The U.S. Northern Rocky Mountains are comprised of three large and sparsely populated states. They are also exceedingly highway-oriented places, with one of the highest rates of rural travel in the country. High volumes of traffic along transportation corridors can block, deflect, or delay daily, seasonal and lifetime wildlife movements. Highways and the vehicles that travel upon them are resulting in habitat fragmentation, habitat loss and direct mortality to the region's signature species, such as the grizzly bear, elk and lynx. American Wildlands' Corridors of Life program has used scientifically defensible methodologies to identify over 100 wildlife migration corridors with the highest potential to serve as conduits of wildlife movement between the U.S. Northern Rockies' core protected areas. U.S. Interstates or state highways bisect the majority of these potential wildlife corridors. In order to address the impacts that highways have upon habitat connectivity in the Northern Rockies, American Wildlands has organized an innovative multi-disciplinary working group to improve wildlife movement and human safety in a potential wildlife corridor in Montana. This working group has representatives from federal, state and county agencies as well as land trusts, independent biologists, conservation groups, and university researchers. The Bozeman Pass Working Group is focusing on a 30-mile stretch of I-90 in western Montana that serves as one of the only corridors between the Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide ecosystems. The goal of the Bozeman Pass Working Group is to address factors that limit wildlife movement across the landscape, improve highway safety, protect key parcels of private land and ensure public lands are managed in a way that promotes habitat connectivity. The members of the Bozeman Pass Working Group have developed scientific studies, using GIS and field biology tools with the objectives of identifying the highway's impacts on wildlife. The findings from these scientific studies have been incorporated into private and public lands conservation efforts and highway mitigation initiatives. The Bozeman Pass Working Group has successfully secured funding for mitigation projects that will improve wildlife movement and human safety along I-90.


An aircraft observation was conducted over the East China Sea to reveal detailed distributions of wind and moisture around the Baiu frontal zone. Using a numerical simulation, the structure of the Baiu frontal zone was examined and four airstreams around the zone were identified: northeasterly, west-southwesterly, and southwesterly along the Baiu frontal cloud zone, as well as southwesterly along the oceanic zone. Each airstream had different characteristics of stratification. These differences and the convergence of the airstreams resulted in two different rainfall areas: a weak and wide rainfall area in the northern part of the cloud zone, and an intense and narrow rainfall area in the southern part.


This chapter addresses Article 29 of the ICDR Rules. In any arbitration, the tribunal will almost always be required to take certain decisions before it is tasked with rendering a final award. Article 29 provides the tribunal with the broad authority to make such decisions to keep the arbitration advancing and to ultimately resolve the dispute. In addition to the broad powers in Article 29(1), Article 29(2) attempts to address the possibility that a unanimous decision will be unobtainable in an arbitration involving more than a sole arbitrator by permitting any 'award, order, decision, or ruling' to be made by a majority of arbitrators, regardless of whether the presiding arbitrator is part of that majority. Meanwhile, Article 29(3) empowers the tribunal to delegate to the presiding arbitrator the authority to make 'orders, decisions, or rulings on questions of procedure', subject to revision by the full tribunal.


From political parties to environmental organisations, citizens join a host of associations in order to influence policymaking and political agendas. Yet why in some western democracies do citizens join political organisations much more than in others? Drawing on a large number of crossnational surveys and data sets, Morales shows that huge crossnational variations in political membership are not so much related to social or attitudinal differences between these countries' citizens, but are explained to a great extent by the structure of the political system of each nation.


The paper is discussing the importance of assessing forest dynamics based on several statistical and cartographic supports considered to be the most representative for the last century. The selected maps are able to point out the forest cover changes for three time frames (1912-1971; 1971-1990; 1990-2006) related to the relevant multi-temporal statistical and cartographic data as well as historical events such as land reforms, political changes related to the transition to the intensive and extensive communist agriculture and the post-communist period strongly related to the decolectivisation and privatisation of agriculture leading to the emergence of new types of property, an excessive land fragmentation and deforestation (illegal logging). The authors are aiming to analyse land use conversion and forest covered areas dynamics in relation to the main socio-political and natural driving forces by means of GIS methods (binary change index and trend index) based on a series of significant cartographic documents and a large and complex geodatabase.


This chapter deals with the magnitude of the problem of burns in a developing country and describes the epidemiology. The common causes of burn injury have been illustrated by suitable photographs. The author feels that a large percentage of both domestic and industrial burns are preventable by simple modification of the agents or environment, and by public education. He recommends that public, social workers, professional persons, industrialists, government and nongovernment agencies undertake a programme for prevention of such accidents.


1. Herbarium, field, and garden studies upon extensive series of North American wild roses belonging to the section Cinnamomeae have shown that many of the characteristics commonly used to distinguish between species are individual variations. These unreliable characteristics may occur combined in every possible way, sometimes in plants of a single culture. They also appear in every species and give good series of parallel variations. Because in the past rhodologists have been inclined to give these minor variations and their multitudinous combinations specific or varietal rank, nomenclatural confusion has resulted. 2. The various diagnostic characteristics are discussed and evaluated chiefly from evidence obtained from growing cultures of plants raised from the seeds of single wild individuals. As many as ten so-called species have appeared in one culture. 3. The offspring of isolated diploid plants of R. woodsii from the Great Basin of Utah showed as much variability and pollen sterility as offspring of plants of R. blanda from northern Michigan, which grew close to roses belonging to other species groups. Hybridization is not therefore the most important source of variation. 4. Tables are presented which demonstrate the variation in minor characteristics in cultures of the groups of R. blanda, R. californica, R. pisocarpa, and R. woodsii. 5. On the evidence of data from these and other cultures, the sections Carolinae and Gymnocarpae have been merged with the section Cinnamomeae. One hundred ten species in this section given by Rydberg (34) and three species described by the writer have been placed in 16 Linnaean species. These 16 species are relatively stable (although individuals are highly heterozygous) and they can be distinguished from one another by general, morphological, numerical, cytological, and physiological characteristics. Ten of the sixteen are collective species with wide ranges of distribution. 6. Seven other species are suspected of being ecotypes of the various collective species but have been retained in specific rank. 7. Interspecific F1 hybrids have been raised after crossing species with ranges that overlap. Several of these hybrids are fertile and resemble roses that occur in nature. Six previously described species are considered on this evidence to be F1 hybrids. 8. These results which attribute a few highly variable Linnaean species to the genus Rosa agree with those obtained by Boulenger from data from European rose species. 9. Sterility arises from (a) interchange, (b) internal polyploidy, (c) hybridization with polyploid species. Polyploidy is therefore an obstacle to the fusion of species. 10. Ninety-one specific names, chiefly from Rydberg (34), have been given as synonyms in an alphabetical list of Linneons. An analytical key is appended which includes 16 Linnaean species, seven ecotype species, and four hybrid species in the section Cinnamomeae.


The anthelmintic compounds amoscanate (4-isothiocyanato-4'-nitrodiphenylamine) and its derivatives CGP 6140 and CGP 8045 are potent inhibitors of the activities of cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterases from schistosomal and filarial worms as well as from both the calmodulin-dependent and the -independent enzyme of bovine heart. As shown for CGP 8045 the type of inhibition is non-competitive with respect to the substrate and the inhibition constants were determined to be in the range of 50 micrograms/ml for the enzymes of parasites and mammalian. It is proposed that the inhibition of cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase-activity by amoscanate and derivatives - resulting in accumulation of cyclic AMP - might subsequently lead to disturbances in the regulation of metabolic areas like glycogen metabolism which are controlled by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases.


The judicious use of antibiotics seems to be indicated in operations upon the colon, although these procedures were performed with similar morbidity rates in the 1930's without the use of antibiotics. The results of recent studies indicate that systemic antibiotics administered preoperatively and for a short perioperative interval is the preferred method of treatment because it has little effect on intestinal colonization. Surgical principles have not materially changed over the years and antibiotics are not indicated merely to cover breaks in the operative technique. One must always be cautious of possible untoward reactions and complications. This may be another example of the principle--less is more.


Conservative medical treatment is indicated for patients who have stable symptoms of intermittent claudication without rest symptoms or signs, rapidly progressive disease, or disability interfering with gainful employment (see Fig. 1). Valuable general measures include meticulous care of the limbs, avoidance of trauma and infections, and maintenance of normal body weight. Cessation of tobacco smoking is extremely important, and a regimented exercise program is therapeutically beneficial (see Table 1). The high risk factors of diabetes mellitus and hypertension should be controlled. Hyperlipoproteinemia should be treated if present, but it is currently not known if treatment of elevated cholesterol or triglyceride levels prevents progression of or reverses the disease process. If a recent arterial occlusion is suspected, fibrinolytic therapy can be expected to benefit approximately one third of the patients. Anticoagulants and vasodilator drugs have not been shown to be of value. In patients with rest symptoms or signs, who are not candidates for surgical revascularization of the limb, bed rest with dependency of the limb in a warm environment, good foot care, and analgesics are most important. Ulcers should be treated with wet dressings to preserve granulation tissue, and parenteral antibiotics are used if infection is present. When rest symptoms or trophic lesions have disappeared or improved, the patient may be gradually ambulated but should continue to sleep with the head of the bed elevated and should maintain meticulous foot care.


The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between bureaucratic school structures and teachers' self-efficacy. Participants included 252 teachers from 15 primary schools in Ankara, Turkey. Mean, standard deviation, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted. Results indicated that bureaucratic school structures and teacher self-efficacy were positively and significantly correlated and a bureaucratic school structure was a significant indicator of teacher self-efficacy. The results of the study are discussed with a focus on improving teacher self-efficacy.


