provides access, scholarly publishing to delivers a research to Abstract: The material removal characteristics of a silicon wafer were experimentally investigated with respect to the chemical dissolution and mechanical abrasion of the wafer during silicon chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) using an alkali-based slurry. The silicon surface without native oxide is rapidly dissolved by the slurry containing an amine agent, which effectively leads to the reduced hardness of the loaded silicon wafer due to Si–Si bond breaking during polishing. The abrasive particles in the slurry easily remove the reacted silicon surface, and the removal rate and wafer non-uniformity for abrasive concentrations of 1.5–3 wt% are better than those for other concentrations because of the low and steady coefficient of friction (COF) owing to the evenness of abrasive particles between the wafer and pad. Also, it was found that a high slurry flow rate of 700–1000cm3/min improves wafer non-uniformity owing to the reduced temporal variation of temperature, because the slurry acts as a good cooling source during polishing. However, the removal rate remains almost constant upon varying the slurry flow rate because of the effective dissolution characteristic of the slurry with abundant amine as an accelerator, regardless of the reduction of average temperature with increasing slurry flow rate. In the break-in process used to stabilize the material removal, the viscoelastic behaviors of the pad and the ground wafer surface with native oxide and wheel marks cause a temporal change of the friction force during polishing, which is related to the removal rate and wafer non-uniformity. The material removal characteristics of a silicon wafer were experimentally investigated with respect to the chemical dissolution and mechanical abrasion of the wafer during silicon chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) using an alkali-based slurry. The silicon surface without native oxide is rapidly dissolved by the slurry containing an amine agent, which effectively leads to the reduced hardness of the loaded silicon wafer due to Si–Si bond breaking during polishing. The abrasive particles in the slurry easily remove the reacted silicon surface, and the removal rate and wafer non-uniformity for abrasive concentrations of 1.5–3wt% are better than those for other concentrations because of the low and steady coefficient of friction (COF) owing to the evenness of abrasive particles between the wafer and pad. Also, it was found that a high slurry flow rate of 700–1000cm 3 /min improves wafer non-uniformity owing to the reduced temporal variation of temperature, because the slurry acts as a good cooling source during polishing. However, the removal rate remains almost constant upon varying the slurry flow rate because of the effective dissolution characteristic of the slurry with abundant amine as an accelerator, regardless of the reduction of average temperature with increasing slurry flow rate. In the break-in process used to stabilize the material removal, the viscoelastic behaviors of the pad and the ground wafer surface with native oxide and wheel marks cause a temporal change of the friction force during polishing, which is related to the removal rate and wafer non-uniformity. As a result, the stabilization of removal rate and wafer non-uniformity is achieved through a steady-state process with elevated temperature and reduced COF after a total of 60min, on the removal process of the and the permanent deformation in the


Abstract Line-transect–based distance sampling has been used to estimate density of several wild bird species including wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). We used inflatable turkey decoys during autumn (Aug–Nov) and winter (Dec–Mar) 2003–2005 at 3 study sites in the Texas Rolling Plains, USA, to simulate Rio Grande wild turkey (M. g. intermedia) flocks. We evaluated detectability of flocks using logistic regression models. Our modeling effort suggested that distance to a flock and flock size played important roles in flock detectability. We also conducted surveys from roads for wild turkeys during November 2004–January 2006. The detection probability of decoy flocks was similar to wild turkey flocks during winter (decoy flock, 69.3 ± 6.2% [x̄ ± 95% CI]; wild turkey flock, 62.2 ± 18.3%) and autumn (decoy flock, 44.1 ± 5.1%; wild turkey flock, 44.7 ± 25.6%), which suggested that using decoys was appropriate for evaluating detectability of wild turkey flocks from roads. We conducted computer simulations to evaluate the performance of line-transect–based distance sampling and examined the power to detect trends in population change. Simulations suggested that population density may be underestimated by 12% during winter and 29% during autumn. Such bias occurred because of incomplete detectability of flocks near roads. Winter surveys tended to have less bias, lower relative variability, and greater power than did autumn surveys. During winter surveys, power was sufficient (≥0.80) to detect a 10–25% change in population density in 8–12 years using ≥100 16-km transects or ≥80 32-km transects. We concluded line-transect–based distance sampling from roads is an efficient, effective, and inexpensive technique for monitoring Rio Grande wild turkey populations across large scales.


