In heavy steel sections, strength and toughness are improved remarkably by refining and homogenizing the final ferrite microstructure. The production of heavy sections by universal-type rolling mills takes place at elevated temperature followed by slow cooling rates. Therefore, refinement of the ferrite microstructure through modern thermomechanical, TMP, techniques is not feasible. This paper explores and presents the use of particle-stimulated nucleation of ferrite, the PSN (particle-stimulated nucleation) mechanism, to refine the ferrite grain size and eliminate the high-carbon, low transformation products otherwise found in transformed coarse-grained austenite. In this study, MnS and Ti-oxide particles were used to promote intragranular ferrite, or IGF, in a typical ASTM A572 grade 50 Steel. This work included the study of the decomposition behavior of coarse grained austenite as a function of very slow cooling rate. In addition, the nucleation of ferrite grains taking place at γ/γ, γ/α and γ/inclusion interfaces was identified and quantified.


This article provides a comparative analysis of Howie Tsui's Celestials of Saltwater City (2011) and Ali Kazimi's Fair Play (2014), two art installations that centre the histories of different Asian Canadian communities (Chinese Canadian and South Asian Canadian, respectively), but are underscored by paralleled experiences of racism, exclusion, and indenture. I bring these works together to propose a rethinking of Asian Canadian art history through Francoise Lionnet and Shu-mei Shih's concept of minor transnationalism, a framework which helps map historical formations of "Asian Canadian" that rupture dominant cultural discourse. By comparing the ways in which Asian Canadian artists tell their own stories, drawing attention to narrative and aesthetic resonances not always immediately apparent, minor transnationalism brings into critical focus the subjective connections and experiences of diaspora that are already present but have been obscured through processes of historical erasure and settler colonial nation-building.


How can today's workforce keep pace with an increasingly competitive global economy? As new technologies rapidly transform the workplace, employee requirements are changing and workers must adapt to different working conditions. This volume compares new evidence on the returns from worker training in the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Japan, Norway, and the Netherlands.

The authors focus on Germany's widespread, formal apprenticeship programs; the U.S. system of learning-by-doing; Japan's low employee turnover and extensive company training; and Britain's government-led and school-based training schemes. The evidence shows that, overall, training in the workplace is more effective than training in schools. Moreover, even when U.S. firms spend as much on training as other countries do, their employees may still be less skilled than workers in Europe or Japan.

Training and the Private Sector points to training programs in Germany, Japan, and other developed countries as models for creating a workforce in the United States that can compete more successfully in today's economy.


Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the role of individual and cultural differences, specifically religious motivation and attitudes toward nepotism, in the selection of conflict management styles (obliging, avoiding, forcing, integrating and compromising), in the Middle-Eastern context.

Design/methodology/approach

The research surveyed a sample of 588 individuals (both Muslims and Christians), representative of the Jordanian population. Data were analyzed through multiple ANOVAs and multiple regressions.

Findings

Results suggest that both religious motivation and attitude toward nepotism affect the choice of conflict management styles, while demographic variables, such as age and gender, do not seem to have an effect.

Originality/value

This paper constitutes one of the first attempts to investigate the conflict management style preferences of a Middle-Eastern society and the role of two important cultural variables, namely, religious motivation and attitudes toward nepotism, which have not been previously investigated by conflict management research.


We report the case of a male, 80-year-old resident in the City of Buenos Aires, with a diagnosis of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) during a countrywide dengue outbreak, from January to May 2009. The patient had a chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with chlorambucil, prostate cancer (hormone therapy and radiotherapy) and images consistent with bone metastases. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed pleocytosis with a predominance of mononuclear cells and high protein concentration. Bacteria, fungi and mycobacteria cultures, as well as the PCR for herpes virus, HSV, CMV and EBV, were negative. We confirmed the diagnosis of SLE by detection of IgM antibodies in both CSF and serum sample with IgG seroconversion by neutralization in cell cultures and negative results for other flaviviruses with known circulation in Argentina. We review the evidence for the presence of the St. Louis virus in our country and point to the importance of the diagnosis and the search of other Flavivirus in suspected dengue cases with severe or atypical presentation. This work emphasizes the need to strengthen both the epidemiological surveillance of SLE, and vector control to prevent different infections transmitted by mosquitoes and to understand their true impact on public health in Argentina.


The new institutional economics has recently developed the idea that the institutional environment can have an impact on economic actors' mental perceptions, and reciprocally, that these perceptions can impact on the institutional environment. This latter point seems particularly relevant in the field of economic organisations participation in the political making process. Nevertheless the empirical description of this role of mental perceptions in the political behaviour had not been made clearly. To contribute to this empirical description we lead a comparative study of 4 farm sectors in Costa Rica, based on a dynamic approach of mental perceptions in relation with the institutional change occurring during the liberalisation process. We carry out a statistical analysis of mental perceptions through a textual analysis of actors perceptions of the institutional change, leading to two main conclusions. Firstly we provide an empirical confirmation that mental models are influenced by specific institutional environments and lead to different strategies regarding the participation to the political making process. Secondly, we show that when an exogenous change occurs in the institutional environment, the mental models existing before the change can persist and lead to inefficient behaviours. This can partly explain part of the difficulties some sectors to lead efficient political activity that ensures their survival in a liberalized environment.


For "Cosmos Laundromat" - CAF 2016 Jury Award winner - the Blender team, headed by CG pioneer and producer Ton Roosendaal, developed and used a complete open source creation pipeline. The team released several other shorts since then, including a 360-degrees VR experience and a pitch for the feature animation film "Agent 327". Developing and sharing open source technologies is a great challenge, and leads to great benefits for the small and medium animation studios.


Background Injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in rapidly developing countries such as Vietnam. Objectives Our objective was to apply an active injury surveillance system describing the burden of injuries in an industrially developing commune in 2 years (2008 and 2009). Methods Injury data were collected from different sources including a District Hospital, a Commune Health Station and the first aid boxes located in 40 enterprises. Each injury was interviewed by health staff describing the circumstances of each injury including causes, occurring time, injured body parts, lost workday, injury severity and treatment expenses, etc. Results The total number of injuries recorded in 2 years were 1661 cases, in which male got more injuries than female (57,2% vs 42,8%). Almost people (accounting 72%) getting injuries were in working age (20–65-years-old). 47,8% people getting injuries were working in mechanical enterprises. 26% were involved in agricultural work. Majority of injuries were open wound (42.9%), crushing injuries (19,5%) bone fracture and crash (3.5%); burn (4.6%). The main causes of injuries ere struck by/against/caught (41.5%), falls (28.3%), hot objects (4.6%). 46.5% of people getting injuries left work. 77.2% left work for 1–6 days. The total cost for all injuries were 411 693 thousand Vietnamese dong (equivalent to more than 21 thousand US dollar) Contribution to the Field Applying an active injury surveillance system captured more cases of injuries and described more detail burden of injuries. It is a basis to offer various potential intervention at commune level to prevent actively injuries.


connector which is not possible when the '0' ring Securing the endotracheal tube is positioned above the flange of the proximal connector. Incomplete union of the connectors may lead to them falling apart with disastrous consequences. 1 wish to thank Mr T. Dee, Medical Illustration Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, for producing the illustrations. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, EDWARD MATHEWS Edgbaston, Birtningham B15 2TH I was surprised to see a photograph in Anaesthesia which showed an endotracheal tube dragging at the corner of a patient's mouth. (Anaesthesia, 1976, 31, 1094). This is frequently damaging and I feel that it is especially important for us in this age of technological innovation to exercise with even greater care those skills of patient care which tend to be forgotten in our search for knowledge. Department of Anaesthetics, D.E. JEAL P.O. Box 17039, Congella, 4013 Durban, South Africa


Introduction: Dry eye is a common but under-diagnosed problem in the general population. Lack of standardised diagnostic protocol causes prevalence of dry eye varied widely in different populations. Nevertheless, effective management rests largely on the accurate diagnosis and identification of the contributing risk factors. Methods: In a cross sectional study, socio-demographic, lifestyle and medical history data were collected from 157 respondents. A validated six-item questionnaire was used to determine the dry eye symptoms. Dry eye was determined by using Schirmer's test. Fluorescein staining test and tear break up time (TBUT) test were performed to characterise the dry eye. Results: Using the Schirmer's test, 33.8% of respondents had dry eyes. The likelihood of dry eye increased among Malay females in the seventh decade. The most frequently reported symptom was sensation of dryness of the eye. Although only 22.6% of dry eye cases were symptomatic, up to 47.2% of them may developed surface changes detectable by fluorescein dye test. Ethnicity (p=0.019) and diabetes mellitus (p=0.049) were significantly associated with dry eye. Conclusion: Dry eye could be subclinical but clinical tests in potential risk groups can lead to better detection of this condition and allow prescription of appropriate treatment for affected patients.


Phosphate sorption isotherms for Typic Haplorthox and Plinthaqualf soils from six sites associated with oil palm trials in the Solomon Islands were determined and are presented at Temkin plots. Clay mineralogy, pH, organic carbon, exchangeable acidity, cation exchange capacity, extractable phosphorus and extractable iron and aluminium (by both oxalate and citrate-dithlonite extraction) were also determined. Fertiliser predictions based on the amounts of phosphate sorbed by topsoils at an equilibrium concentration of 0.1 ppm of phosphorus are in general accord with vegetative responses to phosphate applications at the trial sites. Iron extracted with citrate-dithionite solutions from all soils showed a significant correlation with corresponding Isotherm slopes, which are related to the phosphate buffering capacities of soils.


