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Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a puzzling disease. Although approximately 70% of patients with PTC have regional lymph node metastases at initial surgery, the long term survival is over 95%. A hallmark of the disease is an avid, T-cell dominated inflammatory reaction, which for over half a century has stimulated hypotheses of a tumor-specific immune response. We have investigated this possibility by examining indicators of humoral immunity, including immunoglobulin G (IgG) and complement by immunohistochemistry. Over 80% of PTC tumors were found to demonstrate significant deposits of both IgG and complement factors, indicating complete activation of the complement cascade. The main complement regulatory proteins CD55 and CD59, which normally inhibit complement deposition at the cell surface, were present in PTC tumor cells as well as normal thyrocytes. This suggests that complement regulation is circumvented by some other mechanism in PTC.Having demonstated tumor-specific antibody deposits in PTC, we sought the atigens against which these antibodies were raised. Using immunoprecipitation and Western blot with serum from PTC patients as the antibody source, a 35 kDa protein was isolated from a PTC tumor, and peptide sequencing identified it as a fragment of cytokeratin 1. This 68 kDa intermediate filament protein is normally expressed only in the upper levels of the epidermis. Further investigations revealed the full length cytokeratin 1 protein in PTC tissues by immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation and Western blot using a monoclonal antibody specific for cytokeratin 1. Antibodies isolated directly from PTC tissue were also found to have bound cytokeratin 1 in situ.As the etiology and behavoir of PTC have been closely tied to the RET/PTC oncogene, which has also been demonstrated in autoimmune thyroiditis, we examined the presence of the RET protein in PTC by immunohistochemistry. 86% of the PTC tumors demonstrated cytoplasmic staining for RET, suggestive of RET/PTC activation, particularly in areas of intense inflammation, The results suggest that RET/PTC expression may be involved in the immunogenic response to PTC.


"Tsou, one of the country's senior and most widely respected China scholars, has for more than a generation been producing timely and deeply informed essays on Chinese politics as it develops. Eight of these (from a wide variety of sources) are gathered here with a substantial new introduction. Tsou considers events not simply from the point of view of a widely read political scientist (even political philosopher) and a concerned Chinese, but also in the light of history, the dynamics of Marxism-Leninism, individual personalities, and humane realism." Charles W. Hayford, "Library Journal""


Methods of superovulation, embryo recovery and embryo
transfer were adapted and developed for application to Welsh
Black cattle in a Group Breeding scheme.
Three methods of oestrus detection in early postpartum
suckling beef cows were evaluated. None was entirely reliable
although a probe for the measurement of the electrical resistance
of vaginal mucus was the most effective and the least stressful.
The postpartum interval to superovulation did not affect
the responses to treatment.
The effect of suckling on embryo quality from superovulated
Welsh Black cows was investigated. Three groups of cows (one dry
and two suckling) were superovulated and their embryos recovered
in two seasons; summer and autumn. Significant effects of season
(P=O.016) and suckling (P=O.015) on embryo quality were detected.
Season significantly affected the number of viable embryos
(P=O.004). There were no effects on ovarian responses or on the
numbers of embryos recovered.
Nutritional supplementation and the administration of heG
failed to improve embryo quality.
Examination of the data from three years of superovulation
and embryo recovery revealed significant monthly variations in %
viable embryos (P=O.006) and in the numbers of viable embryos
(P=O.02) recovered.
Embryo recovery was not affected by the catheter used or by
the side of uterus being flushed. The number of pari ties of the
donor affected the ovulation rate (P=O.009) and the numbers of
embryos recovered (P=O.028) but not the embryo recovery rate (%).
No differences were detected in the superovulatory responses
of cows bred by 3 methods nor from the method of oestrus
synchronisation.
Embryo transfers were performed by surgical and nonsurgical
methods. Fresh and frozen embryos were successfully transferred
by the surgical technique but no embryos transferred
nonsurgically continued development.
A measurement of cervical diameter was successful in
identifying animals which were unsuitable for non-surgical
embryo transfer and recovery procedures.
n-Alkanes as nutritional markers for intake estimation were
applied'to cattl~ in a performance test and to cows at pasture.
The results obtained indicate that the method may be useful in
the future development of selection methodologies for beef
cattle.
The findings of both series of investigations are discussed
in relation to beef cattle improvement through Group Breeding
schemes.


This project examines texts from a body of work which numbers fifteen performed across the country. The accompanying commentary identifies the ways in which 'Be My Baby' and 'The Thrill of Love' tell female-centred stories in a popular dramatic voice which explore aspects of women's lived experience. It engages with feminist theory and practice to identify the diffuse and sometimes contradictory feminisms within the plays. Dramatic structure is considered with close reference to realist and expressionist forms. The exegesis investigates their engagement with popular culture, the importance of music in the narratives and the methods by which they seek to reclaim women's history.

The commentary brings together academic mainstream sources to contextualize the study. Playtexts are examined with reference to a broad range of theorists, practitioners and cultural commentators including Eileen Aston and Geraldine Harris, Erin Hurley, Angela McRobbie, Graham Saunders, Lucy O'Brien, Carol Ann Lee and Lyn Gardner. The distinctive aspects of affective solidarity and feeling are identified as unifying elements of the play's personal and political concerns.


Background: The purpose of this study is to describe a novel technique using an interposition vein graft for thumb replantation in these severe avulsion injuries. Methods: From 2002 to 2012, 8 patients underwent interposition venous bridge grafting from the dorsal radial artery at the anatomic snuffbox to the ulnar digital artery of the thumb. All patients had a traumatic thumb amputation with a severe injury to the ulnar digital artery. The technique began with bony stabilization; the radial artery at the anatomic snuffbox is exposed, vein graft harvested, and microsurgical end-to-side (proximally) and end-to-end (distally) anastomoses are carried out. Results: The average time to the operating room was 7.4 hours and time to reperfusion was 9.5 hours. At 3.1 years of follow-up, all 8 thumbs remained viable, without any need for revision procedures. The only complication was a metacarpal shaft nonunion treated successfully with iliac crest bone grafting. At last follow-up, all patients reported no or mild pain, with an average metacarpophalangeal (MCP) range of motion of 46.5°, and intact but diminished 2-point discrimination. All patients were able to return to work full-time. Conclusions: Due to the challenging nature of thumb avulsion injuries and the pronated position of the thumb, novel salvage alternatives are important. We describe a technique when no proximal vessels are available, using a vein to bridge the dorsal radial artery to the ulnar digital artery of the thumb. This novel arterial reconstruction has shown promise in thumb replantation associated with severe avulsion injuries.


This chapter focuses on the preservation and disclosure stage in the information lifecycle. The chapter identifies the key questions to answer in formulating an information strategy. Concepts associated with these issues and the consequences of ignoring them are explained. The issues are also interpreted in different internal operating environments and in the context of future business environments.


The plant disease onset is a complex event that occurs when the pathogen and the host encounter in a favorable environment. While the plant–pathogen interaction has been much investigated, little attention has been given to the phenological synchrony of the event, especially when both plant and pathogen overwinter, as in the case of grapevines and the downy mildew agent, the oomycete Plasmopara viticola. Oospores allow this obligate parasite to survive grapevine dormancy and, germinating, produce inoculum for primary infections. During overwintering, environmental factors influence the potential oospore germination. This study aimed at investigating the existence of synchrony between the pathogen and the host by identifying and quantifying the most important factors determining oospore maturation and germination and the relationship existing with grapevine phenology. Generalized linear models (GLM and GLMM) were used to analyze the germination dynamics of the oospores overwintered in controlled and field conditions and incubated in isothermal conditions, and oospore viability tests were carried out at different time points. Results showed that the most indicative parameter to describe the germination dynamics is the time spent by the oospores from the start of overwintering. The oospores overwintered in field showed phenological traits related to grapevine phenology not observed in controlled conditions. In particular, they completed the maturation period by the end of grapevine dormancy and germinated more rapidly at plant sprouting, when grapevine reaches susceptibility. Overall, the oospores proved to be able to modulate their behavior in close relationship with grapevine, showing a great adaptation to the host's phenology.


The D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] receptor was localized by immunofluorescence experiments in situ in liver cryosections. Two anti-Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor antibodies (against the 14 C-terminal residues of the type 1 receptor or against the entire cerebellar receptor) weakly decorated the whole cytoplasm, and a more intense labelling was observed at the periphery of the hepatocytes, particularly beneath the canalicular and the sinusoidal domains of the plasma membrane (PM). Antibodies against calreticulin, the Ca2+ pump (SERCA2b) or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes homogeneously labelled the cytoplasm and the subplasmalemmal area. These data indicate that the ER can be divided into at least two specialized subregions: one is located throughout most of the cytoplasm and contains markers of the rough ER (RER), calreticulin, SERCA2b and a low density of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor, and the other is confined to the periphery of the cells and contains calreticulin, Ca2+ pump, RER markers and a high density of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor. A membrane fraction enriched in Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor and in markers of the PM was immuno-adsorbed with the antibody against the C-terminal end of the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor and pelleted with Sepharose protein A. The immuno-isolated material was enriched in Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor, but none of the markers of the ER or of the PM could be detected. This suggests that the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor is localized on discrete domains of the ER membrane beneath the canalicular and the sinusoidal membranes, where it was found at higher densities than the other markers.


