The immigration literature generally concludes that the assimilation of immigrants mainly depends on individual characteristics of the person. Following Hatton and Leigh (2011), we study whether immigrants assimilate as communities, not only as individuals. Using the 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2006 Canadian Census data, the relationship between the assimilation of immigrants and the past stock of given ethnic origin groups are studied. Alongside the past stock, other group-level variables are used. The results suggest that a large number of immigrants from a given origin group depress the relative hours worked whilst a history of past immigration raises the relative hourly wages. Thus, the history of the individual's ethnic group in the host country matters in the assimilation process. In addition, the years since migration of a given origin group raises both the relative annual earnings and hourly wages.

In chapter two, using data from the Canadian censuses of 2001 and 2006, the role of the migrant's community in their time choices compared to native Canadians is studied. A Tobit regression in which the dependent variables are, the number of hours per week spent on childcare, housework and looking after the elderly, is estimated. The results show that immigrants spend less time on these three activities compared to natives and there is evidence to suggest that the migrant's community positively aids in the assimilation process of nonmarket activities.

The province of Quebec in Canada has two official languages, English and French, with French being the majority-spoken language. Similarly, the Montreal metropolitan area in Quebec has a majority of native French speakers but also a significant proportion of native English speakers and allophone immigrants. Using the 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011 Canadian Census data, the paper Payoff to official language knowledge in Quebec studies the wage premium associated to having knowledge of an official language(s) that is different from one's mother tongue and whether it pays for one to learn a second official language given that communication can already take place with a different mother tongue language group (network externality). The results suggest that for the English mother tongue group, there is a positive payoff associated to having knowledge of French in Quebec and Montreal, while having knowledge of the English language for Francophone individuals only pays in Quebec but not in Montreal. For the allophone immigrants, there is a positive payoff to having knowledge of French only, higher than having knowledge of English only. However, having knowledge of both official languages pays more than knowing just one. Finally, evidence is found in Francophone individuals to support the network externality hypothesis.


IL-36 cytokines are proinflammatory and have an important role in innate and adaptive immunity, but the role of IL-36 signaling in renal tubulointerstitial lesions (TILs), a major prognostic feature of renal inflammation and fibrosis, remains undetermined. In this study, increased IL-36α expression detected in renal biopsy specimens and urine samples from patients with renal TILs correlated with renal function impairment. We confirmed the increased expression of IL-36α in the renal tubular epithelial cells of a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and related cell models using mechanically induced pressure, oxidative stress, or high mobility group box 1. In contrast, the kidneys of IL-36 receptor (IL-36R) knockout mice exhibit attenuated TILs after UUO. Compared with UUO-treated wild-type mice, UUO-treated IL-36 knockout mice exhibited markedly reduced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and macrophage/T cell infiltration in the kidney and T cell activation in the renal draining lymph nodes. In vitro, recombinant IL-36α facilitated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in renal tubular epithelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells and enhanced dendritic cell-induced T cell proliferation and Th17 differentiation. Furthermore, deficiency of IL-23, which was diminished in IL-36R knockout UUO mice, also reduced renal TIL formation in UUO mice. In wild-type mice, administration of an IL-36R antagonist after UUO reproduced the results obtained in UUO-treated IL-36R knockout mice. We propose that IL-36 signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of renal TILs through the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-23/IL-17 axis.


We have developed GPU versions for two major high-performance-computing (HPC) applications originating from two different scientific domains. GENE is a plasma microturbulence code which is employed for simulations of nuclear fusion plasmas. VERTEX is a neutrino-radiation hydrodynamics code for "first principles"-simulations of core-collapse supernova explosions. The codes are considered state of the art in their respective scientific domains, both concerning their scientific scope and functionality as well as the achievable compute performance, in particular parallel scalability on all relevant HPC platforms. GENE and VERTEX were ported by us to HPC cluster architectures with two NVidia Kepler GPUs mounted in each node in addition to two Intel Xeon CPUs of the Sandy Bridge family. On such platforms we achieve up to twofold gains in the overall application performance in the sense of a reduction of the time to solution for a given setup with respect to a pure CPU cluster. The paper describes our basic porting strategies and benchmarking methodology, and details the main algorithmic and technical challenges we faced on the new, heterogeneous architecture.


Traditional knowledge of indigenous people could become the baseline information
for the discovery of anti-aging agent. The objectives of this study were to document
the knowledge of Jakun people in Kampung Peta, Mersing, Johor on medicinal
plants for women's healthcare; to investigate the optimal formulations of herbal
mixture used by Jakun women based on phytochemicals content and antioxidant
activity; to determine the anti-aging potential of the selected formulations; and to
investigate the major phytochemical constituents in the formulations. Based on
qualitative analysis from semi-structured interview, twelve species of medicinal
plants have been documented for women's healthcare. Among species documented,
four species, Cnestis palala (Pengesep), Urceola micrantha (Serapat), Labisia
pumila (Kacip fatimah) and Microporus xanthopus (Kulat kelentit kering) that were
prepared in the form of mixture have been used for formulation study. About 24
formulations have been developed from the simplex centroid design and tested for
total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid content (aluminium
chloride colorimetric method) and three different antioxidant assays (DPPH
scavenging, ABTS decolourization and FRAP assays). Single formulation of Cnestis
palala, single formulation of Urceola micrantha and binary mixture of C. palala and
U. micrantha are among the optimal formulations with high phytochemicals content
and antioxidant activities that were further evaluated for anti-aging activities. For
anti-aging activities, five enzymatic assays have been tested on the three
formulations which are matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) inhibition, elastase
inhibition, tyrosinase inhibition, acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition assays.
Single formulation of U. micrantha showed the highest inhibition towards MMP-1
(49.44 ± 4.11 %) and elastase enzymes (20.33±2.52%), while single formulation of C.
palala showed highest inhibitions towards tyrosinase (14.06±0.31%),
acetylcholinesterase (32.92±2.13%) and butyrylcholinesterase (34.89±2.84%)
enzymes. The identification of phytochemicals compound have been carried out
using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), which showed the presence
of 2,2-dimethoxybutane and 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one
(DDMP) in the three formulations extract. The presence of catechol and quinic acid
in U. micrantha extract might possibly contribute to anti-aging activities of the
extract. These findings could become baseline for the exploration of novel anti-aging
agents from natural source by using the traditional knowledge of indigenous people.


This review provides valuable information about the general characteristics, processing conditions and physical properties of carbon nanotube buckypaper (BP) and its polymer composites. Vacuum filtration is the most common technique used for manufacturing BP, since the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in aqueous solution with the aid of surfactant. Previous works have reported that mechanical properties of BP prepared by vacuum filtration technique are relatively weak. On the other hand, the incorporation of polymer materials in those nanostructures revealed a significant improvement in their mechanical behavior, since the impregnation between matrix and BP is optimized. Electrical conductivity of BP/polymer composites can reach values as high as 2000 S/m, which are several orders of magnitude greater than traditional CNT/polymer composites. Also, BP can improve remarkably the thermal stability of polymer matrices, opening new perspectives to use this material in fire retardant applications.


A tribological investigation of ceramic on metal hip replacements was carried out using in vitro wear testing methods. Two ceramic materials, pure alumina and an alumina matrix compound (zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA)), were articulated against as-cast CoCrMo alloy cups. The diameter was changed from 38 mm to 60 mm to explore the effect of diameter on the tribological performance. Three distinct wear tests were undertaken to allow a direct comparison between materials and sizes. These were; wear testing using standard loading and motion profiles, microseparation (edge loading) in which the loading and motion profiles were modified to allow medial-lateral and inferior-superior displacement of the head, and third body particle tests which incorporated 0.5 g of <1 μm alumina particle in the lubricant.

The Durham Mark I Hip Wear Simulator was used to simulate the standard walking cycle, and was further modified to incorporate microseparation during the swing phase of the walking cycle. All simulator tests were gravimetrically analysed and linear regression analysis was used to determine running in and steady state wear rates. In addition, surface analytical techniques including non contacting profilometery, atomic force, scanning electron and optical microscopy were used to identify changes in surface topography throughout the wear tests. Parameters such as the root mean squared roughness and skewness were monitored to provide quantitative changes in the surface features. The roughness was also used to calculate the ratio of minimum film thickness to equivalent roughness known as the lambda ratio. This provided an theoretical indication of the lubrication regime. Dynamic friction
measurements were undertaken on the Durham Friction Simulator, using water based bovine serum based lubricants, which allowed the lubrication mechanism to be identified through the generation of a Stribeck Curve. The results showed low wear rates for all materials and sizes tested, compared with standard metal on polyethylene and metal on metal components. The wear of the ceramic heads was unmeasurable using the gravimetric method, as the volume
change of the heads fluctuated with a similar trend and magnitude to the control head which did not experience wear. Wear was detected for the softer metallic cups
in all tests.

The standard wear test produced the lowest cup wear rates, compared with microseparation and third body tests which showed increased wear rates through extensive abrasive and adhesive wear mechanisms. After microseparation testing,
characteristic stripe wear patterns were found on the ceramic heads and a flattened lip on the metallic cups. Metal transfer was also identified, which was thought to be due to impact during dislocation of the head during the swing phase of the walking cycle. Third body tests resulted in significant grain loss from the ceramic components compared with both standard or microseparation testing. Low friction factors were recorded for all ceramic on metal components, generally showing the joints to be working close to full fluid film lubrication during the high load stance phase of the walking cycle.


