This study analyzed the socio-economic factors influencing rural women farmers' awareness of HIV/AIDs in Ebonyi State, Nigeria: Issue for Guidance and Counseling. The study employed purposive and multi-stage random sampling techniques in the selection of 120 rural women who formed the sample size. Primary data used for the study were collected using questionnaire and interview schedule. These were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of data analysis showed that the rural women in the study area were knowledgeable on mode of transmission of HIV/AIDs such as: mother-child (94.17 percent), sexual-intercourse ( 93.33 percent), contaminated sharp (piercing ) instruments (91.67 percent) among others. The result of multiple regression analysis indicated a coefficient of multiple determination R2 of 68.5 percent. This means that about 68.5 percent of the level of awareness of HIV/AIDs in the area was influenced by the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents. Most of the explanatory variables were statistically significant and met a priori expectations. The null hypothesis tested at 5 percent level of significance was rejected. This shows that there is significant relationship between the socio-economic characteristics of the rural women and their level of knowledge of HIV/AIDs in the area, hence the need for counseling. Further analysis identified lack of adequate information (3.64), remoteness of the rural areas (3.10), cost of information access (3.12) among others as major obstacles which limited rural women knowledge of HIV/AIDs in the area. It was concluded that improving the knowledge of HIV/AIDs through constant guidance and counseling would minimize the spread of the scourge and as well improve the contribution of the women to agricultural development in the study area. Necessary recommendations such as improving the educational status of the women farmers among others were made.


This letter reports an experimental study of a 10ns pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in atmospheric air, excited with a train of 65ns voltage pulses at a repetition frequency of 5kHz. It is shown that these ultrashort pulses produce a homogenous discharge with very high electron density in excess of 1013cm−3 and low gas temperature, which are particularly desirable for uniform treatment of thermally sensitive polymer films. Their treatment of polypropylene films is found to introduce microscale surface patterns as well as various carbon-oxygen bonds, both useful for improving the hydrophilic properties of polymeric materials.


A total of 744 pigs (initially 12.8 lb and 22 d of age) was used in a 28 d trial to determine the effects of increasing levels of blood meal in the phase II (d 7 to 28) diet. Pigs were allotted by sex and weight and placed in pens containing 13 to 14 pigs each. A common phase I diet was fed for the first 7 days postweaning. The phase I diet contained 37.5% dried whey and 7.5% porcine plasma and was formulated to contain 1.5% lysine. After the phase I period, pigs were assigned to one of six dietary treatments that contained 10% dried whey and either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5% spray-dried blood meal. These diets were fed for the entire phase II period (d 7 to 28 postweaning). Phase II diets were formulated to contain 1.25% lysine and a minimum of .68% isoleucine and .30% methionine. During phase I (d 0 to 7), average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed efficiency (FIG) were .34 lb, .38 lb, and 1.28, respectively. During phase II (d 7 to 28), quadratic improvements occurred in average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed efficiency, with optimum performance achieved at approximately the 2% inclusion rate of spray-dried blood meal. Therefore, the results of this trial indicate that the optimal level of spray-dried blood meal in the phase II diet is approximately 2%.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 19, 1992


Environmental consequences from sanitary landfill as well as incineration with power generation were compared in terms of life cycle analysis (LCA) for Laohukeng Waste-disposal Plant that is under consideration in Shenzhen. A variety of differences will be resulted from the two technologies, from which the primary issue that affects the conclusion is if the compensatory phase in power generation can be properly considered in the boundary definition of LCA. Upon the compensatory phase is taken into account in the landfill system, the negative environmental consequences from the landfill will be more significant than those from the incineration with power generation, although the reversed results can be obtained as the compensatory phase is neglected. In addition, mitigation of environmental impacts through the pollutant treatment in the incineration process will be more effective than in the landfill process.


Ferroelectrics are among the most advanced materials for non-volatile storage applications. Their two thermodynamically equivalent groundstates of spontaneous polarization can be toggled between by an external electric field. We present recent progress in the fabrication, registration, manipulation and characterization of nanoscale ferroelectrics. Chemical solution deposition is adapted to a pre-registration process by e-beam lithography to fabricate registered ferroelectric nanostructures below 100 nm width. A post-processing by chemical mechanical polishing either for embedded or free grains modifies the aspect ratio thus controlling the coercive field distribution of nanoferroelectrics. We also discuss some very recent findings of the complex interaction of field and piezoelectric tensor in a real piezoresponse force microscope. This method requires a comprehensive treatment of all contributions to tell apart extrinsic from intrinsic effects.


The new complex intermetallic alloy, Cr22Zn72Sn24, with a giant cubic unit cell (space group Fmc, Z = 8, Pearson symbol cF944 with a = 25.083(3) A) is reported. The structure can be described as a CsCl-type packing of two "Russian Doll" type intermetallic clusters: a 99-atom cluster, Cr@(Cr8Zn6)(Sn)24(Zn)60, composed of a central Cr atom encapsulated by three shells: a distorted rhombic dodecahedron, a snub-cube, and a rhombi-icosidodecahedron; and a 55-atom cluster, Cr@(Zn)12(Zn)30(Zn)12, also composed of a central Cr atom, but now surrounded by three different shells: an icosahedron, an icosidodecahedron, and a larger icosahedron. The two distinct clusters can be considered as "superatoms" that form the resulting nanometer-scale CsCl-type structure. Evaluating the electronic structure of this complex alloy structure yielded an alternative description, involving a 3-d network of vertex-connected, Cr-centered icosahedra and fragments of bcc metals. This description closely parallels the effective chemical bonding interactions, allowing for an understanding of the stability of this CMA. Magnetic and Seebeck coefficient measurements on self-flux grown crystals of Cr22Zn72Sn24 show it to be paramagnetic and metallic, in agreement with the results of electronic structure calculations.


Posterior protrusion of the intervertebral disk, an entity brought to attention by Mixter and Barr, 1 who recognized the value of employing radiopaque oil as a diagnostic means, has taken its place with other pathologic conditions producing backache and sciatic pain. I do not wish to imply that all posterior protrusions produce symptoms; however, a protrusion of sufficient size, advantageously placed, may produce pathologic changes in the nerve roots or the cauda equina sufficient to convince the most skeptical of its clinical significance. The present study was undertaken in an attempt to present the clinical findings in a series of cases in which definite neural changes were noted at the time of exploration and removal of a posteriorly protruded intervertebral disk. This group is composed of cases in which operation was performed at the Mayo Clinic in 1936 and 1937. All questionable cases and all cases in which no definite


This article explains how it is possible to arrive at the paradoxical conclusion that an increased reliance on private actors (in the guise of private military companies) could consolidate public peace and security in the weakest African states. It argues that this conclusion can only be reached if the dynamics of the market for force are neglected. The basic claim is that the market as a whole has effects that cannot be captured by focussing on single cases. The article analyses these effects, departing from the empirical functioning of supply, demand and externalities in the market for force in order to spell out the implications for public security. More specifically, the article shows that supply in the market for force tends to self-perpetuate, as PMCs turn out a new caste of security experts striving to fashion security understandings to defend and conquer market shares. The process leads to an expansion of the numbers and kinds of threats the firms provide protection against. Moreover, demand does not penalize firms that service 'illegitimate' clients in general. Consequently, the number of actors who can wield control over the use force is limited mainly by their ability to pay. Finally, an externality of the market is to weaken existing security institutions by draining resources and worsening the security coverage. This gives further reasons to contest the legitimacy of existing security orders. In other words, the development of a market for force increases the availability and perceived need for military services, the number of actors who have access to them and the reasons to contest existing security orders. This hardly augurs well for public security.


Caught Pregnant: Wresting and Relinquishing Control Over Motherhood In Manchester UK Abigail Edgecliffe-Johnson Popular portrayals of drug-using mothers claim that they are just "not into mothering" or that they leave their children to "fend for themselves" in their relentless pursuit of their own pleasures. Yet a deeper reading of these statements, and others like them reveals that they are not simply a judgment on this specific group of deviant women, but form part of a continuum of strictures informing all women about what is expected of them as women and as mothers. They lay the foundation for the enforcement of particular modes of behavior for women, for pregnant patients and for mothers. In an attempt to explore how the cultural imperatives of mothering are influenced by the cultural strictures against drug use and drug users, this ethnography explored the lives of 14 drug-using mothers in the comparatively supportive environment of Manchester in the United Kingdom. Over the course of three years of fieldwork and in-depth interviewing two major themes emerged: Control and Fluidity. Control was most apparent in the persistent tension between the women's self-imposed need for control (over her body, her children, her drugs and herself) and the control both demanded and imposed by the state agencies that work with her. Fluidity, particularly of the mothering identity, quickly emerged as a key aspect of women's lives and their understanding of self. Drug-using mothers are criticized for supposedly violating the bonds of the mother-child relationship, but the bonds are already frayed by a system that forces them to confront the possibility of child loss before the child is even born. To capture the shifts in meaning and experience of motherhood for this population I developed a descriptive model that categorizes their experience of the mothering identity through the filter of child-loss: The Conspicuous Mother, The Latent Mother and The Abnegate Mother. The model shows that child-loss is not an all-or-nothing experience for these women, and goes some way toward understanding why, when some women lose their children they "go off the rails" while others use child loss as an opportunity for getting their lives back on track. The study also makes clear that in order to create sustainable change we must move beyond the notion that drug-use invariably leads to neglect and focus instead on creating systemic change in the women's lives, not just their drug-taking.


