The present work describes the adaptation to Portuguese of the Open Journal Systems (OJS), a software applied to the administration of the editorial process of electronic journals, developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), of the University of British Columbia, Canada. The customization resulted in the ELECTRONIC JOURNAL PUBLISHING SYSTEM (SEER), which has become part of the Brazilian Digital Library (BDB) project of the Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia (IBICT/MCT). One of IBICT's main goals to develop systems based on the Open Archives Initiative, promoting free, democratic, and open access to cientific and tecnological production in Brazil.


RATIONALE
The vicious cycle hypothesis of bronchiectasis argues that bacterial colonization leads to airway inflammation and progressive lung damage. The logical extension of this hypothesis is that acute or chronic antibiotic therapy should improve airway inflammation and clinical outcome. There are little data to support this hypothesis in patients with non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis.

OBJECTIVES
To determine whether acute or chronic antibiotic therapy improves airway inflammation and clinical outcome in non-CF bronchiectasis.

METHODS
The relationship between bacterial load and airway and systemic inflammation was investigated in 385 stable patients, 15 stable patients treated with intravenous antibiotics, and 34 patients with an exacerbation of bronchiectasis treated with intravenous antibiotics. Long-term antibiotic therapy was investigated using samples from a 12-month controlled trial of nebulized gentamicin.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
In stable patients, there was a direct relationship between airway bacterial load and markers of airway inflammation (P < 0.0001 for all analyses). High bacterial loads were associated with higher serum intercellular adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (P < 0.05 above bacterial load ≥1 × 10(7) cfu/ml). In stable patients, there was a direct relationship between bacterial load and the risk of subsequent exacerbations (odds ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.29; P < 0.0001) and severe exacerbations (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.21; P = 0.02). Short- and long-term antibiotic treatments were associated with reductions in bacterial load, airways, and systemic inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS
High airway bacterial loads in non-CF bronchiectasis are associated with airway and systemic inflammation and a greater risk of exacerbations. Short- and long-term antibiotic therapy reduce markers of airways and systemic inflammation.


Trump's foreign policy outlook and his rhetorical predispositions suggest that the American foreign policy is about to undergo drastic changes in terms of substance matter of policy. The arrival of Trump at the helm of affairs has built a conventional perception of gradual American retreat from the Obama's rebalancing policy and its pacific-centric outlook. Any abrupt change in this policy of rebalancing will have serious repercussions for the regional economic, political and security architecture designed by America since world-war II. In this context, Offensive Realism, that takes system level variables as the primary determinants of foreign policy of great powers, offers a valuable framework to understand and explain the future course of Obama's policy of rebalancing under the incumbent administration. To this end, this article is aimed at delving into the theoretical and historical reservoirs related to the US foreign policy along with the current practices of Trump administration to test the claims of continuity or transformation in the US foreign policy of rebalancing in the Asia Pacific region. This article asserts that Obama's rebalancing policy would continue in the future with certain tactical adjustments related to the implementation of policy.


Economic impacts of invasive species worldwide are substantial. Management strategies have been incorporated in population models to assess the effectiveness of management for reducing density, with the implicit assumption that economic impact of the invasive species will also decline. The optimal management effort, however, is that which minimizes the sum of both the management and impact costs. The relationship between population density and economic impact (what we call the "density-impact curve") is rarely examined in a management context and could take several nonlinear forms. Here we determine the effects of population dynamics and density-impact curves of different shapes on optimal management effort and discover cases where management is either highly effective or a waste of resources. When an inaccurate density-impact curve is used, the increase in total costs due to over- or underinvestment in management can be large. We calculate the increase in total costs incurred if the density-impact curve is incorrect and find that the greater the maximum impact caused by an invasive species, the more important it is not only to reduce its density, but also to know the shape of the density-impact relationship accurately. Lack of information regarding the relationship between density and economic impact causes the most acute problems for invaders that cause high impact at low density, where management typically will be too little, too late. For species that are only problematic at high density, ignorance of the density-impact curve can lead to overinvestment in management with little reduction in impact.


Polycarbosilane (PCS), an important precursor for manufacture of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics, was prepared and analyzed to determine its chemical composition. The major elements of silicon (Si) and carbon (C) in Si-C backbones and side chains in PCS represent more than 80% with minor elements of oxygen and hydrogen being less than 20%. In this work, a conventional potassium silicofluoride volumetric method was explored and modified for establishing a standard routine procedure to evaluate Si content in PCS. The optimal conditions were investigated using an orthogonal designed four-factor-three-level normal experimental scheme. The suitable parameters and standard procedure to analyze Si in PCS were obtained.


This research is an effort to apply image processing techniques for non-contact determination of 2D and 3D displacements of specimens in a triaxial apparatus. For the 2D measurement, a calibration procedure is applied to correct image distortions before the positions of interested points are tracked by the pyramidal optical flow algorithm (Lucas and Kanade, 1981). By considering the change of position, the displacement of an interested point can be determined. The results are compared with the measurements obtained from LVDTs and are well agreed. For 3D measurement, calibration, rectification, correspondence and 3D re-projection are performed. It is verified by an isotropic compression test of a cylindrical sponge in a triaxial apparatus. The estimated displacement and discharge of water are compared with the measured ones and are well agreed. The repeatability and resolution of the developed system are found to be in the order of 0.006 cm and 0.004 cm, respectively.


The Game Theory is a good method for finding a compromise between two players in a bargaining problem. The Kalai and Smorodinsky (K-S) method is a solution the bargaining problem where players make decisions in order to maximize their own utility, with a cooperative approach. Interesting applications of the K-S method can be found in engineering multi-objective optimization problems, where two or more functions must be minimized. The aim of this paper is to develop an optimization algorithm aimed at rapidly finding the Kalai and Smorodinsky solution, where the objective functions are considered as players in a bargaining problem, avoiding the search for the Pareto front. The approach uses geometrical consideration in the space of the objective functions, starting from the knowledge of the so-called Utopia and Nadir points. An analytical solution is proposed and initially tested with a simple minimization problem based on a known mathematical function. Then, the algorithm is tested (thanks to a user friendly routine built-in the finite element code Forge®) for FEM optimization problem of a wire drawing operation, with the objective of minimizing the pulling force and the material damage. The results of the simulations are compared to previous works done with others methodologies.


Dielectric nanoparticles offer low optical losses and access to both electric and magnetic Mie resonances. This enables unidirectional scattering along the incident axis of light, owing to the interference between these two resonances. Here we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that an asymmetric dimer of dielectric nanoparticles can provide unidirectional forward scattering with high efficiency. Theoretical analyses reveal that the dimer configuration can satisfy the first Kerker condition at the resonant peaks of electric and magnetic dipolar modes, therefore showing highly efficient directional forward scattering. The unidirectional forward scattering with high efficiency is confirmed in our experiments using a silicon nanodisk dimer on a transparent substrate. This study will boost the realization of practical applications using low-loss and efficient subwavelength all-dielectric nanoantennas.


The foundation of medical research, which is considered the gold standard, is the Randomized Controlled Trial when individuals are matched with others, and then randomized to one treatment or another. While the beauty of an RCT lies in its process of deliberate randomness, very little attention has been paid to the integrity of its building blocks: categories. It's time to take a more in-depth look.


This paper discusses the results from a study that has been undertaken to develop a product from bamboo culm's outer skin that was considered as wastes. Initially, by means of a simple process of gluing and pressing, bamboo panel composites were produced with Gigantochloa scortechinii bamboo skin wastes. Using existing sandwich technology, layered or sandwich panel were then produced using the bamboo skin wastes panel as the core material while plywood were used as the outer layer. The aim was to access the bending strength of the bamboo skin wastes panel, the sandwich panel and subsequently to compare them with common bamboo composites that utilized either strips or splits in their production process. Though the product has limited strength and is restricted to interior and non-structural components, it is still very well suitable for wall, doors, tabletops and shelves.


In the United States at present, the death penalty is a possible sentence in 31 out of 50 states, as well as within the military and for federal cases. In the U.S., numbers of executions are declining, in part due to moratoriums in place and challenges to execution by lethal injection. Participation by physicians in lethal injection executions has been steadfastly viewed by professional medical organizations as contrary to their ethical standards. However, physicians have participated in lethal injection executions, and the morality of the death penalty itself is a matter of intense social and political debate. Medical ethics commentators and professional organizations have typically held that the prohibition on physician participation in the death penalty is independent of the ethical status of the death penalty itself. This article argues that this view is untenable, and that it is tied to a view of professional role virtue that is similarly untenable. At the same time, it argues that, given the morally uncertain status of the death penalty, it is plausible that virtuous physicians may either refuse or choose to participate in some aspects of the death penalty.


A cube is placed on each face of a rhombic triacontahedron (RT). In the cluster of 30 cubes produced in this manner, the cubes are connected at their vertices. With the use of physical models and the computer software Wolfram Mathematica, we study the possible geometrical features and relationships that can be associated with this geometrical sculpture. The purpose of this article is to introduce a method which is suitable for teaching a number of concepts by association to a single object.


