Soil physical and chemical properties can be seriously affected by forest operations. There is a knowledge gap on this topic for oak ecosystems, which can play a significant role in the context of multiple-use forestry. The main objective of this study was to analyse forest floor and topsoil changes (0–10 cm) two years after the application of small-scale thinning (50% reduction of basal area) and clear-cut operations using mules to carry harvested material in a Northern Greece oak (Quercus frainet-to Ten) ecosystem. The total amount of forest floor (O 1 +O 2 horizons) was reduced by 37.8% in the thinned and 30.8% in the clear-cut plots compared to control plots. These large reductions are mainly due to reduction in the O 2 horizon in the treated plots. Decomposition was reduced in the treated plots, possibly due to the new drier conditions. Treatments increased the soil pH but not to a significant extent. No evidence of erosion was found in the experimental plots due to the protective function of the forest floor and the use of designated mule trails. The areal extent of soil compaction was limited to only 3% of the total area mainly due to the careful planning and implementation of animal skidding. Small differences in C (%) and Ν (%) were found among control, thinned and clear-cut plots. The limiting growth factors in Mediterranean oak ecosystems are soil depth and the seasonal change of soil moisture, especially during the summer dry period. More research on the definition of the optimum thinning degree and extraction systems in similar ecosystems will be important to satisfy the need to improve soil characteristics.


Heat exchangers are the important equipments with a variety of industrial applications including power plants, chemical, refrigeration and air conditioning industries. Circular tube heat exchangers are used in order to obtain a large heat transfer area per unit volume and to enhance the heat transfer coefficient on the inside surface. This paper deals with the CFD simulation of circular tube heat exchanger used for cooling water under constant wall temperature conditions. CFD results are compared with the results obtained by the simulation of rectangular tube heat exchanger of the same length under identical operating conditions. The results are validated by the results obtained by the numerical correlations used by different researchers. Results indicated that circular pipe heat exchangers showed 2.5% increase in the heat transfer rate over the rectangular tube. Simulation results also showed 8.5% increase in Nusselt number for the circular tube whereas pressure drop in case of circular tube is higher when compared to the rectangular tube.


Environmental factors may affect animal performance in diverse ways, even among different populations of a single species. Here, we assess the impact of substrate type on the sprint performance (maximum speed and acceleration) of Schreiber's fringe-fingered lizard (Acanthodactylus schreiberi). This species is a skillful runner that also bears micro spike-like protruding scales on its toepads (toe fringes), an adaptation for locomotion on sand. We worked with three populations living in habitats that differ in substrate type (sand, soil and rock). We measured sprint performance using a race-track with custom substrate platforms replicating the different substrate types. We formulated two hypotheses: first, we anticipated that the three populations would differ in their sprint performance due to the differences in substrate type; second, we expected that each population would perform better on its home substrate. Our results generally refuted the hypothesis that sprint performance would differ on different substrate types. Our results suggest that there is a restricted effect of substrate type on locomotion and indicate a multifactor interplay among alternative underlying parameters.


One of the common types of failure in shape memory alloy (SMA) wire-reinforced composites is interfacial debonding between the fiber and the matrix. In this paper, a three dimensional finite element model for an SMA wire-reinforced composite is developed based on cohesive zone modeling to predict interfacial debonding between the SMA wire and the surrounding matrix. The interfacial debonding is also experimentally investigated by conducting a number of pull-out tests on steel as well as Nitinol wires embedded in an epoxy matrix. To evaluate the presented method, the developed finite element analysis is employed to simulate a single wire pull-out test for ordinary (e.g. steel) wires. In order to simulate SMA wire pull-out, a 3D SMA constitutive model is implemented into the commercial finite element software ABAQUS using a user material subroutine (UMAT). An acceptable agreement is shown to exist between the theoretical results and the experimental data, indicating the efficiency of the proposed approach to model interfacial debonding in SMA wire-reinforced composites.


Background: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), refers to a condition in which the fetus does not grow well according to its genetic potential. Development of the cardiovascular system and impairing fetal developmental planning ultimately caused long-term cardiovascular morbidity. In the present study, the incidence of cardiac abnormalities in fetuses affected by IUGR as well as factors related to the occurrence of these abnormalities were evaluated. Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, pregnant women referred to the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz during February 2018 to January 2020 were recruited. Complete clinical information was recorded using a questionnaire. The recorded information included age, birth weight, gestational age, weight and BMI and comorbidities. Then, echocardiographic data; structural abnormalities including septal condition, valves and outflow of large arteries, and the presence of mass or oxygen in the heart and pulmonary arteries, EF and HR, were extracted from the medical records. Results: In the present study, 152 patients were studied. The mean age of patients was 28.2 ranged from 17to 40year. Fetal echocardiography showed that nearly 60% of fetuses had heart abnormalities. The most common disease was ventricular septal defect (VSD) (n = 21,13.8%), followed by atrial septal defec(ASD) (n = 15,9.9%) and concurrent ASD and VSD was observed in of 11.2% cases (n = 17). The incidence of echocardiographic abnormalities in IUGR fetuses was significantly higher than in SGA (p = 0.0001). However, the type of IUGR did not have a significant relationship with the incidence of echocardiographic findings in terms of time of performance (Early or late). Among the Doppler ultrasound factors, uterine artery PI (p = 0.001) and umbilical artery PI (p = 0.008) were associated with fetal heart abnormalities. Conclusion: In general, the findings of this study showed that the incidence of heart disorders in IUGR fetuses is high and is related to the severity of fetal growth restriction. Cardiac abnormalities are more common in IUGR fetuses than in SGA. Our results have also shown that the umbilical artery PI and uterine artery PI can be used as predictive factors in diagnosing fetal heart abnormalities. Our findings suggest an evaluation of echocardiography in IUGR fetuses.


Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) production is challenged by many factors including pests and diseases. Among insect pests, Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), known as the potato tuber worm or potato tuber moth, is considered one of the most impor- tant potato pests worldwide. Phthorimaea operculella is a cosmopolitan pest of solanaceous crops including potato, tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.), and other important row crops. Adults oviposit in leaves, stems, and tubers; immature stage mines leaves causing foliar dam- age, but most importantly, burrows into tubers rendering them unmarketable. Currently, pest management practices are effective in controlling P. operculella, but the effectiveness depends on many factors that will be discussed later in this chapter. Each section includes up-to-date information related to P. operculella biology, ecology, and control, including ori-gins, host range, life cycle, distribution, seasonal dynamics, and control methods.


Maintaining the gas temperature and the formation of gas hydrates is one of the main problems in the operation of gas pipelines. Development and implementation of new effective methods for heating the gas during gas reduction will reduce the cost of gas transportation, solve the problem of resource and energy saving in the fuel industry. Study is aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of the natural gas reduction process by using a resonant gas heater to maintain the set temperature at the outlet of the gas distribution station (GDS) and prevent possible hydrate formation and icing of the station equipment. Paper considers the implementation of fireless heating of natural gas and fuel gas savings of heaters due to the introduction of a thermoacoustic reducer, operating on the basis of the Hartmann – Sprenger resonance effect, into the scheme of the reduction unit. By analyzing the existing methods of energy separation and numerical modeling, the effectiveness of the resonant-type energy separation device is substantiated. Modification of the reduction unit by introducing energy separating devices into it will allow general or partial heating of natural gas by its own pressure energy. Developed technology will allow partial (in the future, complete) replacement of heat energy generation at a gas distribution station by burning natural gas.


Cloud computing is an increasingly important solution for providing services deployed in dynamically scalable cloud networks. Services in the cloud computing networks may be virtualized with specific servers which host abstracted details. Some of the servers are active and available, while others are busy or heavy loaded, and the remaining are offline for various reasons. Users would expect the right and available servers to complete their application requirements. Therefore, in order to provide an effective control scheme with parameter guidance for cloud resource services, failure detection is essential to meet users' service expectations. It can resolve possible performance bottlenecks in providing the virtual service for the cloud computing networks. Most existing Failure Detector (FD) schemes do not automatically adjust their detection service parameters for the dynamic network conditions, thus they couldn't be used for actual application. This paper explores FD properties with relation to the actual and automatic fault-tolerant cloud computing networks, and find a general non-manual analysis method to self-tune the corresponding parameters to satisfy user requirements. Based on this general automatic method, we propose a specific and dynamic Self-tuning Failure Detector, called SFD, as a major breakthrough in the existing schemes. We carry out actual and extensive experiments to compare the quality of service performance between the SFD and several other existing FDs. Our experimental results demonstrate that our scheme can automatically adjust SFD control parameters to obtain corresponding services and satisfy user requirements, while maintaining good performance. Such an SFD can be extensively applied to industrial and commercial usage, and it can also significantly benefit the cloud computing networks.


PURPOSE
CALGB 40302 sought to determine whether lapatinib would improve progression-free survival (PFS) among women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer treated with fulvestrant.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Eligible women had estrogen receptor-positive and/or progesterone receptor-positive tumors, regardless of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, and prior aromatase inhibitor treatment. Patients received fulvestrant 500 mg intramuscularly on day 1, followed by 250 mg on days 15 and 28 and every 4 weeks thereafter, and either lapatinib 1,500 mg or placebo daily. The study planned to accrue 324 patients and was powered for a 50% improvement in PFS with lapatinib from 5 to 7.5 months.

