Crucial to an evolutionary algorithm's performance is its selection scheme. We mathematically investigate the relation between polynomial rank and probabilistic tournament methods which are (respectively) generalisations of the popular linear ranking and tournament selection schemes. We show that every probabilistic tournament is equivalent to a unique polynomial rank scheme. In fact, we derived explicit operators for translating between these two types of selection. Of particular importance is that most linear and most practical quadratic rank schemes are probabilistic tournaments.


Laws and regulations are increasingly impacting the design and development of software systems, as legislations around the world attempt to control the impact of software on social and private life. Software systems need to be designed from the beginning in a law-aware fashion to ensure compliance with applicable laws. Moreover, they need to evolve over time as new laws pass and existing ones are amended. In this interdisciplinary field many challenges remain open. For any given norm, there are alternative ways to comply with it for a system-to-be. Moreover, revising some requirements or adding new ones can have an important impact on what norms apply. To complicate matters, there is a sizeable knowledge gap between technical and legal experts, and this hampers requirements analysts in dealing with the problem on their own. This thesis proposes to use conceptual models of law and requirements to help requirements engineers address these problems by answering questions such as ``Given this set of requirements, which norms are applicable?'', ``Which norms are complied with?'', ``What are the alternative ways I use to comply with a norm?''. The thesis proposes the Nomos 3 framework that includes a modeling language for law and requirements, reasoning support for Nomos 3 models, as well as a systematic process for establishing compliance. The proposed framework is evaluated by means of illustrative case studies, a scalability study for the reasoning mechanism, as well as other specific studies intended to assess the effectiveness of the proposed concepts, tools, and process.


Objective: To estimate the economic burden of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the United States civilian and military populations from a societal perspective.
Methods: A prevalence-based and human capital approach was used to estimate the total excess costs of PTSD in 2018 from insurance claims data, academic literature, and governmental publications. Excess direct health care costs (pharmacy, medical), direct non-health care costs (research and training, substance use, psychotherapy, homelessness, disability), and indirect costs (unemployment, productivity loss, caregiving, premature mortality) associated with PTSD were compared between adults with PTSD and adults without PTSD, or the general population if information was not available for adults without PTSD.
Results: The total excess economic burden of PTSD in the US was estimated at $232.2 billion for 2018 ($19,630 per individual with PTSD). Total excess costs were $189.5 billion (81.6%) in the civilian population and $42.7 billion (18.4%) in the military population, corresponding to $18,640 and $25,684 per individual with PTSD in the civilian and military populations, respectively. In the civilian population, the excess burden was driven by direct health care ($66.0 billion) and unemployment ($42.7 billion) costs. In the military population, the excess burden was driven by disability ($17.8 billion) and direct health care ($10.1 billion) costs.
Conclusions: The economic burden of PTSD goes beyond direct health care costs and has been found to rival costs for other costly mental health conditions. Increased awareness of PTSD, development of more effective therapies, and expansion of evidence-based interventions may be warranted to reduce the large clinical and economic burden of PTSD.


This article provides an introduction to the recreational reading promotion tools at VCU Libraries, including a book review blog, book swap, and bulletin board, as well as the libraries' involvement with VCU's summer reading program and Richmond's citywide "One Community One Book" initiative. Policies and operating procedures will be examined, and these services will be discussed in the context of other libraries' offerings. We will also discuss why there is a need for these services–which have traditionally been the purview of the public library–on a college campus. Reading among American adults is in dramatic decline, and the academic library is a natural setting in which to combat this trend. The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries' literacy outreach efforts serve to promote and strengthen lifelong learning and student engagement, two goals outlined in the VCU strategic plan.


Abstract. Nutrient cycles in the Arctic Ocean are being altered by
changing hydrography, increasing riverine inputs, glacial melt and sea-ice
loss due to climate change. In this study, combined isotopic measurements of
dissolved nitrate (δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3) and silicic acid (δ30Si(OH)4) are used
to understand the pathways that major nutrients follow through the Arctic
Ocean. Atlantic waters were found to be isotopically lighter (δ30Si(OH)4=+ 1.74 ‰) than their polar
counterpart (δ30Si(OH)4=+ 1.85 ‰)
owing to partial biological utilisation of dissolved Si (DSi) within the
Arctic Ocean. Coupled partial benthic denitrification and nitrification on
Eurasian Arctic shelves lead to the enrichment of δ15N-NO3 and lighter δ18O-NO3 in the polar
surface waters (δ15N-NO3= 5.44 ‰,
δ18O-NO3= 1.22 ‰) relative to
Atlantic waters (δ15N-NO3= 5.18 ‰,
δ18O-NO3= 2.33 ‰). Using a
pan-Arctic DSi isotope dataset, we find that the input of isotopically light
δ30Si(OH)4 by Arctic rivers and the subsequent partial
biological uptake and biogenic Si burial on Eurasian shelves are the key
processes that generate the enriched isotopic signatures of DSi exported
through Fram Strait. A similar analysis of δ15N-NO3
highlights the role of N-limitation due to denitrification losses on Arctic
shelves in generating the excess dissolved silicon exported through Fram
Strait. We estimate that around 40 % of DSi exported in polar surface
waters through Fram Strait is of riverine origin. As the Arctic Ocean is
broadly N-limited and riverine sources of DSi are increasing faster than
nitrogen inputs, a larger silicic acid export through the Fram Strait is
expected in the future. Arctic riverine inputs therefore have the potential
to modify the North Atlantic DSi budget and are expected to become more
important than variable Pacific and glacial DSi sources over the coming
decades.


The End of Life Care Strategy (DH 2008) highlights the importance, within Care Planning, of clear and appropriate discussion and decisions about CPR. These decisions may change over time with clinical deterioration and/or therapeutic reversibility. One point at which this becomes critical is when a patient moves between care settings for example, with some clinical crisis or when care is delivered better elsewhere. Currently, while organisations have crafted their own policies, small but critical variations exist, together with the assumption that 'our policy ends at our front door'. This has profound implications for transport and receiving services because this hiatus, for anyone in transit who does not want CPR, will inevitably make them vulnerable to inappropriate intervention. This can be overcome by harmonising CPR policies between partner organisations or across localities to ensure that there are clear ways in which people are managed when being moved. There are excellent examples of work nationally including the Unified Policy being implemented across South Central SHA, DNACPR Principles from South East Coast SHA, and the unified policy being developed within the East of England SHA. The National End of Life Care programme has scoped current work with key partners to produce a set of Core Principles and guidance for managing the intersection of policies where unification has not or cannot yet be achieved. This is aimed at organisations wishing to work together to ensure that policies connect to achieve smooth transition for the individual that safeguards choice, reduces unwanted and unnecessary attempts at resuscitation and promotes a dignified death.


Activation statuses of monocytic cells, e.g. monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), are critically important for antiviral immunity. In particular, some devastating viruses, including porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), are capable of directly infecting these cells to subvert host immunity. Monocyte-derived DCs (mDCs) are major target cells in PRRSV pathogenesis; however, the plasticity of mDCs in response to activation stimuli and PRRSV infection remains unstudied. In this study, we polarized mDCs, and applied genome-wide transcriptomic analysis to compare signature genes involved in mDCs activation and response to PRRSV infection. Our long-term goal is to integrate activation status with antiviral responses in these cells and to functionally modulate them for a prototypic cellular adjuvant/vaccine that is ideal for potentiating antiviral immunity. Porcine mDCs were polarized with mediators for 30 hours, then mock-infected, infected with PRRSV strain VR2332, or a highly pathogenic PRRSV strain (rJXwn06), for 5 h. Total RNA was extracted and used to construct sequencing libraries for RNA-Seq procedures previously optimized. Comparisons were made between each polarized and unpolarized group (i.e. mediator vs. PBS), and between PRRSV-infected and uninfected cells stimulated with the same mediator. Many of the genes showing the most variability were related to cellular structure and innate immune response. The magnitude of differentially expressed gene profiles detected in HP-PRRSV rJXwn06 infected mDCs as compared to VR-2332 infected mDCs was consistent with the increased pathogenicity of the HP-PRRSV in vivo.


In Mediterranean regions and other areas with variable climates, interannual weather variability may impact ecosystem dynamics, and by extension ecological restoration projects. Conditions at reference sites, which are often used to evaluate restoration projects, may also be influenced by weather variability, confounding interpretations of restoration outcomes. To better understand the influence of weather variability on plant community dynamics, we explore change in a vegetation dataset collected between 1990 and 2005 at a historic tidal wetland reference site and a nearby tidal wetland restoration project initiated in 1976 in California's San Francisco (SF) Bay. To determine the factors influencing reference and restoration trajectories, we examine changes in plant community identity in relation to annual salinity levels in the SF Bay, annual rainfall, and tidal channel structure. Over the entire study period, both sites experienced significant directional change away from the 1990 community. Community change was accelerated following low salinity conditions that resulted from strong El Nino events in 1994–1995 and 1997–1998. Overall rates of change were greater at the restoration site and driven by a combination of dominant and sub-dominant species, whereas change at the reference site was driven by sub-dominant species. Sub-dominant species first appeared at the restoration site in 1996 and incrementally increased during each subsequent year, whereas sub-dominant species cover at the reference site peaked in 1999 and subsequently declined. Our results show that frequent, long-term monitoring is needed to adequately capture plant community dynamics in variable Mediterranean ecosystems and demonstrate the need for expanding restoration monitoring and timing restoration actions to match weather conditions.


