Academic institutions and community-based organizations have increasingly recognized the value of working together to meet their different objectives and address common societal needs. In an effort to support the development and maintenance of these partnerships, a diversity of brokering initiatives has emerged. We describe these brokering initiatives broadly as coordinating mechanisms that act as an intermediary with an aim to develop collaborative and sustainable partnerships that provide mutual benefit. A broker can be an individual or an organization that helps connect and support relationships and share knowledge. To date, there has been little scholarly discussion or analysis of the various elements of these initiatives that contribute to successful community–campus partnerships. In an effort to better understand where these features may align and diverge, we reviewed a sample of community–campus brokering initiatives across North America and the United Kingdom to consider their different roles and activities. From this review, we developed a framework to delineate characteristics of different brokering initiatives to better understand their contributions to successful partnerships. The framework is divided into two parts. The first examines the different structural allegiances of the brokering initiatives by identifying their affiliation, principle purpose, and who received primary benefits. The second considers the dimensions of brokering activities in respect to their level of engagement, platforms used, scale of activity, and area of focus. The intention of the community campus engagement brokering framework is to provide an analytical tool for academics and community-based practitioners engaged in teaching and research partnerships. When developing a brokering initiative, these categories describing the different structures and dimensions encourage participants to think through the overall goals and objectives of the partnership and adapt the initiative accordingly.


This paper is concerned with the optimal inflation rate in an overlapping-generations economy in which (i) aggregate output is constrained by a standard neoclassical production function with diminishing marginal products for both capital and labor and (ii) the transaction-facilitating services of money are represented by means of a money-in-the-utility-function specification. With monetary injections provided by lump-sum transfers, the famous Chicago Rule prescription for monetary growth is necessary for Pareto optimality but a competitive equilibrium may fail to be Pareto optimal with that rule in force because of capital over accumulation. The latter possibility does not exist, however, if the economy includes an asset that is productive and non-reproducible--i.e., if the economy is one with land. As this conclusion is independent of the monetary aspects of the model, it is argued that the possibility of capital over accumulation should not be regarded as a matter of theoretical concern, even in the absence of government debt, intergenerational altruism, and social security systems or other "social contrivances."


ABSTRACT Hydrogen is a clean energy source with a relatively low pollution footprint. However, hydrogen does not exist in nature as a separate element but only in compound forms. Hydrogen is produced through a process that dissociates it from its compounds. Several methods are used for hydrogen production, which first of all differ in the energy used in this process. Investigating the viability and exact applicability of a method in a specific context requires accurate knowledge of the parameters involved in the method and the interaction between these parameters. This can be done using top-down models relying on complex mathematically driven equations. However, with the raise of computational intelligence (CI) and machine learning techniques, researchers in hydrology have increasingly been using these methods for this complex task and report promising results. The contribution of this study is to investigate the state of the art CI methods employed in hydrogen production, and to identify the CI method(s) that perform better in the prediction, assessment and optimization tasks related to different types of Hydrogen production methods. The resulting analysis provides in-depth insight into the different hydrogen production methods, modeling technique and the obtained results from various scenarios, integrating them within the framework of a common discussion and evaluation paper. The identified methods were benchmarked by a qualitative analysis of the accuracy of CI in modeling hydrogen production, providing extensive overview of its usage to empower renewable energy utilization.


To fulfill installation requirements, sometimes, two or more cables have to be connected in parallel in a three-phase power distribution system. The division of the current among the adjacent cables is governed by several factors, such as position, phase order, and the grounding method of the metal screen. Dissimilar current distributions result in dissimilar power and magnetic-field distributions. Consequently, a modified phase order can alter the total losses and the magnetic induction above the ground. This study demonstrates this effect by finite element simulations of grouped single-core underground cables buried in flat formation, and with screens bonded and grounded at both the ends.


This article presents results from the first detailed study on the feeding habits of fish assemblages associated with offshore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. Multi-seasonal sam- pling was conducted at one of the oil platforms located in the central North Sea between Septem- ber 2010 and January 2014 to characterise temporal variation in the stomach contents of different fish species. A total of 6 fish species were recorded, including commercially important gadoids such as saithe Pollachius virens, haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus and cod Gadus morhua. Saithe fed predominantly on euphausiids and haddock consumed a large proportion of ophi- uroids, whereas cod were mainly piscivorous. The prey compositions were significantly different between species, indicating the presence of interspecific prey resource partitioning among those species. To further investigate possible links between the feeding habits of the most dominant fish species, saithe, and the physical presence of offshore platforms across the North Sea, a separate set of stomach data was collected during the 2012 Quarter 3 International Bottom Trawl Survey aboard the FRV 'Scotia'. The multivariate analysis of both data sets showed that the observed spatio-temporal variability in the saithe diet was significantly explained by proximity to the near- est offshore platforms and changes in water temperatures, which appear to reflect patterns of euphausiid availability over space and time. The physical presence of the offshore structures may potentially affect the distribution/availability of zooplankton (i.e. euphausiids) and thereby influ- ence the feeding behaviour of saithe and any other marine populations that are interconnected to the dynamics of such trophic interactions.


This paper studies a general equilibrium model of rural-urban migration in which manufacturing firms engage in oligopolistic competition and choose increasing returns technologies to maximize profits. Urban residents incur commuting costs to work in the Central Business District. Surprisingly a change in the size of the population or an increase in the exogenously given wage rate will not affect a manufacturing firmi¯s choice of technology. This helps to explain why firms in developing countries may not adopt labor intensive technologies even under abundant labor supply. An increase in the number of manufacturing firms increases both the employment rate and the level of employment in the manufacturing sector. However, manufacturing firms choose less advanced technologies. Capital accumulation leads manufacturing firms to choose more advanced technologies, but may not increase employment in the manufacturing sector.


Abstract Griphobilharzia amoena Platt and Blair, 1991 was originally described as a dioecious trematode parasitic in the circulatory system of the Australian freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus johnstoni, with the female completely enclosed in a gynecophoric chamber of the male, and the 2 worms oriented anti-parallel to each other. A recent publication questions the original description arguing that G. amoena is monoecious and as a consequence, the species was transferred to Vasotrema Stunkard, 1928 (Spirorchiidae) as V. amoena n. comb. We provide photomicrographic evidence that the original description of G. amoena is correct and that Griphobilharzia Platt and Blair, 1991, is a valid monotypic genus containing G. amoena. An accurate understanding of the anatomy of G. amoena is not trivial and has implications for revealing the complex origins and evolution of the dioecious condition within the Schistosomatoidea.


Rifted margins include series of tectonic structures and basement geometries that record the thinning of continental crust and the birth of oceanic spreading centers. A consensus has been reached on the fact that the evolution is composite, including a phase of basement exhumation during which detachment faults play a major role. Rolling-hinge–type models are often advocated as the driving mechanism for basement exhumation, although the structural complexity of the exhumed regions frequently prohibits detailed analysis of the ways in which the faults form and evolve through time. Here, we place constraints on this process through an analysis of continental rifting numerical simulations, which we used to map fault network activity. The high-resolution models and mapping reveal a specific weak surface where detachments initiate at depth and terminate while migrating upward to the seafloor. This "detachment factory" model provides constraints on where, when, and how detachment faults originate in an exhumation system. Our model also predicts how abandoned detachments migrate off-axis with time, within the footwall and hanging wall, generating specific signals in geophysical data sets.


Objective: To find out the frequency of variations in coeliac trunk branching pattern by Using 3D Multidetector Computer Tomographic Angiography (MDCTA),in patients referred to Radiology Department  of Ziauddin University Hospital with abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, kidney or adrenal pathologies
Method: For this study, 160 individuals aged 20-60 years, without any abdominal vascular or upper ab- dominal visceral disease who presented to Radiology Department, Ziauddin University Hospital, Clifton Karachi, for abdominal 3D-MDCTA (3-dimensional multidetector  computed  tomographic  angiography)  from March 2017 to August 2017 were recruited in this study.  It  was  a  cross-sectional  study  and  samples were collected through non-probability convenience sampling technique. Recruitment of study participants was done from patients who were referred to radiology department of Ziauddin University Hospital for abdominal contrast MDCTA examination due to various indications such as abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, kidney and adrenal pathologies. Persons having serum creatinine levels <1.4 mg/dl with no hepatobiliary pathologies, pancreatic or abdominal vascular lesions were included while patient having, abdominal malignancy distorting vascular anatomy, vasculitis and atherosclerosis were ex- cluded from the study. Patients having history of liver transplant or upper abdominal surgeries or those having history of allergic reaction to contrast agents and pregnant ladies were also excluded from the   study. Coeliac trunk variations were categorised according to Uflacker's classification into 8 types. Statis- tical analysis was done on SPSS version 20. Data is presented in percentages and frequencies.
Results: Classical coeliac trunk (type I) was present in 134 out of 160 (83.9%)  individuals  while 26 (16.1%) individuals showed coeliac trunk variations. Type II and type V variations were second most fre- quent variations i.e. in 9 (5.6%) individuals each, followed by type VII in 5 (3.6%) individuals. Type  III, IV  and VI showed variations in 1 (0.6%) individual each. Type VIII was not found in our sample.
Conclusion: The present study reports normal configuration of coeliac trunk i.e, classic or type I coeliac trunk in 83.9% individuals and coeliac trunk variations in 16.1% individuals.