Abstract Background: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 (MTHFR 677) polymorphism may provoke hyperhomocysteinemia when folate status is low. The influence of MTHFR 677 mutation on homocysteine (HCY) levels in relation to vitamin B12 and folate status was investigated in the current study. Subjects and methods: 113 vegetarians, 123 omnivorous Germans, and 117 omnivorous Syrians were recruited. MTHFR 677 genotype, HCY, methylmalonic acid (MMA), total serum vitamin B12, serum folate, and vitamin B6 were determined using conventional methods. Results: Omnivorous Germans displayed the lowest HCY levels compared with vegetarians and Syrians (median 8.0, 10.4, and 11.3 μmol/l, respectively). The highest serum folate and the highest MMA levels were found in vegetarians (median folate = 30.0; MMA = 355 nmol/l). Among vegetarians and Syrians, TT subjects had higher HCY levels than other genotypes which were, however, no longer significant in the highest folate tertiles. When the data were pooled, the odds ratio (OR, 95% CI) for HCY > 12 μmol/l was 3.81 (1.55–9.34) in TT compared with CC subjects. The OR increased to 28.85 (4.63–179.62) in TT subjects who had folate in the lowest tertile, and to 21.84 (4.81–99.1) in TT subjects who had MMA in the highest MMA tertile. Conclusion: MTHFR 677 TT individuals are more liable to hyperhomocysteinemia under vitamin B12 deficiency than the other two genotypes. In such a case, relative folate shortage may progressively increase HCY levels. TT individuals may have increased folate and vitamin B12 requirements compared to the other CC and CT genotypes.


Patient navigators (PNs) coordinate medical services and connect patients with resources to improve outcomes, satisfaction, and reduce costs. Little national information is available to inform workforce development. We analyzed 819 responses from an online PN survey conducted in 2009-2010. Study variables were mapped to the five Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) constructs to explore program variations by type of PN. Five logistic regression models compared each PN type to all others while adjusting for covariates. Thirty-five percent of respondents were nurse navigators, 28% lay navigators, 20% social work (SW)/counselor navigators, 7% allied health navigators, and 10% were "other" types of PNs. Most were non-Hispanic White (71%), female (94%), and at least college educated (70%). The primary differences were observed among: the core intervention tasks; position structure; work setting; health conditions navigated; navigator race/ethnicity; personal cancer experiences; navigation training; and patient populations served. Lay PNs had fewer odds of identifying as Hispanic, work in rural settings and assist underserved populations compared to others. Nurse navigators showed greater odds of clinical responsibilities, work in hospital or government settings and fewer odds of navigating minority populations compared to others. SW/counselor navigators also had additional duties, provided greater assistance to Medicare patient populations, and less odds of navigating underserved populations than others. In summary, our survey indicates that the type of PN utilized is an indicator of other substantial differences in program implementation. CFIR provides a robust method to compare differences and should incorporate care coordination outcomes in future PN research.


