The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of stress on horses by measuring alterations in adrenocortical sympathetic nervous activity. The effects On the adrenocortical system were determined directed by measuring circulating levels of plasma 11-hydroxycorticosteroids. The effects of stress on the sympathetic nervous system were assessed indirectly by recording charges in heart rate and circulating packed cell volume and in a few caeer by direct measurement of circulating plasma catecholamine levels. Plasma 11-hydroxycorticosteroid levels were measured using a modified fluorometric technique. Standard reliability criteria were used to validate the method. The range of corticosteroid levels in horses and ponies under various natural and experimentally induced conditions was established. Changes in adrenocortical and sympathetic nervous activity were measured during physical stimulation (either exercise or surgical tran.ma) and following administration of certain drugs. The significance as a means of quantifying stress of alterations in plasma 11-hydroxycorticosteroid levels and in sympathetic nervous activity was assessed. A number of tranquillising drugs were compared both for their central nervous depressant and peripheral actions and the effects) of these drugs on stress-induced changes in adrenocortical and sympathetic nervous activity were studied. Alterations in packed cell volume caused by tranquillising drugs was investigated. Finally, changes in adrenocortical and sympathetic nervous activity produced by the commonly used neuroleptanalgesic mixture of storphine and acepromazine were studied and attempts were made modify these changes by incorporating various tranquillising and adrenoreceptor blocking drugs in the etorphine/acepromazine combination. It was concluded from this study that alterations in adrenocortical and sympathetic nervous activity can be used as means of assessing stress in the horse. As the tranquillising drugs used however modified adrenocortical and sympathetic activity, changes In these systems could not be employed in assessing alleviation of stress by these compounds. It was also concluded from these experiments that the marked effects of the etorphine/acepromazins mixture on sympathetic nervous activity could be modified by the central and peripheral actions of the various tranquillising drugs employed in this study.


The effects of the presence of metal irises on guided-mode propagation through a symmetrical three-layer slab waveguide are examined by using the integral equation method. The aperture electric field distribution is expressed in terms of a finite series of Chebyshev polynomials. The modal reflection and transmission coefficients, the near-field structure, and the far-field radiation pattern are calculated, while numerical results are presented for several iris apertures.


Supervisory Committee Dr. Martin J. Boulanger, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Supervisor Dr. Alisdair B. Boraston, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Departmental Member Dr. Francis E. Nano, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Departmental Member Dr. Réal Roy, Department of Biology Outside Member Aromatic compounds comprise approximately one quarter of the Earth's biomass and thus play a critical role in the biogeochemical carbon cycle. These compounds are degraded almost exclusively by specialized microbial enzymes that are part of complex metabolic pathways. Detailed characterization of these enzymes is both a gateway to understanding a biological process fundamental to nature and a platform for bioengineering applications in bioremediation. Recently, a novel pathway was shown to metabolize two key aromatic intermediates: Benzoate and Benzoyl-Coenzyme A. Designated as the box pathway (benzoate oxidation), this metabolic conduit incorporates in succession; CoA-ligation, oxygenation, ring cleavage and neutralization of the aldehydic ring cleavage product, catalyzed by a Benzoate Coenzyme A Ligase (BCL), BoxAB, BoxC and an Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) respectively. Collectively, these steps define the initial and unique segment of the box pathway. The objective of the research described here was to establish a molecular blueprint of the substrate binding pocket of the initial BCL and elucidate mechanistic details for both BoxC and ALDH enzymes from Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 through in-depth structural and functional characterizations. An intriguing feature of the box pathway in LB400 is a paralogous genetic organization. Functional studies on the BCL paralogs (BCLM and BCLC) show that BCLM is more active towards benzoate than BCLC. Structural analysis of the 1.84 Å resolution cocrystal structure of BCLM with benzoate reveals that the substrate binding pocket is closely contoured to bind benzoate, leaving little room to accommodate substituted iv benzoates, especially in the para position owing to a histidine (H339) residue that renders the pocket particularly shallow. Overall, while corroborative, the structural data provides a molecular rationale to our functional data where both the BCLs were seen to be highly specific for benzoate. Structural analysis of the 1.5 Å resolution crystal structure of the novel ring cleaving BoxC reveals an intriguing structural demarcation consistent with the primary sequence based divergence of BoxC within the crotonase superfamily. A highly divergent region in the C-terminus likely serves as a structural scaffold for the conserved N-terminus that harbors the active site. Isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking simulations contribute to a detailed view of the active site resulting in a compelling mechanistic model involving a pair of conserved glutamates (E146 and E168) and a novel cysteine (C111). Lastly, the 1.6 Å resolution co-crystal structure of ALDHC with NADPH and PEG allows identification of residues that are involved in rendering ALDHC selective for NADP + and linear, medium to long chain aldehydes, as observed in our initial kinetic analyses. Functional and structural characterization of strategic ALDHC mutants enables us to propose a detailed reaction mechanism which involves the essential roles for C296 as the nucleophile, E257 as the general base and a proton relay network anchored by E496 and supported by E167 and K168. Overall, this research provides a molecular blueprint for three key box enzymes, thereby enhancing our understanding of central aromatic metabolism.


Background and Objective Infection with helminth triggers strong Th2 immune response, which modulates the development of systemic autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis influence rheumatoid arthritis development as well as the molecular mechanism from Th2 and eosinophil cells in this effect. Materials and Methods 5 to 7 weeks old human TNF transgenic (hTNFtg) mice were infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis subcutaneously. Moreover, wild-type, IL-4-/-IL-13-/- and CD4-Cre IL-4-/-IL-13-/mice were infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis subcutaneously 6 days before induction of experimental arthritis through injection of 150 µl K/BxN serum intraperitoneally. Clinical arthritis score and histomorphometric analysis in the inflammatory hind paw were evaluated. Results Infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis alleviated spontaneous chronic arthritis in hTNFtg mice accompanied with a reduction of the systemic and local bone loss. Moreover, wild-type and CD4cre IL-4-/-IL-13-/mice infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis have a reduction of the arthritis score whereas arthritis in IL-4-/-IL-13-/- mice with infection remained comparable to the non-infected control mice. Histomorphometric analyses revealed that inflammation area and bone erosion were decreased in wild-type and CD4cre IL-4-/-IL-13-/mice with infection compared with IL-4-/-IL-13-/- or noninfected wild-type control. Consistently, osteoclast marker such as Trap, RANK and CathepsinK mRNA expression levels in the inflammatory joint were lower in wild-type mice with infection than control. In order to define the role of eosinophil, induction of K/BxN serum transfer arthritis in delta-dblGATA mice was performed. Interestingly genetically lack of eosinophil showed increased inflammation and bone erosion than wild-type control. Conclusions Infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis significantly alleviated bone erosion in experimental arthritis models, which is dependent of IL-4 and IL-13. In addition, eosinophils might play a crucial role in arthritis protection induced by Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection.


Despite the growth of e-learning, its methods have yet to be incorporated into all educational modules within the discipline of medicine. As such, its integration into some educational methods for the study of complex diseases may benefit both students and trainees. In particular, the strategies demonstrated in blended, multimedia and web-based interactive platforms may enhance its overall communication.

Cystic Fibrosis is a complex genetic disease which affects various parts of the body. These effects prove difficult to communicate through the written form alone and visual media elements are often incorporated to encourage a better understanding. However this foundational understanding of the disease has the potential to be enhanced further through the utilisation of e-learning techniques.

In this paper, current content and resources in the field of e-learning for the disease Cystic Fibrosis and other complex lung diseases are compared and interrogated for possible areas of improvement and expansion. It was found that there was a lack of e-learning visualisers and simulators that demonstrated the mucus effects caused by Cystic Fibrosis within the lungs. As such, a Cystic Fibrosis visualiser and simulator was created using both 3D and web technologies and presented to medical students for evaluation.

It was found that the visualiser aided in initial primary understanding of the mucus effects on the lungs, however, it was also found that it could not be used for further advanced teaching without improvements. In this way, it was established that the visualiser, in its simplicity, could be used to educate patients and families about Cystic Fibrosis mucus effects on the lungs.


Author(s): Hyun, Kyung | Advisor(s): Ritchie, Stephen G | Abstract: Trucks contribute disproportionally to traffic congestion, emissions, road safety issues, and infrastructure and maintenance costs. In addition, truck flow patterns are known to vary by season and time-of-day as trucks serve different industries and facilities. Therefore, truck flow data are critical for transportation planning, freight modeling, and highway infrastructure design and operations. However, the current data sources only provide partial truck flow or point observations. This dissertation developed a framework for estimating path flows of trucks by tracking individual vehicles as they traverse detector stations over long distances. Truck physical attributes and inductive waveform signatures were collected from advanced point detector systems and used to match vehicles between detector locations by a Selective Weighted Bayesian Model (SWBM). The key feature variables that were the most influential in distinguishing vehicles were identified and emphasized in the SWBM to efficiently and successfully track vehicles across road networks. The initial results showed that the Bayesian approach with the full integration of two complementary detector data types – advanced inductive loop detectors and Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) sensors – could successfully track trucks over long distances (i.e., 26 miles) by minimizing the impacts of measurement variations and errors from the detection systems. The network implementation of the model demonstrated high coverage and accuracy, which affirmed the capability of the tracking approach to provide comprehensive truck travel patterns in a complex network. Specifically, the model was able to successfully match 90 percent of multi-unit trucks where only 67 percent of trucks observed at a downstream site passed an upstream detection site. A strategic plan to identify optimal sensor locations to maximize benefits from the truck tracking model was also proposed. A decision model that optimally locates sensors to capture the maximum truck OD and route flow was investigated using a goal programming approach. This approach suggested optimal locations for tracking implementation in a large truck network considering a limited budget. Results showed that sensor locations from a maximum-flow-capturing approach were more advantageous to observe truck flow than a conventional sensor location approach that focuses on OD and route identifiability.