The vials used for the preparation of breath samples for automated solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis are crimped with septa. These septa often emit specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) confounding the measurement results of breath samples. In the current paper, 14 different brands of magnetic caps with silicone-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), butyl-PTFE, or butyl rubber septa were tested. The total emission of septa over a 4 h period was also evaluated. The tested septa emitted 39 different compounds, which are mainly hydrocarbons, alcohols, and ketones. Acetone and toluene are the most abundant out-gassing products. The concentration of acetone was in the range from 55 to 694 ppb for butyl-PTFE septum (brand 14) and butyl rubber (brand 10), respectively. The measured toluene amount was 69-1323 ppb for the septum brand 14 and brand 8 (silicone-PTFE), respectively. Generally, the butyl rubber septa released higher amounts of contaminants in comparison to the silicone ones.


OBJECTIVE
A massive nerve agent attack may rapidly deplete in-date supplies of atropine. The authors considered using atropine beyond its labeled shelf life. The objective was to determine the stability of premixed injectable atropine sulfate samples with different expiration dates.

METHODS
This was an in-vitro study using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Four atropine solutions (labeled concentration of 400 microg/mL) ranging from in date to 12 years beyond expiration (exp) and an additional sample of atropine sulfate (labeled concentration of 2,000 microg/mL) obtained from a World War II era autoinjector were assayed for atropine stability. Standards of atropine sulfate and tropine were prepared and quantified by GC/MS. Study samples were prepared by adding a buffer solution to free the base, extracting with an isopropanol/methylene chloride mixture and followed by evaporating the organic layer to dryness. Pentafluoropropionic anhydride and pentafluoropropanol were then added as derivatization reagents. Study samples were heated, the derivitization reagents were evaporated, and the remaining compound was reconstituted in ethyl acetate for injection into the GC/MS.

RESULTS
All solutions were clear and colorless. Atropine concentrations were as follows: in date, 252 microg/mL; 2001 exp, 290 microg/mL; 1999 exp, 314 microg/mL; 1990 exp, 398 microg/mL; and WW II specimen, 1,475 microg/mL. Tropine was found in concentrations of <10 microg/mL in all study samples.

CONCLUSIONS
Significant amounts of atropine were found in all study samples. All samples remained clear and colorless, and no substantial amount of tropine was found in any study sample. Further testing is needed to determine clinical effect.


River
Tigris divides Baghdad, capital of Iraq, in two parts. The reach of the river
within Baghdad is about 60 km long. Many islands and bars are obstructing the
flow of the river within Baghdad. To overcome this problem, dredging operations
started along most of Tigris River inside Baghdad City to remove many islands
and side bars, which reduced the flooding capacity and the efficiency of water
intakes. An examination for the dredging plan under process and two proposed
additional plans was performed using the Hydrologic Engineering Centers River
Analysis System software (HEC-RAS) for a 50 km long river reach to investigate
whether they can recover the designed flooding capacity of the river or just
improving it. Calibration and verification processes were implemented in the
model using observed water levels at Sarai Baghdad gauging station and along
the last 15 km of the river reach. Comparisons of computed water levels were
conducted with those of previous studies and historical data. Some improvement
of flood capacity was achieved based on the recorded data of the last three
decades. Cautions about the water intakes should be considered to maintain
their function with the expected drop in water level due to dredging operations.


Denoising is a fundamental challenge in scientific imaging. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) provide the current state of the art in denoising photographic images. However, their potential has been inadequately explored for scientific imaging. Denoising CNNs are typically trained on clean images corrupted with artificial noise, but in scientific applications, noiseless ground-truth images are usually not available. To address this, we propose a simulation-based denoising (SBD) framework, in which CNNs are trained on simulated images. We test the framework on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data, showing that it outperforms existing techniques on a simulated benchmark dataset, and on real data. We analyze the generalization capability of SBD, demonstrating that the trained networks are robust to variations of imaging parameters and of the underlying signal structure. Our results reveal that state-of-the-art architectures for denoising photographic images may not be well adapted to scientific-imaging data. For instance, substantially increasing their field-of-view dramatically improves their performance on TEM images acquired at low signal-to-noise ratios. We also demonstrate that standard performance metrics for photographs (such as peak signal-to-noise ratio) may not be scientifically meaningful, and propose several metrics to remedy this issue in the case of TEM images. In addition, we propose a technique, based on likelihood computations, to visualize the agreement between the structure of the denoised images and the observed data. Finally, we release a publicly available benchmark dataset containing 18,000 simulated TEM images.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
Colonoscopy without sedation costs less than sedated colonoscopy. The aim of this study is to identify the patient factors predicting the completion of colonoscopy without sedation.

METHODOLOGY
Between May and September 2005, a single colorectal surgeon performed 120 consecutive colonoscopies. Patient demographic, clinical and colonoscopy-related data were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS
Out of 120 colonoscopies performed, 11 were excluded due to obstruction of the colon by a tumor or poor preparation. Therefore, the study group contained 109 patients. Ninety-three (85.3%) colonoscopies were completed. Completion rate (odds ratio for completion [95% confidence interval]) was significantly associated with the male gender (5.03 [1.35-18.86]), high body mass index (4.42 [1.18-16.67]), no previous history of gynecological surgery (6.36 [1.84-22.14]), and previous colonic resection. Previous gynecological surgery was significantly associated with lower completion rates as shown using multivariate analysis. No complications relating to colonoscopy were observed.

CONCLUSIONS
In the majority of patients, a colorectal surgeon with adequate endoscopy experience can perform sedation-free colonoscopy successfully and safely. Gender, previous gynecological surgery, previous colonic resection, and body mass index were predictive factors for successful colonoscopy without sedation.


CONTEXT
Intermittent PTH treatment stimulates bone formation, but the mechanism(s) of this effect remain unclear. Sclerostin is an inhibitor of Wnt signaling, and animal studies have demonstrated that PTH suppresses sclerostin production.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to test whether intermittent PTH treatment of postmenopausal women alters circulating sclerostin levels.

DESIGN
Prospective study.

SETTING
The study was conducted at a clinical research unit.

PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS
Participants included 27 postmenopausal women treated with PTH (1-34) for 14 d and 28 control women.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Serum sclerostin levels were measured.

RESULTS
Circulating sclerostin levels decreased significantly in the PTH-treated subjects, from (mean ± SEM) 551 ± 32 to 482 ± 31 pg/ml (-12.7%, P < 0.0001) but did not change in the control women (baseline, 559 ± 34 pg/ml; end point, 537 ± 40 pg/ml, P = 0.207; P = 0.017 for difference in changes between groups). Bone marrow plasma was obtained in a subset of the control and PTH-treated subjects (n = 19 each) at the end of the treatment period, and marrow plasma and peripheral serum sclerostin levels were significantly correlated (R = 0.64, P < 0.0001). Marrow plasma sclerostin levels were 24% lower in PTH-treated compared with control women, but perhaps due to the smaller sample size, this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.173).

CONCLUSIONS
Circulating sclerostin levels correlate with bone marrow plasma levels and are reduced by intermittent PTH therapy in postmenopausal women. Further studies are needed to assess the extent to which decreases in sclerostin production contribute to the anabolic skeletal response to PTH.


Abstract In this work, the technology of carbothermic reduction was used to extract iron and remove sodium from red mud. The effect of various parameters like reduction time, temperature, and basicity on melting separation and de-alkalization was studied. At the optimum reduction temperature of 1,450°C, the basicity of 1.5, and reduction time of 12 min, the metallization rate and sodium removal reach 96.63 and 90.62%, respectively. Melting and separating conditions gradually improve with the temperature increasing from 1,350 to 1,450°C. At high basicity (R = 2), the condition of melting and separation is poor due to a large amount of Ca2Al2SiO7 produced, which has a high melting point. Subsequently, in order to explore the aggregation state of iron ions under different basicities, the microstructure of pellets was observed by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that when the basicity is 1.5, the aggregation degree of iron particles significantly increases. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of the reduced pellets indicated that at different basicities, the final phase composition of reduced pellets is mainly Ca2Al2SiO7, which is the basic material for preparing cement materials and glass ceramics. Thus, the carbothermic-reduction method is a sustainable process for dealing with the Bayer bauxite residue.


Abstract This paper examines the loss of a parent in young adulthood, showing how this emergent and distinctive life stage shapes Dutch young people's experience of bereavement. Youth material cultures have commonly been analysed in terms of the construction and expression of youth identities, for example, through style, music and leisure. In this research, we highlight three themes in young people's relationship to material culture as part of their everyday lived experience of parental loss: first, the parental home as a space of departure, memory and return, and the potential for conflict, destabilisation and misunderstanding when the remaining parent transforms the home or embarks on a new relationship; second, the different strategies young adults use to commemorate their parent in their own temporary or shared accommodation and online space; and third, the role of small, portable but effective keepsakes and adornment, such as jewellery or tattoos, that meet their need for the emotional experience of closeness with the memory of their parent. A focus on the material trajectories of grief grants insights into how young adults cope with loss in their everyday life, generating understanding of the ways young people may support themselves and be supported by others in the context of parental bereavement.


