Two crucial cell cycle regulators, p16INK4A and p14ARF, are produced from the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) gene locus by alternative reading frames; these regulators act as tumor suppressors during tumorigenesis. However, the molecular events incidental to the acute functional loss of CDKN2A remain a critical issue. Two pivotal regulatory pathways of cell fate determination involving p16INK4A/retinoblastoma protein (pRb)/E2F1 and p14ARF/p53 interact tightly with each other; however, novel factors with an integral or overlapping role in these two pathways remain incompletely defined. To this end, we specifically decreased the expression of p16INK4A or p14ARF proteins using RNA interference (RNAi) in HeLa cells. Using a DNA microarray approach, we showed that several genes are commonly regulated in both p16INK4A and p14ARF knockdown cells, compared with control RNA-treated cells. We focused on the FBXL16 (F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 16) gene, the expression of which was reproducibly upregulated in p16INK4A and p14ARF knock-down cells, as evaluated using RT-PCR. Interestingly, the promoter region of FBXL16 was shown to be upregulated by activator E2Fs. Finally, RNAi-mediated knockdown of FBXL16 increased the cell proliferation rate of HeLa cells. Together, our results illustrate a unique aspect of the interdependence between the p16INK4A/pRb/E2F1 and p14ARF/ p53 pathways at a molecular level.


Abstract The primary function of the mammalian testis is the production of both gametes and hormones over a reproductive lifespan. This production of gametes proceeds in the seminiferous tubules and is supported by a stem cell population, the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Like other tissue-specific stem cells, SSCs are defined by their ability to balance between self-renewal and differentiation. This balance maintains the stem cell pool and guarantees the daily production of spermatozoa from puberty onward. Studying SSCs is difficult because they are very few in number (0.03% of all germ cells), and specific markers have not been identified so far. Most of our knowledge results from experiments in rodent models. Very little is known about human SSCs. This review provides an update on SSCs, on their role in male fertility, and on (future) clinical applications using these fascinating cells.


Background Sorafenib is the standard treatment for patients with an advanced stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the tolerance and survival of sorafenib-treated patients, in a nonselected population, especially in Child–Pugh B patients; and (ii) to identify potential prognostic factors of survival. Patients and methods From April 2007 to December 2008, 50 patients received sorafenib for advanced HCC. Seventeen (34%) were Child–Pugh B patients. We recorded adverse events and the duration of treatment and survival. For 34 patients with histopathologically proven HCC, immunophenotypical analysis was carried out using antibodies against cluster differentiation 34, vascular endothelial growth factor, phosphorylated ERK, cytokeratin 19, and phosphorylated stat3. Results Patients with Child–Pugh B cirrhosis had a more advanced stage of the disease compared with Child–Pugh A patients. The occurrence of adverse events was similar in Child–Pugh A and Child–Pugh B patients. Duration of treatment until discontinuation for bad tolerance was lower in Child–Pugh B patients (1.8 vs. 5 months, P=0.02). Survival of Child–Pugh A patients was higher compared with Child–Pugh B patients (8.9 vs. 2 months, P=0.004). Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, portal vein impairment, extra-hepatic spread, and α-foetoprotein were also prognostic factors. In multivariate analysis, the sole factor associated with survival was the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage. None of the immunohistological markers used was associated with tolerance and survival. Conclusion Occurrence of adverse events is similar in Child–Pugh A and Child–Pugh B patients. Nevertheless, the survival of Child–Pugh B patients is very low. Whether liver function or tumor spread is responsible for mortality is unclear. Opportunity of treatment for Child–Pugh B patients is questionable. The immunophenotype of tumoral tissue was not predictive of survival.


Lower income means harsher treatment from the government for taxpayers who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). EITC claimants are audited more often than any taxpayers other than the very wealthy. More concerning, however, is that the IRS audits EITC claimants by correspondence examination in a manner that unduly burdens access to this refundable tax credit, a credit that often keeps lower income workers out of poverty. Improper payment law brings increased scrutiny to federal programs that issue erroneous payments. Because the EITC is alleged to have substantial improper payments, it is subject to federal improper payment law, which adds administrative process and burdens in hopes of diminishing erroneous payments. While other scholars have noted the relationship between improper payment law and the EITC, this article takes the unique view that improper payment law, instead of burdening EITC administration, could provide relief to the Service's onerous EITC compliance methods.


It is with regret that the Society announces that the publication of Volume 134 in 2021 of its flagship journal, the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, will mark the final issue of the journal. The Society was founded in 1880 and began formal publication of its Proceedings in 1882 [for a detailed account of the first 100 years of the Society, see Aldrich, J. W. (1980) The Biological Society of Washington: A Centennial History 1880–1980. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington, No. 4, 40 pp.]. In its 141-year tenure, the Proceedings published thousands of articles that documented the taxonomy and systematics of global biodiversity, especially in the disciplines of Botany, Paleontology, and Zoology. All of the Proceedings' articles can be accessed through the Biodiversity Heritage Library (1882–2004) or BioOne (2005–2021). The Society takes great pride in the quality of presentation and the diversity of taxa covered in the Proceedings' articles throughout the years of its publication. The legacy of the journal is grounded in the fact that its many articles will be cited by researchers for decades to follow. It is appropriate at this time, to thank the many individuals who served as Officers of the Society throughout its history. The Editors and Associate Editors of the Proceedings deserve equal recognition. Without the dedication of all of these individuals, the Society and its journal could not have flourished. Also, thanks must be extended to all of the individuals who were members of the Society through its many years, whose support was vital to the health of the Society. Finally, to all of the individuals who authored articles published in the Proceedings, thank you for using our journal as an outlet for your valuable research results.


Imaging system design is presented in this paper for measuring pointing error of solar tracking for a long time. An industrial computer with large hard disk is chosen as central processing unit instead of a digital signal processor for storing and processing massive image data of the sun. An advantage of the proposed imaging system is that it stores all the sun images grabbed. The imaging system consists of an optical head, A CCD image sensor, SAA7111A, FPGA, EZ-USB 8051 microcontroller, an industrial computer and so on. The optical head is constructed with a pinhole aperture and no lens is used for simplification. Sun's image formed by the optical head is detected by the CCD image sensor. Analogue signals from CCD image sensor are converted in to digital ones by SAA7111A. SAA7111A is configured and controlled by FPGA. Digital image signals are finally sent to the industrial computer via EZ-USB 8051 microcontroller. Experiments have indicated that the proposed imaging system is able to obtain and store massive image date of the sun.  2016 Trade Science Inc. INDIA


To support data transfer reliability similar to that of a fixed multicast network, migrating terminals in a packet-switched cellular wireless multicast network supporting reliable multicast data transfer need to recover lost data during handoffs before they can merge into the respective multicast groups in the new cells. The multicast groups in packet-switched wireless networks typically share resources on a statistical multiplexed basis. To minimize impact on other terminals, this paper proposes to allow part of a multicast group's assigned bandwidth to be shared by the handoff terminals for transient data recovery using the proposed Weighted Fair Share (WFS) method with optimal weight selection. Handoff terminals are admitted into the new cell using the proposed Multicast Connection Admission Control (MCAC) scheme. These methods together constitute the Fair and Efficient Wireless Multicast resource management Scheme (FEWMS) presented in this paper. Under FEWMS, a migrating terminal can quickly recover lost data and merge into the existing multicast group during a handoff. Simulations using self-similar traffic sources show that the proposed method reduces the handoff failure probability of migrating terminals and the average packet delay of the multicast group, and increases the overall system throughput, compared with an existing proposal. Evaluations of different performance measures show that the system throughput does not give a complete picture of the system performance, as different resource management schemes may have substantial impact on other performance measures such as average delay and handoff failure probability.


Waardenburg–Shah syndrome (Waardenburg syndrome type IV‐WS4) is an auditory‐pigmentary disorder that combines clinical features of pigmentary abnormalities of the skin, hair and irides, sensorineural hearing loss, and Hirschsprung disease (HSCR). Mutations in the endothelin‐B receptor (EDNRB) gene on 13q22 have been found to cause this syndrome. Mutations in both alleles cause the full phenotype, while heterozygous mutations cause isolated HSCR or HSCR with minor pigmentary anomalies and/or sensorineural deafness. We investigated the status of the EDNRB gene, by FISH analysis, in three patients with de novo proximal 13q deletions detected at cytogenetic analysis and examined the clinical variability of WS4 among these patients. Chromosome 13q was screened with locus specific FISH probes and breakpoints were determined at 13q22.1q31.3 in Patients 1 and 3, and at 13q21.1q31.3 in Patient 2. An EDNRB specific FISH probe was deleted in all three patients. All patients had common facial features seen in proximal 13q deletion syndrome and mild mental retardation. However, findings related to WS4 were variable; Patient 1 had hypopigmentation of the irides and HSCR, Patient 2 had prominent bicolored irides and mild bilateral hearing loss, and Patient 3 had only mild unilateral hearing loss. These data contribute new insights into the pathogenesis of WS4. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Pyroclast textures document volcanic conduit processes and may be key to hazard forecasting. Here we show that the relative abundances of mingled, variably crystallized domains in pyroclasts from scoria cone eruptions provide a record of magma ascent velocity and can be used to predict the onset of violent Strombolian activity. Scoria clasts from the Croscat complex scoria cone (Spain) ubiquitously show micrometer- to centimeter-sized, microlite-rich domains (MRD) intermingled with volumetrically dominant, microlite-poor domains (MPD). Glass and bulk composition show that MRDs formed by microlite crystallization of MPDs, the former residing longer in a relatively cooler, degassed zone lining the conduit walls, the latter traveling faster in the central, hotter streamline. MPD and MRD magmas intermingled along the interface between the two velocity zones. The proportion of MPD and MRD in different tephra layers refl ects the extent of the fast- and slow-fl owing zones, thus refl ecting the ascent velocity profi le of magma during the different phases. At Croscat, the MPD/MRD volume ratio increased rapidly during the early Strombolian activity, peaked around the Strombolian to violent Strombolian transition, and then decreased smoothly irrespective of shifts in eruptive style. We suggest that magma ascent velocity escalated during the Strombolian phase due to the buoyant push of the underlying, volatile-rich magma that was about to drive the following violent Strombolian activity. Monitoring the MPD/MRD ratio of tephra during ongoing scoria cone eruptions may reveal changes in magma fl ow conditions and could forecast the onset of hazardous violent Strombolian activity.


