Perovskite solar cells are one of the most promising photovoltaic technologies due to their rapid increase in power conversion efficiency (3.8% to 21.1%) in a very short period of time and the relative ease of their fabrication compared to traditional inorganic solar cells. One of the drawbacks of perovskite solar cells is their limited stability in non-inert atmospheres. In the inverted device configuration this lack of stability can be attributed to the inclusion of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) as the hole transporting layer. Herein we report the synthesis of two new triarylamine based hole transporting materials, synthesised from readily available starting materials. These new materials show increased power conversion efficiencies, of 13.0% and 12.1%, compared to PEDOT:PSS (10.9%) and exhibit increased stability achieving lifetimes in excess of 500 hours. Both molecules are solution processible at low temperatures and show potential for low cost, scalable production of large scale perovskite solar cells on flexible substrates.


Multiple Gaussian pulse interactions and scattering in the nonlinear layered dielectric structures have been examined. The Gaussian pulses with different centre frequencies and lengths are incident at oblique angles on the finite stack of nonlinear dielectric layers. The properties of the reflected and refracted waveforms and the effects of the structure and the incident pulses' parameters on the mixing process are discussed. It is shown that the efficiency of forward emission at the combinatorial frequency can be considerably increased when the wavelengths of interacting pulses are close to the edges of electromagnetic bandgap.


portion of entrained air decreases, resulting in the inhaled concentration returning towards that delivered by the Venturi (point c). The down stroke (point d) represents exhalation from the anatomical dead space, which contains some of the carbon dioxide containing mixture that is inhaled. The end-tidal carbon dioxide level (point e) remains significantly lower than that delivered by the Venturi device because the total carbon dioxide delivered is insufficient to raise alveolar carbon dioxide further (due to dilution with entrained ambient air). We believe the variability in the height of the peaks of each tail may be explained by the capnograph response time being insufficient, in these conditions of marked hyperventilation. How is this relevant to clinical practice? Outside a carefully controlled research environment there are few reasons to deliver extra carbon dioxide. However this trace does illustrate the limitations of the 'fixed performance' Venturi mask during hyperventilation. A similar trace for supplemental oxygen could easily be imagined in a critically ill, acidotic patient who is hyperventilating. In this scenario, the patient would receive considerably less oxygen than expected, which may have important clinical implications.


Aims: To describe the public health promise and methodological problems of
Cochrane reviews.
Cochrane reviews are central to evidence-based medicine. However by focusing
exclusively on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) a large swath of the published
literature is excluded from their purview. Our experience conducting three of the
four published reviews that examined interventions for substance use in pregnancy
has brought particular methodological issues to light. Pregnancy is timelimited
event and therefore amenable to a RCT intervention. However this study
design is employed mostly in academic centers serving poor inner-city women.
How useful then is this evidence? We begin with a brief overview of the
Cochrane Library with particular emphasis on the addiction and obstetric literature.
Then the following methodological topics are addressed: the tensions
between clinically useful, clinically expedient, and sociologically meaningful outcomes;
the difference between experimental and real world interventions; problems
in external validity due to RCT recruitment in pregnancy; and confounding
and bias in exposure assignment. We contrast our results from Cochrane
reviews with the observational studies that were excluded from our reviews.
Finally we argue for a more flexible design for systematic reviews that can allow
the inclusion of more diverse study designs. The current Cochrane software
(RevMan 5.0) appears to offer hope for this.

Conclusions: Pregnancy is a unique moment in a woman's life course where individual
motivation for behavioral change is coupled with the availability of social
support (such as prenatal care). Furthermore, interventions for drug problems in
pregnancy have the possibility of not only improving birth outcomes, but affecting
maternal health and child development across the life course. The summary
of quality evidence is therefore necessary in the guidance of both clinical medicine
and current policy.

Support: Part of this study was funded by the Alcohol Education Research
Council, UK.
612


PIN-FORMED auxin efflux transporters, a subclass of which is plasma-membrane-localized, mediate a variety of land plant developmental processes via their polar localization and subsequent directional auxin transport. We provide the first characterization of PIN proteins in liverworts using Marchantia polymorpha as a model system. M. polymorpha possesses a single PIN-FORMED gene, whose protein product is predicted to be plasma-membrane-localized, MpPIN1. To characterise MpPIN1, we created loss-of-function alleles and produced complementation lines in both M. polymorpha and Arabidopsis. In M. polymorpha, gene expression and protein localisation were tracked using an MpPIN1 transgene encoding a translationally fused fluorescent protein. Overexpression of MpPIN1 can partially complement loss of an orthologous gene, PIN-FORMED1, in Arabidopsis. In M. polymorpha, MpPIN1 influences development in numerous ways throughout its life cycle. Most notably, MpPIN1 is required to establish gemmaling dorsiventral polarity and for orthotropic growth of gametangiophore stalks, where MpPIN1 is basally polarized. PIN activity is largely conserved within land plants, with PIN mediated auxin flow providing a flexible mechanism to organise growth. Specifically, PIN is fundamentally linked to orthotropism and to the establishment of de-novo meristems, the latter potentially involving the formation of both auxin biosynthesis maxima and auxin signalling minima.


The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been busy since the late 2000s studying the way aid donors manage their relations with development civil society organisations (CSOs). More than studying these relations, they have made some very detailed, managerialist suggestions about how CSOs should be organised and how donor governments should fund and otherwise relate to them. This came out of the debate about aid effectiveness, which was formally aimed at improving both donor and recipient processes. Donors have quietly dropped many of the aspects related to improving their own performance and yet a number have created new interventionist governance frameworks for CSOs. This is the case in Germany, which has a large, vibrant development CSO sector that has traditionally been quite autonomous, even where its received state funding thanks to Germany's commitment to 'subsidiarity.' Yet Germany is otherwise a middle of the road donor and in many ways, these 'reforms' are moving its relations with civil society more towards a somewhat more managerialist approach, one that is in fact the norms amongst OECD donors.


Lectins are present in almost all living organisms and are involved in several biological processes, including immune responses. In the present study, a calcium dependent galactose-binding lectin exhibiting an apparent MW of 43 kDa has been characterized and purified from the mucus of the polychaete Sabella spallanzanii by using both affinity chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatographic methods. Its agglutinating activity towards rabbit erythrocytes was significantly modified by the addition of calcium or EDTA. The activity was optimal at temperature values comprised between 4 and 18 °C, maintain a 50% of activity between 20 and 37 °C, was significant deleted after exposure at 50 °C, and was depleted at 90 °C. The S. spallanzanii Galactose-Binding Lectin (SsGBL) was able to agglutinate bacteria and to preferentially recognize Gram-negative bacteria. The strongest agglutinating activity was observed towards Vibrio alginolyticus and Escherichia coli, by contrast mucus agglutinated in a lesser extent both Aeromonas hydrophyla and the Gram-positive Micrococcus lysodeikticus thus suggesting its involvement in host pathogen interactions.


Latino adolescent depressive symptoms are a growing problem, of interest to both the community and academic partner who are reporting the present study. In this mixed-method, community-based participatory research study we quantitatively examined predictors of depression known to impact adolescent mental health that are amenable to interventions. Concurrently, we qualitatively assessed parents' perceptions of mental health problems in children, their causes and potential solutions. The data from parents (n = 108) was obtained in focus groups led in Spanish, and the data from adolescents (n = 86) was obtained in English language surveys. Among the adolescents there was an even representation of males (47.7%) and females (52.3%), Mage = 15.24 (SD = 1.97). Nearly half (47.7%) of the adolescents were experiencing minor depression and one in ten (10.5%) were experiencing major depression according to their scores on the PHQ-9. Adolescent participants reported low acculturative stress, average social support, and high mastery, as well as highly functional families. Males reported higher self-mastery than females and lower acculturative stress. Predictors of depression differed by gender. For males, self-mastery predicted depressive symptoms; for females acculturative stress predicted depressive symptoms. The focus groups with parents supported and expanded quantitative findings. The parents demonstrated a keen awareness of depression in teens and their own contributions to the problem, including their efforts to maintain their culture of origin which prevents integration of their children into the majority culture.  Parents also reported difficulties knowing what steps to take and finding resources. The additional dimension of parental voice is often missing from studies of adolescents, and here it clarified many of the issues identified in the teens. These findings suggest the need to focus on mental health in this population, potentially developing differential interventions by gender and taking a family systems approach.


The proportion of people aged 60 and over is growing faster than any other age group. Due to shift from career or family focus, loss of long-term companions and increasing likelihood of chronic and debilitating illness, older adults face some key social and psychological challenges such as loneliness, depression and lack of social support. Gerontology researchers have demonstrated that social interaction is an important component of successful aging. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) can offer older adults many opportunities to maintain current and develop meaningful and supportive relationships. Drawing on the challenges facing older adults and prior theoretical and empirical studies, this research explored the social and emotional impacts of playing MMORPGs on older adults aged 55 and over, primarily analyzing the relationships between older adults' social interactions in MMORPGs and six social and emotional factors (i.e., bridging and bonding social capital, loneliness, depression, social support and belongingness). To address this question, four research hypotheses were generated. An online survey was developed and published to eight World of Warcraft (WoW, a popular MMORPG) player forums to gather information about older gamers' demographic characteristics, play patterns, social interactions in WoW, measurements of six social-emotional dimensions, and challenges facing older adults while playing WoW. Data were collected over a three and half months period (from May 15 to September 1, 2014) from a sample including 222 WoW players aged 55 and older. To answer the research questions and test the four hypotheses, hierarchical multiple regression analysis was applied, and Cohen's f was computed to compare effect sizes. Similar to their younger counterparts, older adults' social interactions in MMORPGs can take place on several different levels, and can be casual or intimate, and even romantic. Social interaction in MMORPGs is an important source for older adults' social learning. The regression analyses revealed that enjoyment of relationships and quality of guild play has deep impacts on older adults' social and emotional wellbeing.


