1,6-Hexanediol (1,6-HDO) was effectively prepared from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) over double-layered catalysts of Pd/SiO2 + Ir–ReOx/SiO2 in a fixed-bed reactor. Under optimal reaction conditions (373 K, 7.0 MPa H2, in solvent mixtures of 40% water and 60% tetrahydrofuran (THF)), 57.8% yield of 1,6-HDO was obtained. The double-layered catalysts loaded in double-layered beds showed much superior performance compared to that of a single catalyst of Pd–Ir–ReOx/SiO2, even when the same amount of active components were used in the catalysts. The reaction solvent significantly affected product distributions, giving a volcano-shape plot for the 1,6-HDO yield as a function of the ratio of water to THF. Bronsted acidic sites were generated on the catalyst in the presence of water which played determining roles in 1,6-HDO formation. A high pressure of H2 contributed to 1,6-HDO formation by depressing the over-hydrogenolysis of reaction intermediates and products to form hexane and hexanol. The reaction route was proposed for HMF conversion to 1,6-HDO on the basis of conditional experiments.


IntroductionCardiac Rehabilitation (CR) reduces residual cardiovascular risk among patients who have received coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. However, many patients do not attend and some are never referred. It is unclear whether automated referral is associated with improved CR completion rates.
Objectives and ApproachGeographically inclusive databases were linked to assess the impact of automated referral on rates of referral to and completion of CR post-CABG. Automated referral to CR post-CABG was instituted in Calgary on July 1, 2007. All subjects receiving CABG in Calgary between January 1, 1996 and March 31, 2016 were enrolled in the study. The Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart disease (APPROACH) database, TotalCardiology-Rehabilitation (TC-R) database, and provincial vital statistics were linked using the unique Provincial Health Number available for each patient. The association between CR referral, completion, and survival was assessed using proportional hazard models.
ResultsThere were 28,100 patients referred to the CR program, of which 26,411 were linked to the APPROACH database for a 93.99\% linkage rate. After excluding patients who did not receive CABG, a total of 8,118 patients were identified as the study population [mean age 66.2 (SD 10.2) years, 18.9\% female] during the study period: 5,103 prior to implementation of automated referral, and 3,015 post-automation. Rates of referral increased from 39.5\% prior to automation to 75.0\% post-automation (p
Conclusion/ImplicationsAutomated referral to CR is associated with increased referral rates but less dramatic increases in CR completion rates post-CABG. Given the significant improvement in survival associated with CR completion, further work is needed to improve CR referral, and more importantly, CR completion rates.


The present research was undertaken with the aim of justifying the effect of morphological, physiological, and nutritional properties in organically produced zucchini squash. The experiment consisted of two factors: three levels of pruning (P0 = no pruning, P1 = primary pruning at 20 days after transplanting (DAT), and P2 = secondary pruning at 30 DAT) and four levels of vermicompost application (V0 = control, V1 = 5 t/ha, V2 = 10 t/ha, and V3 = 15 t/ha). The results demonstrated that morphological parameters, reproductive components, and yield and proximate compositions were significant differences among the treatments. Increased male and female flower production were recorded from primary pruning with 10 t/ha vermicompost treatment plots compared with control treatments. Finally, increased fruit number, individual fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, total yield, carbohydrate, protein, crude fat, fiber, and ash were reported from the same treatment combination (P1V2). Taken together, 10 t/ha vermicompost with primary pruning appear to provide maximum output in terms of yield and nutrient value compared with other treatments.


In this paper, we propose a dominance-based rough set approach for the decision analysis of a preference-ordered uncertain data table, which is comprised of a finite set of objects described by a finite set of criteria. The domains of the criteria may have ordinal properties that express preference scales. In the proposed approach, we first compute the degree of dominance between any two objects based on their imprecise evaluations with respect to each criterion. This results in a fuzzy dominance relation on the universe. Then, we define the degree of adherence to the dominance principle by every pair of objects and the degree of consistency of each object. The con- sistency degrees of all objects are aggregated to derive the quality of the classification, with which we can define the reducts of an uncer- tain data table. In addition, the upward and downward unions of de- cision classes are fuzzy subsets of the universe. The lower and upper approximations of the decision classes based on the fuzzy dominance relation are thus fuzzy rough sets. By using the lower approximations of the decision classes, we can derive two types of decision rules that can be applied to new decision cases.


In order to get accurate performance predictions, design-time architectural analysis of multicore embedded systems has to consider communication overhead. When communicating tasks execute on the same core, the communication typically happens through the local cache. On the other hand, when they run on separate cores, the communication has to go through the shared memory. As the shared memory has a significantly larger latency than the local cache, we expect a significant difference between intra-core and inter-core task communication. In this paper, we present a series of experiments we ran to identify the size of this difference, and discuss its impact on architectural analysis of multicore embedded systems. In particular, we show that the impact of the difference is much lower than anticipated.


Given the prevalence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and enduring subjective complaints known as postconcussion symptoms (PCS), it is important to investigate the nature and extent of these difficulties. This study used meta-analytic techniques to integrate the available information on the emotional symptoms associated with mTBI. Small effect sizes were found across all domains (depression, anxiety, coping, and psychosocial disability); however, significance depended upon the weighting method employed. The results indicate that mTBI had a small to negligible effect on emotional symptom reporting. This has implications for the etiology of PCS, the delivery of therapeutic interventions, and medico-legal disputations.


The University of Texas Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) in association with the Texas A&M Vibration Control Lab (TAMU-VCL) has developed an active magnetic bearing control system for use in a 5 MW, 25 MJ, 20,000 RPM flywheel alternator developed under the Combat Hybrid Power Systems (CHPS) program. The inside-out topology of this flywheel (i.e., the 650 lb (294 kg) flywheel rotor is positioned outside the stator) was dictated by the extreme power density and energy density requirements, and presented unique control challenges seldom encountered in conventional magnetic bearing applications. These challenges resulted from a large number of flexible modes in the rotor and stator, requiring a high-order flexible dynamic model and extensive rotordynamic analysis. A simulation-based design effort was implemented to accomplish the primary control objective: to provide robust, efficient magnetic levitation of the CHPS rotor over a wide range of operating speeds and disturbance inputs, while minimizing the occurrence of backup bearing touchdowns. Additionally, this design effort provided critical specifications for CHPS flywheel design and component selection. Details of the CHPS magnetic bearing design, prototyping, and testing are presented in a companion paper "Inside-Out Configuration Active Magnetic Bearing Actuators".


A coil (36) includes coil elements (381, 382, . . . , 38n). The coil (36) can transmit radio frequency excitation pulses into an examination region (14) and/or receive responsive radio frequency pulses from the examination region (14). A compensation network (42) includes decoupling segments (98), which each has a selected electrical length at least of a quarter wavelength (λ/4) and is electrically coupled to an associated coil element (381, 382, . . . , 38n) and a reactive network (100). The compensation network (42) at least compensates coupling between the coil elements (381, 382, . . . , 38n).


How does the intersection of authoritarian populism and a global pandemic reinforce the suppression of human rights, dismantle environmental protections, and accelerate resource extraction? In parts of Southeast Asia, the rise of authoritarian regimes has created conditions of impunity in which state and non-state actors have exploited restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic to restrain activism, contain indigenous livelihoods, and intensify resource exploitation. This article explores how political control and violence against activists ('defenders') under authoritarian Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte have intersected with and been reinforced throughCOVID-19 health measures to curtail grass-roots efforts to protect social and environmental safeguards. Since March 2020, violence against defenders has gone viral as activism in the country has been quarantined. Under Duterte's authoritarian populist rhetoric, state actors, parastatal and shadowy assassins have allegedly used public health measures to suppress activism further,enabling the harassment, arrests, and deaths of defenders and the intensification of resource extraction. Based on a critical review of news media and conservation policy, I describe the history and current context of defenders being 'quarantined' by authorities using lockdown measures to coercively suppress social and environmental activism across the country. I examine cases from Palawan Island to show how political authorities and elites have used COVID-19 to suppress defender mobility and enforcement practices and how lulls in defending and discourses of 'pandemic recovery' have facilitated mining and deforestation. The conclusion asserts that paying attention to how political conjunctures produce violent governance and local resistance reveals civil society's crucial role and vulnerabilities in protecting human rights and the environment in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.


The study of selected gold deposits (i.e. Venus, Gladstone, Ceylon, Mashona Kop, Graham Nigel, Chigimira and Viking) in the late Archaean Harare Greenstone Belt (IIGB) has revealed the presence of more than one fluid associated with mineralisation. An early fluid was responsible for the first episode of mineralisation that produced an ore mineral assemblage dominated by arsenopyrite. A later cooler, higher salinity fluid remobilised the gold to form higher grade quartz-rich ore bodies often associated with pyrrhotite mineralisation. The early mineralisation occurred in the PT range of 300-520°C at 1-2.4 kbar and the fluid was low salinity (0-11 wt% NaCl eq.). The remobilisation occurred at 200-480°C and 0.6-2.3 kbar and the fluid had a higher salinity in the range of 19-36 wt% NaCl eq. Both fluids were aqueousCO 2 -CH 4 -NaCI-KCI-MgCI 2 -CaCI 2 -bearing.

The presence of C0 2 and chlorides in the mineralising fluids and the close association between gold and sulphide minerals (e.g. arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite etc.) makes the anions of carbonate, chloride and sulphur good candidates for forming complexes with the Au" for transportation. Fluid/rock interaction and fluid unmixing were probably the dominant processes resulting in gold deposition. This is implied by the extensive wall-rock alteration, and the occurrence of contemporaneously trapped aqueous and gaseous fluid inclusions in quartz associated with mineralisation. Fluid/rock interaction would have resulted in changes in Eh, pH and oxygen fugacity, resulting in the breakdown of gold complexes, and deposition of the gold. The ubiquitous association of gold and sulphides, suggests that the process of sulphidation was intimately related to gold mineralisation. Fluctuations in fluid pressure during vein propagation by the crack and seal process could also have resulted in the precipitation of gold.

