0740-7475/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE January–February 2001 IN CONTRAST TO the large number of logic gates and storage circuits encountered in digital networks, purely analog networks usually have relatively few circuit primitives (operational amplifiers and so on). The complexity lies not in the number of building blocks but in the complexity of each block and the need to test a range of parameters—for example, gain, bandwidth, and signal-to-noise ratio. Degraded circuit performance as well as nonfunctional operation must be checked. Thus, circuit complexity rather than volume complexity is the dominant problem in analog test, and testing mixed-signal circuits entails more difficulties than testing purely digital circuits. In IC manufacturing, circuits traditionally move from design to test with little thought about how each department's activities affect those of the other. This lack of foresight almost always results in iteration cycles between design and test to realize a testable design that also satisfies the specification. We need a bridge between design and test phases to enable a smooth transition. An integrated approach whereby both teams understand each other's requirements is a big step in the right direction. Interaction between design and test databases significantly increases the degree to which design and test development can operate as concurrent processes; some work has already been done in this area.1-3 Our goal was to build Spice models for the instruments incorporated in the IntegraTest system4 so that we could simulate the tests this system conducts during design. The models are based on manufacturer specifications, and control parameters used in the models are as close as possible to those in the instruments. To make changes in the models transparent to users, entering of parameters is isolated from the models' internal construction. After building the models, we compared the results of the simulated tests with results from actual tests performed with real instruments.


Durative events by default are atelic. However, temporal targets are typically required for durative verbs with a rushing manner, such as 'We are catching the 3:30 flight' and 'The farmer rushed to harvest before the storm'. Why and how does manner introduce delimiting temporal concepts to durative verbs? This puzzle is addressed by our current study of two near-synonymous Mandarin durative verbs describing events carried out in a rushing manner: 赶 gǎn and 抢 qiǎng. Our event-base account will examine both their compositional meanings and their constructional patterns. We will show that 赶 gǎn and 抢 qiǎng not only coerce eventive readings from their nominal objects, but also require certain delineating temporal targets. The verb 赶 gǎn requires an understood deadline, while the verb 抢 qiǎng requires the presupposition of the limited availability of the object. As neither temporal targets mark the time of the actual activities, these are exceptional cases of aktionsart. We will show that the different ways to delineate event meanings of the constructions [gǎn/qiǎng+ noun] can be predicted from the lexical meaning of the two verbs and can in turn predict the event types represented by the object with the MARVS theory. Based on this lexical semantic representation, we further show that the Generative Lexicon theory predicts the coercions of the rushing meaning from the original activity verb senses, and that the Construction Grammar theory accounts for their sharing of the same syntactic configuration.


Purpose

– The two aims of this paper are to explore the development of trust for relationships between staff and customers in the banking sector and to investigate possible links between financial performance of relationship manager and their levels of emotional intelligence (EI) and trust.

Design/methodology/approach

– An internet survey was undertaken, where respondents were asked to complete an EI test and questions relating to trusting behaviour. These data were integrated with financial performance data supplied by the bank. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis was used to identify links.

Findings

– Trust was found to be made up of three components: dependability; knowledge; and expectations. Further, there were significant correlations between both trust and EI, when compared to the financial performance of a relationship manager.

Research limitations/implications

– The methods used by the bank to collect performance data have limited the analysis that could be conducted.

Practical implications

– Increased awareness by the relationship managers of their own emotions, and how they perceive and act upon the emotions of others, should favourably impact financial performance.

Originality/value

– This paper is an important initial step in highlighting the significance of EI and trust in the relationship marketing/selling arena.


The objectives of this article are to promote a better understanding of a group of biases that influence therapeutic decision making by physicians/dermatologists and to raise the awareness that these biases contribute to a research-practice gap that has an impact on physicians and treatment solutions. The literature included a wide range of peer-reviewed articles dealing with biases in decision making, evidence-based medicine, randomized controlled clinical trials, and the research-practice gap. Bias against new therapies, bias in favor of indirect harm or omission, and bias against change when multiple new choices are offered may unconsciously affect therapeutic decision making. Although there is no comprehensive understanding or theory as to how choices are made by physicians, recognition of certain cognition patterns and their associated biases will help narrow the research-practice gap and optimize decision making regarding therapeutic choices.


Biomass-fed cogeneration units and waste incinerators have the advantages of producing efficiently heat and power and of reducing the amount of CO2 emitted per produced energy. However, they produce toxic polychlorinated VOCs (dioxins), CO and NOx. This thesis aims at developing a catalytic system for the total oxidation of chlorinated VOCs that: i) convert efficiently chlorinated VOCs below 250 °C and ii) resist to the exhaust co-pollutants (H2O, CO, NOx). Moreover, this thesis aims at having a complete understanding of the catalytic mechanism. Part I demonstrated that VOx/TiO2 based catalysts are very efficient in the total oxidation of chlorobenzene (taken as a model molecule). In particular, they proved to be highly resistant against deactivation. Moreover, Part I established that the addition of secondary phases producing VOx-WOx/TiO2 or VOx-MoOx/TiO2 induces a synergetic effect that improves the performances. Furthermore, the replacement of a classical TiO2 by a sulfated one improves the catalytic activity. In Part II, the investigation of the co-pollutants influence on the catalysts performances demonstrated their quite good resistance. Indeed, the presence of CO does not induce any deactivation of the catalysts while NOx induces a huge improvement of the catalysts ability to destroy chlorinated VOCs. This beneficial effect is explained by the in situ production of a strong oxidant (NO2) that speeds up the reoxidation of the reduced VOx sites. Nevertheless, H2O vapor can affect negatively the catalyst activity when present in a high concentration. Part III, by revisiting catalytic and characterization results exposed in Part I and II, demonstrated that the catalytic mechanism proceeds in four steps: i) adsorption of chlorinated VOCs on Bronsted sites, ii) VOx redox sites give some of their lattice oxygen atoms to oxidize the aromatic ring producing H2O and COx, iii) reoxidation of the VOx reduced sites thanks to the gas stream oxidant (O2) and iv) retrieving of the chlorine from the surface. The second and third steps compose a Mars and van Krevelen mechanism and the third one is the mechanism rate limiting step. Our work shows that the performances can be improved by tuning the redox properties of the VOx phases: i) improvement of the reducibility and ii) stabilization of the vanadium oxidation level above a limit value, estimated around 4.87.


Summary The dry-gas seal (DGS) is a critical integrity component of the centrifugal or screw compressor, providing shaft sealing and preventing uncontrolled escape of process gas from the casing. Failure of this component in the compressor can result in plant outage and considerable revenue loss to the operating company. The DGS relies on a very thin gas film that is formed between a stationary ring and a rotating ring. Pressurized and clean seal gas is introduced to work as the gas film, preventing leakage of the compressor casing gas. Minor seal-gas leakage from the gas seal is at low pressure, and is usually collected in an enclosed system for disposal (e.g., low-pressure or atmospheric flare). Failure of the DGS seal is often not caused by its intrinsic design issues, but rather by aspects peripheral to the seal. The need for pressurized seal gas necessitates the evaluation of possible sources of gas supply during normal operation and startup. Possible sources of supply evaluated in this study include high-pressure gas-export pipeline, multitrain arrangement to supply gas from the operating train to the standby train, and the use of gas boosters. Seal-gas cleanliness demands fine gas filtration as mandatory before gas entry to the seals. Because the seal gas undergoes different levels of pressure reduction within the seal, potential liquid (or condensation) and, in some cases, solid (hydrate) formation in the gas seals must be studied together with its mitigating measures in the design to avoid seal failure. The possible presence of other contaminants because of sour-gas components is addressed, along with suggested treatment methods. Other design considerations, such as reverse rotation, depressurization limitations, and reverse pressurization, are also addressed. Whether engineers are engaged in designing the gas-compression system or in troubleshooting the facilities operation, a clear understanding of these various aspects is important. This paper does not address the design of the DGS, which is proprietary to the manufacturer. On the basis of past experiences, this paper describes the various salient features and peripheral requirements of the DGS, and offers recommendations for interfacing with the compressor vendor from the process-system-design and -operation perspectives.


Environmental and climate changes are among the serious threats to the world's land resources in the 21 st Century. Particularly, in the developing countries the impact inevitably goes as the continuing toll on agricultural production, human lives, and properties. It is also a driving force of poverty and impediment of overall economic development in many less developed nations, like Ethiopia. Therefore, this paper assesses the rural communities' vulnerability to farmland poverty in different ecological settings of northwest Ethiopia. Data were collected from 525 randomly selected farming households using questionnaire. Meteorological data were collected from Global Weather Data for soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) from 1979 to 2010. Rainfall and temperature trends were characterized using simple linear regression model. Rural communities' vulnerability to farmland poverty was determined using livelihood vulnerability index (LVI). Indices were constructed using simple and weighted average approaches to measure farmlands' exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Overall communities' levels of vulnerability to farmlands poverty were found to be 0.76 in the lowland, 0.57 in the flat highland and 0.51 in the midland areas. In almost all indicators the lowland (Abay Valley) is more vulnerable to farmland-related troubles as the biophysical and socio-economic contexts were found to be the worst there. Communities and government and non-government officials have observed significant negative impacts of drought and extreme weather events on farmlands, pasturelands with declining availability, productivity and quality of farmlands. This study suggests education and research interventions for enhancing community-based participatory integrated watershed management approach supported with best indigenous knowledge and farmers' practices. Adaptation interventions should also consider local communities' resource capacity (low-cost investment in sound farmland and soil management techniques).


