The role of environmentally managerial accounting between environmental performance and economic performance has been investigated in the current project. On the one hand, this project tried to re-examine the causal links among environmentally managerial accounting, environmental performance and economic performance that have been discussed in previous research; on the other hand, it also explored the moderation of environmentally managerial accounting between environmental performance and economic performance that has been overlooked. The data was collected from 298 publicly listed enterprises in Vietnam's three main stock exchanges. To test the causal linkages, multiple regression analyses were employed; whereas to test the moderating effect, hierarchical regression analyses with the interaction were undertaken. The results indicate positive influences of environmentally managerial accounting on economic performance and environmental performance that in turn puts a positive impact on economic performance. The adoption of environmentally managerial accounting in business is revealed as a moderator between economic performance and environmental performance. The causal link from environmental performance to economic performance becomes tougher when enterprises take more environmentally managerial accounting into consideration in business.


Background Climate change will lead to intense selection on many organisms, particularly during susceptible early life stages. To date, most studies on the likely biotic effects of climate change have focused on the mean responses of pooled groups of animals. Consequently, the extent to which inter-individual variation mediates different selection responses has not been tested. Investigating this variation is important, since some individuals may be preadapted to future climate scenarios. Methodology/Principal Findings We examined the effect of CO2-induced pH changes ("ocean acidification") in sperm swimming behaviour on the fertilization success of the Australasian sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, focusing on the responses of separate individuals and pairs. Acidification significantly decreased the proportion of motile sperm but had no effect on sperm swimming speed. Subsequent fertilization experiments showed strong inter-individual variation in responses to ocean acidification, ranging from a 44% decrease to a 14% increase in fertilization success. This was partly explained by the significant relationship between decreases in percent sperm motility and fertilization success at ΔpH = 0.3, but not at ΔpH = 0.5. Conclusions and Significance The effects of ocean acidification on reproductive success varied markedly between individuals. Our results suggest that some individuals will exhibit enhanced fertilization success in acidified oceans, supporting the concept of 'winners' and 'losers' of climate change at an individual level. If these differences are heritable it is likely that ocean acidification will lead to selection against susceptible phenotypes as well as to rapid fixation of alleles that allow reproduction under more acidic conditions. This selection may ameliorate the biotic effects of climate change if taxa have sufficient extant genetic variation upon which selection can act.


PURPOSE
We used functional MR imaging to compare hemispheric language dominance in healthy volunteers and in patients with epilepsy.

METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the functional MR images of 23 healthy volunteers and 16 patients with epilepsy obtained by using an echo-planar technique designed for whole-brain imaging. The activation paradigm used was a silent word generation task. Hemispheric language dominance was assessed as the percentage of activated pixels in the left hemisphere minus the percentage of activated pixels in the right hemisphere x 100.

RESULTS
We found no significant difference in language lateralization between right-handed male and right-handed female volunteers. However, a statistically significant difference in language distribution was found between left- and right-handed female volunteers. The left-handed female volunteers showed a more bilateral hemispheric language lateralization. Language lateralization in right-handed male epilepsy patients with early age at seizure onset and seizure locus in the left temporal lobe was not significantly different from that of healthy right-handed male volunteers. Similarly, we found no difference in language lateralization between right-handed female volunteers and right-handed female epilepsy patients with late age at seizure onset and seizures in the left temporal lobe.

CONCLUSION
Handedness has a significant influence on hemispheric language dominance in healthy volunteers. Sex has no influence on hemispheric language dominance, regardless of the task used to assess such dominance, nor does age at seizure onset influence language lateralization in patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy. Therefore, hemispheric language dominance can be assessed and compared effectively with functional MR imaging.


Compartmentalization of kinases and phosphatases plays an important role in the specificity of second messenger mediated signaling events. Localization of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase is mediated by interaction of its regulatory subunit (PKA-R) with the versatile family of A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). Most AKAPs bind avidly to PKA-RII, while some have dual specificity for both PKA-RI and PKA-RII, however, no mammalian PKA-RI specific AKAPs have thus far been assigned. This was mainly attributed to the observation that PKA-RI is more cytosolic, as compared to the more heavily compartmentalized PKA-RII. Chemical proteomics screens of the cAMP interactome in mammalian heart tissue recently identified sphingosine kinase type 1-interacting protein (SKIP, SPHKAP) as a putative novel AKAP. Biochemical characterization now shows that SPHKAP can be considered as the first mammalian AKAP that preferentially binds to PKA-RIα. Recombinant human SPHKAP functions as an RI-specific AKAP that utilizes the for AKAPs characteristic amphipathic helix for interaction. Further chemical proteomic screening utilizing differential binding characteristics of specific cAMP-resins confirms SPHKAPs endogenous specificity for PKA-RI directly in mammalian heart and spleen tissue. Alignment of SPHKAPs amphipathic helix with peptide models of PKA-RI or PKA-RII specific anchoring domains shows that it has largely only PKA-RIα characteristics. To further investigate the role of the protein, we combined subcellular fractionation, confocal microscopy and LC-MS/MS analysis to study its subcellular localization and exact molecular environment. We found that SPHKAP localizes to the cytoplasm as well as to the mitochondrial inner membrane space and matrix. Here, it colocalizes with PKA-RIα and associates with a mitochondrial inner membrane organizing system (MINOS) complex that is responsible for maintaining crista structure. Additionally, SPHKAP associates with apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and the phosphatase PGAM5. We found that the protein N-terminus is required for its mitochondrial localization and overexpression of SPHKAP results in abnormal mitochondria. We show that SPHKAP is a substrate of PKA and that phosphorylation regulates the interaction between SPHKAP and AIF upon cAMP and apoptosis stimulation. Sequence analysis revealed that SPHKAP contains a 13-amino acid motif similar to the BH3 domain present in BCL-2 family proteins. As with other BH3-only proteins, co-immunoprecipitation and deletion of BH3 core amino acids demonstrated that SPHKAP interacts with the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 and BCL-xL through its BH3 domain. Taken together, The data suggest a putative role for the mitochondrial SPHKAP-PKA type I complex in regulating mitochondrial crista structure and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis


Introduction The emergency psychiatric care is system is overburdened in the United States. Patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies often require resources not available at the initial treating facility and frequently require transfer to an appropriate psychiatric facility. Boarding of psychiatric patients, defined as a length of stay greater than four hours after medical clearance, is ubiquitous throughout emergency departments (EDs) nationwide. Boarding is recognized as a major cause of ambulance diversions and ED crowding and has a significant adverse impact on healthcare providers, patient satisfaction, and hospital costs. We sought to identify differences between patients who boarded versus patients who did not board, to identify factors amenable to change and identify interventions that could lead to a decrease in overall psychiatric patient length of stay and improve patient care. Methods This study is a retrospective multicenter cohort study of all patients assessed to require inpatient psychiatric hospitalization at two community EDs in Illinois from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2012. We identified 671 patients and collected insurance status, sex, age, time of arrival, time of disposition and time of transfer. Results There was a statistically significant difference in the insurance status between the cohort of patients boarding in the ED compared to non-boarders prior to inpatient psychiatric admission. Our study identified 95.4% of uninsured patients who were boarded in the ED, compared to 71.8% of Medicare/Medicaid patients and 78.3% of patients with private insurance (χ2=50.6, df=2, p<0.001). We found the length of stay to be longer for patients transferred to publicly funded psychiatric facilities compared to those transferred to private facilities, with a mean time spent in the ED of 1,661 minutes and 705 minutes, respectively (p<0.001). Patients with Medicare/Medicaid were nearly twice as likely to return to the ED for psychiatric emergencies than self-pay and privately insured patients, requiring repeat inpatient psychiatric admission (estimate=0.649, p=0.035, OR=1.914). Conclusion This study found that unfunded patients boarded significantly longer than Medicare/Medicaid and privately insured patients. Patients with private insurance boarded longer than those with Medicare/Medicaid. Patients transferred to publicly funded facilities had significantly longer ED length of stay than patients transferred to private facilities.


A successful start-up firm makes two important strategic innovation choices during its early life. It must decide upon a 'technology strategy' -- whether to specialize or generalize in the allocation of its research and development efforts -- and a 'commercialization strategy' -- whether to cooperate or compete with incumbents to secure the investment it will need to commercialize its inventions. In this paper, I advance a 'system vs. components' theory of innovation, which supposes that technological products are based on systems of complementary components. A pattern of specialize-and-cooperate and generalize-and-compete then occurs naturally as entrepreneurs maximize their expected profits given both the available technological opportunity and the state of technology in their industry. I derive measures of technology strategy for patent-holding start-up firms, and use the choice to sell the firm in an acquisition or to raise investment through an initial public offering (IPO) as prototypical examples of cooperate versus compete commercialization strategies. I then show that measures of technology strategy Granger-cause commercialization strategies in cross sectional analyses. I also address the endogeneity issue that arises because forward-looking start-up firms chose their technology strategy in anticipation of their commercialization strategy by using the introduction of the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) as a shock to the relative costs of an IPO. I provide evidence that successful start-up firms altered their technology strategies to favor component specialization following the introduction of SOX.


In this paper, we present an algorithm to prove radical inequalities. The main idea of this algorithm is to utilize a numeric method as a filter. If it succeeds, then the algorithm will be more efficient. Otherwise, it falls back to the symbolic methods. We illustrate the efficiency of this algorithm by automatically proving a radical inequality.