This study analyzed the influence of socioeconomic characteristics on crop farmers and pastoralists' land use conflicts in Abia state, Southeast, Nigeria. Data were collected with structured questionnaire, complimented with observation from 300 crop farmers and 40 pastoralists and analyzed using ordinary least squares regression model. On the part of the crop farmers, the result indicates that three of the ten independent variables (sex, family size and farm size) influenced positively and significantly crop farmers and pastoralists land use conflict. On the part of the nomads, household size (t=2.131), educational level (t=2.222) and social organization membership (t=2.144) all influenced positively land use conflict at 0.05% probability level. Herding experiences (t=3.141) also influenced positively and significantly the perceived causes of land use conflict at 0.01% level of significance. It was recommended that government should fasten the creation of more grazing reserves following the challenges of climate change for easy access by the pastoralists. The government should fasten the proposed demarcation of livestock route and grazing fields to promote peaceful coexistence. Keywords: Conflicts, Crop Farmers, Pastoralists, Land use, Land tenure


Abstract. Today climate change is one of the most significant threats and global issues that should be concerned. It causes the increased number of natural disasters such as hurricanes, storms, typhoons and floods. Under these critical hydrological conditions, transportation infrastructure includes bridges easily got submerged, damaged and lead to its failures. Evaluation of bridge stability, hydrodynamic forces acted to bridges and understanding the complex flow behavior in particular during and after flooding plays an important role to estimate the probability of failure risks for existing bridges and optimal design of future bridges. In the present paper, the turbulent flow with high Reynolds number over a fully submerged bridge deck with various length-to-thickness ratios is numerically investigated by using ANSYS FLUENT. The blockage and submergence ratios are defined as 0.23 and 2, respectively. The realizable k–ε model and volume of fraction (VOF) is applied to predict the complex water surface profiles over the bridge deck and turbulence characteristics including backwater effect upstream of the bridge. Effects of the aspect ratio to the drag coefficient are studied.


This is a study of the techniques of moral regulation projects which target the drinking practices of women. It takes a historical comparative approach, because women's drinking has been identified as a perennial concern, yet the existing body of evidence points to far fewer women than men experiencing alcohol related harms. The imperative to regulate women's drinking practices comes from government and extra-state organisations, and their attempt to shape women's drinking practices through discourses is the focus of this study.
The research focused on source materials produced by alcohol regulation campaign groups from two time periods, 1830 – 1872, and 2004 – 2014. The materials, Temperance tracts, and contemporary posters, were identified on the basis that they were widely available to drinking women in their respective time periods. The materials were analysed using a narrative analysis method, exploring both the textual and visual content of each source. The data analysis was informed by moral regulation theory, theories of governance and post-feminist theory.
The key findings of the study are that women's drinking is primarily constructed as a social problem of disorder. The use of two distinctive tropes, the 'controlled woman' and the 'uncontrolled woman' dominated the sources in both time periods. Constructed through themes of dirt, loss, sexuality, charity, feminine poise and moral governance, the tropes were underpinned by the concept of character.
Undertaking a historical comparison of alcohol regulation campaign groups enabled an insight into how the discourses used in contemporary alcohol regulation campaigns show clear continuities in the themes and techniques used by campaign groups in the mid-19th century in Britain. These moral regulation projects seek to impact on women's drinking through a technique which assumes that women possess 'Character' – an attribute which the campaign groups assume will respond to the discourses presented in their materials.


Abstract:In this article, we interrogate some of the central assumptions in the literature on Iran's nuclear behavior, including the role of the United States as a benevolent hegemon, the revisionist character of the Iranian government, the utility and efficacy of sanctions, and the widespread assumption that Iran is bent on obtaining and even using the bomb. We maintain that contemporary debates on the Iranian nuclear issue display similarities to Kremlinology during the Cold War, being deeply politicized and subject to bias and self-censorship. We conclude by highlighting ways for scholars to recast the discussion.


A new approach to passive bistatic radar imaging using DVB-T signals as illuminators of opportunity is presented. The concept has been verified using ground based mobile platforms as a radar receiver carrier. The paper presents an algorithm description and its verification using both simulated and real data gathered during an outdoor measurement campaign.


Introduction: Although aspirin/NSAIDs may have potential preventive effects on several cancers, it remains unclear on gastric cancer. The purpose of this study is to compare the risk of developing gastric cancer and the histologic changes of intestinal metaplasia and neutrophil infiltration, between aspirin/NSAID users and nonusers. Methods: Using an electronic endoscopy database in two hospitals from 1996 to 2017, we analyzed the data from patients with chronic gastritis who received aspirin or NSAIDs prior to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed to compare the proportion of gastric cancer, intestinal metaplasia, and neutrophil infiltration between these drug users and nonusers. Results: We analyzed 2,082 aspirin users and 2,082 nonusers as well as 898 NSAID users and 898 nonusers. Six diffuse-type and 19 intestinal-type gastric cancer, 1,243 intestinal metaplasia, and 1,503 neutrophil infiltration patients were identified. The proportion of diffuse-type gastric cancer (0.05%) was 80% lower in aspirin users compared with the nonusers (0.24%), and there was no case of diffuse-type cancer in patients who took aspirin for more than 2 years. In contrast, intestinal-type gastric cancer incidence was significantly higher in aspirin users (0.72%) compared with nonusers (0.14%). No significant differences in the incidence of gastric cancer were found between NSAID use and nonusers. NSAID use was significantly associated with decreased proportion of neutrophil infiltration compared with nonusers. Conclusion: Aspirin may have distinct effects between intestinal-type and diffuse-type gastric cancer development. Cancer Prev Res; 11(5); 279–86. ©2018 AACR.


Julia Gillard has had a rough few days. More accurately weeks, well, months. Let's face it, years. And at the centre of so many of her travails has been debate about her gender. She's been called a witch, deliberately barren, asked if her partner is gay and been the subject of a "joke" menu where a dish was described, with misogynistic cruelty, in terms of parts of her anatomy. But for all Gillard's outrage about the language and attitudes she faces, there's a rather large elephant siting in her office in The Lodge which she seems to determined to ignore: she's just as guilty of discrimination herself, the only difference being that instead of differentiating between people on because of their gender, she does so on their sexuality. Until she changes her position on marriage equality anything she has to say on gender, discrimination or equality can only be taken as political posturing. In many ways marriage equality is a relatively minor issue in the larger drama of Australian political life. But on another level it is central to any evaluation of Julia Gillard's leadership. Equality of any kind is always important but that's not why it matters at the moment. It matters because it speaks directly to the question of trust. It speaks to who will be valued and who will be cast aside by our political leaders. It shows us who the PM thinks is expendable.


We prove that crossing probabilities for the critical planar Ising model with free boundary conditions are conformally invariant in the scaling limit, a phenomenon first investigated numerically by Langlands, Lewis and Saint-Aubin (J. Stat. Phys. 98 (2000) 131-244). We do so by establishing the convergence of certain exploration processes towards SLE(3, -3/2, -3/2). We also construct an exploration tree for free boundary conditions, analogous to the one introduced by Sheffield (Duke Math. J. 147 (2009) 79-129).


Bone narrow (BM)- derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) represent the most extensively studied population of adult MSCs and are considered as the gold-standard for MSC-based clinical applications. Yet, it is now becoming increasingly clear that BM may not represent the most suitable source for MSC collection. Indeed, Umbilical cord (UC) has emerged as a more abundant and easily attainable source of MSCs and several reports have shown that MSCs can be efficiently isolated from the connective tissue that surrounds UC vessels, namely the Wharton's jelly (WJ). According to the existing literature, WJ-MSCs display typical MSC characteristics, however a head-to-head comparison with BM-MSCs is still lacking.

Provided that ex vivo MSC expansion is a prerequisite for clinical MSC-applications, in the present study we seek to comparatively investigate the characteristics of WJ- and BM-MSCs, cultured under identical conditions.

MSCs were isolated and expanded from consenting healthy donors' BM aspirates (n=5) and from the WJ of full-term neonates (n=10) after written informed consent of the family. MSCs were in vitro expanded and re-seeded for a total of 10 passages (P) and phenotypically characterized by flow cytometry (FC). MSCs were induced to differentiate in vitro to adipocytes and osteoblasts. Differentiation was assessed by cytochemical stains and by the expression of adipocyte- and osteocyte-specific genes. Relative gene expression was calculated by the ΔCt method. MSC growth characteristics were assessed by evaluating the population doubling time (DT) and by a methyl-triazolyl-tetrazolium (MTT)-assay throughout passages. Cell-cycle analysis was performed using propidium iodide (PI) staining. MSC survival was evaluated by FC with 7-Aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD) and senescence was estimated by the percentage of SA-b-gal+ cells in cultures. Moreover, MSC karyotypic stability was assessed with classic G-banding. Finally the expression of genes related to Wnt-mediated signal transduction was also investigated, using a PCR array. Total RNA was thus isolated from 6 representative BM- and 6 WJ-MSC cultures at P2. The fold change (FC) for each gene between the group of WJ- and the group of BM-MSCs was calculated with the ΔΔCt method (FC=2-ΔΔCt).