Abstract Objective To estimate the effectiveness of the bivalent mRNA booster vaccines containing the original SARS-CoV-2 and omicron BA.4-5 or BA.1 subvariants as the fourth dose against severe covid-19. Design Nationwide cohort analyses, using target trial emulation. Setting Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, from 1 July 2022 to 10 April 2023. Participants People aged ≥50 years who had received at least three doses of covid-19 vaccine (that is, a primary course and a first booster). Main outcome measures The Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to compare the risk of hospital admission and death related to covid-19 in people who received a bivalent Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech) or Spikevax (Moderna) BA.4-5 or BA.1 mRNA booster vaccine as a fourth dose (second booster) with three dose (first booster) vaccinated people and between four dose vaccinated people. Results A total of 1 634 199 people receiving bivalent BA.4-5 fourth dose booster and 1 042 124 receiving bivalent BA.1 fourth dose booster across the four Nordic countries were included. Receipt of a bivalent BA.4-5 booster as a fourth dose was associated with a comparative vaccine effectiveness against admission to hospital with covid-19 of 67.8% (95% confidence interval 63.1% to 72.5%) and a risk difference of –91.9 (95% confidence interval –152.4 to –31.4) per 100 000 people at three months of follow-up compared with having received three doses of vaccine (289 v 893 events). The corresponding comparative vaccine effectiveness and risk difference for bivalent BA.1 boosters (332 v 977 events) were 65.8% (59.1% to 72.4%) and –112.9 (–179.6 to –46.2) per 100 000, respectively. Comparative vaccine effectiveness and risk difference against covid-19 related death were 69.8% (52.8% to 86.8%) and –34.1 (–40.1 to –28.2) per 100 000 for bivalent BA.4-5 booster (93 v 325 events) and 70.0% (50.3% to 89.7%) and –38.7 (–65.4 to –12.0) per 100 000 for BA.1 booster (86 v 286) as a fourth dose. Comparing bivalent BA.4-5 and BA.1 boosters as a fourth dose directly resulted in a three month comparative vaccine effectiveness and corresponding risk difference of –14.9% (–62.3% to 32.4%) and 10.0 (–14.4 to 34.4) per 100 000 people for admission to hospital with covid-19 (802 v 932 unweighted events) and –40.7% (–123.4% to 42.1%) and 8.1 (–3.3 to 19.4) per 100 000 for covid-19 related death (229 v 243 unweighted events). The comparative vaccine effectiveness did not differ across sex and age (</≥70 years) and seemed to be sustained up to six months from the day of vaccination with modest waning. Conclusion Vaccination with bivalent BA.4-5 or BA.1 mRNA booster vaccines as a fourth dose was associated with reduced rates of covid-19 related hospital admission and death among adults aged ≥50 years. The protection afforded by the bivalent BA.4-5 and BA.1 boosters did not differ significantly when directly compared, and any potential difference would most likely be very small in absolute numbers.


Our project is to describe French, using a finite vocabulary and a finite set of grammar rules. As far as noun phrases are concerned, we have to decide which noun phrases are to be treated by grammar rules, and which ones should be put in a lexicon. We present four criteria that have been used to build the electronic dictionary for compound nouns, (DELAC), which contains over 100,000 entries. The first two criteria (not compositional meaning, and institutionalized terms) yield purely lexicalized entries; the last two criteria (distributional restrictions and exceptional transformational analysis) concern certain noun phrases which could probably be treated by grammar rules; we prefer to put them in a lexicon for methodological reasons.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to show whether local application of cadmium-impregnated bone cement can induce apoptosis and decrease the viability of residual osteosarcoma (OS) cells in nude mice.

METHODS
K7M2 tumorigenic OS cell line was cultivated in vitro. The xenograft tumor model was formed by subcutaneously adding the tumor cells to athymic nude mice. Tumor was formed within 1 month. Then, mice were randomly assigned to five groups, each containing seven nude mice: control (group 1), wide resection (group 2), intralesional resection (group 3), intralesional resection + bone cement (group 4), and intralesional resection + cadmium embedded in bone cement (group 5). Tumor resection with 1 cm surgical margins was performed in the wide resection group. In intralesional resection groups, tumor tissue was resected with positive margins aiming to leave 15 mm3 of macroscopic tumor tissue. In group 3, the defect was left empty; groups 4 and 5 received bone cements prepared with saline and cadmium solutions, respectively. After the resection, mice were observed for 15 days and sacrificed. Next, surgical resection sites were evaluated histopathologically in each group.

RESULTS
Recurrent tumor was formed in all mice in the wide resection group, and apparent progression of residual tumor was observed in groups 3 and 4. On the contrary, only a thin layer of residual tumor was observed around the bone cement in group 5. Histological evaluation revealed remarkable necrosis in group 5 and lowest viability compared to other groups. No systemic toxic effect related to cadmium was observed.

CONCLUSION
Our data suggest that local application of cadmium in bone cement has a significant potential to increase tumor necrosis and decrease the viability of residual OS cells.