This research investigated the longitudinal shear transfer mechanism in composite shallow cellular floor beams. The shear transfer mechanism is different with the headed shear studs used in composite construction. The shear resisting properties and behaviour of the shear transfer mechanism has not been studied previously. Experimental and analytical studies were carried out with the aims of improving and optimizing the design details, and advancing the method of shear connection in shallow floor beam construction.

The composite shallow cellular floor beam investigated in this research is a new type of beam fabricated by welding two highly asymmetric cellular tees along the web. The shear connections of this type of composite beam are formed by the web openings, which transfer longitudinal shear force. Four types of these shear connections were studied: concrete-infill-only, tie-bar, ducting and web-welded-stud shear connections.

In total, 24 push-out tests were performed in two test series to investigate the load-slip behaviour and shear resistance of the shear connections under direct shear force. The failure mechanisms of the two forms of shear connections were extensively studied, which lead to the development of a design method for the composite action. The concrete infill element passing through the web opening is subject to a complex three-dimensional stress state, and it is difficult to analyse it using the mathematical model rather than empirical formula. Finite Element Analysis of the concrete-infill-only shear connection was performed with a parametric study to further verify the design method that has been developed.

Two flexural tests were carried out on a full-scale composite shallow cellular floor beam with a solid slab. The shear connections investigated in the flexural tests were: concrete-infill-only and tie-bar shear connections passed through the web. The behaviour and performance of the shear connections in the flexural tests were compared with those in the push-out tests.

The degree of shear connection of the two flexural tests was determined in the back analysis using plastic theory with measured material properties. Based on the findings of the push-out tests and flexural tests, two design methods of deflection check and moment resistance were developed for composite shallow cellular floor beams at the serviceability limit state and the ultimate limit state respectively. The deflection check design method is based on the uncracked section properties of the composite beam. The moment resistance design method developed in this thesis is compatible with the design methods of BS5950 and Eurocode 4 (EC4).


This paper presents a unified theory of debt and outside equity based on specialized valuation of the corporate enterprise. We model the decision of an entrepreneur to use debt and equity finance to get credible information from different specialists about the value of the enterprise in various uses across alternative states of the world. The equity valuation specialist -- who could be a venture capitalist or another type of equity partner -- provides a price forecast for equity that reveals demand-side information about the value of the enterprise in the good sates. His equity share represents a claim on the cash flow generated by the enterprise in its primary use. The debt valuation specialist provides a price forecast for debt that reveals information about the value of the enterprise in the bad states. His loan represents a claim on the cash flow generated by the enterprise if redeployed to its next best use. The prices forecast for debt and equity by the valuation specialists credibly reveal their private information because the entrepreneur requires them to buy the associated claim at the forecast price, thereby bonding their valuations. In contrast to recent work on the role of debt and outside equity in communicating supply-side information to outside investors, we focus on the communication of demand-side information to the entrepreneur. We provide testable implications that conflict with those provided by accepted informational explanations for debt and outside inquiry.


This paper Investigates the performance of cellular networks employing multi-user MIMO transmission using dirty paper and block-diagonalization precoding. Considers the downlink of an OFDM-based LTE compliant multi-carrier system in which the users provide channel state information (CSI) to the base station via limited capacity feedback links. With limited feedback, residual interference between the spatially multiplexed users cannot be avoided, causing an interference-limitation of the achievable downlink throughput. Efficient CSI quantization is therefore central in such systems to achieve a performance gain over single-user MIMO. Propose an effective CSI feedback clustering approach in this work to exploit the correlation of the wireless channel in the frequency domain.


Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) thin film photoanodes for light‐induced water oxidation are deposited by a low‐cost and scalable spray pyrolysis method. The resulting films are of high quality, as indicated by an internal quantum efficiency close to 100 % between 360 and 450 nm. However, its performance under AM1.5 illumination is limited by slow water oxidation kinetics. This can be addressed by using cobalt phosphate (Co‐Pi) as a water oxidation co‐catalyst. Electrodeposition of 30 nm Co‐Pi catalyst on the surface of BiVO4 increases the water oxidation efficiency from ≈30 % to more than 90 % at potentials higher than 1.2 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Once the surface catalysis limitation is removed, the performance of the photoanode is limited by low charge separation efficiency; more than 60 % of the electron‐hole pairs recombine before reaching the respective interfaces. Slow electron transport is shown to be the main cause of this low efficiency. We show that this can be remedied by introducing W as a donor type dopant in BiVO4, resulting in an AM1.5 photocurrent of ≈2.3 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE for 1 % W‐doped Co‐Pi‐catalyzed BiVO4.


PURPOSE
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VitD3) has been shown to have immunoregulatory properties in animal models. In this study, we investigated its inhibitory effect on the immune response in Behçet's disease (BD) patients and the possible mechanisms involved.

METHODS
Naive CD4(+) T cells from active BD patients and normal controls were cultured under Th17 polarizing conditions in the presence or absence of VitD3, and cytokine production was determined by ELISA and flow cytometry. mRNA expression of several factors related to Th17 cell function was determined by real-time PCR. RNA interference for IFN regulatory factor 8 (IRF-8) was performed to study whether it was involved in the inhibitory effect of VitD3 on Th17 cell differentiation. The effect of VitD3-treated dendritic cells (DCs) on CD4(+) T cell response was determined by ELISA and flow cytometry.

RESULTS
Stimulation of naive CD4(+) T cells under Th17 polarizing conditions showed a higher Th17 cell differentiation in active BD patients. The addition of VitD3 significantly inhibited Th17 cell differentiation both in BD patients and in normal controls. The knockdown of IRF-8 by RNA interference significantly decreased the suppressive effect of VitD3 on Th17 differentiation. VitD3 was able to inhibit the gene expression of RORC, IL-17, IL-23R, CCR6, and Th1 cell differentiation, but upregulated IL-10 expression. VitD3-treated DCs significantly inhibited the Th17 and Th1 response.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that the inhibitory effect of VitD3 on the Th17 and Th1 response was mediated via both T cells and DCs and that the IRF-8 pathway is involved in the direct inhibition of VitD3 on Th17 cell differentiation.


Despite erosion of key societal institutions, family physicians have remained a focal point for many troubled individuals--particularly women. The prevalence and types of abuse women experience and the effects on women's lives are summarized. Disclosures of abuse can affect family physicians. Increased awareness of gender role socialization messages for women is also relevant to family practice.


Navigation is one of the 3D interactions often needed to interact with a synthetic world. The latest advancements
in image processing have made possible gesture based interaction with a virtual world. However, the speed with
which a 3D virtual world responds to a user's gesture is far greater than posing of the gesture itself. To incorporate
faster and natural postures in the realm of Virtual Environment (VE), this paper presents a novel eyes-based
interaction technique for navigation and panning. Dynamic wavering and positioning of eyes are deemed as
interaction instructions by the system. The opening of eyes preceded by closing for a distinct time-threshold,
activates forward or backward navigation. Supporting 2-Degree of Freedom head's gestures (Rolling and Pitching)
panning is performed over the xy-plane. The proposed technique was implemented in a case-study project; EWI
(Eyes Wavering based Interaction). With EWI, real time detection and tracking of eyes are performed by the libraries
of OpenCV at the backend. To interactively follow trajectory of both the eyes, dynamic mapping is performed in
OpenGL. The technique was evaluated in two separate sessions by a total of 28 users to assess accuracy, speed
and suitability of the system in Virtual Reality (VR). Using an ordinary camera, an average accuracy of 91% was
achieved. However, assessment made by using a high quality camera testified that accuracy of the system could
be raised to a higher level besides increase in navigation speed. Results of the unbiased statistical evaluations
suggest/demonstrate applicability of the system in the emerging domains of virtual and augmented realities.


This study investigates gender inequalities in South Sudan that are affecting women's and girls' participation in education. Non-governmental agencies have condemned this inequality in education, but there has been little progress towards remedying it because the country's leadership failed to perceive it as a problem. Women and girls are isolated from the male-dominated South Sudanese mainstream society. This study explores why females have low participation rates in the education system in South Sudan. The absence of females in the education system and the job market is affecting not only the women's or girls' wellbeing, but also the welfare of South Sudan as a nation. The lack of consistency in support of Education for All (EFA) has been a challenge for the South Sudanese at least from the international and economic perspectives. Gender equity in education has not been achieved because educational attainment is usually predicted by the socioeconomic status of the family and being male. Females whose families were better off financially before the war were still limited in their access education. Although this educational exclusion of females continues to be a major concern little has been done to correct it. Little research has been done on this subject, meaning there is not much literature about gender inequalities especially in education in South Sudan. Therefore, this study makes a useful contribution to this important topic.


: Hypothesis about cytoplasmic heredity and the influence of mitochondrial DNA mutations on the pathogenesis of 21 trisomy has been suggested. It explains the association of increased risk of trisomy with the maternal age, malignant diseases, autoimmune processes, other pathologies and with the origin of paternal 21 chromosome.


The effect of increasing planting density at constant rectangularity on the fruit yield, fruit size, and fruit color of apple (Malus ×sylvestris (L) var. domestica (Borkh.) Mansf.) in three training systems (slender spindle, tall spindle, and Geneva Y trellis) was assessed for 10 years. Five tree densities (from 1125 to 3226 trees/ha) and two cultivars (Royal Gala and Summerland McIntosh) were tested in a fully guarded split-split plot design. Density was the most influential factor. As tree density increased, per-tree yield decreased, but yield per unit area increased. The relation between cumulative yield per ha and tree density was linear at the outset of the trial, but soon became curvilinear, as incremental yield diminished with increasing tree density. The chief advantage of high density planting was a large increase in early fruit yield. In later years, reductions in cu- mulative yield efficiency, and in fruit color for 'Summerland McIntosh', began to appear at the highest density. Training system had no influence on productivity for the first 5 years. During the second half of the trial, fruit yield per tree was greater for the Y trellis than for either spindle form at lower densities but not at higher densities. The slender and tall spindles were similar in nearly all aspects of performance, including yield. 'Summerland McIntosh' yielded almost 40% less than 'Royal Gala' and seemed more sensitive to the adverse effects of high tree density on fruit color.


