ABSTRACT Vegetative or parasexual recombination is thought to be a key mechanism for the genetic diversity of cereal rust fungi. The process of germ tube fusion leading to hyphal anastomosis and nuclear recombination was analyzed in wheat leaf rust fungus, Puccinia triticina. Germ tube anastomosis was observed in 27 P. triticina isolates, each representing a different virulence phenotype. Germ tube fusion bodies (GFBs), which appeared as viscid globules formed at tips of germ tubes, were essential for germ tube anastomosis. The formation of GFBs was affected by the urediniospore density and the length of illumination during germination. GFBs were formed at the highest frequency when urediniospores were spread to a concentration of 1 x 10(6) urediniospores/ml and incubated in dark for 12 to 24 h during germination. GFB attached to either the side of another germ tube ("tip to side") or to another GFB formed at the tip of a second germ tube ("tip to tip"). In "tip to side" anastomosis, two nuclei in the germ tube bearing the GFB migrated into the second germ tube through the GFB which resulted in four nuclei within this germ tube. In "tip to tip" anastomosis, nuclei in both germ tubes migrated into the fused GFB and all four nuclei came into close proximity. Urediniospores of isolates MBDS-3-115 and TBBJ-5-11 were stained with DAPI (4',6'diamine-2-phenylindole) and Nuclear Yellow (Hoechst S769121), respectively, and then mixed and germinated on water agar. Some fused GFBs contained nuclei stained with DAPI and nuclei stained with Nuclear Yellow in close proximity, demonstrating the fusion between genetically different P. triticina isolates. In some fused GFBs, "bridge-like" structures connecting different nuclei were observed.


Many higher plants of economic and biological importance undergo apomixis in which the maternal tissue of the ovule forms a seed, without experiencing meiosis and fertilization. This feature of apomixis has made it difficult to perform linkage mapping which relies on meiotic recombination. Here, we describe a computational model for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control complex traits in apomictic plants. The model is founded on the mixture model-based likelihood in which maternal genotypes are dissolved into two possible components generated by meiotic and apomictic processes, respectively. The EM algorithm was implemented to discern meiotic and apomictic genotypes and, therefore, allow the marker-QTL linkage relationship to be estimated. By capitalizing on reciprocal crosses, the model is renovated to estimate and test imprinting effects of QTLs, providing a better gateway to characterize the genetic architecture of complex traits. The model was validated through computer simulation and further demonstrated for its usefulness by analyzing a real data for an apomictic woody plant. The model has for the first time provided a unique tool for genetic mapping in apomictic plants.


Can media coverage of shooters encourage future mass shootings? We explore the link between the day-to-day prime time television news coverage of shootings on ABC World News Tonight and subsequent mass shootings in the US from January 1, 2013 to June 23, 2016. To circumvent latent endogeneity concerns, we employ an instrumental variable strategy: worldwide disaster deaths provide an exogenous variation that systematically crowds out shooting-related coverage. Our findings consistently suggest a positive and statistically significant effect of coverage on the number of subsequent shootings, lasting for 4-10 days. At its mean, news coverage is suggested to cause approximately three mass shootings in the following week, which would explain 55 percent of all mass shootings in our sample. Results are qualitatively consistent when using (i) additional keywords to capture shooting-related news coverage, (ii) alternative definitions of mass shootings, (iii) the number of injured or killed people as the dependent variable, and (iv) an alternative, longer data source for mass shootings from 2006-2016.


This article presents the results of a retrospective case study that critically examined the use of evaluation within a continuing professional development programme for healthcare professionals (SEARCH). The study explored the extent to which a developmental evaluation approach was taken within SEARCH. The results demonstrate that SEARCH was a complex, innovative and evolving programme functioning in a complex and changing healthcare system. Evaluation processes used within SEARCH were developmental in nature and informed substantive programme changes. The extent of the changes went beyond what would be expected following standard formative or summative evaluation and fit with the concepts and use of developmental evaluation as articulated by Patton. This study demonstrates that even though staff and faculty did not call their assessments developmental evaluation, this is in fact what they were doing and the results informed future SEARCH development and evaluation.


Thin-walled fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) elements are being adapted for large scale buildings with complex geometry envelopes. The current production methods, developed in the initial stages of glass fiber reinforced concrete FRC elements in the 1970s, are limited when striving to produce more complex shaped FRC elements. The limitations of the FRC elements in terms of material properties and surface quality were described for these current state of the art production methods. New production methods and casting techniques were proposed that will advance the application of thin-walled FRC for buildings with complex geometry envelopes. Evaluation of the current state of the art production methods concluded that the sprayed glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) methods are currently the most flexible solution which has the greatest potential for adapting the method to the requirements of complex geometry buildings. Further development of thin-walled GFRC elements would be possible by developing a mold system for complex geometry panels with an edge-return, which can utilize GF-UHPC with a vacuum technology, making it possible to produce complex geometry GFRC elements with an increased material performance and yet still meet the aesthetic requirements of minimal visual defects in the surface of thin-walled elements.


In recent years, there has been significant interest in fault-localization techniques that are based on statistical analysis of program constructs executed by passing and failing executions. This paper shows how the Tarantula, Ochiai, and Jaccard fault-localization algorithms can be enhanced to localize faults effectively in web applications written in PHP by using an extended domain for conditional and function-call statements and by using a source mapping. We also propose several novel test-generation strategies that are geared toward producing test suites that have maximal fault-localization effectiveness. We implemented various fault-localization techniques and test-generation strategies in Apollo, and evaluated them on several open-source PHP applications. Our results indicate that a variant of the Ochiai algorithm that includes all our enhancements localizes 87.8 percent of all faults to within 1 percent of all executed statements, compared to only 37.4 percent for the unenhanced Ochiai algorithm. We also found that all the test-generation strategies that we considered are capable of generating test suites with maximal fault-localization effectiveness when given an infinite time budget for test generation. However, on average, a directed strategy based on path-constraint similarity achieves this maximal effectiveness after generating only 6.5 tests, compared to 46.8 tests for an undirected test-generation strategy.


This paper presents a new architecture for the correlation of orthogonal complementary sets of sequences (OCSS) and their performance in an ultrasonic local positioning system (U-LPS). OCSS are sets of sequences whose addition of correlation functions has ideal properties, that makes interference-free code-division multiple access (CDMA) possible. They can be used to encode the signals emitted by a CDMA-based U-LPS, enhancing the performance of such systems in terms of immunity against noise, multipath propagation, and near-far effect. Also, the orthogonality of the codes offers an operation resistance to multiaccess interference, which endows the U-LPS with the capability of simultaneous emission from different beacons. On the other hand, the detection of OCSS codes can be performed by means of efficient algorithms. This paper presents an optimization of previous proposals allowing the simultaneous correlation of OCSS by using fewer operations and memory elements. Furthermore, the hardware implementation of the proposed optimization is also addressed, and an U-LPS based on this proposal is presented.


For an investment treaty tribunal to proceed to adjudge the merits of claims arising out of an investment, it must have jurisdiction over the parties and the claims, and the claims submitted to the tribunal must be admissible. Inconsistent interpretations of substantive and procedural principles of international investment law that govern the existence and exercise of the arbitral tribunal's supremacy to adjudge an investment dispute have caused incoherence in investment treaty arbitration. The thesis is an in-depth study of article 25 of the 1965 Washington Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), which articulates the Material, Personal and Consensual requirements for establishing the existence of the adjudicative power (Jurisdiction) for dispute resolution and to exercise that adjudicative power (Admissibility) under the aegis of ICSID. The main findings of the research are as follows:
1) ICSID's double-filtering nature, which has been largely overlooked in ICSID jurisprudence, is fundamental to correct decision-making by arbitral tribunals when deciding on admissibility and jurisdiction issues.
2) 'Fraudulent intent' criterion, which borrows its rationale from the concurrent themes in international law jurisprudence, is instrumental to test compliance as required in the upper jurisdictional threshold.
3) 'Bona fide investor' test used to measure compliance with the objective requirements of article 25 of the ICSID runs counter to the object and purpose of the Convention.
4) 'Dynamic' test, rather than plain 'objective' test, would be the adequate pattern to ensure compliance with article 25 of the ICSID Convention for the contemplated investment due to evolving meaning of such generic term.
5) 'Lex Juridictio' or set of rules, principals and mechanisms governing jurisdictional and admissibility issues is required as foundation for legal unification and harmonization.


Featuring dozens of refreshed hacks, plus 25 completely new ones, Google Hacks, Second Edition is an updated collection of real-world solutions to practical Google research problems. Thanks to these industrial-strength tips, now you can easily save hours of research time mining Google. Best of all, each of its 100 hacks are easy to read and digest--no confusing terminology or extraneous information to hamper your understanding.


Today's environment and business is constantly changing on a rapid pace. Models have to be adapted in order to fit the changing situations. In contrast, the complexity of enterprise models is a huge problem wrt the management of such complex models. High-performance computing technologies offer a great opportunity to leverage increased computational power to cope with that complexity. In this paper we will present an approach for determining the impact of process changes using a semantic context model for BPM that enables semantic querying on complex business process models. Based on this context models large ontologies such as Cyc and process repositories such as the MIT process handbook are queried in complex scenarios of our evaluation. In-memory databases such as Couch DB and Hadoop serve as technological basis for this evaluation. The paper concludes that such queries can be performed nearly in real-time.