Tensor analysis (through tensor decompositions) is increasingly becoming popular as a powerful technique for enabling comprehensive and complete analysis of real-world data. In many critical modern applications, large-scale tensor data arrives continuously (in streams) or changes dynamically over time. Tensor decompositions over static snapshots of tensor data become prohibitively expensive due to space and computational bottlenecks, and severely limit the use of tensor analysis in applications that require quick response. Effective and rapid streaming (or non-stationary) tensor decompositions are critical for enabling large-scale real-time analysis. We present new algorithms for streaming tensor decompositions that effectively use the low-rank structure of data updates to dynamically and rapidly perform tensor decompositions of continuously evolving data. Our contributions presented here are integral for enabling tensor decompositions to become a viable analysis tool for large-scale time-critical applications. Further, we present our newly-implemented parallelized versions of these algorithms, which will enable more effective deployment of these algorithms in real-world applications. We present the effectiveness of our approach in terms of faster execution of streaming tensor decompositions that directly translate to short response time during analysis.


Distributed protocols such as Paxos play an important role in many computer systems. Therefore, a bug in a distributed protocol may have tremendous effects. Accordingly, a lot of effort has been invested in verifying such protocols. However, checking invariants of such protocols is undecidable and hard in practice, as it requires reasoning about an unbounded number of nodes and messages. Moreover, protocol actions and invariants involve both quantifier alternations and higher-order concepts such as set cardinalities and arithmetic. This paper makes a step towards automatic verification of such protocols. We aim at a technique that can verify correct protocols and identify bugs in incorrect protocols. To this end, we develop a methodology for deductive verification based on effectively propositional logic (EPR)—a decidable fragment of first-order logic (also known as the Bernays-Schönfinkel-Ramsey class). In addition to decidability, EPR also enjoys the finite model property, allowing to display violations as finite structures which are intuitive for users. Our methodology involves modeling protocols using general (uninterpreted) first-order logic, and then systematically transforming the model to obtain a model and an inductive invariant that are decidable to check. The steps of the transformations are also mechanically checked, ensuring the soundness of the method. We have used our methodology to verify the safety of Paxos, and several of its variants, including Multi-Paxos, Vertical Paxos, Fast Paxos, Flexible Paxos and Stoppable Paxos. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first to verify these protocols using a decidable logic, and the first formal verification of Vertical Paxos, Fast Paxos and Stoppable Paxos.


UNLABELLED
The aim of this study was the assessment of expression and location of CX32 and CX43 in colorectal adenomas and carcinomas as well as analysis of expression of these proteins in association with clinical and pathological features of tumors and evaluation of mutual relationships between CX32 and CX43.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The study included 151 primary colorectal carcinoma and 71 colorectal adenomas. The control group comprised 30 colon samples. Connexins were detected with immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS
There was a lack of membranous distribution of connexins or a shift from moderately membranous immunoreactivity to predominantly cytoplasmic accumulation of CX32 and CX43 in studied colon tumors. Mentioned alterations were found in adenomas and augmented in cancer. Expression of Cx32 was significantly associated with grading of colorectal cancer, implicating a role of intracellular CX32 in regulation of tumor growth and differentiation. A strong correlation was present between CX32 and CX43 in node-positive cases and absent from node-negative ones.

CONCLUSION
To our knowledge, our study is the first illustration for a gradual loss of functional gap junctions within progression of colorectal neoplasia. An intracellular location of connexins, the site of their common and the most frequent detection within cancer cells in our study may be of significance. Independently of its role in functional gap-junctions, cytoplasmic CX32 could be involved in cancer differentiation, resulting in a higher rate of CX32 positive moderately differentiated tumors (G3) than poorly differentiated CX32-positive ones (G3).


This study presents copper concentrations and distributions in Sepang-Lukut mangrove forest, Malaysia. This mangrove ecosystem is mainly polluted
from different sources like waste from pig farms, oil palm industries and house
hold waste. Untreated waste discharge from pig farms may be responsible for
copper pollution in this forest area as copper sulphate has been used in the
farms in the diet of pigs for protection from pathogenic disease. Untreated
wastes are discharged directly into the Sepang Sesar river which is situated in
the Sepang-Lukut mangrove forest ecosystem.
Six stations were chosen for the study starting from the discharge point at
every 2 km interval towards sea. Total and available copper in soil and copper
content in infiltration water were measured for each station. Copper content was also measured in river water adjacent to each station. Copper absorption and it's
distribution in leaf, stem and root of Rhizophora mucronata seedlings were
measured at the last three stations towards the sea.
Soil is the main reservoir of total and available copper content in the
mangrove forest. Highest total and available copper concentration in soil was
found in the stations nearest to the discharge point and decreased towards the
stations near to the sea. The means of total and available soil copper content
were 145 µg/g (ranged from 1.20 to 703.90 µg/g) and 36 µg/g (ranged from 0.74
to 103.21 µg/g) respectively. Available soil copper found to positively correlate
with total soil copper, soil organic matter content and CEC. Total soil copper also
found to positively correlate with soil organic matter content, soil CEC, total
dissolved solids and in situ pH.
On the other hand, the mean concentration of copper in river and
infiltration water were 0.07 mg/l and 0.04 mg/l respectively. Infiltration water
copper content found to positively correlate with river water copper content.
River water copper concentration found to positively correlate with redox
potential and negatively correlate with dissolved oxygen and salinity.
Highest copper concentration in Rhizophora mucronata seedling parts
were detected at Station 4 and roots attained the highest (9.24 µg/g) followed by
stem (3.12 µg/g and leaves (3.10 µg/g). Copper concentration in seedling parts
at Station 5 showed same trend like Station 4, where roots contained highest
(2.84 µg/g) followed by leaves (2.39 µg/g) and stem (1.82 µg/g). But leaves
contained the highest (2.25 µg/g) followed by stem (1.64 µg/g) and roots (1.54 µg/g) at Station 6.


In consumer-resource interactions, a resource is regarded as a biotic population that helps to
maintain the population growth of its consumer, whereas a consumer exploits a resource and then
reduces its growth rate. Bi-directional consumer-resource interactions describe the cases where
each species acts as both a consumer and a resource of the other, which is the basis of many mutualisms.
In uni-directional consumer-resource interactions one species acts as a consumer and the other as a
material and/or energy resource while neither acts as both. In this paper we consider an age-structured
model for uni-directional consumer-resource mutualisms in which the consumer species has both positive
and negative effects on the resource species, while the resource has only a positive effect on the
consumer. Examples include a predator-prey system in which the prey is able to kill or consume predator eggs or larvae and the insect pollinator and the host plant relationship in which the plants provide food, seeds, nectar and other resources for the pollinators while the pollinators have both positive and negative effects on the plants. By carrying out local analysis and bifurcation analysis of the model, we discuss the stability of the positive equilibrium and show that under some conditions a non-trivial periodic solution through Hopf bifurcation appears when the maturation parameter passes through some critical values.


We have used wild-type and variants of the T-lymphoma cell line S49 to explore internalization and down-regulation of adenylate cyclase-linked beta-adrenergic receptors. Internalization was defined by the loss in "surface receptors" detected at 4 degrees C on intact cells by the antagonists [3H]CGP-12177 or [125I]iodocyanopindolol, whereas down-regulation was defined as the loss in total cellular content of receptors [( 125I]iodocyanopindolol binding assayed at 37 degrees C). In wild-type cells, the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol induced a rapid (t 1/2, approximately equal to 1 min) and reversible loss in surface receptors. The surface sites were lost at a rate similar to the rate of desensitization of beta-adrenergic receptor-mediated cyclic AMP generation of S49 cells. A series of S49 variants (cyc-, UNC, H21a) having lesions in NS (the guanine nucleotide binding protein that couples beta-receptors to adenylate cyclase) or with absent cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity (kin-), had a loss in surface sites that was equivalent to that of wild-type cells. By contrast, S49 variant cells having lesions in NS showed variable rates and extents of down-regulation of beta-adrenergic receptors. In wild-type and kin- S49 cells, beta-receptors down-regulated with a t 1/2 of approximately equal to 4 hr. Down-regulation was blunted in the cyc- and UNC variants that have altered coupling of receptors to NS, but it was faster in the H21a variant that retains receptor-NS interaction. Recovery of receptors after down-regulation occurred at a similar rate (t 1/2, approximately equal to 6 hr) in wild-type, UNC, and H21a cells. These results demonstrate that internalization of beta-adrenergic receptors may be necessary, but is not sufficient, to explain agonist-induced receptor down-regulation in S49 cells. The variable expression in the development of down-regulation in S49 variants implies that receptor-NS interaction regulates the fate of receptors linked to the stimulation of adenylate cyclase.


The thermochemical processing of biomass is an alternative route for the manufacture of fuel-grade ethanol, in which the catalytic conversion of syngas to ethanol is a key step. The search for novel catalyst formulations, active sites and types of support is of current interest. In this work, the catalytic performance of an Rh/MCM-41 catalyst has been evaluated and compared with a typical Rh/SiO2 catalyst. They have been compared at identical reaction conditions (280 °C and 20 bar), at low syngas conversion (2.8%) and at same metal dispersion (H/Rh = 22%). Under these conditions, the catalysts showed different product selectivities. The differences have been attributed to the concentration of water vapor in the pores of Rh/MCM-41. The concentration of water vapor could promote the water-gas-shift-reaction generating some extra carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which in turn can induce side reactions and change the product selectivity. The extra hydrogen generated could facilitate the hydrogenation of a C2-oxygenated intermediate to ethanol, thus resulting in a higher ethanol selectivity over the Rh/MCM-41 catalyst as compared to the typical Rh/SiO2 catalyst; 24% and 8%, respectively. The catalysts have been characterized, before and after reaction, by N2-physisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, H2-chemisorption, transmission electron microscopy and temperature programmed reduction.


