mechanism can coordinate with other wireless systems dynamically to adjust the bandwidth reserved for handoff calls at each wireless system in this architecture so as to reduce the call blocking probabilities. Once the call is admitted, the mobile user is able to access heterogeneous wireless access networks via multiple interfaces simultaneously. Finally, we evaluate this system to show that the CCAC on the proposed architecture outperforms other mechanisms proposed before.


Acute angle closure is usually thought to be secondary to pupillary block, which is relieved by laser iridotomy. Anterior rotation of the ciliary body at the scleral spur following development of an inflammatory ciliochoroidal detachment may result in a presentation of acute angle closure. It is imperative to recognize this condition correctly, because the management is with cycloplegics and anti-inflammatory drugs, which is diametrically opposite to the treatment of primary angle closure. More importantly, it has been reported as a consequence of serious systemic disease such as HIV infection and Vogt Koyanagi Harada (VKH) syndrome. We report a patient who presented to the medical emergency with headache and vomiting and was subsequently found to have acute angle closure in 1 eye secondary to a tubercular choroidal granuloma. This presentation of ocular tuberculosis has not been reported previously.


This paper proposes the field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of a variable structure system (VSS) predictive sequential switching control strategy, as applied to a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). In the case of AC motor drives, in contrast to conventional vector control where the inverter is not taken into consideration by the controller, the proposed control integrates the inverter model and considers the states of inverter switches as a control variable. It allows the obtaining of faster torque dynamics rather than vector control algorithms. The main design specifications are a reduced switching frequency and simple hardware implementation. A predictive sliding mode controller has been developed, designed as finite state automata (FSM), and implemented with a FPGA. This new logic FPGA torque and speed controller has been developed, analyzed, and experimentally verified.


House, is a valuable asset in human's life and is one critical and important setting in developing lives of human being. Therefore, as time goes by, people develop and wanting to improve the state and quality of their house so that they can live their lives towards better meaning parallel to their up growth. But, easy said than done, renovation is some work that needs thinking about. In fact, most of houses which are dwelled by modern Malay people in Malaysia nowadays did not evolve in synchronize to the Malay people's needs. We could see lots of houses being renovated or extended by owners after the houses get dwelled in especially of those terrace housing in Malaysia. The renovations scenario upon these terrace houses is indeed one of the serious housing issues and problems in Malaysia. This writing thus will focus its investigation towards the phenomena of renovations upon selected double-storey terrace housing within Klang Valley, Malaysia. Investigations will be carried out by questionnaires, statistic analysis of findings from site visits, and interviews with the owners of the houses. Among those things that will be investigated are about the type of renovations that have been done and the factors which influence the act of renovating. Results show that the type of renovations varies, be it on a major or minor scale. Those renovations of houses involving numerous parts or sections of houses such as the kitchen, rooms, bathrooms, and so forth and were done because of many different factors or reasons.


For years I had heard that the Sundance Film Festival is a veritable feast for social studies teachers. This year, I was fortunate to be able to attend this internationally-acclaimed film showcase as "press" for Social Education. (1) I traveled to Sundance to learn more about documentary films and to think with those whose business is filmmaking about what role this genre can, or should, play in social studies. ********** My interest in documentary films was piqued by recent research about the ubiquity of such films in social studies classes, about why and how social studies teachers select and use them, and about what their students learn as a consequence. This research shows that documentary films are an increasingly important staple of the social studies diet--used in class more frequently than newspapers, magazines, or computers. A study of high school U.S. history teachers found that an astonishing 82 percent report using documentary film at least once a week in their classes. (2) Documentary films can have a powerful impact on what students learn. They can be credited with developing students' empathy; enhancing their awareness of issues, events, and people that typically are not given much attention in textbooks; and influencing students' views on controversial historic and contemporary issues. (3) It is also clear that students do not approach documentary films as empty vessels--their prior knowledge, social positions, political ideologies, and a host of other factors influence the meanings they create. (4) For example, one study found that high school history students do not recognize a film's perspective unless they disagree with its message. That is, when the filmmaker's point of view aligns with their own, they see no perspective--just truth. This study also reports that many students and their teachers trust documentary films as valid sources of information and as authentic representations that depict what happened in the past. (5) In sum, the ubiquity of documentary films in social studies courses, along with their potential to influence what students learn, clearly show that documentary films matter in social studies education. This is a view shared by documentary directors and film distributors, who often go to great lengths to ensure that their films get shown in social studies courses. While the high rate of documentary film usage by social studies teachers indicates that they are amenable to bringing new films into their classrooms, we also know that some films can provoke uproar in some communities. This is more likely to occur when the film is cutting edge--whether it's ahead of the mainstream consensus on what is considered school knowledge, perceived as taking a position on an issue that is highly controversial, or about a topic that some parents or other community members consider taboo. In these cases, detractors tend to claim that the documentary film is biased. Underlying this charge is an assumption that materials used in courses--including documentary films--should be unbiased, objective renditions of reality. Just as some people advocate that teachers should keep their political views to themselves, some argue that people who make documentary films should do the same. Failing that, their films should not be used in schools. Perhaps it's the word "documentary" that causes people to think that such films should be "objective." Documentation implies a neutral process--unearthing evidence rather than making a story out of it. Films that are judged to fail the objectivity test are suspect. When this occurs, accusations erupt that the film lacks "balance," and if shown, must be censored or countered with equally powerful portrayals of competing perspectives. As a case in point, teachers in Federal Way School District, south of Seattle, were criticized for showing An Inconvenient Truth (a 2006 documentary, featuring Al Gore on the perils of global warming) because, as one parent argued, "Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. …


The paper deals with the analogy between the concepts by which Gramsci, in his Prison Notebooks, analyzes the post-war crisis of democracy and the contemporary crisis of representative democracy. Gramsci's analysis is centered on the crisis of political parties, transformism, the crisis of the authority of republican institutions, the spread of apoliticism in the social body, the decline in the prestige of Parliament, as well as on Caesarism. Today's political sociologists are once again interested in the study of the same set of phenomena: crisis of mass-based parties, antipolitics and antiparliamentarism, transformism, crisis in the authority of the political class, prevailing corporate interests within republican institutions, and populism. In the light of a cyclical recurrence of the same phenomena, which suggests the presence of a systemic correlation with today's democracy, the theoretical instruments used to investigate such phenomena in Gramsci's Notebooks, seem to provide relevant interpretative tools still today. In the present paper, we try to identify the usefulness that the categories employed by Gramsci to analyze the crisis of parliamentary democracy may provide in analyzing today's crisis of representativeness, within the more global Gramscian understanding of political modernity.


PURPOSE
This guideline presents screening, assessment, and treatment approaches for the management of adult cancer survivors who are experiencing symptoms of fatigue after completion of primary treatment.

METHODS
A systematic search of clinical practice guideline databases, guideline developer Web sites, and published health literature identified the pan-Canadian guideline on screening, assessment, and care of cancer-related fatigue in adults with cancer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines In Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Cancer-Related Fatigue and the NCCN Guidelines for Survivorship. These three guidelines were appraised and selected for adaptation.

RESULTS
It is recommended that all patients with cancer be evaluated for the presence of fatigue after completion of primary treatment and be offered specific information and strategies for fatigue management. For those who report moderate to severe fatigue, comprehensive assessment should be conducted, and medical and treatable contributing factors should be addressed. In terms of treatment strategies, evidence indicates that physical activity interventions, psychosocial interventions, and mind-body interventions may reduce cancer-related fatigue in post-treatment patients. There is limited evidence for use of psychostimulants in the management of fatigue in patients who are disease free after active treatment.

CONCLUSION
Fatigue is prevalent in cancer survivors and often causes significant disruption in functioning and quality of life. Regular screening, assessment, and education and appropriate treatment of fatigue are important in managing this distressing symptom. Given the multiple factors contributing to post-treatment fatigue, interventions should be tailored to each patient's specific needs. In particular, a number of nonpharmacologic treatment approaches have demonstrated efficacy in cancer survivors.


Background: Changing US demographics and evolving chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatments may affect longitudinal trends in CHB-related complications. We studied trends in the prevalence of cirrhosis (past or present) and incidence of all-cause mortality, stratified by patient age, sex, race, and antiviral treatment status, in a sample from US health care systems. Methods: Joinpoint and Poisson regression (univariate and multivariable) were used to estimate the annual percent change in each outcome from 2006 to 2016. Results: Among 5528 CHB patients, cirrhosis prevalence (including decompensated cirrhosis) rose from 6.7% in 2006 to 13.7% in 2016; overall mortality was unchanged. Overall rates of cirrhosis and mortality were higher among treated patients, but adjusted annual percent changes (aAPC) were significantly lower among treated than untreated patients (cirrhosis: aAPC +2.4% vs. +6.2%, mortality: aAPC −3.9% vs. +4.0%). Likewise, among treated patients, the aAPC for mortality declined −3.9% per year whereas among untreated patients, mortality increased +4.0% per year. Conclusions: From 2006 to 2016, the prevalence of cirrhosis among CHB patients doubled. Notably, all-cause mortality increased among untreated patients but decreased among treated patients. These results suggest that antiviral treatment attenuates the progression of cirrhosis and the risk of death among patients with CHB.


