CONTEXT
Uterine leiomyomas are smooth muscle cell tumors that cause irregular uterine bleeding and pregnancy loss in many reproductive-age women. Progesterone stimulates their growth, whereas treatment with progesterone receptor (PR) antagonists or selective progesterone receptor modulators shrinks these tumors. Molecular mechanisms underlying these observations are unknown.

OBJECTIVE
Bcl-2 is a key protein that inhibits apoptosis. It was proposed that growth enhancement of leiomyoma cells by progesterone was mediated via bcl-2 induction. Here we test the hypothesis that PR regulates the bcl-2 gene by directly binding to its promoter.

RESULTS
The pure progesterone agonist R5020 increased the total number of viable primary human leiomyoma smooth muscle (LSM) cells in culture. Progesterone or R5020 (10(-6) m) significantly increased bcl-2 mRNA levels after 2 and 4 h by 9.2- and 3.4-fold, respectively, in LSM cells. Transient transfection with deletion mutants of bcl-2 promoter showed that the -1281/-258-bp region conferred responsiveness to progesterone induction in the presence of PR-A. We identified a palindromic progesterone response element (PRE) at -553/-539 bp. EMSA showed that PR in nuclear extracts from LSM cells bound specifically to this PRE. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR confirmed in situ recruitment of PR to the -629/-388-bp region bearing the PRE. In vivo, bcl-2 mRNA levels correlated significantly with total PR mRNA levels in leiomyoma tissues.

CONCLUSION
Taken together, progesterone via PR interacts with the bcl-2 promoter to induce its expression in leiomyoma tissue. This may explain, in part, the progesterone-dependent enhancement of growth in uterine leiomyoma.


In monocotyledonous plants, 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones, also referred to as benzoxazinoids or hydroxamic acids, are one of the most important chemical barriers against herbivores. However, knowledge about their behavior after attack, mode of action and potential detoxification by specialized insects remains limited. We chose an innovative analytical approach to understand the role of maize 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones in plant-insect interactions. By combining unbiased metabolomics screening and simultaneous measurements of living and digested plant tissue, we created a quantitative dynamic map of 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones at the plant-insect interface. Hypotheses derived from this map were tested by specifically developed in vitro assays using purified 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones and active extracts from mutant plants lacking 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones. Our data show that maize plants possess a two-step defensive system that effectively fends off both the generalist Spodoptera littoralis and the specialist Spodoptera frugiperda. In the first step, upon insect attack, large quantities of 2-β-d-glucopyranosyloxy-4,7-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (HDMBOA-Glc) are formed. In the second step, after tissue disruption by the herbivores, highly unstable 2-hydroxy-4,7-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (HDMBOA) is released by plant-derived β-glucosidases. HDMBOA acts as a strong deterrent to both S. littoralis and S. frugiperda. Although constitutively produced 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones such as 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) are detoxified via glycosylation by the insects, no conjugation of HDMBOA in the insect gut was found, which may explain why even the specialist S. frugiperda has not evolved immunity against this plant defense. Taken together, our results show the benefit of using a plant-insect interface approach to elucidate plant defensive processes and unravel a potent resistance mechanism in maize.


Crack propagation behaviors at a mortar-aggregate interface in concrete under dynamic tensile loading conditions are investigated numerically. It is found, for a certain interfacial strength and aggregate size, that the crack can penetrate through the interface under an external load with its loading-rate higher than a threshold value. Moreover, for the crack penetration, the smaller the radius of an aggregate, the higher the loading-rate is needed. Therefore, concrete failure energy increase considerably with the loading-rate (or the strain-rate). Such a strain-rate effect on the strength of concrete is in agreement with previous experimental results.


We present a transparent, system-level checkpointing solution for master-worker parallelism that automatically adapts, upon restart, to the number of processor nodes available. This is important, since nodes in a cluster fail. It also allows one to adapt to using multiple cluster partitions and multiple resources from the computational grid, as they become available. Checkpointing a master-worker computation has the additional advantage of needing to checkpoint only the master process. This is both fast and more economical of disk space. This has been demonstrated by checkpointing Geant4, a million line C++ program. Our solution has been implemented in the context of TOP-C (task oriented parallel C/C++), a free, open-source parallel package, although it can easily be ported to additional master-worker packages.


The nucleus of a spinal disc is seamlessly connective and protectively supportive of the joint within which it is enveloped. A range of nucleus prosthesis configurations have been proposed and applied with some success. Those that have demonstrated clinical efficacy have approximated physiological form and function using established biomaterials while preserving key anatomical structures. The minimally invasive biostable, biomimetic Columna Disc Device (CDD) partial spinal disc replacement has been developed to clinical trial stage. It mimics the geometry and response of the nucleus that it replaces. While the implant configuration and materials have been set, the geometry and interfacial properties of this prosthesis may be modulated to account for versatility in surgical deployment, implant stiffness, and subsequent long-term tissue remodelling response. FEA models were developed to study effects of implant jacket geometry and surface properties on implant deployment and biomechanics. Studded and dimpled textures provide a method for increasing surface area to diffuse jacket-filler interfacial stress and similar for the implant-tissue junction. Surface texture design elements observed in nature can protect against delamination and interlayer slippage. This is the case with adherent outer layers of human skin. A textured implant design is also proposed to guard against third body wear by housing debris remote of wear sites and by reducing sliding. The periodically varying strain fields provided by the textured jacket may also help mitigate for tears by diverting and arresting micro-fissures. Increasing friction at the implant-tissue interface to the point of tissue-attachment was shown to increase the stiffness of the implant in axial-loading. In contrast, increasing bulk surface area is expected to contribute to a decrease in implant stiffness. This is, however, dependent on the intimacy and properties of interfacing tissues.


Although evangelical Christians have become regular participants in public discourse on immigration, the relationship between evangelical Christians and immigration laws remains underexplored. This Essay fills that gap in the literature, and offers a framework for thinking about immigration that also engages with the core faith commitments of evangelical Christianity. The Essay first describes biblical and socio-political factors leading to the development of two opposing positions on immigration that appear to have emerged amongst evangelical Christians. One position favors the noncitizen, while the other position emphasizes the enforcement of existing immigration laws, leading each side to endorse policy platforms that mirror the division over immigration that exists in society at large. The Essay then describes a fundamental spiritual belief held by evangelical (and other) Christians: the doctrine of God's saving grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the primacy of agape love. The Essay argues that for evangelical Christians, grace and agape should tip the scales in favor of the immigrant, and offers several principles that might guide a grace-based approach to the immigration laws. Finally, it explores how prioritizing grace and agape could bear upon the treatment of so-called "criminal aliens" under the immigration laws.


Since the Cold War and especially after the attacks of September 2001, security sector reform has become a key component of the state-building project targeting unstable, fragile states. Yet, despite its popularity with donors and other international stakeholders, SSR has often failed to fulfill its overarching objective: reduce violence and make people safer. SSR success is unclear at best, as suggested by Afghanistan and Iraq, but also Haiti and El Salvador. In this dissertation, I argue that SSR falls short of its promises because it often fails to acknowledge the complex environment in which it takes place. Indeed, SSR tends to remain state-centric, targeting only public security and justice institutions and their formal role in the production of public order. Yet, in fragile states, the State does not hold the monopoly on violence, and its capacity to produce public order and provide security remains limited. Where the State is unable to do so, other actors have often emerged to produce public order and claim control over the means of violence.
To better understand the impact of SSR on these complex environments, I introduce the public order regime framework to map out systematically how public order is produced by state and non-state actors through more or less formal means in those complex polities. Looking more closely at SSR programs in Haiti and El Salvador, I find that the effect of SSR on pluralist public order regimes varies based on the strategy chosen to deal with non-state coercive actors and informal public ordering. Where non-state actors have a strong incentive to claim control on the means of violence, state-centric SSR tend to be disruptive and can backfire, increasing rather than reducing violence. When the structure of the regime is taken into consideration by SSR however, the disruptive consequences of these reforms can be mitigated. Based on those results, I call for a more pragmatic approach to SSR that departs from Western normative assumptions, and is anchored in a finer understanding of the complex composition of governance structures in fragile states.


Antiviral and cell-growth-inhibitory activities of human interferon were shown to be related to the activity of a gene or genes present on chromosome 21. The 18s rRNA is vital to cell growth; it is capable of a viral-mRNA-recognition function and it is coded for by genes a portion of which are present on chromosome-21. A previously reported ability of human interferon to affect rRNA metabolism is characterized by a decrease in the sucrose-gradient-peak ratio of radiolabelled 28S to 18S rRNA in extracts from the cytoplasm of interferon-treated human fibroblasts. In the present report, interferon dose-response curves are presented demonstrating a direct relationship between a decrease in this ratio and interferon concentrations in the media. By using this virus-independent cytoplasmic rRNA assay, eight human fibroblast lines, differing in chromosome 21 ploidy, were tested for sensitivity to human interferon. Two monosomy-21, two euploid-21 and four trisomy-21 cell lines were tested. The monosomy-21 cell populations were significantly less sensitive to interferon than the other six cell types tested. Of the cell lines tested, the most sensitive, by a wide margin, was a trisomy-21 line. Trisomy-21 cell monolayer sensitivity, however, varied widely within the range from normal to supersensitive. These observations suggest that interferon's ability to affect rRNA metabolism is related to the activity of a gene or genes present on chromosome 21.