This paper describes Princeton University's approach to the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, an off‐road race for fully autonomous ground vehicles. The system, Prospect Eleven, takes a simple approach to address the problems posed by the Grand Challenge, including obstacle detection, path planning, and extended operation in harsh environments. Obstacles are detected using stereo vision, and tracked in the time domain to improve accuracy in localization and reduce false positives. The navigation system processes a geometric representation of the world to identify passable regions in the terrain ahead, and the vehicle is controlled to drive through these regions. Performance of the system is evaluated both during the Grand Challenge and in subsequent desert testing. The vehicle completed 9.3 miles of the course on race day, and extensive portions of the 2004 and 2005 Grand Challenge courses in later tests. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Three hospitals in a predominantly rural, grain-producing county in North Central Ohio merged in the mid-1980s to fortify their financial stability and serve their communities in a more effective and cost-efficient manner. As part of the merger, the finance departments of the three institutions reorganized into one centralized department.


The attestation towards environmental, statutory obligations and economic interests arising from rehabilitation operations in recent years has led to more focus on reverse logistics operations. To this end, integration of the design of reverse and forward logistics networks which results in prevention of sub optimality due to separated design of these networks is of high significance. This model discusses a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model for the integrated design of multi-level and multi-commodity forward-reverse supply chain network. In the end, the calculation results of the proposed model solution have been presented via GAMS software in order to locate facilities, determine the relationship between facilities and raw material procurement rate and production rate. The result of the solved multi-purpose models has corroborated the single-purpose models and it shows the efficiency of the used methods.


BACKGROUND
The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammatory state and may be affected by the ability to resolve inflammation, which is an active process that involves specialized proresolving lipid mediators (SPMs) derived from n-3 (ω-3) fatty acids.

OBJECTIVE
We compared plasma concentrations of SPMs in men and women with features of the MetS and in healthy matched control subjects in response to intakes of n-3 fatty acids and aspirin.

DESIGN
MetS volunteers (n = 22) and healthy, matched controls (n = 21) were studied in parallel for 4 wk. Both groups took n-3 fatty acids (2.4 g/d) for 4 wk with the addition of aspirin (300 mg/d) during the last 7 d. Blood was collected at baseline and at 3 and 4 wk. Plasma SPMs were measured with the use of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and included 18-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (18-HEPE), E-series resolvins, 17-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (17-HDHA), D-series resolvins, 14-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (14-HDHA), and maresin-1.

RESULTS
Baseline SPMs did not differ between groups. There was an increase in the SPM precursors 18-HEPE, 17-HDHA, and 14-HDHA after n-3 fatty acid supplementation that was significantly attenuated in the MetS (P < 0.05). However, the E-series resolvins increased to a similar extent in the groups after n-3 fatty acid supplementation, and the D-series resolvins were not different from those at baseline. The addition of aspirin to n-3 fatty acids did not alter any SPMs in either group.

CONCLUSIONS
Volunteers with MetS had reduced plasma concentrations of the precursors of the E- and D- series resolvins as well as of 14-HDHA in response to n-3 fatty acid supplementation. However, plasma E-series resolvins were increased to a similar extent after n-3 fatty acid supplementation in both groups, and the addition of aspirin to n-3 fatty acid supplementation did not alter any of the plasma SPMs in MetS and control subjects. Additional studies in the MetS are required to determine whether SPMs affect the ability to mount an appropriate response to infection. This trial was registered at the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry as ACTRN12610000708055.


Polymer dynamics has been studied for many years because of its importance in many areas including materials, mechanics, biology, and medicine (Munk, 1989; Hoffman, et al., 1984). The dynamics of macromolecules in shear flow has been studied using light scattering and birefringence, but the effect of shear on the dynamics of individual polymers is not well understood (Doi & Edwards, 1986; de Gennes, 1991; de Gennes, 1997). Recently we studied the conformational changes of DNA molecules under shear in dilute concentration (LeDuc et al., 1998). Here we report the observations of the dynamics of fluorescently-labeled DNA molecules in a shear flow with increased concentration. Under a controlled shear flow, these flexible polymers exhibit various extended conformations, which range from parallel to perpendicular in orientation when compared to the flow direction. The amount of stretching that occurs in these experiments is found to be less than that for the dilute concentrations of the DNA solutions. Further, the stretching of the molecular solutions is found even at shear rates much smaller than the inverse of the relaxation time of the molecule. The in situ observations also reveal the effect of polymer concentration on the entanglement of macromolecules. These results provide insight into the behavior of individual and concentrated polymer molecules under shear and help further development of models for polymer dynamics (Perkins, et al., 1994; Smith, et al., 1992; Wirtz, 1995).


The study of LGM and Holocene marine sediments is an important goal in Antarctic research and needs
high-resolution sequences to reconstruct paleoclimatic events in detail. Literature reports a large number of data
coming from inner-shelf bays and fjords, especially around Antarctic peninsula, but also from western Ross Sea.
In this note we discuss compositional data from a gravity core (BAY05-45c; 74° 09.7' S, 165° 57.7' E;
water depth: 1058 m; core length: 445.5 cm) collected in 2005 during the Italian PNRA cruise into the inner part
ofWood Bay, in front of the Aviator Ice tongue.Wood Bay sea floor morphology is charcterised by a narrow basin,
deeper than 1,000 m, oriented WNW-ESE, and transversally connected, by a 800-m deep sill, to the Drygalski
basin, streching NE-SW.
Core sediment is composed by laminated biosiliecous mud, with a strong hydrogen sulphide odour and
black in colour. Within a few days from core sampling, sediment became oxidized: laminae colour ranges from
dark (from dark olive grey to black) to light (from olive grey to olive). Some lighter laminae have cotton-like
texture. Data set include X-ray images, magnetic susceptibility, AMS 14C dating, organic carbon, biogenic silica,
XRF-scan of major and minor elements. Discussion of the data will point out inferences about sedimentary
processes, paleoproductivity and oceanographic conditions during the Holocene.
The most apparent feature is the occurrence, down-core, of at least two intervals of increased productivity,
characterised by higher organic carbon and biogenic silica. Within such intervals, a few cm-thick levels show
peaks of biogenic silica, as well as of barium, which correspond to relatively lows in organic carbon contents.
Organic carbon content is higher in darker laminae, whereas lighter and fluffy laminae display an increased
percentage of biogenic silica. Such levels probably mark a rapid and not persistent change in phytoplankton
assemblage compositions.


Conservation of marmots, large ground-dwelling squirrels restricted to the northern hemisphere, was impacted by direct human activity through hunting or modifying ecosystem dynamics. Regulating human activities reduced the threat of extinction. Climate change, an indirect human impact, threatens marmot survival through global warming and extreme weather events. Most marmot species occupy a harsh environment characterized by a short growing season and a long, cold season without food. Marmots cope with seasonality by hibernating. Their large size increases the efficiency of fat accumulation and its use as the sole energy source during hibernation. Marmot physiology is highly adapted to coping with low environmental temperatures; they are stressed by high heat loads. Global warming since the last ice age reduced the geographic distribution of some of the 15 species of marmots. Recent warming resulted in a movement upslope of their lower elevation boundary. This process likely will continue because warming is associated with drier unpalatable vegetation. Drought reduces reproduction and increases mortality; thus decreased summer rainfall in the montane environments where marmots live may cause local extinction. Snow cover, a major environmental factor, is essential to insulate hibernation burrows from low, stressful temperatures. However, prolonged vernal snow cover reduces reproduction and increases mortality. Montane areas currently lacking marmot populations because vernal snow cover persists beyond the time that marmots must begin foraging may become colonized if warming causes earlier snow melt. This benefit will be short-lived because decreased precipitation likely will result in unpalatable vegetation. Although some marmot populations are physiologically adapted to a warmer climate, global warming will increase too rapidly for any significant evolutionary response to dryness. The species that live in high, alpine meadows where tree and shrub invasions occur are most threatened with extinction. Captive breeding can preserve marmot species in the shortrun, but is impractical over the long-term. Widespread species are unlikely to be endangered in the foreseeable future, but local, low elevation populations will be lost.


Elite classical music programs continue to focus teaching in Western Classical traditions where the emphasis is on technical virtuosity in instrumental or vocal performance. In this paper we discuss group activities and assessments used in two Creative Arts disciplines (Performance and Journalism), at an Australian regional university, as examples of subjects which provide 'real world' experience in order to promote resilience and tenacity in students. We incorporate narratives collected from students in performance and journalism to illustrate the value of recreating the complex division of labour of real world art practice, famously described by Becker (1982), as part of the musical learning experience. The paper concludes with reflections on how collaborative assessments/teaching activities can be developed to ensure the delivery of resilience and tenacity as a threshold learning outcome in a classical music course.


Four detergents (octyl glucoside, zwittergent, Triton X-100, and Nonidet P-40) were examined with regard to their efficiency in solubilizing and retaining the activity of the nitrate reductase of Bacillus stearothermophilus. At a concentration of between 0.4 and 0.6%, the non-ionic detergent octyl glucoside solubilized only 64% of the membrane proteins. However, about 100% of the nitrate reductase activity was recovered in the soluble fraction. In contrast, the zwitterionic detergent 3-(alkyldimethylammonio)-1-propanesulphonate (3-16) solubilized 100% of the membrane proteins, but only 77% of the nitrate reductase activity was recovered. Two other non-ionic detergents, Triton X-100 and Nonidet P-40 also solubilized 100% of the membrane proteins, but there was a dramatic increase in total enzyme activity following solubilization. The enzyme activity was not stable in any of the four detergents for more than 2 days. Nevertheless, octyl glucoside was preferred because of the additional advantage of ammonium sulphate fractionation.