Steady progress over four decades toward understanding the pathogenesis and clinical consequences of hepatic fibrosis has led to the expectation of effective antifibrotic drugs, yet none has been approved. Thus, an assessment of the field is timely, to clarify priorities and accelerate progress. Here, we highlight the successes to date but, more importantly, identify gaps and unmet needs, both experimentally and clinically. These include the need to better define cell–cell interactions and etiology‐specific elements of fibrogenesis and their link to disease‐specific drivers of portal hypertension. Success in treating viral hepatitis has revealed the remarkable capacity of the liver to degrade scar in reversing fibrosis, yet we know little of the mechanisms underlying this response. Thus, there is an exigent need to clarify the cellular and molecular mechanisms of fibrosis regression in order for therapeutics to mimic the liver's endogenous capacity. Better refined and more predictive in vitro and animal models will hasten drug development. From a clinical perspective, current diagnostics are improving but not always biologically plausible or sufficiently accurate to supplant biopsy. More urgently, digital pathology methods that leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence must be validated in order to capture more prognostic information from liver biopsies and better quantify the response to therapies. For more refined treatment of NASH, orthogonal approaches that integrate genetic, clinical, and pathological data sets may yield treatments for specific subphenotypes of the disease. Collectively, these and other advances will strengthen and streamline clinical trials and better link histologic responses to clinical outcomes.


1. The structural-protein component of microsomal membranes was isolated by three separate methods. Analysis by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis indicated that the microsomal structural component is made up of a heterogeneous group of proteins. These proteins were further characterized by their phospholipid-binding capacity. The electrophoretic patterns of microsomal structural proteins were found to differ significantly from those of mitochondrial structural proteins. 2. The reticulosomal fraction was also characterized by electrophoresis with reference to total microsomal proteins, microsomal structural proteins and ribosomal proteins. The reticulosomes gave an electrophoretic pattern significantly different from those of the other three preparations examined. It is suggested that reticulosomes consist largely of enzymic proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum.


Perturbations to the orographic gravity wave parameterization scheme in an idealized general circulation model reveal a remarkable degree of compensation between the parameterized and the resolved wave driving: when the orographic gravity wave driving is changed, the resolved wave driving tends to change in the opposite direction, sothere islittleimpactonthe Brewer–Dobson circulation.Buildinguponearlierobservations ofsuch compensation, an analysis based on quasigeostrophic theory suggests that the compensation between the resolved and parameterized waves is inevitable when the stratosphere is driven toward instability by the parameterized gravity wave driving. This instability, however, is quite likely for perturbations of small meridional length scale in comparison with the Rossby radius of deformation. The insight from quasigeostrophic theory is confirmed in a systematic study with an idealized general circulation model and supported by analyses of comprehensivemodels. Thecompensationbetweenresolvedandunresolvedwaves suggeststhat thecommonly used linear separation of the Brewer–Dobson circulation into components (i.e., resolved versus parameterized wave driving) may provide a potentially misleading interpretation of the role of different waves. It may also, in part, explain why comprehensive models tend to agree more on the total strength of the Brewer–Dobson circulation than on the flow associated with individual components. This is of particular relevance to diagnosed changes in the Brewer–Dobson circulation in climate scenario integrations as well.


Background:
 Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common complication following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The time period of greatest risk of developing DVT after aSAH is not known. Early DVT detection may enable earlier treatment and prevent progression to symptomatic DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE). We tested the hypothesis that DVT most often occurs during the period of highest risk of delayed cerebral ischemia (3-14 days post-rupture).

 Methods:
 We performed a retrospective review of 154 patients admitted to the OHSU NeuroICU with aSAH between April 2008 and April 2010. 121 patients received periodic screening lower extremity ultrasounds, typically twice weekly, and prophylaxis with sequential compression devices (SCDs) but no chemoprophylaxis such as heparin. The remaining 33 patients did not receive screening studies due to withdrawal of care or attending physician preference.

 Results:
 26 of 121 patients (21.5%) who received ultrasound screening developed DVT after aneurysm rupture. 3 of 26 patients (2.5% of the total screened population) had symptomatic DVTs, as defined by documented clinical suspicion in chart notes, and 1 of these developed PE. DVTs were significantly more likely to be detected 3-14 days post-bleed (χ-square, p < 0.0006) and were detected on average 12.0 +/- 6.8 days (median 10 days) after aneurysm rupture. Because DVTs did not necessarily occur on the day of detection, we calculated the period at risk by determining the day of the last known ultrasound without DVT, or by the day of aneurysm rupture if the DVT was detected on the first screening scan. The average day beginning the period at risk was 5.7 +/- 6.7 days (median 2 days) after aneurysm rupture. The average number of days within the period of risk was 6.3 +/- 3.6 days (median 6.5 days).

 Conclusion:
 DVTs are significantly more likely to be detected 3-14 days after aneurysm rupture. Repeated screening allows for evaluation of the period of highest risk for developing DVT. The data suggest that this period occurs between 5.7 and 12.0 days on average (median 2-10 days) following aneurysm rupture. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether chemoprophylaxis targeted to this time window reduces DVT incidence while minimizing bleeding risk.


Triglyceridemic response to a standard oral fat meal was determined in 28 healthy subjects and related to the levels of several lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins in the post-absorptive plasma. A fatty test meal was administered orally, and postprandial plasma triglyceride levels were determined. In the fasting blood samples, concentrations of apolipoproteins (apo) A-I, A-II, and B were determined by radioimmunoassay, and those of high density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions HDL2 and HDL3, by zonal ultracentrifugation. The magnitude of triglyceridemic response showed a negative correlation with the plasma levels of HDL2 (r = -0.860, P less than 0.001), HDL-associated cholesterol (r = -0.605, P less than 0.001), and apoA-I (r = -0.459, P less than 0.02). No correlation was found between the triglyceridemic response and the levels of total cholesterol, HDL3, and apoA-II. Triglyceridemic response was correlated positively with fasting triglyceride concentrations (r = 0.450, P less than 0.02) and apoB levels (r = 0.396, P less than 0.03). In two subjects followed for 3 yr, when HDL2 levels rose or fell, the triglyceridemic response decreased or increased, respectively (r = -0.944; r = -0.863). Our data indicate that normolipidemic individuals with high HDL2 levels in the plasma are able to clear alimentary fat at a faster rate than normolipidemic subjects with low HDL2 levels. The pronounced difference in severity and duration of postprandial lipemia among subjects with varying HDL2 levels may help to explain the negative correlation between the risk of atherosclerosis and HDL cholesterol levels.


This article examines a recent history of criminal justice reform to responses to the investigation of rape offences. Beginning with a selective overview of the professional development of detectives and criticisms relating to investigation of "low status" crimes this article points to the challenges in the professionalization of detectives in the context of investigative responses to marginalised victims. The paper goes on to outline police responses and evaluations of initiatives aimed at improving effectiveness before summarising the complexities and vulnerabilities faced by victims and how these experiences impact upon the likelihood of successful prosecution. Finally the paper summaries the main analysis and indentifies the key challenges to the criminal justice sector in improving responses to rape victims.


Abstract. The role played by wind-forced anticyclones in the vertical transport and mixing at the ocean mesoscale is investigated with a primitive-equation numerical model in an idealized configuration. The focus of this work is to determine how the stratification impacts such transport. The flows, forced only at the surface by an idealized wind forcing, are predominantly horizontal and, on average, quasigeostrophic. Inside vortex cores and intense filaments, however, the dynamics is strongly ageostrophic. Mesoscale anticyclones appear as "islands" of increased penetration of wind energy into the ocean interior and they represent the maxima of available potential energy. The amount of available potential energy is directly correlated with the degree of stratification. The wind energy injected at the surface is transferred at depth through the generation and subsequent straining effect of Vortex Rossby Waves (VRWs), and through near-inertial internal oscillations trapped inside anticyclonic vortices. Both these mechanisms are affected by stratification. Stronger transfer but larger confinement close to the surface is found when the stratification is stronger. For weaker stratification, vertical mixing close to the surface is less intense but below about 150 m attains substantially higher values due to an increased contribution of both VRWs, whose time scale is on the order of few days, and of near-inertial motions, with a time scale of few hours.


ABSTRACT Phage-mediated lysis has been an essential laboratory tool for rapidly identifying Bacillus anthracis for more than 40 years, relying on the γ phage derivative of a Bacillus cereus prophage called W. The complete genomic sequences of the temperate W phage, referred to as Wβ, and its lytic variant γ were determined and found to encode 53 open reading frames each, spanning 40,864 bp and 37,373 bp, respectively. Direct comparison of the genomes showed that γ evolved through mutations at key loci controlling host recognition, lysogenic growth, and possibly host phenotypic modification. Included are a cluster of point mutations at the gp14 tail fiber locus of γ, encoding a protein that, when fused to green fluorescent protein, binds specifically to B. anthracis. A large 2,003-bp deletion was also identified at the γ lysogeny module, explaining its shift from a temperate to a lytic lifestyle. Finally, evidence of recombination was observed at a dicistronic Wβ locus, encoding putative bacterial cell surface-modifying proteins, replaced in γ with a locus, likely obtained from a B. anthracis prophage, encoding demonstrable fosfomycin resistance. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis confirmed strong induction at the dicistronic Wβ locus and at four other phage loci in B. anthracis and/or B. cereus lysogens. In all, this study represents the first genomic and functional description of two historically important phages and is part of a broader investigation into contributions of phage to the B. anthracis life cycle. Initial findings suggest that lysogeny of B. anthracis promotes ecological adaptation, rather than virulence, as with other gram-positive pathogens.


