Claims of the (non-)sustainability of a given agricultural practice generally hinge on scientific evidence and the reliability of that evidence, or at least the perception of its reliability. Advocates of sustainable agriculture may dismiss science as purely subjective, or at the other extreme, may inappropriately elevate scientific findings to the status of pure objective truth. Thus, students of sustainable agriculture and natural resource management would benefit from gaining a better understanding of expert notions of the nature of science (NOS); students should learn that science is empirical, inferential, theory-laden, tentative, and creative; there is not one specific foolproof scientific method by which scientific knowledge is uncovered; and, probably most importantly in the context of sustainability, student should learn that science influences and is influenced by its wider social/cultural context. Thus, we have designed a course in sustainable agriculture that emphasizes NOS understanding. Course design elements include a rich real-world context, an inquiry setting (i.e., involving students in small-scale gardening research projects), explicit instruction in NOS concepts, and ample reflection on the intersection of NOS concepts with ideas of sustainability and farming. Student learning of NOS concepts was assessed before and after the course using a modified version of a questionnaire called Student Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry (SUSSI). Here we present our preliminary findings, which suggest that significant learning gains in the understanding of NOS occur during the semester, particularly in understanding the social/cultural aspects of science.


In photovoltaic-fed applications, boosting the limited output voltage is very essential. Single-stage boost inverters can efficiently be used to interface renewable energy sources. In this paper, different topologies for the boost inverter, namely, (Interleaved, Cascaded, and Hybrid-Cascaded) are proposed with recommended applications for each type. Simulation results elucidate the proposed concepts.


In this research the effectiveness of physical modeling of in situ flushing with water and a surfactant solution was evaluated using a geotechnical centrifuge. The centrifugal experiments consist of two parts: transport of diesel through fine grain soils and remediation of diesel contaminated soil. First, 7.74 m3 of diesel per meter (width) was infiltrated into a 15 m thick prototype layer of fine grain unsaturated soil. Then contaminated soil was remediated by continuous flushing with two liquids (water and 1% (wt/v) aqueous solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant) while subjecting the sample to 50 g acceleration. Effectiveness of soil remediation by flushing with 1% (wt/v) SDS surfactant was investigated in this research and compared that to flushing with water without additives. The total volume of injected remediation solution over 130 prototype days was equal to 4.20 times the pore volume of the soil between two barrier walls. The results showed that when surfactant solution was used, the elutriate flow was downward congruent with the remediation goal. On the other hand, when water without surfactant was used, the contamination plume expanded in the lateral direction which exacerbated the situation. The test results also showed a considerable reduction (76.3%) of diesel content in soil after flushing with SDS solution after 130 days of flushing. Based on the test results it was concluded that the geotechnical centrifuge and the described experimental procedure could be used as a design tool for implementation and evaluating the effectiveness of in situ surfactant-enhanced flushing remediation systems.


The aim of the present investigations was to fabricate and prepare silver nanoparticles from the root bark of Aphanamixis polystachya available in Western Ghats of India and also to assess their antioxidant, cytotoxic and apoptotic activity. The root bark extract of the plant, A. polystachya was used for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP). The AgNP were characterized with the help of UV-Vis Spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD)and Thermogravimetric analysis. The cytotoxic and apoptotic effects were studied using methanolic extract and AgNP of A. polystachya on human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Silver nanosuspension was formulated, and in vitro, antioxidant activity by DPPH assay and Nitric Oxide assay were assessed on a methanolic extract of the root bark and silver nanosuspension of A. polystachya. The percentage cell growth on MCF-7 cells was found to be 39.8, 21.6, 18.0 and 15.6 at 10, 20, 40 and 80µg/ml respectively. In the case of MDA-MB231 cells, the percentage of cell growth was found to be 99.2, 80.0, 67.2 and 54.6 at 10, 20, 40 and 80 µg/ml. Growth inhibition (GI50) of <10µg and >80µg was observed in MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cell lines. A. polystachya silver nanosuspension significantly enhanced the antiradical potential against nitric oxide scavenging assay (IC50 4.7µg/ml) as compared with methanolic extract of A. polystachya. The formulation of silver nanosuspension of A. polystachya significantly enhanced the antiradical potential as compared with the methanolic extract of root bark of A. polystachya.


This paper presents a model in which resource allocations are calculated in real time by boundedly rational members of an administrative staff. We consider a class of hierarchical procedures in which information about payoff functions flows up and is aggregated by a hierarchy, while allocations flow down and are disaggregated by the hierarchy with decentralized decision making. We assume that the payoff functions are quadratic and that the payoff parameters follow first-order autoregressive processes. We define a team statistical optimality condition that formalizes the notion of decentralized decision making. We derive a reduced form that can be used to address specific questions about organizational structure and returns to scale. JEL Classifications: D83, D23


The main purpose of the study was to examine typologies of non-exercisers based on reasons for physical inactivity and conditions reported to be necessary to change exercise behaviour. These typologies were then compared on psychological variables of interest and exercise history. Questionnaires were distributed to Greek older adults aged 60 and above who were recruited from social clubs and city cafés. Only individuals engaging in no regular exercise were chosen ( N = 188). The results of hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses revealed two clusters for males ("approachable" and "unconvinced"), and three for females ("unconcerned", "approachable", and "unconvinced"). The clusters differed significantly on psychological variables not used in the cluster solution. Exercise history distinguished between clusters only in the male sample. The results reveal that physically inactive older adults are not a homogeneous group of individuals. Implementers of physical activity interventions should probably use a range of strategies that will take into consideration that some sedentary older adults are more amenable to consider taking up exercise than others.


Introduction: the recurrence of urinary lithiasis is a health problem needing the implementation of preventive strategies, thus knowing the frequency of the different renal metabolic disorders is essential. Objectives: To identify the most common metabolic disorders in urinary lithiasic disease and their relationship with patient characteristics. Methods: an analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in 3655 adult patients with urolithiasis. A renal metabolic study was conducted at the Institute of Nephrology from 2003 to 2009. The analytical determinations were performed by spectrophotometric technique according to the standards of service. All information is processed using SPSS version 15.0. The technique of frequency distribution analysis was used. Relationships between variables were identified by the test of independence. Results: The main metabolic disorders found were: hyperuricemia (48.2%), hypercalciuria (45.1%), and urinary tract infection (16.2 %). Hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria were less frequent in subjects older than 42 years (p= 0.01). Hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria and hyperuricosuria were more frequent in men (p= 0.00), while hypocitraturia was more frequent in women (p= 0.04). Hyperuricosuria was found more frequently in overweight and obese patients (p= 0.00), and hyperoxaluria was more frequent among overweight subjects (p= 0.01). Conclusions: In patients with renal lithiasis the most common metabolic disorders are hyperuricemia, hypercalciuria, and urinary tract infection. All subjects younger than 43 years suffered hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria. Men have higher frequency of hypercalciuria, hyperuricosuria and hyperoxaluria. Women have higher frequency of hypocitraturia. The frequency of submission of hyperoxaluria, hyperuricosuria and hypocitraturia is related to the nutritional status of these subjects.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already being used far more widely today than we might initially expect, and the associated potential for discrimination is not always obvious. Although people themselves are guilty of unjustifiable discrimination at times, they perceive the decisions taken by computer programs and software solutions to often be factual, objective and neutral. However, in reality, AI-based systems sometimes make decisions that are problematic, discriminatory or that draw distinctions without good reason.1 Many software systems explicitly or implicitly comprise a set of social rules for controlling behaviour, whether in the form of regulations, transactions and coordination, or access and usage rights. First and foremost, they are an effective technical means of putting systems of rules into practice. Consequently, self-learning systems have the potential to not just adopt pre-existing discrimination, but even to enhance it.


Nanotubes to Order To exploit carbon nanotubes fully in electronic applications, one needs to be able to separate or synthesize either all semiconducting or all metallic tubes. However, unbiased synthesis conditions produce a mixture containing two-thirds semiconducting tubes and one-third metallic tubes. Harutyunyan et al. (p. 116) show that altering the carrier gas and temperature, in combination with oxidative and reductive species during the synthesis process modifies the catalyst particles during synthesis, which leads to the selective growth of metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes. Thus, the shape and morphology of the catalyst seeds can be tuned to grow carbon nanotubes of a specific chirality. Reaction conditions that alter catalyst particles can bias the chirality and electronic properties of nanotube products. Single-walled carbon nanotubes can be classified as either metallic or semiconducting, depending on their conductivity, which is determined by their chirality. Existing synthesis methods cannot controllably grow nanotubes with a specific type of conductivity. By varying the noble gas ambient during thermal annealing of the catalyst, and in combination with oxidative and reductive species, we altered the fraction of tubes with metallic conductivity from one-third of the population to a maximum of 91%. In situ transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that this variation leads to differences in both morphology and coarsening behavior of the nanoparticles that we used to nucleate nanotubes. These catalyst rearrangements demonstrate that there are correlations between catalyst morphology and resulting nanotube electronic structure and indicate that chiral-selective growth may be possible.