Migrations are key events in the annual life cycle for many animal species, including baleen whales. Despite having some of the longest migrations among mammals, relatively little is known about what triggers migration behaviour in baleen whales, and how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the timing of migrations. This study investigated the timing of migration in southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) and whether the probability of departure of individuals from winter breeding and calving grounds is determined by intrinsic (maternal body condition and calf size) or extrinsic variables (day length, temperature). Unmanned aerial vehicles were used to record data on the body size (length and width) of right whale mother and calves between the June 24 and September 25, 2016, providing repeated measurements of 40 mother-calf pairs. I used the time interval between sightings of individuals to determine the departure date of whales from the breeding grounds. Generalised linear models were used to determine which variable (maternal body condition, calf size, day length and sea surface temperature) was the best predictor of the departure time of the whales from the breeding grounds. Diurnal period was found to be the best predictor of migration for southern right whales, followed by calf size (i.e. body volume and length), sea surface temperature and maternal body condition. Hence it seems like migration in this population of right whales is determined by calves reaching a large enough body size to facilitate migration, rather than mothers pushing themselves energetically to their lower limit. Apart from improving our understanding of migratory behaviour in large whales, the findings of this study will help determine residency times of southern right whales on their breeding and calving grounds, which can be used to identify key times for protection (e.g. temporary exclusion periods for fisheries) during the winter breeding and calving season.


Two well known, biologically inspired non-dynamical models of stochastic resonance, the threshold-crossing model and the fluctuating rate model, are analyzed in terms of channel information capacity and dissipation of energy necessary for small-signal transduction. Using analogies to spike propagation in neurons we postulate the average output pulse rate as a measure of dissipation. The dissipation increases monotonically with the input noise. We find that for small dissipation both models give a close to linear dependence of the channel information capacity on dissipation. In both models the channel information capacity, as a function of dissipation, has a maximum at input noise amplitude that is different from that in the standard signal-to-noise ratio versus input noise plot. Though a direct comparison is not straightforward, for small signals the threshold model gives appreciably higher density of information per dissipation than the exponential fluctuating rate model. We show that a formal introduction of cooperativity in the rate fluctuating model permits us to imitate the response function of the threshold model and to enhance performance. This finding may have direct relevance to real neural spike generation where, due to a strong positive feedback, the ion channel currents add up in a synchronized way.


Background Patients with neurodegenerative diseases usually experience significant functional deficits. Older adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) may suffer from both motor and cognitive impairments, making them especially vulnerable to poor dual-task performance. Objective To analyze the dual-task cost of walking in subjects with PD and AD exposed to motor and cognitive distracters. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 126 older adults comprising three groups: PD (n=43), AD (n=38), and control (n=45). The subjects were evaluated using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test administered with motor and cognitive distracters. Mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) with cognition as a covariant factor was used to test the possible main effects of dual-task on motion. A 5% threshold for significance was set, with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The partial eta square (n2p) analysis was included to estimate the magnitude of effect. Results Examining the effects for dual-task, ANOVA revealed the main effect for group×task interactions (F=13.09; P=0.001; n2p =0.178), for task (F=8.186; P=0.001; n2p =0.063) but not for group (F=2.954; P=0.056; n2p =0.047). Cognition applied as a covariant factor indicated interference on dual-tasks (F=30.43; P=0.001; n2p =0.201). Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that dual-task interference is a particularly noticeable problem in PD and AD, affecting subjects' ability to appropriately adapt to environmental challenges.


In this study, adaptive local binary patterns (ALBP) are proposed for image retrieval and classification. ALBP are based on texture features for local binary patterns. The texture features were used to propose an adaptive local binary patterns histogram (ALBPH) and gradient for adaptive local binary patterns (GALBP) in this study. Two texture features are most useful for describing the relationship in a local neighbourhood. ALBPH shows the texture distribution of an image by identifying and employing the difference between the centre pixel and the neighbourhood pixel values. In the GALBP, the gradient for each pixel is computed and the sum of the gradient of the ALBP number is adopted as an image feature. In this study, a set of colour and greyscale images were used to generate a variety of image subsets. Then, image retrieval and classification experiments were carried out for analysis and comparison with other methods. From the experimental results, the authors discovered that the proposed feature extraction method can effectively describe the characteristics of images in regard to texture image and image type. The image retrieval and classification experiments also produced better results than other methods.


An L-slot loaded rectangular microstrip patch antenna (RMSA) for compact, dual band operation is investigated. By varying the dimensions of L-slot, resonant frequencies of both the bands can be altered. An approximate Transmission line based equivalent model is proposed, which agrees well with simulation results. It has been observed that depending on the dimensions of unperturbed, regular RMSA, the proposed antenna exhibits frequency ratios in the range 1.03 to 1.5. By suitable selection of L-slot dimensions, broadband characteristics can be achieved as well.


This work presents approaches and biomedical challenges of dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). DCE-MRI using small molecular weight gadolinium chelates enables noninvasive imaging characterization of tissue vascularity. Depending on the technique used, data reflecting tissue perfusion (blood flow, blood volume, mean transit time), microvessel permeability surface area product, and extracellular leakage space can be obtained. Insights into these physiological processes can be obtained from inspection of kinetic enhancement curves or by the application of complex compartmental modeling techniques. Potential clinical applications include screening for malignant disease, lesion characterization, monitoring lesion response to treatment, and assessment of residual disease. Newer applications include prognostication, pharmacodynamic assessments of antivascular anticancer drugs, and predicting efficacy of treatment. For dynamic MRI to enter into widespread clinical practice, it will be necessary to develop standardized approaches to measurement and robust analysis approaches. These include the need for commercial equipment manufacturers to provide robust methods for rapidly measuring time-varying change in T1 relaxation rates, incorporation of arterial input function into kinetic modeling processes, robust analysis software that allows input from a variety of MRI devices, and validated statistical tools for the evaluation of heterogeneity.


Abstract. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) recently
released the first 7-year segment of its latest atmospheric reanalysis: ERA-5
over the period 2010–2016. ERA-5 has important changes relative to the former ERA-Interim
atmospheric reanalysis including higher spatial and temporal resolutions as
well as a more recent model and data assimilation system. ERA-5 is foreseen
to replace ERA-Interim reanalysis and one of the main goals of this study is
to assess whether ERA-5 can enhance the simulation performances with respect
to ERA-Interim when it is used to force a land surface model (LSM). To that
end, both ERA-5 and ERA-Interim are used to force the ISBA (Interactions
between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere) LSM fully coupled with the Total
Runoff Integrating Pathways (TRIP) scheme adapted for the CNRM (Centre
National de Recherches Météorologiques) continental hydrological
system within the SURFEX (SURFace Externalisée) modelling platform of
Météo-France. Simulations cover the 2010–2016 period at half a
degree spatial resolution. The ERA-5 impact on ISBA LSM relative to ERA-Interim is evaluated using
remote sensing and in situ observations covering a substantial part of the
land surface storage and fluxes over the continental US domain.
The remote sensing observations include (i) satellite-driven model
estimates of land evapotranspiration, (ii) upscaled ground-based observations
of gross primary production, (iii) satellite-derived estimates of surface
soil moisture and (iv) satellite-derived estimates of leaf area index (LAI).
The in situ observations cover (i) soil moisture, (ii) turbulent heat fluxes,
(iii) river discharges and (iv) snow depth. ERA-5 leads to a consistent
improvement over ERA-Interim as verified by the use of these eight
independent observations of different land status and of the model
simulations forced by ERA-5 when compared with ERA-Interim. This is
particularly evident for the land surface variables linked to the terrestrial
hydrological cycle, while variables linked to vegetation are less impacted.
Results also indicate that while precipitation provides, to a large extent,
improvements in surface fields (e.g. large improvement in the representation
of river discharge and snow depth), the other atmospheric variables play an
important role, contributing to the overall improvements. These results
highlight the importance of enhanced meteorological forcing quality provided
by the new ERA-5 reanalysis, which will pave the way for a new generation of
land-surface developments and applications.


BACKGROUND
Vasodilative therapy in the form of calcium channel blockers and, recently, continuous intravenous prostacyclin has improved exercise capacity and reduced mortality in primary pulmonary hypertension. Their clinical value is limited by either low rate of response or serious side effects. These shortcomings could be overcome by the use of iloprost, a stable prostacyclin analogue. Administering it by inhalation, we assessed its short-term efficacy in patients with primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We studied six patients with primary and six with secondary pulmonary hypertension, all with New York Heart Association functional class III or IV symptoms of congestive heart failure. Iloprost was nebulised with 8 l/min of oxygen and administered in increasing doses from 10 to 40 micrograms via a facemask. The haemodynamic effects of iloprost was assessed by right-heart catheterisation.

RESULTS
Inhalation of iloprost was well tolerated, and produced a median reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure from 52 (42-63) to 41 (35-56) mm Hg (p < 0.05). Cardiac output increased from 3.5 (2.8-4.3) to 4.1 (3.1-5.1) l/min (p < 0.05) and pulmonary vascular resistance decreased from 1036 (722-1526) to 753 (446-1107) dyn.sek.cm-5 (p < 0.01). No changes occurred in heart rate, systemic blood pressure or pulmonary wedge pressure.

INTERPRETATION
Drug testing with inhalation of iloprost is safe and causes beneficial haemodynamic changes with selective pulmonary vasodilatation. Since the long-term effect of medical intervention is based on the degree of acute pulmonary vascular reactivity, inhalation of iloprost may be a new therapeutic option for severe pulmonary hypertension.


Producing secure software is challenging. The poor usability of security APIs makes this even harder. Many recommendations have been proposed to support developers by improving the usability of cryptography libraries and APIs; rooted in wider best practice guidance in software engineering and API design. In this SLR, we systematize knowledge regarding these recommendations. We identify and analyze 65 papers spanning 45 years, offering a total of 883 recommendations.We undertake a thematic analysis to identify 7 core ways to improve usability of APIs. We find that most of the recommendations focus on helping API developers to construct and structure their code and make it more usable and easier for programmers to understand. There is less focus, however, on documentation, writing requirements, code quality assessment and the impact of organizational software development practices. By tracing and analyzing paper ancestry, we map how this knowledge becomes validated and translated over time.We find evidence that less than a quarter of all API usability recommendations are empirically validated, and that recommendations specific to usable security APIs lag even further behind in this regard.