The history of psychoanalysis elicits the combina- tion of multiple approaches and methodologies. Over the last decades, the historians of psychoanalysis' multiple lives have carried out close readings of crucial texts, biographical reconstructions, global approaches to the psychoanalytic movement, and histories of the origins and implantation of psychoanalysis in one country, to mention just a few. In addition, many scho- lars have also framed their research as a contribution to understanding other issues, such as the history of cultural modernization, the transnational circulation of knowledge, the intellectual history of the twentieth century, gender and sexuality, Jewish history, and the history of professions. Because of all these reasons, the historiography of psychoanalysis is a vital and rich body of work, with a highly interdisciplinary profile. A list of recent or classic influential names writing on the history of psychoanalysis can tell us quite vividly about their diverse backgrounds, including psychoanalyti- cally-oriented psychiatrists or psychologists (George Makari, Elizabeth Roudinesco, Stephen Frosh); socio- logists (Eli Zaretsky, Edith Kurzweil); scholars from language departments (Veronika Fuechtner, Ruben Gallo); social workers (Elizabeth Danto); and, of course, historians (Mariano Plotkin, Dagmar Herzog, Nathan Hale, Jane Russo, John Forrester).


Web Usage Mining is the application of data mining technique used to retrieve the web usage from web proxy log file. Web Usage Mining consists of three major stages: preprocessing, clustering and pattern analysis. This paper explains each of these stages in detail. In this proposed approach, the web directories are discovered based on the user's interestingness. The web proxy log file undergoes a preprocessing phase to improve the quality of data. Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm is used to cluster the user and session into disjoint clusters. In this paper, an effective approach is presented for Web personalization based on an Advanced Apriori algorithm. It is used to select the user interested web directories. The proposed method is compared with the existing web personalization methods like Objective Probabilistic Directory Miner (OPDM), Objective Community Directory Miner (OCDM) and Objective Clustering and Probabilistic Directory Miner (OCPDM). The result shows that the proposed approach provides better results than the aforementioned existing approaches. At last, an application is developed with the user interested directories and web usage details.


The location of new housing developments, and the provision of safe space for walking and cycling to key destinations around them, have major and long lasting impacts on travel behaviour, health, and environmental outcomes. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a well-recognised concept in urban planning, but systemic evidence is often lacking on the likely 'active travel performance' of new developments, making it hard for the planning process to support sustainable transport objectives. This paper articulates the concept of'Active Travel Oriented Development' (ATOD) and describes methods for operationalising it. We demonstrate the use of a set of simple metrics to assess the active travel performance of new and proposed development sites. ATOD has the benefits of building on the established concept of TOD and being easy to assess. We conclude that ATOD, and tools for measuring it, are needed to ensure that transport and development policies work in harmony.


The synovial proteome was investigated to isolate joint-specific biomarkers that are significantly expressed in Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients displaying recurrent inflammation. These proteins could act as novel therapeutic targets. JIA comprises a poorly understood group of chronic autoimmune diseases with variable clinical presentations and outcomes.Serial synovial fluid and matched plasma samples (n=6 patients) were subjected to protein separation by 2-dimension electrophoreisis (2DE). Focused gels were fixed, stained with colloidal Coomassie, scanned and protein spot intensities quantified by Phoretics software analysis. Pooled subgroup profiles (n=12 patients) were used to highlight joint specific protein spots with expression patterns that correlated with recurrence of joint inflammation. Protein spots were picked, digested by trypsin and extracted. Peptides (n=3) were identified with a mass spectrometer.2DE reveals ~680 spots per gel within the pH 4-7 range for synovial fluid and plasma. On comparison of plasma and synovial 'master' gels, a subpopulation of spots uniquely expressed in synovial fluid, were identified. The expression levels of 12 synovial protein spots correlated positively with clinical and laboratory indices of inflammation. Furthermore they were over represented in those patients with recurrent joint effusions (p<0.01). Proteolytic fragments of collagen X, fibrin β-chain and T-cell receptor α-region were differentially expressed amongst this subpopulation in JIA.Protein spots unique to the synovial joint and furthermore differentially expressed in patients with recurrent joint inflammation have been isolated and identified by 2DE-MS. These proteins may play a significant role determining the pathophysiological state within the chronically inflamed joint and influence JIA disease progression.


The APEX airborne imaging spectrometer has been shown to exhibit spectral shifts during in-flight conditions, linked to changes in the nitrogen gas density within the APEX optical subunit. These shifts lead to features in the recorded spectra caused by the dichroic coating used as a beam splitter between VNIR and SWIR channels. Consequently dichroic features are no longer compensated for by the radiometric calibration coefficients obtained under laboratory conditions. This paper presents results of a numerical simulation that can model the impact of spectral shifts on radiometry. As a consequence the APEX sensor model has been upgraded and according correction functions have been implemented in the APEX level 1 processor to compensate for shift dependent changes in radiometry due to the dichroic coating.


The processes of melting and reassociation of double-stranded RNA in dimethylsulfoxide were studied. The addition of a small amount of LiCl results in great results in great reduction of Tm (temperature of melting), whereas the NaCl produces the opposite effect. It is suggested, that LiCl coordinates the molecules of H2O, reducing their activity, and consequently destabilises dsRNA. Mild conditions for melting and reassociation of RNA can be created. It was found that under optimal conditions for dsRNA melting, the degree of strand separation depends on the overall concentration of RNA, irrespective of the type of RNA added to the dsRNA preparation. Reassociation of dsRNA of EMC virus proceeds much faster than that of dsRNA of a related poliovirus. Addition of poly(C) to an annealing mixture slows down the rate of reassociation of EMC dsRNA, producing no effect on the poliovirus dsRNA reassociation. It is suggested that the presence of large poly(C) and poly(G) tracts in the complementary strands of the RNA determines its anomalous fast reassociation. Upon incubation of completely separated strands of EMC dsRNA in a water solution with high ionic strength partially double-stranded aggregates are formed. The formation of aggregates is prevented by addition of poly(A), which indicates that they are produced by "zippening" of a molecule starting with poly(A):poly(U) region. The significance of homopolymeric regions for stability of dsRNA of the EMC virus as well as their role in viral multiplication are discussed.


SLIM (Stanford Language for Implementing Microcode) is a programming language based system for specifying an ' simulating microcode in a VLSI chip. The language is oriented towards PLA implementations of microcoded machines using either a microprogram counter or a finite state machine. The system supports simulation of the microcode and will drive a PLA layout program to automatically create the PLA.


Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection with a high incidence rate in the United States and abroad. Untreated gonorrhea infections can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), infertility in both men and women and blindness in babies infected by their mothers. The morbidity associated with gonorrhea, however, has been inhibited by the use of antibiotics, especially in the developed world. Since antibiotics were first used to cure gonorrhea in 1937, a variety of antibiotics have been used and subsequently discarded as first line drugs to treat the disease due to the gonorrhea bacterium's adept ability to develop antibiotic resistance. Currently, the first line drug to treat gonorrhea is ceftriaxone, an injectable drug in the cephalosporin class of antibiotics. However, recent treatment failures after a standard dose of ceftriaxone, which have occurred in Japan, Australia and throughout Europe, have prompted experts' concern about the future of gonorrhea treatment. While a variety of other antibiotics have been suggested as possible replacements for ceftriaxone, no known drug is a particularly good or immediate substitute, either because of insufficient research, a proven lack of efficacy or already-existing resistance within prevalent gonorrhea strains. In the absence of another antibiotic to take ceftriaxone's place, the focus of public health professionals and clinicians must be on prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) should adjust their antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea working plans to prioritize prevention, rather than surveillance, in order to stem the tide of what could be a pandemic of an untreatable bacterial infection, the likes of which have not been experienced in the modern antibiotic era. The public health consequences of such an epidemic would be severe with global increases in morbidity, costs and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost due to gonorrhea infection.


Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are henceforth commonly used in the management of psoriasis but have been also used more recently in chronic spontaneous urticaria and atopic dermatitis. Three examples are developed herein: dupilumab, omalizumab and lanadelumab. The specificity of their mechanism of action results from a better understanding of the inflammatory pathways in these chronic diseases, which previously shared either the same targeted topical or systemic treatments. However, their high costs should be put into perspective with the epidemiology, the precise evaluation of the severity, the optimization of first line treatments and the long-term benefit/risk ratio.


Iwahori�Hecke algebras are ubiquitous. One encounters these algebras in subjects as
diverse as harmonic analysis, equivariant K-theory, orthogonal polynomials, quantum groups,
knot theory, algebraic combinatorics, and integrable models in statistical physics. In this exposition
we will mostly concentrate on the analytic aspects of affine Hecke algebras and study
them from the perspective of operator algebras. We will discuss the Plancherel theorem for these
type of algebras, and based on a conjectural invariance property of their (operator algebraic)
K-theory, study the structure of the tempered dual.


Vitamins are vital micronutrients that cannot be synthesized endogenously or in insufficient amounts, and the principal means by which we get vitamins is through our diet. Vitamins can classify as water-soluble or fat-soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat-soluble vitamins play integral roles in a multitude of physiological processes such as vision, bone health, immune function, and coagulation. This review discusses the biochemistry, transport, and roles of these vitamins highlighting deficiency syndromes and potential toxicities.


