: Nitric oxide (NO) is a marker of airway inflammation and indirectly a general indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress. NO is a contributing factor in lung cancer at an early stage and also after chemotherapy treatment of lung cancer. We studied whether exhaled NO levels were altered by three cycles of chemotherapy at diagnosis and after chemotherapy, and whether, directly or indirectly, these changes were related to the course of disease. Also, a correlation of NO levels with other markers of inflammation was performed. We studied 42 patients diagnosed early: 26 men and 16 women with lung cancer. We analyzed blood tests for control of inflammatory markers, functional pulmonary tests, and alveolar exhaled NO. We recorded a decrease in exhaled NO after three cycles of chemotherapy in all patients, regardless of histological type and stage: there were 42 patients with mean 9.8 NO after three cycles (average 7.7). Also, a strong correlation appeared between NO measurements before and after chemotherapy and C-reactive protein ( P , 0.05, r = 0.42, before) and ( P , 0.045, r = 0.64, after). NO alveolar measurement as an indicator of airway inflammation indicates response to chemotherapy in lung cancer. Also, the inflammatory process in lung cancer was confirmed and indicated response to chemotherapy through an index that is sensitive to inflammatory disease of the airways.


The influence of thermal processing on droplet flocculation in oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by either beta-lactoglobulin (primary emulsions) or beta-lactoglobulin-iota-carrageenan (secondary emulsions) at pH 6 has been investigated. In the absence of salt, the zeta-potential of the primary emulsion was less negative (-40 mV) than that of the secondary emulsion (-55 mV) due to adsorption of anionic iota-carrageenan to the anionic beta-Lg-coated droplet surfaces. The zeta-potential and mean diameter (d(43) approximately 0.3 microm) of droplets in primary and secondary emulsions did not change after storage at temperatures ranging from 30 to 90 degrees C. In the presence of 150 mM NaCl, the zeta-potential of the primary emulsion was much less negative (-27 mV) than that of the secondary emulsion (-50 mV), suggesting that the latter was less influenced by electrostatic screening effects. The zeta-potential of the primary emulsions did not change after storage at elevated temperatures (30-90 degrees C). The zeta-potential of the secondary emulsions became less negative, and the aqueous phase iota-carrageenan concentration increased at storage temperatures exceeding 50 degrees C, indicating iota-carrageenan desorbed from the beta-Lg-coated droplets. In the primary emulsions, appreciable droplet flocculation (d(43) approximately 8 microm) occurred at temperatures below the thermal denaturation temperature (T(m)) of the adsorbed proteins due to surface denaturation, while more extensive flocculation (d(43) > 20 microm) occurred above T(m) due to thermal denaturation. In the secondary emulsions, the extent of droplet flocculation below T(m) was reduced substantially (d(43) approximately 0.8 microm), which was attributed to the ability of adsorbed carrageenan to increase droplet-droplet repulsion. However, extensive droplet flocculation was observed above T(m) because carrageenan desorbed from the droplet surfaces. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that iota-carrageenan and beta-Lg interacted strongly in aqueous solutions containing 0 mM NaCl, but not in those containing 150 mM NaCl, presumably because salt weakened the electrostatic attraction between the molecules.


The theory of representative bureaucracy suggests that a public workforce representative of the people in terms of race, ethnicity, and sex will help ensure that the interests of all groups are considered in bureaucratic decision-making processes. The theory posits that the active representation of group interests occurs because individual bureaucrats reflect the views of those who share their demographic backgrounds. Research in the public administration literature, however, includes only a relatively small number of studies providing evidence consistent with active representation. In addition, that literature is, for the most part, composed of studies that are conducted at an organizational level, making it impossible for us to draw inferences about the behavior of individual bureaucrats without committing an ecological fallacy. Researchers in the field of criminal justice studies, on the other hand, have long tested the relationship between workforce demography and government outcomes and have done so at the individual level and in contexts that allow confidence that the outcomes observed are indeed the product of action by minority or female public servants. Those studies are reviewed, and their findings provide the first definitive evidence of a connection between the presence of diversity in the public workforce and the representation of minority interests.


Loss of the early Martian atmosphere is often thought to have occurred due to an effective transfer of the solar wind energy through the Martian induced magnetic barrier to the ionosphere. We have quantified the coupling efficiency by comparing the power of the heavy ion outflow with the available power supplied by the upstream solar wind. Constraining upstream solar wind density nsw, velocity vsw, and EUV intensity IEUV/photoionizing flux FXUV in varying intervals reveals a decrease in coupling efficiency, k, with solar wind dynamic pressure as k∝pdyn−0.74±0.13 and with FXUV as k∝FXUV−2.28±0.30 . Despite the decrease in coupling efficiency, higher FXUV enhances the cold ion outflow, increasing the total ion escape rate as Q(FXUV) = 1010(0.82 ± 0.05)FXUV. The discrepancy between coupling and escape suggests that ion escape from Mars is primarily production limited in the modern era, though decreased coupling may lead to an energy‐limited solar wind interaction under early Sun conditions.


The material for this thesis is based on the European Sero-Epidemiology Network 2 (ESEN2), a study funded by the European Commission. As part of the ESEN2 project, age-specific population seroprevalence of 8 antigens tested in 22 national laboratories was estimated and compared between countries. To achieve harmonised serological results, a reference panel was tested by each participant laboratory. Each laboratory's panel results were regressed against the reference centre, thus obtaining standardisation equations. These equations were used to convert the quantitative measurements of the serosurveys into common units that were subsequently classified into negative (susceptible) or positive (protected) according to a serological cut-off.

The aim of this thesis was to further develop and validate the methodology for standardising serological outcomes, and to propose alternative methods for achieving comparable population seroprevalence.

As part of this thesis, a statistical algorithm was established to standardise serological results. Censored regression methods were considered to account for measurements outside the assay detection range. The impact of standardisation on seroprevalence was examined.

Mixture modelling of the serological results was proposed as an alternative method to standardisation for estimating seroprevalence. Although mixture modelling may provide better seroprevalence estimates in certain situations, it is heavily dependent on model assumptions, mainly of well-separated underlying distributions.

In terms of seroprevalence estimation using standardisation, the validity of the assay cut-off point was examined. A method for re-estimating cut-offs was proposed based on mixture modelling that improved seroprevalence estimates under certain distributional assumptions.

The impact of variability occurring due to serum testing in batches (plate-to-plate variability) on seroprevalence was assessed. The method currently used by the laboratories was examined, and a new method was proposed to adjust for this based on mixture models.

In conclusion, the standardisation method used for the ESEN2 project was validated and some improvements were proposed.


Foodborne illnesses caused by microbial and chemical contaminants in food are a substantial health burden worldwide. In 2007, human vibriosis (non-cholera Vibrio infections) became a notifiable disease in the United States. In addition, Vibrio species are among the 31 major known pathogens transmitted through food in the United States. Diverse surveillance systems for foodborne pathogens also track outbreaks, illnesses, hospitalization and deaths due to non-cholera vibrios. Considering the recognition of vibriosis as a notifiable disease in the United States and the availability of diverse surveillance systems, there is a need for the development of easily deployed visualization and analysis approaches that can combine diverse data sources in an interactive manner. Current efforts to address this need are still limited. Visual analytics is an iterative process conducted via visual interfaces that involves collecting information, data preprocessing, knowledge representation, interaction, and decision making. We have utilized public domain outbreak and surveillance data sources covering 1973 to 2010, as well as visual analytics software to demonstrate integrated and interactive visualizations of data on foodborne outbreaks and surveillance of Vibrio species. Through the data visualization, we were able to identify unique patterns and/or novel relationships within and across datasets regarding (i) causative agent; (ii) foodborne outbreaks and illness per state; (iii) location of infection; (iv) vehicle (food) of infection; (v) anatomical site of isolation of Vibrio species; (vi) patients and complications of vibriosis; (vii) incidence of laboratory-confirmed vibriosis and V. parahaemolyticus outbreaks. The additional use of emerging visual analytics approaches for interaction with data on vibriosis, including non-foodborne related disease, can guide disease control and prevention as well as ongoing outbreak investigations.


The 2013 Report informs that there has been a certain backsliding on a number of commitments covered by MDG 8 in the past year, and some progress in others. Official development assistance has fallen for a second year in a row and the multilateral trade negotiations remain at an impasse, but duty free access for exports from developing countries has improved. But while usage of information and communication technologies increases, the costs remain higher in developing countries and essential medicines remain insufficiently accessible. Thus, there are some signs that political momentum for advancing international development cooperation has weakened. However, some governments have consistently pursued their commitments despite domestic austerity policies.


In 31 consecutive patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction and mitral regurgitation ranging from 2/4 to 3/4 (mean, 2.87 +/- 0.34), we performed coronary bypass grafting alone and assessed early and midterm outcomes. Our patients' mean preoperative New York Heart Association functional class was 3.64 +/- 0.48, and their mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.25 +/- 0.05. Preoperative thallium imaging revealed that all patients had at minimum a partially reversible defect in the anterior wall. All patients survived the operation. Hospital length of stay ranged from 5 to 21 days (mean, 8.35 +/- 4.07 days), and mean length of follow-up was 21.35 +/- 13.24 months. Postoperatively, patients' functional classification improved to a mean of 1.32 +/- 0.6; left ventricular ejection fraction improved to a mean of 0.43 +/- 0.09; and severity of mitral regurgitation decreased to a mean of 1.35 +/- 0.96. Statistical analysis showed that all improvements were significant. Five late cardiac deaths occurred. Preoperative variables showed no correlation with late death. However, postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction and mitral regurgitation did correlate with late death, which suggests that the reversibility of damaged ischemic myocardium plays an important role after revascularization. This study supports the concept that ischemic mitral regurgitation might well improve after myocardial revascularization regardless of its severity; therefore, it should not be corrected at the primary operation, except in patients with organic valvular changes.