This paper describes the realization of a new Linux distribution based on Ubuntu Linux and Xenomai Real-Time framework. This realization is motivated by the eminent need of real-time systems in modern computer science courses. The majority of the technical choices are made after qualitative comparison. The main goal of this distribution is to offer standard Operating Systems (OS) that include Xenomai infrastructure and the essential tools to begin hard real-time application development inside a convivial desktop environment. The released live/installable DVD can be adopted to emulate several classic RTOS Application Program Interfaces (APIs), directly use and understand real-time Linux in convivial desktop environment and prototyping real-time embedded applications.


This research was conducted to explore, characterize, and standardize the orange citrus peel utilization as one of the potential materials for eco-friendly dyeing on cotton. To find out the potential application has been conducted pre-mordant dyeing, which involves alum as mordant. Optimization of the interaction between the fibers, dye, mordant, and fixer, is done through the application of the different washing time, dyeing frequency, as well as fixer types. Orange citrus peel extract used in dyeing was obtained from water solvent extraction. To determine the presence of chromophores that determine the dyeing quality, a spectrum test was performed using a UV-Visible spectrophotometer. The results show that fixation with iron (II) sulfate, alum and lime have triggered an attractive color, namely golden yellow on iron (II) sulfate fixation, and light yellow, which are both produced in alum and lime fixation. Visual and instrumentation evaluation using Diffuse Reflectant Ultra Violet (DRUV) showed that different washing time, dyeing frequency, and fixers had affected the color strength. Specifically, the reflectance percentage produced was 86.54% -56.96% for washing times of 0-6 h; and 78.95%-3.71% for the dyeing frequency 1-10 times. The increase in color intensity that occurs along with a decrease in the reflectance percentage illustrates the potential magnitude for orange citrus peel skin to be further developed as a new natural dye with high economic value in the eco-friendly textile industry.


Our intensive archaeological survey of the entire land surface of the island of Antikythera has documented a sequence of prehistoric activity going back at least as far as the Late Neolithic. The key component of the very earliest material culture from the island is knapped obsidian and chert artefacts and here we discuss the main results arising from detailed study of this assemblage, as well as offering a preliminary exploration of the chronology, spatial distribution and landscape setting of these finds as well as their broader regional context. We propose that Antikythera was embedded within a Late Neolithic interaction sphere and visited frequently by mobile non-permanent groups. Spatial analysis shows differences in the location of local cherts compared to obsidian which reflect what we interpret as a growing reliance on local chert. In addition, we define a number of locations of clusters of lithic tools and debitage with a tendency for projectiles to be located closer to the coast and blade components of the assemblage inland, in areas likely to be more conducive to small scale farming. There is no evidence of differential access to obsidian by a particular community acting as a redistributive centre as is documented in the southern Argolid, and there is no evidence to suggest the material entering the island was under any form of organisational control. This is in keeping with a model that sees small scale and relatively undifferentiated settlement across the island by at least the Early Bronze Age of small scale farming families exploiting pockets of the more fertile and more easily worked soils.


pH determination is a prerequisite for many biochemical and biological processes. The authors have used two methods, namely, the electrochemical potential method and the site binding method to study the sensitivity of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods for the use as intracellular pH sensing device. The dimensions of these nanorods were varied with radii between 50–300nm and lengths between 2 and 10μm. The ZnO nanorods showed a high sensitivity ≈59mV per decade at room temperature for a pH range (1–14), assuming that the solution is water. This is expected due to the polar and nonpolar surfaces of the ZnO nanorods.


CONTEXT
Women's and men's number of sexual partners and protective practices such as condom use can have a direct effect on their risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV.

METHODS
The 1988 and 1995 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth and five rounds of the General Social Survey conducted from 1988 to 1996 are used to examine women's and men's numbers of recent sexual partners. Levels of direct risk for STDs (two or more partners in the past year) and the social and demographic correlates of multiple partnership are analyzed among women and men. In addition, women's indirect risk for STDs (their partners' involvement with other partners in the past year) is used to estimate their overall risk of STDs through multiple partnerships.

RESULTS
At least three-quarters of sexually active U.S. women and men in the late 1980s and mid-1990s had had only one sexual partner in the preceding 12 months. Moreover, there is no indication that the proportion with more than one partner in the past year changed substantially over that period. Nevertheless, combining women's and men's partnership reports suggests that about 17 million women aged 15-44--34% of those sexually active in the past year--were at risk for STDs because of direct exposure to multiple partners (5.4 million), indirect exposure (6.3 million) or both direct and indirect exposure (5.5 million). In all, 21% of women were at direct risk and 23% were at indirect risk. In comparison, among men aged 18-44, 24% were at direct risk for STDs and an unknown proportion were at indirect risk. Multivariate analyses indicated that unmarried individuals, women younger than 40 and men aged 20-29, blacks and women in the South were all at elevated risk for STDs because of multiple partnership. Overall, in 1995, 19% of sexually active women aged 15-44 had used condoms to protect against STDs over the preceding year, and 19% of those sexually active in the three months before the survey were current condom users. Condom use specifically for STD prevention was more common among women reporting both direct and indirect risk for STDs (58%) and among those at direct risk (46%) than among other women; women whose partners put them at indirect risk only were less likely to be current or recent condom users than women who were not at risk or were only at direct risk.

CONCLUSIONS
There is a continuing need to educate people regarding their risk for STDs, to increase the use of existing barrier methods and to develop new methods that protect against STD infection. In addition, if we are to develop a better understanding of the extent of STD risk through multiple partnership, the collection of information on number of partners and relationships between partners must be expanded and improved.


This document specifies the Diameter Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) application. This is a Diameter application that allows a Diameter client to request authentication and authorization information. This application is designed to be used in conjunction with SIP and provides a Diameter client co-located with a SIP server, with the ability to request the authentication of users and authorization of SIP resources usage from a Diameter server. Garcia-Martin, et al. Standards Track [Page 1] RFC 4740 Diameter SIP Application November 2006


Abstract. On 27 May 1937, after one week of sustained heavy rainfall, a voluminous flood caused the death of at least 300 people and the destruction of the historic El Carmen church and several neighborhoods in the mining region of Tlalpujahua, Michoacan, central Mexico. This destructive flood was triggered by the breaching of the impoundment of the Los Cedros tailings and the sudden release of circa 16 Mt of water-saturated waste materials. The muddy silty flood, moving at estimated speeds of 20–25 m s−1, was channelized along the Dos Estrellas and Tlalpujahua drainages and devastated everything along its flow path. After advancing 2.5 km downstream, the flood slammed into El Carmen church and surrounding houses at estimated speeds of ~ 7 m s−1, destroying many construction walls and covering the church floor with ~ 2 m of mud and debris. Revision of eyewitness accounts and newspaper articles, together with analysis of archived photographic materials, indicated that the flood consisted of three muddy pulses. Stratigraphic relations and granulometric data for selected proximal and distal samples show that the flood behaved as a hyperconcentrated flow along most of its trajectory. A total volume of the Lamas flood deposit was estimated as 1.5 × 106 m3. The physically based bidimensional (2-D) hydraulic model FLO-2D was implemented to reproduce the breached flow (0.5 sediment concentration) with a maximum flow discharge of 8000 m3 s−1 for a total outflow volume (sediment + water) of 2.5 × 106 m3, similar to the calculations obtained using field measurements. Even though premonitory signs of possible impoundment failure were reported days before the flood, and people living downstream were alerted, authorities ordered no evacuations or other mitigative actions. The catastrophic flood at Tlalpujahua provides a well-documented, though tragic, example of impoundment breaching of a tailings dam caused by the combined effects of intense rainfall, dam weakness, and inadequate emergency-management protocols – unfortunately an all-too-common case scenario for most of the world's mining regions.