Here we report the thermo-controllable self-assembled structures of single-layer 4, 4″-diamino-p-terphenyl (DAT) molecules on Au (110), which are investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) combined with density functional theory (DFT) based calculations. With the deposition of monolayer DAT molecules on Au (110) and subsequent annealing at 100 °C, all DAT molecules adsorb on a (1 × 5) reconstructed surface with a ladder-like structure. After annealing the sample at about 200 °C, STM images show three distinct domains, including DAT molecules on a (1 × 3) reconstructed surface, dehydrogenated molecules with two hydrogen atoms detached from one amino group (−2H-DAT) on a (1 × 5) reconstructed surface and dehydrogenated molecules with four hydrogen atoms detached from two amino groups (–4H-DAT) on a (1 × 3) reconstructed surface through N–Au bonds. Furthermore, after annealing the sample to 350 °C, STM image shows only one self-assembled structure with −4H-DAT molecules on a (1 × 3) reconstructed surface. Relative STM simulations of different self-assembled structures show excellent agreements with the experimental STM images at different annealing temperatures. Further DFT calculations on the dehydrogenation process of DAT molecule prove that the dehydrogenation barrier on a (1 × 5) reconstructed surface is lower than that on (1 × 3) one, which demonstrate the experimental results that the formation temperature of a (1 × 3) reconstructed surface is higher than that of a (1 × 5) one.


Natural resources potential of the territory and natural-historical mechanism of its development are pacing factors in agriculture differentiation and AIC-development. Key branches in the Stavropol Territory are crop production, sheep breeding and meat and milk cattle breeding. To meet the market demands "equating" differentiation of agricultural enterprises is implemented. Thus, in Stavropol Territory crop lands have been increased for crops required in the market that disbalanced the crop rotation, disturbed agro technologies and resulted in reduction in yields and grain quality. In the Territory 70 % of tillage is in risky agriculture. About 65 % of crop production (wheat, barley and others) are in draughty areas where out of 141 years (1861–2002) 41 % draughty, which determine high natural-climatic dependence of grain economy [1]. Annual and areal variability of grain production is also determined by topsoil heterogeneity and variety of relief. At present production of the basic market crop – winter wheat, which takes 75 % of acreage for cereals and leguminous crops, the productivity of the cultivated crop is 22.4–39.5 centner/hectare. It results in top soil changes such as compaction, fertilizer impoverishment and organic matter content (organic matter deficit is 400–700 kg/ha). Intensification of agrarian production results in quicker erosion processes, soil properties decline and lower fertility. The total area of eroded lands in the Territory is 1792000 ha [2]. That is why it is important to develop a new model of the economic use of Stavropol Territory. The main methods of study are analysis of the current status and organization of the agricultural zones of the Territory. The data were preceded with the software Statistica.


Clear cell urothelial carcinoma (CCUC) is a rare variant of urothelial carcinoma (UC) and its clinical significance has not been well elucidated. Consecutive cases of UC over a period of 5 years were reviewed. Histopathological tumor parameters, including the proportion of tumor cells with clear cell change, and patient outcomes were recorded. Expression of the following immunohistochemical markers was investigated: CK7, CK20, CK5, CD44, and PAX8. We also conducted a review of the literature for case reports/series of CCUC. Ten CCUCs were identified out of a total of 872 cases of UC. The clear cell component was characterized by prominent cytoplasmic membranes and voluminous clear cytoplasm, and accounted for 30% to 90% of the invasive tumor component. Of all the non-CCUC cases reviewed, at least 50% (noninvasive or invasive UC) showed focal areas of clear cell change that accounted for less than 5% of the neoplastic cells. Immunohistochemically, CCUC exhibited positive reactivity for CK5/CD44 (n = 9); CK20 (n = 5), PAX8 (very focal to extensive) (n = 6), and GATA3/CK7 (n = 10). Eight of 10 CCUC were of advanced clinical stage (pT3/pT4) and 6 of 10 experienced tumor recurrence and/or death due to disease. In conclusion, CCUC can be distinguished from non-CCUC by the extensive clear cell change in more than 30% of cells. This variant is associated with rapid progression to muscle invasion and metastasis, with an aggressive clinical course. Expression of CK5/CD44 may represent basal cell features in most CCUC cases, while PAX8 expression is suggestive of mesonephric derivation.


This paper presents a markerless tracking algorithm for augmented reality with no constraints in the geometry of the scene. User's pose is estimated using natural feature point extraction and tracking, and the epipolar geometry constraint between camera views. An online registration tool is also described. With this procedure, the user determines the initial 3D pose of the virtual object that augments the scene. Validation and discussions about advantages of this algorithm along with further steps to be taken are presented.


The synthesis of 2-[2-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyloxy)ethyl]pyrrolidine hydrochloride was performed using 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyrrolidine as a starting material. Before the O-acylation reaction with 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl chloride, the amino group was protected using benzyl chlorocarbonate. The removal of the blocking group was carried out in modified conditions, avoiding the alcoholysis of the ester bond. The final product was separated from its structural isomer by precipitation as its hydrochloride salt. Some steps of the synthesis were controlled by GC-MS. The identification of the respective compounds was performed by mass spectra analyses and confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and elemental analyses.


Chips and flour from four different yam varieties (Ame, Adaka, Nwopoko and Obiaturugo) obtained from the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria were evaluated for responses to Tribolium castaneum (rust-red flour beetle) infestation in the laboratory under prevailing conditions (25-30°C and 70-90 RH) for a period of 90 days. 10 g of either chips or flour of each of the yam varieties were infested with 8 pairs of adult T. castaneum in 200 ml air-tight plastic containers. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design (CRD) and experiments were replicated three times. The result showed that both forms of yam varieties were susceptible to T. castaneum but to varying degrees. The variation of susceptibility observed across the treatments showed that Nwopoko chips were the most susceptible and Nwopoko flour was the least susceptible. Development of T. castaneum was prolonged on flour than on the chips. Percentage weight loss was highest (3.33) in Adaka flour and weight gain was highest (3.67) in Nwopoko chips. The result also showed variations in the physicochemical and functional properties of the different yam varieties which played a role in pest performance and preference. T. castaneum has proved to be a cosmopolitan species that is able to colonize a wide range of substrates including different forms and types of yam cultivated in the Niger delta region of Nigeria. The outcome of this study necessitates the introduction of precautionary measures against this pest in order to prevent it from attaining pest status and causing economic damage to these yam products in storage.

 Key words: Tribolium castaneum, yam, chips, flour, susceptibility index.


The world today stands at the threshold of a new revolution, the fourth in the history of mankind. It is imperative to study the effects of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (also known as IR 4.0) to understand the benefit that it will provides for the affected groups majority. This paper consists of review for mostly on manufacturing sector in United Kingdom, Singapore, European Union, United States and China which reveals the rapid growth and the effect of Industrial Revolution 4.0 towards these countries and consequently the world. Manufacturing has increased economy in Singapore, where incomes for employed residents in manufacturing exceed others by 0.4 percent. Meanwhile in United Kingdom and European Union, manufacturing has accounted for 8% and 24% respectively for their national jobs. However, United States shows slow increase in manufacturing employment sector and still below 18 million (before recession in 2009). Nonetheless, the employment could be affected by vast use of automated machine,  unlike China which has ratio of 40 machines to 10,000 workers.


In criminal law circles, the accepted wisdom is that there are two and only two true justifications of punishment – retributivism and utilitarianism. The multitude of moral claims about punishment may thus be reduced to two propositions: (1) punishment should be imposed because defendants deserve it, and (2) punishment should be imposed because it makes society safer. At the same time, most penal scholars notice the trend in criminal law to de-emphasize intent, centralize harm, and focus on victims, but they largely write off this trend as an irrational return to antiquated notions of vengeance. This Article asserts that there is in fact a distributive logic to the changes in current criminal law. The distributive theory of criminal law holds that an offender ought to be punished, not because he is culpable or because punishment increases net security, but because punishment appropriately distributes pleasure and pain between the offender and victim. Criminal laws are accordingly distributive when they mete out punishment for the purpose of ensuring victim welfare. This Article demonstrates how distribution both explains the traditionally troubling criminal law doctrines of felony murder and the attempt-crime divide, and makes sense of current victim-centered reforms. Understanding much of modern criminal law as distribution highlights an interesting political contradiction. For the past few decades, one, if not the most, dominant political message has emphasized rigorous individualism and has held that the state is devoid of power to deprive a faultless person of goods (or "rights") in order to ensure the welfare of another. But many who condemn distribution through the civil law or tax system embrace punishment of faultless defendants to distribute satisfaction to crime victims. Exposing criminal law as distributionist undermines these individuals' claimed pre-political commitment against government distribution.


The electrochemical behavior of aluminum alloy 6061/Al2O3 metal matrix composite was investigated in 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution. Two composite compositions were examined containing 10% and 30% (by volume) of sub-micron alumina particulates as the reinforcement phase. The composites were fabricated via powder metallurgy processing. Cyclic polarization tests were carried out to determine pitting potentials and repassivation potentials in deaerated 3.5% NaCl solution. The pitting potential was 50 mV more noble for the higher-content reinforcement composite, while the repassivation potentials were essentially identical. The scanning electron microscope was used to reveal pits morphologies generated potentiostatically at a potential 150 mV more noble than the open circuit potentials for two hours immersion in quiescent chloride solution. Excessive pitting of the matrix alloy was observed in both composites. Pits forming in the 6061/Al2O3/30p composite were more numerous and more uniformly dispersed compared to pits on the lower-content reinforcement composite which were deeper and more localized. Preliminary results suggest that pit initiation sites correlate with regions exhibiting agglomeration of the reinforcement particles.


