Internet-enabled Mobile devices are increasingly used for enhancing the learning experience particularly for language learning. They can be exploited to allow learners to access and interact with multimedia learning resources from anywhere and at any time while offering an enhanced user experience. There are many systems for English learning such as SpellingCity.com. However there aren't many such mobile learning tools for Arabic. In this context, this paper addresses the need to leverage mobile-supported learning to ease learning Arabic. We report the experience of designing and developing a multimedia m-Learning platform (named ArabicTutor) for interactive learning of Arabic spelling and vocabulary. It uses interactive game-like delivery methods to acquire new linguistic skills in playful manner using the capabilities of modern mobile devices with multitouch technologies. The proposed platform provides an environment of authoring Arabic learning content and delivering it to the end-users in interactive, intuitive and enjoyable way. The learning content is organized into packages that contain a list of word, the different meanings of words with example sentences and multimedia illustrations. The package also contains other related linguistic and morphological information such as parts of speech of example sentences and their diacritization.


The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 raised major concerns about the vulnerability of global transportation systems to transnational crime and terrorism. Although the attacks occurred in the context of passenger transport, they spurred unprecedented academic research on supply chain security (SCS). Alas, today, more than a decade later, theoretical underpinnings of the SCS discipline remain weak. First, the extant SCS literature offers only a cursory and ambiguous view on the risks that SCS management addresses. Second, the academic research offers little evidence of how security solutions affect security and logistics performance. Due to the scarce and conflicting scientific evidence, managers and authorities are having a difficult time securing the supply chain without disrupting trade and logistics operations. This thesis comprises three research phases that seek to address the two crucial weaknesses of the current academic knowledge. The first phase intends to identify and characterize risks that the SCS management addresses and capture them under a unified theoretical frame – a taxonomy of supply chain crimes. The taxonomy results from a study of managerial descriptions of crime problems that occur or could occur in the supply chain context. The second phase aims at producing a research agenda and at isolating principles for logistics-friendly design of security systems through a synthesis of peer-reviewed academic SCS literature. The synthesis is done using the so-called systematic literature review technique, which follows a prescribed and transparent protocol devised to reduce researcher bias and increase transparency of the review process. The third research phase describes the international postal service from the perspective of Swiss Post, putting a special emphasis on postal security management and law enforcement. The later case study analysis tests validity of the supply chain crime taxonomy and aims to generate evidence-based concepts for improving the postal security management. Research findings imply that supply chain crime problems are numerous and diverse, most important being cargo theft, smuggling, and cyber crime. Despite the variety, however, the crime problems collapse into three main taxonomic classes when categorized by the way criminals interact with the supply chain: 1) by taking assets out of the supply chain, 2) by introducing unauthorized goods into the supply chain, and 3) by directly attacking the supply chain. Besides, the criminals commonly resort to a range of facilitating crimes to carry out crimes of the main taxonomic classes. The literature synthesis found that the SCS discipline has attracted cross-disciplinary and steadily growing academic interest over the past decade. The synthesis also suggested that although there are no universal optimal rules for the SCS management, there are certain design principles that should be considered when SCS management decisions are made. The case study evidence revealed that postal security management comprises multiple domains, each having distinctive goals and employing different security solutions. Except for the airmail domain, the number and stringency of existing postal security controls seem low, though proportional to the current terrorist and crime threats. Application of the design principles into the case study context identified a set of promising concepts for improving the postal security management. [...]


Picroliv, a standardised fraction from root and rhizome of PICRORHIZA KURROA, consisting of iridoid glycosides and shown to be responsible for its hepatoprotective activity, was studied for immunostimulant activity. Oral administration of Picroliv (10 mg/kg x 7 days) in mice prior to immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) resulted in a significant increase in haemagglutinating antibody (HA) titre, plaque forming cells (PFC), and delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) response to SRBC. Picroliv enhanced the non-specific immune response characterized by an increase in macrophage migration index (MMI), [ (14)C]-glucosamine uptake, phagocytosis of [ (14)C]-leucine labelled ESCHERICHIA COLI, chemiluminescence of peritoneal macrophages, and higher uptake of [ (3)H]-thymidine in the lymphocytes of treated mice. It also induced a high degree of protection in golden hamsters against challenge infection with LEISHMANIA DONOVANI promastigotes.


Generic programming has turned out very useful in the development of reusable software. With the Java programming language, genericity is not only meant for reusability, but also for type-safety. Java generics constrain a container object (e.g., list, hash table) to store objects of a pre-specified data type. Nevertheless, safe programming with aliasing (multiple pointers in a program may point to the same object) is still a concern in object-oriented programming language research. A pointing object can mutate the state of the aliased object, reflecting the changes to all of the other pointers (aka aliases) thus affecting their behaviour. As programs grow larger and more complex, such changes in behaviour can be undesirable and difficult to detect and reason about. With respect to container objects, the iterator pattern critically violates encapsulation, allowing aliases to the state (and thereof the components) of its container.  Object ownership is one of the well-researched paradigms in the area of alias management. Ownership types support hierarchical object encapsulation rather than the traditional class-level encapsulation. This thesis introduces an extension of Java 6 with support for ownership types as supplementary generic types. That is, Java generics are extended with the ability of carrying ownership information. This extension provides generic ownership support for all of Java; that is, all major language features are addressed so that programs can safely manage and express their aliasing properties. The resulting language is expressive enough to support common programming idioms, with little programming and runtime overhead. We evaluated the programmability of the language by refactoring a major (the most essential) portion of the Java Collections Framework. We also evaluated the performance impact of our refactoring by conducting a small micro-benchmark study to measure the performance time overhead the refactored collections may impose.


In this paper a novel coded multi-dimensional spreading technique using the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is introduced. It exploits the DFT characteristic of spreading one symbol in one domain to all the symbols in the corresponding transform domain. Frequency domain channel estimation is performed at the receiver. The performance of a coded twodimensional (2D) DFT spreading communication system is investigated and simulation results are presented, using first a 2D DFT time-frequency system and then a 2D DFT space-frequency system. The proposed 2D DFT system shows good immunity to narrowband interference and impulse noise and exhibits a significant performance improvement when compared with a coded conventional OFDM system of equivalent size.


Chitinase (ChiC) of Streptomyces peucetius produced as a precursor protein undergoes proteolytic cleavage to yield a 42 kDa protein. Specific activity and cellular location of the proteolytic cleavage is however unknown. In order to decipher the functional characteristics of the precursor, we amplified the coding region of chiC using polymerase chain reaction and cloned the chiC gene with its signal peptide in an E. coli expression vector pQE-30. Upon induction with IPTG, a protein of 66 kDa could be seen and this matched the theoretical molecular weight of full length ChiC chitinase precursor. The expressed protein was found localized in inclusion bodies, thus purification was performed under denaturing conditions using Ni-affinity chromatography. 66 kDa ChiC precursor protein purified under denaturing conditions was refolded to yield an active enzyme. Enzymatic activities of the precursor and secreted form were compared. Western analysis of the S. peucetius intracellular and secreted proteins identified the location of proteolytic cleavage. * Corresponding author KEYWORDS


Background: Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), as well as other chronic degenerative diseases, has been growing around the world. In this context, physical exercise is presented as a non-pharmacological strategy both in the treatment and in the prevention of this disease. Although pressure responses to strength and aerobic exercise are vast in the literature, in high-intensity multimodal exercises they are very scarce. Objectives: To develop a study protocol on the acute effects of blood pressure after a high-intensity multimodal training session in adult hypertensive individuals through a randomized crossover clinical trial. Methods: This is a controlled crossover clinical trial to evaluate the acute responses of blood pressure after a multimodal training session in hypertensive patients. 20 hypertensive adults will be recruited, who, after inclusion in the study, will perform 02 protocols with an interval of 07 days, one session of high-intensity multimodal exercises, and a control session (without exercises). Blood pressure (BP) will be measured before, immediately after, and for 60 minutes after carrying out the protocols. Results: The designed intervention is expected to provide additional information on the behavior of (BP) hypertensive individuals in the practice of multimodal exercises.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the costs and effectiveness associated with no screening, Helicobacter pylori serology screening, and the 13C-urea breath test (UBT) for gastric cancer in the Chinese population. Methods: A Markov model simulation was carried out in Singaporean Chinese at 40 years of age (n = 478,500) from the perspective of public healthcare providers. The main outcome measures were costs, number of gastric cancer cases prevented, life-years saved, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained from the screening age to death, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), which were compared among the three strategies. The uncertainty surrounding ICERs was addressed by scenario analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulation. Results: The ICER of serology screening versus no screening was $25,881 per QALY gained (95 percent confidence interval (95 percent CI), $5,700 to $120,000). The ICER of UBT versus no screening was $53,602 per QALY gained (95 percent CI, $16,000 to $230,000). ICER of UBT versus serology screening was $470,000 per QALY gained, for which almost all random samples of the ICERs distributed above $50,000 per QALY. Conclusions: It cannot be confidently concluded that either H pylori screening was a cost-effective strategy compared with no screening in all Chinese at the age of 40 years. Nevertheless, serology screening has demonstrated much more potential to be a cost-effective strategy, especially in the population with higher gastric cancer prevalence.


