.Design and development scalability, in any engineering, requires information hiding and a specific composition mechanism in which composite items are made-up of other items. This paper shows that scalability is currently ill supported and that software engineering composites are rather special with respect to other engineering disciplines. Indeed, a software engineering composite is simultaneously a model element, an engineering artifacts and a real object, which is unprecedented in the history of engineering. This paper analyzes the requirements that composites must satisfy in order to support scalability in software engineering. We have developed CADSE (Computer Aided Domain Specific Environment) in which composites are first class elements from which workspaces, concurrent engineering and view point support are provided. The paper discusses our experience with using the proposed system over the last years.


In recent experimental and clinical studies of diuretics, much attention has been devoted to correlation of quantitative changes in blood and urinary metabolites, especially the chlorides, with the object of determining the seat of diuretic action. The significance of the correlations has been about as follows: simultaneous increases in blood and urinary chlorides and in the output of urine reflect a direct and general action of the diuretic on the tissues, whereas a reciprocal change in the blood and urinary chlorides, i. e., a decrease in blood chlorides with a simultaneous increase in urinary chlorides and an increase in the output of the urine, reflect indirect effects through circulatory or renal changes, or both. These effects have been described for a number of diuretics, chemically and pharmacologically different. For instance, Hartzieganu, Gavrila and Borbil1demonstrated concurrent increases in blood and urinary chlorides during diuresis after mersalyl and merbaphen, in


Processing information into journalistic content in contemporary news media creates a favorable environment for the distribution of misleading and fake information. This paper analyzes the distribution of alternative facts and fake news as a phenomenon characterizing post-fact society and how journalistic work processes may promote and legitimize the distribution of misleading content. The study looks into the back- and front-stage performances of journalistic information processing that are influenced by social time acceleration and the insistence of 'click-bait' news criteria. We used three different methods for teaching news reporting on three different groups of Estonian journalism students, and analyzed their performance using self-reflection in focus group interviews. Two groups of students, whose assignments were geared toward the outcome, focused more on front stage performances and underestimated back stage performances, e.g. the evaluation of sources, background information gathering, and fact checking. One group, which was taught news reporting as a process of information filtering, perceived and reflected both front and back stage performances. The results indicate that (online) newsroom practice, which is influenced by time pressure and the continuous requirement of new content, may force journalists to skip the stages of conventional journalistic information processing and due to that create favorable environment for publishing and distributing misleading and fake news.


The purpose of this paper was to compare the effects of enzyme and softener treatment on properties of ramie fabrics. Performances before and after treatment on bursting, tensile, drape, abrasion resistance, fuzz and pills resistance, bending and scratchiness were tested and compared to find the optimal modification method. The results show that the strength of fabrics descend after the two modification treatments while the softness and elongation were improved . The effect of enzyme treatment is more satisfactory since it can make the ramie fabrics show better drape, better bending, lower propensity to surface fuzzing and to pilling and weak scratchiness .


The human brain is always trying to predict ahead in time. Many say that it is possible to take actions only based on internal simulations of the brain. A recent trend in the field of Artificial Intelligence is to provide agents with an "inner world" or internal simulations. This inner world can then be used instead of the real world, making it possible to operate without any inputs from the real world. This final year project explores the possibility to navigate collision-free in a dynamic environment, using only internal simulation of sensor input instead of real input. Three scenarios will be presented that show how internal simulation operates in a dynamic environment. The results show that it is possible to navigate entirely based on predictions without a collision.


Although animal models have been useful for uncovering nuclei responsible for the mediation of different sleep states, these techniques are rarely viable methods for studying mentation during sleep (both because of ethical considerations, and because animals cannot report the content of their dreams). Relevant animal models of sleep disorders and states are often neglected rather than used to inform future directions in dream research with human subjects. Here findings from animal models of sleep that may pertain to dream research are presented to highlight that overlap between research fields can provide unique insights into the neurobiology of dreaming. It is suggested that such areas of overlap should act to guide future targets in dream research with human subjects.


Recent changes in the U.S. estate taxation significantly reduced its reach and revenue, although the tax continues to contribute to progressivity of the overall tax system and is likely to play a role in influencing the long term concentration of wealth. I discuss recent changes, empirical evidence and theory applying to this form of taxation. I then discuss directions for a reform of the tax. The interaction between estate taxation and other components of the tax system is most important in the context of capital gains, with step up in basis partially compensating for high marginal rates while at the same time creating very strong deferral incentives. Modifying this interaction is long overdue and experience from the temporary repeal of the tax in 2010 is helpful in understanding challenges. I discuss options for modifying this interaction, including implications both for estate tax design and for the great majority of taxpayers who are not subject to the estate tax. Eliminating the step-up in basis would allow for increasing the efficiency of the tax system, while the additional revenue could be used to either mitigate the consequences for the affected taxpayers by reducing the estate tax burden or increasing the overall progressivity. I note that any exemption for capital gains at death does retain deferral incentives for individuals with unrealized capital gains smaller than the exemption and suggest that a lifetime exemption would have better incentive properties. I also note that the treatment of spousal transfers under any capital gains at death approach is critical for the revenue implications.


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: Public schools throughout the country have faced heavy criticism for instituting dress codes that many perceive to be targeting girls and imposing overly restrictive requirements on their attire. Critics of public-school dress codes often take particular issue with the notion that restrictive dress codes are necessary to prevent classroom distractions. Because public schools are state actors, they must comply with constitutional requirements. Thus, when schools impose different rules on the basis of gender, those rules must comply with the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This clause mandates that the government offer an exceedingly persuasive justification for any sex-based classification. Moreover, the justification offered by the school must be genuine and may not rely on nor perpetuate gender-based stereotypes. Courts have generally accepted schools' arguments that their dress codes served the interests of student health and safety, preventing classroom distraction, and instilling morals and discipline. This Note evaluates the application of the Equal Protection Clause to public-school dress codes, explores the various school justifications that have been deemed acceptable, and argues that, under the standard set forth in Equal Protection jurisprudence, a school's desire to prevent classroom distraction may no longer be an acceptable defense absent authentic evidence of its necessity.


Report presents the results of an investigation conducted to determine the effectiveness of liquid-cooling films on the inner surfaces of tubes containing flowing hot air. Experiments were made in 2- and 4-inch-diameter straight metal tubes with air flows at temperatures from 600 degrees to 2000 degrees F. and diameter Reynolds numbers from 2.2 to 14 x 10(5). The film coolant, water, was injected around the circumference at a single axial position on the tubes at flow rates from 0.02 to .24 pound per second per foot of tube circumference (0.8 to 12 percent of the air flow). Liquid-coolant films were established and maintained around and along the tube wall in concurrent flow with the hot air. The results indicated that, in order to film cool a given surface area with as little coolant flow as possible, it may be necessary to limit the flow of coolant introduced at a single axial position and to introduce it at several axial positions. The flow rate of inert coolant required to maintain liquid-film cooling over a given area of tube surface can be estimated when the gas-flow conditions are known by means of a generalized plot of the film-cooling data.


Nitrification is an important biological process in nitrogen cycling and has a significant effect on effluent quality in wastewater treatment. Nitrification occurs in two steps by two types of chemoautotrophic bacteria, the ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). The ammonia oxidizing bacteria is responsible for the oxidation of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite and is often the rate-limiting step in nitrification in wastewater treatment plants. Hence, a better understanding of the ecology, microbiology and chemistry of ammonia oxidizing bacteria in biological wastewater treatment systems is necessary in order to enhance treatment performance and control. A detailed review of various biological wastewater treatment processes, ammonia oxidizing bacteria and archaea; economic importance, problems, various molecular techniques for the investigation of the diversity and community structure, as well as the isolation of ammonia oxidizing bacteria were discussed.


While the principles of needs or benefit-based market segmentation have been long established, its potential value as a route to a stronger market understanding and ultimately competitive advantage has been largely untapped in pharmaceutical marketing research, with internal process rather than market focus driving market understanding. Many of the tensions around the use of geodemographics for market segmentation in the consumer work are mirrored in the use of classification systems and diagnosis in the pharmaceutical environment. This paper presents the application of needs-based segmentation - market segmentation based on understanding how physicians use perceptions of patient needs to group patients and then use this understanding to make appropriate treatment decisions specific to each patient group. The need to include patient needs in market segmentation is taken into account by considering the consequences of not segmenting the market strategically. The approach is illustrated to show how valuable outputs are generated and how direction may be provided across the brand development process. The potential impact and application of this novel thinking within pharmaceutical companies is reviewed. This paper shows how a benefit-based or needs-based segmentation of the market provides a more potent view of the market, and argue that market segmentation should therefore be fashioned to reflect this.


A defect in regulation of a chloride channel appears to be the molecular basis for cystic fibrosis (CF), a common lethal genetic disease. It is shown here that a chloride channel with kinetic and regulatory properties similar to those described for secretory epithelial cells is present in both T and B lymphocyte cell lines. The regulation of the channels by adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase in transformed B cells from CF patients is defective. Thus, lymphocytes may be an accessible source of CF tissue for study of this defect, for cloning of the chloride channel complex, and for diagnosis of the disease.


Climate change is a multidimensional shift. While much research has documented rising mean temperature levels, we also examine range-based measures of daily temperature volatility. Specifically, using data for select U.S. cities over the past half-century, we compare the evolving time series dynamics of the average temperature level, AVG, and the diurnal temperature range, DTR (the difference between the daily maximum and minimum temperatures at a given location). We characterize trend and seasonality in these two series using linear models with time-varying coefficients. These straightforward yet flexible approximations provide evidence of evolving DTR seasonality, stable AVG seasonality, and conditionally Gaussian but heteroskedastic innovations for both DTR and AVG.