Learning, and particularly assessment practices, that encourages a self‐determined approach enhances feelings of well‐being and achievement motivation. Students (n = 137) in a common first‐year unit were the participants for an evaluation of the impact of assessment. The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and the Brunel Mood Scale were used to assess psychological reactions. A repeated measures comparison for each motivation and mood variable was conducted using mixed‐model analysis. Changes in all moods were significant at week 7, when the greatest number of assessment items per student was due. For this particular week, negative moods also increased, along with a decrease in the positive mood of vigour. The intrinsic motivation variables of interest/enjoyment and perceived competence were significantly lower in week 7, with pressure/tension being significantly higher. For this group of students the demands of assessment have been shown to have a psychological impact.


Model coupling is an important present problem in ocean or atmosphere modelling, where regional modelling systems are designed by coupling high resolution local models to lower resolution large scale models. In this study, we investigate the use of global-in-time Schwarz algorithms for such a coupling. The efficiency of these iterative methods is closely related to the transmission conditions between the subdomains interfaces. The absorbing boundary conditions and their approximations proved to be an extremely powerful tool to deduce good transmission conditions for domain decomposition methods and coupling. The limitation of the iteration count can be achieved by developing Schwarz optimized methods : they are based on the use of absorbing boundary conditions, with optimized transmission conditions, and on the minimization of the convergence rate of the algorithm over all frequencies propagated by the numerical scheme. Several systems of equations encountered in ocean models are addressed in this study : (1) the 2-D shallow-water model, either under hyperbolic and incompletely parabolic form (i.e. systems without or with viscosity), (2) the scalar 2-D and 3-D advection-diffusion equations, which describe the evolution of tracers like temperature or salinity. Two different parameterizations of diffusion, laplacian and bi-laplacian, are considered. Efficient interface conditions for those systems are derived, and implemented in numerical experiments, in idealized or realistic testcases.


In this article Masikoro identity is linked to the Sakalava of western and northwestern Madagascar. An analysis that associates two ritual objects, the hazomanga (a wooden pole symbolizing a lineage, sometimes shaped like a cross, upon which sacrificial blood is consecrated to ones raza or ancestors) and the jiny (ancestral relics), is presented in support of the Sakalava-Masikoro link. A number of rituals involving jiny and hazomanga are considered, including circumcision and adoption of a new member into a lineage. The role of women in relation to these ritual objects is historicized and compared briefly to a contemporary politicized context.


This report compares the design and procurement of the Work Programme (WP) with pertinent experience in Australia, the USA and the Netherlands. It considers the risks in the implementation of performance based contracts, their implications for the WP, and their address in the other countries. The review finds that contract and procurement systems in the comparator countries have been in flux as policy makers have sought to secure the advantages of contracting out whilst minimising attendant risks and delivery problems. Critics view such change and re-regulation as indicative of the inherent instability of contracting systems whilst proponents prefer the term 'continuing improvement'. There are a number of key risks with performance and outcome based contracting, notably the practices of 'creaming and parking' and 'gaming'. 'Cream-skimming' occurs when providers select the more job ready or more motivated participants to help meet targets or gain outcomes instead of selecting those with the potential to gain more in the longer term. 'Cream-skimming' may become a reality in the wake of the initial surge of mandated participants into WP. With its uncapped budget and volunteer eligibility groups, the WP design may inadvertently induce this practice. 'Parking' occurs after recruitment when providers may put less effort and investment into working with harder to place participants. Parking was a particular problem in the first two Australian Job Network contract periods. Evaluations found that although participants were allocated to providers for a year most contact occurred in the first few months and many users received minimal services and saw their provider infrequently. It is possible to envisage a similar outcome in the WP should providers concentrate intensive service provision in the initial stages and maintain different levels of contact with participants thereafter. DWP maintains that the design of the WP will militate against this but critics have warned that 'parking' may occur amongst the harder to assist participants within the WP's differential payment bands. 'Gaming' occurs when providers seek to exploit weaknesses in programme design by undertaking activities which allow better performance on contractual criteria but do not improve employment outcomes. At its most extreme 'gaming' may involve fraudulent activity. The occurrence of 'gaming' in each of the comparator countries reinforces the importance of balancing WP flexibilities with safeguards, and robust risk assurance and audit processes. A further set of risks relate to 'market failure'. The most obvious is that a severe 'economic shock' might undermine provider viability. The Department suggests that WP contracts give providers scope to absorb most labour market fluctuations and there is a 'change control' mechanism that enables contractual variations in the event of unforeseen adverse developments. Other, less dramatic, forms of market failure require that the DWP has sufficient safeguards to sanction large prime contractors for poor performance, remove contracts and/or replace an underperforming provider when contracts are due for renewal. It remains unclear how much risk the DWP has effectively transferred to prime providers and the Department's capacity to tackle under performance and to resist attempts to renegotiate contractual terms is, as yet, untested. A potential long term consequence of the concentration and duration of WP contracts, however, is the accrued advantages of the incumbent primes and the lessening of the risk of potential loss of contract. In future, the DWP also may find it harder to attract new entrants to the market. It is important, then, that the continuing interest and potential competitive threat posed by other providers who have qualified for the 'Framework' is sustained rather than assumed. The explicit connection between up-front investment by WP providers, job outcome and long term sustainment payments, and funding from future benefit savings is distinctive to the British system. In Wisconsin welfare to work providers received some of the savings accrued from the reduced benefit expenditure they helped generate. The contract was poorly designed as providers gained income from simply reducing the benefit caseload. The outcome and evidence requirements for WP providers are more rigorous, but it remains important to monitor the number and destinations of WP referrals and participants who leave benefit but do not enter employment. In the comparator countries, there have been challenges around the definition, measurement and authentication of job outcomes. Evidential requirements should be robust but proportionate, seeking to limit the administrative burden that has characterised paper-based audit systems. The definition of a WP job outcome will need to be revised over the period of the contract to better align provider incentives with the Universal Credit which will encourage claimants to take 'mini jobs'. WP prime contractors have specified the minimum services they intend to provide. They also are obliged to inform service users about the services they will make available. There are, however, few safeguards to ensure the delivery of services and the DWP will have only limited insight into the 'black box' of front line delivery. It is important that the safeguards are robust if Ministers and DWP are to resist possible future pressures to introduce the type of prescribed service standards that re-bureaucratised the Australian Job Network. Service user journeys across mixed public and private provision can be complicated, especially for the most disadvantaged. In Australia, the Netherlands and the US problems have arisen with 'failures to attend', incorrect assessments, and the imposition of sanctions. Such risks may be heightened with the WP because of its duration, subcontractor delivery chains, and the requirement for participants to maintain regular contact with a private provider whilst continuing to 'sign on'. Service users will need clear and timely information to avoid 'mixed messages' and it will be important to monitor trends in sanctions and the interactions on conditionality between Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and WP providers. Other problems may arise from poor interactions between health assessments and job search and programme activity requirements. Lengthy waiting times and inaccurate assessments, with consequential appeals, have proved difficult to manage both in Australia and New York. The connections between JCP, Atos and WP providers should be tracked closely. Issues of concern may include the timeliness, reporting and accuracy of work capacity assessments, appeals processes, and the management of changing health status of individuals during WP participation. Comparative evidence confirms the importance of ensuring that robust systems are in place to respond to complaints of unfair treatment and poor service delivery. In Australia the Department has committed to clear minimum 'Service Guarantees' that apply to all providers. In the USA providers and welfare agencies must have complaints procedures in place to respond should services be unfairly denied to clients or of poor quality. The WP approach seems opaque in this regard, with individual prime contractors having their own minimum service standards, which may vary, and freedom in how they communicate their disputes and resolution procedures to participants. Prime providers must produce a document outlining their minimum services and the 'first steps' of their complaints procedures but it is unclear how the full range of safeguards are communicated to service users referred to the WP. In addition, there does not seem to be any mechanism for collating complaints information between JCP, prime contractors and DWP. Concerns have been expressed about prime providers' management of their subcontractors and the contractual terms and risks passed on to smaller organisations. In response the DWP's Commissioning Strategy established a 'code of conduct' and sponsored the 'Merlin' standard to ensure a role for voluntary sector and specialist organisations in WP delivery. The DWP, however, eschews any direct role in supply chain commercial relationships although these forces are most likely to drive change and possible consolidation. Over time it may be important to monitor the impact of WP contracting on the composition of the non-profit organisations involved as well as the quantity of referrals and terms and value of any contracts with primes. The accountability of WP providers is more limited than that of public sector organisations and whilst prime provider contracts have been published, information that was considered 'commercially sensitive or confidential' has been redacted and there is little public information available on subcontractor contracts. Contracting out of employment services poses challenges to political accountability. Ministers remain politically responsible for service outcomes and the effective use of public funds even though in practice they will have less control over the actions of WP contractors. There is much scope for 'blame shifting' and the responsibility for poor performance is less obvious. In each of the comparator countries audit and oversight bodies have played a significant role in holding policy makers and providers to account, prompting improvements in service delivery, and exposing poor practices. In this context the role of such bodies in Britain will be of particular importance, especially as Ministers, senior officials and providers will have a clear interest in promoting the success of the WP.