Structural attributes such as number and size of living rooms, bedrooms, toilet/
bathrooms and type of floor finishes have been identified as some of the factors
that influence household's decisions when buying or renting a residential property.
This study analysed the structural attributes of five categories of residential
property in Ede, Nigeria with a view to providing information that will encourage
investors to consider structural improvement that will enhance rental values. It
examined among others tenant's desire for a particular attribute (and /or attribute's
size); and tenant's willingness to pay more for the desired attribute(s). In order to
determine responsiveness of willingness to pay, the study hypothesized that 90%
of the respondent in each property types would express willingness to pay more
for the desired attributes. Data for the study was collected through questionnaire
administered to residential tenants in the study area. A total of 400 questionnaires
were distributed out of which 278 were returned representing 69.5% response rate.
Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools such
as percentile, bar charts, weighted mean score and Chi square. The result showed
that larger bedroom was ranked very highly in terms of overall desire and would
pay more for by all respondents. Beyond that, there were certain structural
attributes that respondents across the property categories expressed willingness to
pay more for. The chi-square result however revealed there is significant difference
between "would pay more for" response and the expected proportion (p value <
.05) for the entire selected structural attribute in all categories of residential
property. The study concluded that there is evidence to suggest that 90% of tenants
in Ede did not express willingness to pay more for the desired structural attribute.
The study recommended that investors in the residential property submarket
should take cognizance of these when making decision on house design so as to
have a product that appeals to tenant's expectations while ensuring maximization
of return from investment.
Keywords: Nigeria , residential properties, structural attributes, tenant's
demand, willingness to pay


Patchiness in the growth of barrel medic, Medicago truncatula, in the central west of New South Wales, near Condobolin, has been associated with variability of soil acidity. There is evidence of the effect of timber burning on soil properties and it is possible that such burning of timber stacks and windrows on land recently cleared for agriculture may add alkali and contribute to such pasture growth. Of the three sites used, two were already in a 20-year farming system and one was constructed in a recently cleared paddock. Soil sampled at the 0–0.10, 0.10–0.20, and 0.20–0.30 m soil depths indicated significant increases in soil pHCa and extractable Ca to a soil depth of at least 0.20 m for up to 20 years after timber had been burnt. The effect of the timber burn on soil chemistry was due to the conversion of alkali oxides to either hydroxides or carbonates. This addition of alkali moved relatively rapidly through the soil profile in a low-rainfall farming system. Additional alkali was found in the soil, mainly at the 0–0.10 m depth, in the form of free lime. Using assumed rates of soil acidification, the burn effect could persist for up to 1227 years before reverting to the pre-burn soil pH. It was also found that timber burning at the sites contributed to the spatial variability of soil acidity.


CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a complication of ascites, especially in cirrhosis. Ascitic fluid with 250 or more neutrophils/mm³ is an acceptable criterion for diagnosis, even when bacterial fluid cultures are negative. The aims here were to estimate SBP frequency among emergency room patients based on cellular criteria and evaluate the biochemical profile of these fluids.

DESIGN AND SETTING
Retrospective study at a public tertiary hospital.

METHODS
Laboratory records of patients with ascites attended in emergency rooms between November 2001 and November 2006, from whom ascitic fluid samples were sent to the laboratory due to suspected SBP, were evaluated. The 691 samples included were divided into group A (presumed SBP: ≥ 250 neutrophils/mm³; n = 219; 31.7%) and group B (no presumed SBP: < 250 neutrophils/mm³; n = 472; 68.3%). Patients' sex and age; ascitic fluid characteristics (numbers of neutrophils, leukocytes and nucleated cells); bacteriological characteristics; and protein, lactate dehydrogenase, adenosine deaminase and glucose concentrations were evaluated.

RESULTS
Among group A cultured samples, 63 (33.8%) had positive bacterial cultures with growth of pathogens commonly associated with SBP. In total, the group A samples showed higher lactate dehydrogenase levels than seen in the group B samples. The latter presented predominance of lymphocytes and macrophages.

CONCLUSION
Among the ascitic fluid samples with clinically suspected SBP, 31.7% fulfilled the cellular diagnostic criteria. Positive bacterial isolation was found in 33.8% of the cultured samples from the presumed SBP group.


The purpose of this paper is to use the theoretical standpoint of sociology of childhood to enhance understanding about how children's rights, as outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, are experienced by child athletes and adult coaches in the context of sport clubs in Sweden. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with children and coaches in floorball and equestrian sports during the years 2011 and 2012. The results showed that neither child athletes nor adult coaches were aware that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has been incorporated into Swedish sport policy; they also lack knowledge of the convention's content. After interviews about selected rights were conducted, it was evident that children and adults both considered the themes of those rights to be of utmost importance. However, they did not find the convention meaningful as a policy document, and no systematic, deliberate or preventive work with regard to the rights of the child was experienced in the sport clubs. This paper discusses some challenges in the children's sport context, including children's rights, the social ordering of children and adults and the goal of making children's sport a safe activity for children.


Abstract. The paper presents an application of shoreline monitoring aimed at understanding the response of a beach to single storms and at identifying its typical behaviour, in order to be able to predict shoreline changes and to properly plan the defence of the shore zone. On the study area, in Jesolo beach (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), a video monitoring station and an acoustic wave and current profiler were installed in spring 2013, recording, respectively, images and hydrodynamic data. The site lacks previous detailed hydrodynamic and morphodynamic data. Variations in the shoreline were quantified in combination with available near-shore wave conditions, making it possible to analyse the relationship between the shoreline displacement and the wave features. Results denote characteristic patterns of beach response to storm events, and highlight the importance of improving beach protection in this zone, notwithstanding the many interventions experimented in the last decades. A total of 31 independent storm events were selected during the period October 2013–October 2014, and for each of them synthetic indexes based on storm duration, energy and maximum wave height were developed and estimated. It was found that the net shoreline displacements during a storm are well correlated with the total wave energy associated to the considered storm by an empirical power law equation. A sub-selection of storms in the presence of an artificial dune protecting the beach (in the winter season) was examined in detail, allowing to conclude that the adoption of this coastal defence strategy in the study area can reduce shoreline retreat during a storm. This type of intervention can sometimes contribute to prolonging overall stability not only in the replenished zone but also in downdrift areas. The implemented methodology, which confirms to be economically attractive if compared to more traditional monitoring systems, proves to be a valuable system to monitor beach erosive processes and provide detailed indications on how to better plan beach-maintenance activities. The presented methodology and the proposed results can therefore be used as a basis for improving the collaboration between coastal scientists and managers to solve beach erosion problems, in locations where data are scattered and sporadic.


Proceedings of the 14th Pre-ICIS Workshop on Information Security and Privacy, Munich, Germany, December 15, 2019. 1 The Light Side of Passwords: Turning Motivation from the Extrinsic to the Intrinsic Research in Progress Naomi Woods1 Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland ABSTRACT There are many good and bad aspects to password authentication. They are mostly without cost, securing many accounts and systems, and allowing users access from anywhere in the world. However, passwords can elicit dark side phenomena, including security technostress; with many users feeling negatively towards them, as they struggle to cope with the sheer numbers required in their everyday lives. Much research has attempted to understand users' interactions with passwords, examining the trade-off between security, memorability, user convenience, and suggesting techniques to manage them better. However, users continue to struggle. Many studies have shown that users are more concerned with goals other than security, such as convenience and memorability. Therefore, we need to offer another reason that will entice users to engage with the password process more securely. In this study, we suggest that engaging with the password process (creating, learning and recalling passwords) well, is similar to memory training. Therefore, we propose that the "light side" of passwords – the positive reason for properly creating and learning strong passwords, and recalling them successfully, will improve users' memories for passwords and memory functioning in general. Consequently, changing their motivation from an extrinsic goal to an intrinsic goal – improved memory functioning.


Full models of scalar modulation instability (MI) in optical fibers available in the literature usually involve complex formulations. In this paper, we present a novel approach to the analysis of MI in optical fibers by means of a simple geometrical description in the power versus frequency plane. This formulation allows us to relate the shape of the MI gain to any arbitrary dispersion profile of the medium, thus providing a simple insight. As a result, we derive a straightforward explanation of the nontrivial dependence of the cutoff power on high-order dispersion and explicitly derive the power that maximizes the gain. Our approach puts forth a tool to synthesize a desired MI gain with the potential application to a number of parametric-amplification and supercontinuum-generation devices whose initial-stage dynamics rely upon MI.


Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute or chronic leukemia. Advances in the pharmacotherapy of fungal infections and a shift in the epidemiological characteristics of fungal pathogens toward fluconazole-resistant Candida species and saprophytic molds have placed a greater emphasis on selection of broader-spectrum agents for empirical therapy of IFIs in this high-risk population. Newer diagnostic modalities, such as the Aspergillus galactomannan test, the 1,3-beta-d-glucan test, and polymerase chain reaction detection of fungal DNA, may facilitate the earlier diagnosis of IFIs, but their role in detecting breakthrough infection and their usefulness as a marker to withhold antifungal therapy in high-risk leukemia patients with IFI are less obvious, especially in patients who are receiving antifungal prophylaxis. Only 2 strategies have been shown in prospective studies to improve survival from mold infection in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome: (1) preemptive initiation of antifungal therapy at first sign of invasive aspergillosis on computed tomography (CT) scan and (2) antifungal prophylaxis with posaconazole. CT-guided treatment decisions are more complex in patients with advanced leukemia, however, because of concomitant infection or relapsing malignancy. Similarly, posaconazole is often not a viable prophylaxis or treatment option in patients with poor oral intake, gastrointestinal dysfunction, or possible drug interaction (eg, proton pump inhibitor prophylaxis in patients on high-dose glucocorticosteroids). As a result, the management of IFI in patients with leukemia demands an individualized treatment plan.