WJ-MSCs displayed a spindle-shape morphology, similar to BM-MSCs. Furthermore, WJ- and BM-MSCs displayed identical immunophenotype, as evidenced by the expression of CD90,CD105,CD44,CD29,CD73 and the lack of expression of CD45,CD14,CD34,CD31. WJ-MSCs displayed superior proliferative potential compared to BM-MSCs throughout passages (p<0.05). Moreover, the proportion of proliferating (S/G2/M) WJ-MSCs was higher compared to BM-MSCs at P4 (p<0.001), while there was no significant difference between two MSC populations in the proportion of 7-AADbright/dim –cells at P4. Regarding senescence, significantly fewer SA-b-gal+ cells were observed in WJ-MSC cultures, as compared to BM-MSCs at P10 (p<0.05). Compared to their bone marrow counterparts, WJ-MSCs displayed inferior capacity to differentiate into adipocytes and osteoblasts as evidenced by Oil Red O and Alizarin Red staining, respectively, and also by the weaker expression of adipocyte- (PPAR-g, p<0.0002; CEBP-a, p<0.0001) and osteocyte-specific markers (RUNX2, p<0.0006; DLX5, p<0.0001; ALP, p<0.0042). No chromosomal abnormalities were observed in either WJ- or BM-MSCs during in vitro expansion. Regarding the Wnt-pathway signaling molecules, the Wnt antagonist sFRP4, which induces adipogenesis, as well the Wnt/b-catenin target gene Wisp-1, a regulator of osteogenesis were significantly down-regulated in WJ-MSCs (FC=22.3825, p<0,05; FC=20.18, p<0.0001, respectively). On the other hand, the expression of Wnt/b-catenin target gene Cyclin D1, which induces MSC proliferation and represses adipogenesis, was up-regulated in WJ-MSCs (FC=2.8, p<0.05).

Taken together WJ-MSCs display decreased cellular senescence after extended in vitro culture, increased proliferative capacity and reduced potential to differentiate in vitro to adipocytes and osteocytes, as compared to BM-MSCs. The last two observations can be explained, at least partly, by the aberrant expression of Wnt-signaling molecules in WJ-MSCs. The emerging role of Wnt-signaling pathway in WJ-MSC biology is currently under investigation.

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Hollow metallic circular waveguides with helical corrugation of the inner surface (helical waveguides) attract considerable interest for various applications such as interaction regions in gyrotron traveling-wave tubes and as a dispersive medium for passive microwave pulse compression. In this paper, we employ a vector finite-element method in 2-D formulation for computation of the dispersion, attenuation characteristics, and the distribution of electromagnetic fields of eigenwaves of helical waveguides. As shown by comparison with the results of previously performed 3-D calculations, the presented method provides sufficient accuracy of calculating the characteristics of helical waveguides for a number of practically important cases at much lesser consumption of computer resources.


We present recent results of prototyping general-purpose particle tracking on GPUs and discuss our CUDA implementation of transfer maps for single-particle dynamics and collective effects. The objective of this work being incorporation of the GPU-accelerated tracking into ANL's accelerator code ELEGANT [1], we used the code's quadrupole and drift-with-LSC elements as test cases, achieving 80x and 36x speedups over CPU implementations, respectively. We discuss quadrupole kernel optimizations, as well as data-parallel and hardware-assisted approaches to avoiding thread contention at the charge deposition stage of algorithms for modeling collective effects.


In this paper we study spread codes: a family of constant-dimension
codes for random linear network coding. In other words, the codewords
are full-rank matrices of size $k\times n$ with entries in a finite
field $\mathbb F_q$. Spread codes are a family of optimal codes with
maximal minimum distance. We give a minimum-distance decoding
algorithm which requires $\mathcal{O}((n-k)k^3)$ operations over
an extension field $\mathbb F_{q^k}$. Our algorithm is more
efficient than the previous ones in the literature, when the dimension $k$ of the codewords is small with respect to $n$.
The decoding algorithm takes advantage of the algebraic structure
of the code, and it uses original results on minors of a matrix
and on the factorization of polynomials over finite fields.


While data and literature on Roma health are scarce, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Roma are disadvantaged in almost all areas of health. Health inequalities experienced by Roma are likely to be caused in part by their relatively poor access to health care services, caused in turn by poverty, lack of documentation, geographical distance from health providers and discrimination on the part of health workers. Initiatives developed under the European Union during the last twenty years have gone some way in providing a policy framework within which countries have attempted to redress these inequalities. CEE countries with large Roma minorities such as Romania, Bulgaria. Hungary and Slovakia have moved from policies of exclusion or forced assimilation to rights based approaches. However, it is not clear that implementation has been successful to date. The recommendations made in this policy brief could provide a broad framework although this would necessarily need to be more tailored to varying local circumstances: to be effective, policy on Roma health has to take into account social and cultural issues and should be multi-sectoral, taking place within the broader context of anti-discrimination legislation and institution building; Roma, particularly women, should participate in all stages of data collection and in policy-making and programme development; there is a need for measures to combat discrimination of Roma in accessing health services; victims of alleged discrimination should be encouraged to come forward with complaints; problems with implementation need to be urgently addressed by allocating sufficient financial resources to programmes and carrying out regular assessments of the impact of policies; and there is an urgent need for more research and dissemination of research. The European Commission could do much to support countries in developing and implementing such policies.


The X-ray photoelectron spectral structure of CeO2 valence electrons in the binding energy range of 0 to ∼50 eV was analyzed. The core-electron spectral structure parameters and the results of relativistic discrete-variational calculations of CeO8 and Ce63O216 clusters were taken into account. Comparison of the valence and the core-electron spectral structures showed that the formation of the inner (IVMO) and the outer (OVMO) valence molecular orbitals contributes to the spectral structure more than the many-body processes. The Ce 4f electrons were established to participate directly in chemical bond formation in CeO2 losing partially their f character. They were found to be localized mostly within the outer valence band. The Ce 5p atomic orbitals were shown to participate in the formation of both the inner and the outer valence molecular orbitals (MOs). A large part in the IVMO formation is taken by the filled Ce 5p1/2, 5p3/2 and O 2s atomic shells, while the Ce 5s electrons participate weakly in the chemical bond formation. The composition and the sequent order of the molecular orbitals in the binding energy range of 0 to ∼50 eV were established. A quantitative scheme for the molecular orbitals of CeO2 was built. This scheme is fundamental for understanding the nature of chemical bonding and also for the interpretation of other X-ray spectra of CeO2. Evaluations revealed that the IVMO electrons weaken the chemical bond formed by the OVMO electrons by 37%.


One third of U.S. natural gas is extracted by injecting fluid at high pressure into shale formations, a process associated with a number of possible hazards and risks that have become the subject of intense public controversy. We develop a three-part schema to make sense of risks of hydraulic fracturing and the responsibilities of engineers: the lab, the field, and the forum. In the lab, researchers seek to answer basic questions about, for example, the behavior of shale under particular conditions; there uncertainty seems to arise at every turn. In the field, engineers and others work to implement technological processes, such as hydraulic fracturing and the subsequent extraction of oil and gas; hazards may arise as natural and social systems respond in sometimes surprising ways. In the forum, the public and their representatives deliberate about risk and acceptable risk, questions that are framed in ethical as well as technical terms. The difficulty of characterizing – and in living up to – the responsibilities of engineers lie in part in the apparent distance between the lab and the forum. We examine in turn uncertainties in the lab, hazards in the field, and deliberation in the forum, leading to the conclusion that scientists and engineers can and should help to inform public deliberation but that their research cannot, on its own, resolve all controversies. Scientists and engineers who seek to inform deliberation should be mindful of the scope and limits of their authority, clear and modest in communicating research findings to the public, and careful to avoid even apparent conflicts of interest wherever possible. We close by drawing from the lab-field-forum schema to suggest a direction for pedagogical innovations aimed at the formation of responsible engineers in the context of college-level degree programs.


COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT METHODS FOR LONGITUDINAL DATA WITH MISSING OBSERVATIONS Lin Sun July 27, 2010 Longitudinal studies occupy an important role in scientific researches and clinical trials. When taking the analysis of longitudinal data, investigators are often confronted with missing data which will produce potential biases, even in well-controlled condition. In the literature, missing data could be classified as missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR) and missing not at random (MNAR). Generalized estimating equations (GEE), Linear mixed effects model (LME) and Pattern-mixture effect model (PME) are the commonly used analysis methods for longitudinal data. In the current work, we carried out simulations on evaluating the performances of the different methods on analyzing longitudinal data. Based on our simulations, we conclude that when missing is MCAR, all the methods give valid estimation; when missing is MAR, GEE and PME give biased estimating results, while LME provides valid estimation. The choice of the patterns in PME may cause biased results; and when missing is MNAR, none of these models works very well, however, the selection of the patterns in PME may deserve further investigation.


Aims and method The STEPWISE trial (STructured lifestyle Education for People WIth SchizophrEnia, schizoaffective disorder and first episode psychosis) is currently evaluating a lifestyle education programme in addition to usual care. However, it is difficult to define what constitutes 'usual care'. We aimed to define 'usual care' for lifestyle management in people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and first-episode psychosis in STEPWISE study sites. Ten National Health Service (NHS) mental health trusts participated in a bespoke survey based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. Results Eight trusts reported offering lifestyle education programmes and nine offered smoking cessation support. Reported recording of biomedical measures varied. Clinical implications Although recommended by NICE, lifestyle education programmes are not consistently offered across UK NHS mental health trusts. This highlights missed opportunities to improve the physical health of people with psychotic illness. Our survey benchmarks 'usual care' for the STEPWISE study, against which changes can be measured. Furthermore, future studies will be able to identify whether any progress in clinical practice has been made towards achieving the NICE recommendations.


Islam promotes ''amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa-nahy 'an al-munkar" or 'enjoining good and forbidding wrong' as the underlying basis of human social, political and economic interactions and core precursor in maximizing human welfare. However, in the business realm today, individuals tend to operate under the rational (i.e. maximizing welfare) mode, only that the welfare maximized is his alone. To curb this tendency, whistle-blowing provisions have been introduced by more and more institutions as one possible mechanism to deter wrongdoings or corrupt behaviour and guide formal investigations of wrongdoings in corporate or public institutions. Whistle-blowing has an undeniable value within the framework of ''amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa-nahy 'an al-munkar" in institutional governance, alongside other educational and spiritual enhancement efforts. Many of the problems in private and public institutions in Muslim countries can be prevented if people had acted on their suspicions and prompted the authorities to intervene. While many studies have established the importance of cultural and ethical background in determining whistle-blowing motivations and system, very few specifically whistle-blowing within the Islamic doctrine of ''amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa-nahy 'an al-munkar" and its implications on whistleblowing systems. This paper attempts to fill this void by drawing from elements of the Islamic hisbah system as outlined by Imam al-Ghazali (d. 505H) specifically that can be used to guide drafting of whistle-blowing systems generally. An implication for modern-day managers is that additional investment should ideally be made to leverage on religious feelings and God-consciousness with respect to individual role in enjoining good and forbidding wrong.


