A series of experiments will take place in the test facility building, as a part of PhD research on double skin facades. The measurement program is divided into a sequence of tests, where each test will give information on a limited number of parameters, and the set of tests together give a complete characterization of a double skin façade. Testing and measurements of façade's performance in transparent insulation, external air curtain, preheating and exhaust options will be carried out. Roller shade or Venetian blinds will be installed for further studies of the double skin facade. Collected data sets will also be used in building energy analysis tool tests for quality assurance of building simulation software.


Perturbation of adhesion mediated by cadherins was achieved by over-expressing truncated forms of E- and EP-cadherins (in which the extracellular domain was deleted) in different blastomeres of stage 6 Xenopus laevis embryos. Injections of mRNA encoding truncated E- and EP-cadherins into A1A2 blastomeres resulted in inhibition of cell adhesion and, at later stages, in morphogenetic defects in the anterior neural tissues to which they mainly contribute. In addition, truncated EP-cadherin mRNA produced a duplication of the dorso-posterior axis in a significant number of cases. The expression of truncated E- and EP-cadherins in blastomeres involved in gastrulation and neural induction (B1B2 and C1), led to the duplication of the dorso-posterior axis as well as to defects in anterior structures. Morphogenetic defects obtained with truncated EP-cadherin were more severe than those induced with truncated E-cadherin. Cells derived from blastomeres injected with truncated EP-cadherin mRNA, dispersed more readily at the blastula and gastrula stages than the cells derived from the blastomeres expressing truncated E-cadherin. Presumptive mesodermal cells expressing truncated cadherins did not engage in coherent directional migration. The alteration of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion led directly to the perturbation of the convergent-extension movements during gastrulation as shown in the animal cap assays and indirectly to perturbation of neural induction. Although the cytoplasmic domains of type I cadherins share a high degree of sequence identity, the over-expression of their cytoplasmic domains induces a distinct pattern of perturbations, strongly suggesting that in vivo, each cadherin may transduce a specific adhesive signal. These graded perturbations may in part result from the relative ability of each cadherin cytoplasmic domain to titer the beta-catenin.


Thymus leukemia antigen (TL) is an MHC class Ib molecule that is highly conserved in rats and mice with no obvious human homolog. TL is expressed in mouse small intestinal epithelial cells and is known to interact with CD8alphaalpha homodimers, which are expressed by intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), some other T cell subsets and some non-T cells such as a subset of dendritic cells. We show here that TL is abundantly expressed on the basolateral surface of mouse small intestinal epithelial cells and that expression is abrogated in beta2m-/- mice but unaffected in TCR-/- mice or CD8alpha chain-/- mice. We demonstrate that the interaction between TL and CD8alphaalpha is not necessary for IEL survival in vitro or in vivo and does not modulate IEL trafficking in vivo. TL co-stimulation of alpha-CD3 antibody-activated IELs resulted in modestly enhanced production of IFN-gamma in one subset of IELs. The lack of effect on IEL survival and trafficking and the modest effect on IFN-gamma production suggest that the functional consequences of TL interaction with CD8alphaalpha as well as the more general biological role of TL in mucosal immunity remains to be discovered.


This paper explores the function and history of Japanese paper charms (o-fuda) from the viewpoint of their issuing institutions. First, it differentiates between paper charms issued by Shintō shrines and those issued by Buddhist temples: Shintō paper charms are said to be potentially harmful even for their owners, because they absorb evil powers to protect them, so one has to exchange these paper charms usually after one year of use. Buddhist paper charms, on the other hand, are of no harm, thanks to the ever-lasting protective power of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Holy Men that are depicted on them. Their iconographic decoration made Buddhist paper charms attractive to western collectors who came to Japan; one of the greatest and most well-known of these collections by the French japanologist Bernhard Frank (1927–1996) just went online in summer 2012.

The definition of 'paper charm' is tricky: How can we be sure that a paper has really been charmed and is not only a piece of printed paper? Should derivative forms like hanging scrolls or contract forms printed with the same image as the paper charm also be regarded as charms? How does a paper charm function in the framework of economic activities of a Buddhist temple? These and other questions are answered on the basis of a special private collection of a specific iconographic type of paper charms from Mount Koya covering a period of 200 years.


Nor do I agree with him that money, fame, and power are the usual motives behind such forgeries. There is, however, a long tradition among scientists of faking results in order to establish a pet theory, and those like Cyril Burt who have followed it include Haekel, Mendel, Kammering, Blondlot, Dubois, and (I believe) Teilhard de Chardin. To my mind, Malcolm Bowden's book Ape Man: Fact or Fallacy ?4 has irrevocably implicated Teilhard not only in the Piltdown forgery, but also in manufacturing evidence concerning Pekin and Java Man. Teilhard's motive was to establish the rather potty theory of evolution spelled out in "The Phenomenon of Man." The esteem that this book was held in and his own continuing high reputation must make him a candidate for the title of "Faker of the Century."


Context: Changes in strength over the course of a swim season could predispose the shoulder to strength imbalances and lead to injury. Objective: To examine isometric shoulder internal- (IR) and external-rotator (ER) strength in high school swimmers over a 12-week competitive season. Design: Three 3 × 2 × 2 ANOVAs with repeated measures were used to determine significant main effects for IR, ER, and IR:ER strength ratio. Participants: 27 (14 female, 13 male) high school varsity swimmers. Main Outcome Measures: IR and ER strength during preseason, midseason, and postseason. Results: Significant increases in IR strength in both groups were revealed for all test sessions. ER strength significantly improved in both males and females from preseason to midseason and from preseason to postseason. IR:ER ratio revealed a significant increase from preseason to postseason. Conclusions: Increases in IR strength without equal gains in ER strength were revealed and could contribute to future shoulder pathologies in com...


The incorporation of Si-nc in Er doped silica is known to strongly enhance the infrared luminescence of Er3+ at 1.54µm. The enhancement is believed to be due to an energy transfer process from Si-nc to Er. In this work we investigate the formation of Si nano-aggregates and their role in the energy transfer process to Er3+ ions for a multi-component glass host. These materials can offer better performances than silica in terms of Er solubility and band broadness for integrated Er-doped optical amplifiers and investigation is therefore very interesting for optoelectronic applications. Si and Er were co-implanted by choosing the implantation energies in order to optimize the overlap between the concentration profiles. The precipitation of Si and the enhancement of the 1.54 µm Er emission were studied for different post-implantation annealing temperatures. In particular the optical properties of the glass were investigated by means of photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and the results are discussed in relation to a standard silica substrate. These data are presented and related to the structural properties of the material. Moreover the implications on the future development of an Er doped optical amplifier are discussed.


Food allergy is a major health problem in the Western countries, affecting 3–8% of the population. It has not yet been established what makes a dietary protein a food allergen. Several characteristics have been proposed to be shared by food allergens. One of these is resistance to digestion. This paper reviews data from digestibility studies on purified food allergens and evaluates the predictive value of digestibility tests on the allergenic potential. We point out that food allergens do not necessarily resist digestion. We discuss how the choice of in vitro digestibility assay condition and the method used for detection of residual intact protein as well as fragments hereof may greatly influence the outcome as well as the interpretation of results. The finding that digests from food allergens may retain allergenicity, stresses the importance of using immunological assays for evaluating the allergenic potential of food allergen digestion products. Studies assessing the allergenicity of digestion products, by either IgE-binding, elicitation or sensitizing capacity, shows that digestion may abolish, decrease, have no effect, or even increase the allergenicity of food allergens. Therefore, the predictive value of the pepsin resistance test for assessing the allergenic potential of novel proteins can be questioned.


Rate coefficients, k(T), for the OH radical + (E)-(CF3)2CFCH═CHF ((E)-1,3,4,4,4-pentafluoro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1-butene, HFO-1438ezy(E)) gas-phase reaction were measured using pulsed laser photolysis-laser-induced fluorescence (PLP-LIF) between 214 and 380 K and 50 and 450 Torr (He or N2 bath gas) and with a relative rate method at 296 K between 100 and 400 Torr (synthetic air). Over the range of pressures included in this study, no pressure dependence in k(T) was observed. k(296 K) obtained using the two techniques agreed to within ∼3% with (3.26 ± 0.26) × 10(-13) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) (2σ absolute uncertainty) obtained using the PLP-LIF technique. k(T) displayed non-Arrhenius behavior that is reproduced by (7.34 ± 0.30) × 10(-19)T(2) exp[(481 ± 10)/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). With respect to OH reactive loss, the atmospheric lifetime of HFO-1438ezy(E) is estimated to be ∼36 days and HFO-1438ezy(E) is considered a very short-lived substance (VSLS) (the actual lifetime will depend on the time and location of the HFO-1438ezy(E) emission). On the basis of the HFO-1438ezy(E) infrared absorption spectrum measured in this work and its estimated lifetime, a radiative efficiency of 0.306 W m(-2) ppb(-1) (well-mixed gas) was calculated and its 100-year time-horizon global warming potential, GWP100, was estimated to be 8.6. CF3CFO, HC(O)F, and CF2O were identified using infrared spectroscopy as stable end products in the oxidation of HFO-1438ezy(E) in the presence of O2. Two additional fluorinated products were observed and theoretical calculations of the infrared spectra of likely degradation products are presented. The photochemical ozone creation potential of HFO-1438ezy(E) was estimated to be ∼2.15.