Selenium (Se) is known for its beneficial biological roles for several years but interest in this trace element has seen significant increase in the past couple of decades. It has been reported to be a part of important bioactive organic compounds, such as selenoproteins and amino acids including selenocysteine (SeCys), selenomethionine (SeMet), selenazolidine (SeAzo), and selenoneine. The traditional Se supplementations (primarily as selenite, and selenomethionine), though have been shown to carry some benefits, also have associated toxicities thereby paving the way for the organoselenium compounds, especially the selenoproteins and peptides (SePs/SePPs) that offer several health benefits beyond fulfilling the elementary nutritional Se needs. This review aims to showcase the applications of selenium-containing peptides that have been reported in recent decades. Herein this article summarize their bioactivities including neuroprotective, antiinflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory roles. This will offer the readers a sneak peek into the current advancements to invoke further developments in this emerging research area.


Seismic performance of the reinforced concrete buildings in Malaysia need to examine their structural components under earthquakes excitation. The sub-assemblage of fullscale precast hollow core slabs together with supporting beams are designed, constructed, calibrated and tested under vertical cyclic loadings. The incremental drifts are applied at the end of the cantilever slabs. The load failure, mode of failure and structural damages are recorded and observed during experimental work. Initially, the cracks start from the joints and propagated on top of the slabs and finally, the slab snapped at middle together with delimination of the bottom fibre of the slab. Another experimental work is conducted on three sets of half-scale beam-column joint with different arrangements of reinforcement bars at the joints. These specimens are attached to the foundation beams and clamped to strong floor using eight high yield threaded rods of diameters 30mm. The specimens are designed, constructed and tested under reversible vertical cyclic loading until collapse. The joint with cross-bracing suffers the least damage as compare to others joints. By using the same specimens, the next step is to design the column-foundation joints under lateral cyclic loadings. Tension lateral cyclic loading is applied at top of the column with drifts of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5% at 2 cycles for each drift. Similar pattern of cracks and damages observed during experimental work as compared to the actual damages occurred during earthquake excitation. The first damage is due to unconfined concrete occurred between foundation beam and beamcolumn joint. The second damage is due to plastic hinge zone mechanism which occurs at column-foundation interfaces. These damages are due to the insufficient of longitudinal bars, the spacing between the stirrups are wider and spalling of concrete (low


Low rainfall, water scarcity and land degradation severely intimidate the production capacities of the rangelands in the arid environments. Water harvesting focuses on improving the productive use of rainwater on the local scale (field to subcatchment scale) before the runoff water leaves the geographical unit in question. The aim is to mitigate the effects of temporal water shortages to cover both domestic and agricultural needs. This paper provides a review on water harvesting techniques focusing on microcatchment methods, and information on performance of a small-basin water harvesting system (negarim) under a typical arid environment in Turkey as a case study. In the negarim case study, we analysed rainfall, runoff, catchment area, soil water storage and crop evapotranspiration. The microcatchment area (36 m2) included five surface treatment methods (natural, plastic cover, stone cover, hay cover and compaction), which were studied in a pistachio plantation by monitoring soil water balance in the root zone. The overall efficiency of the water harvesting system was determined as the ratio of the amount of water stored and used by the crop to the amount of rainfall received in the catchment area. It was demonstrated that the overall efficiency of the system varied from 2.9 % to 79 % depending on the surface treatments and the root zone capacity. Plastic cover had the greatest efficiency. Gains in runoff improvement were lost when the soil moisture in the cultivated area was near field capacity. Surface treatments had a significant effect on plant height and stem diameter. Plant height with different treatments was 158 cm with plastic cover, 128 cm with surface compaction, 121 cm with hay cover, 117 cm with stone cover and 102 cm of control. Among the surface treatments, plastic cover was superior to the other treatments on plant growth, but the use of plastic may cause environmental problems.


Glioma is an aggressive central nervous system malignancy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) have been reported to be involved in the tumorigenesis of numerous types of cancer, including glioma. The present study aimed to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs in glioma, and further explore the clinical value of miR-455-3p in patients with glioma. GEO2R was used for the identification of the differentially expressed miRNAs according to the miRNA expression profiles obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. OncomiR was used to analyze the relationship of miRNAs with the survival outcomes of the patients with glioma. A total of 108 patients with glioma were recruited to examine the expression levels of miR-455-3p and further explore its clinical value. The bioinformatics analysis results suggested that a total of 64 and 48 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in the GSE90603 and GSE103229 datasets, respectively. There were 12 miRNAs in the overlap of the two datasets, of which three were able to accurately predict overall cancer survival, namely hsa-miR-7-5p, hsa-miR-21-3p and hsa-miR-455-3p. In patients with glioma, miR-455-3p was determined to be significantly upregulated (P<0.001). Additionally, patients with high miR-455-3p expression had significantly lower 5-year overall survival than those with low miR-455-3p expression (log-rank test, P=0.001). Cox regression analysis further determined that miR-455-3p was an independent prognostic indicator for overall survival in patients with glioma (hazard ratio=2.136; 95% CI=1.177–3.877; P=0.013). In conclusion, the present study revealed a series of miRNAs with potential functional roles in the pathogenesis of glioma, and provides findings that indicate miR-455-3p as a promising biomarker for the prognosis of glioma.


A method of approximating the homogeneous second derivatives of a merit function with respect to a set of design variables is presented. If these derivatives are used in an automatic lens design program, the familiar problem of stagnation may usually be avoided.


Abstract During the 1995 to 1998 phase of dome growth at Soufrière Hills Volcano on Montserrat, we documented instability of the steep southern rim of English's Crater, known as Galway's Wall. The horseshoe-shaped English's Crater provided good evidence for previous sector collapses, and assessments undertaken in late 1996 anticipated the possibility of a partial sector collapse and a SW-directed explosion, hazards previously unrecognized on Montserrat. A change from predominantly endogenous to exogenous growth of the lava dome at the end of 1996 eased the stress on the southern sector. However, rapid dome growth in November and December 1997 led to severe reloading and eventual sector failure at the base of the buried Galway's Wall and in the adjacent hot-spring area. This failure resulted in the debris avalanche and lateral blast of 26 December 1997. Similar sector collapses at a number of small volcanoes in the Caribbean, as well as worldwide, are evidence that edifice instability develops commonly in dome-forming eruptions. The hazards from a sector collapse and a consequent lateral blast are extreme, and monitoring operations and disaster planning at such volcanoes should focus on these, as well as on the more common hazards of conventional pyroclastic flows associated with dome growth.


We observed the presence of epithelioid granulomas in follicles near lacunae in the tonsils from patients with active sarcoidosis. Bacteria isolated in these tissues were mostly alpha-streptococci. The present study was undertaken to determine whether alpha-streptococcus can induce granuloma formation. Streptococcal cell wall (SCW) fragments were injected into the foot pads of female Lewis rats. Epithelioid granulomas were abundantly formed in popliteal lymph nodes when SCW aqueous suspension was injected four times. SCW antigens were detected in macrophages in the granuloma but not in epithelioid cells, by immunoperoxidase method. These findings suggest that macrophages transform into epithelioid cells after phagocytosis and digestion of SCW, and that components of bacterial cell wall such as SCW may induce the granuloma formation in sarcoidosis.


Twelve Mannich bases containing alpha, beta-unsaturated ketone were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1HNMR, UV and MS spectra. All of the title compounds were unreported in the literature, some of these compounds showed marked antibacterial activity.


We emphasize: the great frequency of atrial fibrillation, present in approximately 10% of men and more than 20 p. cent of women hospitalized in a cardiology department; the advantage of a comprehensive etiological survey, reducing to less than 10 p. cent the percentage of idiopathic permanent atrial fibrillations, in this department; the need to take into account all factors determining the prognosis of atrial fibrillation: ventricular contractility and hemodynamic consequences of the rhythm disorder, volume of the left atrium, condition of the valvular orifices, risk of thrombo-emboly, etc., as well as the difficulty of therapeutic indications, linked on the one hand to the multiplicity of etiologies and prognosis factors, and on the other hand to the diversity of the therapeutic approaches, of which we are here reminded.