The importance and usefulness of social capital as a concept in the study of organizations have been established by a large body of research. The aim of this paper is to review the concept of social capital in an organizational context, and it identifies five main issues that need to be addressed in future research before social capital can move definitively beyond being merely metaphor for advantage. First, the unresolved issue of causality is a barrier in the study of social structure and social capital alike, and hampers both measuring scales and implications drawn from empirical research. Secondly, it is necessary to determine whether social capital can or should be measured. Thirdly, the negative aspects of social capital should be explored and integrated into the existing research. Fourthly, the field between social capital of the individual and organizational social capital lacks a consistent, bridging theory. Finally, there is a lack of understanding on how social capital develops over time and the potential benefits of taking a life-cycle view of social capital. In conclusion, the field of social capital in organizations still needs a consistent and coordinated research effort in each of the mentioned areas – separately and concurrently - in order to move beyond structure and metaphor.


The objective of this paper is to reflect on the relation between Communication studies and Security issues, by fitting particular developments into a larger scheme. In my hypothesis, public order and security can never be an exclusive duty of State Police alone, but a joint attempt for common goals. The institutional identity of the Police or Ministry of Interior itself is constituted by their purpose (why they exist), their brand (how they are perceived by others) and their culture (how members interact and work within them). Nevertheless, popular culture and mass media play an important role in effective institutional public communication. The challenge is to prevent, identify and manage incompatible or opposite messages promoted in the content managed by governmental and media authorities of a country, on the same topic, to the same audience, at the same time. By analyzing the behavioral communication and reflecting on how media exposures skew already available mental models to affect judgments, beliefs, and attitudes, I expect to provide a more complete framework on events occurred almost contemporarily, and to contribute in narrative-based persuasion strategies applied by governmental institutions in the future in Albania, suggesting Grunig's systemic approach of Public Relation. In the following work, I will construct the media narratives related to light weapons control in the Republic of Albania in 2017, and deconstruct the two incompatible narrative-based strategies in this regard. They demonstrate the need to harmonize the production or diffusion of public narratives and content on specific public order and security strategies.


This article provides a critical review of the legality of censorship of artistic works In Tanzania under the auspices of the National Arts Council Act, 1984 (known as Baraza la Sanaa Tanzania (BASATA in Kiswahili). It discusses the nature and extent of the censorship mandate granted to BASATA under the vis-a-vis the diversity of cultural diversities of Tanzania society regarding artistic works. In the process of the exposition, the author highlights the administrative structure and overall functions of BASATA. The artistic works which are under the mandate of BASATA are brought to the fore and a discussion on the available avenues to institute legal proceeding in a court of law against BASATA for those aggrieved by its decisions is made. Recommendations on identified issues for legal reform relating to BASATA's role in censoring artistic works in light of the social and cultural contexts prevailing in Tanzania are made.


Background and Aim: Fruits and vegetables are essential part of healthy diets. Increasing evidence indicates that they may help to prevent major diseases such as heart diseases, some types of cancers, type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke and etc. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of girl students' participation on consumption of fruit and vegetables in the family. Materials and Methods: This study had a quasi-experimental research design with two groups (experimental and control) and was carried out in 10 middleschools in Tabriz during the year 2006. A number of 200 students participated in this study. The students in the experimental group (n=100) taught to research objectives (healthy diets, fruit and vegetable consumption, the methods of washing and disinfecting fruit and vegetables, importance of fruit and vegetables and the role of students in planning of fruit and vegetable consumption in the family). Then they began to assess and evaluate the amount of fruit and vegetable consumption in their family and encouraged their family members to increase or correct of fruit and vegetable consumption patterns. Questionnaires and checklists were data collecting tools, which were completed 2 times by students: before and 1 month after intervention. Results: Findings showed that girl students' participation made an increase in their family consumption of fruits and vegetables (P< 0.001). Conclusion: Based on these findings, the research hypothesis was supported. It means that girl Students' participation can increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the family.


LPSC, ISRO as part of their CE 20 cryogenic engine development program, desired to get the liquid oxygen [LOX] turbo pump turbine profiles tested in the NAL Transonic Cascade Tunnel to obtain basic aerodynamic performance data. The LOX turbine consists of a nozzle, first rotor, stator and second rotor. The cascade tests on the first rotor profile were completed first on priority. Similar profiles have been designed for first rotor, stator and second rotor with minor changes in stagger angle and pitch. Hence, the same cascade blades, which were used to test the first rotor configuration, were deployed at pitch and stagger corresponding to the stator to test the equivalent configuration. The LOX stator configuration was tested at three different inlet flow angles and six outlet Mach numbers. Performance parameters such as profile loss, exit flow angle, flow velocities and surface Mach number distribution were evaluated. The test details and results of the LOX stator configuration are elaborated in this report.


A Gram-reaction-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, red-pigmented bacterium, designated strain GSR3061(T), was isolated from a water sample of the Mangyung estuary enclosed by the Saemangeum Embankment in JEOLlabuk-do of South Korea, and characterized using a polyphasic approach. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain GSR3061(T) indicated that the isolate belonged to the phylum Bacteroidetes and exhibited similarity levels of 94.7 % to Rufibacter tibetensis NRRL B-51285(T), 92.4 % to Adhaeribacter terreus KACC 14257(T) and 91.9 % to Pontibacter korlensis KACC 15371(T). Growth was observed at 15-40 °C and pH 6.5-9.5. The major cellular fatty acids of the novel strain were summed feature 4 (comprising iso-C17 : 1 I and/or anteiso-C17 : 1 B), iso-C15 : 0, C17 : 1ω6c and iso-C16 : 1 H. Flexirubin-type pigments were absent. The DNA G+C content of strain GSR3061(T) was 44.9 mol% and the major quinone was MK-7. The polar lipid profile consisted mainly of phosphatidylethanolamine; three unidentified lipids, two unknown aminolipids, two unknown phospholipids, an unknown aminophospholipid and an unknown glycolipid were also present. On the basis of the evidence presented, it is concluded that strain GSR3061(T) represents a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Nibribacter koreensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Nibribacter koreensis is GSR3061(T) ( = KACC 16450(T) = JCM 17917(T)).


SCOPE
Understanding the molecular mechanisms through which natural products and dietary supplements exhibit anticancer properties is crucial and can lead to drug discovery and chemoprevention. The current study sheds new light on the mode of action of resveratrol (RES), a plant-derived polyphenolic compound, against EL-4 lymphoma growth.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Immuno-compromised NOD/SCID mice injected with EL-4 tumor cells and treated with RES (100 mg/kg body weight) showed delayed development and progression of tumor growth and increased mean survival time. RES caused apoptosis in EL4 cells through activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and upregulation of Fas and FasL expression in vitro. Blocking of RES-induced apoptosis in EL4 cells by FasL mAb, cleavage of caspases and PARP, and release of cytochorme c, demonstrated the participation of both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis. RES also induced upregulation of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog, 1 (SIRT1) and downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in EL4 cells. siRNA-mediated downregulation of SIRT1 in EL4 cells increased the activation of NF-κB but decreased RES-mediated apoptosis, indicating the critical role of SIRT1 in apoptosis via blocking activation of NF-κB.

CONCLUSION
These data suggest that RES-induced SIRT1 upregulation promotes tumor cell apoptosis through negative regulation of NF-κB, leading to suppression of tumor growth.


By combining quantitative analyses of survey data with qualitative analyses of interviewswith first-time parents, this study gives new insights into parents' division of parental leavein Sweden and the links between fathers' leave length and the division of child care whenboth are back at work again. Quantitative results show that mothers' and fathers' parentalleave lengths vary substantially with the reasons for division of leave and that fathers'parental leave length is related to the long-term division of child care as well as to mothers'satisfaction with it. Qualitative results suggest that although gender equality and equalparenting is central to the first-time, middle-class parents that were interviewed, moretraditional norms and ideals about the mother as the primary caretaker may stand in the wayof an equal sharing of the leave during the child's first year. The study also suggests severalmechanisms through which fathers' parental leave may causally influence later division ofchildcare, including a development of a closer relationship between the father and the childand a greater understanding between the parents.


It becomes increasingly common for governments, service providers and specialized data aggregators to systematically collect traces of personal communication on the Internet without the user's knowledge or approval. An analysis of these personal traces by data mining algorithms can reveal sensitive personal information, such as location data, behavioral patterns, or personal profiles including preferences and dislikes. Recent studies show that this information can be used for various purposes, for example by insurance companies or banks to identify potentially risky customers, by governments to observe their citizens, and also by repressive regimes to monitor political opponents. Online anonymity software, such as Tor, can help users to protect their privacy, but often comes at the prize of low usability, e.g., by causing increased latency during surfing. In this exploratory study, we determine factors that influence the usage of Internet anonymity software. In particular, we show that Internet literacy, Internet privacy awareness and Internet privacy concerns are important antecedents for determining an Internet user's intention to use anonymity software, and that Internet patience has a positive moderating effect on the intention to use anonymity software, as well as on its perceived usefulness.


ABSTRACTSatellite broadcasting technologies contribute a great deal to interaction across national boundaries, and in this regard satellite television is significant in the construction of a transnational public sphere for the Alevi community in Turkey and abroad. This paper addresses the role of television in the making of that transnational Alevi identity. In particular, it focuses on the flow and the programme contents of Cem TV and Yol TV, two leading Alevi channels, to demonstrate how the transnational imagination of Alevi identity corresponds to different political understandings of Aleviness.


