Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Network(s) (LR-WPAN) usage has increased as more consumers embrace Internet of Things (IoT) devices. ZigBee Physical Layer (PHY) is based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 specification designed to provide a low-cost, low-power, and low-complexity solution for Wireless Sensor Network(s) (WSN). The standard's extended battery life and reliability makes ZigBee WSN a popular choice for home automation, transportation, traffic management, Industrial Control Systems (ICS), and cyber-physical systems. As robust and versatile as the standard is, ZigBee remains vulnerable to a myriad of common network attacks. Previous research involving Radio Frequency-Distinct Native Attribute (RF-DNA) Fingerprinting and device discrimination has shown that bit-level WSN security can be augmented with PHY-based features. The objective of this research was to develop and implement an Radio Frequency (RF) air monitor system that classifies devices in Near Real-Time (NRT). The performance of the NRT air monitor is contrasted against previous research that utilized MATLAB-based Fingerprinting post-processing RF-DNA. The RF air monitor demonstration included collection of IEEE 802.15.4 bursts from Nd = 10 RZUSBsticks to assess NRT performance and effectiveness. The first set of experiments examined how well the air monitor recovered IEEE 802.15.4 data packets while fingerprinting and discriminating ZigBee devices under two distinct workloads. The second set of experiments compared predictive post-processed MATLAB RF-DNA Multiple Discriminant Analysis/Maximum Likelihood (MDA/ML) models Average Percent Correct Classification (%C ) against the air monitor's observed operational %C for each RZUSBstick. The air monitor achieved an Overall Acurate Packet Reconstruction Percent (%R ) ≥ 97.92% while correctly fingerprinting an Overall Fingerprinted Percent (%F ) ≥ 97.48% of the transmitted IEEE 802.15.4 data packets during the trials. The air monitor achieved an overall operational %C ≈ 96.93% at a collected Signal-toNoise Ratio (SNR) ≈ 33.571 dB, classified each RZUSBstick within 0.45 msec ≤ TMDA ≤ 1.5 msec after detection, and %C Deviation (%C∆) = 2.71% from the collected postprocessed MDA/ML model. The results support that an RF air monitor is feasible, can be effective, and will accurately operate within predictive post-processed MATLAB


High diabetes distress is associated with elevated A1C in adolescents with T1D; however, no studies have examined the relationship between diabetes distress and objective measures of self-management behaviors. Whether adolescent diabetes distress and BMI are associated is also unclear. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between diabetes distress and average daily blood glucose (BG) readings, carbohydrate entries, and insulin boluses administered as well as the interaction of diabetes distress and BMI Z-score (zBMI) on these behaviors in 1adolescents (M age 14.7±1.9 years, 47.7% male, M zBMI 0.51±0.88 kg/m2) . Objective self-management behaviors were assessed via diabetes device downloads prior to beginning intervention for a RCT. BG data was available for the full sample, while carbohydrate and bolus analyses reflect pump users only (n=78) . In separate multiple hierarchical regressions, diabetes distress, zBMI, and their interaction accounted for significant variance in average daily carbohydrate entries (R2=0.21, p<0.001) and boluses administered (R2=0.20, p<0.001) but not BG readings. Main effects of distress were not significant. zBMI moderated the relationship between diabetes distress and average daily carbohydrate entries (p<0.01) and boluses administered (p<0.05) ; those with higher zBMI and higher distress engaged in fewer daily self-management behaviors while those with higher zBMI and lower distress entered carbohydrates and bolused more frequently. This is the first study to demonstrate a relationship between diabetes distress and BMI in the context of objectively measured self-management behaviors in youth with T1D. Although separate interventions exist to improve self-management or diabetes distress, none address them together while also intervening on weight. Decreasing diabetes distress could be an especially important intervention target for youth with high BMI.

 P.Trojanowski: None. H.K.O'donnell: None. T.B.Vigers: None. G.T.Alonso: None. S.Majidi: None. L.Pyle: None. J.K.Snell-bergeon: Stock/Shareholder; GlaxoSmithKline plc. R.Wadwa: Advisory Panel; Dompé, Consultant; Beta Bionics, Inc., Other Relationship; Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc., Research Support; Dexcom, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. K.A.Driscoll: None.

 National Institutes of Health (7DP3DK113363-02)


TTwo models the membrane model and the equivalent model were used for the solution of some of the questions related to formation of the Solar System. Both models show that the planets create clusters in which lies a higher probability of origination of large masses. The rings and belt of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter and the belt of asteroids behind the Neptune track are the beginnings of these clusters. According to the equivalent model, the Solar System went through a different development than other extrasolar systems. Both models show the wave principle, which is the same for other planetary systems and systems of moons of large planets [1].


In this paper, we examine the relative importance of the cash flow and accruals components of earnings in explaining the variation in UK company equity returns, together with the extent to which these relationships vary by auditor quality. We use a multivariate time-series approach that can be reconciled to a log-linear theoretical valuation model and, unlike the standard linear regression of returns on earnings components, accommodates time varying discount rates. Based on a decomposition of the variance of equity returns, cash flows and accruals, our results indicate that both cash flow news and accruals news are important drivers of equity returns, though cash flows are more influential than accruals. We also find that auditor quality moderates these relationships, since variation in both earnings components has a more significant effect for clients of large auditors. Finally, our results indicate that the impact of auditor quality is highest for the accruals component of earnings.


A Stata Companion for The Fundamentals of Social Research offers students the opportunity to delve into the world of Stata using real data sets and statistical analysis techniques directly from Paul M. Kellstedt, Guy D. Whitten, and Steven A. Tuch's new textbook. Workbook sections parallel chapters in the main text, giving students a chance to apply the lessons and techniques learned in each chapter in a statistical software setting. Detailed chapters teach students to reproduce results presented in the textbook, allowing them to become comfortable performing statistical analyses for evaluating causal claims through repeated practice. Step-by-step instructions for using Stata are provided, along with command lines and screenshots to demonstrate proper use of the software. Instructions for producing the figures and tables in the main text are integrated throughout the workbook. End-of-chapter exercises encourage students to formulate and evaluate their own hypotheses.


Subsidized loans may help increase home ownership in low income neighborhoods with positive social benefits, however there are risks and costs to the homeowners themselves. Home ownership increases incentives to maintain property and neighborhood, as well as decreasing the outflow of rents from low-income zones. These benefits, however are not costless to participants. With a mortgage comes the possibility of a default, the financial demands of maintenance, the reduction in alternate investment opportunities, an increased exposure to fluctuations in local economic conditions, and a drastic reduction in the liquidity of personal wealth. In this paper we examine the role of the owner-occupied house in the asset allocation decision of a family living in an area characterized as a low income neighborhood. We find that the current subsidies are likely to be too low relative to the costs. In particular, the tax law makes home ownership relatively less attractive to low-income families. This may explain a lack of home-ownership and thus, mortgage lending in low-income neighborhoods.


This study looked at the dynamics of conditional correlations and hedging strategies in the US main cotton producing regions. A two-step procedure was utilized to model, estimate, and analyze volatility, conditional correlations, and the optimal hedge ratios using spot prices in the Delta, Southeast, Southern Plains, and the Southwest regions and the New York commodity exchanges December futures contracts. The results indicate that volatilities in most of the regions are asymmetric and persistent. The derived conditional correlations and the optimal hedging ratios are dynamic although they do not have unit root. Moreover, the changes in agricultural policies altered the dynamics of correlations and producers' hedging strategies in the Delta, Southeast, and Southern Plains regions.


Halictine sweat bees (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) are model organisms for the evolution of altruism, reproductive castes, and eusocial colony organization. Halictine social behavior is not only extremely variable, but also ecologically and evolutionarily labile. Among social species, colony social organization ranges from communal societies of egalitarian females to eusocial and semisocial ones with reproductive queens and more or less sterile workers. A striking aspect of halictine social variation is the mutual exclusivity of communal and eusocial types of colony social organization within the same species, these two types of social behavior being characteristic of different genera and subgenera. We report a recently discovered exception to this rule in a population of Halictus sexcinctus (Fabricius) at Daimonia-Pyla in southern Greece, that contained both communal and eusocial colonies. Moreover, communal and eusocial females exhibit morphological differences that imply a preimaginal developmental switch, which could also underlie the two types of social behavior. That the communal and eusocial forms are not merely cryptic sister species with different social behavior is indicated by the comparison of mitochondrial DNA sequences of two sections of cytochrome oxidase I, which indicate that Greek specimens of both social types are more similar than they are to conspecifics from elsewhere in Europe. The phylogenetic position of Halictus sexcinctus suggests that this unusual communal/eusocial polymorphism may represent an unstable intermediate step in an evolutionary reversal from eusocial to solitary behavior.


Semantic perception is a core building block in autonomous driving, since it provides information about the drivable space and location of other traffic participants. For learning-based perception, often a large amount of diverse training data is necessary to achieve high performance. Data labeling is usually a bottleneck for developing such methods, especially for dense prediction tasks, e.g., semantic segmentation or panoptic segmentation. For 3D Li-DAR data, the annotation process demands even more effort than for images. Especially in autonomous driving, point clouds are sparse, and objects appearance depends on its distance from the sensor, making it harder to acquire large amounts of labeled training data. This paper aims at taking an alternative path proposing a self-supervised representation learning method for 3D LiDAR data. Our approach exploits the vehicle motion to match objects across time viewed in different scans. We then train a model to maximize the point-wise feature similarities from points of the associated object in different scans, which enables to learn a consistent representation across time. The experimental results show that our approach performs better than previous state-of-the-art self-supervised representation learning methods when fine-tuning to different downstream tasks. We furthermore show that with only 10% of labeled data, a network pre-trained with our approach can achieve better performance than the same network trained from scratch with all labels for semantic segmentation on SemanticKITTI. 11Code: https://github.com/PRBonn/TARL


The decompression from the hyperbaric air atmosphere with the pressure 840+/-5 mm Hg and subsequent 40 min exposure to the hypobaric atmosphere 308+/-1 mm Hg containing 40 to 95% O2 cause a decompression disease in 5-40% cases. The probability of the disease depends on the duration of nitrogen saturation at an increased pressure, physical fitness and individual susceptibility to decompression sickness.


