Existing research investigating the reading abilities of children with a
diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) has consistently identified
reading comprehension difficulties in this group alongside well-developed
word recognition (decoding) skills. However, this is currently an underresearched
area, particularly in relation to identifying impairments in
component discourse level comprehension skills involved in the complex task
of deriving meaning from text, and developing interventions to improve
reading comprehension for children with an ASC. Study One investigated the
reading, cognitive and receptive language abilities of 24 children (10 - 12
years) with a clinical diagnosis of an ASC. All children attended a mainstream
primary or secondary school in an outer London Local Authority. Children
were involved in the research during the period of primary to secondary
transition, either in the final term of primary (Year 6) or first two terms of
secondary school (Year 7). Standardised measures of reading accuracy,
reading comprehension, word reading, cognitive ability and receptive
language abilities were obtained and a number of discourse level
comprehension skills assessed: comprehension monitoring, anaphoric
reference, knowledge of story structure, identification and agreement of
pronouns, prediction, text-connecting and global coherence inference. Semistructured
interviews were carried out to gain an insight into children with
ASC's as "readers". Findings highlighted the heterogeneity of reading and
cognitive profiles and receptive language abilities in children with ASC's. The
majority of the sample scored within the average range for both standardised
measures of reading accuracy and comprehension, however a discrepancy
between standard scores for the two component skills (accuracy >
comprehension) characterised the sample. Measures of verbal abilities and
receptive language abilities were found to be significantly associated with both
reading comprehension, reading accuracy and word reading. Individual
differences were found in relation to strengths and weaknesses in component
comprehension skills, however common difficulties with comprehension monitoring, global coherence inferences and prediction were apparent within
the sample.

Study Two involved the development of a reading comprehension intervention
involving three children from Study One, in their first term of secondary
education. Analysis of the children's component comprehension skills
informed the development of an individually tailored intervention; facilitating
the children's awareness and development of skills and processes involved in
reading comprehension. The intervention utilized a think-aloud procedure and
incorporated the "Fab Four" strategies from the reciprocal teaching approach. Individual case synopses illustrated areas of competence and difficulty,
approaches to learning and use of strategies to facilitate the development of
metacognitive skills. Pre and post intervention measures indicated gains for
all children in reading comprehension, but to differing degrees. Findings are
discussed with reference to the theories of autism and implications for
parents, teachers and Educational Psychologists supporting the learning of
children with ASC's. Opportunities for future research in this field are
discussed.


The possibility of observing interference between nuclear resonant scattering and Rayleigh scattering of y-rays is examined with reference to (1) thermally broadened medium -energy lines such as the 411 keV E 2 line of 198Hg, (2) recoil-broadened lines of substantial natural width, for example, the 986 keV E l transition in 152Sm, (3) lines of natural width only, as in 57Fe. For the first two examples, where the incident spectral distribution is not of simple form, a graphical method shows that the interference term is small in comparison with the others whenever the resonant scattering is itself a substantial effect, even if full coherence exists between the resonant and Rayleigh components. It remains possible that interference may be observable in other examples of the second class, to which the graphical method could be extended. For the third class, an analytical approach is adopted and leads to the conclusion that coherence should be only partial, in the sense that part of the resonant scattering reflects the character and preserves the phase of the incident radiation, as does the Rayleigh scattering, while part is characteristic of the resonator and has no counterpart in the Rayleigh scattering. If the incident line is far off resonance these two parts of the resonance radiation will have distinctly different frequencies, a single incident line giving a scattered doublet. In some circumstances, interference with Rayleigh scattering may aid the observation of a weak resonance against a strong background


This guide will help you find the resources you need for Russell's PHIL B9 project on non-human animals' morality and interaction with humans.


Furthering the field's attention to the rhetoric of archives, this article offers an extended consideration of archival description as an information infrastructure that provides powerful, although often invisible, orientations to the past. This article examines three stages of the archival process—selection, organization, and labeling—by focusing on a handful of historical objects, held in two separate collections, that depict transgressive gender presentations. Taken together, these examples demonstrate that archival description functions not only for bureaucratic and access purposes, but for epistemological ones as well.


Integrating Yoga and Self-Psychology: An Open-Trial Pilot Study Jennifer Drapkin The primary aim of this study is to examine changes an individual's self-concept before and after exposure to an integrated yoga self-psychology model, delivered through an eightsession curriculum, based upon the chakra system. The study explores relationships between elements of self-concept including psychological strengths (self-compassion, mindfulness, interoceptive awareness, psychological flexibility, and emotion regulation) and psychopathology (anxiety, depression, PTSD, and borderline symptoms.) An open trial was conducted in a university-based wellness center with 102 non-clinically-referred participants, 28 of whom attended four or fewer classes (Non-Completion group) and 74 of who attended five or more classes, completing the study (Completion group). From pretest to posttest, participants in the Completion group showed significant gains in mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, emotional regulation, and interoceptive awareness and a significant decrease in PTSD. Psychopathology in the Completion group also decreased significantly from pretest to posttest for participants who were symptomatic at baseline for depression (N=12), PTSD (N=27), anxiety (N=18), and borderline symptoms (N=19). For symptomatic participants, these decreases were sustained at 3-month follow-up for PTSD and borderline symptoms, but they were not sustained for anxiety and depression. Overall, changes in psychological strengths were significantly negatively correlated with changes in psychopathology. Path analysis indicated that increases in psychological flexibility from pretest to posttest had a mediating effect at a trend level on reduction in PTSD and borderline symptoms from pretest to follow-up. Qualitative analysis revealed that 94.59% of participants in the Completion Group applied the lessons of the yoga curriculum to their lives outside of class. The study then explored the clinical implications of an integrated yoga self-psychology model as a low-cost alternative or supplement to traditional psychotherapy and psychopharmacology for individuals who respond poorly to standard treatment or cannot afford it. The study also posited that an integrated yoga self-psychology model may strengthen psychological flexibility, which may in turn lead to a reduction in certain types of psychopathology, notability symptoms of borderline personality disorder and PTSD.


Abstract. Increasing growth in land-based wind turbine blades to enable higher machine capacities and capacity factors is creating challenges in design, manufacturing, logistics, and operation. Enabling further blade growth will require technology innovation. An emerging solution to overcome logistics constraints is to segment the blades spanwise and chordwise, which is effective, but the additional field-assembled joints result in added mass and loads, as well as increased reliability concerns in operation. An alternative to this methodology is to design slender flexible blades that can be shipped on rail lines by flexing during transport. However, the increased flexibility is challenging to accommodate with a typical glass-fiber, upwind design. In a two-part paper series, several design options are evaluated to enable slender flexible blades: downwind machines, optimized carbon fiber, and active aerodynamic controls. Part 1 presents the system-level optimization of the rotor variants as compared to conventional and segmented baselines, with a low-fidelity representation of the blades. The present work, Part 2, supplements the system-level optimization in Part 1 with high-fidelity blade structural optimization to ensure that the designs are at feasible optima with respect to material strength and fatigue limits, as well as global stability and structural dynamics constraints. To accommodate the requirements of the design process, a new version of the Numerical Manufacturing And Design (NuMAD) code has been developed and released. The code now supports laminate-level blade optimization and an interface to the International Energy Agency Wind Task 37 blade ontology. Transporting long, flexible blades via controlled flapwise bending is found to be a viable approach for blades up to 100 m. The results confirm that blade mass can be substantially reduced by going either to a downwind design or to a highly coned and tilted upwind design. A discussion of active and inactive constraints consisting of material rupture, fatigue damage, buckling, deflection, and resonant frequencies is presented. An analysis of driving load cases revealed that the downwind designs are dominated by loads from sudden, abrupt events like gusts rather than fatigue. Finally, an analysis of carbon fiber spar caps for downwind machines finds that, compared to typical carbon fibers, the use of a new heavy-tow carbon fiber in the spar caps is found to yield between 9 % and 13 % cost savings.


Global climate model projections suggest that 21st century climate change will bring significant drying in the midlatitudes. Recent glacier modeling suggests that runoff from glaciers will continue...


A dynamic fair scheduling scheme, named aggressive code-division generalized processor sharing (A-CDGPS) scheme, is proposed to guarantee quality of service (QoS) for multimedia traffic in the uplinks of direct-sequence wideband code division multiple access (CDMA) cellular networks. The scheme performs slot-by-slot fair scheduling of the physical channel rates in response to the variation of multimedia traffic rates, and maximizes the utilization of the 30-called soft capacity of the CDMA uplinks. With the A-CDGPS scheme, deterministic delay bounds for heterogeneous traffic are derived. Simulation results show that the A-CDGPS is able to guarantee the delay requirement for delay-sensitive traffic, assure the weighted fairness among all the users, and maximize the throughput of delay-insensitive traffic.


This preliminary study examined the cultural and logistical factors underlying the settlement of the historic town of nyoming, Nebraska. Located along the Mormon Trail, this site provides a new window for understanding the dynamics of nineteenth century u.s. emigrant trails. Utilizing a body of primary and secondary documents as well as cartographic source, the preliminary analysis revealed two integrated themes: (1) frontier logistics and expansion and (2) religious values and experiences. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, needed both a prosperous town to equip themselves for their journey to Salt Lake City and a smaller town relatively free from "immoral vices" such as taverns and brothels. This small Nebraska town not only fit both these criteria, but it was also free from Native American unrest and the epidemics that ravaged their former settlement at Winter Quarters near Omaha. Thus the town became the new starting point of the Mormon Trail west of the Missouri River. This study will also form the basis for the site:S nomination to the National Register of Historic Places and aid in the formulation of a data recovery plan for afuture archaeological dig on the site.