Total hip arthroplasty is one of the best treatments for restoring function and activity in young patients with advanced joint diseases. One-Stage Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty (BTHA) offers many advantages, which are important to younger patients and diminished costs and time in comparison with sequential THA. There is currently much concern about the safety of this procedure. The current study was designed to provide more information regarding THA in patients aged 30 years old or younger. Between April 2010 and September 2015, arthroplasty procedures were performed on 180 patients at the surgical centers of Erfan and Milad, Tehran, Iran. The patients that were entered in the study included those with bilateral hip involvement of Avascular Necrosis (AVN), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA), Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE), and Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH). The patients underwent one-stage bilateral total hip arthroplasties through the direct lateral approach. Standardized questionnaires were used to obtain mean Postel-Merle d'Aubigné (PMA) score, Oxford Hip Score (OHS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Score, and Modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS), both preoperatively and post-operatively to evaluate functional outcomes. All patients were in the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) category 1 or 2. All complications were followed closely for a period of 4.67±0.54 years. From 141 males and 39 females, 84 patients had been recognized as ASA 1, and 96 as ASA 2. Mean age of patients was 27.04±2.74 years old (range: 16 to 30). The mean operation time and the average length of hospital stay were 156±23 minutes and 5.20±2.44 days, respectively. Overall, 3 patients developed unilateral temporary peroneal nerve palsy (1.66%), 2 intraoperative fracture (1.11%), and 2 patients (1.11%) showed deep vein thrombosis. There was no wound infection. Regarding the functional scores in the diagnosis of patients, improvement was better in AVN than, RA, JRA, SCFE, and DDH, respectively. There were significant differences between diagnosis and every functional score, individually (P<0.05). The current results showed that one-stage bilateral THA led to improvement in hip function and stable implant fixation at short to midterm follow up, which suggests the efficacy of one-stage cementless THA in bilateral advanced arthritis in patients younger than 30 years old.


This study is about reform of the United Nations. The study does not address reform proposals that set out to change the organizational structure of the UN, but focuses on initiatives that affect the normative basis of the international society that the United Nations and the UN Charter enable and sustain. Empirically, the study focuses on the international principle responsibility 10 prolecl, which prescribes that states have an individual and collective responsibility to protect against human rights violations. It is argued that the responsibility to protect and the Security Council's increased attention to protection of civilians in armed conflicts are politically and legally significant developments that challenge the pluralist international order that was instituted through the establishment of the UN in 1945. Both the responsibility to proteet and the protection of civilians are based on an understanding of statehood and international society that in the study is referred to as anti-pluralist. The results of the study show that the contemporary notion of protection once again brings into international political discourse the idea that states and political communities, in order to enjoy legal autonomy and a right to non-intervention, must abide by universally applicable standards of state hood. The results also show that the idea of protection is based on a progressivist philosophy that leads to a differentiation of states.


The origin of angiosperms is a classic macroevolutionary problem, because of their rapid rise in the Early Cretaceous fossil record, beginning about 139 Ma ago, and the conflict this creates with older crown-group ages based on molecular clock dating1. Silvestro et al.2 use a novel methodology to model past angiosperm diversity based on a Bayesian Brownian Bridge model of fossil finds assigned to extant families, concluding that a Cretaceous origin is vanishingly unlikely. However, their results strongly conflict with the known temporal distribution of angiosperm fossils, and, while we agree that statistical analysis aids interpretation of the fossil record, here we show the conclusions of Silvestro et al.2 are unsound.


The study was undertaken to evaluate some chemical parameters of powder milk available in Mymensingh town. Powder milk samples of six different brands namely Kwality, NIDO, Diploma, Anchor, Farmland & Starship were collected from local market. Powder samples were analyzed to know the chemical (PH , acidity, fat, protein, lactose, ash, moisture, solids-not-fat, total solids) characteristics. PH , acidity of all samples was almost similar to the cow milk when the dried milk was reconstituted. PH ranged from 6.6-6.8, acidity from 0.10-0.15, fat from 26.198-27.89 g/100 g, protein from 25.22-27.01 g/100g, lactose from 36.63-37.65 g/100g, ash from 5.34-5.48 g/100g, moisture from 3.36- 4.48 g/100g, solids-not-fat from 67.99-70.07 g/100g, total solids from 95.51-96.63 g/100g, among the brands of powder milk. Statistical analysis showed significant variation for (PH and acidity) among different powder milk brands. chemical parameters in all brands of milk powder was found as per recommended standard.


(Received 26 August 2013; revised manuscript received 7 November 2013; published 11 February 2014) We study a heterostructure which consists of a topological insulator and a superconductor with a hole. The hole pins a vortex. The system supports a robust Majorana fermion state bound to the vortex core. We investigate the possibility of using scanning tunneling spectroscopy (i) to detect the Majorana fermion in the proposed setup and (ii) to study excited states bound to the vortex core. The Majorana fermion manifests itself as a magnetic-field-dependent zero-bias anomaly of the tunneling conductance. Optimal parameters for detecting Majorana fermions have been obtained. In the optimal regime, the Majorana fermion is separated from the excited states by a substantial gap. The number of zero-energy states equals the number of flux quanta in the hole; thus, the strength of the zero-bias anomaly depends on the magnetic field. The lowest energy excitations bound to the core are also studied. The excited states spectrum differs from the spectrum of a typical Abrikosov vortex, providing additional indirect confirmation of the Majorana state observation.


Thoreau's contemporary George Perkins Marsh imagined a mode of environmentalism sharply different from ecocentrism. Defining non-human nature as created for human use, Marsh nonetheless argued for sustainable, moral relationships between humans and nature and drew connections between government and science that laid foundations for modern institutions like the EPA and the Forest Service.


Leishmania infantum is the agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean basin. It is transmitted by sandflies of the subgenus Larroussius. Although Phlebotomus perniciosus is the most important vector in this area, an atypical Ph. perniciosus easily confused with Ph. longicuspis has been observed in North Africa. MALDI-TOF MS, an important tool for vector identification, has recently been applied for the identification of sandflies. Spectral databases presented in the literature, however, include only a limited number of Larroussius species. Our objective was to create an in-house database to identify Mediterranean sandflies and to evaluate the ability of MALDI-TOF MS to discriminate close species or atypical forms within the Larroussius subgenus. Field-caught specimens (n = 94) were identified morphologically as typical Ph. perniciosus (PN; n = 55), atypical Ph. perniciosus (PNA; n = 9), Ph. longicuspis (n = 9), Ph. ariasi (n = 9), Ph. mascittii (n = 3), Ph. neglectus (n = 5), Ph. perfiliewi (n = 1), Ph. similis (n = 9) and Ph. papatasi (n = 2). Identifications were confirmed by sequencing of the mtDNA CytB region and sixteen specimens were included in the in-house database. Blind assessment on 73 specimens (representing 1073 good quality spectra) showed a good agreement (98.5%) between MALDI-TOF MS and molecular identification. Discrepancies concerned confusions between Ph. perfiliewi and Ph. perniciosus. Hierarchical clustering did not allow classification of PN and PNA. The use of machine learning, however, allowed discernment between PN and PNA and between the lcus and lcx haplotypes of Ph. longicuspis (accuracy: 0.8938 with partial-least-square regression and random forest models). MALDI-TOF MS is a promising tool for the rapid and accurate identification of field-caught sandflies. The use of machine learning could allow to discriminate similar species.


This paperwork brings to the fore, starting from the case presentation of a patient, the hypersensitivity reactions to non-antibiotic sulfonamides, which are rarely encountered, problems of cross-reactivity and management options for patients with previous reactions.
We present the case of a 70-year-old patient diagnosed with hypertension, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus and systemic reactions after the administration of oral antidiabetic and COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs who was referred for evaluation and establishment of therapeutic alternatives for oral antidiabetic agents.
The clinical exam was within normal limits. The lab results revealed hyperglycemia and elevated glycosylated hemoglobin level.
The patient tolerated the administration of dapagliflozin.
In conclusion, hypersensitivity reactions to non-antibiotic sulfonamides are rarely encountered unlike the reactions to antibiotical sulfonamides.
The diagnosis and finding a therapeutic alternative are important when the treatment with oral antidiabetics is indispensable.


We read the randomised controlled trial (RCT) by Zhou et al. 1 The authors recruited a highly selected group of patients with increased intestinal permeability and postinfection IBS with diarrhoea (IBS-D), defined by an unconfirmed enteric infection in the 12 months prior to symptom onset, and randomised them to 8 weeks of treatment with either glutamine or placebo. The population screened also had other curious features. For example, only four had rapid orocaecal transit on lactulose hydrogen breath testing, erroneously described as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. This appears low, compared with other studies examining this issue in patients with IBS.

There are other minor issues with the trial conduct and analysis. First, compliance was checked by telephone calls, not a particularly robust method. Second, the efficacy analysis was per-protocol, rather than intention-to-treat, and minimal information on dropouts …


Serum protein interactions are evaluated during the drug development process since they determine the free drug concentration in blood and thereby can influence the drug's pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. While the impact of serum proteins on the disposition of small molecules is well understood, it is not yet well characterized for a new modality, RNA interference therapeutics. When administered systemically, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) conjugated to the N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) ligand bind to proteins present in circulation. However, it is not known if these protein interactions may impact the GalNAc-conjugated siRNA uptake into hepatocytes mediated through the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) and thereby influence the activity of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs. In this study, we assess the impact of serum proteins on the uptake and activity of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs in primary human hepatocytes. We found that a significant portion of the GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs is bound to serum proteins. However, ASGPR-mediated uptake and activity of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs were minimally impacted by the presence of serum relative to their uptake and activity in the absence of serum. Therefore, in contrast to small molecules, serum proteins are expected to have minimal impact on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs.