A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Health: Occupational Hygiene, Johannesburg, 2012


How can states increase diversity on the bench? This article begins by presuming that increasing racial and gender diversity is a worthy goal among other positive results, a diverse bench increases the judicial system's perceived legitimacy by increasing a diverse citizenry's confidence that judges will treat them fairly and impartially. Next we examine the unique judicial selection systems of South Carolina and Virginia where the entire process is controlled exclusively by the state legislature and reach the counterintuitive conclusion that these systems actually increase judicial diversity very effectively when compared with the systems of other states. Finally, we propose four specific reforms to improve the already effective systems in South Carolina and Virginia: (1) preclude sitting legislators from membership, at least in the majority, on any merit selection commission; (2) raise the cap in South Carolina on the number of qualified applicants submitted to the General Assembly from the current three to at least ten, or in Virginia place a reasonable limit on the number of names submitted to the legislative delegation from which they may select; (3) require any merit selection commission, including the Judicial Merit Selection Committee in South Carolina, to give "substantial weight" to ethics decisions rendered by a tribunal within the judicial department; and (4) include the state's Bar association in the selection process.


Abstract The human spine is definitively one of the most important parts of a living body. From biomechanical point of view, this organ is the most complicated structure, and a dynamic analysis of its motion still requires more detailed models be created. The aim of this study is to build an accurate computer model of the geometry of the spine and insert it into available skeleton models, used in Vicon. Up to now such models were simplified and that is why they were not sufficient for research of detailed motion of the spine. The paper describes the process of creating models of the vertebrae. During research, authors simultaneously used two techniques: 3D scanning of the vertebrae and computed modeling in 3D graphics software. A universal data format: .obj used to keep the information about surface shape of an object, its colour, texture etc. is presented in detail. In a discussion on Vicon data formats and relations between them, several file types are taken under consideration: marker files: .mkr, global model parameters files: .mp, files of the model structure: .mod. But first of all, step-by-step instructions of how to connect the files with geometrical objects for the visualization purposes, are presented.


Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and the associated morbidity and mortality. This patient population is also associated with a substantial cost to the healthcare system with traditional hospital-based care management. The objective of this study is to investigate the cost effectiveness of providing community-based multidisciplinary clinic (MDC) care to this patient population. The goal was to evaluate whether the new model of care is associated with improved patient compliance with medical appointments, and can be delivered effectively within the community in a patient-centred fashion.
Design: In this retrospective analysis, participants in this study included patients started within the local regional program who needed dialysis chronically or until death and were followed for at least 3 months prior to dialysis. Comparison was made between those patients attending a hospital based clinic vs. a community based clinic with respect to optimal and suboptimal start rates, use of internet based educational resources was tracked, potassium, haemoglobin, calcium, phosphorus, PTH levels pre dialysis and patient attendance rates were measured as well.
Results: The results attained from performing this 15-month retrospective analysis showed that this community based model of care yielded similar results with respect to optimal vs. suboptimal start rates, laboratory parameters at initiation of dialysis, and may have been associated with increased rates of attendance to visits.
Conclusions: Our findings show that multidisciplinary care for advanced chronic kidney disease patients can be effectively delivered in a community-based model. This is likely to have significant cost benefits as well as increasing access to care for patients in rural communities or those who prefer to receive their care in a community setting.


Results of the patients quality of life (QL) estimation, while presence of a renal-cell cancer metastasis in the bones, using questionnaire QLQ-C30 and Karnofsky index, as well as the pain visual-analogue scale on background of treatment with bisphosphonates (BPH), were adduced. After conclusion of the combined treatment the general state improvement, a trustworthy reduction of the pain syndrome severity, as well as the patients' psychoemotional and social state, were noted. Complex treatment of patients, using BPH, have promoted a positive impact on their QL as well as a reduction of a skeleton complications rate.


Helium-3,4 dilution refrigerators (DR) are the workhorses for ultralow temperature scientists. DRs can be continuously operated for unlimited periods of time, and compared to other cooling techniques offer high cooling capacities. Base temperatures are well below 10 mK for well designed DRs. Cryogen-free (CF) DRs precooled by pulse tube refrigerators (PTR) have become standard in recent years. In a typical CF-DR, the second stage of the PTR runs at temperatures between 2.5 K and 4 K. Its cooling capacity at 4 K is about of 1 W. The next cooling stage is the still of the dilution unit with a typical temperature near 0.7 K. Its cooling capacity is proportional to the He-3 flow and usually well below 20 mW. For many modern applications this is too little to cool and heatsink cold amplifiers, coax lines and electric cables. For these experiments an additional refrigeration stage at an intermediate temperature of about 1 K would be desirable. Several suggestions have been made in the past to address the task. 1 In our CF-DR, we plan to implement a continuous He-4 refrigeration stage with a base temperature of ~ 1.2 K. The components of the cryostat have been tested separately, but have not been combined in our cryostat so far. The cooling capacity of a newly built 1K-stage has been measured as a function of temperature; it is about 100 mW, whereas the cooling power of the still of the DR is 17 mW. The circulation rates of the DR stage and of the new He-4 stage are about of 1 mmol/s (22 std. cm 3 /s) each. We present details of the planned CF-DR with 1K-stage.


The characteristics of lightning overvoltages initiated on overhead distribution lines vary greatly depending on the lightning stroke characteristics, the method of overvoltage generation (direct or induced), the orographic conditions (shielding effects) and the configuration of the line (medium or low voltage line, insulation level, presence of neutral conductors, earth resistance of the neutral etc.). In this paper the main characteristics of lightning overvoltages were clarified, as well as tools provided for the prediction of the number of lightning strokes to the lines. Waveshapes and peak-values of lightning overvoltages due to direct or indirect strokes have been described as well as their dependance on the line configuration, both for MV and LV networks. Since it is necessary for the Power utilities to protect their distribution networks in order to minimize the customers outages and the distribution apparatus damage caused by lightning, the information given in this paper consists of the basic knowledge which is helpful for the distribution engineers in order to determine the proper specific measures they have to take for this purpose in their LV and MV networks.


This paper critically reviews and identifies gaps in the methodologies used to analyze the environmental impacts of mineral and metal global supply chains. Of specific focus are assessments of the extraction and production of minerals and metals needed for a low-carbon energy future. Current trends and projections suggest that the future low-carbon energy system will have greater material needs than the current one. Thus, it is important to better understand the full impacts of increased resource extraction to help ensure a sustainable and just transition. This review reveals that existing methodologies are currently insufficient in capturing the full suite of environmental, social, and governance concerns. The copper supply chain is used as a case study to highlight areas that require refined or augmented methodologies, with an in-depth examination of the corporate practices of Freeport-McMoRan, Vale, and BHP. Together, this review of existing methodologies and examples from the copper supply chain highlight the incomplete and variable nature of environmental and climate reporting within the mining industry. Areas for future work are defined with the goal of advancing accounting frameworks for the mining industry and the associated supply chain.


The ground states of styrene under different intense electric fields ranging from 0 to 0.05a.u. are optimized using density functional theory DFT/B3P86 at 6-311G basis set level. The excitation energies and oscillator strengths under the applied electric fields are calculated employing the revised hybrid CIS-DFT method. The results show that the electronic state,molecular geometry,total energy,dipole moment,and excitation energy are strongly dependent on the applied electric field. As the electric field changes from 0 to 0.02a.u.,many of the bond lengths of C—H increase,while some of the bond lengths of C—H decrease. However,further increase of the electric field strength results in a increase of them both due to the charge transfer induced by the applied electric field. As to the bond lengths of C—C,some of them increase,some of them decrease and some of them remain unchanged as the electric field changes from 0 to 0.05a.u.. The dipole moment of the ground state increases sharply with the applied field strength. With the electric field increasing,the total energy of the molecule decreases. The excitation energies of the first six excited states of styrene decrease with the increase of the applied electric field,indicating that the molecule is easy to be excited and dissociated under the electric field.


The authors present distinctive computed tomographic (CT) findings in two cases of long-standing ankylosing spondylitis accompanied by the cauda equina syndrome. Multiple, asymmetric erosions of the posterior elements of the lumbar spine on CT were correlated with thecal diverticula demonstrated by myelography. The pathogenesis of these erosions may be related to arachnoiditis in the early phase of the spondylitis.


Nanocomposite materials with a one-dimensional structure have rapidly developed in recent years. Metal oxides are applied in a wide range of daily applications. In this paper, pure CeO2 and composite CeO2/ZnCo2O4 nanotubes are successfully synthesized by single capillary electrospinning technology and post heat treatment. The structure and composition of pure CeO2 and the composite CeO2/ZnCo2O4 nanotubes are confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images identify the as-synthesized materials as hollow, mesoporous structures; the long nanotubes of both samples have a diameter around 60 nm, and the composite CeO2/ZnCo2O4 has a high porosity. The surface structure characteristics of these samples are characterized by N2 absorption–desorption isothermal analysis (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, BET) and a large surface area is exhibited for the composite CeO2/ZnCo2O4 nanotubes of 80.989 m2 g−1. The QR-2 gas sensing system was used to measure the gas sensing properties of the test materials. We show an excellent improvement in the response and selectivity of the n–p heterojunction CeO2/ZnCo2O4 nanotubes in comparison with pure CeO2 nanotubes to ethanol gas at an optimal temperature of 180 °C. The gas sensing mechanism of the as-obtained materials toward ethanol gas is discussed. This material has promising potential in the gas sensing field.