The objective of this dissertation was to determine the effect of feeding monosaccharides and fat on the development of leptin resistance, feed intake, growth, and metabolism in the rat and pig. Three rat experiments were completed to determine if feeding glucose, fructose, or starch with or without fat could alter leptin responsiveness in a short period (experiment 1 and 3) and over a long period (experiment 2). Rats fed the high-fat fructose diet increased energy expenditure after leptin treatment, compared to the rats fed the high-fat glucose fed diet where the increase in energy expenditure was limited. However, over a long period of time, the carbohydrate source in the diet alters central leptin resistance. The rats fed the glucose diet decreased intake after the central leptin injection. The starch and fructose fed rats were leptin resistant. Two experiments were conducted to determine if the source of dietary carbohydrate, with or without added fat, had an effect on body weight gain, glucose metabolism, or insulin response in growing pigs. Pigs were fed four diets: 1) 20% starch; 2) 10% glucose + 10% starch; 3) 10% fructose + 10% starch; or 4) 20% fructose for 9 weeks. There was a main effect of dietary fat to reduce feed intake. Serum fructose concentrations after the RTM test were elevated in pigs fed fructose diets. In the second experiment pigs were fed six diets: 1) 20% starch; 2) 10% glucose + 10% starch; 3) 10% fructose + 10% starch; and 4) 20% fructose for 9 weeks. Compared to the other dietary treatments, pigs fed fructose with high fat had an elevated glucose area under the curve during the GTT. It is likely that studies of longer duration are needed to determine if these changes are indicative of insulin resistance. The work demonstrates that pigs are a viable model to test the long-term effects of dietary carbohydrates on metabolism and body composition. INDEX WORDS: Fructose, Insulin resistance, Glucose tolerance test, Diet-induced obesity EFFECT OF DIETARY CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE AND FAT LEVEL ON GROWTH, FEED INTAKE, FAT DEPOSITION, AND METABOLISM IN THE RAT AND PIG


While a full understanding of continuing symptoms following a soft tissue hyperextension injury of the cervical spine remains elusive, recent research has shown that the explanation may lie with occult lesions beyond the musculoskeletal structures of the neck. The balance of the roles of injury, psychological factors, and the effects of litigation has shifted towards the former. However this injury would be unique if the latter two played only a minor role in determining recovery. It seems likely that among the large numbers of patients presenting with symptoms after hyperextension soft tissue injuries, a proportion will have occult bone, joint, or intervertebral disc lesions. Improvements in medical imaging techniques may allow better definition of these specific injuries and the development of more appropriate treatment. The search for a central nervous system lesion in humans continues and until this is demonstrated, many will dispute the existence of an organic brain syndrome. Evidence for significant injury to the temporomandibular joints, ear, and ophthalmic system has been found and this may be amenable to specialist intervention. While there is little evidence for effective treatments of the established injury, reduction in related disability appears most likely to be achieved by prevention. Improvements in automobile design, with particular reference to head restraints, could limit the cost to society of this common and disabling injury.


Purpose: The paper critically examines mentoring and bridges the gap between the widespread use of mentoring and the limited evidence of its effectiveness by applying the theoretical lens of identity. Fresh insights are provided into both the processes and outcomes of mentoring.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A critical review of identity theorising enables the refinement of theoretical lenses for understanding mentoring in new ways. Empirically, a qualitative research approach involved image-elicitation interviews focused on the nature of the work and learning of nineteen middle-managers. Interviews were transcribed and analysed inductively using thematic and narrative techniques.

Findings: The findings reveal the processes through which both being mentored and being a mentor enabled middle-managers to undertake identity-work, that is, to form, maintain, secure and advance their managerial identities and to resist identity-regulation. New insights are particularly provided into the contributions of mentoring to career progression.

Research Limitations/Implications: Certain limitations of the research are acknowledged and practical suggestions developed for further research.

Practical Implications: Practical implications include the need for management educators to encourage learners to discern opportunities for informal mentoring and to foster understanding of management as requiring not merely the development of knowledge or competence but as requiring the cultivation of a state of being.

Originality / Value: The paper provides new insights into both the outcomes and the processes of mentoring. Furthermore, that the significance of mentoring arose from the findings rather than being the initial object of the empirical research gives particular credence to the results.


In this thesis we investigated the invasion of erythrocytes taking place during the asexual erythrocytic blood stage of the apicomplexan parasites Babesia bovis parasite.
Host cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites is a complex process requiring multiple receptor-ligand interactions, involving association of the merozoite with the erythrocyte surface, reorientation and attachment of the apical end of the merozoite. In parasites like Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum many proteins have been identified that are involved in invasion including proteins present on the merozoite surface and proteins present in secretory organelles located at the apical end of the merozoite. An in vitro invasion assay of B. bovis was established to be able to characterize the mechanisms and the proteins involved in invasion. Invasion of liberated merozoites is completed in 1 h in phosphate buffered saline solution. The manipulation of intracellular calcium concentration or actin polymerization in the merozoite inhibits invasion indicating that B. bovis invades erythrocytes in a similar way as Plasmodium merozoites. Proteins that are secreted into the environment during in vitro invasion can be detected directly by protein staining after 2D gel electrophoresis. This in vitro invasion assay was used to assess the host-specificity of B. bovis. In vivo, B. bovis infections have only been observed in bovine species. In vitro, human, ovine, porcine, equine and caprine erythrocytes were all invaded by B. bovis. Human erythrocytes were invaded more efficiently than bovine erythrocytes, whereas goat erythrocytes were invaded at very low level. Significant differences in invasion efficiency into erythrocytes from different individuals of the same species were observed. Besides invasion, intracellular duplication of B. bovis parasites also took place in all erythrocyte species, except for goats. Only in bovine erythrocytes subsequent rounds of invasion were observed. B. bovis merozoite invasion was shown to be dependent on sialic-acid residues present on the host cell. Pre-incubation of merozoites with n-acetylneuraminyl-lactose decreased invasion efficiency by ~45%, whereas addition prior to invasion had no significant effect. Thus invasion might be dependent on the presence of merozoite membrane proteins already accessible during pre-incubation prior to invasion.
Only two proteins (AMA-1 and TRAP) involved in invasion of other apicomplexans were identified from a large B. bovis EST database and these were sequenced and characterized. B. bovis invasion was inhibited by antiserum raised against peptides from several domains of AMA-1. Antisera raised against domain III of AMA-1 give the strongest invasion inhibition. B. bovis TRAP was surprisingly found in merozoites. In Plasmodium species TRAP has been found in the sporozoite stage. Antibodies directed against BbTRAP inhibited invasion. Immunofluorescence showed that B. bovis AMA-1 and TRAP are localized at the apical region of the merozoites. P. falciparum AMA-1 and TRAP proteins are known to be cleaved off and secreted into environment during invasion. 1D and 2D-gel electrophoresis of total merozoites extract and invasion supernatant followed by immunoblotting with B. bovis AMA-1 antisera showed that this protein is cleaved from 82 kDa to a 69 kDa and secreted into the surrounding environment. B. bovis TRAP also was found in invasion supernatant.
Transfection of in malaria parasites provides a valuable tool for analyzing gene function. An attempt was done to establish a transfection system of B. bovis with dhfr as a selectable marker. The B. bovis dhfr-ts genomic locus and cDNA was cloned and sequenced. Beside the dhfr-ts gene of 2.83 kb, four other genes were identified in a 7.41 kb region of which at least three are expressed during the erythrocytic cycle. Three of the genes were highly conserved in closely related Theileria species and gene synteny was observed between B. bovis and T. parva. B. bovis merozoite cultures electroporated with plasmids containing T. gondii dhfr-tsm2m3 or human dhfr under control of B. bovis dhfr regions did not produce stable transfected parasites. Transient expression using GFP, YFP or s-galactosidase as a reporter gene was also not yet established. Nevertheless, parasite cultures with decreased sensitivity for pyrimethamine and WR99210 were repeatly isolated. The dhfr gene of five resistant cultures was sequenced and showed to contain a S125F amino acid substitution. Homology modelling of B. bovis DHFR by using the P. falciparum DHFR structure as a template, suggested that S125F affects the binding site of NADPH. The five resistant cultures that were first selected on either pyrimethamine or WR99210 turned out to be cross-resistant for both drugs. Comparable drug sensitivities were only observed in a quadruple mutant of P. falciparum dhfr displaying strong resistance to pyrimethamine and 10-fold enhanced resistance against WR99210. Wildtype B. bovis was similar to this mutant at 3 of the 4 mutated positions possibly explaining its low sensitivity for pyrimethamine.


The aim of this paper is to analyze some of the discourses that can be discerned in a classroom of Religious Education in upper secondary school in Sweden. It is based on the findings of participant observation conducted during 2011 in two different schools. The interpretative approach, formulated by Robert Jackson (1997, 2004), is used in analyzing interactions in the classroom. A key concept in the interpretative approach is representation, which means that religions are not seen as homogeneous phenomena but multidimensional and changing and concerns how this is expressed in the context of Religious Education. The present paper focuses on perspectives and representations of the content of Religious Education that appears in the classroom. The analysis of the classroom observations show that a secular discourse dominates in the classroom and can be described as the norm. As a result, "we" are described by concepts such as scientificity, rationality, modernity and development. Religiosity and belonging to a faith is portrayed as opposed to a modern worldview, and religious people in general are often labeled as deviant and outmoded. Simultaneously, a national/cultural discourse is discernible in which "we" is described as Christian, in the sense of belonging to a Christian culture which is presented as opposed to other cultures, especially in relation to Muslim culture. One does not know much about how Religious Education is shaped in the classroom practice. By describing how knowledge is constructed within Religious Education and what opinions and definitions that appears in different contexts, we get a better understanding of the classroom practice, which may form the basis for dialogue in a pluralistic society.


The observed magnetoresistance (MR) in three-terminal (3T) ferromagnet-nonmagnet (FM-NM) tunnel junctions has historically been assigned to ensemble dephasing (Hanle effect) of a spin accumulation, thus offering a powerful approach for characterizing the spin lifetime of candidate materials for spintronics applications. However, due to crucial discrepancies of the extracted spin parameters with known materials properties, this interpretation has come under intense scrutiny. By employing epitaxial artificial dipoles as the tunnel barrier in oxide heterostructures, the band alignments between the FM and NM channels can be controllably engineered, providing an experimental platform for testing the predictions of the various spin accumulation models. Using this approach, we have been able to definitively rule out spin accumulation as the origin of the 3T MR. Instead, we assign the origin of the magnetoresistance to spin-dependent hopping through defect states in the barrier, a fundamental phenomenon seen across diverse systems. In conclusion, a theoretical framework is developed that can account for the signal amplitude, linewidth, and anisotropy.


