Currently, sewage waste management is a serious environmental problem and one of the major growing concerns for urban areas all over the world. Utilization of biosolids (BS) for crop production may be a sustainable waste management strategy. The present study evaluated the physico-chemical and biological characteristics of biosolids from sewage ponds at Egerton University, Kenya. This was to determine its suitability for crop production. Biosolids were evaluated separately then as mixture with forest soil at rates of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60% and compared with tea compost (TC) and coco peat (CP) in a completely randomized design experiment with four replications. Data collected included: macro-elements, micro-elements, heavy metals, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), bulk density (BD), water holding capacity and biological properties. Results showed that total organic carbon (0.03%), total organic nitrogen (2.0%) and Molybdenum (22 mg kg-1), in biosolids were significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared with forest soil, but not significantly different from tea compost. For heavy metals, Hg (0.33 mg kg-1), As (5.9 mg kg-1), Cr (31.1mg kg-1), Cd (0.38 mg kg-1), Ni (16.3 mg kg-1) and Zn (127 mg kg-1) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in biosolids but within the allowable limits according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. bulk density (1.2 to 1.5) g cm-3 and pH (5.4 to 5.8) units, but high organic matter (195 to 230) g kg-1, water holding capacity (35 to 42 %) and EC (2.6 to 5.4) µSm-1). For microbial load, total viable count (TVC) and colony forming units (CFU) registered 5 ×10-7 and 6.5×10-7 respectively. However, Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. and Staphylococcus sp. were not detectable in the fully composted biosolids. Similar trend of these results were subsequently observed in the substrates formed in the mixture of biosolids and forest soil and this provide insight on the potential of biosolids as substrate for crop production and a reliable alternative to soil alone.

 Key words: Biosolids, forest soil, organic amendment, substrate.


Microfossil are indicators of palaeoenvironmental changes especially in estuary settings such as southeast Australia. Foraminifers, ostracods and charophytes were analysed in Cumbralaway Creek delta as part of a larger stratigraphic study of the previously unstudied bayhead delta regions at Durras Lake. A total of 12 cores were taken in the bayhead delta region, including 7 in Cumbralaway Creek and 5 in Benandarah Creek. The cores were divided into four major categories including the prodelta (DLC2), active delta front (DLC 1 and DLB4), lower delta front (DLC4, DLC3, DLSC1,DLSC2, DLSC3, DLB1, DLB3 DB5) and upper delta plain/alluvial basin (DLB2). Each core was analysed stratigraphically and X-ray diffraction was conducted on four cores (DLC4, DLC1, DLC2. DLB4) and grainsize measurements were conducted on Cumbralaway Creek cores (DLC4, DLC1, DLC2), this information was used to divide core section into facies units. A total of 12 unique stratigraphic units were found in both Cumbralaway and Benandarah Creeks, which are divided into three major groupings. The Pleistocene terrestrial surface was dominated by oxidised cohesive sands and pebbles. Deltaic sediments are characterised by coarsening upwards grainsize, higher energy, oxidation and common organic fragments. Central basin sediments were characterised by silt dominated grainsize, estuarine shells such as Notospisula trigonella and a reducing environment. Furthermore 5 AMS and 6 AAR dates were obtained from wood and shells to provide sedimentation rates. The sedimentation rates in the prodelta (0-53-0.61 mm/a) and in delta deposits in Crumbalaway and Benandarah Creeks (0.12-0.34 mm/a) are comparable to natural sedimentation rates in other southeast Australian lagoons. Three cores from the prodelta (DLC2), active delta front (DLC1) and lower delta plain (DLC4) in Cumbralaway Creekwere examined for their microfossil assemblages and palaeoenvironments. Seven microfossil assemblages are present. The basal Assemblage 3 in DLC1 and DLC2 is an unstable marine facies characterised by a variable fauna including the foraminifera Ammonia beccarii, Elphidium crispum crispum, E. mortonbayensis and Haynesina depressula and the ostracods dominated by Osticythere baragwanathi, with sporadic charophytes (Lamprothamnium succintum) in DLC2. Assemblage 2 is marine dominated and has distinct open and closed estuarine facies. In the prodelta area the open subassemblage is dominated by a high diversity of Elphidium species, the presence of miliolids (such as Quinquoculina poeyana) and planktonic species (such as Globigerina dutertrei) and a greater diversity of marine ostracod species such as Callistocythere keiji. The closed estrarine subassemblage has a reduced foraminiferal diversity (including Elphidium exacatum sydneyense) and high numbers of Osticythere baragwanathi. Assemblage 2 in the active delta region (DLC1) is characterised by a lower diversity assemblage compared to the prodelta assemblage with more Elphidium mortonbayensis, a few Ammobacilites foliateous, a lower number of Osticythere barawanthi and rare Lamprothamnium succintum. The uppermost Assemblage 1 also shows a gradation from a closed estuarine environment characterised by Ammonia beccarii, Elphidium excavatum sydneyense and Osticythere baragwanathi in DLC2 to a shallower assemblage characterised by agglutinated species, such as Ammobacilities foliateous, Elphidium mortonbayensis and an absence of ostracods and charophyte species in DLC1. In the lower delta plain (DLC4) Assemblage 1 becomes dominated by sporadic agglutinated forminifers, such as Trochammina inflata, and the charophyte Lamprothamnium succintum indicating a lower salinity environment. This thesis is available at Research Online: https://ro.uow.edu.au/thsci/127 Assemblages within the central basin units (DCL1 and DLC2 Assemblages 2 and 3) are governed by sea-level and environmental stability. In contrast the assemblages within the deltaic units (Assemblage 1 in DLC1, DLC2 and DLC4) are governed by depth, salinity, energy and oxidation. All these assemblages follow similar distributions to other microfossil distributions in southeast Australian estuaries. The combination of stratigraphic and microfossil evidence reveal that before 8130 yr BP an alluvial valley and palaeochannel were present. Flooding of the alluvial valley at 8130 yr BP formed a unstable open estuary as indicated by a transgressive upward-fining sandy marine unit and microfossil assemblage is deposited between 8130-~5145 yr BP. From ~5145 yr BP t


Astrocytes release glutamate (Glu) by the mobilisation of intracellular concentrations of Ca++. The rationale of the present work was to test whether Glu and its agonists, known to affect intracellular Ca++ content via the activation of metabotropic and ionotropic receptors, could modulate the astrocytic release of excitatory aminoacids. NMR experiments showed that Glu released uniformly labelled [13C] Glu in the incubation medium of rat astrocytes in primary cultures. Further experiments confirmed this finding and showed that the incubation of these cells with agonists and antagonists of Glu ionotropic and metabotropic receptors, produced a different modulation of Glu and aspartate release. The observed activations of the various receptors suggest a complex modulation of the release of the excitatory aminoacids. Such a release of is interpreted in terms of metabolic microzonation.


Human‐assisted, trans‐generational exposure to ocean warming and acidification has been proposed as a conservation and/or restoration tool to produce resilient offspring. To improve our understanding of the need for and the efficacy of this approach, we characterized life‐history and physiological responses in offspring of the marine polychaete Ophryotrocha labronica exposed to predicted ocean warming (OW: + 3°C), ocean acidification (OA: pH −0.5) and their combination (OWA: + 3°C, pH −0.5), following the exposure of their parents to either control conditions (within‐generational exposure) or the same conditions (trans‐generational exposure). Trans‐generational exposure to OW fully alleviated the negative effects of within‐generational exposure to OW on fecundity and egg volume and was accompanied by increased metabolic activity. While within‐generational exposure to OA reduced juvenile growth rates and egg volume, trans‐generational exposure alleviated the former but could not restore the latter. Surprisingly, exposure to OWA had no negative impacts within‐ or trans‐generationally. Our results highlight the potential for trans‐generational laboratory experiments in producing offspring that are resilient to OW and OA. However, trans‐generational exposure does not always appear to improve traits and therefore may not be a universally useful tool for all species in the face of global change.


Trichotillomania and traction alopecia are chronic habitual disorders characterized by repetitive pulling of hair that results in alopecia. They are commonly observed in children and adolescents but may present in adults due to occupational or traditional behavioral patterns. Trichotillomania (hair‐pulling disorder) has been described more than a century ago, but we still have very limited data about its etiology and treatment. It is classified under the obsessive‐compulsive and related disorders along with hoarding disorder, skin‐picking disorder (excoriation) and body dysmorphic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM‐5; American Psychiatric Association, May 2013). Traction alopecia is defined as loss of hair caused by repetitive or continuous and prolonged tension applied to the hair, usually on the scalp periphery and associated with mechanical traction of hair due to occupational behavioral patterns such as ballerinas or traditional behavioral patterns of hairstyles that cause tension. We aim to overview the clinical and diagnostic features of trichotillomania and traction alopecia and review the therapeu‐ tic options of these disorders in this chapter.


