BACKGROUND & AIMS
Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma are complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The aim of this study was to look for evidence of a familial predisposition to reflux.

METHODS
Index patients with adenocarcinoma (n = 27), Barrett's esophagus (n = 40), and reflux esophagitis (n = 55) were recruited from tertiary care and community populations. Parents and siblings of patients (n = 243) and their spouses' relatives (n = 230) completed reflux symptom questionnaires (response rate, 86%).

RESULTS
Reflux symptoms were significantly more prevalent among parents and siblings of patients with adenocarcinoma (43% vs. 23%) and Barrett's esophagus (46% vs. 27%) than spouse control relatives. No significant difference was found for the reflux esophagitis group (33% vs. 29%). Reflux was more prevalent in siblings than spouses of patients with Barrett's esophagus (41% vs. 12%) and adenocarcinoma (40% vs. 6%), a difference that was not found with reflux esophagitis (24% vs. 32%). Reflux was associated with obesity, 41% vs. 28% in the nonobese; smoking, 45% vs. 31% in nonsmokers; and men, 39% vs. 27% in women.

CONCLUSIONS
There may be a genetic predisposition to the development of reflux in families of patients with Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. For uncomplicated reflux esophagitis, environmental factors appear more important.


Attempts at reconstructing amber forest habitats have sometimes neglected some aspects concerning arthropod communities in the soil, particularly those related to humid terrestrial conditions with, at least, certain proximity to partially flooded areas. The improving knowledge of the Spanish and French amber-bearing localities (AlbianCenomanian) has allowed the discovery of organisms that lived close to or in aquatic environments. Among these, small crustaceans belonging to the peracaridan Order Tanaidacea are exceptionally preserved. Except for a few rare freshwater and brackish species, Recent tanaids are marine organisms which occur over the full range of depths, and they typically hide in crevices or interstices, or construct tubes or burrows. Tanaids are exceedingly sparse in the geological record, with only 13 fossil species recorded to date. These are mostly rock-impressions, and only few specimens have been found as bioinclusions in ancient resins from some deposits around the world. The history of tanaids goes back to Lower Carboniferous, with the oldest species discovered in Scotland. Paleozoic taxa are also known from the Upper Carboniferous of Illinois and Lower Permian of Germany. Various Mesozoic tanaids were described from Lower Jurassic of Germany, Middle Jurassic of Bulgaria, Germany and Switzerland, Upper Jurassic of Germany, and Lower Cretaceous of Germany, but until recently, the only fossils known as bioinclusions were three species from Lower Cretaceous amber of Spain, placed in Alavatanaidae (Suborder Tanaidomorpha). The new findings include 19 tanaids in Albian Spanish amber from Alava (Periacerrada 1 outcrop, Burgos Province), with at least two new morphotypes. A single specimen from El Soplao amber (Cantabria Province) has been tentatively assigned to Alavatanais carabe Vonk and Schram, 2007. Furthermore, Albian-Cenomanian French amber has provided 17 tanaids among which three potential new morphotypes. These specimens were found in am ber from various localities in the Charentes region (Archingeay-Les Nouillers and La Buzinie), and in the departments of Vendee (La Garnache) and Aude (Fourtou). The new fossils ail belong to the Suborder Tanaidomorpha and are remarkably modern in appearance, which is of great interest in understanding the history of the Order and their relationships with extant families. These tanaid assemblages from palaeogeographically close Spanish and French Cretaceous amber bearing-deposits, suggest that this group was relatively common in or around the ancient resin-producing forests, and often some of them have been found together in the same amber piece. Moreover, taphonomic and palaeobiological approaches showed that Spanish tanaids were preserved together with diverse nonaquatic syninclusions originating from the litter, i.e. inorganic soil components, decayed plant debris, arthropod remains, fungal hyphae, coprolites, and body-fossils such as isopods, mites, and thysanurans. French tanaids, however, were generally preserved in a mixture of terrestrial, often litter-inhabiting arthropods and fungi, but also marine organisms like centric diatoms and sponge spicules. This provides evidence for the early adaptation of tanaids to various habitats, from edaphic conditions in moist terrestrial or freshwater habitats, as suggested by Spanish fossils, to brackish or even marine habitats, as suggested by French fossils.


Iris fluorescein angiography was performed on 23 patients with primary iris melanocytic tumors. Four angiographic patterns were identified, the first three of which were considered to be usually indicative of a benign lesion, based on clinical duration and follow-up, biopsy specimens, and stable patterns on repeated angiography. (1) Eleven moderately to heavily pigmented placoid lesions were angiographically silent, in that they failed to display either a tumor-associated vasculature or diffuse leakage. (2) Seven generally nonpigmented lesions demonstrated a quasi-geometric filigree vascular network, approximating the caliber of the normal radial vasculature. These tumor-associated vessels fluoresced early and in synchrony with the appearance of dye in the radial vasculature from which they probably were derived, but they diffusely and confluently leaked fluorescein in the late phases of the angiogram. (3) Three brown or variably pigmented lesions manifested a mixed angiographic pattern, combining features of groups 1 and 2. (4) The final angiographic pattern was comprised of two pathologically proved mixed spindle-epithelioid cell melanomas, each of which in part or in toto showed diffuse and eventually confluent fluorescence emanating from ill-defined vascular foci. One of these two lesions additionally exhibited a large area that was perfused late by irregular leashes of vessels. The ability to distinguish benign from malignant melanocytic lesions of the iris can be greatly enhanced by iris fluorescein angiography.


We propose a novel localized QoS routing approach, under which no global QoS state information exchange among network nodes is needed. This approach has many advantages over the conventional global QoS routing approach based on information exchange among routers. We develop two localized QoS routing schemes and demonstrate through simulations that the proposed localized QoS routing approach is indeed a viable alternative to the global QoS routing approach.


Ostrich is among the birds of which their fosterage is expending for many reasons. Considering of the economic value of this bird (using of meat, feather, leather and the
egg of ostrich) needs sufficient and pervasive results in different scientific aspects such as accurate discrimination of anatomy and tissue structures of body organs. The nervous system is the most complicated and important organ in body of birds. In this study ten African ostrich (male and female) with the weight average 110.5 kg and the ages average 310 days after carnage of this ostriches in slaughter houses of zabol city, the skull was immediately removed and opened so as to remove the entire brain; data from every part of the medulla oblongata and The beginning of the spinal cord were gathered with a sliding caliper and biopsy samples were taken from different parts of the medulla oblongata and The beginning of the spinal cord and then were studied from various aspects. Then statistical analysis was done and pictures were taken. In terms of morphology in the medulla oblongata ostrich was pyramid-shaped small size and shallow grooves that hardly seen. Also the first part of the spinal cord was smooth except for the front and rear longitudinal groove. After anatomic assessment, preparation levels of tissue was done with Autotechnicon machine and after preparing paraffin blocks from tissue fine and proper tissue incisions with 5 micron was done with microtome machine, furthermore, colouration was done including casual
Haematoxilin and Eosin staining and specific PAS staining. Histologically, different parts of the first part of the spinal cord and medulla oblongata of ostriches no particular
difference with other birds. White matter in cortical part and gray matter in central part of medulla oblongata and had no particular shape. More white matter tract in the spinal cord and spinal central duct epithelium was cubicdal stratified.


Purpose To explore the value of F-NLR-AGR score based on preoperative fibrinogen, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) in predicting the prognosis in patients with glioma. Patients and methods 203 glioma patients were retrospectively analyzed. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off values for NLR, AGR, and fibrinogen. According to these cut-off values, patients with high NLR (>1.90), low AGR (<1.54), and elevated fibrinogen (>2.61 g/L) were defined as a score of 3, if none of the patients' three parameters met these standards they were given a score of 0, if any two or one parameter met these standards they were scored as 2 or 1, respectively. The correlation between F-NLR-AGR score and glioma grade was also evaluated. Results The three-year overall survival (OS) rate and the mean overall survival in patients with F-NLR-AGR=3 were lower than those of patients with F-NLR-AGR = 2, 1 or 0 [17.6% vs 35.2%, 66.9% or 83.7% (26.0 vs 39.0, 64.0 or 81.0 months), P<0.001]. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (HR=2.071; 95% CI=1.195–3.588; P=0.009), WHO grade (P<0.001), and F-NLR-AGR score (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that F-NLR-AGR score was positively correlated with glioma grade (r=0.278, P<0.01). Conclusion Preoperative F-NLR-AGR score was correlated with glioma grading, high F-NLR-AGR score was an independent predictor of poor prognosis in glioma. Therefore, the scoring system may be applied in clinical practice to identify high-risk patients.


In long-term feeding experiments with bulls of the species Holstein-Friesians, the relation between live weight development and nutrient and energy retention was investigated on a high, medium and low level of feeding intensity. For this purpose a total of 206 animals was butchered at the ages 0, 4, 9, 12, 15, 16.5 and 18 months and the complete bodies were analysed. This showed that fat retention was considerably more influenced by the feeding intensity than protein retention. On the basis of the same body weight the energy content per kg live weight gain is not constant but increases with the growing feeding intensity.