In this paper we present a method to convert a wireframe mesh into a 2-manifold mesh consisting of cylindrical pipes in place of the edges and joints in place of the vertices in the original mesh. Our method allows users to create unique artistic depictions of common objects and structures. The resulting mesh is also more effective at conveying the overall 3D structure and any internal elements of a model when compared to regular wireframe or boundary representations. The input wireframe mesh can be any collection of linear edges; they do not have to form a manifold surface or even be connected to each other. The result is always an orientable 2-manifold surface. Our algorithm replaces every edge in the wireframe mesh with a cylindrical 3D pipe. The pipes are connected to each other using 3D joints created at the vertices in the wireframe where the edges meet. Our method has been implemented as part of a polygonal mesh modeling system and has been used to create artistic models of popular architectural structures as well as to create conceptual sketches for virtual environments.


Flavonoids are polyphenolic secondary metabolites produced by the plants. They are extensively studied within drug discovery programs due to their beneficial and pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, antidiabetic and cardio-protective. The ability of flavonoids to coordinate with metal atoms has presented new leads for drug innovation programs, with enhanced pharmacological activities and clinical outputs than the parent flavonoids. Recently, we have reported the synthetic method, spectral analysis and antidiabetic properties of a new Zinc –Avicularin complex. The present effort was focused on the DNA binding of Avicularin and its ternary transition metal complex with Zinc. The nature of the binding interactions between complex and calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was studied by electronic absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, circular dichroic and viscosity measurements. The data obtained evidence that the Avicularin and its Zn (II) complex could interact with CT-DNA via partial/moderate intercalative mode.


In the present paper, we study shrinkage testimation for the unknown scale parameter θ > 0 of the exponential distribution based on record data under the asymmetric squared log error loss function. A minimum risk unbiased estimator within the class of the estimators of the form cTm is derived, where Tm is the maximum likelihood estimate of θ. Some shrinkage testimators are proposed and their risks are computed. The relative efficiencies of the shrinkage testimators with respect to a minimum risk unbiased estimator of the form cTm under the squared log error loss function are calculated for the comparison purposes. An illustrative example is also presented.


Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction novel Oryx and Crake , published in 2003, examines complex issues of environmentalism, genetic engineering, social inequality, gender and violence through a near-future, post-apocalyptic narrative. Oryx and Crake is often read through the lens of these themes, but a more nuanced reading considers the role of language and communication in the novel. Specifically, the novel addresses both the power and impotence of words in their capacity to enlighten as well as to deceive. Although the novel is a work of speculative fiction, the world Atwood creates is firmly grounded in many cultural and scientific developments found in current society. Against this dystopic backdrop, Atwood presents a culture in which science is unfettered and the arts and humanities are ignored. By critiquing elements of modern life, Oryx and Crake can be regarded as a cautionary tale against a possible bleak future. Through alternating flashbacks between the past and the post-apocalyptic world, the novel follows the story of Jimmy, also called Snowman, as he tries to survive and protect a genetically engineered race of humans called Crakers. Before the apocalyptic events portrayed, Snowman is a wordsmith, charged with finding ways to communicate in order to sell products, but later uses this same skill in order to maintain order and sanity. Atwood portrays a world in which language is twisted to suit the interests of those in power as well as the dissolution of language in the absence of others to communicate with. Despite these binary aspects, she emphasizes the importance of language and communication as an intrinsic part of the human experience and a means to avoid the dystopic future represented in the novel. This work suggests that the trivialization of words precedes the insignificance of humanity.


IntroductionHigh dimensional propensity scores (HDPS) aim to account for unmeasured confounding. However, it is unclear to what extent HDPS are able to attain this.
Objectives and ApproachThis study aimed to test how well HDPS can account for confounding due to social determinants of health when using only health data. A retrospective cohort study was used to examine the effect of exposure to prescription opioids in utero on childhood outcomes (ADHD, school readiness, NICU admission, and hospitalization within the first year of life). Administrative health and social data were linked at the individual level and HDPS for each outcome were calculated using the mothers' health data. Exposed and unexposed mother-child dyads were then matched. Standardized differences of mothers' social factors (history of teen birth, lowest income quintile, ever received income assistance (i.e., welfare), ever lived in social housing, history with child protection services, residential mobility, and contact with the justice system) were compared before and after matching to determine to what degree the HDPS could account for differences in social determinants of health. Additional HDPS analyses were performed with social factors included in the HDPS with the health data.
ResultsBefore matching, standardized differences between exposed and unexposed groups for the social factors ranged between 0.40-0.75. Income assistance and lowest income quintile consistently had the greatest and smallest standardized difference for all outcomes, respectively. After matching, using health data only, standardized differences decreased considerably, ranging from 0.05-0.27. When including social factors into the HDPS, the addition of income assistance produced the smallest standardized differences with a range of 0.01-0.13 for all outcomes.
ConclusionsUsing the HDPS with health data only can reduce confounding due to social factors. If data are available, including income assistance in the HDPS may further reduce confounding for all social determinants of health.


Abstract Based on available data and expert opinion, the IAS-USA treatment guidelines recommend "selective substitution" of the medication thought most likely to be causing a side effect for one that should have a different side effect profile. Purpose: This study evaluates the short-term virological efficacy of selective substitution with nelfinavir-nucleoside combination therapy in individuals with plasma viral RNA below 400 copies/mL. Method: This study involved a retrospective chart review at five large urban HIV Clinical practice settings and included 19 patients taking combination therapy including ritonavir with saquinavir. We performed selective substitution with a nelfinavir combination. Our main outcome measure was plasma HIV-1 RNA (Amplicor) obtained during the period between weeks 12 to 18. Results: We identified 19 HIV-1-infected individuals with evidence of viral suppression as defined by a viral load below 400 copies/mL while taking dual nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with ritonavir/saquinavir. Reasons for switching included adverse effects (37%) or preference for nelfinavir due to the possibility of a better defined salvage regimen (63%). We defined a composite viral endpoint indicative of continued viral suppression using the first 12 to 18 weeks following the medication change. We found that 73% maintained undetectable viral loads (plasma HIV RNA below 400 copies/mL) during this period. Conclusion: These data suggest that any medication adjustment should be made cautiously, as there may be some potential risk in a substitution. Selective substitution of a medication that has undesirable side effects or other characteristics should be considered when the possible risks of the loss of viral suppression are outweighed by the potential benefits of that substitution.


ABSTRACT The Abbott RealTime human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) assay (ART) and the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 test (CTM) are commercially available assays for quantification of HIV-1 RNA in plasma. We evaluated performance characteristics, workflow, throughput, reliability, and direct costs of these assays. Both assays yielded good correlation of quantitative results (r = 0.95) among clinical specimens, with a mean difference of −0.34 log10 copies/ml. Testing of healthy donor plasma specimens yielded "target not detected" results by ART, with "HIV-1 RNA detected, <40 copies/ml" results for 3.3% (3 of 90 samples) of these specimens by CTM. Both the m2000sp/m2000rt (ART) and docked CAP/CTM96 (CTM) instrument systems were capable of operating with continuous, uninterrupted workflow. When daily maintenance and cleaning were included, ART and CTM run durations (5 h 52 min and 6 h 4 min, respectively) and hands-on times (53 min and 46 min, respectively) were similar for a run batch size of 24. While ART was more flexible in terms of run batch size, CTM required fewer user interventions and consistently produced higher specimen throughput rates at 8, 16, and 24 h. Assay run failure rates were 6.3% (1 of 16 runs) and 4.2% (1 of 24 runs) for ART and CTM, respectively (P = 1.000), with invalid specimen result rates of 1.0% (5 of 495 specimens) and 2.8% (11 of 399 specimens), respectively (P = 0.073). Direct reagent and consumable costs for each assay were comparable (difference of <10%). In selecting an assay for implementation, laboratories should consider how various assay and instrument features might impact laboratory operation and patient care.


THE DEFINITIVE ANTENNA REFERENCE--FULLY REVISED AND EXPANDED! Design and build your own antennas with the help of this unique guide. Updated and revised to provide clear answers to questions frequently asked by hobbyists and electronics technicians, Practical Antenna Handbook, Fifth Edition blends theoretical concepts with hands-on experience--requiring only high school mathematics Reorganized to flow logically from broad physical principles to specific antenna design and construction techniques, the book begins by covering the fundamentals. Then the half-wave dipole is discussed both as an excellent antenna in its own right and as a conceptual tool for predicting the performance of other designs. Transmission line impedance matching techniques--and a companion Smith chart tutorial--lead into "must have" accessories for tuning, monitoring, and troubleshooting antenna system performance. Other tools, such as antenna modeling software and network analyzer add-ons for PCs and Macs, are addressed, and concluding chapters offer fresh insights into support structures and installation techniques. NEW TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE: Characteristics of all-driven and parasitic arrays Beverages and small MF/HF receiving loops Top-loaded shunt-fed towers and other verticals Theory and design of Yagi beams Effect of real ground on propagation and antenna patterns, impedance, and efficiency Lightning protection and four kinds of ground systems Zoning and restrictive covenants COVERS A WIDE VARIETY OF ANTENNAS: Dipoles and inverted-Vs Quads, delta, and NVIS loops Wire arrays (bobtail curtain, half-square, rhombic) Verticals and shunt-fed towers Rotatable Yagi beams MF/HF receiving antennas (flag, pennant, K9AY, Beverage) Mobile and portable antennas VHF/UHF/microwave antennas And many more GO TO WWW.MHPROFESSIONAL.COM/CARR5 FOR: * Tables of worldwide geographic coordinates and antenna dimensions vs. frequency * Supplier updates * Author's blog * Additional photographs and schematics * Links to tutorials and specialized calculators


The activities of this Council have unfortunately been restricted during the past year. A Committee was set up to deal with the question of the standardisation of Snellen's test types but owing to the war this Committee was unable to hold any meetings. The Council continue to supervise the affairs of the Orthoptic Board. Beyond this there is nothing to report; but at the same time the Council particularly wish it to be understood that it is always ready to deal with any urgent matters brought to its notice about which an expression of opinion from the Council is desirable.