Improved understanding regarding how to optimise the degree of swelling in the wood fibre wall may be a way to reduce the energy demand in the refining process. The forces necessary to achieve fibrillation (internal as well as external) are greatly influenced by the swelling properties of the fibre wall. The degree and position of swelling is also the main cause to where in the wood matrix the fibre separation will take place. Refining of wood chips in different state of swelling will result in mechanical pulp fibres with different optical and mechanical properties. The typical parameters that influence the wood fibres' ability to swell are temperature, pH, ionic form, amount of charged groups and ionic strength. Water retention value is one way to measure the pulp´s capacity to retain water after centrifugation and is strongly correlated to the swelling ability of wood fibres. A blowline-sample of Norway spruce thermomechanical pulp (TMP) taken out directly after the chip-refining step was used as reference material for this study. The sample was treated with sodium sulphite under different conditions to introduce a range of very low to very high degrees of sulphonic acid groups in the cell walls. In a similar way alkaline hydrogen peroxide was used to introduce a range of very low to very high degrees of carboxylic acid groups. Each sample was then ion-exchanged into proton, sodium, calcium and aluminium form. The effect of the amount of sulphonic and carboxylic acid groups in combination with the effect of counter ion, on the swelling capacity of mechanical pulp fibres was investigated. In addition, all samples were measured in a temperature interval between 25°C and 95°C to monitor changes in the softening temperature due to lignin structure modifications.


This paper presents the challenges and solutions encountered while designing and then printing functionally gradient material (FGM) objects using an off the shelf fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer. The printer, Big Builder Dual-Feed Extruder from 3dprinter4u, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, has the unique design of extruding two different filaments out of one nozzle. By controlling the rate at which the two filaments are pulled into the melt chamber, FGM objects can be printed. Software challenges associated with process planning required to print an FGM object are solved by showing a method for printing a discretized gradient and by designing an open-loop control mechanism for the extruder motors. A design method is proposed that models an object using a level-set function (LSF) with a material gradient. Instead of merely identifying the boundaries of the object, the level set also models the material gradient within the object. This representation method along with a genetic algorithm finds an optimal design for an FGM cantilever beam that is then printed on the FDM printer. The model and genetic algorithm are also used to solve a standard topology optimization problem. The results are compared to a similar FGM topology optimization method in the literature. All the codes for this paper are made open source to facilitate future research.


This thesis is concerned with computational studies of laminar flame structures using detailed and skeletal chemical kinetic mechanisms. Elementary reactions in these mechanisms control the observable combustion properties such as flame speed, autoignition temperature, ignition delay time, and extinction characteristics in nonpremixed and premixed flame phenomena.First part of thesis deals with computational investigations of influence of carbon monoxide and hydrogen addition on methane flames stabilized in counterflow configuration. Computations were performed employing detailed chemical kinetic mechanism – the San Diego mechanism. In case of nonpremixed flames, effect of carbon monoxide addition on structure and critical condition of extinction were examined. Differences between addition on fuel and oxidizer sides were investigated and plausible explanation given for the differences. For premixed flames, effect of addition of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to reactant mixture was studied. Critical conditions of extinction were predicted using computations for various compositions. Rates of production and consumption of various species were calculated and flame structure was analyzed for nonpremixed and premixed flames. It was found that moderate amount of carbon monoxide addition to methane enhances flame reactivity. However, with large amount of carbon monoxide addition, additive chemistry dominates. Addition of increasing amounts of hydrogen in premixed reactant stream enhances methane flame reactivity.In second part of thesis, kinetic modeling was performed to elucidate the structure and mechanism of extinction and autoignition of nonpremixed toluene flames in counterflow configuration. Computations were performed using detailed chemistry to determine flame structure and to obtain values for critical conditions of extinction and autoignition. Sensitivity analysis of rate parameters, reaction pathway analysis, and spatial reaction rate profiles were used to identify reactions controlling critical conditions of autoignition and extinction. Reactions were classified based on reaction rates and sensitivities of species to rate parameters. Chemical kinetic pathways of toluene consumption leading to formation of hydrogen and carbon monoxide were analyzed. All three analyses were employed to form a skeletal mechanism consisting fewer species and reactions than the original detailed mechanism. Predictions from skeletal mechanism of flame structures and critical conditions of extinction and autoignition were found to agree with those from detailed mechanism.


The 650–621 Ma plume which impinged beneath the Siberian craton during the breakup of Rodinia caused the formation of several alkaline carbonatite massifs in craton margins of the Angara rift system. The Beloziminsky alkaline ultramafic carbonatite massif (BZM) in the Urik-Iya graben includes alnöites, phlogopite carbonatites and aillikites. The Yuzhnaya pipe (YuP) ~ 645 Ma and the 640–621 Ma aillikites in BZM, dated by 40Ar/39Ar, contain xenoliths of carbonated sulfide-bearing dunites, xenocrysts of olivines, Cr-diopsides, Cr-phlogopites, Cr-spinels (P ~ 4–2 GPa and T ~ 800–1250 °C) and xenocrysts of augites with elevated HFSE, U, Th. Al-augites and kaersutites fractionated from T ~ 1100–700 °C along the 90 mW/m2 geotherm. Higher T trend for Al-Ti augite, pargasites, Ti-biotites series (0.4–1.5 GPa) relate to intermediate magma chambers near the Moho and in the crust. Silicate xenocrysts show Zr-Hf, Ta-Nb peaks and correspond to carbonate-rich magma fractionation that possibly supplied the massif. Aillikites contain olivines, rare Cr-diopsides and oxides. The serpentinites are barren, fragments of ore-bearing Phl carbonatites contain perovskites, Ta-niobates, zircons, thorites, polymetallic sulphides and Ta-Mn-Nb-rich magnetites, ilmenites and Ta-Nb oxides. The aillikites are divided by bulk rock and trace elements into seven groups with varying HFSE and LILE due to different incorporation of carbonatites and related rocks. Apatites and perovskites reveal remarkably high LREE levels. Aillikites were generated by 1%–0.5% melting of the highly metasomatized mantle with ilmenite, perovskite apatite, sulfides and mica, enriched by subduction-related melts and fluids rich in LILE and HFSE. Additional silicate crystal fractionation increased the trace element concentrations. The carbonate-silicate P-bearing magmas may have produced the concentration of the ore components and HFSE in the essentially carbonatitic melts after liquid immiscibility in the final stage. The mechanical enrichment of aillikites in ore and trace element-bearing minerals was due to mixture with captured solid carbonatites after intrusion in the massif.


Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the structure of calcium silicate intergranular films (IGFs) formed between the basal planes of silicon nitride crystals. A multibody potential was used to describe the interactions between ions. Samples with different film thickness and CaO contents were studied. Epitaxial adsorption of Si and O atoms from the intergranular films onto N and Si, respectively, in the crystal surface was observed. This epitaxial order induced a structural order into the nominally amorphous IGF that decreased as a function of distance from the IGF/crystal interface. A higher concentration of strained siloxane bonds was observed at the IGF/crystal interface in comparison to the amorphous interior of the IGF. While Ca ions were observed to segregate to the IGF/crystal interface in simulations of calcium silicate glass IGFs between alumina crystals, no segregation of calcium to the first adsorbed layer on the nitride was found in these simulations using silicon nitride crystals. Planar alignment of Ca ions parallel to the IGF/crystal interface occurred with either the largest concentrations of CaO or with the thinnest IGFs studied here. This alignment creates localized nonbridging oxygen that would affect the stability of the IGF/crystal system.


Background: Previous studies have shown that virtual reality (VR) is effective in reducing acute and chronic pain both in adults and in children. Given the emergence of new VR technology, and the growing body of research surrounding VR and pain management, an updated systematic review is warranted. Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review is to compare the effectiveness of VR in reducing acute and chronic pain in adults. Data Sources: A search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Trip) using standardized search terms. Study Selection: Twenty experimental and quasi-experimental trials published between January 2007 and December 2018 were included based on prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pain intensity was the primary outcome. Data Extraction: We extracted data and appraised the quality of articles using either the PEDro or Modified Downs and Black risk of bias tools. Data Synthesis: The majority of studies supported the use of VR to reduce acute pain both during the procedure and immediately after. Numerous studies found VR reduced chronic pain during VR exposure but there is insufficient evidence to support lasting analgesia. There was considerable variability in patient population, pain condition and dosage of VR exposure. Limitations: Due to heterogeneity, we were unable to perform meta-analyses for all study populations and pain conditions. Conclusions: VR is an effective treatment for reducing acute pain. There is some research that suggests VR can reduce chronic pain during the intervention; however, more evidence is needed to conclude that VR is effective for lasting reductions in chronic pain.