This research proposes a new strategy where documents are encoded into string vectors for text categorization and modified versions of SVM to be adaptable to string vectors. Traditionally, when the supervised machine learning algorithms are used for pattern classification, raw data should be encoded into numerical vectors. This encoding may be difficult, depending on a given application area of pattern classification. For example, in text categorization, encoding full texts given as raw data into numerical vectors leads to two main problems: huge dimensionality and sparse distribution. In this research, we encode full texts into string vectors, and apply the SVM to string vectors for text categorization.


Background/Objectives: Management innovation in manufacturing companies is becoming more and more important to secure competitiveness in rapidly changing technical environment and the diversifying expectations of customers. The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the relationship between management innovation and business performance, and especially, the moderating effect of organizational and network characteristics between them. Methods/ Statistical Analysis: This study established a research model through existing literature reviews and empirically verified the research model through a field survey. It explored the relationship between the 4 areas of management innovation-system, product, process, and human resource-and the 2 factors of business performance-customer satisfaction and financial performance. To determine the moderating effect of organizational characteristics which have over the influence of management innovation on business performance, the level of formalization, centralization, and networking characteristics was considered. For the data analysis, a multivariate analysis has been performed using a statistical analysis tool. Findings: Management innovation was shown to have a significant positive effect on management performance, while organizational characteristics and network characteristics had a moderating effect. The organization's formalization level especially had a significant moderating effect in the relationship of "system innovation and customer satisfaction", and "product, process innovation and financial performance", while the centralization level had a marginally moderating effect. Furthermore, the level of internal and external network of an organization had a moderating effect on system, process innovation and customer satisfaction performance. This study corresponds to previous research, which has found that management innovation has a positive effect on business performance. In addition to that, this study provides useful findings how each organizational characteristics have over the influence of each innovation activities on business performance. Application/Improvements: The findings of this study imply that when a company tries to induce management innovation, it should consider the organization and network characteristics to maximize the result of innovation. On the other hand, a company should try to set up the appropriate organizational and network environment prior to the management innovation.


Redox metabolism has long been considered to play important roles in aging and the development of age-related diseases. Both dietary and pharmacological manipulations of redox metabolism have been associated with the extension of lifespan. Increasing new evidence s also suggests that the process of aging may derive from imperfect clearance of oxidatively damaged material. The accumulation of this molecular "garbage", relatively indigestible, further hinders cellular functions, induces progressive failure of maintenance and repair and increases the probability of death. One important trend in anti–aging strategy is, therefore, to prevent or even revert the accumulation of these oxidatively altered molecules by stimulating the maintenance and repair systems through hormesis. A promising approach for slowing down ageing and achieving a healthy senescence is represented by repeated exposure to various mild stresses (caloric restriction, moderate exercise, nutritional or pharmacological hormetins). This article reviews the potential therapeutic tools available to date for increasing longevity and obtaining and successful ageing from the redox and hormetic perspective.


The aim of the study was the description of origin and treatment of paracervical, non-caries defects. Dental plaque is involved in the formation of caries defects, while those of non-caries origin are produced due to the action of mechanical and chemical factors. The treatment consists in wide fluoride prophylaxis (elimination of causes) and in the application of mineralization procedures and restoration of missing dental tissue using modern dental highly-adhesive materials. At the same time occlusion disorders and parafunctions are eliminated.


The global trend towards digital transformation opens up new opportunities for every economic entity, intensifies the transformation of business processes in the system of accounting and analytical support, and is not limited to the introduction of new technologies. In the current situation, scientific approaches to the study of accounting and analytical systems, such as evolutionary, institutional, structural, etc., are applied in isolation from each other, and do not take into account all the interrelations and conditions of the functioning of economic entities. The ecosystem approach is proposed as a new theoretical and methodological basis. The ecosystem approach in scientific research involves the consideration of the object of study as an ecosystem. The purpose of this article is a methodological analysis of the subject field associated with the concept of 'ecosystems'. In the course of the research a mixed methodology was used, which included the method of content analysis of publications of foreign and Russian authors, in-depth bibliographic analysis, study and synthesis of theoretical material devoted to the research topic, as well as systematization and grouping of the obtained data. The analysis identified four main research discourses of the ecosystem approach: entrepreneurial ecosystem, business ecosystem, innovation ecosystem and platform ecosystem. Their underlying aspects, key components and the focus of research on the concepts are identified. It is revealed that the term 'ecosystem' is applied to various ontological units (environment, stakeholders, platforms, business models, universities, etc.) and focuses on analysis (ecosystem strategy, value proposition, etc.). It is concluded that when using the ecosystem approach in scientific work, it is necessary to specify within which discourse the study is conducted and what the level of analysis is focused on.


We study numerically in detail the behaviour of electrons in the strongly inhomogeneous static magnetic and electric fields, which are typical for thin quasiperpendicular collisionless shocks. We pay particular attention to the dependence of the final electron velocities on their initial velocities, for different shock widths. Electrons are completely magnetized when the shock is wide, but become demagnetized, and the energies that they acquire rapidly increase with the steepening of the field structure. One of the clear manifestations of the electron demagnetization is the loss of even approximate one-to-one correspondence of the downstream perpendicular velocity to the upstream perpendicular velocity. Electron reflection occurs despite the large cross-shock potential which accelerates electrons along the magnetic field (the regime of complete magnetization) or across the shock (strong demagnetization). The reflected ion fraction is sensitive to the potential, magnetic field jump, and ramp width.


: The paper gives the results of the study into genital Mycoplasma in 1,200 females and 254 newborns and provides strong evidence for the fact that there is a relationship between the Mycoplasma carriage and the inflammatory urogenital processes. It also shows that M. hominis and Ur. urealyticum may persist in the endometrium of females suffering from isthmo-cervical insufficiency. Genital Mycoplasma have been found to play an etiological role in intrauterine infection in premature neonates and in inflammatory processes (endometritis, wound infection following cesarean section) in parturients.


Neurons exposed to Aβ will be apoptotic in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains or in vitro. The aim of the current study is to explore the neuroprotective mechanism that 7,8-dithydroxycoumarin inhibits JNK and p38MAPK-mediated Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. In vitro cultures of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell lines were treated with 7,8-dithydroxycoumarin (0, 1, 5 and 10 μmol/L) for 1.5 h, subsequently treated with 25 μmol/L Aβ25-35 fibrils. The MTT method was used to detect cell proliferation, and fluorescence probe H2DCF-DA was used to determine intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. Western-blot assay was performed to detect the JNK and P38MAPK phosphorylation. 25 μmol/L Aβ25-35 fibrils suppressed cell growth. They increased intracellular ROS, and enhanced levels of JNK and P38MAPK phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner. 7,8-dithydroxycoumarin treatment improved cell proliferation, reduced ROS generation and down-regulated levels of JNK and p38MAPK phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. 7,8-dithydroxycoumarin may inhibit Aβ-induced neurotoxic injury through suppressing ROS, JNK and p38MAPK pathways. The finding of the current study is conducive to protecting neurons in AD by using 7,8-dithydroxycoumarin.


Social entrepreneurship is the application of the mindset, process, tools and techniques of business entrepreneurship to the pursuit of a social and or environmental mission. However, issues such as lack of resources and knowledge affect the performance of these organisations. On the other hand, design is used by organisations to increase their competitive advantages and in social innovation to develop solutions to pressing social issues using the principles of sustainability. Nevertheless, despite the wide range of studies regarding the benefits of design for organisations and social innovation, there is no evidence of studies regarding the use of design by social entrepreneurs. This thesis studies how four Chilean social entrepreneurs use design through their social entrepreneurship processes. For this purpose, a Narrative Research was conducted in a business incubator in which these entrepreneurs were participating in a programme called Open Gate. Data collection methods such as semi-structured interviews with members of the staff and social entrepreneurs were used. The data collected were analysed using a model developed for this study called Social Entrepreneurship and Design Framework. This multidimensional framework enabled the analysis of the main issues that social entrepreneurs encounter against the social entrepreneurship process and different levels of design use. It was concluded that these entrepreneurs encountered six main issues in their processes: research, community engagement, development, co-creation, positioning and strategies. Consequently, six design drivers were described that show how design was used in the issues found. Buchanan's four orders of design model were adopted to classify the design practices used by the entrepreneurs. This analysis shows that design practices such as graphic, product, interaction and experience design as well as illustrations were mostly conducted by designers, both, external or internal to the social enterprise. Facilitation activities, processes of engagement and strategies were conducted by social entrepreneurs (non-designers).


Early 1897 found Mark Twain in London, deeply depressed over the unexpected death of his daughter Susy. Reluctantly he agreed to join his friend Adele Chapin on a surprise visit to the London Hospital. The day's rollicking, perfectly paced events spun their magic in the sick ward and beyond.


Purpose of reviewBreathlessness is one of the most important symptoms of patients with advanced life-limiting disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure, cancer, or pulmonary fibrosis. Breathlessness has major implications for patients as well as their family caregivers. The present review provides an overview of recent knowledge concerning the psychological and social consequences of breathlessness, including behavioural responses to breathlessness, and the impact of breathlessness on the family caregiver. Recent findingsBreathlessness results in avoidance of exertion and deterioration of functional status. Functional impairment leads to care dependency and social limitations, resulting in a change in social role. Anxiety is an emotional response to breathlessness, but also increases the perception of breathlessness. Family caregivers of patients have to cope with changes in daily life, witnessing breathlessness and adapt to new and challenging role as family caregiver. SummaryThe consequences of living with breathlessness are multidimensional and arise in all aspects of daily life of patients, their family caregivers and their social environment. Multidimensional treatment programmes should become widely available to support patients with advanced disease and their family caregivers in coping with the functional, psychological and social consequences of living with breathlessness.