: Radio-frequency (RF) electronics involving 2D material-based devices and integrated circuits have been widely advocated as a promising platform for future generations of wireless communication and sensing systems. Monolayer and few-layer 2D materials display exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, which can be leveraged for building superior key elements in transceiver/receiver RF front ends, including but not limited to amplifiers, mixers, switches, oscillators and modulators that enable various forms of signal modulations. In particular, some 2D materials with high intrinsic mobilities can be used as channels of RF transistors that possess high gain, high cutoff frequency (up to hundreds of gigahertz), and excellent abilities in improving the performance of complex analog and RF circuits. Moreover, the (bio-)chemical sensing capabilities of 2D material-based devices may be integrated into RF circuits and modular building blocks for making monolithically-integrated wireless nanosensors. The robust, flexible, scalable and small-footprint features of these 2D devices further allows for development of flexible electronics (e.g., wearable devices, smart skins and contact lens sensors) that facilitate the practice of ubiquitous sensors and internet-of-things (IoT). In this chapter, we will review recent advances in RF and microwave transistors based on 2D materials such as graphene and beyond, as well as their potential applications as constituent parts of the IoT-hardware.


This thesis considers three issues regarding modeling of oshore pipelaying dynamics. These are: (i) the formulation of an oshore pipeline installation operation as a control problem, (ii) the development and passivity analysis of a robotic pipe model for a submerged pipe string, suitable for real{time applications in closed{ loop control systems, and (iii) the development and validation of a nonlinear FEM model for simulation and control of the elastic pipeline dynamics, including FEM dynamics of a pipeline combined with vessel dynamics, for simulation and control of pipelay operations under dynamic positioning. Pipeline installation is de ned as the operation of positioning a pipeline along a reference path on the seabed from a surface vessel. In control terms, this can be stated as a path{following control problem, where the pipe touchdown point tracks the reference path. However, the only controllers for the touchdown point are the pay{out of pipe into the water, and the motion of the surface vessel. Considering that the pipe is an elastic body, and that both the pipe and the vessel are subject to environmental loads, the control problem that must be considered is a dynamic target{tracking problem, where the surface vessel must track a moving target position on the surface in order to control the position of the touchdown point. A target{tracking controller may be implemented as a guidance system, by extending the dynamic positioning system that is common for pipelay vessels. An important component in the guidance system is the dynamic pipe model mapping touchdown and surface vessel position. Motivated by robotics, a compact system formulation is derived for the suspended pipeline by considering it as a hyper{redundant manipulator with an arbitrary number of links. This model captures the main dynamics of the pipe, including its geometric con guration and top tension. The model is in the state{ space, and on a vectorial form using minimal coordinates. A passivity analysis establishing input{output passivity of the system is performed. This model is applicable in simulations where the main dynamics are required, and the available computation time is limited. Static and dynamic analysis of pipelines during installation is characterized by a combination of geometrical nonlinearities and extreme exibilities of the system. A nonlinear PDE formulation for the pipeline is developed based on a three{ dimensional elastic beam model, taking into account the internal forces of longitudinal extension, shearing, twist and bending, as well as external loads from gravity, buoyancy, hydrodynamic drag, seabed interaction, and environmental loads. This highly exible system is then coupled to a dynamic model of the pipelay vessel. A passivity analysis establishing input{output passivity of these systems separately, and combined, is performed. A nonlinear FEM model, based on exact kinematics, is derived to approximate the solution of the PDE pipe formulation. The weak formulation of the PDE is semi{discretized in the curve parameter into a nite dimensional space to obtain an explicit set of ordinary dierential equations. This semi{discretized model is solved by using standard integrators for time. The set of ordinary dierential equations is a convenient representation for simulation and control of pipelay operations under dynamic positioning. The model is successfully validated against the natural catenary and the commercial FEM code RIFLEX. The model has potentially numerous applications in dynamical analysis, in control system design and simulation, and in tools for training and decision support.


Efficient use and high output of any supercomputer depends on a great number of factors. The problem of controlling granted resource utilization is one of those, and becomes especially noticeable in conditions of concurrent work of many user projects. It is important to provide users with detailed information on peculiarities of their executed jobs. At the same time it is important to provide project managers with detailed information on resource utilization by project members by giving access to the detailed job analysis. Unfortunately, such information is rarely available. This gap should be eliminated with our proposed approach to supercomputer application integral characteristics analysis for the whole queued job collection of large-scale HPC systems based on system monitoring data management and study, building integral job characteristics, revealing job categories and single job run peculiarities.


TSince current Japanese patent law was enacted in 1959, it has been revised several times, mainly for the purpose of international harmonization. Recently the Japanese government stresses the importance of pro-patent policies, i.e., strengthening intellectual property right in order to stimulate business innovation and to regain international competitiveness. This paper assesses the impact of series of revisions of Japanese patent system on firm's innovation activities, by using statistical data, firm level survey data and information from interviews for IP managers in IT and pharmaceutical firms. It is found that increases in patent application in the late 1990's are attributed to a surge of IT patents, as well as pharmaceutical ones. For IT and pharmaceuticals, technology fields covered by patent protection have been gradually expanded, such as in areas of software and biotechnology. This policy change may contribute to increase in patent application. However, it is difficult to separate this system factor from other factors such as expansion of technological opportunity. Although the impact of recent pro-patent policies on firm's innovation is not so clear, it is clear that IP section inside firm becomes to play more active role in firm's innovation strategy formulation, particularly in pharmaceutical firms. Tremendous technology opportunities in IT and biotech push a firm to rely on external knowledge pools by licensing activities, and it becomes important to coordinate in-house R&D with licensing activities to tap on external technology sources. In this context, IP section involves heavily in R&D and product development process inside firm. In addition, it is found that large firms in IT and pharmaceutical industry, focuses on US patent system, which moves relatively quickly for new technology field patenting, and pay less attention to Japanese one.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical manifestations and therapeutic responses of Clostridium difficile infection in HIV-infected and noninfected individuals.

METHODS
Patients were identified for this study if they had C. difficile toxin in the stool. The patients were then followed prospectively by the investigators. All patients were treated with a standard regimen, and clinical and laboratory findings were recorded. Persistence and resolution or recurrence of symptoms and complications were recorded.

RESULTS
A total of 87 patients were studied, of which 12 were HIV positive, 20 had AIDS, and 55 had no known HIV infection. The AIDS group was younger and had a lower total leukocyte count than the controls. There were no statistically significant differences in temperature, leukocytosis, clinical symptoms, therapeutic response, or recurrence or persistent of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS
Despite the immunosuppression of HIV infection, C. difficile infection behaves no differently in HIV/AIDS patients than it does in controls.


CONCLUSION: Developing rock climbers should be able to increase their physical capacity to climb more quickly if they supplement their training with exercises aimed at increasing the strength and endurance of their PL muscle as it is highly recruited when executing holds. Ability to climb more difficult routes may advance quickly by training the Sloper hold as its performance required the greatest recruitment of both the PL and FCR muscles.


AN OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN INSTRUMENT SAMPLE libraries used in psychoacoustics, sound analysis, and instrument classification research is presented. One of the central libraries, the McGill University Master Samples (MUMS, Opolko & Wapnick, 2006) is reviewed in detail. This library has over 6000 sound samples representing most classical and popular musical instruments and a wide variety of articulation styles.A closer scrutiny revealed a conspicuous amount of labeling errors, intonation inaccuracies, and the absence of an integrated database. These errors are identified and catalogued, and revisions are implemented in a form of an installer.


The paper describes two clinical cases of aortic rupture of traumatic and nontraumatic genesis, which was difficult to diagnose due to evident neurological symptoms. The analysis of these cases and the data available in the literature leads to the conclusion that aortic rupture is not a nosological entity with a known fatal outcome. Timely diagnosis based on widely practiced up-to-date ultrasound and radiological methods allows one to perform surgical or endovascular treatment in good time, by showing good long-term outcomes.


Limited drug penetration into solid tumors may prevent cancer agents from achieving sufficient concentrations to exert their therapeutic effects. However, most pre-clinical in vitro drug discovery studies utilize two dimensional (2D) growth inhibition assays, which do not closely recapitulate either the three dimensional (3D) morphology or cellular microenvironments of solid tumors. In this study, we investigated the penetration of cancer drugs into 2D and 3D head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell culture models to determine whether differences in drug penetration might contribute to differences in growth inhibition in the two models. Ellipticine, idarubicin, daunorubicin and doxorubicin were selected as the test drugs because they are fluorescent and a linear relationship exists between fluorescent intensity and drug concentration. Cal33 and FaDu HNSCC cell lines were seeded into normal tissue culture microplates to generate 2D monolayers or Ultra Low Attachment microplates to generate spheroids. We used the Cell Titer Glo® reagent to measure cellular ATP levels as an indicator of cell viability and proliferation. The ImageXpress Micro automated high content platform was used to acquire fluorescent images of 2D and 3D cell cultures exposed to the four fluorescent drugs and the Hoechst DNA stain. We used the multi-wavelength cell scoring image analysis module to quantify the accumulation and distribution of fluorescent drugs in 2D and 3D cell cultures. Although 2D Cal33 cultures were more sensitive than 3D cultures to growth inhibition by all four drugs, both models exhibited similar concentration and time dependent drug accumulation characteristics. In 2D, the distribution of compounds within cells was uniform and independent of the cell numbers seeded into the wells. In Cal33 spheroids however, the compounds exhibited an apparent distribution gradient from high in cells in the outer layers to low in cells in the interior. We speculate that the enhanced cell-cell and cell-ECM contacts in spheroids forms a barrier through which therapeutic agents must penetrate, and that the lower drug concentrations experienced by tumor cells in the interior of spheroids combines with their diminished proliferative capacity to confer the apparent resistance of 3D cultures to cancer drug induced growth inhibition and cell death.


