Detection dogs are commonly trained and tested under conditions in which the handler or the evaluator knows the true presence or absence of a target odor. Previous research has demonstrated that when handlers are deceived and led to believe that a target odor is present, more false alerts occur. However, many detection teams operate under unknown conditions, and it remains unclear how handler knowledge (or lack thereof) of odor presence/absence influences the dog's behavior. The aim of this study was to evaluate if knowing the number of hides placed influenced detection dog performance in an applied search environment. Professional (n = 20) and sport (n = 39) detection handler-dog teams were asked to search three separate areas (area 1 had one hide, area 2 had one hide, area 3 was blank). Handlers in the Unknown Group were not told any information on the number of hides whereas the Known Group were told there was a total of two hides in the three areas. The sport Unknown Group spent a longer duration (69.04 s) searching in area 3 compared to the sport Known Group (p = 0.004). Further, sport dogs in the Unknown group looked back to the handler more frequently. When a miss did occur, dogs of both sport and professional handlers showed an increase interest in the location of the target odor compared to a comparison location. Critically, however, there was no difference in false alerts between the Known Group and Unknown Group for sport or professional handlers. In a second experiment, fourteen professional, and thirty-nine sport teams from Experiment 1 conducted an additional search double-blind and an additional search single-blind. Both sport and professional-handler dog teams had statistically similar accuracy rate under single and double blind conditions. Overall, when handlers knew the number of hides, it led to significant changes in search behavior of the detection team but did not influence the overall false alert rates.


Prior to accretion of the Kohistan island arc during the Late Cretaceous and final suturing of India with Asia at ca. 50 Ma, the Hindu Kush mountains along the border of Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan were situated on the active southern margin of Asia. Geology and geochronology of the eastern Hindu Kush range in Pakistan demonstrate that localized crustal melting and leucogranite intrusion took place in the Gharam Chasma area at ca. 24 Ma. More regionally developed and widespread deformation, metamorphism, and magmatism took place before collision between both India and the Kohistan island arc with Asia. Ca. 195 Ma U-Pb monazite ages on a deformed leucogranite dike from the upper Lutkho valley indicate an Early Jurassic phase of crustal melting. U-Pb monazite ages of 135–126 Ma on a staurolite schist from near Gharam Chasma are interpreted as a minimum age for staurolite-grade metamorphism. Within the Tirich Mir fault zone, pegmatite dikes crosscut the staurolite schists. U-Pb dating of uraninites from one of these pegmatite dikes reveals an age of 114 ± 2 Ma. Monazites from the same rock give ages of 125–121 Ma, possibly due to inheritance of older cores. These Jurassic–Early Cretaceous constraints on metamorphism and magmatism relate to subduction and accretion processes, perhaps including the suturing of the Karakoram and Hindu Kush terranes along the Tirich Mir fault. In general, high-temperature, low-pressure metamorphism and subduction-related granitoid magmatism in the eastern Hindu Kush suggest a high thermal gradient in an active-margin setting from Early Jurassic to Cretaceous time.


Magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) can reveal the degree of proton exchange between free water and macromolecules and was suggested to be pathological informative. We aimed to investigate changes in optic nerve MTR over 12 months following acute optic neuritis (ON) and to determine whether MTR measurements can predict clinical and paraclinical outcomes at 6 and 12 months. Thirty-seven patients with acute ON were studied within 2 weeks of presentation and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Assessments included optic nerve MTR, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness, multifocal visual evoked potential (mfVEP) amplitude and latency and high (100%) and low (2.5%) contrast letter acuity. Eleven healthy controls were scanned twice four weeks apart for comparison with patients. Patient unaffected optic nerve MTR did not significantly differ from controls at any time-point. Compared to the unaffected nerve, affected optic nerve MTR was significantly reduced at 3 months (mean percentage interocular difference = −9.24%, p = 0.01), 6 months (mean = −12.48%, p<0.0001) and 12 months (mean = −7.61%, p = 0.003). Greater reduction in MTR at 3 months in patients was associated with subsequent loss of high contrast letter acuity at 6 (ρ = 0.60, p = 0.0003) and 12 (ρ = 0.44, p = 0.009) months, low contrast letter acuity at 6 (ρ = 0.35, p = 0.047) months, and RNFL thinning at 12 (ρ = 0.35, p = 0.044) months. Stratification of individual patient MTR time courses based on flux over 12 months (stable, putative remyelination and putative degeneration) predicted RNFL thinning at 12 months (F 2,32 = 3.59, p = 0.02). In conclusion, these findings indicate that MTR flux after acute ON is predictive of axonal degeneration and visual disability outcomes.


This study describes the findings from quantitative examination of age and gender differences in psychological problems and health risk behaviour among 227 homeless youth. The findings indicated significant variations on health risk behaviours by gender. As compared to males, females were more likely to engage in survival sex, been victims of violence-rated sex, and more likely to have made a plan to commit suicide. While alcohol use decrease with age, marijuana use and having multiple sexual partners, on the other hand, increases with age. Approximately 87% of the participant's exhibit moderate-to-severe psychological problems, with males having significantly higher scores on the overall psychological well-being, emotional and hyperactivity problems than females. Age-group differences were also observed on overall psychological well-being, emotional problems, conduct problems and hyperactivity. These findings from the study are discussed with reference to previous research and implications for interventi...


The decomposition of a software system into components is a major decision in any software architecture, having a strong influence on many of its quality aspects. A system's analyzability, in particular, is influenced by its decomposition into components. But into how many components should a system be decomposed to achieve optimal analyzability? And how should the elements of the system be distributed over those components? In this paper, we set out to find answers to these questions with the support of a large repository of industrial and open source software systems. Based on our findings, we designed a metric which we call Component Balance. In a case study we show that the metric provides pertinent results in various evaluation scenarios. In addition, we report on an empirical study that demonstrates that the metric is strongly correlated with ratings for analyzability as given by experts.


Objective Teachers' attitudes toward inclusion are often based on the practical implementation of inclusive education rather than a specific ideology and understanding of inclusiveness. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with primary school teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with all disabilities in regular schools. Method Seventy four primary school teachers participated in a cross-sectional survey conducted in Western Australia. Teachers' attitudes and efficacy toward integration of students with disabilities were measured using the Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities scale and Bandura's Teacher Efficacy scale respectively. Results Four teacher attributes—age, gender, teaching self-efficacy and training collectively explained 42% of the variability in teachers' attitude toward including students with disabilities. Conclusion The current study further contributes to the accumulation of knowledge that can unpack the complex pattern of factors that should be considered to promote positive attitudes towards inclusive schools.


Today the aluminium refining process, especially barbotage is one of the most essential necessary technological stages in obtaining aluminium. It gives possibility to remove undesirable hydrogen and non-metallic and metallic inclusions from aluminium. Phenomena that take place during the barbotage process are rather complicated, but the knowledge about their character enables to optimize and control this process. Modelling research is used to outline these phenomena. Physical and mathematical modelling can be applied in carrying out aluminium barbotage process. Mathematical modelling uses numerical methods to solve the system of differential equations. The paper presents results of physical and numerical modelling of the refining process taking place in the continuous reactor URC-7000. Physical modelling was carried out for the different flow rate of refining gas (argon). It was in the range between 2 to 25 dm3/min. Numerical calculation was done using commercial program in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Model Volume of Fluid (VOF) was applied in modelling the multiphase flow. Obtained results were compared in order to verify the numerical settings and correctness of the choice.


Dental caries is one of the most common oral diseases seen in children and Pit and fissure sealants are used as a prophylactic measure to prevent these caries in the pit and fissure surfaces of the posterior teeth. The pit and fissure sealants are mainly composed of Bisphenol A or BPA based epoxy resins which have an oestrogen like releasing affect and are hydrophobic in nature which requires adequate isolation and moisture control to have the desired effect. Therefore, recent advances in pit and fissure sealants have been made to reduce and eliminate the unwanted effects. The aim of the review is to study the effects and properties of two newly introduced pit and fissure sealants that are the non and fissure sealants and Hydrophilic pit and fissure sealants.


The Internet of Things is a field of the Future Internet that has a significant support from different institutions. Research has been done in this area for years and although it has progressed significantly, their goals remain the same: designing innovative Internet-connected experiences and augmenting existing objects' capabilities with Internet-related features. The scientific community has explored new ways and concepts, such as, service generation and consumption or user interaction. In this paper we present our work on creating RFID-based smart gadgets in order to take Internet experience to the next level, merging the on-line and the tangible worlds into a single continuous space.


The production of acid in milk cultures of lactic streptococci was stimulated by the addition of corn steep liquor. Separation by ion-exchange and paper chromatography indicated the presence of four major stimulatory components in the corn steep. Some variation was noted in the response of the lactic streptococci to the individual stimulatory components. The four components were further purified by paper and column chromatography. One of the four stimulatory components stained positively on chromatograms with ninhydrin. The remaining stimulatory components were detectable only by bioautography. All four components were unstable to acid hydrolysis and absorbed ultraviolet light between 230 and 275 nm in aqueous solution. The stimulatory components did not contain pentoses, suggesting that they were not nucleotides or nucleosides; however, they might be purine or pyrimidine bases.


