Background: The daily pain burden experienced by women with endometriosis has not been well studied. Objective: To characterize baseline pain among women with moderate-to-severe endometriosis-associated pain enrolled in phase 3 studies of elagolix, an oral, nonpeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist. Study design: Data were pooled from the screening phase of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. After cessation of endometriosis medications, patients entered the screening phase during which symptoms (dysmenorrhea, nonmenstrual pelvic pain, and dyspareunia) and rescue medication use were recorded daily in electronic diaries. Endometriosis-associated pain was also scored using the Numeric Rating Scale (range 0–10). Baseline was defined as the last 35 days during the screening period. Results: Endometriosis-associated pain was reported by the 1686 study participants on most days during the baseline interval. Pain was often moderate or severe, with a mean Numeric Rating Scale score of 5.6 ± 1.7. Women reported dysmenorrhea an average of 8.1 ± 3.0 days (97.9% ± 7.0% of menstruating days), nonmenstrual pelvic pain on 20.5 ± 5.4 days (90.3% ± 15.8% of nonmenstruating days), and dyspareunia on 8.7 ± 8.0 days (81.7% ± 29.7% of sexually active days). When they occurred, dysmenorrhea, nonmenstrual pelvic pain, and dyspareunia were frequently moderate or severe in intensity. Women were free of pelvic pain for an average of 2.4 ± 3.9 days during the 35-day evaluation interval. Conclusion: Among women with untreated moderate-to-severe endometriosis pain, the daily burden of pain was extensive, both during menstruation and on nonmenstruating days.


Dutch GPs are being advised by their own professional body not to prescribe a new low dose, monophasic oral contraceptive, marketed under the trade name Yasmin, until studies have established whether it is as safe as other contraceptive pills.

The new contraceptive, which is a combination of drospirenone (a progestogen) and ethinylestradiol, has been available in several European countries since 2000 and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last May. It is licensed for use in the United Kingdom, where it is being launched next week.

Last year a 17 year old Dutch girl who had been taking Yasmin died from a …


Wireless sensor networks can revolutionise soil ecology by providing measurements at temporal and spatial granularities previously impossible. This paper presents our first steps towards fulfilling that goal by developing and deploying two experimental soil monitoring networks at urban forests in Baltimore, MD. The nodes of these networks periodically measure soil moisture and temperature and store the measurements in local memory. Raw measurements are incrementally retrieved by a sensor gateway and persistently stored in a database. The database also stores calibrated versions of the collected data. The measurement database is available to third-party applications through various Web Services interfaces. At a high level, the deployments were successful in exposing high-level variations of soil factors. However, we have encountered a number of challenging technical problems: need for low-level programming at multiple levels, calibration across space and time, and sensor faults. These problems must be addressed before sensor networks can fulfil their potential as high-quality instruments that can be deployed by scientists without major effort or cost.


Rewards is an important component of exchange theory and it is generally accepted that rewards plays an important role to attract, motivate, retain and maintain commitment among workers in any organization with the purpose to ensure high standard of performances and workforce stability. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between rewards and organizational commitment among workers in Kota Kinabalu hypermarkets. Specifically, this study examines three dimensions of organizational commitment; namely affective, continuance and normative commitments as dependent variables in relationship with extrinsic and intrinsic rewards as independent variables. A sample size of 243 respondents from
hypermarkets; Giant Hypermarket and Servay Hypermarket participated in the survey. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from participants, while multiple and linear regression statistics was used to test the relationship between the variables as well as hierarchical regression analysis was used for to test the moderator between the two variables. Findings showed significant
relationships between extrinsic and intrinsic rewards with affective, continuance and normative commitments. Promotional opportunities, satisfaction with fringe
benefits and work condition are extrinsic rewards while feedback and training as an intrinsic reward was found as a predictors of affective, continuance and normative
commitments, whereas pay satisfaction and supervision was not. Gender on the other hand was found to be significant moderator of the relationship. Further research to study the reward system and approaches in hypermarket is recommended to ensure greater organizational commitment.


The study was conducted to determine the effect of Azotobacter chroococcum (Azotobacter) application on quality and quantity forage of the rapeseed cultivars (RGS 003, Hyolla 401 and Hyolla 330) and the possibility of cultivation the rapeseed forage in summer. The experimental design was spilt plot laid out in randomized complete block with three replications. Different levels of Azotobacter (zero and one kg hal) and cultivars were randomized to main plot and sub plot units, respectively. Results showed that Azotobacter significantly affected on all quantity traits except plant height. There were significant differences among cultivars for dry matter, biomass, sub branch number, plant height and forage glucosinolate concentration. Therefore Azotobacter can be considered as growth promoting for rapeseed in the future studies. Also, RGS003 cultivar was better than other cultivars when Azotobacter was applied.


Advertising on the web has taken new forms (Malin, 2011; Susarla, Oh & Tan, 2012). In this context, videos which appear playful but which have an advertising objective, have positioned themselves as the new trend (Craig & Duncan, 2017; Marsh, 2015) and have penetrated the web space for an increasing number of Internet users, particularly among children (Davies, Coleman & Livingstone, 2014). However, the type and variety of videos with advertising intention that YouTube leads users to when searching for generic audiovisual content for children's audience is unclear. This paper uses a mixed methods approach to analyze the content and visuals present in undercover advertising videos from a sample of 143 videos prompted by the keywords Soy Luna, a popular Disney Channel series. The main findings are that three types of sources provide this type of content, namely official channels, YouTubers channels devoting space to the series and its merchandising, and to a greater extent toy exhibition channels. Also, the format appearance and characteristics of the videos make it difficult for users to tell them apart from advertising, as they introduce a novel narrative, incorporate playful twists and appear to be associated to the series. These features go beyond the use of YouTube standardized advertising formats, such as graphic ads, overlays or advertising spots which can be skipped.


—The high penetration of wind energy in electrical power systems presents challenges for all operators. For the wind farm (WF) planners, one of these challenges is optimizing its layout with a set of constraints. This paper proposes a bi-hierarchy optimization scheme to determine the capacity and layout of a grid-connected WF. The environmental impacts involved by the installation of a WF have been taken into consideration in the problem. The first-layer model optimizes the WF capacity and configuration with minimized comprehensive generation cost of wind energy and two sets of constraints. The sound pressure level ( 𝑺𝑷𝑳 ) limit of the noise emitted by the wind turbines (WTs) is handled to be one of the constraints of the first-layer model. The second-layer model determines the generation schedule of other conventional generators. A Gaussian wake model is applied to calculate the effective wind speed for each WT. For the simulations, the WF is supposed to be integrated in the IEEE 30-bus test system. The wild goats algorithm (WGA) and the quadratic programming (QP) method are used to solve the problem. The simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed model and prove that environmental influences of WFs should not be ignored during the planning stage.


Background— The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS; DiGeorge syndrome/velocardiofacial syndrome) occurs in 1 of 4000 live births, and 60% to 70% of affected individuals have congenital heart disease, ranging from mild to severe. In our cohort of 1472 subjects with 22q11.2DS, a total of 62% (n=906) have congenital heart disease and 36% (n=326) of these have tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), comprising the largest subset of severe congenital heart disease in the cohort. Methods and Results— To identify common genetic variants associated with TOF in individuals with 22q11.2DS, we performed a genome-wide association study using Affymetrix 6.0 array and imputed genotype data. In our cohort, TOF was significantly associated with a genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs12519770, P=2.98×10−8) in an intron of the adhesion GPR98 (G-protein–coupled receptor V1) gene on chromosome 5q14.3. There was also suggestive evidence of association between TOF and several additional single-nucleotide polymorphisms in this region. Some genome-wide significant loci in introns or noncoding regions could affect regulation of genes nearby or at a distance. On the basis of this possibility, we examined existing Hi-C chromatin conformation data to identify genes that might be under shared transcriptional regulation within the region on 5q14.3. There are 6 genes in a topologically associated domain of chromatin with GPR98, including MEF2C (Myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C). MEF2C is the only gene that is known to affect heart development in mammals and might be of interest with respect to 22q11.2DS. Conclusions— In conclusion, common variants may contribute to TOF in 22q11.2DS and may function in cardiac outflow tract development.


This paper reports the discovery and orbital characterization of two extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs), 2016 QV89 and 2016 QU89, which have orbits that appear similar to that of a previously known object, 2013 UH15. All three ETNOs have semimajor axes a ≈ 172 au and eccentricities e ≈ 0.77. The angular elements (i, ω, Ω) vary by 6°, 15°, and 49°, respectively, between the three objects. The two new objects add to the small number of TNOs currently known to have semimajor axes between 150 and 250 au, and they serve as an interesting dynamical laboratory to study the outer realm of our solar system. Using a large ensemble of numerical integrations, we find that the orbits are expected to reside in close proximity in the (a, e) phase plane for roughly 100 Myr before diffusing to more separated values. We find that an explanation for the orbital configuration of the bodies as a collision product is disfavored. We then explore other scenarios that could influence their orbits. With aphelion distances over 300 au, the orbits of these ETNOs extend far beyond the classical Kuiper Belt and an order of magnitude beyond Neptune. As a result, their orbital dynamics can be affected by the proposed new solar system member, referred to as Planet Nine in this work. With perihelion distances of 35–40 au, these orbits are also influenced by resonant interactions with Neptune. A full assessment of any possible new solar system planets must thus take into account this emerging class of TNOs.