SOS2, a class 3 sucrose-nonfermenting 1-related kinase, has emerged as an important mediator of salt stress response and stress signaling through its interactions with proteins involved in membrane transport and in regulation of stress responses. We have identified additional SOS2-interacting proteins that suggest a connection between SOS2 and reactive oxygen signaling. SOS2 was found to interact with the H2O2 signaling protein nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NDPK2) and to inhibit its autophosphorylation activity. A sos2-2 ndpk2 double mutant was more salt sensitive than a sos2-2 single mutant, suggesting that NDPK2 and H2O2 are involved in salt resistance. However, the double mutant did not hyperaccumulate H2O2 in response to salt stress, suggesting that it is altered signaling rather than H2O2 toxicity alone that is responsible for the increased salt sensitivity of the sos2-2 ndpk2 double mutant. SOS2 was also found to interact with catalase 2 (CAT2) and CAT3, further connecting SOS2 to H2O2 metabolism and signaling. The interaction of SOS2 with both NDPK2 and CATs reveals a point of cross talk between salt stress response and other signaling factors including H2O2.


Fossil fuel is the types of non-renewable natural resources. Provide that, rate of consumption fossil fuel is increasing every years. To make sure the rate of dependence hundred percent on uses of fossil fuel will reduce in human life, rubber seed oil (RSO) is seeing as good of alternative in context of biodiesel fuel. The purpose this review is to evaluate the potential of rubber seed oil as replacement or as substance that can mix with diesel fuel to increase the impact of human life. This review is focusing on the processing of production biodiesel from RSO and evaluate the beneficial of RSO. In addition, it also review the challenges on uses of RSO as biodiesel in Malaysia. The process of RSO is started where the rubber seed that collected from field needed to separate the kernels from shells using the cracking machine and produce the oil through oil extraction. During the trans-esterification process, RSO need use the acid and base/alkali catalyzed to reduce the higher FFA content and separate methyl ester from the water content using methanol. After that, the oil must pass through the filtering process to remove impurities and lastly, oil will dry through drying process before saving in the tank. The RSO actually give beneficial on environmental impact and human life because this types of biodiesel is a 'greener' energy where it is nontoxic, better quality exhaust gases, biodegradability and renewability of resources. However, application RSO as biodiesel have challenges because Malaysia facing problem to get new technology for production biodiesel diesel from RSO in large scales. As a conclusion, RSO have bigger potential to produce biodiesel fuel and this review support the fact that the oil from rubber seed can become as one of alternative to overcome the problem is searching the sources from no edible vegetable oils.


High‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can be used to destroy tissue in vivo; recent applications of this modality to the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) have met with significant success. The lesions formed by focused ultrasound can be induced by both thermal and mechanical (cavitation) mechanisms. However, the relative contributions of these two mechanisms, under varied HIFU parameters, are often difficult to ascertain. Descriptions are presented of some simple experiments designed to elucidate the relative roles of cavitation and thermal effects in specific tissues; these tests were undertaken in turkey breast tissues, but seem to correlate well with previous in vivo experiments in dogs and humans. The experiments indicate that cavitation, once induced, tends to shorten and broaden the thermally induced lesions, suggesting that the presence of free gas generated by the cavitation blocks passage of the ultrasound.


Rapeseed ( Brassica napus L. var. oleifera) is an oleaginous species of the Brassicaceae fam-ily, being the third most produced oleaginous in the world. Rapeseed can produce fruits and seeds from both self-pollination and cross-pollination. However, cross-pollination rate is approximately 30% and may suffer variations due to the abundance and diversity of pollinator insects, cultivar and meteorological conditions. Different researchers have reported that pollination by insects, especially Apis mellifera honeybee, on rapeseed flow ers provides an increase in productivity, improving yield and contributing to the unifor- mity and initial pod establishment. It is estimated that the economic value of A. mellifera honeybees for rapeseed cultivation in Brazil is US$ 8.2 million. The objective of this chap- ter is gathering data for a compilation of information regarding rapeseed culture and the importance of A. mellifera in Brassica napus pollination.


Proper signal conditioning is crucial for reliable Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) navigation. Signal conditioning includes correcting receiver front-end distortions, shaping noise, removing interferences, and altering the received signal. The high-rate DFT-based data manipulator (HDDM) is a versatile signal processing architecture based on the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). In this article, the HDDM is theoretically modeled, analyzed, and evaluated. Some applications are presented, including interference mitigation, spectrum reconstruction, overlay signal design, altering signal modulations, and signal equalization. Additionally, the complexity of one concrete hardware implementation is investigated. The HDDM has shown excellent results with interference mitigation, and it can simultaneously achieve other signal conditioning tasks. Processing several tasks with the same nested architecture provides a significant processing benefit compared to discrete processing architectures. It emphasizes the benefits of a single architecture to simultaneously address several signal condition tasks, as opposed to separate structures requiring significantly more processing or poorer synergy.


In order to make a more effective use of resources in the Netherlands, the Dutch Government created Plastic Heroes, a national program for collection and recycling of plastic packaging that focuses on avoiding plastic to get lost in the chain (Rijksoverheid, 2016). The program differs from other plastic recycling schemes because it is financed by the packaging industry (Plastic Heroes, 2017a), which indirectly incentives the manufacturers to optimise plastic packaging as they pay taxes according to the weight of packages commercialised.
In Amsterdam, Plastic Heroes was fully implemented in 2013 but after two years of operation, the seven districts of the city had different results from the project. The best results were found in Zuid, where 11% of plastic packaging was recycled, while in Zuidoost only 2%, the worst scenario among all districts (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2015). Therefore, this research intended to explain the factors that led Zuid and Zuidoost to have such different results for the same program.
The research strategy used was case study, which describes and explains the problem in a real-life context, usually by combining qualitative and quantitative data. In this research, data was collected through secondary sources, observations, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Through the literature review, three main concepts were investigated regarding their influence in pro-environmental behaviour: psychological factors, awareness of circular economy and situational factors. Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, nationality, migration background, education level and income were also included as control variables.
The psychological factors were based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, which involves three variables: attitude towards the behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. Awareness of circular economy was examined based on the understanding of the concept. Additionally, situational factors were analysed by the infrastructure provision and information about the program.
The statistical analysis was based on independent t-tests and binary logistic regressions. The former was used to compare the means of Zuid and Zuidoost, from which the variables age, gender, migration background, income, education and understanding of circular economy were the only significant ones. The latter was useful to investigate what variables were significantly predicting recycling of plastic packaging and explaining differences between the two settlements. From all models analysed, the only variables that were found to be positively influencing in the behaviour were having Dutch background, being female and being well-informed about the program. Education was also significant, however, there was a negative relationship between having primary education and recycling plastic packaging with Plastic Heroes.
Several recommendations were made addressing new ways of improving the program in the context of Zuid and Zuidoost. It was suggested for the municipality to develop new communication tools such as using social media. It could also be effective to update and improve the already existing information in the website and in the containers. Additionally, it was recommended to engage community centres in raising awareness.


Abstract. Observations of aerosol and trace gases in the remote troposphere are vital to
quantify background concentrations and identify long-term trends in atmospheric
composition on large spatial scales.
Measurements made at high altitude are often used to study free-tropospheric
air; however such high-altitude sites can be influenced by boundary layer air
masses.
Thus, accurate information on air mass origin and transport pathways to high-altitude sites is required.
Here we present a new method, based on the source–receptor relationship (SRR)
obtained from backwards WRF-FLEXPART simulations and a k-means clustering
approach, to identify source regions of air masses arriving at measurement
sites.
Our method is tailored to areas of complex terrain and to stations influenced
by both local and long-range sources.
We have applied this method to the Chacaltaya (CHC) GAW station (5240 m a.s.l.;
16.35∘ S, 68.13∘ W) for the 6-month duration of the "Southern Hemisphere high-altitude experiment on particle nucleation and growth" (SALTENA) to identify
where sampled air masses originate and to quantify the influence of the surface
and the free troposphere.
A key aspect of our method is that it is probabilistic, and for each observation
time, more than one air mass (cluster) can influence the station, and the
percentage influence of each air mass can be quantified.
This is in contrast to binary methods, which label each observation time as
influenced by either boundary layer or free-troposphere air masses.
Air sampled at CHC is a mix of different provenance.
We find that on average 9 % of the air, at any given observation time,
has been in contact with the surface within 4 d prior to arriving at CHC.
Furthermore, 24 % of the air has been located within the first 1.5 km above ground level (surface included).
Consequently, 76 % of the air sampled at CHC originates from the free troposphere.
However, pure free-tropospheric influences are rare, and often samples are
concurrently influenced by both boundary layer and free-tropospheric air
masses.
A clear diurnal cycle is present, with very few air masses that have been in
contact with the surface being detected at night.
The 6-month analysis also shows that the most dominant air mass (cluster)
originates in the Amazon and is responsible for 29 % of the sampled air.
Furthermore, short-range clusters (origins within 100 km of CHC) have high
temporal frequency modulated by local meteorology driven by the diurnal cycle,
whereas the mid- and long-range clusters' (>200 km) variability occurs on
timescales governed by synoptic-scale dynamics.
To verify the reliability of our method, in situ sulfate observations from CHC
are combined with the SRR clusters to correctly identify the (pre-known) source
of the sulfate: the Sabancaya volcano located 400 km north-west from the
station.


Let C (X) denote the ring of all real-valued continuous functions on a topological space X, and mX its space of minimal prime ideals with the hull-kernel topology. It has a base consisting of clopen sets and which contains the closure of the union of any sequence of its members. In the paper Spaces with a pretty base ( J. Pure and Appl. Algebra 70 (1991), 81-87), spaces with a base with these properties are studied and are shown to have almost all of the known properties of the space mX including the fact that if it is a weakly Lindel¨ of space, then it is basically disconnected. In the present paper, analogous results are derived in a pointfree context in which topological spaces are replaced by frames. In some cases, we are able to obtain more general results with simpler proofs.