A predictive equation to obtain the vertical‐to‐horizontal ratio (V/H) of ground motion for rock sites has been established in a previous article. The method was based on the comparison between V/H of Fourier and response spectra of earthquakes with the quarter‐wavelength average velocity at discrete frequencies. We extend this approach to account for resonance phenomena at soft‐sediment sites. In order to do so, a new parameter is defined and included in the comparison with the V/H spectra. The new parameter is directly derived from the quarter‐wavelength velocity and represents the frequency‐dependent seismic impedance contrast at the site. We show that extending the correlation in this three‐dimensional space is beneficial to reconstruct V/H of the 5%‐damped response spectra at soft‐sediment sites ( V S 30<800  m/s) for which a shear‐wave velocity profile is available. In this study we analyze 220 sites of the Japanese KiK‐net strong‐motion network. These sites were selected from the entire network through comparison of the fundamental frequencies estimated from the recordings and by indirect modeling methods. From the analysis, two types of predictive equations are then established, the first based on frequency‐dependent and the second on frequency‐independent correlations. These can subsequently be used to reconstruct the V/H spectrum at any site with a known shear‐wave velocity profile. For both equations, uncertainties of the V/H models are provided, and a sensitivity study to magnitude–distance dependence is presented. Finally, we show an example of the application of the model at four selected soft‐sediment sites of the Swiss Seismic Network.


Background / Aims: The advent of mobile old age psychiatry intervention teams supports policies maintaining older adults in their habitual living environments, even those who are very old and suffering from acute cognitive and psychiatric impairments. Analyzing sociodemographic data, clinical and health characteristics, reasons for crisis-oriented psychiatric consultations, and other therapeutic suggestions for supporting home- or nursing home-dwelling older adult patients suffering from an onset of a psychiatric crisis. Methods: Reviews of the medical records and discharge letters of home- or nursing home-dwelling older adults who had undergone a consultation with the Lausanne region's Mobile Old Age Psychiatry Teams (MOAPTs), between May 2016 and December 2017. Results: Of 570 older adult patients referred for consultation with MOAPTs, 333 had medical records and discharge letters eligible for retrospective analysis (59%). The majority of these older adult patients were women aged over 80 years suffering from dementia, mood disorders with and without a risk of suicide, and delirium. Challenging behaviors related to different stages of cognitive impairment were the most important clinical reason for crisis consultations. Nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments were delivered concurrently in 68% of crisis consultations. Conclusion: Appropriate responses by dual nurse-psychiatrist teams using crisis-oriented nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions decreased hospitalization.


Objective: The aim of this study was to determine vasomotor symptom (VMS) prevalence, duration, and impact on quality of life in middle-aged women using a validated menopausal tool. Methods: The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and an itemized questionnaire containing personal sociodemographic data were used to examine 8,373 women aged 40 to 59 years from 22 healthcare centers in 12 Latin American countries. Results: Less than half (48.8%) of all women studied were postmenopausal, 14.7% used hormone therapy (HT), 54.5% presented VMS of any degree, and 9.6% presented severe/bothersome symptoms. The rate of VMS (any degree) significantly increased from one menopausal stage to the next. HT users presented more VMS (any degree) than did nonusers (58.6% vs 53.8%, P = 0.001). When surgical postmenopausal women were compared, non-HT users displayed a higher prevalence of severe VMS (16.1% vs 9.0%, P = 0.0001). The presence of VMS of any degree was related to a more impaired quality of life (higher total MRS score; odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 4.1-5.3). This effect was even higher among women presenting severe VMS. Logistic regression analysis determined that the presence of severe psychological/urogenital symptoms (MRS), lower educational level, natural perimenopause-postmenopause status, nulliparity, surgical menopause, and living at high altitude were significant risk factors for severe VMS. HT use was related to a lower risk. A second regression model determined that surgical menopause, intense psychological/urogenital symptoms, and a history of psychiatric consultation were factors related to severe VMS persisting into the late postmenopausal stage (5 or more years). Conclusions: In this Latin American middle-aged series, VMS prevalence was high, persisting into the late postmenopausal phase in a high rate and severely impairing quality of life. HT use was related to a lower risk of severe VMS.


This essay criticizes John Norton's 2010 defense of the thesis that "all induction is local." Norton's local inductions are bound, if cogent, to involve general principles, and the need to accredit these general principles threatens to lead to all the usual problems associated with the 'problem of induction'. Norton, in fact, recognizes this threat, but his responses are inadequate. The right response involves not induction but a sophisticated version of hypothetico-deduction. Norton's secondary thesis—that if there is a general account of cogent scientific reasoning, then it is certainly not the one supported by personalist Bayesians—is also criticized.


Abstract:  Morphological and reproductive features and cell wall ultrastructure and biochemistry of Proterozoic acritarchs are used to determine their affinity to modern algae. The first appearance datum of these microbiota is traced to infer a minimum age of the divergence of the algal classes to which they may belong. The chronological appearance of microfossils that represent phycoma‐like and zygotic cysts and vegetative cells and/or aplanospores, respectively, interpreted as prasinophyceaen and chlorophyceaen microalgae is related to the Viridiplantae phylogeny. An inferred minimum age of the Chlorophyte origin is before c. 1800 Ma, the Prasinophyceae at c. 1650 Ma and the Chlorophyceae at c. 1450 Ma. These divergence times differ from molecular clock estimates, and the palaeontological evidence suggests that they are older.


Objective: To describe the association between cognitive outcome in the first postoperative week and that at three months after both off-pump and on-pump coronary bypass surgery, and to make a direct comparison of early cognitive outcome after off-pump versus on-pump surgery. Design: Randomised trial with an additional prediction study within the two randomised groups. Setting: Three centres for heart surgery in the Netherlands. Patients: 281 patients, mean age 61 years. Interventions: Participants were randomly off-pump or on-pump coronary bypass surgery. Main outcome measures: Cognitive outcome, assessed by psychologists who administered neuropsychological tests one day before and four days and three months after surgery. A logistic regression model was used to study the predictive association between early cognitive outcome, together with eight clinical variables, and cognitive outcome after three months. Results: Cognitive outcome in the first week after surgery was determined for 219 patients and was a predictor of cognitive decline after three months. This association was stronger in on-pump patients (odds ratio (OR) 5.24, p , 0.01) than in off-pump patients (OR 1.80, p = 0.23). Early decline was present in 54 patients (49%) after off-pump surgery and 61 patients (57%) after on-pump surgery (OR 0.73, p = 0.25). Conclusions: In patients undergoing first time coronary bypass surgery, early cognitive decline predicts cognitive outcome after three months. Early cognitive decline is not significantly influenced by the use of cardiopulmonary bypass.


Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have received much attention for scalable electrical energy storage because of the abundance and wide availability of sodium resources. However, it is still unclear whether carbon anodes can realize large-scale commercial application in SIBs as in lithium-ion batteries. Recently, great attention has been devoted to hard carbon which has been treated as a promising choice. Herein, we observe that the turbostratic lattice of kelp-derived hard carbon (KHC) is repeatedly expandable and shrinkable upon cycling, where the interlayer distance varies between 3.9 and 4.3 A. Such interlayer spacing dilation is highly reversible, giving rise to high rate capability (a stable capacity of 96 mA h g−1 at 1000 mA g−1) and excellent cycling performance (205 mA h g−1 after 300 cycles at 200 mA g−1). Furthermore, kelp-derived hard carbon exhibits a good specific capacity at potentials higher than 0.05 V, which make it an essentially dendrite-free anode for SIBs.


In recent years, much research has been focused around the concept of social inclusion. It is said to lead to a multitude of benefits and advantages for various groups (e.g., older adults, the unemployed, the disabled, youths at the risk of marginalization, immigrants), including equal access to education, employment, and health structures among others. However, as shown through the available literature on social inclusion, the term is somewhat ambiguous, because there is a myriad approaches to it. On the other end, 'social exclusion' is often used as its antonym. Therefore, the duality of social inclusion/social exclusion warrants additional examination, not only in order to differentiate between these two concepts and others, such as 'social deprivation' and 'digital divide', the latter being quite popular within the literature of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), but also because, based on the definition one is using, it is possible to identify different population groups at the verge of social exclusion.Focusing specifically on ICT, one needs to keep an open mind while looking into the role of technology and investigating the various ways it can support social inclusion, or combat social exclusion. It is necessary to first examine which groups are already socially excluded or at risk of social exclusion. Currently, those who are considered to be in such a position end to be those who are "generally socially advantaged" (Helsper, 2008), i.e., individuals who live in rural areas, older adults, the unemployed, single parents, teenagers at the verge of marginalization, the homeless etc. Having gone through such an investigation, it will be possible to identify which capabilities each of these groups currently hold, which they can further enhance or obtain, and finally pinpoint the necessary actions that researchers and practitioners alike need to take towards developing ICT products and services that can be of benefit for the concerned individuals.This chapter seeks to delve into the particularities and requirements of individuals who are considered to be at risk or already affected by social exclusion, by focusing specifically on the role of ICT. Such a comparative study is of increased interest, because, when it comes to social inclusion, the various ICT products and services may not fit all audiences. For example, older adults have very different needs when compared to single parents, and each of these groups are at the risk of social exclusion for quite different reasons. As a result, what may seem to help a group to overcome some impediments, it may very well significantly inhibit another group's access to these products and services, and therefore, this study can facilitate the discussion on social inclusion on different levels and the design and development of ICT products and services. Along these lines, this study aims to, first, identify possibly socially excluded groups and, second, through the lens of Sen's capability approach, to pinpoint their needs and requirements in order to support researchers and practitioners in their efforts to tackle issues of social exclusion.


