The skin is the largest of the organs. It performs a wide variety of functions vital to maintenance of the homeostatic status of the body and plays an active role in immune responses via the innate and acquired immune system. In addition, different regions of the skin such as the ears, eyelids, lips, prepuce, footpads and claws have specialized functions and differ structurally from the skin that covers the general body surface. A consideration of all these topics is beyond the scope of this chapter. Attention will be concentrated on the anatomy and physiology of the unspecialized skin and its role in body defence, with the aim of providing a basis for understanding the pathogenesis of cutaneous disease. The chapter focuses on the epidermis; hair and its associated structures; the dermoepidermal junction; the dermis, and the skin as an immune organ.


Question: How does regeneration response to a hostspecific, high-severity, infrequent Dendroctonus rufipennis outbreak differ from our conceptualization of high-severity, infrequent/low-severity, frequent disturbance regimes in Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa communities? Location: Southern Utah, USA. Methods: One hundred and seven plots across a highelevation P. engelmannii forest were sampled to reconstruct pre-outbreak overstory and seedling bank densities, and calculate their associated metrics of diversity. Decade of establishment by seedling bank trees indicated ''chronic'' and ''pulse'' regenerators. Results: The post-outbreak overstory and seedling bank were dominated by A. lasiocarpa. Although Pinus flexilis, Pinus ponderosa, Picea pungens, and Psuedotsuga menziesii were present in the overstory, they were virtually absent in the seedling bank. Seedling bank recruitment of A. lasiocarpa and P. engelmannii has been occurring chronically for at least the last � 205 and � 152 years, respectively. A pulse response of seedling bank Populus tremuloides was apparent; however, results were complicated by intense ungulate browsing. Conclusions: Despite some similarities to the highseverity, infrequent/low-severity, frequent conceptualization of regeneration response to disturbance, the high-severity D. rufipennis outbreak is best described by explicitly considering host specificity and severity. Although, the outbreak simultaneously promoted both a pulse of P. tremuloides and a release of chronically regenerated A. lasiocarpa, the P. tremuloides response was generally masked by ungulate browsing, and the regeneration response came overwhelmingly from the A. lasiocarpa seedling bank. In this landscape, once dominated by P. engelmannii, the chronically regenerating seedling bank, typically thought to take advantage of canopy gaps associated with low-severity disturbances, is poised to dominate forest reorganization in response to the host-specific outbreak.


In a plate rolling production line, thermomechanically controlled processing is critical for plate quality. In this paper, a set of intermediate cooling equipment of a two-stand plate mill with super density nozzles, medium pressure, and small flow is developed. Based on a simplified dynamic model, a cooling control scheme with combined feedforward, feedback, and adaptive algorithms is put forward. The new controlled rolling process and the highly efficient control system improve the controlled rolling efficiency by an average of 17.66%. The proposed intermediate cooling system can also effectively inhibit the growth of austenite grain, improve the impact toughness and yield strength of Q345B steel plate, reduce the formation of secondary oxide scale on the plate surface and the chromatic aberration of the plate surface, and greatly improve the surface quality of the steel plate.


Composed primarily of regional business leaders, the population of French professional football club presidents is particularly rich for sociological study. Coming from modest families and typified by lower educational levels, these men escape the most common modes of elite social (re)production. While access to dominant positions was overwhelmingly determined by the educational system and/or family legacies in France in the latter half of the twentieth century, they represent an atypical population characterized by the originality of the path its members took to achieve an eminent position. While the literature has thus far focused on cases of social mobility through education, this article highlights another, very different modality of ascension based on other advantages and other circuits of legitimation. By showing that these rising businessmen's access to national visibility results from a long trajectory of increasing notability with strong local rootedness, the article aims to both give an account of little-studied forms of social mobility and provide some elements for characterizing a group that has been overlooked in the literature: the business petite-bourgeoisie.


Objective Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare disorder of the central nervous system characterized by stiffness and muscle spasms that may be progressive in nature. When oral medication is inadequate to control muscle spasticity, intrathecal baclofen may be used. We report a patient with severe SPS and glutamate decarboxylase negative [GAD(−)] (note: GAD(−) indicates the patient has no antibodies to GAD), refractory to oral standard therapies. The patient was effectively trialed with an intrathecal catheter and subsequently treated with chronic intrathecal baclofen, which provided significant relief of spasticity symptoms. Case Report A 48-year-old white man with a history consistent with SPS presented to the clinic. His previous history showed that he met several diagnostic criteria for GAD(−) SPS and had a muscle biopsy positive for myositis. Oral medications were unable to control his muscle spasticity, preventing him from working. The patient received an intrathecal trial using a lumbar approach for placement of a thoracic catheter with an initial baclofen dose of 50 &mgr;g/d. Gradual titration to symptom relief was performed up to 150 &mgr;g/d. Functional evaluation by our physical therapist showed improved motor function, the temporary catheter was removed, and a permanent intrathecal pump placed for intrathecal baclofen infusion. The patient reported excellent symptom relief over the next 6 months and improved activity. Conclusions Refractory SPS is difficult to treat and has few therapeutic options. We report a GAD(−) patient with SPS and resulting debilitating spasticity that was refractory to oral medications who underwent successful continuous intrathecal catheter trial of baclofen over 4 days and subsequently went on to implantation of intrathecal pump. The literature reports only 5 cases of GAD(−) SPS patients treated with intrathecal baclofen therapy, and these resulted in poor long-term success. Our patient completed a 4-day trial of intrathecal baclofen titrated to effect before pump implantation. We advocate continuous intrathecal trialing, as opposed to single-injection technique, to possibly better determine the effective therapeutic dose and ensure posttrialing successful therapy.


The purpose of this paper is to estimate the limits imposed on the computations made by logic gates fabricated in CMOS technology. It is assumed that the most rigorous constraints on computations originate from the thermodynamically irreversible processes that the computations consist of. In this paper, a model of CMOS logic gate is given based on the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. It is found that the ultimate limit on energy spent to process one bit of data estimated by the proposed model of a CMOS logic gate is equal to the famous Landauer limit. This limiting energy cannot be obtained without sophisticated coding of the processed data. If one wants to avoid the processing of coded data, then much more energy has to be used to process one bit. In this paper, three limiting energies were estimated based on the proposed model of a logic gate. The limiting energies found in this study can be used, with Moore's law, to predict time after which development of CMOS technology is not possible.


Abstract : Results are given of a detailed calibration of the flow in the test section of the Research Wind Tunnel at DST Group. The calibration was performed to establish the flow quality and to provide guidance when determining the suitability of the tunnel for given tests. Longitudinal mean-flow velocities, flow angles and longitudinal-component turbulence intensities were measured at up to 187 grid locations across the flow at the centre of the test section for nominal free-stream velocities of 10 and 20 ms-1. Measurements were taken when screens were installed in the tunnel and when there were no screens in the tunnel. The most important area of the test section, where models are usually located, is the region comprising approximately the central 50% of the cross-sectional area of the test section. In this region, the following flow non-uniformities were observed when screens were in the tunnel. For nominal free-stream velocities of 10 and 20 ms-1, velocity deviations varied by about 0.5%, horizontal and vertical flow angles varied by about 0.6, and longitudinal-component turbulence intensities were below about 0.3%. The variations in flow parameters are comparable with acceptable variations quoted in the literature. Based on these measurements, the tunnel is considered suitable for flow-visualization studies around models and the measurement of forces, moments and pressures on models. The tunnel may not be suitable for boundary-layer-transition studies, due to the moderate levels of free-stream turbulence levels in the tunnel. Possible ways of modifying the tunnel to improve the flow in the test section are suggested.


A 65 years old male patient presented in the outpatient department of the Digestive Disease-II with the chief complains of the passage of blood with stool for 3 months, mild abdominal pain, and occasional constipation. The patient has a habit of regular smoking and alcohol intake. On examination, the he was found anemic but generally healthy with diffuse mild abdominal tenderness. He was non-diabetic and non-hypertensive with no history of hepatic disease or surgery.

His blood routine examination revealed mild anemia, biochemistry for the liver function tests were not significant. Ultrasound detected Hepatomegaly with no other associated changes. The fecal occult blood test was positive. Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy was normal, but the colonoscopy detected multiple dilated veins 30 cm distal to the anus with fresh hemorrhage (Figures 1- 3). For further evaluation, an abdominal CT was done, but no abnormality was detected. The patient was advised for sclerotherapy of the dilated varices.


In this paper we present a novel algorithm for constructing subdivision connectivity mesh from dense original mesh. Our algorithm begins from a coarse base mesh generated from the original mesh and then the original mesh is divided into a set of patches guided by the base mesh. The patches are subsequently parameterized onto a planar domain by the mean value coordinates method. For each mesh patch, four boundary condition curves are calculated via the parameterization for local PDE patch construction. Considering the boundary curves as shape control boundary curve conditions, a PDE patch can be built and its coefficients are evaluated from the boundary curves. The PDE patch gives an explicit parametric representation of the mesh patch. Finally, all the PDE patches are remeshed via the planar parametric domains and a new resampled mesh with subdivision connectivity can be obtained with an arbitrary resolution


Series of microwave-absorption lines spaced uniformly in the magnetic field have been observed in single crystals of YBa2Cu3O7-δ. As the crystals are rotated, the regularly periodic lines move in field so that the component of the magnetic field along a [110] direction remains constant. Line series appear at successive threshold microwave powers and temperatures, and the lines widen dramatically as either the microwave power or the temperature is increased. The absorptions are believed to arise from the mixing of macroscopic flux states, stabilized by the microwave excitation.