Changes in bioelectric activity of the brain were observed in 56 patients with disseminated breast cancer which pointed to the activation of the hypothalamus. Hyperglycemia, with blood-sugar levels being 4-6 times the basal normal one, was induced in 16 patients by a single injection of glucose. As a result, a 50-80% transient improvement in electroencephalographic indexes was obtained, hypothalamic excitation subsiding and optimal indexes matching peaks of hyperglycemia. It is concluded that the said changes in the bioelectric activity of the brain in cancer patients are largely of compensatory nature and should be regarded as a response to tumor-induced hypoglycemia.


We present the unified video retrieval system (UVRS) which provides the content-based query integrating feature-based queries and annotation-based queries of indefinite formed and high-volume video data. It also supports approximate query results by using query reformulation in case the result of the query does not exist. The UVRS divides video into video documents, sequences, scenes and objects, and involves the three layered object-oriented metadata model (TOMM) to model metadata. TOMM is composed of a raw-data layer for a physical video stream, a metadata layer to support annotation-based retrieval, feature-based retrieval, and similarity retrieval and a semantic layer to reform the query. Based on this model, we present a video query language which makes possible annotation-based queries, feature-based queries based on color, spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal correlation and similar queries, and consider a video query processor (VQP). For similarity queries on a given scene or object, we present a formula expressing the degree of similarity based on color, spatial, and temporal order. If there is no query result, then it will be carry out a query reformulation process which finds possible attributes to relax the query and automatically reforms the query by using knowledge from the semantic layer. We carry out performance evaluation of similarity using recall and precision.


Direct current electrokinetic systems generally require Faradaic reactions to occur at a pair of electrodes to maintain an electric field in an electrolyte connecting them. The vast majority of such systems, e.g. electrophoretic separations (capillary electrophoresis) or electroosmotic pumps (EOPs), employ electrolysis of the solvent in these reactions. In many cases, the electrolytic products, such as H+ and OH− in the case of water, can negatively influence the chemical or biological species being transported or separated, and gaseous products such as O2 and H2 can break the electrochemical circuit in microfluidic devices. This article presents an EOP that employs the oxidation/reduction of the conjugated polymer poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene), rather than electrolysis of a solvent, to drive flow in a capillary. Devices made with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) electrodes are compared with devices made with Pt electrodes in terms of flow and local pH change at the electrodes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that flow is driven for applied potentials under 2 V, and the electrodes are stable for potentials of at least 100 V. Electrochemically active electrodes like those presented here minimize the disadvantage of integrated EOP in, e.g. lab‐on‐a‐chip applications, and may open new possibilities, especially for battery‐powered disposable point‐of‐care devices.


We argue that research on interdependence fit is an underexplored variable in strategy and organization research and is the missing variable that differentiates the performance of "built to last" organizations from the rest. Interdependence fit relates to how well activities and processes within the organization or between the organization and its environment mutually reinforce one another. We suggest that the major reason underlying variation in firm performance may be rooted in differences of whether and how firms manage interdependencies within and across an organization's strategic activities. Progress on researching interdependence fit could be realized by focusing on strategically important activities, and the research challenge is to identify the unobservable processes and routines that underlie interdependence fit.


The studying of the drugs interaction is a pressing problem in practical medicine and pharmacy that requires additional investigation of the nature of its influence on the biological activity of pharmacological substances and on the organism of a patient. To study the nature of the interaction we have synthesized compounds that are products of interactions of metronidazole with metal salts, which are components of drugs. Investigation of structures of the obtained compounds was carried out by IR spectrometry using infrared spectrometer with Fourier transformation Tensor 27 «Bruker» (Germany). The changes in the infrared absorption spectra indicate changes in the structure of metronidazole in the cases of interaction of metal cations. It confirms obtaining of new compounds. During the research it was established that metronidazole behaves like a bidentate ligand. Specifically, for the samples of Metronidazole-Mg, Metronidazole-Al, Metronidazole-Fe2+ and Metronidazole-Bi it was established that the metronidazole is associated with metal cation via the nitrogen atom, which is located in the third position of the imidazole cycle, and through the oxygen atom of the hydroxy group. The results, obtained in the study of the Metronidazole-Ca and Metronidazole-Fe3+ samples, indicates a slightly different nature of the interaction that needs further study.


Purpose—Chemotherapy resistance remains a major challenge in the treatment of ovarian cancer. We hypothesize that germline polymorphisms might be associated with clinical outcome. Correspondence to: Georgia Chenevix-Trench, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston 4006, Australia, Ph: + 61 7 3362 0390, email@example.com. *These authors contributed equally Financial Disclosure AUS studies (Australian Ovarian Cancer Study and the Australian Cancer Study) were funded by Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (DAMD17–01–1–0729), National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia, Cancer Councils of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, Cancer Foundation of Western Australia; National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (199600 and 400281). The grant numbers for AOCS Cancer Council funding are as followsMulti-State Application Numbers 191, 211 and 182. The Bavarian study (BAV) was supported by ELAN Funds of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. The Belgian study (BEL) was funded by Nationaal Kankerplan. The Diseases of the Ovary and their Evaluation (DOV) study was funded by National Institutes of Health R01-CA112523 and R01-CA87538. The German Ovarian Cancer Study (GER) was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, Programme of Clinical Biomedical Research (01 GB 9401) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). The Hawaii Ovarian Cancer Study (HAW) was supported by R01 CA 058598. The Hormones and Ovarian Cancer Prediction study (HOP) was supported by US National Cancer Institute: K07CA80668; R01CA095023; P50-CA159981; R01-CA126841; US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command: DAMD17–02–1– 0669; NIH/National Center for Research Resources/General Clinical Research Center grant MO1RR000056. The Women's Cancer Program (LAX) was supported by the American Cancer Society Early Detection Professorship (120950-SIOP-06–258–06-COUN) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Grant UL1TR000124. The Mayo Clinic Case-Only Ovarian Cancer Study (MAC) was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01-CA122443, P30-CA15083, P50-CA136393). The Mayo Clinic Ovarian Cancer Case-Control Study (MAY) was supported by National Institutes of Health (R01-CA122443, P30-CA15083, P50-CA136393); Mayo Foundation; Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance; Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation. The MALOVA study (MAL) was funded by The National Cancer Institute (grant RO1-CA 61107), The Danish Cancer Society (grant (94– 222–52) and The Mermaid I project. The North Carolina Ovarian Cancer Study (NCO) National Institutes of Health (R01-CA76016) and the Department of Defense (DAMD17–02–1–0666). The New England-based Case-Control Study of Ovarian Cancer (NEC) was supported by NIH grants R01 CA 054419–10 and P50 CA105009, and Department of Defense CDMRP grant W81XWH-10–1–0280. The New Jersey Ovarian Cancer Study (NJO) was funded by the National Cancer Institute (NIH-K07 CA095666, R01-CA83918, NIH-K22-CA138563, and P30-CA072720) and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The Oregon study (ORE) was funded by the Sherie Hildreth Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and the OHSU Foundation. The Polish Ovarian Cancer Case Control Study (POL) was funded by Intramural Research Program of the National Cancer Institute. The SEARCH study (SEA) was supported by Cancer Research UK (C490/A8339, C490/A10119, C490/A10124 and C490/A16561) and UK National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the University of Cambridge. The Scottish Randomised Trial in Ovarian Cancer (SRO) was funded by Cancer Research UK (C536/A13086, C536/A6689) and Imperial Experimental Cancer Research Centre (C1312/A15589). The Gynaecological Oncology Biobank at Westmead (WMH) is a member of the Australasian Biospecimen Network-Oncology group, funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Enabling Grants ID 310670 & ID 628903 and the Cancer Institute NSW Grant ID 12/RIG/1-17. The United Kingdom Ovarian cancer Population Study (UKO) was funded by The Eve Appeal (The Oak Foundation) and supported by the National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre. The UK Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry (UKR) Cancer Research UK (C490/A6187); UK National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres at the University of Cambridge. The Los Angeles County Case-Control Studies of Ovarian Cancer-3 (USC) P01CA17054, P30CA14089, R01CA61132, N01PC67010, R03CA113148, R03CA115195, N01CN025403, and California Cancer Research Program (00–01389V-20170, 2II0200). The Warsaw Ovarian Cancer Study (WOC) Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (4 PO5C 028 14, 2 PO5A 068 27), The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland. There are no conflicts of interest to disclose HHS Public Access Author manuscript Clin Cancer Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 June 01. Published in final edited form as: Clin Cancer Res. 2015 December 1; 21(23): 5264–5276. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-15-0632. A uhor M anscript


Tricks for boosting yeast's ethanol yields To become a widely used source of fuel, widespread industrial production of ethanol using yeast needs to be simple and efficient. However, two conditions ideal for boosting production—tolerance of higher temperatures and high concentrations of ethanol—have been limiting (see the Perspective by Cheng and Kao). Now, Caspeta et al. have used adaptive laboratory evolution to find yeast strains that can tolerate high temperatures and Lam et al. have identified a route to improve yeast's resistance to high concentrations of ethanol. Science, this issue p. 75, p. 71; see also p. 35 Adaptive laboratory evolution can select for increased production of ethanol by yeast above 40°C. [Also see Perspective by Cheng and Kao] Ethanol production for use as a biofuel is mainly achieved through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation by yeast. Operating at ≥40°C would be beneficial in terms of increasing efficiency of the process and reducing costs, but yeast does not grow efficiently at those temperatures. We used adaptive laboratory evolution to select yeast strains with improved growth and ethanol production at ≥40°C. Sequencing of the whole genome, genome-wide gene expression, and metabolic-flux analyses revealed a change in sterol composition, from ergosterol to fecosterol, caused by mutations in the C-5 sterol desaturase gene, and increased expression of genes involved in sterol biosynthesis. Additionally, large chromosome III rearrangements and mutations in genes associated with DNA damage and respiration were found, but contributed less to the thermotolerant phenotype.


