BACKGROUND
The systemic anaphylaxis reaction comprises various symptoms, including hypotension, changes in respiration pattern, and hypothermia.

OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the role of histamine in each of these symptoms, we induced the passive systemic anaphylaxis reaction in histidine decarboxylase gene knockout (HDC [-/-]) mice, which lack histamine.

METHODS
HDC(-/-) mice were generated by knocking out the HDC gene, which codes for the unique histamine-synthesizing enzyme. Twenty-four hours after the injection of IgE, HDC(+/+) and HDC(-/-) mice were injected with allergen and body temperature, blood pressure, and respiratory function were monitored in each mouse.

RESULTS
Blood pressure dropped in both the HDC(-/-) mice and the HDC(+/+) mice. In contrast, respiratory frequency dropped and the expiratory respiration time was elongated only in the HDC(+/+) mice. Body temperature was decreased in the HDC(+/+) mice and was practically unchanged in the HDC(-/-) mice. Histamine receptor antagonists blocked the body temperature drop in the HDC(+/+) mice. Intravenous histamine induced similar patterns of body temperature decrease in the HDC(+/+) mice and the HDC(-/-) mice. Mast cell-deficient W/W (v) mice did not show the decrease in body temperature; this suggests that the histamine that contributed to the decrease in body temperature was derived from mast cells.

CONCLUSION
According to the results of this investigation, in the passive systemic anaphylaxis reaction, respiratory frequency, expiratory time, and body temperature are shown to be controlled by the activity of histamine, but its contribution to blood pressure is negligible.


The Old French lay of Mantel belongs to the group of anonymous lays that were composed in the late twelfth or thirteenth century. These short narratives vary in tone and usually deal with some aspect of love, usually in an aristocratic, courtly setting. Here, this is Arthur's court, with its well-known characters involved, and the tone is satiric and comic; the story is a chastity test, which the ladies of the court undergo in public by donning the mantle - if it does not fit, their behaviour is betrayed. The poem plays on the insecurities of the knights, who are at first confident of their loves' fidelity, but in the end are all too anxious to ignore their transgressions. The popularity of the lay is attested by its survival in five manuscripts, an unusually high number. It is edited here from MS Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, nouv. acq. fr. 1104, a manuscript containing twenty-four lays, including nine by Marie de France whose work has to some extent defined the genre. The text is accompanied by a facing translation, and presented with introduction, elucidatory notes, bibliography, and indices. Glyn S. Burgess is Emeritus Professor of French, University of Liverpool; Leslie C. Brook is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in French, University of Birmingham.


There is growing evidence that many smallholder farmers can benefit from market-oriented agriculture. However, smallholders often face a number of barriers to accessing the markets. Smallholder market access is much cited as a factor that exacerbates the smallholder situation but little researched. This issue cannot be addressed completely without taking a holistic perspective that also takes into account the global trends in economic transformation that have a direct bearing on the current smallholder market access situation. A growing number of scholars advocate the need for an institutional analysis in trying to understand these issues


Abstract Animal blood plasma contains ~91% water and requires concentration prior to it been dried. Our studies concerned the suitability of membrane technology. The efficiency of the investigated filtration process for membranes was stable over time, and displayed no tendency to clog. The protein level in obtained filtrates ranged from 0.15-0.26%. Increased content of protein in the concentrate is a function of the degree of plasma concentration. For the raw material containing 6.05% proteins, with 2.3 times the concentration, it was 13.84% and with 3 times the concentration, it was 18.24%. The filtration efficiency increases with the temperature of the process but decreases with increased levels of concentration. For both of the investigated membranes the permeability was similar; however, the 0.07 µm membrane had higher filtration efficiency by an average of 30%.


Summary

1
Losses of farmland birds from the wider countryside have become a major conservation issue in the UK and Europe. Song thrush Turdus philomelos populations in lowland rural Britain declined by approximately 70% during 1970–95, most severely on intensively managed arable farmland. Comparison between a stable population on mixed farmland and a rapidly declining population on arable farmland revealed fewer nesting attempts each summer by birds in the declining population, and annual productivity was insufficient to maintain local population density. Inadequate food resources were the most plausible cause.

2
We compared breeding season habitat selection (using radio-telemetry) and earthworm availability (a major component of summer diet) for song thrushes in the same two farmland populations.

3
Territory settlement in the mixed farmland landscape involved the selection of field boundaries and woodland and the avoidance of arable crops. Field boundaries and gardens were selected in the arable landscape, while arable break crops and small areas of woodland were avoided.

4
Habitat selection (intensity of usage) did not change through the breeding season and did not differ between study areas. Scrub, woodland edge, wet ditches and bare soil in gardens were preferred foraging habitats, while cereals were avoided.

5
Habitat utilization (amount of usage) differed markedly between study areas. Woodland and grassland accounted for 53% of all habitat usage in the mixed farmland landscape compared with just 13% in the arable landscape. Gardens and arable crops were more heavily utilized in the arable landscape, accounting for 58% of all usage compared with 22% in the mixed landscape.

6
Earthworm availability declined markedly between April and June as surface soils dried out. Lower earthworm availability in the arable landscape was associated with more rapid and pronounced drying of surface soils.

7
Synthesis and applications. Lack of woodland and grassland, and the faster drying of surface soils in the arable landscape, combined to limit the availability to thrushes of key summer invertebrate prey. Loss of hedgerows, scrub and permanent grassland with livestock, and the wide-scale installation of under-field drainage systems, have probably all contributed to the decline of song thrushes on UK arable farmland. New agri-environment measures may be needed to provide the nesting cover adjacent to invertebrate-rich damp soils that song thrushes require to sustain annual productivity.


Madmedea is an avatar of the fabled Scheherezade of the Arabian Nights, a response/challenge to Heiner Mller's texts, and more. What could constitute an effective interruptive feminist performance to halt, reverse, and challenge the imperialist/patriarchal performances of globalized power and dominance in their postmodern capitalist permutations masquerading as a New World Order? In my performative identity as Muslim/South Asian/Other/Woman, how far can I really go (am permitted to go?) to jam the machinery, to interrupt business-as-usual?


The global dynamic behavior of a hysteretic oscillator is investigated. It is shown that the most significant bifurcation phenomena can be accurately detected through the joint application of two frequency domain techniques, i.e., describing function and harmonic balance, and of a suitable time-domain method for computing the limit cycle Floquet's multipliers. The proposed approach can be effectively applied for investigating nonlinear oscillators and circuits that do not admit of a simple Lur'e representation and that exhibit a complex dynamic behavior.


An 81-year-old woman presented with cachexia, malaise, deranged liver function tests (LFTs), hepatomegaly and hyperpigmentation. Hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) was ultimately diagnosed on genetic testing. Haemochromatosis is a difficult diagnosis in older people because not only are the symptoms protean and occur commonly in other geriatric conditions, but HH is also considered an unlikely new diagnosis in the over 80s; it is generally felt to present in the 5th decade for men or 6th decade for women. However, older people can present with only mild disease, so diagnosis is important not just for family screening but also since treatment can reduce unnecessary morbidity and mortality in a population with increasing longevity.


Objective Given the extensive use of computed tomography (CT) in radiation-sensitive patients such as pregnant and pediatric patients, and considering the importance of tailoring CT protocols to patient characteristics for both the radiation dose and image quality, this study was performed to investigate the extent to which individualization of CT protocols is practiced across Norway. Methods This cross-sectional study involved collection of CT protocols and administration of a mini-questionnaire to obtain additional information about how CT examinations are individualized. All public hospitals performing CT to detect pulmonary embolism were invited, and 41% participated. Results Tailoring a standard protocol to different patient groups was more common than using dedicated protocols. Most of the available radiation dose-reduction approaches were used. However, implementation of these strategies was not systematic. Children and pregnant patients were examined without using dedicated CT protocols or by using protocol adjustments focusing on radiation dose reduction in 30% and 39% of the hospitals, respectively. Conclusion Practice optimization is needed, especially the development of dedicated CT protocols or guidelines that tailor the existing protocol to pediatric and pregnant patients. Practice might benefit from a more systematic approach to individualization of CT examinations, such as inserting tailoring instructions into CT protocols.


The catalytic performances of copper oxidic species supported on mesoporous zirconia supports stabilized by alkaline earth cations were studied for the reactions of NO oxidation to NO2 and the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx in excess oxygen. Three different types of hydrocarbon reductants were studied, namely, propane, propylene and the long-chain hydrocarbon decane. For comparison, the performance of CuO and CuO+Ag supported on alumina for the SCR of NOx by propane was also studied. This data was analyzed and discussed with reference to the information concerning the surface properties of these systems presented in Part 1 of this series. In general, for the same system, the maximum level of NOx conversion and temperature of maximum NOx conversion is strongly dependent upon the type of reducing agent. No universal relation was found between the surface density of coordinatively unsaturated cations able to activate hydrocarbons and the activity of the catalysts for the SCR reaction. In part, it can be explained by blocking the surface sites in reaction media either by strongly bound nitrate species or by coke. Addition of silver was found to be of significance only in the case of strong interaction between the metallic and oxidic components. Such a factor as the strength of oxygen and nitrate complexes bonding with the surface copper/copper–silver oxidic species depending upon the type of support and methods of samples synthesis appears to be the most important for performance of the systems studied in NOx-selective reduction by hydrocarbons in the presence of excess oxygen.


