Can social norms affect fundamental patterns of behavior such as income effects? Studies of determinants of giving to charities and other individuals yield a wide range of income-effect estimates. We conduct two experiments to first test whether the effect of income on charitable giving depends on whether the income is earned and then test whether any difference in the effects by income source can be explained by social norms. Our first experiment induces random variation in both earned income and windfall bonuses and shows that only bonuses increases charitable donations. The second experiment uses an incentivized coordination game to investigate whether social norms can explain this donation pattern. Perceptions of what most people would consider a morally appropriate donation depend on the amount of income and whether it is a windfall. The norms elicited in the second experiment match the donation patterns in the first experiment both overall and across subject demographics, pointing to social norms as a key determinant of charitable giving.


The revision of the holotype of Lachnea velenovskyi confirmed that its microscopic features correspond to those of the genus Spooneromyces, i.e. spores ornamentation, type of hairs and excipulum structure. Thus the new combination Spooneromyces velenovskyi is proposed. Comparison with some other species belonging to this genus revealed that Spooneromyces microsporus is conspecific with S. velenovskyi and considered as a posterior synonym


The aim of this research is to analyse the effect of income inequality on the homicide rate. The study is carried out in 18 Latin American countries for the period 2005–2018. The methodology used is the Generalized Least Squares (GLS) model and the data were obtained from World Development Indicators, the World Health Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank. Thus, the dependent variable is the homicide rate and the independent variable is income inequality. In addition, some control variables are included, such as: poverty, urban population rate, unemployment, schooling rate, spending on security and GDP per capita, which improve the consistency of the model. The results obtained through GLS model determine that inequality has a negative and significant effect on the homicide rate for high-income countries (HIC) and lower-middle-income countries (LMIC), whereas it is positive and significant for upper-middle-income countries (UMIC). On the other hand, the control variables show different results by group of countries. In the case of unemployment, it is not significant in any group of countries. Negative spatial dependence was found regarding spatial models such as: the spatial lag (SAR) and spatial error (SEM) method. In the spatial Durbin model (SDM), positive spatial dependence between the variables was corroborated. However, spatial auto-regressive moving average (SARMA) identified no spatial dependence. Under these results it is proposed: to improve productivity, education and improve the efficiency of security-oriented resources.


Excessive olivo‐cerebellar synchrony is implicated in essential tremor. Because synchrony in some networks is mediated by gap junctions, we examined whether the gap junction blockers heptanol, octanol, carbenoxolone, and mefloquine suppress tremor in the mouse harmaline model, and performed an open‐treatment clinical study of mefloquine for essential tremor. Digitized motion was used to quantify tremor in mice administered harmaline, 20 mg/kg s.c. In mice the broad‐spectrum gap junction blockers heptanol, octanol (350 mg/kg i.p. each), and carbenoxolone (20 mg/kg) suppressed harmaline tremor. Mefloquine (50 mg/kg), which blocks gap junctions containing connexin 36, robustly suppressed harmaline tremor. Glycyrrhizic acid (related to carbenoxolone) and chloroquine (related to mefloquine), which do not block gap junctions, failed to suppress harmaline tremor in mice. Clinically, tremor was assessed with standard rating scales, and subjects asked to take 62.5, 125, and 250 mg mefloquine weekly for 12 weeks at each dose. None of the four human subjects showed a meaningful tremor reduction with mefloquine, likely because clinical levels were below those required for efficacy. In view of recent genetic evidence, the anti‐tremor mechanism of these compounds is uncertain but may represent a novel therapeutic target, possibly involving gap junctions other than those containing connexin 36. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society


OBJECTIVE
We examined the relationship between alcohol use trajectories and HIV disease severity among men and women participating in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS).

DESIGN
Prospective cohort of HIV-infected persons in care at eight US Veterans Health Administration sites.

METHODS
Between 2002 and 2010, we assessed alcohol consumption annually using the alcohol use disorders identification test-consumption (AUDIT-C). HIV disease severity was ascertained using the VACS index, a validated measure of morbidity and all-cause mortality. We examined the relationship between alcohol use and HIV disease severity patterns using joint trajectory modeling. Alcohol use trajectories were validated using phosphatidylethanol - a biomarker of alcohol consumption - measured between 2005 and 2006 among a subset of participants. We examined associations between membership in alcohol use and VACS index trajectories using multinomial regression.

RESULTS
Among eligible participants, we identified four alcohol consumption trajectories: abstainers (24% of the sample), lower risk (44%), moderate risk (24%), and higher risk drinkers (8%). Alcohol use trajectories were highly correlated with phosphatidylethanol (Cramér's V = 0.465, P < 0.001): mean concentrations were 4.4, 17.8, 57.7, and 167.6 ng/ml in the abstainer, lower risk, moderate risk, and higher risk groups, respectively. Four VACS index trajectories were identified: low (2%), moderate (46%), high (36%), and extreme (16%). Higher risk drinkers were most common in the extreme VACS index group, and were absent in the low index group. In multivariable analysis, the association between alcohol use and VACS index trajectory membership remained significant (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION
Alcohol use trajectories characterized by persistent unhealthy drinking are associated with more advanced HIV disease severity among HIV-infected veterans in the United States.


Charisma is one of the most common explanations for the success of political leaders in obtaining the support of the mass public. Yet authors employing the concept typically begin their analyses by simply assuming the presence of charisma, foregoing more rigorous analyses, including the consideration of alternative explanations for public appeal. Thus, charisma becomes a post hoc attribution, a residual category of explanation that is difficult to evaluate objectively. This article examines the concept of charisma in the context of the American presidency by testing for its consequences, including presidents obtaining unusually high levels of support, support from unusual sources, or especially intense and committed support, or successfully leading public opinion on matters of public policy. I particularly focus on the best-case tests of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. Unable to find systematic evidence of some special form of leadership that we might characterize as "charismatic," I conclude that the concept of charisma is neither salvageable analytically nor helpful empirically.


In the land-based sectors, agricultural production generally is a source of carbon, while forestry may be thought to act as a sink. This paper focuses on new research examining the interaction of the two. The core of the research is the Lincoln Trade and Environment model (LTEM), a partial equilibrium model which links trade in NZ with the main trading countries overseas, through to production and associated environmental consequences . This paper reports on research expanding the model to include forestry from incorporating the capabilities of the Global Forest Products Model (GFPM) into the LTEM and hence producing an integrated model of agricultural and forestry land-uses for NZ and overseas. The paper extends the environmental modelling capabilities of the LTEM to include the impacts of climate change. The paper thereby reports on the development of a model of international trade that encompasses major agricultural commodities and forestry, complete with linkages and feedback with the environment and differentiated international markets. The paper then presents results of scenarios around changes in consumer behaviour and production using the new model.


This paper explores the concept of vertical restraints or restrictions. It includes references to the competition law regimes of the European Union (EU), United States (US), and the People's Republic of China, as well as the key case law. It is part of the Concurrences' Global Dictionary of Competition Law, and intends to serve as a didactic tool for those becoming acquainted with antitrust.


TiCl4 treatment was used to chemically agglomerate TiO2 primary nano-particles to form a nanostructured powder in size of submicrometer. Nanocrystalline TiO2 coatings were fabricated by vacuum cold spraying at room temperature using the powder and were employed to assemble dye-sensitized solar cells. TiO2 coating of 10-20μm in thickness was deposited successfully on both F-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting glass and plastic conducting substrate. The assembled solar cell with an FTO conducting glass yielded a short-circuit current density of 9.7 mA/cm2 and an energy conversion efficiency of 3.3%. Using the plastic substrate, the cell efficiency was 1.9%. These results suggest that TiCl4-treated nanocrystalline TiO2 agglomerates can be used to deposit TiO2 coating by vacuum cold spraying at low temperature for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells.


Visual sensor networks are an emerging research area with the goal of using cameras as pervasive and affordable sensing and processing devices. This paper presents a pervasive smart camera platform which is built from off-the-shelf hardware and software components. The hardware platform is comprised of an OMAP 3530 processor, 128 MB RAM and various interfaces for connecting sensors and peripherals. A dual-radio wireless network allows to trade communication performance for power consumption. The software architecture is built upon standard Linux and supports dataflow oriented application development by dynamically instantiating and connecting functions blocks. Data is transferred between blocks via shared memory for high throughput. We present a performance evaluation of our smart camera platform as well as a multi-camera object classification system to demonstrate the capabilities and applicability of our approach.


BACKGROUND
It may be difficult to decide whether a patient's discomfort is related to known gallbladder stones.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A questionnaire regarding pre- and postoperative complaints and satisfaction with treatment was sent to 211 patients a median 51 months after they had undergone cholecystectomy at Rana district hospital during the May 1993 to March 2001 period.

RESULTS
97% of the patients returned our questionnaire. 80% had experienced sudden bursts of pain; in 91% of them the pain was relieved. 71% reported no complaints after cholecystectomy, 26% still had some discomfort after the operation. Two thirds of these had experienced discomfort for several years. 22% reported new or different symptoms. After surgery our patients reported a significant reduction in symptoms like sudden pain, constant pain, nausea/vomiting and bloating. 94% were very satisfied or satisfied with the outcome; 1% regretted having undergone the procedure.

INTERPRETATION
Sudden attacks of pain are likely to be relieved after cholecystectomy. Our patients also experienced a number of different types of discomfort both before and after the cholecystectomy. Similar complaints also are reported by persons without gallstones, hence it is difficult to interpret the relief or worsening of these symptoms in relation to the cholecystectomy.