Seed dispersal is an essential, yet often overlooked process in plant ecology and evolution, affecting adaptation capacity, population persistence and invasiveness. A species' ability to disperse is expected to covary with other life‐history traits to form dispersal syndromes. Dispersal might be linked to the rate of life history, fecundity or generation time, depending on the relative selection pressures of bet‐hedging, kin competition or maintaining gene flow. However, the linkage between dispersal and plant life‐history strategies remains unknown because it is difficult to observe, quantify and manipulate the influence of dispersal over large spatiotemporal scales. We integrate datasets describing plant vital rates, dispersal and functional traits to incorporate dispersal explicitly into the rich spectra of plant life‐history strategies. For 141 plant species, we estimated dispersal ability by predicting maximum dispersal distances using allometric relationships based on growth form, dispersal mode, terminal velocity and seed mass. We derived life‐history traits from matrix population models parameterized with field data from the COMPADRE Plant Matrix Database. We analysed the covariation in dispersal ability and life‐history traits using multivariate techniques. We found that three main axes of variation described plant dispersal syndromes: the fast‐slow life‐history continuum, the dispersal strategy axis and the reproductive strategy axis. On the dispersal strategy axis, species' dispersal abilities were positively correlated with aspects of fast life histories. Species with a high net reproductive rate, a long window of reproduction, low likelihood of escaping senescence and low shrinkage tendencies disperse their seeds further. The overall phylogenetic signal in our multidimensional analyses was low (Pagel's λ < 0.24), implying a high degree of taxonomic generality in our findings. Synthesis. Dispersal has been largely neglected in comparative demographic studies, despite its pivotal importance for populations. Our explicit incorporation of dispersal in a comparative life‐history framework provides key insights to bridge the gap between dispersal ecology and life‐history traits. Species with fast life‐history strategies disperse their seeds further than slow‐living plants, suggesting that longer dispersal distances may allow these species to take advantage of habitats varying unpredictably in space and time as a bet‐hedging strategy.


We propose a visual analysis approach that employs a matrix-based visualization technique to explore relations between annotation terms in biological data sets. Our flexible framework provides various ways to form combinations of data elements, which results in a co-occurrence matrix. Each cell in this matrix stores a list of items associated with the combination of the corresponding row and column element. By re-arranging the rows and columns of this matrix, and color-coding the cell contents, patterns become visible. Our prototype tool COMBat allows users to construct a new matrix on the fly by selecting subsets of items of interest, or filtering out uninteresting ones, and it provides various additional interaction techniques. We illustrate our approach with a few case studies concerning the identification of functional links between the presence of particular genes or genomic sequences and particular cellular processes.


Crime activities are geospatial phenomena and as such are geospatially, thematically and temporally correlated. Thus, crime datasets must be interpreted and analyzed in conjunction with various factors that can contribute to the formulation of crime. Discovering these correlations allows a deeper insight into the complex nature of criminal behavior. We introduce a graph based dataset representation that allows us to mine a set of datasets for correlation. We demonstrate our approach with real crime datasets and provide a comparison with other techniques.


Societies were underprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also the case for climate change. Art may have a greater role to play in advancing societal resilience across these different categories of shocks and risks. In this Intervention, we deploy and evaluate art as a social practice supporting societal responses to sea level rise and its impacts. Our evaluation is focused on the ways in which the open-ended, deliberately unusual juxtaposition of art and science can accelerate fundamental adjustments in responding to complex climate risks such as climate mobility threats, under simultaneous stressors such as COVID-19. Through art, we explore science-society interactions, using Miami as a globally relevant case study. Our critique identifies outcomes of the perhaps radically interdisciplinary approach, including the integration, passion, and dialogue enabled and enriched through art.


As Walter Benjamin astutely observes in the Arcades Project and elsewhere, one of the earliest incarnations of the flaneur is to be found in the figure of the urban detective as first conceived in the writings of Edgar Allen Poe and Eugene Sue. In this paper I reflect upon this identification and briefly consider the multiple incarnations of the flaneur and the significance of transnational flanerie in the contemporary cultural and political context. Taking the Danish-Swedish-German neo-noir television series The Bridge (Bron / Broen) [2011, 2013, 2015] as an exemplary contemporary instance of the 'transnational urban detective,' I consider three kinds of transationalism: a) how noir itself constitutes a transitional genre, migrating across borders; b) how media products / formats can be embedded, dis-embedded and re-embedded in new and different transnational contexts as part of the global culture industry. c) how noir detectives weave back and forth across and between cities in neighbouring countries as part of their investigations. I conclude with reflections on how the bridge itself – the very symbol of transnationalism – forms a marginal and liminal site, a non place (Marc Auge's non lieu) and threshold or in-between space (Siegfried Kracauer's Zwischenraume), and in so doing provides the transitional flaneur-as-detective not so much with a home but a haunt, a locus of habitual return and inescapable melancholy.


Background/Context Financial aid is a critical policy lever for increasing college access, choice, and attainment. Even with the substantial investment in financial aid programs, however, inadequate financial resources continue to limit postsecondary educational attainment. The persistence of financial barriers despite the substantial annual investment in student financial aid programs suggests the need to better understand the role of financial aid in promoting college opportunity. Purpose The study explores three questions: What are high school students' perceptions of and expectations for financial aid? How do these perceptions and expectations inform college-related behaviors? How are perceptions and expectations for financial aid influenced by the state and school contexts in which students are embedded? Research Design The study uses data from descriptive case studies of 15 high schools, three in each of five states: California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Within each state, we purposively selected three high schools. The three high schools, selected from one school district or metropolitan region, may be characterized as relatively "low," "middle," or "high" resource based on the demographic and academic characteristics of enrolled students. Conclusions/Recommendations The results of this study suggest the importance of considering perceptions and expectations about aid, rather than actual amounts of available aid, when examining the relationship between financial aid and students' college-related decisions. The results also suggest that knowledge and understanding of aid are related to characteristics of the schools that students attend and characteristics of available aid (an aspect of the state context). In addition, the results indicate that perceptions of and expectations about aid may encourage students to engage in other behaviors that promote college access and success, particularly academic preparation. The article concludes by offering implications for future research.


During the so-called "Miljonprogrammet", over a million homes were built in Stockholm. As the buildings mature, parts of the buildings reach their technical life times and it is time to renovate them. At a time when the environmental impact of humans is a hot topic, it is appropriate to take the environment into account when deciding upon which restoration method to use. The sewage pipes are one of the important building parts in need of repair. This can be achieved by for example traditional pipe replacement or Cure-In-Place-Pipes (CIPP-lining).The goal of this study is to investigate and compare the environmental impact of traditional pipe replacement versus the use of the relining method CIPP lining by conducting a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA). The methods differ in the way that traditional pipe replacement demolishes the outer layers of the bathrooms and remove the old pipes to replace with new and restore the surface layers while CIPP-lining renovates the pipes from the inside with the use of a flexible liner.The purpose of the study has been to clarify the differences in environmental impacts of the different methods in a clear and easily understood way and thereby also simplify the decision-making process of property owners in need of renovation.With aid of the guidelines in ISO standards 14040 and 14044 a correct methodology has been used to ensure that the level of this work will be as high as possible. In combination with the software SimaPro specifically developed to handle the creation of various forms of life cycle assessments and the ISO standards a complex system been analyzed in detail.The results of the study show that CIPP-lining generally cause less environmental impacts than the traditional pipe replacement method. The analysis of 14 selected impact categories show that CIPP lining is preferable in 13 categories and that the traditional pipe replacement is preferable in 1 category. The sensitivity analysis show that the results change drastically depending on how much of the materials and energy used to demolish and reconstruct the outer layers of the bathroom one chooses to allocate to the new sewer pipes.The results show that the CIPP-lining results are dependent on the consumables and the liner assembly processes while the energy usage of the production process does not have a large impact on the results. For the traditional pipe replacement the results show that the consumable process is clearly the biggest impact while the piping production inflicts the least impact on the result.


This article examines the application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the police service in England and Wales in the light of the recent global demonstrations witnessed through events such as the G20. Following a recent published report from the HMIC, the police need to remain innovative in their approach to dealing with public protests. The article clearly illustrates the associated advantages of utilising CSR whilst arguing that such use would increase public confidence and provide greater resonance in attempts by the police to engage with their communities. The historical context and traditional responses are evaluated and the article concludes with the premise that whilst not being a panacea for resolving each of the difficulties in providing a specialist police service, CSR offers a real and robust option that needs to be carefully considered.


Most optical systems have rotational symmetry. For such systems, we establish a method of finding (a) the maximum attainable modulation transfer function (MTF) at arbitrary frequency ω0; and (b) the required pupil function U(ω0; ρ). Physically, the latter are absorbing films in the pupil of diffraction-limited optics. The method of solution is numerical and iterative, based upon the Newton–Raphson algorithm. Solutions (a) and (b) are established at frequencies ω0 = 0.1, 0.2, ⋯, 0.9 (× optical cutoff). The computed (a) are correct to ±0.0001 over all ω0 indicated. Quantities (b) have an average error over each pupil of ±0.002 for frequencies ω0 ≤ 0.5. With 0.6 ≤ ω0 ≤ 0.9, the error is ±0.01. The curve of maximum MTF(ω0) seems sufficiently smooth to allow for accurate interpolation. Solutions (a) and (b) were also found over the finer subdivision ω0 = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, ⋯, 0.8 with slightly less accuracy than above, in order to allow for interpolation of pupils U(ω0; ρ) over values ω0. This seems possible for 0.05 ≤ ω0 ≤ 0.40. The maximum MTF(ω0) shows appreciable gain (e.g., 8% at ω0 = 0.2) over the MTF for uncoated, diffraction-limited optics at all ω0 except in the intermediate region 0.4 ≤ ω0 ≤ 0.6. However, in the high-frequency band 0.5 ≤ ω0 ≤ 1.0, the maximum MTF(ω0) shows little gain over the MTF due to an uncoated, diffraction-limited pupil with the proper central obstruction. The light loss due to each U(ω0; ρ) may be measured by the total energy transmittance and the Strehl flux ratio. These are plotted against ω0, and indicate moderate light loss.