ABSTRACT Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are considered at elevated risk of experiencing mental health disorders in working with patients with COVID-19. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of common mental health disorders in HCWs based in hospitals where pandemic-affected patients were treated. Method: Databases were searched for studies published before 30 March 2020. Quantitative synthesis was used to obtain estimates of the prevalence of mental health disorders in four time windows, determined a priori (the acute phase, i.e. during and up to 1.5 months post-pandemic; 1.5–5.9 months; 6–11.9 months; 12 months and later). Results: Nineteen studies met the review criteria. They predominantly addressed the acute phase of the SARS outbreak in Asia. The most studied outcomes were clinically significant post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and general psychiatric caseness. For clinically significant PTSS in the acute phase, the prevalence estimate was 23.4% (95% CI 16.3, 31.2; N = 4147; I2 = 96.2%); in the 12 months plus window, the estimate was 11.9% (8.4, 15.8; N = 1136; I2 = 74.3%). For general psychiatric caseness, prevalence estimates were acute phase, 34.1% (18.7, 51.4; N = 3971; I2 = 99.1%); 6–12 months, 17.9% (13.1, 23.2; N = 223; I2 = 0.0%); 12 months plus, 29.3% (6.0, 61.0; N = 710; I2 = 97.8%). No differences between doctors and nurses with respective to PTSS and general psychiatric caseness were apparent in the acute phase. Conclusions: Mental health disorders are particularly common in HCWs working with pandemic-afflicted patients immediately following a pandemic, but the course of disorders following this period is poorly understood. There was considerable heterogeneity between studies, likely linked to methodological differences. More extended follow up of HCWs is needed. HIGHLIGHTS: • Mental health difficulties, in particular post-traumatic stress, are common in healthcare workers working with patients infected during a pandemic. The long-term impact of working in such environments is poorly understood, however.


Concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury were determined in fish and sediment from the waters of the Volta Lake and its main tributaries to understand their distribution in the ecosystem. Total mercury concentrations in fish ranged from 2.11to 355.16 (mean: 75.64) ng/g wet wt. Methyl mercury concentration ranged from 1.77 to 319.48 (mean: 68.44) ng/g wet wt and accounted for, on the average 90% of the total mercury in the muscles of the fish. Methyl mercury concentrations in fish were directly proportional to total mercury concentrations with average correlation coefficient of r = 0.98. The relationship of total mercury and methyl mercury concentrations in fish to those of sediments from corresponding locations was fish-species dependent. Concentrations of total mercury in sediment ranged from 0.96 to 700.25 ng/g dry wt. which is lower than the IAEA threshold of 810ng/g. Water samples from the main tributaries of the Volta and the Volta Lake showed total mercury concentrations of 0.0027 to 0.0862 ng/L and methylmercury concentrations of 0.0004 to 0.0259 ng/L. The methylmercury concentrations accounted for 13.2 to 35.0% of total mercury in the water samples. The results of this study indicate that mean total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in fish increase with increase in trophic level of fish. All the fish samples obtained from the Volta and its major tributaries had mercury concentrations below the WHO/FAO recommended limit of 500 ng/g wet weight. The low levels of mercury in the fish analyzed in this study suggest a comparatively clean aquatic environment which has not yet been impacted by mercury contamination.


Marmara Sea and Black Sea connected with renowned Bosporus surround Istanbul, the city, which owns the privilege of bridging Europe and Asia. Besides such inland seas; forests and wetlands fragmented around and in the city maintain the natural cycle in the region. However, Istanbul as a fast developing urban area witnesses environmental issues like many other urban areas in global scale. Rapid economic and population growth of the city increase the pressure on above mentioned natural resources.Sustainable development of built environment is one of the best solutions in order to mitigate environmental damages of urban areas. The solution comes with green construction projects and systems yet the city and the market itself have barriers to block or slow the process of sustainable development. Identification of such barriers and reviewing international sustainable development practices paves the way for generating recommendations for environmentally friendly urban expansion in Istanbul.Survey targeting market professionals was conducted to identify sustainable development barriers in Istanbul and in order to address such barriers the thesis refers to conducted interviews and international practices presented in the literature review.The thesis draws economic, market and governmental recommendations which are particularly focused on financial incentives, raising awareness and enacting green laws involving all stakeholders of construction and real estate market.


Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 305-348, KoreaThe current study analyzes the effects of the scaling parameters of the batch unscented transformation on precision satellite orbit determination. Satellite laser ranging (SLR) data are used in the orbit determination algorithm, which consists of dynamics model, observation model and filtering algorithm composed of the batch unscented transforma-tion. TOPEX/Poseidon SLR data are used by utilizing the normal point (NP) data observed from ground station. The filtering algorithm includes a repeated series of processes to determine the appropriate scaling parameters for the batch unscented transformation. To determine appropriate scaling parameters, general ranges of the scaling parameters of α, β, κ, λ are established. Depending on the range settings, each parameter was assigned to the filtering algorithm at regular intervals. Appropriate scaling parameters are determined for observation data obtained from several observatories, by analyzing the relationship between tuning properties of the scaling parameters and estimated orbit precision. The orbit determination of satellite using the batch unscented transformation can achieve levels of accuracy within several tens of cm with the appropriate scaling parameters. The analyses in the present study give insights into the roles of scaling parameters in the batch unscented transformation method.


The larger bodies of pre-Cambrian coarse-grained granites in the Llano-Burnet uplift of central Texas have been studied with special attention to structure and texture. They are steep-walled, roughly circular massifs averaging 12 miles in diameter. Flow layers or schlieren with parallel schist xenoliths are well developed near the borders. Lineation within the flow layers was not detected. The flow layers follow the outlines of the massifs and usually dip outward at angles of 70 degrees or more. Vertical joints normal to the strike of the flow layers are characteristic of the outer portions of the massifs. Pegmatite and aplite dikes near the borders dip toward the centers of the massifs, suggesting marginal fissure fillings. The granites exhibit a concentric arrangement of three textural varieties. These are, in order of their solidification, an outer coarse-grained granite, an intermediate zone of porphyritic coarse-grained granite, and a core of medium-grained granite. The adjacent textural varieties are mutually gradational indicating simultaneous intrusion. Chemical and petrographic analyses show that the three textural varieties are similar. At a later stage small bodies of fine-grained granite were intruded into the centers of the massifs, around the margins, and in radial dikes.


Purpose
The stakeholder theory is a prominent management approach that has primarily been adopted in the past few years. Despite the increase in the theory's use, a limited number of studies have discussed ways to develop, execute and measure the results of using this strategic approach with stakeholders. This study aims to address this gap in the literature by conducting a systematic review of the stakeholder management process.

Design/methodology/approach
Five databases were selected to search articles published from 1985 to 2015. The keywords used were stakeholder management, stakeholder relationship and stakeholder engagement. Starting from 2,457 articles identified using a keyword search, 33 key journal articles were systematically reviewed using both bibliometric and qualitative methods for analysis.

Findings
The results highlight that stakeholder management is increasingly embedded in corporate activities, and that the coming of the internet, social networking and Big Data have put more pressure on companies to develop new tools and techniques to manage stakeholders online. In conclusion, synthesizing the findings and developed framework allows the understanding of different streams of research and identifies future steps for research.

Originality/value
While literature reviews are a widespread practice in business studies, only a few more recent reviews use the systematic review methodology that aggregates knowledge using clearly defined processes and criteria. This is the first review on stakeholder management in which the structure is existing knowledge on strategy development, execution and the measurement of performance.


This study explores the variations of maize growth performance under reclaimed wastewater irrigation and whether the dissimilarities in growth between and within the irrigation bays depend on dysfunctional salt, water or nutrient budgets. The experiment was conducted by Melbourne Water in conjunction with the Swedish University of Agricultural Studies at Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant in south-eastern Australia during the growing season of 2005/2006.

Soil sampling from four irrigation bays found a generally lower electrical conductivity (EC) of the surface (0-10cm) than expected and those salt concentrations would not have had a severe impact on maize growth. However, some samples showed high salinity, still, the correlation with maize performance, measured as crop height (m), was very low (R2 0.02-0.44). Deep profile sampling could not be done in this study, hence, the salinity with depth was not explored.

Information on current irrigation application (frequency and amounts) and water quality (salinity and nutrients) were collated from available data and processed. The current irrigation schedule was found to be too infrequent with too much water being applied at each of the irrigation events. The irrigation water salinity was rather low and would not have had a severe effect on crop growth in its own right and the nutrients applied through the irrigation water appeared to be within a, for the crop, proper range.

In conclusion, possible high salt concentrations with depth may still be a problem for maize growth and should be investigated further and the irrigation application will have to change to a more frequent schedule with less amount of water applied at each irrigation event. The nutrients will have to be measured at the irrigation bays, not in the lagoons and pumping stations as it is done today, because the nutrient chemistry in the water may change along its way to the crop in such a way that the maize nutrient requirement is not met although believed so. Furthermore, one bay showed extremely high pH, which, together with low salinity is an indication of high sodicity, a factor that was only briefly explored in this study and should be researched extensively as it could have a severe impact on maize growth. Additionally, further studies on groundwater levels and drainage are required to make sure that a healthy environment for maize growth is created.


Abstract This paper examines choices of earth-working tools made by Neolithic Chinese populations. In the Hemudu Culture (7000–5000 B.P.), bone (scapula) digging tools were used from the earliest times, whereas peoples in surrounding areas used stone spades. A range of experiments on manufacturing costs, durability, and use efficiency under realistic conditions show that bone and stone spades are functionally equivalent when soils are soft, but that stone implements provide significant and easily perceived advantages when working harder soils. The persistence of scapular spades in the Hemudu Culture would have constrained decisions about undertaking large construction projects under normal soil conditions. Our results show that, in addition to generalized labor for construction, labor demands for producing earth-working implements for large-scale prehistoric earthworks could have also been substantial. These findings not only help explain the processes of intensifying rice-agriculture and sedentary settlements in the Lower Yangzi Basin, but also create a solid foundation for further investigation of how the recruitment of both generalized and specialized laborers, the organization of craft production, and the relevant logistics for large-scale earthworks may have paralleled concentrations of political power in prehistory.


Bounding volumes are used to optimize many graphic algorithms. They permit to decide quickly if a more exact test is likely to succeed or not. The exact test is only applied if the bounding volume test succeeds, which saves time in most cases. Two of the most prominent applications are ray tracing and collision detection. This paper presents a new method to calculate tight bounding volumes for primitives under arbitrary transformations and hierarchical scene descriptions. An optimized form of storing a convex hull is presented which allows efficient calculation of the bounding volume type used for later processing. Results are shown for the ray tracing of cyclic CSG-graphs used to render plants and other natural phenomena.