This thesis exploits the large-scale structure of the Universe via observations over a wide redshift range, with the aim of constraining the current cosmological models and galaxy formation physics. We present the eXtreme Multiplex Spectrograph (XMS), a proposed spectrograph that can map simultaneously 4000 Emission Line Galaxies (ELGs) and Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) in the range 0.4 ≤ z ≤ 0.8, with a success rate of 88%. Figures of merit clearly indicate that XMS is better or even competitive compared to future surveys for measurements of the gravitational growth rate, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) and dark-matter halo mass function. Next, by selecting a unique photometric
sample of 130, 000 LRGs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82, with an estimated average redshift z ∼ 1, we perform a clustering analysis and compare the clustering evolution of the high-z Stripe 82 LRGs to lower-z LRGs. An immediate feature of the Stripe 82 LRGs clustering is a power excess at large scales. This behaviour is not expected within the ΛCDM model, making the conclusion of a slow clustering evolution as observed for the lower-z LRGs, non-trivial. Only Non-Gaussian models are able to
describe the large scale clustering of the Stripe 82 LRGs. From follow up spectroscopic observations of a subsample of the Stripe 82 LRGs, we confirm that the average red-
shift of our sample is z ∼ 0.9, while the slow clustering evolution of the LRGs is now slightly more favoured. However, Non-Gaussianity is still detected at a 2σ level. Finally, from the largest and deepest near-infrared field to present, the UltraVISTA survey, we select ≈ 4000 Distant Red Galaxies (DRGs) and study the largest galaxy separations
ever probed with these massive galaxies. In agreement with previous results, UltraVISTA DRGs are strongly clustered objects. Furthermore, they show stronger clustering
within their brighter K-limited samples, that could possibly imply luminosity segregation. Their connection to the local descendants cannot yet be established.


Leukotrienes, lypoxygenase metabolites of arachadonic acid, have been reported to be potent vasoconstrictors in some organs. This study was undertaken to delineate the actions of leukotrienes on both vascular and lymphatic vessels in the canine forelimb. Bolus intra-arterial injections of 1 microgram and 10 micrograms of leukotriene B4, C4, and D4 and 1 microgram of norepinephrine were made into forelimbs perfused at constant flow. Norepinephrine significantly increased systemic, forelimb perfusion and small artery pressures. Lymphatic pressure was significantly increased from a control of 6.6 mmHg to a peak of 14.4 mmHg. Leukotriene B4 in either dosage, did not significantly affect vascular or lymphatic pressures. Leukotriene C4 (1 microgram or 10 micrograms) significantly increased systemic and forelimb arterial pressures but did not alter lymphatic pressure. Leukotriene D4 (1 microgram) significantly increased small artery pressure. Leukotriene D4 (10 micrograms) increased systemic and forelimb arterial pressures. Neither dosage of leukotriene D4 significantly affected lymphatic pressure. Repeat injection of norepinephrine after completion of all leukotriene injections again markedly increased systemic, forelimb arterial and lymphatic pressures. These data indicate that leukotrienes exhibit only mild constrictor effects on forelimb blood vessels and do not significantly affect forelimb prenodal lymphatic vessels.


One of the main challenges to treatment of lung cancer with radiation therapy is the tumor motion due to respiration. Previously, a novel approach was developed to generate treatment plans which compensate for respiratory motion and its variations. The worst case method is based on combining two intensity maps from two 4D plans optimized on the two worst cases of motion variations. The worst case planning method was previously tested on simulated motion variations. The goal of this project was to further test the worst case approach on realistic patient motion variations and treatment planning data. Two approaches to combining worst case plans were investigated: the first method takes the average of the two intensity maps, and the second method takes the maximum intensity of the two intensity maps. The robustness of worst case plans was compared with ITV plans and nominal 4D plans on three different motion variation scenarios. Study 1 and 2 investigated the robustness of the worst case methods on amplitude variations and patient motion variations on simulated image data. Study 3 investigated the robustness of the worst case methods on patient motion variations using real patient image data. The average intensity worst case method was only robust to Study 3 motion variations. The maximum intensity worst case method, the margin based, and the nominal approaches were not robust to any of the motion variations. Further evaluation over a wide range of tumour sizes, motion amplitudes and variability is required to determine the clinical applicability of the worst case planning method.


In the last few years there has been a weath of research and literature identifying the importance of supporting Carers. The End of Life Care Strategy(2008) identified four key principles in supporting Carers. ▶ 1) Carers need to be involved in decision making with the recognition they have their own needs ▶ 2) Need information about the likely progress of the person's condition and information about services available ▶ 3) Practical and emotional support both during the person's life and after bereavement ▶ 4) Carers to have their own needs assessed and reviewed. Aims of the new service To provide psychological support, information and advice to Carers; to provide an opportunity to share experiences with one another; to offer Complementary Therapies. The Service This takes place fortnightly on a Tuesday evening. A personal invitation and information leaflet about the service is sent to every Carer of the Day Hospice patients. Venue Day Hospice Resources The service is run by two qualified nurses, two complementary therapists and a volunteer. The hospice receives a grant to fund this. How the need was identified The need was identified through our patients and carers feedback via a survey conducted in 2009. We also wanted to implement this as part of what the 'End of Life Strategy means for patients and carers (2008) to support carers. Evaluation Carers are requested to complete a questionnaire after 6 months. This has shown that the service is useful and provide valuable support to the carers. Proposals for the future Developing a bereavement support group for carers, currently the carer is contacted 6 weeks after bereavement to be offered counselling – we have identified 'group' bereavement support may be more beneficial as they have met together as carers and formed friendships, so meeting post bereavement could be further support to them.


In this paper, we present a visual analytics approach that provides decision makers with a proactive and predictive environment in order to assist them in making effective resource allocation and deployment decisions. The challenges involved with such predictive analytics processes include end-users' understanding, and the application of the underlying statistical algorithms at the right spatiotemporal granularity levels so that good prediction estimates can be established. In our approach, we provide analysts with a suite of natural scale templates and methods that enable them to focus and drill down to appropriate geospatial and temporal resolution levels. Our forecasting technique is based on the Seasonal Trend decomposition based on Loess (STL) method, which we apply in a spatiotemporal visual analytics context to provide analysts with predicted levels of future activity. We also present a novel kernel density estimation technique we have developed, in which the prediction process is influenced by the spatial correlation of recent incidents at nearby locations. We demonstrate our techniques by applying our methodology to Criminal, Traffic and Civil (CTC) incident datasets.


This thesis is concerned with development of improved management practices in indigenous chicken production systems in a research process that includes participatory approaches with smallholder farmers and other stakeholders in Kenya. The research process involved a wide range of activities that included on-station experiments, field surveys, stakeholder consultations in workshops, seminars and visits, and on-farm farmer participatory research to evaluate the effect of some improved management interventions on production performance of indigenous chickens. The participatory research was greatly informed from collective experiences and lessons of the previous activities.
The on-station studies focused on hatching, growth and nutritional characteristics of the indigenous chickens. Four research publications from these studies are included in this thesis. Quantitative statistical analyses were applied and they involved use of growth models estimated with non-linear regressions for the growth characteristics, chi-square determinations to investigate differences among different reciprocal crosses of indigenous chickens and general linear models and covariance determination for the nutrition study. The on-station studies brought greater understanding of performance and production characteristics of indigenous chickens and the influence of management practices on these characteristics.
The field surveys and stakeholder consultations helped in understanding the overarching issues affecting the productivity of the indigenous chickens systems and their place in the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. These activities created strong networking opportunities with stakeholders from a wide spectrum.
The on-farm farmer participatory research involved selection of 200 farmers in five regions followed by training and introduction of interventions on improved management practices which included housing, vaccination, deworming and feed supplementation. Implementation and monitoring was mainly done by individual farmers continuously for close to one and half years. Six quarterly visits to the farms were made by the research team to monitor and provide support for on-going project activities. The data collected has been analysed for 5 consecutive 3-monthly periods. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyse the data collected involving treatment applications, production characteristics and flock demography characteristics.
Out of the 200 farmers initially selected, 173 had records on treatment applications and flock demography characteristics while 127 farmers had records on production characteristics. The demographic analysis with a dissimilarity index of flock size produced 7 distinct farm groups from among the 173 farms. Two of these farm groups were represented in similar numbers in each of the five regions.
The research process also involved a number of dissemination and communication strategies that have brought the process and project outcomes into the domain of accessibility by wider readership locally and globally. These include workshops, seminars, field visits and consultations, local and international conferences, electronic conferencing, publications and personal communication via emailing and conventional posting. A number of research and development proposals were also developed based on the knowledge and experiences gained from the research process.
The thesis captures the research process activities and outcomes in 8 chapters which include in ascending order – introduction, theoretical concepts underpinning FPR, research methodology and process, on-station research output, FPR descriptive statistical analysis, FPR inferential statistical analysis on production characteristics, FPR demographic analysis and conclusions.
Various research approaches both quantitative and qualitative have been applied in the research process indicating the possibilities and importance of combining both systems for greater understanding of issues being studied. In our case, participatory studies of the improved management of indigenous chickens indicates their potential importance as livelihood assets for poor people.


We consider the problem of approximating the number of differences between sets held on remote hosts using minimum communication. Efficient solutions to this problem are important for streamlining a variety of communication sensitive network applications, including data synchronization in mobile networks, gossip protocols and content delivery networks. Using tools from the field of interactive communication, we show that this problem requires about as much communication as the problem of exactly determining such differences. As a result, we propose a heuristic solution based on the counting Bloom filter. We provide analytic bounds on the expected performance of our protocol and also experimental evidence that they can outperform existing difference approximation techniques.


Sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among adults has been recognized for over a decade, but we have yet to accept these words too terrible to hear: children can also acquire HIV infection from sexual contact. In this issue of AJDC , Laura T. Gutman, MD, and colleagues 1 explore the barriers to our assessment of sexually abused children for HIV. Although we have come to accept that every other sexually transmitted disease is transmittable to children by sexual contact, we continue to ignore the possibility of HIV transmission due to sexual abuse. In a recent survey of 63 sexual abuse evaluation centers from areas of the United States with a high prevalence of AIDS, none had a protocol for HIV testing. 2 Why have we failed to investigate the possibility of HIV infection in sexually abused children? One reason is that we do not yet have the data to


Grey-box PK/PD modelling is presented as a new and promising way of modelling the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the in vivo system of insulin and glucose and to estimate model and derived PK/PD parameters. The concept behind grey-box modelling consists of using a priori physical knowledge along with information from data in the estimation of model parameters.
 The grey-box PK/PD modelling principle is applied to two different insulin studies.
 The PK/PD properties of two types of insulin are investigated in an euglycaemic clamp study where a single bolus of insulin is injection subcutaneously. The effect of insulin on the glucose disappearance is investigated by artificially maintaining a blood glucose concentration close to the normal fasting level. The infused glucose needed to maintain the clamped blood glucose concentration can therefore be used as a measure for the glucose utilization. The PK and PD parameters are successfully estimated simultaneously thereby describing the uptake, distribution, and effect of two different types of insulin.
 The glucose tolerance tests are used for assessing the glucose tolerance of possible diabetic patients. The intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) is modelled using Bergman's `Minimal Model' from where metabolic indices are estimated and compared for normal glucose tolerant and impaired glucose tolerant subjects. The grey-box estimates of the system noise parameters using CTSM indicate that the minimal model of glucose kinetics is too simple and should preferably be revised. The estimated metabolic indices from the IVGTT are compared with previously published results using MinMod and further compared with those from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The derived OGTT models are inaccurate and not suitable for predicting the indices from an IVGTT.


In decapod crustacean and other aquatic invertebrate larvae, rates of survival, development and growth, as well as overall physiological fitness are affected by numerous extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Among the principal environmental variables, temperature, salinity, quality and quantity of nutrition, viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, as well as several chemical parameters of water quality and technical details of the rearing methods may influence the success of larval development in artificial cultures. The strength of those extrinsic effects depends also on interactions with intrinsic factors such as the larval stage, the stage of the moulting cycle, genetic factors (including programmed physiological changes that coincide with ecological transitions due to ontogenetic migrations), and on late effects of previous conditions affecting maternal or embryonic quality. The present review exemplifies the significance of several key factors, using various criteria for the assessment of isolated or combined effects and showing implications for larval rearing in research cultivation or aquaculture. Concluding from this general overview, it is suggested that future work should (1) pay more attention to potentially confounding effects of intrinsic factors, (2) aim at an improved standardization of criteria for effect assessment, (3) simultaneously use various criteria rather than only plain survival and/or development data, and (4) preferentially use sublethal criteria such as rates of growth or morphogenesis, or indices of physiological or biochemical condition. Together, these considerations should reduce misinterpretations of observed effects, enhance the reliability of conclusions and predictions based on rearing experiments, and eventually aid to the development of improved cultivation techniques for both basic scientific research and commercial aquaculture.


The present study examines the Swedish eco-label Good Environmental Choice (Bra Miljoval); an eco-label that has attained great recognition in Sweden since its initiation in 1989. The focus of the study is on the control function behind this particular label and how the criteria writing and control mechanism are organized. Good Environmental Choice is operated by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Naturskyddsforeningen). One of the aspects that distinguish Good Environmental Choice from many other contemporary eco-labels, such as KRAV, FSC and Fairtrade, is that the control of compliance with the criteria is kept internally within the organization. The same person, or group of people, who have been participating in the process of writing the criteria, or standard behind the label, may carry out the control. Thus, the way Good Environmental Choice organizes its eco-label, differs from the norm that has evolved during the past decades with clearly independent regulatory functions: standard setting by one actor, certification by private companies specialized in the control function, and accreditation of certification firms by yet another actor. Given the divergent organization of this particular ecolabel, the study uses a qualitative approach and investigates how the particular way of organizing the Good Environmental Choice label has evolved, how it has been justified, and how people engaged in its organization perceive their work. In the discussion, possible explanations are proposed for the high levels of recognition and credibility of this particular eco-label. Some of the challenges of this way of organizing eco-labels are also reflected upon. At a general level, the study contributes to nuance the knowledge about the workings of certification labels and the prominent position they have today in bridging the gap of trust between consumers and (often distanciated) producers.


To understand the physiology of Schwann cells and myelinated nerve, we have been engaged in identifying K+ channels in sciatic nerve and determining their subcellular localization. In the present study, we examined the slo family of Ca2+‐activated K+ channels, a class of channel that had not previously been identified in myelinated nerve. We have determined that these channels are indeed expressed in peripheral nerve, and have cloned rat homologues of slo that are more than 95% identical to the murine slo. We found that sciatic nerve RNA contained numerous alternatively spliced variants of the slo homologue, as has been seen in other tissues. We raised a polyclonal antibody against a peptide from the carboxyl terminal of the channels. Immunocytochemistry revealed that the channel proteins are in Schwann cells and are associated with canaliculi that run along the outer surface of the cells. They are also relatively concentrated near the node of Ranvier in the Schwann cell outer membrane. This staining pattern is quite similar to what we previously reported for the voltage‐dependent K+ channel Kv1.5. We did not observe staining of axons or connective tissue in the nerve and so it seems likely that most or all of the splicing variants are located in the Schwann cells. The localization of these channels also suggests that they may participate in maintaining the resting potential of the Schwann cells during K+ buffering. GLIA 26:166–175, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We demonstrate a bidirectional 12-channel wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) with 50-GHz channel spacing based on wavelength-locked Fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot laser diodes. The maximum transmission length is 30 km including 20 km of feeder fiber and 10 km of distribution fiber. The proposed WDM-PON system can accommodate 80 channels with erbium-doped fiber amplifier-based broad-band light sources. We also propose a few methods for the wavelength-independent operation of an optical network termination.


We previously found that acid-labile polyrotaxane containing methylated β-cyclodextrin (Me-PRX) induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related autophagy and autophagic cell death. Me-PRX-induced autophagic cell death occurs even in apoptosis-resistant cells; tumor-targeted Me-PRX delivery could thus be an effective cancer treatment approach. In this study, antibody-supermolecule conjugates, consisting of a tumor-specific antibody and Me-PRX, were designed to achieve a tumor-specific delivery of Me-PRX. Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against HER2 expressed in various malignant tumors, was selected as a tumor-targeting antibody, and phenyl maleimide group-modified Me-PRX (Mal-Me-PRX) was conjugated to the cysteine residue of the reduced Trastuzumab to obtain a Trastuzumab-Me-PRX conjugate (Tras-Me-PRX). The cellular association of Tras-Me-PRX to HER2-expressing tumor cells was remarkably greater than that of unmodified Me-PRX. Moreover, Tras-Me-PRX effectively reduced the viability of HER2-expressing tumor cells at a lower concentration compared to the unmodified Me-PRX. In conclusion, antibody-Me-PRX conjugates are regarded as a new class of antibody-drug conjugates that would contribute to the chemotherapy of cancers.


Genes whose expression is restricted to oogenesis and early development may have important functions in these processes. Northern analysis showed that Xenopus B4 mRNA is expressed in oogenesis and embryogenesis through to the neurula stage. Immunocytochemistry with anti-B4 antibodies showed that B4 protein is only detectable in preneurula stages; it is localized to nuclei and is associated with metaphase chromosomes. Immunoblotting revealed approximately constant levels of B4 protein per embryo for the first 2 days of development. Thus, as the number of nuclei increases during early development, the amount of B4 protein per nucleus is diluted out. Sequencing of two B4 cDNA clones revealed that the predicted B4 translation product is a 29-kD protein with 29% identity with histone HI, distributed over the entire length of its sequence. The B4 protein also has certain other H1 protein characteristics--a tripartite structure consisting of a mainly hydrophobic central domain flanked by an amino-terminal segment and a long hydrophilic carboxyterminal tail containing a tandemly repeated amino acid motif. However, in contrast to histone HI mRNA, B4 mRNA has a classic polyadenylation signal, is polyadenylated, and lacks the histone HI 3' noncoding consensus sequence involved in RNA processing.


European Union is crossing a delicate phase of rethinking caused by many factors. In this problematic context a comparative and questionnaire survey "In and Out European Union" has been carried out on three groups of University's students, attending socio-economics courses, from three countries of European Union (Italy, Poland, Romania) testing their level of approval on EU activity, their proposals for bettering EU policy, their opinions on a possible EU enlargement to other European and non-European countries, on migration policies, on Brexit. The results of the research can be briefly summarized. The attitude of students towards EU activity is positive, despite some critical observations referred specially to issues concerning their future. Most students disagree with Brexit, the most students want EU to extend only to European countries. Most students want EU to be more restrictive towards migrants and refugees. Keyword: Keywords: European Union, Brexit, Migration, Economic Development.


When two, or more, laser produced plasma plumes are forced to collide there are two extremes in the resulting outcome, (i) the plasmas may interpenetrate, or, (ii) a layer of stagnated plasma is formed at the collision front. The degree of interpenetration (or stagnation) is determined by the so-called 'collisionality parameter' which is the ratio of the separation of the individual 'seed' plasmas to the ion-ion mean- free path. Previous work on colliding plasmas in vacuo show that when 'stagnation layers' are formed, they exhibit an enhancement in plasma emission duration and a reasonably uniform spatial distribution of electron density, electron temperature and atomic/ionic density. These characteristics have made stagnation layers of interest to the laser plasma community, however to date research has been almost exclusively in vacuo.