Each year more than 500000 women worldwide die from complications related to childbirth. With good quality obstetric care approximately 90 percent of these deaths could be averted. The assistance of a skilled birth attendant during labor delivery and the immediate postpartum period is one important component of quality obstetric care. An enabling environment for skilled attendance at delivery and prompt attention for women arriving at a medical facility with an obstetric complication are also key factors. However little is known about the competence of skilled birth attendants the elements that contribute to an enabling environment and the causes of what is commonly known as the "third delay:" the delay in receiving medical attention after a woman arrives at a healthcare facility. Through its Safe Motherhood Research Program the Quality Assurance Project carried out three studies to explore these issues in countries with high maternal mortality ratios. The first study examined the competency of skilled birth attendants (SBAs). The second measured SBA performance and the relative contribution to performance of different enabling factors in the work environment. The last study examined causes of in-facility delays in receiving obstetric care. All three studies were carried out between September 2001 and July 2002 in Benin Ecuador Jamaica and Rwanda. This report presents the results from Benin. The Benin studies included five hospitals: a tertiary care referral hospital with an active maternity department two secondary care hospitals and two smaller district hospitals. The competency study measured knowledge with a 72-question test covering six subject areas. We also tested skills in several key areas including ability to use a partograph neonatal resuscitation manual removal of placenta bimanual uterine compression and IV insertion. Finally we asked participants to assess their own ability to carry out common obstetric procedures. Results show that current competency levels are low. Two key skills bimanual uterine compression and active management of third stage labor are rarely taught and rarely practiced. We found little difference in competency by professional level. Physicians do somewhat better with complex procedures but professional level appears inversely related to the interpersonal quality of care. There was no correlation between providers' self-assessment and their competency as measured by the knowledge and skills tests. The enabling environment study addressed the contribution of enabling factors and essential elements to health worker performance. We used an observation checklist to evaluate performance during labor delivery and the immediate postpartum period. We reviewed medical records to evaluate performance at managing obstetric complications. We also surveyed providers in each facility about supervision training and motivation. Finally we inventoried the availability of essential drugs equipment and supplies in each study hospital. Although most staff had extensive professional training less than half said they had received any training in the last two years. Labor monitoring including checking fetal heart rate and mother's blood pressure was inadequate in most observed cases. Providers used a partograph only about two-thirds of the time. Few washed their hands before assisting at delivery and none suctioned the newborn after birth but most administered oxytocin to the mother after delivery. The third delay study used direct observation to analyze patient flow in three of the five study hospitals. In addition two physicians reviewed medical records to determine if there were delays at different points in the care of the patient. Most of the delays found in the record review occurred during diagnosis especially for obstructed labor and severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Waiting times after arrival at the hospital or the OB department varied by hospital but were unusually long at the regional referral hospital (RRH) one of the two secondary level facilities included in the study. We recommend a quality improvement initiative to improve medical records at all hospitals. For RRHs we also recommend developing a systematic triage system to reduce waiting times for incoming patients. The Quality Assurance Project's safe motherhood research is supported with Maternal Health funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (authors)


Purpose of study During carotid artery stenting (CAS) under local anesthesia, hemodynamic instability (hypotension, bradycardia, etc) has been reported to occur. Hemodynamic instability during CAS under local anesthesia, especially in elderly patients, may be a risk factor for complications. We evaluate the hemodynamic stability during CAS under general anesthesia in elderly patients with a high grade carotid artery stenosis. Methods 15 CAS procedures were performed under general anesthesia using sevoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen in in 15 patients aged 65 years or older between November 2007 and February 2009. All CAS procedures were performed for high grade stenoses (>70% in NASCET criteria). Nine procedures were performed for symptomatic stenoses. Degree of systolic blood pressure change, hypotension and bradycardia during CAS were assessed. Results Mean age of patients was 69±3.2 years. Mean degrees of stenosis before and after CAS was 75.8±7.5% and 25.9±9.8%, respectively. No hypotension (systolic blood pressure <80 mm Hg) occurred during procedures, and transient bradycardia (heart rate <50/min) occurred in one patient (0.6%) during the procedures. Mean systolic blood pressure change was 35±11.9 mm Hg. No procedure was complicated by stroke during or after CAS. Conclusion General anesthesia using sevoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen depressed baroreceptor reflex sensitivity, induced hemodynamic stability during CAS and may decrease the rate of occurrence of complications in elderly patients with a high grade carotid artery stenosis.


Abstract. Automated methods for the detection and tracking of deep convective storms in geostationary satellite imagery have a vital role in both the forecasting of severe storms and research into their behaviour. Studying the interactions and feedbacks between multiple deep convective clouds, however, poses a challenge for existing algorithms due to the necessary compromise between false detection and missed detection errors. We utilise an optical flow method to determine the motion of deep convective clouds in GOES-16 ABI imagery in order to construct a semi-Lagrangian framework for the motion of the cloud field, independently of the detection and tracking of cloud objects. The semi-Lagrangian framework allows for severe storms to be simultaneously detected and tracked in both spatial and temporal dimensions. For the purpose of this framework we have developed a novel Lagrangian convolution method and a number of novel implementations of morphological image operations that account for the motion of observed objects. These novel methods allow the accurate extension of computer vision techniques to the temporal domain for moving objects such as DCCs. By combining this framework with existing methods for detecting deep convective clouds (including detection of growing cores through cloud top cooling and detection of anvil using brightness temperature), we show that the novel framework enables reductions in errors due to both false and missed detections compared to any of the individual methods, reducing the need to compromise when compared with existing frameworks. The novel framework enables the continuous tracking of anvil clouds associated with detected deep convection after convective activity has stopped, enabling the study of the entire lifecycle of deep convective clouds and their associated anvils. Furthermore, we expect this framework to applicable to a wide range of cases including the detection and tracking of low-level clouds and other atmospheric phenomena. In addition, this framework may be used to combine observations from multiple sources, including satellite observations, weather radar and reanalysis model data.


Abstract. This paper describes two procedures used to disseminate tangible cultural heritage through real-time 3D simulations providing accurate-scientific representations. The main idea is to create simple geometries (with low-poly count) and apply two different texture maps to them: a normal map and a displacement map. There are two ways to achieve models that fit with normal or displacement maps: with the former (normal maps), the number of polygons in the reality-based model may be dramatically reduced by decimation algorithms and then normals may be calculated by rendering them to texture solutions (baking). With the latter, a LOD model is needed; its topology has to be quad-dominant for it to be converted to a good quality subdivision surface (with consistent tangency and curvature all over). The subdivision surface is constructed using methodologies for the construction of assets borrowed from character animation: these techniques have been recently implemented in many entertainment applications known as "retopology". The normal map is used as usual, in order to shade the surface of the model in a realistic way. The displacement map is used to finish, in real-time, the flat faces of the object, by adding the geometric detail missing in the low-poly models. The accuracy of the resulting geometry is progressively refined based on the distance from the viewing point, so the result is like a continuous level of detail, the only difference being that there is no need to create different 3D models for one and the same object. All geometric detail is calculated in real-time according to the displacement map. This approach can be used in Unity, a real-time 3D engine originally designed for developing computer games. It provides a powerful rendering engine, fully integrated with a complete set of intuitive tools and rapid workflows that allow users to easily create interactive 3D contents. With the release of Unity 4.0, new rendering features have been added, including DirectX 11 support. Real-time tessellation is a technique that can be applied by using such technology. Since the displacement and the resulting geometry are calculated by the GPU, the time-based execution cost of this technique is very low.


Pandit MM, Strait KA, Matsuda T, Kohan DE. Na delivery and ENaC mediate flow regulation of collecting duct endothelin-1 production. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 302: F1325–F1330, 2012. First published February 22, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00034.2012.— Collecting duct (CD) endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an important autocrine inhibitor of Na and water transport. CD ET-1 production is stimulated by extracellular fluid volume expansion and tubule fluid flow, suggesting a mechanism coupling CD Na delivery and ET-1 synthesis. A mouse cortical CD cell line, mpkCCDc14, was subjected to static or flow conditions for 2 h at 2 dyn/cm, followed by determination of ET-1 mRNA content. Flow with 300 mosmol/l NaCl increased ET-1 mRNA to 65% above that observed under static conditions. Increasing perfusate osmolarity to 450 mosmol/l with NaCl or Na acetate increased ET-1 mRNA to 184% compared with no flow, which was not observed when osmolarity was increased using mannitol or urea. Reducing Na concentration to 150 mosmol/l while maintaining total osmolarity at 300 mosmol/l with urea or mannitol decreased the flow response. Inhibition of epithelial Na channel (ENaC) with amiloride or benzamil abolished the flow response, suggesting involvement of ENaC in flow-regulated ET-1 synthesis. Aldosterone almost doubled the flow response. Since Ca enhances CD ET-1 production, the involvement of plasma membrane and mitochondrial Na/Ca exchangers (NCX) was assessed. SEA0400 and KB-R7943, plasma membrane NCX inhibitors, did not affect the flow response. However, CGP37157, a mitochondrial NCX inhibitor, abolished the response. In summary, the current study indicates that increased Na delivery, leading to ENaC-mediated Na entry and mitochondrial NCX activity, is involved in flow-stimulated CD ET-1 synthesis. This constitutes the first report of either ENaC or mitochondrial NCX regulation of an autocrine factor in any biologic system.


Abstract Global upper air and surface data for the entire GATE period from 15 June to 24 September 1974, were collected by the Data Assimilation Branch of NMC and mailed to GFDL. After processing these data, a four-dimensional analysis technique was applied for the entire GATE period, using a global numerical model. For a selected period, several different versions of the data processing scheme were tested. The resulting analyses were compared with each other and with the objective analysis of NMC in Washington D.C., and ANMRC in Melbourne. Overall, the analyses for the extratropics were satisfactory for the Northern Hemisphere, and to a lesser extent, for the Southern Hemisphere, though flow patterns are somewhat excessively smoothed. The analyses for the tropics were not of the same quality as those for the extratropics, and yet they were much improved compared with those of several years ago. A noteworthy point is that tropical cyclones were successfully represented in several cases.