Water source heat pump system(WSHPS) is a new energy saving and environmentally air conditioning system, its degree of influence to groundwater related to the feasibility of construction of WSHPS and development & protection of regional groundwater. After introducing WSHPS, this paper analyzed the influence of WSHPS to groundwater, brought up the protection method to reduce influence. At last, a case study of new campus of Taiyuan university was carried out. The results showed that running of WSHPS won't bring up disadvantage to groundwater environment.


The formation of molecular complexes between electron donors and acceptors is an important phenomenon and has been well established. Charge transfer complexes of eight donors (antiviral drugs) with π-acceptors such as substituted quinines have been studied to understand the reactivity of drugs directly by calculating CT energies and ionization potentials of the drug molecules. CT complexes of intense colour are developed by interacting donor and acceptors in 1:1 ratio in dichloromethane. CT transition energies and ionization potential were calculated from the absorption maxima (nm) of the CT complexes. Abacavir, oseltamivir, ritonavir and tenofovir have formed strong complexes with the π- acceptors i.e. the interaction between them is high when compared with other donors.


Abstract The stratigraphic are ranges of all known crinoid genera of Mississippian and Lower Carboniferous age in western Europe and North America compared. Camerate crinoid distribution was published in 1987 (Lane and Sevastopulo). Inadunate and flexible crinoid ranges are presented here. A total of 197 genera are involved, 157 in North America and 93 in Europe, with 53 joint occurrences. Conspicuous endemism occurs at both the familial and generic levels in both Europe and North America. In early Mississippian time camerate crinoid genera are especially endemic in North America and many become extinct. In later Mississippian time many poteriocrinoid and flexible crinoid genera and some families are confined to either North America or Europe. Both environmental and physical barriers contributed to isolation and endemism. Genera tend to originate first, and become extinct first, at about equal rates in North America and in Europe. European genera tend to be somewhat longer ranging than North American genera, perhaps due to differences in breadth of definition on the two continents. Primitive groups like disparid and cyathocrinoid inadunates range up from the Late Devonian. Advanced poteriocrinoid inadunates commonly range up into younger Pennsylvanian-Upper Carboniferous rocks. New families originated in both North America and western Europe with about equal frequency. New Japanese occurrences of Pennsylvanian inadunates and the age relations of Permian Timor crinoids are discussed briefly.


The alga Dunaliella bardawil synthesizes storage triacylglycerides in chloroplastic lipid globules from chloroplast membrane lipid and from lipid components in cytoplasmic lipid droplets. The halotolerant microalgae Dunaliella bardawil accumulates under nitrogen deprivation two types of lipid droplets: plastoglobuli rich in β-carotene (βC-plastoglobuli) and cytoplasmatic lipid droplets (CLDs). We describe the isolation, composition, and origin of these lipid droplets. Plastoglobuli contain β-carotene, phytoene, and galactolipids missing in CLDs. The two preparations contain different lipid-associated proteins: major lipid droplet protein in CLD and the Prorich carotene globule protein in βC-plastoglobuli. The compositions of triglyceride (TAG) molecular species, total fatty acids, and sn-1+3 and sn-2 positions in the two lipid pools are similar, except for a small increase in palmitic acid in plastoglobuli, suggesting a common origin. The formation of CLD TAG precedes that of βC-plastoglobuli, reaching a maximum after 48 h of nitrogen deprivation and then decreasing. Palmitic acid incorporation kinetics indicated that, at early stages of nitrogen deprivation, CLD TAG is synthesized mostly from newly formed fatty acids, whereas in βC-plastoglobuli, a large part of TAG is produced from fatty acids of preformed membrane lipids. Electron microscopic analyses revealed that CLDs adhere to chloroplast envelope membranes concomitant with appearance of small βC-plastoglobuli within the chloroplast. Based on these results, we propose that CLDs in D. bardawil are produced in the endoplasmatic reticulum, whereas βC-plastoglobuli are made, in part, from hydrolysis of chloroplast membrane lipids and in part, by a continual transfer of TAG or fatty acids derived from CLD.


In this paper, we will give an overview of known and new techniques on how one can obtain explicit equations for candidates of good towers of function fields. The techniques are founded in modular theory (both the classical modular theory and the Drinfeld modular theory). In the classical modular setup, optimal towers can be obtained, while in the Drinfeld modular setup, good towers over any non-prime field may be found. We illustrate the theory with several examples, thus explaining some known towers as well as giving new examples of good explicitly defined towers of function fields.


This paper addresses the issue of how developing economies acquire new capabilities and the role of industrial policy in facilitating the technology acquisition that underpins these new capabilities. We focus on the role of the firm as aggregator of production technologies, business methods, market intelligence, and tacit human capital ("know-how"), and draw a link between the disappointing pace of diversification and technology upgrading in many developing economies to the low numbers of formal firms capable of operating at scale and of entering global markets. We equate the acquisition of new capabilities with the establishment of new firms and consider the alternative modes of acquiring new firms – build, "borrow" (attract FDI), and buy. Given the self-evident difficulties many economies have in utilizing the "build" and "borrow" modes, we develop a case for considering the scarcely utilized "buy" mode. Under this approach, developing countries would acquire the assets (and management) of technologically interesting plants/firms, which failed in their original environment, but, transplanted to developing country environments, would represent significant technology upgrades for the developing country. Thus, rather than "picking winners" to drive development, we consider the efficacy of "buying losers". We provide examples of the successful use of this mode and discuss its potential use as a strategic approach to accelerate technological upgrading and industrial diversification in the developing world.


Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system characterized by local loss of myelin, a protective, isolating layer around axons. Myelin can be restored by a natural regenerative process, called remyelination. However, remyelination ultimately fails in MS. Successful remyelination requires the maturation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) into myelin forming oligodendrocytes. Remyelination is orchestrated by astrocytes. Notably, remyelination is more efficient in grey compared to white matter. In this thesis we investigated whether astrocytes from grey and white matter distinctly modulate OPC functioning and maturation. We demonstrate that astrocytes and OPCs from grey matter may together provide an environment that is more effective in the regeneration of myelin than astrocytes and OPCs from white matter. White matter astrocytes supported myelin formation less than grey matter astrocytes, partially due to producing more inhibitory fibronectin aggregates. In addition, grey matter OPCs appeared better equipped for remyelination. Unexpectedly, specific inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis in white matter astrocytes enhanced myelin formation by oligodendrocytes. This finding provides a possible new target for promoting myelin formation in white matter. Taken together, research into the failure of remyelination in MS will benefit from taking into account regional differences between cells from grey and white matter. This awareness will contribute to an improved insight into the disease progression of MS. In addition, this will provide challenging opportunities for the development of more specific and thereby efficiency increasing therapy for the treatment of MS, directed at improving myelin recovery in MS lesions.


Maintaining the optimal health of all North Carolinians is integral to the overall well-being of the state. It is not enough to have policies, initiatives, and reforms created and led by experts in health and health care. To move towards a culture that appreciates and promotes optimal population health, we also need assistance from other arenas. Data continue to suggest that domains such as education, housing, and income may be just as important, if not more important, than determinants that are usually associated with health outcomes. Thus North Carolina's leaders, professionals, and policy makers need to adopt shared responsibility for our population's health by taking a health-in-all-policies stance. Research to expand our understanding of individual and group actions that contribute to health outcomes, collaboration of partners across diverse sectors to implement evidence-based initiatives, and creative thinking and planning for future workforce needs are a few important actions. Together, these efforts can help to shift our long-standing focus on "disease care" to an upstream approach that ultimately reduces health care burdens and improves population health.


Superhydrophobic surfaces, as indicated in the name, are highly hydrophobic and readily repel water. With contact angles greater than 150° and sliding angles less than 10°, water droplets flow easily and hardly wet these surfaces. Superhydrophobic materials and coatings have been drawing increasing attention in medical fields, especially on account of their promising applications in blood-contacting devices. Superhydrophobicity controls the interactions of cells with the surfaces and facilitates the flowing of blood or plasma without damaging blood cells. The antibiofouling effect of superhydrophobic surfaces resists adhesion of organic substances, including blood components and microorganisms. These attributes are critical to medical applications such as filter membranes, prosthetic heart valves, extracorporeal circuit tubing, and indwelling catheters. Researchers have developed various methods to fabricate blood-compatible or biocompatible superhydrophobic surfaces using different materials. In addition to being hydrophobic, these surfaces can also be antihemolytic, antithrombotic, antibacterial, and antibiofouling, making them ideal for clinical applications. In this review, the authors summarize recent developments of blood-compatible superhydrophobic surfaces, with a focus on methods and materials. The expectation of this review is that it will support the biomedical research field by providing current trends as well as future directions.


Abstract Inclusion and exclusion processes in community engagement do not take place in a vacuum, but are embedded in social, political and institutional contexts. To better capture the interplay between the individual agency of community participants and organizational structures in health research, we use a Bourdieusian framework. The notions of capital, habitus and field allow us to analyse how inclusion and exclusion of older persons in a Dutch healthcare research- and improvement programme are processually shaped overtime. The findings demonstrate that due to the influence of the medical and policy field, older persons with social, cultural and symbolic capital were included in target group panels. Frail older persons lacking these types of capital were often excluded. Despite the high amount of capital, the formally 'included' participants still experienced difficulties in engaging effectively in a medical research setting. We distinguish various strategies that older persons developed during the course of the programme to deal with this problem: (1) professionalization, (2) responsibilization, (3) pluralization, (4) opting out. Using these strategies older participants were able to incrementally change the medical field by shifting the focus to quality of life and welfare. We conclude that it is by definition impossible to 'exclude exclusion' at the start of care improvement programmes. It is only in the many pragmatic and mundane choices of 'doing participation' that more inclusive engagement can be realized.