This study was conducted to identify plant-parasitic nematodes and determine the distribution pattern of the nematode species in citrus fruit orchards in Korea from April to August, 2008. Plant-parasitic nematodes were found in 139 among 178 soil samples. Tylenchulus semipenetrans was collected from 85 out of 94 Citrus unshiu orchards examined (90.4%). C. junos orchards infested with T. semipenetrans were 60 out of 84 (71.4%). However, proportion of dominant species between the two was different. At domestic Citrus orchards, it proved that T. semipenetrans was the most important plant-parasitic nematode from this study. The overall frequency of the plant-parasitic nematodes was positively correlated with the cultivation years. More alkaline soils tended to harbor more T. semipenetrans. However the correlation coefficient between the two was very low.


Only four cases of chaismal syndromes caused by arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) have been reported. We have examined two patients with chiasmal dysfunction caused by an AVM. In one patient, the AVM was suspected only after angiography. However, the presence of an angioma of the lip might have been a clue to the diagnosis. In the other patient, seizures and pulsating proptosis led to the correct diagnosis before angiography was performed. This patient also had episodes of transient bilateral blindness, presumably caused by postictal states or by periodic shunting with ischemia (chiasmal steal).


TAYLOR J. and JOHNES J. (1992) The citation record of Regional Studies and related journals, 1980–89, Reg. Studies 26, 93–97. This note compares the citation record of Regional Studies with that of other related academic journals in the field of urban and regional studies during 1980–89. Two variables are used to measure the citation record: first, the frequency of citations; and second, an impact factor which is a measure of the average number of citations per paper published. Both measures indicate that the citation record of Regional Studies compares well with other journals. The conclusion is that the papers published in Regional Studies have been well used by those involved in urban and regional research. TAYLOR J. et JOHNES J. (1992) Le nombre de citations de Regional Studies et des revues connexes sur la periode de 1980 a 1989, Reg. Studies 26, 93–97. Cet article met en comparaison le nombre de citations de Regional Studies sur la periode de 1980 a 1989 par rapport a celui des autres revues intelle...


BACKGROUND
To date, no large population-based studies have focused on permanent occupational disability after injury of the anterior cruciate ligament as far as we know. The purpose of our study was to determine the risk factors for occupational disability after an injury of the anterior cruciate ligament.

METHODS
We identified a cohort of 2192 active-duty personnel in the Army who had been hospitalized between 1989 and 1997 because of an injury of the anterior cruciate ligament and had completed a health risk-assessment survey. With use of the Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes Database, we retrospectively followed these individuals for up to nine years and collected clinical, demographic, occupational, and psychosocial data. These data were then evaluated with bivariate and proportional-hazards regression analyses to identify risk factors for receiving a disability discharge related to an injury of the anterior cruciate ligament.

RESULTS
Overall, 209 (9.5%) of 2192 initial anterior cruciate ligament injuries resulted in a permanent disability discharge. In bivariate analyses, the following factors were related to a disability discharge: lower job satisfaction (p < 0.0001), lower education level (p < 0.0001), shorter length of service (p < 0.0001), lower pay grade or rank (p < 0.0001), occupational classification (p < 0.0001), older age (p < 0.01), cigarette-smoking (p = 0.01), and greater mental stress at work (p = 0.02). Associated cartilage injury (p = 0.07) and occupational physical demands (p = 0.08) approached significance; however, with the numbers available, other variables that were hypothesized to contribute to the development of disability, such as gender (p = 0.85), reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (p = 0.52), and other secondary comorbidities of the knee, demonstrated no significant association. Proportional-hazards regression analysis confirmed that pay grade or rank, occupational classification, job satisfaction, age, and length of service were independent predictors of disability discharge.

CONCLUSIONS
In keeping with risk profiles of several other musculoskeletal disorders, such as low-back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, the results revealed a multifactorial risk profile in which psychosocial factors were strongly associated with disability discharge from active military duty after injury of the anterior cruciate ligament.


Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association of metabolic factors with endometrial atypical hyperplasia and endometrial cancer, and to develop a nomogram model to predict the risk of developing endometrial cancer. Patients and Methods We collected data of patients with endometrial atypical hyperplasia and endometrial cancer as the case group and then selected patients with simple hyperplasia or polypoid hyperplasia of the endometrium during the same period as the control group using the age-matched method. Laboratory results of metabolic factors were retrieved from the clinical data of the two groups of patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors associated with endometrial malignant hyperplasia and to develop a nomogram prediction model of risk factors associated with endometrial malignant hyperplasia. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the prediction model were assessed using the C-index, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis. Results Predictors included in the column line graph model were age, hypertension, diabetes, BMI, uric acid, and hyperlipidemia. We calculated the C-index of the model and performed bootstrap validation. Our nomogram model had good discriminatory power and was well calibrated. Decision curve analysis was also used to guide the practical application of this column line graph model. Conclusion The development of endometrial malignant hyperplasia is significantly associated with metabolic factors: BMI > 25, hyperuricemia, and hyperlipidemia are the main risk factors. Hypertension, hyperglycemia and elevated CA199 were also associated with the development of endometrial malignant hyperplasia. The nomogram prediction model based on physical examination and laboratory testing developed in this study can be used as a rapid method for predicting the risk of endometrial malignancy development and screening for risk factors in a population of women with metabolism-related high-risk factors.


SEEKING CHILDREN'S PERSPECTIVES regarding matters that concern them is widely accepted and practised among researchers. Despite this, literature on research methods with young children is inconsistent. This paper reports on an analysis of semi-structured, single and group interviews conducted with six-year-old children over two visits to six diverse schools in an Australian state capital city. The findings highlighted that six-year-old children understood their role in the research process and sustained active engagement for lengthy amounts of time. This article highlights the need for researchers to critically evaluate their perspectives of children's capacity to participate in research. If researchers position children as disproportionately vulnerable, their voice could be restricted. Providing children every opportunity to express their perspectives in interviews is paramount, therefore the author presents considerations for best practice.


Recent studies have suggested that blocky mechanical pulp fines (CTMP fines) and fibrillar fines (SMC fines) have a negative impact on biocomposite modulus of rupture (MoR) in compression molded biocomposites. In addition, it was suggested that CTMP fines also have a negative impact on biocomposite modulus of elasticity (MoE). This study investigated whether these findings transfer to other types of cellulose fines material and injection molding. The effect of 'V-fines' addition to sawdust- and TMP-based biocomposites was analyzed, with respect to fines concentration, dispersing agent, and compatibilizers. The results indicated that the addition of 'V-fines' increased the stiffness (MoE) of all the analyzed compositions, while reducing the elongation at break. The addition of 'V-fines' reduced the tensile and flexural strength of TMP biocomposites, while it was largely unaffected for sawdust biocomposites. Flexural strength for neat 'V-fines' composites showed an increase that was proportional to the remaining pulp fibers composition. The addition of a dispersant agent to the 'V-fines' increased tensile strength, suggesting that an increased dispersion of the 'V-fines' can be achieved and is beneficial to the composite. The effects of the analyzed compatibilizer (polyethyleneoxide) was negligible, except for a small indication of increased MoE for fines / sawdust biocomposites.


OBJECTIVE To provide better insights into the genesis of neointimal thickening in human vein grafts early after surgery. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary referral centre. SUBJECTS 18 distal anastomotic sites of patent grafts, obtained at necropsy from eight patients who died over differing periods (ranging from two days to nine months) after the procedure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Immunohistochemical evaluation of smooth muscle cell phenotype modulation in relation to proliferative activity. RESULTS The earliest changes are characterised by loss of surface lining endothelial cells and insudation of blood corpuscular elements admixed with fibrin-platelet thrombus. At sites of injury vimentin positive and actin negative spindle shaped cells appear in the intima, while the related pre-existent media shows focal absence of actin positive smooth muscle cells. Proliferative activity colocalises at these sites. With time distinct neointimal thickening occurs, associated with disappearance of proliferative activity and a phenotypic shift of the smooth muscle cells. CONCLUSIONS The observation that luminal endothelial cell denudation, with insudation of the intima with blood elements, occurs in the very early stages suggests that these phenomena are responsible for the observed dedifferentiation of pre-existent smooth muscle cells, known to be a prerequisite for cell proliferation and the evolution of intimal thickening. It is likely, therefore, that platelet released growth factors play a pivotal role, which thus may provide a target for preventive pharmacological intervention.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of this review is to discuss different methods using the transradial approach (TRA) of accessing the native coronary arteries and bypass grafts to optimize the quality of angiographic results and support for interventional procedures.

BACKGROUND
Successful coronary cannulation provides the basis for optimal angiography and interventional success. There is limited literature describing successful transradial techniques of coronary and bypass graft cannulation. In this review, a variety of different challenges and their solutions are provided.

METHODS
Successful TRA methods for routine cannulation and modified methods for challenging cannulation of both native coronaries and bypass grafts are described based on the experience of several high-volume radial operators.

RESULTS
Differences in catheter/vascular lumen interactions endow different operating characteristics to catheters depending on whether the femoral or either radial approach is used. Understanding these differences contributes to success in TRA. In addition, techniques for cannulation of anomalous coronary origin, use of special catheter curves, small and large lumen guide catheters, sheathless guide catheters, universal catheters, and a special technique to cannulate the internal mammary artery from the contralateral radial artery are reviewed, with supporting figures.