Cefprozil (CFPZ), a newly developed cephalosporin in fine granular form, was administered to pediatric patients with skin and soft tissue infections. MICs were determined for 6 drugs including CFPZ, cephalexin (CEX), cefaclor (CCL), ampicillin (ABPC), methicillin (DMPPC), cloxacillin (MCIPC) against 53 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from these patients. An inoculum size of 10(6) CFU/ml was used in the MIC-determinations. CFPZ was given to 73 patients with ages ranging from 6 months to 10 years and 8 months and 71 cases were evaluable for clinical effects as follows; impetigo (65), Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (1), furuncle (1), subcutaneous abscess (3), and periproctal abscess (1). To study clinical efficacy, bacteriological effects and safety of this drug, a mean dose of 8.4 mg/kg with 3-4 daily dosages (57 cases of t.i.d. and 14 cases of q.i.d.) was administered for an average of 6 days. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. With regard to the 53 isolates of S. aureus, MICs of CFPZ against 52 strains (98.1%) ranged from 0.78 to 3.13 micrograms/ml. 45 strains (84.9%) were inhibited at 0.78 micrograms/ml. MIC90 of CFPZ was 1.56 micrograms/ml, but MIC against 1 strain of Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was 100 micrograms/ml. The MIC90 of CEX and CCL were 6.25 micrograms/ml and MIC of CEX and CCL against 1 MRSA strain were 200 and 100 micrograms/ml, respectively. The MIC90 of ABPC, DMPPC and MCIPC were 6.25, 3.13 and 0.39 micrograms/ml, respectively. CFPZ showed the second highest activity after MCIPC against S. aureus. 2. CFPZ showed very good clinical responses and clinical effects in 71 patients all of whom judged by doctors in charge as having "good" or better responses. 3. For impetigo patients, the evaluable cases by score 3, 5 and 7 days after administration of the drug were 52, 39 and 20 patients, respectively. The efficacy rates on these days were 90.4, 100 and 100%, respectively. The efficacy rate at a daily dose of 30.1-45.0 mg/kg on day 3 was 17.2% higher than that at 22.5-30.0 mg/kg, and the "excellent" response rate of 30.1-45.0 mg/kg group was 45.3% greater. Because of these results, it is expected that good clinical effects can be obtained at a daily dose of 22.5-30.0 mg/kg of CFPZ, but better responses can be expected at 30.1-45.0 mg/kg in 3-4 divided doses given for 5 days. 4. Bacteriological effects of CFPZ were determined against 60 strains of S. aureus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


The effects of inulin, carrot, and cellulose fibres (3%, 6%, and 9%) on raw and fried chicken meatballs were studied. Meatball pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and colour values were determined for raw samples in refrigerated storage on the 1st, 5th and 10th days. The effects of fibres and their various levels on frying characteristics such as yield, diameter reduction, moisture retention, fat absorption, colour and sensory properties of fried chicken meatballs were evaluated. Fibres caused significant differences in the pH and TBARS values of the raw meatballs owing to their sources and levels. They improved colour properties (L: lightness, a: redness, b: yellowness) of the raw and fried samples. In addition, cellulose and carrot fibres affected the yield, moisture absorption, and diameter reduction values of the fried samples positively. In conclusion, the use of fibres in such products can affect product quality positively. The use of 3% inulin, 9% carrot, and 6% and 9% cellulose fibres had more beneficial effects on chicken meatballs.Keywords: Dietary fibre, frying, poultry products, product quality, storage stability


In this paper, a residual stress analysis and expansion of plastic zone in metal-matrix composite laminated plates with a circular hole are studied by using Finite Element Method. Aluminum metal-matrix and steel fibers are used to produce the composite plates by using mould. Mathematical formulation is given for the elastic-plastic stress analysis of a laminated plate under transverse loads for small deformation. The first-order shear deformation theory is used in this study. The expansion of plastic zone is illustrated for 300, 600 and 900 loading steps.


Abstract The carcinogenicity of nickel, chromium, arsenic, cobalt, and cadmium compounds has long been recognized. Nevertheless, the mechanisms involved in tumor formation are not well understood. The carcinogenic potential depends on metal species; major determinants are oxidation state and solubility. Two modes of action seem to be predominant: the induction of oxidative DNA damage and the interaction with DNA repair processes, leading to an enhancement of genotoxicity in combination with a variety of DNA-damaging agents. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is inhibited at low, non-cytotoxic concentrations of nickel(II), cadmium(II), cobalt(II), and arsenic(III); the repair of oxidative DNA base modifications is disturbed by nickel(II) and cadmium(II). One reason for repair inhibition appears to be the displacement of zinc(II) and magnesium(II). Potentially sensitive targets are so-called zinc finger structures present in several DNA repair enzymes such as the mammalian XPA protein and the bacterial formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg protein); detailed studies revealed that each zinc finger protein exerts unique sensitivities toward toxic metal ions. Taken together, toxic metal ions may lower the genetic stability by inducing oxidative DNA damage and by decreasing the repair capacity towards DNA lesions induced by endogenous and exogenous mutagens, which may in turn increase the risk of tumor formation.


Abstract. The transition, in extent and characteristics, of
atmospheric emissions caused by the modernization of the heavy-duty on-road
fleet was studied utilizing roadside measurements. Emissions of particle
number (PN), particle mass (PM), black carbon (BC), nitrogen oxides
( NOx ), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), particle size
distributions, and particle volatility were measured from 556 individual
heavy-duty trucks (HDTs). Substantial reductions in PM, BC, NOx , CO, and
to a lesser extent PN were observed from Euro III to Euro VI HDTs by 99 %,
98 %, 93 %, and 57 % for the average emission factors of PM, BC,
 NOx , and CO, respectively. Despite significant total reductions in
 NOx emissions, the fraction of NO2 in the NOx emissions
increased continuously from Euro IV to Euro VI HDTs. Larger data scattering
was evident for PN emissions in comparison to solid particle number (SPN)
for Euro VI HDTs, indicating a highly variable fraction of volatile particle
components. Particle size distributions of Euro III to enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle (EEV) HDTs were
bimodal, whereas those of Euro VI HDTs were nucleation mode dominated. High
emitters disproportionately contributed to a large fraction of the total
emissions with the highest-emitting 10 % of HDTs in each pollutant
category being responsible for 65 % of total PM, 70 % of total PN, and
44 % of total NOx emissions. Euro VI HDTs, which
accounted for 53 % of total kilometres driven by Swedish HDTs, were
estimated to only contribute to 2 %, 6 %, 12 %, and 47 % of PM, BC,
 NOx , and PN emissions, respectively. A shift to a fleet dominated by Euro VI HDTs would
promote a transition of atmospheric emissions towards low PM, BC, NOx ,
and CO levels. Nonetheless, reducing PN, SPN, and NO2 emissions from
Euro VI HDTs is still important to improve air quality in urban
environments.


Background Combination antiretroviral therapy has revolutionised the treatment of HIV, however as these patients live for longer cognitive impairment is becoming increasingly prevalent—occurring in approximately 50% despite treatment. Indeed HIV is the leading cause of cognitive impairment in young adults worldwide. Persistence of HIV replication in the CNS has been implicated in this. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drug penetration is limited and CSF drug levels can be as little as 1% of that in plasma. Furthermore, around 10% of patients have HIV RNA detectable in the CSF despite it being undetectable in blood. The Penetration of Antiretroviral Therapy Into the Nervous System (PARTITION) study is a major MRC-funded project currently recruiting over multiple UK sites. Aims The main aims are to address the following questions: A. Why CSF antiretroviral drug levels vary so dramatically between individuals on the same drug regime? Host genotype is characterised, in particular polymorphisms in brain endothelial transporters, and compared to CSF drug levels in order to determine genetic predictors of CNS penetration. Neurocognitive function and CSF proteomic biomarkers are also assessed. B. Is the CNS a sanctuary site for HIV infection? Patients with detectable HIV in plasma despite seemingly adequate treatment are offered lumbar puncture to determine the proportion with higher levels of HIV in the CSF. Progress We present the progress of this MRC-funded multicentre, UK-wide prospective study of patients with HIV across regional specialist HIV and neurological centres.


Plasmonic nanostructures with strong near field "hot spots" are highly demanded in many applications such as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Here, we present some specially designed plasmonic hierarchical nanostructures that combine geometric features of micro- and nanoscales. Owing to the mode coupling and hybridization in these multiscale systems that can produce the cascaded field enhancement (CFE) effect, extremely strong and highly confined field hot spots can be readily generated in nanoscale volumes. Two typical hierarchical nanostructures are presented: an Mshaped grating with 30 nm narrow V-shaped grooves and a nanoparticle-in-cavity (PIC) plasmonic nanoantenna array. A cost-effective, efficient and reliable fabrication technique based on room-temperature nanoimprinting and anisotropic reactive ion etching is developed to fabricate these plasmonic hierarchical nanostructures in large area, during which the nano-features can be finely controlled and tuned. The field distributions and enhancement in the proposed structures are experimentally characterized, which agree very well with the numerical simulations. SERS experiments show the SERS enhancement factor as high as 5×108 by employing these hierarchical nanostructures as SERS substrates, which verify the strong light-matter interaction and show the great potential of these devices as low-cost and highly-active substrates for SERS applications.


Whole body heating decreases central venous pressure (CVP) while increasing muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). In normothermia, similar decreases in CVP elevate MSNA, presumably via cardiopulmonary baroreceptor unloading. The purpose of this project was to identify whether increases in MSNA during whole body heating could be attributed to cardiopulmonary baroreceptor unloading coincident with the thermal challenge. Seven subjects were exposed to whole body heating while sublingual temperature, skin blood flow, heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and MSNA were monitored. During the heat stress, 15 ml/kg warmed saline was infused intravenously over 7-10 min to increase CVP and load the cardiopulmonary baroreceptors. We reported previously that this amount of saline was sufficient to return CVP to pre-heat stress levels. Whole body heating increased MSNA from 25 +/- 3 to 39 +/- 3 bursts/min (P < 0. 05). Central blood volume expansion via rapid saline infusion did not significantly decrease MSNA (44 +/- 4 bursts/min, P > 0.05 relative to heat stress period) and did not alter mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) or pulse pressure. To identify whether arterial baroreceptor loading decreases MSNA during heat stress, in a separate protocol MAP was elevated via steady-state infusion of phenylephrine during whole body heating. Increasing MAP from 82 +/- 3 to 93 +/- 4 mmHg (P < 0.05) caused MSNA to decrease from 36 +/- 3 to 15 +/- 4 bursts/min (P < 0.05). These data suggest that cardiopulmonary baroreceptor unloading during passive heating is not the primary mechanism resulting in elevations in MSNA. Moreover, arterial baroreceptors remain capable of modulating MSNA during heat stress.