In this paper, we analyze the successes and failures of PPPs and concession contracts for delivering and operating infrastructure in Spain from the award of the first toll highway concession program to the present and assess the impact that PPPs have had in infrastructure investment levels in Spain. To that end, we define the risk allocation principles used in Spain, and explore the evolution of the contracting approaches over the years. We found that the performance of PPPs is Spain was reasonably good until the arrival of the economic recession in 2008. Taking advantage of that, we make a trans-sector review of PPPs and study in-depth the impact that the economic recession has had on the business performance of PPPs in Spain and on the capacity of the central and regional governments to fulfill its commitments with the private sector. This analysis proved to be useful to assess to what extent PPP contracts were well designed and risks were correctly allocated. On the basis of the impact of the recession on PPP contracts, we were able to identify measures that, if had been applied, would have improved the present performance of PPPs.


This paper presents a thorough study of the different sources of noise affecting Brillouin optical time-domain analyzers (BOTDA), providing a deep insight into the understanding of the fundamental limitations of this kind of sensors. Analytical and experimental results indicate that the noise source ultimately fixing the sensor performance depends basically on the fiber length and the input pump-probe powers. Thus, while the phase-to-intensity noise conversion induced by stimulated Brillouin scattering can have a dominating effect at short distances, a combination of sources determines the noise in longrange sensing, basically dominated by probe double Rayleigh scattering.

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/213143/files/Urricelqui-2015-Sources of noise in.pdf


Feature selection is the one of the most important steps in designing speech emotion recognition systems. Because there is uncertainty as to which speech feature is related to which emotion, many features must be taken into account and, for this purpose, identifying the most discriminative features is necessary. In the interest of selecting appropriate emotion-related speech features, the current paper focuses on a multi-task approach. For this reason, the study considers each speaker as a task and proposes a multi-task objective function to select features. As a result, the proposed method chooses one set of speaker-independent features of which the selected features are discriminative in all emotion classes. Correspondingly, multi-class classifiers are utilized directly or binary classifications simply perform multi-class classifications. In addition, the present work employs two well-known datasets, the Berlin and Enterface. The experiments also applied the openSmile toolkit to extract more than 6500 features. After feature selection phase, the results illustrated that the proposed method selects the features which is common in the different runs. Also, the runtime of proposed method is the lowest in comparison to other methods. Finally, 7 classifiers are employed and the best achieved performance is 73.76% for the Berlin dataset and 72.17% for the Enterface dataset, in the faced of a new speaker .These experimental results then show that the proposed method is superior to existing state-of-the-art methods.


We consider two sources that cooperatively send their messages to a destination over Rayleigh-fading channels. Assuming a decode-and-forward scheme, we obtain conditions to achieve the maximum diversity order for a general class of modulation schemes. This class includes the BPSK modulation where the mutual information is bounded, and Gaussian signaling where the mutual information is unbounded. With mutual information that is bounded, clearly the maximum achievable rate is limited; interestingly, our results quantify the exact conditions for the diversity order to be fundamentally limited.


Objective: To review the current pharmacology, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, safety, and efficacy of inclisiran in lowering lipid levels. Data Sources: A PubMed (from December 1, 2014 to April 15, 2022) and ClinicalTrials.gov search was conducted using ALN-PCSsc, ALN-60212, PCSK9si KJX-839, and inclisiran. Additional articles were identified by hand from references. Study Selection and Data Extraction: We included English-language articles evaluating inclisiran pharmacology, efficacy, or safety in humans for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Data Synthesis: Inclisiran is a novel small interfering RNA-based therapy administered as a twice-yearly subcutaneous injection. By binding to the messenger RNA (mRNA) precursor of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), inclisiran inhibits expression of the PCSK9 gene, resulting in increased recycling and expression of LDL receptors and decreased levels of LDL-C. Like PCSK9 inhibitors, inclisiran was associated with a comparable extent of LDL-C reduction in several phase II/III trials. Compared with placebo, inclisiran was found to have similar adverse events except for injection-site reaction. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Currently, inclisiran lacks data on clinical outcome improvement or long-term safety. However, it may play a role in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or ASCVD risk equivalent if optimal LDL-C cannot be achieved by statins and PCSK9 inhibitors cannot be tolerated. The drug may be used for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Conclusion: Inclisiran is an effective and safe medication for lowering LDL-C levels. Additional data regarding efficacy on cardiovascular outcomes and long-term safety profile with inclisiran are needed.


We have generated Dissociation (Ds) element insertions throughout the Arabidopsis genome as a means of random mutagenesis. Here, we present the molecular analysis of genomic sequences that flank the Ds insertions of 931 independent transposant lines. Flanking sequences from 511 lines proved to be identical or homologous to DNA or protein sequences in public databases, and disruptions within known or putative genes were indicated for 354 lines. Because a significant portion (45%) of the insertions occurred within sequences defined by GenBank BAC and P1 clones, we were able to assess the distribution of Ds insertions throughout the genome. We discovered a significant preference for Ds transposition to the regions adjacent to nucleolus organizer regions on chromosomes 2 and 4. Otherwise, the mapped insertions appeared to be evenly dispersed throughout the genome. For any given gene, insertions preferentially occurred at the 5′ end, although disruption was clearly possible at any intragenic position. The insertion sites of >500 lines that could be characterized by reference to public databases are presented in a tabular format at http://www.plantcell.org/cgi/content/full/11/12/2263/DC1. This database should be of value to researchers using reverse genetics approaches to determine gene function.


Two porphyrin-based porous polyimide polymers, PPPP-1 and PPPP-2, were synthesized via 4 + 2 polyimide reactions of extended porphyrin tetraamines (TBPP) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), or naphthalene dianhydride (NTDA). The polyimide structures were unambiguously confirmed by FT-IR and 13C CP-MAS solid state NMR. Powder X-ray diffraction and computer modeling analysis confirmed the crystallinity and the layered structures with tetragonal channels of PPPP-1 and PPPP-2. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area together with pore size distribution suggested permanent porosity, whose surface areas were calculated as 295.07 m2 g−1 and 301.48 m2 g−1 for PPPP-1 and PPPP-2, respectively. Furthermore, the morphology of PPPPs was confirmed by exhaustive scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. Highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles with a diameter of 3 ± 2 nm were successfully immobilized into PPPPs through the coordination of Pd(II) ions with porphyrin units on polymers and in situ reduction afterwards. Pd@PPPP-1 and Pd@PPPP-2 show significantly excellent catalytic activity in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions. The performance of Pd@PPPPs is apparently superior to that of the homogeneous palladium catalyst. In addition, Pd@PPPPs have excellent stability and recyclability, and they can be reused without loss of activity in five successive reaction cycles. These results indicate that the polyimide porphyrin porous organic polymers are promising candidates for efficient heterogeneous catalysis.


Two Negro children, one with psoriasis and one with eczema, developed hypopigmentation after treatment with polyethylene film (Polythene) applied over a steroid ointment. The area of depigmentation was limited to the skin covered by the polyethylene. Analysis of the film showed that it contained butylated hydroxytoluene as an antioxidant to prevent decomposition, and this seemed to be the responsible factor. In one patient, the skin gradually returned to normal eight weeks after stopping treatment; in the other, there was no sign of repigmentation four weeks after cessation of treatment.


Stroke causes loss of neurological function. Recovery after stroke is facilitated by forced use of the affected limb and is associated with sprouting of new connections, a process that is sharply confined in the adult brain. We show that ephrin-A5 is induced in reactive astrocytes in periinfarct cortex and is an inhibitor of axonal sprouting and motor recovery in stroke. Blockade of ephrin-A5 signaling using a unique tissue delivery system induces the formation of a new pattern of axonal projections in motor, premotor, and prefrontal circuits and mediates recovery after stroke in the mouse through these new projections. Combined blockade of ephrin-A5 and forced use of the affected limb promote new and surprisingly widespread axonal projections within the entire cortical hemisphere ipsilateral to the stroke. These data indicate that stroke activates a newly described membrane-bound astrocyte growth inhibitor to limit neuroplasticity, activity-dependent axonal sprouting, and recovery in the adult.


The response of glycerinized frog muscles to the action of chemical agents at subthreshold concentrations was the same as that of living muscles. Preservation of contractility (up to 50--200% over the control time) in response to ATP was achieved by incubation of the muscle models in solutions of chloral hydrate (0.0038--0.015M), urethan (0.09--0.35M), urea (0.5M) and sodium chloride (0.035--0.070M). Concentrations of these agents were always about 15--45% of the toxicity threshold. The prolongation of the "survival time" is suggested to depend on changes in the contractile proteins of muscles.