ABSTRACT A major unresolved challenge in miRNA biology is the capacity to monitor the spatiotemporal activity of miRNAs expressed in animal disease models. We recently reported that the miRNA-ON monitoring system called RILES (RNAi-inducible expression Luciferase system) implanted in lentivirus expression system (LentiRILES) offers unique opportunity to decipher the kinetics of miRNA activity in vitro, in relation with their intracellular trafficking in glioblastoma cells. In this study, we describe in detail the method for the production of LentiRILES stable cell lines and employed it in several applications in the field of miRNA biology and therapy. We show that LentiRILES is a robust, highly specific and sensitive miRNA sensor system that can be used in vitro as a single-cell miRNA monitoring method, cell-based screening platform for miRNA therapeutics and as a tool to analyse the structure–function relationship of the miRNA duplex. Furthermore, we report the kinetics of miRNA activity upon the intracranial delivery of miRNA mimics in an orthotopic animal model of glioblastoma. This information is exploited to evaluate the tumour suppressive function of miRNA-200c as locoregional therapeutic modality to treat glioblastoma. Our data provide evidence that LentiRILES is a robust system, well suited to resolve the activity of endogenous and exogenously expressed miRNAs from basic research to gene and cell therapy.


This paper introduces a new edge-grouping method to detect perceptually salient structures in noisy images. Specifically, we define a new grouping cost function in a ratio form, where the numerator measures the boundary proximity of the resulting structure and the denominator measures the area of the resulting structure. This area term introduces a preference towards detecting larger-size structures and, therefore, makes the resulting edge grouping more robust to image noise. To find the optimal edge grouping with the minimum grouping cost, we develop a special graph model with two different kinds of edges and then reduce the grouping problem to finding a special kind of cycle in this graph with a minimum cost in ratio form. This optimal cycle-finding problem can be solved in polynomial time by a previously developed graph algorithm. We implement this edge-grouping method, test it on both synthetic data and real images, and compare its performance against several available edge-grouping and edge-linking methods. Furthermore, we discuss several extensions of the proposed method, including the incorporation of the well-known grouping cues of continuity and intensity homogeneity, introducing a factor to balance the contributions from the boundary and region information, and the prevention of detecting self-intersecting boundaries.


Abstract Despite the historical assumption that the bulk of marine "shelf" mud is deposited by gradual fallout from suspension in quiet water, recent studies of modern muddy shelves and their associated rivers show that they are dominated by hyperpycnal fluid mud. This has not been widely applied to the interpretation of ancient sedimentary fluvio-deltaic systems, such as dominate the mud-rich Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway of North America. We analyze two such systems, the Turonian Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale Formation, in Utah, and the Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation in Alberta. Paleodischarge estimates of trunk rivers show that they fall within the predicted limits of rivers that are capable of generating hyperpycnal plumes. The associated prodeltaic mudstones match modern hyperpycnite facies models, and suggest a correspondingly hyperpycnal character. Physical sedimentary structures include diffusely stratified beds that show both normal and inverse grading, indicating sustained flows that waxed and waned. They also display low intensities of bioturbation, which reflect the high physical and chemical stresses of hyperpycnal environments. Distinct "mantle and swirl" biogenic structures indicate soupground conditions, typical of the fluid muds that represent the earliest stages of deposition in a hyperpycnal plume. Hyperpycnal conditions are ameliorated by the fact that these rivers were relatively small, dirty systems that drained an active orogenic belt during humid temperate (Dunvegan Formation) to subtropical (Ferron Sandstone Member) "greenhouse" conditions. During sustained periods of flooding, such as during monsoons, the initial river flood may lower salinities within the inshore area, effectively "prepping" the area and allowing subsequent floods to become hyperpycnal much more easily. Although shelf slopes were too low to allow long-run-out hyperpycnal flows, the storm-dominated nature of the seaway likely allowed fluid mud to be transported for significant distances across and along the paleo-shelf. Rapidly deposited prodeltaic hyperpycnites are thus considered to form a significant component of the muddy shelf successions that comprise the thick shale formations of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway.


The drought of 2011 forced many cow-calf producers in the U.S. Southern Plains to liquidate cow herds. Rebuilding cow herds poses financial challenges for many, perhaps most, producers. While liquidation strategies varied between individuals, producers who completely liquidated breeding herds will likely face significant cash flow challenges to rebuilding. Here, we develop and analyze three rebuilding strategies, including slow-rebuilding using summer stockers, fast-rebuilding by purchasing bred cows or cow-calf pairs, and cow leasing with heifer retention. Our analyses indicate that rebuilding appears to be financially feasible for producers with healthy pre-drought financial positions.


Vernacular photography has been a popular topic of research within the platforms of the history of photography and sociological studies and, in its print form, has increasingly seen its value rise in the marketplace. However, the family slideshow has been largely excluded from these various sites of attention. This thesis explores the family slideshow as a cultural product of mid-twentieth-century America. The slideshow is analysed in terms of how it was presented to and consumed by families in the 1950s and 1960s. The main section of this thesis provides an analysis of a case study carried out regarding the slideshow. The case study collected oral histories from four individuals on their experiences with producing and viewing slideshows in the mid-twentieth century. The analysis provides qualitative research on the consumption, production and viewing of the slideshow as a popular medium for family snapshots.


The role of endogenous prostaglandins in the antihypertensive mechanism of orally active angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor in low renin hypertension was investigated. In the SQ 14225-responders with low renin hypertension, blood pressure was elevated to control level and antihypertensive effect of SQ 14225 was attenuated after the inhibition of endogenous prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin, while no significant change in blood pressure was found in the SQ 14225-responders with normal renin hypertension. Urinary prostaglandin E excretion was not significantly increased after the SQ 14225 administration but significantly decreased after the administration of indomethacin. There was no significant difference in urinary prostaglandin E excretion between normal renin hypertension and low renin hypertension. These results suggest that SQ 14225 may potentiate extrarenal vasodilating prostaglandin system, probably vascular prostaglandin system, contributing to the antihypertensive mechanism in SQ 14225-responders with low renin hypertension. The augmented renin release following SQ 14225 administration was inhibited by indomethacin, suggesting that endogenous prostaglandin system may contribute to the negative short feedback mechanism of renin release.


In this article, Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu (Op. Posth.66) has been analyzed both structually and harmonically. Fantasie-Impromptu, is one of the most performed piece among Chopin's other works and the major beauty is because it is based on a balanced form. In this piece, each section is separated into sub-sections and outlined schematically. This study will absolutely make the pianists to perform this piece more consciously and needless to say, gain the ability and be able to carry out and express what the composer's conception was.


Purpose: In advanced cancer, oncological treatment is influenced by performance status (PS); however, this has limitations. Biomarkers of systemic inflammation may have prognostic value in advanced cancer. The study compares key factors in prognosis (performance status, patient-reported outcomes; PRO) with an inflammation-based score (Glasgow Prognostic Score, mGPS). A new method of prognosis in advanced cancer (combining performance status and mGPS) is tested and then validated. Experimental Design: Two international biobanks of patients with advanced cancer were analyzed. Key prognostic factors [performance status, PROs (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C-30), and mGPS (using C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations)] were examined. The relationship between these and survival was examined using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression methods, in a test sample before independent validation. Results: Data were available on 1,825 patients (test) and 631 patients (validation). Median survival ranged from 3.2 months (test) to 7.03 months (validation). On multivariate analysis, performance status (HR 1.62–2.77) and mGPS (HR 1.51–2.27) were independently associated with, and were the strongest predictors of survival (P < 0.01). Survival at 3 months varied from 82% (mGPS 0) to 39% (mGPS 2) and from 75% (performance status 0–1) to 14% (performance status 4). When used together, survival ranged from 88% (mGPS 0, PS 0–1) to 10% (mGPS 2, performance status 4), P < 0.001. Conclusion: A systemic inflammation-based score, mGPS, and performance status predict survival in advanced cancer. The mGPS is similar to performance status in terms of prognostic power. Used together, performance status and mGPS act synergistically improving prognostic accuracy. This new method may be of considerable value in the management of patients with advanced cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 19(19); 5456–64. ©2013 AACR.


The addition of the synthetic Rhagoletis feeding attractant (consisting of ammonium carbonate and ammonium acetate, developed previously for Rhagoletis cerasi L.) to both fluorescent yellow or transparent sticky traps significantly increased catches of the fruit flies Rhagoletis batava Hering (pest of sea buckthorn) and Carpomyia schineri Loew. (pest of rose hips). Traps with lures were detecting the occurrence of both species 1–2 weeks before as compared to traps without lure, and quantitative aspects of the flight could be followed in more detail in traps with lure. Thus in detection and monitoring surveys, where sensitivity of the trap is highly important, the use of traps with synthetic lure added is strongly recommended.


Nicolas Bouvier was an image merchant and photographer as well as a writer. The Eland edition of "Japanese Chronicles" will be accompanied by many of his startling images of Japan. "The Japanese Chronicles" is a distillation of Bouvier's lifelong quest for Japan and his many travels, so that the reader is able to discover the country through the eyes of both a passionate young man, the sensual appeciation of a middle-aged artist and the serenity of an experience writer. 'Like other great literature, [Bouvier's] Chronicles pulls the reader into a timeless dimension where all is transformed and there is no separation between the reader and the work' - "San Francisco Review of Books". 'Some of the most resonant and perceptive travel writing in recent years'. - "Kirkus Reviews". 'Bouvier's distinguished accomplishments have culminated here in a book that succeeds in transforming personal experiences into a series of epiphanies for the reader'. - "Booklist".