Abstract Da Vinci robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: initial experience in 50 consecutive cases Objective: To report our initial experience in 50 cases submitted to a Robotic Radical Prostatectomy (RRP), evaluating results and the learning curve. Material and Methods: From january to october 2010 we performed 50 consecutives cases of RRP with the da Vinci S-HD Surgical System®. The database was performed prospectively, and was analyzed retrospectively. We evaluate demographic data (age, body mass index) and perioperative data such as clinical stage, preoperative PSA (Prostate Specifi c Antigen), Gleason Score, ASA, operative times, estimated blood loss, morbidity, hospital stay, time of bladder catheterization and positive margins. A statistical analysis of exponential regression was performed to estimate the learning curve. Results: The mean age was 62 years and the most frequent clinical stage was T1c (84%). The mean PSA was 6.36 ng/mL and in 50% of the patients the Gleason Score was 7. The median surgical time was 199 minutes. The mean blood loss was 666 mL (50-4.000 mL). The hospital stay and the average bladder cathe-terization time were 2 and 6 days, respectively. There were 2 conversions to a laparoscopic approach, none to open surgery, and 8% of postoperative complication (all Clavien 1). Inmediat urinary continence and potency rates were 88.3% and 33.3%, respectively. When comparing the 25 initial cases versus the last 25, there was a decrease in surgical time and estimated blood loss (254 minutes vs 189 minutes and 876 mL vs 467 mL, respectively). We also found a lower rate of positive margins (20% vs 12%). The learning curve statistically estimated is 40 procedures.


There was a belief that the new pay model, "Agenda for Change" would recognise the performance and achievements of staff, while improving patient care. However there are reports that there have been mixed responses regarding the implementation of this pay model. Concerns have been raised regarding fairness and pay, resulting in low morale and a poor feeling of worth. Yet there is an argument that it is the nurse's duty and obligation to demonstrate virtues of care, compassion and courage and not focus on monetary value.

With the boundaries of ethical care constantly being challenged together with the increase in the expectations of patients and society, this highlights the subject of ethics and the implications of performance related pay and motivation within nursing. The aim of this dissertation was to explore the relationship between performance related pay and motivation, and the ethical implications relating to nursing. For the design of this dissertation a non-empirical research method was chosen to facilitate the examination of the key themes.

A literature review with qualitative critical reflection and analysis was performed. The results suggested that it is recognised that staff motivation and pay models are complex matters. The current healthcare environment is facing a number of challenges including a demotivated workforce and financial constraints. It was highlighted that it was important to communicate a message of shared goals and objectives to help facilitate the motivation of
staff by working towards the 'Greater Good'. Although poor pay was an issue relating to poor motivation, there were other contributing factors including; lack of recognition, limited facilitation of development and training, poor communication between the organisation, management and staff, and a poor feeling of worth. It was proposed that this would impact on society as a whole as there is now a critical struggle in the recruitment and retention of nurses, which could lead to insufficient nurses in the future. This dissertation recommended 4 key areas of focus, suggesting that communication, training and development, the perception and image of nursing and pay were primary issues which needed to be explored.

In conclusion, this dissertation has managed to establish that if used correctly and with clear training, guidelines and management, performance related pay could help motivate the nursing workforce and may have a positive influence on nursing ethics and professional practice.


Islamophobia, the idea that Islam is an insurmountable cultural threat to Christianity and "the West," is widely circulated online. Right-wing populists, affectively perform their identities and Islamophobic worldviews in ways that trigger fear, rage, and a range of other emotions in both themselves and sets of significant others. Here I examine typical online Islamophobic metanarratives, emotional triggers and tropes, and the ways in which they are designed to spread and heighten negative emotions and orchestrate collectives of political emotion. Using a Norwegian right-wing alternative media platform as an empirical example, I demonstrate how Ruth Wodak's seminal work on "the politics of fear" can be paired with my conceptual framework "the politics of affect" to make better sense of affective performances of Islamophobia on social media.


The maintenance of pulp vitality and conduction of reparative dentin can be possible by indirect pulp capping with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium hydroxide as pulp capping agents. The objective of the study is to assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of MTA and calcium hydroxide as indirect pulp capping agents in deep carious lesions of permanent teeth. The present study included 50 permanent teeth having deep carious lesions with reversible pulp status were selected and then randomly divided into two groups of 25 teeth in a group. Standard indirect pulp capping procedures were followed. Patients were recalled at 3, 6 and 12 months interval to assess postoperative pain, the vitality of the pulp and formation of reparative dentin. In all observation periods, MTA showed more capable of reducing pain and maintain pulp vitality which was statistically significant than that of calcium hydroxide. At 12 months observation period, 24 teeth (96%) of MTA and 19 teeth (76%) of calcium hydroxide showed reparative dentin formation. It can be concluded that MTA is more effective than that of calcium hydroxide.


During the last decade, auralization of urban environments has gained a lot of popularity. In this paper, a methodology for the auralization of a car pass-by in a street canyon is presented. The binaural impulse responses (BIRs) have been obtained from measurements, and from simulations with a geometrical acoustics software based on an angular increment of 2° between the source and the receiver, with the source along a straight line located 3m from the receiver. A dry car signal is convolved with the BIRs that represent the discrete source positions of the moving car and cross-fade windows are used in order to make the transition between the source positions continuous. A same-different listening test was carried out in order to investigate if increasing the angular spacing between the discrete source positions affects the perception of the auralizations. Results are also compared against former experiments using the same methodology but for the simplified scenarios where buildings are absent and where a long building block is located behind the car. Results showed that subjects could detect the differences in the auralizations when the spacing was increased in the street canyon case much easier than in the simplified scenarios. Further research is needed to evaluate how plausible the auralizations with larger increment are compared to the auralizations with shorter increment.


The IceCube neutrino telescope nears the end of its second running season having collected a sample of over 2×10 triggered events. While the majority of these events are cosmic ray muons, the detector is already sufficiently well understood to allow identification of neutrinoinduced muon candidate events from the CR background. The production of optical module instrumentation is now well-established, the modules themselves are functioning properly with low failure rate, and it has been proven that the hot water drill can deliver the holes needed for deployment of these instruments. The project plans to deploy 12-14 strings each year during the next several austral summers to bring the detector volume to 1 km.


Biomaterials science is a very active area of research, which has allowed the successful use of implants in the orthopaedic field for over a century. However, implant infection remains a clinical concern as it is associated with extensive patient morbidity and a high economic burden, which is predicted to increase due to an ageing population. Bacteria are able to adhere, colonise and develop into biofilms on the surface of biomaterials making associated infections physiologically different to other post-surgical infections. Unfortunately, biofilms exert increased protection from the host immune system and an increased resistance to antibiotic therapy in comparison to their planktonic counterparts. The aim of this review is to assess the current knowledge on treatments, pathogenesis and the prevention of infections associated with orthopaedic implants, with a focus on total hip arthroplasty.


Purpose
This paper reports on the impact of perceived resource adequacy (PRA) and competence (PRC) on new service development (NSD) teams' internal performance (IP). This study aims to explore the indirect effect of internal market orientation (IMO) adoption, as a dynamic capability, on both PRA and PRC through the shaping of the emerging dynamics within NSD teams.

Design/methodology/approach
Using a hierarchical research design, the authors use a meso-theory approach to test a path-analytic framework against 116 NSD managers (offering data at the macro- or organisational level) and 543 NSD team members (offering data at the micro- or team level).

Findings
Both PRA and PRC are important in explaining NSD teams' IP at the organisational level, though their explanatory power varies. The adoption of IMO is also an important antecedent to this factor through the (indirect) effect on the team climate and degree of integration.

Research limitations/implications
IMO is an important dynamic capability that allows management to transform the mindset of employees, even if they do not directly interact with customers. In NSD efforts, this reflects on the team's perceptions of the adequacy of the resources they have to deliver the project through the managerial interventions at the team level, which (mainly) explains the team's IP.

Practical implications
Adopting an IMO allows the development of a dynamic capability that carries wider benefits for the service organisation, as this has positive implications not just for frontline employees. Specifically, NSD efforts are likely to become more resource-efficient as a result of IMO adoption because of the interventions of management during the development effort.