A prosthetic hand model designed to mimic the motion of a biological hand to take the place of an amputee's real hand. Designed prosthetic hand consist five fingers three joints on each finger. The dynamic behaviour of the prosthetic hand is estimated via SimMechanics. A sliding mode control was applied to the prosthetic hand to track the trajectory as it should be followed for any desired motion pattern without cracking. The performance of the sliding mode controller for three hand patterns of biological hand was tested.


Light field saliency detection is becoming of increasing interest in recent years due to the significant improvements in challenging scenes by using abundant light field cues. However, high dimension of light field data poses computation-intensive and memory-intensive challenges, and light field data access is far less ubiquitous as RGB data. These may severely impede practical applications of light field saliency detection. In this paper, we introduce an asymmetrical two-stream architecture inspired by knowledge distillation to confront these challenges. First, we design a teacher network to learn to exploit focal slices for higher requirements on desktop computers and meanwhile transfer comprehensive focusness knowledge to the student network. Our teacher network is achieved relying on two tailor-made modules, namely multi-focusness recruiting module (MFRM) and multi-focusness screening module (MFSM), respectively. Second, we propose two distillation schemes to train a student network towards memory and computation efficiency while ensuring the performance. The proposed distillation schemes ensure better absorption of focusness knowledge and enable the student to replace the focal slices with a single RGB image in an user-friendly way. We conduct the experiments on three benchmark datasets and demonstrate that our teacher network achieves state-of-the-arts performance and student network (ResNet18) achieves Top-1 accuracies on HFUT-LFSD dataset and Top-4 on DUT-LFSD, which tremendously minimizes the model size by 56% and boosts the Frame Per Second (FPS) by 159%, compared with the best performing method.


Cyanobacterial strain ARC8 was isolated from seepage coming into the river Dračice, Františkov, Czech Republic, and was characterized using a polyphasic approach. Strain ARC8 showed a typical Nostoc-like morphology and in-depth morphological characterization indicated that it is a member of the genus Nostoc. Furthermore, in the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny inferred using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and neighbour joining methods, strain ARC8 clustered within the Nostoc sensu stricto clade. The phylogenetic distance and the positioning of strain ARC8 also indicated that it is a member of the genus Nostoc. Furthermore, the rbcL gene phylogeny along with the 16S-23S ITS secondary structure analysis also supported the findings from the 16S rRNA gene tree. In accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants we describe a novel species of Nostoc with the name Nostoc neudorfense sp. nov.


The electrometric [Delta]pH method and an in vitro radioisotopic HCO3- dehydration assay were used to demonstrate the presence of true extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity in the blood of the Pacific spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias. An extracorporeal circulation and stopflow technique were then used to characterise the acidbase disequilibrium in the arterial (postbranchial) blood. During the stopflow period, arterial pH (pHa) decreased by 0.028±0.003 units (mean ± s.e.m., N=27), in contrast to the increase in pHa of 0.029±0.006 units (mean ± s.e.m., N=6) observed in seawater-acclimated rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss under similar conditions. The negative disequilibrium in dogfish blood was abolished by the addition of bovine CA to the circulation, while inhibition by benzolamide of extracellular and gill membrane-bound CA activities reversed the direction of the acidbase disequilibrium such that pHa increased by 0.059±0.016 units (mean ± s.e.m., N=6) during the stopflow period. When the CA activity of red blood cells (rbcs) was additionally inhibited using acetazolamide, the magnitude of the negative disequilibrium was increased significantly to -0.045±0.007 units (mean ± s.e.m., N=6). Blockage of the rbc Cl-/HCO3- exchanger using 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (DIDS) also increased the magnitude of the negative disequilibrium, in this case to -0.089±0.008 units (mean ± s.e.m., N=6). Exposure of dogfish to hypercapnia had no effect on the disequilibrium, whereas the disequilibrium was significantly larger under hypoxic conditions, at -0.049±0.008 units (mean ± s.e.m., N=6). The results are interpreted within a framework in which the absence of a positive CO2 excretion disequilibrium in the arterial blood of the spiny dogfish is attributed to the membrane-bound and extracellular CA activities. The negative disequilibrium may arise from the continuation of Cl-/HCO3- exchange in the postbranchial blood and/or the hydration of CO2 added to the plasma postbranchially. Two possible sources of this CO2 are discussed; rbc CO2 production or the admixture of blood having 'low' and 'high' CO2 tensions, i.e. the mixing of postbranchial blood with blood which has bypassed the respiratory exchange surface.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the ability of dental nurses in Anguilla to assess treatment need following training in WHO criteria.

PARTICIPANTS
Sixty-six randomly selected schoolchildren aged 6, 9, 12, 14, 15 and 17 years.

DESIGN
Point prevalence study involving three different groups of schoolchildren [n = 20 (C0), 23 (D1), 23 (D2)] and four plaster casts comprising 52 extracted teeth (T0).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Tooth- and person-based inter and intra-examiner agreement.

METHOD
The only three government dental nurses in Anguilla were trained and calibrated by a benchmark dentist in June 2000 using WHO criteria. Tooth-based Treatment Need and person-based Treatment Urgency were assessed during 466 evaluations involving 1,733 teeth. Examiner agreement levels were compared during two calibration exercises (T0, C0) and two duplicate examinations (D1 and D2). The treatment components were classified as preventive (diet modification, prophylaxis, OHI, sealants); restorative (restorations, pulp care and crowns); and rehabilitative (tooth removal).

RESULTS
All scores presented are Kappa scores. Substantial agreement was obtained at T0 (0.614-0.764), and almost perfect agreement at C0(0.832-0.872), D1(0.917-0.954) and D2(0.966-0.977). Almost perfect reliability occurred at C0(0.963-0.991) and D1(0.971-0.992) while perfect reliability was attained by all examiners at D2(1.0). Substantial and almost perfect agreement was obtained for all treatment modalities irrespective of caries prevalence and severity. Agreement levels increased as the survey progressed. Perfect agreement was obtained for all categories of treatment urgency.

CONCLUSIONS
Dental nurses in Anguilla can validly and reliably assess treatment need provided training is adequate, of realistic duration and they are involved in all aspects of the exercise.


The shift from paper based communication to exchange of electronic copies of documents and drawings has made project participants overloaded with information. Electronically exchanged information could be better supported through BIM and automation of routing information using workflow management technologies to improve information availability for decision making. However, it has been observed that BIM is currently being utilized as a number of disconnected models. The built-in intelligence in BIM allows automated updating and extraction of 2D drawings, documentation and other building information. Extracted documents create extra work to be communicated to project teams. Therefore more tasks and communications are created. Accordingly, this study identifies the impacts of BIM in project team communication. It also critically evaluates electronic communication patterns and people's activities by data profiling to identify variables and project characteristics that have an impact on electronic communication level.


This paper presents the Smoothing-ESO SESO technique for topology optimization of structures implemented in MATLAB using 4-node bilinear square elements. The lines comprising this code include definition of design domain finite element analysis sensitivity analysis mesh-independency filter optimization algorithm. Extensions and changes in the algorithm are also included in order to solve multiple load cases and compliant mechanisms design. In addition a comparison is made with other optimization methods as Bi-directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization BESO Sequential Element Rejection and Admission SERA and Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization SIMP. Thus numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the ability of proposed methods to solve topology optimization problems.


Author(s): Potts, Shaina | Advisor(s): Walker, Richard A. | Abstract: A century ago, foreign governments and their actions were essentially beyond U.S. judicial reach. In the 1950s, however, U.S. courts began to govern more and more activities of foreign governments leading to a transformation in the modality of U.S. power directed abroad. Legal historians describe this as a transition from an "absolute" to a "restrictive" practice of sovereign immunity, and one dominant narrative explains the transition as a pragmatic move away from an obsolete model of "territorial sovereignty" to a more flexible, "de-territorialized" or even "de-spatialized" sovereignty better suited for a globalized economy. Through tracing key U.S. legal changes involving foreign sovereign governments from 1898 to 2014, with a focus on sovereign debt law, I argue that transnational sovereign economic activity in fact remains dependent as ever on national borders — albeit borders that are continually reconfigured through minute changes in U.S. common law. Far from representing a homogeneous de-territorialization of the contemporary international legal order, I show that there has been an uneven re-territorialization that reduces the authority of most countries over their own economic decisions while expanding the judicial reach of a few — primarily the United States — and that New York state law has been especially important in this process. This has resulted not in a general restriction of state sovereignty in the face of "globalization," but in a differential displacement of economic sovereignty from post-colonial, poor and indebted states to rich, industrialized ones. The legal structures developed since the 1960s have aimed at entrenching and extending U.S. dominance over the global capitalist order and presently function to perpetuate exploitative relations between sovereign debtors and private creditors. U.S. judicial power has been a crucial and largely overlooked pillar of post-war U.S hegemony. I show how judicial transformations of the past half-century have occurred in relation to changing economic conditions, including threats to U.S. property posed by Third World nationalizations in the 1950s to the 1970s, rising indebtedness since the 1970s, and an ongoing overaccumulation crisis. The expansion of U.S. judicial power has simultaneously been driven at every step by U.S. geopolitical interests, including, importantly, the desire to contain Communism and maintain the colonial status quo in the context of the Cold War, widespread de-colonization and Third Worldist movements, and the reconstruction of U.S. dollar hegemony in the 1980s. I argue that the expansion of U.S. judicial power in the past half-century should be understood as territorial insofar as it has defined the space over which the state (in the form of courts) may exercise authority. Through a critical analysis of this legal history I show how the reconceptualization of key legal dichotomies — most importantly, foreign/domestic, public/private, and political/legal — has been a fundamental spatial mechanism through which these legal territories are produced and contested. Since the 1960s, U.S. — especially New York — courts have increasingly reclassified foreign sovereign transnational activities as "private" (rather than "public" or "sovereign") and therefore as properly within the scope of U.S. judicial ("legal") rather than executive ("political") authority. Foreign sovereign activities have also increasingly been reclassified from "foreign" (meaning outside the United States) to "domestic" (meaning inside the United States). Together, these interlinked changes have been used to bring activity that would previously have been considered beyond the authority of U.S. courts within U.S. judicial reach. This has expanded U.S. authority as a whole through the modality of judicial power, while simultaneously de-politicizing important social questions and removing them from even the possibility of democratic debate. Until recently, this process has unfolded with explicit support from the U.S. executive branch, but tensions between the interests of the U.S. executive and those of the U.S. judiciary have grown. In NML Capital v. Argentina, despite strenuous objections from the executive branch, the New York and U.S. Supreme Courts inverted the reigning spatial logic of U.S. law in order to extend U.S. judicial authority over most of the world outside Argentina – with important ramifications for U.S. economic and geopolitical interests, for sovereign debt crises and restructurings, and for the global financial order. The critical genealogy of the expansion of U.S. juridico-economic territory since WWII that I present in this dissertation is crucial for understanding the transnational operation of U.S. judicial power today and how it might most effectively be contested.