ABSTRACT In an international culture of performance-based funding systems for higher education institutions (HEIs), research productivity and output are essential for the ability of HEIs to continue. While many institutions have performance targets for the next performance assessment, few institutions have an operational strategy for how staff are to produce research publications. A transactional and systems approach to academic writing may be helpful in identifying how academics' structures and beliefs influence their writing productivity. This paper aims to provide an overview and analysis, using a transactional and systems approach, of a selection of theory-based writing programmes available for academics. The authors summarise the strengths and weaknesses of each these programmes and demonstrate the gap in academic writing programmes which currently exists, based on the transactional and systems approach. The paper provides recommendations in terms of strategic development to support academic to increase their research and scholarly output.


Platelets possess two receptors for ADP, P2Y(1) and P2Y(12). ADP is released from platelet dense granules upon platelet activation by numerous agonists and thereby amplifies platelet responses regardless of the initial stimulus. The P2Y(1) receptor is one of many platelet receptors coupled to Gq and initiates ADP-induced activation. The P2Y(12) receptor on the other hand is linked to Gi and plays a special role in the amplification of platelet activation initiated by numerous other pathways. Platelet activation leads to a range of responses that play a critical role in arterial thrombosis and the inflammatory responses associated with this, including platelet aggregation, dense and alpha granule secretion and procoagulant activity. P2Y(12) receptor activation yields powerful amplification of these processes such that P2Y(12) receptor antagonists may have dramatic inhibitory effects on platelet function regardless of the activating stimuli. This phenomenon, coupled with the restricted distribution of the P2Y(12) receptor in humans, makes the receptor an ideal target for pharmaceutical therapy. This has already been established by the therapeutic success of clopidogrel, which acts, via an active metabolite, on this receptor. However, current therapeutic regimens of clopidogrel yield variable and incomplete P2Y(12) receptor blockade and more effective strategies to block P2Y(12) receptor activation offer the potential of greater clinical efficacy.


The general equations of the path of a ray of light passing through the terrestrial atmosphere are outlined. The path of the ray tangent to the earth's surface is calculated for the U. S. Standard Atmosphere. From this is prepared a table of horizon dip, horizon distance, and refraction for altitudes from sea level to 100,000 feet.


Abstract. Metadata is key to effective knowledge organization, and designing user interfaces that maximize user performance and user experience during metadata creation would benefit several areas of GIScience. Yet, empirically-derived guidelines for user interfaces supporting GI-metadata creation are still scarce. As a step towards mitigating that gap, this work has implemented and evaluated a prototype that produces semantically-rich metadata for web maps via one of two input modalities: typing or speech. A controlled experiment (N=12) to investigate the merits of both modalities has revealed that (i) typing and speech were comparable as far as input duration time is concerned; and (ii) they received opposed ratings concerning their pragmatic and hedonic qualities. Combining both might thus be beneficial for GI-metadata creation user interfaces. The findings are useful to ongoing work on semantic enablement for spatial data infrastructure and note-taking during visual analytics.


Multispectral remote sensing data were examined for use in the mapping of soil organic matter content. Computer-implemented pattern recognition techniques were used to analyze data collected in May 1969 and May 1970 by an airborne multispectral scanner over a 40-km flightline. Two fields within the flightline were selected for intensive study. Approximately 400 surface soil samples from these fields were obtained for organic matter analysis. The analytical data were used as training sets for computer-implemented analysis of the spectral data. It was found that within the geographical limitations included in this study, multispectral data and automatic data processing techniques could be used very effectively to delineate and map surface soils areas containing different levels of soil organic matter.


Due to the structure complexity of CNC machine tools and the easy-to-change of their usage conditions, there are still shortages of effective methods to predict the operation reliability of machine tools using the monitored performance data. In this paper, a new operation reliability prediction method based on hidden Markov chain model is proposed in order to track and predict the reliability level of CNC machine tools in real time. The model and process of operation reliability prediction is presented in detailed. A case study is carried out on an OTM650 CNC milling machine to validate the proposed method. The result shows that the proposed methodology is a useful technique for estimating the reliability level of machining performance degradation. doi: 10.12783/SHM2015/283


SMS is one of the most widely used data applications in the world. Due to its easy availability and low cost, many enterprises have chosen to use SMS as the primary medium for dissemination of information and alerts. During high loads and traffic scenarios, the SMS latency tends to rise exponentially, which is a concerning situation for these enterprises. Two strategies, namely geo affinity based routing and traffic based load balancing have been proposed in this paper for maintaining constant end-to-end latency values under high load scenarios. We have carried out experiments on a live and popular SMS based service in India 'txtWeb', measured the end-to-end latency using an Android app and have found the latency remained constant even under increasing loads after these methods were implemented in the txtWeb ecosystem.


The paper presents a new series capacitive compensation concept, which enhances power system dynamics. The idea behind the concept is a series capacitive compensation which provides balanced compensation at the power frequency while it results in phase imbalance at other frequency of oscillations. The compensation scheme is a combination of a single-phase thyristor controlled series capacitor (TCSC) and fixed series capacitors in series in one phase of the compensated transmission line and fixed capacitors on the other two phases.


This paper analyses the concepts of trust, commitment, motivation and performance. In specific terms, the authors ascertain what are the key components of trust in the workplace. The paper provides a deeper understanding of the value of the relational construct trust to organisational motivation and performance. A global multinational firm was surveyed to confirm the Morgan Hunt (1994) Commitment-Trust theory, that trust is an antecedent to commitment. The authors then develop and test a revised performance model that is based on the work of Maier (1955) and Mayer et al (1995). This second survey, which sampled a range of multinational organisations, sought Human Resource managers' opinions on both specific motivational influences in the workplace and specific performance factors in the workplace. The results confirm that all aspects of the construct trust tested in this paper have a significant impact on motivation and performance. In affirming this, the article concludes by proposing refinements to Maiers's (1955) existing performance model, which will assist management in trust building and also provide management with a deeper understanding of the importance of trust and motivation in organisational performance.


While screaming during popular music performances (at least loudly amplified ones) has become unremarkable and even expected, the mid-twentieth-century United States witnessed a series of debates over the appropriateness and significance of screaming. These debates, fraught with moral judgment and often open panic, focused on issues central to American popular music: sexuality, race, class, and the rights and responsibilities of the individual. Tracing the discourse surrounding screaming audiences from the nineteenth century to the present reveals that observers have associated female screamers primarily with sexual impropriety while male screamers more often have been depicted as a potentially violent mob. While commentary on screaming often reinforces racial and gender stereotypes, screaming maintains its subversive power because it effectively dramatizes the tension among social expectations, group solidarity, and individual freedom.


We introduce the concept of sos-convex Lyapunov functions for stability analysis of both linear and nonlinear difference inclusions (also known as discrete-time switched systems). These are polynomial Lyapunov functions that have an algebraic certificate of convexity and that can be efficiently found via semidefinite programming. We prove that sos-convex Lyapunov functions are universal (i.e., necessary and sufficient) for stability analysis of switched linear systems. We show via an explicit example however that the minimum degree of a convex polynomial Lyapunov function can be arbitrarily higher than a non-convex polynomial Lyapunov function. In the case of switched nonlinear systems, we prove that existence of a common non-convex Lyapunov function does not imply stability, but existence of a common convex Lyapunov function does. We then provide a semidefinite programming-based procedure for computing a full-dimensional subset of the region of attraction of equilibrium points of switched polynomial systems, under the condition that their linearization be stable. We conclude by showing that our semidefinite program can be extended to search for Lyapunov functions that are pointwise maxima of sos-convex polynomials.


The air flow around the high-speed train passing through a tunnel is three dimensional, compressible and unsteady in nature. This paper carried out the numerical simulation of it and evaluated the effect of nose shapes of high-speed trains on tunnel entry/exit waves radiated directly from tunnel entrance or exit. The elliptical, parabolic and conical nose shapes were analyzed. A commercial CFD code STAR-CD based on the finite volume method was used applying the SIMPLE algorithm and a moving grid technology. The comparison study shows that though the patterns of tunnel entry waves or exit waves induced by high-speed trains with above three nose shapes are similar, the amplitudes of them are different. The wave amplitude of elliptical shape is the highest, and that of conical shape is the lowest, which implies that with the nose shape be more streamlined and slender, it might be more likely to reduce the amplitudes of tunnel entry/exit waves.


The chorda tympani arises on the average 5.3 mm proximal to the stylomastoid foramen (range, 1.2 mm distal to 10.9 mm proximal to the foramen). Only 6% originated less than 1 mm from the stylomastoid foramen. The mastoid segments of the fallopian canal of these temporal bones average 12.2 mm in length (range, 8.9 to 16.0 mm). The histograms of the diameters of myelinated fibers of the mastoid portion of the facial nerve proximal to the origin of the chorda tympani nerve in man usually are unimodal before 5 years of age and bimodal thereafter. Elimination of the contribution of the chorda tympani-nerve fibers to the fiber spectrum of the nerves from persons 10 years of age and older decreases the height of the small-fiber peak. Facial nerve size remains relatively constant from 7 to 69 years of age. The number of myelinated fibers per nerve decreases markedly after the fourth decade of life.