Abstract Over the past two decades significant changes in approaches to gender equity have taken place in the fields of contemporary music and music research. However, women in music are still disadvantaged in terms of income, inclusion and professional opportunities. In Australia a national approach to improving gender equity in music has begun to emerge as once-controversial strategies trialled by four tertiary institutions have become established practices. This article discusses successful inclusion strategies for women in music, including the commitment to gender-balanced programming across all concerts at Queensland Conservatorium of Music by 2025, the introduction of mandatory quotas in recital programmes at Monash University, mentoring programmes for women composers at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and the development of coursework devoted to women in music at The University of Western Australia, as well as other initiatives that have emerged from them, both within and beyond the institution. Each approach is examined in the context of broader global discussions around gender and feminism. The public willingness to engage in discussions over sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender discrimination in the workplace that has resulted from the #MeToo movement is cited as key in influencing the engagement of students and professionals with these strategies and subsequent influence on performance practices, project development and presentational formats in new music.


Abstract. The UltraCam-project created a novel Large Format Digital Aerial Camera. It was inspired by the ISPRS Congress 2000 in Amsterdam. The search for a promising imaging idea succeeded in May 2001, defining a tiling approach with multiple lenses and multiple area CCD arrays to assemble a seamless and geometrically stable monolithic photogrammetric aerial large format image. First resources were spent on the project in September 2011. The initial UltraCam-D was announced and demonstrated in May 2003. By now the imaging principle has resulted in a 4th generation UltraCam Eagle, increasing the original swath width from 11,500 pixels to beyond 20,000. Inspired by the original imaging principle, alternatives have been investigated, and the UltraCam-G carries the swath width even further, namely to a frame image with nearly 30,000 pixels, however, with a modified tiling concept and optimized for orthophoto production. We explain the advent of digital aerial large format imaging and how it benefits from improvements in computing technology to cope with data flows at a rate of 3 Gigabits per second and a need to deal with Terabytes of imagery within a single aerial sortie. We also address the many benefits of a transition to a fully digital workflow with a paradigm shift away from minimizing a project's number of aerial photographs and towards maximizing the automation of photogrammetric workflows by means of high redundancy imaging strategies. The instant gratification from near-real-time aerial triangulations and dense image matching has led to a reassessment of the value of photogrammetric point clouds to successfully compete with direct point cloud measurements by LiDAR.


Fiber-optic sensors act as important roles in many of today's industrial sectors. It provides vital information for a large number of applications such as process controls, fossil fuel and nuclear electrical power generation, transportation, and environment monitoring. Compared with their electronic counterparts, fiber-optic sensors truly stand out where extreme operation environments leave almost all the electronic sensors unusable. Derived from the superior properties of optical fibers such as high-temperature stability, immunity to electromagnetic interference and strong resistance to most chemicals, fiber-optic sensors can be engineered to deliver sensing performance under various adverse conditions. Recently numerous research efforts have been put to leverage those merits of optical fibers to achieve sensing capabilities under high-temperature environments (> 600 deg C).

In this thesis, five fiber-optic sensing schemes are demonstrated to explore and validate the potential of fiber-optic sensors for high-temperature and energy applications. The first scheme manifests itself as a high-temperature-stable distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) fiber laser which intrinsically is able to operate and measure ambient temperatures up to 750 deg C. The second scheme is based on self-heated high-attenuation fibers (HAFs). Thanks to HAFs and regenerated fiber Bragg gratings, a hot-wire flow meter with ambient temperature compensation was realized with all-optical fiber construction with maximum operational temperature at 800 deg C. In the third sensing scheme, the other kind of fiber grating laser, the distributed feedback (DFB) fiber laser as strain sensor is presented to monitor acoustic emissions for a lab-induced hydraulic fracturing process. The fourth scheme covers a 3D strain field imaging technique for hydraulic fracturing study, enabled by Rayleigh backscatter based optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). In the fifth scheme, we are aiming at increasing the measurement accuracy of the OFDR system by reducing the system measurement noise level. Via cavity ring down method, the system noise is demonstrated to reduce by over 52%. All these technologies and devices offer reliable and flexible sensing solutions for high-temperature and energy industrials, which were not previously possible.


Radium-223 dichloride (223Ra) is the first, recently approved, α-particle-emitting radiopharmaceutical for the treatment of patients with bone metastases in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and no evidence of visceral metastases. We explored MEDLINE, relevant congresses, and websites for data on 223Ra and prostate cancer therapies, focusing on therapeutic strategies and timing, bone metastases, and diagnostic assessment. 223Ra represents the only bone-targeting agent that has significantly extended patients' overall survival while reducing pain and symptomatic skeletal events. Unlike other radiopharmaceuticals, such as strontium-89 and samarium-153 EDTMP, 223Ra (11.4-days half-life) has shown a high biological efficiency mainly due to its short penetration range. These features potentially allow reduced bone marrow toxicity and limit undue exposure. 223Ra has been validated under the product name Xofigo® by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. Patient selection, management, and treatment sequencing is recommended to be discussed in the context of a multidisciplinary environment, including oncology, urology, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy physicians. No consensus has been achieved regarding the optimal timing and its administration as single agent or in combination with zoledronic acid or chemotherapy, so far. This review aims to provide a rationale for the use of 223Ra in treating metastases from CRPC, highlighting the crucial role of a multidisciplinary approach, the disputed inclusion and exclusion criteria on the basis of agencies regulations, and the value of diagnostics for therapy assessment.


This paper addresses three research issues for the virtual heritage system: 3D modeling, 3D media asset database management, and interactive presentation through networks. We first show art overview of our virtual heritage system and introduce our approaches on each research issue. We develop 3D modeling environment using both of two emerging techniques, i.e., image-based 3D modeling and 3D laser scanning-based 3D modeling techniques. Each technique captures range data of 3D objects using 3D input devices and uses 3D mesh modeling scheme. Our test results from both of these trials are shown. One of the important tasks for the virtual heritage system is how to manage the various kinds of cultural heritage assets. For this goal, our approach for an asset management is described. This includes the system configuration and asset creation method. Finally, we address how to present the virtual heritages. Here, we show two approaches, Web-based and virtual reality theater-based system. We also address the networking issues for transcontinental cultural heritage exchange and our future plan for the 3D cyber museum through the Trans-Eurasia Information Network.


Josiah Sutton was convicted of rape. He was five inches shorter and 65 pounds lighter than the suspect described by the victim, but at trial a lab analyst testified that his DNA was found at the crime scene. His case looked like many others--arrest, swab, match, conviction. But there was just one problem--Sutton was innocent. We think of DNA forensics as an infallible science that catches the bad guys and exonerates the innocent. But when the science goes rogue, it can lead to a gross miscarriage of justice. Erin Murphy exposes the dark side of forensic DNA testing: crime labs that receive little oversight and produce inconsistent results; prosecutors who push to test smaller and poorer-quality samples, inviting error and bias; law-enforcement officers who compile massive, unregulated, and racially skewed DNA databases; and industry lobbyists who push policies of "stop and spit." DNA testing is rightly seen as a transformative technological breakthrough, but we should be wary of placing such a powerful weapon in the hands of the same broken criminal justice system that has produced mass incarceration, privileged government interests over personal privacy, and all too often enforced the law in a biased or unjust manner. Inside the Cell exposes the truth about forensic DNA, and shows us what it will take to harness the power of genetic identification in service of accuracy and fairness.


Due to the limited natural water resources and the increase in population, managing water consumption is becoming an increasingly important subject worldwide. In this paper, we present and compare different machine learning models that are able to predict water demand for Central Indiana. The models are developed for two different time scales: daily and monthly. The input features for the proposed model include weather conditions (temperature, rainfall, snow), social features (holiday, median income), date (day of the year, month), and operational features (number of customers, previous water demand levels). The importance of these input features as accurate predictors is investigated. The results show that daily and monthly models based on recurrent neural networks produced the best results with an average error in prediction of 1.69% and 2.29%, respectively for 2016. These models achieve a high accuracy with a limited set of input features.


The subject matter of this Ph.D. thesis is the production and application of the Barber-Tennyson line list, BT2, a computed list of H2160 transition frequencies and intensities. BT2 was produced using a discrete variable representation two-step approach for solving the rotation-vibration nuclear motions (Tennyson et al., 2004, Comp. Phys. Comm., 163, 85). It is the most complete water line list in existence, comprising over 500 million transitions ( 65% more than any other list) and it is also the most accurate (over 90% of all known experimental energy levels are within 0.3 cm-1 of the BT2 values). Its accuracy has been confirmed by extensive testing against astronomical and laboratory data. The line list has already found application in a wide range of astrophysical en vironments. It has been used to identify individual water lines in: the spectra of comets, sunspots, cool stars, brown dwarfs and the enigmatic object V838 Mon, and in a number of cases physical parameters have been derived from the intensities of the lines. The line list has also been used to model the atmospheres of cool stars and brown dwarfs and the chemistry of the circumstellar molecular shell ejected by V838 Mon. In addition to our own work with BT2, we have supplied various data, de rived from BT2, to other astrophysical research groups including: N. Dello Russo and co-workers for cometary applications J.M.C. Rawlings for modelling the time- dependent chemistry of the shell ejected by V838 Mon and P. Hauschildt's stellar atmospheric modelling group, which has included the complete BT2 line list in its 'PHOENIX' database. Practical applications of BT2 are not confined to the field of astronomy. The line list is now the preferred reference tool for many groups engaged in the identification of water lines in high temperature laboratory torch spectra, and we have been pleased to supply them with appropriate BT2 spectral data. The final chapter of the thesis looks to the future, which includes further appli cations of BT2 and the production of an NH3 line list.


Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are frequently administered to patients for magnetic resonance imaging to enhance tissue contrasts. After examination, they are excreted and enter surface waters via local wastewater treatment plants' effluents where they lead to anthropogenic Gd anomalies in the environment of metropolitan areas with developed healthcare. This work presents the speciation analysis of GBCAs in water samples from Australia by targeting individual GBCAs in effluent, river and seawater samples obtained from New South Wales (Sydney area), the Northern Territory (Alice Springs) and Victoria (Melbourne area). A method based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) provided rapid separation and quantification of four common GBCAs in under three minutes. To improve the sensitivity, ion extraction and transport processes were optimised and the quadrupole mass filter was operated with an increased mass bandpass, decreasing limits of detection to between 18 and 24 ng L−1 for individual GBCAs. This allowed detection of Gd-DOTA, Gd-BT-DO3A and Gd-DTPA-BMA at concentrations of up to 160 ng L−1 in water samples collected from rivers within the proximity of effluents of local wastewater treatment plants. The analysis of GBCAs in oceanic sea water required the development of a novel automated micro-solid phase extraction (μSPE) method for matrix elimination and analyte pre-concentration enabling the detection of Gd-DOTA and Gd-BT-DO3A.


Walt Whitman is often considered to be one of the greatest American poets. His ways of writing were unconventional, inappropriate to a degree (according to Victorian standards), yet they intrigued readers not only of the New World, but also those of the Old World. But his writing was not the only thing he was known for. The "Good Gray Poet" was also known for being gentle and warm-hearted, with a striking face and piercing blue eyes. He was welcoming to his neighbors, visitors, and passers-by on the street. This thesis seeks to understand the man behind Leaves of Grass. Through careful analysis of Whitman's collected interviews, housed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Walt Whitman Archive, I analyze if the conclusions reached in the interviews are an accurate representation of who Walt Whitman was. I pay special attention to the interviews Whitman allegedly conducted with himself, and any biases that exist as a result. I have also elected to limit the scope of my interviews to dates prior to Whitman's death, thus from October 15, 1866, to February 13, 1892. This thesis is divided into five sections, each an attempt to further contextualize and explain Whitman's interviews. The first addresses the historic background of the interview genre of the nineteenth century; second, Whitman's character and alleged interview performance; third, Whitman's collaboration with others; fourth, Whitman and his interviews with himself; and finally, a conclusion, where I will revisit the question of the accuracy of these interviews regarding Whitman's character.


Travancore was situated in the extreme South west portion of the Indian Peninsula.1 It had a total area of 1725 square miles.2  The land Travancore had rich natural resources and panoramic views. Its fertility backed by abundance of water resources made for its rich flora and fauna3. The hills and valleys of the state offered plenty of scope to cultivate paddy, coconut, cardamom, pepper, coffee, tea and rubber etc., The spices of the state attracted the people all over the world which ultimately resulted in the colonization of Kerala.4 The topography of the land of Travancore, the fertility of the soil and the climatic conditions of the state were favourable for the raising of a large variety of crops in the state. These products could be divided into two broad categories, namely, consumption crops and plantation crops. Among consumption crops, paddy and coconut are the most important. Paddy provides the staple food of the people and it is cultivated thoughout the State both on the hills and on the plains.  Coconut and  palms overcrowding the low lands and the slopes of the high lands from southern tip of the state to the northern border are a perennial crop. The yield of which earns cash income to the planters and contributes the bulk of the state revenue.


This study proposes an anti-counterfeiting system of drunk driving, which prevents drivers from drunken driving and cheat of driver's alcohol detection. The study develops the technology of driver's facial image match by a serial image processes. The methodology of facial image match uses the Adaboost algorithm, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to extract the facial features of drivers, is suitable to be applied under the internal environments of cabin. By analyzing the facial features of drivers, the time of driver's exchange is detected, and the driver's identity is indentified. When the cheat act of driver's alcohol detection occurred, the system will generate warning signals through a buzzer to notice the driver to take alcohol detection. The system detected the time of driver's exchange effectively, and indentified different driver's identity successfully, the accuracy rate of ORL face database is 96.25 %, the accuracy rate of ARTC driver's face database is 100.00 %. This system has been implemented on low-cost DSP platform and it can be installed efficiently on varied kind of vehicles. The study will be implemented on the vehicle to verify the reliability of the technology in the future.


BACKGROUND
Aromatase inhibitors are widely employed in the adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer. The impact of aromatase inhibitors has not been established in ethnic minority women.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of letrozole on minority women in MA.17, a placebo-controlled trial of letrozole following 5 years of tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer. Retrospective comparison of disease-free survival (DFS), side effects, and mean changes in quality of life (QOL) scores from baseline between Caucasian and minority women was performed.

RESULTS
Minority (n = 352) and Caucasian (n = 4708) women were analyzed. There was no difference between these groups in DFS (91.6% versus 92.4% respectively for 4 year DFS). Letrozole, compared with placebo, significantly improved DFS for Caucasians (HR = 0.55; P < 0.0001) but not for minorities (HR = 1.39; P = 0.53). Among women who received letrozole, minorities had a significantly lower incidence of hot flashes (49% versus 58%; P = 0.02), fatigue (29% versus 39%; P = 0.005), and arthritis (2% versus 7%; P = 0.006) compared with Caucasians. Mean change in QOL scores for minority women who received letrozole demonstrated improved mental health at the 6-month assessment (P = 0.02) and less bodily pain at the 12-month assessment (P = 0.046).

CONCLUSION
Letrozole improved DFS in Caucasians but a definite benefit in minority women has not yet been demonstrated. Minority women tolerated letrozole better than Caucasians in terms of toxicity. These results need confirmation in other trials of aromatase inhibitors.


Stainless steel AISI 304 was laser treated to enhance corrosion resistance and improve surface properties. . This alloy has many applications in auto industry (car body,) as well as oil and gas industry. Different conditions were applied in the laser surface treatment, namely: laser power density, scan speed, distance between paths, medium gas (air, argon and nitrogen). After laser treatment, the samples microstructures were investigated using optical microscope to examine micro structural changes due to laser irradiation. Specimen surfaces were investigated using XRD, SEM and EDAX before and after laser treatment to examine the surface composition changes brought by laser irradiation. Results showed that laser irradiation enhances the corrosion resistance of AISI 304 Stainless steel to a large extent. Corrosion rates as low as 0.011 mpy for laser treated samples were obtained in comparison to 0.952 mpy obtained for the untreated samples. Superior pitting corrosion resistance was obtained under specific treatment conditions. The enhancement of corrosion resistance depends on the laser irradiation conditions. The corrosion protection afforded by laser treatment is attributed mainly to the grain refinement of the top surface layer. This layer is found to consist of nano-scale grains.


The current study aims to explore and identify the screening of formulation components and evaluates the quality issues of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for the phenolic secoirodoid Oleuropein. The stepwise screening of the components for preparation of NLCs includes the selection of solid lipid, liquid lipid based on the relative solubility of Oleuropein in different lipids. Polaxomer 188 was selected as the main surfactant for the preparation of NLCs because of its good emulsification efficacy for the solid lipid liquid mix. Lecithin was used to enhance the stability of NLC. The optimized formulation was also evaluated for different quality issues. Thermal analysis by DSC revealed that the lipid particles maintained sufficiently good melting point even after nanonization. Absence of gelation and resilience for the stress provided by autoclaving further established the quality of the developed NLCs. In a nutshell, a systematic protocol was developed for designing of Oleuropein NLC with good particulate parameters of minimum particle size and maximum zeta potential with narrow polydispersity index.


Summary A gas-liquid chromatographic micromethod for quantitation of cholesterol in 20 PI of plasma was developed using 5a-cholestane as an internal standard, saponification with tetramethylammonium hydroxide-isopropanol, and extraction with tetrachloroethylene-methyl butyrate. Cholesterol levels in plasma samples were calculated by comparing cholesterol-cholestane peak height ratios with those of preassayed reference plasma. Over a plasma cholesterol range of 44 to 468 mg/100 ml, the gas-liquid chromatographic micromethod and the automated ferric chloride colorimetric method gave nearly identical results (r = 0.99) in duplicate aliquots of 131 plasma samples.


Removal of Al, As, Cd, total Cr (Tot. Cr), Cu, Total Fe (Tot. Fe), Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn from urban effluent by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) operated under five-stage Bardenpho® process were investigated and water soluble metals in the dewatered sludge were quantified. Samples were collected from two WWTPs on a weekly basis over an approximately 2.5-year time span. Tot. Fe and Al were the most abundant, As, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Cd were the least abundant metals in the influents of both WWTPs. Removal efficiencies above 75% were achieved for Tot. Cr, Tot. Fe, Al, and Cu, whereas, no significant removal was observed for As, Cd, Pb, Sb, and Sn. Removal of Tot. Cr, Cu, Tot. Fe, Zn, Al, Mn, and Ni were influenced by influent suspended solids concentrations, and of Tot. Cr, Zn, and Cd were influenced by their initial content in the influent. Zn removal efficiency of biological nutrient removal (BNR) system in this study was higher and Cd removal efficiency was lower than that of conventional activated sludge reported in the literature. No remarkable difference for metals such as Cu, Mn, Ni, and Pb was observed between the removal efficiencies of conventional system and BNR system.