17beta-Estradiol modulates gene transcription through the estrogen receptor and the estrogen response element in DNA. The human transforming growth factor-beta3 gene was shown to be activated by the estrogen receptor in the presence of estrogen metabolites or estrogen antagonists. Activation was mediated by a polypurine sequence, termed the raloxifene response element, and did not require the DNA binding domain of the estrogen receptor. Interaction of the estrogen receptor with the raloxifene response element appears to require a cellular adapter protein. The observation that individual estrogens modulate multiple DNA response elements may explain the tissue-selective estrogen agonist or antagonist activity of compounds such as raloxifene.


The Ships Of Opportunity Program in the Mediterranean Sea was established at the end of 1999, in the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System – Pilot Project (MFS-PP). Many improvements have been made in data collection, transmission and management. Calibration of selected XBTs and a comparison of XBTs vs. CTDs during some research cruises have assured the quality of the data. Transmission now allows receiving data in full resolution by using GSM or satellite telecommunication services; management is offering access to high quality data and view services. The effects of technological and methodological improvements in the observing system are assessed in terms of capability to represent the most important circulation features. The improved methodologies have been tested during the Mediterranean Forecasting System – Toward Environmental Prediction (MFS-TEP) – Targeted Operational Period (MFS-TOP), lasting from September 2004 to February 2005. In spite of the short period of measurements, several important aspects of the Mediterranean Sea circulation have been verified, such as eddies and gyres in the various sub-basins, and dense water formation processes in some of them (vertical homogeneous profiles of about 13°C down to ~800 m in the Provencal, and of about 14.9°C down to ~300 m in the Levantine have allowed defining an index of dense water formation).


Two boronic acid systems, monoboronic acid 3 and diboronic acid 8, were synthesized. When saccharides form cyclic boronate esters with these boronic acids, the Lewis acid-base interaction between the boronic acid moiety and tertiary amine is strengthened; when saccharides form cyclic boronate esters with boronic acids the acidity of the boronic acid is enhanced. The strength of this acid-base interaction modulates the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the amine to anthracene. Both of these compounds show increased fluoresecence at pH 7.77 through supression of the photoinduced electron transfer from nitrogen to anthracene on saccharide binding, a direct result of the stronger boron-nitrogen bond. Compound 3 shows the typical selectivity of monoboronic acids towards saccharides. Compound 8 which has a cleftlike structure is particularly selective and sensitive for, glucose due to the formation of an intramolecular 1:1 complex between the two boronic acids and the 1,2- and 4,6-hydroxyls of glucose. This is the first example in which ditopic recognition of monosaccharides is achieved in a PET sensor system.


Drawing on eight years of research with young people who inhabit the margins of Vancouver, in this article I bring into view some of the 'frictions' that can arise when conducting anthropological research at home, across vast differences in power and privilege. I argue that our research subjects can also be deeply concerned with how to position themselves in relation to researchers and research studies, and with navigating the various forms of social and geographical distance and proximity that are embedded in anthropological encounters across time. Paying attention to how our research subjects position themselves in research encounters may force us to problematize tidy boundaries between 'us' and 'them'.


To date, the assurance of sufficient building's air tightness remains a problematic issue, because it is linked not only to the right technology solution selection and quality work, but also to the building envelope air permeability properties. Typically, when modelling building energy demand, it is considered that the building envelope is impermeable to air. Nevertheless, this claim is unjustified. Studies have shown that building materials are porous. However, there is no evidence how air permeability changes through the masonry construction, when it is heterogeneous. Therefore, this work is to determine the air permeability of the various types of masonry construction, also assessing the technological masonry aspects, determine the air permeability rate and evaluate the results obtained in the analysis by providing recommendations. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.9.4.7913


In this article, I argue that two fallacies may have characterised the way the courts handled the fiduciary dimensions of the recent case that ultimately reached the High Court of Australia as Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22. The first fallacy is in the proposition that there is a distinct and freestanding fiduciary obligation of disclosure. The second fallacy is in the proposition that there is a fiduciary obligation to give a profit-making opportunity to the principal. These two fallacies persist despite clear statements of authority pointing them out and warning against them. If fiduciary law is to achieve rationality, and if parties are to know what may and may not be pleaded when bringing fiduciary claims, it is important that courts expose these fallacies whenever they are relied on in argument, and not endorse them or pass over them in silence, as appears to have happened in Farah.


Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common vestibular disorder. The recent development of diagnostic tools allowed clarification of its pathology. Dislodgement of the utricular otoconia is the basis of BPPV which leads to development of canalolithiasis or cupulolithiasis. Positional nystagmus test is a most essential bed side test. BPPV may involve multiple canals and utricle, thus showing complicated nystagmus pattern. Understanding the physiology of semicircular canals and vestibuloocular reflex allows proper diagnosis of a lesion side and types of BPPV. Based upon the basic and clinical findings, a lesion-specific physical therapy had been developed which turned out to be very effective. Nystagmus pattern can also be an index of the treatment outcome.


Many disease-causing mutations impair protein stability. Here, we explore a thermodynamic strategy to correct the disease-causing F508del mutation in the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (hCFTR). F508del destabilizes nucleotide-binding domain 1 (hNBD1) in hCFTR relative to an aggregation-prone intermediate. We developed a fluorescence self-quenching assay for compounds that prevent aggregation of hNBD1 by stabilizing its native conformation. Unexpectedly, we found that dTTP and nucleotide analogs with exocyclic methyl groups bind to hNBD1 more strongly than ATP and preserve electrophysiological function of full-length F508del-hCFTR channels at temperatures up to 37 °C. Furthermore, nucleotides that increase open-channel probability, which reflects stabilization of an interdomain interface to hNBD1, thermally protect full-length F508del-hCFTR even when they do not stabilize isolated hNBD1. Therefore, stabilization of hNBD1 itself or of one of its interdomain interfaces by a small molecule indirectly offsets the destabilizing effect of the F508del mutation on full-length hCFTR. These results indicate that high-affinity binding of a small molecule to a remote site can correct a disease-causing mutation. We propose that the strategies described here should be applicable to identifying small molecules to help manage other human diseases caused by mutations that destabilize native protein conformation.


Objective To assess the performance of three Biological Tricuspid Valve replacements (St Jude Epic, Perimount and Hancock) in congenital heart disease patients. Currently, there is little comparative data on the long term performance of these biological tricuspid valve replacements. Methods We audited the performance of the valve replacements in all the patients with Congenital Heart Disease (n=50) who had Biological Tricuspid Valve replacements in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, from 2000 to present. For each patient, we collected echocardiogram data at baseline (the first data available after their surgery) and at their most recent review. Valve performance was assessed according to criteria set out by the American Society of Echocardiology (ASE) in terms of valve stenosis and regurgitation. We also looked at patient-reported symptoms before surgery and at most recent review. Valve was Stenosed if one or more of the following was met: Mean gradient 6 mmHg; Peak velocity >1.7 m/s; Pressure half time >230 ms. Valve was Regurgitant if the following was met: Tricuspid regurgitation > Mild regurgitation on report. Patient Declined symptomatically if one or more of the following was met: NYHA class unchanged or worsened; new arrhythmia post-op; decrease in measured peak V02. All mortalities that occured during follow-up were recorded. These patients were not included in the analysis. Results Only two Hancock valves had been used since 2000, which was too few to be able to draw any reliable conclusions. Table 1 presents background data for the other two valves; Table 2 presents the comparison of their performance. Proportionately fewer Perimount valves became stenosed or regurgitant than the St Jude Epic valves. St Jude Epic valves were associated with improved peak VO2, however average NYHA class reduction (improvement) was greater in those with the Perimount. This may reflect the case mix in this small number of patients. Abstract 84 Table 1 Perimount Valve St Jude Epic Valve No. of operations performed 16 27 No. of survivors 13 24 Average follow-up (years) 3.49 3.00 Total patient-years of follow-up 41.9 68.9Abstract 84 Table 2 Perimount Valve St Jude Epic Valve Percentage 'stenosed' at baseline 0.0 8.7 Percentage 'stenosed' at follow-up 11.1 22.2 Percentage difference 11.1 13.5 Percentage 'regurgitant' at baseline 9.1 0.0 Percentage 'regurgitant' at follow-up 23.1 21.7 Percentage difference 14.0 21.7 Percentage 'declined symptomatically' 46.2 37.5 Average NHYA class change −1.31 −0.91 Average V02 max change −8.6 5.43 Discussion and conclusion Tricuspid valve replacement is rarely performed and the choice of which valve to use is not assisted by any published data. This audit suggests that the Perimount valve in the tricuspid position has a marginally better echo profile than the St Jude Epic valve over a three year follow up. The cohort is too small to make recommendations on which valve to use, but has highlighted a relatively high early attrition rate in terms of bioprosthetic valve function in the tricuspid position. Therefore we propose that valve surveillance is carried out annually for these valves and that valve dysfunction merits further investigation. We propose to perform CT evaluation of dysfunctional bioprosthetic valves for evidence of thrombus and this will be prospectively audited.


Salt Water intrusion is a recurrent phenomenon over the world. This study has purpose to find a new biological way to solve this problem. Sporosarcina Pasteurii, known for its application in biogrouting solutions, was injected into four experimental columns submitted to salt water injection. The bioremediated carbonation reaction was induced by injection of calcium chloride and urea during a three weeks period and results were observed by a new injection of salt water. The increase of salt concentration in the columns after biological treatment shows a slowing down of salt propagation after treatment.