Macroalgae (or seaweeds) are the dominant primary producers in marine vegetated coastal habitats and largely contribute to global ocean carbon fluxes. They also represent attractive renewable production platforms for biofuels, food, feed, and bioactives, notably due to their diverse and peculiar polysaccharides and carbohydrates. Among seaweeds, brown algae produce alginates and sulfated fucans as constituents of their cell wall, and the photoassimilates laminarin and mannitol for carbon storage. Availability of brown algal genomes, including those of the kelp Saccharina japonica and the filamentous Ectocarpus sp., has paved the way for biochemical characterization of recombinant enzymes involved in their polysaccharide and carbohydrates synthesis, notably mannitol. Biosynthesis of mannitol in brown algae starts from fructose-6-phospate, which is converted into mannitol-1-phosphate (M1P), and this intermediate is then hydrolysed by a haloacid dehalogenase type M1P phosphatase (M1Pase) to produce mannitol. We report here the biochemical characterization of a second M1Pase in Ectocarpus sp after heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. (EsM1Pase1). Our results show that both Ectocarpus M1Pases were redox sensitive, with EsM1Pase1 being active only in presence of reducing agent. Such catalytic properties have not been observed for any of the M1Pase characterized so far. EsM1Pases were specific to mannitol, in contrast to S. japonica M1Pases that can use other phosphorylated sugars as substrates. Finally, brown algal M1Pases grouped into two well-supported clades, with potential different subcellular localization and physiological role(s) under diverse environmental conditions and/or stages of life cycle.


Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS) is a severe, acute, immune mediated polyneuropathy. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is the preferred treatment.1 The combination of methylprednisolone (MP) and IVIg does not provide significantly better improvement after 4 weeks if not adjusted for important prognostic factors.2 GBS is associated with many longlasting residual deficits. Autoantibodies, and B and T cells are likely to play a role in the different stages of GBS.3 Mycophenolate mofetil (MM) is a relatively new immune suppressive agent, suppressing mainly B and T lymphocytes, and is thought to be of additional value in immune mediated neurological conditions.4–6

We conducted an open label pilot study to assess the additional effect of MM, administered simultaneously with IVIg and MP. The aim was to investigate whether additional treatment with MM is safe in patients with GBS and, secondly, whether there is a tendency to improved outcome.

The study was approved by the ethics committees of Erasmus Medical Centre and the nine participating centres. All patients fulfilled the criteria for GBS.7 Eligibility criteria were onset of weakness within 2 weeks before inclusion and inability to walk independently for 10 m (GBS disability score ⩾3). Exclusion criteria were age less than 18 years, GBS in the past, pregnancy, breast feeding, immunosuppressive treatment, antacids treatment, use of drugs interfering with the enterohepatic recirculation, suffering from immune mediated disease other than well regulated diabetes mellitus and severe concurrent disease.2 The group of patients treated with IVIg and MP in the Dutch IVIg-MP trial was used as the historical control group. …


BACKGROUND
The gene encoding phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5K1C) has been recently implicated in pain regulation. Interestingly, a recent cross-tissue and cross-phenotypic epigenetic analysis identified the same gene in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Given the high comorbidity between AUD and chronic pain, we hypothesized that genetic variation in PIP5K1C might contribute to susceptibility to AUD.

METHODS
We conducted a case-control association study of genetic variants in PIP5K1C. Association analyses of 16 common PIP5K1C single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were conducted in cases and controls of African (427 cases and 137 controls) and European ancestry (488 cases and 324 controls) using standard methods. In addition, given the prominent role of the opioid system in pain signaling, we investigated the effects of acute alcohol exposure on PIP5K1C expression in humanized transgenic mice for the μ-opioid receptor that included the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism, a widely used mouse model to study analgesic response to opioids in pain. PIP5K1C expression was measured in the thalamus and basolateral amygdala (BLA) in mice after short-term administration (single 2 g/kg dose) of alcohol or saline using immunohistochemistry and analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS
In the case-control association study using an NIAAA discovery sample, 8 SNPs in PIP5K1C were significantly associated with AUD in the African ancestry (AA) group (p < 0.05 after correction; rs4807493, rs10405681, rs2074957, rs10432303, rs8109485, rs1476592, rs10419980, and rs4432372). However, a replication analysis using an independent sample (N = 3,801) found no significant associations after correction for multiple testing. In the humanized transgenic mouse model with the OPRM1 polymorphism, PIP5K1C expression was significantly different between alcohol and saline-treated mice, regardless of genotype, in both the thalamus (p < 0.05) and BLA (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Our discovery sample shows that genetic variants in PIP5K1C are associated with AUD in the AA group, and acute alcohol exposure leads to up-regulation of PIP5K1C, potentially explaining a mechanism underlying the increased risk for chronic pain conditions in individuals with AUD.


To combat electron beam instabilities, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) based bunch-by-bunch transverse feedback (TFB) has been developed for the Duke storage ring. While it is capable of suppressing transverse beam instabilities for multi-bunch operation, the TFB system has not been needed for typical operation of the Duke storage ring FEL. To explore the great potential of this system, we have focused on the development of TFB based beam diagnostics. A TFB based tune measurement system has been developed using two methods: the tune scan method and tune monitoring method. With the tune monitoring method, a much faster method of the two, we have studied the tune stability of the electron beam in the Duke storage ring. This tune measurement system also allows us to conduct chromaticity measurements more quickly, compared with the existing chromaticity measurement system using a network analyzer. Finally, the TFB based tune system has been used to calibrate the tune knob and chromaticity knob for the Duke storage ring.


(1) The administration of active anterior lobe extracts in solution is not effective in producing precocious transformation of tadpoles.

(2) The rate of metamorphosis induced by injection of either thyroid or anterior pituitary depends within limits on the concentration of the initial dose. The time for completion with thyroid depends upon the total quantity given--a cumulative effect. The repetition of the stimulus given by a dose, the quantity per dose having maximum and minimum values, at suitable intervals decides the time of completion with anterior pituitary.

(3) Susceptibility of tadpoles to metamorphosis inducing factors increases with age.

(4) The effects produced by iodine in metamorphosis (mortality, reduction in size and shrinkage) agree more closely with those obtained in thyroid than pituitary treatment.

(5) There is a differential response of certain tissues to concentrations of the thyroid but not to anterior pituitary.

(6) Exposure of tadpoles to X-rays alters the susceptibility to factors accelerating metamorphosis. The effect increases with age.

(7) Alcohol and potassium cyanide lower the response to thyroid and anterior pituitary stimulation according to the concentration and the age of tadpoles.

(8) Normal rates of change are produced by thyroid and anterior pituitary in tadpoles under narcosis. The mortality is slightly higher with thyroid and depends on the concentration of the anaesthetic. Prolonged narcosis reduces the rate of change.

(9) Precocious metamorphosis is not found in tadpoles after feeding upon the endostyle of Ciona intestinalis.

(10) The relation to iodine, quantitative and qualitative responses of tadpoles to treatment, and the differential tissue response serve to differentiate between the metamorphic principles of the thyroid and anterior pituitary.


This study attempted to describe the variations in the annual growth of Oriental spruce and to give a mean annual ring curve using annual rings. Another purpose was to determine the standardized chronology in the wood of Picea orientalis (L.) Link. As a result the standardized chronology in the wood of Oriental spruce between 1749-1988 was determined.


Earlier studies on public attitude and risk perception have concluded that the public's attitudes towards biotechnology was primarily driven by several factors such as familiarity, perceived benefits, perceived risks, risk acceptance, moral concerns and encouragement. Demographic characteristics have been known to affect attitudes towards science. The purpose of this paper is to compare the attitude of the Malaysian public towards genetically modified (GM) insulin across several background variables such as religion, race, education level and age. A survey was carried out on 1017 respondents stratified according to various stakeholder groups in the Klang Valley region. Analyses of Variance (ANOVAs) showed significant differences in the mean scores for familiarity of GM insulin across religions, races and ages but not across education levels and gender. Both perceived benefits and perceived risks were found to differ across races, education levels and gender but not across religions and ages. On the other hand, moral concern was found to differ in all four background variables except gender while risk acceptance differed across races and gender and encouragement only differed across education levels. In conclusion, background variables do have a significant effect on some of the dimensions of Malaysians' attitudes towards modern biotechnology. The research findings will be useful for understanding the effect of background variables on public attitudes towards the application of gene technology in medicine. More in-depth empirical studies should be carried out to understand the underlying causes behind the differences.


Over a number of years in the UK, public service improvement has been at the centre of both Conservative and Labour policy. Keen to make improvements in public services, the current Labour government is pursuing this issue more strongly than any other. This paper examines the concept of improvement and reviews the academic literature which has empirically assessed improvements in a range of public services. Drawn from over 50 studies of improvement, the evidence highlights seven determinants or improvement 'triggers' which have been put in place and which have had a positive effect on a public service. These include quality frameworks and public participation forums. The paper reviews the evidence and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the studies themselves. The findings of the paper indicate that, despite a political drive to improve public services, there is insufficient evidence available on 'what works' in bringing about improvement. The need for sustained research in this area is emphasized and conclusions are drawn on a way forward.