There exists a long-standing debate in higher education on which academic calendar is optimal. Using panel data on the near universe of four-year nonprofit institutions and leveraging quasi-experimental variation in calendars across institutions and years, we show that switching from quarters to semesters negatively impacts on-time graduation rates. Event study analyses show that the negative effects persist beyond the transition. Using transcript data, we replicate this analysis at the student level and investigate possible mechanisms. Shifting to a semester: (i) lowers first-year grades, (ii) decreases the probability of enrolling in a full course load, and (iii) delays the timing of major choice. (JEL I23, I28)


Lawrie et al's editorial on the 'continuum of psychosis' is timely and welcome. I see this debate two ways: as a doctor needing order to help ease suffering, I agree that it is better, for the time being, to keep existing diagnostic categories of psychiatric disorder, however imperfect they may be. As a patient, I of course want care, but I also want to be understood. Many psychiatrists now consider that too much of life is branded 'disorder': in this, none of us diminishes the reality of suffering, but we do look for better ways of explaining it. Certain scientists may hate this – but people's lives do have narrative. I think we underestimate humankind if we say that we cannot accept symptom-based descriptions of suffering. I hope I am not wrong to suggest that most of the treatments used today to improve mental health are not disease specific, but rather act on either mood, thought or both. Nevertheless, I agree that the cry for a spectrum approach to psychosis is premature and it does not fit with my experience of so many troubled lives encountered. Peter Tyrer is correct to raise the potential problems, both clinical and pragmatic, of premature abandonment of current diagnostic classifications. However, there remains a need to reconsider the neo-Kraepelinian model, if only to bring greater alignment with the technology that Lawrie et al hope will be to our greater mental good. It is my belief that, under the present classification system, neurobiological research cannot fully address complexity. My own view is that we have given too much attention to what Steven Rose has termed 'neurogenetic determinism' rather than applying biological research to life (we should not risk losing the baby with the bath water, however dirty). I would contest the presentation of the neurobiology literature as presented by Lawrie et al in the opening paragraph of their editorial. I would also contest the claim, attributed to a paper by Tandon et al, that 'advances in our understanding of aetiology and pathogenesis [of psychosis are] based on highly replicable neurobiological differences'. I have read that paper several times, but found, for all the studies and indeed all the words, neither one simple biomarker of any utility nor indeed anything even approaching specificity. Perhaps we should ask why this may be? Could it be that categories, clinically practicable, and needed for now, do not match the complex epigenesis of psychosis? In concluding, I would suggest that we do not forget history. James Clerk Maxwell was bold enough to stop looking for matter and to consider the energy fields that now govern our lives and, indeed, technology that has been to our collective good. Do we need another Maxwell moment, scientifically brilliant, religion free, willing to see matters as simple as possible, but not simpler? I have no such moment to offer. But brilliant folk like Lawrie and his colleagues have that tradition and they perhaps raise the chances that such scientific inspiration can help us once again.


A growing literature shows that doing voluntary work not only helps the wider community but can also improve one's own well-being. To date, however, few studies have examined the relationship between volunteering and well-being in non-US and especially in comparative data. We study this relationship using two waves of data of 18,559 individuals aged 50 and above from 12 European countries. We analyze life satisfaction impacts of change and stability in volunteering status and in the intensity (frequency) of volunteering, and explore whether these impacts differ according to life stage (age, employment status) and across countries with different norms and supports for voluntarism. Findings show that net life satisfaction is higher among longer-term, recent, and former volunteers than among stable (long-term) non-volunteers. There are no significant life satisfaction differences between the three groups with volunteer experience. Equally, similar levels of life satisfaction are observed among people who have increased and decreased their frequency of volunteering. It thus seems to be the experience and not the dynamics (i.e., change or persistence) of volunteering that is associated with well-being. Findings further suggest life course variation in the association between volunteering and well-being, as the relationship is stronger for older and long-term non-employed (mostly retired) individuals than for their middle-aged and working counterparts. The relationship is also stronger in countries where volunteering is less common and less institutionally supported.


HIV-1 protease plays an important role in the processing of virus infection. Protease is an effective therapeutic target for the treatment of HIV-1. Our data set is based on a selection of 4855 HIV-1 protease inhibitors (PIs) from ChEMBL. A series of 15 classification models for predicting the active inhibitors were built by machine learning methods, including k-nearest neighors (K-NN), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and deep neural network (DNN). The molecular structures were characterized by (1) fingerprint descriptors including MACCS fingerprints and PubChem fingerprints and (2) physicochemical descriptors calculated by CORINA Symphony. The prediction accuracies of all of the models are more than 70% on the test set; the best accuracy of 83.07% was obtained by model 4A, which was built by the SVM method based on MACCS fingerprint descriptors. Nine consensus models were built with three kinds of different descriptors, which combined all of the machine learning methods using the "consensus prediction". Model C3a developed with MACCS fingerprint descriptors showed the highest accuracy on both training set (91.96%) and test set (83.15%). An external validation set including 35 989 compounds from DUD database and 239 active inhibitors from the recent literature was used to verify the performance of our model. The best prediction accuracy of 98.37% was obtained by model 3C, which was built by RF based on CORINA Symphony descriptors. In addition, from the analysis of molecular descriptors, it shows that the aromatic system and atoms related to hydrogen bonding provide important contributions to the bioactivity of PIs.


Prior work demonstrated the ability of machine learning to automatically recognize surgical workflow steps from videos. However, these studies focused on only a single type of procedure. In this work, we analyze, for the first time, surgical step recognition on four different laparoscopic surgeries: Cholecystectomy, Right Hemicolectomy, Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Appendectomy. Inspired by the traditional apprenticeship model, in which surgical training is based on the Halstedian method, we paraphrase the"see one, do one, teach one"approach for the surgical intelligence domain as"train one, classify one, teach one". In machine learning, this approach is often referred to as transfer learning. To analyze the impact of transfer learning across different laparoscopic procedures, we explore various time-series architectures and examine their performance on each target domain. We introduce a new architecture, the Time-Series Adaptation Network (TSAN), an architecture optimized for transfer learning of surgical step recognition, and we show how TSAN can be pre-trained using self-supervised learning on a Sequence Sorting task. Such pre-training enables TSAN to learn workflow steps of a new laparoscopic procedure type from only a small number of labeled samples from the target procedure. Our proposed architecture leads to better performance compared to other possible architectures, reaching over 90% accuracy when transferring from laparoscopic Cholecystectomy to the other three procedure types.


Limiting the damage by non‐indigenous species requires rapid determination of current and potential distributions and vectors of dispersal, and development of appropriate management measures. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), a wood‐boring beetle native to South‐East Asia, was first reported in the Great Lakes region during summer 2002. The beetle poses an enormous threat to native ash (Fraxinus) species of North America, as untreated trees in infested areas of Ontario, Michigan and Ohio suffer high mortality. We demonstrate that the borer has spread in North America through a combination of diffusive range extension, associated with local flights, and by long‐distance 'jump' dispersal associated with human movement of infested sapling or contaminated firewood. Probability of infestation was inversely related to distance from borer epicentres but positively related to the size of human population centres. At least 9 of 39 populations that were first reported in Michigan during 2004 cannot be accounted for by local diffusion, raising the possibility that other unidentified mechanisms may be contributing to the dispersal of the beetle. In the absence of quarantine, by 2005 all of Michigan's lower peninsula was contained within the boundaries of potential diffusive range expansion. Infested ash saplings also were introduced from Michigan to Maryland during 2003, and subsequently transplanted to five sites in Maryland and Virginia. Quarantine and eradication measures have had mixed results: in the south‐central USA, the species appears on the brink of eradication, whereas its distribution has continued to spread during 2005 in the Great Lakes region despite extensive containment and quarantine measures. Quarantine success in the Great Lakes region is encumbered by multiple dispersal vectors, larger borer population sizes and by the more extensive geographical distribution that was achieved prior to implementation of control measures.


The activation of platelets and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the vascular intima play an essential role in the pathological mechanism of vascular restenosis (RS). Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural phenolic acid compound. However, its mechanism of action on platelets and VSMCs is still unclear. This study investigated the effects of RA on platelet function, VSMCs phenotypic conversion, proliferation, and migration in vascular remodeling with a specific focus on the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway. RA inhibited platelet aggregation and Ca2+ release and significantly reduced the release of platelet microvesicles. In addition, RA inhibited the phenotypic transition of VSMCs in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments showed that RA could effectively inhibit the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB. PDGF-BB triggered ROS generation and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, which were inhibited by RA. Mechanistically, after artery injury or treatment with PDGF-BB, VSMCs presented with inhibition of the Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathway. RA treatment reversed this profile by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway; stabilizing Keap1 protein; upregulating HO-1, NQO1, GCLM, and GST protein levels; promoting typical Nrf2 nuclear translocation; and preventing VSMCs from oxidative stress damage. On the other hand, RA also inhibited the NF-κB pathway to reduce inflammation. In summary, these results indicate that RA inhibits platelet function and attenuates the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transition of VSMCs induced by PDGF-BB in vitro and vascular remodeling in vivo. Therefore, RA treatment may be a potential therapy for preventing or treating RS.


The authors develop a methodology that maps a given set of factor exposures to a group of asset classes. When there are fewer factors than asset classes, which is the case in most practical situations, the mapping is not unique. The authors show how one can express a given set of factor exposures as a particular combination of assets subject to real-world investor preferences and constraints: leverage, minimum and maximum asset class positions, illiquid versus liquid proportions, active risk, turnover, and other constraints. Formally, the authors find the set of asset classes that has the minimum distance in terms of factor exposures from the desired set, subject to these constraints.


The abandonment of urban built heritage has recently become an acute phenomenon that parasites important historical areas within European cities and Bucharest is no exception. Against the backdrop of political reformations and nuances, the gradual reduction of economic activity, the closure of many local services or commercial units, and the disappearance of former landmarks in the centre of the historic city, led to a visible economic and social vacuum, a generator of stagnation and ruin. At the same time, more seriously, a certain identity of the place was lost all along with the disappearance of some aspects of daily use, urban elements generating social interaction and communication, testimonies of a way of life that generated them. In time, the gradual loss of landmarks and meaningful spaces accentuates the dysfunctionality and the phenomena linked to a precarious economic background. The reactivation of such zones and finding appropriate viable – functional solutions of urban planning – reconnecting the local community with a highly valuable construction fund is, perhaps, one of the most important challenges of our times.