Imitation learning provides a family of promising methods that learn policies from expert demonstrations directly. As a model-free and on-line imitation learning method, generative adversarial imitation learning (GAIL) generalizes well to unseen situations and can handle complex problems. In this paper, we propose a novel variant of GAIL called GAIL from failed experiences (GAILFE). GAILFE allows an agent to utilize failed experiences in the training process. Moreover, a constrained optimization objective is formalized in GAILFE to balance learning from given demonstrations and from self-generated failed experiences. Empirically, compared with GAIL, GAILFE can improve sample efficiency and learning speed over different tasks.


After exposure of cells to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), I kappa B alpha is rapidly degraded by a proteolytic activity that is required for nuclear localization and activation of transcription factor NF-kappa B. To investigate this problem, we have developed a cell-free system to study the degradation of I kappa B alpha initiated in vivo. In this in vitro system, characteristics of endogenous I kappa B alpha degradation were comparable to those observed in vivo. Recombinant I kappa B alpha, when added to lysates from cells exposed to TNF, was specifically degraded by a cellular proteolytic activity; however, it was stable in extracts from unstimulated cells. Inhibition characteristics of the proteolytic activity responsible for I kappa B alpha degradation suggest the involvement of a serine protease. Analysis of mutated forms of I kappa B alpha in the in vitro system demonstrated that an I kappa B alpha species which was unable to interact with NF-kappa B was still efficiently degraded. In contrast, deletion of the C-terminal 61 amino acids from I kappa B alpha rendered the protein resistant to proteolytic degradation. Expression of I kappa B alpha mutated forms in COS-7 cells confirmed the importance of the C-terminal domain for the degradation of the protein in vivo following cell activation. Thus, it is likely that the acidic, negatively charged region represented by the C-terminal 61 amino acids of the protein contains residues critical for TNF-inducible degradation of I kappa B alpha.


The focus of this paper is semi-supervised learning in the context of pattern recognition. Semi-supervised learning (SSL) refers to the semi-supervised construction of clusters during the training phase of exemplar-based classifiers. Using artificially generated data sets we present experimental results of classifiers that follow the SSL paradigm and we show that, especially for difficult pattern recognition problems featuring high class overlap, for exemplar-based classifiers implementing SSL i) the generalization performance improves, while ii) the number of necessary exemplars decreases significantly, when compared to the original versions of the classifiers.


Perchlorate is a persistent and mobile contaminant in the environment with both natural and anthropogenic sources. Stable isotope ratios of oxygen (δ(18)O, Δ(17)O) and chlorine (δ(37)Cl) along with the abundance of the radioactive isotope (36)Cl were used to trace perchlorate sources and behavior in the Laurentian Great Lakes. These lakes were selected for study as a likely repository of recent atmospheric perchlorate deposition. Perchlorate concentrations in the Great Lakes range from 0.05 to 0.13 μg per liter. δ(37)Cl values of perchlorate from the Great Lakes range from +3.0‰ (Lake Ontario) to +4.0‰ (Lake Superior), whereas δ(18)O values range from -4.1‰ (Lake Superior) to +4.0‰ (Lake Erie). Great Lakes perchlorate has mass-independent oxygen isotopic variations with positive Δ(17)O values (+1.6‰ to +2.7‰) divided into two distinct groups: Lake Superior (+2.7‰) and the other four lakes (∼+1.7‰). The stable isotopic results indicate that perchlorate in the Great Lakes is dominantly of natural origin, having isotopic composition resembling that measured for indigenous perchlorate from preindustrial groundwaters of the western USA. The (36)Cl/Cl ratio of perchlorate varies widely from 7.4 × 10(-12) (Lake Ontario) to 6.7 × 10(-11) (Lake Superior). These (36)ClO4(-) abundances are consistent with an atmospheric origin of perchlorate in the Great Lakes. The relatively high (36)ClO4(-) abundances in the larger lakes (Lakes Superior and Michigan) could be explained by the presence of (36)Cl-enriched perchlorate deposited during the period of elevated atmospheric (36)Cl activity following thermonuclear bomb tests in the Pacific Ocean.


Levulinic acid (LA) is a promising renewable platform compound derived from biomass for the manufacture of various valuable chemicals, among which levulinate esters have been demonstrated to be good fuel additives. Many previous studies have focused on the production of short-chain levulinates for biofuels such as methyl and ethyl levulinates, but these esters suffer from some essential issues including a high oxygen content, low energy density (or heating value) and water solubility. Long-chain levulinate esters have similar structures to biodiesel. The long carbon chain may provide a higher carbon content and strong hydrophobicity, therefore improving the energy density and water insolubility. In this work, the synthesis of a long-chain levulinate ester, n-hexyl levulinate (HL), has been fast and efficiently achieved by the catalytic esterification of LA and 1-hexanol at low temperature. Tungsten hexachloride (WCl6) showed the most superior activity among the tested metal salt catalysts under mild conditions. A HL yield of ∼85% with almost complete LA conversion could be obtained at 50 °C after only 30 min. Other hexanols that have larger steric hindrances, such as 2-ethyl-1-butanol, 2-hexanol, 3-hexanol and cyclohexanol, could also promote efficient esterification with LA over the WCl6 catalyst, resulting in excellent product yields of ∼82–91%. The strategy applies to the efficient synthesis of longer chain levulinate esters such as n-octyl levulinate (OL) as well. The WCl6 catalyst was reusable several times in a consecutive batch reaction mode. The method reported herein offers a strategy for the efficient production of liquid fuels from LA, potentially bridging raw biomass feedstocks and terminal utilization of biobased products.


A description of an innovative project designed to address the problem of inequitable access of students with disabilities in grades 7-16, to science laboratory and field experiences is provided. The CLASS Project, funded by two successive National Science Foundation grants, began as a response by science faculty at Wright State University to the needs of their students with physical disabilities. It has evolved into a nationally known and recognized collaborative program that trains pre- and inservice teachers and teacher educators how to accommodate students' individual needs while using effective pedagogical and methodological techniques to teach science curriculum that meets National Science Education Standards. The CLASS Project mission, objectives, procedures, products, and future opportunities for teachers and students are explained.


AUTHOR:e-mail address please Background: Airway clearance techniques are an important part of the routine care of patients with bronchiectasis. The use of the Flutter, a hand held pipe-like device causing oscillating positive expiratory pressure within the airways, has been proposed as an alternative to more conventional airway clearance techniques. Methods: A randomised crossover study was performed in 17 stable patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis at home, in which 4 weeks of daily active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT) were compared with 4 weeks of daily physiotherapy with the Flutter device. Results: No significant differences between the two techniques were found. Median weekly sputum weights were similar with a median treatment difference of 7.64 g (p=0.77) and there was no evidence of treatment order or order interaction effects (p=0.70). Health status (Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire) and ventilatory function did not change significantly during either treatment period. There was no significant change in peak expiratory flow rate or in breathlessness (Borg score) after individual physiotherapy sessions with either technique. A questionnaire indicated subjectively that patients preferred the Flutter (11/17) to ACBT for routine use. Conclusions: Daily use of the Flutter device in the home is as effective as ACBT in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and has a high level of patient acceptability.


To determine if interleukin-6 (IL-6) administration influences platelet function, platelet activation was analyzed sequentially in IL-6-treated (80 micrograms/kg/d) and control dogs. Platelet activation was determined in whole blood by flow cytometry by quantitating the binding of a monoclonal antibody to platelet surface P-selectin after stimulation with graded doses of thrombin. Administration of IL-6 resulted in a twofold decrease in the thrombin concentration required for induction of half-maximal P-selectin expression (ED50) compared with control animals. The ED50 returned to normal after cessation of IL-6 administration. As measured by P-selectin expression, enhanced responsiveness to the strong agonist platelet activating factor (PAF) was also observed in the IL-6-treated dogs. IL-6 had no effect on the susceptibility of platelets to thrombin activation when incubated with anticoagulated dog blood. The data show that, in addition to augmenting the platelet count in normal dogs, IL-6 enhances the sensitivity of platelets to activation in response to thrombin and PAF.


Humans and animals can learn complex predictive models that allow them to accurately and reliably reason about real-world phenomena, and they can adapt such models extremely quickly in the face of unexpected changes. Deep neural network models allow us to represent very complex functions, but lack this capacity for rapid online adaptation. The goal in this paper is to develop a method for continual online learning from an incoming stream of data, using deep neural network models. We formulate an online learning procedure that uses stochastic gradient descent to update model parameters, and an expectation maximization algorithm with a Chinese restaurant process prior to develop and maintain a mixture of models to handle non-stationary task distributions. This allows for all models to be adapted as necessary, with new models instantiated for task changes and old models recalled when previously seen tasks are encountered again. Furthermore, we observe that meta-learning can be used to meta-train a model such that this direct online adaptation with SGD is effective, which is otherwise not the case for large function approximators. In this work, we apply our meta-learning for online learning (MOLe) approach to model-based reinforcement learning, where adapting the predictive model is critical for control; we demonstrate that MOLe outperforms alternative prior methods, and enables effective continuous adaptation in non-stationary task distributions such as varying terrains, motor failures, and unexpected disturbances.