Originality/value
This empirical study is the first to test the impact of IMO adoption as a dynamic capability and in a context other than frontline employees from a meso-theory perspective. This allows considering the different effects at the appropriate levels (macro and micro), thus enabling a more accurate definition of the mechanism through which companies benefit from IMO adoption.


The alternative relationships that can exist between a mountain front and the adjacent foreland basin have been recognized for many years. However, seismic reflection data from such areas are commonly of poor quality and therefore structural models may contain large uncertainties. In view of scientific and commercial interest in mountain belts, we have reviewed the methods for discriminating between alternative interpretations using a case study from the Montagna dei Fiori in the central Apennines, Italy. In this area Mesozoic and Tertiary carbonate sediments are juxtaposed with a foredeep basin containing up to 7 km of Messinian and Plio-Pleistocene siliciclastic sediments. A new structural model for this area demonstrates how the structures in this area form a kinematically closed system in which displacement is transferred from the thrust belt to blind structures beneath the present-day foreland. Growth strata show that Pliocene shortening was initially rapid (15 mm a−1) followed by slower rates during the final stages of deformation. Variations in structural elevation indicate a component of basement involvement during thrusting, and this is further supported by magnetic modelling. The results illustrate the interaction of thin- and thick-skinned structures in the central Apennines, and the methods for discriminating between alternative structural models.


Background: Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecologic cancer, and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common type. The branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) plays an important role in many serious human diseases, including cancers. Its function in promoting cell proliferation and migration has been reported in various cancers. However, the biological role of BCKDK and its molecular mechanisms underlying EOC initiation and progression are unclear.Methods: First, the expression level of BCKDK in EOC cell lines or tissues was determined using tissue microarray (TMA)-based immunohistochemistry or western blotting. Then, growth curve analysis, anchorage-independent cell transformation assays, wound healing assays, cell migration assays, and tumor xenografts were used to test whether BCKDK could promote cell transformation or metastasis. Finally, the signaling pathways involved in this process were investigated by western blotting or immunoprecipitation.Results: We found that the expression of BCKDK was upregulated in EOC tissues and that high expression of BCKDK was correlated with an advanced pathological grade in patients. The ectopic overexpression of BCKDK promoted the proliferation and migration of EOC cells, and the knockdown of BCKDK with shRNAs inhibited the proliferation and migration of EOC ex vivo and in vivo. Moreover, BCKDK promoted EOC proliferation and migration by activating MEK.Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that BCKDK promotes EOC proliferation and migration by activating the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Targeting the BCKDK-MEK axis may provide a new therapeutic strategy for treating patients with EOC.


The remarks here submitted will be confined chiefly to that part of the Western States of North America watered by the rivers Ohio, Wabash, Illinois, Rock, Wisconsin, Cumberland and Tennessee, lying between the 35th and 43rd degree of N. latitude and the 81st and 91st of W. longitude. The district includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Du Buque and Mineral Point districts of Iowa and Wisconsin. This territory occupies an area of about half a million of square miles, but its geological features are remarkably uniform, belonging, with a few partial exceptions, to the periods of the bituminous coal and carboniferous limestone as found in Europe, and the Silurian rocks as described by Sir R. Murchison; the exceptions are the superficial deposits which occasionally cover up these from view over considerable tracts, and these must either be referred to the age of gigantic mammalia and formations of a much newer date, or belong to a marl and greensand found in the western district of Tennessee, probably a portion of the greensand and other members of the cretaceous group. A general idea of the geological formations of the whole tract may be obtained from the annexed diagram.


Field testing of gas turbine compressor packages requires the accurate determination of efficiency, capacity, head, power and fuel flow in sometimes less than ideal working environments. Nonetheless, field test results have significant implication for the compressor and gas turbine manufacturers and their customers. Economic considerations demand that the performance and efficiency of an installation are verified to assure a project?s return on investment. Thus, for the compressor and gas turbine manufacturers, as well as for the end-user, an accurate determination of the field performance is of vital interest. This paper describes an analytic method to predict the measurement uncertainty and, thus, the accuracy, of field test results for gas turbine driven compressors, Namely, a method is presented which can be employed to verify the validity of field test performance results. The equations governing the compressor and gas turbine performance uncertainties are rigorously derived and results are numerically compared to actual field test data. Typical field test measurement uncertainties are presented for different sets of instrumentation. Test parameters that correlate to the most significant influence on the performance uncertainties are identified and suggestions are provided on how to minimize their measurement errors. The effect of different equations of state on the calculated performance is also discussed. Results show that compressor efficiency uncertainties can be unacceptably high when some basic rules for accurate testing are violated. However by following some simple measurement rules and maintaining commonality of the gas equations of state, the overall compressor package performance measurement uncertainty can be limited and meaningful results can be achieved.


Accurate covariance matrices for two-point functions are critical for inferring cosmological parameters in likelihood analyses of large-scale structure surveys. Among various approaches to obtaining the covariance, analytic computation is much faster and less noisy than estimation from data or simulations. However, the transform of covariances from Fourier space to real space involves integrals with two Bessel integrals, which are numerically slow and easily affected by numerical uncertainties. Inaccurate covariances may lead to significant errors in the inference of the cosmological parameters. In this paper, we introduce a 2D-FFTLog algorithm for efficient, accurate, and numerically stable computation of non-Gaussian real-space covariances for both 3D and projected statistics. The 2D-FFTLog algorithm is easily extended to perform real-space bin-averaging. We apply the algorithm to the covariances for galaxy clustering and weak lensing for a Dark Energy Survey Year 3-like and a Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time Year 1-like survey, and demonstrate that for both surveys, our algorithm can produce numerically stable angular bin-averaged covariances with the flat sky approximation, which are sufficiently accurate for inferring cosmological parameters. The code CosmoCov for computing the real-space covariances with or without the flat-sky approximation is released along with this paper.


Council tax was introduced in Britain in 1993 and represents a unique international property tax. There is a growing belief that it is time to reform the number and structure of council tax bands, but such views have a minimal empirical base. This paper sets out to assess the impact of changing the bands on personal and local government finances, and extends the analysis to the role of the tax multipliers linked to each band. The research is based on the experience of a representative sample of local authorities in Scotland. A statistical revaluation for 2000 is estimated for the existing eight-band system, and from this base a 10-band system is calculated. Financial implications are then simulated for each local authority, taking account of central resource equalisation mechanisms. The results indicate that increases in the number of bands will have little impact on the burden of the council tax compared with regular revaluations. Changing the tax multiplier range has the greatest impact on local authority finances and council tax payments.