Stochastic differential equations arise naturally in a range of contexts, from financial to environmental modeling. Current solution methods are limited in their representation of the posterior process in the presence of data. In this work, we present a novel Gaussian process approximation to the posterior measure over paths for a general class of stochastic differential equations in the presence of observations. The method is applied to two simple problems: the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, of which the exact solution is known and can be compared to, and the double-well system, for which standard approaches such as the ensemble Kalman smoother fail to provide a satisfactory result. Experiments show that our variational approximation is viable and that the results are very promising as the variational approximate solution outperforms standard Gaussian process regression for non-Gaussian Markov processes.


The feasibility of an adaptive controller for the fermentation of baker's yeast is investigated. A simplified model of the process was developed to aid the design of the parameter estimator and multivariable controller. Experiments were performed on a small-scale, fully instrumented fermenter under the control of the online real-time adaptive package. Results are presented to show the successful performance of the adaptive technique achieved by controlling various process variables, in both SIMO and MIMO configurations. The work indicates that the application of the adaptive technique compares favourably with semiautomated control techniques while providing great opportunities for enhancement and thereby superior control. It has been found necessary to omit a considerable amount of the biological detail surrounding the fermentation process so that attention can be focussed upon the adaptive-control applications.


Option 2 is an intensive family preservation service for families with serious child protection concerns related to parental misuse of drugs or alcohol. A previous evaluation indicated that it reduced the number of children entering care and, as a result, produced cost savings; however, little data were gathered from families. This study involved interviews with 15 families (46 children) who had received the service, and a comparison group of 12 families (28 children) referred but not provided the service due to no workers being available. Outcomes and experiences were compared, on average, 5.6 years following referral. Findings included a significant reduction in children entering care, and improvements in relation to substance misuse, parental well-being and family cohesion. There was no difference in emotional and behavioural welfare of children. Qualitative accounts were very positive about the impact of the service, identifying effective engagement of parents and key elements of good practice in supporting families to change. The findings provide additional support for suggesting that high quality, intensive interventions with families affected by parental substance misuse can be effective. Key lessons for current attempts to deal with the increase in children entering care and the English government's 'troubled families' initiative are considered.


Abstract Tree ring cellulose oxygen isotopes (δ18O) were measured on 21 trees of Qilian juniper from the Animaqing Mountains, Tibetan Plateau, to investigate intra- and inter-tree variability, potential juvenile and elevation effects and climatic implications. There are no significant differences in mean and standard deviation of tree ring δ18O values at different heights in individual trees. Tree ring δ18O values from different directions show a high degree of coherence. The mean and standard deviation for vertical and circumferential δ18O time series are very similar, and δ18O data from different heights and directions are highly correlated (r > 0.88). The δ18O values of young trees are lower than those of old trees in the first 10 years of tree growth. Tree ring δ18O data from five different altitudes are highly correlated (r > 0.88) and share similar climatic signals. As such, an altitude effect on tree ring δ18O is not observed. Our results indicate that samples from one site, regardless of sampling height, direction or altitude, can be used to reconstruct a long-term δ18O record. Tree ring δ18O data from the Animaqing Mountains show a significant negative correlation (r = −0.67; p < 0.001) with May–July regional precipitation and appear to be a promising proxy for precipitation reconstruction.


Formation and subsequent break down of ovarian germ cell (GC) cysts is a key and an evolutionary‐conserved developmental event, described in phylogenetically diverse species of invertebrates and vertebrates. In mammals, cyst break down (CBD) ends at the time of, or soon after, birth with the formation of primordial follicles enclosing single oocytes, which constitute the sole reservoir of gametes available through the whole female's reproductive life. In this study, we challenge this paradigm demonstrating the constitutive presence of a large number of cysts, enclosing two‐thirty GCs, in the ovary of the adult armadillo Chaetophractus villosus, belonging to the superorder Xenarthra, one of the earliest offshoots among placentals. We also describe that (a) GCs enclosed within cysts are connected by intercellular bridges—intercellular bridges—markers of their clonal origin; (b) CBD occurs through four main phases, ending with primordial follicles containing single oocytes; (c) GCs encompass meiotic prophase I stages, from leptotene to diplotene; (d) seasonal variations in the number of GCs enclosed within cysts, suggesting the presence of a GC multiplying activity. The armadillo C. villosus''s ovary emerges as an extraordinary resource to investigate folliculogenesis and to explore the evolutionary past of the mammalian ovary.


X (3872) still presents many puzzles more than a decade after its discovery. Some of its properties, like the isospin violating decays, can easily be accommodated in a molecular model, whereas its other properties, such as radiative decays can be more naturally explained in the quarkonium picture. The best of these schemes can be combined in a picture of X (3872) where it is dominantly a molecular state with some charmonium components. In this work, we present a model based on heavy quark symmetry which describes X (3872) as a superposition of molecular and charmonium components.


It has been commonly assumed that teleological explanations are unnecessary and have no place in the physical sciences. However, there are indications that teleology is fairly common in the instructional explanations of teachers and students in chemistry classrooms. In this study we explore the role and nature of teleological explanations and the conditions that seem to warrant their use in chemistry education. We also analyse the learning implications of developing explanations of chemical phenomena within a teleological stance. Our study is based on the qualitative analysis of the instructional explanations presented in traditional chemistry textbooks used in the United States. Our results indicate that teleological explanations are in fact present in these textbooks and help provide an explanatory reason for the occurrence of chemical transformations. Their use is tightly linked to the existence of a rule, principle, or law that governs the behaviour of a chemical system, and that explicitly or implicitly implies the minimisation or maximisation of some intrinsic property. This law or principle tends to provide a sense of preferred direction in the evolution of a transformation. Although teleological explanations seem to have heuristic pedagogical value in chemistry education, they may also lead students to develop alternative conceptions and unwarranted overgeneralisations.


This paper describes the possibility of integrating the antennas into a mirror of a vehicle. Vehicle manufacturers tend to integrate all modern communication services into their vehicles. This requires a certain number of antennas to support these services. On the other hand they put the requirement that the antennas should not influence the design and aesthetics of the vehicle, they should be as compact as possible and in the best case not visible at all, at the same time that the solution offers modularity across different car platforms. FICOSA developed such a solution, integrating the antennas into the side mirrors of a car. Paper stresses the in-mirror integration possibilities but also shows other new ideas how to make the well functioning antennas invisible within the vehicle.


Introduction Traditionally, the hospice has offered vocational placements to students over the age of 16 who are undergoing health and social care training at College or University. There had been many requests from schools for placements for the under 16's who have a 'work experience' week as part of their Year 10 studies. Aim To work with local secondary schools to enable their students (aged 15) to participate in worthwhile and productive vocational experience within the hospice. Method Students who choose vocational experience within the hospice are invited with their parents to discuss the work of the hospice, have a tour and discuss a programme for the week. Following the meeting an information pack is sent to the student which includes objectives, the programme, and information around confidentiality. A typical programme would include: ▶ Working on the In patient unit, and with Hospice @ Home ▶ Working in Day Therapy, attending breathing clinics and joining in activities, such as art therapy ▶ Observing the complementary therapists ▶ Meeting with a Counsellor and the Chaplain. On day one there is an induction with a Mentor who the student will meet with each day to discuss their learning experience. On completion of the placement, Evaluation forms are completed by the student and the organisation, and a Certificate of Attendance and Achievement issued. Results Very positive feedback has been received from the schools, students and hospice staff and volunteers, with students showing an increased interest in volunteering. Conclusion This new programme has: ▶ Raised the profile of the hospice within the local school community ▶ Led the hospice to reflect on the lower age limit for volunteering ▶ Enabled the hospice to make further links with schools in relation to the curriculum.


We carried out a Sm-Nd isotopic reconnaissance study of South Korea. Eight river sediments gave crustal residence ages (T DM ) between 1.7 and 2.7 Ga, implying that, on average, the crust of South Korea was formed in Early to Middle Proterozoic time. Twenty-six Precambrian basement rocks yielded T DM between 1.4 and 3.8 Ga. More than half of them exceed 2.5 Ga, indicating that South Korea has a long history of crustal evolution. Four of the samples have T DM from 3.2 to 3.8 Ga suggesting the possibility that there may be ancient continental crust in Korea having ages comparable to those of the oldest cratons in the world. However, these samples also have preferentially higher Sm/Nd, so their old ages could be artifacts, thus requiring confirmation. The large variation in T DM of South Korea is reminiscent of that for the South China block. However, the existence of Early Archean ages better matches that of the North China block, because the basement of south China was thought to be mostly Proterozoic in age. The recent discovery of rare Archean basement rocks in the South China block may favor models that attempt to correlate South Korea with south China.


The legal issues that relate to the realm of privacy, social media communication and technology are ever growing. In Australia, over the past five years or so, there have been a series of dismissals resulting from the use of personal social media communications by employees. One area of dismissals is employers terminating employees for complaining about their colleagues in the employee's personal social media space. Another example is employees discussing workplace processes and procedures in the employee's personal social media space leading to alleged disclosures of confidential information.

Several questions concern these dismissals. These include determining how courts view individual employees' personal social media sites, either as a private space or a public space. This appears to provide a basis for how courts view employer regulation of employees' social media interaction, regardless of whether such interaction relates directly, or is incidental, to workplace activities. When employer control is permitted, judicial decisions are also relevant in understanding the extent to which courts may permit employers to exercise such control.