This thesis concerns heat and mass flows in a supermarket. In the recent years progress in refrigeration and lighting technology has occurred leading to decrease in supermarkets' energy demand. It was the reason to conduct this work, where hygrothermal flows within a modernly designed supermarket are analyzed and a transient computer model of these flows is introduced.
A real supermarket located in Hanover, Germany, was a basis for model design. Its construction and equipment features were reflected in the model based on building plans, technical documentation and internet database collecting measurements from sensors. However, these information were limited, so some additional assumptions had to be made. Hourly values of outside temperature, humidity and solar radiation (last one obtained from program Meteonorm) for the whole year 2015 were input data for the created program. Results of the simulation included temperature and humidity of two zones, which the supermarket was divided into, with the resolution higher than one hour for better accuracy. They were subject of validation with real supermarket's performance. Moreover, the program was capable of calculating values of particular heat and moisture flows. Testing under forced conditions is a way of model's verification.
The main problem with modelling supermarket's inside air regarded high level of relative humidity during warm period and therefore three methods of decreasing it are presented: controllable fresh air supply, adjustable inside temperature and mechanical dehumidification. They allowed to reduce inside humidity to the level corresponding to real conditions in the supermarket. Better convergence is obtained for simulated temperature than humidity particularly in hourly perspective.
Created model and obtained conclusions could help in the process of designing supermarkets or help to improve computer models of supermarkets.


In artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) liquid mercury (Hg0) is applied to extract gold from ore. Miners and community members in ASGM areas are constantly exposed to elemental mercury vapour, and depending on the local situation to ingestion of methyl-mercury from local fish and/or rice. Mercury is a toxic substance that causes negative health effects, depending on the susceptibility of the individual; and on the dosage and duration of the exposure. Our own studies showed that mercury levels in any analysed biomarker were higher compared to control groups or reference values. Highly exposed workers showed in up-to 80% typical signs of chronic mercury intoxication, mainly neurological symptoms like ataxia, tremor and coordination problems. ASGM affects approximately 15 Million miners globally causing a serious public health problem. Our burden of disease study for Zimbabwe showed that chronic mercury intoxication ranks within the top 20 health hazards of the country. Other possible health hazards due to mining are accidents in tunnels, shafts and open pits. Other hazards are noise and dust and lead. Baseline data for these hazards are too insufficient to estimate the real risk for the health of miners in ASGM. To obtain more data integrated assessments are necessary. To analyse mercury laboratories with appropriate equipment and trained staff are needed. Health care providers need training to be able to diagnose and treat chronic mercury intoxication. Intoxicated people need proper treatment. Appropriate health care centres in ASGM have to be set up and funded. Regular human-biomonitoring should be established to be able to identify hot spots, and to evaluate intervention programs. The awareness, that mercury is a serious health hazard, is the key to required urgent actions, and needs to be increased on all levels, from national policymakers, regional stakeholders, to health experts and the population in mining areas.


Although service-oriented architectures offer real benefits when pursuing application integration and business flexibility, there are still no satisfactory solutions for dealing with existing systems that need to cooperate while their services have no perfect match. In the case of incompatible services, a 'mediator' may be introduced which resolves (semantic) interoperability problems by intervening in the cooperation between systems. Building mediators is currently often a manual process, resulting in dedicated IT-driven solutions. This paper presents a framework to guide the development of mediators, with the following objectives: (i) uncover and capture the actual interoperability problem that needs to be solved; (ii) allow the involvement of non-IT (i.e., business) experts in the development of the solution; (iii) support evolution of the solution and re-use of results in case of changing interoperability requirements; (iv) facilitate automation of parts of the process. The framework is based on service-oriented, model-driven and semantic Web techniques. Available tool support for the different steps in the framework is indicated.


It has been shown that the non-narcotic analgesic salicylamide is teratogenic for rats. When this drug is administered to rats during gestation, sulfate incorporation into the fetal skeleton is reduced. Aims of studies reported here were to examine the effect of salicylamide on the incorporation of radiosulfate into glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and the biosynthesis of chondroitin 4-sulfate (Ch-4-S) and chondroitin 6-sulfate (Ch-6-S) in fetal rat limbs was studied. Pregnant rats were fed 25% casein diet with or without 2% salicylamide from day 6 to day 17 or day 19 of gestation. The dams were killed on day 17 or day 19 of gestation, 24 hours following an intramuscular injection of sodium 35S-sulfate. Salicylamide administration decreased the levels of radiosulfate in maternal serum and placenta, and impaired the incorporation of radiosulfate into fetal skeletal GAGs. The incorporation of radiosulfate into fetal skeletal GAGs was significantly affected by maternal serum 35S-sulfate, placental 35S-sulfate, litter size, placental weight and fetal weight. After adjusting for these variables, salicylamide administration still had a significant effect, suggesting that salicylamide may have a primary effect in impairing the incorporation of sulfate into fetal skeletal GAGs. Salicylamide administration was found to have no significant effect on the amount of radiosulfate incorporated into Ch-4-S relative to that incorporated into Ch-6-S. The results showed that with increasing gestational age, there was an increase in synthesis of Ch-4-S with a concomitant decrease in synthesis of Ch-6-S. The effect of salicylamide on the calcification of fetal skeletons was studied. Salicylamide administration resulted in a decrease in the calcium content of fetal limb bones, but had no significant effect on maternal serum calcium. The calcium content of fetal limb bones was greatly affected by fetal weight. After adjusting for the fetal weight effect, salicylamide still had a significant effect on the calcium content of fetal limb bones. These results suggest that the degree of sulfation of fetal skeletal GAGs affects the calcification of fetal skeletons.


Intertidal stromatolites are major components of a fringing Holocene reef complex at Stocking Island, Exuma Cays, Bahamas. Trapping and binding of fine-grained carbonate sand by microorganisms, primarily filamentous cyanobacteria and diatoms, and differential lithification of sediment have produced layered structures with up to 0.5 m of relief. Formation of these stromatolites in an environment of normal marine salinity is attributed to reduced competition from crustose red algae, availability of a stable substrate, and rapid cementation. Destruction of lamination in Stocking Island stromatolites by molluscs, sponges, and worms suggests that boring invertebrates play a key role in stromatolite preservation.


Object-orientation has rapidly become accepted as the preferred paradigm for large-scale system design. The product created during Software Development effort has to be tested since bugs may get introduced during its development. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the various software testing methodologies available to test object-oriented software. Software based on Object Oriented technology poses challenges to conventional testing techniques since it involves concepts like Inheritance, Polymorphism etc., It is very essential to monitor the behavior of every object during its lifetime by keeping track of where the object is defined and where such definition is referenced. In this paper we have discussed about how Unit testing, Integration Testing and System Testing are being carried out in the Object Oriented environment. To accommodate these strategies, several new techniques have been proposed like Fault-based Testing, Scenario-based Testing, Surface Structure testing and a brief discussion of these techniques has also been presented.


Against a backdrop of increasing secularization, the number of Buddhists in Britain continues to rise (Office for National Statistics, 2012). However, few studies have explored the reasons people are drawn towards Buddhism, with none focusing on men specifically. Uniquely, we conducted in-depth narrative interviews with 30 male meditators in London, UK, to explore the appeal Buddhism held for them. Buddhism was portrayed as a nexus of ideas and practices which improved men's lives. Analyzed through the prism of a multidimensional biopsychosocial model of wellbeing, Buddhism appeared to have the potential to promote wellbeing in biological terms (e.g., health behaviors), psychological terms (e.g., generating subjective wellbeing), and social terms (e.g., offering a supportive social network). From a gendered perspective, Buddhism offered men the opportunity to rework their masculine identity in ways that enhanced their wellbeing. This was a complex development, in which traditional masculine norms were upheld (e.g., Buddhism was constructed as a 'rational' framework of ideas/practices), yet also challenged (e.g., norms around alcohol abstinence). Our study offers new insights into the hazards and the attractions – particularly for men – of engaging with Buddhism.


This study analyses the Norwegian labour market, focusing on changes that have taken place, and on problems that have surfaced in the past decade. The study helps identify the main determinants of the demand for foreign labour in Norway, as well as of factors that are likely to shape the scale and the composition of the demand for foreign labour in Norway in the near future. The study includes a short description of the history of migration to Norway, and a description of the main migrant groups in the country. It also presents results of research carried out on the position of migrant workers in the Norwegian labour market. In view of the substantial increase in the past three years in the inflow of Polish migrants to Norway, the last part of the study offers a detailed analysis of this group of migrants.


This report discusses laws related to the protection of marine mammals when using mid-frequency active sonar including the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). The report discusses each of the laws generally, and then reviews the litigation surrounding the Navy's compliance with these laws in the context of using the sonar for training purposes off California's coast.


Great Catesby Village School have their first ever football team - the Greats. In GREAT SAVE! every goal the team score in the tournament is sponsored - and will help save their school from being closed down! Tom used to be a top scorer, but he can't seem to find the net in GREAT SHOT! The Greats team are determined to create a new record and show their rivals exactly what they can do in GREAT HIT! In GREAT GOAL! the team are desperate to be number one in the charts with their fundraising song - and to be number one on the pitch too! Four fantastic football books in one bumper omnibus!


This article focuses on a neglected aspect of Francesco Robortello's work, that is his conception of Topics. The scope of the reconstruction is not only erudite: The reason for investigating Robortello's idea of Topics is that for him, as for many other Renaissance philosophers, there was a strict relationship between Topics and the other sermocinal arts, that is grammar, rhetoric, poetry, and sometimes, in the period in question, also historiography, and it is the claim of this article that it is impossible to understand the latter if not in relation to the former, because the Topics lay at the foundation of every possible way of reasoning and argument. In particular, the paper shall examine the vernacular manuscript entitled the Discorso dell'origine, numero, ordine et methodo delli luoghi topici, the transcription of which is included in the appendix.