Pattern recognition has its origins in engineering, whereas machine learning grew out of computer science. However, these activities can be viewed as two facets of the same field, and together they have undergone substantial development over the past ten years. In particular, Bayesian methods have grown from a specialist niche to become mainstream, while graphical models have emerged as a general framework for describing and applying probabilistic models. Also, the practical applicability of Bayesian methods has been greatly enhanced through the development of a range of approximate inference algorithms such as variational Bayes and expectation propagation. Similarly, new models based on kernels have had significant impact on both algorithms and applications. This new textbook reflects these recent developments while providing a comprehensive introduction to the fields of pattern recognition and machine learning. It is aimed at advanced undergraduates or first year PhD students, as well as researchers and practitioners, and assumes no previous knowledge of pattern recognition or machine learning concepts. Knowledge of multivariate calculus and basic linear algebra is required, and some familiarity with probabilities would be helpful though not essential as the book includes a self-contained introduction to basic probability theory. Because this book has broad scope, it is impossible to provide a complete list of references, and in particular no attempt has been made to provide accurate historical attribution of ideas. Instead, the aim has been to give references that offer greater detail than is possible here and that hopefully provide entry points into what, in some cases, is a very extensive literature. For this reason, the references are often to more recent textbooks and review articles rather than to original sources. The book is supported by a great deal of additional material, including lecture slides as well as the complete set of figures used in the book, and the reader is encouraged to visit the book web site for the latest information:


Free trade can seem a peculiar thing, it's both an economical theory and a trade policy, both an ideology and a scientific theory. Much of these tensions can be found already in the writings of Adam Smith. The dissertation focus the political aspect of free trade, and investigates how it was communicated within Swedish trade policy between 1823 and 1854. During this period the prohibitions in the Swedish tariff were subject of a fierce debate within the political system. 1823 a principal decision was taken to abolish them, but not until 1854 and 1857 respectively, one can say it was finally executed. Recent theories on trade policy change, suggests that to explain these kinds of processes, one can't only look at the primary economic interests behind the change. Institutions and ideas are vital factors as well. My investigation considers these together with the aspects arenas and actors as important together with the more economic factors. The political actors communicated the issue on arenas, and the issue got institutionalised within the political system and was affected by existing institutions. Existing ideas also influenced how the problem was finally solved. The free traders are studied as political communicators where message and identities worked together. Political aspects like virtues, national interests and rhetoric came into play that explains why the change cannot be reduced to the strength of economic interests. In this the British free trade reforms gave the Swedish free traders important tools. In line with developments on the continent during the middle of the century, free trade was adopted and championed as a policy for national enrichment and empowerment. In this the roles played by different actors were important, the main roles were that of statesman and spokesperson for the people, both originated within the British political process. Swedish actors adopted these and transformed them to a Swedish context.


Abstract:Joseph Carens in his 2013 book Ethics of Immigration argues we should not criminalize undocumented migrants. Instead, we should view them as irregular immigrants who are entitled to some general human rights. This article focuses on Caren's discussion of criminalization in light of recent scholarship by John Marquez and Natalie Cisneros pertaining to the Latina/o border death toll, generalized violence, and discourses on undocumented pregnant migrante females as multiplying rats and anchor babies. This article argues that simply relying on a democratic state model to understand the realities of border militarization is not sufficient because it does not perform some of the explanatory functions performed by other non-ideal theories. By synthesizing the views of Cisneros and Marquez, this article distinguishs thick and thin senses of excessive border enforcement and outlines a notion of the racial/sexual state of expendability as a way of making better sense of these violent realities.


We have identified a Holstein sire named Tarantino who had been approved for artificial insemination that is based on normal semen characteristics (i.e., morphology, thermoresistance, motility, sperm concentration), but had no progeny after 412 first inseminations, resulting in a non-return rate (NRdev) of −29. Using whole genome association analysis and next generation sequencing, an associated nonsense variant in the α/β-hydrolase domain-containing 16B gene (ABHD16B) on bovine chromosome 13 was identified. The frequency of the mutant allele in the German Holstein population was determined to be 0.0018 in 222,645 investigated cattle specimens. The mutant allele was traced back to Whirlhill Kingpin (bornFeb. 13th, 1959) as potential founder. The expression of ABHD16B was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in testis and epididymis of control bulls. A lipidome comparison of the plasma membrane of fresh semen from carriers and controls showed significant differences in the concentration of phosphatidylcholine (PC), diacylglycerol (DAG), ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and phosphatidylcholine (-ether) (PC O-), indicating that ABHD16B plays a role in lipid biosynthesis. The altered lipid contents may explain the reduced fertilization ability of mutated sperms.


The extensive tests reported herein have provided additional data on cable-sheath performance characteristics which readily can be applied to design practice by published methods.8,9,10 These data indicate: 1. Bending strain is the important consideration in determining sheath life of expansion loops in manholes. 2. If bending strains are low (cables of small diameter, lightly loaded, or cables in large manholes permitting large training radii), copper-lead or thin-wall alloy sheaths are satisfactory. 3. As cable diameter or loading increases, other factors being equal, strain increases. 4. Small expansion loops in restricted manholes increase the strain. 5. If bending strain exceeds a certain value, copper-lead will have a short life, and alloy sheaths should be used. 6. If the maximum permissible strain for standard alloy sheath is exceeded, additional strain resistance is best obtained by increased sheath thickness. 7. If bending strains are too high, the sheath increases in diameter, develops wrinkles and may fail from expansion rather than bending fatigue. 8. Thin-wall sheaths, in addition to lower resistance to bending and internal pressure, tend to wrinkle from handling. These wrinkles may cause stress concentrations and nonuniform bending resulting in short sheath life. 9. F-3 alloy is further substantiated as a superior sheathing material by this extension of previously published data.


The Cloud presents enormous potential for users to have access to facilities such as vast data storage and infinite computing capacity. Yet the Cloud, taken from the perspective of the average user, does have a dark side. I agree with a number of writers and the concerns that they raise about privacy and personal autonomy on the internet and the Cloud. However, I wish to voice concern over another change. From the perspective of users, the Cloud might also reduce the range of user possibilities for robust interaction with the internet/Cloud in a manner which then prevents users from participating in the internet as creators, collaborators, and sharers. The Cloud is "manageable" in a way the internet was not, and with users increasingly interacting with the internet with relatively less powerful devices than computers – smartphones, tablets and the like – this ability for Cloud service providers to control or manage users is enhanced. We owe the vocabulary of "enclosure" to Hungarian-Canadian political economist Karl Polanyi. In his seminal work, The Great Transformation, Polanyi described the enclosure movement in England in which communally integrated and collective farming practices on common lands were suppressed by authorities of the state, forcefully and sometimes brutally, in order to privatize land resources and create the conditions for a market economy in both agriculture as well as other sectors. More recently, the term "enclosure" has been used effectively by American intellectual property scholars such as James Boyle to describe the manner in which intellectual property rules and the concurrent practices of IP rights holders (for copyright, often large corporate interests) in the age of the internet were being used to restrict access to the public domain of ideas or the information commons.I argue that the Cloud, unless monitored and possibly directed, has the potential to go beyond undermining copyright and the public domain – Enclosure 2.0 – and to go beyond weakening privacy. This round, which I call "Enclosure 3.0", has the potential to disempower internet users and conversely empower a very small group of gatekeepers. Put bluntly, it has the potential to relegate internet users to the status of digital sheep.By focusing on the entities that provide Cloud services, I argue that we might take steps to encourage or, if necessary, force private entities to keep the Cloud open and accessible in the long term. I also posit the desirability of a publicly-held Cloud to achieve this same end.


Emanuel Chuchkov, Ph.D., is a Macedonian politician, socio-political activist, vicepresident of ASNOM, first minister from Macedonia in first post-war Yugoslavia, university
professor. He was born in Stip on 14 of November 1901. His family had close connections with the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO). Chuchkov finished
elementary and high school in his born town. He enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, and after two years spend in Belgrade, he moved in new-opened University in
Skopje. He graduated on faculty of geography, history, ethnology, ethnography and Slav philology in 1925.
His educational career begins in Ohrid in 1926. After the Skopje student affair, in 1927, he was arrested as a member of Youth Macedonian secret revolutionary organization.
In this trial he was released because there was a lack of evidence. But 11 members of the organization were sentenced.
For the Serbian authorities he was suspicion, there for they send him as a high school teacher in Svilajnac. Until the Bulgarian occupation he was out of Macedonia. He formed his
family out of Macedonia. After the Bulgarian occupation, Chuchkov, as a member of YMSRO, was hired by the Bulgarian educational authorities, first, as a high school teacher, and later as a director of Prilep and Skopje gymnasium. His obligations as teacher and director Chuchkov performed
according the laws. In 1943, Chuchkov joined the Action National committee of the liberation front. In 1944 he go out in partisans. The same year, he became vice-president of ASNOM. In new formed Ministry of Federal Units, in February 1945, Emanuel Chuchkov was the first minister from Macedonia in post-war Yugoslavia government. This function he held until March 1946, when he return in Skopje, and became director of National assembly ― Tanec. Later he became professor of Skopje University, faculty of economics, after he defend his doctor thesis.
He died as a dean of Faculty of economy, on 1 of September 1967, in Belgrade.


A series of derivatives of mitomycin C conjugated with various fatty acids at position 1a was synthesized and the effect of these compounds on protein kinase activities was evaluated. 1a-Docosahexaenoyl mitomycin C (DMMC) selectively inhibited protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity in the postnuclear fraction of v-src-transformed NIH 3T3 cells although neither derivatives conjugated with other fatty acids or docosahexaenoic acid or mitomycin C did not. DMMC inhibited the activity of calmodulin-dependent kinase III and protein kinase A very weakly, and only barely affected protein kinase C activity. DMMC also attenuated autophosphorylation of immunoprecipitated p60v-src irreversibly. The addition of thiol compounds to the reaction mixture reversed the inhibition by DMMC, suggesting that some thiol moiety of PTK protein might be involved. DMMC also inhibited kinase activity of p210bcr-abl immunoprecipitated from the lysate of K562 cells. These results indicate that DMMC is a novel inhibitor of PTK.