Abstract The reproductive biology of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae in the Gulf of Mexico was investigated by examining 1,306 specimens (693 females, 613 males) collected from the Florida Keys to waters off Brownsville, Texas. The results of this study confirm the annual reproductive cycle established for this species; however, there was a significant amount of variability within the cycle. Ovulatory and postovulatory females were present from March to October, indicating that mating and ovulation were occurring over a more protracted period than previously described (e.g., May to July). The occurrence of postpartum females from April to September, the varying sizes of the embryos across several months, and the occurrence of mature spermatozoa in the testes of adults from March to November also corroborate the evidence of reproductive plasticity in this species. This observed variability in the reproductive cycle indicates that the Gulf of Mexico Atlantic Sharpnose Shark population is not completely synchronous in regards to mating, ovulation, and parturition, as a portion of the population is demonstrating reproductive asynchrony. Although the cause of this asynchrony remains unclear, it may be related to the environmental conditions of the Gulf of Mexico, which could provide water temperatures that are optimal for the reproduction of this species through much of the year (i.e., March to October), resulting in a protracted reproductive cycle. Given the results of the current study, the reproductive cycles of other carcharhinid species in this region should be examined in more detail to determine whether there is asynchrony in them as well, as this phenomenon could impact future management strategies.


In present work, ultra-fine powders with alpha phase content higher than 95 wt% and specific surface area of 15.33 m2/g were prepared by mechanical activated combustion synthesis (MACS) process. The sinterability of as-fabricated Si3N4 as well as the microstructure and mechanical properties of the sintered bulk were investigated by comparing with a kind of commercial available Si3N4 powders used as diluents in MACS process. Employing hot-pressing method, both powders were sintered equally by using Y2O3 and Al2O3 as sintering aids. Results showed that smaller particle size and higher specific surface area were obtained by MACS process when compared with the commercial one. Bulk Si3N4 appeared approximately the same relative density, hardness, strength and fracture toughness, however, proved to be higher while using MACS powders.


Object tracking in a real time image is one of interesting subjects in computer vision and many practical application fields past couple of years. But sometimes existing systems cannot find object by recognize background noise as object. This paper proposes a method of object detection and tracking using adaptive background image in real time. To detect object which does not influenced by illumination and remove noise in background image, this system generates adaptive background image by real time background image updating. This system detects object using the difference between background image and input image from camera. After setting up MBR(minimum bounding rectangle) using the internal point of detected object, the system tracks object through this MBR. In addition, this paper evaluates the test result about performance of proposed method as compared with existing tracking algorithm.


The Limits of Maritime Jurisdiction, edited by Clive Schofield, Seokwoo Lee, and MoonSang Kwon, comprises 36 chapters by leading oceans scholars and practitioners devoted to both the definition of maritime limits and boundaries spatially and the limits of jurisdictional rights within claimed maritime zones. Contributions address conflicting maritime claims and boundary disputes, access to valuable marine resources, protecting the marine environment, maritime security and combating piracy, concerns over expanding activities and jurisdiction in Polar waters and the impact of climate change on the oceans, including the potential impact of sea level rise on the scope of claims to maritime zones. The volume therefore offers critical analysis on a range of important and frequently increasingly pressing contemporary law of the sea issues.


The force balance in the neighborhood of an idealized thermoacoustic stack is analyzed using two-dimensional unsteady flow simulations. The numerical model is based on a small-Mach-number approximation to the compressible Navier-Stokes equations; it ignores acoustic wave propagation within the stack but retains bulk compressibility and the convective nonlinearity of the original conservation equations. The effects of long wave acoustic pulses which drive the stack flow are taken into account through suitable velocity boundary conditions. The computations are used to characterize the effective impedance of the stack and to analyze its dependence on operating conditions and stack configuration parameters. Results are compared to semi-heuristic explicit formulas based on the linear theory.


55Fe radioactive sources are used for x-ray calibration due to the long half-lives of 2.73 years and the optimal energies of the peaks. The source used in the experiment was generated using Western Michigan University's Tandem Van de Graff accelerator to produce a 6 MeV proton beam which induced a 55Mn(p, n)55Fe reaction on a 10 µm 55Mn target. The emissions from this target were then measured using a silicon lithium drift x-ray detector to determine the number of instances of deexcitation through kα and kβ modes. The preliminary data discussed showed a lower relative deexcitation rate of 6.67 between the kα and kβ x-ray emissions when compared to previous data indicating a ratio closer to 8.6, which is not accounted for in statistical error [1]. Future analysis will aim to explain this discrepancy, which is likely experimental as discussed in this paper. Should it be shown that the methods discussed in this paper are an effective means of decreasing error in measurements of these deexcitation intensities, it would have applications in x-ray telescope calibration. This would in turn reduce error in measurements taken by x-ray telescopes that utilize a 55Fe source for calibration.


[1] Removal of the lower lithosphere (mantle lithosphere with or without portions of the crust) through ductile gravitational instabilities can produce magma under continents. Using numerical experiments approximating the rheology of continental crust and lithosphere and underlying asthenosphere and using phase equilibria from the literature, I investigate the topographic and magmatic results of lithospheric gravitational instabilities, along with the fate of the sinking material. Lithospheric removal, commonly referred to as delamination regardless of the mechanism, may allow asthenospheric material to rise and to melt adiabatically, and this asthenosphere can conductively heat portions of the lithosphere previously at lower temperatures. The size and rheology of the sinking material greatly influence the resulting surface topography as well as whether or not melting occurs. The sinking material may devolatilize as it reaches higher temperatures and pressures, just as a subducting slab does, triggering further melting. Gravitational instabilities are possible causes of nonmagmatic basins, continental magmatism of varying volume and composition in the absence of subduction, areas of high heat flow and uplift, and creation of an upper mantle heterogeneous in major and trace elements and volatiles. Magmatism can be simultaneous with topographic subsidence and possibly with subsequent uplift. In those cases that produce magma, melting can occur over a depth range from ∼30 to 200 km, though anomalously hot mantle is required to reach the volume of flood basalts.


Background and Purpose: It is well known that activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) protects neurons against neurotoxic and neuro-inflammatory stimuli. However, little is known about the importance of this receptor in microglia. This study was planned to evaluate the contribution of microglial α7 nAChRs in controlling inflammation and affording neuroprotection in brain ischemia models.

Methods: Organotypic hippocampal cultures (OHCs) were conducted on 8-10 day-old Sprague Dawley rats. Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) was used as an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia. Viability assays with PNU282987 (a selective α7 agonist) were performed 24 hours after the OGD period. Focal ischemia was induced in C57BL/6J mice by photothrombotic stroke; PNU 282987 was administered i.p. 1 h after the ischemia onset. We performed the beam walk test as a measured of motor activity. Infarct volume and beam walk assay were measured 24 hours after the ischemia .

Results: In OHCs, 15 minutes of OGD followed by 24 hours of reoxygenation increased cell death (180 ± 2.13, n=6, p<0.001) with respect to the basal slices (100%). Under these experimental conditions, 10μM-PNU282987 administered after the OGD period significantly reduced cell death (110.1 ± 10.41, n=6, p≤0.001). In microglia-depleted slices, we observed that the same period of OGD increased cell death compared to control slices (p<0.05). In addition, the protective effect of PNU282987 was significantly lower (p<0.001). In the phototrombotic stroke model, PNU282987 administered at 1 and 10 mg/kg, reduced the infarct volume in a dose-dependent manner (12.22 ± 0.52, n=8, p<0.05 and 9.28 ± 0.58, n=8, p<0.001, respectively) with respect to the saline animals (15.93 ± 1.2, n=7). In the beam walk test, 10 mg/kg-PNU282987 reduced the studied parameters compared with the saline-mice: freezing time (2.36±0.43 vs 7.29±0.87) time to cross (10.53 ± 0.85 vs 16.95 ± 1.65) and paw slips (5.41 ± 0.77 vs 10.83 ± 0.53).

Conclusion: Activation of microglial α7 nAChR contributes to neuroprotection against OGD in OHCs and to reduction of infarct volume and improvement of motor activity in mice subjected to photothrombotic stroke. Taken all together, α7 nicotinic modulation could be a good target for stroke.


Although most patients with herpes zoster are otherwise healthy, all should be screened for occult neoplastic disease. Treatment is frustrating and nonspecific. Postherpetic neuralgia is especially difficult to manage and tends to be more severe among geriatric patients. All patients with trigeminal nerve involvement should be referred to an ophthalmologist for evaluation and possible treatment of ocular complications.


Of all the reasons given to strengthen copyright law, the one that seems strongest is the moral argument by musicians, authors, artists and other creators that the internet is taking away their livelihood. But from the perspective of the national interest, the current set of proposals, globally, to shift the responsibility for enforcing copyright to intermediaries are bad ideas. Harming the communications infrastructure is a bet against the future – and against those newly emerging creators who don't follow the model of the past. In this chapter of an edited collection of works about disputes over copyright, we examine the nature of the moral claims by various actors within the copyright system.