As the massive tsunami that struck northeast Japan in 11 March 2011 after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, it reveals that people are living in a critical environment. Although great improvement has been achieved in disaster prevention technologies, many natural disasters are still unpredictable. In addition to the prevention, rapid and effective responses to such disasters are also crucial. One of the key elements to success is the information dissemination of disaster, including both area and people living within that region. In the past decade, web-based spatial information system has become the major platform for both data sharing and displaying. What is coming next is the development of web-based spatial data analysis. A web-based service allows people to implement spatial analysis immediately as long as the internet connection among database and application servers is available. This useful and helpful spatial information is able to be accessed by all users around the world almost simultaneously. The main goal of this paper is to implement a spatial data analysis module based on service oriented architecture (SOA) concept. The main interest and focus of our study is based on the knowledge regularization processes of spatial data analysis to achieve the automated land cover change detection (LCCD) over internet. The proposed automated model is tested and verified by FORMOSAT-2 imageries taken in 2005 and in 2008. It will be published online for users around the world to maximize the add-on value and minimize the cost of the spatial data, moreover, to reveal the situations of disaster rapidly.


Proficiency in oral communication is necessary in school and in society. To do well in the different curriculum areas, pupils must speak with clarity and understanding. For example, in a discussion group in the social studies involving the topic "the pros and cons of raising taxes," pupils need to express knowledgeable ideas with appropriate voice inflection in stress, pitch, and juncture (pauses), including a proper pace. Listeners need to be able to comprehend what was communicated orally (semantics). The oral content may lack proper word order (syntax) which makes comprehension difficult. The teacher must diagnose diverse types of errors in oral communication and provide objectives and learning opportunities which strengthen oral communication procedures (Ediger, 2011). Teaching and Learning in Oral Communication There are a plethora of learning opportunities involving oral communication which should assist pupils to do well in each academic area. These activities need to be goal centered. Thus, there are needed speaking skills which all need to embrace in communicating effectively. First of all, pupils need to be helped to perceive purpose in developing oral communication skills. These are not routine, nor done for the sake of emphasizing quality communication, but rather to assist pupils to communicate effectively. The receiver must be able to attach meaning to what the sender intends in communicating messages. Thus, much responsibility rests upon the pupil to send clear content. He/she must see reasons for engagement which might consist of an oral report, for example, about becoming a master craftsman, involving three stages of achievement (apprentice, journey man, and master) in a unit on the Middle Ages. The learner might have selected this topic in guild membership due to personal interests in making a product of that time. Criteria such as the following ,based on developmental needs, should be stressed emphasizing fluency in orally presenting ideas: * developing and using an outline to present sequential subject matter * having the subject matter well in mind when reporting to pupils * using voice inflection and quality pacing to encourage listening (Ediger, 2011). Excessive criteria should not be used at one time to assist pupils in listening. A few relevant criteria may well provide the right ingredient to assist pupils in good listening habits. Second, high pupil involvement in an activity assists learners to attend and listen carefully to the thinking of others. Thus, within a science unit of study, pupils with teacher guidance might develop an experiment on air taking up space. Cooperating planning may include a crushed tissue paper placed inside an inverted tumbler. All need to see the occurrences clearly and raise questions when necessary. The inverted tumbler is then placed inside the classroom aquarium which is filled with water. Pupils then hypothesize as to what will happen to the crushed tissue paper. Each hypothesis is recorded pertaining to the one variable in the experiment. …


As a representative type of high Cr ferritic heat-resistant steels, T91 steels (ASME SA-213 T91/P91) has been recognized as the preferable materials and widely used in high-temperature structural components such as header and main steam pipe in advanced power plants. For the service condition is tempered martensites, its corresponding microstructure and mechanical performance are mainly adjusted by the tempering treatment. After exploring the size and number of MX and M23C6 precipitating particles and the width of martensitic lath as a function of tempering temperature, it is recognized that the high tempering temperature leads to an increase of secondary hardening effect, while the low tempering temperature brings a high dislocation density and a small martensitic lath. Hence, a two-step tempering treatment was developed after the traditional normalizing process, in which the T91 steels sample was firstly tempered at a low temperature in order to form some precipitates and then tempered at a high temperature. Those firstly-formed precipitates would pin the dislocations and martensitic laths on the subsequent tempering process, which finally leads to more precipitates, higher dislocation density and smaller martensitic lath width than that obtained from the traditional tempering process.


Worldwide, biodiversity conservation is one of the key challenges for a sustainable future of nature and society. It is particularly important to preserve high quality habitats within otherwise intensively managed agricultural landscapes. Within the European Union (EU), farmers are highly dependent on agricultural subsidies through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which hence have a strong influence on management and biodiversity. In European agricultural landscapes, wooded pastures form important habitats that contribute to landscape level heterogeneity and high local biodiversity, values which are often closely linked to trees. Unfortunately, many of these values were put at risk when a tree density limitation was introduced within the CAP, encouraging farmers to keep pastures open and ensuring grazing management. However, limiting tree density to a specific number to increase biodiversity finds little basis in the scientific literature. The main objective of this thesis is therefore to investigate how different measures of biodiversity across multiple taxa are affected by tree density and to study the farmers' perspective on this CAP regulation. Wooded pastures in the biosphere reserveÖstra Vätterbranterna in southern Sweden were used as study sites. This thesis shows that encouraging farmers to cut trees to receive subsidies weakens the link between social and ecological values of wooded pastures, with potential subsequent losses in biodiversity. Trees were almost exclusively positive for biodiversity within this study system, increasing the species richness of plants, birds and bats. However, functional diversity across these taxa were mainly affected by other vegetation attributes within and around the pastures, such as shrub density and surrounding forest cover. A seed sowing experiment showed how trees partly shape plant communities already at the germination stage. Further, responses of functional diversity was mainly driven by resource use related traits among plants and birds, whereas bat functional diversity responses were mainly determined by their ability to manoeuvre through the micro-habitats of wooded pastures. Based on this thesis, I conclude that the tree density limit proposed by the EU has failed to capture the unique biological values of continuously managed wooded pastures and that the social-ecological links between policy, management and biodiversity are threatened by number specific governance of nature. It is therefore promising that the EU in November 2017 announced to open up for excluding the tree density focus in the CAP. Further development of the CAP can benefit from the findings of this thesis, revealing important knowledge gaps on biodiversity patterns in relation to trees in pastures.


Recent insights into the conceptual structure of localization in QFT ("modular localization") led to clarifications of old unsolved problems. The oldest one is the Einstein-Jordan conundrum which led Jordan in 1925 to the discovery of quantum field theory. This comparison of fluctuations in subsystems of heat bath systems (Einstein) with those resulting from the restriction of the QFT vacuum state to an open subvolume (Jordan) leads to a perfect analogy; the globally pure vacuum state becomes upon local restriction a strongly impure KMS state. This phenomenon of localization-caused thermal behavior as well as the vacuum-polarization clouds at the causal boundary of the localization region places localization in QFT into a sharp contrast with quantum mechanics and justifies the attribute "holstic". In fact it positions the E-J Gedankenexperiment into the same conceptual class as the cosmological constant problem and the Unruh Gedankenexperiment and the problem of the cosmological constant. The holistic structure of QFT resulting from "modular localization" also leads to a revision of the conceptual origin of the crucial crossing property which entered particle theory at the time of the bootstrap S-matrix approach but suffered from incorrect use in the S-matrix settings of the dual model


Lasermessverfahren für die zeitaufgelöste Quantifizierung von Konzentrationsprofilen in Hydrogel Matrices III Abstract Immobilization of enzymes in aqueous hydrogel beads which are suspended in organic solvents is a promising technique for the production of hydrophobic fine chemicals. For the rational design of such enzyme immobilizates, the complex interaction between mass transfer across the interface, diffusion in the hydrogel bead and enzyme reaction has to be investigated in detail. It is obvious that the development of such a complex model can only be based on highly significant and precise measurement data. An established procedure is to take samples from the organic phase for concentration measurements. It was shown that the performance of the classical approach of taking samples from the organic phase is insufficient for a mechanistically correct understanding of the process. The approach of this work is to develop new methods for the detection of spatially and temporally resolved concentration gradients at a microscopic scale in hydrogel beads by means of laser scanning microscopy. In this work a new method for optical pH monitoring using pH-sensitive dyes is demonstrated. As a first step, calibration curves of two different indicator dyes are recorded. For the calibration of the correlation between the pH-value and fluorescence lifetime the decay of the fluorescence intensity after the excitation pulses is recorded and measured by time-correlated single photon counting with a temporal resolution of 815 fs using a confocal laser scanning microscope. The acidic and basic forms of the dyes have different pHindependent lifetimes. At a defined pH-value the decay curve is composed of lifetime components of both forms. The proportion of the acidic and basic components changes with variation of the pH value and a biexponential intensity decay over time will yield lifetimes and their proportion. The calibration curves are evaluated concerning pH-range, dynamic range and measurement uncertainty. After choosing Resorufin as pH indicator dye, the diffusion of propionic acid into the Ca-alginate hydrogel bead is investigated optically. The change in pH-value over time resulting from the diffusion of propionic acid into the hydrogel bead is observed in the centre of the hydrogel bead with a temporal resolution of one second. As competing model assumptions the Fickian and Nernst--Planck diffusion laws are considered and compared with the measured pH-progress. To our knowledge lifetime confocal laser scanning microscopy is used for the first time in this study for the quantification of dynamic pH-changes in macroscopic particles with microscopic resolution. In the second part of this thesis, multiphoton microscopy is shown as a promising technique to detect spatially and temporally resolved concentration gradients of chemical compounds, e.g. reactants in hydrogel-encapsulated biocatalysts. In contrast to current methods, this method has an improved spatial and temporal resolution and gives the possibility to measure educt or product concentrations in hydrogel beads and hence facilitates the identification of various kinetic phenomena. In a first step, the phenomena diffusion, coupled diffusion and mass transfer through the phase boundary are investigated in the bead center. Finally, the complete system – consisting of diffusion, mass transfer and enzymatic reaction – is observed spectroscopically by measuring concentration gradients along the bead radius with temporal and spatial resolution. This measurement technique enables a subsequent mechanistic model identification, which in turn leads to an enhanced knowledge of reaction kinetics and supports the design of biotechnological processes. This task was only possible due to excellent spatial (25 μm) and temporal (5 sec) resolution and the accuracy (±1 %) achieved by using a multiphoton microscopy set up.


