Impartiality has long been a core norm of United Nations peacekeeping. However, since 2000 the dominant conception of impartiality has changed, leading to more coercive forms of peacekeeping. Claims to impartial authority are no longer based exclusively on terms to which all parties consent. Instead, they are premised on a more ambitious and expansive set of norms related to human rights, around which consensus is presumed but not always affirmed. This dissertation critically examines the change in both the conception and practice of impartiality, which, it argues, is an integral part of the emergence of a more assertive liberal internationalism. In doing so, it challenges dominant constructivist approaches within IR that conceive of norms as linear and static. It advances a framework for a multi-level analysis of impartiality as a "composite" and "contested" norm. Through this framework it elucidates the macro-level politics surrounding the norm's institutionalisation at the UN, as well as the micro-level politics surrounding its implementation in the specific case of the UN mission in Congo (MONUC). The analysis of the processes of both institutionalisation and implementation reveals an absence of consensus over the norm itself, and over the purposes of and actions involved in contemporary peacekeeping. This contestation, together with varying expectations and incentives created by the norm amongst local actors, frequently results in unintended consequences, which are contrary to the norm's original intent. And yet, despite these consequences, the very nature of assertive impartiality makes it difficult for those who claim such authority to change course. Given that the legitimacy of peacekeeping derives both from whether it is seen to reflect and promote shared values, as from the degree to which it is actually effective, this difficulty raises troubling questions for peacekeeping itself and for the UN, the institution to which it has become so symbolically linked. This dissertation argues that, ultimately, the UN's role may be to reflect, rather than to resolve, the differences of normative interpretation among its member states. It concludes that a more practical and prudent conception of impartiality – one which recognises that impartiality is necessarily and inextricably political – will be necessary if scholars and practitioners alike are to navigate the normative tensions inherent to a more assertive liberal international order.


Abstract Carbon-based electrode materials have been widely used for many years for electrochemical charge storage, energy generation, and catalysis. We have developed an electrode material with high specific capacitance by entrapping graphite nanoparticles into a sol-gel network. Films from the resulting colloidal suspensions were highly porous due to the removal of the entrapped organic solvents from sol-gel matrix giving rise to high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas (654 m(2)/g) and a high capacitance density ( approximately 37 F/g). An exponential increase of capacitance was observed with decreasing scan rates in cyclic voltammetry studies on these films suggesting the presence of pores ranging from micro (< 2 nm) to mesopores. BET surface analysis and scanning electron microscope images of these films also confirmed the presence of the micropores as well as mesopores. A steep drop in the double layer capacitance with polar electrolytes was observed when the films were rendered hydrophilic upon exposure to a mild oxygen plasma. We propose a model whereby the microporous hydrophobic sol-gel matrix perturbs the hydration of ions which moves ions closer to the graphite nanoparticles and consequently increase the capacitance of the film.


In this paper, we review the parallel and distributed optimization algorithms based on alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) for solving "big data" optimization problem in smart grid communication networks. We first introduce the canonical formulation of the large-scale optimization problem. Next, we describe the general form of ADMM and then focus on several direct extensions and sophisticated modifications of ADMM from 2-block to N-block settings to deal with the optimization problem. The iterative schemes and convergence properties of each extension/modification are given, and the implementation on large-scale computing facilities is also illustrated. Finally, we numerate several applications in power system for distributed robust state estimation, network energy management and security constrained optimal power flow problem.


Over the last decades there has been an increasing interest in the use of natural enemies to control pest insects, including spiders. We studied a spider community in Argentina by sampling every two weeks during 2004-2006 in one-hectare lots. Soil stratum spiders were collected using nets and pitfall traps. A total of 6229 specimens were collected (15 families and 50 species). Seven families were found in the herbal stratum, the most abundant were Thomisidae (n=2012, 32.30%), Araneidae (n=1516, 24.33%) and Oxyopidae (n=604, 9.70%). The soil had 14 families, mainly: Lycosidae (n=629, 10.10%) and Linyphiidae (n=427, 6.85%). Hunting spiders predominated: ambushers (32.99%); stalkers (11.77%) and ground-runners (10.84%) were less common. The most abundant web building spiders were the orb weavers (27.56%). The diversity indexes were: H'=2.97, Dsp=0.11 and J=0.79, evidencing a moderately diverse spider community with predominance of Misumenops pallidus, Oxyopes salticus, Lycosa poliostoma and L. erythrognatha. The spiders were present throughout the phenological development of the crop with abundance peaks in spring and summer.


Shared racial and cultural experiences and the collective memory of those experiences play important roles in determining the responses of African Americans to issues of crime and violence. By examining American history through the prism of African American experience, this volume provides a framework for understanding contemporary issues regarding crime and justice, including the much-discussed gap between how blacks and whites perceive the fairness of the criminal justice system. Following a thesis offered by W.E.B. Du Bois with regard to African American responses to oppression, the authors argue that responses by African Americans to issues of crime and justice have taken three main forms--resistance, accommodation, and self-determination. These responses are related to efforts by African Americans to carve out social and psychological space for themselves and to find their place in America.


It is now difficult to believe that a biological function for the left-handed Z-DNA and Z-RNA conformations was once controversial. The papers in this Special Issue, "Z-DNA and Z-RNA: from Physical Structure to Biological Function", are based on presentations at the ABZ2021 meeting that was held virtually on 19 May 2021 and provide evidence for several biological functions of these structures. The first of its kind, this international conference gathered over 200 scientists from many disciplines to specifically address progress in research involving Z-DNA and Z-RNA. These high-energy left-handed conformers of B-DNA and A-RNA are associated with biological functions and disease outcomes, as evidenced from both mouse and human genetic studies. These alternative structures, referred to as "flipons", form under physiological conditions, regulate type I interferon responses and induce necroptosis during viral infection. They can also stimulate genetic instability, resulting in adaptive evolution and diseases such as cancer. The meeting featured cutting-edge science that was, for the most part, unpublished. We plan for the ABZ meeting to reconvene in 2022.


BOTOX for Headache Treatment "BOTOX" is short for "botulinum toxin," a protein produced by a bacterium (clostridium botulinum) that in high doses can cause diffuse muscular paralysis, inability to breathe, and death. Injected into specific muscles in tiny doses, however, BOTOX has been demonstrated to be effective in treating various types of involuntary muscle contraction safely and effectively. BOTOX also is used for cosmetic purposes, relaxing facial muscles and so smoothing out facial wrinkles. While evaluating BOTOX administered for disorders involving muscle contraction, investigators discovered that the pain experienced by patients with those disorders tended to improve even before any meaningful reduction in muscle contraction occurred. In addition, patients with migraine who were receiving BOTOX for cosmetic purposes in many instances reported a significant improvement in their headaches following the injections. These observations subsequently led to a series of clinical research studies designed to assess the value of BOTOX therapy for headache prevention, and to make a long story short, the results from these studies have been mixed; BOTOX does not appear to be effective in treating tension type headache or patients with relatively infrequent migraine attacks. Regardless, a substantial number of headache experts continue to feel that BOTOX may be of value in treating chronic migraine. Generally, they recommend that its use be restricted to patients who fail to respond to conventional preventative therapy or experience intolerable side effects from such therapy. Because BOTOX is not FDA-approved for migraine treatment, many insurance carriers categorize its use in that setting as experimental and will not provide reimbursement. There is currently a multicenter national trial (PREEMPT) in progress examining the safety and effectiveness of BOTOX administered for the treatment of chronic migraine ("chronic" implying the patient is experiencing at least 15 days of headache per month). In that study, as many as 195 units of BOTOX are injected into 40 or more sites located over the forehead, temples, back of the head, neck, and shoulders. The entire procedure requires only 5 to 10 minutes, and most patients find it to be mildly uncomfortable at worst. When BOTOX is administered for migraine therapy, side effects are rare. The most common side effects are bruising or swelling at the injection sites or transient headache of mild intensity that resolves within 24 to 48 hours. On rare occasions patients have developed flu-like symptoms that typically resolve within a day to two. Many centers have reported transient eyelid droop as a side effect. BOTOX will cause paralysis of the muscles into which it is injected, and patients may note associated smoothing of forehead wrinkles and some difficulty in voluntarily lifting the eyebrows; when present, these effects tend to vanish within 3 to 4 months. In patients whose headaches appear to diminish following BOTOX injections, the clinical improvement may not be apparent for 1 to 2 weeks following


The aim of this study is to compare the expression of autophagy related proteins in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) with that of autophagy related proteins in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and to determinate its implication. Tissue microarray containing 114 ILC and 692 IDC was constructed, and immunohistochemistry was performed for autophagy related protein (beclin-1, LC3A, LC3B, p62) and Ki-67. No significant difference in expression of autophagy-related proteins between pleomorphic type (n = 12) and classic type (n = 102) of ILC was observed, whereas ILC and IDC showed distinguished features that tumoral beclin-1, stromal LC3A, tumoral LC3B, tumoral p62 were highly expressed in IDC and tumoral BNIP3 was highly expressed in ILC (P < 0.001). Beclin-1 expression was correlated with ER negativity (P = 0.016) and TNBC type (P = 0.024). BNIP3 expression was correlated with ER positivity (p = 0.040). Using multivariate Cox analysis, shorter overall survival was associated with tumoral beclin-1 positivity (hazard ratio: 21.19, 95% CI: 1.098-409.1, P = 0.043). In conclusion, ILC and IDC showed different expression pattern of autophagy-related proteins in tumor and stroma that demonstrated by higher expression of tumoral beclin-1, stromal LC3A, tumoral LC3B, tumoral p62 in IDC, and higher expression of tumoral BNIP3 in ILC.