Human plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) has been shown to be a selenium-containing enzyme immunologically distinct from cellular GSHPx. Oligonucleotide probes, based on the partial amino acid sequence of plasma GSHPx, were synthesized and used to screen a human placenta cDNA library. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the obtained clones revealed that GSHPx consisted of a 678-base pair open reading frame coding for a 226-amino acid polypeptide with a Mr of 25,389. About 50% of the deduced amino acid sequence was confirmed by partial amino acid sequencing of the peptides in a lysine endopeptidase-digest of the purified enzyme. The amino acid sequence exhibited only 44% homology with that of human cellular GSHPx. Northern blot analysis revealed a single transcript of 2.2 kilobases in the poly(A)+ RNA fractions of human placenta and HepG2 (a human hepatic cell line), but not that of human liver and endothelial cells.


This study builds on our previous work (Tiwari and Herstatt, 2012), which had questioned the validity of certain assumptions of the lead market theory in the face of changing ground realities in a globalized world. Sustained economic growth and proven technological capabilities in some "emerging economies" like China and India call for a reassessment of the appropriateness of the "conventional wisdom" that had held true until recently. While our previous study had "re-built" a theoretical background of the lead market model by introducing some new elements, and doing away with certain others, with the help of two in-depth case studies; the purpose of the present study is to specifically assess India's potential as a lead market for cost-effective frugal innovations. The study crystallizes the inherent characteristics of frugal innovations, their development process and market success in the domestic and overseas markets by analyzing four successful product innovations from selected industries in India. The factors identified thus are then incorporated in the theoretic model to derive propositions about India's lead market potential. Whereas affordability and economies of scale have traditionally constituted the primary concern for frugal innovations, an increasing shift towards "value proposition" is identified. Intensifying competition and growing customer aspirations are changing the nature of frugal innovations. The hitherto unserved customer demands attractive designs and modern technologies to come out of his shell of "non-consumption". Our research confirms that frugal innovations can benefit end-consumers and firms, simultaneously. Better-designed products also have positive impact on the lead market potential, creating a virtuous cycle. The study also discovered that the increasing need for sophistication coupled with continued cost pressures is shifting the product development processes into the domain of "open global innovation", which also helps reduce the negative country-of-origin effects faced by developing countries. The research would have implications for location decisions in setting up global innovation/R&D activities.


This paper reports the rectification results of the tribe aedini mosquitoes formerly recorded in China, using the classification system proposed by Reinert during the recent years. Among all the 171 species of Chinese aedini mosquitoes examined, 160 species could be included in the new classification system. The other 11 species were listed in traditional taxonomic status for further study. The proposed new classification system of the Chinese aedini mosquitoes contained 29 genera, i.e. Aedes, Armigeres, Ayurakitia, Bothaella*, Bruceharrisonius*, Christophersiomyia*, Collessius*, Danielsia*, Downsiomyia*, Edwardsaedes*, Finlaya*, Fredwardsius*, Gilesius*, Heizmannia, Himalaius*, Hopkinsius*, Hulecoeteomyia*, Jihlienius*, Kenknightia*, Luius*, Mucidus*, Neomelaniconion*, Ochlerotatus, Phagomyia*, Scutomyia*, Stegomyia*, Tanakaius*, Udaya, and Verrallina. Among them, 22 genera (*) were new records in China. Besides, the authors made a significant revision to the following 4 species recorded formerly in 《Fauna Sinica, Insecta Vol. 8, Diptera: Culicidae》: Ae. (Edw.) antuensis as the synonym of Ed. pingpaensis, while Ae. (Sin.) occidentayunnanus, Ae. (Och.) flavidorsalis, and Ae. (Fin.) subsimilis should be rectified as Hz. (Mat.) occidentayunnana, Oc. albineus, and Ud. subsimilis, respectively.


Propellant mass gauging is one of the key technologies required to enable the next step in NASA's space exploration program. At present, there is no reliable method to accurately measure the amount of unsettled liquid propellant in a large-scale propellant tank in micro- or zero gravity. Recently we proposed a new approach to use sound waves to probe the resonance frequencies of the two-phase liquid-gas mixture and take advantage of the mathematical properties of the high frequency spectral asymptotics to determine the volume fraction of the tank filled with liquid. We report the current progress in exploring the feasibility of this approach in the case of large propellant tanks, both experimental and theoretical. Excitation and detection procedures using solenoids for excitation and both hydrophones and accelerometers for detection have been developed. A 3% uncertainty for mass-gauging was demonstrated for a 200-liter tank partially filled with liquid for various unsettled configurations, such as tilts and artificial ullages.


Parents often have important influences on their offspring's traits and/or fitness (i.e., maternal or paternal effects). When offspring fitness is determined by the joint influences of offspring and parental traits, selection may favor particular combinations that generate high offspring fitness. We show that this epistasis for fitness between the parental and offspring genotypes can result in the evolution of their joint distribution, generating genetic correlations between the parental and offspring characters. This phenomenon can be viewed as a coadaptive process in which offspring genotypes evolve to function with the parentally provided environment and, in turn, the genes for this environment become associated with specific offspring genes adapted to it. To illustrate this point, we present two scenarios in which selection on offspring alone alters the correlation between a maternal and an offspring character. We use a quantitative genetic maternal effect model combined with a simple quadratic model of fitness to examine changes in the linkage disequilibrium between the maternal and offspring genotypes. In the first scenario, stabilizing selection on a maternally affected offspring character results in a genetic correlation that is opposite in sign to the maternal effect. In the second scenario, directional selection on an offspring trait that shows a nonadditive maternal effect can result in selection for positive covariances between the traits. This form of selection also results in increased genetic variation in maternal and offspring characters, and may, in the extreme case, promote host‐race formation or speciation. This model provides a possible evolutionary explanation for the ubiquity of large genetic correlations between maternal and offspring traits, and suggests that this pattern of coinheritance may reflect functional relationships between these characters (i.e., functional integration).


The interaction of recruited immune effector cells and cancer cells within tumor microenvironment (TME) shapes the fate of cancer progression and metastasis. Many cancers including breast cancer, express a specific vacuolar ATPase (a2V) on their cell surface which acidifies the extracellular milieu helping cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. To understand the role of immune cell-associated-a2V during breast tumor pathogenesis, we knocked-out a2V (KO) from the hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and generated breast tumors in mice. The a2V-KO mice developed faster growing, larger, and metastatic breast tumors compared to control mice. Further investigation of the TME revealed a significant reduction in the presence of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the a2V-KO tumors. Targeted RNA-Seq of the cells of the TME demonstrated that pro-inflammatory cytokines, death receptors, death receptor ligands, and cytotoxic effectors were significantly down-regulated within the a2V-KO TME. Interestingly, analysis of immune cells in the blood, spleen, and thymus of the non-tumor bearing a2V-KO mice revealed a significant decrease in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations. For the first time, this study demonstrates that inhibition of V-ATPase expression in HSC leads to a decrease in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations and thus promotes breast tumor growth and metastasis.


This chapter examines television portrayals of the West in contemporary China, focusing on an emerging non-victimistic media discourse on modern Western history. The analysis is contextualized within the wider sociopolitical dynamics of a rising nationalism and increased space for negotiation among the different groupings of Chinese elites. The chapter falls into three parts. The first investigates the discursive features of a television documentary text that constructs a fresh, positive image of the West. The second discusses critiques of the series from the perspectives of a liberal, pro-market right and anti-capitalist new left. The third part extends the analysis to the social context of the mainstream pragmatic nationalism that has risen to prominence in recent decades. The chapter concludes with a discussion on tensions within differing views of the West, and a critical assessment of the fresh, non-moralistic account of the Western road to modernity.


Objectives: Congenital anomalies can be detected by first trimester ultrasound. Introduction of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound and virtual reality (VR) facilitates patient understanding of the ultrasound image. We aim to explore an in-house developed questionnaire regarding women's perspectives of performing a first trimester 3D VR anomaly scan. Methods: Women participating in a randomised control trial investigating the added value of a first trimester 3D VR anomaly scan received in-house developed questionnaires. The control group received a second trimester ultrasound; the intervention group received an additional first trimester 3D VR ultrasound. Questionnaires were sent after the 3D VR ultrasound in the intervention group (T1) and around 13 weeks' gestational age in the control group (T1) and six weeks after delivery in both groups (T2). Questionnaires focused on patients' expectations and demands and were studied in five explorative phases. Questions were classified into six subscales confirmed by performing a principal component analysis (PCA). Results: Between June 2017 and December 2019, 152 controls and 172 participants of the intervention group filled out both questionnaires. A significant positive association within their subscales was shown for 91.7% of questions (N = 44/48). Participants' responses at T1 and T2 showed a significant difference for only 2 questions. The median score for all questionnaires was 8 out of 10. Questioning whether performance of FTAS provides reassurance, women scored a median of 8 to 9 out of 10. Majority of the questions were considered relevant and clear. Conclusions: Exploration of four in-house developed questionnaires regarding women's perspectives, participating a study investigating the additional value of first trimester 3D VR anomaly scan, indicated these as a valid instrument and useful to assess expectations. Moreover, exploration of the in-house developed questionnaires, indicated an overall positive experience with the first trimester 3D VR anomaly scan.