Ever since the first PM implantation in The Netherlands on january the 30th 1962 by cardiologist Dr Blom, Leiden University, there has been an almost continuous yearly increase of the numbers op PMs implanted in The Netherlands. In 2006 in the Netherlands, 9765 PM's were implanted of which 6765 were first implants. The remaining included pacemaker replacements. In 2006, a total of 12853 leads were implanted of which 11819 were used as first implantations. A pacemaker implantation is now considered a routine procedure. Pacing therapy, however, does not end after implantation. Patients with an implanted pacing device enter a lifelong path of follow-up. The FOLLOWPACE study was designed as a nation-wide prospective cohort study among patients who received a PM for the first time executed among 24 pacemaker centers in The Netherlands. The incidence of in-hospital events after first PM implantation was 10.1 % (95 %CI: 8.9 %-12.3 %). Six variables i.e. a lower body mass index, presence of heart failure in medical history, main indication for implantation, vena subclavia use for venous access, passive atrial lead fixation, and the implantation of a dual chamber system were found to be independent predictors of these in-hospital events. We disclosed that, in general, crucial PM parameters are regularly checked and much attention is paid to the safety of cardiac pacing throughout the follow-up. Pacing stimulation and sensing thresholds as well as lead impedances and percentages of pacing remain stable over time but these values depend on the lead location, lead fixation, and pulse duration. Reprogramming of PM parameters declined during the first year after PM implantation. The majority of PM controls was carried out by a PM technician, indicating the influence of the allied professional on the quality and safety of chronic cardiac pacing. The Health related Quality of Life (HRQoL) measured just before first PM implantation was significantly lower than that of a general population. Gender, age and the presence of cardiovascular co-morbidities are clearly related to the quality of life before PM implantation. We found that the HRQoL of patients treated with a pacemaker for conventional indications improved considerably in the first year after implantation. Almost 70 % of patients considered their HRQoL much better or even completely recovered. We found that patients with extreme low or high BMI and patients with concomitant heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases were more likely to experience an events after PM implantation. Having had an in-hospital event further increased the risk for developing a PM therapy related event as well as a major non-fatal cardiac event (but not all cause mortality). Using the Vena subclavia as access point for cardiac entrance also increased the risk of a PM therapy related event.


One of the goals of Article III of GATT is to invalidate domestic regulatory measures, including taxes and non-fiscal policies that amount to non-tariff barriers to trade (NTB) and therefore violate the principles of national treatment. While internal policies that directly discriminate between products based on nationality or origin are clearly in violation of national treatment principles, it is the facially neutral regulatory measures with protectionist and discriminatory effects that are more difficult to assess, even within transparent regulatory processes. However, with their emphasis on the likeness of the products in question, WTO panels run the risk of alienating member states from the GATT multilateral regime in favor of regionalism. In dealing with domestic regulatory policies, the WTO panels can use Article III as a means toward building bridges with its member states as well as the regional agreements that also form part of the WTO multilateral trade regime. This paper asserts that a better approach for the WTO in adjudicating internal regulatory policy should be one that incorporates a procedural mechanism for assessing questions of legitimacy regarding regulatory measures. Unlike the regulatory approach, this mechanism would allow WTO panels to deal with questionable measures by deferring to domestic internal structures that implement legitimate regulatory policy. In such deference, WTO would place the burden on the domestic institutions closest to the implementation of those measures to prove no alternative means more aligned with commitments under GATT for furthering legitimate domestic policy. This mechanism recognizes that regional tribunals also look to WTO adjudication in deciding similar issues at the domestic level. In addition, domestic regulatory institutions of member states are bound by their commitments under the GATT agreements. In proposing a reciprocal deference approach, I will draw from parallel debates in U.S. constitutional law as well as decisions from the NAFTA tribunals.


Core-shell nanorod based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with their exposed non-polar surfaces have the potential to overcome the limitations of planar LEDs by circumventing the quantum confined stark effect. In this experiment, InGaN/GaN core-shell nanorods were fabricated by a combination of top-down etching and bottom-up regrowth using metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy. When viewing the nanorods along their long axis, monochromatic cathodoluminescence maps taken at the GaN near-band-edge emission energy (3.39 eV) reveal a ring-like region of lower emission intensity. The diameter of this ring is found to be 530 (±20)nm corresponding to the ∼510 nm diameter nickel etch masks used to produce the initial GaN nanopillars. Thus, the dark ring corresponds to the regrowth interface. To understand the origin of the ring, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and cathodoluminescence (CL) hyperspectral mapping at 10K were performed. STEM imaging reveals the absence of extended defects in the nanorods and indeed near the regrowth interface. Monochromatic CL maps recorded at 10K show that the ring remains dark for monochromatic maps taken at the GaN near-band-edge emission energy (3.47 eV) but is bright when considering the donor-acceptor pair emission energy (3.27 eV). This peculiar anticorrelation indicates that the dark ring originates from an agglomeration of point defects associated with donor-acceptor pair emission. The point defects are incorporated and buried at the GaN regrowth interface from the chemical and/or physical damage induced by etching and lower the radiative recombination rate; limiting the radiative efficiency close to the regrowth interface.


The autoignition characteristics of laminar lifted flames of methane, ethane, propane and n-butane fuels have been investigated experimentally in coflow air with elevated temperature over 800 K. The lifted flames were categorized into three regimes depending on the initial temperature and fuel mole fraction; (1) non-autoignited lifted flame, (2) autoignited lifted flame with tribrachial (or triple) edge, and (3) autoignited lifted flame with mild combustion. For the non-autoignited lifted flames for relatively low temperature, the existence of lifted flame depended on the Schmidt number of fuel, such that only the fuels with Sc > 1 exhibited stationary lifted flames, similar to the case with atmospheric temperature. The balance mechanism between the propagation speed of tribrachial flame and local flow velocity stabilized the lifted flames. At relatively high initial temperatures, either autoignited lifted flames having tribrachial edge or autoignited lifted flames with mild combustion existed regardless of the Schmidt number of fuel. The adiabatic ignition delay time played a crucial role for the stabilization of autoignited flames. Especially, heat loss during the ignition process should be accounted for, such that the convection time, defined by the autoignition height divided by jet velocity was correlated well with the square of the adiabatic ignition delay time for the critical autoignition conditions. The liftoff height was also correlated well with the square of the adiabatic ignition delay time.


The overarching goal of this dissertation is to increase the precision and efficiency of the measurement tools that are used to make selection decisions in industrial/organizational psychology, by introducing psychometric innovations in the framework of computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Chapter 1 presents a general introduction to CAT and item response theory (IRT). Chapter 2 illustrates an automatic online calibration design that can be used in adaptive testing. The method makes it more attractive for respondents to participate during calibration, and increases the speed with which a CAT item bank can be calibrated. Chapter 3 demonstrates a straightforward method for conducting a test of measurement invariance and illustrates a method for modeling differential item functioning by assigning group-specific item parameters in the framework of IRT. Chapter 4 illustrates a method for verifying the results of an unproctored Internet test by using an extension of the stochastic curtailed truncated sequential probability ratio test (SCTSPRT). Simulation studies indicated that the SCTSPRT was almost four times shorter than a linear testing method while maintaining the same power of detection. Chapters 5 and 6 investigate the possibility of increasing the precision and shortening the test length of typical employment tests by efficiently administering and scoring items with multidimensional computerized adaptive testing (MCAT). Chapter 5 explores the possibility of using MCAT for administering and scoring the Adjustable Competence Evaluation; a computer adaptive cognitive ability test used in organizational selection. Chapter 6 explores the potential of administering and scoring items with MCAT for the NEO PI-R; a widely used personality test.


The study has examined the prevailing marketing system, utilization, marketed surplus / consumption, channels of distribution, processing / demand and supply scenario of milk in Jammu and Kashmir. The study is based on the primary data collected from 150 households rearing milch animals, 20 vendors and 20 milk shops from each delineated agro-climatic zones, besides qualitative and quantitative information obtained from co-operative / private dairy owners involved in milk trade. Crossbred cows have been found to have higher productivity than of buffaloes and indigenous cows. Marketed surplus as percentage of total production varies from 68 per cent in intermediate zone to 73 per cent in sub-tropical zone. Overall, sale price of milk has shown a highly erratic trend, irrespective of the zone. Per capita milk consumption varies from 338 g/day in intermediate zone to 569 g/day in sub-tropical zone and is higher in each zone than minimum quantity recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Producer share in consumer rupee has been found highest in channels I and IV. The dairy cooperative, a most significant market functionary in milk trade, is either missing or handles meagre quantity of milk. The study of milk processing has revealed that profit per litre in packaged milk is encouraging. Also, organized sector meets only 21.76 per cent and 16.32 per cent demand of the cities and towns of Kashmir and Jammu divisions, respectively. The study has suggested that an integrated dairy development project should be implemented in the state to boost milk production with regular / remunerative market to the milk producers and to capture a major share of urban milk markets with regular supply of quality milk.


Return-oriented programming (ROP) is a powerful run-time exploitation technique to attack vulnerable software. Modern RISC architectures like RISC-V and ARM64 pose new challenges for ROP execution due to the lack of a stack-based return instruction and strict instruction alignment. Further, the large number of caller-saved argument registers significantly reduces the gadget space available to the attacker. Consequently, existing ROP gadget tools for other processor architectures cannot be applied to these RISC architectures. Previous work on RISC-V provides only manual construction of ROP attacks against specially crafted programs, and no analysis of ROP attacks has been conducted for ARM64 yet. In this paper, we address these challenges and present RiscyROP, the first automated ROP gadget finding and chaining toolkit for RISC-V and ARM64. RiscyROP analyzes available gadgets utilizing symbolic execution, and automatically generates complex multi-stage chains to conduct arbitrary function calls. Our approach enables the first investigation of the gadget space on RISC-V and ARM64 real-world binaries. RiscyROP successfully builds ROP chains that enable an attacker to execute arbitrary function calls for the nginx web server as well as any binary that contains the libc library.