RESULTS
At the third planned interim analysis, the futility boundary was crossed, and the data and safety monitoring board recommend study closure, having accrued 295 patients. At the final analysis, there was no difference in PFS (hazard ratio [HR] of placebo to lapatinib, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.82 to 1.33; P = .37); median PFS was 4.7 months for fulvestrant plus lapatinib versus 3.8 months for fulvestrant plus placebo. There was no difference in overall survival (OS) (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.68 to 1.21; P = .25). For HER2-normal tumors, median PFS did not differ by treatment arm (4.1 v 3.8 months). For HER2-positive tumors, lapatinib was associated with longer median PFS (5.9 v 3.3 months), but the differential treatment effect by HER2 status was not significant (P = .53). The most frequent toxicities were diarrhea, fatigue, and rash associated with lapatinib.

CONCLUSION
Adding lapatinib to fulvestrant does not improve PFS or OS in advanced ER-positive breast cancer and is more toxic.


In 15 patients suffering from oral lichen planus (OLP), we took biopsies of both involved and noninvolved oral mucosa. The specimens were immunohistochemically studied with regard to the expression of beta-2-microglobulin (beta 2-M). In contrast to noninvolved mucosa, we proved definite beta 2-M expression in keratinocytes from OLP lesions. Our findings agree with the assumption that an autoimmunological process is involved in the pathogenesis of OLP.


This study aimed at comparing the performance of an experimental group composed of advanced Portuguese L2 learners and a norm group of native speakers of Portuguese on a reading task. Using the Cloze test as a comparison instrument between both groups, the study was based on the analysis of existing L2 reading research literature and the references provided by the CEFR in order to design a set of seven two hour lessons focusing on deep reading press columns featuring literary, complex and hybrid characteristics. The results showed that the performance of the experimental group were distant not only from those of the norm group but also from the illustrative descriptors of the CEFR for C1 and C2 proficiency levels. Research on the field of language learning methods and strategies was necessary in order to design reading activities that would enable the students to deepen reading comprehension. The second phase of testing leads to the conclusion that, with this group of subjects, the methodological choices implemented throughout the reading lessons that were held between both testing moments led to an improvement in reading processing.


Nowadays, many software projects are partially or completely open-source based. There is an increasing need for companies to participate in open-source software (OSS) projects, e.g., in order to benefit from open source ecosystems. OSS projects introduce particular challenges that have to be understood in order to gain the benefits. One such challenge is getting newcomers onboard into the projects effectively. Similar challenges may be present in other self-organised, virtual team environments. In this paper we present preliminary observations and results of in-progress research that studies the process of on boarding into virtual OSS teams. The study is based on a program created and conceived at Stanford University in conjunction with Facebook's Education Modernization program. It involves the collaboration of more than a dozen international universities and nine open source projects. More than 120 students participated in 2013. The students have been introduced to and supported by mentors experienced in the participating OSS projects. Our findings indicate that mentoring is an important factor for effective on boarding in OSS projects, promoting cohesion within distributed teams and maintaining an appropriate pace.


"GIS and Cartographic Modeling" is a foundational work in the field of geographic information systems (GIS). An introduction to the concepts, conventions, and capabilities of map algebra as a general language, this book describes the analytical use of raster-based GIS. By focusing on the fundamentals of cartographic modeling techniques, C. Dana Tomlin illustrates concepts that can be applied to any GIS. This publication of" GIS and Cartographic Modeling" contains updated graphics and a new preface.


BACKGROUND
Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most fatal cutaneous neoplasm. Its incidence is increasing progressively, which cannot be explained only by early diagnosis. Chilean population, due to the geography of the country, has a very varied solar exposure.

AIM
To know the incidence of MM in a Chilean population, according to the level of sun exposure and to describe its clinical and histopathological characteristics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Two hundred seventy-four surgeries for malignant melanoma with histological confirmation, carried out between 2016 and 2018 in an oncological institute were included.

RESULTS
The annualized incidence of MM was 13.83 cases per 100,000 people over 15 years of age in the 2016-2018 period. The geographical distribution of the incidence did not have a clear relationship with sun exposure. The most frequent locations of the primary lesions were trunk, head/neck and lower limb. Sixty-one per cent of cases were invasive MM; lesion thickness and presence of ulceration were associated with a higher risk of sentinel node involvement.

CONCLUSIONS
No association between the level of sun exposure and the incidence of MM was observed in this study.


MHC-linked class-Ib molecules are a subfamily of class-I molecules that display limited genetic polymorphism. At one time these molecules were considered to have an enigmatic function. However, recent studies have shown that MHC-linked class-Ib molecules can function as antigen presentation structures that bind bacteria-derived epitopes for recognition by CD8+ effector T cells. This role for class-Ib molecules has been demonstrated across broad classes of intracellular bacteria including Listeria moncytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Additionally, evidence is emerging that MHC-linked class-Ib molecules also serve an integral role as recognition elements for NK cells as well as several TCR alpha/beta and TCR gamma/delta T-cell subsets. Thus, MHC-linked class-Ib molecules contribute to the host immune response by serving as antigen presentation molecules and recognition ligands in both the innate and adaptive immune response to infection. In this review, we will attempt to summarize the work that supports a role for MHC-linked class-Ib molecules in the host response to infection with intracellular bacteria.


This paper develops for the first time the National Transfers Accounts for Colombia. It estimates the age profiles for all income and expenses in the economy flowing from the government to households and vice versa, as well as flows within and across households. The methodology allows us to describe each age group's production and consumption levels, their savings capacity, and how the different age groups support each other. This document shows that the lifecycle deficit is influenced by low-income which is driven in large part by the prevalence of informality. This hinders the much-needed increase in savings required to exploit the demographic dividend. It also concludes that most public transfers are devoted to the eldest rather than the youngest, but still the former rely on family support rather than public transfers. In this sense, the paper sheds light on upcoming policy debates necessary to guarantee sustainability and self-sufficiency in an aging economy.


The traces of Islam in Barus to this day still hold a mystery that has not been revealed. The Islamic cemetery complex in Barus holds abundant information about religious leaders who are believed to be the first Muslims to have spread Islam in the archipelago. The name of this city (Barus) refers to its natural resource of camphor. The gravestones in the Barus cemetery are written with inscriptions in Arabic and Persian scripts. Among the cemetery complexes there is a complex named Papan Tinggi. The purpose of this research is to contribute to the cultural treasures of Indonesia, especially the relationships between Indonesia and Central Asia at the beginning of the spread of Islam. The problem that arises is the extent to which the inscriptions can be interpreted from a foreign and local culture. The expected benefit of this research is to reveal more information about the role of Barus in Islamic culture development in Indonesia. The research method used includes three stages, namely data collection, data processing and interpretation. This study is expected to answer the early development of Islam in Barus.


Three different cDNA sequences, designated OepFAD2-3, OepFAD2-4 and OepFAD2-5, encoding three microsomal oleate desaturases (FAD2) have been isolated from olive (Olea europaea cv. Picual). Sequence analysis and functional expression in yeast of the corresponding cDNAs confirm that they encode microsomal oleate desaturases. Gene expression and lipid analysis indicate that these three genes are not involved in the linoleic acid present in seed lipids, while OeFAD2-5, together with OeFAD2-2, contribute mostly to the linoleic acid present in the mesocarp and, therefore, in the olive oil. Our results have also shown that olive FAD2-3, FAD2-4 and FAD2-5 genes expression is not only spatially and temporally regulated in olive fruit, but also is cultivar-dependent, as well as regulated by water regime, temperature, light, and wounding. All these data suggest specialized physiological roles for the olive FAD2 gene family members with respect to both aspects of the biosynthesis of the linoleic acid, either present in storage lipids, that constitute the olive oil, or being part of membrane lipids, which are involved in the response to abiotic stresses, and highlight the differences on FAD2 genes regulation between oilseeds and oil fruits.


IZA DP No. 15504 AUGUST 2022 Intergenerational Transmission of Family Influence* This paper studies intergenerational mobility—the transmission of family influence. We develop and estimate measures of lifetime resources (income and wealth) motivated by economic theory that account for generational differences in life-cycle trajectories, uncertainty, and credit constraints. These measures of lifetime resources allow us to estimate the transmission of welfare and lifetime resources at different stages of the life cycle. We compare these measures with traditional ones such as wage income and disposable income measured over narrow windows of age that are used to proxy lifetime wealth. The performance of proxy measures is poor. Parents' expected lifetime resources are stronger predictors of many important child outcomes (including children's own expected lifetime resources and education) than the income measures traditionally used in the literature on social mobility. Changes in patterns of educational attainment across generations explain most of the intergenerational change in life-cycle dynamics. While relative mobility is overstated by the traditional income measures, absolute upward mobility is understated. Recent generations have higher welfare and are better off compared to their parents. JEL Classification: I24, D31, I30


Pre the Covid-19 pandemic of 2019-2020, the intended premise of this paper was that it would analyse the relationship between the over determination of Virtual Reality (VR) and neoliberal Smart City rhetoric, outlining the limitations and potential of these spatial ideologies and their supporting epistemic foundations, in particular, critiquing the entrepreneurial solutionism enmeshed with technocratic rationality, namely the abstracted information processing paradigms of both a priori and machine learnt modelling which are present in both the overdetermination of VR technology and the neoliberal Smart City. These paradigms are irreconcilable with equality or social justice, they are entangled with a narrow, normative, a-systemic, uncritically entrepreneurial construct of subjectivity and agency. The Covid-19 pandemic has made the connection between information processing paradigms, technological over determination and Smart City rhetoric increasingly clear, not least, in the failure of the Smart City and its mechanisms (a-systemic modelling, the Internet of Things, pervasive surveillance and a bedrock of entrepreneurial hackathon culture) to provide equality of access to health care and key resources within (and without) the pandemic. In light of these failings, how might we formulate alternative imaginaries for technology and its relationship to wealth and resource distribution, to support a lasting reimagination of cities and of 'smartness? Taking the example of the Morecambe Bay Poverty Truth Commission, The Design Justice Network, Data for Black Lives and Our Data Bodies, the paper explores both the failings of the Smart City project while highlighting alternative constructions of smartness and smart subjectivity.


Grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) has become an increasingly popular technique for quantitative structural characterization and comparison of thin films. For this purpose, accurate intensity normalization and peak position determination are crucial. At present, few tools exist to estimate the uncertainties of these measurements. Here, a simulation package is introduced called GIWAXS-SIIRkit, where SIIR stands for scattering intensity, indexing and refraction. The package contains several tools that are freely available for download and can be executed in MATLAB. The package includes three functionalities: estimation of the relative scattering intensity and the corresponding uncertainty based on experimental setup and sample dimensions; extraction and indexing of peak positions to approximate the crystal structure of organic materials starting from calibrated GIWAXS patterns; and analysis of the effects of refraction on peak positions. Each tool is based on a graphical user interface and designed to have a short learning curve. A user guide is provided with detailed usage instruction, tips for adding functionality and customization, and exemplary files.


In this study, a conventional PID type fuzzy controller and parameter adaptive fuzzy controller are designed to control vibrations actively of a light rail transport vehicle which modeled as 6 degree-of-freedom system and compared performances of these two controllers. Rail vehicle model consists of a passenger seat and its suspension system, vehicle body, bogie, primary and secondary suspensions and wheels. The similarity between mathematical model and real system is shown by comparing uncontrolled simulation results and vibration measurements. For carrying a comfortable travel, rail vehicle body and passenger seat vibrations are minimized by adding a controller between rail vehicle body and bogie in the model of this system. To control vibrations actively, a PID type fuzzy controller which is obtained by combining fuzzy PI and fuzzy PD controllers is preferred because of its robust character and superior performance. The PID type fuzzy controller using parameter adaptive method is designed by tuning the parameters online. Also, obtaining higher performance from this controller is studied.


The study on tension behavior of casing and dowel joint of square steel tube was carried out by using finite element analysis software ANSYS/LS-DYNA with consideration of geometric nonlinearity, material nonlinearity and contact nonlinearity. On this basis, the effects of inside tube wall thickness, main tube wall thickness, and inserting depth on failure mode, ultimate tensile load and deformation of casing and dowel joint of square steel tube was discussed. The results show that there are three types of failure modes, i.e., bolt failure, inside tube failure and main tube failure, when the joints are subjected to axial tension force. Compare to the joint with the same wall thickness of inside tube and main tube, the reduction of wall thickness of inside tube or main tube will weaken greatly the ultimate tensile load of the joint. The ultimate tensile load of casing and dowel joints is proportional to bolt shear strength, tube wall thickness, inserting depth, and tube edge length. The fruits are useful to the design and application of casing and dowel joints of square steel tube.


Recent interventions from a 'posthumanist' or 'new materialist' perspective have highlighted the embedded character of human systems within a 'panarchy' of human and non-human systems. This article brings attention to a very particular element of materiality, one with a profound significance for issues of security – relations between human and non-human animals in instances of conflict. It is an indication of the deeply human-centred character of both international relations and security studies that almost none of the central texts mention the very significant roles that non-human animals have in the conduct of war. We argue that the character of war would have been radically different but for the forced participation by an enormous range of non-human animals. Even though, with the improvements in transportation over the last century, non-human animals are less evident in the context of the movement of people and equipment, they still play a significant number of roles in the contemporary war-machines of wealthy countries. Drawing on literature from critical animal studies, sociology and memoirs, this article discusses the enormous variety of roles that non-human animals have played in the conduct of war, and examines the character of human–non-human animal relations in times of war.


Signs and symptoms of schizophrenia include false perceptions called hallucinations. Auditory hallucinations of voices are the most common hallucinations in schizophrenia, but affected individuals can also experience hallucinations of visions, smells, or touch (tactile) sensations. Strongly held false beliefs (delusions) are also characteristic of schizophrenia. For example, affected individuals may be certain that they are a particular historical figure or that they are being plotted against or controlled by others.


We study bank-based and market-based financial systems in an endogenous growth model. Lending to firms is fraught with moral hazard as owner-managers may reduce investment profitability to enjoy private benefits. Bank monitoring partially resolves the agency problem, while market-finance is more "hands-off". A bank-based or market-based system emerges from firm-financing choices. It is not possible to say unequivocally which of the two systems is better for growth. The growth rate depends, crucially, on the efficiency of financial and legal institutions. But a bank-based system outperforms a market-based one along other dimensions. Investment and per capita income are higher, and income inequality lower, under a bank-based system. Bank-based systems are more conducive for broad-based industrialization. A temporary income redistribution, under both financial systems, results in permanent improvement in per capita income as well as income distribution.


This paper analyzes the revenue-pollution relationship by revisiting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for West African countries over the period of 1980–2014. The study approximates the income measurement by GDP per capita and uses carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NO2), and methane emissions as various environmental quality measures. The paper uses parametric and non-parametric estimation techniques to test the EKC hypothesis. The results support the existence of the U-inverted relationship between income and methane emission, on one hand, and between income and nitrogen dioxide emission on the other. The estimates also show a mixed result for the U-inverted hypothesis between income and carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, the verification of the curve depends on the estimation techniques and the measurement of the pollutant used. The obtained results led to the conclusion that the EKC hypothesis is validated for West African countries.


Robots that work with people foster social relationships between people and systems. The home is an interesting place to study the adoption and use of these systems. The home provides challenges from both technical and interaction perspectives. In addition, the home is a seat for many specialized human behaviors and needs, and has a long history of what is collected and used to functionally, aesthetically, and symbolically fit the home. To understand the social impact of robotic technologies, this paper presents an ethnographic study of consumer robots in the home. Six families' experience of floor cleaning after receiving a new vacuum (a Roomba robotic vacuum or the Flair, a handheld upright) was studied. While the Flair had little impact, the Roomba changed people, cleaning activities, and other product use. In addition, people described the Roomba in aesthetic and social terms. The results of this study, while initial, generate implications for how robots should be designed for the home.


: Chloroplast development occurs during cellular development. In non-limiting conditions chloroplast development is a highly conserved process, it is also complex and involves the continuous interaction of both chloroplast and nuclear genomes. In the first part of the paper the sequential and structural changes characteristic of chloroplast division and development in angiosperms are described. The synthesis of the major chloroplast components including chlorophylls a and b, lipids, nucleic acids and the major soluble and membrane proteins are then described. Chloroplast development in biochemical terms is a quantitative accretion of additional functional units. In development from proplastid to fully mature chloroplast the molecular changes are almost exclusively quantitative and the youngest plastids that can be analysed are already photochemically fully competent. In the second part of the paper the dominant role of the nuclear genome in chloroplast development is discussed. Recent work in the author's laboratory on the synthesis and accumulation of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase in the developing chloroplasts of young wheat leaves is cited to illustrate the stable genomic and genotypic differences that can be recognized. In comparisons of wheat species of differing ploidy, in hexaploid cultivars and in artificially processed genetic lines, several genomic and genotypic effects have been detected. The possibilities for future investigation are discussed.


ABSTMCT The sex of the haploid gametophyte of the fern Ceratopteris i determined by the presence or absence of the pheromone antheridiogen, which, when present, promotes male development and represses female development of the gametophyte. Several genes involved in sex determination in Ceratopteris have been identified by mutation. In this study, the epistatic interactions among new and previously described sexdetermining mutants have been characterized. These results show that sex expression is regulated by two sets of genes defined by the IEMl and TRA loci. Each promotes the expression of either male or female traits and simultaneously represses the expression of the other. A model describing how antheridiogen regulates the expression of these genes and the sex of the gametophyte is described. The observation that some gametophytic sexdetermining mutants have phenotypic effects on the spore phyte plant indicates that sex determination in the Ceratopteris gametophyte is regula d by a mechanism that also regulates sporophyte development.


Eppawala Rock Phosphate (ERP) reservoir is the major phosphate mineral resource in Sri Lanka which is recommended only for perennial crops such as pepper, a highly priced export agricultural crop. Since ERP is a non-renewable resource it is important to investigate methods for sustainable utilisation while improving the plant phosphorus (P) nutrition. Hence this study was aimed at the sustainable utilization of ERP applied for pepper with the assistance of native Phosphate Solubilising Microorganisms (PSMs); Aspergillus sp. and Burkholderia sp. which have the potential of solubilizing ERP in a cheap and environmental friendly manner. A pot experiment for pepper was carried out with three inoculum levels i.e. Aspergillus sp. alone (F), Burkholderia sp. alone (B) and the combination of both species (FB), and three fertilizer levels i.e. no P (P0), ERP at recommended level (P1) and ERP at half recommended level (P½). The treatments contained the combinations of inoculum and fertilizer level i.e. FP0, FP1, FP½, BP0, BP1, BP½, FBP0, FBP1, FBP½ and their counterparts with no inoculum, while P0, P1 (recommendation), P½ served as controls. All the treatments had Urea and Muriate of potash at the recommended level. The inocula, Aspergillus sp. and Burkholderia sp. were prepared in two different mass cultivation media i.e. rice straw supplemented with broken maize seeds at a ratio of 2:1 and rice straw supplemented with rice bran at a ratio of 1:1, respectively. Treatments were applied for 8 months old plants and completely randomized design was employed. Plant growth parameters: shoot dry weight and root dry weight and available soil P, plant P uptake and soil microbial counts were quantitatively determined by destructive sampling of 4 replicates. Three destructive sampling sessions (DS) were done at 10 week time intervals; where the first destructive sampling was done after 10 weeks of inoculation. The results obtained were statistically analyzed using one way ANOVA at 5% level of significance. Plant growth parameters were not significantly different. However, soil P levels were significantly different (p≤0.05). At 1st DS the treatments having both fungal and bacterial inocula showed the highest soil P and plant P uptake. At 2nd DS Aspergillus sp. was more persistent in soil than Burkholderia sp., hence the highest soil P and plant P uptake was observed in the treatments having only the fungal inoculum. Similar trend was observed at 3rd DS as well. In each of these instances (with PSMs) the available soil P levels were significantly high compared to the recommendation (P1). It was also observed that P½ along with PSMs showed similar performance when compared to P1 with PSMs. This concludes that the PSM inoculation facilitates the reduction of ERP application while improving the plant P nutrition which will ultimately lead towards the sustainable utilization of ERP. Keywords: Eppawala Rock Phosphate (ERP), Phosphate Solubilising Microorganisms (PSMs), Pepper


OBJECTIVE
The objective of the current study was to examine the cognitive processes that make it possible to use intentions to change one's habitual health-related behaviour.