Anchovies are filter-feeding fish that inhabit nearshore environments worldwide. With increasing human pharmaceutical use, drugs that alter neurological functioning are becoming more prevalent in aquatic ecosystems via wastewater effluent, creating the need for tests that can reliably determine sublethal effects of these drugs on coastal fish populations. In this study, we used Caribbean anchovies (Anchoa spp.) as a tropical marine fish model to test drug-induced alterations of locomotion and shoaling behaviour with a video-based analysis system. Consistent with its anxiolytic effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio), ethanol decreased shoal cohesion in anchovies. We also characterized the effects of drugs known to modulate the dopaminergic system in zebrafish and rodents. A D1 receptor agonist (SKF 38393) and a D1 receptor antagonist (SCH 23390) increased the time anchovy spent in the center of the arena, but neither drug had an impact on shoal cohesion. Finally, the D1 receptor agonist caused significantly lower meandering compared with fish treated with the D1 receptor antagonist and ethanol. This study suggests that anchovy is a suitable Caribbean marine model for toxicology studies.


The utility of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) coupled with a peptide ladder sequencing method employing exopeptidase degradation for the analysis of phosphorylation site in a mono-phosphorylated peptide is investigated. MALDI-TOFMS analysis of time-dependent exopeptidase digestion using carboxypeptidase W and aminopeptidase M of the mono-phosphorylated 33–48 fragment isolated from a yS-casein tryptic digestion mixture allowed for the sequencing analysis from both the C-terminus and N-terminus. Negative ion detection MALDI-TOFMS made it possible to clearly measure the peptide ladder of mono-phosphorylated peptide by the strong negative charge localized at the phosphoric acid group. Since exopeptidase activity was suppressed by the existence of a phosphorylated amino acid residue, the termination exopeptidase degradation therefore suggested the existence of a phosphorylated amino acid residue at that site. This peptide ladder sequencing method using exopeptidases was effective for the identification of the site of a phosphorylated amino acid residue by a simple MALDI-TOFMS analysis in the negative ion detection mode.


PURPOSE
Although proprioceptive and neuromuscular exercises are considered to be part and parcel of rehabilitation programs after sport injuries, there is an uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of corresponding training interventions. The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of proprioceptive and neuromuscular training (PT/NT) for the treatment of ankle, knee, and shoulder joint injuries.

METHODS
Two independent reviewers performed a literature search in various databases and reference lists of articles. Data of included trials were then extracted, and methodological quality was assessed by using predetermined forms.

RESULTS
Fifteen trials met the inclusion criteria. PT/NT was effective at increasing functionality as well as at decreasing the incidence of recurrent injuries and "giving way" episodes after ankle sprains and in conservative treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries. However, conflicting results or no efficacy of training were reported for static postural control, joint position sense, neuromuscular control, joint laxity, and lower extremity strength. No study that examined PT/NT after shoulder injuries was found.

CONCLUSIONS
From this review, it can be concluded that proprioceptive and neuromuscular interventions after ankle and knee joint injuries can be effective for the prevention of recurrent injuries and the improvement of joint functionality.


Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood exanthem. Various types of lesions and widespread distribution in atypical cases have been described, but data on the predilection of lesion localizations in atypical cases are insufficient. We aimed to describe the demographic features of patients with HFMD, and to characterize lesion localizations in patients with atypical eruptions treated at an outpatient dermatology clinic of a pediatric hospital, between November 2011 and August 2013.The study included 67 patients. Mean age of the patients was 34 months and there was a male predominance (60%). All the patients had eruptions on hands, feet, and mouth. Children aged <24 months had involvement of the diaper area and extremities, which was significantly higher than those aged 24-48 months and >48 months (P < 0.0001 and P= 0.011, respectively). None of the patients had serious systemic complications.


The third edition of the popular "Zend PHP 5 Certification Study Guide", edited and produced by php[architect], provides the most comprehensive and thorough preparation tool for developers who wish to take the exam. Zend Certification is an industry-recognized benchmark used to validate PHP expertise while indicating a developer's commitment to mastering the craft and being a professional programmer. This edition adds three new chapters and over 80 pages of new content, and covers new features added in PHP 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6, including namespaces, traits, variadics, generators, closures, and callbacks. The book is updated to provide a discussion of modern best practices when dealing with PHP variables and types, arrays, strings, databases, object-oriented programming and patterns, web security, XML, web services, and more. Revised by PHP professional and Zend Certified PHP 5 Engineer Davey Shafik, this edition is sure to be both a useful study guide and a go-to reference for PHP programmers everywhere.


The deposition of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) on a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) was investigated at different length scales. A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was used to probe the bilayer formation and to show for the first time the CNCs deposition onto the SLB. Specifically, classical QCM-D measurements gave estimation of the adsorbed hydrated mass and the corresponding film thickness, whereas complementary experiments using D2O as the solvent allowed the quantitative determination of the hydration of the CNCs layer, showing a high hydration value. Scanning force microscopy (SFM) and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF) were used to probe the homogeneity of the deposited layers and reveal the structural details at the particle and film length scales, respectively, and to give information on the effect of CNCs concentration on the surface coverage. The results showed that the adsorption of CNCs on the supported lipid membrane depends on lipid composition, CNCs concentration and pH conditions, and that the binding process was governed by electrostatic interactions. Under suitable conditions, a uniform film was formed, with thickness corresponding to a CNCs monolayer, which provides the basis for a relevant 2D model of primary plant cell wall.


Uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean declined rapidly between 1990 and 2006. This reduction in carbon dioxide uptake was related to warming at the sea surface, which—according to model simulations—coincided with a reduction in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. The extent to which the slowdown of this circulation system—which transports warm surface waters to the northern high latitudes, and cool deep waters south—contributed to the reduction in carbon uptake has remained uncertain. Here, we use data on the oceanic transport of volume, heat and carbon dioxide to track carbon dioxide uptake in the subtropical and subpolar regions of the North Atlantic Ocean over the past two decades. We separate anthropogenic carbon from natural carbon by assuming that the latter corresponds to a pre-industrial atmosphere, whereas the remaining is anthropogenic. We find that the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide—released by human activities—occurred almost exclusively in the subtropical gyre. In contrast, natural carbon dioxide uptake—which results from natural Earth system processes—dominated in the subpolar gyre. We attribute the weakening of contemporary carbon dioxide uptake in the subpolar North Atlantic to a reduction in the natural component. We show that the slowdown of the meridional overturning circulation was largely responsible for the reduction in carbon uptake, through a reduction of oceanic heat loss to the atmosphere, and for the concomitant decline in anthropogenic CO2 storage in subpolar waters.


ABSTRACT Human TIF2 (hTIF2) is a member of the p160 family of nuclear receptor coactivators, which includes SRC-1 and p/CIP. Although the functions of hTIF2 and of its mouse homolog (GRIP1 or mTIF2) have been clearly established in vitro, their physiological role remains elusive. Here, we have generated mice lacking mTIF2/GRIP1 and examined their phenotype with a particular emphasis on reproductive functions. TIF2−/− mice are viable, but the fertility of both sexes is impaired. Male hypofertility is due to defects in both spermiogenesis (teratozoospermia) and age-dependent testicular degeneration, and TIF2 expression appears to be essential for adhesion of Sertoli cells to germ cells. Female hypofertility is due to a placental hypoplasia that most probably reflects a requirement for maternal TIF2 in decidua stromal cells that face the developing placenta. We conclude that TIF2 plays a critical role in mouse reproductive functions, whereas previous reports have not revealed serious fertility impairment in SRC-1−/− or p/CIP−/− mutants. Thus, even though the three p160 coactivators exhibit strong sequence homology and similar activity in assays in vitro, they play distinct physiological roles in vivo, as their genetic eliminations result in distinct pathologies.


My contribution centres on a specific landmark in Scotland known as the 'Five Sisters' on the edge of West Calder, a small town in West Lothian. 240 metres high, the Five Sisters are spoil heaps, products of a long gone oil shale mining industry. They have since been the subject of Land Art, Geo-Science, and community-led town planning.

In 1976, artist John Latham declared these shale bings to be works of art, invoking the name of Marcel Duchamp and the ready-made. His work Derelict Land Art: Five Sisters, 1976, was included in the 2013-2014 Hayward touring show Uncommon Ground: Land Art in Britain 1966-1979. In the accompanying catalogue, the curators argue how ecology – understood through Latham's piece - could now 'be seen as primarily time-based… rather than merely spatial or material.' This resonates with recent fieldwork of environmental ecologists such as Barbra Harvie, who have studied how shale bings have become 'home to rare and protected plant and animal species and are a major focus of identity in the local population.' The West Calder Community Action Plan 2013-2018 provide further evidence of such observations through its direct community engagement and identifies how the environment of the area is a key theme for future development, with the 'aim to use the past as a springboard for renewal.'

This indicates the context for my latest photography project currently in development. I have been working in West Calder over the last year, and photography has been a form of fieldwork steered by a particular group from the local community. For some members in the group, the Five Sisters holds memories of a house and its surrounding garden of Rhododendron flowers. This house was not demolished but simply buried in the bings. Consequently, my paper will be attempt to map layered histories, divergent practices and shifting environmental politics that the Five Sisters have come to embody.