With the development of automotive industry, automotive air-conditioning filter became the essential equipment in people's daily life. On today's market, there is half of the filtration equipment made from non-woven materials because of its small resistance, good filtration efficiency, high yield and low cost advantages. In this paper, based on the comparison and analyses of the web structure, fiber distribution and finesse, permeability, thickness and filtration efficiency of the newly developed nonwoven composites and other imported materials, the results were got that the finer fibers, more porosity, thinner thickness and smaller holes together would make an ideal filtering product for using in the cleaner car.


The decomposition reaction of dimethyl-1,2-dioxetanone in dichloromethane was studied by using a DFT approach. The low efficiency of triplet and singlet excited-state formation was rationalised. A charge-transfer process was demonstrated to be involved in the chemiluminescence process. Present and previous results allow us to define an interstate crossing-induced chemiexcitation (ICIC) mechanism for the chemiluminescence of dioxetanones. Charge transfer is needed to reach a transition state, in the vicinity of which direct population of excited states is possible. The chemiexcitation process is then governed by singlet/triplet intersystem crossings. Structural modifications then modify the rate of these crossings and the singlet ground and excited-state interaction, thereby modulating the efficiency of this process and the spin of the resulting products.


In Reply .—It is clear that cow's milk has the potential to contribute to respiratory symptoms by both immunologic and nonimmunologic mechanisms. The former are accurately designated as allergy, although misuse of this term has made it nearly useless. 1 Clinical experience suggests that nonimmunologically mediated adverse reactions are important, and we and others currently are studying possible mechanisms to explain these reactions. However, Bahna and Heiner 2 emphasize the need for caution in diagnosing allergic (or other adverse) reactions to cow's milk lest "overzealousness" obscures appropriate diagnosis and treatment. A rational approach to the possibility of adverse reactions to foods has been outlined and certainly hinges on double-blind challenges. 3 The role of cow's milk—induced respiratory symptoms was considered in many of the patients we described. 4 None who had undergone immediate hypersensitivity skin testing had positive responses to cow's milk, and none had been noted to have a


The increasing salinization of agricultural lands is a threat to global wheat production. Understanding of the mechanistic basis of salt tolerance (ST) is essential for developing breeding and selection strategies that would allow for increased wheat production under saline conditions to meet the increasing global demand. We used a set that consists of 150 internationally derived winter and facultative wheat cultivars genotyped with a 90K SNP chip and phenotyped for ST across three growth stages and for ionic (leaf K+ and Na+  contents) traits to dissect the genetic architecture regulating ST in wheat. Genome-wide association mapping revealed 187 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) (R2  = 3.00-30.67%), representing 37 quantitative trait loci (QTL), significantly associated with the ST traits. Of these, four QTL on 1BS, 2AL, 2BS and 3AL were associated with ST across the three growth stages and with the ionic traits. Novel QTL were also detected on 1BS and 1DL. Candidate genes linked to these polymorphisms were uncovered, and expression analyses were performed and validated on them under saline and non-saline conditions using transcriptomics and qRT-PCR data. Expressed sequence comparisons in contrasting ST wheat genotypes identified several non-synonymous/missense mutation sites that are contributory to the ST trait variations, indicating the biological relevance of these polymorphisms that can be exploited in breeding for ST in wheat.


Hydrostatic/hydrodynamic (hybrid journal bearings handling process liquids have limited dynamic stability characteristics and their application as support elements to high speed flexible rotating systems is severely restricted. Measurements on water hybrid bearings with angled orifice injection have demonstrated improved rotordynamic performance with virtual elimination of cross-coupled stiffness coefficients and null or negative whirl frequency ratios. A bulk-flow model for prediction of the static performance and force coefficients of hybrid bearings with angled orifice injection is advanced. The analysis reveals that the fluid momentum exchange at the orifice discharge produces a pressure rise in the hydrostatic recess which retards the shear flow induced by journal rotation, and thus, reduces cross-coupling forces. The predictions from the model are compared with experimental measurements for a 45 deg angled orifice injection, 5 recess, water hydrostatic bearing operating at 10.2, 17.4, and 24.6 krpm and with supply pressures of 4, 5.5 and 7 MPa. The correlations include recess pressures, flow rates, and rotordynamic force coefficients at the journal centered position. An application example for a liquid oxygen hybrid bearing also demonstrates the advantages of tangential orifice injection on the rotordynamic coefficients and stability indicator for forward whirl motions, and without performance degradation on direct stiffness and damping coefficients.


Efrotomycin is an N-methylhydroxypyridone glycoside antibiotic with activity primarily against Gram-positive bacteria. It is intended for use as a feed additive for swine. Although efrotomycin is unrelated to any antibacterial drug used in human or veterinary medicine, the possibility of cross-resistance with other antibacterials is of concern. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of efrotomycin were determined for a broad panel of bacterial isolates. In addition, the susceptibility of each isolate to 12-15 antibacterials was determined using a standardized disk susceptibility test. No evidence of cross-resistance between efrotomycin and any of the 12-15 antibacterial compounds was observed. When the MIC of efrotomycin for nine selected isolates was increased from 16- to greater than 100-fold by serial passage in subinhibitory concentrations of efrotomycin, no increased resistance to the 15 antibacterials was noted. Subinhibitory concentrations of efrotomycin had no effect on the conjugative transfer of antibacterial-resistance plasmids between K-12 strains of Escherichia coli. The data from this study suggest that if resistance to efrotomycin should occur, it is unlikely to result in the appearance of multiply-resistant bacterial populations.


In the area of building construction and management, the dematerial-ization of data and processes has been a global issue for the past 10 years. Go-ing beyond the geometric representation of a building, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an approach that aims at integrating into one single system heterogeneous data and processes from different actors. Such integration is a complex and fastidious task. The implementation of the related processes for data querying, retrieval or modification is not less difficult. To tackle this prob-lem, we have developed a novel approach based on Semantic Web technolo-gies. In doing so, we have defined an ontology inspired on IFC standard for rep-resenting building information. On top of this ontology, we have defined and implemented a set of SWRL rules. The paper at hand describes these rules and their application in the context of building information handling (notably by means of IFC files)


The currently used cathode material for secondary batteries such as LiCoO2 exhibited limit to further improve the functionality of the batteries, since the screen printing method cannot reduce the thickness of the battery further with the solid state reacted powder which has the size of several micrometer. In this study, we have synthesized Li(NiCoMn)O2 thin film to replace LiCoO2 thick film by employing Li-diffusion reaction on the surface of the textured Ni-Co-Mn alloy. The cube-textured Ni-Mn alloy was prepared by cold-isostatic pressing of mixed Ni-Mn powder, sintering, repeated rolling process, and annealing heat treatment for texture development. After thin layer of metallic Li was deposited on the surface of Ni-Co-Mn template using thermal evaporation method in the glove box or pulsed laser deposition, the Li/Ni-Co-Mn composite tape were heat treated at 800~900°C for 1~2hrs in oxidizing atmosphere to induce Li diffusion into the Ni-Co-Mn template and Li(NiCoMn)O2 phase formation. The Li(NiCoMn)O2 phase evolution was confirmed by XRD and microstructural characteristics such as grain size and surface morphology were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Also the charge and discharge test was conducted to confirm the electrical characteristics of Li(NiCoMn)O2/Ni-Co-Mn thin film for the cathode application.


Ca2+ ions have been reported to augment the activities of many cell types including cellular proliferation and tissue regeneration. Moreover, it is well known that verapamil is a L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ antagonist with important clinical implications. To evaluate the role of Ca2+ ions in the regeneration of tail in lizards, verapamil was used in vivo to modulate the activity of intracellular Ca2+ in a lizard tail autotomy model. A total of 35 adult lizards were divided into three groups: lightness control group ( n = 11), darkness group ( n = 11) and verapamil treatment group ( n = 13). The tails of adult lizards were amputated by pinching off the tail at the 15 th segment from the vent to induce tail regeneration. The first two groups served as untreated constant lightness and darkness groups as controls, but the remaining group received intraperitoneally 1 mg/kg of verapamil. Following autotomy, the length of regenerating tails was measured at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days post-amputation. At the end of the study, the regenerating tails from animals from each group were removed for collagen assay procedure and histological examination. We found that verapamil produced a reduction in the length of the regenerated tail compared to untreated lightness group and the percentage of tail replaced in verapamil treatment group was lower than those in lightness control group. Total collagen contents were found to be higher in lightness control group in comparison with darkness and verapamil treatment groups. Accordingly, a quantitative stereological evaluation showed a higher percentage of neural tissue and a lower percentage of connective tissue, as well as vascular tissue, in the cross-sections of the regenerated tails taken from Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil-treated lizards, as compared to other groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that verapamil influences a variety of processes including fibroblast collagen production, neurogenesis, and angiogenesis during tail regeneration in lizard, possibly due to inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ ion by verapamil.