DESIGN
The study used an idiosyncratic approach to investigate personal existing habits and non-habitual behaviours in a within-participants experiment.

METHOD
Participants first generated habitual and non-habitual behaviours for various daily-life goals (e.g., having lunch, playing sports). Next, they formed intentions to perform non-habitual behaviours in order to attain these goals. Finally, we measured the cognitive accessibility of participants' habitual and non-habitual behaviours with a behaviour recognition task.

RESULTS
The findings showed that habitual behaviours were more accessible than the non-habitual behaviours when no intentions were formed (control goals), showing that habits are more readily accessed in mind. However, when participants had formed intentions to use non-habitual behaviours, habitual behaviours for the same goals were inhibited in mind. This could be the cognitive mechanism that shields intentions from habit intrusion and thus enables the pursuit of non-habitual behaviours.

CONCLUSION
The current study demonstrates the role of inhibitory processes in shielding non-habitual intentions in memory. These findings are discussed in the context of success and failure in changing health-related habits.


This paper uses the American Association of University Professors surveys for the period 1965 to 1976 to examine the effect of faculty unionism on faculty pay. It compares estimated effects of unionism on compensation from cross-section regressions of faculty pay on union organization and from a longitudinal model designed to correct cross-section estimates for "unobserved characteristics" of schools that are correlated with unionism. The major findings are that: 1. unionism raises faculty pay but that the extent of the effect varies greatly by estimating model and time period covered; 2.the years a school has been organized has a stronger effect on pay than the standard 0-1 union dummy variable; 3. unionism raises the fringe benefit share of compensation; 4. the estimated coefficient on faculty unionism in cross-section regressions overstates the union impact because unionized schools tend to have been higher paying even before organization.


AS THE mortality of lobectomy for unilobar bronchiectasis has declined to a present level which seems almost incredibly low (less than 1 per cent in a recently reported series) the indications for the operation have been extended to include two types of cases which in the past were rejected; namely, (1) cases of minimal disease with symptoms not troublesome enough to warrant any considerable risk of operation, and (2) cases of diffuse disease, with involvement of both lungs or of both the upper and the lower lobe of one lung. This paper is not concerned with cases of the first type, those of minimal disease; suffice it to state that radical curative treatment is justified in such cases in anticipation of the inevitable progress of the disease, with increasingly distressing symptoms and with probability of considerable shortening of the life expectancy. In cases of the second type, those of multilobar


Leakage power is projected to be one of the major challenges in future technology generations. The temperature profile, process variation, and transistor count all have strong impact on the leakage power distribution of a processor. We have built a simulator to estimate the dynamic/leakage power for a VLIW architecture considering dynamic temperature feedback and process variation. The framework is based on architecture similar to the Intel Itanium IA64 and is extended to simulate its power when implemented in 65nm technology. Our experimental results show that leakage power will become more than 50% of the power budget in 65nm technology. Moreover, without including the process variation, the total leakage power will be underestimated by as much as 30%.


In this work, we consider how preference models in interactive recommendation systems determine the availability of content and users' opportunities for discovery. We propose an evaluation procedure based on stochastic reachability to quantify the maximum probability of recommending a target piece of content to an user for a set of allowable strategic modifications. This framework allows us to compute an upper bound on the likelihood of recommendation with minimal assumptions about user behavior. Stochastic reachability can be used to detect biases in the availability of content and diagnose limitations in the opportunities for discovery granted to users. We show that this metric can be computed efficiently as a convex program for a variety of practical settings, and further argue that reachability is not inherently at odds with accuracy. We demonstrate evaluations of recommendation algorithms trained on large datasets of explicit and implicit ratings. Our results illustrate how preference models, selection rules, and user interventions impact reachability and how these effects can be distributed unevenly.


This analysis identified the underlying dimensions of driver performance using data obtained from drivers engaged in secondary manual tasks. Randomly chosen subjects balanced for age and gender used one of five advanced navigation and communication systems while driving on a closed roadway. Fifteen driver performance variables were averaged and standardized across subjects for 79 tasks. There were high correlations between all variables. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) found that the vector of loadings defining the first principal component (PC1) was positive for all 15 variables, accounting for 61% of the total variation across all tasks. It is interpreted as "overall driver demand." PC2 loaded with one sign on event detection and response variables, but opposing sign on visual-manual workload variables. It identified tasks making drivers more inattentive to outside events than expected, given a task's visual-manual workload, and accounted for 17% of total variation. It is interpreted as "low-workload-but-high-inattentiveness." PC3 had loadings of opposing sign for peripheral vs. central event variables (5% of total variation). It is interpreted as "peripheral insensitivity." The first three components together accounted for 83% of total variation, which is deemed substantial. Thus most of the information available through the 15 original variables can be summarized by only three PC variables. Because the vectors of loadings defining the components are orthogonal to each other as defined by PCA, no single variable by itself can capture all the important variations in driver performance during secondary manual tasks. A multivariate design and analysis is required.


The Vehicle Routing Problem with Pickup and Delivery (VRPPD) is a variant of the Vehicle Routing Problem where the vehicles are not only required to deliver goods but also to pick up some goods from the customers. The Mixed Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls (MVRPB) is a special case of VRPPD where each customer has either a delivery or a pickup demand to be satisfied and the customers can be visited in any order along the route. Given a fleet of vehicles and a set of customers with known pickup or delivery demands MVRPB determines a set of vehicle routes originating and ending at a single depot and visiting all customers exactly once. The objective is to minimize the total distance traversed with the least number of vehicles. For this problem, we propose an Ant Colony Optimization algorithm with a new visibility function which attempts to capture the "delivery" and "pickup" nature of the problem. Our numerical tests to compare the performance of the proposed approach with those of the well-known benchmark problems reveal that the proposed approach provides encouraging results.


Variational Bayes (VB) is a critical method in machine learning and statistics, underpinning the recent success of Bayesian deep learning. The natural gradient is an essential component of efficient VB estimation, but it is prohibitively computationally expensive in high dimensions. We propose a hybrid quantum-classical algorithm to improve the scaling properties of natural gradient computation and make VB a truly computationally efficient method for Bayesian inference in high-dimensional settings. The algorithm leverages matrix inversion from the linear systems algorithm by Harrow, Hassidim, and Lloyd [Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 15 (2009)] (HHL). We demonstrate that the matrix to be inverted is sparse and the classical-quantum-classical handoffs are sufficiently economical to preserve computational efficiency, making the problem of natural gradient for VB an ideal application of HHL. We prove that, under standard conditions, the VB algorithm with quantum natural gradient is guaranteed to converge. Our regression-based natural gradient formulation is also highly useful for classical VB.


Abstract : Estimates of surface divergence, surface vorticity, and terms in the equation for the time rate of change of vorticity at the surface in a Gulf Stream western boundary perturbation were derived using data from satellite track free-drifting buoy and surface temperature patterns from satellite infrared data. In the perturbation study, the curvature acceleration and divergence terms acted to produce cyclonic curvature vorticity at the expense of shear vorticity. It was hypothesized that the banking term, on the other hand, acted in opposition to the curvature acceleration and divergence terms. The growth or dissipation in the wave amplitude of the perturbation, which were judged by the growth or dissipation of the cyclonic curvature vorticity, appeared to depend on the relative magnitude of the curvature acceleration term, the divergence term, and the banking term. (Author)


Objective: Vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer disease with cerebrovascular disease (AD+CVD) are the leading causes of dementia after Alzheimer disease alone (AD). Little is known about the progression of either VaD or AD+CVD. The aim of this study was to compare demographic features, cognitive decline and survival of patients with VaD, AD+CVD and AD alone attending a memory clinic. Methods: This study included 970 patients who were followed at the Lille-Bailleul memory clinic, France. Cognitive functions were measured with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS). Survival rate was analysed with a left-truncated Cox model. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, hypertension, diabetes and baseline MMSE and DRS. Results: Of 970 patients, 141 had VaD, 663 AD alone and 166 AD+CVD. The latter were significantly older than AD or VaD patients at onset (71 (SD 7) vs 69 (9) and 68 (9) years, p = 0.01) and at first visit (75 (6) vs 73 (8) and 72 (8) years, p = 0.0002). Baseline MMSE and DRS evaluations were highest for VaD compared with AD alone or AD+CVD patients (p<0.006). Cognitive decline during follow-up was slowest for VaD, intermediate for AD+CVD and fastest for AD alone (p = 0.03). After adjustment, compared with AD patients, mortality risk was similar for those with VaD (relative mortality risk (RR) = 0.7 (0.5 to 1.1)) and tended to be lower for AD+CVD (RR = 0.7 (0.5 to 1.0)). The shorter the delay between first symptoms and first visit, the longer patients survived. Conclusion: This clinical cohort study shows that patients with VaD, AD+CVD and AD present different characteristics at baseline and during follow-up, and underlines the need to distinguish between them.