Although most of the important evolutionary events in the history of biology can only be studied via interspecific comparisons, it is challenging to apply the rich body of population genetic theory to the study of interspecific genetic variation. Probabilistic modeling of the substitution process would ideally be derived from first principles of population genetics, allowing a quantitative connection to be made between the parameters describing mutation, selection, drift, and the patterns of interspecific variation. There has been progress in reconciling population genetics and interspecific evolution for the case where mutation rates are sufficiently low, but when mutation rates are higher, reconciliation has been hampered due to complications from how the loss or fixation of new mutations can be influenced by linked nonneutral polymorphisms (i.e., the Hill-Robertson effect). To investigate the generation of interspecific genetic variation when concurrent fitness-affecting polymorphisms are common and the Hill-Robertson effect is thereby potentially strong, we used the Wright-Fisher model of population genetics to simulate very many generations of mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift. This was done so that the chronological history of advantageous, deleterious, and neutral substitutions could be traced over time along the ancestral lineage. Our simulations show that the process by which a nonrecombining sequence changes over time can markedly deviate from the Markov assumption that is ubiquitous in molecular phylogenetics. In particular, we find tendencies for advantageous substitutions to be followed by deleterious ones and for deleterious substitutions to be followed by advantageous ones. Such non-Markovian patterns reflect the fact that the fate of the ancestral lineage depends not only on its current allelic state but also on gene copies not belonging to the ancestral lineage. Although our simulations describe nonrecombining sequences, we conclude by discussing how non-Markovian behavior of the ancestral lineage is plausible even when recombination rates are not low. As a result, we believe that increased attention needs to be devoted to the robustness of evolutionary inference procedures that rely upon the Markov assumption.


Summary 1. Considerable effort is expended by national and local governments to exclude alien species via detection and eradication of invading populations, but these efforts are not necessarily designed in the most economically or biologically efficient manner. 2. Using the invasion of the European strain of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar into the USA as a case study, we develop an analytical model to determine the optimal trap density for detecting isolated infestations. Most models focus on monitoring or eradication costs only; our model considers the costs of both detection and eradication when determining the best monitoring strategy. 3. The model assumes that all isolated populations must be located and eradicated by the conclusion of a programme. For programmes lasting longer than 1 year, it is more worthwhile to proactively monitor and manage rather than to wait until the programme is over. 4. For a management programme of a given length, optimal trap density is most influenced by the growth rate of the infestation. Optimal trap densities are lowest for infestations with very low growth rates (because they remain small and therefore are less expensive to eradicate) or very high growth rates (because they are easier to detect), and highest for infestations with moderate growth rates (because they are neither inexpensive to eradicate nor easy to detect). 5. Our model is useful in setting a baseline level of monitoring for isolated incidents of gypsy moth invasion. Analysis of data in two US states show that actual trap densities are far higher than the optimal densities from the model. The difference suggests risk aversion may play a role in real systems. 6. Synthesis and applications . Our model suggests that we can improve the efficiency of detection and eradication programmes for isolated infestations by optimizing detection effort relative to infestation growth rates and management programme duration. It also clearly demonstrates the importance of balancing the costs and benefits of both detection and eradication when developing invasive species monitoring programmes.


ACELG is undertaking a considerable body of research into issues of regional collaboration and structural reform in local government. It has already published papers on Consolidation in Local Government: A Fresh Look and A Comparative Analysis of Regional Organisations of Councils in NSW and Western Australia. This paper, prepared for ACELG by David Somerville and Melissa Gibbs, builds on that earlier work and investigates models of shared services delivery. Available legal options and models actually in use vary greatly across Australia.This report provides a summary of those options, illustrated by five case studies. Through undertaking this study, it was identified that further research was needed. Work is already under way to undertake additional and/or more in-depth case studies, and to explore the reasons behind the differences between jurisdictions in the models councils may use for shared services delivery. Feedback and comments can be sent to Melissa Gibbs email@example.com or (02) 9514 4890.


Dynamic traffic simulation models are frequently used to support decisions when planning an evacuation. This paper focuses on limitations in the modelling of travellers' behaviour with respect to traffic information and compliance to evacuation instructions. More specifically, we propose a model framework where the traffic simulation is executed only once (instead of many times within an iterative traffic flow convergence framework, e.g., yielding a user-equilibrium assignment). Within this one-time execution of the traffic simulation (or dynamic network loading procedure), travellers are initially assigned to their instructed route (and destination), yet may continuously update their destination and route during their trip – while accounting for the possibly disutility associated with non-compliance – thereby responding to the changing (traffic) conditions (but not anticipating these conditions, as otherwise assumed by an iterative userequilibrium assignment). This way, the realized departure time, destination and route decisions are a result of the trade-off that travellers make between complying with the prescribed travel behaviour and following their preferred travel behaviour (i.e., the travel decisions that would have been made in absence of an active evacuation plan). Also, this approach allows modelling full compliance, no compliance, and any state in between. The face-validity of the model characteristics are illustrated using a hypothetical test example. The results show the importance of capturing compliance and information levels in the traffic simulation model, as they have a large impact upon the evacuation efficiency.


This paper addresses word learning for human–robot interaction. The focus is on making a robotic agent aware of its surroundings, by having it learn the names of the objects it can find. The human user, acting as instructor, can help the robotic agent ground the words used to refer to those objects. A lifelong learning system, based on one-class learning, was developed (OCLL). This system is incremental and evolves with the presentation of any new word, which acts as a class to the robot, relying on instructor feedback. A novel experimental evaluation methodology, that takes into account the open-ended nature of word learning, is proposed and applied. This methodology is based on the realization that a robot's vocabulary will be limited by its discriminatory capacity which, in turn, depends on its sensors and perceptual capabilities. The results indicate that the robot's representations are capable of incrementally evolving by correcting class descriptions, based on instructor feedback to classification results. In successive experiments, it was possible for the robot to learn between 6 and 12 names of real-world office objects. Although these results are comparable to those obtained by other authors, there is a need to scale-up. The limitations of the method are discussed and potential directions for improvement are pointed out.


In recent decades, there has been an increase in public concerns about the animal welfare impacts of many farm practices. The transition to systems that are perceived to increase animal welfare is however, hampered by the lack of transparency regarding farming practices, information gaps and poor value signaling. Using the case of milk choice, this study investigates US consumer (N = 1020) preferences for systems that allow for additional calf-dam (mother) contact, dehorning and the role of different formats of information (i.e., text and images). The study applies a multi-profile (Case 3) best-worst scoring approach. Data were analyzed using mixed logit and latent class models. The results indicate that consumers signal significantly higher values for production systems that allow for more calf-dam contact. These preferences differ by consumer segments. Consumers also expressed positive values for dehorning with pain mitigation. The results further show that a seemingly small addition to textual information treatment, i.e., providing consumers with pictures associated with calf-dam contact practices generates statistically significant premiums. Sensitivity to additional information was high amongst female and urban consumers. The findings of this study highlight the demand incentives for the creation of niche markets for calf management practices in the dairy industry.


Tunja Stone writes a monthly account of her quest to gain Early Years Professional Status, sharing both the successes and the challenges she faces along the way.


Abstract The new millennium brought with it the advancement of digital technologies providing the link between people through computers, mobile phones and televisions, thanks to digital connections. You can communicate, research, study, buy and sell, entertain and relate to, creating a society by means of mobile devices. Analyzing this scenario presents the proposition of virtual context as a society, where people cultivate their habits, behaviors and values, creating a space for interactive communication. In this context of relationships, citizens across the universe are provided by mobile devices, creating new forms of relationships with commercial purposes.


Loss of Gα13 boosts production of liver ITIH1, resulting in systemic insulin resistance in mice that is reversed by ITIH1 neutralization by antibody. Targeting ITIH1 in metabolic disease The liver releases secretory proteins in response to metabolic stress. Kim et al. report a decrease in Gα13 in the liver of mice and humans with diabetes. Secretome analysis enabled identification of a specific protein (ITIH1) highly secreted by liver in association with insulin resistance and consequent hyperglycemia. Glycosyl modification of ITIH1 facilitated its deposition on the hyaluronan surrounding mouse adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, making a physical barrier between insulin and its receptor. Neutralization of secreted ITIH1 prevented systemic insulin resistance and ameliorated glucose intolerance in mice. This finding may contribute to developing a new strategy to treat metabolic diseases. The impact of liver disease on whole-body glucose homeostasis is largely attributed to dysregulated release of secretory proteins in response to metabolic stress. The molecular cues linking liver to whole-body glucose metabolism remain elusive. We found that expression of G protein α-13 (Gα13) was decreased in the liver of mice and humans with diabetes. Liver-specific deletion of the Gna13 gene in mice resulted in systemic glucose intolerance. Comparative secretome analysis identified inter-α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 1 (ITIH1) as a protein secreted by liver that was responsible for systemic insulin resistance in Gna13-deficient mice. Liver expression of ITIH1 positively correlated with surrogate markers for diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or overt diabetes. Mechanistically, a decrease in hepatic Gα13 caused ITIH1 oversecretion by liver through induction of O-GlcNAc transferase expression, facilitating ITIH1 deposition on the hyaluronan surrounding mouse adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Neutralization of secreted ITIH1 ameliorated glucose intolerance in obese mice. Our findings demonstrate systemic insulin resistance in mice resulting from liver-secreted ITIH1 downstream of Gα13 and its reversal by ITIH1 neutralization.