In today's world of vast information availability users often confront large unorganized amounts of data with limited tools for managing them. Motion imagery datasets have become increasingly popular means for exposing and disseminating information. Commonly, moving objects are of primary interest in modeling such datasets. Users may require different levels of detail mainly for visualization and further processing purposes according to the application at hand.
In this thesis we exploit the geometric attributes of objects for dataset summarization by using a series of image processing and neural network tools. In order to form data summaries we select representative time instances through the segmentation of an object's spatio-temporal trajectory lines. High movement variation instances are selected through a new hybrid self-organizing map (SOM) technique to describe a single spatio-temporal trajectory. Multiple objects move in diverse yet classifiable patterns. In order to group corresponding trajectories we utilize an abstraction mechanism that investigates a vague moving relevance between the data in space and time. Thus, we introduce the spatio-temporal neighborhood unit as a variable generalization surface. By altering the unit's dimensions, scaled generalization is accomplished.
Common complications in tracking applications that include occlusion, noise, information gaps and unconnected segments of data sequences are addressed through the hybrid-SOM analysis. Nevertheless, entangled data sequences where no information on which data entry belongs to each corresponding trajectory are frequently evident. A multidimensional classification technique that combines geometric and backpropagation neural network implementation is used to distinguish between trajectory data.
Further more, modeling and summarization of two-dimensional phenomena evolving in time brings forward the novel concept of spatio-temporal helixes as compact event representations. The phenomena models are comprised of SOM movement nodes (spines) and cardinality shape-change descriptors (prongs).
While we focus on the analysis of MI datasets, the framework can be generalized to function with other types of spatio-temporal datasets. Multiple scale generalization is allowed in a dynamic significance-based scale rather than a constant one. The constructed summaries are not just a visualization product but they support further processing for metadata creation, indexing, and querying. Experimentation, comparisons and error estimations for each technique support the analyses discussed.


The study focuses on the applicability of system identification to identify building and system dynamics for climate control design. The main problem regarding the simulation of the dynamic response of a building using building simulation software is that (1) the simulation of a large complex building is time consuming, and (2) simulation results often lack information regarding fast dynamic behaviour (in the order of seconds), since most software uses a discrete time step, usually fixed to one hour. The first objective is to study the applicability of system identification to reduce computing time for the simulation of large complex buildings. The second objective is to research the applicability of system identification to identify building dynamics based on discrete time data (one hour) for climate control design. The study illustrates that system identification is applicable for the identification of building dynamics with a frequency that is smaller as the maximum sample frequency as used for identification. The research shows that system identification offers good perspectives for the modelling of heat, air and moisture processes in a building. The main advantages of system identification models compared to the modelling of building dynamics using building simulation software are, that (1) the computing time is reduced significantly, and (2) system identification models run in a MATLAB environment, in which many building simulation tools have been developed


With the consideration of compressibility flow and the redefined load flow and load pressure, the mathematical model of long-stroke valve-controlled asymmetrical cylinder system is presented. The equivalent volume functions, the functions of equivalent volume functions of cylinder's two chambers are introduced, which reflects the influence of piston's positions in its long stroke on the dynamic performance of valve-controlled cylinder. Simulation results show that there exists obvious differences between forward and backward directions of long-stroke valve-controlled asymmetrical cylinder system, and its dynamic performance varies along the whole stroke, where the middle-stroke position may not always be the so-called most dangerous position.


— Combining human and robot into a particular structure put forward extraordinary opportunities for generating a new generation of knowledge. The idea of producing a mechanism that can strictly collaborate with humans. This advance spot presents innovative challenges for engineers and designers. On the contrary, to industrial robotics meant for which mechanical stiffness and rigidity, accuracy and high velocities are most important requirements the solution feature. Here is a movement freedom that matches to that of the human people, avoidance of risk to users and a lightweight mechanism. In order to achieve these requirements the robot should have a human like appearance, same workspace, dexterity and the kinematics should be common to the user. This article presents a new design of a robotic arm wrist for the next development of humanoid robots, and it is a part of an on-going project that involves a 7-DOF robotic arm powered by electrical actuators and has a new hybrid structure. The aim of this research is to achieve a human like wrist that has the same number of degree of freedom and improves the workspace. The new mechanism of the wrist is discussed in details in the article.


Attraction and retention of talented resources are crucial to the success of the organizations. The purpose of this study is to develop a real and ideal employer scale. For real employers we mean organizations that are currently working in the market while the ideal ones are hypothetical employers which reflect the candidate's choice. More specifically, this study aims at assessing the core dimensions and the attractiveness factors referring to both real and ideal employers. A sample of one thousand six hundred and five Italian students and new graduates was collected. A principal component analysis was carried out in order to identify the core dimensions of the real and ideal employer for each construct. Results are discussed with reference to international scientific literature on employer branding.


The aim of this paper is to present a real-time interaction system for ancient artifacts digitally restored in a virtual environment. Using commercial hardware and open source software, Augmented Reality versions of archaeological artifacts are experienced on mobile devices both in a real outdoor site as well as an indoor museum. The case study for this project is represented by two artifacts of Syracuse, Italy, a statue and an altar, dated back to Hellenistic time. Virtual replicas of the two artifacts were produced applying different techniques. Later the two projects became part of the same research plan aimed to virtually rebuild the most significant artistic and architectural features of Hellenistic Syracuse. Besides the simple production of 3D models, via laserscanning and 3D modelling, a digital process of visual improvement of the statue was preliminary carried out based on photographic documentation of some archetypes. The commercial framework for mobile devices, ARToolworks, has been used for developing Augmented Reality applications. Using a pattern that is recognized by the device, the virtual model is shown as it is in the real world. The novelty of this work is that graduate students in virtual archaeology and non computer programmers such as museum staff, could benefit of this work and implement such a system.


Precarious work in the United States is defined by economic and temporal dimensions. A large literature documents the extent of low wages and limited fringe benefits, but research has only recently examined the prevalence and consequences of unstable and unpredictable work schedules. Yet practices such as on-call shifts, last minute cancellations, and insufficient work hours are common in the retail and food-service sectors. Little research has examined racial/ethnic inequality in this temporal dimension of job quality, yet precarious scheduling practices may be a significant, if mostly hidden, site for racial/ethnic inequality, because scheduling practices differ significantly between firms and because front-line managers have substantial discretion in scheduling. We draw on innovative matched employer-employee data from The Shift Project to estimate racial/ethnic gaps in these temporal dimensions of job quality and to examine the contribution of firm-level sorting and intra-organizational dynamics to these gaps. We find significant racial/ethnic gaps in exposure to precarious scheduling that disadvantage non-white workers. We provide novel evidence that both firm segregation and racial discordance between workers and managers play significant roles in explaining racial/ethnic gaps in job quality. Notably, we find that racial/ethnic gaps are larger for women than for men.


This prospective observational study examined the severity, type and frequency of potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) in prescriptions dispensed in the hospital pharmacies of M.S. Ramaiah Memorial Hospital and M.S. Ramaiah Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka. A total of 500 prescriptions were collected over a period of 5 months. PDDIs were identified and analysed using Micromedex database. The frequency of PDDIs was 71.8%, with at least one interacting combination with major (14.20%), moderate (72.70%) and minor (13.09%) interactions. Out of the total PDDIs identified, 60% were pharmacodynamic interactions, 38% were pharmacokinetic interactions and 2% had interaction of unknown mechanism. The largest number of active drugs prescribed with major PDDIs were related to the cardiovascular system (32.63%), central nervous system (22.28%), gastrointestinal tract and drug metabolism (13.37%).The results of the present study showed a high frequency of PDDIs in prescriptions received at hospital pharmacies.


Discordance in estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status between primary breast cancers and solid distant metastases ("conversion") has been reported previously. Even though metastatic spread to the peritoneal and pleural cavities occurs frequently and is associated with high mortality, the rate of receptor conversion and the prognostic implications thereof remain elusive. We therefore determined receptor conversion in 91 effusion metastases (78 pleural, 13 peritoneal effusions) of 69 patients by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization. Data were coupled to clinical variables and treatment history. ERα, PR and AR receptor status converted from positive in the primary tumor to negative in the effusion metastases or vice versa in 25-30%, 30-35% and 46-51% of cases for the 1% and 10% thresholds for positivity, respectively. 19-25% of patients converted clinically relevant from "ERα+ or PR+" to ERα-/PR- and 3-4% from ERα-/PR- to "ERα+ or PR+". For HER2, conversion was observed in 6% of cases. Importantly, receptor conversion for ERα (p = 0.058) and AR (p < 0.001) was more often seen in patients adjuvantly treated with endocrine therapy. Analogous to this observation, HER2-loss was more frequent in patients adjuvantly treated with trastuzumab (p < 0.001). Alike solid distant metastases, receptor conversion for ERα, PR, AR and HER2 is a frequent phenomenon in peritoneal and pleural effusion metastases. Adjuvant endocrine and trastuzumab therapy imposes an evolutionary selection pressure on the tumor, leading to receptor loss in effusion metastases. Determination of receptor status in malignant effusion specimens will facilitate endocrine treatment decision-making at this lethal state of the disease, and is hence recommended whenever possible.