Abstract One of the most intriguing and controversial observations in oculomotor research in recent years is the phenomenon of express saccades in monkeys and man. These are saccades with such short reaction times (100 msec in man, 70 msec in monkeys) that some experts on eye movements still regard them as artifacts or as anticipatory reactions that do not need any further explanation. On the other hand, some research groups consider them not only authentic but also a valuable means of investigating the mechanisms of saccade generation, the coordination of vision and eye movements, and the mechanisms of visual attention. This target article puts together pieces of experimental evidence in oculomotor and related research – with special emphasis on the express saccade – to enhance our present understanding of the coordination of vision, visual attention, and the eye movements subserving visual perception and cognition. We hypothesize that an optomotor reflex is responsible for the occurrence of express saccades, one that is controlled by higher brain functions involved in disengaged visual attention and decision making. We propose a neural network as the basis for more elaborate mathematical models or computer simulations of the optomotor system in primates.


Numerous research studies have highlighted the importance of well-developed 3-D spatial skills for success in STEM related programs. Poor spatial skills, particularly among first-year students, can place them at a distinct disadvantage when completing introductory courses in mathematics, CAD, descriptive geometry, and graphic communications - first-year requirements in many STEM related programs. This in turn can lead to poor grades and retention issues. Women are disproportionally among the group of students with weak or poorly developed 3-D spatial skills meaning that they are at a greater risk of leaving engineering when compared to their male counterparts. In this study, the spatial skills of first-year students in several engineering and technology programs were assessed through two standardized instruments widely used in spatial cognition research. The spatial skills of architecture and computer science students were also assessed for comparison purposes. This paper outlines the results obtained from a study at an Institution of Higher Learning and draws conclusions regarding the importance of spatial skills for success in introductory STEM courses. Grades at the end of the semester were obtained in several mathematics courses to determine if there is a correlation between spatial skill level and student performance in introductory math courses.


Understanding the chemistry in the gelation (interfacial assembly) of graphene oxide (GO) is very essential for the practical uses of graphene‐based materials. Herein, with the designed artificial interfaces due to the introduction of water‐miscible isopropanol, the gelation of GO is achieved in water at an ultralow concentration (0.1 mg mL−1, the lowest ever‐reported) with a solvothermal treatment. Intrinsically, with a lower intercalation energy, water shows much stronger attraction with GO than isopropanol, inducing a microphase separation in the miscible mixture of isopropanol and water. In the solvothermal process, the partially reduced GO sheets interact with each other along the water–isopropanol interface and assemble into interconnected frameworks. In general, the formation of the artificial interface results in locally concentrated GO in the water phase, which is the final driving force for the gelation at ultralow concentration. Thus, the threshold for the GO gelation concentration is dependent upon the water fraction in the mixture and water acts as the spacer to facilitate the gelation and final control of the resulting materials microstructure. This study enriches interface/gelation chemistry of GO and indicates a practical way for precise structural control and scale‐up preparation of graphene‐based materials.


BACKGROUND
The present study aimed to investigate time-dependent changes in leptin concentrations in brain tissue following experimental traumatic brain injury and to examine the relationship with cytokines.

METHODS
After circular craniectomy, 33 male Wistar-albino rats were positioned on a stereotaxic frame and subjected to cortical contusion injury and then divided into 3 groups based on the depth of deformation as: 0 mm (sham controls, n=3), 1.5 mm (moderate injury, n=15) and 2.7 mm (severe injury, n=15). Animals were sacrificed on the 1st, 3rd and 5th days post-injury.

RESULTS
One day after moderate injury, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?), and leptin levels were found to be markedly increased in the brain tissue. On the 3rd and 5th days, the levels returned to the shamcontrol levels. Following severe injury, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-? levels increased in correlation after the 1st day and reached the sham-control levels on the same days. However, leptin tissue levels decreased on the 1st and 3rd days and normalized to the sham-control levels on the 5th day.

CONCLUSION
Our results showed that the release of leptin is decreased in the early stage of severe injury. Thus, leptin replacement may play an important role in therapy in cases with severe traumatic brain injury.


In March of 2015, the State of Hawaii stopped covering the vast majority of migrants from countries belonging to the Compact of Free Association (COFA) in the state Medicaid program. As a result COFA migrants were required to obtain private insurance in health insurance exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act. Using statewide administrative hospital discharge data, we show that Medicaid-funded hospitalizations and emergency room visits declined in this population by 69% and 42% after the expiration of Medicaid eligibility. Utilization funded by private insurance did increase but not enough to offset the declines in publicly-funded utilization. This resulted in a net decrease in utilization. In addition, we show that uninsured ER visits increased as a consequence of the expiration of Medicaid benefits. Paradoxically, we also find a substantial increase in Medicaid-funded ER visits by infants after the expiration of benefits which is consistent with a substitution of ER visits for ambulatory care for the very young.


The authors were inspired by Drawing Series IV, #413, to puzzle over what Sol LeWitt had in mind when he designed this wall drawing. The result is this paper, which describes a mathematical process involving group actions on a set by which LeWitt might have designed the piece. We also describe choice points in the process that are not mathematically determined and that produce interesting variations on a theme. The seed is one four-color square; the result is a beautiful and complex work of art.


Experimental and theoretical studies of intracavity Raman lasers are presented. Advantages of intracavity Raman lasers, particularly for low-emission cross section and broadly tunable vibronic gain media, are described. Experimental studies of a hydrogen gas Raman laser pumped inside the cavity of an alexandrite laser are presented. A theoretical model of the dynamics of a unidirectional intracavity Raman ring laser is developed and solved analytically. This model is adapted for simulation experiments. >


Abstract : The paper describes how continuous pressure measurements may be obtained by making a relatively simple modification to any standard or clock-switched radiosonde which can be flown on a rising or floating balloon. The continuous pressure device is composed of an aneroid sensor which controls the frequency of a subcarrier oscillator. Frequency modulation of the radiosonde transmitting tube is used instead of amplitude modulation. The receiver for this system utilizes the standard GMD-1B ground tracker with a special demodulator, the standard TMQ-5 recorder, and a frequency counter with printer. Each pressure sensor is calibrated for frequency versus pressure; precision of reading the pressure is to one millibar as currently used but readings to 0.1 mb are easily obtainable. Pressure data from three superpressure balloon flights are presented to show the detail obtained by the instrument with this modification. This modified instrument provides the research meteorologist with a new inexpensive research tool. (Author)


All tumors examined to date contain mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). In addition, depletion of mtDNA is reported in a variety of tumors. Mitochondrial dysfunction resulting from changes in mtDNA invokes mitochondria-to-nucleus retrograde response in human cells. To identify proteins involved in retrograde response and their potential role in tumorigenesis, we carried out a comparative proteomic analysis using a cell line in which the mitochondrial genome was completely depleted (p° cells lacking all mtDNA-encoded protein subunits), a cybrid cell line in which mtDNA was restored, and the parental cell line. Our comparative proteomic approach revealed marked changes in the cellular proteome and led us to identify quantitative changes in expression of several proteins. We found that subunits of complex I and complex III, molecular chaperones, and a protein involved in cell cycle control were downregulated and Inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase type 2 (IMPDH2) involved in nucleotide biosynthesis was upregulated in p° cells. Our findings demonstrate that the expression of proteins is restored to wild type level by transfer of wild type mitochondria to p° cells, suggesting that these proteins play key roles in retrograde response. To determine a potential role for identified retrograde responsive proteins in tumorigenesis, we analyzed the expression of UQCRC1 gene (encoding ubiquinol cytochrome-c reductase core protein I) in breast and ovarian tumors. We found that (1) UQCRC1 was highly expressed in breast (74%) and ovarian tumors (34%) and (2) the expression positively correlated with cytochrome c-oxidase (COXII) encoded by mtDNA. Our study opens an avenue for identification of retrograde proteins as potential tumor suppressors or oncogenes involved in carcinogenesis.


Abstract SARS-CoV-2, the agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerged in late 2019 in China, and rapidly spread throughout the world to reach all continents. As the virus expanded in its novel human host, viral lineages diversified through the accumulation of around two mutations a month on average. Different viral lineages have replaced each other since the start of the pandemic, with the most successful Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants of concern (VoCs) sequentially sweeping through the world to reach high global prevalence. Neither Alpha nor Delta was characterized by strong immune escape, with their success coming mainly from their higher transmissibility. Omicron is far more prone to immune evasion and spread primarily due to its increased ability to (re-)infect hosts with prior immunity. As host immunity reaches high levels globally through vaccination and prior infection, the epidemic is expected to transition from a pandemic regime to an endemic one where seasonality and waning host immunization are anticipated to become the primary forces shaping future SARS-CoV-2 lineage dynamics. In this review, we consider a body of evidence on the origins, host tropism, epidemiology, genomic and immunogenetic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 including an assessment of other coronaviruses infecting humans. Considering what is known so far, we conclude by delineating scenarios for the future dynamic of SARS-CoV-2, ranging from the good—circulation of a fifth endemic 'common cold' coronavirus of potentially low virulence, the bad—a situation roughly comparable with seasonal flu, and the ugly—extensive diversification into serotypes with long-term high-level endemicity.