Several common characteristics which include alteration assemblages (biotite-actinolitc-quartz-microcline), metasomatism (gains in K, Rb, Ba, Si, Ca, Fe, Mg, Pb, Zn, Sc, Co, Au, As, Mn and volatiles) and associated volume increase, ore mineral assemblages (arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, free gold), PT conditions of mineralisation, fluid chemistry (low pH, log fO 2 =-5) and isotope signatures (δ 18 O = 4.4 - 8.0 %), make these deposits a coherent group at greenstone belt scale. The sources of fluids indicated for these deposits are metamorphic devolatilisation and magmatic. However, the consistent chemistry of the fluids and the conditions at which mineralisation occurred suggest that the system that produced these deposits was homogeneous at greenstone belt scale, with all deposits having been formed by similar processes with fluids coming from both possible sources.

The study of the relationship between the Chinyika Tonalite (CT) and the late Harare Greenstone Belt (HGB) and what role it may have played in the deformation, metamorphism and mineralisation highlighted several points. Firstly, it showed the emplacement of the CT into the HGB to be syn-tectonic, as evidenced by the presence of a shear zone at their contact, a metamorphic aureole in the metabasalts around the CT and basaltic xenoliths in the CT near the contact. Secondly, the age of mineralisation of 2687±14.6 Ma as derived from Ar/Ar geochronology on hydrothermal muscovite is slightly earlier than the emplacement o f the Chinyika Tonalite whose inferred age is 2.66 Ga. This is consistent with a phase of deformation and metamorphism, and mineralisation of the HGB predating the emplacement of the Wedza-type TTG's. If the age of (2832±2 Ma) obtained for zircons from the Venus Shear Zone (VSZ) felsite is taken as its true age then it can not be related to the emplacement of the CT as previously thought, and its juxtaposition with the Arcturus Formation metabasalt is testimony to the complexity of the stratigraphy of the HGB. Detailed structural and age data are required to better understand the timing relations between the CT and, the HGB and its mineralised shear zones.,UNDP, MINREST (through the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and USHEPHiA (through the University of Cape Town)


Software development is rapidly changing and software systems are increasing in size and expected lifetime. To cope with this, several new languages and development processes have emerged, as has stronger focus on design and software architecture and development with consideration for evolution and future change in requirements. There is a clear need for improvements, research shows that the portion of development cost used for maintenance is increasing and can be as high as 50 %. We also see many software systems that grow into uncontrollable complexity where large parts of the system cannot be touched because of risks for unforeseeable consequence. Therefore a clearer understanding of the evolution of software is needed in order to prevent decay of the systems structure. This thesis approaches the field of software evolution through an empirical study on the open source project Portage from the Gentoo Linux project. Data is gathered, ratified and analysed to study the evolutionary trends of the system. These findings are seen in the context of Lehman's laws on the inevitability of growth and increasement of complexity through the lifetime of software systems. A set of research question and hypotheses are formulated and tested. Also, experience from using open source software for data mining is presented.


We investigate the Tits boundary of locally compact CAT(0) 2-complexes. In particular we show that away from the endpoints, a geodesic segment in the Tits boundary is the ideal boundary of an isometrically embedded Euclidean sector. As applications, we provide sufficient conditions for two points in the Tits boundary to be the endpoints of a geodesic in the 2-complex and for a group generated by two hyperbolic isometries to contain a free group. We also show that if two CAT(0) 2-complexes are quasi-isometric then the cores of their Tits boundaries are bi-Lipschitz.


To investigate the effect of oxygen pressure on the synthesis of LiNiO2 cathode material for Li secondary battery, powder was prepared by emulsion method and calcined at 750°C for 24 h under various oxygen gas pressures. LiNiO2 single phase could be synthesized under oxygen pressure of 101.3~103.3 kPa but not under air atmosphere. Cation mixing in Li site of LiNiO2 lowered as oxygen pressure increased and was saturated around 103.3 kPa. The lowest cation mixing, 7.0% of Ni3+ in the Li site was obtained at 750°C for 24 h under 103.3 kPa of oxygen pressure.


The optimal operation in distribution system is to select tie switches considering important elements(Load balance, Loss minimization, Voltage drop, Restoration index..) in distribution system. Optimal Tie Switches Selection is very important in operation of distribution system because that is closely related with efficiency and reliability. In this paper, a new algorithm considering important elements is proposed to find optimal location of tie switches. In the case study, the proposed algorithm has been testified using real distribution network of KEPCO for verifying algorithm and complex network for applying future distribution network.


Facilitating discussions is a key approach that science teachers use to engage students in scientific argumentation. However, learning how to facilitate argumentation-focused discussions is an ambitious teaching practice that can be difficult to learn how to do well, especially for preservice teachers (PSTs) who typically have limited opportunities to tryout and refine this teaching practice. This study examines secondary PSTs' perceptions and engagement with a science performance task—used within an online, simulated classroom consisting of five middle school student avatars—to practice this ambitious teaching practice. Findings showed that the PSTs had a strong understanding of the discussion's primary goal and perceived the task components to be easy to understand, useful in helping them prepare for the simulated discussion, and an authentic representation of what middle school students would say and do. In addition, while the PSTs attended to similar content and pedagogical features within their facilitated discussion, they varied in their ability to successfully facilitate the discussion. This study adds to the growing literature on innovative, technology-based solutions for supporting teacher learning and points to one productive approach that can be incorporated within science teacher education as an approximation of practice of this ambitious teaching practice.


Multiple testing procedures are commonly used in gene expression studies for the detection of differential expression, where typically thousands of genes are measured over at least two experimental conditions. Given the need for powerful testing procedures, and the attendant danger of false positives in multiple testing, the False Discovery Rate (FDR) controlling procedure of Benjamini and Hochberg (1995) has become a popular tool. When simultaneously testing hypotheses, suppose that R rejections are made, of which Fp are false positives. The Benjamini and Hochberg procedure ensures that the expectation of Fp/R is bounded above by some pre-specified proportion. In practice, the procedure is applied to a single experiment. In this paper we investigate the across-experiment variability of the proportion Fp/R as a function of three experimental parameters. The operational characteristics of the procedure when applied to dependent hypotheses are also considered.


The debilitating effect of traumatic brain injury (TBI) extends years after the initial injury and hampers the recovery process and quality of life. In this study, we explore the functional reorganization of the default mode network (DMN) of those affected with non-severe TBI. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a wide-spectrum disease that has heterogeneous effects on its victims and impacts everyday functioning. The functional disruption of the default mode network (DMN) after TBI has been established, but its link to causal effective connectivity remains to be explored. This study investigated the differences in the DMN between healthy participants and mild and moderate TBI, in terms of functional and effective connectivity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Nineteen non-severe TBI (mean age 30.84 ± 14.56) and twenty-two healthy (HC; mean age 27.23 ± 6.32) participants were recruited for this study. Resting-state fMRI data were obtained at the subacute phase (mean days 40.63 ± 10.14) and analyzed for functional activation and connectivity, independent component analysis, and effective connectivity within and between the DMN. Neuropsychological tests were also performed to assess the cognitive and memory domains. Compared to the HC, the TBI group exhibited lower activation in the thalamus, as well as significant functional hypoconnectivity between DMN and LN. Within the DMN nodes, decreased activations were detected in the left inferior parietal lobule, precuneus, and right superior frontal gyrus. Altered effective connectivities were also observed in the TBI group and were linked to the diminished activation in the left parietal region and precuneus. With regard to intra-DMN connectivity within the TBI group, positive correlations were found in verbal and visual memory with the language network, while a negative correlation was found in the cognitive domain with the visual network. Our results suggested that aberrant activities and functional connectivities within the DMN and with other RSNs were accompanied by the altered effective connectivities in the TBI group. These alterations were associated with impaired cognitive and memory domains in the TBI group, in particular within the language domain. These findings may provide insight for future TBI observational and interventional research.


There has been recent interest in identifying entanglement as the fundamental concept from which space may emerge. We note that the particular way that a Hilbert space is decomposed into tensor factors is important in what the resulting geometry looks like. We then propose that time may be regarded as a variable that parameterizes a family of such decompositions, thus giving rise to a family of spatial geometries. As a proof of concept, this idea is demonstrated in two toy models based on Kitaev's toric code, which feature a dynamical change of dimension and topology.


This paper presents the fitting expressions of mean velocity profile and turbulence intensity for wind-snow coupling conditions. Different materials were adopted to simulate the roughness of saltation snow particles to get the distribution of wind velocity in the simple wind tunnel. Test results indicate that velocity profile obeys the logarithmic distribution; the turbulence intensity obeys power law distribution. The influence height of saltation snow particles to the velocity profile limited to 10 cm above from the bed surface.