This paper develops meshless methods for probabilistically describing discretisation error in the numerical solution of partial differential equations. This construction enables the solution of Bayesian inverse problems while accounting for the impact of the discretisation of the forward problem. In particular, this drives statistical inferences to be more conservative in the presence of significant solver error. Theoretical results are presented describing rates of convergence for the posteriors in both the forward and inverse problems. This method is tested on a challenging inverse problem with a nonlinear forward model.


Various anaerobic environments exist in the Earth's ecosystem, which can produce a great deal of organic matter each year. In anaerobic habitats, bacterial sulfate reduction may occur due to the action of sulfate-reducing bacteria. As a result, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is formed. This paper focuses on sulfatereducing bacteria and the revision of the activity characteristics of these bacteria in the reducing environment. It discusses the metabolic process of sulfate-reducing bacteria using sulphate and organosulfur compounds as sulfur source, the mechanism of bacterial sulfate reduction and H2S formation mechanism. There are two main ways of H2S formation in sulfate-reducing bacteria, the production of metabolic sulphate and the metabolic organo-sulfur compounds (mainly cysteine). The paper, combined with the activity characteristics of sulfate-reducing bacteria and the pathway of metabolic formation of H2S, also discusses the circulation of sulfur in the environmental system of the Earth due to the action of sulfate-reducing bacteria, concerning the redox zone division in submarine sedimentary strata and landfills, the biogas formation phase of sulfate-reducing bacteria metabolism in sedimentary formations, and the bacterial sulfate reduction action in salt lakes (seawater) systems. Moreover, the production of hydrogen sulfide and the formation model of dolomite are both presented here. The findings support that sulfate-reducing bacteria are the most important biological source of H2S production. The study of the physiological characteristics of sulfate-reducing bacteria and the formation mechanism of H2S due to bacterial sulfate reduction can provide useful reference for the exploration of the laws of sulfur geochemical cycle and the rules of the ecological environment, which is essential for the protection of the natural environment and the restoration of polluted ecosystems, and can also provide a useful reference for the control of aerobic microorganisms.


A2A receptor knockout (A2AR−/−) mice are more anxious and aggressive, and exhibit reduced exploratory activity than their wild‐type littermates (A2AR+/+). Because α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) influences anxiety, aggressiveness and motor activity, we investigated the effect of A2AR gene disruption on α‐MSH content in discrete brain regions and pro‐opiomelanocortin (POMC) expression in the hypothalamus and pituitary. No modification in α‐MSH content was observed in the hypothalamus and medulla oblongata where POMC‐expressing perikarya are located. In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, POMC mRNA levels were not affected by A2AR disruption. Conversely, in A2AR−/− mice, a significant increase in α‐MSH content was observed in the amygdala and cerebral cortex, two regions that are innervated by POMC terminals. In the pars intermedia of the pituitary, A2AR disruption provoked a significant reduction of POMC mRNA expression associated with a decrease in α‐MSH content. By contrast, in the anterior lobe of the pituitary, a substantial increase in POMC mRNA and adrenocorticotropin hormone concentrations was observed, and plasma corticosterone concentration was significantly higher in A2AR−/− mice, revealing hyperactivity of their pituitary‐adrenocortical axis. Together, these results suggest that adenosine, acting through A2A receptors, may modulate the release of α‐MSH in the cerebral cortex and amygdala. The data also indicate that A2A receptors are involved in the control of POMC gene expression and biosynthesis of POMC‐derived peptides in pituitary melanotrophs and corticotrophs.


This dissertation examines the role of manhood in the programme to "civilise" the Indian at the
Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Using gender and race theory as a frame for archival research,
it argues that the model of manhood in operation at Carlisle was contested and changed
throughout the school's history. The hegemonic model at Carlisle's beginning reflected the
school's focus on civilised manliness, which included the ideals of self-sufficiency,
individualism, and Christian morality. This model was progressively displaced by an athletic
version, which promoted masculinity in the form of physical power and victory. The dissertation
will show how the contest between these two models of manhood came to a head in the 1914
Congressional Investigation of Carlisle. During this investigation, the extent to which sex and
alcohol had become inseparable from the athletic model of manhood as well as their prevalence
among Carlisle students was revealed. As a result, school officials worked to return Carlisle to
the original ideal of civilised manliness, but by this time the school was out of step with the
wider demands of government Indian policy; in 1918 it was closed
This work extends previous academic examinations of gender at non-reservation boarding
schools through its focus on masculinity. Specifically, it identifies, defines and explores how
Carlisle's models of manhood changed according to the demands of the school, government
officials and the wider public. It also examines how the school used these different models of
manhood to promote the success of the institution. After Carlisle's commitment to rapid Indian
assimilation was called into question by government policy, the school increasingly utilised the
athletic model of manhood to demonstrate the school's success.
Manhood was a central component of the school's programme to eliminate Indian savagery. As
such, the analysis of manhood at Carlisle provides critical insight into government Indian policy
and white definitions of gender, as well as illuminating the centrality of manhood to the concept
of civilisation.


We present a simulation-based study using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) to identify neutrino interaction vertices in the MINERvA passive targets region, and illustrate the application of domain adversarial neural networks (DANNs) in this context. DANNs are designed to be trained in one domain (simulated data) but tested in a second domain (physics data) and utilize unlabeled data from the second domain so that during training only features which are unable to discriminate between the domains are promoted. MINERvA is a neutrino-nucleus scattering experiment using the NuMI beamline at Fermilab. A-dependent cross sections are an important part of the physics program, and these measurements require vertex finding in complicated events. To illustrate the impact of the DANN we used a modified set of simulation in place of physics data during the training of the DANN and then used the label of the modified simulation during the evaluation of the DANN. We find that deep learning based methods offer significant advantages over our prior track-based reconstruction for the task of vertex finding, and that DANNs are able to improve the performance of deep networks by leveraging available unlabeled data and by mitigating network performance degradation rooted in biases in the physics models used for training.


One of the current challenges in today's ecology research is to understand and quantify the effects of climate changes on biodiversity. In order to detect possible trends in biodiversity patterns, it is necessary to conduct long-term observations in various and representative environments. This is always challenging, even more difficult in marine habitats and in the Southern Ocean in particular.      Since 2012, a submarine observatory of the coastal benthos has been in operation in the Kerguelen Islands. Eight contrasting sites are monitored using photo and video surveys, loggers, and settlement plots. To quantify potential changes, several photographic analysis techniques are also complemented by scuba diving and ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) observations. Investigator scientists have developed and improved new protocols that will be carried out in the long term by the staff of the National Natural Reserve of the French Southern Territories. In order to provide reliable support of species identification, the Proteker program supported by IPEV, French Polar Institute, is currently developing several field guides that should improve the identification of the main taxa being monitored. In light of their abundance in coastal environments of the Kerguelen Islands, and because they are among the most visible invertebrates and the easiest of organisms to consider for monitoring surveys, we first focused on echinoderms. Results of this first study are presented here.      For each echinoderm species, a spreadsheet provides the species name with synonymies, a description of diagnostic features, the recorded distribution, as well as three different types of illustrations: (i) living specimens in their environment, which is useful for scuba divers, (ii) fresh collected specimens out of water, and (iii) specimens fixed in ethanol. Therefore, species can be identified alive while diving, but also after sampling in the field, and after several years in the laboratory. An assessment of Kerguelen's coastal echinoderms is also given.


Immature sugarcane was subjected to variable calcium (Ca) and manganese (Mn) in sand culture. Two levels of Ca were provided in factorial combination with three levels of Mn. Leaf samples were harvested for analysis after 3 months of treatment. There were three objectives: 1, To determine whether Ca could modify the rate of Mn uptake; 2, to determine main effects and interactions of Ca and Mn on specific enzymes; and 3, to study Ca and Mn effects on sugar and nucleotide content of leaves. The following results were obtained : 1. High Ca, 10 meq./liter, enhanced Mn uptake rather than cause Mn suppression. 2. Silicon content was decreased by high Mn (100 p.p.m.), but only when Ca was low. Ca thus is able to interfere with the Mn X Si interaction by which increasing Mn supply decreases Si uptake. 3. Leaf sucrose content was generally higher among plants receiving low Ca. This verifies observations by other workers. 4. High Mn appeared to substitute for high Ca in its influence upon sucrose content and amylase activity. A high-Ca effect upon amylase is induced by Mn without increasing Ca content. 5. High Mn greatly retarded amylase action when Ca supply was low, but had no effect when Ca supply was high. 6. Peroxidase action was relatively high among plants containing less sucrose, verifying earlier observations at this laboratory. High Ca greatly stimulated the enzyme. 7. Content of acid-soluble nucleotides did not vary greatly among treatments. Reducing sugar and total phosphorus content of nucleotide preparations varied strikingly. Sugar content was greatest in preparations from plants receiving both high Ca and high Mn. More than twice as much phosphorus was found in hydrolyzed, low-Ca nucleotide preparations than was present in those of plants receiving high Ca. Ca thus appears to affect the interconversion of organic and inorganic phosphorus. 8. Both Ca and Mn affected the number, concentration, and paper chromatographic properties of unknown fluorescing constituents obtained by anion-exchange chromatography. Adenosine, uridine, cytidine, and glucoseamine were tentatively identified. 9. Paper chromatograms revealed that the sugars glucose, maltose, and raffinose appeared in all peak U.V.-absorbing fractions. Glucoseamine and turanose were apparently present only in plants receiving both low Ca and low Mn. Results of this study suggest that Ca interacts with Mn in mineral absorption and enzyme effects, that Ca can alter known Mn X Si relationships, and that the consequences of variable Ca and Mn content are felt by the plant over a broad range of biochemical reactions.