Abstract
This dissertation explores how the British Columbia Muslim School (BCMS) re-sponds to the tension between preserving and promoting an Islamic worldview and values and the challenge to correspond to the norms and values of the dominant soci-ety in the context of Canada's multicultural society.
The dissertation further focuses on how the school teaches students the principles of Islam to strengthen their faith and identity while providing a safe environment in which to practice their faith and adopt an Islamic way of life. It also discusses the challenges faced by students and teachers of the BCMS in practicing Islam in public. In addition, the dissertation analyses perspectives on developing multicultural com-petence; how the BCMS deals with the issue of isolation, and the compatibility of an Islamic education with Canada's multicultural system.
This dissertation argues for the development of a more open and inclusive Islamic education curriculum for the BCMS as an alternative to the present exclusive cur-riculum that, as Ramadan (2004) observes, emphasises the differences between Islam and the mainstream society. If there is a hope of creating better integrated students, the Islamic education curriculum should find a balance between preserving students' beliefs and Islamic identity, and enhancing their multicultural competence. To this end, the Islamic education program should expand the concept of respect to in-clude non-Muslims' beliefs and cultures, and define good Islamic practices to include good citizenship in the multicultural context.
In return, this dissertation argues, Canada's public schools, government agencies, and media outlets should develop policies aimed at challenging Islamophobia and present Islam from a perspective of peace and social justice, and not from the nega-tive images which present Islam as a religion based on extremism (Zine, 2004). Finally, the dissertation offers some recommendations for finding a balance between preserving students' faith and identity, and enhancing their multicultural competence.


Green liquor is produced when chems. are recovered in the kraft pulp process. Industrially produced green liquor contains a solid, non-sol. phase known as 'green liquor dregs' which is removed either by filtration or sedimentation. The work presented in this paper compares the sepn. properties of green liquor produced in a gasifier unit with that produced in a recovery boiler. The two types of green liquors were found to have almost similar sepn. properties with respect to both sedimentation and filtration. In the case of filtration, the av. specific filtration resistance was around 1012 to 1013 m/kg at 1 bar filtration pressure.


The financial press has noted, occasionally with some alarm, the rising levels of lending to subprime auto consumers on increasingly lax terms. At the same time, as the U.S. Federal Reserve pursues a lax monetary policy, investors have been attracted to the elevated yields sometimes available in the subprime securitization market. Is the Fed again priming the pump for a strong correction in the sector, driving investors into an asset class that is fundamentally becoming dangerously risky (reminiscent of the last recession), or are the concerns about longer loan terms, increasing volumes, and increasing delinquency rates in the subprime auto sector overblown? This article provides a balanced assessment by looking at recent data to evaluate both the current claims of potentially dangerous lending as well as the counter claims that there is no cause for concern.


The instable phenomenon of the tiltrotor aircraft's whirl flutter is induced from the aeroelastic coupling between flapping of the rotor and bending/torsion of the flexible wing when its flight velocity exceeds the critical speed of the stability boundary. The wind tunnel test using semi-span model is an effective and convincing method to validate the accuracy of analytical methodologies and effect of active/passive control techniques to suppress whirl flutter. A semi-span model was developed and fabricated to conduct tests related to aeroelastic problems of tiltrotor aircrafts. Tests were carried out to ascertain the critical speed of this model with different configurations including rotor/wing tests and rotor/wing/fuselage tests. The stiffness of this model was adjusted to guarantee that whirl flutter would occur in wind tunnel test. Good agreement was shown in the comparison between results of the wind tunnel tests and the theoretical analysis, which indicated that the semi-span model designed in this study and the corresponding theoretical analysis method were capable for studies of whirl flutter problems.


AIMS: To develop a rapid, sensitive, and specific non-isotopic in situ hybridisation (NISH) procedure for the detection of Epstein-Barr virus in formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissues. METHODS: Two low molecular weight RNAs, designated EBER-1 and EBER-2 (Epstein-Barr encoded RNA), were used: cells latently infected with EBV secrete large amounts of EBERs. The method uses digoxigenin labelled anti-sense oligonucleotides, corresponding to sequences in EBER-1 and EBER-2. RESULTS: The use of these probes, in conjunction with high temperature microwave denaturation, ensured that the technique was considerably more sensitive than other in situ hybridisation techniques for detecting EBV. Furthermore, the hybridisation signal was morphologically distinct in that only the nucleus and not the nucleolus give a positive signal. No cross-hybridisation was observed with cells infected with other lymphotropic herpes viruses. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity, simplicity, and rapidity of this technique make it ideal for diagnostic use, and for studies investigating the role of this virus in neoplastic disease.


Attention has recently been focused on central nervous system neuropeptides as potential mediators of the symptom profile of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD includes a range of cognitive and behavioral symptoms that bear some relationship to dimensions of behavior associated with oxytocin (OT). Increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of the anxiolytic neuropeptide OT have been reported in OCD. OT is a neurosecretory nonapeptide synthesized in hypothalamic cells, which project to widely distributed sites in the central nervous system as well as the neurohypophysis. Central OT affects a variety of cognitive, grooming, affiliative, sexual, and reproductive behaviors in animals. OT is associated with the regulation of complex sociocognitive processes such as attachment, social exploration, social recognition, anxiety, and other stress-related behaviors. Based on these data, we hypothesized that OCD is mediated by OT. The aim of this review is to define possible involvements of OT in the pathophysiology of OCD.


Background Clinical trial populations do not fully reflect routine practice. The power of routinely collected data is increasingly recognised. Methods The OPTIMISE:MS pharmacovigilance study is a prospective, pragmatic observational study, conducted across 13 UK MS centres. Data were collected at the time of routine clinical visits. The first participant was recruited on 24th May 2019; data were extracted on 11th November 2021. Results 2112 participants were included (median age 44.0 years; 1570 (72%) female; 1981 (94%) relapsing- remitting MS). 639 (30%) were untreated at study entry, 205 (10%) taking interferon beta/copaxone, 1004 (47%) were taking second/third generation DMT first line (including dimethyl fumarate, oral cladribine, natalizumab, ocrelizumab), and 264 (13%) had escalated from either interferon beta or copaxone. 342 clinical events were reported, of which 108 were infections. There was an increased risk of adverse events in people taking second/third generation DMT (RR 3.45, 95%CI 1.57-7.60, p<0.01 vs no DMT). Unadjusted Poisson regression demonstrated increased incident adverse events in people taking natalizumab (IRR 5.28, 95%CI 1.41-19.74, p<0.05), ocrelizumab (IRR 3.24, 95%CI 1.22-8.62, p<0.05), and GA biosimilar (Brabio) (IRR 4.89, 95%CI 1.31-18.21, p<0.05) vs no DMT. Conclusions Routinely collected healthcare data can be used to evaluate DMT safety in people with MS. These data highlight the potential of pragmatic studies to guide understanding of risks and benefits associated with DMT.


Background: Relevant studies have indicated that hepatic mast cells may have potential roles in the progression of cholestasis and cholestasis-induced itch. We aimed to compare the effects of cromolyn sodium and other medications on cholestatic pruritus, serum biochemistry, histamine, total bile acids, autotaxin, liver histopathology, and mast cell distribution in tissues in an experimental cholestasis model conducted by bile duct ligation. Methods: Rats received the determined treatment consecutively for 10 days in addition to bile duct ligation. On the 5th and 10th days of the experiment, the rats' itching behaviors were observed for 5 minutes. After 10 days, blood and tissue samples were taken. Results: Significant decreases in serum histamine and autotaxin levels, plasma total bile acids, total bilirubin, and biliary enzymes were reported only in cromolyn sodium-treated rats compared to the control group. In immunohistochemistry of the liver samples, the peribiliary mast cells stained positive for autotaxin. Except for bile duct infarctus, all histopathological findings of cholestasis significantly improved only in cromolyn sodium-treated and sertraline-treated rats. The liver and peritoneal mast cells significantly decreased only in cromolyn sodium-treated rats compared to the control group. On the 10th day of the experiment, the mean duration of itching was significantly lower in all groups, except for naloxone- and ondansetron-treated rats. Conclusion: Cromolyn sodium has promising antipruritic efficacy and provides biochemical and histopathological recovery of the relevant parameters of cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation. For the first time in the literature, we showed that peribiliary mast cells can produce autotaxin, which is a very important pruritogenic signal in the setting of cholestasis.


Japanese political cartooning is widely considered to be weak: lacking in number and scope, and importantly, lacking in the aggression necessary to produce biting satire. A major reason for this low assessment is that the most publicly visible forum for political cartoons, the national daily newspapers, have, particularly since the 1980s, reduced the number and prominence of the cartoons they carry, and settled into using primarily mild, non-offensive cartoons. Yet there are political cartoons to be found elsewhere in Japan, in smaller circulation magazines and on the Internet. The aim of this paper is to examine these less viewed political cartoons as an alternative source of critical cartoon commentary. To do this a comparison is made of how these "alternative cartoons" and political cartoons in the major dailies responded to a single news event of national significance—Japan's triple disaster of March 11, 2011 and problems arising in its wake—over a four-month period. The paper begins with a brief sketch of the state of Japanese newspaper political cartooning, and then a discussion of the function of political cartoons in general. This background serves to contextualize and theoretically ground the comparison between newspaper and alternative cartoons that follows. The paper finds that political cartoons outside of newspapers are much more aggressive in their satirical comments, employ a more diverse range of styles, and offer criticism on a broader range of problems. The paper concludes that for these reasons, they are potentially more effective than newspaper cartoons at contributing to public debate, framing, and drawing attention to important issues.