I describe a technique for interpolation of missing data in which local operators of many scales but identical shape serve as basis functions. A data structure known as the Gaussian pyramid is developed to represent image information at different scales. This data structure in essence consists of a series of lowpass filtered versions of the original image stacked up one on top of the other forming a pyramid like structure. I first show how to generate a set of reduced images which stack up to form the Gaussian pyramid structure and then show how we can use this Gaussian pyramid structure to fill in missing data. Several examples of filling in missing data with this algorithm are shown and in most cases the results are comparable with those estimated using a prediction filter approach.


Current understanding of different phases as well as the phase transitions between them has only been achieved following recent theoretical advances on the effects of dimensionality in statistical physics. P S Pershan explains the connection between these two separate areas and gives some examples of problems where the understanding is still not complete. The most important example is the second order phase transition between the nematic and smectic-A phase. Others include the relation between the several hexatic phases that have been observed and the first order restacking transitions between phases that were all previously identified as smectic-B, but which should more properly be identified as crystalline-B. Some relatively recent experimental developments on the discotic phase, liquid crystal surfaces and lyotropic phases are also included. The book includes 41 major reprints of some of the recent seminal work on the structure of liquid crystals. They are introduced by a brief review of the symmetries and other properties of liquid crystalline phases. In addition, there is a discussion of the differences between true liquid crystalline phases and others that were described as liquid crystalline in the early literature, but which have since been shown to be true three-dimensional crystals. The progression from the isotropic fluid, through the nematic, smectic, and various crystalline phases can be understood in terms of a systematic decrease in symmetry, together with an accompanying variation in structure is explained. A guide to the selected reprints and a sort of "Rosetta Stone" for these various phases is provided. The goal of this book is to explain the systematics of this progression to students and others that are new to this field, as well as to provide a useful handbook for people already working in the field.


The effect on densification and mechanical properties of 3 mol% Y-TZP ceramics doped with zinc oxide (0.1 wt.% to 1 wt.%), has been investigated in this study. Green samples were compacted by uniaxial pressing and cold isostatically pressed at 200 MPa. All samples have been sintered over the temperature range of 1250°C to 1500°C with a ramp rate of 10°C/ minute and 2 hours of holding time. In addition to that, the tetragonal phase stability of the samples was also studied in superheated steam at 180°C/10 bar for up to 50 h. The sintered bodies were examined to determine the phase content, bulk density, Young's modulus, Vickers hardness and fracture toughness. The results showed that the addition of 1 wt.% ZnO was effective in aiding densification (~99% theoretical density). It also improved the matrix stiffness (~208 GPa) and Vickers hardness (~13 GPa), when the samples were sintered below 1300°C comparing to the undoped Y-TZP sintered at the same temperature. In contrast, ZnO addition to the Y-TZP matrix displayed a tendency to change hydrothermal ageing behavior as it was noticed that the monoclinic content increased with increasing content of dopant. The undoped samples showed a better hydrothermal ageing behavior at 1300°C compared to the doped samples.


Since most agricultural programs employ two or more policy instruments simultaneously, it is notable that little research has attempted to find optimal instrument combinations and no research exists which evaluates the social costs (unrealized benefits) of combining instruments suboptimally. In our paper we report a simple and feasible method to find optimal policy instrument combinations, and we provide the first general, formal approach to measuring the social costs of suboptimal policy instrument combinations. Our approach is illustrated in an analysis for five major U.S. crops (com, feed grains, wheat, rice, cotton). The simple model we employ for the illustration suggests that except for the feed grains program, the observed programs combined policy instruments quite suboptimally. We conclude that agricultural economics research now can and should begin placing increased emphasis on studying optimal policy instrument combinations. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


Psychosociology offers a theoretical-methodological framework that is useful to the understanding and exploration of the relationships between the conflicts experienced in the current labor scenario, the suffering of the workers and the organizational contradictions. The purpose of this study is to understand how the work of listening in psychosociological interventions in organizations occurs and to elucidate the role of the implication of the intervener and the workers themselves in this context. As the authors of this work conduct psychosociological interventions, in public and private organizations, the data explored comes from their daily practices, from the 'reminiscence method of the researchers'. In addition to the chronological time and making it possible to overcome the intervention by the strict way of objectifying the behaviors, in the organizations this work includes the construction of a listening that is fulfilled in two distinct moments: 'of the reception and return to the historicity, and of the more directed elaborations to the productive activity of each worker'. Implication, on the other hand, does not represent a methodological obstacle to be neutralized, but a fundamental component to the consolidation of the bond with the workers is revealed, provided that it is recognized and duly worked out. Empathy, sensitivity, recognition of the other and their differences, overcoming ideal and crystallized models, as well as the implication in performing an effective work that opens space for critical questions, are fundamental ingredients of these interventions.


In this article, we examine dynamic relationships between volatility and various microstructure measures of trade activity and quoted liquidity for each component stock in the Toronto Stock Exchange 35 Index and for the Toronto 35 Index Participation Shares. When volatility is conditioned on number of trades and quoted liquidity, trading volume provides no incremental explanatory power. Thus, the number of trades appears to be a better proxy for Information flow. Furthermore, investigation into partitioned volume suggests that the number of trades is more effective than the unexpected volume in explaining volatility. Measures of quoted liquidity also play a significant role in explaining intra day volatility. Bid-ask spreads and quote depth are positively and negatively related to volatility, respectively. Consistent with the lack of information signal, no trade outcomes are negatively related to volatility.


Inspired by the integrable structures appearing in weakly coupled planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory, we study Q-operators and Yangian invariants of rational integrable spin chains. We review the quantum inverse scattering method along with the Yang-Baxter equation which is the key relation in this systematic approach to study integrable models. Our main interest concerns rational integrable spin chains and lattice models. We recall the relation among them and how they can be solved using Bethe ansatz methods incorporating so-called Q-functions. In order to remind the reader how the Yangian emerges in this context, an overview of its so-called RTT-realization is provided. The main part is based on the author's original publications. Firstly, we construct Q-operators whose eigenvalues yield the Q-functions for rational homogeneous spin chains. The Q-operators are introduced as traces over certain monodromies of R-operators. Our construction allows us to derive the hierarchy of commuting Q-operators and the functional relations among them. We study how the nearest-neighbor Hamiltonian and in principle also higher local charges can be extracted from the Q-operators directly. Secondly, we formulate the Yangian invariance condition, also studied in relation to scattering amplitudes of N=4 super Yang-Mills theory, in the RTT-realization. We find that Yangian invariants can be interpreted as special eigenvectors of certain inhomogeneous spin chains. This allows us to apply the algebraic Bethe ansatz and derive the corresponding Bethe equations that are relevant to construct the invariants. We examine the connection between the Yangian invariant spin chain eigenstates whose components can be understood as partition functions of certain 2d lattice models and tree-level scattering amplitudes of the four-dimensional gauge theory. Finally, we conclude and discuss some future directions.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Although available therapies can effectively inhibit hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in patients with active chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, therapeutic efficacy is limited because of potential drug resistance, and an inability to mediate viral clearance and to rectify immune impairment in CHB patients. This review will summarize the state-of-the-art for anti-HBV drugs and focus on potential drugs and targets under development and evaluation.

RECENT FINDINGS
New developing drugs are evaluated for their antiviral effects in the areas of interference with the viral replication cycle, elimination of closed circular DNA, modulation of host immunity and identification of the La protein and its regulator casein kinase as possible targets for the development of anti-HBV therapies.

SUMMARY
These novel compounds and targets have showed great inhibitory effects on HBV replication in vitro and in animal models. Several novel therapies are promising in early clinical trials. Potentially, combination of newly developing and current antiviral drugs may cure CHB in the clinic.


TFORMer represents a versatile and uniform output solution for all requirements. The product standardizes design, printing and export of barcode labels, industry compliant forms and reports. The software can be used directly on workstations, as server based installation for enterprise-wide printing solutions or as report generator SDK. TFORMer offers complete platform independence - print and output functions are available for all relevant operating systems. This solution unites the capabilities of barcode label programs with the advantages of reporting software. Documents are designed visually with the user-friendly layout editor and printed with data provided by various systems. As for the output, the user can select between direct printing to any printer or numerous export formats like PostScript, PDF, image formats, ZPL-II and HTML. TFORMer is characterized by great usability, complete barcode printing support and excellent performance. Because of its Unicode capabilities the product is perfectly suited for international applications and deployments. All functions are available at no extra costs. TEC-IT's CEO, Guenter Kriegl, outlines the usage scenarios as follows: "All customers benefit from this uniform and economic output solution. Due to the fact that TFORMer covers a broad range of output requirements, the potential savings are tremendous: Costs for training, maintenance and operation of multiple output systems are drastically reduced. Adjustments are performed centrally with just one tool. The product is used as output server for production facilities, as manual label printing program, as report generator for web applications, as serial letter software or as compliance labeling solution. In addition, TFORMer offers specialized support for applications in the automotive industry." The new version of TFORMer provides an improved user interface and various new features: A flexible data source concept enables the users to define multiple data sources for a single document. These data sources can then be used as required, even the manual input of variable data is very simple. Barcode support was enhanced with Micro QR, Aztec and HIBC barcodes. A new JAVA interface (JNI) extends the already existing COM, NET and DLL programming interfaces.


