To reduce emissions caused by SI engines, gasoline-ethanol blends (bioethanol) represents not only an alternative as well as an immediate response to current and future policies related to reducing pollution (10). There are numerous scientific studies have shown that bioethanol-gasoline blends has several disadvantages. Functional parameters such as engine power, torque and BSFC are much inferior to the use of gasoline (in particular the use of fuel blends containing a higher volume of bioethanol 20%). One way to reduce these major drawbacks is the conditioning (reforming) of biofuels by external energy intake (6) in the form of direct ultrasonic irradiation, which represents an original approach in the biofuels research domain. The purpose of the experiments is to improve the energetic possibilities of biofuels, to can be use in a great proportion as blended fuel with fossil fuels. The paper presents the experimental results and data's obtained studying the influence of ultrasonic irradiation process on BE5-BE20 bioethanol- gasoline blends. To determine the influence of external energy on functional parameters of a spark ignition (SI) engine fueled with gasoline and ethanol blends was use an experimental stand equipped, developed and adjusted in accordance with the methodology of research in the field. Parameters considered in carrying out the experimental research are effective power, effective engine torque and brake specific fuel consumption. Experiments show possibilities in improving the energetic potentials of bioethanol-gasoline blends fuels for use in SI engines. Improvements exist for all considered parameters (power, torque and BSFC) for the entire range of engine speeds. For a full understanding of the phenomena that occur during the process of ultrasonic irradiation, future research is needed to determine the chemical transformations that may occur in the frame of this process. Possibilities to appear new class of peroxide compounds during ultrasonic irradiation process (due to the existence of OH radical in the molecular structure of bioethanol) may worsen the long-term storage properties of this class of fuels. Studies are also needed to establish the existence of an optimal-frequency and intensity of radiation to establish the optimum point, linked directly with the economic aspect in the development and application possibilities of such devices on SI engines.


Abstract Genomic studies of invasive species can reveal both invasive pathways and functional differences underpinning patterns of colonization success. The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) was initially introduced to eastern North America nearly 200 years ago where it expanded northwards to eastern Nova Scotia. A subsequent invasion to Nova Scotia from a northern European source allowed further range expansion, providing a unique opportunity to study the invasion genomics of a species with multiple invasions. Here, we use restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing‐derived SNPs to explore fine‐scale genomewide differentiation between these two invasions. We identified 9137 loci from green crab sampled from 11 locations along eastern North America and compared spatial variation to mitochondrial COI sequence variation used previously to characterize these invasions. Overall spatial divergence among invasions was high (pairwise FST ~0.001 to 0.15) and spread across many loci, with a mean FST ~0.052 and 52% of loci examined characterized by FST values >0.05. The majority of the most divergent loci (i.e., outliers, ~1.2%) displayed latitudinal clines in allele frequency highlighting extensive genomic divergence among the invasions. Discriminant analysis of principal components (both neutral and outlier loci) clearly resolved the two invasions spatially and was highly correlated with mitochondrial divergence. Our results reveal extensive cryptic intraspecific genomic diversity associated with differing patterns of colonization success and demonstrates clear utility for genomic approaches to delineating the distribution and colonization success of aquatic invasive species.


Neuronal PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells are highly suitable in vitro models for study of the neurodegenerative mechanisms occurring in Parkinson's disease (PD). Differentiated PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells bear many similarities to the neuronal populations affected in PD, and they provide a convenient source of large amounts of homogeneous material for biochemical and molecular downstream applications. In the present review, we describe how to differentiate PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells into neuron-like cells and provide protocols for their transfection with plasmids and infection with viral particles to manipulate gene expression. We also describe how to treat neuronal PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells with the classical PD neurotoxins 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium ion (MPP+). Finally, we give detailed methods for several downstream applications useful for the analysis of cell death pathways in PD.


This paper summarizes recent findings on the 'how' and 'why' of stereotypic behaviours. The focus will be on the 'how' question and will in particular discuss the caustions of stereotypies and the underlying mechanism in which stereotypic behaviours develop. First I will outline stereotypic behaviours from a welfare perspective and address in brief the evolutionary aspect and possible functions of stereotypies (the 'why' question). This section will be more outlined in the discussion part. Then two paradigms in sciences will be discussed about the 'how' of stereotypic behaviours. The first will be from a physiological perspective, that supports the idea that a physiological discomfort is the trigger to perform a stereotypy. The second paradigm is from a neurophysiological point of view and shows that the development of a stereotypy is caused by changes in the mesoaccumbens dopamine pathway within the brain, which forms the base for the development of a stereotypic behaviour. This paradigm will be demonstrated with a neurological model of stereotypic development and shows chronic stress and a predisposition in the genotype as being extremely important to the underlying causes. With the extend that stereotypies can have advantages and disadvantages as well, it is questionable whether we should treat stereotypies or not. This will be more outlined in the discussion part.


An encoder is described which features nonuniform qnantizing by combining the processes of encoding and compression. The encoder utilizes the feedback weighing principle and achieves compression in accordance with a 13-segment characteristic. A distinguishing feature of the encoder is that it uses a certain redundancy in circuit elements instead of employing elements with close tolerances.


Objectives: Towards relate the probability and efficiency of two methods of local anesthesia with Lidocaine 2% for laparotomy in goat.
Material and methods: A total of 10 goats experiencing laparotomy were divided into two groups of 5: one group undertook a Line block anesthesia (Line Block) technique consisting of an incisional line block, and the other group undertook distal paravertebral anesthesia (DPVA). Indications for laparotomy were rumenotomy and exploratory laparotomy. The two methods were compared with affection to the reaction of the goats to the application of anesthesia, the degree of difficulty and the amount of time and anesthetic agent required. The reactions of the goats to incision of the various layers of the abdominal wall, abdominal exploration and surgical closure of the abdomen and wound healing time were evaluated.
Results: The study was about a comparison of which technique is better for laparotomy. Both techniques required a mean of 5 minutes to complete but the DPVA method was considered more difficult than the LB. Comparison of the two techniques in respect to different types of pain reactions (no reaction, non-specific reaction, specific reaction) during cutting of the different layers of the abdominal wall revealed that DPVA provided significantly better analgesia than the LB. After DPVA, pain reactions to incision of the external oblique abdominal muscle were more severe, but reactions to abdominal exploration and to suturing the two oblique abdominal muscles were significantly milder than after LB and wound healing was significantly better than the LB.
 Conclusion and clinical significance: Neither technique resulted in the consistent and complete elimination of pain reactions in every patient, but overall DPVA had better results than the LB. The analgesic effect of both techniques could be improved by mild tranquillization/sedate before laparotomy.


Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) is an additive manufacturing technique that uses ultrasound to merge metal foils (150 μm thick, 24 mm wide) layer by layer to fabricate threedimensional bodies. As new layers are deposited and the height-to-width ratio of the built feature changes, the dynamics of UAM changes accordingly. Prior research suggested the existence of a limit for the height-to-width ratio. Above this limit, additional layers fail to bond because the built feature reaches its resonance frequency. Specifically, the bond failure is affected by the lack of plastic shear deformation between two foils which is essential to the generation of true metallic bonds. As the height-to-width ratio falls in the critical range, the built feature becomes resonant under the high-frequency excitations (20 kHz) of the sonotrode, leading to largeamplitude oscillations matching those of the sonotrode, and resulting in reduction of differential motion and therefore plastic shear deformation between the foils. In order to develop a model incorporating plasticity, heat transfer, and friction to study UAM, 2-D and 3-D lump parameter models consisting of mass-spring networks are proposed to study the dynamics of the elastic part of the built feature. The models are established such that they preserve the modal parameters of the built feature in free vibration. The lumped parameter models are validated by comparing their modal predictions with those from 2-D and 3-D finite element models. The lumped parameter model will be coupled with a 3-D finite element model to describe an elasto-plastic bonding layer introducing the friction and thermal aspects of UAM. By examining the deformation of the bonding layer under the combined effects of the excitation of the sonotrode and the vibration of the built feature, the bond failure due to geometry change of the built feature will be better understood and quantified in the future.


Many engineering systems require both continuous and discrete valued signals, as well as continuous and discrete time scales in their descriptions and are therefore known as hybrid systems. Recently, the concept of time-scale calculus was introduced as a unification of the theory of difference and differential equations, making it an ideal tool to analyze hybrid systems. The time-scale calculus can handle solutions of hybrid systems with infinitely many jumps. However, to date time-scale calculus restricts time to a non-empty closed subset of the real line which is not general enough to fully capture the dynamics of hybrid systems. A generalization is proposed to extend time-scale calculus such that the time can be defined on more suitable subsets of the real line. Stability definitions of hybrid systems using this framework are also introduced together with a Lyapunov characterization of global uniform stability. A few examples demonstrate the usefulness of this new framework.


Rational design of bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts with high activity and low cost is crucial but still challenging for the development of rechargeable energy storage devices. In this work, a novel bimetallic phosphide confined within P, N co-doped carbon layers is achieved through a space-confinement phosphorization strategy. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the obtained bimetallic phosphide nanoparticle-containing hybrid can serve as a highly efficient bifunctional oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (ORR/OER) catalyst. It delivers a small potential difference of 0.75 V in 0.1 M KOH solution along with long-term catalytic durability, superior to most of the non-precious metal catalysts reported to date. The detailed synchrotron-based spectra results combined with structural characterizations reveal that the constructed hierarchical structure endows the confined bimetallic phosphide catalyst with abundant catalytic sites and stable spatial structure, thereby achieving remarkable electrocatalytic performance. This work opens up a facile way to design effective and durable bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for practical applications in renewable energy production, especially in rechargeable metal–air batteries and regenerative fuel cells.


Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and therapeutic effect of engaging children of differing neuromotor and cognitive ability in a virtual reality (VR) tabletop workspace designed to improve upper-limb function. Method: Single-subject experimental design with multiple baselines was employed. Four children with hemiplegia participated in VR-based training between nine and 19, 30-minute sessions, over three-four weeks. Outcomes were assessed from the perspective of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; considering body function, activity performance and participation. Upper-limb performance was assessed using system-measured variables (speed, trajectory and accuracy) and standardized tests. Trend analyses were employed to determine trends on system variables between baseline phase and treatment phases. Standardised measures were compared between pre- and post-training. Results: Two children made progress across system variables with some translation to daily activities. Performance of the other two children was more variable, however, they engaged positively with the system by the end of the treatment phase. Conclusions: The VR (RE-ACTION) system shows promise as an engaging rehabilitation tool to improve upper-limb function of children with hemiplegia, across ability levels. Trade-offs between kinematic variables should be considered when measuring improvements in movement skill. Larger trials are warranted to evaluate effects of augmented feedback, intensity and duration of training, and interface type to optimise the system's effectiveness. Implications for Rehabilitation The RE-ACTION system shows promise as a relatively low-cost solution to support therapies for upper-limb function and activity participation for children with hemiplegia and associated conditions. The combination of goal-directed tasks, augmented feedback, and engaging exploratory environments is a potentially quite powerful rehabilitation solution for children. Increased task engagement supported positive outcomes of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health − Children and Youth version, including body function and activity levels as well as enhanced participation. Larger experimental trials are required to test the capacity of the system to progress the skills of children with multiple disabilities.


Current concept learners are limited in their applicability as they generally rely on comparatively poor knowledge representation facilities (e.g. attribute value pairs, flattened horn clauses). The work carried out in support of my thesis has involved extending concept learning to a higher order setting by developing a novel representation based on closed Escher terms for highly structured data. The added expressiveness offered by the proposed representation results in an explosion of the search space, which is compounded by the increased complexity of its structure. This paper describes an investigation into the use of genetic programming techniques to allow the exploitation of higher-order features during the induction of structured concept descriptions.


The Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent form of age-related dementia, is a multifactorial and heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease. The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of AD are yet largely unknown. However, the etiopathogenesis of AD likely resides in the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. Among the different factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of AD, amyloid-beta peptides and the genetic risk factor apoE4 are prominent on the basis of genetic evidence and experimental data. ApoE4 transgenic mice have deficits in spatial learning and memory associated with inflammation and brain atrophy. Evidences suggest that apoE4 is implicated in amyloid-beta accumulation, imbalance of cellular antioxidant system and in apoptotic phenomena. The mechanisms by which apoE4 interacts with other AD risk factors leading to an increased susceptibility to the dementia are still unknown. The aim of this research was to provide new insights into molecular mechanisms of AD neurodegeneration, investigating the effect of amyloid-beta peptides and apoE4 genotype on the modulation of genes and proteins differently involved in cellular processes related to aging and oxidative balance such as PIN1, SIRT1, PSEN1, BDNF, TRX1 and GRX1. In particular, we used human neuroblastoma cells exposed to amyloid-beta or apoE3 and apoE4 proteins at different time-points, and selected brain regions of human apoE3 and apoE4 targeted replacement mice, as in vitro and in vivo models, respectively. All genes and proteins studied in the present investigation are modulated by amyloid-beta and apoE4 in different ways, suggesting their involvement in the neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying the AD. Finally, these proteins might represent novel potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in AD.


The decade of the '80s saw a dramatic nationwide increase in healthcare receivables. External factors including a tougher regulatory environment and tighter internal budgets augmented this rise. Hospitals that have been successful at managing their receivables have done so through a variety of both operational and system improvements including Receivables Performance Management and a performance accountability reporting system (PARS).


A new species of Munidopsis Whiteaves, 1874 is reported from the south of Crete, at 2046-2104 m, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The species ( M. ariadne ) is morphologically closely related to M. maunga Schnabel and Bruce, 2006, from New Zealand. The species is also close to M. polymorpha Koelbel, 1892, from Lanzarote, Canary Islands, and M. talismani A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1894, from the NW Africa. The new species is described and illustrated and a diagnosis along with full illustration is provided for the latter 2 species.


A survey by questionnaire of 280 hospitals with general intensive care units was carried out to find out what facilities were provided for secondary transport of seriously ill patients in the United Kingdom. Replies were received from 181 units. Extrapolating from the survey data showed that about 10 000 patients were transported each year, although many units transferred only a few patients. An appreciable minority of units reported that facilities for secondary transport were inadequate and many were obliged to send inexperienced medical staff with patients. Almost half of the respondents thought that arrangements for transfer were unsatisfactory, but only a tenth said that they delayed or refused transfer for this reason. This undoubtedly reflects a policy of "making do" despite inadequate resources. We believe that these results support the concept of regional transport services, where each major unit would be adequately equipped and staffed and unnecessary duplication of resources avoided.


This paper describes electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which is an important element of the mobility market. It presents electric vehicle functional groups, where smart chargers are the most popular and provide lots of benefits in respect to offline ones. It also depicts chargers types according to a connector type, charger power and its application. It investigates communication protocols, referring to applicable electric vehicles standards. Different charging modes allows to charge an electric vehicle, where a series of complex conditions are desirable in order to ensure as well as AC and DC charging with high power LEVEL. It describes OCCP protocol which ensures communication between an operator and the charger.


Multi-label classification is an important yet challenging task in natural language processing. It is more complex than single-label classification in that the labels tend to be correlated. Existing methods tend to ignore the correlations between labels. Besides, different parts of the text can contribute differently for predicting different labels, which is not considered by existing models. In this paper, we propose to view the multi-label classification task as a sequence generation problem, and apply a sequence generation model with a novel decoder structure to solve it. Extensive experimental results show that our proposed methods outperform previous work by a substantial margin. Further analysis of experimental results demonstrates that the proposed methods not only capture the correlations between labels, but also select the most informative words automatically when predicting different labels.


The authors propose a novel image adaptive watermarking scheme for geometrically invariant and high-capacity data embedding scheme based on accurate and fast framework for the computation of Zernike moments (ZMs). The high capacity is achieved by maximising data embedding size and improving the hiding ratio after reducing the inaccuracies in the computation of ZMs. Furthermore, they also introduce a concept of conditional quantisation technique which enables to reduce the total number of ZMs needed to be modified during watermark embedding. This concept enhances the visual imperceptibility of the watermarked image and its robustness against various attacks. Numerous experiments have been performed to demonstrate the improvements in embedding capacity, visual imperceptibility, watermark robustness and time complexity as compared with the existing methods.


A 32-year-old male was admitted to our hospital complaining of fever and dyspnea on effort. Laboratory data on admission indicated leukocytosis and elevation of C-reactive protein. A chest radiograph showed diffuse reticulonodular shadows in both lower lung fields, and a chest computed tomography showed centrilobular reticulonodular opacity. Bronchoscopic findings revealed a large amount of slightly yellowish secretion in all bronchi. Cells found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) included 61% neutrophils. Haemophilus influenzae was isolated from cultures of the BALF and sputum. Transtracheal lung biopsy specimens showed focal infiltration of neutrophils in the alveoli, and the pathological findings in the lung were compatible with bronchiolopneumonia. Since the CD4/CD8 ratio was 0.09 and a positive reaction was obtained for anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody, HIV-associated pneumonia due to H. influenzae was diagnosed. Seven days' administration of cefozopran improved the patient's condition. It is interesting that radiological findings are often unusual in HIV-infected patients with H. influenzae pneumonia.


Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a fundamental method for estimating a linear subspace approximation to high-dimensional data. Many algorithms exist in literature to achieve a statistically robust version of PCA called RPCA. In this paper, we present a geometric framework for computing the principal linear subspaces in both situations that amounts to computing the intrinsic average on the space of all subspaces (the Grassmann manifold). Points on this manifold are defined as the subspaces spanned by K-tuples of observations. We show that the intrinsic Grassmann average of these subspaces coincide with the principal components of the observations when they are drawn from a Gaussian distribution. Similar results are also shown to hold for the RPCA. Further, we propose an efficient online algorithm to do subspace averaging which is of linear complexity in terms of number of samples and has a linear convergence rate. When the data has outliers, our proposed online robust subspace averaging algorithm shows significant performance (accuracy and computation time) gain over a recently published RPCA methods with publicly accessible code. We have demonstrated competitive performance of our proposed online subspace algorithm method on one synthetic and two real data sets. Experimental results depicting stability of our proposed method are also presented. Furthermore, on two real outlier corrupted datasets, we present comparison experiments showing lower reconstruction error using our online RPCA algorithm. In terms of reconstruction error and time required, both our algorithms outperform the competition.