The main geomagnetic field, B, and its secular variation, , originate from the same dynamo process in the outer core. However, their spatial structure and temporal behaviors are drastically different. Using 'globally averaged unsigned annual rate', , , , and , to express the magnitude of the -field, we studied periodicity of the -field on the basis of IGRF-9 models. The results show that the -field experienced a three-episode variation during the centennial period from 1900 to 2000. The maximum annual rates occurred respectively around 1910~1920, 1940~1950, and 1970~1980, showing a 30-year period. In addition, the rising phase in each episode is much shorter than the declining phase. The governing factor of this periodic variation is proved to be the non-dipole field (mainly the quatrupole field), instead of the dipole field, although the dipole field is dominative over all other multipoles in the main field B.


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This article offers a new theory of how extreme forms of imprisonment become normalized, using the development of life without parole (LWOP) in the Californian death penalty context over 40 years as an example. Normalization here refers to a punishment's acceptability to the public, that is, what people think about severity. While this may be an empirical question that would take polling, this article proposes a theoretical model to explore how something like this might happen. The analysis builds on a literature that exposes how reforms can have perverse consequences on the punitive policies they mean to alter. These works however overlook reformers' key role in shaping perceptions of severity and determining a punishment's acceptability. To begin addressing this gap, this article draws on three concepts—visibility, denial and routinization—from theories on social acceptability to lay out a model by which reformers induce perceptions about severity. The article then applies the framework to a case study to show how the rhetoric, tactics and content privileged by specific actors produce normalizing mechanisms. Anti-death-penalty activists in California have contributed, this article argues, to making LWOP acceptable. This finding illuminates how extreme forms of imprisonment like LWOP can be normalized, in particular when set to replace something perceived to be more severe like the death penalty. It also enriches knowledge on the significant links between LWOP and anti-death-penalty activism. The novel frame finally has empirical, theoretical and policy purchase for extreme forms of imprisonment more generally.


OBJECTIVE
To identify and describe the primary anatomic sites of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising in the setting of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection.

DESIGN
Prospective (ongoing) study.

SETTING
Kenyatta National Hospital a referral and teaching hospital in Kenya.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Patients (n=54) with human immunodeficiency virus with associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma managed at the Kenyatta National hospital from January 2001 to December 2003. Relevant clinical information obtained by medical history, physical examination and investigations.

RESULTS
Of the 54 patients studied 29(54%) were males and 25(46%) females with median age 36 and range 20 to 61 years. Fifty (93%) had high grade and four (7%) intermediate grade lymphoma, the former had 15 (30%) Burkitt's and the rest large cell lymphoma. The stages at diagnosis were IV 35(65%), III 14(26%) and II 5(9%) and all had B symptoms. The primary sites at presentation to the hospital were peripheral nodes 16(30%), abdominal 15(28%), pectoral/chest wall 11(20%), central nervous system eight (15%) and systemic/generalised, four (7%).

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that there were preferred anatomical sites of involvement by HIV associated non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and the finding of pectoral/ chest involvement in this series may not be coincidental. Further, this study suggests that anatomical sites predilection may be due to the tendency of viral associated malignancies to home to specific anatomic sites and also due to the anatomy of the lymphoreticular system. Studying virus pathogenesis in malignancies should consider also the anatomic sites involved.


Bandura (1) has theorized that during preparation for sport competition some doubt about one's capabilities to perform effectively may be beneficial to spurring athletes to put forth a strong preparatory effort. We designed two experiments to test the idea that lower preparatory efficacy levels would benefit practice effort. Participants who competed in golf putting competitions were separated into preparation and competition phases. Participants categorized put balls to three targets of varying difficulty (i.e., high, medium, and low efficacy targets). Preparation phases consisted of 30 free choice practice putts. Practice effort was measured as the number of practice putts allocated to each target. In both studies, the high efficacy target resulted in the lowest practice effort in comparison to practice effort at the medium and low efficacy targets (p < .001), and preparatory efficacy was associated with a significant linear increase in effort across the respective high, medium, and low efficacy targets.


Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) promotes the salvage pathway of ceramide formation, and acid sphingomyelinase has been implicated, in part, in providing substrate for this pathway (Zeidan, Y. H., and Hannun, Y. A. (2007) J. Biol. Chem. 282, 11549–11561). In the present study, we examined whether acid β-glucosidase 1 (GBA1), which hydrolyzes glucosylceramide to form lysosomal ceramide, was involved in PKC-regulated formation of ceramide from recycled sphingosine. Glucosylceramide levels declined after treatment of MCF-7 cells with a potent PKC activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Silencing GBA1 by small interfering RNAs significantly attenuated acid glucocerebrosidase activity and decreased PMA-induced formation of ceramide by 50%. Silencing GBA1 blocked PMA-induced degradation of glucosylceramide and generation of sphingosine, the source for ceramide biosynthesis. Reciprocally, forced expression of GBA1 increased ceramide levels. These observations indicate that GBA1 activation can generate the source (sphingosine) for PMA-induced formation of ceramide through the salvage pathway. Next, the role of PKCδ, a direct effector of PMA, in the formation of ceramide was determined. By attenuating expression of PKCδ, cells failed to trigger PMA-induced alterations in levels of ceramide, sphingomyelin, and glucosylceramide. Thus, PKCδ activation is suggested to stimulate the degradation of both sphingomyelin and glucosylceramide leading to the salvage pathway of ceramide formation. Collectively, GBA1 is identified as a novel source of regulated formation of ceramide, and PKCδ is an upstream regulator of this pathway.


In this dissertation we study a family of two-relator groups which contains surface-plus-one-relation groups, that is one-relator quotients of fundamental groups of surfaces.

In particular we finish computing the $L^2$-Betti numbers of surface-plus-one-relation groups. The non-orientable case is new, and the orientable case was obtained by Warren Dicks and Peter Linnell.

We study this family of two-relation groups algebraically, and we develop a Bass-Serre theoretical version of theorems about Cohen-Lyndon asphericity and quotients of locally indicable groups. In particular we have a new pure algebraic version of Howie's Induction method.

Among other results, for a group G in this family of two-relation groups we are able to describe the torsion subgroups of G, we obtain a classifying space of proper actions of G, we find exact sequences of G-modules, and we compute the Bredon homology of G. Such a group is of type VFL and has virtual cohomological dimension less or equal to 2.

The calculation of the $L^2$-Betti numbers, uses a 1979 result of Dunwoody, and, in another direction, the thesis describes further applications of Dunwoody's 1979 result to simplify and unify proofs of many results about virtually free groups that previously invoked Dunwoody's 1985 Accessibility Theorem.


The role of adhesion molecules in the control of hair follicle (HF) morphogenesis, regression and cycling is still rather enigmatic. Since the adhesion molecules E‐ and P‐cadherin (Ecad and Pcad) are functionally important, e.g. during embryonic pattern formation, we have studied their expression patterns during neonatal HF morphogenesis and cycling in C57/BL6 mice by immunohistology and semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR. The expression of both cadherins was strikingly hair cycle‐dependent and restricted to distinct anatomical HF compartments. During HF morphogenesis, hair bud keratinocytes displayed strong Ecad and Pcad immunoreactivity (IR). While neonatal epidermis showed Ecad IR in all epidermal layers, Pcad IR was restricted to the basal layer. During later stages of HF morphogenesis and during anagen IV‐VI of the adolescent murine hair cycle, the outer root sheath showed strong E‐ and Pcad IR. Instead, the outermost portion of the hair matrix and the inner root sheath displayed isolated Ecad IR, while the innermost portion of the hair matrix exhibited isolated Pcad IR. During telogen, all epidermal and follicular keratinocytes showed strong Ecad IR. This is in contrast to Pcad, whose IR was stringently restricted to matrix and secondary hair germ keratinocytes which are in closest proximity to the dermal papilla. These findings suggest that isolated or combined E‐ and/or Pcad expression is involved in follicular pattern formation by segregating HF keratinocytes into functionally distinct subpopulations; most notably, isolated Pcad expression may segregate those hair matrix keratinocytes into one functional epithelial tissue unit, which is particularly susceptible to growth control by dermal papilla‐derived morphogens. The next challenge is to define which secreted agents implicated in hair growth control modulate these follicular cadherin expression patterns, and to define how these basic parameters of HF topobiology are altered during common hair growth disorders.


This paper describes a research eeorts in exploring various ways distributed multimedia applications can have their presentations coordinated through the use of techniques from Distributed Artiicial Intelligence (DAI). DAI problem solving architectures can provide methods for coordinating activities of \multime-dia agents" as well as provide mechanisms for connict resolution among these agents. Connict occurs when multiple agents request limited hardware resources such as single audio card located in the user's workstation. A novel method of connict resolution known as Knowledge-Based Negotiation (KBN) is presented which addresses resource allocation problems from an issue-based reasoning approach. Through the use of a distributed problem solving architecture and the KBN negotiation paradigm, the user is assisted in navigating though a multimedia application.