We present the case of a 6-year-old boy with premature sexual development and markedly elevated serum testosterone, but normal urinary steroid levels. Diagnostic imaging demonstrated a spherical tumour of the left adrenal gland. Surgical excision led to normalisation of testosterone levels, and postoperative serial low hormone measurements ruled out tumour recurrence. Although extremely rare, this case illustrates that testosterone-producing adrenal adenomas may be encountered in boys without urinary steroid elevation. Surgical excision promises a definite cure. Testosterone is a useful tumour marker in these patients until the beginning of puberty


Both osteoblasts and preosteoclasts contribute to the coupling of osteogenesis and angiogenesis, regulating bone regeneration. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a glycoside of cycloartane-type triterpene derived from the Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus, exhibits various biological activities, including stimulating angiogenesis and attenuating ischemic-hypoxic injury. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of AS-IV in osteogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, and bone regeneration remain poorly understood. In the present study, we found that AS-IV treatment inhibited osteoclastogenesis, preserved preosteoclasts, and enhanced platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB)-induced angiogenesis. Additionally, AS-IV promoted cell viability, osteogenic differentiation, and angiogenic gene expression in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The activation of AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling was found to contribute to the effects of AS-IV on osteoclastogenesis and osteogenesis. Furthermore, AS-IV accelerated bone regeneration during distraction osteogenesis (DO), as evidenced from the improved radiological and histological manifestations and biomechanical parameters, accompanied by enhanced angiogenesis within the distraction zone. In summary, AS-IV accelerates bone regeneration during DO, by enhancing osteogenesis and preosteoclast-induced angiogenesis simultaneously, partially through AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling. These findings reveal that AS-IV may serve as a potential bioactive molecule for promoting the coupling of osteogenesis and angiogenesis, and imply that AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling may be a promising therapeutic target for patients during DO treatment.


Web servers worldwide generate a vast amount of information on web users' browsing activities. Several researchers have studied these so-called clickstream or web access log data to better understand and characterize web users. Clickstream data can be enriched with information about the content of visited pages and the origin (e.g., geographic, organizational) of the requests. The goal of this project is to analyse user behaviour by mining enriched web access log data. With the continued growth and proliferation of e-commerce, Web services, and Web-based information systems, the volumes of click stream and user data collected by Web-based organizations in their daily operations has reached astronomical proportions. This information can be exploited in various ways, such as enhancing the effectiveness of websites or developing directed web marketing campaigns. The discovered patterns are usually represented as collections of pages, objects, or re-sources that are frequently accessed by groups of users with common needs or interests. The focus of this paper is to provide an overview how to use frequent pattern techniques for discovering different types of patterns in a Web log database. In this paper we will focus on finding association as a data mining technique to extract potentially useful knowledge from web usage data. I implemented in Java, using NetBeans IDE, a program for identification of pages' association from sessions. For exemplification, we used the log files from a commercial web site.


Lyme disease, now the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, has recently received much media attention, due in part to its potentially serious sequelae in untreated patients. Because a rare patient with late illness may lack antibodies to the etiologic agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, physicians may be tempted to give empiric antibiotics for illnesses that may not be Lyme disease. We have described a patient who, despite negative laboratory evidence for late Lyme disease, was treated for 3 weeks with intravenous ceftriaxone and sustained serious complications, including granulocytopenia, fever, hepatitis, and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. We caution physicians to weight carefully the risks of empiric treatment for ill-defined medical problems, and to recognize the hazards of even "safe" medications.


Background: Accurate estimation of skeletal maturity is important in several pediatric orthopaedic conditions. The current gold standard for estimating skeletal maturity using the Greulich and Pyle Bone Atlas is complex and shown to have significant interobserver variability. Recent data have shown peak height velocity to occur on average at 90% of final adult height, providing an improved gold standard to quantify skeletal maturity, facilitating the investigation of different skeletal maturity systems. Measurement of topographical changes to the developing distal femoral physis on anteroposterior (AP) radiographs allow for calculation of the central peak value (CPV), a quantitative method shown to provide accurate prediction of 90% of final adult height. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical tolerance of the CPV method to varying beam angles by comparing measurement reliability between AP radiographs of the knee versus standing hip-to-ankle leg-length radiographs. Methods: We searched our institution's pediatric orthopaedic clinical database for skeletally immature patients evaluated with both standard AP radiographs of the knee as well as standing hip-to-ankle radiographs. Patients included female individuals aged 7 to 16 years and male individuals aged 7 to 18 years with both radiographs within 6 months. CPV was measured using a previously published method. Intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the level of agreement between observers in all available radiographs. CPVs between AP radiographs of the knee and standing hip-to-ankle radiographs were compared using a paired t test to determine if there is a significant difference between radiographic projection and sex. Results: A total of 78 subjects meeting appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. intraclass correlation coefficient value was 0.873, indicating excellent interobserver reliability for CPV measurements. The mean time between radiographs was 0.30 years for male and 0.27 years for female patients. CPV values between the 2 radiographic projections were not significantly different in male (P=0.37), female (P=0.22) or male+female patients (P=0.17). CPV values were significantly higher in male patients on both AP radiographs (P<0.001) and standing hip-to-ankle radiographs (P<0.001) when compared with female patients. Conclusions: The CPV is a quick, quantitative method for estimating skeletal maturity. CPVs are not significantly different between standard AP radiographs of the knee versus standing hip-to-ankle leg-length radiographs, expanding the potential to utilize this method without the need for additional expense or radiation. Level of Evidence: Level III—retrospective comparative study.


There are close links between emotions and values, or at least this is what our ordinary ways of talking suggest. For many, if not all, types of emotion it is thus possible to find a corresponding evaluative term, one often derived from the name of the emotion in question. These are for example evaluative terms such as 'shameful', 'offensive, 'annoying', 'dangerous', 'contemptible', 'admirable', 'amusing', 'exciting', 'boring', and the like. Starting perhaps from these linguistic observations, the philosophical task is of course to elucidate the nature of the links between emotions and values, and attempts at doing so have traditionally revolved around the following three questions: first, what is the role of emotions in elucidating the nature of value? For example, should dangerousness be understood in term of the fear response? Second, what is the role of emotions in our getting access to values? For example, what may be the role of fear in becoming aware that a given animal is dangerous? Third, what value do emotions have? For example, is fear of special value because it helps behaving appropriately towards its object? We hall take up these questions in turn and survey the most important answers they have received in the literature. As we shall discover, answering the first question amounts to surveying a variety of theories according to which there is an ontological relation between values and emotions since the former should be elucidated in terms of the latter (Sec. 1). Addressing the second question consists in reviewing theories according to which there is an intentional relation between emotions and values because the former are apprehensions of value or evaluations (Sec. 2). Grappling with the third question, we shall explore some reasons for thinking that emotions can exemplify values (Sec. 3).


The nutritional elements appropriate for contemporary humans reflect genetically determined biochemical and physiological factors, which have evolved over hundreds of millions of years. Stone Age humans, however, derived nearly all of their nutrients from just two of the four major food groups we select from today.


As in previous years, the Norwegian Board of Fisheries sent out an expedition under the leadership of Thor Iversen, -with Einar Koefoed as assistant biologist. The expedition used the fishing vessel Solveig I (about 50 tons gross) of Alesund. The expedition started from Bergen on April 28 and returned on September 22, 1938. The investigations were mainly carried out in the waters along the west coast of Spitsbergen, Ny-Alesund, Kings Bay, being used as a base. On the northward trip seven stations were worked about 40 miles west of Bear Island. Practical fishing experiments were carried out off the west coast of Spitsbergen, and extensive biological material was collected. 143 stations were worked at sea, and at seventy-five, hydrographical observations were made.


Let be a real-valued polynomial function of the form , with degree of in An irreducible real-valued polynomial function and a nonnegative integer are given to find a polynomial function satisfying the following expression: for some constant . The constant is dependent on the solution , namely, a quasi-fixed (polynomial) solution of the polynomial-like equation . In this paper, we will provide a non-NP-complete algorithm to solve all quasi-fixed solutions if the equation has only a finite number of quasi-fixed solutions.


Drug abuse is one of major global concern among the social and medical ills of the twentieth century. Substance abuse ranks as one of the devastating and costly affairs in a present situation. These addictive drugs stimulating the brain, flooding it with neurotransmitters like dopamine which induces adaptive changes in the brain so that drug abuse may become compulsive for them. Thus drug abuse affect systemic as well as the oral health. This article discuss about the various drugs of abuse and their effect in the oral cavity along with the careful management of these addicts in the Dental clinic.

Keywords: Hallucinogen, Cannabis, Narcotics, Addiction, LXE.


In this work, an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) was operated for 8 months to treat low strength sewage with high suspended organic matter content. Three phases of operation with increasing organic loading rates (OLR) were performed: 0.4 kg COD/m 3 x d (phase I), 0 .8 kg COD/m 3 x d (phase II) and 1.2 kg COD/m 3 x d (phase III). Adequate stability parameters (pH, total alkalinity) were obtained through all three experimental phases. During phases I and II, the removal efficiencies of organic matter (expressed as total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids ranged between 50-60%. However, these values decreased to 15-25% in phase III. In addition, a non-complex model, including hydrolysis, acidogenesis and methanogenesis, was applied to predict the reactor behavior.