Chromosome number, karyotype formula, C-banding pattern, genome size and DNA base composition were studied in three species of Hyalidae and seven species of Talitridae. A karyotype of 25 chromosome pairs, with median centromeres (FN = 100), was found in all the species of Talitridae analysed and Apohyale prevostii. Genome size (C-value) varies among Talitrida from 0.94 pg in Apohyale crassipes to 2.81 pg in Orchestia gammarellus, and the percentage of AT-DNA in the whole genome ranges from 56.12% in A. crassipes to 68.17% in Sardorchestia pelecaniformis. In comparison with Hyalidae, Talitridae show more uni- formity in chromosome number and karyotype formula, and have larger genomes. There is a direct correlation between total DNA content and the amount of C-heterochromatic DNA. The cytogenetical data on Talitrida were compared from a phylogenetic and an evolutional point of view. The increase in genome size during the evolution of the Talitrida possibly had a role in their adaptation to supralittoral life and extreme subaerial conditions.


The latent heat-of-vaporization (HoV) of blends of biofuel and hydrocarbon components into gasolines has recently experienced expanded interest because of the potential for increased HoV to increase fuel knock resistance in direct-injection (DI) engines. Several studies have been conducted, with some studies identifying an additional anti-knock benefit from HoV and others failing to arrive at the same conclusion. Consideration of these studies holistically shows that they can be grouped according to the level of fuel octane sensitivity variation within their fuel matrices. When comparing fuels of different octane sensitivity significant additional anti-knock benefits associated with HoV are sometimes observed. Studies that fix the octane sensitivity find that HoV does not produce additional anti-knock benefit. New studies were performed at ORNL and NREL to further investigate the relationship between HoV and octane sensitivity. Three fuels were formulated for the ORNL study with matched RON and octane sensitivity, but with differing HoV. Experiments with these fuels in a 1.6-liter GTDI engine showed that the fuels exhibited very similar combustion phasing under knock-limited spark advance (KLSA) conditions. Fuels having a range of RON, octane sensitivity, and HoV were tested at NREL in a single-cylinder GDI engine under conditions where octane sensitivity has littlemore » effect on knock resistance. KLSA was found to be well correlated with RON. These results reinforce the concept that HoV anti-knock effects can be viewed as a contributor to octane sensitivity. From this viewpoint, HoV effects manifest themselves as increases in octane sensitivity.« less


The performance of teams, with different levels of domain and crisis management experience, managing unexpected and escalating situations was observed using a mid-fidelity ship-bridge simulation and analysed by applying the central concepts of joint activity coordination as well as Woods's theory building on data overload. The coordination strategies used by the teams were evaluated by applying coordination process indicators and the concept of control. The paper discusses how different aspects of team coordination in unexpected and escalating situations, e.g. that teams that maintain a high level of control in escalating situations, avoid or minimize the effects of data overload by using explicit and agreed-upon goals rather than sharing as much incoming information as possible. The results presented in this paper show the benefits of applying a broad set of theoretical concepts to shed light on the actual demands that escalating situations pose on people's data processing capacities and processes. It also provides guidance on the successful performance of teams in such situations and thus support for the development of successful strategies for their management.


A method for navigating autonomous vehicles is presented. Based on the three-point problem from land surveying, this navigational technique makes use of angular measurements between fixed beacon pairs. Extremely accurate position information can be obtained over a large area with simple trigonometric or analytic geometry calculations. Typical worst-case errors are of the order of 10 cm throughout a 2500 m/sup 2/ workspace. An experimental position-measuring system has been built and tested, and it demonstrated the ability of this technique to function as a key element in a navigation system for autonomous vehicles. >


1. Unanaesthetized rainbow trout, when subjected to a lowered P o 2 of the inspired water, show an increase in amplitude of pressures recorded from the buccal and opercular cavities. Pressure amplitudes were commonly found to be 0.5 cm of water in resting trout and increased 4- or 5-fold as inspired P o 2 was reduced. Differential pressures across the gills also increased with hypoxia. 2. Typically the minute volume in a 400-600 g trout increased from about 0.2 to 0.6 l/kg/min when the inspired P o 2 was lowered from 150 to 80 mm Hg, but rose to 1-5l/kg/min at lower P o 2 . Increased minute volumes are mainly due to increases in stroke volume; respiratory frequency remains fairly constant at P o 2 9s above about 8o mm Hg. 3. The relation between differential pressure and minute volume is fairly linear over much of the range, but minute volume increases more rapidly than differential pressure. 4. Oxygen consumption of the non-swimming fish increases during hypoxia and is related to the increased ventilation and differential pressure across the gills. 5. Estimates of the oxygen cost of breathing were made from the increased oxygen consumption during hyperventilation. Comparison of these estimates with estimates of the work done, using the pressure and volume measurements, gave figures for the overall efficiency of the pumping mechanism of about 10%.


! Local burn wound care represents an integral part in the treatment of burn victims. A primary treatment goal is to prevent superficial infections, which can lead to life-threatening bacter-aemia and sepsis. Secondary goals include improvement of functional and aesthetic outcome of the regenerating skin or scar tissue. Within the last few years numerous innovations have been evolved and some have already been incorporated into the clinical routine. In line with this, the first mid-term studies can be found in the literature. For instance, a hydrosurgical system can now be used for debridement and novel skin sub-stitutes like Suprathel ® and Matriderm ® are commercially available. This review article summarises the most recent innovations in local burn wound care and puts them into a scientific perspective


Imagine a bright eleven-year-old girl, Erin, who has recently lost her mother, Jane, in a car accident. Jane was only forty-two years old and she died without a will. Normally this would entitle someone like Erin to receive proceeds from Jane's estate. However, in this case, the court held she was left with nothing. This inequity occurs because Jane was not Erin's biological mother; she was instead the life partner of Erin's natural mother, Carol. Carol and Jane were in a committed relationship for twenty years, and together they made the decision to parent a child. Jane was there for Carol's artificial insemination, throughout the pregnancy, and acted as Erin's parent since her birth. The fact that Jane raised Erin for eleven years and maintained a close parentchild relationship with her is simply not enough for Erin to inherit from Jane's estate. As the law stands, the only people entitled to inherit intestate from Jane are her heirs, and as the state does not recognize Erin (or Carol) as such, Erin is left to mourn her loss without any financial support. Jane's only heirs may be cousins or other relatives with no substantial relationship or connection with Jane and yet as the law stands they are entitled to everything. Children born to same-sex parents should not suffer legal disadvantages simply because society may not approve of their parents' way of life. To withhold this benefit and protection from these children leaves them in a vulnerable and unjust position. Further, it violates their constitutional rights. Because a child has no control over who his or her


Micro- and nanostructures can be used for reflectance reduction or light guidance in applications like photovoltaic solar cells, LEDs or display technology. The combination of interference lithography and nanoimprint lithography enables the fabrication and replication of high resolution structures on large areas. The origination of master structures, seamlessly patterned on areas as large as 1.2 × 1.2 m2 was shown using interference lithography. Within this work we demonstrate our current results on the up-scaling of the replication process chain based on nanoimprint lithography with in-line capable tools. Application examples in the fields of photovoltaics are demonstrated, e.g. the micron-scale patterning of multicrystalline silicon substrates to increase the solar cell efficiency. Furthermore, the lifetime of soft PDMS stamps is investigated. AFM force-distance measurements are introduced as suitable method to quantify the PDMS hardness as a parameter indicating stamp degradation. This technique is subsequently applied to evaluate two different resist materials. Applying the epoxy material (SU-8) with its more complex molecular structure results in a strongly increased stamp lifetime compared to the acrylate resist (Laromer LR 8996). This is a highly valuable result for further developments towards an up-scaled realization of nanoimprint lithography.


The aim of this study is to investigate how new knowledge, discovered and translated by the archaeologist, is transferred to the public by examining the question posed to the archaeologist by "lansstyrelsen," the county administration office.Since there can be no mediation of knowledge without an understanding of its perception, I pay a visit to the cognitive sciences in order to answer what knowledge is and how it functions in regards to contract archaeological results.I argue that the current structure of mediation, in regards to archaeological knowledge, is in need of the same quality control that is demanded by the contractors in regards to standard archaeological procedures. When presenting archaeology to the public, consideration needs to be paid to the different targets groups of society. The importance of national directions rather than regional translations for mediation of archaeology is stressed by the author. This needs to be carried out through a change of the questions posed to the contracted archaeologists by the county administration in their "forfragningsunderlag," the order specification for archaeological investigations.


RÉSUMÉ We use a dataset of the entire population of English Parliamentary enclosure acts between 1750and 1830 to provide the first causal evidence of their impact. Exploiting a feature of the Parliamentary process that produced such legislation as a source of exogenous variation, we show that enclosures were associated with significantly higher crop yields, a lower proportion of the population in agriculture, but also significantly lower population density and higher land inequality. Our results are in line with a literature going back to Karl Marx on the effects of enclosure on structural change and inequality. They do not support the argument that informal systems of governance or "private orderings", even in small, cohesive and stable communities, were able to efficiently allocate commonly used and governed resources. Parliamentary intervention was necessary.