There is a growing recognition in transitional justice research of the crucial significance of context-appropriate measures of justice practices and needs, which account for the diversity, locality, and complexity of individuals' experiences of the past. In this perspective, this paper highlights the significance of oral history collections for exploring pluralistic understandings of the personal past and their relation to symbolic justice practices and needs. We argue that their audio-visual dimension and multi-layered nature makes them a unique qualitative data source that can contribute to a more realistic assessment of justice concerns in transitional settings. As tools of social dialogue and inclusive justice, they are also valuable means to promote the mutual acceptance and recognition of suffering and responsibility. We demonstrate how findings based on the analysis of survey data collected in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) can be enriched by the exploration of oral history narratives from a dataset collected in BiH.


Vertical partitioning is a well-known technique for optimizing query performance in relational databases. An extreme form of this technique, which we call vectorization, is to store each column separately. We use a generalization of vectorization as the basis for a native XML store. The idea is to decompose an XML document into a set of vectors that contain the data values and a compressed skeleton that describes the structure. In order to query this representation and produce results in the same vectorized format, we consider a practical fragment of XQuery and introduce the notion of query graphs and a novel graph reduction algorithm that allows us to leverage relational optimization techniques as well as to reduce the unnecessary loading of data vectors and decompression of skeletons. A preliminary experimental study based on some scientific and synthetic XML data repositories in the order of gigabytes supports the claim that these techniques are scalable and have the potential to provide performance comparable with established relational database technology.


Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a biotechnological tool used to achieve pregnancy in procedures such as artificial insemination, multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET), in vitro maturation and fertilization (IVM/IVF), ovum pick up (OPU), cryopreservation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), sperm sexing, interspecies hybridization, transgenesis, and cloning. The successful use of ART and the different concerns associated with its application in humans have been extensively considered. Similarly, the application of ART in livestock production in developed countries has resulted in improved income and productivity. The Philippines, being a developing country, has to rely mainly on agriculture production to meet the increasing food demand of its 100 million population. To address food sufficiency and security concerns, the government has embraced the current biotechnological trend in food production, which includes research and development of ART to make it available in the livestock industry. The application of ART in the local livestock genetic improvement program could gradually speed up traditional and timeconsuming breeding programs that will produce desired superior breeds in a shorter period with more reliable and promising outcomes. This paper reviews the current trends and developments in the use of ART and its application in the local livestock improvement program.


Revised! PI33, a 10-page illustrated fact sheet by Frederick M. Fishel, combines and supersedes five fact sheets in the Secure Pesticide Storage series. It provides an overview of the general features required in a pesticide storage facility. Includes a pesticide storage checklist and additional resources. Published by the UF Department of Agronomy, October 2009.
PI33/PI068: Secure Pesticide Storage: General Features (ufl.edu)


Abstract Aims and objectives Utility of pediatric logistic organ dysfunction-2 (PELOD-2) score on day 1 within 1 hour of admission in predicting mortality in children admitted in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Background Various scoring systems aid to evaluate the patient's mortality risk in the intensive care unit (ICU) by assigning a score and predicting the outcome. Critically ill children are characterized by large variations in the normal body homeostasis. These variations can be estimated by the change of the physiological variables from the normal range. Various scores are constructed from deviations of these changed variables. One such score, the PELOD-2 score, is used to predict mortality of patients admitted in PICU. Materials and methods This study was carried out at a tertiary care center in central India to study the utility of PELOD-2 score within 1 hour of admission to predict mortality in patients admitted in PICU. Results Total 129 patients were included in this study with mean age of 67 months. The system with highest admission was central nervous system with 42 children and 16.6% mortality, whereas those 7 patients with hematological system involvement had highest mortality of 28.5%. The mortality rate was 15.55%. In our study for PELOD-2 within 24 hours of admission, the area under receiver operating curve was 0.87 and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test was p = 0.42. Conclusion Pediatric logistic organ dysfunction-2 score in our study had significant association with mortality along with the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showing a good prediction of mortality. How to cite this article Deshmukh T, Varma A, Damke S, Meshram R. Predictive Efficacy of Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 Score in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Rural Hospital. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(8):701–704.


The purpose of the researchers in the study was to psychometrically evaluate Passion Scale scores (Vallerand et al., 2003) in exercise. Self-report data were collected from two samples of Greek exercise participants. Sample 1 (n = 217) provided data on the Passion Scale and the self-determination theory variables of perceived autonomy support by the exercise instructor, basic psychological needs, and exercise behavioral regulations. Sample 2 (n = 299) provided data on the Passion Scale and exercise enjoyment, inclusion of exercise into oneself, and frequency of mild, moderate, and strenuous exercise behavior. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure of Passion Scale scores. Evidence also emerged in favor of factor discriminant validity, internal consistency and convergent validity. In summary, the findings provided initial support in favor of the use of the Passion Scale in the exercise domain.


Abstract A real-time video camera probe was deployed in a hot-water drilled borehole through the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, where a total ice thickness of 480 m included at least 200 m of basal marine ice. Down-looking and side-looking digital video footage showed a striking transition from white bubbly meteoric ice above to dark marine ice below, but the transition was neither microscopically sharp nor flat, indicating the uneven nature (at centimetre scale) of the ice-shelf base upstream where the marine ice first started to accrete. Marine ice features were imaged including platelet structures, cell inclusions, entrained particles, and the interface with sea water at the base. The cells are assumed to be entrained sea water, and were present throughout the lower 100-150 m of the marine ice column, becoming larger and more prevalent as the lower surface was approached until, near the base, they became channels large enough that the camera field of view could not contain them. Platelets in the marine ice at depth appeared to be as large as 1-2 cm in diameter. Particles were visible in the borehole meltwater; probably marine and mineral particles liberated by the drill, but their distribution varied with depth.


Background: In recent years, LncRNA acts as a member of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), playing an important role in drug resistance of lung cancer. The aim of this study was to identify potential biomarkers about cisplatin resistant lung cancer cells using a comprehensive ceRNA network. Methods: GSE6410 (GPL-201) analyzed gene expression changes about cisplatin resistance in A549 NSCLC cells. GSE43249 (GPL-14613) included noncoding RNA expression profiling derived from the cisplatin resistant A549 lung cells. GEO2R, an online analysis tool, analyzed the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs (DEmRNAs and DEmiRNAs). To explore the functional enrichment implication of differentially expressed mRNAs, we used the GO (Gene ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis. Through miRDB, Targetscan, Starbase and miRWalk, we found targeted miRNAs. The Kaplan-Meier curve method was used to show clinical survival analysis of targeted RNAs (P<0.05). The Starbase database predicted potential lncRNAs mediated targeted miRNAs. Eventually, the novel ceRNA network of lncRNAs, miRNAs, mRNA was constructed by cytoscape3.7.2. Results: 118 differentially expressed mRNAs were the basis of the mediated ceRNA network. DAVID and Kaplan-Meier picked out BAX, an apoptosis regulator. Venn diagram demonstrated 8 miRNAs commonly regulating BAX. Starbase predicted lncRNA XIST mediated miRNAs. Finally, lncRNA XIST may be a useful biomarker regulating cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells and further, we explored the BAX may effect tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Conclusions: LncRNA XIST competitively bound to miRNA 520 in the regulation of cisplatin resistance by BAX, participating apoptosis in the p53 signaling pathway.


The main product of the conversion process of organic wastes to a useful organic fertilizer, known as compost, has gained an increasing interest in management of organic wastes recently. One of the main problems arising in the composting facilities is the high organic loaded leachate. In this study, a treatability experiment for composting leachate from a full-scale composting facility was carried out with the combination of membrane processes. The parameters such as chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, Cl− and NH 4 + were analysed to evaluate the membrane treatment performances of single and combined membrane systems consisting centrifuge, cartridge filter, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes. The removal efficiencies of all pollutants were observed between 4.4 and 98%. The highest removal efficiencies were observed with the nanofiltration membrane (NF90) having a lower molecular weight cut-off than the others used in this study. It was observed that the effluent of NF90 membrane did not exceed the allowed maximum COD value.


This paper describes the analysis of the Q&A sessions of public speeches and presentations from the Hong Kong Corpus of Spoken English. These Q&A sessions are typically in marked contrast to the highly planned monologues that precede them and so require very different strategies from the speakers. This paper examines seven Q&A sessions from four perspectives, namely question types, pragmatics, rhetorical structures and intonation. Quantitative analyses of the data focus on the pragmatic functions and the question type of all the questions, the rhetorical structure of all the answers, and the tone choices of all the questions. Qualitative analysis of excerpts of the Q&A sessions focuses on the pragmatics, structure and intonation in order to illustrate the ways in which discourse participants manage face and negotiate meaning. Finally, the implications of the findings for learning and teaching will be discussed.