Terrestrial photogrammetry and laser scanning are technologies that have been successfully used for metric surveying and 3D modelling in many different fields (archaeological and architectural documentation, industrial retrofitting, mining, structural monitoring, road surveying, etc.). In the case of structural applications, these techniques have been successfully applied to 3D modelling and sometimes monitoring; but they have not been sufficiently implemented to date, as routine tools in infrastructure management systems, in terms of automation of data processing and integration in the condition assessment procedures. In this context, this paper presents a series of experiences in the usage of terrestrial photogrammetry and laser scanning in the context of dimensional and structural evaluation of structures. These experiences are particularly focused on historical masonry structures, but modern prestressed concrete bridges are also investigated. The development of methodological procedures for data collection, and data integration in some cases, is tackled for each particular structure (with access limitations, geometrical configuration, range of measurement, etc.). The accurate geometrical information provided by both terrestrial techniques motivates the implementation of such results in the complex, and sometimes slightly approximated, geometric scene that is frequently used in structural analysis. In this sense, quantitative evaluating of the influence of real and accurate geometry in structural analysis results must be carried out. As main result in this paper, a series of experiences based on the usage of photogrammetric and laser scanning to structural engineering are presented.


begun by the Health Ministry of National Socialist Germany, is thus continued . . . through the American War on "¿ drug abuse― †̃¿ . . . †̃¿ the pioneering eighteenth century "¿ alienists― managed the first factories for manufacturing madmen' . . . †̃¿ concealed behind the war against marijuana and heroin is the war for tobacco and alcohol' . . . for Jaffe to contribute a chapter on Drug Addition to Goodmanand Gilman, †̃¿ is this not like a Nazi writing aboutJews or ajew about Nazis?' close the door gently. Gan'rzm EDWARDS.


This study proposes an analytical methodology and theoretical framework that seeks to turn the textual multiplicity often associated with Bruckner's large-scale works (a scholarly issue often referred to as the "Bruckner Problem") into a Bruckner Potential. Because textual multiplicity does not sit comfortably with traditional notions of authenticity and authorship, Bruckner scholarship has operated under aesthetic premises that fail to acknowledge textual multiplicity as a basic trait of his oeuvre. The present study circumvents this shortcoming by conceiving formal-expressive meaning in Bruckner's symphonies as growing out of a two-dimensional dialogue comprising 1) an outward dialogue, characterized by the interplay between a given version of a Bruckner symphony and its implied genre (in this case, sonata form); and 2) an inward dialogue, characterized by the interplay among the various individualized realizations of a single Bruckner symphony. The analytical method is exemplified through a brief comparison of two renditions of the slow movement of Bruckner's First Symphony, WAB 101 and a detailed consideration of each of the surviving realizations of the slow movement of his Third Symphony, WAB 103.


Alfalfa (Medicago spp.) plays an important role in a farming system and contributes to stabilization of the ecosystem by improving soil physical, chemical and biological properties. However, the use of alfalfa is limited due to its susceptibility to edaphic conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agro-biological traits of alfalfa under different soil conditions. Field experiments were carried out in two locations with optimised management. Agro-biological traits of 46 alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. and M. varia Marth.) accessions of different geographic origin were assessed in a high productivity Endocalcari Epigleyic Cambisol. Although environmental conditions were favourable for alfalfa development and growth, the tested genotypes significantly differed in agro-biological traits: plant height of regrowth in spring and after cuts and at flowering period as well as seed yield. Cultivars from colder climate countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) were the least affected by the downy mildew. In a low productivity acidic Bathygleyic Dystric Glossic Retisol, the pH had a major influence on the distribution of the root system of alfalfa-grass mixture. During the first experimental year, in the naturally highly acidic soil (pH 3.9), where the mineral nutrition was unfavourable, alfalfa produced longer roots, their diameter and mass were larger than in the soil with a pH of 5.0. In the third year of cultivation, in the naturally highly acidic soil only 9.1% of alfalfa plants had survived. A strong correlation (r = 0.873, P < 0.01) was determined between the amount of alfalfa in the dry matter yield and soil acidity.


Recombination frequencies for seven selected regions on five chromosomes of maize (L.) were measured to ascertain the effect of complexing agents on recombination. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were used in three concentrations singly, and in all combinations. Plants heterozgous for linked genes governing endosperm and seedling characteristics were treated with premeiotic foliar spray of EDTA and DMSO for two durations. Appropriate crosses were made and recombination values were calculated from data resulting from test cross and sib cross progeny.The complexing agents were found to influence the frequency of recombination in each of the regions tested. Increases in recombination frequencies were significant in six of the seven chromosome's regions when treated with several concentrations of the two complexing agents. Reduction in recombination was observed in two regions treated at high concentrations of the chemicals and at the longer duration. In these latter cases, it was concluded that a threshold had been reached causing interference with crossing over or with recovery of recombination products.Changes in recombination frequency were found to be of similar magnitude whether the complexing agents were used alone or in combination, and it was concluded that the two chemicals did not have a synergistic effect in changing recombination frequency. Although the two agents differ in cation affinity both were shown to influence crossing over, indicating that the action was by a mechanism other than removal of a specific cation from the chromosome. A relationship was shown between length of crossover region and effect of the chemical treatment. No such relationship was found between specific locations in chromosomes and response to complexing agents for the seven regions tested.


In this paper the description of the internal flow in a Francis turbine is addressed from a numerical point of view. The simulation methodology depends on the objectives. On the one hand, steady simulations are able to provide the hill chart of the turbine and energetic losses in its components. On the other hand, unsteady simulations are required to investigate the fluctuating pressure dynamics and the rotor-stator interaction. Both strategies are applied in this paper to a working Francis turbine in Colombia. The employed CFD package is ANSYS-CFX v. 11. The obtained results are in good agreement with the in site experiments, especially for the characteristic curve.


Middle school girls are a population with low average self-esteem and body image. Self-esteem and body image can affect many aspects of health, including substance use, eating disorders, and depression. The Girl Scouts of Central Indiana (GSCI) Terre Haute Service Center runs an in-school club at Otter Creek Middle School to improve girls' self-esteem. Because many of the girls participate in the club year after year, a new curriculum is needed each school year. The purpose of this project is to create a program plan for the 2015-2016 school year, based on self-esteem and body image research. In order to have a curriculum that is supported by research, practical for this situation, and appropriate for these girls, activities from several curricula are modified and combined in this program plan. Because of the serious health implications of low self-esteem and body image in middle school girls, successful interventions are a necessary public health goal. This program plan is a model for how to tailor existing interventions for a specific population.


PurposeThis study is based on a research approach proposal aiming to reveal tacit knowledge that shapes architectural design processes through subjective accumulations and tools. With the premise that design embodies tacit and personal knowledge, it proposes an alternative way to decipher this subjective medium.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed research approach, "(architectural) design research through reflection", basically belongs to "research by design" method and narrowed in the focus of reflection. It enables to study how tacit knowledge functions within processes of architectural design without being its very subject. The proposal and the product of the approach, revealing diagram, are developed through the "architect's" tools and the involvement of the "researchers" in the process. It is also supported by a conceptual basis created from literature on reflection.FindingsBy means of the proposal, the reflective accumulation of the subjects, that is, the tacit knowledge, is investigated in relation to practice. The revealing diagram is presented as a tool through which relations can be interpreted within the framework of subjects. It is a tool by which the subjects, tools and processes of the architectural design product can be analysed.Originality/valueThe study contributes to architectural research by shifting the perspective on reflective knowledge that shapes design processes.


Abstract The Anopheles mosquito Hyrcanus Group is widely distributed geographically across both Palearctic and Oriental regions and comprises 26 valid species. Although the species Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann (1828) is the most common in China and has a low potential vector rank, it has nevertheless long been thought to be an important natural malaria vector within the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. A number of previous research studies have found evidence to support the occurrence of natural hybridization between An. sinensis and Anopheles kleini Rueda, 2005 (a competent malaria vector). We, therefore, collected a sample series of An. sinensis and morphologically similar species across China and undertook ribosomal and mitochondrial DNA analyses in order to assess genetic differentiation (Fst) and gene flow (Nm) amongst different groups. This enabled us to evaluate divergence times between morphologically similar species using the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. The results of this study reveal significant genetic similarities between An. sinensis, An. kleini, and Anopheles belenrae Rueda, 2005 and therefore imply that correct molecular identifications will require additional molecular markers. As results also reveal the presence of gene flow between these three species, their taxonomic status will require further work. Data suggest that An. kleini is the most basal of the three species, while An. sinensis and An. belenrae share the closest genetic relationship.


There is a clinical and socio-economic need to produce synthetic alternatives to autologous or allogenic bone grafts. Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics offer great potential in this area. The aims of this study were to optimise production of apatite-wollastonite (A-W) glassceramic scaffolds produced by selective laser sintering, in terms of their physical and biological properties and to look at how human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) responded to these 3-D scaffolds in vitro. An indirect selective laser sintering process successfully produced strong, porous scaffolds. Depending upon particle size(s) and infiltration of the porous structure, flexural strengths between 35 MPa and 100 MPa were obtained. Following static seeding of A-W scaffolds with MSCs, fluoresecent actin and nuclei staining, as observed by confocal microscopy, showed that these scaffolds supported the adherence of human MSC's at time periods of up to 21 days. As such these seeded scaffolds show great potential for use in bone regenerative medicine.


Unemployment is a well established measure for individuals' desire for work but measures of poverty and most benefit systems focus on the household. This paper documents worklessness at a household level for 13 OECD countries over the last ten years. Variations in family size and the distribution of the available work across families leads to variation in workless households which are far more uniform across countries than unemployment or employment rates. For instance in 1994 Luxembourg had the lowest workless household rate at 10.5% and Ireland the highest at 22.3%. The paper goes on to explore the variation across family type and over time for the OECD countries and evaluates how powerful employment growth is in tackling worklessness across households.