The main symptom of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a persistent fear in situations involving social interactions. In the academic environment, the presence of this disorder may result in several problems for the individual because of the constant social interactions this environment requires.The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of social anxiety symptoms in a sample of Brazilian higher education students. The sample included 134 students of both genders, aged at least 18 years, from a Brazilianuniversity. Hence, a sociodemographic data record and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults (SAQ-A30 – Brazilian version) were used. The sample was composed by 73.1% (n=98) of women and 26.9% (n=36) ofmen; the mean age was 26.83 years (SD=9.32). The findings showed that 41.8% (n=56) of the sample presented SAD symptoms. Regarding the SAQ-A30 dimensions, the highest means were found in the 5 th dimension (criticism and embarrassment), and the 1 st dimension (speaking in public/talking with people in authority), followed by the 4 th dimension (assertive expression of annoyance, disgust or displeasure), and 2 nd dimension (interactions with the opposite sex). The 3 rd dimension(interactions with strangers) presented the lowest mean. The relation and implication of these findingson academic performance are discussed


Research on the linguistic knowledge of heritage speakers has been concerned primarily with the advantages conferred by heritage language experience in production, perception, and (re)learning of the heritage language. Meanwhile, second-language speech research has begun to investigate potential benefits of first-language transfer in second-language performance. Bridging these two bodies of work, the current study examined the perceptual benefits of heritage language experience for heritage speakers of Korean in both the heritage language (Korean) and the dominant language (American English). It was hypothesized that, due to their early bilingual experience and the different nature of unreleased stops in Korean and American English, heritage speakers of Korean would show not only native-like perception of Korean unreleased stops, but also better-than-native perception of American English unreleased stops. Results of three perception experiments were consistent with this hypothesis, suggesting that benefits of early heritage language experience can extend well beyond the heritage language.


The recent financial crisis started a global debate on the role of financial policies, which led to financial system reforms in many countries. These reforms mainly consisted of increasing the usage of macroprudential policies. This dissertation seeks to understand whether macroprudential policies in financially integrated countries reduced their vulnerability to the impact of external shocks. Chapter 2 empirically examines the impact of macroprudential policies on cross-border bilateral credit growth. Capital requirements and loan-to-value (LTV) ratios, in 15 lending countries and 34 borrowing countries between 2000 and 2014, are used in the analysis. The results show that in some countries, the increase of capital requirements is not effective in reducing international credit flows during periods of financial vulnerability. The impact of tightening LTV ratios is more heterogeneous across countries because LTV ratios are mainly used in the housing sector and not all countries change their LTV ratio frequently. Hence, cooperation across countries is necessary but also countries should make sure that the change of macroprudential policies targeting lenders and those targeting borrowers complement each other to avoid international leakages. Chapter 3 analyzes issues related to the international spillover of macroprudential policies through international banking activities using a two-country dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with heterogeneous and time-varying macroprudential policies. The results show that a combination of capital requirements and LTV ratios is effective in reducing credit growth despite the existence of cross-border banking activities and heterogeneous implementation of capital requirements across countries. In addition, international coordination of capital requirements is also effective in reducing credit growth but less effective than a combination of capital requirements and LTV ratios. Chapter 4 focuses on the role of countercyclical LTV ratios in reducing transmission of shocks when international investors, holding domestic and foreign assets, face collateral constraint. Using a two-country dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model, the analysis demonstrates that time-varying LTV ratios can reduce the transmission of shocks.


ABSTRACT Renshaw examines in comparative terms two of the most virulent manifestations of racial prejudice in early twentieth-century British society. The language of antisemitism and Sinophobia in the Edwardian period and the years preceding the First World War, the similarities and differences in the ways that these two forms of prejudice were articulated, and the overlap between them are analysed. Five strands of anti-Jewish and anti-Chinese sentiment and action are discussed. The first examines how international manifestations of antisemitism and Sinophobia, suspicions aimed at Jews and Chinese as transnational diasporic communities, and perceptions of these minorities, through Russian pogroms, the Boxer Rebellion in China and the post-Boer War economic situation in South Africa, were framed in narratives of victimhood and aggression. Second, the transnational and colonial circuits of racialized discourse and the relationship between periphery and metropole are considered, as are divergences in the articulation of anti-Jewish and anti-Chinese prejudice. The third strand investigates the use of the language of 'invasion', used by both the political right and the left in discussing Jewish and Chinese immigration and economic activity in Britain, with Chinese employment in British industries (in this period particularly as sailors on British ships) framed in the context of a demographic 'Asiatic' takeover of European societies. The fourth strand looks at the intersection of racial prejudice and sexual and social angst, the visceral association of immigrant groups with dirt and disease, and the sexual threat that racist and antisemitic literature attributed to Jews and Chinese. Finally, physical manifestations of antisemitism and Sinophobia in the period and the racial violence that occurred in Cardiff and Tredegar in 1911 will be described and placed in context. The article positions Edwardian antisemitism and Sinophobia as a transitory stage in the evolution of British racism: a bridge between the separate domestic and colonial forms of prejudice present in late Victorian discourse, and the new manifestations of racism located in British cities and ports, but aimed at non-white minorities, that emerged in the interwar period.


One of the most distinct characteristics of Poecilia reticulata, the freshwater aquarium fish known as the guppy, is the behaviors they exhibit in sexual selection. They demonstrate honest signaling, which is when an organism has large, exaggerated features which signal to a potential mate that it is capable of gathering food, passing on good genes, and survive predators while bearing a large, often awkward sexual trait. Size and color are the main forms of honest signaling that guppies exhibit. Numerous studies about sexual selection in female guppies have been done; however, little research exists about sexual selection in male guppies. Our group decided to study a male guppies' attraction to bright colors and size due to its novel nature. We hypothesized that a huge neon guppy would attract a male guppy better than a tiny guppy because the neon orange signals that she is capable of passing on good genes and her large body size indicates that she is better suited to carrying a large amount of young. We tested our hypothesis by placing a huge, neon orange 3D model of a female guppy in a tank along with a normal, average sized guppy. Our results proved to be inconclusive; the guppies did not seem to prefer a larger sized model.


The word κόσμος - kosmos/cosmos in the Greek language has diverse definitions, beyond the profound known one that relates to notions of the universe or the world. It has the meaning of order and harmony or beauty too. But kosmos stands also for jewellery in Ancient Greek and is equivalent for "the people" in neo-Greek. By reloading these meanings to the question "What will kosmos say?", its impact changes. It can evolve to "What will people say?" or "What will jewellery say?" It can have a personal/private or collective/public notion at the same time. Based on these diverse meanings of the word "kosmos", where the detail constructs the whole and the whole is subtracted in small particles, the title of the work implies several interpretations and sets a bridge between adornment, self-exposure and engagement in the public realm.The current social/political struggles of our times emphasize the need to rethink and rebuild ways of operating within the society through the function of "catharsis". Starting from the individual and leading further, to the "catharsis" of the society, of the whole. The aspect of wearing one's kosmos and presenting oneself to others contributes to a hopefully evolutionary dialogue.This work investigates the position of jewellery in times like these. Aspects like individual participation, public interaction through wearing jewellery, protest, demonstration and display of social comments are highlighted. Through numerous examples I present how fellow artists have investigated the phenomenon of jewellery within the society and what messages this medium can transmit. The essay clarifies the aims of this project and the intentions that the chosen material and methods fulfill.(This abstact belongs to the written part of the master thesis that also consists a creative part, an installation)


BACKGROUND
Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are expected to be widely adopted globally, requiring surveillance of resistance emergence and transmission.

OBJECTIVES
We therefore sought to develop a standardized list of INSTI-resistance mutations suitable for the surveillance of transmitted INSTI resistance.

METHODS
To characterize the suitability of the INSTI-resistance mutations for transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance (TDR) surveillance, we classified them according to their presence on published expert lists, conservation in INSTI-naive persons, frequency in INSTI-treated persons and contribution to reduced in vitro susceptibility. Mutation prevalences were determined using integrase sequences from 17 302 INSTI-naive and 2450 INSTI-treated persons; 53.3% of the INSTI-naive sequences and 20.0% of INSTI-treated sequences were from non-B subtypes. Approximately 10% of sequences were from persons who received dolutegravir alone or a first-generation INSTI followed by dolutegravir.

RESULTS
Fifty-nine previously recognized (or established) INSTI-resistance mutations were present on one or more of four published expert lists. They were classified into three main non-overlapping groups: 29 relatively common non-polymorphic mutations, occurring in five or more individuals and significantly selected by INSTI treatment; 8 polymorphic mutations; and 22 rare mutations. Among the 29 relatively common INSTI-selected mutations, 24 emerged as candidates for inclusion on a list of INSTI surveillance drug-resistance mutations: T66A/I/K, E92G/Q, G118R, F121Y, E138A/K/T, G140A/C/S, Y143C/H/R/S, S147G, Q148H/R/K, N155H, S230R and R263K.

CONCLUSIONS
A set of 24 non-polymorphic INSTI-selected mutations is likely to be useful for quantifying INSTI-associated TDR. This list may require updating as more sequences become available from INSTI-experienced persons infected with HIV-1 non-subtype B viruses and/or receiving dolutegravir.