Type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) mediate tissue homeostasis and protection, primarily at mucosal sites. Their profile is tightly controlled by the tissue microenvironment and can shift toward production of the type 1 cytokine IFNγ in an inflammatory setting. Likely because ILC3 and natural killer (NK) cells are developmentally divergent innate lymphocyte lineages in mice, the plasticity of ILC3s with respect to cytotoxic function has been neglected. Since RORγt-expressing progenitors, however, contribute to NK cell generation in humans, we aimed to address this knowledge gap both in vitro and in vivo, using humanized mice.
We could demonstrate that after exposure to IL-12 and IL-15, human ILC3s up-regulate expression of the master regulator of cytotoxic function Eomes and also the type 1 immunity associated transcription factor T-bet, albeit to a lesser extent. Transcriptional profiling and flow cytometric analysis revealed acquisition of key NK cell features like expression of CD94, NKG2A, NKG2C, CD56 and CD16 as well as enhanced responsiveness towards IL-2, IL-12 and IL-15. Functionally, expanded ILC3s gain the capacity to produce IFNγ among other NK cell-associated cytokines and chemokines. In addition they express cytolytic effector molecules such as granzymes and perforin and mount a cytotoxic response against the classical NK targets K562. They show slower and lower cytolytic activity compared to conventional NK cells, likely a result of a less potent activation or a distinct cytolytic mechanism. Importantly, we observed differences in cytotoxic potential between tonsil and spleen ILC3 subsets, which might indicate tissue-specific imprinting. In addition, a fraction of the ILC3s retains their phenotype despite the inflammatory cues, which suggests that not all ILC3s are primed to respond with differentiation to inflammation.
In light of these findings and as helper CD4+ T cells can also switch on a cytotoxic program in symptomatic Epstein Barr virus (EBV) infection, we studied ILC3s in vivo under EBV-driven inflammatory conditions. A short-term exposure of autologous unmanipulated ILC3s in that setting seems to induce expression of CD94. However, transfer of IL-2 and IL-7 expanded ILC3s prior to virus inoculation had no consistent effects on EBV infection and pathogenesis, which though could be due to loss of the transferred cells.


It would be interesting to make direct measurements of the direction of ice flow in the region Dr. Shumskiy describes (1966). I gather this has not been done, but if the ice should turn out to be flowing due north I should be only too glad to concede Dr. Shumskiy's point. The surface strain-rates in this region would then be of great interes t. I am content to leave the other points to the judgement of your readers.


The paper describes the differences in the ways that social and economic policy perceive poverty and its underlying causes, and thus differences in how they define it, measure it and institute mechanisms to reduce it. It also highlights the many dimensions of poverty that economic policy ignores and considers the constraints that limit the effectiveness of current poverty reduction strategies.


Long regarded as proinflammatory molecules, prostaglandins (PGs) also have anti-inflammatory effects. Both prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) and its dehydration end product 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) seem to play important roles in regulating inflammation, via both receptor-dependent (DP1 and DP2 receptors) and receptor-independent mechanisms. Intracellular effects of PGD2 and 15d-PGJ2 that may suppress inflammation include inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by multiple mechanisms (IκB kinase inhibition and blockade of NF-κB nuclear binding) and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) may also have important anti-inflammatory effects, although current data are limited. In animal models, expression of both PGD and PGF synthases declines during acute inflammation, only to rise again during the resolution phase, suggesting their possible role in resolving inflammation. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), the classic model of a proinflammatory lipid mediator, also has anti-inflammatory effects that are both potent and context dependent. Thus, accumulating data suggest that PGs not only participate in initiation, but may also actively contribute to the resolution of inflammation. Indeed, classic inhibitors of PG synthesis such as nonselective and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may actually prolong inflammation when administered during the resolution phase. These effects may regulate not only tissue inflammation but also vascular disease, possibly shedding light on the controversy surrounding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and its relation to myocardial infarction. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of PGs as dichotomous molecules in the inflammatory process.


The aim of this paper is to examine whether and, if so, how far, the Augustinian notion of malum is related to Plotinus' concept of evil, as it appears in Ennead I. 8 [51]. The Augustinian notion of evil will be analyzed by focusing on the De natura boni, considering plurality and unity in Augustine's identification of malum and nihil, both in their ontological and axiological dimensions. Topics selected for special consideration will be, first, evil as lack of modus, species and ordo naturalis (De nat. b., 4), and, secondly, corruptio as cause of defectio boni (De nat. b., 6). The second part will analyze Plotinus' notion of evil, as spelled out in Ennead I, 8 [51], considering the Plotinian identity of to kakon and me on. Topics selected for analysis will be, first, the concept of evil as lack of measure, form and order (Enn. I. 8. 3), and secondly, the notion of to kakon as lack of good (Enn. I. 8. 5) simpliciter. The third part of this paper will consider the differences between Augustine's and Plotinus' identity of evil and non-being, as related to the notion of matter. Topics selected for analysis will be, firstly, Plotinus' identity of matter Versão integral disponível em digitalis.uc.pt Maurizio Filippo Di Silva, 'Plotinus and Augustine on evil and matter', p. 205-227 206 no 23, May-Aug. 2018 and evil (Enn. I. 8. 10), and, secondly, Augustine's concept of matter as capacitas formarum (De nat. b., 18). The conclusion will bring out how Plotinus' concept of steresis suggests both a different relation between evil and non-being while being closely resembling Augustine's pattern of malum and nihil.


The brittle-to-ductile transition (BDT) in Czochralski (CZ) grown silicon single crystals and floating-zone (FZ) grown silicon single crystals was investigated by three-point bending. The temperature dependence of the apparent fracture toughness was measured in three different cross-head speeds. It was found that the BDT temperature in the CZ silicon crystal was higher than that in FZ silicon crystal, suggesting that the solute oxygen decreases dislocation mobility. However, the activation energies obtained from the strain rate dependence of the BDT temperatures were nearly the same in both the CZ and FZ silicon crystals, indicating that the dislocation mobility is not influenced by the solute oxygen. In this paper, the origin of the difference in the BDT temperature is discussed, focusing the role of the solute oxygen on the dislocation glide.


Most existing person re-identification (re-id) methods require supervised model learning from a separate large set of pairwise labelled training data for every single camera pair. This significantly limits their scalability and usability in real-world large scale deployments with the need for performing re-id across many camera views. To address this scalability problem, we develop a novel deep learning method for transferring the labelled information of an existing dataset to a new unseen (unlabelled) target domain for person re-id without any supervised learning in the target domain. Specifically, we introduce an Transferable Joint Attribute-Identity Deep Learning (TJ-AIDL) for simultaneously learning an attribute-semantic and identity-discriminative feature representation space transferrable to any new (unseen) target domain for re-id tasks without the need for collecting new labelled training data from the target domain (i.e. unsupervised learning in the target domain). Extensive comparative evaluations validate the superiority of this new TJ-AIDL model for unsupervised person re-id over a wide range of state-of-the-art methods on four challenging benchmarks including VIPeR, PRID, Market-1501, and DukeMTMC-ReID.


Objective: This study determined the beta-carotene content, other physicochemical properties and storage stability of red palm oil "ogi". Methods: '"Ogi"' was prepared from maize and millet grains separately. Following a preliminary work, red palm oil was added to the fermented "ogi" slurry at 10% (w/v) and oven dried at 70 o C for 2h, allowed to cool and milled into flour. Results: The beta carotene content of maize and millet "ogi" increased significantly from 47.6 to 832.5 μg/100g and 416.6 to 988.5μg/100g respectively with addition of 10% (w/v) red palm oil. The added 10% red palm oil increased fat content of maize and millet "ogi" by 4 folds and in turn raised their energy levels by about 15% respectively. Ash content increased significantly from 1.2 to 2.0g/100g and 1.9 to 2.9g/100gas crude fibre increased from 0.2 to 0.3g/100g and 0.3 to 0.5g/100g while protein decreased significantly from 7.7 to 7.1g/100g and 7.8 to 7.4g/100g.Mineral elements such as zinc, iron and phosphorus increased slightly while potassium decreased for both maize and millet "ogi"respectively. Most pasting properties decreased significantly with the addition of red palm oil to "ogi". This was accompanied by colour intensities as demonstrated by the L*, a*, b* values. After 12 weeks ambient (28±2 o C) storage, peroxide values increased significantly from 0.9 to 1.9 meq peroxide/kg and 1.6 to 2.5 meq peroxide/kg while free fatty acid values increased from 7.6 to 18.9% and 7.7 to 25.3% for 10% (w/v) red palm oil maize and millet "ogi" respectively. Conclusion: Addition of 10% (w/v) red palm oil increased the beta carotene content of "ogi" by 2 to 18 folds, improved energy levels, decreased final viscosity and enhanced the colour of "ogi". However, the stability of the product during ambient storage decreased with time due to the onset of lipid oxidation. Keywords: Red palm oil, "ogi", Beta carotene, Maize, Millet


United Utilities proposed to construct two adjoining water transfer pipelines between Lower House and Adlington, Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire (Fig. 1; NGR SJ 865 785 to SJ 900 808) and between Adlington Waste Water Treatment Plant and Adlington Sewage Works, Cheshire (Fig 1; NGR SJ 900 808 to SJ 910 807).
An archaeological desk-based assessment (Oxford Archaeology North 2006) identified a number of sites that were likely to be directly affected by the proposed pipeline, chiefly parish boundaries and former field boundaries. It was therefore recommended by Cheshire County Council Historic Environment Services (CCCHES) that a permanent presence archaeological watching brief be undertaken during the topsoil strip of the pipeline easement and any other associated groundworks in order to record these and any other significant archaeological remains encountered. A project design (Appendix 1), devised to meet the verbal brief of CCCHES, was subsequently submitted and, upon approval of this, OA North was commissioned by United Utilities to undertake the recommended work.
The watching brief programme was undertaken during May and June 2007 with all groundworks carried out during this time being subject to permanent archaeological monitoring in accordance with the approved project design. In total, five areas were observed being machine stripped for the creation of delivery zones along the pipeline route, none of which revealed any archaeological features or deposits. Following the adoption of a directional drilling strategy for the construction of the pipeline, rather than a continuous strip, six pits were excavated under archaeological supervision. No archaeological features or deposits were encountered during these works and verbal communication with CCCHES brought an end to the archaeological watching brief at this point. No further archaeological work is recommended.