Study Design Clinical measurement study. Background The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella (VISA-P), originally developed in English, assesses the severity of patellar tendinopathy symptoms. To date, no French version of the questionnaire exists. Objectives The aim of our study was to translate the VISA-P into French and verify its psychometric properties. Methods The translation and cultural adaptation were performed according to international recommendations in 6 steps: initial translation, translation merging, back translation to the original language, use of an expert committee to reach a prefinal version, test of the prefinal version, and expert committee appraisal of a final version. Afterward, the psychometric properties of the final French version (VISA-PF) were assessed in 92 subjects, divided into 3 groups: pathological subjects (n = 28), asymptomatic subjects (n = 22), and sports-risk subjects (n = 42). Results All members of the expert committee agreed with the final version. On a scale ranging from 0 to 100, with 100 representing an asymptomatic subject, the average ± SD scores on the VISA-PF were 53 ± 17 for the pathological group, 99 ± 2 for the healthy group, and 86 ± 14 for the sports-risk group. The test-retest reliability of the VISA-PF was excellent, with good internal consistency. Correlations between the VISA-PF and divergent validity of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were low, and the correlation coefficient values measured between the VISA-PF scores and converged items of the SF-36 were higher. Conclusion The VISA-PF is understandable, valid, and suitable for French-speaking patients with patellar tendinopathy. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(5):384-390. Epub 21 Mar 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.5937.


Wildfire, a natural part of many ecosystems, has also resulted in significant disasters impacting ecology and human life in Australia. This study proposes a prototype of fire propagation prediction as an extension of preceding research; this system is called "Cloud computing based bushfire prediction", the computational performance of which is expected to be about twice that of the traditional client-server (CS) model. As the first step in the modelling approach, this prototype focuses on the prediction of fire propagation. The direction of fire is limited in regular grid approaches, such as cellular automata, due to the shape of the uniformed grid, while irregular grids are freed from this constraint. In this prototype, fire propagation is computed from a centroid regardless of grid shape to remove the above constraint. Additionally, the prototype employs existing fire indices, including the Grassland Fire Danger Index (GFDI), Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) and Button Grass Moorland Fire Index (BGML). A number of parameters, such as Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and forecast weather data, are prepared for use in the calculation of the indices above. The fire study area is located around Lake Mackenzie in the central north of Tasmania where a fire burnt approximately 247.11 km 2 in January 2016. The prototype produces nine different prediction results with three polygon configurations, including Delaunay Triangulation, Square and Voronoi, using three different resolutions: fine, medium and coarse. The Delaunay Triangulation, which has the greatest number of adjacent grids among three shapes of polygon, shows the shortest elapsed time for spread of fire compared to other shapes. The medium grid performs the best trade-off between cost and time among the three grain sizes of prediction polygons, and the coarse size shows the best cost-effectiveness. A staging approach where coarse size prediction is released initially, followed by a medium size one, can be a pragmatic solution for the purpose of providing timely evacuation guidance.


In the present studies, we have found that New Zealand White rabbits kept on normal rabbit chow (16% protein, LP) are unable to raise fractional free water reabsorption [TCH2O divided by glomerular filtration rate (GFR)] as the fractional osmotic load (Cosm/GFR) is increased. Acute administration of urea (400 mosmol/l) or indomethacin (10 mg/kg iv bolus, followed by 0.25 mg/min infusion) corrects the defect. Moreover, rabbits kept for 2 wk on a 40% protein diet (HP) showed marked improvement in their renal concentration capacity. Balance studies showed that, in rabbits on HP, urine prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) excretion was lower while GFR, urine urea, and osmolar excretion were significantly higher than in rabbits in the LP group. Medullary tissue electrolytes in the HP vs. LP group were as follows: urea, 1,035 +/- 90 vs. 790 +/- 60 mmol.l-1 x g wet tissue wt-1; tissue Na+, 548 +/- 96 vs. 298 +/- 37 meq.l-1 x g wet wt-1; and K+, 201 +/- 43 vs. 99 +/- 16 meq.l-1 x g wet wt-1. Also, medullary slices from animals on HP had a lower PGE2 synthesis than those on LP when stimulated with angiotensin II (ANG II). Papillary plasma flow (PPF) measured by the accumulation of 125I-labeled albumin, after infusion of vasopressin, was 13.7 +/- 2.0 in the HP group and 22.7 +/- 3.4 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1 in the LP group. These findings suggest that lower PPF and higher urea and electrolyte content in the medullary interstitium of HP intake results from inability to produce medullary PGE2 even during ANG II or antidiuretic hormone (ADH) stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Whole Genome Sequencing is increasingly used to identify Mendelian variants in clinical pipelines. These pipelines focus on single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and also structural variants, while ignoring more complex repeat sequence variants. We consider the problem of genotyping Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs), composed of inexact tandem duplications of short (6-100bp) repeating units. VNTRs span 3% of the human genome, are frequently present in coding regions, and have been implicated in multiple Mendelian disorders. While existing tools recognize VNTR carrying sequence, genotyping VNTRs (determining repeat unit count and sequence variation) from whole genome sequenced reads remains challenging. We describe a method, adVNTR, that uses Hidden Markov Models to model each VNTR, count repeat units, and detect sequence variation. adVNTR models can be developed for short-read (Illumina) and single molecule (PacBio) whole genome and exome sequencing, and show good results on multiple simulated and real data sets. adVNTR is available at https://github.com/mehrdadbakhtiari/adVNTR


The physicochemical characteristics and oral absorption of a poorly water-soluble drug, K-832, adsorbed onto porous silica (Sylysia 350), were compared with those of K-832 adsorbed onto non-porous silica (Aerosil 200). K-832 and silica were treated with supercritical CO(2) (scCO(2)) to produce K-832-Sylysia 350 and K-832-Aerosil 200 formulations. Scanning electron microscopy, polarizing microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry results suggested that K-832 mainly existed in an amorphous state in both formulations. The specific surface area of both formulations was much larger than that of pure K-832 crystals. The dissolution rate of K-832 from both formulations was considerably greater than that from corresponding physical mixtures due to rapid wetting of the hydrophilic carrier surfaces and amorphous state, the dissolution from the K-832-Sylysia 350 formulation being the fastest. In vivo absorption tests on the two formulations indicated no significant differences in their peak concentration (C(max)) and the area under their plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), while the concentrations of K-832 in the K-832-Sylysia 350 formulation were significantly higher than those in the K-832-Aerosil 200 formulation 1 h and 1.5 h after administration of these formulations (p<0.05). This could be attributed to the different dispersion states of K-832 in the formulations due to their different three-dimensional structures (porous and non-porous). In physical stability tests, the amorphous drugs in both formulations were stable at room temperature for at least 14 months. Thus, the absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs could be greatly improved by adsorption onto porous silica using scCO(2).


Automated human action recognition has the potential to play an important role in public security, for example, in relation to the multiview surveillance videos taken in public places, such as train stations or airports. This paper compares three practical, reliable, and generic systems for multiview video-based human action recognition, namely, the nearest neighbor classifier, Gaussian mixture model classifier, and the nearest mean classifier. To describe the different actions performed in different views, view-invariant features are proposed to address multiview action recognition. These features are obtained by extracting the holistic features from different temporal scales which are modeled as points of interest which represent the global spatial-temporal distribution. Experiments and cross-data testing are conducted on the KTH, WEIZMANN, and MuHAVi datasets. The system does not need to be retrained when scenarios are changed which means the trained database can be applied in a wide variety of environments, such as view angle or background changes. The experiment results show that the proposed approach outperforms the existing methods on the KTH and WEIZMANN datasets.


The paper presents the results of designing a technology for the manufacture of enzyme immunoassay kits to detect class G antibodies to the Echinococcus granulosus antigen EgF with a molecular weight of 16.7 kDa in sheep. According to the results of field trials on flocks of sheep from various age groups, the diagnostic efficiency of the test system was 78.1% sensitivity and 73.9% specificity. The proposed test system may be used during mass sheep screenings for the epizootic monitoring of the prevalence ofechinococcosis in the Russian Federation, for the serological diagnosis of this disease in the female livestock at the level of a flock.