Dietary fat is ingested in three forms: 1) in solid food, 2) as aqueous emulsions, and 3) as unemulsified, liquid oil. On the basis of a scant previous literature, we postulated that liquid fat (emulsions or oils) would empty from the stomach at speeds that varied with the amounts ingested but that this dynamic would be modulated by feedback inhibition from lipolytic products. To test these ideas, we used a gamma camera to track gastric emptying of 123I-labeled fat in dogs with chronic pancreatic fistulas by which lipase was excluded from or replenished in the duodenum in varied amounts after dogs were fed 15-, 30-, and 60-g loads of liquid fat given with solid foods or as emulsions. We also tracked concurrent gastric emptying of 113mIn, which marked the solid food phase or the water phase of emulsions. In some studies, we used a potent and specific inhibitor (orlistat) of pancreatic and gastric lipases to assess how lipolytic products modulated emptying of liquid fat. In the absence of pancreatic enzymes, both oils and emulsions emptied initially at high speeds that varied with fat loads, but emptying slowed 20 min after ingestion of emulsions and 60 min after ingestion of unemulsified oil. Studies with orlistat indicated that these changes in rates resulted from liberation of gastric lipolytic products. Emptying of oil emulsions was not altered by duodenal replenishment with pancreatic enzymes, but emptying of unemulsified oil was inhibited in a dose-related fashion, such that maximal inhibition was achieved when pancreatic enzymes were replenished at > or = 40% of normal amounts. Studies with orlistat confirmed that this dose-dependent slowing was due specifically to lipase. Emptying of solid food was much more sensitive to replenishment with enzymes, so that a 10% replenishment maximally inhibited solid emptying.


Architecture in Latin America is cyclically underpinned by the quest to represent multiple identities: international, national, (Latin) American. During the 1930s, although modernist European architects became the reference for Latin American professionals, they were nonetheless of no help in developing national expressions of modernity. Tracing back the debate to the cultural turmoil of that decade with an eye on older topoi on environmental determinism, this article delves into various texts through which the identity of Colombian architectural modernism was constructed. Firstly, it highlights the link between territory, nation, and historical heritage that underpinned the definition of a system of values seen as typically Colombian but, in fact, comparable to that of other countries. Then, it focuses on the construction of Colombian modernism's identity as opposed to different Latin American experiences, highlighting the role of local and international actors. The article also explains the centrality given to Bogotá and its architecture because of the climatic differences that made the country's cool highlands similar to Europe and the USA and, therefore, the place where civilisation, development, and modern architecture were possible for the Colombian elites. Ultimately, this text documents an exemplary case, stressing the non-exceptionalism of the different representations of Latin American national modernisms.


Objective. To assess the feasibility and process of providing feedback to parents regarding the results of epidemiologic research, in particular to look at the importance and clarity of the information provided, parental reactions to the results, and utilization of the data provided.
 Methodology. Parents who participated in an epidemiologic study of pediatric brain tumors (patient and control mothers) were sent a letter summarizing the results of the study and the Parent Study Results Survey to complete and return. The final sample used for analyses was 109 (patient) and 90 (control) mothers. Analyses were conducted to determine differences between patient and control mothers and differences among subsets defined by educational level and vital status of the patient.
 Results. Mothers rated the importance and clarity of the information very highly, although patient mothers were more likely than control mothers to want more information and a telephone contact. Patient and control mothers were similar in reported sadness, anxiety, and being overwhelmed, but patient mothers felt less satisfied and relieved. Patient mothers expressed feeling more guilt and anger than control mothers, although even the levels among the patient mothers were only moderate. Close to half of all mothers commented on the inconclusiveness of the study results. Nearly all mothers indicated they would suggest that other parents participate in epidemiologic research.
 Conclusions. It is valuable to many parents that they receive information about results of research in which they have participated. We found little evidence of strong negative effects to a detailed feedback letter. We recommend that evaluative data be used to guide the process of informing research participants about study results and that investigators consider making feedback letters a standard part of research protocols.


Indigenous peoples worldwide continue to face health inequities compared to non-Indigenous populations. Frameworks like cultural safety can be used to mitigate these inequities; however, this is not widely implemented in healthcare settings. Thus, additional research into barriers to providing culturally safe care are critical. To address this need, we examined the existing barriers to culturally safe care for Indigenous peoples in Canada, and Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, through the perspectives of key informants. Major issues identified by key informants included systemic racism, lack of organisational accountability and/or buy-in, ineffective health-provider education, funding, health system structure, undervaluing Indigenous knowledge, negative framing, terminology, and changes to the concept of cultural safety over time. When examined closely, systemic racism and ongoing settler colonialism are the key driving forces underpinning many of the barriers identified. Findings from this research point to barriers at every level and require a system-wide, intersectoral approach in order to provide culturally safe care for Indigenous peoples and advance Indigenous health equity.


Sir, Following the publication of the Report by the Geological Society's Engineering Group Working Party on "The preparation of maps and plans in terms of Engineering Geology", the Association of Engineering Geologists (London U.K. Section) met on 4th June 1973 to discuss this document. A Forum discussion was held chaired by Mr. R. J. G. Edwards. Forum lead speakers were Mr. C. R. Cratchley, Mr. M. W. Morgans, Mr. I. E. Higginbottom, and Mr. A. P. Humphreys. Messrs. D. Brunsden, Carter, J. C. Doornkamp, J. N. Hutchinson, J. L. Knill, J. W. Norman, D. G. Price, G. E. Rawlings, and E. J. Wilson contributed to the general discussion. Mr. C. R. Cratchley commenced the discussion by outlining the possible applications of engineering geological maps in planning, as a guide to the design of subsequent site investigations and the application of such plans in the recording of more detailed information on specific engineering projects. The extent to which engineering design information should be included on maps was questioned with regard to the amount of basic data included and its representability. The use of a computer and data bank in the retrieval of site investigation data was discussed. It was suggested that some of the value of the report lay in drawing attention to some of the problems of producing engineering geological maps and plans, and as such should not be regarded as a standard, but more as a guide to possible future developments. Mr. M. W. Morgans, having stressed the need


This paper presents a prototype implementation of end-to-end monitoring of performance parameters in SIP-based communication. The approach is to integrate signalling information and measurements of user data traffic. Test measurements illustrate some results that can be obtained per session; packet loss, round-trip delays and their variation, inter-arrival jitter and throughput


The Spitzenkandidaten were meant to personalize European Parliament elections. This paper asks whether and through which channels the lead candidates were actually able to make themselves known among voters – a necessary precondition for any electoral effect. Combining panel surveys and online tracking data, the study explores candidate learning during the German 2019 European Parliament election campaign and relates learning to different types of news exposure, with a special focus on online news. The results show that learning was limited and unevenly distributed across candidates. However exposure to candidate-specific online news and most types of offline news helped to acquire knowledge. The findings imply that Spitzenkandidaten stick to voters' minds when they get exposed to them, but that exposure is infrequent in high-choice media environments.


Autopsy study of 17 newborn infants with lethal autosomal recessive disease presenting as growth retardation with lactic acidosis, Fanconi aminoaciduria, and hepatic hemosiderosis is reported. The patients succumbed between day 1 and 4 months of life; 9 patients died within the first month. All patients showed severe pathologic changes of liver with cholestasis in all livers. Extensive accumulation of stainable iron of the hepatocytes was present in 9/17 autopsy tissues and in two biopsy specimens. Moderate to abundant iron storage in the Kupffer cells was seen in all liver specimens. The amount of hepatocytic iron was high in livers up to 1 month of age and decreased thereafter. The general features and liver findings of this disorder suggest the name Growth Retardation Aminoaciduria Cholestasis Iron Overload, Lactacidosis and Early Death (GRACILE, OMIM 603358). Calcified concrements were seen in the medulla of 13/16 kidney specimens. Pancreas of 13/14 patients showed interstitial fibrosis and exocrine atrophy. Various pathologic findings such as renal tubular dysgenesis, paucity of hepatic bile ducts and iron storage in the macrophages of spleen and pulmonary alveoli were observed in some cases. Previous extensive clinical genetic and laboratory investigations have revealed that the patients had a previously unrecognized genetic disease. It is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The gene locus is 2q33-37. The basic defect of the disease remains unknown.


System-of-Systems (SoS) has consolidated itself as a special type of software-intensive systems. As such, subtypes of SoS have also emerged, such as Cyber-Physical SoS (CPSoS) that are formed essentially of cyber-physical constituent systems and Systems-of-Information Systems (SoIS) that contain information systems as their constituents. In contrast to CPSoS that have been investigated and covered in the specialized literature, SoIS still lack critical discussion about their fundamentals. The main contribution of this paper is to present those fundamentals to set an understanding of SoIS. By offering a discussion and examining literature cases, we draw an essential settlement on SoIS definition, basics, and practical implications. The discussion herein presented results from research conducted on SoIS over the past years in interinstitutional and multinational research collaborations. The knowledge gathered in this paper arises from several scientific discussion meetings among the authors. As a result, we aim to contribute to the state of the art of SoIS besides paving the research avenues for the forthcoming years.