Hourly blackbody temperature data from the warm seasons (May–September) of 2009–18 were used to detect mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) generated in the southwest mountain area (elevation ≥ 500 m) of China. A total of 3059 MCSs were grouped into four categories (C1, C2, C3, and C4) according to their generation positions using K-means clustering. Major characteristics of the four types of MCSs and their synoptic environmental conditions were investigated. The MCSs had a peak in July and a minimum in May, and usually lasted from 3 to 21 h. The C1 MCSs generated in the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau developed faster, were largest, and had a longer lifespan. The C2 and C4 MCSs had greater intensity and were initiated in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau and the west of the Yungui Plateau, and near the Wuling and Xuefeng Mountains, respectively. The C3 MCSs initiated in the Qinling, Ta-pa, and Wushan Mountains were smallest. The C1 and C2 MCSs contributed more than 30% to total precipitation, which was more than the C3 and C4 MCSs (<25%), and the contribution rate of MCSs to short-duration heavy rainfall affected by local MCSs was over 60%. Composite synoptic circulations of the four types of MCSs showed several factors, including the locations and intensities of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and high pressure in the Indochina Peninsula in the low-to-middle troposphere, and vortexes or southwesterly winds in the low-level troposphere, regulate the location and intensity of convection.


Recognition of importance of angiogenesis to tumor growth, metastasis, and treatment outcome has led to efforts to develop non-invasive methods for longitudinal monitoring of tumor microvasculature. We describe a steady-state MRI technique to determine absolute blood volume (BV) as a marker of microvascular density with improved spatial and temporal resolution using an ultra small super paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO). A noise reduction scheme for BV imaging was also proposed based on weighting factors derived by pre-contrast signal level as an adjustable additive constant. Gradient echo sequence was used for BV imaging with MRI at 7T. Optimal imaging conditions (USPIO dose and echo time) were determined by USPIO dose-dependent studies ex vivo and in vivo. Improved analysis strategies were at first applied for cerebral BV estimation in mice, which were found in good agreement with the literature values. These methods were then used to determine tumor BV in mice. The optimal concentration of USPIO for BV estimates was found to range from 3.6 to 4.48 mM (estimated as Fe concentration) in ex vivo experiments corresponding to an in vivo dosage of 215-287 micromol/kg body weight, whereas a USPIO dose of 287 micromol/kg leads to higher cerebral BV estimate in vivo than the reported values. Application of the BV imaging method to evaluation of anti-angiogenic effect of Sunitinib in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tumor bearing mice revealed approximately 46% reduction in tumor BV 4 days after start of Sunitinib treatment. The results show that the MRI approach using USPIO yields high-resolution absolute BV images and the method can be conveniently applied to monitor longitudinal tumor microvessel density changes as a function of growth or in response to treatment.


Background Hepcidin, a key regulator of iron homeostasis, is increased in response to inflammation and some infections, but the in vivo role of hepcidin, particularly in children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is unclear. We investigated the relationships between hepcidin, cytokines and iron status in a pediatric population with a high prevalence of both anemia and co-morbid infections. Methodology/Principal Findings African refugee children <16 years were consecutively recruited at the initial post-resettlement health check with 181 children meeting inclusion criteria. Data on hematological parameters, cytokine levels and co-morbid infections (Helicobacter pylori, helminth and malaria) were obtained and urinary hepcidin assays performed. The primary outcome measure was urinary hepcidin levels in children with and without iron deficiency (ID) and/or ID anaemia (IDA). The secondary outcome measures included were the relationship between co-morbid infections and (i) ID and IDA, (ii) urinary hepcidin levels and (iii) cytokine levels. IDA was present in 25/181 (13.8%). Children with IDA had significantly lower hepcidin levels (IDA median hepcidin 0.14 nmol/mmol Cr (interquartile range 0.05–0.061) versus non-IDA 2.96 nmol/mmol Cr, (IQR 0.95–6.72), p<0.001). Hemoglobin, log-ferritin, iron, mean cell volume (MCV) and transferrin saturation were positively associated with log-hepcidin levels (log-ferritin beta coefficient (β): 1.30, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.57) and transferrin was inversely associated (β: −0.12, 95% CI −0.15 to −0.08). Cytokine levels (including IL-6) and co-morbid infections were not associated with IDA or hepcidin levels. Conclusions/Significance This is the largest pediatric study of the in vivo associations between hepcidin, iron status and cytokines. Gastro-intestinal infections (H. pylori and helminths) did not elevate urinary hepcidin or IL-6 levels in refugee children, nor were they associated with IDA. Longitudinal and mechanistic studies of IDA will further elucidate the role of hepcidin in paediatric iron regulation.


Human face detection is concerned with finding the location and size of every human face in a given image. Face detection plays a very important role in human computer interaction field. It represents the first step in a fully automatic face recognition, facial features detection, and expression recognition. There are many techniques used in face detection, each one has its advantages and disadvantages. The face detection system presented in this paper is a hybrid of known algorithms. First stage of the proposed method is applying skin detection algorithm to specify all skin locations in the image. Second, extract face features like eyes, mouth and nose. At the last, a verification step is applied to ensure that the extracted features are facial features. In experiments on images having upright frontal faces with any background our system has achieved high detection rates and low false positives


Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences able to change position in the genome, and represent more than 40% of mammalian genetic material. TEs can have positive or detrimental effects on the host, being both important motors of evolution and genomic threats, and are associated with diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Growing evidence indicates the host co-opts TEs for its benefit, with examples such as syncytins – genes important for placental formation that derive from TEs. Given their potential damaging role, the host needs to repress TEs, especially during early embryogenesis. KRAB-containing zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs) are important regulators of TEs, which they repress with their cofactor KAP1. In stem cells, the KRAB/KAP1 complex irreversibly silence TEs and is believed to be dispensable in adult cells. KRAB-ZFPs constitute one of the largest families of transcriptional regulators encoded by higher vertebrates, but functional information is missing for most of its members. To shed light on this important family of transcription factors, we first developed a large-scale functional screen matching murine TEs with their cognate KRAB-ZFP. The screen identified KRAB-ZFP809 as the ligand of its previously mapped DNA target in the murine leukemia virus genome. Our method further singled out two novel KRAB-ZFPs binding to TE sequences, as confirmed by repression and binding assays. One of them, Gm6871, was identified to regulate LINE-1 elements together with KAP1 in embryonic stem cells. KAP1 regulation followed a chronologically conditioned pattern, repressing elements that entered the mouse genome between 5.6 and 3.8 million years ago, suggestive of an evolutionary arms race between host KRAB-ZFPs and TEs. Secondly, we found the paralogs ZFP932 and Gm15446 to bind overlapping but distinguishable subsets of ERVK (endogenous retrovirus K), to repress these elements in embryonic stem cells, and to regulate secondarily the expression of neighboring genes. Furthermore, we uncovered that these KRAB-ZFPs and KAP1 control TEs in adult tissues, in cell culture and in vivo, where they partner up to modulate cellular genes. Our results establish an efficient screening method to identify KRAB-ZFPs DNA targets, opening the way to functional analyses of this major class of transcriptional repressors. Most importantly, our study strongly suggests that KRAB-ZFP genes are not only part of an evolutionary arms race with TEs, but also participate in the domestication of these elements for the benefit of the host. Given the abundance and high degree of species-specificity of TEs and KRAB-ZFPs, these results have important implications for understanding the biology of higher vertebrates, including humans.


What survive of scientists' labour, after the field notes have been archived, the laboratory rig dismantled and the conference talks have faded from memory, are their writings. The collective efforts of researchers are distilled into papers in journals, hundreds of thousands of them, all recording claims to new knowledge and trying to persuade peers that those claims are justified. As writing, the journal paper is a peculiarly constrained form, as anyone knows who has tried to compose one. Despite occasional laments about the impenetrability of professional scientific writing, complaints that it excludes the laity, and the current rapid development of new modes of publication, the standard form shows no sign of loosening its grip. Perhaps, then, it exists for good reasons. And since it did not emerge fully-formed at the birth of modern science, perhaps a historical look at how it took shape will show some of the reasons. This rewarding study offers just such a look, in rich detail. Alan Gross and his colleagues start from the observation that there have been many recent studies of how scientists' texts are put together – of the rhetoric of science as they term it – but they are almost always individual case studies and so offer no insight into change over time. It is easy to understand why. Examining the rhetoric of scientific papers does not imply that they are 'mere rhetoric', that the words are all that matter. But it does demand close attention to exactly which words are chosen, and how they are arranged. It is hard to do justice to this level of detail when working on more than a few papers, or a single book, at a time. As you might imagine, the ambitions of a more sweeping historical study demand a compromise, a sampling frame that generates manageable data while yielding a fine-enough resolution to persuade that we are getting a clear picture of what actually happened. In this case that means analysing short passages (10 lines) from scientific articles published in a cross-section of journals in three languages, English, French and German. The smallest set, 200 items, is from the last third of the seventeenth century, the first journal that qualifies being the French Journal des Scavans (Journal of the Learned), which appeared in 1665. There follow 500 selections from each of the next two centuries, and 600 from the twentieth century. By then, of course, there are many tens of thousands of journals, but their form is firmly established so a relatively sparser sample still suffices to disclose key features of the texts. The pre-twentieth century journals were chosen from the ranked lists published by the historian of science Robert Gascoigne. The modern set was derived from rankings based on the Science Citation Index. The 1800 short passages used purely for stylistic analysis would obviously yield a restricted picture, so 430 complete articles were also dissected to display features of presentation and argument. What emerges from all this, century by century, is a fascinating record of the gradual emergence of the scientific paper as a distinct type, along with a novel perspective on the professionalization of science. All the authors whose work is highlighted, some celebrated, some delightfully obscure, are engaged in establishing new facts about the world. But the way they present them has changed enormously since the personal reports of intriguing observations that typify the scientific article of the late seventeenth century. Communicating science shows how, over the next three centuries, the explosion of scientific publishing incorporated a whole series of changes, gradually and at different rates in different countries. They include shifts in who the authors are addressing, in the language they use, in presentation, even in the kinds of facts that are on offer (from observed particulars captured through the unaided senses to the sophistication of modern experimental contrivance). After a step-by-step account of this history, in which the statistical analysis of textual features is augmented with many rewarding examples, the authors conclude with a brief review and a tentative explanation. The review higlights such features as a shift toward objectivity, manifested in the 'suppressed-person' of the passive, elimination of personal pronouns, focus on the action of things rather than people and an increasing use of hedges (like 'we suggest that'). At the same time, the syntax — not the cognitive context — grows simpler in some respects, with shorter sentences and increasing use of complex noun phrases as their subjects. All this goes along with much more elaborate, and standardized, organizational, subheading and citation conventions. The explanation sketched is cast in evolutionary terms, with appropriate caveats about the large differences between biological and cultural evolution. The authors suggest that the main 'selection pressure' operating on scientific articles is communicative efficiency, as registered in the rather special communities of readers who are the audience for these texts. I was not completely convinced that this framework added significantly to a more straightforward historical account of the developments charted here. But it is certainly good to have them laid out in such detail and analysed with such care. The book will be an essential starting point for future discussion of the history of scientific writing.