Abstract. The seasonal and interannual variations of the barrier layer
thickness (BLT) in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) is investigated in this
study using the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation version 3 (SODA v3) ocean
reanalysis dataset. Analysis of this study suggests energetic but divergent
seasonal variabilities of BLT in the western TIO (5∘ N–12∘ S, 55–75∘ E) and the eastern TIO
(5∘ N–12∘ S, 85–100∘ E). For
instance, the thicker barrier layer (BL) is observed in the western TIO
during boreal winter as a result of decreasing sea surface salinity (SSS)
and deeper thermocline, which are associated with the intrusion of
freshwater flux and the weakened upwelling, respectively. On the contrary,
the variation of BLT in the eastern TIO mainly corresponds to the variation
in thermocline depth in all seasons. The interannual variability of BLT with
the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is
explored. During the mature phase of positive IOD events, a thinner BL in the
eastern TIO is attributed to the shallower thermocline, while a thicker BL
appears in the western TIO due to deeper thermocline and fresher surface
water. During negative IOD events, the thicker BL only occurs in the eastern
TIO, corresponding to the deeper thermocline. During ENSO events, prominent
BLT patterns are observed in the western TIO corresponding to two different
physical processes during the developing and decaying phase of El Niño
events. During the developing phase of El Niño events, the thicker BL in the
western TIO is associated with deepening thermocline induced by the westward
Rossby wave. During the decaying phase of El Niño events, the
thermocline is weakly deepening, while the BLT reaches its maxima induced by
the decreasing SSS.


textabstractMultislice computed tomography
(MSCT) of the coronary arteries
has emerged as a non-invasive modality
for the diagnostic work-up of coronary
artery disease. A complete MSCT study
of the coronary arteries (Chapter 2) usually
consists of two parts, a non-enhanced
scan followed by a contrast-enhanced acquisition.
Non-enhanced MSCT is used
for measuring coronary artery calcium
score. Contrast-enhanced MSCT coronary
angiography (MSCT-CA) is used for
the detection of coronary artery stenosis,
in-stent restenosis, graft pathology and
anatomical variants and anomalies of the
coronary arteries (Chapters 8-19).


In this paper, we propose a formulated method for the analysis of conserved domain combinations and report an overview of domain combinations by identifying domain patterns and analyzing their functional annotations. The proposed method measures co-occurrence frequency and mutual dependency of domains in a domain combination using association rules. The method is useful to estimate the meaningfulness of a given domain combination in terms of conservation. Using the method, we extracted domain patterns in S.cerevisiae proteins and investigated GO term annotations of the domains. According to the investigation, domains in S.cerevisiae proteins are turned out to form patterns in which the members of the patterns are highly affiliated to one another. Also, extracted patterns are revealed to have a tendency of being associated with molecular functions.


Objective: To evaluate the influence of comprehensive management after discharge upon the short-term prognosis of very preterm infants diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
Methods: Very preterm infants surviving ≥ 28 d, admitted to NICU of the First Hospital Affiliated of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2013 and October 2014 were selected in this investigation. All infants were assigned into BPD and non-BPD groups. After hospital discharge, standard follow-up and early intervention were delivered. Physical signs, nervous system development and the incidence of respiratory tract symptoms were statistically compared between two groups.
Results: A total of 76 very preterm infants were eligible for inclusion including 39 (51.3%) infants with BPD and 37 (48.7%) non-BPD. No death, blindness or brain paralysis was noted in either group. The body weight, length and percentage of catch-up growth at corrected age of 3-, 6- and 12-month did not significantly differ between the BPD and non-BPD groups (P ≥ 0.05). The frequency of pneumonia complication, asthma episode and readmission in the BPD group was significantly higher compared with that in the non-BPD group (all P<0.05).
Conclusion: Comprehensive management after discharge can enhance the short-term prognosis of very preterm infants complicated with BPD, accelerate catch-up growth and decrease the risk of poor prognosis of nervous system disorders, whereas fail to reduce the incidence of respiratory tract symptoms.


Complex networks are studied across many fields of science. Much progress has been made on static and statistical features of networks, such as small world and scale-free networks. However, general studies of network dynamics are comparatively rare. Synchrony is one commonly observed dynamical behaviour in complex networks. Synchrony breaking is where a fully synchronised network loses coherence, and breaks up into multiple clusters of self-synchronised sub-networks. Mathematically this can be described as a bifurcation from a fully synchronous state, and in this thesis we investigate the effect of network topology on synchrony-breaking bifurcations.
Coupled cell networks represent a collection of individual dynamical systems (termed cells) that interact with each other. Each cell is described by an ordinary differential equation (ODE) or a system of ODEs. Schematically, the architecture of a coupled cell network can be represented by a directed graph with a node for each cell, and edges indicating cell couplings. Regular homogeneous networks are a special case where all the nodes/cells and edges are of the same type, and every node has the same number of input edges, which we call the valency of the network. Classes of homogeneous regular networks can be counted using an existing group theoretic enumeration formula, and this formula is extended here to enumerate networks with more generalised structures. However, this does not generate the networks themselves. We therefore develop a computer algorithm to display all connected regular homogeneous networks with less than six cells and analysed synchrony-breaking bifurcations for four-cell regular homogeneous networks.
Robust patterns of synchrony (invariant synchronised subspaces under all admissible vector fields) describe how cells are divided into multiple synchronised clusters, and their existence is solely determined by the network topology. These robust patterns of synchrony have a hierarchical relationship, and can be treated as a partially ordered set, and expressed as a lattice. For each robust pattern of synchrony (or lattice point) we can reduce the original network to a smaller network, called a quotient network, by representing each cluster as a single combined node.
Therefore, the lattice for a given regular homogeneous network provides robust patterns of synchrony and corresponding quotient networks. Some lattice structures allow a synchrony breaking bifurcation analysis based solely on the dynamics of the quotient networks, which are lifted to the original network using the robust patterns of synchrony. However, in other cases the lattice structure also tells us of the existence and location of additional synchrony-breaking bifurcating branches not seen in the quotient networks.
In conclusion the work undertaken here shows that the invariant synchronised subspaces that arise from a network topology facilitate the classification of synchrony-breaking bifurcations of networks.


Probiotics are live microbial food supplements that can be considered a functional food. They benefit the health of a host animal by maintaining their intestinal microbial balance. Most probiotic microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., and Enterococcus spp. LAB have been reported to possess certain anticancer properties. The vast majority of studies on their anticancer effects have dealt with colorectal cancers, although there have also been some studies on breast and bladder cancers. Colon cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative effects of the cell-free filtrate and the cell-free lyophilized filtrate of 3 LAB (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Weissella confusa) on human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. The filtrates were found to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner as detected by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, suggesting that these strains might have use as probiotics in functional food or for colon cancer treatment. There are no other studies related to the anticancer activities of W. confusa in the literature.


For rotation-invariant Hamiltonian systems, canonical angular momentum is conserved. In beam optics, this statement is known as Busch's theorem. This theorem can be generalized to symplectic mappings; two generalizations are presented in this paper. The first one states that a group of rotation-invariant mappings is identical to a group of the angular-momentum preserving mappings, assuming both of them symplectic and linear. The second generalization of Busch's theorem claims that for any laminar beam which rotation symmetry happened to be preserved, an absolute value of the angular momentum of any particle from this beam is preserved as well; the linear symplectic mapping does not have to be rotation-invariant here.


Coordination has been regarded as a critical factor of successful projects. Because construction projects are highly fragmented with many participants involved at different construction stages, coordination is more complicated for contractors. A coordination systems and procedure developed by simulating circulatory system could improve coordination effectiveness of construction projects due to the natural and effective physiological functions of the human body. To verify the applicability and effectiveness of the system and procedure, two tools to quantify coordination needs and supply were proposed and a case project was tested for ten months. The results showed that the more fit between coordination needs and supply, the better the task performance, meaning that the coordination system and procedure is effective. During construction the contractor can follow the coordination procedure and assign an engineer to evaluate variation of coordination needs and supply periodically or at emergent conditions. As coordination supply does not meet needs, time and frequency of coordination methods should be adjusted.


Policymakers, consumers and manufacturers are all agreed – the auto industry needs to adopt electrification to address climate change and dwindling natural resources – yet we still see very few hybrid and electric vehicles on the road today. Given the will is there, why the lack of adoption? In reality the main reason is not the technology, but rather the cost of developing the technology in these times of reduced profits and austerity. Using its revolutionary in-wheel motor technology Protean Electric has developed a plug-in hybrid vehicle architecture that can deliver a cost efficient solution to allow rapid electrification of the vehicles we all drive today. Simply put, by fitting a traction battery and a pair of Protean in-wheel motors to a conventional passenger vehicle, the vehicle can be given two additional selectable modes of driving, pure EV and hybrid, with little or no re-engineering of the base vehicle required. In conventional hybrids, to give the same functionality, the chassis system, body-in-white and base powertrain on every platform to be electrified would need to be significantly re-engineered to accept a centralised electric traction motor at substantial cost. It is this drastic reduction in engineering overhead cost that is the key to allowing this hybrid solution to produce cost efficient plug-in hybrids for the mass market. This paper will discuss the engineering involved in converting a conventional vehicle into a selectable drive plug-in hybrid and show how this can be simplified by harnessing Protean's unique in-wheel motor with integrated power electronics. The paper will cite Protean's previous work on hybridising a Vauxhall Vivaro LCV and Mercedes E-Class Saloon as examples of proof of concept hybrid conversions using identical in-wheel motors and related systems. The paper will look into all areas of these vehicle conversions, but will focus on 2 key areas of the conversion. First, the fitting of the in-wheel motor to the chassis and overcoming the challenges from packaging and friction brake integration will be discussed. Second, the focus will fall on the development of the hybrid vehicle controller and its integration with the conventional power train and the battery system. The paper will also distil the real world results from these vehicles showing validation testing and in particular the fuel saving benefits found. The paper will go onto discuss the economics of vehicle hybridisation and attempt to show how this innovative solution, offered by Protean's in-wheel motor, can deliver a viable mass market business case for plug-in hybrids ahead of conventional solutions.