CONCLUSIONS
Despite lower bleeding and vascular complication rates as compared with transfemoral approach (TFA), the adoption of TRA has been relatively slow, particularly with cases of complex anatomy such as bypass graft cannulation. Anatomical challenges at various levels of the catheter course play an important role in TRA coronary and bypass graft cannulation failure. A logical approach and understanding of these challenges can augment procedural success and enhance quality.


According to integration requirements of design, process and manufacturing in railway vehicle manufacturing enterprises, an integration solution centered at material quota and key technologies are proposed, which includes the data integration technology between PDM, CAPP, FastCut/Nest, ERP on the server layer; the Data Pre-process technology for design and process integration; the automatic nesting optimization technology meeting practical production requirements; the method to calculate material quota based on nesting optimized layouts; and the sharing of general NC codes. Considering automatic nesting optimization and material quota computing, a solution for split/combination data pre-processing and post-processing is proposed and implemented. And practical production conditions are taken into account in the nesting algorithm. All these technologies and solutions support the integration centered at material quota for design, process and manufacturing.


The aim of this manuscript is to discuss the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) performance along the recently constructed headrace tunnel of Minas-San Francisco Hydropower Project in Ecuador. Firstly, the manuscript briefly describes the importance of TBM tunneling and about the Minas-San HPP. Further, discussions are made on the engineering geological conditions along the headrace tunnel. Detailed evaluations are made on the performance of TBM tunneling considering influence of rock mass quality on the TBM penetration rate. The manuscript emphasizes that the knowledge of the rock mass quality parameters and cutter technology available at present are among the key factors that influence the estimation of the net penetration rate of the TBM. It has been demonstrated that the hard to very hard rock masses of high abrasivity that were encountered along the headrace tunnel alignment caused very low penetration giving slow progress, which was not predicted during planning phase design. The authors investigated a fairly good link between TBM penetration and the mechanical strength of the rock mass.


We present the formulation, simulations, and results for multicomponent mutual diffusion coefficients in the warm, dense matter regime. While binary mixtures have received considerable attention for mass transport, far fewer studies have addressed ternary and more complex systems. We therefore explicitly examine ternary systems utilizing the Maxwell-Stefan formulation that relates diffusion to gradients in the chemical potential. Onsager coefficients then connect the macroscopic diffusion to microscopic particle motions, evinced in trajectories characterized by positions and velocities, through various autocorrelation functions (ACFs). These trajectories are generated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations either through the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, which treats the ions classically and the electrons quantum-mechanically by an orbital-free density-functional theory, or through a classical MD approach with Yukawa pair-potentials, whose effective ionizations and electron screening length derive from quantal considerations. We employ the reference-mean form of the ACFs and determine the center-of-mass coefficients through a simple reference-frame-dependent similarity transformation. The Onsager terms in turn determine the mutual diffusion coefficients. We examine a representative sample of ternary mixtures as a function of density and temperature from those with only light elements (D-Li-C, D-Li-Al) to those with highly asymmetric mass components (D-Li-Cu, D-Li-Ag, H-C-Ag). We also follow trends in the diffusion as a function of number concentration and evaluated the efficacy of various approximations such as the Darken approximation.


Manganese is an essential metal ion that bacterial pathogens need to acquire from the vertebrate host during infection. In the mammalian nutritional immunity strategy to combat bacterial infection, the host restricts bacterial access to Mn(II) by sequestering this metal nutrient using the protein calprotectin (CP). The role of murine calprotectin (mCP) in Mn(II) sequestration has been demonstrated in vivo, but the molecular basis of this function has not been evaluated. Herein, biochemical assays and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy are employed to characterize the Mn(II) binding properties of mCP. We report that mCP has one high-affinity Mn(II) binding site. This site is a His6 site composed of His17 and His27 of mS100A8 and His92, His97, His105, and His107 of mS100A9. Similar to the human ortholog (hCP), Ca(II) binding to the EF-hand domains of mCP enhances the Mn(II) affinity of the protein; however, this effect requires ≈10-fold more Ca(II) than was previously observed for hCP. Mn(II) coordination to the His6 site also promotes self-association of two mCP heterodimers to form a heterotetramer. Low-temperature X-band EPR spectroscopy revealed a nearly octahedral Mn(II) coordination sphere for the Mn(II)-His6 site characterized by the zero-field splitting parameters D = 525 MHz and E/ D = 0.3. Further electron-nuclear double resonance studies with globally 15N-labeled mCP provided hyperfine couplings from the coordinating ε-nitrogen atoms of the His ligands ( aiso = 4.3 MHz) as well as the distal δ-nitrogen atoms ( aiso = 0.25 MHz). Mn(II) competition assays between mCP and two bacterial Mn(II) solute-binding proteins, staphylococcal MntC and streptococcal PsaA, showed that mCP outcompetes both proteins for Mn(II) under conditions of excess Ca(II). In total, this work provides the first coordination chemistry study of mCP and reveals striking similarities in the Mn(II) coordination sphere as well as notable differences in the Ca(II) sensitivity and oligomerization behavior between hCP and mCP.


Abstract. Thanh, B. V. L., Lessard, M., Chorfi, Y. and Guay, F. 2015. The efficacy of anti-mycotoxin feed additives in preventing the adverse effects of wheat naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on performance, intestinal barrier function and nutrient digestibility and retention in weanling pigs. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 197-209. This study was designed to determine the effect of feeding deoxynivalenol (DON) contaminated wheat to growing pigs on growth performance, digestibility and retention of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca). Secondly, we wished to evaluate the potential of four commercial anti-mycotoxin additives in preventing the adverse effects of DON. Sixty piglets (6.0 kg body weight) were assigned to six different corn-soybean meal-wheat diets (control diet: <0.5 mg kg-1 DON; contaminated diet (DON-contaminated): 4 mg kg-1; and four contaminated diets supplemented with a different anti-mycotoxin additive: DON+GLUC (glucomannan), DON+YBP (yeast, live bacteria, enzymes, plant extracts), DON+ALU (aluminosilicate) and DON+PC (preservation components). Piglets were housed individually in pens for 7 d and then transferred to metabolic crates for urine and feces collection for 7 d. At the end of these 2 wk, mannitol and lactulose doses were given by oral administration. Urine was collected for 24 h for an evaluation of barrier integrity of intestinal mucosa. The piglets were then euthanatized and intestinal samples collected for morphology studies. Feeding DON-contaminated wheat reduced average daily feed intake, average daily gain and G:F ratio compared with the control diet (P<0.05). Only DON+PC diet restored the growth performance of piglets fed DON-contaminated diet. Daily retention of N and P was not affected by DON contamination or anti-mycotoxin additives, but retention of Ca was higher in piglets fed the DON-contaminated diets than the control diet. DON-contaminated diet reduced digestibility of dry matter, gross energy and fat, villi height in jejunum, and recovery of mannitol and lactulose compared with the control diet (P<0.05). Finally, DON concentrations in serum from piglets fed the DON-contaminated diets were higher than in the control diet (P<0.05). Piglets fed DON-contaminated wheat had reduced growth possibly caused by impaired jejunal morphology and decreased digestibility of energy and fat.


Apert syndrome is named for the French physician. Eugene Apert in 1906 described the syndrome acrocephalosyndactylia. It is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by craniosynostosis, craniofacial anomalies, and severe symmetrical syndactyly of the hands and feet (i.e. cutaneous and bony fusion refers to webbing of fingers and toes). Apert syndrome is characterized by the premature fusion of certain skull bones (craniosynostosis). This early fusion prevents the skull from growing normally and affects the shape of the head and face. In addition, a varied number of fingers and toes are fused together (syndactyly). Most cases of Apert syndrome are sporadic, may result from new mutations in the gene. The purpose of this paper is to report a case of Apert syndrome in a female fetus of 30 weeks with asymmetrical skull confirmed by prenatal ultrasonography. Pregnancy was terminated and fetus was submitted for detailed autopsy in anatomy dissection hall. The findings and review of literature were presented in this article.


This study provides evidence on the role of financial development in accounting for economic growth in OIC countries. To document the relationship between financial development and economic growth, we estimate not only unbalanced panel regressions, but also variance decompositions of annual GDP per capita growth rates to examine what proxy measures are most important in economic growth over time and how much they contribute to economic growth among OIC countries. We find positive association between financial development and economic growth in OIC developing countries. Moreover, short-term multivariate analysis implies one-way causality that runs from growth to finance.


(ECMO) has rapidly become the treatment of choice for criti cally ill newborn infants with reversible pulmonary disease refractory to conventional treatment. Since 1987 ECMO has been available at our hospital and up to December 1989 11 patients have been treated. Eight patients could be weaned from ECMO. The aim of this study was to describe the procedure and its implications in the neonatal and pediatric age groups and to present our experience. It is con cluded that even though ECMO in the short term is a costly and personnel-consuming procedure it is weIl documented, safe and life-saving.


Steve Keen has debunked a good part of standard economics. However, he has left standing the theory of profit. This is unfortunate, because the theory of profit is the pivot of all of theoretical economics. This tightly focused paper clarifies the factual relation of profit and income, which should be helpful to put Keen's alternative to the standard approach on sound foundations.