H. JEROME KEISLER. On cardinalities of ultraproducts. Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, vol. 70 (1964), pp. 644-647. One of the chief results of Keisler's paper is this. Suppose D is an co-incomplete ultrafilter on the set /, for each it I a, is an infinite cardinal, and the ultraproduct n.atID has cardinality fi. Then ^o = p (a necessary condition for y. = mo is that n has cofinality > S0; with the generalized continuum hypothesis this condition is also sufficient). An ultrafilter D is co-incomplete if there is a countable set of elements of D whose intersection is not in D. This is equivalent to the existence of a sequence <,Xn: n c co> of elements of D, with Xn 2 Xn+1 , whose intersection is empty. Given such an co-descending sequence, the function/: I-*3P(ia) defined by /( /) = {n : i e X"} satisfies (a) for each i « / , / ( / ) is finite and (b) for each n e w, {i: n e/(/)} e D. It is the existence of such a function / which is crucial to Keisler's proof. He generalizes this situation by saying that an ultrafilter D is (/3, y)-regidar if there is a function/: I-*-&(y) such that (a) for each i c /, /(/') has cardinal < y, and (b) for all { e y, {>'• f «/(')} e &• The remarks above amount to saying that an co-incomplete ultrafilter is (co, co)-regular. Other simple facts used are that if /3 > y, every ultrafilter is (j8, y)-regular, and that a uniform ultrafilter on a set of cardinal A is (A, A)-regular. These facts together with the main technical lemma about cardinalities of ultraproducts over (/3, y)-regular ultrafilters enable Keisler to derive the result mentioned above as well as the following: (i) For all infinite cardinals a, y and any ultrafilter D, card{(«)'/£>} S (cardfa'/D})'; and (ii) if D is uniform and card(/) = A, then card{(o)'/£)} = (card{a'/£)}) = a \


Emotional Intelligence (EI) has increasingly gained widespread popularity amongst both lay people and scientists in a wide range of contexts and across several research areas. In spite of rigorous inquiry into its applications in educational, social, health and clinical settings, substantial disagreement exists regarding the definition of EI, with respect to both terminology and operationalizations. Actually, there is a consensus about a conceptual distinction between Trait EI, or trait emotional self-efficacy (Petrides & Furnham, 2001), and Ability EI, or cognitive-emotional ability (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). Trait EI is measured via self-report questionnaires, whereas Ability EI is assessed via maximum performance tests. Moreover, EI is the broadest of the emotional constructs, and it subsumes various constructs, as Emotional Awareness (Lane & Schwartz, 1987). To date, EI research has focused primarily on adults, with fewer studies conducted with child samples. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of different models of EI in childhood and early adolescence (N = 670; 353 females; Mage= 10.25 years ; SD = 1.57). In addition, a further goal is to evaluate the relationship of each construct with personality, non verbal cognitive intelligence, school performance, peer relationships, and affective disorders (anxiety and depression). Results shows significant correlations between Trait EI and Emotional Awareness, whereas Trait and Ability EI appear as independent constructs. We also found significant positive associations between age and Ablity EI and Emotional Awareness (although with add of verbal productivity), while gender differences emerged in favour of females in all EI-related measures. The results provide evidence that Trait EI is partially determined by all of the Big Five personality dimensions, but independent of cognitive ability. Finally, the present study highlights the role of EI on social interactions, school performance and, especially, a negative relationship between Trait EI and psychopathology.


The bearing capacity of the foundation is a primary concern in the field of foundation engineering. The self weight of the structure and the applied loads are transferred to the soil safely and economically. The load at which the shear failure of the soil occurs is called the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation. Quite often, structures are built on or near a slope. This is due to land limitation, such as for bridges or for architectural purposes. The ultimate bearing capacity of the foundations for these buildings is significantly affected by the presence of the slope. Design of foundations under these conditions is complex and the information available in the literature is limited. A numerical model was developed to simulate the case of strip foundation near slope, using the finite element technique together with the program "PLAXIS". The parameters believed to govern this behavior were examined individually to determine their effect on the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing. The superposition method was used in the analyses to calculate the bearing capacity factors, N c , N q , and N Þ , independently. The results produced by the present numerical model were compared with the available experimental data. An analytical model was also developed for the problem stated to predict the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing. Design theory, design procedure and design charts are presented for practical use


Social capital, as a unique form of resource, plays a key role in peasants' entrepreneurial activities and is one of the crucial factors that infl uence return migrant peasants' entrepreneurial performance. However, existing studies on the relationships between social capital and entrepreneurial performance are not consistent. Using survey data of 177 entrepreneurs who were return migrant peasants from seven cities in the Yangtze River Delta of China from December 2016 to March 2017, this study conducted an empirical investigation into the relationships among social capital, resource acquisition, and entrepreneurial performance. Results show that the size, density, and tie strength of return migrant peasants' social capital exert a signifi cant positive eff ect on their entrepreneurial performance, with tie strength having the greatest eff ect. Furthermore, the effi ciency and eff ectiveness of resource acquisition not only directly promote entrepreneurial performance but also mediate between every dimension of social capital and return migrant peasants' entrepreneurial performance. These fi ndings provide a substantial reference for the improvement of entrepreneurial performance with respect to promoting social capital for return migrant peasants, establishing entrepreneurial platforms, and developing supportive policies for entrepreneurship by government departments.


Recently, it was shown that when reference frames are associated to quantum systems, the transformation laws between such quantum reference frames need to be modified to take into account the quantum and dynamical features of the reference frames. This led to a relational description of the phase space variables of the quantum system of which the quantum reference frames are part of. While such transformations were shown to be symmetries of the system's Hamiltonian, the question remained unanswered as to whether they enjoy a group structure, similar to that of the Galilei group relating classical reference frames in quantum mechanics. In this work, we identify the canonical transformations on the phase space of the quantum systems comprising the quantum reference frames, and show that these transformations close a group structure defined by a Lie algebra, which is different from the usual Galilei algebra of quantum mechanics. We further find that the elements of this new algebra are in fact the building blocks of the quantum reference frames transformations previously identified, which we recover. Finally, we show how the transformations between classical reference frames described by the standard Galilei group symmetries can be obtained from the group of transformations between quantum reference frames by taking the zero limit of the parameter that governs the additional noncommutativity introduced by the quantum nature of inertial transformations.


Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has been demonstrated to be an effective therapy in several clinical conditions and age groups. Despite the clinical effectiveness, lack of robust data in terms of neurobiological, specifically autonomic, mechanisms of action is observed. Preliminary studies showed a parasympathetic effect leading to a trophotropic effect of OMT. However, these data are limited to heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. In order to study further the role of OMT on the autonomic nervous system, a cross-over randomized controlled trial RCT has been designed to test the effect of osteopathic treatment compared to sham therapy on a range of autonomic parameters. Thermal images, HRV and skin conductance data were collected on a sample of healthy adults. The study design consisted of two sessions (OMT and SHAM), 1 treatment per week, lasting 35 min each, composed of 5 min of baseline, 25 min of treatment, and 5 min of post-touch. During the baseline and the post-treatment, participants received no touch. Thirty-seven participants (aged 27 ± 5 years old, male ratio 40%) completed the study. Multivariate analysis showed a significant parasympathetic effect of group as well as of epoch on thermographic data of the nose (estimate 0.38; 95% CI 0.12–0.63; p < 0.01), left (0.17; 0.06–0.27; <0.001) and right (0.16; 0.07–0.24; <0.001) perioral as well as on the forehead (0.07; 0.01–0.12; <0.01) regions but not for the chin (0.08; −0.02 to 0.18; 0.13). Consistent with a parasympathetic effect, analyses demonstrated a difference between OMT and sham groups on the nuHF (p < 0.001) and DFA-a1 (p < 0.01) as well as on skin conductance (<0.01). The present research supports the hypothesis that a single session of OMT as compared to sham induces autonomic consequences in healthy non-symptomatic adults. Clinicaltrial.gov identifier: NCT03888456, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03888456.


Sedimented hydrothermal precipitates of silica, now fine-grained quartz, are described from a Pb-Zn-bearing vein system. Their discrimination from the wall-accreted fine-grained quartz that is common in the shallow parts of epithermal systems is discussed. Local fine-grained (<0.3 mm) quartz accumulations occur in a suite of veins with otherwise normal drusiform and crustified infills. This sediment may fill the vein above chokes in steep segments (axial plugs), or form continuous layers within the footwall material where the vein is inclined at low to moderate angles. Pads of fine-grained sediment are deposited on the upwards-facing surfaces of wall-rock clasts and of drusiform crystals growing from the vein walls. The asymmetry of these deposits differentiates them from the more common symmetrical, crustified wall-lining deposits of fine-grained quartz and opaline silica, and requires a gravity-controlled, sedimentary depositional mechanism.

Thin section examination shows that much of the fine-grained quartz is present as elongate prisms. The prism habit was present soon after deposition, but it is not possible to identify unequivocally the original sedimented grains. Sedimentation of vein- and wall-rock-derived detritus is also recognized. Deposition of the fine-grained sediment accompanies normal in situ drusiform growth of quartz and other vein minerals. The mammilated and spherulitic textures associated with accretion of amorphous quartz are entirely absent from the Tyndrum veins with sedimented materials. The literature on modern hydrothermal waters and physical chemistry of silica precipitation shows that precipitates of silica suspended in hydrothermal fluids are amorphous and derived from colloidal silica. It is argued that much of the suspended silica was present as quartz at the time of deposition or was converted from amorphous silica almost immediately after deposition.

Hydrothermal sediments and their distribution potentially provide information on flow directions and velocity in veins. Plugs of sediment obstruct vertical flow and lead to local flows with large horizontal components. It is shown that sedimentation features occur in other deposits and can involve other minerals. If the features seen here can be scaled up to the size of major veins, they may result in up and downdip variations in mineral assemblages and abundances, which may affect grade.