Abstract We study the expected welfare effects of targeted R&D subsidies using project-level data from Finland. We model the application and R&D investment decisions of firms and the subsidy-granting decision of the public agency in charge of the program. Our model and institutional environment allow us to identify different benefits and costs of the R&D subsidy program. We find that expected effects of subsidies are very heterogeneous and estimated application costs low on average. The social rate of return on targeted subsidies is 30% to 50%, but spillover effects of subsidies are smaller than effects on firm profits.


Extracellular recordings from single neurons of the prestriate area V3A were carried out in awake, behaving monkeys, to test the influence of the direction of gaze on cellular activity. The responsiveness to visual stimulation of about half of the studied neurons (88/187) was influenced by the animal's direction of gaze: physically identical visual stimuli delivered to identical retinotopic positions (on the receptive field) evoked different responses, depending upon the direction of gaze. Control experiments discount the possibility that the observed phenomenon was due to changes in visual background or in depth, depending on the direction in which the animal was looking. The gaze effect modulated cell excitability with different strengths for different gaze directions. The majority of these neurons were more responsive when the animal looked contralaterally with respect to the hemisphere they were recorded from. Gaze-dependent neurons seem to be segregated in restricted cortical regions, within area V3A, without mixing with non-gaze-dependent cells of the same cortical area. The most reliable differences between V3A gaze-dependent neurons and the same type of cells previously described in area 7a (Andersen and Mountcastle, 1983) concern the small receptive field size, the laterality of gaze effect, and the lack of straight-ahead facilitated or inhibited neurons in area V3A. Since the present results show that V3A gaze-dependent neurons combine information about the position of the eye in the orbit with that of a restricted retinal locus (their receptive field), we suggest that they might directly encode spatial locations of the animal's field of view in a head frame of reference. These cells might be involved in the construction of an internal map of the visual environment in which the topographical position of the objects reflects their objective position in space instead of reflecting the retinotopic position of their images. Such an objective map of the visual world might allow the stability of visual perception despite eye movement.


The massive 'brain-drain' which has afflicted Albania after 1991 in almost all cultural fields affected also to a large respect the folk culture. A state-sponsored system of cultural houses spread all over the country collapsed. State-supported folk culture ceased to exist for a transitional period. Villages with a once vibrant tradition of multipart singing became emptied and muted, without songs. The cultural landscape had to reorganise itself. Within this process of the reorganisation of cultural institutions returning migrants played a decisive role. Money from returning migrants resulted in the creation of mostly privately sponsored shoqeritë, promoting regional cultural heritage. The social absence of the migrants became culturally felt. The folk repertoire of songs turned into a tool for responding and commenting on human loss as well as on tragic events such as the drowning of Albanian migrants in the Strait of Otranto 1997 or the hijacking of Flamur Pisli 1999. The leading figures of this culturally highly innovative practice were local intellectuals called rapsods who tried to relate the nostalgic mythistory of kurbet before the 2nd World War with the actual mass migration through a shared emotionality. Through a highly effective use of metaphors and performance devices taken from oral folk poetry and the repertoire of death laments they show the ability to react and comment on the present migrations and to fix them in the memory of the community. Based on fieldwork in South Albania 2004–2009 this paper will try to evaluate how migration has contributed in the cultural realm to the identity-building processes in post-communist Albania.


Light-driven unidirectional molecular rotary motors have the potential to power molecular machines. Consequently, optimizing their speed and efficiency is an important objective. Here, we investigate factors controlling the photochemical yield of the prototypical unidirectional rotary motor, a sterically overcrowded alkene, through detailed investigation of its excited-state dynamics. An isoviscosity analysis of the ultrafast fluorescence decay data resolves friction from barrier effects and reveals a 3.4 ± 0.5 kJ mol-1 barrier to excited-state decay in nonpolar media. Extension of this analysis to polar solvents shows that this barrier height is a strong function of medium polarity and that the decay pathway becomes near barrierless in more polar media. Thus, the properties of the medium can be used as a route for controlling the motor's excited-state dynamics. The connection between these dynamics and the quantum yield of photochemical isomerization is probed. The photochemical quantum yield is shown to be a much weaker function of solvent polarity, and the most efficient excited-state decay pathway does not lead to a strongly enhanced quantum yield for isomerization. These results are discussed in terms of the solvent dependence of the complex multidimensional excited-state reaction coordinate.


In order to identify important factors influencing animal health and general disease resistance, detailed qualitative and quantitative farm data were collected from 99 organic dairy farms in the Netherlands. Mastitis incidence and milk quality were focal points of the data collection. In this paper the results of a group of farms which rear dairy calves in suckling systems (n=11) are presented. It was found that compared to other farms in the study (n=88), suckling systems in calf rearing had no clear adverse effects on mastitis incidence and milk quality. In 2006 average clinical mastitis incidence on suckling farms was 14%, on other farms 20%. The percentage of cows with a somatic cell count less than 250,000 at drying-off was lower (60 vs. 66%) at suckling farms. Also immediately after calving the percentage of cows with a somatic cell count less than 250,000 was lower (65 vs. 75%) on suckling farms. Between other farms and suckling farms, but also within suckling farms, distinctively different attitudes to disease management prevailed. Most suckling farms recently introduced suckling systems in calf rearing. Only 1 or 2 generations of suckled heifers had been introduced into the herds up to now. In order to judge whether suckling systems have a potential to improve udder health in future dairy herds, evaluation should be carried out again once suckled heifers constitute the majority of the herd.


This investigation studied the use of the Greek term παροιμια in the Gospel of John. In chapter 1 modern and ancient writers who wrote about the παροιμια are reviewed as a background study. The discussions are mostly limited to the area of popular proverbs. The list of παροιμια in the period before the Fourth Gospel revealed that not only proverbial sayings but also idioms and maxims were included in the category of παροιμια. The use of the term in the Septuagint translation and in Philo's writings shifted from the earlier use of theterm because the former, in several places, translated the Hebrew words משׁל and חידה by παροιμια and the latter replaced three words αἲνιγμα, παραβολἠ, and διηγἠμα by παροιμἰα. This use provided an intermediate step toward the drastic shift in the term's meaning in the Fourth Gospel In chapter 2 the use of the term in 16 :4b-33 and the problem of ἐν παροιμἰαις are probed. Βy investigating the use of ταῦτα it is shown that Jesus referred to the passage of vss. 5-24 by ταῦτα in 16:25. The crucial sayings of vss. 25, 29 are conditioned by the questions of the disciples. The questions were caused by the difficult sayings of Jesus, which can be identified with παροιμἰα. The difficult sayings are found in vss. 5 (10b), 16. They are not parables, proverbs, illustrations, or figures of speech. They are riddles. Features of the Johannine riddles which occur in chap. 16 were observed: short; expanded by the use of a parable; cause questions; Jesus centered; Jesus' sayings; and use of ambiguous words. In chapter 3 the παροιμἰα of 10:1-5 was investigated to determine its literary form. Several possibilities were considered: parable, allegory, and riddle. 'Riddle' is the most appropriate English equivalent for παροιμἰα. Additional features of the Johannine riddles were observed: lengthy; cause of misunderstanding; and expansion by the use of proverbs. In chapter 4 further Johannine riddles were located in light of the features observed in the previous chapters. These riddles culminate in the death of Jesus. Jesus is portrayed as a teacher of riddles in the Gospel. The Johannine use of the term παροιμἰα shows a dramatic shift from its use in the classical and Hellenistic literature before the Gospel.


This dissertation undertakes the theory and methods of sufficient dimension folding for matrix-/array-valued objects. Traditionally, researchers reduced the dimensions of matrix-/array-valued data by collapsing the data into vectorization. Nonetheless, analysis based on the vectorized data loses the crucial structural information carried by the data. Keeping the structure is critical in many fields. Dimension folding is a cuttingedge technology for capturing the critical essence of those structured data, reducing their dimensions as much as possible, yet preserving their intrinsic structure. We first consider sufficient dimension folding for the regression mean function when predictors are matrixor array-valued. A new concept central mean folding subspace and its two local estimation methods: folded outer product of gradients estimation (foldedOPG) and folded minimum average variance estimation (folded-MAVE ) are proposed. The asymptotic property for folded-MAVE is established. A modified BIC criterion is used to determine the dimensions of the central mean folding subspace. Performances of the two local estimation methods are evaluated by simulated examples and the efficacy is demonstrated in finite samples. The folded-MAVE method is adopted to analyze a primary biliary cirrhosis data set. Second, we focus on sufficient dimension folding for regression on robustness for matrixor array-valued objects. The central functional folding subspace and a class of estimation methods on robust estimators are introduced. Special attention is paid to the central quantile dimension folding subspace, a widely interesting case of the central functional folding subspace. The performances of the proposed estimation methods on estimating the central quantile folding dimension subspace are evaluated by simulated models. We also apply our method using quantile regression to the primary biliary cirrhosis data set. Third, we introduce our future work. A class of dimension folding estimators based on an ensemble of folded-MAVE is introduced to characterize the central folding subspace (CFS). The ensemble estimators can exhaustively estimate the central folding subspace without imposing restrictive conditions on the predictors. A cross validation criterion is proposed to determine the dimensions of CFS. Theoretical properties and numerical performance of the proposed method will be studied in the future. Index words: Central Folding Subspace, Central Mean Folding Subspace, Central Quantile Folding Subspace, Folded Minimum Average Variance Estimation, Folded MAVE ensemble, Modified BIC criterion, Cross Validation.