Contribution: This article introduces the teaching and learning with remote laboratories and MATLAB for an undergraduate system identification (SI) course, which can be employed for students at the advanced level with a control background. Background: SI has been widely used in all engineering fields; thus, the SI course that includes complex theories, concepts, and formulas is crucial for engineering education. Constraints, such as time, space, cost, and maintenance work, pose limitations for conventional laboratories, and current remote laboratories may not offer experiences to enhance control-oriented practical skills. Intended Outcomes: The proposed teaching and learning using remote laboratories is intended to facilitate the understanding of theories and concepts, and enhance the ability of design and implementation of control algorithms, the conducting of experiments, data collecting, data analysis, and the conducting of SI with MATLAB. Application Design: In the classroom teaching, theoretical lectures regarding SI are delivered to students by the teacher, along with the classroom demonstration with the networked control system laboratory for online experimentation. Then, the laboratory work is required to be completed by the students using the remote laboratory. A tailored laboratory report is supposed to be handed in by each student after the experimentation. Findings: The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated through the analysis of student performance and student responses to surveys. The student performance analysis indicates that the application of the remote laboratories is effective, and the feedback from students shows that they can benefit from the application of remote laboratories, and they would like the remote laboratories to be expanded to other courses.


Robin Williams portrays English professor John Keating, who, in an age of crew cuts, sport coats and cheerless conformity, inspires his students to live life to the fullest, exclaiming "Carpe Diem, lads! Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary!" The charismatic teacher's emotionally charged challenge is met by his students with irrepressible enthusiasm--changing their lives forever.


The sensors that LESENSE can interface range from simple thermistors, inductive or capacitive devices, to more complex analog sensors. In many applications such sensors are used to give input from the outside world to a microcontroller. As energy consumption and battery life become increasingly important, the microcontroller needs to be able to monitor these sensors by using as little energy as possible. The best way of doing this is staying in deep sleep as much as possible. This document will present three different measurement principles, capacitive, inductive and resistive, that can be implemented with the low energy sensor interface. References to the different application notes are also included.


The authors investigated the effectiveness and specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP; J. E. Gillham, L. H. Jaycox, K. J. Reivich, M. E. P. Seligman, & T. Silver, 1990), a cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program. Children (N = 697) from 3 middle schools were randomly assigned to PRP, Control (CON), or the Penn Enhancement Program (PEP; K. J. Reivich, 1996; A. J. Shatté, 1997), an alternate intervention that controls for nonspecific intervention ingredients. Children's depressive symptoms were assessed through 3 years of follow-up. There was no intervention effect on average levels of depressive symptoms in the full sample. Findings varied by school. In 2 schools, PRP significantly reduced depressive symptoms across the follow-up relative to both CON and PEP. In the 3rd school, PRP did not prevent depressive symptoms. The authors discuss the findings in relation to previous research on PRP and the dissemination of prevention programs.


This study employs pressure indices in order to foresee the possible crises. Using monthly data obtained from the data distribution system of the Central Bank of Turkey between 1990-2009, the prevailing financial pressure indices have been estimated. This study deals with the anticipation of crises, especially in the field of banking, through an early warning system rather than pointing out what are the indicators of financial crises. Therefore, this study aims at establishing assumptions regarding financial crises using pressure indices for monthly data of Turkish economy between the period of 1999.01-2009.12.


The proliferation of citizen science water quality monitoring networks suggests there is potential for developing an equivalent river Restoration Assessment Initiative (RAI). This is currently lacking, especially at larger (e.g., national and international) scales. As such, the RAI would provide a much‐needed new tool for stakeholders to evaluate and compare the efficacy of their restoration efforts. We propose a standardized protocol to quantify biotic responses (e.g., changes to the macroinvertebrate community) to restoration efforts, which would facilitate a large‐scale, open‐access database revealing success or failure of commonly used restoration techniques. By combining biotic and abiotic (e.g., habitat and water quality) assessments, a feature typically lacking from restoration monitoring schemes and cited as a major constraint limiting development of the field, integrative approaches (e.g., meta‐analyses and coordinated field experiments) could help untangle their respective effects on restoration outcomes. Water quality initiatives (e.g., the Riverfly Monitoring Initiative) have paved the way for volunteer‐driven pollution monitoring, and provide models designed for sustaining long‐lasting volunteer participation in stream monitoring. These could be developed for the RAI to better detect restoration signals (e.g., adopt a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) approach) while continuing to address the key practical challenges associated with implementing citizen science initiatives (e.g., volunteer skills and data quality assurance). Once established, the resultant infrastructure would facilitate expansion to an international scale, increasing the statistical power of the combined database enormously and allowing the addition of novel measures (e.g., ecosystem process rates) for assessing restoration. Clearly citizen scientists need a role in restoration assessment, especially as they are becoming increasingly important drivers of practices on the ground. Developing a coordinated citizen science RAI to ensure data are standardized and disseminated effectively will advance restoration on a more global scale, and also provides a timely solution to keep society and science connected. WIREs Water 2016, 3:287–300. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1138


Pituitary hormone deficiency causes short stature in one in 4000 children born and can be caused by mutations in transcription factor genes, including HESX1, PROP1, and POU1F1. HESX1 interacts with a member of the groucho-related gene family, TLE1, through an engrailed homology domain and represses PROP1 activity. Mice with Prop1 deficiency exhibit failed differentiation of the POU1F1 lineage, resulting in lack of TSH, GH, and prolactin. In addition, these mutants exhibit profound pituitary dysmorphology and excess Hesx1 and Tle3 expression. The ability of HESX1 to interact with TLE3 has not been explored previously. We tested the ability of TLE3 to enhance HESX1-mediated repression of PROP1 in cell culture. Both TLE3 and TLE1 repress PROP1 in conjunction with HESX1 with similar efficiencies. TLE1 and TLE3 can each repress PROP1 in the absence of HESX1 via a protein-protein interaction. We tested the functional consequences of ectopic TLE3 and HESX1 expression in transgenic mice by driving constitutive expression in pituitary thyrotrophs and gonadotrophs. Terminal differentiation of these cells was suppressed by HESX1 alone and by TLE3 and HESX1 together but not by TLE3 alone. In summary, we present evidence that HESX1 is a strong repressor that can be augmented by the corepressors TLE1 and TLE3. Our in vitro studies suggest that TLE1 and TLE3 might also play roles independent of HESX1 by interacting with other transcription factors like PROP1.


Patients with advanced cancer often undergo myelosuppression after receiving chemotherapy. However, severe myelosuppression results in treatment delay, and some can even be life-threatening. At present, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy urgently need effective intervention strategies to prevent myelosuppression. Fortunately, ginsenoside Rg3 has shown promise as an anti-myelosuppression agent. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ginsenoside Rg3 in preventing chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in cancer patients. The PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Weipu (VIP), and Wanfang databases were searched in this study. A total of 18 trials which reported on 2,222 subjects were identified. All trials concerning the use of ginsenoside Rg3 for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression (the decline of leukocyte, hemoglobin, platelet, and neutrophil counts) were randomized-controlled trials. Dichotomous data were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI). The Cochrane evidence-based medicine systematic evaluation was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included trials. The Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 12.0 software were used to perform the statistical analyses. The trial sequential analysis (TSA) was used to evaluate information size and prevention benefits. The results revealed obvious ginsenoside Rg3-induced improvement in the leukocyte (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.37–0.55), hemoglobin (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.53–0.77), platelet (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.48–0.75) and neutrophil (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.43–0.90) counts at toxic grades I–IV, and leukocyte (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.28–0.54) counts at toxic grades III–IV. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the results were robust. The Egger's test indicated that there was no publication bias in the results. Overall, this study suggested that ginsenoside Rg3 is beneficial for alleviating the chemotherapy-induced decrease in leukocyte, hemoglobin, platelet, and neutrophil counts. However, the confirmation of the ginsenoside Rg3 can be recommended for myelosuppression patients was limited due to poor methodological quality. Thus, more rigorously designed randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) are required to assess the efficacy of ginsenoside Rg3 for myelosuppression.


Supplemental digital content is available in the text. SIGNIFICANCE This research found that anterior and posterior biometrics differ in many aspects between fellow eyes of anisometropic children. This might shed light on the mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of anisometropia and myopia. PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the ocular biometric parameters, peripheral refraction, and accommodative lag of fellow eyes in anisometropic children. METHODS Anisometropic children were recruited. Axial length (AL), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), simulated K readings, central and peripheral refractive errors, and accommodative lag were measured in both eyes. The subfoveal choroidal thickness, average choroidal thickness, and choroid vessel density of the 6 × 6-mm macular area were measured by optical coherence tomography. RESULTS Thirty-two children aged 11.1 ± 1.7 years were enrolled. The average degree of anisometropia was 2.49 ± 0.88 D. The AL, VCD, ACD, and simulated K reading values were significantly larger in the more myopic eyes, whereas the LT value was significantly smaller. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (P = .001) and average choroidal thickness (P = .02) were smaller in the more myopic eyes than in the contralateral eyes, whereas choroid vessel density (P = .03) was larger. The amount of anisometropia had a significant positive correlation with the difference in AL (r = 0.869, P < .001), VCD (r = 0.853, P < .001), and ACD (r = 0.591, P < .001) and a negative correlation with the difference in LT (r = −0.457, P = .009). CONCLUSIONS Ocular biometrics differ in many aspects between the fellow eyes of anisometropic Chinese children, and the difference is correlated with the degree of anisometropia.