Using a similar cot we calculated the angle to be 9-24'. Even on the highest tilt position provided by the manufacturers the angle is 15°33'. In a series of 24 measurements on eight babies in our nursery we found that even while asleep none could be tilted to 45 without sliding. The mean angle at which they slid was 37 34'. This would put the coefficient of static friction for infants in our nursery at 0 765 (similar to that for steel) and would suggest that without some form of mechanical support or velcro nappies 20° might be a working maximum.


The spatial arrangement of plants in a landscape influences wind flow, but the extent that differences in the density of con-specifics and the height of surrounding vegetation influence population spread rates of wind dispersed plants is unknown. Wind speeds were measured at the capitulum level in conspecific arrays of different sizes and densities in high and low surrounding vegetation to determine how these factors affect wind speeds and therefore population spread rates of two invasive thistle species of economic importance, Carduus acanthoides and C. nutans. Only the largest and highest density array reduced wind speeds at a central focal thistle plant. The heights of capitula and surrounding vegetation also had significant effects on wind speed. When population spread rates were projected using integrodifference equations coupling previously published demography data with WALD wind dispersal models, large differences in spread rates resulted from differences in average horizontal wind speeds at capitulum height caused by conspecific density and surrounding vegetation height. This result highlights the importance of spatial structure for the calculation of accurate spread rates. The management implication is that if a manager has time to remove a limited number of thistle plants, an isolated thistle growing in low surrounding vegetation should be targeted rather than a similar sized thistle in a high density population with high surrounding vegetation, if the objective is to reduce spread rates.


Abstract. Watersheds are the fundamental Earth surface functioning units that connect the land to aquatic systems. Many watershed-scale models represent hydrological processes but not biogeochemical reactive transport processes. This has limited our capability to understand and predict solute export, water chemistry and quality, and Earth system response to changing climate and anthropogenic conditions. Here we present a recently developed BioRT-Flux-PIHM (BioRT hereafter) v1.0, a watershed-scale biogeochemical reactive transport model. The model augments the previously developed RT-Flux-PIHM that integrates land-surface interactions, surface hydrology, and abiotic geochemical reactions. It enables the simulation of (1) shallow and deep-water partitioning to represent surface runoff, shallow soil water, and deeper groundwater and of (2) biotic processes including plant uptake, soil respiration, and nutrient transformation. The reactive transport part of the code has been verified against the widely used reactive transport code CrunchTope. BioRT-Flux-PIHM v1.0 has recently been applied in multiple watersheds under diverse climate, vegetation, and geological conditions. This paper briefly introduces the governing equations and model structure with a focus on new aspects of the model. It also showcases one hydrology example that simulates shallow and deep-water interactions and two biogeochemical examples relevant to nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). These examples are illustrated in two simulation modes of complexity. One is the spatially lumped mode (i.e., two land cells connected by one river segment) that focuses on processes and average behavior of a watershed. Another is the spatially distributed mode (i.e., hundreds of cells) that includes details of topography, land cover, and soil properties. Whereas the spatially lumped mode represents averaged properties and processes and temporal variations, the spatially distributed mode can be used to understand the impacts of spatial structure and identify hot spots of biogeochemical reactions. The model can be used to mechanistically understand coupled hydrological and biogeochemical processes under gradients of climate, vegetation, geology, and land use conditions.


This study draws on Social Learning Theory and uses a content analysis to critically examine the representations of victims, suspects and offenders on fictional crime television shows. Specifically, four such shows were studied: Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, Body of Proof and Rizzoli & Isles. Although some previous research assessed the representations of suspects and offenders on fictional crime television series, examination of the representations of victims is rare, and to date, no study has included such an extensive list of variables. There were two units of analysis used while coding. Coding of the entire show included the year of the episode, number of victims, number of suspects, number of offenders, type of crime and time of the crime. The second unit of analysis included individual victims, suspects and offenders. An extensive range of demographic data was recorded for each victim, suspect and offender. The results from this study indicate that a very narrow lens is used in television fictional crime show portrayals of victims, suspects and offenders. The findings include a relationship between the type of crime and the television show, the victims' gender and survival rate, the victims' race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, the victims' hair color and whether they were drugged, and the victims' survival and whether they had children with the defendant. There were also significant relationships between the suspects' gender and the crime show, the suspects' race/ethnicity and gender, perpetrators' race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and the perpetrators' gender and survival rate.


The definition of an atomic representation of the wavelet transform of a signal allows us to write the evolution law through scales for modulus maxima of the transform. Although this result is very general and useful for various fields of image processing, we focus on its application to signal and image compression. We propose a simple trick for taking advantage from the law without directly solving its corresponding partial differential equation. Preliminary experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms available compression techniques.


We describe a language for defining scheduling algorithms for hard real-time systems and a tool to simulate the behavior of such systems on a predefined task set. The language is suitable for describing a real-time system composed of a task set, resources and a scheduling algorithm. The tasks can either be periodic or aperiodic, dependent or independent and the time constraints (e.g. deadlines) may be soft or hard. We consider two types of resources: the CPU and semaphores. Semaphores are used to describe the various possible dependences of the task set: shared memory, inter-task communication, devices etc. We consider only monoprocessor real-time systems. The third part of the system is given by the scheduling algorithm which is used to give resources (CPU and semaphores) to tasks.


Further public administration development depends on numerous various influences - stakeholders' and public needs, so when planned to be developed, implemented or improved, they have to be carefully considered. ERP and/or other system need to be incorporated according to specific conditions. Interoperability represents strong support for implementation, integration or further development for public administration. This paper aims for contribution to awareness growth and platform for further work. Considering various case studies, ERP implementation, interoperability, critical success factors and contingency approach, paper aims for further development in this area. ERP becomes a platform for further ICT development towards quantum computing.


Abstract Objective Prenatal hurricane exposure may be an increasingly important contributor to poor reproductive health outcomes. In the current literature, mixed associations have been suggested between hurricane exposure and reproductive health outcomes. This may be due, in part, to residual confounding. We assessed the association between hurricane exposure and reproductive health outcomes by using a difference-in-difference analysis technique to control for confounding in a cohort of Florida pregnancies. Methods We implemented a difference-in-difference analysis to evaluate hurricane weather and reproductive health outcomes including low birth weight, fetal death, and birth rate. The study population for analysis included all Florida pregnancies conceived before or during the 2003 and 2004 hurricane season. Reproductive health data were extracted from vital statistics records from the Florida Department of Health. In 2004, 4 hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) made landfall in rapid succession; whereas in 2003, no hurricanes made landfall in Florida. Results Overall models using the difference-in-difference analysis showed no association between exposure to hurricane weather and reproductive health. Conclusions The inconsistency of the literature on hurricane exposure and reproductive health may be in part due to biases inherent in pre-post or regression-based county-level comparisons. We found no associations between hurricane exposure and reproductive health. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:407–411)


Current wound management through the use of a split‐thickness skin graft often requires hospital admission, a period of immobility, attentive donor site wound care and pain management. This study evaluates the feasibility of using a novel epidermal graft‐harvesting device (CelluTome) that allows pain‐free epidermal skin grafting in the outpatient clinic setting. A prospective series of 35 patients was performed in 2 centres, involving 10 acute and 25 chronic wounds. All patients were subjected to epidermal grafting in the outpatient specialist clinic, without the use of anaesthesia, and allowed to return home after the procedure. Completely healed wounds were noted in 22 patients (62·9%). The overall mean time for 50% and 100% reduction in wound size was 3·31 ± 2·33 and 5·91 ± 3·48 weeks, respectively. There was no significant difference in healing times between the acute and chronic wounds (50% reduction in wound size; acute 2·20 ± 0·91 weeks versus chronic 3·73 ± 2·63 weeks, P = 0·171. Hundred percent reduction in wound size; acute 4·80 ± 1·61 weeks versus chronic 6·83 ± 4·47 weeks, P = 0·183). The mean time for donor site healing was 5·49 ± 1·48 days. The mean pain score during graft harvest was 1·42 ± 0·95, and the donor site Vancouver Scar Scale was 0 for all cases at 6 weeks. This automated device offers autologous skin harvesting in the outpatient setting with minimal or no pain and a scar free donor site, equally benefiting both the acute and chronic wounds. It has the potential to save NHS resources by eliminating the need for theatre space and a hospital bed while at the same time benefiting patient care.


The current article presents an emotion regulation model of clinical reinforcement sensitivity wherein reinforcement sensitivity predicts depression and anxiety via trait preferences for concomitant emotion regulation strategies. In Study 1 (N = 593), BAS sensitivity positively predicted reappraisal and BIS sensitivity negatively predicted it. Reappraisal then negatively predicted depression. BIS sensitivity also predicted rumination, which predicted both depression and anxiety. Study 2a confirmed the model developed in Study 1 with an independent sample (N = 513) and examined the relationships longitudinally. While the cross-sectional relationships were generally maintained, reinforcement sensitivity did not predict reappraisal. In Study 2b, participants (N = 218) were assessed a third time one year later, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this stressful time, BAS sensitivity did longitudinally predict reappraisal. These studies highlight the role of emotion regulation in mediating the relationship between reinforcement sensitivity and affective pathology, particularly during times of high stress.