This article evaluates a tourism-oriented policing (TOP) training program that was conducted with police officers in the Caribbean island of Tobago. It focuses on TOP and its increasing role in contemporary police practices, especially at destinations that depend on tourism for survival. The article explores previous tourism policing approaches, the need for tourist safety and the necessity for police departments to contemporise their policing by moving away from former paradigms of police officers as generalists. The study utilises a quantitative case study approach in surveying the TOP training program, with data analysed from preand post-test questionnaires of 25 participants. Descriptive results indicate general satisfaction with the training, a belief that tourism security is beneficial to the tourism industry in Tobago and that senior police officers should all receive TOP training.


The article emphasizes the relevance of the digital economy development as one of the most important directions of the fourth industrial revolution. It is significant for a breakthrough in science and technology, social and economic development. I prove that the industrial policy is a reliable instrument for supporting digital economy. The following factors define the priorities of industrial policy: the level of socio-economic development of the country, the existing model of economic development, an image of the country's future. I consider the evolution of the industrial policy priorities in Russia. In current situation, the essentially new priority is the support of digital economy. I find that pro-active digital economy formulation and management in collaboration of all branches of the government as well as the development of digital economy together with sector programmes and programmes of innovative development, etc. are of great importance. I have suggested steps, which could make the Industry Development Fund to support the new priorities connected with digital economy development. Furthermore, I have developed proposals on adjusting provisions, which define the possibility to apply special investment contracts for stimulating the digital economy development. I have defined the main directions of staffing the digital economy. The article emphasizes that «digital transformation of the industry» radically changes the idea targets and subjects of industrial policy. So-called related industries, as the association of goods, individuals, and technologies within the industrial system, the structures based on such special type of business models as technological platforms and the human needs become a new targets of the industrial policy. During the fourth industrial revolution, a system of interaction between federal and regional authorities and various business associations as well as civil society institutions becomes the main subject of industrial policy. This predetermines a multi-actor character of the industrial policy. The requirements to leaders of the state and business structures have increased. Therefore, their responsibility for preventing negative social and ethical consequences of the implementation of new technology solutions.


This article examines the relationships among task goal clarity, task significance, and individual-level task performance. While both goals and task significance are important in extant public-management research, a theoretical integration of the variables is needed. This study makes the theoretical contribution of explaining how these variables might work together in a public organization. In addition to examining the relationship between task goal clarity and performance, we consider how task significance might condition the relationship. There are theoretical reasons to suggest both a positive and negative conditional effect. Utilizing a 3 × 2 factorial design, we conducted a laboratory experiment on 214 subjects participating in a task-performance exercise. This study provides experimental evidence that task goal clarity is positively related to performance. However, an interesting relationship emerges with respect to the conditional effect of task significance. When an individual is primed to believe their performance has a higher level of task significance, the evidence suggests that this will decrease their level of performance. The findings provide significant nuance to our understanding of both task goal clarity and performance, as well as our understanding of the relationship between task significance and performance.


A Gilbert Cell phase detector for use in an integrated optical phase-locked loop (OPLL) was designed and fabricated using p-i-n/HBT layer structure optimized for photoreceivers. This phase detector was employed in an OPLL designed for producing stable dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) channel offsets. Offsets of 1.4 to over 10 GHz were achieved.


A simple model in which one CNS taste neuron integrates inputs from multiple peripheral receptors is introduced in order to investigate the mechanism of acute intensity taste discrimination in flies. Information theory is applied to evaluate the acute ability of discrimination provided by the model. The present analysis is carried out under two statistical conditions concerning the uncertainty of receptor response. Based on experimental data obtained by Smith et al. (1983), we estimate the mutual information entropy of the model. The numerical results obtained here indicate that the uncertainty observed in a single receptor response is dramatically reduced by the central integration. Furthermore, each of the eleven stimulus intensity levels experimentally applied by Smith et al., can be discriminated completely by integrating the responses of the realistic number of receptors (33-212). Such a great improvement of the differential sensitivity in the model resolves the discrepancy between the low differential sensitivity of single sugar receptors (Smith et al., 1983) and the high sensitivity obtained in the feeding behavior (Dethier and Rhoades, 1954; Dethier and Bowdan, 1984) of the blowfly.


Modelers create descriptions of a problem in part to assess their understanding of the problem situation. We postulate that these descriptions, i.e., models, are often constructed in our minds, i.e., mental models, and that their complexity forces the modeler to use external memory aids such as pencil and paper. The purpose of this paper is to report on an exploratory study of the use of sketches, i.e., diagrammatic representations, by modelers expert in the construction of mathematical models in the context of management science. In addition, we suggest a theoretical framework for the role of diagrammatic representations in the process of constructing mathematical models.


The metabolic hormone FGF-21 is mainly produced and released from the liver in response to nutritional stresses such as starvation, alcohol or ketogenic diet consumption. Body weight lowering and insulin signaling sensitization effects of FGF-21 and its analogues have been demonstrated in animal models or in human subjects. We show here that hepatic FGF-21 mRNA and FGF-21 protein levels were reduced in male LTCFDN, a transgenic mouse line in which canonical Wnt signaling cascade is functionally attenuated due to the expression of dominant negative transcription factor TCF7L2 in the liver, and the reduction is not associated with reduced expression of PPARα, a key transactivator of FGF-21. Furthermore, starvation-induced plasma FGF-21 elevation was also attenuated in male LTCFDN mice. Utilizing mouse primary hepatocytes, we found that FGF-21 mRNA and FGF-21 protein expression can be increased by Wnt-3a or LiCl treatment. Two evolutionarily conserved TCF binding motifs (TCFB) were then located within the mouse FGF-21 gene promoter. Luciferase and ChIP results suggest that one of them is responsible for β-cat/TCF mediated activation on FGF-21 transcription.It has been shown recently that in mouse brain tanycytes, FGF-21 secretion can be induced by palmitate treatment. We found that in mouse primary hepatocytes, palmitate but not oleate treatment increased expression of the Wnt target gene Ccnd1, which encodes cyclin D1. Our observations hence suggest that Wnt signaling cascade is involved in hepatic FGF-21 production and secretion, and the positive regulation is likely independent of fibrate/PPARα-mediated induction. Investigations on this novel hepatic signaling axis will strengthen our knowledge on the physiologically significant hormone FGF-21, leading to novel therapeutic avenues in treating impaired metabolism. Disclosure Y. Badakhshi: None. W. Shao: None. L. Tian: None. T. Jin: None. Funding Canadian Institutes of Health Research (PJT159735)


We numerically investigate the Fréedericksz transition for steady state plane shear flow of nematic liquid crystals between two parallel plates in the presence of external magnetic fields. Three typical configurations with the external field in the plane of the flow and perpendicular to it, in the plane and along the flow, and where it is perpendicular to the plane of the flow are considered. In each case, the Fréedericksz transition is studied as a bifurcation problem. Beginning with a steady state shear flow, solutions corresponding to slowly increasing magnetic fields and those corresponding to fields which are suddenly turned on at a given intensity are studied. For a typical idealized nematic, we show that the symmetric pitch-fork bifurcation in the absence of shear becomes a transcritical bifurcation from the trivial solution in one configuration while in another it resembles a disconnected pitch-fork where the turning point of the disconnected branch is a generic singularity in the absence of symmetry or a trivial solution.


Oxynitride glasses are mixed-anion systems, in which the 2-fold coordinated oxygen atoms have been partially substituted by 3-fold coordinated nitrogen atoms. This so-called nitridation process introduces additional bonds and thereby constrains and compacts the glass network and consequently alters the glass hardness. To explore how and why hardness varies with the degree of nitridation, we have derived a topological model of oxynitride glass hardness using temperature-dependent constraint theory, by which the scaling of glass hardness with nitrogen content can be predicted. A linear model has been derived based on the assumption that the substitution of oxygen atoms with nitrogen atoms is responsible for the hardness increase due to the increase in the number (n) of bond-bending and bond-angular constraints. It turns out that the model agrees with the experimental observation, i.e., an approximate positive linear trend of the hardness change with nitrogen content is observed for a wide range of glass compositions. The topological model may thus be useful for designing new oxynitride glass compositions with targeted hardness values.


Aim Evaluation of pubertal changes is an easily missed component in the assessment of the complex neurodisabled child .There is limited literature available in the UK regarding pubertal changes in these children. Available evidence suggests an earlier age of commencement of puberty and an increased incidence of precocious puberty in comparison with the general population. We aim to identify the characteristics of early pubertal changes amongst patients seen within a tertiary neurodisability setting. Methods Retrospective data was collated from patients with neurodisability and premature pubertal changes who were seen over an 18 month period. Patients were evaluated through clinical examination and subsequently referred for endocrine assessment. Hormonal assays and bone age estimation were conducted where appropriate. Results 13 children (male: female = 2:11) with neurodisability and early pubertal changes were identified. All 13 children had learning difficulties with the majority(84%) placed in special schools. CP(38%) and SLD of unknown origin(38%) were the most common underlying diagnosis. Age at presentation was 3–8.5 years (median age: boys = 5.75 years, girls = 6 years). Of the 11 girls, 54.5% (n = 6, median age: 4.7 years)were diagnosed with central precocious puberty and presented with thelarche and pubarche (tanner stage 2). They had advanced bone age and hormonal levels in pubertal range. 1 girl was diagnosed with idiopathic precocious puberty .The remaining children, 2 boys(mean age 5.75years) and 3 girls (mean age 6.8years) presented with isolated thelarche or pubarche ,had prepubetral sex hormone levels, normal or marginally increased bone age, normal or high adrenal steroid levels. These children were diagnosed with premature or exaggerated adrenarche and did not warrant treatment. Results of investigations are pending in 1 child. 6/7 children diagnosed with precocious puberty were treated with GNRH analogues (parents refused treatment for 1 child) Conclusions In our review, true precocious puberty was identified in younger children as compared to older children who presented with isolated secondary sexual characteristics. A significant proportion of these children required hormonal treatment. Thus, assessment of pubertal changes should be an essential component of the multipronged evaluation of children with neurodisability.