A digital computer is generally believed to be an efficient universal computing device; that is, it is believed to be able to simulate any physical computing device with an increase in computation time by at most a polynomial factor. This may not be true when quantum mechanics is taken into consideration. This paper considers factoring integers and finding discrete logarithms, two problems that are generally thought to be hard on classical computers and that have been used as the basis of several proposed cryptosystems. Efficient randomized algorithms are given for these two problems on a hypothetical quantum computer. These algorithms take a number of steps polynomial in the input size, for example, the number of digits of the integer to be factored.


The concept of information retrieval (IR) could be extended towards an open information retrieval (Open IR) approach. Open IR gives users a wider range of access methods when retrieving business objects (e.g. projects, products, skills, people, deliverables...) using Web applications. Open IR is based on the concept of the "entity", as defined in the hypertopic model. The hypertopic model is a knowledge representation language we propose for mediating various "socio-semantic Web" applications, using topic maps co-constructed by members of a community. We briefly describe in this paper how hypertopic "entities" can be viewed "semiotically", depending on various topics and points of view. We describe how entity-based hypertopic maps can be used to facilitate users' search efforts. For this purpose, we illustrate Open IR in the field of e-commerce: we examine complex features which could be proposed on electronic market places to describe/retrieve entities such as products proposed by multiple providers


This paper introduces a new learning-based approach for approximately solving the Travelling Salesman Problem on 2D Euclidean graphs. We use deep Graph Convolutional Networks to build efficient TSP graph representations and output tours in a non-autoregressive manner via highly parallelized beam search. Our approach outperforms all recently proposed autoregressive deep learning techniques in terms of solution quality, inference speed and sample efficiency for problem instances of fixed graph sizes. In particular, we reduce the average optimality gap from 0.52% to 0.01% for 50 nodes, and from 2.26% to 1.39% for 100 nodes. Finally, despite improving upon other learning-based approaches for TSP, our approach falls short of standard Operations Research solvers.


This work has been conducted by the Fire Safety Engineering Group (FSEG) of the University of Greenwich (UoG) under contract to the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI). This document represents the final report for the second series of trials conducted by FSEG on behalf of the CPNI. The overall aim of this project was to design, conduct and analyse a series of pedestrian flow trials to explore the impact of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Measures (i.e. a Bollard Array, BA) upon pedestrian flows of simulated evacuation conditions. This report describes the performance of the second trial campaign and the subsequent analysis of the data produced.

FSEG, in consultation with CPNI, designed a series of trials in order to examine the impact that the presence of a bollard array (BA) might have upon an established pedestrian flow. The trials were conducted in two campaigns, the first in 2013 and the second in 2014. The trials were specifically designed to investigate the impact of several key parameters on the exit flow. Within the first trial campaign the following parameters were investigated: population density, BA position (large stand-off distances), a single bollard placed in the centre of the exit and the presence of a cross-flow. Within the second trial campaign these were: exit width, BA position (small stand-off distances) and the presence of luggage.

As these effects were expected to be dependent on population density, two initial population densities were examined in the first trial campaign, 3 p/m2 and 4 p/m2. These conditions reflected the maximum engineering design densities and were deemed representative of the conditions typically experienced by station users during egress at peak periods. The results from the first trial campaign suggested that at low population densities the impact of the BA was less significant. Thus the second trial campaign, reported here, concentrated on the higher crowd density of 4 p/m2.

The second trial campaign, consisting of three trial series was conducted over a single weekend in March 2014 (29 and 30 March). These trials were conducted, as with the first trial campaign, on University of Greenwich grounds, in the Queen Anne Courtyard. On Day 1 24 trials were conducted, 9 in Trial Series 1 (TS1) and 15 in TS2 while on Day 2, 21 trials were conducted in TS3. Up to 192 people participated in the TS1 and TS2 trials which began at 09:00 and were completed by around 15:50. Up to 249 people participated in the TS3 trials which began at 09:00 and were completed at around 14:40.

TS1 was intended to further investigate the relationship between the proximity of the BA and the exit and the flows generated. While large stand-off distances (3m and 6m) were explored in the first trial campaign, the second trial campaign investigated small stand-off distances, in particular between 0m and 3m from the exit. Thus the 2.4m exit width, with 1m, 1.5m and 2m stand-off distances were investigated.

TS2 was intended to examine the impact of encumbrance upon the egress flow produced given the presence of the BA at 0m. These trials used the 2.4m wide exit. Participants were provided with a range of encumbrance including hand bags, brief cases, small roller bags, large roller bags, push chairs and bicycles. Three levels of encumbrance were investigated; one in which 0% of the population was encumbered and ones in which 40% and 60% of the population were encumbered.

TS3 was intended to examine the relationship between exit width, BA stand-off distance and the flow generated by varying the stand-off distance and exit widths. Two exit widths were considered, 3.5m and 4.5m and three stand-off distances were investigated, 1m, 2m and 3m.

In total 45 individual trials involving 441 participants were conducted over two days. Each participant was compensated £45 for their day long involvement in the trials. The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) was responsible for setting up the BA configuration required for each of the series of trials. On each trial day there were 12 FSEG staff members, 2 TRL staff members and 1 St. Johns first aider involved. The trials were recorded for later analysis by five video cameras at carefully selected positions.

The findings from the trials reflect the complexity of the impact of the BA upon performance.


A screening survey was conducted among factory workers, aged 15-64 years, in Birmingham, England to investigate ethnic differences in blood pressure. One-thousand and forty-nine subjects (784 men, 265 women) were screened, representing 79% of the eligible population. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures generally did not differ between men of black West Indian (n = 173), local white (n = 439) or Asian (n = 172) origin, when matched by 10-year age groups. Analysis of covariance using age as the covariate revealed that, overall, Asian men had significantly lower systolic but higher diastolic pressures than the other ethnic groups. The proportion of men arbitrarily defined as hypertensive (greater than or equal to 160 mmHg systolic or greater than or equal to 95 diastolic or blood pressures below this figure whilst receiving antihypertensive therapy) was 26% of West Indians, 22% of whites and 17% of Asians, but these were not significantly different when age was accounted for. Black West Indian women (n = 101) did have higher diastolic pressure than white women (n = 164), but this difference was dependent on body mass index. Overall, systolic pressures in women were not significantly different. These findings differ from those consistently reported from the United States.


Prior research on covenants show that they are frequently included in corporate debt agreements as means of mitigating bondholder-stockholder conflicts. As covenants should be more frequently included when there is a higher degree of bondholder-stockholder conflict, what is then the relation between covenants and spread? Our results show that on the Norwegian corporate debt market, bonds that include covenants have a higher spread than those that do not. The results of an OLS-regression using some of the most common covenants, Z'-score and bond spread shows that the 43 % of bond spread can be explained by whether the bond includes dividend restrictions, equity restrictions and poison puts, and the Z'-score of the issuer.


The Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) is often presented in a form that is only valid in large samples and under a certain condition on the rate at which the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) increases with the sample length. This form has been improperly used previously in situations in which the conditions mentioned above do not hold. In this correspondence, we describe the proper forms of BIC in several practically relevant cases that do not satisfy the above assumptions. In particular, we present a new form of BIC for high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) cases. The conclusion of this study is that BIC remains one of the most successful existing rules for model order selection, if properly used.


This project won second place in the 2017 Signature Course Information Literacy Award. The award recognizes exemplary student work that achieves the learning outcomes of the Signature Course information literacy requirement, that students will be able to create and execute a research strategy, critically evaluate information, and use citations. This paper was self-nominated for the award by Stephanie Adeline, with support from Dr. Charlotte Canning and Dr. Paul Bonin-Rodriguez. It was submitted in their Spring 2016 Signature Course, "Arts, Your Money, and the Nation." This project was chosen because Stephanie made smart use of sources, and evolved her search technique as she worked on this paper and better understood the information she needed. Her way of connecting art and money necessitated a wide variety of sources. As her professors said "…[Stephanie's] paper draws on comparative methodologies and makes use of media studies, cultural studies, Asian studies, international relations and history…[drawing on] an expansive body of work from scholarly books and journals in communications, anthropology, and media studies, as well as extensive newspaper articles and the primary readings of the films themselves."


Abstract In this paper the authors extend the macroeconomic agent-based model described in Delli Gatti, D., Desiderio, S., Gaffeo, E., Cirillo, P. and Gallegati, M. (Macroeconomics from the bottom-up, 2011) with the inclusion of a bank-bank network that mimics real-world dynamics of interbank markets. They also introduce a public sector and other modifications in order to carry out different policy experiments. More specifically, they test the implementation of a monetary policy by means of a standard Taylor rule, an unconventional monetary policy (i.e. helicopter drop) and a set of macroprudential regulations. The authors explore the properties of the model for such different scenarios. The results shed some light on the effectiveness of monetary and macroprudential policies in an economy with an interbank market during times of crises.