In this paper, we present a Distributed Power Control algorithm with Multi-QoS Constraints (MQDPC) for WSNs (wireless sensor networks). Energy consumption, reliability and QoS provisioning are three key objectives in WSNs. In MQDPC algorithm, each sensor node independently builds its local maximum QoS topology according to the local information collected from its one-hop neighbors using MST (minimum spanning tree) scheme, therefore MQDPC algorithm is a fully distributed algorithm. The QoS metrics considered in this algorithm comprise node residual energy, end-to-end delay and link loss ratio. We analytically prove that MQDPC algorithm preserves the network QoS topology connectivity and show that MQDPC algorithm is scalable to large-scale wireless sensor network and multidimensional QoS metrics. The simulation results demonstrate that MQDPC algorithm dynamically builds network topology when wireless sensor network topology status varies over the time, and MQCTC algorithm can efficiently prolong the network life span and improve QoS performance while meeting certain QoS requirements.


In the article the information processes involved in the activities of the functional systems of the body. Formulated ideas about the information needs and their equivalents satisfaction. It is shown that the evaluation of information in the brain is on the morphological and functional architectonic acceptors results of the action functional systems. Acceptors on the results of the action are built sistemokvants information that admission to them afferent feedback from behavioral and autonomic sistemokvants, monitor their effectiveness. The dominant motivation, situational and launchers (conditioned reflex) removed the incentives of Advanced Information sistemokvants acceptor of action results. The article reveals some genetic and biological properties of individually purchased motivations and accompanying information equivalents sistemokvants acceptor of action results, as well as forming the basis of this dynamic holographic images. It is suggested that the holographic images acceptor action results represent specific integration of molecular and atomic vibrations occurring in the form of neurons, glial cells and cerebral fluid. It is shown that the logic of building information sistemokvantovs acceptors results of action allows a system approach to explain the processes of consciousness and thinking.


Properties of mud mutations affecting intracellular development of bacteriophage Mu have been studied. We demonstrate pleiotropy of these mutations as well as their effect on the development of Mu-like heteroimmune D108 phage and P1 phage, on the ability to inherit Mu prophage within the chromosome during conjugation, and the abortive inheritance of chromosomal markers during P1 transduction. Experimental evidence is given to support the concept that the effect of the mutations has no relation to the mutants' impaired ability to adsorb the phages. Genetic analysis which involved conjugational crossings using different Hfr donors and F' plasmids made it possible to localize the mud-1 mutation between ilv and metE genes in the region of 84-85 min of the Escherichia coli K-12 genetic map. The nature of mutations and a possible functional role of the mud-impaired gene is discussed.


Danseraeau et al. characterize the Drosophila hephaestus gene, which they found in a screen for genes with roles in wing development. The heph gene encodes a protein with four RNA recognition motifs that are similar to those in mammalian polypryimidine tract-binding proteins and are thought to be characteristic of RNA-binding proteins. In genetic mosaic flies, cells with heph mutations showed effects on the formation of boundaries between differentiating wing tissues similar to those caused by ectopic activation of the Notch signaling pathway. Notch is a critical component of signaling circuits that regulate boundary formation in the wing. The Notch gene is initially expressed in broad regions of the developing wing, but later, expression is restricted in sharp boundaries where cells expressing Notch ligands are prevented from expressing Notch. The phenotypic effects of heph mutations appear to be caused by enhanced or inappropriately maintained activity of Notch. Thus, the authors' favored interpretation is that Heph functions in attenuating Notch activity, probably by affecting the stability of RNA encoding some component in the Notch signaling pathway. D. A. Dansereau, M. D. Lunke, A. Finkielsztein, M. A. Russell, W. J. Brook, hephaestus encodes a polypyrimidine tract binding protein that regulates Notch signalling during wing development in Drosophila melanogaster. Development 129, 5553-5566 (2002). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Current computing systems depend on adaptation mechanisms to ensure that they remain in quiescent operating regions. These regions are often defined using efficiency, fairness, and stability properties. To that end, traditional research works in scalable server architectures and protocols have focused on promoting these properties by proposing even more sophisticated adaptation mechanisms, without the proper attention to security implications. In this paper, we exemplify such security implications by exposing the vulnerabilities of admission control mechanisms that are widely deployed in Internet end systems to reduction of quality (RoQ) attacks. RoQ attacks target the transients of a system's adaptive behavior as opposed to its limited steady-state capacity. We show that a well orchestrated RoQ attack on an end-system admission control policy could introduce significant inefficiencies that could potentially deprive an Internet end-system from much of its capacity, or significantly reduce its service quality, while evading detection by consuming an unsuspicious, small fraction of that system's hijacked capacity. We develop a control theoretic model for assessing the impact of RoQ attacks on an end-system's admission controller. We quantify the damage inflicted by an attacker through deriving appropriate metrics. We validate our findings through real Internet experiments performed in our lab.


The "Discontinuity Theory" argues for dissociation between infant vocalizations and mature-adult speech. There is a plethora of research data mentioning a recorded simultaneous co-existence of multi-syllable types of early vocals, in individuals characterized as atypical. The aim of this literature review is to present data arguing for a strong relation between early developmental stages of speech. Studies from early cochlear implanted infants seem proper providing the necessary justification for the existence of strong developmental links among early linguistic milestones. Results support a gradual transition from babbling stages into mature, more complex forms of vocalization that we meet on adult speech. Early speech development is rapid during the first post-implant year. Auditory experience provided from cochlear implants is a crucial factor linked to a wide variety of improved outcomes. Speech pathology analyzing the way that auditory experience affects speech production can argue against "discontinuity", since hearing access transforms deaf vocalization.


While the postglacial history of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and the plant species composition of beech forests in  Central Europe are fairly well understood, the faunal biodiversity has been less well investigated. We studied three groups of  mostly sedentary organisms in beech forest at regional and European scales by combining field studies with a compilation of existing literature and expert knowledge. Specifically, we examined the relationship between host tree genera and saproxylic  beetles, and the diversity and composition of forest ground-dwelling molluscs and ground beetles in relation to the abundance  of beech. At a west central European scale (Germany), where beech has a "young" ecological and biogeographical history,  we found 48 primeval forest relict species of saproxylic beetles associated with beech, 124 ground beetles and 91 molluscs  inhabiting beech forest, yet none exclusive of west central European beech forests. High levels of faunal similarity between beech and other woodland trees suggested that many of the beech forest dwelling species are euryoecious and likely to  originate from mid-Holocene mixed broadleaf forests. Beech forests of the mountain ranges in southern and east central  Europe, which are ecologically and biogeographically "old", were found to harbour distinct species assemblages, including  beech forest specialists (such as 10 carabid species in the Carpathians) and narrow-range endemics of broadleaf forest. The  observed biodiversity patterns suggest differentiated conservation priorities in "young" and "old" European beech forest  regions.


Bithynia tentaculata is an invasive snail that was first reported in Lake Michigan in 1871 and has since spread throughout a number of freshwater systems of the USA. This invasion has been extremely problematic in the Upper Mississippi River as the snails serve as intermediate hosts for several trematode parasites that have been associated with waterfowl mortality in the region. This study was designed to assess the abundance and distribution of B. tentaculata relative to submersed aquatic vegetation as macrophytes provide important nesting and food resources for migrating waterfowl. Temporal changes in both vegetation and snail densities were compared between 2007 and 2015. Between these years, B. tentaculata densities have nearly quadrupled despite minor changes in vegetation abundance, distribution and composition. Understanding the spatial distribution of B. tentaculata in relation to other habitat features, including submersed vegetation, and quantifying any further changes in the abundance and distribution of B. tentaculata over time will be important for better identifying areas of risk for disease transmission to waterfowl. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The enzyme, porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), catalyses the stepwise polymerization of the monopyrrole, porphobilinogen (PBG), to give the linear hydroxymethylbilane, preuroporphyrinogen. Preuroporphyrinogen is then cyclised, with rearrangement, to give uroporphyrinogen III, the ubiquitous precursor of haems, chlorophylls and corrins. In Arabidopsis thaliana, PBGD is the fifth enzyme of the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway. The mature A. thaliana PBGD protein of 320 amino acids was expressed from two synthetic genes using the pT7-7 vector in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3). One construct was identical to the nucleotide sequence of the A. thaliana HEMC (AT5G08280) coding region and the other was similar, but with an E. coli codon bias. Neither recombinant enzyme contained the chloroplast import sequence and possessed N-termini of NH2-MVAV… rather than NH2- CVAV… A high proportion (over 90%) of the expressed protein was found to be insoluble and much time was spent increasing the yield of soluble enzyme and obtaining sufficient material for crystal preparation. No significant differences in expression were noted for the two constructs and both purified enzymes had Mr values of 34,928 ± 4 as measured by mass spectrometry. Crystals were obtained from screens using 30% PEG 4000, 0.1M NaAc and 0.1M MgCl2, pH 4.6, containing 2mM dithothreitol. Data from suitable crystals were collected at the ESRF at Grenoble and were in space group C2 with unit cell dimensions of 142.1A x 37.36A x 55.37A; ?=90.00o, ?=104.83o and ?=90.00o. A structure for the A. thaliana PBGD was obtained at 1.5A resolution by molecular replacement using the E. coli PBDG enzyme as search model. Programmes used for the refinement included the CCP4 suite, MOSFLM, SORTMTZ, SCALA, TRUNCATE and HKL VIEW. The structure of the A. thaliana PBGD enzyme shows the presence of three domains, each of approximately 100 residues. A deep cavity between domains I and II constitutes the active site and harbours the dipyrromethane cofactor. Domain III provides the attachment site for the cofactor which is covalently bound to Cys 254. The structure shows, for the first time, a flap or "lid" over the active site, not previously observed in the E. coli and human PBGD structures. The differences and similarities between the A. thaliana PBGD structure and deaminase structures from E. coli and human sources are discussed. As security, a selenomethionine derivative of the enzyme was also prepared and crystals were obtained for possible multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) experiments. Two mutants of A. thaliana PBGD, D95N and R161K, were prepared and the proteins were isolated. The D95N mutation led to an inactive enzyme, whereas the R161K mutation yielded an enzyme with 10% activity, and a lowered pH optimum, since the mutation substituted one of the six conserved active site arginine residues. The thesis presents, for the first time, the X-ray structure of a PBGD from a higher plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, and is the first time that the "lid" over the active site has been resolved. The importance of the active site "lid" in the functioning of the enzyme is discussed.