This paper demonstrates the difference between the entropy generation number method proposed by Bejan and the method of entropy generation per unit amount of heat transferred in analyzing the thermodynamic performance of heat exchangers, points out the reason for leading to the above difference. A modified entropy generation number for evaluating the irreversibility of heat exchangers is proposed which is in consistent with the elitropy generation per unit amount of heat transferred in entropy generation analysis. The entropy generated by friction is also investigated. Results show that when the entropy generated by friction in heat exchangers is taken into account, there is a minimum total entropy generation number while the NTU and the ratio of heat capacity rates vary. The existence of this minimum is the prerequisite of heat exchanger optimization.


A novel traveling-wave electrode utilizing capacitively loaded T-rail elements was developed for low-voltage high-speed substrate-removed GaAs/AlGaAs electrooptic modulators. Electrodes with varying dimensions were fabricated and characterized. Electrode phase velocity, characteristic impedance, loss coefficient, and capacitive loading were extracted from the measured s-parameters up to 40 GHz. Electrode was also simulated using a finite-element solver. The measured and calculated electrode capacitance values were found to be in excellent agreement, showing that the electrode can be precisely designed. Approaches were outlined to provide a group velocity-matched very high-speed modulator electrode suitable for a low drive-voltage substrate-removed GaAs/AlGaAs electro-optic modulator


: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether pretreatment radiographic findings of patients less than 6 months old with developmental dysplasia of the hip can predict treatment outcome. Medical records and radiographs were reviewed in a cohort of 35 patients (44 hips) less than 6 months old with a diagnosis of hip dislocation at one institution. Using pretreatment anteroposterior radiographs, we measured the superior gap (distance between the proximal metaphysis to Hilgenreiner's line) and the medial gap (distance between the femoral calcar and the lateral pelvic wall at that level) and analyzed these data along with the type of splint used (Pavlik harness verses other abduction orthosis). Medical records and radiographs from an aged-matched cohort of 20 patients (23 hips) treated at a second institution were analyzed by using the same clinical and radiographic criteria of hip dislocation. Of the 44 dislocated hips, 29 failed with a trial of splintage (66%). Of the 23 dislocated hips from the second institution, 16 failed a trial of splintage (70%). Statistical analysis evaluating the age of the patient, medial and superior gaps, and harness type revealed that an abnormal superior and medial gap consistently predicted success or failure of splintage. We concluded that infants with pretreatment radiographs revealing a superior gap equal to or less than 3 mm, or a medial gap equal to or greater than 10 mm should not be treated with an initial trial of splintage because failure is likely.


CHPAMS turns to a new page in the last quarter of 2014. With China Medical Board (CMB)'s strong support, CHPAMS started to build a sustainable infrastructure. Coincidentally with the national day of China, CHPAMS was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and registered in the State of Virginia in the U.S. on October 1, 2014. The new bylaw was adopted on the same day. Under the governance of the new bylaw, anybody who subscribes the CHPAMS email list will automatically become our non-voting members. CHPAMS will initiate a new registration process to upgrade the status to voting members. After an open nomination process, seven members of CHPAMS were appointed as the first Board of Directors. To see their biographies, please visit our newly designed website at www.chpams.org .


Background: Inflammatory pouch complications refractory to first-line therapies remain problematic following ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC). We evaluated infliximab efficacy and associations with therapeutic response. Methods: Data from individuals who underwent colectomy and IPAA for UC (2000–2014) were reviewed. Patients with chronic refractory pouchitis (CP) and Crohn's disease (CD)-like outcomes treated with infliximab were included. Pre-treatment parameters and response at median 8 (initial) and 48 weeks (sustained) were measured. Complete response was defined as symptomatic and endoscopic resolution with modified Pouchitis Disease Activity Index (mPDAI) <5. Partial response included mPDAI improvement >2. Serum was analysed for Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA), anti-OmpC, anti-CBir1 and perinuclear Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (pANCA). Results: One hundred and fifty-two patients with CP or a CD-like phenotype were identified. Fortytwo were treated with infliximab (33% male; age 32.6 ± 2.6 years, 28.5% CD-like). Post-induction response was achieved in 74% (48% complete) and sustained response in 62.6% (29.6% complete). Mean mPDAI and C-reactive protein declined from 8.5 ± 0.3 to 2 ± 3.4 (p < 0.002) and from 29.48 ± 6.2 to 5.76 ± 1.6 mg/L (p < 0.001), respectively. Female gender, smoking and presence of anti-CBir1 were associated with infliximab use (p < 0.01) but not response. Pre-treatment mPDAI <10 (p < 0.01), resolution of rectal bleeding (p  <  0.001 ) and week 8 endoscopic activity were associated with sustained response (p = 0.04; odds ratio [OR] 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–16.5]). More than 2 positive antimicrobial antibody titres were associated with non-response (p < 0.05), but did not retain significance in multivariate analysis (p = 0.197; OR 0.632; 95% CI 0.31–1.2). Conclusions: Infliximab can effectively treat inflammatory pouch complications. Pre-treatment mPDAI <10 and early endoscopy may identify responders.


Understanding how predation risk and plant defenses interactively shape plant distributions is a core challenge in ecology. By combining global positioning system telemetry of an abundant antelope (impala) and its main predators (leopards and wild dogs) with a series of manipulative field experiments, we showed that herbivores' risk-avoidance behavior and plants' antiherbivore defenses interact to determine tree distributions in an African savanna. Well-defended thorny Acacia trees (A. etbaica) were abundant in low-risk areas where impala aggregated but rare in high-risk areas that impala avoided. In contrast, poorly defended trees (A. brevispica) were more abundant in high- than in low-risk areas. Our results suggest that plants can persist in landscapes characterized by intense herbivory, either by defending themselves or by thriving in risky areas where carnivores hunt. Changes to thorny plant defenses and high predator risk for impala determine density and distribution of savanna trees. A thorny defense keeps grazers at bay Fear and avoidance of predators are known to influence how and where herbivore prey species, such as impala, forage. This in turn has cascading effects on plant morphologies and communities. Plants, however, have their own defenses, and so may not just be hapless victims of the predator-prey "dance." Ford et al. found that thorny Acacia trees are more common in areas where impala experience a low risk of predation by wild dogs. A related Acacia, without thorns, is most abundant in areas where risk of predation is high, and so the number of hungry impala is low. Science, this issue p. 346


Anomaly detection, which aims at identifying unexpected trends and data patterns, has widely been used to build error detectors, failure predictors or intrusion detectors. Internal faults or malicious attacks have a different impact on the behavior of the system. They usually manifest as different observable deviations from the expected behavior, which may be identified by anomaly detection algorithms. Our study aims at investigating the suitability of unsupervised algorithms and their families in detecting either point, contextual or collective anomalies. To provide a complete picture, we consider both sliding and non-sliding window algorithms which operate in unsupervised mode. Along with qualitative analyses of each algorithm and family, we conduct an experimental campaign in which we run each algorithm on three state-of-the-art datasets in which we inject either point, contextual or collective anomalies. Results show that non-sliding algorithms are capable to detect point and collective anomalies, while they cannot effectively deal with contextual ones. Instead, sliding window algorithms require shorter periods of training and naturally build a local context, which allow them to effectively deal with contextual anomalies. Such observations are summarized to support the choice of the correct algorithm depending on the investigated class(es) of anomaly.


Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic, potentially disabling illness with a lifetime morbid risk of approximately 1%. There is substantial evidence for a significant genetic etiology, but gene‐mapping efforts have been hampered by the complex mode of inheritance and the likelihood of multiple genes of small effect. In view of the complexity, it may be instructive to understand the biological bases for pathogenesis. Extensive disruption in circadian function is known to occur among patients in relapse. Therefore, it is plausible that circadian dysfunction underlies pathogenesis. Evidence for such a hypothesis is mounting and is reviewed here. If circadian dysfunction can be established as an 'endophenotype' for BD, this may not only enable identification of more homogenous sub‐groups, but may also facilitate genetic analyses. For example, it would be logical to investigate polymorphisms of genes encoding key proteins that mediate circadian rhythms. Association studies that analyzed circadian genes in BD have been initiated and are reviewed. Other avenues for research are also discussed.


Maize is the staple food for most Kenyan households, and grown in almost all the farming systems. Due to diminishing farm sizes in Kakamega District, crop productivity and the efficiency of farming systems are of great concern. This paper aims to provide empirical evidence on the links between efficiency in maize production and access to soil-related agricultural information services. Using cluster sampling, a total of 154 farmers in Kakamega District were interviewed. A 2–step estimation technique (Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Tobit model) were used to evaluate the technical efficiencies among the farmers and the factors explaining the estimated efficiency scores. Data was disaggregated into farmers with and those without access to soil-related agricultural information services. The results shows that farmers with access to soil-related agricultural information services were more technically efficient (average technical efficiency of 90%) in maize production compared to those without access to information (technical efficiency at 70%). Given the significant role that access to soil-related agricultural information services play on technical efficiency in maize production in the study area, the paper recommends improvements in farmers access to this important resources through: (i) the strengthening of the formal and informal agricultural extension services, (ii) a stronger linkage among agricultural research, agricultural extension, and farm level activities; and (iii) policy support for increased distribution of soil management inputs.