Aims: To evaluate the tissues formed by the pulp stem cell homing technique through the histopathological sections, after a three months follow-up period. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on twelve right second premolars of twelve local breed female dogs, that were randomly selected form different areas of Mosul City. The study was divided into four stages, stage I (Induce infection), stage II (Disinfection), stage III (Treatment), and stage IV (3 months follow-up). In the stage IV the tooth and the surrounding bone segment was sectioned and routinely processed to produce H&Estained tissue sections that were evaluated under the light microscope. The histological examiners were evaluated presence or absence of 1st normal pulp-like tissue, 2nd newly hard tissue (bone,cementum, dentin),3rd empty/necrosis,4th intra-canal inflammation, 5th periapical inflammation, 6th apical narrowing and wall thickening. Results: The results have shown that 85.71% of specimens had normal pulp-like tissue ,100% had newly hard tissue structure, 14.28% had an empty canal\ necrosis, 57.14%had intra-canal inflammation, 71.42% had periapical inflammation, and 85.71% had apical narrowing. Conclusion: The pulp stem cell homing procedure showed an effective way to treat an open apex tooth and this procedure was increased the root length and thickness and also filled the pulp space with pulp-like tissue. The procedure did not regenerate the tooth structure, but formed a tissue like dental structure (dentin, bone and cementum) and these tissues did not for regeneration, but for tissue repair.


This white paper was written by the members of the Work Group focusing on design practices of the COST Action 18230 - Interactive Narrative Design for Complexity Representation (INDCOR, WG1). It presents an overview of Interactive Digital Narratives (IDNs) design for complexity representations through IDN workflows and methodologies, IDN authoring tools and applications. It provides definitions of the central elements of the IDN alongside its best practices, designs and methods. Finally, it describes complexity as a feature of IDN, with related examples. In summary, this white paper serves as an orienting map for the field of IDN design, understanding where we are in the contemporary panorama while charting the grounds of their promising futures.


The authors propose double smoothers, consisting of the median and Wiener filters, which they call the median and Wiener (MW) double smoothers. It is shown that the MW double smoother is suitable for smoothing a covariance stationary process which is a useful model of images. The statistical analysis and experimental results indicate that the MW double smoother is an efficient edge-preserving smoother that can outperform the individual median and Wiener filters. >


Males of many species choose their mate according to the female's reproductive status, and there is now increasing evidence that male fitness can depend on this discrimination. However, females will also aim to regulate their mating activity so as to maximize their own fitness. As such, both sexes may attempt to dictate the frequency and timing of female mating, reflecting the potentially different costs of female signaling to both sexes. Here, I review evidence that chemical cues and signals are used widely by males to discriminate between mated and unmated females, and explore the mechanisms by which female odour changes post‐mating. There is substantial empirical evidence that mated and unmated females differ in their chemical profile, and that this variation provides males with information on a female's mating status. Although there appears to be large variation among species regarding the mechanisms by which female odour is altered post‐mating, the transfer of male substances to females during or subsequent to copulation appear to play a major role. This transfer of substances by males may be part of their strategy to suppress reproduction by competing males, particularly in species where females mate more than once.


Temporal consistency is essential for video editing applications. Existing work on layered representation of videos allows propagating edits consistently to each frame. These methods, however, can only edit object appearance rather than object shape changes due to the limitation of using a fixed UV mapping field for texture atlas. We present a shape-aware, text-driven video editing method to tackle this challenge. To handle shape changes in video editing, we first propagate the deformation field between the input and edited keyframe to all frames. We then leverage a pre-trained text-conditioned diffusion model as guidance for refining shape distortion and completing unseen regions. The experimental results demonstrate that our method can achieve shape-aware consistent video editing and compare favorably with the state-of-the-art.


As businesses in many industries adopt the platform business model, many aspects of the traditional business are going through a shake-up, including competition and strategies for gaining competitive advantage. When platforms are competing with each other, the network effects due to having a strong installed base create a strategic advantage and shape the competition. Additionally, another level of competition in the world of platforms is between complementors on a given platform which is also influenced by the presence of the network effects. In the three studies of this dissertation, we focus on competitive strategies for digital platform businesses. In the first essay, we look at competition between platforms and examine the emergence of Winners-Take-Some (WTS) market outcome in IT platform markets, where such markets are expected to yield a Winner-Takes-All (WTA) outcome. We use the cyclical video game console market as an appropriate context to investigate the influential factors in the market outcome in platform markets. We find a consistent increase in multi-homing among the most popular video-games that can pave the way for the emergence of WTS outcome. In the second essay, we are turning our focus to the strategies that platforms can adopt to improve emerging success metrics such as user engagement. We examine how digital content platforms can improve users' engagement by providing popularity information signals. We evaluate the effect of conflicting and aligned information signals on users' engagement in the context of music content platforms. We find that conflicting popularity information signals are more effective in increasing user engagement than the aligned popularity information signals. In the third essay and in the context of mobile app platforms, we focus on the competition between complementors. We study the role of app category characteristics on the performance of mobile app developers who offer apps in those categories and strive to gain competitive advantage. We evaluate category concentration and category popularity as two important factors and find that respectively, they negatively and positively influence new app's performance for a given developer. We find that the negative effect of category concentration is stronger than the positive effect of category popularity.


This book attempts to present a comparative description of the aural rehabilitation programs for the hearing impaired in selected countries. However, the selection of specialists is severely limited, most of them being audiologists or physicians. Some of the descriptions are based on a specific program and therefore not representative of the total program or philosophy in that country. Many of the contributors show a lack of awareness of recent research on sign language and total communication.


RIA methodology is used widely to measure proinsulin in human serum. However, some RIAs lack the sensitivity necessary to quantify proinsulin in unextracted serum and require long incubation periods. We developed an RIA with a sensitivity of 3.5 in <48 h. This was accomplished by using a nonequilibrium binding reaction at room temperature and PEG-assisted second antibody precipitation as the method for separating bound and free proinsulin. We obtained a specific antiproinsulin antibody by adsorbing the initial goat antiserum with human C-peptide–agarose. Proinsulin produced 50% displacement of tracer at 25.6 pM, whereas both human insulin and C-peptide failed to displace tracer at concentrations as high as 1 μM. We evaluated several cleaved derivatives of proinsulin for cross-reactivity with the antibody. B-chain–C-peptide cleaved derivatives (≤50% cross-reactivity) were more potent than A-chain–C-peptide cleaved derivatives (<5% cross-reactivity). However, all derivatives cleaved in the region from 56–60 failed to cross-react with the antiserum. These data indicate that a major antigenic determinant is present on the C-peptide region of proinsulin adjacent to the A-chain–C-peptide junction. After administration of an oral glycemic challenge, the mean fasting serum concentration of proinsulin in normal adults rose from 4.1 ± 0.28 to 23.6 ± 3.8 pM. We found a significant difference in the proinsulin concentrations in 6 adults before and after aglycemic challenge when two different antibodies were used in the RIA. Based on the antibodies different specificity for proinsulin, we concluded that B-chain-C-peptide junctional split forms of proinsulin comprise a significant portion of circulating proinsulin material after a glycemic challenge.


For more than a year, the Caribbean economics team at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has focused on the potential implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for lives and livelihoods across the region. The pandemic is still with us, but there is hope that the cycles of lockdowns and containment measures will eventually come to an end as vaccination programs progress, even if unevenly, across the region. However, the availability of vaccine supply remains a concern, and the pandemic continues to pose a constraint for the recovery of key sectors such as tourism and local services sectors. This edition of the Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin focuses on two topics: (1) forecasts of key macroeconomic variables, based on the April 2021 WEO, and (2) financial sector risks. In general, regional economies are embarking on a fragile path to recovery. Continued progress with vaccination programs, credible medium-term fiscal programs, and continued attention to financial vulnerabilities will be needed to push that path to recovery forward.