Current VLSI design techniques focus on four major goals: higher integration, faster speed, lower power, and shorter time-to-market. These goals have been accomplished mainly by deep submicron (DSM) technology along with voltage scaling. However, scaling down of feature size causes larger interwire capacitance which results in large crosstalk between interconnects. In this paper, we propose a novel predictable circuit architecture, named "optimized overlaying array-based architecture" (O/sup 2/ABA), especially suited for the deep submicron regime. O/sup 2/ABA achieves reduction in crosstalk by considering the current directions and by reducing interwire capacitance. The introduction of "unit cell" leads to regularity, which makes the performance predictable even before layout, and shortens design time. O/sup 2/ABA is compared with other design styles, such as custom design and standard cell approach, in terms of coupling capacitance, area, and delay.


Saponins are a major family of secondary metabolites that occur in a wide range of plant species. Bioassay - guided fractionation of extract of the leaves of Polyscias fulva led to the isolation of three known saponins named, 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-hederagenin (1), 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]-hederagenin (2) and 3-O-[rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-xylopyranosyl]-Olean-12-en-28-O-[rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-glucopyranosyl-(1→6-glucopyranosyl] ester) (3). Leaves of the plant were collected from Kakamega rain forest in Kenya, dried under shade and ground into fine powder and extraction was done using methanol. The methanol extract was subjected to column chromatography and the fractions purified using preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The bioactivity of the pure compounds was done using disc diffusion method. The three compounds exhibited moderate activities against Gram positive bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25922) and Gram negative bacterium (Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC13883). Compound 1 was found to be the most active against K. pneumoniae (8.00±1.00 mm) and S. aureus (10.00±1.73 mm) followed by compound 2 with inhibition zones of 7.66±0.57 and 7.33±0.57 mm against K. pneumoniae and S. aureus, respectively. Compound 3 was the least active against both K. pneumoniae (7.33±0.57 mm) and S. aureus (7.00±1.00 mm). The results obtained indicate that compounds 1, 2 and 3 exhibit potential as possible sources of antibacterial agents.

 Key words: Antibiotics, bacterial infections, antibiotic resistance, Polyscias fulva, saponins.


Three candidate antigens, Chrysomya bezziana peritrophin-48, Chrysomya bezziana peritrophin-15 and Chrysomya bezziana peritrophin-42, were prepared for recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli using a variety of expression vectors. Cb peritrophin-48 was expressed as a recombinant protein possessing a carboxy-terminal hexaHis tag. Cb peritrophin-15 was expressed as both a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein and as an amino-terminal hexaHis tagged protein. The glutathione Stransferase Cb peritrophin-15 construct produced a heterogeneous group of fusion proteins. Cb peritrophin-42 was also expressed as an amino-terminal hexaHis tagged protein. The two putative domains of Cb peritrophin-42 were also separately expressed, again with amino-terminal hexaHis tags. Cultures of the hexaHis constructs Cb peritrophin-48, -15 and –42 were demonstrated to be useful for the production and purification of these protein antigens and were scaled-up for vaccine trials and protein characterization studies. Key words: Chrysomya , peritrophic membrane, peritrophin, recombinant protein, hexaHis tag, GST


This article was stimulated by a 1997 American Agricultural Economics Association annual meeting preconference designed by Batie and Ervin. The authors felt that there was considerable interest and activity in business-led environmental management (also caLLed corporate environmental management)-but most of the interest was found outside of the agricultural sector and the profession. The conference was a means to investigate the extent, motivation, and consequences of business-led poLLution prevention activities. The DuPont and the StahLbush Island Farms examples used in this article were drawn from discussions that took place at the conference and which were published in the proceedings. In the article, the authors draw lessons for agriculture informed by the experiences of nonagricultural businesses. They identify and distiLL from these experiences the major roles for the public sector to enable agricultural business-led initiatives to flourish and to be successful.


The present thesis concerns the involvement of EWSR1 and FUS fusion genes, and the chimeric proteins they encode, in tumorigenesis. In Article I, the EWSR1 promoter, which regulates the expression of EWSR1 fusion genes, was characterized and regions that were crucial for promoter activity could be identified. The sequence was found to have bidirectional activity and is likely to regulate also RHBDD3, another cancer-associated gene. In Article II, the EWSR1-POU5F1 fusion was found in hidradenoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma, the first report of EWSR1 fusion genes in epithelial tumor types. The EWSR1-POU5F1 chimera was a stronger transcriptional activator than wild-type (wt) POU5F1, analogous to other EWSR1 chimeras, and was able to activate transcription through a binding site which is normally recognized by POU5F1. In Article III, FUS-CREB3L2 was found to be a stronger transcriptional activator than wt CREB3L2 and to activate transcription through binding sites normally recognized by CREB3L2. Also, the results suggest that the chimera is regulated by intramembrane proteolysis like wt CREB3L2. In Article IV, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS), which is characterized by the FUS-CREB3L2 fusion, was found to have a specific gene expression profile, compared to histologically similar tumors types. Binding sites for FOXL1, the top upregulated gene in LGFMS, and other FOX factors were overrepresented in the promoters of LGFMS-upregulated genes, suggesting an important function of FOX factors in LGFMS.CD24 was upregulated in the tumors and FUS-CREB3L2 expressing cells, and FUS-CREB3L2 was able to activate transcription through a CD24 regulatory sequence. (Less)


mAb directed toward the idiotype of the 38C13 murine B cell lymphoma can be used to treat and cure a high percentage of mice challenged previously with an otherwise lethal dose of tumor cells. Tumors developing in animals despite antibody therapy were examined by immunofluorescence and found to demonstrate either loss of surface Ig, or expression of an altered idiotype that no longer bound the antibody used for treatment. Further immunofluorescence analysis of the variant tumors revealed individual patterns of cross-reactivity with anti-38C13 idiotype mAb other than that used for therapy. The variant tumor cells were fused to myeloma cells and hybrids were isolated which secreted large quantities of the altered idiotype proteins. Polyclonal antibodies and mAb prepared against the mutant proteins demonstrated cross-reactivity with the original 38C13 protein and its other variants. But the variants and wild type cells could be distinguished from each other by their patterns of reactivity with the panels of anti-idiotype antibodies. Differences in apparent m.w. were demonstrated in the L chains of each of the mutant proteins. Southern blot analysis of the H chain locus of these mutants established that they were all clonally related; however, the L chain loci were grossly different. Thus, rare cells with alteration in their Ig L chain genes and expressed proteins can give rise to idiotype variants in this B cell tumor.


Orientation: Measuring the target outcomes of leadership development programmes provides evidence for the effectiveness of these interventions and the validity of their theoretical underpinnings. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether staff from the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services (Australia) experienced increased levels of self-efficacy, social support within the workplace and positive affect, following participation in a leadership development programme. Research design, approach and method: Quantitative and qualitative methods were used, allowing for triangulation of results. The General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Berlin Social-Support Scale (perceived available support, instrumental) were applied in an online survey administered before and nine months following the programme. Participant satisfaction surveys captured immediate responses and semi-structured interviews captured longer-term reflections. Main findings: Descriptive statistics indicated a moderate overall increase in self-efficacy, with strong increases in resilience, dealing with opposition, resourcefulness and problem solving. There was some evidence of greater overall social support and a strong increase in the development of social support networks. There was no support for an increase in participants' positive orientation towards their jobs in the quantitative data. The impact of adverse environmental factors on participants' perceptions also became evident through the interviews. Practical implications: Leadership development programmes that strengthen positive psychological resources provide participants with confidence and resilience in times of change. Organisations benefit from increased levels of employee self-efficacy as engagement and problem-solving abilities are enhanced. Contribution/value-add: These results contribute to the body of knowledge associated with effective leadership development.


The colorimetric characterization of the two virtual reality headsets, namely, HTC and Oculus are compared to each other. In order to do that, first, a colorimeter is used to measure the colorimetric values of the primary ramps in a darkened and controlled environment. It is observed that the two headsets behave more or less the same with HTC outputting an overall higher level of luminance and having more consistent right and left displays. Weighted regression is also used as a means to characterize the devices and the results are compared to the traditional method of colorimetric characterization showing the superiority of the weighted regression in this case.


Background: The available data on gender differences in a) markers of cardiac involvement, b) peripheral blood parameters, and c) clinical adverse outcomes related to COVID-19 pneumonia severity are limited in the literature.:
 Objectives: To investigate gender differences in ECG markers of increased risk for malignant arrhythmias. This includes T from peak to end (Tp-e) interval, corrected QT (QTc), transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR)(Tp-e/QTc), and index of cardiac electrophysiological balance (iCEB)(QTc/QRS), peripheral blood parameters, and in-hospital adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: A cross sectional study enrolled patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to hospital from August 20th, to September 30th, 2020. Results: A total of 197 patients were included. Ninety-six (47%) were men and 101 women. There were no significant gender related differences concerning comorbidities. Men had higher QRS values, Tp-e interval and TDR, and lower values of iCEB. No significant gender differences were observed in the distribution of QTc interval. Men stayed longer in the hospital and had more extensive lung injury than women. In men, prolonged QTc interval, low lymphocytes %, high platelet distribution width (PDW), and low hemoglobin (Hb) were the main predictors of adverse in-hospital outcome, while prolonged QTc interval, high PDW, and low platelet count were the main predictors of adverse in-hospital outcome for women. Conclusions: Men had higher TDR values, lower iCEB, stayed longer in the hospital, and had more extensive lung injury than women, suggesting that, despite that there was no significant difference in mortality incidents between the two genders, the difference in surrogate markers may indicate that men are at a higher risk for adverse outcomes.