Tipranavir is one of the latest approved HIV protease inhibitors. This non-peptidic molecule is an strong inducer of cytochrome P450 and has to be co-administered with low doses ritonavir as pharmacokinetic booster to achieve effective antiviral activity in vivo. As expected, significant drug interactions may occur in patients treated with tipranavir/ritonavir, including diminished exposure to some antiretroviral agents. Although a few interactions can be managed with adequate drug dosing others preclude to use these medications in combination.


This article is a critical study of the adaptation and staging of Greek tragedy in hebei bangzi (Hebei clapper opera). It examines the rationale for these adaptations and contrasts their dramaturgy, staging, and performance with the premises of Greek theatre. The author argues that because of the inherent differences in dramaturgy, staging, and performance between hebei bangzi and Greek tragedy, these adaptations, conceived as a "fusion" of these two theatrical traditions, are, in fact, a displacement of Greek tragedies from their theatrical and artistic contexts and an appropriation of them as raw materials to meet the dramatic, scenic, and performance prerequisites of hebei bangzi. The significance of these adaptations is twofold: first, as they use a complete and authentic form of Chinese xiqu and the stories from Greek tragedy, they are effective in facilitating the understanding of Chinese xiqu in the West; second, they provide yet another approach to performing Greek tragedy and help materialize our modernist imagination of its performance style.


In recent years large-scale studies of different genotype-phenotype (GP) maps, including those of RNA secondary structure, lattice proteins, and self-assembling Polyominoes, have revealed that these maps share structural properties. Such properties include skewed distributions of genotypes per phenotype, negative correlations between genotypic evolvability and robustness, positive correlations between phenotypic evolvability and robustness, and the fact that a majority of phenotypes can be reached from any genotype in just a few mutations. Traditionally this research has focused on deterministic GP maps, meaning that a single sequence maps to a single outcome. Here, by contrast, we consider non-deterministic GP maps, in which a single sequence can map to multiple outcomes. Most GP maps already contain such sequences, but these are typically classified as a single, undesirable phenotype for the reason that biological processes typically rely on robust transformation of sequences into biological structures and functions. For the same reason, however, non-deterministic phenotypes play an important role in diseases, and a deeper understanding of non-deterministic GP maps may therefore inform the study of their evolution. By redefining deterministic and non-deterministic Polyomino self-assembly phenotypes in terms of the pattern of possible interactions rather than the final structure we are able to calculate GP map properties for the non-deterministic part of the map, and find that they match those found in deterministic maps.


The classical result of Kramers (1940), originally related to chemical reaction rates, is applied in this letter to a second-order all-pole, coherent code tracking delay-locked loop (DLL). A very simple, explicit expression for the leading order term of the mean time to lose lock (MTLL) is presented. The dependence of the MTLL on the loop tension (offset) due to Doppler shift and code clock mismatch is given, and optimal loop parameters which minimize the MTLL are proposed. >


Right issue is the subsequent stock offerings that give priority to the existing shareholders to buy new shares at a specified price and time. There are several reasons why a firm does right issue, for example, to raise firm's capital, investment expansion or to pay the debt. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of the right issue on the abnormal return of the company. This research uses secondary data from the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2016. A sample of 18 firms met the criteria selection. The results show that there is no abnormal return in the days surrounding right issue announcement. The results also find that abnormal stock return in the days after right issue announcement is not lower or equal to the days before right issue announcement.


There is a growing relationship between academic libraries and cloud computing. Therefore, understanding the beginnings and the current use of cloud base services in libraries is important. This will help understand the factors that libraries should consider in the future. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the future implementation of the cloud based software in academic settings. Using cloud based, web based, and other remote services may bring both advantages and disadvantages, some of which this paper will bring out. First, a brief literature review of the academic literature, and a review of available general-purpose cloud-based library products are conducted. Next, a real-life scenario for a mid-sized New Zealand institution of higher education is evaluated. This case involves moving from a locally hosted version of EZproxy to a cloud based version with support from the vendor. As this information system decision is an important one, this paper makes a contribution to the available literature and can be informative for librarians. In conclusion, academic libraries will gradually involve more pervasive use of cloud based systems. The examples of important factors to be considered in future decisions include timing and staffing.


It is generally accepted that the PSR B 1509-58 is associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) MSH 15-52 (G 320.4-01.2). The spin-down age of the pulsar is $\simeq$1700 years, while the size and the general appearance of the SNR suggest that this system is much older. A few possible explanations of this discrepancy have been put forward. We offer an alternative one and suggest that the high spin-down rate of the pulsar characterizes only a relatively short period of its (present) spin history, and that the enhanced braking torque is connected with the interaction between the pulsar's magnetosphere and the dense matter of a circumstellar clump (created during the late evolutionary stages of the supernova (SN) progenitor star). Our suggestion implies that the "true" age of PSR B 1509-58 could be much larger than the spin-down age, and therefore the SNR MSH 15-52 is a middle-aged remnant similar to the Vela SNR (G 263.9-3.3). We also suggest that the dense (neutral) gas of the circumstellar clump could be responsible for the enhanced neutral hydrogen absorption towards PSR B 1509-58, and that the optical emission of an optical counterpart for PSR B 1509-58 should rather be attributed to a bow shock around this pulsar than to the pulsar itself.


In this experiment, clay loam, fine sandy loam and silty loam collected from the farmland (FL), floodplain (FP) and Loess platform (LP) in Changchun separately were chosen to study the role of rainfall on the migration of heavy metal (Pb)-colloid complexes quantitively through soil column simulation in laboratory. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the tendency for colloid-Pb co-migrating to deep soil and groundwater. The study shows whether how the mechanism between colloid and heavy metal acts, the processes exist in common. First, through some sort of adsorption, heavy metal form complexes with colloids, and co-migrate in the underground environment, which is called a co-migration mechanism. And Pb migrated out the FL, LP, and FP soil column contain 28.4%、25.7% and 22.6% complexes separately. Second, the heavy metal complexes with colloids have a certain stability and mobility. Third, in migrating process, the presence of colloids increases the migration concentration and amount of heavy metal (Pb). And the quantitative of Pb migrated out the FL, LP and FP soil column which added colloids are 1.37、1.36 and 1.25 double control columns separately. Forth, the presence of colloids reduces the reduction ability heavy metal (Pb), and shortens the consumption time for heavy metal (Pb) migrating to a certain depth of groundwater. And the time consuming of Pb migrating to groundwater with same deep is Loess horizon>floodplain horizon>farmland horizon.


A novel approach for reusing e-waste towards the design of low-cost analytical tools/devices has been presented. An optical assay plate with cone-shaped wells was fabricated, which can serve as a versatile tool for rapid assays. In the present study, we have demonstrated the application of the assay plate towards the sensitive detection and precise determination of Fe3+ ions using highly selective 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde (HyNA) reagent. The proposed method was optimized against common analytical parameters, e.g. base diameter, analyte volume, solution temperature and pH. At the optimal experimental conditions, the repeatability of the signal intensity values in various wells was confirmed with an acceptable standard deviation (based on 3 s), relative standard deviation (5.1) and RSD (±7.1%). A good limit of detection (based on 3 s/b = 1.8 μM) and limit of quantification (based on 10 s/b = 5.4) of total Fe3+ ions and linear dynamic range (18–900 μM) were successfully achieved. In the absence of the fabricated plate, the assay performance showed 50% reduction in the signal density and a higher limit of detection (i.e., 90 μM). Due to its high selectivity and negligible interference, the proposed method was successfully applied for the detection and precise determination of Fe3+ ions in tap and marine water samples.


The study examines change over time in sentiments toward out-group populations in European societies. For this purpose data were compiled from four waves of the Eurobarometer surveys for 12 countries that provided detailed and comparable information on attitudes toward foreigners between 1988 and 2000. A series of multilevel hierarchical linear models were estimated to examine change in the effects of individual- and country-level sources of threat on anti-foreigner sentiment. The analysis shows a substantial rise in antiforeigner sentiment between 1988 and 2000 in all 12 countries. The rise in anti-foreigner sentiment was steep in the early period (between 1988 and 1994), then leveled off after that. Although anti-foreigner sentiment tends to be more pronounced in places with a large proportion of foreign populations and where economic conditions are less prosperous, the effects of both factors on anti-foreigner sentiment have not changed over time. The analysis also shows that anti-foreigner sentiment is more pronounced in places with greater support for right-wing extreme parties. The impact of individual-level socioeconomic characteristics such as education has remained stable over the years, but the effect of political ideology has increased. The meaning and significance of the findings are discussed within the context of European societies.


BACKGROUND
It is the responsibility of reproductive healthcare professionals to support all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) parents in their transition to parenthood. LGBTQ parents may not be fully supported within the reproductive health sector, because of heteronormativity and healthcare professionals' attitudes and practices. Beyond same-sex mothers, no research has been conducted in Sweden on the broader group of LGTBQ parents.

AIM
To explore LGBTQ expectant and new parents' experiences of reproductive health care in Sweden when becoming parents.

METHOD
The current study consisted of cross-sectional qualitative interviews and was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using systematic text condensation according to Malterud.

RESULTS
The convenience sample consisted of 12 LGBTQ expectant or new parents. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (i) Inadequacies and mistreatment in reproductive health care, (ii) Consequences of heteronormativity, (iii) Satisfaction with reproductive health care despite heteronormativity and (iv) Wishing for LGBTQ competent reproductive health care. The first two themes concerned different heteronormative barriers in reproductive health care and the consequences for LGBTQ parents, which also included intersecting forms of judgment and mistreatment. The third theme highlighted the participants' satisfaction with LGBTQ competent care and aspects of high-quality care, despite lacking support. The last theme described the participants' wishes for inclusive and LGBTQ competent care and what reproductive healthcare professionals can do to achieve LGBTQ competence.