The vegetation of semi-arid savanna landscapes relies on the fragile equilibrium between rainfall, grazing and res [Trodd and Dougill, 1998]. For a sustainable management of their farms, farmers need to take into account this delicate equilibrium and correctly balance the amount of animals and the available food and water resources. These two quantities are estimated every year at the end of the growing season (end of May) to de ne the yearly management plans [Reinhard, 2017]. Ground based techniques for animal counting and biomass estimation are long and time consuming processes that can hardly provide a good coverage of the farm [Reinhard, 2017]. Farmers are now more and more looking towards remote sensing techniques to overcome the eld work and achieve both these tasks. The main goal of this project was to classify the soil cover in Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve, in the north-eastern Kalahari region of Namibia, in order to provide an estimate of the food availability for wildlife at the end of the growing season. Ultra-high resolution UAV images and coarse resolution satellite images were classi ed using both supervised and unsupervised classi cation techniques. Random Forest and Support Vector Machine supervised classi ers gave encouraging results and the research showed the great potential of UAV and satellite imagery for biomass estimation. Used together, these two complementary types of data allow to have both a detailed plant species recognition and a general overview of the study area.


If proteolytic enzymes affect the innate vector competence of Anopheles mosquitoes for Plasmodium infections, then mechanistic effects should be most pronounced at the zygote to ookinete developmental transition. Anopheles freeborni, Anopheles gambiae, and Anopheles albimanus exhibit excellent, good, and poor susceptibility to P. falciparum, respectively. Aminopeptidase and trypsin activity were determined relative to the kinetics of P. falciparum ookinete development in these 3 Anopheles species. Ookinetes in A. freeborni, A. gambiae, and A. albimanus were first observed at 18 hr postinfection. For separate infection experiments, peak parasite densities were observed at either 18, 24, or 30 hr for A. albimanus, at 24 or 30 hr for A. freeborni, and at either 24, 30, or 36 hr for A. gambiae. Although the 3 species supported ookinete development equally, they had significantly different oocyst infection rates. Similar patterns of aminopeptidase activity were observed for the most susceptible species, A. freeborni, and the least susceptible species, A. albimanus. Anopheles gambiae had the lowest levels of aminopeptidase. Anopheles freeborni also had higher levels of trypsin activity than either A. albimanus or A. gambiae. Irrespective of differences in innate vector competence, the 3 species showed peak levels of aminopeptidase and trypsin that were coincident with peak ookinete densities. Thus, the close correspondence between the kinetics of ookinetes and enzymes associated with bloodmeal digestion indicates that proteolytic enzymes alone do not limit the early stages of sporogonic development in vector species of Anopheles.


This paper propose a novel learning approach that applies NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topology (NEAT) based learning algorithm to resolve Call Admission Control (CAC) combined with resource allocation in adaptive multimedia wireless networks; this not only decides whether to accept or reject a request call, but also determines the allocated bandwidth to that requesting call. The objective is to maximize the network revenue and maintain predefined QoS constraints. The QoS constraints are classified as two categories: long period constraints and instantaneous constraints. Long period constraints are handled by a constraint handling method called Superiority of Feasible Points. Instantaneous constraints and system limitations are handled by an External Supervisor.


The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is a seasonally breeding, long-lived, anadromous fish of growing economic importance. To describe the apparent activities of growth hormone (GH)- and prolactin (PRL)-producing cells, pituitaries were collected from captive juveniles and from wild adult fish in late spring off the Rhode Island coast during their coastal migration and in the Hudson River during the spawning migration. GH and PRL were separated by reversed-phase HPLC of pituitary extracts from captive adults and characterized as having apparent molecular masses of 23 kDa (GH) and 26 kDa (PRL) by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Antisera generated in rabbits against synthetic fragments of GH and PRL188 from tilapia were shown by Western blot analysis of reversed-phase HPLC-purified striped bass GH and PRL and of striped bass pituitary extract to be specific for the appropriate hormone and were used to localize GH and PRL cells. GH cells and PRL cells lie in the proximal pars distalis and the rostral pars distalis, respectively. Small clusters of GH- and PRL-immunoreactive cells were found at ectopic sites within the pituitary. There were many intensely labeled GH cells in the pituitaries of juvenile and adult striped bass, whereas the immunoreactivity of GH cells in the pituitaries of spawning fish decreased. PRL cells in juvenile fish kept in fresh water had big, round-nuclei, and were heavily labeled, indicating that they were active. PRL cells in adult fish from seawater were also intensely labeled, but had kidney-shaped nuclei, indicating inactivity. PRL cells in fish from the spawning ground had polymorphic nuclei, appearing as round, indented or kidney-shaped forms, and they were unevenly and lightly labeled, suggesting highly variable stages of activity. No difference was found between males and females. The apparent activities of GH- and PRL-producing cells differ among these life stages, suggesting changing roles for the hormones.


We develop a theoretical welfare framework, which explicitly recognizes that research protected by intellectual property rights generates monopoly profits. The result is a simulation model, shaped to the European sugar sector, and enabling to assess the size and distribution of the benefits of transgenic sugar beet adoption in the European Union and the Rest of the World.


Purpose: To determine whether Doppler ultrasonography (US) could be useful in the evaluation of testicular neoplasms presenting with acute scrotal pain. Material and Methods: We examined 18 patients with acute scrotal pain using Doppler US. Peak systolic and end-diastolic velocity measurements were performed at first admission and on completion of 1-week proper antibiotic treatment. Data were retrospectively reviewed and compared with findings of a control group of 17 age-matched subjects. Results: Of the 18 patients evaluated, 11 were found to have testicular tumors and 7 testicular inflammation. Peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities were significantly increased in patients with testicular tumor (p<0.002) and orchitis (p<0.01) versus normal controls. Follow-up examination on completion of 1-week antibiotic treatment demonstrated persistent high velocity values in patients with tumor and normalization of velocity values in patients with orchitis. Conclusion: Our results support the concept that follow-up Doppler US examination is of value in patients with acute scrotal pain submitted to antibiotic treatment since it may contribute to the differentiation between orchitis and testicular tumor.


A new initialization method for hidden parameters in a neural network is proposed. Derived from the integral representation of the neural network, a nonparametric probability distribution of hidden parameters is introduced. In this proposal, hidden parameters are initialized by samples drawn from this distribution, and output parameters are fitted by ordinary linear regression. Numerical experiments show that backpropagation with proposed initialization converges faster than uniformly random initialization. Also it is shown that the proposed method achieves enough accuracy by itself without backpropagation in some cases.


Background: There are only few studies adressing differences of triggering factors between genders and different types of migraine. This study was conducted to assess the differences between triggering factors and their intergender differences in migraine with aura(MA), migraine without aura(MO) and tension-type headache(TTH) Methods: A total of 221 patients (53 MA, 129 MO and 39 TTH) were given a questionnaire consisting of headache triggers. Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that female sex, bright light and skipping meals were associated with migraine and milk was associated with TTH. Comparison according to gender showed that in MO the total sum of triggers was higher and bright light, loud noise, strong odors, coffeinated beverages, insufficient sleep, high altitude and having any food trigger were more frequent in females. In MA no gender difference was found. In patients with TTH alcoholic beverages other than red wine were a more common trigger among male patients Conclusion: Our results show that triggers differ among females and males with MO but not MA. This may suggest that the female brain is more vulnerable to triggers in MO. It is possible that the regions of the brain on which triggers act show gender specific differences possibly related to differences in neurotransmitter concentrations, receptors, excitability and hormonal interactions.


A 60-GHz band 2 × 2 phased-array transmitter implemented in 65-nm bulk CMOS is described. Two-dimensional beam steering in the azimuthal and elevation planes is implemented via LO phase shifting in a transmitter that also supports direct or IF up-conversion. Full current bleeding in the final upconversion mixer suppresses flicker noise, and dynamic LO biasing suppresses carrier feedthrough. The 2.9 × 1.4 mm2 chip consumes a total of 590 mW from a 1-V supply when driving all four channels at a maximum saturated output power of 11 dBm, with 20 dB gain per transmitter. Carrier leakage varies between - 20.5 dBc ±0.5 dB and sideband rejection is 25 to 28 dBc among the four transmitters when measured on the same die. The measured phase noise is 1.7 ± 1 dB higher than the theoretical 21.6 dB increase in the phase noise due to 12 X frequency multiplication of the injected LO. Maximum power-added efficiency of the transmit amplifier is greater than 16%, and gain is above 17 dB from 54 to 61 GHz.


Bullying is a significant workplace problem—a fact highlighted by a growing body of social science literature. Its causes, however, have received little systematic attention beyond analyses of the personality attributes of bullies. This article explores the roles of relational power and organizational chaos in the emergence of workplace bullying. The analysis of content-coded organizational ethnographies integrates quantitative and qualitative techniques and draws heavily from the ethnographies themselves. Results suggest that the interplay of relational powerlessness and organizational chaos gives rise to bullying. In contrast, where there is a disjuncture between organizational and relational factors, the extent of bullying is determined by underlying, contextspecific aspects of power. These results suggest a need for organizations not only to protect the weak, but also to eliminate chaos—chaos that creates openings for the abuse of power.