Previous aerobic endurance studies have suggested that middle-aged groups have a reduced magnitude of physiological training response in comparison to their young adult counterparts. However, this observation is based on only a few studies involving middle-aged groups, often with a less demanding program of training compared to their younger counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine the physiological effects of a comparatively strenuous program of aerobic endurance training in a group of middle-aged men. Physiological assessments were performed prior to (T1), after 15 weeks (T2) and 30 weeks (T3) training. VO max was assessed directly by means of a continuous graded bicycle ergometer test to exhaustion. This test also permitted the measurement of hemodynamic function by radionuclide ventriculography. The plasma lactate response to bicycle ergometer exercise was also assessed In order to assess any training specifity effect a submaximal treadmill exercise test was also performed. Body composition was assessed by total body weight, limb circumferences and body fat content. Body fat was determined using the skinfold and densitometric methods. Four skinfold sites were assessed: biceps, triceps, subscapular and supra-ilac. The training program consisted of a graded 30 week program of running training leading to participtaion in the 1984 City of Glasgow Marathon. Training prescription was based on exercise session frequency an duration. The intensity of training, although not prescribed, was sampled in some subjects during the study. The energy cost of training was predicted from subject training diaries using the speed and duration of their running during each training session. 216 telephone responses were obtained to a newspaper article advertising the study. After selection and medical/physical activity screening, 53 sedentary males aged 35 to 50 yrs. (40,0+/-4.3 yrs. ) were considered acceptable. Over the 30 weeks of training, 14 (26%) of the subjects dropped out. The main reason for drop-out was lack of time and loss of interest. The results of the present study are based on the 39 subjects who completed the 30 weeks training. VO2 max increased significantly (P <0.001) over the first 15 weeks training from 33.9+/- 4.0 ml/kg/min (T1) to 39.0+/- 5.6 ml/kg/min (T2). No significant change in VO. max was observed between T2 and T3 (38. 8 +/- 5.2 ml/kg/min) . This increase in VO max was the result of an increase in maximal cardiac output (T1-T3: 18.4+/-4.0 to 22. 0+/- 3.1 1/min) as the value of maximal arteriovenous oxygen difference did not significantly change (T1-T3: 14.4+/- 2.4 to 14.0+/- 1.9 ml/100ml). Maximal stroke volume increased with training while maximal heart rate fell (T1-T3: 103+/- 25 to 127+/- 16 me an +/- standard deviation ml; 179+/- 12 to 173+/- 11 beats/min). Submaximal treadmill and bicyle ergometer heart rate, oxygen uptake and pulmonary ventilation were all significantly reduced during the period of the present training study. A training specifity effect was suggested in this study as the magnitude of reduction in these submaximal parameters during treadmill exercise exceeded that of bicycle ergometer exercise. Submaximal bicycle ergometer plasma lactate concentration was reduced during the initial 15 weeks training, although this pattern of change was reversed from T2 to T3 with an increase in submaximal lactate concentration increased from T2 to T3 (OBLA Watts126+/- 30 to 152+/- 28 to 132+/- 34 Watts). The factors potentially responsible for this reversal in submaximal plasma lactate response are discussed in the text. Total body weight and the sum of skinfolds significantly fell (P < 0.001) during both the first and second 15 weeks of training (799 + 10.1 to 77.2+/- 10.7 to 75.4+/- 11.1 kg and 56.0+/- 11.8 mm to 48.1+/- 11.1 to 48.1+/- 11.1 mm). Body density increased (1.047 to 1.053 to 1.058 kg/m x 10) over the period of training resulting in a reduction in total body fat content (22.7+/- 3.7 to 20.0+/- 4.0 to 17.4+/- 7.4 %) . The energy cost of training exceeded the energy value associated with the loss in body fat suggesting a reduction in energy intake over the period of the study (T1-T3: +47751+/- 250521 kcal/min). The relative magnitude of this increase in VO max (15%) observed during the period of the present study is no greater than reported by previous studies involving less strenuous training programs. The results of submaximal treadmill testing suggest that this failure to increase VO2max in excess of previous studies is probably reflective of training specifity rather than aging per se. In agreement with previous studies investigating middle-aged groups, the heamodynamic results of this study suggest that the factors responsible for increasing VO2max are central rather than peripheral. The reductions in total body weight and body fat content observed over the period of the present study are considerably greater than those typically reported by previous studies involving both middle-aged and young adult groups. In conclusion, the middle-aged subjects in the present study achieved a similar magnitude of cardiorespiratory adaption with training to that reported in previous young adult studies. However, in support of the hypothesis that training adaptability is reduced with aging, the present training program is more physically demanding than previous studies involving both young and older subjects.


This paper introduces the ADVANCE approach to engineering concurrent systems using a new component-based approach. A cost-directed tool-chain maps concurrent programs onto emerging hardware architectures, where costs are expressed in terms of programmer annotations for the throughput, latency and jitter of components. These are then synthesized using advanced statistical analysis techniques to give overall cost information about the concurrent system that can be exploited by the hardware virtualisation layer to drive mapping and scheduling decisions. Initial performance results are presented, showing that the ADVANCE technologies could provide a promising approach to dealing with near- and future-term complexities of programming heterogeneous multi-core systems.


We present a search for flavor changing neutral currents via quark-gluon couplings in a sample of single top quark final states corresponding to 2.3 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We select events containing a single top quark candidates with an additional jet, and obtain separation between signal and background using Bayesian neural networks. We find consistency between background expectation and observed data, and set limits on flavor changing neutral current gluon couplings of the top quark to up quarks (tgu) and charm quarks (tgc). The cross section limits at the 95% C.L. are sigma_tgu gu) gc)<3.9*10^-3.


This article is written to explain an innovative engineering pedagogy related with Project Based Learning (PjBL) concept via Compentency Based Assessment (CBA) in product development for subject J3102 . This concept aims to improve the self-regulation rules development of engineering students in Mechanical Department at Politeknik Kota Bharu , Kelantan. This study was includes both experimental instruments test and qualitative in nature. The data was analyzed using PjBL module and Competency Based Assessment (CBA). A total of four (4) groups among twelve (12) persons of SKM4A students from Mechanical Engineering Department were selected as respondents. This study finds that the students results of product development was increase, otherwise thier self-regulation become improve after using PjBL:CBA instruments. The result of an interview and observation on the usage of PjBL and CBA show's the positive effect of self regulation among engineering students and produce high quality standard of the product one (1) and two (2) making parts. It is hoped that these PjBL:CBA concepts can be further developed and implemented among engineering lab and workshop at college community and polytechnics in Malaysia.


*These authors contributed equally to this work Background: LncRNAs are functional regulators in tumor progression which act by regulating mRNAs in multiple types of cancer. However, the effect of lnc-UCID on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasisremains unclear. Methods: Lnc-UCID expression was quantified in HCC tissues and HCC cell lines by qRTPCR. HCC cell lines with lnc-UCID knockdown were established by lentivirus transduction. The migration and invasion abilities of HCC cells were analyzed by Transwell and woundhealing assays. Protein expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related factors was examined by Western blot assay. Dual-luciferase assays and actinomycin D treatment were conducted to explore the relationship between lnc-UCID and Snail mRNA. The direct interaction between lnc-UCID and Snail mRNA was subjected to quantification analysis by biotinylated lnc-UCID pulldown assays. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to analyze correlations between lnc-UCID and Snail expression level in clinical samples. Rescue experiments were performed to uncover the role of Snail in the HCC metastasis process. Results: Lnc-UCID was upregulated in human HCC tissues and HCC cell lines. Lnc-UCID promoted the cells' mobility and invasiveness by enhancing the EMT process of HCC cells. The expression of Snail positively correlated with lnc-UCID abundance, and the interaction between lnc-UCID and Snail mRNA prevented miR-122, miR-203, miR-30b, miR-34a or miR-153 binding to the 3ʹ-UTR of Snail. Transfection of Snail greatly rescued the migration and invasion of HCC cells. Conclusion: Lnc-UCID was upregulated in clinical HCC samples and directly interacted with Snail mRNA to enhance the stability of Snail mRNA, thus promoting the EMT process to accelerate HCC metastasis.


The genetic structure of aphid populations has received increasing attention as a result of the evolution of insecticide resistance, the appearance of biotypes overcoming plant resistance and the increasing spread of aphid-born viruses. How can they manage to use different hosts and overcome insecticide and plants' morphological barriers? Recently, plasticity has been given more attention in ecological and evolutionary contexts as a specific adaptation to environmental variability. Phenotypic variation is crucial to a comprehension of evolutionary mechanisms, especially phenotypic host race formation and sympatric speciation in aphids. It is becoming clear that phenotypic plasticity is a fundamental component of evolutionary change and is one solution to the problem of adaptation to heterogeneous environments.


The pre-operative visit consists in the first phase in the systematization of perioperative nursing care. This study aimed at identifying, during the pre-operative visit and more frequently, a nursing diagnosis of clients submitted to general surgery. The selected theoretical framework was Levine's conceptual model based on the four conservation principles, which are: energy conservation, structural integrity conservation, personal integrity conservation and social integrity conservation. In order to reach the proposed objective, an instrument was previously elaborated and validated for data collection. The sample consisted of 30 patients, males and females, who had been submitted to general surgery. The nursing diagnosis Infection Risk obtained 100% of frequency during the pre-operative visits to surgery patients. As to related factors that were identified, we point out: the site of invasion by organisms after the surgery and invasive procedures. Thus, the identification of this diagnosis can help nurses with the planning and implementation of preventive and infection control care, especially if risk factors are identified in the preoperative period.


Capacitor C V and threshold voltage and subthreshold swing of MOSFET's with gate oxide thickness varying from 2.2 to 7.7 nm are analyzed to study the plasma charging damage by the metal etching process. Surprisingly, the ultrathin gate oxide has better immunity to plasma charging damage than the thicker oxide, thanks to the excellent tolerance of the thin gate oxide to tunneling current. This finding has very positive implications for the prospect of manufacturable scaling of gate oxide to very thin thickness.


State-of-the-art wind power forecasts beyond a few hours ahead rely on global numerical weather prediction models to forecast the future large-scale atmospheric state. Often they provide initial and boundary conditions for nested high resolution simulations. In this paper, both upper and lower bounds on forecast range are identified within which global ensemble forecasts provide skilful information for system-wide wind power applications. The power system of Great Britain (GB) is used as an example because independent verifying data is available from National Grid. An upper bound on forecast range is associated with the limit of predictability, beyond which forecasts have no more skill than predictions based on climatological statistics. A lower bound is defined at the lead time beyond which the "resolved" uncertainty associated with estimating the future large-scale atmospheric state is larger than the "unresolved" uncertainty associated with estimating the system-wide wind power response to a given large-scale state.