SIR,-The Brighton commnittee of inquiry into the death of Maria Colwell, keeping to its brief, has formulated an excellent report' which pinpoints deficiencies lin the coordination of agencies; but examination of the evidence shows that the lack of coordination was a subsidiary cause of the tragedy. The crucial decision to reimove thhe child from her affectionate foster-parents did not call 'for co-ordination between tihe agencies, nor did the decision by the court to support the return of the child to her natural parents. The second crucial decision, to leave the child in a situation of hazard, arose from the misinterpretation of albundant immediate data. Co-ordinating the information of other agencies was irrevelant. A nunrber of agencies had supporting evidence, but the unavailability of this evidence did not prevent neighibours coming to rhe right conclusions. Society, as your leading article (14 September, p. 641) states, did not fail. but the experts did. Using the public, the system, and the lack of co-ordination of agencies as scapegoats will not deceive informed opinion. We must look elsewhere than to lack of co-ordination of agencies for the cause of the tragedy. It lay in matters unthappily outside the terms of reference of the inouiry-in tihe theoreticadl viewpoints that guided decision making. The main wrong viewpoints were: that the natural parents are, in all circumstances, more adequate than other parents; that children should be returned ito natural parents at the first opportunity; that fosterparents cannot supply totally satisfactory substitute care; that separaiion of children from parents is to be avoided at all costs. A monopolistic State machinery that maintains these viewpoints deliberately places large numbers of children at hazard in their own homes. This (prescription for the management of child care produces an iatrogenic diisorder. The prescription for change must include the following. (1) Changes of viewpoints about the essentials of child care which need to be taught to 'the relevant professions. The Brighton minority report gives an embarrassing picture of the bizarre, fanciful shibboleths rife in training schools. (2) A national inquiry with wide terms of reference into child care procedures. Eadh death by battering (rhree more were reported in the Daily Telegraph on 17 September) deserves a local inquiry, but a national inquiry could have wider terms of reference. (3) Tlhe provision of a specialist social worker in child care, responsible for the supiervision of children, for maintaining a confidential list of vulnerable children, and for collaboration with other professionals. Team work is admirable but secondary to careful evaluations of the family situation. Team responsibility should not replace individual responsibility. The trust of families can be retained only with confidentiality. (4) Any dhild admitted to hospital and suspected of being a victim of abuse should be referred to a psychiatrist, as is now the practice with attempted suicide. The psychiatrist would then undertake extensive family exploration and would collaborate with the medical man in continuous mnedical responsibility and with a social worker in continuous welfare responsibility for families. (5) Area teams should consider children's services only broadly, as they are too slow and indecisive to be concerned in day-today case management and cut across the essential requirement of individual responsibility. (6) The legal position of children should be strengthened. Foster-parents should be represented in courts as a right. A "children's advocate" is likely to represent estalblished expert opinion and would not have saved Maria Colwell. Better to put our faith in detached, careful magistrates, who are usually more in touch with conmmon sense and public opinion. Courts can seek the opinion of a child psychiatrist when a detailed exploration of family pathology is required. (7) Children's voluntary societies should be strengthened to the point of being effective innovators and a realistic alternative to the state care of our children.-I am, etc.,


Despite Newman's negligible direct familiarity with the works and thought of John Duns Scotus, there has been recent discussion of affinities between the two along a range of philosophical approaches and sensibilities. These notes introduce the thesis that both Scotus and Newman share a disposition to appeal to aesthetic rationality when it comes to asserting certain basic truths critical to Christian understanding. Recent Scotus studies have demonstrated the deep and pervasive presence of the aesthetic dimension in Duns Scotus's thought. In the latter half of this paper I argue for the importance of aesthetic rationality in understanding Newman's illative sense, which is perhaps his most important contribution to philosophical thought.


Asia Pacific countries have experienced extraordinary economic growth in recent years. But the region also suffers from choking air pollution, fouled water, ravaged forests, depleted fisheries, and other environmental problems.Eager to promote further growth, governments in the region have embarked on an ambitious program of economic integration through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. In this volume, Dua and Esty argue that APEC's trade and investment liberalization can be compatible with environmental protection. They stress, moreover, that true prosperity and the APEC vision of a "community of Asia Pacific economies" cannot be achieved without attention to public health and ecological threats, resource management issues, and tensions at the economy-environment interface. The authors identify the issues that must be dealt with internationally and propose an ambitious environmental action agenda for APEC that would play an important role in that strategy.


We examine bid data from the first two broadband PCS spectrum auctions for evidence of value synergies. First, we estimate a benchmark regression for the determinants of final auction prices. Then, we include variables reflecting the extent to which bidders ultimately won or already owned the adjacent wireless properties. Consistent with geographic synergies in an ascending-bid auction, prices were higher when the highest-losing bidder had adjacent licenses. The footprints of winning bidders suggest that they were often successful in realizing these synergies.


There are several deployment scenarios for mobile ad-hoc networks discussed in the literature. However, the most results have been made in artificial environments. In this paper we study the performance of state of the art routing protocols for mobile multi-hop ad-hoc networks in an environment which emulates a city downtown. The studied simulation environment differs in three aspects from that of well known: i) The used mobility model emulates a city downtown with several zones and different mobility models. ii) The number of mobile nodes and the number of connections is inspired from real traces. iii) We use duplexconnections.


INTRODUCTION
Accidental fall is a serious problem in older adults. The incidence of accidental fall increases by any dysfunction in the proprioceptive system. The function of the proprioceptive system usually is much affected in people with diabetes mellitus (DM), particularly in older ages. However, proprioceptive exercise significantly improves the balance control in older adults, no systematic review demonstrated its effectiveness in improving the balance control in older adults with DM. Thus, this systematic review was conducted to examine the effectiveness of adding proprioceptive exercise to any balance training in older adults with DM.

METHODS
A systematic search was performed in five major databases. The inclusion criteria of this search included older adults, DM, peripheral neuropathy, randomized control trial, and proprioceptive dysfunction. The exclusion criterion of this search included any study that its participants had a history of a disease that might affect the balance control such as ataxia, stroke, Parkinsonism. The outcome of interest was the importance of including proprioceptive exercise in increasing the effectiveness of balance training in older adults with DM.

RESULTS
Nine RCTs met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Seven studies of these nine studies included the randomization details. Only two studies included the blindness, and only one of them included double blindness. The description of the withdrawal of participants was shown in eight studies. All the included studies used a control group and accomplished the homogeny between subjects in both groups.

CONCLUSION
This systematic review showed that proprioceptive exercise is a vital component that should be included in any balance training to gain short-term improvement in the balance control in older adults with DM.


Abstract. Gas-particle equilibrium partitioning is a fundamental concept used to
describe the growth and loss of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). However,
recent literature has suggested that gas-particle partitioning may be
kinetically limited, preventing volatilization from the aerosol phase as a
result of the physical state of the aerosol (e.g. glassy, viscous). Experimental
measurements of diffusion constants within viscous aerosol are limited and
do not represent the complex chemical composition observed in SOA (i.e.
multicomponent mixtures). Motivated by the need to address fundamental
questions regarding the effect of the physical state and chemical
composition of a particle on gas-particle partitioning, we present the
design and operation of a newly built 0.3 m3 continuous-flow reactor
(CFR), which can be used as a tool to gain considerable insights into the
composition and physical state of SOA. The CFR was used to generate SOA from
the photo-oxidation of α-pinene, limonene, β-caryophyllene
and toluene under different experimental conditions (i.e. relative humidity, VOC
and VOC∕NOx ratios). Up to 102 mg of SOA mass was collected per
experiment, allowing the use of highly accurate compositional- and single-particle analysis techniques, which are not usually accessible due to the
large quantity of organic aerosol mass required for analysis. A suite of
offline analytical techniques was used to determine the chemical composition
and physical state of the generated SOA, including attenuated total
reflectance infrared spectroscopy; carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur (CHNS) elemental analysis; 1H and
1H-13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR);
ultra-performance liquid chromatography ultra-high-resolution mass
spectrometry (UHRMS); high-performance liquid chromatography ion-trap mass
spectrometry (HPLC-ITMS); and an electrodynamic balance (EDB). The
oxygen-to-carbon (O∕C) and hydrogen-to-carbon (H∕C) ratios of generated SOA
samples (determined using a CHNS elemental analyser) displayed good
agreement with literature values and were consistent with the characteristic
Van Krevelen diagram trajectory, with an observed slope of −0.41. The
elemental composition of two SOA samples formed in separate replicate
experiments displayed excellent reproducibility, with the O∕C and H∕C ratios
of the SOA samples observed to be within error of the analytical
instrumentation (instrument accuracy ±0.15 % to a reference
standard). The ability to use a highly accurate CHNS elemental analyser to
determine the elemental composition of the SOA samples allowed us to
evaluate the accuracy of reported SOA elemental compositions using UHRMS (a
commonly used technique). In all of the experiments investigated, the SOA
O∕C ratios obtained for each SOA sample using UHRMS were lower than the O∕C
ratios obtained from the CHNS analyser (the more accurate and non-selective
technique). The average difference in the ΔO∕C ratios ranged from 19 %
to 45 % depending on the SOA precursor and formation conditions. α-pinene SOA standards were generated from the collected SOA mass using
semi-preparative HPLC-ITMS coupled to an automated fraction collector,
followed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Up to 35.8±1.6 %
(propagated error of the uncertainty in the slope of the calibrations
graphs) of α-pinene SOA was quantified using this method; a
considerable improvement from most previous studies. Single aerosol droplets
were generated from the collected SOA samples and trapped within an EDB at
different temperatures and relative humidities to investigate the dynamic
changes in their physiochemical properties. The volatilization of organic
components from toluene and β-caryophyllene SOA particles at 0 %
relative humidity was found to be kinetically limited, owing to particle
viscosity. The unconventional use of a newly built CFR, combined with
comprehensive offline chemical characterization and single-particle
measurements, offers a unique approach to further our understanding of the
relationship between SOA formation conditions, chemical composition and
physiochemical properties.