This work concerns experimental efforts to produce similar conditions for plasmas formed on solid targets in air at atmospheric pressure. This was realised by creating plasmas on the walls of V-shaped aluminium targets irradiated by a single, defocused laser pulse. Channels of varying vertex angles (namely, 30o, 60o, 90o) were employed to alter the relative collisional velocity of the expanding plumes and thus the collisionality parameter. The formation and evolution of the plasmas were tracked using time resolved imaging and spectroscopy. It was observed that the confined plasma plumes exhibited three distinct phases. For early time delays (<100 ns) they were similar to plasmas formed on flat targets with a rapidly expanding plasma front that separates from the primary plasma located close to the target vertex. At later times the primary plasma splits into two components, a stationary or stagnated plasma remaining close to the target vertex and a lobe-like plume. The stationary or stagnated plasmas exhibited some of the characteristics of stagnation layers in that they were formed at the collision plane, showed little sign of expansion, and exhibited reasonable spatial uniformity and slower rates of decay for various key plasma parameters. Furthermore line emission from plasmas formed within the V-channel targets had enhancements of intensity upwards of 20% over that of a single plume formed from a flat target.

Additionally, a compact, single shot, Fourier Transform Spectrometer was developed for recording weak spectral lines from laser produced plasmas and other pulsed sources. Details of the spectrometer design and its performance are also given in the thesis.


Is pricing of ICT-intense offerings following classical paths of pricing, or are they losing ground? Is pricing in telecom based on costing, customer value or something else? Who participates in creating the offerings that meet the end customers? And how is revenue distributed among participating actors? In this article, the ecology concept, with collaboration among independent actors in creating offerings, is explored in an attempt to find a way of analysing the complex web of interaction and determine the connection of pricing to costing and customer value. Three cases are analysed to demonstrate the approach and to draw tentative conclusions regarding pricing in telecom.


Resumen El príncipe Hamlet, by the Spanish playwright Carlos Coello (1850-1888), premiered in Madrid on November 22, 1872 and, described by the author as a "trágico-fantástico" drama, is unique in the history of Spanish translations and adaptations of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The play reflects Spain's late introduction to Shakespeare's work, in comparison to other European countries. In the Prologue, Coello, who calls Shakespeare "the English Calderón," insists that his play is a completely new play, "subject to the needs of the Spanish scene and the special conditions of our audience." Built from the original text, the play includes dialogues and soliloquies of the original and much of its plot. One of the play's most interesting features is that of the development of the characters and of the subtexts—including such topics as lost honor and the unequal relationship between men and women. In this way, El príncipe Hamlet becomes a rewrite of Shakespeare's Hamlet, emblematic of the Spanish theatrical tradition of the Golden Age, which was revitalized in the first half of the 19th century in Spain. The Spanish theatre of the 19th century, with its romantic and nationalistic bent, looked to its own 16th and 17th century plays as models, rather than importing foreign works. Nevertheless, Coello's El príncipe Hamlet exposed the Spanish public to Shakespeare's work at a time when performances of his plays in Spain were scarce and translations of his works were still based on previous versions done by the French. +


The fabrication of integrated optical Bragg grating reflectors in organic waveguides, utilizing a DANS (4-dialkylamino-4'-nitrostilbene) side-chain-substituted polymer is described. The devices operate in the 1.5- mu m telecommunication window and exhibit a linear narrowband filtering action with good throughput and coupling efficiency. The effect of a small slant in the channel direction is investigated experimentally. The structures have also been switched from a low to a high transmission state via a thermal refractive nonlinearity. >


Previous studies show that elevations in blood pressure induce concomitant increases in both cardiac mass and slow beta-myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression in rodents, whereas caloric restriction of 50% (CR) causes an increase in beta-MHC while modestly lowering blood pressure in normotensive rats. The goals of this study were to 1) determine if beta-MHC expression could be independently regulated by CR and hypertension when these two interventions are combined and 2) determine if CR exerts a lowering of blood pressure in two contrasting models of rodent hypertension. Rodents were assigned to the following groups: 1) normal control (NC); 2) abdominal aortic constriction (Abcon), a model that induces hypertension via renin-angiotensin II; 3) nephrectomy-deoxycorticosterone acetate treatment (DOCA), a model that induces hypertension through increased salt retention; 4) CR; 5) Abcon+CR; 6) DOCA+CR. Results show that both Abcon and DOCA induced significant increases in systemic blood pressures, left ventricular (LV) weight/body weight, and the relative content of beta-MHC compared with NC. When applied in combination with either Abcon or DOCA, CR significantly blunted the changes observed in both systemic blood pressures and LV weight/body weight. In contrast, CR in conjunction with DOCA augmented % beta-MHC expression relative to either DOCA or CR alone. These data suggest 1) caloric restriction exerts a powerful impact on reducing experimentally induced hypertension in rodents and 2) the regulation of beta-MHC expression appears to be regulated by at least two processes, one associated with the stimulus of hypertension and the other involving an independent pathway linked to caloric restriction.


Bagging can significantly improve the generalization performance of unstable machine learning algorithms such as trees or neural networks. Though bagging is now widely used in practice and many empirical studies have explored its behavior, we still know little about the theoretical properties of bagged predictions. In this paper, we theoretically investigate how the bagging method can reduce the Mean Squared Error (MSE) when applied on a statistical estimator. First, we prove that for any estimator, increasing the number of bagged estimators $N$ in the average can only reduce the MSE. This intuitive result, observed empirically and discussed in the literature, has not yet been rigorously proved. Second, we focus on the standard estimator of variance called unbiased sample variance and we develop an exact analytical expression of the MSE for this estimator with bagging.
This allows us to rigorously discuss the number of iterations $N$ and the batch size $m$ of the bagging method. From this expression, we state that only if the kurtosis of the distribution is greater than $\frac{3}{2}$, the MSE of the variance estimator can be reduced with bagging. This result is important because it demonstrates that for distribution with low kurtosis, bagging can only deteriorate the performance of a statistical prediction. Finally, we propose a novel general-purpose algorithm to estimate with high precision the variance of a sample.


DC electrical self-heating (Joule heating) is exploited to characterize the thermal behavior of Ni microbridges. The temperature rise of the devices due to self-heating is monitored using an infrared microscope for current densities up to 105 A/cm2. The obtained temperature profiles reveal significant heating at the bases of the microbridges. Simulations are performed in order to extract the thermal conductivity of the electroplated Ni thin film from the experimental data. The thermal conductivity is found to be 78.8 W/m · K or 13% less than that of bulk Ni. As current flows through the microbridges, they deflect upward, significantly changing the system response and pull-in voltage required for actuation. Additionally, the electrical resistivity and specific electrical contact resistances between the microbridges and the anchor points are reported. The electroplated Ni is found to have an electrical resistivity of 9.7 μΩ · cm which agrees with other values in the literature for thin-film Ni. By combining the electrical and thermal measurements, it is possible to determine the phonon and electron contributions to thermal conductivity. Although demonstrated on Ni films, this technique can be applied to any metallic film without modification. Such characterization of transport properties of constituent materials is important in the modeling of microelectromechanical systems and enables device performance to be predicted with improved accuracy.


This paper examines the impact of thin capitalization rules that limit the tax deductibility of interest on the capital structure of the foreign affiliates of US multinationals. We construct a new data set on thin capitalization rules in 54 countries for the period 1982-2004. Using confidential data on the internal and total leverage of foreign affiliates of US multinationals, we find that thin capitalization rules affect multinational firm capital structure in a significant way. Specifically, restrictions on an affiliate's debt-to-assets ratio reduce this ratio on average by 1.9%, while restrictions on an affiliate's borrowing from the parent-to-equity ratio reduce this ratio by 6.3%. Also, restrictions on borrowing from the parent reduce the affiliate's debt to assets ratio by 0.8%, which shows that rules targeting internal leverage have an indirect effect on the overall indebtedness of affiliate firms. The impact of capitalization rules on affiliate leverage is higher if their application is automatic rather than discretionary. Furthermore, we show that thin capitalization regimes have aggregate firm effects: they reduce the firm's aggregate interest expense bill but lower firm valuation. Overall, our results show than thin capitalization rules, which thus far have been understudied, have a substantial effect on the capital structure within multinational firms, with implications for the firm's market valuation.


This study critically explores the extent to which the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) (such as the African Standby Force (ASF), the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS), Panel of the Wise (PoW) and the Peace Fund (PF)) have been successful in achieving their institutional objectives, as well as the degree to which they are able to contribute to the work of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC). The AU PSC as a key pillar of the APSA is the main decision-making body regarding issues of peace and security. In order to achieve its responsibility, the AU PSC shall be supported by the African Standby Force, the Continental Early Warning System, Panel of the Wise and the Peace Fund. APSA is the umbrella term for the key African Union (AU) mechanisms for promoting peace, security and stability in the African continent. More specifically, it is an operational structure for the effective implementation of the decisions taken in the areas of conflict prevention, peace-making, peace support operations and intervention, as well as peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction. APSA is envisioned as a means by which Africa can take a greater role in managing peace and security on the continent, with the objective of offering "African solutions to African problems".


Three linear heterometallic CoII2LnIII2 (Ln = Dy (1), Gd (2), Y (3)) coordination clusters have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that all three compounds are isostructural and crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/c with Z = 2. The dc magnetic susceptibilities for all three compounds have been measured and the magnetic exchange couplings (for 2) and magnetic anisotropy for CoII ions (for 2 and 3) have been calculated and discussed. Furthermore, the ac magnetic susceptibility measurements have been performed and show that CoII2DyIII2 compounds 1 display single-molecule magnetic (SMM) behavior.