The bounds of skilful forecast range are quantified for three leading global forecast systems. The upper bound defined by forecasts of GB-total wind power generation at a specific point in time are found to be 6-8 days. The lower bound is found to be 1.4-2.4 days. Both bounds depend on the global forecast system and vary seasonally. In addition, forecasts of the probability of an extreme power ramp event were found to possess a shorter limit of predictability (4.5-5.5 days). The upper bound to useful forecast range can only be extended by improving the global forecast system (outside the control of most users) or by changing the metric used in the probability forecast. Improved downscaling and microscale modelling of the wind farm response may act to decrease the lower bound to useful forecast range. The potential gain from such improvements have diminishing returns beyond the short-range (out to around 2 days).


Triazoles are the mainstay for aspergillosis treatment. However, azole resistance is an emerging problem reported worldwide in Aspergillus infection mainly caused by A.fumigatus . Increase azole resistance in A.fumigatus has reported with treatment failure and become a significant challenge in effective management of aspergillosis. In the current study , A.fumigatus isolates were resistant to itraconazole and ketonazole with percentage of 36% and 44% respectively. The conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to confirm antifungal resistance by detecting the presence of CYP51A and CYP51B genes. The results of using this technique showed that A. fumigatus isolates were positive to these genes with 100% percentage. Our study revealed that the CYP51 genes are predominant in azole resistance isolates. Furthermore, PCR was proven to be highly effective method for identifying these genes.


In this paper, in-field ambient vibration testing of a highway bridge in South Korea under traffic loadings has been conducted to update its finite element model for future predictive analysis and diagnosis purpose. The research results presented in this paper are outcomes from an international REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program in smart structures funded by US-NSF (National Science Foundation) and hosted abroad by the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The monitoring, modeling, and model updating of civil infrastructures are vital in maintaining new design and maintenance standards. Using the frequency domain decomposition (FDD), experimental modal properties of the structure were found and, after a finite element model was created and updated based on the modal properties. From the results, it has been concluded that (a) the FDD method successfully identified the modal characteristics of the structure from ambient vibration, (b) that model updating improved the accuracy of the finite element model, (c) Representing the structural supports as springs in the FEM improved the results from the ideally supported model.


This study investigated the relationships and mean-level changes of middle school students' motivation (expectancy-related beliefs, task values, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy) toward physical education over time, and how gender affected students' motivation. Participants (N = 206) completed questionnaires over a 1-year period: once in the sixth and seventh grades and again in the seventh and eighth grades. Results yielded that self-efficacy and task values were positive predictors of students' intention across cohorts. The mean levels of self-efficacy decreased over time for students in Cohort 1 (across sixth and seventh grades). However, results revealed a consistent decline in the mean levels of other motivational variables for both cohorts. No gender differences emerged for the variables. The findings are discussed in regard to the implications for educational practice, and future research areas are presented.


This study investigates the existence of behavioral biases in Amman Stock Exchange and their effect on investment performance from investor's point of view. In specific, the effects of overconfidence bias, familiarity bias, loss aversion bias, disposition bias, availability bias, representativeness bias, confirmation bias and herding bias are investigated. Moreover, the study inspects whether the behavioral biases differ between males and females. The results show that there is a statistically significant effect of overconfidence bias, familiarity bias, availability bias, representativeness bias and herding bias on investment performance (p≤5%). Moreover, disposition bias, confirmation bias and loss aversion bias significantly affect investment performance but at a critical level of (p≤10%). No statistically significant differences are found between the answers of males and females. Keywords: Behavioral Biases, Investment Performance, Gender, Overconfidence, Familiarity, Loss Aversion, Disposition, Availability, Representativeness, Confirmation, Herding, Amman Stock Exchange.


This article investigates the category of waste and its ideological function within Victorian political ecology. It seeks to draw out the connections between conceptions of nature, understandings of technology, and political economy in mid-Victorian capitalist ideology. It does so through a detailed reading of the corpus of one Victorian writer and commentator on technological subjects, Peter Lund Simmonds. Simmonds is interesting both as an everyday producer of knowledge about science and technology, and because he explicitly draws on the category of waste as a condition of possibility for technological progress and civilization. Ultimately he is indicative of the continuing str! ength of cornucopian ideas of nature among ideologues of capit! alist improvement in the mid-Victorian period, which suggests the limited metropolitan influence of any emerging conservationism or "green imperialism."


We study a class of algorithms for solving bilevel optimization problems in both stochastic and deterministic settings when the inner-level objective is strongly convex. Specifically, we consider algorithms based on inexact implicit differentiation and we exploit a warm-start strategy to amortize the estimation of the exact gradient. We then introduce a unified theoretical framework inspired by the study of singularly perturbed systems (Habets, 1974) to analyze such amortized algorithms. By using this framework, our analysis shows these algorithms to match the computational complexity of oracle methods that have access to an unbiased estimate of the gradient, thus outperforming many existing results for bilevel optimization. We illustrate these findings on synthetic experiments and demonstrate the efficiency of these algorithms on hyper-parameter optimization experiments involving several thousands of variables.


CONTEXT
Lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LCAH) is caused by mutations in STAR. Classic (CLCAH) and nonclassic (NCLCAH) forms were reported as total and partial deficiencies, respectively, of adrenal and gonadal steroid hormones. The rarity of LCAH has precluded large-scale epidemiological and clinical investigations.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of two forms of LCAH.

DESIGN
A multicenter cross-sectional cohort study in Japan on December 1, 2017.

PARTICIPANTS
Fifty-seven patients with LCAH (median age, 23.7 years; range, 0.0-47.5 years).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Patient demographics, STAR genotype, Quigley grade, endocrinological and imaging data, treatment, and prognosis.

RESULTS
Fifty-three and four patients fulfilled definite and probable diagnostic criteria for LCAH, respectively. When NCLCAH was defined as either Quigley grade 1 in XY karyotype, no episode of salt losing or requirement of fludrocortisone, or onset of primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) at 1 year or older, all patients were divided into 43 patients with CLCAH (75.4%), 11 with NCLCAH (19.3%), and 3 with unclassified LCAH (5.3%). All of the patients with CLCAH and 7 of 11 NCLCAH (63.6%) were treated with fludrocortisone. CLCAH was diagnosed at significantly younger age than NCLCAH (median, 0.0 vs 4.0 years). STAR-Arg272Cys or -Met225Thr was identified only in NCLCAH (8/11, 72.7%).

CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated the relative proportions and clinical and molecular characteristics of NCLCAH and CLCAH in Japan. These criteria for NCLCAH correspond to all previous and our cases whose masculinization of the external genitalia, ability of mineralocorticoid production, and onset of PAI were described.


The amount of lubricating oil in a gear reducer greatly influences components' temperature and efficiency of the reducer. A thermal network simulation model of a gear reducer for electric vehicles based on AMESim software was built for thermal and efficiency analysis of the reducer, where heat production and transfer processes of each component in the reducer are considered. Moreover, secondary development sub-models were developed to real timely calculate the convection coefficients based on different lubricating oil temperatures and working conditions. Next, the experiments were conducted to verify the developed model regarding transmission efficiency and lubricating oil equilibrium temperature in the reducer. The deviation between the numerical and experimental results is below 5%, which indicates high accuracy of the developed thermal network model. Thereafter, efficiency and heat balance simulation tests under different working conditions were performed to determine an optimal lubricating oil supply which is 14 mm gear-oil-immersion oil supply in this study. Finally, a comparison between the reducer with the optimal oil supply and that with normally used 22 mm gear-oil-immersion supply in the NEDC cycle in low temperature was conducted. The reducer with the optimal oil supply shows 1.032% energy saving. The method presented in this paper provides a good guide to design and optimization of the gear reducer for electrical vehicles.