This thesis addressed the problem of the widespread occurrence of magnesium deficiency in Pinus. radiata planted on pumice soils in the central North Island of New Zealand, the increased severity of the deficiency where trees were planted on grassed sites, and the slow increase in foliar Mg concentrations and tree growth following fertilisation of deficient trees with various sources and rates of Mg fertiliser. Plant available Mg concentrations were found to be very low in pumice soils, with soil solution concentrations often below 1 mgL,1 and exchangeable concentrations in the upper 20 cm of the soil normally well below 1 meq 1 00g,1. Published soil critical levels for a number of crops fall into the range of 0.2 to 1.0 meq100g'1. Addition of between 100 and 400 kgha'1 Mg (as Epsom salts, dolomite, or calcined magnesite) in a laboratory study raised soil solution concentrations by between 8 and 37 mgL,1 and exchangeable concentrations by between 1.5 and 3.4 meq100g,l. These levels should be adequate for tree growth. Epsom salts caused a much greater increase in solution Mg concentration than either dolomite or calcined magnesite. Changes in soil solution and exchangeable concentrations were monitored in a field experiment. Epsom salts and calcined magnesite were added at 400 kgha,l Mg. The Epsom salts caused a large and rapid increase in solution Mg concentrations to a soil depth of at least 45 cm. Calcined magnesite had no significant effect on solution concentrations. Both treatments increased exchangeable Mg concentrations well above 1 meq1 00g'1, although the less soluble calcined magnesite was slower acting. Improvements in exchangeable Mg were still apparent after 18 months with concentrations of the order of 1.5 meq100g'l in the upper 20 cm, although soil solution concentrations had returned to pre, fertilisation levels. The effects of Mg deficiency on dry matter allocation patterns were investigated in a glasshouse and a field experiment. Mg deficiency caused a 25% decrease in root: shoot 'ratio in seedlings. In an 8 year old stand of trees, where above ground dimensions were the same, but foliar concentrations were above or below the critical level of 0.07% Mg, there was 50% less fine root length in the deficient trees when compared to the healthy. This root decline could explain the slow response of fertilised trees, either due to a smaller exploitable soil volume, or due to a need to rebuild the root system before a response is detectable above ground. Two field experiments using 400 kgha'1 Mg as Epsom salts were established, one in a newly planted area (Halls), and the other in an 8 year old Mg deficient P. radiata stand (Kiorenui). At this high rate foliar Mg concentrations were improved to well above 0.1% within six months of Mg application. This indicated that previous slow responses were likely to have been due to use of low rates or slowly soluble sources of Mg. No growth responses were recorded in either trial, the juvenile trees were only marginally deficient by age 3, and the older trees were measured only six months after fertiliser application. Foliage analysis and tests with a total spectrum fertiliser indicated no other elements were deficient in either of the field experiments. The effect of grass on tree growth and Mg uptake was tested at Halls in the juvenile trees. Removal of grass competition caused a 30% improvement in tree biomass at age 3, 18 months after treatments were applied. Grass competition intensified the Mg deficiency in the trees and if trees were fertilised without grass control, tree growth was slightly suppressed due to stimulation of the grass. It was suggested that this was an effect on the sQjI moisture conditions and hence nutrient uptake rather than a direct effect of the grass in competition for Mg. The Barber-Cushman nutrient uptake model was used for a sensitivity analysis of parameters affecting Mg uptake on the newly planted site. This showed that root growth and Mg influx parameters were most important on this site, suggesting that Mg supply was not limiting growth, a conclusion supported by the fertiliser experiment results. Calculation of Mass Flow Coefficients indicated that far more Mg would be supplied to the root than would be assimilated by the tree. Calculation of Mass Flow Coefficients from published data for an age range of P. radiata up to age 12 showed that on a site with low soil solution Mg concentration (0.3-0.5 mgL·), once the trees were older than 3 years the proportion of Mg supplied to the root by diffusion increased until by age 5 approximately 75% would be supplied by that means. The importance of soil diffusion rates and soil moisture conditions will therefore be greater for older trees. A soil sol ution concentration of 1-2 mgL'l was calculated to be the level at which 100% of Mg would be supplied by mass flow, and this could be used for identifying potentially deficient sites, Conclusions from this study, plus other published information on the topic were synthesised into a set of rules. These will be the basis of an expert system for managing the Mg nutrition of P. radiata.


. The Civil Construction Industry has demonstrated convergence for the paths of new technologies, digitization, and new work processes that are inherent to the Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology. In this sense, there is a growing interest by engineering organizations in BIM implementation and the development of studies about the method to adapt to the new dynamics of the industry. A point of interest is the focus on the work processes of companies, standards, and guidelines to explore this subject, but which is not always transparent in identifying the first steps or actions for their execution practice. The methodology of this paper incorporates knowledge from specific literature, norms, and industry guides to support and suggest a method for BIM implementation. As a result of this research, we recommend a structured method for customizing and meeting the organization's requirements. Through a case study, this method addresses project management and selects essential planning elements for a BIM implementation. This experience was part of a BIM Implementation Plan developed by the author. This paper displays it as a pilot project for a Portuguese organization specializing in significant infrastructure works, adapting the industry documents to the strategic and implementation dimensions of BIM. The methodology established for five months of project execution identified several strategic topics to begin the BIM implementation, such as the initial standardization of the information and the surveillance of the learning dynamics of the project team.


The informal economy plays a key role in ensuring economic growth and social well-being in developing countries. In particular, in Africa, more than 60% of the urban population, as well as almost 80% of the nonagricultural population, are employed in the informal economy. The main purpose of the study is to study the role of street commerce in supporting urban life. The object of study is one of Ethiopia's remote cities, Matt. The extent of the impact of street commerce on the incomes of the urban population, including those who do not own land, is analyzed in the study. The study is aimed at finding patterns between the living conditions of urban population living on the brink of poverty and the dynamics of street commerce, the proceeds of which are directed to meet their daily physiological needs. The scientific approaches to the study of the relationship between the volume of street commerce and living conditions of urban population have been systematized. The source of the primary data for the survey is questionnaires that contained information on the sociodemographic profile of street traders, the extent of their activity, the amount of start-up capital, access to credit, and their main difficulties in this type of activity. Descriptive statistics methods became a methodological tool of the conducted research. The results of the empirical analysis have shown that there is a positive correlation between street commerce and the well-being of urban populations. In addition, it is found that about 37.9% of people involved in street trading are experiencing problems as a result of tightening regulatory regulations by the state. The study empirically confirms and theoretically proves that street selling is one of the important sources of urban existence in Ethiopia. The results of the study can be useful for government officials, NGOs, international institutions, as well as researchers dealing with this issue.


The paper emphasizes the role of institutions and incentives in the presence of externalities. An economy with multiple public decision makers is likely to experience "overspending," "undertaxing," "overborrowing," and "overinflation" unless effective institutions exist for overcoming coordination failure. External financing may weaken incentives for adjustment over the longer run unless assistance is made conditional on fundamental institutional reforms. The paper also analyses reforms that strengthen incentives to provide effort. Uncertainty regarding future taxes reduces present effort and the responsiveness of output to market signals. In addition, the paper addresses the adverse effects of bank insurance and soft budget constraints.


Exchange rates often display sudden and large changes. There is considerable interest in examining how these changes affect prices, especially import and consumer prices. Exchange rate pass-through measures the responsiveness of the price of a basket of goods to changes in the exchange rate and is defined as the elasticity of the price of the basket (expressed in home currency) with respect to the exchange rate (defined as the price of foreign currency). The pass-through estimates vary across product groups, countries, and time periods, but a general finding is that pass-through tends to be significantly less than one, which implies that prices do not fully respond to a foreign currency appreciation. Pass-through to export prices tends to be smaller than pass-through to import prices. Pass-through to consumer prices is lower than both import and export price pass-through and is generally very small. One explanation of pass-through evidence focuses on the role of nominal rigidities (infrequent changes in prices set in home or foreign currency). Another explanation emphasizes the importance of markup variation in response to exchange rate changes.
 In models with nominal rigidities, one important issue is whether exporting firms set prices in their country's currency (producer's currency) or importing country's currency (consumer's currency). If prices are sticky in producer's currency, flexible exchange rates are preferable as they allow for desirable relative price adjustment. On the other hand, if prices are sticky in consumer's currency, exchange rate flexibility is not as helpful in adjusting prices and fixed exchange rates are superior. The standard model where markup is constant and all firms (at home and abroad) use either producer or consumer currency pricing is not consistent with typical estimates of pass-through to import and export prices. To explain this evidence, the standard model needs to be modified to allow for variable markup and/or a hybrid model of currency choice where some firms set prices in producer's and others in consumer's currency. In the case of the hybrid model, the welfare difference between fixed and flexible exchange rates is not as stark as in the pure cases of currency choice and is likely to be small. Another issue of much interest is whether inflationary environment can affect pass-through, especially to consumer prices. Inflationary environment can influence pass-through to import and consumer prices through several channels, such as persistence of costs and frequency of price change. Empirical evidence shows that pass-through to consumer prices is related to the level and variability of inflation across countries and time periods and is lower in an environment with low and stable inflation. This evidence suggests that a monetary policy regime that targets low inflation will produce a low pass-through environment, which would dampen the price effects of exchange rate changes.


This technical paper deals with two phases of wet testing of EHV station insulators; one for conventional rainfall tests with prescribed rate of precipitation and water resistivity and the other for artificial contamination or pollution tests under wet conditions. The authors recommend a change in USA Standards for rate of precipitation and resistivity of water and offer supporting test data confirming the ability to distinguish between satisfactory and unsatisfactory insulator designs as a result of employing their new proposal. They also offer a proposed contamination test procedure which is convenient to use, which gives reproducible results, and which is sufficiently flexible for use in varying the severity of the applied artificial contaminant according to user requirements. The artificial contamination, or pollution, test may be used in rating insulator designs concerning performance under contaminated and wet conditions.


Collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1), a secreted protein, has been demonstrated as an oncogene in many types of human cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, little is known about the prognostic value of CTHRC1 in PDAC. In current study, we investigated the expression pattern and underlying clinical significance of CTHRC1 in PDAC. Data from public PDAC microarray datasets, real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that CTHRC1 expression was dramatically increased in PDAC compared with normal tissues at both mRNA and protein level, which was consistent with previous studies. Analysis of its correlation with clinicopathological parameters indicated that high protein expression level of CTHRC1 was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion and perineural invasion. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with higher CTHRC1 expression exhibited a remarkably shorter overall survival in four different PDAC patient cohorts. Importantly, univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that CTHRC1 protein expression level was a significant and independent prognostic factor for overall survival rate of PDAC patients. Together, these data suggested that CTHRC1 is an unfavorable biomarker of prognosis in PDAC and may serve as a potential therapeutic candidate for PDAC treatment.


A practical guide to building up a vocabulary of French words. The book contains memorizing techniques, and also includes 8000 French words, illustrated activities and an English glossary for quick reference.


INTRODUCTION
Pressure injuries (PIs) continue to be a substantial problem and burden for the present-day health care system and are the leading cause of chronic wounds worldwide. There is no current consensus on the long-term results of the use of flaps in sacral PI reconstruction and optimal flap choice.

OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate whether flap selection influences postoperative results in sacral PI reconstruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patients who underwent surgery for PIs in the authors' clinic between 2002 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 63 patients with stage 3/stage 4 sacral PIs and who underwent reconstruction with fasciocutaneous (FC) flaps (group 1), musculocutaneous (MC) flaps (group 2), or perforator (P) flaps (group 3) were included in the study. The mean duration of the follow-up period was 14.4 months, and patients were evaluated in terms of their demographic data, length of hospital stay, complications, and recurrence.

RESULTS
The mean age, sex distribution, and ambulatory status were similar between the groups. In group 2 (MC), the mean length of hospital stay and mean drain removal time were significantly longer. The mean daily drainage amount was significantly higher in group 2 (MC) than in the other groups, and long-term relapses were less frequently observed in group 3 (P). A significant difference was observed between groups 2 (FC) and 3 (MC) in terms of wound dehiscence. The authors determined that P flaps were associated with a reduced mean length of hospital stay and daily drainage.

CONCLUSIONS
For these patients, P flaps appear to be the optimal flap choice for sacral area reconstruction. However, new prospective randomized studies are needed to support these findings.


The severe international financial crises which rocked the Latin American economies in the 1980s and 1990s suggest that the international financial system suffers from serious defects. This article looks at one of the reforms which has been mooted in recent years: strengthening regional financial cooperation. It concludes that a Latin American fund made up of a modest portion of the reserves of the countries of the region, possibly backed up with contingency credits from the international banking system, could be an effective line of defense against financial crises caused by capital flight and could help to prevent the spread of crises within the region. A fund of this nature could also have other functions, such as providing finance to cope with balance of payments problems associated with temporary slumps in the terms of trade. It would also promote harmonization of the macroeconomic policies of its members, which is an essential condition for achieving more stable bilateral exchange rates and effective regional integration. Such a regional fund would not be a substitute for the International Monetary Fund, but would be complementary to it.


Nineteen overweight girls 14.54 +/- 0.38 years of age were studied. Results were compared with those obtained in eight age-matched (14.07 +/- 0.51 years) and sex-matched normal weight controls. Energy expenditure (EE) was determined using open-circuit indirect calorimetry at rest, both after a 12-h fast and after an oral sucrose load of 3 g/kg ideal body weight. Food-induced thermogenesis (FIT) was evaluated by computing the area under the curve of the EE response above resting energy expenditure (REE) during the first 3 h after the sucrose load, REE (kcal/day) was higher in the overweight patients (1,818 +/- 46 vs. 1,527 +/- 67; p = 0.002); REE standardized by fat-free mass (FFM) (kcal/kg FFM/day) was lower in obese children than in controls (35.2 +/- 1.0 vs. 44.9 +/- 1.9; p = 0.0001). A linear correlation between REE and FFM was evidenced in both controls and overweight subjects (r = 0.78 and 0.68, respectively; p = 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). Actual REE in the obese children was significantly lower than the value predicted by applying the regression equation of REE on FFM in controls to the actual FFM in obese children (paired t test; p = 0.003). FIT was identical in overweight and normal weight subjects, regardless of whether it was expressed in absolute value, as the percentage calorie intake, or standardized by FFM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Passionate, political and principled, the UltraS are the hardcore subculture of football supporters found in the stadiums of Italy. Amongst the most committed and uncompromising are two such groups who gather in support of the main football clubs of Rome - AS Roma and SS Lazio. Openly proclaiming neo-fascist sympathies, and not afraid of violence against rival supporters and police, these groups (the Boys Roma and the Lazio Irriducibili) are well-organised and determined to bring about social and political change and stamp out those who oppose them. The much-maligned football hooligans of England pale by comparison.

Following years of research involving individuals inside these organisations, and drawing on exclusive interviews with each group's leading figures, Alberto Testa presents a fascinating account of the world of the neo-fascist UltraS.


Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal disease of prematurely born infants. Maternal milk plays an important protective role against NEC development and is the major source of epidermal growth factor (EGF) for neonates. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of orally administered EGF on the incidence of NEC in a neonatal rat model. Newborn rats were artificially fed either with growth factor-free rat milk substitute (RMS) or RMS supplemented with 500 ng/ml of EGF (RMS+EGF). Experimental NEC was induced by exposure to asphyxia and cold stress. Development of NEC was evaluated by gross and histological scoring of damage in the ileum. Ileal EGF receptor (EGF-R), EGF, and transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA expression was assessed by RT competitive-PCR, and the EGF-R was localized by immunohistochemistry. EGF supplementation of formula reduced the incidence and severity of NEC in rats (13/16 RMS vs. 4/13 RMS+EGF). Ileal EGF-R mRNA expression was markedly increased in the RMS group compared with RMS+EGF. Enhanced EGF-R expression in the RMS group was localized predominantly in the epithelial cells of injured ileum. These data suggest a new potential therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of NEC.


The assessment of anxiety can be difficult in older populations. In particular, the assessment of anxiety in long-term care settings can be problematic, because patients may be experiencing some level of cognitive impairment as well as co-existing medical conditions. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) is a brief, 20-item anxiety screening tool validated previously in community and outpatient samples of older adults. In this series of studies the predictive validity of the instrument in residential care settings is examined. Results indicated that classification of presence or absence of anxiety symptoms by the GAI was not significantly associated with an individual's cognitive status, in either community dwelling or residential care samples. In addition, data supported the predictive validity of the GAI in residential care settings with respect to diagnosis of anxiety disorders. Thus the GAI may be a useful measure to assess anxiety symptoms in residential care.


A computerised tomographic scan revealed a space-occupying lesion in the right parieto-occipital region of a 34-year-old male patient. He had suffered frequent generalized convulsions and a left-sided hemiparesis since early childhood, but with normal physical and intellectual development. Total resection of the tumour was performed and the pathological finding confirmed the diagnosis of lipoma.


Cerebral sparganosis is an uncommon parasitic zoonosis caused by the migrating larva of the genus Spirometra mansonoides. The clinical and computerized tomography presentation, as well as the operative and histopathological findings, of the first known case in Mexico are detailed. The dead larva elicited intense acute inflammation resulting in focal encephalitis. Surgical removal of the larva yielded excellent results.


One issue in analyzing longitudinal multirater data arises if raters drop-in or drop-out throughout a longitudinal study. We term this issue random rater movement (RRM), assuming that the selection of raters into the study approximates a random process and is strongly ignorable. We explain how RRM can be modeled in case of longitudinal multirater designs with (a) interchangeable raters or (b) structurally different raters. To analyze measurement designs with stable and changing interchangeable raters, we recommend using a longitudinal multilevel confirmatory factor model. To analyze measurement designs with stable and changing structurally different raters, we propose a longitudinal multigroup confirmatory factor model. The proposed model is illustrated using real data. Additionally, the performance of the models with regard to a small number of raters and a relatively small overall sample size is examined in Monte Carlo simulation studies. Future directions for analyzing rater movement over time are provided.


Published to great acclaim in 1998, Hunter Thompson's first volume of letters covered the period from the 1950s to the publication of his first book, "Hell's Angels." This book is the sequel which covers Thompson's most debauched and well-known years: "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", "The Great Shark Hunt" and "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail."


Adaptive LMS equalizers are widely used in digital communication systems for their simplicity in implementation. Conventional adaptive filtering theory suggests the upper bound of the performance of such equalizer is determined by the performance of a Wiener filter of the same structure. However, in the presence of a narrowband interferer the performance of the LMS equalizer is better than that of its Wiener counterpart. This phenomenon, termed a non-Wiener effect, has been observed before and substantial work has been done in explaining the underlying reasons. In this work, we focus on the Bit Error Rate (BER) performance of LMS equalizers. At first a model – the Gaussian Mixture (GM) model – is presented to estimate the BER performance of a Wiener filter operating in an environment dominated by a narrowband interferer. Simulation results show that the model predicts BER accurately for a wide range of SNR, ISR, and equalizer length. Next, a model similar to GM termed the Gaussian Mixture using Steady State Weights (GMSSW) model is proposed to model the BER behavior of the adaptive NLMS equalizer. Simulation results show unsatisfactory performance of the model. A detailed discussion is presented that points out the limitations of the GMSSW model, thereby providing some insight into the nonWiener behavior of (N)LMS equalizers. An improved model, the Gaussian with Mean Square Error (GMSE), is then proposed. Simulation results show that the GMSE model is able to model the non-Wiener characteristics of the NLMS equalizer when the normalized step size is between 0 and 0.4. A brief discussion is provided on why the model is inaccurate for larger step sizes.


The modern American child's diet is awash in sugar-including mainstays such as juice, chocolate milk, sugary cereals, soda, energy drinks, and fast-food burgers and nuggets with added corn syrup and sweeteners, let alone candy and cookies prevalent at school parties and play dates. Beat Sugar Addiction Now! for Kids gives parents a proven 5-step plan for getting and keeping their child off sugar. Bestselling author and noted physician Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum and pediatric nutrition specialist Deborah Kennedy, Ph.D., give parents a toolkit for avoiding the common pitfalls such as guilt and temper tantrums, managing the 5-step process successfully on a day-to-day basis, and getting their child emotionally, as well as physically, unhooked from sugary drinks, breakfast foods, snacks, and desserts, as well as "hidden" sugars in foods.