The Standard Model of particle physics has been very successful in describing fundamental interactions up to the highest energies currently probed in particle accelerator experiments. However, the Standard Model is incomplete and currently exhibits tension with experimental data for interactions involving $B$~mesons. Consequently, $B$-meson physics is of great interest to both experimentalists and theorists. Experimentalists worldwide are studying the decay and mixing processes of $B$~mesons in particle accelerators. Theorists are working to understand the data by employing lattice gauge theories within and beyond the Standard Model. This work addresses the theoretical effort and is divided into two main parts. In the first part, I present a lattice-QCD calculation of form factors for exclusive semileptonic decays of $B$~mesons that are mediated by both charged currents ($B \to \pi \ell \nu$, $B_s \to K \ell \nu$) and neutral currents ($B \to \pi \ell^+ \ell^-$, $B \to K \ell ^+ \ell^-$). The results are important for constraining or revealing physics beyond the Standard Model. This work uses MILC's (2+1+1)-flavor ensembles, with the HISQ action for the up, down, strange, and charm sea and valence quarks, and the clover action in the Fermilab interpretation for the $b$~quark. Simulations are carried out on five ensembles at three lattice spacings down to $\approx 0.088$~fm, with both physical and unphysical sea-quark masses. I present results for correlation-function fits and describe the chiral-continuum extrapolation and $z$~expansion of the form factors. In the second part, I present the status of an ongoing lattice calculation of $SU(3)$ gauge theory with eight and 12 fundamental fermions, in which I search for the endpoint of the line of first-order phase transitions in the mass--coupling plane. The results are important for understanding the phase diagram of these models, with possible applications to physics beyond the Standard Model. This work uses the staggered action and the nHYP-improved stagge! red action for the fermions, as well as the Wilson action in the fundamental and fundamental--adjoint representations for the gauge bosons. With the unimproved actions, I present results for a small lattice and describe the ongoing effort on larger lattices. I also discuss the shift symmetry on lattices with and without improved actions.


Video-based human motion analysis is an important research direction in the field of computer vision. It detects moving objects from video sequences, extracts key parts of the human body, and obtains useful information for human movements. Further analysis and identification. In this paper, the joints of the teeing arm are first color-coded. The tennis teeing video is collected by a high-speed camera. The coordinates of the tacking points in each frame are used instead of the knuckles to study the trajectory of the teeing arm. In the process of video processing, after constructing a dictionary for a series of noise maps, the sparse representation idea was used to reconstruct an interference-free service diagram, and a mixture of Gaussian background modeling was used to extract the foreground of the motion. After obtaining the motion foreground, the marker points are extracted through the color features, and binarization operations are performed on the marker points. Next, the outline of the marker points is searched, the outline is surrounded by the minimum circle, and the returned circle center coordinates are used as the joint point coordinates. Taking the trajectory of the shoulder marking point as a research object, a tennis serving model based on an improved support vector machine was established.


Surface display of peptides and proteins on microorganismshas during the last decade gained tremendous interest due tothe numerous applications for the technique found inbiotechnology, molecular biology and immunology. This thesisdescribes both bacterial display of different affinity proteinsand display of libraries of small α-helical proteindomains on phage for selection of novel binding proteinsdenoted affibodies.A single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment, directed againsthuman immunoglobulin E (IgE), was surface displayed on the twofood-grade staphylococcal speciesStaphylococcus xylosusandStaphylococcus carnosus, using two different expressionsystems both taking advantage of the cell wall anchoring partsof staphylococcal protein A (SpA). Heterologous,scFv-containing hybrid proteins were found to be surfaceexposed on both cell types and the whole live bacterial cellswere shown to have gained ability to bind the target antigen,human IgE.Combinatorial libraries of a 58 residue, alpha-helicaldomain derived from a SpA analogue have been monovalentlydisplayed on phage as fused to a truncated protein III of M13bacteriophages. The immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc binding surfaceof the native domain was targeted for randomization to createlarge libraries of domain variants from which new proteins,affibodies, with novel binding specificities, could beselected. Identified affibodies directed against apolipoproteinA-1MilanoandTaqDNA polymerase, respectively, were shown toselectively bind their targets and could efficiently be used asligands in affinity chromatography to purify the targetproteins from crude lysates ofE. colicells. In addition, a high stability againstalkaline conditions was demonstrated in column sanitation stepsusing sodium hydroxide. The affinities (KD) of affibodies selected from naive libraries wereroutinely in the micromolar range, although with differentkinetic characteristics. Using a helix shuffling affinitymaturation strategy, the affinity of aTaqDNA polymerase specific affibody could be improved15-fold. Head to tail genetic fusion, yielding a divalentmolecule, was demonstrated to further increase the apparentaffinity by avidity effects.Two different affibodies, reactive with human IgA or IgE,respectively, were surface exposed onS. carnosususing the expression system employed for thescFv antibody. The affibodies were demonstrated to beproteolytically stable and efficiently and functionallydisplayed on the staphylococcal surface.Taken together, it has been demonstrated that small andhighly stable α-helical affibody domains, normally bindingto IgG, can be randomized in surface-exposed positions to yieldlarge combinatorial libraries from which new variants can beselected with redirected binding specificities. Furthermore,staphylococcal surface display of such SpA-derived affibodies,or the variable parts of an antibody linked as a scFv, has beenshown to generate recombinant bacteria with new bindingspecificities, that could for example be investigated as novelwhole cell diagnostic devices.Keywords:affibody, affinity chromatography, affinitymaturation, bacterial surface display,in vitroselection, combinatorial protein library, phagedisplay, scFv antibody fragment, staphylococcal protein A,Staphylococcus carnosus, Staphylococcus xylosus,Zdomain.© Elin Gunneriusson,1999


The least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) is an interesting variant of the SVM. It performs structural risk through margin-maximization and has excellent power of generalization. For some applications, it is more interesting to use the weighted LS-SVM where the impact of each training sample is controlled by weighting factors. In this paper, we consider the use of the weighted LS-SVM in semi-supervised learning. We propose an algorithm to perform this type of learning by extending the transductive SVM idea. We tested our algorithm on both artificial and real problems and demonstrate its usefulness comparing with other semi-supervised learning methods.


This paper tries to add more geographical details about two cantons of the Armenian Pʿaytakaran region as described in Asxarhacʿoycʿ: Hrakʿotperož and Spandaranperož. These two cantons find their original Middle Persian names in sigillographic or literary (Middle and New Persian, and occasionally Arabic) sources. Pʿaytakaran, regarded as a region once belonging to the greater Armenia, was already under Iranian dominion and subject to Sasanian policy and its administrative reforms.


The coming years will see a rapid development of telemanipulators for robotic surgery. These systems will open up new possibilities in surgery. Patient safety and acceptance among surgeons are two key issues in this context. We believe that haptic feedback at the console will be an essential feature for both, increased safety and acceptance among surgeons. We aim at giving the surgeon the feeling that he or she is directly operating with his/her own hands on the patient's body. For this, multimodal haptic feedback will be necessary, i.e. the merging of force-feedback, temperature sensing, pressure sensing, and texture rendering, in addition to an ergonomic design of the console itself. We will present some preliminary designs of such systems which are currently being developed in the framework of several projects.


Somatic embryogenesis (SE), which resembles zygotic embryogenesis, is an essential component of the process of plant cell differentiation and embryo development. Although microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of many plant develop- mental processes, their roles in SE have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we used deep-sequencing, computational, and qPCR methods to identify, profile, and describe conserved and novel miRNAs involved in longan (Dimocarpus longan) SE. A total of 643 conserved and 29 novel miRNAs (including star strands) from more than 169 miRNA families were identified in longan embryogenic tissue using Solexa sequencing. By combining computational and degradome sequencing approaches, we were able to predict 2063 targets of 272 miRNAs and verify 862 targets of 181 miRNAs. Target annotation revealed that the putative targets were involved in a broad variety of biological processes, including plant metabolism, signal transduction, and stimulus response. Analysis of stage- and tissue-specific expressions of 20 conserved and 4 novel miRNAs indicated their possible roles in longan SE. These miRNAs were dlo-miR156 family members and dlo-miR166c* associated with early embryonic culture developmental stages; dlo-miR26, dlo-miR160a, and families dlo-miR159, dlo-miR390, and dlo-miR398b related to heart-shaped and torpedo- shaped embryo formation; dlo-miR4a, dlo-miR24, dlo-miR167a, dlo-miR168a*, dlo-miR397a, dlo-miR398b.1, dlo-miR398b.2, dlo-miR808 and dlo-miR5077 involved in cotyledonary embryonic development; and dlo-miR17 and dlo-miR2089*-1 that have regulatory roles during longan SE. In addition, dlo-miR167a, dlo-miR808, and dlo-miR5077 may be required for mature embryo formation. This study is the first reported investigation of longan SE involving large-scale cloning, characterization, and expression profiling of miRNAs and their targets. The reported results contribute to our knowledge of somatic embryo miRNAs and provide insights into miRNA biogenesis and expression in plant somatic embryo development.