Pretrained transformer-based language models achieve state-of-the-art performance in many NLP tasks, but it is an open question whether the knowledge acquired by the models during pretraining resembles the linguistic knowledge of humans. We present both humans and pretrained transformers with descriptions of events, and measure their preference for telic interpretations (the event has a natural endpoint) or atelic interpretations (the event does not have a natural endpoint). To measure these preferences and determine what factors influence them, we design an English test and a novel-word test that include a variety of linguistic cues (noun phrase quantity, resultative structure, contextual information, temporal units) that bias toward certain interpretations. We find that humans' choice of telicity interpretation is reliably influenced by theoretically-motivated cues, transformer models (BERT and RoBERTa) are influenced by some (though not all) of the cues, and transformer models often rely more heavily on temporal units than humans do.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how operations strategy (OS) innovation occurs in
a project-centred production and organisation.
Design/methodology/approach – A longitudinal case study encompassing the processes at the
headquarters of the company and in two projects using lean.
Findings – The operation strategy development commences at a middle level in the organisation, is
underpinned and embedded in production projects and only after several years becomes embedded in
the corporate operation strategy. Projects use lean principles in a differentiated manner.
Research limitations/implications – A qualitative case study provides insight into only a single
occasion of change in OS. More case studies would probably reveal several paths of OS development.
OS development need to be handled as emergent, political and with contributions from several
managers and management levels, bridging the vertical divides between projects and headquarter.
Practical implications – A conscious and systematic vertical integration and interaction is crucial in
project-based companies doing operation strategy development, something critically difficult at
building contractors.
Originality/value – The present study contributes to the small body of studies of OS development
processes, by providing insight in how project-based companies renew their operation strategy.


We address the e-rulemaking problem of reducing the manual labor required to analyze public comment sets. In current and previous work, for example, text categorization techniques have been used to speed up the comment analysis phase of e-rulemaking --- by classifying sentences automatically, according to the rule-specific issues [2] or general topics that they address [7, 8]. Manually annotated data, however, is still required to train the supervised inductive learning algorithms that perform the categorization. This paper, therefore, investigates the application of active learning methods for public comment categorization: we develop two new, general-purpose, active learning techniques to selectively sample from the available training data for human labeling when building the sentence-level classifiers employed in public comment categorization. Using an e-rulemaking corpus developed for our purposes [2], we compare our methods to the well-known query by committee (QBC) active learning algorithm [5] and to a baseline that randomly selects instances for labeling in each round of active learning. We show that our methods statistically significantly exceed the performance of the random selection active learner and the query by committee (QBC) variation, requiring many fewer training examples to reach the same levels of accuracy on a held-out test set. This provides promising evidence that automated text categorization methods might be used effectively to support public comment analysis.


Malaysia's economic growth in the past three decades is mostly attributed to its success in the export sector. A major challenge facing Malaysia is its high dependency on a selected few export destinations such as the USA and Japan. In order to further improve or stabilise its economy, Malaysia needs to diversify its export locations. In line with its extensive development in halal-related areas, Malaysia can further promote its halal products to Islamic countries such as Western Asian Countries (WACs). This study attempts to investigate the relevant factors that determine Malaysian exports to WACs, with special attention given to the role of halal development in Malaysia. Employing panel data analysis, this study observes that halal development generally plays a significant role in improving Malaysian exports to WACs. As a result, the efforts to promote halal products should be intensified, covering every aspects of the halal processes.


Nowadays communication through mobile and internet has become a main part of daily life. In order to satisfy the mobile data traffic request and to increase the network coverage and capacity the wireless service providers use a heterogeneous network with technologies of multiple access and base stations. The significance of base station as a wireless access point has gained a serious attention. Volumes of large data are being transported through the base station and are isolated from each other. This makes sharing and allocation of hardware and radio resources of dissimilar types almost impossible within the overall network. The wireless service providers are thus facing heavy network operational expenditures. Large system power consumption is another one important issue. In this paper, a centralized architecture for radio access network is put forward as a prospective solution for an energy-efficient fifth-generation mobile communication system which is mentioned to us the super Base Station (super BS). The physical entities and logical functions of conventional base stations are decoupled by super base stations and so different types of resources in a system can be multiplexed statistically and shared horizontally all over the system among all the active base stations.


Pain throughout wheelchair (WC) propulsion is a very real fact of life for individuals who use a manual WC as their primary means of locomotion. A number of studies have reported the prevalence of shoulder pain in manual wheelchair users (MWU's) ranging between 30–73% [1, 2]. Questions exist as to what may cause the extent of such shoulder pain. It is possible that a lack of education on proper propulsion techniques leads to poor propulsion habits that can be detrimental to overall shoulder health. It is also possible that such acquired techniques translate into shoulder joint forces whose repetition and magnitude may be so high that they are injurious to the user.Copyright © 2008 by ASME


This report presents a map of the landscape of biomedical research in the UK, based on an analysis of biomedical papers published in the UK in the 12 years between 1989 and 2000 as recorded in Research Outputs Database (ROD). It provides an analysis of published research outputs for all of UK biomedicine and for 32 selected biomedical sub-fields. The analyses include the examination of the types of biomedical research carried out in the UK and their potential impact as well as of funding sources, authorship patterns and domestic and international collaboration. It also sets the UK in an international context, providing and comparing data on the biomedical outputs of 12 OECD nations and other selected countries around the world. The global comparison uses data from 1989-2002. These data is sourced from CD-ROM versions of both the Science Citation Index (SCI) and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) produced by the Institute for Scientific Information in Philadelphia. Finally, the report explores new possible directions for an evaluation of the impact of research. For instance, it explores the relationship between different countries' research commitments to the individual sub-fields, and their relative burden of disease, expands on the citation of research papers by clinical guidelines and explores the possibilities of assessing the impact by analysing citations of research by newspapers and in medical education. It also reports new methodological developments aimed at improving our analyses, for instance, a new method of assigning research levels to journal articles.


The expression pattern of tight junction (TJ) proteins is frequently disrupted in epithelial tumors. In particular, isoform- and organ-specific alterations of claudins have been detected in human cancers, highlighting them as interesting tools for the prognosis or treatment of various carcinomas. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these alterations are seldom identified. Here, we analyzed the expression and localization of claudins 1, 4, and 7 in human bladder carcinoma. Claudin-4 expression was significantly altered in 26/39 tumors, contrasting with the rare modifications detected in the expression of claudins 1 and 7. Overexpression of claudin-4 in differentiated carcinomas was followed by a strong downregulation in invasive/high-grade tumors, and this expression pattern was associated to the 1-year survival of bladder tumor patients. A CpG island was identified within the coding sequence of the CLDN4 gene, and treatment with a methyl-transferase inhibitor restored expression of the protein in primary cultures prepared from high-grade human bladder tumors. In addition, claudin-4 expression correlated with its gene methylation profile in healthy and tumoral bladders from 20 patients, and downregulation of claudin-4 expression was detected in the urothelium of mice overexpressing DNA methyl transferase 3a (Dnmt3a). Delocalization of claudins 1 and 4 from TJs was observed in most human bladder tumors and in the bladder tumor cell line HT-1376. Although the CLDN4 gene was unmethylated in these cells, pharmacological inhibition of methyl transferases re-addressed the two proteins to TJs, resulting in an increase of cell polarization and transepithelial resistance. These biological effects were prevented by expression of claudin-4-specific siRNAs, demonstrating the important role played by claudin-4 in maintaining a functional regulation of homeostasis in urothelial cells. Results of this study indicate that the TJ barrier is disrupted from early stages of urothelial tumorigenesis. In addition, we identified hypermethylation as the mechanism leading to the alteration of claudin-4 expression, and maybe also localization, in bladder carcinoma.


The f~rs t zoea of Carcinus maends (L.) was intensively sampled in the Canal de Mira (Ria d e Aveiro. Portugal) during the winter and spring of 1990. Each sampling period included a series of 25 h fixed-station plankton sampling cycles (12 in winter and 9 in spring), conducted at 1 station located in the lower part of the Canal. Plankton samples were collected every hour, at several depths along the water column, with the use of a pump. Hydrological measurements (salinity, temperature and current velocity and direction) were taken immediately before the collect~on of the plankton samples. The average depth of the zoeae changed in phase with the tide lal-vae reached their highest position in the water column during ebb and thelr lowest during flood. The extent and phasing of the vertical displacements were such that the first zoea occupied a significantly higher position during the span of the ebb than during flood (p < 0.001). It was also demonstrated that the larvae were s~gnif~cant ly closer to the surface during the night (p < 0.05). The pattern of vertical dispersion of the zoeae changed cyclically, with a period equivalent to the tidal half-cycle. Slaximum aggregation usually occurred during periods of high current velocity and was independent from water stratification. These observations support the hypothesis that C. maenas first zoea performs an active vertical migration synchronised with tidal and daily cycles. Analysis of the zoeae instantaneous velocity showed that shifts of vertical position according to the phases of tide and day Influenced their transport velocity, due to vertical differences of water velocity in the estuarine shear current system Durlng ebb the larvae were transported at a velocity that exceeded the vertically integrated water veloc~ty; the reverse relationship was observed during flood (p < 0.001). The larvae were also transported faster during the night than during the day (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that selective tidal stream transport can be generalised in the sense of a unidirectional transport mechanism in estuaries that can enhance exportation. K E Y WORDS Carcinus rnaenas Larval s tages . Estuaries Vertical migration . Tidal stream transport Portugal


In myofibrils, titin (also called connectin) molecules span from Z line to M line and constitute a third filament system containing an elastic domain in the I band. This giant protein is particularly sensitive to proteolysis in situ. Treatment of rabbit skeletal myofibrils with exogenous proteinases induces a release of titin fragments, which are detected in the soluble myofibrillar fraction. The cleavage of titin occurs at specific points localized at the proximity of Z line and could lead to a concomitant release of alpha-actinin.