The essay analizes the concept of total, partial or no adhesion to the political-economic system created by US after the end of the second world war; a system based on a sharp division between the western capitalist world and the Soviet planned economy, whose fundamental assumption was the absence of any dialogue between the two parties. The absence of dialogue also concerned their commercial and financial relations, and was aimed at avoiding any acquisition of know how and equipment by Moscow, necessary to its industrial development. If at the end of the fourties the sharp division between East and West advocated by the United States was widely shared by European allies, in the mid-fifties it would become, if not anachronistic, difficult to achieve, especially in the field of trade relations. As loudly stated by Adenauer in 1958, at the climax of Berlin's Crisis, the Western European states continued to trade with Moscow (forgetting to say that RFT was doing exactly the same). This created the conditions for a hard and lasting dispute between Western European states and US. The main reason of this conflict was the desire of West Europeans to enter into trade relationships with Eastern European states and to improve them significantly. Italy, case study of this paper, was part of this trend, especially through its Istituto per il Commercio Estero (ICE).


Exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa asserts its cellular toxicity through ADP-ribosylation of translation elongation factor 2, predicated on binding to specific cell surface receptors and intracellular trafficking via a complex pathway that ultimately results in translocation of an enzymatic activity into the cytoplasm. In early work, the crystallographic structure of exotoxin A was determined to 3.0 A resolution, revealing a tertiary fold having three distinct structural domains; subsequent work has shown that the domains are individually responsible for the receptor binding (domain I), transmembrane targeting (domain II), and ADP-ribosyl transferase (domain III) activities, respectively. Here, we report the structures of wild-type and W281A mutant toxin proteins at pH 8.0, refined with data to 1.62 A and 1.45 A resolution, respectively. The refined models clarify several ionic interactions within structural domains I and II that may modulate an obligatory conformational change that is induced by low pH. Proteolytic cleavage by furin is also obligatory for toxicity; the W281A mutant protein is substantially more susceptible to cleavage than the wild-type toxin. The tertiary structures of the furin cleavage sites of the wild-type and W281 mutant toxins are similar; however, the mutant toxin has significantly higher B-factors around the cleavage site, suggesting that the greater susceptibility to furin cleavage is due to increased local disorder/flexibility at the site, rather than to differences in static tertiary structure. Comparison of the refined structures of full-length toxin, which lacks ADP-ribosyl transferase activity, to that of the enzymatic domain alone reveals a salt bridge between Arg467 of the catalytic domain and Glu348 of domain II that restrains the substrate binding cleft in a conformation that precludes NAD+ binding. The refined structures of exotoxin A provide precise models for the design and interpretation of further studies of the mechanism of intoxication.


Spontaneous pregnancy in women with Turner syndrome is rare (5%) and relatively high risk. A number of methods to preserve fertility in such women have been discussed. Careful follow-up is required during these pregnancies due to the high incidence rates of neonatal, obstetric, maternal, and cardiovascular complications. A 39-year-old multigravid woman (G5, P3, A2) with mosaic Turner syndrome with a history of three spontaneous pregnancies and two miscarriages was evaluated at our clinic. The analysis showed mos 45,X [9]/46,XX [38] mosaic Turner syndrome. Her first and fourth pregnancies resulted in miscarriages during the first trimester. Here, we discuss a pregnant woman with mosaic Turner syndrome with unaffected fertility but with a history of spontaneous pregnancies/miscarriages, with reference to the current literature.


We explore an approach to verification of programs via program transformation applied to an interpreter of a programming language. A specialization technique known as Turchin's supercompilation is used to specialize some interpreters with respect to the program models. We show that several safety properties of functional programs modeling a class of cache coherence protocols can be proved by a supercompiler and compare the results with our earlier work on direct verification via supercompilation not using intermediate interpretation.
Our approach was in part inspired by an earlier work by E. De Angelis et al. (2014-2015) where verification via program transformation and intermediate interpretation was studied in the context of specialization of constraint logic programs.


Background and Aim: Myanmar is one of the countries in production of agricultural plant commodities. Nowadays, pesticides are commonly used to increase agricultural production and productivity. Organophosphate pesticides exposure can cause many physiological changes within the body including impaired respiratory function. Therefore, the present study aimed to find out the relationship between the erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity, serum interleukin-6 level and respiratory functions such as forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), ratio of forced expiratory volume in first second and forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and average forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF25-75%) among agricultural workers who exposed to organophosphate pesticides and non-exposed control subjects. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional, comparative study was done in agricultural workers (n = 40) who live in A-lal-chaung village, Magway Township and age/BMI matched non-exposed subjects (n = 40) who live in Yan-Way Quarter, Magway Township. All the participants were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria by simple random sampling method. Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AchE) enzyme activity was measured by spectrophotometric method and serum interleukin-6 levels were measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Respiratory function parameters were measured by Spirobank II spirometer. Results: The mean erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity was significantly lower in exposed group than that of non-exposed group (3354.43±589.81 U/L vs 4515.83±759.33 U/L; p<0.001). The percentage of predicted value of respiratory function parameters of exposed group were significantly lower than that of non-exposed group (FEV1: 72.13±4.40 vs 75.95±4.05; FVC: 66.90±4.40 vs 70.60±4.20; FEV1/FVC: 110.35±2.69 vs 111.32±1.33; PEF: 5.52±8.66 vs 79.40±5.09) (p<0.05). There were significant positive correlation between erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity and respiratory function parameters in all groups (n=80) (FEV1: r=0.425, p<0.001; FVC: r=0.301, p<0.05 and PEF: r=0.316, p<0.05). There were significant negative correlation between erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity and serum IL-6 level (r= -0.374, n= 80, p<0.05). Serum IL-6 level was significantly higher in exposed group than non-exposed group (34.77±3.3 pg/mL vs 28.75±2.0 pg/mL; p <0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between serum IL-6 level and respiratory function parameters in all group (n=80) such as FEV1 (r= 0.300, p<0.05) and FVC (r= 0.331, p<0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that agricultural workers who exposed to organophosphate pesticides have higher serum IL-6 level and lower respiratory functions than that of non-exposed subjects. The present findings highlighted that there has an impact of chronic low dose OP exposure on respiratory health and there has a role of IL-6 in respiratory function decline.


Abstract: Activating IK1 channels is considered to be a promising antiarrhythmic strategy. Zacopride has been identified as a selective IK1 channel agonist and can suppress triggered arrhythmias. Whether this drug also exerts a beneficial effect on cardiac remodeling is unknown, and the present study sought to address this question. Cardiac remodeling was induced through coronary ligation-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Zacopride (15 µg/kg) was administered (intraperitoneally) daily for 28 days after MI to determine whether it could attenuate MI-induced cardiac remodeling. A 4-week treatment with zacopride attenuated post-MI cardiac remodeling, as shown by the reduced left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and left ventricular end-systolic dimension and the increased ejection fraction and fractional shortening in zacopride-treated animals compared with animals treated with vehicle (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, zacopride significantly decreased myocardial collagen deposition, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, the plasma level of brain natriuretic peptide, and cardiomyocyte ultrastructural injury. Zacopride also upregulated the expression of the IK1 channel protein and downregulated the expression of phosphorylated p70S6 kinase (p-p70S6K) and mTOR. These beneficial effects of zacopride were partially abolished by the IK1 channel blocker chloroquine. We conclude that the activation of IK1 channel by zacopride attenuates post-MI cardiac remodeling by suppressing mTOR-p70S6 kinase signaling.


Objective: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease characterized by recurrent fractures, blue sclera, and hearing loss. Bisphosphonate treatment has been reported to decrease the annual number of fractures and improve the quality of life in patients with OI. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of bisphosphonate treatment in the Turkish OI cohort. Methods: Sixty-five patients with OI, who were treated with pamidronate, were included in this study. The mean treatment duration was 47.1 ± 40 months (range:12-168 months). Bone mineral densitometry (BMD) and the mean number of annual fractures were compared before and after the treatment within groups, and the difference after treatment compared between the OI types. Results: After pamidronate treatment, a significant decrease in the mean annual fracture, along with an increase in BMD Z-score was detected in all patients. Treatment duration did not affect BMD Z-score. However, there was a significant decrease in the mean annual number of fractures after 5 years of treatment (P = .048). After treatment, the decrease in the number of fractures was significant in OI type 3, and the increase in BMD Z-score was significant in OI type 4 when compared with OI type 1. Besides, pamidronate treatment relieved pain, and also corrected the platyspondyly radiologically in all OI groups. Conclusion: We demonstrated that pamidronate treatment improves the quality of life by reducing the number of fractures, relieving pain, and also protecting from deformities in all patients with OI.


As of July 25-2020, 643,412 people in more than 215 countries
have been victims of the new type of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Thereby, there is
a huge effort to develop a strategy to treat, and or prevent people from SARS-CoV-2
infection. Those efforts could be mainly categorized as drug repurposing,
anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from people who recovered, and vaccines. However,
there is currently no specific treatment available against SARS-CoV-2 infected
patients. That`s why many new approaches and ideas are still studied every day
for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Antisense therapy is one of
these promising approaches to target SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA specifically and
inhibit its activity upon incorrect viral RNA processing. In
this study, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) candidates targeting SARS-CoV-2
genomic RNA were designed. High-scored
ASOs with a high potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and transcription
by inducing cleavage of the viral genomic were determined among ASO candidates.
For the future, those promising ASOs can be synthesized followed by required
modifications and test on SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero cells to
screen their efficacy for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2
infected patients.


PURPOSE
Hip strength may directly relate to abnormal running mechanics and contribute to the high incidence of overuse injuries in distance runners. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between hip isokinetic strength and thorax and pelvic motion during treadmill running.