Abstract. In this study, images from the satellite system WorldView-2 in combination with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) over a maize field in Germany are investigated. Simultaneously to the measurements a biomass field campaigns was carried out. From the point clouds of the terrestrial laser scanning campaigns crop surface models (CSM) from each scanning date were calculate to model plant growth over time. These results were resampled to match the spatial resolution of the WorldView-2 images, which had to orthorectified using a high resolution digital elevation model and atmosphere corrected using the ATCOR Software package. A high direct correlation of the NDVI calculated from the WorldView-2 sensor and the dry biomass was found in the beginning of June. At the same date, the heights from laser scanning can also explain a certain amount of the biomass variation ( r 2 = 0.6). By combining the NDVI from WorldView-2 and the height from the laser scanner with a linear model, the R2 reaches higher values of 0.86. To further understand the relationship between CSM derived crop heights and reflection indices, a comparison on a pixel basis was performed. Interestingly, the correlation of the NDVI and the crop height is rather low at the beginning of June ( r 2 = 0,4, n = 1857) and increases significantly ( R 2 = 0,79, N = 1857) at a later stage.


AIM:To determine the perigastric lymph node involvement in periampullar tumors, in an attempt to optimize the surgical treatment of pylorus- preserving pancreatoduodenectomy.METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the frequence of lymph nodes involvement in pedgastric regions. Distribution and number of involved lymph nodes were exambined from 112 patients with carcinoma of pancreas, 59 patients with distal bile duct carcinoma, and 41 patients with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater.RESULTS:The frequency of lymphatic spread of carcinoma in pancreas; distal bile duct and papilla of Vater was 18.7%,1.9%,2.5% respectively. With regard to the mode of lymphatic spread in perigastric region, Infrapyloric nodes of carcinoma of the head of pancreas predominated over others,in carcinomas of the distal bile duct and the papilla of Vater,the left gastlic artery, and the greater curvature lymph nodes was the only sole sites, respectively.CONCLUSION: Understanding perigastric lymphatic involvement in periampullary tumors may be helpful for choosing the appropriate surgical approaches to pancreatoduodenectomy with preservation of pylorus.


Retinal diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy present several deformities of fundus oculi which can be analyzed both during screening and monitoring such as the increase of tortuosity, lesions of tissues, exudates and hemorrhages. In particular, one of the first morphological changes of vessel structures is the increase of tortuosity. The aim of this work is the enhancement and the detection of the principal characteristics in retinal image by exploiting a non-supervised and automated methodology. With respect to the well-known image analysis through Gabor or Gaussian filters, our approach uses a filter bank that resembles the "à trous" wavelet algorithm. In this contribution we show a particular approach to speed-up the computing time. This methodology rotates the kernels and it is a fast enough to extract information useful to assess vessel tortuosity and to segment (not considered explicitly in this paper) retinal images. Furthermore, we compare on the public databases DRIVE and DIARETDB0 our output images against the SCIRD-TS algorithm, which is considered as one of the most effective supervised methods for the detection of retinal thin structures.


This paper aims to examine what kind of relation social actions have to the sharing behavior on social media. The technology is developing rapidly and contributes to an information-rich society, which has many positive aspects. In contrast, a lot of shared information is old, biased, incorrect, or come from extreme sources, because people do not take the time to investigate the origin of the information. These negative aspects and the sharing behavior it leads to are examined in this paper to find out if they are related to the simplicity of sharing. The procedure for investigating this has been through two different methods. The first is a survey that was shared on Facebook, to get an understanding of what is primarily given and why. Based on the results from the survey interview questions were developed to be addressed to a number of Facebook users, to understand how they act on social media. Analysis of the results was carried out with the help of Uses and Gratification Theory as it focuses on how people consciously choose the media that satisfies their needs. The study concluded that people's past experiences create expected feelings, which then form the basis for the decision to perform an action, for example, to share information.


: The amino acid sequence of equine milk lysozyme has been elucidated. The study involves the determination of the sequence of the N-terminal region of the whole protein, cyanogen bromide fragments, tryptic and chymotryptic peptides and fragments produced by chemical cleavage after tryptophan residues. The protein consists of a single chain of 129 amino acid residues and has a Mr of 14647. While equine milk lysozyme has the essential features of a c(chick)-type lysozyme, there is only 51% sequence homology with human milk lysozyme and 50% with domestic hen egg white lysozyme. Some of the implications of the large number of differences are discussed.


STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine whether wheezing on maximal forced exhalation is a predictor of asthma in persons with normal or nearly normal baseline spirometry. DESIGN Prospective study of patients referred for methacholine challenge testing. SETTING Pulmonary function laboratory at a hospital. PATIENTS Forty-four patients referred for methacholine challenge testing because of the clinical suspicion of cough variant or otherwise difficult to diagnose asthma, with normal or nearly normal baseline spirometry and without wheezing on routine lung auscultation during quiet breathing. INTERVENTIONS We listened for wheezing on maximal forced exhalation. Wheezing was defined as a continuous sound with a musical quality. Methacholine challenge testing was done. The concentration of methacholine required to produce a 20% fall in baseline FEV1 (PC20) of less than 8 mg/mL was considered a positive test for asthma. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Wheezing was present on maximal forced exhalation in 8 of 14 patients with a positive methacholine challenge test (sensitivity = 57%) and absent in 11 of 30 patients with a negative test (specificity = 37%). Furthermore, wheezing on maximal forced exhalation was present in 13 of 27 patients with a PC20 greater than 16 mg/mL and absent in 2 of 7 with a PC20 less than 4 mg/mL. CONCLUSIONS Wheezing on maximal forced exhalation is neither sensitive nor specific for airway hyperreactivity.


It is well known that the hydrodynamics of a zero-temperature superfluid can be formulated in field-theoretic terms, relating for example the superfluid four-velocity to the gradient of the phase of a Bose-condensed scalar field. At nonzero temperatures, where the phenomenology of a superfluid is usually described within a two-fluid picture, this relationship is less obvious. For the case of a uniform, dissipationless superfluid at small temperatures and weak coupling we discuss this relationship within a phi^4 model. For instance, we compute the entrainment coefficient, which describes the interaction between the superfluid and the normal-fluid components, and the velocities of first and second sound in the presence of a superflow. Our study is very general, but can also be seen as a step towards understanding the superfluid properties of various phases of dense nuclear and quark matter in the interior of compact stars.


Despite multimodal therapy, patients suffering from glioblastoma (GBM) still have a dismal prognosis. The identification of cancer stem cells (CSC) in brain tumour tissue, yielded hope that the vulnerable target to combat GBM has been found. Several study groups worldwide concentrate nowadays on therapeutic strategies that effectively target CSC. Since in our laboratory has been revealed that taurolidine, a derivate of the amino acid taurin, displays a potent antineoplastic effect in human glioma cell lines and in ex vivo malignant cell culture, this thesis focused on the susceptibility of glioblastoma CSC to taurolidine and temozolomide (TMZ), the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agent so far. Additionally, we investigated the most powerful derivative of taurolidine and tested its antineoplastic activity on CSC as well.


In materials processing such as heat treating, metal extrusion, forging, etc., control of the surface heat flux rate contributes to better products. Spray cooling using a mixture of water and air is studied for these applications. It is shown that the heat transfer rate depends on the mass fraction of liquid and that it can be adjusted to a desired value. Experimental heat flux data are presented for different liquid mass fractions, and at surface temperatures up to 1000°C. Two distinct heat transfer regions above the dry wall temperature are recognized : radiation-dominated and convection-dominated, where droplets evaporate in the boundary layer. In between these two regions is a transition region. The inverse thermal conduction technique based on the Monte Carlo simulation is used to provide surface temperature and subsequently to compute heat flux.


IntroductionMuch has changed in the United States lodging industry since Conrad Hilton purchased his first hotel in 1919. Large corporate chains, budget motels, and boutique hotels offer a wealth of options to suit a wide range of traveler preferences. For cities and towns dependent on tourism, the lodging industry plays a critical role in generating sustainable revenue. This symbiotic relationship with the economy at large, in which lodging can help drive tourism while the industry itself is affected by the strength of the national economy, provides incentive to understand the status of the industry today. This analysis provides an overview of the lodging industry (external and internal key factors), current trends, and forecasts.DescriptionThe primary purpose of firms operating within the lodging industry are to provide a shelter for consumers, typically travelers, on a short-term basis. Lodging may also include other amenities besides a standard room such as food, beverage, fitness centers, conference room, or pool. The amenities that are offered depend on the firm and its level of luxury. Over time, the purpose of the lodging industry has evolved for other uses beyond vacation destinations for tourists, such as conferences, competitions, and exhibits. The United States lodging industry is composed of approximately 40,000 hotels, motels and resorts operating roughly 53,000 total properties. Annual revenue for the lodging industry is approximately $160 billion. Please note that this analysis of the lodging industry excludes casino hotels and focuses primarily on the four pricing categories of hotel and motel lodging:* Luxury - On average more than $200 per night (e.g. W Hotels, Ritz-Carlton)* Upscale - On average more than $100 per night (e.g. Marriott, Sheraton)* Midscale - On average $60 to $100 per night (e.g. Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn)* Economy/Budget - On average below $60 per night (e.g. Motel 6, EconoLodge)Prices can vary according to region (California and Northeast hotels are commonly priced higher), season, and level of occupancy.Key Success FactorsEvery industry has their own combination of factors that play a critical role in its success. Key factors play a role both externally and internally. Below we will establish both sets of factors and the effect they have on the lodging industry.External Key FactorsExternal key factors are aspects outside of the business that can have an impact on the firm's operations. These external factors are specific to the lodging industry and should be taken into account during the business life cycle. More specifically, these are the factors that have a direct effect on the industry and how it operates. The lodging industry has four external key factors: the economy, tourism/travel, location, and technology.EconomyA variety of factors affect the lodging industry's ability to succeed. From a macro perspective, the health of the US economy directly impacts tourism and business spending. The lodging industry relies on travel to fill its facilities. Without travel, empty hotels equate to loss of profit. After the 2008 recession, many businesses turned to technology to increase virtual meetings to reduce travel costs. Although in response to the global economic downturn, studies show that companies may have cut spending on travel more than necessary between 2007 and 2009, further impeding future economic recovery.Between 2011 and 2015 as the US economy recovered with an 18.5% increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a 3.5% decrease in unemployment, total domestic business and leisure travel increased 7.1%, showcasing the symbiotic relationship between the economy-at-large and travel and lodging industry.Tourism/TravelAs previously stated, the economy has a direct effect on tourism but the inverse relationship is also true - tourism has a direct effect on the local economy. …