T cells of an unique phenotype (CD3+CD4-CD8- alpha beta TCR+) develop in vitro from the hematopoietic progenitors, the majority of which carry homologous alpha beta TCR (V alpha 4J alpha 28/V beta 2D beta 1.1J beta 2.6). In the present study, antigen corresponding to the particular alpha beta TCR was investigated, taking advantage of the fact that growth of T cell hybridomas was arrested by their TCR stimulation. Results indicated that both syngeneic and allogeneic thymocytes, particularly from newborn mice, could specifically inhibit the proliferation of a T cell hybridoma with the V alpha 4/V beta 2 TCR (15H1.2). Proliferation of neither TCR-missing hybridoma subclones nor those with unrelated alpha beta TCRs was affected at all. It was also found that embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells without classical MHC antigens could specifically inhibit the proliferation of 15H1.2 cells. We then raised a mAb, 14.37, against an EC line, OTF9, that could interfere with the ability of them to inhibit the growth of 15H1.2. Pretreatment of 15H1.2 cells with anti-V beta 2 and OTF9 cells with 14.37 mAb respectively completely abrogated the growth inhibition of 15H1.2 by OTF9. The 14.37 antigen was a 120 kDa heterodimer glycoprotein consisting of 85 and 36 kDa proteins. In normal lymphoid tissues, the expression of 14.37 antigen exhibited an apparently inverse relationship with that of class I MHC antigens. Thus, ontogenically it was strongly expressed in fetal and newborn mice, rather rapidly declined thereafter, and remained at very low levels in adult organs. In a given stage, the distribution of 14.37 antigen and class I MHC was rather exclusive to each other.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Personal Information Management (PIM) is the management of information (e.g. files, emails, and bookmarks) by an individual in support of his/her roles and tasks. Although PIM is practiced daily by millions of people, a research community has never been established. This SIG aims to provide an opportunity for researchers, students and designers who share an interest in the field to meet and discuss key issues. We hope the SIG will lay the foundation for an ongoing PIM research community.


The idea for this special issue of Alphaville originated at the i-Docs 2018 Symposium, held in March 2018 in Bristol, UK, where we jointly convened a discussion on the potential engagement of the interactive documentary (i-doc) form with Mikhail Bakthin's expanded concept of polyphony. As part of this, we presented a series of provocations with a view to generating a new theoretical framework for i-docs.1 These provocations were inspired by all aspects of Bakthin's polyphony, from both a theoretical and a practical point of view.


White Paper. I imagine that one of the reasons why I suffered neglect was that most of your present-day correspondents were still in the karyokinetic stages of their medico-political development. I am glad to think they have now passed the early stages of dentition, for some of them can bite ! But, Sir, why ask for more than the fundamental requirements enumerated in the White Paper above quoted ?-I am, etc.,


The increasing demand for improving fuel efficiency of marine transportation has presented opportunities for the development of the power management system (PMS). Different from the terrestrial power system, a shipboard power system contains a large proportion of propulsion loads, which has the characteristics of high dynamics, periodicity, uncertainty, and high dependence on the marine environment. The propulsion load fluctuation induced by sea waves, in-and-out-of water effects, and changeable consumers requirements, may lead to a low power quality and fuel efficiency and it brings challenges in the development of the marine PMS. In addition, the fluctuated load profiles could also be volatile and unpredictable, which makes long-term load forecasting unrealizable and real-time load forecasting essential. To address these issues, a real-time two-layer PMS is proposed for hybrid-powered ship in this article, that can maintain a high fuel efficiency and a healthy state-of-charge (SOC) level over the voyage even in extreme sea conditions. To adapt well to the fluctuated and changeable load condition, a novel multistep load forecasting system is integrated to make accurate load forecasting in a very very short-term time scale (centisecond). Multiple cases studies are conducted under different cases of voyage time, sailing speed, wave conditions, and submergence ratios. The results show that the proposed PMS can significantly reduce the power tracking delays, improve the fuel efficiency, and maintain a healthy SOC level.


doxorubicin is one of the most important chemo‐ therapeutic drugs for the treatment of malignant tumors, but the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin severely limits its clinical appli‐ cation. Increasing numbers of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) have been found to be dysregulated in doxorubicin‐treated cardiomyocytes or animal hearts. The current study aimed to investigate the role of miR‐133b in doxorubicin‐induced cardiomyocyte injury. doxorubicin was used to treat HL‐1 cardiomyocytes to mimic cardiomyocyte injury in vitro. A mouse model of cardiac injury was generated by chronic intraperitoneal injections of doxorubicin. Masson's trichrome staining was performed on cardiac tissues to reveal cardiac fibrosis. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays were applied to explore the downstream targets of miR‐133b. Flow cytometry and western blotting were conducted to detect cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Protein expression levels of collagen I, III and IV, and fibronectin were detected to reveal extracellular matrix deposition. The results revealed that doxorubicin decreased miR‐133b expression in the treated HL‐1 cardiomyocytes and mouse hearts. Overexpression of miR‐133b restrained cardiomyocyte apoptosis, inhibited collagen accumulation and alleviated cardiac fibrosis in vivo. Mechanistically, polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) and transgelin 2 (TAGLN2) were confirmed to bind to miR‐133b after prediction and screening. Moreover, miR‐133b negatively regulated the protein expression levels of PTBP1 and TAGLN2. Finally, overexpression of PTBP1 or TAGLN2 reversed the effects of miR‐133b on apoptosis and collagen accumulation. Thus, the current results indicated that miR‐133b alleviated doxorubicin‐induced cardiomyo‐ cyte apoptosis and cardiac fibrosis by targeting PTBP1 and TAGLN2, implying that miR‐133b may be a potential biomarker for doxorubicin‐induced cardiac injury.


The microscopic nonlinear Langevin equation theory of activated glassy dynamics is applied to dense fluids of spherical particles that interact via a finite range Hertzian contact soft repulsion. The activation barrier and mean alpha relaxation time are predicted to be rich functions of volume fraction and particle stiffness, exhibiting a non-monotonic variation with concentration at high volume fractions. The latter is due to a structural "soft jamming" crossover where the real space local cage order weakens when soft particles significantly overlap. The highly variable dependences of the relaxation time on temperature and volume fraction are reasonably well collapsed onto two distinct master curves that are qualitatively consistent with a recent scaling ansatz and computer simulation study. A kinetic vitrification diagram is constructed and compared to its dynamic crossover analog. Intersection of the dynamic crossover and soft jamming threshold boundaries occurs for particles that are sufficiently soft, implying the nonexistence of a clear activated dynamics regime or kinetic arrest transition for such particles. The isothermal dynamic fragility is predicted to vary over a wide range as a function of particle stiffness, and soft particles behave as strong glasses. Qualitative comparisons with simulations and microgel experiments reveal good agreement.


Non-Foster circuits (NFCs) are promising for numerous microwave and antenna applications because they are not limited by the gain-bandwidth product. Although NFCs can be very useful in many applications, successful realization of these circuits is difficult because they suffer from several issues, including losses, noise, and instability. As a consequence, an accurate and efficient design technique is necessary to predict and correct any undesired behavior. In this paper, we introduce a successful realization of grounded NII and floating NIC for wide-band electrically small antennas. We show the effect of the transmission lines on stability and losses. Measured results of the realized gain of two antennas showing improvement of 11.5 and 15 dB is provided. Measured time-domain data also shown to demonstrate the system is stable.


Long CTG triplet repeats which are associated with several human hereditary neuromuscular disease genes are stabilized in ColE1-derived plasmids in Escherichia coli containing mutations in the methyl-directed mismatch repair genes (mutS, mutL, or mutH). When plasmids containing (CTG)180 were grown for about 100 generations in mutS, mutL, or mutH strains, 60-85% of the plasmids contained a full-length repeat, whereas in the parent strain only about 20% of the plasmids contained the full-length repeat. The deletions occur only in the (CTG)180 insert, not in DNA flanking the repeat. While many products of the deletions are heterogeneous in length, preferential deletion products of about 140, 100, 60, and 20 repeats were observed. We propose that the E. coli mismatch repair proteins recognize three-base loops formed during replication and then generate long single-stranded gaps where stable hairpin structures may form which can be bypassed by DNA polymerase during the resynthesis of duplex DNA. Similar studies were conducted with plasmids containing CGG repeats; no stabilization of these triplets was found in the mismatch repair mutants. Since prokaryotic and human mismatch repair proteins are similar, and since several carcinoma cell lines which are defective in mismatch repair show instability of simple DNA microsatellites, these mechanistic investigations in a bacterial cell may provide insights into the molecular basis for some human genetic diseases.


The objective of this experiment was to determine whether alkaline hydrogen peroxide-treated oat hulls (termed oat fiber; OF) are nutritionally efficacious as a source of dietary fiber in meat-based dog foods. Thirty female English Pointers were assigned in a completely randomized design to isonitrogenous diets. Treatments were 1) control diet, 2) 7.5% added beet pulp (BP), and 3) 2.5, 4) 5.0, and 5) 7.5% added OF. Inclusion of 7.5% BP increased (P less than .05) DM intake and decreased (P less than .05) digestibility of DM and OM compared with the control. Dry matter intake increased (P less than .05) with increasing level of OF and digestibility of DM, OM, and total dietary fiber (TDF) decreased (P less than .05). Digestibility of DM, OM, and TDF were higher for dogs fed the 7.5% BP than for those fed the 7.5% OF treatment. Digestible energy, expressed as a percentage of GE, was greater for the control treatment than for the 7.5% BP treatment. A linear decrease in DE (percentage of GE) was noted as the concentration of OF increased, and the DE value (percentage of GE) for the 7.5% BP treatment was greater (P less than .05) than that for the 7.5% OF treatment. A linear decrease (P less than .05) was noted in ME, expressed as a percentage of GE, as the level of OF increased. Frequency of defecation and mean retention time were unaffected (P greater than .05) by treatment. Oat fiber was an effective substitute for BP in dog diets.