Women with balanced translocations between the long arm of the X chromosome (Xq) and an autosome frequently suffer premature ovarian failure (POF). Two "critical regions" for POF which extend from Xq13→q22 and from Xq22→q26 have been identified using cytogenetics. To gain insight into the mechanism(s) responsible for ovarian failure in women with X;autosome translocations, we have molecularly characterized the translocation breakpoints of nine X chromosomes. We mapped the breakpoints using somatic cell hybrids retaining the derivative autosome and densely spaced markers from the X-chromosome physical map. One of the POF-associated breakpoints in a critical region (Xq25) mapped to a sequenced PAC clone. The translocation disrupts XPNPEP2, which encodes an Xaa-Pro aminopeptidase that hydrolyzes N-terminal Xaa-Pro bonds. XPNPEP2 mRNA was detected in fibroblasts that carry the translocation, suggesting that this gene at least partially escapes X inactivation. Although the physiologic substrates for the enzyme are not known, XPNPEP2 is a candidate gene for POF. Our breakpoint mapping data will help to identify additional candidate POF genes and to delineate the Xq POF critical region(s).


Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in elderly. The detailed mechanism of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) leads to severe vision loss in patients with AMD. This study was undertaken to evaluate the inhibitory effect of homoisoflavanone on CNV. Methods Antiangiogenic activity of homoisoflavanone was evaluated by in vitro tube formation assay of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and cell migration assay of HUVECs., Homoisoflavanone or PBS was injected intravitreously into a mouse model of laser-photocoagulation-induced CNV. Fluorescein angiography and vessel counting in cross sections were employed to examine CNV lesions. The toxicity of homoisoflavanone was evaluated through 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay (MTT) assay in HUVECs as well as histological examination and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining in the retina. Results Homoisoflavanone effectively inhibited in vitro tube formation and cell migration of HUVECs. Interestingly, homoisoflavanone significantly reduced CNV and its leakage in a mouse model of laser-photocoagulation-induced CNV. In addition, homoisoflavanone showed no effect on cell viability of HUVECs and no retinal toxicity in a concentration range of 1-10 μM. Conclusions Our data suggest that homoisoflavanone is a potent inhibitor of CNV and may be applied in the treatment of other vasoproliferative retinopathies and tumor.


Abstract. Today, the assembly of laser systems requires a large share of manual operations due to its complexity regarding the optimal alignment of optics. Although the feasibility of automated alignment of laser optics has been shown in research labs, the development effort for the automation of assembly does not meet economic requirements – especially for low-volume laser production. This paper presents a model-based and sensor-integrated assembly execution approach for flexible assembly cells consisting of a macro-positioner covering a large workspace and a compact micromanipulator with camera attached to the positioner. In order to make full use of available models from computer-aided design (CAD) and optical simulation, sensor systems at different levels of accuracy are used for matching perceived information with model data. This approach is named "chain of refined perception", and it allows for automated planning of complex assembly tasks along all major phases of assembly such as collision-free path planning, part feeding, and active and passive alignment. The focus of the paper is put on the in-process image-based metrology and information extraction used for identifying and calibrating local coordinate systems as well as the exploitation of that information for a part feeding process for micro-optics. Results will be presented regarding the processes of automated calibration of the robot camera as well as the local coordinate systems of part feeding area and robot base.


This paper attempts to discuss briefly the trends in the level of infant and general mortality and the differentials by age sex and nationality [for Kuwait for the years 1957-1983]. It also examines socio-economic differentials in mortality. The leading causes of death are briefly highlighted as a mixture of diseases associated with developing countries and diseases associated with developed countries. The authors find that "the factors associated with the decline in mortality have been linked with socio-economic development (as for instance that reflected in the standard of living nutrition education and income) and with the expansion of health care and medical facilities." (EXCERPT)


The aerobactin iron-uptake system of plasmid ColV-K30, genetically isolated from other plasmid determinants by molecular cloning, was sufficient to restore full virulence in a mouse peritonitis model to a clinical Escherichia coli isolate, D551 (O78:H-), whose resident aerobactin-encoding ColV plasmid had been lost by curing. Antiserum was raised in rabbits against live E. coli K12 cells expressing the outer-membrane aerobactin receptor protein and absorbed with an isogenic strain lacking the receptor. This antiserum inhibited binding of aerobactin, cloacin DF13 and bacteriophage B74K to the native protein in whole E. coli K12 bacteria expressing the receptor, or in membranes prepared from such organisms. However, it did not react with the native receptor protein in several wild strains unless lipopolysaccharide was first removed by treatment with trichloroacetic acid, nor did it protect mice in experimental infections with strain D551. Antisera raised in rabbits against partially or fully denatured forms of the aerobactin receptor reacted only in assays involving denatured protein; they showed no inhibition of the biological activities of the native receptor.


These essays were written for a debate with Professor Joyce Lee Malcolm appearing in the Northwestern University Law Review concerning the standard of scrutiny to be applied to gun control laws in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in McDonald v. City of Chicago. The opening essay argues that the text of the Second Amendment, the history of gun-control regulation, and the approach taken by the Supreme Court in McDonald and District of Columbia v. Heller argue for some form of intermediate scrutiny capable of coming to grips with the fact that the populace capable of bearing arms, that is, the "militia" in originalist parlance, may require far more comprehensive regulation in contemporary urban American than was necessary in the framing era. The reply essay responds to Professor Malcolm's praise for Justice Thomas's opinion in McDonald and her advocacy of strict scrutiny. It argues that the historical record is far more complicated than acknowledged by Justice Thomas, and that strict scrutiny cannot be reconciled with key aspects of the Heller opinion, and overlooks critical differences between the framing era and today's urban crime.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: The KCNH2-encoded Kv11.1 hERG (human ether-a-go-go related gene) potassium channel is a critical regulator of cardiomyocyte action potential duration (APD). The majority of type 2 long-QT syndrome (LQT2) stems from trafficking defective KCNH2 mutations. Recently, Food and Drug Administration-approved cystic fibrosis protein trafficking chaperone, lumacaftor, has been proposed as novel therapy for LQT2. Here, we test the efficacy of lumacaftor treatment in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) derived from 2 patients with known LQT2 trafficking defective mutations and a patient with novel KCNH2 variant, p.R685P. Methods: Patient-specific iPSC-CM models of KCNH2-G604S, KCNH2-N633S, and KCNH2-R685P were generated from 3 unrelated patients diagnosed with severe LQT2 (rate-corrected QT>500 ms). Lumacaftor efficacy was also tested by ANEPPS, FluoVolt, and ArcLight voltage dye-based APD90 measurements. Results: All 3 mutations were hERG trafficking defective in iPSC-CMs. While lumacaftor treatment failed to rescue the hERG trafficking defect in TSA201 cells, lumacaftor rescued channel trafficking for all mutations in the iPSC-CM model. All 3 mutations conferred a prolonged APD90 compared with control. While lumacaftor treatment rescued the phenotype of KCNH2-N633S and KCNH2-R685P, lumacaftor paradoxically prolonged the APD90 in KCNH2-G604S iPSC-CMs. Lumacaftor-mediated APD90 rescue was affected by rapidly activating delayed rectifier K+ current blocker consistent with the increase of rapidly activating delayed rectifier K+ current by lumacaftor is the underlying mechanism of the LQT2 rescue. Conclusions: While lumacaftor is an effective hERG channel trafficking chaperone and may be therapeutic for LQT2, we urge caution. Without understanding the functionality of the mutant channel to be rescued, lumacaftor therapy could be harmful.


Collaborative Filtering aims at exploiting the feedback of users to provide personalised recommendations. Such algorithms look for latent variables in a large sparse matrix of ratings. They can be enhanced by adding side information to tackle the well-known cold start problem. While Neu-ral Networks have tremendous success in image and speech recognition, they have received less attention in Collaborative Filtering. This is all the more surprising that Neural Networks are able to discover latent variables in large and heterogeneous datasets. In this paper, we introduce a Collaborative Filtering Neural network architecture aka CFN which computes a non-linear Matrix Factorization from sparse rating inputs and side information. We show experimentally on the MovieLens and Douban dataset that CFN outper-forms the state of the art and benefits from side information. We provide an implementation of the algorithm as a reusable plugin for Torch, a popular Neural Network framework.


Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the craniofacial morphology of children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) resulting from differing management protocols practiced in Prague from 1945 to 1976. Design: The craniofacial morphologies of four groups of patients were compared. Two groups were assessed retrospectively (individuals born from 1945 to 1963), and two groups were followed on a longitudinal basis (individuals born from 1966 to 1976). Setting: The study was conducted at the Cleft Lip and Palate Center at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Prague, which has a catchment area population of 6 million. Patients: The subjects were a consecutive series of adult males (n 5 84) who had complete UCLP without associated malformations. Interventions: Patients born from 1945 to 1955 did not receive centralized orthodontic therapy. From 1945 to 1965, the alveolar process in the area of the cleft was not surgically repaired. Primary bone grafting was used for the group born from 1965 to 1972, and primary periosteoplasty was used in the subsequent period. Throughout the period covered by the study, the palate was operated on by pushback and pharyngeal flap surgery. From 1945 to 1965, the lip was repaired initially according to Veau, and later according to Tennison and Randall, and during this time, fixed appliances were used for orthodontic treatment. Results: The results for the period from 1945 to 1955 are characterized by mandibular overclosure with anterior crossbite. Centralized orthodontic treatment in the later period improved sagittal jaw relations due to the posterior displacement of the mandible and an edge-to-edge bite was attained, but maxillary retrusion was unchanged. Primary bone grafting increased retrusion of the maxilla, which was compensated by further posterior displacement of the mandible. An edge-toedge bite was also obtained. Primary periosteoplasty reduced maxillary retrusion, and the marked proclination of the upper dentoalveolar component with fixed appliances resulted in a positive overjet. It was no longer necessary to push the mandible back to the extent required in bone grafting. Conclusion: Effective orthodontic treatment made the greatest contribution to improved facial development. It allowed compensation of maxillary retrusion by changes in the position of the mandible or by proclination of the upper dentoalveolar component with fixed appliances. The applied surgical methods using primary bone grafting caused deterioration of the anterior growth of the maxilla.