This research introduces attitude towards the endorsement as a mediating variable in the relationships between celebrity source and endorsement factors and brand attitude. It also includes perceived celebrity motive, a variable rarely studied in the previous literature, as an endorsement factor. In a survey study, respondents evaluated four celebrity endorsement campaigns. Mediation analyses show that attitude towards the endorsement mediates the effects of three variables on brand attitude; these variables are celebrity expertise, celebrity–brand fit, and perceived celebrity motive. Moreover, results show that if consumers perceive that the celebrity was motivated to do the endorsement not only by money but also by product quality, this has a significant positive effect on attitude towards the brand.


cardiac ischaemia PG levels seem to be no more than 10 9 mOI/L. In addition, it has been shown that, in perfused male rat hearts, PGs in the range from 1 pg/mL to 10 ng/mL (2.8x10 -12 rnol/L to 2.8x 10 a mol/L) consistently induce rhythm irregularities, whereas higher concentrations stabilize rhythm in hearts made unstable by lower concentrations. 11 Further, the widely used antiarrhythmic drugs like quinidine, procainamide, and lignocaine are known to behave as PG-antagonists. 6 7


BACKGROUND
Thermoregulatory responses were studied during rest and exercise in men wearing diverse handwear with an extended cold-weather clothing system [ECWCS]. The ECWCS (thermal insulation = 3.6 clo (1 clo = thermal resistance approximately 0.155 m2.K.W(-1)); weight = 10.1 kg) incorporates skin-tight polypropylene underwear, polyester/cotton fatigues, polyester-insulated liners, balaclava, vapor-barrier boots, and polytetrafluroethylene [PTFE]-lined outer garments.

METHODS
Six fit males each rested (M = 71 W.m(-2) and performed treadmill exercise (M = 171 W.m(-2)) while wearing the following handwear with the ECWCS: a light duty glove (LD, clo = 0.86), a heavy duty glove (HD, clo = 1.05), or an Arctic mitten (AM, clo = 1.46). Cold exposures were at Ta = 0 degrees C, -20 degrees C, and -30 degrees C; rh = 20%; wind speed = 10.34 m.s(-1). Exposure was a target period of 120 min designated as maximal endurance time (ET, min). All experiments were performed on separate days. Rectal (Tre), middle finger (Tmf), and mean weighted skin (Tsk) temperatures were recorded continuously; oxygen uptake and heart rate were measured periodically and total body weight loss msw, g.h(-1)) was determined after each run.

RESULTS
During rest at 0 degrees C, the ECWCS maintained Tre at 37 degrees C for the maximal ET with all handwear configurations; for each lower ambient condition, steady-state Tre dropped -0.2 degrees C per each 10 C decrease in Ta.Tmf at or near 5 degrees C prior to the maximal ET was the basis for premature attrition; Tsk of 29.4 degrees C was associated with subjective thermal discomfort. ET was predicted adequately by combining Tmf, heat production, Tre and Tsk.

CONCLUSIONS
The ECWCS with specific handwear furnish adequate ET in cold-dry ambients provided that ventilation and removal of extra layers is an option during heavy exercise and thermal insulation is not decreased by body moisture.


The current best membrane-protein topology-prediction methods are typically based on sequence statistics and contain hundreds of parameters that are optimized on known topologies of membrane proteins. However, because the insertion of transmembrane helices into the membrane is the outcome of molecular interactions among protein, lipids and water, it should be possible to predict topology by methods based directly on physical data, as proposed >20 years ago by Kyte and Doolittle. Here, we present two simple topology-prediction methods using a recently published experimental scale of position-specific amino acid contributions to the free energy of membrane insertion that perform on a par with the current best statistics-based topology predictors. This result suggests that prediction of membrane-protein topology and structure directly from first principles is an attainable goal, given the recently improved understanding of peptide recognition by the translocon.


This paper proposes the design and simulation of Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Control using MATLAB/Simulink to control the position of the bucket of the backhoe excavator robot during digging operations. In order to reach accurate position responses with minimum overshoot and minimum steady state error, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm is used to tune the gains of the position and force parts for the force-position controllers to obtain the best position responses. The joints are actuated by the electro-hydraulic actuators. The force-position control incorporating two-Mamdani type-Proportional-Derivative-Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controllers for position control and 3-Proportional-Derivative Controllers for force control. The nonlinearity and uncertainty in the model that inherit in the electro hydraulic actuator system are also studied. The nonlinearity includes oil leakage and frictions in the joints. The friction model is represented as a Modified LuGre friction model in actuators. The excavator robot joints are subjected to Coulomb, viscous and stribeck friction. The uncertainty is represented by the variation of bulk modulus. It can be shown from the results that the ACO obtain the best gains of the controllers which enhances the position responses within the range of (19, 23 %) compared with the controllers tuned manually.


In this article we present the design and development of a control board that uses of two floating point digital signal processors to control a double converter inside a small wind turbine induction generator. The algorithms programmed on the processors have the ability to perform a vector control over the transient torque on the generator, controlling at the same time the flux of active and reactive power supplied to the network. Bearing in mind that requirements for robustness and maintenance reduction are a must when designing a micro wind turbine generator, the developed control system eliminates the need for position and shaft speed sensors and greatly reduces the size of the filter in the network connection.


The radiative heat transfer phenomenon is a complex process with various events of absorption, emission, and scattering of photon rays. Moreover, the effect of a participating medium adds to the complexity. Existing analytical methods fail to achieve accurate results with all such phenomena. In such cases, brute force algorithms such as the Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) or the Photon Monte Carlo (PMC) has gained a lot of importance. But such processes, even if they provide less error than analytical methods, are quite expensive in computation time. Moreover, there are various shortcomings with traditional PMC in effectively including the nature of the participating medium and high variance in results. In this study, a modified PMC is simulated for a one-dimensional medium-surface radiation exchange problem. The medium is taken to be CO (4+) band system, and the behaviour is modelled by Importance Sampling (IS) of the spectrum data for variance reduction. Furthermore, PMC with low-discrepancy sequences like Halton, Sobol, and Faure sequences, known as Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC), was simulated. QMC proved to be more efficient in reducing variance and computation time. Effective IS included with QMC is observed to have a much smaller variance and is faster as compared to traditional PMC.


ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes strains belonging to phylogenetic lineage II (serotypes 1/2a, 1/2c, and 3a) carry a lineage-specific genome segment encoding a putative sigma subunit of RNA polymerase (lmo0423, herein referred to as sigC), a gene of unknown function (lmo0422) similar to the padR family of regulators, and a gene that is similar to the rodA-ftsW family of cell wall morphology genes (lmo0421). To understand the function of this set of genes, their expression patterns and the effects of null mutations in the lineage II L. monocytogenes strain 10403S were examined. The data are consistent with the three genes comprising an operon (the sigC operon) that is highly induced by temperature upshift. The operon is transcribed from three different promoters, the proximal of which (P1) depends upon sigC itself. Null mutations in sigC or lmo0422 increase the death rate at lethal temperatures and cause loss of thermal adaptive response, whereas the lmo0421 mutation causes only a loss of the adaptive response component. Only the sigC mutation affects transcription from the P1 promoter, whereas ectopic expression of lmo0422 from the PSPAC promoter complements the individual lmo0422 and sigC null mutations, showing that lmo0422 is the actual thermal resistance regulator or effector while sigC provides a mechanism for temperature-dependent transcription of lmo0422 from P1. Our genetic and phylogenetic analyses are consistent with lmo0422—renamed lstR (for lineage-specific thermal regulator)—and sigC comprising a system of thermal resistance that was ancestral to the genus Listeria and was subsequently lost during divergence of the lineage I L. monocytogenes population.


The heterogeneous multiscale method, is presented as a general methodology for an efficient numerical computation of problems with multiple scales. The method relies on an efficient coupling between the macroscopic and microscopic models. In case the macroscopic model is not explicitly available or is invalid in part of the domain, the microscopic model is used to supply the necessary data for the macroscopic model. Scale separation is exploited so that coarse-grained variables can be evolved on macroscopic spatial/temporal scales using data that are predicted based on the simulation of the microscopic process on microscale spatial/temporal domains. Applications to homogenization, dislocation dynamics and crack propagation are discussed.


We review the role entrepreneurship capital in regional economic performance and extend it to explain the economic and entrepreneurial performance of organizations, teams, and individuals. Drawing on entrepreneurship and social capital research, we demonstrate that researchers at different level of analysis are in fact modeling the same underlying multi-level concept: entrepreneurship capital. We identify elements of entrepreneurship capital at and across the levels. Where there are gaps, we suggest new directions for research, public policy, and management practice that focus on enhancing organizational, interpersonal, and personal factors which promote entrepreneurial action at and across regional, organizational, team, and individual levels.


The "developmental hourglass'' describes a pattern of increasing morphological divergence towards earlier and later embryonic development, separated by a period of significant conservation across distant species (the "phylotypic stage''). Recent studies have found evidence in support of the hourglass effect at the genomic level. For instance, the phylotypic stage expresses the oldest and most conserved transcriptomes. However, the regulatory mechanism that causes the hourglass pattern remains an open question. Here, we use an evolutionary model of regulatory gene interactions during development to identify the conditions under which the hourglass effect can emerge in a general setting. The model focuses on the hierarchical gene regulatory network that controls the developmental process, and on the evolution of a population under random perturbations in the structure of that network. The model predicts, under fairly general assumptions, the emergence of an hourglass pattern in the structure of a temporal representation of the underlying gene regulatory network. The evolutionary age of the corresponding genes also follows an hourglass pattern, with the oldest genes concentrated at the hourglass waist. The key behind the hourglass effect is that developmental regulators should have an increasingly specific function as development progresses. Analysis of developmental gene expression profiles from Drosophila melanogaster and Arabidopsis thaliana provide consistent results with our theoretical predictions.