Increasing demands for water, driven by population growth and socioeconomic development, environmental regulations and future climate uncertainty, are highlighting limitations on water supplies. This water‐energy‐food‐environment nexus is not confined to semiarid regions but is emerging as a key business, societal, and economic risk in humid and temperate countries, where abundant water supplies and regulation have historically coped with fluctuating demands between industry, power generation, agriculture, domestic supply, and the environment. In the United Kingdom, irrigation is supplemental to rainfall, consumptive in use, and concentrated in the driest years and most resource‐stressed catchments. This paper describes an empirical application of a mixed methods approach to integrate agriculture into a robust decision‐making framework, focusing on a water‐stressed region in England. The approach shows that competing demands between sectors can be reconciled and that potential options or portfolios compatible with multisectoral collaboration and investment can be identified. The methodological challenges in forecasting agricultural demand, defining acceptable trade‐offs, managing scale and uncertainty issues, and the importance of engendering open dialogue between stakeholders are described. The study provides valuable insights for countries where similar emergent issues regarding conflicts over water demand exist.


Coronary artery disease remains a leading cause of death in industrialized nations, and early detection of disease is a critical intervention target in order to effectively treat patients and manage risk. Proteomic analysis of mixed tissue homogenates may obscure subtle protein changes that occur uniquely in underlying tissue subtypes. The unsupervised 'convex analysis of mixtures' (CAM) tool has previously been shown to effectively segregate cellular subtypes from mixed expression data. In this study, we hypothesized that CAM would identify proteomic information specifically informative to early atherosclerosis lesion involvement that could lead to potential markers of early disease detection. We quantified the proteome of 99 paired Abdominal Aorta (AA) and Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery (LAD) specimens (N=198 specimens total) acquired during autopsy of young adults free of diagnosed cardiac disease. The CAM tool was then used to segregate protein subsets uniquely associated with different underlying tissue types, yielding markers of normal and fibrous plaque (FP) tissues in LAD and AA (N=62 lesions markers). CAM-derived FP marker expression was validated against pathologist estimated luminal surface involvement of FP, as well as in an orthogonal cohort of 'pure' fibrous plaque, fatty streak, and normal vascular specimens. A targeted mass spectrometry (MS) experiment quantified 39 of 62 CAM-FP markers in plasma from women with angiographically verified coronary artery disease (CAD, N=46) or free from apparent CAD (control, N=40). Elastic net variable selection with logistic regression reduced this list to 10 proteins capable of classifying CAD status in this cohort with <6% misclassification error, and a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.992 (Confidence Interval 0.968-0.998) after cross validation. The proteomics-CAM workflow identified lesion-specific molecular biomarker candidates by distilling the most representative molecules from heterogenous tissue types.


Identifying economic regimes is useful in a world of time-varying risk premia. We apply regime switching models to common factors proxying for the macroeconomic regime and show that the ensuing regime factor is relevant in forecasting the equity risk premium. Moreover, the relevance of this regime factor is preserved in the presence of fundamental variables and technical indicators which are known to predict equity risk premia. Based on multiple predictive regressions and pooled forecasts, the macroeconomic regime factor is deemed complementary relative to the fundamental and technical information sets. Finally, these forecasts exhibit significant out-of-sample predictability that ultimately translates into considerable utility gains in a mean-variance portfolio strategy.


We consider the setting of ontological database access, where an A-box is given in form of a relational database D and where a Boolean conjunctive query q has to be evaluated against D modulo a T-box Σ formulated in DL-Lite or Linear Datalog±. It is well-known that (Σ, q) can be rewritten into an equivalent nonrecursive Datalog program P that can be directly evaluated over D. However, for Linear Datalog± or for DL-Lite versions that allow for role inclusion, the rewriting methods described so far result in a nonrecursive Datalog program P of size exponential in the joint size of Σ and q. This gives rise to the interesting question of whether such a rewriting necessarily needs to be of exponential size. In this paper we show that it is actually possible to translate (Σ, q) into a polynomially sized equivalent nonrecursive Datalog program P.


Public services need to adapt to the needs of their customers, the citizens. Often new e-services are technology-initiated, but Smart Cities start with the user. This document places the customer journey mapping (CJM) process in the context of customer insight and business process improvement and provides practical guidelines on how to make the most of CJM.


Monthly samples of Acanthopagrus latus (Hottuyn, 1782) were used to determine (1) feeding habits and (2) reproduction characteristics of the species in relation to its size, spawning season and sex in the Northern part of the Persian Gulf from January to December 2013. The smaller length classes of all samples were dominated by male fish. All gonads examined, were ovotestis during the spawning period from February till May. Male and female ovotestes were dimorphic in structure which represented a transitional stage in a protandrous sex change. Length at first sexual maturity of female A. latus was 24.40 cm. A. latus fed predominantly on bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, stomatopods, fish and decapods which showed changes according to the season and body size. According to our results, it appears that A. latus feeds throughout the year; the highest value of gastrosomatic index (GaSI) for both sexes was recorded in February, which was significantly different from that in other months. The results of this study also indicate that feeding in yellowfin seabream is very intense before reproduction (during January and February). It decreases gradually after February to June during the spawning season.


Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses a very simple process to convert the thermal energy stored mainly in tropical oceans into electricity. In designs, operations, and evaluations, we need to consider the unique characteristics of OTEC to achieve the best performance or lower the electricity cost of projects. The concept and design constraints of OTEC power generation differ from those of conventional thermal power plants due to the utilization of a low temperature difference. This research theoretically recognizes the unique characteristics of the energy conversion system and summarizes the appropriate performance evaluation methods for OTEC based on finite-time thermodynamics and the equilibrium condition of the heat source. In addition, it presents the concept of normalization of thermal efficiency for OTEC and exergy efficiency based on the available thermal energy in the ocean defined as the transferable thermal energy from the ocean and the equilibrium condition as the dead state for exergy. The differences between conventional thermal efficiency and the effectiveness of the evaluation methods are visualized using the various reference design data, and it is ascertained that there is no clear relation between the conventional thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency, whereas the normalized thermal efficiency is definitely proportional to the exergy efficiency. Moreover, the exergy efficiency shows the effectiveness of the staging Rankine, Kalina, and Uehara cycles. Therefore, the normalized thermal efficiency and the exergy efficiency are important to analyze the heat and mass balance as well as improvement of the system.


This is the case of a pediatric blunt trauma patient who presented with a concurrent blunt traumatic aortic and severe brain injury. We describe successful simultaneous management of the aortic and brain injury with delayed endovascular repair of the aorta. This report details the importance of multidisciplinary discussion in definitive management of children with these concurrent injuries and the endovascular technical considerations in children.


BACKGROUND
While sleep deprivation has been observed to precipitate mania, the relationship between sleep and resolution of mania is less well understood. We observed a rapid reversal of manic symptoms in several patients hospitalized for mania who slept many hours on Night 1 of hospitalization. We therefore undertook to study this relationship more systematically.

METHOD
Charts for all patients admitted with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, manic within a 2-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were assigned to a group called "rapid responders" if improvement in symptoms, as described in progress notes, was moderate by Day 2 of hospitalization. Patients were "nonrapid responders" if improvement in symptoms was minimal or mild by Day 2. Sleep records, medications, and demographic data were obtained by researchers blind to the patients' response status on Day 2 of hospitalization.

RESULTS
Compared with the 27 patients who did not have a rapid response, the 7 rapid responders were significantly more likely to (1) be in a first manic episode, (2) have a stressor associated with the onset of mania, (3) sleep more hours the first night of hospitalization, and (4) spend fewer days in the hospital.

CONCLUSION
The possibility is raised that sleep restoration might induce a rapid antimanic response in patients experiencing their first episode of mania. The clinical implications of a rapid reversal of mania--including a reduction in number of hospital days--are discussed.


In yeast, the Mad2 protein is required for the M phase arrest induced by microtubule inhibitors, but the protein is not essential under normal culture conditions. We tested whether the Mad2 protein participates in regulating the timing of anaphase onset in mammalian cells in the absence of microtubule drugs. When microinjected into living prophase or prometaphase PtK1 cells, anti-Mad2 antibody induced the onset of anaphase prematurely during prometaphase, before the chromosomes had assembled at the metaphase plate. Anti-Mad2 antibody-injected cells completed all aspects of anaphase including chromatid movement to the spindle poles and pole–pole separation. Identical results were obtained when primary human keratinocytes were injected with anti-Mad2 antibody. These studies suggest that Mad2 protein function is essential for the timing of anaphase onset in somatic cells at each mitosis. Thus, in mammalian somatic cells, the spindle checkpoint appears to be a component of the timing mechanism for normal mitosis, blocking anaphase onset until all chromosomes are aligned at the metaphase plate.


An efficient implementation of the Fourier-Motzkin (FM) algorithm for computing all non-negative, minimal-support invariants of ordinary Petri nets is proposed. The proposed algorithm is inspired by the observation that for a set S of parallel places (i.e. places that have the same input and output transitions, and the same corresponding arc weights), if there exists an invariant y1 whose support contains p1∈S, then there also exist k–1 invariants yi, i=2, 3,   , k, where k=|S|, such that the support of yi contains a place pi∈S. The proposed algorithm exploits this observation by computing only y1 and then generating the other corresponding invariants through a proposed enumerative process. The tests indicate that on an average, the proposed algorithm is at least 2.2 times faster in execution, and requires at least 1.8 times less memory than other comparable algorithms.


The purpose of this article is to fulfill structured assignments in the Administration and Supervision of Education courses. And one of the knowledge especially for compilers and generally for readers, regarding the Administration of Educators and Education Personnel. This article writing technique uses the literature study method, by collecting material sourced from books, journals and others related to the administrative process of educators and education personnel. It can be concluded that the administration of educators and education personnel is covering the whole process of educator activities which include planning, organizing, directing, reporting, coordinating, monitoring and financing, using or utilizing available facilities, both personal, material and spiritual to achieve educational goals effective and efficient.