The re-regulation of electric power industry around the world has raised many new challenges for all stakeholders. This research is to valuate generation assets within reregulated electricity markets, both in short-term and long-term. The focus is to valuate operation flexibility under market uncertainties from the viewpoint of a Generation Company (GENCO). This research proposes to model the movements of electricity markets with Hidden Markov Model (HMM) driven by underlying market forces. An electricity market is modeled as a dynamic system evolving over time according to Markov processes. At any time interval, the electricity market can be in one state and transit to another state in the next time interval. The true market states are hidden from a market participant behind the incomplete observation. The observations, such as market-clearing price and quantity, are modeled to follow multiple probabilistic distributions. This research proposes to further decompose the market forces into physical and economic drivers if a specific electricity market employs Location Marginal Price (LMP) mechanism. The physical drivers include transmission network topology and generation technology. The economic drivers include fuel prices, demand uncertainties, and profit maximization of market participants with incomplete information. The decomposition captures the strengths of engineering-based production cost approach and mark-to-market stochastic approach. This research valuates generation assets with real option analysis. The value of generation assets is maximized based on the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and newest observation of electricity markets. Such an optimization problem is formulated as Partially Oberserable Markov Decision Problem (POMDP). The solution of a POMDP provides a GENCO both the optimal operating policy and values of generation assets. The value of perfect and imperfect information is also identified. Investment in generation assets is also analyzed with real option. This research incorporates fuzzy sets and numbers to capture the fuzziness and possibilities of long-term electricity markets movements. Fuzzy sets and numbers provide the modeler flexibilities to


Although LTCC (low temperature co-fired ceramics) technology is an attractive solution for smart-packaging of micro-electronic devices, numerous studies are still underway to overcome the difficulties encountered during processing and application. These difficulties center on chemical and physical issues occurring between the LTCC components during firing. The chemical issues arise from the interaction of the glass phase(s) in the tape and the thick-films, whereas the physical issues are usually due to the shrinkage-mismatch of the tape and the screen-printed pastes. This is observed both microscopically and macroscopically in form of either chemical diffusion (by microscopy and spectroscopy analysis) or deformed structures (warpage, delamination, curling etc) respectively. The objective of this study is the basic understanding of the effects of processing conditions on the properties of the commercial thick-films those are screen-printed and fired with the LTCC tape. This will be analyzed by measuring the TCR (temperature coefficient of resistance) and sheet resistance values of PTC (positive temperature coefficient) resistors, which are prepared at different conditions. Moreover the results of a recent study, which aims to match the shrinkage behavior of the conductor pastes to that of the LTCC tape, are demonstrated.


A recessive mutation, hfd1-1, in strain SOS4 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae leads the mutant cells to produce predominantly two-spored asci. Light microscopical examination of Giemsa-stained cells revealed no significant differences in the meiotic figures between mutant and wild-type strains. However, only two of the four meiotic products in a developing ascus matured to ascospores in SOS4. Dyad analysis was carried out on an hfd1-1 mutant strain heterozygous for three markers, asp5, gal1, and arg4, which are closely linked to their centromeres, and for his4, which is loosely linked to its centromere. The two-spored asci produced by the hfd1-1 mutant segregated dominant (+) and recessive (-) alleles of each marker in a 1:1 ratio; they generally contained one + and one - spore for any given marker. The occurrence of rare dyads with two + or two - spores can be explained quantitatively by recombination between the marker and its centromere. From the results of these cytological and genetical analyses, we infer that, in the mutant strain, one genome set is partitioned to each of the four second-meiotic division poles, but only two nonsister genomes are incorporated into mature spores. Thus, the hfd1-1 mutation in SOS4 blocks incorporation of two nonsister nuclei into mature ascospores, but does not block enclosure of the remaining two nonsister nuclei.


In the printing industry, one of the most common methods for reproducing halftone images using bilevel printing devices is clustered-dot ordered dithering. The images produced using this method are quite faithful to the original and are visually pleasing. Nevertheless, only rational angles are attainable with clustered-dot dithering, due to the discrete nature of the grids. This phenomenon can become detrimental in the case of four-color printing, when different screen angles and maybe even different screen frequencies are used for separate color planes, thus producing a so-called Moire phenomenon. Another important drawback, the so-called banding or contouring effect, is related to the limited area of basic screen elements used in traditional dithering. In order to deal with these problems, we have developed, within the scope of our research, several new techniques for digital halftoning: (1) pseudo-random halftone screening, (2) a new method for generating clustered-dot halftone images having a number of reproducible gray or colour levels which is independent of the screen element size (CombiScreen), (3) rotated clustered-dot dithering, based on discrete one-to-one rotation, and (4) rotated dispersed-dot dither. A new method of pseudo-random halftone screening is described. It starts by obtaining the quasi-random distribution of tile centers according to some well-defined spectral characteristics. We then obtain the desired tesselation of the output device space by applying the Voronoi polygonization process. Then, an analytic black-dot curve is calculated according to the resampled input signal level and the area of each given tile. This analytic curve is scan-converted to obtain the blackened pixels. In the second approach, we associate threshold values to all pixels inside every tile according to some specially tailored analytic spot function. Then, the standard threshold comparison process is applied. Unlike known error-diffusion techniques, the pseudo-random halftone screening technique can be applied to a high resolution printing process. The characteristic screen element size can be properly chosen so as to ensure the best trade-off between the printing process constraints and the most precise printing. The described halftone algorithm seems to be appropriate for high-resolution color and blackw devices (above 1000 dpi). A new method (CombiScreen) is proposed for generating clustered-dot halftone images on raster printing devices having a number of reproducible gray or colour levels which is independent of the screen element size. The dither tiles generated by this method may contain several screen elements having any rational orientation and size. Threshold values are distributed among the cells of the dither tile so as to produce a large range of gray values, while at the same time preserving the clustered-dot behavior of individual screen elements. When rendering images at smoothly increasing intensity levels, this new method generates few contouring effects and other visible artifacts. The method works equally well for quadratic, rectangular, parallelogram and hexagonally shaped screen elements. Resulting dither tiles are generally either of parallelogram or of hexagonal shape. Since CombiScreen enables the screen dot frequency or orientation to be chosen independently of the number of gray levels, it has proven to be specially effective when printing at resolutions between 150 to 600 dpi with ink jet printers and at resolutions between 300 and 1200 dpi with xerographic printers. A new operator of discrete one-to-one rotation is described. It offers means previously unknown in the art for generating rotated screens which approximate irrational angles with high-precision, producing much less disturbing interferences and artifacts than other methods. Therefore, a carefully prepared dither tile incorporating screen elements with the desired period, initial orientation, and dither threshold values defining their screen dot shape growth behavior can be rotated by discrete one-to-one rotation and keep the desired screen element period, the number of cells per screen element and the threshold values associated with each screen element cell, thereby preserving the screen dot shape growth behavior of the original dither tile. Several different discrete one-to-one rotation variants are described: a small angle rotation technique valid for a subset of rational rotation angles, a rigid band technique and a technique based on discrete shearing transformations. The high-quality of the so rotated dither tile is due to the fact that discrete one-to-one rotation preserves the exact number of elementary cells per screen element and their exact dither threshold values. The described method provides a new range of solutions for obtaining high-quality digital angled halftone screens. High-quality solutions can be found for generating three digital angled halftone screens, each 30° apart from each other, as known from traditional photographic colour screening techniques. Further solutions minimizing Moire effects may be obtained by halftone screens whose first order frequency component vectors sum up to zero. This new method has turned out to be particularly effective when printing with color ink jet printers at resolutions between 150 and 800 dpi as well as with xerographic printers at resolutions between 300 and 1200 dpi. Rotated dispersed-dot dither is based on the discrete one-to-one rotation of a Bayer dispersed-dot dither array. The halftone patterns produced by the rotated dither method therefore incorporate fewer disturbing artifacts than the horizontal and vertical components present in most of Bayer's halftone patterns. In grayscale wedges produced by rotated dither, texture changes at consecutive gray levels are much smoother than in error diffusion or in Bayer's dispersed-dot dither methods, thereby avoiding contouring effects. Due to its semi-clustering behavior at mid-tones, rotated dispersed-dot dither exhibits an improved tone reproduction behavior on printers having a significant dot gain, while maintaining the high detail rendition capabilities of dispersed-dot halftoning algorithms. This technique has successfully been applied to in-phase color reproduction on ink-jet printers as well as to black and white reproduction on laser printers.


We describe two representations for real numbers, signed digit streams and Cauchy sequences. We give coinductive proofs for the correctness of functions converting between these two representations to show the adequacy of signed digit stream representation. We also show a coinductive proof for the correctness of a corecursive program for the average function with regard to the signed digit stream representation. We implemented this proof in the interactive proof system Minlog. Thus, reliable, corecursive functions for real computation can be guaranteed, which is very helpful in formal software development for real numbers.


In situ illumination of liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) samples makes it possible for a wide range of light-dependent chemical and biological phenomena to be studied by the powerful analytical technique. However, the position of an NMR sample deep within the bore of the spectrometer magnet renders such illumination challenging. Here, we demonstrate a photo-NMR insert device (NMRtorch) where a lighthead containing an LED array is attached directly to the top of an NMRtorch tube. The wall of the tube itself acts as a light guide, illuminating the sample from the outside. We explore how this new setup performs in a number of photo-NMR applications, including photoisomerisation and photo-chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarisation (photo-CIDNP), and demonstrate the potential for ultraviolet (UV) degradation studies with continuous online NMR assessment. This setup enables users of any typical liquid-state spectrometer to easily perform in situ photo-NMR experiments, using a wide range of wavelengths.