An optically modulated field-effect transistor (OFET) based on a silicon carbide junction field-effect transistor (JFET) is under study as, potentially, a prototype of devices that could be useful for detecting ultraviolet light. The SiC OFET is an experimental device that is one of several devices, including commercial and experimental photodiodes, that were initially evaluated as detectors of ultraviolet light from combustion and that could be incorporated into SiC integrated circuits to be designed to function as combustion sensors. The ultraviolet-detection sensitivity of the photodiodes was found to be less than desired, such that it would be necessary to process their outputs using high-gain amplification circuitry. On the other hand, in principle, the function of the OFET could be characterized as a combination of detection and amplification. In effect, its sensitivity could be considerably greater than that of a photodiode, such that the need for amplification external to the photodetector could be reduced or eliminated. The experimental SiC OFET was made by processes similar to JFET-fabrication processes developed at Glenn Research Center. The gate of the OFET is very long, wide, and thin, relative to the gates of typical prior SiC JFETs. Unlike in prior SiC FETs, the gate is almost completely transparent to near-ultraviolet and visible light. More specifically: The OFET includes a p+ gate layer less than 1/4 m thick, through which photons can be transported efficiently to the p+/p body interface. The gate is relatively long and wide (about 0.5 by 0.5 mm), such that holes generated at the body interface form a depletion layer that modulates the conductivity of the channel between the drain and the source. The exact physical mechanism of modulation of conductivity is a subject of continuing research. It is known that injection of minority charge carriers (in this case, holes) at the interface exerts a strong effect on the channel, resulting in amplification of the photon-detection signal. A family of operating curves characterizing the OFET can be generated in a series of measurements performed at different intensities of incident ultraviolet light.


The management of radial nerve palsy associated with fractures of the shaft of the humerus has been disputed for several decades. This study has systematically reviewed the published evidence and developed an algorithm to guide management. We searched web-based databases for studies published in the past 40 years and identified further pages through manual searches of the bibliography in papers identified electronically. Of 391 papers identified initially, encompassing a total of 1045 patients with radial nerve palsy, 35 papers met all our criteria for eligibility. Meticulous extraction of the data was carried out according to a preset protocol. The overall prevalence of radial nerve palsy after fracture of the shaft of the humerus in 21 papers was 11.8% (532 palsies in 4517 fractures). Fractures of the middle and middle-distal parts of the shaft had a significantly higher association with radial nerve palsy than those in other parts. Transverse and spiral fractures were more likely to be associated with radial nerve palsy than oblique and comminuted patterns of fracture (p < 0.001). The overall rate of recovery was 88.1% (921 of 1045), with spontaneous recovery reaching 70.7% (411 of 581) in patients treated conservatively. There was no significant difference in the final results when comparing groups which were initially managed expectantly with those explored early, suggesting that the initial expectant treatment did not affect the extent of nerve recovery adversely and would avoid many unnecessary operations. A treatment algorithm for the management of radial nerve palsy associated with fracture of the shaft of the humerus is recommended by the authors.


Background: Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are prone to baseline resistance and potential early treatment failure. We investigated the NNRTI resistance profiles of antiretroviral therapy (ART)–naive patients with HIV in a large urban clinic and assessed their response to initial ART.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of ART-naive patients, who had baseline genotypes, starting ART prior to July 16, 2015. Cox regression was used to determine the impact on time to viral suppression with baseline NNRTI resistance as the primary covariate of interest. Of those who achieved virologic suppression, Cox regression was used to determine the impact on viral rebound [viral load (VL) ≥ 200 copies/mL or two VLs at least two weeks apart ≥ 50 copies/mL].
Results: Of the 1220 included, 84 (6.9%) had baseline NNRTI resistance (34-103N, 19-138A/G/K, 15-181C, 16-17D/E, and 7-101E/H/P). Of the 84, 7 had 184V, 20 had other NRTI mutations and 6 had PI mutations. Patients without NNRTI mutations were most commonly started on NNRTI-based regimens (41%), followed by PI-based (30%) and then integrase inhibitor (INI)-based regimens (11%). Patients with baseline NNRTI resistance were most commonly started on PI-based regimens (42%), followed by INI-based regimens (19%). Overall 83% with NNRTI mutations achieved viral suppression as compared to 84% without NNRTI mutations. In multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, gender, baseline VL and CD4 count, duration of HIV and baseline PI mutations, the presence of NNRTI mutations did not impact virologic suppression (aHR=0.96; 95%CI=0.74-1.23). For virologic rebound, after adjusting for the same covariates, the presence of NNRTI mutations did not impact virologic rebound (aHR=1.10; 95%CI=0.67-1.81).
Conclusions: Despite having baseline NNRTI mutations, the majority of the patients reached viral suppression and did not experience virologic rebound. It's reassuring to clinicians that those with baseline NNRTI mutations still respond well to ART.


ABSTRACT Tak, W.J.; Jun, K.W., Kin, S.D., and Lee, H.J., 2020. Using drone and LiDAR to assess coastal erosion and shoreline change due to the construction of coastal structures. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 674-678. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Recently, The construction of structures on the coastal zone near estuaries, which are the supply sources of sediments, causes a variation in the waterway; this induces a change in the surrounding coasts, and the resulting coastal erosion can adversely affect the lives of the local residents. In the case of a balanced sediment flow, the quantity of the sediment deposited on the coast is equal to the quantity of the released sediment. However, an increase in either of the quantities causes an imbalance in the sediment transport; consequently, the sand is either deposited or eroded in the coastal or proximate shore regions. In this study, the changes in the shoreline and Wolcheon Beach region located on the east coast of Korea was monitored between 2010 to 2019 investigate the phenomena of coastal erosion and beach deformation. The shorelines, beach width, and beach profile were primarily monitored by employing a drone and a terrestrial LiDAR. The results showed that the sediments were transported northward in summer and southward in winter until 2010 in Wolcheon Beach; however, this seasonal sediment transport was blocked during 2011–2012 by the construction of coastal structures such as breakwaters, leading to partial coastal erosion and sedimentation. Wolcheon Beach originally had the coastal characteristics of the Korean East Coast region (2010), but the sediment transport changed due to the variations in the waterway by the construction of coastal structures, leading to a significant change in the coast (2011). In addition, the northern beach volume increased with respect to estuary, while the southern beach volume decreased. When the offshore breakwater was constructed, the northward sediment occurred dominantly in the shield area. In particular, the planar layout of the harbor facilities concentrated the waves, which increased the quantity of the northward sediment.


Many universities are now applying somatic practices to dance technique classes. Yet there is little research addressing the pedagogy of somatic theory and practice within a curricular context. Additionally, somatic theory is often taught in separate lecture courses and there is not much discussion about how to weave somatic theory and practice through interdisciplinary or intradisciplinary approaches. A collaborative pedagogical approach to somatics may be accomplished through the joint efforts of faculty who teach different types of classes such as lecture and technique courses.This lecture-demonstration addresses pedagogical strategies for joining somatic theory and practice. We begin with an introduction of our separate scholarly areas of performance and choreography, and research in somatics. We then address the discussions that led to an exploratory series of classes combining a technique class and a body lecture course; demonstrate strategies developed from our work together and examples of working through various somatic and anatomical concepts; and discuss curricular and research possibilities as well as issues and problems raised during this project. The lecture-demonstration attempts to bring together an array of curricular teaching subjects including pedagogy, choreography, research, and scholarship through a focus on somatic theory and practice.


How can we understand international and local 'security' today and what are the prospects for its transformation? The present international arrangements - a patchwork of the national security policies of states, private security services contracted to public and private customers at home and abroad, and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations - are in ferment. There is not only partnership but also pursuit of specific and sometimes competing security interests. This paper asks, could 'cosmopolitanism' offer a more inclusive agenda? Looking for empirical evidence, this perspective is found to have been significant in some historical instances, such as environmental security; intelligence analysis in support of sanctions against apartheid; and campaigning to set up the International Criminal Court. Less encouragement arises from experiences of international interventions in conflict situations, for example the experience of DutchBat at Srebrenica; from NGOs' participation in post-conflict capacity-building, for example in anti-corruption narratives that backfire by undermining democracy; and from consideration of the possibility that truth and reconciliation tribunals, although inclusive, may be interpreted as giving 'permission' for criminality. It is critically concluded that, whilst cosmopolitanism may sometimes be able to ameliorate situations when it acts as a 'ginger group' to more powerful security actors (state, private, multilateral), it is prone to error and unintended consequences in the rare cases in which it attains ascendancy. [Publication of full text is by kind permission of the publisher.]


Deer (Odocoileus spp.) damage millions of dollars in agricultural crops each year in the United States. A variety of frightening devices and repellants have been developed to reduce crop depredation, however most are effective temporarily (<6 months). Several types of fences are available, but the most effective are expensive, time consuming to install, and may be considered aesthetically displeasing. Additional means to control wildlife damage to agriculture are needed. We evaluated the efficacy of dogs (Canis familiaris) over a several year period for preventing crop damage caused by white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) and other wildlife at an organic fruit and vegetable farm in south-central Wisconsin. Annual losses at the farm before the introduction of dogs were estimated at $3,177 in 1997 and $4,391 in 1999. One field was protected with 2 crop protection dogs confined by an invisible electronic fence containment system and 2 fields were protected with a double-strand electric polytape fence. In 2001 and 2002, no damage occurred in the fields protected with dogs, but $3,797 and $638 was estimated to be lost in the fields protected with electric polytape. Crop protection dogs have great potential to be an effective long-term tool for reducing crop damage caused by deer and other wildlife. Further rigorous testing is warranted to determine their effectiveness in a variety of agricultural and environmental settings.