System identification is a general term used to describe mathematical tools and algorithms that build dynamical models from measured data. Used for prediction, control, physical interpretation, and the designing of any electrical systems, they are vital in the fields of electrical, mechanical, civil, and chemical engineering. Focusing mainly on frequency domain techniques, System Identification: A Frequency Domain Approach, Second Edition also studies in detail the similarities and differences with the classical time domain approach. It high??lights many of the important steps in the identification process, points out the possible pitfalls to the reader, and illustrates the powerful tools that are available.


In essence, all other things being equal, the research specifically examining the causal impact of income suggests that higher income does improve a range of child outcomes (cognitive, behavioural, social and emotional) but that the improvement is small in magnitude. Much of the correlation between lower income and worse child outcomes is in fact explained by other factors that often go along with low income; income itself has a relatively small influence on child outcomes when researchers account for these other factors.


Using a recently introduced method to quantify the time-varying lead-lag dependencies between pairs of economic time series (the thermal optimal path method), we test two fundamental tenets of the theory of fixed income: (i) the stock market variations and the yield changes should be anti-correlated; (ii) the change in central bank rates, as a proxy of the monetary policy of the central bank, should be a predictor of the future stock market direction. Using both monthly and weekly data, we found very similar lead-lag dependence between the S&P 500 stock market index and the yields of bonds inside two groups: bond yields of short-term maturities (Federal funds rate (FFR), 3M, 6M, 1Y, 2Y, and 3Y) and bond yields of long-term maturities (5Y, 7Y, 10Y, and 20Y). In all cases, we observe the opposite of (i) and (ii). First, the stock market and yields move in the same direction. Second, the stock market leads the yields, including especially the FFR. Moreover, we find that the short-term yields in the first group lead the long-term yields in the second group before the financial crisis that started in mid-2007 and the inverse relationship holds afterwards. These results suggest that the Federal Reserve is increasingly mindful of the stock market behavior, seen as key to the recovery and health of the economy. Long-term investors seem also to have been more reactive and mindful of the signals provided by the financial stock markets than the Federal Reserve itself after the start of the financial crisis. The lead of the S&P 500 stock market index over the bond yields of all maturities is confirmed by the traditional lagged cross-correlation analysis.


This study applied a multinomial logistic regression in examining factors driving consumer preference for locally produced rice in Nigeria. The data for the study were collected in Niger and Ekiti states in 2008 under the post harvest study programme of Africa Rice (EX-WARDA). Results of the various analyses underscored the significance of socio-economic factors as major drivers of consumer preference for local rice in Nigeria. Five of the coefficients of the explanatory variables (age, marital status, education of household head, primary activity of household head and sex of household head) significantly influence the consumer preference for Pategi relative to Aroso (imported rice). Similarly, five variables (age of household head, educational status of household head, and sex of household head) influence significantly, consumer preference for Igbemo relative to Aroso. Aside socio-economic variables, other factors found to have influence on consumer preference are frequency of purchase and price. In spite of the various types of local rice available in the markets, majority of consumers can identify different types based on their physic-chemical characteristics. Nevertheless, the two most highly rated criteria for selection of rice bought in the market are whiteness and absence of foreign materials. Further analysis also confirmed that about 82% of Nigerian eats rice at least once in a day. The significance of the socio-economic variables is an indication that policies and programmes for the development of the Nigerian rice sector should, in addition to enhancing the physico-chemical characteristics of rice, include value reorientation and sensitization of the people on the nutritional qualities of local rice.

 Key words: Factors influencing, socio-economic, local rice, Nigeria.


Research on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, particularly projects aiming to contribute to practical adaptation initiatives, requires active involvement and collaboration with community members and local, regional and national organizations that use this research for policy-making. Arctic communities are already experiencing and adapting to environmental and socio-cultural changes, and researchers have a practical and ethical responsibility to engage with communities that are the focus of the research. This paper draws on the experiences of researchers working with communities across the Canadian Arctic, together with the expertise of Inuit organizations, Northern research institutes and community partners, to outline key considerations for effectively engaging Arctic communities in collaborative research. These considerations include: initiating early and ongoing communication with communities, and regional and national contacts; involving communities in research design and development; facilitating opportunities for local employment; and disseminating research findings. Examples of each consideration are drawn from climate change research conducted with communities in the Canadian Arctic.


Background and Hypothesis: Diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is challenging and controversial. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers a noninvasive modality to diagnose CP, but its findings have been rarely correlated with histopathology. We aimed to assess the correlation of T1 signal intensity ratio of pancreas to spleen (T1 SIRp/s) and arterio-venous ratio (AVR) of the parenchyma on MRI and Cambridge score on MRCP with surgical histopathology in patients who underwent pancreatic resection.
Methods: We identified 160 pancreatic resections performed in adults between 2017 and 2019 by searching our institution's surgery database. Seventy-one of them had surgical pathology specimens available and 59 of them had MRI/MRCP within 3 months prior to the surgery. Histologic grading was performed by a gastrointestinal pathologist using Ammann's fibrosis score. Two image analysts blinded to the clinical information and fibrosis score measured T1 SIRp/s from unenhanced T1-weighted fat-saturated gradient-echo images and arterio-venous ratio (AVR) from post-contrast dynamic phase. Cambridge score was also recorded from MRCP. Statistical analysis included Pearson's correlation coefficient of the T1 SIRp/s, AVR, and Cambridge score with the fibrosis score and weighted kappa for interobserver agreement.
Results: Correlations between T1 SIRp/s and AVR with the fibrosis score were (r= -0.30, p=0.02, 95%CI: -0.51 to -0.04 and r= -0.36, p=0.01, 95%CI: -0.58 to -0.09, respectively). In comparison, there is less correlation between the Cambridge grade and the fibrosis (r= 0.17, p=0.15, 95% CI for r= -0.07 to 0.39). Interobserver agreement was good (kappa=0.80).
Conclusion: There is moderate correlation between the T1 signal intensity and enhancement ratio of the pancreas with pancreatic fibrosis. This is higher than the correlation between the Cambridge grade and fibrosis. Multi-institutional, prospective studies are needed to verify T1 SIR and AVR as potential imaging biomarkers of pancreatic fibrosis.


Abstract. Air pollution in the central zone of Chile is not only a public health concern but also threatens water resources and climate, in connection with the transport and deposition of black carbon (BC) from urban centers onto the glaciers of the Andes. Chemistry-transport simulations reveal a seasonal dichotomy in the flux and latitudinal pattern of BC deposition on glaciers of the central Chilean Andes. The average deposition flux of BC on glaciers between 30 and 37∘ S is 4 times larger in winter, affecting mostly low-elevation glaciers, whereas the smaller summertime flux affects glaciers evenly, irrespective of their elevation. The contribution of emissions from the city of Santiago is dominant in summertime with more than 50 % along the Andes but minor in wintertime with less than 20 % even close to the capital city. Transport at larger scales and more local sources likely account for the remaining flux. The superimposition of synoptic-scale circulation and local mountain-valley circulation along the Andes drives the differences between summertime and wintertime deposition fluxes and generates a greater meteorological export potential during summer months. Future emissions and climate projections suggest that under the RCP8.5 scenario the gap between summertime and wintertime BC export and deposition flux could decrease, thereby pointing to summertime emission control gaining relevance. The chemistry-transport modeling approach for BC deposition on the Andes sheds light on the importance of the often disregarded summertime emissions on the radiative balance of its glaciers, particularly in the vicinity of Santiago.


Abstract : FSCAN is a language for specifying the lexical analysis of programs written in any current programming language, including FORTRAN. This report describes the FSCAN language, a compiler for the language, and an interpreter for the resulting object code. The interpreted object code forms an efficient lexical analyzer that takes as input a stream of characters and produces as output a stream of tokens (lexical units). The compiler and interpreter are designed for portability. Both are written in ANSI FORTRAN (1966) supplemented by a small number of short machine dependent subroutines. (Author)


DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTIGATION OF HIGH POWER YTTERBIUM-DOPED FIBER LASERS OPERATING AT 1018 NM Oyewole Benjamin Efunbajo M.S. in Materials Science and Nanotechnology Advisor: Bülend Ortaç July, 2017 The development of ytterbium-doped fiber lasers (YDFL) operating around 1018 nm with two major pumping schemes are reported. The study on the developed all fiber lasers were characterized based on parameters such as pump source, active fiber type and output-coupling fiber bragg gratings. Diode lasers operating at around 915 nm, and 976 nm were used as primary pump sources for the experiments. While several works had reported 1018 nm YDFLs using 976 nm pump sources, up until now, there were no reports of the use of 915 nm for 1018 nm YDFLs in the literature. Active fiber types, based on length and doping concentration of ytterbium ions were also considered. The choice of output-coupling (OC) fiber bragg gratings (FBG) were made based on laser model simulation and manufacturing feasibility. Simulations were also carried out for every tested set of implemented parameters so as to minimize undesired optical effects such as amplified stimulated emission (ASE) and inadequate pump absorption. For both pump sources, high power ytterbium-doped all-fiber lasers operating in the 1018 nm region with good efficiency and amplified stimulated emission (ASE) suppression were established. In addition, the broad absorption crosssection of ytterbium-doped glasses around 915 nm was exploited as tunable pump sources for the fiber laser systems demonstrated.