In this paper we describe a generic approach to modeling user reputation in online social platforms based on an underlying model of collaboration. This distinguishes our approach from more conventional reputation models which are often based around ad-hoc activity metrics. We evaluate our model with respect to a conventional reputation model used by three social Q&A websites, each based on a different topical domain.


Hydrogen peroxide is a very versatile reagent for many industrial processes. Nevertheless, it is very sensitive to impurities that can catalyze its decomposition violently. Combining the recent year's hydrogen peroxide explosion accidents, this paper seeks to establish the evaluation model for its safe storage and transportation. Firstly, the runaway scenario that can serve as a basis for the assessment of the thermal risk was briefly described. Secondly, the adiabatic temperature increase () and the pressure for closed systems were used as the severity of the assessment criteria. Both closed and open systems were discussed. Thirdly, the time to maximum rate (TMRad) was presented as the probability of occurrence of the scenario. Finally, the established model was exemplified by two examples both with and without contamination. The results show that at 20°C the severity of 30(wt.) % H2O2 is critical and a small amount of Fe3+ (12.7mg∙L-1) reduces the TMRad of 30(wt.) % H2O2 by almost a factor of eleven. This approach can assess the safety of hydrogen peroxide for storage and transportation in advance.


Persons with hemophilia who have received therapy since 1978 are at risk for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Plasma and serum specimens collected from 1980 to 1985 from 73 New Mexico residents with hemophilia were tested by enzyme immunoassay for antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III), and positive results were confirmed by Western blot. Antibody to HTLV-III was first detected in New Mexico residents with hemophilia in 1981. Among 49 persons tested in 1984-1985, seropositivity was found in 35%. Of these, 17 of 32 (53%) commercial concentrate versus 0 of 17 cryoprecipitate users were seropositive (P = .002). Of the 7 with hemophilia B, 3 (43%) were seropositive versus 14 of 42 (33%) with hemophilia A. Of 17 Albuquerque residents with hemophilia, 2(12%) were seropositive as compared with 15 of 32 (47%) persons with hemophilia who resided outside the city (P = .02). Compared with patients with hemophilia outside of Albuquerque, those living in Albuquerque tended to have milder disease and to use cryoprecipitate rather than commercial concentrate. Less frequent treatment (mild disease) and use of cryoprecipitate were associated with a decreased risk of HTLV-III infection.


Abstract Activated carbon was prepared from commercial polyurethane and polymer waste by chemical activation using zinc chloride. The prepared activated carbon was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface analysis, elemental analysis, iodine number, surface functional groups, the pH of zero point charge (pHzpc), and the moisture and ash contents. The experimental parameters of pH, temperature, initial concentration, and adsorbent dosage were optimized for the removal of Cu (II) from aqueous solution. The adsorption mechanism for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution by the activated carbon obtained from waste polyurethane by zinc chloride activation was characterized using pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion models, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and SEM. These experiments were performed under the optimum conditions obtained using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions for pH, temperature, concentration, and adsorbent dosage were 5.7, 53 °C, 27 mg/L, and 4.2 g, respectively. The results were analyzed using isotherm and kinetic models. The highest monolayer adsorption capacity of Cu (II) ions onto the activated carbon was 31.95 mg/g. The pseudo-second order kinetic model was the ideal model. Approximately 80% of Cu (II) was removed from the solution.


A procedure to design and characterise high speed bipolar circuits is presented. The design method is improved by using iso base-collector capacitance curves and duty cycles plots in the (IC, Vce) plane. This new optimisation way gives the optimum electrical parameters for each transistor of a bipolar circuit to reach the best trade-off between the switching speed and the power consumption. Furthermore, input signals time jitter is taken into account during simulations. The measurement method is improved by characterising in time domain each part of the measurement set-up. These improvements have enabled the design and characterisation of InP-DHBT D-type flip-flop and demultiplexer circuits. 40 Gbit/s on wafer measurement are presented.


Abstract : The mental workload experienced by the crewmember occupying the back seat of the F-15E during a target acquisition mission was simulated via two computer modeling tools: Task Analysis/Workload (TAWL) and the microcomputer version of Systems Analysis of Integrated Networks of Tasks (Micro Saint). The primary objectives were to evaluate the similarity of the two modeling tools and compare their relative ease of use. The scenario consisted of a ten-task target acquisition mission whose goal was to detect and destroy a Scud missile target. Output from the two models was highly similar in terms of overall patterns of workload throughout the mission. In both instances, workload was greatest during the last two minutes of the mission when final decision regarding target presence and location and weapon release needed - to be made. Estimates of overall and peak workload from each model were also indistinguishable. The one area in which the models differed was in the component workload estimates obtained for four of the ten functions during the mission. The Micro Saint estimates were consistently somewhat higher than those provided by TAWL, an outcome largely attributable to the differential manner in which the transition periods between tasks are handled by the two models. In sum, the two modeling tools yielded similar results in an overall or gross level, but differed on a fine-grained level, indicating that Micro Saint is much more versatile and flexible than TAWL.


Purpose: The aim of this descriptive study is to determine the level of entrepreneuship and related factors in nursing students. Methods: The study sample consisted of 178 students in a nursing school at a university in Ankara who received education in 2014-2015 academic year and agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected through the Personel Information Form and University Student Entreprenurship Scale (USES). Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's test were used in analyzing the data. Results: The mean age of the students who participated in the study was 21±2.6 years. 28% of those students were in the first year, 32% were in the second year, 23% were in the third year and 27% were in the fourth year. The mean score for the students on the University Student Entreprenurship Scale (USES) was 136.78±1.68 point as to be considered a high level entrepreneurship. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) among having a work experience, having entrepreneur relatives, entrepreneural personality and a level of entrepreneurship. Conclusions: The entrepreneurship level in nursing students was found to be high. These characteristics need to be highlighted and strengthened.


As mobile devices grow more integrated into the everyday life of the general public, there is an increased benefit to be gained from utilizing personalized applications. One of the biggest challenges in developing for these mobile devices is the variation between the supported tools and languages for each platform. The HTML5 standard is supported by every modern platforms, which allows these problems to be circumvented. HTML5 includes several new features and APIs that allow for development of complex web applications, including functionality for personalization. These factors provide great incentive for using HTML5 in the development of multi-platform personalized applications. A prototype application was developed in order to examine the process and product of developing a personalized multi-platform application with HTML5. The results show that although there are many benefits to choosing HTML5 for this purpose, extensive testing is still required in order to prevent platform-specific issues and bugs, as well as to ensure a consistent user experience on all devices. While HTML5 lacks access to certain device features, it is a great choice when these are not required. However, HTML5 is still in development, and the W3C has plans for adding APIs for these features, which bodes well for the future of personalized web applications.


Adult F1 hybrids of male GK and female Wistar control rats exhibit mild, spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus characterized by impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion. Using isolated pancreatic islets of hybrid rats, we first studied whether impaired glucose-induced insulin response is present not only in adult but also in neonatal rats. Furthermore, we investigated whether the impaired glucose-induced insulin response can be restored by long-term normalization of glycemia. Both 1-week- and 2- to 3-month-old hybrid rats had similar body weights but increased fed blood glucose levels (P < 0.05) compared with age-matched control rats. At 5.5 mmol/1 glucose, insulin release was two- to threefold lower in isolated islets of hybrid than in control rats of both age groups (P < 0.05). At 16.7 mmol/1 glucose, insulin secretion from hybrid islets was ∼25% of that from control islets of both 1-week- and 2- to 3-month-old rats. For the second objective, batches of 250 islets from hybrid or control rats were transplanted under the kidney capsule of athymic, normoglycemic nude mice and maintained there for 4 weeks. Perfusion of kidneys demonstrated that glucose-induced (16.7 mmol/l) insulin secretion was impaired markedly in hybrid grafts compared with that in control grafts (0.66 ± 0.23 vs. 1.8 ± 0.38 pmol/20 min; P < 0.01), whereas stimulation by 20 mmol/l arginine resulted in similar insulin responses in both groups. The volumes of the grafted islets were similar in kidneys bearing either control or hybrid islets. In conclusion, in hybrid rats the insulin response to glucose is impaired already at neonatal age. This impairment was not restored by long-term maintenance of the hybrid islets in a normoglycemic environment, whereas the arginine effect was intact. These findings suggest that the primary defect resides in the stimulus-secretion coupling for glucose in the β-cell and that hyperglycemia (glucotoxicity) does not play a major role in sustaining this selective β-cell defect.