This book tells you all you need to know to become the next great scientist! From atoms, to lightening, from android robots of the future right back to the start of life on earth, you'll learn all about the secrets of science. Be astounded ...This brightly illustrated and engaging book will give hours of pleasure as well as help with school work and projects. Find out about it all with Collins. Part of the 'My First' series of reference books for young readers.


: A peroxidized model of atherosclerosis devised by the authors and the results of using antioxidants in these conditions as well as of literature sources on the deficiency of the antioxidant action substances in the current ration, on the peroxidation syndrome in this illness in man and animals, all this allowed the following concept to be formulated. Overeating, continued deficiency of antioxidants in natural products and hypodynamia contribute to the derangement of the physiological antioxidant system. An intensified free-radical oxidation calls forth decomposition of the beta-lipoproteids, lipoid infiltration of the intima, destruction of the elasticity, fibrosis and calcinosis. An alimentary prophylaxis of atherosclerosis should repose on the utilization of food mixtures representing complexes of the antioxidants of the direct and indirect action and trace elements entering the composition of the antiperoxidized enzymes.


Our inability to predict whether certain mutations will confer antibiotic resistance has made it difficult to rapidly detect the emergence of resistance, identify pre-existing resistant populations and manage our use of antibiotics to effective treat patients and prevent or slow the spread of resistance. Here we investigated the potential for resistance against the new antitubercular nitroimidazole prodrugs pretomanid and delamanid to emerge in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). Deazaflavin-dependent nitroreductase (Ddn) is the only identified enzyme within M. tuberculosis that activates these prodrugs, via an F420H2-dependent reaction. We show that the native menaquinone-reductase activity of Ddn is important in aerobic respiration and essential for emergence from dormancy, which suggests that for resistance to spread and pose a threat to human health, the native activity of Ddn must be at least partially retained. We tested 75 unique mutations, including all known sequence polymorphisms identified among ~15,000 sequenced M. tuberculosis genomes. Several mutations abolished pretomanid activation in vitro, without causing complete loss of the native activity. We confirmed that a transmissible M. tuberculosis isolate from the hypervirulent Beijing family already possesses one such mutation and is resistant to pretomanid, even though it was never exposed to pretomanid. Notably, delamanid was still effective against this strain, which is consistent with structural analysis that indicates delamanid and pretomanid bind to Ddn differently. We suggest that the mutations identified in this work be monitored for informed use of delamanid and pretomanid treatment and to slow the emergence of resistance.


Explanation is a key component for the adoption of reinforcement learning (RL) in many real-world decision-making problems. In the literature, the explanation is often provided by saliency attribution to the features of the RL agent's state. In this work, we propose a complementary approach to these explanations, particularly for offline RL, where we attribute the policy decisions of a trained RL agent to the trajectories encountered by it during training. To do so, we encode trajectories in offline training data individually as well as collectively (encoding a set of trajectories). We then attribute policy decisions to a set of trajectories in this encoded space by estimating the sensitivity of the decision with respect to that set. Further, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of quality of attributions as well as practical scalability in diverse environments that involve both discrete and continuous state and action spaces such as grid-worlds, video games (Atari) and continuous control (MuJoCo).


Radio signal scintillation caused by electron density irregularities in the ionosphere affects the accuracy and integrity of Global Navigation Satellite Systems, especially in the equatorial and high‐latitude regions during solar maxima. Scintillation in these two regions, nevertheless, is usually influenced by different factors and thus has different characteristics that cause different effects on GNSS signals. This paper compares the characteristics of high‐latitude and equatorial scintillation using multifrequency GPS scintillation data collected at Gakona, Alaska, Jicamarca, Peru, and Ascension Island during the 24th solar maximum. Several statistical distributions are established based on the data to characterize the intensity, duration, and occurrence frequency of scintillation. Results show that scintillation in the equatorial region is generally more severe and longer lasting, while high‐latitude scintillation is, in general, more moderate and usually dominated by phase fluctuations. Results also reveal the different impacts of solar activity, geomagnetic activity, and seasons on scintillation in different geographic locations.


This thesis attempts to trace the origins and growth of the German Youth Movement (Wandervogel and Bundischejugend) and of the major Youth Organisations, Evangelical, Catholic, Socialist, Sports and Political. Some account is given of parallel or related movements or organisations in England. The development of the statutory sector of the Youth Service in Germany is given in some detail and particular reference is made to the Youth Service Circular (Jugendpflege Erlass) of 1911. Detailed mention is made of the 'Subsidiaritats prinzip', which in Germany regulates the roles to be played in the field by the voluntary and statutory components of the Youth Service, and a brief account is given of the administrative framework within which the Youth Service operates in Germany. The position of the Youth Service in England is compared with that in Germany. In conclusion, examination is made of some factors which have influenced the development of the Youth Service particularly the statutory sector, in both England and Germany, some of the problems of voluntary organisations in both countries are mentioned, and a comparison is drawn between certain features of the German Youth Movement and features typical of the 'underground' youth organisations existing today particularly in America, England and France.


The aim of this study is the analysis of so called socially responsible investments(SRI). First, the performance of SRI equity investment funds and equity indices is investigated using Jensen´s alpha as performance measure. The analysis considers market timing strategies of the fund management and takes publicly available information into account (conditional performance). In the second part sensitivities regarding macroeconomic factors are estimated and the third part investigates the investment style of the SRI funds and indices. It is found that most of the SRI assets have a similar performance than their benchmarks. Only a few funds and indices exhibit a relatively poor performance. As SRI funds and indices seem to have some specific risk-return characteristics (investment styles) that might be characterised as special investment vehicles different from conventional assets.


Recent mobile phones integrate fingerprint scanners to authenticate users biometrically and replace passwords, making authentication more convenient for users. However, due to their cost, capacitive fingerprint scanners have been limited to top-of-the-line phones, a result of the required resolution and quality of the sensor. We present Bodyprint, a biometric authentication system that detects users' biometric features using the same type of capacitive sensing, but uses the touchscreen as the image sensor instead. While the input resolution of a touchscreen is ~6 dpi, the surface area is larger, allowing the touch sensor to scan users' body parts, such as ears, fingers, fists, and palms by pressing them against the display. Bodyprint compensates for the low input resolution with an increased false rejection rate, but does not compromise on authentication precision: In our evaluation with 12 participants, Bodyprint classified body parts with 99.98% accuracy and identifies users with 99.52% accuracy with a retry likelihood of 26.82% to prevent false positives, thereby bringing reliable biometric user authentication to a vast number of commodity devices.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the causes and treatment of postoperative gastrointestinal bleeding after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

METHODS
Clinical data of 776 patients after OLT between January 2000 and December 2006 were analyzed retrospectively.The experiences in diagnosis and treatment of postoperative gastrointestinal bleeding after OLT were reviewed.

RESULTS
Gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 18 patients (2.3%) after OLT, among whom 8 (44.5%) were from peptic ulcer, 3 (16.7%) from gastric and esophageal varices, 3 (16.7%) from gastroduodenitis, 3 (16.7%) from hemobilia, and 1 (5.6%) had diverticular bleeding in the jejunum. These 18 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding were managed with conservative treatment, endoscopic treatment, radiological interventional embolism,or exploratory laparotomy. Five patients died of gastrointestinal bleeding and the gastrointestinal bleeding-related mortality rate was 27.8%. After a mean follow up of 3.5 years, only 1 patient died of recurrence of hepatic cellular carcinoma while others survived disease-free.

CONCLUSIONS
Gastrointestinal bleeding may occur from different sites after OLT and the mortality is high. Prompt identification of the source of bleeding and correct management are required to improve the prognosis.


The concept of ecosystem services (ES) is regarded as an increasingly important framework and tool to support spatial planning. A limited understanding of how ES knowledge is used in spatial plans constrains our ability to learn from, replicate, and convey an ES approach. This study examined how ES were integrated into spatial planning at the regional scale in Western Switzerland. A directed content analysis of cantonal structural plans was used to assess how ES were covered in various sections of the plans and to explore the differences in the level of ES integration across cantons. First, the results showed that ES were found in each section of the plans but were not equally distributed. Provisioning ES were always the most mentioned while regulating ES were the least considered. Second, strong discrepancies existed between cantons may demonstrate the lack of cantonal coordination to integrate ES. Finally, the concept of ES was more embedded in nonbinding than in binding parts. Promoting the concept at the national level may facilitate the integration of ES at lower planning scales. Further work could focus on other cantons to ensure that the results are fully representative of the current situation in Switzerland.


A method is developed for assessing the monetary value of additional information in the framework of a response process which involves interaction between controlled and uncontrolled factors. The method is illustrated through an analysis of the value of a rainfall predictor in determining optimal applications of nitrogen to wheat in an environment with variable rainfall. The analysis defines the conditions under which the predictor is most valuable and suggests types of predictors which may be of greater value.