The equilibrium diagram of the system silver-zinc has been investigated by thermal, microscopic, and X-ray methods. This has enabled the following points to be established: (1) The depression of the freezing-point of silver by zinc is slightly greater than that produced by equal atomic percentages of indium. This does not confirm the hypothesis of whole-number liquidus factors previously suggested by Hume-Rothery, Mabbott and Channell-Evans (1934). (2) The solidus and liquidus curves for the β-phase do not coincide at 50 atomic % of zinc as was proposed by B. G. Petrenko (1929). The freezing range of the equiatomic alloy is approximately 3 1/2 °. (3) The determination of phase boundaries by X-ray methods with quenched filings is unreliable for this class of alloy, and its limitations are discussed.


In the March 2008 issue, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization published two related items on the complex issue of ownership of health information in international health programmes and on the "vertical versus horizontal" nature of the health programmes responsible for generating this information.1,2

The first is an editorial by Sanjoy Bhattacharya of the Wellcome Trust, which highlights (once again) the divide between protagonists of vertical and horizontal health programmes, and makes a call for "adaptive verticality" to optimize the potential of international health programmes to integrate with primary health care systems in low-income countries and strengthen these in the process.1 The second is a news item: an interview with Sally Stansfield of the Health Metrics Network in which she calls for country-ownership of health information and for "vertical" health programmes to integrate with and strengthen national health information systems. These she argues should become the source of information for improved public-health decision-making and, at the same time, for information needed by donors and by specific ("vertical") health programmes.2

The problems raised by Bhattacharya and Stansfield are not confined to the health sector nor to health information. On the contrary, the issue of ownership of data and the practice of vertical programming is, in many ways, far worse in the domain of health research. In most low- and middle-income countries, foreign-funded initiatives determine national health research agendas, even in countries in which governments contribute substantially to supporting national health research systems, institutions and personnel. As a result, research activities in many low- and middle-income countries reflect more closely foreign and global health research priorities than the research needs of the countries in which research is being conducted. As externally funded research is virtually monopolised by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria,3 little if any funding or research capacity is left to deal with other diseases, conditions or the improvement of health systems, let alone for research with a more expanded goal of social and economic development (i.e."research for health").

The concept of "responsible vertical programming"4 defines a health research programme as "responsible" if it "succeeds in building the capacity of a country's researchers and the national research system – in the process of achieving its own research goals". It sets out some practical steps that decision-makers in countries and in research programmes can take to increase the synergy between national research capacity and research programme implementation.

Countries have to take responsibility to put in place and resource a basic national health research system that provides mechanisms for research governance, identifies national priorities and formulates and implements a policy framework to enhance the effectiveness of the national research effort.

Vertical programmes have to realize that their research cannot be conducted in isolation from national contexts and that their contributions to the research infrastructure from which they benefit will enhance research output and quality in the future. They can do this by ensuring that – as a minimum – activities align with, rather than fragment, national research system needs and by investing in equitable partnerships that strengthen the capacities of national researchers, research institutions and research systems.

It is clear that health system strengthening needs both information and research. Stated in another way, national health information systems and national health research systems are key tools in generating the evidence needed to guide health and health system improvement in low- and middle-income countries, just as they are in high-income countries.

"Responsible vertical programming" is about supporting long-term sustainable development as the primary objective of all development interventions in low- and middle-income countries. At the same time, we agree with Bhattacharya in acknowledging that there is still much to be learned about how best to integrate "vertical" and "horizontal" programmes. What is not in any doubt, however, is that strengthening of national research and information systems should be a key component of (large) health and health research programmes. ■


Surface x-ray diffraction measurements have been made to study defect formation at the atomic level in the near surface region of Si(111)7×7 surface during low energy (200 eV) Ar + ion bombardment. We have observed the two characteristics of the defects: missing atoms at different layers in the surface region as well as outward strain. We provide calculations that demonstrate how crystal truncation rod (CTR) measurements are sensitive to these modifications in the surface regions. We find that the measurement is sensitive to lattice strain and site occupancy of individual atomic layers near to the surface. We have thus determined occupancy profiles that represent the density of missing atoms with depth after irradiation. Both the strain and the atom deficit are found to increase with dose while the two distributions extend to about the same depth. These results are consistent with simulations of the ion-solid interaction mechanism using SRIM2000 with appropriate choice of surface and bulk displacement energies.


&NA; The aim of this retrospective study was to assess epidemiology and echocardiographic findings of pericardial effusion in canine patients and to determine the clinical usefulness and safety of a new pericardiocentesis technique, using a "fistula needle" for hemodialysis. A database of 5304 dogs of different breeds, age, gender, type, and severity of the cardiac disease, referred for a specialist cardiology and echocardiographic examination from 2009‐2016, was reviewed. All the dogs were subjected to echocardiography; when possible and required, an echo‐guided pericardiocentesis was performed by mean of a 17 G "fistula needle" commonly used for hemodialysis. Complete echocardiography was repeated at the end of each pericardiocentesis. Pericardial effusion was identified by echocardiography in 91 dogs (1.71%), 20 were female (21.98%) and 71 were male (78.02%). PE caused cardiac tamponade in 38/91 cases (41.76%). A clear evidence of a neoplasm was found in 33 cases (36.26%). In 32 cases (35.16%) severe degenerative mitral and tricuspid valve disease was detected as the cause of the pericardial effusion. Echo‐guided pericardiocentesis was performed in 28 cases (30.77%) with cardiac tamponade. No adverse effects were found in any of the patients during the 48 hours of follow up after pericardiocentesis. This study showed the high incidence of pericardial effusion due to severe bilateral degenerative valve disease in adult to elderly dogs of different breeds. Moreover, the use of a "fistula needle" for pericardiocentesis in dogs showed no adverse effects.


Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a precise, widely used method for measuring bone mineral density (BMD), usually of the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Recent developments, such as a lower x-ray tube current and pixel by pixel analysis, enable smaller bones and thinner tissues volumes, as in the hand, to be measured. Measurements of hand bone mineral content (BMC) and BMD could be useful in assessing disease severity in early rheumatoid arthritis and in monitoring disease progression and response to therapeutic intervention. A phantom is required for evaluating the software, measuring long-term precision and comparing with other DXA methods. This note describes the design and evaluation of a hand phantom for use on a Lunar DPX-L dual-energy x-ray absorptiometer. The phantom consists of three sections representing the metacarpals, and proximal and distal phalanges, using aluminum and Perspex as the bone and lean tissue equivalents respectively. The BMD of the three sections is approximately 1.0, 0.6 and 0.3 g cm-2. The phantom demonstrates limitations in the potential accuracy of BMD determination at low densities using the Small Animal Software on the Lunar DPX-L. Improved recognition of low-density regions was obtained with the Lunar EXPERT with precision values of 0.9, 1.1 and 2.0% for the three sections of the phantom respectively.


An apparatus and method for maintaining immersion fluid (212) in the gap adjacent the projection lens (16) during the exchange of a work piece (208) in a lithography machine (10) is disclosed. The apparatus and method includes an optical assembly (16) configured to project an image onto a work piece (208) and a stage assembly (202) including a work piece table (204) configured to support the work piece (208) adjacent the optical assembly (16). An environmental system (26) is provided to supply and remove an immersion fluid (212) from a gap between the optical assembly (16) and the work piece (208) on the stage assembly (202). After exposure of the work piece (208) is complete, an exchange system (216) removes the work piece (208) and replaces it with a second work piece. An immersion fluid containment system (214) is provided to maintain the immersion liquid (212) in the gap during removal of the first work piece (208) and replacement with the second work piece.


Although it is generally recognized that goethite surfaces present in natural environments have carbonate species adsorbed, knowledge of their effect on the reactivity of goethite toward other anions remains limited. Accordingly, the effect of CO 3 on the adsorption of SeO 4 and SO 4 on goethite is determined. Carbonate promotes the adsorption of SeO 4 and SO 4 between pH 6 and 8. The maximum effect occurs at relatively low CO 3 concentrations (0.2 mM), and the promotive effect decreases and eventually becomes competitive with further increase in CO 3 adsorption. Acetate (AcO) and formate also appear to promote adsorption of SeO 4 and SO 4 . Based on existing Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic data and new electrophoretic mobility data, CO 3 may promote the adsorption of other oxyanions by forming extra reactive protonated sites that coexist with the adsorbed CO 3 . Acetate and formate presumably interact through the same mechanism. Goethite surfaces present in natural environments may have substantial amounts of CO 3 adsorbed. Depending on the CO 3 levels, this may enhance, decrease, or have a neutral effect on the adsorption of moderate affinity anions such as SeO 4 and SO 4 . Accordingly, the combined effects of promotive and competitive interactions may render CO 3 less competitive overall than was commonly presumed. Similarly, the presence of AcO and formate may be less competitive with other anions due also to their promotive interaction effect.


We report mapping of active replication origins in thaum‐ and euryarchaeal replicons using high‐throughput sequencing‐based marker frequency analysis. The chromosome of the thaumarchaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus is shown to contain a single origin of replication, whereas the main chromosome in the halophilic euryarchaea Haloferax mediterranei and Haloferax volcanii each contains two origins. All replication origins specified bidirectional replication, and the two origins in the halophiles were initiated in synchrony. The pHM500 plasmid of H. mediterranei is shown to contain a single origin, and the copy numbers of five plasmid replicons in the two halophiles were inferred to be close to that of the main chromosome. Origin recognition boxes (ORBs) that provide binding sites for Orc1/Cdc6 replication initiator proteins are identified at all chromosomal origins, as well as in a range of additional thaumarchaeal species. An annotation update is provided for all three species.