A great diversity of pheromone structures are used by moth species (Insecta: Lepidoptera) for long-distance mating signals. The signal/response channel seems to be narrow for each species, and a major conundrum is how signal divergence has occurred in the face of strong selection pressures against small changes in the signal. Observations of various closely related and morphologically similar species that use pheromone components biosynthesized by different enzymes and biosynthetic routes underscore the question as to how major jumps in the biosynthetic routes could have evolved with a mate recognition system that is based on responses to a specific blend of chemicals. Research on the desaturases used in the pheromone biosynthetic pathway for various moth species has revealed that one way to make a major shift in the pheromone blend is by activation of a different desaturase from mRNA that already exists in the pheromone gland. Data will be presented to support the hypothesis that this process was used in the evolution of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis species. In that context, moth sex-pheromone desaturase genes seem to be evolving under a birth-and-death process. According to this model of multigene family evolution, some genes are maintained in the genome for long periods of time, whereas others become deleted or lose their functionality, and new genes are created through gene duplication. This mode of evolution seems to play a role in moth speciation, as exemplified by the case of the Asian corn borer and European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis species.


Kidd v. Canada Life Assurance Company is one of the most important decisions in class action settlement law since Dabbs v. Sun Life Assurance Co of Canada. After an extensive campaign to secure class support, a pension surplus action was certified and settled. Shortly thereafter, it came to light that the actuarial assumptions on which the parties had proceeded were incorrect. On the basis that the settlement was no longer workable, class counsel moved to enjoin Canada Life from implementing it.Instead of that motion being argued, the parties negotiated an amended settlement. Numerous class members objected. Justice Perell characterized the situation as a choice between two courses where neither was substantively, procedurally, institutionally, or circumstantially fair. He rejected the amended settlement, finding that it would be inconsistent with the court's responsibilities to approve an unfair settlement just because it is the better of two unfair choices. On the eve of an appeal from this decision by class and defence counsel, the parties negotiated a new amended settlement, which was approved.The case is notable for articulating a four-faceted approach to analyzing settlement fairness: a class action settlement should be substantively, procedurally, institutionally, and circumstantially fair. The author, after providing a pension law primer and a summary of the proceedings, discusses what the fourfold fairness test means in the context of both Kidd itself and the settlements that have been approved since Kidd and that purport to apply it.


We exhibit the first examples of hyperbolic three-manifolds for which the Seiberg-Witten equations do not admit any irreducible solution. Our approach relies on hyperbolic geometry in an essential way; it combines an explicit upper bound for the first eigenvalue on coexact $1$-forms $\lambda_1^*$ on rational homology spheres which admit irreducible solutions together with a version of the Selberg trace formula relating the spectrum of the Laplacian on coexact $1$-forms with the volume and complex length spectrum of a hyperbolic three-manifold. Using these relationships, we also provide precise numerical bounds on $\lambda_1^*$ for several hyperbolic rational homology spheres.


Integrated energy-economic modelling is needed to support the development of energy and climate policies. This study asserts that it is important to consider a system dynamics modelling approach that includes dynamics, endogenous treatment of uncertainty and risks, and both aggregate economic and disaggregate technical or engineering levels of analysis. The study examined the economic growth and the factors of production, elasticities, macro-and technical substitutability; energy cost shares, heat engine efficiencies and energy services efficiencies. Emphasis was laid on the support of the future development of integrated energy-economic models covering (a) the key factors or components; (b) the relationships among these components; (c) a quantification of parameters; and (d) the implications for the development of an integrated energy-economic system dynamics model. The study suggested the following: a non-linear relationship in production and consumption; large variations among price and income elasticity values across time frames, across countries and regions, and across energy goods; a far from perfect substitution among factors of production and among energy goods on a macro-level; technical/engineering limits to substitution on a micro-level; and engineering and behavioural limits on what can be achieved with increased efficiencies. The study argues that integrated energy-economic modelling intensifies the accounting for the factors, relationships, quan-tifications, and implications, and that this practice allows for such models to describe a complex, emergent energy-economic reality that informs better energy policy.


*These authors contributed equally to this work Introduction: Current study aimed to find the association of genes polymorphism of CDKAL1, HHEX, CDKN2A/2B, and IGF2BP2 with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the population of Uttarakhand. Research Design and Methods: Overall 469 persons comprising 369 recently diagnosed T2DM cases and 100 healthy control were enrolled in the present study. The polymorphisms were analyzed through the PCR-RFLP technique. Results: For the rs10440833 variant (CDKAL1), CC genotype's frequency was significantly high among T2DM subjects than controls and increase the T2DM risk (OR: 4.46, 95% CI: 2.22–8.99, p <0.0001). The c allele was significantly found to increase the T2DM risk (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.54–3.14, p <0.001). In the rs1111875 variant (HHEX), the difference of genotype frequencies among T2DM cases and control was statistically non-significant (p-0.138). We did not observe significant differences in allelic frequencies among T2DM cases and control (p-0.444). In the case of rs10811661 variant (CDKN2A/2B), frequency of both TC (OR: 3.16, 95% CI: 1.84–5.42, p <0.0001) and TT (OR: 5.84, 95% CI: 1.75–19.45, p −0.004) genotype were significantly higher in T2DM cases in comparison with control and significantly associated with higher T2DM risk. Compared to the C allele, a significant increase in T2DM risk was documented with the T allele (OR: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.55–3.92, p <0.001). For rs4402960 variant (IGF2BP2), TT genotype contributed to increased T2DM risk (OR: 4.25, 95% CI: 2.02–8.93, p −0.0001). T allele's frequency was significantly high in T2DM cases in comparison with healthy control. Except WHR, HDL-C, exercise, household chores, standing work more than 3 hours, and family history, significant differences were found between T2DM cases and healthy individuals in all other parameters. Conclusion: Our study concluded a significant association of CDKAL1, CDKN2A/2B, and IGF2BP2 polymorphism with T2DM in the Uttarakhand population. For HHEX, the genotype and allelic frequencies difference between T2DM cases and control were statistically non-significant. However, a significant association of HHEX gene polymorphism with T2DM was observed only under the dominant model.


1. The kinetics of the enzymic transfer of sulphate from adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'[35S]-sulphatophosphate to derivatives of L-tyrosine were investigated with a partially purified enzyme preparation from rat liver. 2. At pH 7.5 and 370C the Km values for L-tyrosine methyl ester and adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'[35S]-sulphatophosphate are 0.3mM and 8nM respectively. The Km value for either substrate is independent of the concentration of the other. The available data are consistent with the sulphation reaction proceeding according to a rapid-equilibrium random Bi Bi mechanism. 3. From the effect of pH on the Km and Vmax. values for L-tyrosine methyl ester, tyramine and N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester it is concluded that the enzyme is specific for substrate molecules with a free and unprotonated amino group and an un-ionized hydroxyl group. 4. The only ionizing group that can be positively attributed to the enzyme appears to influence the binding of adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'[35S]-sulphatophosphate and has an apparent pK value of approx. 9.5. It is suggested that this group may be an essential thiol. 5. The enzyme is inhibited by iodoacetamide at pH 7.5 and 30°C and this inhibition is prevented by the presence of adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'[35S]-sulphatophosphate but not by L-tyrosine methyl ester.


Client owners usually need an estimate or forecast of their likely building costs in advance of detailed design in order to confirm the financial feasibility of their projects. Because of their timing in the project life cycle, these early stage forecasts are characterized by the minimal amount of information available concerning the new (target) project to the point that often only its size and type are known. One approach is to use the mean contract sum of a sample, or base group, of previous projects of a similar type and size to the project for which the estimate is needed. Bernoulli's law of large numbers implies that this base group should be as large as possible. However, increasing the size of the base group inevitably involves including projects that are less and less similar to the target project. Deciding on the optimal number of base group projects is known as the homogeneity or pooling problem. A method of solving the homogeneity problem is described involving the use of closed form equations to compare three different sampling arrangements of previous projects for their simulated forecasting ability by a cross-validation method, where a series of targets are extracted, with replacement, from the groups and compared with the mean value of the projects in the base groups. The procedure is then demonstrated with 450 Hong Kong projects (with different project types: Residential, Commercial centre, Car parking, Social community centre, School, Office, Hotel, Industrial, University and Hospital) clustered into base groups according to their type and size.


In our paper we present the most important characteristics of the forint interest rate swap market, as well as examine the determinants and the information content of the forint interest rate swap spreads. The turnover of the forint interest rate swap market has grown dynamically in recent years, and now it may reach, or even exceed, the turnover of the government bond market. Due to the hedging activity of interest rate swap market makers, there is a close linkage between the forint interest rate swap market and the government bond market. In terms of investors, the interest rate swap and government bond markets are strongly segmented. Consequently, the spillover from one market segment to the other is not perfect. Our analyses suggest that long-term forint interest rate swap spreads are exposed to the common impact of several factors. The strongest effects are attributed to government bond purchases by residents, the Maggie A spread, the slope of the yield curve and the forint/euro forward yield spread. In the developments of swap spreads, the impact of those trading strategies employing interest rate swaps can be detected. These are widespread in the domestic market, as is confirmed by anecdotal information. The results indicate that in certain cases the swap yields, while at other times the government bond yields carry additional information about long-term yield expectations. The values of the 5-year HUF/EUR forward spread 5 years ahead calculated from the swap yields and from the treasury yields differ markedly, and this difference is driven practically by the same factors that influence the interest rate swap spreads.