In September 2014, the Allard Pierson Museum, the archaeology museum of the University of Amsterdam, opened its new Roman gallery. Leading to the redevelopment, the Museum's NewMediaLab explored how interactive technologies, particularly virtual re-contextualization, could be used to aid visitor interpretation of the collections. Based on earlier studies, the Museum developed and tested an interactive prototype consisting of two parts. In the first part, visitors enter a virtual environment, exploring with gesture-based navigation. In this virtual Roman house they were challenged to locate and collect seven objects, all replicas of museum objects. In the second part, visitors could explore the original objects in a display case nearby and use a touch screen computer to uncover additional information. The study focused both on the effect of virtual contextualization, and the learnability of gesture-based navigation in the museum context. Through a series of observations and interviews with adult visitors, the Museum has examined the impact of instruction on the use of this kind of navigation. The study compared the ability for visitors to navigate the virtual space after receiving one of two forms of instruction and asked them about their instruction needs and ease of use of the installation. Furthermore, the Museum wanted to better understand how visitors see the relationship between both the virtual installation and the real objects. Through interviews and guided visits, the team examined whether the use of digital replicas and virtual environments in the museum served to support the interpretation of the physical collections. This paper will discuss the development of the installation, as well as the research outcomes, and will reflect upon potential future developments.


The current study investigated transcriptional distortion in prostate cancer cells using the vitamin D receptor (VDR) as a tool to examine how epigenetic events driven by corepressor binding and CpG methylation lead to aberrant gene expression. These relationships were investigated in the non-malignant RWPE-1 cells that were 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) responsive (RWPE-1) and malignant cell lines that were 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) partially responsive (RWPE-2) and resistant (PC-3). These studies revealed that selective attenuation and repression of VDR transcriptional responses in the cancer cell lines reflected their loss of antiproliferative sensitivity. This was evident in VDR target genes including VDR, CDKN1A (encodes p21( (waf1/cip1) )) and GADD45A; NCOR1 knockdown alleviated this malignant transrepression. ChIP assays in RWPE-1 and PC-3 cells revealed that transrepression of CDKN1A was associated with increased NCOR1 enrichment in response to 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) treatment. These findings supported the concept that retained and increased NCOR1 binding, associated with loss of H3K9ac and increased H3K9me2, may act as a beacon for the initiation and recruitment of DNA methylation. Overexpressed histone methyltransferases (KMTs) were detectable in a wide panel of prostate cancer cell lines compared with RWPE-1 and suggested that generation of H3K9me2 states would be favored. Cotreatment of cells with the KMT inhibitor, chaetocin, increased 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3)-mediated induction of CDKN1A expression supporting a role for this event to disrupt CDKN1A regulation. Parallel surveys in PC-3 cells of CpG methylation around the VDR binding regions on CDKN1A revealed altered basal and VDR-regulated DNA methylation patterns that overlapped with VDR-induced recruitment of NCOR1 and gene transrepression. Taken together, these findings suggest that sustained corepressor interactions with nuclear-resident transcription factors may inappropriately transform transient-repressive histone states into more stable and repressive DNA methylation events.


M y dissertation is an inquiry into issues of home and belonging. For many people, the struggle to create a home in a "new" country, and the oscillation between a past "there" and present "here" have become ways of existence. Displacement challenges and raises questions regarding one's roots, affiliations, loyalty and belonging. The yearning for a place such as home becomes a site of inquiry for communities of displaced people. Destined to live between languages, cultures and national affiliations, im/migrants construct their homes in the particular place of "border." Acknowledging Home(s) andBelonging(s): Border Writing is "homeward" journeying through the discursive landscapes of nation, ethnicity, diaspora, and "race." It explores how border interrupts/initiates a discourse of home. I am an im/migrant researcher. The word "migrant" connotes impermanence, detachment and instability. From this positionality I introduce a slash into the word "immigrant" to transform these connotations into a permanence of migration. As autoethnographic and conversational inquiry, I explore im/migrant experiences from the position of "I," rather than "We." However, "I" is not a position of isolated individual(istic) exclusiveness, but a position of the personal articulation through the relationships with/in community. M y research includes conversations with: theorists, colleagues from different disciplinary backgrounds, members of the "ethnic" communities to which I belong, and my daughter. I construct these conversations as borderzone arriculations where a "third space" emerges. The word dissertation stems etymologically from Greek dialegesthai, to converse, to dialogue; whereby diameans "one with another," and legesthai means "to tell, talk." M y dissertation endeavors to recognize to know again, to know anew these deep layers of border as dialogue and conversation. A s an im/migrant inquiry, my dissertation intends to create a different, mother knowing and culture of scholarship that broaden and deepen the space of academic researching/writing.


Olive represents the most widespread fruit cultivated in Algeria. Olive oil is the primary source of added fat in the Mediterranean diet with health benefits of which have been verified for millennia. Interest in phenolic compounds in olive oil has increased due to its antioxidant activity, which plays a very important role in human health. The present study is carried out to study the phenolic compounds and fatty acids profile of some olive oils from western Algeria. The quality parameters (acidity, peroxide value, K232, K270), tocopherol analysis, fatty acid composition and phenolic profile were determined by High performance chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that chemlal oil (SBA) recorded the highest level of tocopherol-α with 228.12 mg/Kg. Regarding the fatty acid composition, oleic acid was the most dominant, oil Oleaster (Bensekrane) records the highest percentage (72.80%) of oleic acid. The quantitative data on the phenolic content of the seven samples revealed that chemlal oil (SBA) had the highest level of polyphenols (328.99 mg/Kg). However, Sigoise oil (Sebra1) was characterized by the highest levels of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol (15.89 mg/kg and 22.42 mg/kg, respectively). The highest concentrations of oleuropein derivatives and ligstroside derivatives were observed in chemlal oil (SBA) and the recoreded values were 105.97 mg/Kg and 83.49 mg/Kg, respectively. Chemlal oil (SBA) was characterized by the highest amount of lignans (35.93 mg/Kg), luteolin (10.16 mg/Kg) and apigenin (5.44 mg/ Kg). Oleocanthal was found in all the tested samples and it was higher in Chemlal oil (102.43 mg/kg).


BACKGROUND
The rate of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in inpatient psychiatric settings and the nature of the presenting complaints are unknown. Because of the shame and humiliation that BDD patients suffer, we hypothesized that, unless specifically screened for at the time of admission, BDD would be underdiagnosed in psychiatric inpatients.

METHOD
101 consecutive adult patients and 21 consecutive adolescent patients presenting for psychiatric inpatient admission to a university teaching hospital participated in the study. Subjects completed the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire, a brief self-report measure that screens for BDD, and a follow-up interview was conducted using a reliable clinician-administered semistructured diagnostic instrument for DSM-IV BDD. Data concerning current diagnoses, number of hospitalizations, number of suicide attempts, and current level of functioning were also obtained.

RESULTS
Sixteen (13.1%) of the 122 subjects were diagnosed with BDD. None of the subjects with BDD had been diagnosed with BDD by their treating physician during hospitalization. All 16 subjects reported that they would not raise the issue with their physician unless specifically asked due to feelings of shame.

CONCLUSION
These preliminary results suggest that BDD, an underrecognized and often severe psychiatric disorder, may be relatively common in the psychiatric inpatient setting. It is important that clinicians specifically inquire about BDD because patients will not voluntarily raise these concerns. The comorbidity of this disorder with other psychiatric illnesses may have treatment implications.


PURPOSE
to determine response rates, survival, and toxicity of a regimen of mitomycin-C and 5-fluorouracil in patients previously treated with platinum-based combinations for ovarian cancer and related gynecologic malignancies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
retrospective chart review of all cases of persistent or recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal carcinoma treated with mitomycin-C 7 mg/m2 followed by continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil 600 mg/m2/day over 4 days.

RESULTS
26 patients were treated after a median of 2 prior platinum-based regimens, 22 with ovarian cancer, 3 with peritoneal cancer, and one with fallopian tube cancer. Only 2 patients completed 6 or more cycles. 2 patients had partial responses (8%); no complete responses were seen. 24 patients died a median of 3 months after the initiation of therapy, while 2 patients were alive 4 and 8 months after beginning therapy. All deaths were attributable to disease, not complications of treatment. 8 patients required dose modification or treatment delay for toxicity. Nine patients required a total of 11 unscheduled admissions.

CONCLUSIONS
toxicity attributable to mitomycin-C/5-fluorouracil therapy of ovarian cancer is acceptable, but responses are few. More effective alternative should be sought.


【Summary】 Long-term forest dynamic studies are vital for revealing how forests function. We conducted tree-by-tree censuses on 2 plots located in a valley of a lowland rainforest at Nanjenshan, southern Taiwan, which is located at the northern border of the Paleotropics. All free-standing trees ≥ 1 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were identified, measured, and mapped for Nanjenshan plot I in 1993, 2000, and 2008, and for Nanjenshan plot II in 1999 and 2008. In 2008, 10,581 individuals in total were recorded in the 2 plots, belonging to 106 species, 75 genera, and 41 families. The community similarity index (Motyka's index of similarity) showed that the 2 plots had 93~95% similarities to prior census. During 2000~2008, individuals in plot I increased by 10.0%, but the basal area decreased by 1.6%, and the plot was dominated by the broken mode of death (46.3%). During a similar period (1999~2008), individuals in plot II only decreased by 0.4%, the basal area increased by 2.6%, and the plot was dominated by the standing mode of death (66.7%). In addition, a higher proportion of large trees had died and more pioneer species were recruited in the same period in plot I. These results indicate that during the 2000~2008 census period, plot I might have experienced an increased frequency of disturbances, which could be caused by typhoons. In the meantime, the relatively low-elevation, small-sized plot II might have been better sheltered and less influenced by the gap-edge effect. Advanced studies of canopy gaps before and after typhoon seasons can help elucidate the disturbance mechanisms of lowland rainforests in Taiwan.