This paper is about students' perceptions of mathematics and statistics and their impact on students' engagement, enthusiasm and academic self-efficacy. I will discuss the strategies I developed to improve learning and teaching in statistics and mathematics service course classes, consisting of 15 students each, some of which also worked extremely well in my lectures to large audiences of about 350 students. I would argue that such an approach could not only enhance students' perceptions of the subjects and their engagement in classes/lectures but also promote critical thinking, independent learning, reasoning and several transferable skills associated with university education. I will share the outcome of my teaching approach which not only fulfilled my initial expectations but far surpassed them. It increased students' engagement and their enthusiasm which improved their performance in class activities and coursework. Furthermore, it improved students' perceptions and attitudes to mathematics and statistics as reflected in their feedback. I have included some of their comments to highlight the impact a teaching approach can have on students.


The interaction of light with biological materials, such as fruits and vegetables, is a complex process which involves both absorption, and scattering events at different scales. Measuring the optical properties of a fruit allows understanding the physical and chemical characteristics. In this paper, an optical bench based on the use of a continuous laser source and a CCD camera was developed to study the light diffusion inside apple tissue structures. The method refers to the well-known steady-state spatially resolved method. First, the optoelectronics system was tested with a tissue phantom in order to show the optimal sensing range required to obtain the best estimated optical properties. Second, experimental results were obtained using peeled and unpeeled apples as interrogated tissues. The data were confronted with a diffusion model in order to extract the optical properties at two wavelengths of 633, and 852 nm. To better understand the effect of the apple tissue structures, investigations into the propagation of light through a half cut apple were also performed.


Background Interventional cardiology produced level 1 evidence recommending radial artery-first for coronary angiography given lower vascular complications. Neuroendovascular surgeons have not widely adopted the transradial approach. This prospective, single center, non-inferiority comparative effectiveness study aims to compare the transradial and transfemoral approaches for diagnostic cerebral angiography with respect to efficacy, safety and patient satisfaction. Methods Consecutive patients presenting for diagnostic cerebral angiography were selected to undergo right radial or femoral access based on date of presentation. Primary outcome was ability to answer the predefined diagnostic goal of the cerebral angiogram using the initial access site and was assessed with a non-inferiority design. Secondary outcomes included technical success per vessel, complications, procedure times and patient satisfaction. Results A total of 312 patients were enrolled, 158 and 154 for right radial and femoral access, respectively. The diagnostic goal of the angiogram was achieved in 152 of 154 (99%) patients who underwent attempted femoral access compared with 153 of 158 (97%) patients who underwent radial access, confirming non-inferiority of the transradial approach. Secondary outcomes showed equivalent technical success by vessel, no major complications, and similar frequency of minor complications between the two approaches. In-room time was similar between approaches, though post-procedure recovery room time was significantly shorter for transradial patients. Patient satisfaction results significantly favored the radial approach. Conclusions In patients undergoing diagnostic cerebral angiography, transfemoral and transradial access achieve procedural goals with similar effectiveness and safety, though patients strongly prefer the radial approach. Findings support consideration of adopting a radial-first strategy for diagnostic cerebral angiography.


Guidance for participating in this activity, from how to find articles to discuss to how to lead a journal club.


This article draws upon two separate studies on policing in Sweden, both investigating "ethnic diversity" as a discourse and a practice in the performance of policing functions: one interview study with minority police officers from a county police authority and one ethnographic study of private security officers. To examine how "diversity policing" and the "policing of diversity" are performed by policing actors, their strategic reliance on an ethnically diverse workforce is examined. The official discourse in both contexts stressed "diversity policing" as a valuable resource for the effective execution of policing tasks and the legitimation of policing functions. There was, however, also another, more unofficial discourse on ethnicity that heavily influenced the policing agents' day-to-day work. The resulting practice of "policing diversity" involved situated activities on the ground through which "foreign elements" in the population were policed using ethnicized stereotypes. Diversity in the policing workforce promoted the practice of ethnic matching, which, ironically, in turn perpetuated stereotypical thinking about Swedish "others". A conceptual framework is developed for understanding the policing strategies involved and the disjuncture found between the widely accepted rationalities for recruiting an ethnically diverse workforce and the realities for that workforce's effective deployment at the street level.


ABSTRACT An Escherichia coli mutant lacking the modified nucleotide m1G in rRNA has previously been isolated (G. R. Björk and L. A. Isaksson, J. Mol. Biol. 51:83–100, 1970). In this study, we localize the position of the m1G to nucleotide 745 in 23S rRNA and characterize a mutant deficient in this modification. This mutant shows a 40% decreased growth rate in rich media, a drastic reduction in loosely coupled ribosomes, a 20% decreased polypeptide chain elongation rate, and increased resistance to the ribosome binding antibiotic viomycin. TherrmA gene encoding 23S rRNA m1G745 methyltransferase was mapped to bp 1904000 on the E. colichromosome and identified to be identical to the previously sequenced gene yebH.


Given their proven efficacy and different mechanisms of action, there exists a clear rationale for the combination of docetaxel (Taxotere; Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, Antony, France) and gemcitabine. In phase I studies, the combined use of these two new drugs at close to their recommended single-agent doses has proven feasible, active, and well tolerated. The gemcitabine/docetaxel combination, administered on days 1 and 8 of a 3-week cycle, may prove useful in many solid tumors, including those of the lung. In NSCLC, this use may extend from the setting of advanced disease to the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings.


The composition of an infant's growth, so far as mineral substances and nitrogen are concerned, can be studied by determining the retentions (intake in food minus the output in urine and stools) of these substances. By dividing the retention of a substance by the total gain in weight during the period of observation one arrives at a value for the composition of growth in respect to this substance. A table on this subject has been compiled by Lindberg1from data published by other investigators. Lindberg pointed out that although definite conclusions cannot be drawn, it would seem that the composition of growth after birth was very different from the known composition of the body at birth, the growth after birth being poor in calcium and phosphorus and rich in sodium, potassium and magnesium. This conclusion of Lindberg agrees well with the results obtained in the present work. The composition


A ubiquitous feature of all living cells is their growth over time followed by division into two daughter cells. How a population of genetically identical cells maintains size homeostasis, i.e., a narrow distribution of cell size, is an intriguing fundamental problem. We model size using a stochastic hybrid system, where a cell grows exponentially over time and probabilistic division events are triggered at discrete time intervals. Moreover, whenever these events occur, size is randomly partitioned among daughter cells. We first consider a scenario, where a timer (i.e., cell-cycle clock) that measures the time since the last division event regulates cellular growth and the rate of cell division. Analysis reveals that such a timer-driven system cannot achieve size homeostasis, in the sense that, the cell-to-cell size variation grows unboundedly with time. To explore biologically meaningful mechanisms for controlling size we consider two different classes of models: i) a constant growth rate and size-dependent division rate and ii) a constant growth rate and division rate that depends both on the cell size and timer. We show that each of these strategies can potentially achieve bounded intercellular size variation, and derive closed-form expressions for this variation in terms of underlying model parameters. Finally, we discuss how different organisms have adopted the above strategies for maintaining cell size homeostasis.


Smart Composite laminates with multiple magnetorestrictive patches have been fabricated, one patch is for actuation and the other patch is for sensing. Horse-show type coil arrangement is used for actuation and sensing, which contains two arms, one arm is used for actuation and the other arm for sensing. Delamination sensing is carried out for composite laminated beam specimens, one with delamination and the other without any defect or damage. Actuation coil is used to induce stress in the magnetostrictive material, sensing coil is used for sensing to measure the induced open circuit voltage. Due to delamination, the stress produced in the magnetostrictive patch changes and that alters the magnetic flux through the sensing coil. This causes a change in the induced open circuit voltage across the sensing coil. The paper presents, the sensing of delamination in composite laminates using multiple magnetostrictive patches with horse-shoe type coil arrangement. The difference in the open circuit voltage with and without delamination is treated as delamination sensing voltage. For theoretical modeling, different models of the laminated composite beams with magnetostrictive sensors and actuators have been developed for the beams with and without delamination. Finite element analysis is carried out using NISA finite element software. Numerical values of open circuit voltage verses actuation current for both the experimental and computational studies are presented. Comparison of experimental and the computational studies shows that there is a good agreement between both the results obtained. Hence, the modeling method is very efficient and may be very much useful for the further studies related to the smart structures with intelligent materials.


Aim To explore patients' and family members' perspectives on how safety threats are detected and managed across care transitions and strategies that improve care transitions from acute care hospitals to complex continuing care and rehabilitation health care organizations. Background Poorly executed care transitions can result in additional health care spending due to adverse outcomes and delays as patients wait to transfer from acute care to facilities providing different levels of care. Patients and their families play an integral role in ensuring they receive safe care, as they are the one constant in care transitions processes. However, patients' and family members' perspectives on how safety threats are detected and managed across care transitions from health care facility to health care facility remain poorly understood. Methods This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with patients (15) and family members (seven) who were transferred from an acute care hospital to a complex continuing care/rehabilitation care facility. Data were analyzed using a directed content analytical approach. Results Our results revealed three key overarching themes in the perceptions: lacking information, getting "funneled through" too soon, and difficulty adjusting to the shift from total care to almost self-care. Several patients and families described their expectations and experiences associated with their interfacility care transitions as being uninformed about their transfer or that transfer happened too early. In addition, study participants identified the need for having a coordinated approach to care transitions that engages patients and family members. Conclusion Study findings provide patients' and family members' perspectives on key safety threats and how to improve care transitions. Of particular importance is the need for patients and family members to play a more active role in their care transition planning and self-care management.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether endogenous nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) can inhibit arrhythmia and expression of β1-adrenergic receptor (β1-AR) on the surface of myocardial cell membrane in acute myocardial ischemia rats by Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP).