Measurements of solar wind turbulence reveal the ubiquity of discontinuities. In this study we investigate how the discontinuities, especially rotational discontinuities (RDs), are formed in MHD turbulence. In a simulation of the decaying compressive three-dimensional (3D) MHD turbulence with an imposed uniform background magnetic field, we detect RDs with sharp field rotations and little variations of magnetic field intensity, as well as mass density. At the same time, in the de Hoffman–Teller frame, the plasma velocity is nearly in agreement with the Alfvén speed, and is field-aligned on both sides of the discontinuity. We take one of the identified RDs to analyze its 3D structure and temporal evolution in detail. By checking the magnetic field and plasma parameters, we find that the identified RD evolves from the steepening of the Alfvén wave with moderate amplitude, and that steepening is caused by the nonuniformity of the Alfvén speed in the ambient turbulence.


This paper highlights the results of a newly redesigned capstone course, incorporating objectives and priorities as defined by the department's various discipline-specific advisory boards. Six technology disciplines (Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, HVACR, Environmental and Mechanical) worked together to research, design and document a highly energy efficient building. Three student teams were formed, providing very different solutions to the design challenge. The focal point of this paper is to summarize the simulation of workforce dynamics and how to work more closely with advisory board members. An important aspect of the assignment was Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), requiring students of diverse disciplines to work together to formulate a feasible solution. Professors worked with students to foster a sense of community that allowed cross-disciplinary collaboration, including hosting a visiting lecturer who specializes in IPD who worked with both faculty and students prior to the start of the project. Technology allowing for group communication was employed by the teams and monitored by faculty throughout the course. Building Information Modeling (BIM) was a cornerstone of the challenge, driving students to explore new technologies of modeling and construction. Autodesk's Revit, a component-driven building modeling program, was the design software of choice. Revit models were coupled with energy analysis, estimating, rendering, and other design programs. A designated server on campus was established to allow for work sharing and information management. While students used technology specific to their disciplines, information and decisions were compiled to allow access by the team and client. The project guidelines mandated the inclusion of green technologies, including renewable energy. Net Zero Energy, which requires designers to balance a building's energy consumption with its ability to generate power, required team's diligence in their IPD effort. Layering on top of the various discipline-specific and IPD priorities was a goal to explore the pedagogy of technology. Students matriculating in the current technological environment face significant impact on their productivity, communication and research activities as a result of technology, some positive and some negative. As a result, a goal was to explore the use of technology and pedagogical theory to help guide the capstone effort.


Since codification of the economic substance doctrine in March of 2010, representatives of the Treasury department have assured taxpayers that no change in substantive law was intended, and the statutory language is relatively narrow. But courts have used the phrase "economic substance" for a variety of anti-abuse doctrines, and several commentators have suggested that the new statutory language can encompass them all. The precise reach of the codified economic substance doctrine is important because of the new penalty regime that is triggered by a failure to satisfy the codified economic substance doctrine, and I argue that the breadth of the new penalties strongly supports a narrow reading of the codification language.


The Art School can often be an anathema to teaching and learning. Its constraining modules, timetables and architectures often control the learning experience producing narrow subject foci, devoid of risk and failure.
In this paper, we argue that pedagogical performance is key to the challenges of space (the school as a physical constraint) and time (the ticking clock of the module). Through a close reading of what Chantal Mouffe (2013) describes as a multiplicity of social spaces, where the students engage in practices that reveal new and novel ways of creating social relationships and sites of learning, we will interrogate how cross disciplinary practise across art and design delivers participatory experiences designed to scale from local to national to international contexts, examining performative pedagogy not as mimicry but performance as activation. The contribution of actor/theatre training to 'disruptive' teaching (in the age of ecological emergency).


Catalysts generated by the addition of carbon, nitrogen or phosphorus to transition metals have interesting properties and potential applications. The addition of carbon, nitrogen or phosphorus can lead to substantial modification of the catalytic efficacy of the parent metal and some carbides and nitrides are claimed to be comparable to noble metals in their behaviour. Amorphous boron transition metal alloys are also a class of interesting catalyst, although their structures and phase composition are more difficult to define. In this critical review, the preparation of these catalysts is described and brief details of their application given. To date, attention has largely centred upon the application of these materials as alternatives for existing catalysts. However, novel approaches towards their utilisation can be envisaged. For example, the extent to which it is possible to utilise the "activated" carbon and nitrogen species within the host lattices of carbides and nitrides, respectively, as a reactant remains largely unexplored (195 references).


Drawing upon Marsden's typology of employment systems, this article explores how the indeterminacy of the employment relationship is enacted and resolved in relation to the healthcare assistant (HCA), a key work role in the delivery of nursing care in a hospital setting. It suggests that the regulation of task allocation within nursing assumes a hybrid form, requiring further analysis of the influences shaping the HCA role. Based on multi-method hospital case studies, the article distinguishes different types of HCA, explaining their emergence by reference to the interaction between organizational structure and personal agency. The article illustrates the value of Marsden's framework, and by addressing its limits in a healthcare setting seeks to develop a deeper understanding of task allocation in different workplace employment systems.


The Louisiana coast is among the most productive coastal areas in the US and home to the largest coastal wetland area in the nation. However, Louisiana coastal wetlands have been disappearing at an alarming rate due to natural and anthropogenic processes, including sea level rise, land subsidence and infrastructure development. Wetland loss occurs mainly along the tidal zone, which varies in width and morphology along the Louisiana shoreline. In this study, we use Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) observations to detect the extent of the tidal inundation zone and evaluate the interaction between tidal currents and coastal wetlands. Our data consist of ALOS and Radarsat-1 observations acquired between 2006–2011 and 2003–2008, respectively. Interferometric processing of the data provides detailed maps of water level changes in the tidal zone, which are validated using sea level data from a tide gauge station. Our results indicate vertical tidal changes up to 30 cm and horizontal tidal flow limited to 5–15 km from open waters. The results also show that the tidal inundation is disrupted by various man-made structures, such as canals and roads, which change the natural tidal flow interaction with the coast.


This paper provides estimation and control design methods for linear discrete-time systems with multiplicative noise. First, we present the design of the state feedback controller, such that the closed loop system is mean square stable. Second, we provide sufficient conditions for the existence of the state estimator; these conditions are expressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), and the parametrization of all admissible solutions is addressed. Finally, an estimator design approach is formulated using LMIs, and the performance of the estimator is examined by means of numerical examples.


This paper establishes the asymptotic uniform linearity of M- and R-scores in a family of nonlinear time series and regression models. It also gives an asymptotic expansion of the standardized sequential residual empirical process in these models. These results are, in turn, used to obtain the asymptotic normality of certain classes of M-, R- and minimum distance estimators of the underlying parameters. The classes of estimators considered include analogs of Hodges-Lehmann, Huber and LAD (least absolute deviation) estimators. Some applications to the change point and testing of the goodness-of-fit problems in threshold and amplitude-dependent exponential autoregression models are also given. The paper thus offers a unified functional approach to some aspects of robust inference for a large class of nonlinear time series models.


Anomalocaris, the most well‐known genus of the diverse stem euarthropod group Radiodonta, was first reported over 100 years ago from the Burgess Shale (Canada). This large Cambrian apex predator was later treated as occurring in the southern Great Basin (California and Nevada, USA). We re‐evaluate the systematic affinities of previously described material from the Pioche Formation, Nevada, and the Latham Shale, California, and describe the first radiodonts from the Pyramid Shale Member, Carrara Formation, California. Latham Shale (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4, upper Dyeran) specimens previously assigned to Anomalocaris are reinterpreted as Ramskoeldia consimilis?, an amplectobeluid previously known only from the Chengjiang biota (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3). Younger material from the Pioche and Carrara Formations (Series 2, Stage 4) is described as a new Anomalocaris species, A. magnabasis. This new species sheds light on the two‐part structure of Anomalocaris ventral endites, a potentially important character for distinguishing species, and reveals a sequence of five disarticulation stages for frontal appendages. The oldest Hurdia from Laurentia is also reported from the Pioche Formation (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4). A changeover in taxonomic composition of the Radiodonta in the southern Great Basin is recognized: Anomalocaris replaces Ramskoeldia in the upper Dyeran, but it is not associated with a replacement of local olenelloid trilobites or seen in radiodonts elsewhere in Laurentia. These new data, combined with a summary of known radiodont occurrences, suggest that Anomalocaris species did not have large geographical distributions, when compared with other radiodonts such as Hurdia and Caryosyntrips.


PURPOSE
Incarceration provides an opportunity for screening and treatment of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in high-risk groups. The purpose of this paper is to determine positivity rates of STBBI screening within correctional facilities using opt-in strategies and estimate the proportion of admissions tested.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH
A cross-sectional, retrospective review of testing data from January 2012 to August 2015 from three provincial correctional facilities located in Alberta, Canada was completed. Analysis variables included STBBI, gender, facility, collection year and age. STBBI-stratified analysis was performed to identify correlates for positivity using univariate and logistic regressions.