The research into the stress state of gear rim has been based on the developed model of pinion-wheel system and the finite element application. For a spur gear structure of middle web position, the assumption of load distribution in the contact area that reflects, first of all, the tooth support deformation, has been not required for the imposed boundary conditions. To study the influence of web thickness stiffening effect on the inner rim surface stress, the ranges of rim and web thickness values have been considered. The area of stress along the rim circle and tooth facewidth has been shaped and discussed in relation to maximum rim stress appearance.


In this paper we discuss the challenges that are faced when the state-of-the-art research results are transferred to a model-based tool chain for the industrial use. These challenges are often overlooked when the research results are implemented in an academic environment. In particular, we discuss various challenges regarding the implementation and integration of the response-time analysis for heterogeneous networks, comprising of CAN and Ethernet AVB, as a plug-in for the Rubus Analysis Framework. Rubus tool suite is used for the model- and component-based development of software for vehicular real-time systems by several international companies. We also discuss preliminary solutions to deal with the challenges.


ABSTRACT
ObjectiveThe objective of this population health research is to identify the social burden associated with having an alcohol related diagnosis.
MethodsWe used linkable population-based administrative data files held in the Population Health Research Data Repository to conduct our research, fiscal years 1990/91 to 2014/15. Data came from several domains including health, social services, justice, and the Canadian Census. We used ICD-9/10-CA codes from the hospital abstract database, medical claims data, and prescription drug data to identify individuals with an alcohol-related diagnosis. Individuals' socioeconomic status was determined using neighbourhood-level income data from the Canadian Census. We matched, 3:1, diagnosed cases to individuals in our repository using on age, sex, income, and community area. We linked cases and matches to administrative data from justice and social services to identify social outcomes associated with having an alcohol-related diagnosis. Outcomes included receipt of income assistance, residence in publically funded social housing, having a child apprehended by child and family protective services, having a charge for driving under the influence recorded in the justice data, and having a charge for domestic violence recorded in the justice data. We modelled rates using generalized estimating equations from 5 years before date of diagnosis to a maximum of 20 years after date of diagnosis. Models tested for significant differences in rates between cases and matches both before and after diagnosis; as well, we tested for time trends in rates both before and after diagnosis.
ResultsWe identified 52,991 individuals with an alcohol related diagnosis between 1990/91 and 2014/15: 34,145 males and 18,846 females. 80.3% of cases had a mental-health related alcohol diagnosis. Diagnoses followed a socioeconomic gradient with the greatest number of cases coming from low-income neighbourhoods. Cases had a significant spike in rates from one year before to one year after diagnosis date, compared with matches, across all indicators. When we followed individuals for 20 years after diagnosis, we found a significantly elevated rate of social service use and involvement with the justice system, across all outcomes, for all years.
ConclusionReceiving an alcohol-related diagnosis is associated with subsequent increased use of social services and contacts with the justice system. Upstream efforts to reduce alcohol-related diagnoses may result in reduced use of social services and justice contacts.


An electromagnetic analysis of diffraction by Fresnel linear zone plates ruled into a homogeneous or a stratified media is developed. It takes advantage of the new possibilities brought by the introduction of the R-matrix propagation algorithm into the theory of lamellar gratings, namely, the large increase of the stability domain of the numerical results. Thus a linear Fresnel zone plate can be delt with as a period of such a grating, and the diffracted field can be computed for both TE and TM polarizations. Numerical examples show the convergence of the method and study the focusing properties of positive and negative zone plates. The influence of different parameters such as incidence or number of lines is pointed out.


A novel method for gain adjustment of multi-pumped fibre Raman amplifiers is proposed and numerically demonstrated. The method uses the areas under the curves of the pump power evolution along the gain fibre and the Newton-Raphson method to find an appropriate power combination of the pumps to realize the desired gain profile. Compared with the previously proposed methods, our method has two advantages: first, it can maintain the gain profile while changing the gain magnitude to the desired value; second, it is independent of the actual pumping scheme of the amplifier, i.e. it can be used for fibre Raman amplifiers with all kinds of pumping schemes including co-, counter-, or hi-directional pumping. Numerical simulations are provided to verify the proposed method and to demonstrate its effectiveness.


The Rio Grande rift in central New Mexico provides an excellent location to study the interaction between high-angle and low-angle (15°–35°) normal faults during crustal extension. Here we evaluate the relative importance of low-angle normal faults (LANFs) in the Albuquerque basin of central New Mexico with goals of testing two conflicting models of rift geometry and producing evolutionary models for the northern and southern parts of the basin. Using physiographic relationships, field observations, structural data analysis, and thermal history modeling, we document two brittle LANF systems on salients in adjacent opposite-polarity half-grabens. These fault systems were both active ca. 20–10 Ma and are locations of maximum fault slip as indicated by thickness of sedimentary fill in adjacent sub-basins and highest elevation rift flanks. Average fault dip increases basinward, and outbound faults were abandoned while intrabasinal faults cut Quaternary units, supporting an evolutionary model where master normal faults initiated at a higher dip, were shallowed by isostatic footwall uplift in regions of highest slip, and became inactive while younger normal faults emerged basinward. These geometrical and kinematic observations are predicted by the rolling-hinge model for the formation of LANFs. This mechanism has been widely applied to core complexes in highly extended terranes (e.g., Basin and Range), regions of orogenic collapse, and mid-ocean ridges, and it is shown here to also be applicable to narrow continental rifts of modest (∼35%) extension. Similarities to core complexes include a physiographic expression of domal uplifts, evolution of a master detachment horizon that initiated as a breakaway, and isostatically rotated low-angle normal faults. Although the degree of extension was too low to juxtapose ductile footwall rocks against brittle hanging-wall rocks, if extension had progressed in the Albuquerque basin, eventually a mature metamorphic core complex would have formed, similar to those preserved in the adjacent Basin and Range Province. The Rio Grande rift, therefore, provides a snapshot of the embryonic stages of core complex formation, bridging the gap between mature core complexes and incipient extensional environments.


Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is responsible for 1 death every minute in the US. Angioplasty with the implantation of stents is a common treatment method for CAD. Although there is a variety of stents currently on the market, there is still a need to develop new types for different pathologic conditions. Preliminary assessment of the physiological response to new stents is needed as they are being developed. The FDA approval process implemented today is a long, tedious path with a range of testing methods that include static in vitro testing and high-cost animal testing. Tissue engineered blood vessels have been used to create " blood vessel mimics " (BVM) as an intermediate step to improve the evaluation process. A previous Cal Poly tissue engineering student, Sarah Ur, developed a BVM protocol as part of her senior project. The aim of my senior project is to investigate the reproducibility of the existing BVM protocol for creating confluent cell linings on the interior lining of a polymer scaffold.


Non-price competition strategy is a major health policy concern in many countries. This paper studies the treatment specialization choice and quality level competition among hospitals. We extend a two-stage spatial duopoly model, with the partially altruistic providers firstly choosing specialization and then determining quality level when the treatment price is set exogenously by central planner. The first best conclusion of quality is that two hospitals always invest equally much is quality, which suggests the "quality weapon" between hospitals in reality. Then, specialization-quality equilibrium gives the conclusion that quality competition introduces a centrifugal effect in the specialization game. And with the unmatched cost between patients disease and hospital's specialization is lower, hospitals' equilibrium quality level and specialization differentiation will decrease.


How can we study significant cognitive differences within social groups anthropologically? Attempting to do so challenges some of the discipline's most cherished methodological, analytical and ethical commitments, raising questions about how we understand difference, both between and within societies. Such challenges both explain the neglect of the topic up until now and suggest its scholarly potential. In this article, we move to lay the groundwork for an anthropology that takes seriously cognitive differences (such as autism, dementia and intellectual disability), as well as their potentially disabling consequences. We ask: what kind of cross-cultural reality does cognitive variation have, and how problematic are such differences for those who live with them? We spell out at greater length some of the difficulties involved in developing this conversation, attempt to address these issues, and delineate some of the important benefits that follow from doing so.