Two similar notions defined for flows, quasi-diagonality and pseudo-diagonality, are shown to be equivalent; so approximately inner flows on a quasi-diagonal $C^{*}$-algebra are quasi-diagonal (not just pseudo-diagonal). We define a notion of MF flow which is weaker than quasi-diagonality and study equivalent conditions following Blackadar and Kirchberg's results on MF algebras and we characterize the dual flow of such on the crossed product as a dual MF flow. In the same spirit we introduce a notion of NF flow and show that NF flows are MF flows on nuclear $C^{*}$-algebras, or equivalently, quasi-diagonal flows on nuclear $C^{*}$-algebras. We also introduce a notion of strong quasi-diagonality (in parallel with strong quasi-diagonality versus quasi-diagonality for $C^{*}$-algebras), whose examples contain AF flows.


Pope John Paul II wrote an extraordinary amount during his twenty-six-year pontificate. While he was not a formative spokesman on sacred music, as one might say that Pius X and the Council Fathers of Vatican II under John XXIII and Paul VI were, John Paul II made several notable speeches addressing sacred music. This article will discuss some of the most significant ways in which John Paul II's concerns were influenced by the Second Vatican Council and offer a theological analysis of each of his substantial comments on sacred music, in order to examine his contribution to the church's understanding of music in the liturgy. My inspiration for this paper was Robert F. Hayburn's exhaustive book, Papal Legislation on Sacred Music: 95 A.D. to 1977A.D. In light of John Paul II's multitude of writings on sacred music, I desired to bring this work up to date. Hayburn's opus concludes with several helpful observations that I use as a starting point. First, Hayburn notes that all the documents that he analyzes in his book "were written and enacted with an underlying purpose in mind: to regulate the dignity of worship." (1) Emphasizing the sacredness of the liturgy is a clear goal of John Paul II as well. Hayburn further states: Sacred music is more important than men may realize. It is not merely a beautiful but unnecessary ornament. Pius X, in the motu proprio of November 22,1903, stated that sacred music has always been an essential part of the liturgy. The pope used the expression parte integrante. Because it is an integral part of the solemn liturgy, it participates in the general scope of that same sacred action. (2) In other words, music has a central role in the Mass; moreover, throughout church history, music has always carried this weight of importance. Music is much more than icing on the cake--music actually turns the human soul toward God, and it helps people to raise their hearts more fervently in prayer. Hayburn's book includes hundreds of pages of papal legislation on sacred music. Legislative documents on most topics in the church usually stem from the overstepping or ignoring of previously declared rules and boundaries. Such occurrences have become so egregious at times that Pius X once lamented that "neither prayers, admonitions, severe and repeated orders, nor threats of canonical penalties were able to change some individuals from their disobedience"--and this specifically about church musicians! (3) Perhaps these earlier documents on music were not sufficiently introduced or communicated to church musicians by the bishops of the time. In many cases though, musicians deliberately disobeyed the guidelines set out by papal authority. Unfortunately, this behavior extends even to the present day. Hayburn gives a harsh critique of music in modern churches, saying that "choral music has been downgraded, if not completely eliminated" and that "almost everyone is making music in the churches, except trained musicians. Now one hears only unison singing, dull in style, and often secular in type." (4) While this statement is a broad generalization, it is clear that there is a need for examining the papal documents of the present day to see more clearly the context in which sacred music must work. The documents I will be examining are largely directive laws, or laws that do not carry an obligation to observe them (versus preceptive laws, which do carry an obligation to observe them as a part of their formutation). Most directive statements begin with phrases such as, "It is praiseworthy ...," "We recommend ...,"or "It is a salutary practice...."In other words, they are not binding rules, although they are strongly recommended. The other possibility, the preceptive regulation, is phrased more stringently: "It is to be observed "So we write anew and command observance ...," "The custom is to be eliminated ...," etc. (5) However, the suggestions of the pope, even if they are non-binding, as in the case of directive laws, are still to be taken seriously, out of filial trust and respect. …


Following the release of global continental effective elastic thickness (Te) maps obtained using different approaches, we now have the opportunity to provide better constraints on Te. We improve previous estimates of Te derived from thermo‐rheological models of lithospheric strength (or Ter) using new equations that consider variations of the Young's Modulus in the lithosphere. These new values are quantitatively compared with those obtained from an inverse approach (or Tei) based on a comparison of the spectral coherence between topography and gravity anomalies with the flexural response of an equivalent elastic plate to loading. The two models show in general a good agreement, having equal means (at the 95% significance level) in about half of the continental areas. In other regions Tei exceeds Ter in about 65% of the data points, showing that Tei provides an upper bound on Te. The two data sets have a similar range, but demonstrate different distributions. Ter has a bimodal distribution, with the two peaks representative of the cratons and of the areas outside of them. In contrast, Tei has more uniform distribution without predominant peaks. Our models show higher similarities in the Meso‐Cenozoic orogens than in the Archaean and Proterozoic shields and platforms, due to the methods employed. For the regions with the most robust determinations of Ter and Tei, the relationship between them is close to linear. The results of this work can be used for further studies on the mechanical properties of the lithosphere.


Extreme sports and extreme sports sponsoring have become key features of the modern entertainment and sports industry. This article attempts to investigate fundamental issues of the law and economics of extreme sports sponsoring from a comparative perspective. A set of 40 interviews were conducted with sponsored athletes between June and September 2018. These interviews provide an up-to-date and, to the best of my knowledge, unique account of contract practice regarding extreme sports sponsoring worldwide.

The main findings of the article can be summarized as follows: First, extreme sports sponsoring contracts are currently unbalanced. Risks and rewards are unbundled—while the athletes bear almost all the risks, the sponsor firms reap almost all of the rewards. This does not necessarily imply that the current contracting practice is inefficient. Unequal bargaining power and strong non-monetary incentives of athletes may account for an uneven distribution of the monetary cooperative surplus. But the available evidence suggests that the current practice incentivizes athletes to take inefficient risks, and, based on athletes' preferences, there are ways to significantly increase the cooperative surplus compared to the status quo. In particular, firms could arrange for comprehensive health, disability and life insurance for the benefit of athletes and their families—at little costs to firms and with a significant positive effect on athletes' welfare. Firms could establish systematic counselling, coaching and training programs for athletes, and they could move away from bonus-based compensation schemes.

Second, sponsor firms face higher duties of care vis-a-vis young and/or inexperienced athletes. These athletes, in particular, are prone to "inefficient risk-taking". Depending on the factual circumstances of the individual case, these duties may include enhanced counselling, coaching and safety training, as already mentioned. They may also require firms to refrain from subjecting young or inexperienced athletes to extremely high-powered financial incentives (bonus schemes) that encourage inappropriate risk-taking.

Third, sponsors also face higher duties of care if they are involved in or influence the organization of extreme sports events or control the premises/facilities on which such events take place.

Fourth, currently, sponsored athletes are treated by sponsors as independent contractors. Depending on the facts of each individual case and the applicable legal standard to delineate independent contractors from employees, this may or may not be correct. This article suggests that courts should give more weight to economic (in)dependency as a relevant standard in addition to control exercised by sponsor firms when assessing whether a sponsored athlete is an employee. Further, even if an athlete cannot be characterized as an employee of a particular sponsor, the level of control exercised by that sponsor and the athlete's economic dependency on him or her are factors that should weigh in on the sponsor's duties of care under contract and/or tort law, creating a more finely tuned regulatory system than the dichotomy of independent contractor and employee suggests.


Common ground. Shared interests. Collective goals. Much has been said about the power of technology to bring people together around commonalities to form groups, teams, and communities. Yet, the same technologies can also be used to bring together individuals with fundamentally irreconcilable differences. In these cases, the question is not how to construct systems that build on commonality, but rather how to manage artifacts that by their very nature provide affordances for conflict. In this paper we examine how Biographies of Living Persons (BLP) in Wikipedia exemplify contentious objects, both in terms of their features and their consequences. We draw from discussions of risk management and resilience to outline four approaches that groups can use to manage contentious objects (risk avoidance, risk minimization, threat reduction, and conflict management). Description of the policies, structures, and systems surrounding Biographies of Living Persons in Wikipedia illustrate how application of these approaches enable the creation and existence of large collection of contentions objects, without undermining the viability of the larger socio-technical system.


Aim: To present a case with a large traumatic macular hole that we repaired with a retinal graft. Case description: A 24-year-old male patient presented with corneal penetration and an intraocular foreign body caused by a work accident. Vitrectomy and intraocular foreign body removal were performed. One month after the surgery, the patient had macula on retinal detachment in the nasal and superior quadrant. In addition, a giant macular hole was formed. However, the macula was atrophic because of the trauma, and we could not repair the hole with classic macular hole surgery techniques. For this reason, we used a retinal graft to cover the macular hole, and we observed that the hole was closed in follow-up visits. Conclusion: Retinal grafts can be used in patients with giant macular holes. They may be useful especially in patients with atrophic macula in trauma cases.


The immunologic predicTors of effecT of anTi-b-cell Therapy under rheumaToid arThriTis The article deals with results of study targeted to reveal laboratory biomarkers which can be useful in prognosis of effectiveness of rituximab therapy under rheumatoid arthritis. The sampling consisted of 34 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (31 women, average age 49 years,42-64 years, mean duration of disease 66, 36-132 months). All patients were examined and received two infusions of rituximab intravenously with interval in 2 weeks against the background of standard therapy. The serum concentration of С-reactive protein, IgM rheumatoid factor, IgG, IgM, IgA were measured using immune nephelometric method. The level of cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, modified citrullinated vimentin antibodies and IgA rheumatoid factor was measured using method of immune enzyme analysis. The panel of 27 cytokines was measured using multiplex technology xMAP. Before rituximab therapy indices DAS28 (6,12; 5. 52-6, 81), SDAI (34.3; 23, 8-45, 9) and CDAI (31.3; 21, 8-38.5) corresponded to high activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Up to 24th week of therapy good response on criteria EULAR was registered in 15 patients, moderate response in 18 patients and was absent in 1 patient. The remission on DAS achieved more rarely in patients with initially negative/ low positive values of IgM rheumatoid factor, basal level of IgM less than 2.4 g/l and duration of disease more than 40 months. In the group of patients who attained remission on CDAI up to 24th week of therapy higher basal level of IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-8, IL15, Eotaxin, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MIP-1α and TNF-α was registered. In patients who attained remission on DAS 28 higher level of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, G-CSF, IFN-γ, MIP-1α and TNF-α was registered in comparison with patients with disease in active mode. The detection of basal level of IgM rheumatoid factor, IgM and also certain cytokines (IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-8, IL-15, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MIP-1α, Eotaxin, TNF-α) can be useful in prognosis of effectiveness of rituximab therapy under rheumatoid arthritis.