Previous numerical studies had apparently ruled out the possibility that flares in galaxy discs could give rise to the apparent breaks in their luminosity profiles when observed edge-on. However the studies have not, until now, analyzed this hypothesis systematically using realistic models for the disc, the flare, and the bulge. We revisit this theme by analyzing a series of models which sample a wide range of observationally based structural parameters for these three components. We have considered realistic distributions of bulge to disc ratios, morphological parameters of bulges and discs, vertical scale heights of discs and their radial gradients defining the flare for different morphological types and stellar mass bins, based on observations. The surface brightness profiles for the face-on and edge-on views of each model were simulated to find out whether the flared disc produces a Type-II break in the disc profile when observed edge-on, and if so under what conditions. Contrary to previous claims, we find that discs with realistic flares can produce significant breaks in discs when observed edge-on. Specifically a flare with the parameters of that of the Milky Way would produce a significant break of the disc at a Rbreak of ~8.6 kpc if observed edge-on. Central bulges have no significant effects on the results. These simulations show that flared discs can explain the existence of many Type-II breaks observed in edge-on galaxies, in a range of galaxies with low-to-intermediate break strength values of -0.25


Research and promotion of next generation Internet have drawn attention of researchers in many countries. In USA, FIND initiative takes a clean-slate approach. In EU, EIFFEL think tank concludes that both clean slate and evolutionary approach are needed. While in China, researchers and the country are enthusiastic on the promotion and immediate deployment of IPv6 due to the imminent problem of IPv4 address exhaustion.
 Since 2003, China launched a strategic programme called China Next Generation Internet (CNGI). China is expecting that Chinese industry is better positioned on future Internet technologies and services than it was for the first generation. Under the support of CNGI grant, China Education and Research Network (CERNET) started to build an IPv6-only network, i.e. CNGI-CERNET2. Currently it provides IPv6 access service for students and staff in many Chinese universities. In this article, we will introduce the CNGI programme, the architecture of CNGI-CERNET2, and some aspects of CNGI-CERNET2's deployment and operation, such as transition, security, charging and roaming service etc.


The growing core counts and caches of modern processors result in data access latency becoming a function of the data's physical location in the cache. Thus, the placement of cache blocks determines the cache's performance. Reactive nonuniform cache architectures (R-NUCA) achieve near-optimal cache block placement by classifying blocks online and placing data close to the cores that use them.


Educational listening research in the last 80 years covers a broad spectrum. Early research investigated the amount of time spent listening. Later studies identified students' comprehension of oral material. Aspects most often researched fall into the following categories: listening elicitation, listening benefits, and listening instruction. Because instructors must meet the needs of a variety of student listening and learning styles, a significant amount of listening research investigates listening and learning preferences. This research emphasizes the need to identify successful teaching strategies to help teachers elicit effective listening. Teachers have long believed that students who listen better are better students, and research seems to corroborate that effective listeners achieve academic success. Few schools offer listening instruction, and even in courses where listening is supposedly emphasized, only 7% of the time is devoted to listening. The impact of listening instruction is ambiguous despite anecdotal evidence suggesting that instruction improves listening. Listening instruction is especially scarce in primary and secondary schools notwithstanding the fact that listening is linked to both literacy and academic success. Further, little research has occurred in K–12 classrooms where there is greater opportunity to learn more about effective listening if researchers take the time to do so.


This self-study exam preparation guide for the ITIL V3 Foundation certification exam contains everything you need to test yourself and pass the Exam, including all the processes, and inputs and outputs. Exam topics are covered and insider secrets, complete explanations of all ITIL v3 subjects, test tricks and tips, numerous highly realistic sample questions, and exercises designed to strengthen understanding of ITIL v3 concepts and prepare you for exam success on the first attempt are provided.Can you imagine valuing a book so much that you send the author a "Thank You" letter?Tens of thousands of people understand why the material by The Art of Service is a worldwide best-seller. Is it their years of ITIL experience? The endless hours of ongoing research? The interviews with those who failed the exam, to identify gaps in their knowledge? Or is it the razor-sharp focus on making sure you don't waste a single minute of your time studying any more than you absolutely have to? Actually, it's all of the above.This book includes new exercises and sample questions never before in print. Offering numerous sample questions, critical time-saving tips plus information available nowhere else, this book will help you pass the ITIL V3 Foundation exam on your FIRST try. Done the ITIL V3 Foundation course, up to speed with the theory? Buy this. Read it. And Pass the ITIL V3 Foundation Exam.


Based on the analysis of the automatic cab lifting devices, a permanent magnet motor was designed to drive the piston pump. With the analysis of three classes of permanent-magnet materials for electric motors, the NdFeB permanent-magnet materials was selected to output enough power for the motor. The dimensions of the magnet and the rotor were determined through theoretical calculation and analysis. NdFeB permanent magnet pump motor has some characteristic as follows: low failure rate, simple structure, high reliability, low noise, high power. It can improve the safety, comfort and manipulation convenience of heavy truck.


Since the landmark intervention of Edward Said, the "Orient" has been widely rejected as a repository of European projections of alterity, and the Mediterranean is variously embraced as a promising framework for cross-cultural relations and transnational scholarship and rejected for its intellectual baggage and propensity to generate "Mediterraneanism." In the francophone context, the Mediterranean has been a significant yet contentious intellectual category since the waning days of empire. Since the 1980s, with the decline of French power in Europe, the idea of a Mediterranean sphere of influence has held renewed attraction. Economic and political initiatives and educational and cultural projects have promoted transnational exchanges under the auspices of Mediterranean unity. Correspondingly, several Middle Eastern and North African scholars and writers have embraced the Mediterranean as an alternative to monolithic discourses of national, linguistic, and religious identity. Dobie's essay situates the unique position of the Mediterranean in francophone intellectual culture and critical discourse in the context of colonial and postcolonial history.


Due to globalization of Integrated Circuit (IC) design flow, rogue elements in the supply chain can pirate ICs, overbuild ICs, and insert hardware trojans. EPIC [1] obfuscates the design by randomly inserting additional gates; only a correct key makes the design to produce correct outputs. We demonstrate that an attacker can decipher the obfuscated nctlist, in a time linear to the number of keys, by sensitizing the key values to the output. We then develop techniques to fix this vulnerability and make obfuscation truly exponential in the number of inserted keys.


Indigenous Tribal Horticultural Practices (ITHPs) have facilitated intensive farming for a long period of time without significant deterioration of land or decline in crop production. The tribes of the Kolli hills of Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu possessed rich tradition, heritage and experience in agriculture. Their rich wisdom in ITHPs can effectively be utilized for sustainable agricultural development of tribal areas by appropriately blending the ITHPs with recommended production technological package. Hence, there is an immense need to collect, document, rationalize and refine those ITHPs before they become totally obsolete. In this context a study was done for collecting, classifying, documenting, analyzing the rationality, and studying the adoption of the selected ITHPs in Hill banana. About 26ITHPs on Hill banana, in different clusters of villages of Kolli hills were documented. For assessing the rationality, the selected ITHPs were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 22ITHPs were related to crop production and the second 4I ITHPs were related to plant protection. Having identified and selected the list of ITHPs with their rationality scores, further analysis was undertaken to test verify their extent of adoption. The rational and effective ITHPs should be blended into the technology package for transfer of technology, so that the agricultural development will be sustainable.


The relation between the suspension state and the rheological properties, the consolidation, and packing of a very fine (nanosized) BaTiO3 powder has been investigated. The BaTiO3 powder was suspended in a nonaqueous medium by adsorbing fatty acids and a polymeric dispersant, poly(12-hydroxy stearic acid), (PHS), at the BaTiO3/decane interface. Calculated interparticle energies imply that the suspension with PHS adsorbed is colloidally stable, while the suspensions with oleic and octanoic acid can be characterized as weakly and strongly flocculated, respectively. Analysis of settling experiments and rheological measurements at high concentrations confirmed these characteristics. Pressure filtration resulted in nearly identical green body densities in spite of the differences in colloidal properties, but the preliminary sintering experiments and microstructural characterization showed that the strongly flocculated suspension displays a significantly retarded sinterability compared to the colloidally stable and the weakly flocculated suspensions. The absence of a correlation between green density and sintering behavior was explained by considering both the volume taken by the adsorbed fatty acids and the PHS polymer—which can be substantial for nanosized powders—and the state of the suspension. While a decrease in the thickness of adsorbed surfactant or polymer layer will enable a higher particle packing density, such a thin adsorbed layer results in a more strongly flocculated suspension which will resist dense packing. Hence, it is suggested that the green bodies of the colloidally stable and the weakly flocculated suspensions correspond to a relatively homogeneous, but loosely packed, green body microstructure. The strongly flocculated suspension results in a green body with a more inhomogeneous microstructure.


In pursuit of flexibility improvements and extension of lifetime, a concept to pre-warm steam turbines using hot air was developed. In order to further optimize the pre-warming operation, an extensive numerical investigation is conducted to determine the time-dependent temperature and stress fields.
 In this work, the transient thermal and structural analyses of an IP 19-stage steam turbine in pre-warming operation with hot air are presented. Based on the previous investigations, a hybrid (HFEM - numerical FEM and analytical) approach especially developed for this purpose is applied to efficiently calculate the solid body temperatures of a steam turbine in pre-defined pre-warming scenarios. The HFEM model utilizes the Nusselt number correlations to describe the heat transfer between the hot air and the turbine components in the flow channel. These correlations were developed based on unsteady CHT-simulations of multistage turbine models. In addition, most of the thermal energy in turbine pre-warming operation is transferred through vanes and blades. Therefore, the HFEM approach considers the thermal contact resistance (TCR) on the surfaces between vanes/casing and blades/rotor. After the calibration of the HFEM model with experimental data based on measurements of the natural cooling curve, the pre-warming processes for different pre-warming scenarios are simulated. Subsequently, the obtained temperature fields are imported to an FEM model in order to conduct a structural analysis, which, among other variables, includes the values and locations of highest stresses and displacements.