Scrapie and related transmissible spongiform encephalopathies result in the accumulation of a protease-resistant form of an endogenous brain protein called PrP. As an approach to understanding the scrapie-associated modification of PrP, we have studied the processing and sedimentation properties of protease-resistant PrP (PrP-res) in scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma cells. Like brain-derived PrP-res, the neuroblastoma cell PrP-res aggregated in detergent lysates, providing evidence that the tendency to aggregate is an intrinsic property of PrP-res and not merely a secondary consequence of degenerative brain pathology. The PrP-res species had lower apparent molecular masses than the normal, protease-sensitive PrP species and were not affected by moderate treatments with proteinase K. This suggested that the PrP-res species were partially proteolyzed by the neuroblastoma cells. Immunoblot analysis of PrP-res with a panel of monospecific anti-PrP peptide sera confirmed that the PrP-res species were quantitatively truncated at the N terminus. The metabolic labeling of PrP-res in serum-free medium did not prevent the proteolysis of PrP-res, showing that the protease(s) involved was cellular rather than serum-derived. The PrP-res truncation was inhibited in intact cells by leupeptin and NH4Cl. This provided evidence that a lysosomal protease(s) was involved, and therefore, that PrP-res was translocated to lysosomes. When considered with other studies, these results imply that the conversion of PrP to the protease-resistant state occurs in the plasma membrane or along an endocytic pathway before PrP-res is exposed to endosomal and lysosomal proteases.


The development and antigen-dependent differentiation of B lymphocytes are orchestrated by an array of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines that require tight spatiotemporal regulation. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans specifically bind and regulate the bioavailability of soluble protein ligands, but their role in the immune system has remained largely unexplored. Modification of heparan sulfate by glucuronyl C5-epimerase (Glce) controls heparan sulfate-chain flexibility and thereby affects ligand binding. Here we show that Glce deficiency impairs B-cell maturation, resulting in decreased plasma cell numbers and immunoglobulin levels. We demonstrate that C5-epimerase modification of heparan sulfate is critical for binding of a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL) and that Glce-deficient plasma cells fail to respond to APRIL-mediated survival signals. Our results identify heparan sulfate proteoglycans as novel players in B-cell maturation and differentiation and suggest that heparan sulfate conformation is crucial for recruitment of factors that control plasma cell survival.


SUMMARY Perinephric and renal abscesses are rare in childhood, but they must be remembered in the differential diagnosis of fever and abdominal or flank pain. This paper reports three cases whose solution was found after clinical and surgical treatment. The importance of ultrasound and computerized tomography (CT) in prompt diagnosis is highlighted in this work. The use of these methods along the improved antimicrobial therapy may result in decrease in mortality due to this pathology.


The first experimental study of the effect of a nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (PCF) on the noise characteristics of a distributed backward-pumped Raman amplifier is reported. The PCF has a highly nonlinear Raman efficient, and a high Rayleigh scattering parameter. When an optical signal first passes through a 100-m nonlinear PCF followed by a 25-km single-mode fiber, the optical signal-to-noise ratios (OSNRs) of the amplified spontaneous emission and the double Rayleigh scattering (DRS) are improved because the high Raman gain efficiency of the PCF makes the Raman gain of the signal at the beginning of the link increase, and the signal power over the length of the transmission becomes near a constant. However, the improvement of the OSNR of DRS compared with the OSNR of amplifier spontaneous emission is limited by the large Rayleigh scattering in the PCF.


The Syena ritual is a sort of Soma-(offering)-type srauta-ritual, and belongs to the 'Sadyaskra' group, distinctive of its short term. This ritual is a modificatory type (vikrti), contrasted to the standard type (prakrti), viz. Jyotistomaritual.The Syena ritual was well known in the Mimamsa literature by its imprecational use. But its entire picture is rarely grasped by modern scholars, because of the fragmented descriptions of such modificatory types as this in the Vedic ritual literature. This study aims to present the outline of the Syena ritual by piecing together the fragmented descriptions of it among the Srautasutras. This paper focuses on the ritualistic facilities of the Syena ritual. From the selection of a sacrificial arena (devayajana) to the squeezing and offering of 'soma' (ksullabhisavana), the characteristic unlucky utensils of this rite are cited one by one, contrastively with the standard (prakrti) type. In the ritualistic context of the Syena ritual, a word and a matter have the same value of existence, so arrangement of matter is equal to that of word. The principle of grasping by name (namagraha) was also adopted in order to form an imaginary causal link to the enemy's death within this rite.


OBJECTIVE
To provide evidence on the effects of expansions to private and public insurance programs on adolescent specialty substance use disorder (SUD) treatment use.

DATA SOURCE/STUDY SETTING
The Treatment Episodes Data Set (TEDS), 1996 to 2017.

STUDY DESIGN
A quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design using observational data.

DATA COLLECTION
The TEDS provides administrative data on admissions to specialty SUD treatment.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Expansions of laws that compel private insurers to cover SUD treatment services at parity with general health care increase adolescent admissions by 26% (P < .05). These increases are driven by nonintensive outpatient admissions, the most common treatment episodes, which rise by 30% (P < .05) postparity law. In contrast, increases in income eligibility for public insurance targeting those 6-18 years old are not statistically associated with SUD treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
Private insurance expansions allow more adolescents to receive SUD treatment, while public insurance income eligibility expansions do not appear to influence adolescent SUD treatment.


In this study, we provide a dynamical systems perspective to the modelling of pathological states induced by tumors or infection. A unified disease model is established using the innate immune system as the reference point. We propose a two-layer network model for carcinogenesis and sepsis based upon the interaction of parenchymal cells and immune cells via cytokines, and the co-evolutionary dynamics of parenchymal, immune cells, and cytokines. Our aim is to show that the complex cellular cooperation between parenchyma and stroma (immune layer) in the physiological and pathological case can be qualitatively and functionally described by a simple paradigmatic model of phase oscillators. By this, we explain carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and sepsis by destabilization of the healthy homeostatic state (frequency synchronized), and emergence of a pathological state (desynchronized or multifrequency cluster). The coupled dynamics of parenchymal cells (metabolism) and nonspecific immune cells (reaction of innate immune system) are represented by nodes of a duplex layer. The cytokine interaction is modeled by adaptive coupling weights between the nodes representing the immune cells (with fast adaptation time scale) and the parenchymal cells (slow adaptation time scale) and between the pairs of parenchymal and immune cells in the duplex network (fixed bidirectional coupling). Thereby, carcinogenesis, organ dysfunction in sepsis, and recurrence risk can be described in a correct functional context.


In 1880, Isabella Bird visited the Malay Peninsula-romantically dubbed 'The Golden Chersonese'-and was still able to refer to it as an almost unknown land. The world's most famous female travel writer of the nineteenth century set sail from Japan and called at Hong Kong, Canton and Saigon before reaching Singapore. Bearing letters of introduction to the elite of Malacca and Penang, Bird was able to observe life on the west coast of the peninsula before steaming upriver through mangrove swamps to explore the interior of the land. From courtroom to elephant back, from the grandeur of Malacca's Stadthuys to the jungle calm of a picturesque Malay village on stilts, this indefatigable Victorian explorer offers invaluable descriptions and delightful hand-drawn sketches of life in late nineteenth-century Singapore and the Malay Peninsula.


S-acylation is the only fully reversible lipid modification of proteins however little is known about how protein S-acyltransferases (PATs) that mediate it are regulated. DHHC5 is a plasma membrane-localised PAT with roles in synaptic plasticity, massive endocytosis and cancer cell growth/invasion. Here we demonstrate that stabilisation of DHHC5 at the plasma membrane requires binding to and palmitoylation of an accessory protein Golga7b. This interaction requires the palmitoylation of the C-terminus of DHHC5 which regulates the internalisation of DHHC5 from the plasma membrane. Proteomic analysis of DHHC5/Golga7b-associated protein complexes reveals an enrichment in adhesion proteins, particularly components of desmosomes. We show that Desmoglein-2 and Plakophilin-3 are substrates of DHHC5 and that DHHC5/Golga7b are required for localisation of Desmoglein-2 to the plasma membrane and desmosomal patterning. Loss of DHHC5/Golga7b causes functional impairments in cell adhesion suggesting these proteins have a wider role in cell adhesion beyond desmosome assembly. This work uncovers a novel mechanism of DHHC5 regulation by Golga7b and demonstrates a role for the DHHC5/Golga7b complex in the regulation of cell adhesion.


A novel deep neural network training paradigm that exploits the conjoint information in multiple heterogeneous sources is proposed. Specifically, in a RGB-D based action recognition task, it cooperatively trains a single convolutional neural network (named c-ConvNet) on both RGB visual features and depth features, and deeply aggregates the two kinds of features for action recognition. Differently from the conventional ConvNet that learns the deep separable features for homogeneous modality-based classification with only one softmax loss function, the c-ConvNet enhances the discriminative power of the deeply learned features and weakens the undesired modality discrepancy by jointly optimizing a ranking loss and a softmax loss for both homogeneous and heterogeneous modalities. The ranking loss consists of intra-modality and cross-modality triplet losses, and it reduces both the intra-modality and cross-modality feature variations. Furthermore, the correlations between RGB and depth data are embedded in the c-ConvNet, and can be retrieved by either of the modalities and contribute to the recognition in the case even only one of the modalities is available. The proposed method was extensively evaluated on two large RGB-D action recognition datasets, ChaLearn LAP IsoGD and NTU RGB+D datasets, and one small dataset, SYSU 3D HOI, and achieved state-of-the-art results.