Understanding the role of fire in the Earth system, and particularly regional controls on its frequency and severity, is critical to risk assessment. Charcoal records from lake sediment and fire-scar networks from long-lived tree species have improved our understanding of long-term relationships between fire events and climate. This work has primarily focused on historically fire-prone ecosystems and regions. In the northeastern USA, where wildfire has been relatively infrequent in historical times, firerisk assessments have incorporated little-to-no pre-historical data and little is known about long-term fire-climate relationships. We developed coupled, high-resolution records of moisture variability and fire from three ombrotrophic peatlands in Maine using testate amoebae and analysis of microscopic charcoal. Water-table depth reconstructions among the three sites were generally coherent, with high-magnitude dry and wet events corresponding within the uncertainty of age-depth models. At all sites, there was a significantly higher probability of fire events during high-magnitude droughts. However, although prolonged droughts were widespread and associated with higher probability of fire, the fire events were rarely synchronous among sites, with the exception of ~550 years before present (yr BP) when all three sites experienced both drought and fire. While fire has been relatively uncommon in the northeastern USA during the past century, our records clearly highlight the potential vulnerability of the region to future drought and


The information of solar atmosphere was obtained after investigating the recording radiation of the space mission. With technology growing recently, a lot of solar radio receiver was introduced to monitor the solar radio activity on the ground with high efficiency. It is recorded in every second for 24 hours per day. A massive of solar radio spectra data produced every day that makes it impossible to identify, whether the data contain burst or not. By doing manual detection, human effort and error become the issues when the solar astronomer needs the fast and accurate result. Recently, the success of various techniques in image processing to identify solar radio burst automatically was presented. This paper reviews previous technique in image processing. This discussion will help the solar astronomer to find the best technique in pre-processing before moving into the next stage for detection of solar radio burst. Keywords: monitoring solar activity; automated solar radio burst detection; image processing; technique


Public space are open spaces and areas where people in the city move around, get together and play, regardless of background, age, ethnicity, gender and income. This is particularly important in poor neighborhoods where people have no access to places where to socialize. Well designed and planned public spaces are symbols of several important aspects of a city; health, safety, culture and local economy. UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) has therefore started the project Block by Block together with Mojang, the developer of the computer game Minecraft. The objective with the project is to develop public spaces in low income countries by using Minecraft as an urban planning tool. Through this project, UN-Habitat wants to involve youths in urban planning.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of using Minecraft as an urban planning tool. Emphasis is on how the gender perspective is applicable in the development of public spaces and whether the Minecraft method is gender equal. Finally the objective with the study is to analyze how the method can be improved to address its weaknesses.
In order to answer the research question an eight week case study has been conducted in the suburb Kirtipur of Kathmandu in Nepal, where a park is being developed through Block by Block. The case study includes a workshop where youths are invited to design their future park in Minecraft. The park is today used as a dumping ground and it has been encroached by illegal settlements. Since it is the only green area left in the city it is of great importance that it is revitalized. The case study is based on observations, a questionnaire and interviews with the Minecraft participants and the different stakeholders.
The result shows that Minecraft is a successful, fun and creative tool for youths to visualize their ideas. It makes the process more effective and it also opens up for discussions and interactions between different age and community groups. The weaknesses that were found with the methods were that girls are underrepresented and that urban poor and people with disabilities are neglected. The result shows that Minecraft focuses too much on the physical aspects and too little on experiences and feelings.
Two citizen participation methods were found that could be used together with Minecraft; a Gehl analysis and a Walking tour. The Walking tour, which is a mix between a Safety tour and a Role play lets the participants walk around in the area and try to see it from another person's point of view. The aim is for them to discover the needs for a person with disability or a woman at nighttime, in order to include their needs and other relevant society groups in the design. The second method is to conduct a Gehl analysis, where the existing park is evaluated based on 12 quality criteria. The purpose is to find qualities that they like and
dislike about the park today, in order to better understand the possibilities and what needs to be developed.


One of the greatest goals of neuroscience in recent decades has been to rehabilitate individuals who no longer have a functional relationship between their mind and their body. Although neuroscience has produced technologies which allow the brains of paralyzed patients to accomplish tasks such as spell words or control a motorized wheelchair, these technologies utilize parts of the brain which may not be optimal for simultaneous use. For example, if you needed to look at flashing lights to spell words for communication, it would be difficult to simultaneously look at where you are moving. To improve upon this issue, this study developed and tested the foundation for a speech prosthesis paradigm which would utilize the innate neurophysiology of the human brain's speech system. In this experiment, two participants were asked to respond to a yes or no question via an EEG-based BCI of three different types; SSVEP-based, motor imagery-based, and laryngeal-imagery-based. By comparing the accuracy of the two established BCI paradigms to the novel laryngeal-imagery paradigm, we can establish the relative effectiveness of the novel paradigm. Machine learning algorithms were used to classify the EEG signals which had been transformed into frequency space (spectrograms) and common spatial pattern (CSP) dimensions. The SSVEP control task was able to be classified with better accuracy (62.5\%) than the no information rate of 50\% on the test set, but motor activity/imagery and laryngeal activity/imagery control tasks were not. Although the laryngeal methods did not produce accuracies above the no information rate, it is possible that with a larger amount of higher-quality data, this could prove otherwise. In the future, similar research should focus on reproducing the methods used here with better quality and more data.


Investigations of the ovary of Heterohyrax collected from Lukenya in Kanya over a period of one year are reported. The seasonal nature of breeding in this population is confirmed. The histology and ultrastructure of the ovary are described. The ovary of Heterohyrax shows general similarities to that of Procavia.


Oestrogen has been reported to control the invasiveness of endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis. Notch signalling, a master regulator of cell invasion in tumours, is regulated by oestrogen in other diseases and hyperactivated in endometriotic stromal cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that an interaction between Notch signalling and oestrogen may exist in the regulation of endometrial stromal cell invasion, which is essential for the development of endometriosis. Western blot analysis of tissues showed that the expression levels of Notch components (JAG1 and NOTCH1) and Notch activity were markedly higher in ectopic endometria than in their eutopic and normal counterparts. Primary stromal cells obtained from normal endometria cultured with oestrogen presented significant increases in the expression of Notch components and Notch activity, the cytoplasmic and nuclear accumulation of NOTCH1 intracellular domain, the expression of matrix metallopeptidase 9 and vascular endothelial growth factor and cell invasiveness. Knockdown of NOTCH1 markedly alleviated oestrogen-induced matrix metallopeptidase 9 and vascular endothelial growth factor expression and cell invasion. ICI (an oestrogen receptor α antagonist) also blocked these oestrogenic effects. Oestrogen-responsive elements were found in the promoters of NOTCH1 and JAG1. A luciferase reporter analysis revealed that oestrogen regulated the expression of Notch components via oestrogen receptor alpha, which is bound to oestrogen-responsive elements in the JAG1 and NOTCH1 promoters. Collectively, our findings indicate that oestrogen engages in crosstalk with Notch signalling to regulate cell invasion in endometriosis via the activation of oestrogen receptor alpha and the enhancement of Notch activity. Notch signalling blockade may therefore be a novel therapeutic target for endometriosis.


A massive asymptomatic creatine kinase elevation (MACKE) has been described during antipsychotic exposure in adult psychotic patients without signs of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), or other most frequent reasons for high creatine kinase (CK) serum level (intramuscular injections, restraints, intense physical activity, dystonic reactions). In this article, we review this clinical condition, and report three cases of MACKE in nonpsychotic, drug-naïve youth during treatment with second generation antipsychotics. The diagnosis of MACKE should be considered after ruling out other possible common reasons of CK increase. The finding of MACKE should indicate a need for weekly monitoring of the CK level only when there are reasons to believe elevated CK is toxic or harmful. Further investigations are recommended when signs and symptoms raise a suspicion of NMS or rhabdomyolysis, including flu-like syndrome, fever, weakness, alteration of consciousness, muscle rigidity, tachycardia, hyper-/hypotension, and dark urine. A drug discontinuation should be considered when possible signs of NMS or rhabdomyolysis are suspected, or in cases of very high and persisting CK levels. Empirical evidence indicates that there is not a "safe" antipsychotic medication; therefore, a switch to another antipsychotic with a different profile is not necessarily a safe option. The spontaneously remitting or intermittent course suggests that the "true" MACKE should be kept distinct from both rhabdomyolysis and NMS. Raising awareness with MACKE may reduce the need for unnecessary diagnosis of NMS or rhabdomyolysis, which may otherwise lead to an unnecessary discontinuation of an effective therapeutic agent.


Transplanted hepatocytes integrate, survive, and express their specific functions in the liver parenchyma. The aim of this study was to determine whether a large number of hepatocytes could move from the spleen to the liver when the cells are injected together with sodium nitroprusside, and if the improved hepatocyte migration may be related with portal vein dilatation. Wistar rats were transplanted in the spleen with fluorescent-labeled hepatocytes alone or together with sodium nitroprusside. At 1, 3, 6, and 24 h after the transplant, the liver from recipient animals was removed and morphometric analyses were performed. Portal and arterial pressures were also measured immediately after intrasplenic injection of a solution of sodium nitroprusside, hepatocytes alone, or hepatocytes plus sodium nitroprusside. Intrasplenically injected sodium nitroprusside produced a transient drop in arterial pressure and a sustained reduction in portal pressure. During hepatocyte transplantation it increased the number of transplanted cells migrating to the liver after 3 h. Sodium nitroprusside simultaneously injected with hepatocytes in the spleen allowed more cells to migrate into the liver of the host animal without risk in animal survival.