A 39-year-old female visited our hospital because of morning stiffness, arthralgia, skin rash of the extremities and general fatigue. On examination, she also had a malar rash and an oral ulcer. Laboratory findings revealed that antinuclear antibodies were positive and complement component levels (C3, C4, CH50) were all low. Serology for human parvovirus B19 (HPV-B19) was positive for both immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG. Gradually, her symptoms improved and laboratory data returned to normal range without medications. This case suggests that HPV-B19 infection may be attributed to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. (Internal Medicine 37: 708-710, 1998)


Background A common cause of death in the ICUs is advanced liver disease and its complications. Respiratory complications are common in patients with advanced liver disease. Management of patients with advanced hepatic disease having acute respiratory failure mandates the use of lung-protective ventilation strategies to achieve adequate oxygenation. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the superiority of either pressure-regulated volume control (PRVC) mode versus synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) mode in management of acute respiratory failure complicating advanced hepatic disease. Patients and methods A total of 80 patients were included in this study, who were randomized into two equal groups of 40 patients each, namely. group S and group PV. Group S was ventilated using SIMV mode, whereas group PV was ventilated using PRVC mode. Results There was a statistically significant difference between group PV and group S during the mechanical ventilation period regarding the PO2/FiO2 ratio, static compliance, and dynamic compliance values, with higher values in group PV than group S providing better oxygenation. There was a statistically significant difference in the duration of mechanical ventilation and the ICU stay between the two groups, with significantly lower values in the PV group than the S group. Conclusion We concluded that PRVC mode of mechanical ventilation is superior to SIMV in acute respiratory failure complicating advanced liver disease, as it resulted in improved oxygenation at lower inflation pressures.


In its first years in office, the Labour Government set out a wide-ranging and ambitious set of policies aimed at reducing poverty, inequality and social exclusion. A decade on, with the party facing probable catastrophic defeat in the next general election, how far can these ambitions be said to have been met? This article summarises the evidence. It also examines the most recent government White Paper on social mobility, New Opportunities: Fair Chances for the Future, published in January 2009, and asks whether this paper represents a serious last attempt to renew the equal opportunities agenda.


Handling atypical examples in classification tasks is one of the challenges in machine learning. While there seems to be a race for accuracy, very little has been done to understand and solve the issues related to atypical data. In this paper, coverage-performance (CP) curves are introduced to help a better understanding of atypical data. The concept of CP curves is based on the idea of separating atypical data and visualizing performance of classification as a function of coverage (the fraction of data participating in training or evaluation). To generate CP curves, two schemes are compared in this paper. The first scheme is based on SVMs alone and the second one is a hybrid of a PNN and a SVM. Two generated datasets with overlapping features are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of CP curves obtained by each scheme. Calculated theoretical limits on the generated data show that the hybrid scheme is a very effective way of producing CP curves. It is also shown that by separating atypical data, although we lose some data, the performance of the classification increases significantly.


Nanowires and nanofilms are fundamental building blocks of micro and nano-electronics for both of bottom-up and top-down technologies. Monitoring and recording the mechanical property dynamics at atomic scale are important to understand the atomic mechanism of new and surprising nano-phenomena and design new applications. Through years' endeavors, we developed tensile and/or bending in-situ atomic-lattice resolution electron microscopy methods and equipments for nanowires and successfully conducted atomic-lattice resolution mechanical tests on individual nano-objects. With this, we observed the brittle materials SiC and Si nanowires (NWs) become highly ductile at room temperature. The crystalline structural evolution processes corresponding to the occurrence of unusual large strain plasticity includes the dislocation initiation, dislocation accumulation and amorphorization as well as the necking of the one dimensional nanowires were fully recorded at atomic scale and in real time. We also expand the experimental methods and equipments to two-dimensional nanofilms. An example of tensile experiment on nano-crystalline Au films is presented. The deformation mechanisms of nano-crystalline gold films were observed at the atomic scale and real-time. At the mean time, an atomic scale the crack blunting behavior was captured and the plastic deformation mechanism of the single nano-crystalline was revealed.


The threshold interaural time difference (ITD) of a target tone increases in the presence of spectrally remote distractor tones [e.g., R. H. Dye, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 88, 2159–2170 (1990)]. It has been suggested that this is because ITD information is grouped across both target and distractor components [e.g., T. N. Buell and E. R. Hafter, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 90, 1894–1900 (1991)]. If this is so, then the lateralization of the target should be shifted towards the lateralization of the distractor. Alternatively, the presence of a distractor could introduce extra discrimination noise, causing threshold ITDs to rise, but without affecting the target lateralization. Subjects reported whether a target tone presented with a variety of ITDs was perceived to the left or right of midline when a distractor tone was either not present, presented diotically, or presented with a supra‐threshold ITD. The slope of the function relating the percentage of leftward responses to the ITD of the target decreased when a distrac...


Since the parliamentary elections in 31st April 2014, the political process in Iraq described as a fragile, ethnic tension have mounted and security situation declined tremendously with the rises of Islamic State in Sunni Arab populated areas. Since 10th June 2014, over a million internally displaced people approached Iraqi Kurdistan Region in a two-week time period. More than 300,000 monitories, including Yazidi Kurds and Christians, have fled to Duhok city. Additionally, over 40,000 civilians Yazidis trapped for a week in the mountain of Snjar, running from Islamic State (IS). This text works out measures for accommodating conflicts and claims of Iraqi sectarian groups. In order to explore and assess application of those means in conflict accommodation in Iraq, first, this text analyses the conflict through identifying actors, outlines the structure of the conflict and change in the dynamic of the conflict over the time. Second section of this text, illustrates the means for reconciliation of different identities in the world of politics based on the conflict analysis.


Physics-based flow visualization techniques seek to mimic laboratory flow visualization methods with virtual analogues. In this work we describe the rendering of a virtual rheoscopic fluid to produce images with results strikingly similar to laboratory experiments with real-world rheoscopic fluids using products such as Kalliroscope. These fluid additives consist of microscopic, anisotropic particles which, when suspended in the flow, align with both the flow velocity and the local shear to produce high-quality depictions of complex flow structures. Our virtual rheoscopic fluid is produced by defining a closed-form formula for the orientation of shear layers in the flow and using this orientation to volume render the flow as a material with anisotropic reflectance and transparency. Examples are presented for natural convection, thermocapillary convection, and Taylor-Couette flow simulations. The latter agree well with photographs of experimental results of Taylor-Couette flows from the literature.


Intraperitoneal injection of metalaxyl (250 mg/kg) produced a decrease in heart rate lasting for more than 60 min in anesthetized rats. Pretreatment of rats with phentolamine (a nonselective alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonist, ip at 20 mg/kg) and prazosin (an alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist, ip at 5 mg/kg) significantly reduced the bradycardia induced by metalaxyl. Yohimbine (an alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonist, ip at 10 mg/kg) did not change the effect of metalaxyl on heart rate. The results suggest that alpha 2-adrenoreceptors mediate the bradycardic effect of metalaxyl.


A compact laser transmitter, which takes advantage of an optical subassembly module, was proposed and demonstrated, providing precisely aligned collinear IR and visible beams. The collimated IR beam acts as a long-range projectile for simulated combat, carrying an optical pulsed signal, whereas the visible beam plays the role of tracking the IR beam. The proposed laser transmitter utilizes IR (λ(1)=905 nm) and visible (λ(2)=660 nm) light sources, a fiber-optic collimator, and a beam combiner, which includes a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) filter in conjunction with optical fiber. The device was built via the laser welding technique and then evaluated by investigating the characteristics of the generated light beams. The IR collimated beam produced had a Gaussian profile and a divergence angle of ~1.3 mrad, and the visible monitoring beam was appropriately collimated to be readily discernible in the vicinity of the transmitter. The two beams were highly aligned within an angle of 0.004 deg as anticipated. Finally, we performed a practical outdoor field test to assess the IR beam with the help of a receiver. An effective trajectory was observed ranging up to 660 m with an overall detectable beam width of ~60 cm.


Herein, heterogeneous, inexpensive, metal-free, and environmentally friendly graphene oxide (GO) was developed for the oxidative polycoupling of 2-naphthols in aqueous sodium hydroxide in the presence of air. This study demonstrates that GO can function as a heterogeneous catalyst, and solvent plays a vital role in the coupling. Upon changing the solvent from toluene to water, transformation of products from homocoupling to polycoupling materials occurs.


This paper describes the experimental testing of an actuated lower-limb exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is designed to alleviate the loading at the knee joint by supplying assistive torque. It is hypothesized that the support provided will reduce the muscular effort required to perform activities of daily living and thus facilitate the execution of these movements by those who previously had limited mobility. The exoskeleton is actuated by four pneumatic artificial muscles, each providing 150N of pulling force to assist in the flexion and extension of the knee joint. The exoskeleton system estimates the user's intended motion using muscle activity information recorded from five thigh muscles, together with the knee angle. To experimentally evaluate the performance of the device, the exoskeleton was worn by an able-bodied user, whilst performing the sit-to-stand-to-sit movement. In addition, the three intention estimation algorithms were also tested to determine the influence of the various algorithms on the support provided. The results show a significant reduction in the user's muscle activity (≈ 20%) when assisted by the exoskeleton in a predictable manner.


Quantum entanglement is not only one of the most puzzling features of quantum mechanics, but it is also a useful resource that can be consumed to realize tasks that would otherwise be impossible. Famous examples are quantum teleportation and quantum cryptography, which are most useful when entanglement is shared between remote parties. Although nearby entangled states can routinely be created using a host of physical systems, optical photons are the natural choice for entangling spatially separated systems. But in Physical Review Letters, Nicolas Roch, from the University of California at Berkeley, and colleagues reported realizing this feat using microwave radiation to measure, and thereby entangle, superconducting circuits separated by 1.3 meters of coaxial cable [1].


BACKGROUND
Volunteers' presence, as a critical issue in hospital response to disasters and emergencies, helps to readiness and quick response to the phenomena, preventing deaths caused by such incidences. This study aimed to determine the main factors affecting popular volunteers' presence in hospital response to disasters and emergencies in Iran.

METHODS
This qualitative study, conducted on 31 semi-structured interviews during the years 2019 and 2020, concerning emergency specialist working in various health organization nationwide between June 2019 and April 2020. The non-structured and semi-structured interviews were adopted to gather concept code and analyzed using Graneheim recommendation method.