Life in the digital economy of information and images enriches us but often induces a sense of being overwhelmed. Sensing the Future: Moholy-Nagy, Media and the Arts considers the impact of technology by exploring ways it was addressed in the practice of the Hungarian polymath artist Laszlo Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946), a prominent professor at the Bauhaus and a key figure in the history of Modernism. Moholy-Nagy felt that people needed guidance to cope with the onslaught of sensory input in an increasingly technologized, mediatized, hyper-stimulating environment. His ideas informed media theorists such as Walter Benjamin, John Cage, Sigfried Giedion, and Marshall McLuhan, who anticipated digital culture as it emerged. Should we then regard Moholy-Nagy as a pioneer of the digital? His aesthetic engagement with the technology/body problematic broached the notions of immersion, interactivity and bodily participation, innately offering a critique of today's disembodiment. Was he then both a pioneer and a proto-critic of the digital? This book is intended to introduce this seminal figure of post-medial practices to younger generations and, by including responses to his work by contemporary artists, to reflect on the ways in which his work is relevant to artistic practice now."


ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels are activated by several vasodilating hormones and neurotransmitters through the PKA pathway. Here, we show that phosphorylation at Ser1387 of the SUR2B subunit is critical for the channel activation. Experiments were performed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells expressing the cloned Kir6.1/SUR2B channel. In whole cell patch, the Kir6.1/SUR2B channel activity was stimulated by isoproterenol via activation of beta(2) receptors. This effect was blocked in the presence of inhibitors for adenylyl cyclase or PKA. Similar channel activation was seen by exposing inside-out patches to the catalytic subunit of PKA. Because none of the previously suggested PKA phosphorylation sites accounted for the channel activation, we performed systematic mutational analysis on Kir6.1 and SUR2B. Two serine residues (Ser1351, Ser1387) located in the NBD2 of SUR2B were critical for the channel activation. In vitro phosphorylation experiments showed that Ser1387 but not Ser1351 was phosphorylated by PKA. The PKA-dependent activation of cell-endogenous K(ATP) channels was observed in acutely dissociated mesenteric smooth myocytes and isolated mesenteric artery rings, where activation of these channels contributed significantly to the isoproterenol-induced vasodilation. Taken together, these results indicate that the Kir6.1/SUR2B channel is a target of beta(2) receptors and that the channel activation relies on PKA phosphorylation of SUR2B at Ser1387.


Biofilm development plays a pivotal role in the bioleaching process. The attachment of the acidophilic chemolithotrophic Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to mineral surfaces is mediated by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) involved in biofilm development. Previous work suggests that EPS composition of A. ferrooxidans is adapted to the energy source and, accordingly, the bacterium must be able to sense the surface to which attachment occurs with the consequent triggering of the expression of different EPS-genes. Quorum sensing (QS) is recognized as one of the main regulators of biofilm formation. A. ferrooxidans possesses a functional QS type AI-1 system and the analysis of culture supernatants revealed us that this bacterium is able to synthesize nine different homoserine lactones (AHLs) whose acyl-chain lengths oscillate between 8 and 16 carbons and include an alcohol or a ketone function at the C3 position. The transcription levels of the afeI gene encoding for the AHL synthase are higher in cells grown in sulfur and thiosulfate media than in iron-grown cells, suggesting that biofilm formation in A. ferrooxidans would be regulated by the QS type AI-1 system. In the present study, the effect of several synthetic AHLs and analogues on the attachment of A. ferrooxidans to pyrite was analyzed. Preliminary results suggest that some of these molecules are changing the bacterial attachment to pyrite.


The objective of this work was to evaluate, by means of the exchange rate, the profitability of two products directed toward the domestic market and two export products. Other objective was to identify productivity growth compensated the decrease of prices. The geometric rates of the production, area and productivity growth were estimated. The exchange rate was estimated by the relation between the index of the inputs prices and the index of the product prices. The results show a great trend of deterioration of the exchange terms for all the analyzed products. Evidenced that these effects more was been accented for rice and maize. Such behavior associates it the fact of the rice cultures and of maize to be destined to the domestic market, its demands have been not elastic in relation to the coffee and soy cultures.


This paper introduces a new multi-instance key regeneration system used to regenerate cryptographic keys from biometric data. The serial concatenation of Reed-Solomon and Hadamard codes is used with a single mechanism that improves the biometric performance and security of the system, also making possible the regeneration of longer and higher entropy cryptographic keys. The system was evaluated on two public databases: Casia-Biosecure and NIST-ICE 2005. On NIST-ICE 2005 it is possible to regenerate a 287 binary digit cryptographic key with estimated entropy of 160 bits at 0% False Acceptance Rate (FAR) and 0.34% False Rejection Rate (FRR).


We examine recent trends in the global foreign exchange market using the 2004 BIS triennial foreign exchange turnover survey. The survey shows trading in the New Zealand dollar has increased significantly over the past three years. This reflects increased offshore capital investment into New Zealand and the associated higher global profile of the New Zealand dollar. Foreign exchange trading in New Zealand has also increased, largely in line with global trends. The survey gives new insights into the global nature of the New Zealand dollar market.


Levin and Simons (2000) argued that perceptual experience in film and the real world share a deep similarity in that both rely on inferences that visual properties are stable across views. This article argues that the perception and representation of visual space also reveal deep commonalities between film and the real world. The article reviews psychological research on visual space that suggests that we not only attend to similar spatial cues both in film and in nonmediated settings, but also that the rules for combining and selecting among these cues are similar. In exploring these links, it becomes clear that there is a bidirectional relationship between cognitive psychology and film editing that allows each to provide important insights about the other.


The data of the analytical estimation on the efficiency of providing safety control of the radio-electronic system are given. The review is based on the investigation of the information interaction of the radio-electronic system (RS) with monitoring subsystem. The problem of optimal safety operational subsystem control of the RS and the generalized criterion for the effectiveness of decision making by the control system of the RS are formulated. Analytical expressions that allow making the choice of optimal ratio between the safe and the most effective modes of the control system operation are obtained.


The Kepler space telescope can determine the mass and orbital period of unseen planets orbiting distant stars. The inventory of known extrasolar planets (planets orbiting stars other than our Sun) has grown explosively in the past 3 years. The explosion relies on detecting the small but distinct decrease in the flux of light from a star caused by the passage of a planet across the stellar disk, an event known as a transit (see the figure). NASA's Kepler telescope, with a photometric precision of ∼20 parts per million, has identified more than 2300 extrasolar planetary candidates (1). For comparison, radial velocity surveys, which identify planets by the orbital velocity they impart to their host stars, have found only about a thousand planets since 1995. For the brightest host stars, one can obtain the high-quality spectra that are needed for radial velocity measurements to verify or exclude the planetary nature of the transiting system. Unfortunately, the bulk of the transit host stars are too dim to obtain radial velocities. Enter transit timing variations (TTVs) in the length of a candidate extrasolar planet's year. Since the advent of Kepler, it has become common to use TTVs to verify the planetary nature of transiting objects in multiplanet systems (2, 3). Recently, TTVs were used to infer the presence of an unseen planetary companion, but with only weak constraints on the orbital period and companion mass (4). On page 1133 of this week's issue, Nesvorný et al. (5) take the next step by identifying and characterizing unseen (nontransiting) planets using TTVs.


[1] Aeolian dust strongly influences ecology and landscape geochemistry over large areas that span several desert ecosystems of the southwestern United States. This study evaluates spatial and temporal variations and trends of the physical and chemical properties of dust in the southwestern United States by examining dust deposited in natural depressions on high isolated surfaces along a transect from the Mojave Desert to the central Colorado Plateau. Aeolian dust is recognized in these depressions on the basis of textural, chemical, isotopic, and mineralogical characteristics and comparisons of those characteristics to the underlying bedrock units. Spatial and temporal trends suggest that although local dust sources are important to the accumulated material in these depressions, Mojave Desert dust sources may also contribute. Depth trends in the depressions suggest that Mojave sources may have contributed more dust to the Colorado Plateau recently than in the past. These interpretations point to the important roles of far-traveled aeolian dust for landscape geochemistry and imply future changes to soil geochemistry under changing conditions in far-distant dust source areas.


We propose a projection‐based monolithic model order reduction procedure for a class of problems in nonlinear mechanics with internal variables. The work is motivated by applications to thermo‐hydro‐mechanical (THM) systems for radioactive waste disposal. THM equations model the behavior of temperature, pore water pressure, and solid displacement in the neighborhood of geological repositories, which contain radioactive waste and are responsible for a significant thermal flux toward the Earth's surface. We develop an adaptive sampling strategy based on the POD‐Greedy method, and we develop an element‐wise empirical quadrature hyper‐reduction procedure to reduce assembling costs. We present numerical results for a two‐dimensional THM system to illustrate and validate the proposed methodology.


This study aims to identify the knowledge level of eight grade students about global problems like greenhouse effect, the deformation of the ozone layer, acid rains and the destruction of biological diversity to analyze the gender and location factor of the students' knowledge level about global environmental problems. 201 randomly selected eight grade students from central schools of Ankara and Burdur attended to this study. 20 item-scale is used as data collection tool in the research. The percentage and frequency values of the students' answers are analyzed. The sum of points is tested for analyzing the variation of gender and location of education factor of students. The conclusive data obtained from this research points out that students have very low knowledge level about reasons and the negative effects of some global environmental problems. In the conclusion of this research; the total points which students get from the global environmental problems survey noticeably vary by the location where they are educated but not changed by the gender factor.