Currently available data on density of hemp are all specific values, and their differences are obvious, which could bring trouble to the related products' development and actual production. Therefore, provide accurate density values conducive to better achieve the development and use of hemp fiber related products. This paper mainly analysis the relevancy between hemp bast fibers' chemical compositions and its density after degumming, and draw a conclusion that the density of hemp fiber is not a fixed value but a range of variation. The density will be changed when chemical composition contents in different hemp fiber are different. Which chemical composition that affected the density most is cellulose content, followed by pectin content, and than, the lignin content and hemi cellulose content.


The history of the settlement of the North Shore region of the Gulf St. Lawrence can be divided into five stages : the periodical visits of Basque and Breton fishermen from the XIV th to the XVII th century ; the repeated concessions from 1653 to about 1820 of coast sectors to companies, such as the Hudson Bay Co., and merchants of Quebec who hold exclusive rights of occupation and exploitation ; the foundation of most of the existing agglomerations between 1836 and 1865 when settlers gather around sawmills between Tadoussac and Baie-Trinite and fishermen from the south shore of the Gulf, the Magdalen Islands, Newfoundland and the Channel Islands, sometimes after a long association with the exploitation of the coastal fisheries, establish some 20 hamlets and villages between Sept-lies and Blanc-Sablon ; the consolidation of the population, parallel to the growth of the pulp and paper industry up to the advent of the second world war ; the mass immigration brought about by the mining developments in the 1950's. Various conditions have influenced the distribution of the population and given rise to different types of settlement. These conditions have been : the hold of the wood and pulp companies on the land and the labour force, the absence of industrial diversification in any one sector of the region or, in other words, the over-specialization of the economic activities, the proper requirements of those activities, the particular conditions of the land tenure and of the lot structure and, to a lesser extent, the social background of the immigrants. The settlement outlook is thus as follows. From Tadoussac to Natashquan, the habitat is differenciated : the largest communities have grown at the points of transhipment where man and merchandise journey to and fro, that is near deep sheltered bays ; the villages depending on the export of pulpwood are all sited at the mouth of the rivers and show small but dense concentrations of population ; when agriculture dominates, the « rang » System of rural settlement is prevalent ; below Sept-lies, the population concerned with fishing bas settled in small nuclei at short distance from its fisheries. From Kegashka to Blanc-Sablon, the inhabitants are individualistic, dwell on Crown Lands — often as squatters — and keep jealously to their self-appropriated fishing spots, whence their dispersion. In the backcountry, the mining towns of Schefferville, Wabush, Labrador and Gagnon bear witness of the conceptions that presided to their elaboration.


Renal biospy studies are reported from 10 patients with distal renal tubular acidosis (DRTA). On the biopsies from 6 patients who had associated immunological abnormalities immunofluorescent studies for immunoglobulins, complement, and fibrin were performed. Interstitial cellular infiltration and fibrosis were common findings in patients with and without immunological abnormalities, and were usually associated with nephrocalcinosis and/or recurrent urinary infection. No immune deposits were demonstrated in association with the renal tubules. This study shows that DRTA in immunologically abnormal patients is not caused by tubular deposition of antibody or immune complexes. The possibility of cell mediated immune damage is discussed.


The most recent Austrian Integration Report indicates that a substantial proportion of Turkish immigrants do not feel at home in Austria. Whether these lower levels of social well-being also apply to the Turkish first, second or follow-up generations in Austria is uncertain. This article aims to fill this gap by asking how the Turkish second generation perceives their social inclusion into Austrian society. Results based on the TIES survey reveal that social well-being is largely determined by immigrants' socio-economic achievements as well as by experiences of discrimination in their education-al and occupational trajectories and daily life. Intergenerational progress is also found to be positively related with social well-being but at a much lower level.


Biodegradable material is a kind of green material, which is easily reclaimed and reused, and does not pollute the environment and can decompose quickly, there is not insurant produce after trash. This study aims to looking for new material and low price to produce dishware. Food dishware we produced using different biodegradable material cooperating with Jiufa Group Company, the main material is pure plant fiber and starch, additive edible material, and degradable material. (1) The mix of the dishware material technology and the spark technology has been studied. (2) The test of biodegradable of the dishware has been studied, and the result shows this packaging material can be separated to carbon and water finally after disused by the action of animalcule, in the water and air. The energy sources and resource can more reduce for this degradable material to produce dishware, so as to green and keep environment friendly, safe to use.


Nuclear fusion still has to pass several milestones on its way to successful energy production, one of them being successful plasma stabilization. The present article presents an innovative control implementation related to plasma control for the generation of electricity with magnetically confined plasma. The implementation has been carried out over a specific device of tokamak type, called Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV). This novel hybrid control design allows for real time implementation of an optimal model predictive control over a large scale complex system with small time constant. At each closed loop iteration, the full model is first controlled by a straightforward controller, then the output values are used for model reduction so that finally the discretized control system is optimized only for the variables of interest. In the case of the TCV, this novel hybrid model predictive control enhances the power availability on the actuators and extends the pulse duration. Thus, this control strategy will help to achieve fusion energy stated goal of "ignition", where nuclear fusion generates as much energy as it is needed to start the reaction.


Resistance to antibiotics has being considered one of the greatest public health problems worldwide. The objective of this systematic review was to compile important bibliographical references that support the studies related to the biotechnological potential of antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides are considered the major components of the innate immune system and work in defence against infections caused by different microorganisms. Many researchers argue that the studies associated with the discoveries of antimicrobial peptides that are more effective in the treatment of infections caused by microorganisms be also directed to the substances produced by insects. The major aspects associated to the technological potential of antimicrobial peptides are, general characteristics, classification, mode of action and prospects for applying, mainly in the pharmaceutical industry. It can be concluded that research for new substances with action against pathogenic microorganisms aim mainly to seek alternatives to the use of antibiotics. In addition, anticancer peptides are small cationic molecules with promising pharmacological use. However, the products for application in the protection of food, treatment of skin infections and its use in the cosmetics industry are those with the greatest potential.


We present the explicit metric forms for higher dimensional vanishing scalar invariant (V SI) Lorentzian spacetimes. We note that all of the V SI spacetimes belong to the higher dimensional Kundt class. We determine all of the V SI spacetimes which admit a covariantly constant null vector, and we note that in general in higher dimensions these spacetimes are of Ricci type III and Weyl type III. The Ricci type N subclass is related to the chiral null models and includes the relativistic gyratons and the higher dimensional ppwave spacetimes. The spacetimes under investigation are of particular interest since they are solutions of supergravity or superstring theory. [PACS: 04.20.Jb, 04.65+l]


Citizens' juries provide deliberative fora within which members of the public can debate complex policy issues. In this article, we reflect on our experience of undertaking three citizens' juries addressing health inequalities, to explore the positive and facilitative role that humor can play within group-based research focusing on sensitive health policy issues. We demonstrate how both participants and researchers engaged in the production of humor in ways which troubled prevailing power dynamics and facilitated positive relationships. We conclude by recommending that researchers, particularly health policy researchers and those pursuing the kind of lengthy group-based fora associated with deliberative research, consider the positive role humor can play when engaged reflexively. In so doing, we make a major contribution to extant literature on both deliberative fora (which is yet to consider humor's facilitative capacities) and the role of humor in qualitative (health) research (which rarely explores researcher complicity in humor production).


The effects of histamine on ouabain (1 microM)-induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) were studied in Langendorff hearts of guinea pigs. Histamine 0.5-10 microM induced a concentration-dependent shortening of incubation period of VF induced by ouabain. In the presence of cimetidine (CMT) 3 microM, the concentration-response curve (CRC) of histamine shifted to the right in a parallel fashion, whereas diphenhydramine (DPH) 4 microM failed to antagonize the effects of histamine. CMT shifted the CRC to right in the same extent no matter DPH was present or not. The synergic effects of histamine on the ouabain-induced VF were not secondary to its positive chronotropic effect. In anesthetized guinea pigs, iv histamine 1.2 mg/kg/h decreased the doase of iv ouabain (2.8 microg/min) required to induce VF. The effect of histamine was antagonized by iv CMT 15 mg/kg/h but not by iv DPH 5 mg/kg/h. These results suggest that only H2-receptors are involved in mediating the synergic effects of histamine on ouabain-induced VF in vitro and in vivo.


Although the studies on plant lectins have completed a century, their role in nature remained elusive. Erythrina indica seed lectin (EiSL) binding endogenous partners as well as those binding immobilized ConA from Erythrina indica seed extract (EiSE) have been studied, at different pHs values, using affinity chromatography on immobilized EiLS and ConA.At pH 7, fewer proteins bound EiLS very strongly involving sugar specific, ionic and hydrophobic interactions. However, at pH 4.6, (a pH closer to the in vivo conditions) good number of proteins interacted with EiLS solely by sugar specific interactions. Endogeneous receptors for EiSL were identified as glycosidases, acid phosphatase and or probably storage proteins. â- galactosidase which usually does not share with lectin the localization inside protein bodies, was weekly associated with EiSL, whereas hydrolytic enzymes such as a-galactosidase, a-mannosidase, N-acetyl-â-Dglucosaminidase and acid phosphatase, which are known to reside inside protein bodies, were strongly retained on immobilized EiSL. To test specificity of lectin-endogenous receptors interaction we immobilized Concanavalin A (ConA) the lectin from Canavalia ensiformis. Loading of EiSE on ConA-Speharose at pH 7.0 and subsequent elution of bound partners resulted in identification of several glycosidases that interacted with ConA by its sugar binding capacity. At pH 4.6, immobilized ConA could recognize receptors fromEiSE only by ionic interactions. These results are discussed on the context of anonymous biological significance of plant lectin.