Abstract. If graphene is a promising material in many respects, its remarkable properties may be impaired by unavoidable defects. Chemical vapor deposition-grown graphene samples are polycrystalline in nature, with many grain boundaries. Those extended defects influence the global electronic structure and the transport properties of graphene in a way that remains to be clarified. As a step forward in this direction, we have undertaken quantum mechanical calculations of electron wave-packet dynamics in a multigrain self-supported graphene layer. Our computer simulations show that a grain boundary may act as a reflector at some energies and for some incidences of the Bloch waves. In addition, our calculations reveal that when two grain boundaries run parallel to each other, the graphene ribbon confined between them may behave like a channel for the charge carriers. We emphasize therefore the possibility of creating nanoscale electronic waveguides and nanowires on the graphene surface by a controlled engineering of its grain boundaries.


In the real world individuals often engage in group interactions and their payoffs are determined by many factors, including the typical nonlinear interactions, i.e., synergy and discounting. Previous literatures assume that individual payoffs are either synergistically enhanced or discounted with the additional cooperators. Such settings ignore the interplay of these two factors, which is in sharp contrast with the fact that they ubiquitously coexist. Here we investigate how the coexistence and periodical switching of synergistic and discounted group interactions affect the evolution of cooperation on various complex networks. We show that scale-free networks facilitate the emergence of cooperation in terms of fixation probability for group interactions. With nonlinear interactions the heterogeneity of the degree acts as a double-edged sword: below the neutral drift it is the best for cooperation while above the neutral drift it instead provides the least opportunity for cooperators to be fixed. The advantages of the heterogeneity fade as interactive attributes switch between synergy and discounting, which suggests that the heterogeneity of population structures cannot favor cooperators in group interactions even with simple nonlinear interactions. Nonetheless, scale-free networks always guarantee cooperators the fastest rate of fixation. Our work implies that even very simple nonlinear group interactions could greatly shape the fixation probability and fixation time of cooperators in structured populations indicated by complex networks.


The article еlucidates the creative activity of the outstanding musician-performer and teacher M. Ivanov graduate of oboe class at Musical college to the Kharkov branch IRMO (1900), soloist of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kharkov, Tiflis, Odessa, Moscow opera and symphonic orchestras, pedagogue at the Moscow Conservatoire. The author examines methodical and pedagogical foundations of M. Ivanov's school of the oboe playing, which consist in the substantiation of the basic positions: setting the embouchure (by M. Ivanov «easy setting»); the technique of performing breath, which helps to overcome the problems of sound production and sound leading when playing the oboe; work on scales and etudes as a foundation of professional performance; achievement of «artistry and concertness» of technical repertoire; work on music piece (attention to the smallest details of performance, careful selection of the performing means of expression, activation of performing-editorial skills). Systematic usage of these principles allows us to consider the school by M. Ivanov as fundamental for education of contemporary musicians oboe performers.


Consumption and/or domestic activities in the private domain are much studied subjects. In the field of home economics and related fields of study, the household is the main unit of analysis. This paper focuses on how the household is conceptualized in literature during 2000–2010. The paper contains two lines of investigation. The first questions whether and in which way the household is defined in a selection of peer-reviewed articles of which the concept is part of the title. The second is about the multifaceted nature of the concept and elicits the facets that feature in the articles. A systematic review was performed using the bibliographic database Web of Science, as it covers different branches of science, including, but not limited to, home economics, developmental sociology, environmental sciences and transportation. The search was formulated by means of a Boolean expression. Articles were included when they were written in English, published between 2000 and 2010, and contained Househ* in title and Theor* in the topic, and either member* or product* or care or livelihood in the topic. Abstracts and full papers were assigned to Atlas.ti, a program for computer-assisted qualitative data analysis. Bottom-up and top-down coding procedures were used for a domain analysis and a quantitative content analysis. The results show that very few (less than 10%) of the papers give a definition of the concept 'household'. Instead, some papers give a study description based on so-called household characteristics, thereby implicitly indicating dimensions of the concept. In the Results sections, some of the characteristics used for inclusion or exclusion of study participants are mentioned, but also other characteristics. It is concluded that descriptions of households do contain commonly used facets that together construct the concept of household as a group of people sharing resources, expenditures and activities.


Central line placement is a common procedure, routinely performed by junior residents in medical and surgical departments. Before this project, no standardized instructional course on the insertion of central lines existed at our institution, and few interns had received formal ultrasound training. Interns from five departments participated in a simulation-based central line insertion course. Intern familiarity with the procedure and with ultrasound, as well as their prior experience with line placement and their level of comfort, was assessed. Of the 99 interns in participating departments, 45 per cent had been trained as of October 2015. Forty-one per cent were female. The majority (59.5%) had no prior formal ultrasound training, and 46.0 per cent had never placed a line as primary operator. Scores increased significantly, from a precourse score mean of 13.7 to a postcourse score mean of 16.1, P < 0.001. All three of the self-reported measures of comfort with ultrasound also improved significantly. All interns reported the course was "very much" helpful, and 100 per cent reported they felt "somewhat" or "much" more comfortable with the procedure after attendance. To our knowledge, this is the first hospital-wide, standardized, simulation-based central line insertion course in the United States. Preliminary results indicate overwhelming satisfaction with the course, better ultrasound preparedness, and improved comfort with central line insertion.


Strategies to Improve Job Satisfaction and Reduce Voluntary Employee Turnover of Nurses by Stewart Proctor MS, Ashford University 2012 BS, Ashford University, 2011 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University August 2017 Abstract Job satisfaction and employee turnover affect the health care industry in the form of overworked staff, inadequate health care, and loss of profits. In 2015, the United States health care industry had a shortage of over 923,000 registered nurses. Health care organizations lose an estimated $1.4 to $2.1 billion each year because of registered nurse (RN) turnover. These factors indicate that some managers lack the strategies to increase job satisfaction and reduce RN turnover. The purpose of this single case study was to use the Herzberg 2-factor theory to explore strategies 5 health care leaders use to improve nurses' job satisfaction and reduce voluntary employee turnover in a health care facility in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Participant selection was purposeful and based on their experiences implementing effective employee job satisfaction strategies. Data collection occurred via face-to-face semistructured interviews with 5 managers and the review of organizational policy documents. Data were analyzed using inductive coding of phrases, word frequency searchers, and theme interpretation. Three themes emerged: autonomy and supportive leadership improved job satisfaction, continued education improved job satisfaction and improved RN retention, and competitive pay and bonuses improved workplace satisfaction and increased workplace retention. Increasing job satisfaction and reducing voluntary turnover of RNs contributes to social change by providing health careJob satisfaction and employee turnover affect the health care industry in the form of overworked staff, inadequate health care, and loss of profits. In 2015, the United States health care industry had a shortage of over 923,000 registered nurses. Health care organizations lose an estimated $1.4 to $2.1 billion each year because of registered nurse (RN) turnover. These factors indicate that some managers lack the strategies to increase job satisfaction and reduce RN turnover. The purpose of this single case study was to use the Herzberg 2-factor theory to explore strategies 5 health care leaders use to improve nurses' job satisfaction and reduce voluntary employee turnover in a health care facility in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Participant selection was purposeful and based on their experiences implementing effective employee job satisfaction strategies. Data collection occurred via face-to-face semistructured interviews with 5 managers and the review of organizational policy documents. Data were analyzed using inductive coding of phrases, word frequency searchers, and theme interpretation. Three themes emerged: autonomy and supportive leadership improved job satisfaction, continued education improved job satisfaction and improved RN retention, and competitive pay and bonuses improved workplace satisfaction and increased workplace retention. Increasing job satisfaction and reducing voluntary turnover of RNs contributes to social change by providing health care managers with strategies that can lead to organizational growth and increased employment opportunities, which might promote prosperity for local families and the


When gas turbines use alternate fuels, such as syngas derived from coal, ash from the fuels can deposit on turbine hardware. These deposits can cause substantial corrosion of the hardware which may have significantly different characteristics than Type I and Type II hot corrosion. The composition of the ash is determined by the mineral matter in coals, which often have kaolinite (Al2O3·2SiO2·2H2O), pyrites (FeS2), and calcites (CaCO3) as major components. This study was directed at degradation produced by CaO and CaSO4 and comparing it with the attack induced by Na2SO4 deposits. The alloys GTD 111, IN 738, and René N5, as well as these alloys coated with CoNiCrAlY and platinum aluminide, were exposed to conditions relevant to corrosion induced using alternative fuels. The initial test conditions involved a number of deposits including Na2SO4, CaO, and CaSO4 in dry and wet (pH2O = 10.1 kPa, 0.1 atm) air at 950oC. The most severe degradation occurred with CaO deposits. Specimens of the three alloys were subsequently exposed to cyclic oxidation conditions at 950oC with deposits of CaO in dry and wet air. All three alloys were attacked more severely when CaO deposits were present and this attack became even more severe in wet compared to dry air. However, the increase in attack caused by the presence of water vapor was small compared to the attack caused by the CaO deposits. The degradation induced via CaO deposits caused more severe degradation of René N5 compared to GTD 111 and IN 738. Tests using CaO deposits and cyclic oxidation conditions at 950oC in dry and wet air were also performed for the two coatings on the three alloy substrates. Both coatings were significantly degraded by attack induced by the CaO deposits. No effect of the alloy substrates on coating performance was apparent. Mechanisms for the effects of Ca-rich deposits on superalloy and coating degradation are discussed.