The internalization and intracellular transport of IL-1 and its receptor were examined in the murine T cell line EL-4. For 4 h after internalization intracellular 125I-IL-1 alpha remains bound to its receptor without degradation. Electron microscope autoradiography demonstrates that internalized IL-1 accumulates in purified nuclei. The IL-1 extracted from these nuclei is still bound to receptor. As no receptors for IL-1 were detected in untreated nuclei, these results suggest IL-1 driven translocation of the cell surface IL-1R complex to the nucleus. IL-1R internalization was correlated with IL-1 signal transduction events required to induce growth factor production from several subclones of EL-4 cells. The subsequent transport of the internalized IL-1R complex to the nucleus suggests the possibility for a nuclear site for IL-1R signaling.


Ergonomics programs tend to be reactive when considering employees' complaints, absence from work, quantity of work accidents and occupational diseases. When organizations do not anticipate future occurrences with a proper model of risk management, they become vulnerable. In order to organize the Ergonomics Program of a household appliance company in Joinville, a team of 9 persons was structured, and two committees were reactivated. The technical committee discussed ergonomic solutions with the engineering department to adequate workplaces and new projects. The employees' complaints were discussed by the medical committee in order to analyze the causal nexus based on ergonomic evaluations of the problem. The proactive demand was identified by an ergonomic planning of all manufacturing workplaces which led to the prioritization of ergonomic evaluations considering risk classification. Several training courses were conducted aiming to spread out the values of ergonomics principles. Then, the resilience engineering principles (learning/responding/monitoring/anticipation) were proposed to ergonomics management, making it possible to monitor the ergonomic processes and create integrated indicators. The implementation of the model developed in this study has already achieved two meaningful awards in the ergonomics area: the gold award for the best case study of ergonomics and the award for the best case study of the South Region of Brazil. Besides, the model has brought many advantages for both company and employees, providing success in the management of ergonomic risks, promoting employees' health and decreasing absenteeism. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of AHFE Conference.


The transport mechanism of soluble molecules throughout the interstitial matrix is closely associated with human tumor behavior in vivo. However, the examination of soluble components in histological architectures has been hampered by artifacts caused during conventional tissue preparation. In this study, the immunodistribution of intrinsic and extrinsic serum components in tumor tissues was examined in xenografted human tumor cells using 'in vivo cryotechnique' (IVCT) and cryobiopsy, where target tissues are directly cryofixed in vivo. Human lung cancer cells were subcutaneously injected into the dorsal flank of nude mice, and paraffin sections and cryosections of produced tumors were prepared with different methods. Immunolocalization of serum proteins, including albumin, immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM, as well as intravenously injected bovine serum albumin (BSA) was examined. Their immunodistribution was more clearly observed in the interstitium by both IVCT and cryobiopsy than conventional methods. IgM was immunolocalized within blood vessels, whereas albumin and IgG were observed in the tumor interstitium. Moreover, intravenously injected bovine serum albumin exhibited leakage from the blood capillaries into surrounding connective tissues in 24 h, but it gradually diffused to the interstitium of the tumor masses during 3 days. These results suggest that molecular leakage from blood capillaries varies significantly in different areas of developing tumors, and that small serum proteins, but not large ones, were abundantly immunolocalized in the tumor interstitium. Both IVCT and cryobiopsy were found to be useful for immunohistochemical studies of soluble molecules in tumors with blood circulation, and may therefore be helpful for further histopathological analyses.


Summary.  Serum erythropoietin (Epo) values were estimated in samples from 125 patients with erythrocytosis to examine the specificity and sensitivity of reduced and raised values in the diagnosis of polycythaemia vera (PV) and secondary erythrocytosis (SE) respectively. Additionally, Epo values were estimated in samples from 49 patients with primary thrombocythaemia (PT) to determine whether Epo values were altered. We found high specificity (92%) and moderate sensitivity (64%) of low serum Epo values (below the reference range) in the diagnosis of PV, and also poor sensitivity (47%) of raised Epo values in the diagnosis of SE. Raised Epo values were not observed in PV patients with Hb > 14·0 g/dl and were only observed in one PV patient with a relatively low Hb recovering from a gastro‐intestinal haemorrhage. Raised Epo values occurred in some patients with apparent erythrocytosis (AE) and idiopathic erythrocytosis (IE), mainly at normal (rather than raised) Hb values (< 16 g/dl). Low Epo values occurred in a few AE, IE and SE patients at higher Hb values (> 16 g/dl). Low Epo values were less specific for PV when the Hb was raised, while raised Epo values were less specific for SE when the Hb was not raised. Approximately one third of patients with PT had a low (below the reference range) Epo value, this being associated with a high normal Hb (> 14 g/dl, P < 0·001) and showing a trend towards association with absence of treatment. The high normal Hb values were in turn associated with an increased incidence of thrombotic events (P < 0·05). These findings could influence the future investigation and management of PT patients.


DIURNAL variations have been noted to occur in numerous bodily functions. 1-4 The observation of high blood sugars drawn after lunch in persons with normal glucose tolerance made us question whether a diurnal variation occurs in glucose tolerance. Roberts 5 has repeatedly stated that there is such a variation. Hayner and Francis, 6 on the other hand, concluded from their population study that there was no diurnal variation in glucose tolerance. It seems important to determine definitely whether a diurnal variation in glucose tolerance does occur since, heretofore, little attention has been paid to the time of day tests are given in detection drives and population studies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a constant glucose load elicits a variable response at different times of day. Certain problems are inherent in the study of any function which undergoes circadian or diurnal variation. This is especially true when


Despite developments to address childhood malnutrition and its determinants, eradicating childhood malnutrition remains evasive. From a public health perspective, malnutrition constitutes the single biggest contributor to under-five mortality. With a total population of about 17 million and 70% living on less than US$ 1 per day, Niger routinely ranks at the bottom of development indices. Household food production is linked to rain-fed agriculture, where staple crops such as millet and sorghum are harvested once per year. Each year, the decrease in food quantity and quality in the months preceding the harvest (August to October) is associated with an increase in wasting among children, known as the "hunger gap."  Maradi, located in the south-central part of the country has some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the country. This was particularly dramatic in 2005, when millet prices reached levels inaccessible to large segments of the population. Subsequent to the crisis in 2005, two major developments occurred in response to nutritional crises: a change in the definition of malnutrition and uptake of new prevention options. This paper discusses some of the barriers and innovations with respect to these two changes via a series of studies conducted in the region.


University and college counseling centers struggle with rising service demands without a corresponding increase in resources. Consequently, counseling centers must seek creative ways to not only maintain the status quo, but expand capacity while preserving effectiveness. In other countries, therapist-assisted, Internet-delivered treatment has been effective in treating several common disorders while conserving one third to one half the per client therapist time, suggesting that Therapist-Assisted Internet Based Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (TAI-CBT) could be an alternative treatment option offered through counseling centers in the United States and one possible solution to increase the number of students effectively treated per therapist hour for certain students seeking services. In this study, 334 students were surveyed to assess the acceptability of this mode of treatment; 217 of these students were currently in counseling or had received counseling in the past. TAI-CBT was endorsed by 34% of the students with past counseling and 16% of the students with no history of receiving counseling. These proportions were comparable to the rates for those who expressed interest in group therapy, which is commonly offered in counseling centers.


In this paper, the etching characteristic of diamond like nanocomposite thin films materials in hydrazine has been reported. The experiments have been carried out to explore the compatibility of hydrazine as a propellant with silicon based microthruster. In the reported work, 2″ N-type (100) silicon wafer with 4-6 Ω cm resistivity were used as base material. Diamond-like nanocomposite (DLN) films are deposited on silicon substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process using siloxane or silazane based precursors or their combinations. Thickness of deposited DLN thin films is around 1 µm. DLN samples are treated in 98% hydrazine at 25 °C, 70 °C and 90 °C for different time and etch rates and subsequently the change in refractive index of the DLN films if any has been measured.


This paper evaluates the ability of single and multi-ratio investment strategies, such as P/E, P/B, Magic Formula and Piotroski F-score, to generate excess returns and positive alpha values on the Stockholm Stock Market. Performances of the strategies tested are compared to the Stockholm Stock Market as a whole, also known as the index "OMXSPI". In this paper, three single-ratio strategies are investigated along with three multi-ratio strategies, chosen on the basis of popularity among private investors, according to our observations. We also compare these strategies' returns to the returns of the ten best performing funds, over the last ten years, found on SEB's and Handelsbanken's fund lists. We find that both multi and single-ratio strategies generated alpha values and that single-ratio strategies performed well, relative to multi-ratio strategies, considering their simplicity. The current portfolio composition from screening stocks based on low P/E, P/B and high dividend yield alone are also associated with less risk, expressed in volatility, than portfolios that would be composed based on the multi-ratio methods. We even find that one of the more complex strategies, Graham Screener, underperformed single-ratio strategies, when comparing yearly alpha values over 15 and 17 years, respectively. The funds' alpha values are also very poor compared to both single and multi-ratio strategies considering the managers' likely investment experience and complex investment systems. In sum, our empirical data suggests that excess returns were indeed attainable during the investigated time-periods by following a rule-based investing philosophy in conjunction with single or multi-ratio strategies, and unless the investor has sublime experience and knowledge, he or she is probably better off using this type of investing rather than making investment decisions in a discretionary manner. We also conclude that the Stockholm Stock Market probably suffered from lower market efficiency, from the perspective of the Efficient Market Hypothesis, and lower screening abilities and tools, such as Börsdata, among investors in the beginning the testing to these ratio they the results interesting imply value alpha are


In Germany, the legal possibilities for withholding or withdrawing life-preserving measures are based on four judgments by the Federal High Court, which forbid both the deliberate killing of a patient and physician-assisted suicide. Life-saving measures may be withheld or withdrawn only when this is in conformity with the declared will of the patient (as expressed, for example, in a living will, or by the patient's proxy), and when death is to be expected within the near future. If the process of dying has already begun, such a decision may be taken even when the expressed will of the patient is not known.