As this area is still new, much of the body of cases referred to lie in Fair Work Commission decisions. The above is researched under the overarching theme of identifying current judicial trends in determining parameters of privacy in the workplace in relation to social media use by employees. Judicial determination of these issues is important, as legislation still lags behind the massive and rapid technological advances in social media communication. In Australia, the courts are still the primary influencers and protectors of privacy as a human right. Judicial clarification of privacy, employer control over employees and employee dismissals within the existing workplace legislation is important for both employers and employees alike.


Nowadays, the Bologna Process emphasizes qualitative rather than quantitative aspects in scientific research as well as the need to focus on practical challenges. It might be said that the academic world entered the Era of Quality due to a change of paradigm spearheaded by Bologna. This change entails other changes at all levels, from research scientists` and academics` outlook to the ways in which scientific products are evaluated. Given the inter-relationship between education and research, an excellent system of education presupposes high level research production. Well-prepared researchers and well-defined criteria are needed to evaluate scientific research.
In this context, we propose a research project funded by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding. The aim is to establish ways for the institutions that conduct research to enhance the visibility and impact of the results of research in educational sciences, in society in general, and policies and practices in particular. The study proposes an analysis of the actual models of research impact and assesses the current strategies and mechanisms used by research institutions to promote and make research products more visible to the social community and the educational actors.
We use a mixed methodology based on documentary analyses, questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus group surveys.
In this paper we focus on the first phase of the research project which consists in the design of the main indicators of research impact in education sciences. We based our proposal on the literature study and the key contributions on impact analysis at international level. Our model consists of the interaction between three levels of the research impact: the context of the research production (researchers, university staff, research groups, etc), the context of the research use (policy makers, practitioners, etc) and the level of society as a whole (mass media, research transfer and dissemination).
The model would help us to identify commonalities of interpretations and practice of all the actors involved in the research impact.
Finally we consider that for the future of the research in Education Sciences it is of paramount importance that all actors involved in education impact participate and take an informed and proactive stance that responds to the fast-changing political, institutional and technological environment.


A new method-mixed boundary grid method (FBGM) is proposed to analyze the free vibration of cantilever plates with variable thickness. The fundamental differential equations of the plate are established for the bending problem. By transforming these equations into integral equations in a small area and using the trapezoidal rule of the approximate numerical integration, the solution of these equations is obtained and chosen as Green function to obtain the characteristic equation of the free vibration. The accuracy of the numerical results for the natural frequency parameter calculated by the proposed method is investigated.


A series of computer simulations were run to measure the relationship between testlet validity and the factors of item pool size and testlet length for both adaptive and linearly constructed testlets. We confirmed the generality of earlier empirical findings (Wainer, Lewis, Kaplan, & Braswell, 1991) that making a testlet adaptive yields only modest increases in aggregate validity because of the peakedness of the typical proficiency distribution.


Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a new paradigm that promises to enhance network flexibility and innovation. However, operators need to thoroughly assess its advantages and threats before they can implement it. Robustness and fault tolerance are among the main criteria to be considered in such assessment. The currently available SDN controllers offer different fault tolerance mechanisms, but there are still many open issues, especially regarding the trade-off between consistency and performance in a fault- tolerant SDN platform. In this paper, we describe existing fault-tolerant SDN controller solutions, and propose a mechanism to design a consistent and fault-tolerant Master-Slave SDN controller that is able to balance consistency and performance. The main objective of this paper is to bring the performance of an SDN Master-Slave controller as close as possible to the one offered by a single controller. This is obtained by introducing a simple replication scheme, combined with a consistency check and a correction mechanism, that influence the performance only during the few intervals when it is needed, instead of being active during the entire operation time.


Automatic group delay tuning of a lX4 RF Si-photonic asymmetric binary tree beamforming network structure is achieved with ring resonator drop port photodetectors providing electrical monitor information. The proposed tuning approach calibrates the group delay of an entire optical beamforming network (OBFN) that operates at 30GHz with 2GHz bandwidth. Compensation of process variations and thermal crosstalk is achieved with the 4 calibrated optical outputs displaying equal 41ps delay intervals.


Autonomous distributed manufacturing systems (ADMS) consist of multiple intelligent components with each component acting according to its own judgments. The ADMS objective is to realize more agile and adaptive manufacturing systems. This paper presents the introduction of context-dependent agents (CDAs) in ADMS have been proposed, and switch strategies depending on system conditions to achieve better performance than can be realized by agents that use the same strategies under all system conditions. For the real-time job scheduling problem, the paper recalls a basic CDA architecture, and presents the results of an extensive empirical evaluation its performance relative to other rule-based schemes based on several common indices for real-time dispatch.


AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on SiC have been fabricated with dual and single gate device geometries. Subthreshold characteristics and drain bias dependence of large signal parameters were compared to identify differences in electric field. Degradation under RF stress reveals the relative impact of temperature and electric field. The results illustrate the beneficial effects of the dual gate geometry for performance and reliability. Index Terms — GaN, SiC, HEMT, Dual Gate, Cascode


A new moment-resisting precast concrete beam and column joint system using untensioned wire strands was developed in the study, mainly for the use in underground parking lot in which the influences of the seismic load may be neglected. For the evaluation of the performance of this new joint system, the behaviors of the beams, reinforced by the deformed bars and the untensioned strands in combination were experimentally investigated. The reinforcement ratio of the wire strand to the deformed bar was selected as the test parameter. The test results showed that the flexural capacities of all five specimens were sufficient. However, the wire strand ratio has to be used limitedly in the aspect of the serviceability due to the large deflection.


Abstract : The M3I-ICHP aims to lead the way in Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention by conducting novel research utilizing a Systems Biology / personalized medicine design to discover and develop practical, effective and preemptive integrative approaches in order to detect and combat CVD earlier before it affects the quality of life. ICHP's ultimate goal is to translate our evidenced-based research findings for application into clinical practice. A translational research approach will provide the ability to find novel disease markers, optimal prevention and holistic treatment approaches, and a unique venue for future research as the virtual laboratory for optimal comprehensive health prevention in the military beneficiary population. This research method also allow us to further hypothesize and define relationships between CVD, other cardio metabolic disease states and maladaptive behavior patterns unique to service members such as pre-diabetes, stress, overweight and sleep disorders with the aim of targeting these disorders in a pre-clinical phase. Using an integrative, interdisciplinary preventive health approach, ICHP has shown that an individual's cluster of CV risk factors can be effectively targeted and improved.


The objective of this study was to examine and evaluate the frequency of bleeding and serious drug interactions among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with oral anticoagulant (Warfarin). A random sample of 59 patients from Al-Watni government hospital in Nablus with a principal or secondary discharge diagnosis of AF was identified. All drug and clinical data were abstracted from the patient's files. We excluded patients who were less than 65 years of age, or left the hospital against medical advice, and those whose AF was transient or could not be confirmed. Of the original 59 AF patients, 19 were cliagnosed who were discharged on Warfarin. The mean age for these patients was 71.7 years. Among the patients discharged on Warfarin, 94.7 % had one or more drug - drug interactions that could lead to increase risk of bleeding. Many patients discharged on Warfarin were having multiple interacting drugs. Patient counseling and follow -up monitoring are essential and should be carried out to minimize the risk of bleeding and other compl ications.


The density of oil mist in this paper is an important factor of oil mist lubrication technology, according to which the effect of lubrication will be known and from which the study on atomization effect will also benefit. In general, the oil mist density of oil mist lubrication system in working condition is 3-12g/ m3 , the median diameter is 1-3 [1], which is difficult to measure with conventional detection methods. The paper takes advantage of optical rotation principle as a measuring method for density of oil mist and achieves a good experimental result.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a public health burden with increasing morbidity, mortality and health care cost. It is associated with increased risk for the development of chronic kidney disease and death. Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is the most common cause of AKI. Apoptosis and tissue necrosis play an important role in ATN. Galectin 3 (GAL-3), a beta galactoside binding lectin, is known to have a role in inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress but its role in cisplatin induced acute tubular necrosis is not clearly elucidated.

METHODS
Male C57B6-J and C57BL-6 -GAL-3 knock-out mice were used to induce ATN using cisplatin mouse model of acute tubular necrosis. GAL-3 expression, apoptotic, necrotic and necroptotic proteins in kidneys were measured using standard histologic, immunohistochemical, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. Data were presented as mean ± S.E. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) was calculated between experimental groups and corresponding control groups by one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS
There was a significant increase in GAL-3 in kidneys of cisplatin treated GAL-3 wild mice when compared with its control mice. In addition, there were significant higher percentage of ATN, higher levels of plasma urea and creatinine, and higher levels of cathepsin B and cathepsin D, in kidneys of cisplatin-treated GAL-3 KO mice than cisplatin-treated GAL-3 wild mice. Likewise, there were significant higher levels of necroptosis proteins RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL in kidneys of cisplatin-treated GAL-3 KO mice than cisplatin-treated GAL-3 wild mice. Moreover, there were significant higher levels of kidney pro-apoptotic proteins; cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP, TRAIL and FAS in cisplatin treated GAL-3 KO mice when compared with cisplatin treated GAL-3 wild mice.

CONCLUSION
GAL-3 can affect cell survival and death through its interaction with necroptotic, apoptotic and pro-survival proteins in renal tubules during cisplatin-induced acute tubular necrosis.