In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been used for performance analysis of a CO 2 /NH 3 cascade refrigeration system. Energy and exergy analysis of the system is firstly investigated using a computer code implemented in EES. It is well known that four main variables, including condensing temperature of ammonia, evaporating temperature of carbon dioxide, condensing temperature of carbon dioxide and temperature difference in cascade condenser affect the coefficient of performance (COP) and the exergetic efficiency. In this study, these two parameters in addition to certain useful values such as mass flow rate of high and low temperature circuits, power consumption of each compressor and also total exergy destruction are estimated in terms of the above temperatures. Feed-forward backpropagation learning algorithm was used in the network. A set of calculated data obtained from EES was used as training and test data. The computer program has been performed under MATLAB environment using neural network toolbox. New formulation obtained from ANN for this couple of refrigerants is presented for the calculation of abovementioned target values. The R value obtained when unknown data were used to the networks was 0.999992 which is very satisfactory. As an alternative method, it can be easily implemented in all programming languages with the aims of simulation or optimization. It can also be used where a very accurate and fast estimation of the system performance is of interest to engineers.


Congenital idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is caused by the lack of production or physiological response to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). A wide variety of genetic mutations have been implicated in the disorder demonstrating autosomal dominant, recessive and X-linked inheritance patterns. Diagnosis of IHH is complicated by its similarity in presentation to a constitutional delay of puberty (CDP) and often goes undiagnosed in patients under the age of 18. Once IHH is identified, the effects of the disturbed HPA axis must be addressed. In this report, we offer a brief overview of the diagnosis and management of IHH and present the case of a 27 year old male with undiagnosed IHH.


The unit noise gains for optimal and parallel normal realizations of digital filters can be expressed in terms of a set of noise gain parameters that are simply related to the pole locations and pole residues. These noise gain parameters are shown to be invariant under a class of frequency transformations, and for digital filter transfer functions derived by bilinear transformation of an analog transfer function, are independent of the frequency scaling parameter. As a result, the unit noise gains of normal realizations can be simply related to the performance characteristics of the filter, i.e., to filter order, passband ripple, and stopband gain. These simple relations make it easy for the filter designer to select a structure with acceptable roundbff error. Unit noise gain for normal realizations of Butterworth, Chebyshev, and elliptic filters are plotted for a range of performance characteristics, and compared with optimal state-space structures. These results show that there is no significant difference between the unit noise gains of optimal normal realizations and parallel normal realizations, and that the unit noise gains of optimal state-space structures are significantly lower than the normal forms only for high-order Butterworth filters.


From a physiological standpoint there is good reason to believe--although specific evidence is inadequate to prove--that the law of diminishing returns applies in feeding chickens for egg production. From an economic standpoint this does not appear to have the practical significance that it does, for example, in milk production. It is almost always most profitable to feed hens to capacity. Chief opportunities for economic adjustment of production arise rather through such things and proper culling of flocks or varying the composition of the ration to take advantage of changing cost relationships of the components. the new "high efficiency" rations appear to offer promise for more profitable production under favorable price relationships.


Currently, China is facing a challenge of sustainable development. The worsening air quality and increasing haze days in Beijing and many other cities in China have exerted serious health impacts and an economic toll. Pollution control and emission reduction have become an urgent issue that Chinese governments need to tackle. Hence, stricter Environmental laws and Clean Air Plans have been published and implemented in recent years in China. The developed countries had experienced the similar industrial development accompanying by air pollution problem during the middle of last century. Environmental legislating against helped many developed countries solve the pollution and achieved positive EKC trend – air quality improvements along with continuous economic growth. The thesis tries to study the previous lessons and experiences on pollution abatement from some developed countries and find what lesson's China can draw from them on pollution control and changing towards a sustainable development. The thesis adopts a multi-scientific study method including case studies, economic, technological, legal and institutional analysis. The pollution abatement cases are from the US and UK, because historically the serious air smog episodes due to industrialization had happened in many cities of the two countries, which are like what is happening in China now. Case studies compare the pollution problem in Beijing, Los Angeles and London, and focus on how environmental laws work for emission reduction. The study results show that the economic phase in China now is close to the EKC turning point and is at similar phase comparing to the historical pollution treatment stages during the middle of last century in the US and UK. However, the positive EKC trend does not inevitably come without strong environmental legislation, technological development and economic-social institution sustainability transformation. The implication for China is that the current pollution control laws and its implementation in China at the crucial moment would most likely decide the future environmental, economic, and social situation in China. Loose environmental laws might cause environmental indulgence, while implementation of scientific environmental laws and standards can work effectively on emission reduction and enhancing technology and economic development at the same time. And the scientific based legislation skills from developed countries provide a good lesson to be drawn for China on how to make the laws and standards.


Mozambique is one of the largest coal producers in Africa. Extraction of the coal is carried out in the Moatize district of the Tete province in the center of the country. A surface mining technique is used to extract the coal below ground level. During mining activities, sulfide minerals, which are commonly associated with coal, are exposed to oxygen and water, leading to the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD is high in acidity and has a high content of metals, metalloids and sulfate that can cause severe damage to the environment. Moatize is inside the lower Zambezi River basin, the pollution that occurs there due to mining activities constituting a risk both for public health and for the water resources. The standard guidelines in Mozambique for wastewater from coal mining are very weak, allowing the coal mining companies to pollute considerably. The prevention, containment and remediation of polluted mine water are measures that should be carried out to avoid the spread of pollution. Prevention is the least expensive strategy, but it cannot always prevent the generation of polluted mine water. Thus containment and treatment need to be put into practice. Both active and passive treatment are used to treat polluted mine water. Since Moatize is a largely unstudied area, both static and leaching tests were carried out to investigate the possibility of AMD being generated. The geochemical processes that could impact on the quality of mine drainage stemming from the waste rock there were assessed. Use of cost-effective methods for the treatment of mine water by use of bioremediation coupled with adsorption, using cassava peels that are readily available in the country as a carbon source and as an adsorbent is proposed. Since climate changes and climate variability can exacerbate the negative impact of surface mining, the possibility of this was assessed. It was found that the production of AMD was likely in at least one of the coal mines in Moatize. The mine water from coal mines in Moatize was found to have a high content of sulfate, calcium, magnesium and manganese. A set of guidelines for coal mine effluents that was developed, based on different guidelines obtained from around the world, was proposed for Mozambique. Sulfate reducing bacteria coupled with adsorption appeared to be appropriate for removing these pollutants. Cassava peels used as adsorbents appeared to be effective in removing calcium, magnesium and manganese. Based on climate data, the period from November on through February was found to be the period in which the pollution load in Moatize was greatest. Since the flow rate in the Revubue River, which is close to the coal mines, is highly dependent upon the precipitation that occurs during the rainy season, the discharge of polluted mine water should be avoided. To achieve sustainable mining in Moatize, the coal mining companies, the regulators and the stakeholders from water sector there need to work together. A framework for integrating efforts to satisfy the needs of the different stakeholders involved in the water sector in Moatize was proposed. (Less)


Interaction is an important theme in current discussions of second language acquisition, second language pedagogy, and classroom second language learning. It is widely acknowledged in SLA that interaction is an essential factor for acquisition; equally, interaction is a cornerstone of second language pedagogy focused on developing learners' communicative competence. Recent advancements have been made in SLA research as well as second language pedagogy in the area of interaction, with sociocultural theory based on several key constructs of Vygotsky's providing new perspectives on the processes that are ignited when learners are steeped in interactive learning. This study reports on classroom investigations into these interactive processes that provide evidence for language learning. Of specific interest is the phenomenon of imitation, as defined in terms drawn from sociocultural theory, and the pedagogic practices which provide the stage for imitation to occur, and thus support second language development.


e11103 Background: COX-2 is a potential molecular prognostic factor for breast cancer and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is described as a tumour suppressor in cancer. The antiproliferative effects of calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D3) mediated via the vitamin D receptor (VDR) render vitamin D a promising target in breast cancer therapy.

METHODS
The expression of the prostaglandin (PG) metabolising enzymes (COX-2, 15-PGDH), the PG receptors, the vitamin D metabolising enzymes (1-alpha-hydroxylase, 24-hydroxylase) and the VDR were determined in benign and malignant breast cell lines as well as in normal and malignant breast tissue. Measurement of PGE2 and 25(OH)2D3 serum level in healthy women and breast cancer patients was performed in winter and summertime. Additionally, the influence of calcitriol on cell proliferation was determined. In addition we examined the effect of calcitriol on the enzyme expression.

RESULTS
We found an inverse correlation between the expression of the PG metabolising enzymes with the VDR as well as with the vitamin D metabolising enzymes by investigating the tissue samples. Moreover, we detected an inverse correlation between the PGE2 and 25(OH)2D3 serum level in breast cancer patients during wintertime. Furthermore the PG receptors were associated with an increased carcinogenesis. The breast cell experiments presented a dysregulated vitamin D metabolism, especially in the invasive breast cell line. Calcitriol showed an antiproliferative effect only in the benign but not in the malignant cell lines, and the expression of COX-2 and 15-hydroxyprostaglandindehydrogenase was influenced by calcitriol only in the benign breast cell line.

CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest a link between vitamin D and PG metabolism and therefore a possible synergism between COX-2 inhibition and calcitriol in breast cancer cells. For the first time, we could show an inverse correlation between the two metabolisms in breast cancer on different levels. Thus, the chemopreventive combination of calcitriol and/or vitamin D analogue with a COX-2 inhibitor might decrease the incidence of breast cancer.