METHODS
(1) Experiment one: according to random number table method, 30 adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with only 6 weeks of age were divided into Sham group (open the chest but do not ligate the coronary artery), myocardial ischemia model group (coronary ligation of left anterior descending branch), and endogenous N/OFQ antagonists UFP-101 pretreatment group (UFP-101 group, preoperative 10 minutes after tail vein injection of 1 mL/kg UFP-101), with 10 rats in each group. Arrhythmia was recorded within 15 minutes after operation. The expression of phosphorylated RKIP (p-RKIP) was detected by Western Blot. (2) Experiment two: according to the random number table method, 30 4-week-old male SD rats were divided into UFP-101 control group, RKIP over expression group and RKIP antagonism group, with 10 rats in each group. The UFP-101 control group was intraperiton eally injected with corn oil every day, while the other two groups were injected with up adjuster of RKIP (Didymin). The rats in the three groups were all ligated after 4 weeks of feeding, and UFP-101 was injected through the tail vein 10 minutes before the operation. The RKIP antagonist group received intraperitoneal injection of the RKIP-specific antagonist locostatin 2 hours before surgery. Arrhythmia results were recorded within 15 minutes after operation. Western Blot was used to detect the expression of p-RKIP in myocardial tissue and expression of β1-AR on the surface of myocardial cell membrane 15 minutes after surgery.

RESULTS
(1) Experiment one: compared with Sham group, ventricular ectopic beat (VEB), ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) increased significantly in the model group and UFP-101 group, and arrhythmia score increased significantly. In addition, compared with the Sham group, p-RKIP expression was increased in the model group and decreased in the UFP-101 group. Compared with the model group, preconditioning with UFP-101 significantly reduced the occurrence of arrhythmia [arrhythmia score: 1.5 (0.3, 5.0) vs. 4.0 (2.0, 5.0), P < 0.05], and the expression of p-RKIP in myocardial tissue significantly decreased (p-RKIP/total RKIP: 0.20±0.11 vs. 0.43±0.11, P < 0.05). This indicated that antagonistic N/OFQ could reduce the phosphorylation of RKIP and the occurrence of arrhythmia. (2) Experiment two: compared with the UFP-101 control group, overexpression of RKIP significantly increased the occurrence of arrhythmia events, and the expression of β1-AR on the surface of the myocardial cell membrane significantly increased. And antagonism RKIP overexpression could make the occurrence of arrhythmia eased [arrhythmia score: 3.0 (2.0, 3.0) vs. 4.0 (2.0, 5.0), P < 0.05], and significantly reduce the expression of myocardial cell membrane surface β1-AR (β1-AR/Na+-K+-ATPase: 0.88±0.09 vs. 1.02±0.08, P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in total RKIP expression (total RKIP/GAPDH: 5.40±0.21 vs. 5.36±0.19, P > 0.05). This indicated that endogenous N/OFQ affected the expression of plasma β1-AR on the surface of myocardial cell membrane and ischemic arrhythmia in rats through RKIP.

CONCLUSIONS
Endogenous N/OFQ can affect the expression of plasma β1-AR on the membrane surface of ischemic myocardium and arrhythmia in rats via increased expression of RKIP phosphorylation.


positive predictive value.' The positive predictive value is the likelihood of a positive test result being true, whereas the sensitivity is the likelihood of a patient with the disease having a positive test result.2 None the less, their findings should be encouraging to doctors, who may presumably apply the same criteria with reasonable confidence as to diagnostic accuracy. A previous study reported a positive predictive value of only 46% for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.3 Dr Burns and colleagues imply that improved results might have been obtained by using the criteria of the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association. A carefully conducted prospective study of these criteria found a positive predictive value of only 68%.4 Such findings indicate widely varying predictive values when the criteria are applied in different settings and may cause doctors to pause before diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. These discrepancies may be attributable to variable prevalence of the disease in the populations under study. As predicted by Bayes's theorem the positive predictive value of a test is diminished as the prevalence of the disease in the population decreases.3 Differences in prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the populations reported on may be explained by true geographical differences or by differences based on referral and selection biases. Unfortunately, many published reports do not describe referral and selection criteria well enough to allow judgment on the potential implications for prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the study population. Consequently, conclusions regarding accuracy of clinical diagnostic schemes must remain tentative. Researchers must adequately report their selection criteria if readers are to understand their results in the context of other studies.


Abstract This article explores the connections between Nietzsche's Also Sprach Zarathustra and Tove Jansson and the world of the Moomins. It begins with a short summary of the impact of Nietzsche in the Nordic countries and of his most important book, focusing on passages that are of particular relevance for the analyses that follow. It then proceeds to explore its meaning and significance for Jansson in three sections. The first concerns Atos Wirtanen, the writer and politician with whom she lived for ten years, and who encouraged her to publish her first book, while he himself was completing a book on Nietzsche. In the second section, the article analyzes an early semi-autobiographical literary experiment from the Jansson family archive that displays her as a passionate reader of Nietzsche long before her meeting with Wirtanen. In the third and last section, the framework of the Zarathustra narrative is used to interpret some of the figures and scenes from the Moomin books.


Ticks are distributed worldwide and significantly impact human and animal health. Due to severe problems associated with the continuous use of acaricides on animals, integrated tick management is recommended. Increasing public health concern over the tick-borne diseases demands the strategic control of ticks on animals that transmit diseases to human beings. Immunological control of tick vector of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) on cattle and other wild reservoir hosts is one of the possible alternative strategy for reducing the transmission of KFD to man. Chemical-vaccine synergies have been demonstrated and a combination of chemical and vaccine for tick and tick-borne disease control has been identified as a sustainable option. Studies have suggested the possibility of vaccine strategies directed towards both tick control and transmission of pathogens. Besides tick vaccine, use of endosymbionts, which are essential for the survival of arthropod hosts, for the control of tick vectors will be one of the targeted areas of research in near future. India with huge natural resources of herbs and other medicinal plants, the possibilities of developing herbal acaricides is discussed. The future of research directed towards target identification is exciting because of new and emerging technologies for gene discovery and vaccine formulation.


Background Acute cholecystitis (AC) is an emergency commonly managed by a surgical department. The interventional part of the standard treatment algorithm includes laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy. Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) under imaging guidance is recommended as the first-line approach in the subset of high-risk patients for perioperative complications, as a bridging therapy to elective surgery or as a definitive solution. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the mortality and morbidity of PC performed under computed tomographic (CT) guidance in patients at high surgical risk. Methods Medical and imaging records from all consecutive patients who underwent a CTPC between 2015 and 2020 were reviewed. Adult patients with a definite indication for CTPC were recruited and mortality 7 and 30 days post-procedure was recorded. Variables potentially affecting those outcomes were retrieved and included in our analysis. Results Eighty-six consecutive patients at high risk for surgical management were identified and included in the present study. Most patients (58.1%) were diagnosed with AC, while 14 (16.3%) had concurrent AC and cholangitis, 13 (15.2%) gallbladder empyema, and 9 (10.4%) hydrops. The 7- and 30-day mortality rates were 16.3% (14/86) and 22.1% (19/86), respectively, and were significantly associated with patients' hospitalization in the intensive care unit (P<0.05). Other parameters investigated, such as age, sex, diagnosis, catheter diameter, and duration of hospital stay were not significantly associated with our primary outcome. Conclusion PC is a safe alternative to surgery in patients with high perioperative risk, thus providing acceptable mortality rates.


Abstract. Vertical profiles of 3-D wind velocity are retrieved from triple range-height-indicator (RHI) scans performed with multiple simultaneous scanning Doppler wind lidars. This test is part of the eXperimental Planetary boundary layer Instrumentation Assessment (XPIA) campaign carried out at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory. The three wind velocity components are retrieved and then compared with the data acquired through various profiling wind lidars and high-frequency wind data obtained from sonic anemometers installed on a 300 m meteorological tower. The results show that the magnitude of the horizontal wind velocity and the wind direction obtained from the triple RHI scans are generally retrieved with good accuracy. However, poor accuracy is obtained for the evaluation of the vertical velocity, which is mainly due to its typically smaller magnitude and to the error propagation connected with the data retrieval procedure and accuracy in the experimental setup.