Background:
 Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) immunotherapy is an evolving treatment for relapsed/ refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). There is a growing need to elucidate the infectious complications of BCMA- and CD19-directed CAR T therapy. We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of infection outcomes up to 1-year post BCMA and CD19-directed CAR T treatment.
 Methods:
 All patients treated at our institution with a BCMA-directed CAR T therapy for MM or with a CD19-directed CAR T for NHL from 2018-2020 were analyzed for risk factors for infection and infectious complications. Bacterial, viral and fungal infections were recorded if there was a microbiologic or histopathologic diagnosis or if clinical suspicion for infection required empiric treatment. Infection severity was classified as mild, moderate, severe, life-threatening, or fatal as previously described (Young et al. 2016, van Burnik et al. 2007). Infections were identified from the day of the first CAR T-cell infusion up to 1 year after infusion. Observation of infections was terminated at the time of disease progression, initiation of next therapy, or death, whichever occurred first. Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare between cohorts. Poisson mixed effects model with a subject-specific random intercept and an offset to account for the duration at risk was used to identify risk factors for infections.
 Results:
 Of the 104 subjects in this study, 55 patients (53%) had MM treated with BCMA CAR T and 49 patients (47%) had NHL treated with CD19 CAR T. Median number of prior therapies was 6 (4 - 9) in the BCMA cohort and 3 (2-4) in the CD19 cohort (Table 1). Prior to starting lymphodepleting (LD) chemotherapy, most patients did not have IgG< 400, ALC< 200, or ANC< 500. Almost all the patients were on antibacterial (99%), antiviral (99%) and antifungal (92%) prophylaxis (ppx), with 18%, 90% and 9% of patients starting this before LD chemotherapy, respectively. Median follow-up time was 5.8 months (95% CI: 4.2-6.4).
 In total, there were 87 infection events (48 bacterial, 33 viral, and 6 fungal) observed in 56 patients (54%), with 47 infections in 29 (53%) patients in the BCMA CAR T cohort and 40 infections in 27 (55%) patients in the CD19 CAR T cohort (p =0.9). The BCMA cohort had 19 bacterial (40%) vs 29 bacterial (73%) in CD19 cohort (p=0.005), while BCMA cohort had 25 viral (53%) vs 8 viral (20%) in CD19 cohort (p=0.002). Fungal infection rates were comparable between BCMA and CD19 cohorts, 3 (6%) vs 3 (8%) respectively (p=1). Among the infections that occurred, 20 (23%) were high severity occurring in 16 patients (15%) of the overall cohort. Four high severity infections (5%) occurred in 3 patients (5%) in the BCMA cohort while 16 high severity infections (18%) occurred in 13 patients (27%) in the CD19 cohort (p < 0.001) (Figure 1). The BCMA cohort had higher rates of respiratory infections (68% vs 50%, p=0.1), while the CD19 cohort had higher rates of bloodstream infections (15% vs 2%, p=0.05) and gastrointestinal infections (10% vs 0%, p=0.04). The rates of grade (Gr) 3-4 neutropenia and IgG < 300 in both the cohorts at various time points post CAR T were comparable. At 9-12 months, Gr 3-4 neutropenia was 7% vs 8% (p=1) and IgG < 300 was 7% vs 33% (p=0.1) for the BCMA and CD19 cohorts respectively. Adjusting for time periods, risk factors for development of infections were use of steroids (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1-2.5, p=0.03) and post CAR T hypogammaglobulinemia (IgG < 600) (IRR =2.1, 95% CI: 1.2-3.9, p=0.02).
 Conclusions:
 This retrospective study is one of the largest studies to date comparing the post CAR T infections rates between BCMA and CD19 directed CAR T treated patients. While the incidence of infection, use of antimicrobial ppx, and rates of Gr 3-4 neutropenia and hypogammaglobulinemia were comparable between BCMA and CD19 CAR T cohorts, viral infections were more common post BCMA CAR T while bacterial infections were more frequent post CD19 CAR T. Use of steroids as well as post CAR T hypogammaglobulinemia are possible risk factors for development of infections. Further studies are needed to examine the infectious complications post-CAR T treatment, characterize the underlying risk factors, and to establish appropriate prophylactic approaches in patients undergoing CD19- and BCMA-directed CAR T therapy.

 Fakhri: University of California San Francisco: Current Employment. Ai:Nurix Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics, Kymera: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Martin:Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy; Sanofi: Research Funding; AMGEN: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Wolf:Adaptive: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Shah:BMS, Janssen, Bluebird Bio, Sutro Biopharma, Teneobio, Poseida, Nektar: Research Funding; GSK, Amgen, Indapta Therapeutics, Sanofi, BMS, CareDx, Kite, Karyopharm: Consultancy. Andreadis:Genentech: Other: Spouse Employee (salary and stock); Novartis: Research Funding; Celgene/Juno: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Gilead/Kite: Other: Advisor; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Other: Advisor; Astellas: Other: Advisor; Seattle Genetics: Other: Advisor; Karyopharm: Other: Advisor; Incyte: Other. Wong:GSK: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Fortis: Research Funding.


The quinoxaline derivatives (4a,b) and (8) were synthesized by reaction of pyruvic acid and isatine with ophenylenediamine and 3,4-diaminophenol. The synthesized quinoxalines were reacted with formaldehyde and 4- aminobenzoic acid to yield Mannch products (5a,b) and (9). Condensation of (5a,b) and (9) with ophenylenediamine yield the quinoxaline benzimidazole derivatives (6a,b) and (10). All reaction carried out by using conventional method and heating by microwave.


Abstract Although multiple myeloma is sensitive to both chemotherapy and RT, it remains incurable at present. However, treatment algorithms based on published data, as well as clinical experience, can be developed to optimize therapy. This includes not only therapy for the underlying disease but also supportive therapy to enhance quality of life. Because myeloma is incurable, these guidelines prominently identify the clinical settings appropriate for treatment of patients on clinical research protocols.


Numerous new carbon allotropes have been uncovered by compressing carbon nanotubes based on our computational investigation. The volume compression calculations suggest that these new phases have a very high anti-compressibility with a large bulk modulus (B0). The predicted B0 of new phases is larger than that of c-BN (373 GPa) and smaller than that of diamond (453 GPa). All of the predicted structures are superhard transparent materials with a larger band gap and possess the covalent characteristics with sp3-hybridized electronic states. The simulated results will help us better understand the structural phase transition of cold-compressed carbon nanotubes.


Abstract Kishikawa, H., Wang, K., Adelstein, S. J. and Kassis, A. I. Inhibitory and Stimulatory Bystander Effects are Differentially Induced by Iodine-125 and Iodine-123. Radiat. Res. 165, 688–694 (2006). The bystander effect, originating from cells irradiated in vitro, describes responses of surrounding cells not targeted by the radiation. Previously we demonstrated that the subcutaneous injection into nude mice of human adenocarcinoma LS174T cells lethally irradiated by Auger electrons from the decay of DNA-incorporated 125I inhibits growth of co-injected LS174T cells (inhibitory bystander effect; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 13765–13770, 2002). We have repeated these studies using cells exposed to lethal doses of 123I, an Auger electron emitter whose emission spectrum is identical to that of 125I, and report herein that the decay of 123I within tumor cell DNA stimulates the proliferation of neighboring unlabeled tumor cells growing subcutaneously in nude mice (stimulatory bystander effect). Similar inhibitory bystander effects (125I) and stimulatory bystander effects (123I) are obtained in vitro. Moreover, supernatants from cultures with 125I-labeled cells are positive for tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP1 and TIMP2), and those from cultures with 123I-labeled cells are positive for angiogenin. These findings call for the re-evaluation of current dosimetric approaches for the estimation of dose–response relationships in individuals after radiopharmaceutical administration or radiocontamination and demonstrate a need to adjust all "calculated" dose estimates by a dose modification factor (DMF), a radionuclide-specific constant that factors in hitherto not-so-well recognized biophysical processes.


Obesity is rapidly becoming a global problem not only in developed countries but also in developing countries such as Indonesia. Visceral obesity (central obesity) is an importance risk for cardiovascular disease and recognition that adipose tissue can be regarded as a large endocrine organ that secreted inflammatory and anti inflammatory molecules (adiponectin). This study aims to know the correlation between central obesity and adiponectin in geriatric coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. This study was cross sectional analytic study of geriatric CHD at out and in patients in Sanglah hospital. Data are presented as group mean ± SD and analyzed by t-test, chi-square, and Pearson correlation with SPSS 12 software. Forty five patients (35 males and 10 females), 23 patient unstable angina pectoris, 14 patient acute myocardial infarction, and 8 patient stable angina pectoris were recruited and examined. There was high prevalence of central obesity 51.1% (23 patients). Mean of log adiponectin were significantly difference between central obese and non central obese (1.80 ± 0.61 vs 1.09 ± 0.41 with p). Central obesity increased risk of hypoadiponectinemia 5 times than non central obesity (p=0.011, CI 95% 1.4-17.8). Waist circumference has negative correlation with log plasma adiponectin (R=-0.663, p<0.001). There was high prevalence of central obesity in geriatric coronary heart disease patients. Central obesity increased risk of hypoadiponectinemia 5 times than non central obesity. Waist circumference has negative correlation with plasma adiponectin. Increased of waist circumference will decrease of adiponectin (cardioprotective protein) and will increase risk of acute coronary syndrome in geriatric patients.


Globalization challenges firms to become more streamlined and efficient while simultaneously extending the geographic reach of their operations (Hak-Min, 1999). Technology is an increasingly important element of globalization and of competitiveness. Kenya Revenue Authority has spent time and resources setting up systems, procedures and the adoption of new strategies aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency of the Authority's processes, including those of the Customs Services Department. In international trade Customs plays a critical role in providing expedited clearing processes (KAM, 2007). Efficient and effective clearance procedures are important to the development and growth of the global marketplace and electronic commerce. The objectives of this study were:i. To establish the challenges brought about by globalization. ii. To determine how Kenya Revenue Authority is applying technology, i.e. the Simba System to address the challenges of globalization. The case study was conducted on Kenya Revenue Authority's Customs Services Department. To facilitate the study, a structured questionnaire having open-ended questions, was used. The researcher personally administered the questionnaire to the interviewees. This study found out that globalization has positively impacted Customs at the Kenya Revenue Authority, by resulting in technological advancement and automation of Customs operations, including clearance processes.