METHODS
Isokinetic hip strength and treadmill running kinematics were collected on 24 collegiate cross-country runners (14 males and 10 females). Each subject completed a running protocol on a treadmill at a self-selected speed (3.58 ± 0.26 m·s) and prescribed speed (3.58 ± 0.0 m·s). Kinematic data were collected with retroreflective markers attached to the thorax, pelvis, and each lower extremity segment (thigh, shank, and foot). Thorax and pelvis range of motion (ROM) were calculated from initial ground contact to toe-off. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between strength and ROM (P < 0.05). Differences between male and female athletes were tested with mixed-design ANOVAs (P < 0.05).

RESULTS
Isokinetic hip extension and abduction torque had significant inverse correlations to thorax axial rotation ROM during stance phase of running (r = -0.60 and r = -0.53) at self-selected speed. Frontal plane pelvic obliquity ROM was also significantly correlated to hip strength (extension r = -0.49; abduction r = -0.44). Similar correlations were found during the prescribed speed condition. Female runners had significantly decreased normalized strength (hip extension 1.8 ± 0.4 N·m·kg, P < 0.05; hip abduction 1.0 ± 0.2 N·m·kg, P < 0.05), increased pelvic obliquity (13.1° ± 2.6°, P < 0.05), and thorax axial rotation (34.5° ± 7.0°, P < 0.05) ROM compared to males (hip extension 2.5 ± 0.5 N·m·kg; hip abduction 1.3 ± 0.2 N·m·kg; pelvic obliquity 8.9° ± 1.9°; thorax axial rotation 22.6° ± 3.5°).

CONCLUSIONS
Moderate correlations were found in hip extensor and hip abductor strength and pelvic and thorax motion during running in collegiate runners.


Selective permeation through graphene nanopores is attracting increasing interest as an efficient and cost-effective technique for water desalination and purification. In this work, using umbrella sampling and molecular dynamics simulations with constant electric field, we analyze the influence of pore charge on potassium and chloride ion permeation. As pore charge is increased, the barrier of the potential of mean force (PMF) gradually decreases until it turns into a well split in two subminima. While in the case of K+ this pattern can be explained as an increasing electrostatic compensation of the desolvation cost, in the case of Cl− the pattern can be attributed to the accumulation of a concentration polarization layer of potassium ions screening pore charge. The analysis of potassium PMFs in terms of forces revealed a conflicting influence on permeation of van der Waals and electrostatic forces that both undergo an inversion of their direction as pore charge is increased. Even if the most important transition involves the interplay between the electrostatic forces exerted by graphene and water, the simulations also revealed an important role of the changing distribution of potassium and chloride ions. The influence of pore charge on the orientation of water molecules was also found to affect the van der Waals forces they exert on potassium.


The problem of reconstruction of an image from discrete and noisy data by the method of moments is examined. The set of orthogonal moments based on Legendre polynomials is employed. A general class of signal-dependent noise models is taken into account. An asymptotic expansion for the global reconstruction error is established. This reveals mutual relationships between a number of moments, the image smoothness, sampling rate, and noise model characteristics. The problem of an automatic (data-driven) section of an optimal number of moments is studied. This is accomplished with the help of cross-validation techniques. >


With a basis of the comprehensive model of information seeking, a survey study was conducted in India that investigated the relationships among three categories of factors (demographics, health belief, and technology enabler) and three types of Internet health information seeking (IHIS) behaviors (preference for IHIS, diversity of IHIS, and discussing Internet health information with doctors). The results showed that being female was positively associated with preference for IHIS, and being young was associated with greater diversity of IHIS. In addition, three health belief factors (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and self-efficacy) had positive and significant relationships with diversity of IHIS. Finally, two technology enabler factors (skill in IHIS and Internet access) were positively associated with three information behaviors. However, the other technology enabler, trust in online health information, was positively related to preference for IHIS, but negatively associated with diversity of IHIS and discussing Internet health information with doctors.


This study examined the intended purposes actual uses and perceived benefits of interim assessments on student achievement from the perspectives of district leaders school administrators and classroom teachers. Quantitative research methodologies were utilized to describe the phenomena of interim assessment use in a sample of North Carolina school districts. Responses from an online survey were analyzed in order to categorize respondents' interim assessment use as Instructional Predictive Evaluative or Multiple and to compare the dominant categories of district leaders school administrators and classroom teachers (Perie et al. 2009). The findings reveal that interim assessments are given for Instructional purposes using Instructional data analysis methods and have Instructional benefits for students. When results were parsed by district several endorsed the "Multiple" category suggesting a wide variety of purposes uses and benefits within the same district. When results were compared across roles a statistically significant difference was found between district leaders school administrators and classroom teachers. The results indicate that within the sample population surveyed a person's response to questions regarding the purpose use and benefit of interim assessments is related to their role within the district.  The findings from the study espouse two main recommendations. First it is vital that district and state educational leaders make careful and informed decisions about the purpose and use of interim assessments prior to implementation. Second districts need to develop and communicate a coherent implementation plan that is aligned to the selected purpose and consistent across various roles within the district. Future research studies on the use of interim assessments may build a more comprehensive picture of and offer a more in-depth explanation for the phenomena revealed in this study. Such research could include a qualitative study on data analysis methods that are aligned to a specific interim assessment purpose a case study showcasing schools in North Carolina that are using interim assessments for various purposes and a quantitative study to determine whether interim assessments can be correlated to improved student achievement.


Telomerase, via its catalytic component telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), extends telomeres of eukaryotic chromosomes. The importance of this reaction is related to the fact that telomere shortening is a rate-limiting mechanism for human life span that induces cell senescence and contributes to the development of age-related pathologies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the modulation of telomerase activity can influence human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-mediated dysfunction of human brain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3 cells) and transendothelial migration of HIV-1-infected cells. Telomerase activity was modulated in hCMEC/D3 cells via small interfering RNA-targeting human TERT (hTERT) or by using a specific pharmacological inhibitor of telomerase, TAG-6. The inhibition of hTERT resulted in the upregulation of HIV-1-induced overexpression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 via the nuclear factor-kappaB-regulated mechanism and induced the transendothelial migration of HIV-1-infected monocytic U937 cells. In addition, the blocking of hTERT activity potentiated a HIV-induced downregulation of the expression of tight junction proteins. These results were confirmed in TERT-deficient mice injected with HIV-1-specific protein Tat into the cerebral vasculature. Further studies revealed that the upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 is the underlying mechanisms of disruption of tight junction proteins in hCMEC/D3 cells with inhibited TERT and exposed to HIV-1. These results indicate that the senescence of brain endothelial cells may predispose to the HIV-induced upregulation of inflammatory mediators and the disruption of the barrier function at the level of the brain endothelium.


: This study examines the antiangiogenic effect of activated naked gold nanoparticles (AuNPS) in dorsal skinfold window chamber rat model after laser coagulation of dorsal blood vessels, to investigate whether the antiangiogenic effect of AuNPs can inhibit reperfusion and neovascularization of photocoagulated blood vessels in an animal model.This study includes 2 groups, each group contains 10 rats, laser group (control group), and AuNPs group. After laser photocoagulation of dorsal blood vessels through the dorsal window chamber fixed on the dorsum of albino rats, the structure of blood vessels and flow dynamics were documented with color digital photography to evaluate photocoagulation and reperfusion. The laser sessions and injection of AuNPs to the epidermal side of the window were twice weekly for 2 weeks. In the laser group (control group), 18 out of 20 photocoagulated blood vessels reperfused within 4-12 days with reperfusion rate 90%. In AuGNPs group 9 out of 22 photocoagulated blood vessels reperfused within 4-12 days with reperfusion rate 40%. Laser activated naked gold nanoparticles have significant antiangiogenic effect, with minimal side effects detected with local use.


Aging skeletal muscle exhibits decreases in muscle mass and force and changes in contractile properties. The effects of aging on the physiological characteristics of skeletal muscle are fiber type specific. This review describes the aging process in skeletal muscle; specifically, the effects of aging on the biochemical, morphological, and physiological characteristics of type I (slow-twitch) fibers and type II (fast-twitch) fibers. The effects of training on specific fiber types are also reviewed. The age-related decrease in maximum isometric force may be due, in part, to a decline in muscle mass. Decreases in muscle mass appear to occur in weight-bearing muscles and are most marked in those with a high proportion of type II fibers. The age-related fiber atrophy contributes to the decline in muscle mass. The decline in fiber size is prominent in type II fibers, whereas type I fibers are less affected. The age-related prolongation in isometric twitch properties may be due, in part, to alteration in the capacity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum for calcium release and recapture. Resistance and endurance training appear to attenuate the age-related alterations in skeletal muscle properties if the stimulus is of a sufficient intensity and duration.


This thesis presents two new microscopic imaging techniques: the optofluidic microscopy (OFM) and the wavefront microscopy (WM). By integrating optical functionalities onto a single semiconductor chip, these inventions could reduce the cost and improve the efficiency and quality of microscopic imaging in biological research and clinical diagnostics. First, OFM utilizes a microfluidic flow to deliver cellular samples across array(s) of micron-sized apertures defined on a metal-coated CMOS image sensor to acquire direct projection images of the samples. Although the OFM prototype is as small as a dime, it can render high resolution images (~1 µm) with comparable quality to those of a bulky standard optical microscope. OFM has great potential in revolutionizing the way we use microscopes. For example, the availability of tens or even hundreds of microscopes on a single chip will allow massively paralleled imaging of large populations of cells or microorganisms; the compactness and low cost of the OFM can enable portable and even disposable biomedical diagnostic tools for future telemedicine and personalized health care. Second, we present a new microscopy concept - WM. Wavefront image sensor (WIS) is the enabling component of WM. By monitoring the tightly confined transmitted light spots through a 2D aperture grid (spacing = 11 µm, diameter = 6 µm) fabricated on a CMOS image sensor in a high Fresnel number regime, we can accurately measure both intensity and phase front variations (a measured normalized phase gradient sensitivity of 0.1 mrad under the typical working condition - 1.0 second total signal accumulation time and 9.2 µW/cm^2 light intensity on the sensor) of a wavefront separately and quantitatively. Therefore, researchers and clinicians can incorporate pure phase imaging into their current microscope systems by simply adding the WIS in place of the conventional camera. When combined with adaptive optics strategies, this technology will facilitate deep tissue imaging using multiphoton microscopy.