A heterocyclic ligand 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine (dbbpy) has been coordinated to the Mo3S4 cluster unit affording the complex [Mo3S4Cl3(dbbpy)3]+ ([1]+) in a one-step ligand-exchange protocol from [Mo3S4(tu)8(H2O)]Cl4·4H2O (tu = thiourea). The new cluster was isolated as [1]PF6 and [1]Cl salts in high yields and the crystal structure of the latter determined by X-ray analysis. The synthetic procedure was extended to tungsten to afford [W3S4Cl3(dbbpy)3]+ ([2]+). Kinetic and NMR studies show that [1]+ reacts with several alkynes to form dithiolene species via concerted [3+2] cycloaddition reactions whereas [2]+ remains inert under similar conditions. The different rates for the reactions of [1]+ are rationalised by computational (DFT) calculations, which show that the more electron-withdrawing the substituents of the alkyne the faster the reaction. The inertness of [2]+ is due to the endergonicity of its reactions, which feature ΔGr values systematically 5–7 kcal mol−1 more positive than for those of [1]+.


We consider an ideal multiprocessor system with q processors and a centralized scheduler without overhead that selects processes from one common pool, permitting dynamic relocation of processes. A parallel program P consisting of n processes is executed on this system and terminates when all processes are completed. Due to synchronizations, processes may be blocked while waiting for events in other processes. The parallel program is executed using some schedule of processes to processors, resulting in a speedup /spl sigma/. We then consider an ideal multiprocessor with k clusters containing u processors each. In this system processes may not be relocated between clusters. Finding a schedule which results in maximum speedup is NP-hard. Here, we present a formula for the optimal lower bound on the maximum speedup for program P, as a function of q, n, /spl sigma/, k and u. We also present a formula for the optimal lower bound when the number of processes (n) is unknown. Using these results we are able to decide if a certain schedule is close to optimal or if it is worth-while to look for other schedules. This is demonstrated by evaluating the speedup of a specific schedule of a particular program.<<ETX>>


Rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes have been described as suitable fluorophores, particularly for biological applications. fac-[Re(CO)3(N,N)L](0 or 1+) complexes, where N,N is a substituted dinitrogenated ligand (bipyridine or derivatives with relatively small substituents) and L the ancillary ligand [a pyridine Schiff base (PSB) harboring an intramolecular hydrogen bond (IHB)], have presented promissory results concerning their use as fluorophores, especially for walled cells (i.e., bacteria and fungi). In this work, we present a relativistic theoretical analysis of two series of fac-[Re(CO)3(N,N)PSB]1+ complexes to predict the role of the IHB in the ancillary ligand concerning their photophysical behavior. N,N corresponds to 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) (series A) or 4,4'-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)-2,2'-bipyridine (deeb) (series B). We found that all the complexes present absorption in the visible light range. In addition, complexes presenting a PSB with an IHB exhibit luminescent emission suitable for biological purposes: large Stokes shift, emission in the range of 600-700 nm, and τ in the order of 10-2 to 10-3 s. By contrast, complexes with PSB lacking the IHB show a predicted emission with the lowest triplet excited-state energy entering the NIR region. These results suggest a role of the IHB as an important switcher between visible and NIR emissions in this kind of complexes. Since the PSB can be substituted to modulate the properties of the whole Re(I) complex, it will be interesting to explore whether other substitutions can also affect the photophysical properties, mainly the emission range.


Previous studies have established that, in languages without epicene pronouns such as English, speakers overwhelmingly construe putatively generic terms such as 'mankind' as masculine, and that similar results hold for the construal of referents denoted by supposedly generic uses of masculine pronouns. What has not been addressed in the literature is whether speakers of languages without epicene pronouns exhibit greater androcentrism in the construal of non-gendered stimuli, even without being prompted with gender-biased terms. The results of two cross-linguistic tasks on gender construal are discussed here. Subjects were shown cartoons of non-gendered figures and asked to name the figures after a short linguistically-oriented distracter task. Patterns in the naming task suggest that speakers of English exhibit more androcentrism in their construal of gender-neutral stimuli, when contrasted to speakers of Karitiâna, a language that relies heavily on epicene pronoun usage.


Swellable-matrix tablets based on hydrophilic polymers are simple dosage forms with controlled release, which are currently used in pharmacotherapy of many diseases. The most commonly used polymer is (hydroxypropyl)methylcellulose (hypromelose). The drug release from these systems through a gel layer can be modified using additives changing the drug dissolution profile. These excipients can be divided into several groups such as indifferent fillers (soluble or insoluble), substances increasing drug solubility (β-cyclodextrins), excipients forming interactive products (polymers, ion-exchange resins, surfactants) and substances influencing pH in matrix microenvironment (acid and basic modifiers).


The amenability of hydrolysed cellulose material to low cost sulfate reduction electron donor was examined with fluidized bed reactor (FBR) treating synthetic mine waste water. The studied cellulose material was dried Phalaris arundinacea reed, which was acid hydrolysed (1.5 w/w % H2SO4, 7 w/w % solids) at 120oC to hydrolyse polymeric materials to biodegradable monomers. The FBR was operated at 35oC, and ethanol has previously been used as the electron donor. FBR was fed with synthetic waste water (pH 4.5) containing soluble fraction of Phalaris arundinacea hydrolysate, metals (Fe and Zn) and sulfate. The switch of the electron donor from ethanol to hydrolysate was successful. The acidic influent was neutralized in the FBR by the alkalinity produced in the oxidation of Phalaris arundinacea hydrolysate. The main oxidation product of the soluble hydrolysate was acetate, which accumulated in the FBR during overloading. The percent sulfate reduction remained in the range of 40-95 %. The highest obtained hydrogen sulfide production was 0.91 g L-1d-1 at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 9 h, while highest sulfate reduction was 8.4 g L-1d-1 (HRT 8 h). Iron and zinc precipitated in the FBR, and highest metal precipitation rates were 1.14 g Fe L-1 d-1 and 30 mg Zn L-1d-1 (HRT 8 h). The electron donor load was measured as soluble chemical oxygen demand (CODs), and highest CODs removal rate was 2.13 g L-1d-1 (HRT 9 h) and CODs percent oxidation 92 % (HRT 10 h). Soluble Phalaris arundinacea hydrolysate was found to be a suitable electron donor for sulfate reducing FBR and mine waste water treatment. The soluble fraction of Phalaris arundinacea hydrolysate was used very efficiently by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Additionally, batch bottle assays showed that SRB-enrichment also used solid, dried Phalaris arundinacea as electron donor for sulfate reduction (total sulfide yield 340 mg L-1 in 14 days). The results of sulfate reduction and iron precipitation are shown in figures 1 A-B.


BACKGROUND
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may impact the course of medical illness among hospitalized patients. Access to testing during hospitalization to assess this may be limited by wait times for laboratory polysomnography. Level 3 portable monitoring (PM) may provide an alternative.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the rate of technically adequate studies, diagnostic information obtained and impact on patient management of inpatient PM studies performed for SDB.

METHODS
A retrospective review of 114 PM (Embletta, Natus Inc, Canada) records from the past two years was performed. Studies were ordered by pulmonologists, initiated by respiratory therapists and performed unattended on inpatient units. Admitting diagnoses, indication for sleep study, diagnostic information obtained from recordings and change in clinical management subsequent to PM were determined from medical charts.

RESULTS
Of 114 studies reviewed, 99 (87%) met predetermined criteria for adequate signal quality and duration. Five studies could not be interpreted due to inadequate data, yielding an overall success rate of 83% (94 of 114). Of 86 studies performed for diagnosis, clinical and PM data supported a new diagnosis of SDB in 55 patients, of which 23 (42%) were started on positive pressure therapy. Thirteen PM studies were performed during SDB treatment. All were technically adequate and six of 13 demonstrated new or persistent SDB. Results from PM testing informed clinical management during hospitalization in 70 (61%) cases.

CONCLUSION
Unattended level 3 PM studies are technically feasible in hospitalized patients and may provide information that influences clinical management.


The effects of trees, providing about 50 percent of shade, on yields of tobacco, corn, taniers, plantains, and bananas were determined in the Mountain Region of Puerto Rico, with annual rainfall of about 73 inches and a mean annual temperature of 72° F.  Shade trees severely reduced yields of taniers and corn, reduced those of plantains only slightly, and did not affect yields of tobacco. Bananas produced twice as high yields of marketable fruit under shade than in full sunlight because of reduced damage by leaf spot (Sigatoka) disease. The possibility of converting abandoned, shaded coffee plantations to high productivity, together with conservation, by growing bananas in undisturbed soil with natural ground cover under shade trees is promissing.


Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which are well characterized and widely utilized adult stem cells, encompass the capacity to commit to a variety of cell types. This study was conducted to develop an effective way to induce goat BMSCs (gBMSCs) to transdifferentiate toward putative male germ cells by overexpressing STRA8 (stimulated by RA-8), BOULE (also called BOLL), and DAZL (deleted in azoospermia-like). First, we found that the expression levels of these 3 genes gradually increased during development of the goat testis from 10 days postnatal to 8 months old. Therefore, we hypothesized that overexpressing these genes might contribute to the transdifferentiation of gBMSCs toward germ cells. We then overexpressed, separately and in combination, STRA8, BOULE, and DAZL in gBMSCs. Our results showed that a small population of transfected gBMSCs transdifferentiated into early goat germ cell-like cells and that these cells expressed primordial germ cell specification genes STELLA (also known as DPPA3, developmental pluripotency associated 3) and C-KIT (tyrosine kinase receptor) as well as premeiotic genes MVH (mouse vasa homolog), DAZL, BOULE, STRA8, PIWIL2 (piwi-like RNA-mediated gene silencing 2), and RNF17 (ring finger protein 17). Importantly, results from quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, and Western blot analysis showed that the meiotic marker synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3) significantly increased in transfected cells compared to untransfected control cells (P < .05). Additionally, the co-overexpression group cells had the highest SCP3 messenger RNA and protein expression levels, which indicated that 3-gene co-overexpression had the highest potential to transdifferentiate gBMSCs to germ cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the overexpression of STRA8, BOULE, and DAZL was able to promote the transdifferentiation of gBMSCs to early goat germ cell–like cells in vitro, which probably enhanced maturation and progression through meiosis. This approach would be important to generating gametes for future basic science as well as for potential clinical applications.