In 1880, when the British moved their Federated Malay States administrative centre to Kuala Lumpur, the Padang quickly became a symbol of British economic and administrative colonisation, and a nucleus of the socio-cultural development of Kuala Lumpur. This paper discusses the layers of history, symbolism and cultural values that the Padang contributes to the socio-cultural tapestry of both Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia, and the lack of relevant planning and heritage measures to conserve these attributes and characteristics. The conclusions offer avenues to engage with pre- and post-colonisation that enable re-making and the conservation of the iconic space of Kuala Lumpur.Keywords: Urban open space; Merdeka Square; Kuala Lumpur City Hall; National Heritage Act 2005eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2019. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v4i11.1721


The structure of finite self-assembling systems depends sensitively on the number of constituent building blocks. Recently, it was demonstrated that hard sphere-like colloidal particles show a magic number effect when confined in spherical emulsion droplets. Geometric construction rules permit a few dozen magic numbers that correspond to a discrete series of completely filled concentric icosahedral shells. Here, we investigate the free energy landscape of these colloidal clusters as a function of the number of their constituent building blocks for system sizes up to several thousand particles. We find that minima in the free energy landscape, arising from the presence of filled, concentric shells, are significantly broadened. In contrast to their atomic analogues, colloidal clusters in spherical confinement can flexibly accommodate excess colloids by ordering icosahedrally in the cluster center while changing the structure near the cluster surface. In-between these magic number regions, the building blocks cannot arrange into filled shells. Instead, we observe that defects accumulate in a single wedge and therefore only affect a few tetrahedral grains of the cluster. We predict the existence of this wedge by simulation and confirm its presence in experiment using electron tomography. The introduction of the wedge minimizes the free energy penalty by confining defects to small regions within the cluster. In addition, the remaining ordered tetrahedral grains can relax internal strain by breaking icosahedral symmetry. Our findings demonstrate how multiple defect mechanisms collude to form the complex free energy landscape of hard sphere-like colloidal clusters.


This symposium discussed several recent initiatives used around the world to improve the management of hypertensive patients and achieve better blood pressure (BP) control. The key objectives of the symposium were to review the current position with regards to BP control in Europe, to discuss the initiatives used in Italy, France, and Canada to improve hypertension management and their outcomes, and to assess how single-pill fixed-dose combinations of antihypertensive drugs have improved adherence. Some of the key barriers to BP control were discussed and measures to overcome these presented, so that further improvements in hypertension management can be achieved going forward.

Prof Anthony Heagerty opened the meeting by discussing the key causes of suboptimal BP control and the results of the SPRINT study. Prof Massimo Volpe presented the initiative to achieve 70% BP control and assessed its success to date in Italy. Prof Jean-Jacques Mourad discussed the results of the PAssAGE 2014 study and French League Against Hypertension Survey (FLAHS) in 2015, following the initiative to achieve 70% BP control in France by the end of 2015. Prof Raj Padwal presented the Canadian hypertension Education Program (CHEP) and the improvements in the management of hypertensive patients in Canada. Finally, Dr Julian Segura bought the meeting to a close by discussing how fixed-dose combinations have improved adherence in clinical practice.


One of the most pressing issues in the urban ghettos of the Cape Flats is that of gangsterism and the discourse of power and powerlessness that is its lifeblood. Media coverage over the past two years was littered with news on gangsterism as the City of Cape Town struggles to contain what some labelled a pandemic. It is a pandemic that is closely tied to a deprivation trap of poverty, marginalisation, isolation, unemployment and, ultimately, powerlessness. The latter concept of powerlessness and its interplay with these factors constituted the main thrust of this article as it explores the concept of power (and powerlessness) as deeply relational with the economic, psycho-social and spiritual dimensions. It is proposed that Kingdom power challenges the status quo within such contexts and offers the church an alternative framework within which to engage prophetically.


O bjective: This study evaluated the effect of drying times of two total-etch & rinse adhesives on the resin bond strength to a feldsphatic ceramic, before and after aging. Material and Methods: Feldsphatic-ceramic CAD-CAM bars were cut into blocks (12×10×4 mm) with a cutting machine (N = 32). Impressions were made of each ceramic block with silicone putty material and the negative space was filled with a composite resin. The bonding ceramic surface was etched with hydrofluoric acid, silanized, and the adhesive system (SB- Single Bond 2, 3M-ESPE; or PB- Prime & Bond NT, Dentsply) was applied. The samples were dried at different times (5, 10 and 15 s) before the cementation. The resin and ceramic blocks were cemented by a dual cure resin cement. All samples were stored in distilled water at 37 °C for 24 h. For the μ-TBS test, the samples were sliced into microbars. Half of the bars of each block was tested after 24 h and, the other bars were submitted to thermocycling (12,000×) and water storage (150 d) . For the 24 h groups, the longer drying time increased (p < 0.05) the bond strength of SB (water/alcohol adhesive), while reduced (p < 0.05) for the PB group (acetone based adhesive). Results: For the aged groups, the bond strength for the different drying times had no significant difference, for the both adhesives. Conclusion: Longer drying times increased the bond strength values of SB. Smaller drying times increased the bond strength values of PB. The aging protocol influenced the bond strength of SB groups. Keywords: Microtensile; Adhesion; Feldspar ceramic; Drying time; Adhesive system.


The use of game cameras for surveying and estimating populations of large mammals has become increasingly popular over the past two decades; however, few studies have examined logistics or patterns of animal detection using cameras. We monitored feral pigs (Sus scrofa) for seven consecutive 24-hour periods at 73 pre-baited camera sites on Fort Benning, Georgia, to determine the minimum length of time cameras must be deployed to attain sufficient detection probabilities for three classes of pigs (adult sows, adult boars, and juveniles). We sought to broaden this objective by examining the impact on predicted detection probabilities associated with nocturnal versus diurnal sampling. Predicted detection probabilities for each class exceeded 0.5 following the third day of camera deployment. Results suggest estimation of feral pig abundance may be improved by minimizing sampling periods to three 24-hour periods per monitoring station following a uniform pre-baiting schedule. Sampling may be reduced to nocturnal periods for adult pigs without greatly impacting their detection probabilities; however, detection of juveniles may be slightly diminished. Minimizing monitoring periods as suggested will reduce costs associated with maintaining baited monitoring stations and decrease potential negative influences of human scent at bait sites. Limiting sampling periods will also reduce temporal heterogeneity in abundance estimates, while minimizing potential increases in survival/productivity associated with prolonged baiting.


AIMS
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves symptoms, left ventricular function, and survival in patients with heart failure (HF) and wide QRS. The benefit of adding implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) backup is debated. We analysed the long-term outcome of patients with HF due to ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) or non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) treated with a CRT device with or without defibrillator backup.

METHODS AND RESULTS
In this observational study, consecutive patients with an ejection fraction ≤35% and QRS width ≥120 ms receiving a CRT device at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark from 2000 to 2010 were included. Baseline characteristics were retrieved from patient files and survival data were obtained from the Danish Civil Registration System. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The effect of ICD backup was estimated using Cox proportional hazards model, and the multivariate analyses were adjusted for a priori selected variables. We included 917 HF patients, 427 with NICM, and 490 with ICM. Median follow-up was 4.0 years. Adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for all-cause mortality was 0.76 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.60-0.97; P = 0.03] in all patients; 0.96 (95% CI, 0.60-1.51; P = 0.85) in patients with NICM, and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.56-0.97; P = 0.03) in patients with ICM. In patients with NICM, ICD backup seemed to be associated with improved survival among non-responders to CRT (P = 0.08), but not among responders (P = 0.61).

CONCLUSION
Adding an ICD backup is associated with better survival in CRT recipients. This effect was evident among patients with ICM, but not in patients with NICM.


Abstract. Water stored beneath the Earth's surface, known as groundwater is a major water supply for living things. The increase in human population leading to high urban development and industrial needs in Malaysia has made the use of groundwater more critical. The current issue faced by Malaysia is the limitation of freshwater source from dam resulting in increasing demand to gather the source of fresh water from groundwater; hence, leading to the crucial exploitation of groundwater. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate groundwater storage (GWS) using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) data in Peninsular Malaysia. GRACE data consist information on the liquid water equivalent thickness covering terrestrial water storage (TWS) of GWS, soil moisture (SM), snow water equivalent (SWE), and surface water (SW). In comparison with GLDAS data, they only consist hydrological products of SM, SWE, and SW. Therefore, the differences between the GRACE and GLDAS data are most likely to reflect the information of GWS. Due to the seasonal monsoon, the changes in GWS can also be seen in specific months. In addition, the data can also be used to identify important areas that need improvement and attention. The output of this study is expected to help authorities monitoring the changes in GWS in recharge and discharge areas for future preservation of groundwater quality. Moreover, the excessive exploitation of groundwater can also be observed for the prevention of land hazard phenomena, such land subsidence.


A benign syndrome of acute ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia is commonly known as the Miller Fisher syndrome. It is generally believed that Miller Fisher syndrome is a type of Guillain-Barré syndrome, but several authors believe it to be a separate clinical entity caused by a central nervous system lesion. Eight patients with Miller Fisher syndrome diagnosis, admitted to our department in the last 20 years, were reviewed. Neurophysiological studies were carefully reviewed. Our patients had a clinical presentation and evolution identical to that described previously. Neurophysiological abnormalities were found in all patients and were characteristic of a sensory axonal neuropathy, with damage of the facial nerves and occasional demyelination of peripheral nerves. The pattern of abnormalities is distinct from the usual features seen in Guillain-Barré syndrome. The CT scan, MRI, and Evoked Potentials investigations in our patients did not confirm central nervous system lesion. Nevertheless we did not exclude the possibility of coexisting damage to the central nervous system in some patients, as shown in Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.