Listening skills play a critical role in language learning, providing the aural input needed to develop other language skills (Krashen, 1985). In many language classrooms, however, Vandergrift and Goh (2012) have found that listening often receives the least attention from both teachers and instructional materials; these authors maintain that even when listening is the focus of a lesson, the activities intended to develop listening skills often merely test them. Fortunately, researchers have studied many factors which influence second language (L2) listening comprehension and have reported on their efficacy. In this paper I highlight the promising trends identified by L2 listening research and then discuss current practices instructors use to teach listening skills in adult English as a second language (ESL) classes in Edmonton, based on survey data and three focus group interviews. Next, I identify gaps between research and practice and provide recommendations of evidence-based principles. Finally, I offer examples of ESL classroom activities to develop effective listening skills.


The development of novel bioartificial nerve grafts which release soluble therapeutic agents, shows great promises guiding the extension of the injured axons and optimizing and improving the degree and specificity of neural outgrowth. The TGF-â family cytokines are polypeptides involved in pathogenesis of neuropathies during nerve lesion. In particular, studies carried out on TGF-â1 have demonstrated its key-role as a humoral stimulus in scar formation. The use of neutralising antibodies to this pro-fibrotic factor, incorporated and released by medical devices, could be potentially useful to get improved results in nerve repair. The aim of this study was to characterise the uptake and release of antibodies, structurally no different from the anti-TGFâ1 specific ones, by innovative constructs based on the use of biodegradable and biocompatible compounds with which to support and improve peripheral nerve repair.


Abstract When communicating speakers map meaning onto form. It would thus seem obvious for languages to show a one-to-one correspondence between meaning and form, but this is often not the case. This perfect mapping, i.e. transparency, is indeed continuously violated in natural languages, giving rise to zero-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-one opaque correspondences between meaning and form. However, transparency is a mutating feature, which can be influenced by language contact. In this scenario languages tend to evolve and lose some of their opaque features, becoming more transparent. This study investigates transparency in a very specific contact situation, namely that of a creole, Haitian Creole, and its sub- and superstrate languages, Fongbe and French, within the Functional Discourse Grammar framework. We predict Haitian Creole to be more transparent than French and Fongbe and investigate twenty opacity features, divided into four categories, namely Redundancy (one-to-many), Fusion (many-to-one), Discontinuity (one meaning is split in two or more forms,) and Form-based Form (forms with no semantic counterpart: zero-to-one). The results indeed prove our prediction to be borne out: Haitian Creole only presents five opacity features out of twenty, while French presents nineteen and Fongbe nine. Furthermore, the opacity features of Haitian Creole are also present in the other two languages.


Abstract Recent approaches to data-to-text generation have adopted the very successful encoder-decoder architecture or variants thereof. These models generate text that is fluent (but often imprecise) and perform quite poorly at selecting appropriate content and ordering it coherently. To overcome some of these issues, we propose a neural model with a macro planning stage followed by a generation stage reminiscent of traditional methods which embrace separate modules for planning and surface realization. Macro plans represent high level organization of important content such as entities, events, and their interactions; they are learned from data and given as input to the generator. Extensive experiments on two data-to-text benchmarks (RotoWire and MLB) show that our approach outperforms competitive baselines in terms of automatic and human evaluation.


During the past decade, coalitions have been assumed to be central to the structure and functioning of community health promotion and disease prevention projects. However, there has been little empirical evaluation of community coalitions. The present paper presents case studies of two different coalition models, one a coalition developed to support a community-based drug abuse prevention trial, and the other, a CSAP Community Partnership Demonstration Program site. Comparison of the two coalitions on key characteristics indicated that they were similar except for their impetus for initiation (researcher versus community-initiated) and primary purpose (to support experimental program components versus to coordinate prevention programming and develop new prevention services). Members of the two coalitions (n = 51 in the researcher-initiated, and n = 49 in the community-initiated coalition) responded to a written survey that assessed immediate coalition process and activity outcomes, including perceptions of coalition efficiency, outcome efficacy, interagency coordination, and benefits of involvement. After controlling for demographic differences, the two groups of coalition members were similar, overall, on the measures of immediate outcomes. Univariate analyses indicated only one difference: members of the researcher-initiated coalition had higher ratings of perceived action committee effectiveness than did members of the community-initiated coalition. The results suggest that the impetus for initiation and primary purpose of a coalition may not be as important as other factors in influencing immediate process and activity outcomes. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Cardiomyopathy is a major cause of death in patients with systemic amyloidosis. There are several forms of systemic amyloidosis which cause cardiomyopathy and determination of the exact type of amyloid in each affected patient is essential for treatment and determination of prognosis. In this study, we tested the feasibility of determining the type of amyloidosis by biochemical analysis of endomyocardial biopsies. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies were obtained from 10 patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy. Three patients had monoclonal protein demonstrated in serum or urine and all three had bone marrow findings consistent with monoclonal gammopathy. Seven patients had isolated cardiomyopathy without evidence of monoclonal gammopathy. A portion of each myocardial biopsy was submitted for histologic evaluation and all demonstrated amyloid by Congo red staining. Each biopsy was analysed biochemically by isolation of amyloid fibrils and the protein characterised by amino acid sequence analysis. Four amyloid isolates were characterised as immunoglobulin light chain proteins. Two specimens obtained from patients with transthyretin (TTR) DNA mutations contained TTR peptides proving the hereditary nature of the disease. Biopsies from four patients without a TTR mutation contained TTR and were consistent with the diagnosis of senile cardiac amyloidosis (SCA). All endomyocardial biopsy specimens that were analysed had sufficient amyloid fibril subunit protein to allow characterisation by amino acid sequence analysis. This methodology is particularly useful in differentiating SCA with TTR amyloid fibrils from immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis which also occurs in the elderly age group.


ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of heat processing on the antioxidant capacity of mead (honey wine). Soy and buckwheat honey musts were subjected to 2 heat treatments and fermented into wine. Total phenolic concentration was determined. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) phenolic profiling was performed on the methanol fraction of Amberlite extraction. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Changes in volatile components were evaluated by headspace-solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (H-SPME/GC-MS). ORAC values of experimental meads (3.62 mMTrolox equivalent) were comparable to those of commercial white wine (3.66 mMTrolox equivalent). No significant difference in antioxidant capacity due to heat treatment or honey type was observed. There was no difference in total phenolics between heat treatments in buckwheat mead; however, soy mead made from high-heated must had significantly greater phenolic concentration than the gently heated mead (α= 0.05). Linear regression analysis indicated a strong positive correlation between total phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity by ORAC (r= 0.9077; P < 0.0001). HPLC analysis of phenolic profiles in the methanol fractions of Amberlite extraction of the meads indicated significantly higher levels of certain phenolics as a result of the high-heat process in buckwheat mead, but not in soy mead. Differences in volatile components that potentially impact flavor were noted between high and low heat treatments. Results of this study suggest dramatic heat treatments that are often avoided because their flavor impact in mead production have the potential to alter the antioxidant capacity of mead by changing phenolic profiles.


Gardens are hot spots for urban biodiversity and provide habitats for many plant and animal spe- cies, both above- and below-ground. Furthermore, gardens provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including carbon (C) storage and nutrient cycling. Although the soil is the foundation of sustainable gardens providing those ecosystem services, very little is known about the conseque- nces of garden management on soil quality. Here we present a comprehensive assessment of urban garden soil quality, including biotic and abiotic site characteristics combined with land-use history and garden management information in a multivariate evaluation. A set of 44 soil quality indicators was measured at 170 sites of 85 gardens in the city of Zurich, Switzerland, comprising contrastingly managed garden habitats along a gradient of urban density. Taken together, our results show that garden management was the driving factor that influenced soil quality and soil functions. Eco-physiological soil quality indices were useful to identify differences in disturbance and intensity of soil use, showing highest microbial (microbial biomass (Cmic)/soil organic carbon (SOC)) and lowest metabolic (qCO2) quotients in perennial grass sites compared to annual vegetable sites. Despite the intensity of soil disturbance in annual vegetable and flower beds, the highest endogeic earthworm biomass and diversity were found in those habitats. Whereas decomposition of green tea bags was higher in grass sites. Soil heavy metal contents varied considerably and could not be linked with garden management practices, but with spatial patterns of industry and traffic. We conclude that understanding soil quality in urban ecosystems needs multi-indicator frameworks to capture the complexity of soil characteristics and the influencing factors in space and time. This study contributes to a better understanding of urban gardens and enhances the development of sustainable soil management strategies aimed at long-term improvement of soil quality and related ecosystem services in cities.