More than half of all hydrocarbon reservoirs are Naturally Fractured Reservoirs (NFRs), in which production forecasting is a complicated function of fluid flow in a fracture-matrix system. Modelling of fluid flow in NFRs is challenging due to formation heterogeneity and anisotropy. Stress sensitivity and depletion effect on already-complex reservoir permeability add to the sophistication. Horizontal permeability anisotropy and stress sensitivity are often ignored or inaccurately taken into account when simulating fluid flow in NFRs. The aim of this paper is to present an integrated approach for evaluating the dynamic and true anisotropic nature of permeability in naturally fractured reservoirs. Among other features, this approach considers the effect of reservoir depletion on reservoir permeability tensor, allowing more realistic production forecasts. In this approach the NFR is discretized into grids for which an analytical model yields full permeability tensors. Then, fluid flow is modelled using the finite-element method to obtain pore-pressure distribution within the reservoir. Next, another analytical model evaluates the change in the aperture of individual fractures as a function of effective stress and rock mechanical properties. The permeability tensor of each grid is then updated based on the apertures obtained for the current time step. The integrated model proceeds according to the next prescribed time increments.


Active strains of phosphate-mobilizing bacteria were isolated from sediments of Odessa region of northwestern part of the Black Sea (NWBS) and Dofinivskyi Lyman. Two strains of bacteria were characterized by the highest activity among the selected isolates. Their morphological and physiological-biochemical properties, their genus identity and growth dynamics in a nutrient medium with insoluble calcium phosphate have been investigated. It has been established that the logarithmic phase of bacterial growth began after 6 hours of cultivation. The number of cells after 2 days of cultivation increased from 10(5) - 10(6) to 10(8) - 10(9) CFU cm(-3). This was accompanied by a decrease in pH from 7.1 to 4.56-4.86. The studied bacteria from Odessa region NWBS, identified as Enterobacter sp. 18, accumulated in the culture medium up to 240 mg PO+4(3-)/l and from Dofinivskyi Lyman - Bacillus sp. 5 - 460 mg PO4(3-)/l.


The lowest energies of molecular systems with fourfold symmetry can violate Hund's multiplicity rule. We derive relationships between two electron integrals that in favorable cases allow one to predict when this will happen. These relationships result in a fairly simple inequality as a criterion. The systematics of the phenomenon are illustrated with a series of calculations on model systems consisting of hydrogen atoms. These are rings of three, four, five, six, seven, and eight members as well as octahedral and square planar arrangements. These show how the results and simple ideas of molecular orbital theory can be qualitatively modified when various levels of configuration interaction are allowed in the theoretical discription.


Construction practitioners' world – wide are increasingly becoming aware that they cannot concentrate primarily on the technical aspects of the industry alone and ignoring the workers and others who may be adversely affected by construction activities. In most developing countries, including Tanzania, safety consideration in the construction project delivery is not given a high priority. The current approach is that safety interventions occur in response to specific, often major accidents or injury. The main objective of this research is to scrutinize why road and building construction industries in Tanzania have paid little attention to the issues of health and safety in construction sites. Data was obtained from different literatures and fields. Secondary data collected from different sources including publication on health and safety, academic journals, books, official documents and reports from Government Ministries, Agencies, NGO's and development partners. Conclusively people pay little attention to the things concerning health and safety issues in construction building sites. The absence of clear national health and safety policy to safeguard all issues regarding the welfare of the construction workers in the country is a challenge. The fact is construction industry is still suffering on how health and safety would be safely practiced in construction sites. So, we need to make a clear policy concerning health and safety in general with regards to the construction industry. Also training on health and safety to all stakeholders should be taken into account as well as introduction of safety gears to the workers on the field of construction building sites.


Nd-Fe-B nanoparticles was prepared by coprecipitation method in aqueous solution. The parameters for the composition are the concentration of borohydride solution and the pH of the solution containing metal ion. The B and Nd contents were found to vary with pH and borohydride concentration. The crystal structure of the synthesized nanoparticles was identified with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The size and shape of nanoparticles were confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The magnetization curves of nanoparticles and nanocomposite were characterized with vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) was used to characterize composition of Nd-Fe-B nanoparticles.


Population studies on the detrital heavy minerals (64–250 μm, specific gravity >2.92) of the Trias in the North Sea Basin demonstrate that there are well-defined regional and stratigraphical variations which are of use in correlation and palaeogeographic reconstruction. Two provinces are recognized: a region comprising the Southern North Sea, onshore England and the English Channel; and a Central North Sea Area. The heavy mineral assemblages of the Triassic sandstones of the Southern North Sea, onshore England and the English Channel are dominated by tourmaline. Wide-ranging correlation between the Southern North Sea and the English Channel has been achieved by using an horizon at which the heavy mineral assemblage is particularly rich in tourmaline. More detailed and local correlation is possible onshore, where rapid changes in the abundance of garnet, zircon, sphene and staurolite indicate the presence of local sources supplying sand detritus to the Trias. The Triassic sands of the Central North Sea are characterized by heavy mineral assemblages dominated by zircon, garnet or apatite. The zircon-rich assemblage is associated with the Smith Bank Formation and is interpreted as having been derived from the reworking of the Permian Sandstones to the west. The apatite-rich assemblage is linked to the Skagerrak and Marnock formations and was probably derived from an eastern Scandinavian source. The garnet-rich assemblage is of more limited extent and is restricted to sediments of Early Triassic age: its origin could have been the metamorphic terrain exposed in the region of the Halibut Horst. Preliminary studies on the chemistry of apatite (%F), tourmaline (%TiO 2 ) and garnet (%CaO) grains from selected samples suggest that there is useful variation for the purposes of regional stratigraphy.


Fardoun, Riham Zein, Mohammad Asghar, and Mustafa Lokhandwala. Role of oxidative stress in defective renal dopamine D1 receptor-G protein coupling and function in old Fischer 344 rats. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 291: F945–F951, 2006. First published June 6, 2006; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00111.2006.—Aging is associated with an increase in oxidative stress. Previously, we have reported that dopamine failed to inhibit proximal tubular Na-K-ATPase and to promote sodium excretion in old rats (Beheray S, Kansra V, Hussain T, and Lokhandwala MF. Kidney Int 58: 712–720, 2000). This was due to uncoupling of dopamine D1 receptors from G proteins resulting from hyperphosphorylation of D1 receptors. The present study was designed to test the role of oxidative stress in the age-related decline in renal dopamine D1 receptor function. We observed that old animals had increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a biomarker of oxidative stress, and decreased D1 receptor number and protein in the proximal tubules (PT) compared with adult rats. In old rats, there was increased G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2) abundance, increased basal serine phosphorylation of D1 receptors, and defective D1 receptor-G protein coupling in PT membranes. Interestingly, supplementation with an antioxidant, tempol (1 mmol/l in drinking water for 15 days), lowered MDA levels and normalized D1 receptor number and protein in old rats to the level seen in adult rats. Furthermore, tempol decreased GRK-2 abundance and D1 receptor serine phosphorylation and restored D1 receptor-G protein coupling in PT of old rats. The functional consequence of these changes was the restoration of the natriuretic response to D1 receptor activation in tempol-supplemented old rats. Therefore, in old rats, tempol reduces oxidative stress and prevents GRK-2 membranous abundance and hyperphosphorylation of D1 receptors, resulting in restoration of D1 receptor-G protein coupling and the natriuretic response to SKF38393. Thus tempol, by lowering oxidative stress, normalizes the age-related decline in dopamine receptor function.


Abstract The development of hydrokinetic (HK) energy projects is under consideration at over 150 sites in large rivers in the United States, including the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Atchafalaya Rivers. These waterbodies support numerous fish species that might interact with the HK projects in a variety of ways, e.g., by attraction to or avoidance of project structures. Although many fish species inhabit these rivers (about 172 species in the Mississippi River alone), not all of them will encounter the HK projects. Some species prefer low-velocity, backwater habitats rather than the high-velocity, main channel areas that would be the best sites for HK. Other, riverbank-oriented species are weak swimmers or too small to inhabit the main channel for significant periods of time. Some larger, main channel fish species are not known to be attracted to structures. Based on a consideration of habitat preferences, size/swim speed, and behavior, fish species that are most likely to be attracted to HK structures in the main channel include carps, suckers, catfish, white bass, striped bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and sauger. Proper siting of the project in order to avoid sensitive fish populations, backwater and fish nursery habitat areas, and fish migration corridors will likely minimize concerns about fish attraction to or avoidance of HK structures.


: Techniques for the production of three kinds of 192Ir sources, i.e. hairpin, single-pin and seed, for brachytherapy were developed in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Platinumiridium, alloy wire sheathed with platinum tube in advance were irradiated by the JRR-2 or JRR-3 reactor. The platinum tube cuts off beta-rays so as to minimize unnecessary radiation exposure to patients. Irradiation conditions were determined to obtain the radioactivity of 0.74 GBq (20 mCi) for a hairpin, 0.37 GBq (10 mCi) for a single-pin and 0.37 X 10(-1) GBq (1 mCi) for a seed, respectively, at the end of irradiation. Fluctuation in the linear distribution of the radioactivity along the hairpin source or the single-pin source was small enough on the viewpoint of its application. No significant impurity or surface contamination was observed in the source produced with pre-encapsulation. Seed targets were loaded in a polyethylene tube so as to be suitable for the new treatment technique of tumor. Irradiation of seed targets, packed alternately with nylon spacers in a polyethylene tube, was found to be satisfactory for preparing ribbon sources.