A nonlinear Markov evolution is a dynamical system generated by a measure-valued ordinary differential equation with the specific feature of preserving positivity. This feature distinguishes it from general vector-valued differential equations and yields a natural link with probability, both in interpreting results and in the tools of analysis. This brilliant book, the first devoted to the area, develops this interplay between probability and analysis. After systematically presenting both analytic and probabilistic techniques, the author uses probability to obtain deeper insight into nonlinear dynamics, and analysis to tackle difficult problems in the description of random and chaotic behavior. The book addresses the most fundamental questions in the theory of nonlinear Markov processes: existence, uniqueness, constructions, approximation schemes, regularity, law of large numbers and probabilistic interpretations. Its careful exposition makes the book accessible to researchers and graduate students in stochastic and functional analysis with applications to mathematical physics and systems biology.


We address the problem of determining what data has been leaked from a system after its recovery from a successful attack. This is a forensic process which is relevant to give a better understanding of the impact of a data breach, but more importantly it is becoming mandatory according to the recent developments of data breach notification laws. Existing work in this domain has discussed methods to create digital evidence that could be used to determine data leakage, however most of them fail to secure the evidence against malicious adversaries or use strong assumptions such as trusted hardware. In some limited cases, data can be processed in the encrypted domain which, although being computationally expensive, can ensure that nothing leaks to an attacker, thereby making the leakage determination trivial. Otherwise, victims are left with the only option of considering all data to be leaked. In contrast, our work presents an approach capable of determining the data leakage using a distributed log that securely records all accesses to the data without relying on trusted hardware, and which is not all-or-nothing. We demonstrate our approach to guarantee secure and reliable evidence against even strongest adversaries capable of taking complete control over a machine. For the concrete application of client-server authentication, we show the preciseness of our approach, that it is feasible in practice, and that it can be integrated with existing services.


New Delhi--A potentially devastating health crisis is quietly unfolding in West Bengal, India, where high levels of arsenic have leached into well water and have put more than a million Indians at risk. The immense scale of the human tragedy has begun to attract the attention of scientists from around the world, who see in this grim event an unprecedented chance to learn more about the health effects of arsenic, a known carcinogen. "We're talking about numbers [of arsenic-poisoning victims] that have never been seen before in the world," says University of California, Berkeley, epidemiologist Allan Smith.


Kristenson, O. 2009. Pastor in the Shadow of Violence. Gustavo Gutierrez as a Public Pastoral Theologian in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s. Teologiska institutionen. Studia Missionalia Svecana CVIII. 264 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-977128-2-8. This dissertation is a study of the role of Gustavo Gutierrez as a public pastor in the 1980s and 1990s in Peru. His collaboration with the Lima newspaper La Republica from the early 1980s gave him a figurative pulpit from which he addressed the Peruvian public on specific occasions. The fundamental question in the dissertation is: How did Gutierrez respond as pastor to the Peruvian public and how did he express his pastoral concern? The study analyses materials that has not been object for previous studies, such as theological essays and articles in newspapers and periodicals. With inspiration from discourse analysis four discourses have been identified in Gutierrez' texts. These discourses interact and through this interaction Gutierrez formulates his pastoral message. For the socio-political analysis two political discourses are used, the radical and the liberal. The radical political discourse deals with justice for the poor and liberation from oppression as a condition for peace and harmony in society, which are in focus for the liberal political discourse. With the Catholic theological discourse Gutierrez sets the socio-political analysis in relation to Catholic doctrine and through the pastoral theological discourse he gives reason for hope and inspiration to action. As an advocate for a theology of life, Gutierrez urges those who read and listen to him to break the pattern of death and opt for this theology of life. In his role as pastor, Gutierrez speaks words of comfort and encouragement but also words of admonition and warning to those in power who have the capacity to transform society.


Thunderstorms that produce surface hail accumulations, sometimes as large as 60 cm in depth, have significantly affected the residents of the Front Range and High Plains of Colorado and Wyoming by creating hazardous road conditions and endangering lives and property. To date, surface hail accumulation is not part of a routine forecasting or monitoring system. Extensive coordinated hail accumulation reports and operational products designed to identify deep hail accumulating storms in real time are lacking. Kalina et al. used dual-polarization WSR-88D radar observations to calculate hail depth and hail accumulations but never validated the algorithm. This study shows how 20 quality-controlled hail depth reports from the hail depth database built by the Colorado Hail Accumulation from Thunderstorms (CHAT) project are being used to validate the Kalina et al. radar-based hail accumulation algorithm for operational application. The validated algorithm shows increased correlations between radar-derived and reported accumulations for hail depth reports not included in the validation. Furthermore, increases in computational efficiency have allowed the improved algorithm to be used operationally. With an improved hail accumulation algorithm, thunderstorms that produce hail accumulations are more frequently detected than previously reported.


Technology has been playing a very important role in the advancement of science, and big breakthroughs in science are dependent upon technologies available from time to time. Between science and technology, a good understanding is required so that available technologies can be used most efficiently and effectively to solving the targeted questions in scientific research. Genome nucleotide sequencing as an available technology after several generations of the technical improvement is capable of extract the full nucleotide sequences of any single organism or a mixed population of organisms in a given sample. This technology has a major important role in medicine and health science for diagnosis of the microorganisms and early detection of genetic diseases. In microbial ecology and applied microbiology, it is now fashionable to sequence the microbial community, the microbiome, so that the community composition and diversity are described from air, soil, water, sludge to skin and gut of animals, including humans. This routine practice, too frequently used by far too many, neither provide any significant insights of knowledge nor unravel the fundamental science in any way, but it serves as a cosmetic decoration for publication mostly. Because of this, not sequencing or sequencing less is the view expressed here to alert researchers for a better focus on the research questions, and the selection and implementation of the necessary physical science methods to obtain the solid research data that can advance science in a significant way. Publication driven experiments to produce more papers are eroding the essence of science, especially the pure spirit of science.


Abstract Purpose Dupuytren disease (DD) has been associated with enlarged Pacinian corpuscles (PCs) and with PCs having a greater number of lamellae. Based on these associations, we hypothesized that subjects with DD would have altered sensitivity to high-frequency vibrations and that the changes would be more prominent at 250 Hz, where healthy subjects demonstrate the highest sensitivity. Methods A novel device was created to deliver vibrations of specific frequencies and amplitudes to the fingers and palm. Using a Psi-marginal adaptive algorithm, vibrotactile perception thresholds (VPTs) were determined in 36 subjects with DD and 74 subjects without DD. Experiments were performed at 250 Hz and 500 Hz at the fingertip and palm. The VPTs were statistically analyzed with respect to disease status, age, gender, location tested, and frequency tested. Results We found that VPT increases with age, which agrees with findings by others. Women showed greater sensitivity (i.e. lower VPT) than men. Men exhibited lower sensitivity in DD versus healthy subjects, but the results were not statistically significant. In subjects with DD presenting unilaterally, the unaffected hand was more sensitive than the affected hand, in particular for a 250 Hz stimulus applied to the finger. Conclusions The data on vibration sensitivity obtained from a large group of subjects with and without DD present interesting trends that may serve as a useful reference to future DD researchers. Understanding additional symptoms of DD may facilitate development of novel diagnostic or prognostic protocols.


Structure-based virtual screening of a commercial library identified pentanedioic acid derivatives (6 and 13b) as a kind of novel scaffold farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs). Chemical modifications of the lead compounds, biological assays and analysis of the structure–activity relationships (SAR) were conducted to discover more potent FTIs. Some of them displayed excellent inhibition against FTase, and among them, the most active compound 13n with an IC50 value of 0.0029 μM and SAR analysis might be helpful to the discovery of more potent FTIs.


IP/X.25 router is a principle approach to realize the interconnection between two TCP/IP networks over X.25 network. In this paper, the design and implementation of a STREAMS based high performance IP/X25 router is discussed. We first discuss the method for developing communication software in a UNIX kernel, and define a basic abstract model for it. This method will improve the performance of communication software and device driver. After a brief introduction of the function of IP/X.25 router we present the structure of a high performance IP/X.25 router which is designed and realized with that model in UNIX kernel based on STREAMS mechanism. A kind of general finite state machine (FSM) for the connectless internetworking over connection oriented subnetwork service and a dynamic addressing mapping algorithm is described. Finally, we introduce its application in TCP/IP network as a example and discuss the importance of interoperability testing, which could solve the interoperable problem of communication software.