Crime theft is usually influenced by several factors, such as livelihoods with neatly organized networks or syndicates or some that do so due to economic pressures that force the offender to commit the crime because in his mind there is no longer a way out other than stealing. The formulation of the problem in this research is What is the judge's judgment policy in deciding cases of theft based on criminal destinations in the Draft Law of the Criminal Code, and in Act No. 48 On judicial power ?. The method of approach used is sociological juridical. This type of research is descriptive method. Source of data used from primary and secondary data. In this case the judge in providing a criminal decision must provide the benefit of the convicted person to undergo his conviction and life after leaving the prison to return to the community again. Because the provision of an unfair criminal will affect the survival of the convicted person. The purpose of punishment is as a judge's consideration in deciding the theft of criminal case which is supported by a juridical element in Article 56 of the Criminal Code Bill, and Act No.48 of 2009 On Judicial Power in Article 5 paragraph (1) and Article 8 paragraph (2).Keywords: Judge's Considerations, Theft of Crimes, Criminal Purpose.


The development of transnational corporations (TNC) raises the question of an effective system of organization management, in particular, in countries - members of the BRICS. The results of the study showed the use of a collective labor contract in organizations in India, China, South Africa is not widespread. Regulation of social and labor relations is limited to national features, mentality, traditions. For example, in China workers, due to the prevailing attitude and philosophy, do not seek to use a collective labor contract to regulate the relations with the employer. Based on a number of reasons shown in the article, the authors consider that most probably no major changes related to the regulation of labor relations in these countries will occur in the near future.


Low Voltage Pulsed Magnetic Casting (LVPMC) is developed for grain refinement castings in recent years. This paper investigates the grain refinement effect of LVPMC on superalloy K417 and deals with the effects of cooling rate and superheating on grain refinement, as well as grain refinement mechanism. The experimental results show that the grains in the alloy are equiaxed and refined to 60 m averagely. The melt flow and Joule heat during solidification are modeled and simulated to reveals the grain refinement mechanism. It is considered that the melt vibration and convection caused by the pulsed magnetic field, as well as cooling rate and superheating contribute to the refinement of solidified grains.


A case study of an outsourcer adoption of 16 processes relating to servitizing their IT Operations was evaluated from three theoretical lenses: Governance, Innovation and Institutions. Governance Theory implies a top-down approach would be most appropriate to IT process change; Innovation Theory implies that a combined bottom-up and top-down approach would be best; Institutional Theory implies that all three take place over time in most organizations but does not specifically make any recommendations. The case organization, an IT Outsourcer, without knowingly drawing on any theory, applied change efforts at all three levels to effect change for 16 processes across 14 organizations in eight countries to achieve ISO/IEC 20000 certification, all within two years. Institutional Theory which posits regulative, normative and cognitive methods for developing compliance to an organizational change appears to fit the situation of complex, multi-national, multi-cultural change in an IT organization better than the competing theories.


This thesis theorizes and investigates Reflexive Networking, an innovative conceptual model for online healthcare continuing professional development (CPD) to improve impact on practice and patient care.

Recently, financial pressures and the rise of the Internet have triggered a massive growth in online CPD globally. This shift assumes that online CPD causes behavior change and improves practice and care. Normative research on the impact of online CPD has mostly been in the form of positivist or realistic experiments. The evidence shows, however, that current online CPD models are failing. Because they do not affect the agency of professionals constrained by existing and new online structures, these models do not improve impact on practice and patient care. This design failure impels this thesis.

I conceptualise online CPD as a dynamic process from Bourdieu's sociological perspective on practice. Changing practice is an emergent outcome of the actions of various agents interacting across structures. I propose using technologies and pedagogies to enhance professionals' capacity for agency and improve impact.

This thesis critically and realistically evaluates the hypothesised model through an exploratory single case study with a commercial CPD provider. To test the intervention, a tutor delivered an online CPD programme to a small group of 7 doctors distributed across the UK. They had 4 facilitated online discussions over 2 months using a virtual classroom. I interpret data sets from online observations, interviews, and a before/after agency questionnaire-scale into a scientific narrative, with a touch of irony, to enable readers to understand if, how and why the process improves impact.

The analysis suggests that in this case, participants' capacity for agency increased by 13.4%. Participants were more likely to consider changing practice by discussing cases, exploring treatment options, and sharing information, opinions and advice on a targeted topic. Interpreting these findings, the more the process - including the technology – builds symbolic capital and exchanges social and cultural capital that counts as learning, the more likely busy professionals are to spend time online meshing scientific knowledge from clinical guidelines with their judgement and prior experiences, to produce practical knowledge on improving practice and patient care.

Effective online CPD programmes should employ technologies and pedagogies strategically to design Reflexive Networking processes across organizations, time and distance and redirect the fields of healthcare and online CPD to deliver on ideals of evidence-based medicine. As one-off one-size-fits-all online CPD approaches such as communities of practice and e-learning modules do not affect the relative allocation of power (capitals) between professionals, educators and managers, they are disempowering. Rebooting Bourdieu for the Internet era disrupts structural boundaries and makes visible the hitherto invisible dimensions of agency for changing behaviour and practice, contributing a theoretically informed practical model to solve an urgent problem in healthcare human resource management.

At a time when universal access to healthcare remains a hopeless goal, the dominant biomedical culture that has perverted online CPD to transmit knowledge and skills must be fought. Valuing ethical social relations and moral interactions is critical to produce pleasurable conformity as practice.

Future researchers will craft self-regulating Reflexive Networking experiences in various CPD contexts to liberate educators and empower all practitioners - particularly those denied access in remote locations – to learn collaboratively across structures and continuously evaluate improvements in impact on practice and patient care.


In this paper we present a fully low-pressure encapsulated and closed-loop operated resonant fluid density sensor. The device consists of a tube in silicon, which is vibrating in a selected balanced torsion mode. The resonance frequency changes with the density of the fluid in the tube due to the change of the inertial mass of the vibrating system. The sensor is fabricated and encapsulated at wafer level using silicon micromachining techniques. The encapsulation is performed by anodically bonding the silicon densitometer in vacuum between two glass lids with metal electrodes for electrostatic excitation and capacitive detection. The sample volume is only 0.035 ml and the size of the encapsulated device is 14 mm × 23 mm × 1.85 mm. The measurements were performed using a novel excitation and detection technique based on discontinuous, `burst' excitation. This principle enabled us to eliminate the electrical crosstalk between excitation and detection. The electrodes could be placed on top of the glass lids without using electrical feedthroughs, and a cavity gap of 100 µm could be formed between the recessed glass lid surface and the silicon tube to reduce squeeze-film damping. The closed-loop `burst' technology enabled us to make continuous measurements of fluid densities. The sensor showed high density sensitivities of the order of -200 ppm (kg m-3 )-1 , a high mechanical Q -factor of 3400 for air in the tube and low temperature sensitivities of -29 ppm °C-1 in the range 20-100 °C.


Annual cycles in daylength provide an initial predictive environmental cue that plants and animals use to time seasonal biology. Seasonal changes in photoperiodic information acts to entrain endogenous programs in physiology to optimize an animal's fitness. Attempts to identify the neural and molecular substrates of photoperiodic time measurement in birds have, to date, focussed on blunt changes in light exposure during a restricted period of photoinducibility. The objectives of these studies were first to characterise a molecular seasonal clock in Japanese quail and second, to identify the key transcripts involved in endogenously generated interval timing that underlies photosensitivity in birds. We hypothesized that the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) provides the neuroendocrine control of photoperiod-induced changes in reproductive physiology, and that the pars distalis of the pituitary gland contains an endogenous internal timer for the short photoperiod dependent development of reproductive photosensitivity. Here we report distinct seasonal waveforms of transcript expression in the MBH, and pituitary gland and discovered the patterns were not synchronized across tissues. Follicle-stimulating hormone-β (FSHβ) expression increased during the simulated spring equinox, prior to photoinduced increases in prolactin, thyrotropin-stimulating hormone-β and testicular growth. Diurnal analyses of transcript expression showed sustained elevated levels of FSHβ under conditions of the spring equinox, compared to autumnal equinox, short (<12L) and long (>12L) photoperiods. FSHβ expression increased in quail held in non-stimulatory short photoperiod, indicative of the initiation of an endogenously programmed interval timer. These data identify that FSHβ establishes a state of photosensitivity for the external coincidence timing of seasonal physiology. The independent regulation of FSHβ expression provides an alternative pathway through which other supplementary environmental cues, such as temperature, can fine tune seasonal reproductive maturation and involution.


Use of the term "ritual" in PsycLit from 1975-1995 was examined through an archival study. Abstracts identified as including any form of the term were coded for valence, target population, study type, and differential area of interest. Valence was predominantly positive, consistent across time, with a growing negative trend. Interest in ritual has increased. Key elements of adaptive ritual were identified as recurrence across time, shared symbolism and volitional participation. A Dynamic Process of Ritual is
proposed which includes the individual, society, and chaos in a fluctuating relationship, all operating within an additional dimension of a continuum of ritualization in which the individual's position is determined by personal and societal complexity and individual response to crisis.