Context. Deuterium fractionation processes in the interstellar medium (ISM) have been shown to be highly efficient in the family of nitrogen hydrides. To date, observations have been limited to ammonia (NH2D, NHD2, ND3) and imidogen radical (ND) isotopologues.
Aims. We want to explore the high-frequency windows offered by the Herschel Space Observatory to search for deuterated forms of the amidogen radical NH2 and to compare the observations against the predictions of our comprehensive gas-grain chemical model.
Methods. Making use of the new molecular spectroscopy data recently obtained at high frequencies for NHD and ND2, we searched for both isotopologues in the spectral survey toward the Class 0 protostar IRAS 16293-2422, a source in which NH3, NH, and their deuterated variants have previously been detected. We used the observations carried out with HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared) in the framework of the key program "Chemical Herschel surveys of star forming regions" (CHESS).
Results. We report the first detection of interstellar NHD and ND2. Both species are observed in absorption against the continuum of the protostar. From the analysis of their hyperfine structure, accurate excitation temperature and column density values are determined. The latter were combined with the column density of the parent species NH2 to derive the deuterium fractionation in amidogen. We find a high deuteration level of amidogen radical in IRAS 16293-2422, with a deuterium enhancement about one order of magnitude higher than that predicted by earlier astrochemical models. Such a high enhancement can only be reproduced by a gas-grain chemical model if the pre-stellar phase preceding the formation of the protostellar system has a long duration: on the order of one million years.
Conclusions. The amidogen D/H ratio measured in the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422 is comparable to that derived for the related species imidogen and much higher than that observed for ammonia. Additional observations of these species will provide more insights into the mechanism of ammonia formation and deuteration in the ISM. Finally, we indicate the current possibilities to further explore these species at submillimeter wavelengths.


Since the turn of the century, interethnic and interfaith marriages among whites have become commonplace (Alba, 1976; Johnson, 1980; Kennedy, 1944). Many whites have crossed "ethnic lines" to marry people who share their religion; others have crossed both ethnic and religious lines. Interracial marriage, however, occurs far less frequently than interethnic or interfaith marriage. As early as 1910, interethnic marriage was relatively common among whites, but marriage across racial lines was extremely rare (Pagnini & Morgan, 1990), due in part to anti-miscegenation laws forbidding marriage between persons of different races. This legal barrier was not abolished nationwide until 1967. Since then, interracial marriages have increased dramatically, from 310,000 in 1970 to 651,000 in 1980 and to 1, 161,000 in 1992 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1993). These marriages have increased from .7 percent of all marriages in 1970 to 2.2 percent in 1992. The recent increase in interracial marriage is seen as a positive change in race relations and a decline in racism (Besharow & Sullivan, 1996). It also indicates that racial distances have dectioed between whites and racial minorities because of the increase in interracial marriages with whites for all racial minorities (Bogardus, 1968; Gurak & Fitzpatrick, 1982; Heer, 1974; Kitano et al., 1984; Monahan, 1976; Murguia & Cazares, 1982 ). Most of these studi,owever, focus on marriage between whites and only one racial minority group, making it difficult to compare the relative distances. As interracial marriage is the final stage of acculturation and assimilation (Gordon, 1964), a comparison of racial differences in interracial marriage can help us -understand the variations in the processes of acculturation and assimilation. Meanwhile, who marries whom across racial groups is likely to be affected by their socioeconomic structures, e.g., compositions in educational attainment. A comparison of mate selection patterns between inmarriage and interracial marriage and differences in these patterns across racial groups can show whether interracially married whites use their racial status as an exchange for racial minorities' higher socioeconomic status (Merton, 194 1) and whether these exchanges differ from one racial minority to another, Using data from the 1980 and 1990 censuses, I examine among whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans who are more likely to intermarry than to imnarry and ask whether an interracial marriage is more likely to involve a less-educated white person and a bettereducated minority person. Also, I explore whether some of the racial differences in assimilation and exchange can be related to structural differences among racial groups. EXPLAINING INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE: ASSIMILATION AND EXCHANGE For any two racial groups, interracial marriage depends on their opportunities for social contacts. These opportunities, however, are constrained by the relative size of each group (Blau, 1977). African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans are far less numerous than whites, and therefore have fewer opportunities to meet one another. Most interracial marriages, therefore, involve whites, who constitute the majority of the population (Qian, 1997). These opportunities may also differ by region because of the differences in racial compositions in each region. According to the 1990 census, racial minorities account for about one-third of the population in the West, one quarter in the South, one-fifth in the Northeast, and a little over one-tenth in the Midwest (Harrison & Bennett, 1995). Therefore, whites should have the greatest opportunities for interracial marriage in the West but the fewest opportunities in the Midwest. Racial minorities, on the other hand, should have greater opportunities for interracial marriage if their share in the region is small (Blau, 1977). This is because they have fewer opportunities for a comparable spouse within their own racial group as compared to their counterparts living in a region where they have a larger share, and also because racial minorities living in a region where they have a small share are more likely to be assimilated than those living in a region where they have a larger share. …


Within the current context of declining biodiversity, the botanical gardens play an essential role in its conservation. Dianthus callizonus , D. glacialis ssp. gelidus and D. spiculifolius are the species that we seek to preserve in "Alexandru Borza" Botanical Garden of Cluj-Napoca (Romania). Several replicates were collected for each taxon from different populations in order to avoid the genetic uniformity. The material collected from the natural sites, was planted on a rockery, specially designed for this collection in the Botanical Garden. At the time of planting, each individual was sampled for setting up an in vitro collection and further biochemical and molecular analyses. In case of ex situ outdoor conservation of the three Dianthus species, 80.6% of the individuals collected in the field survived during the first year but the percentage decreased drastically after four years. In the case of in situ collected individuals, as well as in the case of in vitro individuals, D. spiculifolius had the best ability to acclimatize in the Botanical Garden, and D. callizonus presented the lowest number of surviving individuals. The ex vitro acclimatization of the plantlets had 80% efficiency at 10ÂoC, using three different substrates: soil and pearl stone mix 1/1, soil and sand mix 1/1 and pearl stone. All the three species are preserved in vitro, whereas the plantlets are acclimatized outdoors. Ex situ conservation of these species will have a positive impact on the biodiversity conservation.


Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the world's leading cause of mortality. The current method of diagnosing the disease is the analysis of an electrocardiogram (ECG). The physicians find it difficult to accurately diagnose abnormal heart behavior. However, early and precise detection of cardiac abnormalities helps in providing appropriate treatment to patients. The development of automated ECG classification is an emerging tool in medical diagnosis for effective treatment. In this paper, an effective technique based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is described to classify ECG data into two classes: normal and abnormal. In this context, ECG data are obtained from UCI Arrhythmia databases where the classification is conducted using MATLAB platform. The experimental findings demonstrate that the proposed technique achieves a high classification accuracy of 92.477%, allowing it to effectively detect ECG signal abnormalities and implement it to diagnose heart disease.


The purpose of this study is to investigate and provide a better understanding of the processes of Bedu livestock marketing system in the Badia of Jordan, particularly farmers' market behaviour, linkages to markets and their decision-making process. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were utilised. A stratified random sample of 193 Bedu farmers, and interviews with traders were applied. The whole region of the Jordan Badia and Research Development Programme was covered. The questionnaires were distributed and every farmer was interviewed by the researcher in the period from July to November 1995.A broad conceptual framework was employed to investigate quantitatively the interactions and dependencies between household conditions, socio-economic characteristics and livestock sales. These factors, which are usually outside the livestock enterprise, are important in household marketing decision-making in relation to time and place of sale, and reasons for sale. The results of this study indicate: Regarding farmers' marketing behaviour, marketing decisions are related to a household's demand for cash, and environmental factors such as the high cost of production, disease, unstable government policy, household characteristics, and labour capacity. The most important of these factors is to generate cash to buy feed or to reduce costs and eliminate the risk of disease. Most households with fewer than 100 head of sheep were more restricted in their sales decisions than households with larger flocks.


The systematic position of the small theropod dinosaur Troodon has had a confusing history and has been identified at different times as a lizard, a pachycephalosaurid, and a coelurosaurid. Troodon is now most commonly considered as a sister taxon to Dromeaosauridae, within Maniraptora. This study records the first evidence of Troodon in the Danek bonebed, an organic-rich member of the upper Campanian Horseshoe Canyon Formation. A single tooth (UALVP 55489) was recovered during the 2012 dig season, and it is exceptionally well-preserved. Its discovery prompted a reevaluation of variation within troodontid teeth in Alberta; it is compared here with 110 troodontid teeth from the Dinosaur Park, Horseshoe Canyon, and Wapiti formations. The results show that no distinctive morphotypes can be separated, in contrast to the results of other studies. This suggests that either troodontid teeth are not sufficiently different for identifying different species or that only one troodontid taxon is present in the Campan...