FINDINGS
Overall prevalence of chlamydia was 11.2 percent and gonorrhea was 3.5 percent; correlates for both were younger age and facility type. The syphilis prevalence rate was 3.2 percent; correlates included being female, older age, adult facilities, with later years being protective. In total, 14 (0.3 percent) newly diagnosed HIV cases were found, prevalence increased with age. HBV prevalence was 1.7 percent with no significant correlations. Nearly one-tenth (n=422) of those screened for HCV antibody were positive; all variables were significantly correlated. Overall estimates of the proportion of admissions tested by STBBI were low and ranged from 4.8 to 16.1 percent.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE
This study found high rates of STBBI in correctional facilities and showed that only a small proportion of the population was tested using an opt-in strategy. Shifting to an "opt-out" strategy may be warranted.


Drug metabolism is an essential element in drug discovery and development process by interacting with multiple disciplines, including medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, preclinical development, clinical development, safety assessment and regulatory affairs. Although the methodologies in this area have been being developed and applied for decades, improvement of the efficiency of the method in drug discovery program is still needed. In this thesis, a novel in vitro method to detect the liver enzymes derived active metabolites against Mycobacterial tuberculosis was developed. As the primary pathway of the drug clearance, hepatic metabolism changes the active form of the drug into a more polar structure for the further elimination. This metabolism has also been utilized to design pro-drug which is not active but can be converted to the active form through this process. This in vitro assay will identify the TB-active metabolites which have better metabolic, pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. Besides, the drug-drug interactions was explored with four commonly used tyrosine kinease inhibitors, including axitinib, imatinib, lapatinib and vandetinib in terms of their inhibition of the glucuronidation activities of UGT enzymes. The coadministered drugs which are cleared through glucuronidation will be affected with increased AUC and may cause adverse effects. The mechanism of drug-drug interactions between (S)-warfarin and noscapine was also investigated. It was found that the inhibition of 7-hydroxylation of (S)-warfarin occurs through mechanism-based inactivation. The methylenedioxyphenyl structure of noscapine is oxidized by CYP2C9 to form the active species carbene, which then chelates to the heme of CYP2C9 and inactives its activity. This inactivation activity of noscapine was also studied in CYP2C9 variant isoforms, including CYP2C9*1, *2, and *3. With the amino acid mutations, the inactivation differs in these isoforms, which affected the clearance of (S)-warfarin at different levels. Due to the effects on the clearance of (S)-warfarin, the dose adjustment factor of (S)-warfarin for different CYP2C9 variant carriers was calculated in order to avoid the adverse effects of bleeding.


The major postharvest rots of Musa species are crown rot and anthracnose. Therefore, the effects of storage methods on the development of these diseases were studied during storage and thereafter. Sawdust amended with 0, 5 and 10% table salt to enhance its moisture absorptive capacity and enclosed in plane, blue, red and yellow polyethylene bags were the storage methods. There were two control treatments comprising fruits sealed in polyethylene without sawdust [Po] and fruits kept on laboratory shelf [LS]. Sample fruits were sealed under ambient laboratory conditions and thereafter opened weekly to assess disease development. Post-storage disease development study utilized green fruits remaining after 3-week MAS in blue and yellow polyethylene. The results showed that about 67% of fruits stored in plane, yellow and red Po were green after two weeks as against only 8% of fruits lined on LS. The inclusion of sawdust/salt hastened senescence and enhanced disease development. Severity of crown rot was generally lowest in blue polyethylene. Also, fruits stored in sawdust impregnated in blue polyethylene had the least occurrence of anthracnose disease after two weeks of storage. Post-storage disease assessment after three weeks of storage showed that fungal growth on fruit peels cultured was lowest on fruits previously stored in yellow polyethylene. The study showed that using yellow polyethylene for storing mature green plantain fruit would enhance its postharvest quality. Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol.11(2) 2005: 169-174


We describe a possible mechanism for the formation of direction- and velocity-selective cells in visual cortex through spike-timing dependent learning. We contrast the case where only feedforward excitation and inhibition signals are provided to visual neurons with the case where both feedforward and feedback signals are provided. In the feedforward-only case, neurons become selective for a broad range of velocities centered around the training velocity. However, we show that direction selectivity in this case is strongly dependent on delayed feedforward inhibition and in contrast to experimental results, becomes dramatically weaker when inhibition is reduced. When feedback connections are introduced, direction selectivity becomes much more robust due to predictive delays encoded in recurrent activity. Direction selectivity persists in the face of decreasing inhibition in a manner similar to experimental findings. The model predicts that direction-selective cells should exhibit anticipatory activity due to recurrent excitation and suggests a pivotal role for spike-timing dependent plasticity in shaping cortical circuits for visual motion detection and prediction.


The model required to drive socio-economic development in Africa, and the relationship between the state and the private sector based on that model, have sparked much controversy among African analysts. Some question the relevance of other successful models of development, such as in the liberal West or in East-Asia, to the African context. Others criticise all models of development that are "alien" to African cultures and conditions hence rejecting the NEPAD model on this basis. This paper argues that although NEPAD does not present a detailed model of the relationship between the state, the private sector and civil society in Africa, some of its theoretical underpinnings suggest a balanced framework that should prompt African scholars to search for new models that do not necessarily imitate already successful ones but respect the particularities of each African state


A parameter identification procedure for identifying the parameters of a volumetric error model of a large machine tool requires hundreds of random volumetric error components in its workspace and thus takes hours of measurement time. It causes thermal errors of a large machine difficult to be tracked and compensated periodically. This paper demonstrates the application of the optimal observation design theories to volumetric error model parameter identification of a large five-axis machine. Optimal designs maximize the amount of information carried in the observations. In this paper, K-optimal designs are applied for the construction of machine-tool error observers by determining locations in the workspace at which 80 components of volumetric errors to be measured so that the model parameters can be identified in 5% of an 8-h shift. Many of optimal designs tend to localize observations at the boundary of the workspace. This leaves large volumes of the workspace inadequately represented, making the identified model inadequate. Therefore, the constrained optimization algorithms that force the distribution of observation points in the machine's workspace are developed. Optimal designs reduce the number of observations in the identification procedure. This opens up the possibility of tracking thermal variations of the volumetric error model with periodic measurements. The design, implementation, and performance of a constrained K-optimal in tracking the thermal variations of the volumetric error over a 400-min period of operation are also reported. About 70–80% of machine-tool error can be explained using the proposed thermal error modeling methodology.


This paper presents the results obtained by "G.I.S. MOUSSES", which comprises the CEMAGREF and the six main private companies operating wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) throughout FRANCE.

Over 75% of French activated sludge (AS) WWTP, 20% are reported to be affected by foaming. 60% of theseare linked with Microthrix and only 14 % with Nocardioforms. Few factors conducive to foaming were statistically proved. Experiments run on more than 40 AS WWTP helped us to identify cause-effect relationships and useful methods to reduce foaming, varying with the type of dominant hydrophobic filamentous microorganisms. The finer points related to design and operation are identified in order to be effective against foaming.

Depending on the type and degree of urgency of each case, different combat strategies are proposed.


How T cell receptors (TCRs) are triggered to start signaling is still not fully understood. It has been proposed that segregation of the large membrane tyrosine phosphatase CD45 from engaged TCRs initiates signaling by favoring phosphorylation of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) in the cytoplasmic domains of CD3 molecules. However, whether CD45 segregation is important to initiate triggering is still uncertain. We examined CD45 segregation from TCRs engaged to anti-CD3 scFv with high or low affinity and with defined molecular lengths on glass-supported lipid bilayers using total internal reflection microscopy. Both short and elongated high-affinity anti-CD3 scFv effectively induced similar calcium mobilization, Zap70 phosphorylation, and cytokine secretion in Jurkat T cells but CD45 segregated from activated TCR microclusters significantly less for elongated versus short anti-CD3 ligands. In addition, at early times, triggering cells with both high and low affinity elongated anti-CD3 scFv resulted in similar degrees of CD3 co-localization with CD45, but only the high-affinity scFv induced T cell activation. The lack of correlation between CD45 segregation and early markers of T cell activation suggests that segregation of CD45 from engaged TCRs is not mandatory for initial triggering of TCR signaling by elongated high-affinity ligands.


Level of repair analysis (LORA) determines (1) the best decision during a malfunction of each product component; (2) the location in the repair network to perform the decision and (3) the quantity of required resources in each facility. Capital goods have long life cycles and their total life cycle costs are extremely high. LORA, which can be done repeatedly during the life cycle of the product, both at design and product support phase, plays an important role in minimising the total life cycle costs of capital goods. It is mostly applied to systems that operate in different geographical areas and deployed in different regions, which include different subsystems with special technology and expertise, and have a complex product structure. In this study, we propose a new mathematical model to the LORA problem, which is more comprehensive and flexible than the other pure LORA models in the literature. The proposed model uses the multiple upstream approach that allows the transfer of the components from a location in the lower echelon to the predefined locations in the upper echelon and determines the material movement paths between each facility, defining the facilities' locations in the repair network. The performance of the proposed model is tested on benchmark instances and the results are compared with the single upstream model. Computational experiments show that the proposed model is more effective than the single upstream model and reduces the total life cycle costs by 4.85% on average, which is an enormous cost saving when total life cycle costs of capital goods are considered.