The valency interaction formula (VIF) method is given a broader and more general interpretation in which these simple molecular structural formulas implicitly include all overlaps between valence atomic orbitals even for interactions not drawn in the VIF picture. This applies for VIF pictures as one-electron Hamiltonian operators as well as VIF pictures as one-electron density operators that constitute a new implementation of the VIF method simpler in its application and more accurate in its results than previous approaches. A procedure for estimating elements of the effective charge density-bond order matrix, Pmunu, from electron configurations in atoms is presented, and it is shown how these lead to loop and line constants in the VIF picture. From these structural formulas, one finds the number of singly, doubly, and unoccupied molecular orbitals, as well as the number of molecular orbitals with energy lower, equal, and higher than -1/2Eh, the negative of the hydrogen atom's ionization energy. The VIF results for water are in qualitative agreement with MP2/6311++G3df3pd, MO energy levels where the simple VIF for water presented in the earlier literature does not agree with computed energy levels. The method presented here gives the simplest accurate VIF pictures for hydrocarbons. It is shown how VIF can be used to predict thermal barriers to chemical reactions. Insertion of singlet carbene into H2 is given as an example. VIF pictures as one-electron density operators describe the ground-state multiplicities of B2, N2, and O2 molecules and as one-electron Hamiltonian operators give the correct electronegativity trend across period two. Previous implementations of VIF do not indicate singly occupied molecular orbitals directly from the pictorial VIF rules for these examples. The direct comparison between structural formulas that represent electron density and those that represent energy is supported by comparison of a simple electronegativity scale, chiD=N/n2, with well-known electronegativity scales of Pauling, Mulliken, and Allen. This scale comes from the method used to calculate Pmumu for sp3 hybridized period-two elements and is comparable to electronegativity because it has the same form as <1/r> for hydrogenic orbitals. It therefore provides a physical basis for the representation of one electron density and Hamiltonian operators by the same VIF picture.


This study examines the relationship between the occipito-frontal circumference (OFC) and crown-rump length (CRL) from birth to 15 months. Data where obtained from 100 male and 100 female white infants at term, 2, 4, 6, 10 and 15 months of age. The data indicate that documentation of the OFC/CRL ratio is an effective way to determine if head circumference is in the normal range for a particular child's body size.


In the Eurasian Arctic, the archipelago of Severnaya Zemlya is the most eastern one which is
covered by a considerable ice cap, giving the opportunity to study regional climate signals from
the Holocene period.
The Academii Nauk ice cap (Komsomolets Island) was chosen for drilling a deep ice core
because it is the thickest and coldest ice cap on Severnaya Zemlya. A suitable drilling site was found at 80°31'N 94°49'E by the help of airborne radio-echo sounding data and SAR interferometry. The ice thickness was 724 m at this location. Drilling was carried out between 1999 and 2001 reaching bedrock. It was a joint project of the Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany), the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, and the Mining Institute (Russia, St.Petersburg both). An electromechanical ice core drill (KEMS-112M) was used, the same type as at Vostok Station, Antarctica.
The paper presents the results of electrical conductivity measurements (DEP) of the whole ice
core. Several zones with high conductivity were assumed to be caused by major volcanic eruptions. By help of catalogues of historical volcanic events we used these signals for core dating of the upper 245 meters. The time scale developed this way is in good agreement with horizons of enriched radioactivity caused by nuclear weapon tests in the early 1960's and by the Chernobyl accident.
The d180 record fits almost perfectly to values published earlier by Klementev et al. for Akademii Nauk, however, we have no evidence for the age model used in this Russian paper.
We found annual accumulation rates in the isotope record and in the electrical data indicating none-steady state conditions of this glacier in the past. Hence, the core ages are overestimated by flow models. There seems to be an age discordance in the deepest part of the core.
For Akademii Nauk ice cap the isotope data indicate a climate warming since app. 1860 which is much higher than found at central Greenland (GRIP/GISP2), Devon lsland or Hans Tausen ice cap.
REFERENCE
Klementev, O.L.; Potapenko, V. Yu.; Savatyugin, L.M. & Nikolaev, V.l.: Studies of the intemal structure
and thennal-hydrodynarnic state of Vavilov Glacier, Archipelago Sevemaya Zernlya. IAHS Publ. 208, 1991, p.49-59


Since adopting a policy of immediate operation on patients with acute dissection of the ascending aorta, 42 men and 6 women (ages 18–67 years) have been managed surgically. Thirty-two patients had graft replacement of the ascending aorta and resuspension of the incompetent aortic valve. One of these had a coronary graft. There were five deaths in this group. Eight patients required aortic valve replacement because of a diseased aortic valve as well as grafting of the ascending aorta, with one death. Three patients had resuspension of the aortk valve and primary repair of their dissection without mortality. Two patients were managed successfully with an intraluminal prosthesis and resuspension of the aortic valve. Another patient had successful repair with a valved conduit and reimplantation of the coronaries. Two patients dissected 4 and 6 years after aortic valve replacement and neither survived operative repair. Of the surviving patients, one required dialysis, one a femoral-femoral bypass graft, and one an axillo-femoral bypass graft. One patient required a pacemaker for heart block, and two underwent successful repair of suture line aneurysms, both occurring three years after operation. On the basis of this experience prompt surgical intervention for acute ascending aortic dissection is the treatment of choice. A variety of techniques are available to repair the dissected aorta. Long-term results for resuspension of the aortic valve in acute ascending aortic dissection have been excellent and emphasize that valve replacement should be reserved for those patients found at operation to have a primary abnormality of the aortic valve.


Nano-scale Hf/HfO2-based resistive random-access-memory (RRAM) devices were fabricated. The cross-over between top and bottom electrodes of RRAM forms the metal–insulator–metal sandwich structure. The electrical responses of RRAM are studied in detail, including forming process, SET process and RESET process. The correlations between SET voltage and RESET voltage, high resistance state and low resistance state are discussed. The electrical characteristics of RRAM are in a strong relationship with the compliance current in the SET process. The conduction mechanism of nano-scale Hf/HfO2-based RRAM can be explained by the quantum point contact model.


The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an evolutionarily conserved adaptive response triggered by the stress of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) due, among other causes, to altered cell protein homeostasis (proteostasis). UPR is mediated by three main sensors, protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), activating transcription factor 6α (ATF6α), and inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE1α). Given that proteostasis is frequently disregulated in cancer, UPR is emerging as a critical signaling network in controlling the survival, selection, and adaptation of a variety of neoplasias, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and glioblastoma. Indeed, cancer cells can escape from the apoptotic pathways elicited by ER stress by switching UPR into a prosurvival mechanism instead of cell death. Although most of the studies on UPR focused on solid tumors, this intricate network plays a critical role in hematological malignancies, and especially in multiple myeloma (MM), where treatment with proteasome inhibitors induce the accumulation of unfolded proteins that severely perturb proteostasis, thereby leading to ER stress, and, eventually, to apoptosis. However, UPR is emerging as a key player also in acute leukemias, where recent evidence points to the likelihood that targeting UPR-driven prosurvival pathways could represent a novel therapeutic strategy. In this review, we focus on the oncogene-specific regulation of individual UPR signaling arms, and we provide an updated outline of the genetic, biochemical, and preclinical therapeutic findings that support UPR as a relevant, novel target in acute leukemias.


This paper presents a distributed adaptive bandwidth allocation scheme, designed to provide quality of service support in IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs. A centralized bandwidth manager that runs at the access point performs the dynamic bandwidth allocation based on the realtime wireless channel condition and the service policy of downlink and uplink traffic. A set of distributed bandwidth agents, which are located on the mobile hosts, perform uplink traffic scheduling according to the quality of service requirement of different applications that are running at the devices. At the same time, real-time wireless channel monitors provide information regarding the condition of the wireless channel to the centralized bandwidth manager. In this paper, we discuss the design of the distributed adaptive bandwidth allocation scheme and the interactive signaling mechanism between the centralized manager and the distributed agents. Furthermore, we set up and provide results from our experimental IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN test environment, where we have implemented the designed technology. A thorough test and performance analysis are also presented in this paper.


Introduction: Dental implants are the most innovative and superior treatment in dentistry, and are widely used. However, the intended implant site may be inappropriate due to the poor bone quality or insufficient bone volume. When extensive loss of alveolar bone is encountered it presents a complex challenge for reconstruction. Numerous augumentation technique are used for alveolar reconstruction and to create sufficient bone volume for placement of endosseous implants. In order to accelerate healing of bone graft over the bony defect, numerous techniques utilizing platelet and fibrinogen concentrations have been introduced in the literature. Sticky bone provides stabilizationof bone graft in the defect, and therefore, accelerates tissue healing and minimizes bone loss during healing period. Due to formation of homogenous mass of bone graft particles, handling and adaptation of bone graft becomes easy. The use of sticky bone also avoids complex ridge augumentation procedures.
Aim: The aim of this case report is to demonstrate the use of sticky bone and autologous PRF membrane in hard tissue regeneration and maintenance of volume of alveolar ridge to enable dental implant placement.
Material and Methods: Ridge augmentation was done in defect using sticky bone formed by cera bone granules of particle size 0.5-1.0 mm and PRF membranes.
Results: Sufficient bone volume was achieved through GBR as shown by comparing presurgical and post 3months CT and clinically it can be seen at second stage surgery done after 3 months.
Conclusion: The result suggested that GBR with autologous PRF membranes is sufficient for augmentation of localised alveolar ridge defects with conjunction with sticky bone. Sticky bone provides stabilization of bone graft in defect and improves handling properties and PRF membranes act as barrier membrane as well as source of accelerated growth factor release.