We report on the ionic conductivity of Li0.33La0.55TiO3 (LLTO) epitaxial films grown on the (100) and (111) surfaces of single crystal SrTiO3 (STO) substrates at different oxygen partial pressures (from 1.33 to 26.66 Pa). The films are intended for use as solid electrolytes for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries, and the epitaxial growth for modeling the electrolyte single crystal properties. The LLTO films overall exhibit formation of the perovskite-based orthorhombic structure with the epitaxial cube-on-cube orientation for both (100)STO and (111)STO substrates. Room temperature ionic conductivity of the LLTO films measured by impedance spectroscopy slightly decreases with the oxygen partial pressure changing from 1.33 to 26.66 Pa and is in the range of 10 4 to 10 5 S cm . Complex impedance plots at different temperatures indicate that the conductivity in these epitaxial films is predominantly an intrinsic bulk property and exhibits distribution of relaxation time. Activation energies (Ea) for all the films were calculated employing the Arrhenius relationship and are between 0.30 eV and 0.40 eV, agreeing well with the reported values of bulk materials. Systematic difference in ionic conductivity between the (100)STO and (111)STO films is understood as being related to the difference in distribution of a "bottleneck" diffusion path. The measured conductivity of LLTO films indicates that these films can be used as a solid electrolyte in all-solid-state batteries.


Background Immunomodulatory agents that induce antitumor immunity have great potential for treatment of cancer. We have previously shown that interleukin (IL)-31, a proinflammatory cytokine from the IL-6 family, acts as an antiangiogenic agent. Here, we characterize the immunomodulatory effect of IL-31 in breast cancer. Methods In vivo breast carcinoma models including EMT6 and PyMT cell lines were used to analyze the effect of IL-31 on the composition of various immune cells in the tumor microenvironment using high-throughput flow cytometry. In vitro studies using isolated cytotoxic T cells, CD4+ T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and macrophages were carried out to study IL-31 immunological activity. The generation of recombinant IL-31 bound to IgG backbone was used to test IL-31 therapeutic activity. Results The growth rate of IL-31-expressing breast carcinomas is decreased in comparison with control tumors due, in part, to antitumor immunomodulation. Specifically, cytotoxic T cell activity is increased, whereas the levels of CD4+ T cells, MDSCs, and tumor-associated macrophages are decreased in IL-31-expressing tumors. These cellular changes are accompanied by a cytokine profile associated with antitumor immunity. In vitro, IL-31 directly inhibits CD4+ Th0 cell proliferation, and the expression of Th2 canonical factors GATA3 and IL-4. It also promotes CD8+ T cell activation through inhibition of MDSC activity and motility. Clinically, in agreement with the mouse data, alterations in immune cell composition in human breast cancer biopsies were found to correlate with high expression of IL-31 receptor A (IL-31Ra) . Furthermore, high coexpression of IL-31Ra, IL-2 and IL-4 in tumors correlates with increased survival. Lastly, to study the therapeutic potential of IL-31, a recombinant murine IL-31 molecule was fused to IgG via a linker region (IL-31-L-IgG). This IL-31-L-IgG therapy demonstrates antitumor therapeutic activity in a murine breast carcinoma model. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that IL-31 induces antitumor immunity, highlighting its potential utility as a therapeutic immunomodulatory agent.


: In two small adjacent groups-kumandinias and chelkanians-the distribution of G1m(a), G1m(x), G1m(f), G3m(b1), G3m(b5) and Km(1) serum allotypic markers was studied. Gmf;b haplotype frequency in kumandinians was found to be 0.310; in chelkanians living eastward it was 0.212. Gma and Gmax frequencies were observed to be 0.606 and 0.084 in the former and 0.687 and 0.101 in the latter. Km1 frequency was found to be 0.074 in kumandinians and 0.087 in chelkanians. Unusual Gm(a, f) henotype was observed in both groups with a frequency lesser than 5%.


In this article I explore the changing interface of states and markets in the borderland of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the current phase of 'post-conflict' state reconstruction. The renewed centrality of the state in regional economic development in the aftermath of war raises some mixed reactions at the border, as various efforts to 'bring the state back in' invariably meet with entrenched forms of 'informal' integration in the realm of cross-border trade. In this article, I explain how these everyday forms of cross-border regulation have gradually come to encapsulate state rules and normativities through their encroachment on state legislation. Whereas the strong connectivities established in cross-border trade have been capable of overcoming the boundaries imposed by the state on a variety of political scales, they increasingly bring in the hegemony of the market through the back door of the border.


Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is an important pathogen in agricultural crops which is spread throughout the world with a wide host range. In Indonesia, CMV is also an important pathogen that infect various high economic value crops. Karanganyar regency is a horticultural production centers in Central Java. Its foremost products are cucurbits incuding cucumber (Cucumis sativus), melon (Cucumis melo), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), chayote (Sechium edule), angled luffa (Luffa acutangula) and bitter melon (Momordica charantia). Recently, cucurbits crops in the area suffered from disease with symptoms of virus infection, especially CMV, that is, mosaic, vein clearing, vein banding, malformation, etc. The disease is detrimental to farmers. This research aimed to determine whether the causal agent of disease in the crops is CMV. For that, the authors conducted a survey in the field, picked up sample crops showing symptoms, brought the sample crops to the laboratory, and checked for the presence of CMV by triple antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TAS-ELISA). The results showed that of the 50 sample crops including 7 species of cucurbits showing symptoms of virus infection, 12 were detected to be infected by CMV. CMV was distributed evenly in cucurbits in Karanganyar regency.

 Key words: Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), cucurbits, triple antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TAS ELISA), Karanganyar, Indonesia.


The present work was to observe the wormicidal effects of the external mucous substance of Carassius carassius and Pseudorasbora parva on cercaria, metacercaria (liberating) and adult of Clonorchis sinensis. The mucous substance which was extracted by ether was separated into various spots on the silica gel thin layer chromatography and separated into various fractions in the silica gel column chromatography, using petroleum ether(30%) and chloroform(70%) as solvent. 1. R(f) 0.952 value of the silica gel thin layer chromatography and the first fraction (reddish yellow) frorn the silica gel column chromatography of the ether extracts from C. carassius had the wormicidal effect on all of the developing stages of C. sinensis. Cercaria was killed within 14 minutes, metacercaria within 27 minutes and adult 2.5 hours by the first fraction. 2. But in the normal saline solution (control) and in the other fraction, cercaria and metacercaria were alive more than 24 hours and adult more than 72 hours. 3. The extracts from the mucous substance of P. parva that is well penetrated by cercaria had no wormicidal effect on them.


Recent studies have shown that robust diets recommended to patients by Dietician or an Artificial Intelligent automated medical diet based cloud system can increase longevity, protect against further disease, and improve the overall quality of life. However, medical personnel are yet to fully understand patient-dietician's rationale of recommender system. This paper proposes a deep learning solution for health base medical dataset that automatically detects which food should be given to which patient base on the disease and other features like age, gender, weight, calories, protein, fat, sodium, fiber, cholesterol. This research framework is focused on implementing both machine and deep learning algorithms like, logistic regression, naive bayes, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The medical dataset collected through the internet and hospitals consists of 30 patient's data with 13 features of different diseases and 1000 products. Product section has 8 features set. The features of these IoMT data were analyzed and further encoded before applying deep and machine and learning-based protocols. The performance of various machine learning and deep learning techniques was carried and the result proves that LSTM technique performs better than other scheme with respect to forecasting accuracy, recall, precision, and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-measures. We achieved 97.74% accuracy using LSTM deep learning model. Similarly 98% precision, 99% recall and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$99\%~F1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-measure for allowed class is achieved, and for not-allowed class precision is 89%, recall score is 73% and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$F1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Measure score is 80%.


Internet delay is important for FPS games because it can determine who wins or loses a game. Network traffic for such games has been analysed using packet size and inter-packet time metrics fitting a statistical model. However, the effect of other network traffic on game traffic was not investigated or considered. This paper explores the traffic generated by an FPS game, taking into account the effects of other Internet traffic. Experiments were conducted in an isolated local network, repeated across the Internet and in a simulator with varying degrees of background traffic. FPS game packet inter-arrival time distribution was observed to spread with the decrease of bandwidth due to other traffic along network paths. The twin peak characteristic of packet inter-arrival time observed in the isolated local network experiment flattens and spreads to a bell-shape as bandwidth decreases due to the increased and non-unique delay of packet arrivals.


Standard classical and quantum-mechanical methods are used to characterize the momentum-transfer cross section needed in energy-loss calculations and simulations for heavy, swift charges moving in an electron gas. By applying a well-known, finite-range screened Coulombic potential energy to model the two-body collision, the quantitative applicability range of the classical cross section is investigated as a function of charge $(Z)$, screening length $(R)$, and scattering relative velocity $(v)$. The a posteriori condition $(Z∕R)∕{v}^{2}l1$, as an upper bound for heavy charges, is deduced for this applicability range from the comparative study performed.