Modes in a microsquare resonator slab with strong vertical waveguide consisting of air/semiconductor/air are analyzed by three-dimensional (3-D) finite-difference time-domain simulation, and compared with that of two-dimensional (2-D) simulation under effective index approximation. Mode frequencies and field distributions inside the resonator obtained by the 3-D simulation are in good agreement with those of the 2-D approximation. However, field distributions at the boundary of the resonator obtained by 3-D simulation are different from that of the 2-D simulation, especially the vertical field distribution near the boundary is great different from that of the slab waveguide, which is used in the effective index approximation. Furthermore the quality factors obtained by 3-D simulation are much larger than that by 2-D simulation for the square resonator slab with the strong vertical waveguide.


Using infinite projected entangled pair states, we study the ground state phase diagram of the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg model on the square lattice directly in the thermodynamic limit. We find an unexpected partially nematic partially magnetic phase in between the antiferroquadrupolar and ferromagnetic regions. Furthermore, we describe all observed phases and discuss the nature of the phase transitions involved.


In the area of flip chip, even with high I/O ASICs, the die area has been large enough to support the I/O requirements using a 200-225µm pitch. In this range of bump pitches, there is a considerable base of data and experience. As the industry approaches the 65nm technology node, the die size is now shrinking to the point where many industry leaders require a significant reduction in bump pitch to meet their I/O requirements. At the same time, the push for Pb-free assemblies is continuing. Even with the current exemptions for FC internal bump connections, the 65nm node will be ramping into peak production as these exemptions near their expiration. This presents the current challenge for flip chip. In order to satisfy the needs of the 65nm devices, a flip chip packaging solution capable of supporting fine pitch, Pb-free bump metallurgy, 245-260°C reflow peaks, and long term reliability must be found. This paper explores some of the early evaluation work of this new system. The test vehicle used is a die of approximately 15mm fabricated using 65nm low-k technology incorporating a 150µm pitch bump array. The bump size is designed to accommodate one escape of routing between the bumps on the top metal layer of the laminate usually referred to as Layer 1. The laminate used is a 42.5mm square laminate with a 400µm thick core and a 4-2-4 (10 layer) build-up structure. The data presented here provides a baseline for current material set and process feasibilities to support these new geometries. I. Background


We develop an algorithm for chord decision for monophonic music, and it can be applied to music indexing and automatic composition systems. The basic ideas of the proposed algorithm can be divided into two phases: the local recognition phase and the global decision phase. The algorithm analyzes the music and assigns a set of chord candidates in the local recognition phase, while deciding the best appropriate chord according to the chord progression rules in the global decision phase. In order to improve the perceptual accuracy, we consider the beat of corresponding notes in a measure and eliminate the effect of the passing notes and ornaments


Structural and petrographic studies of the Hylas zone northwest of Richmond, Virginia, reveal that late Paleozoic ductile shearing produced mylonites and ultramylonites from pre-existing biotite gneiss, granite gneiss, and amphibolite in the Goochland complex and from Petersburg(?) granite. Rocks in the Goochland complex west of the Hylas zone underwent at least two deformations (D 1 , D 2 ) prior to ductile shearing in the Hylas zone (D 3 ). D 3 caused a pervasive mylonitic foliation (S c ) and a later widely spaced shear cleavage (S s ) to be formed in rocks in the Hylas zone. Brittle deformation in the form of high-angle faulting and locally intense fracturing (D 4 ) was superimposed on the Hylas zone about 220 m.y. ago and is probably equivalent to the Palisades disturbance of New England. D 4 was associated throughout the Piedmont with synchronous downwarp and dominantly continental sedimentation to form a series of parallel Triassic basins represented in the study area by the Richmond Basin. Northwest-oriented high-angle faults that apparently displace Triassic sedimentary rocks are interpreted to predate the Late Cretaceous. Regional prograde metamorphism of the Goochland complex to amphibolite facies (M 1 ) was inclusive of D 1 and D 2 , because structural elements that compose these deformational events consist primarily of oriented metamorphic minerals. Well-equilibrated microstructures in the gneisses suggest that the M 1 peak persisted past D 2 . M 1 is inferred to have occurred about 340 m.y. ago. D 3 was accompanied by retrograde metamorphism (m 2 ) to greenschist facies in the Hylas zone during late Paleozoic time. The presence of laumontite, quartz, and calcite in brecciated zones suggests that brittle deformation during D 4 occurred under zeolite facies conditions. Cenozoic reverse faulting 90 km along strike of the study area in the Brandywine area of the Coastal Plain in Maryland may indicate a continuation of the Hylas zone to the north. Superposed deformation and intermittent reactivation of zones of instability similar to that of the Hylas zone are reported in the Eastern Piedmont fault system, which extends from Alabama to Virginia. Current stress release beneath the Coastal Plain may be influenced by the instability of the Hylas zone and analogous fault systems throughout the Piedmont.


A novel hybrid approach involving Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm (BFOA) called Bacterial Swarm Optimization (BSO) is illustrated for designing Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC) for single and multimachine power systems. In BSO, the search directions of tumble behavior for each bacterium are oriented by the individual's best location and the global best location of PSO. The proposed hybrid algorithm has been extensively compared with the original BFOA algorithm and the PSO algorithm. Simulation results have shown the validity of the proposed BSO in tuning PSSs compared with BFOA and PSO. Moreover, the results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller to improve the power systems stability over a wide range of loading conditions.


An airfoil or aerofoil is the cross - sectional shape of a wing or blade of a turbine, rotor or propeller. An aerodynamic force is produced when an airfoil moves through a fluid. These forces are the very reason of lift produced in an aircraft or to produce a downward force on an automobile to improve traction.The efficiency of an airfoil is characterised mainly on its profile section and its aerodynamic design. In the present study a NACA 2412 AIRFOIL model is selected and analysed.The material used for the analysis of airfoil is nanocomposite, because of its unique and better mechanical properties than the conventional materials. Nanocomposites are the materials which consist of two or more constituents combined at a nanoscale regime in such a manner that it gives improved properties (such as elastic, damping, wear and corrosion resistant etc.) as compared to other conventional materials. In the present study, free vibration and static structural analyses are cared out in order to investigate the effect of carbon nanotube content on the static and dynamic responses of NACA 2412 aerofoils. The effective elastic properties of carbon nanotube based nano - composites are determined using Halpin Tsai model where carbon nanotubes are assumed to be uniformly distributed and randomly oriented through the matrix. The properties thus obtained are used for further analysis. NACA 2412 airfoil profile was taken from readily available database and point clouds was imported to Solidworks in order to make 3D model. The solid model thus generated used in ANSYS to perform free vibration analysis. To find the lift and drag forces that the airfoil generates are found from computational fluid dynamics module available in ANSYS work bench. Finally the calculated lift and drag forces are utilised to perform static structural analysis. Several parameters such as total deformation, equivalent stresses and shear stresses are measured for different carbon nanotube content, airflow rate, and orientation of the airfoil. Increase in elastic properties is seen with increase in volume fraction of CNT in nanocomposite. From the study it is also observed that the natural frequency on the nanocomposite increases with increase in the percentage of carbon nanotubes with a drastic decrease in deflection.


Over the past 3 years, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread through human populations in several waves, resulting in a global health crisis. In response, genomic surveillance efforts have proliferated in the hopes of tracking and anticipating the evolution of this virus, resulting in millions of patient isolates now being available in public databases. Yet, while there is a tremendous focus on identifying newly emerging adaptive viral variants, this quantification is far from trivial. Specifically, multiple co-occurring and interacting evolutionary processes are constantly in operation and must be jointly considered and modeled in order to perform accurate inference. We here outline critical individual components of such an evolutionary baseline model—mutation rates, recombination rates, the distribution of fitness effects, infection dynamics, and compartmentalization—and describe the current state of knowledge pertaining to the related parameters of each in SARS-CoV-2. We close with a series of recommendations for future clinical sampling, model construction, and statistical analysis.


Despite the availability of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, sustained viral response (SVR) rates remain suboptimal for difficult-to-treat patient populations such as those with HCV genotype 3, cirrhosis or prior treatment experience, warranting development of more potent HCV replication antivirals. AT-527 is the hemi-sulfate salt of AT-511, a novel phosphoramidate prodrug of 2'-fluoro-2'-C-methylguanosine-5'-monophosphate that has potent in vitro activity against HCV. The EC50 of AT-511, determined using HCV laboratory strains and clinical isolates with genotypes 1–5, ranged from 5–28 nM. The active 5'-triphosphate metabolite, AT-9010, specifically inhibited the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. AT-511 did not inhibit the replication of other selected RNA or DNA viruses in vitro. AT-511 was approximately 10-fold more active than sofosbuvir (SOF) against a panel of laboratory strains and clinical isolates of HCV genotypes 1–5 and remained fully active against S282T resistance-associated variants, with up to 58-fold more potency than SOF. In vitro, AT-511 did not inhibit human DNA polymerases or elicit cytotoxicity or mitochondrial toxicity at concentrations up to 100 μM. Unlike the other potent guanosine analogs PSI-938 and PSI-661, no mutagenic O6-alkylguanine bases were formed when incubated with cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, and AT-511 had IC50 values ≥25 μM against a panel of CYP enzymes. In hepatocytes from multiple species, the active triphosphate was the predominant metabolite produced from the prodrug, with a half-life of 10 h in human hepatocytes. When given orally to rats and monkeys, AT-527 preferentially delivered high levels of AT-9010 in the liver in vivo. These favorable preclinical attributes support the ongoing clinical development of AT-527 and suggest that, when used in combination with an HCV DAA from a different class, AT-527 may increase SVR rates, especially for difficult-to-treat patient populations, and could potentially shorten treatment duration for all patients.