The authors of this paper analyze the Dabkeh al Djoufieh (Dabkɛ ālǧwofyɛ) in its capacity as an inherent part of Jordanian folklore that has been seldom studied. Whereas contemporary Jordan has experienced a rapid burst of cultural globalization, the rural song and dance of Dabkeh al Djoufieh can be observed as a highly dynamic manifestation of belonging and as a symbol of national solidarity. One of the defining features of the Dabkeh al Djoufieh is that it is immanent in every social event in Arab communities. Secondly, as a sample of folk music, Dabkeh al Djoufieh continues to be a vibrant resource for contemporary audiences. The paper focuses on the main musical and poetic characteristics of Dabkeh al Djoufieh. The qualitative analysis applied integrates ideas concerning semantics as a representation of the social context and ethnic identities, whereas music is viewed as an indicator of local heritage. This paper probes the questions: What is Dabkeh Djoufieh? Where does it originate? And how is it implemented in Jordanian folklore culture?
Furthermore, the study discusses the social power found within poetic folk verse, specifically, the role of the metaphor as a tool for expressing communal realities and individual experiences. Likewise, the study analyzes the musical features of the traditional Dabkeh al Djoufieh and how it moved across generations, sacred and social boundaries, becoming a symbol of Jordanian folk tradition.


Current study aimed to identify and characterize different actors involved in wood furniture (Beds) value chain in Wolaita Sodo and to map the value chain of wood furniture (Beds) manufactured Wolaita Sodo. The research has used primary and secondary data and descriptive analysis to obtain the following facts; diverse actors have been participated directly or indirectly in the chain. In input  supply about 35% of the owners/managers of enterprises sourced their raw material far from Wolaita Sodo like (Adis Ababa, Shashmane, and Hawasa) while, the remaining obtained from local traders around sodo area.  Commonly Single, Medium, Double and King Bed size were produced in the area. The estimated volume of production was about 15804 pieces in the year 2014/15 costing 30279.2 Birr in average from which the manufactures received average profit of Birr 10603.18 in total. In other side retails cost and received average profit of 81.08 and 547.90 respectively. Additionally poor quality in raw material and law quantity, lack of modern technology and skilled man power are pointed as a problem in the area. As an opportunities existence of high market potential in the Country and raw material resource in the area were mentioned. Thus, government bodies should invest on capacity and performance building of enterprises engaged in furniture manufacturing by using various relevant institutions is highly needed to sustain furniture contribution to local as well as global economy. Keywords : Furniture, manufacturing, small and medium scale, value chain


On the evening of April 2, 1892, at 7.30, when passing through my garden at Cliff Road, Leeds, my attention was arrested by a meteor of extraordinary size and brilliancy. I made a note of the particulars, and forwarded them, with some monthly returns of meteorology to the Editors of "The Natural History Journal," York.

The direction of the meteor was from N.E. to N. Its elevation appeared to be from 60° to 30°, the angle of its fall being 45°. The impression left upon my mind was that the colour was pale green, and the form pear-shaped, the last view of its extremity giving a brilliant red colour. I estimated its duration at from two to three seconds.

The Editors of the "Natural History Journal" received independent reports of the same meteor from Mr. T. W. Backhouse, F.R.A.S., Sunderland, and Miss H. S. Lean, Wigton; and placed the whole of the evidence in the hands of Mr. David Booth, of Leeds, who has published in their issue of November 15 the following report, which the Editors kindly permit me to reproduce. The distance between the stations of observation seems to confer a special interest on the case.

"A spectacle of a somewhat extraordinary character presented itself to many individuals residing in various parts of the North of England, at 7h. 29m. G. M. T., on April 2nd of the present year. A shooting star of unusual dimensions, and great brilliancy, was observed to travel across a portion of the ...


Over the years Russia has become one of the most important partners of the European Union. Due to this fact a more democratic and modern Russia would have great benefits for the EU and might contribute to the stabilization of the European continent. But existing problems like terrorism, organized crime and environmental pollution are central challenges for the relationship and their solution demands for intensive cross-border cooperation. Therefore a clear strategy is needed in order to establish a successful cooperation. What strategy have the European politicians pursued and which influence have their plans exerted on the actual policy of the European Union? The European Union clearly accentuated the meaning of common values for the relationship towards the Russian Federation in the early and fundamental documents. However, it becomes more and more evident that in day-to-day policy there is a tendency to tolerate even substantial violations of the norms which originate from the concept of common values. One of the main causes for this behaviour is the strong economic interest of the EU towards Russia. For example, the Russian Federation supplies the EU with most of its energy resources, such as gas and oil. On the other hand the EU is the major trading partner of the Russian Federation. The notion of the common shared values is based – as stated in the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and in the subsequent documents – on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris. Because such principles are easily stated in a document their impact on the real policy has to be called into question and must be examined further in this essay.


Care farming is a promising example of multifunctional agriculture: it is an innovation at the crossroads of the agricultural and healthcare sectors. Our objective is to develop a framework for understanding the success of initiatives in this field. We link empirical data with the multi-level perspective from the transition sciences and extend this perspective with insights from the literature on entrepreneurship, alliance management and organisational attributes. This framework allows us to explain the success of the three major types of initiatives: (1) individual care farms; (2) regional foundations of care farmers; and (3) care institutions collaborating with groups of farmers at a regional level. We propose that the main factors responsible for the success of initiatives are the commitment and competences of the entrepreneur, the creation of alliances, the quality of the new regional organisations and the implementation of the care farm services in care organisations. The relative importance of the factors varies between the different types of initiatives and local and regional levels.


Guo et al have demonstrated that a prototype hybrid expert network (PEN) for capsule formulation is capable of yielding formulations that meet specific manufacturing and performance criteria for the model Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) Class II drug piroxicam (Pharm Tech NA (26:9) 2002, p. 44). Purpose. The overall objective of this project is to assess the application of artificial intelligence in capsule formulation support of BCS Class If drugs. The phases of this project include: (1) Characterize model BCS Class II drugs based on physiochemical properties associated with solubility; (2) Evaluate the dissolution performance of the capsule formulations; (3) Generalize the PEN for formulation of model drugs; (4) Apply a Bayesian Network (BN) to formulation development of the model drugs. Methods. The model drugs used in this project were carbamazepine (CAR), chlorpropamide (CHL), diazepam (DIA), ibuprofen (IBU), ketoprofen (KET), naproxen (NAP) and piroxicam (PIR). The micromeritic properties, aqueous solubilities, contact angles, specific surface areas (SSA) and intrinsic dissolution rates (IDR) of these actives were characterized. Capsule formulations of each active were manufactured based on a Box-Behnken experimental design, varying the filler type/ratio and the amounts of lubricant, wetting agent and disintegrant. Dissolution performance of these capsules was characterized using USP standard dissolution media. This data was used to generalize the PEN and to develop a BN. Results. The model drugs were subdivided into weak acids and weak bases. A dataset containing SSA, contact angles, IDRs and percent drug dissolved at 10, 30 and 45 minutes for the model drugs was used as the basis for training the PEN. The system was successfully able to predict the dissolution performance of the model drugs. A BN was successfully developed to model the relationships between formulation variables and dissolution performance. Conclusions. Testing of the PEN indicates that the system can predict the dissolution performance of BCS Class II drugs and can be successfully generalized. The BN has proven to be a useful tool for formulation development. Within the scope of this research, this project proves that artificial intelligence can be successfully applied to pharmaceutical research and development.


Traditionally, hospital productivity has been measured in terms of episodic patient services such as days or admissions. However, the delivery of health care is shifting toward a greater focus on the health of a covered population. Thus, population-based indicators of hospital productivity are needed. This work analyzes hospital FTEs per 10,000 served population across the United States as a function of regional demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors. For managers of integrated service networks, it provides benchmarks for hospital FTEs per service population for several personnel categories. Important findings for public policy include an 11 percent increase in FTEs per 1 percent increase in interns and residents and a 2 percent increase in FTEs per 1 percent increase in the elderly.


A multi-spectral confocal microendoscope (MCME) for in-vivo imaging has been developed. The MCME employs a flexible fiber-optic catheter coupled to a slit-scan confocal microscope with an imaging spectrometer. The catheter consists of a fiber-optic imaging bundle linked to a miniature objective and focus assembly. The focus mechanism allows for imaging to a maximum tissue depth of 200 microns. The 3mm diameter catheter may be used on its own or routed though the instrument channel of a commercial endoscope. The confocal nature of the system provides optical sectioning with 3 micron lateral resolution and 30 micron axial resolution. The system incorporates two laser sources and is therefore capable of simultaneous acquisition of spectra from multiple dyes using dual excitation. The prism based multi-spectral detection assembly is typically configured to collect 30 spectral samples over the visible range. The spectral sampling rate varies from 4nm/pixel at 490nm to 8nm/pixel at 660nm and the minimum resolvable wavelength difference varies from 8nm to 16nm over the same spectral range. Each of these characteristics are primarily dictated by the dispersion characteristics of the prism. The MCME is designed to examine cellular structures during optical biopsy and to exploit the diagnostic information contained within the spectral domain. The primary applications for the system include diagnosis of disease in the gastro-intestinal tract and female reproductive system. In-vitro, and ex-vivo multi-spectral results are presented.