Synchrotron radiation analysis is a powerful tool for identifying pollutants. Here, we explore the distribution of elements in the flight feathers of ring-billed gulls, Larus delawarensis, to identify potential pollutants and their distribution throughout the feather. Our analysis using Synchrotron Radiation Analysis and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy has identified a variety of metals that are integral parts of the feather structure including: calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe). The darker portions of the flight feather were enriched with Zn and Fe, which supports the suggestion that feather melanins are efficient ligands of some metals found in the environment, sequestering potentially harmful particles away from the body. However, trace lead (Pb) acquired from the regional pollution was detected only in females, and it was distributed across both the melanized and non-melanized portions of the feather suggesting that only some metals are efficiently sequestered by melanins. Overall this study highlights a potential method for identifying pollutants using bird feathers, which has broader implications on environmental sensing as well as avian and human health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), like other eukaryotic positive-strand RNA viruses, replicates its genomic RNA in replication complexes formed on intracellular membranes. Previous studies showed that a host seven-pass transmembrane protein TOM1 is necessary for efficient ToMV multiplication. Here, we show that a small GTP-binding protein ARL8, along with TOM1, is co-purified with a FLAG epitope-tagged ToMV 180K replication protein from solubilized membranes of ToMV-infected tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells. When solubilized membranes of ToMV-infected tobacco cells that expressed FLAG-tagged ARL8 were subjected to immunopurification with anti-FLAG antibody, ToMV 130K and 180K replication proteins and TOM1 were co-purified and the purified fraction showed RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity that transcribed ToMV RNA. From uninfected cells, TOM1 co-purified with FLAG-tagged ARL8 less efficiently, suggesting that a complex containing ToMV replication proteins, TOM1, and ARL8 are formed on membranes in infected cells. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ARL8 consists of four family members. Simultaneous mutations in two specific ARL8 genes completely inhibited tobamovirus multiplication. In an in vitro ToMV RNA translation-replication system, the lack of either TOM1 or ARL8 proteins inhibited the production of replicative-form RNA, indicating that TOM1 and ARL8 are required for efficient negative-strand RNA synthesis. When ToMV 130K protein was co-expressed with TOM1 and ARL8 in yeast, RNA 5′-capping activity was detected in the membrane fraction. This activity was undetectable or very weak when the 130K protein was expressed alone or with either TOM1 or ARL8. Taken together, these results suggest that TOM1 and ARL8 are components of ToMV RNA replication complexes and play crucial roles in a process toward activation of the replication proteins' RNA synthesizing and capping functions.


Recently, the teacher-student learning paradigm has drawn much attention in compressing neural networks on low-end edge devices, such as mobile phones and wearable watches. Current algorithms mainly assume the complete dataset for the teacher network is also available for the training of the student network. However, for real-world scenarios, users may only have access to part of training examples due to commercial profits or data privacy, and severe over-fitting issues would happen as a result. In this paper, we tackle the challenge of learning student networks with few data by investigating the ground-truth data-generating distribution underlying these few data. Taking Wasserstein distance as the measurement, we assume this ideal data distribution lies in a neighborhood of the discrete empirical distribution induced by the training examples. Thus we propose to safely optimize the worst-case cost within this neighborhood to boost the generalization. Furthermore, with theoretical analysis, we derive a novel and easy-to-implement loss for training the student network in an end-to-end fashion. Experimental results on benchmark datasets validate the effectiveness of our proposed method.


We present recent results of field observations on an island braided reach of the middle Tagliamento River, Italy, where riparian vegetation survival and establishment depends on an unstable balance between vegetation growth and flood disturbance. We combined field observations and information extracted from aerial images, airborne lidar data, and river flow time series for the period 1986-2017 to investigate the changing spatial distribution of woody vegetation and the associated changes in river topography. We also explored the role of Alnus incana (a member of the Betulaceae family), in an environment dominated by the Salicaceae family (e.g. Populus nigra).

We observed that gaps between established islands and/or floodplain offer shelter to vegetation, supporting higher colonisation success and different vegetation-landform evolution pathways.

In particular, A. incana predominantly grows in lines along channel, island and floodplain edges, bordering wooded areas dominated by P. nigra. Given their association with floodplain and island edges and the relationship of taller (older) trees with more elevated surfaces, A. incana in the study reach appears to complement the physical engineering of the dominant species, P. nigra. This suggests that P. nigra may facilitate colonisation by alder but then both species trap sediments to aggrade channel edges and bar surfaces and build island and floodplain landforms.

Time sequences of aerial images in combination with the flood disturbance time series allowed us to interpret vegetation dynamics and to identify the fate of sexual and asexual reproduction strategies by observing vegetation expansion from lines of young plants and shrubs and from uprooted deposited trees and pioneer islands, respectively. Field observations are then generalized to extend a conceptual model of island development.

Growing conditions, disturbance energy, and time (window of opportunity) between major floods are the main controls on vegetation colonization. These vary among rivers, among reaches along the same river and locally, as in the investigated gaps, allowing different tree species with different life history traits (e.g. Populus nigra, Alnus incana) to engineer local river landforms in different and complementary ways.

Although the conceptual model is inspired by observations on the Tagliamento River, consideration of species life history traits and the joint influences of growing conditions, disturbance energy and windows of opportunity provide a framework that may be applied to other temperate rivers where trees drive landform development.


The problem of this thesis is to examine the military-press relationship in Nigeria from 1966 to 1979 and to determine whether activities of the military government contributed to violation of press freedom by prior restraint, postpublication censorship and penalization. Newspaper and magazine articles related to this study were analyzed. Interviews with some journalists and military personnel were also conducted. Materials collected show that the military violated some aspects of press freedom, but in most cases, however, journalists were free to criticize government activities. The judiciary prevented the military from arbitrarily using its power against the press. The findings show that although the military occasionally attempted suppressing the press, there are few instances that prove that journalists were denied press freedom.


Recent advances in genetics and neuroimaging have greatly contributed to our understanding of the spectrum of midline brain and craniofacial malformations known as holoprosencephaly. This review summarizes our current understanding of the epidemiology and molecular-genetic bases of these malformations, as well as recent neuroradiological and clinical studies, which have revealed that the manifestations of holoprosencephaly are far more variable than previously appreciated. We also discuss the implications for and importance of accurate diagnosis, prognosis, management of common medical problems, and counseling for affected families.


A book titled "Nature is Wonderful" containing 46 of her "Tide Lines" articles is available for purchase in the Mote Aquarium gift shop for $10. Visit Mote's Gift shop online at: http://www.mote.org/index.php?submenu=SHOP&src=directory&view=giftshop


ACM SIGGRAPH and Eurographics are restarting CGEMS, the Computer Graphics Educational Materials Source, an on-line repository of curricular material for computer graphics education. In this context, the question that we ask ourselves is: ''How can CGEMS best meet the needs of educators''? The aim of this forum is to provide the audience with an idea of the purpose of CGEMS - a source of educational materials for educators by educators - and to give them an opportunity to contribute their views and ideas towards shaping the new CGEMS. Towards this purpose, we have identified a number of issues to resolve, which the panel will put forward to the participants of the forum for discussion.


SUMMARY We present an approach that allows a robot to generate trajectories to perform a set of instances of a task using few physical trials. Specifically, we address manipulation tasks which are highly challenging to simulate due to complex dynamics. Our approach allows a robot to create a model from initial exploratory experiments and subsequently improve it to find trajectory parameters to successfully perform a given task instance. First, in a model generation phase, local models are constructed in the vicinity of previously conducted experiments that explain both task function behavior and estimated divergence of the generated model from the true model when moving within the neighborhood of each experiment. Second, in an exploitation-driven updating phase, these generated models are used to guide parameter selection given a desired task outcome and the models are updated based on the actual outcome of the task execution. The local models are built within adaptively chosen neighborhoods, thereby allowing the algorithm to capture arbitrarily complex function landscapes. We first validate our approach by testing it on a synthetic non-linear function approximation problem, where we also analyze the benefit of the core approach features. We then show results with a physical robot performing a dynamic fluid pouring task. Real robot results reveal that the correct pouring parameters for a new pour volume can be learned quite rapidly, with a limited number of exploratory experiments.


The effect of a neutral density background on the toroidal angular momentum and kinetic energy profiles has been investigated in JET. Under equivalent conditions but with increasing gas fuelling during the flat top phase, it has been observed that both the edge rotation and temperature decrease. The increase in electron density was not sufficient to compensate the rotation and temperature loss such that both energy and momentum confinement times are significantly reduced. The edge localized mode behaviour is observed to be significantly affected by the increased neutral influx. A simple 1.5D fluid model has been used to qualitative capture the neutral transport response within the plasma, followed by a forward model of the passive charge-exchange (CX) emission of carbon to obtain a corrected radial neutral density profile. It has been found that the neutral density is sharply attenuated over the edge region, with similar edge magnitudes in both the non-fuelled (Γ0/ne ∼ 1.2 m s−1) and maximum fuelled case (Γ0/ne ∼ 2.5 m s−1). Discharges with reversed-B operation exhibited even higher normalized neutral fluxes related to first orbit effects and increased wall interactions. Over the full neutral influx range, a decrease in pedestal thermal Mach number from 0.25 to 0.14 was observed. Increased neutral penetration up to the pedestal top (r/a ∼ 0.9) due to multiple CX interactions is obtained from the interpretive model. Under these multiple neutral–ion interactions, the impact on the CX loss of angular momentum is larger compared with the CX energy loss. The drag torque was seen to increase up to 10% of the total applied torque, while energy losses appeared to be smaller. The accuracy of this global approach method is unfortunately limited; however, the estimated momentum sink was found comparable to the torque required to explain the discrepancy between observed global energy and momentum confinement.