1. Extraction of a mouse liver plasma-membrane fraction with a detergent buffer, N-dodecylsarcosinate-Tris buffer (sarcosyl-Tris buffer), solubilized 90% of the protein and 70% of the 5'-nucleotidase activity. 2. The proteins of the sarcosyl-Tris buffer extract were fractionated by a rate-zonal centrifugation in a sucrose-detergent gradient. The major protein peak sedimented ahead of phospholipids, which mainly remained in the overlay. Glycoproteins were separated ahead of the protein peak. 3. The 5'-nucleotidase activity peak was associated with 5% of the protein applied to the gradient, and contained relatively few protein bands. 4. The 5'-nucleotidase was purified further by gel filtration on Sepharose and Sephadex columns equilibrated with sarcosyl-Tris buffer, to give a single glycoprotein band on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme was lipid-free. 5. Electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels in sarcosyl-Tris buffers showed that the enzymic activity was coincident with the protein band. 6. The molecular weight suggested for the enzyme activity by gel filtration or centrifugation in sucrose gradients was 140000-150000. Sometimes, a minor enzyme peak of lower molecular weight was obtained. 7. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate indicated that as the polyacrylamide concentration was increased from 5 to 15%, the apparent molecular weight of the enzyme decreased from 130000 to 90000. 8. The evidence that 5'-nucleotidase is composed of two active and similar, if not identical, glycoprotein subunits and the role of detergent in effecting the separation of membrane proteins and glycoproteins are discussed. 9. Substrate requirements, pH optima and the nature of inhibition by an analogue of adenosine diphosphate are reported.


In this article I explore the creative potential of Māori indigenous performative knowledge such as ihi . My research investigated personal experiences as a performer and choreographer during the creative process, exploring and engaging with practices that foster ihi within contemporary performance. I draw on practice-led research methods in the choreographic and performance process of creating a duet called Ngā Whaiaipo o te Roto – Lovers of the Lake , performed in the Auckland Tempo Dance Festival (Williams, 2012). By exploring Māori concepts of performance within contemporary dance practices, I explored the potential to sustain indigenous knowledge, meanings and connections in how Māori cultural concepts are transferred into a theatre context.


Sequence analysis of protein-coding human genes in human breast and colorectal cancer recently identified the KIAA1632 gene as a potential contributor to neoplastic processes in breast cancer. In the present study, we characterized the KIAA1632 gene by computational methods: detailed investigation of the genomic structure, protein prediction, identification of orthologs in other species and phylogenetic analysis. The human KIAA1632 gene was located within human genome sequence AC090355 and consists of 44 exons. KIAA1632 is located on chromosome 18q12.3-q21.1. These findings were determined by aligning the potential full-length transcript NM_020964 to the genomic sequence. The existing predicted gene model could be refined based on these alignments (using additional EST data). Protein sequence was predicted from the full-length transcript and possible orthologs in other species were identified. Using rigorous phylogenetic methods we were able to draw conclusions about the evolutionary history of these proteins. Comparison of the protein sequences of KIAA1632 and its orthologs revealed a shared 'signature motif'. This 'signature motif' was found in three well-characterized cancer antigens, raising the hypothesis of a common 'signature motif' for a certain group of cancer antigens.


A new method for calibrating optical scanning profilometers is presented. Especially adapted to spherical and aspherical profile measurements, it shows an increase of accuracy bigger than one order of magnitude for radius of curvature measurements. Calibration of vertical scaling is obtained with a reduction of its uncertainty by a factor larger than 2, which also demonstrates the advantage of this method for any surface measurements. Using commercially available reference balls, this method is easily implementable.


more specifically to certain phases of the production and the use of minerals. It furnishes a comprehensive although not too detailed review of the occurrence and the use of the essential economic minerals. The book is an important and valuable addition to the literature on a subject that is becoming of increasing importance with the extension of research into the utilization of the varied and growing supply of minerals, the use of which is developing new industries and supplementing the already well-known application of minerals to all phases of our industrial activity. The discovery of large deposits of lowgrade minerals has promoted research into means of utilization, and the successful accomplishment of the seemingly impossible has acted as a stimulant to expansion in many other lines. Furthermore, the rapid development of the mineral industry has brought the country face to face with the need for conserving certain mineral supplies. However, such a policy should mean a wise use rather than a cessation of use.


Recent studies on Learning to Optimize (L2O) suggest a promising path to automating and accelerating the optimization procedure for complicated tasks. Existing L2O models parameterize optimization rules by neural networks, and learn those numerical rules via meta-training. However, they face two common pitfalls: (1) scalability: the numerical rules represented by neural networks create extra memory overhead for applying L2O models, and limit their applicability to optimizing larger tasks; (2) interpretability: it is unclear what an L2O model has learned in its black-box optimization rule, nor is it straightforward to compare different L2O models in an explainable way. To avoid both pitfalls, this paper proves the concept that we can"kill two birds by one stone", by introducing the powerful tool of symbolic regression to L2O. In this paper, we establish a holistic symbolic representation and analysis framework for L2O, which yields a series of insights for learnable optimizers. Leveraging our findings, we further propose a lightweight L2O model that can be meta-trained on large-scale problems and outperformed human-designed and tuned optimizers. Our work is set to supply a brand-new perspective to L2O research. Codes are available at: https://github.com/VITA-Group/Symbolic-Learning-To-Optimize.


Whilst the use of microscopic techniques to determine the size distributions of nanoparticle samples is now well established, their characterisation challenges extend well beyond this. Here it is shown how high resolution electron microscopy can help meet these challenges. One of the key parameters is the determination of particle shape and structure in three dimensions. Here two approaches to determining nanoparticle structure are described and demonstrated. In the first scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with high angle annular dark field imaging (HAADF-STEM) is used to image homogenous nanoparticles, where the contrast is directly related to the thickness of the material in the electron beam. It is shown that this can be related to the three dimensional shape of the nano-object. High resolution TEM imaging, combined with fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis, can determine the crystalline structure and orientation of nanoparticles as well as the presence of any defects. This combined approach allows the physical structure of a significant number of nano-objects to be characterised, relatively quickly.


Previous research has identified trade-offs when it comes to designing visualization tools. While constructive "bottom-up' tools promote a hands-on, user-driven design process that enables a deep understanding and control of the visual mapping, automated tools are more efficient and allow people to rapidly explore complex alternative designs, often at the cost of transparency. We investigate how to design visualization tools that support a user-driven, transparent design process while enabling efficiency and automation, through a series of design workshops that looked at how both visualization experts and novices approach this problem. Participants produced a variety of solutions that range from example-based approaches expanding constructive visualization to solutions in which the visualization tool infers solutions on behalf of the designer, e.g., based on data attributes. On a higher level, these findings highlight agency and granularity as dimensions that can guide the design of visualization tools in this space.


We report the first detection of the gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background through a measurement of the four-point correlation function in the temperature maps made by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. We verify our detection by calculating the levels of potential contaminants and performing a number of null tests. The resulting convergence power spectrum at 2° angular scales measures the amplitude of matter density fluctuations on comoving length scales of around 100 Mpc at redshifts around 0.5 to 3. The measured amplitude of the signal agrees with Lambda cold dark matter cosmology predictions. Since the amplitude of the convergence power spectrum scales as the square of the amplitude of the density fluctuations, the 4σ detection of the lensing signal measures the amplitude of density fluctuations to 12%.


Cyber-victimization is associated with mental health and behavioural problems and, consequently, young people need effective coping strategies. This study examined the relationship between the aggressive, assertive and passive actions of students after cyber-victimization and their mental health and behavioural problems. In total, 472 students reported being cyber-victimized (primary n = 101, secondary n = 371) and taking action. Student actions did not predict depressive or emotional symptoms. Students who responded aggressively used significantly fewer assertive strategies, had more conduct and hyperactivity problems, more overall difficulties, and fewer prosocial behaviours than students who responded assertively but not aggressively. Primary students reported more emotional symptoms and peer problems than secondary students. This study has important implications for the type (e.g., prosocial ICT skills, assertive skills training) and timing of the support provided to students who are cyber-victimized.


High‐grade sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of aggressive tumors arising in bone and soft tissues. They are usually treated with surgery combined in some cases with chemotherapy. Drugs active in osteosarcoma include adriamycin (ADM), cisplatin (CDDP), ifosfamide (IFO) and methotrexate (MTX), while ADM and IFO represent standard chemotherapy for synovial sarcomas. The survival of sarcomas has minimally improved in the past decades, and after relapse treatment options are limited.
Tumors grow within an intricate network of epithelial cells, vascular and lymphatic vessels, cytokines, chemokines and infiltrating immune cells. T‐ lymphocyte and antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) interactions are bi‐directional and mediated by ligands such as programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) on APCs and PD1 on lymphocytes. PD‐L1 is expressed also by several tumors. PD‐1 inhibitors such as pembrolizumab or nivolumab have been approved for many tumors and PD‐L1 expression on tumoral cells has been associated with response in some of the studies. However, few data on the prognostic and predictive role of infiltrating immune cells and PD‐1/PD‐L1 system in sarcoma are available.
Stromal cells present in the tumor microenvironment express high levels of CXCL12 protein, directly stimulating proliferation and migration of CXCR4‐expressing cancer cells. CXCR4/CXCL12 signalling therefore is an attractive therapeutic target in cancer, since CXCR4 inhibition might sensitize cancer cells to conventional chemotherapy.
Finally, another key element of the tumor microenvironment involves its vasculature. Tumor angiogenesis is related to suppression of T cell‐mediated tumor rejection. There are numerous examples that demonstrate a simultaneous activation of angiogenesis and immunosuppression. The overall goal of this project is to characterize the osteosarcoma and synovial sarcoma tumor microenvironment, to assess how the infiltrating immune cells can affect the prognosis of patients and to assess the activity of immune modulating (anti‐PD‐1), migration inhibitors (anti‐CXCR4) and antiangiogenetic (anti‐VEGFRs, anti‐PDGFRs) compounds in an in vitro sarcoma model.