The nutritive value of a soya milk and soya protein isolate available in Brazil was tested in formulas fed to 30 malnourished children during a period of 25 days. The chemical composition of all formulas was similar, including their energy and protein content. The protein (1.5 g/100 ml) was supplied by either cow's milk, unfortified soy milk, unfortified soy protein isolate, and methionine-enriched soy milk or methionine-enriched soy isolate. Methionine was added at the level of 1.5 g/100 g of protein. The trials included clinical, biochemical and nitrogen balance studies, and results indicated that these soy products formulas did not have the same nutritive value of cow's milk. However, the nutritional quality of soy milk was improved by methionine supplementation, but the soy protein isolate was not affected by the addition of the same amino acid. Average nitrogen retention as percent of intake ranged from 31.8 to 34.7 in the children fed cow's milk. Those that received soy milk retained 10.5 to 15.3%, and when methionine was added the average retention increased from 17.2 to 24.8%. When the isolated soy protein was fed, the average retention values were 14.7 to 16.5% without methionine, and 11.0% when the methionine-supplemented formula was used. Factors that could influence the results and the importance of the subject are discussed.


Although international financial markets are highly integrated across the more well-developed countries, investors nevertheless hold portfolios that consist nearly exclusively of domestic assets. This violation of the predictions of standard theories of portfolio choice is known as the 'international diversification puzzle.' In this paper, we show that the presence of nontraded risk associated with variations in the return to human capital has dramatic implications for the optimal fraction of domestic assets in an individual's portfolio. Our analysis suggests that the returns to human capital are highly correlated with the returns to domestic financial assets. Hedging the risk associated with nontraded human capital involves a short position in national equities in an amount approximately 1.5 times the value of the national stock market. Thus optimal and value- weighted portfolios very likely involve a short position in domestic marketable assets.


Effects of single- and multi-step aging on mechanical properties and shape memory properties of Ti-6Mo-8Al (mol%) biomedical shape memory alloy were studied using tensile tests at room temperature (RT). The solution-treated alloy at RT was two phase of bcc β and martensite α". Tensile tests revealed that the solution-treated alloy exhibited good shape memory effect. As for the single-step aging, (1) pseudoelastic shape recovery by unloading was observed after aging at 623K, (2) the alloy became brittle after aging at 773K due to ω embrittlement, and (3) strength was improved with small shape memory effect by aging at 1023K. On the other hand, after a multistep aging at 773K-1023K-1123K, the alloy was strengthened and showed perfect shape recovery. The improvement must be achieved by the formation of fine and uniform hcp α precipitates.


This review summarizes the controllable flow and manipulation of gallium‐based liquid metals (e.g., eutectic gallium indium, EGaIn). There are generally only a few ways to handle fluids, but liquid metals offer versatile control due to their properties: 1) excellent fluidity, 2) adjustable surface tension, 3) electrically and chemically controllable surface oxides, 4) metallic electrical and thermal conductivity, and 5) the ability to alloy with other metals (e.g., magnetic particles). These all‐in‐one properties empower liquid metals to exhibit controllable flow in confined microchannels (steerable flow) and from nozzles (printable flow), and make liquid metals susceptible to various energy fields, including electric, magnetic, electromagnetic, wave, and light fields. Consequently, the flow and manipulation of liquid metals enable intriguing morphological changes (e.g., formation of droplets/plugs, jets, fibers) and controllable motion (e.g., jumping, bouncing, directional locomotion, rotation) of liquid metals with new fluidic phenomena and practical applications such as soft electronics and robotics. This review aims to present a selective framework and provide an insightful understanding for controlling and shaping liquid metals, thereby stimulating further research and generating increased interest in this topic.


Dear Sir: Gary-Bobo and Solomon (1968, 1971) have employed Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium studies in the assessment o f the anomalous osmotic behavior o f the red cell. In these studies, the interpretation was based on thermodynamic equations for ideal solutions. During the course of recent investigations, we have found that it is necessary to consider the nonideal aspects o f concentrated hemoglobin solutions. In this letter, we have transformed the ideal equations o f Gary-Bobo and Solomon to include nonideal contributions for the interpretation o f hemoglobin-hemoglobin and hemogiobin-solution interactions. Experimentally, Gary-Bobo and Solomon (1968, 1971) measured the Donnan equilibr ium of hemoglobin-potassium chloride solutions. The Donnan ratio, r, is defined in Eq. 1, where [K+]ln is the molal potassium


Introduction: Liver biopsy contributes greatly to the understanding of liver diseases & is considered gold standard for evaluating liver disorders, providing information regarding diagnosis, disease progression and response to therapy. Objectives: 1). To study histomorphological features of liver biopsies and to correlate them with presenting co mplaints & radiological findings. 2). To document the pattern of various hepatic lesions. Results/Observations: A retrospective study of 66 liver biopsies during the period January 2013 to May 2015 was done. Sections were stained with H & E and examined under light microscope. Special stains were done in specific cases. Among these, 45 cases were males and 21 cases were females. Out of 66 cases, 24(36.3%) cases were hepatocellular carcinoma, 13(19.69 %) cases of glycogen storage disorder, 3(4.54%) cases each of fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis & degenerative liver disease. 2(3.03%) cases of liver cell dysplasia and 1(1.51%) case each of biliary atresia , amyloidosis, miliary tuberculosis and liver abscess. Liver biopsy was non specific in 4(6.06%) cases & inadequate in 7(10.6%)cases. Conclusion: Microscopic examination of liver biopsy yields a diverse range of pathological findings and helps to uncover diseases for which specific management is indicated. © 2019 Published by Innovative Publication.


Objectives: To evaluate the antifungal property of mefenamic acid, which is a member of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) group. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate the antifungal property of mefenamic acid on dermatophytes, it was mixed with cobalt (Co) in culture media. Two species related to two genera of dermatophytes were tested for their susceptibility to mefenamic acid and its complex with Co by using colony diameter measurement method. Results: The inhibitory action of mefenamic acid on fungal strains was increased in the presence of Co. Epidermophyton floccosum showed more susceptibly to either mefenamic acid or its complex with Co than Trichophyton mentagrophytes variant mentagrophytes. Conclusions: Mefenamic acid showed potential ability to prevent growth of dermatophytes. This ability increased due to the presence of Co.


Platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) has been shown to be an extremely potent negative regulator of smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation. Moreover, previous studies have demonstrated that the Kruppel-like transcription factor (KLF) 4 potently represses the expression of multiple SMC genes. However, the mechanisms whereby KLF4 suppresses SMC gene expression are not known, nor is it clear whether KLF4 contributes to PDGF-BB-induced down-regulation of SMC genes. The goals of the present studies were to determine the molecular mechanisms by which KLF4 represses expression of SMC genes and whether it contributes to PDGF-BB-induced suppression of these genes. Results demonstrated that KLF4 markedly repressed both myocardin-induced activation of SMC genes and expression of myocardin. KLF4 was rapidly up-regulated in PDGF-BB-treated, cultured SMC, and a small interfering RNA to KLF4 partially blocked PDGF-BB-induced SMC gene repression. Both PDGF-BB and KLF4 markedly reduced serum response factor binding to CArG containing regions within intact chromatin. Finally, KLF4, which is normally not expressed in differentiated SMC in vivo, was rapidly up-regulated in vivo in response to vascular injury. Taken together, results indicate that KLF4 represses SMC genes by both down-regulating myocardin expression and preventing serum response factor/myocardin from associating with SMC gene promoters, and suggest that KLF4 may be a key effector of PDGF-BB and injury-induced phenotypic switching of SMC.


The aim of this study was to prove the reversibility of gZP3 protein on mice as an animal model. Treatment group of mice (Mus musculus) were immunized with 40 ug goat zona pellucida-3 (gZP3) as an anti fertility agent. Control group of mice were injected only with physiologic solution. The mice were injected three times, the first injection as an immunization. The second and third injected as a booster with 14 days interval. The first injection, gZP3 suspension was diluted in complete FreundA¢â'¬â"¢s adjuvant (CFA). The boosters, gZP3 suspension was diluted in incomplete FreundA¢â'¬â"¢s adjuvant (IFA) 1:1 (v/v). Blood samples were collected before immunization, seven days after the second booster and at the time of parturition. Seven days after the last injection, the mice were mated, and the parturition was observed after that. The result showed that antibody titer of immunized mice serum was increasing (P 0.05) after parturition compared to antibody titer of serum before immunization. Dot blotting analysis showed that gZP3 protein could recognize gZP3 antibody of the immunized mice. Protein of gZP3 as an immunocontraceptive substance was reversible in 91.60 + 4.90 days. This reversibility was longer (P Key words: immunocontraception, goat zona pellucida-3, reversibility, mice, animal model, gZP3 antibody