Continued miniaturization of high technology products in a wide range of industries has resulted in the increased need for cleaner parts. Continuous particle monitoring utilizing a wide range of sampling techniques is capable of meeting the challenges and complexity of today's precision cleaning systems. Particle monitoring of cleaning systems has been shown to increase product yield and overall productivity. In addition, monitoring at multiple points in a cleaning system speeds identification of root cause for out-of-specification situations. Finally, statistical analysis helps establish the optimum operating parameters, resulting in the highest throughput and lowest failure rate.


We discuss and illustrate the appearance of topological fermions and bosons in triple-point metals where a band crossing of three electronic bands occurs close to the Fermi level. Topological bosons appear in the phonon spectrum of certain triple-point metals, depending on the mass of atoms that form the binary triple-point metal. We first provide a classification of possible triple-point electronic topological phases possible in crystalline compounds and discuss the consequences of these topological phases, seen in Fermi arcs, topological Lifshitz transitions, and transport anomalies. Then we show how the topological phase of phonon modes can be extracted and proven for relevant compounds. Finally, we show how the interplay of electronic and phononic topologies in triple-point metals puts these metallic materials into the list of the most efficient metallic thermoelectrics known to date.


By constraining an individual's choice during a search, housing discrimination distorts sorting decisions away from true preferences and results in a ceteris paribus reduction in welfare. This study combines a large-scale field experiment with a residential sorting model to derive utility-theoretic measures of renter welfare loss associated with the constraints imposed by discrimination in the rental housing market. Results from experiments conducted in five cities show that key neighborhood amenities are associated with higher levels of discrimination. Counterfactual simulations based on the sorting model suggest that discrimination imposes damages equivalent to 4.4% and 3.5% of the annual incomes for African American and Hispanic/Latinx renters, respectively. Damages are increasing in income for African American renters, such that impacts become stronger for economically mobile households. Renters of color must make substantial investments in additional search to mitigate the costs of these constraints. We find that a naive model ignoring discrimination constraints yields biased estimates of willingness to pay for key neighborhood amenities.


Destructive accident sometimes takes place though the equivalent stress is rather low in the viewpoint of strength of materials. The propagation of fatigue cracks under multi-axial stress state and cycling load gives the reason. Fatigue fracture has been considered as one of the most commonly encountered industrial problems that lead to the damage of components in engineering products. In general, the machine structure is always under stress concentration or stress cycles. Moreover, the structure material is usually under two axes or multi-axial stresses instead of uniaxial stress state. It is important, therefore, to clarify the propagation behavior and the fatigue failure problem of the crack under the multi-axial stresses and cycling load from the safety reliability and accident prevention measure. In this study, a biaxial fatigue experimental device was developed which can carry out a wide range of fatigue tests under biaxial stresses. The developed experimental device was identified with a biaxial fatigue experiments including static uniaxial and biaxial tensile test by using the aluminum alloy flat plate as specimens. The propagation behavior of fatigue crack for center notched cruciform specimen in the equal biaxial fatigue test was verified.


Nowadays, sugar-based amphiphiles are among the most attractive class of compounds to be studied both fundamentally and application-wise. They are one of the main components in cell membranes and play important role in many biological functions. Therefore, understanding the nature of the different liquid crystal phases of these materials is important and conceivable using different experimental techniques, theory and simulation. This thesis focuses on the last two methods to investigate the properties of these highly interesting soft materials.
We begin by examining a set of novel glycolipids which has been modified to include crown ethers attached to the sugar ring which increases the size of the hydrophilic area and causes to have higher packing parameters. Higher packing
parameters induced formation of nonlamellar phases and prevent formation of lamellar phases. A theoretical study of a series of five glucose based glycolipid crown ethers and their complexes with Na+ and K+ was performed using the density functional theory with B3LYP/6-31G*. Optimized geometrical structures of the glycolipid crown ethers with cations were obtained and their corresponding electronic properties were calculated. In general, it was found that the oxygen atoms pairs O2 and O3 (or O4 and O6) on the sugar ring are constrained from moving toward the cation, which results in a weaker O-cation coordination strength for the oxygen pair compared to the other oxygen atoms in the crown ether ring. The thermodynamic properties of the binding of the complexes and the exchange reaction in gas phase were evaluated. The cation selectivity pattern among the five molecules was in good agreement with the experiment.
Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulation studies of thermotropic bilayers were performed using a set of glycosides namely n-octyl-β-Dglucopyranoside (β-C8Glc), n-octyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (α-C8Glc), n-octyl-β-Dgalactopyranoside (β-C8Gal) and n-octyl-α-D-galactopyranoside (α-C8Gal) to investigate the stereochemical relationships of the epimeric/anomeric quartet liner glycolipids with the same octyl chain group. The results showed that, the anomeric stereochemistry or the axial/equatorial orientation of C1-O1 (α/β) is an important factor controlling the area and d-spacing of glycolipid bilayer systems in the thermotropic phase. The C4-epimeric (axial/equatorial)stereochemistry becomes
dominant together with the anomeric one for the inter-molecular hydrogen bond.
Thus, the trend in hydrogen bonding goes as β-C8Gal> α-C8Glc> β-C8Glc> α-
C8Gal. The four bilayer systems showed anomalous diffusion behaviour with an observed trend for the diffusion coefficient exponent (α-C8Gal > β-C8Glc > α-
C8Glc > β-C8Gal), and was in the reverse order to the hydrogen bonding interaction strength, but in compliance to the cis-trans effect of the C4-epimer and anomer.
We have also studied the lyotropic reverse hexagonal phase HII from a glycolipid, namely using the Guerbet branched-chain (2'n-octyl-n-dodecyl)-β-Dglucopyronoside(
C8C12β-D-Glc),at 14% and 22% water concentrations. In this
simulation, it is necessary for us to use the united atom force field for carbohydrate from GROMOS because this approach will overcome the ambiguity of two optical
stereoisomers arising from the chiral center at the Guerbet branched chain.
Moreover, this force field will enable us to run a longer simulation. Our simulations showed that at low water concentration (14%) the sugar head group overlapped
extensively and protruded into the water channel. In contrast, in the 22% concentration system, a water column free from the sugar head group was formed, as expected for the system close to the limit of maximum hydration. In both
concentrations, we found anomalous water diffusion in the xy-plane, i.e. the twodimensional space confined by the surface of the cylinder. On the other hand, in the
z-axis, the water diffusion obeyed the Einstein relation for 22% system, while for the 14% system it was slightly anomalous. Generally, a higher probability of hydrogen
bonding but a shorter lifetime was found for the system of 22% water compared to the system of 14% water.


An improved power re-use technique is introduced for application to outphased microwave power amplifiers. The technique allows a significant portion of the wasted out-of-phase components of the signal to be returned to the power supply, resulting in substantial improvements in overall power-amplifier efficiency. A peak re-use RF-to-DC efficiency of 63% was obtained at 1.96 GHz.


Background & Aims: There are different approaches in the field of couple therapy and family therapy and researchers over the years have been measuring their credibility and effectiveness. Bernstein Behavioral-communication is one of these approaches. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Bornstein behavioral-communication couple therapy on increasing marital adjustment and sexual intimacy of Couples. Material & Methods: This study method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest control group. The Statistical Society of current research consisted of all couples referring to counseling centers of Nurabad city (Lorestan) in 2014. The research sample included 80 couples who refer to Family counseling centers, Social Welfare and Health Network; they selected by available sampling method, and assigned in two experimental and control groups. The instrument used in this study included Spinner adjustment questionnaires and Bagarozzi sexual intimacy questionnaires. Analysis of variance with repeated measures used for data analysis. Results: The results from the mixed analysis of variance with repeated measures showed that the marital adjustment and sexual intimacy of experimental group increased (P≥0.001). Also the visual inspection of effectiveness graphs and the size of impact factor revealed that the scores of marital and sexual intimacy had significantly increased after two months follow up of participants in experimental group. Conclusion: The results of showed that couples therapies with Behavioral-Communication method are effective in increasing the adjustment and sexual intimacy. Therefore we propose the couples therapies with Behavioral-Communication method in counseling centers for more adjustment and sexual intimacy of couples.


Why are some sectors more volatile than others? This paper uncovers evidence of an empirical regularity in the U.S. economy: upstream sectors that are far removed from final consumers have higher levels of output volatility. The relationship between volatility and upstreamness is not driven by sector size, sector concentration, trade openness or the level of aggregation at which sectors are defined. Rather, the paper shows a stronger link between upstreamness and nominal output volatility, than with indexes of real output volatility. Aggregate exports at the national level also reflect the empirical regularity of higher volatility with upstreamness: Export volatility is higher in economies with trade portfolios dominated by upstream sectors. On average, reducing the upstreamness of exports by one, also reduces aggregate export volatility by about 10%. The pattern of higher volatility for upstream sectors is explained with a model of demand shock transmission between sectors.


Cross-cultural research documented two types of temporal culture governing the way individuals schedule tasks over time: clock-time, where individuals let an external clock dictate when tasks begin/end; and event-time, where tasks are planned relative to other tasks and individuals transition between them when they internally sense that the former task is complete. In contrast with this prior literature – that credits culture as the reason for variation in temporal norms – we show in two experiments that individuals choose clock- versus event-time as a self-regulation strategy to achieve a regulatory goal (efficiency vs. effectiveness). A third experiment shows that this strategy enhances confidence and performance on a task. Participants solved significantly more math problems when their task scheduling (clock- vs. event-time) matched their regulatory state (promotion vs. prevention). Since clock-/event-time may both lead to superior performance, clock-time is not the single best way to organize productive activities in industrial societies – a result that counters a foundational principle of modern economics.