A cross sectional study was conducted from November to June 2014/2015 in fish harvested for human consumption at Lake Zeway with the objective of isolating Edwardsiella tarda and Escherichia coli important pathogens and contaminants its products. Three hundred tissue samples comprising Spleen, Liver and Intestine were collected from 100 fish (12 Clarias gariepenus and 88 Oreochromis niloticus) originated from lake Zeway. Escherchia coli were isolated from spleen, liver, and the intestine of 12 out of 100 (12%) while E. tarda was isolated 4 out of 100 (4%) randomly examined fish. The higher percentage of both bacteria was isolated from intestinal samples than those isolated from liver and spleen samples. The E.tarda isolates appeared as small scatter pinkish colonies with black center while isolated colonies from E. coli were yellowish white on Xylose deoxycholate agar (XLD) after 24 h of incubation at 37°C Both types of isolates were gram negative short to medium rods, motile, catalase positive and oxidase negative. In biochemical test, both of the two types of typical isolates were positive for indole and Methyl red test and negative for Vagos proskaur test and unable to utilize Simmon's citrate test. In addition to this, E. tarda ferments sodium thiosulfate and result its byproduct of H2S production (blackening) on TSI test which were absent in E.coli. The distribution of E.tarda and E.coli infection among the three organs examined indicate both bacteria were isolated most frequently from intestine followed by spleen and liver with significance difference (P 0.05) indicating that sex has no role in influencing the exposure these bacteria. The isolation of E.tarda and Escherchia coli from wild fish population of Lake Zeway destined for human consumption in the current study indicated that E. tarda and Escherchia coli are a potential threat for fish and public health.

 Key word: Catfish, Escherchia coli, Edwardsiella tarda, intestine, liver, spleen tilapia, zeway.


CONTEXT
Existing research on the neurobehavioral consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has not adequately accounted for genetic and environmental confounds.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between PAE and offspring externalizing problems in a large representative sample of families in the United States using measured covariates and a quasi-experimental design to account for unmeasured genetic and environmental confounds.

DESIGN
This study combines information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. The analyses statistically controlled for measured characteristics of the mothers and families and exposure to other prenatal psychoactive substances. In the primary analyses, siblings differentially exposed to prenatal alcohol were compared.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Women were recruited from the community using a stratified and clustered probability sample and were followed longitudinally. The sample included 8621 offspring of 4912 mothers.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Maternal report of conduct problems (CPs) and attention/impulsivity problems (AIPs) during childhood (ages 4-11 years) using standardized assessments related to psychiatric diagnoses.

RESULTS
There was an association between PAE and offspring CPs that was independent of confounded genetic and fixed environmental effects and the measured covariates. The CPs in children of mothers who drank daily during pregnancy were 0.35 SD greater than those in children whose mothers never drank during pregnancy. Although AIPs were associated with PAE when comparing unrelated offspring, children whose mothers drank more frequently during pregnancy did not have more AIPs than siblings who were less exposed to alcohol in utero. Additional subsample analyses suggested that maternal polysubstance use during pregnancy may account for the associations between PAE and AIPs.

CONCLUSION
These results are consistent with PAE exerting an environmentally mediated causal effect on childhood CPs, but the relation between PAE and AIPs is more likely to be caused by other factors correlated with maternal drinking during pregnancy.


BACKGROUND
Scabies infestation is one of the most pruritic dermatoses of dogs. It is often misdiagnosed and dogs are treated with immunomodulatory drugs (IMD) to relieve pruritus.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES
The primary goals of this study were to determine the impact of IMD on skin scraping results, pruritus level and extent of skin lesions, and to evaluate whether disease duration is associated with positive skin scrapings and contagion.

ANIMALS
Seventy nine dogs with a final diagnosis of scabies.

METHODS
Inclusion in this retrospective study required a positive skin scraping for scabies or a clinical response to an acaricidal treatment trial.

RESULTS
The average pruritus score of dogs that received IMD (8.71) was significantly higher than those that did not (7.43; P = 0.03). However, there were no significant differences in either the rates of positive skin scrapings (79.6% versus 59.1%; P = 0.13) or the mean number of body sites affected (3.8 versus 3.4; P = 0.30) between dogs that received IMD and those that did not. Neither skin scraping status nor duration of clinical signs were correlated with a report of contagion within the household.

CONCLUSION/CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
IMD was associated with a significant increase in the pruritus level, but not with the mean number of lesional body sites. Dogs exposed to IMD had a 20.5% higher rate of positive skin scrapings. This difference could be clinically relevant and lack of statistical significance may indicate an underpowered study.


The extraordinary accomplishment of decoding the human genome, together with the technological advancement of the later part of the 20th century, has strong implications for the health care, as it provides the opportunity to transform its delivery health from a disease-focused model to one that is personalized, predictive, proactive, precise, and patient-centred. Personalized health care can be broadly defined as a customization of the medical provision that accommodates individual differences in all stages in the process, from prevention, to diagnosis and treatment, to posttreatment follow-up. Despite the fast moving human genome discoveries in a wide proportion of diseases having large public health impact, however, the promise of personalized healthcare has far lagged behind due the complexity involved [1]. In addition, besides the pharmacogenomics field, the evidence on the extent to which genomic information has provided measurable population health benefits and actionable intelligence to citizens is still limited.

This special issue includes five contributions spanning from genetic association studies to the awareness of citizens on cervical cancer risk factors and screening programs and physician knowledge on genetic tests for diagnosis of hereditary cancer.

The first set of papers is represented by three genetic association studies on chronic diseases. The paper of F. Coppede et al. reported on the absence of association between the common c.80G>A polymorphism (rs1051266) of the gene coding for the reduced folate carrier (RFC-1 ge) and Alzheimer's disease in an Italian case-control studies. Similarly, despite the potential for a biological significance of TNFA −308G>A polymorphism on the risk of obesity, M. Barchitta et al. reported the absence of gene-Mediterranean diet interaction on the risk of overweight/obesity among Italian women. A poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet, however, was associated with educational level (less common among those less educated) and younger ages. Lastly, the paper of S. Boccia et al. investigated the effect of CYP, GST, and SULT polymorphisms and their interaction with smoking on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Results show that CYP2E1∗5B and CYP2E1∗6 polymorphisms have a favorable effect on the development of HCC, while polymorphisms of GSTT1 and SULT1A1 might play role in increasing the susceptibility among smokers.

The paper of C. D. Vito et al. investigated the knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors and the predictors of adherence to cervical cancer screening in relation to mass media campaigns in a large study conducted in Italy. Results show that higher educational level, being not married, and living in urban areas were the main independent characteristics associated with a higher level of knowledge of cervical cancer etiology. During the campaign period women had the Pap test more frequently as a consequence of the mass media campaign, strengthening the evidence of the usefulness of media campaigns via local television to foster cervical screening compliance.

Lastly, the paper of N. Panic et al. assessed the knowledge and attitudes on genetic tests for breast and colorectal cancer of young medical residents of postgraduates schools. The study represents a follow-up of a larger study of a sample of Italian physicians [2]. Results show that knowledge on hereditary breast cancer genetic tests was high; for colorectal cancer it was largely insufficient. Knowledge on tests was higher among residents who attended course on cancer genetic testing during graduate training. More than 70% asked for the additional training on the genetic tests for cancer during the specialization school.

Stefania Boccia

Paolo Boffetta

Paolo Villari


At present, paper industry has a lot of problems in China, such as the shortage of forest resources and high cost of pulping. Paper industry must be seeking high yield and low cost pulping process. In order to reduce the cost of mechanical pulp and increase the use of mechanical pulp, a lot of research and patent showed that the refining energy consumption of mechanical pulp would be further decreased using the corresponding enzyme to modify fiber of the raw materials before refining. The effects of cellulases modification on masson pine mechanical pulp were investigated in this paper. The modification conditions were as follows: the dosage of enzyme 75IU/g (to bone dry materials), temperature 500C, time 150min, pH value 5.5 and pulp concentration 15%. The effects of cellulase modification on the surface and quality of masson pine fiber of mechanical pulp were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fiber quality analyzer (FQA). It was found from the images of SEM that the original fiber surface was smoothly but markedly corroded after the cellulase modification. Moreover, the modification brought about more external fibrillation and longitudinal tearing during refining. AFM measurement results showed that the fiber surface roughness was improved after the cellulase modification because that the middle lamella, primary wall and outer layer of secondary wall were broken. The results of FQA measurement showed that the average fiber length increased slightly.


We consider building predictors when the data have missing values. We study the seemingly-simple case where the target to predict is a linear function of the fully-observed data and we show that, in the presence of missing values, the optimal predictor may not be linear. In the particular Gaussian case, it can be written as a linear function of multiway interactions between the observed data and the various missing-value indicators. Due to its intrinsic complexity, we study a simple approximation and prove generalization bounds with finite samples, highlighting regimes for which each method performs best. We then show that multilayer perceptrons with ReLU activation functions can be consistent, and can explore good trade-offs between the true model and approximations. Our study highlights the interesting family of models that are beneficial to fit with missing values depending on the amount of data available.