Depth perception is considered an invaluable source of information for various vision tasks. However, depth maps acquired using consumer-level sensors still suffer from non-negligible noise. This fact has recently motivated researchers to exploit traditional filters, as well as the deep learning paradigm, in order to suppress the aforementioned non-uniform noise, while preserving geometric details. Despite the effort, deep depth denoising is still an open challenge mainly due to the lack of clean data that could be used as ground truth. In this paper, we propose a fully convolutional deep autoencoder that learns to denoise depth maps, surpassing the lack of ground truth data. Specifically, the proposed autoencoder exploits multiple views of the same scene from different points of view in order to learn to suppress noise in a self-supervised end-to-end manner using depth and color information during training, yet only depth during inference. To enforce self-supervision, we leverage a differentiable rendering technique to exploit photometric supervision, which is further regularized using geometric and surface priors. As the proposed approach relies on raw data acquisition, a large RGB-D corpus is collected using Intel RealSense sensors. Complementary to a quantitative evaluation, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed self-supervised denoising approach on established 3D reconstruction applications. Code is avalable at https://github.com/VCL3D/DeepDepthDenoising


The Fe/MgO magnetic tunnel junction is a classic spintronic system, with current importance technologically, and interest for future innovation. The key magnetic properties are linked directly to the structure of hard-to-access buried interfaces, and the Fe and MgO components near the surface are unstable when exposed to air, making a deeper probing, non-destructive, in-situ measurement ideal for this system. We have thus applied hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HXPS) and standing-wave (SW) HXPS in the few keV energy range to probe the structure of an epitaxially-grown MgO/Fe superlattice. The superlattice consists of 9 repeats of MgO grown on Fe by magnetron sputtering on an MgO (001) substrate, with a protective Al2O3 capping layer. We determine through SW-HXPS that 8 of the 9 repeats are similar and ordered, with a period of 33 $\pm$ 4 angstrom, with minor presence of FeO at the interfaces and a significantly distorted top bilayer with ca. 3 times the oxidation of the lower layers at the top MgO/Fe interface. There is evidence of asymmetrical oxidation on the top and bottom of the Fe layers. We find agreement with dark-field scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) and x-ray reflectivity measurements. Through the STEM measurements we confirm an overall epitaxial stack with dislocations and warping at the interfaces of ca. 5 angstrom. We also note a distinct difference in the top bilayer, especially MgO, with possible Fe inclusions. We thus demonstrate that SW-HXPS can be used to probe deep buried interfaces of novel magnetic devices with few angstrom precision.


The order Bifidobacteriales comprises a diverse variety of species found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and other animals, some of which are opportunistic pathogens, whereas a number of others exhibit health-promoting effects. However, currently very few biochemical or molecular characteristics are known which are specific for the order Bifidobacteriales, or specific clades within this order, which distinguish them from other bacteria. This study reports the results of detailed comparative genomic and phylogenetic studies on 62 genome-sequenced species/strains from the order Bifidobacteriales. In a robust phylogenetic tree for the Bifidobacteriales constructed based on 614 core proteins, a number of well-resolved clades were observed including a clade separating the Scarodvia-related genera (Scardovia clade) from the genera Bifidobacterium and Gardnerella, as well as a number of previously reported clusters of Bifidobacterium spp. In parallel, our comparative analyses of protein sequences from the Bifidobacteriales genomes have identified numerous molecular markers that are specific for this group of bacteria. Of these markers, 32 conserved signature indels (CSIs) in widely distributed proteins and 10 signature proteins are distinctive characteristics of all sequenced Bifidobacteriales species and provide novel and highly specific means for distinguishing these bacteria. In addition, multiple other molecular signatures are specific for the following clades of Bifidobacteriales: (i) 5 CSIs specific for a clade comprising of the Scardovia-related genera; (ii) 3 CSIs and 2 CSPs specific for a clade consisting of the Bifidobacterium and Gardnerella spp.; (iii) multiple other signatures demarcating a number of clusters of the B. asteroides-and B. longum- related species. The described molecular markers provide novel and reliable means for distinguishing the Bifidobacteriales and a number of their clades in molecular terms and for the classification of these bacteria. The Bifidobacteriales-specific CSIs, found in important proteins, are predicted to play important roles in modifying the cellular functions of the affected proteins. Hence, biochemical studies on the cellular functions of these CSIs could lead to discovery of novel characteristics of either all Bifidobacteriales, or specific groups of bacteria within this order. Some of the functions affected/modified by these genetic changes could also be important for the probiotic/pathogenic activities of the bifidobacteria.


In this research, we present information about the valuable net analysis of organic products in Mexico, especially in the exportation business net. The first instrument of this analysis was applied to 108 organic farmers and/or exporters with the objective to know some economics aspects and opinion about expectations of organic market and governmental intervention. In the other hand to visualize of contrast opinion was diligent a second instrument to know the opinion of investigators, certifies, organic farmers, exporters, civil servants and agronomy and adjacent students with respect to SWOT analysis framework for organic agriculture in Mexico. As a result of this, we obtained data about sales volume, margin profit, diversity of exportation destinies, difference of prices respect to conventional products, etc. Also we got the opportunity to appreciate the market perception in name of merchants and other agents related with relative aspects to opportunities and challenges of this sector.


Lysine acetylation is a frequently occurring posttranslational modification ; however, little is known about the origin and regulation of most sites. Here we used quantitative mass spectrometry to analyze acetylation dynamics and stoichiometry in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that acetylation accumulated in growth-arrested cells in a manner that depended on acetyl-CoA generation in distinct subcellular compartments. Mitochondrial acetylation levels correlated with acetyl-CoA concentration in vivo and acetyl-CoA acetylated lysine residues nonenzymatically in vitro. We developed a method to estimate acetylation stoichiometry and found that the vast majority of mitochondrial and cytoplasmic acetylation had a very low stoichiometry. However, mitochondrial acetylation occurred at a significantly higher basal level than cytoplasmic acetylation, consistent with the distinct acetylation dynamics and higher acetyl-CoA concentration in mitochondria. High stoichiometry acetylation occurred mostly on histones, proteins present in histone acetyltransferase and deacetylase complexes, and on transcription factors. These data show that a majority of acetylation occurs at very low levels in exponentially growing yeast and is uniformly affected by exposure to acetyl-CoA.


Scholarship in language and the law is these days developing at an unprecedented rate, as the academic presence and social impact of the field are becoming more and more significant in an ever growing number of national environments. This collection offers a glimpse into the work of scholars investigating the ways in which legal substance intersects with language description in a variety of legal and linguistic systems worldwide. The 23 contributions from linguists and lawyers working in 19 countries on five continents investigate aspects of multilingualism, legal translation and interpreting, legal and courtroom discourse, statutory interpretation, police interviews, trade name semantics and forensic linguistics.


Background: Clinical trial registries ensure the transparency and accountability of clinical trials (CTs) internationally1–2. It is important to safeguard the public's safety through the delivery of quality clinical research. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a tremendous increase in the number of CTs globally. The MENA region has an opportunity to increase its overall contribution to CTs, which is less than 1%3, in particular, through Qatar given its substantial economical growth and healthcare advancements. This review aims to explore the characteristics of clinical trials performed in Qatar, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Methods: The ClinicalTrials.gov registry was searched for trials conducted in Qatar using the appropriate keywords and advanced search options. Data retrieved was downloaded and sorted within Microsoft Excel then reviewed by two independent co-investigators. Results: The preliminary search yielded 143 entries with 32.1% (46) registered as multisite trials. The first trial in Qatar was registered in 2005. There has been a noticeable increase in CTs with its peak in 2020 (Figure 1), with currently 39.1% (9) of registered CTs on COVID-19; 83% of the completed studies were published, with the highest number of publications (8) in 2020 (Figure 1). Several specialties contributed to the CTs, with the highest participation and contribution rate of 31 CTs being in the field of pediatrics. Furthermore, some variations were found in recruitment status as reflected in Figure 2 with ∼65% (93) of studies being interventional and ∼35% being observational. Conclusion: The CTs conducted in Qatar are still relatively low despite the rapidly evolving healthcare system. Immediate updates and follow-ups could be considered by research investigators in Qatar with regards to CTs registration and updating. Further analysis is needed to elucidate the discrepancy of CTs reporting and to increase the contribution of CTs from Qatar to improve the health of its people.


The study combines theories of myth, popular culture, structuralism and post-structuralism to explain the enormous appeal of "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter". Although much research already exists on both stories individually, this book is the first to explicitly bring them together in order to explore their set-up and the ways in which their structures help produce ideologies on gender and ethnicity. Hereby, the comparison yields central insights into the workings of modern myth and uncovers structure as integral to the success of the popular genre. It addresses academic audiences and all those wishing to approach the tales from a fresh angle.


An extended Petri net model, referred to as communicating Petri nets, is used for the operational specification of distributed systems, within a software engineering tool. This specification language naturally involves a parallel computational model, largely fitting the characteristics of parallel systems. Nevertheless, it can be efficiently matched even on single-tasking systems by means of appropriate light-weight scheduling policies. A number of such scheduling policies is devised and assessed both with respect to their impact on the semantics of the run-time code and with respect to the execution overhead.<<ETX>>


Several missions are planned which should deposit on Mars a number of landers that will perform detailed observations of the planet's surface, subsurface and atmosphere. The CNES Netlander mission aims at establishing a network of 4 geophysical stations. They will offer a unique opportunity to explore the interior of Mars, its subsurface, atmosphere and ionosphere from 4 landing sites representing different geophysical conditions. One of the most important objectives is the investigation of the underground geological entities and the search for water reservoirs in the form of ground ice or even liquid water. The GPR experiment on Netlander, Berthelier et al. (2000), Ney et al. (2002), Ciarletti et al. is a ground penetrating radar that has been proposed to perform such observations. It is based on a new concept that will allow to explore the subsurface from a fixed position with the goal of achieving a 3D imaging of the underground. Features of instrumentation are discussed.