When I was in Vienna in the spring of 1879, Franz Ritter von Hauer, the Director of the Imperial Geological Survey, requested me to examine and described the remarkable organism on which Von Meyer had founded the genus Psephophorus, which, although noticed by himself, by Von Meyer, and more recently, by Dr. Fuchs, has never been figured. Its nature was at first sight so problematical that opinion loaned to the conclusion that it was the dermal covering of an Edentate closely allied to the Armadilloes. The dorsal surface of the fossil was perhaps insufficient to settle this question without a good deal of comparative work; but Von Hauer courteously allowed me to partially develop some fragments of bones, which are imperfectly preserved on the underside of the intractable sandstone matrix of the slab; and these fragments of procœlous vertebræ proved to be altogether reptilian; and though differing from the vertebrae of known reptiles, yet, by forward projection of the zygapophyses, they indicate the animal to be Chelonian, and therefore show the fossil to be more nearly allied to Sphargis than to any other type in the Chelonian order. When Von Meyer first gave a name to this genus ('Jahrbuch,' 1846, p. 472), it was only known to him by isolated dermal plates ; but subsequently a drawing was sent to him by Partsch, and on that he made a further note in the 'Jahrbuch' for 1847 (p. 579). This specimen, then in Pressburg, he describes as a fragment of a


SynNotch-CAR T cells durably clear glioblastoma xenografts, overcoming dual challenges of antigen heterogeneity and specificity common to solid tumors. Short circuiting solid tumors Two major hurdles in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for solid tumors are ensuring specificity to tumor cells without affecting healthy cells and avoiding tumor escape due to antigen loss. To address these challenges, Hyrenius-Wittsten et al. and Choe et al. developed synthetic notch (synNotch)–CAR T cells targeting solid tumor antigens and used them to treat mouse models of mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and glioblastoma. In both studies, the authors demonstrated that synNotch-CAR T cells were better at controlling tumors than traditional CAR T cells and did not result in toxicity or damage to healthy tissue. These results suggest that synNotch-CAR T cells may be an effective treatment strategy for solid tumors. Treatment of solid cancers with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is plagued by the lack of ideal target antigens that are both absolutely tumor specific and homogeneously expressed. We show that multi-antigen prime-and-kill recognition circuits provide flexibility and precision to overcome these challenges in the context of glioblastoma. A synNotch receptor that recognizes a specific priming antigen, such as the heterogeneous but tumor-specific glioblastoma neoantigen epidermal growth factor receptor splice variant III (EGFRvIII) or the central nervous system (CNS) tissue-specific antigen myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), can be used to locally induce expression of a CAR. This enables thorough but controlled tumor cell killing by targeting antigens that are homogeneous but not absolutely tumor specific. Moreover, synNotch-regulated CAR expression averts tonic signaling and exhaustion, maintaining a higher fraction of the T cells in a naïve/stem cell memory state. In immunodeficient mice bearing intracerebral patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with heterogeneous expression of EGFRvIII, a single intravenous infusion of EGFRvIII synNotch-CAR T cells demonstrated higher antitumor efficacy and T cell durability than conventional constitutively expressed CAR T cells, without off-tumor killing. T cells transduced with a synNotch-CAR circuit primed by the CNS-specific antigen MOG also exhibited precise and potent control of intracerebral PDX without evidence of priming outside of the brain. In summary, by using circuits that integrate recognition of multiple imperfect but complementary antigens, we improve the specificity, completeness, and persistence of T cells directed against glioblastoma, providing a general recognition strategy applicable to other solid tumors.


Together, the 40,000 men and women around the world who make up ITT Industries and our many colleagues in the water and wastewater treatment industries are working with those of you in the public, not-for-profit, academic and community sectors to confront the many water-related issues we face on a global basis. Should we call this situation a crisis? As discussed in the various sessions of this Symposium, in many ways we are facing a crisis in the water world. But of course, we are also seeing many positive developments in the field, and this provides hope for the future.


This dissertation investigates the contemporary discourse and conceptions of exile as it is presented by Milton Shelley and Byron. Utilizing biopolitical theory as a lens, it posits that the Satanic iteration or narrative of exile embodies the reality of worldly exile. As such the dissertation explores the complex framing and subsequent deconstruction of Satanic and human subjectivities found in Paradise Lost, Prometheus Unbound, Manfred and Don Juan. The dissertation examines Paradise Lost for its competing narratives of exile, Adam and Satan, and explores notions of home, transgression, the purification rituals which are the origin of sovereign Power and the parody that Satan's exilic body presents. The dissertation examines Prometheus Unbound against the grain of many traditional reading, focusing on the agonistic-audial subjectivity it produces for its exilic subject and its stance in rehabilitating the exile as an integral member of society for their very apartness. Finally, the dissertation examines Manfred and Don Juan for its Ironic, decentered representation of exile as a fundamentally human, transgressive condition.


The paper seeks to identify Starbuck's experience in using social media, understand how social media is linked to customer knowledge management, and assess how social media services could have contributed to Starbucks success. Starbucks demonstrates versatility to engage customers and support different part of customer knowledge management strategy through various social media platforms, such as MyStarbucksIdea, Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. The paper finds that the emergence of social media has empowered the users because they were able to comment and recommend the firm products more effectively than before. Starbucks closely follows the principle of 'design with customers' in defining the role of customers, allowing them to play the role of creators and evaluators of ideas. Taken together, social media has been an effective platform for Starbucks to better understand consumer needs and preferences that eventually bring forth much improvement in Starbucks' operational performance.


The design of a system to facilitate investigations of the loading of the human body on a seat surface and the ongoing evaluation of a prototype system are presented. Knowledge and understanding of the effect of support surface shape on load distribution at the body and seat interface are vital components of an automated seat contour design and fabrication system. The need for a research tool that allows for control of surface shape with simultaneous measurement of the interface forces is of considerable importance to current research in the area of custom and specialized seating. The computer-aided seating system (CASS) presented allows for development of surface control algorithms based on force feedback that are not possible using currently available contour sensing and evaluation devices. Additionally, the contour-controlled force feedback system will facilitate the study of tissue distortion at the loaded seat interface. Such information about how the body distorts under load can be directly applied to passive custom seating systems, assist in clinical seat contour design and benefit designs on noncustom wheelchair cushions. The specification, design and testing of a prototype of the CASS is described. >


Adolescents are known to demonstrate normative increases in risk-taking behaviors. Understanding the interaction between incentive (reward, punishment) processing and basic cognitive control abilities, both of which are still maturing into adolescence, may provide insight on the basic mechanisms contributing to this complex behavioral phenomenon. In this dissertation, we present a compilation of papers aimed at characterizing the influence of potential reward gain or loss on response inhibition performance and supporting brain circuitry in adolescents and adults. In study 1, we use fast, event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the neural circuitry supporting perfomance on an antisaccade task with reward or neutral contingencies added to each trial. Results indicate that components of the adolescent reward system exhibit an initially sluggish, then eventually overactive response to rewards, as well as limited recruitment in regions supporting the executive assessment of rewards. In study 2, the effects of different magnitudes of potential gains and losses on antisaccade task performance were examined. Results indicate that higher compared to lower magnitude reward contingencies differentially affect adolescent, but not adult, response suppression abilities. Furthemore, both age groups performed consistently well (low error rates) on punishment trials. In study 3, adolescents and adults underwent fast, event-related fMRI as they performed a rewarded antisaccade task with fixed-magnitude reward and punishment stimuli, previously determined to result in equivalent levels of behavioral performance across the age groups (study 2). Additionally, auditory, performance-based feedback was provided on each trial. fMRI results indicate that during detection of reward cues, adolescents do not show the same early recruitment of oculomotor control regions evident in adults. Furthermore, adolescents demonstrated temporally extended responses in several brain regions (e.g., orbitofrontal cortex, supplementary eye field) during the preparatory period of potential punishment trials, reflecting possible immaturities in mechanisms underlying potential loss or 'risk' anticipation. Finally, adults demonstrated enhanced activity in the ventral striatum and cortical eye fields during the response/feedback epoch, suggesting more mature consummatory processing. Collectively, the results of these studies demonstrate protracted development of higher-order executive aspects of reward processing and its interaction with response inhibition abilites into adolescence.


To the Editor. —The case report by Dr Loh et al1of a donorderived prostate cancer in a heart transplant recipient and the accompanying Editorial2are interesting additions to the literature on this subject. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence following transplantation, but it may also include the transmission not only of malignant neoplasms, but potentially morbid and sometimes lethal infectious agents (ie, hepatitis viruses, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], and cytomegaloviruses).3Careful predonation evaluation by organ bank personnel, including a detailed social and medical history, thorough physical examination, and a battery of biochemical and serological tests, serves to eliminate those organ donors who might transmit disease.4Thereafter, a proper intraoperative assessment to detect occult disease states must be made in a collaborative way by procurement surgeons to further mitigate the transplantation of poor-quality organs or the transmission of disease. Thus, the article by Loh et al certainly does not


Although the 11.5 kDa Zn(2+)-binding protein (ZnBP, parathymosin-alpha) possesses a functional bipartite nuclear localization signal it was found in most tissues in the cytoplasm. The cultivation of freshly isolated rat hepatocytes for 24 hours under standard conditions was associated with an almost complete translocation of ZnBP from the cytoplasm to the nuclei. Here we demonstrate, that this translocation is negatively correlated with cell density. The translocation of ZnBP to the nucleus can be inhibited or abolished by inhibitors of protein synthesis (cycloheximide) or transcription (actinomycin D). Moreover, cycloheximide can induce a relocation of ZnBP to the cytoplasm when applied after the appearance of ZnBP in the nuclei. DMSO, an inhibitor of dedifferentiation of cultured hepatocytes, abolishes also the translocation of ZnBP into the nucleus. Thinly seeded cells keep their ZnBP in the cytoplasm if they are co-cultured with plasma membranes from Morris MH7777 hepatoma cells or antibodies against E-cadherin indicating the involvement of cell adhesion proteins. We have enriched a protein from the cytosol of fresh hepatocytes which inhibits the translocation of ZnBP, but not that of albumin-NLS into the nucleus in a permeabilized cell system. Such an activity could not be found in the cytoplasm of permanent cell lines which harbor ZnBP only in the nucleus. A model for the regulation of the nuclear import of ZnBP is proposed.