The development and testing of systems to support users engaged in exploratory search activities (i.e., searches where the target may be undefined) is an challenge for the online search community. In this article we report on a workshop on exploratory search issues organized in conjunction with the University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory's Annual Symposium and Open House in June 2005. This workshop brought together researchers from the fields of Information Seeking (IS), Information Retrieval (IR), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Information Visualization (IV) for a cross-disciplinary exploration of these and other issues. Although originally intended to focus on interfaces to support exploratory search the workshop blossomed into a rich discussion of not only interface issues, but also evaluation, the cognitive processes that underlie information exploration and research methods.


Although program failure is an occasional reality, program planners tend to avoid evaluating unsuccessful programs. By examining program failure through a systematic audit, future failures can be prevented and worthy programs altered for success. Both individuals and groups working with programs can benefit personally and socially when the actual causes of failure are determined. This article further identifies types of program failures, some origins of failure, and responsibility for failure assessments. A matrix illustrates determiners and determinants for consideration in a failure audit. AUDITING A LEISURE PROGRAM FAILURE


Abstract:This article examines the force and limitations of genealogy in order to develop a practice of counter-history that is capable of both overcoming its inherent problems and providing a more trenchant mode of critico-historical engagement. Using Foucault's well-known essay on Nietzsche as its methodological centerpiece, it begins by elucidating the latter's powerful contribution to the historical analysis of values, while also foregrounding the quasi-naturalized morality of genealogy that structures it. Against this backdrop, it examines Foucault's symptomatological distinction between two opposed and normativized conceptions of origin in Nietzsche—Herkunft and Ursprung—in order to both explicate Foucault's unique appropriation of Nietzschean genealogy and demonstrate its limits through the striking fact that this originary textual symptom of "properly Nietzschean" genealogy does not actually exist in the text. The remainder of the article draws on certain genealogical resources while challenging the historical order undergirding them in order to propose an alternative logic of history that takes into account its constitutive multidimensionality and the multiplicity of agencies at work in any conjuncture. It dismantles, in this way, the very framework that renders historical origins possible, as well as streamlined moral narratives of genealogical inversion, thereby parting ways with the moralities of genealogy in favor of the politicization of values.


This plan provides a description of the groundwater and surface water quality monitoring activities planned for calendar year (CY) 2011 at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) that will be managed by the Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP). Groundwater and surface water monitoring performed by the GWPP during CY 2011 will be in accordance with requirements of DOE Order 540.1A and the following goals: (1) to protect the worker, the public, and the environment; (2) to maintain surveillance of existing and potential groundwater contamination sources; (3) to provide for the early detection of groundwater contamination and determine the quality of groundwater and surface water where contaminants are most likely to migrate beyond the Oak Ridge Reservation property line; (4) to identify and characterize long-term trends in groundwater quality at Y-12; and (5) to provide data to support decisions concerning the management and protection of groundwater resources. Groundwater and surface water monitoring during CY 2011 will be performed primarily in three hydrogeologic regimes at Y-12: the Bear Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (Bear Creek Regime), the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime), and the Chestnut Ridge Hydrogeologic Regime (Chestnut Ridge Regime). The Bear Creekmore » and East Fork regimes are located in Bear Creek Valley and the Chestnut Ridge Regime is located south of Y-12 (Figure A.1). Additional surface water monitoring will be performed north of Pine Ridge along the boundary of the Oak Ridge Reservation. Modifications to the CY 2011 monitoring program may be necessary during implementation. Changes in programmatic requirements may alter the analytes specified for selected monitoring wells or may add or remove wells from the planned monitoring network. All modifications to the monitoring program will be approved by the Y-12 GWPP manager and documented as addenda to this sampling and analysis plan. The following sections of this report provide details regarding the CY 2011 groundwater and surface water monitoring activities. Section 2 describes the monitoring locations in each regime and the processes used to select the sampling locations. A description of the field measurements and laboratory analytes is provided in Section 3. Sample collection methods and procedures are described in Section 4, and Section 5 lists the documents cited for more detailed operational and technical information. The narrative sections of the report reference several appendices. Figures (maps and diagrams) and tables (excluding data summary tables presented in the narrative sections) are in Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively. Groundwater Monitoring Schedules (when issued throughout CY 2011) will be inserted in Appendix C, and addenda to this plan (if issued) will be inserted in Appendix D. Laboratory requirements (bottle lists, holding times, etc.) are provided in Appendix E, and an approved Waste Management Plan is provided in Appendix F.« less


Many artists using mathematical curves to generate lines in their work use Lissajous figures or cycloids. There are many other curves which can be drawn "mechanically" and linkages do not appear to have been used in an obvious way. In my op-art period many years ago, I used a simple linkage and I have resurrected this to create some new ideas following a particular interest in the lemniscate.


This qualitative study examines the role stress (comprising of role ambiguity and role conflict) experienced by locally hired Japanese (LJ) and non-Japanese (NJ) staff in a sample of Japanese companies in Australia. Expatriates were also interviewed to gather information regarding the impact of cross-cultural understanding on role ambiguity and role conflict in their work relationships with LJ and NJ staff. Both LJ staff and NJ local staff experienced two types of role ambiguity, resulting from insufficient English competence and information shortage. NJ staff experienced two additional types of role ambiguity due to their lack of cultural understanding about Japan. LJ staff experienced two types of role conflict which were not experienced by NJ local staff. These were caused by their cultural understanding about Australia, and their Japanese cultural heritage and understanding of the society and organisational processes. This study shows that cultural understanding of one's host country and parent country could reduce role ambiguity. In addition, it was found that cultural understanding of one's host country and parent country results in role conflict. These findings suggest that cultural understanding could have positive and negative consequences on role stress. Theoretical and practical implications in the management of white-collar staff in overseas Japanese companies are discussed.


This paper presents the design of a 1.6 GHz quadrature phase locked loop for GPS applications, operated with a supply voltage of 1.2 V and dissipating a current of less than 5 mA. It is capable of delivering quadrature locked signals in the range from 1.22 GHz to 1.96 GHz with a phase noise response of less than 115 dBc at an offset of 1 MHz from the carrier. The wide tuning range is obtained using an on-chip regulated DC-DC converter clocked by the reference signal, with negligible effect on phase noise and spurious level of the PLL. The design was made using the STMicroelectronics proprietary 0.13 mum HCMOS9 technology design kit.


Set up to promote security and prosperity in the EU's neighbors, the European Neighbourhood Policy has struggled in recent years to cope with the pace of change in the region. Giulia Pastorella argues that recent events such as the Arab Spring illustrate the ineffectiveness of the policy, with many countries making little progress. While reform is badly needed, budget squeezes, more assertive Middle Eastern regimes and a lack of political will within the EU all mean that it is likely that the policy will continue relatively unchanged for the time being.


In recent years a number of exciting fMRI studies have highlighted the role of primary visual cortex in the representation of the perceived size of objects. Several studies have now demonstrated that an object's perceived size, independent of its retinal size, is correlated with functional and anatomical aspects of V1. These results have been surprising, given previous assumptions about the retinotopic nature of V1 processing. What remains fundamentally unknown is whether these representations of the perceived size of objects are originating in V1 and propagating in a feedforward manner to the rest of the visual system, or if representations of an object's perceived size may first originate in higher level visual areas before feeding back to V1. Unfortunately, fMRI lacks the temporal resolution to directly address this question. Here we explore the viability of High Density EEG as a potential tool for resolving this question. EEG offers the necessary temporal resolution, and when combined with Dipole Source Localization, has the potential to identify neural correlates of perceived size throughout visual cortex . We demonstrate an important first step in determining whether EEG can reveal neural correlates of perceived size: the classification of retinal size with ms temporal resolution. Using a 256 channel High Density EEG system, event related potentials were evoked by either small or large circles presented within Ebbinghaus-type arrays. Multivariate pattern analyses performed on the electrode data could successfully distinguish between small and large target circles. This suggests that HD-EEG may indeed be a plausible approach for addressing questions related to the representation of perceived size. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


This study compares the changes in four blood markers of exercise‐induced oxidative stress in response to exercise protocols commonly used to explore the global muscle performance at work (maximal incremental cycle) and endurance to fatigue of selected muscles (static handgrip and thumb adduction). Cycling and static exercises allow the muscle to work in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Healthy adults performed an incremental cycling exercise until volitional exhaustion and, on separated days, executed infra‐maximal static thumb adduction and handgrip until exhaustion. Exercise‐induced oxidative stress was assessed by the increased plasma concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), the consumption of plasma reduced ascorbic acid (RAA), and erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) antioxidants, and the changes in the total antioxidant status (TAS) of plasma. Five minutes after the end of the incremental cycling exercise, we measured a peak increase in TBARS level, maximal consumption of GSH and RAA, and a modest but significant decrease in TAS concentration. In response to both static thumb adduction and handgrip, significant variations of TBARS, GSH and RAA occurred but we did not measure any significant change in TAS level throughout the 20‐min recovery period of both exercise bouts. The present study shows that only the changes in TBARS, GSH and RAA explore both dynamic and static exercises. In addition, TAS measurement does not seem to represent a reliable and unique tool to explore exercise‐induced oxidative stress, at least during isometric efforts that allow the muscle to work under anaerobic condition.