ABSTRACT A systematic review and meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the last 10 years was conducted to identify the effect of computer-based training compared to routine methods on post-stroke cognitive rehabilitation and to provide recommendations for future research. A literature search was performed in the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, EBSCO (CINAHL), and Web of Science that focused on studies comparing the effects of computerized cognitive training and routine methods in stroke survivors. After extraction of the study characteristics and methodological quality evaluation, a meta-analysis was conducted using the standard model based on the level of the overall cognitive domain. Ten out of 201 studies were included in the systematic review, with a total of 600 stroke survivors. The average age of the participants ranged from 42.1 to 66 years old, 305 participants used the computer-based training method, and males accounted for approximately 58.5%. All studies compared the baseline characteristics of participants at the onset of their studies, and no significant difference was shown. Six studies that reported the results for the overall cognitive domain were further analyzed by meta-analysis. The outcome of the meta-analysis showed that the effect size was 0.61 with a 95% confidence interval [−0.18, 0.35], and the P value (P = 0.54) indicated no significant difference between the control group and the computer-based cognitive training group. The results of the meta-analysis, based on a limited number of studies, did not show significant superiority of computer-based cognitive training compared to the traditional method in post-stroke patients. More high-quality studies focusing on different illness phases and various types of intervention software should be conducted to improve the meta-analysis and to explore the influence of computer-based cognitive training by subgroup analysis.


Configuration is the process of composing a system from a predefined set of objects. In our approach these objects and their dependencies are described in a graph-based model. Depending upon the requirements of a given application, a configurator chooses required services from a component library by following a set of rules that govern the configurator. When a well-defined hierarchical clustering mechanism for the object graph joins the process preceding the configuration step, the advantages are manifold. The rules of clustering aid the configuration process by not only encapsulating the objects as clusters and sub-clusters but also streamlining the configuration process. The configurator chooses optimized paths by taking advantage of clustered objects, for a given set of reasonably complex requirements. Also, when a change in the set of requirements takes place, it directly attacks the cluster in question with the aid of rules instead of doing the global search for identification of the involved objects. Added advantages result from keeping the rules of clustering inline with the configuration process itself. In this case the entire process is able to support different clusters for different applications. In this paper this approach is discussed in the context of configuration based real-time operating systems.


ÐTraditionally, land subsidence resulting from groundwater over-pumping has often been described by the theory of consolidation. The mechanism of land subsidence due to the dehydration of clay minerals has not been well addressed. Therefore, this study develops a smectite dehydration model to describe the effect of the release of water from the smectite interlayer upon land subsidence. Using a thermodynamic solid-solution model and laboratory studies of clay-water systems, a complete description of the dehydration relationships among the swelling pressure, basal spacing and mw/mc in a Na-smectite water system at 25ëC under variable pressure conditions was derived. Accordingly, the evaluation model of the `hydration state of smectite', and the `solid-solution model of smectite dehydration' were formulated rigorously. These two models were applied to quantify the effects of smectite dehydration on the accumulated land subsidence in the Yun Lin offshore industrial infrastructure complex and in the Tai-Shi area. The result reveals that smectite dehydration is of importance in assessing and predicting land subsidence in a shallow sedimentary basin. Key WordsÐLand Subsidence, Sedimentary Basin, Smectite Dehydration, Thermodynamic Model.


One of the most prominent way of connecting with
customers via Social Networking Sites (SNS) is to generate a brand
page in Facebook (called fan page) containing products contents
and publish regularly postings on these pages. Customers will
respond differently to these postings. In determining the efficiency
of social networking sites, marketers are analyzing metrics to
calculate the engagement rate (e.g. number of comments/share
and likings in fan pages). The study applied Pseudo-theories and
analyzed a total 3543 brand posts from 19 of the most popular B2C
(Business to Consumer) fan pages of Malaysia. 12 months' worth
of data (From September 2015- August 2016) were collected for
analyses, which were available online from the Brand's fan pages.
The Fan-page content was analyzed using Netnography and Cross
Section Regression of the EVlEWS 9 software for its impact on
multiple contents upon user's engagement actions. The study
explored the descriptive statistics of online user's engagement
actions, or PTA (People Talking About) metrics, and the findings
specifY that the diversity of diflerent posts influences the number of
comments, likes, and the number of shares differently. Our
research explored the fact that not all contents are suitable for
enhancing the number of likes, they increase the number of shares
and comments, and vice versa. The findings of the study will allow
e-marketers to update informational analyses upon the
effectiveness of the posted contents and descriptive idea on users'
preferred actions.


Kenneth Kenji Yamamoto Creating Block Copolymers via Surface-Initiated Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization Under the Direction of Jason Locklin, Ph.D. A method for the formation of norbornene (Nb) and furan-maleic anhydride (FMA) homopolymers, as well as Nb-FMA and FMA-Nb block copolymers grafted from oxide surfaces was devised using surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (SI-ROMP) from a 7-octenyltrichlorosilane (7-OCT) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with first generation Grubbs catalyst. Polymer film growth, as monitored by ellipsometry and visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), is strongly influenced by monomer structure and concentration, as well as reaction time and temperature. End-functionalization of growing polymer chains occurs through cross-metathesis vinyl containing moieties was demonstrated and confirmed using static water contact angle measurements. Other than introducing chemical functionality into polymeric coating through monomer design, end-functionalization of grafted polymer chains provides a route to tailor functionality into polymer coatings at lower concentrations and is another technique useful for altering surface energy and wettability. INDEX WORDS: polymer brush, self-assembled monolayer, surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization, block copolymer, Grubbs catalyst, endfunctionalization, cross-metathesis, ellipsometry, contact angle, surface energy, wettability CREATING BLOCK COPOLYMERS VIA SURFACE-INITIATED RING-OPENING METATHESIS POLYMERIZATION


Decision tools for species conservation, such as benefit cost analysis (BCA) and project prioritization protocol (PPP) use monetary values to measure benefits or to assign priorities across species. Non-use (or passive) values are an important, yet difficult to quantify, category of benefits. When not estimated they may be assigned a zero value by decision makers. This results in the under-provision of conservation dollars to substantial non-use values generating projects and actions. To overcome the problem, we provide a guide to environmental value transfer (EVT) that allows decision makers to derive indirect estimates of non-use values. Environmental value transfer, together with consideration of estimated benefits uncertainty, promise better decision making and improved species conservation outcomes.


Within the European Union, as well as in Canada and the United States (US), health promoters employ a number of strategies to encourage community-based health improvements. This involves the creation of innovative health promotion partnerships to support and enable people to choose and engage in healthy living practices. Compared to the US, in other Western countries, such as the United Kingdom, faith communities have largely been ignored in health promotion partnerships. This study established existing evidence about health promotion in faith communities in Scotland by examining the perceptions and attitudes concerning health promotion among faith leaders and health promotion professionals. We conducted 33 semi-structured interviews with health promotion professionals (n = 9) and representatives of Christian and non-Christian faith communities (n = 24). The majority of participants expressed an interest in the concept of health promotion in a faith community and could readily envision its application in their area of work. Both groups identified multiple physical assets, as well as social supports within faith communities that could be directed towards healthy living activities. Faith groups and church organisations may constitute potential partners and new settings to increase community capacity for health promotion. Further research and funding for demonstration projects may be particularly helpful to provide evidence of the strengths and limitations of faith-based health promotion in Scotland, which in turn could inform health promotion practice and policy.


This rapid literature review finds that authorities use a range of methods to reduce insecurity in camps. Security in camps can be addressed through better planning of services by camp management, by more involvement of refugees, and through the use of outside security support. However, the militarisation of camps is a broader problem that requires political support from a number of stakeholders. The review focuses on insecurity arising from conflict (militarisation) and from crime and disputes within and around camps. It starts from the position that camps for refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) should be 'civilian and humanitarian in character', and thus, they should not host active combatants or fighters or support conflict. The rights of camp residents - e.g. non-refoulment of refugees - should be respected. In the case of insecurity arising from crime and disputes within and around camps, security measures should be proportionate and consider refugee protection. This review surveys evaluations and academic papers on camp security management. There is a significant body of evidence on the problem of camp militarisation in settings including Zaire/DRC, Thailand, Lebanon and the former Yugoslavia. However, the review has found relatively little evidence on successful efforts to counter militarisation in cases of conflict. It has found case studies and evaluations of a number of programmes to improve lower-level camp security, or in cases where conflict has abated. There are several reviews of UNHCR 'security packages' involving support to host state police in African countries. These lessons are focused on how to engage with refugee and host populations, as well as host states, and how to manage security services. Guidance on camp management is also surveyed. There is very little evidence discussing liaison arrangements beyond stating the need to provide protection training and oversight for security forces; and the need for principled engagement with states and non-state conflict parties.