This dissertation offers an analysis of two American religions—the Church of Christ, Scientist (CS), and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)—and the ways that their particular/peculiar ideologies regarding the body govern the everyday realities of their respective memberships. Biopower is the political power used to control bodies and bodily actions, such as the care of oneself, and the details of personal family life. Belief can act as an especially powerful agent of biopolitical power as it inspires a lived faithfulness through its various theologies. What is more, the effects of biopolitical belief are often complicated by the mixed interests of Church and State, leaving the territory of the individual body a disputed claim. To better understand these disputes, this project utilizes a Foucaultian interpretation of the CS and LDS churches to better understand the roots of the biopolitical conflicts they confront. Specifically, the histories and contemporary practices of these religious organizations are analyzed through a genealogical method, using Foucaultian interpretations of the biopolitical, pastoral, and psychiatric powers they use to effectively govern the minds, bodies, and spirits of their people. A historical background of the CS and LDS churches traces the emergence of the biopolitical practices of each group by evaluating their groundedness in their current social-political milieus, and by making connections between their respective religious beliefs, practices, and government and the broader Jacksonian American political culture into which they were born. Additionally, this particular form of analysis poses important questions for the study of religion and politics today. Although most of the examples used in this study are historical, both the LDS and CS churches continue to hold on to many if not all of the theologies and doctrines which historically brought them into conflict with the US government. What has changed is not the belief itself, but the embodiment of it, and also the state and federal government reaction to it. Therefore, the theological histories and founding stories of these religions remain relevant to their contemporary status as extrastatal biopolitical forces within the US today.


Nephrotic syndrome is considered as a multi-factorial clinical condition characterized by increased glomerular permeability with massive consequent proteinuria. There is a variable tendency towards developing edema, hypoalbuminemia and hyperlipidaemia. The present study was conducted to evaluate the role of MIF G173C and TNF-α G308Agenes gene polymorphism in the nephrotic syndrome. We have investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms of MIF G173C and TNF-α G308Agenes in71 subjects. Forty-six were nephrotic patients while others were apparently healthy individuals used as a controls, then the serum level of TNF-α and IL-13 was detected by ELISA technique. The frequencies of MIF C-173C (13.04 vs 4.00%) genotypes and C allele (29.35vs 22.00%)were higher in nephrotic patients than control group while TNF-α A308A(21.74vs 0)genotypes and A allele(38.88vs10%) were significantly higher in patient than control groups and associated with higher mean serum concentration of TNF-α(668.33+27.60) versus (45.64+2.38) and IL-13(36.70+0.55) versus (2.72+0.22),in nephrotic patients than apparently healthy subjects. AA genotype with TNF- α -G308A allele polymorphism and CC genotype with MIF 173C allele are mainly expressed among nephrotic syndrome patients and susceptibility with disease might be prospected.


Abstract Herbivores may increase or decrease aboveground plant productivity depending on factors such as herbivore density and habitat productivity. The grazing optimization hypothesis predicts a peak in plant production at intermediate herbivore densities, but has rarely been tested experimentally in an alpine field setting. In an experimental design with three densities of sheep (high, low, and no sheep), we harvested aboveground plant biomass in alpine grasslands prior to treatment and after five years of grazing. Biomass of vascular plants decreased at high sheep density, and marginally increased at low sheep density. The ungrazed treatment was found to be intermediate. Companion studies conducted at the same site suggest, (1) that changes in soil N-mineralization and plant community patterns are contributing to the herbivore-induced effects on plant productivity in alpine grasslands, (2) that herbivore-driven changes in plant productivity feed into the future performance for the herbivore as the marginal increase in productivity at low density corresponds with a temporal increase in lamb growth. Our study provides experimental evidence for a nonlinear effect of increased grazing on plant productivity as predicted by the grazing optimization hypothesis. This has important repercussions for ecosystem function and management, as it demonstrates how herbivore density can either increase or decrease ecosystem productivity over time.


The present review discusses the phylogenomic diversity of root nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated to wild legumes under North African soils. The genus Ensifer is a dominant rhizobium lineage nodulating the majority of the wild legumes, followed by the genus Rhizobium and Mesorhizobium. In addition, to the known rhizobial genera, two new Microvirga and Phyllobacterium genera were described as real nodulating and nitrogen-fixing microsymbiotes from Lupinus spp. The promising rhizobia related to nitrogen fixation efficiency in association with some legumes are shared. Phylogenetic studies are contributing greatly to our knowledge of relationships on both sides of the plant-bacteria nodulation symbiosis. Multiple origins of nodulation (perhaps even within the legume family) appear likely. However, all nodulating flowering plants are more closely related than previously suspected, suggesting that the predisposition to nodulate might have arisen only once. The origins of nodulation, and the extent to which developmental programs are conserved in nodules, remain unclear, but an improved understanding of the relationships between nodulin genes is providing some clues.


Variation in the distribution of protein molecular weight in wheat ( Triticum aestivum ), influences breadmaking quality of wheat cultivars, resulting in either poor or good bread. The objective of this study was to predict breadmaking quality of wheat cultivars using size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography. Seeds from twenty F 1 and F 2 progeny, and their parents were used. A procedure was followed involving extraction by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS), followed by sonication to remove remaining proteins. A computer software Chromsword developed by Shimadzu Corporation was used to estimate different protein classes, after which data were generated from chromatogram. The highest Glutenin/Gliadin (GG) ratio in SDS-soluble and insoluble protein fractions in F 1 progeny, were obtained from Wanda x Sceptre and Nata x SST 124 cultivars, respectively. In F 2 progeny, the cultivar with the highest G/G ratio in SDS soluble protein fractions was Kariega x SST124. Cultivars with high G/G ratios in SDS-insoluble protein fraction were Sceptre x Nata and Kariega x Sceptre. The ratios of high molecular weight/low molecular weight glutenin sub-units (HMW/LMW-GS) in both SDS-soluble and insoluble protein fractions were comparable in F 1 progeny with little variation among cultivars. In F 2 progeny, Kariega x SST 124 led in high HMW-GS/LMW-GS ratio. The highest ratio of polymeric/monomeric protein in both F 1 and F 2 progeny was obtained from Nata x Sceptre in both generations. Therefore, most wheat cultivars revealed high breadmaking quality. Key Words: Protein fractions, Triticum aestivum


Conti's arias are the first example of music for two barytons, thus prompting the question: who played the baryton at Court?

Berti has long been identified as a barytonist. Hofkapelle evidence reveals he was in Vienna from 1721 to 1740 where he is reported to have received an annual salary of 540 florins to play the baryton. It is likely that he played the baryton at court earlier. But who was the second? Further court records reveal the existence of a reference in 1693 to Leopold Pickhl von Pickelfeld who was also paid as a barytonist.

Conti's music makes increasing technical demands on barytonists. In 'Adornato' the lower manual functions as an echo to the upper manual whilst in 'Dei Colli Nostri' there is a more sophisticated use, providing a simultaneous bass line to the figurative upper manual. This more sophisticated use raises the question of why was staff notation was adopted. A series of coincidences, which link the tradition of baryton playing at the Vienna Hofkapelle, help to explain this. Gottfried Finger composed ensemble works in staff notation for the baryton around 1600. He was probably also a barytonist. He was godparent to the daughter of an Innsbruck Court musician alongside Ariosti, worked alongside G.B. Draghi promoting a series of concerts in London including the concert given by August Kuhnell on the baryton and was responsible for supplying James Talbot with details of the baryton for his inventory.

The increasingly independent character of Conti's baryton parts foreshadows that of the solo baryton works of Schlagl, and provide a possible missing link between the entabulated repertory and the non-Esterhazy baryton works.

Despite the links between the Vienna Hofkapelle and the Esterhazys, the classical style of baryton playing which developed from a plucked third manual, sparingly used, and represents its decline.


Since 2001, we have witnessed the development of a counterterrorism war paradigm built to advance claims about the post-9/11 scope and discretion of US executive power and to articulate specific interpretations of national security interests and strategic objectives in the "war on terror." What makes this a paradigm rather than merely a conglomeration of evolving policies is the cohesiveness and mutual reinforcement of its underlying rationales about the rights of the US government to prosecute a territorially unbounded war against an evolving cast of enemies. Drawing on Bourdieu's concept of a juridical field, the article focuses on how officials who constructed a legal framework for this paradigm, rather than disregarding international law wholesale, have engaged in interpretations and crafted rationales to evade some international humanitarian law (IHL) rules and norms while rejecting the underlying logic or applicability of others. This article traces the counterterrorism war paradigm's development and explains how it now competes with and threatens to supersede the customary law principles enshrined in IHL.


The COVID-19 pandemic led to an infodemic where an overwhelming amount of COVID-19 related content was being disseminated at high velocity through social media. This made it challenging for citizens to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information about COVID-19. This motivated us to carry out a comparative study of the characteristics of COVID-19 misinformation versus those of accurate COVID-19 information through a large-scale computational analysis of over 242 million tweets. The study makes comparisons alongside four key aspects: 1) the distribution of topics, 2) the live status of tweets, 3) language analysis and 4) the spreading power over time. An added contribution of this study is the creation of a COVID-19 misinformation classification dataset. Finally, we demonstrate that this new dataset helps improve misinformation classification by more than 9% based on average F1 measure.


Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was previously considered a uniform disease characterized by autonomous over-expression of bcl-2. Recently the pathogenic role of bcl-2 has been questioned and attention has turned to prognostic subtypes of CLL differing in CD38 and ZAP-70 expression. However, the relationship between bcl-2 and CD38 or ZAP-70 expression remains uncertain and was investigated using flow cytometric immunophenotyping of 50 CLL specimens. CLL cells were consistently bcl-2 positive but varied in expression level: mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) 45-152. Although there was no significant difference in bcl-2 expression between CD38 or ZAP-70 positive and negative specimens, an inverse correlation was identified between percentage of CD38 positive B-cells and bcl-2 MFI when all (p<0.03, r2=0.10) and peripheral blood (p<0.004, r2=0.27) samples were analyzed. While bcl-2 levels do not appear to be a major discriminator between indolent and more aggressive subtypes of CLL, CD38 and bcl-2 expression appear to be interrelated.


This article will examine the controversial home mortgage interest deduction (MID) detailed in 26 U.S. Code § 163 and investigate the new benefits and detriments available to future homeowners by the modifications made in the 2017 Tax Reform passed by Congress. Specifically, the article will focus on whether or not the original MID truly benefited low- to moderate-income families and contributed to the rise of homeownership as it is lauded to have done, or whether the nation's tax dollars were simply returning to the hands of the upper-class due to their higher value mortgages. Furthermore, this article will analyze how the new clauses attached to the MID may affect not only homeownership rates, but which household income-levels benefit most.


Abstract In this article, the author reflects on how somatic values, which are interrelated to yet distinct from somatic principles, direct her pedagogical approach to and the content of an eight-week module for postsecondary dance major students in the United States titled Applied Personal Movement Practices I. The prioritization of somatic values (the beliefs and ethos that permit somatic exploration) creates a communal framework for individual exploration and meaning-making. This module provides opportunities for students to investigate, define and or describe, and practice their emergent personal movement practices. The author suggests that the explicit integration of somatic values provides an emancipatory opportunity for students to recognize and embody their unique movement voices; foregrounding somatic values in all aspects of the class causes students to take ownership of what they do as dancers, even if what they do lies outside of or between arbitrary yet recognized genre boundaries in postsecondary dance education. In this way, the careful construction of coursework around somatic values leads to transgressive experiences for students.


In this paper, we motivate how the Hodge dual related with S-duality gives the hidden symmetry in the moduli space of IIB string. Utilizing the static κsymmetric Killing gauge, if we take the Hodge dual of the vierbeins keeping the connection invariant, the duality of Maure-Cartan equations and the equations of motion becomes manifest. Thus by twistly transforming the vierbein, we can express the BPR currents as the Lax connections by a unique spectral parameter. Then we construct the generators of the infinitesimal dressing symmetry, the related symmetric algebra becomes the affine gl(2, 2|4)(1) , which can be used to find the classical r matrix.


This paper attempts to thoroughly explore the teacher-student interaction in the context of m-learning. To this end, the service capacity parameters and influencing factors of m-learning platform were introduced, and a game income matrix of the teacher-student interaction was created to yield the Nash equilibrium solution. It is found that the service capacity of m-learning platform is negatively correlated with the probability of teacher supervision, the supervision cost is negatively correlated with the probability of students' active cooperation, and the penalty amount imposed on the teacher is positively correlated with the probability of students' active cooperation. The research findings fill up the research gap on the teacher-student interaction in m-learning.


Stratagems adopted by democratic leaders to try to insinuate, or anchor, a preferred course of action into the larger collective will have a variety of repercussions. Beyond the apparent success of the venture itself, the long-term integrity of the democratic fabric may be at stake if simmering rancour and discontent is left unheeded. These questions would seem particularly pertinent when studying the national side of the evolution of the European Union. The periodic shunting of competencies to European institutions is highly complex, so much so that popular legitimacy for the momentous changes is in effect something of an ephemeral commodity. The referendum, with its unique potential to determine the prevailing vox populi, has from time to time been employed to offset these problems, and lend continued credence to the relinquishment of sovereign power. The political entities that will be the powerhouses in this contest for the hearts and minds of the public are, inevitably, national political parties. They, too, are likely to pay whatever political price will be exacted as a consequence of this unusual form of battle – including the exposition and potential widening of internal rifts. Noticing a dearth of investigative tools that can help us unravel these processes, the author develops a structured framework of analysis specifically designed to "parse" strategic or tactical action, with the aim to gauge likely party-democratic fallout. She makes a first-level distinction between "convincing" strategies (basically conceptualised as compatible with deli¬berative-democratic tenets), and "persuading" strategies (closely associated with a subset of negotiation theory principles focusing on strategic action). While both strategies may lead to the desired short-term outcome – where leadership preferences are duly propagated – a convince/persuade analysis is shown to yield improved understanding of the concomitant, longer-term effects. The author studies the Swedish Social Democratic Party's internal handling of the debates leading up to two pivotal referenda – the EU membership referendum of 1994, and the EMU referendum of 2003. Reviewing a wealth of secondary sources and conducting more than 40 interviews with high-level party officials and other centrally positioned actors (representing both sides of the two issue divides), she is provided with a unique material, which is parsed through the framework (which at this point also proves to be a sound analytical instrument). The study is primarily qualitative in nature, but an entire chapter is devoted to a complementing quantitative analysis where an existing Discourse Quality Index (DQI) is used to determine the level of deliberation prevalent in four party congresses (two preceding the EU referendum; two preceding the EMU referendum). One "convince" sub-dimension, respect, proved to be the one most easily affected by external events, not to mention deadline imposed by the referendum. The qualitative analysis revealed a generally higher level of justification (another "convince" sub-dimension) in the EMU case than in the EU case, and the reverse was true for the respect dimension. In both instances, the party leadership acted to pacify [persuade] the debate, notably by prohibiting government ministers from being active in the respective no-campaigns. A preliminary hypothesis that "deliberative space" shrinks as the final deadline looms was in part corroborated, as turned out to be valid for the respect dimension. (Less)


In this work, a novel technique using closed-form expressions is rigorously surveyed to collaboratively nullsteer uniformly distributed, planar ring, and volumetric shell distributions. To assess the radiation behavior of these geometries circular tapers is of interest for their attractiveness in derivation, design, application, and mathematical simplicity. A rigorous mathematical derivation is used for the generation of closed-form expressions of the mean-valued radiation characteristics. The numerical simulations are performed using both ANSYS HFSS and MATLAB using a finite-element distribution. To validate the analytical models, we include the measured results of a uniformly distributed ring array topology, constrained to a set of 18 elements and a uniformly distributed shell array topology constrained to 16 elements. The results of all methods are compared to demonstrate exceptional agreement in the recommended theoretical analysis. This process follows differently from traditional phased array nulling methods, which apply the unique amplitude tapers along individual phased array elements. Unlike typical adaptive beamforming algorithms, this process does not require the estimation of second-order statistical metrics and avoids expansions of large polynomial equations. It uses shared aperture characteristics in order to generate null beams simultaneously. This can also be extended to widen null widths from the compounding of these shared aperture distributions, which is shown in simulation.


This is an analysis of the Supreme Court's recent decision in Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club Pac v. Bennet, 131 S. Ct. 2806 (2011), which struck down the Arizona program for providing government "triggered" matching funds in political campaigns. Under that scheme, a publicly funded candidate, whose campaign is almost wholly funded by government already, is given additional government funds for his campaign whenever a privately financed candidate (or independent groups supporting that candidate as well) raises or spends any money to campaign against the publicly funded opponent. The Supreme Court ruled that such government supported counter-speech deters and burdens the speech of the privately funded candidate, as well as of independent groups and individuals, without a sufficiently compelling First Amendment justification. The article analyzes the decision, sets it in the larger context of the whole question of public funding of political campaigns and then projects the impact the decision is likely to have in the future judicial and legislative engagements with public funding of political campaigns.


Abstract Inhalation of radon gas Rn, which is a decay product of Ra, and its decay products accounts for typically about half of the effective doses received by public from all natural sources of ionizing radiation. Radon alpha particles can initiate a series of molecular and cellular events that culminates in the development of lung and other cancers. Also, Ra in the environment is widely distributed, being present in various concentrations in waters, soils and rocks. When radium is ingested, the majority of material is rapidly excreted. However, since radium is chemically similar to calcium, a significant fraction is absorbed into the bloodstream and deposited mainly in the skeleton. So, presence of these radioactive contaminants in water is dangerous and many studies especially about radon have been done in this area. For these reasons and becauses some areas of Ramsar, a city in northern Iran in mazandaran province, have been among the highest known background radiation levels in the world we measured radon and radium concentrations in water sources of Ramsar region. In this study, Radon and radium concentrations of the 22 streams and 20 drinking water samples were measured by PRASSI system. According to the data, the arithmetic mean of radon concentration for all samples was 3.030 ± 1.122 Bq/l. Similarly, arithmetic mean of radium for all samples was 0.185 ± 0.055 Bq/l. Also 1 sample of streams and 1 sample of drinking water showed radon concentration higher than 10Bq/l as normal level. Radium-226 alone, in 11 samples of streams and 8 samples of drinking water had concentrations higher than 0.185Bq/l as normal level for the combined Radium-226 and Radium-228.


The purpose of this study is to confirm the determinants of financial performance on the condition of financial distress companies through the Altman Model (Z-score) approach. The sample in this study is a manufacturing industry sub-sector company which is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2013 to 2017. The analysis technique of this study uses logistic regression analysis, and the findings prove that the Current Ratio and Debt to Equity Ratio cannot predict the condition of Financial Distress. Whereas Return On Assets can predict Financial Distress in manufacturing companies. The implications of this finding can contribute to companies in maintaining financialperformance stability so as to avoid financial distress.