Abstract Earth observation is an effective technique that plays an important role in earthquake damage reduction and reconstruction. This paper introduces the results of dynamic analysis on monitoring and assessing heavily impacted areas affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake using remote sensing data acquired in the past 3 years from 2008 to 2010. Immediately after the disaster on 12 May 2008, the Chinese Academy of Sciences launched a project entitled 'Wenchuan Earthquake Disasters Monitoring and Assessment Using Remote Sensing Technology.' More than 400 images from 17 satellites and 20.2TB airborne remote sensing data were acquired to facilitate quick monitoring and evaluation of severely damaged areas in 14 counties. Results of the image analyses were forwarded on a timely basis to assist with consultative service and decision-making support. In subsequent years, in order to monitor the process of environmental restoration and reconstruction, airborne optical remote sensing images covering most of the severely damaged areas were again acquired in May 2009 and April 2010. These images were analyzed and compared along with images from 2008. Results were useful in support of further work on environmental protection and reconstruction in earthquake-damaged areas. Three typical areas were selected for illustrative purposes including Tangjiashan Barrier Lake, Beichuan County, and counties of Yingxiu and the new Beichuan. These results well demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of the utility of earth observation for disaster mitigation and reconstruction.


The effect of temperature and the availability of nutrients on the transition of spiral Campylobacter jejuni cells to coccoid forms was investigated. Ageing of spiral C. jejuni cells in either nutrient-poor or nutrient-rich environments resulted in the formation of nonculturable coccoid cells at 4, 12, and 25 degrees C after different periods, with the cells incubated at 4 degrees C in nutrient-deficient media remaining culturable the longest. To study the phenomenon, ATP levels, protein profiles, and fatty acid compositions were monitored under conditions where the transition from spiral to coccoid cells occurred. During storage, the levels of intracellular ATP were highest in cells incubated at low temperatures (4 and 12 degrees C) and remained constant after a small initial decrease. During the transformation from spiral to coccoid forms, no alteration in protein profiles could be detected; indeed, inhibition of protein synthesis by chloramphenicol did not influence the transition. Furthermore, DNA damage by gamma irradiation had no effect on the process. Membrane fatty acid composition of cocci formed at low temperatures was found to be almost identical to that of spiral cells, whereas that of cocci formed at 25 degrees C was clearly different. Combining these results, it is concluded that the formation of cocci is not an active process. However, distinctions between cocci formed at different temperatures were observed. Cocci formed at 4 degrees C show characteristics comparable to those of spirals, and these cocci may well play a role in the contamination cycle of C. jejuni.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Most of the existing studies on Bourdieu and the digital regards the social and class distinctions in the use of digital technologies, thus presupposing a certain transparency of technologies themselves. Our proposal is to refer to this attitude as "Bourdieu outside the digital." Yet in this paper, another perspective called "Bourdieu inside the digital" is developed, which moves the focus on the effects of some emerging technologies on social distinctions and discrimination.
The main hypothesis is that algorithms of machine learning are producers and reproducers of habitus. Although their results present a greater granularity with respect to the standard techniques of the past, these algorithms still reduce individuals to categories, general trends, classes, and behaviors. Such a reduction has flattening effects on the individuals' self-understanding, especially in terms of identity and interaction with the social world. This is the phenomenon described in the article as the "personalization without personality," whose consequences are both existential and social-political.
This idea will be illustrated through qualitative and comparative analysis between the correspondence analysis (CA) and the multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) used by Bourdieu in his works and some of those techniques that are performed today in big data analytics.


The caudal zona incerta is the target of a recent modification of established procedures for deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease and tremor. The caudal zona incerta contains a number of neuronal populations that are distinct in terms of their cytoarchitecture, connections, and pattern of immunomarkers and is located at a position where a number of major tracts converge before turning toward their final destination in the forebrain. However, it is not clear which of the anatomical features of the region are related to its value as a target for DBS. This paper has tried to identify features that distinguish the caudal zona incerta of rodents (mouse and rat) and primates (marmoset, rhesus monkey, and human) from the remainder of the zona incerta. We studied cytoarchitecture, anatomical relationships, the pattern of immunomarkers, and gene expression in both of these areas. We found that the caudal zona incerta has a number of histological and gene expression characteristics that distinguish it from the other subdivisions of the zona incerta. Of particular note are the sparse population of GABA neurons and the small but distinctive population of calbindin neurons. We hope that a clearer appreciation of the anatomy of the region will in the end assist the interpretation of cases in which DBS is used in human patients.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of cooperative directed reading (CDR) on the writing performance of ESL students. A quasi-experimental research with non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was employed. Three intact classes of freshman students taking the expository writing course were used as the sample (N=102) of the study for the duration of one semester. The classes were randomly assigned into Cooperative Directed Reading (CDR) (n=41), Directed Reading without Cooperation (DR-C) (n=40), and No Treatment (NT) (n=21) groups. Two writing samples on two different but comparable expository writing prompts were collected from the groups at the pretest. Then, two main strategies of Cooperative Reading Circles (CRCs) with discussion roles and KWLH (what I know about the topic - what I want to know- what I have learned- how I can learn more) strategy were used in CDR group, while only KWLH strategy was employed in DR-C group. The No Treatment group had only their regular expository writing course activities. At the end of the program, the students were tested on the same writing prompts as the pretest in order to find out the effect of the experiments on the writing performance of the students in two conditions when the writing prompt was thematically related to the reading topic and when it was thematically unrelated. For evaluating the writing samples of the students two assessment methods were employed: (1) An analytical scoring scale as the subjective measure for evaluating the seven dimensions of writing (i.e., content, organization, cohesion, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, spelling), as well as fluency, accuracy, and overall writing performance of the students; (2) T-Unit count as the objective measure for assessing the writing fluency, based on Mean T-Unit Length (MTUL), and writing accuracy, based on Mean Error-Free T-Unit Length (MEFTU). In addition, a qualitative analysis of thought processes of students in CDR group was carried out, based on CRCs' discussion transcripts and their written worksheets during the treatment, to show the effect of reading and discussion on the promotion of students' critical and creative thinking which would influence their writing performance. The results of one-way within-subjects (repeated measures) ANOVA and one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed that the CDR group had statistically more significant results, with medium and large effect sizes, in both conditions of the study compared to the DR-C and NT groups. This implies that adding the element of cooperation to the solitary task of reading can enhance the prerequisite knowledge of the students for writing which in turn can improve their writing quality. The results indicated the priority of using cooperative activities in the writing classes rather than individualistic ones. The findings verified the underlying principles of cooperative learning theory and indirect model of reading for writing as one of the models of reading-writing connection theories.


Abstract. We observed a tsunami wave near the glacier front in the Temple Fjord (Spitsbergen). Two temperature and pressure recorders were deployed on a wire from the ice approximately 300 m from the glacier front. A pressure recorder was located under them on the bottom. The vertical displacement of the ice was approximately 30 cm and the period of the tsunami wave was 90 s. We attribute the generation of this wave to the displacement of the glacier similarly to the landslide tsunami generated by the motion of a block of rocks down the sloping bottom. The glacier motion also generated a short-period (12 s) deformation wave in the ice cover. The measurements allowed us to estimate the wave number of these waves and the Young's modulus of the ice.


The objectives of this research were to characterize growth and melanin production on different culture media, effect of copper ion and cobalt ion on growth and melanin production including antibacterial activity of crude melanin. The results revealed that actinomycetes strain PNST-01 have good growth on ISP-7 medium, synthetic medium, while strain PRBS-12 grow very well on ISP-3 medium, complex medium. Both strains produced high amount of melanin showing brownish colony on ISP-7 medium but there is no melanin pigment production on ISP-1 medium and ISP-6 medium. Moreover, the growth rate was reduced and both strains could not produce melanin pigment on ISP-7 medium without supplement with copper chloride and cobalt chloride. Crude melanin extract of strain PNST-01 showed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 but could not inhibit Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes . While crude melanin extract of strain PRBS-12 gave antimicrobial activity only on B. cereus ATCC 11778 and B. subtilis ATCC 6633. Based on the study, the results can be used as key information for further development of melanin production and application in various industries.


This paper explores the impact of input trade liberalization on imported input and exported product prices. Using Chinese transaction data for 2000–2006, we capture causal effects between exogenous input tariff reductions and within firm changes in HS6-traded product prices. For identification, we make use of a natural control group of firms that are exempted from paying tariffs. Both imported input and export prices rise. The effect on export prices is specific to firms sourcing inputs from developed economies and exporting output to high-income countries. Results are consistent with a scenario within which firms exploit the input tariff cuts to access high-quality inputs in order to quality-upgrade their exports.


Graphical models provide a powerful framework for reasoning under uncertainty, and an influence diagram (ID) is a graphical model of a sequential decision problem that maximizes the total expected utility of a non-forgetting agent. Relaxing the regular modeling assumptions, an ID can be flexibly extended to general decision scenarios involving a limited memory agent or multi-agents. The approach of probabilistic planning with IDs is expected to gain computational leverage by exploiting the local structure as well as representation flexibility of influence diagram frameworks. My research focuses on graphical model inference for IDs and its application to probabilistic planning, targeting online MDP/POMDP planning as testbeds in the evaluation.