Guppies, Poecilia reticulata, are a model species for studies of female preference based on male courtship displays; however, males also display to each other in an aggressive context, and little attention has been paid to the role of male-male displays. The display involves a male positioning his body in front or to the side of another male, arching his body, and quivering with his dorsal fin splayed. To understand what behaviors elicit a male display, we assigned individual males a dominance status. We then examined the relationship between dominance status and the number of displays delivered and received. By knowing the status of a displaying individual, we can better understand whether the display is given more often by dominant or subordinate individuals. Our results showed no significant correlation between dominance status and display rate; however, we found a significant relationship between the number of displays received and the number of displays delivered. Additionally, we found that a display is most often followed by aggression (nips and chases) by the other male rather than aggression by the focal male. Our results suggest that the display is a subtle form of aggression that escalates agonistic interactions. It also may serve to convey information about male quality (e.g. by displaying color patterns) and aggressive intent.


Recent studies have shown that—per person, per driver, and per household—we now have fewer light-duty vehicles, we drive each of them less, and we consume less fuel than in the past. These trends suggest that motorization in the U.S. might have reached a peak several years ago. The present study examined recent trends in the proportion of households without a light-duty vehicle as another index of the motorization level. Two analyses were performed. The first analysis examined the changes in this proportion for the entire U.S. from 2005 through 2012. The second analysis studied the variations in this proportion among the 30 largest U.S. cities for 2007 (the year with the lowest overall proportion) and 2012 (the latest available year). The data came from the American Community Survey. The main findings are as follows: (1) In 2012, 9.2% of U.S. households were without a vehicle, compared to 8.7% in 2007 (the year with the lowest recent proportion). (2) The proportion of households without a vehicle varies greatly among the 30 largest U.S. cities: In 2012, the maximum was 56.5% (in New York) and the minimum was 5.8% (in San Jose). (3) In six of the 30 cities, more than 30% of households do not have a vehicle. (4) From 2007 to 2012, there was an increase in the proportion of households without a vehicle in 21 of the 30 cities examined. (5) The 13 cities with the largest proportions all showed an increase from 2007 to 2012. The recent increase in the proportion of households without a vehicle provides additional support for the hypothesis that motorization in the U.S. peaked during the previous decade.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between serum resistin concentration and large arterial elasticity in patients with essential hypertension (EH).

METHODS
271 recruited subjects were divided into the control group (n = 134) and EH group (n = 137). Blood pressure, waist circumference, hip, body mass index (BMI) were measured. Serum resistin concentration was assessed by enzyme immunoassay, fasting serum insulin and TNF-alpha were measured using radioimmunity kits. Insulin resistance was evaluated by insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was tested by the full-automatic arteriosclerosis diagnostic instrument.

RESULTS
(1) The serum resistin concentration, baPWV and TNF-alpha were significantly increased in EH group compared to the control group [(0.65 +/- 0.12) microg/L vs (0.59 +/- 0.13) microg/L; (1513.24 +/- 182.30) cm/s vs (1301.69 +/- 151.15) cm/s; (5.69 +/- 1.98) microg/L vs (3.83 +/- 2.38) microg/L; all P < 0.01]. (2) Pearson correlation analysis showed that resistin was positively correlated with baPWV, TNF-alpha. and HOMA-IR in EH group (r = 0.219, r = 0.212, r = 0.183, P < 0.05 respectively); partial correlation analysis revealed that resistin was positively correlated with baPWV and TNF-alpha (r = 0.238, P < 0.01; r = 0.207, P < 0.05), but not with HOMA-IR. (3) Multivariate regression analysis showed that SBP, age, TNF-alpha, resistin were risk factors of impaired baPWV in EH group (R(2) = 0.368, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION
Large arterial elasticity was decreased in proportion to increasing serum resistin level in hypertensive patients.


This study derives the electric susceptibility tensor of a cold magnetized plasma under electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) regime (Litvak and Tokman 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 88 095003, Shvets and Wurtele 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 115003) in which an intense right-hand circularly polarized pump wave is injected parallel to the background magnetic field. A dispersion relation of the wave in the electron cyclotron frequency range for an arbitrary propagation angle is obtained from this susceptibility tensor. In the case of purely parallel propagation of the probe wave, the dispersion relation obtained by Litvak, Shvets and others is recaptured. A new finding is that a stop band emerges between left-hand cutoff and upper hybrid frequencies, in which originally an extraordinary-mode (X) branch exists, in the case of perpendicular propagation to the background magnetic field under the EIT. The bandwidth of the stop band expands as the pump wave is intensified. For the situation of launching the probe wave from the high-field side in a tokamak, the accessibility of the probe wave to the region where the EIT effect appears is investigated. The EIT region which is a resonance layer created by the EIT is accessible to the probe wave, indicating the possibility of the application of EIT to control the spatial position of wave power deposition.


At present, there is a considerable increase in the amount of data stored in storage services, along with dramatic evolution of networking techniques. In storage services with huge data, the storage servers may want to reduce the volume of stored data, and the clients may want to monitor the integrity of their data with a low cost, since the cost of the functions related to data storage increase in proportion to the size of the data. To achieve these goals, secure deduplication and integrity auditing delegation techniques have been studied, which can reduce the volume of data stored in storage by eliminating duplicated copies and permit clients to efficiently verify the integrity of stored files by delegating costly operations to a trusted party, respectively. So far many studies have been conducted on each topic, separately, whereas relatively few combined schemes, which support the two functions simultaneously, have been researched. In this paper, we design a combined technique, which performs both secure deduplication of encrypted data and public integrity auditing of data. To support the two functions, the proposed scheme performs challenge-response protocols using the BLS signature-based homomorphic linear authenticator. We utilize a third party auditor for performing public audit, in order to help low-powered clients. The proposed scheme satisfies all the fundamental security requirements. We also propose two variances that provide higher security and better performance.


Stomatic continence is not comparable to the complicated system of the anorectal organ. Therefore, the definition of continence is ability to arbitrarily determine defecation but with some restriction. It further means the nonreliance on a stoma bag for the intervals between defecation. Continence is achieved by special diet, irrigation, laxatives and clysters. It can be supported by passive and active implants as well as surgical techniques which use smooth and striated muscle functions to imitate, to a certain extent, the muscular components of the anorectal organ.


Abstract The Norwood procedure consists of a complex reconstruction resulting in: ( 1 ) unobstructed systemic outflow from the right ventricle to neo-aorta, ( 2 ) creation of large atrial septal defect and ( 3 ) a controlled source of pulmonary blood flow (PBF) from the systemic circulation. The Sano modification provides the source of PBF from the right ventricle. Both procedures have advantages and disadvantages, therefore, there have been many debates regarding which procedure is better as a first stage palliation. Another ongoing debate of first stage palliation is the method of reconstruction of the neo-aorta. Aortic arch obstruction increases afterload and leads to ventricular dysfunction and tricuspid regurgitation. Recent SVR Trial identified recurrent coarctation requiring intervention in 18% of patients. We believe that another important point regarding reconstruction of the neo-aorta is the use of only native tissue and minimizing the use of inelastic patch material. Because elastic properties of the arterial tree are known to have a profound influence on ventricular function, arterial elasticity may therefore be of particular importance to those patients with HLHS. During the past 20 years, we have modified our original technique of aortic arch reconstruction. Proximal arch plication and creation of elongated flaps of the main pulmonary artery(PA) are two of our recent modifications which facilitate neo-aortic reconstruction with native tissue. We describe a technique where direct anastomosis of neo-aorta is achieved with avoidance of foreign material in a majority of our patients.


This thesis is primarily concerned with the relationship between Sufism and curing. Other topics necessary to the understanding of this main area are additionally considered: an introduction is provided to Sufism per se, as an expression of Islamic mysticism; there is a consideration of the role of emotion in Sufism and particularly of love, which is also discussed with relevance to Middle Eastern society; then the main body of the thesis deals with the subject of Sufism and healing. This introduction explores theology and the history of Sufism, and also anthropologists' views of Sufism and its ritual. The chapter on emotion is included as a necessary comment on one aspect of the causation of psychiatric problems: emotionality. The main subject of the thesis guides this inclusion, as it explores in detail the healing of psychiatric illness by Sufis in the Middle East and North India, beginning with a discussion of Islamic cosmology and of psychiatric illness and spirit possession, and progressing on to consider the model of Sufism as psychotherapy. This explores the central notion of Sufism and curing with some comparisons with other types of indigenous psychiatric healing. Lastly baraka, that particularly Islamic notion of 'grace', 'blessing' or 'Spiritual power' is examined, as it is upon baraka's existence that Sufi healing power is based.


Multifragment events are shown to be associated with specific sources characterized by their mass and excitation energy through the incomplete fusion model. Excitation functions for the different multifragment decay channels are found to be almost independent of the system and the incident energy. Preliminary comparisons of the data with dynamical calculations followed by statistical decay calculations are discussed. 18 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.


Financial stability of municipalities is an important aspect for long-term sustainable development and disproportionate debt can generate risks for their standard functioning. Although there are many methodologies for assessing the financial stability and health of municipalities, they are usually based on central government needs and are not used for financial management and planning. The aim of the article is to develop a set of indicators for assessing financial stability and health for needs of municipalities by using publicly available information. The selected indicators highlight two basic assumptions important for short and long-term budget balance and sustainability of funding. Concretely, the balance of the current budget should always be positive and the maximum debt service should not exceed the surplus of the current budget. The set of indicators includes three groups of indicators: budgetary management, indebtedness and liquidity. There is a clearly defined and interpretable assessment for each indicator in terms of financial stability and potential risk.