The need for secure authentication to mobile devices is rapidly increasing with the advent of new technologies. Many of the new mobile devices can be used for various purposes such as internet access, mobile banking, calender etc. As a result of this, sensitive information like phone numbers, address contacts and even financial information are stored on these devices. When valuable information like this is present, it raises serious concerns in case the device is lost or stolen. For protection of the device contents, this thesis proposes a biometric gait recognition method based on the accelerometer data obtained from the mobile device. This method offers an unobtrusive and hence user friendly way for authentication on mobile devices. Biometric gait recognition based on accelerometer data is still a new field of research. Most of the existing methods use dedicated accelerometers to collect gait data and then use a suitable cycle extraction method to extract the gait features. As cycle extraction methods are sensitive towards irregular cycles, this often affects the error rates of such systems. In this thesis, Hidden Markov Models are used for biometric gait recognition. These have already been successfully implemented on various commercial speaker recognition systems, but have never been used for biometric gait recognition. The advantage of this method is that no error-prone cycle extraction has to be performed, but the accelerometer data can be directly used to construct the model and thus form the basis for successful recognition. Two major experiments were conducted: using different preprocessed data sets and using different model topologies, for training and testing the Hidden Markov models. By using the accelerometer data obtained from mobile phones, a false rejection rate (FRR) of 10.42% at a false acceptance rate (FAR) of 9.31% was obtained.


When excavating in an urban environment, the evaluation of the magnitude and distribution of ground movements is an important part of the design process, since excessive movements can damage adjacent buildings and utilities. In order to minimize movement of the surrounding soil, a retaining wall support system is used for deep excavations to provide lateral support. This dissertation describes different methods of evaluating ground movements adjacent to a deep excavation in soft clay and how to estimate the lateral earth pressure acting on the retaining wall system. A review is presented regarding: - Soil characteristics that are important for evaluation of deformations and earth pressure. - Current empirical methods of estimating ground surface settlements - Different classic methods of calculating lateral earth pressure - Various soil modelling methods, with focus on the theory of elasto-plasticity. This review is followed by an extensive case study performed at the Gota tunnel project, in the centre of Gothenburg, Sweden. Back analyses were performed in order to predict and interpret ground deformations and the development of stress changes against the retaining wall system. These analyses took the form of non-linear finite element analyses with three different constitutive models (an isotropic linear elastic Mohr-Coulomb model, e-ADP, a total stress based model capable of modelling anisotropic undrained shear strength as well as non-linearity in shear, and MIT-S1, a bounding surface model based on effective stresses. The different outcomes of these three models are compared and discussed. Special focus has been on evaluating the parameters to the MIT-S1 model and to evaluate the response of this model compared against advanced laboratory tests. The outcome of the analyses shows the advantage, compared to simpler models, of using finite element methods in combination with an advanced soil model, such as the MIT-S1, capable of simulating small strain stiffness, non-linear elasticity, non-linearity in shear and the development of shear induced excess pore water pressure. The analyses also show the importance of combining FE-analyses with empirical methods for estimating ground surface settlements. The field monitoring also demonstrated that deformations obtained by shear strength mobilization may be overshadowed by other engineering activities and poor workmanship. Close collaboration between the contractor and geotechnical consultant is of paramount importance.


The winkle Littorina littorea (L.) has camera-type (simple) eyes. Light and electron microscopy were used to generate an accurate geometrical model of the eye, and this was used to predict the eye's visual performance. The lens is spherical with a diameter of 112 μm, and examination of images formed by isolated lenses indicates a mean focal length in water of 126 μm. These images are crisp and apparently aberration-free. This, in addition to a shorter than expected focal length, implicates the presence of a gradient of refractive index in the lens. The lens has a focal length to lens-radius ratio of 2.3, which is close to the 'Matthiessen ratio' of 2.5 found in the aplanatic lenses of many other marine animals. The lens is predicted to focus images within the retina only when the eye is submerged in water: in air, images are focused distal to the retina. In the central retina, the inter-receptor angle is 1.8° and the rhabdom diameter is 4 μm (5.5 times larger than the diffraction blur-circle), indicating a retinal array coarser than that necessary to sample all the information contained in the image. In addition, a low F-number (1.2) and the large possible angles of incidence of rays striking the retina (up to 40°) mean that the eye is likely to suffer substantial spreading of light between rhabdoms (which are unshielded) and further degradation of resolution. Possible behavioural roles for the eyes are discussed.


This paper presents the findings from the first sta ge of a doctoral research project that investigates innovative pedagogic practice in fulltime vocational education and training (VET) in the 16-19 age bracket. Involving Germany, England and Austria, it builds on prior comparative research, some of it wi thin SKOPE, that calls for a stronger focus on practitioners' perspectives. The project aims to discover teachers' understandings and motivations for innovative pract ice, with a view towards improving educational policy making. This paper out lines how initial expert interviews facilitated the development of research foci as well as appropriate analytical designs, and presents the results of the se interviews. In particular, it argues that a comparative, qualitative, practitioner-focus ed approach can capture the complexity encountered in three diverse VET systems . The analysis of expert interviews suggested four ca tegories for comparison in the main research phase. These relate to VET system cha racteristics, innovation strategies and mentality, the role of research in teacher trai ning and practice and societal attitudes and participation in VET. The findings su ggest that VET is not only much more complex than traditional academic school secto rs, but also less clearly delineated. In terms of innovation cultures, expert s find a significant disparity between the proclaimed importance of innovative pra ctice and its lack of emphasis in teacher training. While experts expect that recent hanges in all three countries may stimulate pedagogical innovation, it is not entirel y c ear how incentives from such diverse developments as increased school autonomy o n the one hand, and a surge in quality management initiatives on the other, affect teachers' self perceptions and professional conduct.


Purified human milk lipoamidase was digested with endoproteinase Lys-C and the digested peptides were subjected to gasphase microsequence analysis. The sequencing of three isolated peptides of human milk lipoamidase revealed the identity of this protein with human milk bile salt-stimulated lipase (pancreatic cholesterol esterase). The identity of the cholesterol esterase with lipoamidase was confirmed by expressing a recombinant form of rat pancreatic cholesterol esterase and testing for lipoamidase activity of the recombinant protein. The results showed that the recombinant cholesterol esterase displayed both lipolytic and lipoamidase activities and was capable of hydrolysing triacetin and lipoyl-4-aminobenzoate (LPAB). The mechanisms of the esterase and amidase activities of the enzyme were further tested by determining enzyme activity in a mutagenized cholesterol esterase with a His435-->Gln435 substitution. This mutation has been shown previously to abolish enzyme activity against esterase substrates [DiPersio, Fontaine and Hui (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4033-4036]. We showed that the mutagenized protein was effective in hydrolysing the amidase substrate LPAB and displayed similar enzyme kinetics to those of the native enzyme. These data indicate that the mechanism for the cholesterol esterase hydrolysis of lipoamides is different from that of the hydrolysis of substrates with an ester linkage. The presence of an enzyme in the gastrointestinal tract capable of both ester and amide hydrolysis suggests an important role for this protein in the digestion and absorption processes.


Alloys of Ti39.4Al10V (at.%) that consisted mainly of ordered β-Ti, γ-TiAl and α2-Ti3Al phases were oxidized at 700, 800, 900, and 1000oC in air. The oxide scales formed consisted largely of an outermost, thin TiO2 layer, an outer, thin Al2O3 layer, and an inner, very thick (TiO2+Al2O3) mixed layer. Vanadium, which was uniformly distributed throughout the oxide scale, harmfully decreased oxidation resistance, and made thick, nonadherent scales owing to the formation of low melting compounds of V-oxides. The oxidation progressed via the outward diffusion of Ti, Al and V ions, and the concurrent inward transport of oxygen.


The Y chromosomal azoospermia factor (AZF) is essential for human spermatogenesis. It has been mapped by molecular deletion analyses to three subintervals in Yq11, AZFa, AZFb, and AZFc, containing a number of genes of which at least some control, post-transcriptionally, the RNA metabolism of other spermatogenesis genes, functionally expressed at different phases of the spermatogenic cycle. Intrachromosomal recombination events between homologous large repetitive sequence block in Yq11 are now recognized as the major cause of the AZFa, AZFb and AZFc microdeletions, and an overlap of the AZFb and AZFc regions was revealed by sequence analysis of the complete Yq11 region. The increasing knowledge of the expression patterns of AZF genes in human germ cells suggests that the DBY gene is the major AZFa gene, the RBMY gene the major AZFb gene, although a functional expression of the other AZFa/b genes in the male germ line is also most likely. Genetic redundancy might exist in AZFc because a number of gene copies in the large P1 palindrome structure in distal AZFc were found to be deleted also in fertile men.


We use conjoint choice questions to investigate the preferences of people in four cities in Italy for income and future/permanent mortality risk reductions delivered by contaminated site remediation policies. The VSL is €5.6 million for an immediate risk reduction. If the risk reduction takes place 20 years from now, the implied VSL is €1.26 million. Respondents' implicit discount rate is 7%. The VSL depends on respondent characteristics, familiarity with contaminated sites, concern about the health effects of exposure to toxicants, having a family member with cancer, perceived usefulness of public programs and beliefs about the goals of government remediation programs.