CONCLUSIONS
Heteronormativity in the reproductive health sector is widespread and leads to lacking support in the transition to parenthood for LGBTQ people. Swedish reproductive health professionals may benefit from interventions aimed at developing LGBTQ competence. Reproductive healthcare professionals need to develop professional interventions to support and facilitate LGBTQ parents' transition to parenthood.


Income from livestock marketing has declined as a proportion of total gross farm income in the past two decades. • Income from cattle and calves accounts for about 65-75 percent of total livestock income in the state. • Income from milk has ranged from 14-20 percent of total livestock income in the state. • Income from swine, a promising growth enterprise for the state, has generated only 5-8 percent of total livestock income. • Livestock income is very important to counties in western North Dakota, relatively unimportant in the eastern counties. • Enterprise budgets for beef and swine indicate positive returns to operator and unpaid labor, management, and equity capital for 1992. • Less than 30 percent of North Dakota's feed grain output is used within the state to support livestock production. • Large quantities of unused roughage and crop residue, currently unused, could support additional livestock production. • Livestock production can be a complementary enterprise with crop production adding to farmer income levels and stability of income. • Constraints to increased livestock production in the state can be resolved largely through a program of focused research and education.


High-energy charged particles represent a severe radiation risk for astronauts and spacecrafts and could damage ground critical infrastructures related to space services. Different natural sources are the origin of these particles, among them galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles and particles trapped in radiation belts. Solar particle events (SPE) consist in the emission of high-energy protons, alpha-particles, electrons and heavier particles from solar flares or shocks driven by solar plasma propagating through the corona and interplanetary space. Ground-level enhancements (GLE) are rare solar events in which particles are accelerated to near relativistic energies and affect space and ground-based infrastructures. During the current solar cycle 24 a single GLE event was recorded on May 17th, 2012 associated with an M5.1-class solar flare. The investigation of such a special class of solar events permits us to measure conditions in space critical to both scientific and operational research. This event, classified as GLE71, was detected on board the International Space Station (ISS) by the active particle detectors of the ALTEA (Anomalous Long Term Effects in Astronauts) experiment. The collected data permit us to study the radiation environment inside the ISS. In this work we present the first results of the analysis of data acquired by ALTEA detectors during GLE71 associated with an M5.1-class solar flare. We estimate the energy loss spectrum of the solar particles and evaluate the contribution to the total exposure of ISS astronauts to solar high-energy charged particles.


Recent writing on industrial policy stresses the need for coordination between the public and private sectors. This paper examines the performance of one such coordination mechanism, Presidential Investors' Advisory Councils, in Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. It finds that the councils have been better at focusing attention on a donor-driven agenda of regulatory reforms than they have been at addressing the binding constraints to private investment. Notwithstanding their name, the actual level of commitment to Presidential Investors' Advisory Councils varies quite substantially. None have established a track record of experimentation, effective implementation, and evaluation of the impact of decisions taken.


In this paper the wavelet-based image compression technique is applied to PIV processing for reducing noise in images and reducing the physical storage. To determine the effect of the choice of the wavelet bases, the standard PIV images are compressed by some known wavelet families, Daubechies, Coifman, and baylkin families. It was found that high order wavelet bases provides good compression performance for compressing PIV Images, because they have good frequency localization that in turn increases the energy compaction. The reconstructed PIV image with lower compression ratio may emphasize particle edges at a relatively high spatial resolution, and the reconstructed PIV image with higher compression ratio may display the large-scale motion of particles and may deduce noisy. In this study, higher compression ratio, from 25% to 6.25%, can be realized without losing significant flow information in PIV processing. It can say that the wavelet image compression technique is effective in PIV system.


The molecular epidemiology and population structure of 30 bovine subclinical mastitis field isolates of Streptococcus uberis, collected from 6 Portuguese herds (among 12 farms screened) during 2002 and 2003, were examined by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for clustering of the isolates and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to assess the relationship between PFGE patterns and to identify genetic lineages. The 30 isolates were clustered into 18 PFGE types, using a similarity cutoff of 80%, and 3 PFGE types accounted for almost half of the isolates (46.6%). These major types were herd specific, suggesting either cow-to-cow transmission or infection with isolates from the same environmental reservoirs. The remaining unrelated PFGE types of isolates were from different herds strongly suggesting environmental sources of S. uberis infection. All 30 isolates were analyzed by MLST and clustered into 14 sequence types (ST). These ST were found to be novel, either with 10 new alleles of 6 housekeeping genes or with different combinations of previously assigned alleles. Five of these ST were clustered into 3 clonal complexes (lineages), ST-143, ST-86, and ST-5, known to include bovine isolates from several geographic locations (Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark) and 9 singletons. To our knowledge, this is the first report that documents molecular typing studies of bovine isolates of S. uberis from Portugal, which were shown to represent novel genomic backgrounds of this pathogen.


Short‐range propagation data (<2 km) from the Joint Acoustic Propagation Experiment Phase One (JAPE‐1) has been used to evaluate the performance of the advanced sound propagation in the atmosphere (ASOPRAT) computer code. Speakers mounted 2 and 30 m above the ground were used as pure tone sources for the short‐range measurements. Pressure levels measured in the time domain have been Fourier analyzed to produce plots of the pressure due to a particular frequency over time. Meteorological profiles measured at the experiment site were used as input for the prediction routine ASOPRAT. Agreement between the predicted and measured propagation losses is very good. Source strength data were not available as of the writing of this abstract, so at this time comparisons are all relative to a reference microphone at the ground. Source strength data may be available by the time of the meeting.


Breaking the human-to-human transmission cycle remains the cornerstone of infection control during filoviral (Ebola and Marburg) hemorrhagic fever outbreaks. This requires effective identification and isolation of cases, timely contact tracing and monitoring, proper usage of barrier personal protection gear by health workers, and safely conducted burials. Solely implementing these measures is insufficient for infection control; control efforts must be culturally sensitive and conducted in a transparent manner to promote the necessary trust between the community and infection control team in order to succeed. This article provides a review of the literature on infection control during filoviral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks focusing on outbreaks in a developing setting and lessons learned from previous outbreaks. The primary search database used to review the literature was PUBMED, the National Library of Medicine website.


Liquidity production is a central role of banks. We show that, under idealized conditions, high leverage is optimal for banks when there is a market premium for (socially valuable) liquid financial claims and no deviations from Modigliani and Miller (1958) due to agency problems, deposit insurance, taxes, or any other distortions. Our model can explain (i) why bank leverage increased over the last 150 years or so, (ii) why high bank leverage per se does not necessarily cause systemic risk, and (iii) why limits on the leverage of regulated banks impede their ability to compete with unregulated shadow banks. Our model indicates that MM's debt-equity neutrality principle is inapplicable to banks. Because debt-equity neutrality assigns zero weight to the social value of liquidity, it is an inappropriately equity-biased baseline for assessing whether the high leverage ratios of real-world banks are excessive.


The development of low salinity culture techniques is the major factor that facilitated the wide- spread cultivation of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in China. Similarly, adaptation to fresh or low salt water is critical for the commercial farming of a related species, the blue shrimp L. stylirostris. To determine the effects of low salinity on L. stylirostris development, the survival of postlarvae was investigated at different levels of salinity at the Haichang Jinhaian Shrimp Breeding Farm and Gulangyu Breeding Farm for Aquatic Animals of the Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian during 2002-2003. Results showed that both salinity and the age of the post- larvae significantly affected survival (p<0.01). The minimum seawater salinity for young postlar- vae was 10-14 ppt and survival rates increased with age. When the post-larvae were 9 days old or older (≥P9), survival did not significantly differ in the low salinity treatments from that of the control (P12). The first hour was the most critical period. If larvae survived the first hour, they usually survived the whole study period (24 h) or longer.


To function effectively in multiple roles and priorities concerning property students need to know property knowledge that they would not know prior and sadly, all too prevalently, after to an introductory real estate principles course. These roles subsume responsible citizen, consumer of property goods and services, choosing place in which to live, selecting and arranging the terms of a particular property interest, property in business, development and the place making process, property financing and investing, and the various functions of property and the careers associated with those property functions. This big scope, big scale, big tent knowledge prescription implies an audience for property education extending well beyond those who might work in the property discipline per se. Introductory property textbooks, however, are predominantly oriented to those who would pursue property careers. The design of a property curriculum necessarily follows from consideration of the scope and particulars of the property discipline as widely recognized and practiced. If the property discipline is considered narrowly, as it most often is, then the needed knowledge may be very different than if the property discipline is considered more broadly, as it too seldom is. Consider the differences in how need to know property knowledge might be defined from such contrasting perspectives as: Sell side or buy side Business level or individual consumer level Private property or public good Property owner or tenant Property provider or property user The property discipline is most be effectively considered from dualistic perspectives, a portfolio of yin and yang contrasts. Just as property practitioner and professionals education must reconcile the challenge of balancing established institutions and new models, tradition and innovation, continuity and discontinuity, so, too, must the articulation and instruction of property knowledge reconcile these competing objectives. This task is made even more fraught by the extraordinary change in so very many elements of the property discipline. This paper builds on an empirical content analysis of real estate textbooks in relationship to their relative emphasis on major categories of knowledge, to consider the degree to which these textbooks cover the major perspectives that may be favored for property knowledge. A structure to organize property discipline knowledge into 15 property knowledge domains is provided. The property discipline's knowledge that students need to know encompasses (1) contemporary societal values and challenges that shape property experiences; (2) technology advances in the critical TICMELM technologies: transportation, information, communications, making, energy, learning and money; (3) shifting "rules of the game" as in the form of restrictions and regulation governing public places and private property interests. These considerations are seen in varying degrees in the focus of scholarly research concerning the different elements and topics of real estate knowledge between different places and over time. The cumulative interaction of these forces and factors defines what students need to know about property. Juxtaposing this need to know prescription results in a discordant mismatch if not a chasm between to what the textbooks actually teach and property and what students need to know. This paper introduces the means to enable students to know what they need to know about the property discipline.