Contrary to popular belief, LSD is much more connected to Britain than it is to the US. This engaging book looks at the use of LSD in British society, from its arrival in 1952 to the present day. It provides a hidden history of a controversial drug and how it permeated British culture. The author explores LSD's use by the medical profession in treating a variety of psychological and mental problems. At the same time, The Ministry of Defense believed they were on the brink of harnessing LSD as a battlefield incapacitation drug which would enable wars to be won without loss of life. But LSD's popularity rose with its use among the British counterculture, from the 1950s beatniks through to the late 80s acid house parties. At its height, when it was legal, LSD affected the lives and philosophies of significant individuals (politicians, scientists, writers, educators, entertainers, artists, journalists) as well as ordinary people for good and bad. This book is the first to explore LSD's amazing influence on British culture and society.


Background Despite developing and implementing return to sport guidelines, high rates of re-injury remain. The return to sport continuum is a three-phase, criterion-based progression based on physical and psychological factors used to guide the sports medicine team in return to sport decision making. Situational awareness (SA) pertains to an athlete's knowledge of the dynamic environment (i.e., their ability to perceive the components in the environment, comprehend the meaning of the perceived information, and predict future actions based on that comprehension). SA can be applied on a cognitive continuum that encompasses three levels, each stage becoming more challenging with additional time constraints and increased uncertainty. Integrating the cognitive continuum with the return to sport continuum may optimize the return to sport process and enhance the athletes' preparedness for competition by incorporating cognitive challenges aligned with live competition. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to describe a return to sport model that integrates SA theory on the cognitive continuum with additional consideration for surrounding contextual factors. Level of Evidence 5


Sustainability is a holistic and complex multi-dimensional concept encompassing economic, social and environmental issues, and its assessment is a key step in the implementation of sustainable agricultural systems. Realistic assessments of sustainability require: (1) the integration of diverse information concerning economic, social and environmental objectives; and (2) the handling of conflicting aspects of these objectives as a function of the views and opinions of the individuals involved in the assessment process. The assessment of sustainability is therefore increasingly regarded as a typical decision-making problem that could be handled by multi-criteria decision-aid (MCDA) methods. However, the number and variability of MCDA methods are continually increasing, and these methods are not all equally relevant for sustainability assessment. The demands for such approaches are also rapidly changing, and faster ex ante assessment approaches are required, to address scales currently insufficiently dealt with, such as cropping system level. Researchers regularly carry out comparative analyses of MCDA methods and propose guidelines for the selection of a priori relevant methods for the assessment problem considered. However, many of the selection criteria used are based on technical/operational assumptions that have little to do with the specificities of ex ante sustainability assessment of alternative cropping systems. We attempt here to provide a reasoned comparative review of the main groups of MCDA methods, based on considerations related to those specificities. The following main guidelines emerge from our discussion of these methods: (1) decision rule-based and outranking qualitative MCDA methods should be preferred; (2) different MCDA tools should be used simultaneously, making it possible to evaluate and compare the results obtained; and (3) a relevantly structured group of decision-makers should be established for the selection of tool variants of the choosen MCDA methods, the design/choice of sustainability criteria, and the analysis and interpretation of the evaluation results.


The epigenome of the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae was characterized in midgut cells by mapping the distribution and levels of two post-translational histone modifications, H3K27ac and H3K27me3. These histone profiles were then correlated with levels of gene expression obtained by RNA-seq. Analysis of the transcriptome of A. gambiae midguts and salivary glands led to the discovery of 13,898 new transcripts not present in the most recent genome assembly. A subset of these transcripts is differentially expressed between midgut and salivary glands. The enrichment profiles of H3K27ac and H3K27me3 are mutually exclusive and associate with high and low levels of transcription, respectively. This distribution agrees with previous findings in Drosophila showing association of these two histone modifications with either active or inactive transcriptional states, including Polycomb-associated domains in silenced genes. This study provides a mosquito epigenomics platform for future comparative studies in other mosquito species, opening future investigations into the role of epigenetic processes in vector-borne systems of medical and economic importance.


While real estate brokers have long set their fee as a straight percentage of a home's sale price, this formula is an anomaly and a primary reason why such fees may be inflated by more than $30 billion annually. Although competitive pressures ordinarily produce a fee structure reflecting costs, real estate broker commissions are strangely unrelated to either the quantity or quality of the service rendered or even to the value provided. Rather, this fee has been based solely on the price of the home. (It is as if tax preparers set their fee as a flat percentage of a client's gross income, irrespective of how difficult the return was to prepare or how much their efforts saved the taxpayer). Oddly, not only is there no evidence that it is any more costly to sell higher-priced homes than median-priced properties, but it is possible that the opposite may be true! Furthermore, the straight percentage fee formula creates little incentive for real estate agents to provide home buyers or sellers with additional value. The article analyzes five elements of the traditional residential real estate broker rate structure, the most important of which are: 1) setting fees as a percentage-of-sale-price, 2) letting the seller's broker set the fee received by the buyer's broker, and 3) refusing to unbundle the price of a full package of services. After explaining the conditions under which such rate elements would be justified, this article finds that those conditions do not generally exist in the real estate brokerage market. Moreover, it identifies more than a half dozen harms that the rate elements cause to home buyers and sellers. For example, buyers are often not alerted to attractive homes because the rate structure leads traditional agents to intentionally avoid showing them. Meanwhile, many buyers do not even consider negotiating the fee paid to their broker because the rate structure causes them to believe their brokers' services cost them nothing. After this criticism, the article suggests that consumers would benefit most from a fee-for-service approach - combining flat fees, hourly fees, and bonuses, including percentages of extra value created - and it identifies currently available examples of some of these options. After reviewing eight reasons why incumbents are able to protect the current structure, the article suggests six new disclosures that might undermine the industry's protectionist practices.


The current study examined cultural (diffuse orientation), organizational (organizational work-family climates) and individual (role centrality) antecedents of key work-family (WF) experiences (WF conflict, WF enrichment and WF boundary management) in India.,Survey data were collected from 586 white-collar employees in India. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.,Analyses revealed interesting culture-specific insights into the WF dynamic. For example, less demarcation between WF boundaries (diffuse orientation) did not increase WF conflict, but significantly fostered WF enrichment, challenging the findings in the Western cultural contexts. A supportive organizational WF climate was found to be a crucial factor that alleviated WF conflict, whereas greater investment in work role led to greater WF enrichment.,This study addresses a dearth of research on antecedents of WF interface that simultaneously examines the positive and negative aspects of WF interface. It also advances the WF literature by generating empirical evidence related to the cultural dimension of diffuse orientation.,This study provides a holistic view of WF interface in the Indian context by incorporating various antecedents in one model.


Author(s): Yee, Alpha; Charrier, Jean-Claude | Abstract: ABSTRACT:Zombies Strike BackAlpha YeeJean-Claude Charrier This world has been controlled for far too long by the tyranny of the humans. As long as men are in control of the world, Zombies will never be free to enjoy this world they mindlessly walk in. You are the only hope for your kind. You have advanced beyond the capabilities of your zombie brethren and are able to think, use guns that projects syringes to fight, and lead your fellow zombies against your oppressors. You will venture in through various areas in habited and defended by humans, mainly by the police force and military. With that said you will encounter radiated hearts to modify your ammo with explosive and extinguishing capabilities. Explosives will be used for destroying unmovable debris that hinders your path of destroying humanity. Your extinguishing capability will be used for saving your fellow brothers and sisters engulfed by a ring of fire. If you choose to extinguish the fire, you can add them to your swarm in order to survive any hits you may take by sacrificing the simple-minded of your kind. End the wrongful tyranny that has for so long kept you from freedom. You are the last and only hope for all of zombie-kind.


Context. The Geneva 7-colour photometric system is successfully applied to the study of various astrophysical objects. It measures the slope of the Paschen continuum, the Balmer discontinuity, and blocking absorption due to hydrogen or metallic lines. One of its greatest strengths is its intrinsic homogeneity. Aims. A new catalogue of the available measurements was generated, 30 years after the last publication. Methods. The identifications for the individual stars were cross-checked on the basis of the Gaia and 2MASS catalogues. The high precision coordinates together with proper motions (if available) are included, for the first time, in the catalogue. Special caution was exercised with binaries and high-proper motion stars. Results. The catalogue includes 42 911 entries of highly accurate photometry. Conclusions. The data of this catalogue can be used for various applications such as new calibrations of astrophysical parameters, the standardization of new observations, and as additional information for ongoing and forthcoming all-sky surveys, such as the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).