The starting point of this study is a letter to the Swedish Research Council which maintained the difficulty to reconcile chemistry with open access. Previous studies show that when other sciences is increasing in both the deposition rate and selection of OA journals, there is a lull in chemistry. The purpose of the master thesis is to gain an understanding of chemists reluctance to open access in the light of the implementation of Chalmers' mandating open access policy and through field theoretical perspectives understand why. The survey is conducted with a qualitative approach and the empirical data consist of interview material from nine interviews that took place at Chalmers Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The interviews show that chemists believe that the idea of open access is certainly sympathetic but incompatible with the chemical sciences. It is believed that the discipline´s traditions, practice and publishing culture as well as opportunities for career differs from other sciences, including what open access is concerned. This uniqueness has not been taken into account in the implementation of OA policies of funding agencies and universities, according to the informants.Evaluations of other universities implementations of open acces policies have identified success factors like support, legal advice and hands-on help in self-archiving. According to the results of this thesis, functionality and infrastructure appears to be less significant if university management and funders does not establish an atmosphere of alliance and thus undermines confidence in the policy and its proponents. The study confirms the importance of the researchers feel invited and involved in the process of change.


the literature have confirmed its efficacy in various types of convulsive disorder. As clonazepam is chemically related to diazepam, in October 1973, we started administering it orally to patients in place of diazepam to control the dyskinesia. Up to the present 42 patients have been given the drug in doses varying f;rom 0 5 mg twice daily to 1 mg three times daily and without exception there has been a distinct improvement in the condition, without drowsiness and without the anxiety which was sometimes associated with the dyskinesia, as patients found they frequently could not do their household tasks owing to the trembling of their hands.. The use of clonazepam has not been reported elsewhere in the literature in this condition, but its efficacy is so nmrked that I consider that the attention of others using drugs which produce dyskinesia should be drawn to the possible value of this drug for its control as well as for epilepsy.-I am, etc.,


This paper presents an accelerated particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to track global maximum power point (MPP) of photovoltaic (PV) generation under partial shading conditions. Conventional PSO-based MPPT algorithms have common weaknesses of a long convergence time to reach the global MPP and oscillations during the searching. The proposed algorithm includes a standard PSO and a perturb-and-observe algorithm as the accelerator. It has been experimentally tested and compared with conventional MPPT algorithms. Experimental results show that the proposed MPPT method is effective in terms of high reliability, fast dynamic response, and high accuracy in tracking the global MPP.


Different types of treatments are being employed to overcome cancer, which is characterized by abnormal cell growth involving cell division without control. However, their usually lack of selectivity and the development of resistance result in limited efficacy or ineffectiveness of the therapies. For these reasons, seeking new treatment options for this disease is necessary. Nowadays, the acknowledge bioactive properties of some secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, have made antitumour hybrid combinations a promising therapeutic approach.
This work aims to provide a synopsis into Anticancer Hybrid Combinations involving phenolic compounds, focusing on their multi-target mechanisms of action and synergistic effects.
These combinations consist on the therapeutic mixture of synthetic drugs with chemically defined constituents from plants (secondary metabolites, in this case, phenolic compounds) aiming to increase the pharmacological activity of the formulation and simultaneously reduce the toxic side-effects of the drugs, interaction known as synergy.
Antitumour hybrid combinations are a promising therapeutic strategy to minimize adverse effects and to reduce cancer resistance to different treatments. At the same time, it shows selectivity to tumour cells and potentiate the activity of the drug that make them an interesting option to cure cancer.
References: [1] Dominguez-Martin EM, Diaz-Lanza AM, Faustino CMC (2018) Curr Pharm Des 24, 4312-4333.[2] Wagner H, Efferth T. (2017) Phytomedicine, 37, 1-3.[3] Mahbub AA, Le Maitre CL, Haywood-Small S, Cross NA, Nicola Jordan-Mahy N (2019) Oncotarget 10, 4570-86[4] Zhong C, Qiu S, Li J, Shen J, Zu Y, Shi J, Sui G (2019) Phytomedicine 59, 152921


Studies on acoustic space have strengthened the view that vowels are acoustically and perceptually defined in terms of their relative positioning in vowel space. Every speaker identifies an optimal vowel space within which perceptual, phonological contrast is maintained. This is an interdisciplinary study involving speech pathology, physics of speech and neurology of speech. Two case studies of dysarthria presented in this paper are -- one Parkinson's disease and one case of acute ischemic stroke with age-gender-language matched controls. A detailed acoustic analysis shows how acoustic space gets considerably reduced, in both PD and stroke, and in these two very different kinds of dysarthrias the acoustic space is also modified very differently. The study also examines the third formant to show that the higher formants are consistently lowered in both PD and stroke. Hypokinetic speech production in these cases is reflected in lower intensity. The results have significant applications in clinical acoustics and in the theoretical fields of neurology of speech, linguistics and phonology.


The authors expose the results of a confrontation between ICD 9 and the D.S.M. III's classification published by APA. This work is the issue of a collected data system'use (S.D.P.A.) which is a basic tool for epidemiological programm, applied in military psychiatrics department (actually 18 services have got computer sets). It is evident that military structure (centralized dans homogeneous), and the size of the samples, are good conditions for psychiatric epidemiology. The authors recall the different stages and the difficulties on the field, for such a wide scale application. The use of two principal world-known classifications raise up unanticiped remarks: indeed, we consider the logical structure of D.S.M. III's axis I as better than ICD 9 classification. Meanwhile, the axis III, IV and V caused a disappointment, for both clinicians and programm's responsibles. In fact, there were some statistical biases and a little gain of informations. The former system (applied for 1976) was more efficient. Some hypothesis about that insufficient acceptability and reliability are proposed as also an important project for system's modifications from 1989.


Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) with a single boron isotope have many enhanced physical, thermal and optical properties compared to the most common hBN with the natural distribution of boron (19.9 at. % 10B and 80.1 at. % 11B). These property differences can significantly improve the device performance in applications, such as neutron detectors, nanoscale electronics, and optical components. In this study, a new method for the growth of large-scale, high-quality monoisotopic hBN single crystals, i.e., h10BN and h11BN, was developed. hBN single crystals were grown using a nickel–chromium solvent and pure boron and nitrogen sources at atmospheric pressure. The clear and colorless crystals have a maximum domain size of around 1 mm. Raman measurements demonstrate that the crystals produced with this method are pure hBN phase with low defect density, and the spectral peaks vary with the boron isotope concentrations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra show that the B–N bond in h11BN is slightly stronger tha...


We describe two patients with primary systemic amyloidosis (AL) and the nephrotic syndrome. The administration of melphalan and prednisone was associated with resolution of the nephrotic syndrome. The serum albumin level returned to normal, proteinuria decreased to near normal, edema resolved, and the monoclonal protein in the serum and urine disappeared. In both patients, renal function remained stable and hepatomegaly disappeared. In both, however, amyloid deposition was greater in follow-up renal tissue than in the initial specimen. The effect of systemic therapy in AL must be assessed with histologic observations as well as clinical indexes.


Dense deployments of hybrid WLANs result in high levels of interference and low end-user throughput. Many frequency allocation mechanisms for WLANs have been proposed by a large body of previous studies. However, none of these mechanisms considers the load that is carried by APs in terms of channel conditions, number of affiliated users as well as traffic-load, in conjunction. In this paper, we propose LAC, a load-aware channel allocation scheme for WLANs, which considers all the above performance determinant factors. LAC incorporates an airtime cost metric into its channel scanning process, in order to capture the effects of these factors and select the channel with the maximum long-term throughput. We evaluate LAC through extensive OPNET simulations, for many different traffic scenarios. Our simulations demonstrate that LAC outperforms other frequency allocation policies for WLANs in terms of total network throughput by up to 135%.


We report the results of a theoretical study of quasielastic electron and neutrino interactions with carbon. Our approach takes into account the effects of final-state interactions between the struck nucleon and the residual nucleus, neglected in the impulse approximation, through a generalization of the spectral function formalism. The calculated electron-scattering cross sections turn out to be in very good agreement with the available data over a broad kinematical region. The impact of nuclear effects on the reconstruction of neutrino energy in charged-current quasielastic processes is also studied, and the results of our approach are compared to the predictions of the relativistic Fermi gas model, routinely employed in most Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the existing procedure for energy reconstruction and propose a new, improved, one. At energy ~600 MeV, we observe a sizable difference between neutrino and antineutrino scattering, important for the measurements of charge-parity symmetry violation. Our analysis suggests that a reliable determination of neutrino energy can only be obtained from models validated by a systematic comparison to the available electron-scattering data.


BACKGROUND
 Recent research has led to the development of many information technology–supported systems for health care control, including systems estimating nutrition from images of meals. Systems that capture data about eating and exercise are useful for people with diabetes as well as for people who are simply on a diet. Continuous monitoring is key to effective dietary control, requiring systems that are simple to use and motivate users to pay attention to their meals. Unfortunately, most current systems are complex or fail to motivate. Such systems require some manual inputs such as selection of an icon or image, or by inputting the category of the user's food. The nutrition information fed back to users is not especially helpful, as only the estimated detailed nutritional values contained in the meal are typically provided.

 OBJECTIVE
 In this paper, we introduce healthiness of meals as a more useful and meaningful general standard, and present a novel algorithm that can estimate healthiness from meal images without requiring manual inputs.

 METHODS
 We propose a system that estimates meal healthiness using a deep neural network that extracts features and a ranking network that learns the relationship between the degrees of healthiness of a meal using a dataset prepared by a human dietary expert. First, we examined whether a registered dietitian can judge the healthiness of meals solely by viewing meal images using a small dataset (100 meals). We then generated ranking data based on comparisons of sets of meal images (850 meals) by a registered dietitian's viewing meal images and trained a ranking network. Finally, we estimated each meal's healthiness score to detect unhealthy meals.

 RESULTS
 The ranking estimated by the proposed network and the ranking of healthiness based on the dietitian's judgment were correlated (correlation coefficient 0.72). In addition, extracting network features through pretraining with a publicly available large meal dataset enabled overcoming the limited availability of specific healthiness data.