System and network technology provide great convenience for rapid development. Network infrastructure devices help greatly in managing various spines of any enterprise like bank accounts, online transaction, transportation, social insurance, protection, correspondence and computer networks systems; but at the same time may suffer from unauthorized access, data theft, network abuse, data modification and DOS (denial of service) attacks which prevent assurance of continuous service to legitimate users of the network. For these reasons, The detection of attacks has been an important aspect of the efforts of uncovered system scam. Network security experts need much more alert accuracy and overall threat analysis in the number of ways to secure their network within cyberspace. Improvements in network intrusion detection and a more comprehensive approach can be made possible from several different hybrid sources. Network intrusion detection (NID) is the answer to all these threats and has regularly been studied in both educational and industrially by various renowned authors. This paper presents the findings and conclusions obtained from detailed literature review and gives a survey on the state of art of this research. Some conclusions on research trends are also discussed.


The Dr H.M.E. Schurmann collection is stored at the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, The Netherlands. It mainly consists of Precambrian rocks, but also includes other crystalline rocks and minerals, which were collected from all over the world. In order to provide a quick reference to localities of interest, an overview of the most important geographical locations is given. During his life and particularly after his retirement, Schurmann spent much of his time studying the Precambrian in North Africa. As a result, he gathered an extensive and well-documented collection of Precambrian rocks and minerals from Egypt and an irreplaceable collection of Precambrian rocks from drill-cores of deep wells situated in Libya. Both collections are discussed in this paper. Subsequently, the collection of xenolith-bearing basalts from Finkenberg, Germany, and collections of glaucophane-bearing rocks, ophiolites and ores from various countries are highlighted. The Schurmann collection has been reorganised and made better accessible; the catalogues that were produced are listed.


A new species of skolochorate dinoflagellate cyst, Exochosphaeridium alisitosense, from upper Albian strata in Baja California, Mexico is described. The genus Exochosphaeridium is emended to include fossil dinoflagellate cysts with nontabular to intratabular processes, occasionally modified in the antapical area and with a short apical horn, and assigned to the subfamily Cribroperidinioideae. E. alisitosense, has intratabular processes and a reticulate antapical area that together with the adjacent paraplates, delineates a symmetrical sexiform arrangement with dextral torsion. This species also has an S-type ventral organization with an A/ai paratabulation pattern.


Gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine) is a novel purine analog with clinical activity against ovarian cancer. Accumulation of gemcitabine triphosphate (dFdCTP) increases in a linear fashion with prolonged infusions of gemcitabine, and there is a strong relationship between intracellular accumulation of dFdCTP and DNA damage. Women with ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma and documented recurrent disease were eligible for the study. Patients could not have received more than four prior lines of chemotherapy and had to have measurable or evaluable disease. Gemcitabine 800 mg/m2 administered by intravenous infusion at 10 mg/m2/min (fixed dose rate [FDR]) on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day schedule. Twenty-eight patients with a median age 60 (range, 40-77) years were treated. Although 43% were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0, 50% had liver metastases. Eighty-eight cycles of therapy were delivered (median 2 [range, 1-6]). Five of the first ten patients treated at 800 mg/m2 could not receive day 8 FDR-gemcitabine because of neutropenia, and the starting dose was reduced to 700 mg/m2. Even at this dose there was cumulative hematologic toxicity resulting in dose reductions. Vomiting, mucositis, diarrhea, allergy, rash, fever, and alopecia were mild. In 28 patients, there was only one partial response (4%, 95% CI 0-18%) and median time to progression was 1.7 (interquartile range, 1.2-3.9) months. FDR-gemcitabine 700 mg/m2 administered by intravenous infusion at an FDR of 10 mg/m2/min had minimal activity against heavily pretreated recurrent tumors of müllerian origin. The optimal dose and schedule of gemcitabine is yet to be defined in this population.


We provide a method, based on the theory of Markov decision processes, for eecient planning in stochastic domains. Goals are encoded as reward functions, expressing the desirability of each world state; the planner must nd a policy (mapping from states to actions) that maximizes future rewards. Standard goals of achievement, as well as goals of maintenance and prioritized combinations of goals, can be speciied in this way. An optimal policy can be found using existing methods, but these methods require time at best polynomial in the number of states in the domain, where the number of states is exponential in the number of propositions (or state variables). By using information about the starting state, the reward function, and the transition probabilities of the domain, we restrict the planner's attention to a set of world states that are likely to be encountered in satisfying the goal. Using this restricted set of states, the planner can generate more or less complete plans depending on the time it has available. Our approach employs several iterative reenement routines for solving diierent aspects of the decision making problem. We describe the meta-level control problem of deliberation scheduling, allocating computational resources to these routines. We provide diierent models corresponding to optimization problems that capture the diierent circumstances and computational strategies for decision making under time constraints. We consider precursor models in which all decision making is performed prior to execution and recurrent models in which decision making is performed in parallel with execution, accounting for the states observed during execution and anticipating future states. We describe experimental results for both the precursor and recurrent problems that demonstrate planning times that grow slowly as a function of domain size.


The percentage of the population aged 65 or over in the Netherlands is currently lower than in all other member states of the European Union with the exception of Ireland. The relatively low percentage of persons aged 65 or over can be explained by the fact that the post-war baby boom continued longer in the Netherlands than in most other countries. According to the new population scenarios for the European Union...the percentage of the Dutch population aged 65 or over will remain below the average for the European Union during the next half century. (SUMMARY IN ENG) (EXCERPT)


The k$-colour bipartite Ramsey number of a bipartite graph $H$ is the least integer $N$ for which every $k$-edge-coloured complete bipartite graph $K_{N,N}$ contains a monochromatic copy of $H$. The study of bipartite Ramsey numbers was initiated over 40 years ago by Faudree and Schelp and, independently, by Gyárfás and Lehel, who determined the $2$-colour bipartite Ramsey number of paths. Recently the $3$-colour Ramsey number of paths and (even) cycles, was essentially determined as well. Improving the results of DeBiasio, Gyárfás, Krueger, Ruszinkó, and Sárközy, in this paper we determine asymptotically the $4$-colour bipartite Ramsey number of paths and cycles. We also provide new upper bounds on the $k$-colour bipartite Ramsey numbers of paths and cycles which are close to being tight.


1. The effects of two factors, leaf size and group size, on the performance of the Tupelo leafminer, Antispila nysaefoliella (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae), were examined by fitting growth models to mine expansion data using nonlinear mixed-effects models. 2. The rate of mine expansion served as a proxy for larval performance because of its correlation with both feeding activity and growth rate and is also the means by which a larva achieves its final mine size (or total consumption). 3. Leaf size was used as a measure of resource availability, and was expected to reduce the impact of resource competition and enhance larval performance. 4. In contrast to the unidirectional effects expected for leaf size (i.e. more resources should enhance performance), the direction for the effects of group size was expected to depend on the mechanism(s) driving the effect. For example, if there is resource competition among larvae in a group, then this could increase the feeding rates of some larvae or reduce the total consumption of others. However, if leaf mining induces host plant chemical defences, then larger groups might elicit a greater defensive response by the host plant (at the leaf), and hence, be characterized by reduced feeding and growth rates. 5. To investigate these interactions, two growth models, the Gompertz model and a modified version of the von Bertalanffy growth equation, were fitted to time series of the sizes of individual leaf mines using nonlinear mixed-effects models. Linear and nonlinear associations of each factor (group size or leaf size) with model parameters were then evaluated using a hierarchical testing procedure by determining: (i) whether inclusion of the factor produced a better-fit model, and (ii) if it did, the form of that relationship (i.e. linear or nonlinear). 6. Three patterns were detected with these analyses. (i) Leaf size had a significant positive, linear relationship with mine expansion rate. (ii) Group size had a significant quadratic relationship with mine expansion rate. (iii) The effects of leaf and group size on the maximum mine size were opposite to those found with growth rate.


To meet the requirements of smoothness and flexibility, an intelligent track-searching vehicle is designed to run fast and smoothly on different tracks. It is equipped with a MC9S12DG128 SCM as core, a steering engine, a motor-control module and other modules. The continuous path recognition algorithm is applied to collect track information, and the optimized PID control algorithm is used to control the intelligent vehicle's steering engine and motor. The experimental results show that the detection accuracy of intelligent vehicle is significantly increased; its sensitivity and stability are also obviously improved, achieving the fundamental goal of high speed of intelligent track-searching vehicle.


In this thesis we have implemented and developed the necessary hardware and software solutions to transform a radio controlled quad copter into an autonomous drone. The main goal for this thesis was to safely land the drone by visual navigation on a given landing spot. To make this possible the we started with the assembly of a radio controlled quad copter from a almost-ready-to-fly kit (ARF) from AeroQuad. We then applied the necessary hardware to the drone by adding a web camera for visual abilities, an embedded computer for processing power and wireless access point for telemetry. We implemented computer vision algorithms the enable visual navigation and the linear Kalman filter to give robustness to the visual tracking and to cope with noisy sensor observation. A proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID controller) was developed to control the drones pose and fly to desired positions. These implementations was tested in experiments in a real-world environment and the results shows the drones ability to perform autonomous tasks based on visual navigation are presented in results.