The recently growing concern to reduce the energy from non-renewable sources encourages the development of new energy harvesting methods. In case of unattended remote telecom equipment, it should be advantageous to obtain energy from the wind while no rotation is applied. In this paper, a study is described on the feasibility of energy harvesting from the wind, not based on turbine but on piezoelectric transducers that convert the wind-induced vibrations of a cantilevered beam elements into electric energy. The main investigated element is the oscillating body placed at the free end of the beam. The prototype was developed in three different arrangements of the beam and the oscillating body. The essential variations were the length of the beam and the size of the oscillatory body. According to the results, a panel occupying one square meter and operating at 10% efficiency in 10 m/s wind might be able to generate 54 W of electric power. Contrary to the intuitive thought, a cantilever beam system completed with an oscillatory body, produces energy proportional to the amplitude of oscillation (directly dependant on the resonant frequency proximity) and not to the derivative of the oscillations. The produced oscillations and electric power depend on the speed of wind. The findings are useful for creating a reliable, efficient wind energy harvesting system, which could be mounted on bridges, buildings, poles and simply on the ground. It is even possible to mount beams of different sizes and constructions in order to be efficient for various wind speeds.


Plant transposable elements (TEs) regularly capture fragments of host genes. When the host employs siRNAs to silence these TEs, siRNAs homologous to the captured regions may target both the TEs and the genes, potentially leading to their silencing. This epigenetic cross-talk establishes an intragenomic conflict: silencing the TEs comes with the potential cost of silencing the genes. If the genes are important, however, natural selection will act to maintain function by moderating the silencing response. Such moderation may advantage the TEs. Here, we examined the potential for these epigenetic conflicts by focusing on three TE families in maize - Helitrons, Pack-MULEs and Sirevirus LTR retrotransposons. We documented 1,508 TEs with fragments captured from 2,019 donor genes and characterized the epigenetic profiles of both. Consistent with epigenetic conflict, donor genes mapped more siRNAs and were more methylated than 'free' genes that had no evidence of exon capture. However, these patterns differed between syntelog vs. transposed donor genes. Syntelog genes appeared to maintain function, consistent with moderation of the epigenetic response for important genes before reaching a deleterious threshold, while transposed genes bore the signature of silencing and potential pseudogenization. Intriguingly, transposed genes were overrepresented among donor genes, suggesting a link between capture and gene movement. We also investigated the potential for TEs to gain an advantage. TEs with captured fragments were older, mapped fewer siRNAs and had lower levels of methylation than 'free' TEs without gene fragments, but they showed no obvious evidence of increased copy numbers. Altogether, our results demonstrate that TE capture triggers an epigenetic conflict when genes are important, contrasting the loss of function for genes that are not under strong selective constraint. The evidence for an advantage to TEs is currently less obvious.


Self-other discrimination is fundamental to social interaction, however, little is known about the neural systems underlying this ability. In a previous functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we demonstrated that a right fronto-parietal network is activated during viewing of self-faces as compared with the faces of familiar others. Here we used image-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to create a 'virtual lesion' over the parietal component of this network to test whether this region is necessary for discriminating self-faces from other familiar faces. The current results indeed show that 1 Hz rTMS to the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) selectively disrupts performance on a self-other discrimination task. Applying 1 Hz rTMS to the left IPL had no effect. It appears that activity in the right IPL is essential to the task, thus providing for the first time evidence for a causal relation between a human brain area and this high-level cognitive capacity.


Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is essential to recover bypassed oil and improve recovery factor. Alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding is a chemical EOR method that can be used to recover heavy oil containing organic acids from sandstone formations. It involves injection of alkali to generate in situ surfactants, improve sweep efficiency, and reduce interfacial tension (IFT) between displacing and displaced phase, and injection of a polymer to improve mobility ratio; typically, it is followed by extended waterflooding. The concentration of alkali, surfactant, and polymer used in the process depends on oil type, salinity of solution, pressure, temperature of the reservoir, and injection water quality. This project evaluates the effect of waterflooding on recovery, calculates the recovery factor for ASP flooding, and optimum concentration of alkali, surfactant, and polymer for an Alaskan reservoir. Also, the effects of waterflooding and improvement with ASP flooding are evaluated and compared. Studies of these effects on oil recovery were analyzed with a Computer Modeling Group (CMG)-generated model for the Alaskan North Slope (ANS) reservoir. Based on a literature review and screening criteria, the Western North Slope (WNS) 1 reservoir was selected for the ASP process. A CMG WinProp simulator was used to create a fluid model and regression was carried out with the help of actual field data. The CMG WinProp model was prepared with a 5 spot well injection pattern using the CMG STARS simulator. Simulation runs conducted for primary and waterflooding processes showed that the recovery factor increased from 3% due to primary recovery to 45% due to waterflooding at 500 psi drawdown for 60 years with a constant producing gas oil ratio (GOR). ASP flooding was conducted to increase recovery further, and optimum ASP parameters were calculated for maximum recovery. Also, effect of alkali, surfactant and polymer on recovery was observed and compared with ASP flood. If proved effective, the use of ASP chemicals for ANS reservoirs to increase the recovery factor could replace current miscible gas injection with chemical EOR. It will help to develop chemical flooding processes for heavier crude oil produced in harsh environments and create new horizons for chemical industries in Alaska.


Abstract Integral neutron production was measured by the manganese-activation technique, on targets semiprototypic of spallation-neutron-driven transmutation systems, after irradiation by 400-MeV to 2.0-GeV protons. The purpose of these experiments was to provide data to benchmark nuclear transport codes for targets irradiated by protons in this energy range, as well as to evaluate design options to maximize the production of spallation neutrons in various targets under consideration. These computer codes are used to design accelerator systems that will utilize spallation neutrons for the generation of tritium, transmutation of nuclear waste, production of radioisotopes, and other scientific investigations. Some of the targets used in this investigation were semiprototypic of the proposed Accelerator Production of Tritium target. Other targets were included to provide data to test the computational models in the codes. Total neutron production is the main factor that determines the economics of transmutation for a particular accelerator design. Comparisons of the data reported here with calculations from computer simulations show agreement to within 15% over the entire energy region for most of the targets.


Gut barrier dysfunction contributes to several gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer, but factors associated with intestinal hyperpermeability have rarely been assessed in human populations, and there is very limited clinical trial evidence on whether gut barrier function may be modified by dietary factors. To address these gaps, we 1) evaluated factors associated with baseline circulating biomarkers of gut barrier function, and 2) tested the effect of calcium on these biomarkers over a 4-month treatment period among patients with previous colorectal adenoma in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial (n = 193). Patients were randomized to placebo (n = 66), 1.0 g calcium (n = 64), or 2.0 g calcium (n = 63) daily. Circulating levels of anti-flagellin and anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) immunoglobulins (Igs) as markers of colonic hyperpermeability were measured at baseline and at 4-month follow-up via ELISA. At baseline, mean levels of anti-flagellin and anti-LPS IgA but not IgG were higher among men and those with a larger body mass index (BMI), a larger waist circumference, and higher levels of plasma C-reactive protein. Mean anti-flagellin IgG levels were higher among those with higher proinflammatory cytokine scores. We did not observe effects of calcium on anti-flagellin or anti-LPS Igs: the relative change of a combined permeability score (defined as the sum of the optical densities of all biomarkers) from baseline to follow-up was 0.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.13, 0.27) for each treatment group relative to the placebo group (p-values ≥ 0.5). Our results suggest that 1) men and those with a larger BMI or waist circumference may have greater gut permeability, 2) markers of gut permeability and systemic inflammation may be directly associated with one another, and 3) supplemental calcium administered for 4 months may not modify circulating levels of biomarkers of gut barrier function. Citation Format: Baiyu Yang, Roberd M. Bostick, Andrew T. Gewirtz, Hao Quang Tran, Veronika Fedirko. Circulating biomarkers of gut barrier function: Correlates and responses to calcium supplementation among sporadic colorectal adenoma patients in a dose-response randomized controlled trial. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 938. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-938


ABSTRACT:Although relations between China and Mongolia are good, with no outstanding territorial disputes, Mongolia continues to view its southern neighbor with considerable anxiety. Numerous paranoid narratives circulate, hinting at China's alleged malevolent intentions, and many Mongols are convinced that China is intent on a takeover. This article argues that this anxiety is located in two particular cartographic gaps. The first is the misalignment between People's Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC) maps, namely the fact that Taiwanese maps include Mongolia within the boundaries of China. For the majority of Mongolian viewers who do not read Chinese, this constitutes a clear case of cartographic aggression. The second gap is found in cultural-historical maps of China that portray large swaths of northern Asia as regions formerly inhabited by Chinese. While neither map constitutes a political claim, the Chinese cultural imaginary each portrays posits Mongolia as "not quite foreign." Rather than "cartographic aggression," the term "cartographic embrace" may be a better designation here. Even if Chinese cartographic practices do not index intent, for countries like Mongolia—whose political existence is founded on separation from China—cultural "embrace" can be even more threatening.


We describe the results of 43 bronchoscopic examinations carried out on 35 patients who were HIV positive. Of these, 13 were intravenous drug abusers, 13 were homosexual or bisexual, six were haemophiliacs, two were homosexual intravenous drug abusers and one was a heterosexual contact of a drug abuser. All underwent investigation because of respiratory symptoms. Aetiological diagnosis could not be made from physical examination, x-ray or routine laboratory tests but, was usually made using bronchoscopy and its associated investigations. Using these techniques, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was the commonest diagnosis (19 cases) followed by bacterial infection. Mycobacterial infection accounted for two cases and non-specific interstitial pneumonitis accounted for three. Kaposi's sarcoma was found in one instance and eight investigations were non-diagnostic.