An attentive perusal of Anita Desai's Fasting Feasting shows that the novel is really a picturesque reflection of predicament, plight, pains and pangs done one the females in male-chauvinistic society of the then India. In other words, the novel reveals her struggle for female autonomy against the backdrop of the patriarchal cultural pattern prevailing in India. She has picturesquely shown how the women are deprived of what they deserve. Desai has used the characters of Uma and Anamika to delineate how women are bereft of human rights –social, political, familial, cultural, economic, academic etc. and used for sexual gratification and then discarded. How women are persecuted in the family as well as in the society by the husbands and father or mother-in-laws, ignored to be educated, bound to go for miscarriage or hysterectomy, not allowed to enjoy various tastes of life have also been depicted in the novel. That the 'new woman' is essentially a woman of awareness and consciousness of her low position in the family and society is discerned here. This paper, besides showing how the Indian women are indescribably and brutally persecuted in the family and society, sidelined and not allowed to be educated, suffer from father obsession and look for the typical father in her husband, also aims at describing how Anita Desai has struggled for the independence of women of her time.


Abstract This paper deals with the modeling and identification of a fuel cell system using two models. It presents a comparative study between a conventional impedance model based on an equivalent electrical circuit and a fractional order model of fuel cell. In the first case, a least square method is used to identify the parameters of the model. While the second case considers a fractional order model and proposes a parameter identification approach based on the least square method adapted to fractional order models. By using these two models, this study aims to characterize the fuel cell impedance and identify the model's parameters in the objective of establishing a diagnosis method of the flooding state of the fuel cell. Experimental results, obtained from measurements made using a single PEM fuel cell, show that fractional order impedance models describe the real system behavior better than the impedance models of integer order. The goal of this work is to develop models and identification methods in view of implementing a diagnosis methodology of the fuel cell internal state in order to apply this technology to automotive sector.


This paper analyzes the integrated operational and financial risk management portfolio of a firm that determines whether to use flexible or dedicated technology and whether to undertake financial risk management or not. The risk management value of flexible technology is due to its risk pooling benefit under demand uncertainty. The financial risk management motivation comes from the existence of deadweight costs of external financing due to capital market imperfections. Financial risk management has a fixed cost, while technology investment incurs both fixed and variable costs. The firm's limited budget, which depends partly on a tradable asset, can be increased by borrowing from external markets, and its distribution can be altered with financial risk management. In a parsimonious model, we solve for the optimal risk management portfolio, and the related capacity, production, financial risk management and external borrowing levels, the majority of them in closed form. We characterize the optimal risk management portfolio as a function of firm size, technology and financial risk management costs, product market (demand variability and correlation) and capital market (external financing costs) characteristics. Our analysis contributes to the integrated risk management literature by characterizing the optimal risk management portfolio in terms of a more general set of operational and financial factors; providing the value and limitation of operational and financial risk management by explicitly modeling their costs and benefits; demonstrating the interactions between the two risk management strategies; and relating our theoretical results to empirical observations.


Abnormalities in the calcium and magnesium metabolism may participate in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Serum levels of magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium and chlorine were measured in 15 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia and 20 uncomplicated pregnant women. Serum sodium, potassium and chlorine concentrations were similar in both groups. Nevertheless, serum magnesium levels were significantly elevated in severe preeclamptic women relative to women with uncomplicated pregnancy. The serum calcium concentration and calcium/magnesium ratio were not differences in the preeclamptic and the healthy pregnant woman.


The genomes of vertebrates, flies, and nematodes contain highly conserved noncoding elements (CNEs). CNEs cluster around genes that regulate development, and where tested, they can act as transcriptional enhancers. Within an animal group CNEs are the most conserved sequences but between groups they are normally diverged beyond recognition. Alternative CNEs are, however, associated with an overlapping set of genes that control development in all animals. Here, we discuss the evidence that CNEs are part of the core gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that specify alternative animal body plans. The major animal groups arose >550 million years ago. We propose that the cis‐regulatory inputs identified by CNEs arose during the "re‐wiring" of regulatory interactions that occurred during early animal evolution. Consequently, different animal groups, with different core GRNs, contain alternative sets of CNEs. Due to the subsequent stability of animal body plans, these core regulatory sequences have been evolving in parallel under strong purifying selection in different animal groups.


Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of L-Methylfolate in combination with Escitalopram compared to Escitalopram monotherapy in depression.Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health (AFIMH) Rawalpindi, six months, from Jan 2015 to Jun 2015.Material and Methods: A total of 260 patients having a primary diagnosis of Major Depression with a score of more than 14 on the HAM-D (Hamilton rating scale for depression) scale were selected in this Randomized Controlled Trial. These patients were divided into two groups. Group A received Escitalopram 10mg with a placebo whereas group B received Escitalopram 10mg with L-Methylfolate in a dose of 15mg. Both were reassessed after one month and HAM-D scores were measured again.Results: Out of the total 260 patients, response was present in 184 (70.8%) and 76 (29.2%) did not respond to the treatment. Out of 130 patients that were treated with SSRI alone, 82 (63.1%) showed response to treatment while 48 (36.9%) did not respsond. Out of 130 patients that were treated with Escitalopram and L-Methylfolate, 102 (78.5%) showed response to treatment while 28 (21.5%) did not respond. The p-value with a confidence interval of 95% was found to be 0.006 showing that the difference in the two treatments was statistically significant.Conclusion: We concluded that a combination of SSRI and L-Methyfolate in depression may prove to be more effective than Escitalopram monotherapy.


The major factors limiting the thermal performance of passive two-phase heat-spreading devices are the ability of the wick structures to transport liquid by means of capillary forces and the thermal resistance posed by the wicks. Nanoscale geometric enhancements to the wick structure, through the use of carbon nanotubes and metallic nanowires, promise to enhance the capillary transport while at the same time decreasing the thermal resistance due to their high intrinsic thermal conductivity. We analyze the performance of nanostructured wicks in heat-spreading applications. We report that the flow resistance of nanostructures constitutes a major barrier to their use as passive flow-conveying media and identify geometrical parameters that yield high rates of thin-film evaporation while minimizing the flow resistance. The analysis shows that the use of nanostructures as the sole wicking element in a two-phase thermal spreader restricts its footprint area to a size of 4 cm2 for heat flux inputs as low as 1 W/cm2 due to the large flow resistance in the nanowick. To overcome nanowick flow resistance, we propose a nanostructure-enhanced sintered particle wick microstructure that leads to a decrease in the wick thermal resistance by 14% relative to the corresponding wick with the same flow resistance and without nanostructures.


Background: The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in impacts of Type D personality on mental health among Korean college entrants. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted. A sample size of 75 male and 138 female students residing in Jeonnam province completed the instruments of Type D personality, perceived stress, coping, and depressive symptoms. Data were analyzed by t-test and multiple regression. Results: Approximately 55.1% of female and 36.0% of male respondents were Type D. Perceived stress and depressive symptoms in Type D group were higher than in non-Type D group. Type D personality score was associated with perceived stress ( β =0.40), problem focused coping ( β = − 0.32) among male college entrants. In female group, Type D personality score was associated with perceived stress ( β =0.43), depressive symptoms ( β =0.42), seeking social support ( β = − 0.25), and wishful thinking ( β =0.20). Conclusions: Male and female college entrants with Type D personality are more vulnerable in mental health. In addition, there are gender differences in Type D personality, stress, and coping strategies. We suggest the need of gender perspective to develop mental health program for college students.


This work addresses several issues regarding Artificial Life. It focuses on the behaviours of simulated organisms in such models, e.g. the evolutionary tendencies displayed through reproduction. The scope of Artificial Life is briefly discussed, as well as some arguable issues in this area. An Artificial Life model, called FormAL, is presented. FormAL is a platform capable of running simulations with thousands of organisms (agents), and tracing their evolutionary properties through the changes of their genomes. The design principle of FormAL is to allow the simulated agents maximum freedom possible for their behaviours, with fewest possible 'law's to govern them. The ultimate goal of this design is to give rise to emergent properties of the agents governed with very simple rules. Some interesting results came out of extensive experiments conducted with FormAL. Although there is no explicit fitness function in this work, the selection pressure from competing for the finite energy supply drives the agents to evolve into optimized forms. The test results presented in Chapter 4 and 5 indicate that even in a fairly simple environment, premature convergence can be avoided, and that the mutation mechanism plays a crucial role in evolution. The moment the mutation mechanism is lost, the system stops evolving and the course of evolution reaches a dead-end. This project is still young in its development, and a number of future research directions are discussed at the end of this thesis.


Background: Controversy persists regarding the reasons for persistent subjective complaints after mild traumatic head injury (THI). Statement of purpose: To evaluate the influence of injury severity, psychological factors, and financial contingencies on symptomatology after THI. Methods: Subjective complaints about cognitive, emotional, and somatic symptoms, as assessed by a standardized self-report inventory (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2; MMPI-2) were evaluated in 150 patients with THI. Results: Individuals with mild THI demonstrated paradoxically greater symptomatology on the MMPI-2 than patients with moderate-to-severe THI. Furthermore, specific actuarial criteria for possible symptom magnification (Fake Bad Scale) were met about twice as often in patients with mild THI who were seeking financial compensation for alleged acquired dysfunction than in patients with mild THI without such external contingencies. Conclusion: The evaluation of persistent subjective complaints after THI should consider injury severity in concert with psychological and financial/motivational factors. Great caution should be taken in attributing persistent symptomatology after mild THI to cerebral dysfunction.


For original paper see ibid., vol.43, no.5, p.1109-14 (2005). Boukabara et al. assert that uncertainties in oxygen line-coupling parameters in the Millimeter-wave Propagation Model (MPM92) may introduce errors of several degrees in brightness temperature at frequencies used by satellite radiometers. However, the methodology used by Boukabara et al. overestimates uncertainty in the model predictions, and it is shown that the simulations based on it are inconsistent with previously published atmospheric measurements.