We have earlier reported the synthesis of the three major curcuminoids of turmeric employing a new strategy involving the use of borontrifluoride instead of boric oxide to protect the active methylene group of acetylacetone in reaction with aromatic aldehydes. We have now synthesized monomethyl products of curcumin and demethoxycurcumin by the same route and characterized them through their physical, chemical and spectral properties. As expected, a single monomethylcurcumin was obtained whereas we got two isomeric, monomethyl demethoxycurcumins when appropriate aromatic aldehydes were used in the condensation reaction. All the compounds were characterized through their difluoroboronites. The isomeric monomethyldemethoxycurcumins, reported for the first time, are distinctly different in melting point, thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography while their difluorobornites differed in ultra violet spectra. Dimethyl-bis-demethoxycurcumin and its difluoroboronite were prepared for the first time to confirm the involvement of 4/4'-hydroxyl in curcuminoids in quinonoid formation and consequent stability of their difluoroboronites. The monomethylcurcuminoids, especially those of demethoxycurcumin would be of interest for biological activity studies in comparison with curcumin.


Epidermal cell division appears to be slowed by beta adrenergic stimulation. The satisfaction of Sutherland's four criteria of an adenosine 3′, 5′ = monophosphate (cyclic AMP) mediated event shows that the inhibition is due to an increase intraepidermal cyclic AMP. Since increasing cyclic AMP slows epidermal cell division and mediates glycogen breakdown, we suggest that psoriasis may be a polygenic-environmentally induced defect in the adenyl cyclase-cyclic AMP cascade. Such a defect could explain that seemingly paradoxical occurrence of the 12-fold acceleration in the rate of cell division, low phosphorylase activity, and glycogen buildup in the epidermis of a psoriatic lesion. Our approach to the detection of a possibly defective adenyl cyclase-cyclic AMP-cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase cascade and how such a defect, if it is found, might be corrected by therapy is discussed.


Background and Objectives: Fetal pleural effusions are either primary or secondary to chromosomal or structural fetal abnormalities. In both cases, thoraco-amniotic shunts may be indicated to prevent life-threatening consequences. In this report, we describe a rare complication of shunts and successful in utero management of this complication. We also summarize the prior reports of shunt wrapping around fetal limbs and successful prenatal release of the shunts. Data Source: Search including PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception till November 2015 was conducted for cases with shunt entrapment around fetal limbs with or without prenatal management. Results: Four cases including our case have been reported in the literature with wrapping of shunts around fetal limbs. Three of these cases were successfully managed prenatally using different interventional and anesthetic techniques. Conclusions: Prenatal shunts could be rarely complicated by wrapping of the shunt around fetal limbs with possible serious vascular and neurological consequences. Different techniques have been described for prenatal management of this condition. We describe a less invasive approach that could be done under local anesthesia in suitable cases.


BACKGROUND
In adults, the influence of endotracheal tube bore on tidal volume (VT) during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has been little studied.

MATERIAL/METHODS
Via full-length 6, 7, 8, and 9 mm internal diameter (ID) endotracheal tubes (ETTs), a model lung (TTL, Michigan Instruments, MI) was ventilated using a high-frequency oscillator designed for adult patients (R100; Metran, Japan). Oscillation settings were: frequency, 5, 7, and 9 Hz; mean airway pressure, 15 cmH2O; oxygen inspiratory fraction, 0.21. At each setting: oscillator pressure swing was set at maximum; and each test combination was conducted with the model-lung compliance set at 20 and 50 mL/cmH2O. During the trials, a position sensor attached to the model-lung upper surface provided analog electrical signals for lung movement that were converted to VT evaluation data. Pressure and volume signals were digitized using an analog-to-digital converter and recorded in a computer. At each setting, three waveforms were analyzed and the average value used.

RESULTS
At each setting, measured VT was proportional to ETT internal cross-sectional area (CSA). Regression analysis of VT showed correlation with the CSA, as expressed by formula, y=2.173x where x is CSA and y is VT (R2=0.99, p<0.001) at 5 Hz and compliance of 50 cmH2O.

CONCLUSIONS
In an adult-simulating model lung, VT during HFOV varies in proportion to ETT CSA.


Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a promising technique to handle impairments of multipath channel. Alternatively, one of its major drawbacks is the drift in reference carrier, which is known as Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO). Hence, the CFO should be estimated and compensated with a sufficient accuracy. In this paper, a new algorithm for blind CFO-OFDM estimation is obtained by introducing the Propagator Method (PM) in conjunction with the well-known MUSIC based high resolution searching algorithm. Furthermore, the PM does not require the Eigenvalue Decomposition (EVD) or Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) of the covariance matrix of the received signals; Simulations are also included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison with other conventional methods.


'China threat' as a western foreign policy orientation and 'Peaceful rise' which later became 'Peaceful development' concept of Hu Jintao administration is debated since last two decades. Visualising rising China, her policies and its implications on the liberal world order have become debatable on the agenda of global intellectual community. The paper addresses the same theme and questions; whether China's rise would be peaceful or not? Further, this research looks at the possible scenarios of comprehending rising China's impact on international politics. The paper tries to explain the possible scenarios from different theoretical perspectives and the implications of each scenario. The paper concludes that the rising China's impacts are long-lasting whether peaceful or threatening power depends on the members of the international community, especially the existing great power; the US, how latter accommodates the interests of a rising state and manages misperception, and maintain the balance of status in the global politics. Though minor conflicts can occur in several regions of overlapping interests, any major conflict would be avoided at the behest of both the major stakeholders.


This paper details howmarketing scholars can address important marketing issues. It starts by clearly distinguishing importance from relevance and, on that basis, discerns four types of research projects: (1) thought leadership; (2) science leadership; (3) applied science; and (4) puzzling science. It proposes to funnel more resources from applied and puzzling science to thought leadership and to sustain science leadership. To do so, it offers a research funnel (awareness-consideration-choice-execution) and how ability and motivation throughout the funnel guide a scholar towards more important research. It offers three key takeaways on how to achieve more important research: (1) socialize with practice; (2) embrace residual ambiguity; and (3) do not get bored or boring from hyperspecialization. 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).


Background: Scrub typhus was unseen in Odisha, but during postmonsoon months of 2014, for the first time, 25 cases of scrub typhus were identified in the pediatric department of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar. Objectives: This study aimed at analyzing the demographic pattern, symptomatology, complications, and response to therapy, which will help medical fraternity in early diagnosis and management. Materials and Methods: By retrospective analysis of case records between September 2014 and February 2015, 25 children were found to have scrub typhus by the detection of specific IgM by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: Main clinical manifestations were prolonged fever (100%), respiratory distress (44%), shock, hepatomegaly (96%), splenomegaly (68%), lymphadenopathy (24%), and third spacing (40%). The characteristic eschar was found in 48% children (n = 12). Laboratory findings were leukocytosis (44%), thrombocytopenia (24%), raised C-reactive protein (96%), and transaminitis (76%). All cases were found to be positive for specific IgM by ELISA method (100%). Complications detected were myocarditis (28%), encephalopathy (12%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (4%), and multiorgan dysfunction. Twenty-four cases received doxycycline and all improved, whereas one child who did not get doxycycline expired (died within 24 h of hospitalization). Discussion: Vasculitis is the basic pathogenic mechanism in scrub typhus. An eschar is the most characteristic and pathognomonic feature of scrub typhus but not seen in all patients. If a combination of elevated transaminases, leukocytosis, and thrombocytopenia is found, then specificity and positive predictive value for diagnosis are about 80%. Doxycycline is the drug of choice. Conclusion: Pediatricians and physicians must be aware of scrub typhus for early diagnosis and treatment of this emerging disease.


The essence of the transition process from a pure manufacturing firm towards servitization is the shift from selling the product alone to selling an integrated product and services package. This process entails significant co-production activities with the customer. To date, little empirical research has been conducted to examine how the servitized manufacturer manages the roles and responsibilities of the customer to enable effective service delivery through contractual perspective. The objectives of this research are twofold: firstly, to understand and explain how contractual governance shape the specifications of customer's roles and responsibilities in service delivery and secondly, to understand the process of co-production with the customer in service delivery after contract stipulation. As the nature of this research is exploratory, a multiple case study approach was deployed to enable an in-depth investigation of the issues. This study draws on five case studies, representing the three types of servitization (product-oriented services, use oriented services and result-oriented services). The analyses of how the contractual mechanism was used to shape the customer's roles and how the process of co-production activities in service delivery takes place after contract stipulation were based on 35 semi-structured interviews, a review of 493 documents including contracts and 277 email exchanges. The findings of the study show that contractual governance features mainly in shaping the specifications of customer's roles and responsibilities in service delivery. This research contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the importance of contractual governance in shaping customer roles and responsibilities. Equally important, with the use of the Process Chain Network (PCN) diagram, this study provides insight into how service delivery in the servitization context is co–produced with the customer after contract stipulation. Therefore, it is argued that identifying the elements of co–production activities that require significant interactions between service provider and customer is crucial when designing effective contract provision. Keywords: Servitization, service offering, co – production, contract.


The structures of railway vehicles are required to service in super-long life regime. Determination of the probabilistic S-N curves including the regime should be a basic work to realize the real fatigue life prediction and reliability assessment. Based on the test results of Chinese railway LZ50 axle carbon steel, a statistical extrapolating method is proposed to determine the curves by applying the conventional test data in mid-long life regime. Some phenomena, i.e. the response of "fatigue limit", a great of heat affecting using the high frequency ultrasonic fatigue test system, and the non-conservative test results using the conventional frequency tiny multi-specimen test system (machine C), are firstly mentioned in the existent super-long life researches. The too much conservative offers are also noted by the determinations of existent codes. To address the variable amplitude loads in production, the present method extrapolates continuously the curves from the mid- to super-long life regimes under the statistical controls of conventional fatigue limits. The practice for the present material indicates that the curves can well reflect the scattered data not only in mid-long life regime but also in super-long life regime. The non-conservative test results using machine C are also safely included by the curves.