Thesis: M. Eng. in Computer Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2016.


OF DISSERTATION INTEGRIN α5β1 AS A NOVEL TARGET WITH THE SMALL PEPTIDE, ATN-161, IN THE TREATMENT OF ISCHEMIC STROKE Stroke is the 5 leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States, but there are only two available therapies, tissue plasminogen activator and endovascular thrombectomy. As both therapies focus on removal of the clot, the subsequent pathologic processes, i.e. inflammation, cerebrovascular breakdown, ATP depletion, etc. are left untreated, contributing to worsened patient outcome. Many clinical trials have unsuccessfully attempted to address these mechanisms. The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a system of non-fenestrated endothelial cells, extracellular matrix, and astrocytic endfeet, is significantly impacted after ischemic stroke in its role of preventing the free movement of proteins from the blood into the brain. In fact, BBB dysfunction is viewed as one of the major facilitators of damage following ischemic stroke, leading to increased infarct volumes and worsened patient outcomes. Interestingly, a family of endothelial integrins, the b1 integrins, have been shown to regulate tight junction proteins preventing the free movement of molecules. When expression of the tight junctions are decreased, this results in increased BBB permeability. To test this concept, our laboratory has previously shown the knockout of the particular b1 integrin, a5b1, is neuroprotective following ischemic stroke through BBB stabilization. To determine if therapeutically targeting integrin α5β1 was feasible, we first determined if brain integrin a5b1 expression increases after experimental mouse ischemic stroke model, specifically tandem/transient common carotid artery/middle cerebral artery occlusion. We found that integrin α5β1 does increase acutely, by post-stroke day (PSD)2, and continued in an exponential fashion through PSD4. Next, we determined if integrin α5β1 was therapeutically accessible by systemic treatment (i.e. intraperitoneal or intravenous) by being located on the inside (luminal surface) of vasculature. We found that location of integrin a5b1 was dependent on the area relative to the stroke injury. The core, or area of direct impact, demonstrated expression of integrin α5β1 on the outside vasculature (abluminal surface), while per-infarct expression was localized to the lumen. Lastly, to determine the activity of integrin α5β1 following ischemic stroke, we showed that the potential ligands (binding partners), plasma fibronectin, fibrinogen, and amyloid-b, do not bind integrin α5β1 after ischemic stroke. Next, we determined the therapeutic potential of targeting integrin α5β1 with the small peptide, ATN-161. ATN-161 has undergone clinical trials in solid tumors, with limited side effects reported. First, we determined that intraperitoneal (IP) injection of ATN-161 was safe after ischemic stroke, showing no changes in heart rate, pulse distention (blood pressure), or body temperature. Next, we found that IP administration of ATN-161 after experimental ischemic stroke reduced infarct volumes, edema, and functional deficit. Furthermore, these results were due to reduction of BBB permeability and anti-inflammatory effects. Interestingly, ATN161 reduced cytokine production, prevented leukocyte infiltration, and leukocyte recruitment. Collectively, these results suggest that targeting integrin α5β1 with ATN-161 is 1) feasible, 2) safe and 3) effective, suggesting that ATN-161 may be a novel therapeutic treatment for ischemic stroke.


Transferrin-binding protein B (TbpB) is a surface-exposed protein, variable among strains of Neisseria meningitidis, that has been considered as a vaccine candidate. To define a TbpB molecule that would give rise to broadly cross-reactive antibodies with TbpB of many strains, specific antisera were produced against three recombinant TbpB variants from strain M982: one corresponding to the full-length TbpB; one in which stretches of amino acids located in the central part of the molecule, described as hypervariable, have been deleted; and one corresponding to the N-terminal half of the molecule, described as the human transferrin binding domain. The reactivity of these antisera against 58 serogroup B strains with a 2.1-kb tbpB gene representing different genotypes, serotypes, and subtypes and different geographic origins was tested on intact meningococcal cells. In parallel, the bactericidal activity of the antisera was evaluated against 15 of the 58 strains studied. Of the 58 strains, 56 (98%) reacted with the antiserum specific for the N-terminal half of TbpB M982; this antiserum was bactericidal against 9 of 15 strains (60%). On the other hand, 43 of 58 strains reacted with the antiserum raised to full-length TbpB while 12 of 15 (80%) were killed with this antiserum. The antiserum specific to TbpB deleted of its central domain gave intermediate results, with 53 of 58 strains (91.3%) recognized and 10 of 15 (66.6%) killed. These results indicate that the N-terminal half of TbpB was sufficient to induce cross-reactive antibodies reacting with the protein on meningococcal cells but that the presence of the C-terminal half of the protein is necessary for the induction of cross-bactericidal antibodies.


Accelerometers have been widely used in wearable systems for gait analysis. Several gait cycle parameters are provided to quantify the level of gait regularity and symmetry. This study attempts to assess abnormal gaits of Parkinson disease (PD) patients based on the gait cycle parameters derived in real-time from an accelerometry-based wearable motion detector (WMD). The results of an experiment with 25 healthy young adults showed that there were significant differences between gait cycle parameters of normal gaits and abnormal gaits derived from the WMD. Five PD patients diagnosed as Hoehn and Yahr stage I to II were recruited. It is difficult to collect data of abnormal gaits of the PD patients; therefore, ranges of the gait cycle parameters of abnormal gaits of PD patients were estimated statistically based on the "lower confidence limit" of the gait cycle parameters of their normal gaits. These results may lead to the future development of wearable sensors enabling real-time recognition of abnormal gaits of PD patients. Ambulatory rehabilitation, gait assessment and personal telecare for people with gait disorders are also possible applications.


"Muskogean specialists and linguists in general will find it hard to overestimate the significance of this dictionary . . . [it] contains vast amounts of important data, well analyzed, well organized, and well presented." --anthony mattina, professor of linguistics, university of montana The Alabama language, a member of the Muskogean language family, is spoken today by the several hundred inhabitants of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation in Polk County, Texas. This dictionary of Alabama was begun over fifty years ago by tribe member Cora Sylestine. She was aided after 1980 by linguists Heather K. Hardy and Timothy Montler, who completed work on the dictionary after her death. This state-of-the-art analytical dictionary contains over 8,000 entries of roots, stems, and compounds in the Alabama-English section. Each entry contains precise definitions, full grammatical analyses, agreement and other part-of-speech classifications, variant pronunciations, example sentences, and extensive cross-references to stem entries. The Alabama-English section is followed by a thorough English-Alabama finder list that functions as a full index to the definitions in the Alabama-English section.


As part of its efforts to monitor and characterize periodic variations in the Io plasma torus, the Wisconsin Space Physics group acquired Fabry-Perot spectra of [S II] λλ6716, 6731 for a 5 week period in 1988. Previous analysis showed periodicity, but, surprisingly, not at 10.2 hr—the persistent 3% subcorotational period, often called System IV, reported in other long-term torus data sets. We show here that our 1988 data exhibit a quasi-periodic intensity variation at 10.2 hr, characterized by two distinct intensity enhancements that abruptly changed in relative magnitude during the observational run. We also present perpendicular ion temperature data from the same period, showing a periodic variation anticorrelated with intensity after the aforementioned abrupt change, but no significant periodicity beforehand. This non/anticorrelation appears to eliminate the possibility that a slowly moving magnetic field enhancement is responsible for the subcorotational periodicity. Considering these and other long-term data, we suggest that the various observed subcorotational features are not themselves responsible for the 3% subcorotational period, but rather are independent features modulated or otherwise affected by a permanent, global phenomenon in the torus lagging corotation by 3%.


Background Machine learning models require large datasets that may be siloed across different health care institutions. Machine learning studies that focus on COVID-19 have been limited to single-hospital data, which limits model generalizability. Objective We aimed to use federated learning, a machine learning technique that avoids locally aggregating raw clinical data across multiple institutions, to predict mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 within 7 days. Methods Patient data were collected from the electronic health records of 5 hospitals within the Mount Sinai Health System. Logistic regression with L1 regularization/least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) models were trained by using local data at each site. We developed a pooled model with combined data from all 5 sites, and a federated model that only shared parameters with a central aggregator. Results The LASSOfederated model outperformed the LASSOlocal model at 3 hospitals, and the MLPfederated model performed better than the MLPlocal model at all 5 hospitals, as determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The LASSOpooled model outperformed the LASSOfederated model at all hospitals, and the MLPfederated model outperformed the MLPpooled model at 2 hospitals. Conclusions The federated learning of COVID-19 electronic health record data shows promise in developing robust predictive models without compromising patient privacy.