Word-processors are widely used by dyslexics but the spellcheckers are often not appropriate to their needs. This paper examines a sample of around 3000 words of running text containing almost 600 errors typical of those made by dyslexics. It first describes the types of error and the ways in which they differ from the more conventional misspellings that spellcheckers are designed to deal with. It then presents the results of running four current spellcheckers over this sample and finds that the correct word was suggested for only around half of the errors. There were two types of failure: errors that were flagged but not corrected and errors that were not flagged at all. The former often bore a phonetic resemblance to the intended word and in many cases looked correct-able. The latter were caused by misspellings that resulted in another valid word. Spellcheckers need to use syntactic and contextual information to improve performance in this area. This would also enable them to make more appropriate suggestions for the errors that are flagged.


Organic-inorganic hybrid monoliths with well-defined macropores and/or mesopores have been synthesized by a sol-gel process accompanied by polymerization-induced phase separation. Using aklyltrialkoxysilanes and alkylene-bridged alkoxysilanes, two different categories of organo-siloxane networks have been characterized in view of macroporoisity based on phase separation as well as mesoporosity based on supramolecular templating by surfactants. The alkyl-terminated polysiloxane network exhibited substantial surface hydrophobicity together with the mechanical flexibility. On the other hand, the alkylene-bridged network behaved much more similarly to those prepared from tetraalkoxysilanes with regard to surface hydrophilicity, mechanical rigidness and mesopore-forming ability. Supramolecular templating of mesopores embedded in the gel skeletons comprising well-defined macroporous network has proven to give wide variety of hierarchically designed macro-mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrid materials.


Authors present the article historical data on the foundation and development of surgical service at the 1st Therapeutic Red Cross Hospital (Central Military Hospital of People's Commissariat. of Defense) since its organization. The structure of the hospital surgical service and organization of surgical activity during the pre-war years is presented. Provided information about outstanding surgeons who was working in the hospital.


Study Design. We evaluated electrophysiologic changes of the cauda equina after lumbar laminotomy in rats. Objective. To clarify immediate and long-term electrophysiologic and neurologic responses in an experimental postlaminotomy animal fibrosis model. Summary of Background Data. Postspinal surgery-induced epidural fibrosis is assessed using either Gadolinium- enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or intraoperative observations. In experimental animal models mimicking this complication, many approaches are used: advanced imaging (computed tomography, CT; and MRI), functional observations, biomechanical techniques, and histologic examinations. However, no study has reported the substantial neurophysiologic changes of the cauda equina in such a model. Methods. Rats were given a sham operation (laminar exposure only), a left L5 hemilaminotomy alone, or a left L5 hemilaminotomy with extradural topical collagen. Mixed-nerve-elicited somatosensory-evoked potentials (M-SSEPs) and dermatomal (D)-SSEPs were recorded at the thoracolumbar junction after percutaneous stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve at the bilateral medial ankles and the L5 dermatomal field, respectively. Potentials recorded on the operated and nonoperated sides before surgery and then 30 minutes, 2 weeks, and 1, 2, and 3 months after surgery were compared. Walking track and thermal hyperalgesia test results and a final histologic analysis of perineural fibrosis were correlated. Results. Electrical stimulation yielded reproducible responses in all rats on all tests. Preoperative and postoperative measurements showed no statistically significant differences in M-SSEP or D-SSEP. Postoperative D-SSEPs in both experimental groups showed significant reductions in relative amplitude, but the M-SSEPs of all groups and D-SSEPs of the control groups remained constant. Conclusion. SSEP is valuable for detecting electrophysiologic changes after laminotomy fibrosis, but acceptable accuracy requires proper stimulation and recording settings. D-SSEP monitoring provided reliable, useful information about the functional integrity of the cauda equina in this animal model. We recommend D-SSEP monitoring as a supplemental tool for quantifying the effect of postlaminotomy fibrosis on neuropathy.


In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey deployed >1800 vertical-component nodal seismometers in Grant County, Oklahoma, to study induced seismic activity associated with production of the Mississippi limestone play. The LArge‐n Seismic Survey in Oklahoma (LASSO) array operated for approximately one month, covering a 25 km by 32 km region with a nominal station spacing of ∼400  m. Primary goals of the deployment were to detect microseismic events not captured by the sparser regional network stations and to provide nearly unaliased records of the seismic wavefield. A more complete record of earthquakes allows us to map the spatiotemporal evolution of induced event sequences and illuminates the structures on which the events occur. Dense records of the seismic wavefield also provide improved measurements of the earthquake source, including focal mechanisms and stress drops. Taken together, we can use these findings to glean insights into the processes that induce earthquakes. Here, we describe the array layout, features of the nodal sensors, data recording configurations, and the field deployment. We also provide examples of earthquake waveforms recorded by the array to illustrate data quality and initial observations. LASSO array data provide a significant resource for understanding the occurrence of earthquakes induced by wastewater disposal.


OBJECTIVE To investigate associations between maternal pregnancy hyperglycemia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and offspring adiposity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We evaluated these associations in a longitudinal study of 421 mother-daughter pairs at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Maternal pregnancy glucose values were obtained from maternal medical records. Outcomes included three measures of girls' adiposity, measured annually: 1) ≥85th age-specific percentile for BMI; 2) percent body fat (%BF); and 3) waist-to-height ratio (WHR). RESULTS Adjusting for maternal age at delivery, race/ethnicity, pregravid BMI, girl's age, and girl's age at onset of puberty, having a mother with GDM increased a girl's risk of having a BMI ≥85th percentile or having %BF or WHR in the highest quartile (Q4), compared with those in the lowest quintile of blood glucose (odds ratio [OR] 3.56 [95% CI 1.28–9.92]; OR 3.13 [95% CI 1.08–9.09]; and OR 2.80 [95% CI 1.00–7.84], respectively). There was a significant interaction between the presence of GDM and pregravid BMI; girls whose mothers had both risk factors had the highest odds of having a BMI ≥85th percentile (OR 5.56 [95%CI 1.70–18.2]; Q4 %BF, OR 6.04 [95%CI 1.76–20.7]; and Q4 WHR, OR 3.60 [95%CI 1.35–9.58]). Similar, although weaker, associations were found in the association between hyperglycemia and offspring adiposity. CONCLUSIONS Girls who were exposed to maternal GDM or hyperglycemia in utero are at higher risk of childhood adiposity; risk increases if the mother is overweight or obese. Screening and intervention for this high-risk group is warranted to slow the intergenerational transmission of obesity and its sequelae.


To achieve sparse parametrizations that allows intuitive analysis, we aim to represent deformation with a basis containing interpretable elements, and we wish to use elements that have the description capacity to represent the deformation compactly. To accomplish this, we introduce in this paper higher-order momentum distributions in the LDDMM registration framework. While the zeroth order moments previously used in LDDMM only describe local displacement, the first-order momenta that are proposed here represent a basis that allows local description of affine transformations and subsequent compact description of non-translational movement in a globally non-rigid deformation. The resulting representation contains directly interpretable information from both mathematical and modeling perspectives. We develop the mathematical construction of the registration framework with higher-order momenta, we show the implications for sparse image registration and deformation description, and we provide examples of how the parametrization enables registration with a very low number of parameters. The capacity and interpretability of the parametrization using higher-order momenta lead to natural modeling of articulated movement, and the method promises to be useful for quantifying ventricle expansion and progressing atrophy during Alzheimer's disease.


We report on the effect of an AlGaN interlayer with a low Al composition, which is inserted between multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and an AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The band diagram shows that this interlayer reduces the hole barrier height between the last GaN barrier in MQWs and the AlGaN EBL to enhance the hole injection. The optical output power at 20 mA of LEDs with interlayer is increased by 20% more than that of LEDs without an interlayer. This improvement is attributed to the enhanced radiative recombination rate, which is due to a more uniform hole distribution and higher hole concentration in MQWs.


In this paper, we characterize functions that simulate independent unbiased coin flips from independent coin flips of unknown bias. We call such functions randomizing. Our characterization of randomizing functions enables us to identify the functions that generate the largest average number of fair coin flips from a fixed number of biased coin flips. We show that these optimal functions are efficiently computable. Then we generalize the characterization, and we present a method to simulate an arbitrary rational probability distribution optimally (in terms of the average number of output digits) and efficiently (in terms of computational complexity) from outputs of many-faced dice of unknown distribution. We also study randomizing functions on exhaustive prefix-free sets


Aims. To quantify the transient growth of nonaxisymmetric perturbations in unstratified magnetized and stratified non-magnetized rotating linear shear flows in the shearing sheet approximation of accretion disc flows. Methods. The Rayleigh quotient in modal approaches for the linearized equations (with time-dependent wavenumber) and the amplitudes from direct shearing sheet simulations using a finite difference code are compared. Results. Both approaches agree in their predicted growth behavior. The magneto-rotational instability for axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric perturbations is shown to have the same dependence of the (instantaneous) growth rate on the wavenumber along the magnetic field, but in the nonaxisymmetric case the growth is only transient. However, a meaningful dependence of the Rayleigh quotient on the radial wavenumber is obtained. While in the magnetized case the total amplification factor can be several orders of magnitude, it is only of order ten or less in the nonmagnetic case. Stratification is shown to have a stabilizing effect. In the present case of shearing-periodic boundaries the (local) strato-rotational instability seems to be absent.