 CONCLUSIONS
 We have presented an image-based system that can rank meals in terms of the overall healthiness of the dishes constituting the meal. The ranking obtained by the proposed method showed a good correlation to nutritional value–based ranking by a dietitian. We then proposed a network that allows conditions that are important for judging the meal image, extracting features that eliminate background information and are independent of location. Under these conditions, the experimental results showed that our network achieves higher accuracy of healthiness ranking estimation than the conventional image ranking method. The results of this experiment in detecting unhealthy meals suggest that our system can be used to assist health care workers in establishing meal plans for patients with diabetes who need advice in choosing healthy meals.


Based on pyroelectric infrared sensor working principle, the passive pyroelectric infrared alarm system is designed, which is mainly used for safety of residence house to detect whether outsiders enter or not. This system is made of pyroelectric infrared sensor, Fresnel lens and monitoring circuits. The concealment of infrared is well applied on the circuits , amplifying and filtering circuit , infrared signal processing circuit are designed, then the voice chip is utilized to simulate alarm voice for warning thieves and burglars .After many experiments, This system has sensitive response , high anti-interference ability and safe and reliable performance.


The questions whether legal judgements are true or false and what makes them so does not only have substantial practical importance; it is also a difficult and persistent question from the point of view of legal philosophy. In this paper I will focus on two different conceptions of the law and on their implications for these questions. These two views of the law are, to state it with slogans, law as social fact and law as practical reason. The main point of this paper is to show how these fundamentally different conceptions of the law lead to different answers to the questions about legal truth. There is a second point, however. The nature and causes of the truth of legal judgements depends not only on the nature of the law, but also on the nature of truth in general. I will argue that there is a connection between one's conception of the law and the type of truth theory one will be probably adopt. The realist theories of truth fit well with the law as social fact conception, even to the extent that it seems to be presupposed by it, while the non-realist theories are better suited to the law as practical reason conception. So we end up with two clusters. The one consists of the conception of the law as social fact, a realist theory of truth, and particular answers to the questions about the truth in law. The other cluster consists of the conception of law as practical reason, a non-realist theory of truth, and another set of answers to the questions about the truth in law. Apparently there is no neutral test by means of which we can choose between different conceptions of the law. Paradoxically, this does not mean that there are no single right answers to the question what the truth of a legal judgement amounts to and what makes such a judgement true. It 'only' means that the single right answer depends on one's starting points and therefore may differ from one person to another. There is no 'view from nowhere'.


A novel configuration for 1:N multiport power dividers using series and parallel division of the transmission lines with a polyimide/alumina-ceramic structure is proposed and successfully demonstrated. Since these circuits need only line divisions and mode transitions to function as power dividers, they inherently possess an extremely flat frequency response. The polyimide/alumina-ceramic substrate suits the three-dimensional arrangement of various kinds of transmission lines and their transitions. It is also useful in implementing high power amplifier multichip modules because the alumina substrate can hold all active devices or monolithic microwave integrated circuits and provides convenient interfaces between them and the power dividers. The line divisions and mode transitions are analyzed by a commercial electromagnetic simulator. Two types of 1:4 power dividers, which are series/parallel and parallel/series configurations, are fabricated. No peculiar resonance was observed over the frequency range of 1-8 GHz. The amplitude deviation over this range was less than 3.2 dB.


With the aid of a two-mass model of the vocal source loaded by the input impedance of the vocal tract, we first study theoretically, then by simulation, the effects of source-vocal tract coupling on the intrinsic frequencies Fo of the French oral vowels. We explain the correlation which exists between Fo and the frequency of the first formant as well as the results from the experiment described by Ishizaka and Flanagan [1972]. In conclusion, we show that the acoustic coupling cannot explain the different values of Fo, intrinsic in the vowels, but on the contrary, a physiological coupling has to compensate for the effects of acoustic coupling to explain the characteristics revealed in natural speech.


The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the role of personality as a predictor of successful aging. Three studies are presented and discussed using the data from the Georgia Centenarian Study (Study 1 and 3) and the data from the Midlife in the United States study (Study 3). Study 1 suggested an alternative approach for measuring the Big Five personality domains, Digman's (1997) two higher-order personality factors (i.e., Alpha and Beta), and found a positive association between personality and each component of successful aging (i.e., cognitive functioning, physical functioning, physical health, and social engagement). Study 2 examined the longitudinal effects of personality level and personality change on successful aging and found that higher initial levels of personality traits (i.e., emotional stability, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) were positively associated with successful aging and that decreases in each personality trait over time predicted worse outcomes of successful aging. Finally, based on the developmental adaptation model, Study 3 examined the effects of cumulative life events and personality on objective and subjective successful aging, along with the mediating effects of personality on the relationship between cumulative life events and successful aging. The findings of the three studies support previous studies indicating that personality would serve as an explanatory construct accounting for the developmental pathway to successful aging.


Weir has defined a hierarchy of language classes whose second member (L2) is generated by tree-adjoining grammars (TAG), linear indexed grammars (LIG), combinatory categorial grammars, and head grammars. The hierarchy is obtained using the mechanism of control, and L2 is obtained using a context-free grammar (CFG) whose derivations are controlled by another CFG. We adapt Weir's definition of a controllable CFG (called a labeled distinguished CFG) to give a definition of controllable pushdown automata (PDAs), called labeled distinguished PDAs. This yields three new characterizations of L2 as the class of languages generated by PDAs controlling PDAs, PDAs controlling CFGs, and CFGs controlling PDAs. We show that these four formalisms are not only weakly equivalent but equivalent in a stricter sense that we call d-weak equivalence. Furthermore, using an even stricter notion of equivalence called d-strong equivalence, we make precise the intuition that a CFG controlling a CFG is a TAG, a PDA controlling a PDA is an embedded PDA, and a PDA controlling a CFG is a LIG. The fourth member of this family, a CFG controlling a PDA, does not correspond to any kind of automaton we know of, so we invent one and call it a Pushdown Adjoining Automaton (PAA).


This paper looks at the development of tax reform in Australia in the light of the rise of neoliberalism globally and its impact on tax policy. It argues that the fall in profit rates across the globe and the lack of class struggle in Australia have allowed neoliberalism and neoliberal tax policy to dominate the agenda. That agenda is to shift more wealth to capital to address falling profit rates and the Henry Tax Review is part of that process by both reducing taxes on capital and increasing tax burdens on labour. A return to class struggle offers the best opportunity to reintroduce equity into the tax debate.


In recent years more data is logged from the electronic control units on-board in commercial vehicles. Typically, the data is transferred from the vehicle at the workshop to a centralized storage for future analysis. This vast amount of data is used for debugging, as a knowledgebase for the design engineer and as a tool for service planning.Manual analysis of this data is often time consuming, due to the rich amount of information contained. However, there is an opportunity to automatically assist in the process based on knowledge discovery techniques, even directly when the trucks data is first offloaded at the workshop. One typical example of how this technique could be helpful is when two groups of trucks behave differently, e.g. one well-functioning group and one faulty group, when the two groups have the same specification. The desired information is the specific difference in the logged data, e.g. what particular sensors or signals are different.An evaluation cycle is proposed and applied to extract knowledge from three different large real-world data-sets measured on Volvo long haulage trucks. Information in the logged data that describes the vehicle's operating environment, allows the detection of trucks that are operated differently from their intended use. Experiments to find such vehicles were conducted and recommendations for an automated application are given.


As bridges age and standards evolve, it has become increasingly necessary to strengthen existing bridges as a much cheaper option than replacing bridges as a whole. Carbon fibre strengthening of bridges has become more common in the past 10 years as the cost has become less prohibitive. This paper investigates the application of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) in Australia via a case study where KBR was the lead designer for Fulton Hogan on the VicRoads M80 Upgrade Project n Edgars Road to Plenty Road. The scope of this project included attachment of carbon fibre to strengthen these structures according to ACI440.2R [1] Guide for the Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Concrete Structures, 2008. While this guide is appropriate for the design of FRP strengthening of bridges, it does not seamlessly fit into the design framework of AS5100.5 [2]. A design methodology was developed to incorporate the FRP load capacities according to ACI440.2R into the framework of AS5100.5 that considers the following aspects: moment capacity; shear capacity; shear torsion interaction; Vumax comparisons. Additionally, a method was developed for obtaining additional strain capacity via anchorage of FRP using research results from the strengthening of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne.


Organizational communication, a highly debated and priority topic at a declarative-theoretical level, is extremely important when it comes to increasing the overall effectiveness of every company's activity. Our scientific research was prompted by the fact that until the present day no study has been undertaken in an area as complex as organizational communication. It is a well-known fact that organizational communication is one of the essential factors in shaping the company culture. Within this context, we aimed at analyzing several aspects referring to the way in which organizational communication takes place and to formulate proposals which would contribute to improving the management of this activity in tourism units in Romania. The research study was undertaken over more than two years, between 2014 and 2017. We interviewed 2478 people, current and/or former customers of tourism agencies in Romania, as well as 1408 tourism agency managers, with the help of two crowdsourcing platforms goo.gl/sgzjU and goo.gl/sgzjU respectively. The results were interpreted econometrically, using the SPSS for Windows and ANOVA programs. Finally, we have formulated several conclusions and proposals, including two models of organizational communication in tourism in Romania (at macro- and at micro- level). Keywords: digital era, crowdsourcing, customer, tourism, hospitality and leisure industry  JEL Codes: M20, Z30


We present results of a 1.1 mm deep survey of the AKARI Deep Field South (ADF-S) with AzTEC mounted on the Atacama Submillimetre Telescope Experiment (ASTE). We obtained a map of 0.25 deg 2 area with an rms noise level of 0.32–0.71 mJy. This is one of the deepest and widest maps thus far at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. We uncovered 198 sources with a significance of 3.5–15.6 σ , providing the largest catalog of 1.1 mm sources in a contiguous region. Most of the sources are not detected in the far-infrared bands of the AKARI satellite, suggesting that they are mostly at z  ≥ 1.5 given the detection limits. We construct differential and cumulative number counts of the ADF-S, the Subaru/ XMM Newton Deep Field (SXDF), and the SSA 22 field surveyed by AzTEC/ASTE, which provide currently the tightest constraints on the faint end. The integration of the differential number counts of the ADF-S find that the contribution of 1.1 mm sources with  ≥1 mJy to the cosmic infrared background (CIB) at 1.1 mm is 12–16%, suggesting that the large fraction of the CIB originates from faint sources of which number counts are not yet constrained. We estimate the cosmic star-formation rate density contributed by 1.1 mm sources with  ≥1 mJy using the differential number counts and find that it is lower by about a factor of 5–10 compared to those derived from UV/optically-selected galaxies at z  ~ 2–3. Clustering analyses of AzTEC sources in the ADF-S and the SXDF find that bright (>3 mJy) AzTEC sources are more strongly clustered than faint ( 13 –10 14 M ⊙ . Comparison of correlation length of AzTEC sources with other populations and with a bias evolution model suggests that dark halos hosting bright AzTEC sources evolve into systems of clusters at present universe and the AzTEC sources residing the dark halos evolve into massive elliptical galaxies located in the center of clusters.