A modern economy is an intricately linked web of specialized production units, each relying on the flow of inputs from their suppliers to produce their own output which, in turn, is routed towards other downstream units. In this essay, I argue that this network perpective on production linkages can offer novel insights on the sources of aggregate fluctuations. To do this, I show (i) how production networks can be mapped to a standard general equilibrium setup; (ii) how to approach input-output from this networked perspective and (iii) how theory and data on production networks can be usefully combined to shed light on comovement and aggregate fluctuations. Vasco M. Carvalho (University of Cambridge) Cambridge-INET Institute Faculty of Economics


This paper considers the interplay between technological discontinuities and competitive performance. Much of the work on technological discontinuities has focused on macro levels of analysis such as industries and technologies rather than specific firms. This study uses a historical perspective on Formula 1 motor racing to explore the dynamics between firm level performance and technological discontinuities over a 57 year period. The study supports the findings of previous research that incumbent firms are often unable to adapt to the impact of exogenous shocks. However the study also reveals situations where a relatively small number of firms are able to sustain their competitive superiority through a number of successive discontinuities. I suggest that, in addition to dynamic capabilities, these firms possess sustaining capabilities – munificent resource configurations which extend the time available for firms to adapt to technological changes – thereby allowing them to remain competitive across discontinuities.


This paper aims at evaluating the impact of globalization, if any, on inflation and the inflation process. We estimate standard Phillips curve equations on a panel of OECD countries over the last 25 years. We first show that the impact of commodity import price inflation on CPI inflation depends on the volume of commodity imports while the impact of non-commodity import price inflation is independent of the volume of non-commodity imports. Second, focusing on the role of intra-industry trade, we provide preliminary evidence that this variable can account (i) for the low pass-through of import price to consumer price and (ii) for the flattening of the Phillips curve, i.e. the lower sensitivity of inflation to the output gap.


This paper presents a microcomputer-based ultrasonic temperature sensor system to measure the temperature of an air conditioner (AC) in an automobile. It uses the ultrasonic measurement of the changes in the speed of sound in the air to determine the temperature of the environmental air. The changes in the speed of sound are calculated by combining time-of-flight (TOF) and phase shift techniques. This method can work in a wider range than using phase shift alone and is more accurate than the TOF scheme. In the proposed system, we use 40 ± 2 kHz ultrasonic transducers and adopt a single-pass operation. An 89c51 single-chip microcomputer-based binary frequency shift-keyed (BFSK) signal generator and phase detector are designed to record and calculate the TOF, phase shift of the two frequencies and temperature. These data are then sent to either an LCD display or to a PC for calibration and examination. Experimental results show that the proposed measurement system has a high accuracy of ± 0.4 °C from 0 to 80 °C and can reflect the temperature change within 100 ms.


In 1996, the Rhode Island State Advisory Committee for Gifted and Talented Education surveyed 34 Rhode Island school superintendents on the status of gifted and talented education in their districts. Findings from the survey indicate: (1) Rhode Island school districts are serving about 4.5 percent of the student population; (2) there were inconsistencies in reporting identification criteria as they relate to service provisions; (3) 33 percent of the school districts reported they had no gifted and talented teachers; (4) some gifted and talented children were more likely to be served than others in 59 percent of the school districts in Rhode Island; (5) in 1996 11 cents of every $100 spent on K-12 education supported the education of gifted and talented children; and (6) 33 of the 34 school districts allow some form of acceleration. Recommendations urge local education agencies to increase identification efforts and provision of appropriate programs to all children, to promote staff development in the area of gifted and talented, to review policies so that instructional and/or institutional barriers to acceleration options are removed, to allocate a fair and equitable portion of limited funds for gifted and talented children, and to initiate research studies to determine the effectiveness of gifted and talented programs. (CR) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** A Survey Of Rhode Island School Superintendents On The Status Of Geed And Talented Education In Their Districts Prepared-for: The Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education and Peter McWaiters, Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and SecondaeLEthscation Prepared by: The RhodeIsland Advisory Committeems_Giftedamt_TalentedEducation Stady Team Sab Coneviese: Dennis C. Dillem EWA Dingier ofGuidimice-NewShemehmm-Seheel District Lin Murray Patty. Gifted and Talented Education Teacher-Exeter-West Greenwich School District Myrna George. Vice-C7atirperson Exemr-West Greenwich School Committee Judy Pardo. Chair-State Advocates For Gifted Education


In this paper it is shown how a simple neuro-mechanical network can be configured and tuned to perform a certain task, using optimization based on simulation. This would have the potential of creating structures that could be trained and adapted to perform certain actions. The basic components hardly exist at present. The objective here, however, is to study what they could be like and how they could be configured. Although the neuromechanical network systems are partly aimed towards future technologies, the concept of neuro-mechanical networks can be useful much sooner as it has meaning also at a micro or even macro level in order to realize highly robust flexible actuator systems. Another potential use is for design of more conventional system, with a minimum of components. Also it can be used as an explanatory model for some of the mechanics found in human body tissue. ∗firstname.lastname@example.com


Biodiversity is studied at ecosystem, community, and species level around Khonin Nuga, where the University Goettingen supports a research station since 15 years (established 1997 in cooperation with the National University of Mongolia). In that period 39 scientists have been involved and 67 students graduated with theses (7 PhD) about field work at that station. Inventories started at 1998 for several taxa and are now compiled in a book, which will be printed 2012 in Ulaanbaatar. It covers fungi, lichens, plants, several insect groups, spiders, crustaceans, and all vertebrate classes. For all taxa adequate experts proved the species lists. Because of both the high species richness in most taxa and the new threat by logging and frequent anthropogenic fires the area around Khonin Nuga has to be denoted a "hotspot of biodiversity" for Mongolia. The long-term ecological research led to an understanding of the dynamics of the different forest types: the old-growth forest with dominating Pinus sibirica shows a gap-dynamics in regeneration, whereas the Larix sibirica – Betula platyphylla forests are driven by frequent fire disturbances. The anthropogenic fires are destructive for the biodiversity in forests. The tree species Betula platyphylla proved as a key resource for many saproxylic organisms and hole-breeding birds. The southfacing slopes are covered naturally by dry-mountain-steppes where trees are beyond their limits. In the river valleys meadows can form stable communities even though the floodplains allow tree growth physiologically. At the community level we studied for more than 10 years the dynamics of small mammal populations. At the southern edge of the taiga there is no pattern of cycles. The dynamics (fluctuation with population crash) is mainly caused by adverse winter conditions, but the dynamics can also shift to intrinsic factors at high population densities and favorable winter weather. At the species level we studied the reproduction strategy of a social corvid, the Azurewinged magpie (Cyanopica cyana). In years with favorable conditions it breeds without helpers. In years with high nest predation we observed 10 % helpers, but in a year with a colony disaster by burning 64 % helpers improved significantly the breeding success. The southern boreal forest is an area of special interest for conservation, containing the most diverse assemblages of species within the boreal forest. Intact, contiguous boreal forest will be best able to keep up with rapidly changing climate conditions because of high connectivity, providing diverse habitats for wildlife by its heterogeneity, high potential for regeneration, maintaining the soil system, and moderating local climate. Contributions to the long-term studies came from Dulamsuren Ch., Oyunsanaa B., Gottschalk E., Sheftel B., Gantulga B. and others found in the references.