Introduction Ae. aegypti, the commonest cause of Dengue fever in the world, was re-introduced to Brazil in the latter half of the 1970s. Favourable environmental conditions facilitated unchecked territorial expansion of this vector. This study describes the changing epidemiology of Dengue in Brazil 25 years after it re-emerged, exploring the main determinants of disease and outlining the implications for control. Methods This study analysed serial case reports registered in Brazil since1986, describing the changing incidence and spatial distribution of Dengue. Results Epidemic waves followed the emergence of each serotype (DENV 1–3), characterised by an increasing incidence (from 64.6 per 100 000 in 1987 to 475.3 per 100 000 in 2010) and severity of disease resulting in high case-fatality (14 896 cases and 1212 deaths). In 2007, an important and sudden change in the age of individuals affected by dengue haemorrhagic fever was observed, with an increasing number of children affected. Conclusion A change in the age distribution of incident cases must be due to the sequence of circulating serotypes of dengue virus in the population conferring different levels of herd immunity in different age groups. Dengue is a serious public health problem in Brazil. Difficulties controlling the vector in all countries highlights the need for the international scientific community to renew efforts to generate knowledge, allowing improvement and progress in the development of new tools and strategies for dengue prevention.


Reinforcement corrosion has been identified as the predominant deterioration mechanism for reinforced concrete structures (fib, 2006), and is usually caused by carbonation or chloride attack. Chloride- induced corrosion is triggered by an increasing concentration of chloride ions in the pore solution. Corrosion seriously affects the serviceability and safety of concrete structures, and can cause major maintenance costs. Therefore, precise information and understanding of chloride ingress and chloride binding may enable better prediction of service life of concrete structures. The aim of this study is to gather information on chloride binding capacity of supplementary cementitious materials and its effect on chloride profiles. The use of fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag are known to increase the binding capacity thus lowering the free chloride content available for corrosion initiation. This can most likely be linked to a high alumina content in which chemical binding capacity increases. Additionally, blast furnace slag and fly ash can increase the formation of C-S-H which enhance the physical binding capacity. The effect of chloride binding on chloride ingress was investigated in addition to the binding capacity of fly ash cement and blast furnace slag cement. Chloride binding isotherms and chloride profiles were determined for mortars with w/c= 0.4 and 6% silica fume addition. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (50%) and fly ash (30%) were included as partial replacement for Portland cement. A variant of the equilibrium method was used to determine the chloride binding isotherms. Hydrated samples were grounded and exposed to solutions of CaCl2 and NaCl of varying concentrations at 20°C. The determined binding isotherms were used to calculate bound and free chloride profiles for mortars exposed to NaCl for 6 months. The obtained results agree with much of the present literature. Small standard deviations and clear trends indicate reliable experimental data. One of the findings of the study is that various cementitious materials exhibit different binding capacities. Of the three tested mortars, the mortar with blast furnace slag resulted in the highest binding capacity followed by the fly ash blended cement. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) had the lowest binding capacity. A non- linear relationship between free and bound chlorides were found, in which the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm provided a good fit. Due to varying binding capacities, it follows that binding should be included when comparing chloride ingress in various binders. Chloride profiles were produced in order to evaluate the effect of binding on chloride profiles. The high binding capacity of the ground granulated blast furnace slag cement resulted in a lower amount of free chlorides in the pore solution. It appears as the binding isotherm determined by CaCl2 gives a better reflection of the binding behavior compared to the NaCl binding isotherm. Generally, the apparent diffusion coefficient is determined by fitting of total chloride profiles to the solution of Fick's 2nd law of diffusion. The approach is questionable as it rests on number of simplifying assumptions that rarely are met in a real structure. It seems more appropriate to base the fitting on free chlorides, as only the free chlorides are influenced by diffusion. Therefore, the apparent diffusion coefficient and the surface concentration were determined by fitting of both total and free chloride profiles. The results proved that the coefficient is reduced by 28 - 35 % if binding is included.


The study aims to determine the relationship between behaviour problems and the academic achievement of students, numerous scientists stress that learning, improvement and schooling are entwined in a social framework and we can't comprehend them outside that specific situation. A quantitative methodology was utilized to study the social behaviour and academic achievement of students. Questionnaire were organized to draw relationship between behaviour problems and the academic achievement, extra information was gathered from school archives. This study is to contextualize the consequences of the connection between behaviour issues and insightful achievement. Outcomes of the assembled data, externalizing conduct issues were alternately associated with academic performance. Specifically, it demonstrates that there is connection among practices and academic performance of students.


Yield map accuracy is an important element for the successful implementation of precision farming practices. Incorrect yield monitor readings cause errors in the yield maps, which lead to inaccurate management decisions. Two methods, namely instantaneous yield from on-board yield monitoring system mounted on combine harvester and estimated yield from Crop Cutting Test (CCT) method were used in this study to determine the yield variability that exists within a rice plot foe two cropping seasons. The yield monitoring system was designed to measure the instantaneous harvested crop yield during the actual harvesting of the crop with the combine within the individual rice plots. The CCT method was conducted based on a total of 20 sampling points from a 30 m x 18 m sampling grid within the individual plots prior to the harvesting operation with the combine. Analysis was conducted to determine the closeness of fit between instantaneous yield with estimated yield within the test plots. Some similarities could be seen in in the yield variable plots from the yield data obtained from the two determination methods. The Pearson's correlation coefficients between the two yield data were found to be in the range of 0.69 to 0.83. Conclusively, the developed yield monitoring system on-board the rice combine was able to provide measurements with good accuracy not only on the total crop yield of the harvested plot but also the crop yield variability within the plot.


The extensive sorting of more talented teachers into the most advantaged schools contributes to the wide socioeconomic achievement gaps in Latin America. The Chilean Pedagogical Excellence Assignment (AEP, for its Spanish acronym) is a unique program in the region that provides monetary incentives to talented teachers with an additional bonus if they work in disadvantaged schools. The eligibility rule of this program allows us to implement a sharp regression discontinuity design to estimate the causal impact of winning the award on the school choice decisions of talented teachers. By exploiting the fact that teachers from both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged schools at baseline are eligible for the program, we estimate heterogeneous effects along this key dimension. We find that while obtaining the award was successful at increasing the retention of talented teachers in disadvantaged schools, teachers in non-disadvantaged schools seem to be using the award as a quality signal to stay or move to high-performing schools. This suggests that factors that may explain these heterogeneous results, such as sunk costs of teaching at disadvantaged schools, loss aversion and asymmetric information, played an important role in the effectiveness of the AEP program on achieving its equity goal. Our results shed light on the complexities involved when designing this type of program.


Shaped cartilage grafts can be used in the restoration of injured joints and the reconstruction of deformities of the head and neck. This study describes a novel method for altering cartilage shape, based on the hypothesis that mechanical loading coupled with in vitro tissue growth and remodeling facilitates tissue reshaping. Static bending deformations were imposed on strips of immature articular cartilage, and retention of the imposed shape and structural and biochemical measures of growth were assessed after 2, 4, and 6 days of incubation. The results show that mechanical reshaping of tissue is feasible, because shape retention was greater than 86% after 6 days of culture. The imposed mechanical deformations had little effect on measures of tissue viability or growth within the 6-day culture period. The addition of cycloheximide to the culture medium only slightly reduced the ability to reshape these tissues, but cycloheximide plus a lower culture temperature of 4 degrees C markedly inhibited the reshaping response. These results suggest a limited role for chondrocyte biosynthesis but a potentially important role for metabolic reactions in the cartilage matrix in the reshaping process. The ability to modulate cartilage shape in vitro may prove useful for tissue engineering of shaped cartilage grafts.


SUMMARY We present a new approach to determine the 3-D topography and lateral continuity of seismic interfaces using 2-D-derived controlled-source seismic reflector data. The aim of the approach is to give the simplest possible structure consistent with all reflector data and error estimates. We define simplicity of seismic interfaces by the degree of interface continuity (i.e. shortest length of oVsets) and by the degree of interface roughness (least surface roughness). The method is applied to structural information of the crust‐mantle boundary (Moho) obtained from over 250 controlled-source seismic reflection and refraction profiles in the greater Alpine region. The reflected and refracted phases from the Moho interface and their interpretation regarding crustal thickness are reviewed and their reliability weighted. Weights assigned to each reflector element are transformed to depth errors considering Fresnel volumes. The 2-D-derived reflector elements are relocated in space (3-D migration) and interpolation is performed between the observed reflector elements to obtain continuity of model parameters. Interface oVsets are introduced only where required according to the principle of simplicity. The resulting 3-D model of the Alpine crust‐mantle boundary shows two oVsets that divide the interface into a European, an Adriatic and a Ligurian Moho, with the European Moho subducting below the Adriatic Moho, and with the Adriatic Moho underthrusting the Ligurian Moho. Each sub-interface depicts the smoothest possible (i.e. simplest) surface, fitting the reflector data within their assigned errors. The results are consistent with previous studies for those regions with dense and reliable controlledsource seismic data. The newly derived Alpine Moho interface, however, surpasses earlier studies by its lateral extent over an area of about 600 km by 600 km, by quantifying reliability estimates along the interface, and by obeying the principle of being consistently as simple as possible.