This present investigation aimed to explore the role and clinical significance of miR-132 in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Twenty osteoarthritis patients and 20 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the present study. The synovial tissues and plasma of the patients and controls were collected and RT-qPCR was performed to determine the expression level of miR-132. In addition the osteoarthritis patient-derived fibroblast-like synoviocytes were isolated, cultured, transfected with miR-132 inhibitors and the proliferation and apoptosis of the cells was determined using MTT assay as well flowcytometry. Finally, the relationship between miR-132 and sirtuin1 in osteoarthritis was evaluated. miR-132 expression was significantly increased in both synovial tissues and plasma of osteoarthritis patients and results of receiver operating characteristic curve showed that both synovial and plasma miR-132 could serve as potential diagnostic biomarker for osteoarthritis with high sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, miR-132 inhibitors significantly inhibited the proliferation and promoted apoptosis of osteoarthritis patients-derived fibroblast-like synoviocytes. Finally, the expression of miR-132 and sirtuin1 was negatively correlated in osteoarthritis and sirtuin1 was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-132. miR-132 was up-regulated in osteoarthritis and miR-132 might promote the development of osteoarthritis through regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of osteoarthritis patients-derived fibroblast-like synoviocytes via targeting sirtuin1.


Abstract This paper discusses Turkish across-the-board relativization in relation to the two relative clause formation strategies: (i) the empty operator movement analysis of Chomsky (1977), and (ii) the head raising analysis of Kayne (1994). It shows that the across-the-board relative clauses where the head noun is interpreted inside both conjuncts present evidence against the head raising analysis of Turkish relative clauses a la Kayne (1994) due to the fact that ATB relativization does not require that the gaps be in positions requiring the same case. The operator movement analysis of Chomsky (1977), on the other hand, base generates the head noun and renders it free from the case features inside the conjuncts.


Between January 1972 and December 1973 French art-historian/philosopher Hubert Damisch and American art-historian Meyer Schapiro exchanged forty-four letters. During this short period, the two scholars discussed many issues concerning the state of art history and its relationship to semiotics and psychoanalysis. A recurring topic was Freud's famous lapse of memory concerning the name of the Renaissance artist Luca Signorelli—what to make of the lapsus in art-historical terms and how to make use of it in analyzing Signorelli's cycle of frescoes at the Cathedral of Orvieto in Italy. Damisch was then beginning to work on a book devoted to the subject while Schapiro was writing a small essay on the topic.


Misuse and overdose of antibiotics in agriculture and human disease lead to a worldwide problem of resistant bacteria. In 2012, 10,000 metric tons of antibiotics in the US and 8,000 in Europe were used in animals for the food industry. Resistance can be transferred within and between bacteria species, but also spread easily over to humans by contact with contaminated food, soil or infected animals and patients. To find a successful therapy against resistant microbes is extremely difficult due to the high cost of developing next generation antibiotics and its production, but also because of bacteria ability of developing new mechanisms against these drugs. Therefore, technology based on avian antibodies IgYs can be a strong alternative for antibiotic therapy. Advantages of IgYs include: low costs, effective and non-harmful method of production. But the strongest argument is that they cannot be affected by bacterial resistance. IgYs can be used not only as a preventative or therapeutic but also as growth promoters in food production. In this review we present the reasons for antibiotic resistance in bacteria and its consequences in the field of farming and human medicine, including molecular biology mechanisms and statistics. Furthermore we introduce IgYs as a promising and potential candidate for the replacement of antibiotics in the near future.


: OBJECTIVES. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a program designed to reduce primary care treatment barriers for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Interpreters, home health visits, prevention education, cultural sensitivity trainings, and an AAPI phone line were provided to increase the utilization of primary care services at a rural community health center. METHODS. The number of primary care patients and infant immunization rates were measured from 1993& shy;1996. Emergency room visits were measured to assess the impact of primary care increases upon reducing inappropriate emergency room visits. Baseline frequencies and data from other ethnic populations were used as control measures. RESULTS. AAPI primary care patients increased by 87 percent, compared to a total population increases of less than 8 percent. Timely immunization rates for infants rose from 36 percent to 93 percent. Emergency room visits declined by 20 percent. CONCLUSIONS. Treatment barriers for primary care may be reduced for AAPIs if appropriate cultural considerations are addressed. Support for a link between primary care interventions and reduced emergency room utilization is suggested.


This descriptive study aimed to find out how long nurses stay at a hospital institution and the relationship with expenses in terms of hours/salary regarding admission, resignation and hiring of a new nurse. We analyzed the resignation records of 109 nurses (2000-2002) from a hospital in the eastern region of Sao Paulo, provided by the Human Resource Department in 2003, as well as the amounts spent on hours/salary of the personnel involved in the selection process, admission, training and resignation. The study showed that the nurses stayed for a short period (average of 20 months and median 18). 30.53% of the nurses left the hospital in less than one year. R$ 881.43 was spent on hours/salary for admission and resignation. This short time of permanence doubled the cost for hiring a new professional.


The primary aim of the work presented in this thesis was to design and synthesise well-characterised material that would exploit visible light to promote photocatalysis, involving the degradation of organic compounds in water, or generation of hydrogen from the water splitting reaction. In doing so, both environmental concerns, such as the removal of pollutants in wastewater, and energy concerns, such as the generation of a clean and safe form of hydrogen for use as a renewable fuel could be addressed. The approach used was to employ existing methods to synthesise high surface area quasi-amorphous material that is active in UV light for photocatalysis, and then design and employ post synthetic modification to promote the material for visible light photocatalysis. Niobium (V) oxide was synthesised in a high surface area form, successfully scaling up the synthesis from 2 g to over 200 g quantities of as made material. This UV active photocatalyst was fully characterized by methods including X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis. The material was used to degrade the model dye Methyl Orange and generate hydrogen from a methanol / water solution without further modification. By adding platinum group metals (PGMs) to the niobium (V) oxide, a greatly enhanced efficiency for hydrogen generation was realized. A survey of metals (platinum rhodium and palladium) and weight percentages of metal added (0.01 – 1%) was carried out, with the PGM added materials characterised for hydrogen generation using a methanol / water sacrificial reagent system, as well as PGM dispersion, TEM imaging, EDX and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for characterising the higher weight percentage material. Finally, chromium (III) oxide was added to the surface of the niobium (V) oxide in various weight percentages (1% - 5%). The optical properties of this composite material, in comparison with the starting materials were investigated, in particular the difference in diffuse reflectance of the starting materials and composite were highlighted to demonstrate charge transfer between the chromium (III) on the surface, and niobium (V), in the bulk of the material, with the oxidation states being confirmed by XPS. Furthermore, this material was found to degrade methyl orange under visible light. An action spectrum was carried out measuring the quantum efficiency of the reaction at different wavelengths, which proved it was the chromium – niobium charge transfer absorbance in isolation that was responsible for the methyl orange degradation.


We revisit the possibility of producing observable tensor modes through a continuous particle production process during inflation. Particularly, we focus on the multi-field realization of inflation where a spectator pseudoscalar σ induces a significant amplification of the U(1) gauge fields through the coupling ∝ σFμνF̃μν. In this model, both the scalar σ and the Abelian gauge fields are gravitationally coupled to the inflaton sector, therefore they can only affect the primordial scalar and tensor fluctuations through their mixing with gravitational fluctuations. Recent studies on this scenario show that the sourced contributions to the scalar correlators can be dangerously large to invalidate a large tensor power spectrum through the particle production mechanism. In this paper, we re-examine these recent claims by explicitly calculating the dominant contribution to the scalar power and bispectrum. Particularly, we show that once the current limits from CMB data are taken into account, it is still possible to generate a signal as large as r ≈ 10−3 and the limitations on the model building are more relaxed than what was considered before.


The objectives of this research are to study the learning process and knowledge management of successful Rong-Kaw Community Enterprise in Pho-Yai Sub-district, Warinchamrap District, Ubon Ratchathani Province; and to collect the body of knowledge on the learning process and knowledge management in community enterprise, in order to apply to other communities. The study was conducted with 125 households of Rong-Kaw village, during January to June, 2011.
The methodology is qualitative research, using in-depth interview, group interview and observations. The semi-structural questions are used to collect data from 25 key persons, including community leaders, community enterprise working persons, employees of the community enterprise, and the customers who used their products.
The result showed that: (1) The leaders of the community have experiential learning and tacit knowledge which facilitating for setting community enterprise, (2) Villagers have collective learning through discussing, exchanging ideas and experience, and thinking reflectively for setting community enterprise. (3) Villagers have knowledge management; including searching, enhancing and developing knowledge for producing distinctive products to the market. The multiple methods used are: study tour, learning by instructor, experimentation, and interviewing the customers regarding products quality until they can improve their products to the best quality. (4) Villagers have learning by practice. (5) Villagers have mixed model of learning and knowledge management combining the entrepreneurial thinking and sufficiency economy thinking which lead to the success of community enterprise. Entrepreneurial thinking includes innovation, perseverance and risk taking to build their successful enterprise, meanwhile sufficiency economy thinking includes their concerns in caring, harmony and helpful ways of life more than profit maximization.
Furthermore, researcher founds that villagers have essential social capitals, particularly, human capital which supports their learning and knowledge management in community enterprise; including solidarity, trustworthiness, dedicated leaders with good vision, all of which support their successful community enterprise.