Cases of deviant behaviours among adolescents are rampant. The question that arises is as to what actually perpetuates deviance among adolescents. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches in designs and it was conducted in the Central region of Malawi in Dowa district. Data was collected using questionnaires and oral interviews, and it was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. It was established that parenting techniques, peer group influence and school environment could contribute to adolescent deviant behaviours and that through counselling, discipline could be installed in schools. It was reported that adolescents were involved in deviant acts for the sake of conformity because they see their friends doing the same. Adolescents behave antisocially to be accepted and for association. At school adolescents get affected in one way or the other as they are socialised either positively or negatively by their fellow students and teachers. Counselling is identified as the proper and effective way of minimising delinquency among school going adolescents. Parents should provide parental care to their children. Schools should be located in conducive environments and students and teachers must observe social distance between them.


Step-type compound planetary gear sets are widely applied in vehicle systems. Comprehensive dynamic model of step-type compound planetary gear sets, which includes translational, rotational vibrations and static transmission errors, was established. Natural vibration characteristics of the system, such as natural frequencies and vibration modes, were analyzed. Belt shape distribution characteristics of its natural frequencies was researched. According to vibration characteristics of both central components and planets, natural vibration modes of the system are classified into three types: central components translational vibration and planets random vibration, central components rotational vibration and planets identical vibration, central components static and adjacent planets reverse vibration mode.


With the growth of textual data, techniques are necessary for their selection and organization. The organization of textual documents belonging to specialized languages relies mainly on information reflecting the subject domain, the genre of the document and its communication level. This paper aims to distinguish different levels of specialized documents: scientific documents and popular science documents. Identifying the communication level of a document requires a modality analysis that characterizes the relationship between the author and the content. In this paper, we investigate the relevancy of two modality theories defined for general language in order to characterize texts in the medical field. Furthermore, we compare these theories with respect to their multilingual adaptation working on French and Japanese. We show that the automation of both theories using specific features is possible, but because of paucity and ambiguity problems, only one is fully operational and scales efficiently.


The Madeira deposit (Sn, Nb, Ta) at Pitinga, Amazonia, in Brazil, is associated with the albite-enriched facies of the A-type Madeira granite (~1,820 Ma). Fluorine (cryolite), Y, REE, Li, Zr, and Th are potential by-products of the disseminated ore. We studied the xenotime from the core albite-enriched (CAG), transitional albite-enriched granite (TAG) and pegmatitic albite-enriched granite (PAG). In all these rocks, xenotime is magmatic, has high HREE contents (0.37 to 0.54 atoms per formula unit; LREE are not detected), and low U, Th and Ca content. The CAG xenotime is the richest in REE, followed by that in the PAG and TAG units. Fluorine was detected in all xenotime crystals from CAG (up to 5.10%) and from PAG (up to 1.40%) and in most crystals from TAG (up to 0.68%). Where the xenotime is richer in F, the Na and Si increase, the P, Ca, and the effectiveness of a thorite-type substitution decrease. Fluorine controls the ratio REE/Y; the richer the xenotime in F, the richer it is in REE, in particular Er and Yb. The cell parameters a and c are significantly shortened in F-rich xenotime. There is no evidence of OH in the structure. We contend that fluorine substitutes for O to form PO3F tetrahedra, as in bobdownsite. The formation of the PO3F tetrahedra in the xenotime accounts well for the compatibility between the crystallographic characteristics and the chemical composition.


The utilisation of feed urea in the rumen was tested in 2 experiments with a total of 4 newly lactating dairy cows (13 . . . 15 and 17 . . . 19 kg resp. milk/animal and day) with rumen and duodenal re-entrant cannulae. With the energy supply remaining constant in each case, the rations in experiment A contained 8.7, 12.4 and 14.6 and those of experiment B 10.7, 13,7 and 17.1% crude plant protein in the dry matter. After the supplementation with 120 and 150 g resp. urea/animal and day there were 11.9, 15.7 and 17.8 (A) and 13.8, 16.7 and 20.2 (B) % resp. crude protein in the dry matter. The rations consisted of maize silage and a pelleted mixture of straw and concentrated feed (A) resp. maize silage, alfalfa hay and concentrated feed (B). They contained 10.3 . . . 10.6 (A) and 13.6 (B) kg dry matter with 5.6 . . . 6.0 (A) and 8.2 (B). With the increase of the crude protein level of the ration to 16.7 . . . 17.8, the absolute amount of non-NH3-N (NAN) in the duodenum increased as well. Between N-intake (g/d, x) and NAN-passage corrected by the amount of the endogenous quota (g/d, y) the relation y = 87.3 + 0.55 x (r = 0.80) could be established. NAN-passage (y) as related to N-intake decreased with the N-concentration in the dry matter of the ration (x) according to the equation y = 0.35 + 1.22x-1 (r = 0.57). 70, 62 and 61% (experiment A) and 55, 61 and 51% (experiment B) of the consumed amount of N were apparently absorbed in the intestines as NAN (without endogenous quota). The bacterial N-yield of the rumen (g, y), determined with diamino pimelic acid as microbe marker, was dependent on the consumed digestible organic matter (g, x) as follows: y = 67.3 + 0.021x (r = 0.69). There was no connection with the level of N-supply. The measuring results of the bacterial N-yield show that the utilisation rate of the urea-N decreased rapidly when there was more than 11 . . . 12% crude plant protein in the dry matter of the ration. For the tested ration type (570 . . . 600 EFUcattle/kg dry matter) the urea utilisation potential in the rumen for crude plant protein concentrations of 8.7, 10.7, 12.4, 13.4, 13.7, 14.6 and 17.1% in the dry matter was 13.0, 6.9, 4.1, 2.6, 1.3 and -9.6 g urea/kg dry matter.


Research Summary: Building on our review of the strategy process and practice research, we identify three ways to see the relationships between the two research traditions: complementary, critical, and combinatory views. We adopt in this special issue the combinatory view, in which activities and processes are seen as closely intertwined aspects of the same phenomena. It is this view that we argue offers both strategy practice and strategy process scholars some of the greatest opportunities for joint research going forward. We develop a combinatory framework for understanding strategy processes and practices (SAPP) and based on that call for more research on (a) temporality, (b) actors and agency, (c) cognition and emotionality, (d) materiality and tools, (e) structures and systems, and (f) language and meaning.


Herein we describe the surface modification of gold nanorods via the postpolymerization immobilization of polymers prepared by reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT). Gold nanorods have been synthesized via a three-step seed-mediated process and then subsequently modified with RAFT-preformed poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate), poly(acrylic acid), and polystyrene homopolymers, with and without the use of reducing agents. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to visually monitor nanorod formations and UV−visible spectroscopy has been used to observe the absorption properties of nanorod formations. Both techniques monitored nanorods with and without surface modifications. This research provides a general and versatile technique for the surface modification of gold nanorods utilizing a wide range of polymers. Polymer modification of nanorods will potentially aid in nanorod self-assembly and ordering processes.


This volume is based on a British Toxicology Society symposium held in September 1985. However, it is much more than the usual symposium proceedings! Firstly, because it is very well printed, illustrated and indexed but more importantly because it is an excellent treatise on some of the most interesting and topical problems in present day toxicological research. The contents are arranged in three sections. The first deals with the biochemical, pharmacological and pathological mechanisms that determine the ability of chemicals to selectively damage the lung, nervous tissue, kidney and immune system. The second part deals with the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of plant lectins, organophosphates, chlorinated hydrocarbons as well as the toxicological significance of drugs that act as suicide substrates of cytochrome P-450. Finally some human and experimental studies on the Parkinsonian syndrome caused by MPTP, hexane neuropathy and impurities present in some commercial preparations of parathion are reviewed.


Tetrabutyl ammonium iodide (TBAI) catalyzed α-aminoxylation of ketones using aq. TBHP as an oxidant has been accomplished. We have shown that the CDC (cross dehydrogenative coupling) reactions of ketones with N-hydroxyimidates such as N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHSI), N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI), N-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) and 1-hydroxy-7-azabenzotriazole (HOAt) lead to the corresponding oxygenated products in good to moderate yields. The application of this method has been demonstrated by transforming a few coupled products into synthetically useful intermediates and products.


Genomic selection (GS) is a method to estimate the breeding values of individuals by using markers throughout the genome. We evaluated the accuracies of GS using data from five traits on 446 oat (Avena sativa L.) lines genotyped with 1005 Diversity Array Technology (DArT) markers and two GS methods (ridge regression–best linear unbiased prediction [RR‐BLUP] and BayesCπ) under various training designs. Our objectives were to (i) determine accuracy under increasing marker density and training population size, (ii) assess accuracies when data is divided over time, and (iii) examine accuracy in the presence of population structure. Accuracy increased as the number of markers and training size become larger. Including older lines in the training population increased or maintained accuracy, indicating that older generations retained information useful for predicting validation populations. The presence of population structure affected accuracy: when training and validation subpopulations were closely related accuracy was greater than when they were distantly related, implying that linkage disequilibrium (LD) relationships changed across subpopulations. Across many scenarios involving large training populations, the accuracy of BayesCπ and RR‐BLUP did not differ. This empirical study provided evidence regarding the application of GS to hasten the delivery of cultivars through the use of inexpensive and abundant molecular markers available to the public sector.


TRIAL DESIGN
In the Special Program University Medicine-Acute Coronary Syndromes (SPUM-ACS) observational study (clinical trial registration: NCT01000701), a multicentre before-after clinical trial, we assessed 5-year outcome after acute coronary syndrome, comparing a systematic with an opportunistic smoking cessation counselling phase.