That asset specificity and asset fixity are impediments to economic adjustment is well understood in the literatures of industrial organization and agricultural economics. In this paper, we show that spatial factors can plausible be expected to be arguments in functions that define asset fixity and specificity and, hence, asset fixity may be systematically related to space. The implications with regard to differences across space in rates of adjustment to market signals suggest that the short run is longer in remote than in less remote places, which may prove useful in explaining the behavior of a spatial economic system during times of rapid technological change.


Abstract Clay-swelling inhibitors are often used to prevent the hydration of clay minerals, which can reduce the risk of wellbore instability and reservoir damage. The molecular behaviour of clay-swelling inhibitors at the montmorillonite–water interface is crucial for revealing their inhibition mechanisms and for evaluating and designing inhibitor molecules. N1,N1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(N1-(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine) (NETS), a low-molecular-weight clay-swelling inhibitor, is used widely to prevent clay swelling. Herein, the adsorption mechanism of NETS on the surface of montmorillonite (Mnt) was investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In particular, the effects of molecular conformation and temperature on adsorption ability were investigated. The results show that the adsorption ability of NETS on the Mnt surface was affected significantly by the molecular conformation. Specifically, the dihedral angle of NETS adsorbed on the surface of Mnt decreases by ~20° and tends to adsorb on the surface of Mnt in a plane state. In addition, the adsorption stability of NETS on the Mnt surface decreased with increasing temperature, as was found using MD simulations. Detailed analysis shows that increasing temperature can lead to more frequent conformational changes, which weaken the interaction between NETS and Mnt, thus reducing adsorption stability. These molecular insights into the interaction mechanism between NETS and Mnt are beneficial for the evaluation of inhibitory effects and for the selection and molecular design of new clay-swelling inhibitors for use in drilling fluids.


A randomised controlled trial sets out to do just one thing—to discover the truth. Pick up any medical journal, and you can read about the need for a good randomised clinical trial to answer a burning clinical question. A trial that will inform, enhance, and, when applicable, change clinical practice. Experienced research committees prioritise the clinical questions that need answering to ensure the health of the nation. They also set guidelines on what constitutes good clinical practice within a research context.1 Furthermore, the scientific and clinical communities ensure that good scientific modelling is central to trial methodology. How a trial actually happens and how the conclusions that affect clinical practice are arrived at are often less prescribed.

Little is written about the day to day and strategic management of such trials. There are no clearly defined operational models established or any code of practice for managing a randomised controlled trial. The apparent lack of recognition for the role of efficient management in the effective delivery of a trial needs to be addressed. Randomised controlled trials need to be managed like any other organisation. Many clinical trials fail to deliver because of the lack of a practical businesslike approach to getting the job done.

### Summary points

Although the scientific validity of a randomised controlled trial is subject to intense scrutiny, the actual management of the trial often receives little attention

The knowledge and expertise gained on running earlier trials are not widely disseminated, so new trials are begun from scratch

Trials need to be marketed properly to ensure that sufficient numbers of participating centres and patients are recruited

For the day to day running of the trial, robust systems and procedures must be designed that are efficient, effective, and flexible (generic models that can be customised)

A trial team is needed for …


When available financial securities allow investors to optimally diversify risk across countries, standard theory implies that exchange rates should reflect this behavior. However, exchange rates observed in the data deviate from these predictions. In this paper, we develop a framework to value the welfare costs of these exchange rate wedges, as disciplined by asset returns. This framework applies to a general class of asset pricing and exchange rate models. We further decompose the value of these wedges into components, showing that the ability of goods markets to respond to financial markets through exchange rate adjustment has significant implications for welfare.


At interfaces between different fluids, properties such as density, viscosity, and molecular cohesion are discontinuous. To animate small-scale details of incompressible viscous multi-phase fluids realistically, we focus on the discontinuities in the state variables that express these properties. Surface tension of both free and bubble surfaces is modeled using the jump condition in the pressure field; and discontinuities in the velocity gradient field, driven by viscosity differences, are also considered. To obtain derivatives of the pressure and velocity fields with sub-grid accuracy, they are extrapolated across interfaces using continuous variables based on physical properties. The numerical methods that we present are easy to implement and do not impact the performance of existing solvers. Small-scale fluid motions, such as capillary instability, breakup of liquid sheets, and bubbly water can all be successfully animated.


In the research of flow and heat transfer of the diesel engine cooling system, the boundary condition determination was often a difficult problem. The paper calculated the flow velocity and convective heat transfer coefficient respectively for a six-cylinder diesel engine under different boundary conditions which including the water jacket wall as adiabatic condition, average temperature condition, and the boundary conditions from the solid-fluid coupling calculating. And the calculated values of the jacket wall temperatures were compared with that of test. The results showed that the simulation with solid-fluid coupling boundary conditions had better precision. Based on the research, an improved structure design was conducted for the six-cylinder diesel engine, the results of simulation showed that the average flow speed at the internal surface of water jacket could reach up to 0.5m/s, the flow symmetry in each jacket got improved, and the convective heat transfer coefficient could reach more than 2000 W/m2·K. The improved cooling system can meet the design requirements.


Background: Work-related asthma phenotypes in health workers (HWs) exposed to cleaning agents have not been investigated extensively as other occupational exposures. This study aimed to describe asthma phenotypes and to identify important host risk factors associated with various asthma-related outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 699 HWs was conducted in two large tertiary hospitals. A total of 697 HWs completed questionnaire interviews. Sera collected from 682 HWs were analyzed for atopy (Phadiatop) and IgE to occupational allergens (NRL—Hev b5, Hev b6.02; chlorhexidine and ortho-phthalaldehyde—OPA). Methacholine (MCT), bronchodilator challenge (BDR) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were performed. An asthma symptom score (ASS) used five asthma-related symptoms reported in the past 12 months. Current asthma was based on use of asthma medication or an asthma attack or being woken up by an attack of shortness of breath in the past 12 months. Nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness (NSBH) was defined as having either a positive MCT or a significant bronchodilator response. Two continuous indices of NSBH [continuous index of responsiveness (CIR) and dose-response slope (DRS)] were calculated. Results: The prevalence of current asthma was 10%, atopic asthma (6%) and non-atopic asthma (4%). Overall, 2% of subjects had work-related asthma. There was a weak positive association between NSBH and FeNO [CIR: Beta coefficient (β) = 0.12; CI: 0.03–0.22 and DRS: β = 0.07; CI: 0.03–0.12]. Combining FeNO ≥ 50 ppb with a BDR [mean ratio (MR) = 5.89; CI: 1.02–34.14] or with NSBH (MR = 4.62; CI: 1.16–18.46) correlated better with ASS than FeNO alone (MR = 2.23; CI: 1.30–3.85). HWs with current asthma were twice as likely to be atopic. FeNO was positively associated with atopy (OR = 3.19; CI: 1.59–6.39) but negatively associated with smoking status (GMR = 0.76; CI: 0.62–0.94). Most HWs sensitized to occupational allergens were atopic. Conclusion: Atopic asthma was more prevalent than non-atopic asthma in HWs. Most asthma-related outcomes were positively associated with allergic predictors suggesting a dominant role for IgE mechanisms for work-related symptoms and asthma associated with sensitization to OPA or chlorhexidine.


OBJECTIVE
Sleep disturbances are recognized as an important health and public health problem that affects physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. Inhalation of essential oils may be a safe alternative to pharmaceutical interventions for mild to moderate sleep disturbances. Quantitative human studies on the effect of inhaled essential oils on sleep that were published between 1990 to 2012 were reviewed.

METHODS
Ovid Medline, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Science Direct, and PubMed databases were searched to extract articles that evaluated the effect of inhaled essential oils on sleep in humans.

RESULTS
The search yielded 15 quantitative studies, including 11 randomized controlled trials that examined hypnotic effects of inhalation of essential oils. A majority of the study findings suggested a positive effect of essential oils on sleep. Lavender was the most frequently studied essential oil. No adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSIONS
Inhalation of essential oils may be considered for people with mild sleep disturbances. Further studies with larger samples and stronger methods and endpoints are needed to build on the findings.


We review emerging evidence indicating that in utero exposure to infection is a risk factor for schizophrenia. It is hypothesized that a prenatal infection increases the liability to schizophrenia in adulthood by adversely affecting the maturation of critical brain structural and functional components implicated in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disorder. Early evidence for a role of in utero infection includes investigations linking schizophrenia with birth during the winter and in urban regions, and ecologic studies demonstrating associations between influenza epidemics and births of pre-schizophrenic patients. The findings of the latter studies are, however, equivocal. To more rigorously address this question, our group has used increasingly sophisticated research designs that incorporate more refined measures of exposure and outcome, and continuous follow-up of treated cases. This work has already yielded several intriguing findings, including associations between schizophrenia and two in utero infections--rubella and respiratory infection. We also describe our ongoing birth cohort investigations that are expected to advance this work further, including studies that utilize maternal serum samples drawn during pregnancy of offspring who were later diagnosed with schizophrenia.