Purpose: To determine the risk of thromboembolic and gastrointestinal bleeding events in the 12 months after injections of bevacizumab or ranibizumab compared with photodynamic therapy and a nontreated community sample. Methods: Hospital and death records were examined for 1,267 patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor and 399 patients treated with photodynamic therapy attending Western Australian eye clinics from 2002 to 2008, and 1,763 community controls, aged ≥50 years. Hospital records from 1995 to 2009 were analyzed for history of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and gastrointestinal bleeding before treatment. Records were searched for evidence of these events in the 12 months after treatment. Results: The 12-month MI rate was higher for vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor patients than photodynamic therapy patientsand the community group (1.9/100 vs. 0.8 and 0.7, respectively). No differences were observed between patients treated with bevacizumab and ranibizumab. The adjusted MI rate was 2.3 times greater than the community group (95% confidence interval, 1.2–4.5) and photodynamic therapy rate (95% confidence interval, 0.7–7.7). The 12-month MI risk did not increase with the number of injections administered (hazard ratio, 0.9; 95% confidence interval, 0.5–1.5). Stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding did not differ between any exposure groups. Conclusion: Although all the adverse events examined were rare, patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors were significantly more likely to experience fatal or nonfatal MI than the community group. This increased risk may be related to the underlying age-related macular degeneration or vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor use itself.


A case of anti‐Jsb in pregnancy was associated with unexpectedly severe haemolytic disease of the newborn, requiring urgent exchange transfusion. Clinical signs of fetal distress were evident at 35 weeks of gestation in a sixth pregnancy. A Jsb+ baby from a previous pregnancy had been unaffected. This case report illustrates the difficulties of predicting severity on the basis of anti‐Jsb titre, and highlights issues relating to the problems of using reconstituted frozen red cells from the rare red cell bank for exchange transfusion.


Social Work is all about Sensemaking, but Sensemaking, as we currently know it, is not fit for purpose in Social Work. Developed by Karl E. Weick, Sensemaking describes the process of coming to understand and act in circumstances that are confusing or otherwise problematic. In this article, the author provides a creative and inventive response to the limitations of Sensemaking in Social Work through the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze, and the use of artistic practices. In this article, he presents two stories; firstly, a story about overcoming 'stuckness' in a study of English Children's Centre practitioners, and secondly, a bigger story about the limitations of Sensemaking in Social Work. These two stories are connected by Deleuze, and Art. The author responds to the opportunities presented by Deleuze by creating a series of visual Motifs, which act as idea-objects, used in his Sensemaking. He argues that whilst Social Workers do not need to be artists to make better sense of situations, they can use their own Motifs to better consider materiality, sense and affect in situations.


The Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (FLJ), Lonicera japonica Thunb, belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family, is an economically important plant that is highly utilized in traditional Chinese medicine as well as in Japanese medicine. The flowers of these plants are rich in chlorogenic acid (CGA) and luteoloside. Our previous study revealed that tetraploid L. japonica has higher fresh/dry weight, phenolic acids and flavonoids contents than those of diploid plants. However, why tetraploid L. japonica can yield higher CGA and luteolosides than that in diploid and what is the difference in the molecular regulatory mechanism of these pathways between diploid and tetraploids remained unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we performed comprehensive transcriptome analyses of different flowering stages of diploid and tetraploid L. japonica. The CGA content of tetraploid was found higher than that of diploid at all the growth stages. While the luteoloside content of diploid was higher than that of tetraploid at S4 and S6 growth stages. We obtained a high-quality transcriptome assembly (N50 = 2,055 bp; Average length = 1,331 bp) compared to earlier studies. Differential expression analysis revealed that several important genes involving in plant hormone signal transduction, carbon metabolism, starch/sucrose metabolism and plant-pathogen interaction were upregulated in tetraploid compared with the diploid L. japonica, reflecting the higher adaptability and resistance of tetraploid species. Furthermore, by associating the phenotypic data and gene expression profiles, we were able to characterize the potential molecular regulatory mechanism of important biosynthetic pathways at different flowering stages. Overall, our work provides a foundation for further research on these important secondary metabolite pathways and their implications in traditional Chinese/Japanese medicine.


This article presents a concept and theoretical specification for a system dynamics based model of sustainable development for local government of Kuldiga municipality in Kurzeme region, Latvia. Although Latvia aspires to the principles of sustainable development, there exists a relatively small number of theoretical studies and practical results in the area of simulation modeling of sustainable development. Therefore the proposed framework presents a novel approach in the context of spatial and regional planning in Latvia. The modeling framework is based on the concept of sustainable regional development as an unending process defined neither by fixed goals nor by specific means of achieving them. A sustainable region demands a mutual balance among economic, social, political and naturally environmental development. The dynamic modeling framework is considered as a useful tool in assisting decion-makers in development planning allowing to evaluate alternative scenarios and planning options.


Abstract Since the escalation of the Syrian conflict and refugee crisis in 2011, almost a fifth of Syrian Armenians in Syria have fled to Armenia. Most of them are descendants of the Armenian Genocide (1915) victims, who found shelter in Syria a century ago. Contrary to expectations on ethnic repatriation, their displacement and attachment to Syria emerge. The study assesses this peculiar case of the origin and return of a 'traditionally diasporic' community by combining models offered by diaspora studies with analysis of qualitative research on Syrian Armenian returnees who fled war-torn Syria. Continuing on the pathway initiated with the 'Great Repatriation' of Armenian diasporans to Soviet Armenia of 1946, the return to Armenia is a prolonged trajectory of diasporic displacement. Syrian Armenians returning to Armenia experience a conflict-generated diaspora of diaspora in the supposed homeland of Armenia. Explanations include the dissociation between the imagined Armenian homeland and the legally constituted one in present-day Armenia, and between the latter and the motherland of Syria. This challenges the essentialist account of the Armenian diaspora and, ultimately, the hypothesis surrounding Syrian Armenian marginalization and gradual 'exit strategy' in Syrian society.


Objectives
To determine which digit and hand have the highest and lowest skin carotenoid scores, to compare inter-and-intra-hand variability of digits, and to determine if results are consistent with another subject.

Methods
Two subjects' first(F1), second(F2), third(F3) and fifth(F5) digits on both hands were measured for skin carotenoids with a Veggie Meter, for 3 times on each of 18 days over a 37-day period. Data were subjected to ANOVA in a factorial treatment design to determine main effects for hand (2 levels), digits (4), and days (18) along with interactions. Differences between digits were determined by Tukey's post hoc test.

Results
There were significant hand x digit, hand x day, digit x day, and hand x digit x day interactions and significant simple main effects for hand, digit, and day (all P < 0.001). Mean square errors were 143.67 and 195.62 for subject A and B, respectively, which were smaller than mean squares for all main effects and interactions. The mean scores ± SD for F1, F2, F3, and F5 digits for the right vs left hands for subject A were F1:357.13 ± 45.97 vs 363.74 ± 46.94, F2:403.17 ± 44.77 vs. 353.20 ± 44.13, F3:406.76 ± 43.10 vs. 357.11 ± 45.13, and F5:374.95 ± 53.00 vs. 377.90 ± 47.38. For subject B, the mean scores ± SD for digits for the right vs left hands were F1:294.72 ± 61.63 vs 280.71 ± 52.48, F2:285.85 ± 66.92 vs 252.67 ± 67.56, F3:268.56 ± 57.03 vs 283.22 ± 45.87, and F5:288.18 ± 34.46 vs 307.54 ± 40.04. The digits on the right hand of both subjects had higher carotenoid scores than those on the left hands, even though subjects had different dominant hands. Subject A had higher skin carotenoid scores on the F3 and F2 digits for the right hand and F5 on the left hand. Subject B had higher skin carotenoid scores on F5 (right) and F1 (left) digits.

Conclusions
The variability due to hand, digit, and day were all greater than that of the 3 replicates within the digit-day for both volunteers. This indicates that data were not completely random across the readings when remeasuring the same finger. Different fingers displayed higher carotenoid scores for each volunteer. There is a need to conduct a larger study with more subjects and a range of skin tones to determine whether the reliability of measurements among digits of both hands is similar across the population.

Funding Sources
Indiana University.


Previous research using the German Socio-Economic Panel showed that immigrants moved slightly more fre-quently than native-born Germans. The research in this paper extends that work and examines the extent to which this increased mobility is translated into improved housing quality. Overall, we find that all sample households have improved their housing status over time, and that both the immigrant and native-born German households gain additional housing space when they move. At the same time, immigrant households have yet to achieve parity in the number of rooms, square meters, or levels of satisfaction. Interestingly, even though both immigrants and native-born Germans have increased the amount of space they consume, they are both less satisfied than a decade ago. The logit models emphasize that the classic dimensions - age, tenure choice and household size - explain the likelihood of increasing space with mobility. The models are much less accurate predictors of levels of satisfaction or degree of building renovation.