RESULTS
Four main categories, identified as effective factors on volunteers' presence in hospital response to disasters and emergencies, including nine subcategories: (1) organizing and managing volunteers (with two sub-categories: (a) calling and registering volunteers, and (b) identifying volunteers' ability); (2) organizational structure (with two sub-categories: (a) operational planning and (b) coordination and communication); (3) training (with two sub-categories: (a) training in disasters and (b) volunteer training); and (4) volunteer challenges (with three sub-categories: (a) volunteer interaction with organizations, (b) volunteer logistics, and (c) volunteering culture).

CONCLUSIONS
Exploring effective factors as regards volunteers' presence in hospital response phase in disasters to adopt a policy based on the experiences of managers and heads of health can help planners to provide effective design and implementation. It can scientifically contribute to disaster risk management and hospital emergency response in Iran.


The threat of insiders stealing valuable corporate data continues to escalate. The inadvertent exposure of internal data has also become a major problem. Data loss prevention systems are designed to monitor and block attempts at exposing sensitive data to the outside world. They have become very popular, to the point where forensic investigators have to take these systems into account. This chapter describes the first experimental analysis of data loss prevention systems that attempts to ascertain their effectiveness at stopping the unauthorized exposure of sensitive data and the ease with which the systems could be circumvented. Four systems are evaluated (three of them in detail). The results point to considerable weaknesses in terms of general effectiveness and the ease with which the systems could be disabled.


Uterine rupture during pregnancy is a life threatening obstetric complication. It is defined as a nonsurgical disruption in the wall of the uterus along with visceral peritoneum. It is far more common in developing countries due to the numerous direct and indirect factors like lack of family planning, poor maternal health, poor management of labor, home deliveries by untrained professionals and others. It commonly manifests as acute abdomen and hemodynamic instability due to hemoperitoneum. Letter To The Editor Dear Editor, Worldwide incidence of uterine rupture during pregnancy is 1 per 1,416 pregnancies (0.07%). Single most important factor leading to this consequence is a scarred uterus due to previous uterine surgery. Rupture of an unscarred uterus occurs rarely in developed countries its rate is 1 per 8,434 pregnancies (0.012%) whereas the incidence is eight times higher in developing countries that is 1 in 920 (0.11%) [1]. It has been found that uterine rupture can occur in previously normal uterus in early pregnancies and beforehand preparations in such cases prevent from the lethal complications of this dreadful event. Uterine Rupture is a potentially fatal sequalae of late pregnancy and labor in a uterus with scarring. Rupture of unscarred uterus most commonly involves the lower segment of uterus which is the weakest part [2]. In Pakistan, incidence of uterine rupture is reported in 1 out of 64 deliveries [3]. Only 0.012% of normal uteri are at risk of rupture and chances of rupture increases with the number of previous scars. It is 0.5% after one caesarean section and 2% after two or more than two scars [1]. 29.5 % of the diagnosed Pakistani women had unscarred uteri previously [4]. Arch Intern Med Res 2019;2(1): 001-003 DOI: 10.26502/aimr.004 Archives of Internal Medicine Research 2 Factors associated with unscarred uterine rupture (UUR) in developing countries are high parity [5,2], abnormal placenta implantation, uterine anomalies, malpresentations, injudicious use of uterotonics [2] breech extraction, uterine instrumentation, myomectomy and macrosomia [1]. Other factors are low socioeconomic status, unbooked patients, prolonged and mismanaged labor and delay in receiving care during obstructed labor [5]. Clinical presentation of uterine rupture varies at different gestational ages and on the site of rupture. Signs and symptoms include abdominal pain, hemorrhage (revealed or concealed), fetal bradycardia, recession of fetal presenting part, gut prolapse in vagina, presence of placenta at vulva [3], hypotension and hypovolemic shock. Maternal consequences arising from this event include hemorrhage, anemia, bladder injury, need for hysterectomy, hypovolemic shock and death whereas fetal hypoxia, acidosis, admission to NICU and fetal death can occur [1]. In a study conducted to determine the risk factors of uterine rupture in developing countries, it has been reported that the frequency of uterine rupture is twice among the females who are in their thirties and 8 times higher among grand multiparous women [5]. Diagnosis is challenging due to early pregnancy and non-specific signs and symptoms of hemoperitoneum. Moreover, the rupture of fundal area leads to concealed hemorrhage and intraperitoneal blood collection, often delaying diagnosis [2]. Definitive diagnosis of such cases is based on surgery. Imaging studies like Ultrasound is helpful when defect is large and on anterior surface. Rupture at lower uterine segment leads to per vaginal bleeding and therefore is important in prompt diagnosis. Treatment is directed towards controlling hemorrhage and suturing of primary defect. Choice to perform either surgical repair or hysterectomy depends upon surgeon's expertise, extent and site of defect, co-morbidities in patient etc. Decrease in rate of uterine rupture can be achieved by taking taking initiatives like improvement in availability of antenatal care, counseling of mothers for hospital deliveries, training programs for midwives and health care providers to manage labor as per protocol, reinforcement of family planning programs. More research and data revision are needed in developing countries to prepare further strategies and to stratify the risk in booked pregnant patients because as discussed here, uterine rupture serves to be lethal in an unscarred uterus if not managed timely and appropriately. References 1. Nahum G., Pham K. Uterine Rupture in Pregnancy. Medscape, 2012. http://reference.medscape.com/article/275854-overview. Arch Intern Med Res 2019;2(1): 001-003 DOI: 10.26502/aimr.004 Archives of Internal Medicine Research 3 2. You SH, Chang YL, Yen CF. Rupture of the scarred and unscarred gravid uterus: outcomes and risk factors analysis. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 57 (2018): 248–254. 3. Qudsia Q, Akhtar Z, Kamran K, Khan AH. Woman health; uterus rupture, its complications and management in teaching hospital bannu, pakistan. Maedica 7 (2012): 49. 4. Aziz N, Yousfani S. Analysis of uterine rupture at university teaching hospital Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci 31 (2015): 920–924. 5. Omole-Ohonsi A, Attah R. Risk Factors for Ruptured Uterus in a Developing Country. Gynecol Obstetric 1 (2011): 102. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license 4.0 Citation: Fizzah Arif. Unscarred Uterine Rupture (UUR) Not A Rarity In Developing Countries. Archives of Internal Medicine Research 2 (2019): 001-003.


Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)/Rel transcription factors are key regulators of a variety of genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses, growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and development. In unstimulated cells, NF-κB/Rel proteins are sequestered in the cytoplasm by IκB inhibitor proteins. Many extracellular stimuli, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), cause rapid phosphorylation of IκB at N-terminal serine residues leading to ubiquitination and degradation of the inhibitor. Subsequently, NF-κB proteins translocate to the nucleus and activate gene expression through κB response elements. TNFα, as well as certain other stimuli, also induces the phosphorylation of the NF-κB proteins. Previously, we have shown that TNFα induces RelA/p65 phosphorylation at serine 529 and that this inducible phosphorylation increases NF-κB transcriptional activity on an exogenously supplied reporter (1). In this report, we demonstrate that casein kinase II (CKII) interacts with p65 in vivo and can phosphorylate p65 at serine 529 in vitro. A CKII inhibitor (PD144795) inhibited TNFα-induced p65 phosphorylation in vivo. Furthermore, our results indicate that the association between IκBα and p65 inhibits p65 phosphorylation by CKII and that degradation of IκBα allows CKII to phosphorylate p65 to increase NF-κB transactivation potential. These data may explain the ability of CKII to modulate cell growth and demonstrate a mechanism whereby CKII can function in an inducible manner.


Although often used in the medical management of anxiety, insomnia, seizures and muscle spasm, benzodiazepines lead to significant complications after continuous use. These complications include tolerance, addiction, dependence and abuse. Knowledge of the diagnostic criteria and treatment of side effects improves the physician's use of these commonly prescribed drugs.


A report prepared for Scottish Government. Greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation is a central policy objective in Scotland. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets an interim 42% reduction target for 2020 and an 80% target for 2050 across all sectors of society (1990 baseline). As
a priority policy area, it has become vital to better understand the co-benefits and adverse impacts arising from mitigation actions on our environment, economy
and society. Integrated assessment is key in prioritising environmental actions, reducing adverse impacts and enhancing positive co-effects. This report aims to summarise evidence on the wider impacts (WI) of GHG mitigation options (MO) in
the Agriculture, land use, land use change and forestry sectors (ALULUCF) and those related waste management. The key findings of the review, are a summary of the wider impacts and an overview of the challenges in quantifying
and monetising these impacts.


The prescription of forest management determines the number of trees to be cut and, consequently, the harvested wood volume, which directly influences the forest operations dynamic. The objectives of this paper were (i) to analyze the effect of process factors on wood extraction performance with forwarder in first thinning and clearcutting of Pinus taeda L. plantations; and (ii) to economically determine the optimal road density to manage these plantations. Time and motion studies at the cycle element level were conducted to quantify and model the time consumption, productivity, and operational costs of the extraction. The optimal road density (ORD) for both operation types (OT) was determined based on the transport geometry model, considering the minimization of the sum of unitary costs with construction and maintenance of roads, loss of productive area, and wood extraction. The extraction distance (ED), slope (SL), average log volume (LV), and OT had a significant effect on the time consumed in travels, and therefore, on productivity (PPMH). In clearcutting, the average PPMH was 12.17 m3ob PMH0-1, while, in thinning, it was 10.94 m3ob PMH0-1; however, as the ED increased, the difference of PPMH and the cost of extraction between the operations decreased, which highlighted a greater effect of this factor on forwarder's work in clearcutting. For this reason, the ORD for clearcutting (37.76 m ha-1) was higher than for thinning (27.84 m ha-1). Therefore, we demonstrated in this study that the type of operation and forest management regime, as well as their interaction with process factors, affect the sizing of the number of roads per unit area, and also the costs of the forest activity.