Background Titrated oxygen has been shown to significantly reduce mortality in patients presenting with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)1. All patients at risk of type 2 respiratory failure (T2RF) should be administered oxygen in accordance with British Thoracic Society Guidelines. However, the NEWS system proposed by the Royal College of Physicians makes no allowance for patients at risk of T2RF and may lead to potential over oxygenation in this group of patients2. Objective To assess the use of the NEWS in patients with T2RF in our district general hospital and to assess the safety of a modified system. Methods Patients were selected from the Medical Admissions Unit. Inclusion criteria were oxygen prescription or oxygen in situ. Data were collected over 5 consecutive days. Conventional NEWS for these patients were compared with a system currently being piloted at Salford Royal Foundation Trust with modified oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) for patients at risk of T2RF (Table 1) Results 69 patients were assessed. 32% (22/69) had risk factors for T2RF. 21 had COPD and one had sleep apnoea. 55% (12/22) had oxygen saturations in their target range or were above target saturations but on air. 32% (7/22) were on oxygen and had saturations above 92%. 14% (3/22) had saturations below 88%. 73% (16/22) of at risk patients had their scores altered when using the Salford EWS system. 69% (11/16) of these patients had their scores reduced. 4 patient's scores were reduced by 3, 4 were reduced by 2 and 3 were reduced by 1. 31% (5/16) of patient's scores were increased. 4 scores were increased by 2 and 1 increased by 1. The score differences were due to over oxygenation. Conclusions The current NEWS system appears to increase the risk of over oxygenation in patients at risk of T2RF. Using a modified score for patients at risk of T2RF will reduces this risk. With thanks Ronan O'Driscoll, Salford Foundation Trust for use of the modified Salford NEWS chart


Abstract An interactive, two-track recruitment and retention approach was designed to (1) recruit home-delivered meals programs in four disparate North Carolina counties as active study partners, and (2) recruit and retain a diverse sample of older men and women from a randomized list of 934 home-delivered meal recipients. A telephone screening survey, using the telephone version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was conducted to exclude persons with cognitive impairment. Eligible persons were recruited for a comprehensive home visit and 3 dietary recalls. Participation rate and group comparisons (e.g., excluded for telephone screening survey vs. not excluded; cognitively eligible vs. not eligible; and eligible participants vs. non-participants) were calculated. Eighty percent of those who completed the telephone survey were eligible for a home visit; 81% of these persons scheduled a home visit; and 99% of those who scheduled a home visit completed a home visit and 3 dietary recalls. The study sample of 345 homebound older persons was 81% women, 49% Black, 32% < 9 years education, 65% income < $750/month, and 58% lived alone. Group comparisons indicated that total ADLs (Activities of Daily Living), nutritional risk, and economic need were not statistically different. Studies of home-bound older persons are needed to better understand nutritional and health-related problems; to identify appropriate interventions to improve or maintain nutritional and functional health; and to develop community-based long-term care policy and programs. This demonstrates the feasibility of and provides an innovative method for the recruitment and retention of homebound older persons.


Modern reliance on fossil fuels has ushered in extreme temperatures globally and abnormal precipitation patterns inmany regions. Although the climate is changing rapidly, other agents of natural selection such as photoperiod remain constant. This decoupling of previously reliable environmental cues shifts adaptive landscapes, favors novel suites of traits and likely increases the extinction risk of local populations. Here, I examine the fitness consequences of changing climates. Meta-analyses demonstrate that simulated future climates depress viability and fecundity components of fitness for native plant species in the short term, which could reduce population growth rates. Contracting populations that cannot adapt or adjust plastically to new climates might not be capable of producing sufficient migrants to track changing conditions.


The canonical protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B has traditionally been considered to exclusively reside on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Using confocal microscopy, we show that endogenous PTP1B actually exhibits a higher local concentration at the mitochondria in all mammalian cell lines that we tested. Fluorescently labeled chimeras containing full-length PTP1B or only its 35 amino acid tail anchor localized identically, demonstrating the complete dependence of PTP1B's subcellular partitioning on its tail anchor. Correlative light and electron microscopy using GFP-driven photo-oxidation of DAB revealed that PTP1B's tail anchor localizes it to the mitochondrial interior and to mitochondrial-associated membrane (MAM) sites along the ER. Heterologous expression of the tail anchor of PTP1B in the yeast S. cerevisiae surprisingly led to its exclusive localization to the ER/vacuole with no presence at the mitochondria. Studies with various yeast mutants of conserved membrane insertion pathways revealed a role for the GET/TRC40 pathway in ER insertion, but also emphasized the likely dominant role of spontaneous insertion. Further studies of modified tail isoforms in both yeast and mammalian cells revealed a remarkable sensitivity of subcellular partitioning to slight changes in transmembrane domain (TMD) length, C-terminal charge, and hydropathy. For example, addition of a single positive charge to the tail anchor was sufficient to completely shift the tail anchor to the mitochondria in mammalian cells and to largely shift it there in yeast cells, and a point mutation that increased TMD hydropathy was sufficient to localize the tail anchor exclusively to the ER in mammalian cells. Striking differences in the subcellular partitioning of a given tail anchor isoform in mammalian versus yeast cells most likely point to fundamental differences in the lipid composition of specific organelles (e.g. affecting membrane charge or thickness) in higher versus lower eukaryotes. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) detection of the Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-based interaction of the catalytic domain of PTP1B with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB1) at the mitochondria revealed a strong interaction on the cytosolic face of the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), suggesting the presence of a significant pool of PTP1B there and a novel role for PTP1B in the regulation of mitochondrial ErbB1 activity. In summary, in addition to its well-established general localization along the ER, our results reveal that PTP1B specifically accumulates at MAM sites along the ER and localizes as well to the OMM and mitochondrial matrix. Further elucidation of PTP1B's roles in these different locations (including the identification of its targets) will likely be critical for understanding its complex regulation of general cellular responses, cell proliferation, and diseased states.


In Reply. — Our study was a descriptive one in which care provided to patients with acute low-back pain at three walk-in clinics was reviewed.1We found that practicing physicians at the three clinics tended to order lumbosacral spine roentgenograms more often for patients with certain clinical characteristics, but these data cannot be used to derive the best criteria for obtaining spine roentgenograms. Drug or alcohol abuse was uncommon in our study population (25 [5.3%] of 471 patients).1Most of these patients were abusing alcohol, not intravenous drugs. However, intravenous drug use is a significant and growing problem in many clinical settings. Individuals who are actively abusing intravenous drugs are well known to be at increased risk of developing serious infections. Chandrasekar rightly points out that physicians must main tain a heightened suspicion of infectious pathologic findings when these patients present with back pain, even though the clinical


The circumstances of Rwanda's August 4 presidential election highlight some of the policy challenges in approaching a country that arguably combines effective governance with political repression. President Paul Kagame, in office since 2000, is campaigning for a third term. A constitutional referendum in 2015 changed the presidential term from seven to five years but exempted the sitting President from the shortened term and from a two-term limit until 2024 (Article 101, Article 172).


Optical directional couplers based on SOI-wire waveguides have been modelled by a semi-analytical approach based on the Coupled Mode Theory and Finite Element Method. The modelling is used to obtain analytically optical power at the parallel and cross ports by utilizing numerically calculated coupling coefficients. Geometrical dimensions of the couplers have been optimized to obtain a polarization-independent behaviour. The influence of non-vertical sidewalls on the coupler performance has also been addressed.


Downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the cortex occurs early in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since BDNF plays a critical role in neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and memory, BDNF reduction may contribute to synaptic and cellular loss and memory deficits characteristic of AD. In vitro evidence suggests that amyloid-β (Aβ) contributes to BDNF downregulation in AD, but the specific Aβ aggregation state responsible for this downregulation in vivo is unknown. In the present study, we examined cortical levels of BDNF mRNA in three different transgenic AD mouse models harboring mutations in APP resulting in Aβ overproduction, and in a genetic mouse model of Down syndrome. Two of the three Aβ transgenic strains (APPNLh and TgCRND8) exhibited significantly decreased cortical BDNF mRNA levels compared with wild-type mice, whereas neither the other strain (APPswe/PS-1) nor the Down syndrome mouse model (Ts65Dn) was affected. Only APPNLh and TgCRND8 mice expressed high Aβ42/Aβ40 ratios and larger SDS-stable Aβ oligomers (∼115 kDa). TgCRND8 mice exhibited downregulation of BDNF transcripts III and IV; transcript IV is also downregulated in AD. Furthermore, in all transgenic mouse strains, there was a correlation between levels of large oligomers, Aβ42/Aβ40, and severity of BDNF decrease. These data show that the amount and species of Aβ vary among transgenic mouse models of AD and are negatively correlated with BDNF levels. These findings also suggest that the effect of Aβ on decreased BDNF expression is specific to the aggregation state of Aβ and is dependent on large oligomers.


By contract with the Austrian government, the ARC is treating radioactive waste from research institutions and industries. In the last years, one focus was the development of processes for the treatment of NORM and TENORM. Our goal in developing such processes is to recycle valuable compounds for further industrial usage and to concentrate the radioactive elements as far as possible, to save space in the waste storage facilities. Austria is an important producer of tungsten-thoria- and tungsten-molybdenum-thoria-cermets. Scrap is generated during the production process in the form of turnings and grinding sludge and dust. Although big efforts have been undertaken to replace Thorium compounds, waste streams from past production processes are still waiting for treatment. The total amount of this waste stored in Austria may be estimated to be approx. 100 tons. In close co-operation with the tungsten industries, recycling processes were tested and further developed at ARC in laboratory, bench scale and pilot plants. Three different approaches to solve the problem were studied: Dissolution of tungsten in molten iron in an arc or induction furnace, thus producing an Fe-W or Fe-W-Mo alloy. Slag is produced upon the addition of lime and clay. This slag extracts nearly all of the Thorium contained in the metal melt. Selective dissolution of Tungsten in aqueous alkaline medium after oxidation of the metal to the hexavalent state by heating the scrap in air at temperatures of 500°C to 600°C. The resulting oxides are treated with sodium hydroxide solution. Tungsten and Molybdenum oxides are readily dissolved, while Thorium oxide together with silicon and aluminum compounds remain insoluble and are separated by filtration. Sodium tungstate solution is further processed by the usual hydrometallurgical tungsten mill process. Oxidation and dissolution of Tungsten can be achieved in one step by an electrochemical process. Thus, thoriated Tungsten scrap is used as an anode in an electrolysis cell, while sodium hydroxide or ammonia serve as electrolyte. After dissolution of Tungsten, the solids are separated from the liquid by filtration. With the electrochemical process, treatment of Tungsten-Thoria scrap can be achieved with high throughput in rather small reactors at moderate temperatures and ordinary pressure. The Tungsten solution exhibits high purity. Another process which we examined in detail is the separation of radium from rare earth compounds. Radium was separated by co-precipitation with barium sulfate from rare earth chloride solutions. The efficiency of the separation is strongly pH-dependent. Again, the valuable rare earth compound can be reused, and the radioactive elements are concentrated.Copyright © 2003 by ASME