Controlled studies in the United States, UK, and Spain have consistently found that approximately 75% of patients who experience sexual side effects from prescribed medication will not volunteer this information without direct questioning. Nonetheless, many clinicians do not have easy access to reliable information concerning sexual side effects of pharmacological agents. This handy reference provides up-to-date and rapid access to the latest available data concerning sexual side effects of various pharmacological agents for psychiatrists and physicians. Initial chapters are devoted to a brief review of the physiology of sexual function, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the general population, and how to identify drug-induced sexual dysfunction. Following the initial overview chapters, subsequent chapters are be grouped by classes of drugs, allowing clinicians and physicians rapid access to clinically relevant information. Separate chapters are devoted to data concerning sexual side effects of antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, antipsychotic agents, antihypertensives, urological agents, cardiovascular drugs, and other classes of drugs. The chapters focus on common sexual side effects that may be unspoken causes of treatment noncompliance such as inability to ejaculate, anorgasmia, difficulty in reaching orgasm, erectile dysfunction, and lubrication failure. Reports of decreased libido are often difficult to interpret; for that reason, data concerning libido will only be reported if the evidence clearly supports a diagnosis of disturbed libido as a drug side effect. Final chapters are devoted to pharmacological treatment of sexual disorders.


Anti-permeability, durability even strength of cement-based composites are closely related with the material pore structure. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber reinforced strain hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) are provided with high ductility and multi- micro-crack propagation mode. Due to fibers adding, much more interface and tiny fracture had been drawn into SHCC, although it has some advantages such as high tensile strength, ductility and energy consumption under seismic load or other cyclic force. Water repellent treatment can improve the anti-permeability of SHCC. Investigations have been made through Mercury injection experiment to reveal influence on microstructure of PVA-SHCC by silane water repellence. Results show that, the pore structure of SHCC can be fined by inside water repellent agent. That is, water repellent infiltrate through the relative big hole or defect of cement paste and react with the alkali substance. Then the resultant colloids reduce the big hole, pore or fracture and reform the pore structure of the cement paste. Because the fine pore structure can prevent air, water and ions defuse into interior of cement-based composites, water repellent treatment is benefit to increase anti-permeability of high ductile SHCC.


This research examined student perceptions of asynchronous discussion boards using the focused group methodology using an applied research approach. The research purpose was to explore what online students perceive to be worthwhile discussion board content and interactions in online college courses. Ultimately, the goal was to add to the growing body of literature that fosters a deeper understanding of how to improve both teaching strategy and instructional design and increase both the quality and quantity of student participation. The researchers recruited volunteers from closed undergraduate courses to participate in the survey. Emerging themes included concerns over busy work, excessive time requirements, overly structured discussion boards, and the importance of quality, relevance, professor involvement, and respect. To improve participation, teaching strategy, and instructional design for online courses, each of these themes should be addressed as part of the discussion board design and in the online classroom.


The "interpretation through synthesis", i.e. Active Appearance Models (AAMs) method, has received considerable attention over the past decades. It aims at "explaining" face images by synthesizing them via a parameterized model of appearance. It is quite challenging due to appearance variations of human face images, e.g. facial poses, occlusions, lighting, low resolution, etc. Since these variations are mostly non-linear, it is impossible to represent them in a linear model, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This paper presents a novel Deep Appearance Models (DAMs) approach, an efficient replacement for AAMs, to accurately capture both shape and texture of face images under large variations. In this approach, three crucial components represented in hierarchical layers are modeled using the Deep Boltzmann Machines (DBM) to robustly capture the variations of facial shapes and appearances. DAMs are therefore superior to AAMs in inferring a representation for new face images under various challenging conditions. In addition, DAMs have ability to generate a compact set of parameters in higher level representation that can be used for classification, e.g. face recognition and facial age estimation. The proposed approach is evaluated in facial image reconstruction, facial super-resolution on two databases, i.e. LFPW and Helen. It is also evaluated on FG-NET database for the problem of age estimation.


Purposively planned or adapted affordable community-based housing arrangements are now available to accommodate low- and modest-income older people who have functional limitations and chronic health illnesses. These housing arrangements introduce various physical infrastructure and dwelling design changes and make available supportive and health-related services that enable their vulnerable older occupants to live independently and manage their health problems. They are known by various names, but are referred to in this article as "affordable clustered housing-care" or "housing-care." Many of these housing arrangements are federally subsidized, rent-assisted, multiunit apartment projects with low-income older occupants who have aged in place or who have recently entered these properties. Despite support for these options from many advocacy groups, research findings that demonstrate the benefits of offering assistance and services in these housing arrangements are far from conclusive. Such evaluations are essential to justify organizational and funding support from the public and nonprofit sectors and to encourage the participation of housing and service providers. Drawing on the work of Donabedian (1992, 1966), this article constructs a theory-driven conceptual framework by which to organize and assess our current knowledge regarding the quality of the assistance and care found in these housing-care settings. To illustrate the practical applications of the framework, the article then describes an ongoing research investigation that is assessing whether supportive services offered in several federally assisted housing projects in Richmond, Virginia, have reduced emergency room use of their elderly occupants.


The literature relating to the learned control of autonomic processes, especially cardiovascular processes demonstrating that the activities of visceral response systems may be modifi ed by operant reinforcement and biofeedback procedures, has grown exponentially. This research seems to show behavioral properties in the cardiovascular system that were previously believed to be exclusive attributes of the somatic response systems; the implications of this for possible therapeutic use have received widespread publicity. Questions remained unanswered-about the nature of "voluntary" control and the conditions necessary for establishing it, the reciprocal effects of conditioned changes in cardiovascular and psychological or behavioral functioning, the use of cardiovascular events to index behavioral states, and the principles and techniques whereby operant conditioning of the cardiovascular system can be clinically applied.


Contains information on sources for tax law research as well as more specific information on tax policy for the Law 954: Tax Policy Seminar. Blogs | Databases for finding articles


The aerial parts of Ziziphora clinopodioides, Cyclotrichium niveum, and Mentha longifolia ssp. typhoides var. typhoides were screened for their possible antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in addition to their penolic contents. Antioxidant activity was employed by two complementary test systems: 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging and beta-carotene/linoleic acid. In the first case, Z. clinopodioides was superior to the other species with a 50% inhibitory concentration value of 37.73 +/- 1.18 microg/mg. Similar results were obtained from the beta-carotene/linoleic acid system. Inhibition capacity of the linoleic acid of Z. clinopodioides was 83.56 +/- 1.19%. Additionally, antioxidant activities of butylated hydroxytoluene, curcumin, and ascorbic acid were determined in parallel experiments. Methanol extracts obtained from the plants studied were found to have moderate antimicrobial activity against all microorganisms tested. In general, Z. clinopodioides extract exhibited stronger activity than the other extracts. On the other hand, Acinetobacter lwoffii and Candida krusei were the most sensitive microorganisms for the all extracts. The amount of the total phenolics was highest in Z. clinopodioides extract (129.55 +/- 2.26 microg/mg), followed by M. longifolia ssp. typhoides var. typhoides (93.47 +/-1.84 microg/mg). It is extremely important to note that there is a positive correlation between antioxidant activity potential and amount of phenolic compounds.


VIX (CBOE Volatility Index) is often called the "fear index." Using monthly returns from January 2000 to December 2011 as their data sample, the authors find that when the change in VIX is positive, large-capitalization stocks (the S&P 500) outperform small-capitalization stocks (the S&P 600); and when the change in VIX is negative, small-cap stocks outperform. Furthermore, the statistical significance of the change in VIX is substantially greater than SIZE (the natural logarithm of the market capitalization). The authors argue that the benefit of owning a small-cap stock depends on the distribution of the change in VIX in any given period. During the period July 2007–March 2009, both levels of the large-cap index (S&P 500) and the small-cap index (S&P 600) had a maximum drawdown over 50%, and the small-cap suffered much more than the large-cap. This huge drawdown demonstrates the importance of the effect of VIX on the cross section of stock returns


The Christian Metaphysicians of the Middle Ages, particularly Aquinas learnt a lot about Aristotle's metaphysics from Islamic philosophers such as Ibn Sina (latinised as Avicenna). However, Ibn Sina (or Alfarabi) did not merely reproduce Aristotle but introduced far-reaching innovations to Aristotelian metaphysics. They deviated more from Aristotle than they were aware of since the Aristotle they knew was Neoplatonically dyed. Avicenna's major innovation was the concept of existence which is lacking in Aristotle's metaphysics. Therefore it is Ibn Sina who does ontology as Aristotle defined it, namely the science of being as being. Aristotle's ontology is actually the science of the model being (ousia), and thus not ontology but ousiology. Because of the Neoplatonic influence Ibn Sina tended to essentialism which is then to be found also in Aquinas. Both countenance universals in a certain way and both draw on the concept of existence to distinguish substances and accidents. However, Aquinas returns with respect to the nature of a substance to a certain extent to Aristotle.


This study examined the effect of underground
water on reproduction- and growth-related hormones in blue gourami
males under non-reproductive and reproductive conditions. An increase in the
percentage of males building nests under the highest percentage of underground
water were compared to fish that maintained a lower percentage of underground water
in the first two days. The % Gonado-somatic index (GSI) of males building nests
was higher than non- reproductively active males in water containing the lowest
concentration of underground water. In non- reproductively active males, brain
gonadotropin releasing hormone 1 (GnRH1) and pituitary β subunit of gonadotropins (GtHs) and prolactin (PRL) mRNA levels
were significantly higher in males maintained in underground water. In
reproductively active males, mRNA levels of brain GnRH1, gonadotropin releasing
hormone 3 (GnRH3) and pituitary PRL mRNA levels were significantly higher than
males maintained in underground water. Thus, it is suggested that underground
water with high salinity and conductivity levels affects the gene expression
of repro- duction-related hormones; in reproductively active males, it
shortened the duration of nest-building by blue gourami males.