This article concerns the modeling and design of a slitted stator core for single-sided axial-flux permanent-magnet machine application. The stator core is specially designed to maximize the magnetic-flux density in the air gap and to minimize the eddy-current losses occurring at high rotational speeds. To reduce the effort needed for computing the motional eddy-current distribution in the presence of nonlinear material characteristics, a novel method is proposed. It combines the harmonic balance method, which is advantageous for simulating in the frequency domain the steady-state periodic response of a nonlinear system under harmonic excitation, together with a source description that introduces a complex magnetization that mimics the displacement of the permanent-magnet array. Following this method, time-domain distributions and losses can be reconstructed accurately with a low number of harmonics. A 3-D periodic model of the slotless axial-flux machine is built in the framework of isogeometric analysis (IGA) and a mixed formulation is employed, which relies on high-order Nédélec edge elements. The proposed model is embedded into a gradient-based optimization problem to determine the optimal shape of the slits in the stator core of the motor. This results in a novel cost-effective solution for improving the efficiency of axial-flux permanent-magnet machines.


This paper reports on the evaluation of the performance of several forecasting methods used to forecast New South Wales quarterly beef production, one quarter ahead. The forecasting procedures used are a single equation regression model, a Box-Jenkins univariate time series model, a forecasting committee's judgement and a naive model. Absolute accuracy and relative accuracy measures are used to evaluate ex ante forecasts. Although the evaluation gave some mixed results according to the criteria used, it appears that the forecasting committee performed better than the alternative forecasting procedures considered in this study. However, the results indicate that the committee's performance was not much better than that of a naive (no change) model, indicating there is room for improvement.


In this paper, a class of stochastic age-dependent population dynamic system with diffusion is introduced. Exponential stability of paths of a strong solution for stochastic age-dependent population dynamic system in Hilbert space is established. The analyses use exponential martingale formula, Lyapunov functional and some special inequalities for our stability purposes. Various sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure the stability of the strong solutions. In particular, by means of our results we loosen the condition of stability.


Effects of multiple access interference (MAI) and frequency offset on bit error rate (BER) performance of synchronous coded minimum shift keying/multi-carrier code division multiple access (MSK/MC-CDMA) systems were considered using standard Gaussian approximation (SGA). Simulations were carried out in AWGN and frequency selective Rayleigh fading channels. Results showed that the un-coded MSK/MC-CDMA system under investigation outperforms the corresponding system with BPSK modulation. Furthermore, coded MSK/MC-CDMA can achieve a better performance than the theoretical performance in AWGN channel for a single user, even in the presence of MAI.


This paper investigates an incremental learning framework for a real-world voice assistant employing RNN-Transducer based automatic speech recognition (ASR) model. Such a model needs to be regularly updated to keep up with changing distribution of customer requests. We demonstrate that a simple fine-tuning approach with a combination of old and new training data can be used to incrementally update the model spending only several hours of training time and without any degradation on old data. This paper explores multiple rounds of incremental updates on the ASR model with monthly training data. Results show that the proposed approach achieves 5-6% relative WER improvement over the models trained from scratch on the monthly evaluation datasets. In addition, we explore if it is pos-sible to improve recognition of specific new words. We simulate multiple rounds of incremental updates with handful of training utterances per word (both real and synthetic) and show that the recognition of the new words improves dramatically but with a minor degradation on general data. Finally, we demonstrate that the observed degradation on general data can be mitigated by interleaving monthly updates with updates targeting specific words.


OBJECTIVE
To characterize alterations in systemic and local colonic hemodynamic variables associated with IV infusion of ATP-MgCl2 in healthy anesthetized horses.

ANIMALS
12 adult horses.

PROCEDURE
Six horses were given ATP-MgCl2, IV, beginning at a rate of 0.1 mg of ATP/kg of body weight/min with incremental increases until a rate of 1.0 mg/kg/min was achieved. The remaining 6 horses were given an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution over the same time period. Colonic and systemic hemodynamic variables and colonic plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentrations were determined before, during, and after infusion.

RESULTS
Infusion of ATP-MgCl2 caused a rate-dependent decrease in systemic and colonic vascular resistance, principally via its vasodilatory effects. A rate of 0.3 mg of ATP/kg/min caused a significant decrease in systemic and colonic arterial pressure and colonic vascular resistance without a significant corresponding decrease in colonic arterial blood flow. Consistent alterations in NO concentrations of plasma obtained from colonic vasculature were not detected, despite profound vasodilatation of the colonic arterial vasculature.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Results revealed that IV infusion of ATP-MgCl2 may be beneficial in maintaining colonic perfusion in horses with ischemia of the gastrointestinal tract, provided a sufficient pressure gradient exists to maintain blood flow.


ABSTRACT Seepage through a zoned earth-filled dam with a vertical clay core, two permeable shoulders and toe drain are studied. Seepage through the core and the downstream shoulder are coupled. The flow rate and phreatic surface are found. The hodograph method is used, viz. a conformal mapping of a rectangle in the complex potential plane onto a circular triangle. Numerically, MODFLOW 2005 simulated seepage with the refraction of the streamlines at the interfaces between the core and both shoulders.


This thesis analyzes the political discourse on skilled labour migration in Germany
between 2005 and 2009 and investigates how and why skilled labour migration polices are
negotiated in the Federal Republic of Germany. In particular the thesis highlights the
significance of underlying policy maker motives within the policy formation process of
Germany s 2009 Action Programme on Skilled Labour Migration as well as their ultimate
imprint on the legislation. The critical discourse analysis of parliamentary debate in
Germany between 2005 and 2009 in conjunction with interviews with relevant national
policy makers, institutional actors, labour market stakeholder, and independent policy
advisors reveals that there is a significant discrepancy between policy maker intent in
regards to skilled labour migration legislation and the stated intent of the 2009 Action
Programme. While the stated aim of the Action Programme is to facilitate and promote
skilled labour migration to Germany, the analysis of relevant political debate and the
stakeholder interviews reveals that German policy makers are primarily motivated to
protect and promote preferential labour market access for domestic workers while at the
same time restricting undesired labour migration to Germany. As a result, the policy
measures of the 2009 Action Programme on Skilled Labour Migration have a strong
protectionist and restrictionist emphasis.
Moreover, the thesis reveals that the complex and multilayered power-negotiations
over skilled labour migration legislation between the various policy makers, institutional
actors, and labour market stakeholders are largely shaped and framed by domestic political
considerations. Notwithstanding the widely acknowledged global competition over skilled
workers and the need for German labour market to maintain competitive within the global
economy, immigration policy makers in Germany are primarily motivated by factors that
are firmly embedded within the national political sphere and that aim to control, limit, and
restrict territorial access of foreign workers into the national labour market. This in turn
highlights the need for migration scholars to reposition and re-conceptualize the role of the
nation-state and as an active agent in shaping international labour migration flows.


The southwesternmost Transverse Ranges region, which includes Santa Cruz Island, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the margins of the Los Angeles Basin, is underlain in part by Jurassic igneous and metamorphic rocks. These are the 162-m.y.-old mafic Willows Plutonic Complex, the >141 -m.y.-old metavolcanics of the Santa Cruz Island Schist, and the late Oxfordian to early Kimmeridgian metasediments of the Santa Monica Formation. The area is also underlain by amphibolites, greenschist-facies metabasites, and "saussurite gabbros" of uncertain affinities and unknown ages. The major-, minor-, and trace-element geochemistry of the Willows Plutonic Complex and the Santa Cruz Island Schist indicates that they are fragments of one or more island-arc plutonic/volcanic complexes. Rare-earth element modeling suggests that plutonic and meta-volcanic rocks could have been consanguineous. Saussurite gabbros are geochemically similar to altered portions of the Willows Plutonic Complex. Metavolcanic Santa Cruz Island Schist samples and volcanogenic metasandstone from the Santa Monica Formation contain relict igneous amphiboles compositionally indistinguishable from hornblendes in the Willows Plutonic Complex. The maximum pressures (3 kbar) and temperatures (550 °C) of Santa Monica Formation recrystallization are consistent with P/T estimates which are based on the mineral chemistry of the calc-alkaline amphibolites; both may be products of the thermal regime of a silicic pluton emplaced at shallow depths. The contact metamorphism may be related to regional chlorite- to biotite-zone metamorphism of the Santa Monica Formation; the latter, like the regional albite + chlorite + pistacitic epidote ± actinolitic amphibole-producing metamorphism of the Santa Cruz Island Schist, did not obliterate relict structures and minerals. The Willows Plutonic Complex, Santa Cruz Island Schist, and Santa Monica Formation are probably fragments of one or more Jurassic, island-arc igneous-sedimentary terranes, parts of which have undergone low-pressure greenschist- to amphibolite-facies metamorphism. The greenschist- and amphibolite-facies basement rocks from the northern and northeastern margins of the Los Angeles Basin have petrologic and geochemical affinities with these island-arc-like rocks. The saussurite gabbros of the California Continental Borderland are indistinguishable from altered portions of the Willows Plutonic Complex; both are probably genetically related.


This paper conceptualizes HP's history of becoming between 1939 and 2015 in terms of an integral process overview encompassing seven distinct epochs and associated corporate transformations, and discusses the differential contributions of successive CEOs to that integral process. The paper examines how the strategic leadership of successive CEOs has mediated the interplays between external context dynamics manifest in the company's evolving industry ecosystem and the internal ecology of strategy-making. Analysis of the messy process of corporate becoming highlights the paradox of corporate becoming, the evolution of the adaptive capacity of multibusiness firms in relation to evolving strategic integration challenges, the role of tension in the internal ecology of strategy-making, and the existential situation facing successive CEOs of long-lived companies.