In contemporary economies, businesses must consistently make strides to remain competitive and profitable at both national and international levels. Unlike in the developed world, corporations in developing nations face a different set of challenges for achieving growth.

Multinational Enterprise Management Strategies in Developing Countries is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on diverse opportunities and obstacles facing multinational corporations in emerging economies. Highlighting innovative perspectives and real-world examples, this book is ideally designed for researchers, practitioners, upper-level students, and industry professionals interested in management approaches for achieving success in international corporations.


The region of the skull base was long considered a surgical barrier because of its complex anatomy. With few exceptions, the region immediately beyond the dura or bony skull base constituted a "no man's land" for the surgeon working from the other direction. A major reason for this was the high morbidity associated with operative procedures in that area using traditional dissection techniques. This situation changed with the advent of the operating microscope. Used initially by ear, nose and throat specialists for resective and reconstructive surgery of the petrous bone and parana sal sinuses, the operating microscope was later introduced in other areas, and neurosurgeons began using it in the mid-1960s. With technical equality thus established, the groundwork was laid for taking a new, systematic, and interdisciplinary approach to surgical problems of the skull base. Intensive and systematic cooperation between ear, nose and throat surgeons and neurologic surgeons had its origins in the departments of the University of Mainz bindly supported by our chairmen Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Kurt Schiirmann (Department of Neurosurgery) and Prof. Dr. W. Kley (Depart ment of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Head and Neck Surgery). The experience gained from this cooperation was taught in workshops held in Hannover from 1979 to 1986, acquiring a broader interdisciplinary base through the participation of specialists from the fields of anatomy, patholo gy, neuroradiology, ophthalmology, and maxillofacial surgery."


The temporally and geographically scattered Phanerozoic record of methane-seep deposits hampers reconstruction of the evolution of life in chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. Unlike modern, Cenozoic, and late Mesozoic seeps, many of the known older seep deposits are typified by assemblages with profuse rhynchonellide brachiopods. Late Triassic (Norian) limestone bodies in eastern Oregon are enclosed in deep-water strata, extend laterally for up to a few hundred meters, and contain the dimerelloid rhynchonellide Halorella in rock-forming quantities. The analysis of two large limestone bodies in the Rail Cabin Member of the Vester Formation exposed near Graylock Butte, Grant County, Oregon, fosters the reconstruction of the paleoenvironmental setting of these unusual Halorella deposits, resulting in the first recognition of Triassic methane-seep deposits. The faunal assemblage includes few fossils other than Halorella. Although occasionally found at seeps, the recognized nuculanids are not seep-endemic bivalves. A Nucinella-like bivalve and a possible permophorid bivalve were likely endemic to this chemosynthesis-based environment; related bivalves lived at Jurassic and Cretaceous seeps. The superabundant, mostly articulated brachiopod shells are enclosed in a variety of micrites, including peloidal to clotted micrite. Early fibrous cement, forming banded and botryoidal crystal aggregates, preferentially occurs at the margin of the large limestone bodies but is scarce overall. Peloidal to clotted micrite and banded and botryoidal cement are common constituents of methane-seep limestones. Their negative δ13C values as low as −36‰ reveal that carbonate formation was induced by the oxidation of methane. The presence of pyrobitumen (i.e., metamorphosed crude oil) in the limestones may indicate that the seepage fluids contained oil in addition to methane. Apart from the diagnostic 13C-depleted carbonate phases, mud injections recognized in one of the two limestone bodies also bear testament to former seepage activity.


Introduction: Traditional approaches to the study of post stroke recovery assume that recovery follows a homogenous path, with deviations from the average explained in terms of socio-demographic and clinical differences. Latent class analysis (LCA) provides a powerful tool to investigate potential heterogeneity in post-stroke recovery pathways. Aims: We aimed to 1) explore recovery trajectories in acute stroke over 3 months using LCA and 2) identify predictors of poor recovery. Methods: Data from 202 patients admitted to Stroke Care Unit at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (Australia) between January and June 2011 were analyzed. The main outcome was disability (modified Rankin Score) pre-stroke, at discharge, and 3 months post stroke. Predictors of poor recovery were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results: Patients' mean (SD) age was 68.6 (14.1), 58% were males and 82% had ischemic strokes. LCA identified 6 mutually exclusive recovery trajectories (see Figure 1), including: 1) No disability at onset, no impact from stroke (n=43); 2) Substantial disability, no impact from stroke (n=20); 3) Some disability, mild impact, full recovery (n=36); 4) No disability, mild impact, partial recovery (n=26); 5) No disability, high impact, partial recovery (n=50); 6) No disability, high impact, no recovery (n=27). Compared with those who made at least partial recovery (trajectories 1-5), those who made no recovery at 3 months were significantly younger (OR 0.97 95%CI 0.95,0.99) and more likely to be smokers (OR 2.48 95%CI 1.04,5.90). History of atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, previous stroke, and stroke type were not associated with poor recovery (p≥0.103). Conclusions: This study identifies stroke recovery pathways, providing a potentially useful tool for identifying individuals at risk of poor recovery and in need of targeted intervention.


Engineering education is critical for sustainability, given the key role that engineers have in shaping the development of our society. Yet, engineering studies have traditionally not been driven by sustainability-related knowledge and skills, but focused more on general computational skills and technical problem-solving. This has also been the case in our case study, which focuses on recent water and environmental engineering graduates in Finland. We studied the role that sustainable development has had in their education and early career through an extensive questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The analysis was done in two ways: indirectly by comparing how well the key working life knowledge and skills recognized by the respondents correspond with sustainability-related skills, and directly by studying the graduates' views towards the sustainable development and their possibilities to advance it in their work. The results show that although sustainability was not at the core of respondents' studies, their key competencies correspond well with sustainability-related working life skills. The respondents also see that sustainable development has a central role in water and environmental engineering, although it is typically more visible at a strategic rather than a practical level. However, the results also indicate that several early-career engineers have deficient knowledge of sustainable development, and are therefore lacking the ability to fully connect the principles of sustainable development into their own expertise. Overall, the findings suggest that water and environmental engineers with their wide set of competencies have the potential to take on a larger role in building a more sustainable society. To ensure this, engineering education should emphasize the connection between the field and sustainable development and clearly link engineers' core competencies with the skills required to promote sustainability.


Mirikizumab (miri), a p19-directed IL-23 antibody, demonstrated efficacy in a Phase 2 trial in patients with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis (UC)1 (NCT02589665). Analyses of the pharmacokinetics (PK) of miri and the relationships between exposure and efficacy at Week 12 are reported.

 Patients were randomised to receive IV placebo, miri 50 mg or 200 mg with possibility of exposure-based dose increases, or miri 600 mg every 4 weeks, with efficacy assessment at Week 12. Serum concentrations of miri were analyzed using population PK methods. Population models were also used to evaluate the relationships between various clinical efficacy measures at Week 12 and miri exposure. The effects of patient factors on both PK and exposure-efficacy relationships were evaluated. Model-based and graphical methods were also used to understand the potential for confounded relationships between miri exposure and efficacy.

 A systemic clearance of 0.023 L/hr was estimated for miri, similar to estimates in healthy subjects and patients with psoriasis. Miri exposure increased in a linear manner. Patients with lower serum albumin concentration or lower body weight tended to have significantly higher clearance or lower volume of distribution, respectively (p<0.01); however, the magnitude of the impact was small and contributed less than 15% to random variability. The model-based exposure-response analyses generally showed that patient factors had a stronger impact on efficacy at Week 12 than miri exposure. Prior biologic experience and baseline rectal bleeding (RB) score had significant impacts (p<0.01) on the estimated placebo effect and maximal miri treatment effect (Emax), respectively. In the clinical response model, the estimated placebo response rate was 20 percentage points higher in biologic naïve vs experienced patients. The estimated response rate at a miri dose of 600mg was 28% higher in patients with a baseline RB≥2. Inclusion of these factors in the exposure-efficacy models caused the estimated EC50 to drop substantially, suggesting that the post-hoc exposure-efficacy relationships are likely confounded based on these patient factors. Graphical evaluations also suggested the presence of confounding factors.

 Miri PK in UC patients was consistent with PK observed in healthy subjects and psoriasis patients. Evaluation of the relationships between miri exposure and efficacy in UC patients accounted for the potential impact of patient factors. Confounding patient factors may distort the true cause-effect relationship between exposure and efficacy and were carefully considered in support of optimal selection of doses for miri Phase 3 studies.

 1. Gastroenterology. 2020;158(3):537–549.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate: (i) the intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities of completion times and step counts on the Standardized Walking Obstacle Course test (SWOC); (ii) correlations between SWOC scores and stroke-specific impairments; (iii) the cut-off SWOC completion times and step counts for distinguishing differences in obstacle negotiation ability in people with chronic stroke and healthy older adults.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.

SETTING
University-based rehabilitation centre.

SUBJECTS
Twenty-nine people with stroke and 30 healthy older adults.