Nowadays, the Internet has become increasingly ubiquitous that supports many aspects of our lives. People and our societies have become increasingly dependent on the Internet for personal or professional uses, either for business or leisure. Despite all of the diverse advantages and benefits offered by the Internet, it also has become a common channel for communication and data transmission. Nevertheless, with the rapid development of network, many new challenges have been encountered and arising. In particular, a major issue is the security and privacy. Furthermore, the problem of privacy protection and any information leakage prevention becomes more severe, with some serious implications. These challenges come from the fact that the network may be compromised or controlled by malware or adversaries. Malware or adversary that targets the operating system is usually intended to collect sensitive information illegally. Clearly, these information security threats to vital national infrastructures and the risks of using these insecure services span from some serious financial loss to invasions of our privacy. Therefore, keeping the information safe and hence, the development of techniques for ensuring the security of data during transmission is an emerging and important problem in our society. To ensure a safe and prosperous human society and a good performance for network applications, information protection methods should be considered. Therefore, it is essential that we have effective techniques and tools to design and evaluate secure systems and demonstrate that they meet their security requirements.


Apomixis in crucifer (Brassicaceae) species is rare, reported in just four genera (Boechera, Draba, Erysimum, and Parrya), and one intergeneric hybrid (Raphanobrassica). It is well studied only in Boechera, where it is widespread among 100+ recognized species. However, its occurrence in related genera of the tribe Boechereae has not been documented previously. Here we analyzed genome evolution, mode of reproduction, and fertility of the monospecific Boechereae genus Phoenicaulis (P. cheiranthoides), endemic to the northwestern United States. We discovered that the species encompasses diploid (2n = 2x = 14), triploid (2n = 3x = 21), and tetraploid (2n = 4x = 28) populations. Comparative chromosome painting analyses revealed that the three karyotypes are essentially structurally identical, differing only in the presence of a largely heterochromatic chromosome (Het) in the triploid and tetraploid cytotypes. The genome structure of Phoenicaulis appeared identical to that of Boechera species previously analyzed, suggesting genomic stasis despite the morphological and molecular divergence of the two genera. This genome colinearity extended to the presence and structure of the Het chromosomes, which are closely associated with apomictic reproduction in Boechera. Interestingly, all three cytotypes of Phoenicaulis proved to be apomictic, regardless of the presence or absence of a Het chromosome, and sexual populations have yet to be identified.


Abstract. The Gulf of Cadiz, as part of the Azores-Gibraltar plate boundary, is recognized as a potential source of big earthquakes and tsunamis that may affect the bordering countries, as occurred on 1 November 1755. Preparing for the future, Portugal is establishing a national tsunami warning system in which the threat caused by any large-magnitude earthquake in the area is estimated from a comprehensive database of scenarios. In this paper we summarize the knowledge about the active tectonics in the Gulf of Cadiz and integrate the available seismological information in order to propose the generation model of destructive tsunamis to be applied in tsunami warnings. The fault model derived is then used to estimate the recurrence of large earthquakes using the fault slip rates obtained by Cunha et al. (2012) from thin-sheet neotectonic modelling. Finally we evaluate the consistency of seismicity rates derived from historical and instrumental catalogues with the convergence rates between Eurasia and Nubia given by plate kinematic models.


Different designs of a semiopen, drainable cathode compartment of a medium-sized coulometric Karl Fischer (KF) cell for the determination of water in the range 0.1-500 microg were evaluated. The main criterion for the design was to keep the resistance between the anolyte and catholyte low enough to permit the generation of currents larger than 20 mA (for an output voltage of 28 V). It was found that a good compromise between the size of this current and a minimal influence from diffusing/migrating oxidizable reduction products from the catholyte was achieved by means of an interface having a channel length and diameter of 8 and 2.1 mm, respectively (catholyte volume, approximately 1 mL). To show the general applicability of the concept, the following different types of coulometric reagents suitable for nonpolar and polar samples, as well as for samples containing active carbonyl compounds, were investigated: Hydranal Coulomat A, AD, AK, AG-H (modified with chloroform, Merck), and two homemade methanolic reagents modified with 40% (v/v) chloroform and 50% (v/v) formamide, respectively. Except for Hydranal Coulomat A, the mean value of five consecutive titrations of 50 microg water did not deviate by more than 0.2% from the expected value for all reagents. Draining after every titration was sufficient to obtain accurate results, even for Coulomat A which, when used in the commercial diaphragm-free system of Metrohm, gave values which were about 10% too high. As compared to earlier reported results for diaphragm-free coulometry, the descibed modified cell represents a significant improvement, mainly because of the high accuracy achieved for all types of reagents.


Rapidly-rising jokulhlaups, or glacial outburst floods, are a phenomenon with a high potential for damage. The initiation and propagation processes of a rapidly-rising jokulhlaup are still not fully understood. Seismic monitoring can contribute to an improved process understanding, but comprehensive long-term seismic monitoring campaigns capturing the dynamics of a rapidly-rising jokulhlaup have not been reported so far. To fill this gap, we installed a seismic network at the marginal, ice-dammed lake of the A.P. Olsen Ice Cap (APO) in NE-Greenland. Episodic outbursts from the lake cause flood waves in the Zackenberg river, characterized by a rapid discharge increase within a few hours. Our 6 months long seismic dataset comprises the whole fill-and-drain cycle of the ice-dammed lake in 2012 and includes one of the most destructive floods recorded so far for the Zackenberg river. Seismic event detection and localization reveals abundant surface crevassing and correlates with changes of the river discharge. Seismic interferometry suggests the existence of a thin basal sedimentary layer. We show that the ballistic part of the first surface waves can potentially be used to infer medium changes in both the ice body and the basal layer. Interpretation of time-lapse interferograms is challenged by a varying ambient noise source distribution.


A plane graph is a planar graph with a fixed embedding in the plane. In a box- rectangular drawing of a plane graph, every vertex is drawn as a rectangle, called a box, each edge is drawn as either a horizon- tal line segment or a vertical line segment, and the contour of each face is drawn as a rectangle. A planar graph is said to have a box-rectangular drawing if at least one of its plane embeddings has a box-rectangular drawing. Rahman et al. (8) gave a necessary and sufficient condition for a plane graph to have a box-rectangular drawing and developed a linear- time algorithm to draw a box-rectangular drawing of a plane graph if it exists. Since a planar graph G may have an exponential number of embeddings, determining whether G has a box-rectangular drawing or not using the algorithm of Rahman et al. (8) for each embedding of G takes exponential time. Thus to develop an efficient algorithm to ex- amine whether a planar graph has a box-rectangular drawing or not is a non-trivial problem. In this paper we give a linear-time algorithm to determine whether a planar graph G has a box-rectangular drawing or not, and to find a box-rectangular drawing of G if it exists.


The delays in notifying infectious diseases can have implications on the efficiency of public health intervention, and allowance should be made when interpreting time trends. Data on notification delays of 15 diseases over 30 years in nine Health Authorities in England are presented. Measles is the most rapidly notified (a median delay of five days between onset and notification) and tuberculosis the slowest (median two months). The notification delay has varied between diseases, between Districts and also over time, and appears to have increased in recent years. The differences are attributed to the relative ratity, acuteness and difficulty of diagnosis of the disease, to administrative differences between Districts and to changes in incidence over time.


A practical benefit of implicit visual representations like Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) is their memory efficiency: large scenes can be efficiently stored and shared as small neural nets instead of collections of images. However, operating on these implicit visual data structures requires extending classical image-based vision techniques (e.g., registration, blending) from image sets to neural fields. Towards this goal, we propose NeRFuser, a novel architecture for NeRF registration and blending that assumes only access to pre-generated NeRFs, and not the potentially large sets of images used to generate them. We propose registration from re-rendering, a technique to infer the transformation between NeRFs based on images synthesized from individual NeRFs. For blending, we propose sample-based inverse distance weighting to blend visual information at the ray-sample level. We evaluate NeRFuser on public benchmarks and a self-collected object-centric indoor dataset, showing the robustness of our method, including to views that are challenging to render from the individual source NeRFs.


ABSTRACT On 25 December 2013, the military-backed government in Egypt declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization. A few months later, the Saudi Kingdom followed suit and attempted to build a regional coalition to counter this constructed enemy. Although the Saudi Kingdom, acting as an aspiring regional autocratic power, exerted pressure to compel other regimes to follow its lead, the recipient states varied in their willingness to converge. Whereas the United Arab Emirates followed the Saudi lead, Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain resisted the diffusion of repression against the Muslim Brotherhood to their domestic spheres. This article examines this variation in the (non-)convergence of repressive policies as an outcome of diffusion. While most explanations of how autocratic policies diffuse focus on either ideology or interest as drivers of state behaviour, this article provides a nuanced understanding of this phenomenon. Based on a neoclassical realist approach, I explore the variation in the convergence with fellow autocrats as the result of interaction between regional interests and regime autonomy vis-à-vis societal groups. By looking at autocratic diffusion of repression as a process lying at the intersection of regional and domestic spheres, this article contributes to the literature on the international diffusion of authoritarianism.