Enzymes are biological catalysts that play an important role in biochemical reactions necessary for normal growth, maturation and reproduction through whole live world. Due to their low concentrations in the samples containing large amount of other proteins, direct measurements of enzymes by masses are impossible. However enzymes can be measured more easily by their catalytic activities, which are the most relevant properties of enzymes in the biochemical context. The accurate measurement of enzymatic activity in biological samples is important in many fields of biochemistry, not only in routine biochemistry and in fundamental research but also in clinical and pharmacological research and diagnosis. The enzyme assay is also important procedure in elucidation of enzyme properties and function. Determination of kinetic parameters is usually undertaken to characterize an enzyme, to provide a quantitative evaluation of substrate specificity and to study kinetic mechanisms. In the last decade capillary electromigration separation techniques have become powerful techniques, which can provide highly efficient separations and large peak capacities. Measurements of enzyme activity by CE, which have been under active investigation in recent years, include the enzyme reaction prior CE analysis and the enzyme reaction in the separation capillaries during CE also known as electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA). Both these approaches were applied in the complex study on rhodanese, important enzyme catalysing detoxication of cyanide to less toxic thiocyanate after reaction with a sulfur donor, such as thiosulfate. The enzyme activity of rhodanese and the effects of temperature and pH on enzymatic reaction were evaluated by the off-capillary approach, whereas the kinetic parameters such as the Michaelis and inhibition constants were determined by means of the EMMA methodology. The applications of this new methodology on other enzyme systems will be also shortly given.


Retrieving burrowing shore crabs to obtain information regarding their morphological attributes is often difficult and results in significant disturbance and habitat modification. A simple, rapid and non-destructive sampling method was proposed for indirectly estimating crab abundance, morphology and mass through the counting of burrow numbers and their diameter. Measurement of the number of crab burrows was found to correlate with crab abundance via both excavation and video observation techniques. Burrow diameters of individuals were also correlated with carapace width and body mass. Measuring burrow opening diameters along with the number of holes allows an indirect estimate of morphology and mass, which increases the information gained through such rapid sampling techniques and allows assessment of both structural and functional processes at the population level which may be affected through anthropogenic disturbance.


This is an introductory article to the translation of Fr. Vitoria's lecture "On Civil Power", consisting of some biographical notes about Vitoria, as well as several of his lectures and considerations of his political theory. Although Vitoria did not give any clear definition of civil power in the text of this Relectio, he marked its three principal causes (finalis, efficiens, materialis), according to Aristotelian methodology. The appearance of power is a result of the nature of human society and, consequently, by the nature of the human himself. Following the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle, Vitoria declared the social and political nature of a human being that calls him to live in society. In turn, in order to develop into the perfect community, such a society needs some vis directiva, i.e., the power. Only this power can stimulate the birth of a Commonwealth, although not belonging to the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth, in turn, can create the King but can not give him the power (because power belongs only to God and can not be divided) but transfers authority (authoritas) to the king. Therefore, the King stands over all of his citizens and the entire Commonwealth while being responsible for his actions only before God.


We present an efficient FPGA architecture suitable for a medical 3D ultrasound beamformer. We tackle the delay calculation bottleneck, which is the heart and the most critical part of the beamformer, by proposing a computationally efficient design that is able to perform volumetric real-time beamforming on a single-chip FPGA. The design has been demonstrated for a 32×32-channel receive probe, and we extrapolated the requirements of the architecture for 80×80 channels.


At present, few institutions consider separate informed consent for blood transfusions; rather, the patient gives this consent as part of a more comprehensive statement. This should change in the era of increasing patient's rights. The physician has the moral duty to fully inform the patient of the risks and benefits involved in the planned therapy. A separate consent requires time and paperwork but if done properly, it benefits the patients by increasing their knowledge and autonomy in the transfusion process.


Oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linseed oil, can oxidise to form polymers. These can be used as protective coatings and act as an alternative to those derived from petrochemicals. Such renewable source oils usually require the addition of metal ions as catalysts of the polymerisation process and/or the partial pre-oxidation of the oil before use. We hypothesised that increasing the unsaturation of the oil would result in polymerisation occurring without such requirements. Of the oils tested only docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid and boiled linseed oil (BLO) (which contains metal ion catalysts) demonstrated significant increases in viscosity during the incubation period, with both oils thickening at approximately the same rate. The production of the lipid peroxidation product propanal was much greater during DHA polymerization compared to that of BLO. DHA and BLO formed a water proof coating on cotton cloth although DHA formed more brittle coatings than BLO. Our results demonstrate that the greater extent of lipid peroxidation of high purity DHA allows it to polymerise in air to form a water resistant material similar to that obtained using boiled linseed oil but without the addition of toxic metal ion catalysts. Further investigation of this substance as a renewable component of coating materials may be warranted, particularly for applications requiring low toxicity such as those in contact with foodstuffs.


Breast-milk αS1-casein is a Toll-like receptor (TLR4) agonist which induced proinflammatory cytokine secretion. Phosphorylated αS1-casein (P- αS1-casein) is non-agonistic.1,2 The objective of this study was to analyze structural characteristics underlying these observations.
 Recombinant αS1-casein was shown to exist in two conformations, an α-helical TLR4-agonistic conformation and a non-agonistic conformation with lower α‑helical and higher random coil content. TLR4-agonstic αS1-casein conformation was found at a pH-range between 7.4 and 2. αS1-Casein bound itself (KD-value: 2 µM) formed large aggregates (between O 73 nm [pH7] and O 826.2 nm [pH2]). Using Thioflavin T assay and atomic force microscopy showed that αS1-casein adopted fibril-like structure. P-αS1-casein was observed in a less α‑helical conformation, not inducing IL-8 secretion. P-αS1-casein bound itself stronger (KD-value: 0.5 µM) than αS1-casein and did not form fibrils.
 In conclusion, TLR4-agonistic and non-agonistic conformations of αS1-casein could be differentiated. It was demonstrated that human caseins are able to adopt fibril structure. These kind of structures are often disease related. We postulate, that phosphorylation could be a switch of two conformations regulating immunomodulatory effects of human αS1-casein especially in immune system development.

Vordenbaumen, S. et al. Human casein alpha s1 induces proinflammatory cytokine expression in monocytic cells by TLR4 signaling. Mol Nutr Food Res 60, 1079-89 (2016).
Saenger, T. et al. Human αS1-casein induces IL-8 secretion by binding to the ecto-domain of the TLR4/MD2 receptor complex. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 1863, 632-643 (2019).


We have analyzed the proteins whose structures were determined both by X-ray analysis (X-ray) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on condition that these structures do not differ greatly when spatially superimposed on each other (61 pairs of protein structures). Atom-atomic contacts (contact distances varied from 2 to 8 A) have been analyzed and it has been found that NMR structures (in comparison with X-ray ones) have more contacts in the range below 3.5 A and above 5.5 A. In the case of residue-residue contacts NMR structures have more contacts below 3 A and between 4.5 and 6.5 A. At all the other contact distances analyzed the X-ray structures have more contacts. The difference in the number of atom-atomic and residue-residue contacts is greater for internal residues, that are concealed from water, as compared to the surface residues. The other, not less important difference deals with the number of hydrogen bonds in the main chain: it is larger for the X-ray structures. The correlation between the hydrogen bonds identified in the structures obtained by both methods is no more than 32%. The consideration of a complete set of protein structures obtained by NMR results in the fact that the number of hydrogen bonds grows 1.2 times as compared to those obtained with the X-ray analysis, whereas the correlation increases only by 65%. We have also demonstrated that alpha-helices in the NMR structures are more distorted in comparison with the ideal alpha-helix, than alpha-helices in the X-ray structures.


Whole System Design is increasingly being seen as one of the most cost-effective ways to both increase the productivity and reduce the negative environmental impacts of an engineered system. A focus on design is critical, as the output from this stage of the project locks in most of the economic and environmental performance of the designed system throughout its life, which can span from a few years to many decades. Indeed, it is now widely acknowledged that all designers particularly engineers, architects and industrial designers need to be able to understand and implement a whole system design approach. This book provides a clear design methodology, based on leading efforts in the field, and is supported by worked examples that demonstrate how advances in energy, materials and water productivity can be achieved through applying an integrated approach to sustainable engineering. Chapters 1-5 outline the approach and explain how it can be implemented to enhance the established Systems Engineering framework. Chapters 6-10 demonstrate, through detailed worked examples, the application of the approach to industrial pumping systems, passenger vehicles, electronics and computer systems, temperature control of buildings, and domestic water systems. Published with The Natural Edge Project, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, UNESCO and the Australian Government.


Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated the role of tumor-derived gangliosides as important mediators of T cell apoptosis, and hence, as one mechanism by which tumors evade immune destruction. In this study, we report that TNF-α secreted by infiltrating inflammatory cells and/or genetically modified tumors augments tumor-associated GM2 levels, which leads to T cell death and immune dysfunction. The conversion of weakly apoptogenic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) clones to lines that can induce T cell death requires 3–5 days of TNF-α pretreatment, a time frame paralleling that needed for TNF-α to stimulate GM2 accumulation by SK-RC-45, SK-RC-54, and SK-RC-13. RCC tumor cell lines permanently transfected with the TNF-α transgene are similarly toxic for T lymphocytes, which correlates with their constitutively elevated levels of GM2. TNF-α increases GM2 ganglioside expression by enhancing the mRNA levels encoding its synthetic enzyme, GM2 synthase, as demonstrated by both RT-PCR and Southern analysis. The contribution of GM2 gangliosides to tumor-induced T cell death was supported by the finding that anti-GM2 Abs significantly blocked T cell apoptosis mediated by TNF-α-treated tumor cells, and by the observation that small interfering RNA directed against TNF-α abrogated GM2 synthase expression by TNF-transfected SK-RC-45, diminished its GM2 accumulation, and inhibited its apoptogenicity for T lymphocytes. Our results indicate that TNF-α signaling promotes RCC-induced killing of T cells by stimulating the acquisition of a distinct ganglioside assembly in RCC tumor cells.