Five years after the inception of the Aljazeera satellite news network in 1996, the organization created a companion Arabic Web site (www.aljazeera.net), effectively increasing its reach to any reader of Arabic with Internet access worldwide. While a fairly stable entity, Aljazeera.net has faced a number of challenges over its short history. Some mirror those of the parent organization such as criticisms from many governments about its reporting as well as struggles to move to an advertiser-funded model. Other problems have been unique to the web experience including difficulties with video streaming, hacker attacks, and the challenges of developing a foreign language (English) version of the site. This essay will review the past, current status, and future prospects of Aljazeera's companion Web sites from a public relations perspective. It will deal with the Web site's startup, its link to Aljazeera TV, the difficulties with video streaming, and the challenges with English Aljazeera.net. Meeting the Needs of Multiple Audiences: An Examination of the Aljazeera and English Aljazeera Websites from the Public Relations Perspective


Background
Retinal vascular caliber changes can reflect the development status of cardiovascular disease and diabetes-associated vascular diseases, so it is very important to quantitatively measure retinal vascular caliber in the study of systemic diseases and retinal vascular disease.However, the methodology study is rately seen in China within our knowledge.

Objective
The present study was to investigate the repeatability and reproducibility of IVAN software in measuring retinal vascular caliber.

Methods
This study was approved by Ethic Committee of Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, and written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to medical examination.A prospectively diagnostic trail was performed.The digitized fundus color photograph centered on the disc from 192 eyes of 96 healthy volunteers were collected in Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January, 2013 to December, 2014, and central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) and arteriovenous ratio (AVR) were analyzed by IVAN measurement software.The repeatability and reproducibility of IVAN software for random repeat measurement of retinal vessel caliber from consecutive 85 right eyes of 85 volunteers were evaluation by interobserver and intraobserver measurement with interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The correlations of measuring results between two observers or two-time measuring were analyzed with Pearson linear correlation analysis.Bland-Altman agreeement analysis was employed to assess the agreeement of the outcomes.

Results
No significant differences were found in CRAE, CRVE and AVR between the right eyes and the left eyes (t=-1.009, 1.090, -1.259, all at P>0.05). The CRAE, CRVE and AVR values from observer 1 were (145.02±12.94)μm, (400.72±9.12)μm and 0.36±0.03, and those from observer 2 were (145.10±11.86)μm, (401.17±9.85)μm and 0.36±0.03, with no significant differences between observer 1 and observer 2 (t=-0.074, -0.913, 0.116, all at P>0.05). The repeat CRAE, CRVE and AVR values from observer 1 were (145.02±12.94)μm, (400.72±9.12)μm and 0.36±0.03, which were significantly different from the initial values (t=-0.777, -0.048, -0.745, all at P>0.05). In two-time measurements of intra-observer, all ICC were ≥0.738 and showed good correlations (all at r≥0.739). The two measurements of inter-observer, showed good correlations (r≥0.662), with all ICC ≥0.657.Bland-Altman plots showed good agreements in CRAE and CRVE measurement with 95% limits of agreement(LoA) ranged from -18.5 μm to 17.3 μm and -9.8 μm to 9.6 μm in intraobserver, and from -19.3 μm to 20.0 μm and -10.2 μm to 9.0 μm in interobserver, respectively.

Conclusions
IVAN measurement software yields good repeatability and reproducibility in the quantitative measurement of retinal vascular caliber.

Key words:
Vascular caliber, retinal; Biometry; Repeatability; Reproducibility; IVAN software


This article presents a nonlinear site amplification model for ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs), using site period as site-effect proxy based on the measured shear-wave velocity profiles of selected KiK-net and K-NET sites in Japan. This model was derived using 1D equivalent-linear site-response analysis for a total of 516 measured soil-site shear-wave velocity profiles subjected to a total of 912 components of rock-site records. The modulus reduction and damping curves for each soil layer were assigned based on the soil-type description for a particular layer. The site period and site impedance ratio affect both the linear and nonlinear parts of this study, and were used as the site parameters in the 1D amplification model. A large impedance ratio enhances the amplification ratios when the site responds elastically and enhances the nonlinear response when the site develops a significant nonlinear response. The effects of moment magnitude and source distance on the linear part of the 1D amplification model were also incorporated in the model. To implement the 1D amplification model into GMPEs, a model adjustment is required to match the GMPE amplification ratio at weak motion and to retain the nonlinear amplification ratio at the strong motion of the 1D model. The two-step adjustment method by Zhao, Hu, et al. (2015) was adopted in this study with significant modifications. It is not possible to obtain a credible second-step adjustment parameter using the GMPEs dataset only. We proposed three methods for calculating the scale factors. Method 1 is a constant angle in a 30°–60° range for all spectral periods; method 2 was based on the GMPE dataset and 1-D model parameters; and method 3 was based on the strong-motion records used for the 1D site modeling. A simple second-step adjustment factor leads to smoothing amplification ratios and soil-site spectrum.


As a champion of May Fourth enlightenment and a critic of Chinese tradition, Lu Xun is less understood as a prescient critic of the myth of science and technological rationality. Walter Benjamin invoked the utopian reconciliation of humans and nature from premodern culture in critiques of modernity. Similarly, Lu Xun conjured up images of the ancient world where rural folks lived in reciprocity with nature, worshiped supernatural beings, and observed time-honored rituals. Lu Xun linked the myth of progress and technology to a destructive chorus of "malevolent voices" by a hypocritical gentry, a technocratic elite that sought power, status, and profit in the name of enlightenment and rationality. He proclaimed that it is urgent to "rid of ourselves of this hypocrite gentry; 'superstition' may remain." Invoking Benjamin's insight and affinity with Lu Xun, this article explores the Chinese writer's recovery of the mythical and ecological images from the past in the critique of modernity. Confronted with the fetishism of progress and technology in China's early modernization, Lu Xun sought to uncover and redeem primordial images from archaic traditions.


Abstract We describe a time series of meteorological parameters and surface energy balance components of a seasonal snow cover from an automatic weather station (4863 m a.s.l., 32.28° N, 77.58° E), for a winter season from 1 December 2012 to 30 March 2013, located on a moraine close to the equilibrium line altitude of Chhota Shigri glacier, Himachal Pradesh, India. The analysis shows that for over 80% of the time in winter, the snow surface was at a cooling phase. During late winter however, the surface had some positive residual energy which induced some melt during peak hours of the day. The net all-wave radiation was mostly negative during winter because of the high reflective property of snow and reduced incoming longwave radiation due to low cloud. The sensible heat flux heats the surface at night and enhances the cooling during day. The latent heat flux is always negative, showing that the surface is losing mass through sublimation processes (−0.83 mm w.e./day). A correlation between the energy fluxes and temperature shows a distinct relationship between fluxes. A comparison between the two studies performed on- and off-glacier reveals a significant difference in some parameters. A higher value (−1.08 mm/day) of sublimation rate at 4863 m a.s.l. shows that a large amount of energy available at the surface was used in sublimation processes. A comparatively lower albedo, relative humidity and net longwave radiation and higher latent heat flux, wind speed and net shortwave radiation yield a distinctive surface energy balance, highlighting the need for a large number of stations at different zones to achieve a coherent picture of energy balance in the region.


Renal cortical cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is restricted to the macula densa and adjacent cortical thick ascending limbs (MD/cTALH). Renal cortical COX-2 increases in response to diabetes and renal ablation, both of which are characterized by hyperfiltration and reduced NaCl delivery to the MD due to increased proximal NaCl reabsorption. High-protein intake also induces hyperfiltration and decreases NaCl delivery to the MD due to increased NaCl reabsorption proximally. We investigated whether high protein induces cortical COX-2 and whether cortical COX-2 contributes to high protein-induced hyperfiltration and increased intrarenal renin biosynthesis. Cortical COX-2 increased after protein loading but decreased after protein restriction. COX-2 inhibition attenuated high protein-induced hyperfiltration but had no effect on high protein-induced intrarenal renin elevation. Therefore, induction of cortical COX-2 contributed to high protein-induced hyperfiltration but not intrarenal renin elevation. In the kidney cortex, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is also localized to the MD, and interactions between intrarenal nNOS and COX-2 systems have been proposed. Cortical COX-2 elevation seen in salt restriction was blocked by nNOS inhibiton. Cortical nNOS expression also increased after protein loading, and inhibition of nNOS activity completely reversed high protein-induced cortical COX-2 elevation and hyperfiltration. These results indicate that NO is a mediator of high protein-induced cortical COX-2 elevation and suggest that both intrarenal nNOS and COX-2 systems appear to regulate afferent arteriolar tone and subsequent hyperfiltration seen in high-protein intake.


In this paper, current-mode filter using new active component, namely; current backward transconductance amplifier (CBTA) is presented. The proposed filter uses two resistors, two capacitors and only one CBTA. It has low active and passive sensitivities. The validity of the proposed circuit is demonstrated by PSPICE simulations and experimental results.


Environmental temperature is thought to be directly sensed by neurons through their projections in the skin. A subset of the mammalian transient receptor potential (TRP) family of ion channels has been implicated in this process. These "thermoTRPs" are activated at distinct temperature thresholds and are typically expressed in sensory neurons. TRPV3 is activated by heat (>33°C) and, unlike most thermoTRPs, is expressed in mouse keratinocytes. We found that TRPV3 null mice have strong deficits in responses to innocuous and noxious heat but not in other sensory modalities; hence, TRPV3 has a specific role in thermosensation. The natural compound camphor, which modulates sensations of warmth in humans, proved to be a specific activator of TRPV3. Camphor activated cultured primary keratinocytes but not sensory neurons, and this activity was abolished in TRPV3 null mice. Therefore, heat-activated receptors in keratinocytes are important for mammalian thermosensation.