The data collected in the clinical registries or by data reuse require some modifications in order to suit the research needs. Several common operations are frequently applied to select relevant patients across the cohort, combine data from multiple sources, add new variables if needed and create unique tables depending on the research purpose. We carried out a qualitative survey by conducting semi-structured interviews with 7 experts in data reuse and proposed a standard workflow for health data management. We implemented a R tutorial based on a synthetic data set using Jupyter Notebook for a better understanding of the data management workflow.


Accurate detection of breast cancer region is essential for treatment. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is an effective diagnostic method of breast cancer besides MRI and ultrasound. In this paper, a semi-automated breast cancer segmentation method was proposed to CT images. First, maximum region searching was used to find the rough boundary of the lesion. Then, a modified Histogram Equalization with Iterative-Filling was adopted to enhance the lesion and avoid the unbalanced intensity in the target region. Finally, a four-seeds Random Walk was used for accurate segmentation. The method was validated on a clinical dataset with 50 cases containing 630 slices in total. The experiments showed that the Dice Coefficient of our method was 88.6%, which was higher than that of Random Walk (76.9%) and Graph-Cut (79.8%).


In the popular press and in cooperative boardrooms there are discussions about member commitment. Since they are formed to enhance members' well being, member commitment is an important issue for cooperatives. Cooperative communication strategies may influence member commitment, and these strategies are under the direct control of cooperatives. This study of Minnesota and Wisconsin cooperatives focuses on two questions: (1) do communications influence a member's commitment to their cooperative, and (2) do different segments of the cooperative community respond differently to different communication approaches. Our results suggest that the answer to both questions is yes.


The research project that I developed has been directed on the critical
reconstruction of the philosophical and pedagogical works of Aldo Capitini,
with particular attention to his influence on Sardinian culture.
The importance of the thinking of Aldo Capitini, philosopher and pedagogue
of absolute importance, who taught at the University of Cagliari in the early
1960s, has led me to outline a research project which demonstrates both the
topical interest and the great legacy left to Sardinian culture by Capitini's
works.
I dwelled on the importance and influence of the presence of Aldo Capitini in
Sardinia: in particular its relationship between the thinking of Aldo Capitini
and that of Sardinian philosophers, who, like him, deepen the themes of
peace, of non-violence and of the pedagogical-educational formation. In
particular my attention was focussed on the figures of Antonio Pigliaru,
Ernesto De Martino and Alberto Granese.
The topical interest of "Capitini thinking" is measured above all in
connection to the serious and pressing problems of our time. Firstly the
problem of peace and of non-violence. Peace in respect of the inviolable
rights of human beings, that of freedom, justice, economic and social
development, cultural changes for the individual and of the people.
Unfortunately in today's reality such rights are often not respected. Capitini
teaches that working for peace is necessary for everyone, in a war-afflicted
world in which we live; in particular today, in a time in which we must
question what it is to be man and the meaning and reason for his existence.


Title of Dissertation: PROTEIN ENGINEERING APPROACHES TO IMPROVING DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CANDIDA ALBICANS INFECTIONS Svetlana P. Ikonomova, Doctor of Philosophy, 2017 Dissertation directed by: Professor Amy J. Karlsson, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause infections that range from mild rashes to life-threatening bloodstream infections. The antifungal drug resistance of some Candida strains and the deficiencies in the current methods used to identify infection-causing species call for improvements in treatment and diagnosis of Candida infections. Towards improving therapeutics, the antimicrobial peptide histatin 5 (Hst-5) was studied. Hst-5 is a salivary peptide with strong antifungal activity against C. albicans. However, the pathogen produces a family of secreted aspartic proteases (Saps), some of which can degrade and inactivate Hst-5. Of the family, Sap2 and Sap9 have been previously shown to degrade Hst-5. Variants of Hst-5 with one or two amino acid substitutions were designed and tested to evaluate the effect on the proteolysis of the peptide by the Saps. The results showed that even a single amino acid substitution results in a significant reduction or enhancement of proteolysis by Saps. The K17R and K17L modifications led to significantly enhanced resistance to proteolysis to both Saps. The substitutions also had site-, residue-, and Sap-dependent effects and the proteases have preferences for certain amino acids at the substitution sites, such as leucine at the 13 residue by Sap9. The substitutions affect not only the cleavage at the substitution sites but also the degradation of the peptide as a whole. Some of the modifications (K11R, E16R, E16L) also led to enhanced antifungal activity. Furthermore, combination of two modifications (K11R-K17R) resulted in a peptide with both enhanced proteolytic resistance to Saps and enhanced antifungal activity, demonstrating its potential as an alternative therapeutic. Towards improving diagnostics, a purification-free method to immobilize singlechain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies was developed. Two biotinylation tags—the biotin carboxyl carrier protein or the AviTag minimal sequence—were genetically fused to scFvs to allow for in vivo, site-specific biotinylation by endogenous Escherichia coli biotin ligases during protein expression. scFvs with different frameworks and antigens were all successfully immobilized directly from cell lysates onto streptavidin-coated plates, and the immobilized scFvs maintained their functionality for over 100 days at 4 °C. The simplicity and robustness of this method make it a suitable approach to create diagnostic arrays and could be used to capture and identify Candida infections. PROTEIN ENGINEERING APPROACHES TO IMPROVING DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CANDIDA ALBICANS INFECTIONS


A two-dimensional transient analysis of the conjugate optical-thermal fields induced in a multilayer thin film structure on a glass substrate by a moving Gaussian laser source is carried out numerically. The workpiece is considered semi-infinite along the motion direction and its optical and thermophysical properties are assumed temperature dependent. The COMSOL Multiphysics 3.3 code has been used to solve the combined thermal and electromagnetic problem. The optical field is considered locally one dimensional and Maxwell equations are solved in order to evaluate the absorption in thin film. Results, in terms of transient temperature profiles and fields, are presented for different Peclet numbers and starting point of the heat source with respect to the workpiece boundary along the motion direction.


Several factors have led to reservoir underdevelopment in the Morrow Formation in southeast New Mexico, including conflicting interests with potash development companies, government regulations protecting potash resources, lack of completions within successful wells, and lack of exploration. Over the past 70 yr, the Secretary of the Interior has set aside 777 mi2 (2012 km2) of southeastern New Mexico, referred to as the Secretary of the Interior's potash area (SPA), to preserve potash resources. Oil and gas drilling are severely limited within the SPA, where leasing is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Morrow Formation reservoirs have significant undiscovered reserves in the SPA. Morrow Formation production-well density is roughly half that of the surrounding area, which may also be underdeveloped. Operators have drilled a few directional wells to target Morrow Formation reservoirs while avoiding potash resources near the boundaries of the protected area, and they used horizontal wells to develop the shallower Brushy Canyon Formation in one area. Older abandoned wells within the SPA may be used in the future for drilling islands, but this practice has not yet begun. The purpose of this article is to provide structural and stratigraphic maps of Morrow Formation reservoir horizons, to present areas with future potential, and to suggest future development scenarios. The article also provides a regional Morrow Formation depositional picture and correlates this regional description to field-scale interpretations.The Morrow Formation is typically divided into two intervals: the Morrow clastics and the overlying Morrow limestones. The fluvial-deltaic to shallow-marine Morrow clastic interval currently provides more than 40% of the natural gas production within the SPA. Depth to Morrow clastic production ranges from about 11,000 to approximately 14,000 ft (3352 to approximately 4267 m) in the SPA. This study divides the Morrow clastic interval into three informal subunits based on log character and uses flooding surfaces marked by correlatable bounding shales. The resulting net sand maps for these subunits indicate an overall transgression from deltaic to distributary-mouth bar or reworked deltaic to deposition of overlying carbonates and marine shales. Trends of producing wells along depositional axes that are interpreted in this report indicate potential areas for future exploration and development. Future drilling will target depositionally complex reservoirs. The author recommends directional and horizontal drilling, aided by three-dimensional seismic imaging, to explore and develop SPA resources.


BACKGROUND
poor outcome of low back pain in patients seen in general practice is related to the pain history, physical impairment and working conditions, at least in short-term follow-ups. We do not know if these findings hold, seen from the perspective of decades.

OBJECTIVES
to show if patients consulting the GP for the first time regarding an episode of low back pain have excess poor outcome 22 years later and, if so, whether the best predictors are data based on the symptoms, clinical signs or work history. The design of the study is a 22-year follow-up of an inception cohort of 78 patients with low back pain. The setting of the study is a single general practice in a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark.

METHODS
selected predictors were separated into pain characteristics, clinical signs and indicators related to the work history. Outcome measures were the 1-year period prevalence of low back pain, use of painkillers for low back pain, use of health care providers, impairments due to low back pain and unfitness for work caused by low back pain. The influence of the predictors was assessed by relative risks.

RESULTS
after 22 years, four out of five patients still experienced low back pain. The perception of poor working conditions correlates with recurrent low back pain, intake of painkillers and limitations to daily life.

CONCLUSION
compared with pain history and clinical findings, the perception of workload is a better predictor of the long-term outcome of low back pain.