Context. We report on new modeling results based on the mm- to X-ray emission of the SgrA* counterpart associated with the massive∼4×10 6 M⊙ black hole at the Galactic Center. Aims. We investigate the physical processes responsible for the variable emission from SgrA*. Methods. Our modeling is based on simultaneous observations carried out on 07 July, 2004, using the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Lar ge Telescope ⋆ and the ACIS-I instrument aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory as well as the Submillimeter Array SMA ⋆⋆ on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and the Very Large Array ⋆⋆⋆ in New Mexico. Results. The observations revealed several flare events in all wavele ngth domains. Here we show that the flare emission can be described with a combination of a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model followed by an adiabatic expansion of the source components. The SSC emission at NIR and X-ray wavelengths involves up-scattered sub-millimeter photons from a compact source component. At the start of the flare, spectra of these components peak at fre quencies between several 100 GHz and 2 THz. The adiabatic expansion then accounts for the variable emission observed at sub-mm/mm wavelengths. The derived physical quantities that describe the flare emission give a blob expansion speed of vexp∼ 0.005c, magnetic field of B around 60 G or less and spectral indic es ofα=0.8 to 1.4, corresponding to a particle spectral index p∼2.6 to 3.8. Conclusions. A combined SSC and adiabatic expansion model can fully account for the observed flare flux densities and delay times covering the spectral range from the X-ray to the mm-radio domain. The derived model parameters suggest that the adiabatic expansion takes place in source components that have a bulk motion larger than vexp or the expanding material contributes to a corona or disk, confined to the immediate surroundings of SgrA*.


David Levine, vice president of the nonprofit organization Israel Cancer Association (ICA) and director of its annual fundraiser, has just finished watching a relatively new but well-respected muckraking television show called Fact. The program presented a report on the corruption plaguing a major Israeli nonprofit organization. In a simple and convincing manner, Fact contended that the money donated for years by Israeli citizens to soldiers' foundations was used for administrative costs and expense accounts; only a small portion benefited the soldiers. In the A case (UVA-BC-0143), Levine speculates on how Fact's report might reflect on his own organization and the financial ramifications it might hold for ICA's forthcoming annual fundraising drive. He does not look forward to tomorrow's meeting with his administrative staff, including his public-relations and marketing groups, concerning whether they should respond to the television report. The B case presents the options that the executive team considers. The case series ends with management's decision not to issue a formal response to the report.


Although most of the research conducted up to now has shown that interventions in social cognition are effective in the rehabilitation of persons with schizophrenia, there are still no clinical practice recommendations on the topic. Their development could facilitate the clinical work, resource management and the care provided to persons with such a disorder. This article addresses this need and performs a systematic review of the identified high-quality scientific evidence and develops clinical practice recommendations. A total of 40 clinical trials and 1 meta-analysis evaluating the effects of social cognition interventions for persons with schizophrenia were selected for the present study. Taking into account the evidence available and its quality, the authors developed three clinical practice recommendations on the positive effects of these interventions. The analysis of the evidence of the quality of the studies shows that more randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups are needed in order to establish more accurately the efficacy and effectiveness of social cognition interventions and therefore to favor the generalization of the results.


Antitumor activity of karminomycin used perorally was studied with respect to 3 strains of mouse transplantable tumors, i. e. one ascitic strain of lymphadenosis NK/LI and two solid strains of lymphosarcoma L10-1 and sarcoma 180. Karminomycin was shown to have a high antitumor activity against the above tumors on its oral administration. In the experiments with lymphadenosis NK/LI the efficiency of karminomycin was higher when it was used perorally as compared to its intravenous administration. It was found that karminomycin had practically the same inhibitory effect on growth of lymphosarcoma L10-1 and sarcoma 180 on its peroral and intravenous administration in doses equivalent by their toxicity.


This paper introduces, documents and reflects on an intercontinental live patching experience based on simultaneous remote interaction using the software Kiwi, and that can be subsumed under several features of Ubiquitous Music. The experience involved two academic groups based in three different universities between Brazil and France, namely, a research group from the two Brazilian Federal Universities of Acre and Paraiba, and a working group based at the University Paris 8 in France. The intercontinental simultaneous interaction may trigger reflections on the implications of the presence/absence of the human being, on the implicit patterns of territorialisation reproduced in the context of intercontinental live patching, and on the operative action of mnemonic processes within the practice.


While soil evaporation studies have typically focused on pure or low salinity water evaporation, higher salinity soil conditions are becoming more prevalent. This work explores the combined effect of matrix heterogeneity and salt precipitation on evaporation from soils. Long‐term evaporation processes were studied using sand columns, in which heterogeneity consisted of two layers with different grain sizes, and X‐ray computed tomography (CT) scanning to quantify salt deposition within pores. For saline solutions, three new stages of evaporation were defined: SS1, SS2, and SS3. SS1 exhibits a low and gradual decrease in evaporation rate because of increasing osmotic potential. During SS2, evaporation rate falls progressively because of salt‐crust formation. SS3 is characterized by a constant low evaporation rate. Even though phenomenologically similar to the well‐defined classical evaporation stages for pure water, these saline stages correspond to different mechanisms. It is shown that SS2 and SS3 take place while matrix water content can still support first‐stage evaporation. Salinity suppressed evaporation more strongly in homogeneous rather than in heterogeneous media. CT scans indicated preferential salt precipitation in the fine‐textured regions. Heterogeneous spatial distribution of salt precipitates within the media enabled vapor transport via large pores, while small pores were clogged with precipitated salts. A mathematical model was formulated that simulates evaporation for saline solutions from homogeneous and heterogeneous soils. The model was used to differentiate and quantify the mechanisms controlling each stage of the evaporation process.


Although content creators, instructors, and students alike see the value in providing interactive courseware to help students learn, they remain a costly solution to create. Platforms that allow the creation and delivery of interactive courseware are only fully utilized by those who can afford the labor cost of building hundreds of formative items just to start. Most of the time this means barriers are too high in either financial cost or extremely long development timelines. Our solution is called SmartStart, a process that works to reduce these barriers to creating courseware by automating basic steps that otherwise require significant manual labor. Automatic question generation (AQG) is one in a series of steps in the SmartStart process that work together to transform textbook content into a courseware learning environment.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To identify use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for relief of symptoms and side effects among women diagnosed with breast cancer and to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with the use of CAM in these patients.

DESIGN
A descriptive, cross-sectional survey.

SETTING
Clinics and community groups in the Tampa Bay area and community groups in a rural midwestern area.

SAMPLE
A convenience sample of 105 predominantly Caucasian women (mean age = 59 years) with a diagnosis of breast cancer was recruited from the Tampa Bay area and a rural midwestern area.

METHODS
The instrument used to gather the data was the Use of Complementary Therapies Survey. The reasons for choosing 33 individual CAM treatments were tabulated. The frequency of use was calculated according to four reasons: (a) to reduce physical symptoms or side effects, (b) to reduce psychological distress, (c) to gain a feeling of control over treatment, or (d) because of dissatisfaction with traditional medical care. Least-squares regression models were fit to identify independent demographic and clinical predictors of CAM therapy use.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Use of CAM for relief of physical and psychological distress.

FINDINGS
Patients used all categories of CAM therapies to reduce physical symptoms and side effects. The most frequently cited reason for use of CAM was to reduce the symptom of psychological distress, whereas the lowest frequency of CAM use was because of dissatisfaction with traditional medical care. Traditional and ethnic medicines frequently were used to reduce physical symptoms and side effects, followed by diet and nutritional supplements. The most frequently used CAM therapy category cited for gaining a feeling of control over treatment was use of diet and nutritional supplements. Previous chemotherapy and having more than a high school education were associated with more frequent use of diet and nutritional supplements and stress-reducing techniques.

CONCLUSIONS
Frequency of specific use according to type of CAM was higher and more specific than reported in other studies. Patients who had undergone chemotherapy were most likely to use CAM.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Oncology nurses are in a key position to identify which symptoms or side effects patients are experiencing and which CAM therapies may be helpful to relieve patients' symptoms related to treatment and psychological distress related to their cancer.


Individuals with schizophrenia smoke at high frequency relative to the general population. Despite the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, smoking among schizophrenic patients improves cognitive impairments not addressed or worsened by common neuroleptics. Varenicline, a nonselective neuronal nicotinic receptor (NNR) agonist and full agonist of 5-HT3A receptors, helps reduce smoking among schizophrenic patients. To determine whether varenicline also improves a cognitive symptom of schizophrenia, namely, impaired sensory gating, a transgenic mouse with schizophrenia, th-fgfr1(tk-), was used. Varenicline dose-dependently increased prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response, a measure of sensory gating, in th-fgfr1(tk-) mice and normalized PPI deficits relative to nontransgenic controls. With the highest dose (10 mg/kg), however, there was a robust elevation of PPI and startle response, as well as reduced exploratory behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze. Pretreatment with the nonspecific NNR antagonist mecamylamine attenuated the exaggerated PPI response and, similar to the 5-HT3A receptor antagonist ondansetron, it prevented the reduction in exploratory behavior. Collectively, these results indicate that varenicline at low-to-moderate doses may be beneficial against impaired sensory gating in schizophrenia; however, higher doses may induce anxiogenic effects, which can be prevented with antagonists of NNRs or 5-HT3A receptors.


BACKGROUND
Roma in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) face problems in accessing health care, and a lack of access to statutory health insurance schemes is a key factor. This study seeks to quantify differences in health insurance coverage between Roma and non-Roma and assess whether variations can be explained by socio-economic factors.