Accurate genomic analyses are predicated on access to a large quantity of accurately genotyped and phenotyped animals. Because the cost of genotyping is often less than the cost of phenotyping, interest is increasing in generating genotypes for phenotyped animals. In some instances this may imply the requirement to genotype older animals with greater phenotypic information content. Biological material for these older informative animals may, however, no longer exist. The objective of the present study was to quantify the ability to impute 11 129 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes of non-genotyped animals (in this instance sires) from the genotypes of their progeny with or without including the genotypes of the progenys' dams (i.e. mates of the sire to be imputed). The impact on the accuracy of genotype imputation by including more progeny (and their dams') genotypes in the imputation reference population was also quantified. When genotypes of the dams were not available, genotypes of 41 sires with at least 15 genotyped progeny were used for the imputation; when genotypes of the dams were available, genotypes of 21 sires with at least 10 genotyped progeny were used for the imputation. Imputation was undertaken exploiting family and population level information. The mean and variability in the proportion of genotypes per individual that could not be imputed reduced as the number of progeny genotypes used per individual increased. Little improvement in the proportion of genotypes that could not be imputed was achieved once genotypes of seven progeny and their dams were used or genotypes of 11 progeny without their respective dam's genotypes were used. Mean imputation accuracy per individual (depicted by both concordance rates and correlation between true and imputed) increased with increasing progeny group size. Moreover, the range in mean imputation accuracy per individual reduced as more progeny genotypes were used in the imputation. If the genotype of the mate of the sire was also used, high accuracy of imputation (mean genotype concordance rate per individual of 0.988), with little additional benefit thereafter, was achieved with seven genotyped progeny. In the absence of genotypes on the dam, similar imputation accuracy could not be achieved even using genotypes on up to 15 progeny. Results therefore suggest, at least for the SNP density used in the present study, that it is possible to accurately impute the genotypes of a non-genotyped parent from the genotypes of its progeny and there is a benefit of also including the genotype of the sire's mate (i.e. dam of the progeny).


Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investing schemes which promises high rates of return with little risk to investors. The scheme has led to substantial amount of financial leakages in recent years. Despite warnings by the law enforcement agencies and various alerts by regulators, many have unfortunately fallen for such schemes. Hence, the current measures are limited in preventing the fraudulent schemes. Therefore, the present study aims to present key insights into the modus operandi, profiles of fraudsters and victims as well as prevention measures undertaken by regulators and law enforcement agency in Malaysia. This study employs a qualitative methodology involving semi-structured interviews and document reviews to collect data. Interviews with regulators, enforcers, and victims revealed that the emergence of digitally promoted modus operandi in recent years posed new challenges to both regulators and enforcers to detect and prevent Ponzi schemes. Additionally, education is the best approach to ensure effective preventive strategy which needs to be supported by a specific regulation on Ponzi scheme. With a new law, better enforcement could lead to more effective prevention of the fraud. Findings of this study is expected to provide recent evidence on Ponzi schemes and valuable insights for future development of preventive measures.


: A linear public good experiment has been employed to investigate strategic behaviour in pollution abatement among African climate decision-makers. The experiment consisted of three groups of which Group 1 did not receive any treatments, and Groups 2 and 3 received one and two treatments, respectively. We found that the untreated group (baseline) polluted more than the two treated groups, while there was no statistically significant difference between the pollution abatement of the two treated groups. The results suggest that public disclosure potentially drives pollution abatement and that its eventual withdrawal does not obliterate abatement behavior. We also find that pollution levels differ significantly between males and females. Furthermore, we learned that individuals who thought it was unfair for Africa to reduce emissions polluted more.


We study the superfluid density of the $\pm$s-wave state of the minimal two band model for the Fe-based superconductors and its evolution with impurity concentration. We show that the impurity scattering of the strong coupling limit induces the selfenergy of a generic form $Im \Sigma_{imp} (\omega) \approx i \gamma + i \beta \omega$ beyond a critical impurity concentration $\Gamma_{imp} > \Gamma_{crit}$. This form of $Im \Sigma_{imp} (\omega)$ causes the temperature dependence of the superfluid density $[\rho_{s}(T) - \rho_{s}(0)] \approx - \gamma T^2 -\beta T^3$. Combining with the full gap behavior of $\rho_{s}(T)$ for lower impurity concentration $\Gamma_{imp} < \Gamma_{crit}$, the $\pm$s-wave state produces a continuous evolution of $\Delta \lambda(T)$: exponentially flat $\to T^3 \to T^2$ with increasing impurity concentration that is consistent with the measurements of the Fe pnictide superconductors such as $M$-1111 ($M$=La,Nd,Sm,Pr) and Ba-122 with various dopings, except LaFePO which shows $\Delta \lambda(T) \propto T^{1.2}$ at low temperatures by recent experiment. Our results also demonstrate that the density of states (DOS) measured by thermodynamic properties and the DOS measured by transport properties can in general be different.


In 2005, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) lecturers formally
embarked on a bold yet challenging journey of Problem-based Learning (PBL).
Despite uncertainties of venturing into new territory they committed themselves
by attending training sessions both locally and abroad, conducting talks
with experts in the field, participating in module development workshops and
finally putting into practice what they have learned in their own classes for a
whole semester. This pilot project involved 30 academic staff who were selected
from six faculties and two academic centres. These participants were given
three training-of-trainers (TOT) and module development workshops before
they were asked to conduct PBL lesson in one of their classes for one semester
involving a total of 220 undergraduates who were selected using purposive
sampling. Findings reveal that not only did the students benefit in the content
area but also in generic skills such as leadership, analytical thinking, conflict
management and decision making. The students also said that despite the
greater amount of work, it was compensated by the significant amount of
knowledge, skills and positive values acquired without which they would
have been deprived if the teaching had been conducted using the conventional
way.


Our objective was to characterize the relationship between public housing residents' diet/exercise habits with similar behaviors among their social network. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected households in Baltimore, Maryland, from August 2014 to August 2015. Adult heads of household completed questions on diet, exercise, and perceived habits among network members. Our dependent variables were high added sugar intake (≥39.9 teaspoons/day), high fruit/vegetable intake (≥6.1 servings/day), and being physically active (≥moderately activity). Our network exposures were proportion of members perceived to daily consume (1) sugar-sweetened beverages, (2) sweets, (3) fruits, and (4) vegetables, as well as to weekly exercise (1) vigorously or (2) moderately. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine associations between habits with relevant network exposures. Our sample included 266 adults with mean age of 44.5 years, 86.1% women and 95.5% African American. We found a statistically significant association between study participants' high daily intake of added sugar with perceived network exposure to daily sugar-sweetened beverages (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.02, 1.20]) and daily sweets (OR = 1.10, 95% CI [1.02, 1.20]). Greater network exposure to weekly vigorous exercise was significantly associated with personally being physically active (OR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.04, 1.28]), but not network exposure to weekly moderate exercise. Among public housing residents, associations exist between individuals' and perceived networks' lifestyle habits of high added sugar foods consumption and vigorous exercise, which may hold promise for future social network interventions.


This is a position paper proposing the idea of separating research data from its presentation, or view. Today, researchers must not only produce the results of their research but must also think about how to present them. Moreover, in many cases, it is a matter of determining how well the results are displayed within the display format of a single paper. This has caused research results to be unnecessarily difficult to read and research to be unacceptable due to poor presentation. Therefore, we propose to allow separate creators of research data and creators of its display. This can lead to the following benefits: adoption of display formats for different purposes, utilization of buried data, improved reproducibility of studies, and gradual transition to better display formats.


Context. Cometary outgassing is induced by the sublimation of ices and the ejection of dust originating from the nucleus. Therefore measuring the composition and dynamics of the cometary gas provides information concerning the interior composition of the body. Nevertheless, the bulk composition differs from the coma composition, and numerical models are required to simulate the main physical processes induced by the illumination of the icy body.
Aims. The objectives of this study are to bring new constraints on the interior composition of the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P) by comparing the results of a thermophysical model applied to the nucleus of 67P and the coma measurements made by the Reflectron-type Time-Of-Flight (RTOF) mass spectrometer. This last is one of the three instruments of the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA), used during the Rosetta mission.
Methods. Using a thermophysical model of the comet nucleus, we studied the evolution of the stratigraphy (position of the sublimation and crystallisation fronts), the temperature of the surface and subsurface, and the dynamics and spatial distribution of the volatiles (H2O, CO2 and CO). We compared them with the in situ measurements from ROSINA/RTOF and an inverse coma model.
Results. We observed the evolution of the surface and near surface temperature, and the deepening of sublimation fronts. The thickness of the dust layer covering the surface strongly influences the H2O outgassing but not the more volatiles species. The CO outgassing is highly sensitive to the initial CO/H2O ratio, as well as to the presence of trapped CO in the amorphous ice.
Conclusions. The study of the influence of the initial parameters on the computed volatile fluxes and the comparison with ROSINA/RTOF measurements provide a range of values for an initial dust mantle thickness and a range of values for the volatile ratio. These imply the presence of trapped CO. Nevertheless, further studies are required to reproduce the strong change of behaviour observed in RTOF measurements between September 2014 and February 2015.