Human rIL-4 specifically induces the expression of the low affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon R2/CD23) on normal B cells and on the Burkitt lymphoma cell line Jijoye. IL-4 does not induce the generation of the second messenger cAMP in Jijoye cells. PGE2 (at 10(-7) M) was found to inhibit by 50% the IL-4 mediated Fc epsilon R2/CD23 induction on Jijoye cells. The PGE2 half maximum inhibitory concentration (1 nM) was comparable to that inducing a half maximal increase of intracellular cAMP (4nM PGE2). 8-bromo-cAMP (10(-3) M), forskolin (10(-5) M), and cholera toxin (100 ng/ml), which increase intracellular cAMP levels, also inhibited by 40 to 80% the IL-4 induced Fc epsilon R2/CD23 expression on Jijoye cells. PGE2 8-bromo-cAMP, forskolin, and cholera toxin also inhibited the IL-4-induced Fc epsilon R2/CD23 expression on normal B lymphocytes. Taken together these data suggest that PGE2 inhibits the IL-4 induced Fc epsilon R2/CD23 through an increase of intracellular cAMP. In contrast, IFN-gamma, which strongly inhibits IL-4-mediated Fc epsilon R2/CD23 expression on Jijoye cells, did not increase intracellular cAMP levels and thus probably acts through another mechanism. IFN-gamma and PGE2 did not inhibit binding of IL-4 to its receptor. It could be excluded that IFN-gamma and PGE2 were acting via an alteration/desensitization of the IL-4R inasmuch as 24 h pre-incubation of Jijoye cells with these agents affected neither the affinity of 125I-IL-4 for its receptor (Kd = 0.8 to 1.5 x 10(-10) M) nor the maximal number of binding sites per Jijoye cells (Bmax = 390 to 550). Furthermore, IFN-gamma and PGE2 did not affect the internalization and degradation of 125I-IL-4. These data demonstrate that PGE2 and IFN-gamma inhibit the IL-4-mediated induction of Fc epsilon R2/CD23 on B lymphocytes via different mechanisms that do not alter the interaction of IL-4 with its receptor.


We present a general formalism for extracting information on the fundamental parameters associated with neutrino masses and mixings from two or more long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. This formalism is then applied to the current most likely experiments using neutrino beams from the Japan Hadron Facility ~JHF! and Fermilab's NuMI beamline. Different combinations of muon neutrino or muon anti-neutrino running are considered. The type of neutrino mass hierarchy is extracted using the effects of matter on neutrino propogation. Contrary to naive expectation, we find that both beams using neutrinos is more suitable for determining the hierarchy provided that the neutrino energy divided by baseline ( E/L) for NuMI is smaller than or equal to that of JHF, whereas to determine the small mixing angle, u 13 , and the CP or T violating phase d, one neutrino and the other anti-neutrino are most suitable. We make extensive use of bi-probability diagrams for both understanding and extracting the physics involved in such comparisons.


Background: Warfarin stays a commonly used anticoagulant in the setting of EndStage Renal Disease (ESRD) and Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Research has investigated the effectiveness of warfarin in preventing ischemic strokes in ESRD and AF. They found that no randomized clinical trials have tested the function of warfarin, and periodically performed meta-analyses provided irrelevant results. Aim: This work aims to determine the efficacy of oral anticoagulants (Warfarin) in End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Materials and Methods: A systematic search was performed over different medical databases to identify Internal Medicine studies, which studied the outcome of Patients receiving Warfarin versus Patients not receiving Warfarin of ESRD patients. Using the meta-analysis process, either with fixed or random-effects models, we conducted a meta-analysis on, the incidence of ischemic strokes, and incidence of hemorrhagic stroke (as primary outcomes), and incidence of major bleeding and mortality rate (as secondary outcomes). Results: Six studies were identified involving 48737 patients, 16255 patients receiving Warfarin, and 32482 patients not receiving Warfarin. The meta-analysis process revealed that all outcome measures (ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, major bleeding, along with mortality rates), exhibited non-significant differences if Warfarin administered or not (p>0.05 respectively). Conclusion: To conclude, Warfarin use appears to have been associated with no change in the incidence of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation and end-stage renal disease. However, from the studies reviewed, it does appear to be associated with a significantly higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke, with no significant difference in the risk of major bleeding, and with no change in mortality.


The journey of any doctorate is a challenging one. It constitutes a learning curve for postgraduate students towards becoming effective and fully independent academics. Through a concern for effective mentoring, the challenges of the doctoral effort have been well-documented. The particular issues a Ph.D. student may face when choosing a mixed methods design merits some further attention, however. Mixed-methods research is growing in popularity across academic domains and levels. Achieving a doctorate through a mixed methods study can be a very fruitful endeavour indeed. Excellent core handbooks, example studies and ongoing formalisation of the approach aid in delivering successful work. Yet the chosen methodological path may also bring up some specific hurdles. This paper aims to discuss some of those potential barriers as learning opportunities, and offer an initial discussion of the support systems. Specifically highlighted as potential challenges are the current 'trendy' nature of mixed methods research, the search for optimal design, the development of skills, domain loyalties and paradigm problems, specific difficulties in publishing, isolation threat and justification needs. For Ph.D. students, an understanding of these challenges is a first step towards overcoming them, and achieving conscious competence.


Natural Language Processing for Requirements Engineering (NLP4RE) is an area of research and development that seeks to apply natural language processing (NLP) techniques, tools, and resources to the requirements engineering (RE) process, to support human analysts to carry out various linguistic analysis tasks on textual requirements documents, such as detecting language issues, identifying key domain concepts, and establishing requirements traceability links. This article reports on a mapping study that surveys the landscape of NLP4RE research to provide a holistic understanding of the field. Following the guidance of systematic review, the mapping study is directed by five research questions, cutting across five aspects of NLP4RE research, concerning the state of the literature, the state of empirical research, the research focus, the state of tool development, and the usage of NLP technologies. Our main results are as follows: (i) we identify a total of 404 primary studies relevant to NLP4RE, which were published over the past 36 years and from 170 different venues; (ii) most of these studies (67.08%) are solution proposals, assessed by a laboratory experiment or an example application, while only a small percentage (7%) are assessed in industrial settings; (iii) a large proportion of the studies (42.70%) focus on the requirements analysis phase, with quality defect detection as their central task and requirements specification as their commonly processed document type; (iv) 130 NLP4RE tools (i.e., RE specific NLP tools) are extracted from these studies, but only 17 of them (13.08%) are available for download; (v) 231 different NLP technologies are also identified, comprising 140 NLP techniques, 66 NLP tools, and 25 NLP resources, but most of them—particularly those novel NLP techniques and specialized tools—are used infrequently; by contrast, commonly used NLP technologies are traditional analysis techniques (e.g., POS tagging and tokenization), general-purpose tools (e.g., Stanford CoreNLP and GATE) and generic language lexicons (WordNet and British National Corpus). The mapping study not only provides a collection of the literature in NLP4RE but also, more importantly, establishes a structure to frame the existing literature through categorization, synthesis and conceptualization of the main theoretical concepts and relationships that encompass both RE and NLP aspects. Our work thus produces a conceptual framework of NLP4RE. The framework is used to identify research gaps and directions, highlight technology transfer needs, and encourage more synergies between the RE community, the NLP one, and the software and systems practitioners. Our results can be used as a starting point to frame future studies according to a well-defined terminology and can be expanded as new technologies and novel solutions emerge.


The debate surrounding the place of literature in cinema is directly related to the problem raised by intertextuality, inasmuch as the text or discourse of the film version of a literary work begins by either basing itself or differentiating itself from another text(s). In the following article, the author seeks to distance himself from two polarised positions. One such position is to be found in those studies that aim to prove the superiority of symbolic representation present in literature over that present in other artistic mediums. Such a stance is opposed by countless cinema critics and theorists who argue instead that storytelling and artistic representation are best conveyed through the cinema. In the author's view both positions are based on subjective preferences and as such can only lead to petty, sterile debates of little academic interest
How to reference this article:
Cadavid, A. (2000). Adaptación e Intertextualidad. Íkala. 5 (1-2), pp. 107 – 127


Recent empirical findings in the field of Multilingualism have shown that the mental lexicon of a language learner does not consist of separate entities, but rather of an intertwined system where languages can interact with each other (e.g. Cenoz, 2013; Szubko-Sitarek, 2015). Accordingly, multilingual language learners have been considered differently to second language learners in a growing number of studies, however studies on the variation in learners' vocabulary size both in the L2 and L3 and the effect of cognates on the target languages have been relatively scarce. This paper, therefore, investigates the impact of prior lexical knowledge on additional language learning in the case of Hungarian native speakers, who use Romanian (a Romance language) as a second language (L2) and learn English as an L3. The study employs an adapted version of the widely used Vocabulary Size Test (Nation & Beglar, 2007), the Romanian Vocabulary Size Test (based on the Romanian Frequency List; Szabo, 2015) and a Hungarian test (based on a Hungarian frequency list; Varadi, 2002) in order to measure vocabulary sizes, cognate knowledge and response times in these languages. The findings, complemented by a self-rating language background questionnaire, indicate a strong link between Romanian and English lexical proficiency.