We report the observation, by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), of island formation on SIC during high temperature deposition and annealing of thin Ni films. Ni films with a nominal thickness of 2.5 monolayers were sputter deposited onto H-2-etched single crystal 6H-SiC (0001) substrates heated to 600 degreesC in an ultrahigh vacuum STM system. After the substrates were annealed to 800-1000 degreesC, island formation was observed by STM. The islands were 0.1-0.5 mum in diameter, similar to 30 nm high, and separated by similar to2 mum from each other, with an exceptionally flat top with a peculiar 'stitched' surface structure. A second type of island, similar to1.5 mum in diameter, similar to 10 nm high, and separated by similar to 10 mum from each other, was observed by ex situ AFM and SEM. Microspot AES showed that the first islands are composed of Ni and C, while the second islands are composed of Ni, C, and Si. AES lineshape studies showed that the carbon in both types of islands is graphitically bound as opposed to the carbon in the substrate which is carbidically bound. From comparisons to literature, we believe that the first islands are a new type of graphite intercalation compound. An indexing of Ni on the top graphite sheets is presented for each anneal temperature.


As the end of the year approaches, there's no better time to catch up and reflect upon new research and findings from the past year. The articles and reports in this month's Roundup examine the latest trends in consolidation including (1) the rise of cross-market hospital systems and (2) concentration in the insurance markets. We also highlight articles that explored (3) the current state and future of telehealth regulation and (4) quality impact for hospitals that switch to a value based payment model.


In this paper we introduce plan2vec, an unsupervised representation learning approach that is inspired by reinforcement learning. Plan2vec constructs a weighted graph on an image dataset using near-neighbor distances, and then extrapolates this local metric to a global embedding by distilling path-integral over planned path. When applied to control, plan2vec offers a way to learn goal-conditioned value estimates that are accurate over long horizons that is both compute and sample efficient. We demonstrate the effectiveness of plan2vec on one simulated and two challenging real-world image datasets. Experimental results show that plan2vec successfully amortizes the planning cost, enabling reactive planning that is linear in memory and computation complexity rather than exhaustive over the entire state space.


This study was undertaken to investigate why in Southern Derbyshire, a district apparently representative of much of England and Wales, the Infant Mortality Rate since 1975 has been generally higher than the national rate. Between 1981 and 1983 the use of national and small area statistics identified that rates varied significantly above the national averages (Relative Risk = 1.18 [95% C.I. 1.01 -1.34] X2= 7.01 df = 1 p <0.01) and that the problem lay in both the perinatal and post perinatal period. This study is based upon a hypothesis that:- Elucidation of the determinants of infant mortality requires more than the collection of routine clinical and statistical data. The study is presented therefore as a thesis constructed from a series of clinical and epidemiological investigations with the following objectives. 1. To establish the geographical location of all post perinatal deaths and to relate them to the demographic and socio-economic features of the District. 2. To define criteria for differentiating possibly avoidable and preventable from probably not preventable deaths. 3. To identify defects in clinical and community health services which could have contributed to avoidable and preventable deaths. 4. To investigate each death in detail to identify features which might have been contributory to the death and which, if avoided, could have influenced the outcome. 5. To investigate differences in causes and patterns of deaths between the north and the south of the County of Derbyshire. 6. To identify factors which may explain why, in the decade since 1981, death rates in Southern Derbyshire were higher, and those in North Derbyshire lower than the national averages. As a background to the study, the history, geography and demography of Derbyshire was reviewed: The Registrar General's censuses of populations 1971 and 1981 indicated that Southern Derbyshire was unremarkable to the national demographic status. The main differences between Southern Derbyshire and England and Wales were the proportions of ethnic minorities, migration of families and home ownership. Local demographic and socio-economic features showed areas of deprivation within Derby City and areas of economic decline to the east and south of the District due to closure of coal mines and decline in the heavy engineering industries. Historically, Derbyshire appears to have reached its zenith in early Georgian times when Darwin and Wedgwood made their mark. Derbyshire was a leader in the industrial revolution and enjoyed the notoriety of the group of intellectuals known as the Lunatic Society. Derbyshire has never been a leader in the field of medical progress yet in 1908 Sidney Barwise, the then County Medical Officer of Health, made the observation that infant deaths should be divided into two groups - preventable and not preventable. He was locally the first person to make this observation, which is again tested in the present thesis. Two mortality studies had previously been undertaken in Southern Derbyshire. These were:- 1. A Derbyshire Area Working Party which was set up in 1978 following a request from the Secretary of State to the chairman of the Regional Health Authority in 1977. 2. The 1983/84 Trent Regional Confidential Enquiry into Child Deaths - 28 weeks gestation to one year after birth. This was a case control study and provided more detail. My own studies which form the basis of this thesis were based on the following observations. A similar scale of preventability rating was applied to trends in death registrations over a 15 year period in relation to changes in registered causes. In 1979 the group of diagnoses ascribed to trauma transferred into the Sudden infant death syndrome diagnosis, as did 25% of those deaths ascribed to infection. A data base of post perinatal mortality over a five year period confirmed that the local post perinatal death rates were high and that the profile of deaths was the same as elsewhere in the country. Two further studies were undertaken using routine data collection. These comprised an evaluation of the effects of notifiable childhood infections on post perinatal mortality rates and evidence of workload and performance in the Primary Health Care Teams, measured by standard indicators. These studies were limited in their contribution to the investigation of post perinatal mortality, but proved useful as management tools. Concepts of preventability of death after birth were examined in the light of Barwise's principles and the findings from the 1983/84 study. The approach of grouping diagnoses by scale of preventability was the most pragmatic way of looking at the problems of post perinatal mortality. The study was concerned with the possible preventability of factors mitigating against the child after birth which were contributory to the child's death. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are a family of proteins expressed on human natural killer cells and a subset of T cells. Several inhibitory KIRs have been shown to recognise MHC class I molecules (predominantly HLA-C), with their engagement preventing target cell lysis. The ligand(s) and function(s) of activating KIRs, however, are less well characterised. Genetic studies of the association of KIRs with disease have identified an association with viral infections and autoimmune disease and this implicates that these proteins are important in human health. This thesis was concerned with an investigation of the factors that determine KIR expression on lymphocytes, and how this might influence the cellular functional response. In my initial work I produced soluble recombinant forms of activating and inhibitory KIRs and studied the biophysical interaction of these proteins with HLA-C molecules. I saw some evidence that KIR2DS2 binds to the HLA-C group 1 allele HLA-Cw*0702, supporting the idea that HLA-C alleles are a true ligand for stimulatory KIRs. I then went on to make a detailed 11 colour flow cytometric analysis of the expression of KIR proteins in healthy individuals. I was able to show that total, and individual, KIR protein expression was correlated and defined a pattern of dominance on lymphoid subsets. I then went on to study the distribution of KIR expression on discrete memory T cell subsets and showed that they were found predominantly on late differentiating CD45RA+ T cells. Interestingly there was also considerable expression on central memory CD8+ T cells although the biological basis for this is unclear. I demonstrated that age and CMV infection have a marked effect on KIR expression and I speculate on the reason for this. Finally I studied KIR expression on CMV-specific T cell clones in order to undertake a functional analysis of the consequence of KIR expression. I observed that KIR expression increased when cells were cultured in vitro but I could not detect any difference in cytokine production or cytotoxicity between KIR+ and KIR- cells. My work has contributed to the literature on KIR biology in relation to lymphoid cells and will have direct relevance to a number of clinical studies.


Abstract: The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate ProstaLund Feedback Treatment® (PLFT®) and the CoreTherm® device with regard to biophysics, mechanisms of action, treatment indications, additional techniques, efficacy and safety in the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The application of two biophysical equations in the PLFT software is explained. The calculations provide the intraprostatic ?blood flow index? and amount of accumulated coagulation necrosis during treatment. The accuracy of the ?cell kill? calculations is compared to gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology. The accumulated ?cell kill? monitored on-line during PLFT is considered a useful tool for helping the doctor to tailor the individual ?thermal dose? to each patient. The clinical efficacy, 1 and 5 years after PLFT and Trans-urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP), is compared showing no statistically significant differences. Serious adverse events were more frequent after TURP. Expanded treatment indications for PLFT, to including patients with persistent urinary retention and patients with heavily enlarged prostates (>100 g), were studied in a retrospective survey and in a prospective randomized multicentre study comparing PLFT with surgery (TURP and open surgery). Responder rate after PLFT was close to 80% and statistically equivalent to surgery after 6 months. Serious adverse events were less frequent after PLFT. The intraprostatic blood flow works like a heat sink by transporting heat away from the treatment area during thermotherapy. This is the explanation for the unpredictable outcome and frequent treatment failures described after low-energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy. High-energy TUMT can compensate for this in many ways but results in significant patient discomfort from micturition urge, burning sensations and pain.