Many of the currently popular 'block algorithms' are scalar algorithms in which the operations have been grouped and reordered into matrix operations. One genuine block algorithm in practical use is block LU factorization, and this has recently been shown by Demmel and Higham to be unstable in general. It is shown here that block LU factorization is stable if A is block diagonally dominant by columns. Moreover, for a general matrix the level of instability in block LU factorization can be bounded in terms of the condition number K ( A ) and the growth factor for Gaussian elimination without pivoting. A consequence is that block LU factorization is stable for a matrix A that is symmetric positive definite or point diagonally dominant by rows or columns as long as A is well-conditioned.


The flavoprotein L-hydroxynicotine oxidase (LHNO) catalyzes an early step in the bacterial catabolism of nicotine. Although the structure of the enzyme establishes that it is a member of the monoamine oxidase family, LHNO is generally accepted to oxidize a carbon-carbon bond in the pyrrolidine ring of the substrate and has been proposed to catalyze the subsequent tautomerization and hydrolysis of the initial oxidation product to yield 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine [Kachalova, G., et al. (2011) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 4800-4805]. Analysis of the product of the enzyme from Arthrobacter nicotinovorans by nuclear magnetic resonance and continuous-flow mass spectrometry establishes that the enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of the pyrrolidine carbon-nitrogen bond, the expected reaction for a monoamine oxidase, and that hydrolysis of the amine to form 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine is nonenzymatic. On the basis of the kcat/Km and kred values for (S)-hydroxynicotine and several analogues, the methyl group contributes only marginally (∼ 0.5 kcal/mol) to transition-state stabilization, while the hydroxyl oxygen and pyridyl nitrogen each contribute ∼ 4 kcal/mol. The small effects on activity of mutagenesis of His187, Glu300, or Tyr407 rule out catalytic roles for all three of these active-site residues.


Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), produced in the gut by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates, change intestinal motility by mechanisms as yet unknown. This study examined the mechanism(s) of action of SCFAs on contractility using isolated rat terminal ileum segments and isolated ileal smooth muscle cells. Strip contractions were recorded under isometric conditions. Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured in single cells loaded with indo-1 penta-acetoxymethyl ester (indo-1 AM). SCFAs (10(-9) to 10(-2) mol/l) induced concentration dependent contractions. The effect was not different among the individual SCFAs. Exogenous acids (namely tartaric and citric acids) caused similar responses as SCFAs, whereas sodium acetate had no effect. The contraction was not blocked by tetrodotoxin, atropine or hexamethonium, showing that it was not mediated through a cholinergic pathway. Moreover, removal of the mucosa or addition of procaine (a local anaesthetic) to the bath did not change the SCFA induced contraction, while verapamil (a calcium-channel antagonist) completely suppressed it. In addition, application of SCFAs to isolated ileal myocytes evoked peaks in [Ca2+]i inhibited by D 600 (a blocker of voltage dependent calcium channels). Taken together, these results suggest that the contractile response stimulated by SCFAs in the rat terminal ileum could result from an acid sensitive calcium dependent myogenic mechanism.


BACKGROUND
Stigma refers to the undesirable characteristics linked to mental illness and the adverse cognitive and behavioral consequences. Stigma causes a spiral of alienation and discrimination, leading to social isolation that diminishes chances for recovery. There is a great need for antistigma programs in order to decrease stigma related to persons with mental health problems. The antistigma program was initiated in schools of Serbia with the aim to address and decrease discrimination of adolescents with mental disorders.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Sixty-three students from high schools voluntarily participated in the program. The effect of the program on the attitudes of students was evaluated by the Opinion about Mental Illness Questionnaire given to adolescents prior to its implementation and six months afterwards.

RESULTS
Social discrimination and the tendency towards social restriction were reduced, while, at the same time, social awareness of mental health-related problems was increased among young people six months after program implementation. The results obtained clearly indicate positive changes in adolescents' attitudes and demonstrate a need for further educational activities regarding stigma and mental disorders.

CONCLUSION
Stigma and discrimination reduction programs for adolescents are aimed at achieving a change of their attitudes toward the mental health problems of their peers and themselves through organized education. Our program demonstrates the necessity for youth participation in mental health services and system, and antistigma actions are seen as important aspects.


Accurately predicting the relevance of items to users is crucial to the success of many social platforms. Conventional approaches train models on logged historical data; but recommendation systems, media services, and online marketplaces all exhibit a constant influx of new content -- making relevancy a moving target, to which standard predictive models are not robust. In this paper, we propose a learning framework for relevance prediction that is robust to changes in the data distribution. Our key observation is that robustness can be obtained by accounting for how users causally perceive the environment. We model users as boundedly-rational decision makers whose causal beliefs are encoded by a causal graph, and show how minimal information regarding the graph can be used to contend with distributional changes. Experiments in multiple settings demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.


To assess the longitudinal dispersion of the stimulus induced by the magnetic coil, collision experiments were performed in seven normal ulnar nerves. A supramaximal electrical stimulus S1 was delivered at the wrist, and followed by a supramaximal stimulus S2 in the upper arm, which was either electrical (electrical collision studies), or magnetic (magnetic collision studies). The interstimulus interval was varied by 0.2 msec increments from the time of complete cancellation of the S2 evoked motor response onwards, to include the entire span of recovery of that compound motor action potential. Collision curves were obtained for both magnetic and electrical stimuli by plotting the amplitude of the motor response elicited by S2 as a function of the interstimulus interval. In all seven normal ulnar nerves, comparison of the collision curves showed that the S2 evoked motor response is restored significantly more slowly when magnetic stimulation is used. This finding is best explained by longitudinal dispersion of the stimulus induced by the magnetic coil relative to conventional electrical stimulation, the large fibers being stimulated further away from the coil than the small ones. This interpretation is confirmed by the findings obtained with the same method in two cases of ulnar neuropathy, and by comparison of different intensities of magnetic stimulation.


In initial ecosystems, concentrations of all macro- and micronutrients can be considered as extremely low. Plant litter therefore strongly influences the development of a degrader's food web and is an important source for C and N input into soil in such ecosystems. In the present study, a 13 C litter decomposition field experiment was performed for 30 weeks in initial soils from a post-mining area near the city of Cottbus (Germany). Two of this region's dominant but contrasting pioneering plant species ( Lotus corniculatus L. and Calamagrostis epigejos L.) were chosen to investigate the effects of litter quality on the litter decomposing microbial food web in initially nutrient-poor substrates. The results clearly indicate the importance of litter quality, as indicated by its N content, its bioavailability for the degradation process and the development of microbial communities in the detritusphere and soil. The degradation of the L. corniculatus litter, which had a low C / N ratio, was fast and showed pronounced changes in the microbial community structure 1–4 weeks after litter addition. The degradation of the C. epigejos litter material was slow and microbial community changes mainly occurred between 4 and 30 weeks after litter addition to the soil. However, for both litter materials a clear indication of the importance of fungi for the degradation process was observed both in terms of fungal abundance and activity ( 13 C incorporation activity)


An ability of organizing conceptually promiscuous data into a uniform structure is critical to knowledge navigating systems. In this paper, we describe a plain indexing method for accumulating diverse information originating from heterogeneous natural information sources. We present a couple of heuristic techniques: (a) orthogonal decomposition which allows for reorganizing a given information base into a Cartesian product of primitive concepts, and (b) analogical refinement which enables further elaboration based on the measurement of similarity. The proposal is implemented and evaluated against sample information bases containing about a few thousands conceptuai units. We discuss the strength and weakness of the method based on the analysis of experimental results.


Previous research has shown that reach endpoints vary with the starting position of the reaching hand and the location of the reach target in space. We examined the effect of movement direction of a proprioceptive target-hand, immediately preceding a reach, on reach endpoints to that target. Participants reached to visual, proprioceptive (left target-hand), or visual-proprioceptive targets (left target-hand illuminated for 1 s prior to reach onset) with their right hand. Six sites served as starting and final target locations (35 target movement directions in total). Reach endpoints do not vary with the movement direction of the proprioceptive target, but instead appear to be anchored to some other reference (e.g., body). We also compared reach endpoints across the single and dual modality conditions. Overall, the pattern of reaches for visual-proprioceptive targets resembled those for proprioceptive targets, while reach precision resembled those for the visual targets. We did not, however, find evidence for integration of vision and proprioception based on a maximum-likelihood estimator in these tasks.


HRSA is charged with improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. HRSA carries out its mission by providing funding and support to a wide variety of programs, which have grown in number and size since the agency was established in 1982. To manage these programs, HRSA has a staff of nearly 1,900 employees, supplemented by contract staff who perform a variety of tasks to support HRSA's programs and operations. HRSA's staff are organized into seven programmatic bureaus that are responsible for overseeing HRSA's programs and nine cross-cutting operational support offices—each of which reports to the Office of the Administrator. In recent years, GAO reported on weaknesses in HRSA's oversight and monitoring of certain programs.


The feasibility of a remote monitoring of structures for a progressive damage assessment as well as material characterization using a simple and inexpensive experimental setup is discussed. The method is based on a remote acoustic excitation of transverse vibrations on a membrane using an ordinary broadband low frequency loudspeaker, and the measurement of the response using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV). Theoretical modeling is also developed to correlate the experimental results obtained, and this yields a new method for Non Destructive Testing (NDT) of sheet-like materials. The function generator provides an input voltage of a sine signal to the loudspeaker, and laser detection of the surface vibrational response of the sample is accomplished with the laser vibrometer.