Maintaining stability during perturbed locomotion requires coordinated responses across multiple levels of organization (e.g., legs, joints, muscle-tendon units). However, current approaches to investigating such responses lack a "common currency" that is both shared across scales and can be directly related to perturbation demands. We used mechanical energetics to investigate the demands imposed on a leg by a transient increase in unilateral treadmill belt speed targeted to either early or late stance. We collected full body kinematics and kinetics from 7 healthy participants during 222 total perturbations. From across-subject means, we found early stance perturbations elicited no change in net work exchanged between the perturbed leg and the treadmill but net positive work at the overall leg level, and late stance perturbations elicited positive work at the leg/treadmill interface but no change in net work at the overall leg level. Across all perturbations, changes in ankle and knee work from steady state best reflected changes in overall leg work on the perturbed and contralateral sides, respectively. Broadening this paradigm to include joint level (vs. leg level) perturbations and including muscle-tendon unit mechanical energetics may reveal neuromechanical responses used in destabilizing environments which could inform design of balance-assisting devices and interventions. Subject Areas biomechanics, biomedical engineering, bioengineering


Clinical terms represent one of the key issues in the area of teaching Latin medical terminology. Since no internationally valid nomenclature of the clinical terms exists, teachers of medical Latin have to rely mainly on primary and secondary literature of the preclinical and clinical subjects, as well as the biomedical dictionaries and the very limited and difficult access to authentic medical records (due to to the content comprising patients' and physicians' sensitive personal data). The Masaryk University Language Centre in Brno has developed innovative approaches to teaching Latin medical terminology. The main emphasis is put on providing students with the knowledge of basic relevant Latin lexico-grammatical features via using authentic materials. In cooperation with several teaching hospitals in Prague and Brno, a unique database of authentic clinical data has been created, containing anonymous diagnoses written by selected (particularly surgical) clinics during the last two or three years. The use of corpus linguistics tools offers many possibilities for medical Latin teachers, one of them being the possibility to work efficiently with this database. It was the Sketch Engine, co-developed by the Natural Language Processing Centre at Masaryk University' s Faculty of Informatics, which has been chosen as the most suitable corpus linguistics tool for this goal. With the help of this software, we are capable of analyzing and searching the corpus of Latin clinical diagnoses, currently being developed at the Language Centre. The workshop participants will be introduced to various ways of using the corpus for looking up the frequencies of terms, common collocations or occurrences of prepositional cases in clinical diagnoses. They will also learn how to apply these corpus-based linguistic analyses for developing novel teaching and testing materials.


A simple, rapid, and efficient flame synthesis method was developed to fabricate LiNi0.95−xCoxTi0.05O2 (x = 0.25 and 0.30) cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. The ignition of metal nitrate precursors with a reddish flame was completed within 15–20 s. The complete procedure to obtain the LiNi0.95−xCoxTi0.05O2 precursor powder took 30–55 min, which is the simplest as well as the most rapid and efficient method among the synthesis methods reported thus far to obtain an analogous Ni-rich, LiNi0.70Co0.30O2 cathode material. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of a single phase of LiNi0.95−xCoxTi0.05O2 (x = 0.25 and 0.30) calcined at 800 °C for 12 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy revealed the ultrafine nature of the particles. SEM showed grains with smooth surfaces and size in the range of 200 nm–0.4 μm, and TEM displayed the particles with a size range of 90 nm–0.2 μm. The fabricated materials showed discharge specific capacities of 159 mA h g−1 and 137 mA h g−1 at a 0.1C rate for the initial cycle at room temperature for LiNi0.95−xCoxTi0.05O2 with x = 0.25 and 0.30, respectively. These results suggest that LiNi0.95−xCoxTi0.05O2 synthesized via this facile route shows promising electrochemical activity. Consequently, the flame synthesis technique can be very attractive for the facile fabrication of structurally similar lithiated nickel–cobalt oxides for use as a cathode material for Li-ion batteries that are suitable for mass production.


European political integration has largely been described as a process that is driven by elites rather than citizens. This does not apply to the field of European social policy, which is often influenced by individual actors and their particular interests. This specific involvement of individuals is based on politically created roles, such as European Consumer, European Worker and European Citizen, and the rights related to them. EU citizens now adopt these roles and actively refer to entitlements that emerge for them from EU Law, especially when asserting their rights in court. As an unintended effect we can indeed observe a transfer of competences from the national to the European level in the field of social policy – even against the expressed will of national governments. The evolution of European social policy can therefore only be explained by including the individual citizen in the analysis.


Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world and prone to both natural and man-made disasters. More than three-quarters of the population live in rural areas and depend on agriculture. Women are particularly vulnerable, lacking access to and control over land and other resources, and facing harmful social norms. Oxfam has worked in Ethiopia for many years, including on interventions to support smallholder production and marketing and to promote women's economic empowerment. One of these was the Coffee Value Chain project, in Oromia regional state, and the subject of this report. The report examines quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the project, and its findings underline the importance of understanding the wider context in which gender and care relations are both reproduced and negotiated.


The article analyses the sociocultural context and factors of the initial shaping and further evolution of the image of a German as perceived by Russian army soldiers during World War I (1914 – February 1917). The article reveals the specific role and characteristics of the official propaganda used to create the image of the German enemy and its reflection within a soldier's perception. The author examines verbal and nonverbal symbolic representations of the image of a German in a soldier's consciousness and the correlation between the image of a German, the enemy from outside and the "inner German". The author's interpretation of published and unpublished sources both of official and personal nature (materials from the police department, statistics, folklore, memoires, letters, diaries, periodicals) is underpinned by the conceptual techniques of imagology and sociocultural history. The author reveals the key characteristics and the evolutionary development of the image of the German enemy in popular perceptions of Russian army soldiers between 1914–1917. K e y w o r d s: patriotic propaganda, Russian army, soldiers, Germany, lubok1, German, "inner German", enemy image, enemy image evolution.


Introduction. Use of the Internet for open Web searches is common among university students in academic learning tasks. The tools used by students to find relevant information for online assessment tasks were investigated and their information seeking behaviour was documented to explore the impact on assessment design. Method. A mixed methods approach was followed, using recorded observations of online sessions and retrospective interviews. Ten students who recently started university undertook two online assessment tasks where all online interactions were digitally recorded, followed by retrospective interviews to gain insight into their behaviour. Analysis. The observations were analysed together with the interview responses to develop categories and themes of information tools usage, with a particular focus on assessment design in higher education. Results. Most participants preferred to seek information using basic tools and approaches, and did not maximise the capacity of information tools to improve quality and synthesis of discovered information. These novice readers showed a need for instruction in speed reading and information tool usage to improve their learning. Conclusions. Findings suggest that improvement in assessment design and subsequent student learning may be achieved by providing guidance to university students in information tools usage during the design of learning tasks.


Modern day vicarious liability cases often address the liability of enterprises and institutions whose agents have committed intentional acts. Increasingly, when employers are sued, the line is blurred between the principal's vicarious liability for its agent's acts and its own direct liability for hiring and/or failing to supervise or control its agent.

From an economic deterrence perspective, the imposition of vicarious liability induces employers to adopt cost-justified preventative measures, including selective hiring and more stringent supervision and discipline, and, in some instances, to truncate the scope of their business activities. Negligence-based direct liability likewise induces employers to adopt cost-justified preventative measures (without constraining activity levels to the degree that strict liability does). This raises questions. Why doesn't direct employer negligence liability suffice, in terms of deterring employees' intentional torts? Or conversely, so long as there is vicarious liability, is there any need for direct negligence liability at all?

In this Article, I argue that, as a form of strict liability, vicarious liability will have an edge over direct employer negligence liability to the extent that there is a significant risk of under-detection of the failures of an employer's preventative measures. Traces of this under-detection rationale for vicarious liability can be found in the academic literature and court decisions, but it warrants further elaboration. The risk of under-detection provides a strong justification for the expansion of the scope of institutional or employer vicarious liability.

The under-detection rationale, moreover, has the potential to serve as a coherent framework for some modern doctrinal debates, including whether punitive damages should be imposed either vicariously or directly upon employers when their employees commit intentional torts. Specifically, I argue that the under-detection rationale correspondingly strengthens the case for punitive damages in direct negligence cases and weakens the case for punitive damages imposed in vicarious liability cases. Focusing on under-detection, vicarious liability acts as a quasi-substitute for punitive damages. And seen through this lens, Restatement (Second) of Torts § 909, Punitive Damages Against a Principal—typically defended as a "complicity rule" limiting the imposition of vicarious punitive liability on fairness grounds—is justified on economic deterrence grounds by allowing punitive damages coupled with direct negligence liability but limiting its operation in the vicarious liability sphere.


Summary Background A four-amino acid deletion was identified within the α2C-adrenergic receptor (α2CDel322-325) that, when homozygous, increases the risk of heart failure in African-Americans nearly six-fold. We hypothesised that homozygosity for the α2CDel322-325 polymorphism may be a risk factor for heart failure due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in black South Africans. Methods The α2CDel322-325 polymorphism was genotyped in 37 patients with heart failure and 34 controls, all of black African ancestry. Genotyping was performed by a size-fractionation assay. Results The patients studied ranged in age from 21 to 79 years with a mean age of 50 years, and 62% were male. No significant difference was observed in homozygosity for the α2CDel322-325 polymorphism or in allele and genotype frequencies between patients and controls. The frequency of the allele containing the deletion was 0.54 in cases and 0.53 in controls. The genotype frequencies in the patients were consistent with those of the controls (p = 0.56). Conclusions Homozygosity for the α2CDel322-325 polymorphism is not associated with an increased risk for heart failure due to idiopathic DCM in black South Africans.