This paper focuses on how virtual objects' shadows as well as differences in alignment between virtual and real lighting influence distance perception in optical see‐through (OST) augmented reality (AR). Four hypotheses are proposed: (H1) Participants underestimate distances in OST AR; (H2) Virtual objects' shadows improve distance judgment accuracy in OST AR; (H3) Shadows with different realism levels have different influence on distance perception in OST AR; (H4) Different levels of lighting misalignment between real and virtual lights have different influence on distance perception in OST AR scenes. Two experiments were designed with an OST head mounted display (HMD), the Microsoft HoloLens. Participants had to match the position of a virtual object displayed in the OST‐HMD with a real target. Distance judgment accuracy was recorded under the different shadows and lighting conditions. The results validate hypotheses H2 and H4 but surprisingly showed no impact of the shape of virtual shadows on distance judgment accuracy thus rejecting hypothesis H3. Regarding hypothesis H1, we detected a trend toward underestimation; given the high variance of the data, more experiments are needed to confirm this result. Moreover, the study also reveals that perceived distance errors and completion time of trials increase along with targets' distance.


Unsteady aerodynamic forces acting on vehicles during a dynamic steering action were investigated by numerical simulation, with a special focus on the vehicles' yaw and lateral motions. Two sedan-type vehicles with slightly different geometries at the front pillar, side skirt, under cover, and around the front wheel were adopted for comparison. In the first report, surface pressure on the body and total pressure behind the front wheel were measured in an on-road experiment. Then the relationships between the vehicles' lateral dynamic motion and unsteady aerodynamic characteristics during cornering motions were discussed. In this second report, the vehicles' meandering motions observed in on-road measurements were modeled numerically, and sinusoidal motions of lateral, yaw, and slip angles were imposed. The responding yaw moment was phase averaged, and its phase shift against the imposed slip angle was measured to assess the aerodynamic damping. It was found that the vehicle model with a higher sensory rating of high speed stability in the on-road test showed higher aerodynamic damping for the slip-angle change. The difference in flow structures on the sides of the vehicles and their contributions to the yaw and lateral motions were also investigated by visualizing the transient numerical results. Observations revealed that the vehicle with higher stability had thinner side flow structures, and flows around the front wheel house and rear-end corner contributed to restraining the rotating motion during the meandering motion. As a result, the discussions and analogy included in the previous report based on the restricted on-road measurements were confirmed in the present numerical analysis. Language: en


Cellulose is a natural linear biopolymer, which is constituted of an assembly of cellulose nanofibrils in a hierarchical order. Nanocelluloses in particular show great promise as a cost-effective advanced material for biomedical applications because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low cytotoxicity. Moreover, with their chemical functionality they can be easily modified to yield useful products. While nature uses the hierarchical nanostructure of cellulose as the load-bearing constituent in plants, a significant amount of research has been directed toward the fabrication of advanced cellulosic materials with various nanostructures and functional properties. Such nanocelluloses are widely applied in medical implants, tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing, diagnostics, and other medical applications with real examples in this field. There are also emerging fields being developed to use nanocelluloses and their composites in more novel ways in biomedical applications such as 3D printing and magnetically responsive materials. In this mini-review, recent advances in the design and fabrication of nanocellulose-based materials and composites are presented with a special emphasis on their suitability for material requirements for biomedical applications as well as the new directions and challenges that the materials might face in the future.


As logistics become a substantial part of a firm's operations, the corresponding processes increases in importance. Identifying key logistics processes using a structured approach will align their outcomes to deliver the business goals, design appropriate measures and allocate sufficient resources for their improvement. This paper proposes a methodological framework for the identification, categorization and prioritization of logistics processes in the agrifood sector. Finally, a proposed mathematical model for the prioritization of logistics processes is presented. The proposed model is based on the fundamental idea of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, measuring the efficiency of the logistics processes by taking into account the multiple inputs utilised and outputs produced by them.


We discuss the asymptotic structure of spacetimes, presenting a new construction of ideal points at infinity and introducing useful topologies on the completed space. Our construction is based on structures introduced by Geroch, Kronheimer and Penrose and has much in common with the modifications introduced by Budic and Sachs as well as those introduced by Szabados. However, these earlier constructions defined ideal points as equivalence classes of certain past and future sets, effectively defining the completed space as a quotient. Our approach is fundamentally different as it identifies ideal points directly as appropriate pairs consisting of a (perhaps empty) future set and a (perhaps empty) past set. These future and past sets are just the future and past of the ideal point within the original spacetime. This provides our construction with useful causal properties and leads to more satisfactory results in a number of examples. We are also able to endow the completion with a topology. In fact, we introduce two topologies, which illustrate different features of the causal approach. In both topologies, the completion is the original spacetime together with endpoints for all timelike curves. We explore this procedure in several examples, and in particular for plane wave solutions, with satisfactory results.


The liquid micro-environment plays a momentous role in the regulation of various activities, and the abnormal changes are often closely related to the deterioration phenomena in multiple beverages. The local viscosity fluctuation has long been regarded as a key indicator to reflect the micro-environmental status changes. Herein, we proposed a versatile optical sensor, rosmarinic acid (RA), one kind of green natural product extracted from rosemary, for monitoring liquid micro-environmental viscosity alterations. RA displays a larger Stokes shift (123.8 nm) with narrow-band energy and exhibits wide adaptability, high selectivity, good sensitivity, and excellent photostability in various commercial liquids. When in high viscous media, a bright fluorescent signal of RA is specifically activated, and a high signal-to-noise ratio signal was released (58-fold). With the assistance of the fluorescence analytical technique, we have successfully achieved tracking the viscosity fluctuations during the deterioration stage of liquids via an in situ and visualization method. Our study will spur additional research on the molecular tools extracted from natural products for liquid safety inspection, and a convenient and sustainable application pathway has been established.


In this series of twenty-four persons inoculated with antityphoid vaccine, the immune bodies in the blood reached their height within two months after the first inoculation, or one month after the third, then fell rapidly within the next two months. Only nineteen of the cases could be followed longer, and eight of these were negative for bactericidins within ten months after inoculation, and fifteen were negative after thirteen months. Only one serum reacted in a dilution of 1 to 1,200 at the end of thirteen months. The addition of lecithin to the vaccine did not influence the local reaction after inoculation, nor did it appreciably affect the formation of immune bodies to the typhoid bacillus.


Underground cable performance indices such as maximum cable temperature and ampacity are non-continuous functions of the configuration parameters such as depth and width of various trench layers. In this respect, existing traditional gradient-type methods cannot be used to optimise such performance indices. This study presents an efficient methodology for optimising power cable thermal performance with respect to configuration parameters involving cable spacing, depth of burial and size of backfill. The new methodology integrates the powerful features of the finite elements (FEs) technique coupled with the flexibility and effectiveness of the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm in order to handle various geometrical parameters in the complex surrounding operating environment. The introduced methodology is tested using a commercial FE simulation package used in conjunction with developed PSO code. The integrated methodology can be employed to minimise the maximum cable temperature, minimise installation cost or maximise cable ampacity. Practical applications are presented for 15 kV cables, which demonstrate the usefulness and versatility of the presented methodology. Notable improvements have been achieved by optimising the cable trench configuration parameters. For example, the cable ampacity was maximised, optimising the cable spacing, barrier depth and backfill thermal conductivity, which resulted in an appreciable increase of 4.5%.


INTRODUCTION: The most common complication in the treatment of thyroglossal duct cysts (TDC) is the high index of relapses. An analysis of this index and the influence of previous inflammatory episodes are presented. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 120 consecutive TDC cases operated on during a period of 23 years, from 1972 to 1994, is presented. The statistical study was done using the Chi square test and the contrast of hypothesis for two proportions. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 4.9 years, with 93 cases (77%) being operated before 7 years of age. An inflammatory episode before surgery occurred in 57 cases (47%). Treatment was the Sistrunk technique in 112 cases (93%) and a simple excision of the cyst in 8 cases, with a relapse occurring in 4 of the latter cases (50%). Those cases where the Sistrunk technique was performed were divided into two groups: Group I (56 cases) those patients which had suffered an inflammatory episode before surgery and group II (56 cases) those that had not. Five relapses (8.9%) were found in group I and 2 (3.5%) in group II. CONCLUSIONS: TDC are fore frequent during early childhood, occurring most frequently before 7 years of age. The number of relapses are dramatically reduced when the Sistrunk technique is used, but no significant differences were found in those that had suffered previously an inflammatory episode.


: They are communicated the results of a study of the obtained responses as compared to D. pteronyssinus in function of the mcg/ml of antigen contents in an extract in the one which was characterized and quantified the allergen greater than represents 42% of the extracts. The interrelation analysis dose-response offers a value of r = 0.835, with a meaning level of 99% and the up spacing +/-28. The found regression equation was y = 0.235 x 9.047.


The kinetics of the amine catalyzed intramolecular imidization of alkyl and phenyl phthalamates with a variety of amines were measured in deuteriated chloroform at 40.1 °C. An overall second-order kinetic rate law, rate =koverall[amine][phthalamate], was obtained from our experiments. Although pre-association between the amides and the amines through hydrogen-bonding interaction was suggested by proton NMR spectroscopy, the catalytic ability of amines was found to be related to their basicity rather than to their hydrogen-bonding ability or nucleophilicity. This observation implies the involvement of proton transfer from the amide to the amine in the critical transition state. In addition, by changing the leaving group from phenoxy to butoxy group, the reaction rate constants decrease by a factor of 30 to 70. On the basis of these kinetic results, we propose that the intramolecular imidization proceeds through an amine assisted cyclization to a zwitterionic intermediate, followed by the expulsion of the alkoxy or phenoxy group to provide phthalimide and the corresponding alcohol.