METHODS
Secondary household survey data collected in 12 CEE countries in 2011 were analysed. A univariate analysis assessed the effect of Roma status on insurance coverage by country. Multivariate analyses were used to progressively adjust for socio-demographic factors, employment status and income. Country-specific literature was drawn on to examine the context of the findings.

RESULTS
Lack of insurance coverage for Roma populations varied considerably between countries, from 2.8% without insurance in Slovakia to 67.7% in Albania. Roma were significantly less likely to have health insurance than non-Roma in all countries except Slovakia and Serbia. The greatest differences in Roma and non-Roma insurance coverage were in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. When adjusting for employment status and income, the gap between Roma and non-Roma remained significant in Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova.

CONCLUSION
Roma are significantly less likely to have insurance coverage in most CEE countries, and this gap remains when adjusting for socio-economic differences between Roma and non-Roma in many countries. Much needs to be done to address the known barriers that Roma face in accessing insurance coverage, such as tackling problems related to documentation and the receipt of social benefits.


i. This report focuses on violences, especially men's interpersonal violences, in keeping with the main themes in the Co-ordination Action on Human Rights Violation.
ii. The gendered study of violence has not been a high priority in research in Finland until recently.
iii. The most important research initiative in relation to men's violences has been the Academy of Finland "Targeted Call": Gender, Power and Violence (2000-2004).
iv. Recent research has emphasised the gendered nature of violence, especially men's violence to women; there appears to be an increase in approaches that bring together materialist and discursive analyses of these violences.
v. The most important policy intervention have been the National Programme for the Prevention of Prostitution and Violence Against Women (1998-2002, and a number of legal reforms in violence against women, sexual violence and trafficking, that have generally sought to increase safety.


SUMMARY. The objectives of this study were to develop and characterize the matrix type transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) of ondansetron hydrochloride (ODH). The matrix patch contains different ratios of Eudragit RS 100 and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) with different concentrations of plasticizer like triethyl citrate (TEC) and dibutyl sebacate (DBS) as well as vegetable oils such as linseed oil, castor oil and eugenol were added and prepared by solvent casting method. Thickness, tensile strength, drug content, moisture content and water absorption studies of the matrix patches were measured. The in vitro drug release and permeation studies were carried out in Franz diffusion cell. The percentage of drug release increased with increasing amounts of PVP and plasticizer, whereas DBS containing patches exhibited higher than TEC containing patches. It may conclude that transdermal patches which use Eudragit RS 100 as the base polymer with higher amount of PVP and plasticizer DBS and additions of linseed oil were suitable for the development of ODH transdermal patches.


When cultures of Salmonella typhimurium undergoing balanced growth are shifted from one medium to another, a definite pattern of rate changes is observed. Shifts from a low to a high growth rate result in a strict succession of events: RNA synthesis is immediately affected and its rate rapidly increases to that characteristic of the new medium; the increase in optical density shows a lag of a few minutes before the new rate is attained; DNA synthesis and cell division, on the other hand, continue at the old rate for appreciable periods of time and then abruptly shift to the new rates. The times at which these shifts take place are, at 37°, invariably 20 and 70 min., regardless of the actual growth rates before and after the shift. This rate maintenance effect on DNA synthesis and cell division is discussed in terms of specific rate-controlling mechanisms.


UNLABELLED

PREMISE OF THE STUDY
The genus Medicago, with about 87 species, includes the model legume species M. truncatula, and a number of important forage species such as M. sativa (alfalfa), M. scutellata (snail medic), and M. lupulina (black medic). Relationships within the genus are not yet sufficiently resolved, contributing to difficulty in understanding the evolution of a number of distinguishing characteristics such as aneuploidy and polyploidy, life history, structure of cotyledons, and number of seeds per fruit. •

METHODS
Phylogenetic relationships of 70-73 species of Medicago and its sister genus Trigonella (including Melilotus) were reconstructed from nucleotide sequences of the plastid trnK/matK region and the nuclear-encoded GA3ox1 gene (gibberellin 3-β-hydroxylase) using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. •

KEY RESULTS
Our results support certain currently recognized taxonomic groups, e.g., sect. Medicago (with M. sativa) and sect. Buceras. However, other strongly supported clades-the "reduced subsection Leptospireae clade" that includes M. lupulina, the "polymorpha clade" that includes M. murex and M. polymorpha and the "subsection Pachyspireae clade" that includes M. truncatula-each of which includes species presently in different subsections of sect. Spirocarpos, contradict the current classification. •

CONCLUSIONS
These results support the hypothesis that some characters considered important in existing taxonomies, for example, single-seeded fruits that have arisen more than once in both Medicago and Trigonella, are indeed homoplastic. Others, such as the 2n = 14 chromosome number, have also arisen independently within the genus. In addition, we demonstrate support for the utility of GA3ox1 sequences for phylogenetic analysis among and within closely related genera of legumes.


The SCAN-C is a test for auditory processing disorders in children developed in the USA. There are concerns that the SCAN-C may over-diagnose auditory processing disorders in UK children. There are also questions concerning the impact of language level and interpretation of SCAN-C results. SCAN-C results from 99 Oxfordshire school children aged 6 to 10 were compared to US-based normative data. Across all age bands, the UK sample scored significantly worse on two subtests: the filtered words (FW) and auditory figure-ground (AFG) sections as well as on the composite score. Differences in performance were largely due to accent effects. Applying US norms to UK children's performance results in a high rate of over-identification of listening difficulties. However, we show that US norms can be used provided SCAN-C scores for children in the UK are adjusted by adding a constant. Using factor analysis, SCAN-C subtests mapped onto two factors; FW and AFG onto a 'monaural low-redundancy degradation' factor, and CW and CS onto a 'binaural separation/competition' factor. Implications for use of the SCAN-C with UK children are discussed.


The need for a uniform understanding of international norms regarding freedom of navigation is increasingly important as more States develop capacity to act in the international maritime realm. Nowhere is the issue of freedom of navigation more contentious, with more potential to spark wider conflict, than in the South China Sea (SCS). Both the United States and China profess an interest in the free navigation of commercial vessels in the region. Beyond commercial shipping, however, the two nations disagree on the important issue of freedom of navigation for military vessels. The United States believes all nations have wide latitude under international law to conduct military activities at sea. China argues that U.S. military activities in the SCS infringe on Chinese sovereignty. The resolution of this dispute, which has resulted in several confrontations at sea between the two nations, has implications for peace and security in the SCS and beyond.


The plant rhizosphere interfaces an array of microbiomes related to plant growth and development. Cultivar-specific soil microbial communities with respect to their taxonomic structure and specific function have not been investigated explicitly in improving the adaptation of lentil cultivars under rice-fallow ecology. The present study was carried out to decipher the rhizosphere microbiome assembly of two lentil cultivars under rice-fallow ecology for discerning the diversity of microbial communities and for predicting the function of microbiome genes related to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling processes deploying high-throughput whole (meta) genome sequencing. The metagenome profile of two cultivars detected variable microbiome composition with discrete metabolic activity. Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Thaumarchaeota were abundant phyla in the "Farmer-2" rhizosphere, whereas Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, and some incompletely described procaryotes of the "Candidatus" category were found to be robustly enriched the rhizosphere of "Moitree". Functional prediction profiles of the microbial metagenomes between two cultivars revealed mostly house keeping genes with general metabolism. Additionally, the rhizosphere of "Moitree" had a high abundance of genes related to denitrification processes. Significant difference was observed regarding P cycling genes between the cultivars. "Moitree" with a profuse root system exhibited better N fixation and translocation ability due to a good "foraging strategy" for improving acquisition of native P under the nutrient depleted rice-fallow ecology. However, "Farmer-2" revealed a better "mining strategy" for enhancing P solubilization and further transportation to sinks. This study warrants comprehensive research for explaining the role of microbiome diversity and cultivar–microbe interactions towards stimulating microbiome-derived soil reactions regarding nutrient availability under rice-fallow ecology.


In this article the research related to the scope increase of incremental technology in machine industry is presented. Those technologies were used for the manufacture of components from polymeric materials with torque loaded such as: shafts, clutches of gear hubs and other elements of the propulsion system in which torque is transferred. To analyze the properties of the manufactured elements the original testing stand was designed and a series of preliminary torsional strength tests of the gear shaft fittings obtained using additive techniques have been carried out. On the basis of the obtained results it was stated that there is a clear influence of the printing plane in the applied incremental technologies [SLS (selective laser sintering) and FFF (fused filament fabrication)] on the torsion resistance of the obtained elements. The properties of the shafts also depend on the type of polymeric materials which they were made of.


The intravenous administration of Hartmann's solution at a rate sufficient to maintain the hourly urine volume between 0.5 and 1.0 ml/kg/hr is recommended during major operations. Intra-operative extracellular volume expansion followed by the administration of sodium containing fluids for 48 hours postoperatively decreases the incidence of haemodynamic instability and acute renal failure and results in normal water and sodium excretion by the kidney throughout the peri-operative period. Abnormal extracellular volume may exist prior to induction of anaesthesia particularly in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular, renal and hepatic disease. In these patients the suggested fluid regime should be administered with care and may require diuretic therapy. If the operative blood loss in adults is less than one litre, no blood may be necessary. If the loss is between one and 2 litres packed red cells may be sufficient, whereas with a greater loss, filtered whole blood, coagulation factors and platelet infusions may be required. When possible, transfusions of stored autologous blood is recommended for elective operations.