Aim at the communication problems of computer and NC machine tool, a practical DNC system is developed in this paper. A three-layer control structure mode – which is composed by the unit layer, DNC computer workstation layer and NC system equipment layer – is presented. Based on its good real-time capability and high reliability, CAN field-bus is introduced into the DNC communication system construction, the network topology is constructed and related hardware is chosen properly. Using VC++6.0 as development tool, and assisted with special compiling tools LEX&YACC, 3D standard graphic library OpenGL and database Microsoft Access, and based on the multi-task and multi-thread technologies, the software of the system is developed. The system has the characteristics of reliable operation, simple structure and high real-time capability, can improve the efficiency of NC machining process obviously, and has a certain application prospect in the middle and small scale manufacturing enterprises of our country.


Bringing together the analysis of a diverse team of social scientists, this book proposes a new approach to environmental problems. Cutting through the fragmented perspectives on water crises, it seeks to shift the analytic perspectives on water policy by looking at the social logics behind environmental issues. Most importantly, it analyzes the dynamic influences on water management, as well as the social and institutional forces that orient water and conservation policies. The first work of its kind, The Field of Water Policy: Power and Scarcity in the American Southwest brings the tools of Pierre Bourdieu's field sociology to bear on a moment of environmental crisis, with a study of the logics of water policy in the American Southwest, a region that allows us to see the contest over the management of scarce resources in a context of lasting drought. As such, it will appeal to scholars in the social and political sciences with interests in the environment and the management of natural resources.


We demonstrate the strong coupling of both magnons and phonons to terahertz (THz) frequency electromagnetic (EM) waves confined to a photonic crystal (PhC) cavity. Our cavity consists of a two-dimensional array of air-holes cut into a hybrid slab of ferroelectric lithium niobate (LiNbO$_3$) and erbium orthoferrite (ErFeO$_3$), a canted antiferromagnetic crystal. The phonons in LiNbO$_3$ and the magnons in ErFeO$_3$ are strongly coupled to the electric and magnetic field components of the confined EM wave, respectively. This leads to the formation of new cavity magnon-phonon-polariton modes, which we experimentally observe as a normal-mode splitting in the frequency spectrum and an avoided crossing in the temperature-frequency plot. The cavity also has a mode volume of $V=3.4\times10^{-3}\lambda^3\simeq0.5(\lambda/n)^3$ $\mu$m$^3$ and can achieve a Q-factor as high as 1000. These factors facilitate the pursuit of the fields of THz cavity spintronics and quantum electrodynamics.


Three exact analytic solutions of the Helmholtz equation are obtained in closed form for the case of a point source in range‐dependent inhomogeneous media. The solutions are obtained by starting with a onefold integral representation for the solution that is derived from the path integral. For a point source in such media above either a soft or hard ground, the exact analytic solutions are also derived. These solutions are particularly useful for testing the validity of approximate or numerical solutions for cases with a range‐dependent background medium. They also facilitate construction of more general solutions for problems with scattering in a range‐dependent background medium, through the use of integral equation techniques.


This article seeks to analyse good governance decision-making in the environmental context through an understanding and interpretation of the relationship between good environmental governance (evidenced inter alia by decision-making by public authorities) and sustainable development in South Africa. It critically assesses recent case law in an attempt to understand the way in which our courts are evaluating authorities' environmental decisions. In reaching its objectives, this article considers also how environmental decisions are made in the first place and asks the question: what are the value choices underlying government's decisions and what role does sustainable development play in informing decisions for good environmental governance.


Error detection plays an important role in fault-tolerant computer systems. Two primary parameters concerned for error detection are the latency and coverage. In this paper, a new, hybrid error-detection approach offering a very high coverage with no detection latency is proposed to protect the data paths of high-performance microprocessors. The feature of no detection latency is essential to real-time error recovery. The hybrid detection approach is to combine the duplication with comparison, triple modular redundancy (TMR) and self-checking mechanisms to construct a formal framework, which allows the error-detection schemes of varying hardware complexity and performance to be incorporated. We develop three error-detection schemes using the concept of hybrid approach to demonstrate the design compromise among the hardware overhead, performance degradation and error-detection coverage (EDC). Three detection schemes are then implemented in an experimental 32-bit VLIW core respectively. The hardware implementations in VHDL and simulated fault injection experiments are performed to measure the design metrics.


The authors present the results of analysis of the sexual and reproductive behavior of 1010 girls aged 15 to 19, living in regions with various birth rates, who responded to questionnaires. The authors claim that adolescent girls should be regarded as a group of risk as regards unplanned pregnancy. Induced abortions rank first among the possible pregnancy outcomes in adolescents. A low level of the use of effective contraceptive means or agents is explained by poor knowledge of the young girls, which fact necessitates prompt charges in the system of sexual education and medical consultations for adolescents, with special emphasis on contraception.


This chapter presents a step-by-step approach to the design, implementation and management of a Data-Intensive Web Site (DIWS). The approach introduces five data formulation and manipulation graphs that are presented analytically. The core concept behind the modeling approach is that of "Web fragments," that is an information decomposition technique that aids design, implementation and management of DIWS. We then present the steps that must be followed in order to "build" a DIWS based on Web fragments. Finally, we show how our approach can be used to ensure the basic DIWS user requirements of personalization, integrity, and performance.


Precipitation of inorganic calcium carbonate is a common occurrence in both modern and ancient marine environments. However, synsedimentary growth of large (>5–10 cm) crystalline carbonate cements directly onto the sea floor has been thought to be limited to the Proterozoic, when seawaters were highly oversaturated with calcium carbonate compared to average Phanerozoic values. Outer shelf to slope deposits of the Lower Triassic Union Wash Formation in east-central California, deposited in oxygen-restricted settings, contain crystalline calcium carbonate cements that appear to have grown directly on the sea floor. Paleoenvironmental analyses indicate that these large calcium carbonate cements grew under conditions that were similar to those proposed for the precipitation of inorganic calcite in the Black Sea. Sulfate reduction of organic matter led to an increase in the amount of bicarbonate ion in deep waters and a concomitant increase in ΣCO 2 and alkalinity. Mixing with surface waters led to CO 2 degassing, and precipitation of cements from waters supersaturated with calcium carbonate. The presence of these cements and associated facies thus provides evidence of harsh environmental conditions in the Early Triassic at the regional level, which may have acted in concert with biotic effects of the end-Permian mass extinction, as well as similar deleterious conditions (e.g., shelf anoxia) in other regions, to produce a prolonged as well as temporally and geographically variable biotic recovery from this mass extinction.


The passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act is propelling transformations in health care. The transformations include integration of clinics and hospitals, value based care, patient centeredness, transparency, computerized business models and universal coverage. These shifts are influencing the practice of health law, a vibrant specialty field considered a "hot" area for new lawyers. The paper examines how the transformations in health care are intersecting with ongoing trends in law practice: increase in in-house positions, collaboration between medical and legal professionals, and the continued search for increased access to legal representation for ordinary people. Three health law workplace sites are discussed: in house offices, corporate law firms and medical legal partnerships. The analysis shows that these practices are adapting to the health care context by locating new clients, increased collaboration with clients and medical providers, developing business strategies and linking with other legal service providers. The lawyers are reconstructing professional identities as they create these practices, using their expertise and working as collaborators. Organizations of similar practitioners support the development of these identities. The paper discusses the three arenas where lawyers can learn the necessary competencies for these transformations in health law: law schools, inter-professional education and communities of practice.


The catalytic potential of different metal Lewis acids has been assessed for the one-pot tandem Friedlander annulation and Knoevenagel condensation involving 2-aminobenzophenone, ethyl acetoacetate, and benzaldehyde to form 2-styryl quinoline under solvent free conditions. While various metal Lewis acids were effective in promoting the Friedlander annulation step, In(OTf)3 was the only effective catalyst for the subsequent Knoevenagel condensation reaction suggesting In(OTf)3 as the stand-alone catalyst for the tandem Friedlander–Knoevenagel reaction to form 2-styryl quinolines. The protocol is compatible with different variations of aromatic/hetero-aromatic aldehydes and α,β unsaturated aromatic aldehydes giving highly functionalized 2-aryl/heteroaryl vinyl quinolines. The catalyst can be recovered and reused to afford the desired product in very good to excellent yields.


75 patients, less than one year old, admitted in our Hospital, from January 1991 to april 1992 were divided in three groups: Group I: 25 controls, group II 25 patients with acute diarrhoea and group III 25 patients with persistent diarrhoea. The serological status of vitamin A was evaluated and classified as normal, not severe deficiency and severe deficiency. It was demonstrated that vitamin A deficiency is a risk factor for persistent diarrhoea.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the rates of penicillin, clindamycin and erythromycin resistance and the serotype distribution among isolates of group B streptococcus (GBS) obtained from pregnant women at the University Hospital of Bern in Switzerland.

METHODS
We prospectively collected screening samples for GBS colonisation at the University Women's Hospital Bern, Switzerland, between March 2009 and August 2010. We included 364 GBS isolates collected from vaginal, cervical or vaginal-perianal swabs at any gestation time. The minimal inhibitory concentrations for penicillin, clindamycin and erythromycin were established using Etest with 24 hours of incubation, and inducible clindamycin resistance was tested with double disk diffusion tests. Serotyping was done with a rapid latex agglutination test or, if not conclusive, with polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) testing. We looked for significant associations between resistance patterns, age groups, serotype and ethnicity.