METHODS
We studied smokers who were hospitalised for acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and we assessed self-reported smoking cessation, incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality 5 years after hospital discharge. In the observational phase, from August 2009 to October 2010, only smokers who requested smoking cessation counselling received it during hospitalisation. In the interventional phase, from November 2010 to February 2012, hospitalised smokers with ACS were systematically offered intensive smoking cessation counselling including four telephone calls within 2 months of discharge. Because of the before-after design, the care givers were aware of study phase. The objective was to assess whether systematic counselling to every smoker with ACS has an impact on the long-term smoking cessation rate, incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality. Missing data on smoking cessation were analysed with multiple imputation. The study was not powered to assess differences in 5-year smoking cessation rates or cardiovascular outcomes.

RESULTS
Overall, 458 smokers with ACS were included at baseline (225 during the intervention phase and 233 during the observation phase). At 5 years, 286 (62.4%) reported their smoking status (140 for the intervention phase and 146 for the observation phase) and 51 (11.1%) had died. There was no statistically significant difference in the abstinence rate between the interventional phase (75/140, 54%), and the observational phase (68/146, 47%), with a risk ratio with multiple imputation adjusted for age, sex, education and ACS type of 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-1.51, p = 0.4). The 5-year risk of major acute cardiovascular event was similar in the intervention phase as compared with the observational phase. The multivariate adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.84 (95% CI 0.45-1.60, p = 0.6).

CONCLUSIONS
In this controlled long-term interventional study, systematic intensive smoking cessation counselling in all hospitalised smokers with ACS did not increase 5-year smoking cessation rates, nor decrease cardiovascular event recurrence, as compared with opportunistic smoking cessation counselling during hospitalization.


Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity characterize the environment of knowledge-intensive organizations today. The "survival of the fittest" demands those organizations act as living organisms and adapt to environmental changes. It is no longer sufficient for them to think that employees' competences at the time of recruitment will meet future demands. New technologies are rapidly transforming job landscapes and reshaping the way people work within organizations. Accordingly, organizations are investing in further training of their employees. This investment raises a question: How does learning interact with skills application and operational excellence in the workplace? This research aims to explore the relationship between learning and operational excellence in the workplace by utilizing the mediating role of skills application. The sample data sets of 3,730 employees from a 2015 survey of a multinational knowledge-intensive company were used to perform mediation analysis using regression-based tests and bootstrapping. The findings show that learning affects operational excellence by affecting skills application. The measured effects are positive and significant, however, they are very small. These results suggest that learning and skills applications are only two of many factors which may influence operational excellence. This research is relevant for knowledge-intensive organizations to understand that learning activities in the workplace alone are not enough to boost operational excellence.


A national administration is dependent on its archives and registers, for many purposes, such as tax collection, enforcement of law, economic governance, and welfare services. Today, these services are based on large digital infrastructures, which grow organically in volumes and scope. Building on a critical realist approach we investigate a particularly successful infrastructure in Norway called Altinn, and ask: what are the evolutionary mechanisms for a successful "government as a platform"? We frame our study with two perspectives; a historical institutional perspective that traces the roots of Altinn back to the Middle Ages, and an architectural perspective that allows for a more detailed analysis of the consequences of digitalization and the role of platforms. We offer two insights from our study: we identify three evolutionary mechanisms of national registers, and we discuss a future scenario of government platforms as "digital commons".


: Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is the most common type of narcolepsy known to be caused by the loss of specific neurons responsible for producing peptide neurotransmitters (orexins/hypocretins), resulting in a sleep-wake cycle disorder. It is characterized by its association with cataplexy and abnormalities in rapid eye movement. To date, no cure has been established for this life-threatening condition. Misdiagnosis of NT1 is also quite common, although it is not exceedingly rare. Therefore, successfully identifying candidate serum biomarkers for NT1 would be a head start for accurate diagnosis and development of therapeutics for this disorder. This study aims to identify such potential serum biomarkers. A depletion protocol was employed for 27 human serum samples (16 NT1 and 11 healthy controls), followed by applying LC-MS/MS bottom-up proteomics analysis, then LC-PRM-MS for validation. The comparison of the proteome profiles of the low-abundant proteins in the samples was then investigated based on age, sex, sample groups, and the presence of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) DQB1*0602 allele. The results were tracked to gene expression studies as well as system biology to identify key proteins and understand their relationship in the pathogenesis of NT1. Our results revealed 36 proteins significantly and differentially expressed. Among the impaired pathways and bioprocesses, the complement activation pathway is impaired by six of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). They are coded by the genes C2, CFB, C5, C1R, C1S, and MASP1, while 11 DEPs are involved in Acute Phase Response Signaling (APRS), which are coded by the genes FN1, AMBP, APOH, CFB, CP, ITIH2, C5, C2, F2, C1, and ITIH4. The combined AUCs of the downregulated and upregulated DEPs are 0.95 and 0.76, respectively. Overall, this study reveals potential serum-protein biomarkers of NT1 and explains the possible correlation between the biomarkers and pathophysiological effects, as well as important biochemical pathways involved in NT1.


Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has played a key role in the diagnosis of mediastinal, paratracheal, and peribronchial lesions, as well as in lymph node staging for lung cancer. Despite its minimally invasive character, EBUS-TBNA has demonstrated a diagnostic yield comparable with that of established surgical methods. It has therefore gained credibility and has become a routine procedure at various referral centers. A successful EBUS-TBNA procedure requires careful planning, which includes a thorough review of the radiological imaging and special care during specimen collection and preparation, as well as technical expertise, experience with the procedure itself, and knowledge of the potential complications inherent to the procedure. The most common indications for EBUS-TBNA include lymph node staging for lung cancer and the diagnostic investigation of mediastinal/hilar masses and lymph node enlargement. Recently, tumor biomarkers in malignant samples collected during the EBUS-TBNA procedure have begun to be identified, and this molecular analysis has proven to be absolutely feasible. The EBUS-TBNA procedure has yet to be included on the Brazilian Medical Association list of medical procedures approved for reimbursement. The EBUS-TBNA procedure has shown to be a safe and accurate tool for lung cancer staging/restaging, as well as for the diagnosis of mediastinal, paratracheal, and peribronchial lesions/lymph node enlargement


The sensory preferences for white wines of three consumer groups selected for their differences in wine consumption habits and attitudes toward wines were investigated. A stepwise screening of the wines was used to ensure an objective selection based solely on perceived sensory characteristics while representing the commercial market. Sensory profiles of the selected wines were then determined by trained sensory descriptive panelists (n = 10). Consumers (n = 120) were recruited, assigned to one of three a priori groups, and evaluated 12 white wines. Internal preference mapping was conducted to explain consumer preference data with wine sensory descriptions and consumer characteristics. Results showed that sensory preferences were not significantly different among a priori consumer groups. Segmentation of individual liking scores revealed two distinct preference segments, with the largest one accounting for 77%. The majority of consumers preferred sweeter and fruitier wines as opposed to oaky and burning wines, independently of their a priori assigned group. Only a few demographics and attitudinal characteristics distinguished the two preference segments; however, they were not related to the initial a priori grouping. The primary dimension explaining consumer preferences for white wines confirmed previous research findings on other wine styles and obtained from various groups of consumers, suggesting that the main preference dimension common to many wine styles was driven by sweet and fruity sensory characteristics as opposed to dry, burning, and oaky attributes.


As the guest editor of the present issue of Coolabah (No. 5, 2011), entitled Food for Afterthought, I have had the honour and pleasure of dealing with a series of challenging essays derived from the congress Food for Thought, held from 1st to 5th February 2010 at the University of Barcelona. This event was organised by the Australian Studies Centre of the University of Barcelona, Spain, together with the Centre for Peace and Social Justice of the University of Southern Cross, Lismore, Australia, directed by Dr Susan Ballyn and Dr Baden Offord respectively. Their commitment and work front and backstage both in Barcelona as well as in Australia are responsible for the range and depth of this international conference. Indeed, Food for Thought forms part of a cycle of congresses on Australian Studies that started out commuting between Australia and Spain, but since 2008 have had Barcelona as their one and only venue, without losing their original international and interdisciplinary appeal and objective.


It was reported (Kabashima and Shinomoto 1992) that estimators of a binary decision boundary show asymptotically strange behaviors when the probability model is ill-posed or semiparametric. We give a rigorous analysis of this phenomenon in a stochastic perceptron by using the estimating function method. A stochastic perceptron consists of a neuron that is excited depending on the weighted sum of inputs but its probability distribution form is unknown here. It is shown that there exists no n-consistent estimator of the threshold value h, that is, no estimator h that converges to h in the order of 1/ n as the number n of observations increases. Therefore, the accuracy of estimation is much worse in this semiparametric case with an unspecified probability function than in the ordinary case. On the other hand, it is shown that there is a n-consistent estimator of the synaptic weight vector. These results elucidate strange behaviors of learning curves in a semiparametric statistical model.


Air pollution is one of the major problems of megacities in the world. Particulate matter, which is the primary component of air pollution, has several adverse effects on environment and humankind. In megacities, many children spend their free time in playgrounds; consequently most of the air pollutants like particulate matter affect urban children. Although particulate matter concentrations may give an idea on the level of air pollution, particle number concentration in ambient air is an important parameter for understanding the short-term effects on the human respiratory system. However, available data on particle number concentrations in various size ranges are not sufficient to clear the issue. In this study, we measured the particle number concentration in the selected playgrounds of a megacity, Istanbul, using a light scattering particle counter. Particle number distributions were determined on 90 days during the spring 2009. Results showed that particles smaller than 2.5 mm were high in number concentrations in the playgrounds, which were close to the major roads, where the traffic was much more dense. Consequently, a few suggestions were made regarding the location of playgrounds in urban areas.