Large-span cantilevered roofs are wind sensitive structures, this paper presents the finding of large eddy simulation(LES) of turbulent wind field around large-span cantilevered roofs with grandstand in atmosphere boundary layer. For a typical horizontal cantilevered roof, the wind pressure is researched in fluid mechanic view, the large scales of wind motion are computed explicitly while the small scales are modeled by LES, the contours of wind pressure and velocity are present to reveal the coherent structures. Some general issues related to LES in wind engineering are discussed also.


As a subfield, organizational communication has been relatively slow to engage with queer theory. However, a robust literature on queer organizational scholarship has emerged over the past decade, since the 2010s, in both organizational communication and the allied field of critical management studies. Adopting a queer theoretical lens to the study of organizational communication entails queering one's understandings of organizational life by questioning what is considered to be normal and taken for granted. Engaging with queer theory in organizational communication also implies exposing and critiquing heteronormativity in organizations, viewing difference as a constitutive feature of organizing, adopting an anti-categorical approach to difference, and understanding identity as fluid and performative.
 To date, organizational scholars have mobilized queer theory to queer how gender and sexuality are conceptualized in organizational research, queer dominant understandings of leadership, queer the notion of diversity management, queer the "closet" metaphor and understandings of how individuals negotiate the disclosure of nonnormative identities at work, and queer organizational research methods. Moving forward, organizational scholars can continue to advance queer scholarship by mobilizing queer theory to highlight queer voices in empirical research, interrogating whiteness in queer organizational scholarship by centering queer of color subjectivities, and continuing to queer organizational research and queer theory by subjecting both to critical interrogation.


In the present work, molar fractions were obtained as a function of temperature with dif- ferent levels of theory for the most representative isomers of three systems belonging to the family of pseudosaccharins. The choice of those three systems was due to the fact that it is known in the scientific literature that these systems present very small differences in their relative energies which make a complicated experimental characterization, in addition these compounds are of interest in the biological area. These systems represent challenges not only from an experimental point of view but also from a theoretical point of view. From the theoretical perspective, this study is also complicated since several possible isomers with very similar energies are presented. The diagrams of species distribu- tion (molar fractions) provide information that cannot be accessed through the electronic structure calculations at T = 0. Here, this tool was useful to identify the most probable isomer from several quasi-degenerate isomers and to discern if thermal effects favor any of them, as well as to find trends despite the different results of each level of theory. Additionally, an analysis was performed on vibrational, rotational and electronic data in order to know the reason of the behavior of molar fractions as function of temperature.


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Due to the drastic increase in the volume of data generated by connected vehicles (CVs), future vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) applications will require a communication medium that offers high-speed and high bandwidth communication while maintaining reliability in high-mobility traffic scenarios. The 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) can solve the communication issues related to V2I applications. However, the performance of the 5G mmWave for vehicular communication in high-mobility urban traffic scenarios is yet to be evaluated. This study presents a case study on assessing the performance of the 5G mmWave-based vehicular communication in such traffic scenarios. We have designed three realistic use cases for performance evaluation based on three challenges: dynamic mobility, increased CV penetration level, and V2I application specifications, such as data rate and packet size. We have also created a simulation-based experimental setup using a microscopic traffic simulator (SUMO) and a communication network simulator (ns-3) to simulate the use cases. We have used delay, packet loss, throughput, and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) as the communication performance evaluation metrics. Our analyses found that the CV penetration level is the primary determinant of the performance of the 5G mmWave. Moreover, once the data rate is increased by a factor of 40, delay and packet loss increase by factors of 6.8 and 2.8, respectively.


Significant differences for antioxidant content and horticultural traits among 36 diverse cabbage genotypes revealed the presence of sufficient variability which could be exploited for developing nutritionally and antioxidant rich cultivars. The phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were high for carotenoids, stalk length, head compactness, gross plant weight, net head weight, dry matter, core length, plant height and equatorial diameter, and low for days to 50% maturity, number of non-wrapper leaves, frame spread and ascorbic acid. the expressions of all the studied traits except ascorbic acid, harvest index and head compactness were less influenced by environment, as evident from meagre differences between respective PCV and GCV. Moderate to high heritability was evident for all the traits and was accompanied with high genetic advance for carotenoids (138.25%), dry matter (62.74%), plant height (49.76%), gross plant weight (65.35%), net head weight (64.71%), stalk length (81.82%), core length (57.72%) and head compactness (76.0%) which show the presence of additive gene action. On the other hand, low genetic advance observed for ascorbic acid, number of non-wrapper leaves, head shape index, days to 50% maturity and harvest index reflected the predominance of non-additive gene action.


This paper evaluates the reliability of a memory system incorporating any sort of linear error-correcting code. If the failure hypothesis is too simple (viz, a failure affects the entire memory chip or only one memory bit) an evaluation of reliability can be wrong. The following considerations are thus important: 1. The failure model is based on the internal design of the memory chip. 2. The memory system hardware is accurately accounted for. The resulting model is very close to the hardware implementation and depends on six parameters. The model is very useful for easily comparing memory systems and for deriving tradeoffs among the implementation possibilities for the design of memory systems.


Goal 7 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015, sets out universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy, but even in developed countries, this is still difficult to achieve. European comparative studies show that in Mediterranean and Central European countries, including Hungary, access to adequate energy remains a serious problem for certain social groups. The aim of the study is to examine the inequalities in access to and consumption of energy in Hungary. We pay special attention to presenting changes over time and examine what changes have taken place in household energy consumption since the years before the global economic crisis. We also explore the major socio-economic and building-related factors that increase the risk of possible energy vulnerability. For our analysis, we draw on data from a large sample survey conducted in 2007, 2013 and 2018 on a representative probability sample. Our results showed on the one hand the fundamental role of different combinations of energy sources used by households in the intensity of energy consumption, and on the other hand that besides the characteristics of the property concerned, the energy use and behaviour patterns of households are determined by the socio-demographic characteristics of the household as well.


The growth of the prison population in the United States over the past twenty-five years has yielded a number of complex policy debates, including the efficacy of lengthy sentences as a deterrent of crime, the social costs of imprisoning a growing proportion of American citizens, and the appropriate conditions of confinement. Receiving much less attention, however, is a question closely related to the growth of the prison population: what should the state do to aid the reentry of the increasing number of former prisoners released from confinement? Facing growing numbers of unsupervised releasees from state facilities, many state governments have enacted programs designed to provide voluntary sevices to ex-offenders upon their release. In this policy context, we review the efficacy of the Massachusetts Regional Reentry Center Initiative (RRCI), a service program for unsupervised offenders released from state correctional facilities. The RRCI attempts to assist released prisoners with issues related to housing, substance abuse, mental and physical healthcare, employment, and the special needs of convicted sex offenders. We conclude that the RRCI, while a critical first step towards addressing the needs of the Commonwealth's growing population of unsupervised releasees, has several shortcomings that limit its efficiacy. We find that - The Department of Corrections' reentry activities are not integrated into the RRCI, resulting in redundancy and missed opporuntities to improve each agency's effectiveness; - RRC staff lacks the skill set necessary to address RRCI clients' needs; - The RRCI's strategy of referring clients to career centers for employment services does not appear to be effective; and - There is a mismatch between the timing of RRCI intervention and when most clients are actually seeking such services. We offer seven policy recommendations that will improve the efficacy of the RRCI and reduce the costs of managing the growing offender population's adjustment upon release.


Sunlight, composed of different types of radiation, including ultraviolet wavelengths, is an essential source of light and warmth for life on earth but has strong negative effects on human health, such as promoting the malignant transformation of skin cells and suppressing the ability of the human immune system to efficiently detect and attack malignant cells. UV-induced immunosuppression has been extensively studied since it was first described by Dr. Kripke and Dr. Fisher in the late 1970s. However, skin exposure to sunlight has not only this and other unfavorable effects, for example, mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, but also a positive one: the induction of Vitamin D synthesis, which performs several roles within the immune system in addition to favoring bone homeostasis. The impact of low levels of UV exposure on the immune system has not been fully reported yet, but it bears interesting differences with the suppressive effect of high levels of UV radiation, as shown by some recent studies. The aim of this article is to put some ideas in perspective and pose some questions within the field of photoimmunology based on established and new information, which may lead to new experimental approaches and, eventually, to a better understanding of the effects of sunlight on the human immune system.


Iryŏn's Samguk yusa preserves several accounts of Buddhist monks of the ancient Korean state of Silla encountering supernatural beings in what may be termed vision-quests. Information of this kind has hitherto been understood by scholars as evidence of the persistence of ancient Korean shamanism. As context, this article problematizes the idea of shamanism and its relationship to Tantric Buddhism and provides evidence for the visionquest motif in Sino-Indian Buddhist literature. It focuses on examples of this motif in the Samguk yusa to suggest that connections between ancient Korea, China, and India are closer than previously believed. The motif does not demonstrate the rapprochement between indigenous shamanism and Buddhism so much as attest to an ancient approach to religious experience.