This thesis discusses a method of analysing the input of interventions in a building's site design, all of which affect the heat island effect, bio-diversity and hydrology of urban areas. Existing standards from Toronto, Vancouver and Berlin have been researched and analysed. This paper presents an evolution of a method called biotope area factor used in Berlin, Germany. A synthesis of the approach of all three systems was considered and distilled into the key points which were then incorporated into the proposed method. In addition to the impact of an individual building, it also includes the impact from the adjacent street area. The final components of this thesis are the application of the method developed to an urban area in the city of Toronto and results showing the impacts on architectural design from site rating systems.


The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the open access culture and its impact on the use of Open Educational Resources (OER). There are many examples of using the term "open access culture", but without giving an explicit description of it. The aim of this research is to offer conceptualization of the open access culture, identify its main components, and determine the impact of this variable on the intention to use and the actual use of Open Educational Resources by the members of public higher education institutions in Croatia. The sample consisted of 427 respondents. Keeping in mind that culture has a significant impact on the behaviour of an individual, but it also manifests itself through this behaviour, the research model will be proposed. The variable "open access culture" will be observed on a personal, professional and organizational level and it will include attitudes, perception, norms and politics towards open access to scientific and educational content and knowledge sharing. For the purpose of this study a questionnaire was prepared. Each part of the variable "open access culture", as well as the intention to use and the actual use of OER, has been tested using a set of statements with answers on a 5-degree Likert type scale. The respondents have expressed a moderate open access culture. The actual use of OER, as well as the intention to use OER, is also in the middle of measurement scale. In order to achieve the aim of this research, three main hypotheses have been proposed. The results of multiple regression analysis show that the proposed model with predictor variable "open access culture" has a significant prognostic value on the intention to use and the actual use of OER, with a stronger influence on the intention to use OER. Considering the individual influence of the components of the predictor variable, the open access culture at professional level has the strongest influence on the intention to use and the actual use of OER. Keyword: open access, open educational resources, open access culture, OER acceptance


Abstract The aim of this paper is to investigate those buildings left over from Warsaw's socialist past as a part of the city's brand visual identity including their perception by foreign tourists and local citizens. Although Lisiak (2009) examined the destruction, removal and presence of these remnants from the socialist past in Central European cities, a comparative study of the perception of these architectural sites erected in Warsaw during socialist times has not been carried out specifically so far. To fill the gap, the authors concentrated research efforts on the following buildings: Palace of Culture and Science; the SMYK Store at Bracka 15/19; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at Wspólna 30; Office Building and Atrium at Wspólna 62; and the former headquarters of the Polish Communist Party at Nowy Świat 6/12. These buildings were built after the Second World War between the late 1940s and the first half of the 1950s. With the exception of the Palace of Culture and Science - which is one of the most notable symbols of Warsaw - these architectural sites are not on a priority list of the average tourist who does little or no planning for their trip. Nevertheless, these buildings are connected to the Polish People's Republic era and might attract different groups interested in this historical period and architecture. Apart from being potential tourist attractions, these buildings are being re-evaluated and restored to become integrated into the urban environment and more 'comfortable' for the local inhabitants. This paper gives some insights into the recognition and attractiveness of these architectural sites from the socialist past by those from Russia and the USA who have visited Warsaw as well as by Poles who know this city well. It is recommended that these results be taken into consideration by tourist agencies who deal with tours in Warsaw as well as institutions responsible for the city's image. The authors express the hope that this paper might be of interest for officials with public relations duties related to these architectural sites.


The tester time is expensive, which should be reduced as much as possible. Considering the fact that test response observation and test application only use a fraction of the whole testing time, a test subsession partitioning scheme is offered. Therefore, some further sources of the test scheduling problem are used. Subcircuits in conflict according to the definition are only partially in conflict now. A new test scheduling algorithm is given after the test subsession partitioning scheme is combined. This algorithm has learning ability by recording the previous conflict information, which prunes the searching space of the test scheduling problem effectively.<<ETX>>


A new method for characterising small-signal distortion is introduced. This novel gain-compression measurement approach employs a ratio of high- and low-level tones, closely spaced in frequency, which are simultaneously measured. A theoretical analysis of two tones passing through a weakly nonlinear device under test is used to demonstrate this new procedure for recovering the gain-distortion (i.e. power series) coefficients from the dual-tone measurement data. The signal normalisation procedure is also shown to effectively remove the time-varying errors associated with the linear receiver circuitry, thereby providing a high level of measurement accuracy. Test results for two amplifiers show that the gain-distortion coefficients can be used to accurately predict the amplifier's weakly nonlinear behaviour at low input power levels for different amplitude offsets between the high- and low-level tones. Although this new technique is demonstrated by using a power-series representation to estimate the small-signal gain compression at the fundamental frequency for memoryless devices, the general techniques that are developed here for this relatively simple problem can be extended to more complex problems where a Volterra series representation is required.


The term steel is used for many different alloys of iron. All steels cover small amounts of carbon and manganese. There do exist many types of steels which are(among others) plain carbon steel, stainless steel, alloysteel and tool steel. Carbon steel is the most extensively used kind of steel. The properties of carbon steel depend mainly on the amount of carbon it contains. Maximum carbon steel has a carbon content of less than 1%. Carbon steel is made into an extensive range of products, including structural beams, car bodies. In fact, there are 3 types of plain carbon steel namely low carbon steel, medium carbon steel, high carbon steel. It is good to exact that plain carbon steel is a type of steel having a maximum carbon content of 1.5% along with small percentages of silica, Sulphur, phosphorus and manganese. EN 1010 is a lowest amount of carbonalloy steel alloy with carbon content of 0.10%. Machineability of EN 1010 carbon steel is measured to be fairly good. EN 1010 is usually used for rivets and bolts, construction and automotive applications such as pans, nails and transmission cover. The objective of paper is to study the effect of process parameters namely pulse on time, pulse off time, peak current and servo voltage on surface roughness(SR).The effect of process parameters on productivity and accuracy facts is material dependent. To study parametric effect on Surface Roughness a Central Composite design approach of response surface methodology (RSM) is used to plan and study the experiments. The mathematical relationships between WEDM input process parameters and response parameter namely surface roughness is established to determine optimal values of surface roughness mathematically and graphically.The Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is performed to find statistically significant process parameters. Interaction effects of process parameters on surface roughness are analysed using statistical and graphical representations.


Abstract Whitehead, T. D., Moros, E. G., Brownstein, B. H. and Roti Roti, J. L. Gene Expression does not Change Significantly in C3H 10T ½ Cells after Exposure to 847.74 CDMA or 835.62 FDMA Radiofrequency Radiation. Radiat. Res. 165, 626–635 (2006). In vitro experiments with C3H 10T½ mouse cells were performed to determine whether Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) modulated radiofrequency (RF) radiations induce changes in gene expression. After the cells were exposed to either modulation for 24 h at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 5 W/ kg, RNA was extracted from both exposed and sham-exposed cells for gene expression analysis. As a positive control, cells were exposed to 0.68 Gy of X rays and gene expression was evaluated 4 h after exposure. Gene expression was evaluated using the Affymetrix U74Av2 GeneChip® to detect changes in mRNA levels. Each exposure condition was repeated three times. The GeneChip® data were analyzed using a two-tailed t test, and the expected number of false positives was estimated from t tests on 20 permutations of the six sham RF-field-exposed samples. For the X-ray-treated samples, there were more than 90 probe sets with expression changes greater than 1.3-fold beyond the number of expected false positives. Approximately one-third of these genes had previously been reported in the literature as being responsive to radiation. In contrast, for both CDMA and FDMA radiation, the number of probe sets with an expression change greater than 1.3-fold was less than or equal to the expected number of false positives. Thus the 24-h exposures to FDMA or CDMA RF radiation at 5 W/kg had no statistically significant effect on gene expression.


This article addresses the taphonomic issues surrounding artifact-bear associations in Yarimburgaz Cave, northwestern Turkey. Our purpose is to evaluate the circumstances of bone assemblage formation in the Middle Pleistocene deposits of the cave, identifying the agencies responsible for the accumulations and the causes of bone damage before and following deposition. Pleistocene species representation, bone damage, body part representation, and mortality data indicate that cave bear remains in Yarimburgaz are unrelated to hominid use of the same site. None of the observations on the cave bear remains contradicts the expectations developed from modern wildlife accounts of modern bear behavior; these accumulations resulted from mortality normally associated with hibernation over many generations of den use. Nonursid carnivores also played roles in bone collection and/or modification. We conclude that at least three distinct biological processes contributed to the formation of the Middle Pleistocene faunas: hibernating bears, bone-collecting carnivores such as wolves, and hominids in descending order of importance. The Yarimburgaz faunas represent palimpsests or overlays of many short-term depositional events, the close spatial associations of which are explained by slow or uneven sedimentation rates inside the cave. Although occupations by hominids appear to have been ephemeral in nature, hominids ultimately discarded nearly 1700 stone artifacts in Yarimburgaz Cave. The hominids did not discard many ungulate bones in the same circumstances. These observations suggest that hominid foraging efforts focused on resources other than large game while at the cave. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


AIM
To describe registered nurses' (RNs) perceptions of their own leadership and of their immediate line management, as well as leadership's organizational prerequisites in municipal elderly care.