Infectious disease outbreaks in plants threaten ecosystems, agricultural crops and food trade. Currently, several fungal diseases are affecting forests worldwide, posing a major risk to tree species, habitats and consequently ecosystem decay. Prediction and control of disease spread are difficult, mainly due to the complexity of the interaction between individual components involved. In this work, we introduce a lattice-based epidemic model coupled with a stochastic process that mimics, in a very simplified way, the interaction between the hosts and pathogen. We studied the disease spread by measuring the propagation velocity of the pathogen on the susceptible hosts. Our quantitative results indicate the occurrence of a critical transition between two stable phases: local confinement and an extended epiphytotic outbreak that depends on the density of the susceptible individuals. Quantitative predictions of epiphytotics are performed using the framework early-warning indicators for impending regime shifts, widely applied on dynamical systems. These signals forecast successfully the outcome of the critical shift between the two stable phases before the system enters the epiphytotic regime. Our study demonstrates that early-warning indicators could be useful for the prediction of forest disease epidemics through mathematical and computational models suited to more specific pathogen-host-environmental interactions. Our results may also be useful to identify a suitable planting density to slow down disease spread and in the future, design highly resilient forests.


The hfq-encoded RNA-binding protein HF-I has long been known as a host factor for phage Qbeta RNA replication and has recently been shown to be essential for translation of rpoS, which encodes the sigmaS subunit of RNA polymerase. Here we demonstrate that an hfq null mutant does not synthesize glycogen, is starvation and multiple stress sensitive, and exhibits strongly reduced expression of representative sigmaS-regulated genes. These phenotypes are consistent with strongly reduced sigmaS levels in the hfq mutant. However, the analysis of global protein synthesis patterns on two-dimensional O'Farrell gels indicates that approximately 40% of the more than 30 proteins whose syntheses are altered in the hfq null mutant are not affected by an rpoS mutation. We conclude that HF-I is a global regulator involved in the regulation of expression of sigmaS and sigmaS-independent genes.


With a bike, a turbo trainer and the right advice, you can beat anyone. No one but Graeme Obree has the clarity of vision to get to the heart of the 'problem' of how to improve as a racing cyclist. His innovative approach took him to the top of world cycling, twice breaking the world hour record - a story picked up in his Hollywood biopic The Flying Scotsman. It can draw the same outstanding athletic performance from you. The Obree Way side-steps conventional wisdom and strips cycling back to its elements, always asking the question: 'What actually improves my race time?' This is no routine training programme. Written in a conversational style, the book explains Graeme Obree's radical insights into technique, training, psychology and diet, and the clear logic behind them. At last, the best kept secret in cycling, the Obree three-phase breathing technique, is revealed in detail, getting more oxygen to your blood with less effort. Graeme Obree's training methods really work - the man is living proof. He believes that resting is key to training, that you can pedal, stretch and breathe more effectively and that, if you really want it, you can find the will and intensity to improve. Get on your bike!


The paper gives a nearly logarithmic lower bound on the randomized competitive ratio for a Metrical Task Systems model (A. Borodin et al., 1992). This implies a similar lower bound for the extensively studied K-server problem. Our proof is based on proving a Ramsey-type theorem for metric spaces. In particular, we prove that in every metric space there exists a large subspace which is approximately a "hierarchically well-separated tree" (HST) (Y. Bartal, 1996). This theorem may be of independent interest.


Center grant UID/MULTI/04046/2013 to BioISI, IF2012 Development grant and
PTDC/SAU/GMG/119586/2010 to PM, FCT fellowship SFRH/BPD/94322/2013
to PB and EMBO long-term fellowship ALT-33-2010 and FCT fellowship
SFRH/BPD/65976/2009 to AJA.


ABSTRACT The UK Conservative Government 2017–2019 has taken steps to promote Engagement as a means of Knowledge Exchange (KE). In 2019/2020, a Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) will be introduced alongside the existing Research (REF) and Teaching (TEF) evaluations. Indeed, the OfS (Office for Students) and UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) [2018. Collaboration Agreement between the Office for Students (OfS) and UK Research and Innovation. London: OfS, 1] regard each of these evaluations as 'mutually reinforcing'. Given that the KEF is likely to take place in full for the first time in 2020, it is essential that colleagues understand both the nature of the Engagement agenda, the reasons for its emergence, the possibilities it offers and means by which to reduce opportunity cost. In this article, I draw upon a range of resources to present a clear overview of these factors and argue that KEF can be harnessed effectively for a number of, often socially valuable, ends and that its most onerous implications can be mitigated efficiently.