Welfare gains and reserve reduction for giving electricity customers the choice of reliability of service are analyzed. The problem of specifying reliability indices to give proper signals to the consumer is outlined. The welfare maximization formulation of Ramsey has been extended to include reliability constraints. The results show uncertain benefits from reliability-based pricing. There appears to be no economic compulsion to warrant such pricing schemes. >


This study into female students' attributions for academic achievement in secondary schools in Papua New Guinea (PNG) examined the factors that inhibited school leavers from gaining access to and/or completing secondary education and their academic achievement. It also examined the factors which facilitated the academic achievement of Grade 12 female students. Hence, academic achievement in the context of this study is defined as access to and completion of secondary school grades and results in tests and examinations.

The research methodology and design employed in this study was chosen in response to the unique and complex geographical and sociocultural context in which it was conducted. It employed a triangulation mixed methods design embedded within the theoretical underpinnings of the transformative and pragmatic research paradigms. Hence, quantitative data was collected through two sets of survey questionnaires and qualitative data were collected through interviews and focus group meetings. Data for this study was collected from three main groups comprising two groups of female school leavers and one group of Grade 12 students at each of the two research sites.

The quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 14 to conduct descriptive analyses, Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) and T-Tests. Descriptive analyses provided demographic information of the participants. Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the differences between the three groups. T-Tests were conducted to examine the differences between the participants at the two research sites. The findings are presented in Chapter 4. The qualitative data from the interviews and focus groups were transcribed and analysed using NVivo Version 8. The results are presented in Chapters 5. The findings are elaborated on in a triangulated discussion presented in Chapter 6.

The findings of this study indicate that inherent (psychological and emotional) factors inhibit and/or facilitate academic achievement of female students in secondary schools at the two research sites. Academic achievement of female students at the two sites were also impeded and/or facilitated by external factors. The
key impediments and/or incitements for academic achievement were categorized along the lines of the locus of control: internal and external. Internal impediments comprised three major factors: psychological and emotional distress, the nature of motivational goal orientations and the learning strategies. The external impediments comprised three key factors: factors relating to the national education policy frameworks, school factors and non-school factors. The internal incitements for academic achievement comprised three key factors: the power of resilience, the nature of motivational goal orientations, and learning strategies. The external incitements for academic achievement consisted of two key factors: school and non-school factors.

Fifteen conclusions were drawn from the study's findings and these could be categorised under two broad headings. The findings of the study concluded with two major conclusions being drawn and fifteen more specific conclusions within the two broad conclusions. As a result of these conclusions, nine recommendations were provided to address the research problem with limitations and opportunities for future research being identified.


Affordability in access to drinking water and sanitation services (WSS) is an essential component for the realisation of the human rights to water and sanitation (HRtWS). The Sustainable Development Goals aim to provide adequate WSS to the remaining billions of people still left behind and explicitly recognise that water must be affordable to users in the variety of their particular conditions and needs. As one of the normative content under the human rights framework, affordability can be integrated into the broader principle of providing social equity and sustainable services to all people. Accessing WSS implies managing a wide range of costs—not all of them financial—that can differ in any given State or region. Indeed, difficulties are common in providing WSS in a way that reconciles affordability and economical sustainability, which generates tension in service provision. A particularly problematic aspect concerns applying mechanisms that successfully attain all people in society who require help while not offering undeserved assistance to people with comparatively lesser needs. In sum, affordability is attained through various efforts: a coordinated institutional structure, clear legal provisions (i.e. formally recognizing the HRtWS), contextually specific policy and plans, accountable regulatory mechanisms and efficiently organised service providers. Keywords: affordability; water; sanitation; human rights; sustainability
Keywords: affordability; water; sanitation; human rights; sustainability


Early developmental perturbations have been linked to adultonset prostate pathology, including excessive exposure to estrogenic compounds; however, the molecular basis for this imprinting event is not known. An important and controversial health concern is whether low-dose exposures to hormonally active environmental estrogens, such as bisphenol A, can promote human diseases, including prostate cancer. Here, we show that transient developmental exposure of rats to low, environmentally relevant doses of bisphenol A or estradiol increases prostate gland susceptibility to adult-onset precancerous lesions and hormonal carcinogenesis. We found permanent alterations in the DNA methylation patterns of multiple cell signaling genes, suggesting an epigenetic basis for estrogen imprinting. For phosphodiesterase type 4 variant 4 (PDE4D4), an enzyme responsible for cyclic AMP breakdown, a specific methylation cluster was identified in the 5¶-flanking CpG island that was gradually hypermethylated with aging in normal prostates, resulting in loss of gene expression. Early and prolonged hypomethylation at this site following neonatal estradiol or bisphenol A exposure resulted in continued, elevated PDE4D4 expression. Cell line studies confirmed that site-specific methylation is involved in transcriptional silencing of the PDE4D4 gene and showed hypomethylation of this gene in prostate cancer cells. Importantly, the PDE4D4 alterations in the estrogen-exposed prostates were distinguishable before histopathologic changes of the gland, making PDE4D4 a candidate molecular marker for prostate cancer risk assessment as a result of endocrine disruptors. In total, these findings indicate that low-dose exposures to ubiquitous environmental estrogens affect the prostate epigenome during development and, in so doing, promote prostate disease with aging. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(11): 5624-32)


We compared the results of primary ultrasonographic examination of 163 children with 224 suspected fractures with the subsequent radiological findings. The aim was to assess the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of fractures in children. We found a good correlation for fractures of the long bones of the upper and lower limbs. Ultrasound was most reliable for the detection of simple femoral and humeral diaphyseal fractures and fractures of the forearm. It was less dependable for compound injuries and fractures adjacent to joints, lesions of the small bones of the hand and foot, non-displaced epiphyseal fractures (Salter-Harris type 1) or those with a fracture line of less than 1mm. We were able to distinguish several types of fracture in which the use of ultrasound alone gave reliable information and further radiography was unnecessary. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of skeletal ultrasonographic studies in children.


To realize effective coordination between economy and energy as well as environment, Chinese government has set out a comprehensive objective to achieve 4 times GDP growth with only 2 times energy consumption and 10% emission reduction by 2020, hence the sustainable development strategic planning for energy is particularly vital. Based on the analysis of international environments and domestic conditions of energy development in China, this article has made a more systematical and deeper research in countermeasure for solving those identified problems. Finally, a series of in-depth strategies and suggestions on sustainable development for China's energy are put forward.


These "Empfehlungen" are the german translation of the Guidelines on MIBG-Scintigraphy in Children, which were published by the Paediatric Committee of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine.


In this study, we isolated a virus strain (YN12031) from specimens of Armigeres subalbatus collected in the China-Laos border. BHK-21 cells infected with YN12031 exhibited an evident cytopathic effect (CPE) 32 h post-infection. The virus particles were spherical, 70 nm in diameter, and enveloped; they also featured surface fibers. Molecular genetic analysis revealed that YN12031 was closely related to alpha viruses such as Chikungunya virus and Sindbis virus, and located in the same clade as MM2021, the prototype of Getahvirus (GETV) isolated in Malaysia in 1955. Phylogenetic analysis of the E2 and capsid genes further revealed that YN12031 was located in the same clade as the Russian isolate LEIV/16275/Mag. Analysis of the homology of nucleotides and amino acids in the coding area and E2 gene demonstrated that the YN12031 isolated from the China-Laos border (tropical region) was related closest to the LEIV/16275/Mag isolate obtained in Russia (North frigid zone area) among other isolates studied. These results suggest that GETV can adapt to different geographical environments to propagate and evolve. Thus, strengthening the detection and monitoring of GETV and its related diseases is very crucial.


Rivers deposit deltas wherever they reach standing water, i.e. a lake or reservoir. Here the case of a sand-bed river carrying mud as wash load is considered. In general the sand tends to deposit out to form a fluvial topset and an avalanching foreset, and the mud tends to deposit out as a bottomset. During floods, many sand-bed rivers carry sufficiently high concentrations of washload to render the river water heavier than that of the body of standing water. In such a case the mud-laden river fow plunges to form a bottom turbidity current. In a companion paper a 1 -D numerical model of a prograding delta was presented. In this model fluvial, avalanching and turbidity current deposition are all linked in terms of a moving boundary formulation. Here the model is compared against two experiments on delta progradation. The experiments reveal an intriguing interaction between the three elements of the model, with foreset progradation burying the bottomset and pushing its upstream point ever downstream, and with bottomset deposition raising the toe of the foreset, so increasing the rate of foreset progradation as sand is delivered from the topset. The numerical model of the companion paper captures this interaction with a minimum of adjustment of input parameters. The resulting description of delta morphodynamics is very similar to that observed in e.g. the delta in the Colorado River, USA where it reaches Lake Mead.


This paper examines the impact of managerial ability on bank loan contracting. We find that firms with higher ability managers obtain more favorable loan contract terms, such as lower loan spreads, less stringent covenants, and longer term maturity. Furthermore, the negative relation between managerial ability and loan spread is concentrated in firms with higher information asymmetry, higher default risk, or lower agency costs of debt. Finally, we find that managerial ability is positively related to firm future performance and negatively related to firm future default risk, indicating that managerial ability affects bank loan contracting via both valuation and information effects.