The results of an analysis of the physics of levitation of negatively charged dust particles over a surface (wall) in an inverse sheath are reported. It is shown that under suitable parameter regime, the ion-drag force may balance the combined electrostatic and gravitational force on the dust particles owing to its hollow profile as one moves away from the surface. Our analysis shows that the parameter regimes in which such a situation may result is realizable in laboratory and space plasma environments, particularly the near-surface dayside lunar plasma. The lunar surface and dust grains are electrostatically charged due to the interaction with the solar wind plasma environment and the photoemission of electrons due to solar UV radiation. This results in a process that charges the surface positively and generates a near-surface photoelectron inverse plasma sheath. The potential structure changes from a monotonic classical sheath to an inverse sheath as the emitted electron density becomes larger than the plasma electron density. In a relatively newer, recently developed charging model, called the Patched Charge Model, it has shown both theoretically and experimentally that even in photoelectron-rich environment, dust particles lying on a regolith surface can attain large negative potential due to formation of micro cavities. This negative potential may reach such values so that dust mobilization and lofting may become possible. In our work, we have assumed the existence of such negatively charged dust particles in a photoelectron-rich environment and argue that once the dust lofting is effected, the levitation can be sustained through the ion-drag force. The conditions of levitation are investigated for these dust particles and the levitation distances from the lunar surface are calculated.


Content analysis is a research method that has been widely used in the education area. This method is used to determine the presence of certain words or concepts within texts or sets of texts. In this study, it is aimed to analyse the research trends based on the studies conducted on the subject of virtual museums between 2014 and 2017. The study was carried out with content analysis research method and the sample was limited to 60 articles, which were analysed after searching the Taylor and Francis and Scopus databases for relevant articles. The articles, which was selected, were elicited according to six criteria, containing year of research, research type, research method, data collection methods, sample and subject of the research. As a result of the the study, it was established that the year in which the most amount of research studies was conducted was 2016.


Abstract : This thesis investigates the possibility of actively controlling a two-stage vibration isolation mount so as to minimize the transmissibility through the mount. Based on the least-mean squares (LMS) algorithm, an adaptive control system is developed which performs both system identification and control in real-time. The algorithm is generalized to be applicable for systems with multiple actuators and/or sensors. To demonstrate its performance, the adaptive controller is applied to a two-stage isolation mount to actively control vibration transmission through the mount. Experimental results are presented for both narrowband and broadband excitation signals. To demonstrate the capability of the controller to track changing systems, results are shown for several cases where the parameters of the two-stage isolation mount change in time. It is shown that adaptive control presents an excellent means of achieving optimal control at low frequencies where conventional passive control methods fail. The issue of stability is investigated for several LMS-based algorithms, and it is demonstrated that narrower stability restrictions occur as a result of the transfer function between the control filter and the error sensor which exists in a physical system. The result is that in order to maintain stability, the algorithms have a smaller maximum convergence parameter for noise or vibration control applications than for corresponding signal processing applications with the same input. Keywords: Active vibration control; Mounting; LMS; Real-time; Theses; Narrowband; Broadband; Low frequencies. (kt)


The distribution channels play an imperative role in the life insurance industry. In India, traditional and corporate agency are contributing immensely to the profitability of the insurance companies. The challenges faced by the distributional channels such as high attrition, soaring expense ratio and sales inefficiency have created the need to probe into the efficiency aspects of the channel players. In the absence of such studies in India, this article evaluates the technical efficiency of distribution channels in life insurance industry by analysing the data collected from 12 insurance companies for the period 2012 to 2016. The efficiency scores were obtained by applying data envelopment analysis that considered two inputs (number of agents and commission expenses) and two outputs (average business premium and total policies sold). The findings reveal no significant difference in the efficiency scores of bancassurance and traditional agents. Quiet life hypothesis that market share (ratio of premium contribution to total premium) of distributional channels and their efficiency scores are negatively correlated is not supported. Moreover, the slack analysis shows excess inputs per output generated for both the channels. If the companies that scored low in efficiency do not plug the leakages regarding commission as well a number of agents, adverse performance in the long-term and consequent financial crisis are inevitable.


December through February 2015–2016 defines the warmest winter season over the Arctic in the observational record. Positive 2 m temperature anomalies were focused over regions of reduced sea ice cover in the Kara and Barents Seas and southwestern Alaska. A third region is found over the ice‐covered central Arctic Ocean. The period is marked by a strong synoptic pattern which produced melting temperatures in close proximity to the North Pole in late December and anomalous high pressure near the Taymyr Peninsula. Atmospheric teleconnections from the Atlantic contributed to warming over Eurasian high‐latitude land surfaces, and El Niño‐related teleconnections explain warming over southwestern Alaska and British Columbia, while warm anomalies over the central Arctic are associated with physical processes including the presence of enhanced atmospheric water vapor and an increased downwelling longwave radiative flux. Preconditioning of sea ice conditions by warm temperatures affected the ensuing spring extent.


This paper would present the system integration and overview of the autonomous cleaning robot Roboking. Roboking is self-propelled autonomously navigating vacuum cleaning robot. It uses several sensors in order to protect indoor environments and itself while cleaning. In this paper, we would describe the principle of operation along with system structure, sensors, functions and integrated subsystems.


The ability of optical imaging techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) to non-destructively characterize tissue-engineered constructs has generated enormous interest recently. Collagen gels are 3D structures that represent a simple common model of many engineered tissues that contain 2 primary scatterers: collagen and cells. We are testing the ability of OCT data to characterize the remodeling of such collagen-based constructs by 3 different types of cells: vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), endothelial cells (ECs), and osteoblasts (OBs). Collagen gels were prepared with SMCs, ECs, and OBs with a seeding density of 1×106 cells/ml; additionally, acellular controls were also prepared. The disk-shaped constructs were allowed to remodel in the incubator for 5 days, with OCT imaging occurring on days 1 and 5. From the OCT data, the attenuation and reflectivity were evaluated by fitting the data to a theoretical model that relates the tissue optical properties (scattering coefficient and anisotropy factor) and imaging conditions to the OCT signal. The degree of gel compaction was determined from the volume of the culture medium that feeds the constructs. We found that gel compaction (relative to the acellular control) occurred in the SMC constructs, but not in the OB or EC constructs. The optical property data showed that at day 5 the SMC constructs had an overall higher reflectivity (lower g) relative to day 1, whereas there was no obvious change in reflectivity of the EC, OB constructs and acellular controls relative to day 1. Moreover, there was a difference in the attenuation of the OB constructs on day 5 relative to day 1, but not in the other constructs. The apparent decrease in anisotropy observed in the SMC constructs, but not in the OB and EC constructs and acellular controls, suggests that OCT is sensitive to the remodeling of the collagen matrix that accompanies gel compaction, and can offer highly localized information on the construct microstructure. The apparent increase in the scattering coefficient of the OB constructs is believed to be caused by a higher rate of proliferation by these cell types relative to the others. Overall, these results suggest that the optical properties of collagen gels contain information on both cell number and collagen gel microstructure.


This paper evaluates the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) recently proposed by the European Commission. We find that if the CCCTB is introduced as it is currently proposed (including loss consolidation), then it is likely to impose large tax revenue costs of about one fifth of the corporate tax base. Second, we show that an application of the CCCTB proposals at only the European Union (EU) level would overlook the extent of profit shifting out of the EU and could lock in further unnecessary revenue losses. Third, major EU profit-shifting countries such as Luxembourg, Ireland and the Netherlands may experience significant revenue losses. Based on our analysis, the main policy recommendation is to consider extending the approach to a worldwide system, which would simultaneously deal with profit shifting within and out of the EU, and appears to offer the best prospect for revenue-positive, welfare-enhancing reform. For this to be viable, an immediate priority is to collate cross-country-comparable data and provide precise assessments of the range of policy scenarios.


Recent criticism has complicated the conventional view of James Joyce as a politically disinterested pacifist by restoring Ulysses to the Irish colonial context from which it originally emerged. Despite significant contributions, these critics have struggled to reconcile an "Irish Joyce" with a Leopold Bloom who was once seen as the mouthpiece for the author's pacifism. By reading the "Cyclops" episode through the lens of René Girard's theory of the scapegoat, this essay claims that the Jewish Bloom elucidates, rather than complicates, these postcolonial interpretations. Girard's theory exposes the violence connecting the disparate notions of history, mythology, and community that underlie "Cyclops" and the particular form of colonialism it represents. The essay concludes that Joyce reveals and disrupts the scapegoating process. In so doing, he undermines the civilization that both nationalism and colonialism insist upon and challenges the very nature of community.


The thesis of this essay is that—before writing—theologians should get to know their subject matter. Prayer is the lifeline of theology, because God is the subject matter of theology and prayer is our way of being in the world with God. Developing this idea first with human family and partnership models brings out how multifaceted prayer is, and how it is a way of being in the world not only for individuals but for Christian communities. Applying these observations to the task of theology, the essay attempts to clarify the thesis by answering the charge that it makes theology perniciously subjective.