RESULTS
All isolates were susceptible to penicillin. Resistance rates were 14.5% for erythromycin and 8.2% for clindamycin. Of 364 isolates, 5.8% were susceptible to clindamycin but not to erythromycin, although demonstrating inducible clindamycin resistance. Hence, the final reported clindamycin resistance rate was 14%. Serotype III was the most frequent serotype (29%), followed by V (25%) and Ia (19%). Serotype V was associated with erythromycin resistance (p = 0.0007). In comparison with all other ethnicities, patients from Asia showed a higher proportion of erythromycin and clindamycin resistance (p = 0.018). No significant association between resistance patterns and age groups was found.

CONCLUSION
In pregnant women with GBS colonisation, penicillin is the antibiotic of choice for intrapartum prophylaxis to prevent neonatal early-onset GBS sepsis. In women with penicillin allergy and at high risk for anaphylactic reaction, clindamycin may be an alternative. The resistance rate for clindamycin at our institution was 14%; therefore, susceptibility must be tested before administration.


Conopeptides are small peptides produced by predatory marine snails belonging to the conoidean family. The development of tools for conopeptide sequencing is necessary due to increasing interest in conopeptides as potential therapeutic drugs. Peptides are sequenced by performing tandem mass spectrometry (MS) followed by transcriptome-guided analysis of the resulting mass spectra. To maximize the utility of MS in conopeptide sequencing, de novo sequencing tools which do not rely on transcriptome data are needed. In this study, a triplet-based-correlation algorithm for de novo sequencing is tested on a theoretical MS/MS spectrum with sequence GWVYHAHPEANSFWT. Due to the algorithm's naive approach, it can be applied to any peptide MS/MS spectrum.


A rare case of CPA tumor causing contralateral trigeminal neuralgia was encountered in our hospital. The radiological findings showed a right CPA tumor with compression and distortion of the brain stem and obliteration of the left CP angle. This was considered the cause of the left trigeminal neuralgia. In this case report, clinical management is discussed and the literature is reviewed.


BACKGROUND: Hydatid disease remains an important parasitic infection requiring surgical intervention. The liver is the most common site of infection, and several methods of surgery have been described to treat this common disease. Extensive research is going on to find the best operative treatment procedure for hydatid liver diseases. AIM: The aim of the study was to compare the results of two surgical methods used in the treatment of hydatid disease of the liver, namely omentoplasty and tube drainage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven cases of hydatid liver were treated from January 2005 to January 2011, out of which thirty patients were treated with omentoplasty (Group A) and 27 were treated with tube drainage (Group B). The results of the surgery in terms of mortality, complications, hospital stay, and recurrences were analyzed by unpaired t-test or Fisher's exact test, and P value was calculated. RESULTS: Overall postoperative complications were seen in 9.4% in Group A and 22.5% in Group B. The average hospital stay and time to resume routine work in Group A was shorter as compared to Group B. The percentage of complications such as wound infections and abscesses formation were 3.4% each in omentoplasty group and 11.2% and 7.2% in tube drainage group, respectively. The comparison of infection frequency among two groups showed strong statistical significance withP = 0.002 in wound infection and 0.0014 in abscess formation. The comparison of jaundice development after both procedures was statistically insignificant (P = 0.037). No patient in omentoplasty group developed biliary fistula, and the percentage of this complication in tube drainage was 3.7%. The recurrence of hydatid disease in omentoplasty was nil and 7.41% in tube drainage patients. There were no recurrences in either group for a follow-up of 4 years. CONCLUSION: Omentoplasty is better and must be preferred operative procedure than tube drainage in the treatment of hydatid cyst liver disease.


� Over the past 15 years, eight children affected by intramedullary low-grade gliomas associated with hydrocephalus were treated at l'Hopital des Enfants Malades. In all cases the diagnosis of hydrocephalus was made prior to that of the spinal tumor. Neuroradiological examination of all patients revealed contrast enhancement of the intracranial subarachnoid spaces. In six cases this was progressive, suggesting subarachnoid spread of the tumor, which was confirmed in two cases by histological examination. The authors analyzed 38 cases of intramedullary low-grade glioma associated with hydrocephalus that were reported in the literature. Fifteen of the cases had intracranial leptomeningeal seeding. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this unusual association, such as 1) increase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) viscosity because of elevated fluid protein content; 2) obliteration of the cisterna magna due to a rostral extension of the tumor; and 3) blockage of the spinal subarachnoid pathways of CSF resorption. Two other theories seem of particular interest. Bamford and Labadie suggested that the abnormal presence of fibrinogen in the CSF and its transformation into fibrin at the level of the basal cisterns and Pacchioni's granulation may alter CSF hydrodynamics. This mechanism alone is sufficient to induce hydrocephalus of the communicating type. In addition, as suggested by Maurice-Williams and Lucey, the resulting leptomeningeal fibrosis might predispose secondary implantation of neoplastic elements in the subarachnoid spaces of the intracranial compartment.


Background : Evidence shows that the use of protease inhibitors (PIs) in HIV/AIDS patients leads to the development of diabetes mellitus. Some degree of insulin resistance has also been noted in HIV infected patients not on protease inhibitor therapy and this may cause glucose intolerance and overt diabetes mellitus. Objective : To describe the epidemiological and laboratory characteristics associated with diabetes mellitus in HIV positive patients who are HAART naive. Design : Cross-sectional, cohort analysis of patients with HIV infection on HIV care programme. Setting : Kisumu District Hospital and Mater Hospital. Subjects : Ten adult patients with HIV infection at initial presentation to the clinic. Main Outcome Measures : Blood Sugar, CD4+ Cell Count, body mass index (BMI) , alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), serum lipase and amylase levels. Results : One hundred and three patients (60 males and 43 females) were screened. Ninety one (57 males, 34 females) patients were excluded because they had normal blood sugars. Twelve patients were excluded and out of these, two were further excluded due to pancreatitis. Ten patients (three males and seven females) were included in the study. The mean age and body mass index was 48.9 years (27-68) and 22.6 kg/M2 (16.8-28.8) respectively. All patients were HAART naive. Mean fasting blood sugar was 17.8 mmol/L (15.4-27.1), mean CD4+ cell count was 236.9 cells/ƒEl (12-885). There was no family history of diabetes mellitus. Mean ALT, AST, serum amylase and lipase levels were all normal at 34 IU/L, 28.4 IU/L, 76.7 IU/L and 34.96 IU/L respectively. The patients were not on diabetogenic drugs or steroids. Conclusion : Diabetes mellitus is recognised in patients having HIV/AIDS who are HAART naive. They had low mean CD4+ cell count. The body mass indices (BMIs) were all normal and all were type II diabetics (T2DM). Adequate screening should be done to detect this metabolic syndrome early enough, escpecially where a family history of diabetes and other risk factors occur.


Models were developed to complement the DOE-METC effort to develop a high-temperature process for the desulfurization of coal-derived gases. Computer models capable of describing both the sulfidation and regeneration cycles in moving bed reactors have been written and tested. Isothermal conditions have been assumed during the sulfidation phase but the highly exothermic nature of the regeneration reactions make it necessary to consider non isothermal regeneration.


BACKGROUND
Over the last three decades, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have made a striking transformation from scientific tools to powerful human therapeutics. Muromonab CD3 a murine MAb was the first FDA approved therapeutic MAb for the prevention of kidney transplant rejection. Since its approval in 1986, there has been a decline in further application and approvals until the late 1990s when the first chimeric Mab, Rituximab was approved for the treatment of lowgrade B cell lymphoma in 1997. With the approval by licensing authorities of chimeric, followed by humanized and then fully human monoclonal antibodies, the rate of approval and monoclonal antibodies available in the market for the treatment of various diseases has increased dramatically. As of March 2017, FDA has approved approximately 60 therapeutic MAbs which are currently under evaluation in various phases of clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE
MAbs are approved for the treatment of diseases belonging to various systems like cardiovascular, respiratory, hematology, kidney, immunology and oncology. MAbs are approved for the treatment of orphan diseases or indications such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria as well as cancers and multiple sclerosis where hundreds of patients are treated and even diseases such as breast cancer, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis where millions are being treated. This review focuses briefly on types, molecular targets, mechanism of actions and therapeutic indications of FDA approved MAb products that are currently available in the market.

CONCLUSION
With the advent of fully human MAbs, the efficacy and safety have improved in the treatment of various cardiovascular, cancer, respiratory, hematology, autoimmune diseases and infections. The introduction of biosimilars will increase the affordability and utilization of MAbs in the treatment of various diseases.


Background Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis is an emerging life-threatening zoonosis caused by obligately intracellular bacterium, Ehrlichia chaffeensis. E. chaffeensis is transmitted by the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, and replicates in mononuclear phagocytes in mammalian hosts. Differences in the E. chaffeensis transcriptome in mammalian and arthropod hosts are unknown. Thus, we determined host-specific E. chaffeensis gene expression in human monocyte (THP-1) and in Amblyomma and Ixodes tick cell lines (AAE2 and ISE6) using a whole genome microarray. Methodology/Principal Findings The majority (∼80%) of E. chaffeensis genes were expressed during infection in human and tick cells. There were few differences observed in E. chaffeensis gene expression between the vector Amblyomma and non-vector Ixodes tick cells, but extensive host-specific and differential gene expression profiles were detected between human and tick cells, including higher transcriptional activity in tick cells and identification of gene subsets that were differentially expressed in the two hosts. Differentially and host-specifically expressed ehrlichial genes encoded major immunoreactive tandem repeat proteins (TRP), the outer membrane protein (OMP-1) family, and hypothetical proteins that were 30–80 amino acids in length. Consistent with previous observations, high expression of p28 and OMP-1B genes was detected in human and tick cells, respectively. Notably, E. chaffeensis genes encoding TRP32 and TRP47 were highly upregulated in the human monocytes and expressed as proteins; however, although TRP transcripts were expressed in tick cells, the proteins were not detected in whole cell lysates demonstrating that TRP expression was post transcriptionally regulated. Conclusions/Significance Ehrlichia gene expression is highly active in tick cells, and differential gene expression among a wide variety of host-pathogen associated genes occurs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that genes associated with host-pathogen interactions are differentially expressed and regulated by post transcriptional mechanisms.