This paper aims to rethink some features of Wittgenstein's thought, examining in particular the notion of "language-game." A discussion of this notion is a way of rethinking the role played by context in linguistic processes. It is a role that cannot be understood if we do not focus on the topic for which the "language game" is played. In particular some characteristics of "language game" will be examined: topicality, broader normativity and multimodality. These characteristics will be applied to some actual "language games" like the standingman of Istanbul.


Two microscopical screening methods have been used to assay the suitability of urine samples for automated direct antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the means of a "MS-2 Microbiology System" apparatus. Gram stained smears showed if specimens were monomicrobic and fresh-mount bacterioscopy gave information about presumptive counts to establish inoculum size. The results obtained by the automated method have been compared with those of the direct disk diffusion method and the classical Stokes method on a single isolated colony. The three systems were reliable and only 7% of specimens gave major discrepancies and 15% minor errors. The influence of each antibiotic drug and of each bacterial species on the discrepancies has been discussed. Direct susceptibility testing by MS-2 seems to be accurate and in the same time so fast (5-6 h vs. 18-24 h) to appear very useful in the rational guide of chemotherapy in the more severe UTI.


Goats in Sardinia are reared mainly for milk production and for suckling kids meat. On the contrary, meat from adult goats is unprofitable. The use of Sarda and Maltese goat meat to obtain ripened products (ham) will contribute to safeguard the Sardinian goat supply chain. The aim of this study was to characterize Sarda and Maltese goat dry ham. N. 4 Sarda and 5 Maltese batches were analyzed. At farm level feeding and management were evaluated. Moreover, the following analysis were carried out: 1) abattoir: live and carcass weight, pH decrease, conformation ranking and degree of fat cover; 2) chemical-physical characteristics and colour during the following stages: fresh ham (MP), after salting (S), after drying (E) and at the end of ripening (P); 3) microbiological parameters, rheological properties and composition were determined for MP and P samples. Sarda and Maltese live weight was 44±4.9 and 53±5.4 kg respectively. The slaughter yield was 43% and 34% 1h after slaughtering, while 42% and 33% 24h after slaughtering in Sarda and Maltese respectively. The dynamics of pH during processing were similar to other cured meat products. The aw value decreased during processing. Referring to P samples, Staphylococci coagulase negative were the prevalent flora in both races. Lactic acid bacteria, moulds and yeasts were not constantly detected and pathogen bacteria were not isolated. Among the ham rheological properties, hardness showed higher levels in comparison to similar products.


Seven different animal facilities were studied to determine daily variations in emissions of odor, ammonia, and
hydrogen sulfide. Air samples were collected every two hours over a 12-hour period during the day for odor and gas
measurements from these facilities. A nursery building had the highest emission rates for odor and hydrogen sulfide (max:
50 OU · m 3 /s/m 2 and 140 µg/s/m 2 , respectively). The naturally ventilated swine finishing building had the highest
ammonia emission rate (max: 170 µg/s/m 2 ). The data also showed that there was no significant difference in average
ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations over the 12-h sampling period for all the animal facilities. Ventilation rates
play a key role in determining the emission rates of aerial pollutants from animal buildings. However, when comparing
the overall odor and gas emissions among animal buildings with different sizes, it is necessary to consider building sizes
in addition to ventilation rates.


The southern margin of the Alxa Terrane is located between the North Qilian Orogenic Belt and the inner Alxa block, and Paleozoic mafic magmatism records the geodynamic evolution at different stages in the orogenic cycle. New zircon U−Pb ages and whole-rock geochemistry reveal three groups of mafic rocks in the southern margin of the Alxa block: (i) c. 480 Ma Xijing gabbros, characterized by high Ba/Th and low Th/La ratios with low εNd(t) (−5.7 to −4.9) values, implying their derivation from enriched mantle metasomatized by slab-derived fluids; (ii) c. 440 Ma Xijing and Jiling hornblende gabbros which have high Th/La and low Ba/Th ratios, suggesting that they were produced by partial melting of mantle modified by previously subducted sediments; (iii) c. 250 Ma Xijing pyroxenites, which are cumulates with relatively high εNd(t) (+5.2 to  +  5.9), indicating that their host magmas were derived from relatively depleted mantle. Together with published results, these new data highlight that the c. 480 and c. 440 Ma mafic magmas were related to the northward subduction of the North Qilian oceanic slab and later post-collisional lithospheric delamination, respectively. The c. 250 Ma Xijing pyroxenites were related to younger lithospheric extension in the development of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in the Alxa block. Supplementary material: Supplementary tables A1–A7 are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5287657


The present study was designed to investigate the effect of consumption of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) during pregnancy on fluid and food intake, weight gain during pregnancy, length of gestation, litter size and birth weight. Eighteen in-bred virgin female Sprague-Dawley rats aged between 1012 weeks and weighing 125 ± 5.5g (mean ± SEM) with two consecutive regular 4-day estrus cycle were used for this study. These rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups on gestational day one. Group A (control) were given tap water to drink throughout pregnancy, while groups B and C were given 0.6gextract/100ml and 1.8g-extract/100ml respectively to drink throughout pregnancy. All groups had normal rat chow and their respective drinking solution ad libitum. Mean fluid and food intake and total pregnancy weight gain were significantly reduced in the HS group. There was no significant difference in length of gestation among the various groups but there was a significant reduction in litter size and a significant increase in litter birth weight in HS groups (B and C) compared with control group (A). There were no apparent malformations at birth.


eomplete set of Dr. Gray's Grasses and Sedges. I was informed by Dr. Sloan, President of the Nat. Hist. Soc., that Dr. Clapp began his botanical investigationis wheni his eyesight had about failed him and he was comipelled to do something to engage his attenition and keep him in the opeii air as much as possible. If he had been driven into the study of botany earlier in life he mlight have established in New Albany ain exceeclingly fine herbarium, for he had obtainied many good exclhanges, anid wvas in correspondence with the most eminent botaniists of his daY. Among other exchanges were sets of plants fr om Louisiana and Ohio sent by Dr. Riddlell. The collection was btundled up at Dr. Clapp's death anid the dust of manv years was allowed to collect uponi it. It remained entirely undisturbed until witilin a very few years and only now is it in complete order, with inodern nomenielature anid modern paper, ready for use.-ED.


In the early 1990s, a group of Russian and American scholars teamed up to investigate the impact of Gorbachev's reform on Soviet society, focusing especially on the role the intelligentsia played in fomenting glasnost and perestroika. Results of this collaborative study were published in a volume Russian Culture at the Crossroads: Paradoxes of Postcommunist Consciousness (Shalin, 1996a). The contributors worked on the assumption that perestroika was an irreversible achievement, that distortions the reforms wrought in Russian society would be smoothed out over time. Today, this assumption appears overoptimistic. After nearly twenty years in power, Vladimir Putin dismantled key democratic institutions, badly weakened other, and established a personalistic regime that reversed many political gains brought about by his predecessors. An international team assembled for the present project starts with the premise that we live in the age of counterperestroika. Our focus is still on the intelligentsia and its contribution to dismantling the Soviet system, but now we want to explore the unanticipated consequences of social change threatening the existence of the intelligentsia as a distinct group. Our team includes prominent scholars, writers, and civil rights leaders who illuminate the political agendas and personal choices confronting intellectuals in today's Russia. Contributors look at the current trends through different lenses, they disagree about the intelligentsia's past achievements and looming future, yet they all feel the need to examine its local and world-historical significance. This essay aims to place the debate in historical context and elucidate its relevance to the field of communication studies. I begin with the communication-specific conditions fortifying democratic institutions and show how distorted communications have hobbled the Russian intelligentsia throughout history. Next, I review the social context within which the intelligentsia emerged, the special place it occupies in Russian discourse, and the acute distress counterperestroika inflicted on Russian society in general and public intellectuals in particular. After examining the systematic distortions that communication suffers in repressive societies, I zero in on the intelligentsia's role in modeling emotionally intelligent conduct and scrutinize the communication sphere as the condition of possibility for a viable democracy. I close this introduction with a brief survey of the articles collected in this volume and reflections on the prospects for a communication theory in the pragmatist key.


The advancements in channel coding theory over the past decades have been accomplished by considering of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels. Much less is known about the consequences when the standard AWGN assumption is not fulfilled in realistic environments and, more importantly, the appropriate countermeasures. The paper investigates the robustness of turbo codes decoded by existing quadratic-type algorithms in heavy-tailed, non-Gaussian noise channels. It illustrates that impulsive noise constitutes a major impairment in turbo decoding by studying the a posteriori probabilities computed by the constituent decoders, in addition to a formal account in terms of error probability performance. It is found that the performance of turbo codes is extremely sensitive to the shape of the underlying noise density function, being considerably degraded when this function departs from Gaussianity into a heavy-tailed distribution. A robust variant of existing decoders for reliable decoding of turbo codes in heavy-tailed noise is proposed and studied. The robustness is achieved by the enforcement of a non-quadratic soft metric into the decoder for good estimation of the transition probabilities and reliable extraction of extrinsic information.


The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has embraced digital diplomacy as a part of its foreign relations strategy. Thus, this research uses case study methodology via in-depth interviews with Emirati officials and scholars and UAE-based foreign policy academics and practitioners to investigate the challenges associated with UAE digital diplomacy. Although the UAE has embraced globalization and its associated digital tools in furtherance of its foreign policy, it is plagued by deglobalization challenges that threaten the full benefits of digital diplomacy. Institutionally, this includes the following: obstacles presented by state security and state censorship, media regulations, organizational culture, personnel challenges, and linguistic challenges. Structurally, the UAE also faces challenges such as negative regional perception, difficulty in audience identification and targeting, keeping up with a fast-paced global media environment, fake news from hostile sources, usage by nonstate actors, a culture of anonymity, risk of cyberattacks, and technical and digital divides. Finding the right balance between digital empowerment and regulating the digital realm to address legitimate national security concerns will ultimately determine the success or failure of UAE's digital diplomacy.