A broad overview of size resolved aerosol chemistry in urban, rural and remote regions is evolving from deployment of aerosol mass spectrometers (AMS) throughout the northern hemisphere. Using thermal vaporization and electron impact ionization as universal detector of non-refractory inorganic and organic composition, the accumulation of AMS results represent a library of mass spectral signatures of aerosol chemistry. For organics in particular, mass spectral factor analysis provides a procedure for classifying (and simplifying) complex mixtures composed of the hundreds or thousands of individual compounds. Correlations with parallel gas and aerosol measurements (e.g. GC/MS, HNMR, FTIR) supply additional chemical information needed to interpret mass spectra. The challenge is to separate primary and secondary; anthropogenic, biogenic and biomass burning sources and subsequent transformations of aerosol chemistry and microphysics.


SUMMARY Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) was once thought to be a fairly innocuous pathogen. That view is no longer tenable. The morbidity and mortality due to the primary and secondary diseases that VZV causes, varicella and herpes zoster (HZ), are significant. Fortunately, modern advances, including an available vaccine to prevent varicella, a therapeutic vaccine to diminish the incidence and ameliorate sequelae of HZ, effective antiviral drugs, a better understanding of VZV pathogenesis, and advances in diagnostic virology have made it possible to control VZV in the United States. Occult forms of VZV-induced disease have been recognized, including zoster sine herpete and enteric zoster, which have expanded the field. Future progress should include development of more effective vaccines to prevent HZ and a more complete understanding of the consequences of VZV latency in the enteric nervous system.


This article reviews and analyses the advancement of renewable sources of energy in Bangladesh and Thailand in terms of policy intervention and institutional settings. Since renewable forms of energy emit far smaller amounts of greenhouse gas compared with fossil fuels, their use should mitigate climate change impacts while contributing to the provision of energy services. The article turns first to a review of energy‐environment trends and the potential for renewables in these two nations. It then discusses strategies for the advancement of renewables. It is argued that further significant efforts can be made towards the advancement of renewables in Bangladesh and Thailand. These two nations could also learn from the experience in industrialized nations and other developing nations with regard to requisite policy instruments and processes. A number of barriers remain to the advancement of renewables, especially in terms of policy arrangements, institutional settings, financing mechanisms and technologies. Resources, cooperation and learning are required in order to overcome such barriers and to foster the development of necessary policy measures. Implementation of the clean development mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, and replication and adaptation of effective strategies from other settings are possible avenues for this.


In universities across the world, academics struggle to establish and sustain their careers while satisfying intensifying institutional demands. Drawing from the author's decades of observation and experience in academia, this exceptional book responds to the challenges of fostering and sustaining a successful academic career.


: This retrospective study of recurrent basal cell carcinoma suggests the presence of irregularity in the peripheral palisade (IPP), squamous differentiation (SD), and tumor ulceration as histologic criteria for the recurrent tumor and the presence of infiltrates of small lymphocytes (LI) in the tumor as a criterion of tumor-directed host immunocompetence. The presence of either irregularity in the peripheral palisade in greater than 75 percent of the tumor cords or absence of infiltrates of small lymphocytes at the tumor base were each significant at the p less than 0.001 level in characterizing recurrent basal cell carcinoma.


The effects of wave force or the effects of the coastal engineering structures induce coastal hazards such as erosion. Coastal engineering structures such as jetties could trap a sediment transport along the coastline. This could induce erosion in the downstream. The aim of this study is to model the effects of shoreline changes to jetties located along coastal water of Chendering, Malaysia. The numerical model will be based on the change
of wave spectra extracted from ERS-I data. For this purpose, two-dimensional Fourier Transform was applied on window size of 200 x 200. The quasi-linear model was used to
model significant wave height. The significant wave height was used to model the volume of sediment transport and shoreline evaluation along jetties. The result shows that the erosion occurred in the south of Chendering with rate of
change of 4 m/month. The prediction shows that the rate of erosion would increase within 10 years. This study shows the location of jetty decreases the rate of sediment
transport along the south of Chendering. It can be said that ERS-l data are able to predict shoreline evaluation along the coastal structures. The jetty induced an equilibrium beach profile along jetty. This is due to that jetties-trap sediment in the north of
Chendering, which lead to erosion in the south of Chendering.


Aim. To present literature data on the metabolic and genetic mechanisms of impaired fatty acid (FA) synthesis in the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). General findings. NAFLD is a widespread disease progressing from steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), increasing the risk of cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Progression of NAFLD and the development of NASH are closely related to lipid metabolism disorders caused not only by insufficient alimentary intake of fatty acids, but also by a decrease in the efficiency of their endogenous processing. The regulation of fatty acid metabolism involves enzymes desaturase (FADS1, FADS2) and elongase (ELOVL2 and ELOVL5) fatty acids. Desaturases are encoded by the FADS1 and FADS2 genes for fatty acid desaturases. Polymorphisms in the genes of fatty acid desaturases determine the effectiveness of PUFA endogenous processing. Violations in the activity of FADS1 and FADS2 and their genes are accompanied by dysregulation of the metabolic pathway involved in the biosynthesis of fatty acids. This leads to the damage of cell membranes, whose main components are represented by phospholipids. The progression of NAFLD is associated with the powerful toxicity of lipids released in the liver parenchyma upon the loss of the cell biomembrane integrity. Conclusions . Further research into the NAFLD genetic mechanisms regulating the metabolism of fatty acids ap-pears to be promising for a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of this multifactorial disease.


In order to effectively use the vehicle road test load spectrum data and adjust road test specifications, a net map method on vehicle structural fatigue damage analysis is proposed, by taking the vehicle subframe as a study objective. This article consists of three parts. First part discusses that, the finite element analysis model of the vehicle subframe was built in ANSYS software, and its construction stress was calculated and analyzed under the action of lateral and longitudinal forces, respectively. The hot points on the control arm were determined, which could bring about fatigue damage. The location was identified as load testing point P, where strain rosette was pasted. Second part discusses that, the strain load of the subframe was measured under the condition of proving ground, eight kinds of roads that fall under combination roads were chosen in the proving ground and the vehicle speed was found to be different on each road. After finishing the data processing, and the pure signal of vehicle subframe was acquired. Using rain flow counting method, the load spectrum of the subframe was worked out, and load distribution histogram on the testing point was obtained. On this basis, according to local stress-life method and Miner standard and stress concentration correction factor, the fatigue damage analysis was completed for the subframe under the combination road and each of the enforced roads. Third part discusses that, the fatigue damage density and weight of each road conditions were calculated under the condition of each enforced road about subframe structure, and a net map that represented its closed area fatigue damage was drawn. In the net map, the central angle represents the damage weights on different road conditions and the radius length represents the damage density on each road. The results show that the network diagram can easily express the vehicle structural damage under the conditions of all the different combination of roads when the size of the central angle and length of radius were changed, vehicle structure damage relative to the change would be obtained by drawing a new net map. This method provided a convenient and effective way to analyze vehicle fatigue damage.


The sharp fluctuations in agricultural commodity and food prices at a time of great uncertainty about the economic outlook illustrate the need to improve the functioning of the European food supply chain with a view to enhancing its efficiency and competitiveness. Better regulation and ensuring a vigorous and coherent enforcement of competition and consumer protection rules will contribute to limiting price increases for the benefit of European consumers, in particular lower income households. Moreover, it will also help overcome the present fragmentation of the food supply chain and remove artificial entry barriers for producers, which will help European consumers benefit from the widest possible choice of quality food products. Additionally, this could help rebalancing the bargaining power in the food supply chain. Global demand and supply developments have been one of the main determinants of the rapid increase in food prices observed. Nevertheless, problems in the functioning of the food supply chain, either in terms of the degree of competition or concerning regulation may have played an important role as well. In the present economic conditions, it is therefore particularly important to analyse how to improve the functioning of the food supply chain and, in particular, to better understand the transmission mechanisms linking commodity prices with producer and consumer prices. This would help identify appropriate measures in support of the consumer's purchasing power and the competitiveness of the sectors involved. The food supply chain connects three economically important sectors: the agricultural sector, the food processing industry and the distribution sectors. These sectors account for 6% of EU value added and 12% of EU employment. As the food processing industry and the distribution sectors have many interactions with other sectors, market malfunctioning along the food supply chain can have significant repercussions. The slow productivity growth in these sectors in comparison with the US indicates that there is room for efficiency improvements.


In this thesis we design and simulate OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) to study the performance of the OFDM system at higher order modulation schemes. It is very important to evaluate performance of the communication system, to test the efficiency and quality of the service it can provide. We used Matlab program to design the functionality of OFDM, then BER (Bit Error Rate) is obtained to different SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) values, for M-array PSK and M-array QAM modulations techniques. BER is widely used as performance measurement tool, it tells number of bits destroyed while the data is travelling from source to the destination, AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise) is used as transmission channel.