Sr1+xCo0.8Fe0.2O3 (−0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) oxides have been synthesized and investigated as potential oxygen absorbents for high temperature oxygen separation processes. It was found that the A-site ion deficient Sr0.95Co0.8Fe0.2O3 and Sr0.9Co0.8Fe0.2O3 oxides have larger oxygen absorption capacities, and slightly higher oxygen desorption rates. However, the A-site ion excess Sr1.05Co0.8Fe0.2O3 and Sr1.1Co0.8Fe0.2O3 exhibited much higher oxygen desorption rates, but smaller oxygen absorption capacities. The oxygen absorption capacities were further verified using oxygen temperature-programmed desorption technique, and the oxygen desorption rates were well described by a pseudo-second-order kinetics model. In addition, the long-term stability of Sr0.9Co0.8Fe0.2O3 was investigated for 280 h (1120 loops) with switching between oxygen absorption and desorption. The excellent stability was confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns which suggested that the cyclic processes of oxygen absorption and desorption took place between the perovskite structure with disordered oxygen vacancies and the brownmillerite structure with ordered oxygen vacancies. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011


This paper provides a long-run view of well-being inequality at world scale based on a new historical dataset. Trends in social dimensions alter the view on inequality derived from per capita GDP. While in terms of income, inequality increased until the third quarter of the twentieth century; in terms of well-being, inequality fell steadily since World War I. The spread of mass primary education and the health transitions were its main drivers. The gap between the West and the Rest explains only partially the evolution of well-being inequality, as the dispersion within the developing regions has increasingly determined its evolution.


In Ulan-Ude, in 1942, the mortality of children at the age from 0 to 15 years consisted 64% of total numbers of died persons. The main causes of children mortality during all the war were tuberculosis, pneumonia, toxic dyspepsia and diarrhea. In October 1942, the government adopted a special decree obligated Narcomzdrav of the USSR to re-establish the system of maternity and child care existed before the war. The focus was made on the district principle of functioning of women and children consultations and polyclinics and to take measures to enhance the children diet and food vitaminization. In Buryat-Mongolskaya ASSR, during the war period, no epidemics of infectious diseases were allowed. In this difficult period of life the first multifield children hospital and municipal infection hospital with children beds were established and functioned with success.


Counterfactual thinking (CT) corresponds to the idea of mental constructions of alternatives for past event and serves an important function in an individual's adaptation and emotional coping. The aims of this study were to: (1) produce material to access and evaluate the counterfactual thinking of adults and (2) investigate the counterfactual thinking of depressed and non-depressed people, in order to determine if there are differences in how these two groups think about alternatives to reality. Five stories were prepared, using materials extracts from studies of counterfactual thinking, newspaper report and magazines articles. For each story, we formulated questions about thoughts related to the content read and about how these stories might have been different. The alternatives were formulated using aspects of reality most commonly modified by people, according to the literature: action or inaction, obligation, time and unusual events. Judges evaluated the texts and the questions, and ranked the alternatives provided according to aspects of reality that were modified. These materials were then used with 42 adults (85% female, mean age of 43 years). Subjects belonged one of two groups: depressed and non-depressed. Individual interviews were conducted. Initially, participants indicated their reactions to the stories then indicated modifications they would make, and then selected one of a pre-determined list of possible changes. The verbal responses of both groups were categorized using content analysis, and the frequency of responses, for each category, was compared using Student's t-Test. There were similarities in the CT for both groups. The majority of the CT was categorized as upward, subtractive, self-directed and refered to modifications in action or inactions. Few differences between the two groups were observed, mostly found through directed modifications.


To The Editor From an analysis of the trial findings of vitamin D supplementation with at least 2000 recruits carried out between 2009 and 2020, Scragg and Sluyter found that benefits in bone health were produced mainly in initially deficient subjects, as one might expect. Therefore, they concluded that population-based measures such as food fortification would be a better approach to correcting population deficiency than screening to identity deficient subjects. Food fortification has already been shown to be effective when used together with the encouragement of high-risk group supplementation, for example in Finland, for correcting deficiency. Only four of the seven trials that met the authors stated criteria had reported their findings of both improvedbone health togetherwith some improvement in both vascular and lung functionwith supplementation, though they showed no consistent reductions in nonskeletal health outcome risks other than in cancer mortality. The authors suggest that the results from the four as-yet unpublished randomized control trials and further outcome analyses from the three published trials "can be expected to clarify the role of vitamin D supplementation for reducing nonskeletal disease." However, they did not discuss what specific data analyses would be themost likely to reveal any such health benefits. Because many aspects of the biology of vitamin D can reduce the ability of trial data to demonstrate health benefits, it is hoped that they can be allowed for when that further trial data comes to be analyzed. For example, the nonlinearity of the effects of vitamin D means that increasing intakes produce S-shaped curves, both for the increases in serum 25(OH)D with intake and for the effects produced by increases in serum 25(OH)D. Thus, the effects of supplementation are minimal if deficient 25(OH)D values are not raised onto the steep slope of the S and with the supplementation of replete subjects whose response data are already on the upper plateau of the S. Furthermore, effect thresholds for vitamin D's effects on different functions and disorders vary with serum 25(OH)D concentrations and not with intact vitamin D3 intakes. (4) Thus, trial analyses should examine basal 25(OH)D values so that outcomes can be examined in subjects whose deficiency was corrected and should also examine outcomes by achieved 25(OH)D values. Also, because few 25(OH)D thresholds have been identified, they should look for possible thresholds at and abovewhich the desired outcome appears and check whether enough subjects achieved such thresholds for relevant subgroup analyses to be valid. Already known serum 25(OH)D threshold effects include, for example, 50 nmol/l for bone outcomes but 80–100 nmol/l for reducing abnormal insulin resistance. Because raised insulin resistance is a major cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) development, reducing insulin resistance is especially important for reducing T2DM risks in those with prediabetes. This concept is confirmed by the recent D2d data reanalysis showing that T2DM risks were reduced by up to 70% in those achieving average intratrial 25(OH)D values of 100 nmol/l ormore, although it is of interest that those values were only achieved on intakes of 4000 IU/day and not on 3200 IU/day or less. These findings imply that many trials may well not have achieved serum 25(OH)D effect threshold values for the outcome(s) of interest because the supplemental doses were too low, as the authors note. Hence, this situation provides an important reason for measuring achieved 25(OH)D values. Although most randomized clinical trials targeted at the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) have not shown risk reductions based on the problems of trial design and the life-long natural history of CVD development versus trial duration, CVD risk factors are commonly less abnormal with higher D status observationally, implying that vascular health benefits should appear with suitably high vitamin D status over the lifespan. Acute events, however, may well be reduced by adequate supplementation because the plaque disruption that leads to occlusive clot formation follows inflammatory changes with infiltration by macrophages that secrete tissue-destructive matrix metalloproteinases (especially MMPs-2/9), whereas inflammation is well known to be reduced by improving vitamin D status and MMP-


Farm input subsidy programs have once again become a popular policy tool that many African governments use to improve agricultural productivity and address rural poverty. Zambia is one of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that over the past decade has devoted a considerable share of its agricultural budget to the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP). Input subsidy programs have received considerable research attention in recent years. Unfortunately, the issue of late delivery of inputs under government subsidy programs has received little or no research attention even though it has been a longstanding problem in many countries, including Zambia. This paper examined the effects of late delivery of fertilizer on technical efficiency of smallholder maize producers and on foregone national maize output in Zambia. Using cross-sectional household survey data for the 2010/11 agricultural season, a plot-level maize yield response model was estimated using a Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA) while controlling for the endogeneity of whether farmers received their FISP fertilizer on time. Results indicate that late delivery of fertilizer reduces technical efficiency and maize yield by 4.2%. The estimated results are then extrapolated to quantify the loss in national maize output. The foregone maize output due to late delivery of fertilizer in the 2010/11 farming season was 84,924 metric tons. When valued at the government's maize purchase price, the forgone income is equivalent to USD 21.2 million. Furthermore, by limiting the sample to only households that obtained fertilizer from FISP, we found that households with large landholding size and high value of productive assets were more likely to receive fertilizer on time, ceteris paribus. It was also found that households with family connections with village headmen/chiefs were more likely to receive fertilizer on time compared to other households.