A new device, the Schelin Catheter®, makes it possible to inject and infiltrate the prostate by the transurethral route. Injections in several locations with local anaesthetics containing epinephrine have a twofold aim: 1) to minimize the intraprostatic blood flow and 2) to achieve good analgesia. Treatment time was reduced by 50% and the total energy required was reduced by 60% when using this technique. The effects of the epinephrine on the intraprostatic blood flow were also verified with positron emission tomography, [15O]H2O-PET.

The results in this thesis show that the efficacy, safety and methodological improvements of PLFT now make it a challenger to surgery (TURP and open surgery) as a convenient, office based and more available option. This truly minimally invasive treatment is an attractive option for patients that can replace surgery for the majority of patients with clinical BPH. It also reduces the cost to the taxpayer.


We investigate the lingual shapes of the five liquid phonemes of Malayalam: two rhotics, two laterals and a more problematic 5th liquid. Ultrasound is used to image the mid-sagittal tongue surface, mainly in an intervocalic within-word /a__a/ context. The dark retroflex lateral and trill have a retracted tongue root and lowered tongue dorsum, while the three other clear liquids show advanced tongue root and dorsal raising. The 5th liquid is post-alveolar and laminal. Some additional data from an /a__i/ context is considered: the liquids are slightly clearer before /i/: all have a slightly advanced tongue root, and all bar the trill show palatalization. Dynamically, the trill and retroflex lateral have a very stable tongue root in /a__a/, and the 5th liquid has unusual anterior kinematic properties which require further investigation.


In many tree breeding programs, plus trees have been selected according to growth rate or stern form in trees. Trees that have a high growth rate or good stern form do not always produce industrially desirable wood. Therefore criteria for wood quality should be considered in tree breeding programs. The objective of this study is to obtain the basic knowledge for breeding for wood quality in Paraserianthes falcataria, an important commercial tree species of Indonesia. Variation in the growth, log properties, basic density, and fiber length in 13-year-old P. falcataria was investigated. Even though all trees were the same age, diameter at breast height showed high variation, indicating a significant variance in the growth rate of seedlings. Significant differences in the log properties (green density, dynamic Young's modulus, and stress-wave velocity) were observed among the trees. Basic density showed a constant value up to 10 cm from pith, at which point it began to increase. The fiber length increased up to 10 cm from the pith and then showed an almost constant value. According to the radial variation of the basic density and fiber length, wood is categorized as core wood, which includes that up to 10 cm from the pith, and outer wood, which is that from 10 cm to the bark. In addition, a significant difference in the basic density of core wood was observed among the trees, indicating that the selection of a plus tree with high-density wood in this species is possible at a relatively early stage. These results indicate that the wood quality in P. falcataria can be improved through tree breeding.


Manganese (Mn) is to be involved in lipids metabolism. However, few epidemiological studies have investigated the association between elevated exposure to Mn and the risk of dyslipidemia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on follow-up of the manganese-exposed workers healthy cohort (MEWHC) in 2017. A total of 803 Mn-exposed workers were divided into the low-exposure, and high-exposure group according to Mn-Time Weighted Average (Mn-TWA) ≤ 0.15mg/m3 or >0.15mg/m3. And we evaluated the associations between Mn-TWA levels and dyslipidemia, and assessed the interaction between Mn-TWA levels and each of the potential interacting factors. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, we observed mainly signi�cant negative association between high triglycerides (TG) risk and Mn-TWA levels in male (OR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.94; p <0.01). In interaction analyses of male, we did not observe a signi�cant interaction between Mn-TWA levels and pack-years on high TG risk (relative excess risk for the interaction (RERI) = -1.30, 95% CI: -3.29, 0.70, RERI = -1.62, 95% CI: -3.92, 0.67). Similarly, analysis of smoking status, drinking status, high-fat diets frequency, and BMI were nonsigni�cant interaction with Mn-TWA levels on high TG risk as well. Conclusions: Our study indicated that high Mn exposure was signi�cantly associated with low risk of hyper TG in male workers.Keywords:


The targeting of Lipin1 by the SCFβ-TRCP E3 ubiquitin ligase complex enhances lipid synthesis and accumulation in the liver. Breaking down hepatic lipid production Lipid accumulation in the liver, a condition called hepatic steatosis, often develops in metabolic syndromes, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and can potentially cause liver cirrhosis and failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. The de novo synthesis of lipids contributes to lipid accumulation and is inhibited by Lipin1, which suppresses the activity of the SREBP family of transcription factors, resulting in decreased expression of genes encoding lipogenic factors. In their search for new targets of the SCFβ-TRCP E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, Shimizu et al. determined that phosphorylation mediated by mTORC1 and CKI enabled Lipin1 to be degraded by SCFβ-TRCP. Compared to their wild-type counterparts, hepatocytes lacking β-TRCP1 had more Lipin1, decreased expression of SREBP target genes, and reduced triglyceride content. Moreover, mice with a deficiency of β-TRCP1 were protected against diet-induced fatty liver, suggesting that treatments that target this pathway could prevent hepatic steatosis. The SCFβ-TRCP E3 ubiquitin ligase complex plays pivotal roles in normal cellular physiology and in pathophysiological conditions. Identification of β-transducin repeat–containing protein (β-TRCP) substrates is therefore critical to understand SCFβ-TRCP biology and function. We used a β-TRCP–phosphodegron motif–specific antibody in a β-TRCP substrate screen coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and identified multiple β-TRCP substrates. One of these substrates was Lipin1, an enzyme and suppressor of the family of sterol regulatory element–binding protein (SREBP) transcription factors, which activate genes encoding lipogenic factors. We showed that SCFβ-TRCP specifically interacted with and promoted the polyubiquitination of Lipin1 in a manner that required phosphorylation of Lipin1 by mechanistic target of rapamycin 1 (mTORC1) and casein kinase I (CKI). β-TRCP depletion in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells resulted in increased Lipin1 protein abundance, suppression of SREBP-dependent gene expression, and attenuation of triglyceride synthesis. Moreover, β-TRCP1 knockout mice showed increased Lipin1 protein abundance and were protected from hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat diet. Together, these data reveal a critical physiological function of β-TRCP in regulating hepatic lipid metabolic homeostasis in part through modulating Lipin1 stability.


Global illumination (GI) rendering simulates the propagation of light through a 3D volume and its interaction with surfaces, dramatically increasing the fidelity of computer generated images. While off-line GI algorithms such as ray tracing and radiosity can generate physically accurate images, their rendering speeds are too slow for real-time applications. The many-light method is one of many novel emerging real-time global illumination algorithms. However, it requires many shadow maps to be generated for Virtual Point Light (VPL) visibility tests, which reduces its efficiency. Prior solutions restrict either the number or accuracy of shadow map updates, which may lower the accuracy of indirect illumination or prevent the rendering of fully dynamic scenes. In this thesis, we propose a hybrid real-time GI algorithm that utilizes an efficient Sparse Voxel Octree (SVO) ray marching algorithm for visibility tests instead of the shadow map generation step of the many-light algorithm. Our technique achieves high rendering fidelity at about 50 FPS, is highly scalable and can support thousands of VPLs generated on the fly. A survey of current real-time GI techniques as well as details of our implementation using OpenGL and Shader Model 5 are also presented.


: A modified version of the Hancock porcine xenograft aortic valve bioprosthesis has recently been introduced into clinical use. In this valve, the leaflet containing the septal shelf has been replaced by a leaflet from another valve, thus increasing the effective orifice area of the prosthesis without changing its external dimensions. Modified valves (model 250) have been subjected to pulsatile flow studies and compared to similar studies carried out on the current aortic valve xenografts (model 242) over a range of sizes (19-25 mm). The new model 250 valves caused significantly lower pressure drops or gradients than those of the previous model. They also allowed between 33 percent and 45 percent more flow (depending on size) at a gradient of 20 mmHg than did the model 242 valves. These results indicate that the new valves hould have clear clinical advantages over the current prostheses.


The effects of the global warming make more difficult for planting in uncontrolled environment. In traditional farming method, farmers require fine quality of soil with natural mineral strengths. It also requires working cost for ploughing and removal of weeds and also needs large amount of space and water. In case of seasonal plants, the yield does not satisfy the customer needs and the expectation of farmers in productivity. For these reasons, a farming method which needs lesser requirements in cost factor and also it easy to maintain and control the important factors such as light, water level temperature, and humidity throughout the year is needed. This proposed work presents a Hydroponic style of farming which is the method of growing plants without soil & sunlight. In this method the plants are grown with only their roots exposed to the mixture of ash fertilizer with water instead of underground soil. This method is a type of indoor agriculture style which is independent of weather, and it also avoids the cost of ploughing and labour works. Watering and controlling of humidity is done with the help of a microcontroller Kit connected to Wireless sensor network with internet which senses the humidity, temperature and water level. With the help of this IoT technology, the real time status of plant's growth could be monitored by the authorized person from remote location. This technology helps efficiently for the agricultural development with minimum resource utilization.