Noise power versus linear density is modeled focusing solely on the magnetization fluctuations. The model examines the effect of mid-to high-density trunctation of the recorded magnetization transitions. At these densities, the medium becomes increasingly erased and the low density linear noise slope can vanish or even change sign. The slope of the total noise power versus density depends on a tradeoff of decreasing transition noise and increasing (AC) erasure noise. At high densities, the noise becomes dominated by the large medium erasure noise. The role of head-medium parameters is illustrated.


An experimental study consisting 70 tests have been conducted to study the influence of addition of reinforcing fibers on concrete specimens. The experimental program included concrete specimens that were tested with modified Arcan test machine with different notch lengths. The reinforcing effect of highly dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in concrete has been investigated. The results revealed that inclusion of CNTs in the design mix improve both the tensile fracture characteristics and compressive strength when not mixed with a surfactant compound. The improvement in the mechanical properties specimens with the addition of CNTs are observed more clearly with increasing curing age. The mixing process to achieve uniformly dispersed and properly mixed mortar however requires specialized equipment, such as ultrasonic mixers. The results also indicated some dependency on the size of the specimens, which is a well known phenomenon that is observed for brittle heterogenous materials such as concrete. Copyright © 2014 VBRI press.


RECENTLY, a group of researchers from the U.S. and the broader international community have developed coordinated plans for observational and modeling work in the western tropical Atlantic. The overall research program is referred to as WESTRAX, for Western Tropical Atlantic Experiment. This article summarizes the research plans of the various participants and the scientific issues that have motivated the studies.


Chronic nasal obstruction due to hypertrophic rhinitis is commonly associated with perennial allergic and nonallergic rhinitis. It is not a simple enlargement of mucosal and submucosal tissues, but it is characterized by deep histological modifications. This pathology, a very frequent condition encountered in rhinological practice, has a significant impact on quality of life. Patients usually complain about sneezing, rhinorrhea, frontal headache, postnasal drip, snoring, blocked nasal ducts, and sleep disorders. When medical therapy fails, surgical reduction of inferior turbinates is mandatory. A large variety of surgical techniques in literature exist, but there is a lack of consensus about which is the proper technique to perform. In this chapter, we describe the most important techniques of inferior turbinate reduction with advantages and disadvantages of each one.


Abstract: Ion microprobe U–Th–Pb analyses combined with cathodoluminescence imaging of zircons from a meta-anorthosite from the Central Zone of the Limpopo Belt record five distinct events. The most concordant ages of cores of zircon yielded a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 3344 ± 3.6 Ma, representing the protolith age. The unzoned overgrowths yielded four discrete groups with weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb ages of 3150 ± 15 Ma, 2614 ± 4 Ma, 2488 ± 22 Ma and 2009 ± 28 Ma, representing four possible metamorphic events in the Central Zone. This is the first time that a succession of several metamorphic events has been demonstrated in a single rock-type from the Limpopo Belt. Supplementary material: Analytical methods and data are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18368.


Solid lubricants technology is a burgeoning field that deserves the attention of the designer of machines and devices that will operate in ordinary as well as in extreme environments. This article describes solid lubrication processes, the mechanisms by which solid lubricants function, the properties of solid lubricants, and the materials involved in solid lubrication and techniques for their application. Self-lubricating composites containing solid lubricants are described, which are useful as maintenance-free gears, bearings, and commutator brushes. Reliability of solid lubrication and wear life of solid-film lubricants are being improved by designing machine elements specifically to employ solid lubricants and by careful matching of the solid lubricant with the substrate bearing material.


The Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl/SS) rat, a genetic model of salt-sensitive hypertension and heart failure, develops left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy after five to six weeks and cardiac failure with LV dilation and contractile dysfunction after 10 to 12 weeks of high-salt (HS) intake. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of zamicastat, a selective peripheral dopamine β-hydroxylase inhibitor, on cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in Dahl/SS during chronic HS intake.
 Eight week-old Dahl/SS rats were randomized into three groups; two groups received for 10 weeks a HS (8% NaCl) diet, one of which received 30 mg/kg/day zamicastat (HS+ZAMI); a third cohort received normal-salt diet (NS-0.3% NaCl) and served as controls. In the last week of treatment, 3 out of 10 animals from the HS group and 1 out of 10 from HS+ZAMI group were found dead. All animals from the NS group survived (n=8). Rats in the HS and HS+ZAMI groups showed heart and kidney hypertrophy as indicated by higher heart/body weight ratios (3.86±0.05 and 3.63±0.09 vs 2.96±0.05 mg/g) and kidney/body weight ratios (5.23±0.29 and 4.80±0.24 vs 3.41±0.06 mg/g), as compared to the NS group. A multiplex inflammatory cytokine assay was used to profile expression of 23 inflammatory mediators. Plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-7 and GM-CSF were significantly increased in the HS, but not in the HS-ZAMI group. Plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 were higher in the HS and HS+ZAMI than in NS group (105.0±10.4 and 85.2±5.9 vs 67.6±2.8 pg/ml). The HS group, but not HS+ZAMI, showed hypercholesterolemia (4.45±0.23 and 3.72±0.37 vs 3.07±0.22 mmol/l). Both HS and HS+ZAMI cohorts had reduced levels of free fatty acids (0.23±0.02 and 0.23±0.02 vs 0.35±0.02 mmol/l) and normal levels of triglycerides in plasma (1.87±0.29 and 1.69±0.18 vs 1.28±0.15 mmol/l). Insulin plasma levels in HS and HS+ZAMI groups were lower than in NS group (1.45±0.26 and 1.90±0.22 vs 4.03±0.40 ng/ml), but the glucose levels were similar in all three groups (162±5 and 168±7 vs 150±7 mg/dl).
 In conclusion, chronic HS intake deteriorates several cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in Dahl/SS rats, which can be prevented by dopamine β-hydroxylase inhibition with zamicastat.


Steady-state and time-resolved techniques were employed to study the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) from d-luciferin, the natural substrate of the firefly luciferase, to the mild acetate base in aqueous solutions. We found that in 1 M aqueous solutions of acetate or higher, a proton transfer (PT) process to the acetate takes place within 30 ps in both H(2)O and D(2)O solutions. The time-resolved emission signal is composed of three components. We found that the short-time component decay time is 300 and 600 fs in H(2)O and D(2)O, respectively. This component is attributed either to a PT process via the shortest water bridged complex available, ROH··H(2)O··Ac(-), or to PT taking place within a contact ion pair. The second time component of 2000 and 3000 fs for H(2)O and D(2)O, respectively, is attributed to ROH* acetate complex, whose proton wire is longer by one water molecule. The decay rate of the third, long-time component is proportional to the acetate concentration. We attribute it to the diffusion-assisted reaction as well as to PT process to the solvent.


Sir .—I read about Friman's 1 research in the Toronto Daily Star and would like to explain how I get thumbsucking children to stop. I teach parenting in a Toronto high school and direct a small on-site nursery laboratory center for 3-year-old children. Thumb-sucking is discussed as something one does at home, in one's bed, usually when sleepy. I explain that since we have no bed at school, I will arrange a little corner as a bed, and if I see children sucking their thumbs, I let them rest there. I ask the child, "Are you still sleepy, do you need to rest some more?" The response is usually "no," and the thumb comes out. The second time this happens I say, "I see you are still tired," and I lead the child to the "little bed" and say "When you are finished sucking your thumb, come back and join


Abstract Milk fat globules (MFGs), which are secreted by the epithelial cells of the lactating mammary glands, account for the most of the nutritional value of milk. They are enveloped by the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), a complex structure consisting of three phospholipid membrane monolayers and containing various lipids. Depending on the origin of milk, specific proteins accounts for 5–70% of the MFGM mass. Proteome of MFGMs includes hundreds of proteins, with nine major components being adipophilin, butyrophilin, cluster of differentiation 36, fatty acid binding protein, lactadherin, mucin 1, mucin 15, tail-interacting protein 47 (TIP47), and xanthine oxidoreductase. Two of the MFGM components, adipophilin and TIP47, belong to the five-member perilipin family of lipid droplet proteins. Adipophilin is involved in the formation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets and secretion of MFGs. This protein is also related to the formation of other lipid droplets that exist in most cell types, playing an important role in the transport of lipids from ER to the surface of lipid droplets. TIP47 acts as a cytoplasmic sorting factor for mannose 6-phosphate receptors and is recruited to the MFGM. Therefore, both adipophilin and TIP47 are moonlighting proteins, each possessing several unrelated functions. This review focuses on the main functions and specific structural features of adipophilin and TIP47, analyzes similarities and differences of these proteins among different species, and describes these proteins in the context of other members of the perilipin family. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma


The influence of preliminary treatment in hydrogen plasma on elimination of radiation defects and formation of thermal donors has been studied in detector structures made of standard and oxygenated float zone silicon has been studied. A new type of thermal donors has been found in as-treated diodes. These thermal donors are unstable and can be eliminated by heat-treatment at 200-250°C. After irradiation with 3.5 MeV electrons the detectors had been annealed at temperatures of 50-350 °C. It has been found that preliminary hydrogenation at 300 °C leads to disappearance of main vacancy-type radiation defects at lower annealing temperatures. The annealing of hydrogenated and irradiated crystals is accompanied by hydrogen redistribution and formation of hydrogen-related donors. Preliminary irradiation influences on both these processes.