Summary:Do young children naturally develop the foundations of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)? And if so, should we build on these foundations by using STEM curricula in preschools? In this article, Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama argue that the answer to both these questions is yes.First, the authors show that young children possess a sophisticated informal knowledge of math, and that they frequently ask scientific questions, such as why questions. Preschoolers' free play involves substantial amounts of foundational math as they explore patterns, shapes, and spatial relations; compare magnitudes; and count objects.Moreover, preschool and kindergarten children's knowledge of and interest in math and science predicts later success in STEM. And not only in STEM: the authors show that early math knowledge also predicts later reading achievement—even better than early literacy skills do. Thus mathematical thinking, Clements and Sarama say, may be cognitively foundational. That is, the thinking and reasoning inherent in math may contribute broadly to cognitive development.Is teaching STEM subjects to preschool children effective? The authors review several successful programs. They emphasize that STEM learning for young children must encompass more than facts or simple skills; rather, the classroom should be infused with interesting, appropriate opportunities to engage in math and science. And instruction should follow research-based learning trajectories that include three components: a goal, a developmental progression, and instructional activities.Clements and Sarama also discuss barriers to STEM teaching in preschool, such as the cultural belief in the United States that math achievement largely depends on native aptitude or ability, and inadequate professional development for teachers.


Eggplant or brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a popular vegetable grown throughout Asia where it is attacked by brinjal fruit and shoot borer (BFSB) (Leucinodes orbonalis). Yield losses in Bangladesh have been reported up to 86% and farmers rely primarily on frequent insecticide applications to reduce injury. Bangladesh has developed and released four brinjal varieties producing Cry1Ac (Bt brinjal) and is the first country to do so. We report on the first replicated field trials comparing four Bt brinjal varieties to their non-Bt isolines, with and without standard insecticide spray regimes. Results of the two-year study (2016–17) indicated Bt varieties had increased fruit production and minimal BFSB fruit infestation compared with their respective non-Bt isolines. Fruit infestation for Bt varieties varied from 0–2.27% in 2016, 0% in 2017, and was not significantly affected by the spray regime in either year. In contrast, fruit infestation in non-Bt lines reached 36.70% in 2016 and 45.51% in 2017, even with weekly spraying. An economic analysis revealed that all Bt lines had higher gross returns than their non-Bt isolines. The non-sprayed non-Bt isolines resulted in negative returns in most cases. Maximum fruit yield was obtained from sprayed plots compared to non-sprayed plots, indicating that other insects such as whiteflies, thrips and mites can reduce plant vigor and subsequent fruit weight. Statistically similar densities of non-target arthropods, including beneficial arthropods, were generally observed in both Bt and non-Bt varieties. An additional trial that focused on a single Bt variety and its isoline provided similar results on infestation levels, with and without sprays, and similarly demonstrated higher gross returns and no significant effects on non-target arthropods. Together, these studies indicate that the four Bt brinjal lines are extremely effective at controlling BFSB in Bangladesh without affecting other arthropods, and provide greater economic returns than their non-Bt isolines.


Proteolytic fragments of fibronectin were used to identify regions of the molecule that support neurite extension and to investigate further the differential behavior of central and peripheral nervous system neurons in response to fibronectin (Rogers, S. L., P. C. Letourneau, S. L. Palm, J. B. McCarthy, and L. T. Furcht (1983) Dev. Biol. 98: 212–2220). Fibronectin fragments with differing biological activities were produced by proteolytic digestion with trypsin and cathepsin D and sequential affinity chromatography on gelatin-agarose and heparin- Sepharose. The resulting fragments (described by Smith, D. E., D. F. Mosher, R. B. Johnson, and L. T. Furcht (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257: 5831– 5838; Smith, D. E., and L. T. Furcht (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257: 6518– 6523 included an NH2-terminal 27,000-dalton peptide that weakly binds heparin, a 46,000-dalton gelatin-binding fragment, a series of fragments (80,000 to 125,000 daltons) from the center of the molecule containing previously described cell-binding activity, two major peptides of Mr = 33,000 and 66,000 that bind heparin strongly and are thought to originate from the A and B chains, respectively, of plasma fibronectin, and a 31,000-dalton COOH-terminal peptide containing a free sulfhydryl from the A chain of the molecule. Tissue culture dishes were treated with these proteolytic preparations, and dissociated embryonic chick peripheral (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) cells were cultured on each experimental substratum in serum-free medium. The fibronectin fragments were evaluated for ability to promote cell attachment, neurite initiation, and maintenance of neurite growth. The 27,000–, 46,000-, and 31,000-dalton preparations did not promote cell attachment or neurite extension. Both PNS and CNS neurons attached to and extended stable neurites upon the COOH-terminal heparin-binding preparation containing the 33,000- and 66,000-dalton peptides. A differential response of the neurons to the 80,000- to 125,000-dalton "cell-binding" peptides was observed: whereas PNS neurons maintained neuritic growth on this preparation for at least 48 hr, CNS neurons extended neurites during the first 24 hr of culture but, by 48 hr, withdrew these neurites and became increasingly clumped. On the basis of (1) the observed neuronal responses to the heparin binding and "cell binding" regions, and (2) the different ligand-binding properties of these regions, we propose that cell attachment and neurite extension can be mediated and/or modulated by two separate regions of fibronectin and that cellular response to the intact molecule may involve multivalent interactions.


Background Outside of pregnancy diabetes mellitus is an accepted risk factors for cardiovascular disease which should prompt screening for dyslipidaemia in adults. Objective This prospective study examined the prevalence of dyslipidaemia in postpartum women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods Women with GDM were reviewed 6–8 weeks postpartum. A fasting lipid profile was performed. Clinical details were recorded from the medical records, including the woman's weight and body mass index (BMI) measured at her first antenatal visit. Results Of the 98 women studied, the mean age was 33.0 years (range 23–45 years) and 30.6% (n = 31) were primigravid. The mean BMI was 30.6 kg/m2 and 52% (n = 51) were obese. The overall prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 52% (n = 51). Total cholesterol was raised in 44% (n = 43), low-density lipoprotein was raised in 33% (n = 32) and triglycerides were raised in 16% (n = 16). Of the 51 women with dyslipidaemia, 73% (n = 37) had more than one abnormality in their lipid profile. The prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 78% (n = 14) in women with moderate to severe obesity (BMI > 34.5 kg/m2) compared with 50% (n = 22) in non-obese women (p < 0.0001). Of the 5 women with an abnormal GTT postpartum, 80% (n = 4) had an abnormal lipid profile. Conclusion Women with an abnormal GTT in pregnancy should be screened for dyslipidaemia postpartum at the time of their repeat GTT, and if the lipids are abnormal they should be offered cardioprotective interventions and ongoing monitoring of their lipid profile.


ABSTRACT In order to assess taphonomic pathways leading to preservation of land snail assemblages, the agreement between the death (DAs) and living assemblages (LAs) of land mollusk communities was evaluated in six forest habitats along an altitudinal and soil acidity gradient in Northern Italy, using data obtained by visual search and sorting of leaf litter and soil. Death assemblages were considered both as overall DAs and as DAs consisting solely of pristine (i.e., fresh) shells. Both calcareous and acidic soils showed high fidelity in richness and evenness, in particular leaf litter and soil samples, as can be expected in depositional environments with reduced time averaging. Lack of rank-order agreement in species relative abundance was observed in visual search (r  =  −0.37–0.45), while significantly high rank-order agreement (r  =  0.61–0.89) in leaf litter and soil. Time averaging and interspecific variation in life span and in shell durability appear to determine the observed live-dead mismatch, which, in contrast, was probably not affected by between-habitat transport and temporal changes in community composition. Between-habitat differences are generally preserved in the DAs. DAs based on pristine shells do not show higher rank abundance correlations and smaller differences in ordinations than DAs based on all shells. But in terms of species richness and evenness, DAs composed only of pristine shells were more similar to the LA, in particular in leaf litter and soil, supporting terrestrial ecologists' approach in considering pristine shells in inventories of species richness. Distinguishing between pristine and worn empty shells is especially useful for actualistic studies in highly calcareous sites, where DAs are expected to encompass a longer temporal duration.


Analysis of extended data on turbine impeller power input in geometrically similar agitated baffled tanks shows that the power number Po is a function of Reynolds number Po = Po*(Re) until the emergence of surface aeration. Though it is usually anticipated that Po* = const in high Reynolds number region, some, whatever weak, function should be taken into consideration in more detailed analysis of the power data even here. In practice, disturbances of level and gas captured in the impeller region play also a significant role, namely in smaller tanks at higher impeller speeds. Decrease of power input can be explained by decrease of gas-liquid mixture density, or in other words by increase of efficient gas holdup eE just in the impeller region. The value eE defined by the relation Po = Po*(Re)/(1 + eE) was determined from the available data. Like other effects of the surface aeration it depends mainly on the dimensionless number Nc = (We Fr)1/4. A simple correlation eE (Nc) is suggested as a correction factor for prediction of impeller power in presence of gas capture.