Medium-term generation scheduling is an important component of power systems operation and management. The traditional problem statement aimed at reducing the total production cost can hardly correspond to the market environment. The paper considers specific features of the problem statement for a wholesale electricity market environment. An approach is suggested to solve the problem on the basis of bi-level optimization models. Such models take into account possible distortion of economic and technical parameters of generating units. The proposed technique obtains equilibrium of the generation company's interests to simulate the competitive behavior under the oligopoly electricity market. A mathematical statement of the problem supposes the application of a dynamic programming method. An algorithm for the stochastic dynamic programming application is developed. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method and algorithm. The efficiency of the proposed approach is shown in comparison with the traditional generation scheduling technique.


: Some of the interesting points which emerged from an international symposium on beta-blockers and the central nervous system, held in St Moritz in January 1976, are presented. Fifty-eight participants from 12 countries attended the symposium.


In a fading channel, bit error rate for frequency-shift-keying signals is determined predominantly by the envelope amplitude fading statistics of the signal. The narrowband envelope amplitude distributions are measured from the TREX04 data (as a function of frequency) using M-sequence signals centered at 17 kHz with a 5 kHz bandwidth. The results do not fit the Rayleigh, Rician, Nakagami m-distributions. In contrast, we find that the data are fitted well by a K-distribution. We also analyze the data in terms of long-term and short-term statistics. The long-term and short-term fading statistics are well fitted by the lognormal distribution and Rayleigh distribution respectively, choosing the average time scale to be ~0.2 sec. The joint probability distribution function of a lognormal and the Rayleigh distribution is approximately the K-distribution


In this paper we study a model of cosmic evolution, assuming that the different components of the universe could interact between them any time. An effective equation of state (EOS) for the universe has been used as well. A particular function for w, which gives a good agreement between our results and the experimental data, has been studied. Finally, the model obtained has been applied to different important cases.


The fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and Klotho system play a very important role in the regulation of the human body metabolism. On the one hand, they promote longevity, and on the other hand they promote insulin resistance. Nowadays, accelerated aging in diabetes as the main consequence of chronic complications of the disease is postulated. Signalling pathways induced by insulin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and their homologues play an important role in controlling the aging process. Because FGF23/Klotho system affects glucose metabolism and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, changes in its concentration may be a marker of chronic complications of diabetes or a treatment option. Despite huge improvements in the treatment of diabetes, its chronic complications remain an important clinical problem. An interesting issue is the relationship between the concentration of FGF23/Klotho and management of the disease, duration, insulin resistance, and development of complications in type 1 diabetes.


Despite efforts to design better vaccines for older adults, the risk for serious complications of influenza remains disproportionately high. Identifying correlates of vaccine effectiveness and understanding the heterogeneity of health outcomes in older adults are key to the vaccine development pipeline. We sought correlates of protection against laboratory-confirmed influenza illness (LCII) in a 4-year randomized trial of standard versus high-dose influenza vaccination of adults 65 years and older. To this end, we quantified serum hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) titers and interferon-gamma (IFNγ) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) secretion by virus-challenged peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Of the 608 participants included, 26 developed either A/H3N2-(n = 17) or B-LCII (n = 9) at 10–20 weeks post-vaccination. Antibody titres for A/H3N2 at 4-weeks post-vaccination were significantly associated with protection against LCII, where every 1-standard deviation increase reduced the odds of A/H3N2-LCII by 53%. Although B-titres did not correlate with protection against B-LCII, the fold-increase in IFNγ:IL-10 ratios from pre- to 4-weeks post-vaccination was significantly associated with protection against B-LCII, where every 1-standard deviation increase reduced the odds by 71%. Our results suggest that both antibody and cell-mediated immune measures are valuable and potentially complementary correlates of protection against LCII in vaccinated older adults, although this may depend on the viral type causing infection.


Gravity model has been long used in order to describe bilateral trade patterns by including incomes, populations and distance between countries. In this respect, the bilateral trade relationship between Turkey and former Soviet Union countries is examined. When dependent variable is the total trade volume, only GDP levels of the former Soviet Union countries and Turkey are significant. When EU and WTO dummies are added to the model, distance become significant at 10% and has a small negative impact. On the other hand, when nonoil trade volume is the dependent variable inclusion of dummies make distance significant. Although the significance levels do not change the magnitude of the coefficients and goodness of fit increases. Additionally, GDP per capita for Turkey has more impact on trade volume than GDP per capita of former Soviet Union countries.


Purpose: High‐Z material in CT yields metal artifacts that degrade image quality and may cause substantial errors in dose calculation. This study couples a metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm with enhanced 16‐bit depth (vs. standard 12‐bit) to quantify potential dosimetric differences. Methods: Extended CT to electron density (CT‐ED) curves were derived from tissue characterization phantom with Titanium and Stainless Steel inserts scanned at 90–140 kVp for 12 and 16‐bit reconstructions. MAR was applied to sinogram data (Brilliance BigBore CT scanner, Philips Healthcare, v.3.5). Single/double hip prostheses were simulated using Cerrobend rod(s) embedded in a pelvic phantom and two dosimetric verifications were performed to elucidate changes between 12 and 16‐bit data: (1) BEAMnrc/Dosxyz Monte Carlo simulation (MC‐SIM) (400,000,0000 histories, 6×, 10×10 beam traversing Cerrobend rod) and (2) Gafchromic film analysis for plans calculated with Anisotropic Analytic Algorithm (AAA, Eclipse) and Monte Carlo (MC‐BL, Brainlab). Five patients with metal implants were reconstructed using both bit depths, with plans calculated using AAA and derived CT‐ED curves. Dose profiles and matrices were evaluated. Results: For 12‐bit images,Titanium and Stainless saturated at 3071 HU, while for 16‐bits (120kVp), mean CT numbers were 8088+/−336 and 13,971+/−1460 HU for Titanium and Stainless, respectively. MC‐SIM was well‐matched between 12 and 16‐bit images except downstream of metal, where 16‐bit dose was ∼6.4% greater than 12‐bit. In treatment planning phantom cases, dose profiles were well‐matched in the buildup region, but deviated in the shadow of metal where ∼12% differences between AAA 16‐bit and 12‐bit doses were observed. Similar results were obtained in patient cases. The largest discrepancy was at a tissue‐metal prosthetic interface, with 12‐bit dose yielding 23.8% less dose than 16‐bit. Conclusions: Dosimetric differences revealed between 12‐ and 16‐bit images were substantial. Further dosimetric verification is warranted. These results support implementing MAR‐corrected, 16‐bit images in treatment planning. This work supported in part by a grant from Philips Medical Systems, Cleveland . Titanium and Stainless Steel inserts were provided by Gammex Inc. in exchange for 16‐bit depth information.


In this paper, we propose a single low-dimensional representation for entities found in different datasets on the web. Our proposed PIC-D embeddings can represent large D-partite graphs using small number of dimensions enabling fast similarity queries. Our experiments show that this representation can be constructed in small amount of time (linear in number of dimensions). We demonstrate how it can be used for variety of similarity queries like set expansion, automatic set instance acquisition, and column classification. Our approach results in comparable precision with respect to task specific baselines and up to two orders of magnitude improvement in terms of query response time.


We study how the optimal use of labor income tax progression depends on whether the wage bargaining system is decentralized or centralized. Assuming a nonlinear labor income tax and an unrestricted profit tax, we show that a Utilitarian government is able to implement the first best resource allocation with a zero marginal labor income tax rate under decentralized wage bargaining, whereas centralized bargaining typically implies a progressive tax as well as unemployment. However, if the government and a (central) wage-setter bargain over wage formation and public policy, the resulting equilibrium is characterized by full employment and a zero marginal tax rate.


During my PhD I have been involved in several projects regarding the morphogenesis of the follicular epithelium, such as the analysis of the pathways that correlate follicular epithelium patterning and eggshell genes expression. Moreover, I used the follicular epithelium as a model system to analyze the function of the Drosophila homolog of the human von Hippel-Lindau (d-VHL) during oogenesis, in order to gain insight into the role of h-VHL for the pathogenesis of VHL disease. h-VHL is implicated in a variety of processes and there is now a greater appreciation of HIF-independent h-VHL functions that are relevant to tumour development, including maintenance and organization of the primary cilium, maintenance of the differentiated phenotype in renal cells and regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, the function of h-VHL gene during development has not been fully understood. It was previously shown that d-VHL down-regulates the motility of tubular epithelial cells (tracheal cells) during embryogenesis. Epithelial morphogenesis is important for organogenesis and pivotal for carcinogenesis, but mechanisms that control it are poorly understood. The Drosophila follicular epithelium is a genetically tractable model to understand these mechanisms in vivo. Therefore, to examine whether d-VHL has a role in epithelial morphogenesis and maintenance, I performed genetic and molecular analyses by using in vivo and in vitro approaches. From my analysis, I determined that d-VHL binds to and stabilizes microtubules. Loss of d-VHL depolymerizes the microtubule network during oogenesis, leading to a possible deregulation in the subcellular trafficking transport of polarity markers from Golgi apparatus to the different domains in which follicle cells are divided. The analysis carried out has allowed to establish a significant role of d-VHL in the maintenance of the follicular epithelium integrity.