Synthetic analogues and computationally assisted structure-function analyses have been used to explore the features that control proton-electron and proton-hydride coupling in electrocatalysts inspired by the [NiFe]-hydrogenase active site. Of the bimetallic complexes derived from aggregation of the dithiolato complexes MN2S2 (N2S2 = bismercaptoethane diazacycloheptane; M = Ni or Fe(NO)) with (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)+ (the Fe' component) or (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2+, Fe″, which yielded Ni-Fe'+, Fe-Fe'+, Ni-Fe″+, and Fe-Fe″+, respectively, both Ni-Fe'+ and Fe-Fe'+ were determined to be active electrocatalysts for H2 production in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid. Correlations of electrochemical potentials and H2 generation are consistent with calculated parameters in a predicted mechanism that delineates the order of addition of electrons and protons, the role of the redox-active, noninnocent NO ligand in electron uptake, the necessity for Fe'-S bond breaking (or the hemilability of the metallodithiolate ligand), and hydride-proton coupling routes. Although the redox active {Fe(NO)}7 moiety can accept and store an electron and subsequently a proton (forming the relatively unstable Fe-bound HNO), it cannot form a hydride as the NO shields the Fe from protonation. Successful coupling occurs from a hydride on Fe' with a proton on thiolate S and requires a propitious orientation of the H-S bond that places H+ and H- within coupling distance. This orientation and coupling barrier are redox-level dependent. While the Ni-Fe' derivative has vacant sites on both metals for hydride formation, the uptake of the required electron is more energy intensive than that in Fe-Fe' featuring the noninnocent NO ligand. The Fe'-S bond cleavage facilitated by the hemilability of thiolate to produce a terminal thiolate as a proton shuttle is a key feature in both mechanisms. The analogous Fe″-S bond cleavage on Ni-Fe″ leads to degradation.


Purpose
This paper aims to document the economic importance of the housing sector, as measured by its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), which is not fully recognized. In response to the joint economic and health crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity for emerging market countries to develop and implement inclusive housing strategies that stimulate the economy and improve community health outcomes. However, so far housing does not feature prominently in the recovery plans of many emerging market countries.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses national account data and informal housing estimates for 11 emerging market economies to estimate the contribution of housing investments and housing services to the GDP of these countries.

Findings
This paper finds that the combined contribution of housing investments and housing services represents between 6.9% and 18.5% of GDP, averaging 13.1% in the countries with information about both. This puts the housing sector roughly on par with other key sectors such as manufacturing. In addition, if the informal housing sector is undercounted in the official national account figures used in this analysis by 50% or 100%, for example, then the true averages of housing investments and housing services' contribution to GDP would increase to 14.3% or 16.1% of GDP, respectively.

Research limitations/implications
Further efforts to improve data collection about housing investments and consumption, particularly imputed rent for owner occupiers and informal activity require national government to conduct regular household and housing surveys. Researcher can help make these surveys more robust and leverage new data sources such as scraped housing price and rent data to complement traditional surveys. Better data are needed in order to capture housing contribution to the economy.

Practical implications
The size of the housing sector and its impact in terms of employment and community resilience indicate the potential of inclusive housing investments to both serve short-term economic stimulus and increase long-term community resilience.

Originality/value
The role of housing in the economy is often limited to housing investment, despite the importance of housing services and well-documented methodologies to include them. This analysis highlights the importance of housing to the economy of emerging market countries (in addition to all the non-GDP related impact of housing on welfare) and indicate data limitation that need to be addressed to further strengthen the case for focusing on housing as part of economic recovery plans.


Trauma to the teeth can result in the formation of cracks in the crown or root of the tooth. The location and the extent of these cracks determine the proper treatment choice. This treatment is oriented towards saving pulp vitality and/or tooth integrity. In this paper the diagnosis of these cracks is described as well as the desired treatment. These are discussed relative to the location of the cracks, namely in the clinical crown of the tooth, resulting in enamel infraction, cracked tooth and crown fractures, and in the root of the tooth, resulting in a vertical or horizontal root fracture.


Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic inflammation due to an uncontrolled immune response orchestrated through, i.e. neutrophils. The basement membrane acts as a front-line defense promoting tissue integrity, where the α-3 chain of type IV collagen is solely expressed on the outermost layer of the mucosa. Detection of subclinical ulceration is crucial since early-stage IBD presents a unique window of opportunity for intervention, as the disease might become a self-sustaining process once deep inflammation becomes established. We therefore, wanted to develop a biomarker reflecting early tissue injury, aiding in the implementation of prompt treatment.

 A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay quantifying a human neutrophil elastase (HNE) degraded fragment of type IV collagen α-3 chain was developed (C4A3-HNE). Dilution- and spiking recovery, inter- and intra-variability, and interference were evaluated. Acceptance criteria for technical validation were a recovery of 100% ±25 and an inter-intra variability of <15%. Commercial serum samples were purchased from ProteoGenex. Biological relevance was validated in an observational study from Odense University Hospital (OUH) and healthy controls. Groups were compared using Kruskal Wallis (Dunn's corrected).

 The technical validation of the C4A3-HNE assay demonstrated acceptable results for recovery, variation, and interference (table 1). Biological relevance was assessed in commercial IBD samples and healthy donors. C4A3-HNE was elevated in both CD and UC compared to healthy (p=0.001 and <0.0001)(AUC [95% CI]: 0.820 [0.669-0.971]; 0.875 [0.775-1.000]). The results were validated in a cohort of IBD patients (both p<0.0001)(fig.1). For UC, analysis showed that compared to patients in endoscopic remission, C4A3-HNE is elevated in patients with mild endoscopic activity, decreasing dose-dependently for moderate and severe disease. Fecal calprotectin and CRP levels were also lower in IBD patients with high levels of C4A3-HNE (fig.2). With a cut-off value of 54.1 ng/ml, C4A3-HNE could significantly discriminate between mild and severe endoscopic disease (table 2).

 Our study demonstrates the biological and possible clinical relevance of the novel C4A3-HNE biomarker. The biomarker is elevated in patients with IBD compared with healthy, and high levels may reflect early mucosal damage in patients with UC. Furthermore, inflammatory markers were lower in IBD patients with high levels of C4A3-HNE, pointing towards high levels being indicative of early disease. C4A3-HNE may provide early detection of mucosal damage; however, further studies are required to assess the clinical validity of this biomarker.


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Details of the processes that generate biological diversity have long been of interest to evolutionary biologists. A common theme in nature is diversification via divergent selection with gene flow. Empirical studies on this topic find variable genetic differentiation throughout the genome, that genetic differentiation is non-randomly distributed, and that loci of adaptive significance are often found clustered together within "genomic islands of divergence". Theoretical models based on new mutations show how these genomic islands can arise and grow as a result of a complex interaction of various evolutionary and genic processes. In the current study, I ask if such genomic islands can alternatively arise from divergent selection from standing genetic variation and I tested this using a simple two locus model of selection. There are numerous ways in which standing genetic variation can be partitioned (e.g., between alleles, between loci, and between populations) and I tested which of these scenarios can give rise to an island pattern compared to no genomic differentiation or complete genomic differentiation. I found that divergent selection, even without reciprocal gene exchange between populations, following a bout of admixture can relatively quickly produce an island pattern. Moreover, I found two pathways in which islands can form from divergence from standing variation: 1) through the build up of islands and 2) through the breakdown of larger, genome-wide differentiation. Lastly, similar to new mutation theory, I found that the frequency of recombination is an important determinant of island formation from standing genetic variation such that mating behavior of a species (e.g., facultative or obligate sexual) can impact the likelihood of island formation.


We here report improved synthesis and in vitro interactions of amphiphilic hydrogel nanoparticles with the macrophage cell line J774A.1. Nanoparticles comprising dispersed hydrophobic nanodomains of poly(propylene glycol) within a continuous phase of hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) were prepared via inverse emulsion crosslinking polymerization, using acrylated PEG and Pluronic F127 as macromonomer blocks. Functionality and fluorescent labeling were achieved through incorporation of reactive comonomers and a posteriori reaction with fluorescein, respectively. When introduced to a static cell culture of adhered J774A.1 macrophages, the cells internalized these hydrogel nanoparticles in a dose- and time- dependent manner through clathrin-mediated and other pathways. Amphiphilic nanoparticle uptake was however dramatically lower than that of a model system (Fluospheres) and similar to PEG-coated colloids reported in the literature, which are considered "stealth." Our findings support the potential of the nanoparticles presented here as long-circulating drug carriers.


To the Editor. —The Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Research Group (ETDRS) should be complimented for their efforts in carrying out the randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate photocoagulation and aspirin treatment in the management of patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. However, readers should be cautioned to critically analyze the conclusions reached and published in "Study Report 1," before extrapolating these data to the individual patient they may be seeing, and prior to implementing treatment.1 The study evaluates patients who have diabetic retinopathy with "clinically significant diabetic macular edema," and compares those patients who are treated immediately with patients undergoing "deferred" photocoagulation. It is terribly important to recognize that the authors have been very specific in their terminology of "clinically significant" macular edema. One of the characteristics of "clinically significant" macular edema is thickening of the retina at or within 500 μm of the center of the macula.


The objective of the present study was to investigate the adsorption of the heavy metals Cr(III) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions, onto on abundantMoroccan natural clay, (AMN). The adsorption experimentswere studied in batch reactor at room temperature. The adsorption equilibrium time for both ofCr(VI) andCr(III)was found to be 10min and 4h respectively. The influence of the pH solution on the Cr(VI) and Cr(III) adsorption was studied in the pH range of 2-7,he optimumpH for the Cr(VI) adsorption is 2,while that ofCr(III) is at the pHvalues above 4. Equilibriumisotherms for the adsorption ofCr(VI) and Cr, (III) onAMNwere analyzed by Freundlich, and Langmuir adsorption isotherms and they showed good fits to describe the adsorption equilibriumofCr(VI) andCr(III) on the natural clay, (AMN). The adsorption capacities for this natural clay, (AMN) for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were found to be 512 and 0.15 mg/g, respectively.