American democracy is in deep trouble. Cynicism and distrust of the political system, fueled at least in part by imposed ignorance, have grown steadily in recent years. There are several reasons for this, but few as important as the condition of our media. Many Americans, especially those on the left, know that after a generation of rampant consolidation and conglomeration, the American media are dominated by less than twenty firms—and that a half-dozen or so corporate giants hold the commanding positions. These firms use their market power to advance their own and other companies' corporate agendas. And they increasingly commercialize every aspect of our culture. By any known theory of political democracy, this tightly held media system, accountable only to Wall Street and Madison Avenue, is a poisonous proposition.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


The stock market plays a vital role in financial intermediation in developed and developing economies (Laichena & Obwogi, 2015). That is because stock markets provide a platform for surplus resources to be transferred to deficit areas. Developing countries lack efficient stock markets like those of the developed countries (Coleman & Tetty, 2008). Therefore, the study sought to investigate the determinants of emerging financial market development using the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, Tanzania as a case study. The study had the following specific objectives: to analyze the extent by which market liquidity determines development of emerging financial markets, to establish how inflation rates decides the development of emerging financial markets, to explore how market volatility concludes the development of emerging financial markets and to establish how economic growth determines the development of emerging financial markets. Relevant empirical and theoretical literature was reviewed to inform the objectives of the study and to also form a ground for discussion of results. The study employed a multivariate times series econometric design. The target population of the study included the DSE financial statement data and statistical data from the National Bureau of Statistics, Tanzania.  The study used secondary data spanning the period between 2007 and 2016. The data used for the analysis were the monthly figures obtained from the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange and the National Bureau of Statistics of Tanzania. Diagnostic and model specification tests were done on the data using E-Views version 9. Data was treated for the problem of time series data. To compute forecasts from models with cointegration restrictions, the model is transformed into the VAR levels representation (Bruggemann, 2004). Thus the study used the unrestricted vector autoregressive (VAR) model to do a regression of the dependent variables on the independent variables. The study results were interpreted based on the VAR output. The study concluded that stock market volatility, stock market liquidity and economic growth had a positive and significant long-run relationship with financial market development. Whereas, inflation rates had a negative and insignificant relationship with financial market development. The study recommended that Tanzania relooks at and optimizes its expansionary monetary policy. Policymakers should follow or implement policies which raise macroeconomic stability considering the interaction between economic growth and stock market development. Keywords: stock exchange, emerging market, market capitalization


Objective: Risk of nodal involvement in patients with sinonasal small-cell carcinoma and sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) has not been well defined because of their rarity. We describe a population-based assessment of specific nodal level involvement in this group of rare neuroectodermal tumours. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2011 identified patients with SNUC and sinonasal small-cell carcinoma. Overall neck involvement and individual nodal level involvement at presentation were assessed, and comparison was made with a contemporaneous cohort of patients with a borderline clinically significant risk of nodal involvement and recurrence. Results: Of 141 patients, 31 (22%) had gross nodal involvement at presentation (range 14 – 33% by site and histology). Non-nasal, non-ethmoid site with SNUC histology has the highest rates of initial nodal involvement, whereas higher stage and size do not predict for higher nodal involvement rates. Bilateral Levels 2 – 3 for all sinonasal small cell; Levels 2 – 3 for nasal or ethmoid SNUC; and bilateral Levels 1 – 3 in non-nasal/non-ethmoid SNUC have the highest rates of involvement compared with a clinical reference standard. Conclusion: We found high rates of initial nodal involvement in all SNUC and sinonasal small-cell carcinoma. We found higher initial involvement of Levels 2 and 3 and in certain cases to the Level 1 nodal levels, hypothesizing benefit for elective treatment to those levels. Advances in knowledge: With small single-institution series reporting conflicting nodal involvement rates, our data support high rates of nodal presentation at diagnosis, hypothesizing benefit for elective nodal treatment in this cohort.


This paper relates to recent discussions in narrative research focusing on the actual everyday practices of participants when telling and taking up stories. The field of practice under consideration is that of criminal case work. First, I shall introduce very briefly the status of narrating in criminal case work. Second, I will discuss the double meaning of positioning and positionality used in this paper. After introducing the data and the broader methodological context of the underlying fieldwork, I will show how in lawyer–client meetings narratives are called upon and cited in order to achieve a coherent strategy understandable to both lawyer and client. The purpose of the paper is more a theoretical-conceptual than an empirical one. I want to show that in criminal case work narrative is on the one hand a central means to establish plausibility while on the other hand most of the time told in fragments.


This paper examines sources of supporting information for data that is collected in a monitoring program were samples are collected repetitively to detect change in some parameter over time. The development of a monitoring program goes through several steps, including site characterization, site selection, sampling, and analysis. This process involves the evaluation and development of a large amount of information, which generally has not accompanied the reported tabular data. The lack of this information has often limited the application and use of the tabular data. GIS is a valuable tool for analyzing data collected in monitoring programs with other spatial themes. To support the transfer and use of spatial data, the Federal government has adopted content standards for digital geospatial metadata. The intent of these standards is to provide sufficient information for the application and use of a spatial data set. We have developed large sets of that have been underused frequently because the information about this data was either not available or too insufficient to make a decision on the usefulness of the data. In part, this is because of the design of the data systems used to store the reported data values. Additional notes, site descriptions, and comments on a particular parameter were often abbreviated for storage with the tabular data. Retrievals of the data have not identified the associated quality control/ quality assurance documents. Additional information describing the sampling site and sampling procedure were not associated with the sampling data. With the systems and software tools that are currently available, all appropriate information about a sampling program can be available to the user. This information can be associated with the data regardless of the data format. This paper examines the content of information that should be available to document a long-term monitoring program addressing agricultural drainage issues in the San Joaquin Valley of California. This monitoring program is attempting to identify changes in the concentration of selected constituents in drainage water, surface streams, and wildlife on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley.


Abstract Amaro, NM, Marinho, DA, Marques, MC, Batalha, N, and Morouço, PG. Effects of dry-land strength and conditioning programs in age group swimmers. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2447–2454, 2017—Even though dry-land S&C training is a common practice in the context of swimming, there are countless uncertainties over its effects in performance of age group swimmers. The objective was to investigate the effects of dry-land S&C programs in swimming performance of age group swimmers. A total of 21 male competitive swimmers (12.7 ± 0.7 years) were randomly assigned to the Control group (n = 7) and experimental groups GR1 and GR2 (n = 7 for each group). Control group performed a 10-week training period of swim training alone, GR1 followed a 6-week dry-land S&C program based on sets and repetitions plus a 4-week swim training program alone and GR2 followed a 6-week dry-land S&C program focused on explosiveness, plus a 4-week program of swim training alone. Results for the dry-land tests showed a time effect between week 0 and week 6 for vertical jump (p < 0.01) in both experimental groups, and for the GR2 ball throwing (p < 0.01), with moderate to strong effect sizes. The time × group analyses showed that for performance in 50 m, differences were significant, with the GR2 presenting higher improvements than their counterparts (F = 4.156; p = 0.007; = 0.316) at week 10. Concluding, the results suggest that 6 weeks of a complementary dry-land S&C training may lead to improvements in dry-land strength. Furthermore, a 4-week adaptation period was mandatory to achieve beneficial transfer for aquatic performance. Additional benefits may occur if coaches plan the dry-land S&C training focusing on explosiveness.


In the following paper, we study the tradeoff between network lifetime and network utility for energy-constrained wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with the real-time requirement. By introducing a parameter r, we combine these two objectives into a single weighted objective, and consider rate control and routing in this tradeoff framework simultaneously. For real-time requirement, we set up real-time constraints by forcing the end-to-end delay of each route to be bounded by the maximum tolerated delay and incorporate real-time constraints into the tradeoff framework. Consequently, the tradeoff model is formulated nonlinear programming. By using the dual decomposition method and gradient/subgradient algorithms, we propose a distributed algorithm to solve nonlinear programming. Rigorous analysis and simulation are presented in order to validate our algorithm.


We develop a computer simulation of several cellular processes seen in amoebae, including the production and regulation of proteins via a genome; the production, release, and destruction of diffusible chemicals; and regulated chemotaxis through a lattice environment facilitated by the interactions of proteins and diffusible chemicals. We also test this model by adapting biological situations to this model to evaluate its ability to model genetic networks and genetically regulated chemotaxis. The model will be used to simulate evolution in artificial amoebae to produce behavior seen in biological organisms such as Dictyostelium


The initial aim of the roll out of smart electricity meters in Sweden was to allow remote readings of the households' monthly electricity consumption for billing purposes. Since then the transition towards a smart grid has become a more prioritized matter. In the roll out of next generation smart meters more attention is therefore given to how the Distribution System Operator (DSO) can benefit from the meter through different smart grid applications. This study uses a qualitative research method to identify three general fields of application and 15 specific concepts corresponding to ways in which the DSO can create added value from the information provided by the smart meter. The benefits of one of these concepts, the so-called "last gasp" and "first breath" functionality, are assessed in a business case. The study concludes that the three main areas of smart meter applications are operating the grid, planning the grid and utility in the customers' household. The study also shows that the outcomes of the business case on the "last gasp" and "first breath" functionality are highly dependent on the cost of the functionality, however the investment can still be motivated through increased customer satisfaction andimproved outage management. The general conclusion is that the smart meter will play an essential role in providing the control and information needed in the transition to a smarter grid.