The prescribed surface curvature distribution blade design (CIRCLE) method can be used for the design of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) turbomachinery blade rows with continuous curvature and slope of curvature from leading edge (LE) stagnation point to trailing edge (TE) stagnation point and back to the LE stagnation point. This feature results in smooth surface pressure distribution airfoils with inherently good aerodynamic performance. In this paper the CIRCLE blade design method is modified for the design of 2D isolated airfoils. As an illustration of the capabilities of the method, it is applied to the redesign of two representative airfoils used in wind turbine blades: the Eppler 387 airfoil and the NREL S814 airfoil. Computational fluid dynamic analysis is used to investigate the design point and off-design performance of the original and modified airfoils, and compare with experiments on the original ones. The computed aerodynamic advantages of the modified airfoils are discussed. The surface pressure distributions, drag coefficients, and lift-to-drag coefficients of the original and redesigned airfoils are examined. It is concluded that the method can be used for the design of wind turbine blade geometries of superior aerodynamic performance. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4005969]


Verb tense and aspect in scene descriptions in a humanoid robot Carol J. Madden Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Lyon France St´ ephane Lall´ ee Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Lyon France Peter Ford Dominey Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Lyon France Abstract: The present research implements a more human-like system of language in a humanoid robot model through improved use of grammatical constructions in described events. The present demonstrations show how the iCub humanoid robot is taught to recognize and use verb tense and aspect more appropriately. While hearing spoken verbal descriptions and watching visual displays of simple events involving objects moving on a table, the iCub robot begins to link the correct grammatical constructions with the appropriate information from its visual inputs and perceptual primitives. Thus, when it views a scene, the iCub robot is more likely to use the correct linguistic constructions to accurately describe it. In this way, past events are accurately described in the past tense, whereas ongoing events are described in the present progressive. Experimental evidence shows increased accuracy of scene descriptions for the iCub humanoid robot after learning phases involving live human-robot interactions. Supported by FP7 CHRIS & Organic, and ANR Comprendre and Amorces.


During nonsevere fault conditions, the crowbar protection is not activated and the rotor windings of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) are still excited by the ac/dc/ac converter. In these cases, the dynamic response of a rotor-side converter (RSC) has a large influence on the fault current characteristics of the DFIG. In this paper, an analysis method for the fault current characteristics of the DFIG under nonsevere fault conditions is proposed. First, the dynamic response of the RSC is analyzed on condition that the external power control loop is shut down and the reference signals of the inner rotor current control loop are kept constant. Then, the simplified calculation models of the rotor fault current are established according to different design principles of the inner rotor current controller. Based on it, the fault characteristics of the stator current are studied and the analytical expressions of the stator fault current are obtained. Finally, digital simulation results validate the analytical results. The proposed analysis method is applicable for the study of fault current characteristics of DFIG with different control strategies for low-voltage ride through. The research results are helpful to the construction of adequate relaying protection for the power grid with penetration of DFIGs.


Abstract R Coronæ Borealis was found to be variable in the year 1783, and was one of the first variable stars to be so identified. Its class, the R Coronæ Borealis (RCB) stars, are rare hydrogen-deficient carbon-rich supergiants. RCB stars undergo massive declines of up to 8 mag due to the formation of carbon dust at irregular intervals. The mechanism of dust formation around RCB stars is not well understood, but the dust is thought to form in or near the atmosphere of the star. Their rarity may stem from the fact that they are in an extremely rapid phase of the evolution, or are in an evolutionary phase that most stars do not undergo. Several evolutionary models have been suggested to account for the RCB stars, including a merger of two white dwarfs (WDs) or a final helium-shell flash (FF) in a PN central star. The large overabundance of 18O found in most of the RCB stars favours the WD merger model, while the presence of Li in the atmospheres of five RCB stars favours the FF one. In particular, the measured isotopic abundances imply that many, if not most, RCB stars are produced by WD mergers, which may be the low-mass counterparts of the more massive mergers thought to produce type Ia supernovæ. Understanding these enigmatic stars depends to a large extent on continuous monitoring to catch their irregular but rapid variations caused by dust formation, their variations due to stellar pulsations, and long-term changes that may occur over centuries. I will use observations of R Coronæ Borealis obtained over 200 years to demonstrate what kinds of monitoring are necessary for these and similar classes of variables.


The paper deals with rotor-field-oriented vector control structures for the induction motor drives fed by the so-called tandem frequency converter. It is composed of two different types of DC-link converters connected in parallel arrangement. The larger-power one has current-source character and is operating synchronized in time and in amplitude with the stator currents. The other one has voltage-source character and it is the actuator of the motor control system. The drive is able to run also with partialfailed tandem converter, if the control strategy corresponds to the actual operating mode. A reconfigurable hardware implemented in configurable logic cells ensures the changing of the vector-control structure. The proposed control schemes were tested by simulation based on Matlab-Simulink model.


The methanolic crude extract of Lagerstroemia speciosa roots was investigated for its possible analgesic and anti-diarrhoeal activities in experimental animal model. Phytochemical screening of the methanolic extract of L. speciosa roots showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and reducing sugar. In acute toxicity study, no mortality or toxic reaction was recorded in animal model after administration of the L. speciosa roots extract. Analgesic activity was evaluated by using acetic acid induced writhing inhibition method in Swiss albino mice. In peripheral method of anti-nociception, the methanolic crude extract of L. speciosa roots showed significant analgesic activity. At the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, the extract produced 35.38% and 53.85% (P<0.001) of writhing inhibition, respectively compared to standard diclofenac sodium (70.77% inhibition). The extract had also anti-diarrhoeal activity in castor oil induced method and inhibited the mean number of defecation by 32.75% (P<0.01) and 51.72 % (P<0.001) at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The latent period for the extract treated group also increased significantly. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujps.v13i1.21860 Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 13(1): 57-62, 2014 (June)


Based on material from the area of Rafsanjan, Central Iran (P.? iranica Bucur et al.), and southeastern France (type-species P. fragilis Conrad), the genus Pseudoactinoporella Conrad is revisedwith respect to thallusmorphology and suprageneric classification. Reported as possessing a cylindrical or presumably club-shaped thallus, Pseudoactinoporella was assigned to the tribe Salpingoporellinae. In fact, P.? iranica represents a species displaying a capitulum-shaped, stalked thallus whose original description refered to the stalk only. The stalk of P.? iranica shows a spinose aspect due to individualized laterals and is well calcified. The "head" (capitulum) only preserves a thin wall displaying a pattern of cup-like depressions each with a central pore communicating with the fully cemented interior and interpreted as a cortex. P. fragilis is typically presented by trumpet-shaped fragments belonging to the stalk and the transition to the unpreserved (eroded? uncalcified?) "head". For both species, a goniosporate reproduction type (= ampullae disposed laterally along the ramifications) is assumed herein. Due to these characteristics, it appears reasonable to leave apart the generic uncertainty of P. iranica as expressed in the original description. Consequently, Pseudoactinoporella is removed from the Salpingoporellinae and assigned to the family Bornetellaceae and the tribe Bornetelleae.


Ten years into Quadriserv's life, Greg DePetris and his company were at a crossroads. Perhaps more so than any of Greg's previous ventures, Quadriserv represented a move into an established marketplace with strong and entrenched incumbents. Greg had a tested record of start-ups in the trading and financial sectors, but the difference in this case was that Quadriserv would be taking on some of the oldest and most venerable firms in U.S. finance. Quadriserv's goal was a bold one: to revolutionize the equity securities lending market. While the potential payoff was large, the downside risk was not lost on Greg and the firm's other principals. Further, the current moment represented an important decision point for the firm.


The study investigated the extent of commercialisation of the grown Nigeria-Canada indigenous vegetables among participating women in the study area as well as its impact on women's economic empowerment. These were with a view to providing information on the extent to which commercialisation of the Nigeria-Canada indigenous vegetables could improve women's economic empowerment. The study used primary data. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 300 project women for the study from three out of the four states where the project took place between 2011 and 2014 using a simple random technique. This implied that the participants were selected from 15 Local Government Areas and 30 communities were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Ten participants were selected from each community using a convenience sampling technique. An adapted instrument titled "Questionnaire on NICANVEG Project and Economic Empowerment of Women (QNEEW)" was used to collect data from the participants. Data collected were analysed using percentages, relative significant index, Pearson Product Moment correlation formular and multiple regressions. The results showed that 89.7% of the women highly participated in the NICANVEG project. The result further showed that the extent of commercialisation of the vegetables among women were 78.0%, 13.7% and 8.3% for full, semi and subsistence commercialisation respectively. Moreover, the result showed that the prominent challenges being faced by the women vegetables farmers were expensive farm equipment ( 3.57, RSI = 0.719), the untimely fund ( = 3.53 RSI = 0.711) and poor market prices of vegetables ( = 3.32, RSI = 0.666). Furthermore, the result revealed a significant positive correlation between NICANVEG project and the economic empowerment of women (r = .490, p <.05). Finally, it showed that there was a significant relationship between the extent of commercialisation and women economic empowerment in the study areas (R2 = .48.3, Adj R2 = .478, f = 94.666, p <.05). It was concluded that commercialisation of under-utilised indigenous vegetables greatly impacted the economic empowerment of the participating women in Southwestern Nigeria.


Background: Tuberculosis remains a worldwide public health hazard even today. To diagnose tuberculosis in exudative pleural effusion still remains a challenge. Tests such as Tuberculin test, direct AFB demonstration by microscope, Acid Fast Bacili (AFB) culture and PCR have low sensitivity in pleural effusion. In a poor state like Bihar (India) a panel of investigations is not possible for the patient. Aim: The aim of this study is to diagnose tuberculous pleural effusion by estimating Adenosine Deaminase in the pleural effusion fluid that is both cost-effective and sensitive. Setting and Design: 100 cases of pleural effusion were studied in Patna Medical College and ADA values were estimated. For tuberculosis, the cut-off value was taken as 40U/L at 37°C. Statistical analysis: The sensitivity and specificity of ADA were 97.05% and 95.83% respectively. Material and Method: Alongwith physical, chemical and microscopical examination of pleural fluid, culture for AFB was also done and ADA was estimated by Galanti and Giusti's colorimetric method. Results: ADA is highly sensitive and specific and its value is significant in detection of tuberculous pleural effusion. Conclusion: ADA is a useful method to diagnose tuberculous pleural effusion among the people in a developing state like Bihar.


Familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD) associated with LMNA gene mutations is a rare form of lipodystrophy disorder characterized by partial absence of subcutaneous adipose tissue and metabolic complications. Recently, this peculiar phenotype has been associated to cardiac disease or to atypical progeroid syndrome (APS). We present a case of 31-year-old woman with progeria features, partial lipodystrophy, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis. Genetic analysis revealed a missense heterozygous LMNA mutation c.1045 C > T, p. (Arg349Trp) that established APS diagnosis with FPLD, so far studied and described in only 10 patients worldwide. The patient was initially treated with metformin, fenofibrate, omega-3 and low carb and low fat diet; later, liraglutide (a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 analog, GLP-1) therapy was added and follow-up was arranged. During the initial follow-up we observed a significant improvement in metabolic and anthropometric conditions, body composition, liver volume and distribution of fat mass with a reduction of visceral fat. However, with disease progression, the patient's lipid profile worsened, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and peripheral neuropathy developed. This case highlights the clinical signs and the progression of this rare lipodystrophy disorder and propose an innovative therapeutic approach to manage the disease.


The control of discrete systems with time-varying delays has been researched extensively in the last few decades. Especially in recent years there are increasing interests in discrete-time systems with delays due to the emerging fields of networked control and network congestion control (Altman & Basar 1999; Sichitiu et al., 2003; Boukas & Liu 2001). Stability problem for linear discrete-time systems with time-delays has been studied in (Kim & Park 1999; Song & Kim 1998; Mukaidani et al., 2005; Chang et al., 2004; Gao et al., 2004). These results are divided into delay-independent and delay-dependent conditions. The delayindependent conditions are more restrictive than delay-dependent conditions. In general, for discrete-time systems with delays, one might tend to consider augmenting the system and convert a delay problem into a delay-free problem (Song & Kim 1998; Mukaidani et al.,2005). The guaranteed cost control problem for a class of uncertain linear discrete-time systems with both state and input delays has been considered in (Chen et al., 2004). Recently, in (Boukas, 2006) new LMI-based delay-dependent sufficient conditions for stability have been developed for linear discrete-time systems with time varying delay in the state. In these papers above the time-varying delay of discrete systems is assumed to be unique in state variables. On the other hand, in practice there always exist multiple time-varying delays in state variables, especially in network congestion control. Control problems of linear continuoustime systems with multiple time-varying delays have been studied in (Xu 1997). Quadratic stabilization for a class of multi-time-delay discrete systems with norm-bounded uncertainties has been studied in (Shi et al., 2009). To the best of author's knowledge, stabilization problem of linear discrete systems has not been fully investigated for the case of multiple time-varying delays in state, and this will be the subject of this paper. This paper address stabilization problem of linear discrete-time systems with multiple time-varying delays by a memoryless state feedback. First, stability analysis conditions of these systems are given in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) by a Lyapunov function approach. It provides an efficient numerical method to analyze stability conditions. Second, based on the LMIs formulation, sufficient conditions of stabilization problem are derived by a memoryless state feedback. Meanwhile, robust


The huge manufacturing and installations costs, together with the adverse impact of the mooring systems and structures on the environment, flora and fauna have become one of the major constraints for the application of many marine technologies. An innovative mooring system coupled to an open centre turbine has been developed, adopting a full floating concept, which allows a kite like connection between the turbine and the coast. Replacing the huge underwater mooring structures with such kite flying system dramatically reduces the environmental impact and effects, meanwhile the lightweight open centre turbine coupled to this mooring system, assures a self‐adaptive optimal orientation, achieving a new equilibrium arrangement at given depth and distance to the coast, following only the fluid dynamics rules. In addition, the synergy between the two machine components makes also suitable the adoption of low aspect ratio blades, characterized by lower specific loads, and leads to a reduction of the manufacturing cost. To optimize the kite concept, the connecting rope has been replaced with heavy and light nodes connected by tubular elements, where the light ones accommodate the deflectors to increase the lateral force responsible of the machine positioning, facilitating the machine transients, and manoeuvring and leading to improve the output reliability, reducing also the mooring line length. A case study shows that a 12 m diameter open centre turbine with the new mooring line produces, at Messina Strait site (Italy), an output of 362 MWh/year, 17.5% higher than, at same operating conditions, a classic 3 blades turbine moored on the seabed. It confirms the high suitability of this solution for marine purposes.


In this work we present a methodology to detect rare events which are defined as large price movements relative to the volume traded. We analyze the behavior of equity after the detection of these rare events. We provide methods to calibrate trading rules based on the detection of these events and illustrate for a particular trading rule. We apply the methodology to tick data for thousands of equities over a period of five days. In order to draw comprehensive conclusions, we group the equities into classes and calculate probabilities of price recovery after these rare events for each class. The methodology that we have developed is based on non-parametric statistics and makes no assumption about the distribution of the random variables in the study.


The Clair discovery lies 75 km west of the Shetlands, and comprises an elongate ridge of Lewisian basement and an associated roll-over of variable quality Devonian–Carboniferous continental red beds. Clair was discovered in 1977, when 206/8-1A tested 25° API oil at 1500 BOPD from the red beds at the crest of the roll-over. Well 206/7-1 followed, producing 960 BOPD from fractured basement on the ridge. Ten further wells drilled between 1977 and 1985 indicated an oil in place measurable in billions of barrels, but test results were disappointing. The success of the discovery well was never repeated and commercial test production rates were never achieved. In 1990, the companies with licence interests over Clair agreed to pool their resources and expertise and collaborate in a joint appraisal programme. A series of reservoir studies quantified the importance of different fracture types to productivity and predicted that the right combination of fractures and matrix could yield much higher flow rates than had previously been achieved. A 3D seismic survey over the central area of the discovery led to a significant improvement in understanding and visualization of the structure. Two joint appraisal wells were drilled in 1991. The first, a horizontal well in fractured basement, tested at 2100 BOPD after acid wash stimulation. The second well tested the red beds on the flank of the roll-over and achieved sustained flow rates of over 3000 BOPD from two zones (one of which had been hydraulically fractured) with a significant contribution from previously unidentified open natural fractures. The orientation of these open fractures suggests they are related to a late Cretaceous episode of faulting. Two further appraisal wells and an extension to the 3D seismic coverage are planned for 1992. There are still many uncertainties associated with Clair, but the 1991 wells have finally demonstrated that significant and potentially commercial flow rates are achievable. The behavioural change associated with the joint approach has been the catalyst for the success of this new initiative on Clair.


We apply a two-port, lumped-element birefringence model to single-mode fiber couplers. By application of twist and compression to output leads, the effects of circular and linear birefringence can be essentially eliminated. Resulting output polarization states are linear and unrotated for any linear inputs in both splitters and combiners. Compensation stability is investigated.


This study was aimed to analysis phylogenetic tree of the gene cpn60 in Acinetobacter baumannii that was identified in Baghdad. Study included collection two hundred specimens (fifty from UTI, fifty from wound infection , fifty from respiratory tract infection and fifty from otitis infections) . In primary laboratory diagnosis and confirmed by using VITEK- 2 Compact system, twenty isolates of this bacterium were indentified (10%) from total specimens. Extraction of geneteic material to detect target gene by amplification this target gene. DNA sequencing of all isolates was done. Then alignment of sequencing in NCBI and draw phylogenetic tree by use Geneious 9 software among sequence of locally isolates . The results in phylogenetic tree of cpn60 gene in locally isolates showed 4 groups of isolates different with difference source of isolation. Then phylogenetic tree for locally isolates and high identity global isolates in gene bank was drew and its results showed 12 locally isolates not identity with standard isolates. So, chosen isolate (AE_29) isolate from these 12 isolates and documented in national GenBank as anew isolate under accession number (LOCUS KY818056 ) of nucleotides sequence and protein ID "ARV90994.1" .


In this study, the formation of two toxic reactive aldehydes, 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), was investigated during frying of two different foodstuffs at 180 °C for 7 h in three different vegetable oils. The results showed that HHE and HNE content in the oil after frying was lower than that in the oil fried without foods. It was mainly because of the incorporation of HHE/HNE into the fried foods. In French Fries (FF), the HNE content was higher, whereas it was lower in the fried chicken breast meat (FCBM). The bidirectional model systems consisting of the model oil frying system and the model food frying system were used. The result of the model oil system showed that the content of HNE was higher in FF for the higher hydrophobic property than that in HHE, which would be preferably bounded into the hydrophobic helical structures, whereas the lower content of HNE was observed in FCBM due to its higher reactivity towards the nucleophilic group, namely, the protein in FCBM. Furthermore, the model food frying system including starch and protein extracted from the corresponding foodstuffs verified the results in the model oil system. Finally, the probable migration mechanism of HHE and HNE in different food matrices was proposed for the first time.


One of the promises of adopting a service-oriented approach in organizations is the potential cost savings that result from the reuse of existing services. A service registry is one of the fundamental pieces of service- oriented architecture (SOA) for achieving reuse. It refers to a place in which service providers can impart information about their offered services and potential clients can search for services. In this article, we provide advice for implementing an enterprise-wide service registry. We also discuss open issues in industry and academia that affect the management of service- repository information.