Activin is a pleiotropic growth factor belonging to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFB) superfamily of signaling molecules. Regulated activin signaling is known to influence several steps in rodent male gamete differentiation. TGFB ligand isoforms, TGFB1-B3, also influence germ cell survival in the rodent testis at the onset of spermatogenesis and around the time of puberty. Given the importance of regulated activin and TGFB signaling in testis development and function, we sought to investigate the cellular production sites of activin/TGFB-signaling modulators in normal and dysfunctional adult human testes samples. Signaling transducers phosphorylated SMAD2/3, and signaling modulators SMAD6, MAN-1, inhibin alpha (INHA), and beta-glycan were detected in Bouins fixed, paraffin-embedded adult human testis sections using immunohistochemistry. Additional samples examined were from testicular cancer patients and from normal men subjected to gonadotropin suppression with androgen-based contraceptives. Our findings identify distinct differences between normal and gonadotropin-deprived human testis in the expression and cellular localization of activin/TGFB-signaling modulators. The presence of a nuclear phosphorylated SMAD2/3 signal in all analyzed seminoma specimens indicated active activin/TGFB signaling. Moreover, a subset of seminoma specimens exhibited selective enhanced expression of beta-glycan (4 out of 28 seminoma tumors), INHA (6 out of 28), and MAN-1 (6 out of 28), highlighting potential functional differences between individual tumors in their capacity to regulate activin/TGFB signaling. Within the heterogenous nonseminomas, expression of signaling modulators was variable and reflected the degree of somatic differentiation. Thus, synthesis of activin and TGFB-signaling modulators may be affected by spermatogenic disruption and altered hormone levels in the testis.


Experimental pancreatic lesions can be induced by a number of different procedures, e.g. pancreatic hyperstimulation, intraductal application of bile acids, feeding choline deficient diet, obstruction of pancreatic duct, or reducing pancreatic blood flow. The pathogenetic mechanisms leading to pancreatic lesions include basolateral enzyme secretion, acinar cell polarisation defect, intracellular activation of proteases, and the production of free radicals and other active metabolites. The importance of these individual mechanisms in the production and progression of different experimentally-induced pancreatic lesions remains speculative. These pathogenetic concepts have inspired the study of a number of substances likely to protect the pancreas and prevent the pancreatic lesions. This paper gives an overview of the pathogenetic concepts of development of and protection against experimental pancreatic lesions produced in animal models. Special mention has been made of an animal model of pancreatic lesion produced by immunosuppressives.


Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a common cause of otitis media and respiratory tract infections. Outer membrane proteins (OMP) and lipooligosaccharide (LOS) are major surface antigens of NTHi and potential vaccine candidates. De-O-acylated LOS (dLOS) or oligosaccharide (OS) was coupled to total OMP to form dLOS-OMP and OS-OMP conjugates, while a dLOS-tetanus toxoid (TT) was synthesized for comparison. These conjugates were evaluated in mice and rabbits for immunogenicity. dLOS-OMP elicited a better boostable antibody response against LOS than did dLOS-TT, while OS-OMP was not immunogenic. Formulation of the conjugates with Ribi adjuvant significantly enhanced the immunogenicity of dLOS-OMP and dLOS-TT but not that of OS-OMP. In addition, rabbit antisera elicited by dLOS-OMP but not dLOS-TT (or OMP alone) demonstrated bactericidal activity against 40% of the NTHi strains tested. These results indicate that dLOS is a better derivative of LOS than OS and that OMP is a good carrier for NTHi LOS-based conjugate vaccines.


The 82nd general meeting of the Association of Clinical Pathologists was held in Harrogate on 17, 18, and 19 April 1969. The programme included a symposium on 'The small intestine' at which invited speakers read the papers. This symposium will be published in the Journal later in the year. The second symposium was concerned with 'Radioisotopes in the pathology laboratory'. There was also a forum on the Zuckerman Report at which the opening speakers were J. L. Stafford and A. G. Marshall with the Editor of the Journal in the Chair. Abstracts of some of the remaining papers follow.


Tracing the history of education in Nigerian higher Institutions presents series of student's unrest, riots, cultism, and violence, vandalisation of school's properties in reaction to inadequacies and neglect of certain vital elements needed for the smooth running of educational programmes. Music as an art that attracts students of all ages and levels is a cultural ingredient that can be used to create a calm and quiet state that is free from conflict and violence. This paper examined the concept of peace culture and music education. It also highlighted the roles that music education can play in promoting peace culture in the higher education institutions in Nigeria. The significance of this paper is to justify the efficacy of music in reducing violence in higher institutions in Nigeria and to enlighten the populace on the humanistic and aesthetic quality of music education. This will educate and sensitize curriculum planners towards inclusion of music education in all levels of education. This paper also exposes students to the benefit of skill acquisition and other values that are inherent in music learning which could equip them for future purpose. This work will be of benefit to music educators in alerting them on the significance and importance of their work to the humanity.


Biopsy of the liver of 73 patients with chronic affection of the hepatobiliary system was conducted to study the enzymatic system of inactivation of the active forms of hepatic oxygen according to the stage of the chronic process. Reduced activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase and disruption of their relationship in chronic active hepatitis were revealed. Significantly diminished rate of inactivation of superoxide radicals was encountered in fibrosis and primary biliary cirrhosis. The informative importance of the catalase/NADP H-peroxidase index in appraising chronic affection of the hepatic tissue is shown. It is concluded that the interrelation of the antioxidative enzymes as a system of antioxidant protection of hepatocytes is impaired in chronic diseases of the liver.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether COVID-19 impact and Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) service attendance predicted diabetes distress among individuals with type 2 diabetes during the pandemic. Methods: Eighty-six adults with type 2 diabetes who either attended (n = 29) or did not previously attend (n = 57) DSMES services completed a cross-sectional survey. Participants' mean age was 57 ± 12.3 years, 50% were female, and 71.3% were diagnosed with diabetes >5 years. The Coronavirus Impact Scale was used to measure impact of the pandemic on daily life. The Diabetes Distress Scale was used to measure distress overall and within 4 subscales (emotional burden, interpersonal distress, physician-related distress, regimen distress). Separate multiple linear regressions were conducted for each outcome, controlling for age, sex, marital status, financial status, and time since diabetes diagnosis. Results: Higher COVID-19 impact predicted higher diabetes-related distress for all subscales and overall. Only the subscale for interpersonal distress was predicted by DSMES attendance, which decreased with DSMES attendance. Conclusion: This study identifies a link between the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and diabetes distress. The findings highlight the negative impact of the pandemic on diabetes distress and the importance of DSMES services for diabetes-related distress. Interventions are needed to reduce psychological distress among this population during public health crises.


Effects of the conflict between reason and passion in Bernard Mandeville's moral, economic and political thought

My PhD dissertation focuses on Bernard Mandeville (1670-1732), a Dutch philosopher who moved to London in his late twenties. The aspect of Mandeville's thought I take into account in my research is the conflicting relation between reason and passions, and the consequences that Mandeville's view of this conflict has in the development of his theory of human nature which, I argue, is what grounds his moral, economic and, above all, political theory.
According to Mandeville, reason is fundamentally weak. Passions influence with more strength human actions, and, eventually, are the ones which motivate them. The role of reason is merely instrumental, restricted to finding appropriate means in order to reach the desired ends, which are capricious and inconstant, since they all come from unstable passions. Reason cannot take decisions meant to act in the long term, pursuing an object which has not a selfish and temporary nature. There is no possibility, thus, that men's actions aim just to achieve a good and just society, without their interests being directly involved. The basically selfish root of every desire leads Mandeville to claim that there is neither benevolence nor altruism which guides human behaviour. Hence he expresses a judgement on the moral character of human beings, always busy with their self-satisfaction, and hardly ever considering what would be good on a wider perspective, including other people's sake.
The anthropological features ascribed to men by Mandeville, are those which lead him to prefer a political system where governors are not supposed to have particular abilities, either from an intellectual or from a moral point of view, and peace and order are preserved by the bureaucratic machine, which is meant to work with the least effort on the part of the politicians, and no big harm can be done even by corrupted or wicked governors. This system is adopted with an eye at remedying human deficiencies: Mandeville takes into primary account, when he thinks of how to build a peaceful and functioning society, that everyone is concerned with his selfish interest, and that the rationality of a single politician, or of a group of them belonging to a same generation, cannot find a good "solution" to govern men able to last over the long period, and to work in different ages. This implies a refusal of the Hobbesian theory of the pactum subjectionis, which has the character of a rational and definitive choice, and leads Mandeville to consider the order which arises spontaneously, without any plan or rational intervention.


The Internet of things (IoT) facilitated various aspects of people's daily lives. In simple terms, the IoT refers to the connection of sensors, actuators, and devices to a network by which they can interact with each other and their users. It is a practical model that works on connecting a group of sensors and actuators that form a network that works to carry out several tasks, such as collecting information from the surrounding environment and processing it and providing the beneficiary of the network with this critical information is used in many cases in making important decisions and missions. Over time, the importance of IoT will increase due to its use in many fields. This technology is expected to become an essential milestone in developing many sectors and sciences.
Therefore, to benefit from IoT technology, security in the IoT must focus on raising its efficiency. The security of IoT is a big challenge because of its complexity, heterogeneity, and a large number of related resources. It is necessary to improve security protocols to guarantee IoT connection and ensure all devices in this network are trusted and prevent an attacker from accessing any device in the network because these attacks penetrate privacy and expose the personal property to damage.
This research introduces a new framework to improve the confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, and availability of IoT devices in indoor environments, by forcing new devices (IoT-MD), middleware (Security Centre SC), and protocols (add a new authorized device and IoT Traffic Control Protocol IoT-TCP).
Security in IoT will be guaranteed by using this framework which enforces isolation between the IoT devices and networks to prevent unauthorized IoT devices. Moreover, prevent attacks in the IoT indoor environment.


Guide supports Professor Claire Lindgren's Great Designers class, AH 14F, taught in collaboration with Library Information class (First Year Connections).
Students will study work of many contemporary fashion designers from Chanel to Donna Karan.