BACKGROUND
Nursing leadership is a main factor influencing care quality. In spite of this, there is a leadership crisis in municipal elderly care.

METHOD
A descriptive design utilizing a questionnaire. The setting was 60 residential care homes in Sweden with 213 participating nurses. The response rate was 62%.

RESULTS
Most nurses (59%) viewed themselves as leaders of a smaller group, whereas 28% did not consider themselves as leaders at all. Few nurses had the will to develop their leadership competence. In all, 25% of the nurses had unresolved serious conflicts with their immediate line management. Half perceived receiving no or little feedback from their immediate line management. A majority had no organized supervision. They perceived, on average, organizational prerequisites as unclear, with few possibilities for leadership competence development.

CONCLUSIONS
Nurses need to be more willing to develop their leadership skills. Nurses need managers to support them in their leadership roles. They need distinct and supportive organizational prerequisites for leadership.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT
It is crucial to provide distinct and supportive organizational prerequisites for nursing leadership.


The vibration characteristics of laminated sandwich plates subjected to in-plane forces is studied taking imperfections at the layer interfaces. The plate problem, which is unattended so far, is modeled by a refined plate theory where the transverse shear stress has parabolic through thickness variation with continuity at the layer interfaces and it becomes zero at the plate top and bottom surfaces. The interfacial imperfection is represented by a linear spring layer model. Based on these a new triangular element is developed where proper attention has been paid on the inter-elemental continuity requirement posed by the plate theory.


Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) occur in a variety of tumor types. Although these mutations are loss-of-function for conversion of isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate, the mutant enzymes greatly increase the production of the proposed oncometabolite, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). However the full metabolic consequences of IDH1/2 mutation in their heterozygous cellular context have yet to be fully explored. To address this question, we utilized a panel of isogenic cell lines with wild-type IDH1/2 or clinically relevant IDH1/2 mutations and examined the metabolic consequences of IDH mutation using (13)C metabolic flux analysis (MFA).

We observe a dramatic and consistent decrease in the ability of IDH1 mutant cell lines to utilize reductive glutamine metabolism via the carboxylation of α-ketoglutarate back to isocitrate. This was not seen either in IDH2 mutant cell lines or in wild-type cell lines treated with exogenous 2-HG. Consistent with these changes, the IDH1 mutant cell lines, but not IDH2 mutant or 2-HG treated cells, were deficient in the utilization of glutamine for de novo lipogenesis. Similar trends were observed in endogenous, non-engineered IDH1/2 mutant cell lines.

The decrease in reductive carboxylation in the IDH1 mutant cell lines raises the hypothesis that these cells may be more reliant on mitochondrial metabolism. Indeed, IDH1 mutant cells were more sensitive to either treatment with an electron transport chain inhibitor or growth in hypoxia (which also inhibits mitochondrial metabolism).

These results show heterozygous IDH1 mutation robustly impacts wild-type cellular metabolism in a different manner than IDH2 mutation. Furthermore, these results suggest that IDH1 and IDH2 mutant tumors may be differentially sensitive to inhibitors of specific metabolic pathways.

Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B159.

Citation Format: Alexandra R. Grassian, Seth Parker, Shawn Davidson, Courtney Green, Fallon Lin, Carol Joud-Caldwell, Hong Yin, Franklin Chung, Christopher Straub, Matthew Vander Heiden, Raymond Pagliarini, Christian Metallo. Heterozygous IDH1 mutations modify the citric acid (TCA) cycle metabolism and sensitize cells to inhibition of mitochondrial respiration/oxidative phosphorylation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B159.


Soft output detection algorithms are useful in systems where soft-decision metrics are important, e.g., systems with interleaved coded modulation. Receive diversity techniques can provide significant performance improvement for fading channels encountered in mobile communication systems. A soft-output receive diversity combining algorithm for the demodulation of continuous phase modulated (CPM) signals over space-time correlated frequency flat Rayleigh fading channels in the absence of perfect channel state information (CSI) is developed. The derived soft output algorithm is used in the iterative detection of interleaved TC-CPM. The performance of the algorithm is extensively characterized by means of Monte-Carlo simulations.


ABSTRACT Anderson JP, Paterson AM, Reavie ED, Edlund MB, Rühland, KM. 2017. An introduction to Lake of the Woods – from science to governance in an international water body. Lake Reserv Manage. 33:325–334. Lake of the Woods (LOW), a vast lake covering over 3850 km2, is a waterbody of current and historical significance that spans the borders between Minnesota and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. Over the past 2 decades, there has been concern for the water quality of LOW, sparked by anecdotal evidence of increased intensity and frequency of algal blooms by the public and resource managers. Minnesota's waters of LOW were declared impaired in 2008 due to exceedances of eutrophication criteria, initiating a Total Maximum Daily Load study. LOW's impairment declaration spurred several contrasting challenges and opportunities for water quality management across this diverse lake and basin. Governance challenges are emphasized by the large number of government agencies (>25) with land or water authorities in the 70,000 km2 basin, the variability in phosphorus standards applicable to LOW between Minnesota, Ontario, and Manitoba, and unequal funding resources allocated to LOW's water quality management agencies. Despite these challenges, there is a long history of international cooperation among agencies, recent funding increases, and the formation of a new International Joint Commission Board with the mandate to monitor ecosystem health in the entire LOW basin. As highlighted by the studies in this issue, the science of nutrient and algal dynamics in LOW is complex, and water quality restoration may take years to decades because major sources of nutrients to the lake are not subject to reductions by conventional lake restoration methods. An overview of papers in this special issue is provided.


This paper presents a novel approach for constructing a piecewise triangular cubic polynomial surface with C/sup 1/ continuity around a common corner vertex. A C/sup 1/ continuity condition between two cubic triangular patches is first derived using mixed directional derivatives. An approach for constructing a surface with C/sup 1/ continuity around a corner is then developed. Our approach is easy and fast with the virtue of cubic reproduction, local shape controllability, C/sup 2/ continuous at the corner vertex. Some experimental results are presented to show the applicability and flexibility of the approach.


Abstract : The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 requires performance measurement of information technology systems. Measuring the performance of program management for the Chemical Accountability Management Information Network (CAMIN) system requires a thoughtful selection of useful metrics. The CAMIN is a complex Management Information System in the post deployment software system (PDSS) phase of the system life cycle. This research uses three primary sources for candidate metrics for a PDSS like CAMIN: 1) typical software metrics from DoD and commercial applications, 2) typical fielded software system metrics from DoD and commercial applications, and 3) case analysis of metrics currently used by CAMIN and other DoD systems in the PDSS phase. Analysis of these candidate metrics creates a concise list of combined metrics that are applicable to fielded software systems. The current primary issues of CAMIN program management establish the basis for selection of appropriate program management metrics from the candidate list. These issues are examined in a process to answer the primary research question, "What are appropriate metrics and measures for management of the Chemical Accountability Management Information Network?"


This paper compares the design and performance of two types of wide band multi-octave MMIC couplers. An active coupler is based on pHEMT devices and fabricated in a GaAs foundry and a passive coupler uses coplanar waveguide (CPW) multilayer techniques. The multilayer couplers are fabricated on GaAs semi-insulating substrate and are reciprocal and directional. The active coupler design is adapted from the distributed amplifier circuit and is non-reciprocal. On-wafer RF measurements were carried out on the fabricated multilayer directional couplers and pHEMT based couplers. A multilayer quadrature directional coupler with coupling factor of 5 dB and isolation of 10 dB is realized over 10 to 35 GHz. A 180 /spl deg/ coupler using pHEMT devices realized a coupling factor of 5 dB and isolation of 26.5 dB over 2 to 20 GHz. For the first time the relative merits of the performance and implementation of these couplers are compared in view of their respective applications.


This article discusses the results of a reading-and-appropriation study, as an approach methodology to narrative universe of Health Community Agents (ACS), using the Dengue Almanac (AD), an information-communication device. Workshops with groups of ACS from Rio de Janeiro city were developed using the Almanac, aiming it's de-construction and relational reading, to improve the comprehension about knowledge's construction and appropriation on dengue and health, and evaluate the AD as an info-communicational device. The results were categorized within three axes: informational abundance during dengue's epidemics and silence between them, meaning non-information; the victim's blaming in health information's processes; ACS labor's contradictions and ambiguities as mediators. The Almanac proved to be a useful tool to discussion and appropriation of health information, due to the relational and non-linear reading characteristics of it's contents, and the interactive and nonauthoritative format of it's formulations on dengue and health.


This volume is a collection of papers to celebrate the life and work of Professor lan Gass. The research themes cover many of the subjects which most interested him, especially processes operating in oceanic crust. The introductory papers examine evolution of magmas from mantle melting to eruption. A central section concerns ophiolite complexes. Several papers focus on different aspects of the Troodos ophiolite complex in Cyprus, where lan first recognized that sheeted dykes within the ophiolite sequence must have formed in an oceanic spreading environment. In addition, ophiolites ,are reviewed and examined in terms of tectonics, magmatic and mantle textures, metallogenesis and hydrothermal alteration. A further section concentrates on tectonics and the genesis of magmas associated with collision and subduction. This contrasts with continental rifting and the effects of mantle plumes. This collection of papers covers a broad range of topics from processes in the mantle to those in the oceanic crust. The volume will be of interest to all scientists concerned with igneous processes and global tectonics.