There have been few detailed studies into the tephrostratigraphy of southern Britain. We report the tephrostratigraphy of two sites, one in southern England (Rough Tor, Cornwall) and one in Wales (Cors Fochno, west Wales). Our study extends the known southernmost reach of Icelandic cryptotephra in northern Europe. Given the large distance between sites in southern England and eruptive sources (e.g. Iceland 1500–1700 km distant), most of the cryptotephra layers consist of sparse numbers of shards, even by the standards of distal tephrostratigraphy (as low as 3 shards cm−1), each layer spanning only 1 or 2 cm in depth. We identify multiple cryptotephra layers in both sites, extending the known distribution of several tephra layers including the MOR‐T4 tephra (∼AD 1000) most probably of Icelandic origin, and the AD 860 B tephra correlated to an eruption of Mount Churchill, Alaska. The two sites record contrasting tephrostratigraphies, illustrating the need for the inclusion of multiple sites in the construction of a regional tephrostratigraphic framework. The tephra layers we describe may provide important isochrons for the dating and correlation of palaeoenvironmental sequences in the south of Britain. 2017 The Authors. Journal of Quaternary Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


Exome-based panels (exome slices) are becoming the preferred diagnostic strategy in clinical laboratories, especially for genetically heterogeneous disorders. The advantages of this approach include enabling frequent updates to gene content without the need for re-designing, reflexing to exome analysis bioinformatically without requiring additional sequencing, and streamlining laboratory operation by using established exome kits and protocols. Despite their increasing use, there are currently no guidelines or appropriate resources to support their clinical implementation. Here, we highlight principles and important considerations for the clinical development and validation of exome-based panels, guided by clinical data from a diagnostic epilepsy panel using this approach. We also present a novel, publically accessible web-based resource, ExomeSlicer, and demonstrate its clinical utility in predicting gene-specific and exome-wide technically challenging regions that are not amenable to Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), and that might significantly lead to increased post hoc Sanger fill in burden. Using this tool, we also characterize > 2000 low complexity, GC-rich and/or high homology, regions across the exome that can be a source of false positive or false negative variant calls thus potentially leading to misdiagnoses in tested patients.


Today, one in five adults experience chronic pain and this figure increases for those over 65 years old. However, frustration is mounting over the inadequate treatment for chronic neuropathic pain since its symptoms are challenging to treat and often resistant to opioids. Processing of pain signals relies on the activities of ion channels with the microglial P2X4 receptor being an important player. Animal venoms play an essential role in drug discovery as they contain a rich source of bioactive molecules evolutionarily fine-tuned to target ion channels such as P2X receptors. First, we have established and validated several fluorescent-based high throughput screening assays for assessing the activity of venom toxins at P2X receptors. Second, a diverse selection of 180 crude venoms has been screened against human P2X4 in HEK293 and 1321N21 cells, resulting in several venoms containing inhibitors against hP2X4. Two of them, LK-601 and LK-729, were confirmed to be structurally uncharacterized acylpolyamines, which potently inhibited hP2X4 with the apparent IC50 values between 1.1 – 4.5 μM, however only LK-601 showed a relatively high level of selectivity over hP2X3, hP2X7 and NMDA 1a/2a. Species differences were evident with no effect at rat P2X4, however, blocking the mouse P2X4. Using LK-601 as a structural guide, the fragment-based screening was carried out and five smaller toxin analogues chemically synthesized. One of them, LA-3, was found to block the hP2X4 (IC50 of 9.7 – 18.6 μM) and showed selectivity to hP2X4 over hP2X3, hP2X7 and rP2X4 with a modest inhibition at mP2X4. Due to the differential sensitivity of LA-3 to block P2X4 orthologues, the potential binding site were identified, and the validation showed that two crucial amino acid residues, D220 and N238, might be involved in LA-3 binding to hP2X4; however, more experiments are needed to confirm that effect fully. In summary, we discovered a novel toxin from a spider venom with inhibitory activity at human P2X4 ion channels that shows selectivity at hP2X4 over other P2X receptors. Further characterization and validation are required to understand whether these novel compounds could be useful as analgesics.


Pseudomeningocele resulting from a fracture of the second thoracic vertebra occurred in a six-year-old girl. The condition was diagnosed using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI also showed a completely transected spinal cord. Unlike similar lesions reported previously, the pseudomeningocele was managed nonoperatively with observation alone and was seen to gradually resolve over several months. An overview of previously reported cases and indications for surgery is presented. The natural history appears to be spontaneous resolution. Surgery should be performed only for symptoms attributable to the lesion.


The duration of T cell receptor signaling plays a crucial role in the specification of helper and regulatory T cells. This Podcast features an interview with James Faeder and Penelope Morel, authors of a Research Article that appears in the 5 November 2013 issue of Science Signaling, about the importance of the duration of T cell receptor signaling in the differentiation of helper and regulatory T cells. T cells are lymphocytes that are part of the adaptive immune system, and there are several different subtypes of T cells that have distinct molecular and functional characteristics. Whereas helper T cells promote immune responses by releasing cytokines that stimulate other immune cells, regulatory T cells suppress the immune response to prevent tissue damage and autoimmune disease, both of which can occur when the immune response is left unchecked. Although they have very different functions, regulatory and helper T cells develop from the same population of precursor cells, and the amount of signaling each precursor cell receives through its T cell receptor determines whether it develops as a helper T cell or regulatory T cell. Miskov-Zivanov et al. report that the duration of T cell receptor signaling plays a crucial role in the specification of helper and regulatory T cells from their shared precursors.


Dispelling the Omen : Kambokamhai is the mixed traditional local beliefs among Buddhism and Brahmanism that believes that certain rituals that make people fortunate and unfortunate. Dispelling the Omen : Kambokamhai : Believe & Ritual by the of Buriram Locals are developed from beliefs & rituals, astrology, and folklore by the Buriram Locals. Kambokamhai processes are Buddist prayers to make cure for the ritual participants. Buddhist doctrine appears in Kambokamhai process that harmonize the people and understand one another in the local area.


Introduction: Gutta-percha must be removed from the root canal space during retreatment to ensure a more favorable outcome. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of hand instruments, RaCe and RaCe plus XP-endo finisher instruments in removal of gutta-percha from root canal walls during retreatment. Methods and Materials: Thirty single-rooted premolars were prepared, obturated, and divided into three groups according to retreatment method; in group 1, retreatment was carried out by hand instruments, while in groups 2 and 3 retreatment was done using RaCe rotary files alone or accompanied by XP-endo finisher instruments, respectively. After retreatment, teeth were sectioned longitudinally and photographic images were taken. The amount of remaining gutta-percha in coronal, middle and apical thirds was quantified using Image J software. The two-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's tests were used to analyze data. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: RaCe cleaned the apical third significantly better than hand instrumentation. In the coronal third, RaCe+XP-endo finisher was more effective than RaCe. RaCe+XP-endo finisher was more effective than hand instrumentation in the entire root canal. The amount of remaining gutta-percha was the least in the apical part and increased toward the coronal part with the use of XP-endo finisher (P<0.05). Conclusion: Rotary instrumentation was more effective in removing gutta-percha from the canal walls. Furthermore, use of XP-endo finisher file resulted in cleaner canal walls and was more effective in removing gutta-percha from the coronal toward the apical part of the canal.


Prosthodontics, in general, aims to rehabilitate the masticatory function of the patient, as well as the stomatognathic system, maintaining his or her individual facial characteristics. The immediate removable complete denture is placed immediately after extraction of the natural teeth and allows adaptation of the patient from the dentate state to the denture, until the definitive denture is placed. When an immediate complete denture is fabricated, esthetics plays a fundamental role and thus the assembly of artificial teeth can be performed maintaining the same position, alignment and arrangement of the remaining anterior teeth, providing a natural and esthetic appearance to the denture, thus the transition from the dentate to the edentulous state is less noticeable. This paper reports the case of a patient who needed oral rehabilitation with an immediate upper complete denture and presented favorable smile esthetics of the anterior teeth, which allowed the preservation of alignment, position and arrangement of natural teeth during the assembly of artificial teeth, maintaining and preserving the esthetic individuality and facial harmonization, meeting the patient's desire and expectations.


This paper uses an online learning conceptual framework to examine the "rights to education" that the current online educational environments could provide. The conceptual framework is composed of three inquiries or three spaces for inquiries, namely, independent inquiry, collaborative inquiry, and formative inquiry towards expert knowledge [42] that online learners pursue and undertake in the process of their learning. Our examinations reveal that most online open educational resource environments (OERs) can incorporate more Web2.0 or Web3.0 technologies so as to provide the self-directed learners, who are the main audience of OERs, with more opportunities to participate, collaborate, and co-create knowledge, and accordingly, to achieve their full rights to education.


Optical heterodyne detection is a powerful technique where a weak signal beam is mixed with a relatively strong local oscillator beam. This detection scheme employs photon detection process where signal current is proportional to the square of the electric field. The most important issue of this detection process is the heterodyne mixing efficiency. This decreases due to the loss of coherence between the signal and the local oscillator wave fronts for a large detector arrays. In the present study, an array of hexagonal pixel geometries are considered and the improvement in the mixing efficiency as well as the signal-to-noise (SNR) are addressed over the same area square pixel geometries.