Using the Bernanke's contemporaneous structural VAR, this paper investigates the role of money and credit in the monetary transmission mechanism during the pre- and post-liberalization periods in Malaysia. During the pre-liberalization period where credit and interest rates were regulated, the evidence supports the dominance of bank credit shocks over money shocks in explaining the output variability. After the liberalization of financial market, however, money as well as credit innovations were proven to make significant contribution to the output fluctuation.


Linum persicum is an endangered plant native to Iran, from Linaceae family. Phytochemical analysis has shown that L. persicum in vitro cultures contain podophyllotoxin (PTOX), the pharmacological precursor for anticancer drugs such as etoposide, etopophos, and teniposide. Shoot culture of L. persicum was established from callus cultures in MS medium containing GA3. A study was designed to investigate the effects of thermal-stress treatments (TST) on the shoot growth pattern of L. persicum along with the accumulation of PTOX. Shoots were heat-stressed at 37, 40, 45, 50, and 55 °C for 3 h, and then transferred back to the growth room. In each thermal group after 2, 3, and 4 weeks, 4 flasks were extracted for PTOX analysis. HPLC analysis (p<0.05) revealed that shoots which had experienced 37 °C of TST after 4 weeks showed the highest amount of growth as well as PTOX production, 1.62±0.21% dry weight.


This article is a missiological reflection on the phenomenon of Christian demonization from a Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) perspective. The article argues from the four voices approach in theology (see Cameron et al. 2010; Cameron and Duce 2013), and contends that Christians can be demonized, have been demonized throughout the Christian church history, and are still demonized today across all Christian denomination lines. This is the position that appears in a few SDA publications, and is not in contradiction with the Scriptures. I suggest that demonization and demon possession are etymologically and phenomenologically the same. Thus, this paper builds on the assumption that Christian demonization is not just a claim from deliverance ministry practitioners with an operant theology but a missiological phenomenon with inreach and outreach dimensions. The phenomenon is encountered in formal and normative theologies as well, as it is an exposed theology from an operant theology. As such, this article points out that many mainline Christian denominations (Roman Catholics, Protestants like non-charismatic evangelicals, Seventh-day Adventists, etc.) have recently emphasized practical ministries in their denominations to face the needs of their members struggling with demonization. These denominations have moved from an attitude closed to the possibility of ministry to demonized members to a more open attitude with a willingness to consider the issue and explore potential solutions. The article first addresses briefly the seeming controversy on the translation of the Greek terms daimonizomenos (participle), and daimonizomai (verb). These terms, together with echo/echei daimonion, are translated in some Bible texts "possessed with the devil" (Mark 5:15, 16, 18, KJV), "demon- possessed" (Matt 8:28–32; Mark 5:15, 16, 18, Luke 8:27, NKJV or NIV etc.). Second, this article asserts that Christians are best categorized by the centered set theory and not otherwise (see Hiebert 1978, 1994, 2008). Consequently, this missiological reflection emphasizes that Christian demonization has missiological implications for Christian mission in general and SDA mission in particular. Finally, the article argues that theological research is enriched when the four voices of theology–the formal or academic theology, the espoused theology, the normative theology, and the operant theology are brought "into conscious conversation so that all voices can be enriched" (Cameron and Duce 2013:xxxi). This means that each theological voice must interpenetrate the others and influence them (xxx).


In the UK, the majority of animals used for undergraduate education are for laboratory practical classes (wet labs) in pharmacology and physiology. Computer simulations, which are now widely available at relatively low cost, can provide a dry lab experience that may fulfil some, but not all, of the objectives of the animal labs and may be particularly appropriate where the animal lab is costly to run or requires a high level of technical expertise. Broadly, the computer simulations fall into two categories, each having design features in line with achieving slightly different learning objectives. Most of the available evidence suggests that where computer simulations are used as alternatives, they can fulfil many of the learning objectives of wet labs, though clearly they are not effective in teaching animal handling, surgical/dissection and laboratory skills.


Spondyloarthropaties are the group of seronegative inflammatory rheumatic diseases affecting axial and perpendicular skelet. Most of the patients belong to the work active population and the longterm prognosis and outcome is poor. The diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis is delayed over years, sometimes decades. Our perception of spondyloarthropaties todays is changing. Early diagnosis and agressive treatment could influence to prognosis and outcome. For these purposes we have new diagnostic techniques and new potent drugs.


Objective: This study sought to assess the prevalence and identify factors associated with depres- sion among patients with cardiovascular diseases and followed-up in a public teaching hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a systematic random sample of 302 out- patients with cardiovascular diseases and followed-up in the cardiology outpatient department at Tripoli University Hospital. Stable adults ( > 18 years of age) were eligible to be included in this study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to complete a questionnaire comprising questions on demographic, medical, and lifestyle issues besides the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 tool. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 22, was used to analyze the data. Result: Age ranged between 29 and 84 years with a mean age of 60.6 ± 10.4 years; 60.6% were females and 75.8% were married. The highest prevalent morbidity was hypertension (76.2%) followed by diabetes mellitus (48%), ischemic heart disease (39%), and different types of arrhythmias (22.8%). About 59.3% of screened patients had different degrees of depression from mild to severe. The participants with a positive history of psychological prob- lems, those complicated with cardiomyopathy, those who were females, patients with a history of cerebrovascular accident, and patients who were living alone were more likely to be depressed. Conclusion: Prevalence of depression is found to be higher among patients with cardiovascular diseases and a family history of psychological illnesses, and cardiomyopathy had the highest contribution as independent predictor for depression. Screening of all patients with cardiovas- cular diseases is essential to identify and treat the patients at greater risk of depression.


The Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) is the University's open access repository for research outputs. To simplify deposit in ORA, a registry has been created containing data harvested from existing sources to be used as repository metadata. The registry stores publicly available research activity data, that is, data about research including people, projects, and funders. Data held in the registry are available for purposes beyond the repository, particularly as the registry uses semantic web technologies which expedite data sharing. Value is added by aggregating disparate data for discovery, by making creative use of data such as revealing connections between entities and recording data provenance. This article describes the entity registry, its role within ORA, and as a tool to support scholarly communication. The advantages of storing data as entities and gathering, aggregating, and displaying research activity data to assist dissemination of research are explained. Examples of use of the registry and its data are provided that enable easy discovery of researchers and their activities and reveals hidden connections between them, thereby, encouraging communication and collaboration between different subject areas. Development of the registry and examples has been underpinned by extensive stakeholder analysis and user testing.


The auditory system extracts behaviorally relevant information from acoustic stimuli. The average activity in auditory cortex is known to be sensitive to spectro-temporal patterns in sounds. However, it is not known whether the auditory cortex also processes more abstract features of sounds, which may be more behaviorally relevant than spectro-temporal patterns. Using recordings from three stations of the auditory pathway, the inferior colliculus (IC), the ventral division of the medial geniculate body (MGB) of the thalamus, and the primary auditory cortex (A1) of the cat in response to natural sounds, we compared the amount of information that spikes contained about two aspects of the stimuli: spectro-temporal patterns, and abstract entities present in the same stimuli such as a bird chirp, its echoes, and the ambient noise. IC spikes conveyed on average approximately the same amount of information about spectro-temporal patterns as they conveyed about abstract auditory entities, but A1 and the MGB neurons conveyed on average three times more information about abstract auditory entities than about spectro-temporal patterns. Thus, the majority of neurons in auditory thalamus and cortex coded well the presence of abstract entities in the sounds without containing much information about their spectro-temporal structure, suggesting that they are sensitive to abstract features in these sounds.


Mutations including nonsense mutations, missense mutations, splicing-site mutations, insertions, and deletions in phosphate regulating genes on the X-chromosome (PHEX) are known to be responsible for X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets. The PHEX gene encodes an endopeptidase that is involved in phosphate regulation. Herein we present a female patient with sporadic hypophosphatemic rickets harboring a novel deletion mutation (c.1586_1586+1delAG; p.Glu529GlyfsX41) at exon 14 and intron 14 junction, which caused a premature termination at codon 569 and possibly produced a truncated PHEX protein. The laboratory and radiologic findings of the patient are reviewed to correlate the impact of the two-base deletion mutations at the exon-intron junction.


Within the field of performance art, where the audience and the performance stage is separated, there is a paradox in keeping a conventional divide between the audience and the performing stage while expanding the possible space of engagement between the two. Interactive technology yields tantalizing promises of creating an underlying layer so the conventional divide is still respected and somewhat preserved.

This paper presents a cross-sectional view of experiments done with the Royal Danish Theatre to explore different strategies of creating interactive mediation to bridge this divide. We will introduce examples of passive spectatorship modeled performances that attempted to integrate digital interaction. Through the experiments, we have become aware of central implications that one needs to be aware of to fully succeed in integrating in a manner that does not negatively impact the experience of the audience members.  The three implications are context expectations, level of audience control, and the embodied experience. Based on the experiments and the implications, we suggest two things to consider: First, we discuss the possibility to work across disciplines and stakeholders to custom design mediated experiences for a particular production. Second, we propose the possibility to think in terms of designing artifacts that can be integrated into the hall setting across different plays without larger interference with the overall experience.


Echocardiography was performed in 30 children at the age of 4-18 years with II and III Degree cobbler's chest. The study was made according to standard techniques. Heart changes were revealed in the process of examination. The shape of the right ventricle. was changed in 12 children. The geometry of the right atrium was noted in two cases. The kinetics of the interventricular septum was studied. Hypokinesis was revealed in 5 cases, hyperkinesis — in 2 cases, asynchronic interventricular septum contraction — in 2 cases. The increase of velocity characteristics of the diastolic ducts through the tricuspid valve was registered in 7 children.