Fifteen dogs were made to inhale tetrachloroethylene at concentrations of 700, 1,500, 2,000 ppm for one hour, and the changes in its concentrations in the expired air, the arterial blood, the venous blood and its metabolites (trichloroacetic acid (TCA), free-trichloroethanol (F-TCE) ) in the serum and the urine were measured from the beginning of exposure until two hours after it had been terminated. The results obtained were as follows. Levels of cumulative intake of tetrachloroethylene after one hour (i.e., at the termination of the inhalation) were 47 mg/kg for 700 ppm, 79 mg/kg for 1,500 ppm and 103 mg/kg for 2,000 ppm. Mean cumulative excretion ratio against the total intake two hours after the termination of the inhalation was 69% as the average for the three exposure levels. Mean ratio of the total absorption to the total intake for one hour was 23% as the average for the three levels. Using the above results, the authors did the multiple regression analysis of cumulative absorption (Y1) as well as cumulative excretion (Y2) taking two independent variables (X) and (Insp. or Z), which are as follows. a) During the exposure period, Y1: cumulative absorption (mg/kg), X1: exposure duration (min), Insp.: levels of solvent value in the inspired air (microgram/ml), log Y1 = -2.2819 + 0.5681 log X1 + 0.8232 log Insp. b) During the post exposure period, Y2: cumulative amounts of solvent excreted (mg/kg), X2: time in minutes after exposure end (min), Z2: cumulative absorption when exposure ended (mg/kg), log Y2 = -2.016 + 0.6976 log X2 + 0.7397 log Z2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


We described the case of an infant with compound heterozygozity for a b0-thalassemic mutation and Hemoglobin (Hb) Genova, an unstable Hb variant. He has required regular transfusions as early as the second month of life and since then, behaves like a thalassemia major patient. This association leads to the most severe clinical course involving an unstable variant, reported so far.


A Wildfowl Trust rocket-netting team caught 316 Barnacle Geese at Caerlaverock, Dumfries on 2nd February 1963. These included 94 of 685 ringed in Spitsbergen in the summer of 1962, but none of 609 ringed in East Greenland in 1961, nor any ringed in the Netherlands. 3,000 (2,800-3,200) Barnacle Geese were in the vicinity. Estimates of the total Spitsbergen population in August 1962 from the proportion of recaptures give a most probable value of 2,300, with limits of 1,900-2,900. It seems likely that earlier estimates, based on field observations of rings on 26th October, 1962, were too high because some rings went unseen. There were 106 males and 82 females in a sample of 188 geese, which included only 5 first-winter birds. Weights of 20 males averaged 1.87 kg. (4 lb. 2 oz.); 15 females averaged 1.69 kg. (3 lb. 12 oz.). These weights suggest that the geese had not been adversely affected by the cold weather.


The relationship between muscle function and mandibular morphology is unclear. Manipulating the size or function of muscle and then observing the effect on adjacent bone is one way to explore this relationship. The premise is that muscles under function create stress and strain on bone, thereby altering bone morphology. Myostatin knockout (MKO) mice are hypermuscular and may be used as an animal model to study this muscle-bone association. Previous studies comparing MKO mice have used conventional cephalometric analyses to compare their skeletal morphology to wild-type controls. The objective of our study is to provide a phenotypic description of the mandible in MKO mice compared to wild-type CD-1 control mice by quantifying their shape variation at 28 days of age utilizing a geometric morphometric approach. The hypothesis proposes that epigenetic muscle-bone interactions during development cause mandibular shape changes in MKO mice compared to the wild-type controls by 28 days of age. The present sample included nine wild-type and eight MKO mice 28 days old. Eleven mandibular landmarks were recorded on each cephalogram. The landmarks were aligned using Procrustes superimposition method and new coordinates were created to perform a canonical variates analysis (CVA). Results found a significant difference in the mean mandibular shape between the MKO and wild-type groups (Procrustes statistic: 0.047; p = 0.014). The inferior border of the mandible of the myostatin-deficient mice showed increased curvature and decreased ramal height when compared to the wild-type mice. The curved mandible phenotype here may be analogous to the 'rocker' mandible reported to be prominent in the Polynesian population. These findings suggest that changing muscular forces altered mandibular morphology most dramatically in regions associated with masticatory muscle attachments.


Object proposal technique with dense anchoring scheme for scene text detection were applied frequently to achieve high recall. It results in the significant improvement in accuracy but waste of computational searching, regression and classification. In this paper, we propose an anchor selection-based region proposal network (AS-RPN) using effective selected anchors instead of dense anchors to extract text proposals. The center, scales, aspect ratios and orientations of anchors are learnable instead of fixing, which leads to high recall and greatly reduced numbers of anchors. By replacing the anchor-based RPN in Faster RCNN, the AS-RPN-based Faster RCNN can achieve comparable performance with previous state-of-the-art text detecting approaches on standard benchmarks, including COCO-Text, ICDAR2013, ICDAR2015 and MSRA-TD500 when using single-scale and single model (ResNet50) testing only.


Labour resources are an important factor in competitiveness of the sector. The aim of the study was to evaluate the spatial concentration of labour resources, performance advantages and cost-price advantages that are associated with the work factor in the food industry in the European Union in 2010–2012. The results indicate that the greatest concentration of labour resources exists in Germany, France, Italy and Poland. The biggest performance advantage was observed in the old EU countries, mainly in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Diff erences in labour productivity in the food industry, the new EU countries, in relation to the old member states, are getting smaller. The most signifi cant cost-price advantage was observed in Ireland and the Netherlands, and many of the new EU countries, which compensated for the lack of performance advantages of lower labour costs. These include Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and Romania.


This article analyzes the Sanctuary Church in Pennsylvania, pastored by Reverend Hyung Jin "Sean" Moon, son of the late Reverend Sun Myung Moon. It specifically addresses the church's history and the theology that motivated "Pastor Sean," as he is commonly called, to host a marriage blessing ceremony where attendees brought crowns and AR-15 rifles to church. It argues that this ceremony, and Moon's theology itself, are extensions of the unique political, cultural, and legal battles increasingly common in the United States. It also explores the church's critics who used the blessing ceremony as an opportunity to "save" the categories of Christianity and religion from being tainted by Moon's martial theology.


Apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He ages from a 100-km-long range-perpendicular transect in the northern Sierra Nevada, California, are used to constrain the exhumation history of the range since ca. 90 Ma. (U-Th)/He ages in apatite decrease from 80 Ma along the low western range flanks to 46 Ma in the higher elevations to the east. (U-Th)/He ages in zircon also show a weak inverse correlation with elevation, decreasing from 91 Ma in the west to 66 Ma in the east. Rocks near the range crest, sampled at elevations of 2200–2500 m, yield the youngest apatite helium ages (46–55 Ma), whereas zircon helium ages are more uniform across the divide. These data reveal relatively rapid cooling rates between ca. 90 and 60 Ma, which are consistent with relatively rapid exhumation rates of 0.2–0.8 km/m.y., followed by a long period of slower exhumation (0.02–0.04 km/m.y.) from the early Paleogene to today. This is reflected in the low-relief morphology of the northern Sierra Nevada, where an Eocene erosional surface has long been identified. A long period of slow exhumation is also consistent with well-documented, widespread lateritic paleosols at the base of Eocene depositional units. Laterites preserved in the northern Sierra Nevada are the product of intense weathering in a subtropical environment and suggest an enduring, soil-mantled topography. We interpret this exhumation history as recording a Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic period of relatively rapid uplift and unroofing followed by tectonic quiescence and erosional smoothing of Sierran topography through the Neogene. Well-documented recent incision appears to have had little effect on (U-Th)/He ages, suggesting that less than ∼3 km has been eroded from the Sierra Nevada since the early Cenozoic.


Sustaining agricultural systems dominated by small and vulnerable resource-poor farms that are subject to climatic aberrations is a major challenge for most Asian countries. In this context, the role of agriculture requires immediate attention in northwestern India where marginal farmers with less than a meagre 1 hectare of land represent about 67% of the population. Research based on prototype farms is being promoted in the redesign of current farming practices to help give these farmers sustainable livelihoods. We hypothesize that integrating innovative cropping systems into smallholder marginal farms could help to achieve these objectives. The study presented here describes a modelling approach for the ex-ante assessment of the current farming practices of marginal households in terms of economic, environmental, and nutritional indicators in comparison with those of experimental research farms in order to delineate an alternative scope of flexibility to optimize farming practices. We used the FarmDESIGN model to evaluate farmers' realities, with a focus on marginal farms (marginal poor farmers (MPFs)) and marginal diversified farmers (MDF) with the objective of enhancing profit, soil organic matter balance, and nutritional system yield in terms of dietary energy and reducing pesticide usage. Introducing prototype cropping systems in up to 33% of the farm area, combined with rearrangements of the existing crops, provided ample opportunity to improve farm performance. The improvements were greater when prototype cropping systems were added, and MPFs could benefit greatly from improvements in soil organic matter balance when considering the current negative organic matter balance of most farms. We conclude that the model-based approach of evaluating the potential of new cropping systems, along with the fine tuning of alternative combinations, will support the enhanced adaptability of innovative cropping practices, which will help to improve the livelihoods of marginal farmers.


To the Editor. —Choroidal neovascularization occurs in several conditions in which the common pathogenic feature is a chorioretinal scar with a presumed interruption in Bruch's membrane. We report, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of choroidal neovascularization in a patient with sympathetic ophthalmia. DalenFuchs nodules were observed in the macular area before the development of the choroidal neovascularization. These nodules may also cause an interruption of Bruch's membrane, thus leading to the associated choroidal neovascularization in this clinical entity. Report of a Case. —A 4-year-old boy sustained a penetrating knife injury that resulted in a corneoscleral laceration, uveal prolapse, and traumatic cataract of the right eye. His visual acuity was light perception in the right eye and 20/30 OS. Following primary repair of the wound and subsequent lensectomy, his visual acuity declined to 20/80 OS due to sympathetic ophthalmia diagnosed three months after the injury. This uveitis