Abstract In this paper a new method of performing waypoint tracking is shown for underactuated fixed-wing uavs. The position error can be mapped onto the desired axis using a desired rotation matrix, while the velocity error can be mapped to the desired axis using a desired angular velocity. With all errors defined along one axis, the tracking problem is easily solved using only one thruster. A velocity controller is derived which makes sure that the uav tracks a desired total velocity moving towards the next waypoint, while a sliding surface attitude controller is designed to track the desired attitude. The impact of saturation on the attitude controller is also studied where it is shown that the actuators will desaturate in finite time, through a change in the reference trajectory. Using both controllers, a solution to the problem of waypoint tracking of an underactuated uav is proposed, and simulations have been performed that support the theoretical results.


The living of man in all societies is largely guided by the availability or otherwise of natural bio-resources. However, the tribal people who are regarded as in the primitive stage and experiencing slow pace of development have a high degree of dependence on the natural resources for their livelihood. Bio - resources consist of all biotic components of environment, which have utility and function in satisfying the individual wants as well as social wants of man. Recently, the importance of the study on man and nature relationship has gained momentum globally and has emerged as main concern for both the developed and developing nations worldwide. As such, the tribal dominated areas by virtue of having the higher percentage of forest cover have become prime area for research in the world context for sustainable use of bio-resources. The State of Forest Report, 2003 has placed Arunachal Pradesh second after Mizoram in terms of forest coverage with 68, 019 sq. km. under forest cover. An analysis of the linkages between the bio - resources and human livelihoods may prove significant and helpful in attaining the first rank in the total coverage of forests in the country. The Adi tribe is a major tribal group of Arunachal Pradesh who mostly inhabit East, West and Upper Siang districts. An assessment of linkages of human livelihood and the bioresources in the Adi inhabited area proved to be helpful in the sustainable management of natural resources. A household survey with the help of suitable structured questionnaire was conducted for Mirem village. Personal interview with the village elders was an important tool for the final analysis. The study finds that these people are forest lovers and they are strongly abated with their existing forests. The traditional folk tales, festivities and myths are strongly linked with nature and deeply influenced by the forest ecology and environment. Economic activities, material culture, food habits, house-building materials, ritual performances and herbal medicine all are collected from the forests. The study found that these people are highly dependent on the bio-resources for their livelihood even in this age of scientific and technological development. Key Words: Bio-resources, livelihood, Adi tribes, Man-nature relationship, Sustainable natural resources management, Forest cover, Material culture, Herbal medicine. DOI: 10.3126/init.v2i1.2542 The Initiation Vol.2(1) 2008 pp183-198


Pristine and surface modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were used to fabricate MWNT/ epoxy composite materials by solution mixing process. A suitable chemical treatment was performed in order to create the functional sites on MWCNTs for firm interlocking in between the filler and the matrix for better interfacial load transfer. The increase in oxygen related moieties was confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effect of MWNT addition and their surface modification on the flexural strength and thermal conductivity was investigated. FE-SEM study was carried out for observing the morphology of reinforcing materials as well as its dispersion in the polymer matrix. Thermal conductivity of nanocomposites containing 1wt% of modified and unmodified MWCNT were evaluated. The increase in flexural strength of the composite materials was observed with the addition of pristine and modified MWCNT by 55% and 100 %, respectively.


Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are uncommon benign neoplasms deriving from Schwann cells of the peripheral nerve fibers. Although these tumors can be found anywhere in the body, the most frequent site is the tongue, followed by the chest wall and the arm. The abdominal wall is an extremely rare site for GCTs. These tumors are generally asymptomatic and have a slow growth rate. Today, thanks to their immunoreactivity to S-100 and CD68, the differential diagnosis is more straightforward than in the past. We report on a young patient affected by a GCT located in the upper third of the right rectus abdominis muscle. En bloc excision through a diamond-shaped skin incision allowed us to make a correct histological diagnosis, which was confirmed by the immunohistochemical findings. GCT, which is very rare in abdominal wall muscles, should be considered in the differential diagnosis, and surgical excision is the treatment of choice.


Highly dilute solutions of the alkaline oleates, which do not suffice to alter appreciably the morphology or reproductive power of the pneumococci, nevertheless produce profound changes in their structure. Pneumococci treated with sodium oleate become more subject to autolysis, as is indicated both by the rapidity and the perfection of the process of self-digestion, and at the same time they become subject to serum-lysis. The serum-lysis of the soaped pneumococci tends to be incomplete with normal serum and to be perfect with an immune antipneumococcus serum. When normal serum is employed, the surviving pneumococci subsequently multiply either in the test tube or in the animal body, in the latter case producing fatal infection. When, on the other hand, an immune serum is employed, lysis is complete, no multiplication occurs, the test tube mixture is sterilized, and the inoculated animal is protected from infection. The inhibition of their activity which the soaps ordinarily suffer in the presence of protein, can be prevented by the addition of an appropriate quantity of boric acid, so that suitable mixtures of serum, soap, and boric acid can continue to exert a deleterious and solvent influence on the pneumococci, and the effect is greater when immune serum is employed in the mixtures. Infection can not only be prevented when the mixture of immune serum, soap, and boric acid is added to the pneumococci before injection into the peritoneal cavity of small animals, but the infection can likewise be prevented when a therapeutic injection of a mixture of the three substances mentioned is made to follow the inoculation of normal, highly virulent diplococci. The limits of the activity of the therapeutic mixture are determined, in part by the amount of protein to be overcome, and in part by the peculiarities of the infection occurring in highly susceptible animal species. The virulence of the pneumococci is somewhat diminished by the soap treatment, but the treated organisms are not rendered more subject to phagocytosis. It would appear that the action of the soap is exerted upon the lipoidal moiety of the bacterial cells, through which they are rendered more pervious to serum constituents and brought under their deleterious and dissolving influence. The changes in the pneuocci here described probably have a prototype in the resolving exudate of a pneumonic process; so that it may be considered that they occur in the animal body in the course of spontaneous infection and constitute one of the conditions of the conquest of the organism by the body's forces. A certain conformity exists between the manner of destruction of the pneumococci in a pneumonic exudate and that in the artificially prepared soap-serum mixtures. In order to imitate outside of the body the conditions of the removal of pneumococci within the body, it does not suffice merely to study the reactions to leucocytes and serum and to conclude from these reactions the means which the body employs for the disposal of the diplococci; but it is necessary to invoke still other factors, among which are the effects of chemical substances present in exudates, of which the soaps represent one class. The failure hitherto to unify the reactions in test tubes with those occurring in the body in connection with the pneumococcus may be due to the fact that account was not taken of this class of chemical bodies. Whether the principle here presented can be made applicable to the treatment of local pneumococcus infections in human beings is a pressing question. Its application to the treatment of local infections, to the seats of which the serum, soap, and boric acid mixtures can be directly applied, particularly after evacuation of an inflammatory exudate, seems to offer promise.


The history of the Taiwan Stock Exchange in the past seven years indicates that the Nationalist government has attempted to achieve a sound securities market for capital formation of the national economy. However, the performance of the TSE in the past seven years cannot be regarded as being successful. The meaning and significance of each important policy change and the effect of government measures aiming to the fulfillment of the policy are major concerns of this thesis. Analyses of historical events are treated so that they will vividly reflect intentions of government policies. Causes and results of each event are fully explored. Evaluation of government policies is conducted in the context of the national economy. Thus, the merits or demerits of each government policy and its success or failure is judged from the viewpoint of whether or not it contributed to the accumulation of capital for the national economy. Exploration of institutional problems in the sphere of the securities market is done with Taiwan's special background in mind. Comparisons of the Taiwan Stock Exchange with the New York Stock Exchange are made whenever it is possible. As a result of this study, some suggestions are made to the policymakers for future reference.


A non-linear science career: how I started in terrestrial ecology working on rodents, moved on to fisheries management, and ended up comparing the environmental impacts of fishing to farming. I was drawn to fisheries because there was a real need for science and the kind of analysis I did to help solve real world problems. I was very fortunate that the advent of major computing power and the demand for fisheries management driven by the declaration of 200 mile exclusive economic zones coincided with my completing the PhD. A career formed by good fortune, meeting and working with excellent colleagues, and random events at just the right time. My advice to young scientists in the field is to build collaborations, both with other scientists but also with the managers of the fisheries. Get your hands dirty in real problems, but always remembering the importance of fisheries to the food security of some of the poorest people of the world. What you do really matters.


We discuss the effects of strong magnetic fields through Landau quantization of electrons on the structure and stability of nuclei in neutron star crust. In strong magnetic fields, this leads to the enhancement of the electron number density with respect to the zero field case. We obtain the sequence of equilibrium nuclei of the outer crust in the presence of strong magnetic fields adopting most recent versions of the experimental and theoretical nuclear mass tables. For B ∼ 1016G, it is found that some new nuclei appear in the sequence and some nuclei disappear from the sequence compared with the zero field case. Further we investigate the stability of nuclei in the inner crust in the presence of strong magnetic fields using the Thomas-Fermi model. The coexistence of two phases of nuclear matter - liquid and gas, is considered in this case. The proton number density is significantly enhanced in strong magnetic fields B ∼ 1017G through the charge neutrality. We find nuclei with larger mass number in the presence of strong magnetic fields than those of the zero field. These results might have important implications for the transport properties of the crust in magnetars.


This study is a productivity review on the literature gleaned from SSCI, SCIE databases concerning social network analysis in knowledge management research. The result indicates that the number of related literature is still growing especially in recent two years. The main research development country is the United States, then England and German, and from the analysis of the subject area, Information Science & Library Science is the most popular subject. Concerning source title, Knowledge Management Research & Practice is in the priority. Moreover the research focuses on this topic are mainly in close relationship with knowledge network. Typical references were analyzed in detail, including limitations and future research.