Submitted 2020-07-02 | Accepted 2020-08-28 | Available 2020-12-01 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.162-166 β-carotene has many important functions in the body: as a precursor of vitamin A, it works as antioxidant and affects the fertility of cows. This paper presents the results of measurements of the content of β-carotene in the blood serum of cows from different farms in Slovenia. Blood samples of cows (n = 604) from 176 farms with impaired fertility were analysed for β-carotene content using Yudkin's photometric method. The descriptive statistics and the proportion of samples that deviated from the reference values were calculated. Influence of month of sampling and farm on β-carotene level was studied as well. The median value of β-carotene in the investigated samples was 5.02 mg/L (minimum 0.63 mg/L, maximum 16.10 mg/L) and was within the reference range. In 32.8% of cow samples, the content of β-carotene was below the reference value (4.0 mg/L). According to the results, we believe that this is not a negligible problem in Slovenian farms, and that it is advisable to control β-carotene status in cows, especially in herds where fertility is impaired and in farms where the composition of the diet indicates the possibility of β-carotene deficiency. Keywords: dairy cattle, reproduction, β-carotene References Akar, Y. and Gazioglu, A. (2006). Relationship between vitamin A and β-carotene levels during the postpartum period and fertility parameters in cows with and without retained placenta. Bulletin of the Veterinary Institute in Pulawy, 50, 93-96. De Bie, J., Langbeen, A., Verlaet, A. A. J., Florizoone, F., Immig, I., Hermans, N., Fransen, E., Bols, P. E. J. and Leroy J. L. M. R. (2016). The effect of a negative energy balance status on β-carotene availability in serum and folicullar fluid of nonlactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 99, 5808-5819. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-10870 de Ondarza, M. B., Wilson J. W. and Engstrom, M. (2009). Case study: effect of supplemental β-carotene on yield of milk and milk components and on reproduction of dairy cows. The Professional Animal Scientist, 25, 510-516. https://doi.org/10.15232/S1080-7446(15)30742-7 Gouvea, V. N. d., Colli, M. H. A., Junior, W. A. G., Lemos Motta, J. C., Acedo, T. S., Vasconcellos, G. d. S. F. M. d., Tamssia, L. F. M., Morag Elliff, F., Mingoti, R. D. and Baruselli, P. S. (2018). The combination of β-carotene and vitamins improve the pregnancy rate at first fixed-time artificial insemination in grazing beef cows. Livestock Science, 217, 30-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2018.09.002 Hurley, W. L. and Doane, R. M. (1989). Recent developments in the roles of vitamins and minerals in reproduction. Journal of Dairy Science, 72, 784-804. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(89)79170-0 Jazbec, I. (1990). Clinical laboratory diagnostics. Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty. Johansson, B., Persson Waller, K., Jensen, S. K., Lindquist, H. and Nadeau, E. (2014). Status of vitamins E and A and β-carotene and health in organic dairy cows fed a diet without synthetic vitamins. Journal of Dairy Science, 97, 1682-1692. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-7388 Kawashima, C., Kida, K., Schweigert, F. J. and Miyamoto, A. (2009). Relationship between plasma β-carotene concentrations during the peripartum period and ovulation in the first follicular wave postpartum in dairy cows. Animal Reproduction Science, 111, 105-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2008.02.008 LeBlanc, S. J., Herdt, T. H., Seymour, W. M., Duffield, T. F. and Leslie, K. E. (2004). Peripartum serum vitamin E, retinol, and beta-carotene in dairy cattle and their associations with disease. Journal of Dairy Science, 87, 609-619. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)73203-8 Lindquist, H., Nadeau, E. and Jensen, S. K. (2012). Alpha-tocopherol and β-carotene in legume-grass mixtures as influenced by wilting, ensiling and type of silage additive. Grass Forage Science, 67, 119-128. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.2011.00827.x Mogensen, L., Kristensen, T., Soegard, K., Jensen, S. K. and Sehested, J. (2012). Alfa-tocopherol and beta-carotene in roughages and milk in organic dairy herds. Livestock Science, 145, 44-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2011.12.021 Noziere, P., Grolier, P., Durand, D., Ferlay, A., Pradel, P. and Martin, B. (2006a). Variations in carotenoids, fat-soluble micronutrients, and color in cows' plasma and milk following changes in forage and feeding level. Journal of Dairy Science, 89, 2634-2648. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(06)72340-2 Noziere, P., Graulet, B., Lucas, A., Martin, B., Grolier, P. and Doreau, M. (2006b). Carotenoids for ruminants: From forages to dairy products. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 131, 418-450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2006.06.018 Oliveira, R. C., Guerreiro, B. M., Morais Junior, N. N., Araujo, R. L., Pereira, R. A. N. and Pereira, M. N. (2015). Supplementation of prepartum dairy cows with β-carotene. Journal of Dairy Science, 98, 6304-6314. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2014-9037 Rakes, A. H., Owens, M. P., Britt, J. H. and Whitlow, L. W. (1985). Effects of adding beta-carotene to rations of lactating cows consuming different forages. Journal of Dairy Science, 68, 1732-1737. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(85)81019-5 Rucker, R. B. and Morris, J. G. (1997). The vitamins. In: Kaneko, J. J., Harvey, J. W., Bruss, M. L. (eds.). Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals (5.ed.). San Diego: Academic Press (pp. 703–739). Stober, M. and Scholz, H. (2006). Krankheiten der Sinnesorgane. In: Dirksen, G., Grunder, H. D., Stober, M. (eds.) Innere Medizin und Chirurgie des Rindes (5. ed.9. Stutgart: Parey (pp. 1171–1209). Torsein, M., Lindberg, A., Svensson, C., Krogh Jensen, S., Berg, C. and Persson Waller, K. (2018). α-Tocopherol and β-carotene concentrations in feed, colostrum, cow and calf serum in Swedish dairy herds with high or low calf mortality. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 60, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-018-0361-0 Trojacanec, S., Bobos, S. and Pajic, M. (2012). Influence of β-carotene and vitamin A supplementation on the ovarian activity of dairy cows with chronic fertility impairment. Veterinarski Arhiv, 82, 567-575. Yudkin, S. (1941). Estimation of vitamina A and carotene in human blood. Biochemical Journal, 35, 551-556. https://doi.org/10.1042/bj0350551 Žust, J., Pestevsek, U., Vengust, A. and Jakovac Strajn, B.( 2009). Pathology of nutrition of cattle, small ruminants, pigs and poultry. Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana,Veterinary Faculty.


Background Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly specialized cells, which capture antigen in peripheral tissues and migrate to lymph nodes, where they dynamically interact with and activate T cells. Both migration and formation of DC-T cell contacts depend on cytoskeleton plasticity. However, the molecular bases governing these events have not been completely defined. Methodology/Principal Findings Utilizing a T cell-dependent model of arthritis, we find that PLCγ2−/− mice are protected from local inflammation and bone erosion. PLCγ2 controls actin remodeling in dendritic cells, thereby affecting their capacity to prime T cells. DCs from PLCγ2−/− mice mature normally, however they lack podosomes, typical actin structures of motile cells. Absence of PLCγ2 impacts both DC trafficking to the lymph nodes and migration towards CCL21. The interaction with T cells is also affected by PLCγ2 deficiency. Mechanistically, PLCγ2 is activated by CCL21 and modulates Rac activation. Rac1/2−/− DCs also lack podosomes and do not respond to CCL21. Finally, antigen pulsed PLCγ2−/− DCs fail to promote T cell activation and induce inflammation in vivo when injected into WT mice. Conversely, injection of WT DCs into PLCγ2−/− mice rescues the inflammatory response but not focal osteolysis, confirming the importance of PLCγ2 both in immune and bone systems. Conclusions/Significance This study demonstrates a critical role for PLCγ2 in eliciting inflammatory responses by regulating actin dynamics in DCs and positions the PLCγ2 pathway as a common orchestrator of bone and immune cell functions during arthritis.


This paper evaluates the behaviour change aspects likely to affect the uptake of a proposed electric cooking concept, which consists of a simple battery and 500W electric hob. The battery storage enables households with unreliable electricity supplies to cook at a time that is convenient to them.
The specific focus is on the potential uptake of the eCook concept within the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context, although where appropriate the paper draws upon relevant examples from other parts of the Global South (and beyond) and also makes some commentary upon the potential prospects for electric cooking within these contexts.
The paper is organised into two main sections. The first comprises a literature review focusing on a range of related energy transitions, with the aim of drawing out the key lessons learned and highlighting their relevance to the assumptions underlying the proposed eCook concept. The second section draws on the review of experiences presented in the first section to make recommendations for how the eCook concept might be taken forward in ways that make transition more likely.
The main findings of this study indicate that the eCook concept offers significant potential for a transition towards emission free cooking, with time/money saving for adopters and broader environmental benefits from reductions in fuelwood collection/purchase of charcoal/wood. The high upfront cost is predicted to be the most significant barrier that will affect household uptake, however recent developments in micro-loans and fee-for-service business models (particularly when combined with mobile phones) have the potential to overcome this. In contrast to other technologies such as solar cookers, where the adaptation of cooking practices has been a substantial barrier, the behaviour change required to use an electric hob is relatively minimal. The paper considers where this transition is likely to take place first, how it can be supported and what further research needs to be conducted.


Vigilance is a primary job-performance requirement for human operators in domains that demand sustained attention, including air traffic control (ATC), surveillance, emergency response and many others. In this pilot study we introduce the prerequisites and conditions that facilitate a novel closed-loop, adaptive neurostimulation system to alleviate vigilance decrements during prolonged time-on-task efforts. Here, we investigate the use of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with preset stimulation parameters - intensity (I), duration (t), and, probe location to augment the operators' vigilance state during an under-arousing task. To this end, we employ an app-based psychomotor-vigilance test (PVT), where performance metrics are analyzed along with physiological and cognitive bio-markers to explore opportunities toward a predictive framework. Initial observations (N = 19) suggest that - (1) a prolonged version of the PVT (40 min.) can function both as a diagnostic and an inductive mechanism for vigilance loss, (2) tDCS can serve to restore/ improve operator vigilance states relative to baseline performance levels, and (3) short-term heart rate variability (HR/V) features (3 min.) and the fNIRS signal are sensitive to state changes during the PVT, and to the effects of stimulation.


The pipette and SediGraph methods of particle size analyses were compared on 55 samples. The best agreement between the two methods was on 12 of the 55 samples treated to remove organic matter and soluble salts. The correlation for all sizes combined from the 55 samples was 0.97 with a standard deviation from regression of 5.54%. The agreement between the two methods was good at all individual sizes except the % < 50 ..mu..m where the correlation was 0.12. Neither method is well suited to particle size analysis of suspended sediment samples with low concentrations or limited quantities of sediment. The major differences between the two methods are the time and labor required to perform the actual analysis and to calculate the analytical results.


The frequent outbreak of cyanobacterial blooms has become a worldwide phenomenon in freshwater ecosystems. Studies have elucidated the close relationship between harmful algal blooms and nutrient contents, including the loading of nitrogen and the ratios of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). In this study, the effect of inorganic (nitrate and ammonium) and organic (urea) nitrogen at varied N/P ratios on the Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB-905 accumulation and photosynthesis was investigated.  The optimal NO 3 /P in this study were 30~50 indicated by the cell abundance (4.1×10 6 /mL), pigment concentration (chlorophyll a 3.1 mg/L,  phycocyanin 8.3mg/L), and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters ( rETR , E k , α, φPSII and F v /F m values), while too high NO 3 -N (N/P=100:1) would cause an intracellular nitrate inhibition, leading to a decrease of photosynthetic activity. In addition, low concentration of NH 4 -N (N/P=4:1) would favor the M. aeruginosa growth and photosynthesis, and high NH 4 /P ratio (>16) would rise the ammonium toxicity of algal cells and affect the N assimilation. In urea treatments, M. aeruginosa responded similarly to the NH 4 -N treatments both in growth curves and pigment contents, and the favorable N/P ratio was between 16~30, suggested by the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The results demonstrated that the various chemical forms of N and N/P ratios have a significant impact on Microcystis abundance and photosynthesis. More work is needed to figure out the mechanism of nitrogen utilization by Microcystis and  the photosynthetic response to nutrient stress at the molecular level.