Keywords: Dental implant, Sticky bone, and Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) membrane.


This paper reviews the major changes in China's trade policies in the last few years. During this period, the adjustment of trade policies has developed in the following ways: first, the establishment of free trade zones, which emphasises the importance of advanced systems rather than preferential policies; second, putting forward the "Belt & Road" Initiative, which indicates China's new stage of development from "bringing in" to "going out"; third, holding import expos, which marks an era when China's foreign trade development has shifted from focusing on exports only to focusing on both exports and imports; fourth, reducing entry barriers of foreign capital, which demonstrates that the policy framework for FDI has gradually changed from a positive list to a negative list; fifth, promoting trade negotiations, which reflects that China has actively participated in bilateral, regional and multilateral trade talks; and finally, building up new experimental fields of reform and opening up, which shows evidence that a new generation of special economic zones is emerging.


Background: Structural characteristics of rotator cuff tears are used in surgical decision making. However, data on the association of tear size with patient-reported pain and function are sparse. Purpose: To assess the association of tear size, fatty infiltration, and muscle atrophy with shoulder pain/function in patients with cuff tears undergoing operative and nonoperative treatment. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 67 patients with rotator cuff tears were recruited for this longitudinal cohort study. Patients were determined to have a cuff tear using clinical assessment and blinded magnetic resonance imaging review. The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) was used as a measure of shoulder pain and function. Results: Tear size and thickness were not significantly associated with pain (SPADI pain score, 60.6 [95% CI, 49.8-71.5] for partial-thickness tear; 56.8 [95% CI, 42.8-70.7] for <2 cm full-thickness tear; 60.4 [95% CI, 51.7-69.0] for ≥2 cm full-thickness tear). Tear size and thickness were not associated with function (SPADI disability score, 42.7 [95% CI, 29.8-55.6] for partial-thickness tear; 37.6 [95% CI, 23.9-51.4] for <2 cm full-thickness tear; 45.1 [95% CI, 35.4-54.8] for ≥2 cm full-thickness tear). Fatty infiltration, muscle atrophy, and tendon retraction were also not significantly associated with SPADI pain and disability scores. A Mental Health Index score of <68 as well as age ≥60 years were significantly associated with a higher SPADI pain score. Female sex, increased number of comorbidities, Mental Health Index score of <68, and age <60 years were significantly associated with a higher SPADI disability score. Conclusion: In patients with rotator cuff tears undergoing operative and nonoperative treatment, pain and functional status were not associated with tear size and thickness, fatty infiltration, and muscle atrophy. Conversely, factors unrelated to cuff anatomy such as mental health, comorbidities, age, and sex were associated with pain/function. These findings have clinical implications during surgical decision making and suggest that pain and functional disability in patients with rotator cuff tears is multifactorial and should not solely be attributed to structural characteristics.


Abstract We describe a family in which four women had menstrual irregularities and a partial deletion of the long arm of the X chromosome (Xq). Three of the four women had premature ovarian failure (at the ages of 24 to 37 years). Chromosome-banding studies initially suggested that a terminal portion of Xq was deleted. However, DNA-hybridization studies showed that an interstitial portion of Xq was deleted and that the affected women had a 46,XX,del(X)(pter-q21.3::q27-qter) karyotype. These findings help clarify the role of Xq in ovarian function and indicate that the accurate description of such abnormalities requires a combination of cytogenetic and DNA-hybridization analysis. (N Engl J Med 1987; 317: 125–31.)


The right for social insurance is a right which derives from the labor relationships; so far, it is categorized into the group of private laws. The right for social insurance is a right for incomes when the employee cannot work because of sickness or labor accident or unemployment, or old age, invalidity, etc. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between self-responsibility and risk labor in Albania, from legal perspective. As social insurance right is an important part of the rights in the workplace, with this study we're going to identify the ways this articles dealing with the social insurance in Albania. This is a qualitative study and the data are generated from literature review. The analysis consists in a combination of the descriptive, comparative and analytical methodologies of the risks labor contract and social insurance rights. As social insurances are closely related to the labor relationships, in Albania legislation body guarantie all the social insurance rights.


BACKGROUND
Glutathione peroxidase (GP) can be used as a marker of oxidative stress in infectious diseases.

AIM
To evaluate the association between the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GP) and the manifestations and complications of dengue.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Between April 2003 and December 2004, 161 patients with dengue were prospectively evaluated. In the first evaluation, within 48 and 96 hours of disease onset, a plasma sample was obtained to measure the GP levels. The association between GP levels, clinical manifestations and complications was evaluated during the follow up.

RESULTS
Mean GP values were 1198 U/L (95% confidence interval 1089-1306). Values greater than 1200 U/L were associated with headache, arthralgias and increased heart rate. There was a negative association between GP levels and serum triglycerides. During follow up, patients with GP >1200 U/L had a higher frequency of spontaneous hemorrhages. In a logistic regression analysis arthralgias, fever and increased heart rate, were independently associated with levels >1200 U/L.

CONCLUSIONS
GP levels was associated to some of the manifestations of dengue. This finding suggests that the intensity of oxidative stress can influence the clinical presentation of dengue.


OF DISSERTATION COME TOGETHER: DESIRE, LITERATURE, AND THE LAW OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION While some scholars have viewed the Sexual Revolution as a "war" with winners and losers, this project finds that all Americans were subject to the fantasy of liberation. This fantasy takes different forms during the era, including relaxed sexual strictures against pre-marital sex, the availability of birth control, and an increased focus on sexual pleasure. However, the seemingly liberatory quickly becomes conservative, coming into focus through the analysis of court cases and legal mandates that protected the declining structures of marriage and heteronormativity. Beginning with widespread fears about interracial mixing in the early 1950's, escalated by the end of segregation by Brown v. BOE and ending with the availability of divorce on a nationwide level in 1972, this project is concerned with the literary imagination and the radical cultural and political changes affecting sexuality. This dissertation places literature and film in conversation with major legal cases to show how fictional texts make evident the legal cases' potentialities, including their gains and their failures, focusing on cultural paradigms in literature and film concerning interracial couples, homosexuality, non-monogamous marriage, and divorce. This dissertation finds that all Americans simultaneously benefited and suffered from cultural and political changes regarding sexuality during the Sexual Revolution.


We previously generated a transgenic mouse line (T-77) in which increased hepatic expression of the hepatocyte nuclear factor-3beta (HNF-3beta) protein was used to assess its role in hepatocyte-specific gene transcription. The T-77 transgenic mice displayed elevated serum bile acid and bilirubin levels and a complete absence of hepatic glycogen storage. These postnatal liver defects were associated with diminished expression of hepatocyte genes involved in gluconeogenesis and bile acid transport as well as reduced levels of hepatocyte transcription factors. In this study, we show that mouse tail vein injections of adenovirus expressing the rat HNF-3beta (AdHNF3beta) cDNA efficiently increased its levels throughout the liver lobule and recapitulated the T-77 transgenic liver phenotype within several days postinfection. Likewise, the AdHNF3beta-infected liver phenotype was associated with reduced hepatic expression of genes involved in glucose homeostasis, bile acid transport, and bilirubin conjugation, which were not found with control adenovirus infections. These studies show that adenovirus-mediated gene transfer is an effective method for rapid hepatic increases in transcription factor levels to determine in vivo target genes. In contrast, AdHNF3alpha-infected liver displayed only a transient reduction in hepatic glycogen levels and was associated with less severe decreases in hepatic expression of gluconeogenic and bilirubin metabolism genes. Consistent with these findings, only T-77 transgenic and AdHNF3beta-infected liver exhibited diminished hepatic expression of the HNF-6 transcription factor, suggesting that reduced HNF-6 levels contribute to diminished HNF-3beta-specific transcriptional activity.


Preceptorship is widely used as a cost-effective clinical non-traditional teaching method. However, insufficient research has been done in this area, particularly as to how a successful student-preceptor relationship is formed. The rural setting poses additional challenges as the nursing instructor is not physically present to monitor the course of the student-preceptor relationship or to resolve arising boundary issues. This is part one of a grounded theory project whereby eleven rural preceptors were asked ‗what kinds of professional boundaries do you create in the rural preceptorship experience' and ‗how they created and maintained professional boundaries while precepting nursing students'. The research project consisted of two parts: each examining the perspectives of preceptors and students. However, this study will focus on the perceptions of preceptors and is the first to examine perceptions of preceptors in the area of teaching and boundaries in rural settings. The resulting core variable was: trusting the student to be safe and the psychosocial process was the relationship they developed with the student.


There have been many papers concerning about the peak to average power ratio (PAPR) reduction and high power amplifier (HPA) linearization techniques for wireless OFDM communication systems. Few papers, however, make deep analysis on the relation between these two techniques. Based on Saleh's memoryless traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) model, computer simulations and analysis in this paper demonstrates that, especially when the HPA is working near or in the saturation region, a predistorter ceases to be in effect. In such cases, PAPR reduction techniques may be resorted to help to improve the adjacent channel interference (ACI), BER performances and HPA efficiency.


This volume presents the proceedings of the second Study Group organized by the Institute of Research into Mental Retardation. As the title suggests, the participants concentrated on the basic biological phenomena at the subcellular and mole cular levels. At present our knowledge of these phnomena is patchy, and therefore it is not possible to link together the findings of various workers and arrive at simple answers. However, this publication goes a long way towards fulfilling the hope of organizers in providing an exchange of ideas between workers with different orientations. The discussions which follow the various papers are most stimulating and are bound to lead to further research. The book is recommended to workers in the field, and clinicians should find it to be of interest as well. B. M. S@'u@N.