Upper room ultraviolet germicidal irradiance (UVGI) has been shown to reduce the concentration of bioaerosols in controlled chambers. However, there is a lack of experimental results on the reduction of bioaerosol concentrations by UVGI devices in actual uncontrolled buildings. This study was carried out in an American elementary school in the Midwest. Two sampling procedures were carried out in six selected classrooms with similar dimensions that were separated into two groups: (1) UVGI exposure group and (2) non-UVGI control group. Two-stage Tisch culturable impactors were utilized to collect airborne culturable bacteria and fungi. Monthly samples were collected during unoccupied period in sampling Procedure A and during close-to-occupied periods in sampling Procedure B. Student absenteeism data were collected. Nonparametric statistical methods were applied. Neither analysis of microorganisms nor student absenteeism showed a significant difference between the UVGI exposure and non-UVGI control groups in Procedure A. Analysis of the airborne culturable fine and total bacteria levels (1–8 µm) was significantly lower in the exposure classroom than those of the control classroom using Procedure B (P values < 0.05). The result indicates that collecting airborne bacteria close to occupied time could be more effective in evaluating the performance of upper room UVGI. In this case study, upper room UVGI can reduce culturable bioaerosols in a crowed environment like classrooms.


We use high‐resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys to document the evolution of four ice cliffs on the debris‐covered tongue of Lirung Glacier, Nepal, over one ablation season. Observations show that out of four cliffs, three different patterns of evolution emerge: (i) reclining cliffs that flatten during the ablation season; (ii) stable cliffs that maintain a self‐similar geometry; and (iii) growing cliffs, expanding laterally. We use the insights from this unique data set to develop a 3‐D model of cliff backwasting and evolution that is validated against observations and an independent data set of volume losses. The model includes ablation at the cliff surface driven by energy exchange with the atmosphere, reburial of cliff cells by surrounding debris, and the effect of adjacent ponds. The cliff geometry is updated monthly to account for the modifications induced by each of those processes. Model results indicate that a major factor affecting the survival of steep cliffs is the coupling with ponded water at its base, which prevents progressive flattening and possible disappearance of a cliff. The radial growth observed at one cliff is explained by higher receipts of longwave and shortwave radiation, calculated taking into account atmospheric fluxes, shading, and the emission of longwave radiation from debris surfaces. The model is a clear step forward compared to existing static approaches that calculate atmospheric melt over an invariant cliff geometry and can be used for long‐term simulations of cliff evolution and to test existing hypotheses about cliffs' survival.


Abstract—The present work focuses on the investigation of the effect of non-Newtonian behavior on the oil-water stratified flow in a horizontal channel using ANSYS Fluent. Coupled level set and volume of fluid (CLSVOF) has been used to capture the evolving interface assuming unsteady, coaxial flow with constant fluid properties. The diametric variation of oil volume fraction, mixture velocity, total pressure and pressure gradient has been studied. NonNewtonian behavior of oil has been represented by the power law model in order to investigate the effect of flow behavior index. Stratified flow pattern tends to assume dispersed flow pattern with the change in the behavior of oil to non-Newtonian. The pressure gradient is found to be very much sensitive to the flow behavior index. The findings could be useful in designing the transportation pipe line in petroleum industries.


Ammonium is one of the objectionable constituents in drinking water and water supply reservoirs. Removal of ammonium from water supply resources is sometimes necessary for acceptable drinking water quality. Ion exchange with the ammonium selective natural zeolite clinoptilolite, is proposed as one possible option for this purpose. The capacity and success of clinoptilolite for ammonium removal under those conditions have been investigated. The results from both batch isotherm experiments and continuous column runs have shown that the process is indeed effective. However, the competing ions mostly in the form of hardness impact with the potential capacity significantly. Depending upon conditions prevailing, over 50% of the capacity may be used by the competing ions, reducing the capacity intended for the targeted ammonium ions, however the limits for ammonium for drinking water could be achieved under all circumstances without problems.


Objective: To assess the outcomes of the hemodialysis reliable outflow (HeRO) device in a subset of hemodialysis access-challenged patients with central venous obstruction. Methods: Retrospective analysis of a series of patients in 2 centers who underwent placement of the HeRO device between September 2009 and November 2010. Patients' demographics, access history, HeRO patency, and number of reinterventions were analyzed. Results: Eleven patients underwent 12 HeRO implantations. The average duration of dialysis prior to HeRO placement was 5.55 ± 3.64 years. Primary and secondary patencies at 6 months and 1 year were 36.4% and 54.5% and 9.1% and 45.5%, respectively. Conclusions: In the end-stage renal disease population with central venous occlusive disease, the HeRO device offers the best long-term dialysis option when an arteriovenous fistula or graft is not possible. Close follow-up and subsequent aggressive interventions can prolong the use of the HeRO and avoid the last resort of dialysis catheters.


Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) analysis is a developing field with tremendous promise to advance personalized, non-invasive health diagnostics as new analytical instrumentation platforms and detection methods are developed. Multiple commercially-available and researcher-built experimental samplers are reported in the literature. However, there is very limited information available to determine an effective breath sampling approach, especially regarding the dependence of breath sample metabolomic content on the collection device design and sampling methodology. This lack of an optimal standard procedure results in a range of reported results that are sometimes contradictory. Here, we present a design of a portable human EBC sampler optimized for collection and preservation of the rich metabolomic content of breath. The performance of the engineered device is compared to two commercially available breath collection devices: the RTube™ and TurboDECCS. A number of design and performance parameters are considered, including: condenser temperature stability during sampling, collection efficiency, condenser material choice, and saliva contamination in the collected breath samples. The significance of the biological content of breath samples, collected with each device, is evaluated with a set of mass spectrometry methods and was the primary factor for evaluating device performance. The design includes an adjustable mass-size threshold for aerodynamic filtering of saliva droplets from the breath flow. Engineering an inexpensive device that allows efficient collection of metalomic-rich breath samples is intended to aid further advancement in the field of breath analysis for non-invasive health diagnostic. EBC sampling from human volunteers was performed under UC Davis IRB protocol 63701-3 (09/30/2014–07/07/2017).


Several factors regulate plant organ growth polarity. tortifolia2 (tor2), a right-handed helical growth mutant, has a conservative replacement of Arg-2 with Lys in the α-tubulin 4 protein. Based on a published high-resolution (2.89 Å) tubulin structure, we predict that Arg-2 of α-tubulin forms hydrogen bonds with the GTPase domain of β-tubulin, and structural modeling suggests that these contacts are interrupted in tor2. Consistent with this, we found that microtubule dynamicity is reduced in the tor2 background. We investigated the developmental origin of the helical growth phenotype using tor2. One hypothesis predicts that cell division patterns cause helical organ growth in Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. However, cell division patterns of tor2 root tips appear normal. Experimental uncoupling of cell division and expansion suggests that helical organ growth is based on cell elongation defects only. Another hypothesis is that twisting is due to inequalities in expansion of epidermal and cortical tissues. However, freely growing leaf trichomes of tor2 mutants show right-handed twisting and cortical microtubules form left-handed helices as early as the unbranched stage of trichome development. Trichome twisting is inverted in double mutants with tor3, a left-handed mutant. Single tor2 suspension cells also exhibit handed twisting. Thus, twisting of tor2 mutant organs appears to be a higher-order expression of the helical expansion of individual cells.


Gynura procumbens has been widely used to treat several health disorders, such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, diabetes, and allergies. This study aimed to determine the flavonoid content of G. procumbens cultured in a balloon-type bubble bioreactor using various sucrose concentrations (10, 30, and 50 g/L) and explant densities (5, 10, and 15 explants). The plant parts used were stem nodes of G. procumbens, grown in a balloon-type bubble bioreactor using Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid media with IAA 2 mg/L and BAP 4 mg/L. The total flavonoid content was measured using a UV- Vis spectrophotometer (λ= 510 nm), and the flavonoid profile was tested using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The administration of 10 g/L sucrose produced the highest total flavonoid production. In the treatment of explant density, the most increasing total flavonoid production was obtained in the treatment of 5 explants. The TLC results showed that each treatment forms spots like standard. This study proved that sucrose and explant densities culture on balloon-type bubble bioreactor method had optimized the production of flavonoids of plant shoots of G. procumbens culture.


As a leprologist, I found two papers in the issue of March 1980 of particular interest, and 1 u'ould like to make a comment on each. Regarding the rarity of psoriasis in leprosy patients, my experience during 25 years of leprosy work in England has been similar to that reported from Israel.' I do not recall seeing psoriasis in any of the 500 patients of 30 nationalities who came under my care during those years. To turn to the subject of Wegener's granulomatosis, I would like to comment that in the paper on this subject^ there was no mention of lepromatous leprosy in the differential diagnosis. Lepromatous leprosy may present with nasal symptoms (blocked airway and repeated epistaxes) and manifestations of type 2 lepra reaction (ENL, arthralgia, fever, etc.), and if ENL is necrotic (erythema necroticans) the resemblance to Wegener's granulomatosis can be close. I have at present under treatment a white West Indian girl who at the age of 12 was seen by doctors in her home country in the Caribbean because of nasal symptoms, arthralgia, and papulonecrotic skin lesions; they spent over a year in trying to make a diagnosis, and during this time treatment for Wegener's granulomatosis was tried, and belatedly, the true diagnosis was revealed when a skin biopsy was stained for acid-fast bacilli. This case emphasizes two important points; firstly, that doctors in the tropics are slow to think of leprosy in a patient who has a light skin, and, secondly, that a patient in the tropics presenting with a combination of nasal and dermal symptoms should be tested for lepromatous leprosy before any other diagnosis is considered.