In their seminal book "Worldwide variation in human growth," published in 1976, Eveleth and Tanner highlighted substantial variability within and between populations in the magnitude and schedule of human growth. In the four decades since then, research has clarified why growth variability is so closely associated with human health. First, growth patterns are strongly associated with body composition, both in the short- and long-term. Poor growth in early life constrains the acquisition of lean tissue, while compensatory "catch-up" growth may elevate body fatness. Second, these data are examples of the fundamental link between growth and developmental plasticity. Growth is highly sensitive to ecological stresses and stimuli during early "critical windows," but loses much of this sensitivity as it undergoes canalization during early childhood. Crucially, the primary source of stimuli during early "critical windows" is not the external environment itself, but rather maternal phenotype, which transduces the impact of ecological conditions. Maternal phenotype, representing many dimensions of "capital," thus generates a powerful impact on the developmental trajectory of the offspring. There is increasing evidence that low levels of maternal capital impact the offspring's size at birth, schedule of maturation, and body composition and physiological function in adulthood. While evidence has accrued of substantial heritability in adult height, it is clear that the pathway through which it is attained has major implications for metabolic phenotype. Integrating these perspectives is important for understanding how developmental plasticity may on the one hand contribute to adaptation, while on the other shape susceptibility to non-communicable disease.


PURPOSE: cGMP is an important second messenger which is involved in the regulation of cardiac contractility and pathological hypertrophy. In cardiomyocytes, signaling by cGMP is organized in microdomains and is considered cardioprotective. Especially in adult cardiac myocytes, measurements of cGMP have been challenging and little is known about the spatio-temporal dynamics of cGMP. Here we developed a transgenic mouse model to visualize cGMP dynamis in adult cardiac myocytes. Methods: We generated transgenic mice with cardiomyocyte-specific expression of a highly sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based cGMP biosensor red cGES-DE5 and performed FRET measurements in freshly isolated adult mouse ventricular myocytes. To analyze cGMP/cAMP crosstalk, FRET experiments were performed in cardiomyocytes isolated from mice transgenically expressing the cAMP sensor Epac1-camps. Results: Basal cytosolic cGMP levels were very low (~10 nM), but could be markedly increased by stimulation with natriuretic peptides (CNP>>ANP). In contrast, direct stimulation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) with NO-donors such as SNAP showed no effect. However, constitutive activity of this cyclase contributes to basal cGMP production, since a clear decrease of basal cGMP levels was observed after stimulation with the sGC inhibitor ODQ. This basal cGMP production is regulated by phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity. Unexpectedly, PDE3 is most important in controlling basal cGMP levels, whereas PDE2 and PDE5 are much less active. We could also show that cGMP pools produced by GC-B after CNP stimulation are mainly regulated by PDE3, so that the receptor and this PDE form one functional unit important for the regulation of cGMP/cAMP cross-talk. Conclusion: In summary, we performed the first FRET-based measurements of cGMP in adult cardiomyocytes and we could highlight the key role of PDE3 in the regulation of basal cGMP levels and cGMP/cAMP cross-talk.


The viral protein Nef is a key element for the progression of HIV disease. Previous in vitro studies suggested that Nef expression in T-cell lines enhanced TCR signaling pathways upon stimulation with TCR cross-linking, leading to the proposal that Nef lowers the threshold of T-cell activation, thus increasing susceptibility to viral replication in immune response. Likewise, the in vivo effects of Nef transgenic mouse models supported T-cell hyperresponse by Nef. However, the interpretation is complicated by Nef expression early in the development of T cells in these animal models. Here, we analyzed the consequence of Nef expression in ovalbumin-specific/CD4(+) peripheral T cells by using a novel mouse model and demonstrate that Nef inhibits antigen-specific T-cell proliferation and multiple functions required for immune response in vivo, which includes T-cell helper activity for the primary and memory B-cell response. However, Nef does not completely abrogate T-cell activity, as defined by low levels of cytokine production, which may afford the virus a replicative advantage. These results support a model, in which Nef expression does not cause T-cell hyperresponse in immune reaction, but instead reduces the T-cell activity, that may contribute to a low level of virus spread without viral cytopathic effects.


: Among the diseases accompanied by granuloma formation in the lung, there is so-called granulomatosis developing in injection drug users who have been long injecting suspensions of oral medications containing talc and other water insoluble fillers. 102 deaths of chronic intravenous drug users were examined; 12 of whom showed pulmonary talc-induced granulomatosis. Their morphology was studied using polarized light microscopy. The main mechanisms of thanatogenesis in lethal cases within the first hours after intravenous injection of talc-containing oral medication suspensions are explained.


The years 1989 and 1990 will probably be best remembered for the speed and breadth of political and economic change which swept through what used to be referred to as the Communist Bloc. With the disintegration of this bloc, there has been no shortage of western advice on how to "democratize" economy and polity in these societies. However, little thought has been given to what this change means for the millions of women who have toiled for decades alongside men in the factories and fields as well as performing their "womanly mission" in the home. This collection from women in Eastern and Western Europe, and covering both Europe and China, poses many questions about the impact of change. It contributes to the debate that seeks to combat inertia and ethnocentrism within western feminism and also to the separate and the critical "women's voice" which is re-emerging in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China.


SUMMARY This study investigated the independent effect of added mass on the stability of the leg kinematics during human walking. We reasoned that adding mass would influence the body's inertial state and thus challenge the ability of the leg to redirect and accelerate the total mass of the body while walking. We hypothesized that walking with added mass would reduce the stability of the leg kinematics. Lower extremity sagittal plane joint kinematics were recorded for 23 subjects as they walked on a treadmill at their preferred speed with and without added mass. The total mass of each subject was manipulated with combinations of simulated reduced gravity and added load. The stability of the leg kinematics was evaluated by computing the eigenvalues of the Poincaré map (i.e. Floquet analysis) that defined the position and velocity of the right hip, knee and ankle at heel-contact and mid-swing. Significant differences in stability were found between the various added mass conditions (P=0.040) and instant in the gait cycle (P=0.001). Post-hoc analysis revealed that walking with 30% added mass compromised the stability of the leg kinematics compared with walking without additional mass (P=0.031). In addition, greater instability was detected at the instance of heel-contact compared with mid-swing (P=0.001). Our results reveal that walking with added mass gives rise to greater disturbances in the leg kinematics, and may be related to the redirection and acceleration of the body throughout the gait cycle. Walking with added mass reduces the stability of the leg kinematics and possibly the overall balance of the walking pattern.


This essay begins with a discussion of how globalization poses a threat to identity. To support this claim, the second part reflects on the pathologies of the city, as characterized by Paul Ricoeur, with a particular emphasis on memory. Globalization's effects are clearly manifest in the scale of the city, and as such, Ricoeur considers the pathology of the city an expression of global society's pathology. Because for Ricoeur, identity is always narrative identity, and narratives are repositories of memories, the question of identity is also a question of the use and abuse of memory. The third part examines the maintenance of identity, particularly collective identity, in the age of manufacture and considers the place of the more vulnerable nations and their cities in the global age.


Multiculturalism and relevant acculturation processes are issues that are highly relevant today. Acculturation occurs in multicultural societies and refers to a process through which people from different backgrounds and with different identities try to find a balance within the same societies, through the recognition of all their cultural differences. Most of the literature on the topic focuses on the acculturation outcomes. However, acknowledging a gap in existing research, the main aim of this thesis is to test two of the potential acculturation antecedents: social norms and experiences of social exclusion.

The theoretical framework of this PhD project derives mainly from the Interactive Acculturation Model (Bourhis, Moise, Perrault & Senecal, 1997) and adopts an intergroup approach (Zagefka & Brown, 2002), in that it considers the perspective of both the majority and minority groups involved in the acculturation process. Specifically, the experimental work of this thesis assesses whether social norms on multiculturalism and experiences of social exclusion (the acculturation antecedents) affect people's preferences for cultural maintenance and cultural adoption, which are considered the acculturation components. The effects of the acculturation antecedents on participants' attitudes toward specific acculturation strategies (individualism, integrationism, assimilationism, segregationism/separatism, and marginalisationism/exclusionism) and desire for future intergroup contact with relevant ethnic outgroups are also tested. The roles of people's social identities, specifically with the ethnic ingroup, the national group, and as multicultural, and previous experiences of positive intergroup contact, are taken into account in the acculturation analysis.

This thesis is comprised of a pilot study (four focus groups), and six experimental studies that investigated majority and minority groups' perspectives on multiculturalism and acculturation. The pilot study offers a general overview on the acculturation process, while the experimental studies analyse it on macro- and micro-level. In detail, Studies 1, 2, and 3 (3.a and 3.b, Chapter 4) tested, adopting a macro-level perspective, if social norms on multiculturalism affect the majority and minority's acculturation attitudes (i.e. their preferences for specific acculturation components and acculturation strategies, as well as their desire for future intergroup contact). Studies 4, 5, and 6 assess the role of experiences of social inclusion versus exclusion in influencing the acculturation process (Chapter 5).

Confirming what has been suggested by the existing literature and extending the relevant work, analysis of data revealed differences in the way majority and minority groups experienced the acculturation process. Furthermore, the findings confirmed that social norms on multiculturalism influence people's acculturation attitudes, while an inconsistent pattern of results has been found for the role of social exclusion as antecedent of the acculturation process. The data also indicated, as hypothesised, that people's previous experiences of positive contact and their social identification should be included in the analysis. In detail, people's identification as multicultural moderated their acculturation attitudes. Findings are discussed in relation to the literature on acculturation, and theoretical and practical implications for contemporary social issues are outlined.