This course provides an introduction to modern historical methods, theoretical considerations, and practical approaches pertinent to thinking and writing about modern history. Students will acquire familiarity with the uses—and the limitations—of historical comparison as an analytic tool; grasp temporal relationships and integrate multiple chronologies within the same analytical frame of reference; demonstrate the capacity to deal with differences in interpretation; critically analyze narrative structures and construct narratives; demonstrate an ability to recognize and interpret multiple forms of evidence (visual, oral, statistical, artifacts from material culture); recognize the distinction between primary and secondary sources, and understand how each are used to make historical claims about colonial history in general and the Belgian Congo in particular. Finally, students will learn to write a research paper in history.


Mice with unilateral caudate lesions exhibit a postural asymmetry or turning towards the lesioned side after application of apomorphine and towards the intact side after oxotremorine injections. The apomorphine effect was counteracted both by oxotremorine and by physostigmine. Both this antagonism and the oxotremorine effect itself were abolished by scopolamine. Adamantine reduced the effectiveness of oxotremorine in inducing asymmetric behaviour. The antagonism of oxotremorine and apomorphine was shifted in parachloramphetamine pretreated mice to an increased apomorphine reaction mode. The significance of lesions became apparent by a 50% decrease of dopamine content in the lesioned side. The 5-hydroxytryptamine content was unchanged. Parachloramphetamine lead to a small alteration of the 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid content, different in normal and lesioned animals.


Chip-sized diode lasers with ultra-narrow spectral linewidth are of high interest for many applications, e.g. for phase encoding in optical communications and precision metrology [1,2]. Recently, a record-narrow intrinsic linewidth of 290 Hz was achieved with hybrid integration of an InP semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a low-loss dielectric waveguide feedback circuit with a Vernier spectrally selective feedback filter that significantly extends the on-chip cavity length [3]. However, increasing the cavity length also reduces the cavity mode spacing, which causes undesired instabilities in the form of mode hops and power fluctuations when tuning the laser wavelength.


This paper analyses a group of quantitative indicators to guide the Basel III countercyclical capital buffer (CCB) in Spain. Using data covering three stress events in the Spanish banking system since the early 1960s, we describe a number of conceptual and practical issues that may arise with the Basel benchmark buffer guide (i.e. the credit-to-GDP gap) and study alternative specifications plus a number of complementary indicators. In this connection, we explore ways to deal with structural changes that may lead to some shortcomings in the indicators. Overall, we find that indicators of credit 'intensity' (where we propose the ratio of changes in credit to GDP), private sector debt sustainability, real estate prices and external imbalances can usefully complement the credit-to-GDP gap when taking CCB decisions in Spain.


Theoretical studies on mechanism of mutual conversion between σ-complexes and the solvent effect in ring-chlorination of toluene were performed with density functional theory (DFT). All geometry optimizations, intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations and frequency analyses were carried out at B3LYP/6-311G** level. Calculation results indicate that ortho-, meta- and para-complexes can convert mutually by overcoming a π-complex structured transition state. It was also confirmed that the mutual conversion between ortho- and para- complexes can occur directly which give answer to the experimental result that ortho-chlorotoluene (OCT) and para- chlorotoluene (PCT) are predominant products while meta-chlorotoluene (MCT) shares less than one percent in total products. In addition, a theoretical investigation of solvent effect was carried out at the same level via Onsager model, where all stagnation points were optimized completely using toluene as solvent. The free energies and activating free energies were also calculated at the same level, which decrease due to solvent effect, suggesting that it is better for toluene to be ring-chlorinated in liquid phase than in gas phase, which is in agreement with experimental results.


This article concerns the history of automation in U.S. tax administration and the challenges automation presents to administering the laws consistent with democratic values. The most under-theorized aspect of tax administration is the expansion of automation and its impact on the current tax system. Historically, the U.S. system of taxation depended on the self-reporting of relevant financial information by taxpayers. The original design of tax administration was built around that premise and required significant human interaction between government employees and taxpayers. The rise of what is called Automated Data Processing (ADP) - particularly since WWII - has given the IRS wonderful efficiency in sorting through massive amounts of information. This has allowed it to rely less on the information provided by taxpayers and more on the information provided ABOUT taxpayers by various third parties. ADP has also allowed the IRS to become more efficient at identifying "non-responsive" taxpayers and taking action against them. At the same time, ADP poses a constant threat to unbalance the Service, to degrade tax administration into an exercise in data manipulation and not an exercise in determining the correct taxes owed. It undermines the American way of taxation, where the IRS strives to administer the tax laws with a realization that the government's interests align with taxpayer interests and not simply with dollars to the fisc. This article is one of a number of articles commenting on a reprint of Commissioner Mortimer Caplin's thoughts about tax administration, orginially published in 1964. It is to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Virginia Tax Review.


An offshore carbonate oil field in the Arabian Gulf is exhibiting asphaltene deposition problem mainly inside tubing of production wells completed in one of two main producible limestone reservoirs. This problem significantly reduces well profitability due to production loss and frequent asphaltene removal job (solvent soaking). Furthermore, future full-field EOR development, namely gas injection, is now planned and might have a risk to enhance the asphaltene problem. Therefore, comprehensive study has been carried out not only to establish less frequent and more effective remedy than the current action but also to evaluate a future risk of gas injection. The study was initiated with careful review of the fundamental measurements, collected during the 20 years production history, of asphaltene properties, i.e. SARA (saturates, aromatics, resins and asphaltenes) analysis, asphaltene contents, AOP (asphaltene onset pressure) measurement, etc. Subsequently, the mathematical modeling analysis using those properties was incorporated into the study in order to develop APE (asphaltene precipitation envelope) for better understanding/predicting of asphaltene precipitation behavior. Therefore, this paper describes the integration/optimization of the APE modeling based on all available laboratory data, and consequently suggests representative APE. The APE model validity was evaluated by comparison with actual observation data in the problematic reservoir. Based on the mathematical models once established, several sensitivities, namely mixing with injection gas and blending oils produced from two main producible reservoirs, were investigated in order to assess impacts of the future EOR on asphaltene risk from sub-surface and surface point of views. Several types of injection gas were examined, and their risks were compared and identified. Consequently, the surface facility design was adequately modified and optimized in order to minimize asphaltene risk assisted by gas injection.


Background: Many minerotrophic fens in Central Europe have undergone similar sequences of land-use transformation. Drained and used as meadows or pastures for decades in the twentieth century, they were abandoned in the 1990s due to changes in agricultural economics. This sequence of land-use change has a severe impact on vegetation and is likely to initiate secondary succession and is possibly leading to an impoverishment in species diversity and to taxonomic homogenisation. Aims: We assess the impact of agricultural use and subsequent abandonment on vegetation composition in a percolation fen in north Germany and characterise successional changes and changes in abiotic site conditions. Methods: In 2010, we resampled 77 plots of a phytosociological survey from 1967–1970 in a lowland percolation mire complex in the lower Recknitz valley, north-east Germany. These included three characteristic vegetation types of percolation fens. To investigate and quantify vegetation changes we used dissimilarity measures, diversity metrics and ecological species indicator values. Results: Overall species richness declined only slightly while there was a more pronounced decrease in species richness at the plot level in all recorded vegetation types, resulting in increased beta diversity. Generalist and nitrophilous species increased in abundance, indicating ongoing succession. Conclusions: Drainage for agricultural use and subsequent abandonment has long-lasting effects. Altered hydrological and nutrient status of the fen soil has initiated secondary succession. There is indication of an extinction debt that in the future may lead to an impoverishment of species diversity in the area. Conservation of open mesotrophic fen species may thus only be achieved if moderate use is continued and hydrologic conservation measures are applied on wide contiguous areas.


The development of photobioelectrochemical systems is an exciting field requiring a combination of electrochemical, biological and material science knowledge. One of the main advantages of applying anoxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms versus non-photosynthetic bacteria is the possibility to utilize sunlight as the energy source, while removing organic contaminants from a solution. Since bacterial cells utilize energy to maintain the intracellular osmolarity, bacterial species that do not rely on organic species as an energy source have an advantage over species requiring them for their sustainment. Herein, we discuss the possible use of Rhodobacter capsulatus, an extremely versatile photosynthetic purple bacteria, for application in environments within a range of low to moderately high salinity (0-25 g L-1 NaCl). Bacterial cells' capability to adapt to changing salinity, and effects on bioelectrochemical performance will be presented, as well as major drawbacks and research needs to drive future efforts and discussions.


At airports Stakeholders, like ANSP, airport authority, ground service provider and airlines are driven by different goals. Therefore they very often just focus on their own processes and do not coordinate with other Stakeholders. That results in missing information, installation of buffer times and a lack of alignment. The new concept of a Performance Based Airport Management (PBAM) introduces Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to manage the processes and requires the involvement of all Stakeholders. As one enabler for PBAM pre-tactical planning of airport processes is identified. Particularly disruptive for the daily airport business are weather events like thunderstorms or snow fall and freezing rain. Today impacts on the operations are awaited but mostly not considered in pre-tactical planning (timeframe up to day of ops) of operational processes. Often, the present meteorological services do not meet the needs of operators at an airport or the delivered products are not specific enough. The disruptive impact of adverse weather on an airport could however be mitigated by using dedicated and tailored observations and forecasts of weather and integrating them into the information sharing and decision making processes. Through a reliable and robust weather forecast air traffic can be operationally influenced much earlier and necessary decisions can be initiated.