Grit, as a non-cognitive factor, has emerged as a concept of interest in relation to achievement in various groups such as employees, athletes, and students in both school and university. This research looks at grit and its relationship to research efficacy in graduate students. Two major objectives form the basis for this study. The first being to add to the knowledge base about grit and its relationship to demographic variables such as age, gender and academic achievement. The second objective of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between grit and research self-efficacy. This study involved 131 graduate students from Assumption University who were asked to respond to the Grit Scale and an adapted version of the SERM (Self-Efficacy in Research Measure). Statistical analysis was carried out to find correlations between grit and demographic variables such as gender and age and GPA. The findings from this study concluded that there was no significant difference in levels of grit for male and female graduate students. Grit was found to be positively correlated with age, while it was not found to be correlated with GPA. In relation to research self-efficacy, a linear multiple regression found a statistically significant relationship with grit and research efficacy: r (131) = .339, p > .01. The results of this study both confirm and refute some of the previous research done on grit in various populations. Nonetheless, there are implications for the use of grit in enhancing research self-efficacy, increasing graduate student research productivity and subsequently, the success of graduate programs.


Knowledge of a predato's diet is important for understanding its ecology and for predicting its influence on the dynamics of prey populations. We investigated the spatial distribution and diet composition of the leopard ( Panthera pardus ) in the northeastern Himalayan region of Pakistan. We used molecular scatology technique to identify scats of common leopard collected from the field. The leopard was recorded at 30 different surveyed sites with an elevational range between 757-1891 m a.s.l. Its diet comprised 17 prey species, including both wild and domestic prey. Frequency of occurrence of wild prey was approximately 35% of the total leopard diet, while domestic prey contributed approximately 59%. The dietary niche breadth of the leopard was found to be broad during the spring but narrow during the winter. Prey species diversity index was high during summer but low during winter. Results of the current study highlight that common leopard is mainly subsisting on domestic animals, which may result in negative human-leopard interactions. We suggest that local communities should be educated to conserve the leopard and its wild prey species.


Background: Ablation devices are being utilized in surgical procedures treating atrial fibrillation. Few studies seek to define a cut-off value for left atrial diameter size beyond which risks of procedure outweigh chance of sinus recovery. This study aims to identify a cut-off value for pre-operative left atrial diameter to assess the efficacy of surgical radio-frequency ablation for treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. Methods: A prospective 6-month follow-up cohort study was done, in which 40 patients were recruited during the period from May 2016 till April 2018. All patients had rheumatic mitral valve disease and permanent atrial fibrillation. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calculate the area under the curve and cut-off value for left atrial diameter. The efficacy of the overall survival time was estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Results: Pre-operatively left atrial diameter of 59 mm was significantly associated with decrease in the possibility of reverting to sinus rhythm after surgery (OR 0.292, p-value = 0.001). The cut-off value for left atrial diameter was 59mm (sensitivity = 93.3%, specificity = 96.1%). Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were 175.07 days (156.3 - 193.9) for patients with left atrial diameter < 59mm and 62.64 days (26.6-98.7) for patients with left atrial diameter > 59mm. Conclusion: In patients undergoing mitral valve, higher degrees of success are associated with smaller left atrial diameter in terms of conservation of the sinus rhythm post operatively.


Based on the integration research, one multi-dimension integrated mode of CAPP and PDM was proposed including the integration of knowledge store dimension, knowledge transfer dimension and knowledge application dimension. In the integration of knowledge application dimension, an innovated integration method named key control function module was proposed. In knowledge transfer dimension integration, a recursive model of task and workflow between CAPP and PDM was made. In knowledge store dimension integration, the federal database and the virtual federal database was described.


Medical treatment is rarely recommended. The aim of our study is to evaluate follow-up and response to medical treatment in patients affected by hydatid cystis (HC). Methods We conducted a retrospective study about all cases of HC treated by albendazole in paediatrics department of Hedi Chaker University Hospital in Sfax over a period of 10 years (2004 – 2013). Results We report 6 cases of HC treated medically. Ages ranged between 2 and 8 years. Diagnosis was based on laboratory and imaging studies. Hydatid cystis had multiple localizations in all of cases: multiple hepatic HC (1 case), bilateral pulmonary HC (1 case), hepatic and pulmonary HC (1 case), hepatic and splenic HC, hepatic, splenic and renal HC and hepatic, pulmonary, cardiac and pancreatic HC. All patients were treated with Albenda-zole (10 mg/kg/day during 6 to 24 months). Surgical treatment was associated in 4 cases. The outcome was favourable in all cases. Conclusions Surgery remains the ideal treatment for hydatid cysts. However, medical treatment with albendazole can be efficient and can, in some circumstances, replace surgery especially in case of multiple locations.


Communities of Practice are knowledge-intensive communities, which basically accumulate and share knowledge around a common topic of interest. As knowledge sharing is the best added value that people find in meet communities of practice, any technological approach for supporting knowledgeintensive communities must guarantee it. This paper seeks to show that any approach for supporting a collaborative community memory system (a traditional technological solution for supporting knowledge sharing) must take into account awareness feature, since awareness plays essential role at the moment of sharing knowledge. Awareness is not only a means for understanding what is going on in the shared knowledge workspace, but also it is clue to maintain the community "in action", so sharing knowledge successfully. Awareness becomes in the source of emergent knowledge.


These times of treacherous infiction of alien idols, images, and lotuses, the disclosure, reading and enhancement of the particular identity of a place and its people has become an issue of clear survival. A crucial characteristic of this identity is the environment (both natural and built). The ancient Greek builtscape, permeated by a sensitive sense of whole, a precious complementarity of built and natural, a definite human scale, and a venerated cultural tradition, acquired a clear and concrete identity enhancing human existence. This paper is a genuine, instinctive sprout of my personal living experience in and of Greece. Its aim has been to activate and cultivate a fresh reading of the ancient Greek builtscape which through gradual metamorphoses elaborates a permanent attitude towards landscape. The Agora in Athens gives an eloquent example of the idea of builtspace and the relationshiop of builtscape and landscape in ancient Greece. Its developement since archaic times up to hellenistic years epitomizes the etymology, syntactic structure, and perceptual organization of ancient Greek builtscape. A projection of nearly 50 slides will accompany this paper.


The study aims to investigate which of the factor issue such as social and personality factors affects the attitude of the consumers towards counterfeit products. The study is also set out to examine the relationship of consumers'
attitude towards counterfeit product with purchase intention. Variable on this study included social factors and personality factor every each have two dimension Informational susceptibility, normative susceptibility value conscious and personal gratification. A survey of one hundred forty one respondents using questionnaire was conducted in the Sabah market especially in Kota Kinabalu. Informational susceptibility, normative susceptibility and value conscious not significantly influence attitude towards counterfeit or pirated product but discovered that personal gratification are the independent variables that
negatively Significantly influence consumers' attitude towards counterfeit product. Attitude towards counterfeit product was also found significant in influencing purchase intention. This reinforces the mediator role of attitude in its relationship with purchase intentions. By having a better understanding of the consumers' behavioural intentions of buying counterfeit products, the manufacturers and marketers of the genuine brand products can make better
marketing strategies to entice the consumer to buy the original product and not the counterfeit version. Theoretical contribution of this study is an extension of
knowledge of consumers' attitude and purchase intention with regards to counterfeit or pirated products.


Process calculi are simple languages which permit modeling of concurrent systems so that they can be verified for correctness. We can analyze concurrent systems based on process calculi by either comparing a representation of the actual implementation with a simpler specification for equivalence, or by verifying whether desired properties described in an adequate logic hold. Strong bisimulation equivalence is one of many equivalence relations defined on process calculi to aid in the verification of concurrent software. This equivalence relation relates processes which exhibit the same behavior, i.e. perform the same transitions, as equivalent regardless of internal implementation details. Logics to reason about processes range from those which describe temporal properties – how properties evolve during the course of a process' life – behavioral properties – which actions a process is capable of performing – and spatial properties – what components compose a process and how are they connected. Model checking consists of verifying if a model, in our case a process, satisfies a given property. Model checking techniques are quite popular in conjunction with process calculi to aid in the verification of the correctness of concurrent systems. In this thesis we address the problems of checking bisimilarity between processess using characteristic formulae, which are formulae used to fully describe a process' behavior. We implement some facilities to allow bisimilarity verification in the Spatial Logic Model Checker tool. As a result of adding these facilities we also extend the SLMC tool with an extra modality in the logic it uses to reason about processes. We have also added the possibility to define mutually recursive properties in the tool and enhanced the model checking algorithm with a cache to prevent redundant, time-consuming checks to be performed.


Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) phosphorylates diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid, modifying the cellular levels of these two lipid mediators. Ten DGK isoforms, grouped into five subtypes, are found in higher organisms. All contain a conserved C-terminal domain and at least two cysteine-rich motifs of unknown function. DGKalpha is a type I enzyme that acts as a negative modulator of diacylglycerol-based signals during T cell activation. Here we studied the functional role of the DGKalpha domains using mutational analysis to investigate membrane binding in intact cells. We show that the two atypical C1 domains are essential for plasma membrane targeting of the protein in intact cells but unnecessary for catalytic activity. We also identify the C-terminal sequence of the protein as essential for membrane binding in a phosphatidic acid-dependent manner. Finally we demonstrate that, in the absence of the calcium binding domain, receptor-dependent translocation of the truncated protein is regulated by phosphorylation of Tyr(335). This functional study provides new insight into the role of the so-called conserved domains of this lipid kinase family and demonstrates the existence of additional domains that confer specific plasma membrane localization to this particular isoform.