Tic-like movements in rodents bear close similarities to those observed in humans both pharmacologically and morphologically. Pharmacologically, tics are modulated by serotonergic and dopaminergic systems and abnormalities of these systems have been reported in Tourette's Syndrome (TS). Therefore, serotonergic and dopaminergic modulation of tics induced by a thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) analogue were studied as possible models for TS. The TRH analogue MK771 induced a variety of tic like movements in mice; blinking fore-paw-licking and fore-paw-tremor were quantified and serotonergic and dopaminergic modulation was investigated. The selective dopamine D1 receptor antagonists SCH23390 and SCH39166 and dopamine D2 antagonists raclopride and sulpiride had no effect on MK771 induced blinking. The D1 antagonists attenuated fore-paw-tremor and -licking while the D2 antagonists were generally without effect on these behaviours. Ketanserin (5-HT2A/ alpha-1 antagonist) and ritanserin (5-HT2A/2C antagonist) were able to attenuate MK771-induced blinking and ketanserin, mianserin (5-HT2A/2C antagonist) and prazosin (alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonist) were able to attenuate MK771-induced fore-paw-tremor and -licking. The 5-HT2C/2B antagonist SB200646A was without effect on blinking and fore-paw-licking but dose-dependently potentiated fore-paw-tremor. The 5-HT1A agonists 8-OH DPAT and buspirone attenuated blinking at the lower doses tested but were ineffective at the higher doses; the converse was found for fore-paw-licking and -tremor behaviours.The effects of these ligands appeared to be at a postsynaptic 5-HTlA site since para-chlorophenylalanine was without effect on the manipulation of these behaviours. (S)-W A Y100135 was without effect on MK771-induced behaviours, spontaneous and DOl-induced head shakes. Because kynurenine potentiates head shakes and plasma concentrations are raised in TS patients the effects of kynurenine on the 5-HT2A/2C agonist DOl mediated head shake were established. Kynurenine potentiated the DOl head shake. Attempts were made to correlate serotonergic unit activity with tic like behaviour in cats but this proved unsuccessful. However, the pharmacological understanding of 5-HTlA receptor function has been hampered because of the lack of selective antagonists for this site. For this reason the effects of the novel 5-HTlA antagonists (S)-WA Y- 100135 and WAY -100635 were tested on 5-HT single-unit activity recorded from the dorsal-raphe-nucleus in the behaving cat. Both drugs antagonised the suppression of unit activity caused by 8-0H DPAT. (S)-WA Y-100135 reduced unit activity whereas WAY-100635 increased it. This suggests that WAY-100635 is acting as an antagonist at the 5-HTlA somatodendritic autoreceptor and that (S)W A Y -100135 acts as a partial agonist at this site. Aspects of tic like behaviour and serotonergic control are discussed.


The appearance and concentration of the fusel alcohol 3-methyl-1-butanol is important for the flavour of fermented foods. 3-Methyl-1-butanol is formed by yeast during the conversion of L-leucine. Identification of the enzymes and genes involved in the formation of 3-methyl-1-butanol is a major prerequisite to optimize and control the final food flavour. To identify genes involved in this metabolic route, cDNA microarrays were carried out to study yeast gene expression genome-wide. Crosshybridisation with probes from the 'soy-yeast' Zygosaccharomycs rouxii, responsible for flavour formation during soysauce fermentation, on Saccharomyces cerevisiae cDNA microarrays, revealed the presence of several Zr genes. However, this group (115 out of ~5000 Zr ORFs) was too small for studying the 3-methyl-1-butanol pathway. Conversely, arraydata of S. cerevisiae resulted in several clues concerning flavour formation. For example BAT2, encoding an enzyme responsible for the first step in the L-leucine breakdown, was strongly expressed in yeast grown on ethanol. In addition to the transcription data, deletion studies revealed that 3-methyl-1-butanol production stopped in S. cerevisiae lacking BAT2, indicating a major role for Bat2p. Furthermore, the microarrays showed that genes involved in branched chain amino acid biosynthesis, but also genes of amine biosynthesis, caboxylic acid- and organic acid metabolism, were altered in expression level. Interestingly, non-branched chain amino acids: aromatic amino acids, serine, arginine, glutamine, homoserine and lycine, superficially unrelated with branched chain amino acids, were also effected when L-leucine was used as nitrogen source. A subgroup of genes was significantly present, which contained regulatory elements for GCN4 and GLN3. GCN4 and GLN3 encoding transcription factors involved in nitrogen metabolism. BAP2 and BAP3, encoding permeases necessary for the uptake of L-leucine, PDX1 and YDL080c, encoding decarboxylases for 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate and ADH3, ADH5, YMR 318c and YCR105w, encoding alcohol dehydrogenases were also upregulated in S. cerevisiae. Concerning flavour formation from L-leucine, besides 3-methyl-1-butanol, also 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate, 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoic acid and 3-methylbutyric acid emerged. The combination of metabolite formation and the expression data from cDNA microarrays thus provides strong indications of the existence of alternative pathways. Automated microtiter plates (MTP) fermentations with a pH or/and NaCl range, revealed the optimal fusel alcohol formation at pH 3.0 without NaCl. In addition to this metabolic screening, cDNA microarrays were carried out and showed a total 747 genes, which displayed significantly altered transcription activity at pH 3.0, compared to the standard pH 5.0. Further investigation on this dataset, by the web-tool SGD Gene Ontology (GO) Term Finder revealed that a significant part of these genes had a function in the metabolism of nicotinamides, vitamins, fatty acids, glutamate or carboxylic acids. From this group, 11 genes, BNA6, BNA2, BNA4, BNA3, YOR356W, RPE1, MDH3, CIT1, CIT2, KGD1 and KGD2, were appointed as promising targets for the development of improved production strains, based on their altered gene expression at pH 3.0 and literature research. Further experiments will establish the weight of these identified genes on the final taste of fermented foods.


Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are among the most prevalent causative agents of urinary tract infections. To establish infection, UPEC must overcome the bactericidal action of host antimicrobial peptides. Previously, the enterohaemorrhagic E. coli outer membrane protease, OmpT, was shown to degrade and inactivate the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37. This study aims to investigate the involvement of UPEC OmpT in LL-37 degradation. An ompT deletion mutant was generated in the prototypical UPEC strain CFT073. Western blot analysis showed that the OmpT protein level is moderate in CFT073. In agreement, OmpT was shown to partially cleave LL-37. However, no difference in the minimum inhibitory concentration of LL-37 was observed between CFT073 and the ompT mutant. Plasmid complementation of ompT, which led to increased OmpT levels, resulted in complete cleavage of LL-37 and a fourfold increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration. The analysis of other UPEC isolates showed similar OmpT activity levels as CFT073. Although UPEC OmpT can cleave LL-37, we conclude that the low level of OmpT limits its contribution to LL-37 resistance. Collectively, these data suggest that UPEC OmpT is likely accompanied by other LL-37 resistance mechanisms.


This thesis has two principal aims; first, to examine and illuminate the social production of gentility and capital which was experienced by the Newton family between the early part of the seventeenth century and c.1743. Secondly, to ask larger questions about the social production of identity and capital in this period. The approach to these aims has been to blend the conceptual paradigms offered by complexity, post-structuralism and social constructionism in a new way, applying that new interpretive scheme principally to the letter-books of the family between c.1660 and c.1743. Previous gentry and social mobility studies have been governed by philosophical and linguistic tenets which have been radically challenged in the last few decades by post-structuralism, social constructionism and complexity. This thesis begins with the proposition that English society was a complex social network in a wider complex adaptive system. At the micro-level all social individuals had certain inseparable imperatives which follow from the pre-conditions for socialised human beings to form a complex adaptive system, and were expressed as five imperatives. These imperatives, expressed in everyday iterated exchanges in a social network, articulated inert resources into capital in the form of real estate, currency and credit - physically, discursively and reflexively. Gentry identity was likewise a recursive social production, which articulated a neutral social individual into a gentleman, esquire, or baronet. The same repeated social processes produced a tenant, almsmen and women, rector, burgess and spouse. The gaps, dynamic chains of substitutions, and variation (which characterised the complex material space and the social network) made these productions broadly stable, but also contingent, contested and uncertain. Capital and identities were flows rather than things; they were economies, characterised as a flux of valencies in a state of unstable equilibrium. The economic and status mobility demonstrated by the Newton family in the period was made possible because capital and identity were these economies.


paradoxical pain was recognised by only a few pain specialists. Consultants such as Dr Cox would certainly not have been expected to be aware of it. The choice presented to Dr Cox was stark: either to walk away from his patient and leave her to it or to do what he did. Mr Justice Ognall told Dr Cox that his choice was "a total betrayal of his unequivocal dutv as a physician." Most doctors faced with this dilemma may consider that Dr Cox did his medical duty despite the risk to himself. Mr Justice Devlin set out the rules for doctors in R v Adams. "The doctor is entitled to do all that is proper to relieve pain and suffering, even if the measures he takes incidentally shorten life," but "if the acts are intended to kill, and do in fact kill, it is still murder." In practical terms doctors are allowed to assist death by giving large doses of morphine or heroin. But what if heroin, normally the strongest pain killing drug available, increases pain and there is no rationale for using other drugs? Paradoxical pain induced by heroin was not known in Devlin's time. Does his dictum need to be brought up to date?