PURPOSE
To reassess the mean size of the lateral cerebral ventricular atrium in the fetus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Measurements were obtained from axial ultrasound (US) images of 500 fetuses by using the standard criteria, and they were reviewed for consistency. Eleven fetuses had ventricular atrial measurements of 10 mm or more, and they were also followed up. Postnatal evaluation consisted of US examinations of the head in three patients and clinical examination of all 11 patients.

RESULTS
The mean size of the ventricular atrium was 6.6 mm with a standard deviation (SD) of 1.4 mm. However, the mean plus 2.5 SD would yield an upper normal limit of 10.1 mm. Findings at the postnatal examinations of the 11 fetuses with isolated lateral ventriculomegaly (three with measurements of 13 mm or less and eight with measurements at 10 mm) were normal.

CONCLUSION
Use of 10 mm (mean from this study plus 2.5 SD) as the upper limit of normal for the ventricular atrial measurement should be continued. Measurements of 10 mm or above should prompt a careful search for associated fetal abnormalities and consideration of amniocentesis.


Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents a turning point in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Pulmonary Vein Isolation (PVI) with Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation (RFCA) is accepted to be successful in restoring sinus rhythm (SR) in HCM patients. The efficacy of cryoballoon (CB) therapy in HCM patients has not been studied so far. Methods: 166 patients with AF underwent PVI with CB technology in our single center between 1/2012 and 12/2015. To evaluate the efficacy of the CB therapy in HCM patients, we compared their clinical outcome with those in "Non-HCM" AF patients in a 3 and 6 months follow-up. Results: Out of 166 AF patients (65.7% paroxysmal AF, PAF), 4 patients had HCM and PAF (young males < 50 years). During the blanking period, 26 patients (15.8%) suffered from AF recurrence (11.0% PAF), including all HCM patients. The 6 months follow up of "Non-HCM" AF patients showed acceptable results (80% stable SR), whereas the HCM patients remained AF. In Conclusion: Even if the CB provides advantages, the single device cannot be recommended in HCM patients because of early AF recurrences. Anyway, because of the specific hemodynamic changes in HCM patients with AF, ablation should be sought in an early state of its occurrence, then, however, preferably with RFCA.


Adolescent community violence exposure (CVE) has been linked to posttraumatic stress (PTS) and has been found to vary by race and ethnicity. Little is known about the relationship between adolescent CVE and PTS across ethnic groups in an international context. Arab and Jewish high school students (n = 1571) in Israel completed self-report questionnaires. Jewish adolescents (n = 821) witnessed more community violence, while Arab adolescents (n = 750) were more likely to victimized in the community and endorse higher levels of PTS. Ethnicity was found to be a significant predictor of PTS when controlling for CVE using hierarchical multiple regression (accounting for 2% of the variance in PTS). Ethnic affiliation did not moderate the relationship between CVE and PTS. These findings add to the small body of literature exploring cross-cultural differences in CVE and associated psychological distress. Further investigation of CVE and mental health cross-ethnically is warranted given the disparities in CVE and PTS rates.


The authors report the first numerical simulation of the melting curve of a binary mixture. The melting curves of binary hard-sphere mixtures with diameter ratios alpha =0.95 and 0.90 were obtained by Monte Carlo simulation. For alpha =0.95 the phase diagram is found to be spindle-like; for alpha =0.90 it exhibits an azeotrope. They compare these findings with predictions based on density-functional theory.


The numerical simulation of the Single Point Incremental Forming process (SPIF) is time consuming due to the necessity to take into account various non-linearity such as the material behaviour, large strain deformation and the evolution of the tool-flange contact. Classical contact algorithms give good agreement with experimental results, but are time consuming. In this paper, we investigate the development of a procedure to simplify the management of the contact interface between the tool and the sheet. Nodes with imposed displacements are determined by a geometrical approximation of the deformed sheet. In order to have a better approximation of the local stresses in the flange, a pressure is applied on the tool side of the elements in the contact zone. The pressure value is obtained by an analytical model. A classical contact algorithm and the present simplified approach are compared in terms of an incremental forming benchmark. It has been shown that, for the benchmark problem studied here, a CPU time reduction of approximately 65% can be achieved while at the same time have good simulation results.


Doctoral and postdoctoral students considering a career as an educator would be well served by: (1) training in effective classroom communication skills, (2) the use of existing technology in teaching, (3) developing a new course or updating an existing course, and (4) availing themselves of campus teaching resources designed enhance their teaching portfolio. Universities need to place more attention on developing the teaching skills of their doctoral and postdoctoral students. This should include teaching methods and aids, communication skills, motivation, learning theory, testing, counselling and guidance, and course design. An important dimension from a guidance stand point is the conduct of a formal peer review process for beginning faculty.


Thermoelectric coolers are often used in freezing chuck to freeze or to thaw easy broken egg-shells, clays, and other ferrous/nonferrous materials, which are incapable to machine it by other clamping technology. For design and application purposes, detailed studies of freezing/thawing processes by thermoelectric coolers are inevitable to the success of this technology. In this study, an experiment to measure the thermal resistance of single thermoelectric device is conducted and a model to calculate its hot and cold side temperatures is derived. Moreover, a design case of freezing chuck system is analyzed by COMSOL software to investigate the freezing/thawing functions and to evaluate its effectiveness.


Bundey, S. (1972). A genetic study of infantile and juvenile myasthenia gravis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 35,41. Dubowitz, V. (1969). The Floppy Infant, p. 45. Heinemann, London. Millichap, J. G., and Dodge, P. R. (1960). Diagnosis and treatment of myasthenia gravis in infancy, childhood and adolescence. Neurology, 10, 1007. Namba, T., Brunner, N. G., Brown, S. B., Muguruma, M., and Grob, D. (1971). Familial myasthenia gravis. Archives of Neurology, 25, 49. Rothbart, H. B. (1937). Myasthenia gravis in children-its familial incidence. Journal of the American Mediccl Association, 108, 715.


In linguistics, the relation between syntax and thought is expressed by verbs and their relationship with subjects, objects and predicates. This link, in turn, creates grammatical voices such as active, passive and so on. Grammatical voice indicates the writer's attitudes towards and viewpoints on a subject and reflects his/her mental and spiritual state. Grammatical voice can be employed to compare the moods of different poets. In this article, we seek to examine and compare the grammatical voice in three ghazals by Ebtehaj, Naderpour and Farrokhzad and relate it to the School Romanticism using statistical analysis. These ghazals are an imitation of one of Sa'di's poems. Results indicate that in the chosen poem the active voice is used more because of the conversation taking place between the lover and the beloved. Farrokhzad has used newer language strategies in her poem as compared with the other two.


BACKGROUND
The voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC) play an essential role in the cross talk between mitochondria and the rest of the cell. Their implication in cell life and cell death has been studied extensively in recent years. In this work we studied the impact of mitochondrial membrane (VDACs) on cell survival and response to X-ionizing radiation (IR) of human lymphoblastoid K562 cells.

METHODS
The inhibition of VDACs was achieved by 4,4`-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2`-disulfonic acid (DIDS) inhibitor and in vitro experiments including clonogenity assay, UV-visible spectrophotometry, comet assay and FACS analysis were implemented.

RESULTS
Inhibition of VDAC led to augmentation of IR-induced apoptosis and ROS production. Additionally, DIDS affected repair of IR-induced DNA strand breaks and was in line with both induction of apoptosis and caspase activity. The IR-induced NO production was potently reduced by inhibition of VDAC.

CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that VDAC control cellular response to ionizing radiation through modulation of the ROS- and NO-dependent signaling pathways. Inhibition of VDAC with DIDS induced apoptosis in irradiated K562 lymphoblastoid cells points at DIDS, as a promising agent to enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy.


Differentiating between standard risk measures and downside risk has a longstanding tradition in finance. Interestingly, this fundamental distinction has been neglected in the literature on risk sharing. Drawing on a simple definition in Markowitz (1959), we translate downside-risk metrics appropriate for stock returns into ones that can be used in our macro-forecasting setting, and propose a new methodology to estimate channels of downside-risk sharing, with an application to the federal fiscal channel in the United States. Our work reinstates some discarded arguments as to why a fiscal union could be desirable, as our findings suggest that public risk sharing is considerably higher than was previously thought. We also show that the great importance long attributed to the capital market channel estimated with popular income smoothing methodologies is instead entirely driven by the neglect of the effect of capital depreciation. Therefore, our paper argues that the relative importance of the fiscal channel as compared to the capital market one has been substantially underestimated. JEL Classification: C80, E01, E17, E64, H29.