Modern agricultural development is largely determined by the acceleration of productivity improvement, quality andvalue-added production to agribusiness and agro-industry approach. Since the development of the green revolution,agricultural technology and agricultural business management in the country has developed rapidly, especially inincreasing the production of various food commodities through the development program planned by the government.To encourage increased capacity of farmers towards the realization of a more modern agriculture the government toprovide top down approach guidance through the extension program and the spread of agricultural extension fieldworkers (PPL). The process of technological innovation and adoption of agricultural business management hasoccurred through the Village Unit Cooperatives (KUD), but it has an impact on the dependence of farmers to thegovernment and adoption of technological innovation has decreased (stagnant). Independence and competitiveness offarmers through KUD has decreased, consequently increasing agricultural productivity also hampered and economicconditions of farmers highly dependent on government aid with very weak competitiveness. Entering the era ofglobalization with a very dynamic communication technologies development require a sustainable modernagriculture development model with agribusiness and agro-industry approach to farmer competitiveness based onstrengthening farmer agricultural cooperative. Performance and capacity of agricultural cooperatives will beenhanced if there is a KUD arrangement and able to take advantage of the available information optimally. To buildan independent and competitive agricultural cooperative, need to develop a specific leading commodity programs inits working areas as agribusiness development area (KPA) as the concept of OTOP (One Tambon One Product)which has been implemented in Thailand and Japan. The role of cooperative organizations communications withtwo-way communication model (convergence) can support the synergy of cooperation with other economic actorstowards the realization of a more modern agriculture.


Abstract The following paper will map the memetic lineage of the football chant that evolved from The White Stripes song 'Seven Nation Army' (2003) and analyse the various adaptations and composite readings it has accrued since its release. In The Selfish Gene (1976), Richard Dawkins proposed that the spread of cultural phenomena follows a comparable process to genetic reproduction. The term Dawkins uses to describe these cultural 'genes' is 'memes' and one of the examples he gives are melodies (1976, 192). The simple and memorable seven note progression which forms the central riff of 'Seven Nation Army' has proved to be extraordinarily successful in terms of memetic transmission. It first appeared as a terrace chant in Europe, but spread to the UK as football supporters adapted it to match their team colours and players' names. The guitar riff was also remixed, looped and used as the official goal song for the UEFA European Cup in 2016. In the summer of 2017 the chant took on a political dimension. Following a speech by Jeremy Corbyn at the Wirral Music festival, the crowd sang the labour leader's name to the tune. This then spread to other music festivals, most notably Glastonbury where the chanting crowds received extensive media coverage. This paper will explore the propagation and adaptation of this musical meme. It will align the meme's lineage with an exploration of the sociological and performative factors that inform terrace chants, and identify how these traditions and conventions influenced the various manifestations that permeated through popular culture. From a musicological perspective it will consider what it is about these seven notes that gives the meme such versatility and identify how changes to the content and context of the chant alter its function and meaning.


Under high pressure of more than 1GPa, the grain growing process of Zinc-Aluminium (ZA) alloy is difficult observed by experimental method, therefore numerical simulation method is used to observe grain growing process of ZA alloy. Pressure as a important variable is leading-in thermodynamic parameters of ZA alloy, then solute diffusion and redistribution model, grain nucleating and growing model are present, and dendrite growth module is applied to describe grain growth. The simulation results of grain growth process under high pressure are demonstrated: In the initially solidification stage, grains are equiaxed growing process, after 15s solidification time, dendrite arm size are not equal, the reason is there are nonhomogeneous temperature fields around grains, which make some grains appear fast growing velocity, even it can be observed that dendrite arm of different grains are meet each other at 25s solidification time. Comparing simulated microstructure with experimental microstructure under 2GPa high pressure, it shows both grain size and grain distribution are similar, proving that the grain growing process can be well observed by simulation method.


Video games are quickly becoming a significant part of society with a growing industry that employs a wide range of talent, from programmers to graphic artists. Video games are also becoming an interesting and useful testbed for Artificial Intelligence research. Complex, realistic environmental constraints, as well as performance considerations demand highly efficient AI techniques. At the same time, the AI component of a video game may define the ongoing commercial success, or failure, of a particular game or game engine. This research details an approach to opponent modeling in a first person shooter game, and evaluates proficiency gains facilitated by such a technique. Information about the user is recorded and used by the existing Artificial Intelligence component to select tactics for any given opponent. The evaluation results show that when computer characters use such modeling they are more effective than when they do not model their opponent.


ABSTRACT The density of V-shaped impact pits on the surface of quartz grains has been investigated for seven size fractions (- 1.0 to 2.0 ) in a single sand sample, collected from the trough of a megaripple in the intertidal zone on the south side of Selmah Bar, Cobequid Bay, Bay of Fundy. V density on each grain was measured in two square areas of different size, in the center of SEM photos taken at magnifications of 5,000 and 10,000. V density was found to be a function of technique of measurement (area, magnification) and grain size: it was larger for smaller areas, higher magnifications, and larger grain sizes. A high degree of precision in measuring V density can be achieved only by adopting closely standardize measurement procedures. V density increases from medium to very coarse sand grades, but the rate of V density increase is relatively low in the coarse sand grade. The coarse sand grade also corresponds to the point of equal overlap between intermittent suspension and traction grain-size populations. It is suggested that Vs are produced by grain impacts in a zone of high grain concentration close to the bed and that the low rate of V density increase at the boundary between the two grain-size populations can be attributed to a combination of the effects of sheltering of coarse sand by larger grains, and the reduced time that grains of coarse sand spend in suspension close to the bed.


1. An investigation has been made of the factors which cause sodium loss from ammocoetes when they are immersed in de-ionized water at 1° and 10° C. 2. Sodium influx ceases when animals are first immersed in de-ionized water, but can recommence when the animal loses sufficient sodium to the environment. The concentration of sodium required for influx to take place decreases with succeeding periods of immersion in de-ionized water at 10° C. and reaches minimum equilibrium concentrations as low as 0.005 mM-Na/l. 3. Low temperature inhibits sodium influx and thus promotes net loss of sodium to de-ionized water. 4. Low temperature also decreases the initial loss of sodium to de-ionized water and probably lowers the permeability of the external surfaces of the animal to ions. This effect is small compared with the inhibition of ion uptake so that the combined result is to increase the net loss of sodium from the animal. 5. Since animals lose calcium to de-ionized water and show a decreased rate of sodium loss when calcium salts are added, it is believed that the high rates of sodium loss in de-ionized water are attributable to the effect of calcium on permeability. 6. Lack of calcium may also explain why animals which have been depleted of sodium by low-temperature treatment take up sodium much faster at higher temperatures from dilute Ringer solutions than from pure sodium chloride solutions. 7. When animals lose ions to de-ionized water at low temperature, sodium and chloride are lost from the extracellular space, whilst the muscle cells lose potassium. These ions are recovered into the extracellular space when animals are allowed to take up ions at 10° C. from diluted Ringer solution later.


Two genera are revised based on material from Buryatia (Russia, East Siberia). Vertagopus ceratus sp. nov. and V. asiaticus sp. nov. are described of which the former species is strictly alpine and is defined by pale colouration, the presence of chaetae on the anterior side of the ventral tube, and abundant sensillar chaetotaxy. V. asiaticus sp. nov. is widely distributed in Asia and is unusual due to only 9 chaetae in apical whorl on tibiotarsi. A key to species of Vertagopus Börner, recorded in the republic is given, and notes on morphology, distribution, and ecology are provided. In the genus Agrenia Börner, a form similar with A. bidenticulata was recorded in mountainous areas. Buryatian populations considerably differ from the diagnosis of the typical arctic A.bidenticulata (Tullberg) by a much longer claw. A conception of A. bidenticulata sensu lato complex is temporarily proposed basing on available materials from Palearctic, including High Arctic, sub-Arctic and South Siberian mountains. The complex consists of several local forms which are different in Claw index and associated Tibiotarsus/Claw ratio, while the dependence of the two indexes on the latitude is shown.


Antibiotics are used for fighting pathogens, but also target our commensal bacteria as a side effect, disturbing the gut microbiota composition and causing dysbiosis and disease1-3. Despite this well-known collateral damage, the activity spectrum of the different antibiotic classes on gut bacteria remains poorly characterized. Having monitored the activities of >1,000 marketed drugs on 38 representative species of the healthy human gut microbiome4, we here characterize further the 144 antibiotics therein, representing all major classes. We determined >800 Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) and extended the antibiotic profiling to 10 additional species to validate these results and link to available data on antibiotic breakpoints for gut microbes. Antibiotic classes exhibited distinct inhibition spectra, including generation-dependent effects by quinolones and phylogeny-independence by β-lactams. Macrolides and tetracyclines, two prototypic classes of bacteriostatic protein synthesis inhibitors, inhibited almost all commensals tested. We established that both kill different subsets of prevalent commensal bacteria, and cause cell lysis in specific cases. This species-specific activity challenges the long-standing divide of antibiotics into bactericidal and bacteriostatic, and provides a possible explanation for the strong impact of macrolides on the gut microbiota composition in animals5-8 and humans9-11. To mitigate the collateral damage of macrolides and tetracyclines on gut commensals, we exploited the fact that drug combinations have species-specific outcomes in bacteria12 and sought marketed drugs, which could antagonize the activity of these antibiotics in abundant gut commensal species. By screening >1,000 drugs, we identified several such antidotes capable of protecting gut species from these antibiotics without compromising their activity against relevant pathogens. Altogether, this study broadens our understanding of antibiotic action on gut commensals, uncovers a previously unappreciated and broad bactericidal effect of prototypical bacteriostatic antibiotics on gut bacteria, and opens avenues for preventing the collateral damage caused by antibiotics on human gut commensals.