Abstract Enantiopure benzo-fused cyclic alcohols have been used as a building block of a drug for Parkinson's disease. Biocatalytic reduction of ketones is one of the most promising and significant routes to prepare optically active alcohols. In this study, the reductive capacity of seven lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were investigated as whole-cell biocatalyst in the enantioselective reduction of 1-indanone (1). Lactobacillus paracasei BD71 was found to have the best reductive capacity. Effects of different parameters such as pH, incubation time, agitation speed and temperature, on enantiomeric excess (ee) and conversion were investigated in a bioconversion. (S)-1-indanol ((S)-2) could be used as precursor for the synthesis of rasagiline mesylate TVP1012 for the therapy of Parkinson's illness. It was produced in gram-scale (5.24 g), high yield (93%) and enantiomerically pure form using L. paracasei BD71 whole-cell biocatalysts. Also, to our knowledge, this is the first report on production of (S)-2 using whole-cell catalyst in enantiopure form, excellent yield, conversion and gram scale. This is a cheap, clean and eco-friendly process for production of (S)-2 compared to chemical processes.


A wet gas flowmeter based on field-proven flowmeters and flow computers has been developed. The flowmeter is engineered by integrating the well-established SmartCone meter, a Pitot tube meter and filed mounted Flow Computer technologies in one wet gas metering solution. This combination exploits the characteristics of these two flow metering elements in wet gas flowrate measurement; The Cone measurement in wet gas is characterized by its relatively large gas measurement over-read with increasing liquid-loading, whereas this has a significantly lower impact on the gas flowrate measured by the Pitot tube.
 The DynaCone wet gas flowmeter has been in development over the past several years with particular emphasis being placed on developing a flexible flowmeter for broad operating conditions and applications including high turndown ratio, minimal pressure loss, measurement quality diagnostic, and performance characterization in industry-recognized wet gas flow loop.
 The wet gas performance has been demonstrated at CEESI wet gas flow loop yielding gas flowrates better than ±3% in Type I wet gas range, and better than ±5% in Type II without the input of liquid flowrate to correct for over-reading. Furthermore, uncertainties better than 2% and 3% for Type I & II respectively can be achieved if periodic liquid flowrate information is available for input.


Abstract We present a new relaxation approximation to scalar conservation laws in several space variables by means of semilinear hyperbolic systems of equations with a finite number of velocities. Under a suitable multidimensional generalization of the Whitham relaxation subcharacteristic condition, we show the convergence of the approximated solutions to the unique entropy solution of the equilibrium Cauchy problem.


Objective: This study examines the role of environmental correlates of overweight and obesity among older adults independent of walking activity and lower body function. Methods: In-person interviews were conducted with 789 adults aged 65 and older, residing in four areas in the U.S. Demographic information, general health, lower body function, walking behavior, and awareness of environmental infrastructure features using the modified Neighborhood Environment Walking Survey (NEWS) were obtained. Regression analyses examined the association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and environmental infrastructure features, adjusting for demographics and lower body function. Results: Older adults who perceived their neighborhood as less safe from crime and had reduced access to services were more likely to have higher BMI. Controlling for demographic and functional characteristics, access to services remained significant. This association remained significant for those with lower functional status. Discussion: This research suggests that neighborhood environment may have an influence on BMI above and beyond walking activity.


What is trans cinema, and how do we know? Drawing on methods from the emergent field of trans studies, this chapter takes up the classic trope of the mirror scene as technique for expanding the archive of purportedly "transgender" cinema. Redeployed as a beside strategy, the mirror scene reveals contemporaneous films Boys Don't Cry (1999) and The Matrix (1999) as mirror images of one another—a historical meeting place reflecting inverse explorations of transgender representation at the turn of the millennium. Reconsidering Boys Don't Cry's legacy in light of The Matrix's trans authorship and aesthetics, the chapter works dually across these film's bodies to illustrate how competing trans* imaginaries were developing within the late twentieth-century's popular cinematic frame.


The paper uses economic and energy data analysis and econometric modeling to study the prospects and challenges of Korea"s 2003 FTA Roadmap (MOFAT 2013) in the form of potential comprehensive partnerships with its major trade and energy partners. It first reviews Korea"s international economic and trade relations in recent years with a focus on its major merchandise export destinations and energy imports, and their association with the country"s economic performance. A causal model of endogenous growth, gravity trade and energy imports for Korea in an economic integration theory framework (Tran 2012; Tran and Limskul 2013) is then developed to investigate the structural effects between these sectors. Empirical findings by system estimation are finally used to provide predictive policy implications for comprehensive partnerships between Korea and major resources-rich countries in the Middle East and potentially Iran.


This action research investigated how oral content vocabulary used during oral discussion transferred to students' academic content writing. In order to accomplish this, four students in fifth grade received explicit vocabulary instruction. The guiding question of the study was: Will the students transfer content vocabulary used in oral discussion to their content area writing? The researcher hypothesized that the students would use more academic content vocabulary during discussion than in their content area writing. An eight-week intervention was conducted. First, student academic content language used orally during discussion was tracked. Next, student writing was analyzed for usage of the same target vocabulary. Then data from these samples were compared. The results showed that explicit instruction of academic content vocabulary fostered an increase in target vocabulary words used in both oral discussions and in student writing. During the intervention, students used more academic content vocabulary during oral conversations than in their writing. There were positive student outcomes in that a higher number of academic content vocabulary words were used in content area writing after the


Practitioners must have the ability to investigate and add to the orthotic and prosthetic body of knowledge, Likewise, the ability to critically review research is essential.Recognizing this, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Prosthetics-Orthotics Program has, over the past eight years, designed its curriculum to culminate in a senior research project demonstrating the students' mastery of the essendal tools required to perform research. It begins with coursework in statistics and computer skills prior to acceptance. Early in the prosthetics-orthotics curriculum, students are introduced to available campus resources. Students gain experience in research methods through a series of seminars and a scientific inquiry course. During their senior year, students conduct research and present the findings in written, oral and poster forms. Several senior projects have been published in professional journals. Established guidelines assist students and their faculty research advisers in successfully carrying out the projects.Any stttdent or faculty research endeavors at the university are monitored by the Institutional Review Board, Office of Grants Management and the program itself. Student researchers also may contribute to ongoing faculty research and conduct pilot studies. Graduates trained in research methods have the potential to make meaningful contribution to the field.


The publication in 2009 of John Watts's The Making of Polities renewed interest not
only in the causal relation that is habitually taken for granted nowadays between
war and the development of state institutions in the late medieval centuries (a
question about which recent English historiography has produced other works of
enormous interest), but also in the appropriateness of state categories to think about
the changes that, driven by war or not, took place then in the field of the forms of
political organisation of Western Europe. This paper looks at the the historiographic
origins and development of the state-centred model of explaining those changes,
and then explores (especially as regards the evolution of the idea of war itself)
the potential for a jurisdictionalist model which, through a more contextualized
reading of sources and closer attention to its long-term deployment since the 12th
century, has been reconstructing the recent legal and related historiographies from,
especially, southern European countries.


In order to explore the genetic diversity in a large number of strains, a Legionella biodiversity array was designed containing probes (internal PCR products) specific for all those genes that are variable among the three strains as well as of conserved ones that have known or putative implication in virulence. The gene content of 180 Legionella isolates, 165 Legionella pneumophila strains, and 25 representatives of Legionella species other than L. pneumophila isolated from the environment during epidemics or from sporadic cases were analyzed by DNA-DNA hybridization using the Legionella biodiversity array. L. pneumophila serogroup 1 is largely overrepresented among human legionellosis cases, suggesting that virulence differences exist among different L. pneumophila serogroups and other Legionella species. In order to address this question and to try to find a possible link between virulence differences and a specific pattern of virulence genes, the authors analyzed the distribution of these factors among 180 strains. This study also reports for the first time the distribution of the eukaryotic-like genes identified during sequence analysis among L. pneumophila. In order to better understand plasticity and evolution in L. pneumophila the authors used hierarchical clustering to analyze the hybridization patterns obtained. Despite the high genome plasticity observed, hierarchical clustering of the hybridization results of the genes selected for the Legionella biodiversity array correlates with results of rpoB sequence typing and therefore with phylogeny. The Legionella biodiversity array allowed subdivision of the otherwise indistinguishable group of Paris strains.


Abstract Adrenal insufficiency is an insidious diagnosis that can be initially misdiagnosed as other life-threatening endocrine conditions, as well as sepsis, metabolic disorders, or cardiovascular disease. In newborns, cortisol deficiency causes delayed bile acid synthesis and transport maturation, determining prolonged cholestatic jaundice. Subclinical adrenal insufficiency is a particular challenge for a pediatric endocrinologist, representing the preclinical stage of acute adrenal insufficiency. Although often included in the extensive work-up of an unwell child, a single cortisol value is usually difficult to interpret; therefore, in most cases, a dynamic test is required for diagnosis to assess the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Stimulation tests using corticotropin analogs are recommended as first-line for diagnosis. All patients with adrenal insufficiency need long-term glucocorticoid replacement therapy, and oral hydrocortisone is the first-choice replacement treatment in pediatric. However, children that experience low cortisol concentrations and symptoms of cortisol insufficiency can take advantage using a modified release hydrocortisone formulation. The acute adrenal crisis is a life-threatening condition in all ages, treatment is effective if administered promptly, and it must not be delayed for any reason.