To many, the term "campaign ethics" is an oxymoron. Questionable campaign conduct occurs at many levels, from national presidential elections to local delegate contests. Campaign ethics goes beyond mere "ethical dilemmas," or trying to decide whether or not a particular act is above board. The chapters in this volume examine the broad questions of ethics in campaigns from the perspective of those actors that play critical roles in them, as well as the scholars who study them. The contributors uwho include leading academics, as well as practitioners from the world of campaigning and campaign reform uoutline, assess, and critique the role and responsibilities of candidates, citizens, organized interest groups, political parties, professional campaign consultants, and the media, in insuring ethical campaigns. Contributors include: Robert E. Denton (Virginia Tech University), David A. Dulio (Oakland University), Brad Rourke (Institute for Global Ethics), Robin Kolodny (Temple University), L. Dale Lawton (Institute for Global Ethics), L. Sandy Maisel (Colby College), Larry Makinson (Center for Responsive Politics), Stephen K. Medvic (Franklin & Marshall College), Dale E. Miller (Old Dominion University), Candice J. Nelson (Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University), Mark A. Siegel (Office of Congressman Steve Israel), Paul Taylor (Alliance For Better Campaigns), James A. Thurber (Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University), Michael W. Traugott (University of Michigan), Carol Whitney (Whitney and Associatesand Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University), and William H. Wood (Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership, University of Virginia).


Abstract The High Plains Aquifer, located in the United States, is one of the largest freshwater aquifers in the world and is threatened by continued decline in water levels and deteriorating water quality. Understanding the physical and cultural features of this area is essential to assessing the factors that affect this groundwater resource. About 270f the irrigated land in the United States overlies this aquifer, which yields about 300f the nation's groundwater used for irrigation of crops including wheat, corn, sorghum, cotton and alfalfa. In addition, the aquifer provides drinking water to 820f the 2.3 million people who live within the aquifer boundary. The High Plains Aquifer has been significantly impacted by human activities. Groundwater withdrawals from the aquifer exceed recharge in many areas, resulting in substantial declines in groundwater level. Residents once believed that the aquifer was an unlimited resource of high-quality water, but they now face the prospect that much of the water may be gone in the near future. Also, agricultural chemicals are affecting the groundwater quality. Increasing concentrations of nitrate and salinity can first impair the use of the water for public supply and then affect its suitability for irrigation. A variety of technical and institutional measures are currently being planned and implemented across the aquifer area in an attempt to sustain this groundwater resource for future generations. However, because groundwater withdrawals remain high and water quality impairments are becoming more commonplace, the sustainability of the High Plains Aquifer is uncertain.


Because no previous investigation has directly compared the combination of remifentanil (REM) and a hypnotic with that of REM and the newer volatile anesthetics, we studied recovery characteristics and patient satisfaction after the combination of REM with propofol (PRO), desflurane (DES), or sevoflurane (SEVO). One hundred twenty patients were randomly assigned to receive anesthesia with either REM/PRO, REM/DES, REM/SEVO, or thiopental/alfentanil/isoflurane/N2O (control group) for ear, nose, and throat surgery (n = 30 each). In the REM groups, the dosage of PRO (75 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1), and of DES or SEVO (0.5 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration) was kept unchanged, and REM was titrated to hemodynamic response. The control group was managed according to standard practice. Early recovery (times to eye opening, extubation, and statement of name and date of birth) was predictably faster and more complete in the REM groups compared with the control group. However, late recovery (times to discharge from postanesthesia care unit and hospital) and overall patient satisfaction were not different among groups. No clinically relevant differences existed among the three REM groups. In conclusion, the combination of REM infusion with small-dose DES, SEVO, or PRO is characterized by predictably rapid, early recovery. However, late recovery and patient satisfaction are comparable to a conventional anesthetic technique. Implications Remifentanil anesthesia, combined with small-dose propofol, desflurane, or sevoflurane, enables predictably fast and smooth early recovery after ear, nose, and throat surgery. Despite such faster, early recovery and less need for postoperative analgesic and antiemetic medication, late recovery was comparable among the remifentanil combination groups and the control group.


ABSTRACT We developed a simple and sensitive screening method to investigate the distribution of microbes producing an antimicrobial poly(amino acid), ε-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL), in microflora. An acidic dye, Poly R-478, incorporated in an agar plate detected ε-PL producers by electrostatic interaction with the secreted basic polymers. All ε-PL producers, isolated after careful and sufficient screening of soil microflora, belonged exclusively to two groups of bacteria of the family Streptomycetaceae and ergot fungi. They were characterized based on the density and diameter of the concentric zone formed by the secreted polymers. The density depended on each isolate. The increase in the diameter of the concentric zone per unit of time varied among isolates and was negatively correlated with the molecular weight. Although the distribution of ε-PL producers was extremely limited, their products were structurally varied. The molecular masses of the secreted polymers among the isolates ranged from 0.8 to 2.0 kDa. There were also isolates producing unknown polymers inconsistent with the correlation or producing a mixture of polymers with original and modified structures. A chemically modified polymer was an ε-PL derivative, as determined by mass spectrometry. Since the structural variations had no relation to the phylogenetic position of the isolates, it is possible that enzymes involved in the synthesis diversified after putative horizontal transfers of relevant genes.


ABSTRACT Chlamydia trachomatis is a human pathogen of global importance. An obstacle to studying the pathophysiology of human chlamydial disease is the lack of a suitable murine model of C. trachomatis infection. Mice are less susceptible to infection with human isolates due in part to innate mouse-specific host defense mechanisms to which human strains are sensitive. Another possible factor that influences the susceptibility of mice to infection is that human isolates are commonly cultivated in vitro prior to infection of mice; therefore, virulence genes could be lost as a consequence of negative selective pressure. We tested this hypothesis by infecting innate immunity-deficient C3H/HeJ female mice intravaginally with a human serovar D urogenital isolate that had undergone multiple in vitro passages. We observed early and late infection clearance phenotypes. Strains of each phenotype were isolated and then used to reinfect naïve mice. Following infection, the late-clearance strain was significantly more virulent. It caused unvarying infections of much longer durations with greater infectious burdens that naturally ascended to the upper genital tract, causing salpingitis. Despite contrasting in vivo virulence characteristics, the strains exhibited no differences in the results of in vitro infectivity assays or sensitivities to gamma interferon. Genome sequencing of the strains revealed mutations that localized to a single gene (CT135), implicating it as a critical virulence factor. Mutations in CT135 were not unique to serovar D but were also found in multiple oculogenital reference strains. Our findings provide new information about the pathogenomics of chlamydial infection and insights for improving murine models of infection using human strains.


Greil Marcus once said to an interviewer, "There is an infinite amount of meaning about anything, and I free associate." For more than four decades, Marcus has explored the connections among figures, sounds, and events in culture, relating unrelated points of departure, mapping alternate histories and surprising correspondences. He is a unique and influential voice in American letters. Marcus was born in 1945 in San Francisco. In 1968 he published his first piece, a review of Magic Bus: The Who on Tour, in Rolling Stone, where he became the magazine's first records editor. Renowned for his ongoing "Real Life Top Ten" column, Marcus has been a writer for a number of magazines and websites, and is the author and editor of over fifteen books. His critique is egalitarian: no figure, object, or event is too high, low, celebrated, or obscure for an inquiry into the ways in which our lives can open outward, often unexpectedly. In Conversations with Greil Marcus, Marcus discuses in lively, wide-ranging interviews his books and columns as well as his critical methodology and broad approach to his material, signaled by a generosity of spirit leavened with aggressive critical standards.


Lightning protection and insulation coordination of transmission lines and substations require an accurate knowledge of the magnitudes and waveforms of lightning overvoltage. To simulate the lightning overvoltage precisely near the substation, this study has shown how to consider the lightning impulse corona for distortion effect of this overvoltage. Attenuation and deformation effects of lightning impulse corona along transmission lines are evaluated by the simulation results. This paper describes the substation equipment modeling in the software Electromagnetic Transients Program–Alternative Transients Program EMTP. Corona effect is incorporate in order to estimate the attenuation and deformation of overvoltage's travelling waves on transmission lines near substations. Variations of lightning stroke current magnitudes, protection distances, and the impact points are obvious due to the applied dynamic corona model. Several elements of substation equipment are modeled in ATP/EMTP using MODELS language. The Simulation results show that the amplitude and voltage travelling wave-fronts attenuated remarkably. Deformation of the wave shapes mainly occurs when the impulse voltage exceeds the corona inception voltage.


Abstract Data from two family samples that were heterogeneous in regard to age and sex were analysed to provide evidence about the effects of acquiescent responding on the Wilson and Patterson Conservatism Scale. In one sample of 575 respondents (Adelaide metropolitan families) the correlation between the conservative and liberal halves of the C-Scale before reversal was-.417, coefficient alpha for the item conservatism scores over all 50 items (after reversal) was .837, and alpha for the 50 items scored for acquiescence was 654. In the second sample of 358 respondents (Flinders University families) the respective correlations were-.539, 877, and .692. In both cases these statistics were higher than those reported by Ray and Pratt (1979). The analyses also demonstrated that age differences were especially important "sources" of variation in conservatism scores. It was argued that the Ray and Pratt (1979) findings may be due to the relative homogeneity of their samples in regard to age and sex.