To the Editor: The interesting account of perianal streptococcal dermatitis (Pediatr Dermatol 1990;7:97-100) fails to mention the possibility of perianal lichen sclerosus as an underlying factor. This condition frequently goes unrecognized, and constipation, which is a common complication, tends to be blamed on other factors (1,2). I have had under my care for several years such a child who was subjected to enemas before the lesions were recognized and controlled by topical treatment. Even after good control was achieved she subsequently had three attacks of perianal infection by beta-hemolytic streptococci, such as are described by Krol. Streptococcal vulvitis can certainly occasionally occur "out of the blue" (in adults and children), however, without any apparent underlying skin lesion.


How a scientific discovery of a gong culture that is still practiced to this day from the Manobo of Cotabato, Philippines was translated to mainstream society was the purpose of this study. This study utilized a translation continuum framework: 1) knowledge discovery; 2) process; 3) dissemination and 4) adoption. Fieldwork was done in the village of Manobo in Magpet Cotabato, Philippines. In the light of the findings on the gong culture, it can be concluded that the Manobo has contributed their music system, belief system and socio-cultural values to cultural education. Through cultural exchange, dialogues and interactions among researchers, musicians and users, it became part of an international music materials coproduction program of UNESCO, part of a theatre production, and part of the curriculum of the Department of Education and was taught in informal, formal and alternative learning systems. Dissemination of the gong culture was through performances, symposia, workshops and publications. The goal of adoption is long range and may take time, but the modest contribution of the gong culture is a way forward to multi-cultural understanding. Keywords - Gong Culture, Cultural Education, Alternative learning system, Translational work, multi-cultural understanding


AIMS
In arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) typically displays a left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphology while a right bundle branch block (RBBB) morphology is rare. The present study assesses the VT morphology in ACM patients with sustained VT and their clinical and genetic characteristics.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Twenty-six centres from 11 European countries provided information on 954 ACM patients who had ≥1 episode of sustained VT spontaneously documented during patients' clinical course. Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy was defined according to the 2010 Task Force Criteria, and VT morphology according to the QRS pattern in V1. Overall, 882 (92.5%) patients displayed LBBB-VT alone and 72 (7.5%) RBBB-VT [alone in 42 (4.4%) or in combination with LBBB-VT in 30 (3.1%)]. Male sex prevalence was 79.3%, 88.1%, and 56.7% in the LBBB-VT, RBBB-VT, and LBBB + RBBB-VT groups, respectively (P = 0.007). First RBBB-VT occurred 5 years after the first LBBB-VT (46.5 ± 14.4 vs 41.1 ± 15.8 years, P = 0.011). An implanted cardioverter-defibrillator was more frequently implanted in the RBBB-VT (92.9%) and the LBBB + RBBB-VT groups (90%) than in the LBBB-VT group (68.1%) (P < 0.001). Mutations in PKP2 predominated in the LBBB-VT (65.2%) and the LBBB + RBBB-VT (41.7%) groups while DSP mutations predominated in the RBBB-VT group (45.5%). By multivariable analysis, female sex was associated with LBBB + RBBB-VT (P = 0.011) while DSP mutations were associated with RBBB-VT (P < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 103 (51-185) months, death occurred in 106 (11.1%) patients with no intergroup difference (P = 0.176).

CONCLUSION
RBBB-VT accounts for a significant proportion of sustained VTs in ACM. Sex and type of pathogenic mutations were associated with VT type, female sex with LBBB + RBBB-VT, and DSP mutation with RBBB-VT.


The Ewald, Particle Mesh Ewald (PME), and Fast Fourier–Poisson (FFP) methods are developed for systems composed of spherical multipole moment expansions. A unified set of equations is derived that takes advantage of a spherical tensor gradient operator formalism in both real space and reciprocal space to allow extension to arbitrary multipole order. The implementation of these methods into a novel linear-scaling modified "divide-and-conquer" (mDC) quantum mechanical force field is discussed. The evaluation times and relative force errors are compared between the three methods, as a function of multipole expansion order. Timings and errors are also compared within the context of the quantum mechanical force field, which encounters primary errors related to the quality of reproducing electrostatic forces for a given density matrix and secondary errors resulting from the propagation of the approximate electrostatics into the self-consistent field procedure, which yields a converged, variational, but nonetheless approximate density matrix. Condensed-phase simulations of an mDC water model are performed with the multipolar PME method and compared to an electrostatic cutoff method, which is shown to artificially increase the density of water and heat of vaporization relative to full electrostatic treatment.


Average human exposure resulting from consumption of methyl bromide (MB)-fumigated food has been estimated to be 0.00125 mg/kg/day. A 1-yr feeding study in beagle dogs was conducted as a safety study, in which the high-dose diet was intended to yield a methyl bromide dose of at least 100 times the calculated human dietary exposure. Diets were fumigated with MB and fed to the dogs daily, except for weekends and holidays. MB consumption each feeding day was calculated as a time weighted average (TWA) that accounted for the rate of degassing from the fumigated diet and the rate of feed consumption during the feeding period. TWA compound consumption in the low-, mid- and high-dose groups, respectively, averaged 0.06 +/- 0.02, 0.13 +/- 0.03 and 0.28 +/- 0.08 mg/kg/day in males and 0.07 +/- 0.03, 0.12 +/- 0.03 and 0.27 +/- 0.09 mg/kg/day in females. Clinical observations, body weight and feed consumption, ophthalmology, clinical pathology, urinalysis, organ weights and macroscopic and microscopic pathology were comparable in control and MB-treated dogs. Under the conditions of this study, the no-observed-effect level (NOEL) for MB was at least 0.28 mg/kg/day, or approximately 200 times the expected average human dietary exposure.


This study aims to contribute to the literature on democratization and economic liberalization in hybrid regimes, i.e. systems where democratic contestation is flawed. More specifically, it aims to see whether and how political liberalization can lead to economic liberalization in hybrid regimes. To address this question, a game-theoretic model is developed which identifies the actors and parameters that are crucial to the success of economic liberalization, demonstrates different scenarios of the interaction between these actors, specifies possible outcomes and conditions under which they are possible. The results suggest factors that facilitate economic liberalization after political liberalization, most importantly the consensus among different political parties about the need for market reforms and the presence of a parliamentary majority. Importantly, the possibility of repression can increase the likelihood of economic liberalization. Thus, in hybrid regimes economic liberalization may require curbing political liberalization. The model is illustrated by the cases of Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, three post-communist hybrid regimes where political space was liberalized as a result of mass protests which, despite the attempts of incumbents to prolong their rule through electoral fraud, brought highly popular candidates to power.


aAQUA is an online multilingual, multimedia agricultural portal for disseminating information from and to the grassroots of the Indian agricultural community. aAQUA simultaneously addresses two major challenges in farmer outreach programs - geographic reach and customized delivery. It answers farmers queries based on the location, season, crop and other information provided by farmers. aAQUA makes use of novel database systems and information retrieval techniques like intelligent caching, offline access with intermittent synchronization, semantic-based search, etc. Agricultural content repositories (digital library), Agri-price information (Bhav Puchiye), farmer schemes and various operations support databases (aAQUA-QoS) have also emerged from the experience of aAQUA deployments. aAQUA's large scale deployment provides avenues for researchers to contribute in the areas of knowledge management, cross-lingual information retrieval, and providing accessible content for rural populations. Apart from agriculture, aAQUA can be configured and customized for expert advice over mobile networks and the Internet in education, Healthcare and other domains of interest to a developing population. This paper will showcase the utility of various component databases built into aAQUA to enhance the QoS delivered to rural populations


Understanding the evolution of asymmetric access to reproduction requires reliable tools to measure individual reproductive share. In social insects, reproductive skew is usually evaluated by measuring the degree of ovarian development. However, this approach has been recently shown to reliably estimate only the physiological investment in reproduction, while it is rather inconsistent regarding the individual egg laying rate. Here, I assess the reliability of other physiological traits, the presence and size of yellow bodies, i.e. the remains of nurse cells deposited at the base of the ovarioles whenever an egg is laid. Their usefulness in indicating previous egg laying activity has been recognized since decades, but a formal assessment of their reliability has never been performed. By combining behavioural observations and physiological measurements in the social wasp Polistes dominula I determined whether yellow bodies presence and size reliably track previous reproductive activity. Despite the presence of yellow bodies is associated with egg laying, the classification of individuals to egg layer/non egg layer categories is not completely reliable, inducing in a relevant rate of false positive and false negatives. Moreover, size of yellow bodies is poorly correlated with egg laying and does not allow to properly infer the relative reproductive activity. Overall, yellow bodies do not precisely track small differences in egg laying and their use is thus recommended only when moderate to big differences are expected. Prudence is especially suggested in primitively eusocial species, where the short reproductive period and the distributed totipotency may result in small differences in individual reproduction.


Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) can be oxidized via two mechanisms: a conventional hydrogen-peroxide-dependent pathway, and one that is hydrogen-peroxide-independent and requires oxygen. It has been shown here for the first time that only plant peroxidases are able to catalyse the reaction of IAA oxidation with molecular oxygen. Cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP), fungal peroxidases (manganese-dependent peroxidase, lignin peroxidase and Arthromyces ramosus peroxidase) and microperoxidase were essentially inactive towards IAA in the absence of added H2O2. An analysis of amino acid sequences allowed five structurally similar fragments to be identified in auxin-binding proteins and plant peroxidases. The corresponding fragments in CcP and fungal peroxidases showed no similarity with auxin-binding proteins. Five structurally similar fragments form a subdomain including the catalytic centre and two residues highly conserved among 'classical' plant peroxidases only, namely His-40 and Trp-117. The subdomain identified above with the two residues might be responsible for the oxidation of the physiological substrate of classical plant peroxidases, IAA.