The implementation of general management was a bold and innovative development. This article considers the emergence of the general management function and its impact upon medicine then and now.


The acid tolerance of a Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b strain was studied by measuring its ability to survive at an acidic pH at 37 degrees C. The acid tolerance of L. monocytogenes was much lower than those of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Shigella flexneri strains. This observation suggested a higher infective dose for L. monocytogenes than E. coli O157:H7 and Shigella. The susceptibility of L. monocytogenes to acidic pH was dependent upon growth medium pH and growth phase of the culture. Nisin and some other ionophores reduced the acid tolerance of both stationary-phase and log-phase cultures of L. monocytogenes. These studies indicated that nisin might be a useful candidate for controlling acid tolerance of L. monocytogenes.


This paper addresses the extraction of accurate frequency-dependent per-unit-length RLGC parameters for busbar distribution systems using measured S-parameters for the CENELEC and FCC bands. A busbar is a distribution system element (three phase, low voltage) with a modular structure that carries electrical energy in buildings. The S-parameters of a busbar distribution system at different current levels (630 A, 1250 A, 2000 A) are measured with a vector network analyzer and then analyzed for three different two-port connections (L1-N, L2-N, L3-N). A frequency- dependent RLGC(f) model is used to characterize the busbar as a transmission line using a derivative-free optimization algorithm. A time-domain causality check is also conducted. Estimated RLGC parameters are presented along with characteristic impedance and propagation constant. Good agreement has been achieved between measured and estimated S-parameters.


Neonatal jaundice is common, and usually harmless, because of physiological jaundice or breast-feeding. In some neonates unconjugated bilirubin concentration, coupled with other risk factors, is sufficient to allow free bilirubin to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause kernicterus. Another subgroup of infants is jaundiced because of elevated conjugated bilirubin; a marker for a number of pathological conditions. Bilirubin measurement must identify those infants at risk. Transcutaneous bilirubin measurement is increasingly used in healthy infants, especially before early discharge or at home, to assess the need for laboratory bilirubin measurement. Transcutaneous measurements are not covered by laboratory quality assessment schemes. Guidelines on management of neonatal jaundice utilize age in hours and other risk factors to define bilirubin action thresholds, which may be as low as 100 μmol/L for sick premature infants, whereas early discharged babies may only present after bilirubin concentrations are extremely high. Hence, there is a requirement for accurate total bilirubin measurement from <100 to >500 μmol/L, with sufficient precision to assess the rate of bilirubin change with time. Babies presenting with late jaundice always require conjugated bilirubin measurement. It is of concern that many total and direct bilirubin automated kit methods suffer from haemolysis interference, while use of in-house methods or modification of commercial methods has virtually disappeared. External quality assessment has a vital role in providing data on different methods' performance, including accuracy, precision and susceptibility to interference. Laboratories should consider whether their adult bilirubin methods are suitable for neonates.


Simulating biological systems in-silico has become a common method to provide deeper insights into the regarding systems than in-vitro investigations. Classic approaches like differential equations, Boolean networks or Markov chains are performant, but usually cannot express often desired spatial features. For that reason particle based simulators like Smoldyn, GFRD or ReaDDy came up that are able to examine a reaction network in space, but usually not on a large timescale. Due to methodological and instrumental restrictions it still is elusive to simulate complex systems in full detail over a large period of time. Coarse-graining methods allow the reduction of a highdetailed system into a little-detail system, whereby the qualitative behavior of the simulated systems is conserved. The aim of this thesis is to derive techniques that allow a detailed simulation on a large timescale. For that reason, firstly, a pathway is developed that translates a reaction network between a set of species into space using properties from literature, like mass and diffusion coefficient of all species. Secondly, coarse-graining methods are developed that are automatized applicable to real biological systems. These methods allow the simulation of the generated particle based model in a feasible amount of time, whereby the focus lies on the reduction of the simulation complexity rather than the models complexity. Thirdly, a novel simulation tool is established that allows a simplified study of self assembling processes by coarse-graining the diffusion. To study these methods at work, two models of biological systems emerged in the scope of this thesis, namely the spindle assembly checkpoint and PML nuclear bodies. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) guards proper cell division by prolonging the metaphase until all 92 sister chromatids are aligned properly. Even a single unattached kinetochore keeps the SAC active, which is rapidly inactivated after the last attachment.


IMPORTANCE
Occupational therapists frequently assess the fitness to drive of people with visual field impairment, but the relationship between these assessments and driving performance over time is not well understood.

OBJECTIVE
To determine traffic violation and crash incidence over a 1-yr period for drivers with visual field impairment.

DESIGN
Retrospective review of medical and driving records.

SETTING
British Columbia, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS
Participants (N = 445) were ages 26-74 yr with binocular, corrected visual acuity of ≥20/50. Goldmann visual field tests were reviewed to stratify participants on the basis of visual field impairment and whether impairments exceeded licensing standards.

OUTCOME AND MEASURES
Traffic records were reviewed to determine group-specific traffic violations and crash incidence during the year after the visual field test.

RESULTS
Of 445 participants, 292 held a valid driver's license during the designated period. Participants not meeting the licensing standards were less likely to become licensed than participants who met the standards. The results indicate that drivers with visual field impairment did not have a higher probability of crashes or violations than drivers without visual field impairment.

CONCLUSION
Drivers with visual field impairment who retained a driver's license did not have an increased probability of crashes in the following year. A larger, prospective, mixed methods study of long-term driving behaviors among people with visual field impairment is recommended.

WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS
This study provides preliminary data on the 1-yr incidence of traffic violations and crashes among people with visual field impairment.


FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 are phylogenetically distinct homologues of the tubulin-like bacterial cell division protein FtsZ that play major roles in the initiation and progression of plastid division in plant cells. Both proteins are components of a mid-plastid ring, the Z-ring, which functions as a contractile ring on the stromal surface of the chloroplast IEM (inner envelope membrane). FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 have been shown to interact, but their in vivo biochemical properties are largely unknown. To gain insight into the in vivo biochemical relationship between FtsZ1 and FtsZ2, in the present study we investigated their molecular levels in wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana plants and endogenous interactions in Arabidopsis and pea. Quantitative immunoblotting and morphometric analysis showed that the average total FtsZ concentration in chloroplasts of 3-week-old Arabidopsis plants is comparable with that in Escherichia coli. FtsZ levels declined as plants matured, but the molar ratio between FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 remained constant at approx. 1:2, suggesting that this stoichiometry is regulated and functionally important. Density-gradient centrifugation, native gel electrophoresis, gel filtration and co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed that a portion of the FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 in Arabidopsis and pea chloroplasts is stably associated in a complex of approximately 200-245 kDa. This complex also contains the FtsZ2-interacting protein ARC6 (accumulation and replicatioin of chloroplasts 6), an IEM protein, and analysis of density-gradient fractions suggests the presence of the FtsZ1-interacting protein ARC3. Based on the mid-plastid localization of ARC6 and ARC3 and their postulated roles in promoting and inhibiting chloroplast FtsZ polymer formation respectively, we hypothesize that the FtsZ1-FtsZ2-ARC3-ARC6 complex represents an unpolymerized IEM-associated pool of FtsZ that contributes to the dynamic regulation of Z-ring assembly and remodelling at the plastid division site in vivo.


OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive factors for pregnancy after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)/intrauterine insemination (IUI). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: University-level tertiary care center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 366 patients undergoing 480 stimulated IUI cycles between November 2007 and December 2008. INTERVENTIONS: Ovarian stimulation with gonadotrophins was initiated and a single IUI was performed 36 h after triggering ovulation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Predictive factors evaluated were female age, duration of infertility, indication for IUI, number of preovulatory follicles, luteinizing hormone level on day of trigger and postwash total motile fraction (TMF). RESULTS: The overall clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were 8.75% and 5.83%, respectively. Among the predictive factors evaluated, the duration of infertility (5.36 vs. 6.71 years, P = 0.032) and the TMF (between 10 and 20 million, P = 0.002) significantly influenced the clinical pregnancy rate. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that COH/IUI is not an effective option in couples with infertility due to a male factor. Prolonged duration of infertility is also associated with decreased success, and should be considered when planning treatment.