Cucurbitacin E glycoside, extracted from a bitter mutant of Hawkesbury watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Syn. Citrullus vulgaris Schrad)] is the active ingredient of a feeding stimulant for the corn rootworm complex. It is the primary component of a water-soluble bait that can be combined with toxins for adult diabroticite control. Studies were conducted using phloxine B (D&C Red 28), a xanthene dye, as the toxin. This dye was efficacious against Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, spotted cucumber beetle, and Acalymma vittatum (F.), striped cucumber beetle, in cucumber plots and could be recovered from cucumber leaves for 8 d after treatment. The average amount of dye recovered per dead spotted cucumber beetle at 8 d after treatment was 0.173 microgram. Concentrated and sugar-free fermented forms of the watermelon extract were developed and compared with the fresh juice in field applications on cucumber plants. There was no significant difference in mortality of beetles from phloxine B-bait prepared with fresh, fermented, or concentrated extract, although in laboratory studies, fermented juice had higher feeding stimulant activity.


Materials used for scleral buckling procedures in retinal detachment repair have evolved from absorbable tissues, including autogenous fascia lata and cadaveric sclera or dura mater, to nonabsorbable synthetic agents such as polyethylene tubing, solid silicone rubber, silicone sponges, and hydrogels. Hydrogels are hydrophilic materials formed from 3-dimensional polymer networks. The most widely used hydrogel is co-poly(methylacrylate-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate), or MIRAgel (MIRA, Waltham, Mass). The forerunner of MIRAgel, MAI, has the same chemical composition. Hydrogels are permeable to water and low-molecular-weight hydrophilic substances. Their ability to absorb and then slowly release water-soluble antibiotics offers an advantage over silicone. Ho et al 1 reported that the MAI implant was as effective a buckling element as either solid silicone rubber or silicone sponge. He noted that the degree of swelling of the exoplant could be altered by varying its state of hydration, its softness and elasticity were protective against erosion, and it was less prone


Small linear dipole antennas with a multi-band characteristic are necessary for many strip or bar shaped gateway devices of the Internet of Things (IoT), for the connectivity in various communication protocols. However, the conventional methodology of designing multi-band dipole antennas is generally empirically based. More frequency bands usually mean even more arms/slots, which results in an increasingly bulky antenna. In this paper, we will introduce an algorithm of using the fewest arms to design a multi-band linear dipole antenna. This algorithm is based on sharing arms after the effective ranges of mode excitation are determined by characteristic mode analysis (CMA). By this algorithm, an exemplified designed penta-band dipole antenna is effective in covering 433, 868, 1176, 1575, and 2450 MHz bands for LPWAN, GNSS, and ISM applications, with only 2.5 pairs of arms. 50% of arms are reduced in comparison to traditional methods. This algorithm is convenient in practical dipole antenna design, and greatly simplifies the antenna structure so that they could be mounted into small IoT devices.


The thermoelectric power (TEP) of single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin films in pure metallic SWCNT (m-SWCNT) and pure semiconducting SWCNT (s-SWCNT) networks as well as in m- and s-SWCNT mixtures is investigated. The TEP measured on the pure s-SWCNT film (≈88 μV/K) was found to be almost 7 times higher than that of the m-SWCNTs (≈13 μV/K). Moreover, a quasilinear increase of TEP of the mixed SWCNT networks was observed as the fraction of s-SWCNTs is increased. The experimentally determined relationship between TEP and the fraction of s-SWCNTs in the mixture allows fast and simple quantitative analysis of the s:m ratio in any as-prepared heterogeneous SWCNT network. Furthermore, a semiempirical model analyzing the effect of the intertube junctions is proposed and applied to describe the thermoelectric behavior of the prepared SWCNT networks. The results of calculations match well with the experimental data and clearly demonstrate that the measured TEP of thin SWCNT films is principally controlled by...