PROBLEM
In the last few years farm tourism or agritourism as it is also referred to has enjoyed increasing success because of its generally acknowledged role as a promoter of economic and social development of rural areas. As a consequence, a plethora of studies have been dedicated to this tourist sector, focusing on a variety of issues. Nevertheless, despite the difficulties of many farmers to orient their business towards potential customers, the contribution of the marketing literature has been moderate.
PURPOSE
This dissertation builds upon studies which advocate the necessity of farm tourism to innovate itself according to the increasingly demanding needs of customers. Henceforth, the purpose of this dissertation is to critically evaluate the level of professionalism reached in the farm tourism market within a marketing approach.
METHODOLOGY
This dissertation is a cross-country perspective incorporating the marketing of farm tourism studied in Germany and Italy. Hence, the marketing channels of this tourist sector are examined both from the supply and the demand side by means of five exploratory studies. The data collection has been conducted in the timeframe of 2006 to 2009 in manifold ways (online survey, catalogues of industry associations, face-to-face interviews, etc.) according to the purpose of the research of each study project. The data have been analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis.
FINDINGS
A comprehensive literature review provides the state of the art of the main differences and similarities of farm tourism in the two countries of study. The main findings contained in the empirical chapters provide insights on many aspects of agritourism including how the expectations of farm operators and customers differ, which development scenarios of farm tourism are more likely to meet individuals' needs, how new technologies can impact the demand for farm tourism, etc.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE
The value of this study is in the investigation of the process by which farmers' participation in the development of this sector intersects with consumer consumption patterns. Focusing on this process should allow farm operators and others including related businesses to more efficiently allocate resources.


1.INTRODUCTION
During the last decade of 20th century the dissatisfaction with the current situation in scholarly communication and publication has grown continuously. Although the fast development of information technology has brought the promise of instant and low-barrier access to all kind of information, including scholarly information, the reality was different. The number of online available information has risen, but their prices and subscriptions continued to rise as well. The so-called 'serial crisis' has been discussed in literature and illustrated by large amount of statistical data (e.g. ARL statistics). A number of initiatives striving to ensure "open access" to scholarly information and to bring control over publishing process back to scholars, emerged in late nineties and in the first years of the 21st century (Open Archives Initiative, Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition - SPARC, Public Library of Science, Budapest Open access Initiative etc.). By 2004, these initiatives, as well as ideas they represent, became largely recognized and respected by the scientific community, and the term "Open Access Movement" is commonly used today. The solutions proposed by these initiatives were numerous, but finally two main strategies were defined: open access journals and eprint archives.
2.OPEN ACCESS JOURNALS AND EPRINT ARCHIVES
Open access journals are those journals that offer their content free of charge on the Internet. Currently, there are at least 791 such journals, and they are listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals – DOAJ (www.doaj.org). These journals are quality controlled, which means that they perform editorial control and/or peer review. But costs of editorial and reviewing process are not covered from subscriptions.
Eprint archives are collections of various types of electronic documents (book chapters, conference presentations, theses, technical reports, data sets etc.), but primarily peer reviewed journal articles in different stages of publishing process (from preprint to postprint). Repositories can be organized as subject based (collecting documents that belong to certain scientific discipline) or institutional (collecting the intellectual output of the whole institution). The documents are usually deposited and described with metadata by their authors ('self-archiving'). Almost all eprint archives are compliant with Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting – OAI-PMH, and therefore interoperable.
Ideas of open access are endorsed by large number of scientific institutions, whose commitment is expressed in various declarations: Berlin declaration, BOAI, World Summit of the Information Society Declaration of Principles, Bethesda Statement and others.
3. OPEN ACCESS AND LIS PROFFESSIONALS
Most of these initiatives and declarations recognize important role that libraries play in promoting open access and supporting it (for instance: including open access journals in their collections and their catalogues and thus making them more visible and more accessible, developing and maintaining institutional repositories, metadata control, building additional services).
But, what is the actual attitude of LIS professional towards open access? International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions - IFLA has recently taken position explicitly in favour of Open Access in its Statement on open access to scholarly literature and research documentation. It says that "IFLA recognises the important roles played by all involved in the recording and dissemination of research, including authors, editors, publishers, libraries and institutions". It also states that IFLA supports "collaborative initiatives to develop sustainable open access publishing models and facilities including encouragement, such as the removal of contractual obstacles, for authors to make scholarly literature and research documentation available without charge".
The main intention of this poster is to show to what extent LIS professionals as authors and users have endorsed the policy of open access. Attitude of 56 core LIS journals, indexed in ISI publications, toward Open Access and self-archiving will be analysed. It will be shown that most of those journals are published by large commercial publishers (Elsevier, Emerald, Information Today, Sage Publications, Taylor & Francis), and that many of them do not support self-archiving. The subset of LIS journals indexed in ISI publications will be compared with 25 open access LIS journals from DOAJ. Only one journal is indexed both in ISI and DOAJ.
Eprint archives covering LIS literature will also be analyzed. The largest one is E-LIS – Eprints in Library and Information Science, with 650 documents, mostly conference papers, journal articles and presentations (mainly in pdf, then ppt format). Other is DLIST with 100 documents, mostly journal articles, conference papers and presentations (mainly in html, pdf and doc format). It will be shown which services E-LIS offers now (search, browse) and what could it offer in the future: extended browse, webometrics (number of hits, downloads etc.) and scientometrics (citations).
4. CONCLUSION
As it can be concluded from the data above, open access information provision is not yet fully embraced by LIS professionals, although LIS professionals have been among most active promoters of Open Access.


Colonial "women's work" was hard, physical labor. In the South, the urgency of farming crops for export stretched a woman's workday from sunrise to sunset. It was not much different in New England, though the goal was more often to maintain the family and set aside enough to get through the harsh winter. In the 17th and early 18th century, nearly endless toil marked the lives of the majority of American women, regardless of their region, color, or status. Most women in the colonies, enslaved and free, were farm wives, giving birth to children and working hard to raise them. Yet, as Jane Kamensky shows in this volume, some women entered this era with rising expectations. They were marrying whom and when they chose, or choosing to remain unmarried. They were fleeing cruel masters in search of a better life. Women's voices were heard, though not all in the same tones or claiming the same rights. During these years women such as Anne Hutchinson had to leave Massachusetts when she tried to claim a public role for herself in the Puritan church; Abigail Smith Adams encouraged her husband John Adams to "Remember the Ladies" in the country's new code of laws; the African-American poet Phillis Wheatley published stirring patriotic poems; and Deborah Read Franklin ran Ben Franklin's stationery store when he was away (which was most of the time). These women were not feminists by today's definition, but they began a tradition of persistence and loyalty that has served women well into the 20th century.


Fanconi's anaemia, a DNA repair disorder showing particular sensitivity to DNA crosslinking agents (for example mitomycin C and diepoxybutane), is characterised clinically by progressive pancytopenia, acute myeloid leukaemia, skin pigmentation, and radial defects. Classical cell mixing experiments have shown at least four complementation groups: after a long search these authors have identified the molecular basis of the group C type. The major novelty in their approach was the use of an Epstein-Barr virus based cDNA expression shuttle vector, which could be maintained epison-ily in the mammalian cell during treatment with cross-linking agents; plasmids conferring resistance were then easily recovered by shuttling back to Escherichia coli. Three cDNAs were isolated, corresponding to alternatively spliced and truncated derivatives of the same gene, termed FACC; appropriate mutations within this gene were identified in some Fanconi patients. Comparison with nucleic acid and protein sequence databases showed no homology with any known gene. This work is a first step in elucidating the molecular relationship between the Fanconi complementation groups, and may shed light on why mutation ofDNA repair genes should lead to specific developmental abnormalities.


Semisolid processing is now becoming of greater interest for the production of various parts than pressure die casting. In the rheo die casting process, the important thing is to control the solid particles behavior during the rheo die casting process. So, in this paper, to find out the effect of stirring current and stirring time on the microstructure and mechanical properties, rheo die casting experiments were performed according to the stirring current such as 0, 20, 40 and 60 A and the stirring time such as 20, 40 and 60 sec. The results to the experimental conditions were analyzed.


A dynamical model for the distribution of tasks on a system of heterogenous processors is introduced. The task distribution procedure is based on the perceived benefits a task provider sees in using a particular processor for the execution of his requirements. The decision is usually based on a limited amount of information and is therefore a statistical process. The degree of certainty can be regulated by the so-called gain factor and ranges from a total lack of knowledge to a complete knowledge which renders the distribution dynamics a deterministic one. An entropy function is introduced for each task. The values of the task entropies at any moment in time are a measure for the distribution of tasks on the available processors. A second entropy function, the processor entropy, is introduced. The values of the processor entropy give useful information on the real utilization of the processor system. Some concepts from general equilibrium theory are introduced and their relevance for achieving optimal processor utilization discussed. >


Feline immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus of domestic cats that causes immunosuppressive disease and lifelong infection. Lentivirus has also been detected in African lions (Panthera leo). The lentivirus infecting lions in southern Africa has never been isolated; thus, knowledge about its molecular characteristics in these populations is limited. Our investigation used whole blood samples collected opportunistically from free-ranging southern African lions in Kruger National Park, South Africa, and from Hlane Royal National Park in Swaziland to analyse the lentivirus. Whole blood samples from captive exotic felids fromzoos in South Africa and the United States,and from domestic cats in South Africa were analysed for comparison. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to amplify a portion of the proviral DNA encoding the reverse transcriptase. The nucleotide sequence of all products was determined and examined. The PCR assay was successful in amplifying lion lentivirus, with 52 positive and 65 negative samples. Of the 34 sequences amplified from a variety of felids, six showed an average of 96% homology to domestic feline lentivirus, and 28 showed an average of 94% homology to lion lentivirus. In addition, domestic cat lentivirus nucleic acid was amplified from a captive tiger, demonstrating the possibility of cross-species transmission.