In view of the ever increasing complexity of individualized pharmacotherapy, the study of new and potent drugs in man and the misuse and abuse of drugs, WHO-Study Group reports and a recent enquiry in Belgium, France and W. Germany stress that the development of clinical pharmacology is an absolute necessity for patients, physicians, health authorities, the pharmaceutical industry and society at large. It seems this development could be optimally achieved by setting up, within Services of General Medicine or Internal Medicine of University Hospitals and large Public Hospitals, autonomous Units of Clinical Pharmacology with the responsibility to take an active part: a) at the service level: 1) in patient care, either directly in general medical services or drug problem oriented consultations, or indirectly through consultative functions and pharmacotherapeutic conferences; 2) in drug monitoring services, management of cases of overdose, drug information, drug utilization surveys, pharmaco-epidemiology, ethical committees, formulary committees, drug regulatory agencies and studies of Phase I, II and III; b) at the teaching level: 1) in courses of clinical pharmacology sui generis, to undergraduates, in close collaboration with the University Department of Pharmacology; 2) at the postgraduate level, as a specialty in se, and as part of the training in medical specialties and at the level of continuing education of general practitioners and specialists; c) at the research level: 1) in clinical pharmacokinetic studies, with special attention to interindividual variability and genetic factors, to drug concentration/effect studies, to drug interactions, and in pharmacodynamic studies, in view of the development of new approaches in the study of drug-receptor interactions; 2) in the design, realization and evaluation of Phase I, II and III studies, clinical trials and multicenter drug studies.


Twenty-one species of Distichopora have been described after specimens from various localities in the Indo-Pacific region, viz., D. violacea (Pallas, 1766) from "Mare Indicum", D. cinnabarina Nardo, 1844, from the Red Sea (?), D. gracilis Dana, 1848, from the Tuamotu Islands, D. coccinea Gray, 1860, from New Caledonia, D. fulvacea Michelin, 1862, from Reunion, D. nitida Verrill, 1864, from the Marshall Islands, D. rosea Kent, 1871, from the East coast of Australia, D. purpurea Schmeltz, 1875 (nomen nudum), from the Marshall Islands (?), D. irregularis Moseley, 1879, from the Philippine Islands, D. livida Tenison-Woods, 1879, from the Solomon Islands, D. brasseyi Wright, 1882, from the Gilbert Islands, D. allnutti Wright, 1882, from the Gilbert Islands (?), D. breviserialis Quelch, 1884, from unknown locality, D. milesii Quelch, 1884, from the Pacific (probably from the region of the Society and Tuamotu Islands), D. granulosa Quelch, 1885, from Rarotonga (?), D. conferta Quelch, 1885, from Rarotonga, D. ochracea Quelch, 1885, from the Solomon Islands, D. profunda Hickson & England, 1909, from the Chagos Archipelago, D. borealis Fisher, 1938, from the Aleutian Islands, D. fisheri Broch, 1942, from the Fiji Islands, and D. serpens Broch, 1942, from the Philippine Islands. Most of the described species came from shallow water, only three species were collected from great depths, viz., D. profunda (187—274 m), D. borealis (518—881 m), and D. serpens (91—183 m). The type specimen of D. irregularis came from a depth of 10 fathoms (18 m). To the species enumerated above should be added D. providentiae (Hickson & England, 1909) from off Providence Island in the Western Indian Ocean, collected at a depth of 125 fathoms (228 m). This species was originally placed in the genus Sporadopora, but the manner of arrangement of the gastropores and the dactylopores indicate that it presents at least some affinity to the genus Distichopora, and accordingly it may provisionally find a place here.


There are certain aspects of vascular disease which cannot be illustrated clearly except by the use of color. The same is true of many clinical situations in which the skin is the site of disease. Foley and Wright have gathered together an atlas which deals with the diagnosis, management, and to some extent the natural history of a wide variety of vascular lesions. These include lesions of the arteries, veins, lymphatics, vasospastic disorders, aneurysms, diseases of small vessels, and blood vessel tumors. The clinical descriptions are rather cursory, but this is not supposed to be a textbook. The illustrations are for the most part exemplary, though in my copy some of the plates have slipped and one color or another is dislodged from proper centering, and the message is lost. On the whole, however, this should be a very helpful book to undergraduate medical students and those beginning their clinical


By the aid of optical microscope, Hardness measurement, SEM, TEM and the chemical quantitative phase analysis technique, the influence of copper, niobium, and chromium on the aging hardness has been investigated. The aging precipitation behavior and the interaction between various precipitates have also been discussed. The results indicate that since there are multi aging-hardening elements in the steel the aging hardening behaviors are complicated. During the aging the ε-copper, and carbides containing iron and chromium will precipitate. Also, new niobium carbonitride precipitation occurs. These precipitation processes cause marked hardening effect and various hardness peaks. The ε-copper can precipitate at dislocation and lath boundaries preferentially. During the aging the bainite lath united and became wider and then gradually vanished.


Organ growth depends on cell division and (or) cell growth. Here, we present a study on two organs whose growth depends entirely on cell growth, once they are formed in the embryo: Malpighian tubules and silk glands of the flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella . Between first and last larval instar, the volume of Malpighian tubule cells increases by a factor of ∼1800 and that of silk gland cells by a factor of ∼3100. We determined the number of endocyles required to reach these stages by Feulgen cytometry. Cells of Malpighian tubules were in the 2C stage in first instar larvae and reached 1024C after 9 endocycles in last instar larvae (1C = 0.45 pg DNA). Silk gland cells already reached a DNA content of 8C-16C in first instar larvae and attained up to 8192C in last instar larvae after a total of 12 endocycles. The nuclei were small and more or less spherical in first instar larvae, but they were huge, flat, and bizarrely branched in last instar larvae. We consider branching as a compensatory adaptation to improve molecular traffic between nucleus and cytoplasm in these excessively large and highly polyploid cells (i) by reducing the mean distance between nucleus and cytoplasm and (ii) by enlarging the surface-to-volume ratio of these nuclei.


The genetic potentials of resistance to turcicum leaf blight (TLB), grey leaf spot (GLS), and common rust (CR) disease, grain yield and selected agronomic trait were studied in 45 F1 hybrids from a half diallel following Griffing's Model 1, Method 4. The 45 hybrids excluding parents were evaluated in 5 × 9 alpha lattice designs with three replications. The study was carried out at Jimma Agricultural Research Center during 2015 cropping season with the objective to evaluate combining ability for turcicum leaf blight, grey leaf spot, common rust disease, grain yield and selected agronomic trait in maize inbred lines. For analysis of variance, days to 50% anthesis, days to 50% silking, turcicum leaf blight, grey leaf spot, common rust disease severity index, days to maturity and grain yield data were collected. Mean square due to general combining ability (GCA) was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) for all traits, while specific combining ability (SCA) mean square was non-significant except for grain yield, days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% of silking, and days to maturity. This study showed the importance of additive types of gene action in controlling the inheritance of the traits. Among ten inbred lines, L7 and L10 were best combiners for GLS tolerance with the highest negative value of GCA effects and inbred line L7 was the best combiner for TLB and CR tolerance with the highest negative value of GCA effect. Inbred lines L2 and L9 were best combiner for grain yield with the highest positive GCA effect value. Therefore, maize breeding program can engage in hybridization and synthetic variety formation based on the information of inbred lines with high negative value GCA effect for diseases tolerant and high GCA for grain yield.


Ru–Ti alloy films were studied for use as a bottom electrode of ferroelectric/paraelectric thin film capacitors. These thin films with different Ru/Ti compositions were first prepared by co-sputtering. The Ru/Ti ratio in the alloy was found to strongly affect the resistivity, structure formation and thermal stability. The resistivity of the as-deposited films decreases and closes to that of pure Ru metal films as the amount of Ru atoms increasing. From X-ray diffraction measurement, it was found that the RuTi phase has formed for the as-deposited sample. There also exist Ru and Ti phases for Ru-enriched and Ti-enriched samples, respectively. As-deposited alloy films were also annealed by rapid thermal processing (RTP, 600–750°C, 1 min) in oxygen ambient to simulate the processing of ferroelectric/paraelectric thin film capacitors. It was found that the composition of the thin film has a large effect on the thermal stability. The resistivity of alloy thin films is thermally stable as the Ru composition varies from 0.68 to 0.81. It may be due to the RuTiO2 formation at the surface and play an important role in preventing further oxidation of the Ru-enriched layer. This oxide also presents conductive behavior. On the other hand, the interface between Ru-enriched alloys and Si substrate was still sharp for the RTP-treated sample at 600°C for 1 min. The alloy film with high Ru composition shows excellent thermal stability and barriers against interdiffusion of Si and oxygen. These results suggest that the Ru-enriched alloy films are suitable for the bottom electrode application in ferroelectric/paraelectric thin film capacitors.


BACKGROUND
The mechanisms of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis are still poorly recognized. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of chronic HCV infection on the expression of the major regulators of epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) including E-cadherin, snail, slug, and twist2, in the Egyptian population. This will help to design more efficient strategies to treat HCV-associated cirrhosis and carcinoma.

METHODS
Fifty-nine liver biopsies from patients, that were serologically proven to be HCV positive, were included in the current study. Histopathological examination was done. Grading of hepatitis activity (A) and staging of fibrosis (F) were assessed using the METAVIR scoring system. Additionally, an immunohistochemical examination of E-cadherin, snail, slug, and twist2 expression was performed.

RESULTS
E-cadherin showed a significant progressive decline of its expression with increased fibrosis staging and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In contrast, snail and slug expression was positively associated with the stage of fibrosis and HCC. Meanwhile, twist2 expression wasn't affected by the degree of hepatitis activity, the stage of fibrosis, or by the development of HCC.

CONCLUSIONS
E-cadherin and its transcriptional regulators; snail and slug may serve as indicators for assessing the stage of fibrosis and the progression of HCC associated with HCV infection but not for assessing the degree of hepatitis activity. Therefore, the snail family could be a promising target for designing effective preventive and therapeutic strategies for chronic HCV infection and its serious co-morbidities.