This paper analyses the growth-structural change-poverty linkages within the framework of the New Structural Economics using Indian data for the period since 1951-52. It finds that the Indian economy has recorded substantial improvement in its GDP growth performance over the past three decades with average rates of growth going up and fluctuations coming down. The growth of the economy has been accompanied by a changing sectoral distribution of GDP towards high productivity sectors in particular services. However, the changing sectoral distribution of GDP has not been matched by a commensurate change in the distribution pattern of the labour force, as the agricultural sector and other low productivity sectors continue to dominate employment. Significantly, India's pattern of growth has not been characterised by a change in the structure of employment towards manufacturing, with the share of this sector in total employment stagnating, and recently declining, despite growth of output. Even within this sector, the resource and labour intensive low tech sectors remain the largest employers. The mismatch between the sectoral patterns of value added and employment has led to wide wage differentials across sectors. This raises an important question about the impact of growth on poverty. This is because growth is poverty reducing only if it 'enables the poor to actively participate in and significantly benefit from economic activity'. The present study finds that growth has indeed been accompanied by important reductions in poverty levels, but sizable population still remains stuck in poverty. The lack of structural change in the right direction seems to have impeded the poverty reducing effects of growth. We have shown that job creation by industrial expansion is clearly the way forward along with redistributive policies to solve poverty problems. While fostering industrialization India could pursue strategic import substitution and leverage the large domestic market that has now developed in several modern sectors.


Columbia Companion to Twentieth-Century Philosophies is the first guide to cover both the Anglo-American analytic and European continental traditions. Organized thematically, the volume thoroughly discusses the major movements and fields of each tradition and features the contributions of highly distinguished specialists in their fields. This book is divided into three sections. The first is devoted to highlighting the multidimensional work of philosophers identified with the analytic tradition, with Nicholas Rescher writing on neoidealism, Josephine Donovan commenting on feminist philosophy, Tyler Burge discussing the philosophy of language and mind, and Robert Hanna reflecting on Kant's legacy. The second section presents the thought of those who identified themselves with the continental tradition, featuring Jean Grondin on hermeneutics, Leonard Lawlor on phenomenology, Charles Scott on postmodernism, and Babette Babich on the philosophy of science. This volume also covers logical positivism, naturalism, pragmatism, aesthetics, existentialism, Marxism, the Frankfurt School, structuralism, psychoanalysis, political philosophy, ethics, and the philosophy of religion. The final section addresses concurrent trends in Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and African philosophy, and a comprehensive introduction by the editor not only provides a thorough outline of the problems and issues of the analytic and continental traditions but also boldly challenges the conviction that the two approaches must be rivals. Columbia Companion to Twentieth-Century Philosophies is an invaluable overview of the ideas that have shaped a monumentally important century in the history of philosophy, offering an unusually panoramic perspective that allows readers to form their own interpretations of original materials.


If Greece's debt is unsustainable, and most observers (including the IMF) seem to think it is, the country's only source of funding will continue to be official sector bailout loans. Languishing for a decade or more as a ward of the official sector is undesirable from all perspectives. The Greeks bridle under what they see as foreign imposed austerity; the taxpayers who fund the official sector loans to Greece balk at the prospect of shoveling good money after bad. The question then is how to facilitate Greece's ability to tap the private capital markets at tolerable interest rates. The IMF's answer? Write off a significant portion of the official European loans to Greece or, at the very least, stretch out the grace and repayment periods of those loans until the Crack of Doom. There may be an alternative -- persuading the official sector voluntarily to subordinate its credits, on a targeted basis, to new borrowings by Greece from the private markets. If the alternatives for the official sector are to lend the money itself (with the risk that the funds may never be recovered), or to write off their existing Greek loans now as a means of rendering the country presentable to the markets, subordination may be a more politically palatable option.


In the context of formal verification in general and model checking in particular, parity games serve as a mighty vehicle: many problems are encoded as parity games, which are then solved by the seminal algorithm by Jurdzinski. In this paper we identify the essence of this workflow to be the notion of progress measure, and formalize it in general, possibly infinitary, lattice-theoretic terms. Our view on progress measures is that they are to nested/alternating fixed points what invariants are to safety/greatest fixed points, and what ranking functions are to liveness/least fixed points. That is, progress measures are combination of the latter two notions (invariant and ranking function) that have been extensively studied in the context of (program) verification. We then apply our theory of progress measures to a general model-checking framework, where systems are categorically presented as coalgebras. The framework's theoretical robustness is witnessed by a smooth transfer from the branching-time setting to the linear-time one. Although the framework can be used to derive some decision procedures for finite settings, we also expect the proposed framework to form a basis for sound proof methods for some undecidable/infinitary problems.


The Neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4) is a neuronal activity-dependent immediate early gene that has recently been identified as a transcription factor which regulates the transcription of genes that control inhibitory synapse development and synaptic plasticity. The role Npas4 in learning and memory, however, is currently unknown. Here, we systematically examine the role of Npas4 in auditory Pavlovian fear conditioning, an amygdala-dependent form of emotional learning. In our first series of experiments, we show that Npas4 mRNA and protein are regulated in the rat lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) in a learning-dependent manner. Further, knockdown of Npas4 protein in the LA via adeno-associated viral (AAV) mediated gene delivery of RNAi was observed to impair fear memory formation, while innate fear and the expression of fear memory were not affected. In our second series of experiments, we show that Npas4 protein is regulated in the LA by retrieval of an auditory fear memory and that knockdown of Npas4 in the LA impairs retention of a reactivated, but not a non-reactivated, fear memory. Collectively, our findings provide the first comprehensive look at the functional role of Npas4 in learning and memory.


Diatoms are a ubiquitous class of microalgae of extreme importance for global primary productivity and for the biogeo- chemical cycling of minerals such as silica. However, very little is known about diatom cell biology or about their genome structure. For diatom researchers to take advantage of genomics and post-genomics technologies, it is necessary to establish a model diatom species. Phaeodactylum tricornutum is an obvious candidate because of its ease of culture and because it can be genetically transformed. Therefore, we have examined its genome composition by the generation of approximately 1,000 expressed sequence tags. Although more than 60% of the sequences could not be unequivocally identified by similarity to sequences in the databases, approximately 20% had high similarity with a range of genes defined functionally at the protein level. It is interesting that many of these sequences are more similar to animal rather than plant counterparts. Base composition at each codon position and GC content of the genome were compared with Arabidopsis, maize ( Zea mays ), and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . It was found that distribution of GC within the coding sequences is as homogeneous in P. tricornutum as in Arabidopsis, but with a slightly higher GC content. Furthermore, we present evidence that the P. tricornutum genome is likely to be small (less than 20 Mb). Therefore, this combined information supports the development of this species as a model system for molecular-based studies of diatom biology. The nucleotide sequence data reported has been deposited in GenBank Nucleotide Sequence Database (dbEST section) under accession numbers BI306757 through BI307753.


This paper presents two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical models for unsteady phased thermal analysis of RCC dams. The time evolution of a thermal field has been modeled using the actual dam shape, RCC technology and the adequate description of material properties. Model calibration and verification has been done based on the field investigations of the Platanovryssi dam, the highest RCC dam in Europe. The results of a long-term thermal analysis, with actual initial and boundary conditions, have shown a good agreement with the observed temperatures. The influence of relevant parameters on the thermal field of RCC dams has been analyzed. It is concluded that the 2D model is appropriate for the thermal phased analysis, and that the boundary conditions and the mixture properties are the most influential on the RCC dam thermal behavior.


Exploring means for tying a knot at the end of a continuous suture during laparoscopic surgery, it was found that formation of a single half-hitch over the last loop of the suture can secure the ending of the suture and protect against unraveling. This knot has been used successfully to complete running sutures in various endoscopic, gynecologic, and obstetric procedures.


As a prospective study for a future exploration of Venus, we compute the tidal response of Venus' interior assuming various mantle compositions and temperature profiles representative of different scenarios of Venus' formation and evolution. The mantle density and seismic velocities are modeled from thermodynamical equilibria of mantle minerals and used to predict the moment of inertia, Love numbers, and tide-induced phase lag characterizing the signature of the internal structure in the gravity field. The viscoelasticity of the mantle is parameterized using an Andrade rheology. From the models considered here, the moment of inertia lies in the range of 0.327 to 0.342, corresponding to a core radius of 2900 to 3450 km. Viscoelasticity of the mantle strongly increases the potential Love number relative to previously published elastic models. Due to the anelasticity effects, we show that the possibility of a completely solid metal core inside Venus cannot be ruled out based on the available estimate of k 2 from the Magellan mission (Konopliv and Yoder, 1996). A Love number k 2 lower than 0.27 would indicate the presence of a fully solid iron core, while for larger values, solutions with an entirely or partially liquid core are possible. Precise determination of the Love numbers, k 2 and h 2 , together with an estimate of the tidal phase lag, are required to determine the state and size of the core, as well as the composition and viscosity of the mantle.