Inter individual genetic variation contributes to both disease susceptibility and response to drugs. The genetic makeup of every individual isdistinctive, henceforth there are variations in the gene products. It is also responsible for the phenotypic diversity, which results in the differentcapacity of each individual to respond to exogenous substances, such as drugs and xenobiotics, and in the different propensity to induceundesirable health effects. So, the aim of personalised medicine is to increase the possibility of therapeutic efficiency and to decrease the drugtoxicity risk for an individual patient. Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 139-142 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12545


Vilnius University Abstract. This article deals with the treatment of human talent (cai 才) in pre-imperial and early imperial China and concentrates on its relationship with other Chinese philosophical and anthropological concepts and the general cultural context. On the one hand, it analyses the moral meaning of talent, discussing its relationship with the concept of xian 贤 ( the worthy) in Classical Confucianism, and on the other hand it analyses its relationship with the concept of de 德 (virtue) as it was treated from Classical Confucianism and Legalism to the Six Dynasties. The latter analysis is based mainly on books by Xu Gan Zhong lun 中论 (Balanced Discources) and Liu Shao Renwuzhi 人物志 (The Study of Human Abilities), paying special attention to the infiltration of the Legalist understanding of cai into those books. The second problem discussed here is the relationship of cai and human nature (xing). The author argues that the discussions concerning human resources or talent in pre-imperial and early imperial China were inseparable from the anthropological and philosophical thinking on human nature and from the resolution of political problems. The understanding of human resources in China had from the very beginning a strong motivation for applicability in the political sphere, and this was a contribution not only of Confucian thinkers, but also by the schools of Legalists, Logicians (or School of Names), and Dialecticians (or School of Yin-yang). This could be the reason why the Chinese avoided the mystification, essentialisation and romanticisation of human talent, as happened in Western culture (especially with the titanism of the Renaissance and beyond).


With the rise in the use of AFM (Atomic Force Microscope), we have witnessed a growing use of atomic microscope based nanorobots in the precise displacement of various particles. There are certain limitations to the application of nanorobots in the moving of nanoparticles. One of the most important of these limitations is the lack of an appropriate image feedback concurrent with the displacing process; thus, the design of a graphical interface is essential in this regard. In this paper, the displacement of a cylindrical nanoparticle in a straight path, and in the air medium, has been simulated by means of a virtual reality graphical interface. This simulation is actually aimed at eliminating the previously stated limitation through the use of a graphical interface. The procedure has been presented in seven stages and the relevant diagrams of each stage have been extracted. Then, the obtained diagrams have been interpreted and discussed. In the end, by using the experimental results and the existing simulations for spherical particles, the presented results have been validated.


Abstract Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are becoming a key tool for plenty of applications, from the mid-infrared (mid-IR) to the THz range. Progress in related areas, such as the development of ultra-low-loss crystalline microresonators, optical frequency standards, and optical fiber networks for time and frequency dissemination, is paving the way for unprecedented applications in many fields. For most demanding applications, a thorough control of QCLs emission must be achieved. In the last few years, QCLs' unique spectral features have been unveiled, while multifrequency QCLs have been demonstrated. Ultra-narrow frequency linewidths are necessary for metrological applications, ranging from cold molecules interaction and ultra-high sensitivity spectroscopy to infrared/THz metrology. A review of the present status of research in this field is presented, with a view of perspectives and future applications.


Mutations in the Drosophila gene pavarotti result in the formation of abnormally large cells in the embryonic nervous system. In mitotic cycle 16, cells of pav mutant embryos undergo normal anaphase but then develop an abnormal telophase spindle and fail to undertake cytokinesis. We show that the septin Peanut, actin, and the actin-associated protein Anillin, do not become correctly localized in pav mutants. pav encodes a kinesin-like protein, PAV-KLP, related to the mammalian MKLP-1. In cellularized embryos, the protein is localized to centrosomes early in mitosis, and to the midbody region of the spindle in late anaphase and telophase. We show that Polo kinase associates with PAV-KLP with which it shows an overlapping pattern of subcellular localization during the mitotic cycle and this distribution is disrupted in pav mutants. We suggest that PAV-KLP is required both to establish the structure of the telophase spindle to provide a framework for the assembly of the contractile ring, and to mobilize mitotic regulator proteins.


Studying phage codon adaptation is important not only for understanding the process of translation elongation, but also for re-engineering phages for medical and industrial purposes. To evaluate the effect of mutation and selection on phage codon usage, we developed an index to measure selection imposed by host translation machinery, based on the difference in codon usage between all host genes and highly expressed host genes. We developed linear and nonlinear models to estimate the C→T mutation bias in different phage lineages and to evaluate the relative effect of mutation and host selection on phage codon usage. C→T biased mutations occur more frequently in ssDNA phages than in dsDNA phages, and affect not only synonymous codon usage, but also nonsynonymous substitutions at second codon positions, especially in ssDNA phages. The host translation machinery affects codon adaptation in both dsDNA and ssDNA phages, with stronger effect on dsDNA phages than on ssDNA phages. Strand asymmetry with the associated local variation in mutation bias can significantly interfere with codon adaptation in both dsDNA and ssDNA phages.


PURPOSE
Vision restoration training (VRT) in hemianopia patients leads to visual field enlargements, but the mechanisms of this vision restoration are not known. To investigate the role of residual vision in recovery, we studied topographic features of visual field charts and determined residual functions in local regions and their immediate surround.

METHODS
We analyzed High Resolution Perimetry visual field charts of hemianopic stroke patients (n = 23) before and after 6 months of VRT and identified all local visual field regions with ("hot spots", n = 688) or without restoration ("cold spots", n = 3426). Topographic features of these spots at baseline where then related to (i) their respective local residual function, (ii) residual activity in their spatial neighbourhood, and (iii) their distance to the scotoma border estimated in cortical coordinates following magnification factor transformation.

RESULTS
Visual field areas had a greater probability of becoming vision restoration hot spots if they had more residual activity in both local areas and in a spatially limited surround of 5° of visual angle. Hot spots were typically also located closer than 4 mm from the scotoma border in cortical coordinates. Thus, restoration depended on residual activity in both the local region and its immediate surround.

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings confirm the special role of residual structures in visual field restoration which is likely mediated by partially surviving neuronal elements. Because the immediate but not distant surround influenced outcome of individual spots, we propose that lateral interactions, known to play a role in perceptual learning and receptive field plasticity, also play a major role in vision restoration.


Methodological debates about the stages of growth and the way in which a country goes through political modernization are long-established and manifold. Globalization and the new international dialectic that it has brought about, between tension that leads to convergence and tension that leads to divergence, have called many of these methods of evaluation into question. Aside from elaborating the most objective criteria possible, the formalization of future possibilities should leave the way open for uncertainty and a subjective approach.


The new ENVISAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) Wide Swath Mode (WSM) data provide good potential for routinely monitoring near surface soil moisture due to the increased temporal revisit capability compared with ERS2 SAR. In this paper, we propose a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to retrieve near‐surface soil moisture from ASAR WSM data. The results demonstrate that PCA transformation can at least partially separate or group the effect factors, such as surface roughness, land cover, vegetation, and topography within the limitations of our datasets. The second principal component which was consistent with soil moisture and rainfall‐runoff dynamics was representative of the soil moisture Saturation Potential Index over a large area. Validation against field measurements and against the UK Met Office Surface Exchange Scheme shows the retrieval performs with reasonable accuracy.


Certain local atmospheric anomalies, such as the formation of unusually large ice conglomerations (megacryometeors), have been proposed to be a potential natural hazard for people and aviation, as well as geoindicators for fingerprinting larger-scale atmospheric environmental changes. On March 13th 2007, at approximately 10:15 am, an ice chunk weighing about 10 kg fell from the clear-sky and crashed through the roof (around 15 m) of an industrial storage house in Mejorada del Campo, a town located 20 km east from Madrid. The megacryometeor monitoring follow-up and the original investigation presented here includes, for the first time, both logistic and scientific collaboration between the Laboratory of the Environment, Criminalistic Service (SECRIM, the Spanish "Guardia Civil") and academic and scientific institutions (universities and the Spanish National Research Council). We propose that the management procedure of the incident, along with the detailed scientific research and combination of analytical methodologies in different laboratories, can serve as a protocol model for other similar events.


Increased demands on academic medical faculty have raised awareness about faculty satisfaction and vitality, in part because of the demonstrated empirical link between job satisfaction and retention. Evidence suggests that faculty are affected by their perceptions of what is valued and rewarded in their work environments, and that supportive environments can foster faculty satisfaction. Given the high costs of faculty turnover, it is imperative to understand the factors that contribute to the retention of faculty. A previous Analysis in Brief (AIB) examined key areas of U.S. medical faculty job satisfaction and the disconnect for some faculty between what they value in the workplace and actual workplace opportunities. In this AIB, the effects of gender are examined to obtain a more nuanced understanding of job satisfaction.


Abstract Objective: The spectrum of diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) represents a large burden on healthcare systems around the world. Meningitis, bacteraemia, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and acute otitis media (AOM) are vaccine-preventable infectious diseases that can have severe consequences. The health economic model presented here is intended to estimate the clinical and economic impact of vaccinating birth cohorts in Canada and the UK with the 10-valent, pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) compared with the newly licensed 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13). Methods: The model described herein is a Markov cohort model built to simulate the epidemiological burden of pneumococcal- and NTHi-related diseases within birth cohorts in the UK and Canada. Base-case assumptions include estimates of vaccine efficacy and NTHi infection rates that are based on published literature. Results: The model predicts that the two vaccines will provide a broadly similar impact on all-cause invasive disease and CAP under base-case assumptions. However, PHiD-CV is expected to provide a substantially greater reduction in AOM compared with PCV-13, offering additional savings of Canadian $9.0 million and £4.9 million in discounted direct medical costs in Canada and the UK, respectively. Limitations: The main limitations of the study are the difficulties in modelling indirect vaccine effects (herd effect and serotype replacement), the absence of PHiD-CV- and PCV-13-specific efficacy data and a lack of comprehensive NTHi surveillance data. Additional limitations relate to the fact that the transmission dynamics of pneumococcal serotypes have not been modelled, nor has antibiotic resistance been accounted for in this paper. Conclusion: This cost-effectiveness analysis suggests that, in Canada and the UK, PHiD-CV's potential to protect against NTHi infections could provide a greater impact on overall disease burden than the additional serotypes contained in PCV-13.