Placer concentrations of rolled chunks of heavy, Silvery-White, metallic mineral occur along a rivulet (N25°40.013'; E75°20.851') 15 km east of Jahazpur town of eastern Rajasthan. The float-ore occurs in the Precambrian phyllite that is profusely traversed by vein quartz, its physical, optical, XRD, EPMA data show that the mineral is native antimony (averaging 97.12%Sb) having -2% As; minor grains of PbTe are also recognized. Prospecting by the Department of Mines and Geology, Rajasthan has not yet resulted in the discovery of the mother lode. This report describes the mineralogy of the Float-Ore that has scientific value and is a new occurrence in India.


Sarcoidosis is a multisystem noncaseating granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology that can be found in almost any organ, but symptomatic respiratory muscle involvement is rare. We herein report the case of a 77-year-old woman with diaphragm sarcoidosis diagnosed by a computed tomography (CT)-guided needle biopsy that was successfully treated with a corticosteroid. The patient presented with dyspnea that lasted for two weeks and respiratory failure. CT revealed diffuse diaphragm thickening with contrast enhancement, which might be a characteristic imaging finding for diaphragm myopathy/myositis, including sarcoidosis. A CT-guided needle biopsy proved useful for the diagnosis of diaphragm sarcoidosis.


The canines of six giant otters Pteronura brasiliensis (5 males and 1 female) from the zoological collection of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) were analyzed for age estimation. Of these, two were from known-age individuals of 2 and 5 years. Ages were read counting the Growth Layer Groups (GLGs) observed in thin sections (30μm) of decalcified teeth. GLGs were present in the dentine but were not conspicuous; age estimates were only reliable when counted in the cementum. Periodicity of GLGs and age estimates were calibrated with the known-age individuals. Results revealed an annual deposition pattern of GLGs in the cementum of giant otter canines, and no apparent differences were found in the GLG patterns observed between males and females, or between captive and free-ranging individuals. The youngest and oldest giant otters analyzed were 2 and 20 years old, respectively. These results suggest that the longevity of captive giant otters is around 20 years. The age determination technique applied here proved to be useful for age estimation in giant otters and can contribute as a powerful tool for future studies on the population dynamics of P. brasiliensis , which is currently classified as endangered.


A B S T R A C T Introduction: anxiety can hamper wound healing and tissue repair, and spending inordinate mental and physical energy during prolonged stress can cause hospitalization and delayed discharge. One method for reducing anxiety is the use of medicinal plants; herein, we aimed to compare the effects of valerian extract and diazepam on anxiety before orthopedic surgery. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 60 patients aged 15-60 years, who were referred to Imam Ali Hospital of Bojnord, Iran, were recruited and randomly divided into two groups of 30. At 21 pm before surgery, the valerian group received 10 drops of valerian edible oil and the diazepam group received diazepam (5 mg) dissolved in 50 ml of tap water. The Spielberger questionnaire was used to assess anxiety before the intervention and one hour before initiation of surgery. Data was analyzed using statistical tests. Results: In the valerian group, 83.8% were male and 16.7% were female, while the diazepam group included 23.3% males and 76.7% females. The mean scores of overt and covert anxiety in the valerian and diazepam groups were 10.1±1.0, 12.4±1.3, 9.3±1.1, and 10.7±.03, respectively. Comparison of the two groups showed no significant differences (P=0.60, P=0.22, respectively). Conclusion: Valerian could attenuate anxiety and can be used as a substitute for pharmacological medications; however, performing further studies is required to confirm these results.


Cancer is a heterogeneous and complex disease. Traditional cancer therapy is associated with low therapeutic index, acquired resistance, and various adverse effects. With the increasing understanding of cancer biology and technology advancements, more strategies have been exploited to optimize the therapeutic outcomes. The rapid development and application of nanomedicine have motivated this progress. Combinational regimen, for instance, has become an indispensable approach for effective cancer treatment, including the combination of chemotherapeutic agents, chemo-energy, chemo-gene, chemo-small molecules, and chemo-immunology. Additionally, smart nanoplatforms that respond to external stimuli (such as light, temperature, ultrasound, and magnetic field), and/or to internal stimuli (such as changes in pH, enzymes, hypoxia, and redox) have been extensively investigated to improve precision therapy. Smart nanoplatforms for combinational therapy have demonstrated the potential to be the next generation cancer treatment regimen. This review aims to highlight the recent advances in smart combinational therapy.


Education is traditionally structured as a closed system, privileging result-driven methods that offer control and predictability. In recent decades this reductionist approach has been effectively challenged by interdisciplinary work in complex systems theory, revealing myriad levels of orderly disorder that make either-or, linear instruction an inadequate norm. Narrowing the broad implications of a complexity lens on education, this paper focuses on generative uncertainty in teaching-learning, a paradoxical state of epistemological and creative growth described by English poet John Keats as "the negative capability of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts." Opportunities to advance this potentiating capacity are especially abundant in constructivist curricula, for example the Methods of Inquiry (MoI) program discussed herein. MoI's open, complexitybased approach foregrounds uncertainty-tolerance and other interactive dispositions, providing a fluid structure for the emergent, often turbulent nature of meaning production. Such dynamic attitudes and strategies are seen as essential for any classroom practice that seeks to transform as well as inform, to guide and also empower.


The effects of acidity and aluminum (Al) on nodulation, nitrogen (N) fixation, and bean shoot and root growth were studied in solution and sand culture in greenhouse experiments to help explain the frequent failure of N₂-dependent bean in acid soils. Aluminum concentrations were maintained in solution by keeping low levels of phosphorus (P) at pH 4.5. Concentrations of Al up to 83 µM did not affect root dry weight, nodule growth, and nitrogenase activity of either bean cultivar tested. Low levels of Al (19 µM) increased taproot elongation but decreased total root length; at higher Al concentrations, the taproot also became stunted. Increasing CaCl₂ from 0.2 to 2 mM in solution suppressed Al toxicity. Shoot growth was significantly decreased by 19 µM Al in P. vulgaris cv. Carioca but not in cv. Venezuela 350. Root colonization and/or infection by Rhizobium was reduced by Al concentrations >33 µM but was less sensitive than total root elongation or shoot growth. Solution culture pH in the range 4.5 to 5.5 did not affect nodule growth and nitrogenase activity, but a decrease in pH from 5.5 to 5.0 decreased number of nodules formed per plant from 60 to 10, indicating that pH can be a major limiting factor of early nodulation with the cultivars and Rhizobium strains tested.


In recent decades, Vietnam has embarked on several ambitious projects, including restoration of coastal mangroves and the expansion of national forest cover through large-scale tree planting efforts. Much of the work is being carried out by individual households, who now likely control a majority of planted productive forest land. Yet despite the strong role for smallholders, questions have been raised about the social benefits of their participation, and insufficient attention has been paid to whether these programs are truly aimed at restoration or more narrowly at plantation development only. This paper assesses several of Vietnam's recent tree-planting projects against the Society for Ecological Restoration's standards, particularly around social benefits, and concludes that Vietnam is failing on most measures, ranging from stakeholder engagement to natural capital benefits. Overall, smallholders mostly view the tree planting projects in terms of financial benefits from short rotation cycles for pulp and woodchip mills, which offer low value, few social benefits, and little ecological restoration potential. The paper argues that Vietnam would benefit from more engaged restoration activities that pay attention to social benefits for smallholders, ensuring more long-term sustainability for both people and forests.


This study aims at assessing the influence of mineral fertilization and biofertilizer from liquid swine manure (LSM) in productivity, levels of crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) of Urochloa decumbens. The experiment was carried out in a red Latosol under a Urochloa decumbens pasture, in a state of degradation with loss of vigor and forage productivity. The delineation chosen for this study was randomized blocks with six treatments (control without fertilization, control with use of mineral fertilizer and four unique concentrations of liquid swine manure biofertilizer (61 m3 ha-1, 121 m3 ha-1, 181 m3 ha-1, 241 m3 ha-1)). The application of residue has been split in two times on the surface of the soil, by means of a distributor of liquid waste with a fan-shaped application. Yield and bromatological features were evaluated for two years. Fertilization with LSM can fully replace mineral fertilizing in Urochloa decumbens pasture systems, resulting in an increase, as a result, in the dry mass yield from the dosage of 121 m3 ha-1 and the reduction in fiber content in neutral and acid detergent. The increments in yield were observed in the second year, while improvement in bromatological quality was observed from the first application of LSM.


EDITOR, -In discussing a possible role for medical angiologists C P Warlow suggests that such a specialty may be needed in the management of peripheral vascular disease.' The provision of services for patients with peripheral vascular disease seems to be following the trends seen in the United States and much of Europe, with vascular surgery emerging as a separate specialty distinct from general surgery. Despite their small number (less than half the suggested number of angiologists) British vascular surgeons have a commendable record of organising randomised trials, have taken a lead in surgical audit, and have fostered close links with their radiological colleagues. This is not to deny the problems inherent in the provision of services for patients with peripheral vascular disease. Acute limb ischaemia and ruptured aneurysms generate a large volume of specalised emergency surgery,2 and many districts lack adequate facilities for dealing with these.' There is mounting evidence that treatment of these conditions by non-specialists may result in unnecessary loss of life4 and limb.5 In this context it seems illogical to further subdivide the management of peripheral vascular disease between "surgeons" and "physicians." The natural solution is to increase the number of specialists able to offer the full range of investigations and treatments for such diseases. Vascular surgeons have taken a lead in providing facilities for non-invasive diagnosis through vascular laboratories. The Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recently recommended the introduction of training in percutaneous procedures for trainees in vascular surgery and its members help to assess pharmacological and percutaneous techniques as well as traditional surgical methods. A sizable expansion in the number of,vascular surgeons would allow these areas to be developed further while improving the availability 9f emergency vascular services subregionally and would thus provide the best value for both patients and purchasers.