METHODS
SWOC completion times and step counts were measured under 3 conditions: (i) normal walking; (ii) walking with a tray; and (iii) walking with dark-glasses. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment of lower extremity, the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test, the Berg Balance Scale, the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and the Community Integration Measure questionnaire, were also administered.

RESULTS
SWOC completion times and step counts showed very satisfactory to excellent reliabilities (intraclass correlation coefficient; ICC = 0.851-0.993). TUG times correlated significantly with SWOC completion times and step counts under the 3 conditions (r = 0.586-0.815, p < 0.001). SWOC completion times of 14.73-16.00 s and step counts of 23.06-24.13, depending on different walking conditions, were able to discriminate between stroke survivors and healthy older adults.

CONCLUSION
The SWOC is a reliable clinical tool for assessing obstacle negotiation ability in people with stroke.


Using a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis system (sodium dodecyl sulphate/acetic acid-urea-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide) coupled with fluorography, we investigated the synthesis of H1 isoproteins in leukemic cells obtained from peripheral blood of eight children suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (four T-ALL, three common ALL, and one B-ALL) and in normal peripheral lymphocytes. H1 was synthesized in leukemic cells but not in normal lymphocytes. Inhibition of DNA synthesis with hydroxyurea and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine induced an increase of relative synthesis of H1(0) in leukemic cells but did not induce any detectable synthesis of H1 in normal lymphocytes. H1(0) synthesis was also undetectable in peripheral lymphocytes of leukemic children in complete remission after chemotherapy and in lymphocytes of a homozygotic twin of a leukemic patient. H1(0) may be a marker of malignant transformation of lymphocytes and as such could be of use for early detection of relapse in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia in apparent complete remission.


Survivors of violent conflict and atrocities, forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) are at risk for trauma-related mental health problems. Experimental clinical research key to the development of interventions tailored to FDPs is limited. We examined relations among attentional bias (AB) to trauma cues, posttraumatic stress symptom (PTS) severity, and behavioral avoidance of exposure to trauma-related stimuli. A total of 110 Sudanese male asylum seekers (age M = 32.7, SD = 6.5) were recruited from the community in Israel. AB temporal dynamics significantly predicted levels of PTS as well as behavioral avoidance of exposure to trauma stimuli specifically. No effects were observed when AB was quantified traditionally as an aggregated mean representing a static trait. Findings demonstrate the potential role of AB dynamics in PTS among FDPs, help disambiguate extant mixed findings between AB and PTS, and suggest that cognitive bias modification targeting AB dynamics may be a promising new direction for FDP mental health research.


Benzylpenicillin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid, cephalothin, cephaloridine, cefotaxime, imipenem, erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were tested in vitro by the agar dilution method against eleven strains of Nocardia asteroides isolated both from AIDS and other immunocompromised patients. Imipenem, amikacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were shown to be the most active drugs with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values nearly always lower than concentrations achievable in blood. Ciprofloxacin, cephaloridine and cefotaxime were moderately active, while the remaining drugs were totally ineffective. When susceptibility was assessed by the radiometric method the MIC90 values were uniformly lower than those in the agar method, possibly due to lower inactivation of drugs during incubation. The two methods showed a good correlation only for imipenem, amikacin and ciprofloxacin. The results obtained by the radiometric method seem to indicate that, as for mycobacteria, this method may also give a more accurate evaluation of the antimicrobial susceptibility of Nocardiae.


Conspectus Over the past decade, the impressive development of metal halide perovskites (MHPs) has made them leading candidates for applications in photovoltaics (PVs), X-ray scintillators, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Constructing MHP nanocrystals (NCs) with promising optoelectronic properties using a low-cost approach is critical to realizing their commercial potential. Self-assembly and regrowth techniques provide a simple and powerful "bottom-up" platform for controlling the structure, shape, and dimensionality of MHP NCs. The soft ionic nature of MHP NCs, in conjunction with their low formation energy, rapid anion exchange, and ease of ion migration, enables the rearrangement of their overall appearance via self-assembly or regrowth. Because of their low formation energy and highly dynamic surface ligands, MHP NCs have a higher propensity to regrow than conventional hard-lattice NCs. Moreover, their self-assembly and regrowth can be achieved simultaneously. The self-assembly of NCs into close-packed, long-range-ordered mesostructures provides a platform for modulating their electronic properties (e.g., conductivity and carrier mobility). Moreover, assembled MHP NCs exhibit collective properties (e.g., superfluorescence, renormalized emission, longer phase coherence times, and long exciton diffusion lengths) that can translate into dramatic improvements in device performance. Further regrowth into fused MHP nanostructures with the removal of ligand barriers between NCs could facilitate charge carrier transport, eliminate surface point defects, and enhance stability against moisture, light, and electron-beam irradiation. However, the synthesis strategies, diversity and complexity of structures, and optoelectronic applications that emanate from the self-assembly and regrowth of MHPs have not yet received much attention. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the design principles of self-assembled and fused MHP nanostructures will fuel further advances in their optoelectronic applications. In this Account, we review the latest developments in the self-assembly and regrowth of MHP NCs. We begin with a survey of the mechanisms, driving forces, and techniques for controlling MHP NC self-assembly. We then explore the phase transition of fused MHP nanostructures at the atomic level, delving into the mechanisms of facet-directed connections and the kinetics of their shape-modulation behavior, which have been elucidated with the aid of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and first-principles density functional theory calculations of surface energies. We further outline the applications of assembled and fused nanostructures. Finally, we conclude with a perspective on current challenges and future directions in the field of MHP NCs.


In this paper, the dynamic responses of an arch dam in the case of normal water level and operating low water level were simulated by using additional mass model and incompressible finite element model for reservoir respectively. The results showed that the reservoir models have a great impact on dynamic response of arch dams. The maximum principle tensile stress using incompressible finite element model of fluid is less than that using additional mass model. With the depth of the reservoir water increasing, the hydrodynamic pressure acting ton the dam surface caused by earthquake force increased and the dynamic responses of dam also increased.


The Internet and the more recent technologies such as web services, grid computing, utility computing and peer-to-peer computing have created possibilities for very dynamic collaborations and business transactions where information and computational resources may be accessed and shared among autonomous and administratively independent organisations. In these types of collaborations, there is no single authority who can define access policies for all the shared resources. More sophisticated mechanisms are needed to enable flexible administration and enforcement of access policies. The challenge is to develop mechanisms that preserve a high level of control on the administration and the enforcement of policies, whilst supporting the required administrative flexibility.

We introduce two new frameworks to address this issue. In the first part of the thesis we develop a formal framework and an associated calculus for delegation of administrative authority, within and across organisational boundaries, with possibilities to define various restrictions on their propagation and revocation. The extended version of the framework allows reasoning with named groups of users, objects, and actions, and a specific subsumes relation between these groups. We also extend current discretionary access control models with the concept of ability, as a way of specifying when a user is able to perform an action even though not permitted to do so. This feature allows us to model detective access control (unauthorised accesses are logged for post-validation resulting in recovery and/or punitive actions) in addition to traditional preventative access control (providing mechanisms that guarantee no unauthorised access can take place). Detective access control is useful when prevention is either physically or economically impossible, or simply undesirable for one reason or another.

In the second part of the thesis, we develop a formal framework for contractualbased access control to shared resources among independent organisations. We introduce the notion of entitlement in the context of access control models as an access permission supported by an obligation agreed in a contract between the access requester and the resource provider. The framework allows us to represent the obligations in a contract in structured way and to reason about their fulfilments and violations.


The maturation of pulsed rotating machines has evolved to the stage where a greater degree of basic research is required to further increase the energy and power density of advanced compulsators. The University of Texas at Austin Center for Electromechanics is studying the combined mechanical and electrical aspects of very high speed compulsator rotor designs for the next generation of compact pulsed rotating machines. This paper describes the design, construction and testing of three scaled composite rotors. Performance specifications included hoop stresses of 1.7 GPa (250 ksi) in the outer banding and strain excursions of 0.4% in the field coil region. Results from the three studies are reviewed in detail. Techniques developed at the Center for Electromechanics for determining composite rotor performance are also discussed.


Since the second half of the XIX century, Chinese print media have been involved in intercultural exchanges that permanently modified the editorial production in Shanghai, the Chinese capital of modern press. The evolution of the visual language of cartoon (single-panelled, mainly satirical vignette) has to be located in this context, i.e. in a liminal space characterized by the contact and the intermingling of semiotic systems as well as genres and interests. On one hand, the cartoon format is by itself a hybrid genre, born as a complex iconic-verbal construction. On the other hand, Chinese modern cartoon, which emerged and developed at the turn of the XX century along with the evolution of journalism and entertainment in semi-colonial Treaty Ports, reflects and participates into the process of bridging cultural boundaries through adaptive and integrative communication strategies (metissage). The present essay will firstly examine the asymmetrical cultural exchanges between European-American (Punch-and-Puck format) and Chinese culture, and inside the Sino-Japanese 'interliterary community' of the late XIX century. Besides synthetizing the state of the art, the paper will also elaborate on the possibility of a Punch/Puck legacy in 1920s-1930s China. Secondly, through the analysis of selected exempla from the cartoon magazine Modern Sketch (Shidai Manhua, 1934-1937), I will present significant aspects of the transcultural processes occurred in China during the golden years of cartooning.


Men over 50 may experience a decline in sexual, physical and intellectual potency. In many respects this is analogous to the menopause, hence the term male menopause. Although this term suggests profound hormonal changes and loss of reproductive capacity these do not occur in men. The hormonal changes are subtle and loss of fertility is relative. Other changes, part of normal ageing, include degeneration of neural tissue, arterial occlusion and loss of tissue turgor.


Rasashastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana is the branch in Ayurveda which deals with herbal and herbo-mineral drugs. The specialized branch which deals with identification, collection, processing, compounding and dispensing of Ayurvedic drugs is called as Bhaishajya Kalpana. Ayurvedic Dosage forms are exclusive in their pharmaceutics and therapeutics. Sneha Kalpana can be defined as pharmaceutics of medicated Taila and Ghee. These drugs treat a very wide range of diseases among patients of all age groups. In the context of Sneha Kalpana, Taila and Ghrita are supposed to undergo the process called Murchchhana Samskar through which better therapeutic value can be incorporated into the raw material which enhances its absorption into the biological systems. The Taila acts not only as a base or vehicle but also as a class 1 preservative. Pinda Taila was prepared using the ingredients Manjishtha, Sariva, Rala, Madhuchchhishta and Tila Taila. An attempt was made to validate the pharmaceutical preparation of Pinda Taila. It was prepared according to the norms of Ayurvedic classical texts. In the present study, detailed pharmaceutical processes and physicochemical evaluation of Pinda Taila were carried out. The physicochemical parameters included Specific gravity which was found to be 0.9627, Refractive index 1.488, Iodine value 5.88, Acid value 0.15, Saponification value 233.31, and Peroxide value 7.55. HPTLC evaluation showed variable numbers of spots when visualized in all three wavelengths. However, the chemical constituent could not be identified in the absence of a standard marker compound.


Abstract Time-dependent, one-speed neutron transport equations with strong forward and backward scattering together with isotropic scattering are studied in homogeneous slabs and spheres. First, a simple formal equivalence between the transport equations for a critical and for a time-decaying system is established. Then, the transport equation is converted into a more conventional one. The FN method of solving the resulting transport equation is applied to the calculation of the critical parameters and decay constants for the fundamental mode of the flux distribution and one-speed neutrons in spheres and infinite slabs. Numerical results are given for a number of significant figures and compared with those already available in the literature.


The accurate reconstruction of palaeobiodiversity patterns is central to a detailed understanding of the macroevolutionary history of a group of organisms. However, there is increasing evidence that diversity patterns observed directly from the fossil record are strongly influenced by fluctuations in the quality of our sampling of the rock record; thus, any patterns we see may reflect sampling biases, rather than genuine biological signals. Previous dinosaur diversity studies have suggested that fluctuations in sauropodomorph palaeobiodiversity reflect genuine biological signals, in comparison to theropods and ornithischians whose diversity seems to be largely controlled by the rock record. Most previous diversity analyses that have attempted to take into account the effects of sampling biases have used only a single method or proxy: here we use a number of techniques in order to elucidate diversity. A global database of all known sauropodomorph body fossil occurrences (2024) was constructed. A taxic diversity curve for all valid sauropodomorph genera was extracted from this database and compared statistically with several sampling proxies (rock outcrop area and dinosaur‐bearing formations and collections), each of which captures a different aspect of fossil record sampling. Phylogenetic diversity estimates, residuals and sample‐based rarefaction (including the first attempt to capture 'cryptic' diversity in dinosaurs) were implemented to investigate further the effects of sampling. After 'removal' of biases, sauropodomorph diversity appears to be genuinely high in the Norian, Pliensbachian–Toarcian, Bathonian–Callovian and Kimmeridgian–Tithonian (with a small peak in the Aptian), whereas low diversity levels are recorded for the Oxfordian and Berriasian–Barremian, with the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary seemingly representing a real diversity trough. Observed diversity in the remaining Triassic–Jurassic stages appears to be largely driven by sampling effort. Late Cretaceous diversity is difficult to elucidate and it is possible that this interval remains relatively under‐sampled. Despite its distortion by sampling biases, much of sauropodomorph palaeobiodiversity can be interpreted as a reflection of genuine biological signals, and fluctuations in sea level may account for some of these diversity patterns.


Social practice theories have established an important counter narrative to conventional accounts of demand. The core argument of this body of research is that, having focused on informing and incentivising behavioural change, demand management has largely neglected the social and material dimensions of everyday action that shape how and why resources are used. Despite making a compelling case for reframing demand management, there is limited evidence of practice-based approaches having gained a foothold in policy and business practices. This raises important questions regarding how and why certain modes of intervention are pursued at the expense of others and, more broadly, the factors that shape the pace and direction of innovation in demand management. In this paper we turn a practice-lens towards the professional practices of demand management. Using mixed methods, we demonstrate how specific modes of intervention emerge as priorities within a social, political, semiotic and material landscape of professional practice. Our empirical analysis highlights four particular contingencies of demand management that constrain the scope of interventions pursued. These are industry expectations and ideals; modes of collaboration; processes of evidencing action; and hydrosocial disturbances. We discuss the implications of these findings, making suggestions as to how innovation in the practices of demand management might be facilitated, and the role of academic research in this process.


Large wildland fires are complex, costly events influenced by a vast array of physical, climatic, and social factors. Changing climate, fuel buildup due to past suppression, and increasing populations in the wildland-urban interface have all been blamed for the extreme fire seasons and rising suppression expenditures of recent years. With each high-cost year comes a multitude of fire cost reviews, suppression cost studies by federal oversight agencies, and new rules and regulations focused on containing or reducing suppression costs. However, largely ignored in many of these inquiries are the human factors and pressures outside (external to) the influence of the incident team managing a fire that are contributing to the problem. This article presents an in-depth examination of some external human factors that affect incident management team (IMT) decisionmaking and influence suppression costs. Data were collected during 2004 and 2005 through 48 in-depth interviews with IMT command and general staff members representative of each Geographic Area Coordination Center, all federal agencies, and many state agencies whose employees serve on teams. External human factors identified include risk management; interaction with agency administrators; policies, regulations, and rules; resource availability; and social-political pressure. Inattention to these factors can result in policies that adversely affect IMTs charged with managing highly volatile events in a safe, timely, and cost-efficient manner.


Micro-scale Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder interconnects have oligocrystalline grain structure with one to few grains in each solder joint. As well documented in the literature, SAC solder joint consisting of 96.5% β-Sn is highly anisotropic due to the inherently anisotropic mechanical behavior of β-Sn. Therefore, each joint exhibits a unique mechanical response. However, due to the complexities in the quantification of microstructure and finite element (FE) modeling methodology, engineers typically model solder joints as homogenous isotropic structures with directionally averaged mechanical properties. These approximations cause inaccurate prediction of strain levels in the solder and in turn leads to uncertainties in lifetime predictions. A key challenge in grain-scale anisotropic modeling of solder joints, is the lack of widely accepted anisotropic inelastic mechanical properties of solder grains in the literature.
 The goal of this paper is to determine rate-independent plastic constitutive behavior of Anisotropic SAC305 single grains. Monotonic tensile and shear tests are conducted at room temperature on a set of single-grain SAC305 solder joints. The grain structure for each test specimen is characterized with EBSD and finite element modeling is used to iteratively extract model constants for Hill-Holloman continuum plasticity model, which utilizes Hill's anisotropic yield criterion along with a Holloman Power-Law plasticity model to represent each grain. Plastic deformation in the grain boundaries is ignored.


Adventitious root formation is a key step in vegetative propagation of woody or horticul-tural species, and it is a complex process known to be affected by multiple factors. The process of roots development could be divided into three stages: root induction, root initiation, and root protrusion. Phytohormones, especially auxin, played an essential role in regulating roots developments. This review focused on recent advances in the research of plants rooting genomics and proteomics, including auxin biosynthesis, metabolism, transport, and signaling pathway which are involved in modulating plants rooting and the significances of proteomics on research the differences of rooting ability.


This paper examines how strategic investment decisions (SIDs) are made in the Egyptian context. There is an increasing call to comprehensively explore how social, economic, political, cultural, and organisational influences impact managerial judgement in SID making. In doing so, this paper takes an ontological perspective to understand how SIDs are really made. Given the uncertainty of the political and social climate and the radical changes that have taken place in Egypt, this paper provides a unique opportunity to investigate how SIDs are made in a revolution space. The contextual emphasis leads to a qualitative, interpretive research methodology. Twenty-seven unstructured interviews were conducted from national-owned and multinational companies in Egypt. Twelve organisations out of the twenty-seven that were interviewed were working for multinational organisations, thirteen of them were working for nationally owned organisations and the remaining two are joint venture companies. We found that the uncertainty embedded in the contextual structures cannot be translated through abstracted technical investment appraisal methods, so the role of subjective judgments and personal intuition is emphasized in the making of SIDs. Although both national and multinational companies indicate that in the time of revolution it is more rational to rely on personal trust rather than system trust. We found that multinational organizations push their Egyptian subsidiaries to articulate technical methods as a taken-for-granted practice, whether it is deemed meaningful or not.


In 1999–2000 a team of professionals and researchers carried out the largest research study so far undertaken with recipients of housing adaptations in England and Wales to discover how effectively the adaptations had achieved their objectives. Amongst the findings was evidence that well‐designed adaptations had beneficial, and/or preventative effects on both physical and mental health; that these benefits were long‐term and that they extended beyond the disabled person to help the health of other family members. The evidence presented is linked with key themes from other research to trace in detail the pathways that lead from unadapted or badly adapted housing to mental and physical ill health. It is suggested that these themes, including the meaning of home and the concept of intrusion are vital to understanding how health gains may be achieved through adaptation, and are useful and relevant to the broader debate on links between housing and health.