We report the fabrication and operation of a Cr:ZnSe buried channel waveguide laser operating at 2500 nm with a linewidth of 10 nm and a maximum power output of 1.7 W. Ultrafast laser inscription is used to fabricate the depressed cladding waveguide in a polycrystalline Cr:ZnSe sample. A thermal model is developed and predicts performance degradation at higher pump levels due to thermal quenching of the lifetime. This prediction is supported by the experimental results.


Current nanometer-scale metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) devices exhibit short-channel, quantum, and self-heating effects, making modeling and analysis very complex. A few recent works have employed machine-learning (ML) techniques and neural networks (NN) to model the complex relationships and optimize devices, but a problem with the NN-based device optimization is that it is data-intensive. Bayesian optimization (BO) can realize ML-based data-efficient optimization of the MOSFET device, as it finds the global optimum while requiring few training data. BO stops theoretically when every candidate is explored, so previous works used a fixed number of iterations for the stopping condition. Such an empirical stopping condition is detrimental to the efficiency and reliability of BO, because the global optimum can be found at an earlier stage or even after stopping. Recently, maximum expected improvement (EImax) with a tiny constant has been proposed as a stopping condition for BO. However, there have not been sufficient works for improving efficiency of BO. By advancing the EImax scheme, we have systemically investigated the effective stopping condition (ESC) for BO of MOSFET devices to boost the efficiency and reliability of optimization. We found that EImax less than a 1% of unit value was an efficient and reliable ESC for optimization, which resulted in up-to-87.6% and up-to-47% reductions of required training data compared with the fixed iteration method and the tiny constant method, respectively. Our study provides a novel method to boost efficiency and reliability of BOs for the optimization of MOSFET design in the semiconductor industry.


Objective: The hemostasis system in neonates and infants is characterized by functional immaturity due to age-specific differences
in proteins. The aim of this study was to identify clinical significance age specificity in pediatric coagulation profile. Materials
and Methods: We assessed the coagulation tests (aPPT, PT, fibrinogen level, INR) in the solid-core sampling among the patients
admitted into cardiovascular PICU. From January 2019 to December 2019, 842 patients were managed. We compared three age
groups: neonates (neo. 1 y), n=343. For statistics we used
nonparametric computations. Results: Then we analyzed the raw data we found that PT (m ±SD) in neonates, infants, and children
was 11.83±1.118, 11.75±1.302, and 12.25±1.071, respectively. PT in infants was significantly less than in children group, p<0.05.
Conclusion: The hemostasis system in children has dynamic development and before any preventive or treatment intervention we
should assess initial coagulation profile with regard to age-dependent specificity.


The current study suggested and tested a model to investigate the associations between adolescent future expectations of work and education (AFE-WE; adaptive responses) and positive future expectations (PFE; adaptivity) through concern, control, curiosity, and confidence (adaptability resources) as well as the role of the gender. The data were gathered from 806 high school students (59% girls), recruited from eight different public schools in Gaziantep, Turkey. Structural equation model was used. The results showed that the PFE predicted the AFE-WE and concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. Yet, concern contributed to the AFE-WE, only and partially mediated the relationships between the PFE and the AFE-WE. The proposed model did not change across gender. These findings were discussed within cultural context and addressed implications for theory, research, and practice.


The histopathological effect of different dosages 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 of Steinernema feltiae Filipjev larvae on the larval tissues of Musca domestica Linneous has been studied. It was found that S. feltiae nematodes invade the fat tissue, gut, cuticle and muscle tissue of the host. All of these tissues, along with the gut epithelium, show signs of disintegration before death of the host. The tissue of the gut and the fat body are the most severely damaged by the presence of S. feltae. The destructive damages described in this investigation depend mainly upon the time and the intensity of infection.


The aim of this project is to identify methods for improving the power transfer capacity of existing overhead power lines (OHL) with changes that require small modifications of the structure. These methods usually involve re-conductoring of the line with larger ?traditional?, all aluminium alloy conductors (AAAC) or aluminium conductor steel reinforced (ACSR) or more technologically advanced high temperature low sag (HTLS) conductors. These options and their effects are investigated in this thesis by considering the overall OHL system and not only the conductor. Towards this end a holistic computational methodology has been developed to allow sag-ampacity-tension calculations considering electro-mechanical properties of arbitrary OHL systems. This methodology can be used for any aerial power line design to calculate the maximum sag, ampacity and losses developed under specified weather and operating conditions on flat and inclined terrain with common or novel conductors. Surveyed data of three OHL sections were used to verify the accuracy of the methodology. The results showed that the electrical calculations were in all cases very close to the measured values, and also that the sag prediction was correct and more accurate than the existing method of fixed temperature shift on two of the sections.Results are subsequently presented as illustrative applications of this methodology to show potential benefits from such a holistic perspective on the system. Firstly, the mechanical performance of conductors on a 33 kV wood pole OHL system is considered as a continuum and is divided into three main zones of sag which describe the system?s performance for different conductor sizes. Due to the complexity of OHL systems it was considered important to firstly examine the performance of the traditional AAAC and ACSR conductors on the structure and identify the influence of key parameters of the system (OHL strength, conductor strength, conductor weight etc.) on electrical and mechanical performance. This led to the conclusion that AAAC perform better on this particular system than the ACSR conductors due to their lighter design. Another comparison involved HTLS conductors which are known for their high improved performance at elevated operating temperatures (above 90 �C). Results indicated that the aluminium conductor composite core conductors (ACCC/TWs), which have also improved performance at normal operating temperatures, can allow voltage uprating of an existing 33 kV system up to 66 kV. Finally, performance analysis was performed for a 275 kV lattice tower OHL system, and it was found that the composite HTLS conductor types studied can double the ampacity of the lattice tower OHL. It was also found that conductor bundle configuration has better performance due to the reduction in weight and increase in strength. This allows larger conductor sizes on the same OHL structure, a conclusion which also identifies the importance of OHL structure strength on its overall performance.


The objectives of this paper are to (i) review the diversity and distribution of butterflies in different forested areas of Johor and (ii) compare the species composition in each study site. Data is based on field sampling and published records. This paper was able to review study sites from records dating as early as 1987. Study sites include Taman Negara Johor Endau Rompin (TNJER) Peta, TNJER Selai, Gunung Ledang, Bukit Reban Kambing, Bukit Soga and Hutan Lipur Sg Bantang. To evaluate the variation in butterfly diversity in the different forest, the study sites were characterized by describing and comparing overlapping species using hierarchical cluster analysis. To date, a total of 396 species of butterflies are recorded so far in Johor. This accounts for 37.57% of the overall butterfly fauna in Peninsular Malaysia. The highest species richness was recorded in TNJER with a total of 349 species discovered to date.  Based on the cluster analysis, species composition in TNJER Peta and Selai showed the highest similarity at 37%. Locality with the most different species composition was Bukit Tukau, Bukit Belading and Bukit Reban Kambing with only 7% similarity. Remarkably, many of the protected species under Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 can be found in Johor. These species include Zeuxidia aurelius aurelius (Cramer), Polyura eudamippus peninsularis (Pendlebury), and Troides helena cerberus (C. & R. Felder). Data obtained from this paper is important for future planning and management of conservation areas in Johor.


Cochlear implants have evolved to become the treatment of choice for severely hearing-impaired patients. Speech signals are picked up by a microphone, processed and then delivered to the stimulating electrodes (the current maximum number being 22) that are placed on an electrode array implanted into the scala tympani of the cochlea. The target cells of electrical stimulation, the spiral ganglion cells (SGCs), are located some distance away in the central axis of the cochlea. SGCs start to degenerate after the onset of deafness. Additionally, fibrous tissue is formed around the electrode array after implantation. If cochlear implants are to deliver sound that is closer to natural hearing, the number of independent stimulation channels has to be increased. Optimization of the interface between the electrode array and the surrounding tissue is, therefore, the focus of current research. Promising approaches relating to cells, micro- and nanosystems will be reviewed.


UNLABELLED
The aim of this pilot-study is to check the practical efficiency and the acceptability of a recent NFP method in Western Europe.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
In a first stage, 58 participants, aged 18 to 49, provided 940 cycles (78 woman-years) being with an average of 16 cycles each, all well-documented (sympto-thermal chart and supporting card). The average age of the women was 32 years. 53% of them have chosen NFP after giving up another contraceptive method. The applied NFP method uses a double check to accurately define the beginning as well as the end of the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle. The indicators of the beginning of the fertile phase were: the first sign of cervical mucus and a calendar calculation. The indicators of the end of the fertile period were: the third morning of high temperature and the evening of the fourth day after the peak mucus or the peak cervix. Four participants out of five regularly uses the cervix index.

RESULTS
No method failure was seen. One unplanned pregnancy (user failure) was recorded. Pearl-Index (practical effectiveness of the method) was: 1.75. Pure NFP (i.e. no additional contraceptive means during the fertile phase) was applied in 85% of the cycles. Moreover unprotected sexual intercourse during the fertile phase occurred in 17% of the cycles. So in 71% of the cycles, couples had accepted periodic abstinence.

CONCLUSIONS
After more than 78 years of use, it appears that an accurate and thoroughly taught sympto-thermal method of NFP shows a use-effectiveness which can be compared to that of the up-to-date contraceptive methods. The acceptance of the method proved to be excellent. The acceptability turns out to be very good.