The inactivity of people with intellectual disabilities (PwID) is a major contributor to ill health. Probably because people with intellectual disabilities are not adequately informed about physical activity and intervention programs required to enhance their fitness. This study critically reviewed physical activity: benefits and needs for maintenance of quality of life among adults with intellectual disability. An extensive search of bibliographic databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, BioMed Central and Medline identified 735 academic papers. The research rigour was evaluated, and the validity of the findings was established. Based on the inclusion criteria, 15 studies were included in the review. Various forms of physical activity were studied as interventions. The results of a critical review indicate that physical activity has a moderate to strong positive impact on weight loss, sedentary behaviour, and disability-related quality of life. Adults with ID may benefit from physical activity as a non-pharmaceutical method of improving their health needs. However, this study's results may only apply to some adults with intellectual disabilities. The sample size needs to be increased in future studies in order to draw generalizable conclusions.


FeAl-TiB2 composites have been combustion synthesized from mixtures of Fe, Al, Ti and B powders. When the powder mixture was heated in vacuum to approximately 900 K, an abrupt increase in temperature was observed, indicating that the combustion synthesis reactions occurred in the powder mixture. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the combustion-synthesized sample consisted of only FeAl and TiB2. Metallographic investigations using a scanning electron microscope revealed that fine TiB2 particles were dispersed in FeAl matrix phase. As the volume fraction of the TiB2 particles increased from 0.3 to 0.8 by controlling the powder mixture composition, the average TiB2 particle size increased to 1 to 7 μm and the average Vickers hardness of the composites increased from 800 to 1600. This method has been applied to the fabrication of some other ceramic particle dispersed metal matrix composites such as Fe-TiC and FeAl-TiC systems.


This work aims at three goals: first, to define a set of statistical parameters and plan structures for a 3D pretreatment thoracic and prostate intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA) protocol; secondly, to test if the 3D QA protocol is able to detect certain clinical errors; and third, to compare the 3D QA method with QA performed with single ion chamber and 2D gamma test in detecting those errors. The 3D QA protocol measurements were performed on 13 prostate and 25 thoracic IMRT patients using IBA's COMPASS system. For each treatment planning structure included in the protocol, the following statistical parameters were evaluated: average absolute dose difference (AADD), percent structure volume with absolute dose difference greater than 6% (ADD6), and 3D gamma test. To test the 3D QA protocol error sensitivity, two prostate and two thoracic step‐and‐shoot IMRT patients were investigated. Errors introduced to each of the treatment plans included energy switched from 6 MV to 10 MV, multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf errors, linac jaws errors, monitor unit (MU) errors, MLC and gantry angle errors, and detector shift errors. QA was performed on each plan using a single ion chamber and 2D array of ion chambers for 2D and 3D QA. Based on the measurements performed, we established a uniform set of tolerance levels to determine if QA passes for each IMRT treatment plan structure: maximum allowed AADD is 6%; maximum 4% of any structure volume can be with ADD6 greater than 6%, and maximum 4% of any structure volume may fail 3D gamma test with test parameters 3%/3 mm DTA. Out of the three QA methods tested the single ion chamber performed the worst by detecting 4 out of 18 introduced errors, 2D QA detected 11 out of 18 errors, and 3D QA detected 14 out of 18 errors. PACS number: 87.56.Fc


When supply arteries become occluded, blood is diverted through preexisting collateral vessels. Shear stress arising from this increase in blood flow provides the initial physiological stimulus for expansion of the collateral circulation, a process termed arteriogenesis. Endothelial cells (EC) respond to increased shear stress by releasing a variety of mediators that can act on underlying smooth muscle cells (SMC). Placenta growth factor (PLGF) is known to mediate certain aspects of arteriogenesis, such as recruitment of monocytes to the vessel wall. Therefore, we tested whether SMC PLGF expression is influenced by mediators released by EC. We used A10 SMC cultured with medium that had been conditioned by EOMA EC for 4 days as a model. We found that EC-conditioned medium is able to upregulate PLGF gene expression in A10 SMC. Further experiments identified hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as a key mediator of this response. We confirmed the physiological relevance of this mechanism in primary human coronary artery SMCs by demonstrating that exogenous H(2)O(2) specifically upregulates PLGF gene and protein expression. We also demonstrated that the physiological stimulus of shear stress raises endogenous H(2)O(2) levels in media into the range found to increase PLGF expression. In this study, we demonstrate that EC-released H(2)O(2) acts as a positive regulator of PLGF gene and protein expression in vascular SMC. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe H(2)O(2) as a regulator of PLGF expression and therefore an upstream mediator of PLGF-driven arteriogenesis.


The purpose of this study was to assess whether breathing high or low concentrations of O2 could affect glucose turnover during exercise in man. Ten healthy subjects performed two constant work-rate exercise tests, one when the fraction of inspired O2 (FIO2) was 0.15 and the other at the same work rate but when the FIO2 was 0.80. The work rate for each subject was chosen so that blood lactate would be elevated during hypoxia, but would be lower during hyperoxia. Glucose appearance (Ra) and disappearance (Rd) were measured using the primed, constant infusion of [3-3H]glucose. Although the work rate was the same during hypoxia and hyperoxia in each subject, hypoxic exercise was accompanied by a significantly larger rest to exercise increase in Rd (delta Rd) compared with hyperoxia by 265%. Similarly, delta Ra was greater during hypoxia than during hyperoxia by 188%. Lactate to pyruvate ratios were significantly higher during hypoxic exercise suggesting a shift in the cell redox to a more reduced state. Insulin and glucagon were not affected by the FIO2, but both epinephrine and norepinephrine were increased during hypoxic exercise, which may explain the increase in Ra. The regulation of blood glucose during exercise in vivo appears to be dependent on the availability of oxygen to the working muscle cells.


This study compared the effects of interference competition in habitats of different complexity and in different densities. The influence of fish density and habitat structure was examined in manipulative experiments using young-of-the-year white spotted charr Salvelinus leucomaenis as a model species. The difference of specific growth rate (G) range, an index of interference competitive intensity, was significantly smaller in the structurally complex treatments than structurally simple treatments, while there were no significant difference between high-density and low-density treatments. Thus, physical habitat structure was more effective for mitigating interference competition than manipulating competitor density. Although interference competition was not affected by competitor density, mean G were suppressed in the high-density treatments. This implied that exploitative competition may cause the decrease of G rather than interference competition does in the high-density treatments. Mean G were also suppressed in the structurally complex treatments. Chaotic flow pattern created by physical habitat structures may decrease G by reducing foraging success of experimental fish in the complex treatments.


BACKGROUND
Ideal control of diabetes mellitus (DM) remains a global goal, which has not yet been reached. As part of an integrated public healthcare strategy, data with subsequent analysis of diabetes control achieved in patients living with DM (PLWD) need to be available. Diabetes control data from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, South Africa, are scarce. Smaller studies conducted in public and private healthcare sectors of KZN have shown suboptimal DM control.

OBJECTIVES
To identify the percentage of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) tests done in KZN public healthcare facilities, and to provide a glimpse into diabetes control being achieved in each KZN district municipality.

METHODS
Data regarding the number of HbA1c tests performed, number of patients with an HbA1c ≤7% and number of diabetes visits were accessed from the KZN Department of Health Information Systems and analysed.

RESULTS
The majority of HbA1c tests were performed in the metro municipality of eThekwini (p<0.001). Approximately two-thirds (64.5%) of PLWD in whom HbA1c tests had been performed, were suboptimally controlled. In 5 of the 11 KZN district municipalities more than two-thirds of PLWD had an HbA1c >7%. Most of the patients in 9 of the 11 district municipalities showed suboptimal control of their DM. The total number of HbA1c tests performed in KZN represents approximately one-tenth of the total number of diabetes treatment visits. This trend was prevalent in all 11 district municipalities, where the incidence of DM was on an upward trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated that the majority of PLWD visiting public healthcare facilities in KZN have suboptimal glycaemic control. They are at increased risk of developing diabetes-related complications, further burdening the healthcare fiscus of low- to middle-income countries. We also showed that the number of HbA1c tests being performed, in the presence of suboptimal control, was well below par. This finding serves to emphasise the need for strategies to be implemented to increase awareness of HbA1c testing for the monitoring of glycaemic control, and for making point-of-care HbA1c testing readily available in these healthcare facilities.


Agriculture, in many ways, remains the most dominant"activity in Pakistan. It provides a way of life to almost three-quarters of the country's population: over 55 percent of the labour force works directly in agriculture and about 30 percent of the GrossDomestic Product and over 35 percent of the export earningswere contributed by agriculture in 1983. That three-quarters of the population engaged in agriculture cannot produce adequate supply of food and fibre at reasonable prices for the one quarter working in other sectors indicates a low level of productivity in crop and livestock production. Agricultural growth in the past 35 years or so has been uneven in terms of both rates and commodity balances. Also, the benefits from growth have varied significantly across regions and between farm groups. Markets and public policy have not always provided the right economic incentives and environment for sustained and equitable growth.


1. Colonization by macrophyte and phytoplankton communities was recorded in the newly created freshwater wetland complex at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), The Wetlands Centre, London. To attract particular bird species and to increase overall invertebrate and vertebrate biodiversity it was originally planned to establish a number of different submerged aquatic macrophyte communities in the water bodies. Early planting schemes were abandoned due to extensive growths of filamentous macroalgae.

2. During 1997 and 1998 hypereutrophic conditions prevailed in the lagoons with peak concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in excess of 1000 mg m−3. Turbidity was high and dense algal crops and cyanobacterial blooms common, with chlorophyll a concentrations in excess of 40 mg m−3.

3. In 1999, a 'switch' in state occurred in the Sheltered Lagoon from a turbid lake dominated by cyanobacteria and filamentous macroalgae in 1998, to a clear lake, dominated by the macrophyte Myriophyllum spicatum L. with a mean biomass of 245 g dry weight m−2; concentrations of TP remained high (>200 mg m−3).