We present an overview and description of the e-MERGE Survey (e-MERLIN Galaxy Evolution Survey) Data Release 1 (DR1), a large program of high-resolution 1.5-GHz radio observations of the GOODS-N field comprising ∼140 h of observations with enhanced-Multi-Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) and ∼40 h with the Very Large Array (VLA). We combine the long baselines of e-MERLIN (providing high angular resolution) with the relatively closely packed antennas of the VLA (providing excellent surface brightness sensitivity) to produce a deep 1.5-GHz radio survey with the sensitivity (${\sim}1.5\, \mu$ Jy beam−1), angular resolution (0.2–0.7 arcsec) and field-of-view (∼15 × 15 arcmin2) to detect and spatially resolve star-forming galaxies and active galactic nucleus (AGN) at $z$ ≳ 1. The goal of e-MERGE is to provide new constraints on the deep, sub-arcsecond radio sky which will be surveyed by SKA1-mid. In this initial publication, we discuss our data analysis techniques, including steps taken to model in-beam source variability over an ∼20-yr baseline and the development of new point spread function/primary beam models to seamlessly merge e-MERLIN and VLA data in the uv plane. We present early science results, including measurements of the luminosities and/or linear sizes of ∼500 galaxies selected at 1.5 GHz. In combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope observations, we measure a mean radio-to-optical size ratio of re-MERGE/rHST ∼ 1.02 ± 0.03, suggesting that in most high-redshift galaxies, the ∼GHz continuum emission traces the stellar light seen in optical imaging. This is the first in a series of papers that will explore the ∼kpc-scale radio properties of star-forming galaxies and AGN in the GOODS-N field observed by e-MERGE DR1.


Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), as any other interaction modality based on physiological signals and body channels (e.g., muscular activity, speech and gestures), are prone to errors in the recognition of subject's intent. An elegant approach to improve the accuracy of BCIs consists in a verification procedure directly based on the presence of error-related potentials (ErrP) in the EEG recorded right after the occurrence of an error. Six healthy volunteer subjects with no prior BCI experience participated in a new human-robot interaction experiment where they were asked to mentally move a cursor towards a target that can be reached within a few steps using motor imagination. This experiment confirms the previously reported presence of a new kind of ErrP. These "Interaction ErrP" exhibit a first sharp negative peak followed by a positive peak and a second broader negative peak (~290, ~350 and ~470 ms after the feedback, respectively). But in order to exploit these ErrP we need to detect them in each single trial using a short window following the feedback associated to the response of the classifier embedded in the BCI. We have achieved an average recognition rate of correct and erroneous single trials of 81.8% and 76.2%, respectively. Furthermore, we have achieved an average recognition rate of the subject's intent while trying to mentally drive the cursor of 73.1%. These results show that it's possible to simultaneously extract useful information for mental control to operate a brain-actuated device as well as cognitive states such as error potentials to improve the quality of the brain-computer interaction. Finally, using a well-known inverse model (sLORETA), we show that the main focus of activity at the occurrence of the ErrP are, as expected, in the pre-supplementary motor area and in the anterior cingulate cortex.


Abstract During the violent early years of China's Cultural Revolution, the province of Guangxi experienced by far the largest death toll of any comparable region. One explanation for the extreme violence emphasizes a process of collective killings focused on households in rural communities that were long categorized as class enemies by the regime. From this perspective, the high death tolls were generated by a form of collective behavior reminiscent of genocidal intergroup violence in Bosnia, Rwanda, and similar settings. Evidence from investigations conducted in China in the 1980s reveals the extent to which the killings were part of a province-wide suppression of rebel insurgents, carried out by village militia, who also targeted large numbers of noncombatants. Guangxi's death tolls were the product of a counterinsurgency campaign that more closely resembled the massacres of communists and suspected sympathizers coordinated by Indonesia's army in wake of the coup that deposed Sukarno in 1965.


Abstract Why is it important for people to agree on and articulate shared reasons for just laws, rather than whatever reasons they personally find compelling? What, if any, practical role does public reason play in liberal democratic politics? We argue that the practical role of public reason can be better appreciated by examining the confluence of normative and positive political theory; the former represented here by liberal social contract theory of John Rawls and others, and the latter by rational choice or game theory. Citizens in a diverse society face a practical as well as a moral problem. How can they have confidence that others will reciprocate their commitment to supporting governing principles that depart from their own ideal conceptions of truth and value in order to be reasonable to all? Citizens face a practical problem of mutual assurance that public reason helps them solve, and solve as a matter of common knowledge. The solution, on both views, requires citizens' reciprocal commitment to basing law on a system of shared reasons. Both views place public reason at the core of liberal democratic politics in conditions of diversity, and for quite similar reasons. Our argument illustrates the (often) complementary roles of positive and values-based analysis in constitutional design.


This work aimed to analyze the importance of brand identity in consumer behavior of baby clothes and accessories and if that behavior has consequences loyal and willing to pay a premium price. The brand identity is seen as containing a wide range of constructs associated with it, such as brand awareness, brand image and in this case also, the image of the store. On the other hand, if the brand has a strong identity, consumers will be willing to repeat their purchases and pay a higher price for the brand. For it became a collection of quantitative data through a survey conducted in stores and estimated a structural equation model. The main conclusions were that brand awareness is weak but consumers are loyal and are willing to pay a higher price. Keywords Baby clothes brand, Brand identity, Brand loyalty, Premium Price, SE M.


Gene rearrangement in the immune system is always preceded by DNA demethylation and increased chro-matin accessibility. Using a model system in which rearrangement of the endogenous immunoglobulin k locus is prevented, we demonstrate that these epi-genetic and chromatin changes actually occur on one allele with a higher probability than the other. It may be this process that, together with feedback inhibition, serves as the basis for allelic exclusion.


Benjamin Disraeli once observed that "The youth of a nation are the trustees of posterity." Scientists of all nations recognize this truth. Remembering our own introductions to the allure of discovery, we seek to pass the torch to fresh cadres of younger compatriots. Science and the AAAS are deeply concerned about the current prospects for the survival of the next generations of scientists, and with good reason. After decades of logarithmic growth, the scientific enterprise in the United States and many other countries is in transition to a budgetary steady state. There was little warning of this sea change. Only a few years ago, investment in training was seen as a disproportionately small slice of the then-growing scientific pie. Many observers, this editor among them, strongly advocated an increase in that investment. But scientists' retirement rates lagged, and the funding base barely met inflation. This has put the current generation of scientifically trained youth in a bind: The pool of scientists exceeds the available positions in traditional academic research. That situation prevails across scientific disciplines, from particle physics to geology to molecular biology. This painful condition has led Science to take two paths. First, extending the subject of recent editorials, we ask whether scientific training itself—particularly the Ph.D.—requires transformation. See the 1995 "Careers" section (this issue, page 121), conceived and executed by Deputy News Editor Joshua Fischman and Senior Writer Constance Holden, for new perspectives on the scientific Ph.D. Though the idea may be repugnant, is it true that what science needs now is "birth control"—a sharp reduction in the number of people receiving doctoral degrees? Our editors also examine other proposals for reconciling graduate scientific education with current economic circumstances and governmental policies. Given the fact that scientifically trained people must enter the nonacademic career market, we explore industry's need for them. Finally, we discuss the experiences of an especially crucial group—young scientists themselves. Our young scientists say one thing loud and clear: Their traditional academic mentors are out of touch with the remarkably altered circumstances of today's job market. Science and the AAAS believe that we must not simply list alternatives, but also provide them. Thus, the second path we take is to offer our readers a new resource that may ease the growing pains of young scientists. Called "Science's Next Wave" (edited and coordinated by Features Editor John Benditt), it expands our "Beyond the Printed Page" services with a new electronic network on the World Wide Web (URL: http://sci.aaas.org/nextwave/). This site (sponsors willing) will offer services, information, and communication for the next generation of scientifically and technically trained people. "Science's Next Wave" was created to evolve through its users' participation. Many more features have already been planned for the next several months. The first to appear, beginning today, is an interactive forum on "Training Scientists for 21st-Century Careers." Eight representatives from universities, government, business, and young scientists themselves will offer their perspectives on key issues in scientific training. Anyone who joins the forum can "talk back" to these experts by posting comments on the Web. In this way, Science hopes to initiate a dialogue on this critical subject. "Science's Next Wave" will continue to grapple with alternatives to the traditional career paths in academic research. The first in a series of features on this subject will focus on science journalism; it begins on 27 October. Science will discuss the best training programs for science journalism, describe the experiences of those who have made the transition from a scientific Ph.D. to a journalism career, and identify key people for career-related queries. A central feature of "Science's Next Wave" (beginning on 3 November) will be a network of correspondents at major research institutions in universities and the private sector. These talented young scientists, many of whom have already been enlisted, will report on events at their own institutions, from the latest research to programs for career development, and will include their own experiences. "Science's Next Wave" is intended to help the next generation navigate through an increasingly difficult and rapidly changing seascape. We believe that these features will interest older scientists as well. Surf with us and help make these new ventures part of your success.