The main physical and mechanical properties of the ordinary and bamboo mat enhancing bamboo particle board (for short EBPB) were detected and analysed through the Resistance Strain Monitor and wood mechnical test machine. The results proved that the tensile and bend deformation of two kinds of bamboo partical board(for short BPB) increased nonlinearly with the load increasing. The greatest tensile and bend load increased respectively 66% and 56%, and in the tensile and bend deformations, decreased respectively 21% and 20% EBPB than the ordimary bamboo particle board(for short OBPB). The main physical and mechnical properties of the EBPB exceeded markedly OBPB, which showed the bamboo mat could increased evidently the physical and mechnical properties of BPB.


This position paper seeks to explore the ethical concerns surrounding the use of medical male circumcision as an effective method of preventing HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa. The study explores research that looked at the effectiveness of medical male circumcision in clinical trials. While clinical trials reveal that medical male circumcision showed statistically significant results in HIV prevention, there is still a paucity of studies that take into consideration the ethical challenges posed by medical male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper argues that rolling out medical male circumcision to the larger community without adequately addressing the ethical concerns could weaken programme initiation, implementation and evaluation in sub-Saharan Africa.


Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) appeared during the 1970s, most driven by the success of knowledge-based systems and expert systems. ITS are able to instruct and train students and professionals without the intervention of human beings. ITS introduced a set of ideas, like the use of computational models of domains, allowing the possibility of reasoning and explaining domain problems automatically. Developments were made in trainees' models, instructional and pedagogical planning, and user interface. In the 1990s, with the Web boom, some ITS ideas were incorporated in new computer-aided instruction paradigms, like e-learning and distributed learning. However, there is a clear difference in the level of interactions and types of skills addressed by ITS and other e-learning systems.


: A rare case of intrabony angiomyoma affecting the mandible is presented. The patient was 25 years old male who complained of swelling and pain in the posterior segment of his lower jaw. Histopathologically diagnosed angiomyoma is discussed with emphasis on the pathogenesis in the present case. Literature concerning the lesion is reviewed. In the present paper we report a case of angiomyoma affecting the mandible. Angiomyomas are also known as vascular leiomyomas which commonly occur in the wrist and ankle region. They are painful tumours as was also evident in our case. These tumours are characterized histopathologically by convuluted thick walled vessels associated with bundles of well differentiated smooth muscle elements. They rarely affect the oral cavity. Therefore our case is one of the few cases affecting the oral cavity as reported earlier. Tumours of the smooth muscle cells which form involuntary muscle are known as leiomyomas. These commonly affect the alimentary tract. They are rarely found to affect the oral cavity.


Cosmogenic nuclides are useful for reconstructing the cosmic‐ray precompaction exposure history of the chondritic components in the early solar system. Here, we present He and Ne isotope data for 22 chondrules and 4 matrix samples from Miller Range (MIL) 090657, which is the third most pristine Renazzo‐type (CR) carbonaceous chondrite (CR2.7). The studied samples contain variable mixtures of galactic cosmic ray (GCR)‐produced cosmogenic noble gases and trapped noble gases of presolar origin. Remarkably, all chondrules and matrix samples have within analytical uncertainty almost identical nominal 21Ne cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) ages in the range 3.45–6.20 Ma. The nominal 3He CRE ages are mostly discordant, possibly due to partial 3H and 3He losses and/or an inaccurate correction for trapped 3He. The absence of precompaction exposure effects longer than a few Ma in MIL 090657 is at variance with data for other CR chondrites. We conclude that most CR chondrules experienced the same precompaction exposure history—although the nature of the precompaction exposure differs between the chondrites—in regions of the disk that were either exposed to or shielded from GCRs but in which exposure effects due to solar wind and/or solar cosmic rays (SCRs) were negligible. The new data do not support the X‐wind model of Shu and coworkers.


The methods of X-ray topography and diffractometry have been applied to characterize the structure of epilayers grown on porous layers. Two geometrical configurations of defects determined to be stacking faults (SF) were revealed: i) with the images of triangular shape with the edge size 560 µm along the <10-10> directions; ii) linear shape along the [11-20] direction. The sources of SFs are located within the epilayer and start from the epilayer / porous layer interface. We propose that the source of SFs is connected with graphitization of porous layer at the temperature of epitaxy.


While microsatellites have been used to examine genetic structure in local populations of Neotropical trees, genetic studies based on such high‐resolution markers have not been carried out for Mesoamerica as a whole. Here we assess the genetic structure of the Mesoamerican mahogany Swietenia macrophylla King (big‐leaf mahogany), a Neotropical tree species recently listed as endangered in CITES which is commercially extinct through much of its native range. We used seven variable microsatellite loci to assess genetic diversity and population structure in eight naturally established mahogany populations from six Mesoamerican countries. Measures of genetic differentiation (FST and RST) indicated significant differences between most populations. Unrooted dendrograms based on genetic distances between populations provide evidence of strong phylogeographic structure in Mesoamerican mahogany. The two populations on the Pacific coasts of Costa Rica and Panama were genetically distant from all the others, and from one another. The remaining populations formed two clusters, one comprised of the northern populations of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala and the other containing the southern Atlantic populations of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Significant correlation was found between geographical distance and all pairwise measures of genetic divergence, suggesting the importance of regional biogeography and isolation by distance in Mesoamerican mahogany. The results of this study demonstrate greater phylogeographic structure than has been found across Amazon basin S. macrophylla. Our findings suggest a relatively complex Mesoamerican biogeographic history and lead to the prediction that other Central American trees will show similar patterns of regional differentiation.


Strategy as Practice analyzes what people do in relation to the development of strategy in organizations, providing insights into current issues in strategy that require a more micro level of understanding (JOHNSON et al., 2007). Considering the perspective of strategy as practice arising from the emerging strategies, we noticed the lack of studies to understand how these activities occur in a daily basis of organization characterizing as informal strategies (WHITTINGTON, 2007). Therefore, this study proposes to address this issue, showing the occurrence of informal strategizing at a public organization under the strategy-as-practice perspective. For this we held a qualitative research through a single case study (EISENHARDT, 1989) in a municipality in southern Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with officials of different levels of the organization; direct observation, with notebook guide and analysis of documents provided by the organization, encouraging the triangulation of data. Informal strategies were mainly identified on customer service activities when an applicant's request is not strictly met under the law or the legislation is dubious and opens room for double-meaning surveying, interpretation and information communication.


The development of methods to guide the design of neural networks is an important open challenge for deep learning theory. As a paradigm for principled neural architecture design, we propose the translation of high-performing kernels, which are better-understood and amenable to first-principles design, into equivalent network architectures, which have superior efficiency, flexibility, and feature learning. To this end, we constructively prove that, with just an appropriate choice of activation function, any positive-semidefinite dot-product kernel can be realized as either the NNGP or neural tangent kernel of a fully-connected neural network with only one hidden layer. We verify our construction numerically and demonstrate its utility as a design tool for finite fully-connected networks in several experiments.


In the consumer culture of late modernity, young women are obsessed with their physical appearance and attempt to conform to socially constructed beauty standards. Adolescent girls are surrounded by images of beauty through advertising, television, films, magazines and the recent beauty blogs that have burst forth on the worldwide web. This paper is on the use of beauty blogs by adolescent girls of the age group 15 to 19 years living in Kolkata, whereby depicting that there is no escape from feminine embodiment even in the digital world. The researcher has compiled the beauty/fashion blogs that adolescent girls regularly visit and hence has attempted to understand the girls' use of the blogs and what the blogs contain. This paper looks at the beauty culture associated with these blogs and traces the popularity of these online beauty resources to the renewed focus on the female body and visual appearance in consumer culture that is transnational. The beauty blogs are virtual feminized spaces created only for women and contain categories of homemade corrective treatments, personal grooming and images of array of beauty products that teach women how to "do femininity". The blogs promote the idea that beauty is an essential component of femininity and encourage women to take beauty as a serious thing to be achieved to satisfy themselves and not to be done for the male gaze. Termed as "postfeminist sensibility" the blogs depict women as heterosexual desiring subjects with independence and choice. Young women in turn constructed feminine beautification as an empowering as well as a pleasurable experience for them.


A prerequisite for topographical studies on ribosomal subunits involving RNA-protein cross-linking is that the cross-linking sites on the RNA should be determined. Methodology is presented which offers a solution to this problem, using as a test system 30S subunits in which protein S7 has been cross-linked to the 16S RNA by ultraviolet irradiation. The method is based on a gel separation system in the presence of a non-ionic detergent. When a ribonucleoprotein fragment containing RNA-protein cross-links is applied to this system, non-cross-linked protein is removed, and simultaneously the cross-linked RNA-protein complex is separated from non-cross-linked RNA. Oligonucleotide analysis of the S7-RNA complex isolated in this manner showed it to consist of a region of RNA from sections P-A of the 16S RNA. A single characteristic oligonucleotide was absent from this region, and it was tentatively concluded that this missing oligonucleotide contains the actual site of cross-linking.


Ever since plants colonized land, they evolved mechanisms to respond to changing environmental conditions and settle in extreme habitats. Recent studies show that several plant species require microbial associations for stress tolerance and survival. Although many plants lack the adaptive capability to adapt to stress conditions, the ability of a variety of plants to adapt to stress conditions often appears to depend on their association with certain microbes, raising a number of questions: What distinguishes the microbes and plants that can adapt to extreme environmental conditions? Can all plants improve stress tolerance when associated with appropriate microbial partners? Answers to these questions should modify our concepts of plant physiology and could lead to new ways towards a sustainable agriculture.