4. Possible causes for the switch in the Sheltered Lagoon are considered. Reduction in TP was not considered to be sufficient to trigger a switch. The smaller size (1.8 ha), with smaller fetch and greater protection from wind mixing may have reduced sediment suspension in the Sheltered Lagoon and, coupled with water level changes, may have created favourable light conditions for the establishment of M. spicatum. Implications for future design and management of the water bodies are considered. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, the structural, electronic and thermodynamic properties of Li2CdGeS4 and Li2CdSnS4 compounds are investigated. We confirmed that both Li2CdGeS4 and Li2CdSnS4 are diamond-like semiconductors of the wurtz-stannite structure type based on that of diamond in terms of tetrahedra volume. All the tetrahedra are almost regular with major distortion from the ideal occurring in the LiS4 tetrahedron, with values for S-Li-S ranging from 105.69° to 112.84° in the Li2CdGeS4 compound. Furthermore, the Cd-S bond possesses a stronger covalent bonding strength than the Li/Ge-S bonds. In addition, the inter-distances in Li2CdSnS4 show a larger spread than the distances in the Li2CdGeS4 compound. The electronic structures have been calculated to understand the bonding mechanism in quaternary Li-containing chalcogenide diamond-like semiconductors. Our results show that Li2CdGeS4 and Li2CdSnS4 are semiconductors with a direct band gap of 2.79 and 2.42 eV and exhibit mixed ionic-covalent bonding. It is also noted that replacing Ge by Sn leads to a decrease in the band gap; this behavior is explained in terms of bond lengths and electronegativity differences between atoms. Optical properties, including the dielectric function, reflectivity, and absorption coefficient, each as a function of photon energy are calculated and show an optical anisotropy for Li2CdGeS4 and Li2CdSnS4. The static dielectric constant ε 1 ( 0 ) and static refractive index n ( 0 ) decrease when Ge is replaced by Sn. The influence of pressures and temperatures on the thermodynamic properties like the specific heat at constant volume C v , and at constant pressure C p , the Debye temperature Θ D , the entropy S and the Grüneisen parameter γ have been predicted at enlarged pressure and temperature ranges. The principal aspect from the obtained results is the close similarity of both compounds.


We present a new methodology, working within the framework of the Polarizable Continuum Model, that derives quantities directly comparable with data from nonlinear optical (NLO) experiments on liquid solutions through computed molecular properties. The procedure does not require any knowledge of preliminary experimental data (as do some semiempirical methods) but permits one to obtain the final molar property (specifically, the macroscopic susceptibilities) in terms of effective molecular dipoles and (hyper)polarizabilities. The latter are obtained through an ab initio description of the molecule of interest when it is mutually interacting with the surrounding medium, which is represented by a continuum dielectric. Numerical applications, and the related comparisons with experiments, are presented for refractive and permittivity first-order processes and for third-order EFISH (electric-field-induced second harmonic generation) experiments for 4-nitroaniline (pNA) and 3,5-dinitroaniline (3,5-DNA) in liquid...


by John M Holmes This thesis consists of two main topics, and several parts contained within the topics. The first topic we consider, are heat (or diffusion) evolution equations. We define any evolution equation as a heat type equation if it can be written in the form ∂tu− ∂ xu = N(u), where N(u) is some nonlinear term. The solutions of these equations are locally in time characterized by the diffusion, and their analysis should take this term into account. Therefore, the techniques we employ to study these equations are fundamentally different from techniques we use to study other evolution partial differential equations (PDE's). There are many interesting phenomenon which can be modeled by nonlinear diffusion equations. Most notably, we consider two applications in this thesis, the generalized Burgers equation and the Nonlinear Financial Diffusion Equation. The first aforementioned equation is a mathematical generalization of Burgers equation, which we consider to illustrate some of the techniques used in the study of this type of equations. The second equation has been derived to model an investment strategy for a retirement portfolio. The second main topic we consider are Camassa–Holm type equations. These equations are of the form ∂tu+u ∂xu+F (u) = 0, where F (·) is a nonlocal, nonlinear operator. Equations of this form exhibit some interesting mathematical properties, including non-smooth solutions. This is in sharp contrast to diffusive equations, John M Holmes whose solutions are often characterized by a Gaussian-like shape. To study properties of these equations, we must use very different tools from the area of analysis, as the techniques which we employ for the heat–type equations do not apply. When studying differential equations, it is often advantageous to use numerical techniques to give us insight into the properties of the solutions. Solving an equation numerically may indicate that the solution exists for a long period of time, or it may allow us to test for some types of initial data which lead to blow-up of the solution. For example as in the case of Burgers equation, we may find that particular profiles lead to blow-up. These insights may tell us how we should frame the mathematical questions we are interested in answering. It also is frequently the case that exact solutions cannot be written down for interesting initial data. Therefore, numerical methods allow us to calculate solutions within machine precision, and make the same conclusions we would have made had we had a formulaic solution. We illustrate some of these numerical methods by examining an equation derived in financial mathematics. This thesis begins with a introduction to heat equations, by studying the historical advances leading up to Fourier and several advances and applications of his ideas. It is important to understand how Fourier developed his work, and why it was so important at the time. We then explore some of the classical results related to the heat equation before moving on to the most famous nonlinear heat–type equation, the Navier–Stokes equation, and explore several particular solutions. The second section of the document presents the generalized Burgers equation, and contains our main results contained within this thesis. The third section presents our results related to a Camassa–Holm type equation, and we conclude the thesis by presenting some numerical methods for a nonlinear heat equation derived from financial mathematics.


Lack of energy resources and increasing energy demand is a worldwide recognised phenomenon. Biofuels are well known as an alternative source of energy, physic nut (Jatropha curcas. L) is a drought resistant shrub belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae and is an eminent plant for biofuel production. The role of J. curcas as a substitute of fossil fuel is remarkable. Cultivated in Central and South America, J. curcas was distributed by Portuguese seafarers in Southeast Asia, India and Africa. The plant and its seeds are non edible (toxic) to animal and humans; toxicity of seeds is mainly due to the presence of curcine and deterpine. The post-harvest technology, physical, mechanical and chemical properties of J. curcas nuts and kernels were investigated and reported. The physical properties studied embrace: moisture content, 1000-unit mass, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, bulk density, solid density, porosity, surface area, specific surface area, static friction coefficient on various surfaces, angle of repose and suspension line. The chemical properties include oil content in seed and kernel, crude protein in seed and kernel, ash content, free fatty acid, iodine value, acid number, saponification value and gross energy in seed and kernel. The mechanical properties were rupture force, deformation at rupture point, deformation ratio at rupture point, hardness and energy used for rupture (toughness). In the oil industry, different processes must be done before oil extraction occurs: (a) dehulling, separating hull from nut, (b) deshelling, separating shell from kernel, (c) drying and than (d) oil extraction. Physical, mechanical and chemical properties of seed and kernel are needed for the design of equipment to handle, transport, process, store and assessing the product quality.


P-element vectors are commonly used to make transgenic Drosophila and generally insert in the genome in a nonselective manner. However, when specific fragments of regulatory DNA from a few Drosophila genes are incorporated into P-transposons, they cause the vectors to be inserted near the gene from which the DNA fragment was derived. This is called P-element homing. We mapped the minimal DNA fragment that could mediate homing to the engrailed/invected region of the genome. A 1.6 kb fragment of engrailed regulatory DNA that contains two Polycomb-group response elements (PREs) was sufficient for homing. We made flies that contain a 1.5kb deletion of engrailed DNA (enΔ1.5) in situ, including the PREs and the majority of the fragment that mediates homing. Remarkably, homing still occurs onto the enΔ1. 5 chromosome. In addition to homing to en, P[en] inserts near Polycomb group target genes at an increased frequency compared to P[EPgy2], a vector used to generate 18,214 insertions for the Drosophila gene disruption project. We suggest that homing is mediated by interactions between multiple proteins bound to the homing fragment and proteins bound to multiple areas of the engrailed/invected chromatin domain. Chromatin structure may also play a role in homing.


The reaction between the zinc plate (ZP) and the IF steel with near surface ultra fine grains (NSUFG) structure with grain size of about 89 nm was studied in temperature range of 473K to 623K in order to elucidate the temperature dependence of the reactions and its mechanism, by comparison with the reactions of ZP to coarse grains (CG) sheet, superficial cold rolled CG sheet (CG+R) and superficial cold rolled NSUFG sheet (NSUFG+R). It was found that this NSUFG structure considerably affected reactions between IF steel and ZP. There was almost no effect of superficial cold rolling on their reactions, but the NSUFG structure dramatically enhanced the reactions. The incubation times for appearance of the reaction layer and its layer width of ZP /(NSUFG or NSUFG+R) reactions are shorter and thicker than those of the ZP/(CG or CG+R) ones. The activation energy for reaction was 107kJ/mol, which indicates that the volume diffusion in zinc side and the grain boundary diffusion in the iron side play an important role in the reaction. The layer growth up to the layer thickness less than about 10µm was controlled mainly by the interface reaction and it over about 10µm mainly by the diffusion mass transfer.


Bronchiectasis is associated with heterogeneous predisposing conditions that cause abnormal dilatation and persistent inflammation in the bronchial tree and lung parenchyma. The disease remains a common cause of significant morbidity and mortality, especially when associated with hereditary disorders such as cystic fibrosis, ciliary dyskinesia, and immunodeficiency states. Recent investigations have focused on the inflammatory mediators involved in the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis. High-resolution computed tomography is now the diagnostic modality of choice and may also contribute to clinical management. Computed tomography and high-resolution computed tomography have identified bronchiectasis in individuals with HIV and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. Early identification of predisposing disorders and aggressive management of symptoms has already been demonstrated by prolonged survival and decreased morbidity in cystic fibrosis patients, and similar management may benefit other populations with bronchiectasis. New treatments such as recombinant human DNase have been shown to improve pulmonary function and quality of life in cystic fibrosis patients and may prove useful in other chronic inflammatory lung disease.