Abstract Microtechnology point-of-care tests (POCTs), which are accurate and easy to use, are needed for the diagnosis of infants with sickle cell disease (SCD) to facilitate linkage to early care and management in resource-constrained public health centers in sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically reviewed the evidence of 2 novel POCTs' characteristics, performance, and clinical utility compared with standard laboratory-based methods. Studies evaluating the use of POCTs for SCD screening were identified by a search of PubMed and CINAHL. Eighty-four abstracts were screened, and 68 full-text articles were assessed, of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. Twelve studies conducted in 10 countries evaluated performance and diagnostic accuracy of 2 qualitative immunoassay POCTs (Sickle SCAN and HemoTypeSC). Eight studies were field reviews that compared the performance of the POCTs to extant laboratory methods, and one study reported on clinical management of SCD. The studies of diagnostic accuracy showed excellent performance for immunoassay POCTs. The reported correlation between criterion standard comparator laboratory-based assays was high across the 2 POCTs. Specificity for both POCTs was excellent among newborns and infants even in the presence of high fetal hemoglobin levels. The POCTs were deemed easy to use and had rapid turnaround times. The performance of immunoassay SCD-POCTs is comparable to reference assays, and the SCD-POCTs have the potential to improve patient outcomes. Additional studies on clinical utility, implementation, and accessibility are needed. Future research should focus on understanding and mapping the barriers to implementation within the context of resource-constrained settings.


High endothelial venule (HEV) cells support lymphocyte migration from the peripheral blood into secondary lymphoid tissues. Using gene expression profiling of mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (cid:1) mesenteric lymph node HEV cells by quantitative 3 (cid:1) -cDNA collection, we have identified a leucine-rich protein, named leucine-rich HEV glycoprotein (LRHG) that is selectively expressed in these cells. Northern blot analysis revealed that LRHG mRNA is (cid:1) 1.3 kb and is expressed in lymph nodes, liver, and heart. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated that the mRNA expression in lymph nodes is strictly restricted to the HEV cells, and immunofluorescence analysis with polyclonal Abs against LRHG indicated that the LRHG protein is localized mainly to HEV cells and possibly to some lymphoid cells surrounding the HEVs. LRHG cDNA encodes a 342-aa protein containing 8 tandem leucine-rich repeats of 24 aa each and has high homology to human leucine-rich (cid:2) 2 -glycoprotein. Similar to some other leucine-rich repeat protein family members, LRHG can bind extracellular matrix proteins that are expressed on the basal lamina of HEVs, such as fibronectin, collagen IV, and laminin. In addition, LRHG binds TGF- (cid:3) . These results suggest that LRHG is likely to be multifunctional in that it may capture TGF- (cid:3) and/or other related humoral factors


Canopy-level interactions have been largely ignored in epidemiological models and their applications in defining disease risks under climate change, although these interactions are important for disease management. This paper uses anthracnose of Stylosanthes scabra as a case study and reviews research on dynamics of the pathogen (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) at the canopy level and pathogen evolution under changing climate. It argues that linking of pathogen dynamics, crop growth and climate models is essential in predicting disease risks under climate change. A plant functional-structural model was used to couple S. scabra growth and architecture with disease under ambient and elevated CO(2). A level of induced resistance in plants with enlarged canopy determined anthracnose severity at elevated CO(2). Moisture-related microclimatic variables determined infection at ambient but not at elevated CO(2). At high CO(2) increased disease level from raised pathogen fecundity in enlarged canopy accelerated pathogen evolution after 25 sequential infection cycles. Modelling of pathogen dynamics under climate change currently suffers from a paucity of quantitative data, mismatch of scales in coupling climate and disease models, and model uncertainties. Further experimental research on interactions of biotic and abiotic factors on plant diseases under climate change and validation of models are essential prior to their use in climate-change prediction. Understanding and anticipating trends in host-pathogen evolution under climate change will improve the durability of resistance and lay the foundation for increased crop adaptation through pre-emptive plant breeding.