This paper examines the negotiations which led to the Brussels Convention of 1902 for the abolition of subsidies on sugar exports, showing how the practice of multilateral commodity trade negotiations was an outcome of this experience. Encompassing diverse fiscal systems, these negotiations began a process of pluri-national harmonization of taxation criteria and regulations, which forced changes to national statutes. They also initiated new forms of economic negotiations and coexistence. When war broke out in 1914, undoing agreements and inaugurating a new era of strict government control of economic activities, multilateralism had been established as a conceptual alternative and a practical possibility.


The aim of this thesis was to understand the role of epistemic communities in the global response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), through the theoretical lens of Social Constructivism, in order to explain the extent to which ideational factors and normative power constructed through them contributed to the shaping of Global Health Governance (GHG) surrounding infectious disease outbreaks. The methodology of this thesis combined key informants interviews with archival document‐based research. Archival research consisted of gathering and reviewing government documents, publications of intergovernmental organizations, media reports, press briefings, and policy papers. Discourse analysis was employed to systematically examine the wide range of data gathered. The thesis explored how different discourses have driven the changes in public health reasoning and practice, in the form of prioritisation of certain actions in the global response to SARS at various points in time. In order to show the ideational shifts over time, the SARS story was divided into three key phases in terms of the progress of the outbreak. This thesis finds that the global response to the SARS outbreak over three phases was shaped by contestation among various discourses, which framed the perceived priority issues and policy responses pursued. These ideas did not simply arise as governing norms, but ideational success occurred as a result of collective advancement by actors who were coalesced around particular policy ideas. The thesis provided an account of the interplay between policy ideas and key actors, in the form of epistemic communities, and how epistemic communities served as key sources of advice to policy making during the SARS outbreak. The thesis demonstrates that in many ways, the GHG of SARS mirrored, the GHG of other global health issues in terms of framing of issues and the actors in the formation of and justification for interests in global health. By illustrating the origins and significance of the multiplicity of ideas shaping collective action on SARS, this thesis underscores that governance response in terms of policy outcomes is the product of reconciling health with a plethora of competing priorities, and political economic goals via social construction of reality. The thesis considered the implications of the findings for conceptual understanding of GHG of infectious diseases, and for strengthening policies and practices to address the global infectious disease outbreaks.


The presence of these indicators undermines our confidence in the integrity of the article's content and we cannot, therefore, vouch for its reliability. Please note that this notice is intended solely to alert readers that the content of this article is unreliable. We have not investigated whether authors were aware of or involved in the systematic manipulation of the publication process. In addition, our investigation has also shown that one or more of the following human-subject reporting requirements has not been met in this article: ethical approval by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee or equivalent, patient/participant consent to participate, and/or agreement to publish patient/participant details (where relevant). Wiley andHindawi regrets that the usual quality checks did not identify these issues before publication and have since put additional measures in place to safeguard research integrity. We wish to credit our own Research Integrity and Research Publishing teams and anonymous and named external researchers and research integrity experts for contributing to this investigation. The corresponding author, as the representative of all authors, has been given the opportunity to register their agreement or disagreement to this retraction. We have kept a record of any response received.


Timetabling is an essential component of scheduling in all sectors of education. University timetabling entails the scheduling of times and venues for lectures and examinations. These activities are logically structured in a time-wise manner and presented on papers and placed on notice boards in order to avoid conflicts of event. However, timetable schedule forgetfulness, misinterpretation, miscopying, cost of rescheduling and slow time to reach for the rescheduled timetables are the challenges posed by the use of paper and notice board-based timetables; hence, the need for automated timetables. In this paper, we discuss the implementation of Android and web-based timetable customization systems for the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Bayero University, Kano-Nigeria. The web-based system provides an administrative module that facilitates scheduling and rescheduling of lecture, examination and invigilation timetables. In addition, the Android timetable customization system permits the user to view, customize, set reminders and provide rescheduled timetable updates. Keywords : Android, Customization, Timetable and Web based


However three-body vibrating screen is widely used in engineering practice, many dynamics of it have not well been addressed. For studying three-body vibrating screen dynamics, the vibrating screen dynamic model and the virtual model were established. Through deriving the dynamic equations and simulating the vibrating screen start - running process, the analytical equations and the trajectories were obtained. Studies have shown that the VBVS vibration in the Z direction is complex and the X direction which perpendicular to the axis of exciters is the sensitive direction for the installation error. In addition, the SBD's trajectories in the direction which does not exist exciting force are superimposed by the trajectories of USB and LSB.


: Currents of H+ and K+ ions initiated under the effect of facultative anaerobe of A. laidlawii, valinomycin, nigericin and carbonyl cyanide chloride phenylhydrasone on the membrane are recorded by means of the system of cation sensitive electrodes. It is stated that during glucose transport a redistribution of H+ and K+ and lactate between the cellular content and the medium takes place. Preincubation of cells with 3-o-methyl-D-glucose essentially decreases the effect of induced ion transport. It is concluded that ion transport observed in the experiments with glucose is related not to glucose transport through the cell membrane but to the release of its metabolic products from the cells.


The maize weevil is corn pests that reduce production and damages the storage quality. Therefore, pest management should simultaneously be carried out by applying all available technologies. This pest can damage up to 30% of plant productivity, not including the value of losses due to decreased quality of hazardous materials for health and safety, both as feed and feed. Aflatoxin contamination for example, can be dangerous if consumed. This paper is a desk study that reviews some literature, attempts to describe the role of cultivation technology improvement, crop protection, optimum watering, phosphate fertilization, the technology of postharvest handling, management of water content of corn kernels, sanitation, cleanliness, warehouse management, pesticide use, and fumigation in reducing the scale of damage and increasing the added value of production, and improving the quality of stored materials so that they are safe to use, both as food and feed. The utilization of cultivation technology management and good postharvest handling will have an impact on controlling and reducing the damage quality of storage materials and increasing the safe product quality for both food and feed needs as well.


Social identities relate to psychological perceptions of group memberships and form part of the self-concept. Socially identifying with groups has previously been found to associate with better mental well-being outcomes. This study first examined the factor structure and the reliability of measuring social identification in autistic adults. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that a factor structure was replicated in this sample for social identification with other autistic people, but not the family. Second, the study assessed the level to which autistic adults socially identified with different groups, the total number of social identities and whether these were associated with their mental well-being. Autistic adults reported feelings of social identification with many kinds of groups, some with multiple groups, whereas others did not socially identify with any group. Stronger feelings of social identification towards other autistic people and towards one's family, and with more groups overall, were associated with less severe self-reported depression symptoms and more facets of positive mental health. These findings indicate the importance of facilitating autistic people's engagement with social groups. Lay abstract Social identities are groups that we are part of and influence how we think about ourselves. However, up until now there has been little examination of the groups that autistic people may belong to, and how these groups may influence their mental health. This survey-based study investigated whether autistic adults answer questions about social groups in a similar way to non-autistic non-autistic adults, including the types and number of social groups they may belong to, and whether these are associated with depression, anxiety and positive traits of mental well-being. In total, 184 autistic adults completed an online survey with questionnaires about their demographics, social groups and mental health. The results found that autistic adults reported on their social groups similarly to non-autistic people. There was a variety in the types and numbers of groups that autistic adults identified with. Some participants reported having no groups that they identified with, whereas others reported up to four groups. These included other autistic people, their family, friends, work colleagues and activity clubs among others. Autistic adults who felt connected with more groups reported better mental well-being. Feelings of connection to other autistic people and the family were also associated with better mental well-being. These results show that it is important for autistic people to be given opportunity to be part of groups that are meaningful to them, as this may be beneficial for their mental health.


Flooding and submergence impose widespread and unpredictable environmental stresses on plants and depress the yield of most food crops. The problem is increasing, as is the need for greater food production from an expanding human population. The incompatibility of these opposing trends creates an urgent need to improve crop resilience to flooding in its multifarious forms. This Special Issue brings together research findings from diverse plant species to address the challenge of enhancing adaptation to flooding in major crops and learning from tactics of wetland plants. Here we provide an overview of the articles, with attempts to summarize how recent research results are being used to produce varieties of crop plants with greater flooding tolerance, notably in rice. The progress is considerable and based firmly on molecular and physiological research findings. The article also sets out how nextgeneration improvements in crop tolerance are likely to be achieved and highlights some of the new research that is guiding the development of improved varieties. The potential for non-model species from the indigenous riparian flora to uncover and explain novel adaptive mechanisms of flooding tolerance that may be introduced into crop species is also explored. The article begins by considering how, despite the essential role of water in sustaining plant life, floodwater can threaten its existence unless appropriate adaptations are present. Central to resolving the contradiction is the distinction between the essential role of cellular water as the source of electrons and protons used to build and operate the plant after combining with CO2 and O2 and the damaging role of extracellular water that, in excess, interferes with the union of these gases with photosynthetic or respiratory electrons and protons.


In this paper, by inserting an array of silver L-shaped nanorods between two layers of graphene, we propose a chiral metasurface in which circular dichriosm is tunable. Left and right-handed circularly polarized lights are normally and obliquely incident onto the proposed structure and circular dichroism spectrum is calculated for different Fermi energies of graphene. Our simulated results demonstrate that maximum value of circular dichroism spectrum and the wavelength in which maximum occurs can be tuned by changing the Fermi energy.