Indigenous women's knowledge traditions remain largely marginalized within the academy to the detriment of Indigenous communities. The act of beading can serve to disrupt the dislocation of Indigenous women's ways of knowing, providing an avenue for Indigenous women to pursue research that is congruent with their worldviews and understandings of ethical and meaningful relationships. Drawing from the author's doctoral work, which was pursued as a beading project, this article outlines the use of beading as a method of inquiry. Through beading, which can be understood as a form of storytelling, a collective theoretical framework that fosters individuality within the context of relational accountability and nation building emerges. Also, the common supplies of sinew and beeswax used by Anishinaabe women in their beadwork support an Anishinaabecentric approach to research. This is reinforced by the process and aesthetic of beading, which generate the values of respect, balance, harmony centeredness, and repetition.


Next-generation sequencing technologies are being rapidly adopted as a tool of choice for diagnostic and outbreak investigation in public health laboratories. However, costs of operation and the need for specialized staff remain major hurdles for laboratories with limited resources for implementing these technologies. This project aimed to assess the feasibility of using Oxford Nanopore MinION whole-genome sequencing data of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates for species identification, in silico spoligotyping, detection of mutations associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to accurately predict drug susceptibility profiles, and phylogenetic analysis to detect transmission between cases. ABSTRACT Next-generation sequencing technologies are being rapidly adopted as a tool of choice for diagnostic and outbreak investigation in public health laboratories. However, costs of operation and the need for specialized staff remain major hurdles for laboratories with limited resources for implementing these technologies. This project aimed to assess the feasibility of using Oxford Nanopore MinION whole-genome sequencing data of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates for species identification, in silico spoligotyping, detection of mutations associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to accurately predict drug susceptibility profiles, and phylogenetic analysis to detect transmission between cases. The results were compared prospectively in real time to those obtained with our current clinically validated Illumina MiSeq sequencing assay for M. tuberculosis and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing results when available. Our assessment of 431 sequenced samples over a 32-week period demonstrates that, when using the proper quality controls and thresholds, the MinION can achieve levels of genotyping analysis and phenotypic resistance predictions comparable to those of the Illumina MiSeq at a very competitive cost per sample. Our results indicate that nanopore sequencing can be a suitable alternative to, or complement, currently used sequencing platforms in a clinical setting and has the potential to be widely adopted in public health laboratories in the near future.


This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated whether using web-based nursing educational programs increases a participant's knowledge and clinical performance. We performed a meta-analysis of studies published between January 2000 and July 2016 and identified through RISS, CINAHL, ProQuest Central, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and PubMed. Eleven studies were eligible for inclusion in this analysis. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated significant differences not only for the overall effect but also specifically for blended programs and short (2 weeks or 4 weeks) intervention periods. To present more evidence supporting the effectiveness of web-based nursing educational programs, further research is warranted.


Spatial domain analysis of images has been recognised as an important task in image retrieval and computer vision, however, its application in the determination of image Region of Interests often require the inclusion of supervised training and similarity computations, both of which can be difficult to implement during the modelling of the images in a large number of images. however, unsupervised image Region of Interest determination via Frequency domain analysis can be implemented without training or similarity computation therefore it is more suitable for the modelling of images in a large set. This paper demonstrates image frequency domain analysis via Discrete Cosine Transform and presents its application in the unsupervised determination of Region of Interests for the elimination of the spatial incoherency often associated with the Bag-of-Visual Word Modelling.


This PhD thesis [1], awarded with the SPEC Distinguished Dissertation Award 2011, proposes and studies three workload generation and reduction techniques for microprocessor performance evaluation. (1) The thesis proposes code mutation, a novel methodology for hiding proprietary information from computer programs while maintaining representative behavior; code mutation enables dissemination of proprietary applications as benchmarks to third parties in both academia and industry. (2) It contributes to sampled simulation by proposing NSL-BLRL, a novel warm-up technique that reduces simulation time by an order of magnitude over state-of-the-art. (3) It presents a benchmark synthesis framework for generating synthetic benchmarks from a set of desired program statistics. The benchmarks are generated in a high-level programming language, which enables both compiler and hardware exploration.


Human land use tends to decrease the diversity of native plant species and facilitate the invasion and establishment of exotic ones. Such changes in land use and plant community composition usually have negative impacts on the assemblages of native herbivorous insects. Highly specialized herbivores are expected to be especially sensitive to land use intensification and the presence of exotic plant species because they are neither capable of consuming alternative plant species of the native flora nor exotic plant species. Therefore, higher levels of land use intensity might reduce the proportion of highly specialized herbivores, which ultimately would lead to changes in the specialization of interactions in plant-herbivore networks. This study investigates the community-wide effects of land use intensity on the degree of specialization of 72 plant-herbivore networks, including effects mediated by the increase in the proportion of exotic plant species. Contrary to our expectation, the net effect of land use intensity on network specialization was positive. However, this positive effect of land use intensity was partially canceled by an opposite effect of the proportion of exotic plant species on network specialization. When we analyzed networks composed exclusively of endophagous herbivores separately from those composed exclusively of exophagous herbivores, we found that only endophages showed a consistent change in network specialization at higher land use levels. Altogether, these results indicate that land use intensity is an important ecological driver of network specialization, by way of reducing the local host range of herbivore guilds with highly specialized feeding habits. However, because the effect of land use intensity is offset by an opposite effect owing to the proportion of exotic host species, the net effect of land use in a given herbivore assemblage will likely depend on the extent of the replacement of native host species with exotic ones.


The Trinity Peninsula Group (TPG) of northern Graham Land, a weakly metamorphosed thick sequence of predominantly quartz- and feldspar-rich greywacke, has tentatively been correlated with metasedimentary rocks exposed along the Bowman Coast of Graham Land (Stubbs 1968). The base of the TPG is not observed but the Bowman Coast rocks, here newly defined as the Bowman Coast Succession (BCS), is proximal to high-grade gneisses, which may represent the local basement. Recent geological mapping along the Bowman Coast has allowed a revision of the local geology (Fig. 1) and this note focuses on the relationship of the BCS with the adjacent gneisses.


OBJECTIVE To test whether diabetic polyneuropathies (DPNs), retinopathy, or nephropathy is more prevalent in subjects with impaired glycemia (IG) (abnormality of impaired fasting glucose [IFG], impaired glucose tolerance [IGT], or impaired HbA1c [IA1C]) than in healthy subjects (non-IG). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Matched IG and non-IG volunteers were randomly identified from population-based diagnostic and laboratory registries, restudied, and reclassified as non-IG (n = 150), IG (n = 174), or new diabetes (n = 218). RESULTS Frequency (%) of DPN in non-IG, IG, and new diabetes was 3 (2.0%), 3 (1.7%), and 17 (7.8%) narrowly defined (no other cause for polyneuropathy) and 19 (12.7%), 22 (12.6%), and 38 (17.4%) broadly defined. Mean and frequency distribution of composite scores of nerve conduction and quantitative sensation tests were not significantly different between IG and non-IG but were worse in new diabetes. Frequency of retinopathy and nephropathy was significantly increased only in new diabetes. In secondary analysis, small but significant increases in retinopathy and nephropathy were found in IGT, IFG, and IGT combined groups. CONCLUSIONS In population studies of Olmsted County, Minnesota, inhabitants, prevalence of typical DPN, retinopathy, and nephropathy was significantly increased only in subjects with new diabetes—not in subjects with IG as defined by American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria of abnormality of IFG, IGT, or IA1C. For atypical DPN, such an increase was not observed even in subjects with new diabetes. In medical practice, explanations other than IG should be sought for patients with atypical DPN (chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy) who have IG.


Objective: Nutrition knowledge among primary school children in Kenya requires improvement because the coverage of nutrition in syllabi has been on a downward trend since independence. A nine-month nutrition education intervention was conducted to address the gap in knowledge among school children in Machakos District. Methodology and results: A baseline survey was conducted among 350 pupils in classes 5 and 6 in 15 out of 23 schools in the zone. Two experimental and two control schools were selected from a rural and urban set-up to participate in the 9-month intervention. Structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, pre-tests and post-tests were used to collect data. SPSS and Nutri-Survey computer packages were used to analyze data in descriptive and inferential statistics. Nutrition knowledge among pupils improved significantly in experimental rural and urban schools compared to the control schools. Although not statistically significant, underweight, stunting and wasting levels before the intervention reduced from 14.5, 28.9 and 3.9% respectively, to 11.8, 21 and 2.6%, respectively after the intervention. Conclusion and potential application of findings: There was significant improvement in nutrition knowledge and practices in both rural and urban experimental schools. Transfer of nutrition information and skills learnt at school to the community was also noted. Although food shortage may be a leading cause of malnutrition, lack of nutrition education is an equally important factor that should be addressed in tackling malnutrition. Nutrition education could be efficiently provided in the enabling environment provided by schools using affordable and easily available resources such as school gardens. More effort should be made to strengthen nutrition education among school children in developing countries.


Next-generation space-based radar and communications arrays require very large apertures in order to achieve the required gain and resolution. The implementation of these very large apertures poses several challenges in order to reduce the cost and weight while improving manufacturability. As system requirements have grown more stringent and required arrays have increased in size, new forms of antenna implementation are desirable. Electronic textiles, or E-textiles, is a candidate new technology that promises lighter weight and lower cost flexible options for satisfying a wide range of array applications. In this paper, we discuss the design of an L band array partitioned into subarrays to realize a total aperture of more than 100 meters in length. Multilayer designs utilizing embroidered antenna patches, knitted polyester spacers and woven ground planes are examined. We discuss the requirements for building a one meter by one meter subarray panel for a precision radar demonstration prototype. Array issues including subarray partitioning, beamwidths, beamsteering, antenna manufacturing tolerances and material electromagnetic property variations as they affect the final system performance are addressed. We summarize by showing that significant array advances are feasible and illustrate the development challenges that this technology faces.