Mobile environments are characterized by low communication bandwidth and frequent disconnection. Conventional information retrieval and visualization mechanisms thus pose a serious challenge to mobile clients. There is a need for these clients to quickly perceive an overall picture of the information available to them, so as to enable them to discontinue the transmission of information units that are unlikely useful to them. We had proposed a multi-resolution transmission mechanism for web documents. In particular, various organizational units of a document are transmitted to a mobile client in an order according to their information content, thereby allowing the client to terminate the transmission of a useless document at an earlier moment. In this paper, we generalize the multi-resolution transmission model for a document, and then extend that model into the multi-resolution transmission framework to cater for not only units within a document, but also for a collection of documents. We refer to the multi-resolution transmission mechanism for a particular document as intra-document multi-resolution transmission mechanism and the extension to a document cluster as inter-document multi-resolution transmission mechanism. With the integrated multi-resolution transmission framework, a mobile client can examine the important portions of the document cluster for an early grasp of the information therein, with the most important contents for each of those documents more readily available as well.


In a multiperiod investment framework, firms with high expected growth earn higher expected returns than firms with low expected growth, holding investment and expected profitability constant. This paper forms cross-sectional growth forecasts, and constructs an expected growth factor that yields an average premium of 0.82% per month (t = 9.81). The q5-model, which augments the Hou-Xue-Zhang (2015) q-factor model with the new factor, shows strong explanatory power in the cross section, and outperforms other recently proposed factor models such as the Fama-French (2018) six-factor model.


The distribution of grain boundary plane orientations in polycrystalline Ni has been measured before and after grain boundary engineering. The grain boundary engineered microstructure has a relatively higher concentration of Σ3 grain boundaries and, when compared to the initial structure, more of these boundaries have orientations that are inclined by more than 10° from the (111) orientation of the ideal coherent twin. Although the conventionally measured grain size is not affected by the grain boundary engineering process, the average size of the regions containing only Σ3n grain boundaries increases by nearly a factor of two. The observations indicate that the increase in the relative population of Σ3 grain boundaries results both from the preferential elimination of random grain boundaries and the generation of new Σ3 grain boundaries which do not have (111) grain boundary plane orientations.


The reasons for suicide remain a widely researched topic. The majority of research on suicide offers reasons for suicide that are attributed to individuals having an underlying mental disorder. Research is needed on reasons for suicide that do not include underlying mental disorders. This thesis then asks, how can the lens of dislocation theory further understanding of why people contemplate suicide? Using a thematic analysis, this research yielded five reasons for suicide most commonly found in the current literature: depression, shame, burdensomeness, escape from pain, and isolation. In discussion, this thesis examines those five reasons through the lens of dislocation theory, presented by Alexander (2008). Dislocation theory is defined by enduring a lack of psychosocial integration, essentially feeling physically, emotionally, psychologically, and/or spiritually disconnected from others (Alexander, 2008). Findings conclude that the reasons for suicide can be understood differently when viewed through the lens of dislocation theory and offer insight in to the individuals' broader social context that contributed to suicide.


This study employs an empirical procedure to address a key issue regarding energy-saving manipulations to hotel guest rooms. That issue is how guests will react to changes that are intended to save energy—or whether the conservation efforts can be subtle enough that they will not interfere with the guest experience. The study involved the following experimental conditions: reduced television power levels and alterations in bathroom lighting in the guest rooms of the Statler Hotel, which is the 150-room, four-diamond property operated by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration as both a commercial hotel and as a student teaching laboratory. The study tested four power levels for the guestroom liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions, and also compared guests' reactions to the existing compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in the bathrooms and to light emitting diodes (LEDs) which replaced the CFLs in some rooms. Guests were asked for their assessments of several aspects of the room. They noticed no differences in the televisions, regardless of power level, and they were likewise equally pleased with LEDs and CFLs. This study points to the likelihood that hoteliers can confidently reduce power to LCD television sets (or replace old sets), and they can at minimum replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs for considerable savings, or take a further energy conserving step and use LED lighting. This study indicates that guests either do not notice or are supportive of such energy-conservation measures. One other hopeful finding is that many respondents said that they would be willing to pay more to support a hotel's sustainability initiatives.


Administration of 3 units of thyrotropic hormone to rabbits with autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism led to reduction of the I131 absorption by the thyroid gland and to increase in the activity of proteolytic enzymes of the gland. Apparently, in autoimmune thyroiditis disturbances at the stages of the iodide incorporation into the gland were irreversible; proteolysis depression was apparently secondary. Possibly the mentioned disturbances were associated with the circulating antithyroid antibodies.


It is difficult to provide counseling for the multi-handicapped hearing-impaired student who demonstrates severe language/communication deficits, impaired cognitive functioning, and limitations in adaptive/interactive behavior. Abstract crisis intervention strategies do not provide an effective means of dealing with severe behavior problems shown by these students.In the Davidson School program of Elwyn Institutes, we are currently developing a means of counseling multi-handicapped hearing-impaired students through the use of a four-phase videotape program. These phases involve videotaping a role model who shows inappropriate classroom behavior, and then appropriate behavior following intervention by the teacher to calm the student and determine the cause of the problem. The target student then views the videotape with the teacher to provide a meaningful basis for communication during a crisis intervention period or a counseling session.


The article includes some reflections on terms "animant" and "animated form". The "animant" denotes any object, material or immaterial (e.g. a shadow), which is submitted by an artist to the process of animation. It can be useful in our contemporary discussions. The term "animated form" is used very often, but not precise. It has become dangerously capacious. It is coming to denote all the actor's onstage actions. Essentially, in order for the "animation" to occur, it must refer to something that in itself is not alive, and thus – regardless of the convention of its application – it certainly does not refer to human beings. An actor on the stage is unquestionably a living creature, so he/she is not an "animated from". If puppet theatre wants to march in the artistic avant-garde instead of dragging behind with the epigones, it must focus on the issue which constitutes its core and its greatest merit: on the art of animation and on the phenomenon of the animant.The most important message that the theatre of the animated form conveys to the spectators concerns the issue of the boundary between the living and the dead, the animate and inanimate – and if animated, then why, how and wherefore. The miracle of animation is a cure to our anthropocentrism and egotism. On condition, of course, that we are able to lend a piece of our own life to a created object, a thing which in itself has no life: to a puppet.


Diverse radiations of insects are often associated with adaptations to host plants, and well‐resolved phylogenetic relationships are required to fully understand them. Palearctic Argynnis and related subgenera, together with North American Speyeria butterflies make up a radiation whose species hypotheses are confounded by shared wing colour patterns between sympatric populations of closely related recognized species. Previous studies of this group indicate that Speyeria is a lineage within Argynnis, but sampling in these studies has either involved too few Speyeria species or incomplete sampling of Argynnis species. Thus, no comprehensive phylogenetic analysis exists for all members that answers the question of monophyly of Speyeria, or other subgeneric taxa, and their relationship to Argynnis species. We completed a phylogenetic analysis of all North American Speyeria species and all but one species within Argynnis, using one mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase I, COI) and four nuclear genes [elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1α), wingless (WG), glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5)]. The results indicate three major lineages within Argynnis s.l.: two Palearctic and one containing both Palearctic and Nearctic species. In summary, the phylogenetic analyses suggest the need for reorganization into three natural groups: Argynnis, Fabriciana and Speyeria. Within each of these genera the phylogenetic hypothesis indicates an evolutionary history marked by rapid diversification and potential extinction, followed by ongoing lineage sorting. The position of North American Speyeria is nested within the Palearctic lineages, which indicates that the radiation began in Asia and was fuelled by existing Viola diversity in North America. Dating analyses of Viola and Speyeria corroborate this hypothesis. The current North American Speyeria species are mixed on the tree, indicating a recent and ongoing radiation. These results provide needed clarity on the evolution of this group, which contains species of conservation concern.


The present study was conducted to evaluate the methanolic extract of Piper betle leaves (MPBL) and its organic fractions with regard to antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice and to confirm their antioxidant activities. At 24 h post-intraperitoneal inoculation of tumor cells into mice, extracts were administered at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight for nine consecutive days. The antitumor effects of the extracts were then assessed according to tumor volume, packed cell count, viable and non-viable tumor cell count, median survival time and increase in life span of EAC-bearing mice. Next, hematological profiles and serum biochemical parameters were calculated, and antioxidant properties were assessed by estimating lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels. MPBL and the ethylacetate fraction (EPBL) at a dose of 100 mg/kg induced a significant decrease in tumor volume, packed cell volume and viable cell count and increased the life span of the EAC-bearing mice (P<0.05). Hematological and serum biochemical profiles were restored to normal levels in the extract-treated mice compared with the EAC control mice. MPBL and EPBL treatment significantly decreased lipid peroxidation (P<0.05) and restored GSH, SOD and CAT levels towards normal compared with the EAC control. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated that Piper betle extracts exhibit significant antitumor activity, which may be attributed to the augmentation of endogenous antioxidant potential.